"In Need of Wings"

Chapter the Second

Ahsoka stepped towards him, ready to draw her lightsaber. She wasn't going to take any chances. "If you even think of touching me, I'll—"

"Woah, slow down, little lady." Bane held up his hands.

In a single leap she closed the distance between them and held her lightsaber up to his neck. All she had to do was ignite it and he would take a lightsaber blade through the neck. "How did you find me, sleemo? Answer me or I'll gut you."

What did not surprise Ahsoka was the slight grin on Bane's face when she called him by the same old nickname she once used years ago, when they first met above the Devaron system. What did surprise her was that Bane made no move to defend himself or use a counterattack. Surely he wasn't going to let her disarm and question him like this. He had a plan up his sleeve.

"I know what you're thinking and you're wrong."

"Oh, am I? Do tell me how I'm wrong," Ahsoka snarled. "And how you found me."

"Your master—or, former master, I suppose. He sent me to find you."

"Like I'm going to believe that."

Bane pointed down to his belt. "May I?"

Ahsoka glanced between his belt and his hand before she pulled back his jacket by herself. Instantly, her eyes caught something that should not be there. Something that had been there a long time ago, she recalled.

"My Padawan braid…how did you…?"

"Your former master said you would recognize it."

Ahsoka frowned at him. "He didn't give this to you. You stole it from him! What have you done with—-"

"For fuck's sake." He pulled out a datapad from his knapsack and handed it to her. "He warned that the braid itself might not convince you enough, so he also said to bring along a copy of the receipt."

"Receipt?" This was an odd sort of game Cad Bane was playing.

"For hiring me. It's all there. I have nothing to hide from you."

Ahsoka took several steps back from him and kept glancing up to make sure he wasn't about to try anything. She read everything that was on the datapad.

"Anakin is hiring you…for what?" she asked incredulously. She wanted to say that it all looked fake, but she would recognize Anakin's writing and signature anywhere. And, through the Force, she could begin to sense that Anakin had used this same datapad. No way Bane could forge that.

"To keep an eye on you."

"What?" Ahsoka snapped.

Bane sighed and crossed his arms. "Your former master—"

"Don't call him that. His name is General Skywalker."

"General Skywalker," he said sweetly, "expressed concern for you. He wanted to know if you were doing well and if you were safe. This is quite different from the Jedi Temple, after all." He glanced up and down the street before he began dragging the Trandoshan corpses into the back of the alleyway near the dumpster. Ahsoka watched him, frowning.

"So he hired you to keep an eye on me. That doesn't sound like my master."

Once Bane finished taking care of the Trandoshans, he wiped his hands on a handkerchief and glanced at her. "Oh?"

"Anakin would never work with scum like you. I find it very hard to believe that he would even think of giving you money. Just to look out for me!" She tossed the datapad at him. "I know he didn't hire you, but if he did, I'd tell you to go back to him and let him know I don't need a chaperone."

"I will gladly tell him that." Bane grinned. "For a price, of course."

"You are real sick, Bane."

"That's a fine way to thank me for saving you," he muttered.

"I didn't need your help. I had it under control." Ahsoka turned away and began to stomp off. She didn't know whether to feel disgust that Bane was pretending he had just rescued her, or anger that Anakin would hire Bane in the first place. The Force told her Anakin did have a role in this, but it didn't make sense. If he was worried about her, wouldn't he try to find her on his own, or send someone they were both close to? Why would he stoop to hiring a bounty hunter that he knew Ahsoka hated? Something wasn't adding up.

However, despite her anger and confusion, Ahsoka did feel a small sense of comfort from the fact that, even after all that happened, Anakin was still looking out for her. A strange way of showing it, granted. But a strange way of showing that he wanted to make sure she was okay was better than nothing. She missed him so much. She missed life at the Temple. She missed Captain Rex and Master Obi-Wan.

She pulled her hood over her head again and stuck her hands in her pockets. No, she couldn't think about that at the moment. Right now she just wanted to get back home, take a hot shower, and try to figure out how she was going to get a new speeder. And maybe treat herself to a strong drink or a sugary treat. Because after all she had put up with today, she felt that she had earned it in full.

Ahsoka sensed someone behind her and already knew who it was. She spun around. "Are you following me?" she snapped.

"Just doing my job…" He was about to call her 'little lady' again but seemed to recall that she told him not to, "…Miss Tano."

"Great." She sighed. "So you're being paid to be my guard dog, basically."

Bane's smile faded quickly at that one. "I would prefer the term 'hired bodyguard.'"

"Nah. I like 'guard dog.' It's more fitting." Ahsoka smirked. She liked where this conversation was going.

"I can see you're very grateful that I just saved your life."

"Stop playing that card. We both know I didn't need your help."

Since it seemed like Bane wasn't lying about his job, and wasn't going away any time soon, Ahsoka realized she might as well make the most of it. Better than letting herself stay miserable for however long Bane had to stick around. She planned to read the datapad again back at her apartment, to see if there were any clarifications on Bane's new job. In particular, Ahsoka was interested in any loopholes she might find.

After all, if Anakin had hired Bane to protect her, that meant that on the job, Bane could do no harm to Ahsoka. No matter how annoying, reckless, or obnoxious she was.

This could be fun.

Ahsoka tried not to laugh as she whistled sharply. "Heel! Come here, boy!"

"You're being ridiculous," he snorted. He crossed his arms and began following her anyway.

"Oh, no, I forgot," Ahsoka said sweetly. "My apartment is too small for both of us. I guess you'll have to sleep outside. At least that way you don't have to get me up in the middle of the night."

"Now who's being sick?" Bane fixed his hat and avoided eye contact with her as he walked alongside her.

Ahsoka had never heard him sound so annoyed before. And better yet, there wasn't a thing Bane could do about it. Finally, her day was starting to turn up.