Ahsoka Tano opened her eyes, her breath hitching in the unfamiliar blackness. The smell of mulch and damp moss wafted through the tent flap, and her tense muscles relaxed. No, this was right. She wasn't in the temple any more. She sat up, shivering as the brusque night air brushed against her shoulders. The camp was silent, even the high-pitched ambient sounds of the local wildlife muffled by the thick canvas of the tent.
So what had awoken her?
Climbing swiftly to her feet, she clasped her lightsaber to her belt, and lifted the tent flap to peer out. The 501st was pitched in a low valley, indigo mountains circling them on three sides. The tents spread through the flat area like a flock of strange animals, the moonless night providing barely enough light to distinguish one from another.
Except for the one tent where a light still burned. Ahsoka frowned. Her new master. Drawing on the Force to muffle her footsteps, she ducked out of her own tent. Senses on high alert, she crept forward. Someone moved in a nearby tent and she froze, the pounding of her heart loud in her forehead. After a moment, all was still again. She let out a soft breath and padded the rest of the way to Master Skywalker's tent. Arms wrapped around herself to ward off the cold, she stationed herself to one side of the entrance and listened. He was awake, all right. She could hear the rustle of his robes, the occasional cough or grunt. There was something else though, an unfamiliar clicking. She frowned, took a step closer. Suddenly his sense changed, and she jumped back just in time to avoid being seen as he pushed open the tent flap. Every beat of her heart rang in her head like a gunshot.
The Jedi peered out at the surrounding darkness. Seeming satisfied, he turned and disappeared back into the tent. The clicking resumed.
Ahsoka retreated to her bed, buzzing with questions. Was she overreacting? Was her new master hiding something?
She was roused the next morning by the raucous sounds of the 501st getting ready to break camp—quite a contrast from a peaceful morning in the temple. She found Master Skywalker wrapping up his briefing with Captain Rex. They both turned as she approached, smiling at her. "I was wondering when you'd decide to join us," the Jedi commented. "I hope you're ready to roll—you and I are heading to the nearby settlement for supplies while Rex starts moving the boys out."
"Okay," Ahsoka said distractedly.
Skywalker frowned. "Is something wrong, Snips?"
"Oh, no." She tried to force the usual cheerfulness into her voice. "When did you say we were heading out?"
"Now, if you're ready."
"Then let's go."
The trip passed uneventfully. The whir of the speeder bikes made conversation difficult, so Ahsoka was left mostly to her own thoughts. By the time they reached the settlement, she had micro-analyzed all her memories of the night before, still puzzling over what she had heard and seen.
The town in question was built around a cluster of violet pillars, homes and shops carved into the smooth stone in an ascending spiral. The shape reminded Ahsoka of some of the more 'artistic' buildings from Shili. Her master studied them for a moment, then headed for the largest one, off to the left. The variety of shops surprised Ahsoka. Beyond necessity like food and clothing, she spotted a painter selling his wares, a jewelers, and what looked like a barber shop.
Their mission, however, was more mundane in nature. Master Skywalker quickly located a food merchant with a sizable stock visible, and began enthusiastic negotiations. Ahsoka amused herself by studying the nearby stalls, while he worked his way up the pillar. After a good half-hour or so, she wandered back to where they had separated. The Jedi was nowhere in sight, although she could see a shopkeeper shouting at his assistants as they packed up the huge order. A cold thrill of panic tickled the end of her spine, but she squelched it. A moment later she spotted him emerging from another shop, a pointed package under one arm. He had stashed it under his robe by the time she made her way over to him. He smirked down at her, the familiar twinkle in his eyes. "You ready to go? They're loading up the supplies for us."
"...sure," she said slowly, trying not to stare at the lump where she knew the package was hidden.
"Great, let's get moving."
That night, Ahsoka sat cross-legged in her tent, thoughts snarled around her master. Who was she to pry into his private business? If it was important, he would tell her. At the same time, masters and padawans were supposed to trust each other, weren't they?
Softly, she rose to her feet, venturing out into the cool night air. She wrapped her arms around herself as a breeze whispered past. The light was on in her master's tent again, and the clicking noise was back. She hesitated outside the flap. The last thing she wanted to do was destroy what little of his esteem she'd managed to earn. Squeezing her eyes shut, she coughed.
The clicking stopped, and she heard footsteps. A moment later, Master Skywalker opened the tent flap, frowning down at her. "Ahsoka? What's wrong?"
"Master," she blurted out before her nerves could get the better of her, "why are you keeping secrets from me?"
He blinked at her in confusion. She thought she sensed fear, although that might have been nothing more than her own paranoia. "Secrets?" he managed.
"At the market, today. You tried to hide a package from me. And I keep hearing this weird noise coming from your tent." She bit her lip. "What's going on?"
To her complete and utter surprise, the Jedi burst out laughing. Complaining moans rose from the surrounding tents, and he put a hand over his mouth, crisp blue eyes still smiling. "Is that what's been bothering you the last few days?" Shaking his head, he held the tent flap open wider. "Come on in."
Ahsoka did as she was told, eyes lighting on a tangled lump in the corner. Master Skywalker held it up for her to examine. "What is it?" she asked, tilting her head to study it from another angle. The mass looked rather like cloth, but bits of it were wrapped around little metal sticks, or unraveled into a ball of thick string rolled up in the corner.
"It's knitting." The Jedi regarded it with a mixture of pride and embarrassment. "It helps me unwind. I spotted a craft shop while the fuel merchant was finishing our order, and picked up some new needles." He gestured to the metal sticks.
Ahsoka frowned. "I... guess that makes sense?" She'd never heard of 'knitting' before, but— "What are you making?" she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"Well, you aren't really dressed for this climate." He glanced skeptically at her tube top. "I thought I might make you a poncho." He held up the far end, which Ahsoka now realized formed a little hood, complete with points for her montrals. Now he definitely looked embarrassed. "If you don't want it—"
"I love it!" She meant it, too. "No one's ever made anything like this for me before." She glanced aside, face heating. "Sorry for not trusting you."
His hand patted her shoulder, a bit awkwardly. "All in good time, my padawan."
"Is there any chance this 'good time' could wait until morning?" Captain Rex's asked, the tent barely muffling his irritation.
The laughter of the two Jedi called up another chorus of groans from the tents.