(y/n) POV:

~1 year later~

My lungs heaved as I took in ragged breaths, running for my life. Each step I took was accompanied by a cacophony of lasers being shot at me. My anxiety shot off the scales in mere seconds, so quickly that I was currently enduring a head rush while sprinting through the sewers in Coruscant's swampy underworld.

Over my harsh breathing, I faintly heard the sound of my comlink beeping.

I groaned as I answered it, but since I was running my attempt at a groan only came out as a cough, "Kind of in the middle of something." I hurdled over a rusty fence and grunted in pain when I landed awkwardly, my legs staggering.

"(y/n)? What's going on? You should've been back an hour ago." Ahsoka's concerned voice buzzed in my ear. I ran through a dark tunnel and hid for a moment, hoping that my pursuers wouldn't find me in here.

While taking heavy breaths from all the exertion I just endured, I brought my comlink up to my lips and spoke as quiet as possible, "I've got storm troopers hot on my trail, Ahsoka."

"What?" She gasped, "How could you have let them see you? All you had to do was go to the market for fruit!" She scolded.

"It's not like this was on my—agenda—for the day." A grenade went off just outside of the tunnel I was in, making me jump in surprise as I spoke. I immediately ran out the opposite way I came in, and fired through a restricted path that led to the sewers.

"Bloody hell...." I muttered, irritated with what little progress I was making.

"Do they know who you are?" Ahsoka asked urgently.

"I don't know." I responded, only half paying attention as I scanned my surroundings for a hiding spot.

Ahsoka sighed, "I'll pinpoint your coordinates and be there as fast as I can. Try not to die." She instructed.

"No promises." I replied, quickly ending the comlink call before she could reply. I hopped down through a hole which then dropped me into the toxic filled sewers.

Though it was extremely gross and probably dangerous because of the toxic fumes, I hid myself behind piles of rusty waste bins that look like they haven't been used in a hundred years.

I panted and gently tugged at my hair, completely stressed out. "This would happen to me..." I muttered crossly to myself.

Today started off as any other day; I went to one of the markets in the underworld of Coruscant for fruit, and it was actually pretty nice and peaceful. But I had been thwarted by a newly installed security patrol set up by our self-declared Emperor, Palpatine. The mere thought of him makes me sick to my stomach.

A lot has changed since Ahsoka saved me that day, long ago. Not just for me and her, but for the whole galaxy itself. For a while Ahsoka and I laid low; she did her best to help me through my own inner turmoil while finding a way for us both to live together, all while hiding me from the eyes of the new Empire. She's been so kind to me, and I really don't deserve it.

At first we didn't really have an end goal; we just took life one step at a time, which was honestly what I needed. I needed a break from everyone and everything. I was tired of living the life of a Jedi, with countless pressure and responsibility placed on my shoulders that I never even asked for. It wasn't until my path crossed with Ahsoka that I was reminded that I have a choice. And that's something they don't tell you, as a Jedi. For my whole life I believed that being a Jedi was everything, that I'd be devastated and lost without it.

Oh, how wrong I was.

After enduring my stages of grief, depression, anger, and confusion; I slowly began to find peace within myself. And in order to do that, I had to forget about my past life. I had to forget about my friends, the Jedi, Yoda, Obi-Wan. I had to forget about Anakin....

As much as my heart hurt to push away the memories of all the people I once loved dearly, I had to remind myself of where that love got me. And not only where it got me, but how it ultimately sent all of my relationships in a downward spiral.

Ahsoka knew that I wouldn't be able to move on so easily if I didn't have a distraction, so she and I actually came up with our own little 'job'—is the best word I'd use to describe it—where we travel anywhere we can to help people in need. It started simply in Coruscant when a lady was being mugged by a group of brigands, and then a man whose shop was robbed. After that, we eventually found ourselves coming to the rescue of those in any sort of trouble. We typically stay in Coruscant since it's the most convenient and many crimes occur near us, but every now and then if we get word of someone in trouble on another planet, we'll make the trip for them.

Ahsoka and I have bonded immensely through our journey over this last year; as outcasts who have finally begun to find their place once more. Though we don't consider ourselves as Jedi anymore, we still try to practice meditation, work on fighting techniques, and understanding the force.

We haven't been very up to date on everything that's happened, but what we do know from the news, and word on the street, is that Palpatine was apparently able to name himself Emperor because he believed that both Separatists and the Republic, as well as the Jedi, could not be trusted with any sort of power. That knowledge only pushed us further into our own form of exile, because it was blatantly obvious that I was the cause for his mistrust of the Jedi. We have no idea what's happened to them, if they're still at the Temple, or if they've relocated. But we decided it's better that we don't know, so that we don't get wrapped up in whatever political turmoil the Empire surfaced from, as well as the fact that both of us are done with the Jedi.

And that brings us to where we are currently; Palpatine has only recently started sending strict patrols out scouring for anyone who isn't following the laws or protocol of the Empire. Now, normally I might not be so worried about that since it was already a common thing for the Empire to send security like this out into the world. But the reason I'm beginning to get worried now is because these patrols have been out and about in the areas that Ahsoka and I mostly spend our time. And my paranoid mind can't help but wonder if Palpatine might be starting to sense my existence.

As I mentioned, I began reconnecting with the force, and my health slowly restored. I started to actually feel like a person again, like I had a purpose in this world.

But my confusion is, if Palpatine has even the slightest hint that I'm alive, then why hasn't he personally come after me? Or at least sent an army of bounty hunters.

As long as I'm alive, I have the knowledge of who he is and can use that against him, which I know would concern him. But on the other end, who would believe me?

At this point I know Palpatine's schemes as a Sith well enough to assume that if he knows I exist, and isn't doing anything, then it's likely that he's formulating some sort of plan. He's smart, and I wouldn't put it past him if he's waiting for me to make the first move just so he can use my vulnerability against me like last time.

I could just be overthinking this; it's only the first time I've been seen by a patrol. And I don't even know if they recognized me, or even knew who I was. Either way, my theories will have to wait until Ahsoka and I retreat to one of our many hideouts.

After minutes of staying silent in my position behind the waste bins, I discreetly poked my head out to look left and right for any signs of life, or anything that would signal that I was being watched.

I quietly sighed in relief and quickly tip-toed towards the other end of the sewers. On my way I saw puddles of green slime, making me cough as I got close enough to inhale some of the fumes. I pulled my shirt over my nose and transitioned from tip-toeing to jogging.

I ended up beneath another hole which shone daylight down onto me. I climbed up the rusty latter and heaved myself out onto the clearing, landing in a power stance in case anyone tried to ambush me. I didn't know exactly where I was, but it looked like the other side of town. I noticed a few food stands, and some homeless people wandering about through dark alleyways.

Even though I was probably in the clear, I scrutinized the area heavily. Most people were just minding their own business, and it seemed to be a particularly calm time of the day.

Suddenly I heard footsteps running up behind me. Feeling my spider sense take over, I turned around and moved to roundhouse kick whoever it was. I heard a cry of surprise and stumbled when my foot didn't actually hit anything. I looked down to see none other than Ahsoka ducking from my kick.

She stood up straight and looked at me in disbelief, "What was that for?"

I scoffed and gestured my hands to her, "You're the one that tried to sneak up on me."

I swear, she almost gave me my eighth heart attack of the day from how fast she was running.

She sighed and began walking back from the way she came, gesturing for me to follow, "I wasn't sneaking. I ran the whole way here as soon as I parked the speeder. We need to go now before any storm troopers spot us."

We ran in sync all the way back to the speeder she brought, and flew away as quickly as possible. It was only then when we were in the air that I felt completely safe, and sighed as I slumped in my seat. "That was too close." I muttered, rubbing my eyes.

"Yeah, it was." She rebuked, smacking me on the head.

"Ow." I whined, looking over at her in annoyance.

She sighed and shook her head, keeping her eyes forward, "You really scared me, (y/n). I thought they had gotten you. And the fact that they chased you makes me assume that they know who you are." She spoke sadly. I could see the fear in her blue eyes, knowing that the both of us would have to live on the run again, probably away from Coruscant.

I got the sense that she had more to say, but she didn't talk for the rest of the ride, and kept fidgeting nervously with the controls the whole time. I felt confused; I understood that she was anxious but it's unlike her to be silent like this for a long time.

When the ship landed, Ahsoka left the engine on and took off her seat belt in a rush, "We need to pack our belongings and get out of here." She tried leaving the ship but I grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Ahsoka." I spoke her name to get her attention, but she still stood facing the other way. "Look at me." I said softly.

She sighed and turned towards me slowly, looking utterly dispirited. I furrowed my brows, "There's something else, isn't there?" I asked.

She stiffened and nodded, crossing her arms, "I learned something today; something awful. And I have an idea of how we can help with it, but I know you won't like it."

Feeling worry creep it's way into my stomach, I rose an eyebrow for her to continue.

She nodded, "I don't think this has become public news, but I overheard a security clone gossiping about Palpatine's plans. Mainly, where the Jedi have been all this time."

My attention heightened at the mention of the life Ahsoka and I once lived, and instantly the memories of all the people I used to care deeply for returned. Not that I really care now; this whole time I've been trying to move on from them, but also it's not like I want to see any of them hurt.

"(y/n)....Palpatine has all of them locked up for treason. And I assume it's been that way since the beginning of the Empire last year. He wants to kill all of them, and the reason he hasn't done it yet is because not every Jedi is there. That's why he's been sending those patrols out; to search for every last Jedi so that they will all be executed at the same time." Her words quickened with each sentence and I had a hard time keeping up with them at the end.

"Okay, okay. Don't forget to breathe." I half-joked, placed my hand on her shoulder comfortingly, and taking in all of the information she just threw at me.

"So," I paused for a moment, "What's this idea you have?"

Ahsoka hesitated and darted her eyes down for a moment, then looked back up at me with a pained expression. "We have to free those Jedi, (y/n). We can't just stand by and do nothing. I figure if we find the remaining ones that haven't been jailed, then you and I can team up with them to defeat Palpatine." She spoke like it was a question, as if she was unsure of her plan. She probably was unsure, considering how powerful Sith are compared to a few Jedi.

I nodded, puzzled as to what part of this I wouldn't like, "So, who are the remaining ones?"

She chewed her lip nervously, before closing her eyes. She looked back up at me after a few seconds of a dramatic pause, only confusing me more. "It's Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Yoda." She revealed.

My heart dropped to my stomach at the mention of those names. Of course it's them, I shouldn't even be surprised. Luck never seems to be on my side.

"What? How are you sure that it's even them?" I asked.

She shrugged innocently, "Master Yoda contacted me." She admitted simply.

I laughed, finding that almost too humorous to be true, "Did he now? And did he also happen to mention where he disappeared to all those months ago?"

She sighed sadly, probably remembering when I told her about how Yoda disappeared on not just me, but all of the Jedi. No one knew why, and even now I still believe his absence was caused by me; that I annoyed him or stressed him out too much.

"He's been on Dagobah the entire time. He said the force called him there urgently, so that he could train to be able to speak with the dead." She explained. "He told me he was experiencing many visions, of past, present, and future. He knew this would happen, that the Empire would rise, and that you would be presumed dead. But his visions have become stronger, and clearer. He's seen that Anakin and Obi-Wan have been hiding out on Naboo. And his most recent vision showed him that you're alive."

I scoffed, maintaining a dry smirk at this new information, "And I suppose he wants us all to make up, hold hands, and dance into the sunset as if we're schoolchildren?" I asked wryly, with bitterness laced in my tone.

Ahsoka tilted her head and eyed me, unimpressed that I wasn't taking her seriously. Her expression became earnest once more, after she sighed irritably at my attitude, "He believes you and Anakin can still fulfill the propechy."

"No..." I shook my head slowly, my features scrunching in disbelief. "No, no, no. He can't just waltz back into my life and expect me to be their lab rat again as if nothing happened." I swear, the nerve of some of these people amazes me. "And did you forget the first fifteen times I said that I never wanted to see them again?"

During one of my many breakdowns in the past, and some of the times I blew off steam, I made it very clear to Ahsoka how I felt about the people she just named. The mere mention of them brought back all the pain I went through while moving on from the past, and trying to forget it all. I know that that's not a healthy method to move on from something like this—and even Ahsoka protested against it—but in the beginning, forgetting always seemed like the easiest solution. There were many dangerous things I did to try to accomplish that, but it ultimately just brought the memories back more.

That's when Ahsoka suggested we start helping people; doing something that would benefit us and the world around us. And thankfully, it really took my mind off everything else, which was exactly what I needed.

She sighed and turned to face her whole body towards me, "Here's what I think; you keep telling yourself that they don't care, and are trying to convince yourself that you despise them and never want to see them again. But I think in reality, you're worried that that's how they feel about you. So you're deciding to hate them before they can hate you." She shrugged like it was simple.

I looked at her, stunned. "No, no that's not it at all." I stammered. I do hate them; I hate them for abandoning me when I needed them the most.

She rose an eyebrow like she didn't believe me, "Then what is it?"

I rubbed my temples, "I don't know. But the point is, they left me when I needed them. And I hate them for it." I grumbled.

Even though I've made my feelings clear, I still considered Ahsoka's words. Deep down, a part of me that I've spent months trying to bury with the past, does still care for them. All I ever wanted back then was to make things right by completing the prophecy. But I couldn't even do that. And now the memory of them is opening old scars that I hoped would have stayed healed.

"I just don't think I can do this." I whispered painfully.

Ahsoka patted my back comfortingly, "Hey. I'm here for you, remember? I'm not asking you to become best friends with them, just that we work with them to free the Jedi. You and I both know that this situation is bigger than us. Helping people is what we do and if you won't do this for the Jedi, then do it for me. Please." She pleaded, giving me a vulnerable look.

I felt a pang in my heart, knowing that even though Ahsoka and I both left the Order for similar reasons, she still cares deeply for the Jedi, and for Anakin. I remember once upon a time long ago when they were the wildest Master and Padawan duo, always causing trouble one way or another. But on the other end, they were one of the greatest teams I had ever seen, and bantered and cared for each other like siblings.

I swallowed nervously, knowing what I was about to agree to could go so many different ways. "Okay. I'll do it, for you." I eyed her seriously, "But don't expect me to go frolicking through the flowers with them anytime soon." I warned.

She laughed and hopped off of the ship, her lekku bouncing as she ran to gather her things.

Anakin POV: (1 day later)

I sipped a hot cup of tea in the kitchen of Padme's lake house, sitting alone. That's how I spent most of my time these days; nothing exciting ever happens.

Between the four of us; me, Padmé, Obi-Wan, and Elijah, we've done what research and scouting that we can without revealing ourselves to the Empire, considering that Palpatine has been hunting us for months. We're all exhausted, and every road we go down seems to lead to a dead end.

No one else has said anything, but I know that they're starting to lose hope on the goal we swore to achieve all those months ago. To find (y/n). And the sad part is, I don't blame them. I want nothing more than to find her alive and well, and to hold her in my arms forever so that we'll never be separated again.

But truthfully, most signs point to her being dead. There's no trace of her anywhere, and I haven't felt her signature at all. (I don't know if this is actually a thing in Star Wars, but for this story we'll say that the reason for this is because (y/n) and Anakin's connection completely severed, so they can't sense each other the same way they used to)

I don't want to give up on her, but how can we keep going if we don't even know what to do?

"Are you alright, Anakin?" A soft, accented voice asked.

I nodded without turning around to look at him, "Yes, Obi-Wan. I'm fine." I took another small sip of my tea.

He walked over to stand in front of me, then sat down in the chair across from me at the other end of the table I was sitting at. "You always were a terrible liar." He smirked.

I rolled my eyes and set my tea down harshly, causing some of it to splash out onto the surface of the table. "And you always were so infuriating. I came out here to be alone." I snapped, standing out of my chair quickly to storm out of the room.

I can't be around him right now, or anyone for that matter. I need to blow off some steam, maybe punch a wall or two.

"Anakin." He spoke my name half sternly, half concerned. I didn't stop, if anything, I walked faster.

Even though I was angry, I also felt bad for how I was treating Obi-Wan. He's been trying to comfort me lately in any way he can, and all I've done is push him away. I can't bring myself to talk about my feelings, or whatever it is he's trying to get me to do. If I do that, I know I'll break down in front of him, after months of holding myself together.

As I stomped through the house, a random knock on the door stopped me in my tracks.

I clenched my jaw angrily and practically ripped the door open, prepared to let all my anger out on whoever decided to interrupt my fit of rage. But my anger vanished in an instant when I saw who was at the door, and in its stead came complete shock.

My mouth parted as I struggled to get a proper greeting, or some form of acknowledgment out.
The girl in front of me smirked in amusement at my stunned expression.

Finally, I breathed out a laugh, "Snips."

Ahsoka removed a hand that was on her hip and crossed her arms in a proud manner. She looked so grown up, so much more mature from when I last saw her. But at the same time, I still recognized my reckless Padawan who I had come to love dearly; so much so that her departure left me feeling lost and empty for a long time.

"Hello Master." She stepped forward and nodded, "It's been a while."

(a/n): Yayy I finally updated this book!🥰 I hope it wasn't too boring, I mainly wanted to dive into what (y/n)'s and Ahsoka's lives have been like during this time. And I'll do that in the next chapter as well, but next time there will also be a reunion, of sorts😌 Hope you guys liked this one!❤️

Also this isn't really relevant but I thought I'd say it anyways; obviously, Order 66 didn't happen considering all the Jedi are alive. But in this case, every clone's inhibitor chip was activated and they were basically instructed to either find the remaining Jedi and bring them to Palpatine, or to snuff out anyone who isn't loyal to the Empire