Puissant

A Star Wars the Clone Wars Story

Fives never thought he'd see anything like it. He never thought he'd see someone, let alone a jedi, cry over the loss of a clone. Even after he was hurdled through the air by the force for the second time that day Fives couldn't tear his eyes away from the child that held his fallen brother in her arms. He watched as the small tear fell, only one, and couldn't help it as his own eyes started to water.

A sensation he wasn't overly used to.

It seemed as though the entire planet had been swallowed up in some time freeze as the silence was palpable. The only sound being the hushed, choked back sobs of a force-sensitive child. Fives had come back after shooting down his own brothers, angry and full of hate, but now he just felt sad; despondent almost.

The slight breeze to the planet whistled through his helmet. He took a glance around at his brothers who were also now standing, guns ready. All eyes on the commander and the fallen trooper whose name, Fives didn't even know. Everything was still. Everything was quiet. It was almost like the planet would break in half if even risked a glance at his brothers beside him.

No one moved. Not even Krell. As what would happen next would entirely depend on Ahsoka Tano... so they waited for her order. They watched as the padawan stood up moving towards the traitorous General with sure footing, her lightsaber awoke with the buzz as her feet fell into a fighting stance. Something burned within the clones an emotion and a drive none of them could explain, but it would change them all.

Not so far away on the other side of the planet, Obi-Wan felt a strong shift in the force. He was overcome by sadness and pain before he dropped to his knees with his eyes closed. It was too overwhelming to bare as he resisted the urge to cry out. Commander Cody was by him in an instant asking what was wrong.

"Get me General Krell. I need to speak to him," Kenobi asked his loyal clone commander. Though something told him the Besalisk wouldn't answer, "Something has gone terribly wrong."

He just hoped Ahsoka was alright.

At the same time, located in the Jedi Temple in Coruscant, Master Yoda and Mace Windu were discussing the war when they felt it. Sitting in silence they breathed in the feeling that completely enshrouded them. Eyes closed tightly as the struggled to pinpoint the origin.

"A great tragedy there has been. Far from here it was," Yoda thoughtfully spoke after the moment had nearly passed.

"That was power I've never felt before," Windu struggled to stand as the overwhelming sadness lingered.

Aayla Secura was ending a battle on Felucia when she felt it. It was like a solid punch to the stomach. Her loyal clone battalion covering her, shooting down the last of the droids as she gripped her lightsaber tightly. Her mind clouded and fuzzy, she made it a point to contact the Jedi Council as soon as possible.

On the bridge of her star cruiser Luminara Unduli, closed her eyes, gripping the table as she felt change in the force. Her heart grew heavy, as she felt the pain and despair. It wasn't dark. It wasn't hate. It wasn't from the sith.

It was loss.

Chancellor Palpatine was in his office alone when he felt it. It was the force. Normally he only felt its use in ripples, small continuous motions of power. The most notable were always from Skywalker, but this, this was different. It was a power he'd never seen or felt before. It reached out to him, like it was pleading for him to understand and to feel.

But Palpatine didn't recognize the sadness. He only recognized the danger. He needed to find this force-wielder...This threat to his building empire.

Dooku and his assassin Ventress felt it too as they planned for their coming battle against the jedi and the Republic. The older Sith excused himself promptly as he had to speak with his master. Asajj sat alone, abandoned, as she felt something she hadn't felt in a long time.

Force-sensitive children that have yet to be discovered found themselves crying out for their mothers and fathers, inconsolable. While the scores of jedi masters, knights, and padawans were shook by this strong blast from the force, shook by the very feeling of it.

But perhaps the person who felt it the most was at the other end of the galaxy, on a remote planet, watching with complete boredom the meeting of some high-talk jedi haters who planned and planned on an attack on a temple with no conceivable way of following through when it hit him.. Anakin's eyes closed for along while, worried beeps of R2-D2 erupted in his ears at his sudden silence. "Ahsoka." His padawan was in pain. Her force signature filled him with pain, grief, guilt. Each emotions that he was far too familiar with. It smothered him, constricting his breathing. He could feel her anger as it ebbed through him, pulsating like a bad headache.

Eyes darkened as he snarled, "Krell."

This was because of him.

He should never have let the council reassign her in the first place. He was her master. Him. He was bound to protect her and to keep her safe. He could feel his own guilt rising, if he found anything other than his spit-fire, reckless, energetic little padawan then It was really him who was to blame. Anakin had failed her.

Not that, that would stop him from severing each of Krell's limbs from his body.

"Hold on Snips," Anakin whispered, "I'm coming. R2 Change of plans. Head back to the ship we're going home."

Skywalker ignited his lightsaber; rage in his eyes.

Back on Umbara the tension ran high as members of the 501st and 212th watched the duel in front of them. Their blasters raised, but not firing in fear of hitting the commander. It was an unfair fight and they all knew it. It was padawan against Jedi Master. Four lightsabers against one. General Krell out-weighed and out-powered the tiny Togruta. It was going to be a slaughter.

Yet, they watched as she matched strike for strike. Her size becoming a formidable advantage, but the battle was wearing her down. She was sweating, and even the drops dripping down her back caused her pain. Her heart was pounding and whatever adrenaline she had was seeping away. Ahsoka wasn't going to last much longer and they all knew it.

"Remember Snips. Always stay focused on the battle and your opponent," Her master's teachings brought her back to reality just in time to block another strike before she ducked and rolled underneath the Besalisk's legs before popping up behind him and slashing her lightsaber towards his darkened form. The tip of her saber, tore through his robes, singing the skin on his back.

There were no shouts of encouragement from the clones surrounding her, just silence, but she could feel their support. It gave her strength as she stood her ground and prepared for the next strike.

Krell growled before whipping around. His double blades spinning furiously. His eyes burned with fire and rage as she stepped back. "Very good Child. Your master has taught you well. Too bad he's not here to save you now."

"Then it's a good thing I don't need saving," Ahsoka shot back as she stepped forward her lightsaber catching his two. Green clashing with green then blue. The tension rising. Ahsoka stumbled back as she was put on the defensive. Knocking her back, he started towards her with a growl. Throwing her palm out she pushed him back. His body doubling over as he flew the air. The force worked with her, as the two became one, and she felt and used power she didn't know she had before. It was as though she gained a new understanding of the force. Of her unseen ally. The young Togrutan felt no fear as she moved forward, but her master's voice stopped her.

"Never be in a hurry to rush your enemy." Anakin's words washed over her again.

Ahsoka took the moment to gather her ground. Her boots planted firmly as she raised her blade and narrowed her eyes. The Besalisk obviously fueled by rage and hate struck again. This time force pushing her back and into the wall. Ahsoka shook her head dazed, she could see the clones move forward slowly surrounding them. She just had to hold out a little longer. He laughed, barrelling towards her, lightsabers spinning, "Now you die, Youngling"

The jedi apprentice struggled to breathe as she stood up, her lightsaber igniting once more as her back hit the wall blocking her escape,

"Your environment can be your ally, Ahsoka. Use it."

As the Besalisk charged towards her Ahsoka's eyes caught the larger of the cargo boxes to her left reaching out her hand she swung one towards her opponent. He sliced through it easily, he laughed as he continued to strike, but his over-confidence caused him to miss the second box that she'd flung at his legs. This caught him off guard as he tumbled to the ground.

With him distracted, Ahsoka jumped up and rolled away from the wall that would have pinned her.

"Once your opponent is down. Don't let him get back up." Anakin's voice filled her, giving her the strength she needed as she pointed her lightsaber right at Krell's throat. She could kill him, right then, she could do it. She could rid the galaxy of this monster. After all she and the clones had been through Ahsoka knew she wouldn't lose an ounce of sleep over it. The young jedi trembled as the dark side of her power waged an inner war against all that she was taught to be. This was war she told herself.

"Be careful of the dark side Ahsoka. We've all got it in us. It'll sneak up on you."

Ahsoka cringed as Anakin's words entered her mind. She'd asked him then how she could stop it. How she could stop the dark side. He told her, that is was by making a choice. The Togruta stepped back, momentarily distracted as the sith in front of her shot up with renewed energy. His four sabers whirring menacingly as he brought all four of them down upon her. Ahsoka barely had time to lift hers up to block them as brought down one heavy strike after another.

He backed her against the wall sligin at her with all his strength until the two hit the climax of their battle. The next move made would determine who would win and who would die. As the clones saw it. It didn't look good for the padawan of General Skywalker.

His deranged cackle echoed as he turned to face her, his grin brightening as he stood up, "This is frivolous child. You can't beat me!"

"You forget Ahsoka that you don't have to take on the enemy alone. The clones and I have your back. "

Ahsoka smiled, the green of her lightsaber illuminating her eyes as she winked, not at Krell no, but at what was behind him, "No. I can't, but they can."

Krell turned around too late as Tup and Hardcase stunned him, and the jedi master crumpled to the ground.

"A distracted Sith is a dead Sith." Ahsoka had laughed at her master's saying then, but has come to realize its truth. The young Togruta stayed standing for just a moment. Just long enough to see Krell put in cuffs and his lightsabers removed.

As he was being dragged away, Ahsoka's head started to spin as black dots pelted her vision. Her tiny legs shook as her arms reached out for support; any support. Finding none her screaming body took over, and she too fell to the ground.

"Ahsoka!"

"Commander!"

She heard them yell. She felt Rex hovering over her. She felt them all surrounding her as she pictured the gathering of clones, some marked in blue, others in grey or yellow hovering over her still form. Worried and proud and everything in between. Yet she couldn't answer them as she felt herself drift away.

"You've done well, my padawan." Ahsoka felt relief flood through her at those words. They weren't memories from a lesson or training session. It was her master. It was Master Skywalker connecting to her through their bond. The darkness that had been blocking them had lifted. His presence calmed her as any pain she felt melted away.

It was then that she realized something she should have known all along. Her master had always been there with her. He'd always be there for her. Her body and mind felt at peace as she finally accepted the darkness knowing that tomorrow would be a better day.

Hopefully a day not on Umbara.

"Thank you , Master."

What'd you think? I realize the Umbara story arc is later on in the Clone Wars series and Ahsoka is older at that point, but with my story her being younger fit more. I also realized this might be a bit far-fetched. So all criticisms and comments are welcome. All help. Let me know what you think.

Thanks

-Flipside