The Unchronicled Adventures Of Ahsoka Tano, Book Nine

Chapter Thirty-Nine: This Is What I'm Fighting For

LUX BONTERI

"Okay, boys! Get ready to lock and load!" Enarion called, his little boy's tenor vibrating throughout the room. He prepped a harmless training blaster, and, resting it on his forearm to steady it, he took aim at the two Jedi in the center or the room.

"Roger that, Commander!" his brother replied from the other end of the room. Alux – unlike his brother, who was on the ground with most of the Rebel Troopers – was balanced on a stack of three large crates full of preserves and medical supplies, and using a fourth smaller one as cover.

Lux smiled as he moved into a ready position. His boys were growing up so fast... And they were turning into the best possible blend of him and their mother. (Which consisted mainly of Ahsoka, because she was the perfection in their relationship, not him.)

"Now, Padawan," he said to Aeja in a 'wise Jedi Master' monotone mockingly similar to Master Windu's, "we're dealing with two very dangerous Commanders and their elite troops, with no hopes for reinforcements. We must be cautious."

Captain Jattson chuckled a little at that, but Alux gave him a look, and he went silent. The Troopers were doing Lux a big favor by entertaining the kids like this, and he was glad that they were being such good sports about it. His children would learn a lot about military command and how to fight lightsaber- or blaster-wielding opponents this way.

Enarion smiled evilly. "Take aim..."

Twenty-five blasters were immediately at the ready with the practiced efficiency that was the inevitable product of Ahsoka's rigorous training program back on Cialone. Although Lux knew that they would only be firing bolts that would do little more than numb whatever they hit, but he couldn't help but remember a time when white armor had meant enemy and not friend.

He shook the thought away. Things were different now – and he was proud of the warriors that the Rebel Troopers had become.

"And... Fire!" Alux yelled.

His brother obviously had qualms with the fact that he had given the order. "Hey, we said I was gonna say that and–"

He was cut off as the firing began. Aeja's training lightsaber flashed into life, and moving in a blur to block the bolts flying towards her. Her form was a little off, but that only made sense – she was still very young and didn't have the same battle experience Ahsoka had accumulated by the time he met her.

Her siblings' skills with their blasters were also considerable. As Lux deflected their shots, he watched as his boys adjusted the angle they were firing from. They were learning; thinking on their feet. That was good – it was a trait he was sure they would need later in life.

And then, quite by chance, one of Enarion's shots slipped through his father's defenses and hit his shoulder. Taken by surprise, Lux stumbled a little.

They boy whooped victoriously, halting in his shooting to dance around. "I have downed the mighty Jedi General Bonteri! Victory!"

"I am not downed!" Lux called back indignantly. Then, a mischievous smirk came to his lips. He switched the grip on his blue-bladed lightsaber to one hand, and used the other to channel the Force and lift the box Enarion was standing on into the air, a few sneaky inches at a time.

"Take that, you rabid son of a Loth-cat!" he crowed, still immersed in his lucky shot. The poor kid hadn't even noticed that he was rising up into the air yet.

Aeja turned to look at him. "Momma's going to kill you," she stated primly.

Lux wasn't sure what she meant – the strict rule against using the Force on another family member or the language. But he was a great role model either way.

"Really, I have no idea where he got that from," he denied half-heartedly.

His only daughter raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh, sure."

And then, out of the blue, something child-shaped dropped down from the vent up above him, landing squarely on his shoulders. The familiar sound of his youngest son's belly laughs informed him that Anakin had woken up from his nap early and come to see what all the commotion in the cargo bay was about.

"Stand down, men!" Lux called, and the troopers stopped firing, some of them trying to contain laughter as he flailed about, trying to find a reliable center of balance with the (surprisingly heavy) toddler on his shoulders.

He lost his grip on the Force, and the crate Enarion was standing on fell the ten inches or so to the floor, landing with a clatter. His son let out a squeak of alarm, rolling off the cool metal surface box and onto the floor.

"No!" said Alux to his namesake, and then turned to his twin brother. "We will never stand down! Commander, with me!"

Enarion scrambled out from behind the crates, sheathing his blaster. The two boys shared a moment of silent mental communion, before both boys jumped from their hiding spots and tackled their father to the ground.

"He's down; he's down!" Lux cried, trying to get the kids off him and failing miserably. He shot an imploring look in Aeja's direction. She was looking at the pile of Bonteri boys with an amused smile on her face. "Padawan, you're my only hope!"

"I wouldn't stand a chance against their sheer numbers, Master," she replied, a wicked smile on her face. "And if you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

And with that, she jumped into the air, using the Force to propel herself towards her family members with extra speed. She landed on top of the pile, eliciting groans from all four below her thanks to the added weight.

"Oof!" Lux yelped, trying to shift a little so he was somewhere close to comfortable. "Your battle strategies leave some room for improvement, Aeja–!"

"Uh, do you need assistance, sir?" asked the captain, standing awkwardly above the writing mass of arms, legs and fingers and other assorted limbs. He was doing an admirable job at keeping his face serious, when about half of the Troopers were doubled over from laughing.

"Nope, I'm fine," Lux choked out, swatting a boot – Alux's, by the look of it – off his windpipe. He sighed, releasing the tension in his torso from trying to get back up with all of his children on top of him. He was choosing to accept defeat today. "But thanks, Jatts. Go get yourselves something to eat."

Gradually, the other soldiers filed out of the room, taking Lux's invitation to embark on a quest for food. Aeja grabbed a few locks of her father's hair and started braiding them together – Ahsoka always did say that his hair was too long, and that it had to be cut –, and her siblings continued clambering all over him.

He laughed softly, closing his eyes. "This... This is what I'm fighting for."

*Lux has found his reason to fight in the growing rebellion against the Empire. But could there be other enemies our heroes are unaware of, lingering just beyond their field of vision? What could be happening to Kaylira? Why are her powers growing? The answer could be closer to home than anyone thinks... You'll find out how in the next thrilling chapter of The Unchronicled Adventures Of Ahsoka Tano!

Hello all! Hope you liked the cute little family scene! I really don't write enough of these... Maybe I'll write some one-shots about the Bonteri kids *cough* and their rather remarkable parents *cough* later... 

SOOOO glad that exams are finally over... Finally I can take a deep breath and write my butt off (or try to anyway). And btw, I'm sure not all of you read these author's notes, but for those of you who do: THERE MAY BE A UAAT BOOK TEN. NOTHING IS CERTAIN YET, BUT I HAVE A GOOD FEELING ABOUT THIS. 

Anyways, next chapter we'll find out why Ahsoka and Kaya are going to Old Jho's Pit Shop... and who they'll meet there. I'll do my best to get the update posted soon, but I have other stuff to write and it's kind of difficult to get my priorities straight now that ideas for a sequel to TISS have come knocking :/ 

But until then...

Come back to the Light Side of the Force after over two decades of darkness and may the Force be with you,

Sharron