A/N:

Our story begins at the end of The Clone Wars episode To Catch A Jedi. If you haven't watched the show I highly recommend it, as it is fantastic, and this won't make any sense if you haven't seen it.

Thank you all so much for reading. Please enjoy.


Chapter 1:

Deep Breaths


"I have to admit, I never saw us doing anything together. Ever."

The older woman was inclined to agree with the young Togruta.

"These are strange times." Rather, this had been a strange day. Even for a former Sith assassin, now bounty hunter, such as Asajj Ventress. It wasn't often you helped your former enemy escape her Jedi master, all while searching for nano-droids that turned living beings into bombs.

Ventress took a few steps back from her companion, then paused for a final glance at the girl. Ahsoka's footsteps made only the slightest tapping sounds on the metal floor as she disappeared into the dark doorway of the warehouse. The bounty hunter's trained eye could see how practiced the girl was in stealth. The Clone Wars had made the young Padawan grow up quickly.

And the girl was powerful. More powerful than she knew, Ventress wagered. She had no doubt that if the Padawan ever made it out of this ordeal she would become a very powerful Jedi. A very powerful Jedi who just might be her ally after today, Ventress thought with a smile.

She walked down the dingy street of the Coruscant underworld, making sure to reengage her mask before anyone saw her. All she could do now was wait and hope Ahsoka would be able to hold up her end of the bargain.

Or so she thought. The bounty hunter had made it no more than a block and a half before the reverberating clomp of running boots began to fill her ears. Acting on instinct, Ventress ducked into the shadows of a nearby alleyway. Soon the thunderous noise was upon the street Ventress had vacated.

One white blur passed by. Then another. Then two more.

Clones.

It was the same group they had disabled earlier, Ventress was sure of it. And it looked like they had called for backup. Kriff. This was bad. If the girl was caught in that warehouse…

Just as she was getting out of her hiding spot, another figure passed by. But this one was not a clone. The man had light orange, wrinkly skin and long brown cloak. Though Ventress could not have told anyone this. All she noticed was the man's extremely powerful Force presence, which was entirely focused on the warehouse in front of him.

A Jedi. Likely a Master, by the feel of him. Double Kriff. This was worse than she thought.

The former Sith assassin had a decision to make. She paused for a moment, letting the Jedi get a good head start on her. Gritting her teeth, Ventress came out of the alley and ran back to the warehouse. She slowed to a crawl as she approached the front door, doing her best to mask her Force presence so she would not be exposed prematurely. Leaning against the door, Ventress pressed her ear to the metal, listening for any warning signs.

A dark figure dashed across her view at the other end of the building. A scavenger or petty thief, most likely. They were all too common in these parts of Coruscant.

Slowly opening the door, Ventress thanked the Force that the hinges didn't creak. She slipped inside, once again embracing the cover of the shadows. The warehouse was large — no doubt a secret hold for some notorious underworld criminal. Who else would have the means, or the guts, to house explosive nano-droids on the Galactic capital planet?

Using as little of the Force as possible, Ventress hopped from one stack of boxes to another. She quickly caught the sight of clones, all heading in the same direction towards the back of the warehouse. She slinked along above them, hugging her body to the crates as tightly as she could.

The action was indeed at the back wall of the warehouse. Ahsoka was trapped against a wall of crates. It looked like she had lost her lightsaber, or one of the clones had managed to take it. Speaking of which, every possible exit for the Togruta girl was blocked off by one of those white clad soldiers. There looked to be half again as many of them as Ventress and Ahsoka had taken out earlier, not counting the Jedi. Getting the girl and escaping was going to be a challenge.

A loud gasp echoed up from the floor. The Jedi had made it to the front of his miniature army. Ahsoka looked either hopeful or horrified, Ventress couldn't tell which. Either way, it was clear the girl knew, or knew of, this Jedi Master.

"Nano-droids." The monotonic voice of one of the clones broke the pregnant silence. "And explosives. Same ones that were used to blow up the Temple, by the looks of it."

"M-Master Koon," Ahsoka whimpered, "Please, this isn't what it looks like. Please, Master, I can ex—"

"Ahsoka…" the Jedi interrupted. His rumbling voice was thick with emotion. Grief. Heartache. Yes, they definitely knew one another. "I am so sorry, young one. Arrest her, Commander Wolffe."

Well, this appeared to be Ventress' cue. The Jedi, Master Koon, was distracted, which was about as much as she could hope for. So the bounty hunter jumped.

With a thud, she landed on top of the Jedi. His head smacked onto the floor, knocking him out cold. Or at least she thought he was out cold. Ventress grimaced internally. No time to worry about that now.

Lightsabers out in a flash, it took all of her concentration to deflect the blaster bolts and dodge the stun blasts. Gradually she walked backwards, making her way to the Togruta girl lying by the crates. Unconscious by the looks of it. An errant stun blast, or blasts, must have hit her. Ventress got down on one knee to better allow her sabers to protect her and the girl from harm.

Now, all she needed was an escape plan. In retrospect, she probably should have planned that out before jumping into a group of men who wanted to kill her. But no time to dwell on the past. Ventress needed to focus on not dying.

Behind her, Ahsoka began to regain consciousness. A few groggy moans were all that indicated the girl wasn't still out like a light.

"Ahsoka! Force damn it, wake up girl!" Some slightly louder croaks and a light tap on her ankle were all she got in reply. "Ahsoka, I need you to wrap your arms around me and hold on tight. Hurry!" Ventress wasn't sure how much longer she could keep up her guard. Learning Makashi from Count Dooku had done wonders for her saber skills, but the style had its limits defensively.

Thin arms curled their way around the bounty hunter's neck. The girl's body collapsed heavily against Ventress. It was going to be a good while before Ahsoka was anywhere near full operation. Standing up slowly, Ventress used the Force to stabilize the girl's grip as best she could. It would have to do, because they needed to get out of the warehouse now.

In a fluid motion, Ventress crouched then sprang into the air. Using the Force as her aid, she and the girl on her back landed back atop the pile of crates the bounty hunter had used as her original vantage point. A dozen identical voices began shouting from below her, and the blaster fire was redirected to follow the two women. Making sure Ahsoka was stable on her back, Ventress stowed her sabers and ran across the shelves of crates as quickly as she dared. Too slow and the clones would catch them, too fast and she would lose her balance and fall off. She swiped her hands behind her when she could, knocking crates down behind her to impede the clones' progress.

Sooner than she anticipated, Ventress found herself at a pair of doors. They looked identical to the ones she came in through, though she couldn't be sure. Taking a moment to catch her breath, the former assassin glanced at the girl on her back. Ahsoka's eyes were open now, but glazed over. She probably thought this was all a dream. If only.

The shouts were getting closer. It was time to go. Ventress barged through the doors, not caring for stealth this time. The street outside was unfamiliar — it must be a side exit. She chose a direction at random, and took off.

Well, as much as one can take off while hauling a body on their back.

Within seconds she heard heavy stomps behind her. Just a few this time, not the thunderous wave she had first heard. It appeared she was faster than most of the genetically engineered soldiers. Ventress had to smile at that.

Blaster fire rang in her ears again — all stun shots, this time. They must want Ahsoka alive. No good for the Republic to kill her in the dark when they could have a nice public execution to set an example for any other would-be traitors. Through some combination of skill and luck, Ventress managed to dodge the blasts. It might have been her imagination, but the shots seemed to be getting slightly quieter. She didn't dare take a look back.

One final blast rang out behind her. Ventress felt it land on her back with a thud. She stumbled, but didn't fall — was she out of range of their blasters already? Ventress risked a backwards glance. She was definitely gaining ground, but not enough to be out of range.

A montral smacking into the back of her head reminded Ventress of her passenger, who was once again out cold. Kriff, Ahsoka must have absorbed that shot. The girl was not going to be waking up for a long time.

Ventress forced herself to run for another winding ten blocks before allowing herself to slow down. It appeared that her rescue plan had somehow, improbably — no, impossibly — worked. Setting down the Togruta for a moment, Ventress pulled a cloak out of her satchel and wrapped it around her companion. Now it just looked like one strange person carrying another, which was nowhere near enough to draw attention this low into Coruscant.

With a huff, Ventress set off into the dim streets once again. It seemed she was going to have a house guest.


Thump.

Thump.

Thump. Ow.

Ahsoka groaned as her eyes flitted open. She didn't recognize where she was. Thump. Force, her head hurt. The image of a clone helmet, stylized with red paint, danced through her mind. She sank her head into the pillow underneath her, closing her eyes again to try and control the pain. Thump. A blue lightsaber flashed across her vision. What happened? Where was she?

The Padawan did her best to survey her surroundings. She was in a small, dark room. A bedroom of some sort. A door led out to a larger room that also appeared devoid of life. Any clues as to where she was were going to be in that room.

But before that, she had to sit up. As if doing a push up, Ahsoka heaved her body off the bed. Thump. Thump. Thump. She collapsed back down onto the bed with a grunt of pain.

More clones appeared in her brain. Dozens, now. It appeared her head had different goals than Ahsoka did.

Deep breath in, deep breath out. She had dealt with pain worse than this before. Thump. She just needed to move slowly.

Ahsoka gingerly slid her legs off the bed, making sure not to move her head. Right leg, then the left. She still had her boots on, Ahsoka realized. Steeling herself, the Padawan once again pushed her head up off the pillow (Thump), doing her best to fight through the pain. Thump. This time the weight of her legs was enough to propel her up to a sitting position.

Thump. She groaned again, placing her hands over her eyes as if she could drain the pain from her head. Clone after clone marched through her mind, taking their places in a line in front of her. Surrounding her. Thump. A green blade, her blade, flashed against blue. Ahsoka let out a trembling breath. She almost had it. What had happened to her? Thump. Another figure walked into her mind. But he was not a clone. Who —?

"I am so sorry, young one." The figure spoke in her mind.

"No!" Ahsoka yelled. "Master Koon! No, no, please…" Her voice dwindled away, morphing into a soft sob as her full memory came back to her.

Plo Koon had caught her. He had caught her, and he thought she was guilty. She saw it so clearly on his face, heard it in his voice. Master Koon, her friend, thought she was guilty. And if he didn't believe her, who would?

Anakin. Anakin would believe her. He wasn't like other Jedi. But even he had been helping to lead the search for her. Perhaps… did her master think she was guilty too? No, it wasn't possible. No! Anakin was on her side. Anakin believed her. He had to. She needed him to.

And… the blue blade. A Jedi's blade. Ahsoka had been attacked in the warehouse, by a Jedi. Her fists tightened on her face. So there was a traitor in the Order's midst. It was the only explanation. A Jedi had bombed the Temple. A Jedi had turned an Abyssin into a bomb, and killed dozens of good people. This Jedi, whoever it was, deserved to die. If Ahsoka ever found them, she would tear them apart. She would —

Deep breath in, deep breath out. It would do no good for her to dwell on this. Ahsoka could not let her emotions take control of her. With another shuddering breath, she removed her hands from her eyes. Taking advantage of the brief ebb of pain, the Togruta rose up. Precariously balanced on her quivering legs, she hobbled into the other room. She found her way to a chair, and collapsed into it.

Force, her body hurt. Arms, legs, back… it was like she had done a dozen of Anakin's strength training regimens, but for every muscle in her body.

Ahsoka glanced around the room. A few chairs, a table, a small kitchen. Three doors, including the one she came out of. The other two were closed. Several datapads lying in random locations. A mountain of dirty dishes in the sink. So, an apartment. Ahsoka was incapacitated and sitting at a table of an unknown person's apartment. Logically, the next goal was to find out who.

As if reading her thoughts, one of the two closed doors creaked open. A tall woman walked in, carrying a sizable bag under her right arm. She set the bag down, and flipped up her mask to reveal her face.

"Ventress?" Ahsoka croaked. She sounded like a kriffing Geonosian, her voice was so scratchy. "What… how…"

"Would you look at that, the fugitive is finally awake," the bounty hunter's raspy voice directed across the room. "I was beginning to think those stun blasts had knocked you out for good."

"What happened? Why am I here?" Her voice was getting stronger with use, thank the Force.

"Hmm. Well those are two very different questions, I'm afraid," was the reply. Ahsoka finally made eye contact with the older woman as Ventress turned to face her. She looked… off. Uncertain. It made the Padawan uneasy to see the former Sith with such an emotion. "I suppose the first is easier to answer," Ventress continued. "What do you remember?"

Ahsoka sighed, lowering her head against the table. "I was in the warehouse." The outline of the traitorous Jedi flashed across her mind. Ventress didn't need to know about that. Not yet. Ahsoka couldn't trust her with information like that. "Backed up against a wall, surrounded by clones. Then Master Koon came out, and… and he looked at me. He looked at me, and judged me guilty. I could feel his resignation." She closed her eyes. Deep breath in, deep breath out. Control your emotions, Padawan Tano. "After that, I don't know. I think there was chaos for a second before I blacked out."

"That would have been me," Ventress said with a sad smile. "When the Jedi, Koon, was distracted, I knocked him out. Somehow you managed to grab onto me and I carried you out of there and ran."

Ahsoka stared at the bounty hunter. Ventress saved her? "I — well, thank you, I suppose. But why?"

"I've been asking myself the same thing over the last day," she muttered. "All I know is that if you were caught in that warehouse, there was no way you were going to get me that pardon."

"But they did catch me," Ahsoka interjected. "A Council Member saw me with the nano-droids and the explosives. I don't think anyone is going to be listening to me anytime soon."

"Perhaps," Ventress mused. "But you are of more use to me alive than in prison, or dead."

"Thanks for the concern," Ahsoka huffed. "Who's to say I don't run away as soon as I get the strength to stand up again?"

Ventress laughed. "Well, if you leave this apartment you'll almost certainly be arrested, tried and executed. Patrols have doubled since the Jedi saw you, and your face is on every holoscreen across the planet. Unless you have a ship to get off the planet, while avoiding the searches they are no doubt conducting on every vessel leaving the system, you're stuck here." She paused, giving the girl a moment to process the information. "Sorry, dear. That's just how it is."

"No, it makes sense." Ahsoka sighed. This was not good. Not at all. "What are you going to do?"

"I could ask you the same question," was the pointed reply. The two women stared at one another, each daring the other to take the first step and break the silence. Ventress cracked first. "I still need to make money. There's enough bounty work on Coruscant to get food for us both for the time being."

"Right. I forgot that you're a bounty hunter now." It still unnerved Ahsoka for a moment when she thought about it. But if Ventress was ever not going to be a Sith assassin, bounty hunting was the profession that made sense.

"People have to make a living somehow," she said with a shrug. The older woman was giving Ahsoka a strange look. It was like she was trying to understand the Togruta girl before her. Searching for which buttons and levers made her mind tick. "You know," Ventress continued, "you would make a fine bounty hunter yourself. For a post-Jedi career, I mean. Though we would have to find you some lightsabers, of course."

"What!?" Ahsoka exclaimed. "I would never, ever, be a bounty hunter. Bounty hunters are… they are despicable. No better than any common criminal. I may be likely expelled from the Order —" her voice caught at that admission, "but I am not going to become the selfish, violent rogue they think I am."

Ventress just grinned in return. "I won't try and tell you that bounty hunting is always a wholesome profession. It isn't. But more often than not, my job is to catch a criminal. To catch the 'bad guy', as you might put it." She paused, and once again gave Ahsoka that piercing look. "I don't think you are someone who can sit back and do nothing. Bounty hunting may not be as glorious as leading an army, but it is something that can make a difference, however small."

Ahsoka steamed in silence. She wished she had the energy, and the lightsabers, to kick Ventress' ass.

Across the room, the Togruta's hostess was putting her mask back on. "Just think about it, kid," she continued as she opened the door. "It's not like you've got much else to do in here anyway."


The head rolled across the bright white floor, still sizzling at the base where it had been detached from the rest of the body.

Anakin spun around, lopping the hand off of his next target. Another stroke, and the figure came crashing down without its left leg. The Jedi Knight flipped up into the air, adding an unnecessary flourish upon his landing. His lightsaber pierced through the back of the target in front of him, then swung back around to decapitate the one behind.

The sound of clapping hands echoed across the room. "You certainly are a fearsome warrior when faced with a platoon of foam dummies."

Anakin turned to face the man on the other side of the practice room he had rented. "Obi-Wan. I thought the Council was still in session."

The older man inclined his head. "We finished a short time ago. Master Drallig informed me that I might find you here. I must say, saber training in the evening is an odd practice, even for you."

"I felt that some saber play would be a good way to clear my head." Anakin glanced at the dummies lying in pieces across the room.

"Yes, perhaps," Obi-Wan mused. He picked up a lonely hand lying by his foot. "This appears to be more of a massacre than fair fight, however." The tone of disapproval was slight, but noticeable.

"I know, Master," Anakin sighed. "I must do a better job of controlling my emotions. I am sorry."

"On any other day I would agree," Obi-Wan replied. Anakin gave his former master a strange look. The older man was usually quick to criticize Anakin's lack of control, not condone it. "But today is not any other day. You have been through quite a lot recently, Anakin. I daresay even Master Windu would have a difficult time controlling his emotions." Empathy flowed out of the man's Force signature in waves, crashing against his old Padawan.

The Knight made eye contact with the Master, a silent understanding flowing between them. "Was there a reason you came to find me, or did you just want to watch me 'massacre' these dummies?"

Obi-Wan sighed softly. "There was a reason, yes." He walked over to one of the benches lining the room's walls. "Sit with me for a moment, Anakin."

A grim expression overtook Anakin's face. He knew what the Council had been deliberating on today. He was also fairly sure he knew what decision had been made. But it wouldn't make hearing the news any easier.

Obi-Wan continued when Anakin was seated next to him. "The Council meeting today was called to discuss what to do on the Ahsoka situation, as I am sure you know." Anakin nodded. It had been a rather easy guess, considering what Plo Koon had told him when he had arrived at the warehouse. "It was not an easy topic. Many felt that she should be expelled immediately, even though she was not present to defend herself as the Code requires for a typical Jedi expulsion." Obi-Wan paused to try and get a read on his former Padawan. Anakin was expressionless, staring at the floor in front of them. "In the end she was… The Council decided to put Ahsoka's status in the Order on indefinite suspension," he finished hesitantly.

Anakin sighed deeply, wiping his hands across his face. "So she is expelled, in all but name." He paused again, collecting himself as best he could. He had anticipated a full expulsion, but that didn't make the news any easier to wrap his mind around. "It is what I expected."

Obi-Wan placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I am sorry, Anakin. Everything will turn out alright, I promise you. The Force acts in mysterious ways."

"No," Anakin laughed sadly at his side. "I appreciate your words, Obi-Wan, but you are wrong. Everything will not turn out alright. My Padawan — my friend — has been expelled from the Order that was supposed to protect her, accused of a crime we both know she did not commit." He brushed his hands across his face again, this time attempting to wipe away the tears at his eyes.

"Yes," Obi-Wan agreed sadly. "Yes, you may be right. But she is alive, saved by Asajj Ventress for Force knows what reason. Her story is not over yet, and neither is yours."

Anakin sat upright, a cloud of emotions on his face. "Ventress' actions only made the Council more suspicious of Ahsoka. Kriff, even I am confused by it."

"She is not the same person as when we first met her on Christophsis," Obi-Wan replied. The recent memory of the Jedi Master and Ventress fighting side by side against both Dathomirian Sith flashed in his mind. "Being outside of Dooku's influence has changed her. She is no Jedi, to be sure, but neither is she a Sith."

Anakin hummed in reply, deep in thought. Perhaps Obi-Wan was right. Still, he did not trust the former Sith assassin. "I just hope that Ahsoka doesn't get hurt. She is still young, and Ventress is powerful."

"Ahsoka can handle herself. She is smart, and has matured quickly in the past few days." Obi-Wan glanced up at the Knight by his side. "And it doesn't hurt that she learned from the best."

"Lot of good that did her," he laughed morosely. "I don't think the best let their first Padawan get expelled from the Order."

The Jedi Master was silent to that remark. Anakin sighed internally. He probably should not have said that. Obi-Wan was just trying to make him feel better, which he was grateful for.

"I should get back to saber practice, Obi-Wan," Anakin stood up. "I'll try and go easier on the dummies this time."

That got a smile out of Obi-Wan. "One last thing, Anakin." The Knight glanced down at his old friend. What else could there be to say? "The Council wishes me to inform you that they would like you to stay on Coruscant for a week to continue the search for Ahsoka."

"They… what?" Anakin had assumed they would ship him off to the other end of the galaxy as soon as they could. "Why do they want me to stay? Aren't they afraid I'll, I don't know, do something emotional?"

"Yes," Obi-Wan said grimly, "Master Windu voiced his concerns on that. But he couldn't deny that you know Ahsoka better than anyone, and that gives you a better chance of finding her than anyone else. They felt one week was an appropriate time frame to dedicate you to the task before redeploying you to the War."

"I see." In honesty, it made sense. More than Anakin thought it would. "I'll inform the rest of the 501st that we'll be staying on Coruscant a while longer. We'll start our search first thing in the morning."

The Knight turned around, drawing his lightsaber to continue his katas against the dummies. But he paused, hands by his sides. Thoughts of his Padawan flashed through his mind. Just random snippets of who she was. Her stubborn refusal to use a standard lightsaber grip. Her childish grin when she was being cheeky with him. Her pure belief in the righteousness of the actions of the Republic and the Order, which had surely been broken by recent events. Anakin's head slumped forward, chin nearly hitting his chest.

"What is it, Anakin?"

"I… I just…" he started. He lifted his head up to face the opposite wall. "What if I actually find her, Obi-Wan? What will I do? What should I do?" He wished Padmé were here. She always knew what to do in these situations.

Obi-Wan stood up. "I do not know." He walked forward, standing side-by-side with his former Padawan. "I cannot say that turning her in to the Republic is the wisest choice. But that is the will of the Council. They — we — would appreciate if you followed orders." He paused, and Anakin caught his gaze. He could see the conflict brewing under Obi-Wan's typical calm demeanor. It was strange look on him. It set Anakin on edge. Obi-Wan was supposed to be the emotionally stable one of their duo. His old master continued, voice slightly quieter than before. "If you do find her, listen to the Force. Let it be your guide." And don't let the Council know if you find her and let her go, was the unspoken hint.

"I should have known you would say that," Anakin replied with a slight smirk. It was a relief to know Obi-Wan was not entirely on the Council's side. "You are getting predictable, master. But it is good advice." Anakin paused. "Listen to the Force. I will try. I just wish it were less vague sometimes."

"Do or do not, young one, there is no try," Obi-Wan said with a wink. "You are a great Jedi, Anakin. Trust in yourself, and trust in the Force."

"Thank you. I will." Anakin did his best to hide a smile at the praise, despite his internal turmoil. It meant more to him than Obi-Wan knew.

His old master smiled in kind. "I will see you in the next few days, I'm sure. May the Force be with you."

"And you as well."

Anakin watched as Obi-Wan left the practice room. He took in a deep breath, and let it out slowly. He had a week to search for his Padawan. A week to find out what really happened. Half of him wanted nothing more than to run out of the Temple and find Ahsoka. But the other half knew that finding her now, on Coruscant, could not end well for her. Not unless Anakin disobeyed direct orders from the Council.

It was not going to be easy. Nothing about this search was going to be easy. But Obi-Wan was right. Anakin needed to trust in the Force. It was all he had.


Ahsoka probably should have known to move back into the bed. She rubbed the back of her neck, grimacing as she massaged the kinks that had developed from falling asleep in the chair. She glanced back at the datapad she had fallen asleep on top of. The large headline of the news Ahsoka had been reading still flashed across the screen.

REPUBLIC CONTINUES SEARCH FOR FUGITIVE JEDI

600 credit reward for information leading to her capture

Below the headline was a picture of the Togruta that had been taken during her earlier imprisonment. Not the best image of herself Ahsoka had ever seen. But probably accurate, if she looked anything like she felt.

She lifted her head to gaze at Asajj Ventress, who was reading her own datapad across the room. The bounty hunter hadn't been here last Ahsoka remembered — she must have been asleep for a while. The whole situation still felt like a dream to her. She was sitting in the living room of her former enemy, reading about a bounty reward on her head put out by government she had once been a commanding officer for. It was like the Force had taken a bet on her life and lost.

"What?" Ventress' voice cut into her thoughts. Ahsoka had been staring without realizing.

"Nothing. Sorry. I was just thinking." She looked away, making a point of intently staring at her datapad.

"You should be." Ventress was looking back at her own datapad now. "You need to figure out what you're going to do. You can't stay in this apartment forever."

"I can't stay on this planet forever, you mean," Ahsoka muttered. She scrolled through the Republic news headlines. It seemed like every other article had her face on it. The whole planet would be able to recognize her by the end of the week.

"If you have any ideas, I'm all ears," the older woman remarked. "I can only take so much of Coruscant as it is."

"Well unless you have a ship with hyperdrive, I'm fresh out of escape plans."

"Not to mention that we would have to be able to take off and pass the searches being performed in orbit without being noticed," Ventress added.

"Anakin once told me about a ship that would be perfect for this job. A small, sleek vehicle with a cloaking device that made it nearly undetectable." She remembered how enamored he had been, even when just talking about it. He'd always had a special place in his heart for ships with unique modifications. "It was only a prototype when he'd gotten to use it. I bet the stealth ships are even better now." Problem was, Ahsoka had absolutely no idea where a ship like that could be found. Not on Coruscant, she was sure.

"A ship with a cloaking device," the bounty hunter was deep in thought, reflected in her voice's airy tone. "I wonder…"

"What is it, Ventress?"

"Probably nothing," she started. "Dooku has a ship with a cloaking ability like that. He showed it to me once, years ago. Said it belonged to his master's former apprentice. I don't know what happened to it, but some of Dooku's most secure storage facilities are here on Coruscant. If it is here, we might be able to steal it."

"Wait, what?" Ahsoka ignored the fact that this one-in-a-million plan was her best shot and not being executed. "Count Dooku, leader of the Separatist Army, owns storage facilities on Coruscant?!"

The Dathomirian woman nodded. "I was shocked when I first heard it too. Whoever Dooku's master is, he is very powerful. And not just in the Force."

The thought of the Sith Lord made Ahsoka tremble internally. If the Sith really did have holdings on Coruscant, they were far more influential than the Jedi suspected. At least, if the bits and pieces of what she gathered from Obi-Wan were representative of the Council's knowledge. "If that's true… we have to tell the Council. Or someone. We can't just sit on this information."

"I have been. It's not that hard," Ventress shrugged. "Although, if the Jedi found those facilities Dooku would be absolutely furious." She grinned maliciously. No doubt imagining all the ways she could torment Dooku, Ahsoka was sure. "But first we have to actually find this ship, if it is here, and get off the planet. We can worry about contacting the Jedi afterwards."

"How are we going to find it?" Ahsoka asked. "I'm guessing Dooku won't just tell you where it is."

"I've still got some contacts in his organization I can shake down," she grinned. The bounty hunter stood up, throwing on a cloak and grabbing her mask. "I should be back in a few hours."

"Good luck!" Ahsoka called out just as the door slammed shut. Did she just wish Asajj Ventress good luck? Force, her life was weird right now.

She tried to stay awake, eager to hear Ventress' report when she returned. But after several hours Ahsoka could no longer deny the exhaustion in her body. She collapsed onto her bed, falling asleep almost immediately. It was a good thing, too — Ventress didn't return until the next morning. The Togruta girl glared at her as she sauntered in.

"That was more than a few hours, Ventress. I was starting to get worried."

"Good thing I'm better at my job than you think I am," the bounty hunter retorted. "I have good news."

"The ship is on Coruscant?" Ahsoka questioned hopefully.

"Yes," Asajj replied. "And I managed to find which storage facility it was in after some… persuasion." She smiled sinisterly. Ahsoka did not want to know what 'persuasion' meant.

But the ship was on Coruscant, thank the Force. She had a way off the planet. She had a chance at survival.

"Well alright then," Ahsoka grinned. "Let's go rob a Sith Lord."


The forest was thick. It was as if the trees were huddling in around her, focusing in on the lone disturbance in an otherwise serene landscape. Whether to trap her or to hide her, she wasn't sure.

Either way, she doubted the serenity would last long. The Rulers were getting close. She could not run from them for much longer. Honestly, she was shocked she had survived for this long. What had it been, a year she was on the run? It felt more like a decade. All for an object no bigger than her fist.

Her eyes scanned the terrain as she dashed through the forest. She needed to find somewhere to hide. They were sure to find the wreckage of her ship within the hour. If she was still exposed when they did, the Rulers would pick up her life trace on their locals scanners.

A branch came flying out of nowhere, thwacking her across the face. She stumbled, falling to her knees on the soft dirt.

"Ow," she muttered. "Damn trees. Need to mind their own business." She wiped a hand across her face. When she pulled it away, her light yellow skin was stained with blood. It was only a flesh wound. She had sustained much worse than that in her life.

A moment later she was back up and running. Not fifty paces later a pile of rocks came into view. Another fifty and she could see a cave opening. She exhaled in relief. A cave was the perfect place to hide. Their scanner couldn't penetrate through that much dirt. At least, she didn't think it could.

The cave began in a short tunnel, which soon opened up into a much larger space. Rock formations dotted the cavern, providing ample cover if she was discovered. The only thing left to do was wait.

And wait she did. For hours, and hours. She had no way to know how long for sure. The cave was deathly silent, save her shallow breathing and the occasional drip of unseen water.

At some point she began sense them outside the cave. She didn't know how, but she knew they were out there. Looking for her. And they were getting closer.

Maybe it was time. She was getting tired. Tired of running, tired of protecting a cube that felt like the weight of a million star systems in her pocket.

She laughed internally. Just two years ago, who would've thought she would even know what a star system was? She was just a servant girl. That was what she had been born to be. And now she was a fugitive, so lost in the vast galaxy that she couldn't have found her way home even if she tried.

A voice, in the distance. Then another, and another. They had found the cave. It was over.

Boots clomped against stone, echoing off the walls, as a couple of them entered the cave. She stood up, prepared to face the tip of the spear. There was no point in hiding. The Rulers would be able to sense her presence from the cave entrance.

"Hey! She's here!" The officer of the two who had entered the cave was the first to see her. His blue skin shimmered in the light coming from the cave entrance. "Notify Commander Wentik that we've found her. And get reinforcements, fast." The other nodded and dashed off.

"So, are you going to kill me?" Her eyes left the messenger to make contact with the officer again. A Lieutenant, as she could now see from his uniform.

"I have been ordered to find you, and alert Commander Wentik to your presence upon doing so. I am then to keep you at this position until his arrival."

Of course Wentik wanted to see her. That stupid, sentimental fool. He'd be a General by now if he just used his brains. She moved to take a seat on a rock a bit closer to the Lieutenant.

"Don't move, fugitive. I will restrain you if I have to." He raised his arms into a ready position.

She looked him up and down. He was young, even for a Lieutenant. So she called his bluff, and kept walking.

Anger welled up in the Lieutenant. Well, she thought it was anger. Sometimes she couldn't tell. Emotions were messy like that. Regardless, he was running at her, no doubt in an attempt to subdue her.

His fist flew at her face. She ducked, and dodged to the right to avoid the knee meant as the real attack. She was on his backside now, and he was off balance. His lack of experience showed. She raised her hands to his back, and shoved. But he didn't just fall over as she intended — the Lieutenant flew across the cavern. His head cracked forcefully against the stone wall.

The girl grimaced. It was an accident, though she couldn't say she felt too sorry for killing a Ruler. They deserved it for what they did.

"My, my, you have gotten more powerful since the last time we met," a stern voice echoed across the cavern. She whirled around, facing the newcomer. And nearly two dozen other Rulers. There was a pregnant pause as the two parties stared at each other. "You aren't even going to try to run?"

"Wentik." She did her best to mask the abundance of emotions radiating out of her. It was a failed attempt, she was sure. She didn't have the training the Rulers had to control it. "I am tired of running."

"Indeed. It appears your adventure across the galaxy has finally come to an end, my old friend. All because of some fresh blood on a tree branch." His voice was harsh, cold. Just as it should have been. But still harsher than she had expected, than she had hoped for. "Our scanners picked it up, and it was only a matter of time once we knew you were in the area."

She should have been angry at herself for that slip up. But honestly, she didn't much care. She was tired. And it was nice to see Wentik again.

The Commander walked forward, separating himself from the rest of his troops. Two paces away from her he stopped, hands clasped behind his back.

"Wentik…" she whispered, quiet enough that only the two of them could hear. "I am sorry. For everything."

"I know." His voice softened as well, a drop of what she knew lay behind his facade escaping through. But then the leak was sealed. Back to Commander Wentik. They each had their roles to play.

He raised his voice loud enough for the room to hear. "You are a fugitive of the state. You stand convicted of grand larceny and high treason." He brought his hand up, holding it out towards her. A lifeless grey cube flew out of her cloak, landing in his hand. She felt more than saw the deep breath he took before continuing. "Your actions have upset the balance of our great nation. I have been authorized by my superiors to utilize deadly force upon your capture. However, considering the changes wrought upon you by the Cube, I am not entirely certain that is possible." They both involuntarily glanced at the device still in his outstretched hand. "So, the question remains — what are we going to do with you, Arael?"