Even as red dust snowed on her from the roof of the bunker, Ahsoka Tano continued to silently clean her weapons.
The immediate habit struck her as ironic after how she'd left things upstairs. Getting sent to her room by her Master throwing a temper tantrum wasn't how she wanted the day to pan out. It wasn't outright stated but the huffy silence following his outburst had left her with few other options than to leave.
She gruffly cranked up the intensity of the laser.
After all this time, after everything they'd been through, she deserved a touch more respect than being yelled at for doing exactly what he would've done in her position! Anakin hated playing politics as much as she did and Obi Wan's disapproval had never stopped him before - even when she agreed that it probably should've. Of all the times to follow the rules, it had to be when these people needed them most. When her people needed them. Neither Anakin nor Obi Wan trusted her judgement, just like she was starting out fresh all over again…
A nagging maturity overrode her doubts as a recent yet distant memory surfaced.
"That says more about me than it does about you…"
Ahsoka sighed, letting the lightsaber settle in her cradled hands.
"The least he could do is be less of a baby about it…" she softly muttered.
The bunker latch rumbled at her words and cracked open. She stood upright, alert and dusty.
"Calling him an infant doesn't garner much faith, young one."
The Shilli General from the previous night bowed his head to her. Instead of golden plate armour, he wore layers of red and orange tunic. Angular slits had been cut into the sleeves, showing off the vibrant red skin underneath. "General Rhok," he said as a quick reminder.
"General, I - " her words were breathless. "I'm sorry - "
He held up his hand. "No need - Your Master wanted you to know that you were right."
Ahsoka hesitated before her smile broadened. "You'll help us?"
He nodded, gesturing to the table to sit down. She followed his lead and allowed for him to gather his words.
"We've received news of your men's whereabouts - they're being marched through the outer city and will soon reach the outlying villages."
The zap of adrenaline made Ahsoka's chest feel like it suddenly homed a million bubbles.
"If we know where's they'll be next, we could set up an ambush! Freeing Rex and the others, we'd stand a better chance at destroying the jammer and taking back the city."
"That is still a mighty task for you and your troops alone,"
Ahsoka shook her head, her arms crossed in the midst of her brainstorming.
"We'll make it work. You and your people have already sacrificed so much for The Republic, we can't allow you to risk much more without the favour returned."
Her claim made the General look back to the teenager with a newfound admiration. He knew it was pointless arguing with Kohma but he often forgot that most of the time, it was because she was right about these things. This Jedi Padawan was one of those things she must've known.
"You're compassion serves you well young one… but there is one thing I have to know," General Rhok said, slow and measured as he stared through her softened blue eyes. Ahsoka frowned, quelling her excitement to respectfully keep her patience once again.
"… You'd fight like this for any people, wouldn't you? Not just ours, not just Shilli."
Ahsoka sat back, a reflective sigh curling through her body. Her smile was taught and tired.
"Yes, I would… But that doesn't make seeing them like this any easier."
"I'm not surprised - they used to be your home," he chuckled softly, staring up at the bottom of the floorboards where he had left the two Jedi Masters. "From what I can gather, it isn't anymore."
She looked down to inspect the cracks in the table, guilt creeping up her throat. She tightened her lips, knowing that any reassurances she gave him would be lies and that was the last thing she wanted to do.
"But it is your home and they need my help. That's what matters to me," she said lifting her chin up again to face him. "Because I'm a Jedi."
After a moment, the General closed his eyes. A single quiet tear slid down his cheek. In his catharsis, Ahsoka caught ripples of the force carrying his thoughts. I understand, Cousin… I see you now… Although she didn't think of Shilli as her home, these people saw her as apart of theirs. The familiar tragedy her presence brought to them was something she would never truly understand. But she refused to write it off. She meant something to them. And although it would never be her home in the same way it was theirs, she couldn't ignore how proud she was to call them her people.
He sniffed, wiping his nose with a calloused hand and huffing out some of the simmering tension in his chest. Surprisingly, General Rhok stood up from the table, baring for her a toothy and teary smile.
"Well then, I'd be honoured to serve alongside a Jedi like you."
Shorter chapter but emotionally relevant! Thank you all for tagging along with me for this ride and for reading this far! If you're keen for more content, I have a tumblr dedicated to this story so have a scroll on there for cute drawings of all your faves! .com
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