Preface

After reading Queen's (author #39336) collaborative story, A Spy Story, I felt compelled to write my own story in response to the challenge that prompted hers. I'll admit that I have no firsthand experience with going to a spa, but I occasionally like to write something outside of my comfort zone. It's fun to see if I can write such a story well, and it's also a good way to expand my writing repertoire.

Acknowledgments

Very special thanks to Lucasfilms Limited for all Star Wars characters and concepts. Flark, Rondo, and Soza are all original characters created especially for this story.

Special thanks to Queen whose story inspired me to write this.

Also, special thanks to LongLiveTheClones (author #2393440) for pointing out that Gree is a senior commander. This is my first story featuring clones as main characters, so I was bound to make a mistake keeping their ranks straight.

Barriss' unannounced entry into Ahsoka's quarters startled the latter.

"Barriss, what's going on? It's not like you to barge in like this," Ahsoka said as she suspiciously arched her right eye marking.

"I'm sorry, Ahsoka," Barriss apologized, "but I wanted to invite you on a mission you might actually enjoy."

"Oh, what's that?"

"Senator Amidala told us about a Separatist spy. Apparently, the spy is using a spa as a front for covert activity. Gree and I are going. I figured you'd want to come, too."

"I don't know. What would I do at a spa?" Ahsoka asked.

"C'mon, Ahsoka, we never get to do anything girly like this. It'll be fun. We get to catch Seppies and look pretty at the same time."

"Are you sure about this?"

"Master Unduli already received Master Skywalker's permission to include both Rex and you on the mission. Gree and Rex are waiting for us as we speak," Barriss assured Ahsoka.

Ahsoka decided to follow Barriss lead and changed into a different top. She didn't want to look too Jedi-like. But she was not going to change her skirt, leggings, or boots.

The pair joined their clone troopers and began their mission.

Barriss, despite her devotion to the Jedi way, seemed to enjoy her role in the mission.

"Okay, we need to act like convincing couples if we want this to work. Or else people will be suspicious of us," Barriss told the rest of the group. To emphasize her point, she wrapped her arm around Gree's, much to his dismay.

Rex and Ahsoka looked at each other.

"Uhh, Commander Tano, do we have to?" Rex asked awkwardly.

"Don't worry Rex, it won't be for long," Ahsoka replied, doing her best to hide her own nervousness. She daintily took Rex's hand. As she looked down, she noticed his hand was much larger than her own, although she had longer, thinner fingers.

After entering the spa, a Pantoran female greeted the quartet.

"Hello, I am Soza. Welcome to the Coco Town Spa of Splendor. How can we serve you today?" she asked politely.

"We'll have manicures and pedicures for the ladies. And, how about a Tatooine Sauna and massage for our partners," Barriss replied calmly.

"What's a Tatooine Sauna?" Gree asked Rex nervously.

"I don't know, but it sure doesn't sound good," Rex told him.

"Ladies, if you'll follow me," Soza said to Ahsoka and Barriss. "Gentlemen, Flark here will take you for your sauna," she added.

As the padawans walked with Soza, Ahsoka momentarily held her head.

"Ahsoka, what's wrong?" Barriss asked discreetly.

"I have a headache all of a sudden," Ahsoka whispered.

"Oh," Barriss answered quietly, unsure of how else to respond.

Soza took the ladies to a row of chairs. "Once you sit down, slip out of your shoes and we'll get started," she told the pair.

"Thank the stars my headache is subsiding," Ahsoka said as she sighed in relief.

"That's nice," Barriss replied, removing her boots. "Your turn," she told Ahsoka.

Ahsoka wrinkled her nose. "I'm not into the whole 'Togruta go barefoot' thing, Barriss," she stated. She took a deep breath and reluctantly took off her long boots.

Soza came back with a couple of water-filled basins.

"Here you go ladies, stick your feet into these for now," she told them. Soza then removed a small bottle alongside the chairs and poured a small amount of its liquid into each basin.

"I think you'll enjoy this the most," Soza told Ahsoka after pouring the liquid into her basin. Ahsoka was too busy rubbing her head again to answer her hostess.

"Again?" Barriss asked.

"Yeah," Ahsoka answered softly. "I don't know why I'm having headaches all of a sudden," she replied.

Meanwhile, Flark escorted Rex and Gree to the sauna room. There, the clones stripped down to their shorts.

"Gentlemen, I'll have you stay in here for 15 to 20 minutes. Just let all that stress melt away. I'll be back to arrange for your massage," Flark told the undercover clones.

"Right," both Rex and Gree answered instinctively. "Sorry," they apologized to each other in unison.

"I guess it is true; we're so used to being clone troopers, we don't know how to relax," Gree confessed.

"Right," Rex acknowledged briefly. "So, what do we do here?"

"I hear ladies like to talk about guys. I guess we talk about ladies," Gree replied.

"We don't know any ladies."

"Me, I've always wondered if Commander Offee has short or long hair," Gree admitted somewhat sheepishly.

"You should just ask her," Rex said plainly, as if he was reciting instructions from a field manual.

"We're too busy knocking off clankers to worry about that, my brother."

"Right. Commander Tano's tail stripes appear to match the blue color of my armor," he reluctantly admitted to his comrade.

"See, that wasn't so bad to admit, was it?" Gree said.

Rex chuckled. "I guess not. I'm so busy keeping General Skywalker in one piece that I could use a second captain at times."

As Barriss and Ahsoka relaxed, female Twi'lek attendants painted their nails. Just as they finished, Soza walked up to the padawans again.

"Barriss," Ahsoka whispered as quietly as she could, "I have a hunch, do whatever I ask you," Ahsoka told her.

"Umm, Okay," Barriss replied tentatively.

Ahsoka gritted her teeth. Her headache returned as Soza stood beside her.

"So, how's everything going?" Soza asked Ahsoka and Barriss.

"Now, Barriss!" Ahsoka told her best friend.

Barriss didn't react at first. But when she realized what Ahsoka wanted, she leaped up, knocking over her basin and spilling it all over Soza. Barriss then slapped a pair of binders around Soza's wrists.

"Alright, sleemo, you're under arrest, you spy!" Ahsoka snarled.

Soza looked shocked to have been outed as a Separatist. "How did you figure it out?" she asked in disbelief.

Ahsoka Force-pulled a small box from under Soza's sleeve and answered, "Every time you're near me, I have headaches. This is why. You've been using it to send coded messages."

"But how did you know?" Soza asked, more irritated at being discovered.

"Simple, your ultrasonic messages were interfering with my sense of echolocation. That's what was giving me the headaches."

"Senator Chuchi would be ashamed of you, traitor!" Barriss yelled in an uncharacteristically loud voice.

"Not all Pantorans agree with the Republic—or the Jedi!" Soza snapped back.

Back in the sauna room, Flark had returned to fetch Rex and Gree for their massage.

"Right this way, gentlemen. Rondo here will give you your massages," Flark told them as he directed the clones to a Rodian masseur.

Rex looked at the Rodian curiously. Something seemed amiss. Suddenly, Rex had a determined look on his face.

"Alright you Seppie, don't make another move!" Rex announced tersely.

"What? What are you talking about?" Rondo asked, unsure of Rex's reaction.

Rex grabbed a can of hair spray, much to the protest of the nearby stylist.

"Eat hairspray, sleemo!" Rex shouted as he sprayed the can's contents at Rondo.

Rondo attempted to run away from his crazed client. It was to no avail, though. Rex caught him and tackled him in front of the padawans.

As Barriss prepared to take Soza to detention, the sound of a loud crash interrupted her. It was so loud that Ahsoka leaped right out of her chair with her lightsabers ignited.

"Commander Tano, I've caught the Seppie," Rex stated proudly.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Rondo protested.

"That's what they all say!" Rex yelled back at his captive, ignoring the rack he knocked over in the scuffle.

"Umm, Rexster, he's not the spy. Barriss and I caught her ourselves," Ahsoka told him.

Seeing there was no real danger, Ahsoka extinguished her lightsabers.

"And I would have gotten away with it, if not for this touchy little Togruta!" Soza retorted in disgust.

Rex blushed redder than Master Ti's skin to learn he had made a mistake. He slowly unbound Rondo and set him free.

"Sorry, sir," Rex apologized bluntly to Rondo. He turned to Ahsoka next. "Good job catching the real Seppie, though," he told her.

"That's it, I'd rather work for the Hutts. I quit!" Rondo yelled in frustration.

"Ahsoka, aren't you coming back with us?" Barriss asked. "We need to report back to the council," she reminded her best friend.

"Not until I get what I came here for!" Ahsoka stated emphatically.

Barriss just shrugged her shoulders.

"Rex, Gree, let's take this prisoner to detention," Barriss ordered the clones.

"Yes, ma'am!" both replied in unison. After a few seconds, they realized what they just did again and shared a laugh.

"Alright you Seppie, off you go!" Gree told the detained Soza as he prodded her forward.

Ahsoka stayed to finish her treatment. Once she was ready to leave, the final bill shocked her.

"You want 50 259 credits for a manicure and a pedicure?!" she exclaimed in disbelief.

"Oh, the mani and pedi were 250 credits each. The other 49 759 is for the damages you and all your friends caused," the cashier announced.

Ahsoka face-palmed. I hope the Jedi treasury can pick up the tab, she thought.

As Ahsoka returned to the Jedi temple and entered her quarters, Anakin sat on a couch waiting for her.

"Hey, Snips, glad to see you finally decided to rejoin us," he teased her.

"So, you heard?" Ahsoka asked.

"Yeah. Good job catching that spy. Padmé—err, Senator Amidala—will be pleased."

Anakin noticed something peculiar. Ahsoka's fingernails had a small thin stripe of shiny silver polish on the tips.

"Twi'lek tips, huh? The senator does her nails that way, too," Anakin noted.

Ahsoka was about to ask why he paid so much attention to Padmé's nails, but she figured she was better off not knowing.

"Umm, Master, can we go on a mission to Shili soon?" Ahsoka asked nervously.

"Why do you want to do that?" Anakin replied suspiciously.

"Well, it would be a shame to have all my nails done and not be able to show them off."

Suddenly, Ahsoka's blue lekku stripes darkened in embarrassment. Did she just say she wanted to go without her usual boots?

Anakin looked at Ahsoka rather intently.

"Who are you and what have you done to my padawan?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

Closing Commentary

The idea behind Ahsoka's headache came from a plot in one of my private stories. I thought the idea could be put to good use here and make Ahsoka more valuable than she realized.

"Twi'lek tips" is my GFFA equivalent of French-tipped nails.

Although the padawans caught the spy, the clones brought the detained captive with them. I hope this counts towards the challenge.

END