Well, here we go … Death Star 1 is kaput and now some new relationships are starting, so let's get to it. Thanks to new followers: heatherxenia, 47, Kayrn K. Yape … glad so many are enjoying this tale. I've been working hard on this next installment, as it seems not all that many Star Wars fans are aware of some of the things that happened in between episodes 4 and 5 (New Hope and Empire Strikes Back) but there is a three-year period to fill in and due to some of the changes that Ahsoka and her pals are having on the galaxy, some of this is going to go down in totally new ways. That's all I will say for now … enjoy!


Chapter 25: Movin' on


Yavin IV, 0 ABY 0 months, 1 day

It was just a few hours after the end of the Battle of Yavin. The Rebels have succeeded in the destruction of Emperor Palpatine's twenty-year project, the Death Star, and things looked a little rocky on the Imperial side at that time. However, everyone knew it was foolish to count them out.

As the celebration in the Massassi Temple wound down, Shaak called a quick meeting with the other rebel military leaders, Admiral Raddus, General Dodonna, and Senator Bel-Iblis. They all quickly agreed that the Yavin IV base would have to be evacuated, the sooner the better, as the Empire would be back in force soon enough and looking to wipe the place completely clean. Ahsoka then interrupted the meeting to report that another Imperial Star Destroyer had just arrived in the system and they were not in the best position to fight it. Shaak took charge immediately:

"Ahsoka! There's no time to lose. Get Corvala Dawn ready, we've got to address this."

Raddus turned to her, saying he could call for fleet support.

Shaak responded. "I appreciate the support, but we will have to take it from here. We have little time available to us."

She and Ahsoka ran to the ship and they took off and headed straight for the ISD, which was then plainly visible, perhaps only 15 or 20 km away. As R8-ND kept the course straight, Ahsoka launched about twenty of her droid satellite devices and they sped off to meet the enemy vessel. Soon they had split up and were taking shots at various targets along the surface of the ISD. Ahsoka then manned the cannon and lobbed a nuclear device at the bow of the ISD and another one towards the stern. As these devices both connected with their targets, mushroom clouds could be seen.

Aboard the ship, which was named the Nullifier, general panic was breaking out at this time. The nuclear blasts had killed quite a number of Imperial crew members and the droid satellites were picking off TIEs that had been sent at Corvala Dawn. At this point, Shaak and Ahsoka concentrated deep into the Force and soon launched another Circle of Light attack, which was concentrated on the main reactor. Within about 30 seconds, a series of explosions could be seen wracking the ship near the main engines and soon the entire vessel had been blown to bits. This marked the fourth such Imperial vessel that had been done in by the Togruta Masters of the Order.

As they returned to the Yavin base, they were greeted by Luke, Hedala and Frehya first. The three apprentices had watched the whole thing from the surface of the moon. Luke had never seen anything quite like what had just happened and he was utterly amazed. He approached Ahsoka as she came down the gangplank of Corvala Dawn.

"What did you just do to knock out that Star Destroyer?" He asked excitedly.

Ahsoka smiled. "I will tell you more about that later."

Hedala pulled him aside to whisper in his ear. "I was there when they first did that near Lothal, about a year and a half ago. Ahsoka and Shaak do something together through the Force and it makes the target ship's reactor blow."

Luke whistled softly in response while Hedala smiled at him. The Force. Ben never said anything about this … I bet Han won't believe it, either. He laughed softly to himself.

As the military leaders came to Shaak to congratulate her on another successful Imperial kill, she was asked about where the nuclear fission weapons originated. She replied:

"Ahsoka's friends on Almania had them in their arsenal. They are somewhat primitive but still very difficult to defend against. We also used them against the Death Star earlier."

As the leadership group reconvened, Ahsoka joined them. She had some ideas about where a new base might be located. There were a couple of Outer Rim worlds that might suffice nicely. One was in the Pantora system, in the Sujimis Sector, in the southeastern 'corner' of the Galaxy. It would take a rather long time – maybe 48 hours – to get everything there, but Shaak indicated the Imperials were spread fairly thin in that region. Ahsoka also suggested that one of the moons of Almania might suffice as an arms depot and they could set about preparing it for that purpose. It was generally agreed that all preparations should be wrapped up within a month and they would leave nothing of value behind on Yavin IV. That system had been invaluable and would always be a part of the cherished history of the rebellion. Everyone also agreed that it would be good to split their forces up among multiple locations.

While that discussion was taking place, Frehya had taken the lead in welcoming Luke into Shaak's new order. She explained that they would be training together on the jungle world of Felucia and that it was really a nice place once you got used to the humidity. For a young man that had grown up on a desert world like Tatooine, it would take some getting used to. Luke had several questions for both Frehya and Hedala.

"How long have you two been training with Master Ahsoka?"

"It's now been close to two years for each of us," Frehya answered. "We are both considered Padawan, which is the official title of someone who is in a learning capacity."

Luke nodded, "So it's quite a lot of work?"

Hedala smiled. "Oh, yes. The Force is very deep, there is so much to understand."

Luke looked at her and noticed the shine in her bright emerald eyes, as she gave a slight flip of some of her luxurious blonde hair. The young Padawan smiled back at him and nodded, then took a step closer to him.

"I'm looking forward to working with you, Apprentice Skywalker. Ahsoka has told us who your father was."

Frehya then noticed he was carrying a light sabre and pointed to it.

"I see you have a weapon already. Mind if I have a look?"

Luke looked closer at the middle-aged raven-haired beauty. She had a soft demeanor, but there was a flash in her dark eyes. He realized it might be an adventure to be working with these two women. As he handed Frehya his sabre, he pointed out:

"Ben Kenobi gave this to me. He said it had been my father's."

As Frehya ignited the blade, she gave it a few swipes. "It's pale blue, very similar to mine. But it seems to be an older design. Ahsoka wanted us to each create our own." She switched it off and returned it to Luke.

Hedala whipped out her blade, which was bright green and matched her eyes.

Luke looked at it – and her – admiringly. "Very nice. What do the colors actually mean? I noticed when Vader was dueling with Ben he had a red one."

Hedala answered. "Usually the red ones represent the Dark Side of the Force. But Master Shaak has one that is a pale pink and so does Knight Maris. So I don't know much about it. Master Ahsoka's sabres are both white."

"I see she carries two of them. Is that common?" He asked.

"Knight Maris sometimes does too. Ahsoka told us that using more than one sabre is too difficult for most Force wielders. She's been doing it for many years, and she started out as a youngling, originally only ten years old when she first got a sabre."

"I agree," Luke nodded. "It's hard enough to control one blade, I can't imagine two … so what is it like training under Master Ahsoka?"

"We both love her," Hedala exclaimed. "She's very supportive. But you also will have to be working with Maris, and she's very tough and shows almost no mercy."

Frehya nodded. "But Knight Maris is fair. I've learned so much from her. I had to find out what I was really made of and she showed me. I'm 52 years old now and some might think I'm too old to be a Knight but she said it doesn't matter if you work hard and stay in shape."

Luke noted, "She's quite aggressive. I saw her quickly kill a group of Tuskens that had attacked us. They never knew what hit them."

Hedala remarked excitedly. "I killed one too, last year near the spaceport on Tatooine. The group attacked Frehya and I, and she was injured when one of them hit her shoulder."

"I learned an important lesson that day," the older woman stated. "Always be prepared. There are no excuses."

They continued getting to know each other, and then Shaak and Ahsoka came outside from the meeting, having wrapped up everything and reached agreement on the next course of action. Shaak then spoke:

"We now are going to Felucia. Apprentices, you will go with Master Ahsoka. Maris and I will be in my ship. It's been a great day here on Yavin, but time marches on and new horizons approach. The Empire is a very long way from being defeated."

With that, everyone started heading for the ships. Maris quickly approached Luke.

"Just wanted to also welcome you to the Order, Apprentice Skywalker. I look forward to getting you in shape." She poked gently at his relatively soft body. "You will be a warrior. It's in your blood. Your father was one of the best."


Felucia, 0 ABY 0 months, 2 days

After they arrived on Felucia, Maris directed Luke to come with her and she showed him around the facilities of the Order and introduced him to Knight Xendar and some of the other acolytes. Ahsoka and Shaak walked off together to the Grand Master's home and they took a nap together after some short meditation.

The next morning, Shaak went alone to her underground temple and knowledge repository in the woods. She plugged herself in and started reviewing the recordings that had been made from the Imperial Palace. As expected, Palpatine was in a rage over the destruction of the Death Star and wanted to know how it could have happened. Shaak chuckled to herself and then engaged the live monitoring so she could broadcast into the palace. A driving beat and electronic melody line started to play, for about two minutes it churned, then the music became more concentrated and the melody rose in intensity as the key was in the heavenly pitch of E. Using a much clearer version of her own voice this time, she spoke the following verse, in a deliberate cadence:

In the beginning – Zon-Khadul created the stars, the planets and the nebulae

And the galaxy was without form, and void … and Darkness was on the face of the deep.

And the Spirit of Zon moved upon the face of the deep …

And Zon said, Let there be light, and there Was light.

And Zon saw the light – and saw that it was Good

And Zon divided the Light from the Darkness.

At this point, an image of the Death Star's destruction, which had spread into thousands of individual points of light, was made to appear as a hologram in the palace. The image hung in the air for a few minutes.

Palpatine, while watching and listening to this presentation, soon realized there could be no mistaking the intent of the sender – the rebels had not only succeeded in blowing away the Death Star, and with it, most of the Imperial command structure, but they were clearly ascendant, and their leader – whoever that really was – had openly challenged the Imperial authority. This must not be allowed to stand, thought the Emperor.

As Palpatine listened to the selection, he grew enraged and had it captured and played back over and over. He told himself he somehow knew that particular voice. It was a soft female voice, but one with an undeniable ring of confidence and mastery, one that was perfectly in harmony with the music that accompanied it. It was music of a kind the Emperor had never heard before. Zon-Khadul? He wracked his brain over this reference. Was it a Jedi legend? If so, he was unfamiliar with it. Was it Sith? Not that he knew of, and he fancied himself an expert on their history, as Darth Plagueis had taught him much of that so many years ago. And where in the stars was Lord Vader? Something told Palpatine that he had found a way to survive the cataclysm and got well clear of things when it was destroyed.

As she shut down the transmission, Shaak laughed softly to herself. She was most pleased about the music holocron. It contained thousands of electronic tunes and it was a great mystery how, when, and from where it came to the Jedi. Master Jocasta was most proud of it and Shaak thanked herself quietly for finding it and securing it. Some of the selections would be ideal for training as they were driving rhythms that exhorted the listener to take action, while others were gentle ballads and adagios that were thought provoking and perfect for various meditations. Inner peace was the key to self-development, she thought, and there were few places she was more content than here in her inner sanctum. Shaak Ti was as studious and thoughtful as any Jedi had ever been. As a fighter, her actions were always the model of efficiency. She had mastered all seven of the basic lightsabre forms and would still practice by herself at times, but her true development came with increased knowledge and application of the Force.

Young Skywalker has the Force within him, it is plain to see, and she meditated on this. But he must be molded like tempered steel or a finely chosen Kyber crystal. Shaak knew it would be a long time before such advanced knowledge could be given to the young apprentice. Having him work alongside the young Padawan Fardi may be what is indicated. She is aggressive and takes after Maris. A strong challenge for Luke will tell us what we need to know about his ability to follow Anakin. If he learns patience, he can go so much further than his father.

Shaak also reflected on the older Padawan, Frehya Lumoxa. I must give this one more time. She has much life experience and respects learning. I desire a new assistant and she is not well-suited to be a warrior like Hedala, but each individual can contribute in his or her own way. Shaak resolved to take Frehya closer to her and train her in the finer points of the Force. Not everyone has to become a master of sabre forms.

Finally, she thought about Darth Vader. I must summon him soon, as we are to put pressure on Palpatine. I am pleased with the loyalty he has shown me since we started his reconstruction, but there are more tests ahead. Regarding the Emperor, she reasoned that blind rage can be effective in some contexts but it is not suited for leadership. Sidious is not a leader for he inspires only fear. With me behind him, Vader can find his true purpose. It will be difficult to organize this galaxy once Palpatine is disposed of. I am not altogether confident in the governance skills of Senator Mothma.

Shaak again found herself engaging in self reflection: I have always been underestimated by those who didn't know me. Yet I knew that everything I wanted I could achieve. My greatest joy in life is to help others realize their destiny. My beloved Ahsoka is and shall continue to be my greatest achievement. She is only beginning to know her role.


Felucia, 0 ABY 0 months, 3 days

The next day, Ahsoka arose early after spending the night with her adoptive mother. She went to the bunkhouse and summoned Hedala, Frehya, and Luke to meet her, then addressed them as a group:

"We will go to my home on Almania for a few days. There, Hedala, you will work with Luke directly. Frehya, you are to accompany me on a day trip to Vaynai. Any questions?"

Hedala and Frehya both nodded. Luke spoke up. "Master Ahsoka, what type of training will this be?"

Ahsoka looked at him directly. "Basic exercises and Force sensitivity. Hedala will explain it all to you."

"Will I be staying at your home?"

"Yes. There is plenty of room. You will have your own bedroom."

He nodded, somewhat unsure, but nonetheless excited over what would happen next. I wish Ben were here, but Ahsoka seems wise and kind. I feel she will be a good teacher, but I hope to spend more time with Shaak. What a powerful lady she is.

Ahsoka sent the three of them to the Corvala Dawn to get ready for the trip, which, as she explained to Luke, was about 90 minutes in hyperspace. The Order had already issued Luke some basic clothing to be used for his training exercises, but on Almania he would also be able to have a business wardrobe so he could accompany Ahsoka when she operated as Dr. Ashli Tanner. He already also had been assigned a personal locker at the bunkhouse for basic items, as was customary for all acolytes of the Order, to be accessible via a private Force code. So much to learn, he thought.

As they got ready and went on the ship, Ahsoka had a short meeting with Shaak.

"My child, will you be returning soon?"

"Mother, after seven rotations. Luke will be introduced to all of his duties as my apprentice. Almania remains my base of operations outside the Order."

"Very well. I trust you have everything in hand. Ahsoka, we must see Lord Vader again soon."

"When should we introduce him to his son?"

"I am still meditating on that. For now, I feel it will unnecessarily complicate matters – for both father and son. Not to fear, though. I have no intention of denying either of them their right to know who they are."

"And what of Leia? The poor girl is now effectively an orphan."

Shaak sighed softly. "I have not forgotten her. She will, of course, immerse herself ever deeper into Alliance business. She and Senator Mothma have become close. We will also want to keep her close to the Order, as it is her heritage and destiny just as much as it is her brother's. But let us not refer to Leia as a 'poor girl' – she is strong in many ways, and she will come to know that. She trusts you, because of your relationship with her late adoptive family, and we will support her."

Ahsoka nodded firmly. "I agree, Mother."

With that, the two of them hugged and then bowed to each other. Ahsoka came on board the ship and looked around to see that everything was in order. Luke had been in conversation with both Hedala and Frehya while they were waiting, and he was growing more excited as they told him of some of their adventures so far in the Order. As they made the jump to hyperspace, Ahsoka took Hedala aside for a few minutes.

"I wanted to check with you. I was wondering how you felt about the destruction of Alderaan, considering it had been your home and you likely lost people you had known there."

Hedala looked at her sorrowfully. "I feel awful. But what else can I do? What's done is done. It only makes me want to destroy the Empire even more. They are pure evil."

Ahsoka shook her head slightly. "Some are – to be sure. But most are just people who got swept up in what happened, in many ways no more guilty than the people of Alderaan were just for having existed. When we destroyed the Death Star, not everyone was a Tarkin or Vader. Mostly they were people who had joined the Imperial military – for various reasons. I cannot look at them all the same way."

Hedala looked at her intently. "But when I think of what they would have done to me – just for having Force sensitivity – I get so angry."

"And I do as well. Do you remember the story I told you of the Sixth Brother, how he came at me with wild eyes, wanting to literally tear me apart?"

Hedala nodded. "Yes. He was also pure evil. I'm glad you destroyed him."

"But it was not my intent. I merely wanted to disarm him and enable the people of Raada to survive and then be evacuated safely."

"But Master Ahsoka … how many of those you evacuated died on Alderaan? I cannot share your kind attitude sometimes."

Ahsoka nodded, then put her hand on the young Padawan's shoulder, and looked at her calmly, with empathy.

"Believe me, I carry that sorrow too, but I have seen so much evil and destruction in my life. It's like Master Shaak says, only the dead have known the end of war."

"So what can we do, Master?"

"We search for answers – for greater understanding. When we return in seven days time, I would like for you to have a private audience with Master Shaak. She will give you a better perspective than I ever could. Hedala, I have watched over you for a long, long time. You are like a daughter to me. I want you to have the life you were meant to have. It was the Will of the Force for you to be in this circumstance you are in today, with us, your true Family."

Hedala sighed gently, then reached out for Ahsoka's hands. "Master, I truly love you. No one has ever cared for me the way you do."

Ahsoka nodded, then gave her a hug. She then went to the bridge of Corvala Dawn and asked Luke to join her. As he stared at the streaks of light passing on all sides of the ship, he tried to relax.

"Master Ahsoka, I know we are going to Almania. What kind of place is it?"

"A mostly quiet place. I think you will like it. However, it does get very cold there during their long winter. As someone who lived mostly on Tatooine, it will take some getting used to. But you should like Vaynai. Almost everyone does. It's warm, fair, and dry. It hardly ever rains and there is a lot of entertainment."

"Are we going there, too?"

"Oh yes … it is part of my alter life in that sector. You see, it is not generally safe around the Galaxy for Force-sensitive people such as us to be too open about our abilities. Therefore I have created another persona to use, as a scientist and business consultant. I have also grown rather wealthy, so we will have access to some of the finer things."

Luke smiled. "Sounds good …"

She smiled in turn and winked.

(to be continued …)