His Padawan

To the front lines

NOTE: I am taking a creative license here and I am not going to include the clone soldiers that Anakin and Ashoka fight with in the TV series Clone Wars. Instead, I want to develop my own characters for these soldiers. This also helps to further distinguish Kiara from Ashoka (who doesn't exist in this story unless I chose to give her another master) Thanks for reading :)

Anakin felt much more relaxed after a quick sanisteam and a hot meal at the Jedi Temple.

He strode purposefully down the long halls, his silent as ever Padawan walking slightly behind him. It was time for them to receive their next orders. It was time to enter the front lines to defend the Republic.

They stood together before the Jedi Council with Obi-Wan. Anakin could distinguish the anxiety and even a little fear in Kiara's eyes. But she was completely calm in the Force, like a stone wall enclosed her mind. If not for her eyes, Anakin doubted he could've told anything about how she was feeling. It was unsettling to him. He was so used to being able to tell people's emotions.

"You are being sent to the Outer Rim with the Clone Unit 52X". Mace Windu stated.

"When do we leave?" Obi-Wan asked calmly.

"Within the hour".

"Fly with you, your Padawan shall, Anakin. Until ready to spread her wings, she is" Yoda said gently, a small smile lighting up his wrinkled face. Kiara felt his reassurance and allowed herself to be comforted. Anakin merely nodded. Internally, he was a little disappointed. Flying her own fighter would force his silent Padawan to speak. Not to mention, he wanted to see how good of a pilot she was.

With a quick bow, they left the Council.

Anakin and Kiara arrived at the hanger first. A group of clone pilots were lounging by the fighters. Anakin made his way over to the two-person fighter that was to be his. With experienced eyes, he checked the entire fighter for problems within a few minutes. Kiara watched carefully.

Anakin realized, once again, that he should be instructing her. So in the brief time that they were waiting on Obi-Wan, he explained the basic parts of the fighter and the most vital parts to check before heading out. Kiara nodded attentively. Admittedly, she had been taught much of it before, but never had her teachers been so dedicated to showing her exactly what they meant.

Obi-Wan arrived in the hanger with a troop of clones. The clones loaded into a shuttle and Obi-Wan hopped into his fighter.

"Up you go!" Anakin said cheerfully as he offered a hand to Kiara. She took it gingerly and climbed into the fighter. He started it up with a smile and they flew out of the hanger, cutting Obi-Wan off.

"Hey!" Obi-Wan shouted, but he was smiling. Anakin was at his best once again.

The ships came out of hyperspace with a jolt. Anakin frowned at the navicomputer. They were in the wrong system! They were supposed to be outside of Tirahnn. Instead, the coordinates said that they were directly above a small planet called Bakkah in the Outer Rim.

"Red Two to Red Leader, come in" Obi-Wan's voice crackled across the comm unit.

"I'm here Red Two. I don't know what happened" Anakin growled.

"Great, well that makes two of us" Obi-Wan said tiredly.

"Red Leader to Transport, be ready for an attack"

"This Transport, copy that Red Leader".

Anakin turned to Kiara.
"I think we walked into an trap" he said with annoyance.

She nodded, and reached to turn on the fighter's targeting and weapons systems.

"Can you handle the rear gun?" Anakin asked hesitantly.

She rewarded him with a smug smile.

"Well alright then!" He laughed.

"TIE fighters incoming!" Obi-Wan called.

"I'll take the lead, Red Two. Try to keep up, would ya?" Anakin smirked.

He accelerated. Twelve TIE fighters filled the viewport and the targeting system shrieked. Kiara expertly fired. The lead fighter disintegrated in a brilliant explosion.

"Nice shot. Now you've only got eleven more!" Anakin said cheerfully. He blasted another fighter with the forward guns.

"One on your tail, Red Leader" Obi-Wan said calmly. He knew Anakin was the best pilot that the Jedi had. This was as easy as child's play for him.

"Kiara, would you mind?" Anakin called.
Obediently, she blasted the enemy fighter to bits.

"At least make it a challenge for me" Anakin muttered under his breath as he destroyed two more fighters.

"Incoming Star Destroyers! Three of them!" A panicked voice shouted over the comm.

"Anakin we have to get out of here. We're no match for them!" Obi-Wan yelled.

Anakin sighed. "Set a course for Tirahnn. Maybe this time we'll actually get there".

"Copy that, Red Leader".

"Transport ready"

"Red Two ready"

"This is Red Leader, start jump into hyperspace in 30 seconds". Anakin had already put the coordinates into the nav computer.

Just as their hyperspace engines were firing up, a split second before they would've been safe, a lucky shot by one of the last TIE fighters hit Anakin and Kiara's fighter.

They were blinded by the resulting explosion. Anakin tried to control the wildly spinning fighter. They spun towards the planet.

Kiara was thrown around like a rag doll. The fighter only increased in speed as they fell through the atmosphere of Bakkah.

Anakin pounded the control panels in desperation. The fighter was completely out of control.

The sandy ground beneath them came closer and closer.

"Together" Anakin told Kiara.

He found her in the Force and joined her power to his. Together, they worked to slow the fighter. It slowed slightly, but not enough.

Anakin pushed the hatch open. He quickly undid Kiara's tangled harness and lifted her up beside him.

As the ground grew closer, they crouched, ready to jump.

"One, two, THREE!"

They jumped from the burning, falling fighter. Anakin wrapped his arms around his Padawan and used the Force to slow their descent.

Still, they hit the desert floor with bruising force. Anakin shielded Kiara's body with his own, taking the brunt of the fall.

For a moment, she lay on his chest, trying to catch her breath.

Then she realized, his heart wasn't beating.