Signature Bonds - Star Wars TCW

Chapter 37

I do not own the above art, and it belongs to its rightful owners. I found it on Pinterest, so I sadly do not know who created this masterpiece.

(In the aftermath of Season 3, episode 16. [Mortis])

Ahsoka Tano couldn't remember where she had been for the last twenty-four hours.

In fact, she didn't remember anything after getting called to a mission briefing, or anything before waking up to her master's arms wrapping around her shoulders in a gentle hug. It was weird, though. She had felt rather weak, something that she knew had to have happened during the time in which she could not remember anything. Her master had looked quite worn down as well, and he had been slightly more  clingy and overprotective than normal.

"Hey, Snips." Anakin Skywalker peered into the room, face morphing into a frown once he saw the extremely tired appearance Ahsoka had donned. "You okay?"

"M'fine, Skyguy," she mumbled, montrals twitching in a slightly irritated manner. That was the third time in one hour that he had checked in on her. Ahsoka suddenly perked up a little, an idea popping into her mind. "We should go spar!"

Instantly, Anakin looked rather horrified.

"No! I-I mean, no, you need to rest." Ahsoka looked up at him with a deadpan look on her face.

"If I don't start moving again I'm only going to get worse, you know."

Anakin felt more than slightly conflicted. She was right. If she didn't do anything that involved training she would only get worse. But, if they did spar, he knew he would only be able to focus on what she had been under the influence of the Son. All of her childlike innocence and any of the stuff that made her Ahsoka was just gone. In her place there was only a killing machine, a stone-cold monster.

"Skyguy?"

He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"What really happened while I was out?"

Anakin waited a second before answering and rubbed his wrist gently, as if he was trying to tell himself that everything was fine, perfectly, completely fine.

"You see, the thing is-" Suddenly his com went off, and he stopped speaking, looking down to see that Obi-wan was calling him. "Sorry, Ahsoka. I have to-"

"I know. Go save the galaxy or whatever. Just leave me here to drown in my sorrows."

Anakin crossed his arms, glaring down at his little bondmate.

"Really, Snips?"

Her only response was to stick her tongue out at him from her place hanging upside down from a chair. Anakin rolled his eyes and walked over to her before yanking her up and throwing her over one shoulder.

"Oh no, I've been captured, Master. I'm being carried away by the horrendous smelly tooka." Anakin stopped for a second, pinching one of her montrals in retaliation before walking out the door and down the hall. 

"Ow! Hey! Don't do that!" She yelped, slapping his back and knowing it would do nothing.

"You had it coming, Snips." He smirked, continuing on his way through the Jedi Temple, a few of the newer padwans and knights staring at them in equal parts confusion and wonder. One of the younglings, a little tholothian girl, stopped walking after her group and turned to face Ahsoka and Anakin. Ahsoka waved at the little girl, who waved back before turning around, only to find that her group was completely missing. She looked around frantically, before deciding that she couldn't find her group and dashing off down the hall after the bonded two.

"Miss! Padawan Tano!" She called after them, and Ahsoka poked Anakin quickly.

"Skyguy, hold up a minute." Anakin came to a stop and turned around

The little girl walked up to them and nervously clasped her hands behind her back.

"Hey, little one. What's your name?" Anakin asked, bending down to come face to face with the youngling.

"Hello, Master Skywalker. I'm Katooni." She chirped looking to the floor shyly.

"Hey, Master, put me down, please. Your butt is dangerously close to my face." Ahsoka asked, causing the little youngling to put a hand over her mouth and giggle. Anakin only rolled his eyes with a smile and sat Ahsoka down next to him.

"Now, what happened, Katooni?"

The little tholothian looked back up at them, responding in a polite tone. "I lost my group! A-and I can't sense him!" Anakin and Ahsoka looked at each other before they looked back at Katooni.

"Who can't you sense?" Ahsoka asked gently, and Katooni crossed her arms, a scared expression crossing her face.

"He-he- Petro!" She whimpered, small tears pricking the corners of her eyes. Anakin felt the force around her, startled to find a small bond forming, probably without the knowledge of the younglings or any of the other masters. The master felt the presence of another being approaching before he opened his eyes to see the person.

"Katooni!" A small human boy called out, looking around in a panic. The tholothian perked up, turning and running off toward the boy.

"Petr-oof!" The two younglings crashed into each other, and Ahsoka and Anakin each looked to the other, smiling nostalgically before walking over to the younglings.

"Alright, do you two know where your group is?" Anakin asked, and Petro, eyes wide, nodded his head before grabbing Katooni's hand and dashing down the hall.

Ahsoka's eye markings rose before she slowly turned around to go back in the direction they were headed.

"Skyguy?"

"Yes?"

"Where are we going?"

Anakin grinned, grabbing his padawan around the waist and placing her on his back. She smiled, linking her arms around his neck.

"Mission briefing, Snips. We leave in three days."

---

Uh, hi. It's been three months that I've been on an unannounced hiatus, and I'm really sorry. I seriously just needed a little break from it so that I could write semi-readable material, so here is the final product of this chapter. :)

I hope you guys enjoyed the long-awaited content, and there should be another chapter out again soon. :) Meanwhile, if you guys have any ideas for a chapter or anything, feel free to comment or IM me and I'll take a look! :D

-FlamingStarbird