Note: I probably have reposted Chapter 12 due to its quite obvious mistakes. I mean, I even called the Chapter numerically wrong (11 instead of 12).
- Heart-ache decline. Former accuser of the bombing Ahsoka Tano has declined her reinstatement within the Jedi Order. By doing so, the progression to knighthood has disappeared from the vision of the future. 2 beings will manage to get her attention after the unaccepted offer. How will they fair and what conclusions will they come to? -
Chapter 13. Enough of juggling
"…I know you believe in me, Anakin, and I'm grateful for that. But this isn't about you; I can't stay here any longer. Not now." – In an emotionally transparent status Ahsoka said.
The togrutan female turns her head in a direction that leaves her left side in direct eye sight of her former Jedi Master. Arms are maintained crossed near waist; eyes are in a narrowed arrangement. Anakin still believed that he could get her to reconsider her recent major decision. Whether it was for selfish or altruistic reasons, it remains unclear.
"The Jedi Order is your life. You can't just throw it away like this."
Any observer could just feel his raw emotion coming out.
"Ahsoka, you are making a mistake."
She turns to him.
"Maybe. But I have to sort this out on my own, without the Council and without you."
Both conversing beings turn slightly away from each other.
"I understand. More than you realize, I understand wanting to walk away from the Order."
Ahsoka could sense nothing but truth & honesty coming from him. In actuality, she didn't need to do sense it. They were, after all is said and done, Force users, who had a special, unique bond, that lasted three years.
"I know."
He tried to look towards his former Padawan. She had started to walk away from him, the emotional state was in an extremely imbalanced state, and sorrow was by far the dominant feeling. Skywalker just stared at the continuously increasing distance between them and stood silent. Sometimes a person's gut advises no more speaking. This 'Sorrow Theater' ended with Tano's disappearance behind the steps of the Jedi Temple.
One of the meanings of the word 'tolerance' is a capacity to endure pain or hardship. There is an important fact or even axiom about it – the capacity is not infinite, it has a limit. It can be conveyed through a fairly simple example, imagine a subject's ability to endure pain as a cylinder, which has limited volume and is filled up directly by the amount of pain received. If volume it's exceeded, than it spills over. In the real world this means a drastic change has great possibility to materialize. For Ahsoka, such change was leaving the Jedi Order. Additionally, that decision ends 'her lifer' in a way. All that she remembered from her appearance in the World was the Jedi Order. Some venture in the unknown with greater odds than the 17 year old togrutan, alas, it is something that will undoubtedly create more hardship for her. The descent from the Tempe grounds to the ground was not a short one by any stretch of the imagination.
"I had to do it. I had to."
A motivational speech was needed to counter the heavy sobbing. Some would some up the meeting with the Jedi Council as a signing of divorce papers. Closing in on the ground, she sensed a familiar Force presence approaching her whereabouts.
"What?"
Before a foot could finally change the contacting surface, a brown speeder stopped near the ascent to the Temple. Naturally, Tano looked at the arrived being.
"Oswald."
"Aha."
Not wanting to be a downer on their expected last encounter, she sucked it up and stopped crying, sobbing about what just happened.
"I … thought … you would … be at the … Temple."
"Decided to be more cautious about my surroundings. Didn't really feel an urge to go meditate at my favorite sport, since … that is where I got attacked by a criminal mastermind this morning."
"It is a sad state all around us, Oswald."
"Very little room for optimism." – added the blue eyed human.
Her future plans resurfaced within the mind.
"I assume you foresaw both of my scenarios."
"In the aggregate, yes."
"Then this doesn't surprise you?"
"No." – Menson answered calmly.
She nods in recognition, appraisal of his abilities. The staggering repetitiveness of accurate insight into the future for such a young age was an amazing accomplishment. Of course, other Padawans, including her, could produce similar results from time to time, just not on the consistency level. In Ahsoka's opinion, Oswald will not be surpassed in what he is good at for at least a century.
"Without wanting to disrespect you, I'll … warn you in advance. Don't try and stop me, Oswald. You are still my friend, but I have chosen a path that you can't overrule."
A bit shockingly, Mundi's Padawan didn't faze.
"That is your choice, Ahsoka. You want to walk it your way, fine by me. I sense that your near future is filled with doubt."
"Logical, wouldn't you say?"
"I would."
Suddenly, Oswald lowers his right hand into his pocket, takes out a small object out of it and extends it in his palm. Reason – to show it to his friend.
"What is that?"
"A messaging device."
"Why are you offering it to me?"
"The future is uncertain, whether it be yours or mine. This device will give you the ability to send a voice message to my communication motherboard and vice versa. The caveat is that the message has to be less than 60 seconds long."
Considering the possibility of having a future dependable contact, the togrutan settled on taking the object.
"Just don't get your hopes up, Oswald. I might not send you anything for a while."
He lifts, lowers his shoulders.
"Maybe, maybe not, Ahsoka. The important part is that the device is now in you possession. If you decide to send me word, chose a higher position than our current one."
"For easier transmitting?"
"Exactly."
"Ok."
The former Padawan puts the device a way, offers a hand shake as a goodbye sign. Mundi's Padawan accepts the offer. Later the sadness filled being rejects a suggestion to be transported to the next destination. When someone's in the unknown, a goal or destination is very obscure, hard to navigate towards. A minute of silent stare from Oswald is conducted. The semi-plan had been more or less a win; their friendship seemed to be intact. The news of Ahsoka's leave definitely ended her work. Therefore, the other two grew in importance. One of them had to be tackled specifically today.
"Senator Vescell somewhat interviewed me this morning." – said Hefyra.
"Let me guess. It's about the Last Stand?" – asked Main.
"Correct."
"Did he seem like the person to unravel today?"
"Hard to tell, Main. It did seem …"
"Seem what?"
"It did seem that I had deterred his loose of control for the time being."
"Yet you're not sure, how long it will last."
The constant movement of politicians, guards around them made for quite a racket. Realizing his upcoming tasks and the time frame, the male senator decides to close on something worth-while.
"Well, Hefyra. We only have to wait about 2 hours and the message will be clear."
"That is true. I hope our joker in this game is enough to achieve victory."
They nod to each other and go in separate directions.
"The anti-Palpatine movement feels lost."
"I hope that to be the case until the end of the War. Soon all of this rhetoric mumbo-jumbo will go out the door and a new Order in the Galaxy can take control."
"Don't be so arrogant, my friend. The War isn't done yet." – Mas Amedda present a counter point to the red dressed human.
"Why of course, Amedda. He still has to in act crucial steps."
"Indeed."
The Vice Chair of the Galactic Senate takes two steps towards the two talkers.
"Anything to report about Organa, Amidala, Main?"
"I saw Main walking out of his cabinet recently." – answered the other red dressed human.
"Did you see where he was going?"
"It seemed he was going to meet with someone, whom he didn't want publicized."
"An intriguing case. Concentrate your efforts on him for now."
"Understood."
"You're both dismissed."
In less than a minute the room becomes empty.
2 hours to deadline. No conscious subject acts in a vacuum; he or she works within the constraints of the material world. In the mentioned world a lot of them exist, this in course makes one's action a cause for another's action or reaction, depending on, where it's aimed at. You could look at it in a traditional sense – an individual and society. One is the micro element, the other – the macro element. The number of interactions between conscious beings within society is a staggeringly, colossally huge number. The micro element (individual) works within the parameters of the macro element (community) and the material world (be all end all). Sometimes, there comes a time in one's life, where the available paths of 'pole opposite decent', it's either one way or the other. Jedi Padawan Oswald Menson found himself at this stage right now. Since the Jedi were War commanders of the Republic and he was in league with beings that opposed the most powerful man in the Republic, one chosen path could be very easily attributed to treason.
"With the way the Council handled Ahsoka's trial, I give less chance to mine being a victory than hers." – He thought.
Recent history kind of laughs at his worries in the political game. He quickly acknowledges his own 'work' that led to this position.
"Well, that was my worry from day one, when I and Hector found the Freedom Savior League (FSL). We … knew … that there might be a day like this. I believe that he was already willing to pay his life for our goal. Back then, I have to say – I was not."
A problem with being a conscious subject with impeccable foresight revolves around future actions. Since you can paint the future with different brushes on the canvas so effortlessly, it becomes sort of a curse. Society (macro element) not only outlines the 'Acceptable Actions' line, but continuously forces it upon the individual (micro element). If said being chooses to resist & break the line, a swift, deadly reaction might be on the horizon. That said there really aren't a lot of options. Waiting, non-deciding leads to community's winning, choosing the majority's anti-supportive path still makes the community a heavy favorite. Oswald struggled with the outlined ways to move forward, it caused him pain, sorrow, which only heightened with the Force's waves.
While one person struggled with a crucial decision in his life, the other questioned the legitimacy or natural flow of things leading up to one big climax.
"It was a very fast trial. They didn't seem to be very hesitant in getting rid of Ahsoka Tano."
Captain Trend could only come to two conclusions. One – she was very clearly the prime suspect, two – during the War effort became an obstacle to some high status holding people, who don't like interferences in their entirety. Some tens of seconds later the 2nd conclusion became the dominant one. In addition, it drove some adrenaline through his veins to dissect the way everything panned out, when it comes to the case of the bombing. Chancellor Palpatine was sitting in his office, concentrating and listening to the information from the Force. He thought the elimination of Ahsoka Tano from the War's equation should make his vision of being the Supreme Ruler of the Galaxy more clearer, consequently, more likely to materialize. Yet it seemed to had changed only slightly.
"Very intriguing. For this to happen, new people must have joined the equation. These people, whoever they are, are obviously my opposition, which means they will have … to … be … eliminated."
He shows off a malicious smile.
"Their recent appearance is a … fair surprise, I have to say."
Some ideas are measured between each other.
"I must contact Tyranus to inform him of such a change in my vision. He will look into his warring side's suspects, while I do the same with mine. I will not allow anyone to ruin my plans."
Another malicious smile appears.
30 minutes remaining. Senator Avergreen was sitting in the same room, where she had her last encounter with Padawan Menson. The elegantly styled chair looked after the senator's body from her head to most of her thighs; the red curtains still didn't let a whole lot of light inside, the big lime green carpet happily enjoyed its state of not being covered by anything, object or subject. Marshall Sezk stood outside of the door, with two blue armored plated males with rifles on both sides. While thinking of something to write, suddenly, a hollo-projector starts blinking. She swiftly moves her left arm and presses a button on the device. A few seconds pass, the lusted being appeared before her eyes.
"Strategy Advisor, good to see you."
"Likewise, Senator Avergreen. It is time we discuss about the Date."
"That is why you're calling me is it not? I must say that I wasn't expecting a hollo conversation."
"I do admit it is out of the bloom. However, I felt more confident in this type of … procedure. It gives me more confidence and acts as a good representation of my intentions."
"Fair enough, SA. Let's talk business then."
"Alright. Main said that the vote for his rule over the Republic Courts will happen in a week's time?"
"Yes."
"This leaves us with 6 days until that day."
"Also correct."
"Good. This is what I suggest doing. After the new law is passed as I assume it will, you with Hefyra and Main immediately dash to the Chancellor's cabinet and give him an ultimatum."
The female was quite intrigued with this scenario.
"What's the ultimatum?"
"Either he cancels the new law in an hour, or you with the other senators will declare succession from the Galactic Republic."
A minute of silence cuts in.
"A bold move, SA. What makes you think this is our best action?"
"If you keep everyone tight lipped in your circle until That Day, Palpatine will not see this coming, by which time you will have the upper hand. Moreover, you will have proof of his intentions to have complete rule over every planet in the Galaxy."
"I will do my best. We just disagree on the time frame then."
"You think it is too long?"
"On the contrary, it's too short."
"What is your deadline for him?"
"3 hours."
"That's too long. I put forward a compromise."
"2 hours?"
"Exactly."
She second guesses a bit.
"Agreed."
"Now I want every senator's representative on high alert on that day. The creation of a seceded state must be done swiftly after his rejection of the ultimatum."
"You want it done almost simultaneously?"
He stays silent.
"I can inform all my colleagues right after I present the ultimatum to the Chancellor."
"Very good. They will manage to appear at the coordinates of the inaugural congress of the seceded."
"You have any in mind?"
"As a matter of fact I do, it is Point C. Double check the place before The Day."
"Will your military strategy group be there?"
"Of course, Senator. The EML will join the congress together with me."
"Glad to hear it."
She writes down the two crucial activities that can't be forgotten if a win is on the horizon.
"Anything else?"
"Yes. Notify the Admiral that I want 12 capital ships prepared for battle in case a need arises then."
"Understood."
Oswald smiles, it represents his joy.
"That is all, Senator. We have almost 6 days until the deal breaker of our business."
"That much is true, SA. I will message you tomorrow the exact time of the vote, so you can be best prepared to appear at Point C."
"A praiseworthy devise. I have to go now. Keep your spirits up and we might still see a world with freedom existing in it."
"That is our goal after all."
"Can't argue with that."
The hollo projection of Mundi's Padawan disappears.
"Wooooooooo!" – She gasps.
The insurmountably crucial part of their alliance's survival was now in effect. Both of them now knew the exact time, the exact action sequence, and the future state in case of victory. When you make it this far down one path, it seems almost cowardly to turn around and sell yourself along with your colleagues to the enemy side. Even though, death was most likely the alternative. Oswald decided to choose the path that is beyond the society's, in which he lives, guidelines. We will see, will he rise to the occasion?