#plo’s mat is also always near Obi’s

[questforgalas]

The High Republic series confirmed that part of a Jedi youngling’s day in the creche are midday naps on little nap mats, and now the image of all our faves in youngling form curled up on the nap mat is living rent free in my head

[crispyjenkins]

Hullo, you said you’ll take prompts? I’ve never asked anyone here before but could you maybe write Ahsoka and her (too many) parents? Like Plo,who is very wise, anakin and Padmé who she flees to if she needs cuddles, obi wan who she goes to to play strategies games with and maybe if she’s upset (if you want you can also thrown in her visiting Obi because she’s upset and Jango teaches her some fighting stuff and obi shows her how to make it a healthy meditation thing) Just Ahsoka and family fluff

(i uh. accidentally put this in my jangobi fix-it ‘verse ‘cause i’m soft for senator Obi and i hadn’t done anything with Ahsoka yet, and it’s very found family-focussed anyways. Obi just like. collects children. Anakin wasn’t even the first. gonna call this the hunger ‘verse because reasons. sorry this took so long! it super got away from me)

  Ahsoka supposes she shouldn’t be surprised that Anakin takes them to Naboo as soon as they drop the clones off on Coruscant, but she’s thankful for it anyways. They haven’t had leave in months, and though she’ll miss Rex and the others, she’s so tired she wants to cry, and would like nothing more than to curl up with Padmé’s handmaidens for a long kriffing while.

  And, as if the Force is blessing her for being patient, Obi-Wan is there to greet them in the hangar on Theed with Padmé, rich green robes certainly giving the former Queen a run for her money.

  Obi-Wan takes one look at Ahsoka, stumbling down the shuttle ramp, and opens his arms; she takes the invitation full-heartedly and crashes into him despite the numerous guards surrounding the landing party. Chuckling deep in his chest, Obi-Wan wraps himself around her, and his robes are even softer than they look.

  “Hello there,” Obi-Wan laughs softly. “Miss me that much?”

  She pulls away just enough to smile up at him. “We thought you were still on Coruscant.”

  He snorts and pats her head, sending Padmé a good-humoured glare. “I’m quite sure I told Massere Amidala to tell General Skywalker that I would be on Naboo during his leave,” he says, and Padmé laughs, with a hand on Anakin’s elbow to pull him over to join them.

  “Senator,” she says loftily, as Anakin rolls his eyes, “you should know better than to trust subspace communications that far into the Outer Rim.”

  Ahsoka grins and lets Padmé whisk her away from Obi-Wan to give her a hug of her own. Anakin sniffs jealously, and it’s almost funny how long he’s held onto his puppy crush, especially with Sabé standing just a few yards away with an amused expression. Padmé either doesn’t notice, or ignores it outright, and holds Ahsoka indiscriminately with a soft murmur of,

  “It’s good to see you, Snips.”

  “You as well, Massere,” she replies happily, sending a smug smile to her master when Padmé kisses the top of her head. 

  Anakin surprises exactly no one when he rolls his eyes again and loops an arm around Obi-Wan's shoulders; despite his disgruntled expression, Obi-Wan still lets him, and Ahsoka thinks Naboo had been a very good idea indeed. 

- 

  She finds Obi-Wan in the gardens of the Naberrie household the next morning, where Ruwee and Jobal had been kind enough to house her and Anakin while the Queen sorts out guest quarters in the palace. Apparently her master had given Padmé all of half a cycle's notice before arriving on Naboo, and the court had been wholly unprepared for a war hero to be staying with them.

  It's still early enough that the humidity hasn't set in for the day yet, and Ahsoka doesn't bother changing out of her soft sleepwear before joining Obi-Wan in the centre of the garden; there's already a second meditation mat laid out across from where he kneels near a fish pond, with a Togruta focusing crystal sat between them. 

  She tries not to disturb him as she settles onto the mat, folding her legs into a full-lotus before easing into her own meditation. 

  Anakin is a good master, and she's thankful to be his padawan, but he can't meditate for kark, and Ahsoka is thankful Obi-Wan is more than happy to fill those needs when they see each other. 

  Which is more often than she would have expected, considering the war, but if there's one thing Obi-Wan can't do, it's keep out of trouble. The senator is driving Anakin spare, and Ahsoka is all too happy to watch it happen. 

  She must have projected the thought further than intended, when Obi-Wan's presence brushes against hers in amusement. He never asks to enter her shields, even though she would probably let him if he did, and it still amazes her that someone with so much control could have been sent away by Master Yoda. 

  She releases her confusion back into the Force and allows the hum of the focussing crystal to draw her back on task. Such thoughts could wait. 

- 

  They have three ten-days of leave before the GAR wants them back on the front lines, and after the first night, Padmé's Queen sets them up in adjoined chambers in the palace. They aren't the standard guest quarters, which are currently occupied by a few foreign dignitaries — and a “friend”, Padmé had said with a suspicious twinkle in her eye. 

  But her and Anakin's rooms are in the same hall as Padmé's remaining handmaidens, and Ahsoka doesn't even spend her first night in the palace in her own bed, having stayed up so late talking that they let her stay over.

  The next morning, she meditates with Obi-Wan before breakfast, and then spars with Sabé and Rabé; she wonders where Anakin has gotten off to when she doesn’t see him until lunch, because she has it on good authority that Padmé had spent the morning with Obi-Wan.

  After reminding herself that it isn’t her job to know where her master is 24/5, Ahsoka takes a nap in one of the courtyards, tucked under a flowering tree and wrapped up in one of Rabé’s cloaks. It’s a little more humid than she’s used to after so many months in space, but the temperature is perfect spring warmth, and she happily loses a few hours there doing absolutely nothing. 

  The sun is only just beginning to think about setting when she senses someone approaching the courtyard. She reaches out with the Force, hoping it’s Padmé or one of the handmaidens, but she doesn’t recognise the Force signature that stops in the little archway across from her tree.

  Frowning, Ahsoka pushes herself up and finds a young boy watching her with brown eyes slanted in suspicion; he’s oddly familiar, for how much darker his skin is than most of the palace Naboo.

  “Who’re you?” the boy asks with a slight accent that is decidedly not Nabooian, and a glare that Ahsoka swears she recognises. 

  “I’m a guest of Padmé and Obi-Wan,” Ahsoka says, noting with surprise that the boy perks up at Obi-Wan’s name. 

  “Are you a jetii?” he asks. At her confused silence, the boy makes a swishing motion with an arm and Ahsoka has to laugh. 

  “Am I a Jedi?”

  He nods vigorously and finally steps into the courtyard properly, though he stays several paces away, and she tries not to be disturbed by the blaster strapped to his thigh; they’re at war, after all. 

  “I’m an apprentice, yes,” she says, trying to look as non-threatening as possible; if he’s a friend of Obi-Wan’s, Force knows where he managed to pick the boy up from. “My name is Ahsoka.”

  “I’m Boba. Are you a general?”

  He inches closer as Ahsoka laughs again. “No, but my master is!”

  Boba perks up even further, but it doesn’t click for her until he excitedly asks, “You fight with the vode?”

  Well, when you lay it out that obviously for her. 

  “You— You’re Jango Fett’s kid?”

  His smile immediately disappears back into that glare that of course looks familiar, she’s seen it hundreds of times on the faces of her men— “Why do you say his name like that.”

  “Um, no reason,” she quickly amends. “I was just surprised. A lot of my troopers have mentioned him, but I’ve never met him.”

  “Obi’s still mad at him about the vode, he tries not to get involved.”

  Ahsoka frowns, at both the nickname (he never lets her call him ‘Obi’), and the implication that Obi-Wan has known him that long. She had always thought he only got involved in the war because of Anakin, but if he personally knew Fett...? It certainly raises more questions than answers.

  “Are you here to visit Obi-Wan, then?” she asks, instead of any of those questions, and is pleased to see Boba start to relax again. 

  “Yeah, buir was helping him with something. I don’t know what, though, I wasn’t allowed on that mission.” He scrunches his face cutely, and Ahsoka laughs as she gets to her feet; if her quick math is right, he can’t be older than eleven, though she still isn’t clear on the clones’ aging cycle. 

  With this in mind, she doesn’t offer her hand as she would to the temple younglings, but still smiles down at him and gestures for the hall. “You wanna go find Obi-Wan and ask, then? I’ll teach you how to give him tooka-eyes until he can’t say no.”

 Boba gets a sly little smirk then, and Ahsoka wonders if she won’t instead be learning from him. Force, Naboo had been a great idea.

Mando’a— jetii: singular jedi vode: brothers/comrades, specifically the clone troops buir: parent

Other— massere: gender neutral address of high respect, specifically those in government or of cultural importance

[redrobinhoods]

Age of Heroes | Chapter 4, Spies/Secrets

AO3 Link | 2600 words (approx) | Prologue, Chapter 3, Chapter 5

Chapter Summary: Obi-Wan discovers Cody's disappearance. Plo Koon and Wolffe meet Ahsoka and Rex in the Temple to inform her of their assignment.

CW: Torture

“Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.” - Yoda

“General Kenobi.”

Obi-Wan turned from the holomap that he and Bo-Katan were looking over. Sundari had been taken, but the flight of the traditionalists to the Undercity was concerning. He was waiting to hear back from Cody and Boil. Peel, stationed at the entrance to the sewers, had informed Obi-Wan of their investigation into the pipes hours ago. For the first hour of no-contact Obi-Wan had been mulling over quips about getting lost in the sewers, but now, unable to raise any of the squad on comms, he was getting worried.

“Trapper.” Obi-Wan’s gaze fell from the ARF trooper’s helmet to the one that Trapper was holding in his hands. Cody’s.

“Captain Boil and his men were killed. There was no sign of Commander Cody but this. I believe they took him alive, sir. There were signs of a struggle.” Trapper passed the helmet to Obi-Wan, who took it numbly. He reached out into the Force for Cody but was unable to find him. He was vaguely aware of Trapper’s voice. “Do you want us to continue our search for him, General?”

Obi-Wan shook his head. “No. Continue to guard the sewers, but don’t send in any more teams. They’ll be wiped out.” He dismissed Trapper and returned to Bo-Katan and the holotable.

Bo-Katan’s gaze fell on the helmet in Obi-Wan’s hands. “They’re hiding in the sewers then.”

“It would appear so.” Obi-Wan sighed, tucking the helmet into the crook of his arm. The only way to help Cody now was to find Maul. “How is the siege progressing otherwise?”

“There are a small number of firefights still happening in section eleven. But for the most part, your clones have been as effective as promised. Still, without Maul in custody this could all fall apart quickly. We must capture him before he escapes.”

“I don’t think Maul plans on escaping. I think he wanted me here. We may be playing right into his hand.” Obi-Wan drummed his fingers against the lip of Cody’s helmet, feeling the loss of his commander’s presence. Cody would know what to do next. He always knew. Obi-Wan’s heart sunk with the realization that he may not have Cody at his side again. They had to find Maul.

---

“Have you seen General Skywalker, sir?”

“Not since I left him with Senator Amidala when I went to brief the Council on our rescue.” Ahsoka turned to look at Rex. He seemed so out of place, cold armor in the warm hues of the Jedi Temple. Even his face appeared cold, as if the warm light inside wasn’t reaching him. If it weren’t for the reflections against his helmet’s visor between them, she’d think the morning was shunning him.

“So, we’re not getting him back for a while then.”

She was so glad that they both openly knew about Anakin’s secret relations with the senator. After her return, and Anakin’s near confession to her about his marriage, she and her captain had danced awkwardly around the subject until Anakin had told the two of them that he was staying the night at Padmé’s apartment and would prefer to not be disturbed until late the next morning. That had become the new normal for the trio when on Coruscant. Ahsoka and Rex handled the men and the paperwork, Anakin handled Padmé. Though they tried not to think about them that way.

“Not a chance, Rex.” She laughed as they arrived at the door to her room. “Would you like to come in?”

“No, thank you, sir. I can wait out here just fine.” Rex leaned back against the edge of the doorframe. Ahsoka nodded, clapping him on the arm, then entered her room. It was barren, even for a Jedi. Her sleeping mat lay in the corner with two wooden boxes beside it. There was no other decoration. She knelt down by one of the boxes, sifting through its contents for her beading kit.

“Little ‘Soka.” Ahsoka turned to see a familiar Kel Dor standing in the doorway to her quarters.

“Master Plo! Come in.”

Plo Koon took a look around the room as he stepped inside. His eyes fixed on the small pile of beads and akul teeth before her on the floor, then on the small pouch beside them. “Going back to the barracks so soon?”

“I sleep better there, Master Plo.” She had tried, really tried to stay in the Temple after her return. But her room reminded her of Bariss’ similarly non-descript room, and the silence was deafening. After a week of sleepless nights, she had asked Anakin and Rex for permission to stay in the barracks with the 501st when back on Coruscant. They had managed to find an unoccupied private room for her in their wing, which she had gladly accepted. She suspected that it had once been a storage closet from the smell of chemicals that had hung around her first week there. But she’d felt more at home among the clones than she did around the Jedi, and soon the chemical smell was gone, and she considered the room to be hers.

“I believe that I understand. We’ve spent so much time on the front lines with our men that it feels strange to not be around them. But you must also remember that the war will one day be over and that you must return to the Jedi Temple after it ends.”

Ahsoka nodded silently, looking beyond Plo Koon to the still-open doorway, where she could see a set of grey armor with an iconic helmet tucked under one arm next to Rex. “Where are you going?”

“Commander Wolffe and I are being sent to Utapau. Chancellor Palpatine believes that General Grievous is hiding out there.”

“Why?”

“An intercepted message from the Chairman of Utapau. It may be a trap.”

Ahsoka remembered Anakin’s vision. “Or, this could really be the end of the Clone Wars.”

Rex leaned further into the doorframe. “Utapau?”

“Utapau. So says the Chancellor, at least.” Wolffe shifted back and forth. “I hope he’s there, I’m ready to face that bastard again.”

Rex sensed apprehension. “But?”

Wolffe scoffed and shook his head. “I have a bad feeling about this, old boy. Not about Grievous, there’s something else. Something feels wrong about all of this.” For a moment Wolffe’s façade cracked, and Rex saw a wave of fear pass over his face. Then he was back. “Maybe I just need to take some lysinate.”

“You have a headache?”

“Ever since we got our orders to Utapau.” Wolffe reached up to run his hand over the back of his head. Rex bit back asking if he’d had his inhibitor chip checked recently. He knew that chip scans had been implemented as part of their quarterly physical as part of an effort to catch pre-tumorous ones, but he still worried.

Rex reached out for Wolffe, grabbing his shoulder and stepping closer, but before he could speak the conversation inside the room reached them. “… this could be the end of the Clone Wars.”

Wolffe turned from Rex to face the inside of the room. “Did you have a vision?”

“Master Skywalker did, when we were on the Invisible Hand. And why not? Dooku is dead, you’re about to track down Grievous, why wouldn’t it end here?”

Plo Koon shook his head. “There’s something missing.”

“Maul’s capture.” Rex offered.

“With him in custody we may be able to find out the identity of Darth Sidious.” Ahsoka finished. “Dooku, Grievous, Sidious. All in one blow. Not to mention Maul. How else could the war end?”

“The Separatists finish building their super-weapon and blow us all up?” Wolffe proposed.

“That’s just a rumor.” Rex said.

“So was the Malevolence, old boy.” The memory hung in the air, stifling the conversation.

Plo Koon brought his hand to his mask for a moment, letting it rest there while he thought. “Commander Wolffe, Captain Rex, could I get a moment of privacy with Commander Tano for a minute?”

“Yes, sir.” The clones stepped back, manually closing the door behind them.

“What is it, Master Plo?” Ahsoka stood from the floor to face her friend.

“There is something you should know, and it’s best that you hear it from me. You, your master, and the 501st will not be returning to the front, but will be staying on Coruscant for a few weeks. Master Skywalker is on a special assignment here at the moment.” Plo Koon paused, returning the hand to his mask.

Ahsoka crossed her arms, her interest piqued. “What kind of assignment?”

“Your Master has been asked to observe the movements and actions of the Chancellor and to report his findings to the Council. He has been allowed to remain in office far too long after his term has expired. The Council wants to know what his true intentions are.”

Ahsoka dug her nails into her forearms. “They told him to spy on the Supreme Chancellor? The Chancellor has been a great friend and mentor to Anakin! I can’t imagine he is happy about this.”

“I can’t imagine so either. Which is why the Council wanted you to know.” Plo Koon stepped forward, placing his hands on Ahsoka’s shoulders. She sensed hesitation in his statement and wondered if the Council had wanted her to know, or if Master Plo had wanted her to know. She relaxed slightly under the weight of his arms. Her grievances were against the Council, not Plo Koon.

“Thank you, Master Plo.”

“You are very welcome, little ‘Soka. Now, Wolffe and I must be off to Utapau. Evidently, we have a war to win.”

Ahsoka remained standing as she watched Master Plo exit her quarters. She tried to reach out into the Force, to feel into his future, but there was something blocking her from reaching beyond the doorstep of her quarters. Wolffe was tense, she could feel the worry radiating off of him. Perhaps that was it. She’d never felt such apprehension coming off of a clone before, let alone Wolffe, who she regarded as decisive even in the face of his own wrongdoings. Her concentration was broken as Plo and Wolffe stepped away. The moment gone, she knelt back down to gather the rest of her things.

---

“You’re wasting your time; I’ll never betray him.” Cody rasped; his voice hoarse from the pressure of the grappling line. Though it had left his neck almost a day ago, the pain remained. His hands were tied above his head to one of the pipes. His armor lay at his feet in pieces, leaving him in his blacks. He felt exposed without it, but also thankful for the relief its absence put on his shoulders.

Maul made a sound that Cody would’ve described as a chuckle if he believed Maul to be capable of humor. “How charming that you actually believe that to be true. Clones. Bred for combat. All part of the plan.”

“What plan?” This time, Cody could gag when Maul moved towards him.

“The plan. The only plan that matters. Not even I was made aware of its grand design,” Maul ran his fingers over Cody’s scar almost absentmindedly, “but I played my part. And do you know what happened to me? I was cast aside. I was forgotten. But I survived, and I can thrive in the chaos that is to come.” He slipped his hand under Cody’s jaw then pulled it away as he took a step back, fingernail’s raking against Cody’s skin. He turned to the waiting Mandalorians. “Saxon, information is a valuable commodity. See to it that the Prime Minister does not become an asset to our enemy.”

"Yes, my lord.” One of the Mandalorians split off from the group, Cody made a mental note that that tunnel must be the way out of the sewers.

Maul turned back to Cody. “I was hoping that Skywalker would accompany your invasion instead of rushing off to Coruscant. I wonder…the moment may be upon us.” Maul’s eyes became distant, and Cody felt as if his blood had turned to ice. A familiar pounding started in the back of his head. It had been there for weeks, starting a few days before the Yerbana campaign. Cody knew that he wasn’t a Force user, none of the clones were, but maybe being around the Jedi had given him some connection to its essence. And maybe, just maybe, the Force was trying to tell him something, trying to warn him of some danger. Or his inhibitor chip was decaying. He pushed the thought out of his mind. Then Maul was back. “Do you know what Kenobi has done to me? He has taken everything from me, and for that, he will pay.”

"And me?”

Maul cupped his face again and Cody scowled, feeling Maul’s hot breath on his face. “You are going to help me make him suffer.” Cody closed his eyes and tried to reach for Obi-Wan in the Force, but he could feel nothing. It’s probably not how the Force worked. Maybe the Force was busy at the moment. “There’s no use in reaching out for him, he won’t come until we’re ready. Though I imagine that it will take him longer, without his cherished commander at his side.”

“You’re overestimating my importance.” Cody made sure to meet Maul’s yellow eyes as he spoke, searching for any signs of weakness in them.

“Am I? Perhaps so. They haven’t sent any more search parties for you. I suppose they’ve cut their losses and moved on already.” Maul pulled his hand away once more, and Cody allowed his head to fall against his chest. He was tired. But if Maul was telling the truth, at least no more of his brothers would die for him in these tunnels. “Rook, start from the beginning. I believe our guest is becoming bored.”

---

Rex awoke with a jolt. His hand reached for his stomach as he scanned the small nondescript room that he called his own. Nothing. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and lay his head in his hands as he steadied his breathing. He must’ve been having a nightmare. The chronometer on his desk read 04:54, he would’ve been up soon anyways. He slid off the bed and grabbed the towel and fresh pair of blacks that waited for him over the back of his desk chair. There was nobody else in the hallway when he stepped out. As usual. Rex was often the first one to rise. He turned towards the showers but a voice floating down the hallway stopped him.

“… from Dooku has been lost.” Ahsoka said.

“He’s dead?” Obi-Wan’s voice. Of course, Mandalore was nearly opposite Coruscant in time and Ahsoka had no circadian rhythm that he knew of.

“Anakin killed him when we were rescuing the Chancellor.”

“With Dooku gone, we’ve lost a vital link to understanding the mystery of Darth Sidious. Perhaps, Maul’s capture may be able to provide the missing pieces to this puzzle.” Rex moved towards the voices, coming to a stop beside Ahsoka’s door.

“Have you found him yet?”

“No, and Cody is missing.” Rex felt the towel hit the floor at his feet but had no memory of when he had dropped it. He felt numb.

“I’m so sorry, Master Kenobi. I’ll tell Rex.” Maybe she could sense his presence outside already. “I wish we could be there for you.”

“Thank you, Ahsoka, but I’m afraid that you must remain on Coruscant for the duration of Anakin’s assignment. He may need you.”

“Best of luck finding Maul, and Cody.” There was the sound of a holocomm clicking off, then Ahsoka was standing in the doorway beside him. She took his hands in hers and pulled him into her embrace. Rex let himself fall apart in her arms.

[nny11writes]

Let’s Try This Again- Chapter 8

<-Previous

Obi-Wan had, if he was being kind, done a perfectly good job of keeping up with all the recent changes. Right as he and Anakin had been getting comfortable, the Force hand delivered the worst shock of his life directly to them. He liked Ahsoka, he really did, but she had upended the comfortable life he’d been working towards.

Obi-Wan had, if he was honest, barely kept his head above water.

He had essentially taken on a second Padawan for all the time she spent with them. He hadn’t been qualified to take on his first Padawan, let alone a second one. Especially when said second one ping ponged between a hyperactive youngling and a somewhat cynical adult. That had been a shock all by itself.

He noticed that Ahsoka put in an effort to not let it slip through when Anakin was around, her shields allowing her the protection and privacy to keep it locked away. Obi-Wan had a bad feeling that if he hadn’t caught her out, she would have hidden it from him too. She’d been standing by their window, staring out at Coruscant with one arm over her chest and the other cupping her chin. Her eyes were razor sharp and focused on the Senate Dome. For one moment he was seeing the woman who had fallen backwards through time. The one who had staunchly refused to tell any of them anything more than what she’d shown them on accident. Mace had spoken to her as if she was an adult, while Plo had tried approaching her as a child. She’d refused to tell either of them anything, and despite the way she often defaulted to her younger self that silence had been guaranteed. But here, watching the way she was clearly puzzling through something, Obi-Wan realized that her refusals had nothing to do with inability.

It had been chilling.

As soon as her eyes flicked up in the glass to see him, Ahsoka had frozen. He walked to the window sitting down cross legged next to her, and looked out as well.

“Something happens to the Senate, doesn’t it?” He asked softly, sure that she wouldn’t respond.

She frowned, pausing before whispering back, “Already happened.”

The hair on the back of his neck lifted, gooseflesh erupting over his arms. His thoughts snapping to Anakin, who was bored but content according to their bond. It couldn’t be over could it? There had to still be time. He would make there be time; anything for his apprentice. Obi-Wan would steal Anakin and Ahsoka and they’d run away if needed. Vader would never be. His voice was strangled as he’d asked, “Surely it’s not too late?”

Ahsoka had turned, and Obi-Wan anxiously scanned her face as she smiled. “Still hope, always have hope.”

She had nodded firmly, her smile becoming wider as she threw herself into his lap to give him a hug. He’d only moved when she’d started to nod off, arguing that she wasn’t sleepy even as she started to drool on his shoulder. Obi-Wan had tucked her into bed and managed to start chopping up some food for her afternoon snack before having a mild breakdown. A near toddler was in control of his future, no matter how in control she might be, she was a child.

That had been nearly a month back and Obi-Wan wasn’t sure that he was the best choice to help her anymore. Perhaps he’d been the wrong choice to help Anakin too. Those fears had him nervously pacing outside Master Koon’s quarters, arguing with himself over whether this was appropriate or not. Master Koon had been gracious in his help, and with his own bond to Ahsoka the man had been by frequently to assist in her education. He’d often told Obi-Wan to ask if he needed anything.

It felt like he’d gone backwards in time a few short years to the days when Council Members had frequently asked him if he needed help. Obi-Wan had been both grateful for their interference and frustrated by the implication that he wasn’t prepared. He was! Or, at least, he’d thought he was. Wasn’t he?

The door slid open and Obi-Wan jerked in surprise, then blushed as Master Koon called to him in the Force.

“Thank you for the invitation Master Koon, and my apologies for lurking outside your door.” Obi-Wan walked as confidently as he could to join the kel dor on his meditation mat.

“You are always welcome here Obi-Wan...you seem troubled my young friend,” Plo’s voice rumbled lightly through the breathing apparatus. His goggled eyes still somehow tracking Obi-Wan’s movements.

“I am.” Obi-Wan slowly lowered down on his knees, and focused his energy into the problem at hand. “I am concerned that I am not...perhaps the best fit for assisting Ahsoka through this transition.”

“And what makes you say that?” Plo tilted his head, arms crossing in contemplation.

Obi-Wan struggled, working his jaw as if chewing on the words. What specifically made him unsuited? He was young and inexperienced compared to the Masters who understood the situation. He was scared, and fear should not be part of a Padawan’s training. He didn’t have a training bond or any bond with the girl. Stating any of that so plainly would be rude, an affront to the Council’s wisdom. If he were too avoidant it would come across as him shirking his duties.

Master Plo spoke before Obi-Wan even had a chance to finish putting his thoughts together. “When I first meet with Little ‘Soka, I offered to assist her.”

Obi-Wan twitched, gazing wide eyed and struggling to find an appropriate response.

“Do you know what she told me?” Master Koon smiled, his tusks tightening towards his face. “She said, and I quote, Thank you but want Master Obi-Wan.”

“Why?” He asked, feeling more confused than he had just a scant five minutes prior.

“An excellent question to ask her yourself. I suspect, however, that this is perhaps not what you wanted to hear.”

It wasn’t a rebuke, Obi-Wan knew that but it still stung. “She has not made a bond with me.”

“Does she knew that you wish to create that bond with her?” Master Plo waited, but when Obi-Wan couldn’t answer he continued on, “Or perhaps she knows that you are uncertain and does not wish to pressure you.”

“That is,” Obi-Wan hesitated, the word ‘ridiculous’ still on the tip of his tongue before his mind travelled back. Every instance of Ahsoka flipping between her age and her memories, every time she’d glanced cautiously at him, or every time she’d seemed uncertain around him. As if she was gauging his reactions. Both wanting his approval and concerned about his attention. “...I seem to be failing her yet again.”

When Master Koon only waited, Obi-Wan continued, “Clearly, we all saw it, clearly I was not there for her. In that...future. And here she is, and I have let my emotions cloud my judgement. Why would she want that?”

“It seems to me the answer is both as simple and complex as our young friend.” Master Plo leaned forward slightly, “I would assume it is because she loves you.”

“What if that is misplaced?” Obi-Wan snapped, a burst of frustration leaking through.

“Is it?”

The silence was long and miserable as he was forced to admit, “No. At least I hope not.”

“May I ask you one more question then? You came here to ask me to train her, because you feel that some other version of yourself failed her and, therefore, to some degree you failed her. You based this in part on not seeing yourself in her memories. So I ask, where was I?” Plo shook his head slowly, his voice heavy with emotion, “Where were any of the Jedi? Why were none of us there? It seems to me that the Order failed somewhere. We failed her, but we also failed Anakin. For you to be so uncertain, I now fear that we have failed you as well.”

He wanted to argue that the Order had not failed him, that they had never failed him.

It simply wasn’t true. The lie died in his throat.

Master Koon stood, offering his hand and helping Obi-Wan up before walking to the kitchen to make a pot of tea. Obi-Wan let him taking the time to consider everything that he’d been told. The unspoken words causing his stomach to flutter with nervousness. This wasn’t your fault. It felt wrong to have Master Koon take such responsibility from him. The weights around his chest had been crushing but they’d been familiar, and without them it felt oddly like he might float away. He nodded in thanks as a cup of fragrant rose tea was pushed gently towards him.

“I am still unsure if I am the best choice.” He settled on, as neutral of a statement as he could make.

Plo carefully slotted the small drink canister into his mask before answering, “Yet you are who she chose. Ahsoka chooses many things that seem odd to us, from her insistence to learn healing to her vicious complaints that she requires more communication courses. Even her insistence that loth wolf toys are superior to nexus is a mystery to all but her!”

Obi-Wan snorted, quickly pulling his cup away so he didn’t spill his tea. Ahsoka had looked ready to beat the other youngling over the head with that nexus toy before her face had scrunched up and she’d instead broken down in tears. The poor boy had looked panicked as he’d hugged her, insisting that loth wolves were really neat too.

It had been adorable.

“Obi-Wan...I know that we are not as well acquainted as we could be. But I hope you know that if you need anything, you only need ask it of me.” Plo gently squeezed Obi-Wan’s shoulders. “After all, we are in this together are we not?”

Obi-Wan managed a wane smile. “I suppose you are right Master Koon.”

“I believe we can start by having you call me Plo.” Somehow, someway, he managed to convey a completely dry look through a mask.

Obi-Wan’s smile became a bit more real at that. “I suppose you are right on that too Plo. It seems to be a natural talent of yours.”

“Ah, then perhaps you will think on what I’ve said here today.” Plo chuckled.

Something in his chest loosened even as it felt like he finally found solid ground again. Obi-Wan smirked. “Master certainly never spoke of how pushy you are.”

“Ha! Qui Gon had at least enough grace to not call the kettle black.”

“To the kettle’s face,” Obi-Wan said and pointed one finger.

Plo Koon chuckled as he tugged at the bottom of his mask. “Indeed!”

[hellsbellssinclub]

Across the Stars. Part 14

Part 1/ Part 2/ Part 3/ Part 4/ Part 5/ Part 6/ Part 7/ Part 8/ Part 9/ Part 10/ Part 11/ Part 12/ Part 13/ Part 14/  Ao3

I am leaving you on that horrible cliffhanger and are giving you a Qui-Gon chapter instead while I think of actual plot for Obi-Wan and our amazing time travelling duo. I will try and write a Qui-Gon chapter every three or four chapters.And hey! If you guys think it would be easier for you to read, I am happy to put the chapters down into another part in the series if you want! Just let me know!

 Putting on clean clothes was easy. Sending out an order for new food for his rooms was also easy. Making an appointment with his mind healer was like pulling out rotten teeth from a pregnant Nexu. And he would know. He has done so several times.

“Look, I need to make an appointment with Healer Vantie.” He stressed for the eighth time to the healer who answered his Comm call.

“And I keep telling you, you can’t just call and make an appointment. You have to come down and see the healers first.” The bored and higher pitched tone that came from the man on the other side of the Comm made Qui-Gon want to hurt something. Or someone in this case.

“Put me through to Healer Vantie, please.” Qui-Gon gritted out, dropping his head against the wall with a low thud.

“Sorry, you can’t just call the Healer’s directly when they are on duty-“ Qui-Gon gave up and hung up the Comm, vowing to having Tahl find out who that idiot was and have their computers messed with.

Honestly, he has been seeing Healer Vantie for years and he has never had a problem making a damned appointment before. Urgh, there are times when he hated stupid stuck up idiots like that who think they are so damned important because they have a little power to their name.

For the love of the Force, for once, can people just do their jobs and actually help when they are asked to? Like really, was it so hard for that healer who answered to leave Healer Vantie a message for him like Qui-Gon asked?

Qui-Gon ran a hand over his face and slowed his breathing. He needed to meditate and release his anger and frustration, or he will end up meeting Yoda and being scolded because once again ‘he was not in control of himself and he was posing a danger to the Order’ and blah, blah, blah.

Force he hated being back in the Temple. Yes, this was his home. Yes, this was where most of his legal friends were. Yes, he really did like the hot water and bath. But he hated the politics. He hated the way he had to act around everyone.

He hated the way everyone acted around him.

He was the Grey Jedi. The one who toes the line. The one who’s Padawan left the Order and Jedi with another former Padawan who would rather spend time in the far reaches of space then ever be near the Temple. He was the one who could be so great and powerful like the Council if only he followed the Code and rules.

Qui-Gon shuddered and wrapped his travel cloak around him to ward of the chill that came from inside. Another thing he hated about staying in the Temple was that these horrid thoughts would take over his mind. Healer Vantie suggested that it was possible that because he had so much down time in the Temple his mind had an excuse to have these kinds of thoughts. She thought that mediation and the exercises she gave him would help him.

And sometimes they do. Sometimes he is able to overcome these thoughts that plague him and other times… Other times he becomes lost and confused. He hates those times as well.

Sighing heavily and feeling as if the whole planet rested upon his shoulders, Qui-Gon sat down on his old, worn mediation mat and allowed himself to sink into the Force.

Like last night in the bath, Qui-Gon drifted in the currents of the Force. He focused on the feeling of the Light his Jedi brothers and sisters brought and cleared away the troubling thoughts that sought to poison his mind.

It was a slow, almost tortuous process, clearing out his mind. Facing each thought and refuting it or driving it away with logic was draining. When he finally reached a point where he was calmer and feeling clear headed, Qui-Gon let his mind go and delved into the Force completely; letting himself be taken away from his body for a little while.

-

He was not sure how long he had been meditating, but when he finally came up from the embrace of the Force, Masters Mace Windu and Plo Koon were waiting for him on his couch, drinking what smelt to be a very fine strain of tea.

“You know, using your Councillor codes to break into my room is technically against the rules.” Qui-Gon quirked his lips at the two. While he did often and quite loudly disagree with the Council, he was still able to maintain a friendship with several members. These two in particular.

“What is the point of being on the Council if I can’t use all those shiny codes?” Plo asked with a laugh hidden within his voice. The Kel Dor had a straw sticking out of his mug of steaming tea. Not for the first time, Qui-Gon wondered just how his agemate could drink the tea through a straw. Qui-Gon tried once and had ended up choking.

“You know, you all scold me for misusing my own codes.” He gave an exaggerated glare, relaxing slightly as Mace poured him a mug. He took the mug gladly and took a small sip before speaking again. “I highly doubt you broke into my room to bring me tea. Why are the two of you really here?”

Mace and Plo shared a tired and hesitant look before Mace spoke. “Consider this us forewarning you.”

Qui-Gon quirked an eyebrow. That sentence could mean a few things.

One, he could be facing another court case because someone decided to complain that he stopped them from doing something technically illegal.

Two, he was about to be put on probation again because of his arguing with the Council has made several more politically powerful members angry.

Three, his former Master, Jard Dooku, was going to be back at the Temple within the next week.

Or four, Yoda was about to push for him to take on another Padawan, despite the state of his mental health.

Qui-Gon’s shoulders staggered in exhaustion and he waved his hand to signal for his worried friends to continue. “Tell me.” He asked, eyes closed as the sharp pains of a headache began to poke at his left eye.

Mace let out a low sigh and Qui-Gon heard the soft click of Mace’s mug being placed down on the table. “Yoda wants you to take a Padawan.” The Korun Master sounded tired. “He can’t force you to take one, but he is going to make you watch the initiate trials. And… while this may sound wrong and I want you to listen to me before biting my head off; I want you to as well.”

Qui-Gon’s eyes snapped open at Mace’s words in shock and anger. The younger man held up his hands and spoke quickly. “Not for the same reasons as Yoda!” He spoke fast, trying to assure his friend. “I know you are not ready for Padawan and nor do you even want one. We want, no, need to start having Masters who are neutral and not looking for a Padawan assess the younglings. It was made very clear a few months back that the difference in the way we train our younglings in each Temple is potentially damaging. You are one of the few senior Masters who are both in active duty and are able to help notice where a youngling may be lacking or need help.”

Qui-Gon narrowed his eyes at Mace, unsure of what to say to that.

“Basically, Qui-Gon what Mace is trying to say is we want you to watch these younglings as they go through their forms and we want you to see, from both a sabermasters and a teacher’s point of view, on what needs to be possibly changed. There are a few classes before the trials and we would like for you to sit in for them and take a few notes.” Plo placed his own tea down on the table and sighed. “We know you do not feel ready for a Padawan. And we would never push you.”

Qui-Gon gritted his teeth. He did not like the idea of this at all. It sounded too much like looking at a youngling to see if they are compatible or not for him to take them on as a Padawan.

But at the same time…

Qui-Gon will never not like teaching and helping the younger generation. When he is at the Temple for more than six or so months he always gets roped into teaching senior Padawan’s and he loves mediation class with the very tiny younglings who are all interested in what he has to say about the Force.

His head pinged sharply and Qui-Gon forced himself to calm down and relax. Stress induced headaches are never fun.

“I will not take a Padawan.” He said finally. “But… I can do assessments for you, depending on how long I am stationed here at the Temple.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “You may want to call some of the other Masters from different Temples down too. See what they have to say.”

Mace gave a small sigh, almost inaudible to Qui-Gon’s ears. “I will look into doing that. We wanted to tell you here in person, rather than feed you to Yoda.”

Qui-Gon nodded, holding his tea in a tight grip. “I have to see him today.” He said, rubbing his face. “I need to call and ask him where he wants to meet.”

“He will be in the creche, near the infants at this time of day.” Plo stated. “There was a small bug going around in the past week and Yoda has been in there occasionally keeping the younglings entertained.”

Qui-Gon nodded and drank some of his tea, wincing at the bitter taste of it. It had cooled down and now tasted horrible. He placed it down on the table and sighed. “Thank you both for the warning. Anything else I should know?”

Mace shook his head as Plo gathered up the dishes. “No. Nothing of concern just yet. Have you made an appointment with Healer Vantie yet?” He asked, standing to help Plo.

Qui-Gon huffed out a bitter and annoyed scoff. “No. Whoever was on today at the reception was a dick. He kept saying I have go down to the ward in person to make an appointment. And he wouldn’t leave a message for me either.”

Mace hummed. “I have had two complaints from other Jedi about a healer who has done similar things in the past month. If you make it three I can go down there and tell Che.”

Qui-Gon stood and grinned down at his friend. “Now that sounds amusing. Please do. And see if you can’t record Che taking him apart.” If there is one thing good and pure in this galaxy, it would have to be Vodkara Che tearing apart stupid people for being stupid. The very idea of her yelling at that idiot who answered his Comm call this morning was almost enough to make up for the fact he was going to have to deal with Yoda soon.

Almost.

Force, when he did start dreading the idea of seeing his GrandMaster so much? He used to love seeing him and seeking out his advice. Now though?

Now Qui-Gon would rather stay the hell away from Coruscant and not have to deal with the green troll who thought he knew best.

“I am sure Tahl will be able to hack into the cameras and let us see the show down. And once again show us the flaws in our apparent security.” Plo pulled Qui-Gon out of his thoughts with a clap on his shoulder. “Why don’t you go get this meeting over with?” Plo said, gesturing to the door. “If you do it quickly then it will be like pulling wax off your chest.”

Qui-Gon glared at his friend, his eyes narrowing. “The only reason why I know how that even feels like is because of you!” He hissed, rubbing his chest at the memory. Oh, there were times when he hated his agemates. They were all evil. Every last one of them.

“Now, now you two.” Mace chuckled. “No need to get into a fight right now. I reserved a sparing room for this evening, at around 1800. You two can deck it out then.”

Qui-Gon rolled his eyes and felt better knowing that at the end of the day he would be able to relax and spar with his friends like old times.

He was not looking forward to his meeting with Yoda. Nor to his apparent new role. And not to mention the fact he still had to make an appointment with his healer. And do Force only knows what else now that he is back home in the Temple.

But he will get through today. He will. He just needs to live in the moment and simply be.