Soldier's Talk.

Anakin watched from the sidelines as his new padawan learner went through the tough training program he had designed for her. All around, training remotes and droids Anakin had programmed especially were attacking her with a mixture of lightsabers, electrostaffs, and repeating blasters. Ahsoka had been his apprentice for six months. He was already pleased with her progress so far, and her level had been boosted in the time they'd been together.

But Anakin felt she could do better. He had designed very tough training sessions like this to prepare her for what was out there. He wasn't going to coddle her the way some Jedi Masters were likely to do. He wanted her to learn how to survive above all else.

"The kid's doing well," Rex commented, as he came to stand next to his general.

Anakin nodded, his stance between tense and relaxed as he didn't take his eyes off Ahsoka. "She is," he said in agreement, "but she was thrown into the gauntlet a little too soon for my tastes."

That was one of the issues Anakin had with the Council, to say nothing of one of the reasons he didn't want a padawan learner in the first place. Anakin knew the council had only given her to him to make him learn to let go of people when they left him, but if that was their goal it hadn't worked as he'd become attached to her. But Anakin had been horrified by how powerful Ahsoka was and yet she hadn't been prepared for the brutality of the Clone Wars.

That was why he had been forced to train her like this. Anakin did not want an apprentice. He wanted a soldier, someone who had the mindset to go in, fight, and win and come out again.

Rex frowned. "I don't like that, sir, why did the Council give her to you?"

"They wanted me to learn to let people go. I've always found it impossible to keep unattached. The Jedi know that, and they don't like it. But I also prefer looking at the now," Anakin turned away from the scene and stared into Rex's face solemnly. "I want to focus on the war and stop as much of the damage as I can."

"I know what you mean, sir."

"Have you heard anything?" Anakin asked.

"No, no new changes to the news."

"Good. I'm not in the mood for any more surprises," Anakin closed his eyes tiredly for a moment as he reflected on the never-ending chaos going on within the galaxy. Anakin had been in the Outer Rim regions for the last 4 months with Ahsoka and Rex, and Obi-Wan. The older Jedi was currently resting, and Anakin was relieved by that. While he loved Obi-Wan as a friend/brother/father, he resented the council for making sure he was kept under watch because of his more aggressive fighting style and his desire to make Dooku pay for what happened on Geonosis. Right now they were heading back into the core, to a shipyard so the ship could be repaired.

While they'd won the battle thanks to the dogfighting, there had been times Anakin had genuinely thought they would be killed. The ships of the fleet had suffered terrible damage, and many of them had been killed. So many lives were snuffed out by the Separatists who'd led them into a trap, but fortunately, they'd managed to survive thanks to Anakin and Ahsoka's ingenuity while Obi-Wan directed the battle.

Anakin checked his chronometer. Ahsoka had been training for the last 3 hours to work on her stamina as well as her speed. He wanted her to break away from some of the Jedi's teachings, and besides she was already more interested in action rather than diplomacy like he was, but in her case, it was her Togruta nature.

"It's time to end this," Anakin said, and he stepped forward. He took a controller device from his belt and pressed the shut-off switch. Instantly the droids and the remotes stopped, leaving behind a panting and exhausted Ahsoka.

"Master?" Ahsoka gasped.

Anakin flinched at the word. He had never liked the way Jedi apprentices were made/encouraged to call their teachers by that word. It reminded him of his past. "You've done well, Snips," he smiled. "You were brilliant today."

Ahsoka smiled through her gasps. "Thanks, Master Skywalker. I needed that," she whispered as she shut off her lightsabers. "Do you remember when I asked you why you were pressing me through these sessions?"

Anakin did, and he nodded.

"I shouldn't have said it, especially after what we've gone through. But I don't think I'll be going days like you can anytime soon," Ahsoka said.

Anakin chuckled. "I've got a simple piece of advice for you, Ahsoka," he said and wrapped her in a hug. "Don't even try to. It takes years for many Jedi Masters and Knights to develop their skills. It also took ages before I could go for long periods without rest, and still fight even if I wanted to collapse into a heap and snore."

Ahsoka laughed even if he hadn't meant to be funny.

"The best thing you can do is take everything I'm trying to teach you and develop on your own. In the field, you're the only one who can make the big decisions," Anakin said.

Ahsoka looked at him funnily.

"What?" Anakin blinked.

"Who are you, and what have you done with Master Skywalker? You're never usually this wise," Ahsoka said.

Anakin chuckled. "There's telling and there's doing Snips. It's a reality I grew up with, and you can only learn by doing. Now go on, get washed and grab something to eat. We might be heading for the Core, but that doesn't mean we won't be sent back to the frontlines again and we can't fight on an empty stomach."

"No, we can't," Ahsoka looked tired at the thought of being sent back out again, but she took his point since it was all they'd been doing for so long.

Anakin sensed his own master's presence as he watched Ahsoka go. "I saw how brutal that training program was," Obi-Wan commented without any dismay in his voice since he knew Anakin only wanted his new apprentice to live. "It looked like you'd turned it up."

"I did," Anakin admitted. "After how brutal the last firefight was, I wanted it drilled into Ahsoka's brain and mind the Separatists aren't going to go easy on us."

"I take your point, but many on the council likely won't like it," Obi-Wan said mildly. It wasn't his intention to upset Anakin or rile him up, but unfortunately, it had that effect.

Anakin turned slowly around. It was when Obi-Wan said things like that, thought things like that, Anakin often asked himself if Obi-Wan was spying on him and relaying everything he said in confidence back to those idiots sitting in those plush chairs twiddling their thumbs and playing leaders in this mess.

"Obi-Wan, I couldn't care less what the Jedi Council think, for 3 reasons. The war, the Separatists don't show any mercy. The last 6 months have seen dozens of Jedi being slaughtered on top of the reality check on Geonosis. Time. Ahsoka is still a young girl and she's learning to grow. Lastly, I am trying to help her learn how to survive. She's not going to do that in one of Master Yoda's classes, and since so many padawans are in danger when they go to a war zone, don't you think that's wise?" Anakin asked.

Obi-Wan wasn't happy with what Anakin had just said, but the younger man didn't care. He quickly found out Anakin had changed a lot since Geonosis. Anakin was harder, more focused and angrier. It worried him a lot, but he had to admit Ahsoka was good for him since they had much the same mindset, which was worrying.