A small noise rose from Cala and she blinked in horror as every nightmare, or so it seemed, came true. Her tiny reddish hand landed on her training 'saber, and she ignited the blue blade, defiance scrawled across her features. And that was what horrified Ahsoka - the tiny Togruta was just a Youngling. She didn't belong anywhere near Yashaka.
The wiry, scrawny woman planted a hand on her hip, and jutted out her chin in apparent amusement. Her light green eyes sparkled at the child's antics, and for a moment Ahsoka wondering if she had all but forgotten her purpose. But the blaster pointed again at the Togruta, and her finger pulled the trigger with what seemed like very little mercy. Ahsoka's neon blade shot in front of Cala, easily deflecting the red fire and giving the six year old a small look.
"Killing a child...now that's low." Ahsoka hissed at the agile bounty hunter. Her own 'saber twirled in front of her, more to frighten Jenx's daughter than anything.
Yashaka recoiled, her smile still so smug, her feelings flooding the Force with an eerie confidence. Unsettled, Ahsoka's eyes drifted to Cala, who was unhappily shoved behind her. The girl's training 'saber hold was mimicking Ahsoka's; a reverse Shien grip, yet she seemed to know what she was doing. Still, the fact that Cala held in such a way that mimicked her older friend amused Ahsoka.
The Force had to be turning against them. No. That Voice, still not the Sith, breathed through Ahsoka's body once more. She straightened, waiting for an explanation. But none came; just like yesterday it faded. Ahsoka struggled to make sense of it - she had her suspicions, but then, who knew?
Yashaka still crouched in the shadows, her form small in the darkness of the Lower Levels. The two blasters were pointed to the two girls in a way that suggested if Ahsoka leapt, Cala and herself would be destroyed.
Yashaka flipped into the air, landing closer to the two. Her hands flipped methodically as she began to shoot at her two targets, Ahsoka working to keep herself and Cala alive. The training 'saber couldn't possibly face real blaster fire, Ahsoka thought, frantically swirling her lightsaber. Somehow, she managed to grab her shoto, and the green blade whirled in front of her alongside her other.
The 'sabers moved in rhythm now, quickly deflecting shots, absorbing some. Yashaka had a thin film of sweat on her brow, but her expression remained smug and calm. Ahsoka felt an odd feeling seep into the pit of her stomach, but her movements did not slow.
It was quite obvious, or so it seemed, that Ahsoka was beating Jenx's daughter with ease - as Force-sensitive as she was, Ahsoka had been trained by so many others, had learned the Force. If Yashaka had ever settled down for Jenx's lessons, she had barely gathered much.
"Ahsoka!" A sudden scream ripped though the air, and the Padawan, distracted, turned to Cala. The child was in Cad Bane's grip, her 'saber in his hand. A burn on her shoulder showed that the bounty hunter had used the training 'saber against her. Ahsoka could only look for a moment before flipping backwards. With Yashaka's bullets ripping by her at a frightening speed, and Bane clutching Cala in his grasp, Ahsoka had no idea how to save them.
Tears streamed down Cala's face; never had anyone hurt her so badly. Ahsoka had to choke back her own tears - for she could relate. At one time she was so carefree. She had never been harmed, never saw the darkness of the war that moved her to grow up so much. Still a child, though, for some things weren't taught in battle.
Bane gagged the girl, and another female landed near the three. The alley where they were located concealed the drunk beings from seeing the struggle. The female's hair was jaggedly cut, her eyes a dark, almost black, blue. And her bullet hit it's target. The intense sting ripped through Ahsoka's shoulder, and she couldn't compress the whimper that escaped through her teeth. Cala's shrieks intensified as the older girl continued her fight.
Ahsoka spun, gazing at the three faces, the three assassins she was to try to save herself from. The Force rang out with the presence of something, rather many somethings, and Ahsoka knew she had stepped into a carefully prepared trap.
Her lightsaber swings were slower and Ahsoka's aching shoulder finally gave out. The 'saber deactivated and rolled from her fingertips so that only her shoto was left. Fear plummeted, but Ahsoka repeated the mantra of the Jedi, lips barely moving. She vowed that she would get Cala to safety, return to the Temple.
Another blaster from Bane's hand was pointed at her chest, and Ahsoka could scarcely see it through her hazy vision. Cala seemed to be unconscious, or worse, but the Force was filled with pain. Bane's finger played on the trigger, and Ahsoka lifted her shoto, only to get hit on the backside by something else.
Electricity moved through her limbs, suddenly stiff with the tingling. Her lips parted, her eyes rolled back. She knew the feeling all too well; paralyzing dart. This can't be happening! Ahsoka thought desperately, dropping to her knees. Her sapphire eyes closed as she slumped to the ground. In her dim consciousness, she heard a blaster clatter to the floor, and Bane's laughter and jeers.
"Child." A rough voice growled. "You are a coward - a fool! Thought you could outsmart us, huh? Thought you could win?" Ahsoka thought she recognized the voice, yet in her state of being, nothing was sure. And just as she gasped out, "Cala?" Her body went limp, and nothing but a heavy veil of blackness was left.
Cala felt her consciousness return slowly, the leaking of light connecting back to her mind. With a tiny hiccup, the girl's eyes blinked open. She was lying on a street - a disgusting street - she noted, and she could feel the presence of Ahsoka near her. Very near her. Cala's eyes darted around, and she caught sight of her friend, pale and limp, her lekku drained of any healthy color.
Fear nearly choked the child, and her eyes landed on the four bounty hunters - two male, two female. One had Force-resistant cuffs in her hands, and she was fiddling with them nervously as she moved over to the older Togruta. She efficiently clipped them on, but she shivered as she gazed at Ahsoka. Like she knew this wouldn't end well. Her eyes met Cala's, and she scowled darkly. She removed Ahsoka's lightsabers and slipped them into her cloak.
Cala's purple eyes blazed as she growled low in her throat. Unfortunately, she caught the attention of the four other beings, and immediately, the male pointed a blaster at her. One with a blue skin color shook his head, "Don't worry about this one, ; she'll be no trouble at all. And we need her to make the other comply."
With that, Cala's lips lifted off her teeth and she kicked out, getting the blue colored man in the shin. He barely seemed to care, only lifted the struggling Togruta and binding her hands. "Now, little one," He crooned in fake tones, "You want to be alright, don't you? Just stay still." But Cala's tiny body continued to writhe.
"You can't win." She declared, but she wasn't really paying attention. Rather, she was watching one of the bounty hunters lift Ahsoka and sling her over her own shoulder casually.
"You're going to stop us?" She grinned at Cala, "You? Tiny thing you are, you couldn't manage anything." She twirled a blaster, still ever so easy, as though the she was doing the simplest things. Anger clenched Cala's stomach, but she didn't dare retort."Come on, Bane." She sighed, indicating to the blue colored one, "We gotta get out of here. Know where we're going, Yashaka?"
The female's pale green eyes were down the street, like a guard keeping watch. Cala could feel her fear, her sorrow seeping into the Force. She paused before nodding. "Let's get out of here."
They were on the move for a long time, so long that Cala lost awareness of where she was. Groggy, she slipped in and out of understanding, every once in awhile gazing at Ahsoka and hoping she awoke. The older female was quiet, though Cala hoped that the girl was faking, looking for an advantage. Finally, the came upon a grimy building that stood in an alleyway, so cluttered up with other bars and buildings that looked rather deserted that Cala had a feeling that they might not be found. Which was probably the point.
She squirmed as they took her the building and closed a metal cage around her. Her purple eyes looked around, hoping in vain for more prisoners, but there was none. Only Ahsoka, who was placed near to her. She wasn't dead - they wouldn't keep a dead prisoner, and besides, Cala could feel her presence.
The bounty hunters left, the female who had carried Ahsoka twirling her blasters on her hips, laughing and joking, still at ease. "Ahsoka." Cala hissed across the room. "Ahsoka. Ahsoka!"
Thankfully, she began to stir after a few moments. Her eyes were hazy, and she looked around curiously, blue eyes taking in the grimy conditions in which they were forced into. "Pleasant place." she croaked after a minute, "How did we get here?"
Cala sat back and let out an irritated groan, "How do you think? Those bounty hunters -" she looked over at Ahsoka for confirmation, who nodded as she remembered her fight for life, "took us. What's going to happen to us?" Tears made her eyes shine, and she felt a bit of comfort coming from Ahsoka.
"Sh, child. Hush, little one. We'll be alright, I promise you." Comforting energy surrounded Cala, softly lulling her to sleep. "Don't do that." Cala mumbled sleepily, her eyes blinking shut. The horrors of the day faded, until shouts jolted the girl back up.
Bane - that was his name, Cala recalled, clicked Ahsoka's enclosure open knelt beside her. "Before your execution-"
"That's funny." Ahsoka remarked suddenly, "Since when was I supposed to be executed? Nobody informed me." She looked rather irked to be in Bane's grasp.
Bane shot her a withering look, eyes gleaming with hints of evil flashing. "Before your execution," he continued, "You will be bait. Your master will execute you himself, as I was told to inform you."
Ahsoka's white eye-marking rose angrily, "He will not! And he will find me - surely you aren't so stupid as to know he can sense my Force signature."
"Surely you aren't so naive." Bane shot back.
"And if he's to kill me, then why do you want her?" Cala's eyes narrowed as Ahsoka jabbed a finger at her, "She has done nothing to you."
Bane groaned, as if the Togruta Padawan was completely ridiculous, and smiled in such away that had Cala shrinking back, "That you will see."
I will update sooner, I promise...I was on vacation last week. :) Unfortunately, no Internet, but I probably wouldn't have had much time anyway.
And thanks for the reviews! :)