After
Once or twice, Ahsoka had thought of visiting Barriss Offee in prison. Once, she had nearly acted on it, but turned around before she reached the doors. This, however, was different than those times. This time, Barriss was the only one Ahsoka had left. No matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't let go of that, even if she could let go of everything else. All of the times the duo had sneaked out of their quarters during nights at the temple to talk, or the missions they had taken by each other's side - the one kiss they had shared and had never spoke of again near the end of a life-threatening mission on Felucia - she had dropped those memories years ago. Even if sometimes she still yearned to feel that way again.
As she walked into the building, she felt like yelling, like screaming at her former comrade for betraying her in such a way. Even after all this time she still felt taken for granted, and rightly so. If Barriss had not framed her, she would not have felt the need to leave the order! In fact, if Barriss hadn't committed the act, maybe she wouldn't even be in this mess. Quite possibly this feat had been related to the bombing. And now everyone Ahsoka had known had been killed, and she was simply furious. And so she marched herself into the prison, requested visiting permission with the former criminal, and stomped bravely behind the prison guard to the visiting area. The room was wide and open with many guards lining the walls. Most of the residents were talking grandly with family members or friends or people who Ahsoka highly expected of being ex-convicts themselves. But she was in no place to judge, she remembered. She herself was falsely accused and nearly sentenced here.
She watched as the guard walked up to a figure with shoulder-length hair so dark it was nearly black and say her name. As soon as she turned around, however, Ahsoka's courage and anger melted away. She looked into her former friend's deep blue eyes and immediately was hit with an overwhelming feeling of loneliness. Not anger, or hatred, or anything related. Instantly she wanted to fall into the Mirilian's arms and simply cry; cry about her lost friends, her lost life - she wanted to let the strong facade she had kept up for so many years fall and flat out sob into the taller girl's shoulder. But no, she couldn't do that. Not now. Not after what at happened.
The guard left them shortly and retreated to his post at the front of the building, and that left Ahsoka and Barriss relatively alone among the group of other visitors. Ahsoka held her breath, afraid that if she didn't the dam would burst.
"Ahsoka." Barriss's smooth, even voice sounded the same. Her lips looked the same, and her eyes looked the same, and even her now slightly-faded tattoos looked nearly exactly as they had before. And immediately the set of eyes Ahsoka was looking into was filled with regret. A tiny voice, impossibly small for Barriss's normally clear diction, broke through the air. "...I'm sorry."
Within seconds, Barriss was watching stunned as the shorter Togruta girl wrapped her arms around her and began to sob loud, messy sobs that Barriss knew she had been holding back for so long.
"Th-they're gone; Obi Wan, Anakin, Plo, They're...they can't be...They're all dead." Ahsoka cried, her shoulders shaking violently. They were causing quite a scene, but neither cared. This being only the first time they had seen each other since before, Barriss didn't want to push her luck by pushing Ahsoka off of her. In a way, this felt not quite like forgiveness, but understanding - and Barriss craved that.
And so she held Ahsoka, and the love they had once known was not present. They were no longer the peers, or associates, or the almost lovers they once were, but something different. Something so unusual and yet so familiar that neither had felt the feeling in a very, very long time. They were friends.
If someone wants of course I'll be willing to write about the kiss on Felucia! Just let me know! :)