It's Perfect

Ahsoka boarded the heavy Transport, her montrals and lekku hidden under a cloak.
She was on her own now, the Council, and Jedi, were behind her now.
A wide eyed Rodian reached for a blaster at his hip and she instinctively reached her her lightsabers only to remember she had left them behind.
I'm a nobody now . . . She thought as she looked out over the glistening city planet of Coruscant.
"Now leaving for the Outer Rim." A voice blared over the speakers as the cargo doors closed out the galactic center with a metallic thud.

Where should she go? What would she do? She mingled with the other refugees, if she were a Jedi she could have helped these people have a better life, now she was one of them. A stranger in a strange place.
No free taxi rides, no perks, just an ordinary galactic citizen. She still had the Force.
She recognized a little Twil'ik boy who pointed to her, she smiled back, at least she had done some good in the galaxy before she left.
"You seem troubled." A voice said and she was snapped out of her thoughts.
The speaker was a young human boy about her age, sixteen, seventeen maybe.
"It's nothing." She replied back not making eye contact.
"What happened? Did you lose someone?" He inquired.
With a sigh she answered;
"You could say that."
The ship rumbled as the landing gears extended.
"We have arrived on Dantooine. Please exit to your left. Thank you." The same monotone voice announced.
"My name's Bessen, look me up." He said reaching into his pocket and handing the Togruta a small card.
"Um, thanks." Ahsoka replied stashing the card.
Soon Bessen was lost to the crowd that was herded off the giant ship. Ahsoka followed them rubbing shoulders with beings from every corner of the galaxy.

The city was small, a mining outpost, maybe, that looked like a ghost town in the making.
She watched as the great boarding ramp retracted and the ship hovered above the ground and then shot into the upper sky to ferry the next batch of refugees to a better life.

"Ahsoka? Is that you?" An all too familiar voice said from behind. She turned to see, of all people, Lux Bonteri, the rebel senator wading through the crowd towads her as if it was a thrashing sea.
"What are you doing here?" He asked through the bustle.
"I . . . I . . . " She stuttered awkwardly. She saw him read her bewildered expression and the pair moved to an isolated spot in the run down city. When the crowds were behind them she said;
"Lux, I, I left the Jedi."
"Why?" He asked truly concerned.
"I'd rather not talk about it, Lux."
Those eyes of his pleaded for an answer and she finally delivered;
"A close friend of mine attacked the Temple and framed me for it." She confessed.
"I'm sorry." Was all he said. It was all he could say.
Ahsoka cracked a small smile at his accent, she always found it cute.
"So what are you going to do now?" He asked.
"I don't know . . . " She trailed off stealing a glimpse at his thick, unkempt, dark brown hair.
After a moment of awkward silence Lux began;
"You helped restore order on Onderon. You're a hero. You're my hero."
Even now she still held her feelings deep inside her and kept a straight face, like the remark meant nothing.
She turned her back to him and tried to look busy.
"Well . . . If that's how you feel." He said turning and heading the other way, a sad note hung in his voice.

Her emotions screamed at her, pushing and pulling, in a million different directions. She was letting the love of her life just walk away. It was what the Jedi would have wanted, but, was it what she wanted?

“Lux, don’t leave.” She said turning and running to him with tear filled eyes.
“Lux, I’ve loved you since the day we meant, and I can’t imagine life without you.” She finally said. It felt like a bantha was lifted off her chest.
She clenched his hand tight.
“Lux, please, don’t leave. I need you.” She met his warm eyes, eyes that had seen courtrooms and battlefields and maintained their alluring glow.
She lowered her head onto his chest and listened to his heartbeat.
Ahsoka stayed there as long a possible not wanting to face whatever he may say.
Lux placed a warm hand on her back and held her there.
Their eyes met again and then it happened.
He planted a firm kiss on her lips leaving her dumbfounded for a second.
And then she kissed him back, this time with all the passion she had pent up for him over the years.
They emerged for a breath and Ahsoka remarked;
“That’s payback for on Carlac.”
“Do you really have to bring that up now?” Lux remarked sarcastically.
They held each other for awhile as Ahsoka felt waves of energy ripple around them along with something else. Love?
Finally they released and held each other’s hands.
“There’s boarding house on the outskirts of town. We could stay there, escape the war, just us.”
“That sounds wonderful.” She said beaming.
As she followed Lux she remembered Bessen’s card. She stopped and pulled it out to examine it for the first time.
It said;
Bessen’s Armory and Weapons: Headquarters on Dantooine.

“Is everything alright?” Lux asked looking back at the love of his life.
She met his eyes and said with confidence;
“It’s perfect.”

That Wasn't Nuna

Ahsoka sat in the Temple library consumed by silence as she watched the minutes tick by. Ever second of ever second a small eternity; the embodiment of utter boredom.
She looked at her wrist communicator. Who could she contact? Who would liberate her from this invisible prison?
The com beeped sounding louder then normal in the silence.
"This is Ahsoka Tano." She said into the device.
"Ahsoka, this is Barriss, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out with me. Maybe we could have dinner in the city."
Ahsoka replied;"Sure. I need to get out any way. Obi Wan was telling me of this really nice place. He says he knows someone who works there."
"What's it called?" The other Padawan asked.
"Ummm . . ." Ahsoka said trying to remember.
"Dex, yes, Dex's Diner, I'll send you the coordinates and meet you there." With that she closed the channel. Finally an escape.

The two Padawans arrived at Dex's Diner. Its interior a snapshot from a simpler time.
The pair found a booth seated themselves.
Both girls took in their vibrant surroundings. Unlike the rest of the city planet the Diner was cleaner and not perverted by modern advertising and what have you.
"What are you going to have." Barriss asked watching her own menu.
"I don't know. I wonder if their nuna is any good." Ahsoka answered.
"Why hello there Jedi." A bellowing voice said and both looked up. It was the Diner's owner and namesake Dex; a pot bellied, four armed, alien with a welcoming air that smelled of grease.
"You must be Skywalker's Padawan." He said giving Ahsoka a wide grin.
"Yes. That's me." Was all she was willing to say.
"It's an honor to have you here. Obi Wan has told me so much about you."
Both girls gave each other looks.
"That's great, umm, do you have anything new. Maybe exotic?" Barriss asked eager to change the subject.
"Of course, and since both of you have done so much for our Republic how about I prepare a special dish just for the two of you"
"Sure." Ahsoka answered while Barriss weighed the risks.
With a giant grin Dex left the two and headed for the kitchen to prepare their meal.
"What are you doing?" Barriss asked as she leaned over the table pondering her friend's logic.
"C'mon Barriss, lighten up, we deserve it."
Barriss sat back with mock satisfaction at her friend's answer.

There came an animal cry from the back followed abruptly by the sound of a blade contacting flesh. Barriss cringed and Ahsoka could sense her gag reflex.
The remaining minutes they waited were filled with the usual ambient noises and nothing extreme.
Dex emerged carrying two large steaming platters.
"Enjoy, my friends." Dex said leaving them to enjoy his creations.
The large platters smelled savory and was an assortment of steamed veggies and meat; maybe nuna meat.
Both girls eat.
"Not bad." Barriss remarked at the food quality.
"Told you." Ahsoka said back almost smirking through her filled cheeks.

"No. No; I need these as soon as possible. They're a huge hit." They heard Dex say to someone in the back.
"I don't care what it costs. I need this for the Jedi Special. It's . . ." Dex's voice was lost to the other noises.
Reaching out in the Force both girls strained to hear the rest;
"Who do you think you are. . . Butchered . . . Endangered and ruined lives." Was all they were able to decipher.
With their mouths full both girls looked each other in the eyes and then they looked to their plates. It wasn't nuna. And it wasn't nerf either. What was it?

Innocent Ideas

The sun's bright rays poured into the boy's room through the closed shades in slanted beams,
as he laded there on his bed and listened plaintively to the steady tick-tick of the old clock in the next room.
He looked around at the small treasures that he'd accumulated in his room. Well. They were treasures to him, but his mother preferred to think of it as junk. There was an assortment of plastic spaceships on his nightstand along with a few action figures. Among them was a space traveler who went by the name Buck Rogers.
Tick-tick. Went the clock.
He rubbed his palms together until the secreted sticky sweat. When will it be time? He asked himself.
To pass the time he pulled out his favorite flashlight and began to wave it about in no particular fashion, then he looked to the beams of light coming through his shades. What if . . .  He thought. What if my flashlight was a kind of sword that you could turn on and off? He thought, the idea was an intriguing one which caused a whole field of ideas to spring up in his mind. Along with a universe of questions. Questions he'd have to answer, if he wanted to.
He looked to Buck Rogers and thought; What if you were a wanted smuggler?
An abrupt pounding on his door suddenly pulled him out of his imagination followed by an all to familiar voice that said; "George honey. Your Father's here to take you to the races now. Get ready."
Finally! He thought and scurried to the closet.
"Be there in a minute Mom." He called back.

"Sir. Sir?" The man's voiced called. George opened his eyes to see the face of his young secretary. "Yes?" he said in a somewhat choked up voice stretching a little in the leather chair in his office. He looked out the wide window a moment to to see a sprawling city stretching out to the horizon, or so it seemed. He turned back to his secretary who said; "The contract has arrived, they'd like you to sign now." The young man pulled out a clipboard with several sheets of paper. Sitting up he took this, finally after briefly scrolling though the text full of First Party, Second Party agreements he found the blank line at the bottom of the page destined for his name.
The secretary reached for the ballpoint pen in his shirt pocket only to be stopped short.
"I've got this." The elder man ensured as he pulled out a ballpoint pen of his own and scribbled his first and last name onto the paper.
A much more elegant weapon, for a more civilized age. He thought as he added the final curve to the S followed by a period. He gave his name, his title, one last look before handing the clipboard back. "Thank you." The young man said as he marched out admiring the name of his superior. George Lucas. it read.
George couldn't help but smile as he watched the man leave the lavished room and thought, Much to learn you still have.

The Future that Never Was

The pungent smell of sulfur filled his nose; blood, sweat, tears, and pain stung his eyes; his mind became a jumble and he couldn't concentrate, he was angry, angry at everything. He looked up and saw the figure of Obi-Wan standing over him, then he realized he was laying on his stomach on a bed of hard volcanic rock.
He reached out, only to come to the realization that he had no arms or legs, only a  robotic hand.
"You were the Chosen One." The Jedi said to him, conviction filled his voice. "You were supposed to destroy the Sith, not join them." he continued; "You were my brother Anakin." With that he bent down and picked up his former comrade's lightsaber. Fire and rage consumed Anakin there as he cried out in agony.

Suddenly he breathed, and sat up. The scars from the fire were gone, it was just a dream. He stood and looked around. Birds sang their songs outside in the lush foliage. He was in a large room, a great window filtered in dazzling sunlight from the outside. Perplexed, he looked out it to see a large lake shining in the sun like a thousand finely polished diamonds, and lush green hills rose around the lake. Is this real? He asked himself; the answer like a shadow in his mind.
He placed his hands on the masonry of the window-sill, it seemed real enough.
"Honey, are you ok?" came the song of a voice behind him, he turned. It was Padm`e, and her face shone like a young star.
He embraced her, the events of his nightmare were still so real and fresh in his mind, he wanted to apologize to her; but her face said it was unneeded. Besides, what had he really done?

"The children are waiting for you." She said.
"Children?" He echoed.
"Yes, Luke and Leia. They're waiting for you. You promised to spend some time with them today."
"I--I did?" He said taken aback.
He placed a hand on his forehead.
"Are you alright?" she asked with a note of concern.
"I'm fine." was his reply.

With that he left the room, which was a bedroom. He came to a larger family-room. There, two small children, a boy and a girl, sat playing on the floor. Both looked about twelve years old.

"Aren't they beautiful." Padm`e said coming up behind him.
He turned and met her face once again, this was perfect, almost to perfect.

He looked again, the children seemed further away then before; maybe it way just his eyes. then he looked to his wife, she to seemed to be fading.
Suddenly his eyes burnt with fire, and a rage consumed him. The lakeside house, Padm`e, the children all vanished into total darkness. He was alone.

And then he remembered, remembered what he wanted to forget, Padm`e's agonized face as he assaulted her with the Force. Remembered the innocent younglings, who'd  never done anything to offend him, remembered the cries of all those he slew.
As quickly as it had begun there was suddenly silence. He breathed heavily, and then from all around him came a foreboding respiratory-assisted breathing.

Darth Vader awoke from his deep sleep and his arms and legs were numb as always. He sat there in the silence alone with his thoughts. What have I become?  He asked himself; the answer a shadow in his mind . . .

                                                          -THE END-

Like a Father

The sound of the ship's seasoned thrusters was a comforting sound, its steady drone filled the Jedi's cabin as he sat on his small bed, deep in thought.
The Kel-Dor 's thoughts dwelled not on his destination, nor the expendable lives of his troops, and their sacrifice to the war effort. Instead they lingered on her, the one he was proud to call daughter.
Ahsoka Tano, a strong young fourteen year old Togruta Padawan, had become the focal point of his thoughts whenever he was alone.
He'd seen her grow over the years, in both strength and beauty; true, whenever he saw her a father's pride would well inside of him.

He thought of her know, and her safety.
He closed his goggled eyes and let his mind drift back to their first meeting.

He was back in the fields of Shili, her home-world, he could smell the grass and feel the wind on his face. Then, a sudden awareness of another Force-sensitive, and finally the discovery of the little girl.

He smiled under his breath-mask at the thought of her innocent face.



I wonder if he's thinking about me know? She thought as she laid on the hard bed in the center of her small cubical, it had become a puerperal prison with her Master away in some distant part of the Galaxy.
Know she laid there and gazed lazily at the ceiling, imagining it was invisible she drifted deep into thought.
She drifted back to her first thoughts; and all she could see was Plo's face looking back at her. True, many a Jedi could not determine the Jedi's mood via expression; it being hidden beneath his breath mask and goggles. She, however, was one of the few who knew which expression he wore.
Know he was smiling, she smiled back, no one saw her, alone with her thoughts.
A sense of gratitude welled inside her chest; if not for Master Plo where might she be now? She shuddered at the thought.
Father, Papa, Daddy. She'd never called him that out loud but it was how she felt about him in her heart. "Come home Daddy, come home." she whispered to herself.

I love you. He'd never told that to his Little-soka, but he wanted to, it felt awkward, was that wrong? Still he contemplated; did she know how much he loved her? It bothered him; such words were uncommon in the Temple. He reached out to the Force.

Ahsoka closed her eyes and let her spirit drift away. And it traveled past stars and through a nebula until it came to a star-ship, she went inside.
She could see though all the walls.
Plo felt his daughter's presence on the ship, and it was sweet and comforting.

I miss you so much. Plo heard, as much as felt, her say to him; he replied; I miss you to. 
For a moment they could almost see each other's faces.
The door hissed open.

"Sir."  came the voice of a clone officer dressed in standard gray uniform, the connection was gone. The crewman continued; "We've emerged from hyperspace sir, you're wanted on the bridge."
with that Plo rose to his feet, Duty calls. He thought as he left the small room behind . . . .

                                                   -THE END-

A Forgotten Dream

His gaze fell on the empty void of deep space that lay beyond the ship's large view-screen, and he thought of all the uncharted star systems out there; he remembered his dream of wanting to visit them; all of them.

"My lord," Can the voice of a crewman next to him.

"We're prepared to jump to light-speed," And then he added;

"With your permission, sir." 

"Proceed." Darth Vader replied in his respiratory assisted baritone.

Vader left the ship's bridge with the words;

"I'll be in my quarters. Notify me when we've reached the Kessel System."

Encased in the solid black meditation chamber the Dark Lord had his sinister black mask removed, revealing his lava scarred face, he breathed the heavy gases that now filled his close chamber. He could not allow any of the crew to see him in such a weak state, it would defeat his image.
Seated, he closed his eyes, ignoring the pain the the movement caused. He let his mind drift back, back to the beginning.
He saw his mother's face, just as he had always remembered it. Why? Why did you have to die? He asked himself; and the answer was no clearer now, then it had been the day he had buried her in the harsh sands of Tattooine, his former home.
His soul still ached with the sorrow of her passing, it ached like the scars across his face.
Another face manifest itself to him, his former Master's, Obi-Wan Kenobi. The very thought of that name only surfaced images of betrayal on the fiery world of Mustafar.

That image slowly faded, and was replaced by dozens, if not thousands more. Younglings, Knights, Masters, all slain by his hand; the grief and sorrow flooded him, and he struggled for breath beneath its sudden surge.
His own Padawan's face appeared in his mind's eye. She was young, eager, book-smart, and ignorant when he'd first met her. And her soul was the only one he'd not freed from this Natural Realm; if she wasn't dead now then she would surely fall.

Why do you grieve, my love? Said the soft voice in his head, he knew it all to well.
"Padm`e," He whispered softly into the thick air. There was no response.
The image of his wife's face in death filled his mind, and banished all other images and tormenting voices.
My love for you extends even beyond death. He heard her say, his mind slowly began to calm as her voice whispered like a small breeze. For once the bitterness and hatred in his soul subsided.
Every second felt like a lifetime to him. He couldn't let this moment slip through his fingers.
Tears began to run down his cheek, their touch caused his skin to burn, but still he wept, wept for all those he'd killed.
He remembered that day when he'd brutally used the Force to choke her, the images relayed in his mind countless times, a testament to what he'd become.
I am a monster. He told himself, it seemed true enough.

A red notification light blinked on the arm of his chair. He pushed a button and he heard the helmsman's voice saying;
"We've arrived at the Kessel System, standing by."
Swallowing his grief and dispare he pressed a series of keys, and his great black mask was lowered over his face to once more confine it.
The sealed meditation chamber opened into two halves and the Dark Lord stepped out once more.
As he entered the ship's bridge he felt a strong Force presence on the planet hovering below.

                                                     --THE END--

A Moment in Time

A thousand thoughts flourished in her mind, was this really happening? Was she really here, now? The twelve members of the Jedi Council surrounded her in a wide circle in the Hall of Knighthood, their faces solom.
Behind her stood her oldest known friend; Plo Koon, the Kel Dor's face was unreadable beneath his breath-mask and goggles.
The chamber was dark, but the Force told her she was among good company, a sliver of fear and excitement shot through her like lightning. She looked to Master Yoda, who stood before her, his aged features seemed youthful in the dim light.

One-by-one each Jedi Master on the Council ignited their emerald or blue blades, their song became a choir of perfect harmony.
No one spoke, she knelt on one knee before the humble Grand Master Yoda, her eyes closed in respect. I did it, I'm finally here. She thought.
She listened with alert ears as Yoda recited the ancient passages for the ceremony; then she jumped a little as the little man's Shoto severed the two shell Padawan-Braids from atop her sprouting head-tails. Her emotions spiked as they fell to the floor.

She slowly rose and looked to the braids that now laid at her feet; she felt bitter sweet seeing them there. She'd anticipated this day for as long as she could comprehend, and know it was complete.
She gathered the braids and exited the chamber in total silence.

She stirred, something within her told her it was morning. She sat up and worked the stiffness out of her limbs, as did she felt her head-tails, the Padawan-Braids still there, as they had always been. She gave a disappointed sigh, her Knighting Ceremony had gone with the night.
I will be a Jedi Knight some day, I know I will. She told herself as she gathered her lightsaber and Shoto and clipped them to her belt. The door to her small cubical hissed open and she left to face the many challenges of being a Padawan . . .

                                                                  THE END

Final Request

Setting: In the wake of the events on Wasskah.

Prologue:

Reality was slowly slipping away from her. She gasped for air, and couldn't find enough of it.
She looked into her friend's face, that looked back at hers', the worry there evident. With the last of her failing strength she slipped a token to her comrade with the words;
"Take it,". In the short time the two had known each other, their friendship had blossomed, despite the crushing circumstances.
She lowered her head, and her spirit became on with the binding Force.



Ahsoka followed her Master into the hanger, as she walked she felt the Wookiee's gaze behind her.
"It's good to have you back, Ahsoka." Anakin said, she knew what he meant, a smile crossed her lips.
A delicate looking feminine Jedi arouched the pair from ahead.
"Kalifa, have you seen her? Is she safe?" She asked, the concern painted her features.
The pair stood silent for several minutes; finally Ahsoka said;
"She's gone. She was killed on Wasskah before the Wookiees rescued us."
The other Jedi's gaze fell, and silence overtook them. Ahsoka broke the quiet with;
"She . . . She gave me this before she died." The Togruta Padawan held out her palm, in it a small charm, carved from some exotic wood; and on it, carved with a rought knife, was the name Nava.
The token fell into the Jedi's hand,
"Thank you," She said, their eyes met for a brief moment, Anakin injected;
"C'mon Snips, let's get you cleaned up." and they walked on. A song of emotion welled in Ahsoka's chest as she watched Kalifa's Master embrace the last bit of her fallen Padawan . . .

Ghosts in the Night

A week after the events on Mortis

Silence filled the still air around her face. The only sounds, the sounds in her mind. She tossed on her side. The great Jedi Temple was as still as a tomb, its thick walls blocked the noise of the bustling city world outside.
Her thoughts these last few days had been a little chaotic, why, she didn't know.
You think I am gone? Came a sinister voice from the air next to her face, followed by what felt like warm rancor breath.
Ahsoka turned on her other side, the voice came again. I am still here. It said; the voice sounded like her own, only with a deranged ring in the tone.
Ahsoka shot up and looked around her small sparsely furnished cubical, nothing out of place was to be seen. She slowly laid back down, her heart racing; maybe it was just nerves.

She closed her eyes and slipped out of reality. When the fog in her mind cleared she saw her Master, Anakin. The same voice as before came again, this time it was in her head and all around her; it said; I may not have your body anymore, but I still have your mind.
A sense of dread creeped up on her; like a nexu stalking its prey. What was happening? Was she going insane? She pounded on the mental barriers, trying to escape back to reality, where she was safe. No use.

"Now, you are mine." Came the voice  followed by hot breath. She turned to see a corrupted and evil version of herself, with malice yellow eyes, and a vein covered face. The sight sent chills down her spine.
The thing attacked her like a frantic beast.

She shot up and looked around for a second time, as she did she breathed a heavy sigh, It was just a dream, she told herself, and laid back down.

                                                                      THE END

Shining Light

Setting: Sometime after the "Mortis Trilogy".


Air. She desperately needed air. She took in a deep breath, her lungs ached with an unimaginable pain that shot through her body like thousands on tiny needles. What had happened?
She couldn't concentrate, her limbs had no feeling in them, if she could she just might be able to use the Force to heal herself.
The world around her was becoming more and more blurred with each passing minute, she struggled to stay awake.
A warm hand was placed on her now cold shoulder; "It's ok Ahsoka. Everything is going to be ok." the masculine voice was saying to her, the words brought little comfort, she had reached the point of no return.
Ahsoka struggled to make eye contact with her Master, who was standing over her like a guardian angel. She tried to tell him she was fine, her lips struggled to form the words, all that came out was slurred together in an unorganized mess. No one understood her. If only I could say something to comfort him. She thought to herself. In her fading vision she saw two crystal tears run down his cheeks. Watching Anakin's face slowly fade away she barely noticed her own tear stained face. Don't cry, please don't cry. She thought as the face vanished entirely. "We have to get her into a bacta tank, now!" She heard someone say before the world went black


Her body suddenly felt light, lighter then it had in years. She felt as if she where on a swaying sea bond ship, rocking back and forth. She kept her eyes closed, the darkness beyond her eyelids was to great for her to confront. She couldn't tell if she was standing, or siting, or laying down, there seemed to be no ground.
There came a blinding white light that shone through her locked eyelids; she felt herself being sucked in; a voice in her head was saying; Wake up Child, wake up.
She opened her eyes, as she did the white light began to dissipate, but not vanish.
She was standing in a lush field surrounded on all sides by great peaks, all flush with greens and vibrant blues, it was utterly breath taking. She looked around, surely such a beautiful place could not be uninhabited. A thousand questions all filled her mind, she'd never seen this place in her short life, and yet she felt completely at home here, as if she'd been here all her life. The dying sense of lose and despair she'd felt when she saw Anakin's face fade had washed off her like a heavy garment, now she only felt love, peace, and joy.


A figure behind her. She turned around and saw a man wearing shining Jedi robes, with Wookiee colored hair that fell to his shoulders.
"W-who are you?" she stuttered.
"I am Qui-Gon Jinn." he answered calmly, and then added,
"And this is the Realm of the Force."


She stood there, eyes on Qui-Gon, frozen. Had she really died? Or was this just all an elaborate, dream and she was still in the sick bay with Anakin by her side?
"Your troubled Young One; I sense it in you."  Qui-Gon said to her ever so calmly, how many now dead Jedi had he welcomed into the Force, she wondered. 
"Y-yes," She said. There was no pretending here.
"Don't be," He said walking up to her and placing a fatherly hand on her warm shoulder.


Her Jedi senses, which she had strived to prefect in her lifetime, now preformed at their climax, she never felt so close to the Force before. And this truth was bitter sweet in her soul. If only Anakin could see this place. She though, she held back the tears. Jinn had her face him, and he placed both hands on her shoulders, like a father correcting his daughter. The wise Jedi said nothing, his warm gaze calmed the storm in Ahsoka's soul.
"Ahsoka? Is that you?" A small voice to the side called out.
Ahsoka turned to see a familiar looking young human girl run towards her. When she was close enough the Togruta called out with surprise; "Kalifa!" 
Both girls embraced one another, Ahsoka felt no blaster wounds on her friend's back as she was warmed by her friend's strong embrace. Their faces met. Kalifa; who Ahsoka remembered as being soiled and dirty from living in the bush, now stood before her with a cleaned face, the lone lock of hair that had once fallen out from the rest was now tucked in nicely with the others, where it belonged.
"I'm so glad to see you," Ahsoka said, struggling to hold back the tears, tears of joy.


She looked to Qui-Gon, something was wrong with the expression on his face.
"What is it?' she asked into the wind. She then met Kalifa's brown eyes.
"You can't stay here Ahsoka." The girl said; Ahsoka saw her freind's face grow solom once the words had left her mouth.
Ahsoka looked to Qui-Gon, her expression preplexed. The wise Jedi joined the girls, and faced Ahsoka.
He began; "Your Master needs you, Young One, you are not yet ready to become one with the Force as we are."
Ahsoka let her gaze fall to the ground, her emotions where so confused right now.
"But how can I continue living, knowing this place exists?" She said not making eye contact.
 Jinn lifted her chin and made her look into his eyes. And then he said;
"You will, Young One, you will."
Ahsoka sensed another presence and turned to see the shining figure of the Daughter, the very incarnation of the light side of the Force, approuch her. With Qui-Gon behind her, and Kalifa at her side, she felt like all of these were her family. And they truly were.
The Daughter, shining more then she remembered, waved two fingers over Ahsoka's eyes, and their lids closed. She felt a pair of warm hands on her cheeks as a soft whisper came to her. I am here. And I always will be. The voice was in front of her as much as it was in her head. As she felt the Realm of the Force melt away like a dream around her she engrained the image of Qui-Gon and Kalifa in her mind. The voice continued, this time even softer. I am not a Force. I am a Presence. It said, the words echoed on; I am a Presence. Until the one word remained; Presence. Suddenly there was feeling in her limbs.

Air shot into her lungs as she sat up, and she wiped the sweat from her brow. Her vision began to clear up.
"Ahsoka! Your alright!"
 A voice beside her said, and she was swept up in Anakin's embrace. She breathed again, the air tasted stail. There came a pungent taste that filled her nose and mouth, it was as much a smell as a taste. It was bacta.
"Don't ever scare me like that again Snips. Ever!"  He said, concern, and relief, filled his eyes.
"Master I--" She began, but couldn't finish.
the door hissed open and Obi-Wan entered the sick bay.
"Good to see you in one piece Ahsoka," He remarked in his optimistic voice.
"we thought those Trandoshan smugglers had scored a point for their goddess."
"Trandoshans?" Ahsoka echoed.
"Yes," continued Obi-Wan;
"Thanks to your valiant efforts, young one, their now getting what they diserve."
Ahsoka placed a weary hand on her forehead.
"Leave us Obi-Wan." Anakin said to the older Jedi. The door hissed shut as he left.

                                                                       THE END

Meeting

The flagship Devastator leisurely cruised though the emptiness of space like a great predator, searching for those who would resist the mighty Emperor. On her bridge the mighty Darth Vader stood. His dark figure demanded esteem or terror. Beneath the helmet he could hear his repertory assisted breathing. Darkness penetrated him, consumed him. Few were over him, he was in control. The dark lord gazed into the void of space, it would soon be his. The Rebel blockade-runner Fisto’s Fury moved through the swirling sphere of hyperspace. Its class 2 hyperdrive was considerably slow. In a small cubical onboard a Togruta Jedi, the last of her kind sat on the small cot in the corner of the small space. Everyone she had known was gone, dead at Vader’s hand. The lightsaber at her side was the only thing other then her robes that signified she belonged the ever dwindling Order. She stooped her head allowing her head-tails to fall slightly forward. They had grown radically since she last saw Anakin… Anakin. The though of her fallen Master worsened the already raw reality that bounty hunters were killing what Jedi survived. She herself had gone into hiding almost without more ado. She clenched a second lightsaber in her fist, it had belonged to someone vary close, killed by Vader so many years ago. She longed for the day when her fallen Master would see the light and tear down this oppressing emperor whose rule she was strained to hide from. The door slid open with a hiss. A human male stood in its frame, it was the captain. “We’ve found Devastator.”
He said to her. She rose and clipped the graceful weapon next to her own, then fallowed him to the bridge. The distinctive structure of a blockade-runner emerged from hyperspace directly in front of Devastator; the larger Imperial Class 1 star Destroyer dwarfed the smaller capital ship. Ahsoka stood on Fisto’s Fury’s bridge with the ships captain. She gazed at the behemoth ship, they were outgunned. She could sense her former master on the ship; he was there somewhere, burred beneath warped rage and pain.
“Move her forward, slowly captain.”
She said. The captain did so, trusting her guidance. The blockade-runner began to edge forward. This was too easy. Vader thought to himself. Captain Wermis appeared next to him. “Sir, their preparing to dock with us, should we open fire?” Vader disregarded the captain, and then finally answered him. “Give the order on my signal.” Vader said in a deep baritone. The dark haired man coward away from the dark lord, fearing he would summon the illusive Force to contract his throat again. Time passed at a snail's pace. Vader was about to give the order to annilalate the spirited blockade-runner and its crew when he detected another Force sensitive onboard the small craft. He knew her. Whey had she come to him? The dark lord stood there, he never gave the order to fire. The space between the two ships lessened. Ahsoka knew Anakin must have felt her in the Force; they had already passed the point of no return. Fisto’s Fury shuttered as she docked with the larger ship.
“Are you sure you can do this?”
He asked the Jedi with unease. Ahsoka took the hood of her cloak and threw it over her head. “Trust me.” She said from underneath the cowl. Onboard Devastator, stormtroopers sealed in battle armor with faces hidden away beneath helmets rushed to meet whoever might invade their ship. Lord Vader had given firm orders not to fire but to cover whoever boards Devastator; they were in no position to defy direct orders. Stormtroop
“I’ve come Master.”
She said, her voice must have moved him. Vader remained planted. His next words tor her apart.
“I’m not your master anymore, youngling.”
She bowed her head and threw back the hood.
“Look at me.”
She said. Vader hesitated then faced the young woman. It was not the wholehearted Padawan he had neglected so many years ago. She was in her early twenties now, with head-tails that fell to her mid-section, her facial appearance had changed little since her time in the Clone Wars. Her adult figure closely resembled an additional Togruta Jedi known as Shaak Ti. He turned away almost imminently. She knew when he was wrestling with something. There was nothing she could do for him. She once again buried her face beneath the cowl then turned to leave; before she did she said her final farewell. “I’m sorry Anakin.” With that she left Vader alone with his feelings, hopefully her actions weren’t in vein. She returned to the Fisto’s Fury felling as if she accomplished nothing. The blockade-runner separated and jumped to hyperspace once it could. Vader stood there. Whey had she come out of hiding just to try and speak to him, did she really care that much about him? He dismissed the sentiment and called for captain Wermis. The captain was next to him in a few minutes. “Yes, sir.” “Start tracking that blockade-runner, I want its name and number as soon as possible.” With that he left to fulfill the dark lords’ request, foolish girl. ers lined either side of the docking port, ready to meet whoever set foot inside the ship. Darkness lingered in the long stretch of hall. The airlock hissed open. A slender feminine figure wrapped in dark tan rodes, her face obscured beneath her cloaks cowl stepped from the blockade-runner. She walked down the stretch of hall, stormtroopers fallowing her with their blasters all the way. Vader stood on the bridge, facing the void of space. The door behind him hissed open. He didn’t move, he knew who it was. From beneath the cowl Ahsoka saw Anakin standing with his back to her. She was still his Padawan at heart.
                                                     

-Joshua Yoder-

Betrayal and Innocence

An eerie silence fell upon the magnificence of the Jedi Temple; Vader looked to the younglings that lay dead around him, slain at his hand, his fingers wrapped firmly around the cold metal of his lightsaber. For a moment he stood there in the quiet… grief and remorse found no place in his darkened heart, only the cold reassurance that his secret wife Padm`e would live because of his actions. He had become one with the dark side of the Force, though him the inheritance of the Jedi Order would live on for another millennia, maybe two.
Her voice came to him like a song; it soothed the monster of his spirit for a moment. “Master?”
She said in a gentle tone of voice. He closed his eyes a moment; he knew what must be done. “Leave, Ahsoka.”



an i

He said; his voice carried the frozen chill of Hoth. “Master,” she said with importance, “a killer is loose in the Temple we must— Master?” Shock flooded her as the former Jedi turned and faced her like a menacing shadow; a tall figure wrapped in absolute darkness. She looked to the lightsaber in his grasp, and then remembered her own. Their emerald lengths hummed into existence. Vader’s blade descended and Ahsoka parried the attack to the side. She swung her own blade at the Sith but it was glanced to the side with life of its own as Vader’s blade descended. Vader began pushing her back, trying to get her into a corner, that couldn’t happen, it wouldn’t. The Force surged through her veins as she let her Togruta predator instincts resolve her actions. Now she was using the Shien reverse grip, the very thing Anakin had worked so hard to break her of. Now he might really break her. Ahsoka took a number of steps back, her blade trained on Vader, her upper lip raised in the right corner, a sign of willpower. Their blades locked in a luminous show of blue and emerald radiance. Vader’s corrupted yellow orange eyes pierced Ahsoka’s soul like harpoons. At once she realized exactly what she was combating: She was fighting the dark side itself, manifest in her mentor. Oof! He said, it seemed almost as if he were gloating in his own power. “Surrender your lightsaber. Deny the Force. Through this I will let you live.”
“No, I can’t do that.” She confessed. She truthfully couldn’t. “Then die like a dog.”
Those words may have been uttered by Grievous; the cyborg general of the Droid Army. She recovered to her feet. Their blades clashed ounce again. Vader’s blade flashed over the young Jedi’s for-arm rendering the hand of no use on the floor. With her good hand she called the lightsaber back and the spar sustained. The Force circulated around them like currents of water. A heavy booted foot knocked the wind out of her chest causing her to loose her sense of balance; she hit the floor with a firm bump! “The darkside is too powerful to be challenged by such insignificance.” Vader raised a hand; the unseen Force threw Ahsoka into mmense column, pain shot through her body as she felt her ribs shatter. She fell to the floor unable to move, blood filled her mouth, it was over… Vader approached her. A black gloved hand wrapped itself around her throat and lifted the Padawan up so that her feet were floating above the ground. She looked into those hideous yellow orange eyes, her face the image of fear…Stillness…the only sounds at hand were Ahsoka’s desperate gasps for air; and the song of one lightsaber. She waited uneasily for the blade to pierce her heart. The stillness dragged on for somewhere close to a minute…nothing happened, was she already dead?
Unexpectedly the clasp on her gullet was released and she fell to the floor. She half sat half rested on her right elbow to see Vader turning to depart. The Sith stopped and semi-faced the one he’d spared. Their eyes locked; each carried a dissimilar message. Neither said anything. He turned and left the decimated Temple to regroup with his troopers. Was she really still breathing, and why? She sat there a while relishing the calm that now flooded her, she was fortunate. Whatever the future held she would never forget the warning she had seen in those eyes, which was: You can live…for now. 　
　
　                                            -Joshua Yoder-

Dark confrontation

 

The dark figure cautiously moved thought through the deserted part of the Galactic City, tall abandon droid factories surrounded him on all sides. His footsteps echoed in the eerie quite. The black robes made him one with the shadows. He moved like a large cat, stalking his prey, he knew the scent. Black hectic tattoos adorned his blood red face, which was crowned with protruding horns. His eyes searching for what his spirit could not sense. Eyes like flowing magma. The image of evil. A hand fell to the large lightsaber at his side, he would use it today.
 His face a blank mask. His body almost on instinct alone fell to the ground, nothing moved. Darth Maul rose and continued his hunt. His master, he knew were to find him; for he had stalked him like an animal since the hooded figure left the Senate Building. Once he accomplished this task the darkside would be his greatest allie; and no one, no Jedi could touch him. The one thing running though his mind: Kill Sidious, kill Sideous. 
The robed and hooded figure stood in his secret lair beneath the abandon industrial district known by most as The Works. He knew what to expect. His eyes closed as he focused all his dark energy. He could sense the ripples in the Force as his apprentice drew closer, closer to death. Maul found the cleverly concealed secret entrance; a massive sealed airlock; hidden in plain sight. His lightsaber sprouted a blood red length that out shone all glowrods; it cast terrible shadows on his horrible face, and caused his eyes to almost shine. The extent was driven into the airlock. 


Molten metal bordered the blade as it sparks flew, a flawless circle emerged. Maul raised his fingers; the unseen Force sent the wide circle of useless metal flying like a cannonball into the far wall were its echo rumbled down the hall, a clanging metallic noise equal to an explosion. Sideous heard Maul’s brash entrance and remained planted, a small lightsaber hidden under his cloak ready for use. Maul looked into the newly formed entrance that leads into dead darkness. He entered, more then ready. His saber glowed and sang as he marched with unstoppable determination, fallowing the ripples in the Force. A deadly red glowing grew ever closer accompanied by a lightsaber’s song. He was ready. Maul saw the hooded figure standing there in the shadows like a statue with his back to him. He stood in the corridor with unwavering attention. “You’ve come; my apprentice.” Sideous said in his sinister tone. His fingers wrapped around the cold metal of a lightsaber. Maul said nothing; his eyes could have melted any man. They peered into Sideous like x-rays. The opposite end of his lightsaber sprouted yet another radiant length; it twirled in his deadly fingers singing an iridescent tune. Sidious’s own red length sang into existence as he faced his apprentice. A twisted battle cry broke his lips as his blade descended singing a mournful tune. The Zabrak parried with a deadly twirl of his dual blades; both sang the same tune. Maul had the advantage; his twin blades kept his opponent at a safe distance. Their blades clashed, seeming a chaotic mass of determination on either side. But the beauty lay in the invisible Force. The fight progressed! Nether submitted to the other. Suddenly! Sideous’s blade descended and the twin bladed lightsaber became two separate ones. In the blink on an eye Sideous had his apprentice by the gullet with his feet suspended above the ground. For a moment the Sith apprentice appeared powerless, weak, and helpless. “You are no longer of any use to me.” Sideous said so coolly that Maul felt his blood run cold. Sideous’s lightsaber was still humming its tune. The radiant length ran through the Zabrak’s heart and emerged out the backside almost to the hilt then was deactivated. The dead weight was dropped uselessly to the floor. The hooded figure looked to the body. He’d foreseen this through the Force. Now he would have to find a new apprentice so that the Sith Order may live on through the Rule of Two. He would find another one, even more powerful then this one at his feet… THE END

                                                              -Joshua Yoder-

Sons of Tattooine

Rain. It was something the sun baked rock called Tattooine saw little if any of. On this night it fell from the heavens in buckets on the sandy ground that so desperately needed it. A young boy emerged from his dome shaped adobe homestead and gazed out at the vast empty plain of featureless sand. A flash of lightning broke the sky overhead. He began to walk into the vast desert that he had come to call home. The cries of the deadly Tusken Raiders rose from the sand from everywhere and nowhere at once. The rain poured down and soaked his sandy hair and clothes; this was the first rainstorm he'd experienced and it would probably be his last too. The boy walked further and further, mystified by the Tusken's animal like calls.

Suddenly there came an animal cry only a few meters away from him. He turned three hundred and sixty degrees before he realized that he was lost. Suddenly frightened he ran; he had no idea which way home was but he still ran.


Three Tusken Raiders rose from the ground like the essence of the sand and surrounded the helpless boy. All carried deadly gaffi sticks. In the pouring rain the Sand People resemble horrible undead mummies with their wrapped faces and hands. The boy fell backwards at the sight of them and landed in a fresh puddle of mud that soaked his desert tunic. Lightning broke the sky behind the Tuskens further adding to their sinister look. More surrounded him; they seemed to have come from nowhere, but yet somewhere. One of the Tuskens raised his gaffi stick above his head and prepared to split the boy's head. The young man seeing it was the end shut his eyes tight.


The otherworlders had plagued the Tuskens for to long now, they would exterminate the last of them. This boy's death would be a message to any others who dared tread on Tusken land again. The Tusken warrior smiled from beneath his wrappings as he looked upon the boy set to die.


There came the sound of a lightsaber igniting fallowed by Tusken grunts, not the signaling type, but the type given by a dying animal. The boy opened his eyes to see what he took for a Jedi Knight. He was young, maybe in his early twenties. His blue bladed lightsaber sliced through the raiders with unrivaled ease. An enraged Tusken rushed in behind the boy, determined on finishing the job. The stick was raised in hostility. Before he could make another move the Jedi's blade had pierced his heart and he fell lifeless before the boy. In total seven Tuskens now laid dead around the boy. He stood up and met the Jedi's reckless eyes.


Biggs Darklighter had only heard stories of the Jedi whom isolated themselves from the galaxy in their Temple on the bustling city world of Coruscant. This one was different from the others. In that he wore a black synth-leather jerkin instead of the usual coarse Jedi robes. Lightning broke the sky behind the Jedi.


Anakin looked into the eyes of the boy whom he'd just saved from the raiders. He saw himself there still a slave on the harsh world. That life was behind him know. He was a Jedi know. The lightsaber was deactivated. Anakin turned and walked away, his work here was done. When he was several meters away he heard the boy call out, "W-wait. W-who are you?" He didn't answer, he didn't need to and kept walking.

                                                                     -Joshua Yoder-