Chapter 12 – Back in the Temple
I finished this chapter yesterday, but for some reason the loginpage of FanFiction wouldn't load… Oh well, hope you enjoy the chapter.
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Barriss' point of view
I smile as I step out of our transport. We've just arrived back on Coruscant and after that wild adventure on Felucia I'm glad to be back in the Jedi Temple. "Barriss." A voice behind me says. I turn around and face my Master. "Aayla and I have been summoned by the Council. We'll have to go there soon. I'll see you later." She informs me. "Alright Master, see you soon." I reply and nod respectfully at her and Master Secura. The two of them head on inside the Temple. One thing does bother me a little. All three of us were involved in the battle and I was a participant in the infiltration. "Why don't I have to attend their meeting? Could it be that the Council is still suspicious of me? Several of them probably are…" I shrug the thoughts away and turn back to the transport. A few clones were just unloading Nyla from the ship. I make my way towards her. "Hey Nyla, how's it going?" I ask. She smiles. "I'm doing alright." She replies. "That's good to know. Now then, you will be brought to the Halls of Healing and the Temple healers are going to look you over, just to make sure you're recovery is proceeding nicely." I explain to her. She nods and her facial expression saddens a bit. "Okay, I see." She replies softly. "What's gotten into her all of a sudden?" I wonder. Then it hits me. "I'll try to visit you later when the healers are done with you." I tell her, knowing that she's still a tad scared and lonely. Her face lightens up a bit. "Alright. Goodbye Barriss." She replies with a smile. "See you later Nyla." I say as the Temple's medical staff begins to transport her to the Halls of Healing.
As Nyla is escorted away from of the landing platform I briefly wonder what to do. The length of Council meetings can vary from several minutes to multiple hours. Master Unduli might not be back for a little while… After giving it a moment's thought I decide to get some lunch in the mess hall. We'd landed a few hours ahead of schedule and because of that we didn't had any opportunity to eat lunch. "The food in the Temple may be simple, but it's better than the rations aboard the ships." I chuckle a bit and head inside the Temple as well.
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With a frustrated groan I run outside the mess hall. Luckily I just finished my meal before this mess started. "Why in the name of the Force did those padawans think it was a good idea to experiment with droid-popper grenades in the mess hall?" I think annoyed. A group of rookie padawans had been throwing a few of their grenades at some practice droids they brought along. "Where did they even get those grenades?" I can't help but wonder. They had obviously intended to show off in front of the younglings, but in their boldness they messed up big-time. One of their emp grenades bounced of a droid and hit one of the emergency switches on the wall, thus causing the fire alarms to go off. This made the sprinklers on the ceiling to barrage the mess hall and everyone inside with a massive load of water…
Now everyone, younglings, padawans and even a number of knights and masters, were running out of the mess hall, yelling and complaining.
"Fair is fair, those sprinklers are pretty effective." I think as I look at my soaked robes. I groan in slight disgust as I feel my wet, cold robes clinging to my skin. I sigh and make my way to my quarters to change, ignoring the angry shouting around me.
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After a couple of minutes that seemed extremely long I finally reached the quarters my master and I shared. I went inside and locked the door behind. Master Luminara would be able to get inside nevertheless, but it gave me some more privacy from others. "Eww, this feels so nasty…" I say out loud, voicing my disgust as I try to remove my outer robes. This is easier said than done, every single bit of my clothing is soaked and clings to my body. I finally manage to get my outer robes off, leaving me dressed in the light jumpsuit I wear underneath when the communicator in the room goes off. I'd rather go and get out of my wet clothes and get changed, but the call might be urgent so I answer it. "Thankfully this communicator has only sound and no image." I think as the line opens.
"This is Barriss." I say when the connection is established. "Barriss, it's Luminara. I'm here with the Council and…" my Master says until she was cut off by a rather annoyed, no scratch that, a normal sounding master Windu. "Padawan Offee, is there a reason why you're ignoring the Council's calls?" he asks in his usual annoyed tone. I frown in confusion. "What calls?". "Begging your pardon Master, but what do you mean? I haven't received any communications." I answer. "Do not lie to us padawan, we've contacted you three times in the past ten minutes." Master Windu replies. I frown even deeper. "I'm not lying Master, my comlink didn't receive any calls. I…" I reply as I pull my comlink towards me with the Force. "Oh, I see…That explains a lot…" I say as a small amount of water seeps out of my comlink. "What do you mean padawan Offee?" Master Plo Koon's deep voice sounds over the communicator. "Uhm, well Masters, my comlink has a bit of, ehm… water damage…" I reply. "Water damage?" I hear Master Mundi saying, disbelief obvious in his voice. "Hmm, know that take your comlink in the shower you should not, right padawan?" Master Yoda asks in his impish, teasing tone of voice. At this point I'm blushing madly and I'm glad I'm not in the Council room. "I know that Master, that's not what happened." I reply, trying to keep my voice calm and respectful. "Alright Barriss, what happened?" Aayla Secura asks. "Well Masters, I was in the mess hall just now to get lunch. A few padawans were messing around with droid-poppers, trying to show off a bit no doubt. Then one of them threw a grenade the wrong way and it hit the emergency systems on the wall. This caused the fire alarms to go off and thus everyone on the mess hall was completely drenched thanks to the sprinklers…" I explained what had just happened to them.
For a moment I can't hear anything over the communicator. "Did they believe me?" I gulp nervously. After a couple of seconds I can hear Master Yoda's chuckling over the transmission. "The mess hall turned into a waterpark… Such a thing, not happened it has for over two hundred and five years." He says chuckling. I look at the communicator in surprise. "Such a thing has happened before?" The only sound coming through the communicator is the sound of a few amused chuckles from a few Council members. "A-anyway Masters, what was it you contacted me for?" I ask, trying to break the silence. "Don't worry padawan Offee, it can wait. It's not such an important matter." Master Secura says. "Alright then Master. Now then, if you don't mind, I'm going to get changed before I catch a cold." I reply trying to sound respectful. "Very well Barriss, we'll talk later." Luminara says and the communication ends. I let out a deep breath. Right now I'm very glad that I didn't have to go to the Council completely soaked. I grab my clean clothes and head into the refresher.
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General point of view.
"Very well Barriss, we'll talk later." Luminara Unduli said as the communication with her padawan ended. She looked at the Council members physically present in the room. A few of them had slight smiles on their faces, Master Windu obviously not among them. Master Yoda was still slightly chuckling about what they just heard about the mess hall. Luminara let out a sigh. "I will talk to Barriss about your idea later Masters." She told the Council. They nodded. "Very well then." Master Windu said as he got up. "Mace, where are you going?" Shaak Ti asked. "I'm going to inspect the damage in the mess hall. If what padawan Offee said is true, it won't be a pretty sight." He replied. Master Yoda hopped off his chair as well. "Wait for me you will, miss this I will not." He said in an amused voice. Masters Ki-Adi Mundi and Plo Koon got up as well and went with Masters Windu and Yoda, leaving Luminara in the room along with Masters Secura and Ti. The three Jedi looked at each other before laughing. "Well now, this has certainly become an interesting day." Shaak Ti said after she stopped laughing. "You're definitely right about that." Luminara replied. "But do you really think that your suggestion about Barriss is a good idea?" she asked. "I'll admit, it's rather unusual. However, in light of some recent events, I do think that it's a good idea." Aayla replied. "I agree, it may also increase the people's opinion of the Jedi Order a bit more. We're not exactly as respected as we used to be." Shaak Ti added. Luminara nodded. "I understand your point, I'm just not sure if Barriss will agree to this." She said. "It's up to her whether or not she wants to do this." Aayla replied. "I'll talk to Barriss about this." Luminara said. Shaak and Aayla nodded. "Alright then, we'll see you later." Aayla replied. Luminara nodded as well and left the Council chamber.
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Barriss' point of view
"I wonder what it was that the Council wanted to talk to me about?" I think to myself as I sit on the couch in the quarters I share with my master. After I finished changing I tried to meditate a bit, but I didn't really found myself in the right mood. So instead, I'm just being lazy for a change, just relaxing on the couch and watching the holonews.
After a few minutes the bell rings. I use the Force to sense who is outside, but I don't recognize the Force signatures. I get up and open the door. Two female human padawans are standing outside, one with dark hair and the other a brunette. "Padawan Offee?" the brunette asks a bit nervously. "Yes. Can I help you?" I reply cautiously as my hand inches closer to my lightsaber. They see my movement and take a step back. "What-what are you doing?" the one with dark hair asked nervously. "Nothing personal, but the last time padawans I didn't know approached me I ended up in the Halls of Healing…" I reply as I recall the group of padawans that tried to kill me a few weeks ago. "No no, we're not here to hurt you." The brunette replied. "We're friends of padawan Nyla Sonter. We were in the same clan together." She informed me. "We heard that something happened to her, but we weren't able to find out what. We learned that you had last seen her. Are Nyla and her master alright?" the girl with dark hair asked. A wave of guilt washes over me. I feel bad for immediately thinking that they wanted to hurt me. "You'd better come inside." I tell them. I move back in the room and they walk inside as well. I gesture to the couch and they take a seat.
"You haven't told me your names yet." I tell them. "Oh right, sorry. My name is Alyva Bionte." The brunette replied. "This is Naria Sarden." She said as she gestured at the dark haired girl beside her. "Padawan Offee, please, several others of our old clan are worried about Nyla as well, but they're all away on missions. Can you tell us what happened?" Naria asks. I sigh. "I'm afraid that what I have to tell you isn't good." I tell them. They both look worried. "I won't try to lie to you. Nyla and her master were send on a mission to escort several Senators to a meeting. During the ride, their ship was attacked by the Separatists. One of the guards had sold them out." I took a deep breath before continuing. "The Separatists boarded their ship. Nyla's Master was killed." They both gasp in shock, but keep quiet to allow me to continue. "Nyla herself was captured along with the Senators. The Separatists tortured her." I explain to the two. "W-what?" Alyva stuttered. "Is-is she going to be alright? She's still alive right?" Naria asked. "Yes, she's still alive. Right now she's in the Halls of Healing." I reply. Hearing this, they calm down a bit. "However," I continue, "She's still in a pretty bad condition, both physically and mentally. Seeing her Master die in front of her and being tortured has left her very scarred. It will take a while for her to recover." I say. Both girls look at each other with worried expressions. "Can…Can we see her?" Alyva asks. I think it over for a short moment before nodding. "Yes, I think that it will be good for her to see you. She's still scared and she doesn't like being alone at the moment. Seeing both of you will hopefully cheer her up a bit." I reply. They both nod. "Right now I'm waiting for one of the healers to signal me that they're finished looking her over. After that I wanted to visit her so I'll bring you two along." I say. "Thank you padawan Offee." Naria replied softly. I smile and nod at them. "Don't mention it."
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Almost an hour later I was headed into the Halls of Healing with my two new friends walking behind me. We'd talked in my quarters for a while after I told them what had happened to Nyla. Fortunately, I was able to decrease their worry quite a bit. We arrived at the room the healers had told me that Nyla was in. "Wait here a moment, I'll go in first. Just to make sure she's alright." I tell Naria and Alyva. They both nod reluctantly and wait as I step inside.
Nyla is lying in the bed, she appears to be doing a lot better. She smiles when she sees me. "Hello Barriss." She says excitedly. "Hello Nyla, how are you feeling?" I ask. "I'm feeling a lot better now. The healers did some Force work on my leg and changed the bandages. They also gave me some other medicine that eases the pain, but doesn't make my lekku go numb." She replies. I chuckle a bit. "Well that's good to hear." I say. "Hey Nyla, I've brought along some company." A look of surprise forms on her face. "Really? Who?" She asks. "Your friends Naria and Alyva, there waiting right outside. Do you want me to let them in?" I reply. Her face lights up. "Really?! They're here?!" she asks excitedly. I nod. "Yes, let them in!" she says. I turn to the door and open it with a wave of my hand. As soon as it's open Naria and Alyva enter the room. They both gasp in shock when they see Nyla lying in the bed, bandages over her body and her leg in a cast. "Nyla!" they both exclaim. Nyla smiles at the sight of her friends. "Don't worry, it's not as bad as it looks." She tells them. They move to the bed as well. "Nyla, are you alright?" Alyva asks. "Well, I've been better." She replies. "But Barriss and the other healers have really done wonders for me." Both Alyva and Naria sigh with relief. "That's really good to hear. We heard that something happened to you, then Barriss told us what had happened and we've been so worried." Naria says. "The others of our old clan wanted to be here as well, but they're all busy with missions." Alyva added. "That's alright, I'm just glad to see some familiar faces after… after what happened." Nyla says softly. "That's what friends are for." Alyva replies with a smile. I move over to the other side of the room to check Nyla's medical records while she and her friends catch up.
"Hey Barriss?" Nyla asks all of a sudden. I turn around to face her and her friends. "Yes Nyla?" I reply. Her face has a curious expression. "Well, I sensed that there was some kind of commotion earlier. Do you know what that was?" she asks. I can't help but let out an irritated groan. "Yeah, I know." I say as I move towards the bed again. I sigh. "A few padawans caused the fire alarms in the mess hall to go off and created a massive wave of panic." I tell the three. "Seriously? That's what happened?" Naria asks. I nod as a reply. All three of them burst out into laughter. I can't help but join them.
We continued talking for a while after we all stopped laughing. Sometime later I got up from my chair. "Well guys, it's been fun, but I have to go. My Master had something she wanted to discuss with so I shouldn't keep her waiting for much longer." I tell them. Nyla sighs a bit disappointed. "Oh well, that's too bad." She replied. "Don't worry, I'll try to stop by again if I have the opportunity." I say. "Alright then, goodbye Barriss." Nyla replies. "Goodbye Nyla. Naria, Alyva, it was nice to meet the both of you." I tell them. They smile. "Likewise Barriss." Naria says. "We'll hopefully see you again soon." Alyva adds. I wave a quick goodbye and leave the room.
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Shortly after leaving the Halls of Healing I enter my quarters. Just as I expected, Master Luminara is waiting inside. "Hello Master." I say as I sit down on the couch. "Hello Barriss, where have you been?" Luminara asks. "Well, I met two of Nyla's friends and we paid her a visit in the Halls of Healing." I reply. She smiles. "I see. How is she holding up?" she asks. "She's doing a lot better. Seeing two of her old friends has also really improved her mental condition." I answer. Luminara nods. "So, what was it the Council wanted to talk to me about?" I ask slightly curious and worried at the same time. Luminara chuckles a bit. "There's no need to be worried Barriss, you're not in trouble or anything." She replies. "Nevertheless, it is a very different proposition." I nod slowly. "Now I'm really getting curious." I stay quiet to allow her to continue. "As you know, public opinion of the Jedi Order isn't very good right now…" Luminara says with a sigh. "A few Senators came with a rather unusual idea that might improve things a bit." I can't help but get a little confused right now. "What kind of idea?" I ask. "They want us to appear as quests on a talk show." Luminara says. "Wait…what?" I reply in confusion. Luminara sighs. "A little less secrecy and openly talking with the public about Jedi affairs might help ease the people's worry. The Council has agreed on this proposition. It's worth a try. The Jedi are here to protect the people, to have them fear us wouldn't really help our cause." She explains. I think about this idea. "I admit, it's very different. But it might not be such a bad idea after all…" I look at my Master. "But, what does this have to do with me?" I ask. "The Council would like you to be the first Jedi to attend this show." Luminara replies. I look at her in shock. "What?" I manage to say. "They want me to… After what I…?" Luminara nods. "I reacted in the same way Barriss, but if you think about it, it does seem like a good idea. Will you do it?" she replies. I look at the ground. "I-I'm not sure if I should…" I reply. "Take some time to think about it Barriss." Luminara says. "Alright, I'll think about it." I reply. Luminara smiles. "Thank you Barriss."
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That's it for this chapter.
As you can see, the ending is sortoff 'open'. I haven't decided whether or not to do this talk show thing. I've read a few stories like this and I thought a chapter like that might be a nice addition to my story. I'll leave it up to the readers, let me know what you think. Should I add the talk show in the story or not?
Sadly, my tests are approaching rapidly. I reeeally have a lot to learn… This means that other updates might not happen in a while. I might write a bit if I have some free time, but I don't think that I'll be able to update soon. In a few weeks I'll be completely finished with school for this year so I'll have more time again. Just a few more weeks of heavy studying…
Until next time.