Chapter 24

"Any sign of hostiles?", the voice of Sabine Wren asked. "Negative", Luke replied as he scanned the area around them. Sabine and Luke ran towards the statue, hiding between the mountainous terrain. "There it is", Sabine said in excitement. Luke stared in awe at the statue of Tar Vizla, it was taller then he expected it to be. The statue stood 12 meters (40 feet) tall. "Where do you think the entrance is at?" Luke asked Sabine. Sabine started scanning the statue, "There is only one entrance, and its located under the statue's chin", she said once she analyzed.

Luke held his breath, "All the way up there?", he asked nervously. "Don't tell me that your afraid of heights", Sabine jokingly asked. Luke shook his head no, "I haven't jumped this high before", he claimed before walking towards the statue. "Hold on, jump? Didn't you bring a ascension gun?", Sabine asked him in disbelief. Luke stayed silent for a moment, "Should've I?", was all he said before receiving a blow to the face. "Sniper!", Sabine shouted as she ducked for cover. She threw a smoke grenade to cover them. Sabine crawled to Luke, who was laying on the floor, "Luke!", she shouted. No response from him, she removed his helmet, to welcome the sight of a bleeding unconscious Luke. She quickly checked his pulse, his pulse was there, but it was weak. Another bolt was fired, this time hitting Sabine's arm. Luckily her beskar armor absorbed the concentrated energy.

"Ahsoka!", Sabine yelled into her comlink, "Ahsoka come in! We need back up!". Nothing, her comlink was jammed. "Karabast!", Sabine silently cursed. Suddenly an ear-piercing whistle started ringing inside Sabine's head. In desperation, Sabine threw her helmet off to avoid having her ears bleed to a high frequency. But she suddenly remembered the sniper hiding in the nocturnal surroundings, she reached her hand out to retrieve her helmet, only to be met with another sniper bolt hitting her helmet and flinging it across the terrain. Sabine silently cursed again, and went to grab Luke. She pulled him closer as they went towards a rock that could protect them for a while.

"Your heavier than I expected", Sabine grunted out to Luke. She set him down, and started to take her breath when another sniper bolt came inches from her head. "Karabast", Sabine said. It was a trap, they were surrounded with no where to go. In a last urge of hope, she tried contacting Ahsoka again. "Ahsoka, please! Come in! Ahsoka!".


"I just can't believe that Artoo. Luke has no right to judge people like that", Ahsoka shouted at the little astromech. Artoo slowly rolled back, away from Ahsoka, giving out a worried chirp. "No, Artoo. I didn't mean to scare you", Ahsoka said softly, "Its just that, I just don't want what Luke told me to be true". Artoo let a questionable beep, asking on what she was referring to. "Artoo, your a droid. You won't really understand the feelings I'm having", Ahsoka told him in a depressing mood, "You won't really understand the pain of betrayal. Of being alone". Ahsoka stared at Artoo. Artoo stood there in silence, seemingly not paying attention. Ahsoka let out a huff of disappointment, and returned to the console. Sabine's last message was a butt dial, she heard the conversation Luke and Sabine were having about the statue and how to open it. She wished she was there with them, and not treated as a fragile person who should believe that she is the last stand between evil.

"I don't know Artoo, I keep getting the same visions of Padmé dying in childbirth. I don't know what to do", a voice suddenly said. Ahsoka quickly turned to see Artoo playing a recording of Anakin. "Artoo", Ahsoka said softly before slowly walking towards him. "There's still good in him, Obi-wan. There's still good...in him", Padmé's last dying breath said. "Artoo, turn it off", Ahsoka said in a commanding voice. "This is our most desperate hour, help me Obi-wan Kenobi, your my only hope", the young voice of Leia pleaded. "Artoo!", Ahsoka then shouted, "Turn it off, now". Ahsoka went to turn him off when Artoo started playing another recording.

"Do you think we may meet Ahsoka one day, Artoo? I mean, if she's even alive at this point", a happy voice of Luke said. Ahsoka stopped her reach for Artoo and started watching the recording. "There's so much I want to ask her. About father, about the force. Maybe I won't feel alone anymore.", Luke's voice was interrupted by Artoo's short beeps and chirps. The holographic image of Luke reached towards Artoo, "Don't say that Artoo. I'm grateful for you being with me, heck if it wasn't for you and Threepio I would still be stuck on that dust ball of Tatooine doing moisture farming for the rest of my life", the holographic Luke said laughing before embracing Artoo in a hug. "I just hope she can say the same thing about us if we ever meet", Luke said before the recording ended.

Ahsoka stayed silent and looked at the floor with shame. Luke was wanting to meet her, to finally meet the padawan of Anakin Skywalker, to get to know her. And she failed to give him that. Instead, he got two blades almost striking him when they first met, and non stop arguing ever since. She started to feel guilty for not accepting Luke's plea for her to stay, for being angry at him. Their relationship wasn't in a good start, but she had to fix it. She promised to never leave him, and she needed to keep her promise. "Your right Artoo, I'll never be alone", Ahsoka finally admitted, "I have you and Luke now". Artoo let a commotion of happy chirps and whistles, making Ahsoka laugh, "Never underestimate a Droid", she whispered to herself.


"Dammit!", Sabine yelled in frustration. It was no use, they were surrounded. Sabine looked up one last time to see the moons of Mandalore slowly setting. That's when she got the idea. "The Statue", Sabine told herself, "If I can get us inside the statue, the snipers won't be able to get us". Suddenly another blaster bolt hit her in the arm, this time penetrating through the beskar armor. Sabine let out a painful yelp before grabbing the unconscious Luke, "Alright. There's only one way to find out if my plan works", Sabine said before raising her gauntlet up to the statue's helmet.

Sabine fired her grappling hook and made sure it was secure. In an instant, Sabine took off, with the unconscious Luke in her arms. The two made it just in time before another round of snipers started firing. "Ow", Luke groaned out in pain. Sabine quickly put him down, "Luke your awake! Oh, good timing. I need you to open the Statue's doors", she shouted at him over the sounds of blaster fire. Luke stayed confused, not taking in Sabine's command. But he could sense the immanent danger they were in. Luke stretched out his hand towards the clay doors, telling them to open.

The clay doors slowly obeyed Luke's command. The doors finally opened to reveal the dark stair way they had to descend upon. "The doors are open", Luke managed to say as he gasped for air. Sabine started dragging him through the door as she tried to avoid anymore sniper shots hitting her. Luke was now breathing heavily, "Ahsoka...Ahsoka", he muttered out before passing out. The clay doors quickly fell back into place as they lost their connection to Luke. Only inches from his feet. Sabine set him down and also collapsed on the floor. They were safe, for now. Sabine caught her breath, as she too started to pass into darkness.


Ahsoka was busy putting another patch of bacta pad on her thigh, when she started to get a headache. She started to rub her lekku to relieve the pain. "Ahsoka...Ahsoka", a distant voice pleaded. She stopped rubbing, it was Luke. She then got an image of a bloody Luke collapsed on a dark floor. "Oh no", Ahsoka said gasping. "Artoo, help me bring the ship back online", she shouted at the little blue droid.

Artoo strolled towards the controls as he and Ahsoka tried to fire the engines of the Jedi Finder. "We need to get to Luke and Sabine's location. They're in trouble", she stated. But the T-6 shuttle wouldn't move. "Artoo, scan the ship, see what's going on", Ahsoka said. Artoo did an analysis of the situation. He beeped in a mix of surprise and terror at the result. "What do you mean 'We're magnetically locked down!?'", Ahsoka asked in horror.

What if its those Mandalorians, or what if Luke was right about Zyon, and the Knights of Ren?, Ahsoka thought to herself. "Artoo, go hide somewhere safe. I'll go check it out", Ahsoka said as she limped her way towards the exit. She called her staff and lightsabers, igniting one in the process. She opened the doors, to expect a group of hostile Mando's or perhaps a group of cultists. But no, she was met with a squadron of New Republic soldiers, and leading them was a familiar green Twi'lek, Hera Syndulla.

"Hera? What's going on", Ahsoka asked confused. Hera stood tall, showing authority in her body language. Yet her eyes betrayed her, and displayed the real emotions. "Commander Ahsoka Tano, in the name of the New Republic and former Alliance to restore the Republic, we hereby declare you to be under arrest", Hera commanded. "What!", Ahsoka shouted in horror, "On what grounds?". Hera stayed silent as she closed her eyes, "You're being charged with treason. Please, come in quietly".