That won't happen to you

Chapter 51

Ahsoka got a half shock when she saw the knife in his hand and backed away to the wall, scared.

"Shh I'm not going to hurt you," the spy said, carefully setting the knife aside.

"What...what's that for?" asked Ahsoka, her voice scratchy because she had talked so little.

"The general wants me to punish you. But I'm not going to."

"Punish me? For...for what?"

He sighed and knelt down to her level, as she was still sitting on the ground.

"He didn't tell me that. Only that I should."

She looked at him out of her fearful sapphire eyes.

"But like I said, I won't. I'm not as cruel as he is." 

Ahsoka raised her head. "Really you're not?"

"Really, I'm not. You don't deserve that. You are such a brave and strong girl" he smiled at her caringly.

She returned the smile carefully.

"Here" he said and handed her a fruit.

She accepted it and looked at it before carefully biting into it.

"What's your name?" she asked him. Her voice slowly gained firmness.

"Gil," the spy replied, pulling something out of his pocket.

She watched the whole thing suspiciously.

It turned out to be a holo-game, but of course she didn't know that.

"What is it?" she wanted to know.

"Something to pass the time. Want me to teach you?" offered Gil.

She nodded.

He activated it and began to explain the rules to her.

She listened intently and seemed to be able to remember them as well.

It had been her favorite game, as Gil knew, unlike her.

She would have fun with it.

The young Togruta definitely enjoyed it. Especially when she won the first round right away.

Clutching Lou's little butterfly, she beat Gil round after round.

The latter did not have to make any effort to lose. Though without memories, he was still sitting in front of Ahsoka Tano, and she would never lose this game.

He was already watching her posture change. She sat up straighter, moved more purposefully.

It was all going according to plan. She was building trust with him.

"Won! Again!" She exclaimed between his thoughts and he grinned broadly.

"From the looks of it. You're a real natural."

The blue streaks on her lekku darkened slightly as he said that.

So if she had been human, her face would have just gone red.

"You're good too though" she muttered.

He quickly rebuilt the game and set his piece.

He would be going to win a game now, after all he had his pride.

He gave his best effort. Considered more tactically than in any battle.

And he lost.

Ahsoka won even higher than the times before.

He could only shake his head.

Skywalker had been right. Underneath the broken facade, was still Ahsoka. To break her completely...that was a thing of impossibility.

He dismantled the game and told her to go to bed.

She obeyed without protest, and he still carefully put the blanket around her.

"Sleep well"