Previously on Star Wars: Exile's Journey

Ahsoka Tano survived the execution of the Jedi only because a year before it happened, she had left the Jedi Order. Now, with two friends and crewmates at her side, Corellian pilot Jyssa Motla and an injured clone trooper named Arc, she has explored an ancient cave on Dantooine and found the proper crystals to remake her lightsabers.

But it is a dangerous time to become a Jedi. The Empire has risen, and it seeks to destroy or convert any Force users to its side.

And Ahsoka Tano hasn't made her lightsabers yet...

Chapter 9

Inquisition

A narrow ship with swept back wings split the air of Dantooine. Much larger than a starfighter, but smaller than a freighter. The heavily modified Baudo class starship bristled with more weaponry than a ship that size would normally be allowed to have. During the anarchy and conflict of the Clone Wars, however, the sight of a heavily modified vessel was not so uncommon.

The ship slowed, no longer breaking the sound barrier. It circled around the dig site, and landed on a flat patch of ground near the Red Drexl. From the cockpit, Jyssa could see that despite the fact that the Baudo was smaller than her Tolos class freighter, it easily outgunned her. She hit the intercom button and said, "Kids, you might want to keep your heads down. We've got a visitor. And it doesn't look pretty."

A moment later, the intercom crackled and Ahsoka's voice came from the speaker. "If anyone asks, I'm just working on stabilizing the coolant drive flow back here and I can't be disturbed."

"You're not trying to cannibalize my engine room for lightsaber parts, are you?" asked Jyssa.

"Of course not. I'm just taking inventory to see if I can use any parts you have in storage."

"That's not much better!"

"Hey, we Jedi are nothing if not honest."

Jyssa grumbled to herself, "You give these Jedi a centimeter, they'll take your spare power converters."

The radio crackled again, this time Arc's voice came over the speaker. "Okay, just to get our story straight. If anyone finds me, I'm just a wounded clone that you took in. I've only been conscious for two days, so I haven't heard about Order 66 or the Empire. You sent a message to the garrison 740A, and you haven't heard back. 740A was destroyed in a bombardment a week ago, but you can just say you hadn't heard about that because we're out here in the middle of nowhere. Simple enough. Worst that will happen is that I'll be forced to go back to the service."

The ramp on the other ship lowered and a humanoid figure stepped out. From a distance, all Jyssa could see was bright red hair. And size. The man was massive. And he was heading towards her ship.

Well, the polite thing to do would be to go out and greet him. But that might look suspicious. "So, impolite it is, I guess," said Jyssa to herself. She got up and walked to the ramp. As she got there, she heard a loud knocking on the ramp.

She looked at her chrono, and waited. After the fourth knock, she hit the hatch release button. The hatch slid open, and on the other side of the door was a huge man with red hair, batlike ears, and a set of bony spikes where his beard should have been. "What is it? I'm trying to recalibrate my fuel matrix here."

The man growled, a deep catlike sound. His features reminded Jyssa of a humanoid cat, although she didn't recognize the species. "What you are doing is immaterial. You will cooperate with me, or I will seize your property." He held up an official looking badge. "I am an Imperial Inquisitor, and I have come here looking for any Jedi seditionists who may have escaped from Imperial arrest."

"Well, I hate to break it to you buddy, but you're a few thousand years too late. All I got is a shipment of college students, digging up old Jedi bones. You can talk to them if you want, they're right over in those ruins. But I don't think they've found a live one yet."

The man grinned, showing an impressive and intimidating array of teeth. "I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation. The Inquisitors are a new branch of Imperial Intelligence. Since Imperial Intelligence has only existed for a week, and our branch for four days, that means that the Senate hasn't really had time to pass many laws restricting what we can and can't do. If I have the slightest suspicion that you are hiding anything from me, I have free reign to do as I please. I take your property. I can take your ship. I can even take you. The slave markets on Zygerria have reopened, as have the ones on Dorus and Nal Hutta. I'm sure you'd fetch a price almost as high as your ship. I trust that I make myself clear."

Jyssa was just as frightened as the Inquisitor had hoped, but she refused to show it. "As crystal. Feel free to poke around however much you want. I got nothin' to hide."

"Good. Consider your ship grounded for the next day or so until I finish searching the area." He walked up the ramp, forcing her to step aside to avoid being bowled over. "Now, I believe I will take you up on that offer to 'poke around'."

Jyssa swallowed nervously, noticeably paler than usual. This wasn't good. Even at a casual glance she could see the musculature throughout the man's body. His catlike grace belied an athletic skill greater than what she'd seen in the most competent clone trooper. And at one side hung a large stun stick, custom made and with a bigger power pack than most. At the other hung a disruptor pistol, capable of tearing through flesh and armor in ways that normal blasters couldn't achieve. Armor plates could be seen, some easily visible, some half hiding under his clothes. As he walked past her, she saw, strapped to his back, the handle of a larger weapon poking out from under his red mane.

Despite being almost one point eight meters tall, Jyssa felt dwarfed by this man. Standing next to him, her dun hair seemed dull. And her tiny pistol just seemed unimpressive. And his presence just projected power, control.

But something about him just felt foul. Jyssa felt dirty letting him push her around. But it had to be done. The safety of her crew was at stake. The safety of her friends was at stake.

The large humanoid headed to the cockpit, apparently familiar with the layout of the ship. He looked over the cockpit, and pressed a few buttons on the navicomputer. "I see you've been to quite a few places as of late."

"Yeah, but I've been grounded here for the last week. We're not leaving to take these college kids back to Rudrig for another couple of days."

"I see. It appears that everything here is in order." He pushed past her again, seemingly ignorant of the fact that two bodies were incapable of occupying the same space. He looked into the crew quarters. Only two of the four rooms showed signs of occupation. "There's someone else on your crew."

"Of course. You think I'd fly alone? At the very least, I need a mechanic. And a copilot is never a bad idea."

He looked right into her eyes. "Where is this mechanic and copilot?"

Jyssa tried not to show signs of any kind of weakness, but this man was scary. And worst of all, he knew it. "She was in the back, doing something with the coolant system. I don't tell her how to keep my ship in repair, she doesn't tell me how to pilot."

He immediately turned and walked back to the engine room. When he walked into the room, he was greeted by the sight of Ahsoka, with half of her face covered by heavy goggles, and a floor covered in greasy engine parts. Without looking up she said, "Watch where you ste... oh, wow. You're a big one."

She had strategically smeared enough coolant fluid and grease on herself to distort her stripes and skin pattern. Combined with the goggles, most of her face was unrecognizable. Her headtails had grown several inches in the last year as well, and she hoped that any database with her picture in it would look nothing like her appearance now.

"You're a Togruta," he said. "Several Togruta jedi have escaped capture."

Before she could protest, he pulled something out of his pocket. He pointed it at her and pulled the trigger.