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Ahsoka Tano had sought after adventure ever since she learned what it meant. There was a feeling in her bones telling her that she was not meant to stay on Coruscant, the steel heart of the Republic, forever. And in the months since she had left the confines of the Jedi Temple to become Anakin Skywalker’s padawan, she had rarely returned home.
In the past, Ahsoka had always listened closely when Violet recounted trips around Naboo and across the stars. Back then, Violet’s journeys seemed vast; and even though it was forbidden, Ahsoka could not help but harbour a quiet jealousy for her best friend. But now Ahsoka had travelled as much as Violet, and it was her turn to share her stories with her best friend.
Ahsoka was undeniably grateful to be free from Coruscant. Like Violet, she had come from a planet of natural life, but Ahsoka had wanted to return ever since she had arrived — something lured her away from the centre of the galaxy to the far reaches beyond the Unknown Regions. It was an unquenchable urge which she could scarcely articulate into words. Ahsoka had little opinion on destiny, that a person’s fate was prewritten in the stars, but she knew that the Force had a plan for her — and she wanted to discover it.
Yet as delighted as she was to be away, Ahsoka missed Violet more every day. They had spent half of their lives either together or one Force vision apart. Already the war had dragged them apart, too far and too long. In the months they had been separated, Ahsoka had tried to reawaken their ability to see each other across space and time as five years had forced that secret to sleep. (But Ahsoka would not remember a lesson at the age of ten where the Jedi Masters preached the danger of attachments and Force powers that could drive a young Jedi to madness — but Ahsoka could recall the warning and knowledge that if she or Violet was killed on a mission, the other would not heal.)
Her loneliness was also inescapable. She spent her days surrounded by unflinchingly loyal soldiers and her Master who made every mission unpredictable and exciting. Serving the Republic and helping people made Ahsoka feel fulfilled, but she wanted to share her new experiences with Violet, and not through word of mouth. She wanted them to live side by side forever, even if the war made it seem impossible. Ahsoka knew very well that the Force worked in mysterious ways, and it seemed to agree with her that best friends could not be kept apart for long — so she knew there would be a deeper meaning when she arrived on Aphelion with Master Skywalker and Master Kenobi.
Until now, she had only seen Aphelion in her dreams with Violet. But standing on the planet herself for the first time felt different in the best way. She only wished she was there under better circumstances — especially now their negotiations with the Queen had ended with the second least desirable outcome. In the aftermath of the failed negotiations and after word had arrived that the Separatist invaders had abandoned the Apheli insurgents, Queen Ianthe had made swift arrangements for a party to invite herself into the Council of Neutral Systems, and as a demonstration of unity and strength against her rebels. The party would mark Ahsoka’s last night on Aphelion and she was more than happy to attend to make the most of her stay — especially when she discovered that Violet would also be attending.
