Full Title: 5 Indicators To Identify Whether Or Not Your Jedi Masters Are In Love and the 1 Indicator To Utilize To Show Your Jedi Masters You're Okay With
Their Relationship
(AKA Barriss is trying to assist herself in dealing with several totally unexpected and developing set of events)
Enjoy! Please read and review! I still don't own any of this...
*** 1 (Warning: Salesbeing Alert) ***
It was all Ahsoka's fault. She would never understand her fellow female padawan. Why did she think it was a good idea to try to shove that salesbeing onto Anakin?! She would have to rethink her friendship with the Togruta if all it did was get her into trouble. And the knowing smirks from Commander Gree, Captain Rex, and Admiral Yularen were NOT helping her mood!
An urge to itch the backs of her hands came over her, but she was able to overcome it with some effort. They had been ordered to scrub out all the 'freshers after their hours-long meditation, and between the chemicals and the scrubbing her hands were pretty dry. They were dry enough that it had prompted her on her current mission: find lotion. Fortunately Ahsoka was not here to ruin this; she had decided to go find Rex after the masters had given their stamp of approval to their work. It was for the best, since the lotion was currently located in the medbay. Why? She spent too much time there (even with being the primary healer), and as a result some of her belongings had migrated with her. Good thing the walk wasn't far.
She turned a corner and would have continued to walk if not for the sound of voices ahead. Her master, Ahsoka's master, the clones and Admiral Yularen were talking about something, in a conference room judging by the way the sound echoed off the walls. Given her track record and no Ahsoka to drag her headfirst into anything, she decided she would turn back and go another route. Better to avoid any further smirks or "words of wisdom", which were best given to Ahsoka and not her as the well-behaved friend. Before she moved, she heard the words "salesbeing", "kids", and "date" mentioned in almost a perfect string. She immediately cloaked her presence in case anyone decided to step out into the hallway, but didn't dare move.
Here was a chance for her to get their unofficial opinions on the mess Ahsoka (and her) caused, without being obvious about it and without being observed. Good thing Ahsoka wasn't here; she'd have caused their presence to be noticed.
"Can you believe that Ahsoka managed to find a salesbeing where we were at?" Gree was saying. "And to think I thought I'd make it through the war without seeing one."
"She certainly has a habit of dragging you into interesting situations, General," Admiral Yularen pointed out. Barriss liked him for his restraint, something he had put more effort into than a certain two clones who had witnessed the same event.
"I almost wish I could have put him into an airlock, though," Anakin said. Typical Skywalker, wishing violence on others.
"Anakin Skywalker!" Luminara's reprimand (not aimed at her this moment) was timely. She wished she could see Skywalker's face.
"Come on, Luminara!" Anakin replied. "Don't tell me you wouldn't have done the same."
"Of course not! I have a reputation to protect, Anakin, unlike you."
"Hey, I'm the Hero With No Fear!" Anakin replied. Always arrogant with his responses. No wonder Ahsoka acted the way she did. "If anything, you don't have to worry as much, since you have less cred when it comes to battles than I do."
"So the title of "High General" for the Republic's armies is just a fancy title for any Jedi general then, Anakin?" Uh-oh. He was bringing out Luminara's testy side, something she personally wasn't brave enough to do.
"I'm just saying that I have been battle-tested more than you."
"But I have the experience on you. Especially when it comes down to years."
"I'm just that good where experience doesn't count," he responded.
"Uh, Generals, if I may," Admiral Yularen began. He wasn't going to finish, Barriss could tell. Considering how stubborn Anakin had gotten just over the course of the conversation and how prepared Luminara was to take him on, no one was going to be able to get a word in edgewise.
"Don't," she heard Gree advise. Apparently he understood. "Just let them have at it."
"Why?" A sigh was expelled as Luminara and Anakin renewed their arguing.
"Because General Skywalker can never be wrong…" Rex began.
"And General Luminara won't ever stop questioning him," Gree finished.
"Ah. I guess I can understand the individual's perception then." Barriss almost giggled but quickly checked herself. Admiral Yularen apparently hadn't taken the time to truly observe the pair. Pair. Not that she meant a pairing as in a couple, but as in two individuals. Jedi individuals. Not just Jedi, but Jedi with completely different viewpoints, sometimes diametrically opposed to each other. Choosing to be involved with the other would mean something would have to give for one let alone the two of them. Good thing her master and Skywalker were too busy arguing; from the sound of it, they hadn't even paused in their arguments.
"Yeah." Gree's voice sounded flat. Poor guy. He had to deal with so many more headaches than she did, including this one. Good thing it wouldn't last.
"So, Admiral," Rex's voice cut in. "Would you want in our bet?" Thank the Force, a cue to leave!
*** 2 (Post A Prank Gone Wrong?) ***
The morning after was known to be awkward. This shouldn't even have to be said, considering that every species and every language has something approximating this statement's level of embarrassment and potential humiliation. Both parties to the encounter tend to exhibit a blush, be extremely hurried as they gather their scattered garments, and little to no talk is exchanged as both parties look to scurry to their respective living quarters. However, this morning after was awkward not for the two participants, but instead for their respective apprentices.
"Ahsoka!" Barriss hissed from the corner of her mouth. "They notice that you're looking!"
"I can't help it," Ahsoka ground out. "Our masters haven't made an appearance since the battle. It's not like either of them to be late to breakfast. And if we," she turned to lock eyes with her fellow apprentice, "have to suffer their," using her eyes to briefly gesture at the rest of the room, "antics, so should they!" Barriss sighed.
"Believe me, I understand completely, Ahsoka. But we were the ones who hid their clothes and caused this mess to occur."
"True," the Togruta grumped. "But we didn't bring those tinnies aboard." Anything further that Barriss was going to say was stopped as she heard the doors to the mess hall open up behind them. She saw the clones immediately stop talking, and despite herself she let herself turn around with Ahsoka to see what was going on.
Anakin had just stepped through the door into the mess hall. He stood still after just making it inside the doorway, choosing to meet every single gaze with a slight smirk and a raised eyebrow. Ahsoka wasn't sure if he did it to challenge everyone after what had happened last night, or if he did it to tease everyone about last night's events. As he was standing there, taking on all stares with his normal amount of confidence, a more female figure stepped up to stand next to him.
As soon as Luminara stepped up beside Anakin, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with him, all attention seemed to double on the two Jedi, bordering the fine line dividing respectful attention and staring. Barriss glanced around, and judging by some of the looks on some of the clones' faces, they were doing more than staring. As long as they didn't generate creepy behavior to accompany the look, she didn't care, officially. Unofficially was a different story.
The two Jedi were staring back, looks of amusement on their faces. Luminara's eyes were even sparkling, Barriss noted with surprise. Both had returned to their normal modes of dress, but there was no tension or even a hint of awkwardness. Between the concentrated stares of both parties, clones vs. Jedi, she wondered who would speak first.
"Sir." Rex. It was always Rex. What did Ahsoka see in him? "Generals, I presume you are well rested after the events of last night?"
"We are." Surprisingly, Luminara spoke first.
"And are you ready to hear the final tally in your droid-destroying competition?" Barriss glanced at Ahsoka, who turned to look back at her. This was why everyone was in the mess hall?!
"We are," Anakin said. His smirk grew, belying his solemn tone. Barriss turned back to see Rex nod to Gree. She locked eyes again with Ahsoka, making sure her fellow padawan was paying attention as she rolled her eyes. Considering all the hype this had been building up to, this was stupid.
"Commander Gree, if you would pass me the piece of paper with the winner." One clone passed the paper to the other, solemn expressions remaining on their faces.
"And the winner is…" Rex appeared to wink at the clones standing around him. A sound like multiple thunderclaps hit Barriss's ears, and she had to fight to remain unaffected. A drumroll, really? She didn't have to read Ahsoka's mind to determine what her fellow padawan thought of that.
"Luminara Unduli!" Startled, Barriss looked around the room. About half of the clone troopers were clapping, hooting, and whistling in celebration. The other half appeared to be in varying stages of denial, but the majority were clapping politely even as they grumbled. She looked over to check in with Ahsoka when she saw a set of azure eyes glaring directly back at her.
"What?" she defended. "It's not my fault Anakin lost to someone better." She saw Ahsoka's lips move, but pretended not to hear the cursing that inevitably followed. The Togruta's manners were no better than her master's. Meanwhile, the cheers of celebration were replaced with the sounds of muttering and money exchanging hands. Something she would do well not to see as it wasn't permitted in normal circumstances. However, their current situation was anything but normal, something that she rather enjoyed for once. She decided to focus back on their masters, interested in seeing Anakin's reaction.
Speaking of the devil, there he was. As mischievous as one, he appeared to be pressing his luck by towering over her master. Give her credit; she was not liable to budge just because one happened to be taller than her. He was staring down at Luminara with an odd look on his face.
"First Obi-Wan, then Ki-Adi-Mundi, and now you!" she heard him say. "What's next? Ahsoka beating my score?"
"Don't be so hard on yourself, Skywalker," she saw Luminara respond. "It's only a fair reaction to the hard work you exert when you singlehandedly destroy Dooku's droid armies. You drive us to do better." Barriss blinked, wondering if she heard that right. Ahsoka probably hadn't (given the holes that were still being drilled into the side of her head), and if Anakin had, he showed his obvious lack of understanding with his next statement. It figured he'd miss the compliment.
"Yeah, but I can't let you guys continue to beat me like this. At least I'm better in the sky."
"Is that a challenge?"
"Maybe, but then I'd probably have to come and rescue you. Again." His teasing nature was in full force today; it'd be a miracle if they got anything done.
"Like I would ever allow that to happen, again," Luminara replied. Again, did those two notice how close they were to each other? They weren't helping with the rumors. Rumors that she and Ahsoka were ultimately responsible for, yes, but still! They were Jedi, and she was higher in rank than he! This wasn't supposed to have lasted this long, if not for Ahsoka's and hers actions. Hopefully everything would stop now and go back to normal.
"So," Gree's voice sounded too merry as she felt his weight settle in next to her, "considering the fortuitous outcome of this bet, what do you think I should bet on next?"
"Don't care," her response was terse, but she didn't feel like caring. "As long as it's me that wins our sabaac night coming up."
"Didn't you hear? We're not playing sabaac. Rex wants to try out a new game he found on our last mission." She raised an eyebrow.
"Which is?"
"Poker."
*** 3 (Post Dress-Up)***
Holopictures were floating around. Pictures beget rumors, rumors beget gossip, and gossip beget meetings that made you question the meaning of life itself.
"Masters Unduli, Skywalker, and Padawans Tano and Offee," Admiral Yularen began. "I trust you know why you're called here today." Luminara nodded and smiled, Anakin just nodded, Ahsoka pursed her lips, and Barriss sighed. A copy of a certain holophoto of a certain incident had accidentally fallen into the wrong hands, and when that happened, a lecture was inevitable to follow.
Admiral Yularen was the unfortunate one who had to play the role of a beings resource department. He looked as uncomfortable as Barriss knew she felt, assured that everyone else was feeling the same. She would take back any previous statement about hating cleaning 'freshers – this was truly the worst punishment that could happen to her. Unlike how Ahsoka thought, she did not like attending all meetings, especially these. These meetings' sole purpose was to generate paperwork by any means necessary, as if the bureaucracy back home had nothing better to read than the briefs and reports they sent.
"Now, before we start the meeting, let me clarify one thing," Admiral Yularen began, his voice sounding stiff, "None of this has been reported to the Jedi Council or sent back to anyone in Coruscant's bureaucracy as of yet. My goal is to solve this as quietly and efficiently as possible. Is that clear?"
"Crystal, Admiral," Master Luminara's voice came across as calm as ever.
"As calm as ever, isn't she?" Ahsoka muttered out of the corner of her mouth.
"Just be quiet, and maybe you can learn something," Barriss replied, drawing her eyes back to the admiral. Yularen was placing the disk before him on the table and with a 'click', the holophoto flickered to life. Yeah, just as she thought. It had been a perfect still from the recording Gree had taken of that prank. It still was a perfect still. Master Luminara's mouth was molded in a perfect Ahsoka-like smirk, cheeks highlighted with white marker they had used on her face, while her body and curves were perfectly accentuated in the padawan's outfit. Hands on hips, you could only tell it was Luminara by her chin tattoos. Anakin stood right behind her, with her own padawan dress stretched to its seams across his broad chest and shoulders. Her cloak had been awfully short on him, looking almost more to be a scarf than a cloak, even with the hood drawn over his head. His look, however, was so unlike Anakin that it made her look twice. He looked subservient, almost humble, even, especially with his hands clasped in front. The temporary diamond tattoos across his face accentuated his already light blue eyes, alighting them even within the holophoto. The pair had been captured at that perfect moment when they were truly in character, or out of character depending on how one chose to look at it.
That wasn't all the holophoto included, however. Across from where the two Jedi masters stood, Barriss could see the angle captured her as she stood behind Ahsoka. The Togruta's face still contained her regular markings, and coupled with the addition of the diamond tattoos beneath her lower lip she looked a tad bizarre. The headdress they had snuck from Luminara hadn't fit well over her montrals, as was clearly shown by the two bumps sticking up from the fabric. The rest of the outfit had fit well enough, just a tad loose in areas. Her ownoutfit on the other hand was a different story. Barriss saw she had adjusted the tabards wrong, as they were too crooked on the left side. She wasn't nearly as tall as Anakin either, which she knew she hadn't hidden well enough as the sleeves were covering her hands in that shot. Tabards were past her knees, which were fortunately hid by the length of the undershirt so it wasn't too obvious. Her pose was a poor shadow of Anakin's though, which wasn't helped by the look of utter dismay on her face. Ahsoka had more of a deer-in-the-headlights reaction, which at least was more costume appropriate, but she would never tell Luminara that. Of course the clones weren't in the shot at all, sneaky kriffin' bastards.
"As I hope we all can see, this is simply unprofessional," Admiral Yularen was talking. "I want to get this contained before anything further spreads beyond our ship. Here's what I want to know. Why did this come about? Who took the picture? And what is going on here?"
Crap. She had no idea what to say or even how to say it. The only ones who had any notice about this meeting were their masters; they as padawans had been informed mere minutes prior. Never having been in this situation before, she had nothing prepared for her to say.
"Admiral Yularen," Luminara was saying, and Barriss promptly refocused her attention, "first of all, I commend you taking the time to meet with us and explain your concerns regarding this photo. I can understand why you'd be concerned over this being freely circulated amongst the soldiers and rest of the crew. If I may respond to your questions slightly out of order, the what would be organized roleplay. The reason this display of clothing exchange is taking place is due to a lesson Master Skywalker and I had organized for our padawans." What. Barriss quickly sensed Ahsoka's reactions, which thankfully were slow as ever. She attempted to open up a mental communication channel to mitigate whatever reaction the Togruta would exude that would inevitably ruin whatever Master Luminara's plan was.
"Uh… may I ask the reason behind this roleplay?" Admiral Yularen appeared startled, and Barriss couldn't blame him. She just had better practice in hiding it.
"Master Luminara and I were observing a growing lack of appreciation for the responsibilities and duties we as Jedi Generals are expected to manage, not just as Jedi Masters but also as High Generals serving the Galactic Republic," Anakin Skywalker was heard saying. As usual, Barriss could not get a read off of him. She suspected that he was, for possibly the first time since she's known him, speaking and acting as a true Jedi Master. Not only was he watching his words carefully, but also his seated position was uniform in every way possible, up to his hands being folded correctly in front of him on the table. He always looked serious nowadays, but there was not even a hint of the twinkle of borderline insanity that was characteristic of the one and only Anakin Skywalker. "We felt that the best object lesson to engage in was to roleplay, and in order to make the roleplay more believable we engaged in a clothing exchange. We set up a simulation of the stresses and duties that we face every day, throwing in a surprise attack that was randomized in order to catch the padawans off guard, and we had it all set up on the bridge. We scheduled this during our current break from the action, and we also relieved the bridge crew prior to the clothing exchange in order to keep reputations and egos from potentially being bruised." Barriss's eyes twitched slightly. He had a lot of nerve talking about egos.
"While I commend both of you Jedi Generals in attempting to encourage a somber and more responsible attitude towards the duties and responsibilities you hold with your padawans," here the admiral appeared to nod in General Skywalker's direction, "especially with your padawan, General Skywalker," Barriss hid her wince and sent calming thoughts to the Togruta, whose temper appeared to be simmering still, "that doesn't explain how this holopicture could have been taken. Especially if, as you say, that the bridge was completely empty prior to this exercise taking place. Can either of you satisfactorily explain this minor detail?"
"Unfortunately, we cannot, Admiral Yularen," Luminara resumed talking. "However, we have been noticing quite a number of hidden cameras all over the ship in the past couple weeks. While neither of us has received a satisfactory explanation, it appears that the clones may have been behind them. Up to now, the hidden cameras have never been a concern, however, as they have been placed in areas that are already covered by our security footage. I must admit, neither Master Skywalker nor myself thought to scan the bridge for these hidden cameras prior to initiating the exercise, which is something we will be more mindful for checking in the future." Barriss slowly let out a breath, thanking the Force almost a hundredfold. Gree and Rex were safe.
The admiral appeared to be deep in thought even as he nodded along with Luminara's speech. Once she was done speaking, however, he turned to face Barriss. "Padawan, do you concur with what your masters have stated here?"
"I do, Admiral," she responded demurely. "The simulation was a good exercise in both learning and humility." He nodded once at her before turning back around to face not Anakin this time, but Ahsoka.
"And do you, Padawan Tano, also concur?" Barriss chose not to look over, preferring to stare ahead at the gray durasteel wall.
"I do, Admiral," she heard Ahsoka say. "The simulation made me realize that there's more to being a Jedi High General than I previously realized." The Togruta was conducting herself better than even she expected. Barriss made a mental note to remember: her friend could actually behave herself. She preferred to think it was due to her own influence.
"Alright then." The admiral reached across the table, and with a 'click' the embarrassing image of the four of them in their exchanged clothes disappeared. "Thank you for your honesty, Master Jedi." She saw him incline his head towards Masters Luminara and Skywalker, who nodded back, still solemn. "I will assign someone to look into this hidden camera issue. I must admit, I did not think of running such a simulation with your apprentices. Despite this embarrassing occurrence, the intent of the simulation appears to have made its mark. I look forward to working with both of your padawans in the future to help gauge their results if necessary."
"We're looking forward to it," she heard Anakin respond. Kark. More work. As if being a senior padawan was not stressful enough. She knew Ahsoka felt the same. "Let Master Luminara and myself know what you're thinking, and we'll assist in setting something up."
"Of course." Admiral Yularen rose, and bowed. Barriss waited for Luminara and Anakin to rise. Once they were standing, she rose as well, and joined in the group bow. "Thank you once again for meeting with me, Master Jedi. Expect to hear back from me shortly regarding my results with the hidden camera search."
"Thank you for bringing this incident to our attention, Admiral Yularen," Luminara replied. "Both Master Skywalker and myself look forward to hearing back for both the camera issue as well as the training idea. Rest assured, if we desire to run something like this again, we will contact you first."
"That would be much appreciated, Master Luminara." And with that, this informal meeting was adjourned. Barriss observed her master sidestepping to allow Master Yularen out of the room first. As she saw Luminara following, she felt questions rise to her lips. She glanced at Ahsoka, who likewise appeared confused, and then Anakin, who said in a low tone, "Back to our quarters."
Whose quarters were going to be used was a question she held until she saw Luminara palm open the door to their shared quarters. She took a glance around while Anakin and then Ahsoka entered. No one seemed to be watching or loitering around, so she herself entered through. Once the doors closed, everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.
"Whose idea was that?" Ahsoka's tone was incredulous. "I can't believe how you guys saved our hides."
"Let alone the clones," Barriss interjected, seeing Ahsoka nod.
"Well, Anakin is to be credited with coming up with the idea," Luminara began.
"And Luminara is to be credited for the wording," Anakin finished.
"Was it spur of the moment, or did you two have this planned?" Barriss had known Luminara to be behind the wording, whereas Anakin's role had been a guess unconfirmed up to now.
"It was planned," Anakin quickly answered. Luminara looked like she was ready to answer, but was hesitating for some reason. Perhaps this was their cover story, and as anyone knew, a cover story was crucial.
"Yeah, but when?" Ahsoka asked. Barriss suppressed a sigh. Well, almost anyone. "I thought we had each just gotten the summons. Actually, didn't you get it just before we did, Skyguy?"
"It was a contingency plan created in case those holophotos spread beyond the clones' immediate control," Luminara's voice, while soft, commanded even the attention of one Ahsoka Tano. Barriss did not look, choosing to relish the feel of Ahsoka's sudden reticence and the resulting quiet. If she happened to see a quick interchange of glances occur between the two Master Jedi, she would consider it the better part of valor to ignore it.
Her curiosity could be satisfied later.
*** 4 (Post The Scare) ***
"Ahsoka!" Barriss looked uncharacteristically frazzled as she attempted to reason with her friend. The same friend who wouldn't give her back her writing stylus. "Please! This is important!" Ahsoka scoffed.
"Important? Please. You need to stop writing and come help me separate our masters." Barriss sighed and turned to rest her head against her hand. Idly looking at her fingers as they dangled in front of her face, she squeezed them testily.
"Why?" She opted to ask instead of turning back around. "Surely they can wait." Only one had needed the healing properties of the bacta tank, and at least that individual had been compliant. Problem was, when she had put Luminara into the bacta tank, Anakin had been hovering around her like a mother hen. She refused to think of him as anything else, mostly because it messed with her thoughts. Thoughts that were better devoted to a certain commander…
"Because," Ahsoka huffed, "They are arguing. Again." Barriss groaned and stood. It figured, and while she was in the middle of something too.
"Next time they come into my med bay, they are BOTH getting tranquilized into oblivion," she ground out. "From the moment they come in, to the moment they leave. I'm tired of this." She shot a glare in Ahsoka's direction as they exited the quarters. "And youcouldn't have done something about this earlier?" Her friend's montrals turned slightly pink.
"I… uh… I didn't think they'd pay attention to me." Barriss exhaled noisily.
"You? Since when does Skywalker not listen to you, 'Soka?" The Togruta's blush deepened, and Barriss felt her own face warm in response. This could not be good.
"I… got the impression that I should leave, but considering how much they were arguing, I thought it would be worth it to grab you and check back on them."
"Yeah. If nothing else, I get to yell at them for misbehaving," Barriss said, eyes gleaming at the prospect of yelling at Skywalker. She should be thinking about yelling at her master as well, but why do that when she had the real troublemaker to blame?
Minutes later, they were standing in front of the glass viewing area for the bacta room. Barriss felt her own jaw drop, and she knew her fellow padawan was experiencing the same thing. It was hard not to stare in shock and utter disbelief, resisting the urge to rub at your own eyes to see if what you're seeing is actually what you're seeing. Here, the image was equally as horrifyingly stunning as it was adorable in its tenderness.
Blankets were piled high on a medical bed, but not high enough to cover the faces of those who lay on it. Anakin wasn't hard to distinguish, as even sitting his height gave him great advantage. Luminara however couldn't be found unless one looked a little farther down, peered a little harder, to see a light green face framed by the pale gray of the blankets. She looked relaxed and comfortable, given her eyes were closed, although that was probably due to the blankets. Anakin, as always, was a hard read.
"What do you think you're doing with my patient?" Barriss hissed upon palming open the door. Anakin lifted an eyebrow, and began to open his mouth. "Don't think you're getting away with not answering, Skywalker!" The Mirialan padawan continued without even letting the Jedi Knight interrupt. "Why is it as soon as I leave that you decide to cause trouble? Do you even remember when you were a padawan, how often you got into trouble then? And speaking of trouble, why is my patient out of the bacta tank and on the bed, underneath all these blankets?!" She would ignore how close the two Jedi were to each other, as that had nothing to do with the fact that Luminara wasn't supposed to be out of the tank yet.
"She was cold." Barriss knew she must have looked as confused as she felt, because Anakin continued on. "She came out early because the medical droid deemed her to be ready." Great. Although yelling at the medical droid wasn't nearly as fun as yelling at Anakin, she'd accept it. She hated it when other beings, particularly the medical droids, interfered with her patients. "However, once she got out, she couldn't stop shivering. So… I figured I'd help her out." The look on his face was completely innocent, and despite her misgivings she couldn't sense anything else off about this. For her part, her master looked completely comfortable and at peace, swathed around by all the blankets. She sensed nothing out of place either. Still, there was one more thing she had to ask.
"Then why the arguing?" She had to ask. His lips twitched.
"She didn't like my suggestion."
"You think?!" Barriss exclaimed, remembering too late to keep her voice lowered. She took a quick look at her master, who stirred but did not open her eyes. Thank the Force for small mercies. "The only thing you could do to make this worse would be to take a holophoto for later." Anakin coughed.
"What?" Barriss glared.
"Nothing," Anakin responded. She let it drop. Weeks later, a message was sent to her inbox with an image attached. She was sure to save it to a more secure location prior to deletion of the message.
*** 5 (Prior to Another Escapade) ***
A Jedi Master had attained their title through much hard work and discipline. Years of sweat and toil had built the being to become worthy of earning the title. Earned it was, for the Council in the end had to decide whether or not one's work and spirit both were up to the task.
A Jedi Knight, on the other hand, attained their title by passing their Trials. Twelve they were in total, but considered most important of all was the Testing of Spirit.
"No, Anakin, you may certainly not disrupt my master now at –" she double-checked the wall chrono in irritation " – at 22h00 hours!" She turned back to glare at him. "Why aren't you in bed?!"
"But Barriss," he whined at her, holding two datapads in his hands. "I really really really need to ask her something!" She maintained her steady breathing, hoping her glowering stare would cower him into obedience.
Considering how much Anakin was currently testing her spirit, Barriss wondered if that qualified her for Knighthood. At least she'd be more mature in carrying its responsibilities than he was.
"Why don't you whine this much in front of Ahsoka?" she chose to ask instead. She opted to go from angry to exasperated. Luminara was a great example to take from for proper expression of exasperation.
"Because I'm supposed to act mature in front of her," he responded.
"And not me?" She would have added that she was currently a Padawan, under training under a certain Jedi Master, and that he was supposed to set her an example as well, but that would have been just too wordy.
"You knew me before I became a Knight. You know me better than she does." Ah. She raised an eyebrow at him, but he stared defiantly back at her. Perhaps being a Knight was weighing on him, albeit in unexpected ways. And he would never say anything otherwise, so perhaps this visit did serve a purpose.
No one she knew currently got promoted to Knighthood as early as Anakin did, let alone got assigned a young padawan as soon as he had. The moniker "Hero With No Fear" had been plastered on him since the early days of the war due to his amazing feats, and he had been given more responsibilities as a result. She knew all that despite her choice to actively ignore rumors as much as possible, preferring instead to expand on her healing talents. Why waste time on rumors and gossip when she had injured clones and Jedi to attend to? She needed continual practice if she was going to be of any use to the war effort. Also, Master Luminara had hinted that she might enjoy a possible promotion if she continued her healer's track, which was no small amount of pressure on her.
But there was a great deal more pressure on Anakin, pressure on him to win the war. She knew he'd go visit with Obi-Wan if he could, but Master Kenobi was not here. The Council had called him back to Coruscant to accompany Poggle for his appearance before the Senate weeks ago, and he had been entangled in further political engagements afterwards. Apparently needing an update on the war required pulling their best strategist from the field for several weeks. Losing his closest confidante and former master to sheer distance, she had noticed Anakin slowly gravitating towards her master for advice and support. Finally, there was the simple matter that both Jedi Master Luminara Unduli and Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker were responsible for running the ships and preparing for subsequent engagements, and for that to happen efficiently communication had to happen. She hated giving in to him, but she could always make him pay for it later.
"If I catch you in there for longer than an hour, I'm either sedating you for a standard twenty-four hours or I'm kicking you out immediately," she said.
"Of course." At least he seemed to be trying not to smirk back at her. She sighed and looked down at her desk. Reports and medical information lit the screens of the assorted datapads littered the desk before her.
"Alternatively, I could catch you and force you to do this work for me," she said without lifting her head. Of course she heard nothing back. Good thing for him she thought rounds were overrated.
*** 1 ***
It was amazing to look back and pinpoint the exact moment that she knew she fell in love with Commander Cody. Terrifying because she knew the consequences if caught, but amazingly beautiful in what it had brought out of both of them. She knew she had the power to control how to act on what she felt, but if she had, she wouldn't have someone. Have him. He was a shoulder to cry on when she couldn't go to anyone else. He was her strength when she couldn't be her own. Loving someone selflessly was paradoxically giving her unimaginable gifts.
She wondered if the same held true for Master Luminara and Master Skywalker.
Those two being together never seemed possible before. She was too level-headed and committed as a Jedi to give thought to romantic attachments, and he was too aggressive and reckless to even masquerade as a committed Jedi. She was strategic and deliberate in her plans and movements, and he liked to charge in without a second thought. She grieved the war; he reveled in it. They were an unlikely pairing, one she never thought to be possible. Then again, that was what she had thought about the war too, and look how that turned out.
If her initial presumptions about the war were wrong, the same could be said about her presumptions regarding Luminara and Skywalker. Her one fervent hope was that she'd never see anything she'd have to unsee. She would never catch them in the middle of anything, right?
… … … … … … … … … … … … …
Snuggling doesn't count. Even if they were closer than she would have preferred, and even if they were in her medbay. Her medbay. She needed to get a sign or something.
She double-checked the machines surrounding the pair, and upon seeing that vitals were good and healthy she made a quick exit. She had paperwork that needed another glance over anyway.