A/N: long time no upload, I get it. If any of you who once read this old story come back, glad to have you! hopefully, after a year and a half or so, I have improved somewhat in quality… enjoy!

On a small moon orbiting an only slightly large planet, there was a city named Galgalal*, under Imperial control, which held nearly a third of the total population. It was a city that thrived off of two major industries, and little else. An enormously large deposit of precious metals, and outlying farms of Nimander** plants, which, when ground into a powder, and mixed with any source of moisture, formed a light bread-like substance. It was not uncommon to mix such a powder up with some form of alcohol, creating a local sensation in which certain whiskey's were used, typically called Rake's** Root.

To an off-worlder, the stuff was rather unpleasant, being a dark, hearty loaf of revolting earthy flavors, but alas, it was cheap, and it was what Ahsoka was having to quite practically live on. At least it had more flavor than its water-made variant.

On the outskirts of Galgalal, and therefore out from under the imposing eye of most Imperial inspectors, sat a rather rustic building, three stories tall, which was rented out to many a field worker, or miner. Except for one, our dear Ahsoka, who sat chewing on a tough piece of Rake's Root, eyeing her communicator. The box-like device had received only one message in the last month, a coded transmission from Rebel Command. It seemed that the Imperials where about to find her trail once again, which meant she needed to move. But something else had happened.

A Rebel spy had been captured, and, upon being tortured, had started revealing the secrets of the codes he knew. This was the last message they would send to her, and a new code was being formulated. Ahsoka was supposed to await the arrival of a contact, who would get her off world and teach her the new code.

They knew where she was, at least to the general group of buildings, but there had been no detail about when or how this person would arrive, or how they would find her. That had been almost a month ago, and Ahsoka was starting to get worried, there was no way of knowing who was closer. The Imperials, or her contact.

Glancing at the clock, Ahsoka sighed. It was late, and, Rebel in hiding or not, she had work in the morning. Closing down her communicator, shoving the last of the Rakes Root into her mouth, and finally turning off the lamp at her bedside, Ahsoka went to sleep, dreaming of a world that was completely different.

Up in the spaceport above the moon, a small, personal vessel was pulling into the waiting dock to be sent ground-side. The pilot let the small ship switch to auto-pilot as it was pulled in by a gravity well, and answered the comm with a lazy hand motion as her ship was hailed by the Imperial officer within the station.

"Identification please," a brisk, clearly bored voice buzzed over the comm, and Kaeden felt her heart start to beat hard in her chest. This is where the nerves kicked in.

"Sun Kalan, requesting permission land in the northern Galgalal port." A moment of silence, a quick prayer to whatever higher power might be listening, and then a reply.

"Code?" that short, terse question set her heart beating faster, and Kaeden shook as she sent the code through. It was never guaranteed this would work. Its how their spy had been caught, just a few months beforehand.

"Clear for landing. Proceed." And with that, the comm link died, and Kaeden heaved a sigh of relief. Taking the ship off auto-pilot, Kaeden guided her vessel down towards the moon. As she was pulled into the atmosphere, she glanced back out of the view port, in time to see an Imperial Star Destroyer jump out of Hyperspace, its silent arrival pushing a wave of fear through her entire body. She needed to find Ahsoka, fast.

Ahsoka's dream was interrupted by something dark, something sinister. She let out a short cry as she bolted upright in her bed, her lightsabers flying to her open hands, igniting the room in pale white light. She sat there, shaking for a time, before she was able to calm her breathing. She had felt this before, facing Inquisitors, but this was different. Whoever had arrived, was powerful.

From the bridge of Draconus**, Halad Xuthier stood, feet apart and hands behind his back, studying the planet and moon before them. The breadcrumbs of his prey had led him here. And where the other inquisitors had failed, he would succeed. What was a rogue Jedi against him? He was already Vader's prized pupil. And, it seemed, being kept under watchful eye of the Emperor himself.

He would find this… upstart, and any other Rebel fools on this moon, and there would be slaughter.

Ahsoka didn't get much sleep after that, her mind on edge at what she would have to do now. She needed to run, but where? How? As far as she knew, she was the only Rebel sympathizer on the planet. Either the others were extremely silent, or they simply didn't exist.

So help was almost completely out of the picture, but what of her contact? Would they arrive in time to be blockaded in by the Imperials? Would she even be able to get out, assuming she could get a ship?

Whoever was up there, on that Star Destroyer, they had searched through the Force, openly, daringly, almost mockingly. He had sensed her, she was sure of it, but how much did that give away? She knew he was strong in the Force, and these Inquisitors were getting better and better in their swordplay, though still not on her level. But how much did that one simple questing reveal about her? Did he know where she was, to the very room of the building?

Too many questions!

Ahsoka was shaking, she had to reach a hand out to the small nightstand to steady herself. No more panicking. Just doing. she could get out of this. She was smart, and dangerous herself. She knew how to handle herself in a fight… but this?

Ahsoka was lost. she simply didn't know. She wanted to cry. To curl up in a tight ball and hide away from all of this. Old feelings crept up within her, about the Temple, about Anakin. Vader.

Maybe if she hadn't left… no! she needed to focus. Act normal. And most of all, stay calm. It was just a matter of time, and with no way of knowing just how much, Ahsoka resolved her mind, and strengthened her will. And set about packing her things.

Ahsoka's eyes were blood shot, their lids heavy from lack of sleep, and she received a few sympathetic glances as she shuffled her way into work. The sounds of the mining facility were sending waves of pain through her head, workers shouting and metal clanging and the general hum and crash of machinery, all the sounds that once made her feel welcome, now made her want to scream. Slipping inside the small mechanic office, Ahsoka sighed in relief upon being granted a small break from the noise outside.

It was short lived, however, when Bergrin dropped a welding tool, cursing profusely.

"Da m'sheen aint workin' 'ight! Soka! G'me ah hand wi'it, will ya? Blasted ting ne'er does its job!" the aging mechanic had hired Ahsoka mostly out of necessity, and had been delighted to find that she possessed skill greater than his on most levels, and had the even more beneficial ability of being able to understand most of what he was saying in a given sentence. The two had naturally bonded over the few months she had been here, but the connection was strictly professional, as he had yet to notice her mood, or the state she was in. He hardly even looked up as she handed him another tool, which he proceeded to smack the welding machine with until his vengeance was achieved.

After waiting a second, something hummed within the welding machine, and the tip of the welding tool began to glow hot once more, still lying on the shop floor, surrounded by metal shavings reflecting the soft orange glow, looking like the embers of a nearly dead fire. Smiling, Bergrin picked up the tool, and went back to work, fixing a panel on a quality control droid.

"tank's to ya', yer pay's at da erk'bench, cridits' comin in jees fine, gawt tree moar dees' ting's tah fix up, peeck one'o'em een geet yeeself started, yeh?" the man chose that moment to look up at Ahsoka with his broken smile, which immediately retreated with a gasp, "Soka! Ye look like Deaf eeself! Need ya a drink or tree tah get alon'?

Ahsoka shook her head, blinking slowly, nearly falling over before righting herself on the droid being worked on. Bergrin eyed her skeptically, before patting her on the shoulder.

"Wha don' ya get yeeself a nap, yeh? I'an ge' dees done an'ou'o'ere by meeself." The old man Ahsoka had come to view as an estranged uncle pointed to his office, which was home to a cluttered desk, and a couch instead of chairs for sitting, or, not uncommonly, napping. Too tired to argue, Ahsoka nodded, and shuffled her way into the office, where she closed the door, and promptly collapsed onto the couch. She was probably safer here than in her room, anyways…

Ahsoka didn't resist sleep as it quickly engulfed her, and she was dreaming once more.

A/N: there you have it folks, an actual plot for the next few chapters! be on the look out for more soon! A re-written and revised edition of the first two chapters is also on the way.