A Dark Gift for Palpatine
by Lordhadrian
It was the same dream, over and over. Barriss Offee had remained in her prison cell for a week, after confessing to heinous crimes of treason, betrayal, sabotage and murder.
She had remained without emotion, except for thinking back on the trial, and the dream she kept having. Was it a vision? If it was, it filled her with dread.
Every night, the dream felt cold, like an artificial death, and black like an evil skin. She could hear a sort of lifeless machinery going on, a terrible breathing noise, and a scream that was female.
Every night the dream ended in the same dreadful way. The breathing, cold machines at work, and the blackness with a shape. A female shape that was clawing from the void, with a brief scream silenced forever. And a voice that said one phrase over and over. "Still alive." Was this to be her future?
She would wake from the dream with a small gasp, feeling claustrophobic, gasping for air, and feeling the cold, the blackness, the evil breathing.
The cell door opened, and Tarkin walked in with a superior smirk. Behind him were a gaggle of syncophants and clone troopers.
"So, Jedi Offee, are you prepared for final judgement?" he held a haughty grin. A polite cough came from behind him, from an elegantly dressed blue skinned man. Baron Papanoida.
"You have not told her yet?" The Baron pressed his hands together with anticipation.
Barriss did not look at them for several seconds. She sighed to herself and stood up and faced Tarkin. "I am ready."
"Splendid." Tarkin waved his hand, inviting her to walk with him. She marched quickly, but noted they were surrounded by troopers.
"Do not be in such a hurry to your own destiny." Tarkin smirked "Today should be savored like a fine wine, wouldn't you say, Papanoida?"
"Indeed." The Baron smiled and snapped his fingers. A servant brought up a tray with a shimmering gold bottle and two glasses. Keeping up with them without the tray wavering in the slightest, the servant stayed by the Baron's side and waited.
Barriss grew anxious. She sensed the smugness of everyone in the group, all looking forward to today like it was a parade, a birthday celebration. None of them understood that she was sacrificing herself for a noble cause. Though, even now, she pondered the heavy price for the message she tried to get out to Chancellor Palpatine.
They walked by large windows overlooking the city. It was snowing. The white covered much of the skyscrapers of Coruscant, giving it such a peaceful look.
"Such a beautiful day..." she whispered to herself.
Tarkin and Papanoida heard her quiet compliment to the natural beauty that settled on Coruscant. "It's the Feast of Life Day, the Wookie Holiday has been officially accepted by the Chancellor to be celebrated throughout the noble Republic." Tarkin smiled at the irony. "How appropriate for you to be punished today!"
"There is no need to mock me, Commander. I have accepted my fate and the sacrifice I have made to help do my part for the Republic..."
The chuckles behind her were not encouraging. Tarkin smiled condescendingly. "Your sacrifice has all but ensured the war will go on, my dear. You have made me a happy man with your deeds. You have not only emboldened us to greater fervor to fight the Separatists and all manner of treason, you have completely erased any lasting influence the Jedi can ever have on the politics of the Republic!"
Barriss stopped and faced him with an aggressive face. "No!" She snapped "My efforts were to stop the corruption of the Jedi! To SAVE them from the war and to bring the conflict closer to an end!"
Tarkin was not moved nor intimidated by the small Jedi. "Your actions have nullified the Jedi Council as a bunch of hooligans in the eyes of the Senate and the public. But then, that was what you wanted all along. The hostilities of war have only increased. You have created hostility for all Mirialans everywhere, you have increased riots against Jedi policy, and Captain Rex has had to turn away hundreds of clone volunteers that so dearly wanted to be on the firing squad that would splatter your brains across the compound. I could scarcely contain my own excitement when I signed the papers releasing you from the Jedi into our capable hands. Whatever your intentions, Whether it were to be you or Ahsoka, I still get what I want..."
Tarkin's smirking words stunned her into silence. Barriss walked on, defiant. "Charming, to the last..." he smiled.
They marched to the exit that would take her to the compound to face final judgement, but Tarkin grabbed her shoulder. "No, this way." He pointed to a dark staircase.
"What is going on?" Barriss looked at him.
"While you have been sentenced, there is a change in the method."
"What do you mean?" Barriss furled her brow. She sensed dark amusement from all of them except the troopers.
Baron Papanoida explained. "Today is life Day, and part of the tradition of Life Day is the joy of giving gifts. Commander Tarkin and I will be creating a surprise gift for our Illustrious Chancellor. A gift involving you..."
What could the Chancellor want with me? Barriss pondered. Did he understand her message after all? Would he help end the corruption in the Jedi? Perhaps she misjudged Tarkin and the others. Perhaps there was still hope for Justice. Then it would all have been worth the struggle and the pain.
They entered a factory-style facility, a dark processing room with a contraption in the center.
The machinery made noises similar to the noises of Barriss' dream. She looked around and saw a hole in the center of the room. It was a carbonite freezing chamber.
"What is this!?" Barriss turned swiftly to them. She had a sense of urgency in her voice.
Baron Papanoida poured wine into two glasses, giving one to Tarkin. "The nature of the gift we want to give to Chancellor Palpatine...is art. I am quite the art lover, and I have seen many possibilities with this contraption..."
Barriss listened with a rising dread within her as the Baron calmly explained. The carbonite freezer hissed and belted steam, like it was breathing. The dim lighting also gave Barriss a sense of danger, seeing shadows and the skull like expressions of the stormtroopers everywhere in the darkness.
It was a trap. At best, it was to be the chosen method of execution, but Papanoida did not make it sound like one as he elaborated with dramatic gestures.
"See, under normal conditions, this is just a processing machine that helps transport a product, a drab, common product sold to other factory facilities that use carbonite in their manufacturing. But I have seen the potential for beauty..."
He pulled up a hologram of several figures frozen in carbon. "As you can see, I am starting a collection, to be sold to the wealthy for all sorts of decorations and occasions."
Barriss' expression changed to revulsion and horror as she recognized several Jedi. "Nadar! Master Gallia! Master Ima Gun Di!" She looked at them, almost shaking. "You...you're a bunch of MONSTERS! The Chancellor will not stand for this! There is no way this can be legal!"
Papanoida looked at her sternly "I have made it legal. Or rather, you have made it legal with your actions. Now, I am not so heartless. These subjects all were killed in action, and for a good mercenary sum of money, I have recovered their forms to fulfill a dream in frozen art, forever shaped and carved in carbon for the enjoyment of those who wish to own a piece of history. Thanks to you, the Jedi will fall and be disbanded, relegated to a small chapter in the history of the Republic. Because of you, the Jedi are doomed, but I intend to save their legacy for countless generations."
"No!" Barriss jumped away, a momentary attempt to escape, to run from the unforeseen consequences of her actions.
Tarkin shook his head as she hesitated. "Be reasonable, Jedi Offee. You know escape is impossible. I mean, you're no Ahsoka Tano." he chuckled slightly, and so did a few of the servants behind him. The troopers remained still as statues.
A grim horror fell on her face. "But...the corruption must be fixed! Justice! What about Justice for the Republic? That's what the Chancellor wanted...that's what...I was trying to show...Tarkin...Papanoida...how is this justice? How can you...think to do this?"
"Believe" by Elton John: watch?v=ABSXJi…
For a moment, Tarkin looked at her with sympathy, but it was a mockery of any feelings a person could have as he walked towards her, the cold echo of his boots on the ramp going towards the carbon processing pit.
Barriss now noticed how much a towering figure he was in the dim red lights.
"My dear Jedi Offee, I assure you justice is being served. Your message to the chancellor is about to be immortalized. You will make a fine gift for his office in the Senate building. And your frozen presence will serve as a reminder to Master Windu and Yoda that they have become...irrelevant."
Papanoida concurred "Justice was what you wanted against the Jedi. You said so yourself. Now, we can either martyr you in more direct ways, or...we can let you make the ultimate statement against the Jedi. The Senate, The Chancellor, the people of Coruscant will see this as a message, but also an exquisite sculpture. Only Myself, Tarkin and Palpatine will know it is you in the block of carbon. To everyone else, your form will be...a tribute to the justice of Jedi Barriss Offee."
Tarkin signaled the guards to step forward, motioning her to stand on the freezing platform.
"You should be honored, Barriss" Papanoida tried to comfort her "You will be the first live subject for this process. Think of it as a...life sentence to community service."
Barriss' heart sank at the calm insanity from Tarkin and Papanoida. They felt genuinely that they were serving a greater purpose in this macabre display. She froze as the machine was prepped and hissed to life, making its breathing noises and letting out a cold steam that chilled her senses.
Tarkin gave one final parting shot. "Do not worry. we shall make examples of all your fellow Jedi. With time, you will share the wall with Master Unduli, Plo Koon and maybe even Ahsoka Tano. She is, after all, guilty by association. At least, you made sure she was almost punished in your place..."
Barriss turned away from him with a cold expression and marched to the platform. Her face turned from the others, allowing her to let the final stinger sink in. Tarkin had nearly broken her.
The freezing machine made one more loud hiss that startled her. She was never afraid of death, but a part of her began to hyperventilate. She could sense the claustrophobic space of the platform, the coldness, the suffocation she was about to endure. Frozen for all time, and the terror began to creep into her senses.
She closed her eyes to suppress the panic. How could it have come to this? Everything she stood for would become a parody in cold carbonite, a void of blackness to be mocked by the Chancellor. A humiliation.
One of the troopers gently grabbed her shoulder. Her body made a small jolt from the touch, expecting the brutality of the military that wanted her dead. But it was a surprisingly soft touch.
"Courage, Jedi." was all the trooper said, though Life Day must have been cold indeed. The trooper's voice sounded as if he were fighting an illness, a stuffy nose perhaps. But she felt a sincere kindness from the trooper, a small attempt to keep her focused in the face of despair.
She stepped on the platform, shaking a little from the sudden cold. Everyone watched and waited from a distance except for the lone Trooper. She could almost look him eye to eye were it not for the bulky helmet.
"Does the condemned have any final words?" The trooper asked in a low tone. Barriss found it strangely odd the clone would even give a damn, let alone make it an intimately hushed question, as if he would be the only one.
Barriss closed her eyes and sighed "What difference does it make now? Tarkin got what he wanted, and I guess Palpatine will too. There are no words that I can have in this...I have brought the Jedi order to ruin..."
"You'd be surprised how much of a difference it can make. Sometimes, the right people will know..."
Barriss closed her eyes again, not in the mood for riddles. "If you should ever see Ahsoka Tano again, tell her..." Barriss choked back and felt her face scrunch a little.
She took a breath and recovered her calm composure. "Tell her she should have killed me when she had the chance. I have failed. She should have killed me...You can also tell her I suffered greatly. That should...give her some compensation." Barriss closed her eyes and became still as a statue. She waited. The trooper looked at Tarkin and nodded.
"Let's move on" Tarkin smiled "We have a presentation to make to Palpatine tonight at the opera house. Everyone will love the new piece."
"Indeed" papanoida presses a button, lowering Barriss intio the pit. She kept her eyes closed and braced for it. Seconds felt like hours, waiting for it to just happen.
The machine blasted her with jets of cold and, in those seconds, was about to encase her body in the intense carbonite process. Barriss gasped and felt cold terror all around her. She felt the sensations of the vision, the cold blackness. And she screamed. It was over in seconds.
THE EN-
But Barriss could still move. And still hear noises all around her. Combat noises, some shouting. Blasterfire, and...lightsabers?
She could sense the platform rise, but everything was pitch black, her breathing was difficult from the heavy carbonite fog around her.
"Still Alive!" A voice called out. Someone grabbed her and cradled her. She started shaking as the air around her got warmer.
"Just relax for a moment. You are free of the carbonite. You have a little bit of carbonite sickness." It was the Clone Trooper.
Barriss blinked and frowned "I can't see!" She whispered.
The trooper held her gently, still talking in that froggish voice. "Your eye sight will return in time."
Barriss began to calm down and breathe easy. She still had some disorientation. "Where am I?" she let her tingly numb hands gloss over the helmit, but it was just a solid mask. She tried looking around but was still seeing almost total blackness.
"We are under Tarkin's military compound" The soldier replied.
Barriss felt the mask again. "Who are you?"
"Someone who loves you."
The trooper took off the bulky helmit. It had been uncomfortable for Ahsoka to cram herself into the outfit and not draw suspicion. But the moment she spoke without the helmet...Barriss could feel warm, safe and yet terrified as well.
"Ahsoka..." Barriss could do nothing more except feel Ahsoka's face, her cheeks, and what felt like a smile. The smile came towards her and she felt a deep kiss from out of nowhere. A kiss that was a relief and yet undeserved.
Barriss melted for a second. Ahsoka caressed her face. "The greatest mistake I ever made was moving past my emotions. If I hadn't ignored them...things would be different now...for both of us..." Ahsoka smiled
"Why?" Barriss asked in desperation.
"Remember when you said I should have killed you? When you had the brain worms?" Ahsoka caressed her face and hands to help keep her warm. Barriss looked on blindly in anticipation of this new riddle. Ahsoka grinned and kissed her again "I didn't kill you then because...it was the right thing to do. I chose life for you. I CHOOSE life for you. I still believe in that especially today, after all we've been through..."
Ahsoka picked Barriss up and carried her out of the room. Tarkin, Papanoida and the others were mostly unconscious, or barely moving from the beating they received. Ahsoka looked back at Tarkin one last time as he slowly stood up and sneered at her. Ahsoka waved her hand and dumped Tarkin into the carbonite pit and activated the procedure. In moments, he was frozen solid, in a terrorized pose. The lights blinked on the carbonite statue.
"what was that?" Barriss asked.
Ahsoka carried her outside "No need to worry. Still alive." She glanced at Tarkin, who was enveloped by his own scheme, his own blackness.
Ahsoka carried Barriss outside, into the winter scene as it continued to fall gently on Coruscant.
"I can feel the snow. It's beautiful..." Barriss whispered.
Ahsoka walked towards a large ship, the Sophonisba. The pilot, Asajj Ventress, waved at her as she neared the ramp.
"It's Life Day, Barriss. This is the day we cherish the good in those we truly care about. Darkness cannot win when we believe in love. It's all we've got. Churches and Dictators, politics and papers...everything crumbles sooner or later. But love...well, I believe in that."
They boarded the ship. Ahsoka caressed Barriss closely and warmly. They would have a long road ahead, but they would share the burden together. The hatch closed as they embraced. Barriss and Ahsoka kissed one final time as they prepared to escape Coruscant withVentress helping them.
Never to return.