Learning to Live (COMPLETE)

8.8.4

Ahsoka figured that it would be best if she put on a confident face. "Has someone been talking about me?"

A few people snickered. "Nox mentioned you a few times," the same man who had dismissed Nox explained. "Said you were nice and you made conversation here and there. Apparently, it was worth mentioning to him."

"Not to mention our little introduction last night," Tawnya added. "I told you, anyone who sticks up for one of our own gets free passage on our turf."

"Funny, because it felt like the only reason I wasn't shot down was that I was with Nox," Ahsoka commented.

One of the others groaned. "Don't mind them. Now that they've seen you, they'll get the idea."

Ahsoka nodded, deciding to forget about it for the time being. Instead, she crossed her arms and looked at each of the twelve leaders in turn. "So what is your story?"

They all turned to a female human, who was standing, not sitting, and hadn't spoken until now. She was probably one of the oldest in the group, but even still wasn't much older than Anakin or Padme probably were. Her hair was completely black, which stood out among the bright flashy colors of the other leaders. Dyed hair seemed to be a popular trend in this gang. Ahsoka wondered why.

"We started the same way most gangs do," she explained, without giving a name. "We had no job, no family, and no place to stay. We did know that strength is in numbers, though, so we stuck together with a few kids and a few other teens. We camped out down an alley on this level, and we started raiding, mugging, the usual."

Although she would never condone such actions, Ahsoka nodded, understanding where she was coming from. "What you had to do to survive."

The leader went on. "We started picking up others. Kids who were on the streets, teens who were going solo, whoever didn't try to kill us. We found an abandoned building down the street and moved in. That's where it started. Once we had a place, we made a deal. We would only take in kids, and the only adults here would be the ones who grew up here. Instead of taking from innocents, we would only raid abusers, large businesses, and anyone else who could take a hit."

"So you decided to embody karma?" Ahsoka asked, half-joking. Tawnya, among a few others, seemed amused. Even the leader had to fight to keep her face straight.

"Not everyone. Some of ours found jobs and moved out. Those who went straight visit, but never really came back. Eventually, we got enough people that not everyone has to fight. You saw Nox, he doesn't do any of the raids. He does our repairs instead."

Huh. So Nox takes his work home with him. "That makes sense. I always wondered where he went during the day."

The man who had spoken earlier piped up. "He's one of the few who got a job and still stayed. We only have five or six who bring in any income, he's one of them. Helps with the big stuff when it rolls around."

Ahsoka wasn't sure she wanted to know what 'big stuff' was referring to. "How did you manage to get the whole sector?"

The leader woman shrugged. "People moved, some joined. I guess they saw that we were decent, gave us some room."

She didn't go on, so Ahsoka gave up. "And who decides who sits on this council?"

A few eyebrows went up. "I don't know about 'council'," someone in the corner responded. "A dysfunctional leadership group, maybe."

More snickers. "Anyone who is over 18 years old is welcome to join if they want," the leader explained. "Some people, like Nox, don't want to make decisions for the gang, so they don't join. Their choice, not ours."