Ahsoka walks out of the tent dedicated to being used as the "war room" with Anakin on her heels. She'd gotten back from the scouting mission a bit ago and just barely finished reporting the details to the others.
Ahsoka looks around, scanning the campsite for a particular fellow padawan.
"Master, have you seen Birdie?" Ahsoka asks, turning to Anakin.
"I sent her on a run to the town to see if the citizens knew anything about the base," Anakin replied. "Why?"
"I just wanted to spend more time with her. She's really nice. I think we'll make good friends," Ahsoka says brightly. Then her expression drops. "There's something about her that bothers me, though."
Anakin raises his eyebrows.
"It's like she's... frightened. I don't know. She guards herself and with the Force all the time, though, so I can't be certain about anything," Ahsoka sighs. "And she always wears that cloak with the hood over her face so you can't see it well."
"I've noticed something, too," Anakin admits. "She's pretty jumpy and it seems a little much to be just nerves."
"I'm going to see if I can get her to talk tonight," Ahsoka decides. "We're sharing a tent because Jesse and Tup didn't bring one for her, so maybe we can talk tonight."
"Yeah, and tell me what you find out," Anakin nods curtly.
"Got it, Master."
🪐🪐🪐
I tuck my hair behind my head and flick my hood back up as I approach the camp. It felt good to be free from the cloak hood for a while, but now that I'm finished in town, I have to put it back up.
The citizens in town shapeshifted into Twi'lek, humans, Rodians, Zabraks, and some even shifted into Echani like me when I arrived. They were frightened by my presence alone, even though I acted as non-threateningly as I could. They're quite timid.
But I have the information I need.
After I report what I found out to Master Skywalker, he dismisses me. I walk out of the tent and Ahsoka and I nearly flatten each other.
"Oh, Birdie!" Ahsoka gasps. "I'm sorry, are you okay?"
"Yeah," I assure her. "I'm fine."
There's a short pause.
"Sooo... do you want to come meet the boys now?" Ahsoka offers. "I can introduce you to them."
"Sure," I agree.
Ahsoka leads me to the large tent that serves as a mess hall. There's a large group of clones gathered around one of the flimsy tables.
"Okay, so that's Fives, Kix, Hardcase..." Ahsoka goes on, pointing to each clone as she lists his name.
When she gets to the clones called Tup and Jesse, I think, Ah, yes, tent clones. They're the ones who were kind enough to consider me worthy of a tent.
"Do they not have numbers?" I ask softly.
"They do, but it's easier and better to call them by their names," Ahsoka explains. "Why?"
"Master Krell doesn't allow them to have names."
"Oh, so he's one of those masters," Ahsoka spits out distastefully. "The 'no attachments' rule is going too far when you can't even call the clones by their proper names!"
"I agree," I whisper, inaudible to most ears. But Ahsoka apparently hears me because she smiles.
"Can we play Sabacc now?" Fives asks in a whiney voice.
"Sure. Want to join us, Birdie?" Ahsoka offers.
I don't want to be rude and decline, and everyone here is so nice anyway. "Yes."
"I hope you're good because we play some pretty mean Sabacc," Fives whistles.
I don't say anything in response.
We all sit down around the table and Rex provides a deck of cards. The cards are shuffled, dealt, and after Ahsoka makes sure I know how to play, the game begins.
As the others play, I watch their every move. I watch the way their eyes dart around, narrow, and widen and the way their lips twitch and quirk. I pay attention to the way their fingers twist around and work with each card. I observe their expressions as they pick up the cards and choose what to do with them.
We play with actual credits (Ahsoka had to loan me some) so I watch the gears in their heads turn as they decide what to bet next.
There's also the talk. Ahsoka and Fives exchange taunts about who has the better cards and who's going to win. It's too nice to be trash talk and their insults are playful. Every move they make is sarcastic and amused, but there's a pattern to everything, and eventually, I see it.
I make my own movements even and steady. And even though there's a shadow over my face, I maintain a mutual expression. I shield myself with the Force in case Ahsoka tries to read me in that way.
When the time comes that the hands are beginning to be played, the players are eliminated one by one. But Fives is right: everyone here is good at Sabacc.
Fives, Ahsoka, and I are the last ones in the game.
"Hah! Sabacc, I win!" Ahsoka cheers, tossing her cards down on the table. "Pure Sabacc. Beat that, Fives!"
"Dang it." Fives drops his hand on the table. "I bombed out by two points."
My heart hammers in my chest. I lay my hand of cards down gently on the table. "Idiot's array," I whisper, not expecting anyone to care.
Ahsoka's head snaps to me, then to my cards, then back to me, gaping. "Whoah, it is an Idiot's array. You win."
Everyone stares at me in shock and I wonder if I've done something wrong. I never should've revealed my hand. I never should've said I beat Ahsoka and–
Fives suddenly bursts out into laughter. "You win! You beat Commander Tano! I never thought I'd see the day come: no one's been able to beat her yet. You suck, Commander Tano!"
"Says the guy who I beat," Ahsoka counters, silencing Fives. "Want to go again, Birdie? All or nothing?"
"Okay," I agree.
During the second round, Ahsoka pays a lot more attention to my movements. I can tell she's getting frustrated that she can't read me. I'm good at hiding things like this, no matter if it's a game or something more serious.
I win the second round with a Pure Sabacc.
"You're pretty good at this," Ahsoka compliments me. "Where'd you learn to play?"
"I learned on a mission to a casino, but Master Krell's taught me to be observant and wary of everything," I explain. "I pick up on the details."
"Well, it certainly won you a nice pot of Sabacc credits," Ahsoka says with a chuckle, pushing the pile of money toward me.
"None of it was originally mine. I have no right to this," I say, flicking some of the credits away.
"It's fine. I didn't loan you very many and you won the rest fair and square. You can keep them," Ahsoka insists.
"No." I look at the tabletop regretfully. "Master Krell doesn't like me to have credits around. I can't take them."
"Oh," Ahsoka relents and shoves the credits back to the center of the table. "In that case, take what's yours, boys, so we can go again." She gives me an odd look before relaxing her expression and inviting me to play with them again.
"Actually, I think I'd like to go clear my mind," I say, pushing up from the table.
"Go ahead," Ahsoka says, then grabs up the cards to shuffle and deal.
I push myself up from the table and go outside and find a quiet place to sit. I sit with my legs tucked underneath me and rake my fingers through the tall, lush grass.
My mind begins racing, trying to find a solution to the whole tent ordeal. Either Ahsoka finds out because I don't wear my cloak (and Master Krell kills me) or Ahsoka finds out because I'm suspicious and wear my cloak (and Master Krell still kills me). So either way, I'm dead.
I puff out a long sigh and lay back into the cool grass, staring up at the twinkling stars. Maybe I can do something like wait for Ahsoka to go to sleep, then wake up before she does... There's no good solution.
"That sure is an interesting way to clear your mind."
I shoot up from the grass, my heart hammering, even though I know who it is. I draw in a breath to calm myself. "Nature is calming."
"Fair point," Ahsoka laughs faintly. "Food's on. Obi-Wan just got here, so everyone's eating together tonight." She holds her hand out to me.
I take her hand and hoist myself to my feet. Even though I'm not hungry, I follow her to the tent to get some dinner.