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Barriss sensed the presence, like a dark cloud, moving its way down the corridor towards her room. So easy to track was this cloud that was able to perfectly time getting up from her cushion and opening the door just as Ahsoka was raising her hand to knock.
Her friend’s face was thunderous and if she was surprised at Barriss knowing she was there without knocking she didn’t show it.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Barriss asked, figuring this would be in relation to some mission she’d been on.
“No,” Ahsoka said bluntly, moving into the room. “Do you mind if I just flop out here?”
“Be my guest.” Barriss gestured to the bed and Ahsoka flung herself on it. Barriss room was fairly ascetic, even by Jedi standards really. The floor was soft, ideal for meditating comfortably, she had a standard bed that now contained a fuming Togrutan, a small low desk with a cushion in front of it, and a pot sat in the corner.
Barriss frowned at the pot. She still hadn’t found a use for that thing or even knew why it was there. She supposed she had one time thought to put some flowers in there but had never got around to it.
“Would it be a bother if I continue my work?” she asked.
Ahsoka flapped a hand. “I’m intruding on you, you do what you need.”
Barriss smiled and resumed her posture on the cushion, scrolling through her datapad.
“What are you looking at?” Ahsoka asked.
“I’m researching the myths about some herb called ‘dashalene’. Supposedly it had great healing powers if what I’m reading is to be believed. But how much of this is real and how much of it is exaggeration over the centuries I’m not sure.” She frowned at it. “I’m hoping I’ll turn up some information about where it might be found so I can try looking for it.” She frowned more. “You know. When the war is over.”
“That sounds nice. Good to have a plan.”
Barriss nodded and resumed her reading. She was fairly sure that even if she didn’t have the Force, she’d be able to feel Ahsoka’s agitation. The rustling on the bed made her fidgeting quite clear.
Aaaannddd...five...four...three...two...one...
“I had to do another mission where I went undercover as a slave!” Ahsoka shout-blurted, throwing her hands up.
Barriss stifled a laugh and swung herself around. “Another one?” she asked.
Ahsoka groaned and slid herself into a seated position. “Yeah...this is like the third time now,” she growled. “And it’s always me! Why can’t Anakin--” She winced. “Well, no, I get why he wouldn’t want to. But Obi-Wan could surely? It’s not like preferences are exclusively for females across the galaxy...”
Barriss put a hand to her mouth to hide her smile. “I don’t think Master Kenobi in a slave costume is sight anyone in the galaxy is ready for.”
“But this one was horrible...” Ahsoka lowered her head and put her hands to her montrals. “I had to wear a collar!”
The image of Ahsoka wearing a collar came unbidden to Barriss’ mind, which then attached a lead to the collar that snaked its way into a yellow-green hand.
Barriss choked.
Ahsoka looked up at her. “Are you okay?”
“I’m...fine...” she said, patting her chest. “Just a bit of spit went down wrong...in disgust!” she quickly put in. “At what they put you through.”
“I know...” Ahsoka growled, crossing her arms. “It’s really too much. I’m sure it’s illegal as well, I’m only seventeen!”
“I’m pretty sure slavery is illegal in the Republic anyway,” Barriss said. She caught the look Ahsoka gave her and quickly raised a denouncing finger. “But this would be extra illegal! How could they stick one so young on such assignments? And multiple times!”
“Exactly! I should take you with me to argue my case next time.”
“What else did you have to wear?”
“Huh?” Ahsoka looked at her befuddled. Barriss only just realised that she’d spoken aloud, as the act of trying to shove that thought into a darker corner of her brain had apparently sent it to her mouth instead. “Why do you want to know?”
“I--I--I just want to know...how suitably outraged I should be!” she said, injecting her voice with force. “You know...if I’m...to put together this case for you!”
“It was this dress...well not really a dress...” Ahsoka said, apparently accepting Barriss’ explanation. She paused and thought. “Have you ever been into one of those seedy nightclubs that’s on Coruscant?”
“Of course not!” Barriss spluttered. “Why would you think I’d go to a place like that?!”
“I meant like on mission with Luminara or something.”
“Oh. Right. Well, no.”
“Hmmm...well there’s this clothing that some of the Twi’lek dancers wear. It’s like a V-shaped sleeveless shirt open at the back and the front down the mid-rift,” Ahsoka explained, indicating with her hands how it would have fallen on her body, “that forms a one-piece with some trousers.”
“Uh-huh...” Barriss said, instantly picturing Ahsoka in the costume.
“So it’s similar but not exactly the same.”
“Right...” The costume was now slightly fuzzy as she didn’t know which bits were ‘similar’ and ‘not exactly the same’.
“So the shape was the same--”
The shape remained.
“--but a bit looser and blue in colour--”
It got a bit looser, but blue in colour.
“--particularly baggy around the trousers--”
Baggy trousers.
“--and it was virtually see-through--”
Barriss gulped as a blue, nearly see-through, loose piece of clothing came into fruition. She could feel the sweat beading her forehead.
“--and because it was see-through, I had to wear this underwear that was more like dental floss--”
A small squeak escaped Barriss’ lips as the ‘dental-floss underwear’ got added to the ensemble, and she squirmed.
“--and the worst bit was somehow, the chronometers got out of alignment so instead of saving me when I was in the holding cells, I ended up getting dragged to the stage to dance!”
“That’s...appalling...” Barriss croaked around a very tight throat, fidgeting, feeling weak across her body, cheeks burning.
“Are you okay?” Ahsoka asked, suddenly taking note of her friend’s condition.
“I’m fine! I’m fine!” Barriss shouted, waving her hands.
Ahsoka came over to her and put a hand to her forehead. “Barriss...” she began.
Barriss flinched.
“Your forehead is really hot!” Ahsoka said, with concern. “You must be really ill!”
“Yes!” Barriss said in relief. “Yes I’ve not been feeling too good, I think I worked too hard.”
Ahsoka shook her head. “Barriss...it’s all well and good wanting to heal people, but you need to look after yourself as well. You should have said something rather than letting me just barge in here to moan,” Ahsoka said, feeling and sounding a little guilty for not having noticed. “Come on.” Ahsoka helped her up and over to the bed. “Now just lie there, I’ll go get a cool cloth to put on your forehead.”
“Yes, thank you, Ahsoka.”
Ahsoka grinned at her and then disappeared into the refresher.
Barriss let out a long sigh and relaxed. It was a good thing that her friend had been so angry and agitated otherwise she might have picked up on some of the signals or felt something through the Force. Barriss would have to be careful and particularly stay away from any conversations about undercover missions.
She took a few deep breaths, calming herself, letting the tingling and squirming sensation fade away, and she shut her eyes, acting the part of a poor, overworked and ill little Mirialan Jedi who needed care.
Her breathing slowed into a steady rhythm.
Her eyes snapped open as she suddenly realized that she had the prospect of at least a couple of hours of Ahsoka fussing around her and changing cool cloths on her forehead as she worked out some of her perceived guilt about not having ‘noticed’ Barriss' ‘illness’.
“I’m screwed...” she groaned.