Intertwined - Book 3 - Ahsoka Tano

[Chapter 6 - Culture]

_____

Kie'sha awoke feeling more well-rested than she could remember ever feeling in the past few years. She turned in the makeshift cot that the Mandalorians had been kind enough to give her, spotting Ahsoka in a cot not too far away. She carefully raised herself up, tiptoeing over as quietly as she could manage. As she leaned over Ahsoka's peacefully sleeping form, her eyes flew open, causing Kie'sha to jump slightly. 

"Morning Kiki." Ahsoka whispered, her voice thick with sleep. 

"Morning." Kie'sha whispered back with an awkward smile. 

"Couldn't sleep?" Ahsoka asked quietly as she sat up in the cot. 

"Actually yes, I could. I just woke up." Kie'sha sat at the foot of Ahsoka's bed with a look of mock-superiority on her face.

"So your first instinct was to come and wake me?" Ahsoka raised an eyebrow at her.

Kie'sha had no witty retort lined up, so she simply took Ahsoka's hand in hers- "Come on, I want to go explore."

Ahsoka sighed heavily- "Kiki- there really isn't that much to explore. We can't go outside without masks on, and the cave is pretty small-"

But Kie'sha had already begun to drag Ahsoka with her. The pair crept out of the makeshift sleeping quarters and down the hall to the main room. Kie'sha went to keep going, but Ahsoka halted her, pressing a finger to her lips to silence her. The pair listened carefully, hearing hushed voices drifting from the room. 

Kie'sha could barely make out what they were saying. But she could get the basic idea.

"They can't stay... conserve our Oxygen... too crowded"

Kie'sha and Ahsoka eyed each other. They could both feel the intentions of the first person speaking... they certainly weren't kind.

"But they're just kids!" The pair heard the second person say at a much higher volume.

"They're Jedi. They can handle themselves just fine." 

The conversation had clearly become more heated, as Kie'sha and Ahsoka could hear the two people clearly now.

"The Togrutan came to our aid when no one else did. She defended us in the final moments before Mandalore was bombed, and you want to repay her by kicking her out into the toxic wastelands without any help?"

"She has her little friend. That's help enough." 

"Enough! Both of you!" a third, far more recognisable voice spoke up this time. Bo-Katan- "While I agree that we can't just abandon them, he does make a good point. We don't have the resources to sustain as many people as we are right now... We'll give them transport off-world, but we are not just 'kicking them out'." 

"Are you kidding?  We barely have any ships left! This is outrageous-"

"Enough. My decision is final." Bo-Katan silenced the man- "I'll speak with them when they awake. Dismissed." 

Kie'sha and Ahsoka jumped to their feet at this, quickly dashing back down the hallway in an attempt to look as if they had just exited the sleeping quarters. It seemed to have worked, as the two Mandalorians approached the pair soon after, informing them that Bo-Katan wished to see them. The pair headed to the briefing room sheepishly. 

"Hello girls." Bo-Katan greeted in her usual cold manner.

"What was it that you wanted to see us about?" Ahsoka asked, assuming that Kie'sha would prefer to remain a bystander of the conversation for as long as possible.