The Unchronicled Adventures Of Ahsoka Tano, Book Ten

Prologue: Gazing Into Darkness

"And furthermore, we–"

"Commander Sato!"

Ahsoka Tano found herself interrupted mid-sentence as Hera Syndulla, captain of the Ghost and the leader of the Rebel cell in the Lothal sector ran onto the bridge, her crew a few steps behind her. She halted only when she reached the holoprojector in the center of the room, gripping its metal surface tightly.

"We need the fleet to jump out of here," was what she offered in explanation for her outburst. "Our shuttle was tracked."

"Commander," called an officer seated at one of the control panels nearby suddenly. "Scanning a ship entering our sector.

Hera and Kanan exchanged a look, and Ahsoka's previously relaxed features tensed into a frown.

The man left his post, plugging a datachip linked to his station into the holoprojector's reader and calling up a grid detailing the gravimetric fluctuations in the star system's sun, as well as the incoming vessel's position relative to the fleet. "We're tracking one target. No other ships have entered the system."

"Move Phoenix Squadron to intercept," ordered Commander Sato.

The pilots began to check in, and Ahsoka watched on the hologram tracking their movements as they switched into an attack formation. But then, Phoenix One cut through the din with an update on the situation: "Fighter, coming in at mark three!"

A little gasp escaped through Ahsoka's practiced military stoicism as the enemy ship – which had been given the classification of an Imperial TIE fighter – smashed through the squadron's formation, moving around their laser fire with perfect ease. He took out one fighter with a single shot of his twin blaster canons, and consecutively a second as it smashed into the debris.

"He's coming in too fast!" yelled one pilot.

Hera set her jaw determinedly. "Fleet, raise deflector shields!"

"We've lost Phoenix One and Two," reported Phoenix Five.

"He's heading right for us!" Ezra cried, pointing at the red arrow advancing on the lead ship in green. Ahsoka's eyes widened as the ship trembled ominously beneath them, the lights flickering out for a moment.

"How can one fighter best our entire squadron?" Sato demanded.

"Your pilots are outmatched, Commander." As quickly as she had come, Hera ran back toward the door, leaving that statement hanging in the air.

"What are you doing?" Kanan called after her.

"Getting involved."

Kanan growled under his breath as she sprinted off down the hall. Ahsoka raised an eye marking in polite inquiry, but couldn't hide a smile when he finally said, "Not without me, you're not!"

"Let's go," said Sabine, following Hera and Kanan's lead and heading out herself. "Ezra, come on!"

No way am I missing out on this. Feels just like I'm back in the middle of the Clone Wars, Ahsoka thought. "All right if I tag along?"

Ezra nodded. 'The more the merrier."

Then, a smile on her face, she took off after him, adrenaline filling her with the determination to push on. It was an exhilarating feeling she hadn't experienced in quite some time, but she still knew that where others faltered, she would simply wipe the sweat from her brow and steady herself against the rising heat of battle.

Ahsoka, Kanan and Hera made it to the cockpit of the Ghost in record time, and, letting instinct knocked into her by years of practice during the Clone Wars guide her, Ahsoka made a break for the copilot's seat and booted up the backup systems.

As Zeb, Sabine and Ezra reported their guns ready, Hera eased her ship free of the docking clamp. "All right, kids, do Mom and Dad proud."

"We've lost our shields!" came a sudden call from Phoenix Home, the communications link between the two ships crackling with static.

"Ghost moving to engage," Hera replied, her hands tightening around the yoke.

Taking advantage of a bird's eye view of the Imperial fighter, Ahsoka began analyzing the pilot's tactics, searching for a pattern... only to find that there was none to speak of. The second she thought she had something she could reference back to what she knew, they switched to a method that was the complete opposite.

"The Force is strong with him," she realized suddenly. She turned back in her seat to face her fellow Jedi. "Kanan, let's find out how strong."

"How can I help?" he asked.

"Just remember your training."

Ahsoka extended a hand out in front of her, using it as a conduit for her senses. She stretched out towards the shifting presence in the Force originating from the pilot, using Kanan's added strength to stabilize and extend herself even further.

But their aura slipped away from her like oil through water, becoming more aware of her as she became more aware of it. It knew it was being pursued, and was clearly going to do everything in its power to stop her from getting a solid lock on it.

She furrowed her brow, concentrating harder. Just a little bit further...

Suddenly, Ezra's voice over the comm cut through the rippling energy of the Force she was surrounding herself with and bending to her will. "There's something... familiar. I feel... cold. I think I know who it is!"

She was so close...

Khuuhh, whoo. Khuuhh, whoo.

"Back on Lothal, I felt something," Ezra continued, his words practically tripping over themselves in an effort to get out of his mouth. "Kanan did too. The fear; the anger; the hate..."

Khuuhh, whoo. Khuuhh, whoo.

Ahsoka's deep blue eyes shot open, as she was suddenly flooded with a sense of unspeakable dread. She felt incredibly desperate to get away, to stop trying to grab hold of the strange presence in the Dark Side of the Force.

But it was too late. She had gazed into pure darkness, and the darkness had gazed back into her. And it was so, so evil, forcing her Light away as if it were nothing.

"It's the Sith Lord we faced!"

The apprentice lives.

"NOOO–!"

There was an explosion of energy strong in the Dark Side of the Force on the edge of her psyche as Darth Vader hit her with everything he had...

And then she was falling, falling through searing violet light and burning red and golden flames into shadows so deep they knew no end.