The Clone War comes to an end ! But was either side truly victorious ? In the midst of a new Galactic Empire beginning its reign of terror, ex-Jedi Ahsoka Tano makes a crucial decision that changes her destiny forever...

Mos Eisley Spaceport, Tatooine

The two escapees glanced at each other nervously. One being a proud Clone Captain, nicknamed "Rex" by his superiors, the other being a young female Togruta in her late teens, an ex-Jedi Padawan who once studied under Jedi Legend Anakin Skywalker. Both were dressed in drab robes to avoid attracting unneeded attention to themselves.

"What do we do now ?" The Clone queried.

The young woman felt a tight knot in her stomach, feeling worried about her safety. "Maybe it's best for both of us to split up from here on out."

The Clone did a double-take. "A-are you sure ? Where will you go ? The Galaxy is a big place, kid. I wouldn't stand it if something happened to you..."

She looked at him with saddened eyes. It hurt her greatly to leave him. "Rex, you've been a loyal friend since way back when we first met at Christophsis. I couldn't ask for anyone better to watch my back... but that time is over. If we keep traveling together, we run a higher risk of getting captured by the new Empire. I'm sorry..."

The ex-Clone Captain huffed a breath. "I understand, Comm- I mean, Ahsoka. Thanks for getting that chip out of my head before I did the unthinkable." He held out his hand to her. "Safe travels, kid. Good luck !"

She quickly shook his. "You too, Rex. Take care."

As they both went their separate ways, the Togruta teen was fixated on a particular shuttle. "Going by that ship's travel log, it'll make a stop on Onderon before it ends up on Coruscant. Could Lux be willing to keep me hidden from the Imperials ? I don't have better options at the moment, so I'll take the chance. Good thing I thought of creating a fake ID, I'm bound to be questioned when I'll be landing..."

Fortunately for her, the travel was uneventful. As she saw Onderon, she felt her heartrate increase continually. "Despite that he serves this new Empire, he has no good reason to turn me in. I have to follow through with my gut feeling."

Iziz Spaceport, Onderon

Upon landing, she hastily made her way through until she arrived at the registry office. In charge, was a brand new recruit by the name of Cumberlayne Aresko. Tall and skinny, he wasn't the most imposing figure, yet did his job to the letter. Also, he showed an obvious disdain with virtually all non-Human races. Once Ahsoka's turn came up, he looked at her with a slightly annoyed expression. "Passport, miss ?"

Ahsoka wasted no time showing him her fake ID. As he looked at the card, he raised an eyebrow. "Sahoka Nato ? Artisanal Pottery Teacher... from Kiros, no doubt ? Hmm... A bit young by the looks of things, but do move along, little one. I have far more important people to deal with !"

Cheering internally that her ruse worked, she made her way through the busy streets of Iziz. Being shrouded in bland robes, no Stormtrooper bothered to follow her. Despite having left the Jedi Order for over a year, Ahsoka still trusted the Force. It told her that Lux would be living in one of the more luxurious buildings.

Finally arriving at her destination, she rang the bell and braced herself to be confronted by anybody other than Lux, like a butler or a bodyguard. "Just a moment ! I"ll be right there !" Rang a familiar voice. Moments later, the door swooshed open, much to Ahsoka's delight. There stood Lux Bonteri, once a Republic Senator, now serving the newly-formed Empire. "Can I help you ?"

She entered and quickly turned to him, removing her hood. "Thank the Force you're still here, I didn't know where else to turn !"

He blinked a few times, shaking his head in disbelief. "Ah-... Ahsoka ?! H-how ?! I heard you were killed on a Republic Warship leaving Mandalore ! How did you - ?! Quick, before any Stormtroopers sees you here !" He shut the door as quietly as possible, to avoid sudden suspicion from various passersby on the streets.

She took a few steps back, wincing in pain from the memory of the ordeal she went through. "Trust me, Lux, I don't know either, but I managed to avoid being shot down by so many Clones. My own men ! All of a sudden, they turned on me ! It happened so fast... First I felt something wrong about Anakin... Whatever it was, it was enough to suddenly cut my Force bond with him. Then Rex was about to shoot me... If he hadn't told me of Fives' discovery of a control chip planted in every Clone's head, I wouldn't be talking to you now..." She took a series of deep breaths, bringing her in a more focused state.

Lux shook his head. "This... kriffing Empire ! I always felt something was off about Chancellor Palpatine. Ever since he appointed himself as Emperor of this Galactic Empire, everything went to pieces. You want to know what happened here since in a such short span of time ? The very day the Galactic Empire formed, King Dendup was asked to swear loyalty to it. Upon refusal, he was executed for treason ! Can you believe that ?! They say that those Stormtroopers patrolling the streets are there to protect us, but no. I know the truth ! We're being enslaved ! Just two days ago, I had to sign for the execution of two heroes that fought alongside us ! General Tandin and Saw Gerrera. It broke me to write up the order the execute them !"

Ahsoka felt a lump in her throat. "Tandin... and Saw ?! R-really ? Lux... I am SO sorry. They helped us to free Onderon back then. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that the Empire had a mark on them. How did you avoid being branded a traitor ?"

He led her to the dining room. "I... faked the loyalty swear. What else could I do ? It shouldn't be a surprise that I really don't agree with anything the Empire is making me do at the moment, but I'm really not in any position to argue with their demands." There was a full plate waiting for him, complete with a glass of red wine. He motioned to a nearby seat. "Please, make yourself comfortable. Would you care for a plate of food and a glass of wine ?"

Ahsoka felt her stomach growling. "Well, I haven't had a good meal in quite a while, so I'll take you up on the offer. As for the wine, as a Jedi, I would have never drunk any type of alcohol, but now ? It might help to soothe my shot nerves. Just a little bit, not too much, ok ?"

"Very well." Lux clapped his hands. "Hansen ? A plate for our new visitor, please ?"

A well-dressed butler came in. To Ahsoka's shock, he was a middle-aged male Togruta. He winked at her. "Hello there. I have heard of your many tales of bravery... or should I say foolishness, thanks to Mr. Bonteri here." He could sense that she was uneasy with him. "Not to worry, I share his view on the Empire's treatment of people 100% ! If I could work out a blaster, I would happily join any semblance of rebellion, but alas, my trade has me working away in kitchens or dusting all over this mansion. Not that I mind, Mr. Bonteri is very appreciative of my services and pays well." He placed a plate, filled with various meats and filled an empty glass of wine, only a little bit, per her request.

Lux chuckled at Hansen's comment. "You're more than a mere butler, Hansen. You're a good friend. Come, relieve yourself of your duties for now and sit with us." He motioned to a nearby seat.

Setting aside his cleaning cloth and duster, he sat close to Ahsoka. "I hope you'll find my mix of spices to your liking, it's not too hot, so you should not have problems." He smiled warmly at her.

"Thank you, Mr. Hansen." She tore a piece off a marinated Shaak steak. "Mmm ! Oh, wow ! I've never had any type of meat taste as good as this. Safe to say the Republic didn't go crazy with seasonings." She took a good look at him. "You look somewhat familiar ? Were you involved in the Kiros Mass Abduction by the Zygerrians during the Clone Wars ?"

Hansen shook his head. "I was not, miss. By the time that happened, I was already long involved in serving various Republic Senators all over the Inner Rim worlds. However, Kiros is my homeworld. My father once served Governor Roshti, let's just say that we couldn't have asked for a better employer. He was fair and treated my father respectfully just as Mr. Bonteri treats me now. My mother wanted me to take up the artisanal crafts of our people, but I simply wasn't cut out for pottery making. Instead, I studied culinary arts and was taught very quickly on general house maintenance."

"I couldn't ask for a better person." Lux smiled warmly, then his smile faded. "This does bring up a slight issue. Ahsoka, as much as it pains me, you can't stay here, even as a distinguished guest. I often have visits by highly-ranking Imperials such as the brand new Imperial Security Bureau Head Colonel Yularen and recently appointed Inner Rim Grand Moff Tarkin. I fear either would recognize you and we'd both be executed as I'm not supposed to be hiding a Jedi in my home. We're going to have to find you somewhere else to go... somewhere safe, of course."

Ahsoka lowered her head, slightly depressed. "I didn't know why this sudden Galactic Empire came about and why all Jedi were labeled as traitors. We were peacekeepers, but we were pulled into a war we didn't want to fight. But now, I'm piecing the puzzle together. Chancellor Palpatine was Darth Sidious all along ! Maul told me that he was grooming Anakin to be his new Apprentice now that Dooku was out of the picture. I didn't want to believe it then... But now... That would explain why our Force bond was severed so abruptly. I can't believe that he fell for Palpatine's manipulations. Force, we ALL fell for it ! He was right under our very nose and not even Master Yoda or Windu could sense his deceit. I can't feel Anakin's presence anymore. I can't even feel Master Kenobi's either. I'm beginning to think that I may be the only Jedi that survived this entire massacre..."

Lux cleared his throat, with more bad news to bear. "There's more... This won't be easy for you to hear, but you need to know. Around the time the Empire rose to power, Senator Amidala died. I don't know the exact circumstances of her death, but I've being told that she had given birth to twins before she passed."

Ahsoka's jaw dropped in shock. "W-what ?! S-Senator Amidala... d-dead ? How could that happen ?!"

Lux rose up from his chair and sat next to Ahsoka, offering a comforting embrace. "As I said, I don't know the details. All I know is that Senator Organa took one of the twins, I don't know the fate of the other... I am very sorry for all your hardships, Ahsoka, I really am."

Ahsoka had a hunch about the father of those children. "Oh, Master... I had a feeling there was more between the two of you. I never thought your relationship with her was that deep ! At least something good came out of it. I'll do everything in my power to ensure that neither of these children suffer the same fate as you. I promise !"

Hansen cleared his throat. "You'll both excuse me if I interrupt your chatter ? I suppose that she can stay here for the night, but she'll need to leave early tomorrow in the morning. Each day she stays here endangers us all. We'll need to find a place for her and fast !"

Lux exhaled a sigh. "I hate to admit it, but Hansen has a point. Senator Organa has control over Alderaan, has he not ? I think that would be your best course, plus you'd have the opportunity to see one of Senator Amidala's children and maybe watch over him/her."

Ahsoka simply blinked. "That's a great idea, Lux, but I'm afraid I'm kind of low on credits. Plus, there's always the chance that my fake ID could backfire and I'd be in big trouble !"

Lux made a sudden decision. "Well... I guess I could take you there with my private ship." He scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"Y-you'd do that... for me ?!"

Lux's cheeks reddened. "After saving my life several times, I figure it's the least I could do ! I'd rather escort you safely myself rather that you risking being captured and executed. So it's decided. Tomorrow morning, we depart for Alderaan."

Ahsoka's sudden mix of emotions came through, causing her to wrap her arms around him and hug him tightly, crying out of pure joy. "Oh, thank you ! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU ! You're too kind to put your life on the line for me..."

Lux broke away from her sudden embrace. "As I said, you've saved my life a few times, it's time I return the favor. Let me show you to the guest room." Ahsoka was brought to a good-sized room, with a nice, comfy bed. "This bed has been cleaned a day ago. You ought to sleep well in it. I'll see you in the morning."

The following morning...

As Ahsoka woke from her slumber, she looked at the clock nearby. 6:30 AM. "Perfect ! Early enough to take a shower and hopefully have a good breakfast before leaving for Alderaan." As she stepped out of the guest room, Lux and Hansen were already waiting for her.

"Before you both leave, take the time to enjoy my specialty : Specially-seasoned Nuna eggs, pieces of fried Shaak meat, along with a good cup of strong, locally brewed caf. What say you ?" Hansen offered.

Lux looked over to Ahsoka. "Oh, we do need a good meal before our flight. I bet that caf will also help in keeping us alert." He cleared his throat. "Lead the way, Hansen."

"Right this way, my young friends." Hansen brought them to the dining room. "Here we are ! Everything is there to be consumed. Eat up !"

Both late teenagers devoured their food as quickly as possible. Lux looked at Hansen as he took his last sip of caf. "Amazing, as always. I ought to be back within a few days." Lux reached for his coat. "Until then, if any Imperials visit and ask of my whereabouts, I've left for a sudden diplomatic mission. They don't need to know where I've gone to, correct ?"

Hansen simply nodded. "Understood, sir. Safe travels for you and Miss Tano." He waved them goodbye as they stepped out the mansion.

Within a few moments, they've reached the Iziz Spaceport. Lux led Ahsoka to a secluded area where his private ship stood. It was a Lambda class T-4a shuttle, codenamed Tydirium. It was gifted to him by Grand Moff Tarkin, following a delivery of Imperial goods to Coruscant.

A lone Stormtrooper kept guard of his ship. As he saw Lux coming forward, he saluted him. "Senator. Your vessel is ready for takeoff anytime you need. Who is the woman, may I ask ?"

Sensing the Stormtrooper was clueless, Lux came up with a quick lie. "Just a friend, trooper. I'm taking her back to Kiros, she has lessons that she will be teaching soon."

The Stormtrooper quickly nodded. "Gotcha ! Artisanal Pottery Teacher, right ? She's actually kinda cute !"

Lux simply chuckled at the Stormtrooper's comment. "That she is, trooper. That will be all."

"Understood, Senator ! Safe travels !"

As Lux was starting up his private ship, another Lambda class T-4a shuttle landed nearby, this one flanked by a couple of Tie-Fighters. As the boarding ramp lowered, out stepped Grand Moff Tarkin. He quickly made his way to the registry office.

Cadet Aresko was still doing his job, as instructed. As he saw Tarkin come up to him, his face went white like a sheet. "G-Governor Tarkin ?! To what pleasure do we owe such a sudden visit ?"

Tarkin simply rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Hardly a pleasure, Cadet Aresko. We've received an anonymous tip that a Togruta passed by recently. Do you know anything ?"

Trying not to panic in front of such a high ranking Imperial, Aresko quickly searched through the most recent files. "Togruta... Togruta... Actually, yes ! One passed by yesterday. Let me look up her file, sir. Sahoka Nato, a newly appointed Artisanal Pottery Teacher, from Kiros. Why she chose Onderon to further her career, your guess would be good as mine, sir."

Tarkin revealed a datapad, entering entries. He frowned at the results of his search. "Hmm... How odd. Looking at the Imperial Birth Directory, there is no Sahoka Nato from Kiros in the records spanning from the last 40 years. Do you have a visual record of that person ?"

Aresko took out her file and handed them out to Tarkin. He studied the flimsi intently. "That lekku pattern... those markings on her face... No. It cannot be ! She was..." He looked at Aresko, ready to tear him into little pieces. "You fool ! That was Ahsoka Tano ! A Jedi traitor ! And you let her right in ! Where did she go from here ?!"

Aresko trembled in fear. "I... I have no idea, sir ! But I could have sworn I've seen her a moment ago... She was going with Senator Bonteri !"

Tarkin seethed with rage as he saw Lux's ship taking off. He quickly entered some numbers on his wristcomm. "Attention, Captain Konstantine ! A Lambda shuttle is heading out into space ! Aboard that vessel is a known Jedi traitor ! Capture that vessel at all costs !"

"Understood, Governor ! I'm sending Cadet Skerris to capture them immediately !"

As they entered space, Lux's shuttle quickly passed a large Star Destroyer orbiting the planet. "Do you think we've been detected ?" Ahsoka whispered.

At first, Lux simply shook his head. "I think not." Once he heard the tell-tale roar of a Tie-Fighter engine, he knew otherwise. "Looks like I spoke too soon !"

A voice was heard over the comm. "Attention Senator Bonteri, this is Cadet Vult Skerris of the Imperial Navy. You are harboring a known Jedi traitor ! Surrender immediately or face the consequences !"

Ahsoka cursed herself. "I had a feeling my fake ID would backfire ! Lux, if we're caught, we'll be executed on the spot ! We have to escape that pilot somehow..."

"Working on it, hold on !" Lux booted up the navicomputer, quickly starting to enter the coordinates for Alderaan.

Skerris' systems alerted him of the incoming hyperspace jump. "Oh no, you don't ! I'm going to cut your escape short, Senator !" He aimed his guns at the hyperdrive. "Just a little more..." As his target was locked on, he fired a blast, but didn't anticipate the slight swerve of the shuttle. Instead of disabling the hyperdrive, it made a tear into the fuel tank instead.

As the blow hit Lux's shuttle, he lost his balance and hit face first on the navicomputer's entry pad. "Agh !" The force of the impact was enough to acknowledge the sudden random coordinates entered and initiate hyperspace travel.

Ahsoka quickly gasped in horror. "Lux ! LUX ! Are you ok ?!" Then she looked in front of her and saw the beginning of hyperspace travel taking place. "Oh, Force !" The vessel disappeared from the Imperials' sight.

Skerris banged a fist on his console. "Confound it ! How could I have missed ?! I had them ! I HAD THEM !"

He received a comm from Captain Konstantine. "What happened ?! Were you successful in capturing them ?"

"NO !" Skerris howled. "Just as I aimed for the hyperdrive, it moved out of focus and I hit the fuel tank instead." He checked a scan being performed. "However, their initial jump was for Alderaan, but the final entry seems jumbled. Who knows where they'll end up ? Not that it truly matters, in a few hours, they'll be completely out of fuel and will be left stranded into deep space... A fitting end for a traitor, I would say."

Konstantine merely shrugged his shoulders. "I doubt Governor Tarkin will be pleased with this development, but given your skills as a pilot, it's a safe bet you'll be excused."

In hyperspace...

As the Tydirium flew at high speed, Lux rose up, shaking his head. "Ugh ! Why do I get the feeling things didn't go quite as planned ?"

Ahsoka winced as she saw the gash on his forehead. "Oh, Force."

Lux simply blinked, unaware of his wound. "What ? What is it ?"

She led him to the refresher, bringing him to the mirror. "You've hit your head a bit hard on the navicomputer entry pad. See that gash ? That's... gonna leave a mark, I'm afraid."

Lux stayed optimistic. "It'll heal with time. It'll be hardly be noticeable unless you really look for it."

"You're taking it better than I thought you would." Ahsoka applied some disinfectant and placed a small plaster over the wound. "So... how about we go back to the cockpit and re-check our course ?"

Once seated again, Lux looked at the entry. "Oh, dear. These are not the coordinates to Alderaan, I'm afraid."

She sat next to him. "Ok... so where are those coordinates taking us ?"

Lux studied them further. "Honestly, I don't think we're going anywhere in particular, the entry seems too random."

"Sooo... Do we keep traveling through hyperspace for a while more or do we take a chance and disengage ?"

"Just to safe, let's stick to hyperspace for an hour. By then, wherever we end up, hopefully we'll be far, far away from Imperial influence." Lux suggested.

A minor beeping caught Ahsoka's attention. "Huh ? Oh no ! The fuel tank is being slowly depleted ! We can't continue, we have to disengage now !"

Lux felt his bruise on his forehead. "So that's probably what happened. That pilot was likely aiming for our hyperdrive but hit the fuel tank instead. Kind of a stroke of luck for our side." He gripped a lever. "Well, here goes nothing. I'm disengaging hyperspace travel now. Ready ?"

The anticipation of what was waiting for them on the other end was killing her. "Do it."

Pulling the lever, the view was both comforting and worrying at the same time. A series of scattered planets stood before them. Some larger than others. No other vessels traveling through space but their own.

Ahsoka took a deep breath, looking over the scenery before her. "No Imperial vessels around, so we're off to a good start. Where are we ?"

"Let me consult the star charts." Lux opened up a screen, initiating a scan. Within seconds, a sound blared and NO DATA AVAILABLE was presented in huge, red letters. "No data available ?! That... that can't be !" He shook his head. "I should have known that there was no way anyone could map out the full vastness of space. And therein brings us a problem... If there's no space travel occurring, is there a planet amongst these that has a breathable atmosphere that we could hopefully land ?"

"Try using a bio-scan. That might work." Ahsoka suggested.

Lux opened up another screen. "Ok, let's see here..." Moments pass before results come in. "Oh ! We're in luck ! See that blue planet, orbited by that small gray moon ? According to scan's results, it's teeming with life. Hopefully, we'll find some sentient beings that we can get along with."

She stood behind him, placing her hands on his shoulders. "We have to believe, Lux. Let's move forward !"

As they entered the planet's atmosphere, they landed in the midst of a violent thunderstorm, covering their sudden entry. Lux landed the shuttle inside a conveniently placed cave, below a rocky outcrop. The first few steps were the most unnerving ones. Looking out from the cave, all they could see aside heavy rains was seemingly endless forests.

Ahsoka took a more detailed look with a pair of electro-binoculars that she found in the ship's cockpit. "It's not all forest out there, there seems to have several paths leading beyond. I'm seeing several large vehicles moving about. Probably carrying loads of supplies from one city to another." Lowering the electro-binoculars, she breathed a sigh of relief. "There's our first hint of established civilization, Lux. Non-sentient beings wouldn't be able to maneuver those vehicles."

"What about the ship ?" Lux queried.

Ahsoka came to a very real realization. "Wherever we are, Lux, we're stranded. I haven't seen any ships leaving or coming and judging by the vehicles I've seen below, this seems to be a backwater planet with... primitive technology. I highly doubt we'll find the right fuel source for our ship."

Lux felt a bit overwhelmed when the realization hit him. "Oh. This means we'll live out the rest of our lives here..."

"Yes." Ahsoka began. "Now I'm beginning to understand why Master Kenobi kept quoting his former Master Qui-Gon's favorite line. I believe it went something along the lines of "Nothing happens by accident. There's a reason for everything." We were meant to see this journey together. That's why we were able to escape the Empire..."

Lux coughed. "You mean... as a couple ? Really ?"

She nodded slowly. "I guess so... but let's take things one step at a time, ok ? First off, we need to find suitable shelter. Once these rains stop, we can begin to explore our surroundings."

"A good idea." Lux tried to look outside beyond the constantly pouring rain. He then turned his attention to his companion. "This will be a little awkward, so please bear with me..." He coughed nervously. "You being a former Jedi and all, you can surely sense peoples' thoughts, correct ?"

She crossed her arms over her chest. "To a certain extent, yes. What are you getting at, Lux ? Come on, talk to me."

Lux never felt so uncomfortable in his life. "Have you ever had the impression that... I... um... had a crush on you ?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "A crush on me ? You don't say ! No, I couldn't sense that at all."

Lux coughed again. "What about you ? Have you ever felt the same about me ?"

Her lekku stripes darkened slightly. "Yes, despite my training telling me not to form attachments. But I've always felt something different about you. You're not like the majority of Senators I've known. For you, it was never about glory or credits, you were always doing it for your people. I guess that selflessness made you particularly attractive to me... Good looks don't hurt either."

Lux felt encouraged by her words. "You're not bad looking, yourself. I see that your lekku have gone longer and your montrals are a bit taller. You're even more beautiful than I remember."

She smiled at him. "Thanks for the honesty. Maybe after a bit of time..."

Lux played innocent. "What'll happen ?"

"We'll get over our initial shyness and actually get a relationship going. What else would you expect ?"

Lux smiled warmly. "I like the sound of that ! Well then, why don't we just sit out here for a moment before nodding off to sleep ?"

She sat next to him. "Might as well. I've always enjoyed the sight and sound of rain and thunder."

They sat, side by side, for about an hour, just watching the rain fall and listening to the thunder crackle. Eventually, they walked back into the ship and slept in separate beds.

The following morning...

Ahsoka was the first to wake. She took the opportunity for a quick shower while Lux was still asleep. Upon drying herself and putting on her standard clothes, she heard some rummaging coming from the cockpit. Peeking through, she saw Lux, half-awake, looking for something.

Lux simply groaned. "Kriff ! I could have sworn I had brought some instant caf onboard. I could use a cup right about now."

She cleared her throat to avoid spooking him. "I'm sure we'll have plenty of opportunities to enjoy a cup of caf later, Lux. Right now, we need to gather any necessary items before we go. And by that, I do mean, only what we need to survive !"

Lux scanned the few cupboards in the tiny mess area. "Let's see here, I do have some rations, a couple of water canteens, extra clothes in case it gets chilly at night... Anything else you think we might need... ?"

"That sounds about right. I see that you haven't had your shower yet, you might want to get that done before we leave." Ahsoka suggested.

Lux looked himself in a mirror. "Yes, I have looked better. Care to spare me 5-10 minutes ?"

"Take all the time you need, I'll gather our equipment and wait outside."

About 15 minutes later, Lux was cleaned and re-clothed. Stepping off the ship's boarding ramp, Lux pressed a button for it to close again. As he stepped outside of the cave, he looked over to her. "Despite that we won't be able to use the ship again, we don't want any overly curious people to suddenly come upon it. How do we keep it hidden forever ?"

For Ahsoka, the solution was quite simple. "You might want to step back a bit." She used the Force to cause a landslide, effectively burying the entrance in rubble. "See ? Easy as that."

"For you." Lux jabbed. He looked out to the wilderness before him. "Well then, I guess our new adventure starts now. Shall we ?" He offered his hand.

Ahsoka offered hers. "Let's get moving ! If we're lucky, we might reach civilization before the end of the day."

For several hours, Lux and Ahsoka travelled through the woods, only getting glimpses of the local wildlife as they dashed into safety of the shrubs and the trees. The one constant noise was the incessant calls of various songbirds. By Noon, they moved through some trees and then heard some loud buzzing in the distance. Lux took a chance and walked towards the source of the sound, staying out of sight. To his delight, he saw a pair of Humans who were busy cutting down a large tree and its many branches. It was their chainsaws that made the loud buzzing. Not far from them stood a large vehicle with an enormous crane. One of the men walked over to the controls and made the crane pick up a large fallen tree that had all its branches trimmed, dropping it on a large loading area connected to the vehicle. After 5 massive trees were loaded, they stopped their work and placed the chainsaws in their respective safety cases.

"Phew ! Quite the load we got today, Ted ! Time to take these beautiful trees to the factory." He wiped the sweat off his forehead.

"Right on, Mark ! We'll get on the highway and drop by at Love's Travel Stop for a quick burger and coffee !" The other exclaimed.

Before both men could depart, they placed a series of heavy chains, going from one side of the loading area to the other, fastening the logs down. Once they were sure their precious cargo would hold, they entered the front compartment of their vehicle.

Running back to where Ahsoka was waiting, he gently grabbed her arm. "We've got our first sight of civilization, Ahsoka. They seem like friendly Humans. We only need to follow that vehicle and hopefully we'll come across that convenience shop they're going to, finding more clues to where we need to go."

"But, Lux, we're on foot. It might take us hours or even days to reach their destination." Ahsoka argued.

"Let's just hope that location will be closer than we think ! Quick, or we'll miss them leaving these woods."

As they approached the vehicle, its motor roared loudly as its rolled off on a dirt road, black smoke billowing from tall exhaust pipes at the top of the front compartment. They cautiously stayed out of sight, keeping an eye on where the dirt road lead. Within minutes, the vehicle was out into wide, open spaces. It turned right onto a much larger paved road, with as many as 5 different lanes. Various vehicles of all shapes and sizes rolled by at incredible speeds.

Both Lux and Ahsoka gazed in awe. "I guess this is the "highway" that man spoke about. And we thought this world had little civilization. How wrong we were, huh ?" Lux stated.

"Yes." Ahsoka scanned for the large vehicle with the stack of trees. "Where did it- There it is ! And just our luck, Lux. That place looks busy ! Look at all those other large vehicles with cargo nearby." They walked for about 15 minutes in order to reach Love's Travel Stop.

From the other side of the highway, there was a large green sign with "Love's Travel Stop, Bordentown, NJ" written on it in big white letters.

Now it was a matter to cross the busy highway. Vehicles kept passing by, hardly giving any pedestrians a chance. Lux began to step onto the first lane, only to be nearly run over by a large truck, with its driver honking angrily. He quickly hopped back onto the grass. "Well... I guess not everyone is as friendly as we'd hope."

As minutes kept passing waiting for a chance to cross, Ahsoka finally lost her patience. "You know what ? Nobody will stop for us, so we'll have to make a run to the other side !"

Before she could start her run, Lux grabbed her by arm. "Woah woah woah ! At least wait until there's mostly smaller vehicles passing by, less chance of getting hit."

She looked in both directions several times before going for it. "Just a little bit more... Just a few more... NOW ! RUN, LUX ! RUN !" They ran as fast as possible, thankfully avoiding the smaller cars.

Of course, that didn't stop drivers from honking at them. Even one was angry enough to shout at them. "HEY ! You could've gotten run over, you stupid kids ! Get off the fucking road !"

As they reached the safety of the other side, Lux breathed a sigh of relief. "That was a little too close if you ask me, Ahsoka."

She breathed a sigh of relief of her own. "I know, I know. We're safe now, that's all that matters."

Lux looked around the place. Loads of semi-trailer trucks were parked on two sides, in the middle were a restaurant, a gas station and a convenience store.

"Reminds me of those Outer-Rim stops where Anakin and I would visit a diner for anything other than Republic rations." The second Ahsoka uttered the comment, she felt a sting of pain in her heart, suddenly reminding herself that Anakin Skywalker is no more.

Lux checked his pockets. "I have a couple of rations left and my canteen is almost empty. What about you ?"

Ahsoka checked hers. "Same."

They both stood in fright as a pair of drivers just walked outside the restaurant, nearly colliding into them. One of them did a double-take on Ahsoka's unique looks. "Dear Lord ! Would you have a look on that girl's hair and tattoos, Biff. I swear they get weirder and weirder ! Heh !"

"You ought to know by now, Ed..." The other began. "Weird tattoos and wild hair are all the rage these days. Though, this girl's hair is truly out of this world ! You love getting attention, don't you, hun ?"

Ahsoka laughed nervously. "Ha ha ha. Yes, I'd say so. I stick out like a sore thumb, don't I ?"

Ed scratched his head with his baseball cap. "Ya sure do, girl ! That's ok ! I like people that want to be unique instead of going with the crowd, know what I mean... jelly bean ?" He winked at her.

Lux hastily nodded. "Yes, yes ! You could say that we're beyond the ordinary, ha ha ha !"

Biff politely excused himself. "If neither of you fellas mind, I'll be on my way. Got a looooong drive going down all over to Texas, oh yeah !" He then waved goodbye to his trucker comrade. "Nice seeing you again, Ed ! Maybe we'll cross paths again over the various interstate lanes !"

Ed returned the gesture. "Hey, Biff ! Thanks for the case of beer ! Remind me to hand you some next time we meet ! Drive safely, man !"

"You too !" Biff shouted in the distance.

Now that Biff had left to his truck, the two late-teenagers had Ed's full attention. He crossed his arms over his chest. "You kids don't look like you're from around here, aren't ya ? Going anywhere in particular ?"

Lux had a glance at Ahsoka before giving an answer. "We're actually... pretty new out here. We arrived just yesterday by ship... and we really don't know the area at all..."

Ed wasn't fully buying the story, but he didn't care enough to dig further. "Well uh... listen, if you kids are up to it, I could give you a lift at least until Philly, that's where I'm headed. What do ya say ?"

Before Lux could answer, Ahsoka accepted the offer. "We'll take you up on it. Besides, it'll save us lots of walking as we don't even have a vehicle of our own."

Ed simply nodded. "Done deal, then. Alright, follow me." He lead them to his truck, a car-carrier trailer, with a few cars fastened on it. "Here she be ! I'm just making a quick delivery to a car dealer in Philly, somewhere in the Kensington neighborhood."

Before they went further, Lux felt obliged to show thankfulness. "We really appreciate the gesture... however, we don't have any money on us to pay you."

Ed's eyes grew upon hearing that. "Wow ! On foot and penniless ! You kids really are in the rough ! Don't worry about it, ok ? It'll be my pleasure to point you kids in the right direction. I happen to know that Kensington has some of the lowest rent rates in Philly. As long as you kids can get a daily job, you'll be ok. It'll be a start... and if you work hard enough, maybe you'll eventually be able to move to the richer neighborhoods."

Lux walked over to the right door of the front compartment. "So, I guess we'll sit next to you ?"

Ed shook his head. "Not happening, my young friend. Brutus has the space next to me."

Lux raised an eyebrow. "Brutus ?"

Ed opened the door, revealing a large Doberman, growling at the newcomers. "This is Brutus, he's my buddy. But unfortunately, he doesn't trust strangers easily."

"So, what do we do ?" Ahsoka queried.

Ed lead them to a red convertible with sliding windows, that he was carrying amongst several others. "Hop into this car and make yourselves comfortable. By the way, I didn't even ask your names yet. So why don't we introduce ourselves before going further, am I right ?"

Lux cleared his throat. "I can't believe we nearly skipped that part, ha ha ha ! I'm Lux Bonteri and she is Ahsoka Tano, a traveling friend."

Ed shook their hands. "Lux and Ahsoka ? Allright ! I'm Ed Smith, just your average American truck driver. Traveling over the country delivering goods with Brutus here is what makes me happy."

Lux once again showed gratitude. "We thank you kindly, Mr. Smith."

Ed waved a finger in front of their faces. "Hey, come on now ! None of that "Mr." stuff, are we clear ? Just call me Ed."

Ahsoka simply nodded. "Thanks for everything, Ed."

Before they departed, Ed tossed them a few items. "You kids hungry or thirsty ? Here's a bag of chips and a can of coke for each of ya. Don't worry, it's on the house !"

Once comfortably seated on the left seat, Lux turned over to Ahsoka. "Extremely friendly... and generous, too !"

Sitting on the right seat, Ahsoka felt a warm feeling bubbling inside of her. Hope. "So far, so good. We just happen to meet the right person at the right time."

Ed turned the key and the motor began to roar to life. He turned to his dog. "It's ok, Brutus. They're nice people. Not gonna hurt me or you. Ok, Philly, here we come !"

The truck slowly entered the highway and took the lane that diverted on Interstate 95 North, eventually leading to Philadelphia. While they sat in the convertible, Ahsoka and Lux took the opportunity to gaze at the scenery on all sides. While there were some parts that had woodlands and grass/farm lands surrounding them, the majority was residential housing. After about 45 minutes, they entered the limits of Philadelphia. Ed drove through Main St Manayunk, eventually taking a turn that would lead him into the poorer Kensington neighborhood. Almost as soon as they crossed it, the contrast between the rich central area of Philadelphia and the dilapidated buildings found in Kensington was quite stark.

Kensington Neighborhood, Philadelphia

Half an hour later, Ed finally reached his destination. Parking by the side of the road, he quickly went over to the convertible and unlocked the doors. "Here we are, guys ! Kensington Neighborhood. Don't mind the rough looks, all right. It's not all bad. Good luck to both of ya !" He shook their hands.

"Thank you so much again... for everything." Lux waved Ed goodbye.

As they passed the front of the truck, Brutus looked over the left window, barking at them while wagging his tail.

Ahsoka waved at him. "Bye, Brutus ! Take good care of Ed !" The dog simply barked again a few times before finally lying down on his seat.

As they walked around several streets, Ahsoka noticed a great amount of homeless people just sitting around, looking miserable. "Reminds me of the lower levels of Coruscant. Not a pretty place to live."

Lux sighed. "I know. But you need to consider our current situation, we're also currently homeless and penniless. It's in our best interest to find a place to call home soon, no matter how dilapidated it might be. We're not in a position to be choosy at all."

Just as turned a corner, they bumped into a man carrying a few grocery bags. Lux immediately excused himself. "Sorry, sorry ! We didn't see you until the last second !"

Instead of being angry, the man simply glanced at them. "Haven't seen you two here before... You have an apartment somewhere ? It can be a bit dangerous at night. You do not want to be wandering around here at night, oh no ! Always some filthy muggers waiting in the darkness, you know."

Lux saw the opportunity and ran with it. "Actually, we don't. We've actually just arrived here and we're currently looking for anything. However, we do have a predicament : We don't have any money on us."

The man shook his head. "Listen, young man. There's no one that'll take you in if you don't have a dime to your name."

Lux had a better look at him. He had a graying beard and wore somewhat decent clothes. Lux figured he was probably a tenant living in the area. "No one ?"

The old man cleared his throat. "Well... I actually have one available apartment I could rent out to you. Problem is, I haven't maintained it in a few years, so it's not in a... "presentable" state, shall we say ?"

"It doesn't matter ! We'll take anything for now !" Ahsoka pleaded.

The old man nodded. "Ok. Well, first up, I'll drop these groceries at my place, then I'll lead you to the apartment in question. Are you two ok with that ?"

"We'll help you." Lux offered, taking a grocery bag from the man while Ahsoka took the other.

"Well, that's very kind of you both. You're not like the majority of the youth I've got in several apartments. They never want to help out and they never pick up after themselves either !" At that moment, the man decided these two strangers were worth taking a chance on. "Name's Asner. Keith Asner. I own a couple of apartment buildings in the area."

Several minutes later, his groceries were dropped at his home and he walked them to their future home. "Lux and Ahsoka, huh ? You look like responsible kids, so I'll help you out." They arrived at an area with a series of small apartments, side by side. "Here we are, East Tusculum Street. Apartment 1818 is the one. Follow me."

As they entered, the first thing they noticed was the stench. Ahsoka covered her nose. "I guess we need to make some sacrifices to start off."

Keith opened the door to the tiny bathroom and turned on the light. "Yes, a good clean will do it some good. Hopefully, that stench will go away in time." He turned to them. "Does this look familiar ?" He smiled gently at them.

Lux coughed a few times. "Should it ?"

Keith chuckled softly. "My goodness... Maybe you kids are too young to have seen it... This here is the very apartment that Rocky Balboa, you know, from the Rocky movie series, lived in along with Adrian Pennino and their dog Butkus during the events of "Rocky" and "Rocky II". The old mangled couch is still there, along with the old fridge, the simple bed. Of course, after shooting was finished back in 1979, Sylvester Stallone, who played Rocky, took his Goldfish "Moby Dick" and his two turtles, "Cuff" and "Link" with him. The TV still works... and it's of course in color, as opposed to being in black & white as in the movies. This is a famous place, but I kinda let it go after a real pig of a man was thrown out for having puked into the sink after drinking too much. You wouldn't believe the stink it made ! Terrible !"

"We'll spruce it up !" Ahsoka offered.

Keith smiled. "Perfect ! In return, I'm giving you two a couple of months of free rent. Don't waste that time, you hear me ? Find yourselves a quick job to start off, so you can cover most of the expenses. My renting fees are more than reasonable."

Lux nodded. "We understand, Mr. Asner. I've noticed through our walk that there were many "Help Wanted" signs on so many local businesses. Getting a job ought to be relatively easy, even for outsiders like us."

Keith gave a thumbs up. "That's what I like to hear ! I'm liking you two a great deal. You are just the perfect couple I needed here. Uh... sit on the bed for a moment, I'll be right back !"

Minutes passed. Keith returned with a garbage bag. He emptied the fridge and freezer. "These things have been here for several years now, I don't think they're safe for consumption anymore !" He gave them a good sized bag and a decent cardboard case, filled with goods. "These are the extras I was holding onto, just in case. Not much, just a loaf of bread, a handful of eggs, cheap ham for making sandwiches, a couple of bags of chips, a few cans of coke and, last but definitely not least, a 12 pack of Coors beer !" He gave them a look as he was regretful. "I know it's not the best, for that I'm sorry ! But it'll tide you for a few days until you get a job, earn money on your own and can afford better quality." Before he left, he brought their attention to a rectangular black box that stood above the television. "Before I forget, this here is a VCR, it's a video cassette player. Right here, is the original "Rocky" movie. Let me show you how this works." He took a few moments to instruct them how to insert a cassette, how to rewind, fast forward, etc... "I'll return to meet you two in the morning. Until then, just sit back, enjoy a handful of chips and a beer or two with the movie. I'm sure you'll like it."

Once Keith left, Ahsoka sat along with Lux near the television. "Did you get all that ?" She asked.

Lux went ahead and gave her a gentle hug. "I have, Ahsoka. Ok... let's open one of those bags of chips. Good thing Ed was kind enough to allow us to try these beforehand. They're actually quite tasty." He gave her a bottle of Coors. "Ok, Keith was nice enough to give us 12 of these. For now, one for me, one for you. Cheers !"

As he started the movie, both were soon entranced in the tale of Rocky Balboa. The apartment that many of the scenes were filmed at was indeed here, to their delight. It made them feel special that they were now living here. By the end of the movie, both Ahsoka and Lux held on to each other as they witnessed the grand finale between Rocky and his opponent, Apollo Creed. Despite that there was a split decision in the end and Apollo won, they still cheered when Rocky and Adrian finally admitted their love to each other.

After a full bag of chips and a couple of beers each over the duration of the movie, both settled to sleep. Lux opted to take the old couch while Ahsoka had the bed to herself.

Lux turned over to her. "I'd say our adventure has been very positive so far, Ahsoka. I feel so happy and excited that I'm quite sure I'll find employment within a day or two."

Ahsoka smiled towards him. "Yes, Lux. I'd have to agree ! I'll do my part as well ! This is exactly what we needed... A fresh start of things !"

Finally, this re-write is coming to life ! Back in 2015, I had little idea what I was doing, the plot was minimal... I'm happy to see that I've indeed improved on my storytelling. For those that remember my original version, it was set in New York and succeeded a series of Middle-Earth related adventures. For this one, I've decided to follow what we know now is the official Season 7 finale and chose to send the couple to Philadelphia instead. Quite a change of scenery, right ? Over the next chapter, both Lux and Ahsoka will succeed in finding employment and their lives and relationship will slowly improve. I'm hoping I'll be able to upload a new chapter soon-ish, but it'll depend on how much free time I can spend on this. At the absolute latest, I ought to have something up within a couple of months. Reviews and PMs welcome. Until then !