Chapter 16 – Road to Recovery
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Lux Bonteri stood in a large park-like area, dressed in a black suit. A large group of others were gathered around, all dressed in similar dark mourning robes. A somber music was playing.
He could see numerous familiar faces, Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padmé Amidala, Riyo Chuchi, Barriss Offee and several other Jedi and a couple of Togruta. Everyone, including himself, shared the same saddened expressions and the same pain in the heart. Several of the people gathered 'round were crying and holding each other.
In the center of the group, atop a pedestal, stood a coffin. Flowers were spread all around it, loose flowers and several larger bouquets. In front of the coffin stood a portrait of an all too familiar Togrutan Teen, Ahsoka Tano. Staring at her face on the portrait and the coffin behind it, holding her lifeless body, his heart was breaking.
"In the end, our bodies crumble and return to the earth. Our spirits live on, merged with the energy and life around us." The Kel Dorian Jedi Plo Koon spoke solemnly, trying to hide the sadness in his voice. He was performing the traditional rites. Everyone stood by in silence and listened.
As Plo Koon finished speaking, the coffin began to lower into the ground. Lux stood by with tears running down his face as the war had claimed yet another he loved. He kept staring at the coffin as it sank deeper and deeper into the ground. Time seemed to slow down. Then, finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the coffin disappeared from view into the cold ground, forever taking her out of his live.
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"NO!" Lux yelled as he jumped upright. He looked around frantically, tears stinging in his eyes. Breathing heavily, he realized he was in one of the rooms aboard the flagship of Master Unduli. Sighing deeply he rubbed the tears out of his eyes. "It was only a nightmare, just a nightmare…" he muttered to himself. The image of Ahsoka's broken body, lying on the cold rocky ground of Felucia was still burning in his mind. When they were evacuated from the planet Ahsoka had been rushed to the medbay immediately. He had been pacing up and down the waiting room before one of his staff members had convinced him to rest a bit. He had left to try and get some rest so he was shown to one of the rooms onboard the ship. He checked the chrono, he had barely slept for four hours. He got up out of his bed and went into the refresher to splash some water on his face.
The meeting Lux and the other Senators had to go to had been delayed to give them some time to recover. Bail Organa and the others had already been brought to the location of the meeting. Luckily, the Senators and their staff hadn't been seriously injured. Just a few scratches here and there. They had been checked in the medbay and they had all been cleared to leave. Lux had stayed behind for now, he could take a later flight and still make it in time for the meeting. First he wanted to know if Ahsoka was going to be alright.
Lux left the refresher and got changed. After that he left the room to try and find padawan Offee or one of the other medical staff of the ship. "Senator Bonteri, is everything alright?" a voice behind him asked. He turned to see Barriss Offee walking up to him. He shook his head. "How is Ahsoka?" he asked. Barriss sighed. "We've treated her wounds the best we can, but she still has a long way to go." She explained the severity of her wounds to him. Because of the force of the explosion, her left arm was broken as well as her right ankle. Her right shoulder had been dislocated. She also had a large gash along her back lekku and perhaps a concussion as well. But they couldn't confirm this until after she woke up. "She's been in a bacta tank for almost three hours now. We're keeping her in a sleep state until her wounds heal a bit more. Especially the cut on her lekku can give her serious pain." she said. Lux had a very worried look on his face. "Can I see her?" he asked softly. Barriss nodded. "Come on, I'll take you to her. But I have to warn you, it might not be easy for you to see her like this." She replied.
Barriss lead Lux towards the rooms where they kept the bacta tanks. "Lux, can I ask you something?" Barriss asked. He nodded. "Sure." Barriss reached into her pocket and pulled something out. Lux looked at it and felt a surge of pain in his heart. In Barriss' hand was the locket he had given to Ahsoka. The crystal was still intact, but the rest of the locket was burnt and bend out of shape. "You gave this to her, didn't you?" she asked. "Yes, I'd hoped that it would keep her safe…" Lux replied sadly, looking at the broken locket. "It did." Barriss said. When she saw Lux' confused expression she explained. "There was a large piece of shrapnel lodged into the locket. Had it not been for the locket, that shrapnel would've imbedded itself into Ahsoka's chest and done some serious damage to her vital arteries." Barriss smiled. "It saved her life." Lux' pained expression lessened when he heard this. "Thank you." He said softly. Barriss nodded in acknowledgment.
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After a short walk they had reached the room where Ahsoka was in. Lux braced himself before he followed Barriss into the room. He was still shocked by what he saw. Right now Ahsoka was floating inside a bacta tank. They had replaced her normal outfit and broken armour with a set of small medical robes designed to at least preserve the dignity of the person inside the tank. Lux sighed. Seeing Ahsoka in this condition, floating around almost lifelessly in a bacta tank, it broke his heart. If not for the heart monitor next to the device, he would barely be able to tell if she was alive or not. He could barely see the soft rising of her chest as she breathed. "I'll leave you alone with her for now." Barriss said as she turned to leave the room. "Oh Barriss." Lux said before she left. "Yes?" she replied. "If I have to leave before Ahsoka wakes up, please give her that locket back for me." He said. She smiled. "Don't worry, I will." She then left the room to give Lux some space.
Barriss had told him that Ahsoka had been in surgery for over two hours, followed by three hours in the bacta tank, before Lux had been allowed to see her. He had asked Barriss how long Ahsoka still needed to stay in the bacta tank, but she hadn't been able to give him an answer. Nevertheless, he wanted to see her, hoping that him being near her would allow her to sense his presence. He wanted to let her know that he was there with her.
The door behind him opened. He turned around to see who it was. He had expected Barriss or one of the other medical staff, but instead Zaa Vashee, the princess of Shili entered. Lux bowed his head respectfully. "Princess." He said softly. She moved up next to him, she was dressed in a full set of medical robes. Lux had heard that she had been tortured by the Separatist commander as well. "Senator…Bonteri? Was it?" she asked softly. Lux nodded. Zaa Vashee looked at Ahsoka through the glass. "How…how is she?" Lux shook his head. "I don't know. Padawan Offee said that they'd treated the majority of her wounds and that she was in a more stable condition now… But she didn't know how long it would take for her to wake up again." He replied. Zaa nodded. "I just… I just don't understand this…" she said with a hint of confusion in her voice. "What do you mean?" Lux asked. Zaa shook her head. "I've never even met her and she risked her life to try and save me. Why would she do that?" she asked him. Lux chuckled softly. "Because that's just how she is." He replied. He noticed her confused expression and continued: "Ahsoka was raised as a Jedi, helping others is what she does. She has a very selfless nature as well." He looked at the Togrutan princess. "She has seen some of the evil the Separatist are capable of. Ahsoka knew that with you as their captive, they could do a lot of damage to Shili. She's not afraid to risk her life to help others." Zaa Vashee looked very surprised. "I can't believe that anyone would be so selfless." She looked at Lux. "S-she is going to be alright? Is she?" she asked concerned. "According to padawan Offee, she is going to recover but it will take quite a while." Lux replied. Zaa nodded. "I see." She looked at Ahsoka. "She risked her life to save me. I'll repay her this kindness somehow." She said. She turned back to Lux. "I have to get back to my room, Shaden and the others might freak out if I'm not there." She said a little embarrassed. Lux nodded. "I understand." Zaa gave a slight smile and left the room.
Lux pulled up a chair next to the glass and sat down. He stayed with in the room until one of his assistants contacted him that it was time for them to leave. He reluctantly said goodbye to Ahsoka, hoping that she could hear him.
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Several hours later
"All kinds of different sounds around me… voices, maybe? I can't tell… I try to move or open my eyes. Why is this so difficult? My body feels so numb…"
"She's waking up! Ahsoka, can you hear me?" a voice asked. "W-who…?" I try to reply, but my voice is weak. I try to open my eyes and focus. There are shapes moving around in front of me. "What are they? Are they…people?" My body is barely willing to move. "Ahsoka, it's me, Barriss. Come on, wake up." The same voice said. "Barriss?" I muster what strength I can and open my eyes. The light above me hurts my eyes. I ignore the slightly burning feeling and look around. I see Barriss next to me, examining the look in my eyes. I see Marina and Lilo sitting worried behind her. The Shilian princess, Zaa Vashee and another Togruta I don't recognize are on the other side of me. "You're finally awake." Barriss says relieved.
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"When will she wake up?" Marina Tano asked. Barriss sighed and looked at Ahsoka sleeping in the bed next to her. They had finally moved her out of the bacta tank. She had spent a total of ten hours floating in the bacta. Ahsoka was now resting in a bed in one of the observation rooms in the medbay of the ship. Her sisters, Marina and Lilo, had arrived about an hour ago along with Zolar Vashee, the older brother of princess Zaa Vashee. They were all in the room with her, waiting for Ahsoka to wake up. "I'm sorry, but I really don't know." Barriss replied. Zaa Vashee turned to Marina and her younger sister. "I spoke with my father, when we return to Shili she will receive the best medical care available." Both sisters gave a little nod. "Thank you, mylady." Lilo replied.
Barriss suddenly heard a bit of weak moaning. "Quiet everyone." She looked at Ahsoka, her eyes were slightly fluttering. "She's waking up! Ahsoka can you hear me?" Barriss said. The others in the room looked shocked, but kept quiet. "W-who…?" Ahsoka replied weakly. "Ahsoka, it's me, Barriss. Come on, wake up." Barriss said. Ahsoka's eyes opened slowly and she looked around the room. Barriss smiled. "You're finally awake." She said relieved. Ahsoka looked at Barriss. "Where… Wha… I feel so numb all over…" Ahsoka said softly. Barriss placed her hand on Ahsoka's uninjured shoulder. "Don't try to move. You're safe Ahsoka." She replied. "S-safe?" Ahsoka asked slightly confused. "The explosion!". She tried to jump upright, but her body didn't work with her. "Ahsoka, hold still. Don't over exert yourself." Barriss said worried. "You just spend about ten hours in a bacta tank. Your body will be numb for quite a while still." She explained. Ahsoka gave the slightest nod and relaxed.
Ahsoka looked at Barriss. "How is everyone?" she asked, her voice still weak and trembling. "Thanks to you, everyone made it our just fine." Barriss replied. Ahsoka smiled. "That's good to hear." She replied relieved. "What about you? How are you feeling Ahsoka?" Barriss asked. Ahsoka laid her head back down in the pillow. "I feel…numb…weak…" she replied softly. Barriss nodded. "No headaches or muscle-ache?" Ahsoka lightly shook her head 'no'. Barriss smiled. "Good." Her face turned more serious. "Now, Ahsoka listen to me. You're injured pretty badly. Your left arm is broken and your right ankle as well. Your right shoulder was dislocated, we fixed it but it might still cause you some pain. Thanks to the armour you wore, your skin wasn't burnt as bad as it could have been. There won't be any scars from the fire. You also have a large gash on your rear lekku. That might cause you some real discomfort if you don't take it easy. I know you don't like being in the medbay or any type of hospital for that matter, but promise me that you'll take the time to recover." Barriss told her. Ahsoka nodded. "Alright then Barriss, I promise." Barriss smiled. "Now then, you have a few guests." She said and gestured around the room. When she said this both of Ahsoka's sisters approached the bed. Both looked immensely relieved. Marina sighed deeply. "I'm so glad you're awake Ahsoka. You had us really worried." She said relieved. Lilo just smiled widely. "I'm sorry." Ahsoka replied with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. Her sisters laughed a bit at her reaction. "At least you haven't changed a bit." Lilo said. The other Togruta in the room also approached the bed. "Ahsoka, I am prince Zolar Vashee. You saved my little sister and for that, I will be forever grateful." He said. Ahsoka nodded. "You're welcome." She replied.
Ahsoka looked around the room. Barriss noticed what she was doing and she knew why. "You're looking for Lux, aren't you?" she asked. Ahsoka nodded. Barriss' face saddened a bit. "He already had to leave for the meeting. He wanted to stay, but just couldn't." she explained. "I thought that I sensed him…" Ahsoka replied softly. Barriss nodded. "He was with you for several hours while you were in the bacta tank. He wanted to let you know that he was there with you." Ahsoka smiled. "I see…" Barriss reached into her pocket. "He also wanted me to return this to you." She said as she placed the broken locket in Ahsoka's hand. Ahsoka's smile faded as she saw the condition the locket was in. "Lux told me that he wanted it to protect you, and it did. If it weren't for that locket, a large piece of shrapnel would probably have killed you." Barriss said. Ahsoka looked surprised at Barriss' explanation. "Thank you Barriss." Ahsoka said with a smile.
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Everyone in the room were talking with each other when Barriss' datapad suddenly beeped. She took it out and looked at the message. She sighed. "I have to go soon, we're expected to give a full report to the Council soon." Barriss explained. "I'm sure that when Anakin learns you're here he'll come running here as fast as he can." She said with a smile. Ahsoka's face turned to slight shock when she heard this. "Ahsoka? What's wrong?" Marina asked. "Don't you want to see Anakin?" Barriss asked confused. "No, but I…" Ahsoka replied. She took a deep breath. "Not yet." "What do you mean?" Barriss asked. Ahsoka looked at Barriss. "I do want to see him again, but… I'm not sure if I'm ready to see him again." She looked down. "In any case, I don't want him to see me like this…" she said as she looked at her wounds. "I want to be able to stand tall and show him that I have what it takes to take care of myself. I want to be able to greet him as an equal and show him just how far I've come." She took another deep breath. "I want him to be proud of me." She said softly. Barriss nodded. "I understand Ahsoka, I'll tell him." Ahsoka smiled a bit. "Thanks Barriss."
Barriss got up and prepared to leave the room. "Oh, before I forget." She said as she turned to Ahsoka's sisters. "Ahsoka always tries to sneak out of the medbay, despite her injuries. She has a small problem when it comes to listening to her doctors. You two do me a favor and make sure that she stays in bed." Barriss told Marina and Lilo. They looked rather surprised while Ahsoka just scoffed at Barriss' request. "You're no fun Barriss…" Ahsoka said a bit teasingly. Barriss chuckled at Ahsoka's reaction. "As your friend, I enjoy messing around with you. But as your doctor, I can't let you do anything stupid." Barriss replied as she left the room.
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Luminara Unduli and Aayla Secura stood in front of the holotransmitter to give their report to the Jedi Council. They both bowed respectfully when the communication line opened and the Council holograms appeared. Anakin Skywalker was also present with the meeting.
"Good afternoon, Master Unduli, Master Secura. A report for us, you have?" Master Yoda asked the two. "Yes Master Yoda," Aayla began. "As I'm sure you've heard from our previous short message, we've been successfully able to rescue all of the kidnapped Senators and their staff. There was a, slight problem with the evacuation… But other than that, everything went well." She finished. Master Yoda nodded. "I see. Also reported you did, that help you had?" Luminara and Aayla looked at each other. "Yes, we did." Luminara said. She looked at Anakin. "A ship approached our base. We were all quite surprised to see Ahsoka coming of the ship." Everyone on the Council looked surprised, but Anakin was shocked the most. "Ahsoka arrived here with a group of Togrutan warriors she called the H'Raani M'Kai." Aayla said. "She was with the H'Raani M'Kai?" Shaak Ti asked surprised. "Who are they?" Obi-Wan Kenobi asked. Shaak Ti looked at him. "They are the Shilian Royal guards, elite soldiers, among the most powerful ones in the galaxy. Their strength rivals that of Jedi Masters." She looked at Luminara and Aayla. "What were they doing on Felucia?" Shaak Ti asked. "Ahsoka explained to us that the princess of Shili had been kidnapped by the Separatist as well. The king of Shili asked her to rescue his daughter." Luminara replied. The members of the Council looked at each other and discussed a few things with each other.
"Where is Ahsoka now?" Anakin asked, causing silence to take the room once more. "She's in the medbay." Luminara replied. "Did something happen?" Anakin asked concerned. "The Separatist base self-destructed. Ahsoka sensed it coming and pushed everyone in a nearby trench. She then used the Force to try and stop the explosion, much like you did, Skywalker, when you and Ahsoka rescued me a couple years ago." Aayla explained. Most of the Council and Anakin looked very shocked when they heard this. "How is she?" Plo Koon asked. Luminara sighed. "We're not sure. Barriss and the other medical staff treated her wounds and she spend almost ten hours in a bacta tank, but she hasn't woken up yet." She replied. Both Luminara and Aayla turned around and looked at something outside the radius of the holotransmitter. "Barriss, good timing." Luminara said as Barriss joined them next the transmitter. Barriss bowed to the Council. "Any news about Ahsoka's condition?" Luminara asked. Barriss nodded. "Yes, she woke up about twenty minutes ago." She replied. "She appears to be doing fine, her wounds aren't causing her much discomfort at the moment. However, she will need to take it easy for a while to recover." Luminara nodded. "That is good to hear." Anakin didn't seem as relieved however. "I'm coming to your ship Master Unduli." He said. "Anakin…" Obi-Wan said. "Obi-Wan, don't. I'm going to see her." Anakin said somewhat annoyed. Obi-Wan sighed at his former padawan's reaction. "Master Skywalker, I'm not sure if that's the best idea…" Barriss spoke up. "What do you mean by that?" he asked a bit irritated. "I told Ahsoka that you'd probably want to stop by when you learned she was here. But she…" Barriss stopped, thinking about how to best formulate her next words. "Are you saying that she doesn't want to see me?" Anakin asked slightly stunned. "No, no, that's not it." Barriss replied. She took a deep breath before continuing. "Ahsoka does want to see you, but she's not sure if she's ready to see you again. In any case, she doesn't want you to see her in the condition she's in now…" she explained. "Ahsoka wants to be able to show you how far she's come, that she can take care of herself. She wants to make you proud. That's why…" she sighed. "That's why she doesn't want to see you just yet." Barriss finished explaining. Anakin appeared deep in thought for a moment. He then sighed deeply. "I understand." He said and left the Council chambers.
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Marina looked at her little sister resting in the bed. Zolar and Zaa Vashee had just left to give the sisters some more privacy and to contact their parents. Marina and Lilo had stayed with Ahsoka. "Why don't you want to see Anakin yet?" Marina asked. Ahsoka sighed. "It's just…" she said. "It still hurts, doesn't it?" Lilo added. Ahsoka nodded slightly. Marina smiled. "Don't worry Ahsoka, we understand." She replied. Ahsoka smiled. "Thanks girls, you're the best." She said softly.
Ahsoka yawned. "Tired sis?" Lilo asked chuckling. Ahsoka nodded lazily as an answer. "Try to get some sleep, you need the rest." Marina said. Ahsoka looked at her sisters. "Can…Can you both stay?" she asked them. Both her sisters nodded and smiled. Ahsoka smiled back and laid as comfortably as she could onto the bed. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, Lux' locket still in her hand.
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That's the end of this chapter.
The funeral nightmare thing was mean, I know. The idea just popped into my head and I thought it fit nicely with Lux. His girlfriend almost died, he'd be worried sick after already having lost his parents. But don't worry, I'm not going to kill Ahsoka. She's the main character of this story, without her the story would end.
Yes, I know that both chapter are very similar. There wasn't any reason to change things. In the next chapter Ahsoka and Barriss will part ways again. From there on the chapters will be completely different again.
Until next time