Ahsoka and Barris had been trapped under the rubble of the destroyed droid factory for some time now, and it was getting harder and harder for the two Padawans to breathe normally. Ahsoka and Barris had to cough again and again to get rid of the dirt they had breathed in, and both knew they couldn't hold out much longer. Ahsoka had already tried to send a signal, but had failed, and so they sat there watching each other. They had stopped talking a few minutes ago, with the original idea of saving air so they could survive longer. But now they were silent to spare themselves pain. Each breath burned their lungs, but they smiled. Both had already resigned themselves to their impending death and were ready to go.
Barris went over her entire life again. How she had learned everything as a youngling and was accepted as a Padawan by Master Unduli. She had a good relationship with her master, even if she was very strict. For Barris, Luminara had always been like a mother, and Barris hoped that her master also saw her as a daughter. She felt horrible thinking that she would never find out about this.
Ahsoka also recalled her life so far. She vaguely remembered the moment Plo had found her. She remembered how she had taken his hand and he had walked with her to his ship. But Ahsoka remembered exactly how Anakin had accepted her as a Padawan. She had to smile when she thought about the fact that he hadn't done this voluntarily. She remembered how she had met Rex and the other clones. "Experience outranks everything." And now it was too late to prove anything. It was too late to achieve the goals she had set for herself with hope. She would never become a Jedi Knight, let alone a Master.
But all that was suddenly so unimportant. The future was unimportant. The past was unimportant. What mattered was the moment. They both buried under countless metal, dirt and dust. The last breaths they both took. Together. One last time, the new friends looked at each other before closing their eyes forever.
It wasn't until days later that the bodies of the two Padawans were found. Anakin had never given up hope and broke down when he saw the lifeless body of his little sister. Luminara only closed her eyes when she saw her Padawan. A tear rolled down her cheek before she turned and walked back to the cruiser. It wasn't until she was in her quarters that she let her tears run free.
Anakin had not left Ahsoka's body for a second as it was brought onto the ship on a stretcher. He couldn't believe Ahsoka was gone, that he would never hear her laugh or her snippy comments again. Yet that was exactly the case. Ahsoka Tano, the always cheerful and excited Padawan of Anakin Skywalker, was dead. And that for good.
