It Takes Two to Tango

Love Unbroken

Ahsoka woke up the following morning sore and exhausted from the previous day. She had been crying so much that her face hurt. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up and bumped her head on the stairs above her. Dirt fell, and she groaned. Having no money and no place to go, she had been forced to make herself a fort out of discarded boxes and metal scraps in an alleyway on the surface. It was better than nothing, so she wasn't going to complain.

She crawled out and stood up, stretching her body. Careful to mask her presence using the force, she walked along the edges of the streets. There was no destination in particular that she was determined to go. As long as it wasn't back to the Temple, she was fine.

Suddenly, someone grabbed her arm. She whipped around to see a small orange creature beside her. "Dear child, you look lost."

"Lost? Oh no, I'm not lost." She pulled her arm back to her side from the creature's grasp.

"Oh, but I think you are. I know your eyes, and I know what you need." She smiled up at Ahsoka. "Come with Maz, dear, and I'll get you all fixed up."

Maz grabbed her wrist again and pulled her towards a small shop. The door slid open to reveal a single room filled with junk from all over the galaxy. At least she thought it was one room; the walls were buried underneath the merchandise on the walls.

"Sit, sit," Maz said, pulling up a chair and giving her a once-over. "Hmmmmmm, yes. You're the one."

"I'm sorry, the one what?" Ahsoka didn't know what was going on anymore. If she wasn't lost before, she sure was now.

Maz came back carrying a pile of clothes. "Go try these on. I think you'll find they're very comfortable. There's a room in the back corner to the left."

"This is very nice of you, but I don't have any credits. I should probably go."

She held up a and for silence. "They've already been paid for."

Okay... she thought, standing up. "By whom?"

"Doesn't matter. Go change!"

Ahsoka hurried to the back room. She slid out of her old combat suit and into the new outfit. The top was dark brown and sleeveless with a turtleneck, a gold buckle in the middle. She left the necklace from Lux on underneath. It meant too much to her to take off. The pants that went with it were tan leggings, brown pads over the knees for ground work. There was a holster on the side of her left leg for a blaster, though she wasn't sure it was going to serve that purpose. It just didn't feel right.

The boots were also brown, matching the top. A set of armbands was included, along with new gloves and a new headdress. It was probably about time she got a another one of those...

She walked back into the main store area, seeing Maz nodding at an empty jewelry case. "Well, how does it look?"

Maz glanced over at her. "Very nice. Much better than that old thing, and I think you'll find that it suits your needs better."

"Thank you. I appreciate your kindness."

Maz blinked. "Oh, and I almost forgot!" She ran behind the counter and grabbed a handful of credits. Handing them to Ahsoka, she smiled. "These should tie you over until he finds you."

"What? Until who finds me?"

"You'll see. Just promise me you'll come by my cantina on Takodana one of these days when you two meet up."

"Um, okay, I guess." She graciously accepted the credits. After a quick goodbye and thanks, she made her way to the door.

"Remember, my child, that love is an open door. Don't let your heart become frozen. Let go of the past," Maz called after her.