Ahsoka awoke with a start, her eyes wider than normal as she came abruptly out of the dream. Was it possible that all that had been just a dream? Did she really make a new pact with Darth Vader? Most importantly of all, did she actually give herself over to the Dark Side of the Force? She found herself confused, as there was nothing but uncertainty now where she'd felt such conviction just mere moments before.
Ahsoka knew that the things Vader had told her were true. Emperor Palpatine, also known as Darth Sidious, had to be stopped. She knew Vader could make her stronger than she was, and she knew he was willing to instruct her as he had before. Assuming she'd had communion with him through the Force, and that it wasn't just a dream, Ahsoka knew that soon enough, Vader would come to claim her, and she had to be ready. First, she had to extricate herself out of her deal with the Hutts, which would be a messy endeavor on the best of days.
In fact, she expected things to get violent. Of course, she would never get anywhere near Jabba himself, but any of his lackeys that stood in her path would definitely wish they hadn't. Jabba rarely left his palace on Tatooine, and never left the planet itself, preferring to isolate himself even from his own kind. It meant that she'd never have to fight the Hutt directly, but that he could send wave after wave of thugs, assassins and bounty hunters after her, almost indefinitely, until he brought her to ground. No, this time, Ahsoka needed a more effective display of her breaking the deal. She just wasn't sure of how it was going to come to pass.
Not sure, of course, until a mere two days later. She'd been coming home from another day of scrounging in the pits for old components, helping out some friends of hers in the village, when Teega came practically sprinting out of her little shack. "NAKIRA! Oh, thank the stars I found you in time!"
Ahsoka, curious as to what would perturb the pudgy little Rodian so much, couldn't help but to ask. "Teega, WHAT is going on?"
Teega, panting heavily, took a second to catch her breath before continuing. "Word's come down from the upper city. One of Jabba's head goons is coming to town. Bib Fortuna, he's called. That can't mean anything good, if one of Jabba's inner circle is coming all the way out here, no?"
Ahsoka fought back a wicked grin. It was perfect; if Bib Fortuna was going to be on Praxigor VI, even if he stuck to the safer confines of the upper city, a pleasure palace constructed above the stench and filth of the lower villages, it would be relatively simple to enter the facility, and even easier to get to the bloated old Twi'lek. Bib Fortuna's reputation was well known to Ahsoka, and his craving for women and money were easy enough to exploit.
However, Ahsoka paused for a moment. She was unsure of what was to come. After all, not all that long ago, she'd pledged herself to the Jedi, and to serving the Light. What she'd have to do to Fortuna wasn't the work of a Jedi, or even someone just trying to walk on the side of the Light. Could she actually attack someone who was, for all intents and purposes, an innocent?
Ahsoka shook her head in disgust. Bib Fortuna wasn't innocent in the slightest. As an agent of the loathsome Jabba the Hutt, he was as much a criminal as his slimy master. Punishing a criminal, and using that punishment to punish even bigger criminals didn't seem like such a bad thing. Surely the Force would heed her call as readily when she decided to strike.
And strike she would. Ahsoka's mind was made up, and she knew that to escape this miserable cesspool of a planet, Bib Fortuna would have to face the wrath of one who had tired of running and hiding, and decided it was time to fight. She was angry at the lot she'd been handed, simply by being born different from the rest, and she was no longer interested in passively watching the galaxy pass by her. That anger surged through her mind like a wildfire, searing her senses. Now that she'd made up her mind to turn away entirely from the teachings of the hypocritical Jedi, she wasn't afraid to let herself FEEL that anger. She felt, in that moment of revelation, her own strength, and it was formidable. Years of running, hunting, constantly training her body and mind had honed her to a razor's edge. Now, she would be tempered in the fires of her own emotions.
Peace is a lie, Ahsoka. There is only passion.
The voice, that of Darth Vader, echoed in the back of her mind. It comforted her, in a strange way. She took courage in the knowledge that her meeting with Vader hadn't been a dream, at least not completely.
Through passion, you will gain strength. Through strength, you will gain power. Through power, you will gain victory. Through victory, your chains shall be broken. The Force shall sustain you.
Vader's conviction emboldened the young Togruta further, a wicked smile crossing her lips. Her eyes narrowed as she looked up into the glittering towers above, where the Hutts and their minions gambled, feasted, and debauched themselves. Today, she would take her first steps on a new journey, and Ahsoka Tano would never know fear again. Today, Ahsoka Tano would be unstoppable.
Far above the stinking villages of rabble, Bib Fortuna relaxed in his spacious suite. His guests, mostly business associates and hired thugs, all enjoyed the accoutrements that a majordomo of the mightiest of the Hutt clan possessed. He wasn't overly fond of travel, preferring the solitude and safety of his master's palace, but when he had to leave Tatooine on Jabba's behest, he was glad to know that where he would end up going always had the facilities needed for proper debauchery. Sitting at the head of the large dining table, surrounded by representatives of other Hutt families, he felt right at home in the palaces of power and commerce, serving Jabba well and being well-rewarded for that service. He'd been in the employ of the Hutt for many years now, and at times, it even seemed like the Hutt almost respected him. High praise indeed, coming from the most prominent of a race of megalomaniacs.
Gesturing to a scantily-clad Twi'lek girl across the room, he barked a command in the Hutt's language. Bib was perfectly capable of speaking other languages, of course, but his speaking only Huttese during the conducting of business showed the supremacy of the Hutts, and the loyalty of their servants. The girl, with no hesitation, swiftly walked over to the older Twi'lek, and bowed low. Bib snarled at the girl for her lateness, and motioned towards his lekku, the tail-like appendages sprouting from his head. "They are very dry, bitch. Fix that, immediately!" Bib snarled at the girl in the Twi'leks' tongue. He knew the girl likely couldn't speak much beyond her native language, and if she was to serve him properly, he had to make sure she understood what he wanted. Females irritated Bib Fortuna when they tried to act like they were his equals. They could never be equal to him. He staunchly believed that if you couldn't be king, the next best thing was to work for the king. That was Bib Fortuna summed up succinctly.
The girl, a light blue in tone, picked up a jar of a foul-smelling unguent that sat on the table next to Bib. Taking a small dollop in her hands, she rubbed her hands together, and then set to work rubbing the disgusting goo on the old Twi'lek's lekku. Bib barely repressed a smile of unbridled glee as the girl, barely an adult of the species, applied the unguent, rubbing slowly, gently, just the way he liked it to be done. He'd trained this one well, as he always did, to give him just the right amount of pleasure in just the right place. The lekku, as they were wired into the nervous system of the Twi'lek, were highly sensitive and extremely erogenous structures of the Twi'lek body, and to massage them properly was a sensual delight that Bib Fortuna enjoyed thoroughly. The girl, whom Bib had owned since she was gifted to him by his Hutt master, was trained to properly serve him. She was also severely punished if she failed to serve him in the ways he commanded. Bib Fortuna didn't play around with playtime.
The older Twi'lek let out a low murmur of pleasure as the girl massaged his lekku. He could feel her shiver briefly as he did, and this pleased him. It always made him smile when he knew she detested him, but still did what she was told. This was how Bib Fortuna liked his servants to be, and how he wished his associates would be as well.
Today had been a long day of negotiations with the servants of Vargora, a Hutt of a rival family. Vargora's desire to have a stake in Praxigor VI was well-known, as the aurium deposits on this world were unparalleled in the galaxy. Jabba had kept his mining operations as quiet as he could, getting richer with every passing day, but once word got out, other Hutt families clamored to get a taste of the action. It was left to Bib Fortuna to negotiate the deals with the respective Hutt familes that would distribute what little Jabba was willing to give to them, in his great beneficence, of course. Days-long negotiations always made Bib incredibly tense, so a good lekku massage always got him back in the game.
The girl, not paying proper attention, squeezed the end of one of Bib's lekku just a little too hard, and before she could react, a heavy backhand connected with her face. She flew backwards, away from her angry master, and fell to the ground with a hard thud. Bib Fortuna, his face now a pinkish hue instead of the normal pasty white, scowled furiously. "Stupid slut! You DARE disrupt these proceedings with your incompetence? You will be made to suffer….most exquisitely. Take her!" Bib gestured to the two Gamorreans that guarded the door, their porcine snuffling accentuating their movements. The two gigantic pig-like creatures grabbed the girl off the floor, and dragged her out of the room. The girl, had she been conscious, would have known where she was going, and would have fought as hard as she could to not go. In Bib Fortuna's ship, there was a massive, reinforced cage that contained Bib's most favored pet, the monstrous womp rat he named 'Snoogy'. When the girl, as did her predecessors, failed in their service to the old majordomo, they were thrown in with the beast for a while. The womp rat enjoyed playing with its food, and its games were always sadistic. Bib turned back to the others at the table, a wan smile exposing his hideous teeth. "Now, gentlemen, shall we then finish our business?"
The Gamorreans dragged the girl towards the landing pad where Bib Fortuna's ship sat. The girl had come to on the way, and was struggling desperately, trying to get away from the huge guards. Screaming at the top of her lungs and thrashing like a hooked fish, she knew what awaited her if she was dragged into the ship. She could not let that happen, because it would surely mean her death. Bib Fortuna didn't really take very good care of his playthings, and she was frail from starvation. She'd never completely gotten used to this life, having been sold from one owner to another several times over her short lifetime, and she lamented being born to parents who'd consider selling her a viable option. The Gamorreans, difficult to understand at times, seemed to be laughing as she struggled, though she was no expert at interpreting their snorts, grunts and wheezes. The bigger one, the one that Bib Fortuna referred to as 'Beast', threw her against the closed hatch that led into the ship with a triumphant snort, and she crashed to the ground, her head spinning. Suddenly, she heard an unfamiliar sound, a sound like electricity crackling, and the Gamorrean fell silent. Her vision was blurry, but it looked like something big and dark fell from above, from where Beast stood, and a larger shaped slumped to the ground. Her eyes refocused, and she saw that the large Gamorrean had been beheaded, and the assassin was a young Togruta woman, her lightsabers ignited, and a look of rage in her eyes. The Togruta walked over to her, looking down at her with concern, and the Twi'lek faded into blackness, unconsciousness claiming her at last.
Ahsoka stood over the crumpled body of the young Twi'lek girl. With one clean swipe of both her blades, she'd cleaved the Gamorrean's head from its stump of a neck. She felt the rage wash over her like a cleansing wave of water, making her feel stronger and more in control. She'd become infuriated when she saw the large pig-men throwing the girl around like a child's toy. Ahsoka had taken what little Vader had imparted on her to heart, and used her anger, her loathing for the beasts, as a means of driving her abilities stronger than ever before, and was able to best the two Gamorreans with ease. The smaller one had seen her coming, and was terrified at her approach. She couldn't deny that she'd found a small amount of pleasure in knowing that the creature feared her. It certainly was right to fear her; she'd executed it with all speed, surgically removing its arms first, and then its head once it realized what had happened. The bigger one, the one that was hurting the girl, had never even known she was there.
This was power! This is what liars like Yoda and Kenobi would have kept from her. This feeling, this raw might, was the very reason why her master, then Anakin Skywalker, had abandoned the Jedi, and taken up with the Sith Lord Sidious. It all made perfect sense to her now. She was fully in command of her abilities, and had full access to the emotions that drove those abilities. She felt so much more complete than she had as a Jedi, and this was only the beginning of her journey into the Dark Side. The Jedi were fools and liars, and the power of the Dark Side just felt….right.
Ahsoka knelt down to examine the young Twi'lek girl. She'd been bruised quite heavily, and there were small lacerations all over her. She could only imagine what fate had been in store for a nearly-naked Twi'lek girl in the hands of Gamorreans. Reaching out with the Force, Ahsoka looked at the girl with the healing sight, one of the few tricks she'd still practiced that the Jedi had taught her. They might have been liars and hypocrites, but they knew how to heal people properly. The girl was breathing, albeit with very shallow breaths. Her ribs were fractured in a few places, and she'd been seriously concussed. All in all, there were many places damaged but none so badly as to truly threaten the Twi'lek's life. Ahsoka moved the Force through the girl, making it mend the girl's slender form. Ahsoka watched as the wounds on the girl's body healed, and her breathing became more regular. After a moment, the girl's eyes blinked open, and she looked up at Ahsoka with a puzzled expression.
"You're safe. My name is Ahsoka, and I'm here to deal with a criminal. I'm guessing these…" She gestured over to the large lumps of inert, green flesh. "…were thugs working for Jabba's servant." The Twi'lek nodded slowly, still not understanding fully what was going on. "Do you have somewhere you can go? Somewhere you can hide for a while?" The Twi'lek slowly shook her head, as she had nowhere she could hide. She'd only ever known her place at the feet of whatever master she served. To rebel, to escape; these were unthinkable. Ahsoka's brow furled a bit at that, but she couldn't leave the girl near two dead Gamorreans. Jabba's minions would find them in time, and she'd surely be executed. Ahsoka bit her lip slightly, and then started to lift the girl off of the ground. "Come on, I can't leave you here. It's best if you're long gone when they find your ex-friends." With the Force empowering her movements, Ahsoka leapt off into the dusk with the girl in tow.
Her movements through the buildings and garbage heaps were silent and swift as Ahsoka strode back to her village. She was astounded at how nimble she really could be if she wanted to be. She'd been held back from a lot of things, she surmised, as the Jedi wouldn't have wanted her to be able to work like this. Her emotions, her passions, could drive her to be better, faster, stronger than she'd ever been. Ahsoka couldn't figure out why they would deny even themselves this sort of power, but really had no interest on dwelling on the subject. It was her passenger, this young Twi'lek, that was her focus right now.
Clearly, the girl was some sort of slave. Very likely, she was the property of Bib Fortuna himself, as young, attractive Twi'lek girls were something of a status symbol amongst the criminal elements of the galaxy. If that was the case, likely he would want his property back. Ahsoka could use that to lure him out, and once in the open, the Hutt's minion would be hers for the taking. Ahsoka could tell, though, that the girl had been abused, and this thought darkened her mood considerably. Being female herself, she'd always hated being treated as second-class. Though the Jedi had not really shown any real gender prejudice, everyone else in the galaxy didn't have such an egalitarian point of view. She'd seen what people were really like in the darkness of Coruscant's lower city, and in the stench-ridden villages of Praxigor VI. People were cruel, selfish, and arrogant. They clung to their own prejudices like mynocks clung to a hull.
Ahsoka would teach them a better way. Starting with this girl, she would make a better galaxy, a galaxy where people could really be free. One day, at Vader's side, they would defeat the Emperor himself, and finally bring a lasting peace to the galaxy. Such grandiose goals would have to wait, however; Ahsoka had to deal with the girl first.
Ahsoka carried the girl into her small shack, closing the door with a nudge of the Force. She was fairly sure the neighbors had seen her do it, and she cared little for that. It was all the better that they think her Jedi, or even Sith, even though she really was neither. A display of power would generate fear of her, and that would serve her purposes for now. Ahsoka laid the girl upon her cot, doing her best to make the girl comfortable as she recuperated.
"Why do you help me?" the Twi'lek asked. "I am not anyone worth getting in trouble for."
Ahsoka gave the girl a reassuring smile. "Anyone who's in danger is worth it. Every time." Ahsoka walked over to the small fireplace, where a guttering fire warmed some decent-smelling soup that she'd thrown together with what bits and pieces of edible things she'd had. "What's your name? I realize that we've just met and all, but I would rather call you by a name than by 'You'."
"E…Enuma. I think. No one ever calls me that, but I tell myself that is my name a few times a day, so I don't forget."
Ahsoka frowned at the thought. This poor girl had been so abused, so mistreated, that she had to make a special effort to just remember she had a name. It was all the better that she'd gotten Enuma away from those monsters. Once she was sure that Enuma was going to be alright, Ahsoka was going to teach Bib Fortuna a very, very nasty lesson, one that he would have no difficulty understanding.
"You could be in danger. If Master decides to send his men to collect me, they might hurt you." Enuma sounded genuinely concerned. Ahsoka raged quietly inside at the way the girl showed how many scars she'd been given in the 'tender' care of the Hutts, but she held that rage in check, knowing she'd have many more uses for it later. For now, she just worried about tending to Enuma's care.
"Your 'master's' men don't concern me, Enuma. I will protect you. I swear to you, none of them will ever hurt you again."
Enuma's eyes lit up. "You are…Jedi?"
Ahsoka reacted to that question in a way she'd not have expected; she laughed. Not a laugh of mockery at Enuma's naivete, but one of genuine humor. "No, I'm not a Jedi. I'm just...me. My name is Ahsoka."
Enuma smiled for the first time since Ahsoka had known of her existence, and Ahsoka was cheered by that small expression. "Master Fortuna would have killed me, Ahsoka. I thank you for helping me, but you are surely in danger now. Master Fortuna acts with all the power of Great Jabba's name behind him, and nothing will stop him if he wishes to reclaim his property."
Ahsoka's blood boiled at Enuma referring to herself as 'property'. She knew that it would be a long road of recovery for the poor Twi'lek girl, since clearly she'd been a slave most of her life. It was getting harder and harder for Ahsoka to keep her anger under control, but Enuma had already been through far too much already for Ahsoka to terrify her further with a display of Force-enhanced rage. Ahsoka instead focused her attention fully on the simmering stew, stirring gently, allowing her mind to calm itself a bit. It might not have gained Darth Vader's approval, but Ahsoka felt a sense of protectiveness for Enuma, and she would not put the Twi'lek in danger.
Ahsoka served the stew in bowls carved from the shells of a local crustacean. The stormcrabs hadn't taken kindly to losing their shells, and Ahsoka could still feel the sting of the high-voltage shock the large creatures could dole out to unwary predators. Enuma devoured every bite put in front of her, and Ahsoka's fears about her treatment were confirmed. Bib Fortuna had beaten, starved, and abused this poor girl, and to see such horror made Ahsoka's blood scream with hatred for the bloated old Twi'lek. She would have the monster's lekku mounted on a wall plaque after she tore them away from his body with her bare hands.
Ahsoka halted for a moment, startled by the amount of sheer, unrepressed rage she was feeling. Had Vader corrupted her already, making her into a willing pawn of the Dark Side? In truth, she didn't think so. The rage had always been there when she was faced with the victims of abuse and violence. It was really only a matter of what she did with that rage, and in the past she'd only repressed it, contained it, and hoped nothing pushed her over the edge.
This time, however, would be different. Bib Fortuna, and his grotesque master, would learn a very painful lesson indeed, and she would be the one to teach them.
Unleash your hatred, Ahsoka! Let it fight FOR you instead of AGAINST you! Strike out with every bit of rage, pain and anger you feel! Let it drive you forward, and embolden you!
As you command, my master.
