Ahsoka's POV
My back had started to ache; Shmi definitely did not want to have a nap. Her bubbly laugh would pop up every few seconds. I was not even trying to be funny in the first place. I would just gently rub her tummy to calm her down.
The four month old had seemed to be restless since birth, unlike me; I found myself become drowsy at random moments. My eyelids would just fall, encasing me in a two sleep in the middle of the day. However, the rest was good when I started to go back into war efforts three months ago. Anakin had set me up with simple tasks during missions, but I did get to slice a few tinnies now and then. What a relief, especially after sitting at a terminal for hours at a time.
I felt my hand become wet all of a sudden. I looked down into the bassinet to see Shmi had spit up. This was very rare, considering she hadn't eaten in a couple of hours. She started crying almost immediately, so I lifted her out of the crib into my arms to comfort her flailing limbs. I bounced her up and down in my arms until her cries stopped so I could reach for a towel to wipe of vomit from my sleeve.
The goopy liquid dripped onto the ground, but R7 rolled over from the bench to mop it up.
"Thanks bud, can you go see if the dorm has any jumpers so I can change Shmi." I asked over my shoulder, settling into the couch. R7 let out a few affirmative beeps and left through the sliding door of the nursery.
Shmi giggled as I wrestled her into a jumper when R7 returned. Her maroon eyes were beginning to liven up, so I carried her back to the crib, allowing her to get some sleep before the morning, and me as well. I fluffed her tiny white pillow and settled her into the bassinet.
I rubbed my eyes and slumped back onto the couch near the window. I needed some rest to tend to Shmi in the upcoming hours anyways. I fell backward onto the armrest and closed my eyes. However, my sleep was cut short; Master Windu came striding into the nursery seconds later.
"Master Windu, how nice to see you." I said, getting up from my lazy position on the couch, standing at attention.
"Likewise, Padawan Tano, how is Shmi?" He asked, looking over to the silent crib.
"She's well, just some trouble getting her to sleep- before." I answered, caressing Shmi's forehead.
"Excellent, but I'm afraid I have some unfortunate news," Master Windu continued. "Master Obi-Wan has been injured on Nilban. Your Master has called for reinforcements immediately. Are prepared to dispatch to assist?"
Master Obi-Wan- injured? That was a first. "Of course, Master. I'll be down to the hangar in a few minutes." I agreed.
"A gunship will be waiting, Tano. Good luck, I'll have a council member watch Shmi until you return." Master Windu nodded, leaving the room in seconds.
I yawned and began to gather my things: lightsabers, boots and parka from the closet. I slid the tough leather boots onto my feet and proceeded to zip up my parka. Shmi had started to cry again as I pulled up my hood. It was like she knew I was leaving her.
I walked over to the crib and picked her up in my arms. I bounced her like before until her cries started to silence. I gently laid her back down in the bassinet once she fell back asleep. I started to head for the door, but a light bulb popped in my head.
Days after Shmi was born, Master Yoda had mentioned a physical object, tied in with jedi origin, would help form midi-chlorians inside her. I unpinned my padawan braid from my lek and gently tied it on Shmi's ankle. I had never tried this before, but I hoped this would help form a bond between the both of us, one I could tell her about one day when she was older; a day when war had sieged.
I briefly stared down at my gorgeous daughter, which mad me cracked a wide smile- one that beamed across my face until I entered the hangar bay.
Gree's gunship hovered feet above the ground before the large doors opened in creak. The squad of clones and I hopped off onto the icy roof. I regained my balance on the ice patch and wrapped my parka closer around me. Nilban was a bitter sweet place to be, with the weather in mind.
I was greeted in the turbo lift with the familiar hum of the shaft as it moved level to level. The blue doors opened, allowing Gree, the clones and I to exit. The men left to the armory, while I made my way to the med bay, where Obi-Wan was.
I pushed open the swiveling doors into the med bay where I had been only months ago. The shiny floors, empty beds and droid attendants all returned, but the pain and suffering was gone for good. I looked curiously for Master Kenobi, but I met eyes with Anakin instead. His eyes lit up like we had not seen each other for years- it had only been a day since he had left.
"Snips, punctual as always." Anakin greeted sarcastically, patting me on the back. I laughed; I had told him I would be on Nilban three hours ago.
"Sorry, Shmi was restless. Plus, it's not like you are always on time," I answered back, cracking a smug smile across my face. Anakin laughed, knowing this to be true. "How's Master Obi-Wan?"
"Well, there is good and bad news: The good news is that it was a very small concussion, he should make a full recovery. The bad news however, is that he's resting until we finish the battle; he's up in his dorm now," Anakin explained. I had never thought such a mild concussion would make him immobile for the rest of the week, but no matter. If I know Obi-wan he'll be back to negotiating with Separatist scum in no time. "A mission briefing is in a few minutes, we should get going as long as you're ready for a physical mission like this."
I nodded in conclusion, and followed Anakin's hand gesture towards the communications room.
"Alright men, then it's agreed; Rex and Gree will lure the droid reinforcements towards the Nigwallis gorge, off the coast of the command tower. However, this can only happen once Ahsoka and I take out full communications from the tower. With no way to create power to local weapons, no way to call for more reinforcements, the base will be ineffective for Separatist order.
We all stood of a large holo-map, depicting the vast landscape of Nilban. The Nigwallis gorge stood at the very end of the map, cutting off from the land itself.
Rex stepped forward and removed his helmet. "General, how to you suppose we lure the droids off the cliff, without falling off ourselves?"
"Good question Rex, but I have a better answer," Anakin answered quickly. He moved his hand over the map, changing its display to a large valley. "The gorge falls to plateau, deadly if fallen from the cliff, but if all of the clones are equipped with parachutes and jetpacks, it paves the way for a safe way to rid the reinforcements."
All of the clones nodded in agreement, putting their helmets on, ready for action.
"Okay troops, let's move." Anakin ordered, walking to the sliding door. I followed him all the way to the hangar, where clones had already started to put on armour, straddle guns and buckle up parachutes. We left the main part of the hangar to discrete hallway. I was unsure where Anakin was leading me, so I piped up.
"Master where are we-" I asked, only to see the answer sitting right in front of me; a skinny starship, decorated in silver streaks, and gold printing on the side: Tano.
"Do you like it? I wanted to make sure it was safe before I showed it to you. I started construction on it shortly after you gave birth to Shmi and when you I found out you were coming here, I asked for it to be delivered here." Anakin described the difficult lengths he had to go through to make a custom fighter for me.
I practically had to pick my jaw up from the ground. I could say no words; instead I just flung my hands around Anakin's neck, starting to tear up.
"Aww Snips, don't; I hate it when you cry." Anakin said, rubbing my back.
"Sorry Master," I laughed, flicking tears from my eyes. "Let's test this guy, but you drive; I don't want to wreck your hard work- just yet."
Anakin laughed opening the cockpit and steeping in. I scooted in behind him after he got settled. He flicked a few buttons and the fighter turned on with a quiet buzz.
"Alright guys were moving out." I spoke into my comlink. Rex's scratchy voice came over on the other side.
"We are on our way out now, Commander." In seconds, we scooted out of the base, travelling towards the command tower at full speed.
The fighter landed quite far from the attack point; Anakin explained that we did want to attract attention. I jumped of the left wing onto the crunchy snow, but I suddenly felt unbalanced, which made me fall face first into a patch of ice.
"Ouch!" I yelled as picked myself up. That ice must have been two inches thick. Anakin rounded the corner of the ship to see the commotion, wearing a white sack on his back.
"I'm fine master, just a bit cold." I answered before her said anything. Anakin sighed and started striding towards the tower, lit up in the distance. Once we made it to the base of the structure, Anakin said that we would have to climb the tower if we didn't want to breach security.
Anakin eventually got near the lookout window of the tower, which is when he looked down to see me still feet of the ground.
"Snips, let's move!" he shouted down from his height, though it sounded like a whisper from my position. I nodded ferociously and continued to climb, going at a very slow pace. I guess that fall near the fighter was a lot worse than I thought.
Wait, I could force jump up. I began to dig my boots into the nearest steel girder; I shut my eyes to focus. I pushed my hands off the tower, flinging upward, about to pass my Master's position. Suddenly, my mind went blank when I was about to land next to Anakin. I started to plummet down to the ground, feeling the wind whoosh up my legs. This was ten times worse than that ice patch.
Just as I cringed for an unfortunate end, an invisible force stopped me in mid-air. I looked up nervously to see Anakin hold in open palm, crouching on the sky walk of the tower. I felt the force lift me up to the sky walk edge, where Anakin waited to help me up.
"I-I don't know what happened, Master. I was inches from a grasp on the tower, but-" Anakin stopped me in mid-sentence, gripping my shaking shoulders.
"Shhhh, relax." He whispered, helping me up. How could I miss something so close? The force was a mysterious thing, but was it really that complicated it could effect a force jump drastically? Loud booms had erupted from the ground: the clones had started the plan.
Without another word, Anakin jumped through the skylight above us, activating his saber once I got up there with him. I activated my lightsaber, slashing at the battle droid reaching for a pistol.
Scattered battle droids started to press buttons calling in for support, but Anakin was too quick for them: he easily located the communications dock and stabbed it multiple times before its blue light went out.
I continued to deflect bullets heading my way, jabbing my shoto into an assassin droid brandishing an orange katana behind me. I made my way up to the steps of the staircase leading to an exposed map of the clones attack: they were inching closer to the gorge. Any second, the plan would come to fruition.
I soon found out that I was paying to close attention to the map; I bullet pierced my shoulder in and instant. I fell back into the map board, unable to comprehend where Anakin was or which droid shot the bullet.
My ears rang with bullets as I slowly got up, regaining energy. My blurred vision still made out the fuzzy figure of Anakin sparring with an assassin droid. His eyes met with my limp frame, so he sprinted over to me and picked me up over his shoulder. The gunfire seized and the pair of us headed towards a smashed window of the tower.
Gravity shifted and we barrel rolled out of the tower. At first, I had no complete idea as to what was going on, until my Master inflated a parachute in mid jump. I clutched the back of his hood as we swerved around the tower, getting a full view of the Nigwallis gorge. Black smoke erupted from the valley below, almost impossible to see in the night sky.
The ground was a comforting feeling under my feet when we touched ground. Anakin's comlink was beeping as he helped me into the fighter. I managed to hear Gree's low voice over the increasingly powerful winds. I gripped my wounded shoulder and listened in.
"General, the droid reinforcements are down. The men and I are being picked-up in the valley below. Only two men were killed in the whole attack. All has gone according to plan."
"Good Commander, the communications are down from the tower. Ahsoka and I will meet you back at base momentarily." Anakin said, hopping into the fight in front of me. The fighter soon took off back to the Republic base and I nestled in to Anakin's jacket in front of me.
Few thoughts came through my mind as I fell into a slumber. Odd considering this is when conflict rained through my mind. Maybe I should take a little break from spending hours just watching Shmi sleep, it might be better if I got back to practicing and training so I wouldn't get wounded so easily. Wait? What am I thinking?
I could never take a break from Shmi, ever.