"𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣'𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚, 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠."

The somber atmosphere on the cruiser lifted with the liveliness of the Bad Batch. The odd clone force was able to bring some amount of joy to the men who had lost so much. I sat laughing with the guys in the mess until Cody approached me from the briefing room.

"General Kenobi wants to speak with you," he said quietly. His entire body was tensed.

"Alright, after I finish listening to Wrecker's story-"

"It's urgent."

The anxious look in his eyes gave me a sense of seriousness. I excused myself from the boys and stood up to head for the briefing room. The blue, transparent image of Obi-Wan lit up the enclosed space. After giving his General a nod, Cody left the room and I was alone with Obi-Wan.

"You wanted to see me?" I said standing before his flickering image.

"Yes," he confirmed. Obi-Wan was silent as he came up with the words to break whatever news he had for me. "I thought it would be best for you to hear it from me before you arrive on Coruscant."

"What is it?" I asked as my anticipation grew.

Obi-Wan exhaled deeply before continuing. His dulled eyes met mine. "Ahsoka has left the Jedi Order."

An uncomfortable feeling settled in my stomach. My mouth parted as my mind raced to absorb what I had just heard.

"Did she really?"

Obi-Wan nodded and held his arms, his loose sleeves hanging down the way they did. He told me what had occurred over the course of the investigation of the Temple bombing. Ahsoka, one of the most good-hearted people I knew, had been framed for leading the attack. Obi-Wan told me how the truth had later been revealed, but Ahsoka decided to leave. After hearing everything, I couldn't blame her. Through my own difficult experiences, I knew the Jedi were flawed, but I never realized how deep their corruption stemmed.

"How's Anakin taking all of this?" I asked in a low voice.

"Not very well," Obi-Wan sighed. "I've tried talking to him, but he's still holding on to her."

I nodded at his words, knowing what Obi-Wan wanted me to do. "I'll see him when I get back."

"All right," Obi-Wan said with uneasiness lacing his voice. "But Sil, you need to remember that Anakin's main obstacle is that he has trouble letting go. I'm afraid he's formed a strong bond with you as well."

I kept my gaze on the floor at hearing Obi-Wan's revelation. I didn't feel as caught off guard as I thought I would be if he ever figured it out.

"Sil, I hope you know I wouldn't dream of saying any of this to the Council, but please be careful," Obi-Wan said and then smiled lightly. "The looks you and Anakin give each other have not gone unnoticed," he said and I blushed lightly. "I don't say anything because you both give each other so much happiness. There's obvious attachment, but I don't have it in my heart to take that away from Anakin."

I finally looked up to meet Obi-Wan's eyes. "Don't give me so much credit, Obi-Wan," I said. "He's very attached to you too, more than he's willing to admit."

Obi-Wan shook his head and smiled. "Remember what I said and I'll see you soon."

***

I mulled over my conversation with Obi-Wan as the cruiser approached Coruscant. As much as I disliked the Jedi's views on love and attachments, there was some truth to it. These things were dangerous. And it would certainly weigh heavily on someone so driven by passion as Anakin.

After we arrived on Coruscant, I headed immediately for the Temple. There was construction happening in the hangar and I witnessed the magnitude of the devastation the bombing had left. I couldn't imagine how people could think Ahsoka had done something as horrific as this.

I found Master Plo and he directed me to where I could find Anakin. Before I walked away, I gave him my respect as I knew he and Ahsoka were close.

I reached an open balcony overlooking the city with Anakin at the end of it. The way his head hung low and his arms dangled over the railing made my heart plummet. Slowly, I walked up from behind him. I wrapped my arms around his waist and I pressed myself against his back, holding him tenderly. Anakin shifted a bit and placed his hand over mine. I buried my head into his shoulder to let this quiet moment endure. His fingers caressed the back of my hand as he continued to stare ahead silently. After a while, Anakin released an audible sigh and I felt his head move. I peeked over his shoulder to see his head angle towards me. He smiled lightly.

"Thanks," he said quietly.

I nodded and let go of Anakin so he could turn around. He leaned against the balcony and took my face in his hands. He pressed a kiss to my lips before pulling me against his chest.

I shuffled on my feet as I tried to lean on my uninjured leg, wincing as I did so. Anakin took notice and let his hand glide down to touch my wound.

"What happened?" He looked over me with deep concern in his eyes.

"Oh," I said looking to the side. "One of the clankers got me on Eriadu."

Anakin pulled away lightly to get a better look at my leg. The wound wasn't visible since I had a bacta patch under my pants, but he sensed my pain. Anger flashed behind his eyes, but his fury subsided with a touch of my hand.

"It's fine, Anakin," I reassured him. "It should be completely healed in a few days."

I smiled at how amazing the medical technology was on Coruscant. It was more advanced than I ever imagined. In places like Tatooine, if an injury like this didn't kill you, it could impair you for a long time.

"Let's go sit down." Anakin led us away from the balcony and did his best to help me keep my weight off my leg. We sat down in a quiet area out of sight from other Jedi.

Anakin sighed. "Well I know one thing," he said.

"What's that?"

"You wouldn't have gotten hurt if I was there," he smiled.

I scoffed at his answer. "You don't know that."

"Oh but I do."

"Oh please," I said and moved to sit down between his legs so we could just enjoy each other's company. Anakin welcomed this gesture and wrapped his arms around me. A long time passed and I could feel his thoughts drift to Ahsoka. With my head now resting against his chest, I heard his heart pace pick up.

"Why did she have to go?" his voice came out strained.

I let him have a moment to release his emotions. I wanted to make sure I was doing everything I could to comfort him. He would do the same thing for me.

"Anakin, do you ever feel like the Jedi were holding her back?" I asked. There was no response so I continued. "I'm sure Ahsoka is moving on to greater things and she will find a path she feels proud to walk on."

"But she was supposed to do that with me, with the Jedi," Anakin countered. "She should have stayed."

I sighed knowing this wasn't easy for Anakin at all. Why would it be? He cared for Ahsoka deeply and always wanted the best for her, but what had the Jedi done?

"Ahsoka will be just fine, Anakin. She's a smart girl," I reassured him. "And she's learned a lot from you."

Anakin smiled lightly at the comment, but his mood soured again. "But she's still so young. She needs me."

I looked down hearing him say this. This was the part where I felt Anakin strayed too far from the Jedi Code. It wouldn't do him any good to think like this. He was only in denial and this mindset would eventually ruin him.

"I think you need her more than she needs you, Anakin," I admitted.

"What?"

"Look, what I love about you is how deeply you connect with people. Everything about you feels real, but you can't let yourself be completely absorbed by people close to you." I knew I was walking on thin ice and I feared an eruption out of Anakin, but what I had to say was necessary. "You need Ahsoka, you need Obi-Wan, you need the Chancellor, and even Rex," I continued and tried not to falter under Anakin's gaze. "You've got to let go of people if they walk away or if things go wrong," I said thinking about how angry he was when he thought Obi-Wan had been killed and the other times Anakin had seemingly lost control. "You need to accept that Ahsoka is gone and that she's no longer your padawan."

Anakin looked at me with glassy eyes and my heart broke for him. He was beginning to understand the truth and it was hurting him.

"Be happy for Ahsoka." I held his hand. "She's paving her own path. A path away from all these restrictions and useless beliefs. She's going to have a bright future, I know it."

Anakin held me tightly and buried his head into my shoulder as he sobbed softly. I hugged him back and hoped what I said got through to him. If Anakin could find the balance between loving hard and letting go, he would become the best of us.