The Rise of the Valkyrie *ON HIATUS*

Chapter Forty-Nine

Ashara heard lively music coming from outside, and her head raised in surprise. What was going on? She was especially surprised when she was suddenly dropped down from her imprisonment, though the surprise quickly turned to anger as a collar was snapped around her neck. Attached to the collar was a leash, and she growled at the weequay holding it. He didn't even flinch and instead tugged her forward, leading her outside. She was placed next Hondo, and the leash was tied to his chair so she couldn't escape. She spat at Hondo, who just laughed.

"I couldn't have you missing the show, Ashara", he continued to chuckle. "Especially if I plan on one day making you my consort."

Ashara face tightened up in disgust and she spat at him again. He clicked his tongue, and ripped off a piece of the shirt Ashara was wearing. He tied it around her month, and shook his finger at her.

"That's to keep you from doing that again."

The person in charge of the show spoke into megaphone, allowing his voice to be carried out across the entire clearing.

"May I present Animal Instincts!" He backed away, and Ashara was able to clearly see the five younglings she was trying to protect. She knew instantly what was happening. The question is, where was Ahsoka, Teriko, and Ganodi? She didn't see any of them anywhere.

She watched worriedly as they performed the act that they had to have come up with in minutes. She couldn't do or say anything and all she wanted was to get them out of there. She bit back a laugh as they managed to get Hondo to join their act. He was acting really silly, and she knew it was because he was drunk. He had been drinking all afternoon, and evening. He would have a really bad headache in the morning. She watched as Katooni managed to get away with her lightsabers and sneak her way over to the bound Jedi.

The tholothian quickly yanked off the gag, allowing the togruta to speak.

"You guys shouldn't be here", she hissed. "Where are Ahsoka and Teriko?"

"Getting a speeder ready to get us away", Katooni said. "We have a plan."

Ashara groaned. "While I trust Ahsoka, I would have rathered she not put your lives at risk."

Katooni shrugged, and waited for the weequays to be distracted by Hondo's launching in the air and smacking down into some crates. Ashara snorted. 

"He deserves that", she muttered as Katooni cut through the shackles. Ashara used the force to pull off the collar around her neck and took her lightsabers back from the tholothian. "Let's get out of here."

They ran over to a speeder, where Ashara found Ahsoka and Teriko waiting. As soon as everyone was on board, Ahsoka took off. The older togruta wondered how the weequays didn't notice the speeder starting up earlier, but she guessed they were too drunk and distracted to really notice.

Once they were far enough away, with no signs of a chase, Ashara relaxed, before turning her gaze to the two padawans

"What were you thinking?!" she snapped. "Bringing the younglings to help rescue me! You should've contacted the Republic, not come after me yourself. I would have been fine!"

"You were bound and gagged, Master", Teriko said. "And we overheard what Hondo said, about making you his consort. You wouldn't have been okay if we had waited."

Ashara bit her lip, and her anger subsided. "Perhaps you are right, my young padawan. But you still shouldn't have brought the younglings into it! They only just got their lightsabers, they don't even have their own masters yet! They're not ready to go on missions, not like you two are!"

The older Jedi could feel that her chastisement of the two padawans had gotten through to them, and she sighed softly.

"I am grateful that you got me out of there, however", she continued softly. "Hondo has taken a strange interest in me ever since I first met him during my time away from the Jedi and the war."