Star Wars Clone Wars

Chapter 1

Anakin quietly moved through Pong Krell's flagship. He was rescuing Ahsoka Tano, Pong Krell's Padawan. He'd suspected for a long time that Pong Krell was abusing Ahsoka behind closed doors. Ahsoka had told him point blank that Pong Krell was abusing her behind closed doors. Anakin resolved to rescue Ahsoka. Anakin walked onto the Bridge and said firmly: "the abuse stops now, Krell. I won't let you continue to abuse Ahsoka Tano." Pong Krell said: "if you care for her that much, why don't you just take her as your Padawan?" Anakin said firmly: "I will. But I won't let you continue to abuse Ahsoka." Then Anakin turned around and walked out and walked down the hall to Ahsoka's room. He found Ahsoka's room and noted that the door locked from the outside. Anakin unlocked the door using the Force and opened the door. Ahsoka sat on a mat on the floor. Anakin walked over and said: "Ahsoka, get up. I'm taking you out of here." Ahsoka looked up and said: "Master Skywalker? What are you doing here? How did you get on board without Master Krell noticing?" Anakin said: "I stowed away in the gunship bringing you two here. I cloaked my Force signature to where Pong Krell couldn't sense me. Come on. Grab your stuff." Ahsoka hurried and grabbed her stuff and stood. Anakin put his arms around her and they walked out of her room and walked down the hall to the Hangar Bay and climbed into a gunship and shut the door and flew out of the Hangar Bay and flew into Coruscant and flew into the Jedi Temple and landed. Anakin powered down and stood and led Ahsoka out of the gunship. They walked out of the Hangar Bay. Ahsoka said: "Thank you, Master Skywalker." Anakin smiled and said: "please, call me Anakin. I promise I won't let him hurt you again. I care for you a great deal." Ahsoka said: "Master Krell was really scary. He didn't want me to tell you about the abuse. But I just felt comfortable around you. And I needed to tell someone. And now, I'm glad I told you." Anakin said: "the Council agreed to let you be my Padawan. I told them that I would train you." Ahsoka said: "thank you. You have no idea how grateful I am to be free from him. Can I hug you?" Anakin chuckled and said: "sure. I have a feeling we'll make a great team." Ahsoka wrapped her short arms around his middle. Anakin wrapped his arms around her and held her close to him. He felt the sheer relief radiating from her Force signature. He let her hug him. He had a feeling that she would need a great deal of emotional support. And he silently vowed to be there for her. He knew what it felt like to be abused. Just then Obi-Wan walked by. Anakin looked at Obi-Wan and said firmly: "Obi-Wan, we need to talk. All of us." Obi-Wan walked over to the two Jedi. He said: "might I ask why she's hugging you?" Anakin said: "she was abused at the hands of Pong Krell. She needs emotional support right now. She asked if she could hug me and I let her. I'm amazed that I didn't go into aggressive negotiations there. I was half tempted to. But I didn't. Let's go into my apartment. Snips, can you please let go of my middle for the moment?" Ahsoka let go of his middle. Then the trio walked to Anakin's apartment and walked in and sat down in the living room. Ahsoka promptly climbed up on his lap. Which Anakin didn't mind at all. Obi-Wan went to comment but Anakin said: "no. Let her stay. She feels comfortable where she is. And I'm not going to move her. She feels comfortable." Obi-Wan nodded. Ahsoka snuggled up close to him. Anakin wrapped his arms around her and held her close to him. Obi-Wan said: "what do we do about Pong Krell?" Anakin said: "we talk to the Council and let them decide his fate. I'm not going to be part of the decision even though I'm on the Council." Obi-Wan said surprised: "Anakin Skywalker actually being logical for once? I didn't know you could actually think logically." Anakin said: "contrary to what you think, I am capable of using my head." Obi-Wan said: "I believe you. I will present the case to the Council." Then Obi-Wan stood and walked out of Anakin's apartment. Ahsoka cuddled up close to Anakin and looked up at him and said: "can I stay in your room with you? I can't stay by myself without having nightmares." Anakin hesitated briefly and considered his childhood. He remembered how Obi-Wan let him stay with him when he first came to the Temple as a child. Then he considered what Ahsoka was going through. Finally he said gently: "of course you can stay in my room with me. I understand more than you think. Let me tell you something. I was a slave prior to coming to the Temple. I was nine years old when I came to the Temple. I understand what it feels like to be abused myself. I know how it feels to be abused." Ahsoka said: "thank you." Ahsoka fell asleep in his arms. Then Anakin stood and walked into his room and set her on his bed and tucked her in. Then Anakin walked out of his room and sat down and continued working on a mouse droid. He was working on a mouse droid when he sensed distress coming from Ahsoka. Anakin set the mouse droid down and stood and walked into his room and found Ahsoka talking in her sleep and thrashing about in bed. Anakin sighed and said: "Oh Ahsoka." He walked over and sat down on the bed and said gently: "Ahsoka, wake up." Ahsoka woke up and sat straight up in bed. Anakin stood and sat down beside her and wrapped his arms around her. Anakin gently lifted Ahsoka up onto his lap and held her close to him. Ahsoka buried her head in his chest and broke down and cried into his chest. Anakin gently rubbed her back and held her close to him. He held the young togruta close to him and comforted her. Ahsoka sobbed into his chest. Anakin let her. He laid his head on top of hers and held her tightly close to him and said gently: "shh. It's okay. It was just a nightmare. It's okay. It's okay. I'm here. I'm right here. Just let it out. It's okay. You're safe now. It's okay." Ahsoka sobbed into his chest uncontrollably. Anakin gently rubbed her back. She was clinging to him but he didn't mind. Anakin didn't mind her crying. He knew that it was a result of the abuse from her previous Master. Anakin made sure to encourage her when she was having a rough day. He refused to be like her previous Master. After a while Ahsoka fell asleep. Anakin had a feeling that she wasn't going to be letting go of him anytime soon, so he set her down on the bed and changed into pajamas and climbed into bed and lifted her up onto his lap and lay down and turned out the light and fell asleep himself. The next morning they woke up and sat up. Anakin said gently: "wanna talk about it?" Ahsoka said: "You wouldn't understand." Anakin raised an eyebrow and said: "try me. Snips, it won't help if you keep it bottled up inside you. It'll just keep coming back." Ahsoka said: "it has to do with what Pong Krell did to me." Anakin said: "what did he do to you?" Then Ahsoka told him everything. Anakin was horrified by what he heard. He pulled Ahsoka into his arms and held her tightly close to him and said gently: "Ahsoka, we need to tell the Council about this." Ahsoka said: "no! Don't." Anakin said gently: "Snips, the Council needs to know about this. I promise I will be right there beside you." Ahsoka said: "okay." Then they climbed out of bed and got dressed. Anakin wrapped one arm around her and they walked out of his room and walked out of his apartment and walked down the hall. On the way, they encountered
Obi-Wan. Anakin said: "Obi-Wan, Pong Krell did more than just abuse Ahsoka. We're on our way to tell the Council about what he did to her. The only way I could get her to talk to the Council is if I was right there beside her." Obi-Wan said: "I'm afraid it won't be that easy. Pong Krell is one of the most influential Jedi. The Council will most likely listen to him. Ahsoka is a Padawan." Anakin said: "Obi-Wan, Pong Krell violated Ahsoka. He forced himself on her. He sexually assaulted her repeatedly. Ahsoka told me everything that he did to her." Obi-Wan said: "well, it's a good thing you're just as influential as he is. The Council will listen to you." Anakin said: "I'm not going to let this go unaddressed. Someone needs to do something about him. I would use a fair few expletives, but Ahsoka is present and I don't want her picking up any swear words." Obi-Wan said: "we'd best get going." Ahsoka moved closer to Anakin. Anakin looked down at her and said gently: "it's okay. You won't be alone. I'm going to be there with you. Obi-Wan and I are just as influential as Pong Krell is. They listen to me most of the time because they think I'm The Chosen One." Then they continued walking. A short while later they reached the Council chambers and walked in. Anakin felt Ahsoka tense. He gently squeezed her shoulder and sent calming waves across their bond. Ahsoka calmed down some. But she was still scared. Anakin saw why. Pong Krell was there. And he had an evil look on his face. Anakin felt uneasy. He tightened his hold on Ahsoka. He said: "Masters, it has come to my attention that Pong Krell did more than just abuse Ahsoka. He sexually assaulted her repeatedly and forced himself on her. He violated Ahsoka. Ahsoka told me everything that he did to her. And I have no reason to disbelieve her." Pong Krell panicked. The Council talked amongst themselves. Then Master Yoda said: "expelled from the Order, Pong Krell will be." Pong Krell stormed out of the Council chambers. Ahsoka relaxed. Anakin said: "thank you, Masters." Then Anakin and Ahsoka left the Council chambers. Ahsoka looked up at Anakin and said: "thanks Anakin. I was really, really scared there. I'm glad you were there with me." Anakin said gently: "of course, my young Padawan. Come on. Something tells me that you don't have a lot of clothes. Am I right?" Ahsoka nodded. Anakin said gently: "in that case, a shopping trip is in order. Come on." Anakin and Ahsoka walked back to his apartment and walked in. Anakin grabbed his lightsaber and money and put it in a pouch on his utility belt along with his lightsaber. Ahsoka walked over and wrapped her arms around his middle and hugged him tightly. Anakin wrapped his arms around her and gently rubbed her back. He said gently: "I'm glad they allowed me to take you as my Padawan. I won't let him hurt you ever again. I promise." Ahsoka snuggled up in his arms and started purring. Anakin chuckled and held her tightly close to him. He figured that her purring meant that she felt safe and happy and content. He laid his head on top of hers. He let her stay there for a while. After a while Ahsoka pulled away. She said: "you're better than he was. You're kind and easy to talk to. I don't have to worry that you'll punish me if I talk to you. Pong Krell did that. But you're not that type of person. It's easy for me to talk to you without worrying that you'll punish me for talking to you like Pong Krell did. You're the first real friend who actually cares about me." Anakin said gently: "and I always will." Ahsoka said: "you and Pong Krell are polar opposites." Anakin chuckled and said: "I suppose we are." Then they walked out of his room and walked out of his apartment and walked out of the Temple. Anakin was happy to take her shopping. He was determined to give her what she'd been deprived of. She was worth spending money on her needs. Pong Krell treated her like a play toy. Anakin didn't believe in doing that to a fourteen year old girl. Anakin kept her close to him. He didn't want to let her out of his sight especially after what just happened. Then they walked to a clothes store and walked in. Ahsoka looked up at Anakin. Anakin chuckled and said: "go ahead. But stay where I can see you. And don't worry about the cost. You can pick out any thing you want. I have plenty of money." He smiled softly and watched as Ahsoka darted off. Anakin followed suit. He stayed in the general area and kept his bond with Ahsoka open. He wasn't sure if Pong Krell was in the area. Just then his wrist commlink beeped. Anakin raised his wrist and said: "Skywalker here." Obi-Wan said: "Anakin, where are you?" Anakin said: "I'm with Ahsoka. I'm taking her clothes shopping because she doesn't have a lot of clothes. What's going on?" Obi-Wan said: "when you're done, come back immediately." Anakin said: "will do." Then he ended the transmission. By now Ahsoka had reached his side and said: "what was that?" Anakin said: "I have no idea. Obi-Wan was very obscure. Ready?" Ahsoka nodded. Then they walked to the counter where Anakin payed for the clothes. The person at the counter put the clothes in a bag for Ahsoka. Then they left the store and walked back to the Temple and walked into the Temple and met up with Obi-Wan. Anakin said: "Obi-Wan, what's going on here? You were very obscure there." Obi-Wan said: "it's about Ahsoka. Pong Krell swore to hurt her when he saw her again." Ahsoka immediately moved closer to Anakin.