Ahsoka, Daughter of the Light (Book 2): Shadows

Chapter 33: Against All Odds

AHSOKA TANO

Ahsoka ran through the hallways, trying to save as many Jedi as she could, trying to get them to the Crucible.

It was the only hope for the Order's survival.

But then, a thought crossed her mind.

What about the holocrons!? And the Archives!?! Oh no, all the memories of the Jedi will be destroyed!

Then, they heard footsteps coming towards them, along with some whirring. Ahsoka stood ready to attack, but it was Lyda holding a bag over her shoulder who turned the corner, along with Ahsoka's old astromech droid, R7-A7.

"Lyda!" Ahsoka yelled, "I told you-"

"I thought you might want these," Lyda said, throwing Ahsoka the bag. R7 wheeled towards Ahsoka and almost bumped her leg, making some excited beeping noises.

Even without looking in the bag, Ahsoka could tell it was filled with cube-shaped objects.

"Wait, are these..."

"Yep," Lyda said, cutting off Ahsoka. "Holocrons, all of them I believe. A few other Padawans helped me to get them all."

"And... what's with R7?" Ahsoka asked.

The droid beeped.

"Well, I... he... downloaded the Archives so the clones couldn't get them."

"WHAT!?" Lux said. "The file size for that must be huge!"

"Astromech units can fit huge files with room to spare," Ahsoka said. "Now, let's go. Lyda, take the bag and the droid to the ship, you could've told me when you got there."

"Got it," Lyda said. Ahsoka tossed her the bag back.

"And Lyda?" Ahsoka said just before she ran off.

"What?"

"You just saved the Jedi's most precious information. You're a hero."

"Not as much as you are," Lyda replied.

Lyda ran off, with R7 trailing behind her.

Lux and Ahsoka were just about to run off, when suddenly, there was a rumble, and the ceiling cracked. Some supports must have been wrecked, and the ceiling was going to come down on them. And Lux was right underneath it.

"Lux!!" Ahsoka yelled, suddenly force-pushing away the love of her life.

The ceiling collapsed, and there was now a wall of debris separating Lux and Ahsoka.

"Lux, are you alright!?!?" Ahsoka yelled.

"Yeah," she heard him say from the other side of the pile.

"Lux," She said, "follow Lyda and get back to the main hangar! I can't get through!"

There was no response, and Ahsoka could tell Lux wanted to keep helping her.

"Lux," she continued, "just go!"

"Okay," she heard him say reluctantly. Then, she could hear his footsteps moving away from her. Then, she ran away herself.

Ahsoka then found herself standing in an empty and dark hallway.

Suddenly, Ahsoka heard footsteps racing in her direction. She turned around to see someone run right by her, as if trying not to be seen. She guessed it was a youngling. And the presence of this particular one felt... familiar.

The footsteps were rushing again, and the youngling raced by again.

"Wait!" Ahsoka yelled.

The youngling stopped.

"I-I'm scared, Ahsoka," the youngling said, "t-they're coming!"

The voice sounded familiar. It was that of a young girl.

"I... you can come out," Ahsoka said, "I only want to help you."

The youngling emerged from the shadows. She saw clearly who it was.

"Katooni?" Ahsoka asked.

She was a young Tholothian, one of the few she had taken on pilgrimage to Ilum shortly after her extended stay on Onderon and the start of her relationship with Lux.

"Ahsoka? W... why did you come back?" Katooni asked.

Ahsoka didn't get to answer the question, as a blaster bolt whizzed by Ahsoka.

"They're here!" Katooni yelled. "They've found us!"

Several more blaster bolts whizzed by. Ahsoka turned around to see a squad of clones firing at them.

She quickly grabbed Katooni's hand and started running, as the shots from the clones went by her. She didn't care, she just wanted to hold Katooni's hand and keep running until they were safe.

It was only then that Ahsoka realized that she had just witnessed one of her visions, except this time, she was able to see everything much more clearly. 

Ahsoka then rounded a corner and waited for the clones to catch up to them.

"What are you doing," Katooni said, "they're coming!"

Ahsoka put her finger over her mouth to tell her to be silent.

The clones caught up, and Ahsoka turned on the lightsabers, quickly cutting through the squad. One by one, their helmets dropped to the floor.

Ahsoka turned off her lightsabers.

"Go," Ahsoka yelled, "get to the Crucible, go to the main hangar!"

"But-" Katooni stuttered.

"Now!" Ahsoka yelled.

Katooni nodded reluctantly and ran off. Ahsoka hoped she would be safe. Somehow, in that moment, she felt some sort of connection, some calling in the force that brought her to Katooni. She had felt it when Ahsoka took her, and a few other younglings, on pilgrimage to Ilum. It was some sort of bond, soand she was told it was the kind of bond one formed when a maaster found their future apprentice.

Ahsoka shook off the feeling, as there were others she needed to save, more than just Katooni.

She felt another calling in the force. It wasn't a Padawan or anything however. She slowed down and allowed the force to guide her too it.

Soon enough, she found herself standing in front of Anakin's quarters. The calling came from within the room, but she could tell it wasn't from Anakin himself.

She opened the door, and the room was empty of anyone.

The calling was coming from a part of the wall. 

She walked over and felt the wall, finding a secret compartment.

She opened it.

Inside were her old lightsabers and silka beads she wore as a padawan.

She picked up the lightsabers, her lightsabers, and not ones she stole. She turned them on, and they shone they're bright green and greenish-yellow hues. Ahsoka turned them back off, and put them on her waist. The lighsabers she took from grievous went in her pocket.

Then, there were the silka beads. Ahsoka contemplated for a moment about putting them on, but she decided not to. She put those in her other pocket.

Then, almost as quickly as she came into the room, she ran out of it and closed the door, ending her little detour.