Prologue: Where the Galaxy's Fate Turned Aside

The sounds were the thing that stuck with her the most, after all was said and done. The cacophony of blaster fire from the clones, the rocket fired at such close quarters that her ears still rang at its memory, and the hum of the Magnaguards' electro-staffs, like a swarm of wasps surrounding her. The Battle of Coruscant, they called it later. As if the metropolis planet had never been the subject of an invasion in its history before. Her fellow Jedi's alien speech still echoed in her ears, and she could still feel the sigh in the Force that accompanied their passing as she had sprinted, allowing the Force to suffuse her aching muscles with supernatural speed. She had arrived too late for them, but just in time to see him. To see it.

Grievous had been a monstrosity of durasteel and flesh, a study in horror. Palpatine's sallow skin reflected what little light existed in the room, and she remembered the unhurried, almost languid way that he had greeted her. As if he were untouchable. She thought later that perhaps his power and influence had made him feel as such. After all, he had no peer to keep him humble, no equal to make him realize that he was only mortal. She remembered gathering the Force to herself, resisting the urge to rush in furiously at the sight of her dead brothers.

The Force swirled, and in a moment of perfect harmony, she surrendered her will. This, the High Council speculated later, may have been a perfect moment of oneness with the living Force, acting only as a conduit for its will. She couldn't remember a thing past that point, only opening her eyes when the perfect moment had passed. There, on the floor, lay two of Grievous' arms, severed at the elbow joints. The absence of Grievous must have meant that she had successfully fended him off, but… The memory still brought anger, even as she tried not to think about it. The Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, Sheev Palpatine, lay dead with a smoking hole in his sternum, scorch marks on his rich silk robes. She had dropped to her knees, numbed by the shock of discovery. She had failed… the Separatists had apparently gotten what they had come for.

It had all gone by quickly after that, at least from her perspective. The battle in the atmosphere above had apparently gone well, with a few good Jedi and a flock of clone pilots driving off the Invisible Hand. However, instead of returning as heroes, all the people of Coruscant could think about was the death of their great leader. Her cheeks flushed now as she thought of Mace Windu, finding her in the shameful position of crying in the corner of the room. She had been surrounded by her failure's evidence, and he had elected to turn his back, giving her a moment to compose herself. The Council meeting that night had them questioning her, getting detail after detail and hitting the same wall: She had no idea of what happened between her, Grievous, and the Chancellor. The only fact that was undisputable is that she had failed, and Grievous had killed Palpatine on her watch.

Yoda's wisdom was preeminent, as always. "Saddening and hurtful to all is the news of the Chancellor's passing, Master Ti. Sure are you, that no more light can be shed on these events, hmm?"

She had simply shaken her head. Shaak Ti had spent many hours in the Council chambers, surrounded by the skyline of a bustling planet, but had rarely found herself in the center of the room, under scrutiny. Even her knighthood trials hadn't felt quite so… invasive. The next few days saw her confined to the Halls of Healing while the rest of the Council allowed her to recover from the traumatic events, regaining her mental fortitude. Now, she realized with a hint of chagrin, she realized that they were being kind enough to not add insult to injury just yet.

Obeying her comlink's summons to the Council chambers, she instinctively moved towards her seat when she stopped, sensing the mood in the room. This wasn't a typical Council meeting for her to participate in. This was about her. She took her place in the center of the room, composing herself.

Mace Windu leaned forward, concern faintly appearing on his stony features. "Master Ti, thank you for coming. How are you feeling?"

The question seemed odd to Shaak Ti at the time; Master Windu was not renowned for his sympathetic nature. Her brow furrowed under her montrals as she answered him. "My strength has returned, Master Windu. I appreciate the rest, but I am ready to return to my duties."

The other Council members shifted almost audibly in their seats, making Shaak Ti look around. Something was wrong… Mace Windu even looked uncomfortable, but spoke after swallowing. "I'd recommend that you take as much time as you need to recover, Master. The stress of the Chancellor's assassination would be a burden for any of us."

She hadn't quite put it together yet, but her senses weren't dull. "With all due respect, Master Windu, what is this all about? What am I missing here?"

Windu's face took on its typical implacable quality. "The Chancellor's assassination was a crushing blow to the morale of the Republic. Public opinion of the Jedi Order is at an all-time low, and the details surrounding his demise are still murky. There is only one constant, and that is that you were unable to prevent his death."

Shaak Ti stood still, her chin remaining just above level. "That is correct. I failed in my duty to the Republic, and if the Council believes that I deserve disciplinary measures, I will submit myself to their judgment."

She had given a typical answer, at least for a Jedi. Mace looked to speak again, but some unseen signal from Yoda made him close his mouth, and allow the diminutive Grandmaster speak instead. "Shaak Ti, no punishment have we for one who has done their best. The Jedi Council's judgment, you have not incurred. The Republic's judgment, another story that is."

Her gaze had grown proud, aloof in spite of her Jedi humility. "Am I to face court martial, Master Yoda?"

Yoda lifted a hand, and spoke firmly. "Court martialled, you will not be. Calls for Jedi accountability, louder have grown. Bow to the will of the Senate, the Jedi must, and a gesture of contrition, we must make."

Obi-Wan Kenobi, a younger master of recent renown, leaned forward in his seat. "Master, your skill and integrity are above reproach, and no one here doubts-"

Mace cut him off by raising a hand. Facing forward, he addressed her bluntly. "Master Ti, the rest of the Jedi Council is formally asking you to step down from your chair."

The silence in the chamber following his statement still rang in her ears. Council members stepping down was not unheard of, but asking a Council member to step down was something that had almost never happened in the history of the Order. "Retain the rank of Master, you would. Off the front lines of the war, you would be assigned. Still useful, yet out of the public eye you would remain until concluded this war has." Yoda's eyes were sad while he spoke, but there was a firmness to his eyes that made it clear: This was not a suggestion.

She was not an overly emotional person, and yet the shame and stigma of this implied rebuke felt like a dirty cloak thrown about her shoulders. Swallowing, Shaak voiced her opinion, though later she knew that it had been fruitless. "Am I to be a scapegoat, then?"

The Council members averted their eyes to a being, shifting uncomfortably again in their seats, except for Mace. He had grown weary of her defiance. "If you need a better reason for your withdrawal from this Council, Master Ti, consider this: You've had two Padawans die in part due to your deficiencies as a teacher, lost most your team on Hypori, got yourself captured on Metalorn, and now we have not only lost Masters Moudama and Corobb, we have lost the Supreme Chancellor as well, all under your watch."

The rest of the High Council looked in shock at Windu, low murmurs of objection rising at his accusations. Shaak felt the words hit her, and tried her best to let the words wash over her like any other, but doubts that she'd kept at bay were now brought into the light kicking and screaming. Was she really fit to be a Jedi? Yoda addressed her gently, at least in comparison to Mace. "Out of your control, events have become. As to all of us these things may happen. Take time you must, not for the Republic's sake, but yours."

Stiff as a board, Shaak took a beat to mull over all that had been said. The only thing that could be heard was the soft -woosh- of the ventilation in the room. Had it always been so cold in here? She hadn't noticed before. Bowing her head and pointing her montrals towards Yoda, she pointedly kept her eyes on him, avoiding Mace's piercing stare. "I accept the suggestion of the Jedi High Council… I hereby submit my motion to step down from my chair as High Councilor, and from the Council of Reconciliation."

The second had not been recommended, but the Council nodded in acceptance. It was a wise move for Shaak Ti to disappear from sight for a while. Had to be done, they told themselves. Yoda nodded. "So noted, let it be. A new High Council Member appointment, our priority must be. Master Ti, appreciate your cooperation, we do, and how hard this will be for you, we realize."

Shaak had never attributed the adjective "hollow" to any of Master Yoda's words before, but she recognized platitudes when she saw them. Nodding, she bowed wordlessly, and left the chamber.

As she left, Obi-Wan turned to Mace with a frown. "You didn't have to do that, Master Windu." Mace said nothing, and not even a mind reader could tell what he was thinking.

Yoda merely sighed. "Too long now, soldiers we have been. Fear I do, that we shall be for years to come. Sense you do, I am sure, the fog of the dark side that has clouded our vision beginning to lift. Perhaps then, some new resilience this tragedy has inspired within the Republic, and the Jedi." The mood stayed dark, as they reflected on the situation. No one was happy with what had happened, but it simply had to be done.

Within the week, she heard the news. Luminara Unduli, had been appointed to replace her. It was a silver lining at the very least; Luminara was a friend, or at least the closest thing that the solitary Togruta Jedi had to one. She was gathering the last of her things from her chambers; apparently, the larger chambers she had been given when she was made a High Council member were only for those who held the position. It was a good thing that she didn't have much to move, and that she was leaving the Temple today anyway.

Shaak wouldn't have cared about giving up her quarters even if she had been planning to stay at the Temple, she was past feeling. At this point, everything that would have hurt had been numbed down. Luminara waited outside her door, her eyes downcast. A small part of Shaak was relieved that her friend felt guilty about the whole arrangement, but she quieted the thought.

"Are you sure that you have to leave?" Luminara asked her as they walked down the long hallway of the Temple. Stone arches on either side that used to make Shaak feel secure now made her feel claustrophobic.

She hefted the pack on her shoulders, adjusting a strap to fit her slender frame. "I believe it's for the best. The war has just taken its most significant casualty, and I am to blame. It would be best if I were to disappear for a while. I can travel, allow myself to do good wherever I can. If the Council needs me, they will let me know."

Luminara brushed her friend's elbow with a pale jade hand, attempting to reassure Shaak with her presence. "You did the best you could, nothing wrong at all. I… heard tell of what Master Windu said, and he was wrong to- "

"He was absolutely right." Shaak cut her friend off with an uncharacteristic sharpness.

Luminara was taken aback, but held her tongue, knowing that Shaak needed to get her feelings off her chest. They kept a steady pace as they passed the Room of a Thousand Fountains, heading for the Temple hangar. "He was exactly correct. My ability as a teacher, as a Jedi, are lacking." The togruta Jedi's voice cracked uncharacteristically as she confided in Luminara. "Perhaps I was not ready for the rank of Master after all, let alone replacing Master Yaddle on the High Council."

They were almost at the hangar, navigating their way through the twisting corridors of the Temple while Unduli thought of a way to comfort her friend. She chose her words carefully. "Shaak, your skill and insight are unquestionable. The Force is strong with you, and few of us could have even survived against Grievous for very long, let alone do what you did. If you believe that traveling the galaxy to reconnect with the Force is what's necessary, then so be it. Just don't make it about them," she said, gesturing out a viewport towards the Coruscant city-scape, "This has to be for you and your benefit."

Shaak sighed, nodding as she quickly embraced her fellow Jedi. "Thank you for seeing me off, Luminara. You have been a good friend to me, even when I do not deserve it. You will be an excellent Council member."

Luminara offered a small smile, folding her hands in front of her. "I have large boots to fill, Shaak. Send me a message whenever you think of me in your travels, and may the Force be with you."

The shuttle that brought visitors to and from the Temple would be departing soon, as the flashing display of the docking bay reminded them. Shaak fiddled with her pack's strap once more, then pulled her hood above her head, allowing her montrals to fit through the twin holes in it. "And with you, my friend."

Boarding the transport with a few strides, she wondered if it wasn't the will of the Force that got her into this mess in the first place. Perhaps it would be better if the Force wasn't with her after all. Luminara watched as the shuttle took off, its repulsor jets burning blue-white in the blood orange of the planet's twilight. Shaak had a seat by the viewport, and the view of the Temple as they lifted off would have been majestic to behold. But she did not look back.