Memories of the Past

Epilogue

The Jedi Temple was exactly the way I left it. It was as though it hadn't been touched since my last clean-up excursion there. The new generation of Jedi Knights would have no idea that a massacre had occured there, minus the history textbooks ans stray blaster marks left on the walls.

It had been years since the downfall of the evil Galactic Empire that began where I stood. It had been even longer since I walked down these very steps, leaving the comfort of everything I'd ever known.

Lux stepped up beside me and slid his hand into mine. "You sure you're up for this? I know what this place means to you."

I looked back at Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, Anakin's children. This was about them, not me. It was time someone told them the story of the galaxy and their father's role in shaping it. "Yes, I'm sure."

He nodded. "Han and I will wait outside, then."

Luke and Leia passed Lux on his way back down, ready to join me for a tour. "This certainly isn't what I expected when you said you were taking us to see the Jedi Temple. It's so..." he motioned with his hands, searching for the right word.

"Empty," Leia finished.

I nodded. "There used to be thousands of Jedi here, learning the ways of the force." I paused and took a deep breath. "The journey of the chosen one began here, on these front steps, the day Anakin Skywalker was to be trained as a Jedi. Come with me; there is much to tell."

We reached the High Council chambers shortly. Neither Luke nor Leia had much to say along the way. It made sense; they could sense the pure emotions that radiated from the walls, reminding any visitor of what had happened here.

I stood in the center of the room, looking out at the city below. It had been years since I'd had the chance to stand in this very same spot. The ones who sat in these seats had seen me at my very best and my very worst. I missed the life I had, but this wasn't about me and my nostalgia. It was about the children of the Chosen One.

"These marks on the walls and floors—are they from lightsabers?" Luke asked.

"Yes. And blasters. Each is a memory of the past," I said while stroking the mark my saber had made all those years ago.

"What happened here? I can feel a sensation deep down inside me. Each time I take in the scene, I feel anger and hate. I feel cold," Leia said.

I motioned to the chairs. "Please, sit down." They reluctantly did so, still taking in the scene. "Let me tell you the tale of the Clone Wars. It all started a long, long time ago, on a planet not so far from here..."

~

A/N: 'TIS COMPLETE! After years of hard work on a "what if" idea floating around my head, I've written a trilogy. Wow. It seems like only yesterday that I sat down and started book one...

These books certainly aren't my best pieces of writing, but that's okay. I hadn't written anything longer than an essay for school before joining the Wattpad ranks. This was a great learning experience for me.

None of this would've been possible without the support of you guys. You encouraged me to keep writing with your uplifting comments when I wanted to give up and stop writing all together. So thanks. You guys are all awesome.

I also want to thank a few specific individuals who have helped me along the way.

AJ– Thank you so much for introducing me to this site. Your early encouragement to get my writing "out there" has paid off, and I'm so very grateful for it.

Andrea– Sometimes, I'm amazed that you still talk to me. You never shoot me down or stop listening to my rants about random and unimportant things. Thanks for being there for me when life got rough.

Elyse– It's been quite a ride together, girlie. You've told me from the start that you loved my writing, and I really appreciate your support through this process. Ever since we were little, we've been super close. Through the trials of life, you've stayed with me and motivated me to push myself to be the best person I could be. Thank you.

Now it may not seem like a big deal to you all that I finally finished this trilogy, but let me tell you a little story.

The Star Wars universe was introduced to my by my father when I was little. He's been there with me to watch every movie, Clone Wars episode, and come up with theories about what was going to happen in Rebels, The Force Awakens, and Rogue One. We watched the Season 5 finale together, and I told him about my theories about where Ahsoka was going to go and what she was going to do after leaving the Order. He jokingly said I should write a book all about it and let him read it when it's done.

A few months later, he passed away. We never got the chance to sit down and go through my stories together as we'd originally wanted. For a few months, life really sucked. The entire first season of Rebels aired, and nobody in my family even tried to watch it. I put all of my writing aside for a while, and that was that.

As life started to get better, I tried to write more. He wouldn't have wanted me to quit halfway through, so I sucked it up and decided to just do it. Before I knew it, book two was done, and book three was almost there. Then, life got rough again. It's a long and complicated story full of drama, so we'll save that for another time.

Because of that, book three was put on yet another hiatus. It was almost a year before I finally finished an 1800-word chapter. My Ahsoka story comes to a close now. The epilogue has been written, and I'm ready to close the back cover.

It's been three years, Dad. Are you ready to read?

I'm not sure what else to say, so I'll leave you with this verse: "So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while." 1 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬ NLT

May the force be with you!