A Shift in the Force: Chapter Sixty-Two: Tann Province

AN: It's been awhile since an update, and I apologize, but I'm only really focusing on three fics right now and nursing school had me almost completely sideline my fics.

I'm glad we can all agree that Yoda doesn't handle his former padawan's struggles with her traumas very well and eventually its going to bite him in the ass, rather painfully.

This fic keeps getting more AU the longer I write it and I've already got a dozen new changes I'm planning.

Sabé is such a mom and I've decided she's gonna have like four kids, and only one of them is hers biologically.


Traipsing around with Sabé Amidala and the small boy known as Caleb Dume was a rather interesting experience for Rachi Sitra.

She remembered Sabé from so many years ago, restrained and quiet, deferring to her master. It reminded her too much of how Dooku had expected Rachi to obey his every command. Rachi had chafed under him and she very much doubted he'd been the master the Force had wanted her to have. Qui-Gon Jinn might've adored Dooku and got on well with his old master, choosing to admonish her for quick-fire temper and aggressive attitude, but Rachi held no love for Yan Dooku.

Rachi almost would've preferred being sent to An'ya Kuro, a Jedi who was known for her harsh training methods, which many in the Temple had still found to be brutal and disturbing, almost. Yet the fact that the Jedi Temple on Coruscant still kept her on as a 'fine and distinguished Jedi' was more telling than anything else about what they'd willingly overlook.

She could've only taken so much that reaching out to Djinn Altis was the best option and she hadn't regretted it since.

But Sabé had blossomed from the meek Initiate trailing after Yoda into something else entirely. Her presence was soothing in the Force, not scorching like the sun, or the ice-cold that accompanied the Dark Side, but somewhere caught between warm and cool, like rainwater.

It was funny how they'd both seemed to come into their own once the Order was no longer a part of their lives.

They were only a few hours away from the Tann Province now, so they'd decided to take a break.

Sabé was kneeling not too far away, one knee pressing into the sand as she leaned slightly into Caleb, forming his hands over one of her spare blasters and aiming it away from them so that even if it went off, it wouldn't hit either of them.

There was an almost motherly quality in how she was with Caleb and how Rachi remembered her being with Talik.

Talik Shala made Rachi's chest ache too much to think about.

Rachi herself was scarcely five years older than Sabé and she'd found herself pregnant at nineteen in the middle of a mission. The terror had overwhelmed her more than anything else. Thankfully, it was one of those long-term missions and Rachi had only just been Knighted, so she was on her own; she thanked her lucky stars that Dooku wasn't there to see she was just as much of a failure as he'd always envisioned. Giving her child up had been terrible but it had filled her with warmth one day to step into the Temple and see little Talik Shala -naming her 'destiny' and 'crying or tearful' was probably a bit confusing to the child if she ever learned her mother tongue- smiling up at Sabé as she knelt down to speak lightly with her, her eyes soft. To know that Talik was safe and loved was enough for Rachi, but, who knew, maybe one day she'd follow her steps away from the Temple.

The pair were laughing ahead of her and Rachi could feel the smile morphing onto her mouth. Then Caleb drew up the blaster, almost wincing his eyes completely shut before firing. The sound shocked him so much that he actually fell back onto his back and it had Sabé laughing. Rachi allowed herself a small chuckle where she was sitting, leaning against a rock.

Her injuries had healed remarkably well since she'd been shot by those slavers, but Rachi was still unsteady on her feet and required Sabé's assistance with walking.

"Let's not kill any wildlife, shall we, darling?" Sabé laughed, helping him stand once more. "Get a feel for it, all right? I'll just be over there." She pointed towards Rachi and Caleb nodded distractedly, still focused on the blaster.

"You're making a monster."

Sabé spared Rachi a smile at that, dropping down to sit beside her. "If one more Jedi can know their way around a blaster, the world will be a much better place."

"They still preaching how uncivilized it is?" Rachi asked archly and Sabé's answering grin was all she needed to know she was right. "The Coruscanti Jedi are too straight-laced, if you ask me."

"Are you going to be the one to tell the High Council that?" Sabé sounded somewhere caught between dark amusement and disdain, not towards Rachi, but the High Council.

"I don't plan on it, but who knows, maybe they could use some truth in their faces." Rachi gave a careless shrug, and it didn't jar her injuries too much, so she was doing pretty well.

Sabé's eyes drifted out of focus as she watched Caleb fire the blaster. "You know Caleb asked me if I'd ever go back there…I don't think I want to."

"Then don't." Rachi's lekku swayed as she turned her head towards Sabé. "You don't owe them anything. You gave up being a Jedi for a good reason, well, maybe not being a Jedi, but being something that falls more in line with what the Coruscanti Jedi expect Jedi to be." Rachi rolled her eyes with emphasis and Sabé's lips curved. "I don't think that you're not a Jedi…you're just a different type of Jedi, like the first Jedi, the Je'daii that you believe so much in. Finding fault in their progenitor is their problem, not yours."

"We're getting a bit philosophical over here, Rachi." Sabé's golden eyes were glittering and Rachi found that the color suited Sabé far more than the brown ever had.

"Considering how you and Caleb banter back and forth? This should be a kriffing highlight of your day, Sabé."

That made Sabé laugh. Everything about her was so unorthodox and it made the longing ache for Rachi to be reunited with her fellow Altisian Jedi ease. Sabé was an easy person to like and an even easier one to constantly debate with. Djinn Altis was probably the one that knew the most about the Jedi Order's ancient history, but after listening to Sabé talk, she wasn't so sure.

"So…the Tann Province isn't too far away," Rachi mentioned mildly. She'd looked up where each of the settlements were on Ryloth, outside of the capitol. She'd been taken from Ryloth when she was very small, and she'd barely remembered any of her childhood before she was brought to the Temple. "And it's remote and well hidden…how did you even know about it, let alone where to find it in the first place?"

"I was on Ryloth once for several months, made friends with the local rebels." Sabé shrugged carelessly like it was old news. "I was a fresh-faced Jedi Shadow back then, I hadn't developed the art of creating new identities for myself when on missions. I was partnered with a woman named Ises during our rebel incursions…I was there when she married Cham Syndulla."

Rachi's gave sharpened at that. General Cham Syndulla was well known by now. In the Core Planets she was sure he was looked down on for his radical views, but she'd seen enough of Ryloth to know that the people on the planet that weren't high-born or fed with a silver spoon looked up to Cham, he was a resistance fighter and a revolutionary leader. Senator Orn Free Taa might be able to convince Coruscant that Cham Syndulla was dangerous, but he'd never be able to say it to the people he supposedly represented (there was a reason Taa lived exclusively on Coruscant, and it was because of fear, the coward).

"So, you've got a lot of friends in very high places."

Sabé bared her teeth in a grin. "Ah, the life of a Shadow."

Rachi shook her head, her lekku swaying slightly. "Can I ask you something personal?"

"You can try."

Rachi's lips twisted faintly. "You're still technically a master to a padawan…did you really just up and tell her you weren't coming back?"

Sabé frowned briefly. "Talik was already under a separate Jedi when I returned from the Dark Side. I entrusted her to Aayla Secura years ago in the event something went wrong when I was on a Shadow mission. She's been looked after, and she recognizes my stance on returning to the Temple, even if she doesn't agree with it."

It sounded kind of selfish to Rachi, just straight up abandoning a padawan, one that you'd raised, to traipse across the known galaxy, but she didn't share the same experiences as Sabé did. Rachi wasn't part of half-baked prophecy that caused her to be scrutinized so intently that she suppressed the Force to the point of becoming physically ill. She wasn't treated like the lowest of the low for willingly falling to the Dark Side to protect ancient knowledge in the form of a holocron.

Sabé had more balls than the entire High Council put together and Rachi was kind of a little impressed by her attitude.

"We'll meet again," Sabé said with certainty, "I'll see her make Knighthood even if it's the only time I ever return to Coruscant."

She gave a rather distinct grimace as she said 'Coruscant' and Rachi was sure there was a story there.

"Taria's probably fretting," Sabé muttered to herself, eyes clouding as they drifted out of focus. "I was supposed to comm her, but I got sidetracked and then blown out of the sky…she's probably guessing what happened to me."

Rachi arched an eyebrow and Sabé explained. "Taria's one of the Jedi Shadows, we were in communication when I was attacked by some Dark Jedi, and when I finally made it into hyperspace, the man I used to answer to as a Shadow thought dropping me out of hyperspace and blowing me out of the sky to get the holocron was a good idea." Sabé rolled her eyes, dropping back into the sand.

"Mom?"

Sabé hummed to let Caleb know she was listening as he moved to stand beside her, leaning over her with a furrowed brow. Rachi thought it was adorable that she was letting the kid call her 'Mom'. It did make sense, and they looked similar enough -both being brunettes and having a similar style of clothes that Rachi was pretty sure had once been Sabé's but somehow had ended up being too small- that they could pull it off, and, she supposed, it was less dangerous for a mother and son than two unrelated people to be traveling through the desert of Ryloth.

"What happens when Master Maw gets back to the Temple?"

"Master Maw," Sabé's mouth curled distastefully around the name, "is going to keep a low profile and going to do what he always does, play the part of a good Jedi…he'll keep his cards close to his chest if he's as good of a Shadow as he trained me to be, and he is very good."

But secrets could only be kept for so long, Rachi knew that better than most, and she also knew that people were only safe as long as they were kept oblivious. The second a secret became known, any shield that naivety provided failed in that exact moment. Secrets had power too, a Shadow would know that best.

Rachi glanced down at Sabé. There was a calculating glint in her eye that she liked, that told her that Sabé wasn't giving up, that she hadn't lost the fight, that she might have a new scar or two, but Maw had failed in his objective; the holocron remained in her possession.

Sabé was already preparing for another plan of attack and Rachi knew immediately that this Sabé, the one that had learned to balance the Light and Dark Side within her, was not one to cross.


The wind was whipping sand into the air and the guards could see a lone figure moving through the dunes with practiced ease, this was someone who knew exactly where they were going and had to have at least some experience with the terrain. Almost no one knew how to get to Tann Province outside those that actually lived inside it, someone maneuvering with ease towards the entrance was startling.

The unknown figure was dressed simply, they might've been a mechanic, with a scarf wound around their head and a strange mask shielding their face. They weren't a Twi'lek, that was for sure, they were missing the distinctive lekku.

They made the guards nervous, but as soon as they came within range of being shot with their blaster rifles, their arms went up. It was plain eerie, like they knew exactly when the blasters were trained on them, like they knew exactly how far away they needed to be to keep themselves from being shot.

One of the guards called for a scout to be sent out before descending the turret themselves as the figure was brought to the edge of the establishment, still with their hands up.

One of them, it was easy to see, was not made of flesh.

"She doesn't have anything on her," the scout said, his twileki fluid and clearly an attempt to keep whoever the woman was from listening in, but she merely canted her head to the side.

"I'm here to speak with Syndulla," the woman said in the same tongue, her accent rougher than native speakers but the words clear enough to get her point across.

"No one gets to see Syndulla," one of the guards said sharply, leveling a blaster at her head, though she didn't seem perturbed or even to notice the blaster. "You could be an assassin, or a spy, or—"

"Clearly you've never met either and haven't been on patrol long enough," she said dryly, "there are easier positions to exploit in Tann Province. I could've snuck in through them instead, but I didn't, because I'm nice like that. I know both Syndulla, so I'm not fussy which one you grab, but I'm not leaving until I speak with one of them."

"Maybe they won't speak with you," the scout offered and the woman dropped her hands in order to pull the mask from her face and then the scout, Firith Valla started. Because he remembered that face, with browner eyes, one scar less, and hair far longer.

"Koyi," he said, eyes wide, switching to Basic, "run over to Cham, tell him an old friend has come for a visit."

"You know this woman, Firith?"

Firith nodded. "This is the freedom fighter, Sabé Amidala, she helped keep our people safe for many months."

"Just short of a year." Sabé's grin was identical to the one Firith remembered. Her eyes were breathtakingly golden; it was a unique color, especially on her. "You look well, Firith."

"Ah, got all my limbs at least." He never needed to worry about insulting Sabé in that department, she'd never taken offense to his pointing out her lack of an arm. "I see you got a new arm. Suits you."

Sabé's lips curved into a smile as she lifted the mechno arm. "Made it myself, actually." She grinned sheepishly. "I blew apart the old one, if you'd believe it."

"Somehow I remain unsurprised," Firith said in such a deadpan that Sabé threw back her head and laughed. "So, what's new with you?"

"I'm kinda on my own now, but I'm allied with the House Renliss—" His eyes sparked with intrigue at that and he opened his mouth to speak, but Sabé was continuing on. "—I've got two kids now, one's a Twi'lek."

She pulled out an imagecaster to show him. Firith wasn't too surprised, after all, Sabé always did have a bit of a maternal air about her, it wasn't surprising to find she had children now. "Talik's the girl, Caleb's the boy."

"The boy take after you?" Firith guessed so, he was humanoid and the girl wasn't.

"You'd be surprised," Sabé remarked wryly, her eyes glittering. "They're the light of my life. Talik's inherited what some people might call my worst qualities, you know, rebelling against authority, giving people a face full of truth that they don't want to see…Caleb's got my inquisitive nature."

Firith was grinning. "Your worst qualities, huh? Whoever said that?"

Sabé was laughing again, a bright and clear sound. Firith used to hear it all the time in the midst of celebrations, clinking her glass with Ises' as they celebrated together. Firith thought he could hardly remember a time when she hadn't been in the presence of either Syndulla (though, Ises had been of the clan Afan before her marriage to Cham). They had had an easy partnership and experience had been gained on all sides.

Firith never did know how she could abruptly appear and disappear from their lives, like a ghost. "So, that's all you've been doing? Getting laid and killing targets?"

"What else is there?" Sabé smirked. "I reconciled with my sister, so that was good, we were on bad terms for years before we had a good talk."

"Weren't you a Jedi?"

Firith couldn't quite name the expression that clouded over Sabé's eyes. "Yeah…got myself thrown out…" She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

"I didn't know you could get thrown out of the Jedi Order," Firith couldn't help but gape. "What'd you do?"

"Apparently being a being with flaws is intensely frowned upon." Sabé rolled her eyes. "Who knew, right? They thought some of the choices I made were a bit misaligned from what Jedi should be, so I was exiled…I think they're expecting me to come back and grovel, but could you ever see me doing that?"

Firith snorted. "No," he said with absolute certainty. "So, is that why you're here? Come to help the cause again?"

Sabé made a so-so gesture. "We actually got marooned here. A Dark Jedi shot us out of the sky. I'm hoping I can help you guys enough to barter my way off the planet."

Cham was very big on fair trades, it was something he'd actually picked up from Sabé.

"Sounds like you."

She spared him a wry grin at the sound of approaching feet and a voice. "Ah! My friend! You are the last one I expected to find in Tann Province!"

Cham's orange skin seemed almost flushed with delight at his lekku as he strode forward to grin at her before wrapping Sabé in a swift embrace that she responded to, winding her arms around his back, laughing as he lifted her clear off her feet.

"Cham, you're looking well," Sabé managed to force out a bit breathlessly from the tightness of his hug.

"As are you…come, come! Are you alone?"

"I'm traveling with my son and my partner's sister," Sabé told him without a hint of the lie, "but I thought it was best for me at approach the entrance alone. Shall I call them?"

"Son? Now this I must see!" Cham's eyes glowed and Sabé laughed, pulling a small light from her belt and flashed it.

They were at a distance too great for it to be seen, but somehow three figures approached slowly, one with an obvious limp and the other rather small in comparison, and another had a domed head and rolled through the dunes (it took Firith an embarrassingly long time to realize that it was a droid and not a person)

The lavender-skinned Twi'lek moved like she was in pain and too stubborn to admit it, Firith knew the type, but the child garnered his interest more.

So, this was Sabé Amidala's son? They shared the same color for hair, but that was where their likeness ended. Sabé's cheeks had a healthy tan from the sun, but the boy's were practically bronzed -his skin appeared to be naturally darker than hers- and his eyes were bright like turquoise. But he came to her side, quiet and shy, pressing into her leg.

Sabé ran a hand comfortingly through the boy's hair and he seemed to relax. "Cham Syndulla, this is my son, Caleb. And this is Rachi."

Cham considered them both with intrigue, though Caleb got more of the attention as Sabé's son. His small fingers curled into her shirt. "Any friends or family of Sabé are welcome with us," he said to the pair and Rachi's eyes flicked towards Sabé, her body stuttering, the lightsaber at her hip swinging with the movement. "Would you like some assistance, Lady Jedi?"

"I'll manage," Rachi bit out.

Cham gave a conceding nod before gesturing inside. "It's been ages, Sabé, but I don't think this is a social visit?"

"Would you ever expect a social visit from me?" Sabé laughed, keeping a hand holding Caleb's as they walked. Firith wasn't sure if that was for the boy's sake, because he had been looking increasingly uneasy as he found himself surrounded by people he didn't know, or for Sabé, to keep him out of trouble. He must've been a pretty sheltered kid, but Sabé struck him as more the type to drop kick her kids into trouble to see how they'd handle it. "As it turns out, our ship was shot out of the sky a few weeks ago, its made getting off the planet difficult and you know how I feel about the capitol—"

"The same as I do, I gather."

She smiled. "I was hoping to trade my services for a way off Ryloth."

"You always did like bartering," Cham said, but his words were almost fond. "As it happens, there is currently a humanoid under our employ that's been helping us with our splicing network. You'll probably be able to catch a ride with her off the planet." He paused, glancing back towards Sabé with enough interest that Sabé raised an eyebrow. "Actually, you look a great deal alike."

Sabé opened her mouth, her brow furrowed, but that was when a voice caught her attention.

"Sabé?" Stunned surprise and relief, all rolled into one.

Sola hadn't changed much since the last time Sabé had seen her younger sister, she was of the same height with the same smile, though she looked significantly less like single mother and more like someone that might shoot you if you asked where her husband was. There was a blaster strapped to her thigh and a datapad in her hand.

"Sola?" Sabé hugged her sister in delight. "It's so good to see you! I didn't think you'd be on Ryloth!"

"I'm contracting," Sola gave a sheepish smile as she released Sabé. "House Renliss hasn't okayed me for assassinations yet."

It was so strange to see how far they'd come…and to think Sabé used to be a loyal Jedi and Sola used to be a simple housewife. So much had changed since then, the good with the bad.

"There is so much I have to tell you," Sola said, eyes flicking from Sabé's strangely colored eyes to the child at her side. "And so much you have to tell me, too."

Sabé smiled with so much feeling it nearly threatened to split her face. "You have no idea."


AN: Sola's character trajectory is so interesting for me because she wasn't even supposed to be little more than an occasionally mentioned character, but she's in more of a supporting role now.

Cham is a bit more approachable before the war and before his wife's death :)

At least Sabé and Caleb are closer to getting off Ryloth now.

As always: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!