Masters and Apprentices

Luminara Unduli hadn't spoken much on the way home from Kashyyyk. The victory gained there had been one for grand celebration and the Wookies had wanted them to remain there for a bit with Master Yoda as the guest of honor. The diminutive Jedi had politely declined due to obligations on Coruscant. The war was over and the Jedi could return to what they used to be: Keepers of the Peace, not soldiers.

As soon as they had landed, Luminara had bade farewell to Master Vos and Yoda and had taken a speeder to the place she had been visiting week after week since the terrible events that had rocked the Jedi Order months ago: The Republic Judiciary Detention Center.

Months ago, a terrible bombing at the Jedi Temple had caused the deaths of several civilians protesting the war along with several Jedi and Clone Troopers. At first, the culprit had been caught, but had later been found murdered in her cell. It was thought that this act of revenge for the dead had been committed by Anakin Skywalker's Padawan, Ahsoka Tano. For this perceived crime, Ahsoka had been expelled from the Jedi Order and cast out.

Unfortunately, the truth would eventually come out and it was one that would break Luminara's heart. Barriss Offee, Luminara's former apprentice, had been revealed as the culprit behind everything. The bombing, the murder, and the framing of Ahsoka. All because she felt that the Jedi had fallen so far and were the true villains of this war. In her mind, the bombing was a punishment for their crimes.

Ahsoka had been absolved of the crimes, but had still left the Order while Barriss was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Luminara had promised to visit her, wanting to show she wasn't a monster and to try and reach her former apprentice to save her from the Dark Side. Barriss had scoffed at her former master's act of charity, but Luminara was true to her word. She had made sure to visit every chance she had, at least once a week. The conversations had been minimal, mainly on Luminara's side and with Barriss ignoring her. Nevertheless, Luminara was determined to reach her former pupil, no matter what and no matter how hopeless it seemed.

"Are you alright, General," Clone Commander Gree asked, concern written on his face. The Commander had been with Luminara and Barriss through many campaigns and had volunteered to fly Luminara to the Detention Center whenever he was free. She was glad to have his company for these trips out here. He himself had been fond of Barriss and had been disbelieving of her betrayal when informed by Luminara. However, he had learned to accept it. At least better than Luminara had.

"I'm fine, Commander," She replied with a smile that probably looked sadder than she meant it to be. "I'm fine."

Luminara had once told Anakin that she had learned to let her Padawan go if ever there came a time she were to die. By all accounts, she should have. The Luminara she used to know was, by all accounts, gone. She had committed murder of innocents and was not sorry for it. Why did she hold out hope that she could reach her? Why couldn't she let go? It made no sense and she wished she could move on. However, whenever the thought came up, her heart told her mind to forget about it.

"I have spent too much time with Skywalker," she murmured to herself, her smile widening to become more sincere. "My training is becoming undone bit by bit."

"What was that, General," Gree asked.

"Nothing, Gree. And you don't have to call me that anymore. The war is over. I am just Master Luminara now."

"Forgive me, General, but you will always be my commanding officer. War or not."

"Gree, you don't-"

"General," Gree interrupted while keeping his eyes on the airways ahead of them. "We have been through Hell together and I wouldn't have any other Jedi as my commanding officer. With all due respect, of course."

Luminara lowered her gaze to the speeder floor, her face turning a darker shade of green. "Thank you, Gree. It has been an honor to serve alongside you these past three years."

"And you, General," Gree said. The professionalism in his voice never wavering.

The speeder pulled up in front of the Detention Center. "I'll be waiting for you here, General."

Luminara got out, turning back to Gree. "You don't have to. I'll find my own way back. You should probably return to Command for debriefing."

"General, I would feel better seeing you back personally." His voice indicated that he was not going to budge on this matter.

Luminara bowed her head in thanks to her friend. She appreciated his friendship and warmth in this time of need. It amazed her that even though he was technically 13 years of age, Gree was mature and resolute as a disciplined Jedi. Her training was indeed being undone if she was letting herself get attached to someone like this. She turned to face the Center and breathed in and out. Time to face her again.

⁓~~~~~~~~

"And then I just woke up. It felt so real yet I could tell that it wasn't. I wasn't sure if this was a vision of the future or just a fear of what would have happened had I stopped Master Windu from killing Sidious."

As Anakin finished telling Master Yoda of what had happened in his dream, the Grand Master pondered this with his chin in his hand. "Master, does this mean that in killing Palpatine a greater evil has been unleashed? What if Palpatine prepared for the possibility of his death by having himself cloned? What if he had a secret apprentice just in case I failed to join him? That could be who Vader is! We can't let this come to-"

He stopped suddenly as Yoda raised his other hand to silence him. "Young Skywalker," He began. "Wanting to speak with you about these visions I have. Growing your powers are, but dangerous they could become."

This puzzled Anakin. "What do you mean, Master?"

Yoda resumed a more relaxed meditation pose and began to explain. "Always in flux the future is. Always changing based on every choice every life form makes. To predict and control the future a dangerous undertaking this is. Many Jedi have gone mad trying to control the future." Yoda paused for a second before resuming. "Have you heard of the Jedi Covenant?"

Anakin thought for a moment. "They were a group of Jedi Seers in the Old Republic weren't they?"

Yoda nodded. "Powerful seers they were. Talented in the Force they were. However, given to arrogance and pride they were as well."

Anakin hadn't been well versed in Jedi History. Whenever Obi-Wan had tried explaining history to him, it seemed to go in one ear and out the other. Except for the times it interested him. "They betrayed the Order and sided with the Sith, didn't they?"

Yoda shook his head. "Used by a Dark Jedi they were. Betrayal there was, but not of the Order. Betrayal of their Padawans. Murdered them out of fear of a future that they themselves would end up causing. Gave themselves to the Dark Side out of fear and pride. All because of a future they feared and could not prove."

Anakin was shocked by this. To hear of Jedi Masters killing their own apprentices out of pure fear was horrifying. And what Master Yoda was saying made sense to him. "Fear of what could have been, of what they could not truly prove. How could anyone do that and call themselves a Jedi?"

Yoda lowered his head in shame. "After their fall, it was only a matter of time before their crimes caught up to them. The Order came for them and their Dark Jedi teacher. All within the Covenant were killed. After this, forbidden the practice of Foresight became. Forbidden were the Jedi from predicting and controlling the future. A path to the Dark Side this power is."

Anakin nodded. "Could my visions have been influenced by Sidious himself, Master? Could he have been using his powers to make me see a future he wanted?"

"Unknown are his motives now. But possible it could be. Fear of loss your weakness has always been. Unable to let go of those you have lost are you. Your mother and your apprentice especially." The mention of those two hit Anakin hard. Especially the mentioning of Ahsoka, his apprentice he almost failed to save. The one that the Order abandoned in her hour of greatest need after she was framed by her best friend. The one that left. And the worst of it was that Master Yoda was right. He couldn't let go.

He was about to ask a sensitive question when his comm beeped. Activating it, the image of Rex appeared. "General Skywalker, General Kenobi's ship has just landed. Commander Cody has stated that the General wants to see you personally."

Anakin felt deflated at this news. This was it. Time to face his friend. "Master Yoda, with your permission, I think we should continue this conversation later. I need to see a friend."

Yoda smiled and nodded. Anakin waited for him to say something, but it never came. Permission had just been given.

Getting up with a bow to the master, Anakin made his way out of the Temple and to his speeder. As he navigated his way through the airways, he wondered what he was going to say to Obi-Wan. It hadn't been that long ago that they parted ways. Obi-Wan going to Utapau and Anakin remaining on Coruscant. Had Anakin joined Palpatine, he would probably be on his way right now to kill him. He wondered about that. Could he really turn on his oldest friend so easily? Was power really all it took to betray someone who had trained you half your life? Luckily he would never find out.

The Separatist Council Members were being lead off the drop ship just as Anakin landed his speeder. A massive crowd had gathered at the spaceport, cheering on the arrival of the Clone Troopers and the Hero of the Republic. Nute Gunray was at the front, his head hung low in shame. After all his attempts to kill Padmé, it gave Anakin no small amount of joy to see him at the bottom.

As Cody had his men push them forward, Anakin looked for Obi-Wan among the troopers. He was starting to wonder if he had missed him when the cheering intensified. The last man to exit from the dropship was indeed Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. The man who ended the Clone Wars once and for all. The Jedi Master who killed General Grievous and had captured the Council Leaders single-handed had returned with a lopsided grin on his face and glimmer of hope in his eyes. He waved to the crowd which waved back in return. Anakin was amazed at this response. It seemed that the suspicion and derision that had dogged the Order was swept away by the confirmation that the war that had taken so much from them was finally over. And it was thanks to the Jedi.

The crowd pressed in around Obi-Wan, trying their best to gain some of the light that apparently radiated off of him. The Master did his best to greet them as he moved through the crowd, shaking hands with the men and accepting hugs from the women. Anakin held back at the edge, not wanting to attract attention to himself. Despite his clear desire to get through the people, Anakin could tell that he was genuinely enjoying mingling with them. Many people believed that Jedi viewed themselves as above it all. Above the masses. Obi-Wan Kenobi proved them wrong every time.

Anakin began to consider leaving when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Cody smiling with a salute. "General Skywalker. Glad you made it, Sir."

Anakin returned it with a handshake. "Cody. Congratulations to you and Obi-Wan. You ended the war."

"From what I heard General Windu did that first, Sir. We just made sure it couldn't continue."

"Don't sell yourself short, Cody. This was an important victory. You made a huge difference today." He looked past the Commander to see Obi-Wan was about to make it through. He was considering leaving again.

"Look, Cody. Tell Obi-Wan I had to leave. Urgent business at home."

"I don't think he'll believe you, sir."

"Why's that?"

"Because I sensed your arrival and I saw you when I got off the ship, Anakin."

Anakin turned to see Obi-Wan smiling at him. "Good to see you, old friend."

Anakin didn't know how to respond. Here he was. His master and friend. His brother.

Noticing the look on his face, concern dropped over Kenobi's. "Are you okay?"

Anakin didn't say anything. He just hugged Obi-Wan. There was nothing to say in that moment. He could have apologized for suspecting him of an affair with his wife, but Obi-Wan would have no idea what he was talking about. He could have talked about Palpatine's manipulations and the scars it had left on him. He could have said a lot. But instead, he just hugged his friend.

Obi-Wan didn't seem to know how to respond for a moment, but returned the hug. After another moment, the two old friends walked back to Anakin's speeder in silence.

Barriss Offee did not face her former master as she knelt in front of her cell. The feelings of affection and respect that she used to feel for her had been replaced by resentment and disgust. Luminara Unduli had practically raised her in the Jedi way since she was a Youngling and had been the gold standard for what a Jedi would be. Now she could only see her as a collaborator with the Republic's mission of war and a hypocrite. A failure. And yet every chance she had, she had visited her. She was her window to the outside world and the news of what was happening. She wondered what she had to tell her this week.

"Barriss... it's over. The Clone Wars are over."

Barriss' hands clenched together in surprise, but her face kept its composure. "Oh, really? So the Republic has brought 'liberation' to the Galaxy at last? I'm sure that the Chancellor is most pleased by this."

Luminara sighed. "Chancellor Palpatine is dead, Barriss. And it was he who engineered this war. This war has been a ploy by the Sith to bring the Galaxy to complete domination."

So it was true. Barriss had heard rumors from the guards, but she'd had to be sure.

"And are the Jedi in control? Have they taken the place of the Senate?"

Luminara couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Barriss, we are not the Sith. The Senate still exists and always will. We are letting them choose their destiny."

"The way I see it, there is no difference anymore. The Jedi are no longer Guardians of the Peace. They are soldiers. Conquerors. Puppets of a Sith Lord to bring dominance to the Galaxy. And you are the worst of them."

It wasn't so much the words as it was the tone that hurt Luminara. "How am I the worst?" She didn't want to know, but this was the most that Barriss had spoken to her in a long time.

"Everything you taught me to believe in was a lie. You are a liar, Luminara Unduli. You are a liar and a fraud and I never want to see you again. The war may be over, but the Jedi are as dead to me as you are."

Struggling to remember her training as her former apprentice threw all the blame on her for everything that had happened, Luminara had one thing to say. "Maybe so. But it wasn't I who taught you to kill innocent civilians. It wasn't I who taught you to betray one of your closest friends. It wasn't I who made you do all that. Our involvement in the war may have changed the Order, but your actions and lack of self-awareness of them have damned you, Barriss Offee. If you do not want me to visit anymore, then I will not. I will mourn the Youngling that I trained for I see that she is no longer here." She stood up and bowed. "Farewell, my former apprentice." She said all this with as much detachment as she could muster. Fighting back the tears, she turned away and walked back towards the entrance to retrieve her lightsaber from the gate guards.

Alone in her cell, Barriss let her tears flow free. Her anger and hatred had been building ever since she had been put away and Luminara's visits had helped somewhat. However, that bond had been severed long ago. She hated the Jedi, but she missed the old days with her master. She wished she knew where Ahsoka had gone. She had no idea what she would do if she found her again. Apologize? Finish the job she had started? She had no idea. Luminara had been right. The old Barriss was all but dead. And she had no idea who was in her place.

Mas Amedda could not believe how it had all gone wrong. Since coming into Palpatine's inner circle, he had been certain that the Chancellor's plans for the Republic would succeed. That Order 66 would be the end of the Jedi Order and they would be able to create a new Empire. One where they ruled through fear. Where things got done. Where bureaucracy was a thing of the past. Where he would have power over the rest of the Galaxy thanks to Palpatine. It was all going so well. Then Windu killed Palpatine.

As soon as he'd heard the news, he had fled. It was only a matter of time before his role in the past three years was exposed and Palpatine's true identity was exposed. He had to get off Coruscant as soon as possible. He had it all set up. A smuggler had been paid and was waiting for him. He would go to the Outer Rim and set up a new life. He could work for the Hutts. He still had his connections and he could get away. Palpatine had failed, but he would not. If there was one thing Amedda was good at, it was knowing when to desert a crashing ship. It had been the same with Valorum and it would be the same here.

Just as he was finished packing, he heard a knocking at the door of his safe house. He froze as a familiar voice barked out a command. "Mas Amedda! This is Commander Fox of the Coruscant City Guard! You are under arrest for treason!"

It was over. He was finished! He would not go down like this! Not him! Not the man behind the seat of power! He pulled out a blaster and pointed it at the door, his hands shaking as he held it.

The door burst open as the City Guard swarmed in, blasters trained on him. It was no use. He wouldn't be able to get a shot on them in time. But he could do something else. Turning the blaster on himself, he closed his eyes, preparing for the end. A shot rang out, but not from his gun. He fell to the ground, clutching his hand as the smoldering remains of his pistol fell to the floor. He hadn't lost any fingers, but the heat was there. "Gah! My hand! You savages!"

"Get him," Fox yelled. Three Clone Troopers piled on Amedda, pinning his arms to his back and slapping restraints on his wrists. The Chagrian Vice Chair of the Republic sobbed as his entire future went to pieces.