Her skin was warm and dusted with sand, heated by the suns as she walked for what felt like hours. She had nearly cried from joy when she came upon a cluster of large rocks that provided a bit of shade, giving her an opportunity to rest and she supposed she might as well set up camp.

Ahsoka didn't have much on her besides water, a few meal rations, and two wadded up blankets. She did have a metal staff on her speeder for some protection but it broke when it spun out on her earlier. She flexed her hands and sighed as she sat down, leaning against the rock and watched as the suns began to set on the planet. Watching as a pink and hazy hue dust over the sky and it truly was beautiful.

She wondered if Anakin, despite his dislike for the planet, had liked the suns setting. She wondered if despite a hellish day he found some refuge in the beautiful sky and dreamed of exploring it one day. Shaking her head, she dug out a meal ration and had an early dinner while she still had light. Not wanting to risk being seen once night fell and other beings decided to go sniffing around for a hunt.

Keeping her eyes on the horizon, Ahsoka would every so often circle the rocks as well. Feeling anxious and alert, as if she were to blink too much danger would appear in front of her. It was quiet though, which should have been comforting but with the presence of the star destroyer looming over her all it did was send her nerves into a frenzy and it slowly got darker and a chill crept into the air.

Anakin's voice kept calling out to her, mere mumbles now though he had never sounded more clear. Muttering her name over and over again, and Ahsoka curled up against herself as she sat under the rocks ledge. Resting her chin on top of her knees, she gnawed at her lip and tried to reach out to the Force again but it only felt like a whisper against her skin. As if it were scared to startle a wounded animal, yanking back when it got too close.

What would Anakin think when he found out? The thought brought on an overwhelming sense of dread at the notion of disappointing him. Would he judge her for losing her connection? Would she think she was weak? Would he not want her anymore, as a Padawan or a friend? He had never abandoned her before, so even entertaining the idea was heartbreaking. Though would she be able to blame him? She had walked away from Anakin more than once, maybe it was in his right to.

She squeezed her eyes shut and pressed them to her knees, dots appearing in her vision as her head swam. The crumpled up speeder flashing in her mind and seeing what her anger had done. She should've been frightened, power through rage is a path best not to be followed but... she hadn't been able to use the Force in months and then without a thought she had been able to do that. It was nearly intoxicating and she could imagine the disappointed look of Yoda clear as day. But she could also see the pleased expression of Anakin and that easily won her over.

Move.

Her body rolled over quickly as if someone had tied a rope around her midsection and yanked. Ahsoka looked up, stunned by the sight of a Tusken Raider pulling its Gaffi Stick out from where it was embedded in the rock. Right where her head had been.

-

  His mind raced as he sped through the desert, not being able to get the sight of the mangled speeder out of his head.

When he had seen it he came to such an abrupt stop he almost went flying forward and the handles had dug painfully into his ribs, knocking the wind out of him. He didn't care. Ignoring the pain as he jumped off his speeder and ran to the wreckage.

When he closed his eyes and rested a hand on the machine, all he could hear was Ahsoka's scream and it felt as if a beast was trying to claw its way into his chest and rip his heart right from his body. Who could've done this? It looked unnatural and not done by hand. The only solace he had was that there had been no blood or a body and he hoped Ahsoka was alright.

That current was still pulling at him, trying to urge him along and he felt close but the sun had set and panic creeped in. Anakin hated when he panicked, it made him feel out of control and useless. When he panicked he was of no use to anyone and right now he had to be, failure wasn't a choice.

Wind ripped past him and the stars were the only light, casting a hazy dark blue over the landscape and he had to squint his eyes as he looked around. When he did find Ahsoka, and if she was alright, he was half tempted to lecture her on the choice of planet. He still couldn't quite believe he was back, feeling like a stranger despite the familiarity of it all.

As a child, he raced across these dunes many times. Gripping onto the speeder he had built himself, the metal rickety but the structure strong. Always one decision away from deciding to run, to leave Watto behind and start over. But that would've meant leaving his mother and he never was able to bear the thought. It brought more pain than any beatings ever could, even though he had grown numb to them by the early age of four years old.

He was a very intense child. Never crying and always seemed too intelligent for his own good, which didn't make him popular with the other children. And his skills as a racer had been his only hope at saving enough money to free him and his mother. Anakin used to think it was pure luck and practice, always knowing where to go and when to change tactics during a race. As if he could see the event happening mere seconds before it occurred. Never knowing it was the Force coaxing him along the entire time until two mysterious men and an angel had shown up, telling him the truth of what he was.

The Chosen One.

Anakin clenched his jaw, the prophecy flashing in his mind and he wished he could forget about everything. He had been chosen by the Force yet the Council never trusted him with anything unless they saw a direct benefit to themselves. Though regret sometimes tried to creep up on him, he could never deny the grim satisfaction of finally being rid of Mace Windu's critical and judgmental gaze. If only Windu had listened to him and let the Chancellor stand trial for his crimes, he wouldn't be dead and nor would the Republic. Or maybe it was just a long time coming and the Republic was destined to fall anyway.

A scream tore through the air.

He nearly toppled off his speeder at the sound of it and kicked off the engine, the hovercraft rocking dangerously as it came to a halt. Anakin's eyes found her instantly even though it was dark, her body a mere shadow in the dark but he could recognize Ahsoka anywhere. How she moved and how she fought, and only then did Anakin realize she wasn't alone. A group of Tusken surrounded her, yelling in their native tongue and it made the hair raise on the back of his neck.

He snapped out of it and ran towards her, casting off his cloak as he did so. He thought about drawing his saber, but he wasn't sure how well a red one would be registered without talking to her first. As he got closer, his eyes adjusted to the dark and he passed two fallen Raiders, their bodies limp in the sand. Looking up, Ahsoka's right arm looked dark and he had realized there was a massive gash on her bicep, her blood spilling out and covering her arm and the star light caught in its sheen.

She didn't seem to care or even notice, her teeth gritted as she fought and she had stolen one of their Gaffi Sticks. He couldn't help but stare at her as she fought.

Maybe he wasn't just useless when he panicked. Apparently seeing her again knocked his senses right out of him.

-

  Ahsoka twisted the Gaffi Stick behind her back as she spun, gaining momentum before she swung it down in an arc and a loud crack echoed through the air as it slammed into the Tusken's head. The being staggered for a moment before falling to the ground and she didn't have time to catch her breath before another one came running at her.

She tried to hit the Tusken in the legs, but it avoided her blow and side stepped her, causing Ahsoka to trip forward and it yanked the Gaffi Stick from her hold. She clenched her jaw and turned, hearing the woosh of the staff whip past her head. She wondered what she had done to piss off the Force because apparently it was in no mood to give her a break. Avoiding another hit, Ahsoka tightened her hand into a fist and swung once the Tusken got close enough. Her knuckles collided with the metal parts of its mask and pain tore up her arm but her adrenaline let her keep going. She landed another hit in the Tusken's rib cage and the satisfying sound of bone cracking met her ears and it let out a wail of pain.

Before she was able to land another hit, the Tusken's neck seemed to snap on its own accord and it dropped dead into the sand. She blinked, still in a fighting stance as she looked down at the body. That definitely wasn't her. Ahsoka looked around and what she saw made her jaw fall slack and she wasn't sure if she was dreaming.

Anakin was currently fighting two Tusken. An arm held out behind him and kept one in a chokehold through the Force, while his other arm blocked a hit from a staff and then he threw a punch of his own.

Was she dead?

She didn't have time to dwell on the thought as another Tusken attacked her. Surely there couldn't be more left?

Her head whipped to the side as it landed a blow to her jaw and pain bloomed out across her head hotly. She should've easily been able to dodge the hit, but the fact that Anakin might actually only be a few feet away from her made everything seem foggy and not quite real.

There was a sharp shriek and she saw him snap another Tuskens neck and that was when she realized the one running back at her was the last one left. As it got closer, she took a deep breath and waited till it was just within her reach. Waiting as it swung its staff at her, she briskly moved to the side and twisted it out of the Tusken's grip before spinning and slashing the pointed end through the air.

Its body fell limp, thumping in the sand and the head rolled slightly since it was only partly attached to the rest of the corpse. She was panting, every breath feeling too sharp and her vision swam red as she watched blood pour out into the sand, making it clump up.

Her knees buckled as the shock of what had just happened settled in, but before she hit the ground strong arms caught her. She was trembling and utterly frightened to look up. Terrified she'd see a monster instead of her best friend, worried it was some trick or if she had really gone delusional.

"Hey, Snips." His voice was warm and quiet, slightly breathless as if he was the one who couldn't believe what he was seeing either. The familiarity of him crashed over like a wave and her eyes flicked up, taking in the smile that was pulling at his face and the softness of his blue eyes. He was looking at her as if she was a star that had just been discovered. Her breath caught in her throat and she felt pressure building behind her eyes. If she was dying, perhaps this wasn't the worst way to go.

"Anakin?"

He pulled Ahsoka up into his arms, crushing her against his chest in a hug and that was when a sob tumbled out from her lips. She knew she had missed him, but the feeling of relief that tore at her heart was overwhelming. She buried her head in his chest and tried to take a deep breath, but his familiar scent took hold of her senses and it only made grab onto him tighter.

"I-"

"Where have you-"

"Are you alright-"

"What took so long-"

"Tatooine? Really?-"

A laugh left her as their words stumbled over each other and she pulled back enough to look up at him and one of his hands gently wiped away the tears that coated her cheeks. His eyes searched her, checking for any wounds and his jaw tightened at the sight of her arm. She was about to insist she was fine but the sound of cloth ripping silenced her.

She observed him quietly as he wrapped her arm, not minding the sting of pain as he tore another piece of his robes off and used it to wipe away the blood that coated her arm.

Anakin's gaze flicked to hers before focusing back on her wound. "I missed you, Ahsoka." His voice was rough and raw, his eyes red and watering and he seemed to be struggling to hold himself together for her.

A smile tugged at her lips. "I missed you too, Skyguy."

He shook his head, a bemused grin dancing across his mouth and he leaned back slightly as he finished cleaning her arm. "I've been calling out to you."

She bit her lip and looked away. "I know."

"Then why didn't you say anything?"

"I..." Ahsoka sighed and picked at some of the now ripped threads on his robes, still sitting slightly in his lap. If the situation was different she would've shot up and backed away. It should've been awkward, and perhaps if she was in her right mind it would've been. But right now, after not seeing him for so long she was afraid to not touch him. Terrified he'd slip away into dust and she'd be alone again. "I couldn't."

Guilt chewed at her insides as she took in the hurt look on his face. Not brave enough to tell him that she had been scared of him, scared to confront him and that his voice sometimes would leak into nightmares. How could she think such things about her Master?

He let the issue drop and ran his fingers lightly along her cheek bone, looking at her as if he was afraid she'd fall apart at any moment. "When I found out you survived I started looking for you. Have you been on Tatooine all this time?"

Ahsoka shook her head. "I got here about a month ago. I was getting impatient." She teased and delighted in the way he rolled his eyes. He seemed the same to her, for the most part. Of course there were changes, there were bound to be. One didn't walk away from a war unscathed. "How'd you survive?"

When he looked away from her, she felt something uneasy settle itself in her stomach. The beast of doubt only grew more heavy with each second he didn't answer her. "Anakin?"

"Ahsoka-"

She leaned back from him. All those nightmares swirling in her head. Memories of the screams she had heard right before her troops turned on her. "What did you do?"

"You have to just let me explain. Okay?"

Ahsoka stood quickly and backed away from him, trying to not let the hurt look that flickered across his face affect her. Her gaze flicked up, the star destroyer an ominous beast the lurked above the skies. "You're with the Empire."

He stood, his body much closer than it had been a second ago and she had forgotten how much bigger than her he was. "It's complicated."

"Uncomplicate it."

Anakin's jaw tensed and his eyes sharpened, looking as if they were glowing in the dark. "I'm trying to fix things."

She shook her head and took a few steps back. Trepidation crawled up her spine slowly as he matched her stride and her back met the rock. "Fix it how? Fix what? What did you do?"

He rubbed at his eyes, as if she was being unreasonable. "I think it's best we talk on the ship. I want you off this planet."

"No."

"No?" He stared at her incredulously.

"We're going to talk about this now. What the hell is going on? The Order-"

"Why do you care about the Order? It's gone, Ahsoka!" He shouted and she flinched, trying to move away but he closed in on her and his hands pressed against the wall on each side of her head. He took a deep breath and dropped his head, trying to regain his composure before he looked at her again.

He had changed much more than she thought. "What are you doing with the Empire?"

Anakin ignored the question as he leaned back and held out his hand. "Come with me, Ahsoka. Please. I'll explain everything. You'll understand."

"Did you do it?"

"Ahsoka, please."

"Did you kill the Order?"

He clenched his jaw and she saw a glimmer of that rage she had witnessed every now and again in the years she had known him. Flickers of when he had lost control and turned into something she didn't recognize yet knew all too well. His voice was dark and like oil as he spoke next.

"Yes."

A pained sound left her as the truth tried to settle on her shoulders. It felt as if the ground had opened up beneath her and the man who stood in front of her wasn't who she remembered. He couldn't have. Her Master would never–

He held out his hand and she felt the Force in its rawest form for the first time in months. Completely consuming her as it yanked her to the bliss of unconsciousness, the last thing she saw was the pained look on Anakin's face and a faint apology leaving his lips.