As it just so happened, Ahsoka was also closing her eyes, trying to meditate and draw from the Force.

Please, Master Plo, she thought quietly to herself, Tell me what to do.

Even as an adult, years after she had outgrown her title of Padawan, no matter where she was she always came back to her meditation and the first day when Master Plo instructed her on how to calm her mind. It was his words that were brought forth, his gentle guidance and advice that soothed her thoughts when she was feeling her most anxious or tumultuous. No matter how old she became or how distant she grew from the Jedi Order of the past, she would always carry those memories with her.

When she first found herself alone and isolated from every other Jedi she'd known, she tried reaching out to them using the Force. First, she called out to Anakin. Unable to reach him, she searched for Obi-Wan, finding nothing but an emptiness in the Force where she'd known him. Out of desperation, she started calling out to Master Plo, hoping for a response, but a part of her was forced to accept that he had probably perished. When several years went by and there was still no response from him or attempts to reach out to her through the Rebel Alliance, Ahsoka tearfully accepted that he was gone forever.

Now, she was desperate enough to try again.

She was interrupted from her thoughts as Obi-Wan stirred, woken up by his own grunts of pain and she quickly ran over to tend to him. "How are you feeling?" she asked, worried.

"I'm alright," he said in a worn-out voice, grimacing slightly as he rubbed an abrasion in his side. Ahsoka's eyes flickered over the roughly-patched wounds. She walked over and covered him up a bit more securely with the blanket. Obi-Wan smiled gratefully. Next to them, a familiar droid buzzed to life and flitted closer, resting on Obi-Wan's shoulder where she could fuss over him.

"Oh, dear," Obi-Wan said, looking up and gently petting LOLA. "It appears Leia sent a friend to accompany us," he smiled warmly.

Ahsoka tried her best to return his smile. LOLA immediately flew over and started vibrated excitedly near her ear. Her weak smile gradually changed into a small, genuine peal of laughter. Obi-Wan watched her closely, looking slightly relieved to see her in a brighter mood.

"Where are we currently?"

"I'm not sure," Ahsoka admitted. "I think we're somewhere in the Outer Rim. The navicomputer won't tell me anything though."

Obi-Wan frowned and peered out the transparisteel paneling of their small gunner. Then, he glanced at the ineffective navicomputer's screen. "Oh," he said softly, apprehension in his voice.

"Is it bad?" Ahsoka asked quietly.

After she detonated the explosion, everything else was a hazy blur fueled by adrenaline. She could faintly recall throwing herself at the Purge Troopers while generating a Force shield big enough to protect them from the blast, then scooping an unconscious and partially-disabled Obi-Wan out of his prison cell. Everything afterwards was too difficult to remember. She had been too focused on getting them out of there to really slow down and view their surroundings.

"Ahsoka, we didn't just reach the Outer Rim. We're not even in Wild Space. We passed beyond them a long time ago."

Ahsoka stared at him, her eyes widening as realization dawned on her.

"We're..."

"Yes, Ahsoka," Obi-Wan said gently. "We're in the Unknown Regions now."

"Grand Admiral," Palpatine's voice announced over the holoprojector. "I'm sure you need no reminder. But I want those Jedi eliminated. Tano and Kenobi must not come back, under any circumstance. Is this understood?"

"Yes, Your Highness," Thrawn replied, his voice soft and slow. From beside him, the other Chiss bowed her head slightly and looked away. Many were uncomfortable in the presence of the Emperor, even through the medium of a holoprojection, however Thrawn did not seem to show any signs of discomfort. "The Chimera will set its route for the edge of the Outer Rim. I believe that, in an attempt to evade pursuit, they have intentionally departed for the Unknown Regions."

"I hope your prediction is correct," Palpatine sneered. "Do you require any additional resources before undertaking this journey? A Void Guide, perhaps? Shall I inquire at the Navigators' Guild?"

"No, Your Highness," Thrawn replied politely. "The time it would require for a Pathfinder to travel from the Deep Core to the Outer Rim is far too long, and could jeopardize the success of this mission. We will depart as soon as possible."

Palpatine raised an eyebrow. "You are most confident that you will be able to navigate the Unknown Regions, then?"

"I was born there, Your Highness," Thrawn replied, bowing his head as he did so. "I only request that I may be allowed to keep my pilot, my partner and our daughter with me."

There was a pause. "I am not opposed. However, what purpose could they possibly serve?" Palpatine asked warily.

"As you know, familial bonds are particularly strong in Chiss culture," Thrawn replied evenly. "We believe that having them with us will bring us good fortune. Once we have created a bond with another, we rarely let go. The Empire will forever have our gratitude for allowing us this single request."

Palpatine narrowed his eyes. "I seem to recall you making a similar request many years ago, Grand Admiral," he said slowly. "Whatever became of the translator I granted you? What was his name...Vanto, I believe?"

Thrawn lowered his eyelids towards the ground and half-bowed. "I apologize, Your Highness," he said softly. "It has been many years since I last saw Commander Vanto. I sent him to the Chiss Ascendancy, hoping that he might serve as liaison on our behalf. Only...I fear I may have sent him to his death."

There was a brief pause. Palpatine watched Thrawn carefully. Thrawn kept his head bowed and eyes closed.

"You may keep them with you," he said slowly, "But do not fail me, or all will be taken away."

With that, he shut off the connection.

From beside Thrawn, Thalias finally looked up and spoke.

"Your acting is improving," she remarked. "I can't believe you actually convinced him."

Thrawn straightened up and turned over, making eye contact with her. "I merely listened to your advice and attempted to follow what you recommended me," he said slowly. "You told me that my lack of visible emotion betray an impression of insincerity. Therefore, I have resolved to make eye contact as little as possible."

"Ah, so that's why you were bowing to him so much," Thalias said snarkily. "I was wondering about that. Normally you do not defer so frequently to him."

Thrawn shrugged. "Acting or not," he said slowly, "He is our Emperor. It is in our best interest to defer."

Thalias raised an eyebrow. "So what is this made-up nonsense about a spouse and child? And why am I the last person to hear about this? I do not recall ever giving birth," she crossed her arms.

"My apologies," Thrawn bowed his head to her. "It is essential that the Emperor does not learn about the existence of our sky-walkers. I thought it most prudent for us to give him an alternate reason for you and the child's presence aboard the Chimera. It is not customary for the Empire to bring children into war."

"That may be so," Thalias replied. "Does this mean we have to pretend to be married, then?" She made a face at this. The idea was even less appealing to her than the time she was forced to wear makeup for an extended period in order to fool their enemy Yiv.

"The Emperor does not have interest in the Ascendancy, nor our customs," Thrawn replied tactfully. "As far as he knows, the Chiss have completely separate ideas of marriage from what the Empire would expect. We can persuade him that it is not traditional for spouses to show physical affection towards one another, if the idea of doing so brings you discomfort. The only caveat is that we must not allow him to believe that our loyalty to the Ascendancy could possibly cloud our judgments or our feelings towards the Empire."

"Understood," Thalias replied slowly.

Together, the two of them left the holoprojector room and walked towards the front of the ship, where they were greeted by their pilot. "Captain Che'ri," Thrawn announced. "Is the ship all clear to take off?"

"It will be in a few minutes!" the twenty-year old Chiss female replied enthusiastically. Thrawn nodded, pleased.

"Very good," he said. "Prepare for ascent into the Chaos."

Che'ri's eyes widened, although she quickly regained her composure and began to fiddle with the navicomputer. Still, her body betrayed a hint of trepidation. Although Thrawn was not as good at reading body language, Thalias could clearly sense her excitement. After all, it had been many, many years since they last visited the Chiss Ascendancy. It had been even more since the Chimera had been assigned to anywhere near the Unknown Regions. These days, most of the Empire's efforts were concentrated towards maintaining control of the Core Worlds and Inner Rim (although there were always underlying plans for expansion). Something about possibly returning home was particularly thrilling to both Chiss females, filling them at once with excitement and dread.

"The Chaos," Che'ri said incredulously. "Whatever sort of business would they have there? Is this some sort of foolhardy escape attempt?"

"Do they have a navigator with them?" Thalias asked curiously. "Should we contact the Navigators' Guild and warn them not to take on any new clients?"

"They do not," Thrawn replied. "And the Guild's oath of neutrality prevents them from agreeing to such a request. No, we need not worry. The Jedi are likely unaware of its existence, and therefore unlikely to seek them out."

"Then why would they choose such a dangerous escape route? They could get lost in the Chaos and never return," Che'ri remarked.

"That is true. However, I believe that after being cornered by the Empire, they would not choose to return to their home planets or the Rebel Bases. Neither of them are in possession of the prisoner," Thrawn said carefully, deliberately choosing not to say 'the girl.' "Therefore, they cannot have gone to Alderaan. The second most logical destination would be Tatooine, which borders on the outskirts of the Galaxy. But there is nothing there for them; now that Kenobi's cover has been unveiled, he can no longer return. It is possible that they might head for Wild Space, which is beyond most of the Empire's reach. But this would not completely eliminate the possibility of them being tracked down using conventional methods. Only in the Unknown Regions can they hope to escape, where no other Imperial ships would dare to follow them."

Thalias nodded silently.

"I will go alert the child," she said quietly, standing up and turning to leave.

"Tell her that we are searching for two Jedi," Thrawn prompted her. "She may be able to locate them based on their signatures in the Force."

Both Che'ri and Thalias frowned. As former sky-walkers, both had received unusually difficult or specific orders. However, this one was unprecedented.

"That is impossible," Thalias declared. "The child does not possess Second Sight, only Third."

"I believe it is possible for her," Thrawn replied. "I have seen it done once before while working with Lord Vader against the mind-controlling Grysks."

Che'ri shuddered and frowned. "Lord Vader? That old brute? Why would he be able to use the Third Sight? All he knows how to do is murder and sink ships."

"There are many things you may not know about him," Thrawn replied. "For example, his role during the Clone Wars."

"The Clone Wars?" Che'ri repeated. "I have never known of any surviving officer who served during the Clone Wars, except for..."

Her eyes widened with shock. Thrawn brought his finger to his lips silently, and she closed her mouth immediately.

"You would do well to keep that information to yourself," Thrawn said taciturnly. Thalias turned and looked between Thrawn's neutral expression and Che'ri's horrified face with confusion. "Thalias, please go wake up the sky-walker. I will not repeat myself again."

Raising an eyebrow, Thalias eyed him warily. "I will," she said reluctantly, "But do not push her beyond the limits of what she is capable of," she warned. "As her caretaker, I do not want to see her placed under unnecessary duress," she said crossly.

"I will not ask any more of her than what can realistically be accomplished," Thrawn assured her. Satisfied, Thalias turned and left.

Once she was gone, Che'ri sank into her chair, deep in thought. "General Skywalker," she said slowly. "I just can't imagine him and Vader as...you know..."

"That is information that only you and I can be privy to," Thrawn warned her. "Vader would have our heads if he were to learn that we are aware of this."

Che'ri covered her face in her hands and inhaled deeply. "I never sensed any Darkness in his energy when I first saw him," she said. "How could he become so...different?"

"That is not our business."

"But..."

Thrawn knelt beside her chair. "Our business is to accomplish whatever the Emperor desires. And, as the representation of the Empire's will, that also extends to what Vader desires," Thrawn reminded her. "I have already extended his goodwill by requesting to have a primarily Chiss-operated battleship. If the Emperor could have it as he pleased, none of us would be aboard this vessel, and at least two of his personally-selected watchdogs would be looking over our shoulders right now." Che'ri bit her lip uncomfortably. "Remember, all that we do is for the good of the Ascendancy."

"For the good," Che'ri said bitterly. "The greater good."

Thrawn nodded. "Indeed," he said. "I know how difficult it can be to remain focused," he said slowly, "But I do my best to remember it whenever possible. It is for this very same reason that I sent my friend Lieutenant Vanto into the Chaos so he could work with Admiral Ar'alani."

Che'ri nodded and took a deep breath, grounding herself.

"Now, is our ship ready to depart?" Thrawn asked again.

"Yes, Grand Admiral," Che'ri replied solemnly, hardening her voice.

"Good," Thrawn replied, standing up. "Then, let us begin."

As he began to walk away, Che'ri paused.

"Thrawn?" she asked, her voice suddenly quiet as if she was once again a ten-year-old sky-walker aboard the Springhawk. "Is it true that Admiral Ar'alani and your friend are dead?"

Thrawn paused and turned around to face her. Che'ri's lower lip quivered nervously. Thrawn looked down, bringing his hands together.

"No," he said softly.

Che'ri breathed out a sigh of relief.

"But it has been many years since I last saw either of them, and I am afraid that for their safety I cannot initiate any sort of contact. But rest assured, they will be fine."

Che'ri looked down at her hands. "That is good to hear," she said slowly, "I hope you will get to see your friend again, someday. I miss Admiral Ar'alani."

Thrawn nodded imperceptibly.

"So do I," he replied quietly.

"I can't send out any distress signals," Ahsoka frowned, still fiddling with the navicomputer. "Every time I try to, it just says...nothing," she muttered in a defeated tone. "And the controls still won't work."

"Best leave it for a while, dear," Obi-Wan replied calmly. "I don't think there is much we can do about it."

Neither of them said what they were both thinking, which was that if anyone could do the impossible and reprogram a navicomputer to work in the Unknowns, it was probably Anakin. He would have his hands all over it, fiddling with switches, digging out nuts and bolts with his bare hands and refusing to use the proper tools out of some strange mechanical integrity.

But Anakin wasn't here to help them. It felt strange, just the two of them lost in the Outer Reaches without their third counterpart. Except this time, Anakin wasn't wandering through space looking to recruit allies, fight alongside them or bring them home. It felt like a horrible, twisted version of one of their old adventures.

Ahsoka shuddered.

No, this time, it could either end one of two ways. Either they escaped and faded into obscurity, possibly dying of starvation or killed by the wild inhabitants of the Outer Territories.

Or, Vader could find them first, and kill them himself.

Ahsoka squeezed her eyes shut. Obi-Wan placed his hand on her shoulder, attempting to comfort her. When she looked at him, she noticed gray hairs and wrinkles along the creases of his eyes that she had never seen before. Time had worn down the strong, proud General Kenobi that she grew up under. The spark of hope had almost completely disappeared from his eyes.

"Everything will be alright, young one," Obi-Wan repeated. "Trust in the Force."

She hoped he was right.

"I tried to contact Master Plo," she whispered. Obi-Wan nodded, watching her attentively. It felt like she was a teenager again, coming to him to complain about an argument that she and Anakin had gotten into (which occurred rather frequently, although they usually made up by the end of the week). "I couldn't feel him. Is it possible that...he's become one with the Force?" she whispered frantically.

Obi-Wan breathed in. "Not necessarily," he said slowly. "It is possible that we cannot make contact with him due to the vastness of the Unknown Regions, much like how we cannot transmit a signal to any civilized planets right now."

"Have you ever heard from your Master?" Ahsoka asked desperately.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes. "No," he said mournfully. "I cannot say that I have."

Both of them fell into silence.

"Do we have a plan?" Obi-Wan asked, trying to get them back on track. Ahsoka shrugged. "What is it?"

"I told Reva to head for Alderaan," Ahsoka said bleakly.

"Good," Obi-Wan nodded slowly. "The sooner Leia can return to her father, the better."

Ahsoka looked down. "You said there was another child," she said slowly. Obi-Wan stiffened. "What about him? What if Vader discovers his existence, too?"

Obi-Wan shuddered. "He will not," he said firmly. "There is no reason for them to search for him on Tatooine. Now that I am gone, there is no reason for them to investigate a connection between the two of us. Unless..."

He paused, then his face turned pale white.

"Unless?" Ahsoka asked.

"There were...some Inquisitors who found me there," he said nervously. "I am not entirely sure what happened to them after my capture on Daiyu."

Ahsoka frowned, her body suddenly tense. "Is there...a possibility they could find him?"

"Possibly," Obi-Wan said slowly. "Or, they might have reported their findings to the Emperor..."

Ahsoka looked down.

"Hopefully, Reva heeded my warning and headed directly to Alderaan," she said. "But, on the off-chance that she did not..."

Obi-Wan looked up at her.

"The Inquisitors would capture her...and the Emperor would soon realize that Luke is Vader's son," he said slowly.

Ahsoka swallowed nervously, her throat uncomfortably constricted.

"We cannot allow that to happen," she said firmly. "It will not."

It was now her turn to be strong. Obi-Wan began to thumb at his beard nervously. Ahsoka stood up and made a sweep of their exterior. Suddenly, her montrals twitched as she sensed something entering their vicinity. From the sound of it, she could tell it was huge. Huge, and menacing.

"There is a ship approaching us," she declared.

Obi-Wan sat up abruptly, then stopped himself as a sharp twinge of pain shot through his injured legs. "Where is it?" he demanded.

Ahsoka screwed up her face, trying to sense the direction it was coming from using her montrals. "Behind us," she pointed.

Obi-Wan frowned, deep in thought. "Then it cannot be Imperial," he declared. "No Imperial ships would be out here in Outer Space."

"But the Empire is searching for us," Ahsoka protested. "Maybe they sent one of their warships after us."

"Impossible," he shook his head. "The Outer Rim is in the opposite direction. Whatever this is, it must already have been here by the time we arrived."

"Then," Ahsoka said slowly, "Is it possible they were...waiting for us?"

Both of them peered out of the transparisteel panels, watching closely. Their ship continued to drift forward uncertainly, and neither of them could make out anything. Sure enough, they spotted a small bright dot on the horizon entering their field of vision.

"I agree, I don't think this ship is Imperial," Ahsoka said. "But how can we know if they are friendly?"

"The ship we are in was Imperial," Obi-Wan pointed out. "They might be afraid of us once they recognize the Empire's insignia."

"No they won't," Ahsoka replied. "This is the same ship I used to tail Reva when she brought you to Mustafar. I asked her to bring it back from Fortress Inquisitorius so we could escape without having to modify it. If it was Imperial, I would have had to make far more modifications to it, plus they would have noticed me hacking the tracking system and disabled the system immediately."

"I see," Obi-Wan nodded, thankful for her foresight. "Then...we shall have to hope they are receptive to our presence."

Both of them watched silently as the small white dot grew brighter and brighter, until finally they could see the spacecraft clearly. Smaller than a Star Destroyer, but no less deadly; all along the sides, they could make out the glinting of lights and weaponry. Obi-Wan estimated enough explosives to take out a battalion or two alone. However, it also appeared to have seen better days. There was an enormous tear in the side of it, one that most warships would not have been able to survive.

"What is that?" Ahsoka asked, gasping.

"It looks like a Chiss warship," Obi-Wan said.

"How do you know what it looks like?" Ahsoka hissed.

Obi-Wan shrugged. "Anakin once left on a mission to seek out Padme," he replied simply. "He told me a little about his encounters along the way. This one seems to fit the description of the one he saw," he nodded at it.

"How come I was never told about this?"

"This was during your departure from the Order," Obi-Wan said softly. Ahsoka's face contorted as the painful memories came rushing back, and he immediately lowered his voice. "From what I heard, he crossed paths with a Chiss interested in learning about the Clone Wars. They were willing to strike up an alliance on account of his status as a Jedi General."

A chill ran down Ahsoka's spine. Both of them waited with bated breath as the larger ship descended from above upon them, the lights shining into their eyes and blinding them. All they could do was watch helplessly as it approached them.

"We could fight them," Ahsoka whispered.

Obi-Wan shook his head. "Where could we escape?" he asked sadly. "This is Unknown Territory."

Ahsoka breathed in shakily.

"I will not let them hurt you," Obi-Wan said, but even his words lacked conviction. "Whatever happens, we will go through it together, understood?"

Ahsoka nodded wordlessly. She reached out and subconsciously gripped the hem of his robe as if she was still a small Padawan. Obi-Wan placed his hand on her shoulder and both watched silently as the ship's tractor beam bore down upon them and the doors its hangar opened, swallowing them whole.

Soon, they heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Ahsoka and Obi-Wan stood still as the walls around them crumpled and their exit was blocked off by two figures. One wore the unmistakeable gray uniform of the Empire; the other, a Chiss female with deep blue skin and silky blue-black hair, wore a pure white uniform with a strange symbol made up of several intertwined circles pinned to the front. If not for the perilous nature of their situation, Ahsoka might have found her quite pretty.

"Hello," the Chiss female said, her tone cold and unreadable. Beside her, the human male wearing the Imperial uniform cocked his blaster as a subtle warning. Both Ahsoka and Obi-Wan slowly raised their hands in surrender. "Apologies for intercepting your vessel, but we needed to verify something. Are you affiliated with the Empire? Or are you allies of the Grysk Hegemony?"

Ahsoka eyed the human male warily and opened her mouth to speak, but Obi-Wan beat her to it first.

"Neither," he said, making direct eye contact with the Chiss. "We are Jedi of the former Galactic Republic. We defected from the Empire and escaped, but our ship stopped functioning."

Ahsoka's heart sank into her stomach and she whirled around, looking at Obi-Wan incredulously. Are you trying to sign our death warrant? she wanted to shout at him.

"Interesting," the Chiss female said slowly. "And what are your names, if I may ask?"

"Ben," Obi-Wan replied coolly.

There was a momentary silence, then Ahsoka realized they were waiting for her to also respond. "Ashla," she said instinctively, hoping she sounded convincing.

The Chiss female nodded, satisfied. "I see," she replied. "My name is Irizi'ar'alani. But most non-Chiss are unable to pronounce it in its entirety. So you may refer to me as Ar'alani."

Obi-Wan nodded respectfully, playing the part of the good and obedient prisoner. Ahsoka still felt uneasy.

The human male turned and looked at Ar'alani, lowering his blaster. "Admiral, I thought the Empire had already eliminated all Jedi," he frowned. His voice had an unusual drawl to it, one that reminded Ahsoka of the people she had met on planets located in the Wild Space regions. "How can there still be any survivors?"

"The rumor is not entirely true," Ar'alani replied. Her voice was like the rest of her; beautiful and alluring, but also entirely indiscernible. "There are still plenty who possess their Second and Third Sights. The Pathfinders at the Navigators' Guild, for example." Her red eyes raked over them and Ahsoka almost shuddered under the intensity of her gaze. "However, I must admit...it is quite unusual to find them here, where the Outer Rim meets the edge of Chaos," she narrowed her eyes at them. "Tell me, Officer Ben. Have either of you ever heard of a General by the name of Skywalker?"

Ahsoka immediately stiffened. Obi-Wan bowed his head.

"I was his Master during the Clone Wars," he said. "And this is his former Padawan. All of us served together until the collapse of the Galactic Republic."

"What a strange coincidence," Ar'alani replied. Ahsoka could not tell if she believed them or not. "Do you know what has become of him?"

"I'm afraid not," Obi-Wan replied, keeping his head bowed. Ahsoka watched him, and slowly she began to recognize the smallest traces of the legendary Negotiator returning to him. She also bowed her head, looking down at the ground so as not to let them see her reaction. "We believe he perished sometime before the rise of the Empire."

"How unfortunate," Ar'alani murmured. "I know someone who would have greatly liked to thank him for his assistance in obtaining a shield generator for the Chiss Ascendancy."

Ahsoka raised her head and made eye contact with the human male. He raised an eyebrow and pointed the blaster at her again. She looked back down and kept her head low.

"I assume you have not just intercepted our ship for the purpose of interviewing us," Obi-Wan remarked.

"That is correct," Ar'alani nodded. "We are actually in need of help. The Chiss Ascendancy has sent us out in search of allies to join the fight against our enemies, the Grysk Hegemony. However, we were ambushed along the way. Our Navigators are out of commission, and most of our personnel have been injured in a recent skirmish. At this rate, success is unlikely."

Ahsoka opened her eyes and looked over them curiously. Although both of them seemed to be unharmed, she did find it strange that they had not brought an entire squad to accompany them. It seemed that their forces were truly low in number.

"What is the Grysk Hegemony?" Obi-Wan asked curiously.

The human male snorted. Ar'alani turned to face him.

"Yes, Lieutenant Vanto?" she asked.

"They've never heard of them before," Vanto muttered. "Wish I could say the same."

Ar'alani turned back to look at them. "The Grysks are a long-time enemy of the Chiss," she explained calmly. "They are feared not only because of their ruthless battle tactics, but also their unusual ability to enslave the minds of those who oppose them. Us Chiss would rather die than live under their tyrannical rule...but it is becoming increasingly evident that we may no longer have a choice."

Obi-Wan nodded sympathetically. "I see," he said. "Your people are strong, but they lack manpower. The Grysks outnumber you in that respect. Is that correct?" Ar'alani nodded. "And that is why you came to seek us, to request our services."

"Indeed," Ar'alani replied. "If you can prove to us that you have not lied about your identity."

"With pleasure," Obi-Wan replied, reaching out and slowly rotating his wrist. Lieutenant Vanto gasped as the blaster was plucked out of his own fingers and landed smoothly in Obi-Wan's hand. Obi-Wan reached up and locked the safety back on with a satisfying click. "Will this be enough?" he asked, holding out the blaster to them.

Admiral Ar'alani bowed her head. "It will," she said.

Lieutenant Vanto raised an eyebrow and warily took his blaster back from Obi-Wan, who flashed him his most charming harmless old man smile.

"If I may be so bold, could I request some assistance?" Obi-Wan asked. "Unfortunately, I am still recovering from a recent injury."

"That will be no issue," Ar'alani replied. "Lieutenant Vanto, please assist Officer Ben."

Lieutenant Vanto frowned but complied, putting Obi-Wan's arm around his shoulders and lifting him off the ground. Obi-Wan allowed himself to be carried. Ahsoka followed after them, still keeping a cautious distance. Using the Force, she reached out and sent a message.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" She asked, hoping their Second Sight connection was still intact.

"It's our best hope," Obi-Wan replied. "You must understand that as Jedi, we are naturally on the Empire's bad side. However, here in the Outer Regions we are highly valued allies of the Chiss. I am positive that they will not turn us in so long as we are useful to them."

"What about Lieutenant Vanto?" Ahsoka hissed. "He's wearing the symbol of the Empire! What if he decides to turn us in?"

"He's under Admiral Ar'alani's command. Therefore, I do not think he can do anything unless she orders him to."

"But how do you know he won't try something behind her back?"

"You may have noticed his unusual accent, typical of inhabitants from Wild Space I believe. The Empire does not particularly take well to them, and so I doubt he feels much loyalty towards it. I also do not think he is actually under the command of the Empire anymore...to leave their ranks and join the Chiss Ascendancy is considered desertion. He is, I believe, a defector."

A defector was a lot easier for her to handle. A defector would be in equal danger if discovered by the Empire, and thus less likely to contact them. Perhaps Lieutenant Vanto was only wearing his old uniform as a ruse, just like how Obi-Wan had suggested that using a ship bearing the Imperial symbol could intimidate their enemies.

It was all a facade. Just like their new identities as Jedi refugees in Outer Space.

Ahsoka took a deep breath, reminding herself of Master Plo's advice.

Focus your mind, Ahsoka. Quiet the noise and concentrate on your inner self.

Everything felt so wrong. Racing against the Empire, fighting Vader for the right to his own children. And now, using Anakin's name to get into the good graces of a strange faction she had never heard of before...

"If I may ask," Obi-Wan piped up suddenly, "Who is the one that you spoke of, who wished to thank General Skywalker? Perhaps, if we were to meet with them, we could speak together about our shared memories of him."

"That would be my fellow Admiral, Mitth'raw'nuruodo," Ar'alani replied. "I'm afraid he is not with us, however. He was called for a mission far beyond the Chaos."

Ahsoka felt her heart stop in her throat.

She had a terrible, awful feeling about this...

"I see," Obi-Wan nodded. "It is a shame that we could not speak with him. Perhaps when he returns from his travels?"

"Yes," Admiral Ar'alani nodded, her expression unreadable. "Perhaps."