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There was water trickling in the distance. It was an odd sound in a place that looked completely dry. A fountain maybe. It didn't matter much to Ahsoka. All that mattered was that the temple was quiet.
It was peaceful. Masters sat around meditating, small smiles on their faces. Children ran by, their eyes full of glee and their mouths open in silent laughter.
Wait-- silent?
Where was the laughter? Where were the shrieks of giggling younglings?
The temple was perfectly silent.
"Ahsoka!" The call made the young girl jump. She whipped her head around at a speed that made her dizzy. Anakin was there. He had a massive smile, and his presence was radiating pure content.
Ahsoka felt her own smile grow at the sight of her master. He was a beacon of safety, even when she didn't need to be safe.
"Anakin." She sighed in relief.
He ran over and looped a hand around her shoulders, leading them to an open meditation area.
"It's been too long," He murmured. His arm tightened around her for just a second. "I missed you Ahsoka. How's life been?"
She opened her mouth-- and nothing came out. She couldn't talk. She couldn't breath, what the hell, she couldn't--
"Ahsoka. I asked you how you've been."
Anakins arm tightened around her shoulders and this time he didn't stop.
"Have you missed me?"
She wanted to shout. Of course she missed him. Instead she gasped like a dying fish on land.
"Ahsoka," his tone was suddenly so dark. "Have you missed me?"
That was not her master's voice. His grip on her was too tight now. It was crushing her ribs, her shoulders, everything hurt and he wouldn't stop.
She blinked.
And then there was screaming.
There was fire.
Everything was burning again.
Agony rippled through the force and suddenly the unbearable pressure on her body was gone.
"Ahsoka! Help me!" Anakin was screaming. He was in pain.
She looked around wildly, fire licking her skin.
"Ahsoka!"
The screaming continued.
"Ahsoka you coward! You left me!"
The Togruta felt tears pool in her eyes.
No.
No.
No.
It was all wrong, it wasn't real, it was all wrong wrong wrong stop make it stop no--
"Ahsoka!"
"Ahsoka!"
There was someone there. There was no time to even think before Ahsoka called on the force to assist her. Panic and adrenaline burned through her body like fire, and in an instant whoever had been there was on the other side of the room, a surprised shout leaving their mouth before they collided painfully with the wall.
"Ahsoka," They whispered, "It's just me."
The terrified Togruta shot up in her bed, blanket immediately pooling at her lap.
The force hummed with anxiety and fear. It definitely didn't help the panic that she was still feeling.
It took ages before her eyes adjusted to the dim light, her ship's sleeping quarters coming into veiw.
The girl drew in a breath. Held it. Then let it go.
"I'm sorry Asajj." Ahsoka muttered.
The former assassin sat on the floor in the far side of the room, looking extremely irritated. Her white hair had started falling just below her ears. She would look completely terrifying if it wasn't for the loose sweatpants and sleep shirt she wore.
"I'm going to get ready." Asajj pushed herself off the floor with a small huff. "We arrived a few minutes ago. You have thirty minutes."
Ahsoka nodded. "Are you hurt?"
"It's fine. Thirty minutes."
Ahsoka drew in another deep breath, shaking the nightmare out of her head. They were getting worse.
Her job definitely didn't help.
()()()
"I have eyes on the target."
Ahsoka's comm crackled when Asajj replied.
"Where?"
"City square, talking to a vendor."
Ahsoka glanced around the large area, from her perch on a rooftop, quickly noting where all the possible escape routes were. The target, a yellowish Rodian, was fidgety and restless, constantly checking over his shoulder. He knew he was being followed. She would need to stay close to him before he got smart and made a run for it.
It would be an easy catch. Grab the guy, then bring him back to their client. Get paid.
Ahsoka sighed. That was all her life was anymore. Grab someone, get paid for it. The words bounty hunter made her chest constrict in the most painful way, yet it was exactly what she was. A bounty hunter. The scum of the galaxy that catches the worse scum of the galaxy.
She tried to imagine what her younger self would have thought. Little 'Soka would probably be pretty ashamed. But it wasn't like she had any other job. She needed the money to eat, to live. It was risky just existing as a Jedi. At least as a bounty hunter people don't ask as many questions.
"Ahsoka," the comm crackled and popped with Asajj's voice, "I just got an update from our client. He wants the Rodian brought in dead."
Ahsoka felt her heart stop. She didn't do that. She wouldn't do that.
Ahsoka had spilled blood before. It was inevitable in a war, especially as a small kid.
People try to grab you and suddenly you find yourself standing over a body, lightsaber in hand, the sinking realization that you just killed somebody, you killed them, the fault is yours it's always been yours you killed somebody you killed them like a filthy murderer you--
So yes, she had killed before. Didn't mean she liked it.
"Ahsoka please confirm that you understand the assignment."
The Togruta sucked in a breath, letting the air push away her old memories. She picked up her comm and prepared herself.
"I'm not doing it Ventress."
Ahsoka winced. She hadn't called her Ventress in a long time.
"Why not?" Asajj growled.
"I dont--"
It didn't matter what she said after that. In a flash, a loud crack made its way through the city square, a sniper bolt piercing the target's skull.
He fell to ground immediately, as people began to scream and run. There were sounds of children crying, women shrieking, the vendors knocking their stuff over. It was pure chaos.
"Let them clear out a bit. We'll grab him before the authorities show up."
"Was that you?"
"It was."
Ahsoka grumbled out a reply, taking her time to feel angry at the former assassin.
She dropped down from her perch, making her way to where the Rodian had dropped.
In the middle of his forehead was a charred hole, a trickle of blood spilling out from where the burnt skin ripped.
Asajj appeared a second later, taking in her work with a low whistle.
"You're carrying it, kid."
Before Ahsoka could even protest, Asajj had begun making her way back to the ship. If the chaos slowed down a bit, every person in that square would hear the whimper let out by a small togruta. She would have to suffer alone.
()()()
Ahsoka had never met their client before. Asajj usually did all the negotiations, Ahsoka usually did all the catching. It was a good balance between the two.
This time however, Asajj had insisted that Ahsoka come along. Said something about 'the more people we have, the more intimidating we are, therefore less likely we get scammed'. It sounded reasonable at first. The needed money, they couldn't afford to be scammed out of this. So Ahsoka had come along to deliver the body.
Currently it was slung over her shoulder, lightly dripping some sort of bodily fluid onto her back. It was fucking disgusting. Only eight hours and the Rodian's insides had already begun decomposing.
Only a few more minutes Ahsoka, come on you can do it. You're already here.
They were led by a guard through a fancy building, covered floor to ceiling in artifacts and priceless gems. Everything about the place screamed riches. Exactly what they needed.
The guard in front pushed open a large door, leading to their client. He was a fat Iridonian, horns sharp and pristine, indicating he had never used them in a fight before.
He smiled at the sight of the two bounty hunters.
"Welcome!" His voice was booming. It felt like it shook the whole building.
Ahsoka and Asajj stepped forward, the former dropping the body in front of the client's chair. He looked unhappy about the fluid leaking on to his expensive carpet, but he didn't complain. Instead he studied the Rodian's face carefully, like it was some sort of fancy rock.
"Yes, this is him," Ahsoka felt a wave of relief sweep through Asajj's force signature at the client's heavy tone, "Shall we begin negotiations?"
This was Asajj's strength. Ahsoka was good at talking to civilians, being polite to important people, comforting children, not negotiating payment for anything. Especially not negotiating with criminal scum.
Her mind wandered back to what the client had said earlier. Had they not even known that the Rodian was the correct target? She once again thanked whatever God there was, that they hadn't just killed a random man. She wouldn't be able to live with herself.
The fluids that had spilled onto her back had begun to dry and flake in the most disgusting way. She carefully wiped her shoulder and it came back in a mixture of blood and mucus. It took every ounce of her strength not to gag.
"...how much for her?"
What?
Ahsoka tore her mind back to the conversation, heart dropping into her stomach once she realized the client was pointing at her.
"I dont know what you mean," Asajj stated.
"Your servant." The client grunted it as if it was so obvious. "She's very beautiful. Would fit in with me here."
Ahsoka's heart dropped further when the client's greedy eyes met hers.
"I'm sorry sir," Asajj said again," I don't understand."
The client's hand was once again pointed at the togruta.
"I want to buy her from you. Triple the amount of this bounty."
Ahsoka thought it couldn't get any worse. Her mouth felt like it was filled with cotton, she couldn't even speak. A wave of protectiveness flooded over her, the weak and tangled bond between her and Asajj lighting up. The woman snarled.
"She's not for sale."
The Iridonian huffed in amusement.
"Alright then, here's your payment."
A bag of coins was tossed to the two, Asajj counting each one before she nodded, turning to leave, Ahsoka trailing close behind her.
It was on their way out that Asajj stopped and turned to fully face Ahsoka. Her piercing blue eyes stared right into her soul, their weak bond once again lighting up between them.
"I wouldn't have sold you to him. I want you to know that. Not for any amount of money."
With that, she kept walking, oblivious to the fact that she had just shocked Ahsoka into complete silence.
Ahsoka stared at Asajj's back, tears prickling her eyes. It was the closest thing to comfort she had been given in two years. It was almost too much.
Ahsoka reached out to the force that night in pure desperation. The need to find anyone lighting up the nerves in her body. She reached out in broken hope, that somebody would reach back and help her.
She didn't expect Asajj Ventress to be the one to reach back. She didn't expect the assassin to take her in, and teach her to be a bounty hunter. She didn't expect any of this at all.
"Kid," the Dathmirian's voice cut through the fog, "lets go!"
Nothing was right. Nothing was okay. Ahsoka's people, her friends, everyone she loved was dead. But she had Asajj, and Asajj had her, and they were going to be fine. They had to be.