Ch. 7
Sorry it has taken me so long to update. To answer some of your fears, no I have not been captured by Separatists ;) It was the week back from Spring Break, and students really give us teachers a run for our money.
I don't own any of these characters or the world/universe in which they reside. I also don't make a profit from these stories. This is all just fun.
Warning: Allusion to Spanking/Actual Spanking of a Teenager in both this and the chapter to follow.
Anakin Skywalker had not slept in two days. He was weary.
Weary from interrogating Reln Seichs, the second most dangerous and wiley arms dealer in the galaxy. Weary from helping Obi-Wan question Layte Eelston, and his purpose in contacting Reln. Weary in attempting to appease the Hutts, despite the overwhelming evidence they were no friends to the Jedi, or the Republic. Weary that for each answer gained, it seemed the less they knew. Weary from the dance they, as Jedi, were forced to do – especially when other methods and quick action could resolve so much.
He let out a blustery sigh.
Most wearisome were the contradictory responsibilities and feelings related to The Force, but not associated with the Jedi. Action based on logical, rational benefit to the whole is commended, yet years of training is spent on intuiting with the highly emotive impressions of The Force. The very fact they – the order of Peacekeepers – were consistently at the front-lines of battle was an ironic contradiction.
Not to mention the other illogical, to Anakin's mind, mandates of the Jedi.
Attachment is forbidden, because it clouds judgment; however, they give him Ahsoka to both teach and protect. He himself was a Padawan to be taught and protected. And the Order asks that a relationship without attachment form? Loyalty but not love? Trust though no kinship?
Anakin shook his head in frustration. That line of thought would only weary him all the more.
As a Jedi Knight, no, as The Chosen One, it was his duty to love, care, and protect those that were given to his trust. Padme, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka – he had failed his mother; Anakin vowed to never fail them.
As he crossed his apartment's common room and approached his sleeping quarters, he glanced at his own Padawan's shut door. He knew she was probably asleep, and did not wish to disturb her though it was already mid-morning. Closing his eyes, he tuned into her thoughts, only feeling slight guilt at his intrusion into her private dreams.
What he saw enraged him. He had seen Reln slap Ahsoka, which was why Anakin punched the man – something the other Jedi masters would have frowned at. Anakin shrugged. It got the job done. Refocusing his attention on the images of her dreams, he grew chilled. Had Anakin truly known earlier what could have happened to her on that bed...the situation in which she didn't have enough strength or experience to control...
Anakin saw and felt her fears replaying in her mind as nightmares. She had come within inches of her young life from being raped, and she was too naïve to fully comprehend it!
A surge of fear and guilt raced through his veins like an all-consuming fire. For the third time in almost as many days, he had failed in protecting her. Yes, everything turned out all right, but if he had been firmer with Ahsoka... If he had been more attentive, or alert, then she wouldn't have those cold and hollow memories of betrayal to haunt her.
Betrayal! The word punched him in the gut with as much force as he had punched Reln. The arms-dealer wasn't the only one to have betrayed her. With that thought, he entered his room and collapsed on the bunk.
Anakin Skywalker was weary.
Weary from what he had done as a Jedi, what he failed to accomplish as a Master, and from the knowledge of what he must do as an all-too-attached protector, caretaker, and friend.
Ahsoka had sensed him peer into her dreams, but was still too disoriented and tired to put up any blocks. Besides, even if that weren't the case, she would have let Anakin rummage around anyway. He would demand and ask for the truth of what happened as Reln's captive eventually. This was easier.
And surprisingly, more comforting. Even while semi-conscious, knowing that Anakin was near, helped soothe her restless sleep. She knew she would face a pile of guilt and remorse for all of her stupid decisions as soon as she woke up. And that would be without her Master's bidding.
Even in her sleep, she winced. Ahsoka would be lucky if she didn't wake up to see a scowling Anakin Skywalker brooding at the foot of her bed, anxious to begin shouting at her as soon as he was sure she was conscious enough to get what he was saying.
That, she just realized, was if he deemed her worth the effort.
Scrunching her eyes more tightly to press back the threatening tears, Ahsoka desperately tried to stamp down the knowledge of her betrayal. Betrayal to herself, the Jedi Council, and most especially Master's Plo and Anakin. Barris had warned her not do anything rash or unfitting a Jedi. But did she listen?
The old woman had said she would find nothing but pain and betrayal. The crone had told her to return to her family – a family which Ahsoka did not perceive existed. But it did. This was probably the largest betrayal of all: the ingratitude of her actions, the dismissal of the Jedi's values and code of ethics. The way she had spit in the face of everything Anakin hoped for her.
A hot tear escaped. Ahsoka let the salty droplet slowly trail down her face as she immersed herself back into the semi-peace of sleep.
"The appeal of this new blaster model is that it is more compact than the current one, but is twice as powerful. See the charge barrel? It's built in such a way to release more pressurized, precise blasts," explained Mace Windu to a somber Council.
"Meaning," inserted Plo-Koon, "the Separatists have developed a weapon that can easily penetrate Clone Trooper battle armor as if they were wearing nothing at all. Whole platoons can be leveled in one round of blasts."
"Significantly weakening our ability to secure victories or maintain fortification," finished Windu.
The weight of this knowledge hung over the head of all in the room.
"Good it is that Obi-Wan and Anakin the blueprints found. Better armor and defenses we now can prepare. Move on the offensive, we must," observed Yoda.
"Indeed. In your interrogations of either Layte or Reln, did they say where or who was forging these new blasters?" asked Windu.
"Layte had mentioned the small, outer-rim planet of Minuesurn," answered Obi-Wan.
"If I recall," mused Plo-Koon, "Minuesurn is part of a system rich in minerals and ore. Its neighboring planet, Kamestril, had long ago ceased operating as a mining planet. The ore there once contained minerals necessary for fuel cells to power the engines of trade ships. When the mines of Kaemstril had shut-down, they searched for similar ore deposits on Minuesurn, but were unsuccessful. It could be what was unsuitable for ships is now suitable for blasters."
"Whatever is in Minuesurn has the Trade Federation interested, and that's reason enough to check it out," stated Anakin, already smiling at the opportunity to thwart yet another Separatist plot.
"All right, Skywalker. You and Master Plo assemble a team to depart tomorrow morning, 06:00 hours," Windu charged. "Obi-Wan, you and I will be making a visit to the -"
Before Windu could finish his sentence, a knock at the Council's Door interrupted him. "I'll finish this briefing later, Obi-Wan," he assured.
The doors opened to reveal a contrite and visibly nervous Togruta Padawan. Anakin couldn't help but feel some small pride in her efforts to control her anxiety by keeping her head high and walking forth-rightly into the room, though he made certain to keep a stern demeanor.
He was called into the Council for a debriefing of Reln and Layte's interrogation as well as how he had recovered Ahsoka before he had a chance to remonstrate her. He didn't think she should feel she was off the hook – neither with him or the Council.
"You wished to speak with me, Masters?" she queried, imperceptibly shivering at the very hard stares returned as a response.
Where Mace Windu was in-charge of the debriefing, he didn't feel up to acting as the Council Voice on disciplining Skywalker's reckless Padawan. If it were up to him, both Padawan and Master would be spending a few weeks at the AgriCorps. He gladly turned over the proceedings to Plo-Koon.
"Yes, Little Soka. We have a disciplinary matter to discuss," he said with all gravity.
Ahsoka swallowed back a lump of tears beginning to form at the base of her throat. She would not disgrace herself or Anakin any further by bursting into a fit of tears, like a youngling. That was easier said than done, however, as she looked into the various degrees of disappointment, frustration, and sternness etched into each of the Masters' faces. Even Master Yoda looked grim.
Anakin's arm-crossed stance she recognized as dangerous and forbidding – a stance she had seen him take with only the most infuriating Separatist traitors. A sharp, piercing glance from him was enough to hurry her into the center of the room. His message was loud and clear – even without words or telepathy - "You will NOT embarrass me again. Now get in here and face this like I'm expecting you to."
"You have not only jeopardized the success of one mission by lying to gain its access, you have jeopardized the success of a second mission through your willful disobedience and pride," recounted Plo-Koon.
"But, I didn't know about the second mission," rationalized Ahsoka, "and I did manage to get the blueprints. If it weren't for me -"
"Silence!" commanded Plo-Koon.
Ahsoka jumped. Master Plo, as far as she could tell, had never raised his voice and certainly never at her. She had landed herself in hotter water than she had imagined.
If that weren't nerve-wracking enough, on the heels of Plo-Koon's sharp command came Anakin's growling telepathic message, "Look at me!"
With great trepidation Ahsoka forced herself to look into Anakin's dark, brewing eyes. Her mind was assaulted with his angry warning. "You interrupt Plo-Koon or any other council member again with your pathetic rationalization of your stupid stunts, and I'll take you over my knee right here and now. And I don't care if the other Council Members would approve. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, Master," she sent back.
"Good. Now apologize. And behave."
Ahsoka riled at that last part - "behave." There he was, treating her like a youngling again. But she wasn't about to test him, not when she knew he would make good on his threat.
"I'm sorry, Master Plo. I should not have interrupted you, nor tried to rationalize my actions," she spoke at just above a whisper.
"Very well, Ahsoka," he replied. "Though we are glad you did employ your Jedi training to secure the blueprints, the fact remains those blueprints were never your responsibility to secure. Curfew was broken, you placed a mission in jeopardy, you disrupted the scheduled work of many here at the temple while we were out searching for your whereabouts, you forced your friend, Barriss, into the compromising position of betraying your trust, and most disturbingly, you placed your life in great danger – even before losing your Lightsaber."
He let the stark truth of her actions weigh upon her for a moment before continuing.
"And, all this was done on the basis of selfish and petty reasoning. You gave into self-serving emotions, and then allowed them to cloud your judgment. Is that not so?"
At this point, Ahsoka's head was bowed – cheeks burning with shame.
"Answer me, Ahsoka. We can't properly discipline you if we are wrong, or you feel our actions unjust."
She nodded her head, then whispered, "Yes, Master. What you have said is all true."
"Did we leave out anything?" he queried.
Ahsoka could feel her stomach knotting. Most everything had been charged against her, except for one small detail. She had let Reln kiss her. And she kissed him back. This, of course, was before she knew who he was, but she wasn't sure if that would matter. Nowhere had it ever been stated that Jedi weren't allowed physical expressions of intimacy, but nowhere did it state that it was. Since she was already going to hang...
"There is one more thing, Master. I...I had kissed the arms-dealer, Reln."
Anakin let out a chortled, choking noise. Obi-Wan quickly began pounding him on the back. Ahsoka would have laughed at the sight he made, if she wasn't hyper-aware that she had caused his coughing fit.
"I didn't know he was an arms-dealer, Master! It was probably wrong to kiss him, I know but -"
"That's all right, Little Soka. That was an innocent – though highly foolish – but still innocent and natural process of a girl your age. With the Council, it will not be held against you." What Master Plo did not bother, nor need to explain, was that Anakin would not be so forgiving of that innocent yet foolish kiss.
She nodded her head in understanding, glad that at least the Council wouldn't hold that against her.
"Then there is nothing to say except pronounce your punishment," he sighed, weariness and displeasure at both her actions and his necessity to carry out punishment, evident in his voice.
"From now until the next lunar cycle, Ahsoka Tano, you will remain grounded and ineligible for any missions. For the next week, you are restricted to your quarters, the Meditation Room, and the Library. The only exception to this restriction is when your Master requires your presence outside of the aforementioned places. Between now and the start of the next lunar cycle, you shall engage in activities to remind you of the purpose and title of Jedi: humility, peace, and service."
At hearing that, Ahsoka flinched, knowing the implication that her behavior did not model nor portray Jedi values in the least.
"These activities will include daily hours logged in custodial service, third – fourth year youngling schooling, and guard duty. Any remaining time in the day will be used for meditation and educational study."
Ahsoka's shoulders slumped. At least she wasn't sent to the AgriCorps, but might as well have been. She didn't know what was worse – custodial service which included the common 'freshers or teaching third year younglings how to spell.
"Lastly, because your duties will require early rising, you shall be in bed by 21:00 hours, unless otherwise specified."
The Togruta's head shot-up. Now she had a bedtime, like some youngling?
"But that's not fair!" she whined.
"Ahsoka!" Anakin hissed.
Too late she regretted her interruption. She stepped back as Anakin took a menacing step towards her. She knew what was coming and plead with the Force he wouldn't, for once, not follow-through on a promise.
The Force must have heard her, because Obi-Wan held a restraining hand on the younger Jedi's arm. Ahsoka did not miss the glare Anakin gave his former Master, nor the quick way Obi-Wan shook his head "no." Clearly Obi-Wan felt that whatever Anakin intended, in front of the Council was not the place.
"Fair or not, Little Soka, it is what the Council has decided. Do you accept the terms of your punishment?"
She wanted to laugh. As if saying "no" was an option. Despite her outburst not two seconds earlier, and by tapping into the Force and knowing just how truly concerned and worried all the Council was for her while she was missing, Ahsoka knew that the punishment fit the crimes. No matter how distasteful the punishment seemed.
Nor did she miss Master Plo calling her by her nickname. He had forgiven her, already. Just having that forgiveness was enough to make her amenable.
"Yes, I accept the terms."
Master Plo nodded his head. It had been done.
The atmosphere in the room changed from one of suffocating gravitas to one of ease and contentment. Everyone seemed glad to have the disciplinary council behind them.
Everyone, except for her own Master. Anakin purposefully strode to her side. Every instinct in her shouted at her to run. The sadness, the fear, the guilt that was emanating from him was ten times as weighty as it had been on the shuttle back from the Citadel. There was no escaping the thunder cloud that was Anakin Skywalker.
Grabbing her by the upper-arm, he practically dragged Ahsoka from the room.
A braver Padawan would have at least tried to access her Master's thoughts, in order to prepare herself for what was to come. But she knew that she wouldn't need to. Ahsoka had a pretty good idea what Anakin had planned. She doubted any amount of mental shoring could prepare her for what she had coming.