A Hero Lost: A Star Wars AU

Chapter 32: Tracked

"Well, look at what we have here."

Lux awoke with a cough. How long had he been out?

As his vision returned, he saw General Tandin, as well as Deni and Rubal, standing in front of him.

"What!?" Lux said, "How did you-"

Ahsoka began to squirm beside him, and opened her eyes.

When she realized that Lux's hand was wrapped around her, she quickly moved to the side.

"What- what's going on?" she asked.

"I put a tracking device on your friend here," Tandin replied. "I was going to use it to determine whether or not you were dead so we knew when to blow the base."

"Wha- tracking beacons don't read vital signs," Lux said. "And you blew the base while I was still in there!"

"I assumed that if the beacon stopped moving, you would be dead. I told this to the soldier who was originally going to use the detonator, but he died during the initial assault on the base. I wasn't able to figure out who was given the detonator before the base had already been blown to bits. I thought we lost you."

"Well, aren't you so clever!" Ahsoka yelled. "I... I... what..."

She trailed off into silence, and everyone was looking at her.

"I was relieved when I saw the tracking device moving again, but you chose to head deep into the jungle and stop again. I was wondering why you didn't just return to base, but looking at the state you two are in, I'm not really surprised."

"Well, you actually saved me by blowing that base. She was just about to kill me," Lux said, pointing at Ahsoka.

"I got some stims, the kind that those BD units always carry around," Deni said. "I can give some to you both."

"M-me?" Ahsoka asked. "I... no, I don't deserve this, I need to go back to-"

She paused again.

"I... I can't go back, can I?" she continued, starting to cry. "He'll... he'll kill me..."

Rubal looked at her, almost stunned. He had worked with her before, but she had always seemed to be some menacing, avoid-at-all-costs warrior. He had never seen her so... weak.

"It's gonna be okay," Lux said. "We'll protect-"

"No, not from him. You'll die. You'll all die. He'll cut you all down like butter just to find out what happened. I... It's probably best if I just let myself die..."

"Ahsoka, don't say that!" Lux tried to comfort her. "I- we'll run away, I-"

"We'll run away?" She questioned.

Lux swollowed a lump in his throat.

"Actually," she continued, "all of you should get out of here. Leave Onderon. It's the only way you'll live."

"So do you want the stims or no?" Deni asked.

"Definitely," Lux said.

"No. I... I want to die," Ahsoka said.

"Too bad," Deni said, jabbing her in the arm with the stim anyways through a hole in her tattered armor.

Her body quickly flinched, and she let out a few noises in pain, but they quickly stopped as the stim took effect.

Deni then administered a stim to Lux as well, this time more voluntarily.

Ahsoka slowly got back on her feet.

"I... I'm sorry," she said. "I... can't go on. Not anymore. I... just let me die. It's what I deserve."

"Ahsoka, listen to me!" Lux yelled. "You... you can start over. Leave the Empire behind. We can run away."

"What makes you think I want to run away with you?" Ahsoka asked.

"Because I know that's what you really want, isn't it?" He replied.

There was a long pause.

"Lux, I... this is all very... complicated," she said. "I know you want me to say I love you too, but right now-"

"Wait, Lux, did you tell her you loved her in that base?" Tandin asked.

"...Yes," Lux admitted.

Rubal and Deni essentially facepalmed.

"Well, it was... kind of a heat of the moment thing," he continued. "She was about to kill me, I tried to convince her not to, and, well... I love her. I really do. Wasn't that kind of an open secret between me and you three?"

"Lux," Ahsoka said, "I... I don't know what to do right now. I don't even know who I am anymore. I have nothing to go back to. The Jedi are gone, the Republic is gone, the Empire will kill me, and staying with you isn't safe."

There was a pause.

"There may be one option," Tandin said. "I may know someone who would be willing to work with you."

"I... I don't know." She replied. "Tell me more."

"I will when we get back to base." Tandin said.

"Wait, you're... you're taking me back to base? You trust me that much?"

"Ahsoka, I trust you with my life," Lux said.

She shook her head.

"I'm not gonna join your rebellion again," she said. "I can't. I'll die."

"You don't have to," Tandin said. "We can get you smuggled offworld past the blockade."

She paused.

"Take me back to base," she said. "I'll... weigh my decisions from there. But don't let anyone see me. The less people know I'm still alive, the better."

"Alright," Tandin said. "Your decision."

Lux got onto his feet.

"Hey, Ahsoka," he said. "I am... so, unbelievably proud of you right now."

"Proud? After what I just did? After I tried to kill you? After all that I've done!?"

"No, I'm proud that you've gained the strength to come back."

"To be fair, you didn't give me much of a choice." Ahsoka replied.