"So what's the plan?" Ahsoka asked, dropping off her perch on the railing. Anakin gazed out at their target with macrobinoculars.

  "I thought you were the one with the plan."

  "No, I'm the one with the enthusiasm. You're the one with the experience, which I'm looking forward to learning from."

  Anakin smiled at her. Clearly, Rex's talk had improved her attitude. He returned to his macrobinoculars. "Well, first we need to get behind that shield, then past their tank lines."

  "Outflank them?" the Padawan suggested.

  "That'd take too long."

  "Sneak through the middle, then?"

  Now she was starting to irritate him again. "Impossible. Unless you can turn yourself into a droid..." He trailed off as an idea presented itself.

  Ahsoka sighed. "Alright. You win. My first lesson from you will be to wait while you come up with an answer."

  Anakin grinned. "Well, the wait's over. I've got a plan."

* * *

Ahsoka waited nervously as the droid army marched above them. She and Anakin were crouched underneath a box that they disguised as a droid. The clanking of the droids deafened her.

  "This is a stupid plan! We should fight these guys instead of sneaking around."

  "Except for the fact that their deflective energy just passed over us," Master Skywalker responded with a smirk. Ahsoka blinked in realization. "If you can't cross their lines, let their lines cross you."

  Ahsoka scoffed. He definitely made that up on the spot. "If you say so." Finally, the two of them crawled forward.

It felt like hours, though it was probably only a few minutes, when the noise of the battle droids became faint to Ahsoka's ears. Being a Togruta, Ahsoka had excellent hearing, so Anakin probably couldn't even hear them anymore.

  "I think we made it past all of them, Master Skywalker. We may pull this off yet," she whispered loudly.

  "We still have a ways to go before we get to the generator station," Anakin replied quietly. Ahsoka tripped on her cloak again for the fifth time.

  "Do we still need this thing? I can't take it anymore. I have to stand up," she complained. The duo rose to their feet, keeping the box over their heads. The teen's back cracked loudly. It felt great to stand.

* * *

  "You have got to be careful," Anakin warned. "You never know what you're gonna run into." Just when he finished speaking, they bumped into something. The impact knocked him into Ahsoka, spilling them both to the ground. The thing they hit turned around. It was a Destroyer Droid. The droid made a grunting beep and a blue shield formed around itself. "See what I mean?"

The droid fired murderously at the Jedi. Anakin drew his blue lightsaber and blocked the shots. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a blur of green. So, she has a green lightsaber. Before now, Anakin had never seen Ahsoka's lightsaber. The two scrambled to their feet to avoid being shot.

  "We can't beat its shield," Ahsoka yelled in frustration.

  "Run!" Anakin ordered.

Ahsoka obeyed, which surprised Anakin. He expected her to argue his "cowardly" order, but he wasn't about to complain. He ran after the younger Jedi.

Once they were out of its range, the Destroyer shut off its shield and tucked itself into a ball, rolling after the Jedi.

  "Ahsoka, stop!" Anakin commanded.

  The girl halted and sliced her lightsaber through the unsuspecting, rolling droid. Anakin sliced through the pieces again, turning it into scattered scrap metal. "You take direction well," he remarked, returning his saber to his belt. "I actually didn't expect that from you."

Ahsoka bit her lip, knowing the only reason why she didn't argue, discreetly rubbing the bruise on her arm.

  "Orders keep you alive," she quoted Rex's wisdom. "And we watch each other's back."

  "You got it in one, Snips. Now let's find that generator."

Finally, the duo made it to the shield generator. It was surprisingly unguarded, which roused Anakin's suspicions.

  "Stay close. We've got to be careful," he warned the girl. This time, she didn't listen and ducked under a piece of debris.

  "Come on!"

  "Wait!"

  "Why? We're almost there. It's right..." Ahsoka stopped when her foot touched an antennae that stuck out of the ground.

  "I said, wait!" Anakin scolded, running after her. Ahsoka lost her balance and fell, triggering more of the antennae. Hundreds of sentry droids erupted from the ground, surrounding the youngling. "Forget about the droids! Set those charges!" Anakin ordered, slicing through the enemy with his blade.

* * *

Ahsoka climbed onto the generator and placed the bombs. Another sentry droid  approached her quietly from behind. The Padawan sensed it and attacked. She flipped over the droid and sliced the head off with her green blade. With the Force, she pushed the head off the droid. That wasn't a very smart choice because the head rolled into the minefield, rousing more droids.

  "Sorry!" Ahsoka apologized, cringing.

  "Whose side are you on anyway?" Anakin growled in frustration as his job grew much harder.

  "Setting the charges," she muttered, finishing what she was interrupted of.

* * *

Anakin was overrun. He was a great Jedi, but he was very much outnumbered and the sentry droids had cornered him against the wall.

  "I could use a little help!" He hinted.

  "Skyguy, don't move!" Ahsoka instructed. Anakin wasn't sure what she was doing, but he stayed put. Then the wall behind him started to fall.

  "What? No, no, no!" He cried, throwing his arms over his head. The wall crashed down on him and the droids... he wasn't crushed! A gray dust cloud erupted in his face, causing him to cough. When the dust cleared, Anakin realized that there was a hole in the wall and it had fell perfectly so that he went through the hole and wasn't smashed. Ahsoka jumped down from the generator and ran towards him. "You could have gotten me killed!" he snapped.

  "I know what I'm doing," she insisted angrily.

  "I had everything under control." Anakin stepped out of the hole.

  "I just saved your life!"

  Anakin ignored her and changed the subject. "Did you get the charges set?"

  "Yes."

  "Then what are you waiting for?" Anakin demanded with his arms crossed. Ahsoka lifted up her wrist com and pressed a button. The two glared at each other as the shield generator exploded.

* * *

Anakin smiled at the Republic Gunships soaring overhead in the clear blue sky. They had finally broken through the blockade. Christophsis has been liberated. He turned his gaze towards Ahsoka and his smile faltered. The girl sat on a chunk of blue-green crystal, staring at the ground dejectedly. He slowly sat down next to her.

  "You're reckless, little one," he remarked. "Kind of like Master Pong Krell." Ahsoka's expression seemed hurt and disappointed in herself at his statement. He continued, "Most Padawans act like their Masters, but I don't see Krell in you." Ahsoka visibly brightened, then she sighed.

  "If you haven't noticed, Master Krell and I don't have the same relationship as you and Master Kenobi. It's more... professional. Anyway, I don't want to be like him. So, if I'm being annoying around you, it's because I actually feel more relaxed with you." Ahsoka turned her hooded face towards Anakin. "Do you understand?"

Anakin nodded. They sat in silence for a brief moment, smiling at each other.

  "Come on," Anakin urged gently with a gesture. He stood up and approached a lowering Gunship. Ahsoka grabbed her backpack and followed. She leaped onto the ship and grabbed a handle so she wouldn't fall off. Captain Rex was in the Gunship as well.

  "Great job, General Skywalker," he praised. The Clone glanced down at the girl and smiled. "You too, kid." Ahsoka grinned back.

* * *

Now that the battle has been won, Ahsoka felt a wonderful sense of accomplishment and victory. They had won, and she had helped.

* * *

The Republic Gunship dropped the Jedi off at their base.

  "Thanks for the ride, Rex," Anakin thanked his captain.

  "Anytime, sir," The Clone replied good-naturedly. By the ships, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Pong Krell, and Master Yoda were waiting.

  "Master Obi-Wan. Master Krell. Master Yoda," Anakin greeted. To greet the Grand Master, Ahsoka and Anakin folded their hands over the other in respect.

  "A great team you have become with Master Pong Krell's Padawan, I hear," Master Yoda remarked.

  "We had our moments," Anakin admitted, making Ahsoka smile brightly.

  "Then go with you, she will, to the Teth system."

  "Teth? That's Wild Space," Anakin replied in confusion. "The droid army isn't even in that sector."

  "Kidnapped, Jabba the Hutt's son has been," Yoda announced grimly, leaning heavily on his walking stick.

  "You want me to rescue Jabba's son?" Anakin demanded coldly.

  "Anakin, we'll need the Hutt's allegiance to give us an advantage over Dooku," Obi-Wan reminded his former apprentice.

  "Negotiate a treaty with Jabba, Obi-Wan will. Find the renegades that hold Jabba's son, your mission will be, Skywalker," Yoda declared with finality in his tone. Anakin knew argue with the Grand Master, so he reluctantly accepted the mission.

* * *

  "What will you have me do, Master?" Krell asked respectfully.

  "Return to the Temple with me, you will. Pressing matters, we need to discuss," the Grand Master answered. Pong Krell bowed, accepting the order.

Deep within him, the darkness stirred restlessly. Ahsoka Tano was growing too close to Anakin Skywalker. His secret was at risk. No, he couldn't disobey Master Yoda's orders, but he had an idea on how to silence his Padawan. Krell grinned and cracked his knuckles. It's been awhile since he had a good beating...