Accismus⋆౨ৎ˚⟡.• Anakin Skywalker⋆౨ৎ˚⟡.•

42.

'AHSOKA!'

'I've got it!'

A missile was released and collided with the one heading their way. An explosion fizzed through the water and the ship rattled from the aftershock through ripples of current. They were no longer locked-on, but the ship behind them was still in tact and ready to send its last missile. Sol couldn't sigh in relief yet and the rocks' opening was metres away. 

'I have him locked! Firing now!' Ahsoka stated before a torpedo was dispatched from the ship's belly. It soared towards the cockpit of the separatist ship but before impact, the ship exploded into a bubble-filled mass of metal.

Ahsoka sat in the weapon control room with her mouth hanging open. The missile that she had aimed and fired with such precision continued out of the crevice and disappeared into the open ocean. It wouldn't be long before it lost power and veered downwards to the sea floor, where it would explode and scare some nearby sea creatures. Ahsoka was sure that her missile would have destroyed the separatist ship, but it merely sailed through the debris with an absent purpose. 

Ahsoka's hiked shoulders deflated in defeat and disappointment. She had hesitated too much and she knew that Sol had grown frustrated with her lack of action. This was her chance to show that she was reliable, and a resourceful student to not only Sol, but to her new Master, Anakin Skywalker.

'You're lucky, Snips. You would've been put on power-level duty if you were on my ship after that display.' 

Ahsoka let her head hang low as a loud sigh left her lips. She knew that Master Skywalker's statement was transmitted through to the cockpit, and that Commander Sol would have heard the disappointment in his voice. Their ship had re-entered into the open ocean and Anakin's ship left the crevice's hold after their's. From the weapon control room, Ahsoka watched through the small window as Anakin's ship rode alongside them. She couldn't see into the cockpit, but she knew that Master Skywalker was congratulating the clone who fired the killing shot, while shaking his head at Ahsoka's performance.

'Thanks, Ani. Have anymore caused you trouble?' Sol said through the intercom, and Ahsoka dreaded the moment she would have to face the Jedi Knights in person.

'Not yet, but we need you back at the base. If the youngling can shoot a torpedo straight, we can blow it up and be done with this-' 

Before Anakin could finish his insult, the side of his ship jerked to the left at a missile's impact. Bubbles fizzed and the force rippled through the water, sending the ship containing Ahsoka and Sol to turn on its side. While Sol was able to straighten the controls, Ahsoka gasped as her Master's ship wobbled and attempted to regain its drive. She caught sight of a red ship, identical to the one that had been involved in the previous chase, that circled around after sending the missile into the side of Anakin's vessel.

'Ani! Are you okay?!' Sol's voice said in panic through the intercom. 'Report! What's the damage?!' 

'We're okay, Commander!' A clone replied. 'Our shields were up and took most of the hit, but our power supply is dropping. We have to get to the surface as soon as possible.'

'Not without an attack on the base,' Anakin was heard arguing with his fellow clone trooper.

'Ahsoka?'

'Yes, Commander?' she swallowed at Sol's address, but was hopeful for another chance to show her skill.

'I need you on the ball, here. This is your moment to prove yourself to Anakin. He doesn't need to swoop in and save the day, because you are capable of doing that yourself. Can you shoot down that ship while Anakin and I head for the base?'

'Yes, Commander. I won't fail you this time,' Ahsoka tried not to sound too excited. 

'Then may the Force be with you, Ahsoka.'

With that, Sol turned the ship back towards the base with Anakin in the lead. Ahsoka was relieved to know that the commlink between herself and the ship's cockpit was private, meaning Anakin was unaware of Sol's address. This gave Ahsoka confidence in herself, and knew that she could be relied on. If she could take down the separatist ship that was after Anakin, he would know that she had skill as a shooter, and could accept her as his new Padawan. With Sol's piloting, Ahsoka could be the Jedi she always dreamed of and be on her way to becoming a Jedi Knight.  

With the red ship on her scanner, Ahsoka held the controls firmly in her hands. The separatist base came into view and Anakin was doing what he could to avoid being locked-on to by the red ship. While Sol focused on the base, Ahsoka sucked in a large breath and eyed the separatist ship that stood in between her new Master. She remembered her training in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant and recalled the Jedi's life source; the Force that ran through everything in the galaxy.

The signatures of every being occupied Ahsoka's mind. She sensed Sol and Anakin, who glowed a pure white and a warm orange in the Force among the surrounding clones in their individual cockpits. She sensed the fish and crustations that had a minimal presence, but the ship that contained the grey hue inside its cockpit was her target. It was obvious that it was a battle droid who had been given the mission to rid the waters of the Republic scum that had threatened the separatists' occupation of Ahch-To.

With her shoulders relaxed and her mind at peace, Ahsoka let the Force guide her.

'Engaging now!' 

Ahsoka let her thumbs fall onto the buttons of the joy sticks. She barely looked down at her scanners to see if she was locked, but when she felt the strength of the Force inside her, she knew that the torpedo would strike true. As it released from the ship's belly, it left a stream of fizz and bubbles in its wake.

'Any brain activity in there, Snips-' 

Anakin's taunt through the intercom was cut off much to Ahsoka's satisfaction. The red separatist ship met a similar end to its predecessor with its hull exploding and its debris falling to the sea floor.

'Holy kriff, Ahsoka! Brilliant shot!' Sol cheered from the cockpit. 'I knew you could do it!'

'Thank you, Commander!' Ahsoka couldn't help but let her giddiness translate through her words. A wide grin occupied her face and she knew that the Force was on her side. Her chest swelled with pride and she was sure that Anakin's silence on the intercom was from his previous words being chewed between his teeth.  

Sol wanted to jump up and down at the sight of the falling debris of the separatist ship. The base was now their next target and with the ship destroyed, Anakin and herself were in position to fire. 

When the rest of the party confirmed they were locked and ready, the Jedi in charge had their last communication.

'Looks like we have a Force-using Padawan in our care, Ani,' Sol smugly commented.

'Yeah, yeah, write me a sonet, Solaris,' Anakin could be seen rolling his eyes in the cockpit of his ship. 'Let's make it back for dinner.'

'Ahsoka, are we locked?' Sol tried to hold back more comments towards Anakin and addressed her weapons' controller through the private link.

'Indeed we are, Commander. Ready on your mark.'

'Ready, Ani.' 

After confirmation from Captain Rex and his party, the base was locked by all ships.

'All units, fire!'