Chapter 16 – Creeping Darkness

It's been quite some time since I've worked on my stories, but I want to get back into them again. I've worked out the ending for this story, so I want to try and finish this one first before moving onto something else.

Continuing from the last chapter, Barriss was reunited with her former master Luminara Unduli while Ahsoka 'met' with the Republic envoys. One meeting went well, the other did not. With guidance from the Force, Ahsoka learned some dark truths. Now she acts on what she knows.

Hope you enjoy.

;-

Barriss smiled as she sat in the living room of her house with her former Master Luminara Unduli. She had offered the quest room to the older Mirialan for the night, who had accepted. They had spent the day before catching up on a lot that had happened to both of them. It was clear that they both had a rather rough night, but they were able to have an open and honest heart to heart and work everything out between them. They were fine. She was very happy about that.

They were now pleasantly chatting after a shared breakfast. She could tell that Luminara was quite appreciative about the real food with actual Mirialan ingredients. Getting those imported was a bit difficult, but it was well worth it. Especially for moments like these. While talking, she was distracted by a message coming to her through the Force.

Luminara noticed Barriss´ sudden distraction. "Barriss? Is something wrong?" she asked her. She wasn't sure what her former Padawan had noticed that she had missed.

Barriss smiled slightly. "Nothing to worry about, Master," she replied. "Ahsoka just informed me that she was on her way over. She wanted to check in and there is something she wants to discuss."

"You have a Force bond with Ahsoka?" Luminara asked in surprise. Perhaps with everything that Barriss had told her, she shouldn't be as surprised.

Barriss nodded. "Yes, we do. Ahsoka has helped me a lot over the past months. Developing a Force bond was pretty much unavoidable. I certainly don't mind it at all. Ahsoka has grown significantly in the Force and her presence is one of the brightest I've felt. I value both her friendship and our connection greatly."

Luminara smiled lightly. "She always seemed to have a positive influence on the people around her. I remember watching her interact with both the initiates at the Temple and the men under her command. They always enjoyed her company."

Barriss smiled as well. "That hasn't changed one bit. The people of Shili adore her as queen. When I first got here and asked one of the palace workers about Ahsoka, she was all too happy to tell me about her as queen. Ahsoka brought many positive changes to Shili after the horrid mess that the previous 'ruler' made of everything. I've heard some details and I don't care to know any more about it. I'm much happier to hear about how everyone loves her and how embarrassed it sometimes makes her."

"I could definitely feel the support the people of Shili have for her," Luminara replied. "It was certainly refreshing after several of my previous missions. Despite not being the most interested in politics and matters related to it, she's certainly doing a great job as queen."

"Ahsoka speaks highly of the support she gets from the Senator and their staff, but she has quite a bit of hidden talent herself," Barriss agreed. She felt Ahsoka's presence outside. "She's here, I'll let her in." She got up and walked to the door.

A few minutes later Ahsoka was also seated with them in the living room. With a new round of drinks on the table, Barriss decided to ask the question that was on her mind. "So, Ahsoka," she began, "how did the meeting with the Republic go?" She was pretty curious, especially after how it had gone on Coruscant.

Ahsoka sighed deeply. "It went about as well as I expected, meaning that it went nowhere at all. They completely disregarded everything I said on Coruscant. Their only reason for coming here was to basically give me some sales pitch about all of the wonders that would come with joining the Republic. I cut that off before they went anywhere. They didn't like that, so I was forced to give a little harsher demonstration before my guards escorted them back to their ship."

Luminara gave a slight nod. "I can't say that I expected anything else when the Senate told us we would be accompanying them to this negotiation," she replied with some disdain in her voice. "But what do you mean with a demonstration?" She wasn't sure what the young Togruta meant by that.

Ahsoka gave a smile and help up her right hand. With a slight pulse of the Force, a white flame ignited in her palm. She resisted a laugh. It was quite rare to see such a surprised look on the Mirialan Jedi Master's face. "To put it in the simplest terms, the Force is with me. I have grown many times stronger and the Force here on Shili is much brighter than on Coruscant and other places." She waved her hand and the flames disappeared.

"Yes, I have felt that myself," Luminara admitted. It was odd, but she certainly didn't mind. It was pleasing to feel the Force like this.

"A question from me now, Master Unduli," Ahsoka began, "You seemed rather… annoyed by the Senate's suggestion for this sad attempt at a negotiation. Is there more to that?"

Luminara couldn't keep the grimace off her face. "Recently, there is an ever growing tension amongst the Jedi Order. Especially amongst the senior Padawans and younger Knights, frustrations seem to be rising. They feel that we are getting far too much under the Senate's control. Some are getting increasingly irritated with how the Senators act towards us. They say that certain Senators see us as little more than lackeys to dance to their bidding. Others are getting increasingly aggravated by Republic Intelligence. It seems that certain information we receive is not always the most accurate. This had led to more problems than necessary on missions."

Luminara sighed. "There is also a rise in anti-Jedi sentiments amongst the public and it has led to some harassment in the streets." She shook her head. "Thankfully no physical altercations, but I fear it might go there if things don't change. It's a mess. Many of us just want to be Jedi, but we aren't given that chance with the assignments the Senate keeps giving out. I'm not sure where it will lead to, but I doubt it will be a good place."

"Is the Council not doing anything to address this?" Barriss asked with a frown. "Isn't that their role as Councilors?"

Ahsoka couldn't help but scoff. "They are probably being too busy kissing the Senate's behind. For all of their comments and complaints about following the Jedi Code and not being too attached, they certainly are incredibly attached to the Senate." She took a deep breath. "I doubt they will act against the Senate any time soon, which sounds like it could become a great problem." She frowned. "Especially with the revelations I learned about the Chancellor…" she thought worriedly.

"As a member of the Jedi Order I should probably disagree with you and speak in defense of the Council," Luminara began, "but yet… With all that I've witnessed in the Temple myself, I find it difficult to do so. This war has had a significant impact on the Order. I fear that it is not in a good way."

Ahsoka could feel Barriss' shock at her former Master's words. It was clear that she wasn't expecting such a reply from her at all. If she was honest with herself, she didn't either. Luminara Unduli had always been a devout follower of the Jedi Code. To hear her say this now, things in the Order had to be really rough. During her short visit to Coruscant when she told the Senate that Shili wouldn't be joining the Republic, the planet had felt wrong. Like Darkness was crawling all around, just hidden out of sight yet still infecting everything around you. Slithering all over you while you were asleep or distracted, trying to worm its way into your mind. With the Jedi Temple in the middle of that, she worried how much the Jedi had been affected by it.

Drawing on the Force for guidance, she made a decision. "I'm afraid that the situation may be far worse than you think," she said, causing both Mirialans to look at her. She sighed. "I suppose that now might be the best time to bring this up. You brought a Sith Lord with you to Shili."

Luminara was shocked at hearing those words. There's no way that could be true, right? There were several Council members with them on the trip to Shili. They should have been able to sense a Sith Lord, shouldn't they? How would a Sith Lord be able to hide from all of them? "Are you certain of this?" Luminara asked softly, worried about what this means about the Order. If Jedi Masters of the Council can't unmask a Sith Lord on the same ship as them, what does it say about the Jedi Order as a whole?

Ahsoka nodded. "I'm afraid so," she answered. "I was able to figure out his identity with the Force's assistance. Whatever it is you're thinking of now, it's nowhere near worse enough."

Barriss looked worriedly between Ahsoka and Luminara. She could sense the shocked horror from her Master. She was feeling rather the same if she was honest with herself. A Sith being able to hide from Masters of the Jedi Council? It already painted a horrifying image, yet listening to Ahsoka's words, it was about to get worse. "Do you know who it is?" she asked hesitantly.

Ahsoka looked between the two Mirialans. "It's Palpatine," she answered. She could clearly feel the horror grow as they processed her revelation. Gently, she wrapped a layer of the Force around the house to keep the feelings spilling out into the Force from affecting others. She probably had never seen the two Mirialans in front of her lose their composure so heavily before.

"I… I'm sorry. I need a moment," Luminara said shakily. She got up and walked out to the garden. She felt she desperately needed a breath of fresh air. Palpatine, a Sith Lord, what that meant about… everything. A Sith as Chancellor of the Republic. How long has he been plotting everything? What horrible events has he created? The war most definitely, but what other horrors? Did he even orchestra the events on Naboo with the Trade federation all those years ago? He was elected as Chancellor because of that, but if he created it… She really needed a moment to sort out her thoughts and emotions.

Barriss could feel her Master's thoughts and emotions spilling out over their bond. Luminara very rarely lost control like this. Well, she could clearly understand. The Chancellor of the Republic being a Sith Lord, what that implied about the war alone horrified her beyond imagining. Was he also responsible for what happened to her? The nano droids? The bombing? It was far too terrible to even think about.

Ahsoka could tell that Barriss was getting increasingly overwhelmed. She moved over and sat down next to her friend, supporting her physically and in the Force. She could sense the storm in her mind. She did her best to keep the Force around them Light, to aid both her and Luminara.

;-

After some time to reflect on the news they received, the three of them were back together in the living room of Barriss' house. They had shared some relaxing drinks and some comfort food, now they were ready to continue discussing the rancor in the room.

"If Palpatine is indeed a Sith Lord," Luminara began, "I am horrified about the implications this has for the war alone. Not to mention countless other events that have happened during his time as Chancellor. Even before that, his career as a Senator." She shook her head. "Do you know how he would be able to hide himself from every Jedi?"

Ahsoka nodded slowly. "I suspect that the Sith line was able to develop highly advanced methods of shielding and concealment. Also, the fact that the Jedi believed for a very long time that the Sith were extinct likely didn't help. The arrogance of their believed victory made them blind for every possible sign of the Sith. The Sith clearly used that to their advantage to hide all this time, while plotting their revenge."

She looked over at Luminara. "I have been here on Shili, bathing in the Light of the Force here. It has changed my perspective on the Force and my senses have improved. When I briefly returned to Coruscant to announce Shili's decision to remain neutral, the entire planet felt off. Stained, corrupted, twisted and slimy. Darkness oozing all around. With such a miasma of Darkness covering the entire world, it's no surprise that a strong Sith like Palpatine clearly is could hide himself from everyone, even the Jedi Council."

"It is hard to believe that there would be such corruption that we are fully blind to the Sith's presence. I will admit that the Force feels clouded, making it harder to see. But I didn't think it was this bad," Luminara admitted hesitantly.

Ahsoka nodded in agreement. "I don't think that this happened in one go. Just one day a massive cloud of darkness appeared on Coruscant. It's impossible, that would have been noticed." She looked over at Barriss. "Instead, I think it was a long term process. Started a while ago when the Sith's long plots brought them back to Coruscant. I feel it is similar to what Barriss described me about how diseases slowly attack the body."

"You're referring to diseases that do not trigger the body's immune responses?" Barriss asked in clarification. At Ahsoka's confirmation, she continued. "There are many diseases that manage to evade and fool the body's natural responses, so that your own body doesn't even realize it's being attacked. As a result, the disease will slowly spread, eroding your body from within. If it is not realized in time, then it might be too late."

Luminara looked from her Padawan to Ahsoka. "You believe that the Sith have done something similar? That the current darkness on the planet was a long term process. They twisted the Force over an extended period of time, clouding the Force with their evil slowly. With the Jedi not knowing or believing that there were still Sith around, they were blind to the subtly growing shadows all around them. They couldn't tell that it was affecting them too, until it was far too late. Now here we are."

"Yes, I believe that that is exactly what has happened," Ahsoka replied. "The Sith have played the long game and took great advantage of the Jedi's arrogance. Now their manipulations have plunged the galaxy into war and we all stand at the point of losing everything."

"Then what should be our next move?" Luminara asked her. "Your insight seems to be clearer than many of ours. Has the Force given you any advice? Should we inform the Council?"

Ahsoka was a little surprised by Luminara asking her for advice. She hoped it was a good sign for other Jedi as well. Still… "Convincing the Council of this will be incredibly difficult," she replied as she mused on the Force. "They are so convinced of their own abilities. That they are the ones who have all the answers. They wouldn't be able to accept that they are wrong. That the Dark Side has affected them and the Order this much. Their arrogance, fed by the Dark, will prevent them from accepting it."

She paused a moment. "In all honesty, I was doubting if I should even tell you, Master Unduli, but your words today convinced me otherwise. We must tread carefully. The Order is in a very dangerous position. They must move carefully. Just waltzing into the Senate Dome, claiming Palpatine is a traitorous Sith and attacking him will be a death sentence for the entire Order. He has spent so much time getting the Senate in his pocket. I'm not even sure how many emergency powers he has right now, but I know that he'll be able to make things hell for the Order if you don't move carefully."

Ahsoka focused back on Luminara. "Get all the Shadows. Tear his entire life apart, bit by bit. Find the evidence you need to prove his true nature. Find allies amongst the Senators and let them confront Palpatine on the political battlefield. You'll need those allies. The reputation of the Jedi is too damaged, no doubt due to Palpatine's plots as well. You won't be able to do this alone. You must show the galaxy what kind of monster he truly is."

Luminara nodded. "I agree," she replied. "We will have to move carefully. Even with this information, I fear there are many pieces of the Sith's plan that we are still missing." She thought about the situation a little more. "I will judge the Council's attitude before I even mention the slightest bit about Palpatine's true nature. Perhaps I might confer with Master Yoda privately first. Is there a way for me to contact you without raising suspicions?"

Ahsoka thought it over a moment. "I will ask my guards to prepare a secure comm for you. You can take that with you before you depart from Shili. You will be able to use it to safely keep in touch with both of us," she replied with a nod in Barriss' direction. The younger Mirialan was happy about that news. "Speaking of travelling, would you like for me to arrange a transport or will you travel back with Anakin once his ship is fixed?" She felt the amusement through the Force at her question.

"A simple cabin aboard a cruiser headed towards Coruscant would be appreciated. I would like the quiet to regain my balance and composure," Luminara answered with a composed smile.

"Yeah, Anakin's flying is not the most suitable for that," Ahsoka replied with a laugh. "I'll have someone take care of it. I'll send the details to Barriss later. I'll be taking my leave now. I am needed elsewhere." She smiled. "At times, I thought that the amount of work I had as a Commander, plus whatever Anakin dumped on me, was a lot to deal with, but being queen surpasses that workload quite a bit."

"Ah, of course. Thank you, your majesty," Luminara said. "I must confess, I had momentarily forgotten about your position as queen. I am glad to see that it hasn't changed you."

Barriss smiled. "I distinctly recall your well-concealed disdain for certain royal families we have encountered in the past," she said, trying not to laugh. "I too am glad that you haven't turned into one of those spoiled entitled princesses, Ahsoka. You are far too selfless for that."

Ahsoka couldn't help but laugh at the feelings she felt from the two Mirialans. "I'll take that as a compliment," she replied. "I'll contact you later, enjoy the rest of your time together, alright?" She said her goodbyes and left Barriss' house.

;-

Ahsoka was currently waiting in a little meeting room for Anakin to join her. She was curious to hear how his repairs were getting along. She had told him to go to the palace mechanical bay for help and parts he might need. She just hoped the parts they had in store were compatible with the many custom modifications that were a signature of Anakin's ships. Otherwise he'd need to find an alternative transport back to Coruscant.

She felt his presence outside the room and called him in. He stepped inside, she smiled. Anakin looked rather awkward in some fresh clean clothes. She had to stop herself from laughing. Her friend Lyra had informed her that she and the other palace staff had practically bullied him into showering and cleaning up before meeting the queen. They would not let him meet with her while he was covered in grease and oil stains. They had provided him with a high class Togruti outfit and he couldn't look more uncomfortable in the getup.

"Hey Skyguy! How's the ship getting along?" she asked, trying to keep the amusement out of her voice but failing slightly.

"It's going pretty good Snips," he replied. "Those mechanics have a really nice selection of parts. I found some good stuff and I'm getting pretty close to finish the repairs and an upgrade or two. I really should have brought R2 with me. I'm sure that would have loved to poke around all of the parts you got here."

Ahsoka laughed a bit. Some things about Anakin never change. "I'm glad it's going well. I was getting a little worried that I'd have to arrange a transport for you," she teased.

"Hey!" Anakin scoffed, then he laughed. "Nah, you don't have to worry about a thing. I'll have everything fixed up soon enough. I can stop bothering your people. I'm not sure if they like me very much."

"It's nothing personal Anakin," she replied. "Everyone is just cautious. With everything that happened to me before and with how pushy the Republic is now, they all want me to be safe. And let's be honest, you did cause quite a ruckus when you got here."

Anakin laughed nervously. "Yeah, I suppose I could have been a bit more calm about things. I was just…" he trailed off a little, giving a slight shrug.

Ahsoka gave him a light smile. "You don't have to explain, Master. I know what you mean." She took a deep breath. "Everything that happened, yeah, it was a messed up situation." She shook her head. "I prefer to look forward, not backwards to what has happened. It was bad, but now I'm in a position to help others like never before. My people are prospering. They are happy. That is enough for me."

Anakin smiled. "Yeah, you're doing pretty amazing Snips," he replied. "It's kinda hard to picture the snippy little Padawan from Christophsis with the queen sitting in front of me now."

"Oh, I'm still quite a bit like that," Ahsoka said with a mischievous smile. "I'm just able to hide it better now. I can be the queen that my people need me to be, but I still like to mess around from time to time. Everyone likes it though, apparently my mother was a lot like me."

Anakin looked at her and smiled. The mention of Ahsoka's mother, he wondered what she would have been like. From what little he had heard, he was certain that his own mother would have liked her. Just like how he was certain that his mother would adore Ahsoka herself.

Ahsoka watched him, wondering what he was thinking about. She could feel a tinge of growing sorrow and anger, so she decided to get his attention before he spiraled down something darker. "Hey Anakin?" she said to get his attention, "Like I said, I wanted to try and repair our Force bond. Shall we try that now?"

"Yeah, that sounds like a great idea," he replied grinning. "Let's get started right away! No time like the present!"

She smiled at his excitement and nodded. She then closed her eyes and called on the Force. She felt Anakin do the same. Having settled herself in the Force, she reached out to Anakin. She found him easily in the Force. His presence was still the familiar loud supernova, yet he also seemed a little… darker. It worried her, but she pushed that away for now. She reached out to him, building up her end of a new Force bond and offering it to him.

She frowned. Something was off. She could feel Anakin's presence clearly in front of her. She again reached out to him and offered up her end of the bond, this time with a bit more Force energy behind.

She gasped in pain and lost the connection. She clutched her head, trying to soothe the pain. She heard Anakin's worried voice calling out to her, but she couldn't respond to him right now. She held up a hand gestured for him to hold on a moment. After a minute, she had pulled herself back together and turned to Anakin.

"Ahsoka, what happened? I tried to reach back for you in the Force, but then you were suddenly in pain. What the kriff happened?" he asked worriedly.

"I'm not too sure," she replied. She replayed it slowly in her mind. She had felt Anakin's presence, reached out to him and tried to establish the connection in the Force. Then there was a sudden flash of something Dark and she was forced away.

"Anakin," she began hesitantly, "I need you to listen to me very carefully." She waited for him to nod before she continued. "I almost had the connection, but then something forced me out of your mind. What worries me, is that I'm pretty certain that it wasn't you that forced me out."

"Wha… What does that mean? I… Of course I want to rebuild our bond. I wouldn't force you out like that! But then… what…" Anakin muttered out confused.

"It felt like something shadowy and dark is wrapped around your mind, like an invisible shield, preventing me from forming a new bond with you. I have a suspicion about what it means, but that just concerns me more," Ahsoka replied. He gestured for her to continue. "Anakin, I think that someone may have been messing with your mind, without your knowledge or consent."

She paused after seeing his shocked expression. She took a deep breath and continued. "Anakin, listen to me. Once you get back to Coruscant, go to Master Che and ask her to use the Force to examine your mind. Let her help you, but don't tell anyone! Not the Council, not Obi-Wan, not Palpatine or even Padmé. Someone has been messing with your mind. Whoever they are, it's likely that they're a Sith. I'm not sure who can be trusted, so to be as safe as possible, don't tell anyone."

She was certain that she knew exactly who it is, most definitely, but Anakin was so close to Palpatine. Telling Anakin that his dear old friend was the Sith Master probably wouldn't go over well. She would hope that the Master Healer of the Order would be able to help him with whatever Dark bond Palpatine had forced into his mind. As much as she wanted to help Anakin herself, she didn't have the depth of Force knowledge for mental healing that the healers at the Temple would possess.

Anakin was silent for several minutes, trying to digest everything. "Are you really sure about that?" he asked in disbelief. "I mean, how…"

"If there's anything that I know, it's that Sith are masters of deception," Ahsoka replied gently. "Considering that the entire Jedi Order was blind to their continued survival for centuries until they plunged the galaxy into a massive war, well… I don't think that I can fault you at all for being deceived by someone. The important thing is that we've picked up on it now, so let someone help you."

Anakin nodded slowly. "Y-yeah. I will." He looked back at Ahsoka. "But do you really think I shouldn't tell anyone? I mean… I don't know."

Ahsoka nodded. "Yes, I think that's the best idea. I can't be certain who it is, so for you to be as safe as possible, keep this revelation hidden. If the wrong person does find out that you may know about what they've done, I truly fear what they might do to you," she answered honestly. "I just want you to be safe, Master."

Anakin smiled lightly at her words. "Yeah, thanks Snips," he replied. "Alright, I'll only talk about this with Master Che. I just hope she doesn't act too surprised about me coming to see her."

Ahsoka laughed. She couldn't help it. Both him and Obi-Wan were so bad at following the orders of the medics. Barriss had told her once about 'The List' that the healers have for certain types of patients. When it came to Anakin and Obi-Wan, the two had earned special procedures just for them. Anakin voluntarily going to the Healers would probably be a day long remembered. A legendary tale to share with all the junior healers.

Anakin tried very hard to be annoyed, but he was obviously picking up on her thoughts and failed miserably to keep the smirk off his face. "Alright, very funny, laugh it up Snips," he commented. Once she calmed again, he decided to ask her something else. "So, Ahsoka, back to 'talking about things', I take it that you don't want me to share your story about what happened to you with the Council?"

Ahsoka nodded. "Yes. Right now, I don't feel that I can trust them that information. They have a lot to make up for before I will even consider sharing all that I've learned with them. They will truly need to prove that they are willing to change, otherwise I'll leave them in the dark," she answered. "Anakin, I also don't want you to share anything about it with Palpatine either. I never really liked him all that much and I don't want to say that I'm holding a grudge, but he did order my death. Not to mention everything between Shili and the Republic right now. This situation is a political mess and I'd rather not give out any information that might be twisted against my people."

Anakin looked like he wanted to argue against something she said, but relented and sighed. "Okay, I won't share anything with anyone unless you tell me it's alright, does that work?" he asked.

She smiled and nodded back at him. "Thank you for understanding, Anakin. With the current situation, I just want to be careful. I want what is best for my people, but it looks like there are plenty of people in the Republic that just want Shili's wealth and don't give a damn about our wellbeing. I want to make sure that we can't be forced into some nasty situation."

"Yeah, I get it. I've had far too many unpleasant encounters with certain senators." He shook his head. "Let me know if some of them overstep their boundaries, I'll ask Padmé to find some legal way to bury them alive," he said with a smirk.

"Hmm, she'd certainly be a great help, but don't count T'Rani, my senator, out that quickly. Them together would be a nightmare duo for any senator to compete against," Ahsoka replied.

"I might almost pay to see that," Anakin said with a smile, then he remembered something. "Oh yeah, before I forget, there's something else I wanted to show you. Can you come to my ship with me?"

"Is it going to explode?" Ahsoka asked deadpan. It wouldn't be the first time after all. She laughed at Anakin's annoyed look. "Just kidding Skyguy, lead the way."

Anakin nodded and they left the room. His ship was currently parked in the palace's hangar, so it was a short distance. They kept up some idle chatter along the way, with Ahsoka inquiring about some others and how they were doing.

As they got closer to the hangar, she began to sense something familiar. Hear something familiar. She turned to Anakin, but he just gave her a knowing smirk. She rolled her eyes, he knew but wasn't going to say it until they got there.

When they got to his ship, the feeling was even stronger and she could recognize it clearly now. Anakin asked her to wait outside while he went to get something. She looked over at the pilots of the royal guard while she waited. They were currently instructing a couple of new potential recruits for the squadron. She had been told that they showed some talent for flying. She was curious to see it for herself sometime soon.

Anakin walked back out of his ship holding a small box. She could already sense them as he held it out to her. She took it and opened it up, revealing her old kyber crystals. She never expected to see them again, but now she was holding them once more. Heard their song through the Force. It was incredible. With a teary smile, she looked back at Anakin.

"I was able to find your sabers, but they were both really damaged. There was no way that I could fix them. After some careful prying, I was able to get the crystals out. It just didn't feel right for me to try and rebuild your lightsabers, so I made sure to keep the crystals safe," he explained. "I'm… really happy that I was able to give them back to you."

"Thank you, Master," she replied happily. "I honestly didn't think I'd ever see them again. It feels wonderful to hold them again, thank you so much." She gave him a big hug that he eagerly returned. After a little while they broke apart. "I'll see what I'll do with them. Maybe I'll design a new lightsaber from scratch. Or perhaps I'll ask for some advice, I have some talented crafters here at the palace."

"Whatever you do Snips, I'm sure it'll turn out great," Anakin said with a smile. "You'll have to show me the result once you have it."

"I'd love to do so the moment I have something, but," she sighed, "I might not be able to do so currently. With the current political tension that the Republic started, having frequent meetings with a Jedi Knight will no doubt be twisted against me in some way. It won't last forever, but for now…" She shook her head. "Let's not focus on that now. Are you joining us for dinner? Just be warned, my chefs are amazing. You will weep in despair once you go back to the war rations," she teased.

Anakin laughed. "Such a heavy burden you ask of me, my old Padawan, but I'll make the sacrifice for you. Lead on," he replied amused. Ahsoka laughed as well and lead him out of the hangar.

;-

Back on Coruscant

Jedi Master Luminara Unduli had arrived back on Coruscant after her 'trip' to Shili. The flight back to Coruscant had thankfully been a restful one, giving her more time to sort through all that she had learned on Shili and the emotional mess that came with it. Now, she was to report to the Council.

With the words of both Barriss and Ahsoka echoing through her mind, she was trying to decide how much information she should truly share with them. Ahsoka had asked her to keep certain information from them, but Barriss was fine with Luminara telling her full story.

"Master Unduli," Mace Windu began, "it quickly became clear that our efforts on Shili did not have the expected results. The padawans and knights asked to sneak onto the planet were caught near instantly. It would seem that they underestimated the skills of the planet's guards. However, your presence went unnoticed. Were you able to learn anything on Shili that might prove useful?"

"That is where you are wrong, Masters," Luminara replied. "My presence was known to them. I felt the eyes of my pursuers on me almost instantly, but under the instructions of the queen, they left me be. I wasn't sure what it meant at the time, so I continued on. I followed the Force and to my surprise, it lead me to Barriss." Her words clearly shocked the Council. Of all the things they were expecting to say, it most certainly wasn't that.

"So she's harboring Republic fugitives? This can be used against her if need be." Master Mundi commented, seemingly already plotting how to best do it.

"Blackmailing the legitimate ruler of a world hardly seems like the appropriate conduct for a Jedi," Luminara stated neutrally. "And I cannot approve of the way you speak about Barriss, certainly not after all that I learned about her and the truth about what happened."

Her words sparked some muttering and comments between the Councilors. This kept on for a minute before Yoda gestured for silence. "Unexpected, this is. With what happened, on Shili, the last place expected she would be. Especially under the protection of the queen, yes." He frowned and tapped his cane on the floor a few times. "Add up, it does not, with the information given to us by the military command. Holes in the information, there already were. Now, even less sense it makes. Share what learned you have, you will?"

Luminara nodded. "To start, I in no way believe any word about Barriss killing innocent people anywhere. Her presence in the Force was far too bright for that. In fact, she felt warmer and brighter now than at any time during this awful war. She has continued her path as a healer on Shili and judging from the many cards and gifts in her house, her work is greatly appreciated by the people. Ahsoka herself strongly reinforced this over Barriss' humble telling of it."

"Then what of the reports of her escape and the killings that have taken place since?" Mace Windu asked. "People have died. You state that Offee is not the one responsible for it?"

Luminara shook her head. "It is impossible for her to be responsible. She has not left Shili since she arrived there, which was several weeks after Ahsoka's execution." The mention of that event still made several Councilors flinch. She felt it was a deserved reaction for their failures. "I do not know why Republic intelligence reports her as the one responsible, but given what I've learned, I expect that those reports are a result of the corruption that has seeped into the Republic under our noses."

"There has been doubt regarding the completeness of the information that is provided to us," Plo Koon agreed. "Please share Barriss' story with us. It might give us more insight into this matter."

Luminara nodded at the Kel Dorian Master. She then began to retell the story that Barriss had given her. The gaps in her memory and the weeks she was missing. Waking up in the downed prison transport, learning of the bombing and Ahsoka's death. Fleeing from the Republic, boarding a ship and arriving on Shili. Being found by the guards and learning Ahsoka's true fate, following by the horrid discovery of the tainted nano droids that were controlling her.

At the end of the explanation, she could tell that the members of the Council were horrified. She understood all too well. She herself had felt quite sick at hearing Barriss' tale. She had been grateful to spend more time after that with Barriss, to be able to see how she was doing and catch up with her. While the night had been rather unkind to her, they agreed that they were both fine. "Fortunately, Barriss is doing very well now. While it is not safe for her to leave Shili, she has been living a comfortable life there. I am grateful to the Force that she is safe and happy."

"That is indeed a relief to hear," Plo Koon said. "It would seem that there was a lot more to the Temple bombing than at first was clear. The truth it seems was quite a bit more horrifying than we thought. Despite the horrors they faced, I am glad that both Ahsoka and Barriss are somewhere safe." Several members of the Council nodded in agreement, others gave no outward reaction.

"Do they have clear evidence of what happened to her?" The hologram of Shaak Ti asked. "I believe your words, Luminara, but I fear the Republic and the courts will not just accept it without substantial evidence to prove it. We have already witnessed what they are willing to do with only partial evidence and speculations."

Luminara nodded. "Yes, they do. They are in possession of the medical records of the scans on Barriss and the removal of the nano droids," she explained. "They can also very easily prove her presence on Shili at the same times as Republic intelligence claimed she was killing people. Proving Barriss' innocence in those events shouldn't be too much of a problem. Still, they've decided not to take any actions yet. Ahsoka's survival was not yet known to the galaxy and she didn't want to invite any trouble to Shili while they were still recovering from the years under the previous ruler. Once the current drama with the Republic finishes, I believe that they will change this."

"Likely a wise decision on their part," Shaak Ti replied. "The Republic is clearly not what it used to be. I do not know what the future might hold."

"Yes, there are many senators who, unfortunately, are quick to make up their minds about certain topics, not caring if they even have all of the information," Obi-Wan said. "I can imagine that Ahsoka and her people will tread carefully. She seemed to have very competent staff, so they will no doubt advise her properly."

"Were you able to learn anything regarding Ahsoka?" Ki-Adi Mundi asked. "There are still many mysteries surrounding her survival and ascension to queen."

Luminara felt slight annoyance at Ki-Adi for changing the subject back to their original, poor plan. There were a lot of other things that they were better off discussing, but she filed away her irritation with him for now. "Only a few minor pieces, mainly how loved she truly is by her people," she replied. "By birthright, she is the legitimate ruler of Shili. The others in her family were killed in a staged accident by the one who usurped the throne and ruined the planet with his greed. She took the throne with the help of the royal guards. Since then, she has grown into her role as queen and it is beyond obvious that her people adore her."

"Yes, that certainly is the impression I got as well," Obi-Wan said with a smile. "I must say that it is not that surprising. Her personality always made her quite liked by the younglings, the vode and others as well."

"And yet you learned nothing of her survival? Or this new Force ability that she demonstrated?" Agen Kolar asked then.

"As I stated previously, no, I did not," Luminara replied. "I also do not think that we will learn anything else, at least until this Council tries to make everything right with Ahsoka. At the very least, a proper apology for what happened and the actions taken by this Council might go a long way to regaining her favor."

Her words had the expected effect, so she watched as the members of the Council started debating and squabbling with each other yet again. It saddened her that they seemed to choose their own convictions over trusting in the Force like they used to. Ahsoka's words about the darkness infecting everything ran through her mind again. She feared it was more than true.

For now, she kept the knowledge of the Palpatine's identity as the Sith Master to herself. She would consult Master Yoda in private for advice on the matter. Ahsoka was right, they were in a very delicate situation. They could not afford any missteps. She hoped that the Force would guide them.

;-

That's the end of this chapter.

Writing Yoda remains an odd struggle…

I wanted to add in a lot more with Ahsoka trashing Palpatine to Anakin, with how creepy his actions have been (a senator his age wanting to spend time alone with young boy) and how he likely kept Tarkin from having any consequences for his actions in her framing, but I decided against it. Anakin still thinks very highly of Palpatine because of his manipulations and grooming, despite Ahsoka's death and the role Palpatine played in it. Accusing Palpatine too harshly right now, especially with the mess in Anakin's head, Ahsoka figured it wouldn't work out that well. So with that knowledge, she advised Anakin to take other steps. We'll see how the events of this chapter play out in the next chapter.

As mentioned, I will work to finish this story first. I have an ending in mind that I hope everyone will like. I expect to add three more chapters to this story, that will finish it up. I've unfortunately fallen a bit out of interest with my two large stories, so I'm not sure if I will be continuing those afterwards. I did have 2 other ideas that I really liked and might write out instead. But, I'll see about that when I get to it. First to finish this story.

Until next time.