The Unchronicled Adventures Of Ahsoka Tano, Book Ten

Chapter Twenty-Five: You Have To Trust Me

AHSOKA TANO

Ahsoka's feet pounded a steady rhythm into the rocky, dry earth that the enormous colorful plants seemed to somehow thrive off of. Lux was a few steps behind her, and, to his credit, keeping pace with her despite her species' natural strength in endurance running.

But if the trio of vulture droids tearing up the jungle behind them wasn't motivation enough to keep running, then Ahsoka didn't know what was.

"Gods of Cold Space, why did all the vulture droids have to come after us?"

"Would you rather they–" Ahsoka paused to take a breath, "Would you rather they went after your sister and Kaya Ti?"

"Oh, Jani's ruthless. She would smash them to bits before they could so much as turn their guns on her." Lux pointed at a pass that cut through a ridge not far ahead. "That was the way we came. I recognize that boulder. We're almost there!"

"Okay!" Ahsoka turned back, her twin white lightsabers moving in tandem to deflect the droids' blaster fire. "Hurry up and get through; they're gaining on us!"

Suddenly, there was a splutter of the droid's engines as one of them suddenly smashed into one of the vividly patterned trees clinging to the side of the cliff that she could have sworn hadn't been there before. Her redirected shots finally found their mark, and the second one went down.

Ahsoka tore down the narrow pass, knowing full well it was only a matter of time before the droid's internal computer realized where they had gone and flew over the mountain ridge. But a few moments later, she nearly crashed right into Lux, who was staring off into the abyss.

"I think we took a wrong turn," Ahsoka said.

"No, this is the same way we took. Look. The path continues on the other side." Lux growled angrily. "The droids must have collapsed the path!"

Ahsoka craned her neck, searching for another path further up. But she soon found something better. "Well, there's a way around that," she said with a smile.

She took one of the sturdy vines dangling from a tree higher up and tied it securely around her waist. Then, grabbing onto Lux with one arm and bracing it with the Force, she made a flying leap across the chasm.

Lux let out an earsplitting shriek as they swung over empty air, clinging to her for dear life. It took a few moments of coaxing to convince him to let go once they had reached the other side.

"Come on!" she said finally, untying the vine and pulling Lux along after her. "We're losing daylight!"

"Ahsoka, don't you find it weird how we haven't seen any animals here? Not even insects?"

Ahsoka shot him a stunned look. "Uh, I haven't exactly had the time to ponder the balance of flora and fauna of Aargonar recently!"

"But don't you think it's–"

Suddenly, the ground exploded out from under them, sending them both flying. The remaining vulture droid had finally caught up with them and fired a few iron torpedoes in hopes of hitting them.

Ahsoka's fingers found a tree root, and she skidded to a halt on a ledge with a steep incline. But Lux, who had been further out and closer to the edge, wasn't so lucky, and she watched him go tumbling towards the edge of the cliff and the drop below.

"Lux!"

The shriek tore its way out of her throat as he stumbled backward, but Ahsoka didn't hesitate for so much as a second. She dove down after him, paying no mind to the sharp stones slicing mercilessly into her side. She grabbed hold of his hand just as it disappeared over the ledge, holding on as tightly as she could.

Suddenly, as she found herself supporting all his weight, pain blossomed in her right shoulder. Muffling a shriek of pain, Ahsoka turned her head inch by inch to see what had happened, even if she had a feeling she already knew.

Her shoulder bone stuck out much further than it should have, and it jutted out on too much of an angle to be normal. Although Ahsoka was no doctor, she knew exactly what had happened as soon as she caught sight of it.

Her muscles in her arm snapped taught painfully as Lux scrabbled at the rock, and the agony her shoulder was causing her only worsened. But she paid it no mind. She had but one prerogative: she had to keep her hold on her husband's hand at all costs. And by the Force, she was going to see it through.

"Ahsoka," Lux hissed. "Ahsoka, what just happened?"

"Lux, you're gonna have to try to climb. My shoulder's dislocated," she managed to tell him through gritted teeth.

His eyes widened, but a moment later, he set his jaw. "Right."

Ahsoka squeezed her eyes shut, resisting the urge to cradle her shoulder. Come on, Ahsoka, she chided herself. You've given birth to four kids. This is nothing.

Making sure to keep a firm grip on her hand, Lux grabbed at the rocks beside him. But the surface of the cliff face was too smooth: his boots and fingertips found no purchase in the rock.

"I'm not letting you go!" she yelled, and somehow managed to pull him up another few inches. But she knew it was no use – she wouldn't be able to make it all the way with her shoulder dislocated.

But she wouldn't let him fall. She couldn't let him fall.

"Ahsoka... Ahsoka, aniika, please – you have to trust me."

Ahsoka shook her head, a sob escaping from between her lips.

"Trust me."

Then, Lux let go of her hand.

*Things are looking desperate for husband and wife. Will Lux survive the fall and uphold his promise to reunite with Janira back at the New Hope? Could Azidara -- or rather Aargonar -- still have surprises in store for them? And what secrets might Lux learn about his stepfather's past from the archives of the Separatist base... if it isn't too late? You'll find out in the next thrilling chapter of The Unchronicled Adventures Of Ahsoka Tano!

Okay, sorry if the grammar in this chapter is crap or if there are continuity errors. I went to bed really late last night because I was busy preparing the SPECIAL SURPRISE, and I'm pretty tired. But I'll go back and revise it tomorrow in case I did.

Anyways, now that we're getting into the half-hour finale, KEEP YOUR EYES OUT FOR AN UPDATE IN MY WORKS ON MY PROFILE AT MIDNIGHT FOR YOUR SPECIAL 2017 SURPRISE!!!!

May the Force be with you and HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR,

Sharron