OK, we have reached the end of After the Storm! Shout out time to all my reveiwers!
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I really loved getting reveiws from all of you and I hope you enjoy the last chapter.
Night.
On Coruscant, it was never completely dark; no, a trillion lights shone from the billions of buildings, making the whole planet seem to glow from space. But in an office in the Senate building, the whole room seemed to darken with the occupant's anger.
"You let them get away!" Darth Sidious hissed in rage, glowering at the hologram in from of him. He knew if he wanted to, he could destroy the whole office in his anger, but if course, the Jedi would become suspicious and that would never do.
Count Dooku shrank away. "My lord, the girl is more powerful than you thought, and Skywalker is a formidable force on his own-"
"I find it amusing that a fighter of your caliber was bested by a Padawan," Sidious said coldly.
Dooku bowed. "I am sorry, my Master. I did manage to poison her with a deadly chemical. It should finish what I could not."
"The girl is fine," Sidious snapped. "I have received word from a trustworthy source that she will make a full recovery."
"She refused to turn," Dooku said. If he was shocked by Sidious' news, he did not show it. "Her allegiance to the Jedi, and to her Master is very strong."
"And you had no success with Skywalker, either, then."
Even in the tiny hologram, Dooku's smile could be seen. "I nearly managed to turn him, Master. The Padawan interfered at the last second." He frowned. "Tano managed to overthrow the Force suppressing poison my lord. I thought that such a feat was impossible."
"It should be," Sidious mused. "I underestimated her. I will not do that again."
"What do you plan to do, my lord?"
Sidious thought for a minute. "Ahsoka Tano may prevent Skywalker's turn, but she may also be killed in the war before I am ready to carry out that particular phase. In the meantime, I will watch her progress carefully." His eyes glinted with malice. Twilight was falling on the Jedi Order...
Ahsoka awoke feeling much more like herself. She felt stronger and knew she could walk if she tried. Instinctively, she reached out to the Force, just to see if she really could. It worked and the power she felt was astounding.
I'm never going to get used to this. Did she really want all this power? Could she get rid of it if she didn't? Why did this happen to me? What makes me different?"
Because you are the Padawan of the Chosen One.
Did that mean her fate was intersected with Anakin's? Her mind travelled back to the vision she'd had on Mortis, the vision of her adult self. And the warning.
You may never see your future if you remain his student...
His student... she had definitely meant Anakin. But how was she in such danger by being his apprentice?
Well, look what just happened. But she got into scrapes like that all the time. Could the vision have meant a danger.. from Anakin himself?
Now you're being ridiculous, she scolded herself.
"Hey, Snips."
Ahsoka looked up to see her Master standing beside her bed. "Tell me I can get out of here," she said pleadingly.
Anakin nodded. "According to the Healer, I'm an inconsiderate Master who needs to be more mindful of his Padawan's health, but yeah, you're free."
Ahsoka grinned, banishing any thoughts of her earlier musings and they left the healing wing.
As they walked through the halls of the Temple, Rex suddenly came up to them. Ahsoka blinked in surprise. Clones didn't often enter the Temple; it was the Jedi sanctuary.
"Sir!" Rex said, saluting to Anakin. "We have a small situation."
"Yes?" Anakin said, immediately alert.
"Well..." Rex looked slightly uncomfortable. "It's about the... battle droid, sir." Another clone came into view, pushing a slightly scorched droid ahead of him.
448! Ahsoka had completely forgotten about him."What happened to him?" she asked. Sure, he had been been scorched when they left the burning factory, but not that bad.
"The battle droid decided it was going to help carry the boxes of ammunition off the cruiser," the trooper explained. "It's quite smart, for a clanker, but clumsy. It dropped the box of ammo and triggered it's blaster by accident." The clone winced. "The blaster fire hit the box and it exploded."
"Sir, we've been thinking," Rex said. "If this battle droid could be fixed up and reprogrammed to follow your orders, it could be very useful as a spy."
Anakin waved a hand dismissively. "Recycle it for spare parts."
448 looked as incredulous as a droid could look. "Spare parts? After all I've done to help you, you plan on turning me into spare parts? I do believe this particular Jedi needs to work on gratitude."
Anakin's hand crept toward his lightsaber.
"Master!" Ahsoka glared at him. "I don't know if you remember, but this candidate for the junk heap saved my life."
Anakin scowled. "Fine. Send it for reprogramming. And make sure they strip it of its... attitude."
448 looked from Anakin to Ahsoka. He bowed to Ahsoka. "It was a pleasure to have met you, Jedi Ahsoka." He looked back at Anakin. "Though I can't say the same for you."
The clones pushed the droid away.
Ahsoka shook her head. "Master, what do you have against that droid, anyway?"
"Other than the fact that it's rude, an enemy, something that I cut to pieces almost daily and it talks too much?"
Ahsoka grinned, but it faded when she suddenly remembered something. Cut to pieces...
"My lightsabers!"
Anakin smiled, but Ahsoka didn't think anything was very funny at the moment.
"Relax," he said. "I... ran into the guy who bought them from the bounty hunter. I have them here."
Was it Ahsoka's imagination, or did a expression of guilt flicker across Anakin's face as he said that?
Anakin held out her lightsabers, but as she reached to take them, he pulled his hand away. "These weapons are your life, Ahsoka," he said. "You must take careof them."
Ahsoka was about to apologize when she saw the twinkle in her Master's eyes. "As you take care of yours?" she shot back, snatching the lightsabers.
They walked on in silence for a few minutes, then Ahsoka got an idea. "Lets spar, Master," she said.
"No," he said immediately. "You're recovering from a life threatening poison and I think you should take it easy for a while."
"We haven't had a match in ages," Ahsoka persisted.
Anakin turned to her and Ahsoka saw in his gaze that he remembered all too well what had happened the last time they had crossed lightsabers.
"I didn't mean..." she trailed off, staring at the ground.
Anakin forced a smile. "I suppose a small match wouldn't hurt."
Ahsoka glanced at him. As much as he claimed he had gotten over what had happened, she had a feeling that the memory was going to be with them both for a very long time.
As hard as he tried, he couldn't forget.
In every blow, he saw his Padawan's dark glare, in every parry, her taunts rang in his ears.
Anakin tried to bring himself back to their present battle, seeing Ahsoka's concerned look.
"Master, I've been winning for the last ten minutes and I'm not even trying."
Anakin forced himself to smile, though it felt like plastic, so he dropped it. "It isn't fair, you've got two lightsabers and I've only got one."
She gave him a knowing look. "I know what you're thinking."
"So, now you can read minds as well?"
Ahsoka glared at him and aimed a blow for his legs. "I'm affected by it too, you know. I am the one who started that duel. It's my fault we were ever fighting in the first place."
"It's my fault you were captured," Anakin countered. He hadn't thought that Ahsoka was thinking of Mortis at all, she was showing no emotion other than determination. He was slightly embarrassed that his Padawan had better control than he did. "It's my fault you were killed. I should have tried harder, I should have-"
"Master, it isn't your job to protect the galaxy," Ahsoka reminded him.
"Maybe not," Anakin agreed. "But it is my job to protect you."
Ahsoka went silent for a minute, and Anakin thought he'd at least won the verbal battle. But then she asked a question that so completely caught him off guard that he almost fell over.
"What was bothering you the morning we left for Gavern?"
"The previous mission," Anakin lied after a moment. He didn't feel like sharing his vision just then.
"The truth, please," Ahsoka said, landing a blow to his leg and almost tripping him.
Anakin sighed. He had promised that he wouldn't keep anything like that from her. "I had a vision. It was about you."
"About me," Ahsoka repeated. She didn't look surprised.
"It was some kind of warning," Anakin said quietly. He decided then that he wouldn't tell her the man's words. If you continue to train her, Ahsoka Tano will not live to become a Jedi Knight... "I saw you, just as you looked after you had been poisoned."
There was an almost audible click as Ahsoka made the connection. Her eyes lit up in understanding. "I had a vision as well," she said, then went silent. A kind of mask slid over her face and Anakin knew she would not tell him anymore.
"You know, Master, you won't be able to protect me forever," she said after a moment. "Eventually, you are going to have to let me go."
Anakin didn't like where this conversation was going. It was his turn to be silent. He deactivated his lightsaber and Ahsoka did the same.
Why are you so afraid of loss? She hadn't sent that to him through the Force, but she was broadcasting her thoughts so loud, Anakin was almost surprised the whole Temple hadn't heard.
"I'll tell you some other time, Snips," he said out loud earning a startled look from Ahsoka.
"Sorry, Master, I didn't mean to-"
"It's alright," he reassured her.
"My new Force abilities," she muttered. "You've never been able to pick up on my thoughts before."
"You don't want them," Anakin stated.
"I can't get rid of them, though," she said.
"They do have their uses," Anakin said. "I've only met one other person who could block Dooku's attack like you did, and that's Master Yoda."
Ahsoka offered him a smile. "I guess that's true. Someone needs to be around to save you from the dark side."
Anakin took on a serious expression. "I'm sorry about that, Ahsoka. I almost gave into it there, I would have if you hadn't stopped me."
For the first time, a shadow crossed her face. "Promise me you will never turn to the dark side, Master."
He sensed there was more behind her words than she was letting on and nodded. She continued to look at him, and for a second, her eyes took on a look of deep sorrow, the look of a person who had seen far too much suffering. Suddenly she looked as if she had aged years.
He blinked and the look vanished. The Ahsoka he knew was back.
"Another match?" she asked brightly.
Anakin activated his lightsaber in response.
The End.
Well, I hope you enjoyed reading my story! Should I make a sequel, or leave it like this?
Please review!