Ahsoka, Daughter of the Light (Book 4): Hidden

Chapter 37: Docking Up

FIRST SISTER (BARRISS OFFEE)

"Get up," beckoned First Sister. "She didn't beat you, did she?"

The Grand Inquisitor came to, and rolled a rock off of his arm. It was clear that Ahsoka had beaten him and thrown him into the canyon wall.

"Ugh," he said, "She was too powerful... how?"

"You got lucky," First Sister replied. "Fifth Brother got it much worse. He needs a hand. Literally."

"What happened to him?" Questioned The Grand Inquisitor.

"His condition's critical," First Sister replied. "We have to take him to the nearest medical station."

"What about Ahsoka? Surely, we cannot just leave them here? We still have a chance to get her, or at least one of the other-"

"She's gone," First Sister said. "Pirate yacht flew overhead. I'm guessing they hijacked it."

The Grand Inquisitor for a brief moment seemed scared.

"Lord Vader will not like this," he said. "This is the second time she has escaped from our grasp!"

"Let's worry about that later," First Sister replied. "We have to take Fifth Brother back to the shuttle, and we have to walk there quick. Ahsoka took a speeder and destroyed the other two, so we'll have to go back on foot."

"Very well then," said The Grand Inquisitor.

He used the Force to pull his lightsaber to his hand, and then hung it over his back.

First Sister walked over to the still unconscious Fifth Brother and lifted him up.

"Well," First Sister said, "this is a piece of filth. You'd probably have an easier time carrying him, would you?"

"My arm feels broken," replied the Grand Inquisitor. "I think I hit that wall hard."

"Great," replied First Sister. "Look at us. This is humiliating. We're supposed to be Jedi Hunters! We can't even kill someone who's not even a knight yet when we outnumber them three-to-one!"

"Don't worry," The Grand Inquisitor reassured. "I will see to it that next time Lord Vader handles her personally."

AHSOKA TANO-BONTERI

"Let's see what I can do here..." Ahsoka said.

She pushed a few buttons on the communications network in the cockpit. Lux and Katooni were just sitting around.

A cloaked figure appeared as a hologram.

"This is Fulcrum to Home Base, do you read?" Ahsoka said.

"We read you," Replied the scrambled voice.

"Who am I speaking to?" Ahsoka asked.

"No codename assigned," replied the figure. "Homeworld Mirial, age 22."

That could only mean it was Lyda she was speaking with.

"Your droid brought back the supplies," Lyda continued. "We really needed them. When will you be back?"

"We're en route in a stolen pirate yacht." Ahsoka replied. "We've got even more supplies on board. We're planning on docking it up with the ship for extra shelter."

She intentionally avoided mentioning the Crucible by name, as such a ship could have been tracked down by the Empire easily.

"Good to hear," Lyda replied. "Any trouble?"

"Yes," Ahsoka replied. "I got past it, though. I'll tell you a bit more when we get back."

"Okay," Lyda replied. "I guess I have no use asking you anything over comms if you're already on your way back."

"See ya," Ahsoka replied, cutting off comms.

"So we're using this ship as a temple, then?" Katooni asked Ahsoka.

"Of course," Ahsoka replied. "This thing is large enough, and, well, we'll take all we can get right now. I'm not sure if it has enough rooms for everyone though, but we can still use tents if necessary, or group multiple people into one room."

"Good idea," Lux replied. "The Crucible was starting to get a little small, anyways."

A light on the ship's control board flashed and beeped. They were coming out of hyperspace.

"We're here," Ahsoka said.

The ship dropped out of Hyperspace, and came out just outside the atmosphere of the planet the Jedi Camp was on.

"Dammit," Ahsoka said, "too close. I guess that's what happens when you chart hyperspace routes into uncharted space. Gotta work on that next time."

She piloted the ship down and to the area where the Camp.

She saw the figures of the younglings out in the fields staring up at them. Some seemed a little worried, but most understood by now that if a ship wasn't of Imperial design, it was most likely hijacked.

The ship landed itself right next to the Crucible, making sure to align the docking ports, so the two ships could attach.

The three of them walked down the stairs and back down to the exit ramp.

Once the Younglings saw her, they breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"Lux," Ahsoka told her husband, "extend the docking port on the Crucible. I'll do the same for this Yacht."

"Got it," Lux replied. He ran off into the Crucible.