Ahsoka Trilogy Book Three: Forgiven

Chapter 2

Meraki awoke to a soft rock as the ship traveled through hyperspace. She turned to her master, but Chastin was well asleep.

"Couldn't stay up to wake me, huh?" She pushed the fallen hair from Chastin's face. The engines droned softly in her ears like a whisper in the force. A blue light appeared in the middle on the room.

"Greetings passengers, we will be arriving at Coruscant in under 0100 hours, the drop off point will be the main landing deck on the West Side, thank you for traveling." The room resumed it's natural hue.

"I wonder who it is we're meeting, and what the actual mission is," She thought to herself, "it must be the man from rebellion that I read about, the chosen one," She smiled to herself, "a reference to the old jedi proficy if I remember correctly."

"You do remember correctly." Meraki jumped. Chastin's laugh echoed between them.

"The man, what's his name, who is he?" Meraki asked leaning against the cold, metal wall.

"His name is Luke Skywalker, and who he is I don't know, you'll have to ask him on your mission." Chastin's voice was sneaky.

"Our mission, Chas?" Meraki laughed, "I don't need a proficy to help me learn, he might as well be stuck up being the chosen one and all." Meraki rolled her eyes.

"Mer, he's your age and comes from the same roots, I doubt he's a stuck up nerf hearder like you think he might be." The whispers escaped her lips almost harshly. Meraki nodded and turned her head away.

"That might so be true, master." She said quietly. They were silent the rest of the way, but Meraki's head was going crazy with ideas.

"Comes from the same roots huh," she thought, "A Jedi farmer, well that's interesting," She smiled to herself, "I wonder how old he is, I'm eighteen but an eighteen year old can't end an empire," Meraki smiled, "must be a well trained Jedi to do that."

"Why don't you ask him then?" Chastin's voice whispered to her. Meraki looked at her.

"You think to loud." The ship lurched smoothly from hyperspace and slowly made its way down to the bustling city-planet beneath. Silence followed as the ship came to a landing. They were dispacted to receive their lugages and made their way down to the west platform. There was a man standing, waiting against a bulky speeder. His uncovered sandy hair flew in the soft breeze and his blue eyes stared at them. Meraki held her and Chastin's bags, covered with her cloak she stayed only three steps behind her master, the respected distance. Meraki made sure to keep her thoughts to herself, if she were to think about anything.

She kept her eyes on the man at the speeder, watching his brown cloak flow sideways. His hands were different colors from where she could see, he must be wearing a glove on the one.

"Why," she whispered in her head, "what happened to him?" They approached him, she stood tall, as tall as a meter and a half person could stand.

"Master Lyn, it is good to finally meet you through thin communications." His voice was deep and mature.

"It is nice to meet you, Jedi Knight Skywalker. Call me Chastin from now on, I'm not a master to you." She said kindly.

"Then call me Luke, I'm not much of a Knight." He smiled and held out his gloved hand for her to shake. Meraki watched.

"You are Meraki Bonteri I presume, padawan to Chastin?" He smiled.

"Yes sir, I am." She bowed politely and he did the same.

"Come on, its time for us to be briefed on the mission." He took the lugages from Meraki before helping both her and Chastin into the speeder. Chastin sat in the back while Meraki sat in front next to Luke.

"You came from Dantooine right?" He asked her not taking his eyes off the air lanes.

"Yes." She answered studying him. There was a scar on the side of his face, it was faint but the setting sun jutted it out.

"What did you do to stay hidden cause of your powers with the force?" He asked quickly clancing at her. Meraki's hood whipped off as he turned the speeder, her dark hair flowing loosly from her braid.

"My father and aunt owns a farm far outside the city," She responded, "where did you grow up?"

"I grew up on a moisture farm on Tatooine with my aunt and uncle." His voice was calm.

"See I told you you came from the same roots, you both grew up farming." Chastin whispered in the force. Meraki rolled her eyes and smiled to herself. They finally arrived at the old senate building, there were three other people there; a Mon Calamari, and two humans.

"We're here, I'll show you guys to your suite and we'll be off." Luke said as he shut off the engines. Meraki and Chastin took their cases and followed the mellow teenager.

"Welcome back, Master Luke," the woman said kissing his cheek politely, "are you feeling any better?"
"Hello sister," He smiled, "the meditation this morning helped thank you." Meraki looked at Chastin and she nodded.

"Jedi Master Lyn, I welcome you home," The Mon Cal said bowing, she bowed as well, "if you would come with me and these two we'll discuss matters more privately." Chastin turned to meraki and she nodded back taking Chastin's luggage. Luke and Meraki bowed as the four people walked left.

"You're suite is to the other side of the building, I'll take you cases." He held his hands out for her to take them.

"I can handle it Master Luke." She smiled and followed him as he began to leave.

"Please, I'm no master, not yet, my training was barely completed last year. Killing Vader and ending the empire was my final trial." He said, she noticed that around his eyes were dark as if he hasn't been sleeping.

"You haven't been sleeping," meraki closed her eyes feeling his aura, "you're having... Nightmares?" She heard his feet stop walking, she turned around to face him.

"Yes, its about my father, I meant to turn him back to the light side, the emperor killed him before I could." He said then wearily kept walking.

"Vader's your father?" Meraki quickly walked to catch up with him.

"A man named Anakin Skywalker was my father, he was consumed by the dark side and then he wasn't my father." He said.

"Then.." She couldn't get words from her mouth.

"Its the fact that I killed the man who wasn't and the man who was died in front of my eyes." His head dropped to the ground but he kept walking. Meraki studied him harder.