Chapter Text
Ahsoka steps off of transport onto a bustling port in Onderon, her head still somewhat clouded with sleep, turning her head as if to look for someone.
Flashback to Ahsoka in the lower levels of Coruscant, talking to someone on a public communicator, sobbing. After she was off the Temple grounds, it had hit her that she had nowhere to go, very little money, and no friends outside of the order or the clone army. Except the last part wasn’t entirely true.
It is revealed that she is talking to Lux, who seems aghast at what he’s just been told.
LUX: “I’m making arrangements for transport for you to Onderon. I’ll be there to pick you up when it lands. Don’t worry about anything, just get here safe.”
ASHOKA: (Sniffles) “Lux, that’s not really…you don’t have to have to…”
LUX: “I’m not letting you go through this alone…”
Cut back to Onderon where Ahsoka looking for Lux
LUX (Off-screen): “Ashoka!”
She turns to see Lux, his face lighting up at the sight of her.
Feeling relief and a new wave of energy wash over as she hurries over to him, throwing her arms around him as he pulled her into a comforting embrace. “It’s so good to see you, Lux.”
It is good to see him after the ordeal she had just been through, her world shattered, he feels like a sense of security she hadn’t felt in days and she just wants to keep clinging to him like life preserver.
LUX (Whispering into Ahsoka’s lekku) “It’s good to see you too. I just wish it was under better circumstances.”
The scene changes. They are walking through the streets of Iziz, people bustling around them, going about their business, as Lux rants.
LUX (Animated in speaking and body language ) : “I still can’t believe they expelled you from the order. That they actually believed you could ever do such a thing.”
ASHOKA (Not really believing her own argument.) : “To be fair, the recording did look fairly incriminating.”
LUX: “A recording where the sound went out at rather convenient time. And surely they had to see the look your face.”
AHSOKA (Shrugging and looking away for a moment):“The first part had occurred to me.” ( Beat)Though I hadn’t thought of your second point.”
Lux sighs as they come up to the front stoop of an elegant estate.
LUX: “You don’t need me just restating the whole ordeal right now.”
The door is opened, revealing a servant droid. Lux takes Ashoka’s hand, helping her inside.
LUX (Shutting the door. ) ““I’ll have the droid bring us tea. It might do you some good.”
Between barely escaping the death plenty for a crime she didn’t commit, her dear friend betraying her, leaving the only life she had ever known, and the long transport, she likes the sound of that.
ASHSOKA: “That sound wonderful.”
Scene change. Sitting down with a porcelain tea pot and cups covered with purple flowers, Ahsoka had been peppering Lux with questions about how things had been going since the king had restored, reconstruction, and of course how he’s was doing. Lux is answering some of them.
LUX: “I’ve actually reconnected with two of my cousins recently. They moved back to the city once the occupation ended.” (Takes a sip of tea.) “You may meet Zett today, his sister will no doubt be driving him to distraction by now. You see, Helena is convinced throwing a ball is the perfect way to raise the city’s morale. She’s been obsessing over it for weeks, and tonight’s the big night. Knowing her I imagine she’s driving him to distraction with her preparations right now.” After another sip, he added, “You’re invited, by the way.”
AHSOKA (Surprised) :“You told them about me?”
LUX (As if it’s obvious) “You of course, I did.”
AHSOKA ( Graciously) : “Well, tell her thank you, but I’ll have to decline. Balls aren’t really my thing.”
LUX (Flatly) :“I told her that.”
Taking a ship of tea, Ahsoka’s mind begins to wonder.
AHSOKA “Are you going? To your cousin’s ball, I mean?”
LUX: “I’ll have to politely beg off. I do have a guest in town.”
Ahsoka suddenly feels uncomfortable, and bit guilty.
AHSOKA: “Lux, please don’t stay away on my account.”
LUX: “Please don’t think of it that way.” (Changing the subject and sincerely wanting to know) “So, what will you do now?”
AHSOKA (Eyes cutting away as she sits down her tea.) “I honestly have no clue. All I know how to be is a Jedi. It’s what I thought I would be since I was a toddler.”
Just then, the serving droid comes back.
SERVING DROID: “Sir, you’re needed at the palace, it’s an emergency.”
Lux’s face falls as he puts the tea aside.
LUX; “I’m so, sorry, Ahsoka, I’ll try to make this quick.”
AHSOHA: “Lux, there’s no need to apologize. It’s not like you had a lot of time to plan this.” ( After a beat Ashoka adds gratefully.) But thank you. For bringing me here.”
LUX (Smiling At Her Fondly) “Think nothing of it. (Begins to walk away.) I’ve prepared guest quarters for you. Just ask the staff.”
Scene changes again to Ahsoka following the serving droid into an opulent bedroom. One side of the room we can see a glossy graved dresser, in the center we can see a matching bedside table and four-post bed, covered in a silky-looking comforter. Ahsoka looked slightly awed that someone had gone all out like this for her, then notices the serving droid waiting. She realizes the droid is waiting for instructions.
AHSOKA (Awkwardly): “I’m fine right now. (Beat) Thank you.”
Thinking Lux really should have gone to such trouble, Ahsoka falls back into the bed. It just might be the softest bed she’s ever slept in. It’s also then that she realizes just how fired she is, coherent thought becoming increasingly difficult. Closing her eyes, she quickly falls asleep.
Ahsoka isn’t sure how long she was asleep, but eventually she slips into the strange limbo between sleep and wakefulness, where she can make out a male voice saying, “Helena, you can’t just barge into Lux’s house, bother his guest, she might not even want to go…”
Acting on instinct, Ahsoka leaps from the bed, reaching for her lightsabers only to remember she left them at the temple with Anakin. The thought of him was enough to stop her in her tracks. Her master. Her big brother. The closest thing she had to a parent. Leaving him might be the worst part of this. That’s the thing that felt most like someone had cut out a chunk of her soul.
This is enough time for two humans, a boy and girl in their early twenties, perhaps around Anakin’s age themselves, to come into view, the girl holding what looks like a bundle of clothes. Both have dark brown, almost black hair and she could see traces of Lux in their features.
AHSOKA (Relaxing) :“You must be Lux’s cousins.”
ZETT (Awkwardly): “Yeah. I’m Zett, and this is my sister, Helena.”) His face contorts into an apologetic look ) I’m so sorry for what’s about to happen.”
HELENA (Grinning like a madwoman and charging into the room.) “You must be Lux’s Jedi.” (She throws the bundle onto the bed.”
Ashoka puts her hands behind her back, shifting awkwardly,
AHSOKA: “Well, I’m not exactly a Jedi anymore. I just left the order…”
ZETT. (Surprised.) “You can do that?”
Helena, however, has quite a different reaction.
HELENA: “Oh, this is perfect!” (She’s pulls a lacy black dress resembling the gothic Lolita style, sitting it back down, then pulling out other dresses.) “I have no clue know what you like, but I was fairly certain you didn’t have a dress, not very practical for fighting a war, so I brought over some of mine.” (She gives Ashoka a once over) “We look about the same size. Though you might have bit more muscle tone than me…I mean that as a good thing, please don’t be insulted!”
ASHOKA (Somewhat ill at ease with Helena’s exuberance.)“Helena, that was very kind of you nut…”
HELENA (Beaming) : “Ah, I’m already starting to see how you put your spell on our Lux without even trying.”
AHOSKA (Confused) “Spell?”
Helena reached out, cupping Ashoka’s cheek, and began to, of all things, sing.
HELENA: Oh, my enchantress, oh you beautiful thing. Charming, charming. “ (Helena pulls her hand back) “Oh, this is really beyond anything…”
ZETT (Groaning): “Helena…”
Helena, however, was on a role, picking up a sliver-colored dress with puffed sleeves.
HELENA: “These dresses suit you,” ( She hold it up to Ashoka’s body) “This one, ‘metallic gauze’, straight from Coruscant.”
Ahsoka backs away, baffled. What is going on here?
ZETT: “Helena, you’re clearly making the poor girl uncomfortable…” ( A moment of dawning) “And a sliver dress? Really? Look at her skin tone, her skin undertones.” (He walks over and pulled out a beige gown with a flaring skirt and off the shoulder sleeves: “No, she would look much better in Earth tones.”
Ashoka’s face contorts into a look of exasperated surprised, as if to say ‘Really? Him too?”
Seeing the look on Ashoka’s face, Zett deflates, putting down the dress.
ZETT: “Sorry, I’m an artist by trade, and when it comes to colors, sometimes I let myself get carried away.”
HELENA (Taking both dresses and laying them down on the bed) :“Oh, well, it hardly matters. (Begins to sing again) Anything suits you, my charmer…”
AHSOKA (Completely confused at this point) “Charmer?”
What was this woman going on about? And there was also something else, something strange. Charmer? Her?
HELENA (Beaming when she sees the look on Ashoka’s face) “Oh, how she blushes, how she blushes my pretty! Oh, how she blushes, how she blushes my pretty! Charmante! Charmante!” ( She reaches out, caressing Ashoka’s face)
ASHOKA (Startled and nonplused by the gesture.) “Ah, could I have a little more personal space, please…”
HELENA: (Seemingly oblivious to Ashoka’s discomfort) “Oh you are such a lovely thing? Oh, where have you been?” ( Removes her hand and turns her attention back to the dresses) “It’s such a shame to bury pearls in a temple. Charmante, charmante, charming!”
Helena pulls a royal blue dress from the pile. Examining the dress her face light up, holding it up to an unfortunate Ashoka.
ZETT (Smiling) : “Now that’s more like it. She would look absolutely gorgeous in that.”
Ashoka glares at Zett, silently telling him Not helping!
ZETT (Shrinking back) : “Sorry.”
But even Ashoka has to admit, it’s lovely, tasteful dress: Ankle-length, flaring skirt, with a wide neckline lined with delicate white lace. But it doesn’t seem like something she would ever really wear.
HELENA (Grinning) :“I think we found a winner.” (Whirling the dress away towards the closet) “Now if you have a dress, you must wear it out.” (Whirls around), “How can you in Iziz and not go nowhere?”
ZETT (Flatly) : “Ah, Helena, she literally just got here.”
AHSOKA: “Is she normally like this?”
ZETT: “There’s usually less singing. That’s new.”
HELENA rolls her eyes.
HELENA:, “So you’re a Padawan-- charming,” (She drops the dress on the bed and throws her arms open. “But that’s no reason to shut yourself in! Even if you’re a Jedi, you must wear your dress out somewhere.” (Begins to twirl around the room. )
AHSOKA, “It’s not my dress, it’s your dress—”
Helena looks at Ahsoka, seriously, intently. It’s somewhat frightening, actually.
HELANA: “Our cusion dined with us yesterday, but he didn’t eat a thing,” (She becomes animated again ) “’Cuz he was thinking ‘bout you. He kept sighing ‘bout you.”
AHSOKA (Flatly) : “Me?”
HELENA (Nodding emphatically and grinning) :“Uh-huh.” Helena answered.
As he seems to be the sane one of the pair, Ahsoka turns to Zett.
AHSOKA: “Is this true?”
ZETT: “Actually, yeah. Well, obviously, I can’t know exactly what he was thinking, but he didn’t really eat at all, and he talked about you a lot. “ (Beat) And yes, now that I think of it, there was a great deal of sighing.”
Ahsoka feels the blood rushing to her face, and almost instinctively looks away from the twins.
Helena however, seems to take this as a positive development, throwing her hands up into the air and singing the earlier refrain.
HELENA: “Oh how she blushes, how she blushes my pretty! Oh, how she blushes, how she blushes my pretty! Charmante, Charmante!” (Twirls around the room. )“You are such a lovely thing, oh where have you been? It’s such a shame to bury pearls in a temple. Charmante, Charmante! Charming!”
She picks up the dress and holds it up to herself, dancing.
HELENA: “Now a woman in a dress,” ( She kicks out her leg dramatically, and Ahsoka can’t help but smile a little in amusement as she watches) “is a frightening and powerful thing. You are not a child when you’re draped in royal blue and lace! Your master would want you to have fun, rather than be bored to death.”((Helena swoons dramatically as she spoke.)
Ahsoka can’t help but giggle, but at Helena’s dramatics and thought of Anakin at some fancy ball. It doesn’t seem like her master’s scene at all.
But what would he think about her going?
HELENA (Rushing towards Ahsoka. )“Go out in the world rather than perish in boredom!” (Leans in, as if about to share a great secret,) Our cusion is quite madly in love. He is quite madly in love with you, my dear.”
AHSOKA (Throwing out her arms.) “Wait a minute! Did you just say Lux was in love with me?”
HELENA (Matter of factly.) “Yes you. And yes, Lux. What do you think I’ve been singing about?”
AHSOKA: “Lux and I are friends, yes, but—that’s all we’ve ever been. He was in love with someone else, someone else, who very recently died.”
Even if Ahsoka feels that way about Lux, even if she hadn’t been a Jedi until very recently, it’s too soon after Steela. Lux can’t possibly be ready for a new relationship.
Helena takes a deep breath, sobering.
HELENA: “What happened to Steela was horrible beyond words, and there’s always going to be a special place in his heart for her, but, since we’ve been back in town, I notice there seems to be a special place for you that’s been growing much longer. Possibly for years.”
Ahsoka opens her mouth to protest, then for some reason she thought back to the time she told Deathwatch they were engaged. How surprised he looked, but how he went with it. However, she also internally arguing with herself. That was because it was the only way not to get them killed, not because he has feelings for her. If he felt that kind of way about her, she would know!
Wouldn’t she?
HELENA (Squealing) “Look at her, Zett! Look at her face! Oh—”
ZETT: “Helena. Don’t. Please don’t.”
However, his pleas fall on deaf ears, Helena spinning around the room, singing the familiar chorus.
HELENA: “Oh how she blushes, how she blushes my pretty! Oh, how she blushes, how she blushes, my pretty! Charmante, Charmante! Oh, you are such a lovely thing. Oh, where have you been? It’s such a shame to bury pearls in a temple. Charmante, charmante! Charming! Yes, it’s such a shame to bury pearls in a temple. Charmante, charmante! Charming!”
A dozen thoughts run through Ashoka’s mind all at once, and none of them were clicking. Suddenly just being in this room is overwhelming.
AHSOKA: “I’m sorry, I think I need some air.”
With that declaration, she rushes away from Helena, past Zett, out of the room.
ZETT :“Now look what you’ve done!”
Cut to hallway as Ahsoka stops. She still can’t think straight, rubbing her temples. Taking a deep breath, she lowered her hands, and did something strange and utterly knew for her :Put her thoughts and feelings into song.
Ahsoka: “What once seemed so terrible, now seems so natural. She knows I’m a Padawan, and still she talks so frankly…”
Correction was a Padawan. She isn’t anymore. She was perfectly free to pursue the attachment of a romance.
Ahsoka: “So, it must be alright!”
But is it what she wants? Is it what Lux wants? She has only just left the order, Lux is still putting his planet back together, they have both been through so much, neither of them are really in a good place for a relationship right now! This is all assuming Lux is even interested in her, because sure, Helena said he was, but Helena also doesn’t seem like a shining beacon of sanity!
HELANA (Off-scene) :“Ahsoka?”
Ahsoka whirls around to seem the woman herself slowly heading towards her, looking contrite.
HELENA (Solemnly) “I’m sorry I got a…intense in there. I know I go overboard. It’s just—Lux is happy when he talks about you. That’s all I want. For my cusion to be happy.”
Ahsoka sighs.
AHSOKA: “I can appreciate that. I’m just not sure I’m the person he should be happy with.”
No one said anything for a minute, then Helena sings, much more softly, much more soberly.
HELANA: “The ball at my house tonight, you must come. Oh, your wide-open, wondering eyes. You will be the prettiest there…”
ZETT (Coming into view.) “Helena, I thought you were apologizing, not continuing to bagger the poor girl!”
Helena approached her brother.
HELENA: “I am apologizing, but still… How the thought of throwing them together fills me with joy!”
AHOSKA: “You know, I can still hear you, right?” Ahsoka reminded them.
HELENA (Turning around.) : “Sorry. You must come.”
AHSOKA (To her own surprise. ): “I will come.”