As soon as the doors opened for them to get onto the ship, Anakin, Obi-wan, and Ahsoka collapsed face first into the floor. "That had to be the worst firefight in the entire war," Ahsoka said.

"Three weeks without any real sleep," Anakin added, exhausted, "it just kept going and going and going."

Obi-wan propped himself up onto his elbows and said, "Come on you guys, we have to at least make it to our beds before we pass out. We can't lay here in the middle of the floor." He prodded at Anakin, but he didn't move.

"I'm good right here," Anakin said, already falling asleep.

Obi-wan managed to sit up and rolled Anakin over so he'd face upright. "You know what we need? A vacation."

Anakin, with his eyes sealed shut, said, "We're at war, Master, we can't take a real vacation while systems throughout the galaxy suffer." He covered his face with his hands in an attempt to block out the lights above.

"I think taking a vacation is great idea," Ahsoka said, propping herself up, "do you have a place in mind, Master Kenobi?"

"The padawan reunion cruise is coming up," Obi-wan said, "I think we should all go, even you Ahsoka. It's quite a fun trip in one of the most beautiful star systems in the entire galaxy."

She said, "But I'm currently a padawan. There's no one for me to really 'reunite' with."

"It'll be good for us," he said, then poked at Anakin some more, "come on, get up, and get to a proper bed so I don't have to drag you."

Ahsoka got back to her feet and stared down at her master who had already began to fall asleep. "How can you sleep on this floor like that with all these lights?"

"I've slept in worse places...snips," he answered, his words slurred as he was out like a light.

"Anakin," Obi-wan said, standing up, "let's go." He prodded at him and expected him to groan or move, but he was already passed out. "I guess I'm going to have to drag you to bed." Obi-wan used the force and picked him up in a bridal carry. Even using the force he felt heavy. "This was so much easier when you were 10."

Ahsoka used the force to help him and together they brought Anakin into a proper bed. "I think he suffered the worst sleep out of all of us," she said as they set him down.

Obi-wan said, "Ahsoka, I'm going to convince Anakin to come on the padawan reunion cruise and I'd like you accompany him."

She yawned loudly. "Sorry," she said, covering her mouth, "why do you want me to go?"

"Anakin has always had trouble getting along with his peers," he explained, "but I know he needs a break the most out of any of us. Perhaps this could be a good experience for him." He stepped away. "We can discuss it more later." He nearly fell over from tiredness right then and there.

"It's so odd," Anakin proclaimed later, "because I could have sworn I had a full week of reconnaissance reports to submit to the council to catch up on, making it impossible for me to make this cruise even if I really wanted to, but the council suddenly decided I'm free for the next few days. Know anything about that, Obi-wan?" He adjusted a few settings on their shuttle as they flew through hyperspace.

He replied, "I merely gave them the suggestion that you would be better off relaxing after all the stress we've been through these past few weeks."

"'Suggestion,'" he said sarcastically, "sure, I'll pretend to believe that for your sake."

"I think this'll be fun," Ahsoka said, sitting behind them in the bridge, "how long has it been since you guys have seen your fellow padawans?"

Anakin replied, "It's been a year at most."

"Nearly a decade for me," Obi-wan answered, "after Maul caused so many problems, and Master Qui-gon died, I haven't managed to keep in contact with most of them, even though I've wanted to. There are a few people I've been wanting to see again for quite a while-outside of war discussions of course."

Anakin said, "I don't know why you want me to go on this cruise so bad, Master. Everyone I grew up with are still padawan learners last time I checked."

"Really?" Ahsoka asked, "Master Yoda told me you progressed quickly."

"I did and the others haven't liked that, so I haven't exactly kept in touch," he replied.

As they left hyperspace, they were met with the biggest republic cruiser ever. Unlike their war ships, this had a sleek design, swooping curves, and was a striking 10 decks tall with red and gold accents all along it. The three of them all stared at the beautiful starship in awe. Ahsoka asked, "We're staying on that?!"

Anakin asked, "Since when do the jedi have the budget for this?"

"The chancellor wanted as many jedi as possible to enjoy themselves despite this war going on," Obi-wan explained, "this year he pitched in for the cruiser himself personally. Although, I will say, this is more than even I was expecting."

They docked up and parked in one of the lower decks. Inside was even fancier than out. Everything had wooden or golden accents and was overall well decorated. It was nothing like the grey on white on black they were used to dealing with on the war fronts.

"I feel I'm going to get lost in here," Ahsoka said, "it's so big."

"I have the holomap of the entire place," Anakin said, holding up a disk, "it even gives real time updates on where we are and the best elevators to take to get where we want to go."

Obi-wan turned left down the hall and said, "I'll be in the masters greeting and dining area if you need me." He waved them off.

As Anakin went to the right, Ahsoka asked, "Are you excited to see anyone again, Master?"

"Not particularly," he answered as he stepped up to an elevator.

"No one at all?"

"Can't say that I am," he replied, "no. I'm only here because Obi-wan wants me to be."

A familiar voice called out from behind them. "Hey!" he shouted, "If it isn't the little Wenuchulla himself! How have you been?!"

Anakin turned around to see Davy Stardust running for them. "It's Anakin," he said, gritting his teeth.

"Yeah, man, I know," he replied, flipping around his long padawan braid, "I heard you already made it to knight status. Congratulations! I pulled in right behind you out there, bet you didn't even notice. And who is this youngling?"

"Actually I'm a padawan learner like you," she answered, "my name is Ahsoka Tano."

Anakin said, "Leave her alone, Davy."

"What?" he said innocently, "I wasn't going to say anything outrageous, I'm just surprised someone so young is already a padawan. I'm Davy Stardust. Ahsoka, you said it was? You're so young, what are you doing here? This cruise is for old pals to get back together after going their separate ways."

"I'm accompanying Master Skywalker."

"They let you have a padawan already?" Davy asked, genuinely shocked, "That was quick."

Just when Anakin thought of turning around and going a different route the elevator finally dinged and let them on. "I'm not the one who makes the decisions, Davy," he said as he stepped inside first, "if you're mad about it, take it up with the council."

"I would but it's so hard to get them together for me personally since I'm not the special chosen one who's going to save us all and my master doesn't have a seat on the council," he replied, stepping inside behind him, only to stop and stare at the walls. "Whoa, what's up with this elevator?"

There were no buttons, only the emergency stop. Sheer metal and wood accented walls greeted them instead. Ahsoka asked, "How are we supposed to go anywhere?"

"Where are you headed?" the elevator asked from its speakers.

"A droid elevator?" Anakin asked, "That's a first."

"Where are you headed?"

Davy said, "I'm going wherever the food spread is for padawans. What do you say?" He put his arm around Anakin's shoulders.

He yanked himself away from him and said, "I'm headed to the sleeping quarters for knights."

"Already?" Ahsoka whined, "You're not going to hang out first, Master?"

"There's plenty of time for that later."

"Deck 5," the elevator said as it made the room move, "public gathering and dining area for padawan learners." It moved swiftly and opened its doors immediately.

As Davy stepped out, he waved back at them happily and said, "See you around, Wenuchulla." The doors shut before Anakin could say anything to that, but he continued to glare at him.

As the elevator began moving again, Ahsoka asked, "What did he call you?"

"Forget it," he growled.

"Is that some sort of nickname from back when you were a padawan?" she asked, confused, "How did you get it?"

"It isn't."

"Deck 3, sleeping quarters for knights."

As Anakin stepped down the long hallway of cabins, Ahsoka followed him. "Are you okay, Master?" she asked, "You seem...tense."

"Ahsoka," he said, "I know Obi-wan wanted you to look after me because he thinks I can't relax and enjoy myself on my own, but I'll be alright I promise. You can wander the ship for a while by yourself, and I'll meet you in the padawan gathering area later."

She asked, "You're not going to eat in the knight area?"

He shook his head, "I don't know any knights, why would I eat with them?"

After she left, he got out his communicator and tried to contact Padme, but his short range communicator was too far out of reach. It didn't connect. When Obi-wan had originally mentioned taking a vacation, he only thought of her. Instead, he was forced into taking a cruise with the other jedi instead. He couldn't help but think he'd have more fun with her.

Later, he finally met up in the padawan gathering space. To his surprise, Ahsoka wasn't the only young one there, Barris was as well, having traveled with Master Luminara of course, and a few others he didn't recognize. He immediately clocked Davy with their old pals Shali, Aita, and Huron from when they were younglings.

As Anakin walked, the crowd parted around him. It wasn't everyone, but enough people turned and stared at him as he walked by for him to notice. It had always hated that feeling of having so many people recognize him, yet quickly avoiding him.

"You actually made it," Shali said, "I thought you were too big of a hot shot now to come back and hang out with little old us, Anakin."

"I wouldn't say that," he said, "this war has been keeping me busy." But he was lying. Even in his downtime he never thought of these guys. He couldn't help but remember their cruelness to him when they were growing up.

Huron joked, "How come you haven't won the war for us yet, oh wise and powerful chosen one?"

Anakin cringed at being called the chosen one and tried not to show it. He replied, "I've been waiting for you guys to become knights and help out so I don't take all the credit. What's taking so long?"

Davy said, "Not all of us are buddy, buddy with the councilmembers."

"It isn't like that," Anakin said quickly, "if you want to know the truth, the council is almost always disappointed in me and my petulance for disobeying orders, but at least I get the job done, unlike them."

They all ooed at him at the same time.

Impressed, Shali asked, "Do you say that to their faces in their special secret meetings?"

"I want to," he confessed, "but my master frowns upon it, so I don't."

Anakin almost couldn't believe he was actually beginning to enjoy himself on this trip. He was getting along with them, and actually enjoyed hearing stories of their adventures. After their little reunion was over, he decided to make his way down the halls toward the elevators to get to the master's gathering area to thank Obi-wan in person.

"Anakin!" Ahsoka said, quickly following after him. He didn't respond. It was as if he hadn't heard her at all. "Master." Nothing. "Skyguy?" She tried one more time. "General Skywalker?" Still he didn't react. What was it that one guy called him in the elevator on the way in? "Hey, Wenuchulla?"

Anakin finally heard Ahsoka and whipped around so fast she flinched and recoiled in fear at his overwhelming sudden anger. "Don't you ever call me that!" he shouted, "Ever! You hear me?!" He stared her down.

She instinctively pulled out her lightsabers and aimed them at him. Never had she seen such fury, especially from her own master.

He saw her fear and immediately softened and withdrew himself. "I'm sorry, Ahsoka," he said, stepping away from her, "I shouldn't have yelled. Are you alright?"

"What has gotten into you all of a sudden?" she demanded. Still scared, she carefully withdrew her lightsabers.

He softened up and asked, "Do you know what you just called me in Huttese?" She shook her head. "In padawan friendly terms, it's a derogatory way to call someone 'slave trash.'"

Ahsoka gasped. "That Davy guy has been calling you a slur? He knows Huttese?"

He answered, "He doesn't know the language. Back when I first moved into the temple to begin my training, I was too stupid to know how to introduce myself. I told the other younglings that awful word enslavers would call me. No one ever asks for a slave's name." He huffed. "I don't know how many times I've told him over the years my name is Anakin."

She said gently, "Master, you're not stupid."

"I used to be," he said hastily, "I wasn't raised as a jedi from toddlerhood like everyone else. I came into it much later, and I'm reminded of that every time I hang out with my so-called peers." He paused, not wanting to get into it. "Did you need something from me, snips?"

Ahsoka snapped back into it. "Uh, yeah actually," she said, "I have a bad feeling. It's like someone aboard has bad intentions, but there's so many people around, I can't tell who."

Anakin asked, "What do you mean, 'bad intentions?' What is the force telling you?"

"That someone's angry enough to bomb the ship," she said anxiously, "but I can't figure out who would do that."

BOOM!

Too late! An explosion ripped through the decks above them and rocked the entire ship side to side and back and forth. The energy was enough to knock them both down. Smoke and debris flew everywhere. There were no ruptures in the outer hull, but electrical currents and live wires burst out everywhere.

Anakin could sense it, Obi-wan was hurt! The explosion must have been in the master's gathering area. He made a run for it, Ahsoka right behind him. They had to use the stairs as all the elevators were out of order with the electricity being out. They felt the pain before they even made it to the massacre.

"Obi-wan!" he shouted desperately, "Master!"

He laid on the ground not far from the obvious blast sight. Black marks were everywhere and the electricity was out. Only the back-up axillary power lights were on.

Panicked, Anakin checked for Obi-wan's vitals. He was still breathing. His heart was still beating, but he was badly injured. He looked around and saw the other masters were also seriously hurt, if not killed, by the blast. The only people on board were the jedi and their droids. Who could have done this?

Padawans throughout the entire ship filed in and cried over their dead and injured masters.

"I don't believe this!" Davy shouted, "He's gone!" He held his master's hand and felt for his pulse, nothing.

"I'm sorry, Davy," Anakin said, meaning it. He looked throughout the carnage and saw many dead bodies, and that immediately below them was the knight gathering area.

Someone shouted from down below, "All the knights are injured too! Only us padawans are left unharmed."

Barris asked, standing over Luminara, "Then who's the highest-ranking person here now? Who can take charge?"

Anakin stood up and looked around to see padawan braids and beads in every direction. No, he couldn't believe this. He was the only knight left standing. Everyone else was either injured or dead.

"Anakin?" Ahsoka asked, "Are you the only knight?"

"I'm in charge now?" he asked, "Seriously? This was supposed to be a vacation."

There were echoes in the confusion, all leading to the same conclusion. "The chosen one," was whispered about.

"Alright!" he shouted over them, "That's enough! I guess I have to take control. We need to do several things at the same time so listen carefully. Huron, get the medical droids up here immediately and get a group to help you load everyone who's injured down to the medical bay."

He gestured to the explosion and said, "Anakin, this wasn't an ordinary explosion, it was some sort of ion blast. Every droid on this ship, including the medical ones, are out of commission. We've lost all engines and no one is currently at the helm."

"Davy," he said, "take control of the ship. Contact-" he stopped himself. If all electronics were out, that meant their communications were down too. "Never mind, we can't contact anyone. Barris take a group with you to go check all the elevators for anyone trapped inside. Ahsoka, figure out what happened here. Huron, still get a group and bring everyone you can to the medical bay and start tending to injuries with the supplies we have on board. I'm going to go see if we can get our communications back online."

Anakin went to the communications center of the ship and exposed the computer wires to see literally all of them were fried. He grabbed extras and extensions and went to work.

Meanwhile, Davy and Shali stood at the controls in the bridge. "I managed to get us out of hyperspace, so we don't crash into anything or anyone with no nav computer or droid at the helm," he explained, "but now we're getting awfully close to that desert planet." He pointed out the window.

"It might be better if we land," Shali said, "making repairs is easier on steady ground."

"I don't recognize the system we're in," Davy said, "and I can't look anything up on these computers. I wish I knew if we're currently in republic-controlled space or not."

She said, "You're right, we could we flying right into separatist territory, but we have way too many injured people that need help to pass this planet by, Davy."

He said, "Alright, I'll steer us manually to that planet and maybe someone there can help us."

Anakin stripped the fried wires bare but it wasn't enough. Many of them broke open in the blast and he didn't have enough replacement wires to fix anything. They weren't going to get a message out at this rate. He made his way back up to the bridge to see how Davy was handling the ship. Once up there, he saw Tatooine coming ever closer.

"What are you doing?" Anakin demanded.

"I got us out of hyperspace, and this is the closest planet I found," Davy answered, "maybe someone there can help."

"No!" he exclaimed, taking the helm, "That's a hostile planet! Get us away from there, quick!" It was too late, the gravity was already pulling them in. They were going to land whether they wanted to or not.

Davy said, "We're already approaching. What's the problem? Do you recognize this system?"

"Brace for impact!" Anakin shouted, "This is going to be rough!"

Tatooine came for them at full tilt. Without any control over the engines, there was no proper way to slow down enough for a smooth landing. Instead, they hit the sand hard, and it came crashing through and shattered every window. It poured into the ship like water. Anakin, Davy, and Shali landed in a pile of burning hot sand face first.