"How come Ahsoka gets to have all the fun?" I whined as we exited hyperspace to enter a planet to help Master Aayla Secura in a battle for her life.
"You don't see her here do you?" Anakin snapped at me.
"No but she got to help you and Master Kenobi capture Nute Gunray and Count Dooku while I was stuck back at the Jedi Temple studying my stupid archives."
"You can't be in every battle, Aroara. You're in this battle and that's what you need to focus on right now."
"Yes, Master."
"Now, let's go." I followed him to a cruiser ship and climbed aboard with Rex and his squad behind us. "We're ready, Admiral." We exit the Republic ship and entered the atmosphere with Separatist ships and droids firing at the almost destroyed Republic ship in front of us.
"Rocket droids incoming." Oddball said.
"Those droids are boarding Aayla's ship." Something sounded above our cruiser and we looked up to see a droid clawing at the cockpit. "Take care of that clanker. I'll be on board Aayla's cruiser."
"Master, are you sure that's the wisest thing—" Anakin ignored me and jumped from the ship, free falling straight for Aayla's ship. Our ship began to sound the alarm as it lost control, diving straight for the ship.
"Hey, Kid." Rex called behind me as I clutched the ship's wall.
"I know, I know. I'm hanging on." The ship collided through the roof of the cruiser and I jumped off, pulling out my lightsaber and cutting the nearest droid in half before taking off down the hallway with Rex and his squad behind me, destroying everything in my path before the squad even had time to fire their weapons. I joined up with Anakin and we met up with Aayla.
"Nice entrance, Skywalker." Aayla said. "How do you plan to get us out of this mess?"
"Well, I have a ship docking in the lower hanger as we speak." Anakin said as we raced to the hangar. An explosion sounded behind us when we reached the docking doors. I quickly opened the doors to look behind me to see fire traveling quickly towards. I felt an invisible force push on me as I tumbled through the doors and I looked over my shoulders to see Anakin closing the doors on us, leaving himself on the outside.
"Master!" I yelled through the closed doors. "Don't move the ship!" I slammed my fist into the button to open the doors but they didn't even open halfway. I looked through the small hole through the door to see the hallway collapsed and fire everywhere. My eyes moved frantically around for my master until they landed on Anakin who was unconscious on the floor. "Anakin!" He didn't move. I grabbed my lightsaber and cut a hole through the door and climbed through. I raced over to Anakin and grabbed his arms and began to drag him back through the doors.
"Aroara, we have to leave now." Aayla said as she came to my side and began to help me drag Anakin. "Hurry. Get him on the ship."
"What do you think I'm trying to do?" I got him on the ship and Aayla left me to go to the cockpit and I dragged Anakin the rest of the way to the medical bay. The medical droid got Anakin on the medical table and attached life support to him. I stood by his side and watched him. The doors opened but I didn't bother to turn around to see who it was.
"I need you with Commander Bly up on the bridge right now."
"I should stay. Commander Bly doesn't need my help. Anakin does."
"You can help Anakin by getting this ship to safety."
"General Secura, we have a problem." Commander Bly says.
"What is it, Commander?"
"In our haste to escape, the navicomputer's coordinates were inputted incorrectly. And, well, we're headed right for a star."
"Let's go, Aroara." I looked over Anakin's face one more time before following Aayla out of the room to the cockpit where I immediately got into the pilot seat.
"It's not use. The navigation computer's completely fried."
"Shut down all power circuits to reset the coordinates."
"That will cut off Anakin's life support." I protested.
"I don't like it any more than you do, but it's a risk we're going to have to take."
"We're switching off primary power units."
"Cutting it awfully close." Rex said behind me.
"Ready to shut off auxiliary power." Aayla said.
"On three." I said. "One, two, three." The ship rumbled as we came out of hyperspace and floated straight for a large, orange star in front of us.
"We're out of hyperspace." Commander Bly said. "Resume all power." The power came back on and I pulled hard back on the controls and steered us away from the star and started to head straight for a planet.
"Well, we're not going to crash into the star, but we're definitely going to hit that planet." A low rumbling sounded from the ship as it caught on fire when we entered the atmosphere of the planet. Both engines exploded as I fought to keep control of the ship. The ship went nose first into the ground and skidded across the dirt as I pulled harder on the controls trying to slow it down. When the ship came to a stop, everyone got out while I raced to the medical bay, grabbed Anakin and dragged him back outside as the ship exploded. We dropped Anakin on the ground and Aayla and I collapsed to the ground.
"Well, we made it." Aayla sighed. "And Master Skywalker is still alive."
"I'm just glad he wasn't awake to see that landing."
"He would have been proud."
"I've certainly perfected the art of demolishing ships and almost getting my Master killed."
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I sat by Anakin's side in the tent that we built for him while Rex started a fire. I closed my eyes and touched Anakin's arm with my fingertips, hoping that somehow my master could know that I was there by his side, watching over him. I knew that having personal attachments was against the Jedi ways but I couldn't help how I felt for Anakin. I loved him but I couldn't let him or anyone else know. If someone did found out, I would be kicked out of the Jedi Order forever. Aayla came up to my side and I opened my eyes but didn't bother to look up at her.
"Anakin doesn't have much time." Aayla said. "We have to find help tonight." I stood up and turned to Aayla.
"Okay, you and Bly go south." I ordered. "Rex and I will stay here with Anakin."
"No, Aroara. In order to get help quickly, we must work together."
"I can't leave him. Master Secura, I know if I was hurt, he'd never leave me behind."
"I know this is hard, Aroara, but Anakin has to stay behind, and we have to go now. There is nothing more we can do for him. We must do all we can to get off this planet. As a Jedi, it is your duty to do what is best for the group." I looked back down at Anakin before turning away from Aayla and taking a couple steps away from her, closing my eyes and sighing heavily. I turned and looked at the sun that was setting very quickly.
"General Secura, look." Bly came up to Aayla and handed her a stone tablet with a carving of a tree on it. "We're not the only ones here on this planet. There has to be some kind of something here." A low roaring sounded through the tall grass that surrounded our campsite. "If you don't mind me asking, General Secura, where exactly are we going?"
"To go find the people who live on this planet."
"Where are we going to find them? We have no idea where they are."
"It seems to me that the people we're looking for live near giant trees." I said, examing the tablet.
"Very perceptive, Padawan." Aayla praised me as I walked back over to Anakin and knelt down beside him.
"Be strong, Master, just a little bit longer. Rex will watch over you."
"It is time to go."
"Don't worry, kid." Rex said. "I'll take good care of him." I nodded and got up, turning my back to Anakin.
"Captain Rex, keep your locator on. We should be back by daybreak with whoever or whatever lives on this planet."
"Got it, General Secura. Hey, kid. . . good luck."
"Come on, guys. Let's move out." Aayla and I took over running into the grass with the squad behind us, leaving only Anakin and Rex behind. I'll be back, Anakin. I promise.
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"I can still sense your worry for Anakin, your attachment to him." Aayla said. We slowed down to a walk and continued our path towards the setting sun. I sighed.
"It's just—" I started to say but stopped trying to word my sentence correctly. "I get so confused sometimes. It's forbidden for Jedi to form attachments, yet we are supposed to be compassionate."
"It is nothing to be ashamed of, Aroara. I went through the same process when I was your age with my own Master."
"Really? You?"
"He was like a father to me. I realized that for the greater good, I had to let him go. Don't lose a thousand lives just to save one."
"Maybe. But that doesn't mean that I can't try to save his life."
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It was completely dark by the time we reached an old ancient tree. We approached the roots and stopped, looking around for any signs of life.
"I don't see any signs of life." Bly said. Something rumbled above us and I looked up to see huge pods falling from the branches of the tree.
"Look out!" I yelled. I jumped forward and rolled across the ground just as a pod landed in the spot where I was seconds earlier. Five more dropped all around us as we rushed for shelter under the roots of the tree. "No wonder it's deserted. It's a death trap. You'd have to be crazy to want to dodge those on a daily basis."
"It looks like someone or something intelligent enough to figure out a use for the pods has dragged them away." Aayla said, pointing behind her. I turned to see a path carved into the tall grass. "All we have to do is follow the trail. Let's go." Aayla took off first down the path with me following her and the squad behind me.
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My legs pumped with adrenaline as we pushed forward down the path. I skidded to a halt with the others behind me into a clearing when I heard a creature cawing in the distance. Bushes rustled as a creature was running at us.
"Watch your left!" Flesh yelled and I pulled out my lightsaber as two griffin looking creatures exited the grass and charged at us. One came at Aayla and me and we jumped over it, landing gracefully back on our feet. Bly shot one of them in the head as it was chewing on Lucky's neck. The other toss Cameron in the air before racing off into the grass again.
"Cameron's dead." Bly said. "So are Lucky and Flesh."
"We have to keep moving." Aayla said. I looked once more at the dead griffin and clones before following Aayla into the grass with Bly behind me.
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It was daybreak by the time we reached a village made of the pods that tried to crush us earlier. Small monkey furry looking creatures roamed around the village, talking to one another.
"Pod central." I sighed. "We made it." We raced down the hill and entered the village. The monkey creatures stopped what they were doing and stared at us with their large orange and yellow eyes but they made no signs that they wanted to harm us. "Hello?" A humble old creature with a large white beard stepped forward till he was standing right in front of us. I noticed that they were Lumen from the archives I read at the Jedi Temple.
"What have you come here for?" The Lumen asked.
"We are peacekeepers." Aayla said. "We are Jedi from the Galactic Republic. Our ship crashed a few miles away, and one of us is very badly injured. We need your help."
"Violence breeds violence. Jedi are no peacekeepers."
"We're fighting for freedom." I tried to explain.
"And freedom and peace require fear and death? We colonized this system to find solace from your wretched war. We came here to find peace. You must leave. You will only destroy what small amount of peace is left in the galaxy. You will only bring the destruction of us."
"Regardless of the Clone Wars and our part in them, we still need your help."
"I'm afraid I must do what's best for my people. We cannot help you."
"Please." I pleaded. "Can you at least give us some medical supplies? My friend is dying." The Lumen sighed and waved another Lumen forward.
"I cannot ignore a plea for help. I will send my son Wag Too to help your friend. He is a healer. But only one Jedi may go with him. The other must stay as insurance. We wouldn't want a surprise attack on our village, or the kidnapping of our only healer.
"Bly and I will stay." Aayla said. "Padawan, go and help your Master."
"No, the clone and his blaster cannot stay. He will go with the youngling."
"I can handle it." I told Aayla. "I don't need help."
"Aroara." Aayla said.
"Don't worry. You're starting to sound like Master Skywalker."
"Be mindful of your surroundings, Padawan. Those creatures are still out there."
"Got it. We won't be long." I took off into the direction that we came from. Wag Too jumped into the air and curled into a ball and rolled across the ground with Bly behind him. I'm coming, Anakin. Just give me a little more time.
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As we neared the campsite, I looked over the tall grass to see two griffins in the clearing. One was dead and another one had just charged at the tent, knocking Anakin and Rex aside. Wag Too jumped forward and pulled out a rope and started to run in a circle around the griffin, hog tying its legs together. I ran forward and started to pull on the rope to help with Rex behind me. The creature squealed as it fell to the ground with a thud and Wag Too finished tying it off. I looked to my right to see Anakin struggling to get to his feet.
"Master!" I yelled as I rushed to his side and turned him over onto his back.
"Good to see you, Snips." He groaned with a halfhearted smile.
"This is Wag Too. He's a healer. He can make you well again."
"Don't you worry." Wag Too said. "I can fix you right up." Bly and I went around and gathered supplies and started to build a stretcher as Wag Too prepared Anakin for the trip back to the village. Once we got Anakin on the stretcher, I grabbed the bottom end and Bly grabbed the top and made the journey back. Aayla was the first one to greet us when we got back. I reluctantly handed the care of Anakin to Bly and Wag Too and followed Aayla up a hill that overlooked the village and the setting sun.
"You were right all along, Master Secura."
"About what?" She asked.
"If I had stayed with Anakin, we probably wouldn't have found this village in time to save him. At least this whole ordeal is over now."
"We still have to find a way off this planet."
"Well, I'm sure Admiral Yularen and the Republic fleet are looking for us. It shouldn't take them too long to get here."