For a long while, she sat still, simply focusing on breathing in long-drawn-out pulls of the sharply frigid air. Warm thoughts of old friends turned to sorrow and the ache of loss as years of war and turmoil churned through her blood. She had expected its thunderous roil. And it came once again as it always had. Reminding her that it was an everlasting wheel that did not cease. With each coming era, it grew stronger, coalescing into a torrent of fire fueled by war and torment. But she did not dwell on the bitter roil and did not allow it to shake her conviction. Or drive her to hope what could have been. What may have been. If only she had power, more power than anyone could stand against.
The Dark Side of the Force thrived on those thoughts, it turned fears into reality and selfishness into agony. It coaxes you to wade in its gentle current, to drink from a font of power, so entirely endless you feel that you can keep tragedy at bay with a simple swipe of your hand. But then you find that the current becomes stronger…too strong now that you cannot reach the shore even if you struggle with all your might. You realize it is too late to go back. And when you look at the shore wishing you could escape, and you see the wake of your destruction. The violence that still rages as far as you can see. And it is all you will ever see.
Until you are swept away.
She allowed these thoughts of passion to wash over and through her until they passed into the beyond. Things that came before and bleak memories that she held could not be changed. Dwelling on the past only made one long to control the future. Instead, she focused inwardly, picturing a tiny orb of light. Her light. Luminous and delicate, it glimmered and pulsed at her breath. Expanding as she focused, she acknowledged the churning emotions but set them aside and her awareness bloomed like a bursting star. Concentrating on the serenity of life in the galaxy, she allowed the energies of the Living Force to enrich her, and within her mind, she could feel its incomprehensible expanse.
She pictured herself casting her arms outward and the light from within her scattered across the black void. For a while, it was formless, simply a glowing aura that represented her consciousness, but after a while, the light came together and took shape. How long it took until the aura coalesced into tiny pinpricks of light she did not know; minutes or days could have passed, and it would have felt as if it was in the same instant. Within her mind she now gazed upon the swirling tempest of the Galaxy, slowly churning trillions of stars around the blindingly bright Core system.
She held out her hand and gently stroked along the long twisting spines of the Galaxy tracing along the familiar Hydian Way, a well-known hyperspace route that spans the entire breadth of the known Galaxy, and along it recognized several other systems. The Corporate Sector, on the far edge of the Galaxy, and the Gordian Reach. Vast, in comparison to Mandalorian space. Her fingers, small in comparison to the expanse of the Galaxy, simply passed through the bright stars. Not brushing them out of place or disturbing their position.
She smiled as she passed by Coruscant, a place she had called home for so many years…maybe one day she could call it that again. A familiar sense of recognition brushed through her mind, a presence slightly familiar, yet strong and firm.
Hey there, Skywalker…
Continuing along the path she felt many other beings, bright even among clusters of stars, unfamiliar and alone in the Galaxy. She wished that she could reach out to them and guide them. Find them, star by star, until the Galaxy was filled once again with harmony and protected by guardians of righteousness… She removed her hand just as it passed Eriadu. That time has gone though. She thought wistfully, remembering the years in which she once served as a protector of those who could not protect themselves. A Jedi.
She turned now to face what she knew was the vast unexplored region of the Galaxy. So large was the mental projection that she had to physically walk several paces to reach it, and with each step toward it, she could feel a growing presence. Holding her hand across the stars to follow the slight tingling in the tips of her fingers until she came to the very edge, so far from the central light that the Core was a small orb among the dark black backdrop of her mind. What are you doing all the way out here? She thought as she felt the familiar essence at the far end of the Galaxy. It was a confusing mix of emotions and energy, a turbulent battle between raw desperation and calculating control. She had not expected to find them so entirely distant from the known Galaxy. If the trail was to eventually lead them this far, they were talented to have gotten here in such a short amount of time. She smiled proudly and turned to regard the rest of the dangerously precarious section of the Galaxy.
The distinct sound of glass shattering was startling, the harsh noise exploded through the quiet of her mind, and she froze mid-stride. The moment hung for an eternity until she turned her head to face the source of the sound.
There, across from her, stood a figure.
She felt her skin go cold and clammy; her breathing came in short rasps of fear. She wanted to run. But her mind had forgotten how, it was as if she was frozen in place, staring at this dark intruder inside her mindscape.
They were cloaked entirely in a billowing shadow that seemed to stretch from the darkness itself. A hood hung over their head, covering what could only be described as an emotionless mask of a face. Their eyes were the deepest color of black as if she were peering directly into the void. The black pits were wide, as if in pain or threatening some malicious intent.
"Wh-Who are you?" She shouted to the shadow, "How are you here?"
The shadow ignored her cries. Instead, it reached a gaunt gray hand up to the small pinpricks that made up the Galaxy and plucked one of the orbs of light from its place. She jolted in shock, trying to lurch her body forward in an attempt to force her legs into action. But she was unable to take a single step more. She watched as the shadow pulled the orb of light to its face, studying its essence between its fingers and the exploding sound of glass that rang through her mind again.
Nothing in her power could stop the dark figure from smashing the tiny orb of light with a simple pinch of its fingers. She watched in shock as the remains flittered down and vanished, blending into the black surface of her mind. The dark figure reached out to the Galaxy of light once again. "No—" Her voice quavered against the dark figure but did nothing to impede its action. It reached, with hands so crisp from dryness that the skin was flaking off in strips and clutched another shimmering ball of light.
She shouted for the figure to stop. Over and over again, until her voice came out in harsh rasps. It took the orbs of light one at a time at first, shattering them in its gaunt palm, before it began scooping clusters of stars all at once. Crushing them without mercy. The thunderous shockwaves pounded her skull each time a tiny orb was smashed to dust, until the shadow began grasping entire star systems at once and she could no longer hear her faltering voice over the explosions.
Tears fell across her face as she realized the source of the sound. It was the Force. With each luminous star ripped from the Galaxy, it cried out in pain. The shadow grew larger with each cluster of stars that were shattered in its hand, feeding off the misery of the Force. The smoke-like cape had nearly engulfed what little remained of the Galaxy now. She watched helplessly as the dark shadow flung its arms wide, and with a final ear-splitting crack, slapped what remained of the light between its two hands.
She awoke with a jolt, disoriented and panicked, inside a small domed meditation chamber. Safe from the terrible specter, for now it seems. Sweat poured from her light orange skin, thick droplets splashing and merging into the small artificial creek that ran through the floor of the chamber. She took a moment to collect herself and reflect on the ominous vision she had just experienced. For so long visions within the Force had been sullied by a thick and despairing cloud. It made the looking to the future unclear and difficult to comprehend. Yet this was vivid, the most blatant display of malevolence she had seen in a long time. It frightened her to think the emissary of evil forced this vision into her mind.
The sounds of the shattering stars still throbbed within her mind. She rubbed her forehead slowly, but it did nothing to ease the pain. Fatigue and hunger quickly sapped her of whatever remaining strength she had. Pushing off the flat water-stone seat, she gasped as the edges of sight blurred to darkness. Her legs buckled, atrophied and weak, and she collapsed into the few inches of water that filled the creek.
From her position on the floor she watched the door of the chamber slide open with a hiss and revealed her Fallanassi attendant Namisa. She was of average height and fair skinned, her species very near human save for their elegantly sharp features and pointed ear tips. Her long brown hair was unadorned by any pathfinder braids, given with honor to Fallanassi that had ventured out into the stars. Namisa was still young and fresh faced but had spent many years devoted in service to the Lord Presarie.
"Lady Tano!" Namisa gasped, rushing to her side
Ahsoka gave an embarrassed smile, still struggling to gain a proper foothold she gestured for assistance. Namisa pulled Ahsoka's outstretched arm over her shoulder and eased the weakened Togruta off the floor and out of the creek's shallow water.
"My Lady, you take things too far sometimes." Namisa chided, "His Eminence wished to speak with you two days ago. I assured him that you would present yourself as soon as you were able but--"
"I'm sorry, Namisa." Ahsoka replied quickly as she eased off of her attendant and braced herself on the smooth marble wall. "Two days really is pushing it. Tell Lord Presarie I'll be on my way shortly."
Namisa shook her head curtly, "You misunderstand…You were requested to visit the Lord two days ago, but you've been meditating for over a week now."
The revelation hit her like a surging wave. She had performed this meditation exercise many times before and never had it taken longer than a few hours. Was this because of the shadow figure that had appeared in the vision? Ahsoka felt as if she would be ill as her mind attempted to parse through the lost days, realizing that she had been trapped inside her mind. Forced to watch the Dark Emissary cull all the light from the Galaxy for nearly an entire week before being set free.
Ahsoka regained her composure as Namisa returned to her side after fetching a soft Ibarran-hide robe. She took it gratefully, padding the residual water from her body before wrapping herself in its warmth. Ahsoka set Namisa to prepare some food before her meeting with the high lord. If her vision was any indicator, what the high lord wanted to discuss would not be about anything good.
Later that day..
"So, you believe this…Dark Emissary, is in some way tied to your search in the Unknown Regions?" The Highlord, Selenar Presarie mused. His gaze was transfixed on the setting sun far beyond the horizon, its orange-red glow blossoming in the distance. The waning sun shafts struck the large transparisteel partition that rose from floor to ceiling, scattering its brilliance across the room.
"Yes," Ahsoka replied evenly. She sat in a small, well cushioned seat at the center of the sun lounge, it's comforting embrace slowly melting the fatigue from her tense body. "But for the purpose of its appearance, I'm afraid I cannot say."
The highlord turned away from the window, his features were sharp and defined, the many years of his long life shone in the refined glint of his cloud-gray eyes. The shimmersilk robe he wore reflected the coming twilight upon long striations of gold sewn throughout the fabric. Presarie regarded Ahsoka with a critical eye. She was an outsider to the Fallanassi, and always would be. He became curious about her importance to the Force after hearing about her experiences and allowed her to stay on Ialtra.
"Do you not know, or do you simply choose not to speak of it?" Presa advised, with some impatience.
"I'm not sure what you mean."
The high lord's nose crinkled as if he had just smelled something foul, he had been waiting far too long to have the time to entertain naiveite. "With your recent vision it seems prudent to act upon our previous assumption." Presarie said tersely.
Ahsoka sat upright in her seat, charged at his accusation. "You can't possibly think—"
"What I think, Lady Tano, is that there is a precedent for Jedi giving in to their destructive dispositions. You yourself, said the same, am I correct?"
"…Yes," Ahsoka replied dejectedly, "But the scale of this-we just can't assume that he could be capable of this."
"I've lived to see centuries of Jedi and Sith scar the Galaxy and churn its White Current into turmoil." Presarie interrupted. "It takes merely a push to turn any resolute Jedi into an avatar of cataclysm…and I'm sure by now you have heard the rumors of the young Skywalker?"
Ahsoka merely nodded.
"Rumors are what they are," He said dismissively, "but now it seems he has set his course to pick up the father's mantle. Several Pathfinders have been sent to learn the truth-we shall address that in turn. Though it seems the last fleeting spark of the Jedi lies with him."
With that, their debates regarding the intentions of the Force came to a brief respite. Ahsoka took some time to detail the Zephyr's struggle through the Unknown Region, and her strong feeling that Lindmon had neared the end of their projected path. Presarie listened, gently stroking his chin while interjecting occasionally along her story. When she had finished, the highlord gracefully took a chair next to Ahsoka and pressed a button on the table in the center of the sun lounge.
"If you are inclined to believe the journey nears its end without any fruitful results…" He said, "then perhaps there is something you would be willing to look into for me."
Ahsoka leaned forward in her seat and nodded curiously. This must be what was so important that Presarie requested to speak with her. The table tweetled as it activated, projecting a shimmer-clear blue image of a Fallanassi women about a foot tall. She stood in the center of the elegant table pulling the concealing robes of the Pathfinders tight around her body against a strong wind. Its hood was drawn, and a small mask over her nose concealed all features of her face save for her piercing, azure blue eyes.
"Tyena, what do my eyes see?" Selenar commanded of the hologram.
"Your Eminence…Lady Tano," The hologram of Tyena spoke, regarding them each in turn. "My expedition among the planet, Sot Ankoda, has signs of a dark shadow looming over the people. Even as I speak to you now, I can feel the Current urging me to flee."
Ahsoka glanced at the High Lord and spoke in a soft tone, "Sot Ankoda? Is that one of the border planets under Imperial control?" She was surprised Tyena had been able to infiltrate Imperial checkpoints, the notoriously xenophobic officers would have surely given her a difficult time.
"I have eyes all across the Galaxy, child." He responded pridefully, "Continue, Tyena. Tell us what you have uncovered."
"Many people have gone missing, Eminence." She said, "The Imperial minister has been actively ignoring the concerns brought up by the planet's head of state. Saying it's the work of simple traffickers."
"But you don't believe this, do you?" Questioned Ahsoka.
"No, Lady Tano. There's just…too many people going missing." Tyena sighed heavily, "I've gone to some of the outer townships, just before the Grasping Dunes. They're all gone."
Ahsoka and Selenar exchanged a puzzled look. Sot Ankoda would need to have a certain resource density, population significance or tactical importance for the Empire to spend the assets required to occupy the planet. Places like that tended to have denser populaces. A township could have had any number of residents, from several hundred to over a thousand beings living there.
Ahsoka felt a shiver crawl across her skin, she felt a sense of immediate danger. But not of this place, it was elsewhere, centering around-Lindmon. She had just sensed him earlier that day, perfectly fine, this must be from something that has not yet come to pass. An urging from the Force about a great threat.
"Something is taking these people, using them to feed the dark void that is ever-growing around this planet. If nothing is done soon, I fear that it won't be long before Sot Ankoda is known as the world of ghosts." Tyena finished.
"I will send aid to you shortly Tyena." Presarie assured, "For now continue observing. If the situation turns for the worse, you need to be sure of your escape." He leaned forward in his chair and depressed the comm switch. Tyena's short hologram form dissipated in a cloud of static. Presarie turned to Ahsoka and knew by her creased brow that she would be on Sot Ankoda shortly.
Selenar Presarie rose with grace from his lounge seat, allowing Ahsoka a moment to ruminate on the report. He strode over to a larger wall locker, inset in the magnificent marble walls of his personal chamber. Removing from it two boxes. One, tall and elegantly carved out of wroshyr wood. The other was short made of simple durasteel, it was slightly marred with scratches and pock marks.
"Your decision to leave came so swiftly last time, I did not have the opportunity to have these given to you." Presarie said as he laid the boxes out on the table in front of Ahsoka.
She looked at him, unsure of what to say from his kind gesture. From the several years she had known the high lord he had never done something as ostentatious as bestowing a gift in person. Inside the tall box lay a pristine white staff, enshrouded among a supple red velvet cloth. Ahsoka's skin bristled as she ran her fingers along the length of the staff and up to the top that finished with a simple circle.
"What is this?" She asked, looking up at Selenar.
"A relic, discovered many years ago by one of our Pathfinders." He said simply, "It resembles the design of the staves carried by the ancients as they charted the stars-most certainly a replica made by an astute historian. No doubt it will bring luck as you continue your journey across the stars."
"I-I…umm-I don't know what to say." Ahsoka sputtered, "I'm grateful to be given this, truly."
"Yes, of course." Selenar said dismally, "Think of this as a gift, so that you may consider the next one with more regard."
As she opened the inconspicuous durasteel box, she knew why he had graced her with such an artifact. Ahsoka's heart fell. Inside was a modified A-3 Shrieker alongside a cluster of capped saber darts. It was a blaster pistol manufactured with several composite components and its power pack had been replaced by a high-powered air compressor, making it almost impossibly difficult to detect on scanners. This was a weapon given to many Fallanassi as they became Pathfinders. Giving them guaranteed protection, even when traveling alone. It was also the perfect tool for assassinations.
"Whether the Bridger boy is indeed the agent of destruction in your vision remains to be seen." The highlord said as he felt her shift of emotion through the Force, "But our resolve to prevent disturbances to the Current must outweigh our individual emotions."
It was the ultimate test of loyalty, thrown into her lap. Deal with the errant Jedi and be welcomed with open arms as a full-fledged member of the Fallanassi society. Or refuse and allow an unstable Jedi to alter the future of the Galaxy. Ahsoka wasn't sure if it was possible for her to do something so underhanded. But that was only if he turned out to be a threat to the future of the Galaxy, and the future was always changing. Maybe with her help, it could turn out for the better.
"I understand." Ahsoka replied as she gathered her emotions in a blanket of the Force, "I'll consider the implications we've discussed and make a decision when the time comes."
She closed the Shrieker pistol inside its small box and left the high lords chambers. Lord Presarie had always been critical of the Jedi's methods, he had lived long enough to watch their slow decline into hypocrisy and experienced the lamentation of the Force as thousands of Jedi were purged from the Galaxy in an instant. Today however, he seemed more insistent that their time had passed. Almost demanding that their spark not return after hearing of Ahsoka's vision. But Selenar Presarie did not know, as Ahsoka did…that the return of the Jedi had already begun.
Coruscant was doing its best to recover from the scars the Empire inflicted upon it. What once was a shimmering megapolis across the entire planet's surface, now held the cancerous tumors befitting a fully militarized society. Even though the old banners of the Empire had been torn down and replaced with the inspiring emblem of hope in the galaxy, the signs of an oppressive ruler still loomed over the populace. Surveillance towers lined nearly every footpath in the massive city, abandoned by the soldiers that had once watched its citizens vigilantly through the dozens of connecting camera feeds. Some left to meld into the crowd and attempt to reintegrate into the new fledgling society, but many more escaped to regroup with what remained of the Empire's command structure.
Ahsoka was glad to see that the leaders of the New Republic recognized how important it was to remove any semblance of the Empire's tyranny. Even the Imperial Palace, the heart of the Empire's grip on the Galaxy, was now surrounded by mag-cranes and scaffolding as it was slowly torn down piece by piece. Its inner frame now an emaciated rib cage exposed to the sun. It pained her to see such a terrible monument, it rose higher than nearly all other skyscrapers in the capital city, dark and imposing. Built upon the destroyed ruins of the old Jedi Temple, surely to declare Palpatine's complete obliteration of their order.
She moved swiftly to the temporary Senate building. Its halls were filled with portable generators and repurposed computers, collected from every back shop and scrapyard across the galaxy. It had been almost two days since she had left Ialtra and the distant danger she sensed had not abated. It was imperative she find Lindmon and root out the source of this threat. After her vision and subsequent meeting with Selenar Presarie, she was worried of what may happen if it went unchecked. Distracted by her danger sense she failed to notice the greetings of several New Republic officers, infrequently drawing glares from snubbed beings as they passed.
Ahsoka felt the energy of the Force bustling around her as she passed one of the briefing rooms, agitated and distressed. This time however it wasn't her danger sense. She had intended to meet with Mon Mothma and inquire about Lindmon's likely position, but for her… curiosity was always something that should be investigated.
The realization of the dire situation hit her as soon as Ahsoka strode into the room. Dozens of officers were barking orders into terminal stations, commanding the relocation and positioning of several flotillas spread across the galaxy. The room was several degrees hotter than the hallway it connected to. Nearly a dozen R-series astromechs were radiating heat from overclocking their central processers, analyzing hyperspace courses and running several thousand engagement simulations and translating the results to the command terminal.
Ahsoka watched as a slight woman issued swift orders throughout the room. Dressed in green and blue fatigues and tall combat boots, she had her long hair braided up and out of the way in a small halo around her head. The young commander's sharp brown eyes flitted over a few holoscreens, digesting the new information that scrawled across the blue tinge of the monitor.
"Tell General Sholritz to move immediately to Anison. If there really is a blockade…well, we can at least use that opportunity to give some relief supplies to other planets." She said to the older man at her side. "The Empire is nearly spread as thin as we are, they can't afford to…"
The older man happened to notice Ahsoka enter the room before anyone else, her dear friend was well trained to be highly vigilant. A veteran of the Clone War like she was, and a hardened leader in countless battles, Ahsoka had come to regard Captain Rex as one of her closest friends. Ahsoka watched as he whispered discreetly to inform the commander of her appearance.
She was glad to see he had not aged quite so significantly since last they met. After an early onset cardiac spasm, a side effect of his rapid aging, Rex had been meeting with a health advisor. The details were vague, but it was her understanding that he was taking something to stabilize the rapid cell development.
"Ambassador Tano," The commander said with no small amount of shock, "I-Well, I'm surprised to see you on Coruscant."
"It is good to see you as well your Highness." Ahsoka spoke, bowing slightly to greet the esteemed Princess Leia. The last princess of Alderaan.
Leia's eye's narrowed slightly in confusion, she and Rex shared a knowing glance. "No, I'm sorry. I meant that it's surprising you were able to reach Coruscant at all. In fact, I would love to know how you managed it."
"I'm not sure I understand your Highness?" Ahsoka was feeling her danger sense chatter in the back of her mind like an enflamed Gorak hive.
Rex interjected, perhaps noticing her anxiety and wanting to cut right to the brunt of the issue. "Well you see, Commander Tano—"
"Ambassador, Rex I haven't been a commander in years." Ahsoka chided lightly. Leia looked to them both in confusion for the peculiar interlude in such a serious conversation.
"Right, Ambassador. Of course, Commander." Rex corrected. He cleared his throat and pressed on. "The hyperspace route leading to Palatine base was discovered."
Death.
It was such a familiar feeling that she was unsure why it wasn't immediately apparent to her. She just didn't want it to be real, Ahsoka thought, like a child holding their hands over their montrals to block out the world. Rex's voice continued as if he was underwater, and Ahsoka pressed her hand to her forehead to quell its thundering pulse.
"Three Imperial-class Star Destroyers have barricaded the pathway carved out by the Saqorian Zephyr. Communication with the planet is completely jammed, we've tried to send multiple convoys to run the blockade but…we haven't heard back from them." Rex finished, following the standard casualty classification protocols that dictated soldiers not be declared dead without reasonable proof. His tone, however, was grave. Those Rebellion naval officers would likely never return.
Leia placed a reassuring hand on Ahsoka, bringing her out of the haze of anxiety. "How were you able to move past the blockade?" She asked, "If there is another way around, we can warn them an attack is imminent."
"There is no other way," Ahsoka replied shaking her head, "I never regrouped with the Zephyr. My meeting…delayed me longer than expected. I don't even know the location of Lindmon's outpost."
Leia and Rex exchanged a defeated glance. They had their hopes raised when Ahsoka entered the room, but it seemed the solution to their problem would not come so easily. Their silence lingered, only the chatter of deck officers and tweedling of astromechs filled the room. After a moment the console beeped, and Leia perked up as she read the scrawling text.
"We might not have any more corvette cruisers to send, but that doesn't mean we sit around and do nothing." She said confidently, rushing out of the strategy room.
"Right behind you, your Highness!" Rex answered, quickly snapping his weapons belt around his waist and took off after Princess Leia as she rounded the corner. "Come on, Commander!" He called back to Ahsoka from the hallway.
Ahsoka smiled, swiftly racing after them. Rex's enthusiasm to contribute to a high stakes mission, the uncertain odds that faced them, and a headstrong, charismatic leader…It all reminded her the way things used to be. Now that the Emperor was defeated, the machinist behind nearly every conflict in the last forty years, maybe things could turn out differently this time.
Maybe.