TCC 6

Tentacle Covered Chaos

Chapter 6: Surprising Faces

<<<Poppy>>>

“Freedom!” Poppy exclaimed dramatically.

Amazingly her wrists didn’t hurt from doing so much paperwork, but who in their right mind actually enjoyed paperwork though? Anyway, after stretching she sighed as she looked around, Luminara wasn’t anywhere to be seen, probably reporting to the Council or something and her new watchers hadn’t arrived yet.

And honestly she wasn’t familiar enough with the area to even consider exploring, so instead she found herself a seat on the nearest bench and decided to see what she could find on the datapad.

Or she could just people-watch, and seeing as she was in another galaxy entirely that might be rather interesting.

“Decisions, decisions, decisions…” Truthfully, everyone should have felt a massive burst of fear and anxiety from the idea of her considering things on her lonesome. She had a good sense of direction… but this was a planet sized city with alleyways fifty-thousand feet deep minimum. It made Necromunda from Warhammer 40k look paltry.

The fact she was looking for an elevator to go down there to explore should have been a red flag. Sadly, it required a key to go anywhere. Government office being what it was, though, it wouldn’t be hard to get someone else to do it for her. She’d just have to trick them.

Somehow.

Grumbling Poppy, just sat down on a bench and decided to distract herself with some reading while she ignored the elevator that was beckoning her to enter and come explore!

“Hope Barris and Luminara are having a better time than I am…” She thought as she decided to explore this galaxy’s version on the internet.

Absorbing the information passively was… challenging. She still wasn’t quite used to the language, though she could read it, and that meant reading took a while. Listening was easier, but there was so much going on around her that she couldn’t focus.

“You Poppy?” Blinking, she looked up to see a… Togruta if she wasn’t mistaken? Yes, a Togruta. One that looked very familiar to her.

Older than the one she remembered though. But then, so was Barris.

“That’s me!” Poppy said as she tried not to stare like a creep, but she was very fit and painfully familiar. “How can I help you?”

“Yeah, me and Master Anakin are here to keep an eye on you.” She said, “But we got lost and well…” Poppy didn’t coo at the embarrassed look on the Togruta’s face, but it was a very close thing.

Then she did a double take as the words registered, “Oh, you’re my new… warden? Watcher? Minder? Minder sounds accurate.” Poppy grinned and popped up, “I am Poppy, you?”

“Eh, whichever works,” The padawan said, “And I’m Ahsoka.”

“Nice to meet you,” She replied with a bow, “Where is your Master? I don’t see anyone that fits…” Her eyes searched the room for, well, Anakin Skywalker. Dude with a robe and lightsaber, rather recognizable as a person.

“Master’s…” Ahsoka turned and looked around, “Damnit Master, really?” Poppy was pretty sure she wasn’t supposed to hear that whine.

Poppy didn’t snicker, if she wasn’t mistaken Anakin didn’t spend a lot of time on Coruscant during the Clone Wars. So he probably still got lost pretty regularly, you’d think a Jedi Knight would at least have a map or something to help the guy out.

“Sorry Snips, got off on the wrong floor.” Poppy looked and… that didn’t look like a guy…

She looked at Poppy, Anakin Skywalker. Sorry about the wait,” She said with a smile.

Poppy blinked, “Ah, it’s fine… I was just reading anyway…” She had no idea how to feel about Anakin Skywalker being a girl. In fact, it was rather… worrying.

So did that mean Padme was a guy? What other curve balls would the galaxy throw at her?

“Um, so has Master Luminara informed you of my… unique dietary requirements? I’m unsure how often I need to feed, but you should be aware of it,” She ventured, voice low and careful. She was, admittedly, rather nervous here.

Anakin nodded as her padawan blushed, “Yeah. Though I wish she didn’t go into that much detail…” The Jedi Master said with a faint flush, “When you think you know someone, then she turns out to be just as big a perv as Padme…” She muttered.

Poppy choked on air, “I-I see! How, um, much detail did she go into?” She was, admittedly, curious.

“Yes,” Was all Anakin said in reply.

“Gotcha, so…” Poppy kicked the ground, though not particularly hard, “What’s on the itinerary today? Are we going to beat up a crime ring? Oh! Are we going to go on a space adventure to take down a sith coven!?” Her grin could be described as ‘shit eating’, but she was curious about what the plan was.

If it were just waiting around and more paperwork she’d scream, admittedly.

“Well, I was thinking about getting a bite at Dex’s diner and then we’ll see what sort of trouble we can get into,” Anakin said with a chuckle, “Though if you want stories Snips has plenty to share,” She added playfully nudging her padawan who huffed at her but certainly didn’t deny her words.

“I love you,” Poppy replied in a monotone, “But instead of Dex’s, how about a seedy bar? I’m pretty sure you and I can drink and, well, you learn a lot of stuff from drunk, horny idiots.”

“That’s true,” Anakin said.

“But?” She prodded, there was always a ‘but’ with statements like that.

“But, the Council made it clear we can’t take you to any ‘seedy bars’ and while I normally ignore them. I… kinda get their point,” Anakin said, “You’re a newcomer here and well introducing you to the seedy underbelly of Coruscant isn’t exactly a safe thing to do with a newcomer.”

“I can bench press a space fighter,” Poppy noted, “You should feel more worried about everyone else.”

“Hey, not saying I agreed with them,” Anakin said, “Luminara made it very clear that you’re more than capable of handling yourself. If anything I’m keeping the idiots safe from you.” Ahsoka just snorted faintly at that, apparently having heard it as well.

She whined, pouting and crossing her arms, and tentacles, and stamped her foot. “Oh come on, I’ve been doing paperwork for ages. I need to do something exciting! It’s not like I can go on a run or something.”

“Well…” Anakin pulled out a datapad, “The Council never said anything about not busting some gangers in the lower levels. That work for you?” She asked dryly.

Seeing Poppy perk up, Ahsoka just sighed, “Great, now there are two of them…” She mumbled.

“Huh, is Ahsoka still in her by-the-book phase? Or am I thinking of someone else?” Poppy wondered before dismissing it.

<<<Anakin Skywalker>>>

Watching Poppy gleefully form weapons and, worse, test drugs on herself was… worrying. But they were in for a credit already.

“What do you think, Ahsoka, terror gas or sleep gas?” She asked, head tilting, “Sleep is probably safer, but terror would be more funny.”

“... Well terror would be funny…” Ahsoka admitted, “But I’m worried that they have blasters and well… what if they just start shooting everywhere?”

“A good point,” Poppy replied with a nod, “Sleep it is! Aphrodisiacs would be hilarious, but it could have unwanted side effects.”

Anakin just found the entire situation too amusing for words, she was also enjoying the fact that Poppy somehow got Snips to unwind. Maybe she could take Poppy with them whenever they were sent out on a mission? It’d certainly make them interesting, especially if they were saddled with another boring escort.

“Though I’m worried about what Padme would do,” She loved the woman but force, Padme was reckless… and the irony of her, Anakin Skywalker, saying that about anyone else wasn’t lost on her.

Still seeing as Poppy and Ahsoka had a plan, Anakin spoke up, “Okay so how are we going to deliver the gas without knocking out those that aren’t involved with the gang?” She asked, realistically she knew it’d happen either way and it’d be harmless but she was curious to hear what they’d suggest.

Poppy shrugged and formed several tentacles and fired purple gas out of their tips. “Like this. That’s just colored and grape flavored, but I can make it sleep too!”

Ahsoka and Anakin blinked, having not expected that, “Well… that settles that…” A very amused Anakin said, “Oh yeah, I think this is one babysitting job I’m going to enjoy.”

“I can do lots of things with my tentacles,” Poppy said, sounding very proud about that. “I am amazing!” Her hand went to her chest in a fist as her grin widened.

Anakin just snorted at that while raising her brow, “Certainly a cheery one, ain’t she Snips?” Anakin asked Ahsoka over the Force.

Ahsoka just nodded faintly, Anakin found it amusing that her padawan honestly wasn’t sure what to make of Poppy. And to be fair neither did she honestly, though so far she didn’t find anything overly concerning about her. Except for the pheromones and her diet, Anakin wasn’t entirely sure how she would deal with that… probably throw her at an escort and just… wait for her to finish?

“Haha! I figured out the music function,” Poppy announced, “Now to see if it isn’t all crap. Usually is, pop is almost always awful…”

“Certainly opinionated.” Not that Anakin disagreed, sure she wasn’t a music aficionado but even to her ears pop tended to sound pretty same-y after a while.

“Let’s see if there’s a metal equivalent…” She paused, “Hey Ani,~ is there anything that uses electric string instruments in a high paced and blood pumping manner? I want a proper song to play for my dramatic entrance.”

Anakin snorted. “I don’t listen to much music, sorry,” She said with a smile, “Though Snips might be more helpful.”

“Nope, I’m almost always training, sleeping, or saving your butt,” Her apprentice snarked, “With my busy schedule, there’s just no time for music.”

Poppy giggled softly as her eyebrow rose.

“You like my butt?” Anakin teased her padawan making her squawk and backpedal.

“N-No! Stop putting words in my mouth!” Ahsoka protested.

“Someone doth protest too much, methinks,” Poppy said with a grin, “Anyway,~ come on. Let’s find some criminals to deal with. Or we could spar, I’m not picky. Well, I am, I am extremely picky, but not about this. I’d also accept video games.”

“Well how about after we crack the heads of these Death Stick dealers, we go spar then?” Anakin suggested with a smile.

“That sounds lovely!” She replied, “Now, I must warn you that if they get close to killing me I will not hesitate to remove limbs, but considering your choice of armament I don’t think that will pose too much of a problem?”

“She seems… really eager to do violence, Master,” Ahsoka noted nervously, though she had managed to keep it out of her expression.

“Very… well, at least this babysitting job won’t be dull, right Snips?” Anakin joked, “And that’s your right, however let’s try to avoid that… the paperwork would be a nightmare.”

“Bah, I can put the limbs back on, just some bio-reactive glue made of stem cells, protein fluid, sugars, and antibiotics,” Her hand waved, “Better than Bacta. I think, needs testing…” Poppy visibly paused to reconsider things. “Wow I am getting way too arrogant. Eh, I still have a healthy fear of proper Sith and feel a sense of absolute horror and terror at the idea of fighting one. I’ll leave that to you two because I don’t want to die!”

Anakin and Ahsoka looked at each other before the Jedi Master looked at her, “Well, the fact that you’re terrified is a good thing.”

“I thought so too,” She replied with a nod, “And that’s why you’re allowed to die in my stead as loyal minions, you don’t object right?” She was clearly joking, as far as Anakin could tell, but there was some honesty to it.

“We’re honored,” Ahsoka snarked with a roll of her eyes.

Poppy just brushed her hair back, “As you should be!~” She said snootily.

Anakin just snickered and even Ahsoka eventually giggled.

That just made her even more smug than she had been before, the emotion radiating out into the force carried by a strong undercurrent of amusement and… fear? Now that she was looking for it, it seemed to coat everything she was doing.

Even her jokes had it.

She’d have to watch her during any fight they actually got into, if it spiked during it that would explain things. Otherwise… it didn’t say good things about her mental state.

“Hmm, probably should bring this up to the Masters if they haven’t realized it.” Fear was a good thing for non-jedi, it helped you stay alive, but to feel it constantly?

That was not good.

“Now then, Master Jedi,~ lead the way!” Poppy said with a grin, before her eyes metaphorically lit up, “Holy shit I know this song, now clue how you guys have it. Perfect, this will do perfectly!”

Anakin just shook her head in amusement, “This is going to be an interesting few days.” She decided before she took the lead.

[hr][/hr]

“Well, this is disappointing…” Poppy said with a pout.

Anakin just snorted before she contacted security to collect the subdued dealers, “How so? Because your sleep gas worked too well?” She asked dryly.

“I wanted them to resist at least a little bit,” She complained, “But they just screamed! That one,” She pointed at one of the dealers, “I didn’t even use the gas on. He just passed out from fear! Good for the ego, I’ll admit, but very boring.”

“It’s called suffering from success,” Ahsoka snarked from her perch.

“I wanted to have at least somewhat of a reputation before this started happening,” Poppy pouted, “Honestly, I’m not that scary looking, am I?”

She was, but that was beside the point.

“Actually this isn’t the first time I saw the guy,” Anakin said, “He’s well known to be cowardly, the fact that you kicked down the door and just started spewing gas was enough for him to freak.”

“... So you’re saying I should have come through the roof and started grabbing people and pulling them upwards?” She asked, head tilting, “I could make that work, really amp up the environmental terror, ‘nowhere is safe, I’m always there’ type thing.”

“I think you’re giving this too much thought for someone terrified of fighting,” Ahsoka said dryly.

“Terrified of fighting a proper sith,” Poppy corrected, “There is as much a difference between them and I as the idiots we just captured and me. I can’t exactly fight someone that just turns the world into an electric light show, rips open space-time, or drains life from the vicinity just from looking at it wrong… or right, from their perspective.”

Anakin honestly couldn’t disagree with that. “Fair enough,” She admitted, “Now after security arrives how about we… hmm…” Sure they could spar but Anakin wasn’t really sure what they could do.

This was the first time they, herself and Snips that is, were minders instead of escorts.

“... I’m going to find their stash,” Poppy announced, “And then destroy it. Any objections?”

She didn’t… actually give them a chance to voice any before she darted off into the building, tentacles tearing up cushions and searching the nooks and crannies of it.

Ahsoka just watched for a few seconds before looking at Anakin, “The next few days are going to be long, aren’t they?” She asked flatly.

“There’s a good chance of that,” Her Master admitted, “At least this isn’t another boring escort, so there’s that.”

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