"In Need of Wings"

Chapter the Eighteenth

Within less than six hours of beginning their new alliance with Asajj Ventress, Ahsoka discovered one small problem. Despite all their differences, Bane and Ventress had one thing in common…they loved giving orders, and hated following orders.

Bane and Ahsoka packed up their supplies as they discussed with Ventress where to go next. Unfortunately, they had little supplies to bring with. It only took a few minutes of disputing before Ahsoka felt the stress begin to tighten around her throat, like a Force choke. And she could feel her grip on her surroundings waver out of balance.

"I thought you were always so well prepared, Bane," Ventress said with a small smile as she watched them work.

Ahsoka didn't even have to glance in Bane's direction to know the expression on his face.

"Well, Ventress, it's been an interesting few days, so I got behind on some things."

Maybe she would get lucky and the two only had to blow off a bit of steam before they could work together. As Ahsoka slammed the last crate down rather roughly in the back of Sleight of Hand, she recalled back when she and Bane used to argue like that all the time. Did they always sound that obnoxious?

"Sounds like your reputation precedes you, hon."

"At least I have a reputation," Bane muttered.

"So! Where's the nearest place we can stock up on more supplies?" Ahsoka chimed in. "Todo and I can make a list of everything we need."

"We'll head to the Nar Shaddaa system," Bane said.

Ahsoka nodded and briefly left to plot their course. She had barely pulled out her datapad to start making a list when she heard Bane and Ventress commence their bickering all over again. Maybe she had to just get used to this.

Bane entered the ship, pulling on his jacket. Ventress was quick to follow him to the cockpit.

"Hey, just because this is your ship doesn't mean you get to give all the orders!" Ventress snapped.

"I'm sure you'd say the same if we were on your ship," Bane said dryly as he started up Sleight of Hand.

Ahsoka took the co-pilot's seat, bitter towards Ventress for annoying both of them like this.

"You may want to be in charge, but I know where we can go after Nar Shaddaa," Ventress said, almost smugly, crossing her arms and watching them from behind. "We'll be safe on Dathomir. It's sparsely populated, and will be a good place for us to set up a refuge and find more allies."

"Staying in one place? I don't think so. We'll be safest if we're always on the move. Never stay in one place too long to be tracked down."

"Like how I tracked you down?" Ventress couldn't help but add. "Your idea of hiding really seemed to work. That's why we're going with my agenda instead."

"If you wanted to be the boss, you should have found different allies," Bane snapped.

Ahsoka rubbed her temples and took over preparing the ship for hyperspace. She breathed a sigh of relief when Ventress stormed off to the back room rather than continuing the argument. The stress was already building up, and fast.

"We can't work with her. Not if you're always fighting her," she said coldly.

"I'm working on it. I just can't stand her."

"We need her help. She'll turn on us if you keep this up."

Bane leaned back in his chair, hand over his mouth. He looked more tired than usual.

"I'm not going to suck up to her, if that's what you're getting at."

"Then don't. Just, try to stay focused. She's the closest thing we have to an ally right now." She shut her eyes. "I guess we need more allies."

"That was the next part of our plan I've been thinking over, ever since Asajj ran into us." Bane looked deep in thought, and once the ship was in hyperspace, he leaned back in his chair and pulled out a cigarette. By habit, he passed one to Ahsoka. "Staying hidden won't be a problem; that much I know how to do. But just the three of us won't be enough to make sure the Empire can't take us. So, we need to find allies we can trust. Who won't rat us out so we can watch each other's backs. It's the only way we'll survive this way."

"And finding trustworthy people is the hard part. You taught me that on Coruscant." Not that Ahsoka needed to learn that, really. After being betrayed by the Jedi Council and who she thought was her best friend, she did not have to learn the lesson that some people will stab you in the back if ever given the chance.

Bane nodded. "Until then, I'll tolerate Ventress. I have a few ideas on where to head next. But now that the galaxy's changed so fast, even old friends will turn on you."

"No kidding." Ahsoka sighed. This brought back a question in her mind that had been haunting her for a while. But it never seemed appropriate to bring up…then again, it might always be an inappropriate question anyway. "Cad? Can I ask you something? About my master?"

He glanced at her, already looking slightly discomforted at the change in topic. Ahsoka was discomforted about it as well. She still felt the constant pull towards Mustafar, even though she knew why it was there. Hard to admit it was a feeling she could start to get used to.

"Do you…think there's any chance of Anakin being brought back?" Her voice wavered a bit, just saying it aloud. "I know it's a big question, but you saw him. Did he seem like he—"

"Vader was willing to do whatever it took to get you back and turn you into his pawn." Bane's voice was so cold, it startled Ahsoka a little.

"But Cad—"

"You can't put your hopes on saving him, 'Soka. Save yourself the grief."

Figured…she had asked way too soon.

"I'm sorry. It's not that I don't believe you."

He looked at her, an ache in his eyes. He knew what she meant. It didn't make the ordeal Vader put him through on Coruscant hurt any less…but he knew. Ahsoka could feel it. Just as much as she could feel his resentment for Ventress always underneath the surface. And his trust for Ahsoka holding fast. Things she had been unable to feel until a matter of weeks ago.

She glanced away, trying not to let thoughts of her former master get to her. She couldn't even let herself think of him as 'Anakin' anymore.

On Nar Shaddaa, Ahsoka stayed close to Bane while they made their way through the southern region of city making their supplies orders. With no choice, since they did not trust her enough to leave her with the ship, Ventress tagged along.

"Where are we?" Ahsoka asked as she looked around. She already hated Nar Shaddaa. It reminded her of Coruscant's underworld, but much worse. Crime and filth were everywhere. Along the street they walked down to the next warehouse to pick up their food crates, Ahsoka saw shops offering bodily enhancements and implants. The air reeked of spices. Clubs were packed, the streets littered.

"Don't worry. I know this place well." Bane spoke quietly. "Just stay close to me and we'll be fine."

"This place is horrible," Ahsoka muttered.

"See? That's how he knows about it."

Bane ignored Ventress' comment. Both Ahsoka and Ventress stood back while Bane made his way inside the warehouse to make a deal for their supplies. Ahsoka was adjusting her jacket as she smoked a cigarette, trying to ignore the glances Ventress gave her.

Neither of them had so much as brought up their brief partnership while Ahsoka was a fugitive. Inevitably, Ventress would want to…only a matter of time before she did. Just thinking about it made Ahsoka realize how much she had changed since then. Her heart felt harder…sometimes, through the Force, quite literally. Even her clothing style was not the same anymore.
"So…how did you end up allies with him?" Ventress suddenly asked. She watched their backs, aware of every sound and sight within their radius, constantly alert for any danger. Ahsoka, less so, feeling like she could not care less.

"It's a long story that I'm not in the mood to tell."

"Not in the mood? Or is it not the type of story you'd like to share with me?"

Ahsoka took a long drag from her cigarette and glanced up at her. Ventress' presence in the Force was so different from Bane's. While Bane's felt resilient, constant, the same he had always been as far back as she could remember, Ventress' was always changing…before it had been full of violence and rage, then rage and vulnerability, then a passion and confidence Ahsoka had almost envied. And now, Ventress felt like a strange mix of all of those.

"Does it matter?" Ahsoka asked coldly, and she blew smoke in Ventress' face. Not because she wanted to. Bane had dared her to do it.

Her eyes, already ice blue as they were, turned cold as the Carlac system.

"If you do that again, you will lose your front teeth. Are we clear, little Tano?"

"Sorry. But Cad owes me five cigarettes now."

Her eyes remained cold as her lips slowly curled into a sneer, as if she wanted to rip out Ahsoka's throat with her bare teeth.

"Look…I don't give a shit if we never bring up what happened before," Ventress said darkly. "But you can't expect me to trust both of you and then shut me out all the time. You understand what I'm saying, don't you?"

"Of course. And the same to you. I will tell you how that whole mess with the Jedi Order ended, but later."

"I look forward to hearing it." She didn't smile, but Ahsoka caught the slightest gleam in her eyes.

Violent, raging, vulnerable, passionate…confident. This was Asajj Ventress as Ahsoka now knew her. What else did this mysterious woman have in store for her next?

A/N: First of all so sorry for the very late updates as of recently. I've been swamped with personal life stuff, and wrapping up another fic that is now complete. So chapters will be updated more frequently now :D hope everyone is enjoying the story so far!