Chapter Text
Everywhere she looked, all she saw was countless bodies falling to the ground, their once colorful skin now stained red. Her hearing had long since gone so she no longer could hear the horrifying screams and loud explosions that now occupied her once peaceful village. Her arms were shaking as she ran, as fast as she could, back to her hut.
The scary wolf men with their shiny weapons were back. When they had come before, they had killed all their protectors and taken many of the women. And now they were back. Only this time, they weren’t interested in taking people. Red lights flashed all around her and hit many people. She willed herself not to look.
Just make it back to the hut. You’ll be safe in the hut.
Okliee. Where was Okliee?
She changed directions, searching for the red skin against the sea of color. Screams echoed around her along with the sound of things falling to the floor, but she pushed it all out, focusing solely on Okliee.
She pushed Okliee to the front of her mind and focused on her. A pull came from her right and she ran in that direction. Focusing on Okliee, just like how she taught her, she sprinted to her, running through all the chaos.
It didn’t take long before she found the scarlet red skin.
There she was, a staff in hand, swinging it through the air and taking down any and all wolf men that were in her way. Surrounding her were the village warriors (or what was left of them), fighting off the wolf men.
“OKIEE!” She yelled.
Okliee’s head snapped to her, the fierce determination draining and turning into fear.
“Get out of here, Ahsoka!” She yelled, blocking off another wolf man.
She delivered a second hard blow to another, knocking him back onto the dirt.
Ahsoka watched in awe at her godmother. She had seen Okliee fight but never like this. Suddenly a sharp pain filled her arm and she gave a blood curdling scream, her other hand clamping down hard on it. Looking down at her arm, she saw a long black mark grazing over her arm.
“Get her outta here!” Okliee yelled to a warrior.
And then she was picked up and carried away, her arm burning from the pain.
“No! No, OKIEE!”
She huddled into the warriors chest, trying to make herself as small a target as possible. The warrior ran through the blasts, dodging and weaving through the chaos. And Ahsoka squirmed closer to him, clutching onto her throbbing arm, trying to hold back the tears.
They made it to her tiny hut and the man quickly set her down. Her feet were wobbling and she could barely stand. Tears ran down her cheeks and her whole body ached.
“Ahsoka.” He said, shaking her, making her look at him. “Go into the hut and into the safe room. Stay there.”
She nodded her head and he ran off, back to join the fight.
Not a minute later, she burst through the curtain door and ran to the center of the house. She lifted up the akul rug and unlatched the door as fast as she could, trying to ignore the trembling of her fingers. She took one last look at the door before jumping down into the darkness.
A small light flickered near her. She reached towards it and turned the little dial at the side. Slowly, the light grew, letting her see the room around her.
She had only been down here once, and that was when the wolf men had first arrived. And now she was here again.
She pushed herself back until she felt the cold metal against her skin. It sent shivers down her body. She tenderly pulled her legs in closer to her body, wrapping her arms around her.
She could feel her breaths coming out. They were strange and uneven and shook her whole body.
Her hearing was returning and she could now hear the screams and loud booms echoing down into her little chamber.
Every once in a while, a loud explosion would rock the entire room and jolt her entire body, sending speckles of dirt from the ceiling.
Don’t scream.
Don't scream.
Don’t scream.
Papa said “Don’t scream.”
But every explosion, every scream from the dying lips of the people outside brought her closer and closer to it.
She didn’t know how much time had passed. It felt like days, but at the same time, only seconds. Until, the screaming stopped. Until, the explosions stopped.
She tilted her head, listening intently. But no sound was emitted. Silence enveloped her tiny corner. Numbly, she crawled over to the latter and looked up. She could see some light peeking through the tiny holes, outlining the door frame.
She slowly started to climb up the latter, blending in with the silence till she came to the hatch. She carefully lifted it, peeking through.
No one was there, just the cheerful coloring of her small hut.
If she did not have her memories of the things that happened just moments prior, she would have thought it to be just another regular day. She could hear the birds chirping in the nearby forest and the gurgling water in the stream.
Everything seemed peaceful. Everything seemed okay.
She lifted herself out of the little tunnel and nimbly walked over to the door. She took in a deep breath, let her eyes close, and pushed herself through the curtain.
She found herself tumbling to the ground, tripping over something a little squishy on the ground. Her eyes flew open and looked around for what she tripped on.
Lying on the ground, surrounded by a red liquid was Okliee.
“Okie?” She whispered, touching her shoulder. “Okie? Wake up.”
Okliee made no movements.
Her brows furrowed. Why wasn’t she waking up? She traveled to the other side of her neighbor. Oklie didn’t look in a very comfortable position. She tried to move her body, maybe if she moved her, she would wake up.
She lined her shoulder up with her godmother’s back and braced herself against her body. A shiver went through her spine.
Okliee was really cold.
She would have to get papa to prepare some soup for Okliee.
3
2
1
She pushed with all her strength. Okliee’s body rolled over.
_____
“OKIE!”
The orange blur jumped onto her back, arms and legs like tentacles wrapping around her midsection.
Okliee stumbled slightly further into the little hut from the force of the girl. The man in front of her gave an apologetic smile, but Okliee was grinning from ear to ear.
“Hey nubbie!” She joyfully greeted, maneuvering so the little girl was not sitting on her waist and looking at her. “I missed you sooo much.”
She wrapped her arms around the small girl and the girl reached her arms around Okliee’s neck, hugging her as tight as she could.
Okliee had gone on another trip. She said that her cousin was back on the planet and she wanted to talk to her. Ahsoka grudgingly let her go, but only after Okliee promised that she would come back.
“Okiee!” She said, suddenly pulling away, “Look!”
She wriggled herself out of Okliee’s arms and onto the floor.
Once her feet landed, she grabbed Okliee’s hand and pulled her out the back entrance of the house. They ran for a little while until they came to Okliee’s hut. From there, she ran up the steps to the second floor. They entered the room and Okliee could tell that the little one had been spending a lot of time in her since she had left. Her weights were scattered across the room and tape was scattered across the floor.
She finally let go of Okliee’s hand and ran up to the punching bag.
She took in a deep breath and put on that determined face. She held both hands up to her chest, curling her fingers into balls. Then with a loud yell she punched one hand out, then the other, followed by a hard roundhouse kick.
She landed perfectly, with a growl, her eyes narrowed like the predator she was.
Then it all dissipated. She jumped up and a large, hopeful smile lit up her face and she looked at Okliee with wide eyes.
“Was it good?” She asked.
“I’d say it was borderline perfect!” Okliee said. “Where’d you learn that move, Nubbie?”
“I was watching you.” She said, a little sheepishly.
“Tell me, does your papa know you were in here while I was gone?” Okliee asked with a knowing expression.
Ahsoka seemed to shrink as she shook her head.
It was the first invasion that killed all the warriors, Ahsoka’s mother being among them. After that, her papa had kept her away from any sort of weapon. Okliee had arrived shortly after, mourning for her best friend and promising to take care of her family and the tribe. After that, she started training the remaining of the tribe the way that her cousin had taught her.
Ahsoka’s papa forbade her from watching but she had snuck out sometimes to watch Okliee. Okliee still hadn’t told her papa, after all, Ahsoka was going to need to know how to defend herself if she ever wanted a chance at surviving in this forsaken galaxy.
“Listen, Ahsoka-,” and Ahsoka perked up. Okliee only ever used her real name when she was talking about something serious. “-you know your papa only wants what’s best for you, right?”
She shook her head slowly.
“But that doesn’t always mean he’s right.” Okliee continued, and Ahsoka looked up, like this was new news to her. “So while I may not be able to formally train you, you just keep on watching me. Okay? Our little secret.”
Ahsoka jumped in the air. “Okay!” She readily agreed.
Then, with a steely expression. “I’m gonna be a warrior, just like you and moma!”
“Yes you will, little Nubbie.” Okliee laughed.
_____
A stinging filled her eyes.
“Please.” She whispered. “Please wake up.”
She was shaking Okliee’s cold shoulder now. In the center of her torso was a scary black mark that had ripped through Okliee’s beautiful green dress.
Something warm trailed down her left cheek and she brushed it away with her arm. Her chest was trembling and she hiccuped.
“Okie, please wake up.”
She squeezed her eyes tight and the warmth trailed down her cheeks again, but this time, it was stronger. She wrapped her thin arms around herself and quietly sobbed next to the lifeless body of her godmother.