Clone Wars Chronicles: Volume 1

Chapter 12: Arrival

"Look out!" a voice shouted, shattering Ahsoka's concentration. Her eyes flew open. The last commando droid had fired a rocket launcher, and the blast was heading straight for them. It happened so quickly that Ahsoka couldn't do anything about it, especially in her current state.

Someone dove on top of her, shielding her from the blast. Ahsoka grunted as all of the air was forced from her lungs.

Suddenly, she was flying, rocks pelting her. Whoever had protected her from the debris was gone now. She assumed he had been pushed in another direction.

Ahsoka landed hard on her back, but the force of the explosion caused her to roll. And just like that, there was nothing beneath her anymore.

Grunting in surprise, she thrust out her hand and grabbed the ledge of the cliff she had been about to fall off of. In her state, she was barely able to hold on.

Where was everyone else?

Ahsoka felt her grip slipping. "Rex? Kix? Where are you guys? Are you okay?"

There was no answer.

Panicking, Ahsoka quickly opened her bond with Anakin.

Master, I need help!

But he didn't answer either.

A clank startled her.

No, commando droids! I have to help them-

Before Ahsoka could attempt to lift herself up, she heard the blast of a gun. A loud thud accompanied a commando droid head falling right in front of her face. Out of reflex, Ahsoka started to push herself away, temporarily forgetting that she was still holding onto a cliff.

Ahsoka gasped as she started to fall, but someone grabbed her hand.

Ahsoka looked up, seeing a familiar redhead. "Master Obi-Wan!"

Obi-Wan gave her a slightly strained smile. "Looks like we got here just in time."

Ahsoka rolled her eyes as he pulled her up. As soon as she got to the top, she slumped to her knees.

"Stay there, Ahsoka," Obi-Wan ordered as he ducked a blaster bolt. "We'll take care of the battle droids."

And then he was running towards the remaining droids, his lightsaber a blur as he deflected blaster bolts.

Looking around, she saw that the only ones conscious besides her and Obi-Wan were the rescue team. Everyone else had been knocked out by the blast.

Ahsoka felt her heart skip a beat as she looked at the unconscious clones. She moved closer to Rex and Kix, feeling for a pulse.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw they were alive.

"Sorry, boys. Guess all of this is my fault."

When reaching through her bond with Anakin, she was once again met with silence. She grunted in frustration. "Where are you when I need you, Master?" she muttered.

Anakin was, in fact, running to the compound as fast as he could, despite the protests of the medic. The pain from his wound was blocking out everything in his head, he could only focus on putting one foot in front of the other.

He knew it was his fault this had all happened. He hadn't listened to his padawan, and now she and the others could all be dead, thanks to him.

Forcing aside his pain, Anakin viewed the ledge in front of him. It would be much safer to go down carefully, but Anakin didn't care. The fastest way to Ahsoka was to jump from the ledge. So that's what Anakin did.