When You Come Home

-21-

"What is it?" Bo-Katan seemed less than impressed with the note that was being thrust at her. Despite the disgusted frown that twisted her brow, a flicker of curiosity lit the green in her irises. She leaned forwards to inspect the rumpled piece of paper, not bothering to touch it but running her eye over the words. "Prices too high ... withholding of foods ... distributing only to the rich .... It's the usual, then." Her intense gaze flicked up to Anakin. "Why do you trouble me with such things?"

"If it's of no consequence to you," Anakin informed her politely, "I'll dispose of it for you." He hedged for a second before plunging on. "While we are on the topic of papers, would you have time to look at one more?"

Her irises glittered a little more, but it was only faint. "What is it?"

He glanced at Ahsoka, standing just behind him and subtly shaking her head, then produced the laminated sheet they had procured from Rako. He had kept it on him in the hopes that an opportunity like this might have arisen, despite whatever Ahsoka's objections were. "This was found on the thief who wrote this first note." He handed the paper to her, watching her mild disinterest morph into concealed curiosity. "Was this exchange permitted by you? If I'm not mistaken, the seal is yours."

Her frown deepened from curiosity into ... something more. "That would have been from my court." She snatched the paper and handed it to a waiting servant. Her eyes held a strange light as she affixed her unnerving on Anakin. "You would be best to forget this ever happened."

Anakin placed a hand on the table, a word, a response, an argument about to pour unchecked and unconsidered from his mouth when two hands grabbed his shoulders and pulled him from the situation. A polite, "thanks for your time," and "tonight was fun," broke through Anakin's tunnelling attention in a voice that sounded sweet and firm enough to be Ahsoka's. He struggled against her grip. But he wasn't ready to leave! He was on the verge of discovering ... something. He was sure of it. And he needed to know it, whatever it was.

"We can talk about it later," she whispered in his ear as she guided him through the maze that was the palace. He blinked once, twice, then he was sitting on a mattress in the chilly warehouse he had come to call home. The stained, colourless walls, the cold, concrete floors, the musty, mouldy smell, and the leaking, rusting roof were all the same, but Anakin knew that something had changed. Or, perhaps, that something was about to. And he needed to know what it was.

But finding out would have to wait, as Cody was approaching him and Ahsoka with an unreadable expression. He stopped in front of the mattress Anakin sat on, eyeing Ahsoka, who stood beside him. "Which one of you would like to explain what happened back there? The whole evening was cut short, thanks to your antics."

"I was assisting the Duchess's security," Ahsoka said innocently, hands clasped at her back. "There was trouble in the kitchen, I went to check it out, and Anakin followed."

"That guy," Anakin interrupted before Ahsoka received an earful for her lacking confession, "that Rako Hardeen guy came into the palace. He was protesting something, but the chefs and everyone seemed fine with it — like it happens all the time."

"Then it's just as well you were helping their security, missy," Cody muttered under his breath. "Ahsoka, return to your squad. Appo will deal with you as he sees fit, but I'll put in a good word, so you owe me one," he finished pointedly, glaring after her as she smiled and made her escape. But not before artfully letting a piece of paper flutter to Anakin's feet. In one smooth motion, he nudged it under his mattress with his toe, just as Cody turned back to him. "You are in trouble, too. I'm disappointed that you would disrupt the night that the Duchess organised for us. Even if you don't like fancy parties, at least try to appreciate the effort and expense that goes into events like that. You could have at least tried to be polite instead of charging off and," he stopped himself, looking away. He took a moment to draw a breath before facing Anakin again. "But I'm just your CO, not ... anything else. All I'm saying is, try to have a little respect. Things like that aren't cheap to run." Apparently satisfied he had said his piece, he turned, but not without a softer, "Goodnight, trooper."