answers to questions she couldn’t answer truthfully, Ahsoka registered an absence with the central database and took herself off to the GAR clone barracks where she was shocked and delighted to find Captain Rex and Sergeant Coric, returned only an hour before from the Kaliida Shoals Medcenter.
“Nobody told me you’d been discharged,” she said, beaming. “Why didn’t anyone tell me you were being discharged?”
Sprawled in Torrent Company’s homebase barracks rec room, wearing black fatigues and a satisfied smile, Rex shrugged one shoulder. “Don’t look at me, little’un. I just go where they point me and start shooting when I see the glow of their photo-receptors.”
On the long low couch beside him, Sergeant Coric snickered. “You got that right.”
The rec room buzzed with a score of comfortable conversations. Over in one corner the 501st’s newest recruit Checkers played turbo-darts with Fireball and Zap from Gold Squadron. Laughter sounded as Checkers overshot the dartboard and buried his turbo-dart up to its fins in the wall.
Rex shook his head. “You know they’ll dock you for the repairs?” he said, lifting his voice above the raucous amusement. “Better give up while you’re ahead.”
“I never give up, sir,” Checkers retorted, turning. There was a new scar on his face, the pink line puckered across his chin, keeping company with the old wound under his eye; either Kaliida Shoal’s bacta didn’t take or he hadn’t been treated in time. His scalp gleamed intermittently bald under the rec room’s bright lights. Since Kothlis he’d shaved it in racing stripes and dyed what was left an eye-searing green. Seeing Ahsoka, he flicked his fingers to his forehead and grinned. “Ma’am.”
She grinned back. “Not ma’am. Ahsoka.”
“Right, right.” He dug in his fatigues’ pocket and pulled out another turbo-dart. “Fancy a round, Ahsoka?”
“In a minute,” she said. “Keep the darts warm for me.”
“So,” said Rex, his gaze lazily intent as she turned her attention back to him. “What’s our General up to?”
It was such a simple question, and yet she couldn’t answer it. Not only because of security, but because her throat was suddenly closed tight with fear.
Rex leaned forward. “Little’un?”
“I’m sorry,” she said, gulping. “I can’t tell you.”
He exchanged glances with Coric. “But he’s in trouble?”
Mute, she nodded, then realized her hands were clutched tight and sweaty in her lap. Any second now she was going to cry.
Stang
.
“He’s been in trouble before,” said Coric, trying to sound a lot more confident than he felt. “He’ll get out of it. He always does.”
“He always
has
,” she corrected him. “But this time…”
“You know where he is?” said Rex, fiercely frowning.
She nodded.
“And you—we—can’t go in after him?”
She shook her head.
“
Ever?
” said Coric, taken aback. “Or just not yet?”
“I—I don’t know,” she whispered. “Please, you can’t say anything to anyone. This has to stay between us.”
“Don’t worry,” said Rex, and dragged a hand down his face. “
Stang.
”
Torrent Company was so
cheerful
. It broke her heart to see them laughing, teasing, roughhousing, as though they didn’t have a care in the world. Because if they knew what she knew…
Rex sat back, pretending he wasn’t upset. “What have you seen, Ahsoka? What’s the Force shown you?”
She was under strict instructions never to discuss how the Force was getting harder and harder to read. She mustn’t mention it even to Rex and Coric, whom she trusted with her life. Of course, this once she didn’t have to lie. She hadn’t seen anything, though she’d nearly passed out trying.
“All I get is a feeling,” she said, keeping her voice low, though there was so much noise in the room. “Like I’m about to be sick, all the time.”
“I know that feeling,” said Coric, trying to joke. “D’you reckon I
“Nobody told me you’d been discharged,” she said, beaming. “Why didn’t anyone tell me you were being discharged?”
Sprawled in Torrent Company’s homebase barracks rec room, wearing black fatigues and a satisfied smile, Rex shrugged one shoulder. “Don’t look at me, little’un. I just go where they point me and start shooting when I see the glow of their photo-receptors.”
On the long low couch beside him, Sergeant Coric snickered. “You got that right.”
The rec room buzzed with a score of comfortable conversations. Over in one corner the 501st’s newest recruit Checkers played turbo-darts with Fireball and Zap from Gold Squadron. Laughter sounded as Checkers overshot the dartboard and buried his turbo-dart up to its fins in the wall.
Rex shook his head. “You know they’ll dock you for the repairs?” he said, lifting his voice above the raucous amusement. “Better give up while you’re ahead.”
“I never give up, sir,” Checkers retorted, turning. There was a new scar on his face, the pink line puckered across his chin, keeping company with the old wound under his eye; either Kaliida Shoal’s bacta didn’t take or he hadn’t been treated in time. His scalp gleamed intermittently bald under the rec room’s bright lights. Since Kothlis he’d shaved it in racing stripes and dyed what was left an eye-searing green. Seeing Ahsoka, he flicked his fingers to his forehead and grinned. “Ma’am.”
She grinned back. “Not ma’am. Ahsoka.”
“Right, right.” He dug in his fatigues’ pocket and pulled out another turbo-dart. “Fancy a round, Ahsoka?”
“In a minute,” she said. “Keep the darts warm for me.”
“So,” said Rex, his gaze lazily intent as she turned her attention back to him. “What’s our General up to?”
It was such a simple question, and yet she couldn’t answer it. Not only because of security, but because her throat was suddenly closed tight with fear.
Rex leaned forward. “Little’un?”
“I’m sorry,” she said, gulping. “I can’t tell you.”
He exchanged glances with Coric. “But he’s in trouble?”
Mute, she nodded, then realized her hands were clutched tight and sweaty in her lap. Any second now she was going to cry.
Stang
.
“He’s been in trouble before,” said Coric, trying to sound a lot more confident than he felt. “He’ll get out of it. He always does.”
“He always
has
,” she corrected him. “But this time…”
“You know where he is?” said Rex, fiercely frowning.
She nodded.
“And you—we—can’t go in after him?”
She shook her head.
“
Ever?
” said Coric, taken aback. “Or just not yet?”
“I—I don’t know,” she whispered. “Please, you can’t say anything to anyone. This has to stay between us.”
“Don’t worry,” said Rex, and dragged a hand down his face. “
Stang.
”
Torrent Company was so
cheerful
. It broke her heart to see them laughing, teasing, roughhousing, as though they didn’t have a care in the world. Because if they knew what she knew…
Rex sat back, pretending he wasn’t upset. “What have you seen, Ahsoka? What’s the Force shown you?”
She was under strict instructions never to discuss how the Force was getting harder and harder to read. She mustn’t mention it even to Rex and Coric, whom she trusted with her life. Of course, this once she didn’t have to lie. She hadn’t seen anything, though she’d nearly passed out trying.
“All I get is a feeling,” she said, keeping her voice low, though there was so much noise in the room. “Like I’m about to be sick, all the time.”
“I know that feeling,” said Coric, trying to joke. “D’you reckon I
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