Chapter 1: Survivors Run

Jedi Padawan Caleb Dume and his Master, Depa Billaba, hacked their way through the droid army on Kaller. The Jedi's clone allies were close behind.

Depa spun horizontally through the air, twirling her blue blade into several droids, slicing them to pieces. Caleb was more systematic, hacking off limbs and blocking blaster fire one droid at a time, two at most.

The Republic group quickly took a small clearing, which they paused in to rest. But not for long. More droids soon appeared.

Unbeknownst to either Jedi warrior, their clone commander received a communique on his hologram comlink. It was the Chancellor.

"Execute Order 66."

"It shall be done, my Lord." As soon as the order was given, the inhibitor chips in the clones were activated. They began to surround their Jedi leaders.

Depa sensed what was happening through the Force. "Caleb," she said slowly. "I want you to find an opening and run. I'll be right behind you. Do you understand?"

"You're lying, Master!" Caleb perceived.

"Do as I say, my young Padawan! I will follow!"

The clones opened fire. As Depa blocked their shots and shielded Caleb, the boy of 14 ran. Master bought apprentice just enough time for him to disappear into the forest before succumbing to the blaster shots.

When his Master did not find him by the time night fell hours later, Caleb knew she was dead. Reaching out through the Force only confirmed this.

The boy soon found a tree with gnarled roots, creating a burrow big enough to crawl into and hide. Shrinking back into the shadow, Caleb stayed awake, fearing that if he slept, he would be discovered. Indeed, clones passed so close to his hiding spot at one point, he could hear their voices:

"What of the Jedi Padawan?"

"Even if he ran, he couldn't survive in the woods this long with no food. He's dead!"

Caleb evaded the troopers all through the night and into the next morning. Using the limited tracking skills he had learned, and with the help of the Force, he managed to retrace his steps in a wide arc, back the way he and his Master had come. At last, from a plateau outcropping, he spotted the transport bay leading off the planet. All he had to do was stow away on a ship...

Igniting his lightsaber a fraction, Caleb hacked off his Padawan braid. It would only serve as a dead giveaway. The boy then scaled down to the transport docks and attempted to blend in with the crowd. Now: which would be a good ship to sneak onto? Or bluff his way onto?

Suddenly, he felt a hand clamp over his mouth. He let out muffled cries and struggled as someone pulled him into an alleyway.

"Caleb? Caleb Dume? Pull yourself together!"

The youth felt himself being released, and he spun about to see that his abducter was -

"Master Luminara Unduli! Boy, am I glad to see you!"

"And you as well, young one. I felt a disturbance in the Force. My apprentice - your Master - she's dead, isn't she?"

Caleb hung his head heavily. "Yes. She sacrificed herself for me, so that I could get away."

Luminara sighed heavily. "The Force is telling me that our kind are dying. We Jedi are wanted criminals. We have to get off planet - but in order to do that, I need you to stay calm and do exactly. as. I say."

Pretending to be a teen clutching at his mother, Luminara led Caleb to a ship. Without even moving her hand, she used to Force to Jedi mind trick the guards and bluff their way on board. Finding an empty compartment, the Jedi went inside and sealed off their chamber.

Luminara then unclipped her com link as she felt a hologram message coming in.

"This is Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. Are there any surviving Jedi out there? Anyone?"

Later, and miles away on the planet Raada, former Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano wiped sweat off her brow as she worked to repair a speeder bike. Being a mechanic helped pay the bills, but she missed her life as a Jedi. She was desiring to get back into action!

The Clone Wars were coming to an end, if they weren't over already. Raada was one of the last Separatist holdouts, and fighting here had been intense over the last several weeks.

Indeed, shouts and screams and blaster fire could suddenly be heard. Peering out of her shop, Ahsoka watched as a Jedi wielding a blue lightsaber cut down Separatist rebels with the assistance of his Stormtroopers.

Suddenly, one clone received a blue hologram transmission. In the next instant, Ahsoka watched in horror as the clones gunned down their Jedi general.

"NOOOO!"

The clones turned at Ahsoka's scream. Though she was no longer a part of the Order, one of the clones recognized her. "There's another one!"

Ahsoka ducked blaster fire back into her shop. She dug frantically for the lightsabers Anakin had left her with. There they were!

As soon as the clones burst into the shop, Ahsoka ambushed them, killing every last one. Pulling on a dense and hooded coat, she slipped out of her shop and passed the body of her fallen Jedi comrade. She did not recognize him from his face, but she did pocket his lightsaber.

The former Padawan wandered Raada in a daze. She could feel shockwaves rippling through the Force. Jedi are dying.

Ahsoka quickly hurried to the transport hangar, in the hopes of getting off the moon as quickly as possible. Once the body of her fellow Jedi and the bodies of the clones, the hunt would be on for the other who remained. Buying a small starfighter for a bargain on credits, Ahsoka took off from the moon. Her ship was not like the Jedi fighter she was used to, but it would have to do.

Grabbing her com link, Ahsoka contacted the first Jedi she could think. "Master Kenobi. This is former Padawn Ahsoka Tano. Are you there? Do you copy?"

For a moment, crackling. Then:

"Ahsoka? You're alive!" Obi-Wan sounded exhausted.

"Yes! Where are you?"

"I am en route to the asteroid Polis Massa. Lock onto my coordinates."