In the End {1}

xiii: Messages

When Ahsoka returned to Padme's apartment for dinner, Anakin still hadn't returned from the Jedi Temple.

"I bet he gave up studying hours ago," she said to Padme. "Probably took a break to run through some drills." It was strange that he wasn't back yet, but she was sure he just got sidetracked or something.

"Anakin really isn't one for books." Padme handed Ahsoka a plate of food. "I guess that means it's just us tonight."

Ahsoka smiled. She enjoyed spending time with Padme whenever she could. "Sounds great!"

Padme sat down across from her. "Ahsoka, I was hoping I could talk to you about something confidential before Anakin gets back."

"Of course," she answered, not sure where this was headed. "What's on your mind?"

Padme took a deep breath. "I had a doctors appointment this morning, and while I was there, I had them check something for me."

"Okay, now you're scaring me. Is something wrong?"

"No, no, I'm fine. Better than fine, actually. I'm pregnant."

Ahsoka put down her fork, her eyes wide. "Congratulations! How far along?"

"About three weeks."

"That's great news, Padme! I'm so happy for you both!" Anakin and Padme were going to be great parents. Her hope was that Anakin would be able to take time away from his duties on the warfront to be with his family. In order for that to happen, the war had to end. She could help with that.

"I don't know what we're going to do. I don't think it'll be too hard to keep it out of the news tabloids. They tend to focus more on petty celebrity drama as it is. If the Jedi Council finds out he's the father, though, then we're in trouble. I have no doubt the baby will be force sensitive because of Anakin, and I don't want to put Anakin or our baby in danger."

Ahsoka picked up her fork and took another bite. It was hard to imagine Anakin as a father, but Ahsoka knew he never did anything halfway. If he was going to be a father, he was going to be the best father there ever was. "I'd be happy to babysit, if that helps any. It's not like I'll have anything better to do once we solve this case. Have you told Anakin yet?"

Padme shook her head. "I'm not sure when to tell him or what to even say. You know better than anyone about the Jedi rules in place, and I don't want him to worry. You know how he gets when he's worried about someone he loves."

That was true. Anakin would have a hard time keeping up with his duties knowing that Padme could be in danger, even if the risks to her are low. It would hurt his ability to focus, which would cost lives. "I understand completely, Padme. Until the time is right for him to know, I won't say anything. I promise."

"Thank you, Ahsoka."

For the remainder of the meal, Ahsoka and Padme talked about other, more frivolous things. It was dark outside by the time they were finished. With no sign of Anakin, Ahsoka decided to go to her room (Padme's former study) to meditate.

She didn't bother turning the lights on. After changing into a nightgown, she sat at the desk and picked up her comm. She had several missed calls and a handful of messages. Maybe one of them was from Anakin. She pressed play and rested her elbows on the desk.

The first message was from Lux.

"Hey, Ahsoka. Thanks for visiting me today." He paused, debating what to say next. "I'm not going to sugarcoat it. I miss you, and I want you back in my life. I was pushy earlier because I was hurt, not because I want to drive you away. That kiss meant something to me. We were so happy before everything got messed up between us. I should've fought harder for us. I see that now. I'm not going to make that mistake again. I want to be with you again, even if it's only as friends. I'd rather be just friends than whatever it is we are now, anyway. If it's not too much to ask, there's a big gala at the Senate building tomorrow night to celebrate the Chancellor's birthday. It's silly, I know, but I still have to go. I was planning on dragging Jaryn along with me so I didn't have to go by myself, but he wanted me to ask you first. It would mean a lot to me if you came, whether that be as a Jedi, as an old friend, or as whatever we are now. I know I can't expect a response to this message, but I still hope I hear from you. Take care, Ahsoka. I love you always."

Rather than overanalyze what he said, Ahsoka decided to send a message back right away and speak from the heart.

"Hi, Lux. It was good to see you today, too. If I'm being honest, I have to admit that the kiss meant something to me as well. It's time I start making amends with my past instead of running from it. I'm not saying I'm ready for anything to happen between us, but after I work some other things out, I might be open to being friends again. My boyfriend has..." She hadn't brought up Nyx to Lux yet. She didn't want him to be upset that she'd moved on, but it just slipped out. "He doesn't want me talking to you anymore. I hate to lie to him, so I don't know what that means for the gala. Don't worry, it's not personal. We're not endgame, him and I, but I'm not ready to walk away yet. Regardless, you know I'm always a call away if you ever need anything. Until our paths cross again, may the force be with you."

She put down the comm and began pacing by the window. If she was seriously going to start making peace with her past, she should probably get started on that soon. She hadn't gone through her focus exercises or lightsaber practice routines in weeks, and she could definitely tell that her skills weren't where they used to be. She closed her eyes and let the force flow through her. It would always be a part of her, regardless of her relationship with the Jedi Order. The force was a powerful ally, and in order to call upon it, she needed to do more to keep it alive within her.

She added training exercises to her mental to-do list as she sat back down at the desk and opened the next message.

"Ahsoka, it's Anakin. Believe it or not, I've actually been productive today. I have a lot of great resources to help us out. I ran into Master Unduli on my way in, which set me back a long time. It was worth talking to her, though, because she had a lot of insight on some places I should look. I'm probably not going to make it home tonight because I have a lot of information to sort through. Keep monitoring the news as best you can. I'll see you tomorrow. Skywalker out."

Ahsoka knew it wasn't a coincidence he had seen Master Unduli. She hoped that Barriss's master would be able to provide a lot of good information that could help steer them in the right direction.

Speaking of the news, she picked up a holotablet on the desk and flipped through the headlines. Nothing out of the ordinary. There were some reports on the war, bills in the Republic Senate, protests in some of the surface districts, celebrity drama...

One particular story caught her eye. There had been a bar fight on level 1315 late last night. "That explains Nyx," she muttered aloud. The bartender had been stabbed with a poison knife, very similar to what happened to Maggie. As she read the article, she could tell that something wasn't right. The bar was located very across the street from the warehouse Ahsoka had visited during her trial. That had to be a clue. Why else would Barriss have chosen that bar in particular?

It was too late to go out now, and without her lightsabers, Ahsoka wasn't sure how long she'd last if Barriss ambushed her there. She could start there in the morning with Anakin. Hopefully, they would find the answers they so desperately needed.