"Sarah, hurry up, you don't want to be late," Ahsoka called out.

"Coming," Sarah replied back.

Ahsoka turned to see Sarah wearing a purple dress. Her mother had been invited to a late Friday afternoon knighting ceremony. She decided to bring Sarah along after she came home and changed into a more appropriate outfit.

"Sarah, you look beautiful," Ahsoka said.

"You told me to dress nice," Sarah replied with a smile.

"Let's get going, I promised Jen we wouldn't be late."

Sarah looked on as her father finished the knighting ceremony.

"Jennifer, by the right of the council and the will of the Force, I hereby name you Jedi Knight of the order," he announced.

Once again, Sarah's eyes closed involuntarily as her father swung his lightsaber. She couldn't help herself, even though she knew he wasn't going to hurt the teen.

As Sarah opened her eyes, she noticed the girl holding her severed padawan braid. Her father led the group out of the assembly area and to the dining hall.

A short time later, half of the dining hall held the post-Knighthood reception. With the ceremony occurring in the late afternoon, dinner was made available to the guests. Ahsoka wanted to congratulate the new knight before eating, however.

"C'mon, Sarah, Let's congratulate her first. Then, we can eat."

Sarah nodded and followed her mother.

Jen turned from a conversation involving her now-former master and the Grand Master.

"Ahsoka, thanks so much for coming!" she said.

"I promised you I'd come if I could. I wasn't going to break that promise. I guess you're officially grown up now," Ahsoka replied.

Jen giggled some. "You still think of me as a five year old, don't you?"

"Well, it's hard to forget our first time meeting each other. We've both come a long way since then."

"We have." Jen then looked at Sarah. "I forget your name, but I'm glad you came, too."

"I'm Sarah," Sarah reminded her.

"That's right. You look very nice today. Well, it won't be long before we're celebrating a party for you. I'm just glad I finally got knighted. I wanted to do it before I turn 19."

Ahsoka looked at Jen curiously. "I thought padawans here were knighted around the age of 18?" she asked.

Jen nodded before replying, "That's true. But when I was seven, my parents and I went up north to ski between Christmas and New Years. I had an accident and broke my leg in two places – pretty bad. Even with Knight Rachel helping me, I wasn't able to do any Jedi activities that semester and I fell behind a little in my academics. Once I was 100% again, I was moved to the class behind mine to continue my initiate studies. I was able to catch back up with my academics, so I stayed with my old class for my study sessions."

"I didn't know that," Ahsoka said. "I'm still glad you're knighted now. So, what are you doing now?" she asked.

"I just started my Sophomore year at Acorn Community College. I imagine I'll transfer somewhere else next year."

"I just started going there, too," Marina stated as she joined the conversation.

"I didn't realize that. What are you studying?"

"Psychology."

"That's great. Maybe we'll run into each other. And if you need any advice on classes or instructors, I can help."

"Thanks, what have you been studying?"

"Depending on my coursework this year, I plan to focus on either information systems or networking."

"Good luck to both of you," Ahsoka said. She then turned to Sarah and added, "Let's go get something to eat."

"Thanks so much for coming. I hope I see you soon!" Jen replied.

That evening, after Sarah went upstairs for bed, Ahsoka sensed uneasiness from her husband.

"You're still not happy, are you?" she asked him.

"Well, I still have my reservations about tomorrow," he answered.

"Honey, we talked about this the other day. I am going to try to go back there myself. I'm only going long enough to see if it works for me and what things are like. I'll come right back."

"I still think it's dangerous for you, especially if you could still end up targeted or killed."

"You don't need to freak out about it," Ahsoka told her husband firmly.

"Oh? Didn't you freak out right before we got married ... You remember the mission involving the annual Border Brawl race, don't you?"

Ahsoka closed her eyes. When she saw the live footage of her then fiance get caught in falling debris, she assumed the worst and drove to the race site to make sure he was okay. Not only was he fine, he asked her why she didn't simply try to contact him via commlink.

"That was different. We were engaged, and I wanted to make sure you weren't crushed to death."

"And we're married now, Ahsoka. And I don't want you shot down or killed. I can't raise Sarah on my own."

Ahsoka sighed. "You were the one who told me that being married meant that we'd be taking risks on any missions either of us went on after our wedding. You don't want to be treated with kid gloves, and neither do I!" she snapped.

"You're right," he conceded. "But as your husband, I'm still concerned about your well-being."

Ahsoka shook her head in disbelief. She was surprised to see her husband put his Jedi robes back on before he went to the front door.

"Where are you going?" she asked him.

"To the park. I need some time to cool down. Since we married, I've never gone to bed fired up like this. I want to keep it that way. You deserve that if nothing else."

Ahsoka nodded as he left.

I know he's worried, but he has to realize how important this is for me, Ahsoka thought.

The Grand Master casually strolled through the park. He reflected on his earlier conversation with my wife.

I always worried I'd be overprotective ... but with Sarah, and not my wife. I guess she is right after all, he thought. Ahsoka's reference to kid gloves also made him stop and think. He recalled using that exact same phrase when he sent Ahsoka on her first mission as a newly-knighted Jedi.

"I guess this master needs to take his own advice,"he told himself. Satisfied he was calm enough to return home, he chose to turn and take a shortcut across one of the park's ball fields. A familiar voice interrupted him from behind."

"Master Jedi."

Not having to look at the speaker to know who it was, he turned around slowly as he replied, "Darth Stinger. You're the last person I want to deal with right now."

"I was hoping you'd say that," she hissed indifferently.

"Go back to your beehive and buzz off."

"I have a better idea," she told him as she unhooked her lightsaber and ignited it.

"I hope you swing that thing better than your softball bat, my dear," he replied as he ignited his own lightsaber with a Makashi salute and flourish.

Darth Stinger growled and charged her foe. Although he easily blocked her enraged strikes, he knew he'd have to add a mix of Djem So into his Makashi offense due to the force behind her attack. Taking her by surprise with the adjusted tactics, he initiated a blade lock between the two of them.

"Why tonight and not any other time?" he asked.

"I sensed your preoccupation. I knew you wouldn't sense me watching you. I see I was right."

Darth Stinger quickly withdrew her blade and swung quickly. However, her rival not only parried the attack, but counter struck at her leg. Only another blade lock prevented her from losing one of her limbs.

"It's nice to see I can still surprise you," he told her. However, his attempt to out-muscle her failed. She had enough time to pull back her blade and slash the top portion of his lightsaber clean from the rest of the hilt.

"I've always looked forward to seeing you die," Darth Stinger said as she cackled with glee.

"Not today!" he replied as he Force-leaped into the air. On his way back down he quickly removed his spare lightsaber from inside his Jedi Robes and ignited it. The combination of his momentum and the force behind his swing brought Darth Stinger to her knees as she desperately tried to keep his blade from getting close enough to burn or cut her.

"You may have bested me tonight, but you will go down someday," she promised before she Force pushed him away. As he recovered from the unexpected maneuver, she extinguished her lightsaber and ran in the opposite direction.

The Grand Master slowly rubbed his stomach. She didn't knock the wind out of me, but I'm not in a position to pursue her. Yet another stalemate, he thought. He attached his lightsaber to his belt and looked for the pieces of his other one. Fortunately, the crystal was still intact and could be transferred to a new lightsaber.

Ahsoka laid in bed waiting for her husband to return.

"I know this is hard for him, but shouldn't he have come back by now?" she thought.

A short time later, she heard him come up the stairs slower than usual. When he entered their room, she could hear him panting slightly.

Ahsoka quickly sat up. "What happened?" she asked.

I was all set to come home when Darth Stinger decided to show up.

"Are you okay?" Ahsoka asked with noticeable concern in her voice.

"She disarmed me of one of my lightsabers. But when I used my spare, she decided she had enough. I'm fine, though. Just a bit shaky," he replied as he slowly changed for the night.

Ahsoka clenched her hand into a fist. "I wish I was there. I'd love to take her on in a duel."

"I'd love to see how she'd react to you. If she was shocked or frozen by your appearance, it might give you a slight edge."

Ahsoka nodded before asking, "So, what did you think about?"

"I realized that you're right in a way. As Jedi—and a husband and wife—trust is important. As much as I'm still nervous about this, I still trust you. I just hope you make it back safely."

Ahsoka nodded before laying down in the bed again. "Thank you," she whispered, "I feel a little better now."

As her husband laid down in bed next to her, Ahsoka stopped him before he could put his arm around her.

"After what you just went through, let me," she told him as she wrapped her own arm around his stomach and nuzzled up close to him.

The next day, Ahsoka was set to enter the hangar that held her ship.

"Sarah, wait here. I need to talk to your father before I go," she said.

Sarah nodded and waited outside.

Inside, Ahsoka said, "Wish me luck."

Her husband nodded. "Good luck, and come home safely."

"If I don't come back ... let Sarah know how much I love her."

"Don't say that. I expect to see you again, you know."

"True, but we have to consider that possibility. Besides, I'm curious what you'd do if that happens."

"I'd look for someone to be a good role model for Sarah, hopefully someone who wouldn't mind teaching her what she needs to know as a teenager."

"Master Cara?" Ahsoka asked hopefully.

"I was thinking more of Ashley. She's not Catholic, but I do respect her Christian values and think she'd be a good example for Sarah. However, Sarah could probably become stronger with a lightsaber under Cara's tutelage."

Ahsoka smiled before kissing her husband's cheek. "Off I go," she told him.

"May the Force be with you."

Ahsoka entered the ship and closed the gangway. It wasn't long before she took off to begin her journey. Sarah watched outside as her mother's ship faded into the sky.

"She's coming back isn't she?" Sarah asked her father.

"Of course she is. We wouldn't be much of a family without her," he replied.

Sarah nodded.

"I'm not sure how long this will take, and I have something to take care of, so let's head back."

Ahsoka carefully reversed the steps that sent her to Earth years ago. While she believed she succeeded in opening an intergalactic portal, she felt this trip took much longer than her initial one. However, her instruments showed everything was functioning normally as she continued to cruise in lightspeed.

"What are we doing here?" Sarah asked her father.

"This is manufacturing. I need to replace my lightsaber from last night," he replied as he showed her the damaged pieces of it.

"Do I get to pick one out when I'm a padawan?"

"Actually, your master will present you with your first lightsaber. It's a custom and a tradition that shows your master has accepted you. It won't be until you're 16 that you'll have the chance to pick out and construct your own lightsaber."

"Why is that?"

"It takes a lot of effort and focus to do so successfully. Besides, that's slightly more than halfway through your training. So, if your master has trained you well and you have the necessary patience and focus, you can do it successfully."

"Oh," Sarah replied as they reached their destination.

"Master, what brings you here?" A Jedi named Joe said.

"Darth Stinger decided to retire my lightsaber for me. I still have my crystal, but I'll need a new hilt and internals."

"I can see why you want to replace it so quickly. You don't need everyone learning our Grand Master was disarmed like an initiate," Joe quipped.

"Very funny. Next time, you can duel her and tell me if you did any better."

"That's alright. I'll pass."

"I think I'll take this one here," the Grand Master said as he selected a rather nondescript silver hilt.

"Simple yet functional. Is something wrong?"

"Where did that come from?"

"The blue hilt? One of the guys was experimenting and that's what he ended up making."

"Any chance you can put a 20º curve in that?"

"Of course, it just wouldn't be ready for a few days, though."

"That's fine. I'll take that as well."

"Very good."

"Let's go over there, Sarah. You can watch me, but don't interrupt me with any questions until I'm done."

"Yes, father," Sarah replied as she followed him off to the side.

Ahsoka's ship dropped out of lightspeed. According to her instrumentation, she was now in her original home galaxy. She didn't check her exact location, but she was pleased to know her trip was a success. Her only concern was that the trip took nearly three hours if her chronograph was still showing accurate Earth time.

It seems so quiet ... almost too quiet, Ahsoka thought. Not knowing what all had happened in the ensuing 14 years, she slowly reached out with the Force.

Ahsoka's facial expression slowly changed. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't sense anything familiar. She felt more as if she was in a strange place instead of the galaxy she called home for the first 18 years of her life. Without warning, the tips of her head-tails twitched and she felt as if her gut instinct was somehow warning her about something.

"This doesn't feel right, I better get out of here," she thought.

She quickly reached into her pouch and pulled out the small box that somehow allowed her to travel between galaxies. After reversing the starting and ending destinations, she activated it and entered the intergalactic portal at full speed before engaging lightspeed again. She could only hope she would return to Earth safely.

Ahsoka landed her ship and slowly taxied it into the hangar. She had radioed in her arrival nearly 15 minutes earlier. She was hopeful somebody would be waiting for her as she powered down the ship and disembarked.

"Mom!" Sarah yelled as she ran upped and hugged her.

"I'm back, Sarah. It's okay now," Ahsoka assured her daughter. She then hugged and greeted her husband.

"I told you I'd make it back. I didn't think it'd be a six hour round-trip, though," she told him.

"At least you made it back safely. How did the ship hold out?"

"Couldn't have been any better. I'm lower on fuel than I expected, though."

"If that's the worst that happened, I can live with that. So, what was it like there?"

Ahsoka took a deep breath. She wasn't sure how to explain her brief time home, but she hoped she could find the right words as she held her husband's hand.

"Tim, I've been to both worlds ... but this is my home now. This is where I belong."

Ahsoka smiled as she felt his fingers entwine with hers.

"Let's go home, then." he told her. ▄

Commentary: After nearly two years and fifty-nine chapters, the story is finally complete. I'm not sure how much the Empire patrolled the GFFA during the years between Episodes III and IV, but I imagine some regions were patrolled less frequently than others. That said, the fact that Ahsoka sensed nothing familiar and was eager to return to Earth before something bad could happen to her is telling.

In these final ten chapters, significant events have taken place. Ahsoka gained more experience as an instructor and finally finished the repairs on her ship, leading up to her first trip back to the GFFA. Sarah and her classmates completed their Upper Initiate Retreat (my version of the gathering). And, the class dynamics changed with a classmate relocating to a different city and also with the truce –so to speak—between Sarah and Madison. One can hope that as teens, they will come to accept each other as friends.

Because I always wondered how Ahsoka would fare in a duel with Dooku, the ending of Stellar Battles where the "old gray-hair guy" killed the protagonist was a veiled reference to one possible outcome for Ahsoka's ultimate fate.

We also saw Jen's Knighting Ceremony in this chapter. For those that read To Survive Betrayal, we first saw her as a new, five year old Jedi Initiate who helped Ahsoka feel more welcome in her new Jedi Order. Given how Ahsoka hoped to see Jen's promotion to knighthood, it was only fitting to see Jen's character make a few cameo appearances in this story and end it with her promotion to Jedi Knight.

Now that it's after midnight local time. I can post this final chapter for my birthday. Thanks to everyone who supported the story during its run.

END