Chapter 37
Three hours later, Jaina scowled as she focused intensely on the holographic display in front of her, her small hands gripping the controls of the pod racing simulator.
"This is it!" she called out to Ahsoka, who was seated in the pod next to her, smirking triumphantly and beginning the final lap in the lead. "I'm going to beat you this time! I can feel it."
The two Padawans were deep in the neon-lit arcade, surrounded by the cheerful beeping and flashing lights of countless holo-games.
Ahsoka smirked. "You said that three races ago, J," she pointed out, snickering as Jaina's virtual pod narrowly avoided crashing into a wall.
Jaina groaned in frustration as she crashed into another pod, the display erupting into a plume of smoke and sparks. Her small hands gripped the controls tighter as she watched her score plummet. "This is ridiculous!"
Looking over at Ahsoka's screen and watching her friend expertly weaving between obstacles, she shook her head in irritation and awe. "How have you not crashed yet?!"
The virtual crowd's cheers filled the arcade as Ahsoka's pod crossed the finish line in first place–while Jaina's smoking wreck limped across in last.
The Togruta Padawan leaned back in her pod seat, crossing her arms behind her head with a satisfied smile. "Maybe because I actually listen when Anakin tells stories about his podracing days, instead of falling asleep like someone I know," she teased. "Want to try again? I promise to go easier on you this time."
Jaina slumped forward, letting her forehead thunk against the simulator controls. "No thanks, I think I've humiliated myself enough for one night."
She giggled softly. "I have to admit, that was pretty exhilarating though. I think I'm beginning to understand the appeal of podracing. That really got my blood rushing!"
"You lost," Ahsoka deadpanned.
"For now!" Jaina retorted. She glanced up, feeling the Force abruptly flare towards the back of the arcade.
Ahsoka looked across the arcade, frowning as she felt the disturbance in the Force. Subtle, but unmistakable. "Feel that?" she asked, her voice low.
"Someone's watching us…" Jaina murmured, her brow furrowing.
Without drawing too much attention, Ahsoka nonchalantly scanned the arcade, her eyes flickering from person to person, but not lingering long enough to draw suspicion.
Then, ever so subtly, she tilted her chin towards the left.
In the far corner of the arcade, a Trandoshan and his Twi'lek companion sat amidst a row of grav-ball machines, their gazes fixed directly on the two Padawans.
"They don't seem to be enjoying whatever it is they're playing," Jaina muttered dryly, her blue eyes narrowing as she watched the suspicious pair. "We should leave. Now."
The Trandoshan's forked tongue flicked out, tasting the air as he rose from his seat, his scaled hand reaching inside his jacket. His Twi'lek companion followed suit, both of them starting to move through the crowd of gamers toward the Padawans.
"Back exit," Ahsoka whispered curtly, her hand moving to her concealed weapon. "Three rows behind us."
The two friends began backing away slowly, trying not to draw attention as they weaved between the blinking machines.
The sound of a falling chair behind them made Jaina spin around, tensing at the sight of the two other Trandoshans that had appeared by the back exit, blocking their escape route.
"Going somewhere, little Jedi?" the Twi'lek called out, loud enough to be heard over the arcade noise.
Jaina swiftly laid a hand on Ahsoka's wrist before she could draw her weapon—knowing full well that escalating the situation would only make things worse in the crowded arcade.
"You don't want to do this," she said quietly to the bounty hunters, her blue eyes fixed on their weapons. "Republic Act Number Nine-Two-Point-Six-Four clearly states that the penalty for—"
The Trandoshan cut her off with a harsh laugh, his scaled hand moving closer to his blaster. "We don't care about your Republic laws, kid. The Separatists pay good credits for Jedi younglings."
The tension in the arcade thickened as more patrons scrambled away from the confrontation.
The Twi'lek bounty hunter pulled out his blaster, pointing it directly at Jaina. "Come quietly and nobody needs to get hurt."
Ahsoka tensed under Jaina's grip, her free hand still hovering near her lightsaber hilt. "Diplomacy isn't always the answer, J…"
The two Trandoshans by the back exit started moving closer, their heavy boots thudding against the arcade floor. "Enough talk. Grab them!"
"I think you're right—" Jaina spun around quickly, igniting her blue lightsaber and pressing her back against Ahsoka's. The arcade lit up with the glow of their weapons as Ahsoka pulled out her own green blade.
The two Padawans moved fast, deflecting blaster bolts back at the bounty hunters, while weaving between the arcade machines towards the back exit.
"Head for the door!" Ahsoka called out as she jumped over a row of machines, kicking one of the Trandoshans in the chest.
Jaina flipped backwards over the shooting Twi'lek, using the Force to push him into a wall of screens.
The arcade was in chaos—game machines sparked and smoked from stray blaster fire, while customers ran screaming for the exits, ushering their children away from the crossfire.
The two remaining Trandoshans charged at Jaina with vibro-blades, causing her to duck under their wild swings and slash through the deadly weapons. "Ahsoka, this way!"
The night air hit the two Padawans as they burst out of the arcade's back door and into a narrow alley, the bounty hunters shouting and blasting not too far behind.
Ahsoka grabbed Jaina's hand, running deeper into the Uscru District's maze of narrow streets. Neon signs flashed overhead, with speeders zooming past as the two Padawans darted between confused pedestrians.
"Quick, down here!" Ahsoka tugged her into a narrow side street filled with steam from food vendors.
They continued running, trying to lose their pursuers in the crowded undercity streets.
Jaina slowed slightly, spotting a stack of empty crates in a nearby garbage pile. "Ahsoka, we should—"
Before she could finish her sentence, Ahsoka had already pulled her towards them. The two Padawans quickly ducked behind the pile, using the Force to silently lift the lids and slip inside two large containers.
The hunters burst into the alley moments later, their boots splashing through puddles as they searched through the crowds and the steam. "They went this way, spread out!"
The young Jedi remained perfectly still in their hiding spots as the Trandoshans moved through the alley, checking behind vendor stalls and through doorways.
"They must have gone down another street," the Twi'lek leader growled. "Let's check the next block!"
Their footsteps faded as they moved away, leaving the alley silent except for the sizzling of cooking food and the hushed chatter of passing pedestrians.
After waiting another tense minute to ensure the coast was clear, the two Padawans carefully emerged from their crates.
Jaina reached for her comlink in her pocket, activating a holographic map of their location. "There's an airtaxi stand 300 meters southeast, three blocks down," she muttered, before her eyes drifted towards the time.
23:03.
Her eyes widened in sheer horror. "Wait—is-is that time—Ahsoka, my curfew—"
Ahsoka grabbed her arm as they began moving quickly through the crowded street. "Less talking, more running!"
The night markets were still bustling with activity as they pushed past various people going about their evenings. A group of chatting Mon Calamari laughed merrily, unintentionally blocking their path and forcing the two Padawans to dodge around a food cart selling steaming bowls of noodles.
"We're so dead. We are so, so dead," Jaina muttered as they rushed through the neon-lit streets.
The smell of spices and cooking meat filled the air as they weaved through the crowd, keeping their eyes peeled for any sign of the bounty hunters.
The two Padawans rounded another corner, nearly colliding with a Twi'lek street performer juggling glowing orbs.
"The airtaxi stand should be just ahead, after we pass these vendors!" Ahsoka said, her boots splashing through puddles as she half-dragged Jaina towards the closest yellow airspeeder.
"Please, we need to get to the Jedi Temple immediately!" Jaina called out to the Rodian driver, as she and Ahsoka quickly clambered into the back seat. "Hurry, hurry!"
The driver nodded, lifting the airspeeder back into the skylanes of Coruscant's night traffic.
Jaina frantically glanced at her comlink, this time clicking the button to open the main screen. "Oh Force—ELEVEN calls!"
"How bad is it?" Ahsoka asked, leaning over to peek at the comlink, displaying multiple messages and missed calls. She snickered. "You have to admit, it's a little funny how he calls you 'darling' in the early ones, but it quickly devolves into 'Padawan' and 'young one'—"
"Absolutely nothing about this is 'funny'!" Jaina snapped, her small hands clutching the comlink tighter as another notification lit up the screen, blinking relentlessly.
She froze, staring at the device. "Oh no, oh no, oh NO, what do I do, what do I do—"
"—answer it!" Ahsoka interrupted. "Not answering will only make it worse!"
Jaina took a deep, shuddering breath and pressed the accept button, wincing. "…Master?"
"Jaina! Where are you?! I've been trying to comm you for the past two hours!"
"I—" Jaina shrank down in her seat, her voice cracking as she chewed on her lip. "I-I know—I'm sorry, Master—"
"Where. Are. You?" The Jedi Master repeated, his voice more chillingly terrifying than she'd ever heard it—at least directed towards her. "Are you still with Ahsoka? Anakin has also been trying to reach her, we were both about to alert the Coruscant Guard!"
The Rodian driver glanced back at them through the rearview mirror, clearly amused by the drama unfolding in his backseat.
"We—we're in an air taxi, Master, heading back to the Temple right now," Jaina squeaked into the comm, her small frame sinking further into the seat as she spoke. "Should be home in a few minutes."
The silence on the other end was deafening, broken only by a deep sigh that made her stomach churn. "We will discuss this when you arrive, Padawan."
The formal title stung more than any reprimand could have.
The connection ended with a soft click that seemed to echo in the tense silence of the air taxi, with the driver now keeping his eyes forward and at the merging lanes.
Jaina sighed, absently twirling her Padawan braid around her finger and tugging repeatedly.
The speeder weaved through the bright lights of Coruscant's upper levels, with the Jedi Temple growing larger with each passing moment.
Beside her, Ahsoka typed furiously into her own comlink, likely trying to explain things to Anakin. "At least we can tell them we were practicing our combat skills?" she offered weakly.
"Against bounty hunters who wanted to sell us to the Separatists?" Jaina deadpanned.
Ahsoka's attempt at a smile faltered as she put her comlink away. "Yeah…maybe skip that part."
As the air taxi began its descent towards the Temple's public landing platform, Jaina caught a glimpse of two figures standing by the entrance…two distinct, intimidating silhouettes.
"Well," Ahsoka muttered dryly, wincing at the sight. "It could be worse…at least they're not pacing."
The air taxi touched down with a gentle thud, Jaina fumbling with her credit chip as she paid the driver.
The driver smiled and gave them both a mock salute before taking off, leaving the two Padawans to face the wrath of their fearsome Jedi Masters.
"Master," Jaina stammered breathlessly, hurrying over towards them. "I can explain…"
The words died in her throat as she saw his stern expression, the tension in his fists and arms, folded stiffly across his chest.
Anakin planted his hands on his hips, glaring down at Ahsoka with equal disappointment. "Do you have any idea how worried we were?" he asked sharply. "Ahsoka, what were you thinking?! Right after your disciplinary meeting with the Council?!"
Jaina opened and closed her mouth several times as she frantically tried to form words, her hands fidgeting with the hem of her blue tunic. She looked helplessly towards Ahsoka, who seemed equally upset.
"Master, Master Kenobi," Ahsoka began breathlessly. "It was my—"
Obi-Wan stepped forward, his blue eyes narrowed. "Two hours past curfew, no communications, and now you return looking like that." He gestured to their disheveled tunics.
The Jedi Master pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head wearily. "Anakin. I trust you can handle your own Padawan's discipline?" He lowered his hand and gestured towards the entrance, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Jaina, let's go. Now."
Jaina turned towards Ahsoka, her eyes wide with pure horror at their predicament.
"Master, please, it was my idea to—" Ahsoka started to explain, but Anakin cut her off with a sharp gesture.
"Save it, Snips. We'll discuss this in private," Anakin interrupted, as he gestured for his Padawan to follow.
Ahsoka shot Jaina an apologetic look before trailing after Anakin, leaving her best friend alone with her own mentor.
The silence between Master and Padawan grew heavier with each passing second.
"Come along, young one," Obi-Wan finally spoke, his voice carrying that particular blend of disappointment and concern that Jaina had hoped never to hear. Not from him.
As they walked through the Temple's halls in a deafening silence, her boots seemed to echo impossibly loud against the marble floors.
This was going to be a long night.