Whew, finally back again with the next chapter. Traveling really takes a lot out of you. Okay, in terms of the story we're about two-thirds of the way through- things are about to get a bit more structured/action packed from here on out. Thanks so much for all of your support, and remember to follow, favorite, and comment! :)

Chapter Eighteen

Lux walked down the ship's hallway and into the largest space the ship held- the living area. Three brown, well-worn couches sat closely grouped together in a corner, next to a counter for storing and preparing meals. Stala and Taslen were currently seated at a Pazaak table in the opposite corner of the room, busily engaged in a game.

The Twi'lek glanced up as soon as he heard Lux enter the room. "How's she doing?"

The ex-Senator stifled a pang of annoyance. There was no need for the smuggler to constantly ask after Ahsoka's well-being. Part of this irritation came from a feeling the human had suppressed ever since Steela's death on Onderon. He had refused to acknowledge that he may have feelings for the ex-Jedi, as such feelings always were accompanied by a stab of guilt. Steela had been in love with him, and he had been unable to save her. What if the same were to happen to Ahsoka? Lux wished fervently that no further harm would come to the Togruta, a wish that he could tell would not be granted anytime soon.

Lux forced down his conflicted feelings and replied, "She's doing fine. Her wound's much better, and she should be able to explore Tatooine with us by the time we get there."

Stala looked up from the game. "I'm going to stay with the Chalice, just in case Imperials happen to be present. We don't want a repeat of what happened on Endor."

Taslen and Lux agreed with the logic of her plan, and the trio passed the remaining time to their destination by playing Pazaak and double-checking to make sure everything was in order before they departed the ship for the desert planet.

Eventually, Stala went to the cockpit to control their descent, while Taslen and Lux filled three small packs with supplies sufficient for at least three days, were they to get stuck out in the desert. The plan was to search for a place to hide out until they could safely contact Bail Organa and ask for further instructions. Stala was to use the comlink every three hours, to make sure Ahsoka, Lux, and Taslen were safe. If she didn't hear from them, she was to track the comlink's signal to their location and find them.

Lux slid his arms through the straps of his dust-colored backpack, thinking that the light tan color would blend in perfectly with the mounds of sand they would be traversing across. He picked up the third pack and walked down the corridor towards Ahsoka's room. The Togruta had changed into a spare tunic and leggings belonging to Stala, and was just in the process of checking to make sure everything she might need was in place on her belt when Lux knocked on the open door frame.

"Are you ready?" He asked, throwing the pack at her.

Ahsoka caught it with ease, slipping it on her back. "I am now," Their gaze met for the briefest of moments, and Lux could see a look of calm determination pervading the Togruta's features. "We'll find what we're looking for. I know we will."

Lux wished he could be as certain as his friend. The bad luck the past week had wrought on them made him look at their situation with less optimism than he might have before. What with the Empire's sphere of influence increasing every day, and the ever-present danger of being discovered, the ex-Senator found himself looking at the galaxy in an increasingly darker light. Yet with all the blackness that had invaded his life, he also had been granted bright spots in the forms of Taslen, Stala, and Ahsoka. They gave him hope that things weren't as bad as they seemed.

And looking at Ahsoka now, the bright white of her bandages just showing from underneath the sleeve of her brown tunic, battered and bruised emotionally and physically countless times but still standing, Lux felt hope not only for the present, but for the future as well.

Ahsoka felt it as soon as they touched down on the brown, sun-scorched planet. A powerful presence, one she had not felt in what seemed like years but in reality was only about a week. A presence that seemed equally as hardened and worn as she felt, if not more, but the same despite it all.

"What's wrong, Ahsoka?" Taslen's concerned voice snapped her back to reality. She realized that she had been concentrating so intensely, her eyes had closed and her fists had clenched. It seemed like ages since she had felt the presence of another Jedi, yet the feeling was there all the same.

She opened her eyes, and met the confused stares of her companions. The Togruta tried to decide whether to tell them that Obi-Wan Kenobi was alive and on Tatooine, or withhold the information. Ahsoka knew that there was still a good chance that they would get captured by the Empire, and if so, her companions needed to be able to deny knowledge of the existence of any Jedi other than herself.

And yet, if the Togruta's fate was on a collision course with the old Jedi Master's, then it was unavoidable that her friends would learn of him. Besides, it was no longer in Ahsoka's nature to deceive. After all she had gone through at the hands of Barriss Offee, she couldn't put those she cared about through similar tribulations.

"Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. He's alive and on Tatooine, I'm sure of it." Ahsoka wasn't sure whether she was excited at the prospect of seeing her friend once again, or apprehensive. There was no telling what he had been through during the Jedi Purge.

Lux's eyes widened. "Should we make contact with him?"

Ahsoka sighed. "I don't know. Being together might increase the chances of Imperials finding us. And he may want to be left alone."

Taslen frowned, holding his hands palms up as if to defend himself from the new information. "Wait, slow down. Do you two know this Jedi?"

The ex-Senator glanced at Ahsoka, as if asking her permission, before continuing: "Obi-Wan Kenobi trained Ahsoka's master before she came to the Jedi Temple. He, Ahsoka, and her master helped me to free Onderon."

Lux didn't mention Steela Gerrera or her supporters, and Ahsoka sensed this was because it was still too painful for him to relive that terrible moment when she had fallen to her death. The Togruta knew that her friend didn't blame her, but she knew that the memory of Steela still scorched the ex-Senator with just as much potency as the desert outside would. In time, she could tell that Lux would let go of the hurt and pain that the rebel leader's death had brought, but for now the wound was still raw.

Lux also didn't mention that their efforts had been in vain, as the Inner Rim planet would most likely have been claimed by the Empire's iron-clad fist by now. So many star systems were now under the control of the nefarious organization. Ahsoka vowed quietly to herself that she would do all she could to free them.

Stala bit her lip, considering all that had been said. "I think that you should go see him. He could be a valuable contribution to our efforts against the Empire. If he doesn't want to help, he must at least have some worthwhile information- he escaped the Jedi Purge, after all."

The human glanced at Ahsoka with guilt, as if worried that mention of the massacre would set the Togruta off. "Sorry."

"Don't be," Ahsoka muttered. The majority of her dreams had been filled with the echoes of the dying Jedi's screams. Such death and destruction had to be stopped, not for the purpose of revenge, but so that the legions of dead Jedi would not have perished in vain. Clearing her throat, the ex-Jedi glanced up once again. "All right, then, we should seek out Obi-Wan Kenobi. Perhaps we can contact Bail Organa once we reach him."

Taslen and Lux murmured assent, picked up their packs, and followed the Togruta to the ship's hatch. Stala called behind them, "Remember, I'll contact you every three hours. If you don't pick up, I'm coming after you."

The Twi'lek saluted smartly. "Yes, ma'am." Stala rolled her eyes, barely concealing a grin at Taslen's antics.

Ahsoka and Lux exchanged a glance, both noticing the nervous energy laced through the pair's exchange. The smugglers clearly had feelings for each other. The Togruta just wished that danger wasn't dogging their every step, endangering any plans for the future that might have been possible otherwise.

Obi-Wan Kenobi sat cross-legged on his small bed, meditating. He had felt the presence of Ahsoka Tano just moments earlier, and knew that sooner or later the Togruta and the companions he sensed were traveling with her arrived at his hovel's small, oval-shaped door.

He still had not decided whether or not to tell her of her former master's fate. It would hurt her, more than it had him, but the truth was important for the Togruta to know. Especially in these dark days, where treachery and deceit were woven into every conversation, every exchange. Of course, Obi-Wan didn't leave his hovel often. It was too risky. He would, however, venture as far as the Lars homestead, where he would watch over the Skywalker child at a distance. Owen Lars had made himself clear: the old Master was not welcome on his property. That was why his expeditions to the small family were made with the cover of night as his ally.

Fear shone in Owen's lined face every time he caught sight of the Jedi Master. Fear of both the Jedi himself, and of what would befall him, his wife, and their small charge if they were to be caught talking to the aging man. Everything about him screamed, "Jedi", from the robes that hung off his increasingly smaller frame, to the aura of wisdom and knowledge that emanated from his figure.

Kenobi didn't have to wonder what Owen's reaction would be if he saw Ahsoka with him. Twice the Jedi, twice the danger. And yet, Obi-Wan was certain that she would want to see the son of her old Master. He realized that he had made his decision already; indeed, he had known for a while that he would have to tell the Togruta. He owed it to her, and to his old apprentice, the small, blonde-haired, blue-eyed child that he had once thought he knew so well.

No sooner had he arrived at his decision than a knock came at the door, soft but insistent. He sighed softly, crossed the small space, and opened the door. Outside stood the young Togruta, a young man that he recognized as Lux Bonteri, and a green Twi'lek whose identity was unknown to him. The trio's faces were smudged with grime and grit from the sand swirling loosely in a light breeze outside. Two swoop bikes parked nearby showed their method of travel.

"Come in, I've been expecting you." The young Togruta showed no surprise at his remark, and she walked inside, followed by her companions. Kenobi reflected how much she had grown in such a short time: maturity and growth radiated from her being.

Taslen cleared his throat as they sat down in the small metal chairs that the old Master owned. "I suppose I'm the stranger here; you all know each other. Hello, I'm Taslen Lasgaran. On a normal day, I smuggle cargo. Today, and for as long as the Empire insists on taking over every star system they can get their slimy hands on, I work for the Rebel Alliance."

Kenobi was slightly amused by the young Twi'lek's aura of confidence and determination. He remembered back to the days when he had been as self-assured. Then he had learned to let go of his pride, something he had failed to teach his wayward apprentice.

As if reading his thoughts, Ahsoka leaned forward slightly and asked, "So, Master Kenobi, how did you escape the Purge? Do you know what happened to Anakin?"

Obi-Wan sighed once more, crossed his arms, and settled back in his seat. He glanced at Lux, and then at Taslen. "Would you mind leaving us for a moment?"

Lux caught on at once. "Of course. We'll wait outside; come on." He gestured to the Twi'lek, who followed him out to where they had parked their swoops.

Obi-Wan Kenobi looked at Ahsoka, taking in her expression of equal parts hope and trepidation. "I'm sorry, Ahsoka. I bear bad news."

Poor Ahsoka. The truth can be hard sometimes, and especially in this case. I'll be posting again in about a week. Hope you all favorite, follow, and comment! :)