Chapter 30 – Surprising News
First chapter of the new year. Barriss and Nyla are back on Coruscant and deliver their report to the Council. They spent some time training the next day, before they are both summoned to the Council again.
Hope you enjoy.
;-
Barriss Offee and Nyla Sonter were standing in the Council chambers. After returning from Ilum, they had joined Master Yoda to give a report of the Gathering to the rest of the Council.
Both of them had been very surprised, however, when Master Yoda told them that it wasn't necessary to inform them of Ahsoka's presence on Ilum. Her path was her own now and the Order wouldn't need to concern themselves about her. The Force would decide if they met again.
And so they stood there, waiting for the Council to ask their questions. After a little moment, it was Master Plo Koon that broke the silence. "Welcome back, Padawans Sonter and Offee," he said in his deep voice. "Has everyone successfully completed the Gathering?"
Barriss and Nyla both nodded. "Yes Master," Nyla answered. "All of the initiates have completed the Gathering and they've successfully built their lightsabers on the flight back."
"Nyla and I have both been successful as well," Barriss continued. "All went well and, fortunately, there was no sign of any pirates nearby."
Next to her, Obi-Wan chuckled a bit. "Good, then it seems that Hondo has learned his lesson," he remarked. Barriss and Nyla both shared an amused glance.
"Can you tell us a bit more about your own experiences on Ilum? Padawan Sonter?" Ki-Adi Mundi asked.
Padawan Sonter gulped slightly before answering. "Yes Master," she replied, taking a moment to collect herself. "I had to overcome what happened to me on Felucia, the fear it left me with, as well as the loss of my Master." She paused, taking a deep breath. "It was difficult, having to face those monsters again, but I managed to keep my composure and overcome it. They were nothing more than phantoms now that I wouldn't allow to haunt me anymore. After that, the Force showed me my Master and granted me a chance to say a proper goodbye to him."
"That is good to hear," Shaak Ti said in a calm and understanding voice. "How about you, Padawan Offee?"
Barriss took a slight moment to collect her thoughts. "I ended up walking through a long dark tunnel in the caves. It seemed endless at first, but then I began to see a shape amongst the darkness," she began. "When I got closer, I saw that it was Master Unduli, standing there calmly as I've grown used to seeing her. Then her expression turned to one of pain as a red blade suddenly stabbed her from behind."
She could sense some shock and surprise amongst the Council, but they said nothing and allowed her to continue.
"Master Unduli's image faded, revealing her attacker, a hooded figure, standing behind her, the red blade ignited in her hand. I activated my own saber and demanded to know who she was. She then moved and took of her hood." She paused briefly. "I saw myself standing there, a horribly twisted Sith version of myself. It shocked me immensely, witnessing how I could have ended up if that Sith had his way with me."
"She then started making her way towards me, saying all kinds of horrible things to mess with my head. Her words brought me completely of balance, then she started whispering sweet promises to me, tempting me back towards the Dark Side," she continued her tale. "I realized what she was doing before the tendrils of the Dark Side could find another hold on me. I proclaimed to her that I would never again touch the Dark Side, that I would never betray my Master, my friends or this Order again. That she didn't want to hear. Enraged, she launched a devastating assault on me."
She paused a slight moment to compose herself again. "Her attacks were brutal, a twisted version of the form my Master taught me. She had the upper hand on me, I was unbalanced by everything and she knew my every move before I made them. She overpowered me and I was left in a very vulnerable position. If it had continued, she would have decapitated me with my own lightsaber."
She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and giving a small smile. "With her next taunting question, I was able to escape my daze and concerns. I recalled everything that my Master and my friends had taught me. I re-centered myself, found new control over my emotions and then went on a counteroffensive. With my emotions under control and my mind focused, she lost all of her strength. This time, I was the one in control and after a short continuation of the fight, I defeated her."
She opened her eyes again and her smile grew a bit larger. "After having overcome my dark self, I took a moment to rest and meditate to recover my energy. The Force had never before felt so clear and pure to me before. Light just danced around me, echoing out throughout the entire path. It was a wonderful sensation. I'm not sure how long I meditated, but after that I got up again and found my crystal waiting for me, the long endless path suddenly very short. I took my crystal and left the cave."
"That is quite the experience, Padawan Offee," Shaak Ti said after a moment of reflecting on her words. "but I am glad that you have been able to overcome this trial. I can clearly sense that the Dark Side no long has any hold over you."
"Thank you, Master Ti," Barriss replied with a smile. "I feel better than I have in years. I am confident that the Dark Side will no longer be able to influence me."
A few more items were discussed, about how long it took certain younglings to succeed and their behaviors during the Gathering. After discussing all of that, Barriss and Nyla were excused and left the Council chamber.
;-
Barriss walked back into the quarters she shared with her Master. She couldn't help the slight smile of relief as she saw her Master sitting on the couch, reading through some files.
Luminara obviously sensed her presence as she looked up from her reading and looked over at her Padawan. "Barriss, welcome back," she said with a smile. "I can tell that you were successful on Ilum. Your presence in the Force is brighter than ever. It reminds me of the shining stars we saw in the sky after our first mission."
Barriss smiled with the memory. Their first real mission together had been an exhausting day that never seemed to end. However, when it was finally over, the night sky had been filled with beautifully sparkling stars. That sight had made it all worth it.
"It's good to be back, Master," Barriss replied. "I do feel a lot better than I have in years. Ilum provided a great challenge, but with your teachings I was able to succeed." She moved over and sat down next to her Master.
"That is good to hear, Barriss," Luminara said as she placed her datapad aside. "But I am slightly curious as to what you encountered on Ilum. What did the Force show you?"
Barriss nodded and told her the same story she had told the Council, only in a bit more depth this time, also recounting all of the things that her dark self had said, the ways she had made her doubt herself so much. She told Luminara how their battle had gone, how she had nearly lost to the dark perversion of her own self, but how she managed to overcome her in the end.
"You faced such a severe test," Luminara said slowly. "With how well you had already done in recovering from the Dark Side, I wonder if that was truly necessary."
"While it was a very difficult and trying challenge, I am, in a certain way, grateful that I faced it," Barriss replied as she reflected on the journey. "I can now say, with absolute certainty, that I have overcome the Dark Side and that it will no longer have a hold on me. And for that, I am most grateful."
"I am very glad to hear that, Barriss," Luminara said. "So, have you already constructed your new lightsaber?"
Barriss nodded and smiled. She was eager to show it to her Master. She took her new lightsaber and handed it to Luminara.
A smile instantly spread on Luminara's face as she studied the weapon. "Barriss," she said warmly.
Barriss couldn't help but smile even more at her reaction. She had constructed her lightsaber in a slightly different way than others might have done. The bottom half of the hilt was identical to her other lightsaber, but the top half of the hilt was made to resemble her Master's lightsaber, to honor her teachings and wisdom. "So that I will always remember everything you have taught me, Master," she explained briefly.
"I am honored, Barriss, I truly am," Luminara replied. She then held the lightsaber out and ignited the blade. A very bright blue, nearly white, blade materialized, casting a gentle light. To Barriss, it was reminiscent of the color of the ice that had surrounded her after overcoming her dark self. "This color suits you, Barriss." She deactivated the saber and gave it back to her Padawan.
Barriss took back her lightsaber with a grateful nod and clipped it back to her belt. "Thank you , Master," she said. "I find it to be a great resemblance of how I feel right now."
Luminara smiled and returned the nod. "And how did the others fare during the Gathering? Did the journey go well? No unusual developments?" she asked.
"All of the younglings successfully completed the Gathering. They were all able to construct their lightsaber during the flight back. I imagine that some of them will be picked as Padawans quite soon," she replied. "Nyla was successful as well, though she faced some hardships as well. We didn't have any problems with the journey, thankfully, but we did have an interesting surprise."
"That is good to hear," Luminara said. "But what do you mean by an interesting surprise?"
"Well, Master Yoda said that there was no need to tell the rest of the Council about it, but I do not mind discussing it with you," she explained. "When we exited our ship on Ilum, I felt a tremor in the Force and suddenly the cave opened. We made our way there and Master Yoda entered first. We are all quite surprised then to see Ahsoka in the cave.
Luminara's eyes widened a bit in surprise. "Ahsoka?" she asked. "What was she doing on Ilum?"
"Do you recall what I told you about her family after I had returned from Naboo, Master? That she had a little sister now, a girl called Aisha?" she asked in return.
"Yes, I do," Luminara replied.
Barriss smiled. "Apparently she's Force-sensitive, that was how Ahsoka found her in the first place," she explained. "She became a part of Ahsoka's family and she's been teaching her new sister about the Force. They were on Ilum so that she could build her own lightsaber."
"I see, that's quite surprising," Luminara replied. "What was she like? Did you get a chance to speak with her?"
"Yes, I did," Barriss said. "I travelled a bit alongside her through the caves. She's quite a bright young girl. She's really similar to Ahsoka, only perhaps more controlled than her big sister and I was quite impressed by her. She figured out how to approach the tests of Ilum before the rest of the younglings did. Despite the fact that she had just lost her birth parents, she seemed pretty happy to be with Ahsoka. She was also very eager to hear more about the Force and how Force Healing worked. I have a feeling that with Ahsoka teaching her, she'll become a fine Jedi."
"She sounds like a kind girl. I'm sure she will be a good student," Luminara replied. "Ahsoka did always like teaching others."
"Yes, that's true. They looked pretty happy together, I'm sure they'll make a great team," Barriss said with a smile. She looked at the chrono in the room. "If it's alright with you Master, I think I'll go and rest. Nyla was very insistent on testing out our new lightsabers tomorrow."
Luminara gave an amused smile. "Of course Barriss, go ahead, I'll see you tomorrow," she replied. Barriss got up and gave her a bow before heading towards her room. Luminara looked after her a moment. Barriss had truly overcome her last challenges and was now fully connected to the Light Side of the Force. She opened herself to the Force and took some time to reflect on everything that they had been through since the incident with the Temple bombing. After meditating on it for some time, she came to a decision. Her mind made up, she got up and left their shared quarters, to make her way to the Council chambers.
;-
The following day
Barriss walked into the training room where she had agreed to meet her friends. Much to her amusement, Nyla, Naria and Alyva were already there, Nyla appearing to be quite eager to start.
"Hey Barriss," Naria greeted her. "We heard you were successful on Ilum as well. Nice job."
"Hello everyone," Barriss replied. "Yes, I was able to overcome the test the Force set for me, difficult as it was. But I must admit, I'm glad it was like this, I haven't felt this good in years."
"That's great to hear Barriss," Alyva said with a smile. "You feel really bright, that's for sure."
"It sure is, but now," Nyla said with a smirk. "I do believe that you owe me a spar." With that, she ignited her new lightsaber, the green blade materializing, causing her to break out in a wide smile.
Barriss smiled as well. She took both of her lightsabers and ignited them, both blue blades appearing at her sides. She moved to a defensive stance. "Whenever you're ready Nyla," she told her friend.
Nyla gave a flourish with her saber, then she charged at Barriss. She started with a quick vertical slash. Barriss blocked with both sabers, catching Nyla's saber between them. Nyla gave her a challenging smirk, that Barriss returned before she swung both her sabers sideways, taking Nyla's saber with them.
Barriss quickly followed up with a stab from her right-hand saber. Nyla spun aside to avoid and get her own lightsaber back in a good position, before going into a second spin followed by a powerful sideways slash aimed at Barriss. Barriss spun herself and blocked the attack with her off-hand saber, then swung her main saber around to force Nyla back.
Nyla jumped back a bit to avoid Barriss' attack and quickly moved to a defensive stance, already sensing that Barriss was about to do something. Barriss spun both her lightsabers around and advanced on Nyla, unleashing a powerful combination of dual-wielding attacks that she had been practicing. It was a rapid series of attacks that Ahsoka had once told her about. She couldn't deny that it was an incredibly effective technique.
Nyla struggled slightly as she moved back, blocking and dodging Barriss' powerful combination of attacks. It was pretty clear to her that she had been doing quite a bit of practicing. She blocked another attack, then sunk to her knees and rolled away from the follow-up attack, surprising Barriss as she quickly moved to her friends' side. Taking advantage of her moment of surprise, Nyla didn't hesitate to use her momentum to try and land a powerful upwards slash.
This time Barriss dodged back and moved into a defensive stance, both blades in front her, ready to counter Nyla's next move, for which she didn't have to wait too long. Nyla quickly rushed towards her, filled with excitement at being able to fight with her own lightsaber again and a sense of determination to beat Barriss.
;-
They had kept up the spar for another ten minutes, before Barriss signaled to stop. It was clear to her that Nyla was at her limits and she didn't want her friend to overdo it and undo all of her healing from the past months. Nyla had agreed, albeit slightly begrudgingly, and they had stopped their fight.
"That was really impressive, both of you," Naria commented as she walked up to them. "You're as strong as you've always been Nyla and that dual wielding is really working out for you Barriss."
"Yeah, no kidding," Alyva added. "We're going to have to step up our own game Naria, otherwise they'll be outclassing us soon."
"Oh, stop it you two," Nyla replied as she looked at them. "You have both beaten me more times than I have beaten you. But maybe I'll have to change that record soon." She gave them both a teasing smirk.
Barriss chuckled a bit. "If you keep working like that to constantly overcome each other, I'd feel really sorry for whatever enemy has to face the three of you together," she commented with an amused smile.
Her friends laughed at that. "And if we add you in there, they're likely to surrender immediately," Nyla teased back. Barriss laughed as well.
"So, do you think we could come to rival the famous team of The Negotiator and the Hero With No Fear?" Alyva asked with great amusement. "Or the duo of Master Skywalker and former Padawan Tano, or the three of them together?"
"Oh, that would be very difficult," Barriss replied as they all laughed.
After a few minutes of exchanging jokes, Naria and Alyva got ready for a sparring match of their own, Nyla and Barriss observing this time.
;-
Several hours later
After the training session with her friends, Barriss had gone back to her quarters to freshen up. She had been studying some different aspect of Force healing when she suddenly received a transmission that she was to report to the Council chambers.
As she made her way there, she had to wonder what it would be about. "Perhaps a new assignment? But I wouldn't know what it could possibly be about," she mused as she walked.
She arrived at the Council chambers only to find Nyla waiting outside. "Hey Nyla," she greeted her friend.
"Hey Barriss, you got called here too?" Nyla replied.
"Yes, that's right," she said as she walked up to her. "Do you have any idea why though?"
Nyla shook her head. "No, I have no idea," she replied. "Guess we'll just have to wait and see." Barriss nodded and they waited until they called inside.
"Enter you both may, Padawan Offee, Padawan Sonter," Master Yoda's voice said over the intercom after a couple of minutes.
Barriss and Nyla walked inside, finding that apart from the Council, Luminara Unduli and Aayla Secura were there as well.
"Welcome Padawans, know why asked to come here, you were?" Master Yoda asked.
"No Master Yoda, honestly, we don't," Nyla replied.
Master Yoda chuckled a bit. "Become clear that will," he said simply.
It was Shaak Ti that spoke next. "Knight Secura, your decision is final?" the Togrutan Master asked her.
Aayla nodded. "Yes Masters, it is," she replied, adding some more confusion to the two Padawans.
"Then know what to do now, you do," Master Yoda said in return.
"Yes Master, that I do," Aayla replied with a smile. With that, she walked up to Nyla. The younger Twi'lek's face turned from surprise to shock as she offered her a Padawan braid. "I would like to finish your training, if you want me to," she offered.
Nyla's eyes went wide. For a few seconds she couldn't help but just stare at the braid in the older Twi'lek's hand. Then a wide smile spread on her face. "Thank you, Master," she said happily. She turned a bit, allowing her new Master to attach the braid to her headpiece.
"Knight Secura, Padawan Sonter, Master and Padawan you now are," Master Yoda told the pair. "Serve each other and the Force, you both will."
Nyla just stood there with a large smile on her face as Aayla placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Congratulations Nyla, didn't we tell you that you'd be able to finish your training soon?" Barriss told her with a smile of her own.
"Yes, you were right," Nyla replied happily. She smiled warmly at her new Master. Aayla returned the smile.
"Now then, moving on, we are," Master Yoda said. "Master Unduli, feel that your Padawan, passed the trial of Skill, she has?"
For a moment, Barriss thought that her heart had stopped as she heard the question. "Did he really just…" She could barely believe it. Stunned, she glanced over at her master.
Luminara took a step forward. "Over the years, she has fully mastered my Form and also made it her own. She had overcome many challenges and now her form has evolved to a level that is beyond my own. Because of that, I feel that she has passed the Trial of Skill," she informed the Council.
"Acknowledge that passed the Trial of Skill, your Padawan has, we do," Master Yoda replied. "Feel that passed the Trial of Courage, she has?" he asked next.
Barriss felt herself go numb.
"During this war, we have seen a lot of terrible things. Many would choose to flee. Despite the dangers involved, Barriss has always been prepared to step up and defend those in need. We have faced many intimidating enemies, ones from whom many would flee if given the chance. She stood up to them without hesitation. Whatever the challenge was, be it a personal one or otherwise, she rose up to it. That is why I feel she has passed the Trial of courage," Luminara explained.
"Acknowledge that passed the Trial of Courage, your Padawan has, we do," Master Yoda replied again. "Feel that passed the Trial of Flesh, she has?" he asked, continuing with the next Trial.
Luminara nodded. "In this war, wounds have been many and frequently. Like many of us, Barriss has had her share of it. Some of the worst of it from the brain worms of Geonosis or the disgusting attack of those Padawans after the Temple bombing. She has recovered from many wounds and, in her chosen path as a healer, has helped a great number of others recover as well. Therefore I fully believe that she has passed the Trial of Flesh," she told the Council.
"Acknowledge that passed the Trial of Flesh, your Padawan has, we do," Master Yoda replied. "Feel that passed the Trial of Insight, she has?" he asked next.
"I believe that she has passed both the Trial of Insight and the Trial of Spirit by overcoming the Dark Side of the Force," Luminara told the Council. "The corruption of the Dark Side has been a long struggle, but one that she has been successful in. The Dark Side is difficult to see, especially within oneself. Over the past months, she has successfully cleansed herself of it and on Ilum, she faced a final test of the Force, finally overcoming the last traces of darkness that were inside her. That is why I feel that she has passed both the Trial of Insight and the Trial of Spirit."
Barriss felt ready to pass out by now. She just waited for the Council's reaction.
"Acknowledge that passed the Trials of Insight and Spirit, your Padawan has, this Council does," Master Yoda then replied. "Padawan Offee, as custom, a day in meditation, you will spend. Tomorrow, your knighting ceremony, take place it will."
Barriss tried to respond a few times, but her mind was in a state of shock. "Yes Master," she eventually managed to reply.
"Dismissed, you all are," Master Yoda told the group. The four bowed and left the Council chambers. Barriss, still struggling to wrap her mind around what had just happened, let her Master lead her out.
After they had left the room and the doors had closed behind them, Nyla turned to Barriss. "Congratulations Barriss," she said happily.
"T-thanks Nyla, I…uh…" Barriss stuttered out in response, before turning to her Master. "Knighting Master? Really?" she asked her, still in a state of shock.
Luminara gave her a little amused smile. "Yes Barriss, I'm sure," she replied. "You have faced greater challenges than numerous other Jedi have or ever will, you have more than earned the title of Jedi Knight."
Barriss finally managed a smile. "Thank you, Master, I… Thank you," she said. "I'm grateful that you believe that I'm ready to be knighted. I wasn't expecting it this soon, to be honest. Even more, I'm somewhat impressed that you were able to convince the Council."
The others with her laughed a bit. "Yes, it was a lengthy discussion," Luminara replied. "A few Council members did disagree with me at first, but I was able to convince them in the end." She placed her hand on her Barriss' shoulder. "Come, let's get you set up for your meditation. Tomorrow will be a big day."
"Yes, thank you Master," Barriss said as she nodded. She then turned to Nyla. "Nyla, my congratulations to you as well. I'm sure that you will complete your training soon."
"Thank you, I will do my best," Nyla replied with a smile. "I'm sure we'll see you soon, Knight Offee." To add to her slight tease, she gives Barriss bit of a mocking bow.
"Indeed, congratulations Barriss," Aayla said before turning to Nyla. "Now then, my Padawan, let's go and get you settled in."
Nyla eagerly turns to her. "Yes Master, let's go," she replied quickly. They all shared a bow before parting ways.
"I'm glad that Nyla has a new Master now. She'll be a fine Jedi soon," Barriss said as she looked after her friend.
"Yes, I believe that you're right," Luminara replied. "Now, let's return to our quarters and get you ready."
Barriss nodded. "Yes Master," she answered and they both left for their quarters.
;-
Nyla walked happily through the Temple Halls. This day turned out to be great. First finding a new Master in the form of the famous Twi'Lek Jedi Knight Aayla Secura, then learning that one of her closest friend is about to become Jedi Knight herself. This day could not turn any better.
Her new Master had just shown her around her new quarters, so now she was on her way to collect her belongings from her old one and bring them over to her new one. She was very eager to be continuing her training.
As she walked, she encountered Naria and Alyva. "Hey girls," she greeted them eagerly.
"Ah Nyla, there you are," Alyva replied. "So how did your council meeting go? Did anything interesting happen?"
She smiled at her friends. "Oh, definitely," she said. "I have a new Master. Knight Secura is going to help me to complete my training!"
"Really? Congratulations!" Naria replied happily.
"I knew you'd get a new Master soon," Alyva added. "You deserve it."
"Thanks girls, you're the best," Nyla replied. "I was just on my way to get my things and move them over to my new quarters. I'll send you the location later."
"Sounds good," Alyva said smiling. "We'd best not keep you. I'm sure you're eager to continue your training with her."
"I sure am, but there is one other thing you should know. Something we have to do something for," Nyla replied with a large smile.
"Really? What is that?" Naria asked.
"Barriss was also at the meeting, she got some surprising news of her own," Nyla explained. "She's going to be knighted tomorrow."
"Seriously?!" Alyva asked in a mixture of shock and surprise.
"That's wonderful!" Naria said excitedly. "We'll have to congratulate her. Maybe organize a little celebration or something."
"That's exactly what I was thinking," Nyla replied.
"We definitely have to," Alyva said happily. "Where is she now?"
"She's about to go into the custom day of meditation I think, so we'll have to look her up after she's knighted tomorrow," Nyla explained. "That should give us plenty of time to organize something nice."
"It should," Naria replied as she thought it over. "We'll get working on something, you get going to your new Master."
"Sounds like a plan, I'll contact you both later," Nyla told them. They shared a quick goodbye and Nyla got on her way again.
;-
Barriss took another quiet but deep breath as she floated in her deep meditation. The rare skill of floating meditation is something that she had been able to do now for a while, but it seemed even easier to her now, especially after Ilum.
She was unsure how long she had already been here, in one of the meditation rooms in the heart of the Tranquility Spire of the Temple. Her meditation was clearer than it had been in years, granting her that same wonderful peace that it had given her when she had just become Master Unduli's Padawan.
Only now was different. This would be her last day spent as her Padawan. Tomorrow, she would be a Jedi Knight. It was a strange realization. Years of training with her Master and now the time was finally here.
"What will come next?" she couldn't help but ask herself. She didn't really have an answer for now. "The Force will guide me somewhere, I'm sure of it." No matter what would happen, the Force would be with her.
For now, she reflected on the past. Her days as Master Unduli's Padawan, all of her teachings and wise lessons, the missions they had gone on, the people they had met over the years, be they fellow Jedi or others outside the Order, there was a lot to meditate about.
There were things she looked back upon fondly, the times she had spent as a healer aiding people, as well as times that she regretted, the bombing of the Temple and what happened to Ahsoka being the most prominent there.
The memories no longer haunted her. She had redeemed herself now and she had been forgiven by her friends and fellow Jedi, at least by the ones that were important to her. She would hold their forgiveness dear and keep on working to set herself as a good example for the younger Jedi. Who knows, one of them could become her Padawan one day.
The idea of teaching her own Padawan brought some mixed feelings, excitement and enthusiasm, but also concern and a slight bit of fear. Would she truly be ready to teach another in the ways of the Force? Perhaps once the shock of being Knighted finally died down and she felt at ease with being a Knight. Like it was with her and Luminara, the Force would eventually guide her to someone.
Now that she was, about to be, a Jedi Knight, she would first like to work on becoming a part of the Circle of Healers. That was another thing she wished for. Being a healer was a very important part of her life, so she truly wished to be recognized there as well. She would continue working towards that goal.
Time seemed to lose meaning as she continued to meditate. It slowly stretched out into a journey of her life. Her days as an initiate in the Temple, lessons and free time spent with her clan, finding out about her ability to heal and the lessons from the healers that followed, passing the initiate trials, meeting Luminara Unduli for the first time and becoming her Padawan not long after. She couldn't help but smile with the memories.
The Force was with her, flowing all around and through her. She let herself drift along its currents, embracing the peace that it brought. A gentle reminder, that it would always be with her.
;-
The following day
Barriss took a deep breath and stood straight. Her mind as calm as possible, she walked into the room in front of her, the Hall of Knighthood, where the path of Padawan comes to its end.
After her meditation had been completed, she had been summoned to the floor above the meditation chambers. Now, she walked into the large circular room. The large windows in the room allowed Coruscant's sun to illuminate the entire chamber.
She moved to the center of the room and bowed to the Masters present. As was tradition, Master Yoda and her own Master were there, as well as several other members of the High Jedi Council. A few Masters were absent because of the war, but members of the Reassignment Council made up for them. As she waited in the center of the room, the Masters closed the circle around her and lit their lightsabers.
"Padawan Offee, step forward, if you will," Master Yoda then told her.
Barriss walked towards the stand where Master Yoda was on. When she reached him, she kneeled on the ground. She gently removed the hood of her robe and bowed her head, waiting for the Grandmaster to continue. She could sense the circle of Masters moving closer around them, her Master's presence right behind her. All of their lightsabers reflected slightly on the ground.
"We are all Jedi," Master Yoda began. "The Force speaks through us. Through our actions, the Force proclaims itself and what is real. Today, we are here to acknowledge what the Force has proclaimed."
He moved his lightsaber to her left shoulder, then moved it over her head to her left shoulder. "By the right of the Council, by the will of the Force, I dub thee Jedi Knight of the Republic," he continued.
After he said those words, Barriss felt her Master's presence move. She heard a lightsaber moving through the air and her Padawan braid was cut off.
Master Yoda extinguished his lightsaber and put it away, the other Masters doing the same. "Rise now, Knight Offee."
Barriss slowly stood up, making sure that her knees weren't about to give out under her from the sheer mixture of emotions she was feeling right now. After standing up, she bowed to the Grandmaster before silently leaving the room, as was tradition.
After the doors closed behind her, she let out a heavy, shaky sigh. Slowly, she reached up and felt her hair where her Padawan braid used to sit. It almost felt like a dream. She stood there for a moment, allowing the reality of the situation sink in. Now, she was a Jedi Knight.
The doors behind her opened and Master Unduli walked out. She smiled when she saw Barriss. "Well done, Barriss," she said. "You have made me very proud today. I know that you will be a fine Knight."
"Thank you Master," she replied happily. "No matter where my path might bring me, I will always remember your teachings."
"I am no longer your Master Barriss," Luminara said with an amused chuckle.
"You are still a Jedi Master deserving of my respect, so that is what I will always call you, Master," Barriss replied.
"As you wish Barriss," Luminara said amused. "Now then, let us go and collect your belongings. Your new quarters should be ready."
Barriss nodded. "Alright." Luminara wrapped an arm around her shoulder and the two women began to leave the Tranquility Spire.
;-
After a few minutes of packing, Barriss had collected all of her belongings. She picked up her bags and walked into the living room where her now former Master was waiting.
"Do you have everything, Barriss?" Luminara asked when she walked into the room.
Barriss nodded. "Yes Master, I have everything packed," she replied. "Having my own quarters will take some getting used to though."
Luminara gave her a kind smile. "Yes, that it will. I remember the feeling from when I just became a Jedi Knight myself," she said with a hint of nostalgia in her voice. "It will be quite different for me here as well. These quarters will be and feel a lot more quiet, as I imagine yours will for some time. But who knows, you might have your own apprentice soon."
"That does sound like a nice idea," Barriss replied with a smile. "But I don't know if I'm ready yet for a Padawan."
"Don't worry Barriss, the Force will match you with a student when you are both ready," Luminara said. "Now, you had best be on your way. Take some time to settle in and get used to being a Jedi Knight. And while I may no longer be your Master, please do not hesitate to come to me should you ever need some advice or guidance. I'll gladly help you."
"Thank you Master," Barriss replied with a smile. "Should I require it, I will certainly seek your aid. I hope that you stay well Master, especially during this war. May the Force be with you."
"Take care of yourself, Barriss," Luminara said. "May the Force be with you as well, to guide you on your new path."
The two women shared a final bow before Barriss set out for her new quarters. A new chapter for her life about to begin.
;-
That's the end of this chapter.
Now, don't worry, it's not the end of the story, not by far. I still have a lot more planned for Barriss. However, the story will enter a time skip now. When the story continues again, about five or six months will have passed. Barriss will be fully accustomed to being a Jedi Knight and have just returned to the Temple from an assignment. There will be quite some developments for her during those times.
I'm going to write a new chapter for my Ahsoka story next. After a few more chapters for Ahsoka, that story will also enter a time skip. Both stories will then begin to work towards meeting each other again. I will say now, a lot will happen in that time and it will have quite the lasting effect on the Galaxy.
The line that Yoda told Aayla and Nyla, "Serve each other and the Force, you both will", came from Daviddavies5851's story The Order Redeems. I just thought it fit in well here.
Like I said, Ahsoka's story is up first again. After that will be a new chapter for Gift of Light. I'll alternate between those two stories for a little while, until Ahsoka's story is at the same part as Barriss'.
Until next time.