Chapter Text
Anakin knew they couldn’t last much longer. The snow was up to his shins and the bitter cold had crept inside his boots and he could barely feel his feet anymore. The wind blew the loose snow into his face, causing a white screen to obscure his vision. Through the white void he could only see the red and blue lights from blaster fire, and the slight green hue of Ahsoka's ‘sabers a few meters away. He was now relying on the Force to be his guide amidst the storm. Reaching out to the space in front of him, carefully detecting and deflecting blaster fire aimed in his direction. It was difficult, especially in the blizzard. Anakin was never fond of Tatooine’s warm, sandy climate but he’d take the dry heat over the biting fangs of this blizzard any day.
Finally, the wind had stopped blowing. The icy blast on Anakin's cheeks had subsided for the moment and he let out a shaky breath, a foggy cloud releasing from his mouth. He scanned the ongoing battle, noticing more of his men down in the snow, unmoving, than he would like. The Jedi looked to his left and saw the encroaching droids. Another wave was just about to approach their location. Anakin called the retreat for his men.
They began to fall back, slowly in the wet snow. The storm was getting worse, and the snow was growing heavier and more difficult to walk through. But the clones pushed on, carrying their wounded and watching their brothers backs, making sure no one was left behind. Anakin watched as he made his way through the retreating battalion. He never liked calling for a retreat, this mission especially pained him. Admiral Trench has control of hyperspace coordinates to a clone medical base, the Council had informed him. Anakin didn’t want to be responsible for those lives. He was supposed to get them back before they were transferred to Dooku. Now, with that sinking feeling in his gut, he knew that was no longer an option.
Suddenly, Anakin's attention was pulled back to the scene in front of him. Ahsoka was deflecting fire away from their tank as it slowly turned in the snow, attempting it's retreat. Most of the troops had already fled from the battle, back to the safety of the transport ships. The tank's gears were frozen from the ice and it was stuck, teetering mid-turn, dangerously unbalanced. It rocked on its side, and Anakin could see the driver panicking and unsure what to do. But he held up his hand and latched onto the machine with his mind. His extension of the Force held the tank in place, preventing it from crashing onto its side. Anakin could feel the sharp corners and edges without even touching it. He visualized the tank being pulled toward him and the Force obeyed, steadying the six legs back into the snow. But, that wasn’t the end of it. As chilling as the air was around him, the feeling that shot up Anakin's spine was colder. He sensed the danger even before the sound of the cannon being fired reached his ears. He turned and looked over his shoulder just in time to see the cannon arching in the sky aimed for their own tank. Then his eyes darted to Ahsoka. She was too close to the tank and with the snow, Anakin knew she would never get out of there in time. He reached out for her.
It was easier to grab onto her with the Force. She immediately sensed his plan and let herself be pulled from the incoming blast. A moment later and her back collided with his chest, sending them both down into the snow. As the cannon made impact and their tank exploded, Anakin wrapped his arms around his padawan and covered her, putting himself between her and the lethal heat from the explosion. He could feel Ahsoka shrink down under his hold as the bang echoed through the air. Anakin could feel the heat from the blast, surprisingly faint for how close they were and he noticed shards of the metal land in the snow next to him. He was unsure why nothing had hit them, surely they were close enough to the explosion that something should have hit them. Anakin sat up, letting go of Ahsoka once the explosion had passed and he saw her hand extended out from her. She let it fall limp and as it did, the world became louder and the chilly winds returned. Anakin now knows why the rubble from the blast never hit him, Ahsoka was watching his back.
Anakin sat back on his knees in the snow looking behind at the fiery mess of their tank, the smoke already billowing into the grey sky, the blackness of it striking against the bright white.
“Ouch.” Ahsoka groaned as she sat up. Anakin could sense that she was exhausted now. Holding back the force of an explosion was no simple task, even for him.
“Take it easy, snips.” He told her, reaching behind her head, pulling her hood back over her montrails.
“General, Commander!” A familiar voice called out to them. Rex appeared from the white flurries and let his shoulders drop once he spotted them. “Kriff!” The Captain exclaimed. “The boys and I thought you two were caught in that explosion.”
“No, Rex.” Anakin said, getting to his feet, his legs throbbing from the cold. The Jedi sucked in a chilly breath as his frozen muscles stretched out. “Got out just in time.” He reached down and helped Ahsoka to her feet. She was dizzy, he could tell. Anakin knew exactly what she felt like, over-extending your Force abilities comes with many consequences. All of which he had learned the hard way. He needed to get her to a transport ship.
“The rest of the battalion is already loaded up. Four ships had headed into the atmosphere and the Resolute is on course for an immediate evac.” Rex explained, shouting over the storm.
“Alright then let’s-” Anakin began, but the sounds of blasters activating around them interrupted his response. He could barely see, but he sensed them now. They were surrounded on all sides by droids with blasters aimed at their heads. He watched Ahsoka's hand reach for her lightsaber but he grabbed it and shook his head. She looked so worn out, she didn’t even give him a look like she usually would.
“You are surrounded, Jedi.” The tactical droids electronic voice declared. It stepped out in front of them, two destroyer droids rolling in next to it.
“General.” Anakin could hear Rex whisper to him from behind. “This is not good.” But Anakin already knew that. If it was only himself, Anakin would attempt to fight. But, there were too many aimed blasters and they were fully surrounded. Ahsoka was still recovering from the blast and Anakin couldn’t risk her getting more injured in a useless attempt at escape.
“Surrender, Jedi. Hand over your weapons.” The tactical droid commanded. Anakin could feel Ahsoka step closer to him as the battle droids inched in, closing the circle around them.
“Master?” Ahsoka whimpered, eyeing the blasters. Anakin looked down at her, he could tell she wanted to try and fight. She would try it too, if he gave the command. But he couldn’t risk it. He couldn’t risk her or Rex. Kriff! He didn’t want her to be here. Why did Rex have to come back looking for them? They shouldn’t be taken because of him.
“Trust me, okay? Just trust me.” Anakin said before he took a step forward towards the tactical droid. The wind pulled at his coat and he did his best to not shiver from the cold. “We surrender.” Once the words left his mouth, he could feel his heart drop. He suddenly remembered who’s droid battalion they were going against, and he knew Trench had a reputation to keep.
“Smart choice.” The droid responded. “Now hand over your lightsabers and blasters.” Anakin's hand went to his ‘saber. He clutched it in his real hand, feeling the hum of his crystal inside. But it was ripped from his grasp by the droid and he glanced back to see Ahsoka scowl as they confiscated her ‘sabers as well.
“Careful with those, clanker.” Rex huffed as the droids took his pistols. “Don’t wanna hurt yourself.”
“Admiral Trench will be pleased with our success today.” The tactical droid said to his battalion before leading the three prisoners back to their base.
<<<>>>
The Separatist compound was an oppressing view on the snowy landscape in front of them. It was out of place next to the shimmering glaciers and snow capped mountains behind on the horizon. The march to the compound did nothing to help Anakin's frostbite, or Ahsoka's weak condition. By the time they reached the towering, metallic, walls of the enemy base, Anakin could hardly feel anything below his knees and Ahsoka was leaning onto Rex for support. Throughout their trek to the compound Anakin had sent messages, emotions really, over his bond between him and Ahsoka. Silent check-ups to make sure she was alright, which she had responded to most. However, now he senses she was using all her concentration to not collapse in front of their captors.
When they reached the interior of the base, Force Suppressing Binders were placed around Anakin's and Ahsoka's wrists and they were then led through a dark hallway to their cell. It was a small room, dark and cold. There was a small rectangular window in the corner, but it was covered in snow, obstructing any light from entering the cell. The room was barely warmer than the outside. Sheets of frost crept along the corners and around the edges of the window. Curiosity hit Anakin as he imagined how cold it would get once the sun set on this planet, but he pushed that thought from his mind. The door hissed closed behind Rex and Anakin could hear him mumble an insult at the droids.
“Don’t worry, Rex.” Anakin spoke, trying his best to stay optimistic. “I’m sure they will send a rescue party sooner or later.” He knew they would. The Council would have to. Both he and his padawan, as well as a clone captain have been taken prisoner by the Separatists. Anakin truly believed they would make their rescue a top priority, at least, that’s what he was telling himself.
“I’m not worried about that, General.” Rex replied. He removed his helmet and let out a breath. “I’m worried about the time between now and that rescue. You know just as well as I that Admiral Trench is known for getting information out of his prisoners. If he wants to know something, he will make sure one of us tells him.” Simultaneously, both men glanced over at Ahsoka. She has settled down in the corner of the cell. Knees pulled to her chest, head lowered and covered by her hood. Anakin could almost see the fatigue radiating off of her. He so wished she wasn’t here with him. He should have sent her ahead with the rest of their troops. He should have called the retreat earlier. He should have pulled her farther away from the explosion so she wouldn’t be so weak now. “General?” Rex says, pulling Anakin from his thoughts. He was still looking at Ahsoka, nearly unconscious in the corner. The binders on her wrists making it even more difficult to recover, Anakin himself felt nauseous from them.
“All we can do is get some rest right now.” Anakin turns back to his captain. “Let’s not worry about Trench at the moment. Let’s just focus on not freezing in this cell tonight.” Rex nodded and placed his helmet back on as Anakin walked over to Ahsoka. Her head lifted up, sensing his presence.
“Hey, Master.” She greeted with a quiet tone. Anakin could see her blue lips and shivering fingers. He slid down the wall and settled next to his padawan. With his hands bound together, he couldn’t place an arm around her, but Ahsoka tucked her head under his arm and laid her head on his chest. Anakin felt suddenly warmer.
“Focus on your breathing, snips.” He instructs her. “It will help you stay warm.” He knew that meditation would help defend against the cold, but he also hoped she would sleep, she needed to rest. Anakin shut his own eyes and could feel Rex sitting down next to him. All they had to do was make it through the night. Anakin would think of a plan in the morning.