8.

Her eyelids fluttered open, and she realized she was flat on her back. Ahsoka's worried face was staring down at her. "Ahsoka," she said weakly.

"I know," Ahsoka quickly replied. "I felt it too." Jaina groaned and squeezed her eyes shut again. Her head was pounding, and the nausea had come roaring back. She fought the urge to get sick and waited for the nausea to pass.

"Is she okay?" It was Emry's voice, and she internally cringed at how worried she sounded. She wanted to answer, to open her eyes and tell her she was fine, but she knew if she even tried she'd be sick.

"Yes, she'll be fine," Ahsoka answered for her. "She just needs a minute."

She heard rapid footsteps approaching them. "That was the Senator. They need me in the briefing room immediately." It was General Syndulla's voice and it sounded even more concerned than Emry's.

"Go," Ahsoka said. "I'll make sure they get back okay. I'll find you once I return."

Jaina listened as the general's footsteps faded. The nausea was finally beginning to recede, but the throbbing in her head was still there. She chanced opening her eyes again and saw that Emry had joined Ahsoka by her side. She gave them both a weak smile.

"Emry said you were meditating," Ahsoka said. "Is that when you felt it?" Jaina nodded. She could still feel the ripples in the Force from whatever had happened. She slowly sat up, with a little help from Emry and Ahsoka.

"What was that?" she asked. "What happened?"

"I don't know," Ahsoka replied, shaking her head. The faraway look in her eyes and her grim tone worried Jaina. She could tell there was more to it than Ahsoka was saying.

"I've never felt anything like that before," Jaina said. "It was terrible."

"No, you wouldn't have," Ahsoka said. "I've only felt something like it once."

Jaina looked at her, her eyes pleading for answers. "Ahsoka…what was it?" She could tell Ahsoka was trying to decide if she should tell her or not. "Please," she tried again, "I need to understand."

Ahsoka pursed her lips as she considered Jaina's plea. Finally, she sighed. "Death. What you felt was death. And a lot of it, based on how strong it came through the Force."

Jaina's eyes went wide, and she saw her expression mirrored on Emry's face. They looked at each other as Jaina tried to process that information. A chill crawled up her spine as she slowly realized what she had felt was the deaths of many people, all at once. She had no idea what could cause such a catastrophic event, and she didn't think she wanted to know.

"Can you stand?" Ahsoka asked. "We should get back."

There was a worrying urgency to her voice, and Jaina nodded. Ahsoka and Emry helped her up, and the three of them slowly made their way off the overlook. Once they reached the base, Ahsoka hurried off to go find General Syndulla.

Emry stayed with Jaina as they headed back to their room. Jaina could feel the worry rolling off of her as they walked. She hadn't said two words since they'd left the overlook, and was walking like she was in a trance.

"I guess it's a good thing you came with me today," Jaina said, as lightly as she could. She gently nudged Emry's arm to try and snap her out of it.

Emry jumped slightly and glanced at Jaina as if just remembering she was there. "What? Oh…yeah, I guess so," she replied, frowning. They walked a few more steps in silence before Jaina tried again.

"Emry, I'm okay," she said quietly. Emry stopped walking and rounded on her.

"You scared the hell out of me." Her voice was a mix of anger and worry. "I had no idea what was wrong. One minute you were fine, and then the next…"

Jaina watched her eyes glaze over and knew she was reliving what happened. She grabbed Emry by the shoulders, forcing her to look at her.

"I know, and I'm sorry," Jaina said. "It's not like I knew that was going to happen. I had no idea—" She shuddered, reliving it again, herself. "It scared me too."

Emry's face softened and she sighed. "I imagine feeling that…all those deaths…was terrifying." Jaina nodded, then winced. Her head was still pounding. Emry saw her reaction and gave her a concerned look. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, I'm sure," Jaina replied. "My head just hurts. Usually, I come out of meditation slowly. Today…not so much. Guess my brain didn't like that." She gave Emry a wan smile.

Emry didn't seem to appreciate her attempt at humor and frowned. "Maybe you should go see the doctor. Just in case."

Jaina gingerly shook her head. "I promise you, I'm fine. I just need to go lie down for a while."

Emry studied her for a moment before finally nodding. "Okay, if you say so. I'm staying with you though, just to be sure."

Jaina wasn't about to argue with her, and they began walking again. "I guess we're no longer even," Jaina said. "Thanks for not letting me fall off the cliff."

"You're welcome." She gave Jaina a wry smile. "Although no one would've blamed me had you 'accidentally' fallen to your death."

Jaina looked at her, pretending to be hurt. "And here I was, thinking you'd meant what you said earlier, about not hurting me. Guess that's the last time I go into the woods alone with you."

Emry shrugged, but she was now smiling. The worry Jaina felt from her was fading fast, and she was happy to see her friend had some of her sense of humor back. They'd almost made it to the turbolifts when Emry's comlink chimed. She made a face, and Jaina waited as she stepped away to answer it. She came back less than a minute later, a troubled look on her face.

"Something's come up and I have to go to work," she said.

"Right now?" Jaina asked, disappointment creeping into her voice. "I thought it was your day off."

"It was supposed to be," she replied. Jaina noticed she sounded just as disappointed as she felt. "I think—" she stopped and hesitated.

"You think what?" Jaina asked, raising an eyebrow.

Emry glanced around nervously and a memory flashed through Jaina's mind: the last time she'd seen Emry this anxious was that night in the cantina on Akiva.

"I think…whatever's going on has something to do with what you felt earlier," she finally replied in a low voice.

Jaina slowly nodded. She'd had the same thought. "I know you can't say any more, and I won't ask you to. Just be careful."

"I will," Emry replied. She still looked uneasy. "Are you sure you're going to be okay being alone? What if you, I don't know, hurt your brain or something."

Jaina almost laughed, then realized Emry was being serious. "I'll be okay, I promise. It's just a headache. It'll go away."

Emry still didn't look convinced, but she didn't argue. "All right. Call me if you need anything though?"

Jaina nodded, even though both of them knew she wouldn't. Once Emry was at work, she was unreachable. But Jaina appreciated the gesture. Emry hesitated for another few seconds, then took off at a jog in the direction they had come from. Jaina watched her for a moment, before heading straight to their room.

After a quick shower, she collapsed into bed. The hot water had done nothing to alleviate the pounding in her head, and it took her a long time to fall asleep. Once she did, it was filled with dreams of death. The deaths of people she didn't know, and people she did. She watched the people she cared about, die, over and over again, completely powerless to stop it.

When she finally woke up late the next day, she could tell something had drastically changed. The pounding in her head was gone, but her skin was now crawling with anxiety. It wasn't her own, however. It seemed to be coming from everyone inside the base. The air was thick with it and it instantly set her on edge.

It didn't help that when she looked over at Emry's side of the room, she noticed she wasn't there. Her bed looked like it hadn't been slept in at all. Emry sometimes worked odd hours, but she had never been out all night before. Worry was beginning to turn into full-blown panic, helped along by everyone else's anxiety, and she quickly dressed. She needed to find out what was going on.

Her panic only increased as she stepped off the lift onto the lower levels. She hadn't seen the base this active ever. The tension and anxiety were even thicker down here, the stress evident on everyone's faces as they ran past her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, shutting everything else out for a moment, hoping she could locate Ahsoka's presence in the chaos.

Mercifully, she did and set off at a quick pace towards her. She found her in one of the hangar bays, engaged in an intense discussion with General Syndulla. She hung back, not wanting to interrupt them. As soon as Ahsoka realized she was standing there, she waved Jaina over.

"I was just about to come and get you," she said, once Jaina had joined them. "Go grab your things. We're leaving."

Jaina stared at her for a few seconds, not sure she'd heard her right. "We're…what? Leaving? Why?" Her voice began to rise as she fought to control her panic.

Neither Ahsoka nor General Syndulla seemed to want to offer any insight, so she crossed her arms and glared at them. She had no intention of going anywhere until she got some answers. Much to her surprise, it was General Syndulla who finally answered her.

"The Empire has found us," she said flatly. "They're on their way. We're starting evacuations now, while we still have the chance."

Jaina blankly looked at her, trying to comprehend what she was hearing. The false sense of security that she'd developed was shattered once again, just like it had been on Akiva. And while this place didn't exactly feel like a home, as Akiva had, there were people here she'd also come to care about.

She'd abandoned Rowen on Akiva, after everything he'd done for her. She still carried the guilt and regret from that night. She wasn't about to do the same thing to Emry.

"Jaina," Ahsoka said forcefully, snapping her out of her thoughts. "We don't have much time."

Jaina glowered at her, but Ahsoka wasn't backing down. Her eyes narrowed in warning, and after a moment, Jaina's shoulders slumped in defeat. With a heavy sigh, she turned and ran off, back to her room. As she passed back through the hangar, she belatedly realized everyone was preparing to fight.

She'd been so focused on finding Ahsoka earlier, she hadn't even noticed the starfighters being fueled and pilots conducting their pre-flight checks. As she got farther into the base, she passed groups of what could only be ground troops, heavily armed, and heading off in various directions.

Once in her room, she quickly grabbed clothes and the small number of possessions she'd managed to accumulate and stuffed them into a pack. Slinging the pack over her shoulders, she took one last look around, wishing she could at least say goodbye to Emry. A few seconds later, she was back out the door at a run.

As she was passing rows of fighters in one of the hangars, she heard a familiar voice call her name. Skidding to a halt, she turned to see Emry running towards her, dressed in the unmistakable orange flight suit of a pilot. Jaina's heart sank. She'd secretly hoped that whatever Emry did for the Rebellion, never put her on the frontlines of the conflict. Now she knew otherwise.

"You're leaving?" was what Emry said, as she eyed Jaina's pack. But what Jaina heard was, "you're not going to fight?"

She grimaced. "Not my choice. Ahsoka's orders. If it were up to me…I'd stay."

Emry gave her a surprised look, and Jaina couldn't believe she'd said it either. But she meant it. She still had no intention of ever joining the Rebellion, but if it meant keeping those she cared about safe, as well as not being captured herself, she'd fight.

She knew she was running out of time, but there were suddenly a thousand things she wanted to say to Emry. They gazed at each other, and Jaina had the sense Emry was thinking the same thing.

"Emry—" she began but was immediately cut off when Emry threw her arms around her. She hugged Jaina tightly, and Jaina couldn't help but smile as she gripped her just as tight. They stayed like that for a long moment, the chaos in the hangar unfolding around them.

"Good luck," Jaina eventually told her.

"You, too," Emry replied, and they finally broke apart. Jaina hesitated a moment longer, then turned to go. If she didn't walk away right now, she wasn't going to, no matter what Ahsoka said.

"Jaina," Emry called after her. She turned around and saw Emry's face was lit up by a smile. "May the Force be with you."

Jaina beamed in response and watched as Emry turned and headed towards her ship. A few seconds later she was running through the hangar again. Ahsoka was right where she'd left her, an annoyed look on her face as she waited. General Syndulla was gone, and Jaina knew she was likely preparing for the upcoming battle as well.

"Sorry," Jaina apologized breathlessly, as she ran up to Ahsoka. "Emry stopped me on my way here."

Ahsoka gave her a short nod and said nothing. She briskly led the way to a small freighter that was parked outside on one of the landing pads. Jaina idly wondered if this was Ahsoka's ship, then realized she'd never actually seen her coming or going from the base.

They boarded and Jaina followed Ahsoka into the cockpit, unsure of what she should be doing. This was her first time on a ship that wasn't some sort of transport or capital ship, and she knew nothing about flying. She watched as Ahsoka slipped into the pilot's seat and deftly brought the ship to life, her fingers flying over the various switches and buttons that covered the console.

"Have a seat," Ahsoka told her, without even breaking her rhythm.

Jaina set her pack down in the corner and dropped into the co-pilot's seat. She hadn't even finished strapping herself in before the ship started to rise through the trees. A minute or two later, they were speeding towards the upper atmosphere. Jaina stared out the viewport, trying to get a handle on the emotions churning inside her.

She was angry. Angry at the Empire for forcing her to run yet again. Angry at Ahsoka for not giving her any choice in the matter. She was also scared. Scared because she had no idea what came next, or where Ahsoka was taking her. Scared for Emry, Rex, and everyone else she'd gotten to know. She was very much aware that the odds of their survival weren't all that great.

And she felt guilty. She couldn't get Emry's look of disappointment when she saw she was leaving, out of her head. She felt as though she'd let her down, just like she did Rowen. Even though both situations were entirely out of her control. Which just made her angrier. It was a vicious cycle that repeated itself as they climbed higher and higher in the sky.

They finally broke atmosphere, and Jaina noticed, with some relief, that there were no Imperial ships present. At least not yet. She could see a small object in the distance, on the far side of the gas giant that the moon orbited, but she couldn't tell if it was Imperial or not. Ahsoka angled the ship away from the moon, then the stars elongated and the blue storm of hyperspace surrounded them.

Jaina crossed her arms and watched the swirling colors, stewing over everything that had just happened. She knew she should be trying to get control of her emotions—something Ahsoka was always stressing the importance of—but at the moment, she just didn't care. She was mad and she wanted to feel mad. Scared and slightly ashamed were emotions she wouldn't mind getting rid of, but mad…that was an emotion she enjoyed sometimes.

"You're upset," Ahsoka said, in a neutral voice.

Jaina jumped slightly as the sound of her voice broke the silence of the cockpit. She'd forgotten she was sitting right next to her. She made a face, realizing Ahsoka could feel every emotion that was going through her right now. It was one thing when she was the one who could feel someone else's emotions; it was downright annoying when Ahsoka reminded her she also had that ability.

"Yeah, I am," she retorted.

"Because we left," Ahsoka said. It sounded more like a question than a statement. Jaina said nothing and continued to stare out the viewport.

"You would've preferred to stay—" Ahsoka gave her a dubious look "—and fight?"

"It would've been better than running away," Jaina grumbled. She found it very hard to believe Ahsoka was fine with leaving and not fighting. Especially given what Jaina knew about her past. But she didn't seem upset at all. Her emotions were as calm as they normally were.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that, if given a choice, you would've chosen to stay," Ahsoka replied. "But we're not running away. Our mission lies elsewhere. And I would prefer if we both stayed alive and out of the Empire's hands long enough to complete it."

Our mission? That got Jaina's attention and she sat up a little straighter in her seat. Curiosity got the best of her and she finally glanced over at Ahsoka. "What mission?"

"We'll get to that in a minute," Ahsoka replied. "First, there's something you need to know. It involves what you felt yesterday, while you were meditating." Jaina uncrossed her arms. Ahsoka now had her full attention.

Ahsoka sat back in her seat, staring out the viewport as she spoke. "The Empire has created a brand-new weapon. It's bigger, and more powerful than anything anyone has ever seen. There were rumors it could destroy entire worlds, though until recently, those rumors were unconfirmed."

She could hardly believe what she was hearing. She knew the Empire was obsessed with expanding their military presence, but creating a superweapon that could destroy worlds? It seemed so outrageous, even for them. A horrible thought suddenly occurred to her.

"Until recently?" Jaina asked quietly. Ahsoka nodded. "How recently?"

Ahsoka didn't answer, but she didn't have to. Jaina's stomach turned as the sickening realization hit her. "When I was meditating…" she trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence.

"Yes," Ahsoka confirmed.

"No, it can't be," Jaina said, slowly shaking her head. She didn't want to believe the Empire was capable of something so atrocious and cruel. "The Empire wouldn't do something like that. They'd have no reason to! There has to be another explanation."

Ahsoka didn't respond, and they sat in silence for a while. "Which planet?" she finally asked, not sure if she wanted to know the answer.

"Alderaan," Ahsoka replied. Her tone was grim, and Jaina could hear the anger behind it.

Relief hit her when she realized it wasn't her homeworld, but she immediately felt ashamed. Millions of people had still lost their lives, even if they hadn't been her people. Innocent people, civilians, who the Empire had no reason to target. Another, more terrifying thought, entered her mind.

"General Syndulla said the Empire had found the base," Jaina said slowly, hoping Ahsoka wouldn't confirm her worst fears. That hope was instantly dashed, the moment Ahsoka looked at her.

"But that means—" Ahsoka quickly shook her head, cutting her off.

"We don't know that yet," she said firmly. "There's still a chance it can be destroyed." She sounded determined, hopeful, and Jaina wanted so badly to believe she was right.

Something started beeping, and Ahsoka reached over and flipped a switch in the center of the console. The mottled blue instantly changed to starlines, and a split-second later they were surrounded by the black vastness of realspace once more.

It looked to Jaina like they'd come out of hyperspace in the middle of nowhere. She could see no planets, or moons, or anything around them. "Now what?" she asked Ahsoka.

"Now," Ahsoka replied, as she began shutting down the ship, "we wait."

A minute later, Ahsoka finished what she was doing and sat back down. Jaina watched as they began to drift. There was something very disconcerting about being inside a small ship, in open space, with nothing and no one else around. It made her feel claustrophobic.

"What are we waiting for?" she asked, suppressing a shiver. She knew Ahsoka had kept the life support systems on, but it was already starting to grow cold.

"For General Syndulla," Ahsoka replied. Seeing Jaina's confused look, she continued: "If everything goes according to plan, she will be meeting us at this rendezvous point."

"And if it doesn't, and she doesn't show up?" Jaina asked.

A grim look crossed Ahsoka's face. "Then we'll know the Empire won."

This time she didn't even bother trying to suppress the shiver. She gazed out the viewport, trying not to think about Emry, and Rex and everyone else dying at the hands of whatever this superweapon was that the Empire had. She hoped Ahsoka had a plan for how they were going to pass the time while they waited. She couldn't sit here for hours without anything to do.

"You said we have another mission?" she tentatively asked, hoping Ahsoka would elaborate so she could take her mind off of what was going on back on Yavin.

Ahsoka smiled at her. "I did." She swiveled her chair so she was facing Jaina. "When I said I'd teach you everything I know, I meant it. There was always a chance the Empire would find the base on Yavin, and I knew we'd need to leave eventually if I was going to properly train you. The Empire forced my hand earlier than I would've liked, but I think I've found somewhere we can go, where no one will bother us, and the Empire won't find us."

Jaina thought about that for a moment. She couldn't imagine there was anywhere in the galaxy the Empire wouldn't find them eventually, but Ahsoka seemed confident she'd found one.

"And that's our mission?" she asked skeptically. "To train me?" It sounded too simple, and not all that important.

"Yes," Ahsoka replied. She noticed Jaina still didn't look convinced, and chuckled. "I know you don't see it yet, but there's a reason the Force brought us together."

"You're right, I don't," Jaina said. "But…if you say there is, then I believe you."

"Good. Speaking of training you…" Ahsoka stood up and grabbed a small pack that was behind her seat. "Follow me."

Jaina followed her out of the cockpit, eager to find out what she had planned. Whatever it was, it would be infinitely better than sitting around, doing nothing. Ahsoka led her to the small cargo hold in the rear of the ship.

"You've impressed me, with how focused you've been in our lessons lately," Ahsoka said, once they were inside the hold. "I'll admit, I didn't expect that. As a result, you've progressed a little faster than I anticipated, and I think you're ready for something a little more challenging."

Jaina had no idea what to say but was happy that Ahsoka was pleased with her effort. Ahsoka motioned for her to sit, so she did. Ahsoka set the bag on the floor and began to pace; it was a habit Jaina had noticed early on and was usually accompanied by a lengthy lecture.

"What I'm going to teach you will be building on something we've already worked on. This is just the next step. As I've told you before, don't get discouraged if you don't get it right away. You'll have plenty of time to practice while we wait."

Jaina nodded. And without the added distractions that were always around whenever they were inside the base, she should have an easier time staying focused as well.

"Now, close your eyes, and clear your mind," Ahsoka instructed.

Jaina did as she was told. Taking deep breaths, she pushed away all the thoughts, fears, and doubts that currently occupied her mind. Emry, Rex, Rowen, her parents…everything faded away as she centered herself.

"Are you ready?" Ahsoka asked when she opened her eyes again. Jaina nodded. "Good. Let's begin."