Heyo, human beings from outer space!
I found this request on my list in between a bunch of already completed requests, so it's pretty far from the first part, and I'm probably going to wait a week or so and move it closer to the first part. Sorry for the long wait!
This was requested by I_Am_Snips.
Read on if you dare.
Things did get better– ever so slowly– for Ahsoka. She anxiously awaited her discharge from the Halls of Healing, everyday unsuccessfully attempting to persuade the healers to let her go early. She was learning to walk with Anakin just fine (they could do that in their quarters) and she was completing all her studies quickly and efficiently, so she couldn't understand why they wouldn't allow her to leave.
But the healers were steadfast and insistent that she stay, much to Ahsoka's displeasure.
Anakin's leave had ended before she was released, which meant he and the boys were gone for missions (thankfully short ones, courtesy of Obi-Wan's influence on the council) some days. Obi-Wan also had things to do and a senator like Padme almost never had time to spare. She didn't blame them, not really, but she was dreadfully lonely and bored to tears all day.
It went so far as to Ahsoka asking to be sent the lessons from her classes early, just so she could have something to do. That's the horrifying extent of the boredom. On the bright side, at least she'd be ahead in her lessons so she wouldn't have to stress about assignments over long campaigns.
Then, one day, they left her prosthetic leg in her quarters. Ahsoka was tapping away at her datapad, thinking she must look rather like Tech with how much she'd been on it, when she spotted it propped up in the corner. She paused her work and glanced around. No one was supposed to be checking in on her for a while still...
Ahsoka smirked. She was feeling extra dare-devilish today: That's what happens to hyper-active, social Togrutas who are normally out fighting battles all day when they're cooped up by themselves in the most boring room imaginable.
Ahsoka shoved her covers off of herself and wiggled to the edge of the bed. She pressed her flesh foot onto the floor, heaved herself upward, and hopped over to the leg, sure she looked quite silly. Snatching up the leg, she somehow managed to stuff her stub of a limb into the leg– with much difficulty.
Determination burning inside her, Ahsoka leaned heavily on the wall and shuffled along for a moment. She'd never done this without Anakin there to catch her if she should fall. But what else was there to do?
Ahsoka reached out her artificial foot and stepped on it, and the next thing she knew she was giving the floor a hug. She froze, hoping no one heard her.
When no one came running, Ahsoka peeled herself from the floor and tried again.
///
Somehow, days dragged by and no one had come searching for Ahsoka's leg. She kept it tucked under the bed where it wouldn't be seen so she could use it as she pleased.
Anakin was on a longer mission than he had been on lately, so Ahsoka had plenty of time to fill. Her leg, of course, helped a lot. She was feverish, being alone all day, and she'd do anything to stop the inevitable paranoia of isolation creeping up on her.
She went from completing assignments that weren't due for months to hobbling around to meditating to hobbling around and she repeated it over and over again. The days dragged into weeks, then another half week.
On a day Ahsoka was feeling particularly feverish, she set out to make laps around her little room, counting them as she went.
"Four... five... six... seven... eight–" Ahsoka paused, freezing in her steps. "Five... six... seven... eight. Five, six, seven, eight!" Humming softly to herself, she swayed about and when she didn't fall, she went a little further.
Ahsoka shuffled about to the rhythm of her song, singing in a soft voice as she pranced cautiously about. She was just getting into it when she heard the door fly open behind her and a startled, amused snort. Losing her balance, Ahsoka crashed to the ground and felt her lekku burn with embarrassment.
"Sorry to crash your party."
Ahsoka's embarrassment vanished and she grinned as she pushed herself back to her feet. "Anakin!" She stumbled forward to crash into him for a hug.
"Nice dance moves."
"Hey, I was bored!"
"Well you won't be for long," Anakin said, and Ahsoka pulled away to look at him. "I'm discharging you now, you've been here long enough."
///
Ahsoka had never been so happy to be back in the training room, especially after a night's rest in her own bed, but she was getting frustrated. She swiped the sweat from her brow with a sigh and picked herself up from the floor for what felt like the millionth time within the hour.
"Need a break?" Anakin said, relaxing from his position.
"No," Ahsoka huffed. "I'm not going to get stronger by taking breaks."
"You're also not going to get stronger by overworking yourself and passing out."
Ahsoka rolled her eyes. "I'm not overworking myself. I'm just not willing to rest before I figure out how to keep myself upright while I fight."
"It may take a while. Go get a sip of water, Snips, clear your head for a minute. It's not going to hurt you."
"But–"
"No, you're taking a break," Anakin said, and his tone didn't leave time to argue.
Ahsoka reluctantly clipped her lightsabers to her belt and sought out her water flask, then found her way back to the center of the floor to try again.
///
Every moment she could, Ahsoka trained. Obi-Wan told her it was the reason she was kept in the Halls for so long: they knew she wouldn't give her body enough time to heal before pushing it past its limits. Ahsoka elected not to take it to heart. Being determined had never been a bad thing.
Training with the boys every morning had become her new thing. She rose before the sun and met the groggy-eyed boys in the barracks, ready to train like a soldier while simultaneously working as a co-coach for Rex.
Rex, of course, never let herself go too hard. When he thought she needed a break, he'd make her sit on someone's back while they did push-ups. He said it wasn't for her, it was to make the boys stronger, but she knew better.
Most days Anakin wouldn't let her spar with him if she'd gone to the barracks in the morning, instead assigning her to moving meditations, reviewing forms, and working with the training droids.
Two or three times a week, Anakin took her for training with the clones, where she'd stand in the middle of a circle while they shot stuns at her. It was both the best and the worst training for her.
She remembered how to do it, she could sense most stun blasts before they reached her, but she'd trip over her leg and end up on the floor before she could block any. Then a flash of blue light later, she'd wake up Kix, Rex, or Anakin in her face.
She'd drag herself upright, dizzy, and say she was ready before she was. Then she'd trip and fall and wake up a while later to do it all again. The worst part was that the numbing effect was particularly useless when pain shot through her before she was stunned.
"I'm done," Ahsoka finally groaned, every inch of her aching, her head pounding, and her spirits dimmed.
"You'll get there," Anakin said, and Ahsoka nodded, even though she was starting to have her doubts.
///
Her first battle came after what felt like forever, and it wasn't pretty, but she wasn't critically injured. It was an easy mission, so there wasn't much risk anyway, and there were no deaths, only a few casualties.
Ahsoak's worst injury came from when she tripped over herself and split her knee.
She sat on her bunk afterwards, quietly taping up her wound. Kix had given her permission.
It was almost funny– how much she worked for such little result. She'd tripped more than anything, still, after so long. Her artificial leg felt bulky and clanky in her boot.
But what could she do now? She was tired. She wanted to rest. She could train more, but progress was slow.
Well, she thought as she picked a piece of tape from between her teeth and gently used it to seal up the middle of her wound, training was all she could do. There was no way to cheat this time, no way around it. Hard work, sweat, and tears was the only thing that could bring her what she wanted.
And she'd just have to be patient, she supposed. Patience had never been her strong suit, but she'd always been better than Anakin. And she could become stronger in more ways than one. Why shouldn't she?
Ahsoka taped up the end of her wound and covered it in bacta and bandages. When the cut was sealed, she'd get back to training. She'd push herself more than she should and work harder than ever to gain what she wanted most. But for now, she'd rest.
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Word Count: 1,516
Published: 7 September 2023
I've been avoiding putting spoilers on here for the Ahsoka series, but I just got done watching episode four half an hour ago and I just can't help but give a little shpiel about it, so leave now if you don't want any spoilers:
I was laughing literally SO KRIFFING HARD and I am still laughing!! Literally she went flying off that cliff and I was like, "eh, she's fine, she's been yeeted from cliffs too many times" and then she wakes up the world between worlds and I just burst out laughing and I couldn't stop and I'm still laughing because this is time number three that she's died. My girl seriously needs to stop. She has a serious dying issue. Is it an addiction at this point? I know, I shouldn't laugh but GIRL--
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Bye, peoples!