High Heavens (Star Wars - Luke Skywalker)

XXXVI - Circling Panic

Mara darted out of the house, not thinking even for a moment of what she was doing, until her hand was closing around the arm of the Torgruta woman, who spun around-

Mara stumbled back. "I'm sorry."

The Torgruta tore her arm from Mara's hand, and Mara half-expected a slap going by her expression alone. "Who the hell are you?" she asked, voice hitting like boiling water.

Mara floundered. "I-- I'm sorry. I thought-" that you were the woman who saved my life at fourteen after my father was-

"Odessa!" Tiernan's voice anchored her back to the earth, not a blessed moment too soon. His hand rested on Mara's shoulder. He's hasty to say: "This is my friend, Mara. She's helping Delta and my father. Mara this is our pilot, Odessa Haa."

Odessa narrowed her eyes at the pair of them. Behind the surface-level anger and defensiveness, Mara saw a flicker of panic in her features.

Odessa moved her gaze over Mara's head to look at Tiernan. "Where's your father?"

"In the town hall, probably-"

Odessa turned on her heel without another word, weaving through the village towards the largest structure they had. Mara watched her go, slack-jawed. The interaction felt painfully short--even if it wasn't Ahsoka. It's not Ahsoka, it's not Fulcrum, get it together, Mara--

"Odessa means well," Tiernan said to her. "She's a bit standoffish. I don't think she has many friends here, other than Ledoa. They were rescued from the same labor camp together. My mom told me Odessa helped deliver Kirrie, Ledoa's daughter. They all live together, now."

Mara nodded, numb to conversation. It was uncanny, how similar they had looked. Mara saw a lack of resemblance, now: Odessa was thinner and taller than Ahsoka had been, her face sharp and narrow, unlike Ahsoka's soft smiles and gentle words. Ahsoka. Mara hadn't realized how much she missed her until she had thought she had seen her. Ahsoka, Fulcrum, Cassian-

She ducked away from Tiernan, doing her best not to break into a sprint back to Delta's. She felt like she was spiraling into panic, and if she did fall that far, she did not want others to see it.

She almost careened straight into Delta, who stepped out of the house the same moment she tried to disappear inside.

"Hey, kid."

"Delta, sorry-"

"What did you say to Odessa back there?"

Mara shook her head. Not this, not now. "Sorry, I mistook her for a friend-" A hero. A sister. A woman Mara hadn't seen in years and was beginning to fear the worst for-

"Did you call her Ahsoka?"

Mara blinked, Delta's statement enough to take her bumbling thoughts to a screeching halt. "You know her?" she asked.

Delta sighed, and Mara didn't fancy the darkness that welcomed itself into his eyes as he gestured Mara past him. "I knew her. Come sit down."

Mara moved as if in a trance. Numbness wasn't a pleasant alternative, but if it kept her from having another breakdown, she would take it. She sat in the chair Tiernan had claimed earlier, watching as Delta lowered himself onto the couch with a huff.

"Ahsoka Tano," Delta said. "It's been a long, long time. I haven't seen her since--blast, the Siege of Mandalore?"

Mara leaned forward. "Ahsoka fought on Mandalore?"

"Sort of," Delta said, with something of a wry smile, "but we had shared the front lines more than once. General Sunfall and General Skywalker headed many a battle together."