Summary
Ahsoka and friends make their plans on Atollon.
Ahsoka and Padme talk to Jinn about Darth Vader.
The team travels to the Unknown Region.
Obi-Wan tries to meditate and gets a call from a friend.
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46.
Ahsoka gave Maul a suspicious glance but joined the others. They were seated on mats on the floor inside the large hollow coral. She saw that Rex, Jesse, Appo and Fives were also present but remained standing against the wall beside Slick. Ahsoka had to admit it was a strange gathering. She never thought she'd see Padme and Maul sitting next to each other. Or the fact that Maul was even in a room with Obi-Wan without trying to kill him. However, she knew the truce between them was all Jinn's doing.
She was relieved when she saw Ventress sit on the other side of Padme. She realized she had a lot more trust in the ex-assassin then the horned Sith. Ezra and Barriss sat next to Obi-Wan. It looked like everyone was present. Ahsoka decided to was time to start the meeting.
"To bring everyone up to speed, let me quickly summarize what's happened so far. While Rex and I were on Coruscant, we ran into Anakin. I told him that I no longer believe that we can bring Palpatine to justice. He's influence is too great. Anakin wanted to confront Palpatine personally. Rex and I tried to stop him, but it resulted in us being branded as traitors for attempting to assassinate the Chancellor. Anakin then decided to go after Dooku to confirm Palpatine's ties to the Separatists. However, Anakin was captured by Dooku on Geonosis. I believe Dooku took him somewhere in the Unknown Region. I believe that if we journey to the Unknown Region together, then we can rescue him."
Jinn rubbed his beard and said, "You are missing a very important point, Miss Tano. Anakin didn't help you fight Palpatine when he went to confront him. I fear that his hesitation is a sign that he may decide to join the Sith."
Ahsoka narrowed her white marked brows and said, "Not if we recuse him first."
Jinn shook his head and said, "It's clearly a trap."
Resigned, she said, "I know, but we can't leave him."
Obi-Wan said, "I agree with Ahsoka. Regardless of Anakin's hesitation, we must try to rescue him. Together, I'm sure we would be more than a match for Dooku."
Maul frowned and leaned forward and said, "Aren't you letting your feelings cloud your judgment? I understand that Skywalker is your former apprentice and your master, but are you really going to take an army to go save one man? Don't you think we should be going after Darth Sidious together instead?"
Ventress huffed and said, "Who would have guessed that Maul would be the voice of reason?"
Padme turned to Maul and said, "You're right. It would make more sense to go after Darth Sidious, but I plan to go rescue Anakin with or without your help."
The Sith said, "Then you are a fool. What do expect to do against Dooku when you confront him? Debate?"
Ahsoka said, "Padme isn't going alone. I'm going too. And if you don't like it then you can stay. No one is forcing you to go."
Maul glared at her and said, "I don't take orders from you, Lady Tano."
"Enough," interrupted Jinn. "Master Maul is here because I invited him. We have an agreement and that should be good enough for you, Miss Tano. As for recusing Skywalker, of course we'll go recuse him. Miss Padme, Miss Tano and Obi-Wan can make up the recuse party. Maul, Bridger, and I can make up the assault team and focus on slaying Dooku. This way we can kill two birds with one stone."
Ventress said, "And what about the rest of us?"
Jinn replied, "I want you to continue removing the chips from the clones and administering the cure for accelerating aging. Our run in with Grievous has set us back."
Rex said, "What about the 501st?"
Obi-Wan said, "They can handle any of Dooku's forces when we arrive. However, we will be at a disadvantage since we don't know what we're getting into until we arrive."
Rex said, "That won't be a probably. The 501st can handle anything."
Ahsoka nodded her head and said, "Alright, sounds like a plan. We'll leave immediately. Dismissed."
XXX
Ahsoka waited until everyone left the hollow coral before approaching Jinn. She saw that Padme had remained behind as well. She joined her to go greet him. The amber Jedi politely bowed his head to them both.
"How can I be of serve, ladies?"
The Togruta teen said, "Did your father ever tell you how Anakin fell?"
Jinn briefly closed his eyes and sighed. He then locked eyes with Ahsoka and said, "Yes."
"Can you tell us what happened?"
"I must warn you first that events might be completely different from your timeline, Miss Tano."
Ahsoka said, "Yes, I understand but I never knew how my Anakin fell. I was wondering if your story can help us shed light on how to prevent this Anakin from falling."
Padme stepped forward and said, "Please, anything information could be useful."
Jinn gripped the hilt of his sword and said, "Very well. Skywalker was plagued by terrible nightmares. He dreamt that his wife would die during childbirth. He thought the dreams were a premonition. He vowed to try and stop the dream from coming true. He became desperate. He had no one to turn to since his relationship with his wife was taboo. Sidious exploited his fear. He gave him a false promise that if he joined him then he would learn how to save someone after death. He felt that the Jedi had kept the secret from him. He thought that they didn't care about his suffering. In the end, Skywalker grew paranoid. He trusted no one, only Sidious. In the end, his wife did die during childbirth and my father fought him and maimed him. My father couldn't bring himself to kill him. As a result, Skywalker became a Sith with no family and trapped inside a body that can no longer survive without a special suit. Hate became the only thing he had left."
Padme was shaken and said, "That's horrible. I can't let that happen to Ani."
Ahsoka lowered her gaze. She had no idea that Anakin had suffered so much. Though, Jinn's story did help her understand the source of Vader's hatred. She hoped that a better understanding of events would help her prevent his fall.
Jinn cut her thoughts short when he said, "I'm sorry but I don't share your sympathy for Skywalker. In my timeline, I have only ever known him as a Sith. His fall only caused my father grief."
Padme said, "If that's how you feel then why did you agree help us rescue him?"
Jinn's gaze turned inward as he spoke. "It would be wrong to judge a man for a crime he didn't commit. Though, it's hard to separate my past from this present. I also owe him an apology. The last time we spoke, I lashed out and hurt him needlessly. Though, I'm also doing it for Obi-Wan's sake. There may be no love between us, but I know there is between them."
Padme smiled and placed her hand on his shoulder. She had never really spoken to Jinn before, but she realized he was actually a very kind person. He was a lot more empathetic than she realized.
"Thank you, Master Jinn."
Jinn awkwardly bowed his head and said, "Yes, well if you'll excuse me ladies, I need to have a word with my wife before we leave."
As the two women watched Jinn leave the coral, Padme turned to Ahsoka and said, "We need to save him."
Ahsoka placed her hand on her shoulder and said, "Don't worry. We will."
XXX
It wasn't long before Ahsoka and her friends were on their way to the Unknown Region. She felt more confident that they would exceed in saving Anakin with their help. However, she couldn't help but be worried about Anakin. Jinn said Anakin's hesitation meant he was falling to the Dark side, and she was afraid that he might be right.
Meanwhile, in Obi-Wan's quarters, the Jedi Master had similar worries of his own. Obi-Wan knew that Dooku had tortured Jinn. He feared that Dooku might be showing Anakin the same hospitality. He tried to clear his mind with some meditation. He was sitting on the floor of his quarters with his legs folded beneath him with his eyes closed. However, he was finding it difficult to concentrate.
Obi-Wan suddenly heard his comm beep.
"Yes?"
"Is that anyway to answer your comm, gallant knight?"
Startled, Obi-Wan got up from the floor and moved to sit on his bunk instead. He raised his comm up on his wrist and said, "Oh, Thea. What a surprise."
"Have I caught you at a bad time?"
"No, no. Your call is a welcome distraction."
"Oh, then I am relieved. I want to learn more about the Jedi. I plan to visit the Temple on Coruscant soon. I wanted to know if the Temple welcome visitors."
"Yes, I'm sure you can get someone to answer your questions. Is there something specific you wanted to know?"
"I'm curious about the Force."
"Well, the Force is an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together. I assume you know this since you are able to use the Force."
"I do, but I suppose what I really want to know is how similar Jedi powers are to my own powers."
Obi-Wan placed his hand on his beard and said, "Oh, well I suppose we can't be that different. Why don't you tell me what your abilities are?"
"It might be easier if I can show you. Can you meet me in the Beyond?"
"The what?"
"It's-never mind. Find a place to sit with your eyes closed and I'll find you."
"Wait-"
Suddenly, Obi-Wan's comm connection was cut off. Bewildered, he supposed he had no choice but to comply. He sat back down on the floor with his legs folded underneath him and closed his eyes. He had a feeling she was referring to the in-between world that Jinn had brought him to so they could create their bond. However, he had his doubts that it would work. Jinn had created the bond while he was standing in front of him. Meanwhile, Thea was lightyears away and they once met in person once. Normally, it would be difficult to find a connect with someone through the Force.
He startled to feel like a fool for even trying when a hand touched his shoulder. Stunned, he opened his blue eyes and saw that Thea was bent down in front of him. He got up and saw that they were in the in-between world. The world around them was dark and featureless and covered in mist. Thea smiled. Her red eyes glowed in the darkness.
"You don't look surprised. You've been here before."
"Yes. My friend has the ability to reach this place."
"You mean the one that looks like you. Jinn. The one you think is too close to young Bridger."
"Yes. However, he isn't the only master guilty of growing too close to their apprentice. I fear that my attachment to my former apprentice has done him more harm than good."
Thea said, "I can't speak for your apprentice, but as a war-maiden who has led a life without attachments, I can tell you that such a life isn't good. Come, this place is gloomy."
She offered him her hand. Obi-Wan hesitated for a moment but took it. In an instant, a gust of wind threw through the dark mist and suddenly Obi-Wan found himself on Mandalore. They were standing on a balcony. It was night and the city was lit up with lights. Obi-Wan stepped away from Thea and walked towards the railing of the balcony. It felt solid and real. Even the air felt cool and full of sounds from the city below them.
"How is this possible?"
Thea stood beside him and said, "It's not hard if you follow the thread. I felt your aura back on Lothal. I looked for you in the Force. I brought you to the Beyond. Our auras met. You took my hand. It was the connection."
"And you brought me here to Mandalore."
"Yes."
"Impressive."
"It's only an illusion."
"It's still impressive. Do you have any more tricks up your sleeves?"
Thea drew closer to Obi-Wan. She raised her hand out to him with her palm facing up. She met his eyes and created a flame in the palm of her hand. He took a step back and watched as she curled her fingers around it and the flame turned into a spark of electricity. Thea laughed at Obi-Wan's stunned expression.
"Enough. It's your turn. Show me something impressive, gallant knight."
Obi-Wan looked around. He wasn't sure what he could do, but then he noticed a table on the balcony with a bowl of fruit. He walked over to it and picked up a pear. He then balanced it in the palm of his hand and used the Force to suspend it in midair.
"I'm sure this is child's play to you."
Shocked, Thea gently poked the floating pear and smiled. "No, I'm impressed. I can only move objects I've crafted myself. What's the largest thing you've ever moved?"
Puzzled, he said, "Oh. It's hard to say."
"Can you move a person?"
"Yes."
"Can you lift me?"
Obi-Wan grabbed the floating pear and put it back in the bowl. He rubbed the back of his neck and said, "I could, but Jedi are taught not to abuse their powers."
"Nonsense, but if you can't do it then I understand."
He turned to her and gently used the Force to raise her off the ground and said, "Be careful of what you wish for, my lady."
Thea gasped and dangled her feet. Obi-Wan smiled and raised his hands to use the Force to send her floating around the balcony. Thea laughed and raised her arms out as she flew around. She wasn't wearing a cloak like she had on Lothal. Instead, she only wore the upper body armor that was dark grey with black pants, a top with long sleeves and boots. The only color on her outfit was a red slash she wore around her waist next to her two swords.
After a few minutes, Obi-Wan stopped and set her down in front of him. Thea beamed and raised her hand towards him but hesitated and stopped.
"Oh, sorry. I want to give you my thanks, but I don't know what's appropriate."
"There's no need to thank me. I haven't done anything worthy of your thanks."
"Then, perhaps I can give you a proper greeting instead."
"I think we've already had our introductions."
She shook her head and said, "No, I mean a greeting between war-I mean-people with our abilities. Here, I'll take off my gloves and we press our hands together."
"Alright, if you insist."
Obi-Wan raised his hand and pressed his palm against Thea's hand. Her hand was small and rough from wielding her swords. He appreciated that she wanted to share her culture with him. Her delight and curiosity were refreshing. Then, unexpectedly he felt her drop her Force-shields. Her Force-presence suddenly filled him with fire. He felt the flames reach deep inside him. He saw the flames burning behind her red eyes.
She said, "Now you know me, and I know you."
Obi-Wan dropped his hand. He was shaken. He had never experienced another Force-sensitive's presence so completely before. For a moment, their auras had touched. Thoughts and feelings were shared as one. He had never tried using the Force in such a way. He had only ever used the Force to complete a task. It never even crossed his mind to use the Force in a greeting.
Dumbly, he said, "Yes, I suppose I do."
She said, "And I know you're worried about your friend. You think you might have to fight him, but if you don't want to fight him then don't."
"It isn't as simple as that."
"Then make him listen."
"What if I can't get through to him?"
"The first step is a greeting and I already showed you how to do that."
He smiled and said, "Yes, so you did." He then reached out to take her hand and kissed the back of it and said, "Thank you, my lady."
She returned his smile and said, "My pleasure, gallant knight."
"Obi?"
Thea opened her eyes. She was sitting on the floor of the balcony while meditating. Satine's voice started her, and it broke her concertation. She got up as Satine approached her. She was wearing a pale pink nightgown and a long white robe. Her hair was down and swayed in the cool night breeze.
"Can I help you, Duchess?"
"Oh, Thea. It's strange. I thought I heard you talking to someone out here."
"No, Duchess. No one else is here."
"I guess I'm imagining things. Please, come inside. It's getting cold out here."
"As you wish, Duchess."
XXX
Meanwhile, across the galaxy, Obi-Wan opened his eyes and found himself back inside his quarters on board the ship heading to the Unknown Region. He let out a deep breath. He was relived that Satine hadn't seen him. Though, he wondered if Satine could see him even if she did come out to the balcony. Thea said that him being on Mandalore was an illusion. He doubted that Satine could see him through an illusion. He was glad he didn't get a chance to test that theory.
He laid back on the floor and wondered how he came to feel like he was cheating on Satine with Thea. He had feelings for Satine but he couldn't give up his life as a Jedi to be with her. Thea on the other hand understood him in a way that only another Force-sensitive being could. She also shared her presence with him. It was surprisingly intimate, even more so than the bond he created with Jinn.
He wondered about her advice. He wasn't sure, but maybe her greeting was the key to getting through to Anakin. At the very least, she gave him some hope.
XXX
TBC
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