When the Sun Sets

Chapter 1 - Old Friends Not Forgotten

Author's Note: Yes, things are going differently. ;)

~ Amina Gila

Aniya Skywalker

"They've changed a lot," I murmur as we prepare to head for the hangar. They should be here soon. I can't believe it. I've waited so long... I honestly had given up hope the day would come. I always knew our destinies were forever intertwined, and I'd held faith for a while they'd come back. But then, as time kept passing, and there wasn't a word from them, I'd begun to wonder if I was wrong.

"I know," my brother says quietly. Of course. We all know. They're not the children they used to be, even if I always want to look at them as such. They're nearly adults now, and they've survived without us for so long. Why didn't they contact us a long time ago? I shake the thought from mind. Qui-Gon always tells us that everything that happens is the will of the Force, and now, I wonder if this all happened so they could find Maul. Hopefully. At least that way, I won't have to doubt the Force's will anymore.

"It all makes sense now," Anakin murmurs.

"What?" asks Obi-Wan.

"If they hadn't left the Order, then they wouldn't have been where they needed to be."

"That's one way to look at it, I suppose," Obi-Wan replies. He's calm, as always. Somehow.

"It's the only way to look at it," we both object. It's the only explanation that makes sense. We make it to the hangar, standing side-by-side as the ship approaches. We're going to see them. Momentarily. In person. For the first time since they walked away that evening, leaving us standing alone on the Temple steps. I force the memory from mind. It's ranked probably second most painful of everything. Maybe most. I have to wonder sometimes. At least when Mom died, we still had one parent left. But when the padawans left, they both were gone.

"You know, if we find Maul, we could find an end to the war," Anakin points out.

"Could we?" Obi-Wan asks.

"He knows who Sidious is," I remind, "He wanted to help us before."

"He's a Sith. We cannot trust him." Fair enough. He'd refused to tell us anything before anyway.

Silence settles over us as the shuttle comes into sight outside the hangar. I'm practically holding my breath as the ship lands, the two familiar presences crashing over me. The ramp lowers, and Ahsoka and Alema are the first to disembark. A loud series of excited beeps and whistles sounds through the otherwise quiet air, and Artoo rolls over to them, ramming into Ahsoka's leg. Ahsoka rests a calming hand on his dome.

"Good to see you too, Artooie," Alema smiles. It's the first flash of the girl I'd used to known that I see on her. This hurts. It really does. But I'm still so glad it's happening. When the other Mandalorians start coming down the ramp, the two start moving forwards.

"I'm so glad –" Anakin begins.

"I've –" I start at the same time, only to be cut off.

Ahsoka raises a hand. "We'll have time to catch up later," she objects, "We need to hurry."

Really, it stings, but... I understand. We're always forced to put duty first. That's how Anakin trained Ahsoka to be.

"Things are moving quickly. Every minute we waste here gives Maul an opportunity to slip away," Bo-Katan says, moving to stand at Ahsoka's side.

Alema nods her agreement, though she's clearly unhappy about it. Anakin's gaze is fixed on our former padawans, as is mine, but Ahsoka looks past both of us to Obi-Wan.