the mechanic and the jedi [english edition]

Bacta

It was the dead of night when I parked my ship in the hangar of the Great Republic right next to Obi-Wan's starfighter.
He led me to the exit of the hangar during the whole way to the temple we spoke no word. My thoughts circled only around Ahsoka anyway.
Even the impressive architecture of the Jedi Temple I hardly noticed.
"The council will not be able to receive you until tomorrow morning. Until then, I will assign you quarters", the jedi told me but I stopped.
"No, I had to see Ahsoka first", my voice was firm and determined though I felt as if I would collapse under the worry for her.
Obi-Wan hesitated and seemed to consider for a moment.
"Are you sure?", he asked one last time.
I nodded without hesitation. Never could I sleep peacefully if I didn't know how she was doing.
The Jedi took me at my word and turned off in another direction.
To me, all the hallways looked the same. Especially in the dim glow of the lights.
When we finally turned into a wing of the temple that was titled the hospital wing I had completely lost my bearings.
"Ahsoka is in the bacta ward. We're not supposed to have visitors at this time but I can give you a few minutes", Obi-Wan told me quietly.
He stopped in front of a door on which was written in blue letters 'BACTA'.
"Thanks", I nodded to him before opening the door and entering the room.
About 5 Bacta tanks were lined up side by side in the sparsely lit room.
Four of the tanks were empty but in the middle of them lay a woman all too familiar to me.
Stunned I stumbled over to her tank and placed a hand on the glass of the tank.
Pale and motionless she lay in there.
She wasn't wearing her usual jedi robe, instead she had on a simple pair of short dark pants and a simple dark chest bandage. The scant clothing made her injuries even more visible.
Yet she seemed so unreal to me due to the BACTA fluid that kept her alive.
An oxygen mask ensured that she could breathe but her eyes were closed. There was nothing to indicate that she was aware of anything around her.
Still I hoped she could sense me somehow.
"Snips?", I whispered into the darkness of the dimly lit room.
No one answered me and I couldn't even tell if Ahsoka had heard me.
An invisible weight seemed to squeeze my chest and take away my breath. I just couldn't help but stare down at them. She might as well have been asleep. If it weren't for the numerous injuries that marred her beautiful, small body.
I couldn't even bring myself to count how many injuries she had sustained but I memorized every single scrape, burn and scratch. And I swore to myself that I would avenge her.
But at that moment a thought came to me that completely threw me for a loop.
Was it my fault? Would it have been possible to avoid this if only I hadn't betrayed anything to the droids?
Deep inside I knew the answer.
It was my fault.
"I'm so sorry, Ahsoka", I whispered in a broken voice. For the life of me I couldn't think of anything that could make up for it.
Before I could sink further into my self-pity the door behind me opened again.
Without having to turn away from Ahsoka, I knew it was Obi-Wan.
The door closed behind him and I knew he had come because he couldn't give me any more time.
A depressed silence filled the room broken only by the sound of the breathing mask Ahsoka is wearing.
"How did this happen?", I asked quietly. Obi -Wan came closer and stood on the other side of the bacta tank.
"During the liberation of the slaves we were ambushed by the Separatists. Ahsoka came to the aid of me and my troops. We had almost managed to get all the slaves out of there when a hired Separatist mercenary threw a bomb to the remaining slaves. They panicked one of them fell but Ahsoka reacted immediately. She threw herself in front of a young woman and saved the slave's life. For that however she almost died on the battlefield", the Jedi finished his report. It broke my heart and took my breath away when I thought that I had actually mistaken her for a coward. How foolish of me to even consider that.
"We should leave her alone now. She needs her rest as much as you do", Obi-Wan asserted as I forced myself to avert my gaze from her and remove my hand from the glass of the bacta tank.
I lacked the ability to answer as I followed the jedi out of the treatment room with weak knees.