Author's Note: This arc (8.7) is going to be pretty intense the whole way through. It refers to rape and violence, although I never directly write the scene out. If you do not feel comfortable reading this, I encourage you to skip this arc and move on to 8.8.1. Thank you for understanding, and being considerate of those who may be triggered by this content.

Not much changed the following week. Ahsoka still got up early in the morning, ate breakfast, and went to work as soon as Fuller opened the back door. She would work until about noon, have lunch, work some more, then go run any errands she needed that day. Sometimes it was a market run, or once she finally picked up the cleaning and medical supplies. Then she would go home, eat again, and do some housework before bathing and going back to bed. It was pretty rhythmic, but it began to remind Ahsoka of her days as a Youngling.

Every day back then had the same basic components, with a few tweaks each day. As a Padawan and a commander every day had been different but before that? Just the same old, same old. The only difference over time was that Ahsoka's fighting skills got better as she got older. Other than the unique lessons, she saw the same initiates training to become Jedi just like she was. Ahsoka wondered what they thought of her now. She had barely seen them since she had left, but then again, that went for pretty much everyone in the Temple.

On Wednesday of the next week, though, Ahsoka's computer began beeping at her, telling her that she was getting a call from one of the offices. It was more convenient than them coming all the way to the shop. She answered the call, and it was actually Fuller who called.

"Tano?"

"Yes, boss?" She answered, raising her goggles so she could see a little more clearly. She had been using the welding torch, and even though she didn't think she would burn herself, it never hurt to be safe.

"We just had a ship dropped off, but I don't know if you heard over the music blasting in there."

That was another one of the things Ahsoka had been forced to adjust to: the other shop workers loved to play music very loudly. It wasn't the type of music Ahsoka had heard at galas or parties, so she didn't know any of it.

She shook her head. "I didn't. Is the file already in the system?"

"Should be. This is a returning customer. Their hyperdrive needs work, and they want an engine tune-up while you're at it. Finish what you're working on, then get to it."

Ahsoka nodded, and Fuller ended the call. As she returned to her welding job, she couldn't help but grin just a little bit. It felt like a long time since she had gotten her hands on a hyperdrive or a ship engine. That was what she felt most comfortable working with, and if she was honest, she was excited to get back into her true element. If only Artoo were here to help here, then it would be like she was back on the cruiser again.

When she walked down to the garage, carrying her tools with her, she passed Luce and Jake walking out of the same door. "Check it out, we got a ship in there," the Rhodian pointed behind him.

Ahsoka nodded. "That's what I'm coming in for. How bad is it?"

Jake shrugged. "Dunno. I don't work with full ships."

Well, that's helpful.

She walked in and evaluated the look from the outside. The paint job looked a little worn, but it was in pretty good shape, otherwise. It wasn't as sleek or fancy as the ships Ahsoka had worked with in the military, but it did look a little more cared for. The Republic and Separatist ships were made on an assembly line, and most of them looked similar. This one was obviously dear to the owner and was a little more unique.

The hyperdrive would probably take the longest, so Ahsoka started on that. Thankfully, she didn't have to go inside the ship to work on it. The engine work would probably have to be from the inside, but at least she could start out in the garage.

As Ahsoka set to work, she wondered how people could trust strangers with something as expensive as a ship. Anakin would barely let anyone touch his fighter, let alone tinker on it, and it annoyed her so much at first that she made a joke about it. Anakin didn't appreciate it nearly as much as the clone troopers had.

Without R2-D2 to run tests and point her in the right direction, she had to use error scanners instead. They hooked into the hyperdrive's main computer, and certain error codes blinked on her screen, indicating a certain problem, or connection that was flawed. She had to keep rescanning until the scan came up clear, but it was pretty effective, even if it was a little slower than Ahsoka liked.

One of the things that Ahsoka noticed with all of the civilian appliances and motors was that they had a lot more parts than were necessary. She kept finding small pieces thrown in certain areas that didn't help the engine run. Some of them even inhibited the motor, sometimes. Ahsoka figured it was some kind of trick to make people pay more credits for things they thought they needed but didn't. Wheeler had said that they weren't supposed to give the repair jobs upgrades, but Ahsoka took to pocketing the extra pieces and taking them home. She added it to the small box of knick-knacks Ventress had left her, and it was starting to get full. Ahsoka didn't really know why she was so attached to the pieces, but she figured it didn't matter. She was glad she had her bag, though, because at the rate that she was accumulating tech, she would have needed bigger pockets.

Between the hyperdrive and the engine, she had several ounces of extra pieces. She had chosen to skip eating in the staff room and had brought her lunch with her so she could eat in small breaks while she worked. She didn't want to get distracted during her work, even though Ahsoka doubted that a meal could have broken her rhythm.

At the end of the day, both the engine and the hyperdrive were operating and testing better than they had in months. Ahsoka had checked the file for this particular ship and had compared her work to the report Frand had left on it, while he was still here. Thanks to her small adjustments, she managed to bring it back up to the same readings Frand had measured it at two visits ago. Hopefully, that would lengthen the warranty on the ship by a few months, at least.

Ahsoka had taken her time on both parts of the ship since it was not a simulation, and it wasn't hers. She felt pretty good about her work though. She went back one more time to double-check that neither the hyperdrive nor the engine was giving off error readings, then packed her stuff away and closed the ship up before locking it. The owner would come back in two days, but it was already done, so it would have to stay in the garage. There was nowhere else to keep it.

She filled out the report for the ship, being sure to note any potential hazards that might pop up in the future. She had seen a few rusted wires and worn bolts that could cause issued if they weren't replaced. Ahsoka couldn't do it, since they were in separate areas of the ship, but she could mention it. Her experienced eye had no trouble picking them out, after all.

By the time it was complete, Ahsoka could go home. She didn't have anything to do in the market tonight, so she could go straight to bed after she showered if she wanted to. Maybe she could explore, or take a run before she turned in for the night. She was thinking about her options when she barely avoided bumping into Granger.

He glared at her, still not offering any pleasantries. Ahsoka had given up trying to understand why, for the time being, but he hadn't given up picking on her. "Watch it, Tano," he warned, but Ahsoka decided not to get hung up over it.

She just avoided eye contact with him. "Sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going," she apologized, but he scoffed and was about to retort back, but Rya came sprinting down the staircase from the office level, panting as she descended. It was so drastic that even Granger spared a moment to wonder what had her in such a rush.

Rya ran right up to Ahsoka. "I need your help," she said, almost pleading with Ahsoka to come with her. Ahsoka saw her eyes, and how desperate they were, and knew that whatever was so important had nothing to do with the workshop.

Ahsoka nodded without hesitation. "My bag is in my locker," she told her, "then I'll be ready."

The Twi'lek instantly pulled her arm, almost dragging her to the staff room. Ahsoka quickly holstered her blaster and slung her pack onto her back before dashing out the door after Rya.

Ahsoka was faster than Rya, easily, so she had no trouble keeping up with her as she sprinted home, but she had a feeling that Rya was running faster than she normally did. Her breath ran out quickly, and she had to slow to a brisk walk after a while, but her face did not relax and the concern did not wash away.

She led Ahsoka to the elevators in the middle of the sector and managed to get on one despite it being the afternoon rush hour. Rya stood silently next to Ahsoka and about ten other people, going down instead of up. They got off two levels below where Ahsoka lived, and as soon as the doors opened, Rya took off again, with Ahsoka on her heels.

The whole way, Rya didn't say a word. She didn't explain where they were going, or what was wrong, or who was in trouble (Ahsoka assumed it was a person). For some reason, though, Ahsoka didn't care. All she knew was that Rya thought she could help and that she intended to do whatever she could to calm her.

Rya kept turning down alleys and dark streets, and Ahsoka became somewhat aware that she was in a dangerous part of the level she was on. She saw people huddled together on the side of the street, and houses with people in it but no electricity, from the looks of the windows. Some of the houses were falling apart, or just skeletons of buildings, at that point. The bystanders glanced oddly at the two women running past them but didn't try to stop them.

Eventually, Rya slowed to a stop at a house that was still intact, but quite shabby. Ahsoka was fine, but she waited for Rya to catch her breath, not wanting to rush her. Ahsoka had no intention of adding to whatever stress was weighing on her right now.

When she was ready, Rya pulled a key out of her pocket and slid it into the doorknob, turning it and opening the door. She let Ahsoka in, peered behind her to make sure no one was watching, then shut and locked the door again. She flicked on the lights, and Ahsoka followed her into the rest of the house.

Actually, there wasn't much. There was one combined kitchen and living room, one bathroom, and one bedroom, from what Ahsoka could see. A small table was next to the wall, and one of the two chairs with it was broken. The kitchen was a mess of dirty dishes and leftover food, wrapped and sealed with clear wrapping. A layer of grime covered the floor, and the shelves on the wall needed dusting.

Rya didn't stop to address any of this, though, and walked right into the bedroom. She turned on the lights again, and Ahsoka nearly froze when she saw what had Rya in such a hurry.

Another blue Twi'lek was lying on the bed, bleeding and bruised. Her clothes (what was left of them) were ripped, and she was crying in a ball on her side. Rya dashed forward to kneel at her side and tried to talk to her in Twi'leki to calm her down. Ahsoka didn't want to startle the woman, so she looked around, trying to find clues at to what happened. If she understood what had hurt the woman, she could help her.

There were a few things to go off of. On the nightstand, pregnancy tests and bottles of pills were resting in a pile. Next to it was a picture of a beautiful blue Twi'lek woman and a child with the same skin tone. Rya and her mother, Ahsoka realized, and she looked back at the women on the bed. Sure enough, it was the same people, just about fifteen years older.

The closet on the side of the room was half-open. Without moving, she peered inside and saw skimpy, small outfits that absolutely repulsed Ahsoka, reminding her of the slave dress she had worn on Zygeria. Sure, they were pretty, but she couldn't imagine how uncomfortable she would have felt wearing them out in public. She looked back at the woman on the bed and saw that she was wearing another outfit like the ones in the closet.

It didn't take Ahsoka long to figure out what had happened. Rya's mother was a prostitute, and her last...session..had not ended well.

Rya was still trying to calm her mother down, but it didn't seem to be working. Ahsoka slowly walked over and knelt down next to her, and Rya turned towards the Togruta, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Please," she begged Ahsoka. "Help her, please."

Ahsoka nodded and rested an arm gently on the shoulder of her mother. She reached into the Force and focused on Rya's mother. She was so scared and afraid, and there was no peace in her mind. All she could think of was pain and fear. Ahsoka tapped into the Light Side of the Force and shared it with Rya's mother, slowly trying to ease her mind. She needed physical help, for sure, but that Ahsoka could fix without the Force. Her mind was another matter and was more important if she was going to rest tonight.

The mother slowly quieted her cries, and her body stopped shaking so violently. Tears still streamed out of her eyes, but her breathing slowed, and her heart rate began to steady. She finally opened her eyes, and Ahsoka removed her hand. The mother looked at her daughter and reached a hand to touch her.

"Rya?" She asked, with her prominent accent. "Are you safe?"

Rya nodded and took her mother's hand, pulling it to her own tear-stained cheek. "I'm here, Mother. I'm safe, and I brought someone to help us."

Her mother turned her head and saw Ahsoka and at first, she flinched, recoiling from the stranger. Ahsoka understood that this woman did not trust her, not yet. She would have to earn it if she wanted to help.

Ahsoka lifted one hand onto the bed, next to her pillow, palm down. She made no motion to open it, or to move it any closer. An open hand had the potential to hurt, but a closed, resting one wouldn't grab her or hit her. She made eye contact with Rya's mother and gave her a small smile. Rya moved her mother's hand from herself, and instead guided it so it rested on top of Ahsoka's closed one. After a few hesitant seconds, the mother grasped Ahsoka's orange hand, and she rested her second hand on top of the mother's blue one.

"Who are you?" Rya's mother asked shakily, skeptical, but hopeful.

Ahsoka glanced and Rya, who nodded. She turned back to her mother and answered, "My name is Ahsoka Tano, and I've come to help you."