Chapter 81

AN: Thank you to everyone for your reviews.

Morning came too early for Ari. She found the blankets very inviting and she felt as if she could lie there all day, staying warm and feeling safe. However, she knew that was not a possibility. There was a lot of work to be done, and it would still be there even if she stayed in bed.

She sat up slowly and winced as she rolled her shoulders. Her injured arm felt stiff, but she knew that in a few hours it would be fine. After this, she turned to glance at Luke. While he had a slight frown on his face, he seemed to be sleeping well. At least, there were no sounds but his deep breathing. He also looked comfortable in the bed, blankets wrapped around him. He needed the rest, so Ari got ready silently, changing into a loose tunic and pants. She clipped her belt on and felt the comfortable weight of the lightsaber at her side.

She paused when she reached the door, looking back at Luke. For a moment, she saw the bed as being empty, but that was over in just a moment. She frowned, shaking her head slightly. She couldn't explain that feeling, but she was learning to trust these. She just hoped that it was nothing bad.

She slipped out of the door and started to walk to the cafeteria. The hallways were empty, and she felt lonely since no one else was with her. While she was not always around other Rebels, she had gotten used to R4's presence. The droid was currently being taken care of by technicians. R4 would recharge, receive an oil bath, and get the carbon scratching taken care of before returning to the room.

That brought Siri and Taylor to mind. Even after such a short time, Ari had missed those two. She did not even hesitate when she came to where the hallway divided. She continued to go straight, heading for the room Siri and Taylor shared. While it was still early, she was sure that the Jedi would most likely be awake, and if not, she was certain that they would not be too upset about being woken up.

When she got to the door, she knocked. She rolled from the balls of her feet onto her toes and then back onto her heels as she waited. While the Jedi had stressed patience, she was anxious to see them. She had to talk to them about everything that she and Luke and discussed last night.

There was no answer and Ari knocked again with a small frown. She usually would have heard at least some movement inside, but there was none. She reached out with the Force like she had been taught and could not sense that anyone was there.

Perplexed, she placed her hand over the door panel and it slid open. It seemed suspicious, though she knew that neither Siri nor Taylor would do anything that could harm her. In fact, they had tried not to touch her with their lightsabers, even if it was just to sting her.

The room was dark, no lights shining, and from one of the viewports, Ari could see the stars outside, shining brightly against the ink black sky. She wondered what stars she was looking at. Where there planets close to them? And if so, was there life on them? Did they know about the war between the Rebel Alliance and the Empire? At that moment, she felt very small, realizing that she was only seeing a very small section of the galaxy.

She shook herself out of that thought as she entered the apartment. Nothing seemed amiss, so she turned on the light of the main room as she glanced around. Nothing seemed out of place. "Siri?" she called. "Taylor?"

There was no answer and she started to wander through the quarters, even though it made her feel like an intruder.

First she looked in Siri's room. The bed was made and nothing was laying out on the nightstand. Going to the dresser in the room, Ari opened the doors and was dismayed to find them all empty.

She rushed from that room into Taylor's, only to find the same situation. The bed was made with Alliance regulation sheets and blankets, but none of Taylor's personal items were there. It was as if the Jedi had never been there.

Ari stared at the bed, feeling shocked. They were gone. They had left without even saying goodbye. The bed blurred in front of her as her eyes watered. She hastily wiped at the tears that were falling. True, she had not known them for a long time, but she felt a connection to them. She couldn't explain it, and now she might never be able to do so again.

Realizing there was nothing she could do, she started to the front door. She would have to ask around to see if anyone knew what had happened to the Jedi. One of the Generals might, or at least there would be a record of them leaving on one of the transports.

A tingling feeling came over her and Ari opened herself up to the feeling. It was as if something was telling her to turn around. She did so, scanning the main living room. At first, she did not see anything. Then her eyes caught a small item on the table. Curious, she crossed the room and picked it up.

The small holodisc looked like many others, but she had a feeling it had been left behind for a reason. She took it to the small communication console and put the disc in.

Almost immediately, an image of Siri appeared.

"Hello, Ari." Siri smiled, as if she could see the young woman's surprised look. "Yes, this disc was left for you. I know you are back, but I heard about things that happened in Cloud City. I know you probably have a lot of questions and, I can not answer them. Not now at least. As I record this, it is very late at night. I wish I could stay to help you continue with your Jedi training. However, there is a war, and in war, responsibilities and duties are the most important things."

Ari nodded at this, even though Siri could not see her. She understood all too well how important duties were and how often they conflicted with what she wanted.

"You have learned a lot though. You are a bright pupil and you have a good head on your shoulders. I know you might be upset that we left without saying goodbye, but our mission was unexpected. I knew you would come to find us, so I left this disc for you."

"Jedi think of everything," Ari murmured to herself, then was quiet as the image of Siri spoke again.

"Taylor and I will be in contact," the Jedi told her. "I am uncertain when, but I promise you will hear from us again. I know you will be busy as well." Siri smiled slightly, and Ari realized that she had not seen Siri smile very often.

Taylor appeared over Siri's shoulder. "Time to go," she whispered to Siri, though it was caught on the holo.

When Taylor left, Siri turned back where the recording device was. "May the Force be with you, Arianna." Then the screen went black, the message over.

Ari just sat there for a few moments staring at the blank screen. They were gone, and while she understood why, she knew she was still going to miss them. They were her only links to the Jedi.

"No," she whispered to herself. She knew at that moment that there had to be at least one more Jedi there. She did not know how she knew, but she did.

Taking the disc with her, she made her way to the door. Standing in the doorframe, she looked at the now empty quarters. "May the Force be with you too," she murmured, eyes glancing out at the viewpoint. Somewhere among the stars the Jedi and countless others were risking their lives so that the universe would be free.

With one last glance around the room, Ari turned off the light and as the door closed behind her. Siri was right. Things were going to be busy, and Ari planned on doing everything she possibly could to help the Rebellion. Shaking these thoughts from her head, she hurried back down the hall. It was time to start the day.