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Spooky Fest '10 Finale: "The Passenger"
Oct. 31st, 2010 09:38 amThe Passenger
Rated PG For Potential Spookiness
Starring: Ahsoka Tano
Summary: Ahsoka and Rex pick up a lone refugee on a dark and stormy night
The troop transport was making its way across a valley during a driving rainstorm at night. Ahsoka spotted the young girl first--not much older than she--standing by the side of the muddied roadway. The girl wasn't dressed for a night like this one. She was wet and forlorn, her only source of warmth a magenta scarf wrapped around her head and neck.
"Halt," Ahsoka told the the transport pilot. She and Captain Rex hopped out of the transport and walked over to the girl. Ahsoka ad seen the look on her face far too often across the galaxy, ever since this war started. A refugee, alone and separated from her family, maybe the only survivor. Her home lost.
Still, both Ahsoka and Rex had their hands on their weapons. One never knew if a seemingly harmless civilian was in fact a Separatist, a spy, or a bounty hunter.
"Can we help you?" Ahsoka asked.
"I'm trying to get my to my parents' home in Haal-Ru," the girl said, her voice as brittle as glass. "I was coming from Aldaveda."
Aldaveda was a small city devastated by the clash between Seps and Republic forces. Refugees had been fleeing all over. Haal-Ru just happened to be behind Republic lines and the destination of the transport.
"We're heading to Haal-Ru. I can offer you a ride there," Ahsoka said.
"I am most grateful. Yes," the girl said. Ahsoka sensed no deception in the girl, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Ahsoka and Rex checked her for weapons, then once aboard the transport, Ahsoka made sure the girl sat between her and Rex.
As the transport rolled on, Ahsoka couldn't help but notice there was something unusual about the passenger. Her impression in the Force was different and she seemed to radiate cold instead of heat. Perhaps the girl was cold from being out in the storm. Ahsoka hoped she wasn't suffering from hypothermia.
Could she be a shapeshifter? Master Skywalker had encountered one once, a Clawdite. But again, Ahsoka did not sense any deception.
The girl didn't say much on the rest of the journey to Haal-Ru. At one point she removed her scarf, explaining that it was a bit warm on the transport. No hypothermia then but the girl still didn't radiate warmth.
Not long after they passed through Haal-Ru's outskirts, the girl asked for the transport to stop. Rex ordered the pilot to halt, then he accompanied Ahsoka and the passenger outside. The rain had stopped but the air was still thick with humidity. The girl pointed to a small house nearby. "That's it, that's my parents' home." For the first time, she smiled. "I have to go. Thank you so much for your kindness."
"You're welcome," Ahsoka said as she and Rex watched from a distance as the girl went up to the door and stepped inside.
***
If Rex thought there was anything unusual about the girl, he kept it to himself. They got back aboard the transport and it arrived at base camp a short time later. As they disembarked, a clonetrooper scooped up from beneath where the passenger had sat her scarf. He handed it to Ahsoka.
"Oh no, she left her scarf," Ahsoka said. "Well, it's late to return it now, but maybe tomorrow I'll find the time to go by the house."
The next day, Ahsoka went through a debriefing and a battery of training exercises with Master Skywalker. After the midday meal, she had some free time. She retrieved the scarf from her quarters and walked through the streets until she found her way back to the house the girl had entered the night before.
It was a small but immaculately-kept home and it was eerily silent. For a brief moment, Ahsoka wondered if anyone was even home. But she went up to the front door and knocked.
A few moments later, it creakily slid open. In the threshold stood an older woman not much taller than Ahsoka. She wondered if the woman was the girl's grandmother. "May I help you, Mistress Jedi?" the woman asked as she glanced at Ahsoka's lightsaber.
"We were traveling through the valley last night when we picked up a girl, who asked to be let off here. She left her scarf and I was just looking to bring it back." She held out the neatly-folded scarf.
The woman's eyes went wide. "That's impossible..."
"I beg your pardon?"
"You said she left this?"
"Yes."
The woman's eyes filled with tears and her mouth gaped open. "I'm sorry...I don't know how to tell you this."
Ahsoka raised her brow but the woman looked distressed.
"This scarf belonged to my daughter. It had been lost for years. It was lost the night she was traveling across the valley from Aldaveda 40 years ago. She disappeared and then...her body was found several days later. Her murder was never solved."
***
When Ahsoka returned to camp, Master Skywalker took one look at her and said, "What's the matter, Snips? You look like you just saw a ghost."
"Master, I think I did."
Anakin looked at her with bemusement, folding his arms. "What happened?" Ahsoka explained the whole story and Anakin, much to her chagrin, chuckled.
"Snips, that story is the oldest one in the universe. There's a different version on every planet."
"But, Master..."
"Somebody's pulling your leg. Besides, we know what happens when we die. We become one with the Force. There's no such thing as ghosts."
"I know that. Still, I don't think the lady I spoke to was lying. She showed me proof. I saw her daughter's picture. It was the same person I saw last night. I swear!"
Anakin put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Maybe some R&R is in order, Snips." Ahsoka sighed. She wasn't going to convince anyone.
It was a shame because now her interest was piqued in a long-ago unsolved mystery...
The End
Rated PG For Potential Spookiness
Starring: Ahsoka Tano
Summary: Ahsoka and Rex pick up a lone refugee on a dark and stormy night
The troop transport was making its way across a valley during a driving rainstorm at night. Ahsoka spotted the young girl first--not much older than she--standing by the side of the muddied roadway. The girl wasn't dressed for a night like this one. She was wet and forlorn, her only source of warmth a magenta scarf wrapped around her head and neck.
"Halt," Ahsoka told the the transport pilot. She and Captain Rex hopped out of the transport and walked over to the girl. Ahsoka ad seen the look on her face far too often across the galaxy, ever since this war started. A refugee, alone and separated from her family, maybe the only survivor. Her home lost.
Still, both Ahsoka and Rex had their hands on their weapons. One never knew if a seemingly harmless civilian was in fact a Separatist, a spy, or a bounty hunter.
"Can we help you?" Ahsoka asked.
"I'm trying to get my to my parents' home in Haal-Ru," the girl said, her voice as brittle as glass. "I was coming from Aldaveda."
Aldaveda was a small city devastated by the clash between Seps and Republic forces. Refugees had been fleeing all over. Haal-Ru just happened to be behind Republic lines and the destination of the transport.
"We're heading to Haal-Ru. I can offer you a ride there," Ahsoka said.
"I am most grateful. Yes," the girl said. Ahsoka sensed no deception in the girl, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Ahsoka and Rex checked her for weapons, then once aboard the transport, Ahsoka made sure the girl sat between her and Rex.
As the transport rolled on, Ahsoka couldn't help but notice there was something unusual about the passenger. Her impression in the Force was different and she seemed to radiate cold instead of heat. Perhaps the girl was cold from being out in the storm. Ahsoka hoped she wasn't suffering from hypothermia.
Could she be a shapeshifter? Master Skywalker had encountered one once, a Clawdite. But again, Ahsoka did not sense any deception.
The girl didn't say much on the rest of the journey to Haal-Ru. At one point she removed her scarf, explaining that it was a bit warm on the transport. No hypothermia then but the girl still didn't radiate warmth.
Not long after they passed through Haal-Ru's outskirts, the girl asked for the transport to stop. Rex ordered the pilot to halt, then he accompanied Ahsoka and the passenger outside. The rain had stopped but the air was still thick with humidity. The girl pointed to a small house nearby. "That's it, that's my parents' home." For the first time, she smiled. "I have to go. Thank you so much for your kindness."
"You're welcome," Ahsoka said as she and Rex watched from a distance as the girl went up to the door and stepped inside.
***
If Rex thought there was anything unusual about the girl, he kept it to himself. They got back aboard the transport and it arrived at base camp a short time later. As they disembarked, a clonetrooper scooped up from beneath where the passenger had sat her scarf. He handed it to Ahsoka.
"Oh no, she left her scarf," Ahsoka said. "Well, it's late to return it now, but maybe tomorrow I'll find the time to go by the house."
The next day, Ahsoka went through a debriefing and a battery of training exercises with Master Skywalker. After the midday meal, she had some free time. She retrieved the scarf from her quarters and walked through the streets until she found her way back to the house the girl had entered the night before.
It was a small but immaculately-kept home and it was eerily silent. For a brief moment, Ahsoka wondered if anyone was even home. But she went up to the front door and knocked.
A few moments later, it creakily slid open. In the threshold stood an older woman not much taller than Ahsoka. She wondered if the woman was the girl's grandmother. "May I help you, Mistress Jedi?" the woman asked as she glanced at Ahsoka's lightsaber.
"We were traveling through the valley last night when we picked up a girl, who asked to be let off here. She left her scarf and I was just looking to bring it back." She held out the neatly-folded scarf.
The woman's eyes went wide. "That's impossible..."
"I beg your pardon?"
"You said she left this?"
"Yes."
The woman's eyes filled with tears and her mouth gaped open. "I'm sorry...I don't know how to tell you this."
Ahsoka raised her brow but the woman looked distressed.
"This scarf belonged to my daughter. It had been lost for years. It was lost the night she was traveling across the valley from Aldaveda 40 years ago. She disappeared and then...her body was found several days later. Her murder was never solved."
***
When Ahsoka returned to camp, Master Skywalker took one look at her and said, "What's the matter, Snips? You look like you just saw a ghost."
"Master, I think I did."
Anakin looked at her with bemusement, folding his arms. "What happened?" Ahsoka explained the whole story and Anakin, much to her chagrin, chuckled.
"Snips, that story is the oldest one in the universe. There's a different version on every planet."
"But, Master..."
"Somebody's pulling your leg. Besides, we know what happens when we die. We become one with the Force. There's no such thing as ghosts."
"I know that. Still, I don't think the lady I spoke to was lying. She showed me proof. I saw her daughter's picture. It was the same person I saw last night. I swear!"
Anakin put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Maybe some R&R is in order, Snips." Ahsoka sighed. She wasn't going to convince anyone.
It was a shame because now her interest was piqued in a long-ago unsolved mystery...
The End
