Cejanr (A Rexsoka SWTCW Fanfic)

60

Ahsoka wrapped the tops of her hands with a thin layer of bacta gel she brought for emergencies. It was nearly an hour before Trace and Rafa came back. Trace rushed to Ahsoka.

"Tano. I'm so, so sorry Rafa did that." Trace babbled, looking anxiously at Ahsoka's hands. Ahsoka shook her head with a bitter smile. 

"Not the first time I've played slave. Won't be the last." She said softly before giving Rafa a hard stare. "But, it would do you a system of good if you remembered who you are dealing with. Prime?" She asked. Rafa just scoffed. 

"And why would I--" She cut off abruptly as several objects in the room began to levitate. Ahsoka gave her a flat look. 

"I'm not asking you to like me, I'm asking you to be civil." Ahsoka said, dangerously soft. "Again, remember who you are dealing with. Prime?" The blood drained from Rafa's face, and Trace backed up, also radiating nervousness. 

"Prime." From the way Rafa gasped it, you would think that Ahsoka was force choking her instead of lifting a arbitrary objects. The stuff around the room dropped back in place with a resounding clatter. Trace swallowed heavily. 

"I... I'll get us up in the air. We need to pick up that shipment soon. We're behind schedule as is." Trace muttered. Ahsoka followed her up to the cockpit and took her unofficial place as co-pilot. As they flew around the small planet, it began to look more and more like the Kessel from the stories. 

"Look." Trace said, pointing to a mining complex beneath them. 

"I don't think I've ever seen so many droids." Rafa said from behind them, making Trace flinch hard. Ahsoka shook her head in disgust. 

"Those aren't droids." She said. Rafa frowned. 

"Well, what else could do that much work?" She asked with a pointed glare. Ahsoka set her jaw. 

"Take a guess. You made me play one." She glanced out the window again. "Some of them are droids. Others are human and other esteemed species. The other ninety percent are Twi'leks, Wookies, Togruta, and Zabrak." She closed her eyes, the white markings on her face betraying her nausea at the sight by turning a pale green. 

Nobody spoke as they picked up the shipment. Two hundred pounds of partially developed spice. A small amount, but a precious substance. Where the potency could be controlled with careful processing. 

Ahsoka felt them leaving Kessel like a palpable weight lifting off her shoulders. They were about to leave to Oba Diah when her comm buzzed. Rex. 

She glanced at it, then at the spice she was finishing double checking the security on. And for the first time, she didn't pick up. She silently apologized to her husband as they slipped into hyperspace. Knowing Rex, he was going to be worried sick about her. 

Fives and Ventress needed her help. She had already talked to Trace, making it clear she would not be making the return trip aboard the Silver Angel. She would instead be slipping into the prison complex. For what she felt was the first time since leaving the order, she missed her lightsabers. The familiar hilts would have been a great asset, and while they were busy chasing the jedi, Ahsoka would have her friend and brother in law back. She could hardly wait the five long hours they spent in hyperspace. 

Oba Diah was exactly like the stories, unlike how Kessel had appeared at first glance. The Pike capitol was a ecumenopolis only slightly cleaner than Corascant. Smoke belched from the spice processing facilities and created a haze over the entire planet as Trace carefully guided the ship to the dockyard. 

Ahsoka didn't bother trying to hide her face, not wanting to be called a slave again in her lifetime. The mention of her being zygerrian stock brought bad memories that had her rubbing her wrists and neck along the burns left there. 

The thugs of the pike syndicate swarmed around them, taking in the stock of interspice that they had brought. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary at first, but checking the shipment seemed to drag on far longer than necessary. One of the dockworkers approached them. 

"There's been an issue. Follow me." He said in a bland, slightly dreamy voice. A thin coat of red dusted his mouth and fingers. Ahsoka shivered as the spice addict lead them through the labyrinth of corridors, and a guard escort falling in line behind them.  

The passages became gradually cleaner as they passed, and the number of overspiced and blacked out slaves became fewer and fewer, with the exception of some Twi'leks in skimpy outfits. The hallway got taller and wider, eventually broadening out and spilling the trio into a lavish throne room. 

A figure Ahsoka recognized from her boring culture studies lounged on the throne. Marg Krim, leader of the Syndicate. He gave a lazy grin as the girls were left standing in front of him. 

"I don't know whether to be amazed by your boldness or insulted by your poor attempt at thievery. Do you really take my people to be so stupid as to not check the weights before we unload them?" He said, leaning forward. Ahsoka frowned. This was certainly not in her plans. Krim chuckled. "Two hundred pounds of interspice. That was the deal, was it not, Martez?" He looked at Rafa, who swallowed and nodded. The Pyke leaned forward. 

"So why," He continued in a scary tone, "Is only one hundred and eighty five pounds accounted for?"

Rafa wet her lips. "Look, there must be some mistake. Maybe your scale is miscalibrated or something?" She suggested weakly. All argument died on her lips as a medium sized crate was brought in and set in front of the girls. 

"Oh wait, there it is. It was hidden under a loose panel in the bunk room." Krim spat venomously. "I will not have my merchandise stolen right out from under me. Take them to cell 2187. Leave them there to rot until one of them confesses." He ordered. Rafa sat upright, pointing at Ahsoka. 

"Bu- But it was in her things!" She said in a panic. Marg Krim tilted his head, looking between her and Ahsoka. 

"So it was. But who knows?" He grinned viciously. "Maybe it was planted. And us Pykes are fair people who believe in justice. Why let your togruta take the downfall if one of you two took it?" he waved his hand. "Away with them."

Binders were snapped on their wrists as they were dragged away, deep into the planet sized city's underbelly prison.