CHAPTER 3
Again, thankyou for your continued viewership and reviews. I have a good drive to continue this story and some good ideas are coming into my head. I really hope that I can keep the quality as good as the last ones have been. Hope you are all well. Enjoy this chapter and have a good day!
Ahsoka knew this was a bad idea, but this guy evidently knew something she didn't. She followed him through the center. It was a bit quieter now that it was later in the evening. The windows of the small clay homes glowed a soft orange as people were now in their homes. He took her through some back alleys. "This is not how I wanted my end to go" Ahsoka thought to herself.
"Here we are, this is me" he said proudly as he stopped in front of a door leading into an underground house. He opened the door signaling her to go in. She started to doubt this guy as she was now in his house. With the door closed. "Now before you think I'm going to kill you, I brought you here because a lot of jedi enemies have eyes and ears on this planet" He started. "First of all, what makes you think I am a jedi? Second, who even are you? Ahsoka said, she pulled her hood back, revealing her whole face.
"I can sense you. I was once…. A jedi too" He started. "You're right, rude of me. My name is Damien Thana. I was once a padawan like yourself. I left; I couldn't handle it" he finished. "So, why do you want to speak to me" Ahsoka asked. "Because me and you have a lot in common, and in a time like this. Any and all force users need to have each other's backs" he finished. He then pulled out his lightsaber. It was different, it was black in color, and had a curved design like she had seen on Dooku's light saber. He clicked the button. She expected a blue, or jedi color. Instead they lit up white. Clear white, like the clouds in the sky. "Interesting color choice" Ahsoka said. "It signifies my neutral stance in the force, I am my own being. I am jedi nor Sith. But balance" he responded.
"It still doesn't answer as to what you want from me" she said. "Ahsoka, I want you to join me. Become a neutral being in the force with me. I can teach you how, the ways. We can help bring the galaxy peace. Bit by bit, ever so slowly." He handed out his hand to hers. She softly took it and put it back at his side. "Damien, your offer is tempting, and your intentions are good, but at this point right now this is too fast. I am nowhere near ready to go fight in a rebellion right now. I know an evil being now rules the galaxy, but its going to have to stay like this until we can develop a fighting chance against them".
"I understand" he responded. "Can I at least join you? Ever since I lost my parents, the order. Its been lonely. Do you think me, and you could work together to help you hide for a bit or something?". "Possibly, but I need you to help me get a friend to disappear" she responded. "What do you mean exactly?" he asked, now curious about who this person was.
"My friend Rex, he is a former clone commander that I removed his chip, so he disobeyed order 66. He is back on our ship at the landing area. I want to stick with him, but its too risky. I need your help to get him some place where he won't be found". "I can help you with that" he responded. "But its surely not easy, you understand this planet is run by criminals. But that means you can also, be a criminal too which, as a force wielder being obviously more powerful than most you can have some fun here" He said jokingly. "Anyways, go get your friend. I have room here if you guys want to crash. Staying on your ship at the landing area attracts quite a bit of attention and makes you a target for robberies.". "Very well, I will be back soon" Ahsoka replied.
"Rex!" Ahsoka woke up the sleeping clone as he was sleeping at the controls. "What! What! Are we under attack?!" his instincts evidently kicking in. "Thankfully not, but I have met a contact on this planet while I was out. He offered us a place at his home until we find a way to properly disappear." She said. Rex started to question this. "What makes you think he can be trusted, as you know my trust is worn a bit thin right now". "He used to be a jedi, he knows the ins and outs of this planet and the outer rim and he is our best chance we got at getting away from this. Come on, lets go" she gestured him to go.
Rex reluctantly sat up, grabbed the little things they had and walked off the ship into the now quiet town. Ahsoka knew Tatooine was an unsafe place, but it seemed quite peaceful at this time of night. That peace would obviously be short lived as the night ran on, but right know it was just right. They finally got to his small underground door. She knocked. Damien answered the door. Letting them both in, he promptly looked out the door both ways then closed it.
"Rex, this is Damien, Damien, this is Rex". Rex held out his hand as Damien shook it. "I see Ahsoka has befriended you in our short time here. Can you help us?" Rex asked. "Yes I can, but it will be a slow process. As you know, the hutt clans run this planet, and other criminals alike. Order 66 will have an effect at some point, and it could send criminals rampant now that an evil presence rules the galaxy. I can help with your disappearance, but it will take time. For now we must live and lay low. That room on the right can be sorted between you two, I also have a small couch up here as well". "Thankyou" Ahsoka replied. "I'm here if you need anything" Damien said.
Rex instantly offered the room to Ahsoka. She didn't bother to argue with him because she knew he would insist on it. She walked into the small clay room. It had a cot with some surprisingly nice sheets. "He must've stolen those" she thought to herself. A small desk sat on the other side of the small room. There was a small hole for ventilation with a candle lit under it. She sat on her bed and laid her head back onto the pillow. She let out a large sigh as it was the best feeling she ever felt. It was the first bit of relaxation she had gotten in weeks. She shut her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
"You were my brother Anakin!". "I hate you!" These words darted around Ahsoka's dream filled head. The sound of lightsabers clashing as two men fought. She heard a large scream of pain and agony and someone had clearly been cut in half. She shot straight up; eyes wide open. Heavily breathing as her questions were finally answered. She quietly jumped out of bed and slowly opened the wooden door into the common area. Rex was fast asleep.
She followed a dark stairwell that at the end of it had an open door, through it was a starry night sky. She grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around herself. She was just in a long night gown as she had to strip herself of her combat clothing she had on from before. She finally got to the top and when she rounded the corner, she found Damien sitting on a small bench he had made, fiddling with a device trying to get a signal.
"I heard you wake up, it didn't sound good" he said. "Yeah, I hope I wasn't too loud" Ahsoka responded, eyes still a bit wet from her crying. She took a seat beside him. "What are you trying to do with that" She asked curiously. "Ahsoka, I know I haven't known you long, but I can tell you something? As long as you can keep it between us?" he asked. Ahsoka hadn't known him long either, but she somehow had already developed this profound trust for Damien. He was a caring young man, who took a similar path she did. She could relate to him; she knew exactly what it felt like to be without something you knew so well your whole life. "When I was separated from my parents, my dad gave me this. He said he promised me he would one day contact me on it." He said. "Every night, I come up here on my balcony, and try to get a signal, some sort of hope that they might still be alive. Years have passed and still nothing" He finished. Ahsoka felt that hit home as well, she put her hand on his shoulder.
"Hope is strong, I never knew my parents at all, but sometimes its good to let go" she comforted him. She wanted to, but she also longed for the same. He sat back on the bench. His eyes glossy as he looked to the night sky. "Just so much has been going on, I had a dream, and I believe it's true. My master Anakin turned to the dark side" she said sadly. "I am so sorry to hear that; I didn't know Anakin much when I was in the order. From what I heard about him though, is that he was a valiant fighter" Damien responded. Ahsoka was about to ask something of him that she had never asked for before.
"Damien" she looked up to him. "yeah?" he responded as he looked back. "Can you-… hold me?" She asked softly. His response wasn't verbal, he put his arm around her shoulder, slowly pulling her towards him. She curled up putting the blanket over herself and laid her head on his chest. She could hear his heart beat consistently; it was fast. This seemed like a first for him as well. She had always been taught this was a weakness, connection was a weakness for jedi. But she wasn't no jedi anymore. This affection made her feel so much better, and she could see why so many longed for it, and why the jedi saw it as a weakness. "Thankyou, so much." She said as she closed her eyes and started to doze off in his arms. He lightly kissed the top of her head and a small smile spread across her face.
She eventually fell asleep, as he got tired himself. He got up and carried her to her room not trying to wake her from her deep, peaceful sleep. He knew that this is what she needed right now to recover from what she was going through, and that this time it would be nightmare free. He felt a connection to her like never before, and although there time together was limited to just hours, they had built a strong connection so fast it was remarkable. There was something about her that made her a positive being to be around. She carried herself like someone that could be trusted by those who could not fight for themselves.
He carefully laid her on her bed, tucking her in. Once again placing a small kiss on her forehead just above her markings as she was now in a deep sleep. He blew out a candle and quietly walked out the room. He turned around from closing the door to see Rex, sitting up on his bed. "Listen, I understand she trusts you, and whatever she does she does. But don't try to take advantage of her. She may not show it, but she's shattered right now. We both are. Please don't make her decision to trust you a bad one" he finished as he laid back down on his bed. Damien didn't have words to respond but he said, "I will, I promise", and walked off to his room.
The next morning, Ahsoka came out the door and was greeted by both Rex and Damien having breakfast at the small table. Damien instantly stood up and offered Ahsoka a plate. She sat down. They ate in silence for a while until Ahsoka finally broke it asking "Damien, why was that guy in the bar so scared of you?". Damien knew this question was coming at some point. "I have been on this planet for quite a while, in that time I have been apart of some conflicts. They wont mess with me because they know what I am capable of" he finished. Ahsoka wasn't going to ask him to go in to detail, she had a pretty good idea about what went on in this planet.
"On this part of the planet its actually quite safe. The hutt clans and the mob bosses make a lot of their money on people from other planets coming to trade. So, they try to keep criminals out of this area to attract more business" Damien continued. "Anyways, its about time that we get you some weapons. I know you've probably about had it with the fighting, but you need to be able to defend yourself out here.