Hey guys here is the next update of this fanfic.

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Chapter Twenty

A Rising Complication

Ellana walked out of the tent with a light frown upon her features as she took in what she was seeing in front of her. Her Master was there as well as the Keeper as the people of the clan which were talking to each other but her eyes were drawn toward the elven man that was with them. The familiarity hit her like a slap to the face as she faltered in her steps, as she came to realize who she was looking at. He was injured from the bruises he had upon his form, his bow upon his back but he was alive.

"…We will have to return to Odessa," Her Master was saying, "That way the Jedi may be able to find out more on what is going on."

"I understand," Keeper Deshanna said with nod, her shoulders dropping.

"It is worth it Keeper," Mahanon said, "the Jedi will be able to help immensely."

Ellana had reached them now.

"Master, you dealt with what we sensed?" she asked.

Mahanon stilled at the sound of her voice, before instantly turning toward her direction, his eyes widening lightly at the sight of her. It was like he couldn't believe that it was actually her standing right here in front of him. A soft smile appeared upon his lips as he met her eyes, and Ellana find herself returning it, glad to see him again after all those years.

Master Solana glanced at her as well, her eyes taking in the new addition that was upon her skin for a brief moment before nodding at her.

"I did," she said, "Batarian slavers…I managed to stop one ship, however…the others managed to leave the Planet none the wiser."

Ellana can feel only shock at those words. She had come across the Batarians before, and had rescued people that were taken as captives and hostages. It disgusts her that a species like the Batarians was allowed to exist when slavery seems to be their main source of incomes.

"How did they managed this?" she asked.

Her Master shook her head, her eyes seems darken lightly.

"I don't know," she said, "I hope the would-be slavers I captured will have more to tell the Council. We need to leave immediately."

"Of course, Master," Ellana said, her eyes glancing at Mahanon.

Her Master noticed the glance, but said nothing as she turned her attention toward the transport that was waiting for them, and on them were three Batarian who were unconscious.

"You are a lot taller than before," was Mahanon's first words to her.

Ellana chuckled.

"And you're a lot shorter," she answered.

He answered her chuckle.

"Ellana, I'm sorry I wasn't here," he said, "I wanted to be your Witness but…"

Ellana simply gave him a light hug, not enough to hurt him despite his injuries but to feel the light warmth and love she felt for him as his surrogate daughter. She felt him freeze for a brief moment, but then returned the hug, his arms encircling her form, gently squeezing her.

"You've grown well," he said softly.

Ellana stepped back from the hug, smiling up at him. It lightened her heart so much to see him again, despite his injuries. His eyes took notice of the Vallaslin now that was upon her forehead, and one of his fingers gently touched it.

"The Mark of Mythal," he said, "Fitting…considering what you and the Jedi do."

She looked at him, and she remembers why he was wounded. Her smile dimmed as resolution took root within her heart. She met his gaze evenly.

"Then I will deliver Mythal's justice to those slavers," she told him, "I promise you that. Our people will not suffer the chains of slavery no longer."

He nodded at her.

"I know you will," he said, looking at her, a touch of pride in his gaze, "It seems we both have our duties to accomplish."

"We do," Ellana spoke out to him, "But…it was nice to see you again Mahanon."

The man chuckled at her.

"Me as well," he told her.

She smiled again at him, before walking toward her Master and climbing into the transport that was waiting for her. She chanced a glance back toward him and the rest of her clan, knowing that this would probably be the last time she saw them for a long while.


The Mabari was in hyperspace when Master Solana send out the missive toward the Jedi Council and only a few Masters were there to answer her call. Master Mahariel, Master Carlyle and Master Ella T'Varl. The others were probably not at the Temple to answer the call that she had sent out.

The three holoform were seating down upon their chairs as they looked at them and Ellana knew that they were at the Council Chambers.

"We received your priority alert message," Master Mahariel told her with a light frown, "Has something happened on Elvhenan?"

"Yes Masters," Solana spoke out, "While on the Planet, my Padawan and I felt a disturbance in the Force upon the planet. When I investigated, I discovered that Batarians slavers had been capturing the people of the planet in cargo ships."

"Batarian slavers?" Master Ella said, the Asari shocked expression visible for all, "This far in the Traverse?"

"Indeed," Solana said, "I have three prisoners ready for interrogation. From the information I have gained out their ship, the Batarians never made a move this bold before not since the Skyllian Blitz."

"I agree," Master Carlyle spoke out, a frown upon his features, "Something is happening in Batarian space. I will have our people investigate what it could be, and your prisoners might give us a clearer picture."

He looked up at them.

"If the Batarian are doing something like this on Elvhenan," he continued, "It might be the same on other worlds among the Traverse or even Council Space."

Solana nodded.

"Very well Master," she said, "We will be arriving on Odessa soon."

"We shall see you then," Master Mahariel spoke out, "May the Force guide you."

"You as well, Masters."

The holo disappeared. Ellana leaned back into her chair as she frowned at the thought of Batarian offensive going on. It didn't make any type of sense for them to be suddenly so bold.

"What do you think could have changed Master?" she asked glancing at the woman beside her.

"Difficult to say," Solana answered with a frown, "I would think that after the Blitz and the Terran retaliation at Torfan, that would have curled the Batarian's presence ever since they've withdrew from Council Space…we thought that would at least tamper them…but it seems that they've used that time to grow their strength…"

Ellana frowned lightly at that.

"We have to find the Elvhen they've taken," she said, "I won't allow my people to suffer slavery again."

Her Master gave her a look.

"They won't," the blonde woman told her, "I promise you that."

Ellana gave a swift nod focusing upon the swirl of hyperspace in front of her. She knows that anger and rage could cause imbalance within a Jedi and yet, she couldn't help but feel anger at the Batarians for causing her people such feelings within her people. How dare they come to her home and do such a thing…

A presence in the Force soothed against her own, a touch, as gentle as it was relaxing. It drew her from her dark thoughts toward her Master who had a concerned gaze upon her features. Of course, she was projecting again and her Master had sensed it…sensed the imbalance within her.

"Forgive me Master…," she said.

The woman simply raised a hand, and she fell quiet.

"I don't blame you for it," she said, "However, we may feel such powerful things but we cannot hold on to it otherwise will fester into something more poisonous and far darker than we can handle. What we can do is feel it, allow it to past and then release it into the Force…don't hold unto it."

Ellana joined her hands upon her lap.

"And I have been holding on to it," she said, "Holding on to my feelings."

Her Master didn't say anything, but Ellana didn't need her to. She had realized what she was doing earlier as the dark thoughts had passed through her mind. She let out a breath, allowing herself to feel the emotions just as her Master had instructed her, however, she didn't allow them to fester nor burrow like she was doing before. She allowed herself to feel them and then, released the emotions into the Force.

It was almost like a meditation in itself.

She went through the exercise many times, allowing herself to feel pain for her people, anger for what had happened, rage against the Batarians for their way of slaving and each time she felt it, she released the emotion into the Force. Ellana allowed herself to be freed of the burden the emotions had given her, allowing herself to be a Jedi once more.

When she opened her eyes again, not realizing that she had closed them in her light meditation, she felt lighter, centered once more, as she had felt before her arrival on Elvhenan.

She breathed deeply and slowly again, before glancing at her Master.

"My people will have justice Master," she said, "That is what we will bring upon the Batarians who did this."

Master Solana gave her a brief smile, knowing that she was right again.

"And we will Padawan."

They both turned forward once more.

When they arrived on Odessa, the Temple Guards were already standing in attention waiting for them to step out of the ship with the prisoners they have taken. The three Batarians were taken by the Guards while Master Mahariel stood there with a frown upon her features as she was observing them.

"Master," Solana greeted.

"Master Carlyle and Ella have already contacted the rest of the Council about this," the Elvhen woman spoke out, "If the Batarians are mounting an operation like this, then words should have traveled around."

Master Solana nodded at her.

"We might be able to find information from the ones Master captured," Ellana spoke out.

"They will be questioned," Master Mahariel told her, "You won't need to worry about that."

"I have also taken information from the ship's computer," Solana spoke out, "I have taken what I believe to be important on my Omni-tool, and I am willing to share it with the Council."

"Good," Master Mahariel spoke out, "We will have a meeting soon enough, and the more information we have about this, the clearer the picture of this new situation will be."

"Of course, Master," both Ellena and Master Solana echoed.

She took them up toward the Council Chambers where the rest of the Masters were already waiting for their arrival, thought they were some holograms within the room showing a Jedi standing within it. The Jedi turned toward their entrance both of his hands behind his back, his eyes taking them in.

"Master Solana, Padawan Ellana welcome back," Grandmaster Carlyle spoke out from his seat, "I had hoped that this trip to Elvhenan would have been a simple one but it seems that they are more at work than we think based on what you told us earlier."

Ellana glanced around the room as Master Mahariel walked toward her seat. The full Council was present for this meeting, though some of them were here in hologram form as they were still on assignment elsewhere in the galaxy.

"You said you had more information to share with us Knight Solana?" a male Drell spoke, his holoform seating on Master Carlyle's left.

His name was Ezlin, a Jedi Master who had served on the Council for the past seven years. He was still new to the position, however, if he was elected to seat upon the Jedi Council then he had earned it.

"Yes," Solana spoke out, "When I had defeated the Batarians on Elvhenan and freed the prisoners, I managed to gain much information from the ship's computers. I hadn't had the time to truly go over them however, the cliff notes that I have gotten was that the ship had been traveling around the galaxy…mostly in the Terminus System."

As she was speaking, she lights up her Omni-tool and projected a hologram for all the Council to observe and study. It was a map of the galaxy at least part of it as far as Ellana could see. They were planets highlighted upon the map as well as a travel path between them. From behind the Council, shutter closed upon the windows, plunging the room into a semi-darkened state so that the image in front of them could be clearer.

"These planets are the ones that the ship had been through before reaching Elvhenan," her Master continued.

"This ship had been all over the Traverse from the looks of it," Ella said, her eyes narrowing, "Making a lot of stops on random planets. Where you able to tell if they were after people to take."

"No, I wasn't," Master Solana said, "However, given what they were doing on Elvhenan, we have no doubt that was their purpose."

A silence fell within the room as they observed the map in front of them.

"How peculiar," a male voice said.

Ellana's eyes were drawn toward the brown-haired man seating on the far left. His eyes were a dark green as he was observing the map in front of him almost as if he was seeing something else upon the map.

"Something to add Master Jinn?"

"The ship…it never entered Batarian space," he said, "Given who was responsible, you would think that it will be going and entering Batarian space and yet…it hadn't."

The Masters observed the map, longer.

"I wondered about that," the Jedi standing beside Ellana in the holo spoke out, "It could be an organization based in the Terminus System. It is crawling with the types that will be doing this, however, given Jedi presence in the Frontier, this could be something that they're doing quietly as a way of not raising alarm."

"Then, the Hegemony is not behind this?" Ellana asked, tilting her head lightly.

"They might still be," Master Jinn spoke out, "Did you find any communication history upon the ship?"

Master Solana shook her head.

"No," she said, "The comms was short range as far as I could tell. They only talked between the ships attacking the planet, not to someone far away."

"I'll send some people to check out these planets," the standing Jedi spoke out, "They might be something there that might give us more clue into what is happening."

"Of course, Tyrion," Master Carlyle told him.

The Jedi, Tyrion gave a bow before his image disappeared.

"Then, we will have to wait on what our prisoners will tell us," another Master said, his blue eyes looking at them, "They might give us some more insight into this puzzle."

He was an Atlasian, with long white hair falling upon his shoulder, pale skin and bright blue eyes of his people. He was also gorgeous as well, as all Atlasian seems to have that unnatural beauty about themselves as a species. His name was Master Kolte Wandus. He looked to be in his late thirties at best from his appearance as he was frowning from where he sat.

"That seems to be the case," Ella said sighing softly, "The Temple Guards should be able to gain information from him soon."

"Then this meeting is adjourned," Master Carlyle spoke out looking at them all, "May the Force guides us."


New complications rising...

Next Time: Shifting Winds

Jacques0 out.

R&R