Chapter Text
The escape wasn't planned. It hadn’t even been considered. But when the side of the prison collapsed and she found herself still alive, she did question it. Barriss had felt the cuff break when she fell and at that point she just went for it, running as fast as possible to the lowest levels she could find. She ended up ducking into an alleyway and finding a dead woman. SHe looked down at the woman and then at her own clothes and made a decision. She wouldn’t get far in bright orange so she took the clothes and slid the body behind a dumpster, burying her jumpsuit and prison head covering into the dumpster under a bag and simply walked out. She’d taken the woman's bag and ducked behind a cosmetics shop dumpster. She stayed there and just…waited. She could see the temple burning but did nothing, instead she waited until the shop light turned off to dig in the dumpster, quickly finding a foundation set in her shade. She stole a few more items before moving along the strip in the shadows, stealing clothes, a bigger bag, and hair dye. See covered her tattoos with makeup and checked into a sketchy motel.
As soon as she was in the room, she undressed and showered. Barriss felt disgusting for wearing a dead woman's clothes, but she had to. She finished crying and got to work, bleaching and dying her hair a soft blonde color. It had thankfully grown down to her shoulders so she looked very different with pearl blonde hair and eyebrows. She dug into one of the haircare sets she’d stolen and found post dye perm. She used it, and when she was fully done with everything, she looked in the mirror and cried for about an hour. Everything she loved was gone. She took the fall for treason so her best friend wouldn't be killed, she’d rotted in a cell and let her friends think she betrayed them only for it all to burn down anyway. When she was done crying she packed her things back into the duffle bag and set out clothes for tomorrow. She’d found quite a bit of money on the woman, so she’d use it to get off this planet to go to Christophsis. It was nice there. She could start a new life. She’d find a place to live. She’d stop on Raada for a while. Just to earn a little extra money, or something. She suddenly realized she didn't have until morning. She changed clothes and finished packing before leaving quickly. She found a ship headed for the agriculture moon and boarded it, buying the ticket off of someone. She didn’t relax until the ship had taken off, even though her tattoos were all covered. Nobody checked anything. It was fine. It would all be fine. Two weeks of straight flying. She would be okay.
“Mommy…Pretty lady!” A little boy giggled, pointing at Barriss.
“Go tell her.” His mother encouraged.
“You’re pretty!” The little boy said loudly after toddling over to her.
“Thank you. What's your name?” Barriss asked.
“LIu! What's yours?” He asked.
“Vakona.” She told him.
“Oh dear…I’m sorry.” His mother told him. “Is that why you’re leaving?”
“Yeah. Finally old enough.” She told the kind woman as she sat next to her.
“Why’s it sad Mummy?” Llu asked innocently.
“The name means unwanted.” The woman explained to her son. “My name is Kaath, by the way.”
“Its nice to meet you both. What's taking you to Raada?” Barriss asked.
“My husband works there. We were only here to visit my sister. She bought us the tickets back when this whole purge thing began.” Kaath told her.
“Smart. I just got out of prison. I took the fall for a crime I didn’t commit. Lost the only friend I had keeping her safe.” Barriss told them. “I need a new start.”
“You’re a different kind of special for that. I can tell you don’t want people knowing who you are. I can faintly see one of your facial tattoos.” Kaath replied. “My husband can remove them for you.”
“Thank you. How can I repay you? I need work anyway” Barriss asked.
“We need a dairymaid and a fowlkeeper.” Kaath told her. “Would you be interested?”
“Yes…Thank you.” Barriss sighed.”I don’t have any identification…”
“We’ll get you some. And a new name.” Kaath smiled. “We’ll call you Taksha. Do you like that?”
“I do…Thank you.” Barriss said with a small smile.
—----
One week later.
—----
Barriss had fully gotten used to the name Takasha by the time they made it to Raada. Kaath didn’t ask a lot of questions about her past, but Barriss told her about Luminara without mentioning her name. Kaath had been kind and Llu was a sweet little boy who asked about the Temple because she let slip on accident about some of the Jedi. She’d told him she’d worked there and he asked all about her jobs. She happily told him about the tasks she could and was comfortable with them by the time Kaath's husband picked them up. He was a sturdy wall of a man with kind eyes and a nice tone. When Kaath told him what her original name was he said nothing for a minute before welcoming her to the family. The ride to their farm was pleasant and it was mid afternoon when they got there.
“Taksha, will you help me with the produce from the market?” Kaath asked, getting off the cart.
“Yes ma’am.” Barriss replied, following her. “What do you need me to carry?”
“Here, carry these fruits. Valte will take your bag.” Kaath told her.
Barriss did as asked, taking the fruits and any other required items inside. She was given tasks and she did them accordingly and in a timely manner. Llu’s older sister followed her around for a while. She was about thirteen and curious about the new hand. She cornered her in the chicken coop.
“Mum says you’re gonna work for us. My name is Rynn.” The girl introduced herself. “I think we’ve adopted you.”
“I hope so. Life hasn’t exactly been my friend.” Barriss admitted. “I hope I haven’t offended you.”
“You haven’t. You just seem sad is all. Mum says you don’t have a friend in the galaxy, and I don’t think that's fair. Taksha means daughter, you know and between you and me I need a sister.” Rynn told her. “Llu is great and all, but a four year old boy can’t gossip about the neighbors. We got a new one the other day. Her name is Ashla.”
“Ashla? Sounds pretty.” Barriss giggled before a hen hissed at her about an egg.
“Bae! You stop!” Rynn scolded the broody hen. “She’s showing off because you’re new.”
“Well Bae, I hope you don’t mind. I do need at least three of your eggs.” Barriss told the hen, reaching under her. “There you are. See? You get to keep one and have a baby.”
“She usually gives us roosters.” Rynn informed her. “We don’t know why, but they’re always great specimens.”
“That’s lovely.” Barriss smiled. “Its good to have at least one thing you can rely on.”