Soaked in pain

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Anakin always told her that it was just as important to not over exercise the Force as it was to not over exercise her body, but he wasn't exactly a great example, was he?

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Being able to use the Force was pretty cool.

Ahsoka loved everything about it, from the look of pride across Anakin's face when she mastered a difficult feat, to the chuckles of the clones whenever she nearly toppled Rex's mug of caf over, only for the quick-on-his-feet Captain to save it from spilling, shooting an annoyed look her way although it was underlined with amusement.

When she was really tired after a mission, Ahsoka didn't need to get up to switch off the lights- she'd just do it from her bunk. As much as she complained about meditation, there was no way to describe the blissful peace she felt after emerging from a long session with Obi-Wan or Master Plo.

The bond she had with Anakin was precious, one of her most treasured and personal possessions. She wouldn't trade it for a galaxy, and even the thought of living without it makes her nauseous. She loves being able to communicate with her Master without words or even facial expressions. The bond was always there, a light in the darkness, warmth in the cold.

The only bad part of the Force was the side effects of using it in ways that she wasn't ready for.

Although encouraged to trust the Force, younglings were also taught that overexerting themselves was not the aim. They all knew of older Jedi whose abilities had been so overused that they became physically disabled, usually losing their sight or hearing as a side effect.

Anakin always told her that it was just as important to not over exercise the Force as it was to not over exercise her body, but he wasn't exactly a great example, was he?

Ahsoka felt like shit.

It hurt to do anything besides breathe.

She was slumped on a log with her head resting in her hand, focusing on inhaling and exhaling slowly as her body tried to process what she had just put it through. The throbbing in her head was louder than any order that Rex was shouting at his men.

Thankfully, the battle was over. That much, Ahsoka could be glad for.

She'd seen Anakin push through the pain of overexertion before. It was always frightening, the way he swayed and couldn't hold eye contact. She tried to stay with him afterwards, after the first time she found him collapsed in his quarters and on the verge of comatose.

She couldn't remember anything, too much mental strain causing her memories to be sluggish and blurred, but she was pretty sure she sat down by herself.

Coric was on her left, kneeling in the dirt. She tried to focus on the painted designs of his armour, but keeping her eyes open for any longer than a few seconds made her head spin. He was only there to keep an eye on her really, and witnessing Anakin like this too many times to count, he knew what to do.

He kept quiet, not needing to ask where the pain was or if she wanted anything for it. No amount of morphine or entonox could ease this. Once they were back on the Resolute, he could maybe give her a cool pack for her head, but it would just be a case of resting and staying hydrated until she recovered. She wouldn't even need to stay in the medbay.

A gloved hand touched her shoulder, the sensation of the rough fabric against her skin making her cringe. Jaig eyes came into view, "You alright, Commander?"

She nodded, long and slow, unable to come up with a coherent response. Words sloshed around her brain, dizzying her even more. Rex's helmet tilted as he spoke to Coric, their conversation going straight over her head.

          

There was one thing she wanted to know, one person's face she couldn't get out of her mind. Rex was about to leave but stalled the moment her fingers brushed his vambrace, immediately giving her his full attention.

"Anakin?"

"On his way," her Captain assured with a nod, "ETA is two minutes."

Rex left, and Ahsoka wrapped her arms around her middle. She felt cold, even in the post-battle adrenaline high and on a planet that was hot and humid. In her peripheral, Coric shifted, "How are you feeling, sir?"

She closed her eyes and rubbed her eyelids, "Like someone scooped out my brain, put it in a blender, and then stuffed it back into my skull."

Coric chuckled, "You and the General are so very alike, Commander. He says the same thing."

She huffed a laugh, going back to cradling her head, fingers rubbing against her temples. "There are more wounded, Sergeant. I'll be fine until my Master gets here."

"Yes, sir," he replied without any protest, knowing that arguing would only make her feel worse, and she was right. She wasn't physically injured, only exhausted and suffering from a reeling migraine. He was needed elsewhere.

Once the medic left to join the others, Ahsoka slid off the log as best as she could whilst seeing double of everything. She was getting light-headed, her body working overtime to recover after whatever she put it through. She couldn't really remember the specifics, only the burning feeling that she needed to protect her men.

The dizziness eased some once she was laying down, her feet propped on the log to improve blood flow, and her arm splayed over her face to protect her eyes from all the light. A twinge in her side made her wince, an injury she hadn't noticed yet. Maybe she should've let Coric check her over like he insisted, but if she hadn't bled out yet, and the pain wasn't unbearable, then it was probably fine.

Her montrals picked up the vibrations of heavy footsteps approaching, the weight and tread of the boots alerting her of his presence before he nudged her Force-signature with his own. Lazily, Ahsoka lifted her arm and gave him a half-hearted wave, making no effort to get up or lift her head.

"I don't know if I should be impressed that you saved two squadrons by creating a Force-umbrella to protect them from a hailstorm of debris, or angry?"

Oh, so that's what she did.

Ahsoka made a noncommittal noise in response, and Anakin chuckled, taking a knee beside her.

"I think I'll spare you a lecture." He carried on, "This is a killer punishment in itself."

"You can say that again," she muttered, finally lifting her arm away from her face to squint at her Master. He was covered in ash and dirt, a tired look on his faced, but there was a smile on his lips.

"I'm proud of you, kiddo."

"I know," she let her eyes close again, inhaling sharply through her nose. "I feel like crap though."

"You will do." She felt his fingers brush against her side, gently pulling away the torn fabric though it still made her wince. He sighed, "Oh, Snips."

"Is it bad?"

"You've survived worse." A gloved hand clutched her own, giving it a squeeze. "I can probably slap a bacta patch on it myself. Can you stand?"

Grumbling, she pushed herself upright, immediately squeezing her eyes tighter closed. She felt nauseous, and for several seconds, she just took deep breaths to try to keep her stomach from rejecting its contents.

A warm, flesh hand cupped her bicep, a metal one sliding around her waist, "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

Standing up didn't make anything any better. Ahsoka almost slumped straight back to the ground if not for Anakin's supportive grip on her. Her head dropped against his chest, her entire body trembling as it fought the change in position that wasn't helping her recover.

"Easy," Anakin murmured when she let out a whimper, "Take your time. There's no rush."

She let herself leaned against him until the world stopped spinning and she knew which way was upright. She could hear the gunships overhead, taking troopers back to the cruiser. The thought of sitting in a loud metal box made her feel sick, and her fingers twisted in Anakin's robe tighter.

The ride back to the Resolute was somewhat of a blur. Generally, from what she'd seen when this happened to Anakin, the symptoms of overexertion got worse before they got better. Ahsoka couldn't even hold onto the overhead straps, relying entirely on Rex and Anakin to hold her up whilst her forehead banged repeatedly onto Rex's pauldron with every jolt of turbulence.

She was halfway across the hanger when her knees buckled. Anakin caught her before she hit the floor, easily scooping her up into a carry. She had to praise his ability to stay calm, even in his Force-signature, whilst she was unresponsive to even yes or no questions.

She could remember waking up in Anakin's quarters a few times on the journey back. The lights were always off, the rough blankets swapped out for thin sheets that didn't feel so abrasive against her sensitive skin.

"Snips," Anakin brushed his fingers over her cheek, "I didn't want to wake you, but you need to drink this. Kix's orders."

Grumbling, Ahsoka didn't open her eyes but sniffed the substance he was offering. It was one of the ridiculously sweet and artificially flavoured energy gels that were given to the men who weren't well enough to eat a full meal but still needed the calories.

She turned her head away from her Master, pretending she'd fallen back asleep. Her head felt a lot better, but she was still exhausted.

"Ahsoka," Anakin chided gently, "Come on. You either drink it by choice, or I carry you to the medbay and Kix hooks you up to fluids. It's up to you."

The thought of the bright medbay lights raining down on her was enough to make Ahsoka nauseous. She took the energy gel, forcibly swallowing the thick and sweet meal replacement before rolling onto her other side. She was asleep before Anakin even shut the door behind him, leaving her in peace.

She managed to walk into the Temple herself, Anakin hovering a step behind in case she took a funny turn. He dismissed her to their quarters, promising he would handle the report to the Council, and for once, Ahsoka was glad to be excused from all the boring post-mission malarky.

Obi-Wan was waiting for her in their living room, two cups of tea already waiting and letting off puffs of steam. He looked up from his datapad at the sound of her collapsing against the couch cushions beside him. "Anakin called."

"Did he?" She asked without being too interested in the answer.

She still didn't feel like herself. It was like she was somewhere between awake and asleep, every sense amplified whilst her body felt numb at the same time. The ticking of the chrono of the wall was agonising, whereas the softness of the couch went unnoticed. She knew she ought to find a comfier position or else her neck would start protesting, but she felt utterly drained.

"Ahsoka," she lifted her head off the arm of the sofa to look at Obi-Wan. He wore a sympathetic expression, "Would you like me to put you in a healing trance?"

She could've cried with relief, "Please, Master."

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