I Choose You ( discontinued )

Chapter 8: An Unnecessary Bond

Ahsoka's lungs still burned from the sand and she could still see the worms squirming in and out of Barriss' mouth and nose. She shivered and cast a side glace at the Mirialan. She looked relatively calm, but something seemed to be bugging her. Ahsoka shifted in her seat for a moment before getting up and sitting next to her. "Hey."

Barriss looked slightly startled. "Um, hello Ahsoka."

"I'm glad we're leaving Geonosis," Ahsoka said with a grin. "Too many pests."

Barriss gave a small smile. "Yes."

Ahsoka cocked her head. "You don't talk much do you?"

"Not really," Barriss replied, shifting a little. "You...talk a lot."

"Not as much as Al," Ahsoka said without thinking. When Barriss looked confused, she added. "Oh, Al's a close friend of mine. We trained together at the Academy. Do you have any close friends?"

"No," Barriss said abruptly. She quickly added, "Everyone thinks I'm too sensible."

"Well," said Ahsoka slowly. "I thought you were pretty sensible when we destroyed that factory. In that instance, it was good."

Barriss looked hopeful. "Really?"

"Yeah!" said Ahsoka. They were silent for a moment before she spoke again. "Do you, maybe wanna be friends?"

"I would like that," Barriss said with a smile that Ahsoka thought looked nice on her. "I would like that a lot."

"Good," Ahsoka said standing up. "You should smile more, it suits you."

"Snips!" Anakin called from somewhere she couldn't see. "Come here a second!"

"I've gotta go," Ahsoka said, backing down the hallway. "See you later?"

Barriss nodded. "Yes!"

"Maybe you could meet Al!" Ahsoka called from around the corner. "You would like her!"

Barriss smiled at Ahsoka's retreating back. She stared at the opposite wall. "Friend," she whispered to herself. It sounded nice all spelled out like that. Seeing as she never had one, maybe Al and Ahsoka were going to be good to her. The most she could do was be good back to them.

<~>

"This is the Senate building," Al said, spreading her arms out to emphasize the wide dome in the middle of the planet. "Zoomed in edition."

"Why is it so big?" Brer asked.

"That's what she said," Axe said with a grin.

"Oh shut up!" Brer glared at Axe before turning back to Al. "No seriously, why?"

"If you see the inside, it's this huge chamber with thousands of chairs and levels," Al explained. "It kind of has to be huge."

Axe opened his mouth to say something, but Brer glared at him and he closed it. Red Hawk, hating silence, spoke up. "What happened to your face?"

Al reached up and touched her bruise. "Um, an accident. It's uh, not important."

Red Hawk seemed suspicious, but didn't press the matter.

"We stay on a cruiser, right?" Axe said.

Al nodded.

"Well where is said cruiser?"

"In the atmosphere," said Al. "Me and my master are staying on Coruscant for a while for some reason."

"Do we get to blow up droids?" Brer asked hopefully.