Chapter 2: A New Place
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of its related franchises. All credit for the canon characters and canon occurrences in this story goes to the Star Wars franchise, Lucasfilm, and Disney.
Jedi weren't supposed to own material possessions.
That was probably the most ignored rule in the Order, Ahsoka mused to herself, as she levitated a box of her personal items into her new room. She set the box down and surveyed her living space. Her new home for the foreseeable future was a guest room inside Riyo's expansive suite. It was well-furnished, with a private refresher, a queen-sized bed, and a holoscreen in the corner, among other things. Much better than her seedy room in the Freight District.
She reached into the box and started pulling out things from her old Temple room. There were some cloaks and robes, and a few of her combat outfits. Some old books on meditation and Jedi doctrines. A lamp. A little model of a Venator-class Republic Cruiser that Anakin had made for her.
Everything else in the box was bare essentials, except for three framed pictures at the bottom of the box. These were perhaps her most treasured possessions, now that her lightsabers were gone. One by one, she pulled the pictures out.
The top picture was a propaganda poster from the start of the war. On the front, Anakin was striking a pose with his lightsaber. She was crouched behind him, with her saber behind her back and her lips curled into a smirk, looking younger and much more innocent. Ahsoka looked sadly at her younger self. Back then she had thought that the smirk was a sign of confidence. Now it just looked childish and petulant. A fitting description of how much had changed.
She put the poster aside and took out the next picture. It was a formal GAR release- a picture of the 501st legion inside the hangar bay of the Resolute. She, Anakin, Rex, and Admiral Yularen stood front and center in the picture, with the entire legion behind them. A small caption read, The 501st Legion, with Jedi General A. Skywalker, Second-in-Command Jedi A. Tano, Clone Captain CT-7567, and Admiral W. Yularen. The shot had been taken later in the war, but not recently, as her montrals were slightly longer, but her shoto was still absent from her belt.
The last picture, however, wasn't a propaganda poster or governmental release. This one was personal. When Ahsoka had been fighting with the 212th on Umbara, a journalist from Coruscant had been there, reporting on the battle and taking pictures, and he had given this picture to her.
In the photograph, she was sitting on a log, with a pot of water being heated on a small stove in front of her. She had a tired look on her face, and there was a smear of dirt across her forehead. The glowing plants native to Umbara gave the entire scene an ethereal glow. She could remember the exact moment when the picture had been taken. But that wasn't what made the picture so special. The other person in the picture, looking even more miserable, was Barriss Offee.
Six months ago
Umbara was a nightmare.
They had been fighting nearly nonstop since they landed. The 212th had been slogging through the wilderness towards the capital for a week now, and each new day brought another wave of ferocious conflict. The planet seemed designed to kill anyone who invaded. The forests were thick and boggy, slowing the advance of the troops, and the dense brush provided perfect cover for deadly ambushes. The animals within the woods were wild, predatory, and almost impossible to kill. They had lost four squads to the vixuses alone. And since the Umbarans could attack at anytime, she had barely rested in days. The perpetual darkness of the planet was starting to affect her, too. Every shadow could be an enemy soldier sneaking through the darkness. Any unidentified light could be an electro-bug skittering across the ground to deliver a deadly shock. The entire planet was her enemy.
Here, sitting on a log in freezing temperatures in a temporary camp and trying to conserve her body heat over a tiny stove, she wondered if they would ever conquer this planet, or if she was stuck in some sort of endless combat, with the Umbarans slowly beating them to death.
Next to her, Barriss let out a stifled sob. Whatever Umbara was doing to Ahsoka, it was affecting Barriss ten times as much. The enemy they were fighting this time was an army of sentients, not Separatist battle droids. The difference was that they could feel the scream in the Force every time an enemy soldier was cut down. Ahsoka had managed to swallow her revulsion and tell herself that she was doing this for the Republic, but Barriss was a wreck. Since the start of the invasion, she had barely said a word. The misery coming off her was plain enough in the Force, though. Ahsoka pitied her. Barriss was a healer, not a fighter. She shouldn't have been on Umbara, but the Council, shorthanded on available Jedi, had pushed Barriss and her master into combat. And Barriss's master, Luminara Unduli, wasn't here to comfort Barriss, either. Barriss's master had been fighting the Separatist forces above the planet for weeks now. The only person on the entire planet that could even begin to understand Barriss's crisis was Ahsoka.
She laid an arm across Barriss's back. Barriss reflexively jerked away. But when she looked up at Ahsoka, and Ahsoka tried to give her an encouraging gaze, she hesitantly scooted closer.
"Thank you," Barriss whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
Ahsoka couldn't think of anything to say, but in her head, she wondered if Barriss, one of the most grounded Jedi that she knew, could be broken by this war, how long would it be before she cracked?
Ahsoka gazed at the picture for a long time. Barriss's fall must have begun on Umbara. On that ghastly planet, under such extreme stress, it would have been too easy for a plan of dissent to start forming in her head. In a way, the picture marked the beginning of Ahsoka's end as a Jedi.
Reaching a decision, she put the picture down on her dresser. This was why she had left the Jedi Order. Barriss's fall was just one injustice among many that the Order was turning a blind eye to. The picture would be a reminder.
"Congratulations."
The voice pulled Ahsoka out of her thoughts, and she turned around to find Jorys leaning against the doorframe. "Congratulations on what?"
"This is yours." Jorys tossed Ahsoka a booklet.
"What's this?" Ahsoka asked, catching it.
"That's your security pass," Jorys said. "Don't lose that. It'll let you go anywhere in the Senate District. Gives you the same clearance as a Senate Guard."
As Ahsoka pocketed the booklet, Jorys bent down and reached for something in the hallway. "Also, I got your armor," she added, lugging a crate into the room. "You'll need to blend in with the other Senate
"Will the helmet fit?" Ahsoka asked. "My montrals don't-"
"Don't worry about that," Jorys said, waving it off. "This one was specifically made for you." She opened the crate and started unwrapping the packaging. She tossed Ahsoka a pair of dark blue shin guards. "Put the armor on. The pieces should snap into place."
Ahsoka put on the pieces of the armor as Jorys handed them to her, and she had just finished tugging on the gloves when Jorys took the helmet out of the crate. Where the top of the helmet would have been, two rounded bumps jutted upward, creating a space for her montrals.
"This should fit," Jorys said, handing the helmet to her. "Try it on."
Ahsoka pulled it down onto her head. It slid smoothly on, with her montrals fitting snugly into the space accommodated for them.
"It fits perfectly," she said.
"Okay," Jorys said. "How does the armor feel? Nothing's too loose or too tight?"
"Not at all."
"All right. Have a seat," Jorys said, gesturing to the bed. Ahsoka sat down on her bed, taking off her helmet, as Jorys seated herself in the desk chair. She fixed Ahsoka with a critical eye before speaking. "I've been serving in the Senate Guard for twelve years," she said, tapping her fingers together. "I've been a captain for four years. Even if Senator Chuchi hired you independently, and even though you're not officially a senate guard, I'll be your commanding officer. Do you have a problem with that?"
"No."
"Good." Jorys looked Ahsoka directly in the eye with a hard gaze. "I don't know what you were taught in the Jedi Order, but as a Senate Guard, you're expected to serve the Republic with your life. It's your duty to keep Senator Chuchi alive, even if that means dying. Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal clear," Ahsoka said.
Jorys nodded. "Senator Chuchi seems to know what she's doing. I'll trust her choice in bodyguards. Although-" Jorys looked Ahsoka up and down. "Tano, your records said that you're eighteen standard years old?"
"Yeah."
"Hell," Jorys muttered, "When I was eighteen, I was sneaking out of the Senate Guard academy to go have embarrassing encounters with alcohol."
"Senator Chuchi's about your age, too. Are today's heroes getting younger, or am I just getting older?"
"Uh-"
Jorys waved her off. "No need to answer that. Rhetorical question. I know the answer."
"Oh- okay," Ahsoka said, relieved.
Jorys's expression returned to seriousness. "One more thing, Tano. About the recent events that caused you to leave the Jedi Order."
Her throat suddenly dry, Ahsoka looked down and tried to fight the nervousness welling up in her. "If you think that I'm-"
"I know for a fact that you're innocent," Jorys said, interrupting her. "I'll judge you based on your ability, but I will not be judging you based on whatever happened in the last couple of weeks. The Galactic Republic said that you're innocent. End of story."
"Thank you," Ahsoka said, relief washing over her.
"Great," Jorys said, standing up and clapping Ahsoka on the shoulder. "Now that's all out of the way. I've never had the privilege of working with a Jedi before. Should be interesting."
"Yeah." Ahsoka glanced around. "So is it just us two working for Riyo, or-"
"Oh, right." Jorys slapped her forehead. "Let me introduce you to your other squadmate.
She spoke into her comlink. "Hey, Edose, meet our new squad partner."
A few minutes later, a Pau'an Senate guard loped into the room.
"Ahsoka, this is Edose Bauon. I've known him since our days in basic training together. Edose, this is Ahsoka Tano. She's half my age and taller than me, which is completely unfair."
"Hello. Pleased to meet you," Edose said, in a calm, lightly accented voice, holding out a hand.
"Hi," Ahsoka said, shaking his hand. "Nice to meet you."
Jorys clapped a hand on Edose's shoulder. "You'll like Edose," she said. "He's got a nice streak a mile long. Sometimes it gets in the way of his job. Let me tell you about this time he-"
As Jorys launched into a tale of a street chase from years ago, with interjections from Edose, Ahsoka relaxed. She'd had her worries, but it seemed like she would get along well with her new partners.
"So what do you think of my new outfit?" Ahsoka asked, as she took off her helmet and dropped into one of the chairs in Riyo's office.
Riyo looked up and eyed Ahsoka's armor appraisingly. "It suits you well," she said with a smile.
"You think so?" Ahsoka asked.
"I do. Blue looks good on you," Riyo said.
"Thanks."
They were silent for several minutes. Riyo returned to her work, intently studying a sheet of flimsi in front of her. From time to time, she would mutter under her breath or frown, and scribble something on a datapad next to her.
Ahsoka remained seated, watching her, while trying to ignore a ball of dread that was growing in her stomach. Ever since laying eyes on Riyo yesterday, a gnawing fear had made itself known in her mind. Every second that she didn't have an answer to the question, the fear would only get worse. She steeled herself and opened her mouth.
"Riyo?"
"Hm?" Riyo asked, not looking up.
"I need to ask you something."
Something in Ahsoka's tone must have sounded off, because Riyo looked up fully and pushed aside her work. "I'm listening, Ahsoka. What is it?"
In the face of her rapidly dwindling courage, Ahsoka struggled to get the words to the question out of her mouth. "Did you- Riyo, did you ever- ever think-"
Riyo tilted her head perplexedly at Ahsoka. "Did I ever what?"
She finally managed to choke it out. "Riyo, did you ever think that I was guilty of the bombing?"
Riyo's faced transformed from confused to shocked, and she opened her mouth and closed it, only to open it again. "I-"
But before she could get any further, Jorys stuck her head into the room.
"Chairman Papanoida just arrived, Senator."
Riyo jerked up in surprise. "What? Oh, g-good. Show him in, Jorys."
"Will do." Jorys jerked her head at Ahsoka. "Helmet on, Tano. Got to look professional for the first day on the job."
Ahsoka resisted the urge to scream. Of all of the times for an interruption-
She clamped down on her emotions as hard as she could, stood up and pulled on her helmet, and folded her arms behind her back. Several moments later, Chairman Papanoida entered the room, with Jorys next to him.
"Thank you, Jorys," Riyo said, her tone suddenly businesslike. "You are dismissed." She turned to face Papanoida. "Chairman, have a seat. We have much to discuss."
"Thank you, Senator," Papanoida said, sitting down in the seat that Ahsoka had just vacated. "Now, you wanted to speak to me about the Sector Governance Bill?"
"Yes."
Papanoida leaned forward in his seat. "How did you plan on voting on the bill?"
"I am firmly against it," Riyo said.
"Ah." Papanoida shifted, an uneasy look crossing his face. "Senator, please try to hear me out. If I may speak my mind-"
"Chairman?" Riyo said, as her voice took on an icy edge. "Do you have something to tell me?"
"The bill could be favorable to Pantora," Papanoida said. "I think it would be best for us to vote in favor of it."
Riyo frowned. "I don't share the same opinion as you, Chairman. Can you explain your stance?"
"Well, for one, it aims to speed up the end of the war," Papanoida said. "By appointing a governor to control newly captured systems in the Outer Rim Territories, we can keep order and quell any Separatist uprisings that might occur."
"That's the only part of the bill that I don't entirely disagree with," Riyo conceded. "It is true that we need a way to restore order in the Outer Rim. That seems to be what's drawing in the more sensible supporters."
"So there is a chance that you could vote for this bill?" Papanoida asked.
"Never in its current iteration," Riyo said. "I'm suspicious of the rest of the Governance Bill. It claims to be designed for the Outer Rim Territories, but then why does it also include the rest of the Republic in the list of areas to be placed under governorship?"
"I was aware of that," Papanoida said. "I see this as an advantage to our planet."
"How so?"
"If the bill was passed, then I would most likely become the governor of the Pantoran system," Papanoida said. As he continued to speak, Ahsoka sensed a sudden spike of anger in him. "If I can hold control over the entire system, then perhaps we would be strong enough to stand up to the Trade Federation the next time that they try blockading us or kidnapping my daughters," he ended, his voice dropping into a growl.
Riyo abruptly stood up and turned around to face the window.
"Senator?" Papanoida asked cautiously, rising to his feet. "Senator? Have I offended you?"
Riyo turned around and took a deep breath. "Forgive me for sounding so off-putting before, Chairman. I almost forgot about what the Trade Federation wrought on us three years ago. I understand why that would make you want to strengthen our position."
Papanoida sat back down with a gloomy expression. "Now you understand my position, do you not? Have I changed your opinion on the bill?"
"My view remains the same," Riyo said. "And I don't see anything that could budge me."
"We may never get another opportunity to consolidate this much power in the Pantoran system again," Papanoida said. A tone that was almost pleading had crept into his voice.
"Your intentions here are good, Chairman, and you seek to use this power only to defend Pantora, but what if you aren't elected to be the governor of the Pantoran system at all?" Riyo asked. "What if another person like Chi Cho came to power?"
Papanoida winced. "Pantora is governed by a democratic assembly. A situation like the Chi Cho incident should not happen again."
Riyo lowered her head. "It already happened once. And if the Governance Bill passes, it won't be up to the Pantoran assembly to elect the governor- it will be up to the Chancellor."
Papanoida was silent for several moments as a frown crossed his face. "This bill is a long way off, anyway. There are other things we need to discuss," he said finally. "Let's forget about the bill for a few minutes."
"All right," Riyo agreed.
As the two Pantorans continued talking, Ahsoka's mind wandered. What had Riyo been about to say in reply to her question?
She brought up the image of Riyo's expression, remembering how it transitioned from confusion to shock. She had opened her mouth and closed it- was that a sign of thinking of an answer, and reconsidering? Or just surprise?
She glanced at Riyo. Her expression was calm and focused, and displayed none of the surprise that had been there several minutes ago. When Ahsoka had asked the question, Riyo had just looked completely off-guard. She hadn't sensed any intentions from Riyo to obscure an answer. With a sinking feeling, she realized that she would have to ask Riyo again if she wanted to get an answer. She returned her attention to the discussion.
"-makes sense," Papanoida was saying. "The Senate will decide that matter."
Riyo nodded. "Speaking of the Senate… I know you need to leave soon. So, the Sector Governance Bill. What's your final decision on it?"
Papanoida stood up and walked to the window, where he stood, gazing out. "I know the difficulty of your job, Senator. You have to balance the best interests of a single planet and the entire galaxy. I have to do what's best for Pantora. Obviously, we will see differently on some things."
"I don't follow-"
He turned around and laid his hand on Riyo's shoulder. "But on this, ultimately, it's your decision, not mine. I have complete trust in whatever choice you'll make."
"Thank you, Chairman," Riyo said. Her face grew solemn. "I intend to play a vital part in the opposition to the Sector Governance Bill. This will be a dangerous undertaking. Someone very well may try to silence my voice. Perhaps you should prepare a replacement for me, if that were to happen."
Papanoida took Ahsoka by surprise when he nodded gravely, as if Riyo's suggestion was perfectly ordinary.
"I dearly hope I won't have to take that step. I wish you the best of luck, Senator." He turned towards the door. "I must leave now."
"Captain Solant will escort you out," Riyo said. "She's waiting outside the door."
"Thank you." Papanoida turned and left the room, leaving Ahsoka and Riyo alone.
Ahsoka pulled off her helmet and spun to face Riyo. "Riyo, what's going on? You're talking about assassinations and dying- what have you gotten yourself into?!"
Riyo sighed. "I haven't exactly told you the full story, have I?"
"No, apparently not!"
Looking weary again, Riyo sat down on the edge of her desk.
"First of all," she began, "The Sector Governance Bill. I cannot overstate its importance. The vote on it will be held in about five weeks. The Senate is divided over it, but all the prevailing opinion is that they'll vote in favor of it."
She scowled fiercely. "That bill will only become a law over my dead body."
Ahsoka reached out to Riyo in shock. "Riyo-"
Riyo pushed on, her cheeks flushing with rage. "Like I said before, the bill goes against the core beliefs of the Republic. To pass this bill means the death of the Republic as we know it. The Chancellor would be like a king. Entire planetary and star systems would lose their voices. In fact, this bill draws on principles last used by the Sith Empire," she spat. "I won't stand idly by as democracy dies in the galaxy."
"Riyo…"
"Powerful senators will want me dead. They crave the power that the Governance Bill promises. They will see my opposition to the bill as an obstacle to their future success. And in their minds, I am but one senator. It would be far too easy for my… unfortunate demise… to be arranged. I learned this the hard way."
Horror gripped Ahsoka. "Has there been an attempt on your life already?!"
"Just one. So far," Riyo said darkly. "Three days ago. It was a relatively minor event, if you can even call an assassination attempt that. But it happened, and I may not be so lucky as to survive another one. That's why I went looking for you."
"What happened?" Ahsoka asked, leaning forward.
"This was before I had a private security detail. I was alone on a public transport. The would-be assassin was on board that transport, too. It was… terrifying," Riyo said, closing her eyes. " I… I don't want to talk about it."
"That's okay."
"This is why I need you, Ahsoka. People are already trying to kill me. I trust you to protect me."
Ahsoka nodded. She moved forward and clutched Riyo's hands tightly between her hands. "Riyo, I don't want you to ever be this scared again. I swear, right now, I swear by the Force that I will do my best to protect you."
Riyo smiled. "I know you will, Ahsoka. Thank you. With you guarding me, I wouldn't feel safer than if the entire Grand Army of the Republic was guarding me."
Ahsoka gently let go of Riyo's hand and turned to face the transparisteel window that offered a view of the sprawling Senate District, with the Jedi Temple visible in the distance. "Whatever you have planned, Riyo, I'm along for the ride," she said confidently.
And then, as she looked out at the view, something peculiar happened. For one brief second, the Jedi Temple's entire appearance changed. It morphed into a smoldering ruin with smoke pouring out of the sides and a heavy aura of death hanging in the air around it. And then, a second later, it was back to its majestic state, with no sign of trouble at all.
A/N: Thanks for reading! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Don't forget to leave a review and tell me what you thought! Enjoy the rest of the story.