The lone Togruta sat cross-legged on the floor of her hut, staring vacantly out the window. She could hear Jai outside, practicing his lightsaber drills. It had been hard to find the materials needed to construct the red Twi'lek's weapon. Rocking her head, Ahsoka counted the beats between strikes, just as she knew her master had once done for her.
Master… Her thoughts stopped there. Fifty-odd years later, and the pain was still as strong as it had been the day she had walked away from the Jedi Order. A tear slipped down her cheek. It was worse than when she had left. Since then, Order 66 had killed and scattered the Jedi, her master had gone to the Dark Side, and then been killed by the late Darth Sidious, Senator Palpatine.
After Ahsoka found out about Darth Vader, she had gone to the planate Cato Neimoidia. She wasn't sure why, until she saw the unthinkable; Master Plo Koon's ship flying toward her. His clone troopers were trying to shoot him down. She had seen Plo's ship go down, and ran to the crash site. How anyone could survive such a crash was beyond her. But she could feel that he was still alive…though fading fast. Ahsoka had been with her oldest friend as he died. She could hear his last words clearly.
"Little 'Soka…" Plo had whispered. "Don't…hate th—" a cough wracked his body. "Don't hate the…clones…or your…your master…"
Ahsoka was jerked back to the present. Something wasn't right, she could feel it. The typical jungle sounds were all there, so nothing was too close. Yet. Then, she heard it. Shouting, running feet, and a blaster. The birds went ominously quiet. Ahsoka jumped as her door slid open with more force than usual. Jai came in, looking excited.
"Master, pirates are coming!" He all but shouted. "But they're being chased!"
Ahsoka snatched up her dual lightsabers. "Come with me." She ordered. "But stay behind me until we know who's fighting and who's running!"
As they burst from their home, the first of the pirates were just coming into the clearing. They saw the two Jedi, who stood still, waiting to see what would happen. The pirates fell into confusion, finally scattering behind trees, bushes, and Ahsoka's home, shooting every which way.
Between the lightsabers of the two Jedi, and the blasts from the pirate's unseen attackers, theWeequays were quickly subdued. Three quarters of them were dead before they finally gave up and scattered. Silence descended over the forest. Ahsoka, lightsabers still ignited, moved forward, peering into dense trees.
She could sense something. It felt familiar, yet completely different. Jai crept behind her, not sure what to make of the situation. Neither did Ahsoka. She didn't sense the Dark Side, which confused her as well.
Ahsoka spun sideways, just in time to block the blast from an unseen foe. This time, she heard muffled voices. Then, someone jumped out, swinging his ligtsaber down—not to kill, but merely to force the Togruta back. Blocking, Ahsoka Force-pushed him back. As he crashed to the ground, a woman stepped into the open. All three looked at each other and gasped.
"Master?" Ahsoka gasped. "Padme! What on earth is going on here?"
As the man climbed to his feet, Ahsoka could now see it wasn't Anakin.