Chapter 36 – Pirates

I had the majority of this chapter already figured out, so it was easier to write it. That is why I'm updating this story again first. I'm also working on a new chapter for my Barriss story, so that one is next in line. After that I will update Mysterious Ways again.

General Ripper (guest), I'm still thinking about what to do with the meeting between her and Plo Koon. I'm not yet 100% sure what to do with them. I might decide to have them meet in one of the upcoming chapters, or I might postpone it for several months (in the story, hopefully not actual months). I'm going to sort things out and go with what I think makes for a better scene. Thanks for the suggestions, I really appreciate them. I'll see what I can do with them, but I'm not sure if I will use them all.

"Text like this" is in Basic, /Text like this/ is in Togruti. For the conversations on Shili, you can assume that everything being said is in Togruti.

Enjoy.

;-

Hyperspace

Ahsoka sat in the room she had been given onboard the ship of the H'Raani M'Kai, the Stalking Akul. It was a similar model ship like the one they had taken to Felucia, with the exception of this ship having much faster engines, just in case they needed a quick getaway. The ship was originally designed for tracking missions, hence the name, but it worked well to get away from pursuers too.

They had already discussed their plan for the meeting with Hondo on Florrum. Ahsoka would enter his base and perform the 'negotiations'. Aurora and the other warriors would remain in the ship, ready to rush the base and pull her out in the situation that Hondo or his pirate buddies tried anything funny.

Despite going to meet with a very dangerous and unpredictable outlaw, Ahsoka felt at ease. The warriors she was with were all incredibly skilled fighters. She knew that now from personal experience from all of the training she had done with them.

A smile spread across her face. Thanks to her training with the warriors she had become progressively stronger already. She was starting to learn more of their people's fighting styles. She also had a little idea about combining her people's ways with the lightsaber Forms of the Jedi. It would be incredibly tricky and she would have to study more of the combat forms first. However, that wouldn't stop her from trying.

Her training with the Force was also progressing incredibly well. If she had to guess, Ahsoka thought that she was already three times as strong as when she left the Jedi Order. "Well, I was in a pretty bad mental state then and that affected my powers negatively, but still, I'm getting a whole lot stronger." She thought.

Daughter had taught her a great deal more about the Force and helped her to control her new powers. They recently had begun practicing manipulating the environment. She already knew how to manipulate objects, of course. But they were talking about using the Force to affect nature itself. They had started with manipulating the air and using the wind to enhance one's own speed while hindering the opponent. The idea sounded very attractive to her and she was looking forward to learning more.

For the moment she cleared her head of the excitement and drew on the Force to meditate. She wanted to be alert when they reached Florrum.

;-

A few hours later

The Stalking Akul landed on Florrum, close to the base of the pirate lord Hondo Ohnaka. Their flight and landing had been incredibly quiet. Strangely enough, not one of Hondo's ships had approached when they dropped out of hyperspace.

Ahsoka and Aurora walked down the ship's ramp with a small one person speeder. There weren't any pirates in sight, a fact that worried Ahsoka greatly. "Keep watchful, I don't like this one bit." Ahsoka said to Aurora.

The older Togruta nodded. "We'll do." She replied. "You make sure to watch your back. Don't let these guys get the drop on you." Aurora instructed her. "Oh and, for the love of our ancestors, don't accept any drinks from them."

Ahsoka nodded and looked at the base. "Yeah, Master Kenobi told me that one before." She said as she got on the speeder. "I'll be careful."

Aurora nodded as well. "Good. And remember, if something goes wrong, activate your beacon and we'll get you out immediately." She replied as she pointed at the small device at Ahsoka's wrist.

"Will do." Ahsoka said as she activated the speeder. After checking the systems she turned up the throttle and flew towards the base. "Let's just hope that Hondo's in a good mood. I am not looking forward to having to fight him and his goons." Ahsoka thought as she sped through the air.

A short moment later she arrived at the base. She parked her speeder and got off. Looking around, she noticed something very odd. "Why is there no one around?" She asked herself. "Hondo usually has a few guards outside." Through her montrals she picked up something else that confused her. "What is that…booming, echoing sound?"

She made sure that she had her lightsabers ready to grab under her cloak and headed inside the base. Opening the door was a simple trick with the Force, even a youngling would be able to do so. As she walked through the halls towards the main room she heard the booming sound increase in intensity. "Is that…music? What is going on in there?" she asked herself.

Using another little Force trick she entered the main room of the base. What she found there was not what she expected.

There were dozens of people in the base; Most of them were drinking and hanging around with each other. Loud music was blaring all around the base. Multiple Twi'Lek woman were dancing on makeshift stages and serving drinks to the groups of pirates sitting here and there.

Ahsoka looked around, sure what to make of this. "Hondo's throwing a party?" She asked herself. "I don't think I want to know all of the people that are on the guest list." She tried to locate the person she was after. "Where is that pirate? He's never around when you need him." She thought annoyed.

She noticed one of the Twi'Lek servers approach her with a tray of drinks. "Hello there dear," The Twi'Lek greeted her. "Care for a drink? It's from the gents over there." She said as she gestured towards a group of shady people in the back.

Ahsoka looked at the group and they waved at her. The nasty looks and smiles on their faces made it very clear to Ahsoka what they really wanted. The Twi'lek leaned in closer to her so that her face was right next to Ahsoka's montals. "Don't take anything. Those creeps drugged it all." She warned her.

Ahsoka nodded gratefully. "Thanks for the warning." She replied. "What is going on here anyway? Why are you guys here?" she asked the Twi'Lek.

The Twi'Lek sighed and stood upright again. "These pirates are throwing a little party. We were hired to serve food and drinks and dance a bit." She explained. "We usually don't serve at a party like this and we especially don't dance like that." She said gesturing at her friends swirling around on the stages in skimpy clothes. "But, for what these pirates are paying us we can make a bit of an exception."

She then looked at Ahsoka and studied her for a moment. "But what is a young girl like you doing here?" she asked. "Numerous of these people are quite a revolting bunch and they wouldn't hesitate one moment to do all kinds of horrible things to you."

Ahsoka sighed. "Yeah, I'm aware of that." She replied. "But I'm not completely defenseless and I'm not alone." She said. "I just have some business with Hondo. Do you know where he is right now?" she asked the Twi'Lek.

The Twi'Lek gave her a curious glance. "What kind of business could you have with that pirate?" she asked in return. "He's a very dangerous man. You'd be smart to avoid him."

"I need some wares and I believe that Hondo will be able to provide them the quickest." Ahsoka replied. "And don't worry, I've dealt with Hondo before. I know what he's capable of."

The Twi'Lek nodded. "I see. Well, Hondo is around over there somewhere." She said as she gestured at another part of the room. "Just be sure to watch your back. These people are vile perverts."

Ahsoka nodded and the Twi'Lek walked off. Before Ahsoka was able to walk further into the base she heard a very familiar laugh to her side. She turned and saw a very cheerful Hondo walking towards her.

Hondo looked at her with a wide grin and threw his arms out. "Ha ha ha. Look who it is!" He said as he walked closer. "Ahsoka! I cannot believe you came all this way just to see me! Perfect timing, join the party!"

Ahsoka smiled and shook her head. "Same old Hondo." She thought. "It's nice to see you too, Hondo. But I can't join your party." She replied. "I'm here on business."

Hondo smiled back at her. "Business, huh? So what do the Jedi require from me this time?" he asked.

Ahsoka looked down. "The Jedi don't have anything to do with this. I'm no longer a part of the Order." She replied, her voice a tad saddened.

Hondo looked at her with a neutral face. "So, what I heard was true after all, huh?" he asked. "That Council has sure made some stupid mistakes." A wide grin then spread on his face. "Don't tell me that you've come to join ol' Hondo and his merry band of pirates?" He asked her cheerfully.

Ahsoka shook her head. "No, sorry. I'm not here to do that." She replied. "I have made some new friends already."

"Ah well, that's okay." Hondo said. "So, what is this business you're here for?" he asked her. Ahsoka didn't need to use the Force to tell that he was somewhat intrigued.

"Oi Hondo!" A voice called from nearby. Ahsoka looked at its origin to see a very creepy looking pair of humans looking at them. "What do you want for that girl?" One of them asked. "She's a real looker, we'll pay a hefty price for her."

Ahsoka looked at them in disgust and turned back to Hondo. "Don't get me wrong, Hondo. I am here on business and it can be quite profitable for the both of us." She said as she grabbed one of her lightsabers. "However," she said as she ignited her cyan lightsaber in her right hand and pointed it at him. "it can quickly become a large loss for you."

Hondo chuckled a bit. "Come now, Ahsoka. There's no need to get violent." He replied. "Put your glowsword away. You're a strong fighter, but you alone wouldn't be able to beat everyone here." His words earned a round of laughter from others in the room.

Ahsoka smirked at him. "Who says that I'm alone?" She asked in a slightly challenging voice. "I have a few friends waiting outside." She told him. "And don't make any assumptions, they're just as strong as Jedi Masters. Only they aren't Jedi, so they won't hesitate one moment to kill you, and believe me, they are more than capable of killing a few pirates."

Hondo studied her for a moment. He could clearly tell that she wasn't bluffing. "I know better than to underestimate you." He replied. "Let's step into my office for a bit and discuss this little deal, shall we?" he asked.

Ahsoka nodded and deactivated her lightsaber. She clipped it back to her belt and followed Hondo to his office.

"So," Hondo began as he sat down. "What is this little business deal you want to talk about?" he asked her.

Ahsoka sat down in front of him and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'll spare you the details, but the people I represent are in need of several shield generators." She told him. "Knowing your, expertise, at obtaining items, I figured that you would be able to help us out."

Hondo laughed at that. "Well, you're in luck. I just so happen to have a bunch of shield generators lying around." He replied. "They are in good working condition too, but…" He paused a moment. "There are more interested buyers. Do you have the funds necessary funds to purchase these items?" He asked.

Ahsoka smiled. "The people I represent at the moment are the Royal Family of Shili and the Governor of Kiros. Trust me, I have the necessary funds available." She replied.

Hondo laughed again. "Well now! You've certainly made some friends in high places, eh?" He said excitedly.

Ahsoka nodded. "That's right." She replied. "Oh, and just in case a few of your men were planning anything later," She said in a slightly warning tone. "They will be quite upset if I don't return safely. I doubt that you'll want to deal with the Shilian army, right?" she asked.

Hondo nodded as well. "Yes, let's try to avoid that." He replied quickly. "So, how many shield generators did you need?"

"We require seven of them." Ahsoka replied. Several military officers of Shili had calculated that they would get maximum defense with five generators. One of the generals thought that it would be best if they had a few spares, just in case. "Do you have that many?" Ahsoka looked at the pirate for a moment. "And may I ask just how you got those generators?" she asked.

Hondo chuckled a bit. "I have enough wares to fulfill your order." He said with a grin. "And to how we got them? Well, me and the guys were just flying around a few systems away from here, just minding our own business. Then suddenly, a Separatist transport fleet just crashed on a nearby planet. Those poor droids were destroyed, but their goods were still intact. So, we decided to take the goods with us. It would have been a waste to just let them lying there, don't you think?" He asked her with a smile.

Ahsoka chuckled and shook her head. "How unfortunate for them." She replied. "One of my companions is a very skilled engineer. You don't mind if he checks the generators first, right?" She asked him. "We'll need to make sure that they are in optimal condition."

"Of course, of course, let your friend check." He replied. "Let's just discuss the price first, shall we?"

;-

After some negotiations about the price of the generators Ahsoka now found herself outside Hondo's base with the pirate. The H'Raani M'Kai had moved their ship closer to the base after Ahsoka had commed them. She had given them a little heads up to be extra careful; While she trusted Hondo not to try anything, she wasn't very certain about the others present at his little party.

At the moment Carth, the specialist engineer that was with them, was checking the condition of the generators. Silara and Aurora were standing close by, keeping a close eye on the pirates whilst ignoring their drunken, flirty comments.

Carth had finished his inspection of the generators and returned to the others. /The generators are in excellent condition. We can bring them with us./ He told them in Togruti.

Aurora nodded. /Good, then let's not waste any more time here./ She replied. /Those pirates make me want to throw up. Carth, get the others and unload the credits. Then load up the generators so we can leave. Silara, keep an eye out in case they make some attempt to double-cross us. Ahsoka, tell that pirate the deal is on./ She gave out orders to everyone. They nodded in agreement and went to do what she told them.

Ahsoka nodded as well and walked up to Hondo. "Well, it seems everything is in order." She told him. "They're getting the credits we agreed upon and then they'll load the generators onto the ship. After that we'll be on our way again."

Hondo smiled and laughed excitedly. "Wonderful! It's always nice to do business with a good friend." He replied. "Do come back to visit again someday. We might be able to do more business." He said to her.

Ahsoka chuckled a bit. "Maybe, I'll have to see how everything turns out." She replied. She was about to say something else when a voice called to her.

"You're not going anywhere , little missy." A voice said. Ahsoka turned around and saw the same group that offered to 'buy' her from Hondo earlier. "You'll be coming with us now. You'll make for a nice plaything." The would-be leader of the group said.

Ahsoka sighed in annoyance. She saw that Aurora and Silara were about to draw their weapons. /Not necessary guys, leave this to me./ She told them. They nodded and stood silent. Ahsoka then drew deeply on the Force, tapping into her vast power, and spun around, trusting her hand at the group. She sent a powerful Force Push towards the group of scum. Before they figured out what was going on, they were sent flying over a nearby hill.

The sudden flying-lesson for the group earned her a large round of laughter from Hondo and his pirate buddies. She merely shrugged and headed towards the ship. The others finished loading up the purchased wares and they departed from Florrum.

;-

A couple of minutes later, the space around Florrum

Aurora walked up to Ahsoka on the bridge of the Stalking Akul. "So, what is out next destination?" she asked her. "Any idea where we can find this Ventress?"

Ahsoka nodded. "I have a pretty good suspicion about where to find her; The Force confirmed it too." Ahsoka replied. "She's on Tatooine, probably somewhere in Mos Eisley."

;-

Shili, royal palace

Prince Zolar Vashee sat nervously in his office. He was going to keep his word to Ahsoka and tell her sister Marina the truth, he wouldn't go back on his words. Still, this whole situation worried him immensely and he clutched his desk tightly. It was the only thing he could do to prevent his hands from flailing around nervously.

He had asked Marina if they could talk later in private. He had just received a message from her that she was currently on her way. He sat quietly at his desk and took several deep breaths to try and calm his racing heart. Shortly after that he heard a knock on his door. "Come in." He called out.

The door opened and Marina Tano walked in. Her presence made his heart flutter once again, just like it had so many times. She walked up to him and smiled. "Hello prince Zolar, you wanted to see me?" she greeted him.

He looked at her for a moment, still thinking about how she would react. He then snapped out of it. "Ehm, yes," He replied. "Please sit down." He told her as he gestured at the chair in front of the desk. Marina nodded and sat down. "I needed to talk to you about a… very personal matter." He said with hesitation.

Marina looked at him curiously. "Uhm… Alright." She replied slowly, not sure what to make of this. "What would he want to talk about?" she asked herself. "Could it be that he wants to ask me to…? No way, that would never happen. He's a prince, he wouldn't like me." She thought a bit saddened. She looked a tad closer at his face and frowned slightly. "Are you alright, prince? You look… rather nervous." She asked him when she saw the sweat on his brow.

He nodded nervously. "Yes, I'm fine." He answered her question. "This is just very difficult for me to talk about; Because it's about one of the most shameful things I've ever done." He said, earning a very confused look from Marina.

"I'm not sure I understand." Marina replied. "Why would you need to tell me about such a thing?" she asked.

"Please, just let me explain." He asked her. Marina nodded and allowed him to continue. Zolar took a deep breath. "There's something I did a few years ago; Something I've kept a secret from everyone because I was too afraid of the consequences it would have for me and others if I told anyone." He looked her in the eyes. "Your sister, however, read my thoughts and learned about it. We had a long conversation and she convinced me that you, of all people, do deserve to know."

By now Marina was beyond confused. "Something I should know? About something he did years ago?" She thought in confusion. "I-I don't understand… What are you talking about?" she asked him.

Zolar swallowed before continuing, trying to get rid of the lump forming in his throat. "You know when my grandfather died three years ago?" He asked her.

Marina nodded. "Yes, I remember." She replied. "That was a sad time for Shili. Your grandfather had been a great king. Everyone was mourning him."

Zolar nodded as well. "Yes, that's true. My grandfather was loved by a great deal of people." He said. "The two of us were very close and I was very devastated when he passed away." He looked down. "I got very depressed and I made a mess of school. Eventually, the pain I felt just got too much and I just wanted to get rid of it."

Marina nodded, she knew that feeling herself. She had been in a pretty bad mood herself a couple of years ago and made a few bad decisions to get rid of those feelings.

"So, after some thinking, I disguised myself somewhat and headed towards this small bar." Zolar continued, his voice starting to tremble a bit.

Marina looked at him in confusion. "Wait, what did he just say?" She asked herself, unsure if he had heard him right.

Zolar took a deep breath. "After I had a few drinks in that bar, I met up with a girl. I don't remember much of the evening. The only thing I truly remember was waking up in a hotel room next to that same girl." He paused and looked at Marina. "That girl was you." He told her in a shaking voice.

Marina's eyes widened in shock. "What…? All those years ago…It was him…?" She asked herself, stunned by what he has just revealed.

Zolar lowered his head into his hands. He leaned on his desk and avoided her gaze. "When I saw you later at school, you didn't remember that it was me; And I was too afraid to tell you." He admitted. "I was worried that I would lose your friendship; That you would hate me forever." He paused a moment as he shook his head. "I was also worried about your safety. There were always so many girls chasing around me and I was afraid that they would do something to you if they found out. I feared that people would seriously harm you if they learned what happened."

He looked at her again. "I have always cared deeply about you, Marina. I've loved you for years now." He admitted to her. "I was too shy to admit it to you and I thought that you wouldn't believe me. So many girls wanted to be with me all of the time. I was worried that you would think I was some kind of creep or something."

"I wronged you greatly, Marina." He said to her. "I was a fool when I hooked up with you while I was drunk and a complete bastard when I didn't tell you the truth. I still love you and I promise that I will never harm you again. I have no right to ask it of you, but if you could find it in your heart to give me a second chance, I promise I will do whatever I can do make it up to you." He asked her.

Marina was still in shock about what she had just learned. "I-I-I… I don't…" She stuttered out. "I-I need time to think…" She managed to say.

Zolar nodded and lowered his head. "I completely understand." He replied. "If you decide that you hate me and never want to see me again then I will respect that. For what it's worth to you, I'm truly sorry for never telling you."

Marina got up slowly and walked out of the prince's office.

;-

That's the end of this chapter.

So, Ahsoka visited Hondo, hope I portrayed him the right way in this chapter. I don't really know all the words to describe how he is, but everyone knows the way he is so I hope that doesn't matter.

Zolar has told Marina the truth, now how will things turn out? In the next chapter there will be another short scene of Marina thinking about this whole revelation. But, the end result will not be revealed just yet.

Ahsoka will travel to Tatooine in the next chapter to find Ventress. Knowing that dangerous dustbowl, there will be some unwanted company too. She will also meet someone else there. This character is an OC who I hope everyone will like. This OC will play quite a big role in the rest of the story.

Like I said, the next update will be for Barriss.

Until next time.