I raced along shores of fire and ash, running to the two fighting on the distant banks. . . but I wasn't fast enough. Obi-wan was cast into the fire as Anakin fort to the last, against the towering foe. Anakin was being beaten down into the ashes, as his foe hammered him with his lightsaber. I ran up, lightsabre in hand and I took the figures head off, and watched as it fell into the fires. I raced to Anakin's side, as he struggled to breath.
'Ahsoka. . .' he wheezed.
'Anakin, I'm here. . . I'm here. . .' I looked him over, he still had his cybernetic arm, but his other was gone. . .
'Ahsoka. . .' he wheezed.
'Breath, Anakin, please just breath!' I ordered him, looking at the scars on his head.
'Ahsoka. . .' he looked me in the eyes, moving close, 'Ahsoka. . .'
'. . . Anakin?' I asked, moving closer, my lips almost touching his.
'Why did you leave?!' his lightsabre ignited through my chest, 'Why did you leave!'
He pushed me off of him, and he cast me into the fire.
'You failed your master!'
'Anakin!' I jolted from my bunk, screaming his name.
'Ahsoka!?' the door to my room opened, standing there was Ardonda, half dressed, 'You ok?'
'Yeah, Salk I'm. . . fine.' I returned to reality, I rubber my eyes, getting up from the bunk.
'Thank god, I thought it found-never mind. . .' he raced off, leaving the door open.
'. . . great.' I got off of my bunk and started changing into my discarded clothes on the floor.
As I stepped out into the hallway, I saw a buzz droid running down the hallway, I was getting ready to chase after it, but Salk came running down the hallway after it.
'Get back here, you cross wired heap!' he screamed at it, I laughed, thinking of the good times.
But remembering my dreams. . . somethings wrong with those. . . "good" times. I moved through the hallway, through the workshop to see Ardonda slamming the droid over a table.
'Eat scrap!' he shouted at it, before he notice me, 'land owner doesn't get rent in person, he expects you to go to him, or else these buggers show up.'
He booted up the Holo-projector, and began screening the news.
'I'm getting a Caf, want one?' I asked, walking to the kitchen.
'I'll take a half.' He answered.
'Right. . . right. . .' I walked into the kitchen.
I grabbed two cups and walked to the dispenser, I place on cup underneath a pressed a button on it. As it dispensed a drink, I was there watching, listening, until I heard something.
'-the incident at the Temple has had limited coverage, but there was, in fact, a confirmation that there was a Jedi on the scene-' I dropped the other cup in my hand, I raced out to see Ardonda, shutting off the Holo-projector.
'Turn it on!' I demanded, but he refused, crossing his arms as he blocked me from passing.
I raised my hand, and swatted him to the side. I ran up, starting it up to show a front and side picture of a familiar face.
'-To our knowledge, Jocasta Nu was a historian within the Temple when the Jedi during the time of the Republic, but just as the Empire arose from the Republic, the Extremists arose from the Peace Keepers. Madam Nu was also responsible for an incident that occurred, merely hours prior-' Ardonda shut off the Projector.
'. . sorry. . .' he told me, holding the cup of Caf out to me.
I took it and downed it, setting it on the table before marching off into the workshop, leaving Ardonda alone.
I haven't seen her in a while, I continued with repairs and prepared to leave for some parts, but I didn't have hope she would be coming. . . even though I guess. . . I did hope she would.
'Salk?' I turned and saw her walking towards me, 'leaving?'
'Yeah, I got a hit on a few parts, was wondering if you wanna come or-' I began, before she passed me and sat on my speeder bike.
'I. . . need to go.' She said, crypticly.
'. . . on my bike?' I asked, tilting my head to its side.
'Yes, I'm going. . . to the temple.' She told me, starting i\it up.
'. . . Are you. . . crazy!' I shouted at the last part, I grabbed onto the handlebars, 'if that Jedi died there just a few rotations ago, then Temples bound to be crawling with Imps! Ahsoka, that's stupid, and it's me telling you that.'
'Ardonda. . . my dreams are just. . . pain. . . I can't keep going not knowing if there will ever be good again. . . I want my dreams to end. . . please. . .' I didn't shift, I watched her for a sign of weakness, but. . . she would not give in.
I sighed, and released the handle bars.
'Go. . . die then.' I turned my back on her.
She started to slowly leave the workshop, and I stood there with my arms crossed.
'. . . Hell. . . Ahsoka!' I raced after her through the hanger door to see her waiting for me, 'I'm driving!'
We speed through the sky, avoiding major traffic lanes across Coruscant, we made our way to the derelict structure in the distance. I held onto Ardonda, my mind elsewhere. I was afraid, confused and wary. I had no idea what we were embarking on, but I had to know. . .
'Ahsoka.' Salk's voice brought me back, 'Somethings up, I can't see any Imps.'
'There must be. . .' I looked around, we were almost over the temple, and there wasn't anyone in sight, '. . . take us down there.'
'. . . Alright.' He sped downwards, he drove us right before the gates of the Temple, but he was right. There was no one in sight.
He landed us on the steps before the entrance, I stepped off first, he followed after me.
'No sentries. . . motion sensors. . . its like. . .' he began.
'It was picked clean.' I finished, racing up the stairs.
'Wait up!' I passed the stone pillars at the entrance, only to be greeted by a sealed door, recently installed, 'woah. . . military standard.'
'This. . . is wrong.' I struck the metal, I reached to my belt where my lightsabre would have been, but. . .
'Alright, step back.' Salk stepped up beside me, setting down a bag and pulling out a fusion cutter, 'this will be a while.'
I was cutting through the door with the cutter for nearly ten minutes, I was almost done. Everything was nearly full circle. As I worked however, I could feel it, her unease. . . she was uncomfortable. She was a different person here: strong, stoic and sad. It hurts. . . being here must be painful for her. It makes me feel like the Ahsoka I knew, the friendly optimist with a. . . beautiful laugh, was somewhere else while. Would I see her again after this?!
'Done yet?' she asked, I finished the circle and reached into my bag.
'Almost.' I pulled out a small explosive and set it on the door, 'this will complete the breach.'
'Are you crazy?! Someone will hear it!' she complained.
'It's a directional charge, it will force it inward, and the plating on top of the charge will contain any outward bursts.' I primed it, 'it's honestly quieter than a light freighter ignition.'
We both took position outside the stone pillars outside the temple.
'Ready?' I asked, she nodded, and I pulled out the detonator from my pack, 'here we go.'
Flash. Bang. Clang.
