The Unchronicled Adventures Of Ahsoka Tano, Book Ten

Chapter Sixty-One: Future Objectives

AHSOKA TANO

No matter how hard she tried, Ahsoka could not bring herself to stand. If only for a few minutes, she needed to take a break from being the strong one; the one who never hesitated to give a piece of herself away when the need arose until she found herself stretched thin between so many different things with nothing left for her to cling to. She needed to keep something for herself for once.

She knew it was a selfish impulse, but if she did not oblige it, her front that everything was okay would go up again, and she would have no choice but to retreat behind it to where no one could see she was hurting.

And so Ahsoka let herself sink into her despair as the Force washed over her again, letting it fill her until she had lost herself completely.

When she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing in a forest full of trees that stretched up and blocked out what little sunlight there was far before it could reach her. Tiny creatures scuttled through the undergrowth dotted here and there with small white flowers, as if oblivious to Ahsoka's presence.

It was a beautiful place – calm, and peaceful –, but it felt... ominous. Tainted. Something was off about it, and Ahsoka couldn't quite figure out what.

Suddenly, the tree branches high above her began to sway. Ahsoka reached for her lightsabers, instinct telling her it was some sort of large predator. But before her fingers could close around the cool silver hilts, she realized she could feel a presence emanating from center of the disturbance – and it was one she knew well.

Before she could react, a figure dropped down in front of her, landing lightly amidst the leaf litter. It stayed in a crouch for a moment, keeping low to the ground to survey the surrounding area.

Once satisfied that the coast was clear, the figure straightened and brushed off its patched, mismatched clothes. Then, it removed its hood, freeing a mane of golden-blonde hair dotted here and there with locks in a deep maroon and crisscrossed with tiny braids.

Tears began to well in the corners of Ahsoka's eyes. "Look how you've grown," she whispered, taking a tentative step closer.

As if sensing she had spoken, the young woman turned towards her, her hand resting over what looked like the hilt of a makeshift knife tucked into her belt. But what Ahsoka was drawn to immediately was how her eyes were a blend between the gentle violet she had always known... and a sickly yellow rimmed with red.

"Kayli," Ahsoka whispered, "I don't know if you can hear me, but if you can... please, just know that letting you go is one of the few choices I regret above all else. And I am so sorry, nav'dhotyr'jim. I will do everything I can to make this right. I will save you from this. I promise."

Suddenly, the dream faded away, and she was back in the atrium in the Jedi Temple on Lothal with nothing but her thoughts to keep her company.

She felt her despair begin to ebb away, leaving an absurd but heartening feeling of hope in its place. "There's still a way," she whispered, her words echoing off the crumbling stone walls as she rose to her feet and set off down the hallway.

I can save both of them – her and Anakin. I can still take back the people I love.

EZRA BRIDGER

For a few moments, Ezra sat in silence, trying to figure out what to say. Now that he was finally in the presence of the great Jedi Master, all the questions that had been eating away at him had suddenly melted away.

"Master Yoda," Ezra intoned finally, "you're powerful. You must know a way to destroy Vader and his Inquisitors."

Yoda hummed softly to himself, and when he spoke, his voice was gently admonishing. "Padawan... thousands of Jedi once there were. Then came war."