Flaws of the Jedi

She Returns

Ahsoka stared ahead of her as she continued to watch the figure grow nearer as she fought off and killed Rex's men.

"It... it can't be her..." Ahsoka whispered, tears beginning to fill her eyes.

It finally dawned on Anakin and Ahsoka why Obi-Wan told her to keep her emotions in check at all costs: A once close friend was being seen on the wrong side of the war.

Anakin put a hand on her shoulder.

"Ahsoka... stay calm..." He whispered to her in a comforting tone.

A tear fell down her face.

"I'm.. I'm trying..." She said, her voice barely above a whisper.

The young woman stopped in her tracks as she drew nearer to Ahsoka, Obi-Wan, and Anakin. She stared at them through dark, but not quite Sith, eyes. They began to fill with painful tears as she looked at them; at first with shock and happiness. But that very quickly faded into anger and hatred.

She took individual glares at each of the three of them. The look in her eyes was pure fury... but it was fused with fear and a faint look of plead as if she was begging for their help.

"You," She said sternly, the grip on her lightsabers tightening.

"Astoria..." Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka all whispered at the same time.

Another tear fell down Ahsoka's cheek as she looked at the girl who was once a close friend. Obi-Wan and Anakin's eyes both began to fill with tears now as well.

They all stayed standing, looking at each other, for a moment. Then, Ahsoka took a very small step forward. Astoria took an instinctive step back as she did.

Anakin slowly reached for his lightsaber, as did Obi-Wan and Ahsoka. None of the three actually wanted to use them, but they all knew they would have to.

They all drew their lightsabers, and, as they did, Astoria readied herself for a battle.

Astoria ran at Ahsoka quickly and without warning, swinging both her lightsabers down at Ahsoka. She quickly ignited her lightsabers and blocked the swing, pushing Astoria and Ahsoka back from each other a little ways.

Astoria quickly ran at Ahsoka again, locking the two into an intense battle.

"Astoria! Stop!" Obi-Wan shouted. But it did nothing. It was as if Astoria had currently tuned out any noise, any distractions, besides Ahsoka and their lightsabers hitting each other's.

They continued to fight each other for a few more minutes. Ahsoka kept pushing Astoria further and further back. So far that, soon, Astoria would be out of places to go and pinned against a tree.

At first, it took Anakin and Obi-Wan a second to realize what Ahsoka was trying to do, but then they understood and slowly advanced on the two fighting. Once Ahsoka had Astoria pinned against the tree, she knocked both of Astoria's lightsabers out of her hands and held her pinned against the tree by keeping a lightsaber close to Astoria's neck; though Ahsoka had no true intent to injure Astoria. Obi-Wan and Anakin came and surrounded the other two sides that Astoria could escape from: the left and the right.

"I can't believe you turned..." Ahsoka whispered through tears, "I thought you had potential..."

Astoria did not answer. She stood pinned against the tree, staring at Ahsoka with pleading eyes. At first, Ahsoka saw Astoria simply pleading with her eyes not to kill her; but then Ahsoka realized that Astoria's eyes were pleading forgiveness and help.

She wasn't gone yet.

Ahsoka glanced at Anakin and Obi-Wan and nodded. They both immediately understood what she was telling them: that Astoria could still be saved.

Astoria squeezed her eyes shut, seeming to fight off something, then opened her eyes again revealing them to be a lighter color, though not back to normal.

"A-Ahsoka..?" Astoria stuttered quietly, "Where are we?"

Ahsoka looked into Astoria's eyes again; they continued to go lighter. She also noticed that she looked terrified.

Ahsoka slowly removed her lightsaber from Astoria's neck.

"We're.." She looked over to Anakin and Obi-Wan again nervously before finishing her answer, then continued, "We're on Endor..."

Astoria immediately grew more frightened.

"E-Endor..?!" She exclaimed, "H-How? Why..?!"

Ahsoka watched as Astoria's eyes returned to their normal green color. As they did, Astoria put a hand to her head.

"Ow..." She said, "I.. have an awful headache..."

Ahsoka noticed that Astoria seemed to be struggling to stay standing so she quickly put her lightsabers away and lightly pulled one of Astoria's arms over her shoulders and helped her stand.

"Come on... we'll explain everything when we get back," Ahsoka said, "But first, we need to get out of this war-zone..."

Astoria faintly nodded and walked with Ahsoka back to the ship.

"Thank God she's back..." Obi-Wan said, picking up both of Astoria's sabers, "I had a faint feeling she would be, but I wasn't really sure whether to listen to it or not."

"Thank God this didn't end the way it did with Barriss, too," Anakin said, lowering his voice.

And with that, the four of them boarded the ship and escaped the fleeting battle, heading back to Coruscant.