In the End {1}

xiv: Level 1315

Ahsoka was standing in the middle of darkness. It was an empty vacuum, and she was alone. A cold feeling crept up her spine as she looked around her.

"Save me, Ahsoka!" Nyx shouted desperately. She could hear his voice echo through the vaccum.

"Lend me your strength, my love," Lux said, his voice breaking.

"I'll always be there to protect you, Snips," Anakin said. "Will you be there to protect me?"

Her surroundings came into view. She was standing in a large room, a poison dagger dripping with blood in her hand. Anakin, Nyx, and Lux were on their knees in front of her, gagged. By her feet, she saw a small notepad and pen.

Behind each of them, a version of herself came into view.

"Their blood will be on your hands," they said in unison. "There's nothing you can do to stop it!"

Ahsoka sat up with a start and rubbed her head. She was on the floor next to her bed, and she had a feeling she'd hit her head on the nightstand.

"Ouch," she muttered.

She was sure the dream she had was a vision. It had to be. There was no other explanation for its clarity, which worried Ahsoka. She felt a disturbance in the force. Something was happening that she couldn't see. Something sinister. She'd have to make a choice between saving her master, her boyfriend, or Lux (she wasn't sure what to label their relationship at this point). There was no way she'd be able to save one of them and leave the others to die. It would break her.

She pushed the vision from her mind and stood up. There would be a time to sort that out later. She had to keep her focus on the task at hand. Visiting the warehouse on level 1315 was going to bring back painful memories, and she needed to prepare herself.

She changed and wandered towards the kitchen, following the smell of Padme preparing breakfast.

"Good morning, Snips," Anakin said when she rounded the corner.

"Morning, Master. When did you get back?"

"Not too long ago. You got my message?"

She nodded. "I read an article last night about another murder matching the pattern we've been observing. It happened in a bar near the warehouse where I was captured. It can't be a coincidence. I think we should check it out and see what we find."

"I agree," he said.

"You two better be careful down there," Padme said.

"Oh, come on, we're always careful!" Anakin said.

"Uh huh. I wasn't born yesterday, Ani."

Ahsoka laughed. "We'll be careful, Padme."

Anakin stood up. "That reminds me. I have something for you, Ahsoka." He walked into the bedroom, and Ahsoka followed.

Anakin picked up a small brown box off of the dresser. He turned to Ahsoka. "Luminara didn't just give me information. She had some of her troops go out and find these for me because she felt guilty for the pain Barriss caused us both. I spent some extra time fixing them up, which is what took me so long." He opened the box to reveal Ahsoka's lightsabers.