Elayne Starwind - Padawan of Ashoka

Chapter Twenty

"It looks good."

I fidgetted with my fingers, sitting on the couch, as I thought about what Sabine said. Was she really warming up to me? The thought made me smile.

"So?" Sabine asked, taking a seat across from me. She was looking at Ahsoka. "What did you find out?"

"Agoth told me how to calculate where the space whales will go," Ahsoka said, pacing the ship.

"But we already have the coordinates," Sabine said. "I still don't understand why we needed to talk to him."

Ahsoka and I exchanged glances and when Sabine noticed, I immediately dropped my head.

"Those coordinates that he gave us," Ahsoka explained. "I couldn't find them on any star map."

"What do you mean, you couldn't find them?" Sabine asked, standing up to her feet. "Are you saying they don't..."

"Exist," I supplied. Sabine glared at me as if I just told her that Ezra was a crazy maniac.

"Why didn't I know about this sooner?" Sabine exclaimed. "I could've taken a look at the coordinates, studied them! I might've found out more than you!"

Ahsoka tossed the device with the coordinates into Sabine's hands. "Knock yourself out. I have some calculations to do."

And Ahsoka walked away.

Sabine tightened her grip on the device. "We could've already been on our way."

"Don't blame Ahsoka," I said. "She just didn't want to disappoint you, I guess."

"Right," Sabine said, scowling. "Yeah, that must be it."

It was as if all kindness she had shown toward me vanished as quick as it had come.

Before Sabine could retreat back to her room, however, Ahsoka strode toward us from the front of the ship. "I've decided that I don't think Agoth was lying with this information," She said. "But as far as I know, it's not on any of our star maps. There is a possibility, however..."

One look between Ahsoka and Sabine and some sort of understanding seemed to pass between them. I frowned, not liking being left out.

"What?" I asked, eager to help in any way I could. Then suddenly realization dawned on me. "Hold on, it's not on any of our maps. Are you saying it could be on someone else's?"

"Not just anyone's," Sabine said quietly. "Someone who's been looking for the man Ezra risked his life to make sure was gone for good."

I didn't know who Sabine was talking about, but by the look on her face, I at least understood the fact that Sabine hadn't liked this guy very much. Maybe even more than she disliked me.

"We'll need to infiltrate a heavily guarded place," Ahsoka said, now pacing the ship once again. "And to infiltrate something like this, I think we'll need the help of an old friend."

Sabine looked as if she knew immediately who Ahsoka was talking about. "Alright," She said and she left quickly to her room, probably to send a hologram or something.

"What can I do?" I asked. I already felt left out after Ahsoka and Sabine secretly communicated with their minds, or whatever passed between them.

"Train," Ahsoka said. "I fear that this task we are about to do... it will not be easy."

"We're infiltrating the Empire, aren't we?" I asked, crossing my arms. "I can figure out that much."

"You're a smart girl," Ahsoka said kindly. "Yes, we are, but not just any city or ship. It's a small starship, one that hides in the depths of space but is secretly the center of all their knowledge. Unlike much of the Empire, they gather knowledge quietly. They are the true embodiment of all that many hate of the Empire."

"I'm guessing they don't knock on your door and ask you questions, then?" I guessed.

"They torture you," Ahsoka said darkly, avoiding my gaze. A shadow fell over her eyes and suddenly she looked ten times older than she was. "They don't let you rest until they get what they want. And they always get what they want. Even if you're telling the truth, if they don't want to believe it, they won't. And then when the truth is something that goes against the Empire..."

Ahsoka didn't need to finish. Whatever this single starship could do and has done seemed to have shaken my master to the core.

Sabine jogged back into the room. "I've sent the message. He's already begun preparations. All we need to do is pick him up."

"Very well," Ahsoka said. "Chart a course to Seelos."

Sabine did so immediately and I noticed how on top of it she was when it came to getting closer to Ezra.

I looked up at Ahsoka. "Your friend. What makes you so sure that we only need one extra person if what you're saying about this starship is true? Shouldn't we go to the rebels and get assistance from them?"

"Strength is not always in numbers," Ahsoka told me. "And this is only an infiltration. If we were to destroy the starship, it would be wiser to have more fighters. But it is not, so we will go in with a small group. Plus, this friend I've known for many, many years. He knows even more than I do, in ways."

After hanging out with Ahsoka a ton, you start to think no one could be wiser or smarter than her. But the way she talked about this person was different. It was like she had great respect for him, but also considered him an equal. I wondered who could make Ahsoka think that.

"Course is charted," Sabine announced when she returned to us.

"Good," Ahsoka said and she strode away, with me at her tail. I followed and took a seat in the control room behind Sabine, who was sitting next to Ahsoka. Sabine didn't look like she cared less. She was too focused on some buttons on the panel next to her.

"Hyperdrive's up and running," Sabine said, mostly to Ahsoka. Ahsoka was punching in some numbers into the system.

"Setting course for Seelos," Ahsoka muttered under her breath, but I knew Sabine heard clearly. The way they worked together on the ship was simply brilliant to me, and all they were doing was pressing buttons. Just goes to show how little I saw back on Endor.

"Here we go," Sabine said, not bothering to hide the grin she had on her face. I couldn't blame her. We were actually getting somewhere with this mission to find Ezra.

Which suddenly reminded me. I wasn't getting anywhere with my Jedi training. Ahsoka had been so absorbed with the coordinates and I didn't know what to do other than meditate. There had to be something I could do to train other than sitting in a silent room with only thoughts of my past run-ins with the Ithorian on Endor to keep me awake.

The dark sky outside shifted to beams of blue and white, and Sabine and my master relaxed in their seats.

"You think this infiltration thing will work?" I asked. The question had been directed toward Ahsoka, but Sabine answered.

"It had better," She said, staring ahead like her goal was standing right in front of her. "This is the closest I've ever gotten. We've ever gotten. If this stupid starship doesn't have the information we need, I'll blast them to pieces myself."

A/N
I had a bit of writer's block with this chapter, but here it is, finally! It's a bit of a short chapter, but we'll get longer ones soon ;)

No art yet, sorry 😬 hopefully soon though!

Oh and hey, I might start giving these chapters some fun titles. Numbers get boring sometimes, ya know?

Vote, comment, and see ya :D