I do not own Star Wars The Clone Wars.
The trip back to Coruscant was long. Odette mostly stayed in her own quarters cleaning her armor. They hadn't found any survivors in the wreckage of her three cruisers. The droids had torn through the ships and targeting any fighters or escape pod that tried to reach the planet surface. It gave Odette a lot to think about.
Odette was just finishing cleaning the details on her helmet when someone knocked on the door. "Enter." She knew who it was. "Are we almost there?" She didn't bother to look up from her work as Obi-wan entered the room.
"Not yet." Obi-wan said as he sat down in the desk chair. "Are you mad? That I deceived you?"
Odette let out a sigh as she set her helmet aside and looked at her father. "No, I'm not mad at you. It was necessary, and I understand that. Aunt Bo has always had to do necessary things, but it was never with the intention of hurting me or mom."
Obi-wan let out a sigh of relief. "You're taking this a lot better than Anakin."
"Anakin has known you longer." Odette watched her father. "If anything he is more your family than I am. You've trained him since he was a child. Raised him essentially. It makes sense that he is upset." She saw guilt cross his features as she spoke. "Talk to him. You need to work this out before it leaves a scar."
Obi-wan nodded, knowing his daughter was right. "Did you find the answer you were looking for on Dathomir?"
"Yes...and no." Odette picked her helmet back up and set it on her lap. "They could draw him out, but they're gone now. I'm going to have to find another way to get him out of my head."
"The Council is worried if he tries to take control again." Obi-wan had been surprised when Master Yoda had brought up Odette in his first council meeting back. Even more so when he spoke about the ancient being residing in her mind. "How long has he been there?"
"Probably since Mortis." Odette admitted. "But I didn't start talking to him until after the Citadel. He won't shut up sometimes." She was surprised he hadn't resurfaced yet. Maybe he was tired?
Obi-wan nodded. "Well, I think you've spent enough time in your room." He got up from his seat, walked over to Odette and plucked her helmet from her hands. "You should get something to eat before we arrive. The council will want a full report on what happened." He set the helmet down on the desk before looking back to Odette. She was still sitting on her bed. "There are also a few people who would like to know you're alright."
Odette let out a sigh as she stood up. "Okay." She didn't know about seeing the clones. It just reminded her of all of the men she had just lost. They had done another game on their way to Dathomir. They got closer to catching her than last time, but she still won.
Odette followed Obi-wan down to the mess hall. They passed by many clones. A few greeted her dad cheerily and also greeted her. She supposed she looked more like him since she didn't have any armor pieces on. Plus her hair was growing out a bit. She would need to cut it soon.
They arrived at the mess, the noise didn't falter as they made their way to the food station and collected their meal portion. Obi-wan led them over to a table with an arm wrestling match taking place. "Any luck Waxer?" Obi-wan asked as he sat down.
Odette watched as Boil slammed Waxer's hand into the table. "None, but I see you did. Welcome to the party General Kryze." Waxer chuckled. "Or would it be General Kenobi? Just to make it confusing." He and Boil shared a short laugh.
Odette simply gave them a small smile as she settled into a seat beside Cody and across from her father. While it didn't reach her eyes, it made her feel a bit lighter. The others at the table seemed to share a look between each other at the young Jedi's silent response.
"So, what's this 'Game' you made up?" Boil asked Odette. "Jet was telling us about it back on Coruscant."
Odette swallowed her bite and took a breath, hoping to be able to speak. "It-" She took a breath to gather herself. "It was a ship wide exercise we made up. A mock battle of how to stop a force user from taking the bridge." Her voice was quiet and unsure as she began to ramble. "It would have made more sense to start it from the hanger, but the simulation room made it a longer journey." She bit the inside of her lips to stop herself from saying anything more, turning her attention back to her tray.
Boil nodded. "Did they ever win?" He was sure his brothers and probably the general as well saw a spark of light return to her eyes as she had spoken, but it faded as her mind brought her back to reality.
Odette found a small smile form as she recalled her men swearing they would catch her next time. "No, but they got close." She then looked to them. "Do you guys want to try?"
"I don't think there's enough time left," Obi-wan spoke up before the others got a chance. "But we can certainly try it the next time you're on board. I'll monitor the first time. Then after that I might join a side, depending on how terribly one side loses."
Odette found herself laughing. "Then you'll be on their side. The first time we tried it I got to the bridge in 30 minutes without being found. Instead of ending it there I spent the next half hour showing up in random areas of the ship to throw them off." She laughed more remembering the confusion she caused her men during that first Game. "So I'll definitely need to go over the rules before we start."
"Sounds like a challenge." Cody grinned, thinking how else they could adapt this Game to run other training scenarios. It might be something worth introducing to the entire army.
Obi-wan smiled as Odette came to life a bit more. War was hard on everyone. Before he could add to the conversation, his wrist beeped as the bridge contacted him. "What is it Admiral?"
"We're almost at our destination. We'll be dropping out of hyperspace in a few moments." He reported over the com loud enough for everyone at the table to hear.
"Thank you Admiral." Obi-wan answered before turning off his com.
"You heading off to war again?" Odette asked her dad as the mood at the table returned to the present.
"Most likely." Obi-wan didn't doubt they would have a deployment waiting for them upon arrival. "We'll be resupplying before then. Possibly without even enough time to take you to the Temple myself, but I can have a shuttle take you."
"I've got my fighter. Plus I think R6 is driving the other droids off their tracks." She chuckled remembering the reactions of other droids when they registered it was R6.
Cody massaged his temple. "I almost forgot how annoying that droid was."
"I think he got cross wired with a protocol droid, but that just makes him unique." Odette had gotten used to the strange droid. She rarely had a chance to work with the droid, but he was definitely going to be her go to anytime she needed one.
"Please take him with you." Odette patted Cody's shoulder as the Commander made his request with a tired voice. A gentle ding rang through the speakers as they dropped out of hyperspace. Cody got up from his seat, his tiredness gone. "Alright men, we've got a few hours to resupply and organize ourselves before we're off again. So get to your stations and let's get to work." As a cohesive unit, the men began filing out of the room and dispersing throughout the ship like a well oiled machine.
Odette and Obi-wan made their way out of the mess as well, taking their time to delay their farewell. They reached Odette's room and she set about putting her armor back on. She noticed Obi-wan examining her helmet curiously. "My armor was reforged from my Grandmother's armor, mom's mom." She took the helmet from her father. "Usually women shape their visors differently from the men, rounding the eyes a bit more and angling them down. Aunt Bo thought I would prefer this design better since it would match the clone's helmet. At least their phase 1 helmet."
"It's a lot of armor." Obi-wan remarked as his daughter placed her sabers and blasters in their respective places on her person. He didn't see the need for blasters, but they were part of her heritage as well.
"Aunt Bo tells me Gran had a full body suit. She had melded her husbands armor into her own when he died." Odette had been enthralled by her family's armor history as a child. Aunt Bo could keep her entertained for hours with those stories. "Aunt Bo reforged her armor from her grandfather. Mom would have gotten their other grandfather's armor, but she didn't want to use it. So instead she had it reforged into a mural. It's in the entryway at home-" She stopped herself, thinking back to all the stories she knew about everything in her childhood home. Someplace she will never go back to.
Obi-wan set a hand on her shoulder. "It's hard to leave the past behind, but you have to let go of it in order to take hold of the future."
Odette nodded as she wiped a stray tear from her eye. "I know, but it doesn't make it easier."
Together they made their way towards the main hanger. They found Odette's fighter prepped with R6 already set to go. R6 beeped at her in an annoyed tone. "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming." Odette shook her head at the impatient droid. She turned to her father. "Thank you for coming to get me."
"Always." Obi-wan spoke before pulling his daughter into his arms again. He didn't know when the next time would be. He placed a kiss on her brow. "May the force be with you."
"And with you." Odette answered as she pulled herself out of his arms, she needed to go and they both had work to do.
Odette put her helmet on as she got into her fighter and shut the cockpit. "Alright R6, ready?" R6 beeped back at her. "Don't get too excited. We're not going too far." She lifted off and turned them to the hanger opening. She flew out and then headed for the planet surface. She navigated her way towards the Jedi temple and announced her approach to the temple. They gave her clearance to a hanger for her to land.
R6 beeped sadly as Odette began powering down the fighter once they landed. "I told you it wasn't far." She removed her helmet once she was out of her fighter, knowing the jedi didn't wear helmets. Many gave her disapproving looks whenever she even carried her helmet. As she made her way towards the door, she was greeted by a member of the council. "Master Fisto. I'm guessing the Council is expecting me."
"You would be correct...in a sense." Odette quirked a brow as she followed the nautolan towards the council chamber. "Most of the council is away at the moment and can't attend the briefing. So you will be giving it to a small group of us and having it recorded for the other Masters to listen to later."
"So...am I going to end up with an entry in the archives?" Odette found herself oddly amused with the thought of her report being filed away with the teachings of ancient jedi.
Kit chuckled at the girl's thought. "Possibly, if the council thinks it should be kept for future reference."
Odette nodded and stayed calm as they reached the doors to the council chambers. She walked in first, as Master Fisto stepped aside for her to enter. She stood at the center of the room as the members present concluded their small conversations and turned their attention to her.
She squared her shoulders as Master Windu met her gaze. "Knight Kryze, welcome back."
"Find answers, did you?" Odette looked towards the Grand Master. Yoda watched her with a curious face.
"Answers, yes. Solutions, no." Odette answered the Grand Master. "The Nightsisters of Dathomir had an answer to my problem, but the solution is now lost with them. General Grievous and the droid army with him killed all the Nightsisters, save Asajj Ventress. He also killed my entire battalion."
"We will be able to replenish at least half of your forces with new troops from Kamino, but full replenishment will have to wait until more clones are ready for combat." Master Mundi spoke, but paused as the Jedi Knight did not react. "Do you not wish to continue leading a clone battalion? You are one of our more skilled leaders." He did not understand why she would not want to continue. She had seemed to enjoy her role.
"I thank you for the offer, Masters, but I feel that leading troops is not the right decision at this time." Odette lowered her gaze to the floor. "I gain attachments too easily. It's best for me to remain distant from others and learn better how to avoid becoming attached." She didn't think she could emotional handle losing anyone else she knew.
"I agree." Odette was surprised as Master Windu spoke up. "We can't be sure what will trigger the Son's return. It seems he was easily able to surface while you were responsible for others. He tempted you and you listened." Odette could hear the scolding in his tone. "Perhaps you require more training under a Master."
Odette did not like that idea.
"Agree, I do not." Yoda gained the attention of the room. "Training, yes. Under a Master, no. Alongside one, yes." Odette didn't understand the cryptic Grand Master. "A great use of your skills, this will be."
"Master, I don't understand." Odette admitted.
Yoda simply chuckled a bit. "You will. Go now. Rest. Tomorrow, a new journey you will begin."
Odette took that as her cue to leave. She gave them a bow and left the Council Chambers. She silently walked back to her room, wondering what Master Yoda was talking about. And which Master would they ask to...mentor her, she supposed. She guessed she would find out sooner or later.
'Would you like to hear my thoughts?' Odette paused for a moment before quickly entering her room and locking the door. 'Surprised?' The Son asked.
'You've been quiet.' Odette responded. 'And you sound, quiet...er.' Son didn't have the same presence as he had before. 'Did you weaken?'
'Of course not!' Son growled deeply.
'So why did you stay away?' Odette pressed as she moved about her room.
'I had better things to do than torment a lowly jedi like yourself.' Odette became curious at the Son's statement. 'It turns out I'm not completely bound to you. Although the other place is not pleasant either.' Odette could sense the Son's feelings, his hatred for Father.
'Father is alive? What about Daughter?' Odette was intrigued now. If the three of them were alive, perhaps they could set the galaxy to balance again. Maybe there was a way to free Son from being imprisoned in her mind.
Her hope faltered a bit as the Son answered her. 'I did not see my sister. But perhaps, just as I used my power to bring you to the darkness, my sister is trapped within your friend she brought back with her light.'
'Which friend?' Odette hadn't heard about anything like that in the report her father gave about Mortis.
'The Togruta.' Son informed her casually. 'Didn't they tell you what happened to her? What I did to her?' Odette saw flashes of Ahsoka with sith yellow eyes. Then another with lifeless eyes. Son chuckled in the back of her mind.
Odette took a deep breath, steadying herself. 'Thank you for telling me.' She told Son honestly, earning her a confused silence. She supposed this wasn't the reaction he was expecting. 'So how do Sith meditate? Like a jedi all still and serene?'
'We can...why are you interested?' Odette could sense his suspicion.
'Curious?' Odette offered as an answer with a shrug.
Odette was woken up by a ringing at her door. She quickly dressed before fixing her hair as best as she could to answer the door. She wasn't expecting anyone, but Master Yoda did says she would meet her mentor today. She just didn't think it would be so early in the morning.
Odette answers the door and looked up at her mentor. "Master Vos." She greeted the jedi. She hadn't spoken with him before, but his reputation told him quite a bit about him. "Can I help you?"
"The council thinks you can." Quinlan appraised the young woman before him. She looked tired. "Gather your things Mandalorian, we're heading out."
Odette nodded slowly before heading for the trunk with her armor. She began attaching pieces as Master Vos looked around her room. She had a few items that her aunt had sent along with her new armor. Mostly religious statues that had been preserved during their last civil war.
She got her usual amount of armor on and went to close the lid of her trunk. "You should put it all on." Odette looked over at Quinlan Vos. "With what we're about to get up to, looking more Mandalorian than jedi would be an advantage." The girl nodded and she pulled the lid back up and continued adding armor pieces. Her eyes were distant and reminiscent as she finished donning her armor. She let the lid drop closed after she pulled a cloak and helmet from it. "Ready?"
"Where are we going?" Odette asked as she put her helmet on and threw her cloak over her shoulders. She followed the jedi out of her room, annoyed he wasn't telling her anything. She pulled the hood of her cloak up as she felt the stares of other jedi in the temple. She then quickly checked her blasters and sabers, still keeping up with the Master. "Master Vos?"
"How familiar are you with the lower levels of Coruscant?" Quinlan asked as he led the way to one of the lower hangers.
"Not very." Odette admitted. She wondered if that was where they were going. "Are you?"
Quinlan smirked. "I'm familiar with a lot of dark and unforgiving places. It's where you find the most answers." Despite the helmet Odette wore, he could still read her from her feelings, understanding. "You'll fit right in. Where we're going, thinking like a jedi won't get you anywhere. Might even get you killed. Think like a Mandalorian."
"Right now the only Mandalorians anyone knows about are bounty hunters or Death Watch." Odette didn't feel uncomfortable being mistaken for either, but neither had a great image. "So, what are we looking for?"
Quinlan shrugged. "Nothing in particular. Just keep your ears open." He got into a speeder and started it up. Odette got into the passenger seat. "Think you can play the part?"
"My Aunt taught me everything about being a Mandalorian. It's not a part to play, it's a part of me." The rest of the trip down into the depths of Coruscant were spent in silence.
They landed on a lone platform, but stayed in the speeder. Odette stayed silent as Quinlan took a look around. She still didn't know what they were doing.
"We'll try there first." Odette looked over towards the bar Quinlan was eyeing. They both got out of the speeder and made their way over. "You take the bar. See what you can hear."
"And where are you going? What are we even doing here?" She didn't like not knowing what they were looking.
Quinlan just gave her a smirk. "You'll know when you hear it." With that said he walked into the bar, leaving Odette outside.
Odette let out a sigh before entering the bar. A few people looked at her, but most were either too busy enjoying themselves or too drunk to pay her any mind. She made her way over to the bar, leaning on it as she looked around. She didn't both trying to get the bar tender's attention, she was technically too young to drink, and she wasn't about to take off her helmet. There were still some articles about her floating around the holonet, with her picture.
"A Mandalorian huh?" Odette looked with her eyes only, keeping her head facing forward as a Rodian approached her from the side. "It's rare to see one of your kind so deep in the Inner Core. What brings you here?"
"What do you want?" Odette didn't want to give anything away. She could hear her Aunt Bo drilling into her how she should be in control of any conversation she has while in her armor. She was a Mandalorian, and she did not answer to anyone.
The Rodian took a quick glance around the bar. "You looking for work? I'd imagine it's getting difficult for you to find work with the holonet full of stories about Death Watch. Mandalorian Extremists."
"What's the job?" Odette held back her retort about Death Watch. While it was true they were trying to kill her mother, and maybe her as well, but her Aunt was a part of it. She also didn't disagree with them entirely. Their methods were definitely extreme, but all they wanted was to make Mandalor strong again.
"First, I need to know you won't turn round and hand me over to the jedi." Odette slowly turn her head to look at the Rodian. "Take off your helmet."
Odette remained silent as she kept looking at the green skinned client. There wasn't a chance in hell she was removing her helmet. "Let's talk outside." She pushed herself away from the bar and headed for the door, the client right behind her. She led the way to an alley beside the bar and leaned against a wall. "See that speeder over there?" She looked at the speeder her and Master Vos had arrived in. "That came from topside. Judging by the paint job and marking, it belongs to a jedi."
Odette watched as the Rodian seemed to panic a bit. "How do you know that?"
"You will tell me what the job is." Odette subtly moved her hand, willing the force into the Rodian's mind. He shook his head for a moment before relaxing. "What's the job?" She asked again.
"I...I will tell you what the job is." The Rodian took a datastick from his pocket. "Transporting information to the separatists."
"What's the information?" Odette asked calmly. She guessed this is what they were looking for. The Rodian didn't answer her. "You will tell me the information." She waved her hand again, this time not bothering to hide her motion.
"I will tell you the information. Electrical schematics for the military base." Odette was shocked such information was taken so easily. Was he an electrical worker for the military?
Odette held out her hand. "You will hand the information over to me."
"I will hand the information over to you." The Rodian placed the data stick in your hand.
Odette put the stick in her pocket. "Good. Now, you will turn yourself over to the police." She waved her hand in front of the Rodian. She watched as his body relaxed more, the force taking hold of him.
"Will turn myself over to the police." With that said he turned out of the alley and walked off.
Odette let out a sigh as she relaxed. In her training with her Aunt, Bo had gone over how to resist Jedi force compulsion, so she knew it wouldn't always work. She was just glad that it did this time.
"Nice work." Odette looked down into the alley as Quinlan joined her. "Guess the council got something right."
"You didn't think this was a good idea?" Odette got the feeling he usually worked alone.
Quinlan shrugged. "Me and your father don't get a long too well. We're too different in how we go about doing things."
"I'm not my father." Odette answered somberly. "No matter how hard I try...I can't be like him." She looked down at herself in her full armor. She hadn't been in full armor in so long. "This is who I am. I'm a Mandalorian, but I'm also a jedi. I just..." She didn't know how to finish her thought.
"Don't know how to mix the two together?" Quinlan offered as a response. "Well, I don't think you can figure that out at the Temple. I sure didn't." He chuckled remembering how much trouble he got into in his younger days at the Temple. He certainly mellowed out when he decided to spend more time away from it. "Maybe that's why they asked me to take you along. So you can learn to find your own path."
"I don't think they would agree with you." Odette followed Quinlan back towards the speeder.
Quinlan shrugged. "Maybe, but you're old enough to start thinking for yourself." He got in and started the speeder. He could sense the conflict Odette was struggling with. She had been told what to do most of her life, with some moments of acting on her own, but for the most part she has been following orders. And now she was starting to venture into the galaxy with only herself to follow and take responsibility. "So, what's your plan?"
Odette thought on what Master Vos was saying. Every since she became a Knight, she had been the one giving orders, she had the final say. It was a harsh change from following orders as a padawan. And even more different than when she was a cadet. So, what was she going to do?
"I guess I'll stick around, if that's alright?" She looked over at Master Vos.
Quinlan shrugged once more. "I won't tell you what to do, so don't expect me to tell you what to do." They began their ascent to the surface. "If you're going to work with me, then you need to work as my equal. So none of this 'Master Vos' stuff. Got it?" Odette nodded. "Good. Ready for the next one?"
That took so much longer than expected.
I was hoping to get a lot more writing done during lockdown, but I guess that didn't happen. I am going to try and update this more often, but no promises.