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Master Plo was on his way back to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant after being sent on a diplomatic mission to Yinchorr, taking a roundabout approach back to Coruscant so as to fly by Bogden; the moons were supposed to be very lovely. They were just passing through the Shili system when he felt… something odd. Looking out the window toward the planet Shili, he let his mind fall farther into the Force. As his connection deepened, so did his awareness of the “something”.
If he could’ve closed his eyes in concentration, he would’ve. Instead, he simply continued staring out the window, reaching ever further.
There! He rocked ever so slightly back on his heels, the only outward sign of the tenuous connection he'd managed to create. Enough to get a location.
The connection led him to a village in the south province, where he was able to sense the presence of another being. He refocused, double-checking his senses to be sure.
Yes… it was a child. Only a few standard years old. They had a light, care-free presence, as Plo Koon found most children did. And yet, there was something amiss. He sensed a dark spot in the child’s aura that he couldn’t quite make sense of.
“Pilot,” he spoke in his low voice, every word sounding as if it were carefully measured. “We will be making a stop at Shili. Please fly toward the south province. I will let you know the specifics when we get closer.”
“Yes, sir,” the pilot confirmed, the co-pilot beside him starting to press buttons and flip switches.
Turning back toward the window, outwardly, he watched their descent. But inwardly, he was attempting to pinpoint the obviously Force-sensitive child. The dark spot - fear, confusion, he could see now - was growing stronger.
“Ahsoka!” Her mother admonished her, causing the group of elders that surrounded them under the village square pavilion to stir and mumble. “You will comply with the Jedi’s request!”
The elder’s voices swelled around them, all with the same message as her mother. Their disapproving faces were stern, embarrassed at her behaviour. But they did not quell Ahsoka’s resolve in the slightest.
Her mother’s voice again, quiet and cajoling now, instead of sharp, continued. “You love showing your father and I what you can do. This is the same thing!”
“No, it’s not!” Three year old Ahsoka yelled back. She gave the “Jedi” a look of disdain. “He’s a bad man, Meht. He… he…” Ahsoka trailed off, not being able to quantify why she didn’t trust the man.
Outwardly, the alien was dressed well, his appearance was clean, and he had a charming smile. But inwardly… Ahsoka shivered. She could see the pictures in the man’s head, much clearer and with more colour than the holoimages their family had around the house. She didn’t completely understand them, but she saw the man hitting people, and holding out water to others on the floor, then laughing and taking it back before they could accept it. The people were crying, with many rips and tears in their dirty clothes. When she focused a little bit more on the pictures, she saw herself on the floor with them.
The man had many pictures in his mind of Ahsoka. She didn’t even understand them. She didn’t want to either, going by her tear-streaked face and body thinner than the sticks she played with around her house.
Ahsoka stopped looking in the man’s mind and turned and buried her face in her mother’s shoulder. Looking in the alien’s mind scared her.
Her mother’s arms reached up to hold her tentatively as her father spoke from his place in the ring of elders. “I’m so sorry, I don’t know why she’s behaving like this.”
The voice of the alien, muffled where she was in her mother’s arms, spoke now, giving Ahsoka an oily feeling that only heightened her dislike for him.
“There’s no rush. The Temple isn’t expecting me back for a while yet. I was just very excited for your daughter to meet her new teachers!” The last he said with a very sad-sounding voice, but Ahsoka could tell that his true feeling was anger. Anger at her because she wasn’t doing what he wanted. Good.
“No, no, no, no!” She cried into her mother’s arm, just to get her point across.
“Shh, shh, ‘Soka,” her mother soothed, absently rubbing her back. However, she was still looking to the “Jedi”. “Well…”
Ahsoka could hear the hesitation in her mother’s voice. She thought quickly, knowing her mother wasn’t quite there yet.
I know! She turned her head to look up into her mother’s eyes, making hers as big as she could. With a sniffle, and a scared look backward at the stranger that she didn’t have to fake, she whined, “Meht, I’m hungry.”
“Yes,” her mother said, giving her a small smile, before turning her head to the “Jedi”. “Yes, why don’t you come back after the mid meal. I’m sure Ahsoka will feel better after she has some food.”
The stranger’s face soured for a split second, just a little, before immediately fixing back in place. He opened his mouth to give a reply… and Ahsoka and her mother straightened up, looking to the sky.
As did every Togruta in the pavilion. Ahsoka’s father hurriedly stepped out of place, joining his wife and daughter to create their own little circle. He stood behind them, his hand protectively on his wife’s shoulders. His other hand reached down to lightly stroke one of Ahsoka’s montrals as all conversation in and around the square pavilion stopped. As all inhabitants of the village looked to the sky.
But not the stranger. He just kept talking, trying to convince them of his point. It was his lack of lekku that made him oblivious to what everyone else could tell from the vibrations that their lekku were picking up on, even before you could hear it audibly.
A ship was coming.
The “Jedi” stopped his persuasive speech to the elders, finally noticing the strange behaviour of the Togruta. A split second later, everyone could hear the whine of the engine.
The ship came into view, flying right over their village to land in the flat area they’d excavated from the mountainside for that very purpose.
It wasn’t a design that Ahsoka had ever seen. But then, she hadn't seen very many ships.
As the ship approached, Ahsoka felt a light growing closer and closer, balancing out the shadow that was the scary alien. As the ship landed, she became aware of its occupants, and she was certain now that the shadow-chaser was inside. She pulled fully from her mother’s grip, and turned to face the ship.
Everyone was staring now as the ramp opened, and a single figure came out. His skin was orange, like her own, but that was the only similarity. He walked toward the pavilion, calm purpose evident in every step.
The closer and closer the figure came, the more and more fear leached away from Ahsoka.
She turned her thoughts towards the incoming alien, needing to know if he had the same pictures in his mind as the first stranger. What if he had come to help take her away? Her thoughts reached his… and stopped, coming up short as she found a wall blocking her path.
A beat, and then it was as if a gate opened in the wall, granting her the access she’d been looking for. The new stranger never even broke his stride.
Images of many people, all dressed similarly in long robes, a lot of them her own age. A flash. Now there was a room full of small figures, with a green one at the front of them. He was welcoming the alien currently walking toward her into the room. She saw the green one’s mouth move and the people her age all laughed. Flash. Overwhelming feelings of peace and harmony came from the orange man as he sat cross-legged in a garden, several other robed aliens imitating his position in a circle around him. Flash. She blinked outwardly, as inwardly she now saw herself through the alien’s eyes. There she was, her mother crouching behind her, and her father behind her. There were waves coming out from her body, light, gold-coloured waves. The alien shifted “their” eyes to the first stranger, and Ahsoka took an involuntary step back into her mother as she saw the dark cloud surrounding the man with the scary thoughts.
She blinked, and the connection was broken. She had seen enough pictures to decide her opinion of this man.
The alien that just came off the ship stopped just inside the pavilion. One of the elders called out, “Who are you?”. He was ignored. Instead, the man looked directly at the first alien, who Ahsoka now noticed was shaking slightly, and said, “How dare you attempt such an act. You will return with me to Coruscant to face justice for your crimes.”
As the elders gasped and tittered at his words, the bad man turned and ran, trying to make a desperate dash for his ship.
Before Ahsoka could even blink, the second man reached out a hand, and the first one stopped in his tracks. Dismayed sounds came from the elders all around her, while the struggling first man was pulled slowly towards the alien who still had his hand out.
Ahsoka watched as his hand closed slowly into a fist and the struggling alien stopped in front of him. Reaching up two fingers, the second alien tapped them to the first’s forehead.
The man crumpled to the ground.
Ahsoka could only stare at the fallen man, attempting to comprehend the strange things she had just seen. She could hear the last man standing speaking to the elders, and could tell that her mother and father were horrified at whatever had almost happened. She was too deep in thought to catch more than a few words of explanation: slaver, real Jedi, deception, and unwary.
“But then,” she heard the deep voice say. “You already knew that, didn’t you?”
Ahsoka realized the real Jedi was speaking to her.
“You could see his intentions, couldn’t you?”
“ In-te-shons ?” Ahsoka struggled with the big word.
“You could see that he meant you harm,” he clarified, bending down to kneel in front of her.
She nodded solemnly.
“You did the same to me.” It wasn’t a question.
Again, Ahsoka nodded.
The alien nodded thoughtfully. “You know, I come from a place where there are many more people who can do things like you.” He paused.
Not sure what he was looking for, she continued staring.
He continued, “A place where we stop…” He turned, looking at the man on the floor. “People like him.” He turned back to her. “You should join us.”
Ahsoka blinked, looking up at her mother and father behind her, who gave her smiles back.
“Your mother and father have given their blessing, little one.”
Still looking at her parents, Ahsoka saw them nod, their smiles getting slightly wider. And yet, as they bent closer to envelope her in their arms, she saw tears shining in their eyes.
“Meht, why are you crying?” She asked as she was squished between their bodies. She heard - and felt - her parents laugh slightly.
“Because we will miss you, dear one!” Pulling back, her mother took Ahsoka’s face in her hands. “But it is where you belong.”
Still slightly puzzled at her parents' reactions, she turned to her father for guidance.
Her father gave a proud smile, a single tear trickling down his cheek. “Your mother’s right, dear. Your place is with his people.” He nodded at the orange Jedi. "With your people."
Giving her father and mother one last look, she nodded solemnly, like only a three year old attempting seriousness can.
Her mother gave her one last kiss on the cheek, her father a squeeze on the shoulder, and she turned around.
The Jedi was still looking at her, waiting patiently for the Togruta family to finish their goodbyes. Holding out his hand to Ahsoka, he said, “Please, little one. Will you come with me?”
In answer, Ahsoka simply took his hand, letting go of her mother’s as she stepped forward.
“Then let us be off.” He stood up, still holding her hand, as with the other he sent the sleeping man floating ahead of them. They started walking.
But before she crossed the edge of the pavilion, Ahsoka turned back, taking in her parent's happy, yet sad faces one more time. She smiled back and held the Jedi’s hand even tighter as they once again started walking.
Walking towards her new future.
They were more than halfway back to the ship before Plo Koon thought to ask her name. “Little one?” He looked down to see the child looking up at him. “What is your name?”
“Ahsoka. What’s yours?” Her voice was tinny in his ears.
“My name is Plo Koon. But you may call me Master Plo.” He watched as she turned back to face the ship, nodding resolutely.
“Okay, Masteh Pwo.”
Plo Koon smiled - his version, anyway - at this remarkable little being, so calmly walking away from the only life she’d ever known.
“Well, Little ‘Soka.” He too turned back. They were almost there. “I look forward to getting to know you better.”
She didn’t reply, but he felt her little hand squeeze his tighter.
They climbed into the ship together, the Jedi Master making sure she was buckled in tight before giving the pilot the signal to take off.
Ahsoka watched out the window as her home grew smaller and smaller. She wasn't sure what was ahead, but she knew she was safe, as long as Master Plo was around. She looked forward, out the viewscreen at the lines of hyperspace. Towards her future. Toward the stars.