Star Wars One-Shots

A Padawan Found

"They were hunting you?" he demands, an obvious note of anger slipping into his voice.

Ahsoka nods. "There were a number of other young padawans there too. They seem to consider Jedi the greatest... score." She shudders at the words, the memories. She doesn't understand how people could do that, for literally nothing but fun. She might enjoy herself a lot on the battlefield sometimes, but that's different. They're fighting for a reason, and she's only destroying droids. It's different than kidnapping people and hunting them down for no reason other than their own twisted pleasure.

"General Skywalker had us search the area for you at least a dozen times before we left," Rex tells her, "I'm sorry we weren't able to get to you in time." Anakin had apologized for it too, as though it was somehow his fault it happened.

"It's not your fault, Rex," she assures, "You had a battle to fight, and they're obviously good at hiding. Felucia is so easy to hide on." That's why it's next to impossible to get the Separatists off the planet, no matter how hard they fight there.

"If we had known where you were, we would have sent in all the boys to come and get you out," Rex promises, and she can't help but smile at the words, "Are there any of these Trandoshans left?"

"No, I got help from the Wookies," she replies, "All of them were killed, unless there's more on other islands."

"How did you get help from the Wookies?"

"They dropped one off, and we rescued him," she explains, "We were able to fix a transmitter to send a signal out to their planet. It was the closest one nearby."

"I wish we were close enough to get the signal, but glad it's good to see you're... alright," Rex says.

She nods. "I didn't know when I would get out of there. I... was afraid it wouldn't happen." Despite her façade to the other padawans, she was scared, even if she used to it fuel her determination. She's never been forced to handle a situation like that completely alone.

"They couldn't stop you any more than the clankers do."

She wishes she could fully agree. "They were more of a challenge," she admits, "They have intelligence, and I didn't have anything but the Force." And everything Anakin taught her. She's afraid it will happen again, and maybe this time, she won't be able to get out on time. Or she'll get many others killed in the process.

"We wouldn't have stopped looking for you," he promises, "No matter where we had to look."

"I know," she says, giving him a small smile. In some ways, what had scared her the most was knowing that there was no way Anakin or the boys would be able to find her, no matter how much they looked. They naturally assumed she was captured by the Separatists and would never have dreamed of what really happened to her.

Still, the reassurance is comforting, and she leaves it that, moving on to talk to the rest of the boys.

***

Most everyone pauses as she walks by in the hallway, stopping to greet her and occasionally express their relief that she's back. It's touching, she has to admit, to know how much they were worried about it.

"I knew you were going to find your way back, Commander," Fives calls, approaching her. He's one of the ones she knows a little better. He's close with Anakin, which tends to mean that he spends more time around her as well.

"You know I'd never leave the 501st to fight without me." She doesn't fully feel the grin she gives him, but with how everyone is acting about her being back, it's helped a lot.

"Of course not," he agrees, cheerfully.

"Like I couldn't on Lola Sayu." The words come out before she even thinks them through, and she winces as Fives' expression falters.