That won't happen to you

Chapter 70

The cold ate through her limbs while her body glowed with heat.

The animals cautiously approached as the girl's movements stopped.

She simply could not go on.

She had continued for so long despite her injuries.

And yet her injuries were severe enough for even Dooku to be gentle with her so as not to kill her.

The animals came closer, and sniffed cautiously at the strange creature.

Of course they didn't understand what was going on with the girl, or what had happened. But what they did understand was that there was a injured cub.

Even though they couldn't tell whose cub it was.

One of the animals dared to get close enough to gently nudge her.

But the teenager did not give a reaction.

A few of the animals turned away. But not all of them could bring themselves to do so.

The animals sensed the girl's positive aura. And how bad she was feeling.

This awakened a form of protective instinct in them.

They saw a problem and wanted to solve it.

They saw an injured cub, an injured child, and they wanted to help it.

And so it happened that a mother animal carefully carried the girl to her home.

When Ahsoka woke up, she was surprised to be surrounded by so many signatures.

The mother had placed her directly in the nest with the other cubs, who were now all cuddling with their new sister and warming her.

Slowly, the girl sat up, careful not to push any of the cubs away, and thus immediately brought movement into the group.

Finally she was awake, the others thought.

It wasn't that Ahsoka understood them, of course. But she could sense that they were meaning that with their wild jumping around.

"It's alright. It's alright. I'm awake." she murmured, feeling something rub against her cheek. Carefully, she reached out and picked up the particularly brave little cub that had climbed up her.

An enthusiastic whistle sounded from the little one, and the girl could feel small wings stretching out from the animal's back, fluttering.

Carefully she let go, and the animal remained in the air for a shaky moment until it settled on her head shortly after.

"You're a cute one," the Togruta said.

The animal whistled again, sounding somehow approving.

"You think so too?" the padawan wanted to know, and petted the creature behind the ears.

This time it purred, and seemed to be very happy with the world right now.

Its signature was bright and innocent. Untouched by the darkness of the galaxy.

So small, so fragile, but so strong.

It was still a baby. A baby animal.

And it had seen the young Togruta, and decided without hesitation:

"I like her".

That was, even if the Togruta didn't know it yet, the most precious thing in the galaxy.