Finally, the second chapter is here! Many thanks to Brievel for being an awesome beta, he improved a lot in this story, especially in terms of grammar :)

The fall of a noble soul

Part II

Ahsoka Tano knelt before the Jedi Council. She could feel the gaze of the masters on her skin in the confined space of the stone chamber, not just from Luke Skywalker or Kyle Katarn, but from Kanan Jarrus as well – despite the fact he lost his eyesight a long time ago.

„I know I've turned my back on the Old Order, it was a mistake that I dearly regret. But I am here now, and I am ready to serve as a Jedi again," she said, masking her nervousness.

„You didn't just leave the Order, you turned you back on everyone who ever knew you," Luke answered, running his fingers through his beard. „If this wasn't enough, you completely disappeared after that. You did help the rebels at some point, but than you just vanished again, shortly after you had a duel with my fater, or your former master, to be more precise. Since this was a very long time ago, may I ask you, where have you been after the fight?"

„I was trying to find my path," Ahsoka answered. It was the same answer she gave to Kanan after she contacted him, Luke must have known this already. Which meant, he wanted to hear the longer explanation. Unfortunately, she didn't want to share it with anyone in here.

„Very well. Do you have anything else to say?" Luke asked. Tano shook her head. „Then let the vote begin."

Ahsoka was used to long waits; back in the old days, there were times when the masters sat in silence for an hour without saying anything – boring her to death. But in this case, the decision was just as swift as her blade.

„I approve," Kanan said. „It would be an honor to have you back, Ahsoka." There was little to no doubt about this, they knew each other, they made a bond fighting together for the good of the galaxy. However, one vote could hardly secure her place in the New Jedi Order.

„I approve. You need us, just as we need you," Katarn said. The decision has been made, yet the final vote remained.

„I don't approve," Luke said, staring deep into her eyes. „You strayed too far from us for too long. Not everyone can become a jedi, the Order wouldn't exist today if I would welcome every single idiot with a lightsaber, who felt they would make a fine jedi. Yet the votes have been cast, the Council decided that you can be a…

„Actually," Katarn said, interrupting the Grand Master of the Jedi Order. „I shall withdraw my vote, I need more time to consider your offer." It was impossible to not feel anything after this, even for a jedi. Yet Ahsoka managed to suppress her anger.

„I understand, Master Katarn," Tano nodded.

„Don't call me that," Kyle said, while he walked away from his post and turned toward Skywalker. „Luke, a word."

The Grand Master apologized for the interruption, then he went for a short walk with Katarn in the courtyard of the new Jedi Temple. It was a lovely afternoon on Odessen, Luke heard countless birds singing as he walked in the narrow path that cut through the green grass and the colorful flowers.

"What the hell was that?" Katarn asked masking his fury.

"I don't want her in the Order, and that is all there is to it. If it weren't for Kanan, I wouldn't even let her near the Temple at the first place."

"And why is that? Because she has some secrets? Or because she made a mistake? I made many mistakes before I became a jedi, we all made mistakes. But we changed for the better, just as she did," Katarn pointed out.

"We all make mistakes, that is true. But changing for the better is a luxury in these times. I never knew Ahsoka, I only heard some stories about her, mere legends from a different person fighting in a different era. I can't trust her based on mere legends," Luke explained.

"You do trust her, you wouldn't let her near this place otherwise. If she were to harm us, she would have done it already, leading a legion of stormtroopers and Inquisitors to our doors," Katarn said, as they arrived to the center of the courtyard, marked by a fountain and a few benches for those who wanted to admire its peace for a time.

"You really should have listened to my teachings, while you were an apprentice, Kyle," Luke said as he stopped in front of the fountain. "Trust doesn't come easy and never comes to its full extent right in the beginning. I saw how much Kanan admires her, I know what she did for us in the past, therefore I trust her enough to let her in here for the time being. She clearly wants to be among us, I can tell this by the way she was looking at me alone, but that doesn't mean she would make a fine jedi. It doesn't mean she wouldn't break in the a heat of a lightsaber battle against the true evil or that she would be willing to sacrifice herself for the greater good when she finds herself in the face of death. And if she is not able to do that, something that all of us would do for any of us in here, then there is no place for her among us. Not yet, anyway. I don't want to shun her from our sight for good, she could help us or the Republic, if she wants. And if she keeps in touch with us, then in due time, as I get to know how she handles the situations she gets into, I would grant her my permission to join the Order," Luke said, as he admired the fountain. There was something about it that didn't let him to look away from it.

"And that's why you had to say that she is nothing, but some sort of idiot with a lightsaber. Because, you know, we don't have to be kind and all that, we can just insult anyone we want, since that is the way of the Jedi, as it seems," Kyle snapped.

"And you had to revoke your word, giving her ten times as much of a hard time that I gave to her."

"I was just curious about your decision. You wouldn't act like for no reason, at least this is what I thought," Katarn said, Luke decided not to answer. "Look, I get that you have all those funny visions about some mad woman, but that doesn't mean that you have a permission to walk over anyone who gets in your way. Many jedi had strange visions before, and you never heard of Yoda being a son of a gundark in front of the whole Council just because a vision spoiled the next episode of his favorite show," Kyle told him, however, Luke didn't seem to pay attention to him. He just stood beside him, looking at the fountain, concentrating in nothing but the water falling down from its height.

From Luke's perspective, the fountain was spitting fire into the sky, where star destroyers lurked among the clouds, shooting a barrage of deadly lasers to the surface. It was the end of a world, the end of Odessen, and there was only one person that Luke recognized from the invasion.

The woman he seen in his earlier visions.

The red haired beauty stepped out of the fire, stopping a few inches in front of Luke, glaring at him. She held her lightsaber ready for battle, the brilliant light of the red blade cast a red shadow on her face.

"Kill me or I will be the end of you. I will be the end of all beings," said the woman as she made a threatening blow with her lightsaber towards him.

Luke didn't fear her, in fact, he was trying to decide what the hell was she, as the blade rushed towards his face and then retreated in an elegant manner. Only the servants of the Dark Side used red lightsabers, but she was different from them. She didn't seem to be evil. Her ragged, grey clothes were of some kind of refugee, her green eyes were pleading for mercy.

"I don't kill," Luke said. He spoke to her many times in the past before, but he never managed to get an answer or any kind of reaction from her.

"Even if your life and the lives of your loved ones depend on it?" she said, surprising Luke. It took a second before he could react to her words.

"There must be another way. There is always one," he said as she smiled at him. She seemed confident, even happy, Luke would even believe that, if he didn't notice the tears that ran down from her eyes. "I can help you, I can save you from whoever is tormenting you. But I have to know where to find you."

"You know where to find me, you are just afraid to admit it. Because you can feel me, all of me. And that feeling terrifies you, it urges you to act, and you know that this act would be the greatest trial you ever had. Friends would die, good friends, lifelong friends. You would have to kill, not just once, but a thousand times. And in the end, you would accomplish nothing, but to buy some time for yourself and to the galaxy at whole. You had time, you could avoid this trial for this long, but now time has abandoned you. Another me rose from the darkness by the power of the Ancient Lord of the Sith himself, a new me, a perfect me. You either face me or doom everything that ever existed in this galaxy. It is your choice, Skywalker. I am waiting for you, all of me – said the woman, smiling and crying at the same time...

Then she disappeared.

Everything went back to normal, the fountain was just as beautiful as it was before, the singing of the birds filled the air once more. Everything was normal again, except Katarn, who was trying to get him back to reality in the whole time.

"You saw her again, didn't you?" he asked, knowing there was no other explanation.

"I have to go," Luke told him as he turned away and started to walk toward the edge of the Courtyard, where he put his ship down the last time he went out with it.

Kyle went after him.

"Where? After her?"

"I have to save her," Luke said fastening his pace.

"You realize that she might just lure you into a trap, so the Sith could kill you? I know it sounds like a giant cliche, but it happens."

"That won't stop me, and we both know that."

"Alright, we tell it to the others and ask for some volunteers. Kanan would come surely, just like Mara, and I recon at least a dozen other jedi would join us. We could even bring Ahsoka, if you were to change your mind about her. She is a skilled warrior and this would be the perfect time to prove herself. And, just to be sure that we stand a chance, we could give a call to the Republic, they would surely dispatch some cruisers to assist us, maybe even Ackbar would come. You know, just to say "It's a trap!" one more time before he retires," Kyle said, trying to convince his old friend.

"I won't risk anyone, but myself. More than enough people died for me already," Luke told him as they arrived to his ship. It was well functioning VCY-100 light freighter, called the White Night, with many useful upgrades, including a new, powerful main gun that could obliterate an entire facility with a few dozen shots.

"You don't have to right to decide what we could die for, and what we could not. This is our calling," Katarn answered, Luke stopped, and turned toward him.

"I want to do this alone, my friend. I have to."

Kyle realized, there was no choice in here. If he wanted to go alone, he had to, and Katarn had to respect that.

"Very well. Take care, Luke," he told him.

"You too, Kyle," Skywalker told him as they shook hands. "If I don't come back, tell my wife I love her. It's your call, what will happen with Ahsoka, but promise me, that whatever you decide to do, you will keep the Order's sake above yours."

"I promise," he said, Luke turned around, walked on the docking ramp, and closed it behind him once he was through. He had a long journey ahead of him, and a trial that could be harder than any other trial he had to face before.

Thank you for reading it! I hope you enjoyed it as much as i enjoyed writing it :)