Chapter Text
A small green-skinned Jedi Youngling with a smattering of small diamond tattoos across her nose, the one on the center of her nose, the most significant, had been earned when she had joined the Jedi Order and the other four when she graduated from Initiate to Senior Youngling, was sat slightly isolated from her fellow clanmates, the young child was already somewhat of a perfectionist who preferred to read and learn rather than engage in the usual rough and tumble games involving Force powers and training Lightsabers that almost all the other Younglings sowed chaos with. It was almost noon on Coruscant which meant the Younglings were scheduled for lunch in a few short hours after which the younger Initiates would be sent off for their mid-day nap. As one of the older, more responsible Younglings, the Youngling named Barriss Offee was one of those who helped the Crèche Masters watch over the youngest initiates while they slept, a job that the young Mirialan took a great amount of joy in being able to complete. While she wasn't yet big enough to watch over the older ones or while the younger ones were awake, she derived deep satisfaction from being able to help out even that little bit, at six standard years. “Barriss!!” a voice called, Crèche Master Billaba was calling her.
Immediately, the young girl put down her datapad and moved over to the Master who was calling her. “Yes, Master?” she squeaked out to let the Crèche Master know she had heard and would be with her shortly.
The Master kneeled down and smiled at Barriss once she had weaved and dodged her way to the woman's side. “Hello, young Barriss” The human woman spoke softly, smiling down at the child stood before her. “You are getting bigger...” Depa Billaba had been sent away with her former Master Mace Windu, she was one of the highest-ranked Knights at lightsaber combat and was one of the few who had learned the unique and particularly deadly Vaapad, a subform of Form VII that drew on the Dark Side and therefore hadn't been back at the Jedi Temple for a few months due to what had been ongoing disputes out in the wider galaxy.
“Where were you, Master?” the young girl asked of the Master
“I was far away, negotiating peace between several groups of people” the Master replied carefully, she wasn't about to tell the youngster that it had originally been intended as a peace settlement between former slaves and their former masters, the slaves had staged an uprising and it had led to the Jedi needing to find a happy medium, that in of itself had instead sparked a complicated series of events which had resulted in the deaths of the slave masters who had sought to trick the Jedi and recapture their wayward slaves thinking that if they could kill a Jedi, it would break their slaves whereas their plan had only resulted in a massacre
“When I'm older I want to travel like you do...!” Barriss proclaimed enthusiastically, eager to get out into the galaxy and see all there was to see, to help all those that needed help.
“Oh, don't worry, you will, child” Had there not been cultural rules regarding the youngster’s species, Mirialan, the Master would have taken her as a Padawan. As it was, the young Barriss Offee was almost certainly going to end up with Luminara Unduli, a by-the-books type of Jedi who Master Billaba felt would be, in some ways, perfect for the studious and quiet Youngling but in others, a potential detriment to her personal growth. Mirialan tradition declared that Mirialan Padawans were only to be taught by other Mirialans and while Master Unduli would be good for the quiet, studious side of the young girl, the woman felt as if Barriss would miss out on a lot of the more enjoyable aspects of life as Luminara's Padawan, like sowing chaos the way Obi-Wan's Padawan was so fond of doing. However, she knew it wasn't her place to speak out so kept her silence
“Master Billaba?” another Jedi, one Quinlan Vos strode up to the Crèche Master, sparing a mischievous grin for the Youngling the Master was talking to who waved shyly
“Yes, Quinlan?”
“Master Plo wants to talk to you, something about a foundling?”
“Sure. I'll be right there” Depa Billaba smiled, Plo Koon was one of the most gentle of their order and she couldn't help but feel reassured that Plo, a man who refused to let anyone call him 'Master Koon', would be the one retrieving the new Youngling
Master Billaba sat down at one of the places where the Jedi working in the creches could take and make transmissions and access the archives, opening a commlink to Plo Koon's ship. “Master Plo?”
“Ah, Master Billaba!”
“What's up, Master Plo?” the human Master asked the blue-tinged miniature figure
Suddenly Plo was forced to look away from the Comms and rush out of sight. “Hey! No! Ahsoka, get down! Not up there!!”
“Master?” she raised an eyebrow, wondering what exactly was going on
A few moments later the Kel Dor was back in the pilot’s seat with a well-earned sigh. “Sorry, Master. It's the new foundling, she was clambering up the controls.” The older man looked up at his shoulder where a young Togruta sat contentedly, fondness having already developed in his gaze
“Ah, I see. Why are you comming me?”
“Who you?” the Tiny Little Togruta squeaked, not giving Plo the chance to reply to her question
Like Plo before her, she had to stamp down on her feelings. The Tiny Little Togruta was adorable. “Why hello, young one. My name is Depa, what's yours?”
The Youngling looked toward the Kel Dor. “Her name is Lil' 'Soka”
“Nice to meet you, 'Soka”
“You call me Ahsoka” the child replied indignantly, getting a nudge and a wave of disapproval from Plo for being rude and a rush of amusement radiated off of the human woman. It seemed like Plo was already her, Ahsoka’s, favorite. She couldn't even blame the young child. Even amongst the Jedi, Plo was one of a very small minority who went above and beyond in helping others, he, Kit Fisto, and Aayla Secura were something special amongst the Jedi, their attitude one that she always strived to match
“Forgive me, Ahsoka” the older woman sighed with a roll of her eyes, if her already snippy personality was anything to go by that girl would likely grow up to be like Quinlan and one Quinlan in the galaxy was already one too many
“It's no problem,” Plo spoke again, quickly before Ahsoka could inundate her with questions. “I'm comming you because Lil' 'Soka here is a Togruta, part of a social species and due to events that happened before I could get to her, she needs someone to stay with her, at least for the first few months until she feels comfortable”
“I see, I'll make the arrangements”
*****
Crèche Master Billaba stood on the landing platform, awaiting Plo Koon's arrival. The young Togruta truly had gone through a harrowing experience after her parents had vanished and before Plo had found her. Shaking her head in disgust at the slaver’s actions, the Master returned herself to her neutral, calm demeanor before the child by her side could pick up on her emotions. The shuttle slowly descended and bumped down gently in front of the two who were waiting for it. “You okay?” she asked the child
“Yes, Master”
The boarding ramp lowered and the Kel Dor descended, being greeted by a bow from both Depa and the child by her side. “Greetings, Depa, greetings young one” Plo spoke, returning a slight bow. “This is Ahsoka Tano, the foundling”
“Hello, Ahsoka, we spoke on the comm” her words earned a shy smile and a cautious wave from the Tiny Little Togruta. She nudged the Youngling she was stood with forward, “and this is Barriss Offee, she'll be staying with you for the time being”
“H-hello” Ahsoka was placed down in front of Plo by the Kel Dor and the two children cautiously moved toward each other. Ahsoka had seemed pretty content sitting on the tall master’s shoulder, her arms around his neck
“Hello, Ahsoka. Senior Jedi Youngling Barriss Offee at your service” Barriss replied,her voice filled with pride at her recently earned rank and she curtseyed slightly at the Tiny Little Togruta. That action earned a little chuckle from the foundling who ran up to Barriss and threw her arms around her, her earlier shyness left forgotten. Awww. The Mirialan smiled gently and held her closer
“Come,” the Crèche Master held out her hand for Barriss who promptly took it. “I'll show you to your room. Barriss, remember that Ahsoka here went through something bad before we could get to her.” With that, she led Barriss and the little orange-skinned Togrutan foundling through the Temple to their shared quarters, sensing the beginning of a wonderful friendship and was reassured she had made the correct decision