A/N:

This chapter took way longer for me to write than it should have. Sorry that it is kinda short - this chapter is a bridge of sorts.

A big thank you to all you readers! Every review, favorite, follow, and view gives me that much more motivation. You're all great. Now, on to the story!


Chapter 4:

We All Need Some Luck


This looked like the one Wolffe had told him about. At the intersection of 12th and G. Anakin certainly would not have been able to find this on his own. There were simply too many holo-booths on any level of Coruscant for him to have found Ahsoka's call through brute force. Even knowing which terminal she had used, and what day, there were nearly twenty calls he would have to parse through.

"Find anything new, Rex?" Anakin looked up, taking a break from the monotonous staring at the screen in front of him. He and a few of his troops had been scouring the Coruscant databanks for hours, looking for any information that would help their investigation.

Rex stood up from the clone whose shoulder he had been hunched over, and walked over to his General. "The nano-droids definitely came from the Separatists, sir. We can't determine who the exact owner was prior to their being shipped to Coruscant, but we've traced their origin back to Mechis III."

"The Mechis system… That's one of the innermost Separatist systems, isn't it?" Anakin pondered. "The Republic has eyes on that system. They should have been able to catch those droids." He paused. If the Separatists were able to hide something like this on a system as close to the Core as Mechis, he shuddered to think what could be hidden in their Outer Rim territories. "Have you found anything on Offee?"

"Only that she did access Coruscant shipping records that day, sir. Whatever she found appears to have been erased from the memory banks."

"Of course it has been," the Jedi sighed. "I'll have that holo-transmission up in a few minutes, I think. Hopefully that will provide some answers."

He had to go through several different calls before he found the right one. It was fortunate Wolffe had remembered the terminal location correctly.

Two familiar faces came to life on the screen in front of him. In unison, anger and sorrow flared to life within Anakin. Maybe this transmission could finally provide the proof he needed.

He played the recording once Rex was back at his side.

"It's so good to see you, Ahsoka. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. If you consider Anakin and a hundred clones on my tail a good space to be in."

"You were almost captured?"

"Once or twice, yeah."

"Where are you?"

"I can't say, Barriss."

Anakin narrowed his eyes. Why would Barriss need to know where Ahsoka was? Yet, as the transmission continued, she got his former Padawan to spill.

"Three levels up there seems to be an abandoned warehouse where they stored munitions that Letta visited during the time she was getting access to the nano-droids."

"How did you find this out?"

The call ended with Barriss giving the vague explanation of her doing 'some checking'.

"Thoughts, Rex?"

"It's enough to instill a reasonable doubt on Commander Tano's guiltiness, sir." Rex paused. "But I'm not sure it's proof of her innocence either."

"It's enough for me. We'll have to see if the Council agrees," Anakin replied. "Keep searching the databanks, Rex. Comm me if you find anything at all, regardless of whether it seems to help Ahsoka or not. I'm going to go back to the Temple and start putting together what we have to present it to the Council."

"Aye, sir. And we'll check the databanks on the 1315 warehouse, to see if there's a reason in the records that Offee told Commander Tano that the warehouse was abandoned."

"Good idea. Keep me informed."

"Best of luck, sir."

Anakin nodded to him in return. "We all need some luck nowadays, Rex."


"You would pick this cantina."

"What? It's full of people, it's out of the way. No one will notice us here."

"Yeah, but it's so… dingy," Ahsoka cringed as she glanced around the establishment from their booth.

This was their first stop since leaving from Corellia nearly a day earlier. They were on Eriadu, just beyond the Mid Rim. At the moment their escape had led them to a, well, typical Outer Rim cantina.

"Oh, my sincerest apologies, princess," Asajj drawled across from her. "Grow a pair. You've been in worse places."

"Not by choice, usually," the Togruta grumbled.

"Good thing you're a free woman now." Ventress took a deep swig from her glass. "Relatively. You still owe me for hiding you and getting you off Coruscant."

"I— That's—" Ahsoka stuttered. "Ridiculous! I helped you get the Scimitar, didn't I? That's more than worth whatever bounty you lost out on by not turning—"

She was cut off by a grey hand clamping across her mouth.

"Hey! Shut it, tailhead. You'll get us killed announcing things like that."

"And you'll get yourself killed calling me that," Ahsoka growled, slapping Ventress' hand off her mouth. "You're lucky I still don't have a lightsaber."

Asajj grunted. "You'll need some luck to get one. Kyber crystals are damn near impossible to find even when there isn't a war between the Jedi and Sith rampaging the galaxy."

Ahsoka continued to glower at her companion, opting not to respond. Asajj was right, she knew, about the crystals. She had only ever seen them on Ilum or in the Temple. Never being traded out in the open.

"Besides, let's say you did find one. It would cost you a fortune that you don't have," the older woman continued. "Which brings me back to my original point. Even if the Scimitar covers what you owe me — which, well, maybe — you still don't have any money."

"Neither do you," Ahsoka countered. Asajj rolled her eyes in response.

"That's what I'm saying, kid. We both need money. You especially, because I won't be your personal ferry across the galaxy forever. And I know how we can get some."

"No." Ahsoka crossed her arms. "I told you already, I am not going to be a bounty hunter."

Asajj groaned. "Quit being such a… such a Jedi, Ahsoka. The world isn't so black and white as you think."

"Then maybe I just don't want to work with you, Ventress. Ever think of that?"

"Alright, fine. I can get work on my own," the older woman threw up her hands in exasperation. "I'll just leave you here on Eriadu, then. I'm sure you can find work in the Lommite mines. I hear the conditions have really improved — only four deaths in an average week these days."

Ahsoka's nostrils flared. She hated how easy it was for Asajj to get under her skin. She hated that she didn't have a lightsaber. She hated that she was stuck in the Outer Rim. But most of all, she hated that she didn't have a whole lot of options right now.

"One job." Ahsoka held up her finger in emphasis. "One bounty to get us set, then I'm out."

Asajj smirked. "One job it is. Now, the real reason I chose this cantina is because it has a terminal that I can connect to the Guild's network from, and get us a target."

The former Jedi gave the woman a glare as she got up from the booth and crossed the room to the cantina's computer. The lying sleemo. She'd planned this whole thing out, knowing that Ahsoka wouldn't have any other options.

Ahsoka sighed, and drained the glass in front of her. So, for maybe a week, she would be a bounty hunter. But after that, what was she going to do? Even if she had money, she had no idea where to go. Instinct told her to head for Naboo, or Pantora, and see if she could get help from her non-Jedi friends. But those were both Republic systems. Being with a public figure like Padmé or Riyo would end with her getting arrested in a heartbeat. All of her friends were in the Republic, Ahsoka realized. Going to any of them would inevitably lead to her being found, eventually.

What was she going to do?


A crowd gathered in the town square. Not the largest this town had ever seen, but a good amount of people always came out for a flogging. In the center of the crowd was a large stone platform raising to near shoulder height in the center of the plaza. On this stage stood two men. One holding rope, while the other was bound by it. One Chiss, one Zabrak. The audience was focused intently on these two, though both had yet to move.

It was at the front, just a few feet from the edge of the platform, that Arael found herself. On her right was a child, a distraught young girl clinging to her mother's leg. To her left stood a taller man, his blue skin standing out against the yellower tones that dominated the crowd.

"Again? Really?" the man drawled.

"It's not as if I want to keep reliving this." Arael glanced to her side. It would be another minute or so before the girl started crying.

"Perhaps. But there must be some part of you that is holding on to this."

"As if I didn't already know that from the last dozen times you told me, Wentik."

"Apparently you don't, as we're still stuck here."

The cries of the young girl at her side began, at the same moment as every other time.

Wentik continued, "You know, for as many times as we have been here, I'm always impressed by the volume you were able to achieve as a child."

Arael stayed silent. She was not going to let him make light of what they were observing. Even if he couldn't understand it like she did, he should respect it.

"Sorry." At least Wentik was smart enough to own his mistakes. "I would ask if you wanted to leave but… well, you know."

"Yes." Exiting from within a vision was impossible. They had tried.

So they would watch. Twenty-six lashes. Two for each unit her father had made wrong. And throughout the whole affair, the square would be silent save for a cracking whip, screams of pain, and the sobs of a young girl who didn't yet understand how her world worked.

Arael's eyes snapped open. The vision was over. She was back in the lab. Still sitting across from Wentik, the Cube still floating between them under their combined power.

The first time she'd had to relive this, Arael had broken down. The sixth time, it had taken all her strength to hold back her tears. Now, after she had long lost count, she had no troubles keeping her emotions in check.

Her attention came back to the present as Wentik took full control of the Cube, floating it up to the perch where it was stored under lock and key.

"I don't mean to sound insensitive," he said, "but we need to find a way to get over this mental block. It's been months since we've made any significant progress. My superiors are getting impatient."

"I know," Arael responded curtly.

"They've invested a huge amount into my work. You know there are only two of these Cubes in the Ascendancy. And they're already skeptical of using one on a non-Chiss. They only agreed to it because it wasn't — isn't — approved for trials on citizens yet. If we aren't making progress to prove these Cubes can significantly amplify your connection, they'll shut us down in an—"

"I said I know, Wentik." She glared at him. "I've got just as much incentive to keep this running as you do." More, probably. "Even if I didn't, you aren't exactly hiding your emotions from me."

"I know, it's just…" He swore. "It's just so frustrating."

Arael agreed. It was incredibly frustrating. If she didn't figure out how to get past this, they would get shut down. Wentik would be reassigned. She would probably be locked away or executed. And her parents would be taken off of government protection and be forced back into factory work. She couldn't let that happen.


The evening air was crisp and cool, just like on most nights. The slight breeze brought a cold that nipped at Arael's bare arms.

One benefit to her official position as a personal assistant to an officer as high ranking as Wentik was the great quarters. The balcony railing she stood at now was fifteen floors off the ground, overlooking the residential area. Thousands, maybe millions, of small lights dotted the landscape.

If you ignored the slavery, the city really was beautiful.

But tonight, what held Arael's interest wasn't the lights below, but those above. The stars. She knew that people travelled in space, moving from one speck of light to the other. She had seen ships taking off from the very base she lived in to make those journeys.

The door creaked open behind her.

"I brought you some tea," Wentik offered as leaned on the railing by her side. She thanked him and took the mug from his hand. The heat of the drink felt nice against her cold fingers. Arael sipped at the tea, feeling the warmth spread throughout her body. She leaned into the companion at her side, gently resting her horned head onto his shoulder.

The stars above them continued to shimmer, as enticing as ever.

"What is it like out there?"

"Hm? Out where?" Wentik tilted his head towards her.

"Out there," Arael gestured vaguely upward. "In outer space. You've been there before, right?"

"Yes, a few times," he answered. His gaze turned upwards, where hers was fixed. "What do you want to know?"

She shrugged. "Anything."

"Oh, I need more help than that."

"Fine," she groaned lightheartedly. "How many planets are there?"

"I don't think anyone knows the answer to that," he laughed. "For every star we can see here, there are thousands more we can't see. It's in the billions for the entire galaxy."

Arael's eyes widened in amazement. She couldn't even hope to count all the stars in the sky. How could that only be a minuscule fraction of the galaxy?

"The galaxy must be huge," she echoed.

"It is," he confirmed. "Huge, and full of life. Though to be fair, I've never been outside of the Ascendancy."

"At least you've been off the planet," she reprimanded. "I wish I could be out there. Traveling among the stars, seeing everything the galaxy has to offer."

"Who knows. Maybe you will see it all, someday."

Arael certainly hoped so. She didn't want her entire life to be spent like it was now.


Anakin's head landed on the grass with a thud. He groaned, reaching up to slide his hands across his face. Or hand, rather. He still hadn't replaced his prosthetic after Ahsoka blew it off.

His meeting with the Council that morning had gone just about as well as he had expected.

How did you find this transmission? With the best troopers and a little luck, Master Windu. Still, the evidence is entirely circumstantial, Knight Skywalker. Perhaps, Master Mundi, but it's enough to provide a reasonable doubt on Ahsoka's guilt. Incriminated Padawan Offee, you have not. Much more evidence against Padawan Tano, there is. But revealed more, you have. Investigate Master Unduli's apprentice upon their return, we shall. Yes, Master Yoda.

Of course Barriss was off planet. Either the Mirialan girl was extraordinarily lucky, or she had a plan for every possibility. In which case, the chances of her being caught were very slim.

"Thinking, are you?"

The Knight in question removed his hand from his face, bolting upright as he saw the Grandmaster in front of him. "Master Yoda! Sorry, I didn't sense you coming."

"Understand, I do. Much on your mind, you have." The shorter man walked closer to him, taking a seat at a rock by his side.

"Was there something I could help you with?" Anakin pulled his legs in, assuming a more respectful cross-legged pose.

"No, no," Yoda croaked. "News for you, I have."

The Grandmaster paused. Anakin had a feeling that this news, whatever it was, wouldn't be good.

"To Togoria, Master Unduli and her Padawan were sent."

"Yes, Master, I know. That's what you said during my report today." Anakin spoke slowly, trying not to sound impatient. His apprehension grew with every second. "Master Windu said that they were going to assist the growing Togorian resistance against the Separatist occupation."

"Yes." Another pause. "But ambushed, they were. Stronger in numbers than we knew, the Separatists were."

"They… they were killed, weren't they?" Anakin spoke softly. "You wouldn't be telling me this if they survived."

"Killed, the entire battalion nearly was. Send a transmission, a survivor did. His Jedi Commanders die, he saw," Yoda spoke gravely.

"So that's it then," Anakin choked. He let his head drop slightly. "I'm… I'm sorry to hear of Master Unduli's death."

"As are we all," Yoda replied. His gaze focused in on Anakin, the wrinkles around his eyes creasing in thought. "Harbor anger against Padawan Offee, you must not. Know her guilt, we do not. And know her innocence, we do not. Trust in the Force, we must."

"Yes, Master Yoda. I know. Anger is the path to the Dark Side, and all that." He let out a deep breath. "I just need some time, is all. This hasn't been an easy week for me."

"Understand, I do."

Anakin gave him a strange look. With anyone else, he might have allowed his own frustrations to overcome him. How could Yoda, the archetypical Jedi Master, and one of those who essentially expelled Ahsoka from the Order, possibly understand how he was feeling?

The green skinned man rested his chin atop his cane, looking pensively at the younger Knight. "Years ago, a Padawan I had. Smart, brave, powerful he was. A great Knight, he became. But Dooku left our ways of the Force. Corrupted by Sidious, he was." His eyes closed, a slight downward curl forming on his lips. "Now a Sith, my Padawan is."

"I'm… I'm sorry, Master Yoda. I forget, sometimes, that Count Dooku was your Padawan." He'd never considered how Dooku's turn to the Dark Side had affected the seemingly impervious Grandmaster.

"Yes. Long before you were born, my Padawan he was." Yoda hummed in thought. "But like him, Ahsoka is not. Attracted to power, she is not. But lost, she is. Lost, are you." A sharp rap on Anakin's arm with his cane emphasized his point. "Meditate, you must. Listen to the Force. Do this, I will as well. Understand why this happened in this way, we must."

Anakin nodded in silent agreement. He wasn't sure any amount of meditation could sort out the confusing torrent of emotions within him.

"Some time, you shall have." The Grandmaster rapped his cane against the rock he sat on. "In three days, a security detail duty you have. Free you are, until then."

"Understood, Master." It made sense to give him a less stressful mission right after this past week. They had to make sure he was ready before sending him into field duty. "If I may, who or what exactly am I going to be providing security for?"

"To the Outer Rim, the Naboo Senator is going. More security than her planet can provide, she needs. Friends, you both are, hm?"

"Yes," the Knight replied with a small grin. He scratched the back of his neck unconsciously. "We are friends. It'll be nice to see her again. Thank you, Master."

Anakin swore he could see the ghost of a smile on Grandmaster Yoda's lips.


"So, what do you think? Will it work?"

"Uh…" Anakin slid his gaze over to his wife, who was standing a few feet away from where he was laid out on a long couch. She'd just spent the last five minutes explaining her plan to get the government of Elrood to rejoin the Republic. Or maybe it had been ten minutes?

"You know diplomacy isn't really my strong suit, Padmé. Your plans are always good. If you think it will work, I'm sure it will."

"It needs to," she frowned at him. "Elrood has never been as strongly attached to the Confederacy as most of the other planets that seceded. Their ships would be a huge help for the Republic."

"Alright, enough work. How about this," Anakin shifted so he could better face Padmé. "Let's worry about the negotiations once we get there. It'll be hours until we even make it to the Outer Rim, and a few more to the Elrood Sector."

"And until then?" A small smirk grew on the Senator's features.

"Well, you're in your private quarters with your husband, and the only other people on board are security and ship personnel who have no reason to bother you." He smiled coyly at her. "I can think of a couple things we could do."

"Is that so," she purred back at him. "Care to enlighten me, Master Jedi?"

She set herself on the couch on all fours, and began to crawl slowly towards him. Her figure swayed seductively, entrancing Anakin's gaze. For every inch the gap between them lessened, his chest beat that much harder.

Force, Padmé was beautiful.

"I…"

Before he could finish, she was upon him. Their bodies collided in a burst of passion, and all other thoughts were gone. In that moment they released every trace of frustration, of love, of longing pent up from the months they were forced to spend apart.

It was bliss.

Eventually the pair did come down from their high. They laid in each others arms, the steady rhythm of their deep breathing providing a backdrop for their embrace. Anakin planted a soft kiss on his wife's temple.

"Padmé?"

"Hm?" She scratched her fingers softly against his side.

"When you think of what you hope for, how would you describe it?"

"My ideal future, you mean?" Padmé's head tilted up, her eyes opening to meet his. Anakin nodded, his right arm tracing out her shoulder blade against her back. "Well, there's no war, of course. So we can use our positions to create good in the galaxy, rather than just fighting off evil. And, in a perfect galaxy, we wouldn't need to hide who we are to each other from our friends." She nuzzled her face into his neck, breaking their eye contact. "Maybe after this war is over, we can have that."

Anakin hummed contentedly. A galaxy like that was a beautiful one to imagine. He gripped his wife tighter, pulling her in flush against his body.

"What about you?" Padmé broke the brief silence.

"I'm not sure," he confessed quietly. "But as long as my future is with you, it's perfect for me." That earned him a loving smile, and another passionate kiss.

It crossed Anakin's mind, as the couple drifted off to sleep, that perhaps Padmé's love was all he wanted for his ideal future.