The Unchronicled Adventures Of Ahsoka Tano, Book Nine

Chapter Forty-Four: Not My Padawan

AHSOKA TANO

The next morning, as Ahsoka was preparing to leave for the meeting at IronFist HQ with Lux and Captain Jattson, she approached Kaylira's door again. Even though all her efforts to reconnect with her young Padawan Learner had failed Ahsoka was determined to settle this.

Ahsoka was afraid of what Kayli would become if she took too much advantage of it, but fear was no way to handle the situation. She and Kayli had a special bond, after all. Shutting the young girl out had been a mistake, but they would push through it – they always did, in the end.

She knocked at the door. "Kayli? It's Ahsoka," she called softly. "Can I come in, Kayli? We need to talk about something."

"Yeah, whatever," came the carefully nonchalant reply.

The glowing button on the door panel flashed from red to green. The door had been unlocked from inside, and Ahsoka took that as a sign to come in. But before she could even take three steps into the room, she stopped short.

Kaylira was sitting, cross-legged, in a common form for Jedi meditation. Catching and riding on the waves of energy in the Force around her, strands of hair and smaller braids were floating up into the air around her. But what was not common at all was the fact that she was hovering a foot off the ground.

Ahsoka knew what the girl was doing. This was a prime example of Floating Meditation, an old Jedi technique that a few of the more deeply spiritual Masters and Padawans she'd known and knew now practiced.

What she didn't know was how: Kaylira had never learnt anything even close to this technique. Not from Ahsoka herself, anyways.

And the amount of power behind it was staggering – Ahsoka had never felt anything like it, except once. But that wasn't possible...

"How are you doing this?" she whispered. "I... I never taught you how to meditate like that, and it takes months to master..."

"I know." Kaylira opened her eyes, but somehow, they were too bright. The shiny flecks of gold hidden in the delicate mauve were standing far more than usual, and her smile was just a little too cheery. "But," she said, her tone dropping so that it sounded almost like she was telling a secret, "I have a very good teacher."

Ahsoka knew that, although she considered herself to be a practiced instructor in the Jedi Arts, she wasn't the one her Padawan was speaking of. And she couldn't imagine anyone other than herself or Lux (but, even though she loved him for who he was, he wasn't advanced enough for this) that Kayli would trust enough to talk with much.

"Who?" she asked in a whisper.

Kaylira lowered herself gently down onto the soft sheets of her bed, her smile and gaze never faltering. "Oh, the Force, naturally! It's the first and foremost of a Jedi's tutors, as you always say, Master Ahsoka!"

Master Ahsoka? She never calls me that. It's always Master Tano. What the kriffing hell is going on?

"Kayli... Look. Please. Just understand this. I don't know who this is, but I really don't think it's you," she said, stepping carefully towards the bed. She had pulled back her battle shields to protect only parts of her mind, and left information that wasn't meant to stay secret readable as a gesture of peace.

Kaylira's eyes dilated, and she inhaled sharply. She lowered herself effortlessly onto the surface of the bed, unfolding her legs out from under her to get up and come and stand before her Master.

"I'm more myself than I've ever been," she hissed, straightening her back so that her small frame seemed taller. "Eventually, we all have to grow up. I'm not some helpless little girl you found back on Tatooine anymore."

"But you're burning up your power faster than even Anakin used to! You're feeding off the Force like... like..."

She couldn't say it.

"I am a Jedi. I've always been a Jedi – you've said so before that I always had the potential," she said. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, burning with an unnatural light. "In fact, I'll be the most powerful Jedi ever! Just wait, you'll see!"

Ahsoka shook her head slowly. "No, Kaylira, please–"

"If you're choosing to stand in my way, then so be it."

And with that, she marched out of the room, the door sliding open with the Force without her even having to reach out with her hand.

Ahsoka sat down on the bed and sighed, cradling her head in her hands. "I don't know what to do anymore," she whispered. "Please, Anakin... Tell me how you did it. How you taught me. Because it's a responsibility I'm not sure I know how to live up to anymore."

She reached out into the air around her, taking in the electric feeling of Kaylira's incredible Force powers. She was having trouble remembering how – she had been having a lot of trouble remembering anything from that time lately – but she managed to pull some of the excess energy into herself to raise her own level of awareness.

"She's changing, but I don't think it's for the best, Anakin." She sighed. "I don't know what to do," she said again. "Kayli's not my sweet little Padawan anymore. She's not the girl I loved like a daughter."

*Ahsoka's attachment to her young Padawan Learner has never caused her more unease. What could be the problem with Kaylira's state of mind? Will Ahsoka find out in time to save her from Zannah, and maybe even death? And what could Darth Bane's master plan be? Could our heroes be slowly but surely walking into a trap? You'll find out in the next thrilling chapter of The Unchronicled Adventures Of Ahsoka Tano!

SEND MAH LOVE TO YOUR NEW LAH-HA-VEEEERRR!!! TREAT HER BEH-EH-EH-AHTER!! YOU'VE GOTTA LET GO- * plays some notes on piano and realizes I'm singing a tone too low* Well, kriff. ADELE WHY DID YOU NOT WRITE THIS IN C MAJOR AND ED SHEERAN THAT SONG OF YOURS I JUST LISTENED TO THREW MY PITCH OFF SHAAAAAAAAMMMMEEEE

Yeah, basically that was me rejoicing in the fact that I FINALLY got all the new music I got while THAT KRIFFING CELL PHONE was out of commission onto said phone. 'Send My Love (To Your New Lover)' by Adele is one of my new favorites XD

And the image above is one of many reasons I love the internet. I wanted a pic of a violet iris with golden-yellow flecks, and what do I find? Exactly that! And it looks super realistic too!! That's basically what Kaylira's eyes look like.

So, anyways, this was a bit of a filler chapter, but I'm happy with it. I haven't written anything for this in a little too long (sorry...), and the creativity wasn't flowing so good. Angsty is always fun... Well, for the writer, anyways :}

Now, go and enjoy the other two updates, or other one, if you've read one already! I'll do my best to update soon!

Find evidence that one of your best friends set you up to be convicted and may the Force be with you,

Sharron