A Hero Lost: A Star Wars AU

~The Customer~

It was just another day in the slums of Coruscant.

Ahsoka was digging through a scrapyard to try and find something that maybe had enough use to sell.

She rummaged around in the debris, looking to see if there was anything worth selling.

"No, no, nope, nuh-uh..." She tossed some things behind her.

Then, something caught her eye.

"Huh," Ahsoka said to herself, picking up and examining the object. "Looks like it's some kinda repulsorlift. It... looks functional, too. Who the kriff would throw this out?"

She smiled to herself, and ran through the alleys, carrying the intact repulsorlift in her hands.

She then came up to the stand where the man she worked with, Rada, worked at.

"Oh?" Rada said. "Back so soon, Ashla?"

That was the name she went by, since using the name "Ahsoka" would probably draw some unwanted attention.

Ahsoka put the repulsorlift down on the desk in front of him.

"I doubt we'll need any more than that to make a day's worth of profit," Ahsoka said.

A smile grew on his face.

"Ah, ahaha!" he said. "Good work, Ashla! This'll do us well, for sure!"

"I don't know who left it there or why, but a good scavenger isn't just going to leave a perfectly good repulsorlift sitting in a scrap heap," Ahsoka said.

"Well," Rada replied, "guess it's just more credits for us then, ah Ashla?"

"Anything to get off this rock," Ahsoka replied.

"Eh, whether I would even call Coruscant a rock at this point is... debatable. I'd probably go with metal ball."

"You're right," Ahsoka replied. "Makes it all the worse. The sooner I can get away from this place, the better. I can't stand another second with whatever blabber the Senate or the Jedi put out."

"What's wrong with the Jedi?" Rada asked.

Ahsoka paused.

"They're... hypocrites," she finally said. One wrong word and she could give herself away. "They say they're keepers of the peace, but this kriffing war's been going on for kriff knows how long and the only thing they've done is make it worse."

"Eh, I... can't argue with you on that," Rada replied. "Heard one of 'em blew a hole in the side of the Temple?"

I sure hope he doesn't follow the news, or else I'm toast, Ahsoka thought.

"Eh, I was shocked nonetheless when it happened, but I... don't really care to follow up on that kind of thing, you know?"

Phew. It looks like she'd dodged that bullet.

"Me neither," Ahsoka said. "I think I'm going to get something to eat. You still got those Meilooruns in the back?"

"Go ahead, I know how much Togruta like to eat."

"Thanks," Ahsoka said.

She went to the back, grabbed the fruit, and ate it. It wasn't the freshest, but anything you could get your hands on in this dump was a treat.

"Oh, hello there," Ahsoka heard Rada say from the front, "how can I help you?"

"I need some help," Ahsoka heard another male voice say. "I'm... looking for someone."

Ahsoka took a peek. It seemed to be a regular middle-aged man wearing a cloak, but it wasn't anybody she recognized. Unfortunately, he also had a lightsaber clipped to his belt.

Oh, kriff, Ahsoka thought, going back behind the wall. I hope they aren't looking for me. Hopefully it's just another one of those boring criminal investigations down here.

"Well, who are you looking for?" Rada replied.

Ahsoka grabbed a cloak and mask, which thankfully just so happened to be in Rada's pile of miscellaneous sell-able scraps.

"Well, you aren't... hiding anyone, are you?" The Jedi replied.

Kriff, maybe it is me, Ahsoka thought.

She put on the cloak and mask, and went out.

"Get lost, Jedi!" Ahsoka said.

He flinched and reached for his lightsaber, but then stood down upon taking a good look at her.

Okay, so they're not looking for a Togruta, she thought.

"All the time, you Jedi just keep coming down here and dragging some bounty hunter or Separatist assassin down here and make a mess. Get out, please."

"I... well, I just want to help," the Jedi said.

"If you wanted to help, you'd end this war right now and help out the people down here who need it!"

"You don't know who you're dealing with," the Jedi said.

"Neither do you," Ahsoka replied.

"A-Ashla?" Rada said. "Could you... uh, tone down on the feistiness a little?"

Ahsoka's hands clenched into fists. She was angry. She could feel the anger tighten her grip around her as she became more frustrated at the audacity of this Jedi.

The Jedi reached to his lightsaber again.

But before he could pull it out and ignite it, he was tapped on the back by a police droid.

"Master Jedi," the droid said, "the bounty hunter's speeder crashed at a location two klicks north from here. I recommend moving there immediately."

Ahsoka let go of her anger, her tense muscles loosening again.

The Jedi looked at Ahsoka, then at Rada.

He turned around.

"Bunch of no-good lower-level dwellers," The Jedi mumbled to himself before hopping into a speeder and driving away.

"A-Ashla, what were you thinking!?" Rada said. "That was a Jedi, there's no way that was good for buisness!"

"Sorry," Ahsoka said, "I... I don't know what got into me."

But she knew very well what had gotten into her.

Her fear. Her anger. Her hatred.

And most of all, her suffering, at the hands of the Jedi Order.