Star Wars: Balance of the Force (Anakin Skywalker Redemption)

21 - Memories

Originally, they had planned for Ahsoka, Velaya, and Ezac to arrive on a separate ship to Coruscant, where they could help Anakin take down Sidious, but something changed once they begin their trip. 

The three former Jedi were part-way through their hyperspace jump when a tug in the Force sent them all reeling. 

'Did you feel that?' Ezac's eyes bulged.

'How could I miss it?' Ahsoka grunted, clutching at her head. It wasn't as if there was anything dark or wrong about it, just sudden, and familiar. 

Master Velaya closed her eyes, her white brows furrowed and Ezac reached for her, 'Master?'

A smile tugged at her lips, 'Yes Ezac?'

'Do you know what that was?' he listed his head. Ahsoka still marvelled at their closeness, wondering if she had ever seemed so eager for Anakin's attention? Yet, even as she asked it she had her answer. There was almost no greater feeling than receiving your Master's approval. 

Knowing that Anakin was alive still had her reeling. To think he was also Darth Vader... Ahsoka wasn't sure what to think, nor what to feel. For the time being, she had simply shoved all those feelings deep down. Once the Emperor was gone, then they could think, then she could sort all of it out. 

Obi-Wan was still reeling too, and Ahsoka wondered if he would ever get over his shock either. Anakin had, by all accounts, been great. He had apologised to everyone he could, had tried to explain everything to her and the Jedi, and had spent every spare moment with his children. Ahsoka found it a bit frenzied, but Anakin had never really done anything halfway before. It was as if even he could not quite comprehend what was happening, so everyone was trying to make up for the surreality with exaggerated normalcy. 

'Some old friends reaching out,' Velaya chuckled, and began punching in new coordinates. 

'Where are we going?' Ahsoka asked, nervous now. She had promised Anakin that they would be there to help take down the Emperor, and she was not going to let him down again.

'It's on the way,' Velaya assured Ahsoka. 'A little planet called Serenno.'

Her cryptic answers reminded Ahsoka of the fact that Velaya had always been considered an 'unconventional' Jedi. She was known as a frequent Padawan trainer and Jar'Kai expert, but she also had some...unique ideas about what a Jedi's role was in the galaxy. During the Clone Wars she denounced the war, arguing that it was not for the Jedi to fight in or enforce the Republic's battles. 

Unable to convince the Jedi to withdraw from the conflict, she spearheaded dozens of dangerous humanitarian aid missions. Though a pacifist, Velaya was still a skilled strategist, and her missions were mostly completed with resounding success. Mostly. 

Despite herself, Velaya struggled to face Dooku as a true enemy, having mentored him as a Padawan. Anakin had thought of it as a weakness, though he never said it explicitly, but Ahsoka would never forget Velaya's lessons on their mission together.

The Separatists had set up another blockade, so Ahsoka and Anakin were sent to break it so Velaya could deliver supplies to a number of Outer Rim planets. Unfortunately, Dooku had arrived to attack. Ezac was allowed to go with Anakin for some action, while Ahsoka remained with Velaya, learning how she used the Force to coordinate her significant fleet of starships during a battle. 

Velaya had remained calm and in control throughout the conflict, until she sensed Dooku aboard one of her starships. Ahsoka had joined her and her clone troopers, flying to the ship where they found the droids taking troopers and humanitarian aid workers captive.