Ahsoka's POV

My brain practically reacted on instinct. Like Anakin's really. After Master Dell's troop tear through various cabinets surrounding the room and Dell duels with Dooku, I lunge for Anakin who is quite shaken from Dooku's torture.

"Master? You okay?" I gently rub his blood-stained cheeks with my tear drenched fingers. Anakin's eyes meet with mine as I continue rubbing the blood from his face. He nods groggily and I help him to his feet. He immediately wants to charge Dooku, but I stop him. It seems Master Dell is giving him enough of a challenge anyways.

A pair of droids enter the room as we limp to the troopers, brandishing long orange swords. I practically throw Anakin against a wall, and jolt at the droids. The troopers searching desperately through the files eventually find whatever they are looking for.

"Sir, we've got the codes." One of them shouts from one of the far cabinets. Dell blocks a jab from Dooku's sword and pushes the old man backward into a railing.

"Flint, get the General and Commander out of here. Meet at point b with Rex." Dell twirls his saber around as he shouts orders to the same clone. After a quick nod from Flint, the trooper lifts me from my waist and hurls the two of us out the window. The air passes my in a great gust, making me almost loose the grip on the clones arms.

We crash into the mild water below, the tall tower a mere shadow from the waves. Blood from my head swirls in the water as I paddle after Flint to a catamaran, where I see Rex's face from the deck. Rex's outstretched arms lift me from the water, where I collapse into his armour. It is colder than the water, but it still are comforting.

Rex sits me down on a bench on the boat, wrapping a blanket around me. The water wasn't cold, but I don't refuse the offer. I look back up at the tower, green and red lights flashing near the window.

Anakin!

I had totally forgotten about him! My thoughts of remorse are eased as the rest of the troopers dive out of the tower, Anakin not far behind them. The group crashes into the water, white helmets poping up one by one.

After he is helped into the boat, I wrap him in my blanket and lay him down on the bench. Most of the blood as dripped off from the water, but his bruises are dark and purple.

"We can leave as soon as Master Dell arrives, Commander." Rex and Flint assure me. I don't really listen. I mainly dry off my Master, scrubbing dry blood off his hands with the blanket. He seems in a better condition than he looks.

"All according to plan, huh Snips?" Anakin jokes, rubbing his eyes. I chortle a gasp of air, sensing irony more than pain.

"More or less, Skyguy. You enjoy the exercise?" I say, smiling as I comb through his wet hair with my fingers.

"Of course, Dooku's not the best trainer but_"

Master Dell climbs onto the boat, rubbing his damp hands on his robes. He tosses me Anakin's lightsaber (I guess Anakin dropped it sometime during his exercise).

"Sure took care of those assassin droids, Padawan. Something I wouldn't expect someone of your age to do. Master Neemo Dell."

The muscular jedi takes out his hand to shake. I grip with tightly in conclusion. He nods to me, and waves his hand over his shoulder. In seconds, the catamaran jolts forward and we speed towards an excluded island.

I wrap my hand over Anakin's stomach as we glide across the waves. He is sound asleep, but I find myself fixated on the jedi who saved our lives.

Master Dell was probably around the same age as Obi-Wan, give or take a few years. His blue eyes are nearly identical to Anakin, but he has blotchy red skin under his eyebrows. He is definetly near human, with his jet black hair that is combed back, but his blotches betray his species.

He seems quite tall, but he slouches against the edge of the boat. He seems exceptionally good with a saber, probably matching skills of Obi-Wan or possibly Mater Windu.

Whatever the matter, he has my respect. He just sacrificed his well-being for Anakin and I, by straddling a skyscraper and dueling with a Sith.

The boat stops at the shore of and island, and Anakin and Dell's troops unload supplies to the stony shores. I wait until everything is unloaded until I help Anakin up. Rex takes his arm as we hop off the boat. Anakin seems okay, but I don't know how those injuries will affect him being a donor, when and if I ask him.

Master Dell explains to me and Anakin that since we destroyed communications for Serreno, we can't call in for pickup tonight. The pre-scheduled ship will be here around dawn, so we'll have to spend the night on the island.

I tie up a bandage around Anakin's wrist, and get him comfortable before he falls asleep again. For a while I stay snuggled up to him, watching Rex's troop stay watch around the shore, Flint's troop dance around the fire victoriously and Master Dell sharpen a branch with a rock.

I take my chances with Master Dell, leaving the warm Anakin stuffed in a blanket. I sit nervously next to Neemo, rubbing my bare hands in my lap. Serreno definetly dropped in temperature at night, so I was doing all I could to stay warm without a coat.

"I admire you, you know."

I look up at the brute Dell. He continues to sharpen his branch, even though I know he said something.

"You do? For what?" I ask.

"What you did for your daughter. The council raves about your courage nearly every meeting. What is her name? Shile? Smoo?" Maser Dell guesses.

I can't help but feel a little proud. "Shmi, Master and thank-you. I've never regretted my choice to keep her alive."

"I know she will be very proud of her mother when she gets older. Hopefully, she will live in the new era of the jedi- where war is gone and peace is here." Master Dell begins to glare into the sky, gazing at the orange and yellow stars that decorate night's blanket.

"I do too, Master Dell. I hope that is not very far away." I agree, thinking of Shmi's birth. "Let us welcome Shmi to the Jedi order."

I get up from the sand and curl up to Anakin once more. I can't exactly fall to sleep, I just breathe in time with my Master, eventually soothing to sleep.

The ship arrives the next morning early, with a small ambush from droids as we leave Serreno. It was unexpected, but no one was injured. Master Dell joked that he almost felt pity for the crumby attack. Almost.

I sit next to Anakin on the bridge of the cruiser. He taps the radar on the dashboard, claiming he feels "back to normal."

Master Dell made a very moving speech last evening, and I haven't been able to forget it since. I am not just going to stand around waiting for peace to come.

Well, if Anakin feels so back to normal, I figure we could talk.

The words leave my mouth before I can stop myself:

"Master, Shmi is sicker than you think…"