Lost in the Familiar

Chapter 9 - The Price It Costs

Author's Note: The Empire arrives. ;)

~ Amina Gila

"I wouldn't have expected to find Jedi hiding out here," Ahsoka remarks, as she and Anakin make their way across the scorched, sandy surface of Mustafar. Ahsoka hasn't been here for long. They're still adjusting to having her here.

"That was the point," Anakin replies. It's far from the kind of place Anakin wants to be living in, but he can still appreciate the hiding spot – Sith wouldn't look for Jedi on a Dark Side planet. Even if the darkness in the Force is driving him crazy, and he can't help thinking that if Jedi often hide in places like this when they're already so unbalanced, it's not hard to see how the darkness of the planet could start unbalancing them even further.

Lightning flashes in the sky far above, as they continue trekking across the surface. They're on a brief scouting mission at the outskirts of the Rebel camp. It's centered on slightly higher ground, with some actual life here – trees that are somehow able to survive the nearly inhospitable environment – even if, in the distance, the glowing rivers of lava still light up the area.

Even at this distance, it's still almost smotheringly hot and difficult to breathe. They should be getting back to the base soon.

"True," Ahsoka muses, crossing her arms, "But I'm not sure this is the best place."

"Why is that?" Something about the amusement she's radiating in the Force makes him less inclined to actually be worried about it, but – She was with the Empire. She ought to know if something about this place isn't good for hiding from the Sith.

"The Sith Witch of Mustafar," she replies, whispering conspiratorially. "When the night is dark and the lava bubbles, the Sith Witch of Mustafar arises to spread fear and troubles. First you hear an angry wail, then the woods shall shake, and a ghastly light will fill the swale."

Anakin blinks, entirely caught off-guard by the sheer ludicracy of it.

Yes. Definitely a fairy tale. Or horror story, actually.

... Right?

Legends often have some truth to them.

"What's a swale?"

Ahsoka shrugs. "I don't think we want to find out."

He almost agrees with that. Almost. "... It's Mustafar. When does the lava not bubble?"

She shrugs again. "Whenever the Sith Witch isn't near?"

Anakin laughs. He can't help it. This entire thing is bizarre, and unreasonably funny. "What, do they tell those stories to children at the Sith Temple?"

"Yeah," she replies, nearly laughing too.

"Well, the lava's bubbling right now. It must be near," he says, dryly.

She snorts. "We better run."

He's about to reply when he suddenly senses something off. And he doesn't think it has anything to do with this Sith Witch or the fact that the woods suddenly look a little ominous with rumors of a Sith ghost being on the loose there. It's something else. Something's wrong.

"We are... not alone." Something's coming, and he can't say what it is, but it feels very, very wrong.

"Don't tell me you're getting jittery. The woods aren't shaking yet."

"If the woods are shaking, that would mean we have to run faster. At least right now, there's still a chance to escape."

Ahsoka frowns suddenly, presumably picking up on the same thing Anakin is.