The Unchronicled Adventures Of Ahsoka Tano, Book Ten

Chapter Forty: A Lesson On Listening

AHSOKA TANO

"She doesn't understand. She doesn't realize how close she was to dying because she's so kriffing reckless!"

Lux had been pacing the length of their room on the White Saber for the better part of half an hour now, and the incessant back and forth motion was definitely not helping Ahsoka's growing headache.

"Lux, Anakin was like that too," Ahsoka reminded him patiently, sitting up on the bed and putting the datapad she had been running potential encryption sequences on for her intelligence networks down beside her. "He–"

"But Jani's not a Jedi. She's not even Force-sensitive, for kriff's sake! She's a normal person who loves to fly without any thought for the consequences, and someday, it's going to cost her."

"Lux, you know she's not going to like it if you tell her she can't fly with Phoenix Squadron anymore."

"Well, that's too bad. I need her where she's safest."

"Lux, you're not her father. You can't make a decision like that for her and expect her to agree to it without putting up a fight."

"Well, I'm better than Enarion. I'm not the one who let his firstborn son fall to the wayside, and let him think he was completely alone in the galaxy. I didn't keep the fact that I have a twin sister from me for almost twenty-five–!"

Lux cut himself off, his fist closed around the empty air.

"Where is this even coming from?" Ahsoka demanded, rising to her feet. "Did something I don't know about happen after I left? Because I haven't seen you like this since..."

Ahsoka trailed off with a sigh, rubbing her forehead. She hadn't wanted to bring this up, but she hadn't been able to stop herself. Now, she couldn't take it back, and when Lux started asking questions – he already had that look on his face – she wouldn't have the heart to lie about what this whole mess reminded her of.

Lux's expression softened when he saw the look on her face. "Since...?"

"Since Onderon ten years ago. When I was pregnant with Aeja." Ahsoka bit her lip and sat down again, leaning back against the headboard. "Since the five-month-long fight that nearly destroyed us."

Lux nodded, chewing on his lip. He ran his fingers through his hair for a moment before speaking again. "Well, I snap sometimes, you know? Everyone does. But sooner or later, she's going to realize I'm right. She's reckless, but she sees reason; she acknowledges logic."

"You know as well as anyone just how quickly emotions can cloud a person's better judgment." Ahsoka chose not to specify that her comment was directed at him as much as it was his sister.

Lux gazed at her imploringly. "Ahsoka, you've got to help me make her see reason. She'll listen to another person chipping in; she'll–"

"Okay, stop it. You've been nothing but a jerk to her these past two days–" Ahsoka held up a hand for silence as Lux opened his mouth to protest. "Yes, I know about those three other visits to the medbay. If you can even call them that. Lux, I know you," she said, holding up her hand and moving her armor out of the way so her ring was visible. "We've been married for eleven years. And that means I know exactly what it looks like when you're desperate to win something.

"You're proud, Lux. I'm proud. Jani's proud. We're a family of incredibly headstrong and stubborn people. Sometimes, we talk without really talking. We all just want to be heard over the noise. You're not hearing her, Lux. Just like she's not hearing you. And someone's got to step up and start listening – even if you don't like what the other person has to say." Ahsoka smiled. "You're a negotiator, Lux. It's what you do. You talk to people, and you listen. For some reason, sometimes you're just not as good at that with the people closest to you."