When She Was Gone

Chapter 16

Luke's eyes widened as the X-Wings, starfighters and other assorted ships pulled around to see the Destroyer.

"That thing really is huge," he muttered.

"Indeed," Luminara said through the comm. "Barriss, cloak your fighter and head in."

"Cloaking now," came the Mirialan's voice. Luke watched as her ship faded from view, only a trace of its outline visible. She zoomed away, leaving him, Master Unduli and the rest of the squad in tight silence.

~~

"If she's dead, then who are you?" Skywalker forced out, voice trembling.

Makari took a step closer. "I have told you," she hissed.

"Have you?"

She growled, baring her sharp Togrutan teeth. She raised her hand and tightened an invisible grip around his throat. A look of horror appeared on his face as he struggled.

"Shut up and tell. Me. Where. The. Other. Jedi. Are."

He choked out four words before blacking out: "Be...with me, Ahsoka..."

Skywalker hung limp in the interrogation chair. She dropped her hand, eyes filling with tears. Makari could feel the other girl's spirit fighting to get to the surface.

She ripped off her helmet and clutched her head in her hands. "No, no, no, no no no. Get OUT!" She slapped herself across the face and gripped her montrals, gritting her teeth.

This isn't right.

This isn't right and you know it, Makari.

Let her come through.

She shook her head violently and snatched her helmet off the floor, opening the door quickly.

Makari marched to her quarters, barely holding herself together. She fought the urge to break into a frenzied run. Kos was waiting outside her door and opened his mouth to say something, but she growled in his direction and shut her door in his face.

She didn't even turn on the light; she just pulled off her helmet again and flopped onto her bed. She scooted into the corner and drew her legs up, burying her face in her knees.

Get out.

No.

Get. Out.

How about you instead?

Makari gripped her montrals. Why can't you just leave me be?

She could practically see the girl smile. I am you.

Suddenly, her senses started blaring alarms. She jumped up, and a huge explosion blasted out the wall in front of her, sending her careening into her dresser—

And the last thing she saw before her head lolled back was Barriss Offee.

~~

Leia jumped out of the pod and ran for the village, Obi-Wan close behind. She was almost there when something whacked her in the back and she fell to the ground, wind efficiently knocked out of her chest. She heard a thud behind her which she guessed was Obi-Wan.

A boot stuck into her back and rolled her over, and she was met with an angry glare coming from two dark eyes, along with a spear rather close to Leia's face. The rest of the assailant's face was covered with brown cloth.

"Why have you come?" They asked.

"We have..." Leia wheezed. "We have friends. We need to get a message to my mother."

They retracted the spear a bit, glanced at their comrade—who was pinning Obi-Wan—and said something in a language she didn't understand. The other laughed and said in rugged basic:

"Message?  You come to kill us, Jedi."

Obi-Wan frowned. "Chailee Minaara. Is she still here?"

Leia glanced between the two Mirialans, who were giving each other surprised looks. They lowered the spears. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Come. We take you to village. But you wear bind."

~~

"Dad. Dad. Wake up. We gotta go."

Luke?

No, that was impossible; Anakin was on the Destroyer. There was no way his son could have gotten on board successfully. He tried to pry his eyes open, but he was just so, so tired.

"Hand me that," Luke's voice came. It sounded farther away now. "Dad, this isn't gonna tickle. Sorry."

Suddenly, Anakin was flooded with energy, and sharp little pains ran up and down his body. He jerked awake and blinked hard. Someone released the restraints on his chair, and he fell to the floor, breathing heavily. He looked up to see Luke crouch down before him, a worried expression on his face.

"Hey, kid," Anakin said. He winced and sat up properly. "What'd I miss?"

Then Barriss Offee came through the door, an unconscious Ahsoka slung over her shoulders. His eyes widened in surprise, and he reached for his lightsaber, but it wasn't there. "Traitor," he hissed at her. "What are you doing here?"

She calmly set the Togruta down. "No 'thank you,' Master Skywalker?"

"Don't 'Master Skywalker' me, you—"

"Dad."

He sighed. "Right. Sorry."

Luke glanced between the two but said nothing more about it.

"There's a shuttle waiting for us in the main hangar. Master Unduli's clearing a path for us. We have to go now," Barriss said.

"Why should I trust you after you abandoned us?" Anakin said, still skeptical.

"Can you maybe let up on the Skywalker-ness for five minutes and just get up?" She picked up Ahsoka again and nodded to Luke, who placed his father's arm over his shoulders and helped him up.

"Take it easy, dad."

Anakin snorted. "Do I have a choice?"