Back To You

Embrace

Finally, after a long flight hiding in the storage room of the cargo ship, Anakin felt the vessel begin to descend onto Shili's surface. He heard the clones begin to scramble around, open the entrance to the ship, and exit onto the secret Republic base. After a few moments to make sure everyone had left the ship, Anakin gently pushed open the door to the small room he had forced himself into. After taking a moment to stretch his sore joints after being in a tight, confined space for so long, he snuck over to the entrance and observed what was going on outside of the ship.

"It is a pleasure to see you again, Commander," he heard a clone let out. Anakin saw the clones surrounding two figures exchanging greetings. The clones kept on scrambling around the figures, driving Anakin insane. He had to know who the figures were and if Ahsoka was okay, and soon. Finally the sea of clones parted just enough so he could make sense of the madness, and a wave of relief rushed it's way through Skywalker's body at the sight of the blue and white montrals poking out in the crowd. Ahsoka and Bo began to fill in the clones on how they are going to escape the hidden base, and despite Anakin trying to listen to the important information, he could only focus on Ahsoka, for it was so unreal to him how much his former padawan had changed since he last saw her. Her headtails and montrails had grown, her facial markings had developed more, her height could almost challenge his, and even her eyes seemed to be a deeper blue. Anakin had planned to stay hidden until the evening, but he couldn't hold back any longer. He moved from his position to the top of the ship platform and gazed at her.

It was amazing to Anakin watching Ahsoka debrief the clones. Not only had she physically grown, but her maturity had grown as well. Her leadership abilities have multiplied tenfold since the last mission he had been on with her. What could have happened in the year she was gone? The year she cut herself off from him? He thought of her almost every second of everyday. If anything would have happened to her, he would have blamed himself, for Anakin felt he had failed her.

I failed her, Anakin thought to himself. I should have done better, then she would still be fighting by my side, safe and sound, rather than on her own in danger. I failed her. I FAILED HER. Anakin grabbed his hair in an attempt to pull himself out of the dark, recurring thoughts that have haunted him this past year. He redirected this focus on her. Her determination was remarkable. It was beautiful to him. She was so focused on the mission, her gaze never broke away from the clones. He walked halfway down the ship's platform, stopped, crossed his arms, and put on his signature Skywalker smile.

"Um, Ahsoka," Bo let out, tapping on the Togruta's shoulder.

"Yes, Bo," Ahsoka irritability responded. Bo pointed into Anakin's direction. Ahsoka turned her head and saw her former Jedi master awaiting on the loading dock of the ship. The pair's blue eyes locked for what seemed like a millennium.

"General Skywalker! Sir, we were not informed you would be accompanying us, sir!" a clone chirped, saluting the Jedi Knight, as the other ones mimicked the motion. Ahsoka finally broke her glaze and turned to Bo.

"Bo, take the troopers to the mess hall to get them a meal and continue the debriefing, General Skywalker and I will be joining in a moment." Bo calmly nodded and shared a grin with Ahsoka, leading the troopers into the run-down base. Once the coast was clear, Ahsoka immediately jumped into her former master's arms, embraced him in a tight hug, and buried her head into his chest. She held onto him so tightly, for she never wanted to feel as lonely as she did the day she left the order ever again. Finally, after taking a moment to convince himself it was really her holding him, Anakin returned the embrace.