The Missions Between
Chapter 13: A Time Of Leave
Ahsoka was summoned to the council session to discuss her dealings with the Onderon rebels. She wasn't sure how they would approve of her situation with everything that had happened. She walked into the room and Anakin was standing by the door and she was to stand in the center of the room.
"Ahsoka Tano, you showed remarkable leadership skills on Onderon. Not to mention the difficult loss of the rebel leader." Mace Windu stated.
"You also assisted in restoring the rightful king." Master Tiin added.
Master Windu then continued. "Considering your injury to your shoulder, the council is requesting you to take some time of leave to recuperate."
"Time of leave master?" Ahsoka pondered.
"A time for you to relax and get refocused, young Tano." Shaak gently spoke up.
"You have shown your abilities as a true leader Little Soka. You've earned some time off." Plo added. "Take some time and go explore the galaxy."
"One condition, we ask that you keep your lightsabers on you at all times, we are still at war after all." Windu continued.
"Thank you Masters!" Ahsoka said as she bowed to the council and turned to walk out.
"Master, who will have your back if I'm gone?"
"Don't worry Snips, there's always Rex." Anakin replied. "Besides, I like you, can handle myself."
Ahsoka rolled her eyes. "Sure, I suppose you can."
"So, what do you plan to do on your time off?"
"Ya know, I never really considered that before. Perhaps I'll get back in touch with Barriss or something."
"Barriss is in the outer rim dealing with things elsewhere."
"Oh, that's right." Ahsoka remembered.
"Ahsoka, promise me you won't go to Onderon to see your guy friend." Anakin demanded.
Ahsoka looked a bit embarrassed. "I hadn't even considered that Master, although now that you mention it…" she was cut off by Anakin.
"Ahsoka, I forbid it!"
Ahsoka chuckled. "Relax Master, I have no intensions of seeing him right now, afterall, we just got back from Onderon." Ahsoka joked as she took off for her room.
She sat alone in her room for a while just meditating before there came a knock at the door.
"Come in please!" Ahsoka called.
"Ahsoka, I heard that you got some time off."
"Senator Amidala! How are you?"
"Never better Ahsoka. I've been invited to a senatorial celebration outing on Theron. I can invite one other guest and I'd like to invite you."
"You mean, you don't want to invite Anakin?"
Padme was taken back for a moment and then she smiled. "Oh Ahsoka Anakin and I are friends but he doesn't need to go with me everywhere." She covered.
"Sure, I was just teasing." Ahsoka said with one of her grins. "I'd love to go! I hear Theron is beautiful with its spiral rock formations. What all is happening there?"
"There's a pod race there and many of the republican senators are going." Padme explained. "It might be a good way for you to get away from all of the fighting."
"That sounds fun! I haven't been to a pod race in quite some times." Ahsoka stated.
Padme smiled at Ahsoka's confirmation. "Alright then, let's get you packed and get to the space port." She suggested.
As the two ladies were walking out of the temple, Ahsoka didn't quite feel right taking some time just to enjoy herself, it had been so long since she was even able to. "I feel like I should tell the council that I'm leaving with you to Theron but I guess I don't need to." Ahsoka joked.
Padme laughed. "It must be tough having all of this fighting to deal with, that's why we have our senators days where we do things like go out to eat on another world or go to a pod race or something like that."
"I couldn't even imagine being a senator." Ahsoka said.
Padme wasn't sure what to say, she didn't want to insult Ahsoka by saying that she really wouldn't make a good senator, but Padme knew just how good a fighter Ahsoka was and that was where it really counted. "Well, it's definitely not for everyone Ahsoka, you're a much better Jedi than a politician."
Ahsoka just looked up at Padme. "Gee, thanks!"
"I wasn't meaning to insult you Ahsoka, it's just that…."
"Relax Senator, I was just teasing." Ahsoka said with a smile on her face.
"Well, here we are, the space port. We are taking transport 98B."
Ahsoka began to scan the transport platforms to find 98B. "There it is, down there." She pointed.
The two hopped onto the transport and headed towards Theron.
Theron was a beautiful planet with spiral rock formations and were brightly colored, which caught Ahsoka's attention almost immediately.
They walked off the transport ramp and into the stadium seats. There were people of all different races and species walking around. It almost seemed busier than the space port on Coruscant.
Soon after seating, Padme stood up and started waving. "Over here Senator Organa!" She called.
Senator Organa noticed her waving and started walking over to sit next to them. He had a few other senators with him as well.
"Senator Organa, you remember Ahsoka Tano." Padme introduced them.
"Why of course." He said as he shook her hand. "This is Senator Gruph."
Senator Gruph was of the Auqalish and he kissed both Padme and Ahsoka's hands.
It made Ahsoka a little uncomfortable considering that that Senator Gruph didn't have lips but mostly facial scruff. She then leaned over to Padme. "I'm going to get something to eat that isn't government rations for once." And she got up out of her seat to go to the concessions.
She admired the crowd as she walked to the concessions but wasn't going let her guard down since she was a Jedi and there was still a war going on during this time. She finally reached the concessions. "One Gratt burger please." She said to the clerk.
"Gratt burger!" The clerk yelled to the kitchen staff. The clerk then gave Ahsoka a card with a funky letter or number on it. "Wait until I call this figure." The clerk told her.
Ahsoka nodded and stepped out of the way so other people could order some food but she stayed close to the counter. She scanned through the crowd to see anything familiar, good or bad.
The clerk finally called her figure and her burger was finished. She grabbed it and started back for her seat.
As she turned and moved passed people, she bumped into someone while she was taking a bite of her burger. "Hey! Why don't you wa…. Lux?!"
"Ahsoka? What are you doing here?" Lux asked with a smile on his face as he was happy to see his Togrutan friend.
"I was going to ask you the very same question."
The two started walking in the direction of Ahsoka's seat while they talked.
"When I decided to bring Onderon back to the republic, Senator Organa decided to plan this little outing to celebrate me joining. Now Ahsoka, why are you here?" Lux asked.
"Well, let's just say I got some time off for good behavior on Onderon." She joked and the two laughed for a brief moment.
They both arrived back at the seats with the rest of the senators. Ahsoka sat back next to Padme and Lux next to Ahsoka.
Ahsoka leaned in real close to Padme. "Again, you didn't tell me Lux Bonteri would be here."
"Oh, did I forget to mention this?" Padme said.
"Very smooth Senator, but thanks!"
There was a man walking around handing out monitors to watch the race on and Lux grabbed one to share with Ahsoka.
"And the race will begin in 3….2…..1!" Came a voice over a loud speaker.
