Title: Attachments
Author: Darth Wannabe
Disclaimer: All of the following characters belong to George Lucas. I am receiving no profit from any of this. This is just for people's enjoyment. I also want to thank everyone who has contributed to the Star War's universe, in particular all the fanfiction writers who have inspired me to write this story.
Rating: T
Attachments
Master Skywalker had awoken her earlier than usual with news that a breakthrough in the "Clone Murders" case had occurred during the night. Ahsoka had not been able to sleep anyway. Images from their most recent battle disturbed her dreams. She had quickly dressed and followed him to the nearest Coruscant Transit terminal where they had boarded a train to the immigration sector. Master Obi-Wan had met them at the arrival station, and together, they had taken the most direct route to the underground entertainment district.
She had only been to the Underworld a few times before and never to this particular sector, one of the poorest on Coruscant. The buildings either were windowless or had thick bars across the openings. Piles of trash had accumulated in dark corners and alleys, and a pervasive smell of decay and chemicals burned her sensitive glands. All in all, it appeared even seedier than the other parts she had visited.
"Master, I'm still a little confused as to why we're here," Ahsoka said, breaking the silence that had descended on the trio during their trek. She had only partially understood his shortened explanation in her sleep-deprived state, and any questions at the time had been met with annoyance and an admonition to hurry.
"I told you, Snips," Master Skywalker replied, his tone matching his impatient stride. "The owner of the Corusca Gem confirmed that one of his dancers met with each of the troopers before their deaths. We need to test whether her DNA matches the samples that we found on the troops."
"But why would a dancer want to murder clones?"
"That's what we're going to find out."
"It does seem rather unbelievable, Anakin," Master Obi-Wan said. He had just returned to Coruscant the previous night and had been updated on the situation during his debriefing with the Jedi Council. Ahsoka was not entirely certain as to why the Council had asked him to join them. She could sense his exhaustion in the Force.
"Perhaps you should have just left this investigation to CSF," Master Obi-Wan continued. "You did bother to update Lieutenant Divo on this new development, I hope?"
"And give him an opportunity to mess everything up?"
"I suppose you make a good point," Obi-Wan sighed.
"I always do." Master Skywalker stared straight ahead, a grim determination sketched on his face. "There's our destination."
The building was indistinguishable from the ones around it, except for the partially lit sign at the entrance. Ahsoka's eyes adjusted well to darkness, but the glaring artificial light of the Underworld interfered with her perception. It took her several moments before she realized that the letters on the sign were shaped from the outlines of nude twi'leks. "Classy," she muttered.
Master Skywalker grabbed her shoulder. "Wait here, Ahsoka."
"Why?" she asked although she should not have been surprised. She had never been allowed to accompany him into Underworld establishments before. His stubborn refusal to recognize that she was not a child was a source of increasing frustration in their relationship.
"Because I ordered you to," her master said. "Why do you always have to question my judgment?" A finger pointed and shook in her direction as he spoke each word.
"Master, it's not like I haven't been in these kinds of places before," she countered.
"When?" he asked, brow furrowing. "And with whom?"
"I…," she thought back to when she had once entered one of the undercity bars. She had been with Master Sinube searching for her stolen lightsaber. She had conveniently forgotten to mention that episode to her master, "…can't remember."
"Uh-huh," her master said, glaring at her with a mixture of disapproval and annoyance.
Master Obi-Wan interjected into their conversation, an amused smirk on his face, "I imagine that Ahsoka isn't the first youngling to sneak into the Underworld." He paused to wink at her. "Although I hope you've never been in a place quite like this."
"A place like what?" she asked.
"You didn't tell her, Anakin?" Master Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows.
"Of course not," her master responded. "We'll talk about this later, Snips. Guard the entrance and make sure the target doesn't escape."
As the two Jedi approached the dilapidated building, Ahsoka resigned herself to the fact that she would not be entering any clubs today and decided to focus on keeping her lightsaber in her possession this time. She extended her Force senses, probing the environment beyond what her eyes could distinguish. There were several beings around the area, but none felt hostile. It appeared that she would, once again, have very little to do during this mission.
As she waited for something to happen, she began to wonder about Master Obi-Wan's last comment. It confirmed what she had already suspected. Her master was hiding details about the investigation from her. She could not understand why he didn't trust her or why he thought that she was too young to deal with certain situations. It frustrated her immensely, especially when other Jedi noticed her master's lack of trust. Barriss asked her about it almost every time they saw each other, and other masters had commented upon it, albeit discreetly in the presence of Master Skywalker.
She could feel a tangle of emotions swirling through her mind – frustration at her master, jealousy towards other padawans, and fear that her master's lack of faith was a result of her failure as a padawan. She was so entrapped in her thoughts that she did not immediately notice her master exiting the building.
Her eyes were finally drawn to him by the struggling, young twi'lek beside him. She was much younger than Ahsoka had expected although it was difficult to judge her exact age. Her dark red skin was scantily covered by violet gauze and gold metal disks, and her husky contralto pleaded with her master in heavily-accented and broken Basic.
Master Skywalker's artificial hand tightly encircled one of the girl's upper arms. Ahsoka suspected that the girl would have bruises there once he finally released her. Master Obi-Wan appeared from the club behind them and walked briskly to approach her master's other side and to whisper something to him. Her master paused and responded curtly. Master Obi-Wan then reached towards the struggling girl, and at his touch, she sagged towards the ground. Her master quickly caught her and swung her into his arms.
Ahsoka could sense an undercurrent of anger in both masters and wondered what the cause of it was. She wanted to ask whether this twi'lek girl was actually the suspect and whether the mission had been successful. Anakin, however, swept by her without a glance, and she had to struggle to match his stride.
She decided to tentatively probe the link that they shared through the Force. It was common for a master and a padawan to develop a means of communication through their bond. While any Jedi could usually sense the emotions of others, a master and a padawan learned to interpret each other's thoughts and feelings. Eventually, this bond could grow into sending actual messages to each other.
Having not yet mastered words, she tried to express her inquiry by projecting her confusion. At first, her master did not respond back, and she wondered whether he had not understood, when a thought suddenly pushed into her mind and lingered there.
Later.
When they arrived at CSF Headquarters, Master Skywalker ordered her to return to the temple, since her presence during the interrogation was unneeded and would only make the room more crowded. She knew that it was pointless to argue.
She wandered about the Temple for a while, hoping to see a familiar face, but most of the younglings, whom she had known, had been promoted to the status of padawan by now. Some, whom she had known since coming to the Temple at the age of three, were already dead, killed in battle. It was only after they had died that she realized how little she had even known them.
Eventually, she returned to her room to meditate and ended up falling asleep on her thin pallet. When she awoke, the room was completely dark. Her eyes quickly adjusted to discern the outline of a man staring over her.
"Master," she said, disoriented by her unintended nap and sudden awakening.
Master Skywalker knelt down and touched her shoulder. Feelings of reassurance and comfort flowed through their bond. "Sorry for waking you, Snips, but we should talk."
She sat up and wrapped her arms around her knees. It was rare for her master to initiate a conversation that had nothing to do with missions or training. She could sense that he was suppressing a deep weariness, no doubt a result of days without rest as he hunted for the clone killer. In the past year since becoming his padawan, she had become attuned to noticing what he tried to hide. She wondered how many other Jedi could sense the darkness that had become a continuous undercurrent of his being.
"So?" her master said.
She raised her brow, a habit which she had picked up from Master Obi-Wan and which annoyed her master immensely. "So?"
"When have you been to the Underworld without me and why was I unaware of this visit?"
She should have known that her master would not have forgotten her careless remark. She sighed, "Remember the Separatist weapons dealer that we found underground?"
He was silent for a moment. "It was a while ago, but yes, I remember."
"Well," she said, turning her gaze downwards. Even after all this time, she felt embarrassed by her carelessness. "Someone stole my lightsaber outside the cantina."
He did not respond immediately, but she could sense his quick surprise followed by frustration and disbelief. "So you tried to find it by yourself?"
"No," she replied quickly. "I explained the situation to a Jedi Master, who had a lot of experience dealing with criminals, and he agreed to help me."
"Which master?"
"Tera Sinube."
"Master Sinube is still alive?" He sounded doubtful. "I haven't seen him in years."
"He usually spends his time in his quarters or at the archives."
Her master moved a hand through his hair. He was still angry, but the relief emanating from him was palpable. "Okay," he finally said, "I believe you, Snips."
She stared at him curiously. "Did you really think I had been sneaking into the Underworld?"
"You wouldn't be the first padawan," he said drily.
A realization struck her. "Master, did you…?"
"I'm sure Obi-Wan would love to share the details," he interrupted, holding up a hand to forestall any other questions.
She smiled but felt slightly embarrassed by the comment. Master Obi-Wan had told her many stories about her master's past, and not all of them were ones that her master would have likely wanted shared.
"Ahsoka," her master seemed troubled, "why didn't you tell me that your lightsaber was stolen?"
The question surprised her. "It was a long time ago."
"Why didn't you tell me when it happened?"
"Because," she was unsure how to explain her feelings, "I didn't want to disappoint you. And because I wanted you to trust me."
He considered her response silently for a moment. "But I've always trusted you, Snips," he finally said. "A careless mistake won't change that."
His response stirred the lump of unspoken thoughts and feelings inside her. "But you obviously don't trust me, Master," she said. "If you did, you wouldn't lie to me."
"When have I lied to you?" He sounded genuinely surprised.
"You told me that the Corusca Gem was a dance club," she said in an accusing tone.
His mouth formed a thin line, and he averted his gaze towards the wall. He was both upset and uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. "It is a dance club."
"But it's something else, isn't it?" she pressed.
She could sense that he was deciding whether to tell her. Finally, he nodded and sighed, "It's a brothel." His gaze met hers. "Do you know what a brothel is?"
"It's a place where people pay to…to have sexual relations with strangers, right?" she said, a bit uncertainly. "I thought it was illegal in the Republic."
"It is illegal. The entire establishment is being shut down as we speak."
Her master was obviously disgusted by the entire situation and felt awkward discussing it with her. Ahsoka, however, was unsure how she felt. The idea that someone would pay to have sex was strange to her. She knew what sex was – every youngling had to learn about how different species procreated. She had also been given a holobook specifically about the togruta species, which explained how males and females were different and what she should expect during puberty. She had skimmed through it, paying closer attention to the more interesting parts, and then had never thought too much about it again. She had never heard a Jedi mention sex beyond those few class sessions and had therefore assumed that she wasn't missing anything.
"The suspect's actual name is Yola Fenn," her master continued. "Apparently, some slavers promised her and several other girls passage from Ryloth to Coruscant if they agreed to pay off their debt by working at the Corusca Gem. They told them that they would be working as waitresses and dancers. Fenn was so desperate to escape the war that she did not question them."
"That's terrible," Ahsoka said, horrified. She was beginning to understand why her master was so upset by the situation. She had learned from Master Obi-Wan about his past as a slave and knew that he despised slavery more than anything else. "But why murder clones?"
"Because she blames the Republic and consequently the clone army for the war on her homeworld. It was the war that led her to being a prostitute."
Ahsoka thought about the girl, scantily clad and lying limp in her master's arms. "What will happen to her now?"
"She will be placed on trial for murder," he said firmly and then cocked his head slightly. She could sense him probing her thoughts. "You feel pity for her?"
She shrugged. "I'm not sure what I feel. She's just a little older than me. I can't imagine what it must have been like for her, to be forced to have sex with strangers."
Her master's artificial hand curled at her words. She could sense his anger at the thought of such a situation occurring to her.
"She didn't deserve what happened to her," she finished.
"And those clones didn't deserve what happened to them," her master responded. His tone contained more weariness and sorrow than actual anger.
She knew he wasn't just thinking about Snipes, the newest member of Torrent Company, who had been the most recent victim of the killings. He was imagining all the others lost in the war.
"What about the slavers?" she asked.
"We already have the owner of the Corusca Gem in custody. He has been very cooperative. We should be able to track down several of the slavers with whom he worked."
Master Skywalker fell silent. Ahsoka thought about everything that he had told her. It was more terrible knowing the entire truth, but it also gave her a sense of closure.
"I wish you had explained all of this to me earlier," she said finally. "I'm not a youngling, Master, who needs to be protected from the horrors of the galaxy. I've seen how terrible the universe can be. I've even caused such pain and suffering for others."
Her master reached out and grabbed her shoulder. "I have, too, Snips," he said, "but only so that this war might one day end. Don't ever compare yourself to these sleemos."
"I know," she said, but the words felt emptier to her than usual.
"I should have told you everything about the investigation. I know that now. I'm sorry for thinking that you couldn't handle it. I want you to know that I trust you, Ahsoka, both with my life and with the lives of our men." He squeezed her shoulder.
"I know, Skyguy." Her lips quirked into a half-smile. "Does this mean you won't forbid me from going on dangerous missions from now on?"
"Not…exactly."
"But," her hands gestured emphatically, "you said…"
"Snips," he interrupted, "there's something else I've been meaning to tell you."
"What is it?" She crossed her arms and did not even bother to change her sullen expression.
"Every padawan, at some point, feels frustrated with his or her master. I often was angry at Obi-Wan because I thought that he was holding me back. It was my mistrust of his judgment that led to this." He held up his mechanical hand.
His openness caused some of her frustration to fade. He had never before told her how he lost his arm. She had only heard from rumor that it was lost in a duel with Count Dooku. "What happened?" she asked.
"Obi-Wan and I had finally cornered Dooku." Her master stared blankly at her, his fingers clenched beside his leg. "I felt consumed by rage. I…" He hesitated and swallowed hard. "If I could have killed him, I would have."
She nodded in understanding. Even though Jedi were forbidden from acting in anger, the urge to do so was very tempting sometimes. Most Jedi preferred not to discuss such moments afterwards, afraid of being judged for their lack of control.
"Obi-Wan ordered me to wait. He wanted us to fight Dooku together. But I was impatient and overly arrogant about my abilities. One moment, I was dueling Dooku, the next," he raised his hand and flexed his fingers, "I woke up in a med bay."
Her master stared at her in silence for a moment. She could sense that he wanted her to understand something important but that he did not know how to explain it. His natural hand touched hers, and a familiar feeling that she could not quite name flowed through their bond. It brought memories of spicy nutaak seeds and sun-warmed rocks and a hand stroking her forehead. Then, the memories faded and were replaced by an overwhelming sense of security and protection.
"Ahsoka," he continued, "As your master, I am responsible for your wellbeing. I will allow you to accompany me on more missions, and I will try to not hide information from you. But if I think that a mission is too risky, then I want you to follow my orders by staying back."
She sighed and reluctantly nodded. "I guess I was just upset that other masters never seem to forbid their padawans from certain missions."
"Ask Padawan Offee whether that was true six years ago."
She knew that he made a good point. She often forgot that Barriss was the same age as her master. Perhaps, in a few years, her frustration would seem childish and silly.
"Yes, it will." Her master smirked. He had become very proficient at understanding her thoughts.
She rolled her eyes in response.
A thoughtful expression crossed his face. "You know, Snips, there's no rule that requires a master to recommend his padawan for the trials."
"You mean I could be your padawan forever?" She tried to sense whether he was serious or not.
He yawned in response. "Maybe. Sleep well, Snips." He stood and left her room.