ANAKIN SKYWALKER

“You summoned me, Master Yoda?” said Anakin, looking, humbled, at the leader of the Jedi Council. Despite his small stature of about three feet tall, his wrinkled green skin and enormous ears, every Jedi, from the smallest youngling to the oldest Masters held him in a deep respect.

 The wise old Master, who had been meditating on a large, round chair, opened his eyes to look right back at the younger Jedi. “A disturbance, in the Force, I have sensed.” He took his small wooden cane from beside him and left his seat, proceeding to pace about. “An outsider, in the Temple, there will be.”

 “Do you have any idea who this outsider might be?” He didn’t know why Yoda was telling him this, but knew better than to let him know. 

“Someone you knew well, this person is, but someone you know, they are not.” 

“Ahsoka!” he cried, both confused and happy. Since the trail had gone cold, he had been moping around the Temple, and the Council hadn’t had the heart to give him a new mission. His ‘mind wasn’t clear of emotions’ yet, they said.

When Yoda didn’t say any more, he prompted him. “And what does – or will – she want here, Master? Did you get any insight on that?”

“Something lost, she has, and wants returned to her, erhm, yes.”

 Completely blown away by the news and half senseless, the younger Jedi excused himself hastily. “If I may go, Master, I have a lot to attend to.”

 “Go, yes. Much to think about, you, have, hm?” the Jedi Master said, with an odd smile on his face. It was almost like he knew exactly what Anakin was thinking, which was, but what could Ahsoka want here?

 AHSOKA TANO

Two days later, Ahsoka, was jolted from what little comfort sleep offered as the Zyggerian cargo ship landed. Curled up on the dusty floor behind several crates in the hold, she was hidden from the eyes of the owners of the ship, as well as, more importantly, the eyes of Iziz’s local police force, which had a habit of checking ships for stowaways.

 But if she were to be caught, there would not be much she could do. She hadn’t had anything to eat or drink in five days, and that was starting to have an effect on her: she could hardly walk. But, even though no longer a Jedi by title, she still had the resolve of one, and her determination to get to her destination would keep her going when her body could not. 

 She shielded her eyes from the bright sunlight that came from outside as the hatch creaked open. The trees and wildlife that characterized the planet Onderon came into view, meaning that, thankfully, that street vender back on Tatooine hadn’t been mistaken about which ship was going where.

 Once the legal passengers, namely the merchants and a few workers they were transferring from Felushia, had left, Ahsoka the stowaway crept out of her hiding place and out of the cargo ship. Ahead, Iziz, Onderon’s capital city, bustled.

 With some directions from a shopkeeper, she headed off to find the Galactic Senator Lux Bonteri’s residence. She smiled despite her situation, thinking about how high and mighty ‘Galactic Senator’ sounded placed in front of her friend’s name. She weaved her way around street carts, ran down several streets, and sprinted up a few staircases. It was then that she found the place that she was looking for.

 The Senator’s home was a sprawling villa in a beautiful old sector of Iziz near the outskirts. It had a high wall around it, with guards patrolling the perimeter, as well as two more at the main entrance. Quickly scanning the area, she noticed a tall tree nearby that hung over the wall. It was a better go than trying to convince the guards to let her dirty and beggar-like personage in.

 Scaling the tree, she looked down into the tasteful garden below. She was starting to get dizzy from the lack of food, but she had been trained not to give herself away, and didn’t.

 The young Senator was in the garden, discussing a new bill in the Senate with an attendant. As she watched him, unseen, he sent the attendants away, and sat down on a stone bench carved in the typical Onderonian style, deep in thought.

 She then jumped down from her hiding spot, but didn’t land correctly, and stumbled, unbalanced. Lux looked up, startled, but he soon recognition flashed across his handsome face. “What are you doing here?” he asked in a whisper, his eyes wide. Ahsoka knew that she probably bore little resemblance to the girl he knew, who was always very well kept. She was now covered in dust and dirt, pale, and looked like she was about to drop dead.

 “Lux, I need your help,” she said faintly. Then she collapsed on the ground, and blacked out.