Ahsoka lets out a small sigh, following Anakin through a garden on Rodia. The two of them were sent here to ensure that the relationship between the Rodians and the Republic is still on good terms. After being on the battlefield only a few days ago, this feels almost unnecessary to her.

She doesn't understand why they sent her and Anakin to take care of their relationship. They've been soldiers for the past year. Going to planets and listening to complaints and worries bores her to death now.

Her attention hasn't been on the conversation for these last few minutes. The scenery and her own thoughts have captivated her. She drifts in and out of each room trailing behind her master and Onaconda Farr as they chat about how to improve the lives of the Rodians and other beings in the galaxy.

Ahsoka knows she should be paying attention, but she longs to be anywhere else. She wishes she could be doing something like practicing her lightsaber skills with Anakin or studying battle plans with Rex. Her daily life has become so fast-paced and unpredictable that talking and walking in a peaceful setting bores her.

Sensing this, Anakin gives his padawan a soft smile. He remembers what it was like to follow Obi-Wan around while he negotiated with senators. "Ahsoka," Anakin says, pulling her from her thoughts. She looks at him with wide eyes. "Why don't you go and meditate in one of the gardens around here. I'm sure Senator Farr won't mind if you look for a quiet room to practice in."

Senator Farr quickly agrees and encourages Ahsoka to explore the palace. She smiles at Anakin, grateful for his intuition and understanding. Without needing any other instruction, she leaves them with a small goodbye and begins wandering the palace on her own.

She looks in and out of each room, studying the different artifacts and painting on display. Some are relevant to Rodian history, while others are just art pieces of the landscape and emotions related to Rodia.

Ahsoka finds all of it to be interesting. The culture is not like the Jedi Order. Seeing and experiencing stuff opposite of her background is fun and educating. She enjoys learning about the new planets she visits.

As she's about to head back to Anakin, she hears a calling. It's no louder than a whisper, but it's there. It pulls at her, beckoning her to follow it. Ahsoka stops in her tracks, knowing that she shouldn't go unless she has Anakin by her side.

Yet her feet move without her knowing it. She feels like she is in a trance, strolling through the unexplored hallways as if she's walked them a thousand times. Some part of her is screaming that she should be afraid. Her body should not be reacting without her approval.

No. She's okay. She doesn't know why she's safe, but it's repeating in her head over and over again, so she must be safe. She feels calm and relaxed, more so than she has in the past few months. She isn't going to be harmed, in fact, she's going to be enlightened.

Yes. Ahsoka wants to be enlightened. She likes learning, especially when it's a mystery to most beings in the galaxy.

Without warning, her feet suddenly stop. Her body jolts and she has to brace herself from falling on her face. She feels like she's been awoken from a dreamless sleep, her body's aches returning to her.

Ahsoka groans, rubbing the side of her head. She blinks, looking around the now unfamiliar room. It's dark and unwelcoming. It looks like it's been through hell and back, with shelves toppled over and its items scattered across the floor. Her nose stings, breathing in the air that carries a scent of mold and mildew.

She doesn't remember why she came here.

She doesn't remember how she even got here.

That makes her uneasy.

She doesn't want to stay here any longer. She needs to leave, immediately. This place is giving her the creeps and she doesn't like the atmosphere around her. She decides to exit and go back to Anakin when she feels something.

No. Someone.

"You are not who I was calling for." A stranger greets her from the darkness. His poised voice sends chills up Ahsoka's spine. She tenses, almost afraid to turn around and face him. "Who might you be, little one?"

Ahsoka doesn't answer. She isn't going to give anything about herself away to this stranger. She can feel the darkness in the room. It floats off him like fog, lapping at her feet. It carries a dangerous warning, causing goosebumps to rise on her arms.

She knows she should reach for her lightsabers to protect herself, but she doesn't.

Cautiously, she turns to meet his gaze. He is not recognizable. His features are hidden beneath a heavy hood and his presence in the Force is nothing like anyone she's ever met. "I'm not supposed to give my name to strangers." She says once she finds her voice.

"Dear, we are not strangers. I was once a part of your Order."

"Oh?"

"Yes. Though you probably wouldn't know that since the Order would rather not associate with me anymore." He says. He tucks his hands behind his back, making himself taller than before. "I am here because I'm certain we have a common acquaintance. Why don't you tell me your name and we'll start from there."

Ahsoka tries to hold back her tongue, not wanting to give out anything to him. But his words act like a spell, almost moving her mouth without her command. Soon, she finds that she does want to tell him. She discovers that she really wants to tell him. "My name is Ahsoka Tano. I'm Master Skywalker's padawan."

She blinks, shaking her head. Why did she say that? She knows that telling anyone that information is dangerous, especially in a galaxy at war.

"Ah, I was right. We do have an acquaintance." He smiles as he begins to slightly pace in front of her. "Master Skywalker." He repeats under their breath.

Ahsoka tenses. She doesn't like that he has more information about her than she does about him. "Who are you?" She asks, making the stranger's head tilts. She licks her lips, her heartbeat rising with each passing second. "If we share an acquaintance, it's only fair that I know your name as well." She builds.

"You don't need to know my name."

And Ahsoka finds herself agreeing. She doesn't need to know his name.

The stranger suddenly steps forward so Ahsoka takes one back. She is going to keep her distance. Though she doesn't know his name, she refuses to let him get too close. She won't let her guard drop, especially around someone with so much darkness hovering over them.

"My dear, what in the blazes are you wearing?"

Confused, Ahsoka's gaze drops to look at her outfit. She's dressed in her usual red top with her arms bare aside from the gloves that go just up to her elbows. Paired with it, she has on a skirt with white tights to keep her legs warm. "What's wrong with my clothes?" She asks as her arms subconsciously move to cover her bare stomach.

"They have you wear that out in battle?" He points, gesturing to her outfit.

"Yes?"

He shakes his head as he tosses a hand into the air. "Force, help me. It's a wonder you haven't gotten killed yet." 

Ahsoka bites her lip, not knowing what to say. Is it really that much of a surprise that she's still alive? She can handle herself out there.

The stranger lets out an exaggerated sigh and wipes his hand down his face. "I swear, it's like they have no common sense at all." He scoffs. Without warning, his black hood is tossed back, allowing Ahsoka to fully see his face. "I leave for a year and we start sending younglings into blaster fire with only a tube top to protect them." He grumbles as he removes his robe.

Ahsoka feels herself growing embarrassed. She didn't think her outfit was wrong. 

She looks down at herself again.

She didn't think about it at all, really. After all, none of the masters ever said anything about it. They let her wear these clothes for all of her and Anakin's missions.

"Here, use this."

The black robe is suddenly tossed at her and Ahsoka catches it with ease. She holds it in her arms, unsure what to do. The robe is much larger than she's used to. It's longer and darker than any that she's used before.

"Don't be embarrassed, Ahsoka." He says, catching her attention with her name. "It's not your fault the people in charge don't know how to keep you safe. Just put on the robe until you return back to the Temple. Then you can find actual protective gear for battle."

Not wanting to upset him, she slips on the black robe. She's practically swimming in it, but it does feel comfortable. She pulls the hood over her head, almost covering her eyes with it in the process.

She takes this time to study the stranger. Without his robe, he doesn't seem as frightening. His hair is loose, falling over his shoulders lazily. She still can't quite make out his face as he's still hidden in the shadows, but he's human. 

He seems harmless, yet she can't ignore that sickening feeling in the Force that surrounds him. It reminds her of a murky pond, tempting her to step in and risk discovering how deep it truly goes.

"Alright. I've learned enough." He says. He shoos her away with a quick wave of his hand. "Go back to your master, I'm sure he's missing your presence. Make sure to tell him that I said hello and to put you in better-suited clothing. We would hate for you to die because of a stray blaster bolt, right?"

Not wanting to miss her chance, Ahsoka immediately leaves the room. She doesn't know the way back, but she hopes that Anakin will find her before the stranger changes his mind. Though he was calm and didn't seem dangerous, Ahsoka can't deny how strong the dark side was with him.

On her way back, she finds herself wondering if it was all some strange dream. It doesn't seem real. She wandered the hallways with an instinctive purpose to meet someone clouded in darkness. And he gave her a robe to cover herself!

No. She definitely imagined it all.

When she finally runs into Anakin again, his narrowed eyes let her know that it definitely happened. He doesn't say anything while Senator Farr is still present, but he becomes more interested in their surroundings than the senator. Once they say their farewells and make their return to their ship, Anakin pulls her close. "Where did you find this robe?" He asks under his breath.

"A stranger gave it to me." She softly replies as they continue walking to the ship. She knows she asked him for his name, but doesn't remember why she didn't press him harder for it. Why did she let that question go unanswered? It doesn't make any sense to her.

Anakin's demeanor quickly changes at her response. His posture straightens and he glances around. Needless to say, he knows something that she doesn't. "What did they say to you?" He asks, keeping Ahsoka close to him.

"He didn't say much." Ahsoka begins, now feeling his anxiety through the Force. "He gave me his robe because he didn't like my outfit. He thought that it was unwise of the Order to have me wearing this when I'm on the battlefield. He said he was surprised I was still alive."

"He said that?" Anakin repeats. He looks her up and down, taking in the dark robe. "So he gave you his robe to wear?"

"Until I change my clothes upon my return to the Temple."

Anakin's jaw locks as he lets this settle between them. "Did he say anything else?"

"He wanted me to tell you he says hello."

Anakin doesn't ask any more questions after that and ushers her inside the ship.

xxx

This new information disturbs Obi-Wan.

Greatly.

Things in the Order are rapidly changing, and not for the better. Obi-Wan already didn't like the idea of Anakin being a knight. He is young and leading a battalion of men alone on planets that shouldn't be involved in a war in the first place.

And now, on top of that, he's training a padawan. A young one who doesn't even know how to properly dress for war. Every vital part of her body is exposed. One wrong move and she's dead.

Anakin can't handle another death.

Obi-Wan already knows how that will turn out.

Blast. Now he has Ahsoka Tano to watch over on top of Anakin. He just hopes she's smarter than Anakin and actually takes his advice and changes her clothes.

Still, he can't get over how fast the Order has pushed them through the ranks. Both of them are young, incredibly so for what they are required to do as Jedi now. They shouldn't be faced with life or death situations.

They should be back at the Temple, studying and learning as he once did. They should be somewhere they can experience the Force more fully and learn from it. This decision to knight Anakin and give him a padawan must have been made because the Jedi have few numbers.

There have to be other pairings similar to this on all fronts of the war. The Order needs to be sending out padawans as commanders and generals because they have no other choice. They've dug themselves too deep this time and they're risking lives to try to pull themselves out.

Obi-Wan needs more information about this. Of course, it'll have to come from someone higher up. And Dooku certainly can't know about his personal mission. Especially because it involves Anakin.

And Obi-Wan is supposed to let go of his attachment to Anakin.

xxx

Ahsoka and Anakin return to the Temple with no issues. Aside from the brooding from Anakin as he stared into hyperspace, it was a smooth ride back. Ahsoka holds the black robes in her hands, debating about what to do with them.

Should she really take the stranger's advice and change her clothes?

After all, how she's survived this long with all of her major organs unprotected is a surprise. If the battle droids were better shots, would she still be here today?  

As the stranger said, one stray blaster bolt and she's dead.

"Master," Ahsoka begins as they exit the ship. Anakin pauses at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at her. "Do you think that I should change my outfit?"

Anakin hums, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm probably not the best person to ask." He says. "The Council doesn't really approve of my choice of robes. They wish I would have picked something lighter." He gestures to his robes.

Ahsoka remains quiet.

"Still, I won't stop you if you'd feel more comfortable in something else." He shrugs with a soft smile. "It probably wouldn't hurt to improve your clothing. You can always test out new outfits if you want."

"Okay. Thank you, Master." She replies as she looks back down at the robe in her arms. Without another word, Anakin leaves to report their successful meeting to the Council. She stands alone outside of the ship, debating about what she should do.

Ahsoka finally decides that she isn't going to be droid bait. She is going to protect herself as best she can. 

"Rex." She calls out, searching the hangar for her captain. He turns with a smile, greeting Ahsoka by name. "Can you help me with something?" She asks.

"Of course, Ahsoka." He says as he sets his helmet on top of a crate. "What's on your mind?"

"Do you happen to have any armor that I can use?" She asks. Her newest outfit now crashes into her mind and makes her grin. She hasn't seen a single Jedi create the combination that she is planning on utilizing. 

"What for?" Rex asks with a head tilt.

"I'm changing my outfit." She declares. "I'm not going to die because the Order was reckless enough to send me out in this."

This brings a smirk to Rex's face. "Let's get you fitted. We're going to find you the best armor we have on hand."

She quickly follows him through the hangar, allowing him and a few other troopers to test out the armor on her. She watches in excitement as they place a new piece on her and then discuss if it would aid her on missions or slow down her movements.

Finally, they settle on a chest plate that covers her vital organs. They protect her arms with shoulder plates and wrist armor in case she needs to defend her face. On her legs, they decide to hide away her shins with shiny new casings that fit her perfectly. 

By the time the clones have finished shielding her from danger while leaving her flexible to fight in her own style, Anakin joins them in the hangar. "You look great, Snips." He compliments with a proud smile. "I think you're just missing one thing, though."

He drapes one of his dark brown robes over her, reminding her that she is not just a soldier, but also a Jedi. He tucks it confidently into her armor, making sure to leave it easy to remove if she needs to but tight enough that it won't blow away in the breeze. 

"Now you really look like a commander," Rex says as he crosses his arms over his chest.

"And a Jedi, Captain," Anakin adds with a smirk. 

Ahsoka admires her new outfit, studying each piece. She loves how it fits her body and has a purpose now. She knows that each bit of armor was chosen by her soldiers because they want to keep her safe. Her master gave her his robe because he wants to show his approval of her decision. 

"Thank you." She breathes. Her chest feels tight, and for the first time in a long time, it's because she feels accepted and respected. 

"Now all that's left for us to do is mark up your new armor," Fives says as he gestures to her shiny, blank chest plate. "We have to let everyone know that you're in charge of the 501st, Commander."

"Yes." Ahsoka smiles. "I think you're right, Fives. Why don't we get started on that?"

~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm SOOO sorry!!! It's been so long since I last updated this oh my gosh. I know it's a little shorter than my usual chapters, but tbh, I'm just glad that I got this out. I don't know what came over me this past weekend, but I reread everything I published in here and all of my notes and I've fallen in love with this story again. 

So   H O P E F U L L Y   I will update this again in the near future. Everything is finally starting to get interesting and I can't believe I just left all of you guys in the dark, lol. For those of you that have stayed with this story since the beginning, I applaud you. You have more loyalty than me. Thank you.