Chapter Text
She was numb, cold, and wet.
The rain hailed on the Togruta teen, soaking through her thin clothes as she sat on the bench. The water droplets slid down her bare arms and legs, with no sign of disappearing.
Ahsoka trembled, goosebumps forming along the fine ends of her limbs as she shivered. The bitter, howling wind blew furiously against her, making her montrals ring in agony as they screamed, begging her to seek shelter from the freezing weather. Her lekku were a deep, dark blue as the color from her lips and face drained. The usual color from her cheeks had vanished, replaced with the shadow of paleness in their absence.
She knew that she was being quite foolish for sitting outside in this kind of weather. Ahsoka was well aware that she could catch a cold and wouldn’t be spared of the long lecture from Anakin when she returned to their quarters, but she sensed that this was her true place of peace – a reassuring feeling that no battle victory or successful mission could ever bring. Almost like comfort.
However, despite the harsh conditions of her environment, Ahsoka didn’t flinch. For once, she felt free – free from the raging Clone War, free from the death and suffering of the men and civilians she fought to protect their freedoms, free to allow her mind wander carelessly, like the typical youngster’s mind should. As the rain continued to fall on her, draining out the ambience of the speeders in the distant skyline of Coruscant and the nightlight of the world that never slept, the hollow shell of her Force being was released.
She sat on the wet bench, her hands resting in her lap, her shoulders at ease. She let out a soft sigh of relief and closed her eyes.
For once, she was free to be the Ahsoka no one knew. Not Commander, not Padawan Tano, not Snips, just Ahsoka. Out here, in the rain, she felt grounded. It was like she could unlock an inner peace within herself that couldn’t be accessed even in the deepest of meditation sessions with Master Yoda.
She could relax and let her guard down – she didn’t need to be constantly looking over her shoulder to make sure she wasn’t about to be attacked, she didn’t need to make sure she her lightsabers were accessible, and she didn’t need to watch more people die in front of her own two eyes. Within the past few weeks, her senses had been overwhelmed with grief and the anxiety about the uncertainty of the future of the galaxy. From the losses of her men, to her barely surviving escape from those Trandoschans who kidnapped her on Felucia, to almost losing Anakin countless times during their missions.
Ahsoka couldn't explain it, but she knew that out here, she was safe to be herself.
Anakin was panicking. His Padawan, Ahsoka, had been missing for almost the entire day. She wasn’t answering her comm, and even when he attempted to reach out to the Force to her, he was blocked.
He ran through the halls of the Temple, the cold air slapping against his hair and face, stopping at every corner and possible hiding spot she could be located.
Obi-Wan was out for the night. In fact, most of the Jedi Knights were either away on a mission or had retired early for the night in their quarters, leaving Anakin isolated in the Temple. He and Ahsoka had agreed to grab a bite to eat in their quarters and binge-watch those trashy reality shows that were streaming on the HoloChannel.
It was sort of a rarity for the Padawan and Master to find time to unwind and waste time together as friends rather than as soldiers on the frontlines of the Clone War. These types of nights were something that Anakin and Ahsoka alike longed for, which added to Anakin’s fear that something terrible had happened to her, knowing she wouldn’t just randomly surrender her plans.
As Anakin looped back to his quarters that he shared with Ahsoka, his heart sank as he heard a large crack of thunder in the sky, followed by the heavy sound of falling rain on the roof above. The weather forecast for that evening had predicted heavy thunderstorms and wind. It was almost dark outside and so unlike Ahsoka to be out alone this late without telling him.
“For the love of the Force, where is she?!” Anakin cried. He hastily slid open the blast door that led to his quarters, trudging over to the couch before collapsing on it.
Anakin had scolded Ahsoka for letting her HoloMag collection overflow into the living room, some of them crunched under his weight. Anakin, however, was equally guilty for allowing his spare droid part collection to clutter the coffee table. Neither of them were the neatest in terms of cleaning, but the apartment had turned into a worse-than-usual state from his desperate search for her.
“She’s not here,” he told himself helplessly as he rested his face in his hands. “She’s not here or anywhere else in the Temple.”
He stood up and trudged over to the linen closet. The door slide open and her snatched the hanger with his cloak. Before he turned to leave, he eyed a smaller, brown cloak with a hood designed to accommodate the lekku and montrals of a Togruta.
Anakin let out a curse in Huttese.
“Ahsoka, are you serious? What could she have been thinking, leaving it here, on the rainiest day of the year?” He shook his head, snatched the it off of the rack, and rushed out of the quarters.
As he swarmed through the maze of the Jedi Temple, two Jedi Knights, who happened to reside next door to Anakin and Ahsoka’s quarters, were wandering slowly in the path of Anakin.
“Excuse me, sorry!” Anakin shouted as he pushed them apart and sprinted. He caught a glimpse of the glares the two Knights shot him. He didn’t care, he had to find his Padawan.
Anakin dashed back downstairs and frantically glimpsed at the open training rooms as he passed, in a last attempt to find Ahsoka. However, he wasn’t looking where he was going and ran into someone coming out of the farthest training room, causing them both to fall backwards.
“Ugh, that’s gonna hurt for a few days…” Anakin groaned.
“I’m sorry, Master Skywalker, I didn’t see you there,” a familiar voice said.
As he slowly came around and sat up, Anakin realized it was Barriss Offee, Ahsoka’s best friend.
“Force, Barriss, I’m sorry. Are you alright?” he asked as he rubbed the back of his head and lent out his mechanical hand to help her up.
“I’m alright, Master. I’m sorry. Next time, I will try to focus on where I’m going better,” she replied as she brushed her robes. “If I may ask, what’s the rush you’re in?”
“I can’t find Ahsoka, have you seen her?” Anakin asked desperately. “She’s not answering her comm and she’s not in the mess hall.”
Barriss shook her head. “I’m afraid not. When did she go missing?”
“I haven’t seen her since breakfast.”
She thought for a moment. “Have you tried checking in the gardens? Ahsoka mentioned last week that she likes to sit and watch the rain fall during a storm. If you haven’t found her anywhere else, then that’s where I'd look.”
“What do you mean, by ‘watch the rain fall’? Why would she be foolish and go out there without her cloak?! Ahsoka would never do something like that, she knows better!” Anakin exclaimed.
“I’m afraid I don’t know. I could help you look if you’d like,” Barriss replied.
“I appreciate the offer, Barriss, but I don't want to have two Padawans go missing on my account. If you see her, please let me know.”
“Will do. I’ll keep an eye out,” Barriss smiled. “I’m sure Ahsoka’s alright. Just check the gardens, I swear that she did say something about going there during storms like these.”
“Thank you, Barriss. See you later,” Anakin said.
And with that, he sped off again. This time, reaching out with the Force to try and locate his Padawan as he ran through the halls and back to their quarters.
Eventually, he sensed her presence. Anakin slowed his pace, closing his eyes as he stood in the middle of the hallway, concentrating on where she could be.
The warmth of his body from running quickly drained as he slipped into the midst of the Force. He suddenly felt long, cold droplets running down his arms and robes, the scent of fresh soil from the rain filling his nostrils. Anakin couldn’t coherently see anything, but he had a better idea about where Ahsoka could be. along with a cold sensation.
Barriss' gut had been right.
“Ahsoka,” he whispered, fear filling his soul. He had a better idea about where Ahsoka was, but was she hurt? Had she gotten sick and couldn’t safely return to her quarters? He would not feel calm until he found her, safe and sound.
Hold on, Snips, I’m coming. He ran back to his quarters.