Chapter 31
Hehehe. So, remember when I said that I would try to write the next chapter at an acceptable pace, and then just dipped for a whole month. Yeah, me too. I'm sorry XD. But things happened in life and I just couldn't fin the mental state to write.
This entire chapter has been written during that whole month, so it might be that there are insonsistancies that I overlooked.
Once again, terribly nervous to put this chapter out. Had a lot of difficulty with it. So please be nice, but don't hesitate to tell me what you think.
reviews:
littlesky33by: thank you! The Inquisitors could never be a match for our girl. Please. Look how powerful she is. Once again, thanks for leaving a review! You kept me going this month!
MalirBly: Thank you! That means a lot to me, especially since I had a down month. And yes. The Inquisitors did deserve some ass whooping. Any day.
AmidalaSkywalker92: Thank you so much for leaving a review! It means the world. I wasn't in a very good place when you left it, so you have no idea how much it made my day. I hope I continue to live up to it :)
Information of Ahsoka's confrontation with at least half the Inquisitorius spread fast through the Fortress. Ahsoka still got a hostile impression from them, but it was more the jealous type, than the 'I will attack you' type of hostility.
That change in attitude was part of the reason that Ahsoka had stopped her self-isolation and was now roaming the halls more freely. Here and there she would get nasty stares, but she'd found that if she just stared back, they would leave her alone. A lot of them were on assignments most of the time anyway.
To say that Ahsoka was glad the change occurred, would be an understatement. It made her life a whole lot easier. She was now free to explore the Fortress without having to actively hide from people in the dark.
Today was one of those days filled with exploring. And Ahsoka was currently entering another hallway with new rooms she hadn't seen before. The Dark Side was thickly present in this part of the Fortress, pressing down on Ahsoka's senses. It was an uncomfortable feeling.
Ahsoka entered one of the rooms, only to come face to face with all kinds of torture equipment and a torture table in the middle. All kinds of presences lingered there. Without reaching out, Ahsoka could already feel what had transpired here. All kinds of Jedi whose light had been snuffed out here.
Ahsoka could even recognize the presences of some of the Inquisitors. She wasn't psychometric, but their experiences were so heavy that they pressed on Ahsoka's mind, wanting to be viewed. It made her sick. A lot of these people stuck in the program never even had a choice. They'd been brought here, tortured into submission, and forced into the Dark Side.
And they wouldn't submit, they'd die. And Ahsoka knew this because the feeling of death was just as heavy as the darkness and pain. She stayed to study the equipment a minute longer—in case she would ever come in contact with them, it wouldn't be a bad idea to know what to expect. But after that minute, Ahsoka really had to leave.
The Force was giving her a headache, and Ahsoka left for her room to rest a bit and write down what she'd found. She'd been keeping records of everything she encountered here to give to her rebel friends. Every piece of information could be of use to them.
=O=
It had been hours, but Ahsoka's headache didn't lessen. She'd tried sleeping, but her mind felt so clouded with feelings of tortured Jedi, she needed to relax.
Ahsoka made her way towards the training rooms. She sought out the center of the room, activated her lightsabers, and closed her eyes. Ahsoka started going through some of the basic kata's she'd learned all those years ago as an Initiate in the Jedi Temple.
Not long after she started, Ahsoka entered a meditative state, opening her mind to the calming flow of the Force around her—filtering all light and dark in her mind, quietly dissolving her headache of tortured feelings.
It was a trick she'd learned from Anakin in the early stages of being his Padawan. Meditation was an important part of being a Jedi, especially in training. It was a form of bonding for a Master and Padawan. But it quickly became obvious that Anakin wasn't particularly good at it. He could never find the concentration to stay still, which made for the fact that they could never meditate together for more than a few minutes. It weighed heavily on their bond that they couldn't meditate together. But then Anakin introduced her to the way he usually succumbed to the Force. Tinkering or practicing katas.
It had been a whole new thing to experience for Ahsoka, and in the beginning, she'd had as much difficulty mastering this as Anakin did with normal meditation. But it didn't take long for her to grow accustomed to it. She'd been quite the energetic person, so meditating with something to do was actually quite refreshing for her.
But in this instant, it was a must. Meditation was a practice that opened you up to the Force. But not only that, it opened you up to others as well. And Ahsoka couldn't have herself openly meditating in front of others. Because then it would become obvious that she wasn't as submerged in the Dark Side as she let on. Now it would simply look like she was training her kata's and extending her senses.
And speaking of her senses, they suddenly spiked. Ahsoka had no idea how long she'd been submerged in the Force, but suddenly it flared up, and it was screaming DANGER. Ahsoka quickly pulled herself back into the physical world and spun around, just in time to block a lightsaber from cutting her skull clean through. She staggered back, completely surprised by the force of the attack. Once she regained her footing and looked up, she came face to face with the same Zabrak that confronted her all those nights ago. His face was cast in a dark shadow and he looked murderous.
Ahsoka was completely surprised by this. Had she done something? She thought back hard to everything she'd done the last few days to warrant this reaction but came up empty. Was this a reaction to her beating him that night? Then he sure took his time planning his revenge. Ahsoka did her best not to show her confusion on her face and focus on her opponent.
The Zabrak had started circling her, and Ahsoka tracked his movements with her eyes. His movements were predatory. He was stalking his prey. But Ahsoka wasn't used to being prey. She was a hunter. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked.
The Zabrak growled at her, not unlike an animal. "Training," he replied. Ahsoka just huffed. As if she was stupid. He obviously wanted a fight. She wanted to ask why but had the feeling that he wouldn't be very talkative.
Oh well, guess she would find out after she'd won. If it is a fight he wants, it's a fight he'll get. Ahsoka shifted her stance, and that was the Zabrak's cue to attack. He spun his staff at her, and she pulled her sabers up to block him. He immediately went in for another attack, but Ahsoka didn't plan on playing it on defense today. Ahsoka jumped at him, forcing the Zabrak's attack into a defensive block.
They continued to exchange blows like that, until their sabers locked together—both pushing for dominance. Ahsoka saw her opponent getting frustrated. "You could always train with someone else," she said mockingly. Again, the Zabrak growled at her. It seemed to be the only reaction he was capable of giving. He disengaged the lock and with one swift swipe, aimed for her neck.
Ahsoka felt it in the Force. She wouldn't be able to get her saber in the right position to block in time. He would behead her. She frantically reached out into the Force and pushed. Her opponent stumbled backwards, just out of range, and missed her head, just barely.
Ahsoka was already shocked by this fight, but the outright attempt on her life was a new development. "Why do you want me dead?" she demanded.
"Because you're in my way," was the only answer Ahsoka got before he attacked again. But she was done with this. She wasn't going to fall to some Inquisitor, and she was done playing as well. It was time to end this. He didn't deserve to live anyway.
Ahsoka pulled out every trick she had. She wore him down by moving quicker than he ever could, and then she finally saw her opening. Not in his saber-work, but in his stance. Once again, Ahsoka reached out with the Force. This time she pulled him forward. He stumbled a few steps towards her. And immediately Ahsoka jumped into action. She spun around and with a precise swing, cut clean through her opponent's wrist.
The Zabrak let out a scream. His hand—with the saber still in its grip—fell away. He grabbed at his arm, but Ahsoka didn't give him time. She advanced on him quickly, fire in her eyes. She was beyond furious. Within a few seconds she had him against the wall, lightsaber pressing at his neck.
"Why did you attack me? Answer me!" Ahsoka demanded as she held her lightsaber closer, now singeing his neck.
"If I were to defeat you, I would get your position," he breathed out. It was obvious he was in excruciating pain from his arm but was trying to hide it.
But that statement made Ahsoka falter. He would get her position? But that didn't make any sense. Only someone high up could order that. And she didn't see the Grand Inquisitor taking such a risk. So that must mean—
And suddenly the darkness around Ahsoka made sense. He'd been here all along. Kriffing Vader. She felt his presence behind her. She turned slightly and looked up. And indeed, there he stood, on a balcony overlooking the training room, watching her. She couldn't believe him. Anger coursed through her.
Ahsoka spared another look at the Zabrak. She'd planned to get rid of him, but now she figured that was the last thing she should do in this situation. That would be exactly what Vader would want from her. And after this, she didn't want to indulge Vader.
With a powerful kick, she slammed the Zabrak back into the wall. The hit to his head hard enough to knock him out. He slumped down.
Ahsoka spun around once again to stare back at Vader, the fire in her eyes now even brighter than before. She was going to get answers. She stared a moment longer before making her way over to him, not sparing the unconscious Zabrak another glance. He was not her problem anymore.
=O=
At the same time, hidden out of sight, somewhere between the Force and the physical realm, sat a green and white convor. Her piercing green eyes stared at the furious Togruta below her. The very reason why the convor was here.
It was her job to protect this Togruta. She had done so for years. Ever since her previous form had given her life to save the Jedi Padawan from certain death.
Always staying in the shadows, the convor had been with the Togruta since leaving Mortis. She'd seen her on trial in front of the entire Republic Senate and Jedi Order and send all the positive energy she possibly could. She fed the Togruta's decision to leave the Jedi Order and so be away from the darkness slowly suffocating it.
She had been with the Togruta when the Jedi fell, and the clones turned on their Jedi leadership. When the Jedi Order was slain by one of their own. She had watched over the Togruta when her friends started firing on her. She had made sure that the Togruta did not die that day. She had been there when she'd gotten to a ship and got away. And she'd made sure that the Togruta was unable to reach the heart of the conflict.
She had watched over the Togruta during her years wandering the Galaxy. Always flying high but making sure to keep the former Jedi in sight.
And it was going quite well for the little convor. That was, until the moment the Togruta had decided to join the Sith. This rattled the spirit of the convor's former form.
The Daughter had never expected Ahsoka Tano to willingly turn to the Dark. She was aware of all that happened in the universe, including the Fall of the Chosen One, the Master and friend of Tano. But she had never expected Tano to actually follow down that path. And she couldn't let that happen.
Morai was here to protect Ahsoka. And she would do just that.
With the transfer of the Daughter's life essence into Ahsoka, she'd received a portion of the unwavering Light that the Daughter represented. It was something Ahsoka herself was unaware of. And it hadn't been a big deal during the time the Jedi still roamed the Galaxy. But with the dark cloak of the Sith now pulled tightly over everything, that light shone through quite brightly.
Morai had already seen that it had been noticed by the Fallen Chosen One. And it had pulled on his Light as well. And that was a good sign. Because she knew that the Chosen One had to return to the Light in order to fulfill his destiny and bring balance to the Force.
And for that it was important that Ahsoka Tano did not Fall as well. And Morai wasn't stupid, even if she was a convor. She knew fully well that Tano should have Fallen already if the circumstances were normal.
But that was just it, the circumstances weren't normal. Because Ahsoka had part of the Daughter in her, just like Morai herself. And that was all the convor needed.
Because it had been Morai all along who had kept Ahsoka in the balance by continuing to pull on that unwavering Light deep within the Togruta's core. Every time Ahsoka got pulled under by the Dark, Morai would pull on the Light to make sure that balance was maintained. It was tiring for the convor, but she was a spirit. Per definition, she was immortal. But again, even immortals could get tired.
But it was all worth it to Morai. Even though she couldn't keep Tano from tapping into the Dark Side, she could make sure that the Light remained. In the end it was all about balance. And although Ahsoka Tano wasn't the Chosen One, she did play a big part in having him fulfill his destiny. And for that the Togruta had to remain in balance as well.
And so Morai followed the Togruta down the halls, on her way to meet her Sith Master, as the convor heavily pulled on the Light to keep Tano balanced. Her green eyes glowing brighter as Ahsoka's darkened with the fire of her anger.
But Morai would calm the Togruta down. This was her job; this was the way.
And finally the explanation is there for why Ahsoka hasn't Fallen.
I'll see ya when I see ya I guess. (Hopefully not a whole month next time ;)
