I'm fully alert but exhausted as I follow Master Krell to meet the Jedi we'll be working with. I stayed up all night last night, scrambling to finish inventory duty.
I pull my hood further over my eyes when I see the other Jedi. I can't let them see my face: it's one of Master Krell's rules. If they see any of my injuries, I get punished. That means they can't see my face, arms, legs, shoulders, midriff, or even my hands.
My culture is to show lots of skin. I'm an Echani, so we train and work in as little clothing as possible while still staying modest. But I wear baggy Jedi robes plus a long, outer cloak to hide myself because of Master Krell.
"Master Krell. Good to see you," one of the Jedi says. He's Master Ki-Adi-Mundi. I know him because he's on the Jedi High Council. Master Mundi shakes Master Krell's hand.
Standing next to Master Mundi is Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, who is also on the Council. And next to him is his former padawan, the famous chosen one, Anakin Skywalker. Then there's also a teenage Togruta girl standing next to him. My heart leaps. It's Ahsoka Tano.
Most Jedi padawans look up to Master Skywalker, the chosen one, but I admire Ahsoka. She's brave, tough, and smart. Not even being Krell's padawan could break her, I think. I wish I could be more like her and less like the weak, failure of a padawan I am.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Anakin Skywalker and this is my padawan, Ahsoka Tano." Master Skywalker shakes Krell's hand and gestures to his padawan. She tilts her head down respectfully and smiles.
"This is my padawan, Birdie Welsh," Master Krell tells them. The Council members already know me, but I know that Skywalker and Tano have probably never heard of me. I'm a nobody.
"Hello, Masters." I bow politely.
"Padawan Welsh." Master Kenobi nods to me. Ahsoka smiles at me, but I don't smile back. It hurts to smile and I know that she can't see my face, anyway.
"Ahsoka, why don't you go introduce Padawan Welsh here to the men?" Master Skywalker suggests.
"Yes, Master," Ahsoka says, pivoting. I look up to Master Krell, and when he gives me the slightest ever of nods, I follow Ahsoka.
Ahsoka leads me away from the masters and falls into step beside me. My heart is thudding out of my chest. I'm walking beside someone who is basically a celebrity.
"So," she says after a moment of silence. "Your name is Birdie?"
"Yes," I say simply. Master Krell doesn't like it when I talk a lot– not to him, the clones, or other Jedi. I so badly want to talk to this famous padawan, but I know I'll be in trouble if I do.
"That's a nice name," Ahsoka says.
"Thank you," I reply. Did a famous padawan just compliment me?
"You close to your men?" Ahsoka tries again.
"No," I say. I don't provide any further explanation. Ahsoka seems puzzled by me, but not exactly suspicious of anything yet. There are other padawans who don't talk much– I know there must be. It can't just be me.
"How come?" Ahsoka prods.
"Master Krell doesn't allow attachments," I explain. It's a typical Jedi thing to not allow attachments. Do other Jedi masters let their padawans get close to the clones?
"Ah, I see," Ahsoka hums. "My master is the opposite: he believes that if we have good relationships with our men, we'll be more in sync and stronger in battle."
I just nod. I know Ahsoka can see my head bob, even if she can't see my face.
"Oh, there's Rex!" Ahsoka points enthusiastically to a clone in blue and white armour.
He's looking down at his datapad and doesn't see us.
Ahsoka cups her hands around her mouth and shouts, "Rex!! Reeeeeeeeeeeeeex!! REEEEX REEEX REX REX REX REX REEEEX REEEEEEEEEEEX!!"
The clone's head snaps up and he glares at Ahsoka, waving his arms around in a large gesture of 'what?' She waves at him with a wide grin. As we approach, he rolls his eyes.
I stifle a gasp and cup my hands over my mouth. The clone she called Rex has some reckless nerve to make such an action against a superior.
But to my surprise, Ahsoka only laughs. Rex raises his hand. I flinch and take a step back, only for Ahsoka to jump forward and smack her palm against his.
"Rex, this is Birdie Welsh. She's Krell's padawan, and she's gonna be working with us on the next mission," Ahsoka explained. "Birdie, this is Captain Rex of the 501st."
"Hello, Captain Rex," I say with a small bow of respect.
"Commander Welsh." Rex nods to me and turns to Ahsoka. "Commander Tano, Fives keeps pestering me about Sabbac. You don't have any responsibilities while we're in transit, do you?"
"No, I got all my homework done with Anakin last night," Ahsoka told him. "Tell Fives I'm in and I'm gonna kick his butt."
I watch the two interact curiously. Master Krell would certainly punish me for interacting so casually with... well... anyone. And did she actually call her master by his first name? Mine would kill me if I ever did so.
"Ahsoka." Ahsoka's comm crackled.
"Yeah, Master?"
"Head on back to us. We're ready to go," Master Skywalker instructed.
"Sure thing." Ahsoka shuts her comm off and waves me towards the direction we came from. "Come on, Birdie. Our masters want us back. See ya' Rex!"
Ahsoka and I walk back to the small huddle of masters. I feel myself tense as I stand next to Master Krell.
"We've decided that Master Krell will go with Ki-Adi-Mundi and Padawan Welsh will come with Anakin, Ahsoka, and me," Master Kenobi explains to the group.
"Great. I think we're ready to depart then," Master Skywalker says.
"I'll just have a word in private with my padawan," Master Krell says. I feel myself start to tremble.
No, I remind myself. He can't do anything if other masters are watching.
"Padawan," he says, "I assume you remember the rules?"
"Yes, Master," I assure him, reciting the rules. "Speak only when absolutely necessary, always wear the cloak, tend to myself if I am to be injured, and never, under any circumstances, tell them."
"And if you break any of those rules..." Master Krell grabs my shoulder and lifts me off the ground about six centimetres. "...you know what's coming for you."
"Yes, Master." I'm ridged from fear. My lungs stop working properly and my breaths are uneven and laboured.
Master Krell lets me go, and even though I wasn't far off the ground, the fear brings me to my knees. I knot my hands together and press them against my collar bone, learning how to breathe again.
"Stop laying on the ground like a pathetic child and stand up," Master Krell barks.
"Yes, Master," I gasp, scrambling to my feet.
Master Krell looks me up and down with disgust as if I'm a pile of garbage that needs to be cleared away. Finally, he says, "You're nothing more than a lab experiment. Remember that."
You don't know that! I scream inside my head, but I can't say that out loud. It stings when he insults my people like that. He believes we were made in a lab by crossing two other peoples.
Master Krell steps aside so I can pass him and go to join the other Jedi. He watches me as I go.
On approaching the others, Master Skywalker pats me on the shoulder and I cave slightly in fright. I can feel Master Krell's glare on my back, but the good news is that Master Skywalker didn't seem to notice. I need to be more careful about my reflexes.
I glance around and my eyes meet Ahsoka's. Her expression is almost unreadable, but I can see some confusion in her eyes. I make sure I'm shielding myself with the Force from anyone else's senses.
Then Ahsoka smiles and falls into step beside me. "Come on, I'll introduce you to the other boys. Then I can kick Fives' butt in Sabbac!"
YOU ARE READING
The Padawan Who Hid
FanfictionBirdie Welsh used to be the happiest youngling in all the Jedi Temple. She was outgoing, had many friends, and remained positive in every situation. She was a little ray of starlight in the darkest times. Then she became the padawan to Jedi General...
