A/N: I know this chapter isn't short and not as exciting but I'll bring in the next chapter shortly. It didn't really flow well to bring in their time on Makeb in this chapter.

Chapter Five

"So, this is where we keep our Company's speeders." Cody explained both verbally and in sign as he, Ana, Radar, and Obi-Wan walked into a new large, grey metal or filled with speeders, small and slightly bigger ships, and other different mechanical works for the war. She had never used any of these things before, but she did know the basics of how they worked.

"You ever flown before?" Radar asked, turning so she could see him.

Ana shook her head, "never. I've only even left the ground in meditation."

Cody grinned, "this should be fun. Hopefully you have more confidence than the General."

Ana looked over at Obi-Wan and giggled at his teasing, unimpressed look.

"As long as you are better than Anakin. That's where most of the fears came from, I'm sure." Obi-Wan commented with a grin. Ana couldn't help but giggle and while the clones chuckled as well.

Obi-Wan led them to a specific one-man ship. It was red with two blue and one gold stripe at the front near the point. Obi-Wan leaned against it and turned back to face her. He told her, patting the front of it.

"This will be your specific fighter." Obi-Wan told her.

Ana raised an eyebrow.

"Mine, specifically?" she asked.

"Well, it's the one that Radar worked on specifically to change some of the programming for you, so we'll have you use it the most since it is tailored to you." Obi-Wan explained while Radar went to some other fighters and grabbing the headsets.

Ana nodded and when her mentor motioned for her to get in, she did so carefully, scared that she would get her foot caught on something and fall into the seat and somehow manage to bang her head on the other side as well. She was already the Deaf Padawan and she didn't know what her troops would think of that. The last thing she wanted to be was the klutzy Padawan and make a bad and humiliating impression on the clones he first met.

Settling into the seat, she was slightly surprised. It looked more cramped than it was, but now that she was in it she realized that she had a lot of arm room and was slightly too small for the standard seat. She realized that it was because the seats were more set for the clones while it being a general for the other users, but she could sit comfortably in it. The redhead looked up at the three men so that she wouldn't miss them talking to her.

Radar leaned in a bit and told her as he moved his hands over the controls.

"This one turns it on." Radar explained quickly and soon Ana felt the vibrations of the fighter start up and she was levitated off the ground. Slightly surprised by the actions since she didn't hear it start for a couple of seconds, she got comfortable again and looked wordlessly at Radar, wondering what he was going to do next.

The clone talked a little excitedly as he leaned into the fighter a little bit.

"So these are the controllers, but I was playing around one day with all the programming on the screens. You can change them from time to time about what they are looking for, what to focus on, information systems, all that stuff. So when the General told me about you and how there would be certain things that would need to be tailored to you, I wondered if I could switch and play with the programming enough…" Radar was rambling on.

Ana turned her head when he did, trying to follow what he was saying but a lot of the time he was going pretty fast, and sometimes his head would move as he gestured over the controls. Although for the most part he tried to keep his face looking towards her, his lips were moving too fast for her to easily follow. She tried looking at the controls and his mouth, trying to get everything before Obi-Wan sensed how lost she was. He cleared his throat and told Radar, interrupting him.

"Um, Radar, I know that you are excited, but you are going to need to slow down." Obi-Wan told him, holding out his hand so that it was an indication that Ana knew that he was talking as well. She looked over at him and just caught his words before looking back at Radar.

The clone cleared his voice and told her, "Sorry, Commander."

Ana gave him a smile, "don't worry too much. Just slow down and face me when you talk. Keep going."

He nodded, smiling a little again at her encouragement before he returned, pointing to the screen and gesturing his hand around it before looking at her.

"Anyway, I played with the settings and found one that will give out messages on the screen." Radar told her, facing her before stepping back. Ana watched him put on one of the head sets from the other fighters. After setting it on, he turned it on and then pressed a certain button on the helmet before saying into it "This is Radar - CT 4779, Fighter 3804 link microphone to Fighter 3885."

Instantly the words came up on the screen like a holonet chat room. Ana read the words he just spoke and instantly her entire face brightened as she leaned in closer to look at the screen closer, as though what she was seeing wasn't real. Her expression changed to show a large, toothy smile.

"That is brilliant!" Ana exclaimed excitedly, reading the words over again before looking at Radar.

"This is so you can still be in communication with all the other fighters. You can talk into your head set and it'll come up as well, but everyone else who channels in on the same line will come up on the screen. That way you can still be a part of everything and it'll help you know what is going on." Radar explained with a smile on his face, every word showing up on her screen.

Ana read it, looking up at him and back down at the screen every once in a while as he talked. It made her smile that the clones had already started working on ways to get her involved and part of the group. Radar didn't have to do this, even if coming upon it by accident. He certainly didn't need to look more into it and find out how it worked so she could use it. It made things seem more…real and it made her feel more welcome. They were finding ways to include her, even going out of their way for it.

"It'll project itself up when the cover is down so you can see it more easy when you are flying." Radar explained, giving her a smile.

"This is amazing," Ana told him, still in amazement as she saw both of their faces.

Obi-Wan moved to the other side of the fighter and leaned on it, looking at her and telling her, "we have yet to find a way to make something like this work on the Negotiator but we're working on adding some new programming. It'll go through some tech changes soon. The Council has been thinking about sending us out on a small mission so it'll probably be after that."

Both Ana and Cody cocked their heads to the side in slight confusion.

"Mission?" Ana asked.

"Nothing big. The Council wants us to see if there is any Separatist involvement on Makeb. It won't be a large group, only about ten of us if even." Obi-Wan told them. Ana had no doubt this was when Cody was first hearing about this as well. The Jedi Master seemed to read their faces and told them, "I only heard about it a couple of days ago, but the Council is still unsure who to send, but I think they'll take us. It'll be a good first experience for you, Ana. It will be a lighter mission without a lot of chaos we can sometimes get into."

Ana nodded, looking back at Cody to see him shrug.

"It'll also be a good way for you to get a small run-down and meet some of the men." Cody told her, signing as well.

Ana thought about it. It was true. She would get some experience, going slow at first before being thrown into a battle that could be a lot harder. And it would give her time to know Cody more…and teach both he and Obi-Wan sign language and perfect it. She had a list in her head of some of the things they are doing wrong that she could correct, just to make things easier on her. Plus, she would get used to talking with some of the clones.

"Sounds great." Ana told them, "do you know when we will be leaving?"

"Most likely within the next coup—." Obi-Wan stopped and looked up at something else. The other clones did as well. Slightly confused, Ana moved in the seat and tried to look out the back of the fighter as best as she could looking over the side. She wasn't tall enough to look back and see anything so she looked at Obi-Wan again and saw him smiling and talking to someone. Confused she looked over at Cody.

"What's going on?"

The clone looked down at her and told her, "General Skywalker and Commander Tano have walked in."

Ana smiled and moved up out of the ship to then see Ahsoka and Anakin Skywalker walking towards them. Smiles on their faces as they talked with Obi-Wan. Radar helped her out and she gave him a smile as a thank you before looking back at Ahsoka. The Togruta smiled and waved to her. Anakin's attention caught on her as well and Ana gave him a smile as well.

You look great!

Ana looked down at herself and smiled before looking up at her.

Thank you.

Anakin and Obi-Wan stared at the Togruta Padawan with surprise.

"Snips, you know sign language?" Anakin asked.

Ahsoka nodded, "only a little. I learned a bit before I was a Padawan and I saw Ana a lot more."

Anakin nodded, though still a little shocked before he turned to Ana. The redhead gave him a smile and stood beside Obi-Wan.

"So you're my Master's new Padawan." Anakin commented, looking her over and giving her a smile, "It's nice to officially meet you. I don't think we've ever really met."

Ana gave him a smile and told him, "it's nice to officially meet you too."

"No offence, but I thought you would be younger." Anakin told her.

Not knowing exactly what to say, Ana shrugged and Cody walked up beside her. Cody signed as he talked so Ana looked at him to know he was saying something, "so did I, but I'm glad I won't be helping to take care of a little kid…you know, like Rex."

Ahsoka playfully narrowed her eyes at him.

"Har-har." Ahsoka said in an unamused tone and Anakin chuckled. Ana smiled, amused as well.

Anakin looked back at his old Master, "what are you doing here?"

Ana looked at Obi-Wan to catch what he was saying, "Radar was showing Ana some of the equipment we've changed for her and showing her how her new fighter works."

"Going somewhere?" Anakin asked him.

"In a couple of days the Council may send us to Makeb to see if there are any Separatist inclination there." Obi-Wan answered.

"A Hutt planet? You never know. It may not be completely settled but there may be something." Anakin commented.

"That's what we will be looking for." Obi-Wan agreed.

Anakin smiled and looked between them.

"Well, it sounds like you'll be having fun." Anakin told them, "Ahsoka and I are on our way to see how the repair on our ship and speeders are going."

"Some survived your latest mission then?" Obi-Wan joked.

Anakin rolled his eyes, "some, yes. We better get going. We both have something to do."

The four Jedi nodded before Anakin and Ahsoka said their goodbyes and left. Ana looked at Obi-Wan and he told them, "we could show you around the Negotiator and show you some of the other equipment."

Ana smiled, "sounds good."