Wheeler stood up and walked over to the lockers, which was buried underneath a pile of decorated gifts. "When we were thinking about gifts, we remembered that you just moved down here, so some of this is more practical than fun. I hope you don't mind."

"I don't think I'm in a place to judge either way," she admitted, and Wheeler chuckled as she tossed a small box to Ahsoka.

"Happy birthday, Tano," she said smiling. Ahsoka grinned back and looked down at the box.

Hesitating, she asked "Is it wrong to rip the paper?"

Everyone shook their heads. "That's the fun part!" Luce told her, so she tore into the wrapping.

A small, unmarked box barely larger than her hand fell into her lap. She opened the flap on the end and slipped the contents into her palm, which were a small booklet and a small device wrapped in plastic bubbles of air. Ahsoka discarded the booklet and opened the bag, not expecting a comlink to rest inside of it.

She pulled it out and examined it in amazement. It was much more sophisticated than the ones she had used as a Jedi, although she was sure it wasn't linked to the Republic's network. It was also silver and sleek, much more fancy than her old ones.

Ahsoka held it up to Wheeler. "How in blazes did you manage to get this?"

Wheeler smirked, just a little bit proud. "I told you, my parents live in the fast lane. After pulling a few strings, it wasn't a problem. Do you like it?"

"Of course I do! I'm going to have to figure out how to use this one, though." She glanced at the booklet, but decided to worry about it later and put everything back in the box. "Thank you."

Journey stood up next. "Thyla and I worked together on our gift, if that's all right." He lifted a much larger box and set it on the table. Ahsoka had to stand up to open it.

Inside was a metal case, lined with orange seals. The labeling on the outside was plain and simple: 'Advanced Mechanical Set.'

"It's always nice to have your own set of tools," Thyla told her. "We figured no one else would have an orange set, so you won't have a problem keeping track of them either."

"No kidding," Ahsoka commented, opening the case. The rubber grips on the tools were fresh and unworn, unlike the ones she had been using. "Even with gloves on, the shop tools have been hurting my hands."

"We figured," Journey bragged, and Ahsoka giggled. "Happy 18, Tano."

"Thank you, both of you," Ahsoka told them. She set it on the floor, so it wouldn't take up table space.

Rya handed her a bag instead of a box. "It's not much, but it might come in handy."

Ahsoka took out the pink paper stuffing the top and pulled out a plastic box, packed to the brim with needles, thread, cloth, and a few other things she didn't recognize.

"I've found that it's a lot cheaper to patch up old clothes than to buy new ones," Rya explained. "Since you've only been down here a month, I hoped it might help a little bit."

"Have you seen the knees in these pants?" Ahsoka asked, and showed her knee to prove the point. "They're already wearing thin. This is perfect. Arni, Ry'aura."

Rya smiled at hearing her native language again. Jackson grumbled in the corner, "It's not fair. You guys could be talking smack about us and we would never even know."

"Well, if you learned a language other than Basic," Ahsoka retorted, "then it wouldn't be a problem."

Jackson flushed beet red as Jake handed her a flimsy package, wrapped in paper again. "Courtesy of a buddy of mine, Happy Birthday, surfacer."

Underneath the paper this time was a blue jacket, folded neatly into a pile. On the sleeves and the sides, white stripes mimicking her lekku ran inwards and down. The inside was very comfortable, but the outside was sturdy, and unlikely to rip anytime soon.

"It's always nice to have a good jacket, especially if it gets colder," Jake explained. "Also, look on the left shoulder."

Embroidered onto the shoulder was the symbol of the Republic, but in the middle, instead of the circle with the lines extending from it, a lined star took its place.

"Before the Republic started using clones," Journey explained, "that was the symbol for war veterans. If you look at old graveyards, you'll see it everywhere."

Jake smiled. "It was Journey's idea, but we figured since you did fight in the Clone War, you're technically a veteran, even if you don't talk about it. Just a small way to thank you."

Ahsoka stared at the symbol. She had no idea that such an image existed, much less that it applied to her. She could think of a hundred others who deserved to be recognized in the same way, but she barely fought of the emotions overwhelming herself as she looked at it.

"Thank you," she said quietly, putting it on immediately. She could almost feel the design on her shoulder. I'm a war veteran, she thought. I never thought I'd be here.

"That's kind of hard to top," Jackson complained, "but here's mine."

The group laughed as she opened his, another bag this time. A large pile of wrapping was already forming on the ground. It was a small projector, but when she turned it on, a map of the galaxy hovered in the air.

Jackson smiled up at it. "I've heard a couple of your stories about other planets, but maybe this can help you keep track of all of them," he told her. "It doesn't do a whole lot unless you're traveling, but it's kind of fun to have."

"A lot of memories are coming back right now," she admitted. "I've probably been to about ninety percent of these systems."

Luce leaned forward on his knees. "Which one is the worst?"

Ahsoka pointed to Dromund Kaas without hesitation. "That one. Never go there."

"That was quick," Jake pointed out, and Journey snorted. "Note to self: Never talk about...what's it even called?"

"Dromund Kaas," Ahsoka told him, deactivating the projector. "Thanks, Jackson."

He nodded, then nudged Tyme. "Show her what you got."

Tyme walked over to the lockers and pulled out a roll of cloth tied up with a large ribbon. "There was no good way to wrap this, so I couldn't disguise it."

Ahsoka untied the ribbon and rolled it out. It wasn't just cloth, but a blue rug that felt even softer than her bed. Immediately, she knew exactly where she wanted it to go: the front room definitely needed this.

She reached down and felt the rug with her fingertips. "Oh, it's so nice. A lot better than the wood floors I have. Thanks, Tyme."

He nodded. "I don't like hard floors, so I figured you might enjoy it too."

"As soon as I get home," she assured him. If Anakin ever comes to visit again, she thought, he might be surprised.

Luce was the last one to present a gift. "Saving the best for last," he bragged, and everyone else groaned. "Just kidding, you guys are difficult to beat. I didn't know this was a competition."

"It's not," someone complained, but Luce handed her a box too. This one was a little heavier, so Ahsoka rested it on the table before opening it. Inside was an assortment of about thirty candles, all different colors. They weren't neutrally scented either, all of them had their distinct smell.

"Just for fun," Luce told her, "when you want a nice evening. My sister always says lavender is good for falling asleep, she works at the place I got these from."

Ahsoka picked one up and smelled it. "How is a candle supposed to smell like...what is this, cinnamon pumpkin? I didn't even know that was possible."

Leslie laughed. "I've actually gone to that shop before, it's one of the best. If his sister helped pick out those candles, all of them will be good, trust me. It's nice for nights when you're trying to relax."

"Thank you, all of you," she told them. "It might take a while to get all of this home, but it's all wonderful."

"Happy birthday, Tano!" They all chorused, and Wheeler hugged her from behind. "Don't forget, we're going out for dinner and drinks after work!"

"Oh no," Jake complained. "Speaking fo work, Fuller is going to kill us if he-"

"Are you guys done in there yet?!" The boss shouted from the other room. "Chop, chop! Let's go! You guys have been off the clock for half an hour!"

Everyone scrambled to get back to work, and Ahsoka rushed to put as many of the gifts in her locker as she could. She was about to leave the room with her new tools, but at the last second, she grabbed one of the leftover pieces of cake and brought it out. She walked up to Granger's workbench and set it on the countertop.

When she walked in, he glared at her, which was no longer unusual to her. She just gave him a forced smile. "In case you get hungry," she said quietly and walked away. She never told him, but she watched him take the cake after she left and eat it.

Granger might not like her, but that clearly didn't stop him from eating cake.