Chapter 2: Storms

Watching from the window, her red hair fluttered in the wind. A storm was coming. Looking out behind her she could see the first clouds filled with hatred, pain and sorrow, this filled her with the same thoughts. Hatred, pain and sorrow. Watching as the man held his head in his hands she found it hard to think that this was the little boy she had tried to kill thirty-two years ago. The younger man walked out the room and she took her chance to have a better look. She blended herself in with the force and her surroundings so he would not sense her and moved round. She could see his auburn hair from miles away; his blue, grey eyes could pierce hers in a matter of minutes, his beard was trimmed and perfect, and his face was smooth and filled with kindness. But no matter what he looked like she had to get revenge, to finish her mission she was set thirty-two years ago. She could sense his tension; his worry and she fed on it, building her strength, the dark side within her. The doors opened and she sensed the younger Jedi enter with a pot of tea. He was filled with anxiety, worry and pain. Yes the pain he felt, the hatred made her feel good. She watched as the younger man shoved a mug into Obi Wan's hands, which he appeared to take no notice of it. She watched as he sighed and turned towards him and looked into his face and they started to talk. The youngling appeared to be growing interested into what the older man was saying and amounts of shock were taking over his face. She took out a device she had created a few days ago in the safety of her home. It was a listening device, so simple but effective that she took it with her everywhere. She attached it to the windowpane and listened in.

"I know she's safe and all but I can't help thinking she may be in danger," Obi Wan said, his voice cracking.

"Don't worry Master, I'm sure it was just a bad dream"

'Ah so now he has an apprentice. This just keeps getting better and better' Manizra thought to herself happily, wondering what she could do with the young Jedi Master.

Slowly she detached the listening device of the window and watched as Obi Wan stood up and made his way back to bed, the younger man in salute.

The storm was coming closer and Manizra could feel the raindrops contacting with her skin, as the clouds became huge balloons of her hatred. From behind her a large crack of thunder sounded as she made her way down from the window, making the entire ground shake.

Ahsoka woke to the sound of thunder in the distance, the power of it shaking her bed. She had never enjoyed these sorts of things. She was not frightened of many things but thunder topped the list, hearing the rumbles as a youngling always left her going under her covers and weeping until someone came to comfort her. Slowly Ahsoka left her bed in the medical ward and walked towards the window, around her the lights were flickering on and off. Sighing she looked out of the window and saw a crack of lightning shoot across the sky, and as it connected with the ground the lights went out. Ahsoka turned round suddenly to see if someone was playing a trick on her but no one was there, she was hyperventilating, she hated storms. She had started to sweat when she turned back towards the window. There was another crack of lightning that filled the sky, it blinded her and as she got her eyesight back a pair of glowing red eyes were staring straight at her making her scream and fall over onto her ass. A sudden clap of thunder, the lights came back on. From behind, the door opened and Bant darted in.

"Ahsoka are you alright?" she asked her faced concerned. She had obviously heard her scream. Ahsoka looked back at the window to see the red eyes that had pierced hers gone.

"Yes, I'm fine" she said. Her eyes fixed on the spot where the eyes had been just seconds before. Bant put her hands under Ahsoka's arms and carefully lifted her to her feet. Ahsoka looked into Bant's silver eyes that were shining in the light and began to shift her weight from one foot to another.

"I was just scared by the storm." Ahsoka said, daring not to look into her eyes, she was telling the truth, from a certain point of view.

Bant looked to where Ahsoka had been staring for a few minutes and closed the curtains. She turned and walked towards the door.

"Padawan Tano, one thing"

"Yes Master Eerin"

"Please try not to scream again from the storm, I do have other patients!" Bant smiled at her and walked out the door. Ahsoka sighed again and crawled into her bed. She lay on her side and closed her eyes. The eyes, those red eyes. Ahsoka opened her eyes again and sat up. That image just wouldn't get out of her head, they looked at her no matter how hard she concentrated she couldn't get those eyes out her head. She pulled herself of her bed and walked out her door.

The storm outside had begun to increase, the rain slashed against the windowpanes and the roof of the temple and around her everyone was sleeping. Quickening her pace Ahsoka began to run down the corridor, her paranoia taking over, and her fear for the eyes became stronger. Coming to the end of the corridor Ahsoka skidded to a halt, gripping her side, she gasped for air exhausted by her running. It had taken her thirty minutes to get here. THIRTY MINUTES! Timidly she knocked on Bant's door hoping the healer was still awake. She heard a faint sigh and the scraping of a chair along the concrete floor with footsteps coming closer and closer until

"What do you want?" she asked, her door opening to reveal her in a simple blue nightdress with a white dressing gown covering it.

"Oh Ahsoka" she said sounding surprised. She had expected her to be asleep already.

"Master Eerin, I couldn't sleep and I was hoping you could give me something to help," she asked timidly. Looking at the little Togruta girl she could see she needed sleep. She had black rims under her eyes and her crème coloured nightdress was crumpled and dirty from when she had found her on the floor earlier in the night.

Thinking to herself Bant walked into her room and looked through the Medicine Cabinet. There were so many things in here, Bacta pads, Pain Killers, pills of all sorts but right at the very back was the very thing she wanted. Sedative pills. She smiled to herself as she took them out of the cupboard; these gave her funny memories of the time she had to attempt to sedate Obi Wan because he had a nasty injury when he and Qui Gon had gone to Vanqor and he wouldn't stay put.

Turning back to Ahsoka, sedatives in hand she opened the lid.

"One of these should get you to sleep in no time," she said taking one out of the container, pushing it into Ahsoka's hand.

"Oh and Ahsoka, if you can't get to sleep don't knock on my door again, I will probably be asleep." She said turning towards the door, Ahsoka's face in glee as she held onto the sedative, determined to get some sleep as soon as she got back to her room.