In my clarity I found forgiveness towards Master Bondara, though it was now impossible for me to return to being his student as his new padawan, Darsha Assant, was now training underneath him as his apprentice. This meant that for a while, I had no master, and could only train alongside other padawans in general instruction, though Aayla was glad to have me back. When I had first appeared, almost fully recovered though still mentally a little unstable, she had rushed to me but at the last moment, corrected herself, and instead of overwhelming me, opened her arms and allowed me to step into them where we embraced.
Two years was a long time to be away from home and friends, and having lost not only me but Aurra too, Aayla had spent a great deal of time worrying over our fates. "You are back now, and that is all that matters. You are safe, and if you choose, you do not ever need to face hardship again." Aayla said to me as we walked around the grounds of the temple. "You could take a commission elsewhere, as a librarian, a watcher, a researcher, a healer, there are many other ways to be a Jedi other than in combat."
"I do not know where my path leads, Aayla, but I know that I must always be prepared for any eventuality. I am no longer ignorant to the way of the galaxy, and know that there is danger all about us. I will follow my instincts, and hope that the Force will remain with me." I answered quietly, brushing back my hair as I took a deep breath. "I missed you greatly, Aayla. If I did not wish that you never face such dangers, I would have wanted you with me on that planet." She dutifully took my hand in hers.
"And I would have been there, dangerous or not. I promise you, Theca, I will not let myself believe you to be gone until I have seen it with my own eyes, if there is ever a next time." Allowing myself a small, grateful smile, Aayla distracted me from any further thoughts such as my past by talking about other things, such as the state of affairs in the Senate and everything that was occurring around us that I was yet to be fully caught up on. It was good to be beside her, and after a few more weeks of rehabilitation, I was able to return to more training with my new lightsaber at my side.
The hilt was long with the intention of a two handed grip, and when I activated it, a bright turquoise coloured blade with a near white centre sprung to life at the top and bottom, creating a double bladed lightsaber. It felt right to me, preferring to take a more defensive stance in fighting and Form Three was my preferred practice, the two blades providing a broad sense of protection which was a comforting feeling, but since there were two halves of one whole in the hilts, I was able to twist the staff and they would then separate into two separate blades, allowing for a greater offensive range. The hilts where slim and light, plated with gold accents and when attached, hung neatly at my right hand side upon my belt.
Now that I was back at the temple, I of course had to wear more Jedi appropriate clothing, though I found I no longer felt comfortable in their standard robes so I designed my own. Feeling securer in the skin tight clothing as before, I wore a dusky mauve undershirt with long sleeves which hooked over my middle finger, a thicker material garb with larger, more sweeping sleeves akin to the style of the Jedi but also with hints of my own Pantoran heritage with the texture, fabric and patterns, and dark brown bottoms made from a microfiber material which allowed full flexibility and movement. Upon my waist I fixed my utility belt where I did not feel right unless I walked around with emergency supplies in the adorning pouches, feeling insecure and vulnerable without them, and whilst outside, I wore a dark purple cloak which wrapped around my shoulders and fell to my ankles where my boots fit snugly against my calves. It felt better than the robes the other Jedi wore, and I needed every comfort I could get these days.
When I was not training, I awaited the news that someone else was willing to take me on as a padawan learner, as I still had a great deal to learn before I could ever be considered a Jedi Knight, though whilst waiting, I took my education into my own hands and dedicated many hours of personal study in the library and archives of the temple. The focus kept the terrors at bay, though at night there was little I could do to stop them. The healers had set up a sensor in my room that would awaken me if I was headed towards a nightmare, so often I would wake before they became too intense, but sometimes, I was too deeply asleep to hear the sensor and would wake up screaming. I was grateful that my walls were soundproofed, I would have hated knowing I was disturbing the other padawans.
Due to my circumstances, I had been granted a room of my own instead of sharing one with another, which was another good thing, as I could not even begin to think what I would do if I were to attack a roommate by mistake. Still, all things considered, I was improving in my general wellbeing. I had less attacks daily, and recently I was even able to sleep through the entire night without disturbance, which meant that I awoke feeling refreshed and revitalised. These little victories were now what I lived for, and a full year after returning home to the temple, I was more or less back to the same state of mind that I used to be, though older, wiser and stronger within myself than before.
It was at this time that my new master stepped forward to claim me as his student, Master Plo Koon himself. Although I was honoured by his invitation to be his padawan, I was wary of getting close to him, treating him with a distant sense of polite wariness. I did as I was told, I learned from him, but hesitation kept me from truly allowing myself to view him as anything more than a teacher. I could not risk it, though Master Koon made it very difficult to maintain that sense of thought. He was kind and warm, merely standing close to him exuberated a sense of comfort and warmth that I had once felt with my old master. He did not mind that I sometimes lost my senses, if anything being near to him helped to keep them at bay, the feeling of his strength and capability assuring my own mind that I was in safe hands, but then I would bitterly remind myself that I had felt that was with Master Bondara, and I would force myself not to become attached or reliant.
Keeping Master Koon at arm's length, I continued mostly to study and practice by myself, too used to my own independence to need to rely on anyone other than myself. I sensed that Master Koon understood a great deal about my way of being, and for the most part, allowed me to do what I wanted, only occasionally making adjustments to my training as to find styles that suited me best, and when I trained against him, he was always attentive and encouraged me to maintain focus at all times, telling me that Jedi must always act with decisiveness and clarity, to not be swayed by distraction and always be impartial to all as to always see the way forward.
"You are doing well, Theca. You should be proud of yourself. You have come a long way since you first returned here." Master Koon said to me after we ended another training session together, sheathing his lightsaber so I did the same, reconnecting the two hilts and placing them upon my belt.
"Is pride not something to be discouraged in a Jedi, master?" I asked him as I fell into step beside him.
"A careful measure of pride is not harmful by any means, Theca. The Jedi Order practice the release of all emotions and attachments, but this does not mean we are to be devoid of all feelings. So long as you are disciplined, and always act in the interest of others who need protection and guidance, you will not go far wrong." I had never thought of it in that way, rather than cutting yourself off from all feeling, to have a small allowance of such things could not be harmful, but a mere expression of who you are as a person. I frowned slightly, glancing up at Master Koon. "I sense you have something to say, my padawan. Do not keep it to yourself. Inquisitiveness is something else I encourage." For a moment I did not answer, but I halted in my steps in order to properly Master Plo Koon and he too halted, the both of us standing in the corridor observing the other.
"You are…not what I expected." I finally began, allowing myself to speak my mind to him, just this once. "I could not help but wonder, why did you choose me as your padawan? No one else came forward to teach me for an entire year after my return. Why now of all times?" A rich chuckle sounded from my new master, reverberating slightly on account of the mechanical mask he wore to help him breathe our atmosphere.
"I chose you because I felt that I was the one who would be able to help you realise your full potential. I acted upon my instincts, and was guided by the Force. You are still recovering from your ordeal, Theca, and you need peace, patience and understanding." Coming towards me, Master Koon placed his hand upon my shoulder lightly, allowing it to rest there as I felt his full attention upon me, and more than that, a sense of genuine seeing. More than just a girl, but all the possibilities I carried upon my shoulders, which was more than most others, who only saw me as someone to be pitied. "I admired your resilience upon hearing your story, and felt it would be an honour to have such a student under my wing. More than anything, I wish to see you be recognised in future for your skills and abilities. That is why I chose you."
The warm feeling of affection rose up at that moment, sudden and unbidden, but I let it gather for a few moments as I appreciated Master Koon's words before I then pushed such feelings aside and resumed my distant persona, drawing back away from him to give a bow. "I hope that I do not disappoint you, master." I left it there and Master Koon seemed to know not to speak further on the matter until I was ready to open up a little more. I continued to follow him, working hard to earn his approval despite maintaining my distance, but as I spent almost every waking moment in his company, it became increasingly impossible not to like him, and even feel affection for the figure that he had in my life.
I spent many more years training at his side, and one day a mission came to us to go to the planet Shili in order to pick up a new youngling who had been found to be Force-sensitive, a little Torgruta girl. I thought nothing of it, reasoning that it was a simple mission and Master Koon had business in that sector anyway, so we went together in order to accomplish both missions at once. The Torgruta people were a peaceful race, enjoying simple lifestyles, however upon arrival, they seemed confused as to why more Jedi had arrived. I sensed something was not right and remained on guard as the chieftain came to greet us and Master Koon informed him of our mission to see the child and take her back with us to Coruscant. The chieftain looked shocked.
"But Master Jedi, you have already sent one of your people to collect the child. I do not understand what you mean." This did not sound good.
"Who was the Jedi?" Quickly stepping forwards, I sensed with great urgency that unless we hurried, that child would become lost forever. "Did they leave a name? Which direction did they go? When were they here?"
"Oh…just now, they took the child to their ship off towards the fields." He pointed and with a look for permission from my master, he nodded his head and I took off, running for a nearby speeder and took it in order to follow the direction the chieftain had pointed in, leaving my master to uncover more information as I started to scan for other ships in the area. My wrist comm. bleeped upon finding one and I honed in on it as Master Plo Koon contacted me.
"Theca, you must be careful. It appears this imposter posed as a Jedi in order to take the child for themselves, do not rush into anything. At all costs, you must keep that child safe and keep the imposter from leaving this planet, but if you pose as too great a threat they may use the child as leverage to ensure their escape. I will follow you directly."
"Understood master." I responded before tapping the wrist comm. to close the channel, adding more speed to the speeder until I was closer to the location of the other ship whereby I then pulled to a halt and elected to move in closer with stealth. I was lucky, it was still there, though it appeared that the ship was getting ready to take off. "Master, the ship is leaving. I'll have to try and board it." I reported as I started to race forwards, the thrusters activating and the systems booting up. "Return to the ship and stall them in the upper atmosphere whilst I secure the child inside. If it's just the one imposter, nothing should go wrong."
"Proceed with caution, my padawan." Allowing myself a small smile, I then leaped forwards as the ship took off, quickly climbing up and opening a hatch in order to allow myself inside, using the Force to close it behind me before then dropping down through the secondary hatch and into the ship. I waited for a moment, allowing my senses to cast out around me. It was a ship big enough for the one person to live in, meaning I did not anticipate any more than the singular imposter and my senses informed me that other than them and the child, we were alone.
Moving forwards, I could hear the child crying as I moved through the ship, avoiding the sight of a couple of droids before then continuing onward. We were leaving the planet Shili, however soon enough I felt the ship judder as it came under fire from my master and as I closed in on the cockpit, I heard his voice through the communication channel. "Unidentified vessel, this is Jedi Master Plo Koon of the Jedi Order. Land your ship immediately and return the stolen child to me."
"Or what Jedi? You wouldn't dare shoot me down and risk hurting an innocent. Your words are empty." The voice hissed and as I looked through the open doors into the cockpit, I felt a surge of fear as I saw the feline form and instantly became bombarded with flashbacks to the past where I was running for my life from similar creatures, though this one was more humanoid than they had been. Still, it was enough to unbalance me, shaking in fear as my vision lost sight of the ship around me and instead, I became trapped once more within the jungle region, feeling the acidic burns of the fumes as I got too close to the ground, the sound of ravenous growls and snarls panting behind me as I ran for my life.
It was overwhelming, and I almost cried out and collapsed but from within the waking terror, I felt something gentle touch my hand, a small bubble of light appearing beside me and the sense of concern and comfort washed through me, chasing away the vision as the ship continued to come under warning fire, Master Koon taking out the hyperdrive so that the imposter couldn't escape. Looking down, I saw a little Torgruta girl standing beside me, holding my hand with a look of innocent wonder at me. I drew in a breath, feeling the previous flash of fear vanish as I took her in and knelt down quietly. She was skinny and rather orange, with white markings upon her face and a little blue and white crown on her head, which would grow as she aged.
She smiled at me, little and sweet as she was, seemingly understanding that I was her ally and through the Force, she called to me, even without knowing she was doing it. I smiled back before I knew it and touched a finger to my lips, hushing her gently before I then picked her up and strapped her into a seat as to keep her from getting injured before I then turned to the imposter, who seemed to be a bounty hunter. Upon closer inspection, I recognised them to be a Zygerrian, so after calming myself, I launched myself inside and at the last moment, the Zygerrian turned around and fired a blaster at me. I dodged the bolt and quickly drew my lightsaber, slicing through the weapon to neutralise it before then holding the end of my weapon under their chin, forcing them to freeze and simply sit there helplessly, completely at my mercy.
"Your name?" They hissed in response, so I simply pressed my lightsaber closer to them.
"La…Latrans." Satisfied that they were not lying to me, I ordered Latrans to land the ship back in the Torgruta village where she had stolen the child and if she did not comply, I would be forced to subdue her and land the ship myself. "It seems I have no choice." She hissed, baring her needle like teeth at me but did as she was told as I then signalled my master.
"Master Koon, I have the child and the imposter. We are landing now." I informed him where he immediately responded.
"Good work Theca. I shall meet you down there." Glad that we had not lost the child, I continued to watch the Zygerrian closely then once we had landed, quickly had her in restraints with her arms behind her back then had her march out first so that I could keep an eye on her. Turning to the child, I unbuckled her from the seat then lifted her up into my arms as she reached out to me, feeling her little hands grip onto my shoulders as I rested her in the crook of my arm upon my hip and carried her out, my lightsaber still in my hand but sheathed. It was unlikely that the Zygerrian would do anything, but I knew better than to leave anything to chance.
The Torgruta people all rushed forwards in exclamation, relieved that the child was safe though they did not try to take her from me. It seemed they had already accepted that the child was to come away with us and had let her go, and as I looked around, I wouldn't have even known who her parents were. When Master Koon landed, I put the child down as he approached and she went to him, smiling as he then knelt down and held out his hand to her and the child placed hers into his palm, looking up at him with a rather keen insight as I murmured to the chieftain, asking her name.
"It is Tano." He told me with a soft expression. "Ahsoka Tano is her name."
"We will raise her with care and watch over her growth." I promised, bowing to the chieftain before waving my hand and making the Zygerrian come, though she continued to hiss at me. Master Koon now carried the child, allowing me to secure the Zygerrian in our ship so that she could face judgement for her actions in attempting to kidnap an innocent child. Besides, I wanted to know how she knew where to find the little one. I passed Master Koon and the child, who made a garbling sound and reached out her hand to me, catching hold of my hair and I had to pause in order to wait for her to let go, and I allowed her a secret smile and a brush of my hand against her cheek before I entered the ship.
The other we left behind for the Torgruta people to keep for the time being as we had no means to take it with us since our ship was too small to have a docking port. Still, someone would have to go back to secure it at some point so that the ship and the possessions belonging to Latrans could one day be returned to her after she had served her sentence in prison. I prepped the ship for departure, and once we were all inside, took us back up into space before setting a course to Coruscant. "She seems to be a strong little one." Master Koon noted as we sat together in the cockpit, Ahsoka sitting on his lap and exploring his face and mask, her tiny hands touching and feeling the curious contraption as she giggled.
"Her name is Ahsoka Tano, master." I told him quietly, focusing on the rushing stars before us.
"Hm, little 'Soka." He mused gently and unable to help it, I glanced to them both with a strong sense of feeling for the two of them. Plo Koon as my master, and Ahsoka as someone I had made a connection to through the Force. She had made that same connection with my master, and I wondered if one day, once she was older, she would become his padawan, or even mine. Now she was leaning across to me and I roused myself just in time to reach out and catch her upon my arm before she tumbled out of Plo Koon's grasp in her bid to stretch across. Shifting her up, I settled her upon my own lap where the little one yawned and promptly fell asleep, encouraging a small chuckle from me as I stroked her crowned head. "It appears you are quite taken with her too, my padawan."
"She and I have made a connection. On the ship, when I first saw the imposter, I had a flashback to the past. I was being hunted, and I was overcome with fear but then Ahsoka reached out and took my hand, calling to me through the Force. I had not even realised she was there beside me, but she pulled me back." I informed him quietly, not wanting to disturb the little one with too loud a voice as she cuddled against me. "I sense that she is strong with the Force, and will one day become a wonderful Jedi."
"As do I, Theca. As do I." Master Koon agreed and so I lifted up my head to look at him. He was focusing on the stars, though more observing than anything, so after a few moments I reached out in order to place my hand on his. I expressed my feelings of gratitude and trust towards him, hoping that he understood as I retained the connection of physical contact instead of instinctively drawing away once I had exceeded the limit of my comfort, and when I felt his grip turn in order to squeeze my fingers lightly, I knew that he did.