I Choose You ( discontinued )

Chapter 15: A Familiar Face

The rain had not subsided when Ahsoka and Anakin landed at the 747th's camp. Their medic began to immediately work on the wounded and Ahsoka scanned the crowd of clones for her friend. Anakin noticed and began scanning the crowd too. Eventually he leaned down to talk to her. "I give up, who are we looking for?"

"My friend," Ahsoka said, trying not to shiver in the cold. "But it's okay. She's probably out with the troopers."

Anakin patted her shoulder reassuringly. "Well then, you'll see her soon enough. Come on, we should go talk to General Krell."

A sudden surge of annoyance flooded through Ahsoka. She didn't want to talk to Krell, she wanted to find Al. However she followed Anakin to two clone guards who were as stiff as statues and gave a stiff nod to Anakin and Rex as they entered. When Ahsoka tried to walk inside after them, they stepped in front of her. "Um, excuse me? Can I come in?"

"The general does not wish to speak with padawans," one said robotically.

"I'm the commander," Ahsoka said, her voice raising in irritation. "I should be allowed inside."

"Just wait out here Snips," Anakin said over the clone's shoulders. "I'll inform you of everything when it's over."

"But--"

"Just wait." Anakin gave her a warm smile and re-entered the tent leaving her in the rain. 

She hated when he left her alone like this with nothing to do and nobody to talk to. So she just stared at the clones until a voice behind her snapped made her jump.

"They didn't let you in either?"

"Al!"

Al smiled, opening her arms wide and accepting her friend's warm, and wet, embrace. "Ugh, you're soaked."

Ahsoka chuckled. "It's nice to see you too. How have you been? How's your arm?"

"It's getting better. How's Barriss?"

"She's fine. Acting a little off lately, but it's probably just the stress of the trials. She thinks they might be coming soon."

"You really think she's going to go through her trials soon?" Every padawan took a set of trials, tests if you will, before they became a Knight. The Council had to watch them and see how they progressed. If the Council liked what they saw, the padawan was knighted. It took years of being a padawan to even come close to the trials and since Barriss was a few years older than the two of them, hers could be right around the corner. "Either way, I'm sure she'll do great."

"Has she contacted you?" Ahsoka asked, steering them away from the two clones guarding the entrance to the briefing tent. 

"A few weeks ago yes, but it was brief. It's okay, I'm not entirely alone here. Red Hawk and Blue Jay are always here to help me when I'm feeling, um, under the weather."

"Where are they now?" Ahsoka asked. "Your camp looks pretty abandoned."

"It is," Al said with a hint of anger in her tone. "We lost almost half our men at this outpost. And Krell doesn't even care!"

"Yeah he doesn't seem like the caring kind of guy," Ahsoka said. From what she'd heard, he was ruthless. Honestly, she was glad Al wasn't collapsing in a mess at her feet. 

Al sighed. "He sent them on a mission with some others. Red Hawk and Blue Jay."

"They'll be fine," Ahsoka said as the girls stopped walking in front of the dark woods surrounding the camp. "I'm sure of it."

Al cast a look into the thick forest before nodding. "Come on, let's go back to my tent. We can talk more there."

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