A Galaxy of Magic (Ch. 32) (Patreon)

( Every character in this story is a legal adult over the age of 18 )

A Galaxy of Magic 

Chapter 32

Ahsoka kept her hands busy, but her attention was locked on Shaak Ti. She looked down at the pulper, scooped up a load of purple nuts, and dumped them into the hopper. Her fingers were stained purple. She had obviously been doing this job for a while. Only when the machine's whirring grew too loud did she lean in and speak quietly. It was clear she didn’t want to be overheard. “What are you doing here, Master Ti?”

Shaak Ti smiled sadly at the younger Togruta. “We’re searching for Jedi … for survivors. We found you through the Force, Ahsoka.” Her voice was soft enough that even Harry had to strain to hear her. “There aren’t many left.”

Ahsoka exhaled sharply and glanced over her shoulder at the foreman barking orders at the other end of the racks. “I’m not a Jedi,” she reminded them, and Harry heard the sadness in her voice. “You know that.”

Shaak Ti nodded patiently. “You may not be, but you’re a Jedi at heart. The Force still calls to you.” She let the words hang between them, and then she reached a hand out to touch Ahsoka’s shoulder. Ahsoka flinched at the contact and jerked back, but she didn’t step away.

Harry watched the exchange quietly, not daring to interrupt. Aayla stood directly behind him, and he could feel her tension. Maris kept her hand close to her hip, watching the droids and workers for any sign of eavesdropping or trouble.

Ahsoka’s face hardened. “Whatever you think I am, I’m not interested in getting dragged back into that world. I have a life here, and I’m not keen on being hunted.” She dumped another scoop of nuts into the hopper. 

Shaak Ti kept her hand at her side, but her posture was firm. “You might think you’re safe, but you know as well as I do that the Empire never stops looking. Its reach grows by the day.”

Ahsoka gave her a skeptical look, then gestured at the lake and the endless rows of kelp gardens. “Do you see any Stormtroopers out here? Any Probes? No one gives a damn about a kelp worker on a backwater agricultural planet.” She sounded proud of the disguise, but her eyes betrayed a glimmer of uncertainty.

“We didn’t come to expose you,” Aayla spoke up, finally stepping into the clearing. “We need your help.” Her words were direct and loud enough to cut through the low thrum of machinery.

Ahsoka hesitated. Her jaw tightened, and she finally asked, “With what?”

This time, it was Shaak Ti who smiled genuinely. “A rebellion is forming. We have Queen Breha of Alderaan on our side. We have a hidden base, and Masters Yoda and Kenobi have joined in. We’re fighting the new Imperial Order. We need people who know what they’re doing. We need you.”

Ahsoka looked from face to face, studying each of them. She lingered longest on Harry, who tried to keep his expression neutral. She then looked back at Maris, who offered only a nervous smile.

“What do you think I can do?” Ahsoka asked. “I was only a Padawan. I’m not a soldier.”

Aayla laughed softly. “None of us are soldiers. That’s the point, but we fight anyway because the cause is just.  You remember what it was like, don’t you? To be part of something?” She stepped closer, and her voice dropped lower. “We’re not asking you to be a martyr, but people need hope. If the Empire wins, no place is safe … not even here.”

Ahsoka’s eyes narrowed, and for a moment she looked like she might yell at them, but the anger faded and left only exhaustion. She looked down at her hands and stared at her purple-stained fingers. “I’m not …” she started. Then she sighed and looked back up. “I’m not sure I could ever go back to being a Jedi.”

Shaak Ti’s reply was gentle. “You don’t have to go back. You can move forward. We all have. The Jedi Order no longer exists, but perhaps one day we’ll build it back into something better than it was.” She put her hand out again, offering it to Ahsoka.

Ahsoka’s mind spun from the weight of the decision. She stood there, staring at Shaak Ti’s outstretched hand, watching the delicate motion of her red fingers as they hovered patiently in the air. The voices of her old life clashed with the steady, rhythmic whine of the pulper. For a moment, she let herself imagine what it would mean to join them. It would be a return to her past, and a risk of more heartbreak. ‘At least it would be better than dying of rot behind a pulping machine,’ she told herself. Her shoulders slumped under the heaviness of the choice.

Ahsoka could feel the wariness that came from the last couple of years of exile. She had already left the Order once, and it had nearly destroyed her. She had never truly forgiven the Jedi, and she had never truly forgiven herself for trusting them so. Now they wanted her back, but not as a Padawan, or a traitor, or a scapegoat, but as a rebel. The idea was absurd, but it was also the first time in years that someone had asked her for something more than silence and secrecy.

She glanced at the other workers. Most of them had learned to ignore her, but she had become friendly with a few. They would notice her absence, but then again, workers disappeared all the time. Eventually, everyone got fed up living and working on this boring, miserable planet. If Imperial Inquisitors ever came sniffing around, they wouldn’t find anything out of the ordinary. No one on this planet even knew her real name. She looked down at Shaak Ti’s patient hands, then back up at her pretty face. Her eyes were kind and unwavering.

Ahsoka closed her eyes, sucked in a deep breath, and opened them again. She took Shaak Ti’s hand and squeezed it tight. There was no going back now. Shaak Ti smiled, and her mask of calm gave way to a moment of visible relief.

Aayla and Maris exhaled together, and the tension drained from the whole group. Even Harry, who didn’t even know who Ahsoka was, felt the air lighten.

Ahsoka withdrew her hand and dusted her palms on her apron. She turned to the pulper, switched it off, and tossed her stained apron into a nearby bin. The silence of the stopped machine was jarring. “Give me a minute,” she said quietly. She walked over to a battered metal shed at the edge of the clearing. It was little more than a storage locker, and she opened it and pulled out a small knapsack. She slung it over her shoulder, then grabbed a canteen and her toolbelt. When she stepped out, her head was held a little higher.

A grizzled human worker with a cybernetic eye intercepted her on the way back. “You quitting?” he asked.

Ahsoka shrugged. “Something came up.” She hesitated, then added in a softer voice, “Tell Dia and the kids I’m sorry for not saying goodbye.”

“You always were too damn smart for this job anyway,” he grunted. Ahsoka smiled. It was her first real smile in months, and she rejoined her rescuers.

Shaak Ti touched her lightly on the shoulder. “Ready?”

Ahsoka nodded. “I’m ready.”

They moved as one toward the ship, ready for whatever challenge awaited them next. 

A Galaxy of Magic

Back in space, the ship bucked and groaned through the transition to hyperspace, and Ahsoka shivered in the cockpit with her arms wrapped tight around her middle. The reflective transparency of the viewport cast a pale blue glow on her lekku and cheeks, so her skin looked almost purple in the light of the cold starship. She watched the blue vortex of hyperspace, lost in her own thoughts, and she tried her best to ignore her own discomfort. Aayla and Shaak Ti piloted from the forward controls. They were too busy checking the scanners to notice. Maris was somewhere in the aft engine bay, cursing softly at a leaking air condenser and banging on it with a carbon spanner.

Harry had been watching Ahsoka for several minutes before he realized she wasn’t just nervous. She was freezing her butt off. Her outfit was thin and still a little damp from the dew-soaked air back on the farm world, and her teeth chattered audibly even as she tried to suppress it. Her lips pressed into a thin line, and her fingers dug into her elbows. He felt a twinge of guilt. It had been months since Harry felt cold. If he got too hot or cold, he could easily take care of it with his magic. He’d forgotten what it was like to be vulnerable to the elements.

“Are you cold?” Harry asked, sidling up beside her. Not wanting to crowd her, he left a gap between them.

Ahsoka jumped as if she hadn’t heard him approach. She looked at him with a wry smile. “I, uh … I guess I got used to living on a hot and humid planet. I forgot what it was like in space.” She hugged herself tighter, and her casual tone couldn’t hide her discomfort.

Harry smiled gently and waved his hand at her. A subtle orange glow pulsed from his palm and rippled across Ahsoka’s body in a gentle wave. The air around her shimmered for a second, and she immediately felt a pleasant, enveloping warmth spread across her skin. It was like stepping into a warm bath after coming out of a winter storm. The tension left her face as she exhaled in surprise. Then, realizing what he had just done, she looked at him with wide eyes. 

“How did you do that?” she asked, running her fingers down the tingling skin of her arm. “That wasn’t the Force. I didn’t feel any push or pull in the current.” She leaned in, narrowing her eyes. “What kind of trick is that?”

Harry raised his eyebrows, then pointed to his chest. “I’m not a Jedi. I do something that I call magic. It’s … similar, but not the same.”

Ahsoka looked at him as if he’d just told her he was a sentient blob of gelatinous goo. He could see the skepticism war with fascination on her face. “You’re serious,” she said, shaking her head. “All this time, I thought you were some kind of Padawan tagging along with Master Ti and the others.”

“Not quite. I’m Harry Potter,” he said, reaching out a hand.

Ahsoka hesitated for only a second before shaking it. Her fingers were still warm from the spell, and her grip was firm. “Ahsoka Tano.” She eyed him up and down, studying his face. “I’m not sure I’ve ever met anyone quite like you, Harry Potter.”

Harry laughed. “That’s what my friends always say, too.”

She gave him a quick, genuine smile. “So, what else can you do with this … magic of yours?” She was still very skeptical of his claims. 

Harry shrugged. “A lot of things you can do with the Force, I guess. I can’t really augment my physical abilities like Jedi can, and I definitely don’t have the strange premonitions that you do, but I can do other stuff. I can move things, heal wounds, make myself invisible, teleport, change objects from one thing to another …”

Ahsoka’s curiosity was piqued. She stood up straighter and turned to face him completely. For the time being, she forgot about the cold, the Empire, and the uncertainty of her future entirely. “Can you show me?” she asked as excitement crept into her voice.

“Sure,” Harry said. He pulled a coin from Tatooine from his pocket and held it in the palm of his hand. “Watch closely.”

He tapped the coin, whispered something under his breath, and with a little flick, it vanished. Ahsoka looked around and couldn’t find it. She then looked at Harry, who grinned and pointed at her left lekku. She reached up and, sure enough, plucked the coin from behind her own head. She snorted in amusement and rolled her eyes.

“That’s not magic. That’s a street trick,” she teased.

“Oh, yeah? Look at it again,” he said with a smirk. 

Ahsoka looked down at her palm and found that the coin had been replaced with a big, furry spider. “EEEEEK!” she squeaked and waved her hand so hard that the spider flew off and landed on Aayla’s console. Aayla yelped loudly and jumped up, backing away from the console. The two women glared at Harry, who just laughed. He held out his hand, and the spider flew back to his palm, transforming back into a coin along the way. 

“That wasn’t funny!” Ahsoka huffed. 

“Sorry about that,” Harry chuckled, and the coin suddenly turned into a very cute and fluffy kitten. “How about this?” he asked, handing it to her. Ahsoka was much more eager to hold the kitten in her hands. She snuggled it against her chest. 

“I didn’t sense the Force at all,” Ahsoka said as the kitten rubbed its head against her neck. “I can always tell when the Force is used.”

Harry nodded. “Magic and the Force are two different things, at least from what I can tell. But they can do a lot of the same stuff. Sometimes better, sometimes worse.” He then waved his hand, and the kitten turned back into the original coin. 

Ahsoka tossed the coin back, and Harry caught it. “You’re full of surprises,” she said, meaning it as a compliment.

“It’s kept me alive this long,” Harry said with a twinkle in his eyes. 

Ahsoka turned and looked out the viewport. She thought in silence for a moment. Then she asked, “So why are you here, Harry? Why not go back to where you came from?”

He hesitated, thinking of his old life back on Earth. “I don’t really have much to go back to,” he said simply. “And besides, I’ve made some pretty good friends here.”

Ahsoka nodded, as if she understood completely. “I know what it’s like to lose a home and have to find a new one.” She looked over at him with bright blue eyes. “We’re a strange crew, but we’ll look out for each other.”

Harry smiled. “You bet we will.”

She smiled back, but then her expression turned shy. Ahsoka glanced at him a few more times before turning her attention to the stars. She didn’t know how this rebellion would end, or if they would even survive the next week, but at least she didn’t feel alone.

A Galaxy of Magic

Ahsoka’s jaw dropped the instant she stepped through the tent flap. She had been expecting the usual cramped field shelter, or maybe a few cots and a small heater, but this was unlike anything she had ever seen in the galaxy. The inside was enormous. It was easily the size of a small Coruscant flat, with several rooms branching off a central living area. A big, poofy couch and a table sat near the small kitchen, and a thick rug covered the floor. The best part was that it was warm. The whole place gave off a very cozy vibe. Ahsoka ran her fingers along the soft arm of the couch, and her eyes widened with wonder.

“Wow!” She immediately craned her neck for signs of concealed tech. “How is it bigger on the inside?” she asked, drifting from the living room to the kitchen and back again. Her lekku fanned out as she spun in a slow circle in delighted disbelief.

Harry smiled at her awe. “It’s a kind of magic called the Undetectable Extension Charm. It expands an inner space while keeping the outside container the same size. It also lightens anything within the Charm’s boundaries, so I could just pack up the tent and carry it like normal. It’s not a hard piece of magic to do, but it’s tricky to get the ratios just right.” He opened a cupboard and began rummaging for ingredients. “Make yourself at home. I’m going to whip up something for us to eat.”

Maris plopped herself on the couch and kicked off her boots. “Welcome to our not-so-humble palace, Ahsoka. There’s even a huge bathtub the size of a swimming pool.” Maris pulled off her socks and put on a pair of fluffy slippers. She toed another pair of slippers toward Ahsoka, who accepted them with a grateful grin and slipped them on immediately.

Shaak Ti moved over to Harry and ran a loving hand over his shoulder. “Is there anything we can help with?” she asked, glancing at the neat rows of pans and utensils.

“Just relax for now,” he said. “I’ll call you when dinner’s ready.”

Aayla dropped down on the sofa and folded one leg under herself. She patted the spot beside her. “You look like you could use a sit-down, Ahsoka. I’m sure it’s been a long, stressful day for you.”

Ahsoka sat, but she couldn’t stay still. She kept running her fingers over the upholstery, then peering up at the lights, wondering how they worked without electricity. She then looked over at Harry as he busied himself with a cutting board. “This is crazy,” she said. Her voice was a mix of reverence and disbelief. “Our rooms at the Jedi Temple had less space than this. And this is all in a tent?”

Harry glanced over his shoulder. “Yup. It comes in pretty handy when you’re on the run.” He smiled at her. “Not bad, right?”

Ahsoka smiled back, and though she was still shivering slightly from the lingering chill in her bones, she looked almost giddy. It was the first time she seemed truly happy since she’d joined the group.

Maris eyed Ahsoka’s threadbare outfit and gave a sympathetic wince. “Are those all the clothes you have?” she asked, nodding toward Ahsoka’s single set of battered coveralls.

Ahsoka shrugged and tugged at her sleeve. “I lost my last spare when the repulsors of a hovercart ignited and sprayed me with corrosive oil. They sold clothes at the local worker shop, but the prices they charged were exorbitant.”

Maris shot up and grabbed Ahsoka by the wrist. “You’re not spending one more night in those rags.” She started dragging her toward the bedroom. “Come on, you can use some of my clothes until we can buy you a new wardrobe. We’re about the same size … well, except for the montrails, but we’ll improvise.”

Ahsoka tried to protest, but Maris was determined. The two disappeared down the hall as Aayla and Shaak Ti exchanged knowing looks.

Ahsoka’s laughter echoed back from the bedroom. “Stop! That tickles!” she called out, and Maris’s laughter rang out. 

Shaak Ti watched the hallway for a moment, then looked at the kitchen with a thoughtful smile. “She’ll fit in nicely,” she said.

A Galaxy of Magic

Ahsoka was pelted with a pair of skin-tight black synthetic leather trousers. They landed draped over her shoulder. Ahsoka stared at them, uncertain. The material looked like it belonged on a Coruscant pop star, not an ex-Padawan.

Maris was already elbows-deep in her closet, rummaging through the clothes to find the ones that belonged to her.

“I … should I try them now?” Ahsoka asked, still clutching the pants in both hands. It had been a while since she’d worn anything but her work outfit. The idea of changing into something so tight and unfamiliar in front of Maris made her embarrassed. 

Maris finally turned around with her arms full of options. She grinned cheekily. “Do you want some privacy?” she teased. “I wasn’t planning on staring, unless you’re into that.”

Ahsoka’s cheeks flushed a deeper orange. “No! That’s not …” She stopped herself, then laughed despite her nerves. “I’ll just … turn around, if that’s okay.”

“Knock yourself out.” Maris spun on her heel and began sorting through her pile while humming an off-key tune. Ahsoka quickly stripped out of her raggedy outfit and tugged on the black leather pants. They were far too tight at first, and they clung to her body like a second skin. However, after a little wiggling and some creative tugging, she finally got them into place. The material hugged her hips and legs, and emphasized the curves she’d never really thought about before.

As she buttoned up, she felt Maris’s eyes on her back. She was still topless, and she covered her bare breasts with her arms. “I thought you said you wouldn’t look,” Ahsoka said, but she was smiling now and didn’t really mind.

Maris dropped a small, white strap top onto Ahsoka’s lekku. “I never said I wouldn’t, but you look good, so you can’t really blame me.” She gestured to the top. “Put that on.”

Ahsoka turned back around and put on the top. There was an awful lot of cleavage on the top, and the bottom of her perky breasts slightly hung out of the bottom. The new clothes made her look … sexy … dangerous, maybe. She wasn’t exactly sure. She ran her fingers down her sides, feeling nothing but bare skin until she reached her flared hips. 

Maris stepped back and sized her up critically. “That’s way better,” she declared. “You look like you belong in a sexy swoop gang.” She reached over and adjusted the top with gentle hands. “You’re way too adorable for those old rags anyway.”

Ahsoka snorted, and a real laugh bubbled out of her. “Thanks, Maris.” She looked around and found a pair of boots by the bed. “Can I borrow these, too?”

“Of course,” Maris said, then plopped down next to her on the bed. She leaned forward and regarded Ahsoka with a kind of frank curiosity. “So, what’s your deal? You spent a lot of time checking out Harry. You never met anyone like him before?”

Ahsoka shook her head. “Not even close. I’d heard stories about witches from Dathomir, but that’s pretty much it. I thought every weird ability stemmed from the Force. Harry’s … different. It’s like he operates on some other wavelength.” She hesitated, then looked at Maris. “If you don’t mind me asking … what’s the deal with you and him? You seemed pretty close.”

Maris laughed, unembarrassed by her question. She flopped back on the bed and stretched her arms above her head, which nearly made her breasts fall out of her own white strap top. “I guess you could say he’s my boyfriend, but he’s also Aayla’s and Shaak Ti’s. We’re a package deal, I guess.” She grinned up at the ceiling. “It’s not really a secret. Even Master Yoda knows about it.”

Ahsoka blinked, taken aback. “Wait … all of you … with him?” she asked, stumbling over her words. 

“Yeah,” Maris said, turning her head to look at her. “We all sleep together. The only thing we argue about is who gets to be on top.” She gave Ahsoka a mischievous wink. “Harry’s a lot of things, but selfish isn’t one of them.”

Ahsoka pressed her lips together, unsure if she should laugh or be scandalized. “That’s not really how it worked at the Jedi Temple.”

“Maybe that’s why the Jedi fell,” Maris replied, keeping her voice gentle. “They forgot how to care about each other. Harry’s not a Jedi, and neither are we anymore. We get to make our own rules.”

She sat up and looked at Ahsoka. “He’s good to us. Better than anyone ever was, honestly. We look out for him, and he looks out for us.” Maris ran her fingers through her black braids to untangle them. “I know most people would find it weird, but we’re not most people. We don’t really care what anyone else thinks.”

Ahsoka looked down at her new boots while running it over in her mind. “I guess I haven’t had much time for … stuff like that,” she admitted quietly. “I was a Padawan, then a fugitive, then just lost for a while. It’s strange to think about being with someone for real.”

Maris reached over and squeezed her shoulder. “That’s the best part about being free of the old codes,” she said. “You get to decide what you want. If you ever decide to join in, don’t be afraid to ask,” Maris teased. 

Ahsoka didn’t answer right away. Instead, she blushed deeply. She wasn’t offended. She was more embarrassed and curious than anything. “Harry doesn’t mind? That you all share him, I mean?”

Maris snorted. “He loves it. And I’m not just talking about the sex, though that’s fantastic. It’s the closeness. As long as everyone’s happy and nobody’s getting hurt, he thinks it’s perfect.”

Ahsoka pulled her knees up onto the bed, hugging them to her chest. “It does sound kind of nice,” she admitted. “To have that kind of trust.”

Maris smiled warmly and patted her knee. “You can ask me anything … or Harry, if you prefer,” she added with a smile. “He’ll answer honestly. That’s his thing.”

Ahsoka met her eyes and smiled shyly. “Thanks, Maris. For the clothes, and for … this.”

“Anytime. Remember, you’re one of us now.” Maris stood up and helped Ahsoka to her feet. “Now, let’s go see if loverboy is finished cooking.”

Ahsoka giggled and followed Maris back into the living room.