Hey guys, back with the next update. With summer just around the corner, hopefully I'll have more time to post new content. Remember to follow, favorite, comment, and enjoy! :)

Chapter Thirteen

Ahsoka watched the ship spiral ever closer to the Ewok village and their location. The Ewok chieftain was trembling in fear of his impending death, and on the surrounding wooden platforms the bear-like creatures were desperately trying to evacuate their treetop homes before the craft hit. The Togruta reached out with the Force once more, and detected a familiar presence: one she had not felt since Corellia. Was that...Taslen?

Before this fact had time to register in her mind, the alien she had had in a tight grip began to struggle, sensing her confusion and taking advantage of it. Ahsoka and the Ewok leader wrestled for control of the spear, as the craft began to tilt towards the wooden platform and its shadow fell over the scene below.

The Togruta glanced upwards, and as the Ewok leader finally wrested the weapon out of her grip and freed himself from her, she desperately thrust her arms upward and reached out with the Force. The craft was large and Ahsoka didn't know if she could successfully stop its plunge. It had been a good while since she had used her abilities to lift something that immense. But one glance at the frightened creatures around her cemented her decision: she had to save them.

Eyes watering from the smoke that blew into her face at intervals and concentrating intensely on ceasing the ship's rapid descent, she barely heard Lux yell: "No!" Ahsoka ignored the sounds of a nearby scuffle, focusing all her energy into the movement of the craft. She tapped deep into her reserves of strength as sweat beaded on her brow. The ship gradually slowed in its plunge, and she guided it towards the woodland that surrounded the treetop village, almost taking out a wooden dwelling in the process. She gasped as the weight of her heavy burden began to take its toll, and she barely managed to roughly drop the craft in a small clearing before her grasp slipped.

The Togruta blinked, only now realizing what had ensued on the wooden platform. Upon freeing himself, the Ewok leader had immediately attempted to impale her on his spear. Lux had dove out of the circle of creatures that had held him at spearpoint, and landed on the chieftain, trapping the bear-like creature once more.

Ahsoka met Lux's gaze, a relieved smile beginning to grow on each of their faces as they realized that the immediate danger was over. "Thank you," The Togruta said to her friend. "You were right. Help did come, after all."

Zeff pushed his way out of the circle of Ewoks, who were too busy gazing at Ahsoka in astonishment to stop him. "Some help. They nearly killed us, whoever that was."

Lux and Ahsoka began to chuckle, as the Clawdite gazed at the pair in bemusement. "What's so amusing? We could have died."

The Togruta knew it was just the shock from almost being flattened underneath the hull of the nearby vessel, but she couldn't help it. "That's the point," She laughed. Her temporary relief dissipated when she realized the potential seriousness of the situation. They were still in the midst of the Ewok village, surrounded by enemies. They could still be in danger from their captors.

But she needn't have worried. Lux glanced down at the chieftain, and the furry creature held his hands up in the universal, "I surrender" sign. The human freed his captive, and the Ewok leader immediately chirped an order to the beings under his command. They went over to the fire and poured two buckets of dirt over it, successfully extinguishing the flames and dispelling any lingering doubt from Ahsoka's mind that they were still in danger.

Lux gave a sigh of relief. Apparently he had shared the Togruta's misgivings. "We should see who was in that ship. Perhaps they can help us."

Zeff grunted his dissent. "Or perhaps they will hold a blaster to our heads and demand credits."

Ahsoka shook her head. "I don't sense any danger coming from the ship...Besides, someone I know is on that craft, and I know he'll help us."

The Senator nodded, standing up and brushing off his shirt. "Well, then. Shall we?"

The Ewoks didn't speak Basic, but could tell the intentions of the trio. The chief ordered his tribe to give the former captives back their belts and supplies, and lowered a rope ladder from the platform so that they could get down to the forest floor. Once they had, the leader pointed a furry paw towards a break in the treeline. If Ahsoka squinted, she could just see the sun glinting off the tail end of Lux's ship. Evidently, the Ewoks had left the craft where it was, unsure of what to do with it.

Zeff grumbled as the three set off, "I don't understand why they just let us go free."

The corners of Lux's mouth curled up into a smirk. "They were impressed and frightened of Ahsoka's use of the Force. I would be, too, if I were in that situation. Perhaps it's something worth noting: don't cross those you don't understand." Ahsoka saw him shoot the Clawdite a sidelong glance, and Zeff picked up on the hint. The alien remained silent, not wishing to provoke the wrath of the two beings beside him. The Togruta had, of course, considered binding the Clawdite once more, but as Zeff seemed sufficiently compliant for now, there was no reason to take the precaution at present.

As the trio neared the downed spacecraft, Ahsoka saw that the ship's damage was not extensive if you discounted their engine. If they could repair it using the supplies aboard both the vessel in front of them, and Lux's ship, getting it working again should be fairly possible.

The Togruta's train of thought halted as a loud, strident voice cut through the air, "No! Stupid, good-for-nothing Imperials! They just had to open fire."

A quieter murmur answered the voice, and its owner replied. "Fine. As long as you go first. Idiot Imps took my blaster, too."

A strange pair emerged from the ship's hatch: Taslen, with his blaster at the ready and a bemused, harried look on his scarred features, and a willowy blonde human, her pretty features set in a scowl and a smudge of grease from the ship smeared on her left cheek.

"Ahsoka!" The Twi'lek exclaimed upon seeing who it was. His face brightened, and a surprised, relieved smile replaced his previous frown. "You're alive! How did you escape the shuttle?"

Lux stepped forward, his expression unfathomable. "I pulled her out. We escaped the Empire and came here together."

Ahsoka nodded. "Along with this sleemo. I'll tell you all about him later." She jerked her head in the direction of Zeff, who looked disgruntled at the appearance of the newcomers.

Taslen cleared his throat as the woman furrowed her brows and opened her mouth to speak. The Twi'lek was faster, crossing his arms over his chest and gesturing with a single hand. "Oh, I forgot: introductions. I'm Taslen Lasgaran. This is Stala Zuntali. Stala, this is Ahsoka Tano, and...?" He turned a questioning look to the Togruta.

"Senator Lux Bonteri, of Onderon. Well, former Senator, I suppose." Lux glanced over at the Clawdite. "And this is Zeff..."

"Duntaraan." The alien muttered unwillingly, with a furtive glance at the blasters that Ahsoka, Lux, and Taslen had holstered in their belts. When Ahsoka caught his eye, he quickly looked away.

"You say you're a Senator," Stala began, looking at Lux through narrowed eyes. "How do we know you're not working for the Empire?"

"Empire?" Zeff frowned, confused. Ahsoka remembered that they hadn't told him of the change that the Republic had undergone. She supposed they would have to tell him sooner or later, and it was better to get it over with.

"Yeah, the Republic has been converted to the first Galactic Empire. I suppose you were going to learn it eventually, but it was better to keep you in the dark." Ahsoka sighed, regretting the fact that this piece of information hadn't remained hidden for longer. There was no telling what went on in the Clawdite's mind.

"What happened to the Jedi?" His next question made logical sense, but it still sent a shiver of fear and apprehension down the former Padawan's spine.

Stala glanced at Zeff as if appraising his worth. "They were all wiped out in the Jedi Purge. Whoever's left is in hiding," She gave Ahsoka that same searching look, and nodded as though she had just realized Ahsoka's origins. "But you didn't answer my question. How do we know you're not on the Empire's payroll?"

Lux gave an indignant frown. "Me? Work for the Empire? After all they've done? I'd never!" Calming down as he realized that Stala was nodding in approval, he continued, "I thought that by joining the Republic I'd finally found my place in an organization that, for all its wrongdoings, generally made better decisions than the Seperatists. But this Empire is even worse than the Confederacy."

"You've got that right," Stala muttered, a bitter expression evident on her face. She blinked, and it was gone. "Now, since we all have a common enemy, would you mind helping me fix my ship? She'd be much more use to us once her engine is fixed. The Chalice is the best ship this side of the galaxy."

Lux raised an eyebrow at her claim. "Oh, yes? Because I happen to be the owner of a swift craft myself. The Diplomat's Hand may be a yacht, but she has pulled us through many hard times."

Ahsoka nodded. "There's supplies aboard that we could use to repair your ship. It's just off that way," She pointed in the direction they had left it, then turned back to the human female. "We could also ask the Ewoks- a native species- for supplies. They're impressed with my skills- I did save your ship from crashing, after all."

Taslen smiled. "That you did. I also have news of a group of Rebels that can help us- once we get our ship back up and running, we can contact them of news for when it's safe to join them. I'll tell you about them on the way to your ship."

Lux gestured in the direction of the woods, the greenery laid out before them like a verdant cloak. "Shall we?"

Obi-Wan Kenobi had never been in exile before, and certainly not on a planet as stark and harsh as Tatooine. The endless dunes of sand were a contrast to the towering skyscrapers and crowded airspace that was Coruscant. With the planet so far removed from the noise and bustle of other worlds, it left plenty of time for Obi-Wan (or Ben, as he chose to call himself now) to meditate and think in the solitude of his small white hovel on the edge of the Jundland Wastes.

At first he had doubted himself. Where had he gone wrong? Surely the tattered, burning monster with glowing yellow eyes that he had left dying on the lava shores of Mustafar wasn't the same boy that he had met so many years ago. Obi-Wan smiled regretfully at the thought of the small boy with big blue eyes and a blond mop of hair, who gazed at the world around him in wonder. Now he had been replaced by Darth Vader, who had killed scores of Jedi without mercy, without a second thought. Did Vader remember the child he had once been? Kenobi thought not.

And that was when Obi-Wan had decided- it truly wasn't his fault. Darth Vader was another person entirely from the man Kenobi had raised. One could almost say that the Jedi had died as soon as he had pledged his allegiance to Palpatine.

As the bearded man mulled over these matters, he thought of the monster's children. Luke Skywalker was still a baby, innocent and unaware of the murders his father had committed. Obi-Wan was determined that the child would not follow the same path of endless bloodshed that Vader had. Kenobi would do his best to watch over the baby, just as he had watched over another child, many years ago...

So yeah, I thought since I gave you guys a look into Yoda's brain we should do the other Jedi Master in exile. Hope I can update again soon, and as always, please remember to follow, favorite, and comment.