Ahsoka, Daughter of the Light (Book 6): Hero

Chapter 29: Verla

VERLA

Verla looked up at the Quarren resistance fighters who were escorting in someone who seemed vaguely familiar, who was also holding a Quarren child and a Mon Calamari child..

"Why are you pointing at me?" she said. "Who is this?"

 After a few moments, she recognized her.

"You're Ahsoka Tano," she said, "You're the one who sent the message Barr showed me."

Ahsoka nodded slowly in reply.

"Indeed," Ahsoka spoke.

"Why are you here?" Verla then asked.

"I crossed paths with Ferren Barr when I heard reports of Force-sensitive children here on Mon Cala, hence, well... these two," she said, referring to the two children she was holding. "He told me you were here."

"I didn't think it would be this soon," Verla said. "He told me I could find a master after our paths diverged. He said that maybe you were alive. And... why exactly are you dealing with Force-Sensitive children, anyways? The Jedi Order is gone, and last I checked, the Imperials aren't looking for any babies to turn into their Inquisitor lap-dogs."

"We mustn't speak of these things out loud," Ahsoka said quietly, approaching Verla. "There could be a spy among us."

"Imps hot on your tail?" Verla asked.

"Maybe barring a few incidents, but everyone who has seen me is probably dead. Let's find a way off this planet."

Verla wondered just how many stormtroopers she had killed, or if they had just been gobbled up by some Leviathan before they could report their sightings.

"That won't be possible," Ressak said from behind them. "You're not going to get anywhere past orbit with Tarkin's blockade looming above us, and almost every ship has been impounded, destroyed, or lost to the oce-"

Suddenly, the entire cavern was shook.

"Oh, that Tarkin lunatic actually did it!" Tosserk yelled, as the Quarren fighters scrambled. "It's orbital bombardment! We're toast! LITERALLY!!"

"Oh no, what do we do!?" Verla yelled.

"Hope one of the blasts doesn't hit the top of the cave," Ahsoka replied.

There was more shaking as blasts from Star Destroyers hit the surface around them, and the sound of water spalshing and rocks crumbling would have been deafening, had they not been in a cave.

"That's not very reassuring!" Verla yelled.

Suddenly, there was a large and powerful rumble.

"I think we just ran out of luck," Ressak said.

The ceiling cracked.

"It's gonna come down!" Verla yelled.

"No." Ahsoka said, affirmingly.

What was she thinking!? They were all about to die! Clearly, the cave was about to collapse!

Yet, when the ceiling finally gave way, instead of the rocks crushing them all, they were all suspended in midair as Ahsoka looked as if she was holding them all up with nothing but her mind-something she had only ever see Barr do, but never to such an extent as this.

Then, with one quick motion and yell, she tossed all the rocks into the pool into the cave, which lead to the ocean outside.

Well, it used to. Now it was filled with rocks.

Amazingly, there was still a roof over their heads.

"It looks like only the lower part of the ceiling came loose," Ahsoka said. "It seems pretty sturdy, but the stuff that was just above us was loose enough to be dislodged by the impact. I'm wondering if that blast was even a direct hit. Let's just hope that doesn't happen again."

Ahsoka, while still very well composed, was clearly tired out by performing such a feat.

"How did you... how did you do that!?" Verla asked. "I've never seen such raw power!"

"In time, you will hopefully grow to accomplish the same things," Ahsoka said. "Come with me."

"To where?"

"We must not speak of that in front of all these resistance fighters."

Speaking of the fighters, Verla looked around and saw most of them were still either in awe or fear about what had just happened.

After what seemed like hours, the bombardment stopped.

They walked out of the cave, and towards the surface entrance. Hopefully the Quarren would be far behind them.

"I am rebuilding the Jedi Order, Verla," Ahsoka said, "And I want you to be a part of it."

"Really? But the Empire-"

"They won't find us where we are. Deep in the Unknown Regions, and through a hyperlane I only found out through the Force."

"Barr told me about the Force," Verla said. "He said it's an energy field that gives a Jedi his power. Is that what you used to stop the cave from crashing?"

"Of course," Ahsoka replied. "Though, I myself am still finding it... well, hard to explain how I did that."

"What do you mean?"

"Recently, I've found myself able to do things only the most skilled of Jedi Masters have been able to do, like that stunt back in the cave," Ahsoka said. "I... it's hard to explain, and it's part of a long story I should save for later. But for now, let's just focus on getting out of here."

The two of them emerged from the base, to see what appeared to be an Imperial Arial Landing Platform crashed at the foot of the spire.

"What is this thing?" Verla asked.

"Imperial Skybase," Ahsoka replied. "It looks like Tarkin's indiscriminate bombing got the better of some of his own forces, and then it just washed up or crashed here. Either way, it looks like there's lots of ships still inta-"

Ahsoka paused mid-sentance.

"What is it?" Verla asked.

"I don't believe it," Ahsoka said, "It's my ship!"

"What?" Verla asked.

Ahsoka pointed at a small fighter ship, which was clearly not Imperial in design.

"I'm not fitting on that thing," Verla said.

"You don't have to," Ahsoka asked. "Wait, can you fly an Imperial shuttle?"

Verla gave Ahsoka a bit of a mean look.

"Fine," Ahsoka said. "We can attach the fighter to the docking clamp of one of those Imperial shuttles on that platform. But sooner or later you're going to need to learn to fly a ship."

"I never said I didn't want to," Verla said. "It sounds like you're in a rush, why is that?

"I have someone waiting for me at home," Ahsoka said. "I've been here a tad bit too long. He's probably very eager to see me."