Learning to Live (COMPLETE)

8.5.3

After the first speeder, Wheeler let Ahsoka head back to her own workspace and work on some of the smaller repairs on her own. This actually suited Ahsoka pretty well because she could work on these with her eyes closed. It let her focus on some of the things she had been thinking about for a while.

She didn't really know what Granger was like, having only just met him, but she got the feeling that he had something against her. Wheeler kept insisting that it wasn't personal but Ahsoka wasn't so sure. She was used to picking up on ill intentions. When she went with Anakin to pubs or bars to track down rogue hunters, it was one of the things she searched for through the Force. If there was someone in the room with a particular distaste for Jedi, it normally ended up being the person they were looking for.

Maybe it wasn't against the Jedi, but Granger definitely did not appreciate having her around. It could have been just against her, though, too. Ahsoka tried to think about what she could have done that might have gotten her on Granger's bad side, but there were so many possibilities that she just abandoned the notion. For whatever reason, it was probably best if she kept her distance from him.

Ahsoka had gotten the vibe that Wheeler was a little bias against the surface as well. It didn't seem as personal, but whatever had happened up there must have resonated deeply with her, and Ahsoka made a mental note to not bring up the surface if she was with her, if she could avoid it. Wheeler seemed very vocal about her criticisms of surfacers.

Rya, on the other hand, seemed to want to keep her past quiet. It kind of surprised Ahsoka, that she would open up on having just met her, but there was clearly a story behind her, and none of the others knew about it. Ahsoka didn't know either, but it wasn't her job to know, so she just kept it in mind. She could do that.

After about an hour of working by herself, a knock disturbed her from her rhythm. She looked up and saw Luce hanging out by the balcony. "Company?" He asked.

Ahsoka smiled. "Sure. It couldn't hurt."

Luce walked over to a clear spot on the counter and hopped up to sit there. Ahsoka, at the moment, was tinkering on a broken microwave, of all things. She was almost finished, though, and just needed to put the repaired pieces back together.

"So, what's been your first impression of the workshop?" Luce asked, motioning to the rest of the building. "Probably different from what you're used to."

She nodded. "Nearly opposite, actually, but that doesn't mean it's bad." She looked around. "I guess I'm still trying to understand parts of it, is all."

"What parts of it?"

She thought for a moment before answering. "Well, you guys, first of all. You seem so at ease with each other. Well, most of you."

Luce smirked. "All of us have been here for at least six months, and most of us longer than that. Leslie is probably the newest addition, after you. After that long, you get to know the people you work with."

"That makes sense," Ahsoka agreed, screwing in the body of the microwave. "I guess I'm just used to more professional conditions. I've barely ever seen so many people so relaxed with each other. At least, not at work."

"If you work with politicians all day, they will definitely be more professional than us," Luce laughed. "Down here, we don't have anything to prove, just a job to do. You do your job, you do it well, and that's that."

Ahsoka opened her mouth to protest but realized that the Rhodian was right. Her whole life had been spent preparing for the Trials of Knighthood. The entire rank system of the Jedi Order was based on proving yourself to your master and to the Council. Even senators had a reputation of showing off, and why else would they feel the need to show off if they weren't trying to prove something?