Clouded by the Dark Side

Chapter 7 - Two Paths, Two Sisters

Warning: Mentions/implied child abuse.

Anakin Skywalker

The ship is standing out brightly against the rapidly setting sun. Artoo flies after us, close behind. The ledge finally collapses, the part the padawans were on just moments before breaks off and plummets downwards. As usual, we weren't a moment too soon. I can only hope all missions with Ahsoka won't be this eventful.

My sister and I guide the bug-like animals over to the landing platform, then finally jump off, allowing the creatures to fly away into the night.

"We're taking this junker?" Ahsoka questions, eyeing the ship.

"We'd be better off on those big bugs!" exclaims Alema.

"Agreed," laughs Aniya.

"Get aboard and prime the engines," I command, turning back to the situation at hand.

"I'm not even certain it won't literally go to pieces the moment we turn on the engines... assuming it has engines," mutters Aniya, smirking. The padawans approach the ramp just as the caretaker droid we'd seen earlier steps into view from where it was standing on the other side of the ship.

"Hey!" exclaims Ahsoka, "You're that caretaker droid."

"I wondered what happened to you," Alema remarks.

"Oh, young ones," it replies and hastily corrects itself, "I mean, soon to be Jedi Knights. I had to get away from that terrible –" The droid is cut off as none other than a battle droid descends the ramp of the ship. Just as I expected. It was just attempting to fool us. Stupid droid. A droid of all things can't fool a Jedi. No wonder I felt a prickle of warning in the Force the moment we landed here.

"Okay, everything's loaded. Let's get out of here," the droid says. Several other droids are following close behind.

"Why, you tin-plated traitor," hisses Ahsoka, igniting her lightsaber.

Alema immediately draws her own, eyes narrowed on the droid. "You're foolish to think three battle droids can win against two Jedi. I've single-handedly destroyed tanks before." How many battles has she fought in? I raise an eyebrow at Aniya, who shakes her head. Later. I nod, turning back to where we're attaching the backpack to Artoo.

"Blast them!" hollers the caretaker droid, whereupon the battle droids instantly open fire on the pair.

"They're at it again," I murmur, glancing up at the sound of the battle behind us. Ahsoka is still clearly a beginner, though she's doing surprisingly well. Alema... I can't really say for her. She looks a tad more advanced between the two.

"Let's go," states Aniya, the attachment to Artoo complete. We both stand up and head towards the ship, the astromech rolling along behind us.

The battle droids are quickly destroyed as the caretaker attempts to flee up the ramp into the ship. Ahsoka and Alema catch up with the droid, lightsabers aimed at its face. "Don't you dare!" warns the droid in a frantic attempt to be threatening and failing miserably. "Don't... you... dare –" Ahsoka beheads it anyway.

I brush past her and board the ship, not bothering to watch the droid's body clanking to the ground. The girls follow with Artoo carrying Stinky in the very back. Closing the ramp, we hurry to the cockpit. Time to get out of here. Finally.

"Now let's get Stinky out of here," Aniya urges with concern.

"If we can," Ahsoka mutters worriedly, as I try to start up the ship – and fail. The engines flare, then instantly die out in a way that vaguely reminds me of my start of the Pod Race so long ago for some reason.