*I've been feeling the need to write something lately, and I've been struggling with my bigger stories. So, I came up with this (planned) short story and maybe a few similar things to try and get the juices flowing. I want to post something, and this is what I have ready. So, enjoy, and don't forget to comment so I know if I should invest in finishing it up quick.*

Ahsoka moved slowly through the back alley. She trundled forward, a slight limp in her step from the beating she had taken earlier. When the clones had closed in on her and her own master had moved to stop her, she ran. In the moment she was just scared, terrified about what would happen to her if they caught her. But now, with the throbbing ache in her side from when she'd taken a hard fall, she could only think that running made her look guilty. Of course, being framed didn't help.

She was innocent!

And she couldn't believe that so many of those around her had been so willing to believe she was guilty. Her whole life had been spent in the Jedi Order, and yet only her master and Barris believed she was innocent. Did the years of fighting, endless pain, and the countless victories for the Republic and the Order mean nothing to them!?

It didn't matter anymore.

Now, she was alone and on the run. Lost in the lower levels of Coruscant and being hunted ruthlessly was her new world. It was all she could do to stay alive and avoid being caught. As she stepped out of the back alleyway she could only curse silently. In the small plaza she had stumbled into was a squad of troopers from the brutal Coruscanti police. Their heavy dusters and goggled masks sent a small tinge of fear down her spine as their cold gazes swept over the crowds of impoverished and criminal elements that populated this level of the city.

She did her best to conceal her features with her hand while keeping her head low. Hopefully her dirty appearance would just make her into another poor Togrutan. She had almost made it to the next alley when she felt a shift in the Force.

"There she is!" one of the officers shouted. And like Anoobas with a scent, the entire squad turned towards her in the blink of any eye. She had no time to react before the unmistakable sound of blasters being drawn was heard and she ran on instinct. The sound of blasters filled the air behind her as they opened fire at her fleeing figure.

She tore down the dark alleyway, the poor lighting making it appear menacing and dirty. Hoping to escape before another squad was able to cut her off she ducked and wove her way around corners and behind boxes in a seemingly vain attempt to make the ones following her fall behind. Even using her enhanced abilities and haphazardly thrown obstacles did nothing to slow down the troopers well versed in chasing down a fugitive.

Ahsoka knew she couldn't stop. Not now. If she was arrested, then all there would be is the fake evidence against her and the fact that she ran. Even she knew the law well enough to say her odds weren't good.

With a yelp she stumbled in pain as a blaster bolt grazed against her unprotected arm. With dawning horror, she realized that they weren't shooting stun rounds. They were trying to kill her. The near constant whine of bolts flying by or the pop as they hit something suddenly became much more serious.

She had thought they would try and capture her. Parade her around like some kind of wild beast to symbolize their greatness. She could see it in that man's eyes, Tarkin, when he had approached her earlier. But, apparently, bringing her in alive was now an afterthought to stopping the 'Jedi Terrorist'.

As Ahsoka rounded a corner she stopped dead in her tracks as another squad of men appeared in front of her. It took them only a moment of hesitation to realize who she was before they joined the ones behind her in trying to stop her with very lethal measures. Panic started to set in as she was herded down another alley. As exhaustion started to set in from her flight from the temple and the pain of her bruised body flared to life, she realized that it would only be a matter of time before she was brought down.

Turning down a new alley with the guards only a few seconds behind, she burst through the doors of a well-kept, but cheap cantina. Hoping that her pursuers would think she had run into the crowd of the market at the end of the alley she took a moment to breath. But, she knew they would sweep the surrounding buildings once they realized they'd lost her.

Ignoring the cursory glances from the seedy patrons, she dropped a decent pile of credits in front of the bartender before ducking into the refresher. She only had a few minutes to tend to her wounds and try to disguise her appearance with what was on her. As she stepped out of the refresher she saw the bartender slide some cheap drink towards her.

"Thank you." She said quietly while sliding another stack of credits towards the Trandoshian. She may not have had many good experiences with his species, but she couldn't help being grateful for the silent help. And when she nodded towards the other patrons at the bar, she was again relieved when he understood her meaning and slid drinks towards the now much less hostile patrons.

She was suddenly very thankful for the lesson her master had hammered into her. Sometimes a good stack of credits was the most effective tool in getting stuff done, so always have a decent amount on you. Even when you think your safe. She could now rest easy that no one in the cantina would rat her out.

But that didn't mean they'd protect her if she was found. And when she heard the harsh voices of the rough Coroscanti police she could only curse her luck. If they had sent clones to sweep the area once they knew generally where she was, then she could probably mind trick them or slip away in the crowds. But the police were much more experienced in rooting out a fugitive in the din of criminals and 'entrepreneurs' in the lower levels.

She could only trust in her instincts and the Force when she felt a small tug. Moving blindly, she took her drink and swept into a booth just before the officers walked into the cantina.

Ahsoka's fists were clenched white as she kept her head down in nervousness. They swept through the building methodically, looking closely at the few Togrutans at the bar. Miraculously, they passed right by her booth, only a couple of them looking in the general direction before moving on.

For several nerve wracking more minutes they checked everywhere for her, even behind the counter and in the refresher, as they methodically worked through the building. Eventually the squad left, and she let out a rattling breath. She had somehow avoided notice, her earlier gratuity sparing her from any patron's quick words. There was no love lost between them and the police, and if there was nothing to gain from it the inhabitants of this level would never help the authorities.

*Ehem*

A quiet scoff from the side made Ahsoka realize the booth she had slid into was very much occupied.

"Oh sor…" As she looked over at whoever she had disturbed her words of apology died on her lips. At the table was a group of heavily armed and armored people with very distinctive appearances. With an audible gasp she ducked her head to hide her shame and awe from who she had disturbed.

Darkness.

A bounty hunting and mercenary band that primarily operates in the mid and outer rim. They were legendary for never having failed a mission, and they were loved for their humble and honorable nature. Unlike Cad Bane, or one of the many other famous bounty hunters, they had strict morals that they followed. They would only assist a government if the job wasn't related to the war, making them a neutral party of strength that neither side could afford to lose.

They had broken up one of the largest illegal slave rings in the galaxy in a week. They had saved entire cities from rampaging creatures of massive destructive potential. They had pulled species from the brink of extinction with their relief efforts sent through some of the most inhospitable space in existence.

Heroes. Legends. Saviors.

This is what they were called by the entire galaxy. Every person had at least grudging respect for their impressive abilities. No one could dispute their reputation and credibility, even if they were rather private.

And she had just barged into their booth.

"I-I…Thank you for not giving me up." She stammered out. She started to get out of the booth in a nervous jerking manner until she was stopped by deep voice.

"Wait." She froze like a Bantha in a spotlight when she heard the unmistakable voice of Darkness' leader. His helmeted visage and regal voice were blasted across the holonet whenever they did something spectacular and she had been quite fascinated by their exploits over the years. Even her master would probably struggle with some of their feats.

Turning around hesitantly, Ahsoka got her first good look at the group. They all looked at her differently, but she couldn't help but shrink under the less than pleasant gazes from most of them. However, the Dark Hero Momonga looked at her with mild curiosity from behind his iconic helm. The first time she had seen the black armor of Darkness' two leads she had been reminded of the Mandalorian visors that were the base of the clone armor. But now, in the presence of the impressive armors she couldn't help but think it had a more brutal nobility to it. She also had to pause when she personally saw the legendary beauty of the females of Darkness, and she couldn't stop the pang of jealousy and flare of lust that reared its head in front of the near goddesses.

And that was when she made a shocking observation. It felt like they were all voids in the force, non-entities in the ever-present field. Normally, a Jedi of her level would be able to detect intelligent life with ease, but the entire time she was sitting there she hadn't felt anything. That was why she didn't realize there were others in the booth. They would have to be concealing themselves from the Force somehow.

That line of thought made her frown. Now that she thought about it, she couldn't remember seeing a booth in the corner when she came in, and she certainly didn't remember seeing them. It wasn't until she blindly threw herself into the Force did she notice the booth in her panic. It was impossible, but after everything she had done since becoming a padawan had proven that anything is possible in the end.

Were they somehow hiding themselves from the senses of even a Jedi?

"Why were they after you?" Momonga asked curiously. It took her several seconds to collect her nerves, and several more to go through some simple meditative practices to calm her down. Summoning up the strength of will molded into every Jedi, she ignored the hostile disgust and chilling gazes from several of the cloaked or masked women.

"I was framed. The only way for me to clear my name is to find the evidence on my own. Otherwise, I will be imprisoned for something I didn't do." She said with every ounce of conviction she could muster.

"Won't your Jedi comrades help you?" Came his blunt response.

"How'd you know!?" She challenged frantically, moving to a stance to defend herself. They obviously hadn't seen the news if they were asking what she did, so how could they tell she was a Jedi? Momonga just shifted slightly before pointing at the lightsaber on her hip.

Ahsoka blushed profusely before ducking her head in shame. Subtlety was not an important part when training with Skywalker, and only through necessity would the skills be learned. She had obviously forgotten perhaps her most identifying item in her haste and stress. She could only mutter apologetic thanks as she sat back down. Without it being pointed out to her, she would have been spotted the minute she walked out the door.

Looking at the expectant gaze of the man whose group had saved her, she tried to bring back her detachment, but as she thought about everyone who had seemed to turn their backs on her she couldn't hold it back. With a chocking sob she tried to defend her Order.

"Th-the evidence is substantial. The council suspects me of the crimes." Ahsoka said glumly. She couldn't stop the little worm of doubt in her mind that screamed they would turn her in.

"So, what happened?" Her head snapped up at that.

"What are you suspected of, and why would you be the prime suspect?" It wasn't much, but that small token of trust in her honesty brought hope to her flagging spirit. With a level of depth she thought was reserved for only those closest to her, she started from the very beginning. No detail was missed as she bared herself to this near-stranger who had given her hope. As she went through everything she knew about the bombing and all the events after it she couldn't stop the relief she felt from watching him sit there patiently, listening to every detail of her story. Plenty of Jedi could learn from him in patience and understanding.

"I-I had no choice but to run. If I had stayed no one would have bothered looking for the truth. Even if my master or Bariss tried, there is only so much they could do on their own. I need to track down who did this before they attack again." As she finished recounting her story Ahsoka noticed Momonga appeared to be lost in thought. Eventually he took note of her curious gaze as he stared off into the distance.

"Hm? Oh, sorry. Just thinking." At her pleading look Momonga reluctantly tried to express his thoughts.

"Haaaah. I'm just trying to determine your motive." Ahsoka was crushed when he said that. She didn't know why, but for him to not trust her was perhaps the most painful part of this entire ordeal.

"Ah, wha- What I meant is I can't figure out your motive, hypothetically, for this attack. Why go through the trouble of setting up the bombing from another planet and not covering your tracks? It's just too convenient for the attacker to be the one who just so happens to be called to investigate. That's not even getting into how utterly ineffectual the attack was, and a commander of your experience would have no problem doing much more damage." When Momonga saw her perplexed look, he tried to elaborate. Even as he talked she had to wonder how such obvious things were missed.

"You are an experienced and high-profile Jedi with years of stellar service. Your master seems to trust you implicitly and is a war hero. You are the second in command of one of the most effectual clone units in the entire army and have won against some of the worst odds. You are also well connected to almost every important person in the galaxy and are unusually close to both the council and the senate, if at least through your master. Only an idiot would fail so utterly to do anything in your position, and you didn't get this far by being dumb.

So, my question to you is what would be your motive to carry out this attack. Why would you do something so stunning, but ultimately unimportant during a war? Every terrorist has a motive, ideology, economics, vengeance. Even the most…unhinged have a central idea that their violence stems from. So, what was the point of this attack?"

Ahsoka sat there with a heavy frown on her face. Motive was just assumed in this case, to hurt the Republic. But now that she thought about it there really wasn't any clear motive. And as that thought grew in her head an idea started to form.

"To hurt the Jedi in particular."

"Then aim for the kids. It sounds cruel, but from a strategic stance someone with the ability to carry out this attack could easily kill many of the young Jedi and cripple future generations. It would be insanely demoralizing, and any demand would be met out of pure fear." Ahsoka felt sick thinking about it that way, but it wasn't entirely wrong. The panic after Cad Bane kidnapped those children was palpable for months.

"No, they want to make the Jedi see something, or maybe do something specific. Change their views or remind them of the past. I don't know what in particular it would be, but so long as this threat exists, we have practically halted as an organization to try and figure it out." She said with growing confidence. She was internally relieved to see a small nod of acknowledgment from Momonga when she answered that. It seems her suspicion was correct. Someone wants something from the Jedi and are holding the Temple hostage to get it.

"But, that doesn't cover why you in particular are being framed. Any Jedi would do." His thoughts sent a ping of fear coursing through her body.

Had she been set up this whole time?

"Probably, it's just coincidence that you are the fall-man. It's probably because your investigation was getting closer to the culprit and they needed a distraction. Of course, that cuts down on your number of suspects considerably. They must know you reasonably well for the framing to work, otherwise it would never be convincing to anybody who knew you." That thought was probably more horrifying than the attack.

'Who could?...No! I'm a Jedi! And I know my friends well enough to say that they didn't do it!' Shaking that traitorous thought out of her head, she tried to move on.

"It doesn't matter. They got what they want and I'm on the run until I can find something." Momonga just shrugged in indifference. After a few seconds of tense silence Ahsoka figured she had worn out her welcome and decided to leave. She still needed to meet with Bariss and track down the bomber.

"I-Thank you, again. I don't know what they would have done to me if I was captured." As she stood to leave she hesitated. Darkness was one of the most effective groups in the galaxy. If anyone could help her it would be them, and she was desperate.

"Um…I know you have no reason to believe me, but please help me clear my name!" She cried out with a respectful bow.

"Ho? And why should we get involved in the affairs of the Republic? This is rather political for us." Ahsoka bit her lip as she tried to think of what to say. It was hard for her to understand after being raised a Jedi, but they obviously didn't want to stick their necks out for a stranger and risk becoming enemies of the state.

"I, I could hire you. Your bounty hunters, right?" She resorted to trying to buy them. She didn't like it, but she was desperate. Plus, the entire time she had been sitting there it felt like the Force within her was content. It was like being in their presence was the best thing that could happen to her. She licked her lips in nervousness as she thought about possible rewards.

"I can pay you well. The Jedi would be very grateful for your help. You would be known as friends of the Republic, and Jedi would always be willing to help you." She said. Even if she didn't have many credits left on her, the word of a Jedi was worth something. But Momonga just scoffed in indifference.

"I have no need for your credits, and I have no desire to have the Jedi indebted to me. I am already a friend of the Republic, and in my work, I gain nothing for being chummy with the Jedi." Ahsoka's mood dropped. She couldn't seem to think of a counter to what he said. Again.

"Your Lightsaber." He said suddenly. Her head snapped up. A Jedi was dead without their lightsaber. But just before she could tell him off for his insensitive request he continued talking.

"If you step outside with it right now, you are as good as dead. Abandoning it is the only other thing you can do. If you return to the Order you can make a new one. They are interesting tools, and I have never been able to observe one up close." Ahsoka was torn between her teachings and experience, and her desire for answers. Eventually, her indecision won over and she once again threw herself into the Force. She nearly gaped when she realized the Force wanted her to hand over her sacred blade. To take his offer for what it was.

Help.

Idly stroking the case of the only thing that had kept her alive for so long, she slid the weapon across the table. She watched with baited breath as Momonga picked up the lightsaber and observed it. She could hear quiet mumbling from him as he studied the uncommon item with the experience of a collector. Eventually, he slid the hilt down and out of sight as he stored it somewhere.

"Very well. We have accepted your payment. Darkness will hereby assist you in defending your innocence. On our Honor, you will not be our first failure." As Momonga said that a subtle change came over the other silent party members. Gone was the malice and dark feelings, so rapidly she wondered if she had just been imagining it, in its place was a cold and calculating demeanor. In front of her now was the most renown mercenary and Bounty Hunter group in the galaxy who had taken on a contract. Ahsoka couldn't stop the flood of emotions as her relief washed through her like a cool wave. She could only keep mumbling thanks as she sniffled and wiped away her tears of joy and relief.

"Now, you said you have a friend still in the Order who wants to help you?" Momonga said once she had started to calm down. Ahsoka nodded her head vigorously in confirmation, thinking about the padawan Mirialan who she had fought beside so many times.

"Yes. I was trying to meet up with her when they saw me. I had to hide here or else they would have captured me." She said eagerly.

"Then we should get going. That's a good a place as any to start." Momonga rose to leave the booth, the others just a beat behind as they let their leader out, falling into step behind him as they left. When they started walking towards the door of the cantina Ahsoka could only marvel at the roller coaster her life had become.

As they walked past the bar her thoughts were once again drawn to a halt, an all too common occurrence around this man, as the bartender just nodded in respect and recognition. Her jaw almost dropped when she realized that the patrons were used to seeing this group around. Ignoring the suddenly burning desire to find out why such a distinguished group was a regular here, she could only lament the poor state of security in the Republic.

If she hadn't heard about Darkness frequenting the lower levels of Coruscant, then no one of importance was aware of it. It made her think back to all the times notorious criminals and bounty hunters like Bane or Zero were able to get away with so much while just walking down the street.

"Here, put this on." Momonga said, stopping to hand her a dull cloak. She gratefully accepted the item and threw it on, making sure the hood shadowed her face well. Luckily, she wouldn't be focused on when such legends were around her.

And as they group left the cantina and stepped into the market square she had seen earlier she couldn't believe the reactions of the people around her. The crowds parted like water before Momonga's armored frame as he led their group. All around them, people stopped to whisper words of praise and thanks with heads bowed as they strode by. Everyone around them looked at the group with eyes shining in gratitude and awe. It was like to them Darkness were demigods who had saved them.

Just what could they have done to get this kind of reaction?

They swiftly made their way towards where Ahsoka was supposed to meet Bariss. They had luckily been able to arrange a meeting before she had to run. She only hoped her friend was still safe and wasn't found by the bomber. They had already killed, they wouldn't hesitate to strike her down and tie up loose ends.

"Well, well. It looks like the lost little Jedi made some friends. Strong ones too. Unless, of course, I'm late to collecting my bounty."

"Ventress." Ahsoka growled out as the assassin stepped out of the shadows in front of them. They were alone in a dark alley and Ahsoka was sure Ventress was confident in beating her unarmed, and she would be right. In her injured and tired state, she didn't stand a chance. She could only hope the former Sith wouldn't risk fighting Darkness.

"Oh, little pet. Did your master turn on you when you weren't the perfect little follower?" The bald woman said mockingly.

"Don't worry. I know what you're feeling. Why don't you come with me and we'll talk all about it." As her old enemy prowled around her, Ahsoka could feel her control slipping. She was suddenly glad that she didn't have her lightsaber. She would definitely have tried to cut down the woman who had hunted her so ruthlessly in the past.

"She is with us. We are currently assisting her in finding evidence for her innocence." Momonga said bluntly. Ventress looked mildly surprised at that, shifting her attention to the armored man.

"Well, that's not good. I need her for my job. Is there anything I could do to make you think otherwise?" She asked in a sultry tone.

Ahsoka suppressed the uncomfortable feeling in her gut as the assassin flirted with Momonga, only to freeze under the sudden tidal wave of killing intent from all around. Even the hardened assassin was suddenly trembling in fear at the sound of grinding teeth and slipping rage coming from all of the women from Darkness.

Ahsoka suddenly had the very sobering realization that she had never truly been the target of their focused ire, and it is only because of their noble leader that the irate females calmed down. Ahsoka couldn't help being a bit jealous of the women who had someone in their life who they could follow so implicitly.

"I'm sorry, but we already accepted the job. It would not do to back out on our agreement now." Momonga said calmly amongst the raging hate.

"W-well. That's, that's too bad…Say, if your helping damsels in distress, could I convince you to help me retrieve my lightsabers? Some Jedi brat stole them from me." Ahsoka could only scoff at the idea of Ventress as a 'damsel'. But it was rather surprising to hear about her sabers. Perhaps that was what the bomber used to frame her for killing those clones.

"I'm sorry, but we cannot help you until this job is done. If we find your sabers we will let you know." Ahsoka couldn't stop the triumphant smirk she shot at Ventress as Momonga brushed past her. She wanted to giggle when she saw the assassin holding in a scream of rage at being ignored, only to think better of it given her opponents.

The group continued traveling to where she had agreed to meet Bariss. They traveled silently through the lower levels of Coruscant, only speaking when absolutely necessary. Ahsoka had tried starting a conversation with one of Darkness but the females rarely responded with more than single sentence answers and Momonga was busy leading them through the winding streets and alleys.

She was absolutely amazed at how skilled he was at preventing anyone from tailing them. They seemed to alternate between long, empty streets where they could see around them, and narrow, clustered alleys to draw anyone following them in. On top of that, they didn't keep to the most direct route, making towards distinctive landmarks only in the general direction they needed to go. They even doubled back and went in small loops several times. It was amazing to Ahsoka that Momonga was aware of the occasional bounty hunter or spy following them and was able to so deftly loose them.

Eventually, they were within sight of the building Ashoka was going to meet Bariss in. It was an unassuming apartment building on the edge of a large square. Suddenly, Momonga stopped dead, everyone else following shortly as they piled up at the end of the small street they were in. The few people who passed them looked at the group with confused interest. They clearly had no idea what their group was doing and were only holding back on approaching because of the weapons visible on (almost) every one of them. Ahsoka couldn't see what was in the square from her spot towards the back so she slowly slunk forward to Momonga's side.

"Oh no." Was all she could say quietly when she looked out into the square. Several squads of clones and many police officers could be seen milling about. They appeared to be using the clearing as a rallying point for all of the search parties in the area. They had even cleared out many of the street vendors along the edges of the square to make room for the odd LAAT coming in to land on the far side of the square, which opened up to the rest of the city with a massive cavern, as more and more clones arrived. There was no way they would be able to get into the building without someone spotting them.

Ahsoka was about to step back from the corner when suddenly she felt a burst in the Force. It screamed danger at her and she dove back into the alley soon enough to just catch a flash of browns while she missed being spotted by a Kel Dor Jedi Master. The group circled up around her heaving frame as she tried to calm her heart rate.

This whole thing just became more complicated. Plo Koon, perhaps the Jedi she saw as family most after Anakin, was out searching for her. The aching throb returned when she was forced to confront the fact that he was trying to arrest her.

She couldn't stop. It hurt, but she had to push through. This whole thing just became exponentially harder. Not only would Plo Koon be able to sense the changes in the Force, he knew her well enough to predict what she would do. Ahsoka could only be more grateful for Darkness helping her. Their different patterns and abilities would make it harder for them to be detected or caught.

"I don't think we will be able to walk out there." Momonga said flatly over Ahsoka's heavy breathing. The rest of Darkness just listened quietly for their leader to decide what to do.

"That's Master Plo. He's won't be fooled easily. He's knows what I would do. Oh, kriff. What will we do?" Ahsoka was having a hard time controlling herself as her panic started to return. She would be imprisoned and sentenced and never get to prove her innocence, and now she had dragged others into it as well!

"Hmmm. The troops are the biggest concern. We can distract the Jedi for a few minutes while you slip inside. But we need some way to cut their numbers down. Unless…

Nabe, Give Ahsoka your sword." As Momonga came up with a plan to counter their opponents' strengths instantly, his teammate followed without any hesitation, unbuckling the physical blade from her belt. As Nabe held the sword out towards her like she was some bug dirtying her presence, Ahsoka finally noticed Darkness' lack of blasters. They all had rather prominent melee weapons on their person, with the most obvious being Momonga's iconic massive twin Beskar (allegedly) swords. Only one of them was carrying blasters visibly, a small girl with a camo pattern eye patch and pink hair. And even she only had two simple pistols to compliment her odd, blocky rifle in dull silver.

"Mn. This should work. Here." Momonga then handed Nabe Ahsoka's lightsaber.

"Head towards the cantina. Make sure you activate the lightsaber every so often and keep your hood up, so they don't realize you're not Togrutan. That should draw the troopers away." With a sharp bow and quick word, the girl was gone before Ahsoka could even get a word in edgewise.

"Don't worry about her. Now, I will go converse with the Jedi. I doubt he'll leave so easily if your saber is spotted. I can only buy you a minute to get inside unseen. We will keep watch while you are inside but getting out is going to be tricky. There may be somewhere we can leave from on the other side. Otherwise, things may get hostile. We will do or best to not harm anyone seriously, if it comes to that." Momonga wasted no time stepping into the apparently comfortable role of team leader in a raid like this, shooting piercing glares, that somehow were felt past his visor, towards individuals at certain parts.

Ahsoka just silently chewed on her lip, waiting for the signal to move. It was only another few minutes that stretched on forever before a loud commotion was heard in the square.

"She was spotted ten blocks north! Move!" An ARC trooper she didn't recognize started ordering squads of clones as they scrambled to close in on 'her'. Within minutes, almost all of the troops and officers had left the square, leaving a few guards on the gunship and a contemplative Jedi. Ahsoka cursed her luck once again. Master Plo had stayed back to direct the troops. He was obviously expecting her to do something and wouldn't be a direct threat to the clones, so he stayed behind to react accordingly.

It was at this point Darkness moved confidently into the plaza. Moving with purpose, Momonga drew many curious eyes as people wondered what the heroic figure was doing.

"Good afternoon. May I ask what is going on here?" He asked to the surprised Jedi. Although it was little more than a subtle shift, Ahsoka was sure Master Plo was surprised to see such recognizable figures there.

"It's nothing to worry about. We are looking for a fugitive and have spotted her in a nearby area. If you see this Togrutan Padawan please contact the nearest law enforcement. We want to bring her in peacefully." Master Plo said in the blunt manner of most Jedi.

"It doesn't look like your trying to do this peacefully. Are you sure there won't be any trouble?" As Momonga drew the Jedi into a discussion about their methods Ahsoka noticed the signal from one of the members of Darkness. Everyone was now focused on the leader of the famed group challenging the Jedi who had shown up near their homes. All of the clones were now forced to focus on the growing audience, and she knew this would be the best time for her to slip past them.

Ahsoka slunk behind the crowds, occasionally stopping to blend in with the people around her as she made her way to the run-down apartment building. Once inside, she tip-toed her way up the stairs until she was at the room. Reaching out through the Force, she couldn't stop the small smile from gracing her lips as she felt her close friend alone in the room.

Confidently, quietly, she slipped into the room; all the while trying to ignore the whispering voice of Momonga in her ear-

'Someone close to you…'

Kel Dorr Jedi Master Plo Koon had experienced many things over his long life. In fact, many would call him a master of the Force and Jedi ways. Of course, he, and any other Master, would say that one could never fully come to understand or master the Force. It guided, taught, and told. He may be able to rely on its more prominent manifestations, but he could never hope to fully control or understand the more obscure aspects.

All in all, it led to a life that was full of experience and rich in challenges, always testing his convictions and abilities. He was at peace with himself and what his life was. The Force was a partner, friend, and guide.

That didn't mean in couldn't be kriffing annoying.

And ever since Ahsoka had escaped into the lower levels of Coruscant, that is exactly what it had been. Before, the Force seemed to be permeated with a sense of sorrow. Whether it was for the lost child or, if Ahsoka was to be believed, the pains of an innocent persecuted, he couldn't tell. But ever since she had disappeared into the dark alleys of the city the Force had become…mirthful. It was an odd sensation the Kel Dor Master had never encountered before. It felt like the Force was holding in a chuckle at the thought of some unknown joke.

He wasn't sure he wanted to know the punchline.

And this led to his current predicament. The wayward Padawan had, supposedly, been spotted and Master Plo had reached out with the Force to try and see what the resourceful girl was planning. But as he submerged himself in the Force that odd feeling clouded his sight, and he couldn't help feeling a small tinge of frustration from the entire ordeal.

In fact, the Force's less than normal reaction had him so distracted he didn't pay much attention to the admittedly respectable and famous bounty hunter who had approached him. Perhaps in different circumstances he would have relished a discussion with the man, but he had other things to worry about. It was with only a minor wave of guilt Master Plo felt as he did his best to end the conversation with Momonga of Darkness. In the end, he was just a man who didn't shine like a beacon of light in the Force. Not like Ahsoka.

Of course, if he had been willing to focus more on Momonga the Kel Dor would be flabbergasted by his utter lack of presence in the Force. But, hiding oneself from Jedi was not a normal skill and he had no reason to suspect the armored man of being more than he appeared. It was not the main focus of his attention, and unfortunately the Jedi's detachment of self to observe the whole let him miss several key details about his surroundings and the man in front of him.

With a start, Plo Koon's head snapped up. Like a burst in the night, a Force presence flashed into existence near him before disappearing. If he hadn't been so focused on the Force, he wouldn't have felt it, but there was no way for him to miss it now. There was a Force sensitive nearby, and they were very familiar.

"I'm sorry, but something has come up." Abruptly, he cut off his conversation with the famous mercenary and started bounding across the plaza, his stride boosted by the Force. He was only dimly aware of the mad scramble behind him as everyone was caught off guard and his troops tried to catch up.

He was to the entrance of the building he was sure Ahsoka was in before anyone had time to react. He could feel the surge of alarm in the presence as they noticed his Force signature before a sense of panic came over it. That panic only grew as the presence clearly tried to escape the building, only to realize his long strides were gobbling up the stairs faster than they could find a way out.

Plo Koon burst into a run-down apartment just in time to see a flustered Ahsoka leap out a small window. In no time at all he was diving through the window after her.

The chase was on.