The Unchronicled Adventures Of Ahsoka Tano, Book Ten

Chapter Ten: Assuming Command

LUX BONTERI

Brother and sister walked on in silence for a while as Janira absorbed what was new about the New Jedi Temple and what wasn't, and Lux did the same, examined everything around him with a fresh perspective.

The Temple hadn't changed much in the past few years – construction had long since been completed, and it was still too new to need serious repairs –, but the faces of its residents did. However, ever year, it seemed like there were fewer new younglings that joined their ranks.

The New Jedi did their best to find new Force-sensitive children to train, but most of the names of those in the Jedi holocrons were outdated, having been added to for the last time in the waning years of the Clone War. The New Jedi just didn't have the means to locate the children and bring them to safety.

However much people tried to avoid saying it aloud, no one could deny that the New Jedi Order was an aging population.

But thanks to the amendments made to the old rules against attachment, hope remained: babies were still being born within the Temple to Jedi parents.

As if the Force was echoing his thoughts, Lux suddenly sensed the familiar presence of an old friend of his, and of the new life that dwelt within her.

He smiled as he and Jani rounded the corner, catching sight of Amni Chelsu and her husband, Christopherus Kruger. Aeja, the twins and Anakin were dodging and weaving around them, engaged in a fierce make-believe battle.

Amni picked up the pace a little when she spotted Janira, her lekku bobbing behind her. The two women embraced, but it wasn't long before Jani pulled away, her eyes wide. "Amni, you're pregnant?"

The Twi'lek woman nodded. "Three months," she said. "It's been so long since I've seen you. How have you been, Janira?"

As Janira repeated the news that she had shared with him earlier, Lux turned towards Christo. He had to look up to meet the man's gaze, but that wasn't anything new. At seven foot three, Christo dwarfed everyone, including his wife, even while she stood at just over six foot in her bare feet.

"How's she doing?" he asked. "And tell me honestly."

"She's..." Christo crossed his arms over his broad chest, blowing a piece of his snowy white hair out of his eyes. "You know how she is. Amni pretends like nothing is wrong, but she's more worried than I've ever seen her that she'll miscarry again."

"The baby is strong," Lux said, reaching up to put a hand on the significantly taller man's shoulder. "He or she will make it this time; I know it. And just imagine how crazy the kids are going to go when they find out they'll be getting a cousin!"

A small smile appeared on Christo's lips. "Yeah," he said, his eyes slightly unfocused as if already picturing a half-Twi'lek, half-Human child running alongside the four Togruta-Human hybrids.

"With how well you and Amni look after them when Ahsoka and I can't be here," Lux said, pointing towards the group, "I know you're going to be great parents. Amni just needs to take it easy, and you–"

Suddenly, the shrill wailing of the Temple-wide alarm system cut through the air. Lux whipped out his communicator, immediately raising it to his mouth and pushing the button. "Semm, please tell me this is a training drill."

"I wish it were. Two enemy ships are coming at us from the west," came the Cerean's reply. "TIE Advanced v1-class."

Lux cursed under his breath, knowing full well that not one but two of the highly sought-after starfighters, which were bestowed only to the Empire's top operatives, could only really mean one thing: Inquisitors.