Cejanr (A Rexsoka SWTCW Fanfic)

57

Ahsoka packed her bag carefully. She didn't need much, some leftover dry rations for emergency food and some spare changes of close. After careful consideration, she slid a small, compact blaster into her boot and secured it. 

Locking the apartment, she slipped out into the early morning chill. 

The call she had got from Fives was vague and hurried before she assumed his comm was confiscated. She mentally replayed it in her mind. 

"Commander, something's happened.... a bounty gone south." There was a loud racket on his side, and what sounded like some blows being landed. "We're on Oba-Diah. Me, the harpy and a new crewmate we picked up." There was a loud crash and a lot of swearing from Fives and another male voice. "If you could help... that'd be great- KRIFF!"  The line went dead. 

Ahsoka shook her head, walking briskly down the lower level catwalks, fixing an address in her mind. It was a longer walk than she had taken in a while, and she once again reprimanded herself for not getting a speederbike. 

The muggy cold air from the underbelly of Corascant welled up from one of the massive pits. Ahsoka felt a pang in her chest once she recognized it as the pit she had used to escape the prison from. When everything had gone downhill. She ducked her head, briefly wondering how different things would have been if she hadn't tried to run. 

Would she and Rex still be seperated? Would the jedi have stood with her? No. The council of idiots wouldn't have. But Anakin would have. And Ahsoka would believe the council put him up to it. 

She shook her head as she got to her destination. A midgrade mechanic's shop on the lower part of 1313. As she approached the shop, she was met with a familiar face. 

"Ahsoka!" Trace ducked around the old ship she was working on. It was little more than a scrap pile, and Ahsoka's heart sank as she recognized the name painted on the side. The Silver Angel. Trace's ship. The one she'd be flying to make a spice run. 

Ahsoka had done crazier things, but this was gonna make it towards the top of the list. If Fives and Asajj didn't need her...

"Trace. How's the arm?" Ahsoka asked, managing a small smile. Trace touched the shoulder of the arm she had broken. 

"Forgot it had been hurt in the first place. That magicky stuff is better than any hospital bills, I'll tell you that. Just a few days worth of wait while the swelling and bruising fades compared to two months of waiting? Sign me up." Trace gushed. She grabbed Ahsoka by the hand. "C'mon. Lemme show you my ship! I rebuilt most of it myself."

As Ahsoka was dragged into the interior of the thing, she found that it was much better inside than out. Trace hadn't done a half bad job. Really, the scrappy look it had at first appearance could be mostly chalked up to an inconsistency in the metal work. It had a sparse bunk room and gallery, a small underbelly gunner seat, the cockpit, and the cargo hold. Trace twirled around. 

"My pride and joy." She beamed. "So... why do you need to go to Oba Diah anyway?" She asked, flopping down on the pilot's chair and spinning around. Ahsoka sighed. 

"I have some friends who got into trouble there." She hedged. Trace frowned. 

"I thought jedi couldn't have friends. Aren't you like... these serene unbothered beings who sit around and tell people that they're worthless or something?" She asked. Ahsoka winced. 

"I can think of a few that are like that. Most of us have friends, we just can't have attachments. The greater good comes before our needs." Ahsoka sighed. "In my opinion, most of them are just big hypocrites who wouldn't know blood from slag."

Trace laughed. "Yeah, I'd leave too." She sighed. "One question. What's it like? On a world where there's almost no lights but the sun and stars, and plants live in ground, instead of tiny pots?"

Ahsoka sighed. "Well, it depends on the planet. Naboo is cool, with beautiful forests. Tatooine is a harsh desert planet, and not many people live there. But when the suns set you can see almost all the stars in the galaxy." She said reverently. 

"That's-" Trace was cut off by her pager beeping. She sighed and glanced out the viewport, blanching. "Slag. It's Pinto." She cursed, jumping up and running out of the lowered cargo ramp. She jogged up to him, and Ahsoka trailed behind a little, not knowing what else to do. 

"Ah, Heeey, Pinto." Trace said awkwardly, keeping her distance from the newcomer and his goons. "Rafa's not here so... if you just wanna maybe... come back another time?" Trace asked, practically hopping from foot to foot. 

"Not likely. Your sister has put off paying her debt for far to long." Pinto growled. His goons moved up to either side of her and grabbed her by the shoulders. They forced her to her knees. "You're a fine little thing. Maybe I can make a pretty penny or two selling you to the hutts? Or maybe to Kessel to work the mines." He spat. Trace squirmed. 

"Hey! I'm not the one who deals with you." Her voice was panicked. "Please, please! My sister will be back soon! We can settle this then!" She pleaded. Ahsoka came up beside the goons. She glanced at Trace. 

"Need a hand?" She asked quietly. Trace nodded vigorously. Pinto laughed.

"What're you gonna do, Tailhead? Bat your pretty little eyes at me and ask for a night to pay the bills?" He snarled. Ahsoka gave him a coy smirk.

"No."

Pivoting on the ball of her foot, she grabbed the goon next to her by the back of the neck and twisted, sending him ploughing into the durasteel beneath their feet. The other goon let go of Trace to deal with this new threat, swinging one heavy fist at Ahsoka. Ahsoka stepped neatly out of the way, ducking under his arm and delivering a swift elbow to his solar plexus. She paused, glancing around for the next threat. 

"TRACE!" A rather loud voice yelled. Ahsoka spun to see Trace's sister Rafa standing at the other end of the workshop. It was enough of a distraction that the first goon Ahsoka had dealt with regained his footing and stood. His fist connected with the side of Ahsoka's jaw in a low and wild swing. 

Ahsoka's head snapped back as a solid crack echoed through her head. Blood filled her mouth and a stinging pain tore through her upper jaw. She growled and spat out part of a broken fang onto the ground. She turned back to the goon and leaped at him, no longer holding back. 

Seconds later, both of the goons were incapacitated and Pinto was nowhere to be seen. Ahsoka wiped blood off her chin with a feral smile before reaching down to help Trace up from her position on the floor. Trace was staring at her with wide eyes. 

"You alright?" Ahsoka had to ask the question twice before Trace seemed to snap out of it. 

"I... I'm fine." She stammered. Rafa was storming across the workshop now, and her expression was wildly different from Traces. "But Rafa looks a little mad." She said, walking forward to meet her sister. Ahsoka probed at the bloody mess in her mouth with her tongue and winced. One of her snakelike fangs had cracked and spit, part of it completely broken off. And it would be months until another grew back. 

The sisters were arguing behind her, and Ahsoka turned, finally tuning into the conversation. 

"She's a JEDI, Trace. A kriffing skyloving jedi! You remember how they are!" Rafa was yelling. 

"She's different, Rafa. Different from the other one. Besides, you saw how she dealt with Pinto.  vouch for her!" Trace countered stubbornly. "Besides, we do this one run and we can pay off all the debts. And if something bad happens, having miss magic would be prime!" 

Rafa rounded to stare at Ahsoka, her bag still slung over her shoulder and blood running down her face before she glanced at Trace. 

"She does something stupid were leaving her on whatever rock we're closest too, and maybe you with her!" She snarled before storming off. Trace lit up, spinning around and grabbing Ahsoka's hand. 

"Sweet! Lemme show you your bunk, and then see if I can scrounge up some instafreeze for that bruise. It's gonna be a nasty one." Trace chattered excitedly, pulling Ahsoka off towards the Silver Angel.