Chapter Text
“Can you please watch her for the night? Maybe go over like… katas or something?”
“Anakin, we’ve been at the temple for a week, all she’s been doing is katas and meditation. Also, where are you in a rush to tonight?”
Contrary to popular belief (a.k.a. Anakin) Obi-Wan Kenobi was not blind, nor was he an idiot. Anakin has been sneaking off every night they’ve been at the temple. Probably to Senator Amidala’s apartment, since Anakin never came back until morning, but Obi-Wan could pretend to be blind to that.
Tonight, Anakin didn’t seem to have the decency to wait until Obi-Wan and Ahsoka retired to their rooms. It was only 17:00 standard, couldn’t he have fun with someone other than a politician? Maybe he could actually teach his Padawan life wasn’t all about war?
Obi-Wan wished more than anything that the poor Togruta didn’t have to spend her Padawan-ship fighting a war and think that this was peacekeeping.
Anakin always hung out with politicians, and he didn’t think they were half bad. Politicians thought war was a game. Obi-Wan was close enough to being one himself, so he knew this to be true. The title of “The Negotiator” was not something he wanted, but it was a talent that came naturally.
The Jedi Master supposed it was his fault, for he let Anakin and the Chancellor drift close. When Anakin was a Padawan, Obi-Wan had tried to keep the two apart, but Anakin was strangely adamant about seeing that man. For the first couple of meetings, Obi-Wan had been there, standing behind Anakin. He never trusted the Chancellor, there was just… something about the man. But then he started getting formal “requests” to leave, and then the Senate demanded the Jedi Order serve them… and all “requests” from the Chancellor had become orders.
Anakin always called that man a friend, despite the Chancellor running the Order thin. So many Jedi lost, and so many Jedi swamped with work that they couldn’t think straight. Obi-Wan himself included.
Sometimes, Obi-Wan thought the Senate wanted the Jedi gone. But he couldn’t… say that. Especially in front of Anakin. Anakin was always on the Chancellor’s side.
“I’m just going to the Senate building,” Anakin said, not looking Obi-Wan in the eyes, “I need to speak with some Senators about the last campaign we did…” He trailed off.
Force, Obi-Wan should’ve taught him to lie better.
“Alright, I’ll stay with Ahsoka tonight. Tomorrow is our last day on Coruscant before we get a new assignment, so please, rest well for the next few days?”
“Of course Master!” Anakin said loudly, already walking away.
Obi-Wan sighed and rubbed his jaw. He had so much to do… he then gave himself a small smile.
‘ Maybe things can be done tomorrow ,’ he thought, pulling his comlink out of his robes.
Ahsoka picked up her comm.
“Tano,” she called.
"Ahsoka, Anakin has left for the night and he asked me to stay with you,” his lilting accent filled a light static over the comm, “ but I was planning on going away from the temple tonight. Would you like to come?”
Ahsoka didn’t really know Master Kenobi too well. She knew she was supposed to be his Padawan, and the man often did teach her, maybe just as much or more than Anakin, but there was an air of… mystery around her Grand-Master. He often kept to himself.
Ahsoka would be lying if she wasn’t curious about this “outing”.
“Um, sure! Do you know where Anakin went though?”
“Yes, he’s with some… Senators. That’s what he told me.”
Ahsoka thought back to the bets that circulated the 501st about General Skywalker and “his Senator”, Senator Padmé Amidala.
“Right,” she filtered into the comm.
“ Yes…” he agreed with the teasing tone of her voice, “ Well, meet me in my room as soon as you can. Do you have any casual clothes?”
“Like… robes?”
“No, preferably something that makes you look less like a Jedi and more like a citizen.”
“Hmm… I don’t have any other clothes than what comes from the temple’s quartermasters.”
“That’s alright, I’m sure I can find you something. See you in a bit. Kenobi out.”
Tonight was going to be... interesting, Ahsoka decided.
Ahsoka did a bit of a double-take when she walked into her Grand-Master’s quarters.
The Jedi Master was wearing a light-colored shirt with a denim jacket over it. The jacket had a few patches and looked well-worn. His pants were a dark army green and his shoes were a nice, worn shade of brown. Ahsoka couldn’t believe her eyes… she’d never seen him in anything but simple tan tunic-robe sets, and armor, occasionally, when they were on the battlefield.
“Is this some sort of secret mission or something you couldn’t tell me about?” Ahsoka blurted.
Obi-Wan turned and chuckled lightly. “Hello there,” he drawled, “This is not a mission, but… it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
“What do you mean?” Ahsoka asked, walking further into the small living quarters. Across the room, there was a small windowsill, and it was filled to the brim with plants. Next to it were a few holo-pics of people that Ahsoka couldn’t make out. There was a soft-looking bean-bag chair in the corner. The room also had a kitchenette, with a clear cabinet filled with what looked to be teacups, a stove with a tea kettle perched on top, and a small table island with stools surrounding it. To the left of the kitchenette, was a door that presumably led to Master Obi-Wan’s actual sleeping space.
“Well, some of the citizens on Coruscant have certain opinions about Jedi. Whenever we go out of the temple it is best to dress as part of the public. If we aren’t on a mission, of course,” he answered her question. Her attention snapped back to him.
“Which means,” he continued, “You can’t go out wearing that.” Obi-Wan gestured to her temple-wear.
He walked over to what looked like a simple closet next to the bean bag chair. “Would you like something comfortable? It is quite cold tonight.”
“Yes, please,” She responded. Togrutas never did good in the cold.
Obi-Wan fished out some loungewear from the closet.
“This looks small enough,” he joked. Ahsoka pouted. She was not small. He handed her a blue-colored hoodie and then closed the closet door.
“That should be enough to cover you from the breeze,” he said lightly, “And your pants are fine. Do take off those plastoid pieces on your shins though.”
“Okay,” she responded, pulling the hoodie over her montrals, “Where are we going?”
“I was thinking since you don’t have any other clothes but temple clothes, we can go to the Coruscant shopping mall. Although… Force knows Jedi don’t get paid, so I don’t have enough credits at the moment.”
“How are we going to get credits?” She asked, pulling the plastoid armor off her legs.
Obi-Wan smirked mischievously.
“Have you ever heard of Sabacc?”
“Full Sabacc!” Master Kenobi declared.
Several of the men across the table groaned and cursed the Jedi. Most of them pushed their credits towards him.
“Oh, I get it now!” Ahsoka piped up from next to him as the people left angrily.
“Yes,” Master Kenobi chuckled, “It is quite a simple game once you get past the cheaters, liars, and the stingy players.”
“Is this illegal? Gambling, I mean,” Ahsoka asked. The bar they were in was bustling with what Ahsoka thought could most definitely be criminals.
“Only if you get caught. There are so many people on Coruscant that this is hardly a crime anymore. Plus… as long as I don’t cheat I can justify it as moral,” The Jedi Master reasoned.
“But, no offense Master Kenobi, but you are a Council Member. Aren’t you supposed to... follow rules?”
Master Kenobi made an expression that made Ahsoka feel like she just asked the funniest thing in the world.
“You haven’t seen Master Billaba play Sabacc,” He pretended to shudder. “She once won so much money that she single-handedly fixed the food-shortage on Jedha. And made the pirate clan that was invading the temple there go bankrupt. Then she bought her padawan, Caleb, a loth-cat. There was a time they had to hide it from Master Windu so they shoved the thing into my quarters with a bag of food.”
He then stood up and gathered his winnings. He started to leave the bar and gestured for Ahsoka to follow.
Once they got outside Obi-Wan hailed a taxi-speeder. He put a hand onto his chin to stroke his beard.
Master Kenobi sighed. “The council aren’t police, Ahsoka. We follow the Code, and it is constantly up for interpretation. I’ve been playing the gambling version of Sabacc for a long time. Since I was a padawan, actually. It has helped me with a lot of missions. To catch criminals, you must think like one. Act like one, even. That’s why I thought you might as well learn it,” he finished as the taxi-speeder parked in front of them.
“That… makes sense,” Ahsoka said, climbing into the speeder, “I’m sorry, I just always got the impression that the Council was… uptight, I guess?”
Master Kenobi gave her a smile and quickly followed her into the speeder. “I thought that too until I was invited to go out drinking with them. I’ll never forget how Master Fisto tried to fistfight that poor Rodian for telling him he smelled like fish. Mace, Depa, Adi, and I all had to hold him back until he fell asleep in my arms. You didn’t hear it from me, but he actually does smell like fish.”
Ahsoka laughed out of shock. She couldn’t even imagine that scene. Nor did she expect Master Kenobi to use their first names.
She knew the Council made… questionable choices sometimes but… it was hard to remember that they were all sentients, who had individual lives outside of the Council chambers.
Ahsoka knew Anakin had a clear… distaste for the Council. He always said they didn’t like him very much. Ahsoka knew some of them, like Master Kenobi, Master Koon, Master Secura, and Master Adi. They had always been nice to her. The other Council member just seemed too far out of the reach of younger Jedi. If Master Kenobi hadn’t been so close to Anakin, Ahsoka supposed she would view him like that too.
“Master Kenobi?”
“Yes, Ahsoka?”
“Is using this money for our own benefit… okay?”
Master Kenobi raised his eyebrows. “Do you think it is?”
“That’s why I’m asking you,” She crossed her arms. Did Jedi Masters always have to be so cryptic?
Master Kenobi shrugged. “Personally, I think if someone is gambling money they should be prepared to give it up. Although, I’ve been doing things like this for a while, and my younger self always thought it was fair,” He turned to face her, “But you need to make that decision for yourself. Every sentient has its own set of values. If you think using the credits to buy luxuries for ourselves is unjust, I will not force you to do it. It is your choice to make.”
Ahsoka found herself reeling at his words. He really should be teaching a class at the temple.
“I suppose… if I just do it this once, just tonight, it really doesn’t hurt anybody, does it?” She tilted her head at the Jedi Master.
“That is until you do it again. Then maybe, your view will change? Maybe you’ll never do it again, as you say,” He answered.
Ahsoka narrowed her eyes playfully. “I have another question, Master Kenobi. Why are Jedi Masters so cryptic?”
“Comes with the rank of Master, Padawan,” He shot back.
They both sat in an air of each other’s amusement. A comfortable silence followed as the taxi-speeder driver sped towards the Coruscant shopping mall.
“Oh, Ahsoka?”
“Yes, Master Kenobi?”
“Drop the ‘Master Kenobi’ my dear, it’s Obi-Wan in public.”
“Sure thing, Master Obi-Wan,” she said, smiling to herself.
Master Obi-Wan just sighed and shook his head.
He was smiling too.