Star Wars: Ahsoka

They made it through the dust and debris. Vartan was alive, but he was badly injured. Ahsoka put both her lightsabers back on her belt and hoisted him over her shoulder. She staggered for a moment under his weight, then used the Force to stabilize herself. She joined the last line of farmers as they made their way toward Captain Antilles’s ship and then followed them up the ramp.

Antilles was waiting for her in the hangar. Kaeden and Miara both screamed when they saw Vartan, and Selda had to hold them back.

“Get a medical stretcher!” Antilles shouted. “And get us out of here.”

The buzz of people around her was overwhelming as Ahsoka lowered Vartan onto the medical stretcher and watched him be carried away. She felt the ship take off, fighting even the low gravity of the moon, until the engines kicked in fully and the ship broke free. She saw the fire and ruin of Raada below her and felt the wash of emotions from the farmers, now refugees, who crowded around her.

And she felt Kaeden. Her gratitude and relief at being rescued. Her joy to see her sister and her sadness to lose her home. Ahsoka put her arm around Kaeden’s shoulder, mindful of her injuries, and couldn’t help the smile that broke across her face. She had done it. It hadn’t been easy, and almost nothing had gone to plan, but they were free of the Empire, for a little while anyway, and they were safe.

“You know,” said Kaeden after a moment, “when you first got to Raada, I thought you’d fit right in. I hoped that you would stay.”

“I’ve never been able to stay anywhere for very long,” Ahsoka said. “Even…before, I moved around a lot.”

“It was a silly thing to hope for,” Kaeden admitted. “I knew that almost right away, too. I just didn’t listen to myself.”

“You listened to your feelings,” Ahsoka said. She smiled at a memory of a faraway place and a time that was lost forever. “That’s something they teach Jedi, too, you know.”

“Well, at least we have that in common,” Kaeden said. She put her head on Ahsoka’s shoulder for a heartbeat and then straightened, shrugging free of Ahsoka’s arm. “And I don’t mind finding out that the galaxy’s a big place. I think I can handle it now.”

“I know you can,” Ahsoka said.

They were silent for a moment as the refugees and ship’s crew milled around them.

“Will we ever see you again?” Kaeden asked.

“I think it will be a while.” Ahsoka was already thinking about what came next, her mind moving quickly as the engine hum grew louder. “But as you said, the galaxy’s a big place.”

“Thank you,” said Kaeden as they made the jump to lightspeed.

“Anytime,” said Ahsoka—and meant it completely.

Chapter 30

THIS TIME, Ahsoka didn’t break into Bail’s office until she knew he was already there. She tracked his consular ship from Coruscant. He stopped on a nearby moon and dropped off a few crates that were not at all suspicious. Everything looked entirely routine, but Ahsoka, who had landed some distance away and infiltrated the spaceport while the cargo was being offloaded, knew better. She took advantage of the Tantive III being grounded to stow away on board.

Coming this far into the Core was a big risk, but she wanted to show Bail that she was serious and also grateful for everything he’d done for Kaeden and the others. At last, she felt the ship take off and the little shift that meant they were in hyperspace, and she set off looking for him.

She cracked the security on his door pretty easily and slipped inside. As on Captain Antilles’s vessel, Bail’s quarters on the Tantive III comprised more than two rooms. She was in the antechamber, which was big enough for two seats and not much else. She could hear the senator’s voice coming from the second room, which must be where he worked. She got closer to the door and overheard the end of the conversation, a series of repeated words in a child’s prattle that she couldn’t understand. He had no idea how Bail did it—maybe listening to all the shouting in the Imperial Senate was good for something after all—but he managed to answer.

“I know, love, but it’s more secure if we just talk without any visuals to trace.” There was a pause. Ahsoka couldn’t hear the answer. Then Bail spoke again. “Tell your mother I’ll see you both soon enough.”

There was another pause as Bail disconnected the call. Then he coughed.

“Do I have another Jedi break-in to report?” he called out.

Ahsoka laughed. It was nice to know she couldn’t fool him the same way twice. She got the feeling he knew exactly how much she’d overheard and that some of it had been for her benefit.

“Showing your vulnerabilities to put me at ease, Senator?” Ahsoka said, stepping into the main office. He waved her into a seat, and she took it.

“The whole galaxy knows I’m a family man, Ahsoka Tano,” he said. “The Empire is counting on it. They think it means I’ll be more amenable to certain suggestions.”

“Don’t you worry about her?” Ahsoka asked.