Author: TemporaryUniverse
Summary: Ahsoka wasn't sure what she was getting into when she was assigned to Master Kenobi and sent to the front lines. She didn't even know he was deaf. Being captured together gives them the chance to get to know each other a little more. For better or worse.
Character(s): Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker, Boga the Varactyl
Word count: 6,154
A.N. This was written for the Obi-Wan Kenobi Disability Exchange over on Ao3! Head over there to check out the collection.
Ahsoka knew the moment her Master woke up because his breathing suddenly sped up and his body went tense in her lap.
"Hello?" he said quietly, almost too quiet for her montrals to pick up, his familiar accent strong in his voice.
"I'm here," she replied, before rationality caught up with her. Her Master could not hear her, and although she could see some shapes thanks to her night vision, he wouldn't be able to see her at all in the almost pitch blackness of the cell. The only dim light was from the glowing blue binders they both wore, it helped her find his bound hands, wincing at his flinch, and bring them up to her face. Master Obi-Wan's hand glided lightly over her skin, feeling her features.
"Ahsoka?"
She tapped his wrist twice and felt him relax.
"Why is it so dark?" he asked, then before she could answer, not that she was sure how she would answer, he shook his head, the action just barely visible. "No, sorry, bad question. It is just dark, yes? It's not… me?"
Ahsoka tapped him twice again.
"Were we captured? I take it these are Force-suppressing binders?"
Two taps. Pause. Two taps.
"Are you okay?"
She hesitated, not wanting to lie to her Master. Then she gave him two taps. Master Obi-Wan couldn't do anything about her bleeding head and probable concussion, so there was no need for him to know.
He struggled to sit upright, groaning a bit.
"Ahsoka, don't lie to me."
With a sigh, she took his hands again and, with her guidance, he found the wound quickly. Even though his touch was gentle, she still winced at the pain.
"Apologies," he said. "It doesn't feel too bad, I don't think it will even need stitches, but head wounds do bleed a lot. We'll need to watch you for a concussion. Tell me if you start feeling dizzy or nauseous."
She nodded, knowing he could feel it. He took his hands away and placed them on her shoulder instead.
"It will be okay, Ahsoka. I'm sure Anakin will find us before anything bad happens."
Ahsoka leaned in for a hug that he readily returned, his arms slipping over her head and shoulders, encircling her and holding tight. She loved her Master's hugs. Even her old crechémaster didn't give them this good. Something about him was so solid and comforting.
She tapped him once, and he pulled away, smoothly maneuvering his arms around her montrals and lekku.
Worrying her lip, Ahsoka tried to think of a way she could talk to him. Galactic Sign Language relied too much on sight, which took that out of the possibilities. She hadn't learned any other sign languages, but they would likely have the same problem. And if it was too dark to sign, then it was definitely too dark to lip-read. She wished she had taken the time to learn GAR stealth code beyond yes, no, and a few other words, none of them conducive to conversation, but the taps were all she had.
"Hmm," Master Obi-Wan said. "This one-way communication doesn't really work does it."
She gave him another one tap.
"Try fingerspelling into my hand."
Ahsoka blinked. That might work.
She placed her hand in his, his fingers curling loosely around hers.
"Go ahead," Master Obi-Wan said.
She had gotten much better at it as she'd practiced over the last week, but Ahsoka still had to concentrate to recall the right signs. First, she tentatively pointed all but her middle finger, which she held with her thumb.
Yirt.
She formed a circle with her pointer and thumb, tucking the other fingers against her palm.
Orenth.
She unfurled her fingers to create a circle with her whole hand.
Osk.
She held three fingers out straight and pressed her pinky with her thumb.
Krill.
"Yes, I'm fine," Master Obi-Wan automatically replied.
Ahsoka frowned at him, trying to determine if this was a real, "I'm fine," or a 'pretending to be fine so no one worries about me,' "I'm fine." This was only their third mission together, but she had quickly learned that her Master was a frequent perpetrator of the second option.
DONTLIE, she spelled.
"Really, I am," he said.
Sniffing, she tried to determine if there was blood on him, but she could only smell her own. Without any proof otherwise, she was forced to take Master Obi-Wan at his word.
"Ahsoka…" He sighed. "You must prepare yourself for if Anakin does not come before our captors do."
She turned to him, startled. A minute ago, he had sounded so certain that Anakin would reach them before anything happened. What had changed?
"I don't mean to scare you, Padawan, only to make you aware of the possibility. I am sure he will come, but as long as there is a chance he doesn't, I would be remiss in my duties to not prepare you."
HOWPREPARE, she asked.
"Meditation," he replied, amusement in his voice, as if he could see the grimace on her face. "We may not have the Force, but we must still center ourselves and strengthen our fortitude. But first…" He sighed again. "There are two ways an interrogation could go. They see you as the weakest link, and use me to get to you. Or they see me as the greater source of information and use you to get to me."
She could hear what he wasn't saying. Torture. A cold shiver ran through her.
"There is information I cannot give up, names, locations, and tactics of the greatest importance, that if they were to fall into the enemy's hands, many people would die." Regret colored his tone. His hands tightened on hers and the chill deepened further. "Never doubt that I care for you, Ahsoka, but sometimes… sometimes I must put my duty to the galaxy over my duty to you. Do you understand?"
She swallowed hard.
"Ahsoka?" He asked after a long enough moment had passed. It took her another second to gather the courage to tap twice.
"I will protect you as much as I can, but I need you to make a promise. You must promise me that no matter what they do to me, you will not give up any information."
That was almost harder to agree to than the first condition. She didn't know if she was strong enough for no matter what.
PROMISE, she spelled.
"You are strong and brave and wise, my Padawan, and I do hope it won't come to either of these things, but I could not let this go without warning you."
She turned her hand and gripped his fingers, squeezing tightly. Silently, she prayed to the Force that Skyguy would find them in time. She did not want to test her resolve in the face of pain. Either hers or her Master's.
"Now come, let's meditate."
They shifted to sit face to face, legs crossed beneath them and knees touching. She laid her hands in Master Obi-Wan's, both for the contact and so they could still communicate.
"Do you need me to lead you?" he asked. She gave him one tap. "Very well."
Ahsoka closed her eyes and inhaled deeply through her belly, and then let her breath out, long and slow. She quieted her mind, using Master Obi-Wan's gentle, meditative breaths as an anchor to moor her thoughts.
Meditation was difficult for her and always had been, she was well aware that she was not the most patient person. Energy always seemed to be thrumming beneath her skin, and it made sitting still difficult when all she wanted to do was get up and run. Master Obi-Wan had gone exactly one meditation session with her before introducing her to moving meditation. She found it far easier to empty her thoughts when her body was in motion. She'd found that as she got better at it, it had helped her with traditional meditations as well.
But right now, without the Force, she felt unbalanced, and no matter how hard she searched for it she couldn't find her center. Anxiety was bubbling in her stomach, hard to ignore. She tried syncing her breath to her Master's, letting out a frustrated huff when that failed as well. As if he could hear her, even though he couldn't, Master Obi-Wan squeezed her fingers.
"Calm, Padawan," he said.
TRYING, she shaped in his hand, and knew what he would say before he said it.
"Do or do not." It wasn't really an admonishment, more of a teasing reminder, spoken with transparent affection.
MASTER, Ahsoka replied, trying to make the signs as emphatic as she could to convey her exasperation.
"Try again, Ahsoka," Master Obi-Wan said as though he hadn't just spouted Master Yoda's maxim about how there was no try. "Breathe in through your nose… Feel the air fill your lungs and your chest expand. Hold it there… Still your body and your mind. Breathe out through your mouth… Let the air and the tension leave your body. Good, Padawan. Again."
This time, she fell into the pattern easily. Her shoulders relaxed, the tightness in her spine faded, and with it, the anxiety. Her thoughts stopped swirling, her heart slowed, and she settled into a trance, safe in the knowledge that her Master was there with her. For a time, she could believe that everything would be okay.
••••••
When Ahsoka first met Master Kenobi, she had been too young to remember anything more about him than a gentle warmth and a deep well of hidden grief. Though she could no longer recall the reason for that first encounter, she had seen him around the Temple on occasion since then. The vibrant teal varactyl by his side was certainly memorable, but she couldn't say she knew him or his Padawan at all. Occasionally, a story would trickle into the créche of their more wild exploits, as those stories tended to do, perhaps at a greater frequency than other Jedi, but still, Ahsoka didn't really know what she was walking into when she was assigned to him. Master Kenobi seemed unapproachable, a member of the lofty High Council, skillful and serious and a stickler for the rules, and Ahsoka, stubborn and rebellious and bound for the Corps if it hadn't been for the war, could not imagine a more unlikely pairing.
She bounced on her toes as the shuttle descended to the planet's surface, trying not to let her nerves get the best of her. There was a soft bump with the landing, and then the hatch was opening, and the ramp extended, and she stepped off onto the crystal ground of Christophsis.
Master Kenobi, his varactyl, Knight Skywalker, and four troopers in shiny white were waiting for her.
"And who are you supposed to be?" Knight Skywalker demanded.
"I'm Ahsoka?" she said, suddenly even more nervous and trying not to show it. She'd thought they knew she was coming. Although, if communications had been down… "Master Yoda sent me. I was told to tell the both of you that you must get back to the Temple immediately. There's an emergency."
"Well, I don't know if you've noticed, but we're in a bit of an emergency right here," Knight Skywalker said, gesturing with his hands while he did, Master Kenobi watching him.
"Yes, our communications have been a bit unreliable, but we've been calling for help," Master Kenobi added.
"Master Yoda hadn't heard from you, so he sent me to deliver the message." She stood a little straighter. Master Kenobi was scrutinizing her face intently and it made her feel put on the spot.
"Oh, great! They don't even know we're in trouble," Knight Skywalker groaned, with more gestures. In fact, it looked a little bit like… sign language?
"Maybe you can relay a signal through the cruiser that dropped me off," she suggested.
"That might work…" Knight Skywalker said, and Ahsoka felt a burst of pride. Master Kenobi signed something to him, and he replied silently, his hands moving too fast for Ahsoka to pick up on anything with her limited knowledge.
"Yes, it's worth a try," Master Kenobi nodded, and led them over to the holotable.
Ahsoka studied the two older Jedi as Knight Skywalker got to work setting up.
Master Kenobi stood there with one hand stroking his beard, looking deep in thought. The varactyl at his side came up to his shoulder, about three meters long from nose to tail tip, and her tawny eyes scanned the area with keen focus. The red vest on her back read, 'Service Animal – Do not touch'.
Knight Skywalker was tapping his fingers on the edge of the holotable, but she couldn't tell if it was impatience or just restlessness. He kept glancing at Master Kenobi, but not saying anything.
It only took a few moments before the table flickered on, a blue hologram of a clone communication officer popping up.
"Generals." They saluted.
"Lieutenant," Master Kenobi said. "We need to speak to Master Yoda at the Jedi Temple. Can you put us through?"
"We're under attack by Separatist warships," the lieutenant answered. General Skywalker was signing again, General Kenobi watching him. "But I'll try to make contact. Standby."
It took only a few seconds before Master Yoda flickered to life in front of them, but it was the most awkward few seconds of Ahsoka's life as they all stood there silently. Master Kenobi and Knight Skywalker exchanged a look and then glanced at her several times in the long wait, but neither said anything. She shifted on her feet.
"Master Kenobi. Glad Ahsoka found you, I am," Master Yoda said, General Skywalker signing with him, and Ahsoka remembered just enough GSL from her classes to recognize that he was repeating Master Yoda's words, now that she was looking for it. Master Kenobi was looking at him rather than Yoda.
"Master Yoda," General Kenobi replied, turning back to the holofigure once Knight Skywalker's hands had stopped moving. "We are trapped here and vastly outnumbered. We are in no position to go anywhere or do anything. Our support ships have all been destroyed."
"Send reinforcements to you, we will. Ne—gshfi—s—" The connection fizzled out.
"Master Yoda–" Master Kenobi called. "Master Yoda!" But it was useless.
The same lieutenant, at least Ahsoka thought he was the same, popped back up.
"We've lost the transmission, sir."
"We have to leave orbit immediately," said another clone, coming into view. "More enemy ships have just arrived. We'll get back to you as soon as we can."
The holotable flicked off.
"Well, I guess we'll have to hold out a little longer," Knight Skywalker commented, irritation clear in his tone.
He and Master Kenobi shared another glance, a wealth of information passed between them with just a look, and Master Kenobi turned to her.
"My apologies, young one," he said. "I think it's time for a proper introduction. I am Obi-Wan Kenobi, and this is Boga." He gestured to the varactyl standing at his shoulder, who whistled a greeting.
"Anakin Skywalker," the Knight said, giving her a brief wave.
"I'm Ahsoka Tano," she replied. "Master Kenobi's new Padawan Learner."
"Wonderful to meet you, Padawan. Master Koon has told me much about you."
Ahsoka blinked at him, caught off guard.
"He has?"
"Indeed. He was the one who suggested I take you as my Padawan. He seemed to think we would be a good match."
Ahsoka felt warmth bloom in her chest at the knowledge that her Finder was still looking out for her. They had stayed in touch over the years, Master Plo looking in on her occasionally, and sometimes in her nighttime ruminations, she would imagine that he would choose her as his Padawan. It was a bit disappointing that he hadn't, but he had, at least, found her a Master who was willing to take her on, and she was grateful to him for that. She'd thought herself bound for the Corps.
She wondered what it was about her and Master Kenobi that made Master Plo think they would be a good match.
"I wasn't told anything about you," she said, and winced when it came out sounding ruder than she'd intended.
Master Kenobi frowned and glanced at Knight Skywalker, who signed something quickly at him. His expression smoothed and he turned back to Ahsoka.
"That is no trouble," her new Master replied. "I have a feeling we'll get to know each other quite well. Although I must ask, do you know Galactic Sign Language?"
"Only what I remember from class. Fingerspelling and a few signs."
"I would appreciate if you could learn. It's easier for me than lip-reading."
"…Lip-reading?"
"I'm deaf, my dear. I take it you didn't know?"
"Oh!" she exclaimed. "No, well, it makes sense now, but—" She hesitated and then raised a hand and circled her heart twice with her fist.
The smile he gave her held nothing but kindness.
"No apology is needed." He signed as he spoke this time, slowly, so she could follow. She recognized the first sign, sharply passing his pointer finger across his chest, and the second, as it was the same as the one she had just signed, but not the third, the bent fingers of one hand tapped against the palm of the other. "I can assist you with lessons, should you be amenable to that."
"Yes, Master," she said, forming a yirt with her fingers and twisting them back and forth, unable to keep herself from smiling back.
Maybe this would work out okay.
••••••
The click of a lock startled her out of her trance, and she jerked her head in the direction of the sound, only to wince as the door opened and the bright light beyond flooded in, blinding her and making her head start to pound.
"Get up, Jedi," a battle droid commanded. "And no funny business."
She looked to her Master for instruction, and realized he was watching her for a cue, being unable to lip-read a droid. Glancing at the squad of twenty-something droids behind it, all armed, Ahsoka figured it would be best to comply. She stood, shaking out her slightly numb legs, and Master Obi-Wan got to his feet with her, seemingly much steadier.
"Come with us," the droid said, standing aside so she and Master Obi-Wan could exit the cell into the middle of the throng of droids.
They began to march down the hall, her Master falling into step behind her, and the nervousness from earlier returned with a vengeance, curdling in her gut. Master Obi-Wan took two extra steps forward to be at her side, brushing against her shoulder, and it brought her a strangely large amount of comfort.
"Let me do the talking," he whispered to her. She gave him a nod.
They were led to a sinister looking room and separated, Ahsoka pushed into a chair and strapped down, and her Master dragged over to the chains hanging from the ceiling and strung up. Only a few of the droids came in with them.
There was a man there, a nasty looking Twi'lek with a chunk taken out of one of his lekku. He faced Master Obi-Wan.
"Hello, Jedi," he said, more of a sneer than anything. "So kind of you to join us."
"You could have sent an invitation. This doesn't seem like the proper way to treat guests."
"High General Obi-Wan Kenobi," the man mocked, approaching him. "I've heard a lot about you and what a mouthy nuisance you are. But maybe that will work in my favor. You see, you have information I want. Give it to me, and no one has to get hurt."
"I'm afraid you won't get anything from me, so if you could kindly let us be on our way…"
"That won't be possible, Kenobi. You're not leaving until I have what I want," the Twi'lek said. He spun around to face Ahsoka. "And who's this?" His steps were light as he walked towards her, the stalk of a predator. "A new Padawan, perhaps?"
He circled around her and reached for her Padawan beads. She jerked her head away and bared sharp teeth at him, growling low in the back of her throat.
He laughed.
"Cute."
Ahsoka glared at him as he came around to her front again, but he ignored her, crossing over to a table on the other side of the room. Master Obi-Wan had to crane his neck over his shoulder to try to keep him in view.
"Jedi," the Twi'lek said, his back to the room, "have a weakness. Compassion. It leaves you vulnerable. Makes you walk right into a trap, even knowing that it is one."
He stepped away from the table, something in his hands that Ahsoka couldn't discern, and moved directly behind Master Obi-Wan.
An electric hum filled the air, and then a loud crack that made Ahsoka's montrals hurt. She flinched, her eyes widening, as she realized what the weapon was. The movement drew Master Obi-Wan's attention back to her.
"You can move things with your mind, sense things before they happen, and alter others' thoughts. For all your power, there is one thing Jedi cannot do. And that is stand to see others suffer. How do you hurt a Jedi? By hurting someone—"
"If you're monologuing," Master Obi-Wan interrupted, still staring forward, but not at Ahsoka. "You should know that I can't hear you."
"Oh, I know," the Twi'lek replied, a smile in his voice.
Master Obi-Wan was frowning, his brow furrowed. He mouthed something at her and she bit her lip trying to read his. It was much harder than her Master made it look.
The first word looked a little like, "What—" and she wasn't quick enough to answer before the whip fell.
Her Master jerked, a cry escaping him, and Ahsoka flinched again. He set his jaw and stayed silent through the second lash, and the third, and the fourth, all the way to the tenth, pain written across his features, before on the eleventh a grunt finally broke free, barely audible to Ahsoka's montrals.
She felt tears well in her eyes.
"You can tell me what I need to know, little Jedi. Tell me, and your Master does not have to suffer."
Ahsoka clenched her jaw until it hurt, and said nothing.
The whip struck again with a crackle of electricity and Master Obi-Wan whimpered.
Ahsoka opened her mouth.
"Ahsoka, no," her Master said, and she could see the pain in his eyes, even though he tried to hide it. His voice sounded wrecked, it creaked and rasped against her hearing.
"But—"
"No," he repeated, and then let out a quiet, weary cry at the crack of the whip across his back. "I can handle a little pain."
Ahsoka squeezed her eyes shut and tried to block out the sounds that lashed out at her just as surely as the whip. Her wrists twisted in the binders as she strained to free herself and only succeeded in giving herself new bruises.
She didn't know how long it was before the noises stopped, but when she didn't hear anything for a minute, she cautiously opened her eyes. The Twi'lek was putting the whip back on the table.
"I think we've been going about this all wrong," he said. "I really didn't want to have to do this, but… you leave me no choice." He picked something else up and began to approach Ahsoka again, moving around to behind her chair. Ahsoka tensed.
"You haven't even told us what you want," Master Obi-Wan said.
"I did. Information," the Twi'lek replied. He was standing behind her. She couldn't see him. Couldn't see what he was doing. The threat was paralyzing.
"What information?"
"Anything you think is important enough to spare you." He set the edge of the knife against Ahsoka's lekku, and she froze, heart fluttering against her ribs.
"Leave her alone."
"She doesn't have to be hurt, General Kenobi." He traced the knife down her lekku, not yet pressing hard enough to cut, but Ahsoka could feel the keenness of the blade.
Master Obi-Wan's expression was as hard and cold as ice, and if that gaze had been directed at her, she would have shivered.
Ahsoka squeezed her eyes shut and sucked in a breath as the knife bit into her skin, drawing blood.
When she opened her eyes a moment later, her Master had freed himself somehow, taken the two steps over to the table, and snatched up a knife. The Twi'lek moved fast, slipping his knife under Ahsoka's chin to threaten her throat and she tilted her head back trying to avoid it.
Around the room, the droids raised their blasters, waiting for a signal to fire.
"Drop the knife, General Kenobi."
"Let her go," Master Obi-Wan demanded.
"You cannot possibly think you can kill me before I kill her."
An explosion shook the base, and the knife at Ahsoka's throat drifted slightly away as the Twi'lek turned to ask a droid.
"What was that?"
Master Obi-Wan moved, quick as a snake, and an instant later, a knife had sprouted from the Twi'lek's eye, and his body thudded to the ground, his knife landing in Ahsoka's lap.
While the droids dithered about what to do now that their leader was dead, her Master was already moving, tearing the blaster rifle out of the hands of one droid and slamming the butt into its head hard enough to crumple metal. He fired four times in quick succession and took out four droids. The final one managed to finally gather itself enough to get a shot off, which missed, before its head was blown off as well.
The room cleared, Master Obi-Wan lowered the blaster and surveyed the carnage for only a moment before tossing the weapon aside and coming over to Ahsoka. He stopped next to the chair and crouched down beside the body of the Twi'lek, and came up with the deactivator for their binders in his hands. He undid the leatheris straps holding her to the chair, and then the cuffs around her wrists.
As soon as she was released, Ahsoka flung herself forward, wrapping her arms around her Master and burying her face in his chest. She felt him twitch and immediately loosened her grip, remembering his wounds, but he didn't push her away. He stood strong and held her trembling form tightly, pressing his lips to the space between her montrals.
"You're okay," he whispered. "You're okay."
Another explosion sounded, close enough to feel the quake through the floor, and she lifted her head.
"I think the cavalry has arrived," Master Obi-Wan said.
Sure enough, the door opened a second later, and Skyguy burst in.
"Hey, guys," he said. "Need some help?"
••••••
Ahsoka didn't know what to think of her new Master. He had been nice enough upon their initial meeting, but then he'd sent her off with her Padawan brother the first chance he got. She and Skyguy had clicked, not immediately, but once they got over the first hurdle of her being his replacement. But now the battle was over, their first mission as a pair done with, and she still didn't feel like she really knew Master Obi-Wan.
But he found her sitting on the crystalline steps and sat next to her, looking out over the organized chaos of the post-battle operations. Boga lay down in front of him, putting her head in his lap, and he obligingly scratched at her crest.
"Are you doing alright, Padawan?" He asked, glancing at her, his hands leaving Boga to sign along. You fine?
Fine, she signed back.
"Well done today."
She gave him a small smile, warmth filling her chest at the praise, although it was tempered by her uncertainty.
"You're wondering why I sent you with Anakin."
Ahsoka hesitated, caught out by Master Obi-Wan's perceptiveness, and then nodded.
"Aside from wanting you away from the main battle until I have a chance to assess your capabilities, I wanted you and Anakin to get off on the right foot, without me there to complicate your relationship."
"What do you mean?" She wished she could have signed it, she tried a bit, but gave up when she realized she didn't know any of the correct gestures.
"What do I mean?" Master Obi-Wan asked, showing her the signs. She repeated them back to him as she nodded, and the corner of his lips twitched into a rueful smile. "Anakin… gets jealous easily. I wanted him to see you for you before he had a chance to stew in those feelings."
Jedi weren't meant to get jealous, but Ahsoka had seen today that Skyguy was anything but a conventional Jedi.
"You will be coming with me on most missions from here on, but I thought it would be good for you and Anakin to be comfortable with each other."
She looked down at her hands, twisting in her lap.
"I get it."
"I'm sorry. You're going to have to repeat that where I can see," he said, though there was no reprimand in his tone.
"Oh! Sorry. I get it, I think," she repeated, turning towards him this time.
"Thank you." He smiled at her, the same kind, forgiving expression from earlier, and squeezed her shoulder. "Do you have any more questions for me?"
She bit her lip.
"I have one, but I don't want to be rude. I was just curious," she said.
He inclined his head.
"Go ahead. I am very hard to offend, Ahsoka."
"Have you always been deaf?" She signed the 'you' and the 'deaf', the only words she knew, furrowing her brow a bit and tilting her head.
"Ah. Well, I lost my hearing while I was a young Padawan, a little younger than you, I believe. This side," he tapped his right ear, "was due to an inner ear infection, which really wasn't pleasant, and this side," he tapped the other, "was due to an explosion around the same time. I had a small amount of hearing remaining in my left, but my auditory nerve was damaged in my right. They were able to give me a cochlear implant on the one side, but a year later I suffered some head trauma, and it destroyed the implant and what remained of my hearing with it."
"Wow," she said. "The universe really did not want you to hear." And then she realized what she had just said and her eyes widened in horror. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean… that is… I was just—"
"It does seem that way doesn't it," Obi-Wan chuckled. "I have made my peace with it, though. I get by well enough. Now, do you want to meet some of the 212th? They were very excited to be getting a Padawan Commander."
"I would love to, Master," she replied.
••••••
Ahsoka tucked her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, resting her chin on her knees as she stared at the bacta tank. Boga laid next to her, eyes fixed on the tank as well, head resting on Ahsoka's foot. The varactyl had been restless and pacing for hours while Ahsoka and Master Obi-Wan had been in the enemies' hands, according to Cody, knowing instinctively that something was wrong despite being forced to remain on the Negotiator during their mission. She didn't go into the field with them for her safety, even though she hated being left behind on the ship or in base camp.
Master Obi-Wan floated in a peaceful, sedated sleep, unaware of their presence as he healed.
Ahsoka's own injuries would heal with bacta patches and rest, but Master Obi-Wan had more significant ones, enough that Fixit had decided to throw him in the tank for a couple hours. She hadn't been in the room for that argument, Ordo had been taking care of her, but Fixit had apparently won.
Someone sat down next to her, and she glanced over at them. Boga whistled in greeting, though it was a tad subdued.
"He's going to be okay," Anakin said.
Ahsoka nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She knew, logically, that her Master would be fine. His injuries were relatively minor, he hadn't been near death, but she couldn't help but feel they were her fault. She could have stopped him from getting hurt. He got hurt because they wanted information from her.
"He gave you the torture talk, didn't he."
Miserably, she nodded again, chewing her lip.
"Well, since he can't right now, I guess I get to give you the follow-up." He rested a hand on her shoulder. "None of this was your fault, got it? It's all on the sleemo that did this to you. Obi-Wan told me you didn't give them anything. He was so proud of you."
She huffed in disbelief and squeezed her knees. Despite his kind words, she felt like a failure. Like she'd let Master Obi-Wan down.
"Hey, no, kid, you did good, better than I did when something similar happened as a Padawan."
Ahsoka looked up at him again, startled. He gave her a rueful smile.
"Everything turned out alright in the end, but I couldn't stand that they were hurting him, and I gave them what they wanted to know. He wasn't mad then, and he won't be mad at you now. One thing you have to know about Obi-Wan is that he would much rather himself get hurt than anyone else. If you had been hurt, he would never have forgiven himself."
"Still sucks," Ahsoka grumbled. He squeezed her shoulder.
"I know."
He stayed with her until Master Obi-Wan was pulled from the tank and transferred to a room, and a little while longer, until there was a groan from the medcot. Boga perked up from her place in the corner, creeping closer on her belly to rest her chin on the edge of the cot.
"'Soka?" Master Obi-Wan mumbled, sea blue eyes peeking out from behind heavy lids.
Ahsoka tried to hold herself together, but the tears she had been keeping back welled in her eyes despite her best efforts. She had managed not to cry since their rescue, but now the dam was cracking under the weight of her emotions.
"I'll leave you two to talk," Skyguy said and signed. "Glad you're okay, Master." He slipped out of the room. Master Obi-Wan watched him go, and then turned back to Ahsoka.
"Oh, Ahsoka. Come here," her Master said, opening up his arms.
The dam broke. She climbed onto the cot with him, her chest shaking with sobs as she burrowed into his chest, trying to get as close to him, to confirm that he was still breathing, still okay.
"Shhh, my dear Padawan." Her Master's hand stroked over her montrals. "Shhh, it's alright. I'm okay, I promise."
He let her cry herself out, offering only comfort and gentle assurances. When all that was left was the hitch in her breath and her aching head, he gently pushed her away, and she sat up, dangling her feet off the edge of the bed. Boga pushed her nose against her hand, and she obliged with a few scratches.
You alright? Master Obi-Wan signed. One of his hands had a splint for his thumb, and it made his signs a bit off.
Yes, she replied. Two bacta patches fixed.
Good. He rubbed his eyes and struggled to sit up.
"Master…" She hesitated between helping him and holding him down, and ended up doing neither by the time he was upright.
"I really am fine, my Padawan. The bacta tank healed my back, and my thumb will heal as well."
"What did you do to it anyway?"
He squinted at her.
"Could you repeat that?"
She did and he grimaced.
"Ah. I dislocated it to get free from the binders. Not my favorite option, but I didn't see another."
Thank you, she signed.
"For what?"
"Protecting me," she said. His eyes rose from her lips and met her gaze, tired but caring.
"I will always do my utmost to protect you, Ahsoka. Always. And I am so very proud of you. I know what you went through was difficult, but you handled it well."
"Doesn't feel that way," she muttered.
"I know it doesn't, but you did, nevertheless. Now, come here, my dear." He opened his arms again and she fell into the hug without hesitation, and with much fewer tears.
Boga attempted to join in the hug too, hefting her front half onto Master Obi-Wan's legs and chirping at them until Obi-Wan laughed and stroked her faceplate.
"I'm alright, Boga Woga. No need to worry." He glanced at Ahsoka again and smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "Everyone is just fine."