Chapter 31 – Meeting of the Force?

It's been quite some time since I last updated this story. Almost a full year. But now that my side story The Hunt is finally finished, I'm back to my main two stories. Both are moving into a new arc that gets us closer to certain events.

Barriss return to the Temple from a mission. While on her way back to her quarters, she runs into a young girl in a spot of trouble.

This chapter does contain what can count as a spoiler for the book Yoda: Dark Rendezvous.

Hope you enjoy.

;-

Jedi Knight Barriss Offee walked calmly through the halls of the Jedi Temple. It was a bit over six months since she had been promoted to the rank of Jedi Knight and she finally fully comfortable in her new role. It had taken her some time to get used to the idea of it in the first weeks, partially because she wasn't fully sure if her skills with her lightsabers and the Force were at a high enough level, but in her talks with her former master and her friends she had quickly been convinced that she more than deserved to be a Knight.

She had just returned the day before from a nearly two-week mission. A neutral world had called for Republic and Jedi assistance after they had suffered from a large accident caused by Separatist sabotage. A large supply cruiser's engines had blown up just as it was about to land in the planet's second to largest spaceport. It had created quite a major problem for the planet.

During the mission, she had been in charge of overseeing the deployment of the emergency provisions and supplies. The people of that world had lost so much because of the crash. Besides that, she had also assisted in the hospitals in the first few days to help with all of the people left wounded by the tragedy.

It had been a long and somewhat exhausting mission, but everything had gone well. The wounded people would all recover with time and rest, the crash site had been mostly cleared and wouldn't be a danger to the people working at the spaceport anymore and they had enough supplies to help their people and make repairs to the spaceport. Seeing as such types of construction weren't her specialty, she had returned to the Temple. After being generously thanked by the planet's senator that is.

With her mission complete, she was set to be on Coruscant for at least a few weeks. This would give her plenty of time to catch up on some recent events. Also, perhaps more importantly, depending on who you asked, she and her friends would come together at the end of the week for one of their now regular dinner appointments. With Nyla resuming fully her training, it was a bit difficult for the four of them to get together like they used to. All sorts of missions would usually find at least one of them somewhere else in the galaxy. Nyla had then come with the idea of going out together whenever the four of them would be in the Temple, just some time to relax together. They had all quickly agreed and made the plans for whenever they knew that they were all going to be on Coruscant.

This time it would be slightly more special than previous nights out, as it also doubled to celebrate Naria's promotion to the rank of Jedi Knight. She had completed her last Trial a few days after Barriss had departed on her mission. Her Knighting ceremony had been two days after that. Now that the four of them would all be on Coruscant together, they were going to celebrate.

Her report to the Council had already been completed, so she now was now headed towards her quarters for a short break.

;-

As she walked back to her quarters, she suddenly heard some kind of disturbance close by, but she wasn't sure what was going on. As she turned around the corner, she suddenly saw a young human female being violently Force pushed into the wall by another young Jedi. "Hey!" Barriss immediately called out, startling the young human boy. He was shocked to see her standing there and quickly ran off into the other direction. Barriss ignored him for now and turned her attention to the young girl who sat slumped down against the wall.

She estimated the girl to be about fifteen years old. Her skin had a light tone. Her long hair was a red color and her green eyes were slightly unfocused as she grunted in pain. She was wearing a set of Jedi robes, but it had a few pieces of reinforced fabric added to it here and there, like some form of light armor.

Barriss quickly kneeled down next to her. "Are you feeling alright?" she asked as she looked the girl over.

"Yeah, I think so," the girl replied as she nodded. She moved to stand upright again, but the moment she put weight on her right foot she cried out in pain and fell down again.

"Take it easy!" Barriss quickly said as she pulled out her medical scanner. "Try to hold still. Let me scan your leg and see what's wrong." She activated the scanning module and passed the light of the scanner over the girl's foot and ankle. She did her best to remain still, but Barriss could tell that she was struggling a bit with releasing the pain to the Force.

Barriss looked over the results of the scan. "It looks like your ankle is sprained, but nothing too serious. With some Force healing and some rest, you'll be fine," she told the girl. "Fortunately my quarters aren't too far from here. I'll take you there to treat your ankle, alright?"

"Yeah, that's fine," the girl replied. "Uhm, thank you. I didn't think that he would actually do such a thing." She stared slightly towards the direction where the boy had run off to.

"Don't mention it," Barriss said as she moved to pick the girl up, moving one arm under her knees and the other around her shoulders. "What he did was unacceptable. No Jedi has the right to do that to another, especially not to a fellow Jedi." She lifted the girl of the ground. "What's your name by the way?" she asked as she began to walk to her quarters.

"I'm Padawan Tallisibeth Enwandung-Esterhazy," she replied, causing Barriss to blink and pause a moment at the long name. "But everyone usually calls me 'Scout'."

"I see, well then, don't mind if I do the same," Barriss replied with a small smile. "I'm Jedi Knight Barriss Offee, nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you as well, Master Offee," Scout said. "I've heard a lot about you."

"I can imagine," Barriss replied. "What is your Master's name? I'll contact them to inform them what happened."

Scout face turned a bit hard. "I, I don't have a Master right now," she said softly.

"I'm sorry to hear that. What happened?" Barriss asked her.

"It was our first mission together. We were supposed to escort Master Yoda to a secret meeting, but it didn't stay secret. Asajj Ventress showed up with a group of assassin droids and killed my master. No other Jedi has taken me as their Padawan after that," Scout explained.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Barriss replied. "It's never easy to lose someone like that." She said nothing for a moment to give Scout a moment. They reached her quarters and Barriss opened the door. She placed Scout on the couch with her wounded ankle elevated slightly on a pillow.

"Alright, now just hold still. I'll use the Force to heal your ankle, but you'll have to take it easy for a few days. Otherwise it might aggravate again," Barriss informed her. Scout nodded and Barriss got to work. She kneeled on the ground next to the couch and gently placed her hands on her lower leg and ankle. She opened herself to the Force and channeled Its healing energies towards Scout.

Scout watched as Barriss immersed herself in the Force. If she concentrated herself, she could feel the energy flowing through the Mirialan Knight. She herself had never been that good with Force healing. Then again, she never had been very good with the Force at all. For now, she just waited while Barriss healed her ankle. It slowly began to feel better again.

Several minutes passed before Barriss withdrew herself from the Force and opened her eyes again. "Alright, that should help. Does your ankle feel better?" she asked.

Scout moved her foot a bit before she nodded. "Yes, it does. Thank you, Master Offee," she replied.

"That's good," Barriss said with a small smile. "Now then, I'll grab some bandages and a bacta patch to wrap your ankle up. That will keep it from swelling up. Also, you'll have to use a crutch to keep the weight of your ankle for the next two days, just to be on the safe side. Excuse me a moment, I'll contact the Halls of Healing and have someone bring one here." She got up and headed to the dataterminal in her quarters to send the required forms to the Healers.

Scout watched the Mirialan Knight a moment. She had heard a lot of stories about Barriss Offee. There had been quite some bad stories circling in the Temple about her, about how she had fallen to the Dark Side and had done such terrible things. As time progressed though, those stories had changed and she was used more frequently as an example in lessons about the Dark Side and overcoming its seductive pull. Several teachers had spoken quite highly about her strong spirit in doing so.

After a few minutes Barriss moved back again and she kneeled down next to the couch. "Alright, that's taken care off. One of the Healers will bring a crutch over in a little bit. So just rest up a bit for now," she informed the young Padawan as she set the bandages next to her.

"Thank you Master Offee," Scout replied. She looked at her leg and slowly moved her foot a bit. It thankfully didn't hurt that much, it was just a slight aching feeling more than anything. It wouldn't bother her that much. After a short minute, Scout spoke up again. "Master Offee, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, what is it?" Barriss asked in response as she started wrapping up Scout's ankle.

"Well…" Scout began a bit hesitantly. "Word around the Temple is that you have seen Ahsoka Tano after she left the Order. Do you know how she's doing now?"

That question surprised Barriss a bit and she paused with the bandages for a moment. "Did you know Ahsoka?"

Scout nodded and gave a light smile. "She was one of the few people that was always nice to me. We talked and trained together from time to time. After she became Master Skywalker's padawan, she send me a few letters when she had time during missions. But, then came that whole mess with the bombing and she left the Order. I haven't heard anything from her since and I'm a little worried."

"I see," Barriss replied as she finished up with the bacta patch. "Well, you can rest easy. Ahsoka is doing just fine. You're right, I've seen her a few times after she left the Order and she was doing just fine when I saw her last."

Scout smiled a bit wider at that. "That's a relief," she admitted. "Where does she live now? What does she do?"

"Well, I don't know how you feel about the Jedi Code, but," Barriss began as she sat down in the chair opposite the couch. "Ahsoka is living on Shili now, with her family. She helped in organizing the defenses for Kiros when the Separatists went to invade the planet again. During the trip she made for that, she rescued a young Togruta girl from being sold into slavery. That girl is Force-sensitive as well. She's Ahsoka's little sister now and Ahsoka is teaching her about the Force. They looked pretty happy together."

"Wow, she's really living with her family?" Scout asked in slight amazement.

Barriss nodded. "Yes, she is. I met her two older sisters during a different mission. They are nice people," she replied. "Oh, and she's also gotten pretty friendly with Senator Lux Bonteri."

Scout's eyes widened a bit. "Really?" she asked in surprise.

"Yes, I'd say things are getting pretty serious between them," Barriss replied with a smile. "Several months ago, I was attending a medical seminar on Naboo. She happened to be on Naboo as well, on a little vacation with him. They seemed pretty happy together. And to be honest, I'm glad. After everything that happened to her, she deserves to be happy."

Scout nodded in agreement, despite being a little bit shocked by everything she just learned. "I'm glad to hear that she's doing okay," she admitted.

The door chime sounded, so Barriss got up. "Excuse me a moment," she told Scout as she walked over to the door. A brief talk with the healer later Barriss walked back to where Scout was sitting. She held the crutch upright so Scout could take a look at it. "Alright, you'll have to use this for the next two days at least, just to make sure your ankle fully recovers. Here, let's give it a go."

For the next several minutes, Barriss helped Scout get used to using the crutch properly. It took a moment, but she managed to move around a bit easier with it after a few tries.

"Looks like you've got it down," Barriss said a she watched Scout move around. "Just take care not to move around too much or too quickly."

Scout looked to her and nodded. "I'll be careful," she replied. "Especially if it'll help me get rid of this thing sooner," she added as she held the crutch up a bit.

Barriss smiled a bit. "I don't think that any Jedi likes having to use one of them, even for short periods," she said slightly amused. "Come on, let's see you to your class. Who was the teacher?"

"Master Iron Hand was overseeing our lessons for the rest of today, seeing as they were all centered around combat," Scout replied with smile, before it dropped as her gaze lowered to her injured ankle.

"Ah yes, Master Ilena Xan." Barriss smiled at the nickname the Padawans of the Temple had given the female Master. She taught mainly hand-to-hand combat in the Temple and her skills in that area spoke volumes, but her teaching methods were often a bit rough. Which is why they had given her that nickname. "I'm sorry, but I don't think you can join in on the lesson. I'm sure she can find something else for you to do."

Scout nodded, a bit of disappointment rolling off of her.

"Don't worry, it's only for a few days," Barriss said as she began to lead the younger girl out of her quarters.

The two of them walked through the halls of the Temple, Barriss going a bit slower than normal so Scout wouldn't feel pressured to keep up. As they walked Scout told Barriss some stories about their current lessons.

As they walked however, Barriss couldn't help but feel some concern for the young girl. "Scout, I don't know if you want to answer this, but why did that boy attack you like that?" she asked.

Scout looked down a bit. "He's just one of the bullies that always try to mess with me," she answered. "Only, until today none of them have ever tried to hurt me like that."

That didn't go over well with Barriss. Especially not after the way she was attacked by that group of Padawans when she was still recovering from the Dark Side. Bullying was wrong regardless, but Jedi attacking each other like that… She shook her head. "Why would they bully you? We are all Jedi, we shouldn't fight amongst each other at all."

Scout glanced over at her. "I'm… I'm not as strong as in the Force as everyone else. I just can't call on it like everyone else can," she admitted quietly. "They don't think that I can make it as a Jedi because of that, or even deserve to be one. They think that I should just be thrown from the Order to the Agri Corps or something."

Barriss looked at her and reached out with the Force slightly. Scout's presence in the Force did seem less clear than most. Still, that was no reason for her to get attacked like that. "That should not be any reason to attack a fellow Jedi. We are supposed to support each other. The Force is with you, just as it is with everyone else in the Temple." She paused and shook her head. "Have you talked with the instructors about this? Such behavior is unacceptable for Jedi."

"I'm not sure many of them really care," Scout replied softly. "That's why no one has taken me on as a Padawan either. A lot of the Knights and Masters are probably looking for someone stronger in the Force, someone that will make a better apprentice. I know that a few of the Masters of the Council would also rather just have seen me send to the Agri Corps."

Barriss felt sorry for her. Her problem shouldn't be a reason to just be treated like a lesser Jedi. Every Jedi deserved a fair chance. She looked at Scout again, catching her eyes. "Don't let them discourage you. You are still here. You wouldn't be if the Force had other plans for you. Stay strong and just keep going," she told her.

Scout managed a small smile and nodded. "I won't," she replied. "I always focused on my physical abilities and I'm stronger than most Padawans. I won't just give in just because they tell me to. If the Council wants me gone, they'll have to throw me out themselves."

"That's the spirit," Barriss said with a smile as the two continued to the training room.

;-

The two had arrived at the training room. Barriss told Scout to wait a moment and knocked on the door herself before entering. She was immediately greeted by the sight of Master Iron Hand teaching a large group of young Padawans. Among them was the young boy that had attacked Scout in the hallways. He immediately looked the other way and tried to appear as innocent as possible.

"Good day, Knight Offee," Master Ilena Xan, or Iron Hand, greeted her as the Padawans bowed to her. Barriss bowed to the Jedi Master in turn. "What brings you here today?"

"Good day, Master Xan," she replied. "I was helping one of your current students and I thought I'd see her to class." At that, Scout walked into the room, supporting herself with the crutch. Master Xan immediately frowned at the sight of her and gave a questioning glance at Barriss. "Apparently," Barriss said as she looked at the young boy, "one of your students believes that it is appropriate behavior for a Jedi to use the Force to slam a fellow Jedi into a wall."

The Jedi Master immediately send a fierce glance at the young Padawan. "I've warned you plenty of times about such behavior young Padawan, but it seems that you do not care for my lessons at all." For a moment the boy seemed like he wanted to protest, but he didn't get the chance. "Report back to your dorm right away. I'll see to it that you'll receive some additional instructions in Jedi etiquette later."

The boy looked angrily at Scout for a moment, but flinched when Master Xan gave him an even fiercer glare. He hung his head and quickly left the training hall.

Master Xan shook her head before she turned her attention to Scout. "Padawan Scout, are you doing alright?" she asked.

Scout nodded. "Yes Master, Knight Offee helped me a lot. I'll need to use this crutch for a few days, but I'm fine otherwise," she replied as she gave the Master a slight bow, being careful not to lose her balance.

"I see, that is good to hear," Master Xan replied. "Thank you for taking care of her, Knight Offee."

"Yes, thank you for everything Master Offee," Scout said with a smile as she gave a slight bow.

"It was my pleasure Scout," Barriss replied. "Remember to take it easy for a bit and you'll be back to your old self in no time." She bid her goodbyes to the young Padawan before leaving the training hall and heading back to her quarters.

;-

"How did I do Master?" the young red haired girl asked her as she deactivated her lightsaber.

"You did pretty good Scout," Barriss replied with a small smile. "But for the next time, try to hold your lightsaber at a slight angle like this." She grabbed one of her own lightsabers and activated it, briefly demonstrating the right hold. "Form III is all about defense, using minimal movements to preserve your own energy while your opponent tires themselves out. If you hold your lightsaber like this, you'll find it easier to do the techniques." She extinguished her lightsaber. "Give it another try."

"I will, thank you Master," Scout replied with a smile. She moved into the proper stance and activated her lightsaber again, ready for the training remotes to begin firing at her again.

Barriss withdrew herself from her meditation and opened her eyes, a little confused by the vision that the Force had just shown her. She got up from the floor and waved her hand lightly, opening the blinds of the window and allowing the morning sun to shine into the room.

She moved to the kitchen to prepare herself a cup of tea before she sat down on the couch in the living room. She took a sip from the tea and replayed the Force's vision in her mind. It didn't ease the confusion she felt. She wasn't a stranger to teaching those younger than her, not at all. She had done so plenty of times with her former Master. They had often taught the youngling classes together. The teaching part didn't confuse her, but the way of teaching did. This wasn't the form of instruction that an instructor would give a class, no, this was the kind of teaching that a Master would give a…

She mentally paused as she realized just what kind of decision the Force had presented to her. She couldn't help but feel some slight irony as well. Yesterday Scout had told her that no one wanted to take her as a Padawan and she had told the younger girl to stay strong, for the Force might still have other plans for her, seeing as she was still in the Order. Now today, the Force suddenly brings to decision to her to take Scout as her own Padawan.

The decision left her a little shaken. Sure, she had taught others before. But teaching a class several days in the month compared to taking on a Padawan learner for several years is a very big difference.

"Am I ready to take on a Padawan?" Barriss asked herself. Sure her friends had spent plenty of time convincing her that she truly deserved to be a Jedi Knight, but becoming someone's Master?

Opening herself up to the Force did not ease her confusion. It kept bringing up the question she wasn't sure she was ready to answer. Scout seemed like a nice enough girl and yes, she didn't like that fact that no one would give her a chance just because she was a bit weaker in the Force than others.

She finished her tea and kept thinking about the situation for a moment, but so far she wasn't able to find an answer herself. Seeing as she knew that her former master was in the Temple as well at the moment, she decided to go and see Luminara Unduli for some guidance.

;-

Jedi Master Luminara Unduli sat in her quarters when the door chime sounded. She reached out briefly with the Force and sensed the familiar presence of her former Padawan at the other side of the door. She got up and walked to the door.

"Barriss, it's nice to see you," she greeted her after opening the door. "Please, come in."

"It's nice to see you as well Master," Barriss replied with a smile as she followed Luminara in.

The two of them sat down in the living room. "What brings you here today Barriss? I can tell that there is something on your mind," Luminara asked her.

Barriss nodded. "Yes Master, you're right," she replied with slight amusement. Her former master could still see right through her at times. "I would really like some guidance from you. I believe that the Force is pushing me towards a Padawan, but I am not sure about what to do."

Luminara smiled at her words. "That is wonderful Barriss. Tell me, who is the Force steering you towards?" she asked with some curiosity.

"Her name is Tallisibeth Enwandung-Esterhazy, but everyone calls her Scout," Barriss answered, trying to gauge her former master's reaction. "I ran into her yesterday and now I can feel the Force steering me towards her. However, I'm just a little unsure about what to do."

"Hmm, interesting," Luminara said as she thought her words over. "I've seen the girl a few times in classes. She's not as strong in the Force as other Jedi and her methods are quite unorthodox at times. I find it interesting that the Force would guide you to her. Tell me Barriss, have you noticed any similarities between the two of you?"

"Well, come to think of it, yes, I have," Barriss replied slowly. Luminara gestured for her to continue. "You are right Master, she's not as strong in the Force as others. That has caused many Knights and Masters to look over her, trying to find someone stronger in the Force to train. She has that against her, but she won't just give in. She has obviously focused herself on her strong areas, like her physical abilities. Many of her peers are saying that she won't ever make it as a Jedi, but she won't let them get to her. She refuses to just give in. It's obvious that she has a very strong spirit."

Luminara studied her former apprentice for a moment. "In a way, you see yourself reflected in her position, don't you?" she asked.

Barriss gave a slight smile and nodded. "Yes, I do," she admitted. "After what happened to me, many were against me as well. They claimed I would never succeed as a Jedi, but now I am a Jedi Knight. She's very determined to succeed as a Jedi, no matter what others think. I can't help but think that it's unfair that no one seems to want to give her that chance to prove herself."

Luminara nodded, seeing her padawan's points. "As the saying goes, do not judge a book by its cover, especially not when it comes to Jedi. There may be far more to her than meets the eye," she said thoughtfully. "With her strong spirit, she could grow into a fine Knight with the right Master."

"I believe that she can be as well," Barriss replied. "But… Can I really teach her? I'm not sure if I'm ready for a Padawan, to be honest."

Luminara gave a soft smile. It was a feeling that she too was familiar with. "Do not worry Barriss, I am certain that you will teach her well. Don't sell your skills short, you are a Jedi Knight for a reason," she told her former apprentice. "And don't forget, the Force would not have matched you with an apprentice if you were not ready. There is much you can teach her, just as there might be some things that she can teach you. In our years together, I have also learned from you."

Barriss smiled at her. "Thank you Master, for your thoughts and advice. I'll admit, the idea of taking on a Padawan learner had me a little nervous," she admitted.

Luminara gave an understanding nod. "I believe that everyone feels that way with their first Padawan Barriss. It's nothing to be worried about," she replied. "Just trust in yourself and in the Force, everything will be fine then."

Barriss nodded and felt a bit more relaxed. "Again, thank you Master. I knew that you would be able to give me the guidance I needed," she said with a smile. "I think that I will take my leave now. It would seem that I need to prepare my quarters for a Padawan. I will take a few days to get everything and myself ready, then take her as my Padawan."

Luminara nodded as they both stood up. "You will teach her well Barriss, don't let doubt tell you otherwise," she replied. They bowed to each other. "May the Force be with you Barriss."

"And with you Master," Barriss said with a smile. She then her former Master's quarters to prepare herself to became a Master herself.

;-

That's the end of this chapter.

The Force has directed Barriss to a Padawan learner. In the next chapter, she'll have a talk with the Council about her decision and then take Scout as her Padawan.

The character Scout is from the above mentioned book Yoda: Dark Rendezvous, written by Sean Stewart. A good story set during the Clone Wars. I really liked the character, so I included her in my story. She faced a lot of hardships, being weaker in the Force compared to other Jedi, so I felt that she would made a fine Padawan to Barriss in my story, who faced plenty of hardship herself while recovering from the Dark Side.

The next update will be for Gift of Light again. Ahsoka will get some answers from the Force, but the way how will leave a lot of people on Shili very nervous and worried.

Once that chapter is done, I'll make another for Barriss. After that I'll be picking my Ahsoka story again as well.

I hope that everyone has a great Christmas, or any other holiday you celebrate, and a happy new year. May 2018 be a good year.

Until next time.