Chapter 128

AN: This chapter is long overdue. RL can do that. I do promise to do better. Please continue to read and review!

While some told Ari this promotion was long overdue, Ari found that responsibilities that came with the role were extensive. She found that she was helping train some more of the pilots who were relatively new to the Alliance, having joined when they were still known at Rebels. She did like being more involved when plans were made and discussed.

However, that was not all that changed. Taga had decided to stay with Ari and the young woman found the furry alien curled up next to her the following morning and all the mornings after that. It was nice and comforting to have the three of them in a room, though Ari did worry R4 might feel replaced. She talked to the droid though and R4 seemed relieved by this.

Only three days after her promotion, she returned to her room to find both R4 and Taga there, which was not odd, though it was interesting to see the two of them try to communicate on their own, since Taga found droids could not understand his way of speaking.

Taga hopped off of Ari's desk then climbed onto R4's head to be at least a bit closer to Ari's height. What is this? the small alien asked, and it was then that Ari saw he held something in his mouth. She took it from him and recognized the discs she had left on her desk. She had not forgotten about them, but there had been a lot of other things going on.

"This is one of the discs I got from a friend before she died." R4 made a sad beeping sound when Ari said this, probably a way for the droid to show mourning for the Jedi.

What do they say?

"Well, I have not viewed them yet," Ari admitted. "I have been busy." There had been a small celebration after her promotion, but after that, it had been time for all of them to get back to work. While the hours seemed long, Ari knew that they were all making a difference and helping rebuild the Republic.

You are not busy now.

"It is not always that easy," she sighed. "I am tired."

But won't you be tired a lot now?

"You are too smart for your own good at times," Ari laughed, petting Taga as she went to the desk to pick up the discs. "I guess I could look at each one in sections. I think there is going to be a lot. The other discs I was given were full of lessons, history and very amazing facts. It will help the Jedi rebuild."

Thinking about the Jedi made her think about Luke. She had not heard from him since their parting, though she had just learned that things were not going well at Bakura, though details were not available. However, she was almost certain there would be a battle. Her place was here, but she wished she could help that had gone to help the planet.

Taga tapped her arm with a furred paw. Put it in now he insisted.

"Are you bored and looking for fun?"

No, but they have been sitting there a long time and you haven't even looked at them.

"Okay, you win." Ari went over and put in the disc that Taga had been holding in his mouth. Siri appeared and Ari did not know whether she should smile or not. She realized that she would miss the older Jedi and wondered where Taylor was as well as wondering when they would meet again. She took the disc and put it into the small player that sat on top of her desk. Instead of seeing a holo, it was just a voice recording.

While Ari planned to watch only a section of the disc, but she didn't want to turn it off. It was a bit more personal, since Siri was telling her life story, using different anecdotes to explain the Jedi Order.

Ari reached the end of Siri's story and paused the disc where it was. There had been so much in just that part, what more could be shared on the others?

Is there more?

Taga's question surprised her, as she had almost forgotten the others were in the room. None of them had made any sound since the girl, the droid and the alien had all been listening to what the late Jedi had said.

"There is," Ari replied. "There is a lot more. There is one that is a bit more special, from what I was told. The one with the dot on it."

Why not listen to that?

"I guess I was just waiting."

For what?

"I don't know," Ari admitted as she got to her feet, going to the desk to find the disc. It looked like the others, so she was glad there was a way of telling it apart from the others.

She ejected the other disc before putting the other one in. This time, she saw a holo of Siri. She looked the way she had just days ago. "Ari. I made this disc for you earlier, but I know I won't be around much longer. So it is only right you have it now. I know you have many questions, ones I have not answered before. However, now is the time you should know. What follows might shock you, but it is the truth. You may share it with the Skywalkers, but it would be best to keep it a small group, until more time has passed. Until they are ready to accept their past and their future, which is something you will also have to do. May the Force be with You."

There was a paused before the holo changed. It was Siri again, looking a lot healthier than she had in the holo before that. "It is time you learn the truth about how things were before the Republic fell."

Clips of Coruscant then appeared and Ari was captivated. She knew that she would more than likely be going there soon, but she had yet gotten the chance to go. Luke had gone, but had not said much about it. It looked amazing.

Then there were clips of what could only be the Jedi Temple. There were many beings wandering hallways, dressed in robes like Ben had worn on Tatooine. However, his had looked worn, while these looked relatively new.

"This was the Temple before the Purge…shortly before the war even started," Siri's voice could be heard. "Things were much different then. In fact…"

Two holos appeared, one of a young woman and one of a young man, both were dressed in clothing similar to what the other Jedi had been wearing. "This is myself, Siri Tachi and Obi-Wan Kenobi around that time. We certain aged since then."

Ari was shocked. She would never have imagined that is how they looked. It was hard to imagine both of them being her age. She could still tell it was them. Peering a bit closer, she could see that their eyes were still the same.

"But then came the dark times. Geonosis was where the first battle took place and we lost hundreds of our Jedi comrades. Then we were spread so thin through the galaxy, we were limited in what we could do." As this was going, still holos from Geonosis flashed by, the aftermath of battle.

"I warn you that what you see next is not easy. I rescued these documents in hope that they might one day be shown so we can be assured this never happens again.

The first clip caused Ari to gasp. There were young children, no older than Jett had been, fighting against clones. However, the clones, who looked very much like stormtroopers, shot down the young children, one by one.

Then there was a holo of the halls, bodies of fallen Jedi lay over the entire ground. Some were young and some were old. How could anyone strike down young children like that?

Then she had her answer. A figure, mostly concealed in a dark cloth was killing Jedi as well, with a lightsaber. It looked practiced and confident. There was only one who she could imagine doing that. Yet, he did not look like Vader at all.

It wasn't until she felt Taga at her arm, offering her a small cloth tissue that she realized she had been crying. "Thank you, Taga."

It is sad, The alien answered, nudging Ari's hand to wipe her eyes.

Ari paused the disc, and then realize it was still showing the man who had started it all. Anakin Skywalker. No, she remembered. Anakin would not do this, but Darth Vader would. However, this was not the imposing figure in all black that she saw, but the man who had fallen.

"Please….R4, turn off the holo projector," she asked of him and the picture was gone, something she was thankful for. She had not known any of the Jedi, but it reminded her of how many had been lost. All those Jedi, all the Rebels she had befriended, only to lose them in battle. Now, more than ever she worried about Luke, Han, Leia and the others. She did not know if it was from the holo or not, but either way, it was not a fleeting feeling.

At that moment there was a buzzing sound and it took her a moment to realize it was coming from her comm. "Hello?" she answered, trying to hide the fact that she had been crying just moments before. Some people could tell that just by a person's voice.

"Ari? We need you at the bridge."

"What is it?" Ari asked, recognizing the voice as General Palson.

"We just received news from our forces at Bakura. They are under attack."