i. INVISIBLE STRING
wc, 4285

Violet Uttara was seven when she first met the girl in the rose garden.

A stillness had fallen over the planet of Naboo. The twilight air filled with honeysuckle and all the soft smells of spring. The sun faded from the sky, the stars grew brighter, and Violet snuck out of her room. Her parents had already checked on her, and were now occupied by her two-year-old brother who was refusing to settle down to sleep. She peeked around her brother’s door before she ran.

Violet barreled down the garden. She came to a giggling halt at the foot of her little swing. It had been strung up to the oldest tree in the garden before Violet was born, but her father reinforced the ropes holding it up to keep it safe. The swing overlooked a creek she could paddle in when the days were warm. Violet took her place on the wooden seat and used her feet to kick off. She kept swinging until her heart was content: in the trees, over the creek, high in the sky — and just a little too scared to let go and jump into the creek so late at night.

When the novelty of the swing wore off, Violet sat on the grass in the garden — where the trees parted so she could look up and see the stars. Her father taught her about them. Violet loved the peace that accompanied the villa. The house bore the usual cream walls and domed roofs that adorned most homes on Naboo. It was deep in the Lake Country — a fair distance from the city of Theed, the closest inhabited island was Varykino, which they had visited in summer before. Trails of ivy climbed up the walls, curling around the lattice windows. And Violet firmly knew the villa was the prettiest place in the whole galaxy.

She listened to the song of Naboo’s native birds and the gentle sound of the lake’s little waves lapping against the earth. Slowly and then all at once, Violet began hearing the distant sound of traffic. (Strange, she thought to herself, Ships don’t pass through Lake Country.) She looked towards the sky and saw nothing. Yet she still heard the sound, faint but unmistakable. Violet continued to look around — and another girl met her gaze.

The garden faded into a beige room that Violet did not recognise; it did not share any structural similarities with the infrastructure on Naboo. Sat on a thin bed was a terracotta-skinned Togruta, the same age as Violet. While she had olive skin and raven hair braided into patterns behind her head, the other girl had white and blue striped montrals and lekku. Both girls wore the same bewildered expression. (Violet knew well that the water could be hypnotic, but surely she wasn’t dreaming?)

Amongst pearl-white markings, Violet found the girl’s eyes: the brightest sapphire blue she had ever seen; the mischievous glint was easy to recognise, even with the confused look contorting the girl’s face. Violet felt like she looked dull in comparison — her eyes were the colour of burning umber, and she could only imagine having them be the colour of Naboo’s famous lakes.

Violet fumbled for words. Questions formed on her lips, but she didn’t know how to ask them. Who was this girl? Why was she in Violet’s garden, and why could Violet see where she was? But despite her confusion, Violet liked how the girl looked at her.

“I like your roses.”

Her words caught Violet off-guard. Her gaze jumped to her mother’s rose garden further up the garden. They were every colour of the rainbow, and Violet’s mother was incredibly proud of them. Violet had helped water them earlier that day with her small yellow watering can.

“Are you a ghost?” Violet asked. (Ghosts don’t exist, she reminded herself, And they definitely do not talk.)

The girl giggled, and Violet became deaf to the universe. If she only heard this girl’s voice for the rest of her life, Violet would be happy. “I’m not dead, silly.”

“Then why can I see you?”

“The Force!” She answered as if it was obvious, wiggling her fingers in Violet’s direction for dramatics. Maybe it would have been apparent to anyone except Violet. But with no response, the girl scrunched up her face — the markings above her eyes knitted closer together. “Master Yoda says it joins all living creatures in the galaxy.”

Violet had never heard of the Force before, not yet. (And she wouldn’t yet understand why her mother’s body tensed when she asked about it at breakfast in the morning.) Her growing confusion became replaced with intrigue. She wanted to ask the giddy Togruta a thousand questions.

“Then why has it joined us together?”

“I’m not sure. I’ll ask Master Plo tomorrow.”

Violet could not explain it, but she knew tonight would not be the only time they saw each other.

She looked closer at the girl’s room, so close she could almost touch it. It was practically bare. Violet’s room was cluttered with toys belonging to her and her brother and was seldom tidy.

“Where are all your toys?”

“Jedi don’t have toys,” the girl replied. The slight heaviness in her voice almost missed Violet’s ears. “Possession can lead to attachment.”

Violet thought about how lonely it must be unable to own and play with toys. She thought about how she would never willingly give up the doll she received as a present during the last Winter Solstice. Something else caught her attention too.

“What’s a Jedi?”

The girl looked perplexed. — more so than when a girl sitting in a pretty garden appeared in her room. “You don’t know the Jedi? Legendary peacekeepers? Protectors of the galaxy?” Violet gave no verbal response. “Do you live under a rock?”

Violet giggled and shook her head. “No.”

Then she heard her father call her name. Both girls turned in the direction of his voice.

“Violet?” the girl repeated, smiling. Violet liked the way she said her name. “That’s a pretty name.”

“How will I find you again? Will you come back?” Violet asked, standing up to go inside. She wouldn’t get told off for sneaking out, but she didn’t want to keep her father waiting too long.

“The Force will guide us.”

Violet had no idea how to do that, but she nodded. She turned to leave, hoping to see this strange girl again. Violet had very few friends, but she liked this girl — maybe she could be Violet’s first best friend? Before she could take a step, she looked back. “Do you promise?”

A determined nod came from the other girl. “Cross my heart.”

Then, “What’s your name?”

The girl beamed. “Ahsoka.”

✶

SEVEN YEARS LATER.

The morning dawned with a watered-down gold. And with this sunrise, Violet Uttara finally turned fourteen.

Five years ago, she was discovered by a Jedi and delivered to the Temple. Ahsoka had explained the rules and workings of the Jedi Order in great detail during the long nights when neither of them could sleep. At nine years old, it was unusual for a youngling to arrive at the Temple — Jedi elders deemed them too old, having grown attachments to their family and home that could be dangerous. Violet understood that. Her first few months on Coruscant were agonising. (All she wanted was to go back home to Naboo. To her brother. Her parents.)

All the younglings around her had been training for years, so Violet was far behind. She channelled her misery into something more productive, driving herself to become something better. But at fourteen years old, she still felt lesser. Other younglings were leaving, becoming padawans. Not her. She knew time was running out — she would get assigned to a different faction of the Jedi Order if she remained unchosen. Violet knew she was supposed to become a padawan and a Jedi Knight; she only had to prove that she was capable and worthy of the honour.

But while the others looked at her with disapproval, Ahsoka Tano was her saving grace. When Violet could not complete one of her training circuits and spent all night practising, Ahsoka would be there to help. When Violet disappeared to Ilum to find her kyber crystal and build her lightsaber, Ahsoka waited for her return so they could practise sparring together. Violet never tried to make friends with anyone else. Ahsoka was the only friend she needed, the only friend she wanted.

The night before, Ahsoka had convinced Violet to meet her on the roof of the Temple before dawn. Violet was not a morning person, but she met Ahsoka as requested and quickly realised that there was a method to her best friend’s madness. When the sun rose, golden light flooded the city of Coruscant, highlighting it in an amber hue.

“Okay,” Violet said as she looked out at the city; the warm light fell against her face, and she welcomed it. “Thank you for making me get up so early.”

Ahsoka laughed. “This is only the start! I want us to make the most of today.” She took Violet’s hand and led her away from the roof and back through the Temple.

“You know something funny about birthdays?” Violet said, “They’re kind of an annual thing. You don’t need to make a fuss.”

That earned Violet an over dramatic eye roll. “Well, today is special. And I have a surprise for you.”

Violet raised an eyebrow. She said nothing more and followed Ahsoka through the corridors of the Temple before they walked outside and down the dozens of steps into the busy city. They were not technically allowed into the city without someone more responsible to supervise them — Coruscant was not the safest place — but this was not the first time Violet and Ahsoka snuck out. They were good at keeping out of trouble when they wanted to. Over the last five years, they had not explored much of the city, but Ahsoka seemed to know exactly where she was going.

Their first stop was at an ice cream street vendor. To Violet’s surprise, Ahsoka pulled out a handful of shiny credits from the pockets of her robes and exchanged them for two scoops of Corellian Fried Ice Cream each, both topped with berries. Ice cream was a rare delicacy, but both girls loved it. They continued through the city, eating their sweet breakfast.

“Where did you find the credits for these?” Violet asked when she finished her ice cream.

Ahsoka grinned. “That would ruin the surprise.”

Violet’s interest piqued as she hoped her best friend had not managed to become a thief. As the morning went on, the streets grew busier. When the golden hour ended, Coruscant became a beacon of silver and white (not quite as fun, in Violet’s opinion). Ahsoka continued leading her best friend through the streets until they reached their destination: the Skydome Botanical Gardens. Violet had only been there once before when she had not been at the Temple very long and hadn’t visited with Ahsoka.

They took their time walking around the gardens. The glass roof made the atmosphere more humid for the variety of plants transported from all corners of the galaxy. It made Violet feel warm under her grey robes, but Ahsoka did not seem to mind — the grasslands of her homeworld, Shili, readied her for warmer conditions.

For so early in the day, the Gardens had begun to grow busier, with small groups gathering around the most vicious and exotic plants. Ahsoka continued to lead Violet onwards. They did not ignore the plants around them, but it was clear that Ahsoka had a place for them to go. Violet felt excitement grow inside her as her wonder soared at their surroundings. It was rare that they were allowed to leave the Temple, so today was very special. She knew why Ahsoka seemed to be making an extra effort today (a reason going far beyond Violet’s birthday) but did not want to mention it for fear of damaging the peaceful atmosphere they had cultivated.

At long last, they reached their destination. Ahsoka stopped outside a large gazebo made of lattice metal with ivy curling up its walls, creating a green canopy inside. Ahsoka beamed and hung back for Violet to go first. Violet peered at her best friend, confused.

“This is your surprise!” Ahsoka explained, giving Violet a gentle push forward. “Now, go on.”

Violet walked into the gazebo and met what she considered a great surprise: her aunt, Alana Uttara. She looked beautiful as always in a pale blue dress she had made herself, brunette hair tied back with a matching ribbon. When they saw each other, they both grinned.

Despite Alana being Violet’s aunt, their bond was much more sister-like. Alana was the youngest of four siblings with Violet’s father being the eldest, but Violet’s parents were young when they had their daughter and there was only a five year age difference between Alana and Violet. The young Jedi had only been days old when they met for the first time, and Alana had been over the moon to cradle her tiny niece for the first time. But when Violet was five, everything changed: she gained a brother, but lost her big sister. Alana had a new name and a title now: Elia Valarys, Princess of Aphelion. Violet’s mother tried to explain it, but all Violet understood was that Alana had two new sisters and now lived in the Palace — and Elia was not as fun as Alana. They did not see each other as much after that, but they had reunited again and Alana seemed more similar to her original self than ever.

Alana drew Violet into a tight hug. “Happy birthday, Vi!”

“It’s so good to see you. What are you doing here?” Violet understood that Jedi were not permitted to see their families after being inducted into the Order. The only exception Violet knew of was one of Alana’s princess sisters, as she was heir to her planet’s throne.

“You didn’t think I’d miss my favourite niece’s fourteenth birthday, would I?” Violet giggled at Alana’s words; she was her only niece. “Ahsoka commed me to ask if I was allowed to visit.”

Violet turned to see Ahsoka in the doorway of the gazebo, a bashful but proud smile on her face.

“Plus, how else was I supposed to give you your present?”

“Present?” Violet repeated. Her brown eyes lit up. This was another thing Jedi were not permitted to have. She hadn’t celebrated a proper birthday since she turned nine. (For her eighth birthday, Violet managed to smuggle Ahsoka a slice of birthday cake when they met up across the Force again in the middle of the night — it was the first time Ahsoka had any kind of cake.)

Alana drew a small package from her beige tote bag with embroidered daisies on the front.  Violet took the package and considered it closely. She tore off the thin layer of wrapping paper to find a black box, which she opened to find a broad silver signet ring strung onto a chain of the same material. Violet did not recognise the symbols on top of it and took the necklace out of the box to examine it closer. When she did, she felt an echo in the Force of the memories attached to the pendant from its previous owner, but Violet could not decipher any of it. Instead, she felt the beginnings of a headache rattle around her head.

“Your dad gave it to me,” Alana explained; her words brought Violet back to focus. “He said your mum would want you to have it.”

A smile crept onto Violet’s face, happy that she had a piece of her parents with her. “How is he?” she asked, knowing Alana kept in quiet communication with her older brother.

“He’s doing well,” the princess replies. She dropped her voice lower. “He got that job at the Jedi Temple as an engineer or a mechanic, I think.” Apparently, Violet’s father had returned to the University of Coruscant to complete his degree after Violet left for the Temple, and her brother moved to be raised by family elsewhere. Violet wondered if she would see either of them again, especially as there had been no news of her mother in years.

Ahsoka came over now after watching Violet struggle to fasten the pendant around her neck. She took the chain and moved Violet’s dark hair from the back of her neck to secure the clasp with ease. “I’m sorry, I don’t have anything to give you,” she then admitted

Violet turned to her best friend and offered her a smile. “I don’t need any gifts; I’ve got you.”

Alana stayed with the younglings as they wandered around the rest of the botanical gardens but said goodbye when it was time to return to her own life. Violet and Ahsoka made their way back to the Temple slowly, taking the longest routes and stopping for late lunch in the first place that sparked their interest (neither of them had many opportunities to try new food). When they finally reentered the Temple, they snuck into the Archives to pretend they had been there all day to avoid a scolding for missing training.

✶

That night, Violet hid away in the nook she and Ahsoka called their own. It was two floors above their sleeping quarters but easily accessible if you knew where to look. Violet liked watching the sunset from there as the viewport had a perfect view. She listened for the distant hum of music announcing that the night had begun, and then she looked towards the military lanes up in the sky. Violet watched the ships far above. She did not want to go to war, but she did want to travel to the stars again.

The sun dipped lower, fire burning on the horizon, and Violet sensed Ahsoka appear behind her. The raven-haired girl turned her head quickly to see her best friend. A grin appeared on Ahsoka’s lips as she took her place opposite Violet. Ahsoka had been the first to find this spot; the girls had fitted nicer when they were smaller, but there was still enough room to sit comfortably.

“I know you didn’t need to get you anything,” Ahsoka said, dipping her hands into the deep pockets of robes to take out plucked two small boxes, “But Princess Elia gave me some more credits and I couldn’t resist.”

She passed one box to Violet, who opened it eagerly. Inside was a small cupcake with lilac icing. Violet beamed at her best friend, who looked at her nervously for a reaction. “Thank you.” Violet leaned forwards to envelop Ahsoka in a hug.

“Careful!” Ahsoka giggled, “You’ll squish the cakes!”

They quickly fell quiet, eating their cupcakes. Their treats were almost matching, except Ahsoka’s had blue icing. While they ate, Violet noticed Ahsoka looking at her with a concerned expression and prompted her to speak up.

Ahsoka sighed awkwardly. “When Elia handed you that pendant, you saw something, didn’t you?”

Violet shifted in her seat. A few weeks ago, she had begun to develop Psychometry (the ability to feel memories or information by touching an object, also known as a Force echo). As her power was in its infancy and was not yet fully developed, Violet had not had much training to master her skill. As she was untrained, she had no control over when her visions happened or how powerful they could be. Violet was eager for the day when she learned to control this, as she was already tired of the headaches they brought on.

“Not really,” she admitted. She’d felt pain attached to the pendant and wondered what her mother had experienced to prompt such emotion — but she wasn’t sure if it needed discussing. What she said wasn’t technically a lie; she wasn’t sure how to explain most of her visions.

They fell quiet for a few minutes, dwelling on their own thoughts. Ahsoka watched the city; she pursed her lips and narrowed her gaze, trying to guess the models of speeders blasted through the air. Mechanics was not something Violet was an expert on, but she loved seeing Ahsoka’s eyes light up and smile like the world wasn’t going dark around them. Meanwhile, Violet thought back to Alana’s visit earlier. As much as Violet liked life at the Temple, it was not the same as her life before. She missed seeing her family. She missed running around, as boundless as the air.

It was clear that Ahsoka’s destiny lay within the Jedi Order. She knew she would become a padawan and then a Jedi Knight. Ahsoka was everything a Jedi should be and more. Violet, however, could not have been different. Most Jedi never spent more than four years with their family — their flesh and blood — so they adapted to life at the Temple, which became their new family. The attachment Violet still held for her family was forbidden, so she hid it (never letting it show, even to herself, until today). As much as Violet wanted to devote her entire life to the Jedi, it wasn’t what she wanted to be. When she was of age, she knew she would forsake her Jedi path and go home. She had no connection to most people in the Order, and there were only a few she cared for. Nothing tied Violet to the Jedi Order. She wanted to be free.

Then she looked at Ahsoka, and her heart withered in her chest. The look in her best friend’s eyes made Violet regret her every thought. How could she ever exist without Ahsoka? Her best and only friend. Ahsoka would never leave the Order willingly — but she might if Violet did. Stars, Ahsoka was so irresistibly good, so perfectly selfless. Violet would follow Ahsoka to the ends of the galaxy, and Ahsoka would do the same for her.

Ahsoka Tano could never be a failure, not like Violet. Never like Violet.

Ahsoka turned to Violet, the glow in her eyes fading, but she couldn’t meet her gaze. Ahsoka toyed with a loose thread on the sleeve of her robes. “If anything happens to me while I’m gone. . .”

Violet knew where their new conversation was heading; it was the last thing she wanted to discuss. It was inevitable and inescapable, but that did not make it any easier. Violet was just relieved that they had one last day together. Tomorrow morning, Ahsoka would board one of those military ships they watched each day, and she would leave for war. She would travel to the Outer Rim world of Christophsis and become Anakin Skywalker’s padawan. When Ahsoka first brought it up, Violet quickly argued that her friend was lucky — not many would ever have the privilege of becoming the Chosen One’s padawan. But Ahsoka felt guilty about leaving her best friend behind, to which Violet promised that she would become a padawan soon as well, and they would be back together again. Truthfully, Violet’s hope for becoming a padawan soon was dwindling, but she never wanted to bring that up with Ahsoka.

“Don’t say that,” Violet stated. “You’ll be okay.”

“But if,” Ahsoka stressed, “Don’t forget about me, okay?”

Violet laughed. “I could never forget about you.”

Ahsoka’s words reminded Violet of an old memory. It was the spring after they had first met and had been on many secret adventures together. (Neither of them had yet worked out how they were able to meet each other.) Ahsoka had shown Violet Coruscant and the Jedi Temple and had taught her about the Force; Violet could now lift things in the air. Violet’s father had spent many nights teaching her about the stars and all the planets they could see in the sky — and Violet passed this knowledge onto Ahsoka.

“That’s Mandalore, see?” Violet pointed out another tiny dot in the sky. She had never visited the place herself, but her parents had, and they told her about it. Violet’s maternal grandmother and great aunts lived there — one of her great aunts was even the Duchess. “And that one is Aphelion — it has rings. How cool is that?”

“Do you see that one there?” Ahsoka asked, singling out a spot in a different part of the sky. “That’s Shili, where I was born.”

“Do you remember your home?” They laid in Violet’s garden as usual, eyes focused on the midnight sky.

“The Jedi Temple is my home,” Ahsoka replied. “I was little when Master Plo brought me here, so I don’t really remember anything else. I’ll never forget I’m from there, though. I’d like to visit one day.”

“Do the Jedi let you travel to different places?”

Ahsoka shook her head, and they fell quiet. The Jedi lead a simple life; Violet did not envy her friend.

“Will you forget me?”

Ahsoka’s words caught Violet off guard; she turned to look at her. “Huh?”

“If we never saw each other again after tonight,” Ahsoka explained, “Would you forget me?”

Violet shook her head. “Absolutely not. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had, I could never forget about you. And even if I did, I’d find you and we’d be best friends all over again.”

Ahsoka beamed. “Do you promise?”

“I promise.”

“We’ll be okay,” Violet said now. She wanted to reach out for Ahsoka’s hand and give her all the reassurance she needed. “The galaxy cannot break us apart.”

Ahsoka smiled, which proved to be infectious as Violet found herself smiling too. “Do you promise?”

“I promise.”

Violet Uttara never broke a promise.

✶

AUTHOR'S NOTE.

i couldn't find much info on the skydome gardens so i based it on the eden project in cornwall, england!

the first scene is deeply inspired by seven by taylor swift. the opening line in inspired by the opening of chain of gold by cassandra clare.