The Unchronicled Adventures Of Ahsoka Tano, Book Nine

Chapter Thirteen: Aboard The New Hope

AHSOKA TANO

The ship rocked as another volley of blaster fire hit the side of Phoenix Home. Ahsoka darted to a control panel on one wall, reading the damage report that was just coming in. The hyperdrive was down, and the engines were malfunctioning too much to fly properly, but at least they had managed to raise the shields before whomever it was firing at them managed to take it out.

Typing something else out on a keypad, Ahsoka pulled up a scan of the enemy ship. She started, but then relaxed partway. It wasn't an Imperial ship, but it was the next worst thing.

She cursed under her breath. "Bounty hunters!"

"What?" called Lux, running to her side despite the unstable ground.

"Look at this," she said, pulling up a notice from the HoloNet on her comlink. "Apparently, Phoenix Squadron is wanted for big money." Then she noticed who had posted the notice. "Ugh, blast that Governor Tarkin!"

Suddenly, Lux went deathly pale. "Oh Force... The kids... They're still on the Hope, and the shields aren't up!"

"Oh no," she whispered. Although the Hope was currently on the side of Phoenix Home that faced away from the incoming bounty hunters, that could all change in an instant.

Ahsoka ran towards the door, Lux following close behind, but stopped a moment later. "Commander Sato!" she called. "I'm going to see what I can do with my ship. Don't give those bounty hunters any opportunities to hit the supply frigate!"

The commander nodded, seeming to understand that he wasn't in the presence of a woman who was solely an informant, but also of a capable military officer who was suggesting an appropriate course of action.

As she and her husband reached the docking clamp that led to their ship, the latter said, "Ahsoka, I'm going to get one of those A-wings. It'll be harder for them to manage two incoming ships than one."

"Okay," she said, trying to regain her breath from their run. "Be careful, Lux."

He reached down to kiss her on the lips quickly, before continuing down the hallway. As the amount of time they had was limited, she didn't watch him go, instead opening the hatch and running onto the ship.

She found Anakin, Aluxso and Enarion were huddled in a corner, quivering with fear, while Aeja tried to comfort them. The eldest Bonteri looked up as her mother came in. "Momma? What's going on?"

"Bounty hunters," she hissed, before speaking louder to soothe the younger kids. "It's okay, guys, it's okay." She planted a kiss on her Anakin's head. "It's all going to be fine. Momma's gonna make it all okay again."

Ahsoka gave the twins a quick hug, then jumped up again. Nodding to Aeja to continue watching them, she darted into the cockpit.

On the way, she ran into the Clone who had become captain of the 501st after Rex had left, Jattson. "Sir, what are your orders?" he asked with a salute.

"Have some people work the gun turrets. As for everyone else, make sure they're ready in case of a boarding party. We don't know how many bounty hunters are on that ship." When he didn't move to follow her orders, she added, "And Captain?"

"Sir?"

"Go with them. I can fly the ship on my own."

"But sir, I–"

"I'll be fine, Jatts," she said, using her nickname for him. "Go."

He hurried out of the cockpit, and she sat down in the pilot's seat. Bringing the ship's systems online, she turned the shields on full power and guided the New Hope away from the docking clamp. A moment later, the freighter barreled around Phoenix Home and flew toward the enemy ship, engines on full throttle.

As blaster fire from the bounty hunters' ship hit the shields, it made the ship tremble a little, but Ahsoka was able to keep it on course. All of a sudden, blaster fire from the enemy ship came to a complete halt.

Narrowing her eyes in concentration, she tried using the Force to determine if there were any power surges in their guns, which would mean that they were building up for a longer attack. She couldn't find it – the freighter seemed to have been modified to eliminate any way of reading it – but she did find something else.

There was a Force-sensitive being aboard that vessel!

Her eyes widened in shock as she picked up on a presence strong with the Light Side. But letting her surprise get the better of her proved to be a fatal mistake. She was too late to strengthen the forward shields to avoid a flurry of laser blasts.

Something must have been hit, because, not a moment later, a power cell below the dashboard erupting in sparks and exploded. She was thrown back in her seat like a ragdoll.

She hit her head on the hard metal of the back of her chair, and, with a groan, she slumped onto the controls in front of her. The last thing she noticed was that she had accidentally hit the buttons that pulled the ship into a full stop.

But there was nothing she could do, for, a moment later, she blacked out.

*Ahsoka has lost consciousness in the middle of a battle. But who could these mysterious attackers be? And what was this presence in the Force that Ahsoka felt just before she blacked out? What will become of the Hope and the people aboard, now that it has been brought to a standstill? You'll find out in the next thrilling chapter of The Unchronicled Adventures Of Ahsoka Tano!

Ooooooh, cliffhanger!!! You're probably all going to come after me with lightsabers and blasters now, but I promise that I'll update as soon as I can. Which should be later today, but, with all of the OTHER FANFICS that I've started writing (the Letters To Lux Bonteri one, PLUS Luxsoka: A Love Story and YET ANOTHER one that I will be posting soon), no promises. 

I hope you liked the chapter, because I was channeling like every good action scene from SWR to write it. So.... until I can get the next chapter up, bye guys!

Fulfill an ancient prophecy and bring balance to the galaxy and may the Force be with you,

Sharron