They watched the rickety bus crammed full of sweaty people and small livestock rumble slowly away, kicking dust up into the clear blue sky as it went, leaving Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka standing on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. "Well," Obi-Wan said, shouldering his pack, "We walk from here."

"You know," Ahsoka said, shifting her pack that was half of her size as they turned and began making their way up the narrow, twisting, empty dirt path towards the mountains, "When I imagined going out of the country for the first time, I imagined something like Paris. I did not imagine that I'd be hiking through the largely empty mountains of Nepal." She glanced around them at the snowcapped peaks and the lush green countryside. "Although, I think I prefer the scenery here much more than Paris."

"Come on, it's not that uninhabited. The map says there is a village in the mountain pass; so, we'll probably meet up with at least a few people. Just don't expect a hotel anytime soon, Snips...And, for the record, Paris is great. I guarantee you'd like it, too. " Anakin smirked, as memories of his recent time in Paris with Padme flashed to mind while his eyes were trailing up the path ahead of them until it disappeared from sight. The rest of Europe was great, too, Anakin thought, In more ways than one.

As soon as Anakin and Padme had reached their hotel in Milan, he'd called Obi-Wan while Padme took a shower, and he told Obi-Wan about the lightsaber crystals he'd found from the vendor in the plaza, and they had both agreed that it needed to be their number one priority to find the cave and secure it for the Order. They didn't want to lose any more crystals to merchants and traders, and they certainly didn't want the information getting into the hands of Palpatine. The attack on the train made it very clear that, although Palpatine's presence had lessened in the United States, it was growing and moving into other parts of the world. The Jedi needed to build up their arsenal as soon as possible.

It hadn't been easy to break it to Padme, though. Anakin held onto the news until the very last day of their trip. As they stood overlooking the city of Rome, cones of smooth, cool gelato in their hands, Anakin told her, "Sweetheart, when we get home, I'll be leaving right away with Obi-Wan and Ahsoka to go after those lightsaber crystals."

She had been in the middle of a lick of her cone when he said it, and she paused, slowly lowering the delicious dessert. "Oh?"

"Yeah, as soon as I found the crystals in Milan…I, uh, went ahead and booked my trip. I used some of the money from my old bank account to buy the ticket. I didn't use our joint accounts for it, but I know I still should have told you." He glanced down at his cone, nervous. It was never a good thing when Padme replied with a one-word answer. He sighed and looked back into her eyes. "And, I know we're just getting off of our honeymoon, but it's important, Angel, and…"

"Ani," She sighed, looking up at him gently. "It's okay. I understand. I knew this day would come." She shrugged, looking down as she twisted her cone in her hands.

Anakin hesitated, not sure if it was okay yet to be relieved. "How?"

She looked at him and raised her eyebrows. "You're a Jedi, Anakin. It's what you do. I knew what I was getting myself into when I married you…both times. You're one of the very few people on this Earth who truly understands the very real, very malicious threat that Palpatine presents to this planet. So, that means you're probably going to have to keep going on missions to hunt him down, not to mention the missions you'll have to undergo to re-establish the Order...I've done this with you before, y'know. Remember?" She paused, giving him a small smile, despite the glimmer of sadness he could see in her eyes. Still, despite that, he could also clearly see loving acceptance in her gaze. "We've both taken a break, had some much needed alone time to ourselves, and now, it's time to get back to real life."

Now, Anakin did relax, and he couldn't help but kiss her lovingly, tenderly in appreciation. How had he found someone so absolutely perfect for him? If the roles were reversed and Padme was the one going off to pursue a rock on the other side of the world, he probably would not have reacted so calmly.

"I love you, my Angel. Always."

"I love you, too, my Jedi."

And, she had continued to remain calm, even as they'd first stopped and gotten Artoo and Jedi from her parents, then gone home, and he'd immediately repacked his suitcase with clean clothes from the closet, and not even bothered to get off of the time change since he would be going right back, leaving Padme to deal with what she called "jet lag" by herself.

And, when Padme dropped Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, and he off at the airport, she had even smiled and jokingly said, "Don't get into too much trouble, Ani."

"No promises, Angel," he teased back, even if he was slightly serious with his reply. She knew this, but she made no comment, only hugged and kissed him goodbye, telling him to keep in touch, and watched from the curb as they'd entered the airport, waving one last time when he turned back and shot her a wink.

So, now here Anakin was, on the other side of the world from his wife and home, hiking up an unpaved dirt path with tiny rocks getting in his hiking boots every so often. The elevation was completely different than California's, and although Anakin had certainly experienced hikes like this in his past, it had certainly been awhile since he had done it without the aid of a suit. Even though all three of them wanted to just run through the mountains to find their prize, they knew they had to take it slow and stop every once in awhile to catch their breath due to the lower oxygen levels at these higher elevations.

"I'm getting too old for this," Obi-Wan grumbled with a huff.

"Yeah, right! You're not that old. You're only thirty-one, Ben! You're old enough to get married, aren't you?," Ahsoka pointed out with a grin.

"I was old enough to get married ten years ago," Obi-Wan pointed out wryly, "So, that doesn't mean much."

"Ah, well, Satine is clearly your perfect match, Brother. So, it doesn't really matter." Anakin said, taking a swig of water from his water bottle as his eyes scanned the horizon. Below, the valley stretched, already shrouded in darkness due to the massive mountains surrounding it and blocking the rays of the setting sun. He'd yet to see mountains as big as these on Earth, and had he not been trying to climb through them, he would have enjoyed the scenic vistas more. From this part of the trail, it looked like they had covered quite a bit of ground, but with a glance at the map, Anakin knew they had at least another day to go until the next village, and then, another day of hiking up the nearby mountain before they got to their destination. "It'll be dark soon. We should find somewhere to set up camp." He shot Ahsoka a grin, "Before the monsters come out and eat us alive!"

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. "Oh please, Sky Guy. I'm not a youngling, or even a Padawan. If there were such things as monsters, I feel pretty confident in all of our abilities to handle it." She quirked an eyebrow at Anakin, making him grin even wider.

Obi-Wan sighed, shaking his head, muttering something about how some things never change before he said, "Anakin is right. We should get going."

It didn't take them long to find a good spot to camp. They found one of the tall, stone markers with a bronze point at the top, brightly colored flags surrounding it and flapping in the chilly wind. They set up camp next to it, building a small but inviting fire and rolling their sleeping bags out after kicking some of the larger and pointier rocks away. They had a small tent, but none of them wanted to dig it out and put it up unless they really had to. Once that was settled, Obi-Wan began to heat up a few cans of beans over the fire with a small pot while Ahsoka and Anakin pulled out their lightsabers and began to practice, their blue hues lighting up the night.

Due to their current lack of lightsabers, Ahsoka was borrowing Obi-Wan's for now, while Obi-Wan had Maul's double-bladed red lightsaber secured to his belt. Neither Ahsoka nor Anakin had much experience fighting with a double-bladed lightsaber like Maul's, so Obi-Wan had volunteered, reluctantly, to switch for a while to allow Ahsoka the use of a saber. So, Anakin worked with Ahsoka, occasionally reminding her of what she needed to do when she made a mistake. She didn't complain or roll her eyes like she used to when she was his Padawan, knowing the experience he'd had both as a Jedi and a Sith Lord. Instead, she changed her technique and fixed the problem. She hadn't used a lightsaber since her previous lifetime, and she was doing pretty well considering that, Anakin thought. It almost felt like old times, except both of them were now much more experienced fighters after years of constant war in their old galaxy.

"If you two are finished," Obi-Wan called after a while, "Dinner is ready."

Stomachs grumbling, they deactivated their lightsabers and joined Obi-Wan by the fire. "I wouldn't mind practicing some before we go to bed, Anakin," Obi-Wan said as Anakin sat down next to him.

Anakin grinned as he spooned some of the beans into his little tin bowl. "You're on."

Ahsoka spooned the food into her bowl as well. "This looks much better than the rations they fed us in the Clone Wars," She grinned, "I would die happy if I didn't have to ever eat another ration again."

Anakin couldn't help but agree with her, remembering the tasteless goop labeled as 'rations' they'd been fed in the Outer Rim during those wars, and he didn't even bother to mention the sorts of food he hoped he would never have to eat again—bland, liquidized food, not meant to taste good, but only to provide the nutrients Darth Vader had needed. His…condition...had made solid foods hard to eat; so, he had been stuck with whatever the emperor had ordered into the liquid nightmare that had been his food.

No, best not to mention that memory.

"So," Obi-Wan said after they ate in silence for a while, "I was thinking."

"A dangerous activity." Ahsoka teased, causing Obi-Wan to roll his eyes.

"Yoda has declined the role of Grand Master and has chosen to be largely removed from the new Jedi Order. So, that leaves us three to establish it." He glanced at Anakin, hesitating, as if he were choosing the right words to say. "I think that, because this is largely something you and I will be heading, Anakin, I believe you and I should each carry the title of Grand Master."

Grand Master.

For years, Anakin had always wanted to just be considered a Jedi Master, not just a knight. He had always felt that, due to his years of service and his actions as a general in the Clone Wars (not to mention his designation as The Chosen One of Jedi Prophecy), he should have been granted the title. Even Obi-Wan had once expressed surprise that the Jedi Council had not granted him the title (not that the old Obi-Wan would have said that to the council). Then, once he'd become a Sith, he had dreamed of becoming a Sith Master, not just an apprentice. His natural ability and skills with the Force, with a lightsaber, as a star pilot and in battle technically out matched even Palpatine, but he had never achieved the title due to Palpatine's mastery of manipulation, both of Vader and the entire galaxy.

But, now…now he was finally being offered the chance to not only become a Jedi Master, but a Grand Master with his best friend, mentor, and brother. Obi-Wan's reasoning made sense, but to Anakin's thinking, Grand Masters were old and wise, like Yoda. Not young and brash and impulsive like Anakin tended to be. Certainly, previous Sith Lords never became Jedi Grand Masters either.

"I don't…" Anakin began, but Obi-Wan cut him off, holding up his hand as he spoke.

"I know what you're going to say. I know you're worried. I know you have doubts because of your past. But, you also know that you're not that man anymore, Anakin. You've come a long way, as have I. There's no one else here, that we know of, who has the level of experience and memory that both of us do. And, our individual strengths cancel out each other's weaknesses. Besides, there's no way that I can plan all of this on my own. For starters, your technological capabilities and understanding far exceed my own. Aside from that, you are still The Chosen One, Anakin, with the strongest Force ability of any Jedi. Ever."

"He's right, Sky Guy," Ahsoka agreed with a nod of her head, "I think you'd be an awesome Grand Master...An interesting one, but an awesome one, nonetheless."

Could he do it?

It felt good….really good...to have their confidence, and if Padme were there, he was certain she would have agreed with them and encouraged him to do it. But, he had to do this for himself. If he became a Grand Master, he would lead the way for future Jedi to come—including, possibly, his own children someday.

Luke. Leia. What would they say?

Leia actually probably hated him. He was pretty sure she wouldn't have had anything nice to say about the situation.

Luke, however—Luke, like Padme, was more trusting. He was faithful. He was loyal. He had seen Darth Vader not as he was, but as he could be.

Luke would have believed in him. If Luke believed he could do it…

He could do it.

Taking a deep breath, Anakin said, "Okay. I'll do it."

Obi-Wan smiled, and Anakin couldn't help but notice the relief in his eyes. The man clearly hadn't relished the idea of being Grand Master all on his own. "So...Do you have any first acts as Grand Master you would like to bring to the table?"

Anakin thought about it for a moment. "Yeah, I do actually." He shot Ahsoka a grin. "I propose that we make Ahsoka Tano the first Jedi Master in the new Order."

"Really?!" Ahsoka blurted out, surprised. "But, I quit in my last life. Remember?"

"Yes," Anakin agreed, "For good reason. But, you also continued to valiantly serve the ideals of a true Jedi even after the Jedi had all been killed, even when the Rebellion had a miniscule chance of surviving. I'd say those are the actions of a true Master."

"I'd have to agree." Obi-Wan smiled warmly as Ahsoka flushed, "Ahsoka Tano, will you accept the rank of Jedi Master?"

It was a much less formal situation than it used to be, but Anakin supposed that it would have to do.

Ahsoka smiled, tears brimming in her eyes. "I accept."

"Are you crying, Snips?" Anakin teased her, but still very pleased for his former Padawan just the same.

"No! Of course not! My eyes just naturally water whenever I talk about Jedi business." Ahsoka quickly wiped at her eyes, as both Obi-Wan and Anakin laughed. "Are we going to invite Vokara as well?"

"Of course. I don't think it will be hard to persuade her, however. The Order needs a Healer, and she's already expressed interest, and she's been pestering me about helping her create a Bacta Tank to sell." Anakin rolled his eyes. "Like I'm any good at healing things."

"Maybe not," Obi-Wan agreed, "But, with her medical knowledge coupled with your tech skills, we could probably produce them…it would certainly make millions for the Order if we managed to make both the bandages and a tank."

He had a point there. The more money they made, the more money they would have for their individual families and for Jedi business. Perhaps he would consider looking into it when they got back home…Goodness knows, after what he saw with Padme's and Ahsoka's injuries at Thanksgiving, a Bacta tank would have definitely come in handy.

"Guys," Ahsoka said after a while of comfortable silence, "Why do I feel like we just created the world's coolest club instead of a mighty, formal Jedi Order?"

Anakin wasn't sure what kind of club she was talking about (he had never attended a regular school in his old galaxy and had no recollection of having attended school in this galaxy to experience it), but Obi-Wan snorted with laughter. "Maybe that's just what the Jedi Order needs this time—less formality, more…reality."

That, Anakin could heartily agree with.


It had been a long, long time since Anakin had slept out on the stony ground under the stars. He hadn't done it since the Clone Wars, and even then, he usually had had either a cot or a bunk of some sort. Besides that, he was now used to being curled up next to Padme every night at home in their bed. So, by early morning, just before sunrise, he was wide awake, having tossed and turned almost the entire night. Now, he lay there, staring up at the fading stars, waiting for the others to get up. Sometimes, it really sucked not being able to sleep as easily as others.

"Anakin." Obi-Wan's voice, gruff with sleep, reached him, and he turned and looked over at the huddled form of his friend. "Couldn't sleep?"

"I got enough." He wasn't lying. He would make it enough if he had to.

Obi-Wan likely didn't believe him, but the older Jedi knew by now not to push the issue with Anakin. "I've had better night's sleep myself, to be honest."

"It's not exactly a fancy hotel." Anakin agreed with a soft smile. "Should we get Ahsoka up?"

"Not yet." Obi-Wan shifted so that he was sitting up in his sleeping bag, and Anakin could feel his friend's eyes on him. "I have a question I'd like to ask you...man to man."

"Okay. I'm listening." Inside his own sleeping bag, Anakin rolled over stiffly, propping his head up with his hand and elbow so that he was looking at Obi-Wan.

In the darkness of the pre-dawn, Obi-Wan was still largely a dark shadow, but the dim light that was available made it possible for Anakin to just barely see the longing in Obi-Wan's face, mixed with a little sheepishness. "Before, in our old galaxy, the barrier between Satine and I was clearly defined. Being separated from her wasn't as hard. But, now...we're engaged, and there isn't that barrier there between us anymore, and I'm...I mean, this isn't even a dangerous mission, at least not compared to what we've experienced before, and yet, I find myself…"

"Thinking about her?" Anakin asked quietly, although he didn't really need to. He already knew the answer.

"Yes." Obi-Wan admitted with a sigh. He paused for a moment, furrowing his brow. "Anakin, how do you do it?"

How did he do it? He wasn't really sure he did it all that successfully. He was focused on his mission, sure, but always in the back of his mind he was thinking about his wife. He admitted this to Obi-Wan. "However," he added, "I think that's what always kept me going before in our old galaxy. It's certainly what keeps me going now. If I'm successful, the world should be a better, safer place for Padme and our family to live in. So, as much as I miss her here in the moment, I have to trust that she will be able to look after herself while I'm gone and then focus my attention on the mission at hand." While Obi-Wan nodded his understanding, Anakin grinned wolfishly, adding, just to make his friend squirm, "Besides, once I get home, I always show her exactly how much I did miss her. Which is why, if you recall, I usually disappeared for at least a couple of days after we would return from a mission in our old galaxy."

Sure enough, just as he'd expected, Obi-Wan shifted uncomfortably at this revelation, and as the sun was beginning to peek above the mountains in the distance, Anakin now had enough light to see the bright red blush that had appeared on his friend's face, causing Anakin to grin ferally before rubbing it in even more. "Ben, it is something to look forward to. Trust me!"

Obi-Wan nodded his head again, obviously embarrassed, "Right," He cleared his throat, "Thanks….uh, I think now would be a good time to get Ahsoka up and break camp." He didn't wait for Anakin to agree, but got up and started to shake Ahsoka awake, while Anakin lay in his sleeping bag and shook with quiet laughter.


The day blurred together after that. They entered into the canyon between the mountains, the trail winding up and up. The beautiful views disappeared, replaced by lots and lots of sharp, craggy rocks and a long drop to the side of them. Anytime any of them said something, the canyon would echo their words, and when the trail became so narrow that they had to hike single file, it made it impossible to talk aloud at all, necessitating they communicate through the Force as needed.

As the sun began to set, the temperature in the canyon began to plummet, and, having already expected to be in the village, Anakin started to worry. There was no good place for them to set up camp. The trail was too narrow for sleeping, and with the temperature as cold as it was, they would need to set up a tent—which was definitely out of the question.

He felt Obi-Wan send him comfort through their Force connection. We'll get there, he assured Anakin confidently, as if he had been there before and knew exactly where they were going. He decided that even if Obi-Wan was wrong and they didn't reach the village that night, worrying about it wasn't going to help them. So, he cleared his mind and pushed away the worry, concentrating instead on the path ahead.

They reached the village just after dark. It was a tiny village, and there very was little electricity, so they didn't realize the village was even there until they were literally walking next to the first little wooden shack. "Thank the Force," Ahsoka said with a sigh of relief.

Anakin glanced around at the layout of the village. It rested on top of a clearing, the shadow of the mountain looming over it. He could hear water cascading down the mountain, and he thought he could smell some sort of fruit growing nearby. In the darkness, he could see that the majority of the homes were small and made of wood, with lines of colored flags stretching between the buildings and over the streets. What little light the village had flickered in and out, and Anakin's suspicions about there not being a hotel were essentially confirmed.

"Why would anyone live up here?!" Ahsoka asked in astonishment, as they strolled through the nearly empty streets. A few villagers sat on their wooden porches, watching them pass by with suspicious, hooded eyes. Somehow, Anakin didn't think that this was a popular tourist destination...even for mountain climbers.

"They're probably farmers or miners." Obi-Wan replied, "Still, I think we should set up watches tonight. We'll see what the village has to offer in the morning."

They found a spot to set up their tent in-between two huts, and after eating cold granola bars and some raisins, Anakin volunteered to take the first watch while the other two got some sleep.

Big mistake.

He stared up at the mountain, its shape looming and massive in the darkness, shivering in his red coat and ski cap, as he wondered what exactly they would find when they got up there. Would they truly find lightsaber crystals? If they did, how many would they find? If it was depleted from merchants coming to mine them, they would have to find a way to conserve their resources. But, if there were a lot…

They would have to figure out a way to protect them.

The questions swirled in his head, and by the time Obi-Wan got up to take over the next shift, Anakin was restless with anxiety, and no amount of lying in the small tent, tossing and turning in his sleeping bag, would calm him.

By morning, he felt as if he'd been run over by a train. His muscles were even more tight and sore, and he had dark circles beneath his eyes. "You look positively peachy, Sky Guy." Ahsoka teased, but she didn't look much better. Her hair was twisted into knots, and her eyes were bloodshot.

"Speak for yourself, Snips," Anakin grumbled, rubbing a hand over his two days of stubble. He couldn't help but think how Padme would have teased him and called him Obi-Wan had she been there to see his face. That thought alone brought a small smile to his face and made him feel a little bit better.

Obi-Wan, however, looked as if he'd gotten years of rest. He was the first one packed and ready to go, and when Anakin and Ahsoka took too long to finish their packing, he made a quick sweep of the village. He returned now with a smile on his face. "Well, there's only one landline in the entire village. I purchased some of their fruit, but Anakin, I thought you would want to contact Padme and let her know you're safe." He looked at Anakin pointedly. It was the middle of the night in California, but Anakin had a feeling Obi-Wan had already left a message for Satine. He was right—it would be good to leave Padme a message, and Anakin couldn't help but marvel at how it was Obi-Wan to suggest it.

Before, Padme would only get word about Anakin through stories broadcasted throughout the galaxy on the Holonet or via internal senatorial memos, stories that may or may not be true, as the Jedi had been fiercely private about their internal workings in order to protect the Knights and Masters out on missions. Anakin couldn't have paused and left Padme a personal message most of the time because he couldn't explain to Obi-Wan or Ahsoka why he was doing that. Now, however, Obi-Wan encouraged it, and even though Anakin was in a bit of a foul mood, he couldn't help but feel grateful for how much had changed. He wondered if he would ever get used to these changes.

So, while Obi-Wan took over helping Ahsoka pack, Anakin made his way over to the landline.

When he arrived, a woman sat there at a loom, working on, what looked to Anakin, to be a rug. Anakin likely would have ignored the woman, but he couldn't help but notice her, as she stood out like a sore thumb. Most of the villagers he had passed were clearly of Asian descent, whereas this woman was clearly of European descent with her pale skin, blonde hair, and striking blue eyes. She glanced at him as he approached the landline, but she quickly went back to her weaving, seemingly ignoring him.

He shrugged it off before he put in the money required to operate the landline long distance and dialed Padme's number.

As he expected, it went straight to her voicemail. Hi there, you've reached Padme Skywalker. I'm not available to take your call right now, but please leave your name and number, and I'll get back with you shortly. Thanks, and have a great day! Her voice, cheerful and happy, made him close his eyes as a strong surge of longing rushed through him. Force, he missed her!. He always did when he was away. He also couldn't help but note that she had already changed her voicemail to reflect her new last name, filling him with a sense of pride. His heart swelled in his chest.

The recorder beeped, and he cleared his throat. "Hey, Angel, it's me," He said, his voice gruff with longing, "I just wanted you to know that we're here, and we've made it to the village safely. We're going up the mountain today. There's no cell service here, and this phone is literally the only phone for miles, as far as I know. So, you won't be able to call me back, I'm afraid. I hope all is well at home, and you're okay, and hopefully, I can reach you next time, Sweetheart. I miss you, and..." He closed his eyes, holding back a sigh. "I love you, Padme. Always. Be safe."

He disconnected the call, hung up, and stared at the phone for a moment, wishing that it wasn't so late over there so he could actually talk to her.

"You're going up the mountain?" A feminine voice suddenly asked, stirring him out of his thoughts. He glanced over and found the blonde woman staring at him with suspicious eyes. "It's haunted up there. The locals will tell you that, if you spoke their language."

Anakin frowned. "Isn't it a little rude to listen in on people's phone conversations?" He shot back, and due to his exhaustion, his voice wasn't exactly kind.

She didn't seem to take offense, however. "You are technically on my porch. I can listen to whoever uses the phone." She seemed to be confident in her answer, Anakin wondered if she'd purposely set the phone up that way. If he wanted to get to know everyone that lived around him and he had to install one phone for all of them to use, he probably would have done the same thing. "Either way, I would turn back now if I were you." She resumed her weaving as if she hadn't spoken up in the first place, and Anakin couldn't help but think it was odd that someone who clearly did not belong here and was so young was spending her time in this isolated village weaving on her porch like an old woman.

"Thanks for the concern," Anakin grumbled, turning away, "But I don't need it." He didn't wait for her reply before he headed back to Obi-Wan and Ahsoka.

"What took you so long?" Obi-Wan asked when he reached them. They were both packed and ready to go.

"Some crazy, young, blonde lady told me that the mountain was haunted when I got off the phone," Anakin said, as he slung his own pack over his shoulders. "Did she seem a bit…off to you?"

Obi-Wan frowned. "I'm afraid that I didn't notice any 'crazy ladies' when I made my phone call…If I had, I probably wouldn't have suggested calling."

"I think most of the people here have to be at least a little crazy," Ahsoka said as they began to walk through the streets toward the mountain path. "They would have to be in order to live so far away from everything else on the planet."

"Hey, I've done the hermit thing. It wasn't that bad." Obi-Wan said, but it sounded like a weak argument to Anakin. Obi-Wan would put up with a lot if it meant doing what he felt was right, but Anakin also doubted Obi-Wan had actually enjoyed living in seclusion on Tatooine either. He had certainly never liked living there.

"No, I'm going to have to agree with Snips on this one." Anakin said, glancing at the villagers who passed by. Every single one of them gave them a wary look, as if they expected them to turn into some sort of monster in front of them.

"Thanks, Sky Guy." Ahsoka said, and the group fell into silence as they reached the start of the mountain trail and stopped to stare up.

Anakin wasn't sure what he expected. The whole trail up the mountain pass had been relatively laid out. It had been obvious where they were going. Now, however, although his well-trained eyes could detect the faint traces of a largely unused mountain trail, it was so steep that it was almost up a sheer cliff. "We may need to break out the rock climbing gear," Ahsoka said after a moment of stunned silence.

"It's a possibility." Anakin agreed, eyeing the cliff with unease. "Let's see what we can do first."

They hesitantly began their climb, and at least for a quarter of the way up, it was difficult but not enough to need climbing gear. Soon, however, the cliff loomed above them at a ninety degree angle, and they were forced to stop to get out their climbing gear.

From then on, it was a long, arduous, teeth-gritting, muscle-burning climb, as all three slowly climbed towards the cliff's ledge. Anakin had made much more frightening journeys up the side of cliffs before, often while having to protect himself from blaster fire with his lightsaber in one hand and the rope in the other, but it had been so long ago, and now his muscles screamed at him to stop and rest. There was nowhere to do so, however; so he gritted his teeth and continued to climb, occasionally using the Force to steady himself.

It was late afternoon by the time they reached the top, hauling themselves less than gracefully over the edge, as instead of standing up and immediately getting out of their gear, they merely rolled onto the grass and rocks above, panting, feeling the cool breeze lick at their faces, drying what sweat they had before it had a chance to really form. "That," Anakin breathed between gasps as he massaged his sore fingers, "Was one determined merchant to climb over that to sell five dollar crystals in Italy."

"Maybe he likes rock climbing," Obi-Wan offered weakly on a laugh.

"I think we can all agree," Ahsoka gasped, "That we are so not as athletic as during the Clone Wars days. I propose that we start going rock climbing on a regular basis when we get home."

"I second that," Anakin replied, holding his hand up weakly.

"Me, too," Obi-Wan agreed, and ever so slowly he sat up to get a good look at their surroundings, leaning back on his arms. "I also suggest that we figure out a way to rebuild that so it doesn't kill us when we come back."

Frowning, Anakin sat up to look at whatever Obi-Wan was referring to. "Oh," He said, seeing what he was seeing, "I think I'm going to second that, too."

"What?" Ahsoka sat up with a wince, her eyes scanning the top of the cliff…and froze upon seeing the 'bridge.' "Let me guess. You're going to make me go across that death trap."

"Unless you can see another way over." Obi-Wan replied calmly, although he didn't sound too happy about it either.

Across from them was yet another deep chasm, separating one chunk of the mountain from the other chunk. Connecting the two sides was a very rickety, narrow, swinging wooden bridge, suspended from very thin-looking wires. It swayed in the wind, and Anakin thought he spotted a few holes where the wood had rotted and collapsed.

"It's like that scene in Indiana Jones," Ahsoka groaned, "Except none of us are Indiana Jones, and there aren't unseen blow up mattresses underneath that contraption." Anakin didn't know anything about Indiana Jones except for the ride at Disneyland, but he had a feeling that whatever scene she was referring to, it wasn't exactly a walk in the park.

"We'll be fine," Anakin said, trying to sound upbeat, but it came out more insincere than he planned, as he stood and removed his climbing gear. "Besides, we can use the Force to try to steady the bridge."

"I know," Ahsoka sighed, getting up as well, "I just think I'm going to have nightmares about this for weeks to come."

They finished putting their gear away and approached the bridge cautiously, staring at it for a moment before they stepped forward. "How old do you think this thing is?" Ahsoka asked, her quiet voice almost whisked away on the wind.

"I don't know," Obi-Wan said, "It could be thirty years. It could be a hundred. It could even be a few weeks old, and it was just built shoddily."

"I don't think it really matters. We have to cross it regardless," Anakin said, "So, don't die." He didn't wait for their response. Instead, he squared his shoulders and began to make his way gingerly across the bridge, using the Force to keep him steady.

It became a little harder to stay steady when Obi-Wan eased onto the bridge, followed by Ahsoka. Their movements made the wood beneath their feet groan and sway, and several times Anakin had to quickly call upon the Force to right his footing before continuing on. A few times, right before Anakin was about to step on a board, he felt a warning through the Force, prompting him to step over it and call a warning back for his friends. If any of them moved too quickly, the bridge would sway dangerously, which always caused Ahsoka to gasp a little in nervousness.

At one point, Anakin was dumb enough to glance over the side into the abyss below them. The drop was much further than he thought it was, and he could see massive sharp rocks staring back up at him as if they were just waiting for them to mess up and fall to their deaths. Upon closer inspection, he was pretty sure he saw the remnants of other hiking bags and scattered belongings below.

Don't look down, Anakin told his friends through the Force, tearing his eyes away from it. He had a feeling that they were not the only ones to have attempted to cross this bridge. Perhaps they would be one of the few to survive it. He certainly hoped so.

You don't need to tell me twice, Sky Guy, he heard Ahsoka respond through their Force connection, prompting a small smirk from him.

Finally, Anakin reached the other side, and as his feet hit solid ground again, he breathed a sigh of relief, and he moved out of the way so that Obi-Wan and Ahsoka could join him.

"Yup. That's definitely going to give me nightmares." Ahsoka announced shakily, looking back at the way they'd come. "This lead had better be worth it, Sky Guy."

"It will be," Anakin began, "I feel it…"

He abruptly cut off as all three of them felt a pulse of warning through the Force, their hands immediately going to their lightsabers, their eyes scanning the rocks above them. "Did you feel that?" Anakin whispered.

"Yes," Obi-Wan confirmed grimly, "We're not alone."

"There weren't any other settlements on the map," Ahsoka said, "Is it an ambush?"

She had barely finished the question when the trap sprung. Suddenly, there were war cries echoing around them, and the late afternoon brightened suddenly with the glow of at least ten lightsabers of different colors, as assailants, not more than fourteen years in age surrounded them, their lightsabers pointed directly at the trio of Jedi.

Stunned, not at the ambush itself, but at the weapons their young attackers carried, all three of them stood there, their hands on the hilts of their own lightsabers, staring slackjawed at their attackers. "Yeah," Anakin dryly said after a moment, "I think it's an ambush alright."

One of the assailants, a tall boy with freckles and a wild tangle of dark brown hair, stepped forward, his green lightsaber pointed directly in Anakin's face. "Surrender, trespassers," he snarled (surprisingly in English) in an attempt to appear menacing, "Or face your doom!"


So I'm super tired due to a very long week, but here you are! Who are these attackers? Why do they have lightsabers? Find out next chapter! I'm also introducing a major character next chapter, as well as a few characters people requested. So if you requested a character, stay tuned!

Anyhow, the song for this chapter was Strength of an Army by Two Steps from Hell. I'm pretty sure there was something else that I wanted to say, but I'm too tired and can't remember. It was probably important too... oh well.

Review! Reviews brighten up my day :)

Love,

Sarah