Chapter 37 – A World without Laws

And I'm back with a new chapter. I've been wanting to write this one for a while now. A few new characters will be introduced in this chapter, one of which will have a large role in the rest of the story.

Text /like this/ is in Togruti. Text "like this" is in Basic. When the scene is on Shili, you can assume that everyone is speaking Togruti.

Warning: In the last part of this chapter there will be some descriptions of abuse. There won't be anything extremely graphic like some horror movies or things like that. But there will be mentions of abuse and I felt a little warning was appropriate.

;-

Shili, Tano residence.

Marina Tano sat on the couch in her family's living room. She was still stunned by what she had learned during her conversation with her old friend Zolar, the prince of Shili. He, of all people, was the father of her child. She had no idea how to take this and so, for the past hours, she had just sat silently on the couch, thinking about this whole situation.

Rosette slowly climbed up on the couch and sat closely next to her mother. "Mommy?" she asked quietly. "Is something wrong?" She asked with a concerned voice.

Marina looked at her daughter and placed her arm around her little frame. "No, don't worry Rose, everything's alright." She replied, not really sure if she believed it herself.

Rosette looked at her mother with big, worried eyes. "But you're so quiet. Did I do something wrong?" She asked.

Marina smiled slightly at her daughter's question. "She's so precious." She thought. "No, you didn't do anything wrong, sweetie." She replied.

Rosette smiled as she heard this. "So I'm still your little princess?" She asked in happy voice.

"Yes, you're still my little princess." Marina replied as she lightly hugged her daughter. Rosette happily returned the hug. "Go on and play, don't worry." She told the young girl. Rosette nodded and climbed of the couch and went back to where she had left her toys.

Marina looked as her daughter walked off. "I suppose you really are my little princess." She found herself thinking. She sighed deeply. "What am I going to do?"

She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she barely even noticed her sister Lilo approaching and sitting down next to her. "Oh, hey Lilo." She said after she had noticed her.

"Hey." Lilo replied as she studied her older sister. "So tell me what's going on." She said as she studied her older sister. She knew Marina well enough to know that her sister had the tendency to stress herself out with things and not tell others about them.

Marina looked at her quietly for a moment. Her younger sister knew that she often kept things to herself and Marina in turn knew that Lilo had the tendency to keep pushing her until she finally told her. She took a deep breath before replying. "You know that I went to see the prince, right?" she asked nervously.

Lilo nodded. "Yes, I know." She replied. She smiled teasingly at her sister. "So, what happened? Did he finally ask you out?" She asked teasingly. Marina didn't reply and merely looked down at the ground. "Oh come on sis, I'm just teasing. Tell me, what happened?" She asked politely.

Marina looked at her sister again. "He's…" she replied softly. "He's Rosette's father…"

Lilo laughed for a moment, but she stopped when she saw the look on Marina's face. That same look she always had when she was completely serious. Lilo's eyes widened. "Oh Force, you're serious…" she said softly as she looked from her sister to Rosette and back.

Marina looked at Lilo with a worried look in her eyes. "What am I going to do, Lilo?" She asked, hoping for some good advice from her sister.

"I-I-I…I don't know…" Lilo stuttered out. She sat a little closer to her sister and wrapped her arms around her sister. "I'm sorry, Marina, I won't be able to help you with this. You're going to have to decide this on your own. But don't worry, I won't tell anyone about this." She told her sister as she rubbed her arm comfortingly.

Marina nodded slowly and leaned against her sister a bit. "Thanks sis." She replied softly.

;-

Tatooine, Mos Eisley

A hooded figure walked through the streets of Mos Eisley, one of the most rotten places in the galaxy. The normal laws of the galaxy didn't apply in this cesspool. The only laws were those of strength, money and, of course, whatever the Hutts decide.

Ahsoka Tano calmly walked through the streets, her senses on full alert. Her cloak completely hid her face and features and she was glad for that. She didn't doubt that there was a strong chance of someone being on the planet that would want some type of revenge on her. Underneath her cloak, she wore a lighter version of the standard H'Raani M'Kai armor. It wouldn't block direct impact blaster fire, but it did protect against blunt strikes and slashing weapons. If someone tried to attack her from behind and inject her with some type of drug, the needle would shatter against her armor.

Her weapons, both her lightsabers and the spear she had received from Shaden, were hidden from sight but in her immediate reach. She could instantly draw them. She had taken the spear along as another precaution, her lightsabers would definitely draw unwanted attention.

Aurora and the other warriors had split into three groups. Two of them watched the ship to make sure that no one tried anything funny. The other had split into teams of three and walked through the streets as well, ready to rush towards Ahsoka's position and help her in case she got into trouble. To this end, Ahsoka wore a small, undetectable tracking beacon. Should something happen, they would be able to find her no matter what.

Ahsoka could sense that Ventress was in one of the cantina's so that was where they were headed. As she walked, Ahsoka could see a pair of Twi'Lek not much older than her being beaten by some sleemo. The collars they wore made it clear to her what they were to that man.

/Aurora, come in./ Ahsoka contacted the team's leader.

/Ahsoka, I read you. What is it?/ Came the reply.

Ahsoka sighed and looked around. /There's two Twi'Lek slaves at my position, is there anything you can do to help them?/ She asked. /I hate seeing people enslaved and suffering./

/I know what you mean, Ahsoka./ Aurora replied. /We'll see what we can do./

/Thank you, Aurora./ Ahsoka said as she deactivated the connection. As much as she wanted to help them herself, she had other matters to attend. She just hoped that Aurora and the others would be able to help them.

She continued on her way to the cantina where she could sense that Ventress was. Now she just hoped that the former assassin wasn't too angry to see her.

;-

Ahsoka walked into the cantina. Looking around, she noticed that it was a standard hide-out for people that didn't want to be found. Bounty hunters and all kinds of scum were in all corners of the place. A band was playing songs on some form of makeshift stage. She could sense through the Force that this place and its inhabitants were both very dangerous. "Let's just get this over with and avoid any complications…" She thought to herself.

She spotted Ventress at one of the tables at the end of the establishment. She noticed four of the H'Raani M'Kai warriors sitting at another table. One of them gave her a quick, barely visible nod to let her know that they were ready to act.

Ahsoka then made her way towards the table where Ventress was sitting. Thanks to the training she had received from Daughter, the former assassin hadn't noticed her yet. "Hello Ventress." She said calmly.

Ventress turned around quickly, one of her hands moving downward to her belt. A look between surprise and annoyance spread on her face when she spotted the Togruta who the voice belonged to. "Well, well, well, look who it is." She said in a rather sarcastic tone of voice. "What are you doing here?" She asked/demanded.

"I'm actually here on business." Ahsoka replied. "Mind if I sit down?" She asked. Ventress made a gesture for her to sit in front of her and Ahsoka did so. She sensed something quite interesting through the Force. "I see that you have your lightsabers back." She stated.

Ventress was a bit surprised that she had sensed it. "Yes, I confronted you master Skywalker about it and he returned them. Oh, I guess I should say former master." She replied. "Yes, word about that traveled fast. I suppose you realized what kind of hypocrites those Council fools are, huh?" She asked. "Although, I must admit, Dooku isn't any better."

Ahsoka nodded in agreement. "Both have quite some issues, but that's not why I'm here." She said.

Ventress looked at her. "Then why are you here?" She asked. "You looking to start a new career here on Tatooine? With your skills you might make a decent bounty hunter." She told the Togruta. "Although, with your looks you could make even more money pursuing a different type of profession." She added in a bit of a mocking tone.

Ahsoka decided to ignore that comment and not let it anger her. "Actually, I'm looking to hire a bounty hunter." She replied, earning herself a surprised look from Ventress. "I was thinking of you, you certainly have the skills required for this little job."

Ventress gave her a look that Ahsoka wasn't completely able to figure out. "Last time we had a little deal, you didn't exactly held up your end of the bargain. So why should I even consider accepting another deal from you?" She asked as she crossed her arms.

Ahsoka looked down and sighed. "You're right, I'm sorry." She replied. "We had a deal and I failed to honor my part. Unfortunately, things didn't work out the way I thought they would. However, this time things will be different. I'm merely a messenger, the real contractor is someone else. You will definitely get a reward this time, if you complete the mission." She explained. "With your skillset, it should be an easy job. Also, you'll get to mess with Dooku's plans."

Ventress looked at her with a neutral expression, but Ahsoka could sense that she was slightly interested. "So, if I were to think about accepting, what would this mission be?" She asked.

Ahsoka sat up straight and looked at her. "The government of Kiros learned that she Separatists are planning on invading Kiros again. The people there have trained a bit since the last invasion, but they won't be able to hold them off on their own. The king of Shili is already preparing a portion of the Shilian army to help them, but we'll need help from the Republic. In order to get their help, we'll need prove that the Separatists are planning to invade. This is where you come in. We need you to infiltrate a Separatist base, get to a dataterminal and secure the information we need. Then, deliver it to Shili and you'll receive your payment." She explained the mission.

Ventress seemed to think it over for a moment. However, before she had a chance to reply a voice interrupted their conversation. "Look who it is! You have a lot of nerve coming here, Jedi!"

Ahsoka looked at the person who the voice belonged to. "Oh, that's just great." She thought annoyed. Boba Fett was staring at her with a very challenging look on her face. A few others she didn't recognize were standing a bit behind him. But from the looks of them, she could clearly tell that they were bounty hunters. "Great, just great." The music had stopped playing and the attention of everyone in the building was shifted to them.

"Oh, that's right." Boba Fett continued. "It's former Jedi now, isn't it?" He asked in a mocking tone. "You're no longer with your precious Council. They will no longer come to protect you. It was a stupid move coming here." He drew his blaster. "You'll pay for ruining my chance of revenge against Windu." He said threateningly.

Ventress scoffed and laughed at the boys words. "Get lost Boba, we're having a little chat over here." She told him.

"That's too bad." Bebo replied. "She's going to pay for the things she's done." He said menacingly as he and his friends walked a bit closer.

Ahsoka looked at him. "You should listen to her and just get lost." She told him. "Don't do anything you'll come to regret."

Boba merely laughed at her words. Two of his buddies laughed as well. "You think you can scare me off? You think that you alone could possibly beat us?" He taunted her. He stepped forward with his blaster pointed at her face.

Without warning, his blaster was snagged from his hands by a whip. "What the?!" He exclaimed and looked at the origin of the whip. Silara stood at a table a few feet away, whip and blaster in her hands and a challenging look on her face.

The Trandoshian that stood behind Boba snarled at her and wanted to charge at her, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He turned and saw a Wookie sized Togruta standing behind him with an equally threatening look on his face. At another table, the two other warriors stood ready, both a sword and blaster drawn.

Ventress looked at the warriors and then back to Ahsoka. "It would seem that you're not alone, are you?" She asked Ahsoka.

Ahsoka smiled a bit. "I've made some powerful new friends. I'm doing a lot for our people and they wanted to make sure that I stayed safe, so they send a few elite guards with me." She replied.

She looked at Boba again. "You're right, the Council probably wouldn't help me anymore. But my new friends here are just as powerful as the members of the Council. However, unlike the Jedi, they won't hesitate a single moment to strike you down. So just get out now." She warned him.

Boba looked at the warriors. "You think these guys scare me?" He asked. In response to his question Varik, the one standing behind Bossk, drew his weapon. Like Shaden, he favored a powerful heavy weapon. Shaden had his battle-axe and Varik had a greatsword almost as tall as Ahsoka. A moment after he had drawn his weapon, Aurora and another warrior entered the cafeteria, both with their weapons drawn as well.

When Boba turned back to Ahsoka, she activated her cyan lightsaber and pointed it at him. He realized that he couldn't win and stood down. "Next time, you won't be so lucky." He spat at her and headed towards the back exit, a few of the bounty hunters following him. Ahsoka and the warriors put their weapons away but remained alert for more trouble. Fortunately, it looked like the other occupants in the building had no desire to mess with a group of armed Togruta. The band started playing again and people went back to their conversations.

Ahsoka turned back to Ventress. "Well, back to business." She said. "Are you going to accept my contract?" She asked.

Ventress looked at her. "Can you guarantee me that I will be getting paid for my efforts?" She asked in return.

Ahsoka nodded. "If you can deliver us the information we need, the king of Shili will certainly compensate you for your work." She replied.

Vertress thought it over for a moment. "Well, alright then. I am a little short on work now anyway." She said a moment later.

Ahsoka smiled. "Great, thank you Ventress." She replied as she pulled out a datapad. "You'll find the details for delivering the information and collecting your payment on that. May the Force be with you."

Ventress nodded and took the datapad. "You know, there's something different about you." She stated as she looked at Ahsoka. "Ah, no matter." She said as she got up. "As long as I'm getting paid it doesn't really matter." She left the cafeteria as well.

Ahsoka got up and signaled the warriors with her. They nodded in return and they started to head back towards the ship in the same groups they were in earlier.

;-

As Ahsoka walked back towards the ship she felt incredibly relieved. Everything had gone well, fortunately. Things could have been a lot more troubling considering the people she had to deal with. She had a good feeling from the Force that the people of Kiros would get the help they needed. She just hoped that they would all get there in time.

"Still, it feels incredibly weird that I'm actually trusting Asajj Ventress to help us, let alone thank her. Who would've ever thought that less than a year ago?" She asked herself somewhat amused. "She has changed a lot, it's quite interesting to see that a person can change that much."

She stopped walking when she suddenly felt something through the Force. She moved to the side of the street for a bit and opened herself to the Force. There was something or someone calling out, there was another Force user nearby. However, it felt untrained and not knowing what it was doing. Still, Ahsoka could sense that whoever it was, was calling for help.

The Force told her to help this person, so Ahsoka started making her way into the small alleys that littered the place to look for this presence.

She walked into a small, dark alleyway that was filled with all kinds of crates and junk. She concentrated and filtered out the noises of the nearby streets. Using the Force, she concentrated on the presence nearby. She suddenly felt a very scared and sad presence hiding behind a few crates. The sound of sobbing filled her montrals.

Ahsoka quietly made her way to the crates and bend over a bit to look down. She then spotted a little Togrutan girl hiding in one of the crates. /Hello there, little one./ She said in a friendly tone. The girl looked at her startled and tried to crawl away from her. /It's okay, don't be scared. I'm not going to hurt you./ Ahsoka tried to assure the frightened girl. She send several comforting waves to the girl through the Force.

The girl looked at Ahsoka from behind her hands. /It's okay, don't worry./ Ahsoka told her. /Come here, let me help you./ She said, trying to convince the girl to come out. Ahsoka smiled warmly at the girl and nodded at her to let her know that it was alright. After a moment of hesitation, the girl crawled out of the crate and got to her feet.

Ahsoka studied the girl for a moment. She was about eleven years old, but she looked to be a bit shorter than the average Togruta. Her skin was a deep red with a blue lekku with white stripes. She had two crescent moon markings beneath her eyes and two small diamond marking above her eyes.

Ahsoka had to keep herself from frowning angrily when she observed the girl's condition. She wore a small set of ragged clothes that barely covered her young body. Because of this, Ahsoka could clearly make out a lot of bruises and a few cuts on the girl's body, face and lekku. "What kind of animal does this to such a young girl?" She asked herself.

The girl was still staring at her with suspicious, watery eyes. It was obvious that she had been crying and was incredibly frightened. Ahsoka held out her hand and wanted to tell the girl to take her hand, but the girl jumped back afraid before she could do so, hiding her face behind her hands. Ahsoka pulled back her hand and kneeled down on the ground, placing her hands on her knees.

The girl peeked at her with one eye from between her fingers. Ahsoka sat quietly and smiled at her. /See? It's okay little one, I won't hurt you./ She said softly. /Can you tell me your name?/ she asked kindly.

The girl moved her hands down a little and looked at the older Togruta kneeling on the ground. Ahsoka could see her lip trembling and she sensed the girl's fear through the Force. She nodded kindly and send her some positive feelings through the Force. /M-m-m…I…" The girl stuttered out. "A-A-Aisha…K-Kariya…/ She said softly.

Ahsoka nodded again. /Aisha, that's a nice name./ She replied with a smile. /My name is Ahsoka. Why are you hiding here on your own? What happened?/ She asked. Aisha's lip started trembling again and her eyes began watering. Ahsoka could sense her strong feelings of loss through the Force, but before she could ask a sinister voice sounded behind her.

"There you are, little brat." The voice said. Ahsoka quickly stood up and turned around. She spotted a red-skinned Devorian with dark horns standing a few meters away from them, a vile grin on his face. Aisha whimpered in fear and hid behind Ahsoka's legs.

The Devorian looked at Ahsoka, not impressed with her presence. "Who are you?" He asked her. "Get lost, the little yum-yum is mine. Sell her to the Hutts, I'll do. Pay good credits for a little yum-yum like her they do." He said with a vile grin.

Aisha held on even tighter to Ahsoka's legs. Ahsoka could sense her immense fear of the man standing in front of them. The young girl didn't realize it, but she was sending a very clear message through the Force: Don't let him take me. Don't let him take me. Don't let him take me.

Ahsoka snarled at the man, making it clear to him that he wouldn't be taking her without a fight. The Devorian guffawed a little at her reaction. He studied Ahsoka a bit closer. Because of Aisha's arms clutching to Ahsoka's legs, Ahsoka's robe had drawn back somewhat, exposing her body's form. The armor she wore hid her skin, but not her figure.

The Devorian gave her a sick, perverted grin. "Quite the yum-yum you are as well. Take you along, sell you both for lots of credits." He said to Ahsoka. "Have a lot of use for you the Hutts will." He laughed darkly.

Ahsoka was unimpressed by his threat. "If you want me…" She said as she shifted her leg and moved her hands up. "Come and get me." She finished as she called her lightsabers to her hands and ignited them; The green and cyan blades lighting up the dark alleyway as she held them defensively in front of her. Aisha looked up at her with wide, hopeful eyes.

The Devorian stared at her surprised. "Eh? Yum-yum with glowsword?" He asked a bit confused. "Haha, not impressed." He said as he drew a blaster and aimed it at Ahsoka. "Won't matter to the Hutts if you're hurt."

Ahsoka saw his shot happed before he even fired it; the Devorian's weak mind was easy to read. She moved one of her lightsabers and deflected the blasterbolt back at him. She aimed at his arm that held the blaster in order to disarm him. Unfortunately for the Devorian, he sidestepped, causing the bolt to hit him square in the chest.

With a heavy thud the Devorian hit the ground, dead before his face connected with the dirt. Ahsoka shook her head and deactivated her lightsabers. She kneeled down to Aisha's level again. /Don't worry, I'm going to get you out of here./ She told the young girl. She gently moved her arms towards her. To her surprise, Aisha immediately threw herself against her, embracing her arms around Ahsoka's neck. Ahsoka quickly recovered from the shock and picked the young girl up, wrapping her cloak around her body.

She gently rubbed Aisha's back a little. /That man can't hurt you anymore./ She whispered in her montrals. /Don't worry, you'll be safe with me./ She promised the girl as they left the alleyway.

;-

About ten minutes later Ahsoka arrived at the Stalking Akul, Aisha still safely in her arms. She could sense that the young girl was immensely tired and very hungry. Ahsoka wanted to get her some help as soon as possible.

As she entered the hangar Aurora and Silara immediately walked up to her. /Ahsoka, you're late. Did something happen?/ Aurora asked worried. She calmed down when she saw the young girl in Ahsoka's arms.

Ahsoka smiled at the two warriors. /Is the ship ready to leave? I'd like to get of this dustbowl now./ She asked them.

Silara nodded. /Yes, we were just waiting for you./ She replied. /Come on, let's get of this rock./ She said as she gestured at the ship. Ahsoka nodded and the four of them boarded.

Once they were inside one of the other warriors moved to shut the ship's ramp. /Alright everyone, get our guests in place and prepare for immediate departure. We're going back to Shili./ She ordered the others.

Ahsoka looked around and noticed that there were a lot more people aboard then when they had first landed on Tatooine. She saw the two Twi'Lek girls sitting huddled together in the ship's cargo bay and a lot more people as well. "I guess the others have been busy freeing more slaves as well." She thought relieved. It did her good to see that all of these people would be getting away from this horrid planet.

Aurora turned back to Ahsoka. /I'll be up in the cockpit to contact the royal family. Were you successful with the bounty hunter?/ She asked.

Ahsoka nodded. /Yes, I was./ She replied. /Ventress will get us the proof we need to petition for Repuplic aid./

Aurora nodded in return and Ahsoka could sense her relief through the Force. /That's great. What are you going to do now?/ She asked as she gestured the Aisha.

/I'm going to take Aisha back to my room and look her over./ Ahsoka replied. /Let me know when we're going to land on Shili./ Aurora nodded and left for the bridge. /Come on./ Ahsoka whispered to Aisha.

;-

A few minutes later they entered Ahsoka's small room aboard the ship. Ahsoka made her way towards her bed and sat down. Aisha sat on her lap now and didn't look like she wanted to go anywhere else. Ahsoka gently tried to lift her of her lap and onto the bed next to her. Aisha struggled a bit at first but after some reassuring words from Ahsoka she let herself be placed on the bed.

Ahsoka gently placed her hand on Aisha's shoulder. /Don't worry, that man won't be able to hurt you anymore./ She assured her. She looked Aisha over to get a bit of a closer look at her wounds. Aisha had a lot wounds that consisted with being beaten, the thought of someone hitting a girl like her made Ahsoka sick. Fortunately, from her time spend with Barriss, she knew that wounds like hers could easily be treated with some bacta.

Through the Force, Ahsoka could easily sense that Aisha was still scared, tired and incredibly hungry. Ahsoka stood up and walked over to the suitcase she had brought along. Aisha's eyes followed her every movement. Ahsoka could sense that she wanted to jump up and follow her, but she was afraid of doing so. /It's okay, Aisha./ Ahsoka said. /You don't have to be afraid of me. I won't hurt you, I promise./ She smiled at the young girl. Aisha slightly nodded in return.

Ahsoka looked back at her suitcase and found what she was searching for: a bag of little meat treats she had brought along. She moved back to the bed and handed it to Aisha, who was staring at hungrily at the bag. /Here, these are really good. Have as many as you want./ She told Aisha. The young girl looked at the bag and then back at Ahsoka. A smile and nod from her later and Aisha dove in the bag. /I'm going to get a medpack to treat your wounds. I'll be right back, okay?/ She told her. Aisha looked at her with big worried eyes. /It's okay, did you see the other Togruta? They are the strongest warriors of Shili. Nobody will be able to hurt you onboard this ship. We're already moving away from that awful planet as fast as we can and, believe me on this one, this is one of the fastest ships I've ever seen. I'll only be gone for a minute. Just enjoy the snack and I'll be right back./ She promised Aisha. She nodded slowly a moment later and Ahsoka walked out of the room.

;-

Ahsoka entered the lounge area of the ship. Silara greeted her as she walked in. /Ahsoka, how is that little girl?/ She asked.

Ahsoka shook her head. /She's not doing so well. She's really traumatized./ She explained. /Can I take a medpack with me? I'd like to treat some of her wounds./ she asked.

Silara nodded. /Of course, I'll get one right away./ She replied as she made her way out of the room.

As Ahsoka waited for Silara to return she felt two presences approach her. She turned around and saw the two Twi'Lek girls she had seen earlier. The two girls had light-green skin. Their collars had been removed, but Ahsoka could still see some marks from where the infernal things had been.

The girls looked at her, whispering at each other quietly in Twili. "E-excuse me…your name is Ahsoka, right?" One of them asked.

Ahsoka nodded. "That's right." She replied. "How are you two feeling?" She asked in return.

The girls looked at each other. "Better now." The other replied. "The other Togruta told us that you asked them to rescue us…" she continued. "So…We…uhm…Thank you…Thank you so much…" She said softly, her and her sister's eyes watering.

Ahsoka smiled at them. "You don't have to thank me, it was my pleasure. I wish I could've helped you myself, but I had other matters to attend." She replied.

The girls smiled back lightly. "How can we ever repay you?" They asked silently.

"Just live a good life and I'll be more than content." Ahsoka replied.

The two girls broke out into tears and before Ahsoka knew it they were hugging her tightly. She gently rubbed their backs. "Try and get some rest and something to eat. We have plenty of food on board." She told them. They pulled back and nodded.

Ahsoka noticed Silara standing at the entrance of the room, waiting. She then handed Ahsoka the medpack. Ahsoka thanked her and Silara nodded at her before turning to the two Twi'Lek. "You girls want to go and get something to eat?" She asked them. They nodded eagerly and the three of them left the room. Ahsoka then headed back to her room, back to Aisha.

;-

As Ahsoka entered her room again, she found Aisha lying on the bed, hiding under the covers. "Poor girl, what kind of horrors has that bastard forced her through?" She asked herself sadly. Ahsoka made her way to the bed and sat down next to Aisha. She placed the medpack to her side and pulled a vial of bacta out.

Aisha sat up slightly and stared cautiously at the vial. /Do you know what this is?/ Ahsoka asked her. Aisha shook her head. /It's called bacta./ Ahsoka explained as she held it closer to the young girl. /It's a really useful medicine. If you apply it to your wounds, it will take away the pain and make it heal a lot faster. I've used it myself countless times and it has never failed me./ She smiled at Aisha. /Do you understand?/

Aisha nodded slowly in return. /This will help your wounds heal and it will take away some of the pain./ Ahsoka told her. /It may sting a little at first, but it'll really help. Can I put some on you?/ She asked. Aisha looked from Ahsoka to the small vial before nodding. /Can you take of your dress? It'll be easier that way./ Aisha looked a bit afraid as Ahsoka said this. /Don't worry, it'll be fine. I won't do anything./ Ahsoka said to reassure the girl. She waved her hand at the door and used the Force to lock the door. /There, see? Nobody will come in and no one will have to see you./

Aisha hesitated a moment before slowly removing her dress, or what was left of the ragged thing. Ahsoka looked her over quickly, the biggest bruises were on her stomach and back. Ahsoka began to gently apply the bacta to the bruises. Aisha whimpered a bit at first but calmed down when the bacta began to take effect. /See, that's much better, isn't it?/ Ahsoka said in a kind voice.

A few minutes later and Ahsoka was done with the bruises. /Now I'm going to do these cuts on your lekku, okay? This will sting, but you're a big girl, right?/ She asked. Aisha nodded slowly and smiled a little bit. /There you go. I'll be as gentle as possible./ Ahsoka said and began to rub the bacta on Aisha's lekku. Aisha was uncomfortable with it at first, so Ahsoka slowed down until she felt a little better.

A couple minutes passed as Ahsoka applied the bacta to the last of the wounds. /There we go, that's much better, isn't it?/ She asked with a smile. Aisha nodded with a slight smile, but it was clear to Ahsoka that she was very tired. Ahsoka got up and walked to her suitcase. /This won't fit on you,/ She said as she pulled out a standard shirt she had brought along, /but it's better than nothing./ She said as she handed the shirt to Aisha. She nodded and put it on. /You look silly./ Ahsoka commented as she looked at Aisha in the shirt that was way too big for her. It almost went fully down to her knees. Aisha looked at herself and chuckled a bit before yawning loudly.

Ahsoka gave her a kind smile and sat down on the bed. She took her belt and Akul headdress off and placed them on the nightstand. After that she removed the armor she had been wearing, placing it down next to her suitcase. She put on loose fitting shirt and pants herself. /Come on, let's get some rest./ She said to Aisha. The younger girl nodded tiredly. They both crawled into the bed. Ahsoka smiled when Aisha cuddled up to her. In response, Ahsoka wrapped her arms around her protectively. She felt the young girl relax a bit more as she closed her eyes. /Don't worry, I'll keep you safe, that I promise./ She whispered to Aisha. /Good night./

/Good night 'Soka./ Aisha replied softly. Ahsoka smiled and closed her eyes as well.

;-

That's it for this chapter.

So, what do you think of Aisha? She'll be playing a big part in the rest of the story and she will help Ahsoka realize a few quite a few things. More about her will be explained in the next chapter.

Ventress is getting the information they need to petition for Republic help. Coming up next: the battle of Kiros. Is Ahsoka going to fight there? Of course. Will her mother like it? Definitely not… A few others won't like it very much either.

And how is Marina going to handle her situation? More of that will be discussed in the next chapter as well.

I'm not sure which one of my stories I'll update next. I think I'll do Mysterious Ways first, but that all depends on the amount of inspiration I have.

Until next time.