Ashes

Chapter 12: An Unexpected Ally

AHSOKA TANO

Ahsoka wandered through the courtyard of the palace, allowing her mind dwell on the energies of the planet.

Master Kenobi had always been such a big believer in meditation. Under his tutelage, she always took time to refocus her mind, but ever since the war ended, the only thing she saw when she closed her eyes was the graveyard, always accompanied by a tightness in her chest. This time was no different; the calming effects of the organic matter around her clashed with the incessant tugging she felt in her gut. The dissonance was almost too much to bear, so she sat by the fountain and listened to the sound of the water, trying to focus on anything other than the event that stripped her of her essence.

She just wanted a piece of her old life back. Something small to remember her service to the Republic and the best and worst three years of her life.

More than anything, she wanted her lightsabers. On the battlefield, the familiar hum of her crystals always found a way of soothing her anxieties, no matter how dark things seemed.

The idea to build new ones has crossed her mind multiple times since she left them by the graveyard. It was strange at first to live without them, but she'd gotten so used to it at this point that she didn't remember what the power of a kyber crystal felt like.

She hovered her hands over her hips where her sabers used to be. Maybe it was time to stop ignoring her gut and build some new lightsabers.

It would have to wait, though. As silly as it sounded to her, finding a boyfriend had become her biggest priority.

She chucked at the thought. Anakin Skywalker would never let her hear the end of it if he were present. She missed him more than she cared to admit, especially since she arrived on Shili. His presence was constantly in the back of her mind, gnawing at her, challenging her to be better.

She would give anything to see him again, just one more time.

She stood up and forced a smile. Boyfriend, then queen, then lightsabers. For the first time in a while, she had a plan, and it felt good.

She marched straight to Sotik's office.

When she arrived, he was standing in the middle of what looked like a pop-up dress store. There was a seamstress beside him, and they both looked a little too excited.

"What's all this?" Ahsoka asked.

"Now that you've agreed to do this, we have to make sure you always look your best," Sotik said.

"My name's Zara," the woman said. She looked only a few years older than Ahsoka, which was somewhat comforting. "I'm going to help you pick out some things to wear during the events."

Ahsoka glanced at the racks and racks of dresses, her eyes wide. "Oh, okay."

Sotike smiled and bowed slightly. "I'll leave you two to it, then."

As soon as Sotik was gone, Zara pointed to the center of the display where a mirror had been set up. "Clothes off, robe on." There was a blue silk robe hanging next to the mirror, so Ahsoka quickly changed into it.

"So before we start," Zara said, "I want to get a sense of your style. What kinds of things are you comfortable in? Any styles you like? Colors?"

Ahsoka glanced at the dresses again. "Pants," she said matter-of-factly. Years of skimpy clothing barely covering her had tainted her view of anything resembling a dress. "Do you have pants?"

Zara took an eyebrow. "I mean no offense, Ra'Tano, but you really should be wearing something more formal for your coronation-related activities. You're building your reputation for the public with this as well, you know."