Star Wars: The Forbidden Activities

Twenty-seven: Feelings

Ahsoka wasn't surprised to find Tatooine in front of them when they came out of hyperspace. Considering that the last ten corny jokes had been about this place, she'd nearly expected it. 

"We're here," Cad said in his awful voice. He reached out a hand to shake her by the shoulders; apparently he thought she was asleep. 

"I realised that," Ahsoka responded irritably. She shifted in her seat and smacked his blue hand away. He glared at her and scooted away from her in his chair. 

"You ain't got no empathy or nothin'," Cad said, giving her an angry look. Ahsoka rolled her eyes and gave him one right back. He prepared to land the ship and ignored her. 

Her Master used to banter with her, without it ever becoming a real problem. He never got ANGRY angry, he never tried to avoid her. He never ignored her for no clear purpose, either. 

And Rex would play-fight with her. He'd never acted angry towards her. He never ignored her either. Ahsoka wondered if that was only because she outranked him, though, now. 

And Cody.... where to start with Cody..?

Ahsoka thought back over the past few weeks and winced. As they spiralled down towards Tatooine, she decided she'd been rash and rude and that she owed quite a few people an apology. 

Then something tugged at the back of her mind, a loose thread in the Force being reattached. Calling for help (could she help?), screaming for mercy, and she blacked out. 

• • •

Meanwhile, on a Republic cruiser, Jedi Master Mace Windi was giving three different clone commanders a briefing. 

"We have a rogue Jedi running with a known criminal: bounty hunter Cad Bane." Mace had made a weird PowerPoint thing to go with his talk. He had a strange collage up with a poorly drawn Bane and Ahsoka, holding blasters at clone troopers. 

The three commanders sighed collectively. Bly felt like a good facepalm was what he needed, personally. He glanced over at Cody and Gree, wondering what was going through their heads. But they were paying close attention to General Windu, so he gained no knowledge. 

Instead Bly found his eyes on his own general. Aayla stood not far off, hands on her hips, looking tired and emotionally through. General Kenobi and General Unduli were near to her, watching Mace's PowerPoint skeptically. 

Bly's eyes roved over Aayla's face, stomach fluttering. He was thankful once again for his dark visor. He disregarded Mace's words; Aayla would brief him later anyway (maybe he could tell her then?).

She seemed to sense his gaze on her, because she looked up and over at him, looking surprised. He snapped his eyes back on General Windu and mentally cursed himself for breaking reg, even if no one could tell. 

No, Bly wouldn't tell her how he felt. He couldn't. It was unnatural and wrong for him to feel this way. He would keep it secret, like he'd done for so long. 

Aayla wouldn't want a clone anyway.