Chapter 22

A Broken Code

HYPERSPACE

Rogue Shadow

Leo was in the medical bay Proxy was applying the latest set of bacta laced bandages around his arm where Plo Koon had cut him "Whoever gave you this cut was very precise master, any closer and you would have lost the use of your arm." Proxy said as Leo had his sleeve rolled up for Proxy to finish applying the bandages "That's Plo Koon for you, always considerate even when he's trying to maim you." Leo said under his breath "How are the others?"

"As you instructed I attended to all the other guests before you, however the Jedi in the mask refused treatment and refused to speak to me, however our medical stores have been depleted significantly any further treatment will require proper medical equipment we do not have." Proxy explained cutting the bandage on Leo's arm wrapping it up tight.

Leo rolled his sleeve down feeling word not having his clone armor bracers anymore, he'd tossed them away as a symbolic gesture, now he felt naked without his sign of rank. "We'll figure something out." Leo said.

Outside the medical room in the commons, the other Jedi who'd followed him were gathered Sora Bulq and the one of the two human padawans were sitting in a meditation circle, it's as a young girl with dark black hair that was cut short with bangs, she was wearing light beige robes with burgundy pants and boots, her braid hanging around her head. Next to her sat the zabrak Jedi. He was dressed in a bluevest with white robes under it. His skin was yellow with black markings on the top of his head, his neck and jawline with an X over his face, his robes were loose around is arms and wore black trousers on his legs with wrappings instead of boots. Sitting at the holotable hunched over the iktotchi young man. He had brown robeson and his skin was a bright clay clayish red. He sat in silence, hands wrapped up his knuckles bloodied from the battle at the temple. And across from him sat another human padawan, he had fair skin and thick wool like hair of light brown, it was trimmed short and his padawan braid long. The robes he wore were a white vest under his brown tunic and pants. Across from them sitting on one of the sofas both battered and bruised worse then all of them besides Leo was Jinx and O-Mer.

Jinx had a black eye with his arm in a sling, O-mer's large head was mummified in bandages after he butted a sentinel so hard he broke their mask. He also had bandages around his rib cage and up and down his arms. The only one among them an actual Sentinel was sitting alone in the corner holding their still unchecked arm. Dried blood turning his robes sleeve brown.

"Well, that could have gone worse." Jinx said to O-Mer.

"Not now Jinx." O-mer said back trying to sleep.

Jinx sighed "I mean we survived didn't we, I'm surprised the clones didn't get in on it what a fight."

"Jinx." O-mer grumbled as the other jedi overheard him making light of the situation "Just a couple hundred Sentinels cracking padawan skulls when they wanted to arrest Leo, we stick our necks out and this is what happens."

O-mer sat up "Jinx, shut up."

Jinx stood up facing his friend "I mean at least my Master came with us, yours tried to kill our best friend."

"I said shut up Jinx." O-Mer said getting up and in his face, he suddenly pushed Jinx back. The two padawans at the desk caught him before he could fall and Jinx growled, grabbing his lightsaber "Having second thoughts?" He asked, turning on his lightsaber.

O-Mer grabbed his, turning it on in another fight about to break out "Enough!" Leo was in the doorway looking at the two disgusted "What the hell is wrong with?" Leo asked them "He started it." Jinx spat at O-Mer.

"I don't care who started it, this is over we have enough to worry about, Master Bulq you said you knew a place we could go I think everyone would feel better if we knew where that was?" Leo asked, looking at the group a few nods from the padawans, the Sentinel in the corner sat there still clutching their arm.

Bulq rose up from his meditation at the question "We're going Dantooine."

"Dantooine?" The ikotchi said "What's on Dantooine?" He asked.

"The ruins of a Jedi Temple long abandoned, Ferren Bar." Sora said intruding the jedi to his brothers. Leo looked over at Ferren; he was older then he looked and when Leo saw the other padawans he realized Ferren had no padawan braid. "I've alerted the other Jedi I spoke to you about, they'll send one of their own to meet us there and escort us to a better place for us to rest and recover." Sora said to them all.

The padawan girl with black hair spoke up next "You mean there are other jedi like us?" She asked.

"No, these Jedi refused to fight at the start of the war I've helped them maintain their neutrality by alerting them whenever the Council was close to finding them." Sora explained, this seemed to anger Ferren "You mean they were hunting our own brothers?".

"Peace Ferren, not hunting only seeking but I'm afraid that may become more true." Sora said looking back to Leo.

"You've met Ferren, he recently passed his trials if I'm correct?" Sora asked, Ferren gave a begrudging nod "For all the good it did me." Ferren said.

Sora turned to the zabrak Jedi; he was the tallest among them, not counting the Sentinel "This young man is Zubain Ankonori."

He gave a nod to Leo "Rock." Was all he said.

"These two padawans, here are Yin-Lu Kaus and Abraxas Gorn." He gestured to the girl and the boy the girl being Yin-Lu and the young boy, Abraxas Leo, gave a nod to the two of them. "I know following us wasn't an easy choice, believe me the last thing I wanted was for us to be exiled from the Temple." Leo said to them "But believe me when I say, I won't let this stand no matter what the Council says we are, we are jedi."

Yin-Lu and Abraxas exchanged glances at one another but didn't say a word, "And our Sentinel?" O-Mer asked looking over at him the temple guard who stood up seeing attention was on him.

"As usual I don't know them, I'm surprised you chose to follow us Sentinel?" Sora asked as Leo walked up to them "He's probably a spy for the Council." Jinx said with Ferren nodding in agreement.

"I…." The Sentinel spoke, taking a step before collapsing, Leo rushed to catch them hearing them mumble under their mask "I'm no spy… I'm no spy…."

Leo picked him up with Sora's help "Get him to medical."

They carried the Sentinel down the hallway to the medical wing laying them down on the bed before Proxy came over with medical equipment "The arm is badly demanded, if we don't act quickly we will have to sever it." Proxy said.

"Do what you can." Leo said to Proxy, turning to the Sentinels mask, he could hear strained breathing behind it.

"We must remove the mask to apply anesthesia." Proxy said reaching for it, Leo grabbed the droid's hand "Brother, I know your oath but we have to take your mask off to save your arm." Leo said down to the Sentinel. The Sentinel looked to Leo under their mask and gave a weak knod, Leo placed his hand gently on the mask and unclipped it feeling it come loose he gently pulled it off with the other padawans and Ferren watching eagerly as the mask and hood came off followed by blue hair and pink skin it was a woman. She had high cheeks, a narrow chin and purple eyes all in all she may have been one of the most beautiful women Leo or Sora had ever seen.

"A zeltron." Sora said, surprised eyes wide.

Leo turned to him "Zeltron?" Leo asked "A near human species, like miralian or twi'leks but famed for their beauty and empathic abilities." Sora said as Proxy placed a medical mask over her full lips the machines did their work and her heartbeat started to go steady "She's stable." Proxy said.

"You'll be okay Sentinel." Leo said to her turning to leave, he felt her hand his arm squeezing tight "Esther… my name is Esther… been so long since…." before 'Esther' could finish her sentence she passed out from the induced coma.

Leo put her hand back down on the table and turned to leave "Out, we should let her rest." Leo said to Sora who followed. They sealed the medical door behind him, the other jedi all in the hallway looking at him "I think that's enough surprises for the day, the Rogue Shadow doesn't have a lot of room but you all should all rest up, O-Mer you can take my bed for now, there's additional crew and room in the back."

Suddenly they heard a clink in the vents above them and a vent fell followed by six more surprises all landing in a pile at their feet "Oh no." O-Mer gasped when tangled on top of each other were six jedi younglings Leo knew, Gungi was at the bottom moaning in wookie speech with Byph and Zatt tangled in one another while Ganodi tried to climb her way out from under both Katooni and at last on top sitting up to see Leo looking at him furious was Petro "Uh hey."

CORUSCANT

Jedi Temple

The Jedi Council had gathered to discuss the recent events in the temple, those who had faced Leo trying to stop him were all worse for wear. Eeth Koth had a bloody bandage strapped over his nose, Ki-Adi Mundi was nursing an ice bag on his large forehead it to twice the usual size of a humans, Saesse Tiin was slouched in his chair with Plo Koon the only one among them unharmed. While Mace Windu was leaning on a cane as he sat a few ribs broken from his fall above those uninsured like Obi-Wan were all silent as Master Yoda sat in session with them a hand up against his face in shame "Let this happen, in the halls of the temple how could we?" Yoda asked them.

"We should have exiled him sooner." Mace stated plainly.

"Really, that's your excuse?" Obi-Wan asked him.

The two locked eyes again the Council all sat on edge expecting another argument to break out "Obi-Wan, you are one of the wisest Masters who sit on this Council, your wisdom is only dulled by your capacity to see the good in everyone, what you tried to do with the boy was nothing short of admirable but some can not be reached through reason alone."

"So force was the answer, loosening the Sentinels on him like he was a criminal?" Obi-Wan asked Mace.

The other Council all looked at one another, it was a bold action for sure Plo Koon spoke up, wheezing a bit "The Chancellor-" "Is the Chancellor of the Republic not the Jedi Order, are we to be subject to his whims at a moment's notice?" Obi-Wan asked the Council.

"I agree with Kenobi, but the situation could have been worse?" Mater Rancis pointed out his raspy old voice carried a great weight.

"Worse?" Ki-Adi asked him "There was a battle in the great hall, there hasn't been anything like that since the last Great Sith War?" Mundi pointed out.

Rancis stroked his beard "And yet, no one was killed, the greatest of injuries will heal, none of them fatal this was not a great battle; it has revealed to us the disgruntlement within our ranks." Rancis explained looking over to Mace and Obi-Wan.

"Kenobi, Windu, you are both right that the younger Jedi have latched onto Rock as a symbol of their grievances to this Council." He said turning to Yoda "Master Yoda my old friend, were you wise to exile him could he not become a banner for their grievances to rally behind?"

The jedi all looked at him with a mix of emotions, the hologram of Shaak Ti posed a question "Master Rancis, are you suggesting that other jedi will leave the order as he has?"

"Leave no, did Rock turn in his lightsaber, did he renounce the Jedi way?" Oppo asked them.

"His actions did." Windu said "According to the Council which he and maybe other jedi no longer recognize as fit to govern our order." Oppo said to them.

Plo nodded "Word will spread of what's happened, the Chancellor, Admiral Tarkkin, even the Senate will want an explanation. We must act swiftly if our order is to avoid another-" "Say it not Master Plo, bare to hear it I cannot." Master Yoda asked him.

"Only if I could Master Yoda, but Jedi are on the verge of another Schism within our order." Plo said reluctantly as the door to the temple chambe burst in, it was Master Sinube panting as he rushed in his cane hammering the floor as he gasped for air "Masters…. Masters…. the younglings?"

ROGUE SHADOW

Hyperspace

"Are you freaking kidding me?" Quinlan snapped over at Leo and Sora as they stood in the commons with the younglings standing in front of them. Petro stood in front with everyone behind him. Katooni holding his arm, Zatt twiddling his thumbs, Gungi was biting his claws while Byph trembled in terror with Ganodi hiding behind him. "We just kidnapped the order's prized younglings." Quinlan barked at Leo and Sora.

Leo shook his head "We did not, they stowed away, there's a difference."

"We're prized younglings?" Zatt said aloud, smirking.

"Shut up." Both Quinlan and Leo snapped at him.

Quin turned to Leo "Rancor Pooda." Quinlan yelled pointing in his face "This isn't my fault?" Leo said back, throwing his hand toward them before Sora got between the two.

"Both of you, stop it, what matters is there. We can't change that now but we'll figure something out after we reach Dantooine." Sora said getting between the two of them being the voice of reason.

Quinlan pulled away groaning "Dantooine, why Dantooine?" Ganodi asked from behind.

"The less you six know the better, why are you even on this sip?" Quinlan asked.

"Well when the fighting started we looked for a place to hide I uh… thought this would be the best place?" Petro answered him.

Leo crossed his arms "How'd you even get onboard?"

"Well… uh the protocol droid was distracted fueling the ship and the probe droid um…" Katooni said poking her fingers together, "Oh stars, what did you do to Oculus?" They were answered by a loud droid scream as the probe droid Oculus came flying out of a vent tied up in cords like a hog before it flew right up to Petro beeping and whistling in a fit.

It flicked Petro in the forehead with its metal appendage making everyone giggle Sora stepped forward "Younglings, while we do not fault you for seeking refuge from the fight you chose your hiding spot poorly, I'm going to have to ask you to restrict yourself to the common area of the ship for now." Sora asked them.

The younglings all looked at one another confused "But why did we leave the temple?" Katooni asked.

The other jedi looked to Leo "We don't have a good answer for you yet, but you'll be safe with us until we can get you back to Coruscant, now do as Master Bulq asks." Leo said down to them. The padawans reluctantly walked away down the hall back into the common area giving the other jedi in front of the bridge.

Leo gestured for them to follow him into the bridge, where outside hyperspace was letting in a blue light on them, with the door sealed Leo groaned "How long do you think we have before the Council realizes we have them?" Leo asked, walking over to the captain's chair taking a seat.

"They already know I'm sure, what matters is we let them know we didn' take them by force." Sora said next to Quinlan.

"You think that'll matter, you heard Master Yoda we're not welcome at the temple we've pretty much signed our own exile."

Leo slammed his fist on the armchair "I didn't ask you to follow me Master Vos but you did, why?" Leo asked him.

Vos turned to Leo and slumped his shoulders "... I have my own reasons."

Leo nodded, not pressing the matter "I understand, Master Bulq, who exactly are we meeting on Dantooine?"

"Of the rogue Jedi I spoke of there are six I know, five I know, but one I do not." Bulq said taking a spot in the copilot's chair, Quinlan leaned on the one behind Leo's chin resting on his arms listening to them "But I can't say for certain which of the five will meet us but I trust them."

"And this mystery Jedi?" Quinlan asked "From what they've told me, he's a or was Master of some renown." Sora told him.

Leo turned back in the seat when he heard the nav computer start to signal they had arrived "Well, we're here so I guess we'll find out. The Rogue Shadow dropped from hyperspace above the planet of Dantooine. A lush green world with gray clouds surrounding its tops, the planet was a mix of dark green forests and plains they could see from above. Large lakes almost big enough to be oceans dotted the surface as they drew closer "Have either of you been to Dantooine?" Sora asked them.

"Once, long ago." Quinlan said.

"I was supposed to deliver medical supplies to Master Windu but the shuttle we were on had an infestation of Geonosian brain worms." Leo said as he remembered it all too well.

Quinlan sat down and strapped in "That sounds like uh… quite an adventure."

"It was more of a nightmare to be honest, do you have the coordinates for the temple?" Leo said flying down to the surface, they passed through dark storm clouds "Entering them in now." Sora said at the console next to him. When they passed to Leo he flew in the direction passing out of the storm and over a sea of grass and softened plateaus, the wind grinding them down into boulders. They flew toward a larger grouping of them and as they passed over Leo saw the temple's ruins. The Ruins were nestled in the heart of a canyon in the heart of three plateaus that had rivers rushing between them, the temple itself was not as tall or grand as the one on Coruscant but it had circular buildings and a large open courtyard big enough to fit a freighter. Even from above they could see it was overgrown in vines, grass and all color from its walls had started to fade. The ship set down in the courtyard with a gentle thud letting the other jedi aboard know they had landed safely.

Leo turned to Sora "So how do we contact this rogue jedi?" Leo asked.

"We don't, he or she will come to us." Sora said getting up "For now I suggest we rest here let everyone stretch their legs."

CORUSCANT

Jedi Temple

Back on Coruscant, the Jedi were facing their own problems Anakin was looking at a holopad of the kidnapped younglings "Ganodi, Zatt, Gungi, Byph, Katooni and Petro these are the younglings who Leo took?" Anakin asked Master Sinube. The old master nodded reverently "Yes, yes, one minute they were there the next the fighting broke out I had no idea Rock would let them come with him."

"There's a lot of things we had no idea about Leo." Anakin said back to him. They were standing in the remains of the great hall the rebuilding of which was going along steadily done by droids and jedi alike who were lifting up fallen statues with the force and repairing the damage made from the small rebellion. "I'm certain they are being taken care of, Rock would never hurt them but to kidnap them?" Sinube asked.

Anakin looked at their faces on a holopad, along with the other jedi who followed Leo then at last to him. He squeezed the holopad so tight he cracked the screen with his mechanical arm. "Don't worry he won't get the chance."

Sinube's eyes widened seeing him break the screen sensing his anger, before he could ask about it they noticed someone knew had entered the temple from the main entrance. Admiral Tarkin and three squads of The Coruscant Guard armed with shields and blasters had marched straight into the temple. When the Jedi Sentinels saw this they approached them raising their hands forming a wall around him. But when they did the Coruscant Guard raised their weapons as if ready to fight "Stand down." Anakin said to the Sentinels before he got to them pushing past.

"Admiral Tarkin, we weren't expecting you?" Anakin said, Tarkkin looked at his clones nodding at them to lower their weapons.

"Apologies for the intrusion of General Skywalker, but the reports coming from here have been most worrisome. Were you successful in apprehending the traitorous General Rock?" Tarkkin asked.

Anakin hesitated to answer but grunted "No."

"I can see that, quite a mess you have here?" Tarkkin said looking at the destruction around here "Leo will answer for his betrayal, you have my word." Anakin said as they both saw Council members approaching them. Mace Windu, Plo Koon and Obi-Wan walked up to them.

"Admiral Tarkkin." Mace said hands behind his back locking eyes with Anakin "Master Jedi, the Chancellor has asked me to investigate what's happened here, General Skywalker tells me you were unable to arrest General Rock?"

Anakin looked at Windu who glared at him "Not at the moment no, he and those who follow him have been exiled."

"Exiled, the Chancellors orders were for you to apprehend him and not let him go?" Tarkkin said with disgust, but Windu wasn't some mere padawan an admiral could push around. Windu took one step toward Tarkkin and for a brief moment Tarkkin leaned back afraid "The Chancellor gave no such order, and if he did it would not be for him to decide this is a Jedi affair you and your soldiers are trespassing."

When he finished the Sentinels drew their lightsabers, double bladed yellow beans sprouting from both ends. The clones raised their blasters and shields ready to fight them right then and their "Master Windu, Admiral Tarkkin is wrong about the Chancellor's orders but he does have the right to be here." Anakin said intervening.

"Leo has exceptional military knowledge of the Republic, we can't just let him go." Anakin refuted.

"And we won't Skywalker, Admiral you can tell the Chancellor I will personally be leading the Jedi strike team to bring Leo and his followers back to the Temple, in chains if need be." Windu declared.

Tarkkin wasn't smiling but he seemed satisfied "His excellency will be happy to hear it, it would be a great concern if we learned that sedition was being allowed to grow in your ranks what would become of you Jedi." He said before he clicked his heels and started to leave. When Tarkkin was gone Windu turned to Anakin "If you must know SKywalker, before he escaped we put a tracker aboard his vessel before he and his rogues could escape."

"When?" Obi-Wan asked him.

"The second he returned from whatever misadventure Master Yoda dragged him into." Windu said back to him.

The other Masters paused before Anakin spoke up "Speaking off, where is Master Yoda?"

"The recent events have forced him to go into deep meditation within his chambers, he's asked not to be disturbed." Master Plo said.

Anakin frowned at them squeezing his fist under his arm "And he's okay with you going after Leo?"

"Not Leo, the younglings he'd kidnapped." Mace replied, "Kidnapped, that's a strong word when he spoke to me before he left it didn't even look like he knew about them?" Obi-Wan replied.

Mace glared at Obi-Wan from the corner of his eyes "Always coming to his defense, its why you won't be coming with us when we go to apprehend him."

"I beg your pardon, if anyone should go it should be me?" Obi-Wan said, stepping toward Mace.

"You're emotionally compromised Obi-Wan, your feelings for him are clouding your judgment of both of you." Mace said to him and Anakin.

Anakin gritted his teeth "Regardless of how we feel, you'll need us if a fight breaks out he's got both Master Vos and Bulq with him." Anakin insisted.

"He makes a valid point, Master Windu, Rock was far more skilled than we first thought Bulq has trained him in Form VII." Plo said placing his claws together like he would when he was contemplating a deep thought "Vapaad?" Obi-Wan asked shocked.

"A very dangerous form, one that tempts the user to the dark side" Mace said.

Anakin still unsatisfied "All except you, it's your form isn't it?" Anakin asked.

"Need I remind you Skywalker, I am one of the twelve jedi masters who sit on the Council you-are-not." Mace said right in his face.

Mace turned around before Anakin could say something "Now we must prepare." Anakin stormed off in another direction while Obi-Wan watched the Masters walk away leaving him more alone than he'd felt in many years. Obi-Wan sighed, shaking his head before he felt a familiar presence "Obi-Wan?" Having been eavesdropping on the conversation behind Obi-Wan was Luminara, the green skinned mirialan was dressed in her black gown and headdress.

"Luminara, where have you been?" Obi-Wan asked seeing her.

She looked at all the destruction and reconstruction going on. "Perhaps I can tell you somewhere with less noise."

The two Masters walked up to the higher levels in a mostly empty hall, where she told him where she'd been during the schism "Visiting Barriss, you chose an interesting time."

"Indeed, but I don't regret it, I should have gone sooner. How could I not have seen what she was becoming, Obi-Wan." She said walking around the corner with him.

"You mustn't blame yourself Luminara, no one could predict how far she'd fallen just like…." He cut himself off by not finishing the sentence "Like Dooku?" Luminara asked him, they'd entered into the hall of a thousand fountains as the thick green vegetation around them as cascading waterfalls poured into the pool. Obi-Wan stopped just short "I was going to say Leo."

Luminara glanced back eyes wide, "You believe he's returned to the dark side?"

He shook his head "I don't know anymore, I never thought he'd be capable of something like this." Obi-Wan said confused pacing "Anakin was hard yes, but Leo he was so eager to prove himself, so eager to show he was worthy despite how many times I told him he was." Obi-Wan said.

"Often our greatest testers are those within ourselves." Luminara said.

"I even told him that, but this isn't some sort of test, even when the battle was raging in the great hall I never felt Leo lose control, seek to kill or even truly harm any of the masters he was fighting to defend himself."

Luminara took a step toward him "And Barriss, how could we not feel her intent to kill?" She asked. He hadn't noticed how close she was, their blue eyes meeting his slightly paler then her deep azure ones looking keenly into his.

"Leo often spoke critically of how the Council teaches us to control our emotions, how it made us numb to how those around us... feel." He said feeling her gaze on him. Luminara took his hand squeezing it through the black glove on his hand "Feel, we jedi feel a great deal do we not, loss has always been our hardest one to master." She said looking at his hand Obi-Wan watched her unclip the bracer on his forearm letting it drop into the garden's grass.

He didn't try to stop her "When our padawans were buried on Geonosis I'd resided myself to believe their deaths were inevitable, the will of the force. But Skywalker refused to give up hope, he could still feel them alive even saving them in the end, my own Padawan included." She said as she pulled his glove off Obi-Wan feeling her fingers trace the lines on his naked palm.

"I even ridiculed him for it. Can you believe that?" She asked giving a forced smile head bowed "He'd saved the lives of three padawans and I was lecturing him on letting go, even when the entire Council turned on Ahsoka he held on even tighter and what did I do to my padawan, I let her go and it caused the death of innocents because I refused to feel." She said looking up as she raised his hand up to her cheek "Luminara…?" Obi-Wan whispered.

"I want to feel Obi-Wan, I want to remember what that's like…" she said, pressing his hand on her cheek. Obi-Wan stared back at Luminara, her eyes sealed tight lashes clenching at the warmth of his hand "We've both lost much to this war Obi-Wan, I know you had feelings for Duchess Satine, it must have been hard." She said opening her eyes, Obi-Wan avoided her gaze but didn't pull away from her.

He shook his head at the mere thought of that painful memory "Yes, I-" before he could utter another word Obi-Wan felt Luminara's lips on his. She was kissing him, Obi-Wan hadn't felt such, such passion in so long he melted to her fire like ice after a long winter. She gripped the vestments around his robes with her nails and Obi-Wan found his other hand on her waist kissing her back before they parted. The two Jedi Masters eyes were heavy, glazed over at the euphoric feelings all their years of training were vanished. In that moment they were just two hurt, longing souls adrift in the galaxy "Forgive me…" Luminara said, stepping back.

"… There's nothing to-" Obi-Wan started to say but she pushed back, stepping away and standing up straight, the look in her eyes showed him that Luminara's mind was already made up it was a tinder moment, but just a moment "Yes, of course." Obi-Wan said before he watched her leave the garden. Obi-Wan looked down at his bracer on the grass kneeling down to pick it up. He stopped when he noticed what was crushed underneath it, a small flower, barely even a weed now mangled and bent from the piece of armor. He stood back up before he unclipped the other bracer tossing it aside with the glove, his robes free to hang down from his sleeves instead of tucked away inside the armor.

DANTOOINE

Jedi Ruins

The sky had turned to black and starlight over Dantooine, the Rogue Shadow had emptied from its long journey. The exiled Jedi had made camp around the ruins lighting small fires from what they could find seeking shelter in the open doorways. Yin-Lu and Abraxas were sitting with Jinx around a fire left of the Rogue Shadow in an old storage hall rusted over crates and empty broken pots scattered around them. Ferren was atop the ruin walls keeping a vigil crouched like a prowler watching the plateau and darkened fields swaying in the wind. Zubain, the ikotchi padawan was sitting in meditation further away from the others in an open section of the temple where a great tree had once stood; the stump was petrified and turned to solid rock like the stone around it. The younglings were all fast asleep aboard the Rogue Shadow where Proxy was still attending to Esther who was fast asleep in the medical wing. Proxy had just finished checking her vitals when he walked back in the commons to see the younglings asleep. Gungi was lying propped up on the couch both Ganodi and Byph leaning on his furry shoulders as a pillow. Zatt was sprawled out on one of the seats of the holotable across from Katooni who had a blanket around her while Petro slept on the floor hands behind his head. As Proxy walked out of the commons Petro opened one eye.

He sat up, moving stealthy to the exit when he heard "Hey?" It was Katooni "Where do you think your going?" Zatt asked, waking up too.

"Shhhh, I'm just going to take a look around." Petro said.

Katooni tossed off her blanket grabbing her boots, Zatt not far behind her "We're coming too." Zatt argued.

"Ugh fine, just keep quiet." Petro grunted at them.

The trio snuck past Proxy and out of the Rogue Shadow into the courtyard, hiding behind some rubble to sneak past Jinx, Yin and Abraxas who were speaking. "You think we made the right choice Jinx?" Yin asked him.

"I think so you know?" Jinx said back to her "You think or you know?"Abraxas asked him, the two padawans shared an accent like O-Mer's Coruscanti academics would have.

Jinx glanced over at Abraxas who still looked skeptically at him "Look all I know is that when I was trapped on that moon, being hunted like an animal watching other padawans be slaughtered, Leo and Ahsoka saved us from our own cowardice." Jinx said to him "We spent years hopeless, I was just a bitter waste of a padawan who just wanted to stay safe, stay alive but saying alive isn't the same as living." Jinx told him.

"So then where's the other one, that coward Ahsoka padawan she left the order, left us behind." Abraxas hissed.

Jinx furrowed his brow and stood up as if to fight "She didn't leave us behind, she made her choice the same as us, and you'll not say her name like that in front of me ever again, got it?" He asked Abraxas who looked away conceding.

Sitting back down with a grunt Jinx stoked the flames with force when Yin asked "Then what about Leo, he stayed but now…?" She asked.

Jinx shrugged "I don't know his reasons for staying as long as he did, believe me O-mer and I always talked about it." The younglings moved on down the walkway into the garden where Zubain was meditating, sneaking past him they took a left down a wide low ceiling hallway where they heard voices "How long till they get here?"

Petro, Katooni and Zatt arrived behind a corner to see Leo, Quinlan and Sora speaking in a large round room with multiple chairs around the room all of them too brittle or covered in moss to sit on. Instead they had found seats around some stones from the caved in ceiling starlight giving them enough illumination to see each other. Sora Bulq sat hunched over fingers interlocked "They didn't say, but they will come."

"Lot of faith in these jedi, are you sure we can trust them?" Quinlan asked.

Sora looked at him then at Leo before he went back to Quinlan "When Skywalker, Kenobi and Leo were investigating Sifo-Dyas's demise, I sought them out in the outer rim, they'd been speaking to Count Dooku."

"What, and you trust them?" Quinlan gasped, Sora held his hand up "Wait, there's more, Dooku offered them a seat in the Separatist's inner circle they all refused and when Dooku sought to kill them I covered their escape so yes, I do trust them."

"So that's why Leo had to save you, you'd been captured by Dooku?" Quinlan asked looking over at Leo who wasn't saying a word.

Sora answered for him "Yes, so please, try to give us some benefit of the doubt Master Vos, what we need to focus on is how to get these younglings back to the temple."

"One of us who could stay behind the Council will find us here eventually, whoever is they may let go or could go back to the temple with them?" Quinlan suggested.

"They're sending us back?" Zatt asked "Shhhh." Petro hissed. Leo glanced over at the entrance they were hiding behind, they ducked behind cover before he could investigate "Leo?" Sora asked.

"You're uncommonly quiet?" The weequay asked him.

Leo stood up pacing a bit further out of ears reach of the younglings, "I'm not sure we should?" Leo asked them, hands behind his back, his finger twitching over to where the younglings were hiding. Sora and Quinlan noticed it getting up following him to avoid being overheard.

Quinlan's brow raised up "What do you mean?"

"What are they saying?" Katooni asked Petro from behind, the two had pushed up against Petro's back trying to get a better listen "I can't hear, they're to far away?"

"What are you guys doing?" The three younglings turned around to see Gungi, Ganodi and Byph were awake and had followed them.

They all gave shush noises to them "We're spying."

Leo dropped his hands to his side, "How much longer do they have?" Leo asked them.

The two masters looked at each other baffled by the question "How much longer till the Council chooses a Masters for them, and they're thrown on the battlefield to die like all the others." Leo asked.

"There's no guarantee they will be put on the battlefield and even then the war could be over?" Sora suggested "Their children, Sora, are willing to take that chance?" Leo asked him.

Sora crossed his arms grumbling to himself "I see your point, Quin?"

Quinlan had his arms on his hips "Hmmm, maybe we should ask what they think?" He said before the Kiffu Jedi raised his hand and pulled the younglings out from behind cover where they all toppled down on one another "Good idea." Leo said.

Sora quickly intervened "Perhaps we should wait till we meet the rogues, there are Masters among them of great wisdom?"

"No, as long as we travel as a group everyone has a say in where they go, we won't take any prisoners." Leo said back to him, passing Sora and approaching the younglings.

"I see bedtime is still a problem with you kids?" Leo said smiling at them.

They all stood up sheepishly. "Uh well we couldn't sleep." Zatt lied.

"So you're taking us back to Coruscant?" Katooni asked.

This got the others' attention, and Leo stopped smiling. He knelt down before them "If that is your wish."

"You mean we have a choice?" Ganodi asked.

"There's always a choice, Ganodi." Leo told her "Unfortunately it's not as easy for us "Master Yoda has banished us Jedi who chose to go willingly from the Temple, but not you six we promise to keep you safe, until we can send you to the Order on Coruscant if you so choose." Leo said standing up.

The younglings all looked at each other, none of them said a word "I'm not forcing you to make a decision now, it's been a long day for all of us so let's get back to the Rogue Shadow so you can sleep on it." Leo gestured for them to go back. The Three older jedi escorted the younglings back to the courtyard where they boarded the ship but Petro and then Katooni stopped just short, when she noticed the boy wasn't following the others.

"Petro?" Leo asked knowing he was about to ask something.

"Why did Master Yoda banish you. You were defending yourself?" Petro asked him.

Leo gave a frown knowing there was no easy way to explain it to a child "Because we disagree on how things should be and how they are, but that's not for you to worry about going to sleep, we'll talk more in the morning." Leo said before he followed Katooni inside.

When the ship's ramp was sealed Leo groaned "How did Master Kenobi survive with me." He mumbled to himself.

"Rock!" It was Ferren atop the temple's walls "Someone's coming." He called down.

The three of them hurried up to the Rock, Leo looked around the campsite noticing O-Mer was nowhere to be seen "Where's O-Mer?"

"He's been exploring the ruins underground, I told him not to go alone but he insisted." Ferren said as he held up a pair of binoculars for Leo to look out. "They're just at the edge of the canyon entrance." Leo pressed the binoculars up to his eyes looking where Ferren had instructed the binoculars were in night vision mode, a green tint showing him the canyon passes years of erosion had steepened the canyon walls and formed a rushing river down the plateau. At first Leo didn't see anything then he saw a figure move then vanish.

Yanking the binoculars down he looked at Ferren "The Council?" He asked.

"No?" Sora said, eyes closed "There's only one, and I know her, come." He said smiling.

Sora jumped off the wall and down into the temple entrance, where Leo, Ferren and Vos followed him out of the darkness a brown robed shadow emerged. Ferren reached for his lightsaber "Not another step, identify for yourself." He ordered.

The shadow beneath the hood looked at Ferren beneath it, they could see a pair of pale ice blue eyes that scanned their faces one by one. Sora stepped out in front of them "You must Enter the Darkness." He said to the hood.

"To save the Light." They replied pulling down their hood, Leo's eyes were surprised tos eye a devaronian woman with orange fur, silver bangs and cropped dark hair around her head. She had pointed ears like most of her kind the woman was about Luminara's age and she smiled seeing Sora who smiled back "Master Jeisel, you're a sight for these old eyes." He said walking up to her and taking her hand.

Leo walked down as she returned the greeting warmly "Master Bulq, the others feared the worse when you covered our escape from Dooku, thank the force you escaped."

"Don't thank me, thank him I owe this young man my life." Sora said, stepping back to introduce Leo "Ah, so this is him Sir Rock, my associates and I have heard a lot about you. It took a great deal of courage to stand up to the Council the way you did." She said.

Leo bowed respectfully to her "You know about that Master Jeisel?"

"We have eyes and ears in the Temple keeping us informed, you're not the only jedi who disagrees with this war." She said before she looked up and spotted Quinlan who was shocked to see her "Is that little Quinny I see?" She asked, walking past Leo.

"Quinny?" Leo asked.

Vos let out a groan "Sian, can you not." She laughed before she threw her arm around his neck and put him in a headlock. "We used to pull on his dreadlocks when we were young."

The Kiffu jedi broke free from her grip "And I used to pinch those pointed ears." He said with a smirk "Good times." Sian said.

"Master Jeisel?" Leo asked "I don't want to cut this reunion short, but Master Bulq told me you speak for a group of Rogue Jedi who oppose the war. Can you give us sanctuary?"

She looked Leo up and down her pale blue eyes scanning him from the entrance, she looked at Sora who gave her a nod of approval "Why should we?" She asked.

"What, because we're Jedi on the run like you?" Ferren asked accusingly, Sian wasn't even fazed by his barking. Leo and her locked eyes as she walked back down to him "Who are you for us to risk our safety over, as Jedi we are taught that all life is sacred, how is a Jedi's life worth more than anyone else's?"

"It's not." Leo said back to her.

Jeisel stopped waiting for him to continue "I'm not asking for my own safety, I'm asking for their Master, please will you help us." He said to her.

The jedi waited on baited breath "It is the duty of the jedi to help those in need, but we need to leave quickly, the Jedi Council knows you're here on Dantooine they put a tracker on your ship." She said.

Ferren and Quinlan looked at one another surprised, "So we leave now?" Ferren said.

"We can't, not until the younglings make a decision." Leo told him.

"Younglings, Master Bulq you said nothing about younglings.?" Master Jeisel asked him.

Sora shook his head "They stowed away without our knowledge, Leo insists that they be given a choice to return to the temple with the Council or follow us."

"... I see, but no later than first light, agreed?" She asked them, Leo nodded "Agreed."

CORUSCANT

Jedi Temple

Back on Coruscant, Anakin was sitting alone in the temple's training grounds under Leo and Ahsoka's tree; he had his hands locked together tapping his foot thinking. Thinking about how angry he was, how much he hated what was going on. How would Leo do this, how could the Council, it was their fault but who was at fault more. Leo, the Council, himself everything had become more confusing as the war went on. Everyone he cared for in his life had left him, disappeared, died. First his Qui-Gon, his mother Shmi, Ahsoka, now Leo had betrayed the Jedi.

"Skywalker?"

His head rose and he saw Aayla standing in front of him with sympathetic eyes, "Aayla?" Anakin greeted.

"May I join you?" She asked.

Anakin scooted over so she could sit beside him on the bench "Everyone is still reeling from the schism."

"Is that what they're calling it?" Anakin asked her "Sadly, it's not the first time this has happened in our Order's history. We always pray the one before is the last, they never end well." She said leaning back on the bench looking up at the swaying branches in the tree.

Anakin didn't say a word "If you need to talk, I'm here for you?" Aayla said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I appreciate that Aayla, Ahsoka always trusted you as someone to confide in." Anakin said, smirking at her. Aayla returned the smile remembering the times she and Ahsoka had spoken in confidence now she wondered if that was a mistake.

"What was Leo thinking?" Anakin said shaking his head "I knew he disagreed with the Council, I do almost all the time but to go against them like he did to draw his lightsaber against them, it's unthinkable." He confessed.

Aayla heard him before she replied "Is it?" She asked.

"Huh?"

"We've both known Leo has always had a problem with authority without reason." Aayla explained to him "But he was loyal, always, he let himself get sucked into space to beat Bane, when we were on Mustufaar he could have killed Ahsoka myself, the kidnapped children and he merely bit his own arm off to break Ventresses control. He crashed on Ryloth and joined the rebels to help them understand why he needed the Republic, went undercover for the Order and came back willingly to save us all from Dooku." Anakin said standing up and paced a few feet away.

Anakin tossed his hands up "Urrr, I wish Ahsoka were here she was always able to talk to him when I couldn't."

Aayla didn't say a word, she stood up and took a deep breath "Yes, she did."

He turned around looking at her, sensing something she wasn't telling him, "What do you mean?" He asked.

She kept her lips sealed "You're better not think of Skywalker, we should focus on the war effort."

Anakin grabbed her arm "Aayla, what aren't you telling me?" Aayla pulled away "Only something you refuse to see."

"Refuse to see, so far all I've seen is everyone I trust fall apart and there's nothing I've been able to do about it?" Anakin snapped at her.

Aayla took the brunt of his anger with a stoic face "I feel your loss Skywalker, but you need to know what others felt and for who."

"Ahsoka's decision to leave the order was her choice, Leo's decision to do what he did was his choice not yours, you can't blame yourself for their decision or how the feelings you three shared affected-" Aayla let it slip, cutting herself off.

Anakin snapped his head to hers "What did you say?"

She looked away cursing herself before she let out a sight "Skywalker, Anakin… do I really need to say it?"

Anakin crossed his arms scowling at her "Say what, are you implying I caused Ahsoka to leave, both of them to leave?"

She let out a regretful sigh "Not you specifically, I don't pretend to know her reasons at least all of them." she started to say "Leo and Ahsoka, were they close, yes?"

"Yes, of course they were fighting a war together, creating a strong bond, like how she and I were close to Rex, to you?" Anakin said obviously back to her.

"In a way yes, a strong one, never knowing when which day will be your last, especially when you're young, when our feelings can outweigh our reason?" She asked, looking him dead in the eye.

Anakin's stare back was a spiteful confusion, feeling like Aayla was dangling the answer just out of reach of him "Outweigh our reason?"

"Sure, Ahsoka and Leo both stumbled because they always picked each other up, they brought the best in each other as Jedi, even you can't deny that?" Anakin refuted, Aayla tucked in her lip the truth weighing her down like chains "They brought other things, things that aren't Jedi, feelings we warn them against."

His brow furrowed until his face was a snarl, then it unclenched to a shocking revelation, his head went back and forth "No…. No, no, no, no-" he backed away "Anakin, I tried to warn Ahsoka, warn Leo." She said following him, Anakin was walking away from walking toward the training ground steps. He made his way to the first step. "It's not true, they adhered to the code, they didn't feel that way about each other, it's not like they ever-" "Kissed?" Aayla asked before Anakin smashed his mechanic arm into the stone wall cracking it.

"Ahsoka wouldn't do something like that, not without telling me or asking?" Anakin said, pulling his fist out of the small rubble trickling down off the wall, his glove covered in dust "...Anakin?" She asked near speechless at his reaction, gesturing to the damage he'd caused, Anakin uncurled his fist before he tightened it again.

He exhaled, "Leo corrupted her." Anakin growled "Like he's corrupted the others and then the younglings soon, it's time we put an end to it." Anakin said before Aayla could say another thing as he headed toward the hanger, his eyes burning for revenge.