A/N: I do not own Star Wars or any part of the franchise; all rights and ownership belong to Disney and Lucasfilm. The ideas portrayed within this piece of fiction are purely Fan-based explorations for my fellow enthusiasts to enjoy. I very much appreciate constructive reviews so please feel free to leave me your thoughts.

P.S. Chapter 3 now updated! (19OCT18)

~ProphetessMinty

Chapter 3

"You have our most humble apologies, Little Ahsoka," Master Plo Koon spoke sincerely as he clasped his hands before him. "The Council was wrong to accuse you," he finished with distress in his voice. Ahsoka felt the anguish and sincerity in her Master—her friend. He looked the way he sounded which was remorseful and she was grateful to know it, though it came at a high price. "You have shown such great strength and resilience in your struggle to prove your innocence," Master Saesee Tiin added, looking toward her.

Ahsoka noted the awkwardness in his voice. The Iktotchi, Jedi Master was just as baffled as those around him in their misjudgment. Though he was looking in her general direction, he didn't quite look her in the eye. He felt shame. "This is the true sign of a Jedi Knight," came the soft voice of Master Ki-Adi-Mundi. Just like Master Tiin, the Cerean also looked toward her but not at her. His eyes bounced from place to place, but he too wouldn't make eye contact.

"This was actually your great trial," spoke Master Windu solemnly, "now we see that. We understand that the force works in mysterious ways. And because of this trial, you have become a greater Jedi than you would have otherwise." Ahsoka tried her best to listen to Master Windu, but felt her frustration rise at his words. Folding her arms, she did her best to listen to what he or any of them had to say, but it was hard.

"Back to the order, you may come," Yoda spoke with warm gentleness.

Ahsoka finally looked down to the floor. She knew in her heart that she didn't want to come back, or at least—not presently. The hurt was powerfully overwhelming, and she wasn't sure if she had the strength to forgive them. They were so quick to judge her and so quick to treat her as a criminal, but they were too slow to hear her. She felt heavy and worn out. The burdens on her heart had finally caught up with her and the weight was too much for her to bear.

"They're asking you back Ahsoka," Anakin said with a flicker of hope in his voice. Ahsoka looked up into the face of her Master and found his pleading stare. "Come back", they seemed to whisper. She had never seen a more desperate look, though it probably almost matched the look she was giving them all. Anakin reached for his pocket and a moment later withdrew something from his side. "I'm…asking you back," he said holding out before him the beads of her Padawan braid.

Ahsoka felt her heart plummet and her stomach flop in grief. The pang of her emotions sent a dull ache into her montrals causing them to twitch ever so slightly. The moment between Master and Padawan seemed to stretch on until the very fabric of their short time seemed to be pulled taught. As much as she may have wanted to come back, the time had passed and there was no going back. She felt herself gulp, the dryness of her mouth and throat making it difficult.

At first, she reached out with a hand to pick up what had been most precious to her all these years. Her wonderful, fantastic, awesome braid. One of the few pieces of jewelry she owned that she treasured as much as her lightsabers. It was more than a material thing, it gave her hope. Hope, that was she living with a purpose and a future. It was a sign of the things to come for her but not anymore.

Realizing this, she knew it would be a nagging reminder to her that she had somehow failed. Reaching out, she softly folded Anakin's open hand around the braid as she shook her head "no". "I'm sorry Master, but I'm not coming back," she spoke tenderly, doing her best to fight back the tears. The ember of hope in her Master's eyes flickered out and was replaced with a veil of despair. In that moment, Ahsoka knew he would grieve her for he could not understand her decision. "I'm sorry Master," she thought to herself as she turned and walked away. The Jedi path was no longer her future, it was elsewhere.

Descending the steps of the Jedi Temple was probably the second hardest thing she had done today. The first being that she unintentionally hurt her Master—Anakin. The weight of it notched a sickening pit in her stomach and her montrals began to ache. All the emotions she had kept bottled up throughout this whole process had finally come to its boiling point.

She chanted no mantra and she didn't bother to keep herself in balance. With every step she descended, the grief came crashing down like a rolling tide. The depths of agony began to pick at her and torment her thoughts. "What about the guys?" she asked herself internally. "Will they think I'm deserting them?" she thought. "Am I a coward?" she asked herself. Gripping the hem of her thigh-length, maroon dress, she squeezed her anxiety into the fabric.

At some point in her journey, the scarlet twilight had turned into grey overcast. The sky was thick with oppressive clouds as the air became dense with humidity. Moments later, the clouds let loose their bountiful rain. At first it was gentle, but it quickly became a downpour. Ahsoka looked up at the dark clouds, squinting into the moisture. The atmosphere of Coruscant seemed to weep for her grief. The feelings she had tried so hard to reign in broke past the dam of calm sending her into a fit of hot, agonizing tears.

"Why?" she thought to herself between ragged breaths.

"Why did it have to be like this? Why does it hurt so bad?" Ahsoka sobbed into her terracotta-colored hands.

Now on the last flight of steps, Ahsoka started to tremble with shock as she realized she had lost hope in the future. Her mind felt numb; her body felt frail; and the tips of her montrals seemed to slightly sag. It was as if someone had ripped the joy out of her through her gut. "Where do I go?" she thought, crying more from the realization of the present. "What do I do?" Again, the emotions raged, and she found herself knocked off her feet. The stairs were cold, wet and unforgiving. Her clothes were drenched and heavy with rain; sapping her warmth as a bone-chill set in.

"I've got to stay strong," she desperately tried to reassure herself.

Swiping at her eyes, Ahsoka tried her best to calm down from snuffling and wheezing. Though she felt undignified, she couldn't help it. She sat there for a few minutes, not daring to stand. The atmosphere had become darker even though the lights of Coruscant bounced off the thick and oppressive, wispy-gloom. Looking up from her watery bench, Ahsoka looked over the buildings and streets that stood before her.

She watched as the speeders flew effortlessly over the skyways and how pedestrians crossed the streets unbothered by her cares. How she wished she could be like them: carefree and apart of something bigger. Sighing, Ahsoka stood up and stared at the last steps of her journey. She was hesitant at first, knowing that these permacrete stairs were leading her away from her dreams.

As headstrong as she was, she was battling the taunts of these steps which seemed to cackle at her. Finally, she made her choice: these steps would not get the better of her. Whatever it was she would do now, Ahsoka wanted to do good—plain and simple. She wanted in on whatever would help people and even if she wasn't a Jedi anymore, she wasn't without skills. As if the sky over Coruscant agreed with her, the downpour let up into a gentle mist.

Ahsoka plunged forward and felt her breath hitch in her throat as she stepped off onto the sidewalk. Ahsoka found herself caught between a laugh and a cry. Her raw emotions seemed to melt away as it dawned on her that this was a new beginning. She was no longer a Jedi in name but in her heart, she would always be. With the whole world in her hands, she had endless potential.

Planting herself firmly in bravery, Ahsoka challenged herself to keep going. With a will made of harder stuff than transparisteel, she propelled herself onward. Step by step, she found a gentle flame spark within her. No matter where this new chapter in her life would take her, she knew she couldn't go backwards. There was only forward because if she stayed where she was, she would be quickly overthrown. Her feet led her forward in a walk that quickly turned into a jog and then a run. The temple grew smaller and smaller as she ran the distance and it took all her strength to not look back. If she did, then it would only be like salt to an open wound—painful.

As she expended the last of her angst, she found herself in the nightlife of one of Coruscant's outdoor markets. Each stall's vendor was rambunctiously yelling over each other to let their possible customers know about their various sales and goods. Their prey were easy targets, willing to buy whatever might reward them a fleeting moment's delight. The streets were packed, and the crowd was thick, causing Ahsoka to dodge and weave to avoid collision.

Strange people of all species surrounded her and not one of them knew her name or who she was. She was just another face in the crowd and another oddity to the mix of Coruscant's culture. Never had she ever felt so alone even though she was surrounded by people, it was almost surreal. Ahsoka pressed on through the market until she was stopped by a Twi'lek vendor; her montrals twitched with mild irritation.

The blue Twi'lek smiled greedily as he shoved a box of jewelry toward her. "Good evening, beautiful one! A woman as lovely as you are, deserves something as beautiful as these to wear," he said waving an open-palm above the glinting spectacles. Ahsoka's eyebrows furrowed in response to the unwanted solicitation. "No thank you," she spoke as she moved to side-step him.

The vendor reacted by stepping back and holding an arm out. "But wait, I haven't shown you the rest of what I have to offer," the Twi'lek said quickly redirecting her to his stall. On the tabletop of his stand, he had many gleaming jewelry—bracelets, rings, necklaces, earrings, and headpieces. Ahsoka humored him and took a cursory glance. "Yes, lots of jewelry. I'm not…interested—," she trailed off as when she spotted a small, ornate box amid the gaudy necklaces.

The box was no smaller than the palm of her hand and it was made from an ash-colored wood. On it were many small swirls painted in purple and gold. Ahsoka went to reach for it but the vendor grabbed at the item quickly before saying, "It's not for sale." Ahsoka snapped out of her trance-like wonder toward the object and looked to the Twi'lek perplexed. Before he spoke again, his long, blue lekku seemed to squirm like a traveling snake.

"My most humble apologies, beautiful one. This—," he said while shoving the box into his pocket, "this is not for sale. I'm not quite sure how it made it to the table, but you need not concern yourself with that." The vendor looked around with skeptical eyes for a moment before quickly picking up a necklace. "How about this one?" he asked laying the beads in his hand. The beaded necklace was a deep scarlet color held together by a simple clasp on the end. "Devaronian garnet," he said moving his hands slightly so the garnet would sparkle.

"Do you like it?" he inquired.

Losing interest in the Twi'lek's poor sale tactic, Ahsoka put her hands up. "No thank you," she said giving him a critical stare. The vendor seemed to frown at her response—he hadn't expected her to say "no". Picking up a pair of earrings, he tried to entice her, but found that Ahsoka had begun walking away. He called after her, but she ignored his plea and continued onward. For just a moment, she found his demeanor about the box off-putting.

Putting her experience with the Twi'lek behind her, Ahsoka wandered the market until she felt a sudden tug in the force. Though her body was walking one way, her spirit seemed to be jumping in another. Reacting to her years of honed skills, she followed this feeling which led her to a small park. In the center of the commons rested a marble fountain with statues depicting Angels—famous from Iego. Each pose was different as some were dancing; others were pointing; and a few were looking up. She walked to the edge of the fountain and took a seat on the ledge. Looking around, she saw no one in sight but remained faithful to the call by staying put.

Time had passed—two hours in total—until something caught the corner of her eye. Searching the distance with nothing in sight, Ahsoka felt a disturbance in the force. Getting up, she jogged in the direction of her uncertainty. The moment Ahsoka came to the curb, she heard a great crunch under her foot. Stepping back, she scrutinized the item she thoughtlessly trod on and knelt in curiosity. Hunching over her new find, Ahsoka scooped up the ornate box that had partially collapsed.

The box was the size of her palm and the color of ash wood. With both hands, Ahsoka started to turn the box to inspect it. She was intrigued by the vibrant purple and gold swirls painted on its surface. It wasn't until she traced a swirl with her finger that she remembered where she had seen the design before. "The vendor," she whispered to herself. In the moment of her epiphany, Ahsoka tilted the container causing the lid to dangle by the hinge. Peering inside, Ahsoka found it empty save for the faintest hint of red powder coating the bottom.

Swiping a gentle finger across the bottom of the box, Ahsoka's finger came back an adobe-red. The substance was velvety-soft but felt thick when rubbed between pointer finger and thumb. A quick sniff revealed a cloying scent that made her almost reel into euphoria. It was unforgettable as she felt like she was being pulled into a peaceful abyss. The powder was calling to her mind, begging to be tasted, and her tongue began to water in response.

With a gasp, she abruptly chucked the box far away from her. Ahsoka quickly rubbed her hand against her grey tights, disgusted by what she knew it to be. "Spice," she growled. Off in the distance, she heard a clunk before the box skidded to a halt. Looking in the general direction of her throw, the Togruta noticed a faint glow in the doorway of a warehouse. Sprinting toward the warehouse, Ahsoka felt the force guiding her forward with a burst of energy. Her limbs and feet tingled with excitement as her muscles worked effortlessly.

With the assistance of her Togruta sensory abilities through her montrals, Ahsoka felt no movement in the distance other than the gentle Coruscanti evening breeze. Now at the entrance of the warehouse, the open door basked in the darkness as the yellow glow from earlier was gone. The Togruta felt another tug in her spirit and felt the force pool to her feet. Jumping up the height of the building, Ahsoka gracefully landed on the rooftop with the flat of her boots.

Again, the evening breeze whispered, carrying with it a teasing scent. Ahsoka searched for some time until the height of her horns shook. Looking behind herself, she saw a hole in the roof on the south corner. Jogging up to the opening, she heard the wind softly whistle over it as if to say: "Here it is." Ahsoka knelt down and laid herself flat peer into the hole. As she peeked in, she felt her shoulder length montrals dip forward has gravity tugged on them.

On the warehouse floor, Ahsoka saw metal crates, haphazardly stacked. The wind blew again, and she heard a hollow howl of wind whistling through the cracks in the windows. Sniffing at the air, the curious Togruta concluded that the cloying smell of spice clung to the atmosphere inside. With another whiff, her montrals started to feel tingly and her skin began to flush with a cold-hot intensity at the base of her skull.

Taking a leap of faith, she jumped down and landed near the crates. Cautiously, she remained crouched, not willing to risk her cover. She reached out and softly touched one of the crates and brought back a dark, dusty hand. About fifteen feet before of her, Ahsoka felt groaning of old metal vibrate the tips of her montrals. Light from a glowrod began to pour through the door and the shuffling of shoes ricocheted off the walls. She heard a slight "shh" from someone as a container buckled under an echoing crack.

"Oops," said a deep voice unsympathetically.

"No one can know where are here," she heard a lighter voice whisper.

"Is this the full shipment?" asked a third with a raspy voice.

"A couple tons of spice just as requested. Where are the credits?" inquired the second.

"Here," she heard the first say before a loud blast rounded off. The sudden bang left an intense ringing inside Ahsoka's horns as she waited and listened nervously. The light from the glowrod winked out for a moment as it must have fallen under something. She listened as the sound of soft footsteps receded out of the room until all was silent once more. Though her montrals still felt tingly, she didn't need them to know she was alone with a corpse. Peeking over the crates, Ahsoka found a figure lying on the floor with a dim light peeking out from underneath.

Quietly she hopped over the containers and sprinted to the body. Kneeling, she held her hands over the body. Pulling gently with the force, Ahsoka watched as the body rolled over face-up. Again, she called on the force as she imagined the glowrod in her mind's eye. Calling to it, the object floated up and over the body. From what little she could see, Ahsoka saw enough to identify the person as a Twi'lek. More importantly she noted, it was the same vendor she met in the market only hours ago. With a frown, the young Togruta felt her heart sink for a moment.

The feeling was fleeting as old metal groaned again somewhere deep in the warehouse. Acting spontaneously, Ahsoka sprinted to where she came from and leapt up to the roof. She was outside, and the wind had ceased its howling—as if Coruscant held its breath. She felt the blood in her system pumping with vigor as she closed her eyes.

For a moment she stood still, waiting for the force to guide her. Then her spirit jumped to the eastside of the building. Turning in that direction, she ran to the edge of the rooftop. Looking out over the permacrete lot, Ahsoka watched as two giant figures ran to another warehouse before disappearing around the corner. It wasn't long before she saw a grungy, old cab zip out and around from the back.

Out of habit, Ahsoka reached for her saber and shoto, but frowned when she grabbed at nothing. Looking down to her brown belt, she gave a great sigh as she realized she wouldn't have them again. "Recon only," she told herself before jumping from the rooftop. Ahsoka felt a burst of energy zing through her muscles and she ran back toward the market. Though she watched as the cab grew tantalizingly smaller, she was determined to catch up.

By the time she got back to the market, the Togruta had jumped up to the rooftops. Running along the edge, she would peer over them from time to time. About ten buildings later, Ahsoka found the old, dingy cab stashed behind an alley dumpster. She leapt down beside the aircar and found it empty. Frustration coursed through her and she kicked the bumper of the vehicle with the tip of her boot. Instant regret panged through her toes and immediately she held her foot as she hopped around.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" she yelled to herself, "Why did I do that? Ugh!"

As Ahsoka calmed down from the precipice of her vexation she exited the alley and entered back into the marketplace. The young Togruta did her best to blend in with the crowd, calling on the force to find a thread of direction to grasp on to. She remained like this for about five blocks until she stopped about twenty feet away from the subway system. Ahsoka felt her insides leap forward in recognition, but she remained still. Going through the entrance portals, the two large characters she had seen in the taxi barged their way past a Rodian female. The bystander fell to the ground as she was stunned by their brute force.

Ahsoka waited for ten counts and then walked over to the Rodian who she effortlessly hefted to her feet. "Did you see what they looked like?" Ahsoka her hurriedly. "I–uh–tall and green. With long black hair," the frightened Rodian paled. "Thank you!" Ahsoka yelled as she jumped over the portals and practically flew down the stairs. Turning a sharp left, Ahsoka ran toward an open car but was too late.

The doors of the car closed as the tram propelled itself forward in a long, endless blur. The Togruta growled in frustration as it seemed she couldn't catch a break. Out of pure chance Ahsoka looked up and saw two large men standing next to each other in a passing car. It was for a moment, but a moment was all she needed to know who she was looking for.

"Falleen," she whispered to herself.

"Next connection to level 1313 will leave in: 4 hours," a droid announced over the intercom. Ahsoka watched as the tail end of the tram flew past her, the taillights a vibrant streak of ghostly orange. She looked to the tram's sign and verified its destination as it read: "Level 1313". The Ahsoka couldn't help but smile as she realized that not all hope was lost.

"I'll see you Sleemos real soon," she said to herself.