Hi everyone. Thanks for your continued support. This chapter will be a bit different to the others in this story. The mystery will continue next chapter. This chapter will be about Anakin and Ahsoka settling with each other now he's taken her as his Padawan. Anyway, time to get going; Anakin catches up with Ahsoka in the Halls of Healing, Ahsoka moves into Anakin's quarters and Anakin tells his story to her.

An Agri-Corps Mystery: Chapter 8 – Settling

It had always surprised him how big of a difference one decision could make. Anakin Skywalker had just made the biggest decision he had made as a Jedi so far; he had just taken the dangerously depressed teenage Togruta, Ahsoka Tano, as his Padawan after she had attempted to kill herself with a harvester blade. The loneliness that he had suffered with since the death of his wife had finally ended and he felt considerably better. In the few days that he had known her, Anakin had become very attached to Ahsoka and he was extremely worried over her state of mind.

Fortunately, once the council had finally allowed him to take Ahsoka as his Padawan, they had insisted that she accept treatment for her depression and had ordered her to the Halls of Healing. Now the slightly heated meeting with council was over, he was rushing to the Halls to hear the healer's report on his new Padawan's mental status. He was determined to do everything possible to guarantee her recovery. Even so, he was slightly nervous about what the healers were going to say. He knew that, even though picking her as a Padawan had already helped her, her depression was very bad. He felt a flicker of anger at that thought and he was determined that the perpetrators of the experiments on Pheebos would pay, not only for that, but for their treatment of Ahsoka.

Anakin couldn't hide his worry therefore as walked into the Halls of Healing. He had never liked this part of the temple and had only ever gone there when either he was injured himself or when Obi-Wan was before, but he knew he would be here considerably more often from now on. Ahsoka would be called to the Halls quite frequently he reasoned.

He arrived at the consulting room just as Master Stass Allie was coming out. "Ah Anakin; good timing," stated Stass as she saw Anakin approach her.

"How bad is she?" Anakin asked immediately. He had a feeling that he knew the answer to his own question, but he still needed it confirming.

Stass sighed and exhaled deeply. "I think you have saved her just in time Anakin. You picking her as your Padawan has helped her already, but her depression is still very bad." She shook her head and continued, "One of the worst cases of its type that I've seen in fact. Her suicidal thoughts have gone for now, however, so that is something."

Anakin nodded in agreement; he had suspected as much but he now needed to know what to do about it. "What happens now?"

"She will need a great deal of support from you now since I don't want to commit her permanently to the halls or a hospital." Stass handed Anakin a small bag filled with medication. "I have put her immediately on anti-depressants and since you are now her master, you must make sure that she takes them."

"I can do that," Anakin agreed. He quickly checked through the various medications in the bag and he frowned when he noticed two different types. He looked back up and asked, "What exactly have you put her on?"

Stass picked a packet up from the bad in Anakin's hand. "These are a type of anti-depressant known as SSRIs. They are quite an old form now and they've been around for thousands of years, but they have been shown to be the most effective type of anti-depressant for Togruta's displaying depression due to their sensitivity to loneliness. I've put her on a starting dose. Make sure she takes one of these per day."

Anakin nodded and asked, "I'll make sure she takes them. Are there any side-effects?"

"She will probably feel very sick for the first week," Stass confirmed. "In fact, I'm going to ask my fellow council members if the next part of your mission can be pushed back a week for that reason. That is what the second medication is for; they will combat her nauseous feelings."

Anakin nodded and an important question came to his mind. He had already sensed that Ahsoka was very strong in the Force; it was one of the reasons that he had been drawn to her. He had to wonder if this medication would affect that. "Will these anti-depressants affect her connection to the Force?"

Stass shook her head. "No they won't, but don't be surprised if Ahsoka believes that they have." Anakin frowned in response. Seeing this, Stass continued, "Knight Skywalker, these are very powerful drugs that are designed to rebalance her brain chemistry. It will take her brain some time to get used to the more normal level of serotonin again. Until then, she may believe that her Force connection has dulled and she may feel drowsy. Those effects are usually very brief however. They should all clear after a week or so. Speaking of which, she mustn't fly a fighter or a speeder until that effect has worn off."

Anakin nodded with understanding. There was one more thing that he wanted to know. "How long will it take for her to improve?"

"It varies person to person," Stass replied. "But in Togrutas, the medication usually starts to function after a month or two. In some people, it can only take a few days. We will have to wait and see on that front. In the meantime, you mustn't allow her to be alone; that is deadly for a Togruta, and you must keep her happy and upbeat. Until she goes with you on your mission, I advise that you find some comedy or uplifting stories on the HoloNet. Even a training session would be good for her and get her to spend time with any friends that she has or get her to make some if she hasn't. Life changes will be even more important than the medication for her."

"I intended to do that," Anakin answered. "She will NEVER be lonely again." His right hand closed briefly into a fist. "I'll find those who left Pheebos in that mess and that'll give Ahsoka the satisfaction of justice."

Stass was slightly concerned by Anakin's reaction, but since she couldn't sense any real darkness in Anakin, she let it go. "Well, I'd better report Ahsoka's condition to my fellow council members." Stass pointed inside the consulting room. "Ahsoka is waiting for you inside."

"Thank you," stated Anakin as Stass walked away. Anakin gave few deep breathes to calm himself. His own loneliness had been ended and he was delighted but he was still nervous; he'd never had a Padawan and he wasn't completely confident yet about being able to teach her. He was very grateful that his former master had offered him his help. He opened the door and walked in.

As soon as Anakin walked in, he could see Ahsoka siting on a bed seemingly threading small beads on a string. Ahsoka immediately lifted her head and gave a small smile. "Master Skywalker…...Th…..Thank you…..so much. I never thought that I would ever be a Padawan. Thank you…." Tears started to appear in Ahsoka's eyes.

Anakin walked straight up and briefly hugged her. "You're welcome Ahsoka. How are you feeling?"

"I feel better, mostly." Ahsoka looked down somewhat. "I still can't understand why you would bother with me."

Anakin sighed; she was still bad wasn't she? However, he could sense that, as Stass Allie had told him, her suicidal thoughts had gone so at least he wouldn't have to watch her continuously, like he had on the flight back to Coruscant, for now. "Because, Ahsoka, you're a very good Jedi and a wonderful innocent girl. Master Allie has given you some medication that will help you…" he smirked, "…and I will make sure that you take it."

Ahsoka was stunned; no one had ever cared for her before. However, she had never had a master before and she wondered if that had had anything to do with it. Determination started to take over her as she replied, "I'll take it. I won't let you down, Master."

Anakin smiled and glanced at what Ahsoka was working on. "What are you doing?"

"Master Yoda said that I had to make a Padawan braid," Ahsoka answered as she clipped her completed braid to her headdress. "Since Togrutas don't have hair, I decided to make mine out of silka beads."

Anakin smiled and gestured to the door. "Come on. I've already contacted Artoo and told him to move your stuff into my quarters, now I just need to settle you in."

Ahsoka stood up and joined her new master at the door. She frowned and asked, "Artoo?"

"My Astromech droid R2-D2; you'll meet him later. He's like friend to me. I'll introduce you to Captain Rex at some point as well." With a final gesture, Anakin led his new Padawan out of the door. He knew that Ahsoka was still stunned and that she was still unstable mentally but this was the new start that he needed. With a final glance to make sure that Ahsoka was still following him, he set off for his quarters.

-0-0-0-0-0-

Ahsoka's brain was working overtime as she took her first look at the quarters she would be sharing with her new master from now on. As she stood by the door that Anakin had just led her through, she scanned around. There was a sofa placed by the far wall and a central table in front on it. A HoloNet projector sat in the corner and a sideboard was next to the door she was standing by. Ahsoka could see a kitchenette off to the right hand side with a refresher next to it and two bedrooms the other side.

It wasn't the furniture that was that surprising to her however. Everything in the room was covered in electrical components, bits of old droids and pieces of old fighters and ships. From the few mechanical classes she had had before she was assigned to the Agri-Corps, Ahsoka recognised some sub light engine control circuitry that was spread out on the table. It was obvious that Anakin had been doing some work on it at some point. After a second look, she realised that the circuitry appeared to be from an old Delta Seven Jedi Starfighter.

Even though she still felt very low and wanted to disappear, Ahsoka couldn't help but smile as she took in the scene. She wasn't expecting anything like this. The quarters of most Jedi tended to be sparse and boring with almost nothing in them, but Ahsoka couldn't hide her surprise or her delight at the difference here. Secretly, she had always had an interest in mechanics but, with her depression and being stuck on a farm for eighteen months, she had completely forgotten. She turned to look at Anakin and with a great deal of amusement in her voice she said, "You really like mechanics."

Anakin had to laugh slightly at her interest. It was wonderful to sense some amusement in Ahsoka. Already, Anakin could tell that her mood had lifted greatly. He knew that she still needed help but it was a great start and he hadn't even given her the first dose of her medication yet. Still chuckling to himself, Anakin cleared some old droid body parts off the sofa, sat down and replied, "Yep; I always have. I've been fixing things since I was a small child. I built a droid and a pod racer before I joined the Jedi." He motioned next to him. "Sit down Ahsoka. I realise that you'll be a bit uncomfortable at the moment so I won't start you with any training today."

Ahsoka nodded with gratitude as she sat down next to Anakin. "Thank you. This….this is a big shock for me. I expected to be sent back to Shili or sent back to the Agri-Corps after you told…..told them about…" Ahsoka's voice hitched. It was clear to Anakin that she still had problems with confidence and that her thought processes were still very self-destructive.

"I understand Ahsoka; believe me. I understand far more than you know."

Ahsoka looked at Anakin and frowned slightly. That was the second time that he had told her that and she wondered why he understood. Now she was slightly calmer, however, she could nevertheless sense the truth in his words. "You really do understand don't you, Master?"

Anakin looked back at her and sighed as a flash of pain ripped through him. He knew that this was going to be painful for him to tell but Ahsoka did deserve to hear his story. "I promised to tell you my story, didn't I?"

"Yes," Ahsoka replied. "Master Windu mentioned something about your wife."

Anakin winced and answered, "Yes, I broke the Jedi Code. I was married to Senator Padmé Amidala of Naboo. She was everything to me."

Ahsoka's eyes widened. From the feelings that she was sensing in the Force, she knew that the story she was about to hear would be a very sad one. "M….m…married?" Ahsoka stuttered out.

Anakin nodded, sighed and began his tale, "Unlike most Jedi, I wasn't raised at the temple. I…..I was a slave on Tatooine until the age of nine."

"You were a slave?" Ahsoka asked in total shock.

"Yes; I was owned by a junk dealer named Watto. Anyway, one day a man, who I later knew was Master Qui-Gon Jinn, an annoying Gungan named Jar Jar Binks and the most beautiful girl I had ever seen came into the shop where I worked. I was only nine, but I was still struck by her. To my eternal shame, I asked her if she was an angel." Anakin shook his head and chuckled a little bit.

Ahsoka stifled a laugh behind her hand. She may have been depressed, but she couldn't help the grin that came to her face. "Awwwww Sweet!" she exclaimed in a very teasing tone.

Anakin glared at her. "Getting snippy aren't we?" Secretly, Anakin was anything but annoyed, especially when Ahsoka smirked in response. It was good to see Ahsoka make a fun comment. He would much prefer her making fun of him than thinking about killing herself again. It made him wonder if that was what her natural temperament was like; he secretly hoped so. He shook it off and continued, "Anyway, I found out that her name was Padmé. I eventually won my freedom by competing in the Boonta Eve Classic Pod Race. Qui-Gon bet with Watto that I would win. When I did, I was free. That was when I was brought to the temple…..more or less." He smirked himself, "I did sort of destroy a droid control ship that was blockading Naboo along the way."

"Wow!" Ahsoka shook her head; partly through empathy, partly through shame. She realised that she had had a very easy childhood compared to Anakin.

"It was during that, that I found out that she was the then queen of Naboo. I knew then that I cared for her." Some tears started to appear in Anakin's eyes. He knew that the story would be difficult to tell from now on. "I didn't see her again until ten years later when my former master and I were called to protect her. She was then Naboo's senator and the star ship that had brought her to Coruscant for an important vote was bombed."

Ahsoka face lit up with understanding. "I remember hearing about that. I was thirteen at the time. Wasn't that the beginning of the events that led to the war?"

"More or less; it was certainly part of it," Anakin answered. "Anyway, my master tried to find out who had carried out the plot whilst I was sent with her back to Naboo to act as her protector. That was then I….I truly fell in love with her." Anakin looked down to the floor. He decided to skip the part of the story involving his mother dying and what he did to the Tusken Raiders afterwards; there was no need to frighten Ahsoka as he had finally conquered that darkness. "We…..we learnt that Obi-Wan, my then master, had been captured on Geonosis and…." He smirked slightly, "….slightly ignoring orders from Master Windu, Padmé and I went to rescue him. Suffice to say, we all ended up chained up in an arena whilst being attacked by large monsters."

"The Battle of Geonosis, yes," Ahsoka stated looking down. "I was never really told exactly what happened there, but I know all available Jedi were sent and the clone army rescued them. It was the beginning of the war."

"That's about it Ahsoka, yes," Anakin answered, "I won't bore you with the details but afterwards, since I was recovering from an injury, I was ordered to escort Padmé home. That was when I married her." Anakin smiled at the memory. "I was never as happy as when I was with her. I ended up calling her Angel and she was; she was my angel and my reason to fight and come back alive."

Ahsoka's head dropped as she noticed the past tense in Anakin's words. In addition, she could sense the immense pain that had rose up within him. She guessed the ending of the story and it filled her with sadness. It was a different type of sadness than her own problems had brought and she knew immediately why Anakin understood her depression so well. Even though she had guessed, she was still interested to hear exactly what happened. "What happened to her?"

Anakin looked at Ahsoka and he immediately began to cry. He hadn't done that since he was first told that Padmé was dead. He sniffed away his tears and replied. "The year I was married to her was the best year of my life. I didn't care about the Jedi Code; I just wanted her. In fact, once the war was over, I fully intended to leave to Order so Padmé and I could start a family. However, just over a year after the war started, Padmé went to an aid conference on Alderaan." His head dropped. "She was…..she was about two minutes into a speech that she was supposed to give when she was shot by an assassin. The bolt hit her in the middle of her heart; she was dead before her body hit the floor. I…..I went nuts after I was told. I felt empty, powerless, like my whole reason to exist had been taken away. When the assassin that had carried out the hit was, herself, found dead later, we lost all chance to find out who had ordered the hit and I totally lost it. I…..I would've fallen to the dark side if it were not for the efforts of my former master and Master Yoda. The council were going to expel me once my marriage came to light. I think I was only saved due to how close to darkness I was; they must've thought that I needed watching."

Ahsoka's face screwed up in sadness. "By the Force; I'm…..I'm so sorry. You had to go through that and then watch me try to kill myself." Ahsoka's head also dropped, "I was so selfish. I promise, Master; I won't do that again. Even if I want to kill myself, I won't; I'll talk to you."

"That was why I knew what you were going through, Ahsoka. I know the loss of Master Plo Koon hit you in a similar way. When I saw you with that harvester blade in your hand, I felt like a piece of me was about to be killed also. That was when I decided that I had to take you as my Padawan. I realised, Ahsoka, that we both needed each other. I have been alone, angry and self-torturing since my wife's death. I will help you heal Ahsoka, if you will help me." Anakin held out his hand.

Ahsoka smiled and shook his hand. "Deal Master."

Anakin reached into the bag of medication that he received from Stass Allie and pulled out the packet of anti-depressants. "Now, take one of these and then I'll take you to a diner that Obi-Wan used to take me called Dexster's."

Ahsoka took the packet, got up and walked into the kitchenette. She returned a minute later with a glass of water. With a slight hint of fear on her face, she removed the first pill from the packet and put it in her mouth and swallowed it with the water.

Anakin smiled. "Good girl. Did Master Allie tell you about the possible side effects?" Ahsoka nodded. Seeing this, Anakin continued, "Okay. The next week might not be pleasant Ahsoka, but you will get through it. I've got some more medication if they make you feel sick. I promise; you'll start to feel better soon. Now, we're going to Dexster's before you feel any sickness."

Ahsoka put the glass down and nodded her head with some enthusiasm. It was the first time in months that she had felt enthused about anything and even that felt good to her. She knew, once the anti-depressants entered her system, that she would have a rough week but for the first time in almost two years, Ahsoka Tano believed that she was worth something. She smiled to herself as she followed Anakin out of the door and towards the docking bay. She wondered what Dexster's was going to be like.

Well, that's it for this this chapter. As I said at the beginning, this was a different chapter. I admit, this isn't an important chapter with respect to the mystery that they are trying to solve but it is with respect to Anakin and Ahsoka. This is the chapter where they both start to heal. We got the first slight hint of Ahsoka's natural snippiness in this chapter but it will be a while before she fully earns her nickname from Anakin.

I hope I handled Anakin correctly whilst he was telling Ahsoka his story. He is quieter in this reality and I needed to show how the death of Padmé had truly hit him. I hope that came across here. If there was anything I could've handled slightly better, then please tell me.

Anyway, the main story and mystery continues next chapter and Obi-Wan joins the new Master and Padawan team as they start their search for the people responsible for the experiments on Pheebos and they try to find who killed Draskel Kifar.

I have decided to give you all a head's up on what is coming from me as I have several story ideas. This story has several chapters left but I may put up the first (and only the first initially) chapter of the story that I have decided to replace it with once it has finished to see if you all like it. It will be called "Shaak Ti's Secret"; so keep watching. A Counsellor's story will be replaced by my other idea "The Return" when it has finished. If anyone wants a few details of "Shaak Ti's Secret" then message me or leave a review and I'll message you the summary that I will use.