Ahsoka and Anakin had walked with their recently formed team to the lane outside… Presently, it was peaceful; but no one was there; it seemed the clones in this area had focused on the received where… they must have received a tip… there must be a traitor here, Ahsoka thought. But she would not tell this to the band, in fear there they'd get too inflamed and… any skirmish within them… they certainly did not need that right now.
But the streets were all broken down… the clones in their rush to search had crashed down the public systems – man people had probably been arrested…
Anakin was tired of not using his lightsaber… it was still in the pocket of his new tunic… but he knew he had to use it now… if there were too many Tibanna gas packs of blue laser firing at once upon them. These Rebels could not be trusted… Anakin knew.
Or could they? Ahsoka thought so – despite their naivety, she sensed a goodness within them and their gratitude for the trio who had saved their lives.
So the lanes were empty… possible the people had run, if they had not already been arrested.
But a man saw them. He wore traditional robes… he was old and his face displayed an expression that it had been stomped upon by the extension of the Imperial imposition here…
Anakin looked prepared to attack a possible threat, but the band were more hesitant to fight one of their own. While the younger members seemed scared, on the edge and able to act on misguided instinct, Jor seemed the most calm and understanding. But the man then said,
"Brothers, you must know what… has happened…" in broken phrases.
"What has happened my friend? Other than our city been destroyed and ravaged by the Empire, these tyrants…"
"Councillor Voax's daughter has been kidnapped…. By pro-Imperial groups in this city… Voax has made himself a target for the Empire. Their cowardly move is to hold his girl… she wouldn't be older than seven… hostage."
"It's natural, Jor," said the woman, Keisz, if Ahsoka had heard correctly – the one who spoke to Jor in the beginning of their meeting. "The Empire doesn't want to formally infringe onto a respected politician… they will use proxies, to avoid responsibility…. And even on Phellar, there have always been radical militant groups that will be pro empire – they justified numerous excesses during the war… which we all condemned…"
"The Sons of the Chancellor: they have been informally called," said another rebel of the group.
"We must save the girl! The Councillor has always stood up for us; it's time we help him now." Jor empathically said. Keisz fervently nodded in agreement.
Jor asked Ahsoka and Anakin, "Friends, you helped us so much… we do not know where you come from, but I sense you've been in danger, trying to find your way. Help us find and rescue the Councillor's daughter… And we can provide you transport and even new identities among our allies in different planets."
Ahsoka turned to Anakin, "We have to help them save her, Anakin! She's a little girl!"
"We need to go back to Padme." Anakin said. "We have no position in this conflict. We have our part in the war far away in the centre."
"We are lost, Anakin. You know that - with everything that's going on... where we have left... Where you have left. We don't know, you admitted where we'll go from here. In the war, we've always found a cause when we've been lost and stagnant in one mission; we have to do the same now. Padme is safe, Anakin… and these men can help us."
"All Right." Anakin said after a while. He turned to the old man, "Where have they kept her? We must plan out a tactical rescue strategy. Like we've done often in the war," he looked at Ahsoka, who nodded her head slightly, perhaps sensing some connection to the far happier past?