A/N: Hello everyone! Sorry I've been absent, but school sucks and is a real energy-drainer. This was an entry for the contest "Unexplored" held by PseudonymGal. Other participants (whose stories you should definitely check out) are Lillie Tano-Syndulla and Sandriassaber! I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I actually won the contest! *Insert lame confetti and half-inflated balloons* So...yeah...without further ado, let us get on with the show!


"Permission to speak sir?" Wolffe struggled not to fiddle with his blaster as he stood with General Plo Koon on the landing platform.

"Permission granted Commander." Plo Koon rumbled, his hands clasped behind his back and his eyes trained on the horizon. "I sense something is troubling you."

"Sorry sir, but I can't help feeling that this is a bad idea."

"You are worried about us bringing Padawan Tano on the mission, correct?" Wolffe wasn't surprised by his General's deduction, but he was surprised by the calmness in Koon's voice.

"Yes sir, she is just a child after all." Wolffe's good eye fixed on a ship entering the atmosphere, carrying the Togruta Commander to their position.

"Do not be so quick to make such judgements Commander." Koon's voice held the faintest hint of amusement as he watched the ship land, stirring up dust and blowing sand in their faces. Wolffe, not for the first time, was grateful for his helmet's ventilation system. "She did help save your life against the Malevolence."

"I know sir," Wolffe sighed and stood to attention as the young Togruta hopped out of the transport with a smile on her face. She walked forward and dipped her head to Plo Koon.

"Master Plo, it's good to see you." Her silka braid swung as she lifted her head back up, her eyes bright.

"It is good to see you as well, Little 'Soka." Plo Koon said the nickname affectionately and Wolffe wondered, again, what kind of bond was shared between the two Jedi. "Commander Wolffe will show you where you will be staying and give you the details of our mission."

"Yes sir," Wolffe addressed Plo Koon and gave him a salute before spinning around on his heel. "Come along Commander." As Wolffe marched ahead, he heard the lightness of Ahsoka's feet behind him.

"How've you been Wolffe?" The clone blinked and turned to face the padawan, his eyes wide with surprise under his helmet.

"I'm sorry?" He said, staring at Ahsoka.

"I asked how you're doing." She chirped, her eyes bright as she skipped up beside him.

"I'm fine Commander." He said, turning to face forward again with a befuddled look on his face.

"You don't have to call me 'Commander' Wolffe." The girl said, smiling up at him. "We're the same rank in the army, just call me Ahsoka."

"All right then, Ahsoka." Wolffe subtly increased his pace and glanced around the corridors of their base. "You know what the mission is, correct?" His boots echoed on the metal floor, creating the illusion that more than one clone and Togruta were roaming the halls.

"Yep," she said, tailing him as they went around sharp corners. "I'm helping you distribute supplies and relocate citizens from villages that have been bombed." There was a strange silence after the young girl finished speaking that prompted Wolffe to speak again.

"Have you ever undertaken a mercy mission before Ahsoka?"

"No," she sounded almost sheepish to admit it. "I'm pretty sure Master Skywalker didn't assign me to any because he wasn't sure if I could handle it." A symbol flashed in the corner of Wolffe's vision and he realized they'd made it to Ahsoka's room.

"Well, these are your quarters. We could be departing at any time, so be ready to leave at a moment's notice." Ahsoka nodded and as she began to walk into the room, Wolffe grabbed her arm. She looked up at him in surprise, and he spoke softly. "Listen, what we're going to see tomorrow won't be pretty. What war leaves behind is almost worse than what it brings."

"I know," Ahsoka said, for once looking a little unsure. "But, I also know that those people need help. Plus, Jedi are peacekeepers first and warriors second." Wolffe smiled under his helmet and dropped her arm before dipping his head to her.

"I better head out, enjoy your stay." Ahsoka offered him a bright smile and waved to him as he started to walk away. A little bit of the tightness had eased from Wolffe's shoulders. Ahsoka was a strong girl, she would be okay.


"Ahsoka, time to go!" Wolffe called, walking towards the carrier and re-affixing his helmet. The Togruta scrambled after him, fixing her lightsaber to her hilt just as they boarded their transport. She offered him a smile of relief as the doors closed and the carrier lifted into the air.

"That was close." She joked, Wolffe smiled.

"All right," he turned to face the rest of the men in the helicarrier and made his voice serious. There was no room for error on these missions. "You know the drill. The citizens are still in the city, presumably trying to rescue belongings or loved ones. It is our job to show these people that we are not a threat and that we can help them. When everyone and everything is accounted for, move them to the transports where our pilots will be waiting to fly them to a camp where they will be taken care of. Everyone understand?"

"Sir yes sir!" His men shouted back, he turned to face Ahsoka.

"You stay with me." Her face narrowed and she opened her mouth to protest before he cut her off. "It's your first mercy mission, just follow my lead and you'll be fine ad'ika." Ahsoka sighed and nodded before lifting her head up to look at Wolffe with a puzzled expression.

"What did you call me?"

"Ad'ika," Wolffe said slowly, "it means little one." Ahsoka opened her mouth to say something but just then the helicarrier shook and jolted as it touched down on the ground. Everyone walked out when the doors creaked open, Wolffe squinted briefly in the harsh desert light. When his eyes adjusted, he almost wished they hadn't.

The village would have been a small, humble place. Now it was little more than a charred crater with bits and pieces of metal and wood sticking out of the red sands like bone. Wolffe shook his head mournfully, this city and its inhabitants had been peaceful and were too small to pose any sort of threat to the Separatists. Which meant that this village had been raised to the ground for their sheer amusement or because it was in the way.

"By the stars," the whispered oath caused Wolffe to look down at Ahsoka, who seemed frozen with her mouth agape. "Why would they do this?" She asked, turning to face Wolffe.

"I can't say for sure kid," Wolffe sighed as he surveyed the destruction with a heavy heart. "But it's most likely because it was in the Separatists' way."

"Bic ni skana'din." The girl spat, her face darkening in anger.

"No time to dwell on that." Wolffe said as he began to walk to the wreckage. "The villagers speak Basic, so we should try to communicate with them." He heard the sound of Ahsoka's feet sinking into the sand as they made their way toward the village. The rest of the Wolfpack was already spread out throughout the village, looking for survivors and supplies.

A flash of movement caught Wolffe's eye and he turned to see a small kid disappear behind the charred remains of a house. He motioned with his hand toward Ahsoka and saw her gaze light on the kid, who was only partially hidden, before nodding. Wolffe walked towards the house with slow, measured steps so he wouldn't scare the kid. As he got closer, he could see that a boy was a Zabrak. The kid was young, now that they were closer Wolffe could tell he could only be around six years old. His horns were still small and rounded bluntly. As the boy saw Wolffe and Ahsoka approaching, his eyes lit up with fear.

"No!" He stumbled backward, terror in his voice. "No more droids!"

"We're not droids," Wolffe said, quickly removing his helmet and placing it on the ground at his feet. The kid stopped his frantic retreat, pale blue eyes still wide and untrusting. Wolffe could hardly blame him, the clone Commander didn't exactly come across as friendly. "We're here to help you and your village."

"It's okay," Ahsoka spoke up now, her voice gentle and soft. "We're friends." The sight of the young girl seemed to make the Zabrak a little more trusting. He edged closer to the duo before stepping back, his eyes darting around. Ahsoka's eyes widened, as if in understanding, and sat cross legged on the ground with her palms spread wide. "We mean you no harm."

The boy came even closer, his hand stretched out tentatively. Ahsoka took it in her own and squeezed it reassuringly, a warm smile spreading across her features. The boy seemed to crumble in front of their eyes. His legs began to shake and his eyes welled with tears before he hugged Ahsoka and curled up against her, crying loudly. Surprise lit the Togruta's eyes and Wolffe couldn't help but feel stunned as well. Ahsoka murmured soothing words in the boy's ear and rocked him gently. Wolffe stood to his feet quietly and grabbed his helmet before backing away. Ahsoka would be fine with the boy, he had other matters to attend to.

For the rest of the day, Wolffe helped pull villagers from collapsed houses or give medicine to the ill. He rescued possessions from wrecked storage units and offered condolences to those whose loved ones had not made it. At dusk, all the villagers and supplies that could be recovered had been. General Koon now stood at the entrance to the transports, ushering the remaining villagers inside. Wolffe scanned the sea of faces for a familiar Togruta, something akin to worry gnawing at his chest. She'd been going from place to place, using the Force and her kindness to help the citizens. And everywhere she'd gone, the young Zabrak boy had followed.

Wolffe felt a surge of relief as he saw Ahsoka, waving to him. Clinging to her arm was the boy, his face drawn and anxious. Wolffe walked over to her and saw Ahsoka lean down to the child, whispering and pointing with her free hand. Wolffe looked up to see a Zabrak woman pushing through the crowd. The boy's eyes lit up and he gave a small cry before running to the woman. She turned and saw the boy, a hand went to her mouth and her eyes filled with tears. She scooped up the boy when he was close enough and hugged him tightly to her chest, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"His name is Tago," Ahsoka said, drawing Wolffe's gaze away from the reunion. "He and his mother were separated during the attack." She was watching mother and son with a soft expression, her mouth upturned in a smile.

"You did well ad'ika," Wolffe praised her, "many of the villagers only calmed down once they saw you."

"I only did what I thought was best." Ahsoka said humbly, a shadow of something tainting the relief and joy in her eyes. "This was a lucky one, wasn't it?"

"Yes," Wolffe said, no point in lying to her. "They were lucky, and for that we should be grateful."

"How do you do it?" Something had changed in Ahsoka's voice, she was no longer bouncy or excited. Instead she was somber and subdued, almost weary.

"I tell myself that the war will end." Wolffe said just as solemnly, watching as the now full transports lifted into the air and moved in the direction of the camps. "Until then, I do the best I can and save as many lives as I can. Even if I'm not on the front lines, I'm doing my part." The Togruta nodded, her gaze growing distant. "Back at the base," Wolffe spoke a little more loudly than necessary, "I've got a game of sabacc set up. The boys love to play on their downtime, would you care to join us?"

Something lit up in Ahsoka's gaze, some of her previous spunk returning. "You're only talking to the queen of sabacc." She said with an exaggerated head toss.

"Oh, is that so?" Wolffe felt a smirk stretch his face as he stared down at the girl. "Well you might have to reiterate that to Sinker, he's the best player we've got."

Ahsoka's smile was wild and carefree as she darted towards their carriers. "You're going down Sinker!" She laughed loudly and Wolffe felt his smile soften. As long as she could keep laughing, her light would never die.


Translations: "Bic ni skana'din." More extreme version of "that ticks me off."

Hope you enjoyed, and please feel free to drop a follow fav or review if you did! :D