Chapter Fourteen;

Ahsoka's ship was smaller than the Ghost but, then again, they weren't transporting a group of six people. Besides, the Ghost was designed as a ship where you could live. This ship was more appropriate for travelling from one place to the next.

When they emerged from hyperspace, they were faced with a moon. From space, it was green, vibrant. Soleil leaned forward and closed her eyes. Even from here, she could feel the life calling out to her.

She'd wondered what that sensation had been before, when she first escaped on the Ghost. Now she knew: it was the Force calling out to her.

"What is this place?" Soleil asked.

Ahsoka kept her eyes locked on the incoming room. Her expression was impossible to read. "Raada. The Empire won't bother us here."

There was an edge to her voice. Soleil dreaded the answer, but she had to know. "Why not?"

Ahsoka sighed.

"Years ago... they tried to establish themselves here. Use Raada to grow crops. I stopped them, and the lands are now infertile." Her grip tightened ever so slightly on the steers. "No one has use for Raada anymore. It's a good place to hide out, and train your powers quickly without interference. No one will bother us here."

Soleil fell flat on the balls of her feet. "I see."

But Soleil was looking at Ahsoka with awe – it was like staring up into the sun. Ahsoka drove back the Empire from this moon, mostly on her own initiative? She would have whistled if she hadn't clamped her mouth shut.

She felt honoured to be under the tutelage of someone like Ahsoka.

They skimmed across the surface, and landed in a hilly section of the moon. This place was rugged and wild, probably since no one had lived here for so long. When they passed over an old village, she saw vines and other planets had creeped over the buildings, slowly reclaiming the land that once belonged solely to them.

"Come on," Ahsoka said, once Soleil clambered out. "I have just the place for us to set up camp while we're here."

The place Ahsoka had in mind was a network of caves. For some reason, Soleil felt cold when she stepped inside: it was a mixture of someone breathing in her ear, and cold water dripping down her neck. She hug

"This feels... off," she mumbled. "I feel cold."

Ahsoka closed her eyes. "I'm not surprised. A massacre occurred here years ago." She winced, as though she heard the echoing screams.

Soleil blanched. She stepped away from the walls, as though remnants of blood still glistened in the dim light. "Is it wise to live in such a place?"

"Ghosts cannot harm you, Soleil. We have shelter – we'll be fine."

Soleil bit her lip, but nonetheless followed.

They travelled down the cave until they reached a large chasm, with plenty of room to walk around. It was dark, but Soleil felt slightly better here. The temperature rose slightly. Somehow, she knew no death had reached this room. Instead, it had been a centre of activity.

There was a place in the centre ringed with rocks, old firewood stacked to the side. Ahsoka knelt by the makeshift fireplace, sorted the firewood, and soon small flames started to dance.

"This should keep us warm tonight." Ahsoka stood and rested a hand on Soleil's shoulder, offering her a gentle smile. "Rest well, Soleil. We start at dawn tomorrow – you have a big day ahead of you."

+++

Soleil wished she could call Ahsoka for a raincheck.

Big day?

Soleil had arisen, bouncing on the balls of her feet, ready to embrace the challenges of the day and conquer them. She wanted to find out exactly what she was capable of, rise to the occasion, and finally prove herself. She'd been prepared for a big day.

Instead, she'd received a tiring, exhausting, draining day-long training session.

First, Ahsoka had her running. It would've been bad enough on a flat terrain, but that area of Raada was full of hills. Soleil's clothes soon became saturated in sweat, her muscles burning, her lungs protesting as she pushed herself up hill after hill after hill. The effort to take one step matched taking ten steps on flat terrain.

The entire time Ahsoka ran beside her, nowhere near as tired as Soleil, offering words of encouragement.

"Why do I have to run anyway?" Soleil gasped when they'd finished. She'd collapsed on the floor, on her hands and knees, chest heaving. She was gasping for breath, each inhalation sounding little better than a wheeze.

"It's stamina," Ahsoka replied. "If you're to hold your own in a fight, you need to have the strength and stamina to push through it. Before we truly start the Jedi aspect of your training, you fitness much increase. Now, come on. On your feet." She said the last part gently and offered her hand. "It isn't the best to remain stationary after a taxing workout. Walk for a bit, it's better for you."

Soleil hardly had any energy left within her, but took Ahsoka's hand and did as she said.

The rest of the day was devoted to workouts. Ahsoka put her through vigorous training – lifting heavy rocks, sprints, numerous complicated footwork exercises and more. By the time the sun began to dip into the sky, Soleil felt like every nerve in her body was frayed and on fire. She wobbled a little when she walked.

The only relaxing thing about the day was meditation. Ahsoka drilled it into Soleil's head that mediation was a vital part of being a Jedi: feeling connected to the world, reaching out with the Force.

"The Force is your greatest ally," Ahsoka had said. "Even if you're alone, you can always call upon the Force to assist you. Using it needs to become second nature."

So Soleil had spent dusk sitting cross-legged on the top of a grassy hill, feeling the Force as Ahsoka instructed. It wasn't easy at first, but after a while, it was easy. The Force wanted her to call to it. It was drawn to her, as Soleil was drawn to it. Reaching out to it felt like embracing pure sunlight.

It was definitely her favourite part of the day.

"We'll continue this for about a week," Ahsoka said, when they sat at the fireplace, eating dried rations for dinner. After the strenuous activities of the day, Soleil felt like it was minimal nourishment, but it would suffice. "Once you've built up your strength a little, we can move on to lightsaber forms and combat, using the Force for attack and defence. We'll also cover battle tactics along the way – that can be imperative, the difference between victory and defeat."

Soleil almost choked on her food. "That's a lot to cover in a short amount of time."

"I know. We're asking a lot from you, Soleil, but I believe you can do it. No, I don't believe." Ahsoka smiled. "I know you can do it."

It wasn't much, but Ahsoka's words made Soleil feel like she was dozing in front of a fireplace, comforted and warmed.

It was safe to say that when she went to bed that night, she was so exhausted that she fell asleep like a rock. She only had time to think of Sabine's name before she drifted off into the realms of sleep.

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