The beginning of the war brought many new, terrifying moments to Aidan's life, Ahsoka could tell. She had to leave him often; going to fight who-knows-where and having many near-death situations that should have killed her. But she was also able to watch her son gain friends and learn to laugh a little more, opening up to people in ways he never had before.

Even though he never stepped foot inside a ship again, it didn't bother Ahsoka that he didn't follow in her footsteps.

In fact, it seemed Aidan was forging his own path to adulthood, which pleased her even more. But, on the flip side...

She also felt like they were growing apart.

Aidan spent more and more time with his friends on the Ghost than he actually did her. Maybe it was his way of making her feel guilty for all the times she had left him.

Presently, she watched him attend some combat practice along with Ezra. Sabine and Zeb were nearby, watching,encouraging, and waiting turns. But. Even without the Force, Aidan was doing well.

A slight nudge from the force alerted her to someone else's presence. She expected it to be Kanan, as he was usually not far from his Padawan, but this time, it was Hera.

The Twi'lek pilot joined her in the viewing place above the sparring arena. She watched a moment, just in time to see Ezra get a tap from Aidan's dual wielded weapons.

"Well, he certainly takes after you, if that's what you wanted." She commented.

"Because of the way he fights?" Ahsoka asked, keeping one eye on her son and finding errors in his footwork and the way he shifted his balance. "I sure hope that's not how I fight."

"Well. Deep down, I know you're proud." Hera said, a bit pointedly.

"Of course I am." Ahsoka agreed."But despite what people think, he is still much his father." Her statement was punctuated by Aidan knocking Ezra down, yet refusing to strike another blow, helping him up instead.

"Well, you seem to be the only one that knows who his father is. To all the rest of us- you're just a single mother who did as best a job as we've ever seen before. I know that I wouldn't be able to raise a child alone."

"I wasn't that good." Ahsoka insisted.

"What parent is? You don't give yourself enough credit. Aidan's a fine man."

"He's only fourteen."

"They grow up fast in war."Hera pointed out, thoughtfully."You and I should know that."

"Yes. We should." Ahsoka loosed a breath and leaned forward on the rail, resting her chin and dangling an arm over it. "And I am proud of him. I guess I just don't tell him enough. But it's not like I ever heard it either."

"It's never too late to start over." Said Hera. Putting a reassuring arm on her shoulder as she let her words sink it.

Sink in they did, in the part of Ahsoka's brain that would forever be dedicated to raising her son. In fact, when his training session was over, she was outside the 'fresher when he walked out, still drying his long hair.

"Ahh!" He jumped when he saw her. "Don't dothat!" He said.

"Do what?" She asked innocently.

"That. Don't sneak up on me like that. One day I'm going to accidentally hurt you."

His comment got a scoff from her. "I'd like to see you try."

She was more than ready when he took a lunge toward her and tred to use his extra towel as a whip- only succeeding in striking the empty space where she had been moments ago.

He just growled, using the offending weapon to dry his hair once again.

"Besides, I like sneaking up on you. It's my way of making sure you're prepared."

"Mom, I was in the shower!"

She shrugged."So?"

"Hmph. Sometimes I wonder if I'm the adult here." He turned his back for a moment before heaving a long sigh. "Look away,please."

"It's not like I've never seen you naked before." Ahsoka retorted, but complied as he changed into his undergarments.

"You could've changed in the 'fresher."

"And you could've waited outside!"

"I was outside. And don't raise your voice at me! It's what you get for not using the locker room like everyone else. Face it...-You come home because you miss me."

"Oh, I learned how to not miss you long ago. This is just me being a good son."

Ahsoka knew he hadn't meant for it to, but his words stung. She turned away again, an attempt to hide her troubled expression. "How many times do I need to apologize?"

"Just once more."He answered, and pulled on his shirt. He noticed that she had turned back and stopped. "What?"

"My leaving gave you a chance to grow up, it seems." She stepped closer to him, looking him in his electric blue eyes, glancing at his human ears and long blonde hair. She reached out a hand to cup his salmon-tinted cheek, but he jerked away.

"You'll have girls chasing after you, soon." She just said.

"Oh, I already do," He said with a smirk.

"Just keep your pants on." She instructed, and his eyes grew wide.

"Mom!"He cried indignantly, turning even more red than usual.

"What? It's true. It's how you got here. And I'm too young to be a grandmother."

He groaned, exasperated, and for a moment it was like old times between them, before a rift had been established, leaving them distant. Lately, it seemed every time Ahsoka came back, her son had gotten a little taller, a little more filled out,a little stronger. Sometimes even all three.

She tried to reach for his cheek again, expecting to be met with resistance a second time but instead felt his face against her palm, with its odd, human body temperature.

"I do love you, Aidan."She said, taking a bit of his hair between two fingers. For a moment, he consented until-

"Oh, please. You are not braiding it." He tried to tug away, but her grip was solid.

"Why not? You used to love it."Ahsoka said as she braided.

"I look too girly."

"Then cut your hair. You were supposed to be a girl, anyhow."

He mumbled something under his breath that she chose not to hear, but he was soon unable to leave his mother's careful hands as it combed and wove through his hair. Aidan didn't even know how she knew how to braid-it wasn't like she had hair herself, or any daughters.

"I do wish I could have a daughter."Ahsoka said, quietly, as she finished the braid and tied it off. "But I ruined that chance when I didn't go back to your father. I ruined it for you, too."

Aidan was silent as she turned him around and took another close look at him.

"You look just like your father."She said, then stood up even taller to kiss his forehead.

Her son stood still just a moment longer before shifting his weight to his right foot. "I need to get to drills, mom." He excused himself, walking toward the door. "I'll see you later."

The casual way he said it made it even worse of a departure for Ahsoka. But it was just a reminder of how things were between them now- separate lives. Legally, Aidan would still be one of her dependants, but that hardly applied in the case of war. Some days, he made his own decisions, without comsulting her. Because of how he'd grown, it was easy to mistake his age, too.

"I love you, son."She said to the empty room,then turned on her heel and headed to the command center.

ooooooooooooo

Ahsoka saw her son again at dinner. He was sitting amongst a group which consisted of his best friend, Landen, and a few other cadets. He was laughing, something that brought a happy smile to her face, even as she was on the other side of the cafeteria, seated between Hera and Sabine of the Ghost crew.

"Are you sure that son of yours isn't force sensitive?" Kanan asked, resting his elbows on the table across from her. "It seems he did a good job against my padawan. Ezra won't stop complaining of it. He wants me to beat you as justice."

"I'm afraid he won't get it,then." Ahsoka said, casually, biting into a piece of meat.

"Oh, is that a challenge?" The younger man's eyebrows narrowed in response.

"I thought Jedi were supposed to be humble."Sabine put in from one side of her.

"I'm not a Jedi." Kanan and Ahsoka responded in tandem, then looked at each other. It was true that neither of them were associated with the Order, but eacb for different reasons. Ahsoka had alienated herself and no longer identified as one. Kanan could no longer be a Jedi, as the Order was forcibly ended.

Ahsoka finally turned away, a single nod in approval at her younger friend. Kanan grunted in response, his grip on his fork loosening so his knuckles regained color. "I sense a competition." He said, a competitive twinkle in his eye.

"I sense a victory."Ahsoka shot back, causing Hera and Sabine to laugh while Kanan's face flushed a bit as his ego deflated. Without a sassy retort, he grumbled and stood up, leaving the table.

"He actually thinks he can win." Sabine observed, a smile still hidden behind her hand.

"As if."Hera agreed."He's got an ego the size of Coruscant, and it's always great to see him put in place."

"I'm sure you do that enough."Ahsoka pointed out.

"My point is."Hera continued."No amount of preparation will be able to save him now. It's time to show him what a woman is capable of."

"I've beaten him before, years ago."Ahsoka remembered."I doubt now will be much different."

At the subtle roast, Sabine chuckled and almost choked on her bite of food. Hera snickered, but behind her eyes Ahsoka still sensed a faint look of worry or defense on the pilot's mind. For a moment, she almost felt guilty for how she forced Hera to act in a demeaning manner toward the man she loved-Ahsoka had been forced to do the same by various people, including herself- and remembered how awful it made her feel.

"Don't worry. I'll be careful with him, Hera."She assured, only half pretending to project sarcasm as she reached a hand to her friend's arm.

"I just have a feeling that some day, Kanan's emotions will get the better of him, more than they already had."

Deep down inside, Ahsoka felt the same way. But she dared not voice her feelings of Kanan's weakness- no, she refused to think it. But her concern was hard to repress, as she also felt that Aidan's fatal flaw was the same as Kanan's.

The only difference was that for her son, Ahsoka was, in her eyes, personally responsible.

And she wondered if it would be her own downfall.

Or even Aidan's doom.