Chapter 1

Hoth was a cold unforgiving world. But they really had no choice in the matter. He looked out at various Rebel soldiers and officers scurrying about with Tauntauns screaming as they were being led to their holding areas. Anakin Skywalker pushed his hands back through his hair as he thought of what had transpired since their victory at the Battle of Yavin nearly four years earlier. He had lost many good friends, not the least of whom was his former master Obi-Wan Kenobi. In the intervening time, however, Anakin had gained the friendship of new comrades—most notably the young rogue and smuggler Han Solo and his copilot—the mighty Wookie—Chewbacca. It had helped that Anakin's twin children had also formed close friendship with their newfound friends. They had all sacrificed so much. The victory against the Empire had been bittersweet. Asajj Ventress and her Imperial agents had chased the Rebels across the galaxy, forcing them to vacate their well-established base on Yavin IV…which is why I am on this blasted ice-box, thought Anakin as he looked at the snow-covered tundra beyond him.

Not everything was for naught however. In the interim, Anakin personally led teams of Rebels to scour the galaxy in search of the missing younglings he had helped escape the ruins of the Temple following the Jedi Purge. They had found a few of the children including a much older and wiser Sors Bandeam—the young boy who had been brave enough to step out of the shadows and speak with Anakin on behalf of the other younglings who had been in hiding. Anakin's heart cried out to find the one person he missed outside of his own master and his family. Ashoka Tano had left a gaping hole in his heart since her departure from the Jedi Order at the height of the Clone Wars. He knew she was alive. He was almost sure that she knew all of his secrets. His mind brought him back to one of the last times they spoke with each other.

"The Jedi Order is your life!" He pled with her. "You can't just throw it away like this. Ahsoka, you're making a mistake."

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

"I understand," he said. "More than you realize, I understand wanting to walk away from the Order." She paused for a moment and then responded.

"I know." His eyes widened. She began to walk away from his toward the large steps of the Jedi Temple. He turned to face her.

"Hey Snips…" She smiled rolling her eyes slightly.

"What is it Skyguy?"

"You know what I'm going through?" She laughed as she faced him.

"Let's just say I don't think it's an accident that I got the best advocate possible on Coruscant. You definitely pulled some strings there for me." He smiled at her. The two friends—master and apprentice—embraced seemingly for the last time.

"Take care of yourself out there."

"You too."

Anakin snapped out of the vision with a warm smile on his face. She definitely knew his secrets. He needed to find her. More than ever, they needed all the help they could get. Ben Kenobi had been right about that. His master's "disappearing act" had struck him as odd but it hadn't entirely surprised him. After all, Anakin had heard the voices of other people who had been long gone. All he and his wife had ever wanted had been peace in order to raise their children up in the quiet comfort of their respective families. The Force had other ideas regarding the destinies of the Skywalker family.

Suddenly, he felt the presence of his wife standing behind him as some bits of snow and ice passed by them. This brought him out of his ruminations. Anakin couldn't help but crack a smile.

"Do you even try to sneak up on me anymore?"

"Now you know that's all but impossible for me dear." Said Padmé. She grabbed his arm and squeezed it gently.

"Sola sent us a holo a few nights ago. Did I show it to you?"

"I saw it near the main deck, but I was too tired to look at it." He sighed. "I don't even think I made it back to the main chambers yesterday…I woke up near the mainframe…still looking at security holos and observational reports from the neighboring moons." Her eyes widened as she realized that this had been going on for quite some time.

"You said the same thing three nights ago Ani. You need to take a break."

"How can we?" Only with her could he completely drop his guard and let out of his frustrations and fears. "Ventress has been increasing Imperial patrols. They are looking for us specifically." Padmé sighed.

"So we lost the benefit of anonymity, does that mean we let them steal our lives too?" He smiled at his wife.

"Of course not." He leaned in and kissed her cheek softly. "Padmé..." He was about to say something more to her, when an officer interrupted them.

"General Skywalker you're needed in the South passage." He sighed as his wife leaned into him squeezing his hand.

"I'll be right there." The officer nodded his head, bowing slightly to the former Senator from Naboo. Anakin kissed his wife's lips softly. "We need to talk tonight…I'm turning in early…"

"Leia wanted my help later in the command center." He lingered a few more moments than walked out. Before he got very far, he could hear his wife's voice echoing down the corridor. "Ani, where's Luke?"

"He's out with Han monitoring the perimeter surrounding the base. He'll be back soon."