Despite Ahsoka's initial defiant objections, Anakin managed to convince his learner to play the part of the slave once more. So, under the gentle glow of the town's central crystal tree the two set about trying to get information on the upcoming podrace. Drawing from experience gathered from as far back as his own childhood as a slave on Tatooine, Anakin surmised that the easiest place to glean information on the seedy was to find the dodgiest tavern in the vicinity and pay it a visit. Thanks to some advice from a local Twi'Lek merchant peddling trinkets they found what taverns were reputable and by association, which to avoid. Smiling and thanking the merchant the two set off immediately towards the nearest so-called dive, known locally as the Thirsty Ithorian. On the way conversation began to flow again between master and learner. Anakin, noticing that Ahsoka strode confidently at his side in her usual manner was the first to speak,

"Ahsoka, I still don't think you're getting the hang of acting like a slave."

She looked at him in a quizzical manner before he continued,

"Don't walk so upright, slouch a bit, hang your head, look more downcast and downtrodden."

She huffed but adjusted her posture as best she could to look, what she perceived to be meeker, and grumbled a defiant,

"I'm gladly and willingly part of this whole thing, but acting like a slave is not something that I find easy."

Anakin turned from her and looked head ahead, she could see even through from under his hood that his eyes had a faraway dark look about them, it chilled her a little as he almost growled painfully,

"No… no it's not something that comes casually like that… it's something that just happens when you live your entire life being treated like someone's possession…"

Those words hung in the air for a few moments as Ahsoka winced under her hood. Trying to imagine what her beloved master must have gone through in his childhood away from the safety and comfort of the temple she adjusted herself some more, before gathering up the courage to apologise.

"I'm sorry Master. I didn't mean to…"

Which was as far as she got before he cut in, in an almost resigned and regretful way,

" It's alright Ahsoka. I know you meant no harm. This is my burden, I'll deal with it."

She winced again. Since getting to know her master, she had begun to see that he carried a lot of demons with him. In a way this caused the young Togrutan to admire him even more, wracked with problems he still was a force of righteousness that had singular burning drive. Still, she had always wished that there were some way of relieving him of his past and setting him free. Sighing almost silently she quietly questioned,

"So how are we playing this master?"

Clearly steeling and collecting himself to some degree Anakin replied in his usual confident and nonchalant way,

"Suppose we'll go with the standard. I'll try and see if I can get you included in some auction. That'll give us the best idea of where to find the rest of the slaves, especially if you get placed with them."

As a reply Ahsoka said in a mock enthusiastic voice,

"Great…"

Without breaking stride Anakin countered immediately,

"And please, keep that mouth of yours shut when we're talking to anyone. Levity isn't expected from slaves."

Coming to a halt outside their intended target, a seedy looking building with the town's possibly only neon sign hanging outside, Ahsoka gathered herself and voiced a confident,

"Understood. Ready when you are."

Flashing a quick smile at her enthusiasm to help, Anakin nodded and motioned for her to follow him as he turned and opened the old, hinged doors of the Thirsty Ithorian's front entrance.

***

The interior of the Thirsty Ithorian was what Ahsoka would eloquently describe as 'gross'. A single long bar lined one wall and was occupied by members of every species imaginable in every level of drunkenness soughed over bars and tables. All around this central bar and along the walls, hardwood dividers separated booths from one another. A viscous cloud hanging at head height reeked of opiates, which made Ahsoka's eyes water. Hanging her head, both to try to escape this reeking cloud and to look more demure and 'slave-like', Ahsoka followed her master as he strode confidently to the central bar with its female Rhodian bartender. She stood slightly sideways favouring one leg over the other, cleaning a dirty glass with a rag that all things considered, could only be making the glass dirtier. Her clothing, studded with rhinestones, shimmering in the orange light of the bar wouldn't have been out of place in a Coruscantii club. Reaching the bar her master caught the bartender's eye, raised two fingers and hailed her over. Abandoning her fruitless task of cleaning the filthy glass she moved over leaning over the bar to give Anakin her ear.

"Lekku twist, straight up."

She stood back for a moment, and looked Anakin up and down once, as if appraising him and his request. Ahsoka noted that he had used his roughest accent, something akin to how local humans spoke. Anakin picked up accents fast Ahsoka though, and was suitably impressed. Giving Ahsoka a quick glance the Rhodian's small extended mouth curled at the edge, giving her a disturbing looking smile before questioning in heavily accented and slurred basic,

"S'one for's your lady-friend's?"

Anakin spared a quick glance at his Padawan's lowered head before turning and scowling at the bartender,

"Not for this one. No point and greasing up something you plan to sell."

The Rhodian paused for a moment, before winking and ducking under the counter to produce two brightly coloured bottles. Ducking again she produced what Ahsoka could only hope was a cleaner glass than what she had been attempting to clean earlier, and began pouring the two liquors together. Filling it to the brim she slid the glass across the counter to Anakin and remarked.

"Of course not's. Pretty's little thing's though. Grethoc's wouldn'ts treat's her like's that."

Anakin grabbed the glass from the table and brought it to his mouth, while raising his eyebrow at her. He paused momentarily for effect, as if pondering something before lowering the glass slightly and questioning,

"Grethoc?"

The bartender took a step back and crossed her arms smiling knowingly,

"You's not from Tsa'vin's are you's?"

Anakin scowled slightly as he took a sip from the awful looking concoction in the glass and lowered it slightly again to speak. Ahsoka could see he was trying to not let it show what he must have thought of the drink.

"Clearly, care to enlighten an out of towner?"

The words had sounded wonderfully saccharin and threatening all at the same time. The Rhodian let out a small chuckle and leaned in again.

" I like's you handsome's. Spark's. Lowiq Vreen."

With the revelation of that name she nodded in the direction of a corner booth. In this booth sat a gaggle of young pretty Twi'Lek's surrounding a muscular and heavy-set Twi'lek, or so it seemed at first glance. On closer inspection the two Jedi realised that a Twi'Lek he was not. He had no Lekku, instead atop his head was a fine head of navy hair, also his eyes shone a brilliant vermilion red that almost seemed to light up his surrounding features, which on closer inspection were more human than anything else. In fact the only resemblance that the creature in the corner had to a Twi'Lek was his midnight-blue skin colour.

Ahsoka didn't quite know what to make of this creature, so she risked a quick glance up at her master; he stood intensely looking at the alien in the corner. A look of understanding came over his face as he turned back to the Rhodian and tossed a local coin at her for the drink.

"Bit of a long way from home isn't he?"

Catching and pocketing the coin from mid air with surprising deftness the Rhodian shrugged and spoke with an air of nonchalance.

"Suppose's so. Never seen's kind's like his before's, that's for sure's. Do be respectful's if you talk's to him. He got's influence."

Letting that last statement hang in the air and sink in for effect the bartender turned, picked up the dirt rag from before and continued her counterproductive task of wiping glasses. Turning from the bartender Anakin spared one quick look at his Padawan that seemed to suggest 'followed my lead', before confidently making his way past tables of raucously laughing patrons. The two Twi'Lek males standing guard around Grethoc's booth exuded confidence and oozed professionalism. Having seen both Anakin and Ahsoka glancing across the bar at them they had been keeping and eye on the Jedi. Anakin was suitably impressed. Usually slavers stuck to such disreputable company as Gamorreans that, while certainly providing muscle, could hardly be counted as professional security.

As Anakin came closer to his quarry one of the two guards took a step forward, one hand open-palmed stretched out in front of him the other on his hip-holster thumbing the catch. The other, custom black-powder shotgun in hand stood tense and ready to act. The one that had stepped forward to intercept him remarked first, his voice carrying an air of arrogance and swagger at his own self-importance. The other, remaining quiet and constantly scanning the room, Anakin decided, was the far more dangerous of the two.

"Seen you at the bar eyein' the boss. Best save yourself some time, if not your life and clear off."

Behind him, Anakin noted, Lowiq had taken no notice at all of his arrival and was still entertaining his wide-eyed Twi'Lek slaves. Cupping one's chin he whispered something to her, she smiled widely at him, but once he'd turned his attentions elsewhere the young slave looked down and shuddered slightly, a dark and foreboding look overcoming her delicate features. Ahsoka found the whole interchange disturbed her greatly, she felt for the young girl, not much older than herself. Sudden anger crept up through her, but just as quickly abated after feeling the understanding, but stern force presence emanate from her master towards her. Mentally shaking her anger from her she began breathing slowly and rhythmically, as she had been taught to calm herself. In the interim Anakin and the guard had continued their verbal spar.

"I'm not here to waste anyone's time, especially my own. I am a… businessman… I come to trade."

Anakin's convincing tone was impressive Ahsoka felt, just the right balance of arrogance and threat to make him seem genuine. The slaver guard clearly thought so too as he cocked his head to the side as if musing on something before querying in a rather languid way.

"And what, exactly, would a businessman like you wish to trade?"

Anakin continued his hard stare and replied,

"Oh from you? Nothing much, I barter for simple cash…"

He paused for effect; even the second guard was now following his eyes carefully.

"What I offer though is certainly worth the attention of your boss…"

The guard's eyes narrowed, it seemed he still had no intention of letting them pass. Undeterred Anakin continued,

"I'm sure he would appreciate the exquisite …piece of art… I have to offer."

Ahsoka caught the slight gesture in her direction. Face burning she lowered it, hoping to look demure, or anything other her normal confident self.

"Look, you kriffing ne…"

But he was cut-off mid sentence by the rumbling baritone of Lowiq Vreen himself. Ahsoka glanced up to see his vermilion eyes boring right into her. It unsettled her even more than his earlier actions.

"Eelis, let me see this piece of art."

The now named guard Eelis took a step forward and grabbed Ahsoka by the scruff of her neck and shoved her in the direction of the table. Ahsoka squealed and stumbled before righting herself and looking up to stare straight into two pools of malevolent vermilion.

Reaching forward with his left hand Lowiq removed the cowl around Ahsoka's head and pulled it down. He stared intensely for a moment at her, and then used the back of his hand to turn her face left and right, as if to appraise her worth. After a moment's pause he shoved her roughly two steps backwards towards her master. Before speaking, almost as if to himself.

"Togrutan. Rare. Good bone structure. Not to far from being a stunning full-grown too. Your product interests me; find Eelis here at the Nareekian plains podrace tomorrow. He'll take you too the auction."

He turned his head and spoke to Eelis, completely finished with Ahsoka and Anakin.

"Eelis, if you forget to frisk someone like that again, I'll shoot you myself!"

He gestured to the blaster held in-hand on his lap. Both Ahsoka and Anakin were surprised, neither had noticed him take it out and could not say with any certainty that he hadn't had it trained on them the entire time. Ahsoka began to wonder if the whole plan wasn't getting way over their heads.