Asaj Ventress was minding her own business, cleaning her blades and polishing them. On a chair near her Janak could be seen tinkering on some gismo.
Suddenly the coms device on the table starts beeping. Janak picks it up and checks to see who is calling.
"Who is it?" asked Asaj.
"Dunno. It's an old secured connection we gave out to contacts" said Janek, with a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Well answer the damn thing will you" snarked Asaj. Janek does just that.
An all too familiar Togruta girl pops up. "Hello? Anyone there?" asked Aksoka's blue holographic image.
"Well if it isn't the Republic's most wanted Padawan. What do we owe the pleasure to?" asked Janak in his own quirky way.
"I need your help," Said Ahsoka.
" What's in it for us sweet cheeks? We do nothing for free, you know?" said Asaj, stepping into the conversation.
"I have actionable intel on some factions moving against yours and by extension Thrunn's interests. I can trade you this intel for your help" bartered Ahsoka.
"Very well. I will send you a set of coordinates and time. Meet us there tomorrow" said Janak, cutting the connection and sending Ahasoka a set of coordinates for the meeting.
(POV Ahsoka)
"Who were they?" asked Rafa, as soon as the holo call was cut.
"Remember me telling you about me knowing the Mand'alor. Well the guy is one of his most trusted companions and the crazy looking girl was Asajj Ventress. A former Jedi padawan turned sith assassin turned Mandalorian huntress" I explained, only to get confused and partially concerned looks " Don't worry it's a long story".
"Damn. I didn't think you knew people at such high places" said Trace putting her hands around my neck "Imagine all the things we can do with those contacts" she finished, with her eyes having a dreamy look in them.
"Nothing comes free Trace. Always be cautious to whom you owe favors" I said with a sagely look.
(Time skip)
"This the place?" asked Rafa, looking around the club. It was packed.
"Yeah. Let me check the instructions" I quickly took out my data pad and read through what details were sent to me.
I walk towards the Bar counter. "What can I get you girls?" shouts a Bartender over the beat of the music.
"I have a meeting set up here. I was informed you could point me in the right direction" I shouted back.
The bartender scrutinized me and the girls carefully for a few seconds "Tow?"
"Camel" I replied to his question. It was the passcode setup for this meeting. He nods to me and asks us to follow him and we do just that.
"What was the code anyways?" asked Rafa as we followed the bartender into the backrooms.
"No clue. If things make no sense then it means he has gotten involved" I replied with a smirk.
"He?" asked Trace with a confused look.
"You will see" was all I said as we fell into a comfortable silence as we approached an inconspicuous wall.
The bartender taps a hidden panel on the wall to reveal a keypad. He enters the code and a hidden door opens.
"Head down. It's the door on the far end" he said motioning for us to go down the stairs
Just as we enter the door closes behind us. We slowly make our way down the dimly lit stairway leading down a few levels. It levels out onto a corridor with multiple doors on both sides and a big double door at the far end.
"You guys ready?" asked Trace, a bit of nervousness in her voice. Rafa just nods.
"No time like the present" I say, pushing open the door.
What greeted us was a round table with a large terminal on the wall behind it. Asajj was sitting there menacingly polishing her blades. Janek was eyeing us carefully while playing with a thermal detonator. I hear both Trace and Rafa audibly gulp. Their scare tactics and power plays are awfully effective against the uninitiated. Who am I lying to, If I hadn't been exposed to them from an early age I too would have been affected.
"Have a seat" Janek points towards the seats opposite to them.
"So what do you have for us pipsqueak?" asked Asajj as we took the seat opposite to us.
"We found intel of big fish moving against you guys in the shadows" I said, sliding over the data chip with all the relevant data. Janek took it and inserted it into a dataslate and started reading through it.
The time quietly passed in an uncomfortable silence. Uncomfortable because of Asajj's attempts to intimidate the sisters. Which worked. They fidgeted in their seats, which further enthused Asajj to mess with them. I could roll my eyes at her and chuckle at the sisters. A little tempering will do them good.
After what felt like hours Janek finally spoke "This is interesting. What do you girls want for bringing us this intel" asked Janek.
"Well I need help with two things. First is helping these girls get their business sanctioned as a subsidiary of the Straxon Corporation. Lastly I could use your help with proving myself innocent" I said with a firm look.
"The intel might be useful, But you ask for too much," said Asajj.
"I think it's completely reasonable," said a defiant Rafa.
"No, Asajj is right. If we get directly involved with the Republic and Jedi, it might lead to an all new war. There are dark undercurrents flowing in the republic at all levels" explained Janek. There was a tense silence that settled over the room.
"So what can you do for us?" I was a bit frustrated.
"Select between the two requests you asked for. We can do one of them for you. Not both." said Janek.
I turned to look at Rafa and Trace fidgeting in their seats.
"You should take their help Ahsoka. Save yourself. We can manage without their help." Said Trace, placing her hand on my shoulder. I look at Rafa, she just nods at me.
SIGH. I turn towards Janek "Help them. I can manage even if I have to run for the rest of my life" I said, with firm conviction.
"Are you sure?" asked Asajj, with a small frown on her face.
"No Ahsoka. We can manage. Take their help to prove your innocence" argued Trace while shaking my shoulder. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes. Even Rafa had a worried expression.
"I can manage. I have the force to fall upon. You guys have nothing else to fall back on. And you have more to lose. I will manage" I said firmly while looking Trace in the eye.
I turn back to Janek. "Help them", I said with iron conviction.
An eerie silence settled on us. Which was broken by a booming laughter and Asajj's snort.
From the middle of the table a Large holo of Thrunn popped up, Looking down on us with a menacing grin.
"Hahahaha. That was priceless. Such comradery" he laughed at us. But suddenly his demeanor changed, it became extremely serious. I heard the girls gasp beside me. I could feel Trace slightly trembling. The aura he emits even through holo is intimidating.
"Long time no see Thrunn" I said with a weary smile.
"Indeed Pipsqueak. As for your requests. Most of the intel you provided, we already knew. But this helped us round down the number of people we had to exterminate. And for that I with my authority, I grant you both of your requests. So what did you learn from this little shebang?" said Thrunn.
"Help others?" I said questioningly.
"SIGH. You jedi are hopeless. Never abandon your comrades if it doesn't mean greater loss. Always come into a business negotiation with backup plans and offers. And the most important lesson you will lay witness to soon enough. Don't fuck with us. Good day. I have a nation to run and kids to look after. Sigh. Imiised the days where I could just hunt things" said Thrunn, cutting the call.
"Was that 'the', Mand'alor?" asked Trace with excitement in her voice.
"Yes. I told you he had his hands in this when I was given that weird passcode" I said, turning to look at them. Rafa had her mouth open, with a stunned expression. Trace was vibrating with excitement at seeing a living legend. To the common people with no force abilities, what the mandos did and accomplished was awe inspiring. Especially their leader, who had in his own way become a legend.
*DING*portable holo communicator in Rafa's hand dinged. She checked it and started tearing up. "Our proposal got sanctioned. We are officially a registered subsidiary" she said with a shaky voice. This meant the world to them. This meant they had a chance to make something for themselves.
"Here Pipsqueak," said Asajj, throwing me a data chip. It contains everything you need to prove your innocence. I squeezed it tightly within my hands.
"Now fuck off. we have other things to do" said Asajj.
I could only roll my eyes at her as we made our way out. Once we reached the club the sisters hugged me. "Thank you. Thank you Ahsoka" the squeezed me in a bear hug. They eventually let go, rubbing away the tears. But I still sensed something in the force. I couldn't tell what it was.
We make our way out of the club. What we are met with is a platoon of Coruscant guards, aiming theri blasters at us.
"You are surrounded. Please surrender peacefully." shouted commander fox.
Anakin slowly walks up "Please surrender Ahsoka. Please don't make it worse" he pleaded. Looks like Thrunn's work, bastard. Always on his terms.
"Sure" I say reluctantly, turning to the girls "I will find you when this is all over" they just nod to me all teary eyed.
I walk towards Anakin. "I surrender skyguy. Here, this should prove my innocence" I said, handing him the data chip.
"Where did you get this?" he asked.
"Had to make a deal with the Devil '' I said as Fox placed force suppressing cuffs on my hands.