Chapter 22 - Jedi Crash

DISCLAIMER: We (unfortunately) do not own Star Wars. :P

Author's Note: In which Ahsoka and Anakin are sent to rescue Aayla. :)

To the guest who reviewed: Well, I guess you'll have to wait and see what happens with Savage and Maul. ^-^ But you did give me an idea... Lol.

Many thanks to loldelegate here on ff. net who has been giving us advice and suggestions for this fic! We never could have made so many unique plans without you! :D

~ Amina Gila

"Tano, we're counting on you," Aayla Secura's voice – strained with tension – crackles over the comm, right before the Star Destroyer Anakin and Ahsoka are on together jolts out of hyperspace above Quill.

The sky in front of Anakin is full of debris as the Separatists continue pummeling the Republic forces with nearly constant fire. Yes, Aayla is in very bad shape here.

"We need to move quickly," Ahsoka calls, urgency slipping into her voice. He can feel the worry pouring off her, which makes him wonder if she personally knows Aayla well, or something. She seems a lot more concerned than if it were just another person they had to rescue.

"It's raining droids!" Anakin calls in warning, glancing out the front viewport again to see super battle droids falling from the Separatist cruiser onto the Republic ship below. Now they're really running out of time. The ship is crashing rapidly into the atmosphere, and the entire outside is practically alight with flames.

The hanger doors to their own cruiser slide open and the gunships blast out, flying down towards Aayla's ship. "Those droids are boarding Aayla's ship," Anakin exclaims, "We need to board it too, if we're ever going to stop them!"

"I don't know if that's the wisest plan!" Ahsoka yells back over the explosions.

She might be right, maybe, but he doesn't see any other choice. "I don't think we have a better option." He releases his handhold, jumping over the edge of the gunship onto one of the still falling super battle droids.

"Anakin!" Ahsoka yells after him, sounding mildly annoyed.

He's out of earshot in moments, anyway, so he doesn't bother replying, as he crashes straight down towards the ship. He slashes through the droid right before he hits the ground inside the ship, and charges at the line of advancing droids inside from behind. There's a thump from behind him, followed by a flash of green as Ahsoka races into view.

Anakin slashes through droid after droid with both his lightsabers, but the line seems never ending. Blaster fire suddenly rings out behind them, taking down a bunch of the droids. Throwing a quick glance over his shoulder, he sees the clones finally landing in the cruiser behind them. They continue working their way down the hallway together, but suddenly, deafening explosions ring out. The ship shakes violently underneath him, nearly throwing him off balance. He quickly deflects a shot that would have otherwise taken off his head, then hurls a couple of the nearby droids into the wall with the Force. They need to move faster than this. The Separatists obviously got tired of playing around and decided to concentrate all their fire on the cruiser again.

As he charges forwards, hacking through a few more droids, there's a sudden flash of blue from further down the hall, and Aayla slashes through the last of the droids blocking their path. Several clones are behind her.

They turn, taking off together again to keep fighting through the droids. "Nice entrance, Ahsoka!" Aayla calls. They're on first-name basis? "How do you plan to get us out of this mess?"

"We need to get to the ship docking in the lower hanger!" Ahsoka calls back.

"And before the whole cruiser blows up," Anakin adds.

They race into the last hall, dodging a group of droids as they run towards their escape. The floor trembles violently again. There's a brilliant flash of light at far end of the hall opposite them, and suddenly Anakin has the feeling that everything is about to go very, very wrong.

He had sensed from the start that escaping from the Star Destroyer would be all but impossible, given the droids scattered in the halls blocking their escape route, but he doesn't say anything, letting Ahsoka direct them as they try to save Master Aayla Secura. As he skids to a halt to push the button to open the next blast door, Anakin can feel the Force humming a warning which finally reaches a crescendo.

He turns, freezing when he realizes that the ship is beginning to explode. A fireball is rolling down the hallways right towards them, and they'll never be able to outrun it. "It's too late," he states with a finality. "I'm sorry, Ahsoka." He reaches out with the Force, throwing her, Aayla, and the few clones – including Rex and Bly – to the final blast door.

"Skyguy!" she cries in a panic, as he hits the button to seal the blast doors behind them.

Then, he turns, delving into the Force like he never has before and throwing up a shield against the coming onslaught. He closes the blast doors ahead of him too, knowing that he could well die here. It's a price he's willing to pay if everyone makes it to safety. That doesn't stop the explosion from ripping through the door, the force of it hurling him backwards into the durasteel behind him. Anakin falls to the floor, dazed, as debris and fire engulf the hallway. But it worked. It didn't get past him.

He can't even move away from the metal crashing down on top of him. He can't do anything. This is really the end. Anakin slips into unconsciousness, unable to escape the lure of the darkness pulling him down. His last sensation is of Ahsoka reaching out to him, fear and anxiety tingling her Force signature before there's nothingness.

**w**

Ahsoka feels oddly detached as she sits down next to Anakin's bedside. The Padawan is unconscious, an oxygen mask over his face to allow him to breathe properly. He's on life-support. His injuries are serious, and she knows that he could easily die if he doesn't receive medical attention quickly. What was he even thinking, trying to stop the explosion alone? But he saved all of their lives, and for that, she's grateful, much as it hurts to know that he nearly died for her.

Slowly, she reaches out and takes his hand in hers, wishing, not for the first time, that they weren't stuck fighting a war. Anakin's far too young to be fighting, and she's not much better. Force, she's only twenty.

Anakin's Force signature is dimmer than normal from his injuries, and Ahsoka hopes desperately that he'll pull through alright. They've been in worse scrapes before, but none quite so serious as this. She hates feeling so helpless, watching silently as Anakin's body struggles to heal. Aside from a concussion, he has numerous broken ribs and possibly a punctured lung. And that's not even counting the various burns on his body.

She should have moved faster to help Aayla. If she had, Anakin probably wouldn't have been put into such a dangerous position. "Come on, Padawan," she whispers, reaching up to touch his Padawan braid. "You can pull through this."

The medical droid said that he'd be alright if they get him to the medical wing on the nearest Star Destroyer. Silently, Ahsoka wills the shuttle to hurry and dock with the Star Destroyer because she won't feel any less anxious until Anakin is safely aboard. Knowing that there's little she can do now, she sends a wave of the Force through his body, hoping that it could at least help take the edge off his injuries. She doubts it though; she's never been very skilled with Force healing.

Ahsoka doesn't know why it suddenly hits her in that moment that this is the first time in a long time that she's been so worried about someone for them. This isn't about a mission or her duty. It's because of how much she cares for Anakin. He's like her little brother, the one she always wanted but never had.

It's been... a very long time since she worried about someone, she realizes suddenly. She doesn't know how to deal with it, anymore. Ahsoka can't understand why, because she remembers a time when she would obsessively fear for those around her. She doesn't know when or how or why that changed, but it's unsettling. She remembers, back when she was a little girl, how she had given Padme the gem she'd found, which she could have just as well used for herself. She had been worried, then, for what would happen to this girl she barely knew. Now... she feels a very odd, slightly disturbing sense of indifference.

It's not that she doesn't care; she does. It's just that she's prioritizing the mission, the greater good, understanding the sacrifice of the few. It's what the Jedi always preached, but now, looking at Anakin's motionless form... she wonders. Would them winning the battle be worth the life of this boy? It's not a question she even needs to consider. Of course, it wouldn't be because this is... Anakin. He's important. He's not meant to be cast aside for the greater good, but... it's what he did.

As a Jedi, Ahsoka knows they're supposed to be willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good, so why does the fact that Anakin was willing to do that upset her so much?

The door suddenly slides open, and Rex walks through, helmet under his arm. "General, your presence is required on the bridge," he declares.

"What's wrong, Captain?" Ahsoka queries, turning towards him. She doesn't want to leave Anakin unless it's absolutely necessary.

"The ship has been forced into hyperspace," he answers gravely, "And we need to get to safety. I can stay with Commander Skywalker until we're safe." Oh. That must have been the jolt which shook the shuttle only a minute ago. The Force had flared with warning, but it's been doing that a lot in this battle, so she hadn't paid it much mind.

Ahsoka closes her eyes for a second. She doesn't want to leave Anakin lying here like this, but if she doesn't go, they could all die. It's not as if she was doing anything but sitting here anyways. "Very well, Rex," she agrees reluctantly. "Keep him safe."

With that final instruction, she rises from the chair and bolts to the bridge. She'll help get this shuttle to safety, even if it's the last thing she does. "We have a problem," Bly is announcing from the pilot's seat as she enters.

"What is it, Commander?" Aayla demands urgently. Her and Ahsoka have been... friends for many years. She's one of the only Jedi at the Temple Ahsoka would actually call a friend, actually. It's good to see her again, even if now isn't the time to think about it.

"In our haste to escape, the navicomputer's coordinates were inputted incorrectly, and we're headed right for a star."

Great. Because apparently the mission can still get worse, they're all about to be incinerated. Ahsoka scrambles into the copilot seat, hands flying over the controls. "The navicomputer is fried," she grits out, "We can't change the coordinates."

"Then we have to shut down all power circuits to reset the coordinates," Aayla decides.

"But that will cut off Anakin's life support!" Not as if being fried by a star will be any better, but...

"I don't like it any more than you do, but it's a risk we're going to have to take."

Ahsoka knows she's right, much as she doesn't like the risk. Counting down, her and the clones instantly flip off the power at the same moment and with a jerk, the ship comes out of hyperspace, a brilliant glowing ball of fire looming right in front of them. Of its own accord – or more correctly, thanks to the gravity of the star – the ship continues moving right towards it.

The outside of the ship is burning as they finally get the power back on, and struggle to divert the ship back away from the star. It spirals forwards, still mostly out of control, crashing towards the surface of the nearby planet up ahead.

The atmosphere is a brownish yellow, with clouds dotting the sky and grass stretching in every direction. There doesn't appear to be any civilized life. It's about all Ahsoka is able to determine before the ship smashes hard into the ground, skidding a short distance before they finally manage to bring it to a stop.

They evacuate hastily – Ahsoka and Aayla go back to get Anakin out – finishing barely on time before the entire shuttle explodes. Ahsoka can only hope the Republic was able to track them here, or they'll be stuck.

"I think Anakin would have loved to see that landing," Ahsoka grumbles.

Aayla gives her an odd look. "Why?"

"Because he excels at crashing – I mean, rough landings." Any momentary amusement fades again as she looks down at Anakin's still form on the ground between them. "We need to find help."

"We can leave one of the clones here and go look for any life," Aayla suggests.

Ahsoka firmly shakes her head. "On a planet like this, who knows what could be lurking, especially after dusk. I think I should stay here with Anakin. If something tries attacking camp..." The tent they set up to keep Anakin in, that is. "– it might be something only a Jedi can handle. I'm sure you're capable of handling the rest on your own."

"We'll find help faster if we both go," Aayla argues uncertainly.

"Yeah, but we might not have anything left to help."

"We better be going, then," the Twi'lek decides at last, before her and the clones head off into the setting sun.

**w**

It's far into the night when Ahsoka first senses danger. Something is out there, lurking in the darkness. Thanks to her night vision, she can see well in the dark, and the grass a distance away from the camp is rusting too much for her liking. What she isn't sure is if it's an animal or the breeze.

She spots it suddenly. Glowing red eyes moving about only a short distance away. Even with the campfire, it's too dark to make out much more. She's on her feet in a flash, igniting her lightsabers as the creature – Force, it's huge – charges right at her. She swings for it, one of her blades slashing across the side of its head, and the other cutting across its leg as it slams into her, knocking her to the ground.

One of her blades flies from her hands, but she slashes at the beast with the other one, cutting a deep gash across it's stomach. With a furious snarl, it backs away, turning and bounding back into the grass, disappearing from sight.

The sudden movement in the tent behind catches her attention instantly. Ahsoka whirls around to see Anakin trying to sit up. Idiot! "Anakin!" she hisses, sprinting into the tent and catching him by the shoulder, shoving him back down, "What are you doing?"

"You seemed... to need help," he coughs, his attempted smirk fading into a grimace.

"I had it all under control," she insists, "And you could've injured yourself even more." She can't say how relieved she is to see that he's actually up and able to move, even if he shouldn't be. Clearly his condition isn't quite as serious as she was afraid of.

"I'm fine!" he protests uselessly.

"Uh-huh. Suuuure."

The sun has already risen again when Ahsoka hears the others returning. Right on cue, the clones, with Rex in the lead, run into view. Wait, where's Aayla? Worry flares inside Ahsoka instantly as she sees them. There's also less clones here than the number that left the night before. What did they run into?

There's a tiny, brown, racoon-like creature with them as well. Whoever this is, it must be the help they were looking for.

"Rex, what happened?" Ahsoka asks urgently, hurrying over to him, "Are you okay?"

"We're final, General," Rex assures, "We brought help. General Secura is staying back at their village."

"Come on, then. We better hurry."

**w**

"Any sign of the Republic?" Anakin asks, shifting his position slightly on the ground as he stares up at the roof of the tent above him. They brought him to the Lurmen village to be treated by the healer there, even if he's still not really ready to move around yet.

"Not yet, sir," Rex replies, where he stands near the entrance to the tent.

"Well let's hope they'll be here soon," he mumbles. Because he'd prefer not to linger unnecessarily, especially not when they're already clearly not welcome here, even if the Lurmen are being friendly enough.

"They should be, as soon as the battle is under control again."

Which could be a very long time, not to be pessimistic. "Maybe you should join Bly outside, because that could be a while. We might as well be comfortable, even if I'm stuck here."

Rex takes the invitation, slipping out of the tent, probably to get some food from the others. Anakin almost regrets it now, though, because he's alone and dreadfully bored of being stuck laying here. Even if everything does still hurt.

As he lies there, he can make out Ahsoka and Aayla's voices, chatting where they sit right outside. "How have you been, with the war and all?" Ahsoka asks.

"It's taking time to get adjusted to leading battles like that," Aayla admits, "It's not something we were trained for."

"Yeah," the Togruta agrees, "I know many Jedi have been having difficulties with it."

"I hear you've been pretty successful, in a lot of battles," Aayla comments.

"I tend to pick up things like that fast," Ahsoka replies, "It's easier, especially when you ask the clones for advice on how to handle situations. They were the ones trained their whole lives to fight in battle, after all."

"So I've realized," Aayla replies.

They fall silent for a few long moments, before the Twi'lek speaks up again. "It's nothing like what we trained for at the Temple, either."

"We should check on Anakin," decides Ahsoka, standing and slipping back into the tent, Aayla following her.

"I'll be fine!" Anakin insists. If Ahsoka realizes that he was listening in on her private-ish conversation, she doesn't comment.

"No one doubted that," Ahsoka quips, sitting down next to him, "How do you feel?"

"Like I got thrown into a durasteel wall, crushed my skull and a few ribs, and nearly got my face blown off," he answers flippantly. Because really, it's the truth.

"That was an encouraging report."

"That is what happened!" Talking this much is starting to aggravate his injuries. He really ought to go back to sleep, even if that's all he's been doing for the past day, at least.

"You should rest," Aayla seems to practically read his mind, moving to stand up.

"General!" Rex calls urgently, suddenly appearing in the doorway.

"What is it?" Ahsoka asks.

"We've got a Separatist ship incoming."

"This is neutral space!" Anakin exclaims. What would they be doing here? That doesn't make sense! It's not like the Separatists should have any way of knowing they're here, either.

"It's not going to be staying neutral, if the Separatists get what they want," Ahsoka states grimly.

"What menace have you brought to our village now, Jedi?" an angry voice calls from the doorway.

Anakin tries to push himself up, only to fall back against the floor with a groan. He shifts so he can see the doorway properly, where the leader of the village now stands, looking very displeased.

"Father, you can't blame them," the healer objects.

"He's right. The Separatists don't even know we're here," Ahsoka points out.

"And they can't know," Aayla adds, "We've got to hide."

"Your presence here endangers us," the leader retorts, "You must leave before your enemies find you." He turns away when no one else speaks. "See to it that they leave. I must see what our new visitors want."

Well, it looks like he's going to be moving around whether he wants to or not. Rex and Bly move to Anakin's sides, helping him to his feet. Pain jars through him at the movement, and he leans heavily against them as they help him to the entrance of the tent. It irks him to be carried like this, especially right now, but he doesn't have a choice. This isn't about what he wants.

They make it into the tall grass, and Anakin has to force back the urge to return and help the villagers while the droids stalk through their midst. They're causing chaos when there's no reason to.

"You know, I can't figure those villagers not wanting to fight," remarks Rex.

"No pride, I guess," Bly offers.

"Not everyone has the courage to fight," Ahsoka points out.

"Sometimes it takes courage to stick to one's beliefs," Aayla objects.

"Well, if they don't want to get involved in the war, that's their choice," Anakin reminds.

"Of course," Ahsoka agrees, "And we won't force them to get involved. But still."

"What we need is a ship to get out of here," Anakin decides, frowning as he considers the situation, "And I think the only one around here belongs to the Separatists." Why didn't he think of it sooner?!

"Yeah, they should have a shuttle," Ahsoka agrees, brightening.

"Sir, are you talking about stealing from one of the clankers?" Rex asks, "Count me in!"

"First, we need to find them," Aayla reminds.

"I think we just did," Ahsoka exclaims suddenly, leaping to her feet.

Anakin's head swivels to look her direction in time to see a probe droid hovering in the grass only a short distance from them. So much for an invisible escape attempt.

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