Letting One's Feelings Out
A/N- This fanfic is a 'what if?' story. And it will be part of a series. Starting with this one since it really struck home, really felt the fic. Even more so with having a parent stop believing me regarding President #45 mocking the disabled and calling a deaf person 'retarded', and it really hurt because I am on the autism spectrum and am hard of hearing, completely deaf without my cochlear implant. And considering what happened with Sabine regarding her family...and with Ahsoka being my favorite Star Wars character...this fic was created.
Ahsoka Tano, former Togruta Jedi Padawan, sat in the co-pilot seat of the Rebel ship Ghost. Her orange skin contrasted against her blue eyes and her white montrals and lekku which went over her shoulders and down her chest with blue stripes. She wore a shirt with a skirt; detached sleeves, finger-less gloves, and armor plating over her chest. One hand on her lap, the other held a nice cold cup of red tinted orange colored meiloorun juice. She looked at Hera with a smile. "Thank you, Hera, for sharing with me."
Hera Syndulla, the Twi'lek pilot of the Ghost, sat in the pilot's seat. Her jade green skin matched her eyes; and her pilot uniform was a tight orange jumpsuit with armor padding on her torso and shoulders, and matching gloves and sleeves. On her forehead were her googles; and her lekku, unlike Ahsoka's, trailed down her back instead of over her shoulders.
"You are welcome. Especially after you saved us all back there. The 13th Brother and Sister…I've never seen Inquisitors like them...we owe you our lives." She took a slice of meiloorun fruit from the tray on her lap, the juicy part matched the juice Ahsoka was drinking, while the rind itself was fully orange.
The Togruta looked to her for a moment. "I was just doing the right thing. Doing what we all need to do against this evil." She looked to the Hyperspace tunnel, they had made a hasty retreat to avoid any further attacks from the ruthless duo and whoever was transporting them. "Every time I fight them, others' lives are at risk. I know they must be stopped, before something more dire happens." She drank down the rest of the juice. "Just need to find a way to separate them from those I protect, so it would be just me against them."
Hera looked to Ahsoka, an apprehensive look on her face. "Be careful when you do that. While I wasn't directly there...I saw the results of their savagery. But I do trust in your abilities."
"Thank you, I understand the concern." She looked to the door and back to Hera. "Going to check on the others. Make sure they're okay...after that."
Hera nodded once. "Understood. Will be here if you need me."
Ahsoka stood up, and walked to the door and it opened. Beeps and chirps brought Ahsoka's attention downward.
Hera's modified C1-series astromech droid, affectionately called Chopper by Hera and the crew, was at her feet. Hera had modified not just his systems but his colors for he had an orange and yellow dome and a gray body; and moved around on struts.
Ahsoka had barely felt his struts bump into her boots. That means he'll be...
As expected, the droid was beeping in an irritated manner, much like an old cranky man, waving his stubby wrench-arms around.
Ahsoka bent down on one knee with a smile and put a hand on his dome with a slight chuckle. "Apologies for that. No need to get so cranky, for that is the path to the Dark Side." She sighed. "Hera's in the cockpit if you're looking for her." She stood back up and watched Chopper enter the room behind her. He's old and cranky for sure, but I've seen much crankier types. And he really has taken a shine to Hera...not surprising from what I've heard. The Togruta headed down the hall and stopped at a door to her left and knocked. "May I enter?"
The voice of the Lasat team member reached her. "Yes."
Ahsoka hit a button beside the door, and it opened. "Just making my rounds. Checking on everyone. Especially after the mission." She took notice of the bo-rifle, which could only be wielded by members of the Lasan Honor Guard like Zeb himself. "It's intact, isn't it? I know how much it means to you."
"Yes, just had a need to clean it. Especially after that karabast sleemo tried to use it." Zeb looked at her. His fur and hair were dark purple, skin was light purple, eyes were green, and he wore a yellow jumpsuit with green armored shoulder pads and armor over his upper torso. "You are what a Jedi should be. Only if things didn't happen the way they did..." He paused. "Just get that duo, especially that 13th Brother. Only an Honor Guard can use a bo-rifle, and he mocked and defiled that tradition! Used my own weapon against me just to..." He made a frustrated and disgusted grunt. "Thanks for depriving him of it like you did."
Ahsoka had a slight smile. "I get that a lot, even from those that don't have the best feelings towards most Jedi, or ex-Jedi in my case." I may not consider myself a Jedi, and might not like being called one...but they do have a point in that my actions are Jedi-like, ideally so. "And I can understand the frustration. But beware of anger, especially the uncontrolled kind. It can easily lead to the Dark Side. Best thing to do is turn it to righteous fury, tranquil fury. Though that of itself can be dangerous, as usual beware the Dark Side." She paused. "Anything else you need?"
Zeb looked at her for a moment. "I am good. Thank you. Need to finish cleaning." He went back to cleaning his weapon.
Ahsoka nodded once. "Anytime." She left the room, the door closing behind her. And walked to the gathering room. There she found Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus and Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger.
Kanan Jarrus was meditating in the middle of the room, floating in midair in the lotus position using the Force. He had brown hair and a black goatee which looked better now that it was no longer damp with sweat, tan skin tone, and teal blue eyes. His outfit was slightly different now, what he wore onboard the Ghost or after particularly difficult missions- an orange shirt matching Hera's suit, matching pants, though he still wore his boots.
Ezra was sitting on the couch-like seat, a holographic recording of Jedi teachings involving lightsaber combat on the table used to play various holographic games. His copper skin tone contrasted with his blue eyes, which were focused on the hologram. And his dark blue hair was straightened out and dry now. He had on his usual tan pants but had a different matching more comfortable shirt.
Ahsoka had her attention to Ezra, not wishing to disturb Kanan's Jedi meditation. "How are you holding up? I know what you went through. The 13th Brother and his mocking that you would never be like me or Kanan...ignore him. Don't let him provoke you to anger." She smiled warmly. "I've seen more examples than I can name or count of those who tried to tell another individual they could never be anything or be like someone they admire, then get proven so badly wrong."
Ezra sighed, turning his attention to the Togruta. "I know, Ahsoka. But why are they so...savage? What did we do to them?!"
Ahsoka paused, shaking her head. "I don't have the answers. But from what I could gather, the Inquisitors were being trained before Order 66 was executed. Right under our noses. Some of their members are former Jedi who had fallen to the Dark Side." She sighed heavily. "And I heard rumors the Jedi Temple on Coruscant was built right over an ancient Sith Temple, to contain the evil. But it appeared it was leaking for several hundreds or thousands of years, clouding detection of the true Sith Lords in our midst until it was far too late. Good intentions that unfortunately backfired, and too much faith in seals thought to last countless millennia. Plus the evil within the Sith Temple was stronger than previously thought."
Ezra looked to the training hologram. "I know you've been there when we needed you most...but what happens if we run into those two and you're not around?"
Kanan spoke, still maintaining his meditative pose. "That is why we're stepping up training. Even I need to, the 13th Brother was too much for me."
Ahsoka nodded. "That's the correct path. We need to prepare." She paused. "Anything else?"
Ezra turned to her. "Will just need to continue training, thanks."
Kanan maintained his pose. "We will be training later. Don't worry about us too much, Ahsoka."
Ahsoka smiled. "I won't. And good luck on the training." She continued down the hall to the last quarters.
The Togruta stopped in front of the decorated door. It was painted in bright colors with the Mandalorian insignia on it in Sabine's favored colors- purple and red.
The Force alerted her to the state of the occupant. Deep distress, pacing about...something's up. She knocked on the door. "May I come in?" No answer after several moments, and she pressed the button to open it, and it opened.
Sabine Wren was pacing back and forth in front of her bunk. Her light blue shoulder length combed hair matched her Mandalorian armor, her skin tone was tan. And her brown eyes betrayed her feelings.
Ahsoka knew what she sensed, a metaphorical dark cloud over the fellow Rebel. "Sabine, are you okay? You appear...troubled."
Sabine paused. "I am." She spun around to face Ahsoka. "It's that 13th Brother, that sleemo...he was there when my family chose the Empire over me. He was there when my family...abandoned me! And he taunted and mocked me at that time and rubbed it in during the mission! And while they did let me go so I could live with my choices, I still...still carry that hurt and betrayal!"
Ahsoka reached out with the Force, and felt an immense amount of hurt and turmoil. The Force surrounded all living things, and any well trained Force Sensitive can pick up what she was feeling. "Can you tell me more? I wish to understand. Bottling up such feelings..it can lead to the Dark Side. Make one more vulnerable to evil. I've seen that happen to well trained Jedi Knights and Jedi Masters, including my own Jedi Master, Anakin Skywalker."
Sabine looked to the floor. "Have you ever had others not believe you even when the evidence was staring them in the face?" The Mandalorian missed Ahsoka's look of sympathy. "I became an Imperial cadet at the academy when I was younger...naive...foolish. I believed in the Empire like a fool, a blind follower who couldn't see at first, even when they put me through some rough stuff, followed the orders blindly." She paused, disgust settled in her voice. "When I was in the academy, they had me design a weapon to be used against my people. But they told me it was just a test, that they were never going to use it for evil, only use it against bad people, against any who disturb the peace. They gave reassurances I now know to be false! I even nicknamed the weapon the 'Duchess'. A hated, vile weapon they used against my people, against Mandalorians. A weapon that turned our own armor against us!" She paused, sighing heavily. "I sabotaged the weapon and it was destroyed, I was wracked with guilt for ever making that weapon. They never knew it was me who sabotaged it."
Sabine paused for a long few moments and grit her teeth. "I spoke out against the Empire, tried to get my family to see the truth." She had anger and despair in her voice. "But no...they refused to see. They sided with the Empire. My mother, father, brother...everyone else...they chose evil! They cast me out! And the 13th Brother was there, he rubbed spice in my wounds...he mocked me and he tried to goad me into attacking him! I didn't, but I left the academy too, a good friend helped to ensure we escaped." Her face was one of anguish and she turned around; put her arm on the bunk, and leaned her head against it. "Why can't they see?! Why can't they see the evidence staring them in the face?! I just...I can't..."
Ahsoka walked to Sabine, and put a hand on her shoulder.
The Mandalorian turned around, her face streaked with tears.
Ahsoka pulled her into a hug. "You're not alone. I have heard from many others similar stories. We're all in this together. Hold onto hope they'll see the truth one day."
Sabine rested her forehead on one of the Togruta's lekku. "Even when it seems so hopeless that they ever will?"
Ahsoka paused in thought. "Yes. I have the feeling...they will see the truth. Especially if they loved you before, they will see how wrong they were."
Sabine sighed. "They did...thank you. I just want them back from evil. Feels like evil took them from me."
Ahsoka had a soft expression on her face. "In a way it did. Even if it takes time, we'll get everyone that can be saved back one day."
Sabine looked to Ahsoka's eyes.. "Thank you, Ahsoka." She hugged the Togruta back.
Ahsoka smiled. "Anytime."
A/N-
Feedback is appreciated!
This is part of a series I am doing, but was feeling this fic a lot so wanted to do this first.
