Hello all,

Welcome to the third installment of a story I have wanted to write forever – I hope all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. It only goes more in-depth from here.

I appreciate the feedback I've gotten, please keep it coming all. Encouragement means a lot.

Happy Writing,

Eliana

IOIOIOIOI

She had to admit: they had surprised her. They had surprised her so well that she now found herself sending hateful daggers to her momentary captors from where she had her arms locked in electro-braces in front of her, her body floating in the gravity trap. She was rightfully irked.

She was in the main lobby now, having taken the lift a standard hour ago to go for a walk outside. It had been a full rotation since her last communication with Master Kenobi – a rotation plus one standard hour. In that short amount of time her world turned itself upside down.

They had somehow managed to not only infiltrate the hospital but surprise her, and that was most unwelcome – and incredibly irritating. She wanted to just end this irritation with her lightsabers, but they were frustratingly out of her reach, clipped to the belt of one of the repurposed commando droids that stood in front of her.

The last two rotations were trying her patience. They were trying her patience too much.

Part of her couldn't help but wonder why this rag-tag bunch of fools would put themselves in full view of the Jedi and a Republic-backed government, but it was only a mild curiosity. More pressing was the ability to keep her eye on her friends that crouched a good distance away from her on the far side of the lobby, hidden amidst the cluster of Togruta that cowered from their attackers. They had to be a good hundred yards away on the other side of a plant-covered archway. Behind them was little Kachina who was kept out of sight. Their attackers, none the wiser she assumed, hadn't noticed.

"I always 'eard that Jedi put up a fight," the Weequay who stood near the assassin droid slurred at her, leaning in toward her face, "I'm a bit disappointed."

She was glad she couldn't raise her hands to share the gesture she wanted to. Her head throbbed from the hard hit that had subdued her.

"You know well that had I not been in the midst of none-fighters and innocents I would have removed you quick enough. You never would have had the chance to restrain me."

Her voice was clearly salty. She watched him laugh.

"Oh aye, but ya see," he leaned in closer, her nose scrunching from the smell emanating from his rancid mouth, "It don' really matter what ya 'would have done', dosit? 'Cuz fact of the matter is we did catch ya – an' now ya trussed up like a prize pelt, ya are."

Her eyebrow ridge quirked. Ahsoka remembered the first time she had stopped short because a venomous trevuti viper snuck across her path on Saleucami. This one staring her down didn't look much like a viper, but she was still thinking (as her lips twitched over her teeth): snake.

"You would be wise to let me and the non-combatants go free. The Republic will not look kindly upon your bringing harm to targets that are protected under the Yavin Code."

The weequay scoffed, but it was the droid who spoke as it sauntered toward her.

"We do not observe these laws. No harm shall come to the Togruta so long as there is compliance."

"We only want what we came here for," another weequay announced, not to her but to the gathering of civilians who pressed themselves to the walls and crouched low to the floor. He gestured to the restrained padawan, "We'll gladly take the plus one… maybe another."

Her montrals were trembling with the overabundance of warning calls her fellow Togruta were releasing – those waves that she was still trying to learn how to interpret and control were making her ability to concentrate more and more muddled, inexperience playing the biggest part in suppressing her ability to comfort them. Her experiences in the war had turned her into the warrior that she was, but it had also cost her dearly by blocking her ability to identify with her own people. It was crushing.

More crushing than that was the trio that were together on the far side of the building she found herself in, the toddler she had been charged with protecting hidden behind them. She still didn't know if she was their target, but it was oddly coincidental that these attackers had waited until they were all in one place to move. Purpose over emotion, she reminded herself. Even if it came at a cost, she would find a way to get herself free and get the child out of here. That was her purpose right now… she just had a preference that it didn't come at the cost of innocent lives.

Anakin was gonna kill her, she internally groaned. She was supposed to be on retreat, seeking refuge from the war for a short spell but instead here she was: in suspended animation with a bruised temple and aching shoulder, all because she had focused on where her friends were instead of her enemies. She had underestimated this merry band of misfits and their ability to organize. A basic lax in judgement. Yup, he was going to be less than pleased.

There were twelve, she counted from her floating position. Seven Weequay, two Twi'lek, four droids, one Shistavanen – the last of her list seemed to be the most experienced of the group as he had foregone his weapon, stalking amongst the terrified Togruta in his search for whatever it was that he had come for. She could easily handle twelve… but she couldn't do a thing just floating like she was.

She gave a tug of her wrists, noting the tightening of the binders when she moved. This was far from ideal. Just as she began to lose herself in the sea of sound and vibrations, just as she had begun to attempt to focus herself enough to loosen the mechanics of this machine that held her, just as she had begun to plan her route out of this situation – something called to her. The rumbling terror calls from the civilians around her stopped just as rapidly as the new sound interrupted, every Togruta near her shifting and murmuring amongst themselves. That sound seemed to be just for her because all those eyes had turned to pin her down, but that sound seemed to also be hidden to their attackers who didn't so much as give a muscle twitch at the change.

She felt the disturbance in the Force before she saw anything, but when she lifted her head back up to observe her friends it was already to stop the events that were about to unfold.

"I want to be hospitable," the shistavanen spoke to no one in particular, jowls curling back against sharp incisors in a menacing look, "I have a job just like everyone else… and I think I've been patient enough. I'm here to take what we need and leave – I won't ask again."

His wandering landed him right in front of Ahsoka's trio of friends. Tocarra to her credit was having none of it, one threatening smile meeting another as the two men behind her tried to make themselves seem unafraid.

"It's a real shame you aren't what I'm here for… you would make the trip worth it," the wolf murmured to the doctor and Ahsoka's stomach turned hot with anger at those words. Okay, that did it. She doubled down trying to work her wrists out of the binders, "But I can always make an exception."

He smirked and then leaned back to stand tall again, gesturing to where the infant was hidden behind Eddy and Don.

"I'll be taking that kid, gentlemen. If you don't want a bolt to the temple you'll hand her over easy and we'll be on our way… and if I'm not mistaken, one of you boys has been volunteered to go on a ride."

That sound reached Ahsoka's montrals again and her eyes sharpened, searching as they darted to and fro to find the source. It was so close now – thirty seconds later, it made itself blatantly clear.

"Guess you chose the hard way, then," the wolf had started to speak, grabbing a pair of binding cuffs from his belt and stepping toward Eddy, "You'll regret –"

Whatever he was going to say was forgotten at Kachina's surprised screech, a blur of white, red, and black bolting through to grab her and sling her onto their back. They were off that quickly, blitzing past the captor who roared and gave chase.

"JEDI!"

The word bounced off of the walls and hallways, the figure whipping a cloak around themselves and their charge who clung to their neck as they sprinted, expertly weaving in and out of the crowd of hostages without hesitation. They dove straight through the makeshift barrier that the Twi'leks had made, one jump allowing them to clear it and give them charging room to head for the plant-covered tunnel.

"I will smell you out, Jedi!"

The threat was hollow, Ahsoka realized – they weren't going to catch whoever this was, they were faster than a sprinting sabre cat on the run after prey. They had retrieved small detonation rounds from that cloak and tossed them as they sprinted.

One set. Two set. Three set. Four set.

Her fellow Jedi cleared the tunnel, and a droid popper flew in her direction. All of the devices detonated with the touch of fingers to a command button, Ahsoka cheering as her momentary prison deactivated. The startled screams of her fellow Togruta were drowned out over the explosions that collapsed the tunnel, effectively blocking their pursuers from following their path. She was quick to call her lightsabers from the now-deactivated droid on the floor, felling the weequay who stood in front of her.

The other Jedi didn't stop as they blitzed past her, willing her to follow as best as she could. Ahsoka tried, charging up the stairs two at a time behind them as they turned just enough to ensure she was following. They slowed their pace enough to allow her to catch up.

"There's an exit down here," she called to them, pointing to the end of the hall, "This way!"

The other Jedi went to follow but suddenly stopped short, so short that their shoes slid them an extra foot on the polished floor as their head shot up. Ahsoka didn't understand until more of the attackers came whipping around the corner at the far end of the hall - a vibrating growl shook her ribcage from her ally. She knew then for sure: they had to be a Togruta.

"Oooooooooo not this way!" she corrected as they both turned and sprinted down in the opposite direction.

Purpose before feeling, she reminded herself as she suddenly pulled to a stop, falling into a ready position and readying her lightsabers.

"Get going, I'll handle this."

She knew she didn't have to give the instruction but did anyway, knowing that the way the other Jedi was going was a dead end. Hopefully they would be able to solve that problem.

They had realized it when they reached the tight corner at the end of the hall, pacing back and forth in front of the ornate planets and display that had been set up.

Now they were trapped.

Now what?

Thinking, thinking…

When the wolf came running to the corner where their target had been they were gone, but their scent still permeated the space. They were hiding he realized with a smile, a bloodthirsty grin spreading on his face as he slowly drew his weapon and powered it on. He began stalking, boots clicking hollowly against the polished ground. In the distance the sound of deflected blaster bolts grew more and more frequent, but his attention was only on finding the one who hid so very close by.

Just inside the diorama the second Jedi hid, crouched low behind the fake boulder. They turned to the tiny head that nuzzled into their lekku, bringing one gloved hand up to put one finger to their lips. That finger slowly moved to press against the toddler's lips next, a low pitch rumble translating the message that they couldn't convey with words. Kachina seemed to understand, turning her face to hide behind their cloak and lekku so she could hide her eyes.

Satisfied by the compliance, the Jedi turned their attention back to the stalking wolf who hunted them. He was drawing closer than was comfortable, and if he got any closer there wouldn't be an ability to avoid the fight any longer. Their hand drifted to one of the lightsabers clipped to their side, fully prepared to use it as the wolf stalked ever closer –

Until he didn't, propelled backward by half of a droid that flew straight down the hallway and into his chest. Ahsoka was flying hot down on them, providing her fellow Jedi enough cover to release their hiding space. Quickly tossing her a data disc they charged away, like a thing possessed they flipped themselves up to a landing and slipped through an open skylight, galloping off at high speed into the distance.

IIIIII

Ahsoka wasn't satisfied until she had turned over the remaining living terrorists to the hands of the Togruta emergency response team that arrived minutes later, a deep frown marking her face. It wasn't so much that there had been such a delayed arrival of the first responders that bothered her – it was the fact that the data disc felt like it was burning a hole in her pocket. She knew it wasn't, that it was a trick of the mind, but its heaviness reminded her that things were quickly escalating. She gestured to Eddy to follow as she passed by on her way back into the hospital, sparing smiles and nods of her head to the thankful Togruta that dotted her path into a conference room. With any luck, they would all leave as soon as they were able.

She had tried to comm to Anakin, and then Master Kenobi, and even then the Council on Coruscant. All of those attempts had been met with sputtering lines and half- projections, all clear indicators to her that there was a modified escalation taking place that she wasn't quite sure how to handle. With any luck, her fellow Jedi had that base covered for her.

She locked the door behind the doctor who followed her into the room, gesturing with one hand to close the curtains through a simple bit of Force manipulation before setting the data disc on the center table. It flashed to life and projected the image of her master plus one; another cloaked Jedi stood to his left, hands folded neatly into their cloak where their arms were held in front of them. The only features she could discern was that their height was just below her master's, their skin far lighter from what she cold spot of their chin, shockingly white hair peaking from below the dark hood.

"Ahsoka," her master spoke through the recording, looking to where she stood, "If you've received this video disc, that means that the messenger found you but couldn't evacuate everyone at once. Their objective was to retrieve and protect the youngling, a mission that I am sure they completed well."

A glance was tossed to his hologram companion who turned to him and gave a slight nod in agreement to what was silently being asked.

"We've run into some trouble, Snips," Anakin was suddenly serious, turning back to her, "Whoever these people are and whatever they are after has garnered some unwanted attention. Syndicates from the lowest dregs are taking the opportunity to exploit the chaos and Obi-Wan is keeping them at bay at the edge of the system. Things are beginning to escalate faster than we anticipated."

The Jedi behind him moved, producing a projection of coordinates.

"Meet us here, Snips. As quickly as you can – and bring the representative with you. You must be discreet. Ground transport only, on foot the final half klick. We must play our cards very carefully right now Ahsoka, and we're counting on you to carry out the rest of this mission. Go now and get to our position as soon as you can. May the Force be with you."

As soon as the recorded transmission ended she looked to her silent companion who had raised a contemplative hand to his chin. He tilted his head at her with a curious look and then smirked.

"I'll go pack a go-bag, shall I?"

She admired his moxy then, and even more later as they sped off together in his cruiser, their destination lying on the other side of one of the mountains facing away from the setting sun.

IOIOIOIOIOIOIOI

There we have it folks, the next installment in The Makings of Grey. The mystery picks up from here and expands out into the world I so vividly imagine – I hope everyone enjoys reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.