Anakin swung the ship around, headed towards the monastery where the battle was raging. Hovering Republic Gunships and yellow marked 212th troopers mixed with the blue 501st indicated that his former Master had arrived.

  "Master Kenobi is here!" Ahsoka exclaimed excitedly. "Now we'll see some real fireworks."

  "Excuse me? What do you call what I've been doing all day?" All day. He was beginning to realize how tired he was now that he was sitting still.

  "I don't know. The word 'reckless' comes to mind," she teased.

  "Very funny, Snips. Back to work. The troops still need our help. Charge the main guns."

  "How are we going to help?" Ahsoka inquired. "Stinky's getting sicker and sicker."

  "But we promised Rex we'd help them," Anakin sighed as their old argument resurfaced.

  "Master Skywalker, we've got to get him to the medics on the Jedi cruiser. It's our only chance to get Stinky back to his father still breathing."

Anakin stared long and hard at the larva. In a heartbeat, he would risk the Hutt's safety for that of his men. Unfortunately, the choice had been taken out of his hands. He pushed a button.

"Captain Rex? This is General Skywalker."

  "Yes, General?" 

  Hearing his captain's voice made his next words stick to his throat. "We're not going to be able to help you."

  "Don't worry about us, General. We'll be all right," Rex replied lightly. The only thing that comforted Anakin as he passed over their postion was knowing that Obi-Wan and the 212th were there with his men. "The mission always comes first, sir."

The Twilight shuddered as it broke through Teth's atmosphere. Instead of a peacefully waiting Spirit, a space battle was waging just inside the atmosphere.

  "Hang on to our slippery friend, Snips," Anakin advised grimly. "Here we go."

  "Yes, Master Skywalker."

  The ship rumbled again as the Jedi Knight opened the comm. "General Skywalker to Jedi cruiser, we need hanger bay access. I repeat, we need hanger bay access urgently."

Three Vulture droids broke off from the main group in favor of pursuing them. The ship shook as something hit them hard from behind.

  Maybe Ventress doesn't want Rotta alive after all, he thought.

  "Nearly there. Hang on." They were close to the hanger now. Suddenly, the canons from the cruiser swiveled toward them, firing a blue charge in their direction.

  "Brace! Ahsoka, brace!" Anakin jerked them to the side and the shot meant for them hit one of the Vulture droids behind them.

  "Are they targeting the Vultures?" Ahsoka asked hopefully in a small voice.

  "No, they're firing at us!" Anakin growled in frustration. "Jedi cruiser, hold your fire!"

  "Incoming ship, identify yourself," a Clone officer responded. "Repeat, identify yourself."

  "This is General Skywalker. We have Jabba the Hutt's son. He needs medical attention. We must board immediately."

  "Stand by."

  "Stand by?" Ahsoka scoffed. "Well, that's helpful."

The ship shook again and Anakin steered around the Republic cruiser's bridge, hoping to show them that they were being pursed by Separatist droids.

  After a moment's pause, the Clone's voice crackled through the comm. "General Skywalker, we think we can lift the shields on the lower rear hanger."

  Anakin smiled with relief. "We're on our way."

  "We've made it," Ahsoka told the Huttlet, though it appeared she was assuring herself. "We've made it."

As Anakin was about to fly the ship into the hanger, the opening burst into flames.

"General Skywalker, abort! Abort!" A Clone officer screamed before he was cut off suddenly.

Ahsoka gasped as Anakin veered them out of the way.

  "That changes our plans. Looks like we're gonna have to take this bucket of bolts all the way to Tatooine."

There was still some atmosphere he needed to pass in order to be free to make the jump into hyperspace. The ship trembled and Anakin could feel the cockpit heating up.

  "I can't outrun them," Anakin muttered helplessly as the Vulture droids began to gain up on them.

  After silent thought, Ahsoka suggested, "Let's jettison something."

  "What? Can't dump fuel."

  "I don't know," the Padawan responded frustratedly. "Water. Ballast."

  "I didn't check the cargo bay," Anakin offered helpfully, jerking the Twilight suddenly to the left in order to dodge canon fire.

  "I'll do it." She leaped from her seat and strapped in the Huttlet before he could stop her. "I jettison whatever I find, right?"

  "Yeah. When you open the cargo hatch, I'll get a red warning light up here, and I'll just bring up the nose and let everything slide out. Don't waste time dragging any crates up to the tail ramp."

The young Togruta nodded and vanished through the cockpit door.

  Seconds later, the intercomm buzzed. "Skyguy, I'm in the cargo bay now."

  "Good. What do you see?"

  "Plenty of crates, probably what those Battle Droids were loading up, and the reserve water tanks are showing full. That's five tons at least."

  "That might do it. Open the drains and make sure you're standing behind anything heavy that's going to slide out the back when you hit the big red button."

  "I know."

  "Just checking. Tell me when you're ready."

  "Done. Ready?"

  "Let's do it, Snips." Anakin checked Rotta to make sure he won't slip out, then glanced back at R2, who had locked down. "Hit it."

True to his word, the red light flashed on the console. Anakin pulled back the steering wheel. The Twilight squealed in protest as it obeyed the demanding maneuver. Good thing Anakin didn't get sick from flying.

He could feel the weight difference as the Twilight soared past the atmosphere.

  "Time to get out, Snips. Can't leave the atmosphere with the hatch open." There was no answer and Anakin felt his stomach flip. "Shut the hatch. Snips?"

R2-D2 whistled and rocketed out the cockpit. He'd check.

Anakin had a split second to decide to level out until Ahsoka was in the clear or to close the hatch himself and continue on, not knowing where the girl was and possibly dooming her to certain death.

  Now where are my fine words about making tough decisions as a commander, accepting that soldiers die?

He was running out of time. It was driving him to panic. Neither R2 or Ahsoka was answering him. His hand hovered over the lever that would close the cargo bay hatch. His astromech would be okay because droids were built to withstand vacuum. Ahsoka on the other hand...

It was a horrible way to die.

The Jedi hesitated too long and the red light turned green. The deed was done for him. They were in space now and clear to make the jump.

  "If you can hear me, prepare to jump to hyperspace."

He punched it. The black, star speckled space stretched into the blue and white streaks of hyperspace. Anakin leaned back in his seat, relieved to be free of the nightmare of Teth. But he couldn't relax fully yet. Remembering his friends, Anakin leaned forwards again and hit the intercom.

  "Snips? R2?"

R2-D2 rolled in first, beeping and whistling smugly about how smart scrap saved the day again, and suggesting that using safety lines was probably was a good idea. Aside from a smile and a slight shake of his head, Anakin ignored his opinionated buddy.

Ahsoka entered next. She was dripping wet and visibly exhausted. Her hands were cut and bleeding. As if on reflex, she shook herself, spraying water everywhere like an akk dog.

  "Don't ask," she said to Anakin's raised eyebrow.

R2-D2 offered information that she had been hanging by her fingertips again, and it was just as well that he could plug into the circuit and close the bay doors.

  Ahsoka sent the droid a peeved look, but patted his dome gratefully. "I owe you one, R2."

He reminded her that she owed him at least two.

  "Since I'm not asking," Anakin began, changing the subject, "let's worry about Rotta. Unless you need some first aid."

  Ahsoka shook her head and answered lightly, "No, Master. I'm used to it."

  I know you are. And it's not a good thing, Ahsoka.

  "There'll be a med droid in the hold," Ahsoka continued. "If we didn't just eject it. Let's see if we can get it fired up."

Anakin calculated the time it would take for them to reach Tatooine.

  "I hope he's a fast operator."