Author's Note: To make up for the delay on Chapter Five, here's Chapter 6!
Chapter Six: On the Run Again
She was alone, something she was never meant to be. Her people were tribal, blood and bond, plus her ability to tap into the force gave her a galaxy of brothers and sisters of many species. Even after her trial and leaving the order, she was still able to feel the others whenever she wanted to- the ebb and flow of them around her in the force. Until she couldn't. Now it was impossible to feel anything other than darkness, though she was able to feel the signature's of Master Plo, as well as Yoda and Obi-Wan. After leaving Polis Massa, she, Rex and Plo went out in search of other clones, finding a few and freeing them from the chip. But after finding out that the clones were being retired, Rex insisted that he and the other's he already saved would manage with saving the others, leaving Ahsoka and Plo to go about on their own. But she was used to being in solitude, having been a citizen for months before returning to siege Mandalore. She didn't have to worry about other's when it came to making decisions, just herself and Master Plo. After everything that happened, she tried to dream about it as little as possible, however, today really wasn't a good day, as it was Empire Day, where all planets, though less enthusiastically on planets away from the core worlds, would celebrate the establishment of Palpatine's new Galactic government, if it could be called that. The Empire was only a year old, but this day sickened both Ahsoka and Plo as they knew it for different reasons.
Mandalore had burned, and then the Venator she was on had burned, as the clones unleashed their full strength upon her. She didn't throw away the idea that Mandalore could have suffered similarly to Cato Neimoidia, where Master Plo had almost lost his life if it weren't for Ahsoka and Rex saving him. All of it was hard to bear, so Ahsoka tried not to, while Plo released his emotions about it into the force.
Her thoughts were broken by a loud and cheerful voice shouting through the front door, catching both her's and Plo's attention. "Ashla! Plorren! You'll miss the parade!"
Living in the Outer Rim did come with its benefits. The populations were relatively disorganized, as while as small, meaning it was easy to live under assumed names, but more importantly, they were away from major hyperspace lanes, meaning they were less likely to attract the intention of any wandering Imperial force, as the planets never had much to offer that the Empire would want to take over, and the last thing either Plo or Ahsoka would want is to attract Imperials. However, something neither of them comprehended was their neighbour's, the Fardi's, a local family who appeared to be involved with most business on Thabeska. They had taken Ahsoka under their wing, giving her a job while providing accommodation to herself and her 'Adopted Father' so-to-speak. However, they did as much as they could what with Ahsoka and Plo maintaining their distance, considering that they were still both grieving, though Ahsoka was more than Plo. To be honest, Thabeska suited the pair. It was dusty and quiet, yet there were enough people arriving that neither of them stood out. The planet was involved in a brisk trade of tech and water, but not much else, and it wasn't exactly large scale. Even the smuggling operations, mainly luxury goods and off-world foods, catered for a small number of residents. Not even self-respecting pirates like Hondo and other acquaintances would stoop so low. It was as good a place for Ashla and Plorren to settle and disappear.
"Ashla, Plorren, are you in there!" Came the shout of the girl.
To Ahsoka, she sounded too cheerful, and Plo noticed as well. There wasn't much exciting about Empire Day, even if you believed all the propaganda circulating on the holonet. The Fardi girls were up to something, and they wanted both of them to know. Ahsoka had considered going out to the flats. She had been known to do that, leaving Plo at the house, keeping up his façade of being a calm parent who didn't bother stopping his adventurous daughter. Besides, there was nothing dangerous, let alone anything dangerous to her. She could just sit in the house, and pretend she had gone out leaving Plo alone, and pretend that that had happened if anyone asked. Giving Plo a nod, she got up and walked over to the door. The house was hardly luxurious, being only one big room, not even with any dividers, however for Ahsoka and Plo it didn't matter, as their lives as Jedi prepared them for such a thing. Neither of them owned much, just the clothes they were wearing and whatever Ahsoka had bought way back when she was on Corellia with Rex, meaning it was easier to pack everything and go. Ahsoka tried hard not to think about her old Akul tooth headdress and her Togruta Sash she hid on the Dorin Akul, though she didn't wear them.
Both Ahsoka and Plo heard the warning through the girls' show of cheerfulness as they called out through the door, but they both needed more details. The only way to get those details was to open the door and speak with them.
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" She shouted, attempting to sound cheerful and enthusiastic. The two of them had met the Fardi's at the shipyard when they arrived on Thabeska. They ran most of the shipping on the planet, legal or otherwise. The two of them would have avoided them, but the younger ones kept following them like ducklings, and neither of them wanted to discourage them as it wasn't in their nature to do so. Ahsoka opened the door to find four of the smaller Fardi's with two older Fardi's stood behind them, the older one's looking less carefree than the little one's. Ahsoka tensed slightly before relaxing, carefully reaching out with her senses, but if she could feel anything, it was too far to be of any worry. The eldest of the group then spoke.
"Ashla, you have to come right now." Ahsoka struggled to remember what her name was, as there were too many Fardi children to keep track of, and she had the feeling she was forgetting something. Ahsoka's thoughts were interrupted by another of the Fardi's. "Yeah! Dad's got fancy guests asking to meet anyone new, and you're both new, so you can come and sit with us at the parade and watch the flyby."
Despite living on Thabeska for a year, Plo and Ahsoka still counted as new residents, and for Ahsoka, it was the longest she had stayed on a planet since becoming Anakin's padawan. She suspected it might also be the longest time for Master Plo as well. "There are a lot of ships here at the yard right now." The eldest said; though she thought her words out carefully in case anyone was listening, though Ahsoka could sense nothing. "For the flyby. From all over the place. The security has been a disaster as they're logging everything.
To Ahsoka, fancy guests meant clean clothes. Not even the Fardi's counted as the dust from the flats meant they were constantly covered in the stuff. Ahsoka didn't doubt that the crisp lines and dull colours of the Imperials would make an impression on Thabeska. Ahsoka had an idea of what the Fardi's would do. They have their legitimate businesses to consider, as well as all their family members. They would tell the Imperials everything they knew and what the Imperials wanted to know, and Ahsoka couldn't hold that against them. Apparently, she and Plo had made a good enough impression to warrant the visit and the hints about the shipyard. It was as much as she could expect.
"Why don't you guys go on ahead?" She answered, giving the older girls a solemn nod. She wasn't sure if their parents knew they were here, but she wanted to let them know that she and Plo appreciated the risks the children were taking. "You can save us a couple of seats, me and my dad slept in a bit this morning, and we can't go to the parade looking like this." She said, gesturing to her clothes, and then Plo's as he sat in a chair. Everyone knew they were the only clothes they owned, but it was enough of an excuse to get the job done.
The young Fardi's looked over at Plo, who looked back at them. "Hello, Mr Plorren." They chanted.
"Hello, little ones." Came Plo's reply, raising his hand in a slight wave. The younger Fardi's looked back at Ahsoka, requesting that they hurry up and that they will save them a seat each. The older Fardi's though remained quiet and proceeded to herd the younger Fardi's back to the town centre. Ahsoka didn't watch them leave though as she closed the door. Plo looked at her expectantly, before asking. "The Ship?"
"Yes, the ship." Was Ahsoka's only reply as Plo got out the seat and they both made their way over to the other side of the room, before lifting up a couple of floorboards and grabbing their stuff. They didn't have much, only a backpack for each of them, plus the DL-18 which Plo put in his pack, and the DC-15S sidearm, which Ahsoka placed in the holster she bought, and a small number of credits that Ahsoka had managed to save up. They both then placed cloaks over their clothes, Ahsoka making sure that her blaster wasn't visible. She would have to get a new cloak soon as her Lekku and Montrals had grown again, becoming almost too big for the hood.
As they left the house, closing the door for the final time, they looked up as they heard a familiar whine. It appeared that the flyby had started, and it seemed that the Empire had some new toys to show off.
As they walked around they noticed that the streets were deserted. They could hear the raucous and music of the parade as it passed through the main avenue of the town. Neither of them could figure out why there was such an Imperial presence all of a sudden. They were pretty sure the only reason wasn't Empire Day. But the planet didn't have much besides the dust and the Fardi's. Plus two survivors of Order 66.
Two armoured Imperials then rounded the corner. Ahsoka held her breath and reached out, feeling that the troopers weren't clones, but the newer, and worse, Stormtroopers. Plo also noticed this. Nothing to worry about then. The troopers noticed them walking down the street.
"What are you doing here?" They asked, raising their weapons. "Why aren't you at the festivities?"
"We are just on our way." Plo calmly answered, as they both carefully made sure to keep their faces pointed to the ground. "We were out hunting on the flats, and we lost track of time." He continued.
"Move along." The trooper said, not lowering his blaster, while the other trooper spoke something into his commlink that Ahsoka didn't make out.
"Happy Empire Day," Ahsoka said, pretending to sound happy before the two of them turned down an alley towards the music. Quickly checking that no one was watching, they jumped up to a first story window before climbing up to the roof. Being in such close proximity to the Fardi compound, the houses were nicer than Ahsoka and Plo's shack, and were taller and had flat roofs. More importantly, they were also built close together in order to cut down construction costs. It wasn't the best of routes, but for someone of Ahsoka's or Plo's abilities, it was usable.
Hoping no-one would see them, they ran along the roofs of the buildings towards the shipyards. Even with the danger, for Ahsoka, it felt better than anything she had done for a long time. Neither of them bothered to use the force to run, there was no point in employing unnecessary risks, however, they both used to ensure that they made their jumps across the streets. As they jumped over the streets, they noticed more and more stormtroopers roaming the streets. They didn't appear to be searching for anything, so the troopers they ran into must not have raised an alarm of any sorts. After a short while, they stopped at a row of tall houses and looked down at the shipyard below. The Fardi's had two shipyards and the pair were overlooking the smaller of the two, which was still a good 100m wide. In the far corner away from the entrance, stood the Dorin Akul. They had specifically landed the ship there as unlike the other shipyard, which was larger and probably had more holes in its security, this one had a roof approach which they could use to gain access in an emergency. They saw around 20 stormtroopers in the shipyard, which they could have easily dealt with if they could use the force, but that was too risky, and they only had blasters, so they reconsidered their options. Jumping down to the ground a couple of alleyways from the shipyards, Ahsoka turned to Master Plo.
"Hand me your blaster." She whispered, and Master Plo pulled it out of his pack before handing it to Ahsoka, who unseated the overload dowels on the ammo pack and set it on the ground. They both started to run away towards the shipyard, jumping over garden fences as they went.
"Master Plo, get to the Dorin Akul and get it turned on, I'll check the registry to see of the ship has been logged. If it has, then I'll remove it from the log. If I take too long, get ready with the anti-personnel cannon."
Master Plo nodded, and as they reached the shipyard, they heard the explosion made by the blaster. The Stormtroopers, upon hearing the noise, filed out in neat lines towards the direction of the noise with admirable dedication, Ahsoka would admit that. The yard wasn't deserted, but it was enough to get the job done. Master Plo and Ahsoka split up, sticking to the shadows, Plo going round the right side before jumping up onto the boarding ramp of the Dorin Akul, while Ahsoka snuck around to the left towards the registry index, taking a short while until she came across the index. Quickly scrolling through the list, she breathed a sigh of relief in seeing that the Dorin Akul was nowhere to be seen. As she was turning around, she heard the breathing and comm chatter of a stormtrooper approaching. Shutting down the registry, she hid behind some crates as the trooper passed, before making her way over to the Dorin Akul, and giving Master Plo the heads up that she was onboard, the Dorin Akul lifted up off the ground as the rest of the stormtroopers. Before they could even set up the heavy weaponry at their disposal, the Dorin Akul had already disappeared from view into the clouds above. They were away, and on the run again, and for once, neither of them knew where to go next.
Author's Note: Here's Chapter Six, and now you get to witness my struggles. I'm not good at adapting existing stories, so if some of the dialogue and whatnot is clunky or isn't the right tense (Past or Present)/person (First or Third), so I'm going to need a mulligan. On this one.
For Plo's false name, I was clueless so I won't even lie when I said that I looked for a Kel Dor name generator and found one which is how I ended up using the name Plorren. I might take a quick break from the story to write up a Remembrance style story in some perfect Star Wars Universe where Order 66 happens. Being the son of a former military officer means it will be as authentic as I can make it, as I went to many Remembrance services with Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, etc.
Anyways, while I right these, I might as well tell you what I listen to. I tend to listen to modern songs or Eurobeat styles, as well as other genres, but I mainly listen to Star Wars tracks. I highly recommend you check out Samuel Kim and AtinPiano as their renditions of songs are really good. Also, check out the official tracks from John Williams and Kevin Kiner. That's it from me, see you all next chapter.