The spaceport was busy, filled with people and cargo. There were loud alarms that blared as a ship docked or took off. Speeders flew overhead him and he wondered what would happen if the hovering crafts were to suddenly shut down. A cold wind blew, reminding him of the sick aura, but he focused on getting the droids back.

Ahsoka approached the pilot, gently pushing away busy people in her way and ignored their dirty stares. As she went to the vicinity of the docking bay, the droids beeped enthusiastically but were turned off by the panicked Wookie. The pilot acknowledged her presence and stopped unloading cargo, facing her.

"Any problem lady?" he asked, wiping his dirty hands with a cloth his Wookie gave him.

"No." She offered him a kind but deceptive smile. "I was just admiring the droids; they're a wonder aren't they?"

"Yeah? Well, they are, although most of the time they're trouble, especially the golden rod." He grinned confidently, scratch that, overconfidently, and casually leaned on one of his ship's landing gear but she still noticed his tightness.

"Say," she probed, putting her finger on her chin, "how much for the droids?"

This was the easiest, but most expensive way out. She knew that all smugglers cared about was money, so it would be her plaything to get what she wanted. However, it failed as she saw skeptism on the man's features.

"Who are you again?"

"Ashoka...Maurya," she answered the quickest she could, careful to keep fillers out of her speech. "And yes, I'm asking these droids from you. So how much? I could go from 17000 to 70000."

That was the same sum the Rebels on Tatooine offered. The pilot covered his mouth with his hand, looking back and forth from the droids to the Togruta before him. In deep thought, he took a glance at his Wookie partner who just shrugged.

He noted that a blonde had joined the woman but remained indifferent. However, the offer from the other party was much more tempting.

"I'm sorry, but I'm currently waiting for the buyer." He raised his hands in the air in surrender and backed away. "They're not for sale as they have already been bought."

"Oh," the blonde sighed in disappointment and noticed the suspicious looks of the man. "I'm with her. Where did you say you got these droids from?"

"A deal on Tatooine, why?"

Wherever this was headed, Luke knew it was not working. His charisma seemed to have failed him with persuasion, now they have to rely on interrogation and manipulation. They could sense a feeling of skeptism and suspicion from the pilot and the eerie sense of the Dark Side near them.

"That was the last known location of our Rebel friends," Ahsoka spoke up, "and I believe they had these droids with them."

"Nice try," the man snapped, and shoved them aside as he began unloading the cargo. "I'm not gonna sell them to you."

Luke had expected Ahsoka to sigh in defeat, but things took a dark turn.

"Who said that was a choice?" Her hand was now on her belt where her stun blaster was and his had a similar position. There was a sudden tension that built up, as if the two were prepared to duel. "Now explain why you have the Rebel Alliance's lost droids."

The pilot hesitated, scratching his scruffy hair. "Look, lady, I don't know but..." In a quick motion, too quick for Luke to see, he pointed his blaster at them and shot.

If they were normal beings, they would've died then and there, but the Force warned the Jedi. Panicked, he tackled Ahsoka to the ground as a red bolt shot past them at light speed.

The man and his Wookie took off, firing a shot to the air, which caused the crowd to break into chaos. As the two Jedi recovered, their hopes dropped the moment they saw the commotion. The troublemakers could be anywhere now.

Fortunately, Luke, having studied the surroundings before, saw a shortcut. He stood on a pile of crates, and timing himself carefully, he grabbed ahold of a speeder. The driver noticed the odd behavior and sped up in an attempt to get rid of the tresspasser.

He was taken far by the vehicle, releasing his grip as he neared a platform. The Force saved him from the dangers of inertia as he rose to his feet to scout for them. From there he had a greater view of the situation.

Tracking them was not too hard, the Wookie being a dead giveaway. He freeran across adjoining platforms and stacks of cargo, adrenaline pumping within him. The distance between them was about only ten meters now; he was close enough and vaulted over the huge gap between a platform and the ground.

He rolled at the moment of contact between the ground and his body, rising quickly to pursue the two. He was slightly sorry for leaving Ahsoka but he was right behind them; he must not lose them now. Hopefully she was retrieving the droids. Luke was too busy aiming for the pilot to notice a figure following him.

****

Luke did not recall the amount of time put to the chase as the surroundings started to lessen with the amount of architecture and trees started to appear. He decided that it was easier to maneuver himself among the treetops as he climbed, leaping from branch to branch.

He picked up scents of our Earth's pine and oak and the black soil below, reminding him of the historic battle that happened there. Ferns and bushes covered the forests floor, offering good hiding spots and cushions for any fall.

They had finally stopped near a stream in a clearing, thinking that they had lost him. They, however, did not look up to see the boy perched on one of the tree's branches.

"This was a bad idea, Chewie," the man panted, wiping the sweat off his ’brow. He washed his face with water from the stream and rested below the tree where Luke was, completely out of breath. The Wookie roared with a tone that said, 'I told you so' as it checked its bowcaster.

"Hey, it's not my fault for not picking a hopeless cause," he defended himself, "Seriously, what was the deal between those Rebels? They would never care in other cases. What was special about those those two droids anyway?"

Another reply from 'Chewie' stirred him up. Anger was sketched throughout his features as his eyebrows twitched. He brought his hands to his head, plagued with tension, and then moved to cover his face.

"Che-wie," he groaned, pulling the hair from his head, "You've known that for how long and now you choose to tell me those droids had the plans to this so-called Death Star?" he ranted, kicking the dirt with his shoes. "I knew I should've dropped off those droids in hyperspace long ago because now we're wanted by two factions of the galaxy!"

The boy above them had had enough listening since what continued was foreign bickering, giving him a headache. He grabbed a branch for support, leaning forwards, searching for the chance to announce his presence.

The moment the man stood up, Luke released his grip on the branch and landed on him, punching him hard on the face. The man tried to take his blaster but Luke grabbed his hand.

The Wookie bellowed and aggressively approached him. Its claws were extended and swung them towards the boy, who rolled out of the way. Facing a Wookie was the last of his wishes as he did not wish to hurt the endangered creature or let himself get ripped into two.

He dodged each attack, and held on to the man's blaster, which was useless since he did not have any knowledge how to operate one. Scratches were left on the tree barks as the Wookie missed each strike, prompting it to become frustrated with the boy.

Luke tried to limit the fight to the clearing but the pilot had been trying to escape. He tackled him to the ground at the same time evading the angry primate behind him. He rolled out of the way as Chewie swung his arm at him, not noticing the man take his blaster back. He leaned against a tree, cornered and the pilot cocked his blaster.

"Goodbye kid," he spoke and fired, keeping things quick. Luke ducked just in time, but missed to avoid another blast.

Pain stung in his arm, as blood started to seep out. He clutched it, trying to stop the bleeding. Just as the Wookie raised his arm to deliver another blow, Luke reflexively Force-pushed it away, sending it crashing to the trees with tremendous energy.

The pilot was taken aback, however remained collected. "This day just gets worse and worse," he mused to the boy as he aimed his blaster towards his head. "First the Alliance, then the Jedi."

"Maybe that's because you're too stupid to realize what decisions you make," Luke snapped, and sent him back with another Force-push, making sure he was knocked unconscious and landed safely on a bale of leaves.

****

Peace and quiet returned to the forest. The birds which had gone silent, began chirping again and the flowing of water from the stream brought an odd sense of harmony in him, but it did not reassure him about the fact that he had brushed against the Dark Side.

He continued staring at the forest floor, using the Force to heal his wound. The troublemakers were still unconscious under that bale of leaves. Had he really used the Force to harm that Wookie to that extent? Had he had the urge to kill the pilot? The presence of the Dark Side was too overwhelming to resist and he felt himself wanting it.

Taking a deep breath, he recited the Jedi Code, that brought him peace and tranquility. At this rate he worried that he might succumb to it. He really must visit Master Yoda after this.

Luke rose from his position and washed away the blood from his tunic. He observed the area, how far had he gone? He had been so thrilled at the moment that he had forgotten his directions. Obi Wan and Ahsoka must be worried for him. His comlink was not working due to the absence of a proper signal.

He handcuffed the man and Wookie tightly, and waited for them to wake up. They led him there, they could lead him out, willingly or with a little persuasion from the Force. He sighed as he drew symbols using sticks on the mud, waiting for the two to regain consciousness. His ears caught the roar of a TIE fighter flying past the clearing.

That was when another question popped in his head. According to Obi Wan, the planet was still under Imperial control. He paled after he analyzed the situation. Did he just compromise the Alliance? If this was the case, he must head to the capital as fast as he could.

Imperial troopers must be storming the city, searching and investigating the so-called 'self-proclaimed Rebels'. They had caused much trouble out there, but the surprising case was that no one pursued them. The main question now was:

"Why didn't they find us yet?" he questioned out loud.

Almost immediately, he sensed a looming presence coming from the darkness of the forest. He hears the ruffling of leaves coming closer but he could not see anything. His hand instinctively went to his belt which had his lightsaber.

"Jedi!" a voice exclaimed from above him. The boy looked up to see a hooded figure sitting on a branch of a tree. It looked human, but its eyes glowed green and sharp fangs emerged from its menacing smile. Its clawed hand made deep marks on the bark of the wood as it slid down from the tree.

The figure looked at him excitingly and removed the hood. Luke recognized it as the Cathar from earlier; it was the source of the darkness, an Inquisitor. He stood still, wary of the situation, and his hand gripped his lightsaber hilt.

The Inquisitor was armed to the teeth with weapons and equipped a special type of light armor, one that did not restrict Force powers or movements.

Not liking the tension, he spoke, "If you're going to kill me, will you duel, or just stand there?"

"We both know doing the latter is stupid. Perhaps I'll skin you after I kill you," it said, licking its canines. "Perhaps chop off all of your limbs or slice you into pieces while I enjoy the taste of your blood. You Jedi pick up a good fight, and I'm looking forward to it."

The Jedi gulped and ignited his lightsaber, moving to a defensive stance. The Cathar hummed a song to itself in glee as it took out its weapon that hung against its back, but it was different; a staff.

"I thought Inquisitors carried a double-bladed lightsaber?" Luke spoke as he circled the Cathar, observing its behaviour.

"Yes, I do, but I enjoy torture. I have so many ideas and I can't wait to try them!"

At once, a huge, curved blade emerged from the tip of the staff, which would easily scare off anyone. He studied the weapon and tried to think of ways to fight against the Inquisitor. But he had never encountered nor thought of a scythe-wielding enemy.

The only advantage he had was that the Cathar wielder a huge, presumably, heavy scythe. He had to move quickly to counter its slow attacks. 'The Force fights with me,' he reminded himself as he took a deep breath.

The Cathar Inquisitor gave a battle cry as it charged, its weapon barely missing Luke's head. 

* * * * transition * * * *

The sun was already at the horizon, its rays reflecting off the metallic architecture, making it look like a city of gold from the distance. If it was not for the eerie sense of the dark side from the forest or the foliage, the sight would have been beautiful to see from there.

But she had no time, she could sense the flicker of light in there and the danger it was in. The droids were safe, delivered to the Rebels but she was careless enough to leave an inexperienced Jedi alone in an Imperial-controlled planet.

Ahsoka bent down to search for more footsteps, but they were covered by dense bushes, adding difficulty to the search. She looked at the Jedi Master behind her with worry. It seems the old man was tired, both physically and emotionally. Losing Luke was the last thing the Jedi wanted; they have lost him once, it must not happen again.

Obi Wan rested near a tree trunk, closing his eyes in meditation, trying again, despite the ever-growing dark aura. It curbed his ability to sense the boy. If this was happening, what if...

'No, he would never.' Obi Wan strongly believed.

'But why is the Dark Side getting stronger?' The voice taunted.

Sighing, the Jedi Master opened his eyes that were wetter than usual. He took a deep breath, suppressing any sort of emotion. The only people he had ever cared about this way was Ahsoka and that Sith; and the latter had taken advantage of that. A hand pressed against his shoulder.

"Master?" his apprentice asked in worry. 

"I'm fine," he replied, looking at the direction he came from.

"It is alright to let out your emotions once in a while," she said as she sat beside him, "I know. You have a lot of them pent up in you."

"But I am a Jedi," he continued, his words lost in the distance. These emotions were taking most of his energy to hold down, but his faith in the Jedi was strong. There is no emotion, there is peace...

Ahsoka sat there in an awkward silence as she fumbled with the edge of her fabric. She opened her mouth to speak, "Master, don't you think sometimes the Jedi Code might not be the best in these times?"

Obi Wan turned towards her, his mind filled with thoughts. Surprise was etched entirely on his face. Questioning the Jedi Code is a sign of doubt in the Light, well, according to him. The answer was in the silence.

"I feel the Jedi Code is restricting us," she stated, "Turning us into emotionless beings. We'd might be closer to the droids than those who are alive."

With a glare, he calmly contradicted her statement, "You know better than anyone, Ahsoka. The Jedi have made their sacrifice; to give up their attachments. Emotions only fuel those attachments and we both know attachments lead to the Dark Side."

There was the stubbornness of her Master, the refusal to listen, the pride of a Jedi and the fear of the Dark. It brought her displeasure. The urge to tell him straight at his face was growing, but she must not, else he might think the other way.

"Yes, but in my observation, positive emotions strengthen us in the Force and brings us closer to the Light than the Dark," she reasoned, "Like the time when you were with the Madalorian Satine Kryze."

The glare deepened but she was not intimidated.

"You would not say it, but I had sensed it. You were happy with her and she was special to you but the Jedi Code was in your way and it brought misery upon you."

She could sense her master's refusal to listen but she spoke on, hoping that he would join in her belief.

"Master, love does not lead to the Dark Side, passion does. They are not the same as passion can be controlled. They should have taught us to control our passions while being in love, not put a whole restriction on it. Love does not condemn us, but it can save us."

After she spoke, nothing could be heard, except the wind rustling on the leaves. At last, he took a breath and spoke, "It's too late for me Ahsoka. The Jedi Order is the only thing I have left now. Satine is gone and if we don't hurry, Luke might be too."

"You're wrong. You love Skywalker's boy like a son, and it is nothing of the Dark. Satine is ali—"

An odd vibration tensed her lekkus, as she heard a faint sound and she rose abruptly. "Did, did you hear that?"

"No," he answered, standing up as well, hand gripping his hilt. He might not hear it, but he was certain it had something to do with their lost boy, sensing his apprentice's judgment.

"Follow me, hurry!" The Togruta ran deeper into the forest and he followed. His adrenaline and will power allowed him to run far without once having to stop and rest. Branches and bushes scratched his face and feet, but they didn't lower his determination.

After what seemed like hours, Ahsoka stopped in a clearing, fear whitening her skin. The same could be said for the older man. There was silence but for the water flowing in the stream, the ships flying overhead and a lightsaber shutting off.

A childish but menacing laughter echoed in the air as they looked in horror to see an Inquisitor smiling at them, with Luke's bloody body at his feet.

****
The chapters seem to grow longer... Anyway, did anyone get the reference(s)? I wish we could see parkour scenes in the movies, or shows... It'll be like Star Wars - Assassin's Creed Edition.