As she stepped forward, Ahsoka had no time to comprehend what had happened. Multiple fleeting, enormous shadows leaped out from behind the nearest building, rushing towards the frozen Jedi apprentice.

Her twin lightsabers barely ignited in time. As she desperately tried to fend the thugs off, Ahsoka felt her arms tremble. Her strength was already dropping. High stamina levels were no longer in existence and her body ached. Despite her numerous years of Jedi training, owning lightsabers, and possessing the ability to harness the Force, Ahsoka narrowly managed to land any fatal blows to her opponents. Her lightsaber strikes were no longer calculated, coordinated attacks; instead, they were sloppy, weak slashes that did next to nothing to protect her. The lack of food had weakened the teenaged Togruta tremendously. She realized that she was no longer fending off the thugs- she was fighting for her life.

***

"Rex, any sign of my daughter?"

The Clone Captain's heart ached for his General. He knew just how close Skywalker was to his Vod'ika — he was like a brother, and oftentimes, a father — to the loyal commander.

"I'm sorry, sir," Rex answered softly. "There's been no sign of her just yet."

"Find her, Rex," Anakin panted. "I'm on level 1313 with Jesse's squad. Let me know immediately if any leads surface."

"Of course, General."

The search for Ahsoka Tano was officially on. Unbeknownst to them, it was two Jedi Knights and their loyal Clone Troopers competing in the losing race against time.

***

Would it be easier if I just let go?

The detrimental consequences for months of self-neglect finally caught up with Ahsoka.

Give them the satisfaction to kill me. It's not like I would be missed.

Part of her held out a flicker of hope that Anakin tolerated her at least enough to search for her.

Perhaps he'll attempt to find me before abandoning me.

She missed her Master. She missed her best friend. Most of all, she missed her brother. Her brother... before she failed him. Unintentionally, a teardrop full of conflict fell from Ahsoka's eyelids, splattering onto her pale cheeks. The thought of being abandoned by the only family she had deeply wounded her fragile self-esteem. To find someone, to bring them back to safety, to reassure them that everything would be alright, then to leave them once more... that was cruel.

For the brief moment that the girl allowed her suppressed emotions to over-flow her senses, the Padawan's opponents detected the slip-up.

Letting emotions get the best of her proved to be a fatal mistake.

Her milliparsec of hesitation dealt the final blow. The unyielding punch came first, a sickening sound ringing as Ahsoka's rib cage shattered, piercing her lungs. The bone shards narrowly missed her heart. A vicious kick struck her legs next. As the figure's foot made contact with her tibia, an excruciating pain shot through her lower leg as she crumbled to the ground. They weren't done toying with her yet. A slap to her already bruised face arrived last, the impact of a rock-solid fist crushing her eye.

Ahsoka felt a warm, sticky substance trickle down the side of her face.

Blood.

Just before her victorious opponents stalked away, one of them forcefully twisted her arm behind her back, permanently deforming it.

Black spots danced in the dying girl's vision.

Goodbye, Anakin.

***
Hours later...

Perhaps it was the will of the Force that bound them together. Little did Ahsoka know, Anakin Skywalker had heard her final thoughts loud and clear. He had felt her tremendous pain. The Knight's once-prosperous facade crumbled once more, but this time, it wasn't purely bleak- the slightest glimmer of hope shone through.

I would be able to trace the message. If I trace the message, Ahsoka could be found.

It was as if he was no longer in control of his body. For the first time in years, Anakin sat down to meditate, clearing his mind as he traced the thin trail of light leading to his daughter.

The view of Coruscant at night was dazzling. He would've paused to admire it had there been nothing pressing at the moment. His vision flew past every nook and cranny at the speed of light as it twisted and turned at every corner. It was like a vivid flashback.

Slowly, the vision stopped moving. It showed Anakin the opening emerging from an alleyway.

Right there, in the dead centre of the opening, lay the limp, unmoving body of Ahsoka Tano.

***

"Sir, we found her!" Rex's voice shouted through the commlink, snapping Skywalker out of his meditation. Horror flashed through the Captain's tone, carefully hidden from his General. "... sir? You might wanna see this."

"I'm coming, Rex."

Jumping to his feet, Anakin ran out of the Temple and into the rowdy Coruscanti streets, desperate to find his Snips.

***

Sometimes, Anakin found adrenaline useful. Other times, he found it blatantly irritating. Today, the former was the case, and he was grateful. Barely half a day had gone by, and only then did he realize just how much he really depended on her. The space that Ahsoka should've filled was replaced with a vast, gaping void to where his sister should've been. Her sarcastic jokes and snarky comments filled people's hearts with joy; without them, everything felt dull, bland and empty.

Anakin ran, the desire to have his snippy little sister back at his side consuming him. The Force seemed to lean forward in its anticipation, whispering guidance in his ear.

Left, right, another right. Stop!

The sapphire blue gleam of his lightsaber blade filled the evening air as he widened his senses- and to his terror, a humanoid shape was curled in on themselves, immense pain vastly diminished due to their unconscious state.

A humanoid shape that resembles a Togruta.

Sure enough, as Anakin brought his blade closer to the form, he saw a battered, beaten, and badly bruised young Togruta with a white-and-blue striped lekku.

Skywalker's breath hitched in his throat and his eyes widened at the eerie sight before him. It was worse than he could have ever imagined. Ahsoka lay face down as her mangled body lay in a large pool of blood, evidently having sustained countless agonizing injuries.

The Chosen One scooped his beloved apprentice into his arms, desperately searching for a pulse.

Thump...

Thump...

Thump...

Anakin sagged against the wall in relief.

She could still be saved.

Her pulse was extremely faint, nearly undetectable- but it was there.

"Rex," he whisper hoarsely into his comm, "I-I found her. She's about to fade, we need to get her to the hospital now! Sending location in 3, 2, 1."

***

"Where is my daughter?"

"General Skywalker, come in, they brought her into the surgery room a half an hour ago. She lost a lot of blood on the way over-"

"Is she alive?"

"Yes, but you have to understand. The injuries she sustained are fatal and her chances to live are slim."

"Can I see her? Please?"

"I'm doing everything I can, but the wound was already infected when she arrived."

"Snips-!"

"Skyguy..."

"I did exactly as you showed me. I always tried my best."

"I know, I know, shh. Ahsoka, you did everything just right."

"Even before I became a Knight- they said I'm not worthy."

"I know, I know, shh..."

"They said I'm not worthy."

"I know, I know, shh..."

"They said I'm not worthy."

"I know, Snips, your strength and stay alive!"

"No!"

"Padmé!"

"Is she breathing? Is she going to survive this? Who did this, Anakin, do you know?"

"Mé, I'm so sorry for forgetting what you taught me."

"My girl..."

"We learnt how to debate."

"I taught you debate."

"You would always encourage me."

"You changed the argument every time."

"I would always change the line."

"Shh, I know, I know."

"I would always change the line."

"I know, I know. Listen."

"Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf."

"Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf."

"Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf... Sept, huit, neuf... Sept, huit... sept, huit..."

As the painful, monotone sound of the heart-rate monitor grew increasingly louder, the Skywalkers let the pain gnaw at them. Their daughter. Gone. Their happiness. Gone. Ahsoka Tano was gone.

***

Anakin Skywalker stood before the Council, each Master wearing a forlorn, sympathetic expression.

"Anakin, I am so, sorry... for everything."

"We are all deeply sorry to hear of little Soka's loss," Plo Koon rumbled. "She was a bright light in all of our lives."

"You have shown such great strength and resilience in your struggle to save your apprentice."

"This is the true sign of a Jedi Master."

Finally, Obi-Wan Kenobi stepped forward, gray-blue eyes pleading.

"They're asking you back, Anakin. I'm asking you back."

Time froze as the tension in the Council Chambers mounted exponentially, each Master waiting for the Chosen One to make his decision.

"I'm sorry Master... but I'm not coming back." Obi-Wan watched as Anakin Skywalker turned away from him, slowly walking out of the Council Chambers. He was yet another person who had lost faith in the Order.

***

"Anakin! Anakin, wait, I need to talk to you! Why, are you doing this?"

"The Council didn't help Ahsoka. They didn't trust me! So how can I trust myself?"

The heartache that accompanied his best friend, his little sister, his daughter's death was one he would never forget.

Reading Ahsoka's journal.
Dispatching teams to find her.
Seeing her limp, unmoving form.
Rushing her to the hospital.
The painful, monotone droning of the heart rate monitor.
She was gone.

"What about me? I believed in you, I stood by you!"

"I know you believe in me Obi-Wan, and I'm grateful for that. But this isn't about you. I can't stay here any longer. Not now."

"The Jedi Order is your life! You can't just throw it away like this! Anakin, you are making a mistake."

"Maybe. But I have to sort this out on my own. Without the Council... and without you."

"I understand. I understand more than you think, wanting to walk away from the Order."

"I know."

With those final words, Anakin Skywalker turned away from the Jedi Temple, the place he called home for so long, the place where he grew up. With his back turned to the Temple, he walked down the steps and into the sunset. Away from the Jedi. Away from the Council. Away from his home, and away from Obi-Wan.

***

As Anakin wandered Coruscant's surface, he found himself heading towards Padmé's office, and into her open arms. She, too, knew about the devastation that Ahsoka's tragic death had caused, and the irreparable void that had filled her husband's heart. She had been there personally.

The Skywalkers move uptown.
They learn to live with the unimaginable.

***

A/N: pls i'm sorry- i truly am-