Ahsoka Tano and Barriss Offee

In

Snack Raid

…

"Psst!" a voice whispered. "Barriss? Barriss Offee?"

Barriss was instantly alert, her hand reaching for the lightsaber hilt concealed under her pillow. Then she recognized the voice. It was her friend, Ahsoka Tano. But, what was Ahsoka doing here at this hour? Barriss rolled over to get a better look.

Yes, it was Ahsoka, as large as life and twice as colorful. Despite the fact that it was the middle of the night, the Togrutan girl was dressed for battle in her…they weren't robes, exactly. Actually, Barriss had had a conversation with her about this the other day, saying that it was unbecoming of a Jedi to go about dressed so, but Ahsoka had just pointed out Aayla Secura, and… Wait. What?

Realizing that she was still half-asleep, Barriss stopped allowing her mind to wander and sat up further on her thin sleeping mat. "What is it, Ahsoka?" she yawned, rubbing her eyes. "I hope you realize that I have a training session with Master Unduli in the morning."

"I'm hungry," Ahsoka whispered. "Do you have anything?"

"Why would I have anything?" Barriss asked, incredulously. "Food's been rationed ever since that last attack devastated the gardens."

Ahsoka sat back and pouted. "Stang," she cursed. "When are we getting a new shipment from the Agri-Corps?" A crafty gleam entered her green eyes and she glanced up at Barriss.

Barriss knew that look. It had gotten them in trouble before. "No," she said. "No, no, no. You're not getting me involved in it! Whatever it is!"

"Barriss, we are young Jedi who are being refused the sustenance we need to grow!" Ahsoka said, mock-indignantly.

"You're young," said Barriss. "I'm in my twenties. Mirialans just age slower."

"My point still stands," Ahsoka said, standing and holding up a fist dramatically. "They won't feed us, and I need to do something about it." She glanced down at Barriss. "We need to do something about it."

Barriss sighed, pushed her blankets off, and resigned herself to her fate. "All right," she said, "but just this once. I'm not going to make a habit of this."

"I knew you wouldn't let me down!" Ahsoka chirped far too happily for the Force-forsaken hour. She pushed a bundle at Barriss. "You get dressed and we'll go, okay?"

Accepting the bundle, and her doom, Barriss got up and walked into the 'fresher unit. Five minutes later, she was back out, dressed in her customary dark blue robes and cloak. "I'm ready," she said. "The sooner we're done with this, the better."

…

In the Jedi Temple kitchens, Master Obi-Wan Kenobi stood guard. Food was being rationed, and no one would sneak a midnight snack on his watch. As he stood absolutely still, he allowed his mind to expand, enfolding the entire room in his guard.

There!

A door slid open, allowing two life-forms to enter the vast kitchen. A smile quirked Obi-Wan's lips as his hand lightly brushed the hilt of the lightsaber at his belt, and he was gone.

…

"Relax, Barriss," Ahsoka said, sliding open the door to the enormous Jedi Temple kitchen. "No one's going to catch us! We're too good." She turned, and almost ran headfirst into Master Kenobi.

"Oh, hi, Master," she said weakly, giving a little wave with one hand.

"Ahsoka, you know that you're not supposed to be down here after lights-out," Kenobi said gently. He glanced behind her and raised an eyebrow. "And Padawan Offee, I'm surprised at you! What would Luminara say?"

Barriss scowled and grasped Ahsoka's arm. "Come on," she said. "We've been caught, fair and square. Can I go back to bed now?"

"No!" Ahsoka said, unclipping her lightsaber from her belt. "I'm hungry, and I'm getting some food!" She ignited the green blade and held it in her unconventional reverse Shien stance.

Kenobi sighed. "I wasn't planning on doing this tonight," he said as his sky-blue blade leapt into existence, "however, you've forced my hand." He took up a guard stance, successfully parrying as Ahsoka brought her lightsaber crashing down.

There was no contest. The Jedi Master executed a spinning block that sent the Padawan's lightsaber flying from her hand. A side kick pushed her across the room, where she landed hard against an oven.

Kenobi allowed himself a smile of triumph. However, it was quickly cut short as something pressed against his chest. He looked down and saw a green hand holding the emitter of a lighsaber hilt to the triangle of black armorweave just below the plastoid strips that armored his upper chest. Glancing up, he looked into the determined eyes of Padawan Offee.

"You'd really do it, wouldn't you?" he asked bemusedly.

"I'm tired, I'm hungry, and Ahsoka won't let me go to bed until we get something to eat," Barriss said, narrowing her eyes. "So, yes. I'm desperate at this point."

"All right." Kenobi powered down his lightsaber and stepped back. "Have your bantha milk and candy-flavored buns. It's not worth death or serious injury." He swallowed as he moved away from the Mirialan girl's lightsaber.

"Wait a second!" Ahsoka yelled from her spot on the floor. "Did you just swallow? You just swallowed!" She shook her head in exasperation. "You were totally chewing the whole time!"

Obi-Wan gave her a disarming smile, and left the kitchens.