Flaws of the Jedi

Comfort Even In Chaos

Ezra POV
I heard a cry - almost a scream - come from the building Astoria had gone into just moments of Anakin, Ahsoka, Obi-Wan, Kanan, and I reaching the makeshift base. We all heard it, actually. Some Clones quickly came over and helped Obi-Wan onto a stretcher while the rest of us turned to face the building.

"That was Astoria!" I exclaimed, "Come on! We have to help her!"

Before any of the others could answer, I dashed back to the building. I ran through the entrance doorway and up the two flights of stairs until my path was interrupted by the corpse of the sniper. I stepped over the corpse and up the final steps and nearly screamed when I saw why Astoria cried out...

I saw her lying on the floor with blood seeping out of her right side and a bit of blood leaking from her mouth. Her main-hand lightsaber was lying a bit over to her left while a small blaster rested limply in her right hand. I noticed the blood from her wound slowly begin to seep out from under her, staining the floor with a small puddle of red.

I felt tears roll down my face as I ran over to her. I checked her wrist for a pulse and barely felt it. I did the same to her neck to see if it was clearer anywhere else, and it was. Her pulse was still faint, but for the moment she was living.

I knelt down beside her and gently lifted her up so she wouldn't drown in her own blood... that thought sent pins and needles to my core...

"Astoria..." I whispered through tears, "Lord, what did he do to you..?"

I held onto her hand for a bit until Anakin and Ahsoka came running up the stairs, momentarily stopping in their tracks to examine what had happened just as I had.

"Oh my God..." Ahsoka whispered, tears beginning to fall down her face as well.

Anakin had tears in his eyes clouding a look of horror.

They both walked over to Astoria and I and knelt down beside her. I let Astoria's head rest against my chest as I cried.

"How could someone do this to her..?!" I said quite loudly, the anger and sorrow in my voice very apparent.

"I... I don't know..." Ahsoka said, putting a hand on Astoria's.

Anakin said nothing. He stood from his crouched position beside Astoria and called for medics to come quickly with all necessary supplies. The medics arrived a mere minute after being summoned.

Back at the Temple...
Narrator POV
Astoria was in critical condition when her and the others had reached the Temple. Ahsoka and Ezra were freaking out, Kanan was trying to help Ezra as best as he could to stay calm while trying to stay calm himself, and Anakin hadn't said a word to anyone - not even Ahsoka.

Obi-Wan was going to be ok, but at the moment was still unconscious. His doctors had said that he only had a broken leg and needed to keep a wrap on his forearm because of the gunshot wounds. He was only rendered unconscious due to shock and pain.

While Obi-Wan was expected to make a full recovery, if Astoria somehow managed to survive, she would not make a complete recovery. She would either have a slight limp for the rest of her life, and/or be plagued with PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Once again, Astoria had sacrificed herself to save the people she was closest with. Though it was on a command, she had no hesitation to get the sniper when told to. Others may have been slightly hesitant; but not her. She was brave about it, but that didn't leave her without fear. Seeing the sniper from afar was enough to terrify her, but up close? She had been horrified.

After Ahsoka had managed to get herself somewhat calm, she turned her attention to Anakin. Now that she wasn't hysteric with grief and horror, she was noticing that he hadn't spoken a word to anyone anytime soon. She walked over to the other side of the hospital's hallway and sat beside him.