Star Wars: Ahsoka

He bore down on her, cruel laughter scraping out of his throat, and still she waited. Then, just before she was in his reach, she sprang the trap.

The familiar green energy sang as she activated her lightsabers and moved to engage, one last feint. Maul lunged forward and Ahsoka took a quick step back, drawing him past the point of no return. He swung down, directly at her head, and she responded with all her strength. Her weapons locked with his, holding him exactly where she wanted him to be.

“Now!” she commanded her unseen allies.

The response was fast, too fast for Maul’s distracted defense. Ahsoka threw herself clear just in time.

The ray shield came to life, trapping her prey with his lightsaber still raised against her.

Chapter 01

SHE WAS ALONE,

something she was never meant to be. Her people were tribal, blood and bond, and her ability to use the Force gave her a galaxy of brethren from all species. Even after she left the Jedi Temple, she could feel the others when she wanted to—the ebb and flow of them in the Force around her.

Until, of course, she couldn’t.

Now she almost preferred the solitude. If she was alone, she didn’t have to make choices that affected anyone other than herself. Fix a malfunctioning motivator or not, eat or not, sleep or not—dream or not.

She tried to dream as little as possible, but that day in particular wasn’t good for it. Empire Day. Across the galaxy, from the Core to the Outer Rim—though somewhat less enthusiastically in the latter—there would be festivities commemorating the establishment of order and government by Emperor Palpatine. It was the first such celebration. The new Empire was only a year old, but the idea of celebrating the day at all nauseated her. She remembered it for entirely different reasons than peace.

Mandalore had burned, and even though she, Rex, and the others had managed to save most of it, their victory had been immediately undone with such violence that Ahsoka could hardly bear to think about it. So she didn’t.

“Ashla!” The voice was loud and cheerful, wrenching her from her memories. “Ashla, you’ll miss the parade!”

Living in the Outer Rim had its benefits. The planetary populations were small and not highly organized, making it easier to live under an assumed name. She could also easily stay far away from any of the major hyperspace lanes. Most of the planets in the Outer Rim didn’t have anything interesting enough to attract Imperial attention anyway, and the last thing Ahsoka wanted to do was attract attention.

What she hadn’t accounted for was the attention of her neighbors, the Fardis, a local family who seemed to have their fingers in every bit of business that happened on Thabeska. They took her under their wing—as much as they could with Ahsoka maintaining her distance. She was still grieving, in her own way, and it helped if she told herself that she didn’t want new ties, new friends.

Thabeska suited her. It was dusty and quiet, yet there were enough newcomers that she didn’t stick out. The planet did a brisk trade in water and tech, but nothing on a large scale. Even the smuggling operations—luxury goods and off-world food for the most part—catered to a relatively small number of people. No self-respecting pirate of Ahsoka’s acquaintance would stoop so low. It was as good as any new place for “Ashla” to call home.

“Ashla, are you in there?” the girl outside shouted again. Too cheerful, Ahsoka thought with a shake of her head. Empire Day wasn’t that exciting, even if you believed in the propaganda. The girls were up to something, and they wanted her to know it.

Ahsoka considered her options. She was known for wandering out onto the flats alone. There wasn’t anything dangerous there, and certainly nothing that would be dangerous to her. So she could sit quietly, pretending she wasn’t home, and if anyone asked later, she’d just say she’d gone for a walk.