Consequences

Chapter 8 - From the Past

Complete exhaustion, physical and emotional, overtakes me moments after we're safely in hyperspace. Leaving the hyperdrive area, I step into another side room on the ship where no one else is right now. I need to be alone for at least a little while to get myself under control and have some time to think. I should go check on Luke, but that will wait until I'm ready to face the barrage of questions I know will be coming.

Sinking to the floor, I bury my head in my hands. How could everything have come to this? I struggle to accept the mind-numbing truth. He's gone. Anakin, my master, my brother, is gone. Not gone. Fallen. Is there even anything of the person I knew left?

How could I have been so stupid? How could I have just left him like that? I didn't know it would hurt him so much, but it should have been obvious. It's obvious now. He always cared more than he should have, and I'd never paid close enough attention to his feelings. I'm so sorry, Master. I failed you. I will make up for it. I promise.

The reality crushes me. Everyone's gone. I'm alone. All alone. And there's no one to help. Not Plo. Not Obi-Wan. Not Yoda. And certainly not Anakin. I'm here, in the future, for who knows how long, foreseeing everything that was going to happen. Maybe I can change it. Maybe. I have to try. I can't just sit back and watch this all happen.

Suddenly I hear footsteps approaching. Someone's coming. Chewbacca appears in the doorway, and growls softly.

"What's wrong?"

"I just – everything," I mumble. Perhaps 'what isn't?' would have been a more correct response. "How is Luke doing?" I ask hastily, attempting to veer the topic away from myself. I reluctantly climb to my feet, but I probably should try to get my mind on something else. At least for now.

"He'll be alright. He'll get a replacement paw as soon as we arrive at the Rebellion," responds the Wookie, walking over and wrapping his huge fury arms around me. I hug him back. It's... unusual, but right now, it seems to make me feel a little better. And it's a reminder that maybe I'm not as completely alone as I feel. If I tell them the truth, I won't have to share this burden alone. At least not now.

"You're Ahsoka Tano. How is it that you're still a cub?" he asks, letting go of me.

"How do you that's who I am?" I inquire.

"You smell just like her," he explains. Oh. That was... unexpected.

"That's something I'm sure the others are wondering as well. Perhaps we should go out there, so I don't have to be repeating this twice," I suggest. I'm still not really in the mood for having a long conversation with everyone, but obviously I can't avoid it any longer. Besides, I'd rather get it over with now.

We go into the main hold where all the others are gathered. I'm honestly a little surprised that Luke's still conscious, and I can tell he has a million questions to ask me. Right now, I'm just grateful that he doesn't mention any of the things I definitely don't want to talk about in front of everyone. Hopefully, that will be a conversation we can privately, later. Preferably, much later.

"Who are you anyway?" questions Leia.

"A new friend of Luke, Ahsoka Tano," I reply. She stares at me, a mixture of shock and confusion. What? Has she heard of me?

"But you're dead!" she splutters. Oh, nice to know that in twenty years from now I'm going to be dead. A good thing to add to my list of concerns right now, but for some reason, that knowledge isn't bothering me as immensely as it should. Maybe my emotions are too messed up for it to sink in right now. "And how could you look so young? Aren't you, like, thirty-something? You look like half your age!"