The first thing Ahsoka did once they landed onto the Republic Cruiser was head straight for the refresher. Hot water rinsed away all the battle grime and she rubbed her skin raw to rid herself of Huttlet slime. She closed her eyes with bliss.

She stepped out of the 'fresher in freshly cleaned clothes feeling like a new person. Following Anakin's instruction, Ahsoka made her way into the med bay. As she walked through the passageways, Clones nodded to her respectfully and some with their helmets tucked under their arms flashed her a smile. She would smile and nod back, heart swelling with joy. She had earned their respect.

Anakin was already there, sitting on a medical cot with a med droid checking him over. Master Obi-Wan Kenobi was there too with a hand on his former apprentice's shoulder as a casual gesture of affection or, she guessed, to keep him from escaping.

Obi-Wan noticed her enter quietly and smiled at her. His demeanor was calm yet gentle and compassionate and she always felt relaxed and safe around him. Anakin turned to follow his old Master's gaze.

"You're next, Ahsoka," he called. His body was tense as he used every bit of self-control in him to stop him from pushing the droid's hands away. She thought that odd. He was mostly willing to be checked out earlier on the Twilight. This droid's diagnosis was the same as TB-2's.

"See, Master? I told you, I'm fine."

"Yes, that would be the first," Obi-Wan mused, though he seemed satisfied.

When this med droid scanned Ahsoka, both she and Anakin were pleased to hear the diagnosis improve. The bacta patches on the Twilight had done wonders for her hands, scratches, and bruises. Like Anakin, all she needed was water and plenty of bedrest.

"As that is the doctor's orders, I'll leave you two to rest," said Obi-Wan. He stopped by Ahsoka and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Thank you for watching his back, young one." He spoke quietly so only she could hear. "Good job." Then he left.

After the wear and tear of their mission, the medical cot felt like a cloud to her sore body. As the lights were dimmed in the med bay, Ahsoka's heavy eyelids closed and she instantly fell asleep.

A dark disturbance awoke her. The med bay was still dim when she opened her eyes, but not dark. Anakin's cot was empty. He must have awakened before her. Turning, the Padawan nearly jumped.

Sitting in a chair a few feet away was her Master, Pong Krell, gazing out the window into space with all four of his large hands folded together. A pointed ear twitched and his yellow eyes focused on her.

"Master Kenobi says you played a critical part in returning Jabba's son to him," he stated.

Ahsoka just stared at him up and down, trying to read him. A hand slid under her pillow where she kept her lightsaber while she slept. Thankfully, he didn't notice.

"What happened to your cloak?" He growled at the back of his throat, but she could tell he was trying to keep his cool for now.

"It's in shreds now," Ahsoka replied. She was rather surprised yet pleased how quiet, cold, and controlled her made her voice sound.

"So... he knows."

"He knows."

Krells knuckles tightened. Ahsoka refused to flinch.

"We must go."

Before she realized what was happening, Ahsoka found herself being pulled down the passageways by her Master. She stumbled after him as they passed by confused Clones. It was futile for her to resist now; Krell's grip was too strong.

Once the Clones are out of the way, I can take him, she thought to herself, clutching her lightsaber hilt in her hand.

"You can't defeat me, Youngling," Krell muttered, eyeing her silver hilt. "Cooperate, and maybe I won't kill your new friend."

"Anakin Skywalker is the Chosen One. If he can fight Count Dooku, you're no match for him."

Something felt off. Krell was grinning and there was an air of malice around him. Cold. It was similar to what she sensed multiple times on their mission. The Dark Side of the Force.

She knew Krell had anger management issues and that abusing her was an evil, but he was still a Jedi. He couldn't be an undercover Sith Lord, right? There's only two.

"Not a Sith yet, Youngling," Krell corrected. Ahsoka silently cursed. She needed to work on her mental shields. "A spy for Count Dooku, yes. One day, he will reward me by making me his new apprentice."

"It all makes sense!" she gasped. "The way you threw away your men's lives just to barely achieve victory... but why? You're a Jedi."

They were alone now. No more Clones wandered the halls to overhear their conversation, so Pong Krell had no problem telling her.

"A Jedi?" he chuckled. "I'm no longer naive enough to be a Jedi. A new power is rising. I have foreseen it. The Jedi are going to lose this war and the Republic is going to be ripped apart from the inside. In its place is going to rise a New Order, and I will rule as part of it."

"Not if I stop you first." She ripped her arm out of his meaty hand. A dark bruise was forming where he had gripped her. She ignited her green lightsaber and stood ready.

Surprise flashed in his eyes for only a brief second. Then he grinned down at his small Padawan and ignited both sides of only one lightsaber.

"We know how this will end, child," he mocked. "You might as well come quietly or die with your new friends."

"I prefer the third option." She struck first.

* * *

When Anakin awoke, he noticed the Padawan still sleeping soundly. As quietly as he could, he rolled out of the cot, put his boots on, and, after a hushed word to the med droid to watch the sleeping teenager, slipped out of the med bay.

The mess hall was filled with Clones eating, joking, and talking. Every so often a soldier would nod in his direction, but the mess hall was neutral ground. Everyone was of the same status: a starving soldier. So no one saluted him or stood at attention, which was more than fine with him. To his relief, Rex was not present. Even though Rex didn't hold a grudge, Anakin still felt tremendous guilt looking into the face of his Captain.

Chewing on a ration stick with two more in hand for Ahsoka, Anakin returned to the med bay. His eyes drifted to Ahsoka's cot and he froze, his breath hitched in his chest. The bed was empty.

Calm down. Maybe she just went to the 'fresher or the mess like I did.

"Hey, droid," Anakin called rather rudely as the med droid emerged from the back. It looked up from its data pad innocently. "Where's Ahsoka?"

The droid fixed its mechanical eyes on the empty cot as if surprised, though no one could be certain of a droid's "emotions."

"She was here a few moments ago, sir. I imagine General Pong Krell picked her up."

Anakin felt cold with fear. "Krell was here? I told you to look after her!"

"General Krell is her Jedi Master, sir. I am sure she is perfectly safe."

Anakin groaned at the droid's ignorance and sprinted out of the med bay, tossing the rations on his cot. He didn't care to notice the disproving glare of the med droid as crumbs from the ration sticks soiled the sheets.

Anakin Skywalker weaved around startled Clones, trusting in the Force to show him the way.

Hurry, was all he could think. Hurry, hurry, hur–

He turned a corner and collided into something. Landing flat on his back, the young Knight gasped as the air was knocked out of his lungs.

The thing he had smacked into groaned. "Anakin, what...?"

"No... time... to explain, Master," he wheezed, struggling to his feet. "I have to save Ahsoka."

"Anakin, wait. You're not making any sense. How is Ahsoka in danger?"

Obi-Wan managed to stand and keep pace with his former Padawn.

"Pong Krell has her."

"Anakin, he's her Master... unless..."

"You know something?" Anakin guessed as they ran.

"Something doesn't feel right about him. I've always disagreed with his methods, but when we were working together, I thought there was something else."

"Krell is abusing Ahsoka," Anakin blurted. A hand clamped onto his shoulder and he stopped.

"Anakin... as much as that doesn't surprise me, to my surprise, that is a serious accusation. Did she...?"

"She told me."

Anakin had seen frustration and annoyance on his Master's face, usually directed towards him, but he now realized he had never seen him angry before. He had never been in more agreement with the Jedi Code about emotions. An angry Obi-Wan Kenobi is something to be feared.

"Lead the way."

* * *

To her own surprise, she was holding her own quite well. By that, she meant that she wasn't dead yet.

Krell was incredibly strong. Every time she lost the offensive to him, his blows would knock her off balance, almost completely off her feet. She relied on her agility to reclaim the offensive, which did little to faze him. His four blades to her one was also an unfair advantage, but if Pong Krell taught her anything, it was that the odds were never fair.

The only thing that kept her from spiraling into defeated despair was that she could sense Anakin coming.

Only about forty seconds into the battle, Pong Krell grew tired toying with her. He swung a brawny arm, sending her crashing into a pile of boxes.

Dazed and coughing as the air was knocked out of her, she slowly crawled onto her knees. Before she could move further, she felt a huge hand squeeze her throat and draw her up. Her lightsaber clattered to the floor as her hands pried fruitlessly. She kicked Krell in the stomach as she choked, but he didn't even feel it.

"I told you, child, you're weak. You can never best me," her abuser laughed.

"Put her down, now!" an angry voice rang out. It was Anakin, by the sound of the voice.

"Oh dear," Krell mocked, "looks like I have to kill your new friends, Padawan."

Just as her vision was about to go black, Krell flung her through the air into her rescuers. Someone caught her, going down with her, but it wasn't Anakin.

"Are you all right, young one?" Obi-Wan asked softly as Anakin attacked the Besalisk. Ahsoka could only nod. Satisfied, Obi-Wan set her gently against the wall to help his companion.

Helplessly, she watched the three Jedi locked in a fierce duel. Krell was holding his own against his two attackers, who happened to be the most famous Jedi and lightsaber duelists in the whole Order.

Then Krell threw out his hands and shot his opponents to opposite ends of the room. Anakin hit a wall hard and collapsed onto the floor, dazed. With a triumphant grin, Krell loomed over the young Jedi Knight and raised a blue blade over him. Obi-Wan was too slow, Ahsoka had to do something. She called her lightsaber to her and launched at her evil Master. Blue clashed with green and Krell glanced at her, startled.

"Foolish girl," he snarled. Ahsoka just bared her sharp Togruta teeth back.

Like a Kowakian monkey-lizard, Ahsoka ducked beneath his sabers and climbed up his arms and shoulders onto his back. Before she could do anything more than pull his head back by his short ponytail, Krell grabbed her arm and threw her off. Just as she was about to collide into the wall, something gently slowed her to a stop.

Anakin had his hand thrust out in her direction. He set her down carefully with the Force. As he did so, Obi-Wan attacked Krell again. He tried to use Krell's size against him, but the Besalisk was fast as well as strong. A blurred punch to the face brought him down as Anakin leaped back into the fray.

They locked blades and Krell raised his other lightsaber to stab to distracted Knight. Thinking quickly, Ahsoka thrust both hands forward. Krell slammed into the wall behind him, pushed by the invisible Force. He left a dent in the metal wall. Rising onto one knee, Krell's head snapped up to glare at the Padawan with a snarl.

In a final attempt, Krell lifted his fists. All three of them left the ground, clawing at their throats as they were choked by the Dark Side of the Force. Then Krell threw them all back, leaving the door open for his escape.

He didn't get far before he was suddenly pinned against the wall a few feet above the floor. His large, bulky lightsabers fell to the floor. Ahsoka flipped onto her stomach and arms to find Master Yoda standing in the entrance with one hand holding Krell in place with the Force and cold frown on his face. Grand Master Yoda didn't feel anger, she knew, but this is as close as he would get.

Just then, a squad of Clones ran in led by Captain Rex. A well aimed shot from the captain stunned the huge alien and Master Yoda dropped him. Two other Clones began to restrain him with binders.

Ahsoka sank onto the floor. She let out a sigh of relief. It was all over.

* * *

"You all right, sir?"

"Fine, Rex." Anakin took his captain's offered hand. His body hurt from being thrown around and he suspected that he was concussed. "You're timing was perfect."

"Is he an agent of Dooku?"

"He is," Ahsoka answered before he could. "He confessed to me that he was a spy. I have it all recorded if anyone doubts my word." She tapped her comlink on her wrist.

Anakin limped over to her and helped her stand. "Are you okay, Snips?"

With her black eye, she grinned at him. "Never been better, Skyguy."

* * *

"He was abusing her as well as spying on and sabotaging the Republic army?"

"It appears so," Obi-Wan replied, holding a cold compress lined with bacta on the bump on his forehead. Like Ahsoka, he also sported a black eye as well as a bloody nose. It was a miracle it wasn't broken.

Captain Rex cursed in Mando'a, forgetting that he was in front of his superiors. Commander Cody let it slide.

Master Yoda shook his head sadly. Anakin sensed a great deal of guilt from the old Jedi Master. "See this, I should have. Clouded we are by the Dark Side. Only just begun, this war has, and already blinded we are."

"What are we going to do with the prisoner?" Cody asked, a suppressed growl in his tone.

"Expel him from the Jedi Order, we will. Decide his fate, the Senate will."

"I don't expect their sentence to be merciful," Kenobi assured.

Anakin, who had been shockingly quiet, cleared his throat. "Masters, what is to become of her?"

"If ready, she is, find her a new and better mentor we will."

"I would like to take her as my Padawan, if she'll have me."

"Changed your mind finally," Obi-Wan teased. But respect and pride was shining in his blue eyes.

"Commander Tano won't want you to take her as your Padawan out of pity, sir," Rex warned him knowingly.

"I'm not taking her out of pity," Anakin assured everyone. "She has potential that shouldn't be wasted and I genuinely care for her." He glanced down at the Grand Master. "As much as a Master should for his Padawan, of course." But everyone knew Anakin better than that.

"If she accepts, your Padawan, Ahsoka Tano will be."

Anakin bowed and eagerly left to find Ahsoka, who had been sent to the med bay again after much protesting.

"Let's hope Anakin is ready for this responsibility."

"Ready he is, to teach an apprentice. To let go of his pupil, a greater challenge it will be. Master this, Skywalker must."