Ahsoka, Daughter of the Light (Book 4): Hidden

Chapter 24: The Orphan

LYDA RAN

Lyda and Rex walked down the street. Both of them wore hoods, so as to not be recognized. Thankfully, there were not that many clone patrols in this part of the city.

Eventually, Rex stopped at a grey building that looked to be three stories tall but quite thin and crammed between buildings, like most of the other buildings in the area.

The sign above the door read "Orphanage" in the classic Aurabesh script.

"I'm guessing this is it?" Lyda asked. Rex nodded his head.

Lyda opened the door. There was a lady at the front desk who looked as if she were getting up there in age.

"Oh, hello!" The lady said. "How can I help you?"

"Do you have Christi Alka?" Lyda asked.

"Why do you ask?" The lady replied.

"I was a good friend of her parents," Rex said. "I just want to make sure she's okay after what happened to them."

"Oh," the woman said. "Well, I'm afraid we'd have to schedule a meeting for that. We can't exactly let strangers in looking for children-"

"You will go get the child," Lyda said, waving her fingers.

"I... will go get the child," the woman said in reply.

She went into the back of the building, and after a few minutes, came out holding hands with a toddler that looked exactly like the girl she saw in the holocron.

"Hey, Christi!" Rex said.

"You?" Christi asked.

"Yes, it's me," Rex said. "And this is my, uh, friend," he said, mentioning Lyda.

"Why are you here?" the lady asked.

"As much as I hate do do this," Lyda said, "you will let us take the child."

Lyda waved her fingers in front of the lady again.

"I will let you take the child," she replied.

Lyda picked up Christi and she and Rex quickly moved out of the building and into an alleyway.

"Well," Rex said, "that wasn't legal."

"Something tells me the Empire would've done the same," Lyda replied.

"What's going on?" Christi asked.

"You're being taken to somewhere special," Lyda replied with a friendly tone of voice.

"Where's Mommy and Daddy?" Christi asked.

"They're fine," Lyda said. "You're coming with me."

"Why?"

"Because you're special, Christi. Just like me. And we're going to a place for special people like us."

"Is it somewhere happy?" Christi asked.

"Yes," Lyda replied, "Just wait until you meat who's in charge."

Christi still seemed a little saddened. Lyda couldn't blame her.

"We need to get back to the starport," Lyda said. "That's where my ship is."

"We?" Rex asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Lyda said. "I want to ask you if... maybe you could come with me back to the camp."

Rex thought about it for a moment.

"You know what?" Rex said. "Without her parents, it might be a bit more dangerous to stay here. So... I'll go with you. I think it's time I see her again."

"Good," Lyda said, "come with me."

Lyda signaled a taxi driver at the market. He quickly stopped his speeder to pick them up.

"Hey," the Taxi driver said, "Didn't I just deal with you a few hours ago?"

Oh, Lyda thought, it's the same guy as last time.

"Yep," Lyda said.

"And who are these two? Your husband and child or something?"

Lyda blushed intensely. She didn't notice it, but Rex did so as well.

"Yup," Lyda said, "definitely."

While it was an obvious lie, the taxi driver just shrugged it off.

"Just give me the money and I'll take you back to the starport. That's where you're headed to, right?"

"Sure thing," Lyda said, handing him the credits.

The taxi driver quickly picked up his speed and the two went towards the downtown area.

A few minutes later, and they arrived.

"Thanks," Lyda said as Rex got off carrying Christi with him.

"Anytime," the driver said.

Lyda got off the  speeder and it went off into the distance.

After mind-tricking her way past customs and back onto her ship, she closed the door and the ship lifted off the ground.

Then, Lyda sent Ahsoka a message.

"Extraction successful. Surprise en route."