The weight of the ship shifted as it landed and Anakin adjusted his footing to avoid lurching forward and he gave a sideways glance to the pilot. Even though the man wore a helmet, he could tell the trooper must've had a frightened and embarrassed expression on his face. He then looked to La'vena as well as a few other of his Inquisitors and gave them a nod, one by one they drew their cloaks up as the hangar door lowered and the blinding light of the suns filtered into the ship.

Anakin squinted his eyes and heat hit his face like a punch as he lifted his own cloak and lowered his head. Even though his new world was covered in lava, it never felt quite as hot as Tatooine and he clenched his metal fist before walking off the ship. Storm troopers flanked both sides as he marched his way down the aisle, all of them standing as still as stone. Though they were as well trained as they could be, he couldn't help but miss the clones. But, his Master was adamant they weren't of any use any more and that their loyalty should be questioned.

He didn't believe it for a second, much like how he didn't believe anything that came out of Darth Sidious' mouth these days but he had to bite his tongue. Be patient. A virtue that was never his to bear but with the particular plot he had in mind he knew it was necessary. So now, littered across the galaxy were old clones retired from war and not being able to find good work. Anakin knew Rex was out there somewhere. His helmet wasn't with the rest of the 332nd company and he knew damn well Ahsoka wouldn't forget Rex, not in a million lifetimes would she leave the Captain behind.

As they marched through the town, the sand shifted unevenly beneath his feet but he walked with smooth and well practiced steps. He had grown up here and it seemed the desert had welcomed him back, easing his steps and carrying him across the sands while others shifted their weight awkwardly as they trudged on. His face was hidden in shadow much like the civilians of the town who were hiding in their homes and alleys as they watched the Empire march through their tiny little town.

He could feel their fear and hear their thoughts, wondering why the Empire would come here, of all places? The prayers of Anakin Skywalker had been smudged out by the frightful whispers and screams of Darth Vader and all who were watching had the dread to realize they were in his presence. He wasn't here for them, he couldn't care less about them. They were like insects beneath his feet that he could crush and keep walking without even blinking.

Anakin could sense her everywhere and it felt like every single one of his nerves was on fire, eating at him and begging him to just let go. Let it out. Tear the whole fucking town apart to find her.

Where are you, Ahsoka? His voice called out but it was actually a scream that ripped into the Force. He had been reaching out to her, he could feel her but she would never answer and he hated where his thoughts went when she wouldn't. Did she already hate him? Was she ignoring him? Was someone keeping her from responding? Was she doing it on purpose? Was she hurt?

He was going insane and he just needed to see her to know everything was okay.

-

  Where are you, Ahsoka?

She screamed in pain as his voice tore through her head and her speeder spun out of control, whipping sideways and throwing her off of it at a dangerously high speed and all she could feel was his rage and the wind before the ground slammed into her body. Pain ripped across her body, the sand doing extremely little to soften her fall and she faintly heard the dull crash of her speeder tumbling into the sand and the crunch of metal.

"He's here," she gasped out and her lungs hurt as she breathed in the hot and dry air. She blinked up at the sky and could see the blurry shadow of a massive star destroyer high up in the atmosphere and a chill ran through her body despite the scorching weather. "He's here," she mumbled again and tried to sit up but got so dizzy she fell back to the ground heavily.

Her Master was here, and her excitement mixed seamlessly with fear and she felt like she was falling through the floor at the mere thought of actually seeing him again. It had been months, and though they've spent even longer apart before, this felt different. Maybe because everything was different; she was and perhaps he was too.

How had Anakin changed? How had the fall of the Order and Republic affected him? How was Padme? How was Obi-Wan? She had been no contact with all of them, and with her severance of the Force it wasn't as if she could reach out that way. Ahsoka assumed Padme was still in the Senate, though now it was merely for show now that the Empire was ruling with violence first questions later.

Yet, the timing made her heart skip erratically. Why had Anakin shown up with the Empire?

Where are you?

He sounded furious and desperate and Ahsoka slowly sat up, wincing and pressing a hand to her head. Was she running from the Empire or from him? The thought took her off guard and made her head hurt even worse but she knew she needed to keep moving. The town was far away, not even within her sights anymore but the star destroyer looming in the atmosphere gave a horrible sense of foreboding.

She wasn't running from Anakin, that would be ridiculous. She even chose this planet in hopes he'd find her more easily, despite the fact he wasn't too fond of it. She realized that might be an understatement but her head hurt too much to dwell on it as she slowly stood up. Ahsoka squinted and spotted her speeder a few paces away, lodged in the sand at an odd angle and she let out a grunt of frustration. As she walked, she picked up some of her things that had scattered about and all of her bones felt tired.

Night couldn't come soon enough, but sleep wasn't a luxury she could afford since she'd be alone and for the most part defenseless. She reached the speeder and went to grab it but the metal burned her hands and she yanked them back with a painful hiss. Flexing her fingers she clenched her jaw and stared at the speeder as if it offended her.

She could do this, she knew she could. Ahsoka had lifted and held things using the Force four times the size of the speeder. All she had to do was calm down and focus on the Force, let it guide her as Master Kenobi had said. She shut her eyes and tried to steady her breaths as she counted, waiting until her heart stopped bounding and instead was a soft lull in her ears.

Slowly she raised her hands, reaching out to the Force as if she was a child in search for her parent and needing a guiding and secure hand. She could sense it, she always had been, but lately it was as if a stranger was staring back at her and turning a blind eye. Jut out of her reach. Please, she begged. I need you.

I'm right here, Ahsoka.

Her brows furrowed at Anakin's voice, the sound of it filling the space around her in a buzz and clawing at her skin, asking her to let it in. She clenched her jaw, her hands splaying wider as she tried to feel for the speeder and picturing it to be weightless so she could lift it in the air. Let me in, Ahsoka. But it felt crushing and immovable and she let out a scream of frustration and ripped her eyes open as a shadow flew over her head.

Ahsoka blinked, dumbfounded and her hands still held out in front of her but the speeder was no longer there. She trembled as her arms dropped to her sides and she ever so slowly turned around, frightened by the sight of the speeder now tipped upside down and crumbled into a mangled metal ball a yard away from her.

She looked down at her hands, wondering what she had just done.

-

  After the speech La'vena had given to the town,  Anakin watched as she stepped off the sand dusted podium and gestured for the Inquisitors and troops to start making their rounds. The civilians of the town slowly scattered, all looking like vermin to him as they went and hid in the safety of their homes or in bars.

The event had been mandatory attendance and a certain Togruta was missing. He wasn't surprised, his Padawan knew better than that. Being there would've made her vulnerable and he knew that was something Ahsoka hated feeling. But she was here, or at least had been very recently, he could feel her everywhere and if he closed his eyes he could hear echoes of past conversations she had had. His lips tilted up at one side at the sound of her laugh and his feet slowly started to move as he followed her echoes.

He first came to a stop at what looked like to be a bar and his slight smile quickly turned to a frown as he stared up at the sight. What was Ahsoka doing so often in a bar? He couldn't imagine her taking up drinking, though he supposed war changed people but this was Ahsoka. She was unshakable.

Anakin stepped in the establishment and the place fell silent within seconds, the music halting abruptly and eyes stared at him. Anakin looked around, his hood still low and he reached out for Ahsoka but it was only shadows. He walked up to the bar and waited, watching as the barkeep swallowed thickly before walking over to him with a nervous smile.

"What might I do for you, sir?" The man's voice warbled and sweat glistened his brow. This would be pathetically easy and Anakin sighed as he leaned his elbows on the counter.

"Where's Ahsoka Tano?"

"I-I'm sorry?"

Anakin blinked and the man was suddenly yanked forward, hands grasping at his throat as an invisible hand increased pressure. His voice was a low hum that sent a cold chill through the air. "Where is Ahsoka Tano?"

"She–" he coughed violently and Anakin let the grip loosen slightly. The man gasped, "she's staying at old Marta's place, right up the road!"

Anakin let the man drop and he turned to leave, watching as everyone flinched back at the sudden movement and he marched out the doors. His feet carried him across the sands, his pace brisk and filled with purpose and it was as if a thread was tied around his heart and yanking him in the right direction.

His feet led him to an old door and the presence of Ahsoka nearly screamed at him. The door flung open before the thought even occurred and he crowded into the living space, ignoring the frightened scream of an older woman as she stumbled back from her chair.

Anakin looked around, taking in the space that surrounded him and pictured Ahsoka going about her daily routine in this place. She had lived here, made this her home, and that was the only reason he wasn't yanking this random woman up to her feet by her hair. He had taken Ahsoka in and shown her kindness, though he wondered if she would change her mind if she had known what Ahsoka had been.

"Where is she?" His voice was quiet but it rang loudly in the room and all he could hear was the pounding of his heart.

The woman looked as pale as a ghost and he tried to take a calming breath. "Where's Ahsoka? You're Marta, correct?"

She nodded slowly and stood, clasping the chair with white knuckles and she swallowed thickly. "Who?"

His eyes narrowed and he walked up to her, his tall frame towering over hers and his eyes glowed from beneath his cloak. "Don't think you're capable of lying to me. She lives here, so where is she?"

She shook her head, "I'm not sure what you're talking about. I'm the only one who lives here."

He could see why Ahsoka would like her but that changed nothing and he reached out to the Force and yanked her mind forward and laid bare for him to see and she screamed. She probably would've fell to the floor if not for his sheer will holding her up right as he searched her mind. He dug with hungry claws until he finally saw her, his Ahsoka and he was nearly breathless at the sight of her.

Anakin pulled away and Marta fell to the floor, weeping and clutching at her head. He didn't spare her a glance as he stepped over her and walked down the hall, following the same path his Padawan walked and he pushed open the door to what he assumed was her room. It was small and didn't have much, the bed was made but had a slight dent in it and his heart softened at the notion that she slept peacefully in it.

A dresser caught his eye and he lowered his cloak, his brows furrowing at the sight of some objects scattered across the top of it. He hovered his hand over all of them, feeling her touch and hearing her whispers. These were hers, but they were so random and odd Anakin couldn't help the laugh that left him. The Force suddenly yanked him sideways and his feet tried to catch up as he approached her desk. It was empty on the surface, but his mind didn't stutter as his hand reached down and yanked open a drawer.

Anakin fell to his knees and reached into the drawer slowly, as if he was coaxing a venomous animal from its chamber and his fingers gently clasped around the silka beads resting there. Pressure built behind his eyes and he blinked away the tears that welled there as he lifted them up. The memories hit him violently and he fell back, his hand barely catching him as he stared at them. His Padawan, broken and betrayed and cast aside by people who were supposed to always be there for her. He remembered when the temple guard ripped them off her head, and how badly he had wanted to hurt him.

A score he had settled two months ago when Anakin hunted him down and ripped off his head.

He tightened the beads around his finger and ran a thumb over them, calling out to her desperately. She was close and he couldn't lose her, not now. He needed to make sure she was alright and that no one would ever hurt her again.

Anakin had lost nearly everyone he had loved, whether it was through his own fault or not. But Ahsoka was one of his last tethers and he had no idea what he would do if he never saw her. Whether it be her walking away from him again or dying, it would be hell. The last knife driving into his heart before it shattered, battering against the others that were already there with names carved into their blades.

Anakin forced himself up and nearly ran out the room, ignoring Marta who was still a weeping mess and he met La'vena outside. She had a look of concern on her face and gestured to his hood but Anakin's mind was miles away, that current was pulling at him again though more urgently.

"My Lord?"

He ignored her and stalked towards the nearest speeder. "Get back to the ship."

"Did you find her?"

"I'll send you a beacon when we're ready."

"But–"

He was gone before he could hear the rest of her sentence, the silka beads wrapped tightly around his wrist and he ignored the way sand was tearing into his skin as he left the town.

I'm coming for you, Ahsoka.