𝗔𝗵𝘀𝗼𝗸𝗮 𝗧𝗮𝗻𝗼

Chapter Four

"Boss, we've gotta problem in the back." A nasally voice cut through the faux silence in the back corner of the diner, where Dex and Ahsoka had been lulled into a brief sense of inconspicuous privacy.

Dex, who was still studying the young Togruta in front of him, took a few moments to respond, almost as if he were unwilling to answer the call back to the reality of the rest of the night where the extremely interesting Togruta didn't affect anyone else.

"Problem? What kind of problem?" He asked suspiciously, slowing tearing away from the eye contact with the girl across from him to be greeted by a lanky human with a mop of brown hair.

The young man, who seemed to be in about his twenties (though Dex couldn't remember exactly), seemed to hesitate, before realizing stalling would get him nowhere and decided to just get to the point. "Lucy malfunctioned. Went awol. We've got her in the back, but none of us are any good with that kinda stuff."

Dex sighed, running a hand down his face before checking the chrono on his wrist. "Alright, Fren, I'll check it out. Give me a minute."

Fren, the skinny, pale human, nodded, before turning around and slinking back to the kitchens, his slouching posture a stark difference from the straight-backed teen in front of him.

Dex watched his messy brown hair weave through the crowds before turning his attention back to the former Jedi in front of him. "Im sorry," he told her, sighing as he accepted that he had to return to his business. "I've gotta take care of this."

"Can I be any help?" She asked, tearing her eyes away from the wanted poster behind him for about the tenth time that night. Dex made a mental note to take it down next time he got a chance.

"Nah, don't worry about it, kid. You've got enough to worry about as it is." He waved his hand, peering over the heads of the sentients in the room to see if any knowledge of the disturbance from the kitchen had reached the public.

When he he didn't hear an answer from the Togruta, he turned back to her, studying her face again as her disoriented eyes focused back on the sign. Even though the sign was as light as paper, they both seemed to be treating it like it was heavier than the planet of Coruscant.

He saw something flash through her eyes. Was that disapointment?

"No, I want to help." She finally met his eyes again, real sincerity visable. "It can repay you for the food — I don't have any credits." She explained.

The red rim and swelling around her eyes had gone down, and it seemed the water had alleviated the slight rasp in her voice from the raw throat crying left in its wake.

Dex was a little taken aback by her eagerness, but then he recalled his earlier train of thought: Jedi like to fix things.

He realized, despite this girls exterior behavior and body language, she was still hurting. She felt lost, confused, like her world had just been pulled out from under her feet (which, of course, it had). She wanted to do something familiar — help people. She wanted — no, needed something concrete that she could control and that she could occupy her mind with... something to keep her busy.

Dex decided to give it to her.

After studying her for a moment more, he asked, "You any good with droids?"