Hi guys! This chapter is actually posted a little later than usually because I had some issues lately. I actually sprained my ankle right before my short film shooting which of course had to happen. But anyway, here's the new chapter so enjoy! Only two chapters left and we'll move onto 17 BBY!
Starwarshobbitfics: Thanks for the review as always. I'm glad you enjoyed this chapter as well! I didn't really want to dwell on Hondo in this one, that's why Ahsoka doesn't deal with him. And seeing Taii and Ahsoka work together on a duo mission, well that's something that I wanted to do for a long time.
Johnt12345: Thanks John! Yeah since Ahsoka is one of the founder of the Rebellion, I'll give her a greater role in the future and it's actually really funny and exciting to imagine what she had been through during all those years and how the Rebellion came to be, although this story will never be as good as Ahsoka's story deserves to be. But I'll do my best.
Also, disclaimer guys: This story is about to get a little darker. 17 BBY will definitely not be a walk in the park and some nasty things will happen in the future. Of course, I'll try to keep it as canon as possible, even though at this point I'm often not, but shit will happen and it'll happen soon. Please don't hate me for that, I already hate myself for some of the things I will write...
18 years before the Battle of Yavin / 2 years, 5 months after leaving the Jedi Order / 2 years, 2 months on Nar Shaddaa / a year, 8 months after Order 66 / 11 months after adopting Myra (Year +11)
Nanth'ri was one of the planets located right outside the Hutt Space, near Nixor and Attanox. Although the Hutt family had plans to expand their territory as far as to cover those neutral planets, no action had been taken towards that goal yet. Jynna might not be aware of everything that was happening in the galaxy, but she knew that much. And since she had never been there, she decided to go there to add a new picture to her collection. Ahsoka was busy with Taiilyrra about some kind of secret mission she didn't want to tell anybody else about, but she had agreed to let Myra and Jynna go there, with Max's supervision, since Softness would keep an eye on Taii's Saloon and Scarlett's house.
Nanth'ri's rare inhabitants were people that didn't want to be disturbed. There were no cities, almost no villages since everybody lived on their own, dispersed in the wild, minding their own business and seeking solitude. The only people that they met were a couple that lived a few clicks away from the field they had landed on and an old Cathar that was a war refugee.
Jynna decided to stay for three days on that forgotten planet and to move a little everyday to see as much scenery as possible. Nanth'ri's forests weren't as beautiful as the one on Kashyyyk, but they had their own charm and flowers that Jynna had never seen before. What they did was leave the Stella in R2-KT's care to pick them up once the third day was over while they wandered around.
It was during the beginning of the afternoon on the last day that Myra found a spring in the woods. "Look down there! Water!" she said as she pointed at something below, Little Max jumping on the edge to see what it was.
The Tooka had been particularly lively in that environment. The trip to Tatooine didn't agree much with him and Ahsoka wondered if it was because of the heat or the sandstorm. Probably both, she thought. He never had problems with Nar Shaddaa's quite warm temperatures though. But now, he was running in front of everybody like a trained Massiff. Everybody now believed he was Myra's responsibility, since he was with the young Togruta all the time and Ahsoka could see some advantages at having such a member in their crew, but she wasn't ready to talk about it with Myra yet. Little Max could easily become a scout for instance but there was no need for that yet. And Ahsoka hoped she'd never have to train animals as innocent as Little Max to fight against the Empire.
Myra was the first one to go down the slope. She had collected a lot of different flowers along the way, putting most of them in a bag Ahsoka had lent her for the trip, but also attaching some on her montrals, making her look like a wild child raised in the woods. Little Max followed, close on her heels, but since he was smaller and thus lighter, he didn't slide as quickly as she did.
Jynna stood on the edge, taking pictures and admiring excitedly the spring, taking it all in. "By the Force, this is incredible! Look at that clear water! It looks like crystal! It's so beautiful!" When Max finally arrived next to her, she started talking to him in a fast excited voice. "We have to take some of that water back, we really do! We've got to show it to Scarlett! I've never seen water so pure before! Come on Max, what do you say, huh? Pretty please?"
But Max wasn't listening. He jumped after Myra when she tripped and fell into the water with a shriek. Little Max, whose fur was now wet because of the droplets Myra's fall had sent towards him, hissed and clawed his way back onto the edge, hiding between Jynna's legs. He was shivering as if he had just been doused in freezing water.
Max cursed under his breath as he stepped into the water ankle deep and grabbed Myra by the belt, lifting her into the air as easily as he would have a stray Tooka. Jynna was about to ask why the hurry when she noticed how limp Myra was. With great effort, Max tore his boots out of the water that had somehow frozen around his legs and joined Jynna on the edge of the spring, a good six feet above water level.
"Hypothermia," he breathed as he laid the young Togruta on her back. She wasn't moving but her pulse was still present. Low but present. Her clothes were frozen on the front as if a sudden snowstorm had passed. Tiny ice crystals shined on her face and montrals, freezing the flowers on her head and her expressionless features on her too pale face.
"What happened?" Jynna asked as she mimicked Max and knelt next to Myra.
Little Max was still shivering by her side. Noticing the little guy, Max gestured to Jynna. "Put him inside of your shirt, he needs warmth."
His tone was serious and without questioning, so Jynna did as she was told. Only Little Max's head could be seen from out of her shirt. Max on the other hand had taken off his jacket and wrapped Myra's body in it while he put his hands on her face. He grimaced because of the cold but started rubbing her cheeks gently. Soon enough, the ice started melting and he did the same for her nose, chin, forehead, lekku and montrals. When the ice on her clothes was also gone, he turned to Jynna.
"We need to act quickly and get her warm. I'm gonna take off my shirt meanwhile, you'll undress her. I'll then hold her in my arms. Skin to skin contact is the best way to share body heat."
Jynna nodded and set to work. Once Myra was secure in Max's arms, Jynna draped his jacket over them both. They watched the girl's breathing slowly come back to normal and some color came back to her face.
"What happened down there?" Jynna eventually asked.
Little Max had started purring. Max sighed. "I should have noticed before. That's a crystal spring. The water in itself is clear and liquid, it looks perfectly normal. But as soon as something solid enters it, it turns to ice. That killer water is just one of those dangerous and completely crazy things that can be found in the universe."
Now that she knew that, Jynna realized that the temperature around the spring was indeed a little colder than the rest of the forest. Although Myra was out of danger, she didn't wake up for a long while and all that time, Max sat and held her in his arms, as if she was the most precious thing in the galaxy.
She started stirring a few hours later, as Max was resting his back against a tree. Jynna had prepared some food from what they had left and was carefully setting a small fire for the tea. It was actually Little Max that gave Myra away as he turned in the direction of the young Togruta. Then, the points of her lekku curled ever so slightly and finally she frowned.
"Welcome back among the living," Max said, smiling gently. He watched her rub the sleep out of her face before looking at him with her big curious purple eyes. Then she shut them as twice as fast.
A small "ouch…" escaped her lips and Max remembered about her eye condition. He put her darkened goggles on her face and she tentatively opened her eyes again. It took her a few seconds to take in her surroundings and to notice the strange setting they were in.
"Why am I naked?" was all she asked although she still had her underwear. There was no blush on her cheeks, no embarrassment on her features, only a genuine curiosity in her voice. Jynna laughed as Max coughed.
"Well hum… we had to…" He motioned for Jynna. "Why don't you help your sister get dressed, huh? Then I'll tell you what happened." He closed his eyes for good measure before opening up his shirt and letting his jacket fall off his shoulders.
As she sat under the tree, wrapped in Max's jacket, with a cup of tea in hand and Little Max curled up on her lap, Myra couldn't believe what she was hearing. "So I fell into a magic spring?" She seemed rather excited by the idea.
"There's nothing magical about it. In fact, magic doesn't exist." Max replied. "All I know is that anything solid that falls into that spring freezes. Whether it's due to the Force or not. I don't kriffing know. But we're not getting close to that spring ever again. I'm done with the heart attacks for today."
Myra was disappointed at that since she had planned on using the strange ability of that spring to freeze a flower for Ahsoka and give it to her when she'd be back from her secret mission with Taiilyrra in a couple of days. But when Jynna pointed out that the flower would melt anyway, Myra decided to keep the flowers natural but wanted to bring some home nonetheless.
Jynna packed everything a few moments later when it was time to meet with Daisy a few clicks from their position when Max grabbed Myra by the hand. "Please be more careful in the future, little one. I don't want anything to happen to you. Got it?" His voice wasn't as strong and deep as it usually was and his hands were shaking slightly, but Myra didn't notice any of that.
Instead, she flashed him her brightest smile and placed Little Max between her montrals which had regained their creamy grey and dark pink colors. "Don't worry, Max! Nothing will happen to me while you and Scarlett are here." Max didn't know if she had thought about her answer before or if she just came up with it in that instant, but he bit the inside of his cheek to prevent himself from crying.
The trip to the ship didn't take as much time as Max had calculated. Myra, although a little slower than usual, tagged along Jynna on the path, not faltering even once, her colorful clothes now dry and gently hugged by the fresh breeze pushing them from behind like an invisible hand. The forest itself was calm and devoid of any really dangerous animals, but Max kept walking faster anyway. As if he was trying to put as much distance between them and the killer spring.
At some point, Little Max left his favorite spot on Myra's head and Max almost tripped on the little devil as it sprinted towards the ship in the open field welcoming them. Of course, the Tooka had to take the most direct route and wiggle between Max's feet. "Hey! Come back here you little…" he yelled after the Tooka, but Little Max didn't slow one bit.
Myra playfully tapped Max's hand. "The last one to reach the ship is a Bantha poodoo!" Max was about to lecture her on her dirty mouth but Jynna elbowed him.
"You heard her Max! Come on, let's race!" Both girls started running at full speed towards the ship.
Of course, Little Max was the first one to reach the Stella and waited for them to join him. He appreciatively meowed as Jynna arrived in second place, with Myra close on her heels. Max did try to jog a little after Jynna's provocation. But he wasn't in the mood for games, not after what happened to Myra and he didn't actually want to beat the girls. They deserved that happy bit of childhood too many children nowadays never got the chance to experience.
So he pretended to be out of breath as he arrived, glared at the proud Tooka and smiled as the girls laughed so sincerely and freely that maybe, just maybe, his heart did swell a little at the sight.
