Chapter 8
The Gathering
SERENNO
"Hmm, the Gathering you say, now why would a former Jedi undertake such a sacreligious mission?" Count Dooku asked the kneeling Padawan.
Leo kept his face toward the ground "For what we stand to gain my master." Leo explained.
"Elaborate?" The Count asked.
Leo rose slowly still bowed until he raised his head holding his hand up to the hall "Not long ago, this hall was filled with those would have been your followers, the Dark Acolytes." Leo expressed "Yet only Tol Skorr and Asajj Ventress were ever truly successful in facing Jedi." Leo continued "Why wait to be so lucky as to have two former Jedi come to us, when we can take six jedi younglings."
The Count cocked a brow of intrigue "Six you say?"
"Yes my lord." Leo said hands behind his back "Six force sensitive children, with their own lightsabers already crafted and a rudimentary understanding of the force ripe to be molded for the Sith." Said Leo.
The Count frowned at him "Do not tell me you have forgotten the Smiths most ancient rule?"
"Only two shall they be my Master, but these are strange times the Jedi out number us nearly a thousand to one we will need champions to combat them as this war goes on." Leo expressed but the Count was unconvinced "You believe the war will last that long?" He asked Leo.
Leo took a bold step then "If the Sith should deem it."
"Explain yourself?" The Count asked leaning in his chair "My lord, may I speak freely."
"Do it before my patience is exhausted." The Count said back to him.
Leo rose up tall "You never answered my question from before about the Sith Lord hidden in the Republic."
"Because I never said there was one." The Count quickly told him "If such a Sith Lord existed and if such power was wielded by him, you would stand to gain not just one apprentice but an army of Dark Side Warriors ready to lay down their life for you."
The Count stood from his chair and walked around the desk tracing it with his fingers "And would you?"
"Would you throw yourself onto your lightsaber if I commanded it?" Count Dooku asked him.
Leo looked up at Count Dooku's stone faced glare before Leo reached to his belt and pressed the emitter of his lightsaber directly to his chest "Give the command."
"A bolt action, but do you believe your own words when you hold the blade?" The Count asked walking down the steps "Imagine all those who would falter from your passing, your family on Raxus for starters."
Leo twitched a bit hoping the Count would notice "Oh yes I am aware where you've been going when you retire to Raxus, by now I assume Iaco Stark has informed you of your legacy and past?"
"That you were instrumental in winning the Stark Hyperspace war and that I was the bargain struck between the Jedi and Stark, his life and that of his crew in exchange for his firstborn son." Leo answered him "Indeed, does that enrage you to know that your life has always been in the palm of my hand?" The Count asked walking around him in a circle.
"It is an honor." Leo said looking forward, the unexpected answer made Count Dooku stop behind him "An honor?"
Leo nodded "Yes my lord, of all the men in the galaxy I have learned from I can think of no better to be my teacher. Where the Jedi are afraid of the dark side you embraced it, when they lack the inaction to right the wrongs of the Republic you don't hesitate and when power and title that are so rightfully yours are within grasp…" Leo turned around lowering his arm "Will you take it?"
The Count stared at Leo with a gaze that Leo had never seen, the Count's eyes were wide and almost warm "I will only undertake this mission if you command me my lord."
"You would brand yourself an enemy of the Jedi forever, a kraven to be hunted the rest of your days by deflating that which they hold most sacred, the future of their Order?" Count Dookua asked him "Were we not once part of their future, until we made our own choices for a galaxy not them?" Leo said looking at the floor then "What right do they have to steal children from their families loving arms, mold them into zealots for a corrupt government?" Leo asked him, his words mixing in with his own beliefs to strengthen the lie.
"One ruled by a Sith Lord?" Leo asked once more, pressing the theory.
The Count's hollow face and cold eyes returned "Indeed, Darth Sidious does exist and we will need all the forces of the Dark Side to defeat him, my apprentice-" Count Dooku reached for Leo took him by the shoulder "My friend, I command you to liberate the younglings from the Jedi and bring them to me for proper instruction."
Leo bowed low "As you wish, my Master."
"When you return we will discuss our first move against Sidious, we will need all our cunning to defeat him." Count Dooku assured him.
CORUSCANT
Jedi Temple
Was mid day when Ahsoka waited by the Crucible for the younglings to stop in front of them. A pack of the same younglings from the garden yesterday were hurrying toward the ship with backpacks on preparing them for their journey. "Hurry, younglings." she said as they stopped.
Gungi, a male Wookie with a red harness around his chest and waste let out a soft growl as they all lined up in front of her "You have proved to be the top of your class and now is the time of The Gathering for a Jedi, there is no greater challenge or honour." she explained.
'Except of the Trials of course.' Gungi let out another growl.
"What is the gathering, padawan Tano?" Petro, a male Human, asked her he had on light brown robe over a pale white tunic with brown pants and boots, his hair was black but also slightly blue when the light caught it just right. "Petro, Ganodi, Byph, Katooni, Zatt, and Gungi, the time has come for you to build your own lightsabers." she replied, holding her main one out for a moment. The other four prawns was a dark skinned tholothian next to Petro wearing pale beige robes and her headdress over her lekku, the others were Zatt the nautlon wearing a sleeveless brown tunic with matching arm bands, Katooni the rodian wearing pale lavender robes of her people, lastly Byph the the ithorian wearing robes similar to Zatt but a different shade of brown. The five cheered for a moment and smiled after Ahsoka finished addressing them.
"Be warned: this is no simple task, and many perils lie ahead of you where we are going, there is no place more sacred to the Jedi." she said, crouching down to look at them at eye-level.
A few gulped more, looked excited then afraid following her aboard the ancient ship.
High above them overlooking their departure, Anakin and Obi-Wan watched the ship fly off with Ahsoka and the future Jedi "Ah the Gathering, do you remember your time?" Anakin asked Obi-Wan "Of course, I still have the scar."
"I doubt it will be just as adventurous as yours Master?" Anakin chided "Still one thinks when Ahsoka will face her great trial having conquered so many?" Anakin heard Obi-Wan say.
Anakin's ears perked up "What are you saying, has there been talk about Ahsoka taking the trials- already?"
"Hmm no exactly but the Council is impressed with her and with you." Obi-Wan said praising him "Should the discussion come up during a Council meeting your ascension to Masterhood will most likely be discussed."
"But she's not ready, and maybe neither am I?" Obi-Wan said shocking his old Master with Anakin being so hesitant "I was merely buttering you up Anakin." Obi-Wan said when he heard his holodevice beep "And just when you escape my reprise for such a tasteless joke, who is it the Duchess Satine?." Anakin grumbled smirking as Obi-Wan took his comlink
Obi-Wan frowned at him "A private matter nonetheless, excuse me."
Anakin gave an over the top "Of course Master Kenobi." Before he departed, Obi-Wan waited till it was clear to take out his comlink.
"Leo Report." Obi-Wan whispered when the hologram of Leo aboard the Rogue Shadow came on "Maste I was right, you were right the whole time the Sith Lord exists he's on Coruscant."
"On Coruscant are you sure?" Obi-Wan asked looking out across the city "Or close enough to influence the Republic Master, Count Dooku's confessed it the Sith Lord is real, I'm on my way to Ilum right now, once I have the younglings I'll send you the rendezvous coordinates where you can 'ambush' me." he said while he started to set in coordinates.
Obi-Wan prodded him with questions "But do you have proof Leo, I need proof before I take this to the Council."
"You'll get it, as soon as I return to the Count." Leo told him when Obi-Wan could hear his ship priming "... I don't like this Leo, we may be overplaying our hand."
"The risk is worth it Master, I know it is please trust me one last time?" begged the spy.
Obi-Wan shook his head "Ahsoka is guarding the Padawans, she and Anakin still think you're a traitor do you really think you can face her like this?" he asked.
The padawan was hesitant to answer "I have to be."
ILUM
Ilum was a snow-covered planet located in the 7G sector of the Unknown Regions, within the Ilum system. Ilum was the fifth planet from its parent star Asar, a blue dwarf, located roughly equidistant from Asar and the system's cometary cloud. Ilum had a kyber crystalline core, and had been utilized by the Jedi Order for the Gathering, a rite of passage in which Jedi younglings must find and harvest kyber crystals for their lightsabers, for thousands of standard years. After landing on Ilum, the Jedi and Artoo exited the ship after the others slipped on winter gear. "Not the most hospitable place." Katooni, a female Tholothian, said under her hood.
"I think that's the point." Petro told her. Byph, a male Ithorian, said something in his language as the group moved through the blizzard, with Artoo staying with the ship. An hour later they came upon a very tall and long wall made out of crystals before Ahsoka stepped onto a stone circle on the ground with markings. The padawan kneeled onto one knee and brushed some snow away. "It's a dead end." Zatt, a male Nautolan, said before Ahsoka stood up and turned around to face them.
"Younglings, outstretch your hands and focus the Force. Together and only together, can we enter." she said before turning around and aiming her open hand towards the wall. The younglings did the same and after a moment, part of the wall moved down to reveal a door. Ahsoka turned her head towards them and smirked before Gungi let out a happy growl. "Now hurry. The sun has already risen, and we must begin." she said before they entered.
The group walked into a large and tall circular room with an ice wall on the other side before they walked up to Yoda who was sitting on an ice pedestal. "Master Yoda." Zatt greeted as he and the other younglings bowed while Ahsoka stood on opposite sides of the Grand Master. "The Force made physical, a Jedi is comes great responsibility with that, yes?" he asked them, earning nods before standing.
"Protect others, how does a Jedi, hmm?" he said before using the Force to make his lightsaber hover in front of him while activated and spinning slowly. "Build your own lightsaber, you shall. But first, harvest your crystal, each one of you must." he said before they spoke among themselves for a moment. Yoda deactivated it and held it in his hand. "The heart of the lightsaber, the crystal is focuses the Force from the Jedi, it does." the old Jedi said before placing it back onto his belt.
He then used the Force to open a window near the top of the room and some light came through before he turned a large crystal that redirected the light in different directions, one beam hit a smaller crystal and that one directed the beam onto the top of the ice wall, melting it all. "If Jedi you are to become, enter the crystal cave, you must. Trust yourself, trust each other, and succeed, you will." he told them before they stepped up to the smaller door.
"Once you have found your crystal, do not remain inside as daylight ends, the door will freeze over again, and you will be trapped." Ahsoka warned the children.
"For how long?" Ganodi, a female Rodian, asked her. "For one rotation. There will be nothing anyone can do for you." the padawan explained.
"How will we know which crystal to pick?" Petro asked. "Only you can know which one is yours. Now hurry." she urged. The youngling entered, just as the wall started to freeze again.
When they were out of sight, master Yoda Turned toward Ahsoka "Uneasiness I sense within you Padawan Tano, on your mind something there is?"
"I sense danger Master, but at the same time something that will stop it, it's been wrestling itself in the back of my mind since we left Coruscant?" Ahsoka confided in him sitting down across from the ancient Jedi Master.
"Hmm troubling this is." Yoda said leaning on his cane "Grown the shadow of the Dark Side since the loss of your friend Leo Rock to the other side.'
Ahsoka squeezed her gloved hands into fists "Hmm sense your anger I do, betrayed you feel by him?"
"Feel, I know he- forgive me Master Yoda, but he betrayed all of us." Ahsoka said in a sudden outburst before she regained her emotions.
"Hmmm wrong we were to keep the truth from you Padawan Tano." Yoda said, turning to face her.
Ahsoka's face twisted in confusion "What truth?"
The Jedi Master began to pace back and forth "A plan there was, after discovered the treachery of Pong Krell by Padawan Rock was."
"What, but the report?" Ahsoka asked him "To save face, a lie there was, murdered by a Jedi master was by a traitorous padawan, fallen to darkness he had." Yoda told her.
Ahsoka looked to the icey floor in disbelief "So, what does that make Leo, I could feel the darkness in him he's turned."
"Turned he has, but not before planted we had him, a spy in Dooku's inner circle." Yoda told her.
Ahsoka was dumbstruck at the news, speechless she looked at Master Yoda at a loss for words "Told you we should have, wrong we were to keep this from you."
"Did… did Master Kenobi know, did my Master?" She asked him, with much reluctance and some hesitation Master Yoda gave her a confirming nod.
Ahsoka sprung to her feet and paced away from Master Yoda, "... Why?" She asked turning around "Seek out the mysterious of the Sith Master Kenobi and his Padawan sought, learn the truth of this war we wanted them too." Master Yoda told her.
She walked back toward him still muddled in confusion. "Master Yoda I don't understand did the Council send Leo on this mission?"
Yoda shook his head "No, to dangerous such an undertaking would be for a Padawan, driven by fear he was to escape Skywalker and you when we came for him, sought to earn back the Councils trust he did."
"And now?" She asked.
Suddenly they were cut short Petro came running out with a smirk on his face. "Looks like i'm the first back with my crystal. That wasn't so hard." he said, stopping in front of them.
"And the others?" Yoda asked him. "Who knows? I didn't wanna gloat, since I found mine so quickly." he replied. "Show us." Ahsoka said before he reached into the pocket on his sleeve and pulled out a curved and jagged crystal before it melted in his hand.
Master Yoda smirked pressing his cane to Petro's hand "A crystal you have found. Water you have brought." Yoda said with a smile and small chuckle. "But that's impossible, it was my crystal I was sure of it." the youngling said.
"Mm. So certain you were to go back, and closer you must look." the old Jedi told him. "But the door is already half closed." he pointed out. "Then you better hurry." Ahsoka said before he ran back through the door.
When Petro was gone, Master Yoda and Ahsoka resumed their conversation "Leo wasn't loyal to us on Onderon was he?"
"Remember Naboo you do, Padawan Tano?" Master Yoda asked her, Ahsoka gave a stiff knod "Master Obi-Wan went undercover, he and Leo were swapping information- working together?" She asked him.
"Deceived by the Count we were, turned against us Padawan Rock was, a loyal servant of Count Dooku he is now." Master Yoda said regretfully looking back into the cave as if he were looking after the padawans.
Ahsoka followed his gaze "Why wasn't he brought to the temple like other Padawans, if he had then maybe this all could have been avoided?" She asked him but Yoda sighed "Once the path of darkness is taken, forever will it dominate one's destiny."
Meanwhile far above Ilum the Rogue Shadow had pulled out of hyperspace and laid in orbit, Leo started to shut down the systems much to Proxy's suprise "Master are we not going to land?"
"No we are not, while there is a nasty Padawan and six younglings down there, there's also one very powerful Jedi Master one I know I can't beat, so we're going to wait here till they leave." Leo said as he unbuckled turning off other parts of the ship when Oculus came in "Hey Ock, gonna have to power down for a bit don't worry I'll turn you back on." Leo said when the probe droid landed in his hands and he started to scratch its head like a cat.
When he flicked it's off switch he looked to Proxy "You too."
"Understood Master." The holodroid said before it was deactivated.
When Proxy's yellow eyes went off too, he set Oculus down on the dashboard and turned off the last of the ship before he switched off gravity leaving only the life support. When his feet floated off the floor Leo pulled himself back into his chair and buckled up and began to wait.
He looked down at the small white marble of Ilum pitched against the black curtain of space, a pale blue halo of atmosphere lined its edges. Even from space he could feel the call of the living force beating strong in the heart of the planet. He looked down at the lightsaber on his belt and unclipped it letting the double bladed weapon float up around his finger tips. Poking it the hilt spun like a helicopter blade inside he knew was a red kyber crystal corrupted by the long dead Sith Lord Exar Kun.
But his thoughts began to swim in a different direction from the present, back into his memories when he had his own crystal. The radiant white gem had stood out among other crystals, the strong steadfast blue like Anakin and Obi-Wan, the noble strong gold wielded by the Temple Guard, powerful and mighty green ones held by Masters Yoda and Ahsoka.
Leo let his arm go limp when he found himself thinking of her, leaning back in his chair the memories of how she had looked at him in Zygerria.
"I HATE YOU!"
He closed his eyes and leaned back his head looking at the stars above him, something about the small lights in the distance reached to him. It was how he felt alone in so much darkness with the light so far… far… away…
…..
…..
…..
…..
…..
…..
…..
…..
…..
"The crystal is the Blade, and the Blade is the crystal, do understand." A woman's voice said down to a small child who was holding a lightsaber.
"Uh… no?" The child said looking up at the woman, the two of them were wearing hoods and standing in darkened ruins. The woman dropped her shoulder and sighed.
"Alright, to summarize the lightsaber accesses the power of the crystal, channels it into the form of a blade." She explained "Oooooh why all the dumb metaphors?" The child asked her.
The woman gasped "There not dumb, these are ancient proverbs handed down by… okay maybe some of them were dumb, but the bond between a Jedi and their lightsaber is sacred." She said down to the child, who looked at the lightsaber in their hand. It was a strange looking blade made of a dark iron with a silver inlay around the grip and an extended emitter guard.
"But, I thought we weren't Jedi?" The child asked.
The woman sighed "I'm not, but you could be but only if you want to?"
The child gaped at her "You say that like I have a choice?"
"We all have a choice."
Leo awoke from his dream, but not in a jolt or pool of his own sweat, instead he came peacefully and sat up, he looked at a dim reflection of himself in the cockpit window "Why, who are these people you keep showing me?" He asked for his reflection expecting the force would answer him.
ILUM
Awhile after Byph, Zatt and Ganodi returned after finding theirs, Gungi ducked under the ice wall and growled softly with a smile as he held his crystal up. "Well done, Gungi. But two still remain." Ahsoka said.
A few more minutes later the ice wall was nearly back, with only enough room for a person to slide under. "Will they make it, Master?" Zatt asked Yoda.
"We should help them." Ganodi said, taking a step forward before the Grand Master stopped her with his cane.
"Left the cave, you have. Help them, you will not." he said. The wall was now almost complete, only if you slid under it, would you escape. Which is what Katooni did a few seconds later before it was completely frozen again.
"I have my crystal, but Petro is still inside." she said as she ran up to them. "Give up on your friend, do not." Yoda told her as they looked at the wall of ice. A few seconds later, the youngling came crashing through the ice and rolled on the ground before stopping on one knee. He stood and held an actual crystal up. "Petro! You made." Katooni said in relief as Byph and Zatt cheered and Gungi growled happily. "How did he break the ice?" Ganodi asked the Grand Master.
"Only water made solid was the door easy to break if you have the will." he replied with a chuckle. "You- You said we would be trapped." Katooni said, confused. "Not by the cave you were, but by your mind. Lessons, you have learned." he said before addressing Byph.
"Find courage, you did." he said as Byph spoke in agreement before looking at Ganodi. "Hope." he said then turned to Gungi. "Patience." the aged Jedi said, earning a happy growl in return. "Trust." he said to Zatt, earning a nod and smile. "Confidence." the Grand Master said to Katooni as she smiled before he looked at Petro. "And selflessness." the old Jedi said, earning a smile in return. "Take your crystals back to the Temple and keep them safe, young Jedi." he told all five of them with a smile before they cheered.
Ahsoka smiled at the children's joy, it almost made her forget the pain she was feeling knowing that kind of youthful optimism was gone from her. all taken by one she once called friend.
Later the younglings boarded the Crucible behind Ahsoka, and started to remove their winter coats. "Padawan Tano what about Master Yoda, how will he get home?" Katooni asked.
"Don't worry, one thing about Master Yoda is he always finds a way." Ahsoka said, peeling off her own winter coat "Younglings go to the training room and wait for me there, I'm going to contact the Masters so they know we're on our way back." Ahsoka said.
She parted ways with the younglings and as soon as she was gone they started to whisper "Wasn't she the one who was best friends with the traitor?" Zatt asked Petro.
"The one who killed his own Master, what was his name?" Petro asked beside him "Leo Rock wasn't it." Ganodi asked them.
Gungi let out a small bark surprising them "Yeah I heard that too, he defeated an entire army of Geonosians and he wasn't much older then us, I bet I can top that." Petro said, smugly holding up his crystal.
"But Petro, he became a Sith." Katooni said behind him "Well when we're all Knights, we'll destroy the Sith and him too." Petro said firmly to the others with a thumbs up while Ahsoka eavesdropped knowing they had no idea what was in store for them.
Eventually Ahsok made her way up to the bridge with Artoo and was sending a signal to Coruscant, when she walked in a hologram of both Anakin and Obi-Wan appeared before her "Masters."
"Ahsoka, how's it going?" Anakin asked her "Fine so far, the younglings have their crystal and we're departing for Coruscant as we speak." Ahsoka reported.
Anakin smiled "Good work Ahsoka, we'll see you soon."
"Crucible out." Ahsoka said before she cut the transmission.
She looked down at Artoo and patted the white and blue dome, the ship took off from Ilum and flew up into the blizzard before breaking through the clouds into space "Take us home Artoo."
She started to leave but stopped sensing something "Artoo, do you have anything on the scanners?" she asked sensing something out there, waiting for them in the darkness.
Artoo scanned the surrounding space and looked back at her beeping "What do you mean you don't know?" she asked.
The droid answered in a series of beeps "Yeah, it is an old ship probably something with the computer."
Far off, Leo watched the ancient ship fly out of the upper atmosphere, when he saw the ship stay on a direct course Leo turned on the Shadow. Flipping the switches to the ship he also flicked the switch on Proxy "Up and at'em boys its showtime." Leo said turning on Oculus and flying it straight "Proxy switch us into stealth mode." Leo asked.
"Yes Master." The Rogue Shadow's shield generated the stealth field cloaking the ship from scanners and even the naked eye.
Back aboard the Crucible, Ahsoka was walking down the hallways when she felt a wave of darkness fly over them before the entire ship lurched from something docking with it on the portside. Ahsoka looked over her shoulder and immediately thought of the Younglings.
"Ship is attached, overriding Crucible security codes docking door is opening." Proxy reported to Leo who was walking out of the bridge to board them, putting on the contact lenses to make him look like a real Sith.
Meanwhile the Younglings had felt it too "What's happening?" Ganodi asked walking out of the training room toward the docking hall.
The younglings followed her while Ahsoka ran from the other side of the ship, all while Leo walked onto the Crucible without anyone stopping him. Walking around one corner he came face to face with the entire class of younglings who stopped dead in their tracks "It's… it's him…" Zatt gasped seeing the Sith apprentice.
"The Berserker." Petro gasped his knees shaking.
Leo smiled at them "Boo."
The six younglings all screamed and scrambled over one another to get out of the hallway back to the training room. Like a lion hunting gazelle Leo paced down the hallways of the ancient ship before he knew what was coming for him he stopped in the middle of one of the longer hallways and looked over his shoulder to see Ahsoka standing there breathing hard.
"Ahsoka-" he started to say "Save it." She snapped, he turned to face her "They told me Leo."
He hardened his glare at her "They told me everything, you lying traitorous bastard."
Leo looked at the floor "And still after everything Obi-Wan and Anikan did for you, you do this, you attack younglings!" She yelled. He didn't answer, "I'm done Leo, no more word, not more of your lies this ends now." She said reaching for her belt and taking off her lightsaber.
"So it comes to this." Leo said smiling , taking out his and turning it on "Will you fight me, kill me your best friend?" He asked, pointing at her.
Ahsoka took a stance "My best friend died on Umbara." She said bitterly before the two of them charged.
A/N: You decide what happens next, send me what you think should happen.