AN: Not much is explained but in every chapter you will receive more information and backstory so don't worry if you're confused about something. It will be answered eventually. I hope you all enjoy this (: Reviews keep me writing!
good things come to those who wait
Ahsoka was not ashamed to admit she made many mistakes in her life. She dealt with the consequences; the good, the bad, the downright nasty. She atoned for her sins at least.
"I can't believe the latest planet you chose is one full of sand."
She was absolutely positive that for whatever she did in the past, she surely did not deserve this.
This had been happening for a Standard month now but it felt like more than a couple of years in her opinion. Not like her opinion ever mattered to anyone anymore. She hadn't commanded a squadron for a very long time and it was rather sad that a ghost was her first companion in a while.
On her way to pushing sixty years old, she was convinced that her heart would give out in a matter of days.
"Please stop speaking." Ahsoka sighed softly as she pulled out her electrobinoculars. Her patience became as thin as her old bones she liked to say.
A scoff came from behind her, "did you think this would make me leave?"
"No." She answered almost immediately as she surveyed the never ending land in front of her. She could see a graveyard of ships in the distance and it meant she was close.
The voice faltered, "then why are we here?"
Ahsoka's lips twitched as she placed her electrobinoculars back in her satchel, "for parts. Silver Tempest isn't exactly in good shape after our visit to Bespin." She motioned for the person behind her to follow before she slid down the sand dune.
"I still can't believe you were able to steal a Sith Infiltrator—" he snorted for he knew she was capable of taking at least two. He also thought the name sucked for that matter.
She knew his silent opinion about her ship. "We are not changing the name." Ahsoka said sharply as she adjusted her goggles. Despite having them for years, they were still slightly big for her face.
A blue tinted hand attempted to stop her but she simply walked through it, "I think The Skywalker is a great name." He sounded offended yet amused.
"I am not naming my ship after you, Anakin." She did stop this time and turned around to face him. The smirk on his young face did nothing but irritate her. He hadn't aged a day while she was here almost at death's doorstep.
Anakin Skywalker appearing to her as a Force Ghost had been one of the worst things to happen. And she included her expulsion from the Jedi Order. Perhaps his haunting was not above it, but it was definitely high up on the list with the other god awful things that took place in her life.
The Force had something against her and she wanted to know what.
"You'll come around." Anakin shrugged one shoulder and walked past her.
She knew that there was a double meaning to his words. She hadn't exactly forgiven him which made their relationship slightly awkward and strained. But it was rather hard to forgive a former Sith who was the reason most of the vision in her left eye was gone.
Ahsoka watched him walk away before she cleared her throat.
"Do you have any idea as to where you're going?"
"Not a clue, Snips."
At a time like this, Ahsoka would have gladly punched him in his smug face. But her first attempt at giving him a black eye went horribly wrong when she flew through him and landed face first.
Now she knew better. Ahsoka didn't like to talk about what happened on Ophuchi.
"Don't call me Snips." She grimaced and walked with quick steps to go ahead of him. The less she had to see his face, the better. She could handle his voice for now.
They walk in silence after that since Anakin was smart enough to realize he was not her favorite person at the moment. Even if he would like to be, he needed to work for it.
When they reach the Graveyard of Ships, Ahsoka practically grinned from lek to lek as she stared at the heaven in front of her.
"Is that a Star Destroyer?" Anakin stood beside her as he stared at the ruined ship. "It's almost unrecognizable."
"I like it better dead in the sand than flying in the darkness of space." Ahsoka said quietly and resumed her trek. She noticed a discarded staff to her right and she picked it up to use it as a walking stick.
He acted like he didn't hear her.
"I forget you're old." Anakin murmured quietly as they searched for whatever it was Ahsoka seemed to be looking for.
"Forgive me for aging a few years once I saw your lovely face." She drawled sarcastically and refrained from hitting him with the staff. It would have been futile.
He laughed softly. "Glad to know your humor survived our crash landing."
"Our crash landing? I'm the only pilot since you're dead and I certainly didn't crash." She rolled her eyes and pointed her walking stick to a Star Destroyer nearby that looked to be still fully intact. They would find what she needed there if scavengers haven't gotten to it first.
"Once my padawan, always my padawan." Anakin rubbed the back of his neck as he stopped at the large hole Ahsoka was attempting to climb through. "You go inside. I'd rather not…" he trailed off and cleared his throat.
He commanded these ships once, and he did not wish for the memories to return.
"I understand, " she nodded and looked over her shoulder with narrowed eyes. "Try not to get into trouble while I'm gone."
Even if he was dead, she didn't trust him.
He gave her a playful salute in response.
Ahsoka took a deep breath as she walked through the large ship, feeling uneasy as she heard her footsteps echo. It was almost like the dead crewmen were walking alongside her still preparing for war.
"Just find undamaged power cells, that's all I need." She said to herself and rubbed her right arm to soothe her anxiety. She would have go through the living quarters before she could reach the power cells.
The staff quivered slightly in her grip and she sighed in irritation. She was ashamed to admit she was still afraid of the Empire.
Eventually Ahsoka found a destroyed lift and silently hoped her bones wouldn't decide to break as she climbed it.
Her hips felt sore once she reached the top and soft spoken swears tumbled out of her mouth. Never again would she do that. She then looked down the shaft she climbed and pursed her lips in regret. She left her walking stick down there.
A loud noise startled her out of her self-loathing and she whipped around with one hand on her left lightsaber. "Who is there? Show yourself!" she would take both of her weapons out if she had to.
Out of all the things she expected, a small seven year old girl dragging a net with just the right amount of power cells in it was not one of them. The three buns at the back of her head were oddly adorable and Ahsoka tried not to coo.
"I-I'm sorry." The little girl bowed her head and tightened her grip around her net. "Please don't hurt me."
"I'm," Ahsoka paused before she bit her lip and went down on one knee, "I'm not going to hurt you. What are you doing here in a place like this?"
"Unkar Plutt says I can't have any food if I don't bring back junk." The little girl refused to make eye contact and she looked to be almost in tears.
Ahsoka felt as if her heart was ripped out of her chest and buried underneath the sand.
"What is your name?" Ahsoka asked gently and even smiled. Something she regularly did not do.
"Rey." Rey picked at the string she wrapped tightly around her right hand. Her fingers were almost as red as a sunset.
"Nice to meet you, Rey. I'm Ahsoka." Ahsoka touched her own chest and nodded once.
"Can I go now?" Rey blurted out and blushed when she realized how rude she sounded.
"Were there any other power cells?" Ahsoka clenched her fist behind her back, not wanting to frighten the girl more than she already was.
"No, these were the last ones." She brought her net closer to her.
Ahsoka stood up slowly and tapped her chin, "what if I give you better junk in exchange?"
Rey regarded her with a suspicious stare. "Better junk? Like what?"
Ahsoka knew she was going to regret this. Once Anakin found out, he would surely scold her nonstop for days.
That thought oddly made her want to complete the trade even more.
"This." She unhooked one of her lightsabers and threw it at Rey, which she fortunately caught. "It'll get you a lot of food." In the near future, she could replace it. Or at least try to.
Ahsoka didn't have the funds to buy parts for her ship anyways. Trading with Rey seemed better than going to the nearest Outpost.
"What is it?" Rey stared at it in wonder and almost pushed the button.
"Don't!" Ahsoka said harshly. She winced when Rey took a step back in fear. "This Unkar Plutt will know what it is. It is a very valuable weapon. But I need those power cells, Rey." She held out her hand expectantly.
Rey hesitated before she pushed the net in front of her.
A success.
Anakin blinked at the sight in front of him when Ahsoka returned faster than he thought she would. A couple of times he considered going in after her when he became bored in a matter of minutes.
"Congratulations?" he openly stared at the little girl in her arms before his gaze glanced down to the net she was dragging. It carried her walking stick and power cells.
"What are you talking about?" Ahsoka frowned as she climbed out of the hole with Rey securely in her grip.
"When you said you needed parts, I had no idea you'd come back as a mother." Anakin mirrored her frown.
Ahsoka almost dropped Rey when a loud laugh escaped past her lips. She slightly stumbled to the right as her shoulders shook and her stomach ached. It was a genuine laugh that she hadn't produced in years. The sound was almost foreign to her ears and Ahsoka wondered if it was truly her that laughed. And because her eyes were closed, she missed the awed looks coming from both Anakin and Rey.
That day on Jakku she gained a family.