When Paths Collide

Chapter 1 - Alone

Ahsoka Tano

I can't believe that we're walking away from the only place I've ever called home as Alema and I make our way down the last of the Temple steps, heading out into the city. I don't know where we're going, not really, just away.

For an agonizing moment, all I want to do is run back to the steps, run back to our masters, but I don't. I force myself to keep walking forwards anyway. I can't go back to them, not now, even if the decision is crushing me. I can't go back to the Order, regardless of what I have to leave behind.

We have to figure this out on our own. Alema was... the one person I always thought would be at my side forever, and it looks like that's going to remain true even now that we're walking away from the Order. We only have each other now.

"Where are we going?" I ask, finally.

"I don't know," Alema says quietly. I can feel her anger, pain, and betrayal pouring into the Force, only magnifying my own.

Finally, we settle down beside each other a distance away. I don't look around because of how familiar this area is. It's still close to the Temple, and I don't want to look back. If I do, I'll remember who I left behind, and even if there's nothing I hate worse, I can't go back. I won't always be able to count on last-minute rescues, and I cannot believe in the Jedi any longer. I have another path out there – I have to believe I do – and I need to find it, somehow.

Even though I have absolutely no idea where or how to start. The reality is crushing me, and I want to take a few minutes to breathe, but... we don't have credits or enough to buy food, and while we could probably get by for a few days we need somewhere to stay and something to do and...

Oh, Force. I have no idea how to start living.

"We're alone," Alema whispers.

I make a quiet sound of agreement, staring almost blankly ahead at the people passing by, as though this is nothing but another typical day, because to them, it is. For me, it's the day everything I ever believed was completely shattered and broken beyond repair. "We don't have anywhere to go," I mumble.

I've never been completely on my own before. Even when we were captured by the Trandoshans and had no hope of getting rescued, at least we knew where we'd go once we escaped. Here... there's nothing. No direction, or anything.

We have to figure it out ourselves, and I have absolutely no idea what to do next. I've always called the Temple home. I've always had a purpose among the Jedi. Now both are gone.

"I had been thinking we could go to Padme and Jaufre's," Alema suggests shyly. "We'll be out of the Order's reach there, and we can still talk to the twins."

I wince, shaking my head. "They'll lead us right back to the Order. I want to start over somewhere far away, where I won't have to see the people who –" I choke on my words, unable to say what I wanted to. It hurts too deeply, and I can't believe they would do that. The Jedi are supposed to be selfless, caring. How could they have been willing to throw me out when it suited them?!

"We hardly have any credits," Alema points out, "It won't be enough to get us off-planet."

Off-planet... it's not what I'd considered, but I don't think it's a bad idea, either. "We won't be finding a job overnight. I don't even know how easy it would be, but we've got to qualify for something well-paying. We don't know anyone out here to stay with until we find someplace."

"We do, actually," Alema replies, "There's still Padme."

"I just said I don't want to go back there!"