The Republic has fallen.
In the final days of the Clone Wars, Chancellor Palpatine died under mysterious circumstances. With the Senate struggling to retain a sense of unity, it was the perfect time for the Separatists to strike. And strike they did...
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Lux spent the next week avoiding her, showing his face only when absolutely necessary and speaking to her even less than that. Ahsoka let him, and filled the time with meetings with potential allies, using the Amavikkas and a handful of Kuro's friends amongst the slaves as intermediaries. Kyzeron's construction and factory workers were beaten down but willing to listen, and the hopeful light in their eyes when she elaborated on her plans cheered her. Kyzeron's slaves were a tougher crowd initially, but easier to sway in the end, because they had even less left to lose.
Still, a single, troubling thread of continuity linked Ahsoka's every encounter with Kyzeron's long-suffering and put-upon. The people in the villages deep in the wilderness had only ever felt they could rely on each other; the resources and social services of the cities were a distant dream, and had been for some time. The city folk always wanted to know who she had backing the brave Lady Kindness, and how she was going to get her project off the ground without money. And they had a point.
In the villages, security measures were a lot more lax, even if they were often beyond the village people's ability to circumvent. In Kyzeron, the Empire and the Great Houses had more assets to defend, and paid more to protect them properly. Stealing information and resources from them would take the skills of a Jedi or a very well-trained professional, and Ahsoka couldn't be everywhere at once.
She'd already known she was in over her head, but only now was it sinking in that Ahsoka might have bitten off more than she could chew in trying to liberate an entire planet singlehandedly. Unless she could find another third party to supply her with the resources she needed, she'd have to go to the Rebellion for help. The only other person she could think of who might be interested was Lux, and she'd already promised herself she would give him time.
The Rebellion was full of Jedi and Republic military officers, but Ahsoka had to have faith they'd help her where Lux and Onderon had been failed once before.
She began mentally drafting a formal plea for aid as she made the walk from the servants' entrance of Noreino House up to Lux's suite. Only his quiet squeak of surprise stopped her from plowing into him as she opened the door to his bedroom.
For a moment, she stared at him, trying to figure out what to say. Just beyond the threshold, Lux was similarly frozen, a brimming cup of caf in one hand and the other looped precariously around three datapads with a knuckle poised to open the door from his side. It was past midafternoon, but he looked impossibly tired. Had he been sleeping when she left for the morning's meeting? Had he slept at all this past week? It rankled her that she had no idea.
"Lux," she began, then stopped. Everything she could think of to say to him felt cheap and lacking, too small to cover what she'd said and done.
He opened his mouth and closed it again, averting his eyes. She didn't think she'd heard him say her name – well, not her name, but the one she'd given him – once since before the dogfight with the Elites.
