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Under the moonlit mountains of Tatooine stands Ahsoka in battle, swinging both of her green lightsabers. The red lightsaber is hard to miss, Anakin already senses the Sith he’s about to face.
Anakin immediately orders Rex to lower the ship. What was supposed to be a peaceful mission in the barren desert has now turned dark. Ahsoka holds her ground, making strikes at her opponent with confidence. Her opponent blocks her attacks effortlessly, Ahsoka is quick, but her skills are no match against this Sith Lord.
Anakin feels a sudden surge of pain, he can only assume Ahsoka has taken a hit. It hardly slows her movements, but Anakin feels his anger rise. He remembers fighting him alongside Obi-Wan back when he was Padawan. He glances at his cybernetic hand—a reminder of where his overconfidence led him. Ahsoka is not ready to face a Sith Lord on her own.
Rex guides the ship to a lower altitude, giving Anakin the perfect opportunity to leap into action. He trusts Ahsoka’s abilities but she shouldn’t have to face this fight alone.
Anakin flies through the night air, landing with a quiet thud on the sands of the forsaken desert planet. He always hated sand. He hated returning to the planet that only ever brought him pain and destruction.
They are far from civilization, it would take hours to traverse the long stretch of desert to the nearest outpost, even on an Eopie. It makes Anakin question how the separatists found out about their mission.
It doesn’t take long for either fighter to notice his arrival.
“Count Dooku,” Anakin spits.
Dooku separates himself from the battle, creating a Force bubble and pushing it against the two Jedi. Ahsoka slides backwards, anchoring herself with both lightsabers in the sand. The air sizzles with tension.
Anakin places his hand on the sand, using the Force to anchor himself to the ground. He remains untouched despite Dooku’s efforts. The dust barely has a chance to settle before Anakin looks at Dooku with a sneer, gripping the hilt of his blue lightsaber and igniting it.
“Finally, a challenge.” Dooku says with his usual condescending tone while pointing his red lightsaber at Anakin.
Ahsoka stands a few feet behind her Master, sensing the anger radiating within him.
Ahsoka is surprised by Anakin’s arrival—she thought she had the mission under control. She secured the package and relayed the separatist intel to the ship. She just wasn’t expecting to encounter Count Dooku.
Anakin charges towards Dooku, clashing his blue lightsaber against the red lightsaber with full force. Ahsoka runs up behind him, holding both her lightsabers up. Together, they could overwhelm him.
Dooku twists and turns, deflecting each strike with ease. As Anakin holds his attention, making quick, ferocious strikes, Ahsoka takes the opportunity to get behind the Sith. She does a flip to ensure she remains out of Dooku’s reach as he turns, and uses one of her lightsabers to slice Dooku’s cape. Landing on her feet, she remains behind the Sith using this moment to her advantage by kicking the lightsaber right out of Dooku’s hand.
Dooku uses his remaining strength in the Force and pushes Anakin and Ahsoka backwards—their toes dragging in the sand. Anakin watches Dooku steam with fury as he turns his attention towards Ahsoka. He knows what’s coming next.
Without further thought, Anakin dives in front of Ahsoka, tumbling into the sand as he is electrocuted by Sith lightning. His teeth clench, every nerve ending in his body feels like it’s on fire as he loses consciousness.
Ahsoka leaps up, using the Force to lift the sand and sends a whirlwind of it towards Count Dooku, creating a dust cloud to block his line of sight. She spots a trail of blood in the sand, and she looks around frantically for the source, only to find it’s her own. Ahsoka had forgotten about the wound she had gotten from Dooku earlier. She suspects an hour in the bacta tank will resolve it.
Ahsoka patiently waits for Anakin to regain consciousness. Every second that goes by increasingly puts her on edge. Once the dust settles they will no longer have cover. Anakin grumbles to himself as he becomes more alert. He mumbles curses and Ahsoka helps him to his feet. This is not the first time Ahsoka has witnessed her Master getting electrocuted by Sith lightning.
Anakin takes a deep breath to regroup himself fully. He eyes himself to make sure he isn’t injured. He does the same for Ahsoka but tilts his head with concern when he notices the blood dripping down Ahsoka’s leg. “We better get out of here Snips, I’m sure the separatist droids are on their way.”
The thick dust clouds remain, and there is a faint luminance of approaching ship lights. Anakin and Ahsoka sigh with relief when they realize it’s Rex. The two Jedi waste no time getting back on board the ship running at full speed giving them the momentum they need to leap into the hovering ship. There was no winning against Count Dooku today, but in Anakin’s mind, they have won. They have the separatist intel, Ahsoka is safe, and no one lost a limb.
Back on the ship, Anakin senses Ahsoka’s disappointment with how her mission ended. Even without the Force Anakin can see by the way Ahsoka slumps her shoulders and fiddles with her bandage that she’s upset. He knows how much Ahsoka values missions with higher responsibilities. He wants to remind her that she has not failed because she needed extra reinforcement—that accepting help does not mean defeat.
He takes a seat beside her. “Do you want to hear about my first encounter with Count Dooku?”
Ahsoka remains slumped in her seat. She nods so Anakin continues. “When I was a padawan, I was confident too. If anything, I was over-confident. During our fight, Dooku made a move I wasn’t prepared for, and ended up slicing off my arm. If I had been more patient and observant of my opponent I believe it could have gone differently.”
Anakin sighs and looks down into his lap. He’s not a fan of sharing personal experiences, but he knows that sharing these stories of his past will help Ahsoka learn from his mistakes.
Ahsoka listens to his words carefully, thinking back to her mission, and how she believed she could take Count Dooku on her own. Maybe she was naive.
“That’s why I felt so much anger when I saw him, I was reminded of that day when he showed me no mercy. I was afraid that he would do the same to you.”
She is surprised by Anakin’s honesty. He typically does not share this part of himself with her even if she feels it through their connection in the Force.
“I’m sorry, Snips. I know that you hoped to complete this mission on your own. I am aware that learning involves struggling, but my role as your Master means I must protect you, especially if your life is in danger. Dooku is one of the most skilled duelists in the galaxy, even the most experienced Jedi Masters have lost their lives.”
“Thank you Master for sharing your experience, I really appreciate it,” Ahsoka says with a smile.
Anakin stands up, leaving Aksoka to her thoughts. “Remember you have proven yourself to be a great warrior, Ahsoka.”
Deep down, Ahsoka is grateful Anakin stepped in. He never underestimates her abilities and will always support her when she needs it most. She hopes that one day she can be as brave and kind as Anakin. He is a great mentor and warrior, but most importantly he is a great friend.