-Chapter 119: Restoration-

Location: The Jedi Temple

"A solution can only be found once every aspect of a problem is made known."

Alone in her room... it seemed to be a popular place for her these days. The sardonic thought was cast aside as Ahsoka simply lay on her bed, content with being alone. While perhaps not ideal, it was a means for her to accrue some sense of peace in the midst of such trying, difficult times. As a Togruta, she would feel much better when associating with others, and she knew she likely have to go for a walk eventually. But for a moment, she would enjoy the quiet that came with being alone... even though just hit king about made her feel anxious.

The sun was setting over Galactic City, casting golden rays through her window and filling her room with a warming glow. It was reassuring to an extent, knowing that everything she'd ever know was right here, all around her. Nothing could go wrong here, nothing bad could ever happen to her here. It was a place of tranquility for her. Master Yoda always said that a Jedi had their favourite part of the Temple, which exemplified who they were at their core. For some it was the Hall of a Thousand Fountains. For others it was the rooftop garden. For some it was the Archives. For Ahsoka, it was her room. It was safe, it was quiet, it was the best place for her to listen to the Force.

Although, some days, the Force had a habit of screaming instead of whispering... much like today.

It started out as a ripple, distant and resounding like an echo. She could feel it in her bond with Wraith, shuddering and pulsing. She sat up in bed, trying to discern it further, and opened up their connection again. It came with a sense of great agony, so much so that Ahsoka lurched and clutched her head, feeling the overwhelming sensation of dozens of tiny needles being pressed against her forehead. Then came his voice, distant but very clear.

"Ahsoka! Please! Help me!" He sobbed, begging for her aid. Then came the shockwave, the feeling of obliteration that rolled over her. Their bond reacted sharply, deep pangs of strain flashing through her mind and inducing a very real headache which Ahsoka fought to overcome.

All of a sudden, everything went quiet. It was an empty quiet. Something hung in the air, bruised and shattered, but the Togruta could not place what it was. As she straightened up in bed, giving her head a wag and wincing as the headache died down after one last pang, it was then that the Force chose to open up and reveal the source of what she'd been feeling.

With a gasp, Ahsoka looked through a portal to see Wraith lying in a crumpled heap, his armor crushed and broken, his blood staining the ground. Rising from her bed, Ahsoka carefully approached him, testing her senses but receiving no response from him. His surroundings were hidden from her, all she could see was him. Moving beside him, she discovered his mouth slack, his eyes rolled back with tear-stains marked his cheeks. She'd never seen him in such a state before and instinctively grew worried. Taking a knee beside him, she checked his pulse. It was there but faint and weak, someone must've truly done a number on him.

"Wraith?" She whispered his name, curious about his cognitive abilities. He did not respond, his body not even reacting to her voice. Her concern growing, Ahsoka gently rested her hand on the side of his head and reached out with the Force...

She cried out as she felt surrounded by shards, a feedback loop filling her with the pain of a broken mind. His psyche had been fragmented, reduced to mere pieces much to her horror. Who had done this to him? Who would be so wicked and cruel...? A Sith, it had to be, or some other Dark Sider. But Ahsoka cared a lot less for who had done this and more so for how it could be undone. She would need to reach deeper into his mind, find out everything before she could continue.

Straddling his body, Ahsoka set both hands on either side of his head. Instead of simply reaching out and looking in, she used her abilities to enter his mind, relying on their bond even though it was very unstable. His mind had been fractured alright, bits and pieces of him were strewn about and it would take a break deal of focus to bring him back together. But she would need his participation as well. She would have to strengthen their link, ensure that she could help Wraith where he was currently helpless. The mental strain would be powerful, possibly even deadly. But with the healing power of the Force, Ahsoka believed it could be done.

And then... she sensed something.

All around her were shards of Wraith's being. The familiar warmth that emanated from his Force signature, the darkness that always seemed to hover around him... but there was something new here as well. Something... luminous... and pure.

She found herself drawn to the light, recalling her perception of his Force-sensitivity to be a clouded mixture of darkness and light, and realized she was now viewing that part of him. It too had been shattered, torn apart along with the rest of his mind. But Ahsoka believed she could repair it. Her bond vibrated, stronger than ever as she lingered on this portion of him. There was something special about this... she could not ignore his plight.

Focusing her powers, Ahsoka began to chant the Guardian's Mantra as she called upon the Force fill them both. "I am one with the Force and the Force is with me. I am one with the Force and the Force is with me." She called to his fragmented essence, drawing him in and pulling him together. She did not care about the darkness, let it coalesce however it saw fit. But this light... this wholesomeness... this was her concern. "I am one with the Force and the Force is with me. I am one with the Force and the Force is with me." The pieces slowly drew together, knit back into a whole under Ahsoka's diligent direction. She would be his anchor point, a strong foundation on which he could be reconstructed. Time lost meaning to her as she let the Force flow through her, focused solely on the work being done in Wraith's mind. It was no simple feat and required her complete devotion.

As she continued, Wraith's body began to react, his eyes closing as he too began to recite the Guardian's Mantra, chanting it in time with Ahsoka. "I am one with the Force and the Force is with me. I am one with the Force and the Force is with me." Slowly but surely, his mind pulled together, Ahsoka showing the same care and attention to detail as she had when she forged their Force bond. Ahsoka ceased to speak as she applied her power further, focusing on the intricate job of interweaving the fabric of his psyche back together. Piece by piece his mind reformed, piece by piece the light grew brighter as his essence neared completion. All the while, Wraith took up the chant. "I am one with the Force and the Force is with me. I am one with the Force and the Force is with me."

Then they both fell quiet, the last of Ahsoka's handiwork coming together in a brilliant display as his mind was made whole. The Togruta left his mind and opened her eyes, blue shimmering with hope as she looked upon his still and tranquil form... a change for the better given his previously broken state. Wraith did not stir, nor did he move. She checked his pulse again, it was much stronger and he was still alive. He staid still for some time, then with a groan he appeared to stabilize, her efforts a success. Ahsoka quickly scooted off him, a hand coming to rest along the side of his head.

"H-How do you feel?" She tentatively asked.

"My eyes hurt." He admitted, rubbing them as he did. Ahsoka stayed where she was for a moment longer, simply watching him recover. With his eyes still closed, he propped himself up on one arm, giving his head a shake.

When he did open his eyes, they revealed to her a startling transformation.

Instead of amber with reptilian pupils, his eyes were a bright and deep green with circular pupils. Ahsoka let out a little gasp as she recognized the change, surprised by what she saw. He looked so... human now. Wraith's gaze locked with hers and for a moment he just stared at her. Ahsoka could sense his awe and how riveted he was by her. With a breathy chuckle that caused his eyes to sparkle, he reached out and cupped her face. "To see you again... with my own eyes..." He whispered. Ahsoka smiled a little, excited, wondering, worried. She could sense the light within him, the darkness now in the background and faint. He had changed, for the better she might say, but to what extent?

"Wr-Wraith?" She hesitantly wondered. At that, he breathed deeply and replied.

"Uh... no, not quite." Ahsoka raised a brow marking, curious as to what he meant. "It's... hard to explain." He continued, shifting himself into a seated position.

"You have my undivided attention." Ahsoka replied, wanting to hear it all. With another deep breath, 'Wraith' began,

"Wraith... was created when the Separatists found themselves at odds with my... political leanings, lets say." He told her. "I found it hard to agree with what they wanted me to believe. Something about the Confederacy... just didn't seem right. They didn't like that so they tried to brainwash me. I resisted, of course, and as a result they upped the ante. I couldn't take it much longer and... my mind broke, split in two. I fell unconscious... and it wasn't me that was in control when I came to." He sounded just like Wraith but spoke with the memories of a different man. It all shocked Ahsoka, but she continued to listen attentively. "Wraith is a construct of the Separatists, plain and simple. He's not perfect, not what they want exactly, and won't be so long as I have some degree of control... which isn't easy to come by. I've had to bide my time, wait for moments when he was weak enough I could assert some control over my mind." He realized he was rambling and paused, gaze shifting to the ground. "But... y-yeah, I'm... I'm not Wraith." He concluded, green eyes searching for hers. Ahsoka took a moment to process this, rather bewildered by the sudden change.

"It all sounds so... astonishing." She whispered in response, still working on wrapping her head around it all. This was not Wraith, but in his body, light instead of dark. "You're... not him. How-" She was about to wonder how this could be possible, but then it hit her, a term she'd seen in the archives when researching other topics: Dissociative Identity Disorder. This man was divided in two, something amplified by the Force. Wraith was just one part of him, the dark and violent part. So this man must be the opposite, light and kind and all things wholesome.

But this revelation had even more ramifications... for this green-eyed man was truly the one she'd been trying to save. This was the real, good 'Wraith'!

"I-I-If you need proof, just... look into my mind. See my memories." He offered.

"C-Can I?" She wondered and he quickly nodded. On her knees before him, Ahsoka reached out with both hands and held his head, using the Force to dip into his rebuilt mind...

"Doctor, I don't like it! The Sith are acting against the Jedi!" He emphatically told the Pau'an Doctor.

"Because the Jedi serve the corrupt Republic, boy. We've been over this!" He responded, voice filled with exasperation.

"B-But I just don't like it! It feels... wrong." 'Wraith' replied.

"Nonesense!" The doctor scoffed. "Now study this again, and give us the right answers this time." He commanded, forcing him to accept a holotext.

"I can give you a textbook answer... but it won't change how I personally feel about this." 'Wraith' mumbled.

A flash and the memory shifted, this time 'Wraith' was looking up at a ceiling, restrained to a seat. He could not talk, his voice muffled by something while a harness of some sort was wrapped around his head. The Pau'an stood by with a datapad in hand.

"We'll make you into a soldier yet, my boy." He promised, then sighed. "I am sorry it has some to this, but you have given us no choice." Then the voltage started, working its way into his mind wracking his body with pain. It would be the first of many times...

Ahsoka pulled out of his mind with a shake of her head, breathing heavily as the scenes faded.

"That's what you went through..." she realized, "They... Th-They forced you to become this." He nodded.

"Wraith has become a monster all by himself. He's definitely what the Separatists want and its taken everything I have to not let him go all-out like he wants to." He described. That was something Ahsoka could definitely understand.

"Then... w-what about me?"

"I think I can answer that too... but it's complicated." She nodded for him to continue. "Given Wraith is, well, my dark side incarnate," he began, "even though I wish he wasn't," he added under his breath, "he is still tied to much that is me in some ways. There are some things that were shared across our unfortunate connection. I want to kill every Zygerrian in the universe, for example." He described and Ahsoka could understand why. "But... I'm the one who loved you first. My feelings were just... translated through him. There was a point where we merged together and became a single, mixed personality. Part him and part me. That was when we had our first time together." To Ahsoka, it made sense... in a roundabout and complicated way. But there was a sense of logic to it that she could not ignore.

"So Wraith..." She wondered aloud.

"Didn't originally love you, never truly has." He explained. "But I... I love you with all my heart." He promised and his declaration warmed her heart, making her smile. "I fell in love with you the day I first saw you on Felucia, and my love has only ever increased since then. I know I'm a complicated man, even though that's putting it mildly, but I promise you that I love-" He was silenced when Ahsoka leaned forward and kissed him. He forgot how good it felt to kiss her and he quickly reciprocated. After a moment, it seemed like she was going to pull away, but then she came in for more. The kiss lasted long, plenty long enough for both of them to feel the love of the other and it was only when Ahsoka made to retreat did the stop. A little breathless, she offered him a soft, open-mouthed smile and said,

"I love you too." He smiled broadly, feeling so happy for the first time in a very long time. Her love for him swelled, suddenly feeling more appropriate now that she knew his true nature. As Ahsoka traced the scars on his face, she had a question, "What should I call you? Because I don't think 'Wraith' is gonna cut it." At that, he shrugged.

"If I have a name, I have no idea what it is." He admitted. He'd been in the Separatist's care for so long he had no idea who his parents even were. "Feel free to call me anything you like." He offered.

"I'm sure I'll come up with something." Ahsoka mused, taking a moment to stare into his bright green eyes. They seemed to fit him so much better, he even looked lighter with them... less clouded and darkened. Her heart pounding, she kissed him again, passionately and energetically this time. Their bond grew and expounded, just like it used to before their argument. Then she remembered what she'd done to him and looked down towards his torso. "Oh kriff... I stabbed you." She recalled with a gasp. Looking up with pleading eyes, she earnestly apologized. "I'm so sorry!" 'Wraith' gently cupped her chin and replied,

"I forgive you. Besides, it was Wraith you stabbed, not me." His words were sincere and spoken gently, easing Ahsoka's troubled heart. "And... I'm so sorry about Lux and Mina." He added.

"Wraith killed them, not you." She replied, knowing now that someone else was to blame. No wonder he couldn't stop...!

"I don't want to kill, I'm tired of it." He professed, pulling her into a hug. Ahsoka positioned herself in his lap and hugged him back.

"You don't have to. Not anymore." She promised, kissing him on the cheek.

"You saved me..." he added and the realization sank in. Yes, she really had saved him. "Thank you." She could sense his immense gratitude and said nothing more, pulled his face before hers and kissing him passionately. She loved him, wanted him, needed him. It had been so long and she just wanted them to be together again.

Suddenly, the Force shifted the portal and he was fully in her quarters, the two of them intertwined on the floor. Ahsoka realized the change, as well as the change in time. The sun had set on Coruscant and night had fallen. How long had she been busy helping him? How long had they talked for? She didn't know, but she also didn't care. She had the love of her life back, everything between them restored, it was perfect... almost.

Picking herself up with a smile, Ahsoka offered 'Wraith' her hand which he accepted. She helped him removed his broken armor and then walked him over to her bed, promptly using the Force to shove him down onto it.

"What, uh, whatcha planning, Ahsoka?" He wondered with a false sense of innocence.

"You're gonna spend the night here." The Togruta responded, dropping down and straddling him. She ran her hands up his body towards his neck, drawing his attention to her and keeping it. "Anything wrong with that?" She cheekily wondered. Sensing her very obvious intentions, he grinned.

"Not a damn thing." He happily remarked.


Author's Note: And on this happy note... I need to take a break. My plan for this story has taken a sudden shift, and I need some time to map everything out and make sure it all makes sense. So until next time, may the Force be with you!