Beginning Again

Chapter 11: The Past Catches Up

Hey guys, just a head's up!  I decided to rewrite part of this chapter, Alexa's POV to be precise, so you may want to reread that so that future chapters make sense.

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Anakin POV

When the storm finally blew over I sat up and removed my hands from my face, blinking a few times as I tried to regain awareness of my surroundings.

"Is everyone alright?"  I asked, now that we would be able to communicate with each other.  Thankfully I had managed to keep any sand from getting into my eyes or throat, but I knew the others weren't so lucky when I heard the sound of coughing from nearby.

I turned to see Ahsoka coughing alongside her Majesty who was wiping away any sand that may have got into her eyes.  "We're fine."  The Queen replied as she looked back at me.

"So am I."  My old master replied.

"Me too."  I heard Rendal's voice as he came out from behind one of the speeders.

I scanned the area, doing a mental count to make sure that everyone was indeed ok, Ahsoka, her Majesty, Obi Wan, Rendal....  Wait!

"Alexa?"  I asked, then waited to hear a response.  Nothing.  "Alexa?"  Louder this time as panic began to set in.  "Alexa?!"  I ran over to the speeder she had been in and looked, but there was no sign of her.  She was gone.  "No, no this is impossible!  She has to be around here somewhere!"  Anger and fear welled in my stomach, and turned on Rendal.  "You were with her, what happened?!"

"She-She was right next to me, I swear!"  He began to stutter inaudibly before Obi Wan stepped in.

"Everyone calm down.  Panicking won't help the situation.  Anakin, use the force, try to sense if she's close by."

Taking a breath I nodded and tried to reach out with the force, but I felt nothing.  "She's not here."

"Well at least that means she wasn't buried in the sand."

"But where could she be?"  Ahsoka asked.

I already had an answer, I hated it and the thought made me sick, but it was an answer, "They took her."

"But where would they take her?"  The Queen asked.

I knew where, but I couldn't tell them.  Alexa had always made it clear that she never wanted anyone else to know about her past, I couldn't break my promise now.

"Ahsoka, you and Rendal take her Majesty back to the ship.  Obi Wan and I will find Alexa."

She nodded, but the padawan protested, "Master Skywalker, this is my fault, I should have protected her, let me go with you to save her."

"No, you need to stay with Ahsoka and guard the Queen."

"But-"

"No buts."  I said firmly and jumped into the speeder, impatiently waiting for Obi Wan to do the same.

"Get her Majesty back safely and wait for us in the ship, we will find Alexa and bring her back."  Kenobi told Rendal then finally got in beside me and I sent the speeder racing across the sands.

Ahsoka POV

The sandstorm had shaken me, but the news that Alexa had been taken rocked me far more.  Why would the bounty hunters take her and not the Queen?  It made no sense.  A youngling could be a valuable prize, but if they worked for T'doshok then surely her Majesty should have been the target.  Or at least that was what I thought before another thought crossed my mind.