Gone with a Trace

"Gone with a Trace" is the fifth episode of the seventh and final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. This episode is chronologically preceded by the Sixth season's final episode, "Sacrifice."
==Official description==
Ahsoka befriends a pilot but must hide her Jedi past while trying to stop a dangerous droid.
==Plot summary==
===Descent===
Ahsoka Tano rides a Joben T-85 speeder bike over Coruscant's Works district. Descending into an underworld portal, the speeder bike begins to malfunction, leaving her hanging on for dear life as the vehicle flips over and continues on upside-down. Ahsoka annoys a few other drivers by running on their vehicles as she passes in an attempt to gain momentum, but the bike swings out into the center of the passage and heads toward a collision with a Gozanti-class cruiser. She manages to avert a collision by throttling the bike's accelerator, flipping it over and regaining her seat on it, but knocking off the cruiser's communications dish. Ahsoka takes a moment to catch her breath, thinking the worst is over, but the bike malfunctions again, sending her plummeting into the Coruscant Underworld.
===A new friend===
Ahsoka manages to regain control in mid-air and crash lands on the edge of a platform. She narrowly avoids falling over the edge and manages to drag her bike up. Ahsoka is met by a human woman named Trace Martez, who says that her bike is totaled. When Tano grumbles about the damage to the repulsor and compressor, Trace remarks that Tano is knowledgeable about engines and identifies herself.
She tells Ahsoka that she is fortunate enough to crash onto one of the best repair shops on Level 1313. Trace is a mechanic and offers to fix Tano's bike for a price. Tano prefers to fix her bike but Trace says that the tools will still cost her. Tano says that she does not have enough credits but Trace takes pity on her. Trace takes her into her shipyard which has a Nebula-class freighter that Trace is modifying. Trace gives Tano some space to repair her speeder bike. Tano is amazed by Trace's kindness and hospitality.
Tano gets to work on her speeder bike, rebuffing Trace's offer to repair her bike. Trace tells Tano that everything down here has a price and that she better get use to it. Tano asks Trace if she can sell a sparker. Trace tells her that she has used up the sparkers on her starship. Ahsoka tells Trace that she has to get out of Coruscant. When Trace asks if she is in trouble, Tano questions her decision to leave the Jedi Order before walking away. Trace relents and allows Ahsoka to stay here for as long as she likes as long she can pay her. She wonders why Tano is upset.
===Helping a friend===
Tano walks to the edge where she watches a Republic freighter ascending into the skies of Coruscant. Later, she returns to Trace's garage where Trace has decided to repair her bike for free. Ahsoka remarks that she came from a different place. When Trace inquires, Tano conceals her Jedi past and replies that she came from the upper levels of Coruscant. Trace thinks that Tano is better off down here because the Jedi are waging a war and policing everything. Tano replies that the Jedi did not start the Clone Wars and are trying to stop it.
Trace says that the Jedi have forgotten about them and the Jedi are not what she thought they were in her childhood. Since Coruscant is unsafe, Trace and her sister Rafa Martez have bought a starship and plan to make their living in the stars. She wants to get away from the Jedi and the Clone Wars.
Trace's garage is visited by the alien Pintu and two towering alien thugs, seeking to collect Rafa's debts. Pintu tells Ahsoka not to intervene and to let her handle it. Trace tells Pintu that Rafa had gone to see her. Pintu demands that Trace pay their debts. Ahsoka tells Pintu to back off but both Pintu and Trace tell her to stay out. As Pintu and his thugs corner Trace against a table, she grabs a pole and attacks the enforcers. She manages to beat them but one of the thugs grabs her while the other tries to punch her.
Trace kicks the second thug against a cupboard. She swings a bag against the first thug but the towering aliens pin her to the table. Trace asks Ahsoka for help before fighting the thugs. Before one of the thugs can punch Trace in the face, Ahsoka catches her fist and subdues the guards in combat. She orders Pintu and his enforcers to leave. Pintu warns them to tell Rafa that this fight is far from over.
When Trace asks Tano where she learned to fight like that, Tano claims that her older brother taught her. Trace wants to learn from Ahsoka. The two then leave to inform Rafa about the incident.
===A rough living===
Later, Trace and Ahsoka find Rafa trying to steal from several customers' washing at her laundromat. When Rafa asks about the bruises on Trace's face, her sister replies that Pintu came to recollect his debts. Rafa says that she plans to repay Pintu and that she has a big job that will get them through. Trace asks if it is legal but Rafa reminds her that they cannot count on anyone so they can only count on themselves.
Rafa takes an interest in Ahsoka, who identifies herself. Trace introduces her sister and tells Rafa how Ahsoka dropped onto the mech bay platform. Ahsoka tells Rafa she is from topside. Trace is unhappy that Rafa has gotten entangled with Pintu but Rafa says that she needs money for their garage and repairs. Trace is upset about Pintu's attack. Rafa tells her sister it won't happen again but Trace replies that she can only take so many punches to her head.
They are visited by a blue Twi'lek man, Lokann, who tells Rafa that he needs three droids to be built. His business partner brokered a deal with Rafa Martez. Rafa claims that the locker room is a secret droid factory. The Twi'lek man adds that his business partner says that Rafa builds droids better than anybody. Rafa agrees and tells him to bring him round back. Rafa enlists Trace's help in building some droids.
===Dangerous droids===
Later, Trace and Ahsoka are working on building three binary loadlifters. Trace says that it has been a while since she has built a droid but opines that it is not too difficult. Ahsoka reminds Trace to attach a restraining bolt to the droid before starting off the power cycle. When Trace asks why she is worried, Ahsoka says that she had several "run-ins" with droids. While the majority are fine, Tano says that some are cross-wired from the start and remarks that this is no astromech.
Trace thinks Ahsoka is knowledgeable but Tano replies that she still does not understand people. Trace replies that there are some good people and some bad people and that others are cross-wired like this binary load lifter. Suddenly, one of the droids goes rogue and tries to attack Tano. Ahsoka manages to disable the droid with a remote.
She tells Trace that Type two binary load lifters are repurposed demolition droids that are prone to violence. Trace says that they have put restraining bolts on the droid. However, a second droid breaks free before they can install the restraining bolt. Meanwhile, Rafa is walking the street when she sees several tookas running down the street. Rafa then sees the second binary load lifter running amuck through the streets. Trace and Ahsoka run after the droid. Rafa is upset that her plans have gone wrong.
They chase the droid onto a bridge but it jumps off the bridge into the streets of Level 1313, scattering several civilians. The repurposed demolition droid goes on a rampage, destroying several vehicles and damaging property. Trace sends Ahsoka back to Rafa's garage to get the tracking device for the droid. She tells Ahsoka that she will get a speeder. Back at the garage, Ahsoka finds the tracking device and leaves with Trace, who has obtained a speeder. Rafa is upset that their droid building venture has gone wrong.
In the streets, Trace and Ahsoka catch up with the demolition droid, which leaps over their speeder and runs down an alley. As they tail the droid, Ahsoka tells Trace that the "off" switch is on the droid's face. Trace tries to use the speeder's fork lift to trap the droid. Following a chase, she manages to pin down the demolition droid but they are unable to stop the powerful droid. Ahsoka convinces Trace to let go of the fork and to stop the droid.
Trace climbs onto the droid's chassis and tries to switch off the droid's button. She witches the droid off before it can harass a child and a woman. However, the droid falls off the edge. Ahsoka manages to attach the speeder's crane to the droid. Since the droid is too heavy, Ahsoka uses her Force powers to pull up the speeder, Trace, and the deactivated droid. Trace is optimistic and says that they would get through.
===Rafa's aspirations===
Back at Rafa's garage, Rafa refuses to dismantle the binary load lifters since she has made a deal with the Twi'lek gentleman. Ahsoka disagrees and says that the droids can hurt people. Rafa counters that the rogue droid lacked a restraining bolt and asks if Trace placed restraining bolts on all three droids. Trace confirms she has done so but asks what if one comes off. Tano protests but Rafa counters that she is new here.
Rafa convinces Trace that she will do the right thing and promises to meet her at the wharf. Trace tells her to be smart. Trace and Tano head to a food court. When Ahsoka says if she gets a say with her older sister, Trace says that Rafa is older and that she is trying to make things better for them. Ahsoka asks about the cost. Just then, Rafa returns and tells Trace and Ahsoka that she charged the Twi'lek double.
Ahsoka is shocked that Rafa gave them back but Rafa responds that the droids were not hers to keep. She reasons that if she doesn't build them, someone else would. Trace is upset but Rafa says that she used the money to pay off their debts to Pintu. Rafa says that they have enough credits to buy new tools and hopes to accumulate more credits. Ahsoka decides to leave early to repair her speeder. Before leaving, Trace thanks Ahsoka for saving her. Trace then leaves with Ahsoka to help her in her repairs.
==Development==
A four-episode arc with production codes 6.05–6.08 entitled "Ahsoka's Walkabout" began production in 2012 as part of the sixth season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The arc was to follow Ahsoka Tano after her decision to leave the Jedi Order. This arc was to show some of her first adventures in the underworld where she met a scoundrel named Nyx Okami, whom she developed a close relationship with. Ahsoka's character was challenged when she got involved with the underworld and the Pyke Syndicate, but had to resist her Jedi teachings for her own safety.
During the "Ahsoka's Untold Tales" panel at Celebration Europe in 2016, scenes of the "Ahsoka's Walkabout" arc were shown in story reel form, with Dave Filoni commenting some of his plans for the arc. On March 20, 2020, a completed version of the episode was aired as part of The Clone Wars revival on Disney+. However, among other changes, the Nyx Okami character was replaced by the sisters Trace and Rafa Martez, who filled his role as the one who owed money to Pintu Son-El.
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