Fall from Darkness

Chapter 1: Fall from Grace

Ahsoka Tano ran down the entangled corridors of an unidentified flagship chasing Count Dooku and Asajj Ventress. The 15 year old Padawan of the 'chosen one' Anakin Skywalker had her lightsabre ignited and a fierce look on her face as she went into to catch her pray.

It had been a year since she had met her master during the Battle of Christophsis and a few months since she had learned of Anakin's secret marriage to Senator Padmé Amidala. She had great respect for her master and his mistress that she vowed to keep their secret safe from the preying eyes and ears from the Jedi Council and any other enemies that might try to use this information to their advantage.

"Ahsoka state your position!" Anakin yelled over the comlink headsets.

Ahsoka groaned and used the Force to activate the comlink button.

"I'm down the main corridor. I'm on their tails!" she said as she ran.

On the commanding Republic cruiser, Anakin stood watching the ship battle that played out before his eyes. Ahsoka had begged him to let her bring Dooku and Ventress to justice. Anakin had been relucent to allow her to embark on such a dangerous mission alone but Ahsoka had stated that she needed to do some things on her own sometimes instead of Anakin having to watch over her all the time.

Anakin had grown attached to his Padawan even though he wasn't allowed too. He thought of her as more than his Padawan or a friend. He thought of her as a kid sister that his late mother, Shmi was unable to give him since he was born without a father. Padmé, Anakin's secret wife often teased her husband by saying that Ahsoka was more like him then he realised but of course he didn't believe it.

"Hurry up and arrest them, Snips!" Anakin said staying as calm as he could.

"I'm trying my best!" Ahsoka replied.

"Try harder!" Anakin said before disconnecting the line.

Yes Master! Ahsoka thought as she continued to run.

Finally, she had Dooku cornered.

"You have nowhere to run, Dooku!" she snarled.

"Ha! Skywalker's worthless Padawan wanting to take down the Sith? That's fathomable. Ventress take her! Make her suffer!" Dooku laughed without a hint of mercy in his voice.

"Fight me yourself!" Ahsoka bit back.

On the Republic Cruiser, Anakin had a feeling something wasn't right. He wanted to do something to help aid his Padawan. He fought with his mind to come up with a plan. He couldn't disobey a direct order, yet he couldn't just leave his Padawan to die.

Don't go after her! She'll be fine. Quarrelled one half of his mind quarrelled.

You can't simply leave her to die! You're not that kind of person Anakin! The other half debated.

Anakin threw down his headset and bolted toward the landing strip were the Twilight was stationed.

"Anakin! Where are you going?" Obi-Wan asked as his former Padawan ran past him.

"I'm going to help Ahsoka!" Anakin called back.

"What? Anakin!" Obi-Wan called but Anakin ignored him and continued toward the hangar.

He boarded the Twilight and with R2's help, took off toward the battleship.

Ahsoka held her ground over Ventress but she was slowly losing it. No matter how many times she battled the Sith assassin, Ahsoka felt she had become weaker in battle with Ventress. If Anakin hadn't had been her master, all of Ahsoka's hopes for become a Jedi Knight would have been lost.

"Surrender and I will allow you to say goodbye to that-" Ventress never got to finish her sentence.

"Ahsoka!" came Anakin's frantic voice.

"Master!" Ahsoka called back with the same frantic tone.

Anakin ran with his blue lightsabre at the ready to strike Ventress or Dooku if they attacked.

"If it isn't the overprotective Skywalker!" sneered Dooku.

Anakin lunged at him, his lightsabre clashing with Dooku's blood one.

The fight between to two Jedi and their Sith opponents continued for several minutes. Anakin's fight with Dooku seemed to get nowhere while Ahsoka seemed to be gaining an advantage over Ventress.

"You can do better than that Baldy!" Ahsoka retorted as she tried to think threats to throw Ventress off her pursuit.

"You truly are Skywalker's pet!" hissed the bald assassin.

Anakin was able to trick Dooku for a second as to distract him so that he and Ahsoka could get away. Ahsoka recognised her master's trick and broke away from Ventress. She bounded next to Anakin as he bolted back the way he came.

Ventress and Dooku realised they had been tricked and ran after the retreating Jedi. With quick thinking, Dooku used the Force on a nearby airlock to open it.

"Snips look out!" Anakin yelled but it was too late. Ahsoka had gotten blown out by the airlock.

In a desperate attempt to get his Padawan back, Anakin ran for the airlock.

A ship was stationed just under the airlock. Anakin recognised it to be a Separatist allied ship.

"Ahsoka take my hand!" he yelled.

Ahsoka struggled but was able to grab her master's hands.

"I'll pull you up. Just hold on!" Anakin yelled.

"I'm trying master!" Ahsoka yelled back but she was pulled back by a set of unidentifiable hands.

"MASTER!" Ahsoka yelled.

"Ahsoka!" yelled Anakin but his Padawan was gone.

Obi-Wan finally caught up to him only to see his former Padawan on his knees near the now shut airlock.

"Anakin what happened?" Obi-Wan asked as he helped Anakin to his feet.

"Ahsoka's gone. The Separatists took her." Anakin said his voice trembling.

Obi-Wan took his distraught friend back to the Twilight and they returned to the Republic cruiser.

After a while, decided to speak up. "We will have to inform the Council of Ahsoka's disappearance. They might give you another Padawan."

"I don't want another Padawan; Obi-Wan I just want Ahsoka back!" Anakin yelled.

"Anakin, I understand you're upset about Ahsoka and I'm sorry to say that you are attached to her like you are with Padmé." Obi-Wan said in a gentle tone.

"I'm not attached to Ahsoka and don't bring Senator Amidala into this. We're just friends. That's all." Anakin said bitterly.

Obi-Wan raised a ginger eyebrow. "Is that right? Because from what I witnessed during the Battle of Geonosis when Padmé fell from the ship you wanted the ship to be brought down so you could rescue her," Obi-Wan said clearly remembering the opening battle of the Clone Wars and how Anakin had desperately wanted to save his lady love who would later become his wife from certain death.

Padmé had survived of course and when Anakin had escorted her back to Naboo, they married and officially became husband and wife.

Anakin merely rolled his eyes at Obi-Wan's comment. He didn't want to relive a moment where he had almost lost Padmé. He was very protective of Ahsoka too. She was also very protective of him too. They got each other out of trouble half time while the other one got into the trouble in the first place.

Obi-Wan patted Anakin on the shoulder and walked over to Commander Cody and Captain Rex who had been listening to the entire conversation.

"Will he be alright, sir?" Rex asked quietly of Obi-Wan.

"I hope so, Rex." Obi-Wan said in a worried tone.

"What about the commander? Are we going to find her?" Cody asked.

"For Anakin's sake we must. But he will insist that he find her himself. He did that with R2 and he will do it again." Obi-Wan said keeping his voice low.

Rex and Cody nodded. They too become kind of attached to Ahsoka seeing as they had fought with her in various battles. She was always telling them stories about how Anakin was always messing up and leaving out the parts where she messed up.

The flight back to Coruscant was quiet without Ahsoka. She was always asking questions about things that she didn't quite understand and someone was always willing to answer her. Mostly it was just to shut her up. Not that Ahsoka was annoying. Everyone involved with the Jedi and the Jedi included all knew that Ahsoka's heart was in the right place but they often felt that some things Ahsoka could easily find the answers too if she looked or listened hard enough.

Padmé Amidala sat with her comlink waiting for Anakin to return home. He had been gone for 3 months and she missed him terribly. Her work as a Senator always kept her busy but Anakin wasn't far from her mind. Being his wife, Padmé was always worried about Anakin and what dangers he faced on a day to day basis. She knew that being a Jedi had been his dream since he was a little boy and was glad that his dream had come true but she still worried.

She was brought out of her thoughts by her sister Sola.

"Padmé?"

"Oh sorry Sola. What were you staying?"

Sola sighed; "You thinking about Anakin?"

Padmé flushed red, "Yeah. I'm nervous, that's all. "

Sola and Anakin had a love hate relationship as Padmé put it. Sola being her older sister was protective over Padmé. Anakin being Padmé's husband had a 'duty' to keep her safe. It would drive Padmé up the wall when they argued. They had had various arguments via comlink since Anakin and Ahsoka had had to go back to the frontline a week after Sola's departure. Padmé and Ahsoka had to calm Anakin and Sola down since their voices travelled and echoed. Anakin was the main offender to this. Whenever he, Ahsoka, Padmé and Sola had a private conversation away from the praying ears of other Jedi, clones or other army officers, the conversation usually got heated. Heated, being yelling and cursing who was right or wrong.

"Oh will you both give it a rest already?" Ahsoka would shriek each and every time.

Ahsoka's whining didn't always work. It tended to make things worse.

"Nervous? Padmé Amidala Skywalker nervous? Ha! That's a laugh! Wait you aren't pregnant are you?" Sola asked in shock awe.

"One I'm simply Padmé Amidala and two no I'm not pregnant." Padmé retorted. "Not yet anyway." Padmé didn't know that she was foretelling her future.

"Okay," Sola said raising her hands in defence. "When are they due back?"

"To be honest, I don't know." Padmé shrugged.

"How can you be nervous about your husband's return? It's not like you've spent 10 years of marriage away from him." Sola said sitting down on the closest sofa.

"It feels like it," Padmé muttered.

Anakin and Obi-Wan stood in the middle of the Jedi Council room getting lectures from each of the Jedi Council members. Even though they were both members of the Council, Anakin and Obi-Wan still received these unnecessary lectures.

"Skywalker, your Padawan risked her life to arrest Dooku and Ventress regardless of the coincidences." Mace Windu lectured.

Anakin and Obi-Wan exchanged looks of pity.

"Master, I understand that Ahsoka was willing to give her life to capture the enemy but that doesn't mean that we can't go rescue her." Anakin argued back as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Perhaps, but we will have to devise a plan to rescue her," Obi-Wan said making Anakin turn to face him.

"You're siding with them?" he retorted angrily. With that Anakin stormed out the room.

How could Obi-Wan side with the Council? Anakin thought bitterly.

"Anakin-" Obi-Wan called after him.

"Let him go, Obi-Wan." Yoda said gently. "He is upset. Blame him you cannot."

Obi-Wan knew only too well what Anakin was going through. During a previous mission with Anakin and Padmé before Ahsoka had become Anakin's Padawan, Obi-Wan had lost his childhood friend Siri Tachi who he had a relationship with that was forbidden. It was similar to Anakin's marriage to Padmé but only he and Siri weren't married.

Anakin trudged down the corridor before hearing his name being called.

"Master Skywalker!" called the voice.

Anakin turned around to see Luminara's former Padawan Barriss coming toward him.

"Barriss, hi. What can I do for you?" Anakin asked turning to sound positively upbeat.

"I heard that you and Ahsoka had returned. Is she here?" Barriss asked.

Anakin's face fell. "Ahsoka's gone missing in action," Anakin said grimly.

Barriss' face fell beyond disbelief. "What? How?" she exclaimed.

"Shh!" Anakin said looking around to make sure no one heard. He told what had happened on the mission that went horribly wrong.

"That's terrible. Are you going to rescue her?" Barriss asked thoughtfully.

"I'm going to. Whether I get Council approval or not," Anakin said slyly.

"Can I do anything to help?" Barriss asked.

"You can help. But I need to come up with a plan first." Anakin said nodding his head.

Barriss nodded and said goodbye to Anakin.

Anakin knew where his next destination would be. He was going to have to tell Padmé what happened and hopefully he would be able to persuade her to help him track now his missing Padawan.

Padmé sat silently on the sofa while Jar-Jar and Sola continued their conversation.

Please be safe, Ani. She thought to herself.

"Padmé? You alright?" asked Motée.

Motée was one of Padmé's handmaidens and one of the only ones to know of Padmé's marriage to Anakin.

"Yes. I'm fine, Motée. You're excused." Padmé said turning to sound happy.

Motée went back to work.

Anakin slammed the apartment door shut with a bang.

Padmé was in the living room talking to her sister Sola Naberrie and Naboo representative Jar-Jar Binks. Upon hearing the door slam, she excused herself from the conversation and went to see what the source of the noise was. She stopped halfway when she saw her glum looking husband coming toward her.

"Padmé?" Sola called following her sister before Jar- Jar pulled her down back onto the sofa.

"I think shesa might needa space." He said.

Padmé looked over at him with a thankful smile. She pushed Anakin back so he couldn't be seen.

"Ani! What are you doing back? I thought you were fighting." Padmé said as she leapt into Anakin's arms.

"I was." He said glumly.

Padmé placed her hands on his face and was about to kiss him when she saw the saddened mask on his face.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Ahsoka's gone missing," Anakin said looking at her straight in the eye.

Padmé's stomach flopped over in disbelief. She had formed a bond with Ahsoka that not even Anakin could understand.

It must be a female thing, Anakin thought before Sola made him snap back to reality.

"If it isn't my sister's temperamental Jedi of a husband," Sola said in a teasing tone.

Anakin was far from happy. He wasn't in the mood for humour.

"Whatsa goin' on?" Jar-Jar asked but stopped when he saw Anakin's emotionless expression.

"Whatsa wrong, Ani?" the Gungan asked gently.

"It's a bit of a long story, Jar-Jar." Anakin said glumly.

"You are both excused," Padmé said giving her sister her infamous death stare.

Sola rolled her eyes and left. Jar-Jar needed no encouragement. He hurried after Sola and followed her out of the apartment.

Padmé turned back to Anakin, "Tell me what happened." She urged.

Within 10 minutes, Anakin had told Padmé everything from the start of the mission to Ahsoka's disappearance.

"Oh Ani. I'm so sorry," Padmé said as she hugged her husband. "What are you going to do?"

"That's why I came up here. I was wondering if you'd help me find Ahsoka." Anakin said as he finally found his voice to speak.

Padmé already knew what she was going to say before the words left her lips. "Of course I'll help you find Ahsoka. Just tell me what the plan is."

Anakin gave her a small smile before leaning in to kiss her.

For the first time in a matter of hours, Anakin knew that there was actually hope in finding his missing Padawan. This was certainly a fall from grace in his opinion. Whether it was a good thing or something else entirely, Anakin couldn't be more confident in hoping they would find Ahsoka alive and well.