The Unchronicled Adventures of Ahsoka Tano, Book Seven

Chapter Twelve: Home?

ANAKIN SKYWALKER

Sand everywhere. Blistering heat. Dry beyond belief. This was the planet that the Chosen One had had the misfortune of being born on. If there was a bright center of the universe, Tatooine was the planet it was farthest from. It was the last true stronghold of the tyrannical Hutt Clan, and a wretched hive of scum and villainy.

Anakin, shielding his eyes against a sand-laden wind, looked out at the redundant sandy hills of the Dune Sea. After a moment, he turned around and began the hike down the small, rocky cliff that was sheltering the three Jedi fighters, Christo and Captain Rex.

“I’ve always hated it here,” he said to Christo when he reached them. “The sand…” He picked a handful up off of his fighter, then let it scatter in the breeze. “It’s so course, and rough, and irritating… and it gets everywhere.”

It was only after he had said the words that he remembered that he had first said them. On Naboo with Padme, right before he had kissed her for the first time…

Anakin looked over at Rex and Christo, who were both half-dead due to the drastic change in temperature and humidity. But he was fine, despite his many woolen layers. Spending ten years of your life on a planet with a climate that changed so little did that to you. Even after less than two hours here it was all coming back to him.

Christo perked up a little bit. “Then why did you come back?”

“The memories both hurt me and make me happy,” he replied after a moment, leaning up against his fighter. “They’re like the sand. Always shifting between emotions, and I can’t keep up with them, so I let them do what they will.”

His friend nodded slightly before dozing off, and Anakin then wondered why Rex hadn’t said anything. It was then that he noticed that he was asleep. He smiled and shook his head a little. It was good that he was able to get some rest, even though the sand was probably getting into his mouth and nose. Like he had said: the stuff was everywhere.

Suddenly the AstroMec that he had taken for the trip, R9-C13, beeped a warning. Anakin’s eyes widened at what the droid told him, and he looked up at the ridge above them. He was just in time to catch a flash of light brown fabric before it disappeared, and he could see no more. He jumped up, and ran to shake them awake.

“Wake up, guys! Wake up!” he hissed. When they were both awake enough to absorb information, he told them, “R9’s picked up life forms approaching from the southeast!”

“What?” Rex asked, his eyes widening a little.

“It’s Sand People, I know it! And I have a funny feeling that we’re walking into an ambush, but the way to get to the Lars’s, which is where my son would be, is by walking through Beggar’s Canyon.”

“Can’t we just take the ships?” Christo moaned. He didn’t like the idea of walking anywhere in this climate.

“No. That would provoke them, and that’s the last thing we want right now.” He darted over to his fighter, and started bundling the supplies he had brought with him into a bag. Rex and Christo did the same.

Rex slung his backpack over his shoulder. He was wearing his casual clothes, not unlike the ones that he had worn for the rebellion on Onderon years ago. His armor would have attracted unwanted attention. “Where to, General Skywalker?”

“Through the Canyon, as straight as we can go,” he said, pointing to the entrance of the Canyon, which was about a kilometer away. “We have to get as far as we can before dark.” According to Anakin’s calculations based on the shadows and the season, it would probably be another two or three standard hours before Tatoo I and II, the planet’s two suns, set.

They put their magnabolts on their fighters, a precaution against Jawas that would give a mild electric shock to anyone who touched the object it was attached to, unless they had the remote. Then they began to walk away.

And that was when the wild shrieks of the Sand People began to sound.

*What will become of our heroes? Will Anakin find his son, or will an old friend get in the way? And what if a certain Senator who was the adopted father of a certain princess were to enter the scene? Find out in the next chapter of the epic saga of the Unchronicled Adventures of-

OWW!!! WHAT THE FUDGECAKES WAS THAT FOR?!?!?!

AHSOKA JUST HIT ME IN THE HEAD!!! WITH A LAMP!! Seriously, Ahsoka, what was that for?!

Ahsoka: *raises eyebrows and crosses arms* It was justified. Sharron you know how I feel about spoilers. And that there was a BIG ONE.

Okay, okay! I'm sorry, all right? I just let these things slip sometimes! Now please go back to hiding in my closet. There are candy bars and a sleeping bag in there. And yes, it's big enough for Lux too, unless you're planning on... um...

Ahsoka: HOW CRAZY DO YOU THINK I AM?!?! YOU'RE A MINOR FOR CRYING OUT LOUD AND WHY DO YOU EVEN THINK LIKE THAT?!?!

Lux: Yeah, seriously. We're not like that. Not tonight, anyways.

Okay, fine. Yeesh. I didn't say anything! Now into the closet, both of you! *shoves them into closet which is magically large enough for both of them even though it's not in realspace* Or my parents are going to find you guys, and then bad things will happen...

Ahsoka: Wow! You have like, seven jars of Nutella in here! And look at all the candy bars!

*Grabs all of the jars and the huge bag of Hersheys's Cookies'n'Cream but leaves them a bar each* NUUUU IT'S MAI PRESHUSSSSSSS AND MINE ALONE!!! *hides the stash somewhere else*

Ahsoka: *munches on her candy bar* Okayyyy then... G'night, Sharron, Lux.

LUX: After that display back there when she looked like that Gollum thing from those movies, Lord Of the Rings, I think they were called, I don't know how well I'll be able to sleep, but... G'night, girls.

And this is why you never come between a stressed teenager and her candy supply. Goodnight Ahsoka, Lux and anyone who may be reading this! (Unless you're in a different time zone...)

Escape the Death Star with a scoundrel and a cute blond guy who's strong with the Force and may the Force be with you,

*yawns* Sharron