"Where are we going?" she asked after a while.
"It will be a surprise," Coric tried to convince her.
"You don't know where we're going yourselves." she muttered
"No. Not really."
She shrieked at first, that he had heard her, but then giggled softly, which delighted them both. They didn't know how they did it, but Ahsoka was starting to open up.
Ok, probably that was more Lou's doing, who had a very special connection with the young Togruta.
"I know it though." said Fives, who had come up with something on the fly.
"Where to?"
"You'll see," he said, and turned.
Ahsoka thought about it. She didn't know her way around here, of course, even if the paths looked strangely familiar.
She didn't know how many times she had walked this way before.
It was the way to one of her favorite places. The hangar.
When they arrived, Ahsoka's mouth dropped open.
She didn't remember ever seeing anything like it, even though she had seen it hundreds of times.
In her eyes, it was beautiful. She noticed the ordered chaos and immediately felt safe.
And the fighters and bombers held such a fascination for her that she would have liked to run right over to one.
"Well, do you like it?" asked Fives with a broad smile.
She nodded enthusiastically.
"Do you want to see yours?" asked Coric.
"M...mine? I... I have an ... own one?!"
"Yes you do. Come on I'll show you" Coric said and led her to her fighter.
Ahsoka's eyes lit up with joy when she saw the old but unknown ship.
She walked over and carefully stroked over the metal with her fingertips. while her mouth hung wide open.
Images flashed through her consciousness.
Her as she repaired it. Her master as he showed her how.
Her first flight in it, and when she rescued Rex in it.
How she painted it with the boys, and how the paint came off later.
The first time she was hit in it, and how her master pulled her out.
When the flash of memory had passed, she was lying on the floor.
Fives and Coric stood over her, concerned.
"Are you okay?"
She nodded slightly and got back to her feet.
"I'm... I'm fine" she breathed, trying to hold on to that feeling of safety and security, that happiness that she remembered.
"You sure?"
She nodded.
Never again would she let go of that memory.
Never again.
"Want me to show you how to fly this thing?" asked Coric, tapping the ship.
She nodded enthusiastically.
But then an uneasy feeling tugged through her gut. Something had happened.
Just then, her master walked in.
"Coric. Fives. I need to talk to you."
The two came over. "Yes General?"
Quieter than before so Ahsoka wouldn't hear, he continued speaking.
"Don't raise your voice, but Lou is in a coma."
The two looked at each other in horror. Lou was not only an incredibly nice girl that they had all taken to their hearts, but also Ahsoka's emotional lifeline.
"What are we going to do about the commander?
"I don't know."
They turned to her. And experienced a shock.
For Ahsoka was gone.