Chapter 25 - Patience is a Virtue

After the the ordeals of Geonosis, Sulani was more than happy to have spent the last several days back on Coruscant. She had meditated with her younglings and caught up on some research she been undertaking on the Echani. Kentas was the first Echani youngling she had raised and even after having him with her for three years now, there are still some things she gets confused over. This meant she spent as much free time as she had researching his species so that she knew the correct course to take with him. So it was at this moment that Sulani had just left the archives to take a break from all the reading. She felt Ahsoka before she saw her, which meant she was able to dodge where the Padawan would have run into her otherwise.

Ahsoka almost tripped over herself when she saw Sulani and realising she almost ran into her, she bows to her, "I'm so sorry Mother, I should have watched where I was going."

"And what, pray tell, had you running through the halls?" she asks her gently.

Sulani could only guess what was going through her head because she got this look on her face like she had been caught doing something incredibly bad. She looked hesitant to answer, but when Sulani raised a brow in question, she answered, "I need Madame Jocasta's help finding someone…my lightsaber was stolen."

Sulani took that moment to look down at Ahsoka's belt and sure enough, there was an absence of her lightsaber. "Your lightsaber was stolen?" she asked as if to double check.

"Yes," Ahsoka nods, her face dropped in despair.

"And where is Anakin?"

"Oh ah, he's taking our target for interrogation," she answers, "he also, maybe, doesn't know about my lightsaber."

"If you're afraid of his reaction, then you shouldn't be," Sulani assures her.

"He's always going on about how 'your lightsaber is your life, Snips, don't lose it,'" she says while trying to mock her Master's inflection and tone, something she greatly failed at with her much more feminine voice.

Sulani could only think that he was one to talk, what with the amount of times he had lost his own lightsaber after Obi-Wan had given him the same lines over and over again. However, it was not really Sulani's place to mention this, "Alight, let's go see Madame Jocasta."

"Thank you Mother," a smile radiated Ahsoka's face as she realised Sulani was not going to be telling Anakin.

They walk the way Sulani had come from and enter into the library where Madame Jocasta was walking by. She turned to face them and then was a little startled to see Sulani, "Back already? Your breaks are usually much longer."

"I didn't get to my break," Sulani answers before indicating towards Ahsoka, "Ahsoka would like to ask for your help in finding someone in the databases."

Madame looked towards Ahsoka, "It is good to see you again, Padawan, how might I help you?"

It was a little while later, Sulani and Ahsoka were standing beside the chair Madame Jocasta was using as she searched the databases. Madame Jocasta was now up to speed and Sulani finally heard the full story. Madame Jocasta continued to flick through the pictures of criminals before her, "I'm sure if you explain your loss to your Master, he'll understand."

"No," Ahsoka says, "he tells me over and over, 'your lightsaber is your life, don't lose it.'"

Sulani rolled her eyes because she had already heard that, though with an impersonation, and she was still trying to get used to Anakin being such a hypocrite. Madame Jocasta flicked to another image and Ahsoka grunted, "Ugh, there has to be a better way to find this thief."

She turned away as Madame Jocasta pushed her chair back, "I'm sorry, pickpockets aren't my field of expertise."

"At this rate it will take me years to find him."

"I might have another idea," Madame Jocasta says, then points over at another cluster of data consoles, "There, that is Tera Sinube. He's an elder Jedi. He happens to be an expert on the Coruscant crime world."

"I think he's sleeping," Ahsoka observes.

"Yes."

Sulani had very few interactions with Master Sinube despite how much time she spent in the archives, mostly because, well, he was always sleeping and she did not want to disturb him. Most, like Anakin who did not visit the archives, thought he had already passed on due to the fact he was almost always found in here where no one came to look for him. "Well, he will be able to help you," Madame Jocasta continues.

Ahsoka reaches over to tap him, "Uh, pardon me, Master Sinube?"

He shakes his head, trying to rid himself of his slumber as he sleepily mutters, "What? Who? I was just resting my eyes."

"Hello, Master Sinube," Madame Jocasta cuts in.

"Good morning, Jocasta," he greets back.

He looks towards Sulani and Ahsoka, "Ah, and good morning Sulani, you look older, how long has it been since I saw you?"

Sulani chuckles, she had heard it before, "Only a few months, Master Sinube."

"Is that so?" he mumbles, before squinting his eyes at Ahsoka, "Uh, I don't know you, do I?"

"My name is Ahsoka Tano," she quickly introduces herself, "I was told you could help me."

"Help you, hmm?" he inquires.

"I'll leave you to your business," Madame Jocasta interrupts, before leaving.

Sulani watched her leave, but turned back when Ahsoka started to explain, "A thief stole my lightsaber, and I only got a quick look at him. I could tell he definitely came from one of the aquatic planets, you know, one of the water worlds?"

"So you're saying there was something fishy about him?" he jokes, laughing at his own joke.

Sulani sends him a polite smile, while it was an interesting pun, Ahsoka's lightsaber was more pressing. Noticing the strange look Ahsoka was sending his way, he turns to face his console, "Well, let's try and see if we can find out where went, shall we?"

"We were near the slum district, G17," Ahsoka adds helpfully, pacing around his chair.

"Where would he go, your little pickpocket?" he mumbles to himself, looking at a map of the area Ahsoka had mentioned. "To a gangster hangout? Unlikely, but possible. Maybe a gun market to sell the lightsaber, within the radius. Just…just a moment, let me see."

Sulani was observing as Ahsoka paced, it was clear she was getting impatient, but given the circumstances, Sulani was not going to call her up on it. She tuned back into Master Sinube and his muttering, "He was a Patrolian. That's a fish guy. Maybe…"

It would appear he was now looking through the database again, looking for the thief. He brings up six images of different Patrolians, "Is it one of these fishes?"

Ahsoka only needs one glance before she points to the one in the top right, "That's him!"

"Interesting indeed," Master Sinube says, "According to the file, his name is Bannamu, a petty thief. He hangs out in the slum district."

"Thank you Master Sinube," Ahsoka says excitedly.

"I'm sure I-"

Though she does not let him finish, "Your help has been invaluable."

"Well, you're welcome."

"If there's anything I can do-"

"Yes there is," he interrupts her this time, the ageing Jedi pushing his chair back and standing. "I haven't been on an assignment in years. And if you don't slow down, you're not going to find what you're looking for. I'll come with you."

Ahsoka looks hesitant.

"I think it would be a great experience for you, Ahsoka," Sulani says.

The girl takes one look at Master Sinube's expectant look before sighing, "Okay, gramps. It would be nice to have company."

"Splendid," he calls out.

Sulani watches their backs as they leave and she truly hopes that Ahsoka can not only find her lightsaber, but take Master Sinube's lessons about slowing down to heart. That was probably wishful thinking on her part.

Sulani had spent the next several hours trying to hide her anxiety, and by the fact that no one had called her up on it, she must have been doing a decent enough job. It could also have something to do with the fact that she has not run into any of the more powerful Jedi in the Temple. As if her very thoughts had summoned them, coming around the corner ahead of her were Obi-Wan and Anakin, discussing something with their heads close together. She squashed the part of her that told her to flee, not believing she had even had the though of fleeing her own brother and his former Padawan. Probably had something to do with the fact that her former youngling did not want her Master to know she had lost her lightsaber.

Just when she was about to take the coward's way out and listen to her body's want to flee, the two male Jedi notice her. "Su, why do you look like you're afraid of us? I've been feeling your anxiety for several hours, but I wasn't sure what it was about?"

Of course, her brother felt all of her emotions, especially the ones that latch on. Given the look on Anakin's face, Obi-Wan had already told him about what he had been feeling. Giving an uncharacteristic sigh, she tries to allay their worries, "I'm not afraid of you, brother mine, I just have something on my mind."

Both men raise a single brow in tandem, and Sulani could only think about how much of Obi-Wan had been shifted onto the younger man as he raised him. "Mother," Anakin starts slowly, "if something is bothering you, we'd be happy to help."

"Thank you, Anakin, but it's not really my problem, it's just something someone else is going through," she answers, trying to steer them away from it.

She realised her word choice was a mistake though, because it would appear it caused them to put more pieces together, "So, Ahsoka then?" Anakin asks hesitantly.

The look on her face must have given her away, because Anakin sighs and Obi-Wan looks amused, "So," her brother starts, "what has she done?"

"Well, she hasn't actually done anything, there's nothing for you to be concerned about," she answers shakily, looking away.

She was usually adverse to hiding things from her brother, and even from Anakin, causing her to feel more anxiety than she was before. However, knowing that Ahsoka did not want her Master, and preferably his Master as well, from knowing she had allowed her lightsaber to be stolen, she said nothing. She could not understand what was happening though, yes, she was trying to hide something from them, something she was not used to doing, but why was she so anxious? This was nothing to be so stressed about. She was worried about Ahsoka getting her lightsaber back, but she was beginning to be more concerned about her anxiety. This had to be something else, and in that moment, as the faces of her two companions started to blur, that she realised what was going on. Her anxiety had been caused by an oncoming vision.

"You need to run, Ahsoka," Sulani was desperately telling her former youngling.

Ahsoka looked scared and confused, "I don't understand, I haven't done anything. Is this about the bombing? Why do I need to run?"

"Just please, Ahsoka, just trust me and run."

That is when she returned to the real world, now with her head settled in her brother's lap as both he and Anakin held her hands, concerned looks on their faces. The vision must have gone for longer than she thought if they had enough time to situate themselves like this.

Noticing she was lucid, her brother is quick to talk, "What was that? Was that a vision?"

She got no chance to answer as Anakin cuts in, "But she wasn't asleep or even meditating, she was just standing there and then suddenly fainted."

She allows herself a chance to gather her thoughts, "I'm okay now, but Obi-Wan is right, I did have a vision. Unfortunately, this is now the second time in recent months that a vision has come while I've been openly conscious."

"That can't be good," Obi-Wan mumbles, "your visions are becoming worse and aren't giving you a break. Do you remember anything?"

"Only bits and pieces," she admits, because as usual, she does not remember the vision in its entirety.

She could tell this did not help to lessen her brother's worries, and she could see Anakin frowning as Obi-Wan helped her to her feet. She was a bit unsteady, but is eventually able to hold herself up. "Thank you, Obi-Wan, but I think I'm going to return to my room."

"Are you sure you're alright?" he asks her, and she can see Anakin perk up, also wondering.

"I'm okay now, but all that anxiety I was feeling is mostly gone, I think it was an unusual build up of Force energy wanting to share the vision, but when I wouldn't sleep or meditate, it had no other choice but to just show it to me," she says, half thinking aloud and half answering him.

"Maybe you should discuss it with Master Yoda," he suggests.

"Maybe, but not right now," she says, "Like I said, I'm going back to my room."

"Very well," he sighs, placing his hand on her cheek gently before pulling away.

Anakin sends her one last concerned look before following his Master down the hall.

It was later that she ran into Ahsoka and Master Sinube, back from a successful mission to find the Padawan's lightsaber. "So, I can see you found your lightsaber," she comments, looking down at where it hung from the girl's belt, "I trust you didn't have too much trouble."

"Ahh," Ahsoka hums, looking away, "define trouble."

"I'm sure it was nothing you couldn't handle," Sulani chuckles, because she had retrieved her lightsaber after all.

"She did very well," Master Sinube adds.

"Thank you, Master Sinube," Ahsoka thanks him, turning away bashfully, "Well, I best be getting back to my Master before he misses me."

Sulani had to hold back a flinch at the mention of Anakin, hoping he would not hound Ahsoka too much about what Sulani had been saying earlier.

"Certainly," Master Sinube says, nodding, "but first, I need one last favour from you."

"Sure, name it," Ahsoka agrees, causing Sulani to hide her shock, that was surprisingly agreeable.

"Pass on what you have learnt," he explains.

That was when she realised they were heading for where the younglings had lessons, and they entered a room with a few younglings having lightsaber lessons with Master Yoda.

"Hello, old friend," Master Sinube greets Master Yoda.

"Greetings, Master Sinube," the small Jedi greets back, before sending his eyes towards Sulani and then Ahsoka, "Padawan Tano, a lesson you have for us today, hmm?"

"Yes," she answers softly.

"A lesson in patience," Master Sinube informs them.

"Gather around younglings. Listen to the Padawan, you shall," Master Yoda instructs the younglings who then flock to Ahsoka.

Ahsoka holds her lightsaber, almost reverently, as she starts her lesson, "This weapon is your life, but it is also your responsibility. Don't let it out of your sight."

Sulani stood beside Master Yoda as she proudly watches Ahsoka teach the younglings a valuable lesson. Now if only she could retain the lesson and possibly pass it on to her Master.

A/N: please don't kill me

I'm sorry it took so long for me to update, but I think I wore myself out writing 46k in one month of a single fanfic last November. This November, and therefore NaNoWriMo, is coming up soon. Last year, instead of writing a novel like I was supposed to, I ended up just updating this fic instead haha.

This year, I'm hoping to actually write a novel and leave fanfics to the back burner. Hence, I'm trying to update all my fics at least once during October and I'm almost there, hurray.

Anyway, like I said, I hope to actually write a novel this NaNo, but well, if I don't, it will be fanfic updates galore, but unlike last year, it will be across multiple fanfics and not just this one.

Okay, enough from me.

Seza, over and out.