Brotherhood

Chapter 3 - Ahsoka Tano

"So, you're Anakin Skywalker," Ahsoka muses as she scrutinizes him, blue eyes in stark contrast to her orange skin. Her montrals are striped white and blue. "I've heard a lot about you."

She's sitting across from Anakin in their cabin. Padme is looking at a datapad in a nearby chair, leaving Anakin to deal with this Jedi. He wonders what would happen if he threw her out an airlock. Would anyone even notice? He certainly hopes not, but he's not stupid enough to risk it.

"That's nice," he offers. Maybe if he keeps his replies to a minimum, she won't keep trying to talk to him. He does not want to talk to her. Why can't she understand that already?

She's frowning now, and he senses vague irritation. "You seem a little upset," he comments without even thinking. So much for trying not to talk to her. Now he doesn't have a choice.

Ahsoka seems to brighten when he finally acknowledges her. "I guess I am," she admits, sighing and leaning back against the wall. "You met Master Kenobi." She waits until he nods. "Well, I'm his Padawan."

He's actually startled by that. "What?"

Instead of being upset that he's asking questions, the Togruta actually seems relieved. "He didn't want to take me, and he often doesn't act like I'm his Padawan. Master Yoda told him that if he didn't accept me, I would be sent to the Agricorps because I was too old."

"Too old?" he queries in confusion. "What do you mean?"

She seems uncertain how to reply. "If younglings aren't taken as a Padawan, they don't become Jedi. They're sent to the Agricorps instead unless they want to join a different Service Corp." Oh. Anakin hadn't known that. He'd thought that all younglings became Jedi.

He looks her over, finally raising an eyebrow. "You look like a youngling," he notes. "I didn't know that Jedi would consider you old enough to become a – Padawan." He winces inwardly. He'd nearly said apprentice. Only Sith use the term apprentice.

Ahsoka is not amused. She gives him an outraged look. "I am not a youngling!"

"Sure you're not," he drawls, smirking. He suddenly realizes that he's finding it easy to talk to her, even though she's a Jedi. He hopes his master won't find out. He probably wouldn't be pleased, and he certainly would not approve. Anakin knows the Jedi are enemies, but maybe that shouldn't always be true. The Order is his enemy. All the individuals are not. Maybe he can find some use for Ahsoka. Perhaps he can get her to join the Sith Order.

"I still don't think you're old enough. Are you really ready to go on protection missions?" he wonders. He didn't know that Jedi gave their apprentices such risks. Sith are a different story, but he doesn't really care for their practices.

She scowls. "Master Yoda thought I was old enough to become a Padawan, and Master Obi-Wan only sent me here because he didn't want me to join him in his investigation."

"Because Yoda knows everything," mutters Anakin, bitterness threatening to overwhelm him. There are times he can almost hear when the old troll claimed he was too old and too angry to be trained. He was not angry then. He had no darkness. Now? The darkness is suffocating his soul. His hands are stained with Jedi blood, and he can never wash it off. It will always be there, mocking him for what he'd wanted and what he'd become.

Ahsoka gives him a curious look. "You don't like Master Yoda?"

Anakin snorts. "How could I? He's the one who decided to adopt me to the Chancellor without even asking me." Despite his animosity, he still takes note that Ahsoka seems to be upset with Obi-Wan and resolves to pressure her about it later. He might be able to learn some useful information.