The Unchronicled Adventures Of Ahsoka Tano, Book Ten

Chapter Fifty-Three: Hasty Goodbyes

AHSOKA TANO

For a few moments, Ahsoka didn't care about the battle at hand. She didn't care about escape. She didn't care about getting Tseebo back to the Rebellion.

The only person she cared about was Kaya Ti.

Ahsoka scrambled back towards the edge of the cliff, reaching out in hopes of pulling Kaya up before she passed beyond her reach, in terms of both life and distance. She wouldn't survive long with a wound like that, and Ahsoka had to get to her before the unthinkable happened.

Suddenly, the ground began to tremble. Ahsoka ignored it, reaching out over the edge of the chasm into empty space... only to pull her hand back with a scream a moment later as a scorching jet of ash and steam shot up into the air.

She cradled her hand to her chest as excruciating pain overcame her. A quick glance downward confirmed what her nervous system was already telling her: her hand was covered in vicious first-degree burns, and already turning bright red.

Leaving her hand in the steam for but a moment had been long enough to allow this to happened to it; Kaya had already been in it for far longer.

Logic told Ahsoka that on top of the wounds, there was no way she could have survived. But Ahsoka wasn't ready to believe that. Not yet.

She reached out with her senses, probing desperately for Kaya's familiar aura. But try as she did, she just couldn't sense her. The Force was totally empty of the one presence she wanted to feel now more than anything.

Ahsoka put her head in her hands, flattening them into fists as her eyes overflowed and tears began to drip down her cheeks. Why didn't I make her promise to be careful like she made me? Why didn't I let her use her lightsabers; give her the tools she needed to keep herself safe?

"I've failed," Ahsoka whispered.

Hands wrenched her lightsabers from her hands and pulled her to her feet. Dimly, she wondered when the firing had stopped. But only when a blaster was finally pressed to the side of her head did she finally look up. "Surrender, Jedi."

Surrender. Surrender. The word echoed around in Ahsoka's mind, drawing fresh tears from her eyes. Surrender. Surrender. Surrender.

NO.

As soon as the negation formed in her mind, Ahsoka came back to reality. She felt as though she had just woken up from a deep sleep. "No," she repeated, aloud this time so everyone could hear her. She looked up, staring the Imperial commander straight in the eyes. "No."

"You are severely outnumbered. Surrender now and you will–"

The power of a mere subconscious thought brought Ahsoka's lightsabers flying through the air towards her and sent the blades flaring to life. The man fell dead before he could finish his sentence, his head parted cleanly from his shoulders. The guards holding her down were next. That done, Ahsoka caught her lightsabers easily, and rose slowly to her feet.

She was angry. No – she was enraged. It was as though she had liquid fire running through her veins; the same fire Kaya was falling down to meet.

She needed to avenge her apprentice. She needed to kill.

Her long Togruta canines felt almost sharper at the thought, and the scream that tore through her throat then was barely recognizable as sentient. "You killed my Padawan!"

Watching the remaining Pyke and Imperial forces alike flee before her brought Ahsoka some sick pleasure she couldn't quite bring herself to be ashamed of. She allowed herself a moment to bask in their fear before she leapt into action.