The ship shot out of hyperspace and made its way to the planet surface of Shili.
"We can land at the palace. The king of the planet is kind of a friend of mine," said Taran. Bruck brought the ship down on a trajectory towards the capital city. At that moment, they were hailed on the transmitter.
"Unknown shuttle, identify yourself," said the hologram of a Togruta guard.
"This is Taran Cyneran. I'm here to see King Areeja if his grace permits it," said Taran.
"One moment. Continue your current course," said the guardsman. The hologram shut off for a minute as the ship descended to the planet surface.
"Will he let us in?" said Zatt.
"Only one way to find out," said Tia. The hologram appeared a minute later.
"King Areeja sends his greetings and permits you to land at the palace dock," said the guardsman.
"Thank you," said Taran. The hologram cut off once again, this time for good. The ship made its way to the palace complex. Bruck piloted the ship towards a circular landing zone close to the palace. The sun was in its afternoon phase on the planet. A royal entourage was waiting for them, looking lie they were hastily sent out at the last minute. The shuttle doors opened and its occupants stepped out.
"Greetings Taran Cyneran and friends. King Areeja awaits you," said a man who appeared to be a councilman. Taran recognized him immediately, smiling warmly at the familiar Togruta.
"It's nice to meet you Jeral Ka," said Taran.
"It is good to meet you again as well," said Jeral Ka. "Come, the king is most eager to see you again."
"I'm looking forward to it," said Taran. They all made their way to the palace.
"So how exactly does he know the king of Shili," said Petro.
"About two years ago, Taran and Ahsoka helped saved the city from a Separatist invasion. They even saved the king's life from assassination," said Bruck.
"That's incredible," said Petro.
The group was led into the throne room, where the tall purple-skinned Togruta awaited them. When he saw Taran walked in, he smiled broadly.
"Taran," said the king. "It's been too long my friend."
"Sorry I haven't kept up with you your Grace," said Taran. "War and recent events have been...draining."
"Aw yes, the war drags on. It is understandable. You and your guests are welcome here for as long as you need," said Areeja. "But I ask, where is Ahsoka Tano?"
"I was hoping if you'd know. Ahsoka's been captured and we're trying to find any clues to where she is," said Taran. "Has she come to the planet recently?"
"If she did, I do not know," said Areeja.
Taran thought for a moment, pondering how he would know if Ahsoka came back to the planet. Suddenly, an idea came to his mind that he didn't think of before.
"Does she have any family on the planet?" said Taran.
"Personally, I do not know, but our Chairman of Records will be more than happy to help with your venture," said Areeja.
"Thank you," said Taran.
"No, it is I who should be thanking you. I wouldn't be here right now and my people in ruin if it weren't for you and Ahsoka. I will do all in my power to help find her," said Areeja.
Gungi happily bounced on his bed, feeling its soft and silky texture.
"I know, it feels so good," said Ganodi, rubbing her face against her bed. The younglings would get a six bed room while Tia, Bruck and Taran got a three bed room.
"Remember, it's only for the night," said Tia. The younglings nodded before they sank down into their beds. The teens left them to their own devices in the room and walked down the hallway for a private word.
"I'm going to go find out about any of Ahsoka's relatives," said Taran.
"You don't want us to go with you?" said Tia.
"It won't take long, and you guys need some rest," said Taran.
"You do too," said Bruck.
"I'll be fine," said Taran. "I'll let you two know when I'm coming back."
"Not to seem rude or anything, but why would you give us a heads up about when you're coming back?" said Bruck.
"Because I'm sure you and Tia would love some alone time," said Taran, grinning slyly. Tia immediately blushed as Bruck rubbed the back of his head.
"Seriously, I can feel the tension between you guys," said Taran, beginning to walk down the hall.
"Good luck Taran," said Bruck.
"You too," said Taran. He turned a corner and was gone.
"So what now?" said Bruck, turning to Tia.
"A back massage would be nice," said Tia, winking flirtatiously at him before she turned and walked down to their room, swaying her hips as she walked off. Bruck's eyes widened.
"I'd best make sure the kids are alright before this escalates," he thought.
"Let me see. Tano. Tano. Tano. Ah, here it is," said an attendant in the Ministry of Records. He pulled up a data file and illuminated on a holoprojector.
"Ahsoka Tano, born in 3634 ATC to a father, Diteeli Tano, and mother, Kura Tano, in the town of Ashakh before she was taken to the Jedi Temple. Her father unfortunately perished in a speeder accident after her birth, but her mother still lives in the town," said the attendant.
"Directions to it?" said Taran.
"Right here," said the attendant, handing Taran a hologram projector which showed the location of the town. "It's 100 clicks north of here in the Ka'tun province.
"Thank you very much," said Taran. Taran walked out of the records room and headed to the landing zone. Finding a speeder bike there, he started the engine and revved it to get the feel of its power and took off. He headed out of the city, making sure to slowly and responsibly go with the daily traffic of the city before he hit the grasslands outside the city. Once he hit the plains, he hit the speeder to full power and took off above the red and white turu-grass.
He rode the speeder for about an hour, checking the small projector every now and again to make sure he was going in the right direction.
Thoughts flashed across his mind as he rode through the grasslands.
"I'm meeting her mother for the first time. Does she know about me? About us?" he thought. He never remembered Ahsoka going off to visit her mother, or even coming back to Shili outside their previous mission. Did she find time when he was away on Elementia or a mission?
The town of Ashakh was situated inside a carved, earthen wall with four open "gates", which were nothing more than the only points of the wall not connected.
Taran decreased his speed as he approached, going through the nearest gate. He stopped by a building and parked the speeder there. A few of the village locals gazed at him with wonder, and also curiosity. Humans in this region were extremely rare, if even seen at all. What was a Human doing in these parts?
Taran climbed off the speeder and walked around.
"I don't even know what her mother even looks like. How do I know where to find her?" he thought. He passed by a group of kids playing with a ball, and they stopped to look at him, whispering to each other in Togruti. Taran came to what appeared to be a small shop of some kind. He went in, finding tools and other appliances hanging on the walls. A male Togruta was busily moving other tools around the shelf before he saw Taran.
"Hello," he said in Galactic Basic with the accent most Togruta possessed, "how may I help you?"
"I'm wondering if you know of a woman from this village. Her name is Kura Tano," said Taran.
"Kura? Is she in trouble?" said the Togruta.
"No no, nothing like that. I'm just here to talk to her. It's a peaceful visit," said Taran. At that the store clerk relaxed.
"She lives on the southern side of the village. Her house is near the walls. The family name is inscribed on top of her doorway," he said.
"Thank you," said Taran in Togruti, surprising the clerk. He left the store and made his way down to the southern end of the village. The light of the setting sun was in full swing, giving the village an eerie glow, yet also made it peaceful to look at.
Taran came to a small, square home, the name Tano engraved in Togruti symbols on the doorway. A wooden door Taran stepped up to the door and was about to knock, but stopped himself. Why was he so afraid to just knock on the door? Maybe he was hoping that when he met her mother, Ahsoka was right next to him to give him comfort and encouragement. He took a deep breath, summoned enough courage to act, and knocked on the door. Inside he heard some shuffling in the house. The door opened, but not all the way, enough to show her eyes and her outline, but nothing else.
"Who is it and what do you want?" she said
"Hello. My name is Taran Cyneran," said Taran. Taran could sense the woman's mood change and she opened the door and stepped out into the light so that Taran could see her. She looked a lot like Ahsoka, a gentle yet determined face, white pigmentation pattern that resembled Ahsoka's but was more wavy, fully grown montrals and lekku, and blue eyes.
Her blue eyes.
"You are Taran?" she asked. Taran nodded.
"Please, come inside," said Kura. She made way for Taran to come in as she turned on the lights in her house. Kura lead him to the living room, taking a seat on a chair.
"Please sit, we have a lot to talk about," said Kura. Taran sat on a chair opposite her.
"It's nice to finally meet you Taran. Ahsoka has told me a lot about you," said Kura.
"She was here?" said Taran.
"Yes. She came here after she told me she left the Order. She stayed here for a month before she left," said Kura.
"Did she say where she was going," said Taran.
"She said...something about going to Onderon," said Kura.
"Onderon?" said Taran. Kura nodded. Taran thought back. Onderon was the planet where Ahsoka helped in a rebellion to restore King Dendap to the throne. As he thought about it, he remembered that Lux Bonteri was from that planet.
"Lux," he thought. He personally liked Lux, having met once after the Death Watch incident. What he didn't like was finding out that he had kissed Ahsoka. Though he understood the circumstance, it still made him feel uneasy around Lux, especially when he could clearly tell he liked Ahsoka. It made him feel jealous, even though he wasn't a jealous person. But why would she have went there?
"Was that all she said?" said Taran.
"Yes. She left the next day," said Kura. "But it was good to finally see her again after all this time."
"That's good to know. It's sad to say I never really knew anything about you or her family until today," said Taran.
"She told me a lot about yours. Your parents must have been truly good people. If it weren't for them, Ahsoka wouldn't have found someone to give her so much happiness," said Kura, smiling as she remembered. "She would talk about you for hours. The stories she told me were mystifying."
"Hope it wasn't anything too bad," said Taran, embarrassed slight.
"Or private..."
"Oh no, she had nothing but good things to talk about you and her other friends, especially the ones called Anakin and Obi-Wan I believe," said Kura. Taran smiled warmly, remembering all the adventures they shared.
"You should know that she didn't take leaving lightly. There were some nights when she would lie on her bed, crying," said Kura.
"Crying?" said Taran.
"For you. For everyone. She missed you all immensely. I think leaving the Order was probably the hardest thing she ever did," said Kura. "Do you truly love her?"
Taran sat silently for a minute as those blue eyes seemed to peer into his soul, the same way Ahsoka's looked at him.
"More than I can say," said Taran. That answer made Kura smile warmly at him.
"She's very lucky to have you. From the moment I saw you, I could tell you're honest and kind," said Kura. "And also a little mischievous."
"You read me as easily as Ahsoka," said Taran, smiling broadly.
"Believe it or not, she got that quality from her father. He taught me how to find the physical and mental signs for behavior," said Kura. "He was a very good man. I just wish Ahsoka had a real chance to get to know him."
"I wish the same on my part," said Taran. They sat in silence for a few moments before she spoke again.
"You're not telling me something," said Kura. "I can see it clear as day on your face. What is wrong?" Taran had no idea what it was she was specifically talking about. Ahsoka? Or his dark secret? He decided it wasn't the latter, but the response he knew he had to give would crush her.
"It's about Ahsoka," said Taran. "She's been captured by the Separatists."
"No," said Kura, her eyes on the verge of tears. It nearly broke his heart to see her like this, even if he had just met her.
"I don't know how or when she was captured. A group of friends and I are looking for any clues to where she went so that we can find and save her," said Taran.
"You can't tell where she's at with your senses?" said Kura.
"I tried. It never shows her exact location, only that she's being held and tortured," said Taran.
"My poor little Ahsoka," said Kura, clasping her hands together as tears nearly spilled out of her eyes.
"We're going to find her Ms. Tano. I don't know how long it'll take, but we will find her. I promise you," said Taran, putting his hands on top of hers to console her.
"What will you do now?" said Kura.
"First, we're going to go to Onderon and find any sign of her there. That will give us to clues to maybe what happened to her or where she went afterwards," said Taran.
"How long are you staying here?" said Kura.
"If it were just me I would leave immediately, but my friends have been through a lot today and they need rest," said Taran. "They all volunteered to come with me to find Ahsoka."
"She has a good group of friends. Is there anyway I can help?" said Kura.
"I wish, but I don't want to endanger anymore lives on this mission," said Taran. "I can't already fathom how I would feel if anyone in our group was hurt, or worse."
"You care a lot about those around you," said Kura.
"Must be because of Raava, or it's just me," said Taran. "I would like to stay and learn more about you and Ahsoka's life here."
"You're more than welcome to," said Kura.
"It was great to meet you Ms. Tano," said Taran as he prepared to leave.
"And also you," said Kura. "You are more than welcome to come back anytime."
"I'll be back," said Taran, opening the door.
"Please find her," she said.
"I will," said Taran. Whether it was through faith or the determined look in his eyes, Kura Tano knew that through every obstacle, he would keep his promise no matter what.
Taran went back to his speeder, the night sky illuminated by the planet's six moons. Taran mounted back onto his bike and sped back off towards the city. He met the grasslands again, speeding above the red and white grasslands.
As he was fifty clicks outside of the capital, a large shape up ahead forced him to swerve to try and avoid it. The shape roared and swiped the speeder 's front, causing Taran to basically fly off the speeder from the force of the hit. He landed hard on the ground, tumbling in the ground for a second before he rolled to a stop. He shakily stood up, holding his bruised arm. The shape that had just wrecked his scooter bore down upon him, growling as it moved towards him. Taran could see it clearly now.
It had orange-red fur. On its hind legs it stood at 2.5 meters tall while on all fours stood at 2. It's large jaw held rows of sharp teeth and its claws look sharp enough to cut lines through steel. This was Shili's most-feared predator, the akul beast.
The beast charged full-force at Taran. Taran jumped up above it, its claws swiping for him as he jumped above and over it. He shot fire at the akul, the fire scorching its fur. The beast roared and charged at him again. Taran stood his ground, erecting a large stone wall that the beast ran into headlong. The hit didn't seem to phase it, barreling through it as if it were nothing but plastic, startling Taran as it swiped its claws at him. Taran narrowly dodged the swipe, unleashing a full blast of air into the beast's side to send it sprawling to the ground.
Taran activated his lightsaber as the beast sprung back onto its feet and charged at him. Taran waited for the right moment to dodge, and slashed a leg off of the akul. The akul howled in pain and slumped to the floor, trying desperately to get balance. Its cries echoed across the plain. Taran came forward and readied his lightsaber for the killing blow. His lightsaber stabbed down, a shrill cry exiting the creature's throat. Its eyes flashed to Taran as it looked into his eyes before they lost their glow and rolled into its skull.
Taran drew his lightsaber out of the beast's body and turned it off. He rubbed his arm and checked his body for other injuries. His shirt had a small slash on the front, and there was a cut there. A few droplets of blood had trickled out, but it was a very small wound. Taran knew it wasn't fatal. He placed his lightsaber back on his belt and took out his staff, extending it and flipping the switch to bring out the glider. He kicked off of the ground and was in the air, using his Airbending to glide through the sky.
While he flew, he called Bruck on his comlink.
"Bruck, I'll be there in about ten minutes," said Taran.
"Oh okay. Find anything?" said Bruck.
"Yes, another lead. I'll explain when I get there," said Taran. He heard shuffling and what sounded like Tia groaning in the background.
"We'll be good to go in five minutes," said Bruck. The comlink went off, Taran placing his hand back on the glider and zooming off towards the city.
He reached it in no time, swooping down to the palace complex and landing nimbly on his feet. Flicking the other switch, the glider folded back into a staff and collapsed down. Taran hooked it onto his belt and made his way back to the rooms. Since the rooms were on opposite sides of the hall, Taran went to the room he shared with Bruck and Tia. He knocked on it, though he had the key. Bruck answered, his clothes looking like they were hastily thrown on.
"So what's the word?" said Bruck.
"I met her mother. She told me she was here two months ago and then she went to Onderon," said Taran.
"Onderon? Why there?" said Bruck.
"Your guess is as good as mine. Either way, we'll leave in the morning," said Taran.
"Good," said Bruck.
"I'll go tell the younglings. By the looks of things, you and Tia need a few more minutes to straighten up," said Taran. He heard Tia groan from embarrassment in the room.