When She Was Gone

Chapter 17

Sain Minaara yanked the reins of his akk dogs. He unhooked a flask of water from the bottom of the saddle and promptly drained it, but was still somehow thirsty. He counted the flasks he had left and looked at the rows of unplanted garden before him. He sighed.

Sain glanced back to the village, where something caught his eye. He shaded his face and squinted.

Two humans were entering the chief's house.

Outsiders? He wondered.

Sain unhitched one akk dog from the seeder and yelled for the nearby planter to watch the other. He jumped up on its red back and spurred it forward.

The guards at the chief's door eyed him but let him pass. Inside, the two humans were trying to converse with the chief in a mix of Basic and Mirialan. He sat on a cushion just inside the door, listening.

"Message?"

"Yes," said the blond one. "To Padmé Skywalker. Her mother." He nodded to the girl beside him.

The chief cocked his head. "Mother...cackaco?" He spotted Sain and gestured for him to come forward. "Do you speak the human's language, my boy?" He asked in Mirialan.

"Yes," Sain said.

He smiled approvingly. "Tell them that we can get their message out."

~~

Ahsoka's head throbbed, and her chest felt like it was being stabbed in several places. She tried to put a hand to her montrals but realized she couldn't move her arms. She tried to open her eyes, but the light was blinding. Slowly, she started to register noises.

There was a lot of thunking, clanking, yelling, and the sounds of blasters. Something jostled her, increasing the pain in her head. She pried open her eyes, squinting. She tried to move her arms again and looked at what was restraining her.

Ahsoka was pinned under a large metal bar.

And was somehow in the middle of a firefight.

And Anakin Skywalker was standing before her, deflecting laser bolts with his lightsaber.

She was hit with a wave of confusion, along with the overpowering need to get free from her current situation. Straining with the effort, she lifted the heavy rod off her midsection and squirmed onto her hands and knees.

She tried to call out to Anakin, but her voice wouldn't work. She lifted a hand to her throat and froze.

The front of her voice alterer had been ripped out, tearing the wires that allowed her to speak.

Ahsoka crawled to him, head still pounding, and tugged on his armor. He glanced down for a split-second and was so surprised to see the eyes of his Padawan that he almost missed a bolt. He dropped down to a crouch and pulled her behind a pile of crates.

"Can you fight?" He yelled to her over the din. She shook her head, then pointed to it, then to her voice alterer.

Machine broken, she signed to him. Can't speak. He nodded. Head injured. Ribs broken. She gestured to her torso. He grimaced, then took off his backpack and handed it to her. She opened it to see a large pile of grenades.

"Throw these behind you on my signal," he said, then drew his lightsaber and jumped back up into the crossfire. Ahsoka finally got a good look at what was going on.

A small blond boy was huddled beside a shuttle, frantically reprogramming its security lockdown. Anakin was, of course, right in the center of the fight, and Barriss, someone she never thought she'd see again, was shooting a long assault rifle from the cover of a chunk of--what was that? A TIE fighter wing?

Kriff, she thought.

They're firing at the Stormtroopers.

I'm still on the Destroyer.

~~

Obi-Wan watched Leia bounce on the balls of her feet, staring at the holo-board anxiously. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't feeling the same, but he was better at hiding it.

Suddenly, Padme's blue body erupted from the holo-board. She met eyes with her daughter and seemed to melt with relief, then quickly turned to Obi-Wan. "Any news?"

"No," he said heavily. "Anakin was supposed to hold her off while we got out, but..." he glanced at Leia. "You and I both know she can overpower him."

Padme nodded. "Luke went with Master Unduli and Barriss to provide reinforcements."

Obi-Wan's eyes widened. "Master Unduli? I thought she was killed."

"She wasn't. She was badly injured, but managed to get to a healing facility and make her way to some far-off moon." She paused, then shook her head. "I still can't believe Ahsoka would do something like this."

"She didn't." Visible confusion crossed both mother and daughter's faces. "Makari is doing this. Ahsoka is not. Her consciousness was taken over, consumed by the dark side."

"Be that as it may, I intend to get both my son and husband out of that star destroyer."

"I know. Which is why we need you to come to Mirial. Anakin and Ahsoka made an ally here during the Clone Wars--she's passed on, but her son is here."

"Come to Mirial? Just hop on the Syren and jump to hyperspace? I'd never get there in time. The hyperspace trip alone would take at least four hours."

"You don't need to get here in time, mom," Leia said. "You need to be here to get us home when that ship blows."

"Leia, I want to believe it will, but how do you know?"

She grinned. "A feeling."