Ahsoka drew her blaster on instinct, trying to pop off a few shots before the terrorists got too close to her. It was no good, though, her blaster broke again. Instead of a blaster bolt, all that came out when she pulled the trigger was a puff of smoke.

She looked back to Granger, trying to see if he had a weapon she could use, but either it was in his bag or he didn't have one. He looked at her expecting her to take action, but she had no time. The terrorists shoved her chair out to the side and dragged her against the wall with the others.

At least she was with them. The terrorists could only do so much if she was between them and the civilians, at least by melee combat. With their blasters, though?

She clenched her fists. Ahsoka did not use the Force anymore. She couldn't deflect fire, she couldn't damage their weapons, and she couldn't put distance between the two parties. Her experience could probably save her, but what about the fifty other people in the room? Most of them, like Granger, were unarmed and would be vulnerable to whatever these people had in store for them.

Despite not being a Jedi, Ahsoka couldn't leave innocents in danger. It went against every moral in her, no matter who she was. So long as there was one civilian in danger here, she couldn't leave.

But what can I do? she thought. I have no weapons, no abilities, and no backup. The clones won't get here for minutes at least, and I can't keep everyone alive until then.

She could call them, though. While the terrorists were dragging people to join her against the wall, she discreetly called the emergency number for the Lower Levels. When the call connected, she did not wait for the dispatcher to ask her what was wrong. She told them the location of the building, and added that "multiple assailants are endangering civilians." She immediately ended the call before anyone could notice what she had done. If they had to, the clones could trace the call to find her.

Judging from the last break-in she had experienced, she had about ten minutes to stall before the clones arrived. She had to keep everyone in the room alive for ten minutes. How?

Well, there's always the failsafe, a voice suggested to her.

Not again, she thought. Not right now!

In an instant, she felt both sides of the Force rise up in her, like candles on the verge of lighting her fuse. The powers she had held down for two weeks were taking over again, and she heard voices in her head battling each other.

If you can't let these people die, then do what you must!

I'm supposed to protect people, not hurt them!

You are not a Jedi.

I can't let them die, though.

So don't!

I can't control the Force! The last time I tried to, I could have killed Granger.

But you didn't. Besides, he was asking for it.

No one deserves that kind of pain. I can't chance that happening again.

You don't have any other options. It's this or nothing.

No! There has to be another way! I'm not that desperate!

They are. Are you willing to do what it takes to save them?

How is the Dark Side of the Force going to save them?

Oh, and you trust the Light?

No!

It seems to be doing a lot of good to you right now.

SHUT UP! She screamed internally, clenching her head and trying to silence the voices of the Force. JUST STOP AND LET ME FOCUS!

Miraculously, they complied, and she felt the Forces die down. Not completely, but enough that she could think outside of their influence.

In the time it had taken her to quiet her mind, the terrorists had backed everyone up against the wall she was near to. They were congregating in the center of the room, and Ahsoka spent the precious seconds she had to check the time. Eight minutes to go, if she was right. Too much time for the clones to save them.

There had to be something, something that she hadn't thought of. What had she done last time? Her friends had been backed up against a wall at Gauges and Gears, but then again, she hadn't been with them.

Speaking of, she looked over at Granger, who had been trying to get her attention. "Now might be a good time for those Jedi abilities of yours, Tano!" he gritted through clenched teeth, but Ahsoka shook her head.

"Remember what happened last time? I lost control, and I could have killed you. What if something worse happens?" she tried to convince him, but it didn't work.

"Worse than all of us dying?" he questioned, but one of the terrorists noticed they and other innocents talking, and walked over to silence them.

He lifted his gun, which only caused more screaming, and yelled, "Shut up, all of you! The next one to talk is the first one to die!"

His threat had the desired effect: Everyone was too scared to say anything. Ahsoka glanced down again. Seven minutes. She wasn't going to be able to hold off much longer.

If she attacked them, perhaps with a chair or maybe just her fists, the terrorists out of her reach would shoot the innocents, or at least threaten to. She already knew that she couldn't bet on their bluffing and she would have to surrender. Then they would shoot her, and then the others. Game over.

She needed something that would knock everyone down at once, and long enough that she could get them away from the civilians and from their weapons. Unfortunately, the only thing she could think of that could do that was the Force.

If there's no other wa-

It's too risky! We can't-

Nah-ah ah ah! she scolded the voices. You don't get to decide!

It was so hard to concentrate with the bickering in her head. Was there anything that could silence them? She remembered back to the day in the shop, where she had chosen to unite the Forces and use them together. It had calmed the storm inside her, but...

But what? During the actual fight, it had worked, rather perfectly. It was after the fact that she had lost control.

Well, that makes a little bit of sense, she reasoned. I brought it into a personal matter, where I and people I knew had personal stakes at hand. It was no longer about life or death.

Like it is now.

It was a risk, and if she lost control fifty plus people were in danger. At the moment, though, it seemed like her only option.

Still, Ahsoka hesitated. I can't guarantee that I can keep my abilities in line. Whatever stopped me last time, it might not be enough now.

What stopped me last time was my own judgement and my own logic. The very thing that sparked the chaos is what calmed it.

But how do I ensure that I can do that?

She searched herself for an answer and found only one.

I can learn.

Ahsoka could train, not in the Temple, not on Dromund Kaas, but right here in the Lower Levels at times like this. She could learn how to balance her judgment with her logic, her emotion with her reason, her Light with her Darkness. It would take time, a lot of time, and she was going to make mistakes. She had already made one.

But she had to decide now. The terrorists were lining up to make their first shots on the civilians, and Granger was one of the first victims-to-be.

Although she knew time was limited, she closed her eyes and breathed. I can do this, she thought. I can learn.

I am one with the Forces, and the Forces are with me.

She felt the opposing fires rise up in her, and instead of waging war against each other or her trying to suppress them, she let them consume her and flow through her veins. The Dark Side, the familiar feeling of acid powering her body, was countered by the Light side, like medicine, calming and controlling it. The two Forces canceled out the parts of each other Ahsoka couldn't trust and left the pieces she could. Right now, she couldn't identify which pieces were what, but she didn't need that now. She just had to act.

After so long of shutting the Force out, the return of her power came in a rush, nearly overflowing out of her. She felt strong, fueled by opposite poles of a massive reserve. It felt good, so good, to accept what she knew was still a part of her even after all this time.

I need to channel it somewhere, she recognized and opened her eyes to see where might be an option.

She smirked, her cockiness returning along with her abilities. Their guns will do nicely for a start, she decided.

Ahsoka drew the power out of her spirit and let it stream from her hands, invisible but strong. She directed it right into the core of the blasters, where the energy bolts were harvested. They, similar to kyber crystals, could be influenced by the Force. Kyber crystals, of course, were more in tune with Force users, but if enough interference passed through the blaster cores, they would overload and explode. That is exactly what she did.

The blasters blew up in the terrorists' faces, and Ahsoka jumped up, her enhanced reflexes returning as well as her heightened strength. The blast had knocked one of them out, but the others were still conscious. A group of three were still standing by the door, and she thrust her had out, pushing them against the wall. The other eight were staggering to their feet, preparing to fight Ahsoka.

Just enough to knock them out, she reminded herself. This isn't revenge, just justice. Protect the innocents around me.

She got to work, dodging the slow punches of the terrorists and attacking with her own. After a couple had fallen, she even through in the vertical split move Tawnya had taught her and took down two more with her weight. Even with two of them, her mass was too much for their shoulders to suddenly support.

In less than a minute, all of the terrorists were unconscious on the ground. Ahsoka sensed around for more, grateful that she could now do so again, and found no one else intending to inflict pain. She lifted all of the bodies into a pile near the door but not blocking it, and checked her watch. Four minutes. She had finished with time to spare.