Constraints: Immediately after 5:20 – The Wrong Jedi
Synopsis: As above basically, everyone getting used to the new situation.
There Is No Order, There Is Chaos.
Content: Bit violent here and there, alien swear words.
Betrayal.
Cowardly.
Ungrateful.
Unbeleivable.
The word Karking was by far the most frequent word occurring in Ahsoka's thoughts as she sat at the table in the ship's cantina.
She looked at the bar wondering if getting shavitfaced would help anything, but she had seen drunk, stoned and wired people before.
"Ugh," she commented at the images in her head. None of the people doing booze or spice were a good advert for their particular vice.
A lot of people had been looking at her as she had entered the spaceport, purchased her ticket, boarded the ship, and sat here, not yet having checked out her room.
The ship looked in good order, so odds were it was fine. There was a chance it wasn't, but she had endured sleeping on mud, sleeping on rocks, not sleeping in a cage because the collar the Zygerians had locked on her kept zapping her on command, so that was fairly karkawful accommodations right there.
But the looks everyone kept giving her.
She was famous because she was being tried on live holovision for multiple counts of murder, one count causing an explosion with intent to endanger life, one count being unlawfully at large, one count witness tampering, one count conspiracy to tamper with evidence, one count fare dodging, three counts resisting arrest, all this was a pile of shavite.
She was about to hear the verdict the jury had rendered. Anakin arrived with the real perpetrator just in time.
It would have been nice to have her name cleared without it being found that Barriss was the one who had framed her.
Barriss Offee.
"I did it. Because I've come to realize what many people in the Republic have come to realize, that the Jedi are the ones responsible for this War. That we've so lost our way that we have become villains in this conflict, that we are the ones that should be put on trial, all of us. And my attack on the Temple was an attack on what the Jedi have become. An army fighting for the Dark side, fallen from the Light that we once held so dear, this Republic is failing. It's only a matter of time."
It was hard to call Barriss wrong on some points. The idea of buying brainwashed clones from Kamino as if they were just another gun or tank, that never sat right.
And Padme didn't have a lot of polite words to say about a lot of the legislation being considered by the senate and being proposed by Palpatine.
But one of the more offensive things Barriss had done was stab Ahsoka in the back, twist the knife various ways, Ahsoka had saved Barriss's life a couple of times, she had thought Barriss and her were friends from that point.
How the karking hell ... ?
There was precident for the dark side turning Jedi against their best friends, even their family. Then there was that thing with that Mortis Monolith where she herself had gone darkside, and then Anakin had gone darkside ...
The theory was well established, passion, that is, shavit that gets to you, that is REALLY gets to you, can turn a light side force active individual into a darkside force active individual.
Karking hell though, it was still a kick to the ovaries to find it was Barriss.
But the Jedi Council, what the kark was THEIR excuse? Face the danger, hold no fear, seek the truth. Anakin wasn't the only one who had detected a lack of interest in the situation from the council, that was SO not a thorough interview, no followup on that hearing, just, "we think you're guilty, you're fired, now kark off."
Not in those words, these being Jedi masters, but still ...
"Yeah, about that rush to judgement thing, we're really sorry about that. Want back in?"
Ahsoka had walked into the room thinking she DID want back in.
But then her padawan braid offered to her, after hearing their apologies, and Mace trying to put a positive spin on- KARK THEM ALL!
If they had admitted they were bell-ends, had they not tried to put a positive spin on it, "you're a better Jedi for having gone through all this," "this was a great trial, yippee," for kark's sake ...
She just couldn't do it, the situation was different now.
When she was wanted everyone feared her, when she was on trial, everyone scorned her, when she was acquitted everyone pitied her. Karking waves of emotion directed towards her.
Kark it, time to check out her cabin. All that emotion was doing her head in.
"It's not that I gave up, Skywalker - but unlike you, when the time comes, I am prepared to let my student go. Can you say the same?"
Those words tasted like shavit.
Luminara had imagined her Padawan possibly dying or being maimed in action, that was a dread of hers, but she had made herself ready for that eventuality.
Her padawan was going to die by being executed for a bunch of crimes including murders, blowing up the temple, and, errrrrr, oh yes ... Framing Ahsoka for all of it.
Luminara observed she must really stop turning her lightsabre on and off as she started to notice the looks all the officers on the bridge were giving her.
Some of what Barriss had said in court was right, but damn it, how the karking hell does that excuse ... ... ...
She told her XO "take command, I'm going to go meditate," as she turned and stepped off the bridge.
Her Padawan. HER padawan.
What had Luminara failed to do here? Where had she ... what was the critical mistake? ... or mistakes, plural?
"General?" asked a clone.
Luminara looked up to see one of the clone troopers staring at her alarmed.
She looked down again.
Her lightsabre was on.
It was poking through her off hand.
She turned it off and put it on her belt. "As you were," she said as she made her way to the infirmary.
The pain was actually refreshing for some reason.
"That's one of them Jedi that blew up my factory," groused Poggle.
He was still talking in Geonosian, barely 'lowering himself' to speak Basic, but because he was important in Geonosian society, Cad and Aurra had taken the effort to learn Geonosian.
After all, if you know someone important, it's possible their friends outside will spring you alongside them.
So, Aurra and Cad looked where Poggle was looking and indeed it was a Jedi.
Well, a padawan.
How did they know? She was on the news. "And the other was a Togruta was it?" asked Cad.
A Mirialan and a Togruta had infiltrated the factory intent on blowing it up.
They had laid their charges before they were engaged in the reactor room, but Poggles guards had managed to remove them. The two Jedi had then holed up in one of the tanks.
Normally you wouldn't expect people, however well protected, to shoot a reactor from point blank, especially if they'd in all likelihood get buried under tens of metres of rock.
Karking Jedi.
They're nutters, the lot of them.
"And she's also the one who betrayed the Jedi order," added Aurra, smiling mischeviously.
"Yeah," said Cad, he was in admiration of Barriss now her treachery had been revealed pan galactically, but he had some doubts that Poggle didn't.
"Now she's a separatist ally," said Poggle, "we have a better chance of victory."
"I don't think she's pro separatist," said Cad, "She's anti Jedi, or rather, she's anti what she thinks the Jedi have become, that doesn't necessarily mean she'd help the seperatists."
Aurra nodded saying "He's right, I wouldn't approa-"
Poggle declared "Nonsense" waving his hand dismissively as he stood up and walked over saying "I'm going to introduce myself."
Cad and Aurra sat at their table watching Poggle go. Aurra and Cad then looked to Poggle's plate, both grabbed the plate with a hand, Cad pointed at some of the food items on the plate saying "I call this, this and this."
"Fine," said Aurra as she and Cad both move the remaining items to their plates.
Having divided up the food, they looked back towards Poggle as he reached Barriss who was now sat at her table about to eat.
The first syllable out of Poggles mouth caused Barriss to whirl around in her seat and grab Poggles head, snapping it one way, killing him, and then the other, redundantly twisting his head back and forth five times before dropping him and kicking away at his dead body, all the while, she looked scared, totally bricking it.
"Hmm," said Cad as he finished chewing a bite and swallowed it, he then said "Didn't Poggle say something about those two padawans being on a ship that almost got overrun by Geonosian mind worms?"
"Yes he did," said Aurra, "Jedi get ass deep in trouble all the time, so I wouldn't expect Barriss to be so panicky at the sound of Geonosian dialect, unless ... " the smile on her face caused Cad to nod.
"She got possessed didn't she?" Said Cad.
Guards had arrived to reign in Barriss who had her hands up and her head bowed, other guards had arrived with a medical droid and a stretcher for Poggle.
"Hmm," pondered Aurra, "that was more a reflex action, and he wanted to recruit her. What if our approach is to offer our services to her should she break out?"
Cad nodded saying "I'd definitely rather be out than in, even if she can't afford to pay us ... if there's no money in working for her, we break out alongside her and do one the instant something more profitable comes up, but she will need money for whatever she wants to do."
Aurra nodded.
Ahsoka could sense him a kilometre off.
She heard him creeping up behind her and heard him draw his weapon. His weapon shot to her hand.
Sitting up, she pointed it at the Rodian, who now looked worried.
"Who are you?" asked Ahsoka.
"Greedo. Please don't kill me, I can be very useful."
"Okay, you can help me figure out what you're doing sneaking into my quarters while I'm asleep in them." After a pause, she pointed the blaster at his crotch. She hadn't sensed any sexual attraction in him towards her, but if he felt that was what she thought he was there for, he might be a bit more open as a matter of urgency so that he could retain the ability to urinate from a standing position.
"For the bounty! I'm here for the bounty."
"The boun- ...It's been cancelled you tit." Said Ahsoka, the only time she was aware of having a price on her head was when she was unlawfully at large trying to clear her name.
"Nice try," said Greedo.
"My acquittal occurred on galactic holovision," said Ahsoka, exasperated at the fail before her, "how the karking hell did you miss that?"
"Your mind tricks won't work on me," said Greedo.
"Mind trick, that's good, I like that, I like that a lot," said Ahsoka, she then said "I fine you one blaster for constituting a moron. Now," she directed her force capabilities towards his mind saying "Kark off."
Greedo obediently marched out fast. Ahsoka then telekinetically closed the door behind him.
How had that Pratt missed the news?
"So, how's Ahsoka doing?" asked Padme as she and Anakin sat down on the couch in Padme's Corouscant residence.
"No idea. She did one," said Anakin, producing Ahsoka's braid.
" ... Oh ... " said Padme.
"Yeah. Not sure I blame her, council's rush to judgement, Barriss being the culprit, karking hell. What a clusterkark that was."
"Tell me about it," said Padme, "that Barriss character's karked with my efforts to seek a political settlement, this war can't go on forever, but thanks to Barriss, everyone's now putting forth questions as to whether or not we approve of her actions. Karking idiots."
"Well, it's up to the separatists to surrender isn't it?" said Anakin.
"Unconditionally? From their perspective, they're still in with a chance. If a satisfactory compromise can be reached that feels less like a gamble than continuing the war, and you've been in enough fights to know that war is always a gamble, always."
"So we surrender?"
"Of course not, and that's a false dichotomy, you don't do false dichotomies on operations do you?" replied Padme.
Anakin replied "alright, you got a point ... Kark this argument, let's just do something fun, or relaxing, or ... something."
"Something ... " mused Padme, looking thoughtful. She then got a smirk and started a suggestion.
Ahsoka joined the rest of the passengers getting off at Shili. Mostly Togrutas. Not many people other than relatives of Shili nationals have any reason to visit Shili.
A certain Rodian saw her and approached.
Ahsoka watched him approach and before he said anything she said "no you can't have your blaster back."
"Blasters are cheap, fuel back to Tatooine, parking fees on Coruscant, you've put me in a hole."
"Oh kark off, it's your inattention to detail that's put you in your karking hole," said Ahsoka, really not getting any happier with this guy.
"Well what am I supposed to do now then?" asked Greedo.
"What? Why are you asking me?" asked Ahsoka.
Greedo didn't have an answer.
The door opened and everyone stepped off the ship. Ahsoka went to a holoterminal and started looking for her home address.
It then occurred to her that she hadn't been here since Plo picked her up as a very small child. Her head barely reached crotch level back then. Now she's a young adult. Her mum would probably struggle to remember giving birth to her.
Also, did her parents have a spare room?
Kark, kark, kark, kark, kark.
Get a hotel room?
How much is that going to cost?
And she had slagged off Greedo for his lack of forward planning.
No problem, she'll just have to get a job is all. She developed many skills as a Jedi, not just combat and force manipulation, she could fix just about any busted up equipment almost instinctively.
How hard can it be?
Oh for kark's sake, did she just ask herself ... never mind ...
Ahsoka started off to the taxi ramp.
The structure of Togrutian villages was part castle, part leisure resort. It was like everyone was nostalgic about the origins of Togrutian culture but at the same time reluctantly accepting the need to adopt current and future technology.
Ahsoka had seen sections of Togruta of various states of physical health jogging with oversized backpacks and blaster rifles. Cab driver mentioned how hearing about Kiros had gotten everyone on edge.
They eventually arrived at the village her parents lived at.
Ahsoka paid the fare and got out.
She approached the entrance. There was a variety of ways togrutian villages had been built, but the castle part of this particular togrutian village was this slightly misshapen ring of soil about 5 metres high that tapered low at each end, a lap made the ring seem seamless from a distance. The idea being the village looks like just another hill from a distance.
Inside, that all changes. A retaining wall increased the available space inside, several steps about 1.5 metres each provided walkways so sentries could walk a complete circle, a bridge covered the entrance. The grass towards the top of the mound was left tall to conceal the sentries montrals.
There was no camouflage netting covering the village, by the time they had developed aircraft, any togruta vs togruta wars had more or less ended, the consideration was more about akhuls and other large critters.
She eventually made eye contact with her dad, who had two children approximately 3 and 8 years old.
"Ahsoka? This is a surprise," started the conversation, about 15 metres away, the sort of distance over which humans would have to shout to hear each other.
"Yeah, sorry to drop in, if there's no room for me to stay, I'll find a hotel, I just needed to ... Come home I guess."
He eventually got to within 3 metres, Ahsoka's brothers (?) looking at her, assessing her. He asked "how've you been since the trial?"
"-" Ahsoka was about to say 'karked', but she was also aware of widespread concern of the exposure of young montrals to foul language, so she said "very lost to be honest."
"Are you sure she's innocent dad?" asked the 8yo boy, prompting Ahsoka's dad to slap him across one of his montrals saying "Oi, show some respect you little shavite, this is your older sister."
Ahsoka relaxed slightly saying "not a problem, I started to doubt my innocence too occasionally. Still," she turned to her brother saying "bit strong innit? What prompted that?"
"When was the last time you were even here?" asked her brother.
"Seriously," said Ahsoka's dad, "knock it off."
He then looked back at Ahsoka but Ahsoka was now feeling like she had made a mistake coming back, the culture on Shili was so team orientated that her absence for all this time ...
"Pay no attention to him, little twerp thinks Jedi are big celebrities, come on," he motioned for Ahsoka to follow him to their apartment.
Even Shili had weather, so Togruta villages had enclosed and weatherproof houses, underground communal spaces for recreation, eating, etc. Sleeping areas were shared, so one bedroom filled with as many beds as there were members of the family. It was interesting how some species were desperate to pretend to their children that sex didn't exist. Imagine their reaction if they were to hear that Togrutian children often had a front row seat to the conception of their younger siblings.
There were pictures on the walls of various achievements, that had included news screencaps of Ahsoka any time she had appeared in the news either as the main story or had just been caught on camera in the background.
"So, taking a break from saving the galaxy?" asked her dad.
"Well ... ... I really don't know what to do to be honest, I mean, I was looking forward to clearing my name and getting back into the fight, but the two things that ruined it, Barriss, who I thought was my friend, and the masters, I mean, to Plo's credit, he did apologise, but Saesee, Ki and Mace, the way they tried to put a positive spin on that total clusterkark of the situation, they spent about five minutes considering my case, followed up nothing ... I just don't feel safe with them any more, I thought the Jedi council was supposed to be better than that. ... And Barriss ... I just ... "
Her dad nodded saying "When your enemy hurts you that's business, when your own friends hurt you ... Well, you're welcome to stay, but you'll need to help around the village while you're here."
Ahsoka nodded saying "well, whether you want droids fixing or lunch killed, I'm your girl."
"Okay, although at the moment we're under a hunting ban, our game stocks are low again."
This is something else that had to change as mortality at all ages dropped, the growing population had to stop hunting every now and then to allow their prey animals to build up in numbers again or risk hunting them to extinction.
Ahsoka nodded. She then asked "where's mum? Does she still live here?"
"She does, but she's been chasing this job vacancy, it's taken her off-world, she's confident she's in with a chance, it's with Harranite Temp Agency, they're seeking to recruit personal department managers," said Ahsoka's dad.
"Hope it works out then," said Ahsoka.
"I think that just about covers it," said Luminara.
"Okay, in that case I will take my leave, thank you General Unduli,"" said Tarkin as he stepped out of view.
"Decision, you have reached?" asked Yoda.
Luminara looked to Yoda asking "Regarding?"
"A new padawan, for your mentorship."
Luminara nodded. Right, a new padawan, she was looking through initiate files leading up to the trial, now Barriss seemed to be of little need of Luminara's supervision.
Or so Luminara had thought.
She then shook her head saying "Not yet. I don't even know how I karked up my last one."
"You do realise that the only person responsible for Offee's actions was Offee herself?" asked Obi-wan.
"Yea- ... well, ... " Luminara just couldn't put that feeling to rest.
"If you're not confident, I suppose we can leave it a while," said Obi-wan.
"Thank you," said Luminara.
"but at some point you'll have to do what we teach our initiates to do at entry levels, that is, overcome your fear and get in there," said Obi-wan, he then said "Speaking of ... If you'll all excuse me ... "
"Course of," said Yoda with a bow.
Obi-wan bowed back and headed out.
The holoconference ended and Luminara brought her injured hand in front of her, now dressed in bacta patches, and the datapad she had been reading before the start of the holoconference.
Ahsoka walked along the corridor in the Pelta class frigate and turned into the mess hall.
Sat at one of the tables was this Mirialan in a prison jumpsuit. As Ahsoka approached, she saw a familiar tattoo on the back of the mirialan's hand. Walking past her confirmed what she was seeing.
"Hello Ahsoka," said Barriss as she continued eating the overloaded plate of food.
Ahsoka eventually asked "Bit heavy innit?"
"Yeah, well, Poggle caused an incident when I was two and a half bites into my meal, food's been on my mind since I arrived in solitary. I won't miss the karker."
"Killed him?" asked Ahsoka.
"Yep," said Barriss, "Forgot how bad that brainworm was. Hearing his voice reminded me."
"I recall you wanted me to kill you back then," said Ahsoka, almost whistfully.
"And now you think you should have," speculated Barriss.
"Well ... would have saved Letta, several Jedi and a kark load of clones," observed Ahsoka.
"Yeah, it probably would have, for now. Is that why you made contact with me?"
Ahsoka looked surprised. "I made contact?"
Barriss chuckled briefly and said "part of you clearly wants to. We could address that."
Ahsoka nodded saying "Uh-huh. Well, I'm, like, a day old, so ... "
"Ahsoka, I can no longer continue my mission, I'm compromised, I'm out the fight. Lying to you now serves no purpose," said Barriss.
"Your mission. To, what was it? Punish the republic?" asked Ahsoka.
"No," said Barriss, she then explained "the objective was to drive the Grand Army to expel the Jedi Order from it's chain of command, because that's what's corrupting the order. That wouldn't be the only thing to do, but it would have been the essential first step."
"And that was worth the lives lost and the lives that would have been lost... including mine."
"Yes. You were the first convenient scapegoat. Purpose before desire," said Barriss.
"Makes it alright does it?" asked Ahsoka.
"No. But nothing's been alright since the first battle of Geonosis, I was operational for that one," said Barriss, "the council's been weak ever since then, you saw it when they expelled you."
"Yeah," said Ahsoka, nodding, "that's why I didn't go back when they offered to reinstate me."
"Good," said Barriss, "Stay out. Don't go back until they rediscover some ethics."
"What about the seperatists?" asked Ahsoka.
"They can't win. Even if they win the war, they're not going to last, their members have conflicting agendas, they treat new members like prisoners, or slaves, they're their own worst enemy. Only thing holding them together is Darth Sidious and Count Dooku. They're a karking joke."
Ahsoka nodded.
They then heard a scream and turned to see a view screen that had suddenly appeared. A gang of Zygerrians milled around until there was a clear view of a togruta woman, her arms being held out by two of them.
"Mum?" asked Ahsoka.
One of the Zygerrians punched her in the kidney and kicked her in her arse when she collapsed to her knees.
Barriss stood up looking at it. "I thought you were from Shili, your mum shouldn't have been caught up in that should she?"
"No," said Ahsoka, looking horrified as the pack of Zygerrians laughed, one of them grabbing her montrals, straining them painfully and manipulating her head a bunch of ways ignoring her pleas for them to stop, "is this real?"
"I think it is, watch carefully," said Barriss, scrutinising the scene, "do you recognise any of these from the Zygerria job?"
Another Zygerrian leaned across Ahsoka's mum and pulled her shirt open, abruptly following up with her bra, prompting a "NO!" from both Ahsoka and her mum.
"I know it's hard, but focus on the assailants, focus on the scene," said Barriss, then suddenly grousing "although this can be anywhere."
The scene got steadily worse, and Ahsoka eventually said "I don't recognise any of them ... ... " She started crying.
"And I'm in no position to help," said Barriss, "I'm sorry," she approached Ahsoka, placing a hand on Ahsoka's shoulder.
A part of Ahsoka remembered that Barriss had tried to frame Ahsoka for a capital offence, probably would have let Ahsoka die before calmly carrying on with her plans, but the rest of her accepted the consolance.
They watched through the scene, still hoping to get something useful from it. It took what felt like a day, watching the assailants exhaust themselves in their brutal abuse of their prisoner, and then watching them wander off, leaving the bruised and naked woman curled up on the floor amongst her torn clothing.
Barriss quietly whispered "Do you have any leads to follow here?"
Ahsoka nodded saying "Harranite Temp Agency, she's supposed to be applying for a position with them."
"Okay," said Barriss, "I'm waking up now, Ahsoka, stay with the light, however bad things get, stay with the light."
Ahsoka nodded and looked back.
Barriss was now gone.
Ahsoka's dad walked into the livingroom to see Ahsoka at the holoterminal. He approached and read "Harranite Temp Agency? Thinking of joining them?" with a chuckle.
"That's not a bad idea," said Ahsoka.
He nodded with a "Hm."
"I had a dream last night, but I think it was a vision. At least it felt like one."
"Yeah?" asked her dad, "What of?"
Ahsoka was about to answer, but she hesitated and eventually said "It could have been nothing more than a dream."
Her dad shifted in his pose and he asked "Alright, out with it, what are you trying to protect me from?"
Ahsoka hesitated again and then said "I saw Zygerrians."
"What?" asked her dad.
"I'm not telling you any more, not until I find out what's happening with her, you don't need those images in your head, you ... you just don't."
"Tell me she was alive at the end of ... whatever happened."
"Yes, she was alive," said Ahsoka, "I'm going to make sure she stays that way."
"I'm going to help," said her dad.
"No, if there's Zygerrians, this agency is a front chock full of highly violent goons," said Ahsoka.
"Ahsoka, you're too famous at the moment, they'll know you are force active and will have their game adapted for that."
"Dad, I'm not putting you in danger," said Ahsoka.
"You won't have to, I'm perfectly capable of putting myself in danger, thank you very much."
There was a knock at the door.
Ahsoka's 8yo brother answered the door and found the whole village crowded around the door, the current leader said "so are we. What affects one of us affects all."
Ahsoka smiled, feeling a warmth that had been absent since she was first arrested for Letta's murder.
"Okay, there is a chance they already be aware they have my mum, so we will have to be a bit more creative about your back stories, there is also a possibility they will be checking you for eavesdropping devices, so any electronic device that gets implanted, we'll need a story for that too that will cause them to leave it in." Ahsoka started talking details.
"You wanted to see me Master Skywalker?" asked Adon 'Shakas he approached Anakin where he sat in the library.
"Yes, I was reviewing your file, I noticed you were proficient in slicing and chemistry, are you looking forward to becoming a full knight?"
"I am, but I'm concerned my sabre skills may not be up to the challenge just yet, I am proficient in Forms 1,2, and 3, but form 4, well, ... " he spread his lekku so they could be viewed from the front, revealing thin scars that completely encircled his lekku.
Anakin winced at seeing the twi'lek's injuries. "well, if you lose a worm in the field, we'll probably have to leave it there, so stick with those three you know. You are now operational, Padawan 'Shakas."
"Thank you Master," he said, not expressing the excitement, not even in his force signature, "I will serve you well," with a bow.
Anakin felt disconcerted at his deference, but on paper, he was a good choice, slicing and chemistry were good skills to have if you had to improvise a weapon or sabotage or co-opt enemy equipment. The whole reason the council had given him Ahsoka was because she was impulsive and assertive, traits that ran most masters up the wrong way, but with Anakin sharing those traits even after graduating to full knight, it had been a good match.
"Okay," Anakin handed Adon a datapad saying "we got a job on Nar Shadaa, seppies are apparently trying to convince the Hutt that runs the place to side with them."
Barriss sat down at her chosen table with her food.
Poggle would no longer be around to trigger any more flashbacks, so that was good, but she hated the fact she was killing so many people. Poggle, she didn't need to kill, but that damn dialect of his, took her right back to that situation, she could feel that worm slithering up her nostril and coiling around inside her nasal cavity, and it's mind in hers, accessing all her memories, her skills, walking her around like an AT-AT walker. So fearful she had been of losing control again, that as soon as the worm in her nose had chilled enough for her to regain control, she begged Ahsoka to kill her, having her body being walked around and manipulated in that way was the absolute worst thing that had ever happened to her. Had these force suppression cuffs not been on her, Poggle would have been crushed into a perfect half metre cube.
He also tried to stick one of those worms up Luminara's nose.
Luminara. ...
Barriss hoped Luminara understood. Even if Luminara wanted Barriss dead, even if Luminara showed up at Barriss's execution with a HUGE bucket of popcorn, foam hand with 'Kill her' written on it, if Luminara understood that the Jedi order was going to a very dark place, that would be an improvement. The masters had to realise this and do something.
Ahsoka's commentary hadn't given her much hope of that, but at least Ahsoka seemed to understand.
Cad and Aurra sat down across from her, their plates unusually heavily loaded. Cad said "We've brought you some extra food."
Barriss took a moment to consider their offer and then nodded. The food could be poisoned, but that would have been a bit redundant in her case. Unless it was more to torture her instead of killing her outright, but Barriss didn't care anyway.
Still, there is possibly a reason why they're approaching her other than to hurt her.
"So, you hate the Jedi order now," started Cad as they started eating.
"I hate what they've become. I wanted to rescue the order, but ... " mused Barriss, she then asked Cad "do you and Aurra want my help with something? I'm grateful for the food, but ... ?"
"Well, Aurra and myself just find the decor here a little stale, we could do with a holiday, you know, get out, see the galaxy ... "
Barriss nodded and then placed a hand on the table, her fingers concealing her thumb from view of the guards. She moved her thumb in the shape of aurabesh characters to spell out words.
When it came time to reply, Cad did the same.
This was probably excessive paranoia, but the cuffs that suppressed Barris's force abilities probably included an eavesdropping device, because, why not?
The silent communication continued throughout their meal.
Barriss now felt better, she could get back in the game.