The Unchronicled Adventures of Ahsoka Tano, Book Eight

Chapter Thirty-Seven: New Information

AHSOKA TANO

Ahsoka unscrewed the hatch in the old pipelines underneath the old Bonteri estate, smiling. She and her troops were in for one heck of a welcome. The particular hatch she was at opened up into the old kitchens, where the servants would have dumped the leftovers from dinner and a variety of other old food-related things.  

Although navigating the old tunnels was torture for the olfactory senses, the pipes were dry from misuse since the Empire had rerouted all of the old piping systems on Onderon. And, not to mention, safe from the stiffs and their forces, who didn't want to stoop so low as to patrol old pipes. 

Her people filed through one by one, dusting off their armor and giving off an air of extreme satisfaction. Then the small group walked upstairs and into one of the two common rooms. 

Cheers and words of congratulation immediately filled the room. Other Troopers and Onderonian soldiers crowded around them, smiling and praising their efforts to eradicate the Empire. 

But there was one person in a quiet corner of the room who stood apart. They had a hood pulled low over their face, but she knew that smile anywhere.  

It was Anakin. 

In an interest of politeness, she accepted thanks from another few people before excusing herself. Smiling, she unwound her scarf to expose her face, and pulled her old Master into a hug.  

"I missed you," she said into his cloak. 

"I know," he said, giving her a gentle squeeze before letting go. "These last five months would have been torture if Padme hadn't been there. Sitting around listening to politics all day when I could have been here making sure you and..."

"– the you know were all right," she finished, quoting what he would say to her during pretty much every conversation over holo that they had had over the last few months. "I know, Anakin. You worry too much!" 

"That's what older brothers do." His smile suddenly became concerned. "Especially now that you're getting so close to the due date." 

"Yeah, but I've taken care not to let it show," she said. She had been on a strict diet over the last few months, only eating enough to assure the baby's health, keep her energy levels at medium and make sure that no one noticed. The diet itself mainly consisted of vitamins, meiloorun fruit and jawa juice, with the occasional steak thrown in for the sake of her Togruta carnivore instincts. 

And, best of all, the diet had worked. She didn't look too underweight, and her belly wasn't all that noticeable unless one looked closely. Which was hard to do, considering that she only ever wore loose clothing. 

"And... How are things with Lux?" Anakin asked tentatively. 

She sighed, crossing her arms. "Same as they were before you left." 

"That bad, huh?" 

"You have no idea," she said, her words being preceded by a sarcastic laugh. 

After a brief interruption, as Captain Rex toasted the Troopers' valiant efforts that day, Ahsoka spoke again. "So, what did you learn? It had better be something good, because if we were losing you – and you pack a lot of manpower – for all that time and you learned nothing..." 

"No. Padme and I actually got a lot of work done. But I think that we should take this conversation somewhere a little more private." 

"Okay," she said, and then the pair walked out into the hall, tucking themselves into a corner. "What did you find out?" 

"Remember how I told you that someone kept Lux's bank account open?" he asked. She did, but only just. "Well, Padme and I found out who it was." 

This was interesting. "Who?" 

"It was pretty difficult, and it took three months, but we finally figured it out. It was a man named Enarion Jarrus Dume. He was a nobleman, here on Onderon, before he was 'assassinated' by a group of commando droids during the Separatist occupation. Nobody thought that he survived, but apparently he has." 

"That's good news – but should we tell Lux?" 

"Wait," Anakin said, gripping her shoulders excitedly. "There's more. He was apparently a good friend of Mina Bonteri's, and made it to all of her parties and visited her house privately many times. And, not to mention, that other than Bail Organa, he's one of the main figures supporting the Rebels here on Onderon!" 

Ahsoka was shocked. "What?" 

"And I think I know how we can track him down!"

*Anakin is caught up in the thrill of the hunt. But could it be that Enarion Jarrus Dume doesn't want to be found? What lengths will he go to in order to keep himself hidden, his identity a secret? And will Ahsoka and Lux's relationship heal? Or have they grown too far apart for the rift to ever heal? You'll find out in the next amazing chapter of The Unchronicled Adventures Of Ahsoka Tano!

Now that... that was fun. That was really fun. I love hiding information about what's going to happen next in the story from the reader, and then divulging it in the best way possible!

And, as you will come to realize in the next few chapters, there are co-relations between Enarion and a few other characters that I've hinted at in previous chapters... But you'll see what I mean soon enough.

Become the most powerful Jedi ever and may the Force be with you,

Sharron