Author's Note
I'm only going to touch on the Dark Times a little bit because I don't want to spoil the ending of the show I plan to release on YouTube next year. The show is about Shâneé and Khai. I've worked on the show for about two years, and I'm finally at a point where the recordings can be put out. I hope this chapter is appealing to you guys. I'm also working on a career in music, so I'm sorry for a late update. My songs will be out later this year. Please review when you are done reading this chapter. I don't like to spend too much time on this part, so I'll just let you guys read this.
Rhiskhmah, 18 BBY
Ahsoka held tightly to the bars bolted to the top of the patrol ship as Khai dodged the lasers from behind them.
"Khai, I thought you took out the transponder!" Shâneé snapped. "How did they find us?"
"I kept it in so we could modify it to match up with our ships!" Khai yelled. The ship rocked as an explosion erupted beside them.
"Good job, dimwit!" Shâneé looked out of the gunship's side. "They're gaining! We need rear defense!"
"This ship doesn't have rear cannons!" Khai shouted. Ahsoka looked at the trio of TIE Fighters. She held on to the door of the gunship and pulled herself on top.
"Ahsoka!" Shâneé gasped.
"I'm fine! I'll get them off our tail!" Ahsoka told her. She turned her lightsabers on and jumped on top of one of the TIE Fighters. She sliced a solar panel off the end, then jumped on top of another one and cut the hatch open. The pilot inside screamed as she threw him out of the ship. She sliced the controls and jumped back on the gunship. The TIE Fighter drifted into the other TIE Fighter. Both Fighters went crashing to the ground in a ball of fire. Ahsoka covered her face as the fire lit up the orange sky. Ahsoka swung herself back inside the gunship where Shâneé was waiting.
"Good job, Ahsoka," Shâneé said. Ahsoka smiled and nodded. The doors on the gunship closed, and they flew off towards the capitol.
As they landed, Khai grabbed his Imperial suit. He closed the door as Shâneé grabbed her TIE Pilot garb. Ahsoka turned around to give her privacy as she changed clothing. She noticed on the wall that there was a small blue light. She unscrewed the circular frame around it, slowly disassembling the light. Behind it, she studied the wire array, the motherboard, the chip, and the metal plates on it. She pulled the motherboard out and examined the functions of it. As it continued its beeping and buzzing, she ripped it out violently. Shâneé walked over to Ahsoka, fully clothed in a black TIE Pilot jumpsuit.
"Shâneé, look around for anything that might help the Empire track us, little things like this. I have experience with little things that might be used to trace your roots." Ahsoka turned to the older girl. She had just noticed how she was taller than Shâneé. Shâneé was only three years older, but Ahsoka was half a head taller than the girl, excluding her montrals. Shâneé nodded and walked around the small fuselage, searching for any small things that could act as a tracker. She pulled a panel off of a back wall, revealing the transponder. Ahsoka gasped and walked over to her. They pulled the orange machine out and started tinkering with the code on it. After minutes of modifying it, the code was brand new and showed the gunship as a different ship, not belonging to the Empire.
"We'll show you our home, Ahsoka," Khai said kindly. "You can stay there before you leave back to Yavin IV." Ahsoka thought for a moment, ready to tell Khai how grateful she was, but then the gloomy sky got to her. The Imperials had taken over the once beautiful Rhiskhmah. Ahsoka shook her head.
"No, Khai," Ahsoka responded. "I'm staying on Rhiskhmah as long as it takes to free it from the Empire." Shâneé gasped, startled, but obviously excited.
"Thank you, Ahsoka!" Shâneé exclaimed. "C'mon, we live not to far from here in the capitol."
Minutes Later
Ahsoka set her bag down on the coffee table in the apartment. It was quite spacious for a small apartment, but they did live in the middle of Capitol City, so it was not too unreasonable.
"Khai, do you have a contact booth or anything I can transmit a message to Yavin IV on?" Khai nodded, waved his hand, and walked down a miniature hallway. He pointed to a booth with blue glass on the side and a hologram projector. Ahsoka nodded kindly as he walked away. She pushed a few buttons and a ring sounded. Within seconds, Mon Mothma answered to transmission. "Senator Mothma, it's me."
"Ahsoka?" Mon replied. "Where are you? Was the mission a success?"
"Yes, but I do not plan to go back to Yavin IV," Ahsoka stated. "I want to stay here and fight with these people. Rhiskhmah needs the Rebellion's help, and I can do that."
"We need you to be one of our most trusted agents, Ahsoka," Mon sternly said. "Other backwater planets like Rhiskhmah need you. They need help from the Rebellion, and we trust you the most to do it."
"Maybe..." Ahsoka started thinking. "Maybe I can but still be on Rhiskhmah at the same time. I can set up my own agency of secret rebels with information for those who are brave enough to stand up."
"That sounds... difficult, but I do like the general idea." Mon seemed to be won over. "What shall you call this agency?" Ahsoka thought about everything important to her. Ashla, Anakin, Jedi, Republic, Kaeden rebels, freedom, fulcrum... Ahsoka was the fulcrum to the mission.
"Fulcrum," Ahsoka replied. Mon nodded.
"Fulcrum, the spies of the rebellion," Mon muttered. "Perfect, now we just have to get our spies each in touch with a rebel cell. You will be with... Lothal. There is a cell there that will need your help. The Empire has had a tough time with them, but they cannot last long without help. Remember, only one of the crew can know about you for their safety. Good luck, Ahsoka. You can stay on Rhiskhmah." Her hologram faded out. Ahsoka smiled. The booth beeped, showing that she had received a transmission. She opened it up, and there was the contact information for the Ghost Crew. She called them, hoping to designate herself to their cause. She hastily pulled out her cloak and slipped it on. Her face was covered by shadows, and she began tinkering with the voice modifier on the hologram booth. Once they answered, a green twi'lek stood in front of her, confused and cautious.
"Who are you?" The woman asked.
"I am Fulcrum," Ahsoka said. The woman seemed taken aback by the voice Ahsoka possessed. Whatever Ahsoka had done to the voice, it was quite different. "I am here when you need information from the Empire. I can help get your cell somewhere in the Rebellion."
"Th-there's an entire Rebellion?"
"The Empire does not advertise it. But it is out there, and you are just another crew fighting for freedom. Though we cannot send help, I can give useful information."
"I don't trust you."
"That's fine, just know you've missed out on an opportunity that could help out your crew. Let me give you proof." Ahsoka thought of how to convince her, and saw no other way other than to show her her lightsabers. She pulled out one of them and ignited it. The twi'lek seemed to give in a bit.
"My name is Hera. But if you dare betray us, you will be surprised at what we can do." the twi'lek replied. Ahsoka nodded.
"Do not tell any of the crew who I am. I'll be ready for to call when you need me."
Lothal, 18 BBY
Hera walked out of her cabin to see her husband drinking at the table. She sat down to join him, leaning on him.
"Kanan, have you ever seen a white lightsaber?" Hera asked. Kanan choked on his jawa juice.
"A white lightsaber?" Kanan asked.
"Yes, is there such a thing?" Hera repeated.
"Well, only Master Sinube had one. He was very wise and very old. If he wasn't killed, he died of age." Kana paused before asking, "Why?"
"I just wanted to know." She lied her head on his shoulder, her lekku falling over his chest. He set down his drink and leaned his head on top of hers.
Outer Space, 0 BBY
Ahsoka was in her starfighter, soaring out of Rhiskhmah's atmosphere. She was done with her mission, saving Rhiskhmah, and had been called back to join a Rebel fleet so that she could help even more planets with her organization known as Fulcrum. She had designed the symbol of Fulcrum, deriving from the markings she had on her forehead. Though there were a few traitors in the Fulcrum company, one she knew personally (Gall Trayvis), the organization had heightened victories for the Rebellion.
The ship she flew blasted ion hyperspace for a moment, then came out to see a blockade runner. She docked with it and walked inside after identifying herself. Inside was the commander, a tall, tan man with slick black hair.
"You must be Ahsoka," he said. "I am Commander Jun Sato, leader of Phoenix Squadron. We have your quarters set up for you to lead the Fulcrum Organization."
"Thank you, Commander," Ahsoka replied. One of the guard standing next o him grabbed her back and led her to the room she'd live in. Once she was situated inside, she got on the holotable, optimizing it to allow her old contact to transfer onto this table. She completely added her contact information onto it and sat back. She didn't know what else to do, so she slept. When she woke up, it was because of the table. It was beeping, showing the hologram that meant it was the Ghost Crew. Sh quickly threw on her hood and answered it. When she did, she did not recognize the droid there. "Hello? Who is this?" He beeped a bit, telling her that he was Hera's droid and that they were in a dilemma. She nodded and hung up.
She raced up to the bridge to see Commander Sato. When she walked in, he jumped, surprised to see her.
"Ahsoka!" He exclaimed. "What are you doing up here?"
"Get the fleet to Mustafar, fast!" Sato seemed surprised, but still gave the orders to do what she said to the pilots. They sent out a transmission and blasted into hyperspace.
Moments Later
Ahsoka and the rest of Phoenix Squadron, plus the Imperial transport Chopper had stolen, jumped out of hyperspace. Ahsoka made the Ghost barrel roll, taken advantage of the maneuverability of the large ship. She shot down all TIE Fighters behind the crazily painted Fighter. She was impressed by the amount of detail painted onto the small ship. The blockade runners wiped out the rest of the TIEs as she docked with the transport. The stolen TIE fighters docked with them. She walked down the ladder to meet them, hearing Senator Organa's voice fade out.
"...That way if captured, we couldn't reveal the other rebels to the Empire." Hera's voice faded in. "That was the protocol."
"The protocol has changed," Ahsoka said. She hopped off of the ladder, recognizing Hera.
"Fulcrum!" Hera said astounded. The rest of the Ghost Crew looked quite astonished as well.
"Ahsoka," Ahsoka replied. "My name is Ahsoka Tano."
