Chapter 23 – Strange Disturbances
This chapter takes place several days after the last one.
Conversations on Coruscant are in Basic and conversations on Shili are in Togruti.
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General point of view
Jedi Temple, Coruscant
Anakin Skywalker walked through the halls of the Jedi Temple, on his way to the Council chambers. As he walked he thought back to the last few days. He had been immensely surprised when he suddenly met Ahsoka's sister Lilo. A wave of relief had flown over him when she told him that Ahsoka was doing fine. She can take care of herself, that's true. But that doesn't mean that he won't worry about her. When he reached the Council chambers he pushed the rest of his thoughts aside.
He entered the Council chambers when he heard Master Yoda call him in. "Masters." He said as he bowed. "What is it you contacted me for?" he asked as he looked around the room. Half of the Jedi Council was physically present, the rest were holograms. "We wanted to ask you about something that happened about two days ago. Do you know what I'm talking about?" Obi-Wan asked him. Anakin nodded. "You're talking about that strange disturbance in the Force." He replied. Obi-Wan nodded in return. "So you felt it as well." He said as he thoughtfully stroked his beard.
Anakin thought back a moment. He had been speaking with Padmé and Lilo the day after their meeting. Padmé was telling Lilo about how things usually went in the Senate and things like that. Lilo had told them both some more about her family and a few things about Ahsoka. During the conversation, he had suddenly felt a strange disturbance in the Force. It was a strong surge, but he hadn't been able to place it. He'd wondered if others had felt it as well, but apparently Obi-Wan and several others had.
"Do you have any idea who or what might have caused that disturbance?" Obi-Wan asked. "No Master, I don't know." Anakin replied as he shook his head. "Something about it did seem familiar, but I wasn't able to place it." The members of the Council looked at each other. "A powerful disturbance this was," Master Yoda said, "yet it's origins we know not." The elder Jedi tapped his cane on the floor in thought. "We need to try and find out the truth behind this disturbance. Left unchecked, it might become a threat to the Republic." Master Windu said. Anakin frowned. "Why would he immediately assume it could be a threat to us?" he thought to himself. "With all due respect Master, whatever this disturbance was, it didn't feel like it was something dark or evil. We can't immediately assume this is someone or something with bad intentions." He said. The members of the Council looked at him and then each other, contemplating his remark. "Hmm, a strange situation this is." Master Yoda said. "Learn the origin of this disturbance, we must. Act too quickly on it, we should not. Meditate on this, I will." The rest of the Council nodded. A few other items were discussed before the meeting ended.
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Orbit of the planet Shili
Lilo Tano let out a sigh of relief as the transport ship she was on finally dropped out of hyperspace. Her flight had been delayed a bit so her arrival on Shili had been later that she had initially planned. She had already send her family a short message saying that she would arrive later so that they wouldn't be worried.
She thought back to the days she had spent on Coruscant. Her first official meeting as a Senator had gone really well, Padmé Amidala had been really kind. Meeting her and Ahsoka's former master Anakin Skywalker, as well as her boyfriend Lux Bonteri had been a great experience. They were all great people. She thought about what Lux had told her. In about a week there was going to be a large Senate ball on Padmé's homeworld of Naboo. Both he and Padmé were going there, as well as a lot of other Senators. He figured it would be a good chance for her and Marina to meet several other Senators. Being a fairly new Senator, he was going to do so himself. The more Lilo thought about it the better the idea seemed to her. She was pretty sure that Marina would be up for it as well. Now she would just have to convince Ahsoka to come along as well. Lilo figured that if she mentioned that Lux would be there Ahsoka would become a tad more interested.
About an hour later she finally walked off the ramp of the ship. A bit weary from the trip, she was looking forward to see her family again. They had told her before she left that they were going to pick her up when she returned. She entered the arrivals hall and looked around. After a short moment she spotted her father, he smiled when he saw her. Lilo quickly made her way towards her father and gave him a hug. "How did everything go sweetheart?" he asked her. "Everything went great. I met Senator Padmé Amidala as well as Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka former master. They were both great people. I also met Lux Bonteri, he's very kind as well." She replied excited. "Sounds like you had a good time." Her father said with a smile. Lilo nodded. "That's certainly true." She replied. Lilo looked around. "Dad, where's everyone else?" she asked him. A grim look spread across his face. "Dad?" she asked worriedly. "They're at the hospital. Something happened to Ahsoka." He replied. "What?" Lilo asked shocked. "What happened?!" Her father shook her head. "We don't really know. Marina was with her when it happened. She can tell you more about it." He explained to his daughter. "Can we go and see her?" Lilo asked. "I'm afraid not, the visiting hours are over. Marina and Rosette are on their way home. Your mother was allowed to stay at the hospital. We can visit again tomorrow." He replied. Lilo nodded hesitantly. "Alright then." She said softly. "Come on, let's go home now. You look pretty tired." He replied as he took her bags. "Okay." Lilo said. The two of them left the spaceport and went home.
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When Lilo and her father reached their home Marina immediately pulled her sister into a hug. "It's good to see you Lilo, how did your meeting go?" she asked her sister. "Everything went well." Lilo replied. "What happened here? How is Ahsoka?" she asked worriedly. Marina sighed. "Ahsoka is still in the hospital, we're not really sure how it happened." She replied. Marina gestured at the living room and they all sat down. "I'll tell you what happened, even though I don't fully understand it." Marina said as she began her story.
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Shili, two days ago
Ahsoka sat in the living room of the family's home when Marina and her father entered the room. "Do you need a ride over?" Haymish asked his daughter. Marina shook her head. "No, that's okay dad." She replied. "Where are you headed sis?" Ahsoka asked. Marina turned to her. "I'm going to check up on a large construction project in the city. We heard that they had some problems with their materials so I was asked to inspect there." Marina replied. Somehow, hearing this caused an uneasy feeling in Ahsoka. Marina noticed the expression on her sister's face change. "Is something wrong Ahsoka?" she asked. Ahsoka looked at her sister. "I'm not sure, something feels off. Like some sort of warning from the Force." She replied. "Does that mean there's some kind of danger?" Marina asked a little worried. Ahsoka thought it over for a moment. "I'm not really sure…" she replied. Ahsoka then got up and walked to her sister. "I'm coming with you. Maybe I can find out what this feeling is." She told Marina. "Do you really thing something bad will happen?" Marina asked. Ahsoka sighed. "I'm not really sure. Several other times I was able to clearly sense if there was any danger, but now I don't really know what's going on." Ahsoka replied as she walked towards her sister. "Either something's up or I'm just a little bit off today." She said. Marina chuckled at her sisters remark. "Don't worry about it Ahsoka. Then come along with me, just to be safe." She said with a smile. "Alright." Ahsoka replied and they left their house.
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A few hours later Ahsoka and Marina were walking around the construction site. Marina had met with the overseers and discussed the progress of the construction. In the meantime Ahsoka had taken a look around. The strange sense of foreboding she had felt faded and returned as time passed. "What is going on here? Am I just not fully recovered from that explosion? Is that messing with my Force senses?" she wondered. Marina walked back to her sister. "Hey Ahsoka, I'm just about done here. Are you ready to go as well?" she asked. Ahsoka looked at her sister. "Yeah, I guess so." Ahsoka replied. "That sense of danger from before is gone?" Marina asked. "Well, it's been coming and going. I don't really know what to make of it still." Ahsoka replied. Marina looked at her sister for a moment. "Are you sure you're alright sis?" she asked. Ahsoka nodded slowly. "Yeah, I think so. This whole thing is just confusing me. I still feel like something bad might happen. It's quite frustrating." She replied with a sigh.
Marina and Ahsoka were just about to leave the construction site when the sound of scraping metal shrieked around them. "I hate being right all the time." Ahsoka said as she turned around. People started screaming and running. "What's happening?" Marina asked one of the men who were running. "The crane!" he replied as he pointed at one of the large construction cranes. Ahsoka and Marina looked at the crane in horror. It was falling over in the direction of the large crowd of workers.
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Present day
"What happened then? Did that crane fall on the crowd?" Lilo asked shocked. Marina shook her head. "No, thanks to Ahsoka, it didn't." she replied. "What do you mean? What did she do?" Lilo asked. "I'm not really sure. Ahsoka used the Force to keep the crane from falling on the crowd." Marina explained. "She was able to keep it in the air so everyone could run. Then, she somehow moved it away from the site. Ahsoka managed to place it down next to the site and avoided it crushing the workers or the building for that matter." Marina said. "She just moved such a large crane with the Force? Is that even possible?" Lilo interrupted. "I…I don't know. The whole thing seemed very strange." Marina continued. "After that crane hit the ground, I looked at Ahsoka. I don't know if it was some kind of trick of the reflection of the light or something, but it almost looked if she was glowing. Then, without warning she collapsed. She's been unconscious ever since…" she finished explaining. Lilo looked at her sister, unsure of what to say.
"According to the doctors," their father began, "her body is severely exhausted. Whatever she did, it really strained her body. She over-exerted herself. That, combined with the fact she was still recovering from before, has caused her to pass out." He said in a worried voice. "We've been visiting every day, your mother was allowed to stay at the hospital in case Ahsoka woke up. But that hasn't happened yet." He told Lilo. "The doctors say that she'll make a full recovery, so we don't have to worry. But they don't know when she'll wake up." Marina added. "I understand, that's awful. Has She's really been asleep these past few days?" Lilo asked concerned. Marina nodded with sadness present in her eyes. "Don't worry too much about it now, Lilo. You just had a long flight, try and get some rest. We can go and see her tomorrow." their father told her. Lilo nodded slowly. The three of them went to bed a little later.
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The next day
Marina, Rosette, Lilo and their father had just arrived at the hospital where Ahsoka was. When they entered one of the nurses led them to the room she was in. They went inside quietly. Their mother, Yuae Tano, was sitting by the bed. Ahsoka was still lying in the bed, still asleep. Yuae smiled tiredly when she saw Lilo walk in. She got up and walked to her daughter. "Hello dear, it's good to see you again." She said as she hugged Lilo. "How did things go on Coruscant?" she asked. "Everything went well mom." Lilo replied as they separated. "But how is Ahsoka?" she asked as she looked at her sister. "She's still the same. She's been sleeping peacefully for a while now." Yuae replied. Haymish looked at his wife and easily noticed how tired she looked. "Come on darling, let's go and get something to eat. You need a break." He told her. "Are you sure?" she asked hesitantly. "Don't worry mom, we'll stay with Ahsoka. You go and rest a bit." Marina told her mother. Yuae nodded. "Alright then." She replied with a smile. "You want to get something to eat as well, Rose?" Marina asked her daughter. Rosette nodded happily. "Come on then sweetie." Yuae said as she took hold of her granddaughter's hand. The three of them left the room.
Marina and Lilo sat down next to the bed. Ahsoka was still asleep, breathing peacefully. "I can't believe she did such a selfless thing again." Lilo said softly. Marina nodded. "I know what you mean. She's quite something." Marina replied with a smile. "She's so brave." Lilo smiled as well. "I don't think I can see myself doing things like that." She said. "Yeah, me neither." Marina replied.
The two sisters sat in silence for a moment, unsure of what to say to each other. "I'm sorry Lilo." Marina said softly. "What do you mean?" Lilo asked somewhat confused. Marina sighed. "You just had your first meeting as a Senator and we haven't really talked about it." She replied. "Don't worry Marina, it's okay. I understand. With Ahsoka like this I doubt I'd be able to talk enthusiastically about my trip." Lilo said as she gave her sister an understanding smile. "So how did it go on Coruscant? Did you meet Senator Amidala?" Marina asked after a short moment. Lilo nodded. "Yes, I did meet her. She's a very kind woman who is really passionate about her duties as a Senator. I also met Anakin Skywalker and Lux Bonteri. They are both very nice people as well." She told her sister. "From what Ahsoka told us they really do sound like great people. I can't wait to meet them myself." Marina replied with a smile. "There might be a good opportunity for that soon." Lilo hinted. "What do you mean by that?" Marina asked. Lilo smiled at her sister, but didn't get a chance to answer her.
A soft groan was heard in the room. Marina and Lilo immediately turned their attention to their sister. Ahsoka stirred lightly in her sleep. "Ahsoka?" Marina asked as she lightly shook Ahsoka's shoulder. "Come on Ahsoka, wake up!" she said, trying to get her to come back to them. Ahsoka stirred slightly and groaned again. "Ahsoka, wake up!" Marina said again. Ahsoka stirred again and her eyes opened slowly. "Wha…" she muttered softly. "Ahsoka, you're awake again." Marina said relieved. "Huh, Marina? What is…?" Ahsoka muttered in confusion when she saw her sister. "Are you alright?" Marina asked softly. "What do you… Where…?" Ahsoka replied softly, still dazed. She looked around slightly. "Unh… Am I… in the hospital…again? Why am I…" Ahsoka asked slowly, drifting off a bit. "Hey Ahsoka, come on! Stay awake!" Lilo said as she shook Ahsoka's other shoulder. Ahsoka's daze wore off a bit and she turned to face her other sister. "Wha…? Lilo, didn't you go to Coruscant?" she asked in confusion. Lilo looked shocked for a moment. "Ahsoka, do you remember what happened?" Marina asked. Ahsoka turned around again and looked at Marina. "I… We went somewhere…" Ahsoka said softly as she tried to remember. "That's right," Marina replied. "You and I went to that construction site to check on their progress. You said that you felt some strange disturbance so you came along with me." She explained. "Do you remember?" Marina asked. Ahsoka thought about it a moment before nodding. "Y-yea, I remember." She said slowly. Marina smiled. "We were about to leave the site, when we heard something." Marina continued, "One of the construction cranes had a problem with the supports and started to fall over." She explained. Ahsoka's face turned to shock when she remembered the incident. "W-what happened then? I remember doing something…What happened?" Ahsoka asked shocked. "Calm down Ahsoka, everything's fine." Marina replied. "You used the Force and somehow prevented that crane for landing on anyone." She said. Ahsoka looked confused. "I did?" she asked in disbelief. Marina nodded. "Yes, you did. But you collapsed afterwards." She replied. "So that's why I'm in the hospital again." Ahsoka said. "That's right. You really scared us Ahsoka. You've been asleep for about three days." Marina replied. Ahsoka's face turned to complete disbelief. "What…?" she asked softly. "I came back yesterday Ahsoka, you really have been asleep this long." Lilo said to her sister. Ahsoka looked at Lilo before resting her head in the pillow. "Unbelievable." She replied softly. "I'm really glad you woke up Ahsoka." Marina said with a sigh. Ahsoka looked at Marina and smiled a bit. Marina then got up. "I'll let mom and dad know. Mom's been really worried about you, she barely left your side while you slept." Marina said as she walked out of the room.
"How are you feeling?" Lilo asked her younger sister. "I…I feel very weak." Ahsoka replied softly. Lilo nodded. "That's what I thought. Dad told me that the doctors said that you over-exerted yourself. Whatever you did completely exhausted your body." Lilo explained. Ahsoka looked at the ceiling for a moment, saying nothing. "I can't really remember what I did…" she said after a moment. Ahsoka let out a deep breath. "Hey, don't let it trouble you sis. Just take it easy." Lilo said as she patted Ahsoka's shoulder. Ahsoka smiled. "Alright, I will." She replied softly. Lilo smiled back as she sat down again.
A short moment later Marina returned with the rest of their family. Yuae immediately made her way to Ahsoka and gently hugged her daughter. "oh Ahsoka, I'm so glad you're awake." She said with relief. Ahsoka smiled weakly at her mother. Yuae sat down next to the bed as well. "Are you alright dear?" Haymish asked. Ahsoka nodded slowly. "I guess. I just feel very weak." She replied. Her father nodded and sat down next to his wife. "I'm sorry I worried you." Ahsoka said softly. "Don't be silly Ahsoka." Marina replied. "You're part of the family now, don't be worried about things like that." Lilo said. Ahsoka smiled and looked at her family. She chuckled softly as Rosette climbed up on the bed. "Auntie 'Soka, are you okay again? Mommy said you were very tired." She asked. "I still feel a little bit tired." Ahsoka replied with a smile. "You're going to sleep more? That's boring." Rosette said as she pouted a bit. Ahsoka and the rest of her family laughed for a moment. There was a knock on the door and one of the doctors entered the room. "Excuse me, but there are a few things I have to ask the patient." He said. "You can stay ma'am, but I have to ask the others in the room to leave." He said to Yuae. "Alright then. Come on girls, let go outside for a moment." Haymish replied as he looked at his daugthers and granddaughter. Lilo nodded while Marina picked up Rosette from the bed. The four of them left the room.
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A few hours later
The Tano family returned to their home. Marina walked up to the door with Rosette and opened the door. Rosette ran inside and Marina followed her. Lilo turned around as she reached the door. That doctor had declared that Ahsoka was allowed to return home. However, she had to take lots of rest and not do anything that could strain her body for the next couple of days. Right now Ahsoka was walking to the house supported by their father. Their mother was walking right behind them, ready to catch Ahsoka in case her legs gave out. Lilo noticed that, despite her weariness, Ahsoka was smiling a little as they walked into their home. "She really can't stand being in the hospital." Lilo thought amused.
A couple of minutes later they were seated in the living room. Ahsoka was resting in a lounge chair with a little bench supporting her feet. "Are you doing okay?" Yuae asked her daughter. Ahsoka nodded and smiled. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just weary, that's all." She replied. Yuae smiled. "Alright." She said as she sat down on the couch next to her husband. "Is something wrong Ahsoka?" Lilo asked when she saw Ahsoka's thoughtful face. Ahsoka shook her head. "No, it's just… It's really frustrating that I can't remember what happened exactly." She replied. "Don't worry, I'm sure it'll come back to you." Lilo said. "That's right. The doctor said that you might have a bit of memory loss." Yuae added. Ahsoka nodded again. "I know." She replied. "So anyway, Lilo, how were things on Coruscant? I completely forgot to ask." She asked Lilo. "It went very well." Lilo replied with a smile.
They spent the rest of the day discussing Lilo's trip to Coruscant. She eagerly told about her meeting with Padmé and the fact that she met both Anakin and Lux. Ahsoka was quite relieved to hear that they were both doing alright. They kept talking until Ahsoka looked ready to doze off. Their parents helped her get to bed so she could rest.
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That's the end of this chapter.
I know, there are some things left unexplained. This will all be made clear in the upcoming chapters.
However, I'm starting school again tomorrow, so I'll have less time to write again…
I think that I will be able to write at least one chapter a week, depending on the amount of homework I'll get.
Until next time.