Ahsoka, Daughter of the Light (Book 5): Rescue

Chapter 22: Raw, Unfiltered Fear

AHSOKA TANO-BONTERI

Everyone was just paralyzed right there on the spot, frozen there in fear. Such anger, such hate...

No, Ahsoka thought, it can't be...

The Purge Troopers had them surrounded at this point.

"We meet again at last," said Vader.

"Y-you..." Ahsoka managed to force out of her mouth. Tears dripped down her eyes, and she went into a defensive stance.

She stood zero chance against him alone, let alone with all the troopers he brought. Even three on one, they'd never beat him. Fighting just wasn't an option here.

She didn't know what to do. Her legs were trembling, her hands shaking. She was wondering if she'd even make it out of here alive. And in that moment, it certainly seemed she wouldn't.

"What do we do?" Lux asked as Vader and the troopers came ever closer.

"RUN!" Ahsoka yelled, igniting her lightsabers and running away from Vader, and towards a Purge Trooper unlucky enough to be in the path of a desperate Ahsoka Tano-Bonteri.

Before the trooper could react, Ahsoka sliced his weapon in half and impaled him. The rest of the troopers responded by opening fire.

Lux and Luminara ignited their lightsabers and went with her, deflecting as many blaster bolts as they could.

Ahsoka wondered why Vader himself wasn't trying anything.

They ran towards the fence to try and force-jump over it and out of the Hangar, but all of a sudden, a Dowutan female Inquisitor ignited her lightsaber and literally busted through the fence, catching them all by surprise.

Ahsoka and the others stopped dead in their tracks.

"Inquisitor!" Lux yelled.

Ahsoka heard more lightsabers ignite. Vader had brought more of his inquisitors to deal with her.

One of the other Inquisitors was a Miraluka male, and the other was...

Dear Force, Ahsoka thought, Why is it ALWAYS Barriss!?!?

"I'm looking forward to killing more of you Jedi trash," said the Dowutan Inquisitor.

Vader drew ever closer.

"You are hopelessly outnumbered," Vader said. "Surrender now and perhaps we will show you mercy."

"And become one of your Inquisitor lap dogs?" Ahsoka said. "Never."

"Then you stand no chance," Vader said.

Suddenly, the Dowutan charged at Ahsoka, who ran to the side to dodge the attack. She then ran at the Inquisitor herself, and tried striking at her, drawing whatever willpower she had to fight, despite her pregnancy.

After a few clashes of their blades, Ahsoka suddenly sensed Purge Troopers come up on her. She Force-Pushed the Dowutan away from her, and focused her attention on the Purge Troopers.

There were three of them, and Ahsoka cut one of their weapons in half and impaled him. But the second trooper managed to land a hit with his electrostaff, staggering Ahsoka.

"Gha!" Ahsoka said, as the electric shock startled her. That could not have been good for the baby.

But Ahsoka quickly recovered and used the force to push him back, and dodged another trooper, as well as the Inquisitor, who was now charging back at her.

As she fought, she caught glimpses of Lux fighting the Miraluka Inquisitor.

And Luminara?

She was fighting none other than her former Padawan.

FIRST SISTER (BARRISS OFFEE)

Barriss felt nothing but hatred as she easily blocked the blows of her former master.

She was a failure of a teacher, and at that point, she wanted nothing but for her to be dead.

While Luminara probably didn't know it was her behind that mask, it wouldn't matter. It would be so satisfying when she finished Luminara off.

"You can't win!" First Sister taunted. "You will die like the rest of your fallen Order!"

"What do you have to gain from being an Imperial lap dog!?" Luminara shouted back.

"Power, and revenge!" First Sister shouted, lashing out a blow at Luminara.

"And what will that gain you!?" Luminara replied, blocking the blow.

"Power is what is gained, not what gains you something else!" First Sister replied.

"Then you have already lost," Luminara said. "And what have I ever done to you?"

Quickly, Luminara managed to land a blow on First Sister, slicing off a portion of her mask.

She gasped when she saw who was under the mask. First Sister let out an evil smile.

"My failure is your own," First Sister said.

Taking advantage of Luminara's state of shock, First Sister quickly managed to overwhelm her.

Luminara's lightsaber slipped out of her hand after desperately trying to block First Sister's attacks.

Out of the corner of her eye, First Sister saw Ashoka turn towards them in horror, previously having been preoccupied with the other Inquisitors, Purge Troopers, and even a few blows from Lord Vader himself, who she always had to run away from..

But it was too late.

First Sister quickly stabbed Luminara straight through the stomach.

"NOOOOOOOOO!!!!" Yelled Ahsoka, force-pushing basically everyone away who was in her vicinity.

But what was done could not be undone. First Sister allowed herself to smile at the fact.

"Go," gasped a dying Luminara to Ahsoka and Lux. "Go..."

And then she fell silent.

And Lux and Ahsoka, weaving their way through Sith and blaster fire, managed to escape once more.