Puissant

A Star Wars the Clone Wars Story

Padme Amidala rubbed her tired eyes as she leaned back in her office chair. She was worried about the galactic hearing coming up as it would be the first time since the start of the war that all senators from both sides of it would meet together to discuss peace negotiations. Her speech preparation was going slow as all she could think about was how she missed Anakin Skywalker, her Ani. Her husband had been on a mission for an entire month. Which was a week longer than he'd promised to return. Not that she didn't understand that a life of a jedi was difficult, but for some reason she just felt that he needed to come back… right then. Padme didn't know if it was to ease her loneliness or if it was something greater. Pinching her nose she closed her eyes for just a moment.

She wasn't sure if she'd fallen asleep, but was startled awake as C-3PO, her diligent protocol droid spoke, "Excuse me, Mistress Padme. You have an incoming transmission from an encrypted Jedi frequency. Padme's heart skipped a beat.

"Anakin!" She smiled before telling 3PO to put it through. Quickly she ran hand through her hair and straightened her outfit only to be surprised as the blue holo-figure appeared in front of her, "Ahsoka?"

"Boy, am I glad to see you Senator. I wasn't sure this would work," Despite the blueness of the hologram, Padme could see the dark circles under the apprentice's eyes, her bandaged hands, and the sway to her movements. She was in pain, and she was hurting.

"Ahsoka, what's wrong?" She'd heard that the young girl had been temporarily placed under another master. A crude jedi that Anakin wasn't fond of. In fact, he had tasked the senator with keeping an eye on the Togruta, but she had lost contact about three weeks prior.

The young jedi looked around her as if expecting someone to show up any minute, "I'll have to keep this brief, but I'm sending you some encrypted files. I need you to get them to the right person."

"What are they? Ahsoka, what's going on? Where are you?" Padme tried as she watched her young friend whip around suddenly before turning back.

"I'm on Umbara. General Krell is… He needs to be stopped. I know this is asking a lot, but I need your help... I'm afraid I might not make it out of this one," Ahsoka frowned giving a look that Padme has seen Anakin with millions of times. There was a disturbance in the force.

"Ahsoka- what do you,,,"

"I've got to go. Tell Anakin that I'm sorry I let him down."

"Wait- Ahsoka!" But the transmission cut out and she was gone. Within seconds C-3PO informed her of the encrypted message that she'd just received. Pulling it up, Padme opened the file. It was a video log.

It was just fuzz for awhile before Ahsoka came into view. Padme gasped, what looked bad in the hologram looked worse blue stripes of her montrals had faded as the bags underneath her eyes gave way to her exhaustion. Her hands were bandaged tight as bruises littered the child's arms.

Clearing her throat Skywalker's apprentice looked towards the camera, "My name is Ahsoka Tano. I'm General Skywalker's padawan. I'm sending this video to a trusted friend of mine. If it reaches her I know she'll get it to where it needs to go. Should she receive this message and there is news that I have died. This will tell the truth of what really happened to the 501st…"

Padme watched glued to her seat, but wishing she could tear her eyes away. It was video of battle after battle, of long treks and faints from complete dehydration and exhaustion, of 0300 wake up calls and senseless threats. it was video of unnecessary violence and of death. Her heart panged as the video ended. There wasn't much there, but the Senator from Naboo would see to it that General Pong Krell paid for his galactic senate would have to wait, "Be safe Ahsoka."

Ahsoka felt the disturbance in the force. It was dark and close. It was the same feeling she's had since being sent to Umbara, but this time something had changed. There was a complete shift to the darkside. Ending the transmission between her and the senator, she knew this was now out of her hands. Whatever happened to her now, was the will of the force. It was meant to be, but she wasn't about to let another soldier die due to Krell's merciless ideals. Closing her eyes and lowering her head she took a deep breath calling upon the force to be with her. For her master to be with her.

She was going to arrest Krell, and she knew that he wouldn't go down without a fight.

Guess, she'll be facing him head on after all.

The Togruta also knew that she was heavily outmatched.

She could hear the commotion from the other end of the captured base. The voices were rushed, angry, but mostly confused and betrayed. Something terrible had happened to her men. Ahsoka could feel it. They were in pain. Severe pain.

"General Krell," Ahsoka heard Captain Rex start something she'd been planning to do herself, "You're being relieved of duty." She rounded the corner to see the clones surrounding the General, guns raised. She recognized the yellow markings of the 212th painted on some of the armor.

That couldn't be good.

"Am I?" The Besalisk laughed, standing calmly without fear. His large teeth smiled broadly, "You're committing mutiny Captain."

"Explain. Your. Actions… of ordering you troops against one another?" Rex demanded, his blaster not faltering for a second. Ahsoka nearly skidded to a halt at the question. She wasn't sure she had heard him right. Then she felt it again. The pain. The loss. Ahsoka felt sick.

"Ohh that. I'm surprised you were able to figure it out… for a clone," He turned placing his four arms behind his back. The troops moved in closer, surrounding him. Ahsoka bit her tongue, clenching her fists at his comment. She'd never felt so angry, betrayed, and hurt before.

"Surrender General," Rex stated once again, "You're outnumbered."

Ahsoka saw it coming before they did as he used the force to shove them back, scattering the troops. Ahsoka was almost there. Her feet pounding the cement, but as she saw a rookie clone get up first and run towards the general with his blaster firing, she knew she would be too late.

His laugh echoed as he ignited one blue double-bladed lightsaber and shoved it through the clone's chest. The Togruta could hear his strangled gasp as the lightsaber retreated and his body fell towards the ground. All was quiet as if the entire galaxy stood still.

"NOOO,' Ahsoka yelled her scream piercing the silence, her knees sliding against the ground. Her arms barely getting underneath the clone as he dropped into them. He was dead. His eyes rolled back into his head leaving just white, lifeless and white.

In that moment as the rookie clone fell into her arms, a force so powerful exploded from the young jedi. Shoving back the clones, General Krell, and anything within range. It swayed the trees and pushed the rocks and dirt. Leaving just Ahsoka and the soldier, very still against the darkness that was Umbara.

In that moment all the pain, exhaustion, hate, betrayal and loss, smothered the small Togruta. Her mind refused to think and her body refused to move. She felt suffocated and heavy as if the whole galaxy was weighing on her shoulders. Her hands gripped the clones armor as she held his still form. Her body shook with wracking, unshed sobs for not only this clone's life, but for each life before him. Each life taken by this unforgiving war. If this was the price to pay. Then it wasn't worth it.

A lone tear dropped from Ahsoka's eye, dripping onto the mud-stained white beneath. She looked up, wiping it away as she stood. Gently placing the young soldier to the ground, closing his eyes with soft fingers. Her trembling legs carried her over to where the recovering general was picking himself up from the boxes he'd been thrown into. Ahsoka, the stain of the tear still present on her cheek, ignited her lightsaber. The green glow reaching out for the ground. It hummed defiantly against the wind as she pointed it towards General Krell.

"As your second-in-command, I find you unfit for duty and will be forced remove you from your position until a proper hearing can be given by the jedi council. Surrender General," Ahsoka found a strength in her voice that she thought had been long gone. She stood up straight with her shoulders back and eyes without fear. No longer would she lower her head for this monster, no longer did she look like a useless child, but a jedi; strong-willed and prepared to die. He cackled, igniting his double-bladed lightsabers he had clutched in his hands. The greens and blues, menacingly bright as his lips upturned in a smirk.

"Even with a power like that. You're no match for me Youngling," He growled.

Ahsoka looked up at him, determined and fierce as she dropped into her stance, "We'll see about that."

I've always liked the idea that Ahsoka held a greater, untold connection with the force. That she was the chosen to be the Chosen One's padawan for a reason, be it fate or destiny. Maybe - I don't know - What do you think? Thank you all for the reviews! Means a lot.

Flipside