Notes
Not mine, no beta, inspired by many conversations with Fey and by chapter 5 of her wonderful 'When we're past breaking' (you know how much I rave about that scene in your chapter 5, I love it, I'm still not over it). If you find that some of the dialogues look familiar, it's because some of them are taken from The Clone Wars.
When Christophsis came in to view, the nerves Ahsoka had done her best to keep at bay during the whole trip came back as though having morphed into a rampaging beast that was trying to claw its way out of her stomach.
She plastered herself over the window of the transport, letting the cold calm her. Her Master was down there. She reached a hand to her shoulder to fiddle with the silka braid Master Yoda had given her along with a message for Knight Skywalker. She hoped all would go well. Her situation was unusual, she had never heard of Padawans being assigned to a Master.
She had dared to hope after Master Plo had come to her, taking a few minutes of his precious time to speak with her while he was obviously in a hurry to leave for his next campaign. His warm voice and sincere joy had been a source of strength to her ever since she had left the Temple on Master Yoda's orders. Master Plo would not have been so encouraging if he hadn't had the utmost faith she would pair well with the Master chosen for her.
For the upteenth time since her departure, she closed her eyes and willed the scene to unfold for her.
.
She had been going to her astronavigation class with Barriss when he had called out for her in that soft, warm voice of his.
"Little 'Soka!"
A smile spreading on her lips at the sight of her favourite Master, Ahsoka waved Barriss a temporary goodbye and turned in the direction of the voice.
"I wish I could have been the one to ask you in his stead, I promised him I would, but unfortunately the war waits for no one."
Bending down so his face was level with hers, he gently cradled her left cheek in his palm and pressed his forehead to hers. She could have sworn her heart stopped beating at his next words.
"Good luck, little 'Soka. You will be happy and well cared for, I am certain of it."
He didn't tarry for much longer after that. A light caress to her cheek and he was off to defend the Republic against the Separatists.
She had watched him leave with an exhilarated smile stretching her lips and illuminating her entire face. Soon, she was going to do the same.
.
For a few hours, her future had seemed radiant. She had kept her anticipation to herself as much as she could of course. It would not do to sell the rancor's skin before having killed it. But she had been chosen, she had been so sure of it.
Then Master Yoda's summons had come and her hopes had been reduced to ashes.
Things were not going the way Master Plo had hinted at all. Had she been so hopeful she had misunderstood him? She had been assigned. Not chosen. How could Master Plo have been happy for her? She risked her Master not even wanting her! And from what the Initiate grapevine had to offer in terms of gossip, Knight Skywalker was in no way looking for an Apprentice.
No. No. Bad thoughts Ahsoka.
She shook herself.
It didn't matter if Knight Skywalker wanted her or not. She would prove herself. She would be great. And soon enough, he would realize he never should have doubted that her place was by his side, because she would grow to become a formidable Jedi Master.
With that resolve, Ahsoka threw her shoulders back, straightened her spine, and resolutely walked to the entrance of the ship. They would land soon enough.
.
The ramp opened and she gingerly stepped out, one hand coming to brush the datachip which held Master Yoda's instructions she had secured to her utility belt before she forced it back to her side.
She barely had time to observe the silhouettes of two Jedi – the Galaxy-famous Team! – coming in her direction when two clones in what she knew was the 212th orange blocked her view.
"So this is the newest Commander," the one to her left said. Both his and his colleague's Force signature radiated warmth and openness.
"Yes?" she answered hesitantly. She stretched her senses around her. The three other men in rust colored armor in her field of vision were looking in her direction but the one sporting the 501st deep blue did not feel as curious and welcoming as the 212th's men.
Something strange was going on and she did not like it. Not at all.
"You're so tiny!" the clone continued. "I'm Waxer. And this is Boil."
The clone to her right tilted his head in her direction before elbowing his comrade.
"We'll be be seeing you Commander," the newly introduced Boil said before leading Waxer away without giving her a chance to reply.
She turned her attention back to the two Jedi still a few paces away from her, trying to gauge her future Master's mood.
"Anakin, teaching is a privilege. And it's part of a Jedi's responsibility to help train the next generation," she heard Master Kenobi say from afar and her nerves eased a little.
"A Padawan would just slow me down," came the harsh reply and she repressed a flinch. "I don't need one, and… A youngling?" he finished while looking her up and down, evaluating her and already finding her lacking. Her heart constricted painfully in her chest. "Who're you supposed to be?"
Her new Master felt cold and closed off in the Force, not at all like Master Kenobi, who was brushing her Force presence with his in light, dare she say playful pokes.
She brushed off her regrets at having to work with the Master who seemed not to want her at all and plunged her eyes in the blue ones of Knight Skywalker.
"I'm Ahsoka. Master Yoda sent me. I was told to tell both of you that you must get back to the Temple immediately: there's an emergency."
"Well, I don't know if you've noticed," Knight Skywalker answered dismissively with a wave of his arm to his surroundings, "but we're in a bit of an emergency of our own right here."
"Yes, our communications have been a bit unreliable," Master Kenobi picked up though his voice wasn't pitched in a tone meant to denigrate her observation skills. "But we've been calling for help."
"Master Yoda hadn't heard from you so he sent me to deliver the message."
Knight Skywalker rolled his eyes.
"Oh great. They don't even know we're in trouble."
Now that was something that could be easily solved. Time to prove herself worthy of her surly Master.
"Maybe you can relay a signal through the cruiser that just dropped me off?"
An interested light ignited in Knight Skywalker's eyes and an approving smile bloomed on Master Kenobi's lips.
Point to her.
.
Ahsoka watched quietly as Master Kenobi and Knight Skywalker put her plan in action, managing to call an allied ship for help.
"We're under attack by Separatists warships, but I'll try to make contact with the Jedi Temple for you. Stand by."
After a few seconds, the unsteady communication beeped again. Master Yoda's holographic image appeared and a familiar voice distorted by parasitic noises sounded in the room.
"Master Kenobi, glad Ahsoka found you, I am."
"Master Yoda, we are trapped here, and vastly outnumbered. We are in no position to go anywhere or do anything. Our support ships have all been destroyed."
"Send reinforcements to you, we will."
"Master Yoda? Master Yoda?" Master Kenobi asked when the holo's flickering got worse until the image disappeared altogether, switching back to the clone who had relayed the signal.
"We've lost the transmission, sir. We also need to leave orbit immediately. More enemy ships have just arrived. We'll get back to you as soon as we can."
The blue glow of the holographic projector faded for good, and Knight Skywalker leant against it with a weary sigh.
"I guess we'll have to hold out a little longer."
He made to leave the room but stopped short when he noticed Master Kenobi approaching her with a warm smile.
"My apologies, young one. It is time for a proper introduction."
Taking her cue, Ahsoka sketched a small bow from her waist.
"I'm the new Padawan learner. I'm Ahsoka Tano."
"And I am Obi-Wan Kenobi, your new Master."
If only.
"I'm at your service, Master Kenobi. But I'm afraid I've actually been assigned to Master Skywalker."
Knight – she refused to call him her Master in her mind until he had truly acknowledged her as his Padawan, and she didn't know him well enough yet to dispense herself from referring to him by his title – Skywalker's unhidden horror reached her, as cold as the air in the crystal caves of Illum.
"What? No, no, no." He denied frantically. "There must be some mistake. He's the one who wanted a Padawan."
Ahsoka's indignant protests that Master Yoda had specifically assigned her to him died in her throat when she heard him say the magic word. Wanted. Someone on this planet wanted a Padawan. Someone who had been nothing but welcoming towards her. Someone whose clone battalion had taken an interest in her. Someone she had heard Master Plo praise multiple times.
Clearly, it wasn't only Master Yoda's communications which had troubles reaching Christophsis.
"I was told I was assigned to Anakin Skywalker so he would supervise my Jedi training," she offered, carefully keeping her tone neutral and her posture open.
'Maybe', her heart chanted. 'Maybe you have been chosen after all.'
"But that doesn't make any sense, that's not how things work!"
Knight Skywalker made to continue his angry tirade when Master Kenobi's blank voice had him close his mouth with a frown.
"Assigned? What did Plo tell you?"
"He didn't have time to tell me much. He was dispatched on an emergency mission, I got my own from -"
"Who cares about who can't remember which one of us is who? Look. He was holed up in his quarters with Koon forever, speaking about that one Initiate he had taken a shine on. After that, he took ages to work out how a Padawan Commander could work alongside Cody." He turned to Obi-Wan, "If that's her, you take her. I told you, I don't want an Apprentice."
For a brief moment, Ahsoka was enraged at being dismissed so readily. But then the true nature of Skywalker's words reached her and her heart soared. She turned towards Master Kenobi. Was it true? He looked embarrassed, pink peeking out of his beard. She noticed some of the 212th clones were coming in their direction, their protectiveness a shining blanket in the Force as it gathered around Master Kenobi.
"What Anakin means is that after I made sure Commander Cody wouldn't take it as a slight to his abilities as a Commander of the 212th, I spent some time with Plo to learn more about you and both he and your creche Master approved of this partnership."
He nodded towards Knight Skywalker and asked her over his frantic negative shakes of the head and the clear panic pouring from him into the Force, "unless of course, you wish to be paired with Anakin."
While his smile was pleasant enough and he threw her a wink to go with his offer, even with the limited amount of time she had spent in his company, she could tell that his voice was strained and speaking seemed to be paining him. It could also be the clone stepping closer to him than protocol would allow in a clear show of support. Or even the way Knight Skywalker's expression went from scandalized to worried in the blink of an eye.
None of this mattered though.
"You chose me?" she whispered.
Master Kenobi came closer, going down on one knee in front of her before placing his hands on her shoulders and lowering his mental shields. He was so open and warm in the Force, yet so tentative and achingly hopeful.
"If you would have me. Only if you would have me."
"Yes!"
She threw her arms around him, inordinately pleased when his immediately left her shoulders to wrap around her back.
Chosen, she had truly been chosen! Like all her agemates! Master Plo's cryptic message made so much more sense now!
This was the best day of her life.
Still savouring the embrace, she turned her eyes towards her new brother Padawan. His posture had softened and a wistful look had entered his eyes.
Her new Master eventually disengaged himself from the hug. "We will form our training bond later. It won't be long before those droids figure out a way around our cannons and I do not wish for this particular moment to be rushed. Come, Padawan. We're going to check on Rex in the lookout post."
He nodded to Knight Skywalker and strode out of the room, the 212th clone who had stepped close to him earlier following him. She made to leave with them when a hand around her elbow stopped her.
"Quick thinking with the ship's transmitters."
He was still surly, he was still cold, but his eyes were not unkind and some of the frost had cleared from his countenance.
"Thank you."
"I suppose he could have done worse. Obi-Wan only trains the best, you better live up to his expectations."
"I will," she answered as confidently as she could.
A small smile appeared on Knight Skywalker's lips and he pushed her towards the door.
"Then welcome to the family, little sister."
Running to catch up with with her new Master, Ahsoka confirmed her previous statement to herself. This definitely was the best day of her life.
End notes
Obi-Wan did say 'I hope my new Padawan is in here.' I know he was just as surprised as Anakin to discover Ahsoka when she got out of the transport. Believe me, I do. And far be it from me to ever say Ahsoka and Anakin do not make a great pair, I love them together.
But I have flexible headcanons alright? Especially when I take some liberties with canon. And Padawan siblings isn't a bad way for Anakin and Ahsoka to still bond, isn't it?
If you have the time and the inclination to leave a comment, I would love it if you could tell me what you thought of this.