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Despite the fact that Anakin is almost always moving, he can typically be found in one of two places on the Resolute, whereas Obi-Wan is always far harder to track down, surprisingly.
Today, Anakin is in the first of those two places; the cockpit, seated in the pilot’s chair as he navigates the ship through space.
Ahsoka hesitates in the doorway and even though she’s neither said a word nor made a sound, she can tell her master knows she’s here by the way he freezes as he reaches for one of the buttons across the console before he returns to what he’s doing.
He’s waiting for her to speak first. Ahsoka isn’t sure if she likes that or not. The longer she stands there, the less she’s even sure she should be asking him her question at all. It’s none of her business, after all.
But she knows that it’ll bother her until she gets some sort of answer, even if it’s a dismissive one, so she takes a deep breath and asks,
“Master?”
“Yes?” he asked, glancing at her over his shoulder. “Come. sit.” He gestures to the co-pilot's seat and she hesitates before slowly moving over to sit next to him.
“I was hoping we could talk,” she murmured. “About…what happened?”
“What happened,” Anakin repeats, eyes on the empty space in front of them. “When?”
Maybe Ahsoka should just leave it. Anakin hadn’t reacted when the Devaronian they had spoken to earlier that day had made the remark. He probably didn’t even speak their language, had no idea what had been said about him. Maybe bringing it up…
But she had to know. She wanted to know. So she took a deep breath and very calmly asked,
“Do you speak Devaronese?” It wasn’t what she’d wanted to ask, but…it felt like a good way to start.
Anakin frowned, glancing over at her. “Do I speak Devaronese?” he repeated.
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
Ahsoak nodded, swallowing. “So you…heard what he said?”
“I did,” Anakin replied. “Why?” Something defensive flashes through his eyes. “Did someone say something to you before we left?”
“No, not at all,” Ahsoka rushed to assure.
“Then what is it?”
“It…they…” she sucked in a breath. “They said something about you .”
Anakin blinked, thinking. “And it’s bothering you?”
“Well, I mean, I figured it was probably wrong since neither you nor Master Kenobi reacted when they said it,” Ahsoka replied. “But I just…wondered. How could they say something to you like that? You’re a powerful Jedi, you’re the chosen one , and they had the audacity to-”
“Snips, what did they say?”
“They said you were a slave,” Ahsoka said bluntly, letting it all out in a rush. “They said they were surprised Obi-Wan let you walk around without chains. They offered him some, if he wanted them.” She pressed her lips together. “They said ‘Skywalker’ is a slave’s name.”
She can see her master debating, for a moment, before he shifts and says, “It’s over. You don’t need to worry about it again.”
“But he was lying, right?” Ahsoka begged. “You’re not…you’ve never been…”
Her master sighed and the look he gave her wasn’t annoyed, like she’d been expecting, but rather…
Tired.
“Does it matter?” he asked. “I’m a free Jedi. Who cares if I was a slave before.”
Ahsoka feels ill. “You were a slave?” she asked softly.
He gave her another look and this one looked annoyed. “Does it matter?” he asked again, this time a little more forcefully than before.
“Maybe not,” Ahsoka admitted, only because she knew he was never going to tell her, even if they both knew she had her own suspicions. “I’m sorry, master.”
She stands and starts to leave, hears her master press buttons before he sighs and his feet hit the ground as he stands and says,
“Wait.”
She pauses and turns. He’s standing next to the pilot’s chair, looking her over, before remarking.
“Yes.”
“Yes?” she repeats.
He looks slightly irritated that he has to explain. “I used to be a slave. But I’m not anymore, so it’s over and in the past.”
Ahsoka nodded. “I know,” she said quietly. “I…I’m sorry I pressed, master.” She gave a small bow and when she looks up again, there’s a grimace on her master’s face that he’s not quite quick enough to smooth out before she sees.
“This isn’t the first time someone has commented on my once being a slave,” he tells her without prompting, which is surprising given the entire conversation thus far. “And trust me, Snips, it won’t be the last.” He shrugged. “Obi-Wan and I didn’t react because we’re used to it. Because we plan for and expect it. Skywalker is a slave’s name. Everyone knows it. There’s no way to avoid it.”
“That’s horrible.”
Anakin just shrugged again. “Sure,” he agreed. “But it doesn’t matter, because that’s not what I am anymore.”
Ahsoka nodded. “I understand.” She starts to turn to leave before pausing and looking back to add, “Thank you for telling me, Master.”
“You had a right to know,” he told her. “And truthfully, if I hadn’t told you, someone else would have.” He cringed at the thought. “Probably someone with less kind opinions towards the idea of a former slave being a Jedi.”
Ahsoka nodded. “Thank you for telling me,” she said again. “And, just so you know, it doesn’t change anything.”
Anakin raised an eyebrow, either in surprise or suspicion, Ahsoka wasn’t sure. “Good to know,” he remarked. She turned to leave again but Anakin once more stopped her. “Have you ever learned to navigate for a pilot?”
“I can navigate,” Ahsoka said, defensively, turning to scowl at him and cross her arms over her chest. “I’ve piloted before.”
He just rolled his eyes, taking a seat in the pilot’s chair, glancing at her over his shoulder as he said,
“I said navigate for a pilot.”
“Oh.” She came over and sat in the copilot’s seat. “Is it any different?”
“A bit,” Anakin confirmed.
It was only a few moments later, as they were flying silently in space, that Ahsoka really realized that co-pilot navigation and pilot navigation really weren’t different from one another at all.
Oh. She realized. He was asking for company. She rolled her eyes. Of course the only way he knows how to do that is to offer to teach me something he knows I already know.
But she didn’t say anything. After all, she enjoyed spending time with her master outside of life threatening scenarios too.
…………………….
Earlier
“Just stay quiet, Snips,” Anakin instructed as they followed Anakin into the palace of Devaronian king Jukro Chict. “Let Obi-Wan do all the talking.”
“But I speak Devaronese,” she objected. “I can help.”
“You’re still young,” Anakin reminded her. “They only treat those with experience with respect.”
“But I have-”
“Ahsoka.” There was something odd and desperate in Anakin’s eyes. “Please?” Not to mention his out of character use of the word please. So she pressed her lips together and nodded, resigning herself to staying quiet. “Don’t worry.” He placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’m not going to say anything either.”
That had her scoffing, because Skyguy? Staying quiet? Yeah right. She bet twenty credits that Master Skywalker would start speaking before Master Kenobi even got the chance to open his mouth. If Anakin noticed a slight bounce in her step, after that internal thought, he didn’t say anything.
…………………….
The room was small, making it feel cramped with herself and Master Skywalker pressed together with three clones on each side. There was only just enough space for Master Kenobi to kneel at the base of King Jukro’s throne which certainly took up more of the room than Ahsoka personally believed was necessary.
“Dearest King Jukro ,” Master Kenobi began in fluent Devaronese. “ I am General Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Master.” He gestured to her and Anakin. “ This is General Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight, and his Padawan Learner, Ahsoka Tano.”
The King had been listening intently, right up until the word ‘Skywalker’ followed by ‘Jedi’ had come out of Obi-Wan’s mouth. And then, he’d started laughing. Anakin and Obi-Wan did not react, but Ahsoka couldn’t help the small frown on her face. Why was that funny ? Her master was a great and powerful Jedi. The chosen one. What was so funny about that?
“Skywalker, you say?” King Jukro asked. He laughed a little harder. “ Skywalker is a slave’s name .”
If Ahsoka was frowning before, she was full on gaping now. How could he be so disrespectful ? Her master was a Jedi Knight, a better man than this lazy king seated before them on a pillow of pillows and gold would ever be.
But the king wasn’t done talking, oh no. “A brave, or perhaps foolish man you are, Jedi Master Kenobi, to allow your slave to run so free and untethered. With a weapon no less.” He laughed again. “If you like, I am certain we have some chains and collars you are more than welcome to borrow, for your stay.”
A rage that she had never felt before overcame Ahsoka and it was nolt the fact that neither her master nor Master Kenobi reacted to the man’s words that she was able to control herself. Surely, if Anakin Skywalker , notorious for losing his temper more often than a Jedi should, could remain calm in the face of such…such slander , then she could remain civil as well.
“With all due respect, King Jukro,” Master Kenobi said calmly. “We are here to discuss a negotiation. I would like to return to that, if we may?”
King Jukro waved him off. “ Very well then,” he agreed, though he seemed reluctant to do so. “ But those chains are still on offer, if you change your mind. I know I would, if I ever dared to give my slaves a weapon.
Obi-Wan ignored the offer and began the negotiations. But Ahsoka can’t get those words out of her head. Did her master not care? Or were they not true? Was he really actually Obi-Wan’s slave or…or did he even speak Devaronese to begin with?
Though he had never been open about his past with her before and she knew this, if it was true which she knew it could not be, was certainly something he would never share.
But maybe later, when they returned to the Resolute, she would gather her courage and ask.