Level 1313

The trip down to level 1313 was a silent one. Ahsoka supposed that made sense; Ventress had never struck her as the chatty type. And goodness knew they had enough to think about.

What in the galaxy had possessed her, throwing her lot in with Ventress. Ahsoka was supposed to be spending her time away from the order meditating, figuring out her place in the force and stuff (not that she'd made much progress on that front). Not running of on some ridiculously reckless quest to…what exactly? Make sure some criminals were arrested? She didn't need Ventress for that. It wasn't for the money either; if she wanted cash, she'd have taken the fortune that reporter had offered. So that left just two reasons Ahsoka could think of, one impossible, the other unthinkable: either she legitimately believed that she could guide Ventress to a benevolent path through life, or—"

"Wait," Ventress said, grabbing Ahsoka's hand.

Ahsoka immediately jerked her hand free. "What is it?"

Ventress smirked, "Sorry, I forgot how touchy Jedi can be about touching. We just passed my hangar."

"What?" Ahsoka whipped around, "How did you miss that? Also, I'm not a Jedi, and I'm not 'touchy.'"

Ventress pulled her flask out. Ahsoka still wasn't sure where she kept it, seeing how Ventress's entire wardrobe seemed to be skin-tight. "This swill is supposed to be for Wookies. Be impressed I can stand." Ventress staggered theatrically for a few steps before resuming her usual predatory prowl. She punched a long sequence of symbols on a nearby console. The rusty door labeled 2187 began creaking upwards. "And don't fool yourself, girl. You left the temple, but you're still as arrogant and close-minded as—damn."

The door's mechanism had ground to a halt at knee height.

Ventress bent to lift the door manually. "A little help, Jedi?" she grunted.

"You just don't get the Jedi way, do you?" Ahsoka scuttled beneath the door on all fours. "Attitude doesn't matter. Attachments define self. The Jedi deny the self to serve the light."

"Your wisdom is idiotic and unearned," Ventress growled.

Ahsoka ignored her, closed her eyes, and reached out. She felt around in the door's mechanisms, found the obstruction stuck amongst the gears and removed it. When the door didn't resume its work, she just pushed it up.

Ventress scarcely kept her balance as the door was pulled out of her grasp.

"And despite my idiocy, I still remember that I can use the force. Crazy how that works." Ahsoka mocked.

"Funny," Ventress said in a tone that suggested she'd never experienced mirth, "You have Anakin's subtlety."

Ahsoka took a proper look around. The hangar Ventress was using was neither large nor pleasant. A foul odor suggested it was either owned by Hutts or the last ship to pass through was carrying nerfs. The docking bay door on the far side was wide open, presumably as broken as the one they'd just passed through. Between the two new partners and the open Coruscant air stood a ship.

"What a piece of…okay, I'm not going to lie, that's a cool ship. How'd you get ahold of a Lancer?" Ahsoka asked.

"A what?"

Ahsoka pointed, "That ship is a Lancer-class pursuit claft, right? Built by MandalMotors, seriously blurs the line between freighter and fighter, fast, tough, surprisingly maneuverable, minimal repetitive maintenance and…is that a ventral tri-turret? That isn't standard for Lancers. I suppose that's to compensate for the ship's natural susceptibility to multi-vector assaults?"

"…sure. For exactly that."

"…you stole it."

"Of course I did. But before you're allowed on board, we have business to conduct." Ventress held out her hand expectantly. "Time to pay up."

Right. The lightsaber.

Reluctantly, Ahsoka reached into her pack and fingered the two metal cylinders within. Two. Saber and Shoto. Backgrip and foregrip. Parry and strike. Her fighting style was unique among all the active Jedi in the order. A whirlwind of balance. That night with Barriss was enough to remind her how much she'd come to rely on the shoto's presence. How could she hope to defend herself from any meaningful bounty—nevermind a really terrifying threat like Grievous or Maul…or Ventress—with only a single blade?

Ventress.

"I've only ever seen you wield two blades," Ahsoka said, fiddling with the knobs on her weapons. "Have you ever trained to use just one?"

Ventress frowned, "What do you care?"

"Humor me."

Ventress groaned, "I told you yesterday, I've used two sabers since Narec's death. Before that, he trained me to use just one. Dooku gave me formal training with two. Can we get on with it?"

Ahsoka tossed her the shoto and ignited her green saber. "The dial at the top adjusts the blade's length. Twist the pommel to control power output." She demonstrated by shortening her blade and dimming it, "This is as low as it goes. About as long as the shoto, and not intense enough to even burn through flesh. Now, fight me."

Ventress regarding Ahsoka suspiciously, "What are you playing at girl?"

"Just getting the inevitable out of the way," Ahsoka said evasively. "We don't like each other. So if we're going to kill each other, I'd prefer to do it before spending hours together, wouldn't you?"

A wolfish grin spread over Ventress's face, "Finally, you say something that makes actual sense."

Ahsoka settled into her old reverse grip stance. As Ventress fiddled with the settings on the shoto and gave it a few experimental swings and stabs, Ahsoka quickly reflected on what Anakin had taught her of the various lightsaber forms. Each form was more of a philosophy than a catalogue of movements. If Ventress had been telling the truth (and Ahsoka kept loose in case she wasn't) she would probably be using lightsaber combat form 2, Makashi. Form 1 is mostly for elementary training, not great for saber to saber combat. Form 2 struggled against multiple opponents and blaster fire, but in single combat it would be difficult for Ahsoka to counter.

Ventress activated her blade and held it one-handed before her. Tense. Waiting.

"Precision and restraint," Ahsoka could almost hear Anakin's training, "that's what form 2 is all about. It's Count Dooku's style. It doesn't block, it parries. It doesn't swing, it stabs. Small, calculated movements. No channeling the force for strength like me, or for agility like Master Yoda. Well, probably a little, he is an old man. But his focus is always on the next five seconds, and how he can gain the most ground with the least effort. That philosophy made his family the richest in the galaxy, and it let him pierce Master Obi-Wan's defenses with scarcely any effort. Playing defensively against form 2 is a losing battle, because they'll outlast you every time and will find the hole in your defenses. But an all-out offensive assault is just as pointless, as I discovered: their foresight will never let an obvious attack through. But I think I've found a strategy that might work.

Ventress advanced like a fencer, sideways to extend her reach and keep her profile small.

Ahsoka pushed away Ventress's first thrust and backpedaled to get out of range of the second. The yellow saber hummed past her face time and time again, and Ventress only seemed to be getting stronger.

Ahsoka parried yet again and tried to step back, but felt the wall behind her. A sudden kick from Ventress caught her hard in the side. No more retreat available. Time to see if Anakin was right. Ahsoka flipped the saber in her hand grasped the hilt with both hands. Pulling strength from the force, Ahsoka struck Ventress's saber properly. Not a parry this time, but an attempt to disarm.

Ventress held on. But the sudden burst of strength did throw the bald woman off balance.

Ahsoka advanced.

Ventress retreated haphazardly, her blocks effective, but weak. Almost standing below her own ship, she managed to catch Ahsoka's blade in a lock and got her feet back underneath her.

Ahsoka refused to cede the momentum. She leapt and planted a two footed kick into Ventress's chest.

Ventress stumbled back and bashed her skull against the underside of her ship. Dazed, she managed to get her blade up in time for Ahsoka's next swing to knock her to the floor. The strike that followed stripped the saber from her grasp.

With a furious scream, Ventress grasped hold of the Force and pushed.

With the lightsaber gone, Ahsoka had expected the telekinetic attack, and braced herself for it. It meant nothing. Ahsoka was launched twenty feet backwards into the wall. The breath rushed out of her lungs and the strength from her arms. The lightsaber fell from her grip.

Ahsoka sat up and reached for her saber. It wasn't there. She caught a glimpse of the metal rod flying towards Ventress's outstretched hand. Ahsoka gritted her teeth and pulled the shoto to herself. Both of them were breathing heavily. Neither rose from their prone positions.

"If I…" Ventress gasped, "Had both…of my sabers…"

Ahsoka half laughed, "Oh, it hurts to laugh. And I…ow…I didn't have both of mine either."

"And why did you have to make your saber straight?" Ventress grumbled, looking at the underside of her ship, "curved hilts are so much better. And when did you start working out?"

"Are you kidding? I'm way out of shape, I've been waiting tables."

"Poodoo," Ventress spat.

"Call it a draw?" Ahsoka asked, forcing herself to sit up.

"Sure," Ventress said, almost amiably. She raised the hand holding Ahsoka's lightsaber, "I got what I wanted."

"And I found what I want," Ahsoka said, serious once again. "I want you to teach me."

Ventress sat up, but said nothing.

"Cards on the table," Ahsoka said, "I'm questioning everything right now. Who I am, who I want to be, what the force wants from me, and how much I care what it wants. Everything is sideways. And I don't think I want to be you, but I feel like I need to understand the dark side, at least a little, if I'm going to figure out if I want to serve the light."

Ventress continued to stare her down.

"…Well? Say something!" Ahsoka almost begged.

Ventress collapsed backwards, staring at the underside of her ship once again, "Ugh, fine. But you're teaching me too."

"Me? Teach you? What could I possibly—? "

"And I thought you were intolerable when you were arrogant. Spare me the modesty, I don't even care if it's genuine or not," Ventress said. Her words were venomous as ever, but her tone lacked its usual cold bite. "Cards on the table huh? Why not? I've spent the past…a long time, just…just always angry and lately I've had a nice layer of grief on top of that. At the Jedi, at the droids, at Dooku, at Grievous, at myself. You have any idea how long it's been since I was happy and sober at the same time? The Jedi still piss me off, but what I wouldn't give to just shut off my emotions for a while. Well…I guess I'd give away the second cabin."

She struggled to her feet and a moment later the ship's loading ramp descended. "Room on the right is yours. Get some rest, Tano. I'll get us into orbit."

Ahsoka pulled herself to her feet and followed her aboard.