The Unchronicled Adventures of Ahsoka Tano, Book Eight

Chapter Fifty-Five: The Eye Of The Storm

LUX BONTERI

For a split-second, Lux was perfectly at peace, waiting for the inevitable crush as his body hit the metal ground far below. He wasn't afraid of death. When the time came for him to die, he had always told himself that he would go willingly. But then something changed. Now that it came to it, he didn't want to. He realized that he still had too much to accomplish, too many wrongs to make right.

Somehow, as he fell, even though he was half-delirious from the all radiation he had been exposed to, his fingers found a ledge. He grabbed onto it and held on with all his might.

Even though he could hang on, he couldn't find the strength to pull himself up over what he was hanging onto (it looked like another walkway). Maybe it's best if I just let go, he thought. I'm a dead man anyways.

But suddenly, he saw Ahsoka, standing on the ledge above him. She was bathed in some sort of strange white light. If this was an illusion, then it was one that he wanted to see. "You can't give up now," she whispered, extending a hand. "Take my hand, my love. Live to fight another day."

Without hesitation, he took it. And then found himself standing on the platform where he had battled the Sith only moments before. Wondering what had just happened, he noticed his attacker, who was standing with their back turned, apparently looking on the other side of the platform to see where Lux had fallen.

For Ahsoka. Do it for Ahsoka, Lux thought, and he saw his chance. He took it. Without a sound, he picked up his vibroblade where he had dropped it when he had fallen over the edge. Then he threw it directly into the center of the Sith's back.

The Sith exploded into black ash, crackling with a few bright red embers.

He picked up his vibroblade, and stuck it back in his belt. Then he ran dizzily over to the keypad. His breathing was ragged and hoarse, and his heartbeat was too uneven to be natural. It took every bit of willpower he had not to sink to the ground.

"Okay, what's the password?" he asked himself, licking his lips. He was suddenly so thirsty... But there was a task at hand. He didn't dare stray from it.

Password... Password... What could it be?

He looked down at the screen. There was only a minute left on the timer before the system would shut down completely. He searched his memories for any clue as to what it might be.

"Damn!" he hissed, running the fingers on one hand through his hair.

And suddenly, it hit him. If he knew the Rebels, then they would only make a few subtle changes to an old Republic code to throw the Imperials off track.

1, he entered, then the rest of the numbers and letters in the sequence. 0-2-9-3-8-4-7-5-6-p-a-g-17. There was the sound of some inner mechanism shifting deep inside the control panel, and the system unlocked, with twenty seconds to spare.

He breathed a sigh of relief, wiping a little sweat from his forehead. He could feel a fever coming on, to add to his list of medical problems.

A matter of moments later, the systems began the isolation sequence. But, however, in order to purge itself of the excess radiation, the vents would release a variety of toxic chemical compounds that Lux didn't want to be around to see – absorb. He had to get out of there before the sequence reached its final stage.

As he limped across the walkway, he kept on swatting away tendrils of mist that he wasn't even sure were real. The whole world was spinning; spinning far out of its normal rotation and revolution. He passed through what he thought were doorways, but they were covered in semi-corporeal purple vines.

He wasn't even sure where he was going. All he knew was that he had to get there at once.

And suddenly, there was blazing white, and cold. The hallway behind him was gone. Bits of freezing something were hitting his feverish skin and melting, and the part of his brain that he assumed was still conscious told him that it was snow.

He staggered outside, not really caring where he went. But, after a few minutes that felt like a lifetime, he fell to his knees. He had absolutely no idea where he was, and the strength in his legs had failed him. His hair flew wildly around his face as he looked up into the eye of the storm.

"I did it, Ahsoka," he whispered, his words lost in the howling wind and endless snow. "I saved everyone... I did it..."

Then, time seemed to slow, his senses amplify. There wasn't enough strength left in his knees to stay upright now, either, and he half fell, half lay down. The last thing he remembered was the cool, feathery snow against his feverishly red cheeks, before any form of consciousness he had managed to preserve faded away.

*Lux has chosen to sacrifice himself for the good of the Rebel cause. But will it have been in vain? Will Ahsoka find him in time, or will she be too late to save him? And what has become of Anakin, and of Padme? Will the Chosen One and the Angel be able to accomplish their separate goals, or will they fall under the combined strength of General Grievous and Darth Vader? You'll find out in the next amazing chapter of The Unchronicled Adventures Of Ahsoka Tano!

Hello all... I was pretty happy with the way this chapter turned out. I must inform you all that I know practically nothing about the side effects of radiation on a person or how they would get rid of excess radiation in the Star Wars universe, but this is the best method I could come up with on the short term. 

Oh, and btw, I'm planning rewrites to make books 1-4 (and possibly book five but idk) even more awesome than they already are. I just thought I would tell you guys, because even though I won't be altering everyone's favourite scenes, there will be some changes made after I'm finished with book nine. So, with that said, bye!

Trust in the Force's guidance to destroy a battle station the size of a small moon and may the Force be with you,

Sharron