Don't Stop

A few days had passed since the destruction of the weapons factory on Geonosis and the incident with the brain worms aboard the Republic Pelta-class frigate. Jedi Padawan Learners Ahsoka Tano and Barriss Offee finished their medical treatments and were sent back to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant for a one week retreat. While they may have recovered physically, there was still a lot of emotional trauma that needed to heal and subside. They didn't need to stay together in the temple, but Barriss and Ahsoka couldn't help but be close to one another. Every time they went to their own quarters a cold, empty shroud fell over their hearts and minds.

A few days into their week off from their duties in the Clone Wars, they were meditating together in a focus chamber. Barriss was beginning to levitate slightly, but she couldn't get more than an inch or two off of the ground. There was a repetitive, abrasive noise that was distracting her focus. After abruptly losing her focus and feeling her butt smack on the floor for the third time she opened her eyes to look for the noise maker. It was Ahsoka. The young Togruta sat cross-legged with her eyes closed and seemed to be in perfect meditation with the exception of her hands. She was constantly scratching and poking at her right wrist under her red bracer.

Barriss tried to ignore her friend's itching, but she became curious on top of her inability to focus. So, she looked over at Ahsoka and inquired. "Is everything okay, Ahsoka? You seem to be scratching at your bracer like there's something stuck inside it."

Ahsoka didn't even realize she was scratching so noticeably. She immediately stopped and turned to look at her friend. "It's just a scrape. I never was very good at leaving things like this alone to heal." Ahsoka forced herself to leave it alone and smiled at Barriss a little embarrassed.

"May I see?" Barriss inquired.

"Umm, sure…" Ahsoka agreed and took off her bracer. It was no mere scrape. It was a very deep cut just past the back of her hand on her wrist.

"This is a lot more than a scrape! It's very deep. We've been meditating and reflecting ever since we got back from our mission together. How did this happen?" Barriss held Ahsoka's hand and analyzed the wound. The amount of worry and compassion in her voice took Ahsoka off guard but she couldn't help but love hearing it. Barriss was usually the more distant, calculating Padawan out of the two of them.

"When you… I mean, 'brain worm you,' Force pushed a glass panel into shards towards me one of the shards managed to slip under my bracer. I guess the Clones missed it when we were getting medical treatment at the space station. It's doesn't even hurt. It's just itchy." Ahsoka tried to shrug it off. The last thing she wanted was for Barriss to feel even worse over what happened. Ahsoka didn't want to see her best friend fall apart into tears again like she did when she first woke up on the medical station.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Barriss' guilt sounded like it was rising by the second.

"There's nothing to tell. It will heal." Ahsoka pulled her arm away and put her hand over the wound trying to remove the source of sadness for Barriss. She put on a brave smile and pretended to get back to meditating.

"Ahsoka, you should've told me." Rather than hurt or guilt-ridden, Barriss almost sounded reassuring.

"Why? I don't hold it against you or anything." Ahsoka was very confused and stopped pretending to meditate.

"I could've healed you days ago." Barriss let a smile creep onto her face as she reached out her hands towards Ahsoka.

"Really? You can do that?" Ahsoka smiled and relaxed a little when she looked at Barriss. The young Mirialan had a newfound confidence in her face and posture. Her olive-green hands looked like hands of an angel as the setting Coruscant sun shone through the windows across them.

"Yes, Ahsoka. I'm a Jedi Healer. Here…" Ahsoka placed her right hand in Barriss'. A blue glow started emanating and swirling around the cut. The blue light danced and pulsed around their hands. Barriss' eyes were on Ahsoka's while Ahsoka's eyes were fixed on the blue, swirling light. A soothing and yet invigorating sensation overtook Ahsoka and she closed her eyes.

As Barriss was healing her, Ahsoka felt such an immense amount of warmth and comfort. It was as if their spirits were holding hands as well. She could feel the warmth of Barriss' presence so strongly as the healing was going on. The Force connection with Barriss made her feel confident, desired, but more than anything else, at home. With her heart and mind attuned with Barriss' the two Padawans felt a warmth that they had never known. A tingling feeling danced down their backs as they began to breathe heavier.

After such a moment that felt far too short, Ahsoka started feeling the warmth retreat. She opened her eyes to see the healed cut and the blue light vanishing slowly. Barriss began to remove her hands from Ahsoka's reluctantly. Ahsoka wasn't quite sure what she had just experienced, but she was certain that she didn't want it to end. She whispered while still staring at where the blue light had just disappeared. "Don't stop…"

Their eyes met briefly before looking away in shyness. After a moment of bashful silence, Barriss' hand slowly reached over and clasped around Ahsoka's. They both breathed in deeply as their eyes closed. Barriss whispered to Ahsoka. "I won't…"