"We have news." Hera dropped a datapad onto the table, interrupting Ezra and Zeb's game of dejarik. "New mission from Rebel Command."

"Aww, Hera, we were almost done!" Ezra whined, "I was actually going to beat him."

"It's a Jedi survivor. Confirmed Jedi survivor. We've been asked to go in and take a look at the situation, but be ready for immediate extraction."

"Any idea on identity?" Kanan picked up the datapad.

"Female, late thirties to early forties. Fulcrum apparently dropped the case like a primed grenade, so it's been passed to us."

Kanan frowned. "Says confirmed ability is Force-healing. None of our healers would be that young. I know Vokara Che made it out of the temple, but if she survived she'd be in her seventies at least. Do we know why Ahsoka wouldn't take the case?"

"No. She's refusing to tell anyone what's going on. We're supposed to just go in and see what's going on."

"Alright, Chop, set coordinates for…Nisire. Not heard of that one before."

Chopper whined.

"Yes we know you only take orders from Hera. She's about to tell you to do it. Take initiative and just do it."

"Where's Ni-seer?" Ezra unpaused their game, only for Zeb to trounce him as soon as he did.

"Oh I know where that is." Zeb gave him an arrogant look and restarted the game. "It's a system over from Lasan. It's a pretty small planet. Mostly farmers. Empire's ignored it so far. It's only got a single offworld transport and that transport only goes to another planet in the system. Why would a Jedi go there? Why would anyone go there?"

"Probably because you said it like that. Chopper, put the wrench down and plug in the coordinates." Hera gave him a look.

Chopper grumbled, putting down the wrench and trundling away.


Ezra could sense that Kanan was tense. The closer the Ghost drifted to Nisire, the more terse he got.

"Hey Kanan, something wrong?"

"I think I know why Ahsoka wouldn't take the mission."

"Why? What's going on?"

"Around eight months or so before the end of the Clone Wars, a bomb was set off in the Jedi Temple. Ahsoka was…framed for it. By another padawan."

"Who was it?"

"Her best friend. Who fits the description of the person we're looking for. Female, late thirties, healer. I'm not confident, but it's an educated guess. I won't tell you the whole story because it's not mine to tell, but they aren't exactly friends anymore."

"Oh. Why are we still going then? Why didn't you tell Hera?"

"Because I'm not sure. I don't want to jump to any conclusions. But be on your guard. Just in case."

The coordinates they were given took them into the middle of nowhere, except for a small log house with a vegetable garden behind it. Ezra frowned. There was a Force signature inside, but it was muted like someone who wasn't Force-sensitive. And permeated by dull, aching grief.

"Hey Kanan, something weird's going on. Whoever's in there doesn't feel Force-sensitive."

"I feel it too. Keep your guard up."

There were no sounds from the house until they got closer. As Ezra and Kanan came up to the small porch, the door opened and a woman stepped out. Her dark robes were plain, and from that and the dull grey feeling in the Force, Ezra got the distinct impression she was in mourning.

"Well, I guess I can't hide forever." Her tone was resigned and sad, like the rest of her. "I'm glad to see you're alright, Caleb."

"Don't call me that, traitor," Kanan growled.

"If you're here to kill me, I won't put up much of a fight. Don't have my lightsaber, and I haven't touched the Force since I fled the Empire. Might as well get it over with. If you're somehow here to recruit me, I won't go. I…took a vow of nonviolence. I do what good I can for my community in hopes of making reparation."

"Nothing you can do will ever make up for what you've done." Kanan looked ready to lunge at her, but Hera set a hand on his arm and he backed down.

"I know you hate me and you are right to. Even though you cannot possibly hate me more than I hate myself."

Hera stepped in, giving Kanan a look before turning to the woman in the doorway. "We're not here to kill you and we're not here to recruit you either. We're here looking for a surviving Jedi that matches your description. If you're not her, do you know where we could find her?"

"I…am likely the person you're looking for. But I was rightfully expelled from the Order, and thus cannot call myself a Jedi. My name is Barriss Offee." She closed the door and stepped forward to the edge of the porch.

"It's nice to meet you, Miss Offee. Is it okay if we come in? We just want to talk."

"Of course. The Lasat may want to watch his head though. I built this house for me and as you can see I'm not the tallest person."

"Naw, it's alright. I'll wait on the Ghost. Don't like crowded spaces. And besides, if you need to kidnap her, I don't think she'll fight back."

"I wouldn't." Barriss turned away and went inside. As she did, Ezra noticed a white cuff on her wrist and the skin under it looked bruised and burnt. He frowned, but didn't say anything.

The inside of her house was uncomfortably bare, just a small kitchen, couch, and an unlit fireplace with a few pictures framed on the mantle. An open door gave a glimpse into a tiny bedroom that barely had room for a bed and a meditation cushion.

Ezra was starting to get a very uncomfortable feeling that there was much more to the story than Kanan was telling him.

"Does anyone want tea or anything? Feel free to make it yourself if you aren't comfortable with me making it."

"Uh, sure, tea sounds great." Ezra did his best to smile.

"Is it…okay if I make it?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't it be?"

Barriss didn't answer, just pulled down two chipped mugs and set them on the counter. "I only have one type of tea, I hope you don't mind."

"No that's fine."

She leaned down to lift a kettle onto the worn stove and Ezra could have sworn she winced, but she showed no sign she was in pain. Again, when her sleeves slid up he saw the white cuffs on her wrists. Now that he was standing closer, he could see the extent of the scarring and bruises on her forearms. When she pulled the box out of the cupboard, Kanan frowned.

"Uh, don't you hate that kind of tea?"

"I do."

Hera and Kanan shared a look.

Barriss waited for the water to boil and poured it over the teabag in each mug. She brought one over to Ezra and sat down on the couch. "Okay. What do you want to talk about?"

Ezra frowned. His Force empathy was stronger than most people's and he could tell that Barriss really didn't like that tea. And that the mug's handle was slightly too small and pinched her fingers.

"What are you doing all the way out here?" Kanan crossed his arms.

"I had Inquisitors after me. So I wandered from planet to planet until I found someplace I'd never heard of and stayed."

"Why not stick with the Empire? You had everything a person could want." Kanan glared at her. "I'm not buying the repentant act. What's actually going on?"

"You want the whole story, Caleb?" Emotion other than blank resignation leaked into Barriss's voice and it almost sounded like anger.

"Yeah, I do. And don't. Call me that."

"I don't know what else to call you."

"My name is Kanan Jarrus. Use it."

"Alright, Kanan. You asked for the whole story and I can give it. You still won't be happy with it though."

"Of course not. You betrayed the Jedi and killed almost twenty people to make a point."

Barriss lowered her mug, staring into the swirls of her tea. "I didn't kill anyone."

"I was there, Offee. I heard it go off."

"I made a deal with the devil and didn't know what I was promising in return. It gave me exactly what I asked for. And took everything else."


Sixteen Years Ago

This was a dangerous thing she was doing. All her research hadn't told her what the cost might be for her decision. But the war wasn't ending, she was falling apart and she was desperate.

Barriss stared at the massive cavern with a worn altar in front of it. It was clearly a place of worship, though whatever was being worshipped may not deserve the following.

As she approached it, she felt a chill in the air and hugged herself. This place was rank with darkness and every cell in her body screamed at her to turn back.

If only she could still hear them.

"Hello there."

She screamed, stumbling back from the altar. Rising above it was something she didn't know how to describe. It was like a black cloud, but out of it rose a twisted face with black eyes and red pupils and two gnarled hands. It chuckled, leaning closer.

"It's been a very long time since I had any souls come to me."

"They say you can grant boons."

It chuckled. "Well I don't know about simply granting boons. I do need something in return, but yes, I am a giver of wishes. What do you desire? Money, power, love, the deaths of your enemies?"

"No, none of that. I…I'm tired. This war won't end. I'm so tired of all the blood and the pain and stitching men together only to have them blown to pieces again. I never get a break. I want peace."

"Well that's a new one. I don't recall anyone asking for peace before. You want to rest, hm?"

"Please." Her whole body sagged and she fell to her knees. "I can't keep going."

"Alright." It extended one hand and laid an ancient scroll on the altar. "What are you willing to give in exchange?"

"Anything I can," she whispered. "Whatever price you want that I can pay, I'll pay it."

The scroll unrolled on its own and the thing laid a quill next to it. "All you have to do is sign the contract and it will be so."

That was all? Sign her name and it would all be over? Barriss snatched up the quill and scribbled her name where it pointed.

"The bargain is struck." It chuckled and an intense burning pain took over her left forearm. She let out a strangled cry, yanking down her sleeve to see a symbol being burned into her skin. "Your wish is granted."

And then it was gone, taking the scroll and quill with it.

Her arm throbbed, but the burn seemed to have scarred over. It didn't hurt to the touch, but the persistent ache was still there, giving her a taste of what she had really signed over.


At first, it was improving. Suddenly the demand for her help vanished. Even her master remarked on how strange it was that they suddenly had a month free. Barriss let herself breathe a little easier. Maybe the burn was the only payment that thing would take. She had what she asked for.

And then people started walking up to her on the street like she knew them. Oh well, she was forgetful, best just pretend she had any idea who they were. Her master seemed usually terse with her, like she'd said something she shouldn't have, but Barriss remembered none of it. Supposed arguments they'd gotten into that had never happened. At first she thought maybe Luminara was starting to lose it a little. Such things happened when you were as mentally fragile as her master.

But it wasn't just Luminara.

Anakin looked hurt. Ahsoka was confused. Every time she looked at the calendar, days or weeks had passed even though she'd only slept away one night. People started to comment on her rapid, violent mood swings. Master Che had no explanation.

Was she going crazy?

"Barriss, where are you going?"

She frowned. "It's the weekend, out with Ahsoka like usual."

"Barriss, that was five days ago." Luminara looked worried. "Padawan are you alright?"

"Five…days ago?"

"Yes."

"But, yesterday was Friday! I went to sleep late and I overslept and I might be late for our lunch!"

"Barriss, you haven't gone out with Ahsoka in two months. Every time she asks you you say you have other plans."

"She hasn't asked me anything. What are you talking about? W-we went out last week like normal!"

"That was three months ago. Padawan, you're acting strange. You don't remember anything?"

"Remember what?" Barriss was struggling not to hyperventilate. "What happened?"

"Ahsoka asked you what your problem was because you've promised to meet her and then never showed up for a month! And when she tried to talk to you about it, you laughed at her and said she was making things up. And then the day after you acted like you had no idea."

Barriss stared at her hand on the knob, shaking. She bolted for her room, locking the door behind her. She heard Luminara shouting at her, but she didn't answer. Instead she went to her bathroom and splashed water on her face, forcing herself to take deep breaths.

When she looked into the mirror the face that stared back was not her own.

A voice in her mind cackled.

"Thanks so much for lending me your body. It's been so long since I've had a physical form. But I don't need it anymore, so have fun."

"Who are you? What did you do!"

And then nothing happened. Weeks went by without interruptions. Barriss kept a meticulous count of the days and none of them skipped. She made up with her friends and her master, though Anakin was still keeping her at arms' length. The Mind Healers said she was in perfect health, though proper meditation and rest wouldn't do her any harm.

And then the strange blackouts came back.

They only lasted a day at most now and no one else seemed affected. No one said anything about strange behaviour. No more random people talking to her. She thought it might be over.

She learned in the library that the spirit that had possessed her was called a liddell. They were figments of the Dark Side that served something called the Lorilaii, a creature of darkness outside the balance of light and dark, always looking to upset the galaxy enough to take control, but it couldn't do anything unless someone made a bargain with it. So it preyed on desperate souls, trading whatever they wanted for whatever they would give.

"This is an odd topic for you, Padawan Offee." Master Nu set a cup of caf next to her stack of books. "Why the sudden interest in liddells?"

"Master, may I tell you something?"

"Of course."

"I…made a bad decision. A really bad decision. And it has to do with these…things. I need to know more about them."

"You made a deal with the Lorilaii."

"I did. I think, I think one of these liddells is possessing me. I go to sleep and I wake up a week later and people tell me I did things I don't remember happening. I saw it, in the mirror. I looked at myself and I saw, this thing. It was like a pale, shriveled woman with ratty hair and black and red eyes. It…thanked me for the body and then when I looked in the mirror again I was myself."

Master Nu sat down slowly in the other armchair in the alcove. "That sounds like a liddell. There is a way to cancel the bargain. What did you ask it for?"

"Peace. I wanted the war and the blood to stop. I guess I got what I asked for."

"You'll give up that, but the liddell will be forced to leave. What did you bargain in return?"

"Whatever I could pay."

Master Nu looked horrified. "Anything you could give?"

"Yes."

"Padawan, you realise everything means everything? Everything you have to give. Your friends, your body, your positions, even your life. You bargained everything."

Barriss felt her stomach drop and she felt sick. Everything. Everything she had, everything she was, was now at the mercy of a malevolent fae.

It would take everything.

"I-I didn't know!"

"Of course you didn't. You wouldn't have struck the bargain if you knew. But there is a way to cancel the deal. I don't know what it is, but there is a way."

Barriss found herself back at the altar, sinking to her knees and begging for mercy.

"You're back so soon? Not satisfied? Want to make another deal?"

"I want to break it. Cancel the contract. Get this thing out of my head."

"Oh that's not a thing, that's one of my children. She's been drifting the ether for so long I thought she deserved a body again and you so willingly offered yours up."

"No I didn't!"

"You said any price."

"I want to break the deal."

"You can't simply break a deal with me." It laughed. "But if you really want out of the bargain, there is one way."

"Anything!"

"A life."

That made her sick to her stomach, but she could probably find a drug addict with no family that no one would miss. Anything to get her out of this cursed bargain. "I can do that."

"Oh no, not just any life, Barriss Tassen Offee. The life of the one you love most."

"What?"

"You heard me. The life of the one you love most. Bring her here, cut out her heart on the slab in front of you, and the deal will be cancelled."

"No! Anything but that! I won't do it! I won't kill her! Anything else, I'll do it!"

"There is no other way." A knife formed out of the gaseous cloud and clattered to the altar. "If you won't bring her here, then take this knife with you. Take Luminara Unduli's life with it, and the bargain will be cancelled. My child will leave your body, you will return to your life before, and it will be like it never happened."

"But it won't. Because she won't be there."

"Then the contract is binding. Take her life and end the deal, or spare her life and live with the consequences."

[line break]

The plume of smoke rising from the Temple was like a punch to the gut. Someone had bombed the Jedi Temple. And worst of all, it could have been one of their own. Ahsoka was called in to investigate, being the only truely neutral party they were certain wasn't involved.

And then it wasn't so certain.

Ahsoka was jailed for supposedly Force-choking Letta Turmond. Then Barriss blacked out again and when she woke up, she was told someone had broken Ahsoka out of prison. When her best friend called for advice, Barriss did what she could and searched for evidence on her own.

She found it in the last place she expected.

Schematics, blueprints, instructions, even a sample of the nanodroids themselves, all within her desk drawers.

She tried to meditate. Sequestered herself away in a small meditation chamber. Trying to balance herself.

Anakin came for her. Of course he did.

But this time, instead of blacking out, she felt the liddell controlling her.

"I think these suit me better!"

She screamed, but no one could hear her. Anakin and the Temple Guards secured her quickly. She faded to black on the way to the courtroom.

She came to, vaguely remembering some powerful speech. Ahsoka was staring at her in horror, Anakin in rage. The other Jedi, so disappointed. Luminara, absolutely devestated.

And the liddell. Whispering in her mind,

Ding dong, looks like I have won now, ding dong, pay the consequence.


Let me know if you get the reference of the liddells!