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THE CRUISER shook violently as the battle raged on above Ryloth, Separatist fighters swarming through the stars. In the middle of the chaos, Aruna Souza gripped the railing of the command center, watching the flashing red displays of incoming enemy ships. Her eyes darted between Ahsoka, who was standing stiffly beside her, and Anakin, who was pacing with frustration.
Anakin shot Ahsoka a sharp glance, his voice low but unmistakably tense. "Ahsoka, you disobeyed my orders. You were supposed to wait until I gave the signal. Instead, you lost almost an entire squadron!"
Ahsoka's face fell, the weight of the situation pressing down on her shoulders. "I thought I could take them, Master. I didn't mean to—"
"But you did!" Anakin snapped, cutting her off. "You're not ready to make those kinds of calls yet, Ahsoka."
Aruna, who had been watching silently, finally stepped forward. "Anakin, she's learning. You were reckless when you were her age too, remember? It's not going to help if you come down on her like this."
Anakin turned to face Aruna, his frustration evident. "This is different. She lost lives today, Aruna. She put the entire mission at risk because she couldn't follow a simple order."
"Like you've never bent the rules when you thought it was the right thing to do?" Aruna countered, crossing her arms. "I'm not saying she shouldn't face the consequences, but this is part of her training."
Ahsoka looked between them, her eyes wide, unsure of how to respond to her Masters' growing argument. She opened her mouth to speak, but thought better of it, retreating into silence instead.
Anakin clenched his jaw, turning back to the display. "This isn't about me. This is about Ahsoka. She needs to learn discipline."
Aruna stepped closer, lowering her voice. "You're right, but it's also about you. You trained her to think like you—acting on instinct, trusting her gut. You have to expect she's going to make mistakes, just like you did."
"That's not the point." Anakin's voice was sharp, but there was something else there—an underlying layer of worry. "She's not ready to lead yet, and if she keeps acting without thinking, she's going to get herself killed. Or worse, she'll get others killed."
Aruna sighed, her tone softening. "Anakin, she looks up to you. She's following your example. The way you react now is going to shape how she handles failure in the future. If you lose your temper, she's going to shut down, and that's when mistakes happen."
Anakin fell silent, his eyes narrowing slightly as he considered Aruna's words. It wasn't that he didn't care—he cared too much, that was the problem. Ahsoka was like a little sister to him, and seeing her fail felt like a reflection of his own mistakes. But hearing it from Aruna—someone who had seen him through many of those same failures—struck a chord.
Ahsoka, who had been nervously watching the exchange, finally spoke up, her voice small but resolute. "Master, I'm sorry. I thought I was ready to lead, but I messed up. I understand if you don't trust me to command again."
