The Unchronicled Adventures Of Ahsoka Tano, Book Ten

Chapter Seventy-Four: Explaining The Necklace

JANIRA BONTERI

Ahsoka was already there to greet her by the time Jani had powered down her fighter and climbed out into the cargo bay of the small shuttle they had on loan from Chopper Base.

Jani tossed her helmet back into the cockpit and drew her hair back into its usual high ponytail. Then, she pulled her sister-in-law into a hug, grinning widely.

For a long moment they held each other tightly, giggling like children. Jani had missed Ahsoka like crazy – perhaps even more than Lux. Well, no. About the same, just in a different way that made their separation hurt at different times. Having no sisters of their own, the two had banded together to take advantage of each other's company, and it was in situations like these especially that she appreciated Ahsoka's wise counsel and calm observations.

"Sorry I'm so late – the trip in itself isn't a short one, plus I had to postpone my departure two days. There was a raid on one of the supply envoys and they needed the extra pilot. I haven't handed in my official resignation from Phoenix Squadron yet, and I won't until this is over, so I figured I would help out." Jani bit her lip uneasily. "Hope no one at the conference is too mad at me."

"They aren't. You're their next commanding officer, so they're perfectly willing to give you the time if you need it," Ahsoka soothed.

"Their next commanding officer," Jani echoed softly, stifling an uneasy laugh. She checked her pulse as her father had taught her to do when she felt her nerves starting to get to her, and found it racing. "I'm still having trouble believing all this is really happening. I don't even know how to feel about it, to be totally honest with you: excited, happy, scared..."

Ahsoka nodded, a knowing smile curling the corners of her lips ever so slightly upward. "You'll get used to it eventually. It just takes awhile to sink in."

Jani smiled lightly, but secretly she was fighting the desire to change the subject – this whole mess was the last thing she wanted to talk about right now. The urge eventually got the better of her, and she said, "Enough about me. Tell me how the search for that kid is going."

Ahsoka exhaled a long breath. "I still have over half the sector to check, but so far, I haven't sensed anything. That means I either have yet to find them, or they're so well hidden I can't find them – and hopefully the same will go for the Inquisitors."

Jani must have stiffened more visibly than she thought, because a moment later, Ahsoka asked: "Hey, is something wrong?"

Janira shook her head and crossed her arms over her flight suit, pressing her lips tightly together to keep them from pulling back into a snarl. "I just really hate those Inquisitors."

"Why? Did they do something to you?"

"Can you just drop it?"

Ahsoka's eyes widened, and Jani realized the question had come out far more harshly than she had meant it to. "I'm sorry," she said. "That was uncalled for. But I don't want to talk about it, okay?"

"If you're going to lash out like that every time someone asks, then maybe you should," Ahsoka said, reaching out to put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It helps to get these things off your chest, sometimes – and Lux always says I'm a very good listener."

Jani considered telling her no, but at the same time, she knew better than most people how persistent her sister-in-law could be. Evading Ahsoka's probing would just create more questions until she was satisfied with the answer. So, against her better judgment, Jani nodded. "Let's go to the cockpit. I don't like the idea of leaving the ship on autopilot for too long with so many Imperial patrols around."