All Ashara could see was the evil yellow eyes that haunted her nightmares occasionally. She shook her head as she stared at Obi-Wan.
"No... you can't be telling the truth. You literally cut him in half! How can he be alive?!"
"I don't know. I am off to Raydonia to face him", Obi-Wan said. Ashara's frown deepened, and she looked at her friend.
"Alone?" she asked softly. Obi-Wan nodded. She winced, wishing she was brave enough to tell him she could go with him, but the mere thought of facing Darth Maul again. She felt like that same little girl, who was almost killed by him.
"Be safe, Obi-Wan", she said, worry filling her eyes. "May the force be with you."
"And with you", he gave the automatic response, before turning and leaving. Ashara found herself alone in the training room, and she found tears beginning to drip down her face as she remembered that one fateful day on Naboo, when she lost her very first friend since she was taken to Tatooine.
"Little one, you shouldn't be here."
"You can't heal me."
"I did it for my brother once, and I'll do it for you!"
"Are you okay, Ash?"
"Ashara, are you okay? Ashara!"
Ashara snapped out of her daze, and found herself sitting on the floor, hugging her legs. She looked up to see Rex, kneeling beside her, worry evident on his face. She didn't even question why he was there, she just leapt forward and hugged him.
"I couldn't heal him..." she choked on her own words, tears and mucus starting to run down her face. "Why couldn't I heal him?"
"Heal who?" Rex asked gently.
"Qui-Gon", she whispered. "I couldn't save him. I tried, but I was too weak."
Rex quickly realized what she was talking about. She had told him about this several months ago, and even though she had seemed to have moved past it, it was clear now that something had triggered that bad memory. Rex didn't know what, he just knew that his Jedi needed comforting.
"You were little, Ash", he whispered. "You didn't have any training. You did your best."
"But my best was not enough", she replied, her voice broken. "It's never been enough. I did my best to protect my squad, but they're all dead now. Sooner or later, my padawan will be dead, and I won't have been able to save him either. Everyone I care about will die sooner or later. It's just a fact of my life."
"That's not true", Rex said, pulling away and wiping her tears off her cheeks with his thumbs. "Your parents are still here. General Skywalker is still here. Commander Tano is still here." He paused, before adding on one more person who was still there. "I'm still here."
Ashara smiled the tiniest bit at Rex. She wanted so badly to kiss him right then and there, but she held back. The timing wasn't right. It was never right. She wasn't sure she would ever kiss him.
"Come on, you have a mission with Commander Tano", Rex said, changing the subject. "It'll help keep your mind off of him."
Ashara nodded, and stood, following Rex out of the training room. They went their separate ways, and Ashara went to go meet up with Ahsoka, who would inform her of the mission they were about to embark on.
YOU ARE READING
The Rise of the Valkyrie *ON HIATUS*
Fanfiction**ON HIATUS** Ashara Ki was your standard Jedi Knight. Well, as standard as she could from joining the order later than other younglings. But at least she had her best friend, Anakin Skywalker, with her. She faces many struggles, but Anakin was alwa...
