The war had started. It was big news, and something that some of us found hard to swallow. Jake seemed to take it easily, in his stride, confident that the Jedi would find peace and spread it through the galaxy. Somehow I got the feeling that he was just saying this to appease me.
Carren had rushed to the library at the first shout of the Republic being at war. She stuffed her room full of texts about the Jedi and their great victories. She would recite these things to me while we were on the roof of the temple as if trying to convince the both of us that the Jedi would pull through.
I, on the other hand, was a little worried. The Battle of Geonosis had already lost many brilliant, brave, fearless Jedi and the longer the war went on the more we would lose.
There was an upside however. We got far more combat training than before. Now that was fun.
The training hall had been programmed to give us different environments; sometimes hilly, and exerting but with good cover and sometimes a large plain, less strenuous but with less cover.
The training hall itself was massive, about two kilometres wide and the same in length. We would be attacked from all sides and fight our way to the end. Stings were the 'child friendly' equivalent to blaster bolts.
I couldn't deny I enjoyed it.
I remember it being not long after my fourteenth birthday that my life really changed. My new robes had just come in, rather than the dirty looking brow, baggy robes that most Jedi wore, I had been given the honour of wearing a far more manoeuvrable outfit that suited me well. The burgundy bikini like top and skirt gave me far less to heft around during duels and I started to excel even more than I had already.
Maybe I had become a bit cocky, but no Jake and I had real goes at each other when in the ring. When in the training hall one day we were fighting back to back, fiercely battling the many battle droids firing in all directions.
"Whenever you're ready!" Jake yelled over his shoulder,
"Alright, now!" I replied. In perfect synchronization, Jake spun round hands clasped as if to give me a leg up. I jumped just two feet in the air and landed both feet right in the centre of his palms. He threw his arms in the air just as I launched up, the combined force of both our strength sent me flying over the battlefield. I ignited my new shining lightsaber in mid-flight, the titanium based handle and glowing green blade both spun in my hand as I deflected the odd laser fire coming towards me. I landed with my legs apart near Carren whose blue blade moved with precise movements, jerking only when necessary to deflect only the possible injury bolts.
"You did hear the orders didn't you?" she called over to me as she caught a stun grenade with the force and threw it back to the droids, "Get to the safe point."
"Of course I did, but you were lagging so I thought I'd keep you company," I replied grinning.
"You're really not supposed to enjoy this you know!" she scolded me,
"I'm not, look at me I'm miserable!" I turned to her, face in a pout doing my best puppy dog eyes.
"Very funny!"
The forces against us thinned and we took a run through a small gap in their lines. We were still deflecting but we managed to get out of harm's way. There was a whirring sound from above us.
"Uh-oh, sith droids," Carren warned,
Two large droids landed in front of us. They were normally pretty easy for our age group, set sometimes to only aim for our arms or legs, but this time the two droids looked serious. Both set their metallic red eyes on me and took a pace forward.
"Okay, that's new," Carren said, "Their only after you."
I ignited my lightsaber and Carren followed suit,
"Carren, go they want me."
"Ahsoka, you're good," she gave me a quick glance as the droids began to move forward quicker, pacing themselves, igniting their weapons, "But not that good."
I was mildly annoyed at her lack of faith, but I appreciated her staying, something I soon started to appreciate more and more.
The two droids were vicious, they swung in a controlled way, it reminded me of Hash when he tried to get his own back but they knew their trajectories, the speed they needed to move at, how far away we were. This was a real fight.
As I parried I saw from my peripheral vision the safe zone, a yellow pad only three hundred meters or so to the right. I couldn't rely on help from the others, once in the safe zone a blue shield prevented you from escaping again. Jake was standing waving his arms trying to get my attention. Jedi don't run Jake.
So I continued battling, I spun my blade and caught the droid in a lock, not necessarily my strong point but it gave me time to work out tactics. I raised my leg and delivered a hard kick to the droids knee forcing it to go the other way. Droids don't really feel pain but the ones in the temple were programmed to respond to any action as if living beings.
The droid broke the saber lock and pulled away letting out a cry of metallic pain.
"Come on, nut head, show me what you got," I said, beginning to get the feeling of a good fight,
The droid hobbled forward, I flipped over its head landing neatly on its shoulders and drove my blade straight down into its head. Victory for the youngling, I thought.
Carren hadn't faired so well. She was on the floor, unconscious from the training lightsabers blow to her midsection. The droid was towering over her facing away from me, well now was a good chance. I took a flying leap sending my lightsaber in a graceful arc and slicing through the make-shift sith. Another victory for the youngling, I thought as I punched the air. It looked from this distance as if the rest of my clan had arrived on the safe spot, it was just me and Carren to go.
"COME ON AHSOKA!"
"LOOK OUT!"
From behind I felt the blaster bolts coming towards me, several whizzed by my lekku and one missed my raised arm by an inch. The one lucky shot just had to be to my leg, apparently they'd raised the program when no one had noticed because this shot hurt, bad. My leg felt numb and the stings burned, I glanced at be boot as I began defending myself, well at least it's not real fire.
To my right I heard the sound of Carren stirring, well it's now or never girl, I thought.
I grabbed Carren's hands and flung her over my small shoulder, this might prove to be difficult. Disengaging my blade, I made a run for it. Three hundred meters with a bad leg and several stone of human to carry, I'd really have to tell Carren to diet after this.
A hundred meters.
Fifty meters and another shot, this time to my left elbow. Unfortunate as I was using that to keep Carren in place. Come onl.
Ten meters, five, another shot, two more and three. Things started to sway as I threw Carren with all the force power I had left towards that safe yellow square. And I fell, tumbling into the darkness of my own mind. It hurt.
I was in the hospital wing next thing I knew, Jake was beside me grinning as usual, Carren was looking concerned but relieved.
"What- What happened?" I asked with a parched throat,
"You were totally awesome!" Jake yelled, before Carren could tell me the actual details. He was quickly shushed by a medical droid attending the other Jedi, "Sorry."
"Well, I like people who get to the point," I told him, "But it really doesn't give me the whole picture."
"What he's trying to say, Ahsoka, is you failed the test by not reaching the safe zone, but were a real hero taking on those two droids and carrying me to safety even while injured."
"I-I failed?"
"Well, eh," Jake started, "Technically you didn't complete the mission, but you-you did really great in all those other categories y'know? Like, eh, bravery and compassion and, eh, yeah, well, it was brilliant anyway!"
I couldn't believe it. I'd failed a mission. I never failed missions, not once in all my time here. Why did I stay with Carren? I thought. Hey now wait a minute, that's what friends do, that's what Jedi do. They show compassion, they don't just leave a fellow Jedi behind, or anyone behind for that matter.
With this positive thought in mind I felt much better.
"Oh and Master Yoda wishes to speak with you," Carren added.
I was too shocked that I automatically walked towards Master Yoda's chambers without a thought.
"Come in, young one," his voice called before I'd even knocked. He was facing the blind covered window as I entered.
"Good evening Master," I said cordially, bowing with respect.
"Take a seat child, plenty to discuss there is."
I sat on the chair patiently as the wise Master turned.
"Padawan, you shall be young one."
I almost fell off my chair.
"Tested you had to be and fail you did not."
"But Master, I did fail the test," I interrupted before I could stop myself,
"Possibly, from your perspective. But shown true courage you have, compassion, giving without thought of reward. The true traits of a Jedi these are."
I smiled a small smile, I was finding it difficult to keep my joy from bursting out of me.
"When can I become a padawan Master?" I asked my excitement poorly hidden. Master Yoda smiled.
"Tomorrow. Assigned to Anakin Skywalker, you will be. Supervise your Jedi training he will."
The next day, packed with my lightsaber and newly formed padawan braid, I was shipped off to Christophsis.
Alright, so the last chapter was supposed to be, well, the last chapter, but I realized I actually needed some practise writing fight scenes, so any opinions on that good ahead and review! I also realized I really wanted to write Ahsoka becoming a padawan! I hope I did it well, or at least okay. I thought I got the feeling of Ahsoka's two friends quite well, or at least involved them a bit more (any opinions on that either?).
I watched the final episode yesterday and I'm not ashamed to admit I cried… both times I watched it! Ahsoka has always been the character I was eager to watch every episode and now she's gone! I actually want to know what everyone else thought of the episode, I mean the music really got me but still was I the only one who cried?! Anyhow, at least she's not dead!
Please review!
