The Unchronicled Adventures of Ahsoka Tano, Book Seven

Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Hunter And The Hunted

SHIMA

Shima sat in her Master’s ship, the Unseen Enemy, awaiting further instructions. He was already on the planet Tatooine’s surface, looking for Skywalker. She had wanted to go as well, because of what little of her past she remembered, she knew that they had some old scores to settle.

But Lord Maul had told her that she needed to wait here, orbiting the system, for Ahsoka Tano to arrive. When she did, he told her that she was to attack, but to aim only at their engines and escape pods. They would then probably make it to the planet’s surface, but she wasn’t to follow.

Because now, her Master was back in his own body, and Darth Bane, by some strange process that she didn’t fully undertand,  had used the Dark Side to recreate his legs. They were as they had been before Obi-Wan Kenobi had cut them off.

She smiled a sinister smile, and began her attack again. Laser blasts flew from the guns and towards the freighter that had just come out of the system. Because after all, the few shots she had taken earlier had only been warning shots.

It was time for the real fun to begin.

LUX BONTERI

Lux watched as a frustrated Ahsoka banged on the Hope’s controls, which were spewing sparks and even catching fire in places. Right on cue, R3-B4, their astromech droid, who was a real help on board, zipped into the cockpit and put out the small fires.

She was able to give the targeting computer one last good whack before he stopped her. “Ahsoka! Ahsoka, that’s not going to do anything,” he said, pinning her hand down.

“I know. I just have to let it out somehow. Jedi aren’t supposed to hold onto their emotions, but I think that I stopped being your average Jedi when I left the Order.” Suddenly an alarm began to blare. “Kesunihé! The hyperdrive is down!”

R3 said something in his remote dialect of beeps, whirrs, and whistles. “I don’t care if you were fixing the shields! That can wait! We need the hyperdrive, now!” She turned to look up at the controls again. Kissing her fingertips, she placed it on the smooth metal surface. “Come on, majeina, don’t fail me now.”

From what little Lux knew about Togruti, Ahsoka’s native language – the extent of his knowledge being mainly the curses and swears that she used on occasion – the phrase translated to something along the lines of ‘my hope’. It was her personal nickname for the ship.

But he was worried. He had never seen her so worked up about something like this before. “Ahsoka, are you okay?” he dared to ask.

“Oh, absolutely,” she replied testily. “We’re getting shot at, the hyperdrive is down, and–” An explosion from the rear end of the Hope cut her off. “Kriff! We just lost the engines! We’re sitting ducks!”

Her R2 unit said something else.“R3, go! Now!” she yelled. It could just have been a trick of the light from the lasers outside, but he could have sworn that, for a split-second, her eyes turned yellow rimmed with red.

He gripped her shoulders. “Ahsoka, what is it? Tell me!”

Suddenly her now-blue eyes widened, and she seemed to wake up. “I… I don’t know. Mood swings, I guess.” But she said it like it was a question.

“Well, whatever. It doesn’t matter right now. I’m calling for reinforcements.” He pushed a button on his communicator. Nothing happened. “They’re jamming our communications!”

“Go see what you can do about it!” Ahsoka yelled over an explosion outside. It was from a stray laser hitting a small satellite – probably containing a disk pirating Holonet channels for people on the surface – which blew up right in front of their window. And judging by the color, it had contained rhydonium, which, although unpredictable, had properties that could be useful in redirecting transmissions.

He nodded, and ran down the hallway and into the ship’s belly.

*Darth Maul is now on Tatooine. What wiill he do if find out that Obi-Wan Kenobi, his mortal enemy, lives still? And Ahsoka has taken another dip down from the Light Side of the Force. With a mere two percent of her midichlorians keeping her from being dominated by the Dark Side, can she hang on? Will she remain the Light In The Darkness, as her Master foretold, or will she become one with the shadows? You'll find out in the next chapter of The Unchronicled Adventures Of Ahsoka Tano!

Okay I think I bumped myself up a few levels in terms of writing battle sequences with this chapter. I don't know all of the correct names for everything, but I did a Star Wars Rebels marathon today, and most of the terminology is still fresh in my mind.

Hijack an Imperial shuttle to fly to the forest moon of Endor and may the Force be with you,

Sharron