So just to say, this one-shot doesn't contain any major spoilers for the Ahsoka novel. Kaeden, a main character in this story is a character from the Ahsoka novel. They're sort of a love interest for Ahsoka, but in my opinion it's how you interpret it. As mentioned, it's not exactly a spoiler. Either way, you don't have to have read the book to understand what is going on. But if you want to avoid even small spoilers from the book DO NOT READ THIS STORY.
I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters used in this story.
Enjoy!
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Two hooded figures skulked around the lower levels of a grey, metallic planet, that similar to Coruscant.
Their cloaks flowed behind them as they swiftly swerved through the mass crowds of bustling people. There were people of all shapes, sizes and species coming from all directions, merchants stood on wooden boxes yelling about new special offer merchandise. There were even children begging on the corners of the streets, their tiny hands clasped together in an effort to keep warm on the harsh streets.
Ahsoka felt bad that she couldn't help those kids – but they weren't the reason she was here.
She felt the annoying, constant vibrations in her montrals signalling to her that the noise was way too loud for her sensitive hearing. Even with her hood drawn over her head, she still heard every little noise, every shout and every clang of footsteps on the metallic surface of the overpopulated planet of Reewka.
The Togruta quickly grabbed onto Kaeden's arm and yanked the dark-skinned girl towards her, redirecting her from a man who suddenly gagged and then threw up all over the ground and wall, puke spewing from his dribbling mouth.
The smell of alcohol and vomit instantly hit both of their noses. Kaeden, with a disgusted look on her face, nodded her thanks to the Togruta.
The pair had been walking for hours and Ahsoka could sense that Kaeden was getting tired. Ahsoka was too, but from her intense training as a Jedi, she was coping a lot better than Kaeden.
When they'd arrived on the planet, they hadn't been able to land at the nearest station in fear of being detected. Instead, they landed at a smaller, less populated station a few miles from the capital city. This meant that they had a few extra hours of walking, but Ahsoka would rather spend five hours walking than getting detected at a landing station that was flooded with security.
Ahsoka had to remind herself that Kaeden wasn't as physically fit as she was. She'd had years of training that had moulded her in the soldier that had fought for the Republic all those years ago. Kaeden, on the other hand, while still physically fit, could not compare to a war veteran.
This was their third assignment together since joining the Rebellion three years ago. Kaeden's little sister, Miara, had joined a year ago, at the age of sixteen. Ahsoka and Kaeden were both twenty and were both well respected within the Rebellion, known for their hard work and success rates, both individually and as a team.
The two young adults continued to push through the filled streets, only managing a couple of yards a minute due to the massive amounts of people that were crammed into the streets.
Ahsoka leaned her head over to Kaeden's and said, "We'll find somewhere to stay. We need to rest up."
Kaeden nodded, not bothering to reply. It was much too loud for Ahsoka to be able to hear her properly, even with her enhanced hearing.
Kaeden followed closely as Ahsoka turned a corner, leading to an isolated back street. It was dingy, with useless parts of scrap metal and food waste dumped everywhere.
Ahsoka looked confused, Kaeden noted. "What's wrong?" She asked, the feeling of concern and worry bubbling up inside of her. She knew Ahsoka to be wise beyond her years; so, when Ahsoka was worried or confused, Kaeden knew there was a problem or that something wasn't right. Ahsoka wasn't your average twenty-year-old, after all.
Ahsoka squinted her eyes, clearly deep in thought. Kaeden observed her face as she got more concerned. She watched as Ahsoka's mouth curled up slightly into a small smile.
"Is it okay if we make a quick stop before finding a hotel? There's someone here who might just be able to give us the information we're looking for…" She trailed off as she fell deep into her thoughts again.
Kaeden was confused but decided not to ask questions. From what Ahsoka had told her, the Force worked in mysterious ways and Kaeden knew not to question it. She would never understand it properly, even with what information Ahsoka had told her about it. She was slightly educated with the ways of the force, but she would never understand it.
Silently, she followed Ahsoka through a series of back alleys and a few more busy streets. When they reached their destination, Kaeden was more than a little confused.
They were stood outside of a bar with a giant, bright pink sign flashing 'CHALKIES BAR'. Opposite to the bar, was a tiny hotel of sorts. It seemed like they'd killed two birds with one stone; they'd found a hotel for the night and Ahsoka had found her mystery destination.
"A bar?" Kaeden questioned.
Ahsoka nodded. "I can sense someone. It's someone I haven't seen since I was in the Jedi Order."
Ahsoka had that determined look on her face as she gazed at the dazzling sign and Kaeden couldn't help her heart fluttering a little. Through everything that Ahsoka had been through, she still managed to keep her spirit and that strong desire to help people. It was a dedication, a flame that would never blow out, no matter what weather she had to storm through.
Ahsoka pushed the door open and stepped inside, Kaeden close behind her.
The dark-skinned girl grimaced as the smell of strong liquor hit her. She felt as her boots stuck to the floor – it clearly hadn't been cleaned in a while. She glanced down at the floor and saw the illuminating lights from the bar reflected into the alcohol puddles on the floor. Yep, it definitely hadn't been cleaned in a while.
Chalkies Bar clearly wasn't the nicest place that Reekwa had to offer.
Kaeden stood towards the end of the bar while Ahsoka ordered some drinks. However, Ahsoka didn't return to her, as she had expected. Instead she walked towards a booth in the corner of the bar. Perhaps she'd found a spare seat for them to sit.
The bar wasn't busy, but it wasn't exactly quiet either. Most of the seats and booths were occupied and Kaeden didn't fancy sitting next to a total stranger who reeked of alcohol and drugs.
Kaeden followed the path Ahsoka had taken to the corner booth and quietly sat down next to Ahsoka.
Opposite them sat a bald Dathormirian woman, her face sharp and intimidating. Kaeden was already feeling sceptic of her and the woman hadn't even spoken yet. There was just something about her that screamed 'danger'.
"Long time, no see, Ventress." Ahsoka said casually, sliding over a glass full of blue liquid over to the older woman.
Ventress looked up and started to chuckle lightly. She picked up her drink and downed almost half of the glass down her throat. After setting the glass down loudly, Ventress shook her head, the slightest of smiles on her face.
"Now I never thought I'd be seeing you again." Ventress spoke.
Kaeden looked between the two subtly. This mysterious woman didn't seem like the kind of person Ahsoka would be friends with. She didn't have the same aura about her that Ahsoka did. Ahsoka, even during their first meeting, gave off a positive aura and Kaeden had an instant feeling of comfort and trust towards the Togruta, despite not knowing anything about her. Kaeden felt the complete opposite towards Ventress – she felt uncomfortable and even slightly intimidated by the bald woman.
Ahsoka raised a brow at Ventress and took a sip of her drink, "The same could be said for you, Hairless Harpy." Ahsoka settled the glass down gently, deciding to cut straight to the objective, "You don't happen to know a Pablo Lars, do you?"
The older woman raised a brow, clearly interested, "Perhaps I do. But what does he have to do with you," she stopped momentarily, lowing her voice to just above a whisper, "Jedi."
Quickly, Kaeden glanced as Ahsoka. She knew that Ahsoka was sensitive to the topic of the Jedi, because of her betrayal and because of what had ultimately happened to them during the fall of the Republic.
If Ahsoka had been affected by the woman's comment, she didn't let it show. The Togruta spoke again, "I'm no longer part of the Order, Ventress. I left shortly after my trial in the crown court."
Assaj drifted away from the original subject of Pablo Lars; whether it was on purpose or not, Kaeden couldn't tell. All she knew was that she didn't trust this woman entirely. Or at all.
Assaj leant back in her seat a little, "So they found you not guilty then, I assume?"
Kaeden noticed Ahsoka's mouth twitch a little. Her face looked hard and expressionless, as if she were putting up a front. "No." she replied to Ventress, "They found my guilty and had me sentenced to death. Fortunately for me, they found the real culprit just in time."
Ventress eyed the Togruta suspiciously for a second, "So surely you were taken back into that pathetic excuse of an Order?" She spat, the mere thought of the Jedi Order disgusting her.
"They invited me back. I declined." Said Ahsoka, not wanting to continue on with the topic of the Jedi for much longer. It still cut her deep when she let herself think about what could have been, and what was. Her heart throbbed when she thought of what she had lost, of what she had to go through to prove her innocence to only be shot down again and again.
Ventress shrugged, "Good on you. The Jedi never suited you anyway, kid. They were corrupt. It was only a matter of time before they fell."
Ahsoka huffed and clicked her jaw before taking a large gulp of her drink, "It took me a betrayal and death sentence to see it. We were blinded."
Ventress picked up her beverage but didn't take a drink, "We're more similar than you originally thought, you know. We were both betrayed by people we trusted. We were both blinded by the lies and falseness."
Ahsoka nodded a little and ripped a beer mat with her fingers, easily tearing the soggy cardboard in two.
While Ahsoka was occupied with the mat, clearly thinking about past events, Ventress eyed up Kaeden, looking her up and down through slit eyes, as if assessing her, picking out her flaws one by one.
Kaeden felt both uncomfortable and irritated at the same time. She didn't know this woman, and she didn't know how Ahsoka knew her either. From the looks of things, this Ventress was some sort of bounty hunter; it was a mere assumption, however.
Ventress, after another moment of intense staring, turned to Ahsoka and spoke, catching her off guard slightly with her words, "Who's your girlfriend?" She said, gesturing to Kaeden.
Kaeden instantly blushed and looked to the side slightly in a not-so-subtle effort to hide the red forming on her cheeks.
Ahsoka dropped the torn-up pieces of the beer mat and stammered out quickly, "She's not my girlfriend!"
Assaj looked between the two for a moment before deciding to drop the topic. She sighed a little overdramatically, and set her hands onto the sticky table, "What do you want to know about Lars?"
Ahsoka was about to speak but Kaeden jumped in, cutting her off before she could even think about the words that were about to come out of her mouth. "We need information on his whereabouts. Preferably an address, if the sleezeball has one." She snarled.
Again, Ventress just stared at the younger woman.
Kaeden felt a vein pulse near her temple as she felt the urge to just slap the bald woman into next week. Seriously, what was with all the staring?
Ventress turned towards Ahsoka, her elbow resting on the table as her forearm swung in a small arc, her thumb pointing towards Kaeden as she did so, "I like her."
Perhaps Ventress had consumed more alcohol than the glass Ahsoka had bought her.
A second later, Ventress let out an extremely loud and unattractive burp, confirming the younger girls' suspicions.
Ahsoka cleared her throat, "So, his address?" She leant forward a little, ready to memorise his address and get ready for a confrontation.
Ventress cocked her head to the side and raised a pale hand to her chin, similarly to how Obi-Wan did during the Clone Wars, "Maybe I'll cough up for a few credits." Ventress mused.
Kaeden instantly slammed down a handful down on the table, granting Ventress's request. The girl gave them a not-so-gentle push towards the Dathormirian woman.
She laughed and slid the credits off of the table and into her hands. She put them into a small pouch on her utility belt. Quickly, she glanced over Kaeden's shoulder, searching for anyone who could overhear the conversation. Most of the people were gathered around the bar, watching in drunken awe as the bartender made a cocktail, throwing up the glasses and doing fancy tricks.
After Ventress was satisfied that there was no one around to overhear, she started to speak, her voice low and quiet, "He lives in the apartment above Blinky's Bar. It's a couple of blocks down from here. He's a regular at the bar when he's on the planet. I've heard he spends a lot of time with the female… staff, there. It's not your average bar, there are other businesses that go on there."
Ahsoka rolled her eyes and snarled in disgust, "I can imagine." She stopped for a short moment before continuing, "Why are you even telling us this, Ventress? I know you, and you wouldn't be telling us all of this just for a handful of credits."
Ahsoka and Ventress had had their fights in the past but ultimately, their betrayals had led them to form a strange kind of friendship and respect between the two.
But she was primary leader of the Rebellion now, and she didn't have time to mess around. She needed to keep her level of authority. Just because Ventress was an old 'friend', it didn't mean that she could just soften up.
The bald woman pondered for a moment after Ahsoka's question. "Another few credits and I might tell you."
Ahsoka sensed Kaeden's frustration – it stood out like a white lightbulb in a pitch-black room. "Just tell us what we need to know, we don't have time to mess around." Kaeden growled, her hand clenched in her pocket, prepared to throw out another handful if needed. The woman opposite them was clearly tipsy and Kaeden wanted to knock her lights out.
Ahsoka rested her hand on Kaeden's shaking wrist, a silent order that told her to back off and not pass out any more money. The dark-skinned girl sighed in frustration and visibly relaxed under Ahsoka's touch.
Ventress blew a raspberry with her lips and pretended to be offended by Kaeden's rash attitude. "My goodness, Tano. She's as feisty as you were back in the days that we'd try and kill each other every month."
Clearly the alcohol was flowing fully through her system now. It was easy for anyone to see that it had gone to her head.
Ahsoka laughed a little, "It was hardly every month, Ventress..." She trailed off before putting on a more serious face, hoping Ventress might snap out of it a little, "But I'm not fourteen anymore, Ventress. It's been around five years since we last tried to kill each other." Ahsoka took the last gulp of her drink and set it down next to Kaeden's untouched one.
After a short silence between the three women, Ventress was the one to break the silence, "That sleezeball Pablo Lars cost me a bounty. We teamed up for a bounty and planned to split the winnings but he took everything, leaving me with no part of the bounty." She slammed her first on the table, causing a few drops of Kaeden's drink to spill out of her glass. "I would've killed the little thief myself but I'd imagine what you have in mind for him might be a bit more interesting."
She didn't seem so drunk anymore, Kaeden noted. More like intimidating, even a little scary.
Ahsoka raised a brow at the older woman, "Thank you, Ventress. Your information will be helpful."
Kaeden took this as a que to leave and stood up, squeezing her way out of the cramped booth, "I'm gonna go and make us reservations for that hotel across from here. I'll meet you there soon, keep your comm on, okay?"
Ahsoka nodded and watched her as she turned on her heel to leave. Ahsoka kept a close eye on the drunken men that congregated around the bar, their hungry eyes glued onto Kaeden as she walked by. When Ahsoka was sure that Kaeden was out of the bar and no one had plans to follow her, she turned back to Ventress, ready to state that she was leaving, too.
"She likes you." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.
"I know," Ahsoka replied, unsure of what else to say. Was the hairless harpy about to give her some relationship advice? Ahsoka definitely didn't want to stick around to hear that, so she stood up and pushed her glass to the end of the table for the bartender to collect at the end of the night.
There was another moment of silence between the two old enemies. "Stay safe, kid." Ventress eventually said.
Ahsoka looked down at the seated woman and nodded slowly, "You too. I really do appreciate what you did for me when I was on the run, but I didn't really have the chance to tell you. So, thank you, Ventress." Despite their history with each other, Ventress had been there when Ahsoka had practically no one to turn to. In an odd way, Ahsoka had always kept a special place in her heart for Ventress's kindness. It was a foreign feeling to her, but she had helped when she'd had no one. It was at least worth something.
Ventress simply nodded in reply.
Ahsoka turned to leave but paused halfway across the room when she heard Ventress shout after her, "And tell your girlfriend that it was a pleasure to meet her!"
Ahsoka just shook her head in amusement, a smile curving onto her lips as she stepped outside.
The smile grew wider when she was met with the sight of a beautiful girl stood outside the hotel opposite the bar, a smug smile on her face as she waved a key card for the hotel around in her hand.
…
Okay, so yeah, I know I've got like, two other stories I need to be getting on with. But after reading the Ahsoka Novel, this kind of just popped into my head. I love Kaeden and Ahsoka, together as friends or more than that. I just think they click so well together.
I am working on my other works at the minute, things have just been going slow recently. I got about halfway through some chapters but then one day my computer just stopped turning on. So I've got half written chapters that I can't do anything with at the minute, but I'm working on it. I'm posting this one from my sister's laptop.
I hope you enjoyed this. Please leave me a review and let me know what you think, maybe I'll do a second chapter if the response is good. Also, please let me know what you think of the Ahsoka Novel and Kaeden and Ahsoka!
Thanks guys!