Chapter 16: Welcome Home

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Ahsoka was in bed the entire way back from Mandalore. Though Anakin had closed her wound, her body still needed time to heal. Anakin slept, a lot, often as close to Ahsoka's bed as he could be. The two spent most of their time under the caring eye of Padmé, who wanted to make sure both of them were resting.
"Ahsoka, we want you to come to Naboo with us for a few weeks." Padmé said while the couple was playing space chess with Ahsoka.
"Of course! What's our mission?" She asked. Padmé laughed.
"No mission. Just for fun."
"Just for fun? I don't know if I've ever gone anywhere just for fun."
"Well then it'll be a nice change. We're going to ask Rex and Obi Wan to join us as well, before we have to go bring even more balance to the galaxy."
"I'd be happy to join you." Ahsoka smiled.
"Exiting hyper space in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1." The ship came to a halt over coruscant, then quickly sped down to the surface. When they landed, Luke and Leia were already waiting for them with Bail Organa and his wife, who had agreed to take care of the twins if they came to be too much for the Jedi, which apparently, they had. As soon as Padmé stepped out of the ship Luke and Leia came running toward her.
"Mom!" They called as they barreled into her arms. Anakin came out of the ship but was immediately joined by Yoda. He looked longingly over at his children as yoda spoke.
"Healed your Padawan, Obi wan said you had. Wish to see this power before their own eyes, the council does."
"I will show you, master. I will be in the meeting room as soon as I can." Yoda nodded, and headed back toward his transport.
"He felt the weight of two small children attacking his legs.
"Luke! Leia!" He said. Pulling them both into his arms.
"What did you learn while we were gone?" He asked. The skywalker twins looked at eachother then turned back to their father.
"This!" They said in unison, twining their hands together and raising their free hands up. As their hands raised, so did Anakin's feet off the ground. He laughed, but was quickly silenced as he was dropped back to the ground. He started laughing again.
"Look at you two! You'll be ready to be Jedi by the next time I blink." Leia grinned. Obi Wan was next off the ship.
"Bee!" The twins called, running toward him. Obi Wan's face broke into a tired grin as he kneeled to say hello to the children. Finally came Ahsoka, being helped off the ship by Rex.
"Soka! Rex!" They ran away from Obi Wan and toward the pair.
"Careful, buggers, Ahsoka isn't prepared to handle the night of you two yet." Rex bent down and picked up Luke, still managing to support Ahsoka as the medical staff came to take her to the hospital. Leia took Ahsoka's hand, as lightly as she could. And walked with her down to the gurney. Ahsoka sat down, still holding on to Leia's hand. Leia let go to wave goodbye as the droid took her to a medical transport.
"Bye bye Soka!" She called, waving. As soon as Ahsoka was out of sight, Leia ran back to Rex.
"Up." She demanded, looking him right in the eye. He set Luke back in his feet and picked up Leia. Rex was one of the few people Leia actually wanted to hold her.
"You are going to be a mini Ahsoka aren't you?" He asked her. She nodded with a grin on her face. Anakin grimly shook his head.
"Obi Wan and I have to head back to the Jedi Temple to discuss, uh, what happened when's e killed Maul." Anakin said. He kissed Padmé lightly, then left to the speeder.
"I have a senate meeting." Padmé said.
"I'll take one of the tornado twins ma'am, but I don't know if I can handle both." Rex said, subtly offering to baby sit.
"Take Leia, Luke is tired enough to sit through a meeting. Thanks Rex!"
"Only doing my duty Mrs. Skywalker." Rex saluted, then walked away with Leia, secretly glad.

"Master skywalker, healed your Padawan using the force, did you not?"
"I did, master yoda."
"Used the dark force, did you?"
"No master yoda."
"Recreate this power for us, will you?" Anakin nodded.
"Master Koon?" Yoda asked. Plo Koon stood up showing a cut in his arm from a mission that he hadn't gotten healed. He held his arm out for Anakin, and Anakin did what he did with Ahsoka, though much less taxing. The Jedi council gasped as they watched the wound knit itself together.
"Learn this power, how did you." Yoda asked.
"I was desperate to save Ahsoka. There were no supplies around to close the wound. I remembered palpatine telling me there was a way to save loved ones from death, but using the dark side. When I pictured her wound closing, I saw only light."
"Interesting this is, teach the council, maybe you will someday?"
"If it's a teachable ability, then yes, master yoda."
"All, that will be today. Thank you, masters." Yoda hopped off of his chair, and the meeting was over.

"I have returned from Mandalore bringing good news. Mandalore has officially joined the Galactic Republic, and the known Sith Lord, Darth Maul, is dead!" The senate cheered.
"Now, I move that we continue bringing more and more systems into our Grand Republic, and when we have done all we can to grow our Beautiful democracy, we shall bring an end to slavery on all systems." The senate cheered and clapped.
"I will be taking a temporary leave to return to my home on Naboo. In my absence, Senator Bail Organa will take my place. I bid thee luck in your negotiations, senators. I declare this meeting, adjourned." Padmé looked down at Luke who was clapping along with the senate. He loved the sounds of the senate, the cheers and the claps, and his mother's voice. He reached up and Padmé scooped him into her arms. The podium returned to its door, and Padmé set Luke on his feet. He grabbed her hand as the two made their way down the hall, back toward Padmés office where the twins had a permanent enclosure set up for them to play in, without causing too much destruction.

"Alright kid, what do you want to do while we wait for your daddy to come get you?" They we're outside the Jedi temple. Leia thought for a moment before putting her small hand on the blaster attached to his side. Rex rolled his eyes. That's all she ever wanted to do, was shoot the blaster. He always set it to stun, of course. He set up a few cans on top of a stone wall, then stepped behind Leia carefully.
"Alright little one. Remember what I taught you last time." Leia nodded. She aimed the blaster at the first can and fired. It was a perfect shot, of course.
"Nice shot Princess!" He said as she aimed the second one. She fired, and it hit perfectly again.
"You know Rex, if you keep reaching her to shoot like that, she might even become a better shot than you." Anakin walked toward them, smiling with his arms crossed. Leia handed the blaster back to Rex, then scrambled up to sit on his shoulders.
"I reckon so, sir." Rex stood up, making Leia tower far above her father.
"Come on Princess, time to go home." Rex lifted Leia off of his head and handed her back to her father.
"Rex, you should come to Naboo with us. It would a nice time off before we start taking the Outer Rim territories."
"I'd be glad to join you sir." Rex said, walking back toward his speeder to head back to the Clone building. Anakin smiled. He had told Rex before that he didn't need to call him sir, but apparently it was a hard habit to break.
"Hey little warrior. You ready to go home?" Leia nodded. Anakin set her in top of his shoulder and she hugged onto his head. Anakin smiled, he hadn't realized how much he missed her.

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