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      ARAMINTA had been the best. Octavian had placed a crown on her. She had known that from a very early age because he had told her. He had compared her to the others, to her squad, to her sister who she had torn herself open for trying to save. He liked to remind her she was the best, remind the others, too, something extra to hold above and pin against them whenever he could. She knew some of the others had loathed her for it, even felt jealous in their own twisted way, but she had not cared.

She knew she was valuable, her skill had won her a second chance with protecting Obi-wan, and it further allowed her to follow them into whatever mission they were assigned. She had never been a dead weight to them or someone who objectively needed saving, she was an asset in her own way and she could take care of herself. Araminta was never quite sure if she was grateful for it. Being a weapon had kept her alive, it helped her out of situations and allowed her to be on par with Jedi. But she thought, sometimes, of the girl she was before everything.

Araminta would clutch at the moonstone around her neck and think of what might have changed had Octavian never approached them. Would she still be soft? Would she have stayed unsharpened? Was she intended to be kind or was something always bound to twist inside her? Would her fingers have ever been calloused as they were? Would she be able to wear whatever she pleased without worry for scars or branding?

She had long learnt it was a very dangerous rabbithole to go down; a complete downward spiral.

So she preferred not to think of her young self too much.

The skillset she had built, her reputation and capabilities– it was what made her the best– and it equally allowed her to slip into the Republic with ease, if anything. It was why she was sometimes honoured that Obi-wan would send her along on missions to do her own thing, separated from his flank she so diligently watched. That was a very mild way of describing it, as Anakin was still present as her superior, she was far from trusted independently.

She hadn't a clue on her rank in the army, only that she had no jurisdiction to give anyone orders and the second the Jedi in command disappeared, the responsibility fell to the clone commander or the padawan present to tell her what to do and how to help.

But sometimes it was nice– to feel as if she wasn't simply a bodyguard trying to save her own skin.

Other times, however, it dragged her into the Outer Rim territories to provide backup.

Araminta had been stationed with Anakin's fleet when the emergency call had come through, the Jedi Aayla Secura who was stationed in the far reaches of the Quell system was being overwhelmed by Separatist forces. They were the closest and most well-armed fleet they were quickly told, and without a moment's hesitation, they were sent into hyperspace to help.

The Admiral was present on the main ship as they finally left hyperspace. Araminta was organising her weapons, as well handing out others to the troops as they passed her. Anakin was in his rare mood of calm that came with such dire missions, unwavering and in a zone far away from Araminta's sarcasm and Ahsoka's cheeky remarks.

"Let's go!" Anakin announced as they headed down to the gunships.

Araminta's eyes followed him before her feet did, keeping pace with Ahsoka, who looked her usual level of unsure before missions. Though this one was particularly brutal, from what Araminta had observed from the bridge windows– Aayla's ship was breaching the atmosphere of the planet below, burning up as it was forced downward from the sheer onslaught of separatists.

The assassin claimed a gunship accompanying Anakin and Ahsoka, feeling her back pressed against the former from her position as they took off, shooting into the airspace and moving out. The atmosphere hit Araminta's face as they swiftly descended, her senses immediately exposed to the airbattle around them.

"Rocket droids, incoming!" the pilot shouted from the front, before they began to spin and fire off their own shots as the Separatists took note of their appearance.

Araminta gripped her handle tighter, knowing that when she was separated from Obi-wan her next measure of priority was Anakin. That wasn't how it officially worked, Kenobi's orders were more specifically to help the mission in whatever way she could, and to follow any secondary orders to do. Araminta did that, of course she did, her future hinged on her following her charge's orders.

But she had found she struggled to make it through without a sole purpose. Looking out for Obi-wan had driven her for almost two years, justified her following him into situations and conflicts she never would have cared for or dared to cross. But she had done it in the name of her mission and her own life. She had to, because without something to focus her energy and protection on, Araminta was simply an assassin in a battlefield she wasn't fit for.

That was how it felt, and her current 'charge' in her eyes knew that. Or at least, she assumed he did. Anakin did know her annoyingly well nowadays.

"Those droids are boarding Aayla's ship!" the man in question shouted, Araminta noticing the larger ones crawling through the damage to the cruiser below them.

"And ours," Araminta interjected, as their gunship shook suddenly.

Anakin rolled his eyes. "Take care of that clanker!" he instructed, rhetorically, gesturing upwards. "I'll be on board Aayla's cruiser."

Araminta looked at him in disappointment, not shock, as Ahsoka's eyes widened. "Master!" the padawan shouted over the wind, reaching out a hand. "Are you sure that's the wisest thing–?"

But he was gone, leaping from their ship and catching onto a droid below them. Araminta sighed at the scene, before letting go of her own handle, slightly shaky as they moved through the air. She gripped the edge of the gunship, pulling herself up and throwing her full weight through her legs into the droid attacking their pilot above.

It flew off, sparking slightly, as Araminta landed and regained her footing on top of the ship. The pilot's glass bubble had been shattered, and she noticed the controls had been damaged beyond recognition. She glanced at the pilot in alarm as the ship began to steeply descend, forcing Araminta to crouch on all-fours.

"Get back in!" Araminta yelled, as the clone slipped out of the seat and was helped into the gunship by a comrade. Araminta pushed herself back inside as well, clambering across the surface of the ship like an insect. Ahsoka looked at her in question. Araminta shrugged. "Well, we wanted to go down anyway."

"This isn't what I imagined," Ahsoka snipped as they began to head straight for Aayla's cruiser.

"Hey, kid!" Rex said over the roaring of the wind as they began to speed up.

"I know, I know!" Ahsoka cut him off, bracing herself against the opening. "I'm hanging on!"

Araminta winced as they smashed through the top of Aayla's cruiser, splitting the opening across, the ship wedging between the metal. They were left little time to recover, as droids were already shooting at them and overrunning the corridor. Araminta leapt after Ahsoka, the padawan brandishing her sabre and covering them from a few shots.

Ahsoka glanced at Araminta, as if for permission, but the assassin could only turn away, knowing she had no authority. The padawan steeled her startled expression and headed off, leading the group of clones and Araminta further into the cruiser. Blasterfire rained down on them, the clones blasting their way through as Ahsoka led the charge against any droids directly in their way.

Araminta was at her side, one baton drawn in her right hand while she primarily used her left fist and reinforced gauntlet. The larger droids were harder, and took more hits from Araminta's limited arsenal, which she tried to ignore as Ahsoka slashed her way through waves. The clones provided cover, allowing the two to push through the defence.

They rounded a corner, Araminta letting out a small sigh of relief at the sight of Anakin fighting alone, defending himself from all angles. Ahsoka, too, looked relieved as they cut through the droids attacking his rear, earning only a glance of acknowledgement from the Jedi. Araminta moved so she was by his side, automatically scanning him for any injuries.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" she snapped when she found no damage.

Anakin briefly glanced down at her. "Hey, if Obi-wan can do it, why can't I?"

Araminta rolled her eyes as they pressed forward, staying consistently in Anakin's blindspot as they fought their way through the wave of droids, which had reappeared behind them despite their entrance. Araminta craned her upper back, using her gauntlet to deflect a shot aimed for the back of Anakin's head, wincing at the hit. She could only use that so much before they needed to be replaced.

Anakin briefly glanced at her, lips turning up as if in thanks, but she ignored him as they turned a tight corner, wincing as she felt a shot graze her left shoulder. She also ignored that, biting through the sting.

"There!" Araminta shouted abruptly, swinging her fist in an arc, striking a droid while pointing towards Aayla's flickering lightsabre up ahead. It was just visible through the wall of droids, blue light blinking at them through the gaps.

Anakin nodded once, before using the Force to bring the large droid in front of him down on his lightsaber, where it fizzled and short circuited. He then pushed it back, its dead weight being used to barrel down the rest of the small droids standing between them and Aayla, who was accompanied by her second-in-command clone, Bly.

Araminta scoffed at the dramatic display, lightly shaking her head as they moved forward and regrouped with the other Jedi, who couldn't hide her relief as they joined her side. "Nice entrance, Skywalker," Aayla said as they began to move again as a group, the shooting and droids still oncoming. "How do you plan to get us out of this mess?"

"Well, I have a ship docking in the lower hangar as we speak," Anakin told her over the rush of battle, voice strained by movement.

Araminta stayed behind the pair, using their lightsabers as her own cover as she switched out her baton for a blaster as they ran, finding it was the most useful thing in her arsenal. After a few minutes, the hallways cleared for a moment, letting them breathe as they continued in the direction of the hangar.

The ship's integrity was damaged, which was becoming abundantly clear, the vessel continually shuddering as they moved, adding to the urgency of the escape. Araminta had started to pant from the sprinting, her small legs fighting to keep pace consistently, as they turned a corner.

A lone droid caused them to pause, before it held a weapon to them. Anakin looked smug, but Araminta rushed forward, placing a hand over his in haste, ears twitching forward. "Hold back!" she hissed.

A moment later, the sounds of clanging she had heard could be seen, as the door behind the droid slid open to reveal another reinforced wave. Anakin's eyes widened as he deflected the first shots, moving the group to the left and down an alternate route to the docking port. Araminta glanced nimbly over shoulder at the onslaught following them.

They entered the hangar, the entrance to the bulkhead just up ahead. Ahsoka was now leading, but Araminta had slowed to keep pace with Anakin who was bringing up the rear, lightsaber deactivated and swinging at his hip.

"We made it!" the padawan announced, pressing the button to activate the bulkhead and lock in with their ship.

Araminta glanced back at Anakin, who was looking warily at the way Aayla's freighter was shaking and collapsing at the walls. Frustrated, she took a firm hold of his hand, which seemed to startle him enough to keep on running as she dragged him onwards and towards the entrance to their ship.

Araminta stumbled as the gateway shook violently, and a moment later Anakin's hand was tugged away from hers. "What're you doing?" Araminta demanded, abruptly stopping in her tracks as she realised Anakin had stopped moving.

Something exploded. The space around them was dangerously unstable. Araminta's eyes widened as she saw the wall of fire at the end of the bulkhead, which was rapidly shooting towards them. Araminta took a step back, looking urgently to Anakin, who had yet to move, as the fire reached the clones bringing up the rear.

"It's too late!" Anakin cried.

Araminta's stomach dropped as she realised what he was doing, moving a hand to throw him away from the blaze. But he was faster, as an invisible force tugged at her waist and catapulted her into the docking port of their ship along with the others. Araminta let out a yell, somewhere in the throng Ahsoka shouted something as well; words.

The doors closed, Anakin disappearing from her sight with orange silhouetting him. Araminta jumped to her feet, pressing her ear against the doors, grinding her teeth as she heard the crunch of metal as the presumed blast shook their ship through the docking port, and Anakin.

"Don't move the ship," Ahsoka instructed the pilot firmly.

"Are you guys alright down there?" he shouted back.

Ahsoka desperately tapped at the exit button, the ship delayed in its response as the doors cracked open. Araminta could feel the heat through the gap, which was likely blocked by debris. Ahsoka tried to look through it, but Araminta pushed her aside and squeezed through the hole herself feet first.

She landed on her toes, carefully walking across the hot metal, eyes finding Anakin's face. Her own fell, at the bruises on his face, the singes to his clothes and the blood blooming from somewhere she couldn't see.

The feeling in Araminta's chest at the sight was odd.

Something urgent beat at her, maybe her heart in her ribcage or was it something else? She couldn't tell. Her feet wouldn't move, her golden eyes locked onto the motionless body of her friend as she heaved in a sharp breath that didn't quite fill her lungs with air.

Someone behind her, Ahsoka, had cut through the door with her lightsaber and appeared at Anakin's side. Her mouth was moving but Araminta couldn't hear anything, her feet still refusing to move as her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. The urgency was rushing in her ears now, screaming at her to do something.

"Ahsoka, we have to leave now!" It was Aayla's voice that finally cut through to Araminta, who let out a breath she hadn't known was stuck in her. She moved forward, helping Ahsoka to drag Anakin back into the port and their ship, ignoring how limp and heavy he felt in her grip. "Hurry. Get him on the ship," Aayla urged.

Bly rushed to close the door behind them. "I'm going to turn on the deflector shields!" he told them, sprinting off.

Araminta was on her knees at Anakin's side, Ahsoka to her right. She gently moved his neck, his head resting in her lap as she put two fingers together and searched for his pulse. She let out a sigh of relief, giving Ahsoka a weak nod. The padawan managed a smile, as Aayla watched them cautiously.

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      ARAMINTA had never failed a mission. After all, she had been the best for a reason, and her brand had been a symbol as consistent as her ability to carry out her goal. She had been the favoured one, placed above the rest of the fleet on some sort of twisted pedestal. When someone failed, she was sent to clean up their mess and fix the situation. When someone defected, Octavian had trusted her to be the one to take them out. When someone called for help, she had been sent first.

She had not failed until the day she was sent after Obi-wan and her life had been swept off course. After almost two years, considering it a failure had grown to feel wrong, at the time that was what it had been, but she had been given a new mission. She had kept Obi-wan standing through a year of the war, watched his back and prevented bleeding, waiting in the wings for when she was needed, constantly aware of any threat to him.

His life meant she was achieving her mission. It meant she was capable and strong.

Anakin's motionless body had meant failure.

Araminta couldn't take her eyes off his face as she accompanied Ahsoka to the medbay, where the medical droid had taken over and plugged him into a life support system and tended to his wounds as best it could. They had limited resources on board, which was why Araminta was resisting the urge to pace as they flew towards the main ship.

Ahsoka was with her, sitting beside Anakin, but she was constantly turning away to glance at Araminta. "What happened back there?" Ahsoka finally asked her after minutes of silence.

"I froze," Araminta said, simply.

Ahsoka looked at her oddly. "Didn't know that could happen."

Araminta said nothing, eyes still on Anakin's limp features.

His heartbeat was displayed above him, faint, but there. The beep was constant in Araminta's head, echoing in her ears. Ahsoka turned away from her again, looking concerned. Araminta knew she should provide some reassurance to the younger and less experienced girl, but she didn't have it in her.

She felt the ship suddenly jolt and jumped to attention, ears perked up, tail twitching. There were no windows in the medbay, preventing her from seeing what had happened or damaged their ship. Ahsoka had hardly seemed to notice, as Araminta made for the door, when it opened suddenly.

"What is it?" Araminta asked as Aayla entered, looking alarmed.

"We got forced into hyperspace when the hyperdrive was shot," she told them, Ahsoka finally turning away. "We had to detach to not drag the fleet with us."

"Well, shit," Araminta responded.

Aayla ignored the remark, turning her attention to Ahsoka. "I need you with Commander Bly up on the bridge right now."

"I should stay," Ahsoka replied. "Commander Bly doesn't need my help. Anakin does."

"You can help Anakin by getting this ship to safety," Aayla told her firmly.

Araminta watched the exchange warily, before the door opened again to reveal Bly. "General Secura, we have a problem."

"What is it Commander?" she asked.

"In our haste to escape, the navicomputer's coordinates were imputed incorrectly," Bly sighed. "And, well, we're headed right for a star."

Araminta's eyes widened, as the General and Commander hurried out of the room. Ahsoka hesitated, still fixated on Anakin. The assassin stepped up to her. "Come on, we need to go," Araminta told her. "Don't freeze on me now."

Ahsoka swallowed thickly, knowing she was right, and Aayla was as well, as they left the medbay and ran with the others to the bridge. Araminta's heart was pounding as they arrived, the bridge flooded with the light of hyperspace as they flew towards their impending destination. Ahsoka slid into the second chair, scanning the computer systems diligently.

Beside her, Bly looked more frazzled. "It's no use," he hissed, slamming a fist down. "The navigation computer's completely fried."

Aayla didn't hesitate. "Shut down all power circuits to reset the coordinates," she instructed.

"That will cut off Skywalker's life support," Araminta cut in. Aayla glanced at her speaking up, Ahsoka also pausing to look at the Jedi Master desperately.

"I don't like it anymore than you do but it's a risk we're going to have to take," Aayla said after a moment, colder than Araminta had expected from her.

Araminta grimaced and turned away, knowing she was right. She didn't know Aayla as well as some other Generals she had worked with in the past while with her charge. Often she did not stray from Obi-wan in the first place, and if she was, it was always with Anakin and his fleet as she was now.

Ahsoka looked away sombrely. "We're switching off primary power units," she announced.

"Cutting it awfully close," Rex remarked, looking down at the screen that showed their blinking location approaching the heated circle of the star. Araminta could only stare ahead.

"Ready to shut off auxiliary power," Aayla chimed in from the back.

"On three," Ahsoka said, glancing over her shoulder at Aayla. The padawan took a deep breath and looked back to the controls. "One, two, three."

The ship immediately tilted, Rex gripping onto the back of the pilot seats, Aayla clinging onto the power switch where she was standing, as the headlight above them went dark. Araminta was thrown back, landing on the back wall like an insect, pressed against it as they were thrown out of hyperspace.

An alarm started to go off at the heat, as the star loomed before them, illuminating what would have been an otherwise dark bridge in orange light. The force of gravity and the sudden pull out of hyperspace was still putting immense pressure on the cabin, pinning Araminta to the wall still and leaving Rex and Aayla with their legs in the air.

"We're out of hyperspace. Resume all power!" Bly commanded.

The handle Rex had been gripping onto snapped from the pressure, sending him flying straight back into Aayla, throwing her from the switch and slamming them both against the back wall inches from Araminta's hands.

"Switch the power back on. What are you waiting for?" Bly yelled from the front. Araminta glanced at the disoriented Rex and Aayla, who were now floating in zero gravity. Her eyes went to the auxiliary switch. "Hurry!"

Araminta released a hand from the wall, holding it out to the switch, pushing past the gravity, until it flicked from the Force. The gravity returned, Aayla and Rex falling to the floor, Araminta heaving in a breath from the pressure ceasing as she flopped forward. The ship began to blink its lights and whir with power.

The assassin winced from the brightness of the star, turning her head away, as she felt the ship move finally, veering past the edge of the solar body, shaking from their proximity and the power it took to pull out of its gravity. The brightness behind her eyelids faded, and Araminta rapidly blinded and opened her eyes.

She finally straightened, exchanging a glance with Aayla across the bridge as they moved to the front to see their new destination: an earthy looking planet, which they were heading for at an alarming rate.

Ahsoka shrugged. "Well, we're not going to crash into the star but we're definitely gonna hit that planet."

They were powerless to pull up anymore as the gravity pulled them in, their ship jolting as they passed through the atmosphere, the roar of the landing blanketing Araminta's senses. They were feet away from the ground when she felt one of their engines go up in smoke, tilting them abruptly and sending them down even quicker.

Araminta closed her eyes, crouched to the floor and covered her head with her arms as they struck the ground, lurching violently. She heard glass shatter, felt debris fall on her skin, as they shook again, metal creaking. They skidded through the earth for a moment, before coming to a stop.

Head spinning, Araminta pushed herself to her feet, glancing at the door leaving the bridge. The cabin was in shambles, but the assassin had one thought as she moved back into the ship corridors, ignoring the stinging across her skin. She could hear two pairs of footsteps behind her, but didn't slow down, knowing the ship was on the verge of destruction, the hallways filling with smoke and the sound of burning.

"Skywalker!" she exclaimed as she barreled into the medbay. He didn't respond and she hurried forward, hand going to his neck again. Araminta's shoulders relaxed at the beating under the skin, just as Aayla and Ahsoka arrived. "He's okay," Araminta said at their faces, not wasting any time in pulling Anakin onto her frame.

Aayla grabbed his other side as Ahsoka led the way out of the ship, Araminta's lungs burning from smoke as they reached the exit that Rex had broken out. They had barely taken a few steps away when the vessel exploded, the blast blowing Araminta's hair against her neck. She tried to ignore the feeling of escape as they finally settled further away, gently laying Anakin to the ground.

"Well, we made it," Aayla huffed.

Ahsoka was on her hands and knees, panting. Araminta took one last look at Anakin, as if he would die in the last few seconds, before flopping onto her back, her legs raised above her as she stared up at the sky and filled her lungs with clean air.

"I'm so tired of crash landings," Araminta breathed out. "You're definitely Skywalker's padawan," she added, lazily gesturing in the general direction of Ahsoka, who she heard scoff.

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      DUSK was almost over by the time they had erected a camp, built up from remains of their ship, which was still burning a few dozen metres away. Araminta had done her share of heavy lifting, dragging tarp and flaps of metal with the help of the clones and sometimes the Force. She had some minor wounds from the crash, leaving small indigo lines across her azure skin, but after cleaning them briefly, had ignored them and continued on.

She had salvaged a medkit from the wreckage, risking her skin to go back into the burning pile, but had come out with some limited supplies, which she had primarily used to patch up Anakin's most alarming wounds and cool some of his burns. He still looked – to put it lightly – terrible, and was yet to regain consciousness even as night approached. He had been placed in the only shelter in their small camp, with Rex setting up a fire a few feet away.

Araminta had preferred not to leave his side since they had landed, a fact that was not lost on anyone, as Aayla stood over him assessing the situation as the Jedi in charge. "Anakin doesn't have much time," she said, solemnly. "We have to find help tonight. The medkit we have isn't enough."

Ahsoka looked to Araminta as if for reassurance, as they stood outside Anakin's shelter. Araminta didn't have anything to say, the Jedi was right in the urgency of the situation. "Okay," Ahsoka relented. "You and Bly go South. Rex and I will stay here with Anakin and Araminta."

"No, Ahsoka. In order to get help quickly, we must work together," Aayla told her calmly.

"I can't leave him!" Ahsoka said in exasperation. "I know if I was hurt, he'd never leave me behind."

"I know this is hard, Ahsoka, but Anakin has to stay behind and we have to go now," Aayla continued, keeping the eerily solemn tone she seemed to always speak with. "There is nothing more we can do for him." On seeing Ahsoa's face drop, Aayla continued, softer, "We must do all we can to get off this planet. As a Jedi, it is your duty to do what is best for the group."

Ahsoka sighed and turned away, looking at the fast setting sun. "What about Araminta?" she asked over her shoulder.

"I'm staying," the assassin said before Aayla could tell her otherwise. "It's a measure of priority– Obi-wan would want me to stay by his side. Those are my orders." Aayla looked indignant at the response. "I'm not a Jedi, my duty is to protect. Unfortunately." She shrugged, repeating, "I'm staying."

Aayla looked at her evenly, but she knew Araminta's place in the Republic. Obi-wan sent her along to help, and the way she helped was being the guard, the person who covered flanks and prevented harm. She was needed by Anakin's side as night fell, she told herself, because that was her job and what she told herself she had to do.

Bly approached, interrupting them. "General Secura, look. We're not the only ones on this planet." He handed something over, what looked like a stone plate with an engraving. "There has to be some kind of something here."

A horrible shriek pierced the air, boring into Araminta's sensitive ears, forcing her to lean to the side, grounding her teeth. Around her, the clones had turned on their headlights, sweeping the area cautiously as the light from the sunset began to fade, and fast.

Their surroundings were earthy, but plagued with fields upon fields of dry, yellow grass plains. Araminta didn't like the rustle of the grass in the wind as the shriek faded away, leaving her on edge, as she glanced around at the remaining clones.

"If you don't mind me asking General Secura, where exactly are we going?" Bly asked, warily.

"To go find the people who live on this planet," she told him.

"Where're we going to find them? We have no idea where they are or where to start," Bly continued to question.

Ahsoka chimed in, "It seems that the people we're looking for live near giant trees." She was holding the carving in her hand, studying the abstract markings.

Aayla looked pleased. "Very perceptive, padawan."

But Ahsoka ignored the praise, instead returning to kneel beside Anakin. "Be strong, Master," she said, quietly. "Just a little bit longer."

"It's time to go," Aayla sighed. Ahsoka bit her lip and got to her feet, stepping away from her injured master as she swung a pack over her shoulder.

"Don't worry, kid, we'll take good care of him," Rex assured her, holding up his blaster. Ahsoka didn't look like she was feeling better about separating from them, as she looked to Araminta, who sent her a weak smile.

"Captain Rex, Solarii," Aayla addressed them, "keep your locator on. We should be back by daybreak with whoever or whatever lives on this planet."

"Got it General Secura," Rex said as she left, Araminta only nodded pointedly to show she understood. Aayla gave them one last look, before moving off to the remaining four clones they had. "Hey, kid," Rex said, stopping Ahsoka. "Good luck." Ahsoka managed a weak smile.

"Don't freeze," was all Araminta said to the padawan.

"Come on guys, let's move out," Aayla called. Ahsoka looked away from the remaining pair, before glancing back one last time. Araminta gave her an encouraging nod.

She and Rex watched them disappear into the night, shadowed by the longer fields of grass beyond their camp, plunging them into silence. They stayed quiet, both assuming positions outside the entrance to the shelter, Rex with his blaster between his hands and Araminta constantly on edge, ready to pounce at the slightest hint of danger.

The idea of meeting whatever had made the horrible shriek before pricked at her, always present in the back of her mind. Highpitched sounds like that disabled her, overwhelming her senses in ways they wouldn't with others. It was something Adanei and Pantorans shared, an excellent sense of hearing.

The same couldn't be said for her eyesight, as she used a torch to scan the grassline, as their only light source faded to the fire and a lantern in the shelter. Their crash site behind them had finally burned out.

It must have been an hour or two when the silence was finally broken.

"Solarii–" Rex started

"Please, just call me Araminta," she sighed, hating the formal title when she was already stripped of any authority.

Rex paused. "Right. Well, between us, I'm glad you stayed."

Araminta wasn't sure how to take the comment. Even less so because she couldn't read his face through the helmet, so instead looked away and back to the grass. Even with her torchlight, she could still barely see through the slithering shoots. She knew something could be feet away from them and she would have to squint to see it.

"The General would appreciate you staying," Rex added.

"It's my order," Araminta said, automatically.

"It's loyalty," Rex said.

Araminta wondered if she had the heart to tell him he hadn't known her long enough. That was a lie, it had been over a year now, he just hadn't seen the original reason for her employment. Few people had, truthfully, most of the Republic had simply accepted her as a right-hand to Obi-wan, someone who followed him at the hip and did the same to the next person in line when they were separated. They had far bigger issues than where she had come from.

Her uniform sleeve covered her brand, but it was moments like this, where Araminta was reminded not everyone knew how she worked and why, she felt exposed. She reached up and scratched it, somewhat consciously, wishing she could claw at it until it was torn from her skin.

"He saved us," Araminta said after a moment. Rex glanced at her, maybe surprised she'd answered after an extended silence. "It's only fair."

"The General talks about the days before the Clone War often," Rex told her, sounding warmer now.

"Does he now?" Araminta asked, snidely, looking over shoulder at the unconscious Jedi.

"Says you saved his life against the Count."

Araminta should have been smug, a younger version of her would have been, looking for anything to tease Anakin about. But something in her had shifted, and she suddenly felt humbled, face softening as she looked at him, and then back to Rex.

"I owed him that time, too," Araminta said, softly. She wished she could see Rex's face, read him in any way as they talked.

"I'm sure–"

Araminta twitched at the sound of rustling, faint, but there. "Shh," she hissed, jumping to her feet but remaining in a crouch, low to the ground. Rex stopped talking instantly.

The assassin turned her head, swivelling her ears as she went, trying to catch a sound again. Rex watched her, at least she assumed through his helmet, but his hands had tightened on his blaster. Araminta's eyes were wide, scanning the grassline, desperately searching for something.

She let out a sharp breath at the sound of jittering, this time loud enough for Rex to hear as he turned on his headlights and joined her in scanning the blades. Nothing moved, nothing sounded, but she knew better.

Araminta exchanged a glance with Rex. "Something's out there," she said, quietly.

He nodded. "Agreed." The Commander got his feet, loading his blaster. "Keep him in sight."

Araminta only watched him move off and begin patrolling their small clearing in the grass. Still crouched, she moved over to Anakin's side, his features shadowed by the lantern light. She could still see his chest rising and falling, which filled her with relief, as she gently lay the back of her hand against his forehead. She frowned at the warmth.

She could hear Rex's footsteps circling the area, as she glanced up again, eyes scanning the clearing from where she was crouched. There was a groan, and Araminta looked back down to see Anakin's eyes cracking open. She shifted, so she wasn't crouched anymore, but sitting, moving so she was closer to him.

Anakin blinked slowly, wetting his chapped lips, before blue seemed to focus on her, looking up. "Ara..." he trailed off, voice hoarse.

"I'm so glad you're awake so I can yell at you," Araminta got out, but she couldn't help the small smile of relief that graced her features. Anakin blinked at her again, before scoffing at her words, which caused him to wince.

"Ow," he wheezed out.

"No shit," she jeered.

"Where–?"

Araminta whipped her head around, Anakin cutting himself off at her movement. Her pupils dilated, chest rising and falling faster. A new set of footsteps had joined in with Rex's– heavier, denser; four legs. She pushed herself into a crouch again, pulling her blaster from its holster on her thigh.

Anakin watched her movements carefully, trying to push himself up. "Don't move," Araminta instructed him, placing a hand on his chest. Anakin looked like he would have protested if he could have.

Araminta jumped to her feet, hands going around her blaster as she gripped it with both, squinting into the grass as she slowly moved forward. "Something's here!" she shouted at Rex, who was a few feet away.

She could still hear it, circling them, picking up pace. She couldn't pinpoint it, constantly looking over her shoulder and changing the direction she was aiming, unable to focus on a single point or target. Whatever it was was charging for an attack, she had to assume that, as she stood ready, with Rex behind her and the shelter.

The grass split, a massive shape charging at her, reaching her position in two strides. She hadn't time to swivel her torso and shoot, only able to leap backwards. Her small size was maybe the only thing that had stopped her from ending up in the pathway of the creature's massive talons as it slammed into the dirt and Araminta skidded back, stunned.

Rex was charging forward, as the creature let out a familiar mind numbing shriek. Araminta buckled from the noise, dropping one hand from her blaster to cover her ear from the proximity. The noise stopped, but the ringing stayed, as she stumbled to the side, the creature's swipe striking Rex instead. The clone faltered, and the creature took its chance to grab his arm with its huge beak.

Araminta hesitated at the sight of Rex pinned down, yelling, the creature's size overwhelming him as its jaws beared down on him, his blaster thrown to the side. She glanced once back at Anakin, who was pushing himself up despite her orders, and she grit her teeth.

It took Araminta only a second to retrieve Rex's blaster as well, before she straightened up and used the dual blasters to shoot repeatedly at the creature's back. It let out another mind numbing shriek, but she silenced it with a well placed torso shot, before it sped off, leaving Rex behind as it disappeared back into the night, the grass swallowing it.

"Are you hurt?" Araminta demanded of Rex.

"I– fine," he responded.

Araminta looked back to the horizon. "It'll come back," she murmured. "Probably with others."

Rex sighed, getting to his feet, accepting his offered blaster back from Araminta. "It's going to be a long night."

━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━

      NEITHER of them slept that night. Rex had offered her a reprieve, but Araminta had refused and stayed on her feet. She had pulled longer hours for missions before, and a very deep part of her still didn't trust anyone when she was unconscious. If she could avoid it, she only slept behind locks, and with a knife under her pillow.

Anakin had continued to stir, but had largely remained silent, except for his hoarse breaths that the assassin was vividly aware of in her ears. She hated the worry that pricked at her– it went beyond the orders she told herself she was following, the self-preservation that came with preserving whoever she was assigned to. And she hated that.

The stars began to fade after a few hours of relative silence, Araminta only moving once or twice when she had heard distant shrieking, which had sent them into protective stances until they realised nothing was coming yet. Araminta wanted to believe the creature would forget about them, but that either meant it had found better prey (the others) or she was wrong, and it was a predator preparing to hunt.

Araminta was changing Anakin's dressings by the time morning hit, the golden light rendering their lantern useless. Rex had stowed the small fire, too, as Araminta crouched beside the Jedi, small hands working nimbly. Anakin was watching her through hooded eyes from where he was laying, and she tried to ignore the feeling of him staring at her.

"Thanks," he murmured.

She ignored the good graces, shooting him an annoyed look. "You're an idiot, you know that?"

"I know."

She stayed quiet, frowning. Dressing his wounds had only reminded her of how open they were, and the fact he was likely fighting an infection, which had heated his forehead and made him shaky.

The sunlight was now hitting them, and she desperately wondered if the others had managed to find help, or if they had gotten lost, or worse.

"Why did you do it?" Araminta asked, quietly. She wasn't looking at him, rather at a point beyond his head.

"What? Save you?" Anakin said indignantly. Araminta's silence was a response. The blonde sighed, "Well, because."

Araminta snapped her eyes to him. "That's informative."

He didn't appreciate the jeering. "You're mad at me for saving your life?"

"No. For making me save you," Araminta corrected.

"You love it," Anakin said, lightly.

She didn't get a chance to respond, ears picking up footsteps. For a moment, she was filled with relief at the thought of the others returning, before they got closer. Heavy, too heavy to be Ahsoka or the clones. Araminta's face hardened. Beside her, Anakin tried to push himself up, wincing deeply.

"Stay," Araminta hissed, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Rex!" she shouted over her shoulder. "They're coming!" Anakin resisted her hand, raising his shoulder to rest and support himself into a sitting position. She turned her eyes back to him. "No, are you kidding?" she snipped.

"She's right, General, you need to maintain your rest," Rex chimed in from outside the shelter.

"I can't rest," Anakin retorted. "Rex, they're coming. I have to help fight."

"Shut up and stay down," Araminta snapped, as the footsteps got louder, galloping in her senses, falling in tune with her quickly-rising heartbeat.

Behind her, she heard the grass whisper, and raised her blaster before she had even turned around. Araminta let out a breath, seeing two of the creatures racing towards them. Rex stood unwaveringly, his own blaster raised, as they fearlessly ran towards their shelter.

The assassin didn't hesitate, holstering her blaster as she abruptly grabbed Anakin, who let out a hiss at the movement. "Hold on!" Araminta cried, throwing him over her shoulder as she pushed up with all her leg strength to carry them out of the shelter. Surprisingly, Anakin held onto her, tighter than expected, and even managed to carry some of his own weight as she hurried them away.

Rex shot at the creatures, managing to get one in the head, downing it. He was too slow for the other, which charged through him and the shelter Anakin and Araminta had been in seconds before. A cutting noise broke into her senses, as a third of the creature appeared from the other side, closer to the pair. Rex was disarmed for the moment, and Anakin was fumbling with his lightsaber hilt as if he would be an opponent in his state.

Araminta held out a hand, shaking with the effort as she lifted the new creature in the air, its shrieks stabbing at her. She winced, gritting her teeth against the pain, as she swung her arm in an arc towards the other creature barrelling towards them. They collided in a mess of features and dust, before they went quiet, not dead but unconscious.

The assassin placed a hand over her ear, automatically pressing her head on the other side against Anakin's side to block out the ringing. If there was another set of footsteps approaching, Araminta would have been blind to it, as her head pounded. She felt Anakin's chest vibrate, as if he were saying something. She caught the word "okay" but not much else.

He shook her, getting her attention through the whitenoise, and she turned to see Ahsoka running towards them, accompanied by Bly and a Lurmen rolling along the ground. Araminta let out a breath, as they approached. In her peripheral, Rex had regained his footing.

"Good to see you, Snips," Araminta heard through a muffle, right against her ear where she was leaning against Anakin.

"This is Wag Too. He's a healer," Araminta managed to make out from Ahsoka's lips.

The smaller creature looked up at them, saying something in a pitch she couldn't reach in her current state, as she stood shaking in the grass with Anakin collapsed against her and her own head on his chest.

When did the worry start and her mission end? She wondered. Was there even a line she had to cross before it was considered going above and beyond her post?

She wasn't sure, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to be sure.

━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━

sorry for the wait!! hope the anakinta moments made up for it! this is 7.5k words so well done for getting through it (i will never apologise for my long chapters they are my pride and joy), it's unedited like most of my stuff because i really do just do this for fun idc. no editing we die like men or anakin idk

good god there was a lot of A names in this though, writing araminta aayla ahsoka anakin back to back over and over took some brainpower 

also enjoy these memes idk this book is sort of a shitpost

(also yes i know you can save slides separately but my auto response is to screenshot and meh i think it adds to the chaos)

^ this is from last episode/chapter so i feel it's more relevant

tl:dr- araminta only views helping people as a mission, she doesn't have purpose in the war without a mission. she is confused that she may genuinely want to help because what does caring even mean

next chapter coming soon!