"In Need of Wings"

Chapter the Third

Ahsoka opened the door to her apartment. She had worries about letting Bane know where she lived, of course. But the only way she could contact Anakin was by using the comm number Bane said that Anakin had left with him. And she had left her comm at her apartment. And Bane wasn't going away, so she had no choice.

"So this is it. It's not much, but it's home." Ahsoka stepped inside. All at once, knowing Bane was watching, she suddenly felt self-conscious of the piles of stuff she left lying around. Her makeup was piled in front of the small mirror in the fresher and spilling over the sink. Her clothes were stacked up on the chair and the bed. Posters and notes littered the walls. Everything else was scattered. "I've been meaning to clean it up," she said quickly before Bane would make any snarky comments.

Bane shrugged, not caring to look around too much. "The sooner you discuss the details with General Skywalker, the better."

"I knew that." Ahsoka grabbed her comm. "Stay outside, and don't let me catch you listening in."

"Of course, cupcake."

Before she could throw her boot at him, he slipped out the door and closed it behind him. Ahsoka groaned and prayed that the whole job was a scam as she commed the number. It was picked up almost immediately.

"Bane, I told you to only use this number in case of emergencies."

Tears welled up in Ahsoka's eyes when she heard his voice. It was Anakin. Her Master. He sounded a bit more weary than when she last saw him three months ago…more tired from the war. But it was still Anakin. Ahsoka had no idea how emotionally overwhelming it would be just to hear his voice again.

"Hey! Um…it's me, Ahsoka. I borrowed this number."

"What…Ahsoka?" There was a long silence.

Ahsoka shut her eyes tight. She could feel that Anakin was overjoyed to hear her voice again too. Of course, he would also be very surprised to not hear Bane's, but it had to be a pleasant surprise.

"Why are you using this number? Did something happen?" Anakin finally asked.

"No, no, I'm fine. Sort of. I needed to ask you personally if it's true." Ahsoka wanted to cry with relief. For a few brief minutes, she had her Master back. For the first time in three months of loneliness and silence, she had some sense of familiarity.

"If what's true?"

"That you hired Cad Bane to protect me."

Anakin sighed. "Yes, it's true."

She didn't want to be angry with him. She wanted to tell him she was sorry for breaking his heart and tell him about everything that had happened since she left, every moment that she used some skill Anakin taught her and it worked. But in the moment, she was very angry.

"What for?" Ahsoka demanded. "First off, I don't need protecting. I'm doing just fine. And second, why would you hire that scum?"

"Calm down and listen to me, all right? I'm…I'm just glad you're safe. I'm glad to hear your voice again."

"Me too…" Ahsoka rubbed her cheeks with her palm to wipe away her tears. "I wish we could talk some more."

"So do I, but we can't right now. I've been worried about you. I could sense that you were not well."

"I've been…fine…" But she couldn't lie. She hated being treated like she couldn't do it on her own, even though it was probably true. Who was she kidding? The last three months had been miserable. She couldn't even buy a proper speeder on her own.

"I hired Bane because he was the most available. And he works independently; he isn't loyal to either side."

"So?!"

"Is there someone you would have preferred?"

"What? I don't know…just, anyone but him." Ahsoka made a face just thinking of the man outside her door.

Maybe Anakin had gone insane, or the war was really getting to him.

How much could have happened to him in only three months, anyway? she had to wonder.

"This is only temporary, Ahsoka. He's only going to stay until you're ready to make it on your own."

"You're being really unfair, you know. Forcing me to get along with this…this…"

"I'm sorry…" He sounded genuine. "I just had to be sure. I have to go now before anyone can trace this number. May the Force be with you, Ahsoka."

"Hey! But—" He had already cut the line.

Ahsoka fought the temptation to throw the comm across the room. Maybe if she just ate some dinner and turned in early, she'd feel better tomorrow. This had to be a nightmare.

When she opened the door again, Bane was leaning against the wall smoking a cigarette.

"I assume you have your own place to stay? Because if you don't, there's no way you're staying here."

"Relax. I'll be on my way now, and I'll be back first thing in the morning."

Ahsoka smiled sweetly. "Great! Pick up breakfast on the way, then."

"I'm not running errands for you, little bit. My job is to make sure—"

"I heard," she said curtly, still smiling. "Then again, wouldn't my Master be very, very angry with you if something were to happen to me? What if I got upset? What if I went hungry? I have his number now, and I'll gladly let him know if you're not doing your job well."

"You wouldn't."

"I would. You, breakfast, eight AM. Hot caf and doughnuts."

"You don't know what you're dealing with."

"Yes I do. Get the cream-filled kind. You'll find them at Dex's Diner, in Coco Town."

Bane pulled out his comm and made a couple notes before he turned to leave. Ahsoka went back inside and checked her fridge for some food leftover from yesterday. There wasn't much, but it would hold off her stomach until tomorrow morning.

After dinner, she took a hot shower and scrubbed her skin until it felt raw. Then she changed into her pajamas and collapsed on the bed, not caring that it was unmade. Over and over in her head, she heard Anakin's voice. The pain, the worry, the regret…all shadows on the same old Skyguy she had never forgotten. All she wanted was to talk to him one more time and fix this whole mess. But she knew she couldn't.

Ahsoka curled up into a ball, hugging her pillow. Maybe tomorrow would be better.

Ahsoka was up at seven-thirty sharp. By the time she had finished waking up and did her morning stretches and exercise, it was eight AM. She dressed quickly and ended up pulling on an old tank top that was a gift from several months back, and a pair of tight leggings that matched her boots. In under two minutes she had finished applying her makeup.

As she had expected, Bane arrived on time, as she picked up the aroma of fresh caf and cream-filled doughnuts from the hall. Not knowing exactly what to expect, she opened the door. At the sight of Bane carrying her breakfast like a personal delivery man, Ahsoka had to smile. Her day was off to a peculiar, but not unpleasant start.

"They'd better be the cream-filled kind," Ahsoka said, grabbing her cup of caf and the bag from Dex's Diner.

"That's the last time I'm running errands for you." Bane's eyes wandered down to the picture depicted on her tank top. Specifically, he was looking at a drawing of a tooka doll wielding a large knife, both splattered with green blood. The caption below the drawing read: 'Nice Playin With Ya.'

Ahsoka frowned when she saw where Bane's eyes were at first, when she remembered what she was wearing.

"What the hell is that?" he snapped.

"Sugi gave it to me." She sipped her caf loudly. "I loved her artwork so much she had it printed on a shirt for me."

"It's terrible."

"Funny that you should say that." Ahsoka recalled the events that inspired Sugi's artwork in the first place. When Ahsoka and Anakin tracked Bane to Naboo, using a tooka doll to trick him before they finally arrested him, thus saving the Gungan child from being kidnapped. When the color of his blood—green, as compared to the clones' red blood—gave away his identity before he escaped the Resolute hangar.

Ahsoka, Anakin, and Obi-Wan, after helping Sugi and some other bounty hunters fight off some pirates, were offered a ride on her ship to the nearest Republic outpost. During that journey, they ended up sharing the story of what happened on Devaron and Naboo. Sugi's artwork was inspired by the Jedi's own interpretation of the tale.

Bane seemed to figure out what the drawing meant almost immediately. So far he wasn't liking it.

"Change into something else. I don't like it," he said coldly, tearing his eyes away from Ahsoka.

"Excuse me? You can't tell me what to wear. I like this tank top, it's comfortable."

"Well, I don't. I think it's tasteless."

"You're tasteless. You and your stupid hat."

Bane snarled at her, exposing his fangs. "Watch it, little bit."

"Oh, so that's what finally gets you? When I insult your hat?" Ahsoka sighed and stepped into her apartment, munching on a doughnut. "This is pointless. My Master didn't hire you to bicker at me all day. So what are you going to start teaching me?"

"I thought we'd start with the basics: how to buy a proper speeder."

She looked away to hide her embarrassment. So Bane had seen her crash yesterday…wonderful. "I'm a fast learner."

"I'm sure you are. I still say change the shirt."

"I still say this is pointless." But, hoping that Bane would be slightly less annoying as a result, Ahsoka pulled on a hoodie anyway to hide the drawing. She began to wonder what could have come over Anakin, and her thoughts continued to dwell on her former Master for the rest of the morning.

A/N: I can't post a link to the artwork that I described on Ahsoka's shirt, but you can see it on the side of Sugi's ship the Halo, or on the Wookieepedia article for Sugi's ship. Based on what we saw in the Holocron arc, there is no way it wasn't inspired by that. And there is no way Sugi didn't draw it inspired by how Anakin, Ahsoka, and Obi-Wan would have told her about it.