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"Ahsoka, wait!' Anakin called, but she kept walking. "Ahsoka, I need to talk to you!"

With a sigh, she stopped, turning towards him as he ran towards her.

"Why...are you doing this?"

"The Council didn't trust me", Ahsoka said, looking away and folding her arms across her chest. "So how can I trust myself?"

"What about me? I believed in you. I stood by you."

"I know you believe in me, Anakin. And I'm grateful for that. But this isn't about you. I can't stay here any longer. Not now."

"The Jedi Order is your life. You can't just throw it away like this. Ahsoka, you are making a mistake..."

"Maybe. But I have to sort this out by myself. Without the Council...and without you."

"I understand. More than you realise, I understand wanting to walk away from the Order."

"I know..." She said, walking away down the Temple steps without looking back.

Ahsoka pushed her plate away, her food half eaten, with a sigh.

'I didn't think the food here was that bad', a voice said and she glanced round at the blonde woman sitting next to her.

'It's not. I'm...not very hungry.'

'Never pass up a meal, girl', she said, grabbing her plate and standing up, walking down the long table and stopping next to a youth with untidy brown hair. 'You watch your step at the sabaac table, Tomil. Remember Roa's rules...'

'Never gamble unless you're prepared to lose. I know, Marihai...'

'Good lad.'

Giving him a wink, she strode off, Ahsoka watching her go.

Come on, you need to get some sleep...

Ahsoka stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around herself as she crossed to the window. Outside, she could see the spires of the Jedi Temple illuminated against the darkening sky and she felt a stab of longing.

Stop it...

Angrily, she closed the blinds and changed into her nightshirt, getting into bed.

Get some sleep. You have a long day tomorrow...

'Master! Anakin! Where are you?'

Ahsoka's voice echoed along the dark corridors of the Temple, but there was no answer. Straining her ears, she could hear heavy, rasping breathing and she saw a figure was standing in the shadows, the light reflecting off a domed helmet.

'Master?' she asked as he turned towards her, his face illuminated by the blue glow of his lightsaber.

'Ahsoka?'

He stepped forward, her eyes widening as she saw the bodies of the younglings lying at his feet.

No...

Ahsoka woke with a start, sitting bolt upright, her pulse pounding in her ears and her nightshirt soaked with sweat.

What was that...?

Swinging her legs out of bed, she stood up and headed for the shower, emerging fully dressed a few minutes later. Grabbing her backpack, she pushed open the door and stepped out into the corridor, heading for the elevator. Ahead of her, she saw Marihai standing outside another room, rapping on the door with her knuckles.

'Tomil, are you in there?'

Something's not right...

As she got closer, she saw her pull a set of lockpicks from her pocket and, a few seconds later, the door clicked open. She disappeared inside and Ahsoka heard a sharp intake of breath. Peering around the door, she saw Marihai standing by the bed where Tomil was lying, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

'Move!' Ahsoka said, pushing past her and scrambling onto the bed, putting her head to his chest.

'He's not breathing. Call a Medic!' She snapped, pressing her lips tightly to his and delivering two breaths, before placing her hands on his chest and pushing down with her palm.

'I need CMS at these co-ordinates,' Marihai said, raising her comlink to her lips. 'I have a human male in respiratory distress...'

'We'll take over', the Rodian medic said, Ahsoka slipping off the bed as he attached a respirator to Tomil's face, while his Sullustan partner fixed a cardio-monitor to his chest.

'Negative heart activity,' the Sullustan said, flipping a row of switches and punching a red button on the device. 'Engaging cardio stimulation.' The monitor gave a hum and Tomil twitched, but the tone remained the same.

'Anything?' he asked and the Rodian shook his head.

'Nothing.'

'How long has he been down?' the Sullustan asked and Ahsoka glanced up at the chrono.

'About 20 minutes...' she said and the Sullustan shook his head sadly, removing the leads.

'There's nothing else we can do. I'm sorry...'

'And this is where you found him?' Captain Obrim asked, his hands stuffed into his pockets as he looked down at the bed where Tomil was lying, his eyes having been closed by the Medics.

'Yes. I thought that would be obvious even to you CSF flatfoots...' Marihai said and Obrim's eyes narrowed.

'Did he have a history of taking drugs?'

'No.'

'So, where did he get them from?'

'I don't know...'

'...okay. That's enough for now. Boys...'

He gestured for two CSF MedTechs, who came in with a body bag, stepping aside hurriedly as Marihai stalked out into the corridor. With an apologetic smile, Ahsoka followed, finding her leaning against the wall.

'I'm sorry...' she began and Marihai folded her arms across her chest, fixing her with a hard stare.

'Is that supposed to make me feel better...?' she snapped, her face collapsing into a frown. 'Sorry, kid...'

'What are you going to do?'

'That's my business...' she said, standing up and striding down the corridor.

'Wait. I can help you...'

'I don't need any help...' she began, as Ahsoka moved to block her path, pulling a comlink from her backpack.

'What about this? I took it from the table before CSF arrived...'

Marihai stared at it for a second, before holding out her hand.

'...alright, kid. Let's get back to my ship and see what we can find without these CSF plodders looking on...'

Ahsoka followed Marihai into the hanger bay towards a battered, boxy freighter where she punched a code into the lock by the hatch and it ground open with a loud whine.

'Come on...' she said, disappearing up the ramp and Ahsoka hesitated before following her inside.

'Is this your ship?'

'It will be, when I've finished paying for it,' she said, sitting down at the table and pulling out the comlink. 'Now, let's see what we've got...here we are. This was the last message that he he received before...'

Her voice trailed off and she pressed the playback button, a crackly voice emerging from the comlink.

'Redec's Cantina, 1930.'

'Where's that?' Ahsoka asked.

'A seedy dive on the lower levels, it's used as a front by a Gran named Conleit Kheteik. He's a drug dealer and gunrunner who doesn't care who he sells it to...'

'That gives us a place to start.'

'Yes, it does', Marihai said, standing up and crossing to a metal locker on the wall and pulling out two blaster pistols, handing one to Ahsoka.

'You know how to use one of these...?'

'Is that the place?' Ahsoka asked as Marihai landed the speeder on the landing pad and shut down the engines.

'Yeah...Come on.'

She stepped out of the speeder and Ahsoka followed, checking the blaster on her hip.

'Not that I'm complaining, but why did you ask me along?' She asked, as they made their way through the crowds towards the Cantina.

'You wanted to be involved, kid. I need someone to watch my back and I can see that you've been in a few scrapes. Now, shut up, keep your eyes open and stay close.

They stepped inside, Ahsoka being assaulted by the harsh lights and pounding music as she looked around. On the raised stage in the centre of the Cantina, a scantily clad Mon Cal male and a Twi'lek female gyrated to the music and the air smelt of sweat, stale ale and unwashed bodies.

'There he is', Marihai said, nodding towards a heavyset Gran sitting at the back of the bar with a bottle of spirits on the table. 'Come on.'

Ahsoka followed her across the bar towards the table, Kheteik looking up as they approached.

'What do you want?' He asked and Marihai folded her arms across her chest.

'You sold a death stick to one of my lads...'

'So?'

'He's dead...'

'And? What he does with them is none of my business...'

'You piece of sithspawn...' Marihai snarled and Kheteik shook his head.

'No-one talks to me like that in my place.' He said. 'Netro.'

A Rodian stepped out of the crowd, drawing his blaster and levelling it at her. There was a frozen moment that was broken when a blaster shot rang out and the Rodian collapsed with a gaping wound in his chest. Ahsoka's head whipped round and she saw Marihai lowering her blaster.

I didn't even see her move...

'Kill her.' Kheteik roared, drawing his on blaster as two other thugs rose from their seats, reaching under their jackets.

'Get down!' Marihai yelled, tackling Ahsoka behind the bar as they opened fire, blaster bolts chewing into the wood.

'You alright?'

'Yes,' Ahsoka said, popping up to snap off a shot and a Mon Cal collapsed with a cut of scream. She ducked down again as a Sullustan unleashed another volley before a shot from Marihai caught him in the stomach. Marihai rose from her crouch and flicked the selector on her pistol, her stun bolt catching Kheteik in the chest and he dropped to his knees, his blaster slipping from his fingers.

'What are you doing?' Ahsoka hissed and she stepped over him, aiming her blaster at his throat and pulling the trigger.

'Let's go...' she said, holstering her pistol and walking out of the Cantina.

'What did you do that for?' Ahsoka demanded, when they stepped outside and Marihai rounded on her.

'What did you want me to do? Call CSF? The law doesn't exist down here. If I didn't stop him, how many other kids will he kill?'

'...what will you do now?'

'I've got a run to make to Koda Station. How about it? I could use you...'

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Any comments, reviews or constructive criticisms are very welcome.