Earth Date: 2030-08-17

Sarah and Molly changed for the day and packed up, preparing for the return trip home.

"Sawa, what'cha doin?" Emilina asked.

"We're going home today, Emi," Sarah replied. "And Shalene is coming with us?"

"Lene?"

"Shalene," Sarah replied, trying to teach her sister how to properly pronounce her cousin's name.

"Sh'lene!" Emilina replied.

"You're getting closer," Sarah said.

In the next room, Tim and Ahsoka packed up the last of their items.

"You're wearing yours, too?" Ahsoka asked.

"You, too, huh? I figured I'd wear my necklace this morning since it's our last on Shili," Tim answered.

"I though the same thing. Well, are you ready?"

Tim nodded.

After breakfast, Shalene packed simply, trying take only what she thought she needed.

"I do hope you'll be safe," Cayanna stated.

"I'll be fine, mother," Shalene replied.

"You don't know what dangers they have, I hope no harm comes to you."

"They'll look out for me. That's what family does."

"Still, remember you're our emissary there," Da'Meon stated.

"I remember, father."

"Don't forget this," Cayanna stated, handing her daughter a jeweled necklace reserved for the most formal of occasions.

Shalene nodded as she fastened the necklace around her neck. Mindful of her status as a chief's daughter, she still felt the desire to dress more plainly so she'd fit in better at her destination.

"Remember, my daughter. We'll want to hear your thoughts on this trip. But you can't tell anyone about what we discussed last night."

"I know," Shalene replied. "Is it really that dire?"

"If the wrong people learn the truth, we could all be in danger. That's why it's too risky for you to study in the cities given the Empire still rules over all, even if they've left us be as of late."

"I understand. I won't betray my family."

"I know. Are you all set?"

"I think so."

After sharing good byes, Tim, Ahsoka, Sarah, Emilina, and Molly left the Tano settlement with Da'Meon, Cayanna, Shalene, and two of Da'Meon's personal sentinels.

Shalene looked on in awe as Shili decloaked, appearing to materialize out of nothing.

"That's incredible!" she exclaimed as her jaw dropped.

Ahsoka activated the gangway as Cayanna hugged her daughter one last time.

"I hope this trip is as important as you made it out to be."

"Someone should do it," Shalene insisted. "I know you and father can't, so I want to spend time with my cousins, as Sarah has spent time with us."

Cayanna hugged Shalene closer. "Please be safe," she said, sounding as if she might be pleading with her daughter.

"I'll be alright."

"Sarah," Da'Meon said, "It was good to see you again. You represented the Tano with pride during the Ullumbana exhibitions. I hope you consider coming again sometime for another festival."

"We'll see," Sarah replied. "I still have much to learn at home, too."

"Molly, you seemed to enjoy your time here as well. I hope you learned what you hoped you might."

"I did. Everyone was good to me, thanks. I'll enjoy telling my parents how much I had fun."

"Da'Meon, it's been a pleasure meeting you. We may lead in different ways, but I'd like to think we're not all the different—appearances aside," Tim said.

"Of course," Da'Meon answered. "Every leader has his challenges. Now, I have to face mine. But first, I have to say good bye to young Emilina."

"It's OK, Emi," Sarah said.

Emilina toddled up to her cousin where the two shared a small hug.

«Good-bye, Emilina, May you come again soon,» Da'Meon told her.

«Bye,» Emilina replied.

"I hope your mother and sister help you remember what you've learned."

"We will, I'll try to talk to her some now and then so she doesn't forget it—Sarah and myself included, too," Ahsoka promised.

"May you be blessed with safe travels," Da'Meon said.

He and Cayanna watched as everyone boarded Shili-1. As the gangway closed, they turned and walked back to the settlement with their sentinels.

Inside, Shalene looked on in awe. She had never been inside a ship of any sort until today.

"This is awesome," she said, her jaw slowly dropping in awe.

"Yeah, mom fixed it up so we could travel to and from Shili," Sarah replied. "Come back here with us and put your stuff in that compartment off to the side."

Shalene slowly walked behind Sarah, continuing to look awestruck at the ship's interior. The sight of a sign with "Refresher" written in Aurebesh along with unfamiliar writing also impressed her. She eventually stowed her gear with everyone else and sat down next to Sarah.

"Here, you have to put this strap across your body for now. It's a safety harness to protect you," Sarah said.

"Oh, OK. Thanks," Shalene replied. She watched Sarah put hers on and then did the same with her own.

"Sh'lene, you stay with us?" Emilina asked.

"I'm only visiting. It's vacation, like you just had."

Emilina smiled and nodded her head happily.

Back in the front of the ship, Ahsoka asked, "Is everyone secured and ready?"

"Ready, mom," Sarah replied.

"Ready!" Emilina repeated.

"All systems online and ready," Tim stated.

"Initiating take-off sequence," Ahsoka replied. Shili-1 slowly lifted up from the ground.

"This... this is so amazing," Shalene said.

"Your first flight?" Molly asked.

"Yes. It's my first time away from the Tribe or our immediate area, too."

"We'll be fine. It's not scary no matter how weird it may feel."

Shalene looked on in awe as Shili-1 sped up and left the Shili system.

Back up front, Ahsoka checked the instrumentation. The sight of the green light indicating all systems functioned normally pleased her. She pressed another button that automatically plotted the return course home.

It wasn't long before the group reached their first destination. A chiming from the console confirmed their arrival.

Ahsoka took a small black box and pressed a button.

"Activating intergalactic conduit," she said.

"Switching to lightspeed on my mark... now," Tim said.

As Shili-1 sped into the conduit at the speed of light, Shalene's jaw once again dropped in awe.

A single TIE fighter entered the Shili system. Although it had been months since the Empire had patrolled the Ehosiq Sector, or any part of the Expansion Region, the pilot felt the need to make a special trip to this area.

With his harsh mechanical breathing as the only other audible sound besides his fighter's engines, Darth Vader recently sensed odd sensations in the Force—sensations he couldn't seem to ignore. His quest had led him to an odd confluence of the Force that appeared to be concentrated on Shili, the birth planet of both Shaak Ti—the Jedi Master that died on Felucia after Starkiller inflicted near-mortal injuries on her—and another Togruta who once served the Jedi Order as Anakin Skywalker's padawan.

The thought of Ahsoka alive on Shili made no sense to Vader. His troops reported her dead roughly 19 years ago. Sure, he found it odd they claimed there was no debris when their shots struck her ship; however, they weren't lying either—so he thought. He sensed no deception from them at the time.

If she lives, she won't much longer. I'll destroy anything and anyone that dares stand in my way, and then I'll destroy her, Vader thought. He recently struck down his former master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, on the Death Star before the rebels later destroyed it. Ensuring Ahsoka joined Obi-Wan in death would all but eliminate the last known vestiges of Anakin Skywalker, Vader reasoned.

However, he sensed nothing as he neared the planet. The confluence of Force energy he previously sensed appeared to disappear as quickly as when he first sensed it.

This can't be, I know I felt something before, he reminded himself.

Suddenly, a light blinked on his instrumentation and an audio indicator buzzed.

Vader pressed a button and a holographic version of an officer from the Executor greeted him.

"Lord Vader, the Emperor has contacted us. He wishes to speak to you at once," the officer stated.

"Very well, forward the transmission to me on a secured, private channel," Vader replied.

"Understood."

A moment later, Emperor Palpatine's hooded, disfigured face appeared.

"Lord Vader, what are you doing right now? I don't recall sending you on a mission," he said.

Vader knew it was pointless to lie to Palpatine. He was so strong with the Dark Side of the Force, he could sense almost anything he wanted.

"I had information that led me to believe Jedi may be hiding in the Expansion Region. I had to investigate it and take appropriate action, my master," Vader answered.

"Well, did you find any Jedi?"

"No, master. It's as if there was nothing there. There's no sign there was ever anyone here."

"Let this be a lesson that you need to be sure of your sources before pursuing a wild bantha chase."

"I understand, my master."

"Also, you must return to me at once. I have new information regarding the pilot that destroyed our Death Star. I can't share it here for obvious reasons."

"I will return at once, Master."

"And remember, my apprentice, I went easy on you this time. The next time you act without my authorization, though, I won't be nearly as merciful with your misconduct."

"I understand, my master. I won't disobey you."

"Good. Now, return at once. We have much to discuss."

Palpatine's holographic image faded away as Vader set a return course to dock with the Executor.

Be lucky you're dead, Vader thought about his former padawan. The idea of returning with nothing to show for his efforts displeased him, but he had no time to dwell on it.

Closing Commentary

First, I want to say that I had the idea for this story for quite some time. While it may seem that Star Wars Rebels inspired my scene with Vader missing Ahsoka and her family by mere minutes, This scene had been conceptualized long before Rebels came to exist.

I feel Ahsoka was misused and underutilized in Rebels once she was revealed to be Fulcrum, misdirection notwithstanding. I found it both rushed and anticlimactic to see her first sense her former master in the very next episode following her return. I felt having the pair play a cat and mouse game and narrowly miss each other once or twice before discovering each others' identities—as I portrayed here—would have made a good subplot for season two. That way, they could have had their duel as part of the third season. I've what I read on the TV Tropes site, and elsewhere, is accurate, it makes even less sense for Ahsoka to walk away from Rebels and back into obscurity yet again. If she's no longer appearing in the show, I foresee a number of Star Wars fans not watching it anymore for that reason alone.

Back on topic, I hope the ending of this story is powerful in that Vader was prepared to kill everyone—even Ahsoka's family if need be—to ensure her reported death wasn't proven to be a lie. Thankfully, our heroes remain oblivious to the fact they narrowly missed an encounter with the man that drove Ahsoka to flee to Earth in the first place, launching this series.

If some scenes in chapter three seemed familiar, it might be because I wrote a teaser version of them back in 2013 as the closing vignette in my story, Improbable Warmth. I had envisioned these scenes back then, and I'm glad to finally add the events that both lead up to and follow them. The storyteller's teller was inspired by the episode Darmok from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

For Sarah, this trip was very bittersweet. Although her kidnapping was an ordeal she would just as soon move past, her peers spreading false rumors also demoralized her. Sure, her past two trips to Shili were positive experiences, but life is never ideal. Life on Shili is no exception, as Sarah learned the hard way. It was only a matter of time before Sarah learned her Togruta peers can be as cruel as the negative people she's encountered on Earth. Thankfully, her decision to stay for the Ullumbana festival proved to be a good one. One can hope her life starts to take a more positive turn with her sixteenth birthday fast approaching and other key events to which she can look forward.

Although Ahsoka has no siblings in canon—at present, anyways—I liked the idea of a long lost sibling finding her. Just as Ahsoka has wondered how her former Jedi peers would accept her present life back in Unexpected Arrivals, she finds herself having to defend her entire family from her brother's misconceptions of other species. By the time they parted ways, I'd like to believe both have learned more about the balance between tradition and the past versus present-day realities.

Once again, I want to thank Queen for allowing me to use her Ullumbana festival—one she created as the combination of multiple Earth festivals that remember the dead. From the notes in her story, these include: Samhain, Dia de los Muertos, All Saints Day, Obon, and Setsubun. I chose to extend her idea into a multiple day festival with various activities, but I did my best to include the elements she introduced in her story—so much so I made a list to be sure I included all of what I thought were the compulsory items. I hope she approves as I would very much like to keep Ullumbana a part of my AU moving forward.

Tim's decision to renew his vows with Ahsoka on Shili was as much a chance to profess his love to her family and tribe as it was a chance to show his brother-in-law he was not the type of person the latter initially perceived him to be. For those curious, the song played after the ceremony was Burning Bright by Two Fires. The song later on that night is another Two Fires song, Relentless. For those that read Both Worlds, they may recognize it as one of the songs played in Chapter 18 from that story—a chapter where Tim and Ahsoka celebrate their anniversary.

With Da'Meon and his wife mindful of the challenges and dangers posed by their names, it's no surprise they don't want their daughter in a place or situation that could endanger any or all of them. The rite Shalene invokes is loosely based the Amish Rumspringa as shown on the 2004 TV show, Amish in the City. There, Amish people spent time living with non-Amish peers. One episode even had the group spend time with an Amish community so the non-Amish had a chance to experience Amish life. At the end, the Amish were to decide if they wished to commit fully to the Amish Church or to sever all ties and live in the outer world. I felt the idea could be extended to tribal Togruta, though I'd like to believe most tribes would welcome visits from their city-dwelling family if they wanted to return now and then so long as they left on good terms.

Shalene's visit to earth triggers a potential spin-off from this story. Originally, I was going to end this story with an epilogue where she returns home from her trip. However, that would definitely diminish the impact of the current ending, so I chose not to include it here. I haven't decided if I will write the spin-off on FFn, but Sarah's perspective on her cousin's visit will be included in her private journal entries.

Finally, thanks to everyone once again for their continued support.

END