LUX BONTERI

Ahsoka’s freighter landed in front of Obi-Wan Kenobi’s place on Tatooine. Lux, Obi-Wan, and the three other padawans, Zadyn, Chulya and Amni, who had come with them, got out of the ship, carrying their things.

Mace Windu came out to greet them. “It’s good to see you, my friends. I hope your journey here was uneventful.”

“Yes. But something important did happen. I think that Lux has found out where his heart truly lies,” Obi-Wan said. He gestured for the Lux to come, and the other Jedi Master widened his eyes in polite surprise.

“You made him a lightsaber?” he asked him, after having looked him up and down. He smiled, slightly embarrassed.

He nodded. “Did you find the girl?”

“Yes. Chenai is inside, waiting for your arrival. Come,” he said, showing them inside the modest homestead.

Lux and the others walked inside to the main room. It was well lit, and although there were little piles of sand in the corner of the room, clean. He supposed it couldn’t be helped, with all the sandstorms that went on here.

And there, sitting on a small couch and wrapped in a blanket, was Chenai. She looked up from her bowl of soup at him, smiling. “Lux!” she cried softly, getting up to see him. He noticed that she was a little unstable on her feet, but that didn’t stop her from running over to hug him.

He tensed a little, but hugged her quickly, too. He wasn’t sure if he forgave her for earlier yet. “Glad you’re in one piece,” he said. She was a little bruised and dusty, and her clothing was ripped in a few places, but none the worse.

They went back to sit on the couch. Lux could practically feel Obi-Wan’s signature raised-eyebrow stare boring into him, but the Jedi Master didn’t say anything. “So, Chenai, what happened to you?”

The girl stood up. “Ahsoka and I had bought some food to eat, when she said something about how she ‘didn’t get to say goodbye’ to you. I asked her why, and she started to say that she couldn’t explain it properly, but then a group of Storm Troopers just start attacking us!

“I wasn’t ready in time, and got shot with a gun on stun setting, but Ahsoka was fine. She’s actually better than me in lightsaber-gun combat, you know. They dragged me away, and Ahsoka ran after me on the rooftops.”

Chenai paused, as if trying to catch her breath, for the speed of her narration was picking up. “Then a shot hit her, I think just below her shoe, and she fell down. As I was being dragged away, I saw them force Ahsoka down, but I didn’t see any more.”

“The Troopers that took me beat me somewhat, trying to get me to reveal where Ahsoka’s secret base was, but I told them nothing. Eventually, they drugged me, and just left me sitting in the street like a drunkard. Well, there isn’t any shortage of those in Mos Eisley lying in the alleyways, so it didn’t look unusual.”

“I felt very sick, and almost threw up, but eventually I fell asleep. The next thing I can remember is this man here taking me back here.” She gestured to Mace Windu. So, she hadn’t learned his name. Oh, well, it was probably better off that way.

“That’s quite an adventure,” said Zadyn. “Did you hear anyone saying anything about where they took Padawan Tano?”

“No. I just hope that she’s not in too much pain. The Sith are ruthless.” Chenai shook her head. “Wait!”

Everyone jumped at the sound. Then Lux recognized a familiar unfocused look in her eyes. “What do you see?”

“I see… strange shapes. They are dark. And cold. Ahsoka’s standing in the middle of all of them. She is in pain, and the darkness is closing in on her. She feels… despair. She whispers Lux’s name. In her mind, she understands what she will become. What she is becoming now. Her eyes… they’re yellow, yellow with red around them. She’s–” Chenai broke off in a cry of pain and fear.

Lux caught her in his arms as she fell over. “Lux… what happened?” she asked after a few seconds of unconsciousness.

“Nothing much. You fainted.” He turned towards the others gravely. “Well, now one thing’s certain.”

“We’re going to Moraband.”