My Father's Padawan

Part Three

By Marie Nomad

"Quick, play it." Luke's heart jumped. Maybe this next addition will add on what happened to the young Padawan.

Ahsoka appeared on the screen. Her headtails were longer and she had obviously grown. Instead of the brown tube top that she was wearing before, she was wearing a brown vest. "Hi, I had found this recording and thought I should add on. I don't know why, I just feel… like I had to. Anyway, it has been a year since I first made this recording. A lot has changed. I had changed as you can tell." She gestured to herself.

"Anyway, I have some important news. I am a knight!" She grinned as she laughed. "I can't believe it myself. But it's true!" She took a deep breath and clamed down.

"I must calm down." The girl sighed. "I am a Jedi Knight. I have to act as such."

"Ahsoka, can you come here?" Rex asked off screen.

"Just a second. Let's see what Rex is up to." Ahsoka said as she picked up the camera and carried it into a darkened room.

All of a sudden, the room lit up.

"SURPRISE!"

Ahsoka's eyes widened as she looked at a huge group of clones and Jedi gathered around her. On the wall was the banner 'Congratulations Ahsoka'. "Wow… how did you surprise me?"

"Just a little cloaking on the force." Obi Wan said as he came up and hugged her.

"And a lot of planning." Rex admitted as he came up with a cake.

"Did Skyguy set this up?" Ahsoka looked around eagerly.

Obi Wan answered as he pointed to the clone. "No. Rex did."

"Rex?!"

"It's for morale reasons." Rex said as he looked away.

"Thanks. You're the best." Ahsoka gushed as she patted his arm.

"It's nothing. Really."

"Here have some cake." Padme offered the Torgrunta.

"Thank you!" Ahsoka began eating. "I'm surprised that you are here, Senator."

"You are my friend. And I know how big it is for you to become a Jedi Knight at your age."

"Oh please, you were a queen when you were younger than me."

"I know but it is still an impressive accomplishment for a young one like yourself. You should be proud."

Ahsoka looked down. "Jedi are not supposed to be proud."

"What feeling fulfilled?" Padme asked.

The Torgrunta pondered. "Fulfilled works. Thank you, Padme."

"You're welcome. How is Anakin handling his little Padawan becoming a Knight?"

"I don't know." Ahsoka looked around. "I barely saw him since the ceremony. I wonder why he's staying away from me?"

Padme frowned. She gave the type of frown that would scare any soldier. "I don't know."

"I hope he's okay with this. He can be a little overprotective."

"That's one of his charms." The senator sighed as she smiled slightly.

Ahsoka arched an eyebrow. "Are you pining for my master?"

"NO!" Padme shook her head. Her face stilled into a classic political poker face. "I… I think I shall get a drink." She walked off.

Ahsoka chuckled and looked at the camera. "Don't worry, she has a stable head. She won't do anything crazy like get knocked up or anything like that."

Han looked over at Leia and Luke. "I doubt it."

"Shh!" Leia ordered.

The Torgrunta teenager sat down to eat more cake. "Hello, Soka." A Kel Dor Jedi said as he walked up and sat beside her.

"Master Plo. This is Master Plo, the Jedi who brought me to the Council." Ahsoka introduced.

"I see you are recording this event."

"Yeah, who knows, I might look back and see how much I've changed." Ahsoka shrugged.

"Well, I wish to say that I am very proud of you. Every time I see a youngling that I found rise to the Knight Rank and beyond, I feel I had contributed to the Force."

"Thank you, Master. I will not let you down. I hope I'm ready. I'm a little nervous. I'm only sixteen."

"Do not worry. Every new knight feels some hesitation but relax. You are ready."

"Thank you."

The holovid played on showing Ahsoka talking with various Jedi and clones. "Everyone has been great! But where's Skyguy?" The girl asked as she looked around. "Let's try to find him." She closed her eyes in a meditative stance. "Got him!"

Ahsoka grabbed the camera and walked down the hallways. Then, she heard Padme's voice.

"Anakin, you are being ridiculous."

"I am not. What kind of Jedi throws a party for being a knight?"

"It was a surprise party from Rex. I think it was sweet of him."

"It's foolish. The only reason that I'm here is because you decided to come here."

"Ahsoka's your student. You should be proud of her."

"And Ahsoka's knighthood was a sham. The only reason that she's even a Knight is that the Council is desperate for Jedi."

Ahsoka's face paled slightly and she whispered. "Master."

The door opened to reveal Anakin and Padme standing there. Anakin seemed darker somehow, a little more gaunt, to show the wear of the war on his soul. "Snips… I didn't… I didn't know that you were…"

"HOW COULD YOU?!" Ahsoka screamed and the camera went out.

The camera came back on to reveal Ahsoka alone crying. "I… I can't… why? I thought he would be proud of… me. I'm his student. He's… oh god…" She sobbed.

"Ahsoka?" A tall black human appeared. "What is wrong?"

"Master Windu." Ahsoka stood up and wiped her tears. "Nothing! Really."

"Master Tano, tell me the truth." Mace Windu softly ordered.

The girl looked down. "Is my knighthood a sham?"

"What?!"

"I understand that we had lost many Jedi in this war and that I am willing to fight until I am done but is the Council just that desperate for new Knights?"

The master sighed. "What made you believe that you are unworthy of becoming a knight?"

Ahsoka just looked down.

"You had grown over the past few years. You had survived battles with Grevious, Ventress, and even Bane. Yes, this war had made us get more knights but we are still very careful in our process and that it had forced everyone to grow up faster. Including me. You deserve to be a knight. Who told you this?"

"I… I accidentally overheard him telling the Senator. It's okay. Really. I should not have been snooping anyway. It's not his fault."

"Who is it?"

Ahsoka bowed her head down ashamed. "Master Skywalker." She whispered.

"This is most unbecoming of a master to ridicule his student's success." Windu's eyes darkened. "I thought he had matured."

"It's okay! Really! Don't punish him!" Ahsoka pleaded for her master. Windu stared at Ahsoka and the girl backed away. The Master walked away and Ahsoka sighed.

"I hope Master Windu will go easy on Anakin." Ahsoka confessed to the camera. "I can't believe that I told him. Master Windu's a good guy but he can be a little scary. I don't know of any younglings who are not a little nervous around him." She looked down again.

"Ahsoka!" Anakin called out as he walked in. "Snips, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were there."

"It's okay. Really." The Torgunta smiled at him. The smile looked strained at best.

"No, it's not. I am your master and I should have been proud that you had become a Knight. I had become a knight only a couple of years ago. I just don't like the idea of being surpassed. When I became a Knight, I found myself thinking of Obi Wan as my brother. I should think of you now as my sister."

"Thanks."

The scene changed again to show Ahsoka in her bedroom. "It had been a week and it hasn't really been the same. It feels like he doesn't really believe in me. I'm going to be assigned on a separate mission away from Anakin and Obi Wan. I better hope that the Force will let Anakin and I make up."

R2-D2 let out a sad beep.

"That's the last of it, isn't it?" Luke sighed. The new addition didn't tell him much about what happened to the girl. Ahsoka was a knight but she and Anakin had a falling out.

"Luke, I'm sorry." Leia said as she hugged him. The chances didn't look good for Ahsoka. There were reports of Jedi surviving after Order 66 but they were killed by Darth Vader or some bounty hunters hired by the Empire.

"Thanks." Luke hugged back.

Chewbaca and Han whispered to each other.

"So, you think so too? Huh huh. Yeah." Han looked over at Luke and said, "I think that Ahsoka survived the Great Purge. I got something to show you."

To Be Continued…