Ahsoka Tano, age-18
Anakin Skywalker, age-26
Lux Bonteri, age-19
Padme Amidala , age 31
Obi wan Kenobi, age 38
Satine Kryze, age 37
Darth Vader was never the problem. He never came into existence. It is Barriss Offee, The Dark Acolyte of the Sith, under the training of Sidious himself. She is who rules the empire into the first year after Order 66 was executed. Our heroes find themselves stuck at a means to an end, constantly on the run in search of a safe haven.
-Ahsoka-
Order Sixty-Six…it hit at the very hearts within the Jedi Temple. The home of which I had grown to know and love so dearly. The home of which I lost at the hands of those who fought beside me. The ultimate betrayal.
For the first time in my life I am scared. For all that I am, for all that I was, I was never as scared as I am now. The trust and loyalty of years, gone in the blink of an eye. I confide within myself the many ideas and ways that could have stopped all this…the way of the force, but as Jedi we follow only the teachings of the light side, not maintaining the balance.
This is where we went wrong. We ignore our most basic teaching when we entered the war. We may not have realised it then, but now as I look back on it, we royally fucked up.
My head rests against Lux's shoulder as I shut my eyes trying to rest. I'm sick and tired of running. It just won't. It has been an entire year and the empire only seems to be getting stronger.
I escaped the temple, from Barriss…with Anakin and Obi wan; the hailed galaxies' best fighting trio. We left Coruscant along with Senator Amidala in her Nabooian cruiser and hid on Naboo for about a week before we got discovered. Named and shamed all over the HoloNet, 'Padme Amidala, former Senator of the Republic, traitor'. It wasn't long after that tabloid went out before they discovered us…the most predictable place we could've gone.
Obi wan then contacted Satine Kryze. She had been mortally wounded after the short take-over of Mandalore by Darth Maul and Savage Oppress. The council had opted to allow a single fleet to go in and extract Obi wan after Anakin had a terrible vision. If we Anakin hadn't been there to manipulate Mauls force grip on Satine; she would have lost her life. Fortunately Anakin being undoubtedly one of the strongest Jedi in existence was able to stop that, however she did lose her left arm from the extensive damage and trauma.
We had been able to hide there for the course of around two months before the empire decided to take the planet by force after Satine had been strongly fighting in the senate.
During our escape, her nephew and her sister, Korkie and Bo-Katan had sacrificed themselves to the empire to allow us to escape.
After running for three months, hopping from planet to planet in the far most outer rim where the empire barely reached we managed. Low on funds and struggling to find ways of getting credits we hid on Tatooine, in the caves and slept in the ship. A couple of detonators collapsed the majority of the cave from us so whatever harmful was in there could not come out.
It gave me time to reflect and fiddle with different communication frequencies trying to find other Jedi out there. That was when I had managed to find an encoded message sent to my personal communicator. It was from Lux.
From the time we spent two whole months together, living, breathing and training in the same air. We had grown close, the army of Onderon grew stronger and the remaining rebels by the end of it took positions in the royal guard. It became one of the most highly impenetrable and fortified systems in the known galaxy.
"Dear Ahsoka,
I am sorry to hear that the temple has fallen. I've been trying to contact you for weeks. I heard the reports of you, Anakin and Obi wan escaping Coruscant, then Naboo and Mandalore. The whole galaxy has heard about you and how it's embarrassing for the empire. I knew you'd still be alive. Onderon is still un-touched by the empire and it appears that it is remaining that way. We've opened trade routes with them and have allowed empiric presence on the surface. It seems to have kept them happy for now. Our army is at full capacity and ammunitions are stockpiled. Should you need assistance…please, I urge you…contact me".
It was then the day after when I had shown Anakin, Obi wan, Satine and Padme my findings. We considered that it could have been a trap but we took our chances. It was anything better than what we had. That's how we came to find Lux.
The Empire has taken everything from us. After the inevitable take-over of Onderon we left with whatever funds Lux had left. He was an advisor to King Dendup and the Senate Representative.
We ditched the twilight in a fantastic fashion by crashing it onto a spaceport before buying one big enough for us all.
Whatever chance we got we set up for a couple days on a planet and did a few odd jobs before moving on.
Over the months spent together on the same damned ship, we grew close…too close to be considered Jedi-like. His scent. It was constantly trapped within my nostrils. I just couldn't escape it. It drove me insane. He made me feel giddy and I could barely bring myself to talk to him some days in fear of professing my feelings for him that started ever since Raxus a few years ago. I failed to hide them from Anakin on many occasions, but apart from him, everyone was oblivious.
I still revel in all the moments we've come close to kissing and all the times he accidentally touched me or helped me. The countless hands into the ship as we ran from the empire… or pirates, damn Hondo.
We generally thought that one time when the others went out to gather supplies that something terrible had happened. Lux had been there for me and surely enough he was right, they really did forget where the ship was. He had hugged me at the worst of times. Just as everyone seemed to walk up the landing ramp, they had assumed too much.
Admittedly we have grown close. Too close for what the force likes. It keep nudging me and showing me with other figures, silhouettes…not Lux. Somehow the force just doesn't like the fact that I am now with him and he is my everything. For now at least, he is what keeps me sane and tames my demons. The war and the destruction of my home really did scar me internally. I don't know how I'd gone without him in my life like this for years.
I could sense the spark within Anakin's determination slowly begin to fade as time went on. A dull sorrowful halo swimming about his head. For the first time ever, I've seen the legendary fearless warrior, turn into a mindless droid. He looked empty. Maybe he was scared. Maybe he sensed something bigger than all of us and is just waiting for it to reign utter terror. Whatever it was, he wasn't letting anyone in; not even Padme.
He's been like this for a full six months.
Obi wan meditated every single day in hope of making a long lost connection to our old Master. He sought through every corner of the galaxy and nothing. He tried to sense anyone, anyone in the galaxy that would hear his call. Every day it was the same. Nothing.
The dark side clouds everything. It's the strongest I've ever sensed since the end of the Clone Wars. Maybe even worse than what was in the war. Its constant, not coming and going and wavering it's the constant sick feeling in your stomach. Anakin being the so strong in the force, would have to shut his mind from the force entirely some days it was that sickening. I remember almost the exact day after we were plunged into chaos was he laying ill in the back of the twilight as we made our way to Naboo. It was horrifying seeing a human face lose all colour. It was unnatural, disturbing and grotesque in a way.
There was no talk of other Jedi alive, nor any rumours of a rebellion. I can only live in the memories I once had at the Temple… We hide for now, skirting our way around the edges of the galaxy holding onto the little hope left within the darkness.
Hello Everyone! No, I am not dead, I repeat...I AM NOT DEAD.
My apologies go out to everyone who reads my stories I post. I know you've been waiting for updates for who knows how long and have been waiting until I've had timeoff to write for you guys enjoyment. However sadly I am away these holiday so I hope you enjoyed this new ONE-SHOT.
Please let me know if you would like more by dropping a review or PM.
Thank You!
~Skywalker