Ahsoka's POV
I gritted my teeth as Anakin stitched a final thread into my shoulder; the cool needle seemed to pierce my skin endlessly, over and over before he finally said-
"Done Snips, and by the way, your pouting did not make it go faster." He said, half serious and half amused. I tried not to laugh, avoiding it even more by quickly hopping into bed, pulling the covers over my head. I heard Anakin's footprints coming closer and closer, and then they stopped.
I cringed. A quick splash of water through the blanket made me jump out from under them and tackle my master. He laughed as we crashed to the floor, smashing a now empty glass across the floor. We both were now soaked from an intended joke on me.
Anakin got up from the floor and summoned two towels from across the room. He threw one at me and I started to dry my face and arms. He took the damp towels and tossed them to a vacant corner in the room.
"Is there any word from the council, Master?" I asked, changing the sheets on my bed. Anakin started to pull a long bedspread from a linen compartment.
"Yeah, they're glad the mission was a success, but not impressed with the mission itself." Anakin complained, slumping back into his bed. I spread the sheet across my mattress and leaned back as well.
"It was a bit drastic, Master. However, I don't see the dilemma," I replied, turning over to face him. "Your plan saved much more clones than a full on attack would have."
"Sometimes the council sees some things differently than others would have. Think of it as the Senate: a senator may think a desperately needed trade route will deliver quicker than others, but is more treacherous than a longer route, with more safety involved. It just depends on their perspective."
Perspective; this single word brought back horrifying memories from a few months back. The vile Count Dooku took the time to write a smug letter to me at the temple. He wrote about how bringing a child into the war is "preposterous; especially one with force powers" and that "you and she would be put in evidentially more danger". I had never spoke about it to Anakin or anyone since then. It seemed a waste of breathe to even contemplate its meaning.
"Yeah I guess so." I sighed, turning over on my side. Anakin turned off the lights and rolled over himself, and in minutes began snoring softly. The large glass window in front of me was layered with frost, making it unable to be used as a window now. Small snowflakes floated down in front of the window, which seemed to never stop as I drifted to sleep.
"Master?" I tore through the temple, looking for any sign of Anakin or Shmi. I skidded past small huddles of hooded jedi, who seems carless with my current quandary. The halls had become smaller to the point of crouching. I took a quick detour and headed down a flight of stairs.
A larger group huddled over a sprawled figure draped carelessly. I fought my way through the group to see my Master bloodied and beaten on the floor, nearly dead. I crashed to my knees and cradled him in my arms. His eyes had dark purple rings around them both. His lips were chapped and cut, which dripped blood into a gouge on his neck.
He coughed up a pool of blood and fell back into my shoulder, motionless. Tears poured down my eyes onto his flat chest. I pounded the ground in grief. The group of hooded figures parted to reveal a cloaked Dooku holding a wailing Shmi in his arms.
"Pity." He taunted. He nodded stiffly towards the hooded circle. The all slowly removed their hoods to bring to light not the faces of friendly jedi, but droids.
Endless gunfire rang out, I being one of the wounded. I fell down upon my Master, losing focus and sight on my daughter and her captor.
I lurched up forward, gasping for thankful air. I reached desperately for a glass of water, only to remember the practical joke last night. Anakin's bed was empty so I assumed him to be up already. I dragged the blanket across my mattress and started to dress. I unhooked the long grey cloak from its hanger and walked out the door.
Few service clones were jogging down halls to control rooms and such. I finally caught up to a clone to get very few words out of him.
"Clone, what is going on?" I demanded, gripping his arm.
"General Grievous is launching an attack on the base, Commander" He gasped, catching up to his colleagues when I released my grip. I nearly fell to the ground right then and there. Grievous? He would never have the audacity to launch a full attack on the base without some heavy reinforcements.
Two assassin droids busted in through the frost bitten window in my dorm, sprinting into the hallway. One of them jumped on my back before I had time to reach for my sabers. The other continued down the hall to Obi-Wan's dorm. I back up all the way into the wall, smashing the droid under my back against the support.
My back had started to bleed from the droid's shards. I took the pain and charged into Obi-Wan's room. The room was completely dark. I ignited my lightsaber and held my shoto ready to strike. I looked around for Obi-Wan, shining my green saber across the bed, floor and walls.
I stopped dead in my tracks when a heard and metal clang from behind me: I forgot the ceiling. I spun quickly to see the assassin droid clenching the weak Obi-Wan in cool grip. The droid started to shoot at me, so began to back up against the wall, deflecting any fatal bullets. The assassin droid soon gave up, threw Obi-Wan to the ground, and crashed out through wall.
I put away my sabers and rushed to the weak Jedi's side. The gaping hole from the hallway shone light across Obi-Wan's gruesome face. His face was bloody, much like Anakin's in my dream. He gasped desperately for air and clawed fruitlessly into the air.
I supported his head in my hand. He managed to carry a conversation despite his injuries.
"A-Ahsoka, you m-must find Anakin. He'll know what to do. For now, leave me here. I get some clones to help me. I'm fine, b-believe me- it's just a few scrapes." He stuttered.
"Okay, Master." I agreed. I helped him into a corner beside the bed, preventing droids from seeing him until clones came to assist.
I gave him a quick hug around his neck and left the room in a scamper.
I began to sprint down the hall towards a squad of clones marching in a square. They quickly dispersed as droids immerged from around the corner, opening in gunfire. Several clones fell before I managed to stab through most of the droids, clearing the way for the squadron to move.
I tried numerous times to locate Anakin using my comlink, but to no avail. I had lost all hope until I witnessed tow shadows sparring down the hall. I crept around the corner to see Anakin swirling his saber at the notorious General Grievous. The tall cyborg was battling with all of his lightsabers ignited, with a mash-up of stabs and blocks made by Anakin.
Neither Grievous nor Anakin had noticed my crouched figure down the hall from them; I decided to use this to my advantage. I tumbled across the hall to an empty control room, peering to make sure my assumption was accurate.
Grievous stood right beneath a cooling vent, sure to make a dent in his plan- and himself. I stood up to face a complicated holo-map of the base. I pressed numerous buttons to select the right vent, until all the preparation was complete. I straddled the final button, until I put a heavy pressure on it.
A large explosion erupted from the hall. A raspy scream was a sure sign Grievous was down. I had started to make my way out to the hall, until the fire spitted into the control room, inches from my position. I managed to use the force to fend off the flames temporarily, but the invisible shield fizzled out and I was launched back against the computer.
My whole robe was now caked in soot, but luckily the flames were extinguished when Anakin mad his way into the room, holding his hands out in front of him.
I worked my way through the rubble to Anakin's outstretched hand. I followed him out into the hall to see Rex and Gree, each supporting Obi-Wan in an arm. I was disappointed to see twenty men following them.
"They were really efficient, General." Rex gasped to Anakin.
My Master sighed, "I know Rex, let's get to the ship and get out of here."