The hum of the Nebula's engines filled Ahsoka's head as she tried to push images of a war-torn Mandalore out of her head. She sat on the floor of her quarters, attempting to meditate. It was becoming increasingly clear that meditation would not come easily. She could still see the flaming buildings, the people running in terror, and the ships that she once saw as a source of safety obliterating the Deathwatch soldiers. Was this how the rest of the galaxy views the Republic? As a terrifying, warmongering government? And what about the Jedi? Did people see them that way, too?
Ahsoka rubbed her montrals, almost still feeling the ache caused by hearing all of the screams and gunfire. When she was still a Jedi, she'd gotten used to battle sounds, but after four months, it seemed that she would have to get used to it again.
She sighed in frustration and squeezed her eyes tight, hoping that in doing so she'd be able to block out the outside world. No such luck. After a few minutes more, she gave up and relocated to her bed.
There was a soft knock in her door she looked up to see Lux standing in the doorway.
"Hey," he said. "Can I come in?"
Ahsoka nodded. "Take a seat," she said, gesturing to an empty chair in the corner of the room. Lux stepped inside a sat down. "What's up?"
"I couldn't help but notice that you seem upset," he said. "Want to tell me what's on your mind?"
"Kind of a lot, actually." Ahsoka sighed. "I never thought the Republic could be so ruthless. I always saw it as fair and just. But, back on Mandalore, they just slaughtered people for no reason. The Deathwatch weren't doing any harm to them. And they killed innocent citizens, too, when the blew up the dome. It just makes me question if what I was doing as a Jedi was right, you know.
Lux nodded. "I do. Sometimes I look back on my time as a Separatist and I wonder what I was thinking to make me think that they were right. I mean, they aren't all bad. In fact, their ideals are something that I actually agree with. But the way they execute it, with this war, makes them bad. They create monstrosities like Grievous, and killing machines that end life like it's nothing." He laughed, almost bitterly. "I guess neither side is wholly good or wholly bad. But the reasons that we choose our side is what makes us good or bad."
"I didn't even choose my side," said Ahsoka. "The Jedi did that for me, when they took me from Shili."
He stood up and took a seat next to her on the bed. "Even still, many Jedi fought for the wrong reasons. They became corrupted by politics and greed. You fought for what you believe in."
"I don't even know what I believe in anymore," said Ahsoka. "What are you supposed to believe in when you figure out that a whole part of your life is a lie?"
"Believe in me," said Lux. "And I'll believe in you." He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "Okay?"
She nodded. "Okay."
Lux stood and yawned. "Well, I'm going to go try to sleep. Better be well rested for the witch planet, right? Find me if you need anything."
She nodded and he made his way out of her room slowly. Ahsoka picked up her lightsabers and the Holocron from where they rested on her desk and walked to the bridge, where Barriss was piloting. Ahsoka plopped down in the seat next to her.
"So," she said. "Dathomir."
"Yep," said Barriss. "I can feel something there. It's almost like a familiar presence. I can't place it, but it feels angry. And almost…sad. I think it can help us."
"Guess we'll figure that out soon enough," said Ahsoka. She hesitated for a moment. "Barriss, can I ask you something?"
"Sure," said Barriss.
"When you were with the Jedi, did you ever doubt that you were doing the right thing?"
"Yes," said Barriss. "All the time."
"Really?" asked Ahsoka. "You always seemed so confident in yourself."
"I tried to be. But the truth is, I was always afraid that each descision was the wrong one. Especially after what they did to you. I thought that whatever group of people abandoned a teenager on some distant planet couldn't be good."
Ahsoka chuckled. "That's a good point."
"What I really think is that the Jedi are barely a fraction of what they used to be. They're so embedded in the past, they're almost stifled by traditions and memories of what the Jedi Order used to be. They don't even recognize that they sacrifice their ideals for politics. That why one of the reasons I came to see you, even though I knew I probably shouldn't. I just felt like if I stayed there I would do something bad."
"Well, I'm glad you did come," said Ahsoka. "I would've probably been caught by now if not for you."
"Oh, you definitely would," said Barriss.
Ahsoka smacked her lightly on the arm.
"Looks like we're approaching Dathomir now," said Barriss. The Nebula exited hyperspace and the red planet looked before them.
"This place doesn't look inviting," said Ahsoka.
"I think that's the point," said Barriss. "It's home to a clan of witches known as the Nightsisters. At least, it was, but the Separatist army came through and eliminated them all. I think Dooku was involved with that."
The door slid open behind them and Lux entered the bridge, recoiling slightly at the strange-looking planet. "That's Dathomir?" he asked. "I can see why it doesn't get much tourist attraction."
Barriss guided the ship towards the planets surface. As they landed, Ahsoka felt a tug in the Force, something unexpectedly strong, but also sinister.
"Do you feel it?" asked Barriss. "It's really strong here."
"Does it have anything to do with that?" asked Lux, pointing to a massive face carved into a cliffside ahead of them.
"That must be a Nightsister temple," said Barriss. "It's even creepier that I expected."
The trio exited the Nebula and they headed towards the temple. On either side of them were tall, thorny planets. Large, oddly shaped pods hung from the tips of the plants. Lux studied one curiously.
"Those are burial pods," said Barriss. "The Nightsisters put their dead clan members inside. It was supposed to be a way to honor them after they'd passed."
Lux looked at them in disgust. "You mean there are dead Nightsisters in there?"
"Yes," said Barriss. "Some texts even say that more powerful Nightsisters could even raise the dead to attack their enemies."
Lux shivered slightly and stepped closer to Ahsoka, eyeing the pods warily. Ahsoka laughed quietly at his discomfort and Lux scowled at her.
The first impression Ahsoka got of the inside of the temple was darkness. The next thing was a terrible smell that made her eyes water and her nostrils burn. She clamped a hand over her nose, trying to keep the smell out.
"What is that?" Ahsoka asked.
"I have no idea," said Barriss.
"It smells like death," said Ahsoka. She took her lightsabers off of her belt and ignited them so that they could see. What they could see made Barriss gasp loudly. It smelled like death because the smell was, in fact, death. Dozens of corpses littered the ground, all in various stages of decomposition. Several still had flesh, but the majority were just skeletons. Most had holes in their bodies, which Ahsoka assumed were blaster shots from the droid attack, but on several it looked more like lightsaber strikes.
"Well go on," said a voice. "Have a good look at what happened here."
Ahsoka jumped slightly and Barriss ignited her lightsaber, looking to find the source of the voice. It seemed to have come from somewhere above them. It seemed almost familiar, and if she wasn't mistaken, a Force signature that felt almost familiar was coming from whoever it was that was speaking.
"Who's there?" demanded Ahsoka.
"What?" asked the voice. "Don't you recognize me? I'm almost hurt."
Ahsoka thought about if for a second. She thought back to a time when the same voice had taunted her onboard the Republic cruiser with Master Luminara.
"Ventress," hissed Ahsoka.
"Correct." Ventress jumped down from the darkness above them. Ahsoka studies her carefully. She looked worn down. She could see bags under Ventress's eyes, several cuts in her face, and from the way she held herself, Ahsoka could tell that one of her legs was injured. Instead of her usual purple clothing, she wore a deep red outfit, similar to one of the ones she saw on the Nightsister corpses.
"Wait," said Ahsoka. "You're supposed to be dead. The Council said that you got blown up in the Battle of Sullust. How are you here?"
"The Jedi don't always have everything right, tailhead," said Ventress. "It's true, my ship blew up. My master strayed me and tried to have me killed. But I lived, and I returned here, to my home planet."
"And you became a witch?" asked Ahsoka. "Wow. You're the only one I know that could find something even creepier than being a Sith."
Ventress glared at Ahsoka. "I'm not the only one who was betrayed. I heard about your little incident. You got yourself punished by the Jedi, hm? That's right. I still hear things, even all the way out here. My sisters and I see all things."
"Speaking of which," said Ahsoka. "How did you survive the massacre? I mean, everyone else seems to have died." She gestured to the corpses.
"Not everyone," said Ventress. "I survived with a small group of my sisters."
"If there are still some Nightsisters alive," said Barriss, "I think that they could help us. I mean, the Nightsisters do have magic. They could help us discover the source of this Force signature that we're feeling."
"In what galaxy would I help you?" asked Ventress. "I have no reason to."
"That's not true," said Ahsoka.
"Really?" Ventress asked. "Give me a good reason why, then. This ought to be good."
"Well," Ahsoka. "You and I are actually kind of similar." Ventress looked slightly surprised. "It's true. You know, both of us were betrayed and abandoned by the people that we trusted more than anything. We both understand what it feels like to think you're alone."
Ventress looked at Ahsoka for a moment, with something in her eyes that Ahsoka could exactly place. Pity? Understanding? Whatever it was, Ahsoka knew that she'd gotten through to Ventress.
Ventress sighed. "Fine. But if you give me even one tiny reason to regret this, I will take you to the nearest cliff and hurl you off of the top."
"Deal," said Ahsoka.
"Alright," said Ventress. "Now follow me."
Anakin Skywalker was a lot of things, but he was not a quitter. And neither was his Padawan. So where did that leave him? Chasing her across the galaxy whenever he could. But the last he'd seen of her, she was fleeing from Onderon with Barriss and the Bonteri kid. He rubbed his eyes tiredly. She could be anywhere in the galaxy. And here he was, on Coruscant, the last place she'd be, waiting to talk to the Council, the last people she'd want to see.
As he walked through the halls of the Temple, heading for the Council chamber, Obi-Wan appeared by his side.
"Any news?" he asked.
"No," said Anakin despondently. "It's like she just disappeared."
"She has to be somewhere," said Obi-Wan. "We'll find her eventually, it may just require some patience."
"And when we do find her?" asked Anakin. "What then? We just ship her back out to Ilum and abandon her again?"
"Anakin," began Obi-Wan. "She was given a punishment that she must face. That is the Jedi way."
"And I'm beginning to think she's better off without your so called 'Jedi way', Master," said Anakin. "I mean, you just chucked a sixteen year old girl out into the snow and said 'Good luck surviving on your own!' And you try to argue that you have some moral code. You don't. You just do what you think is best without considering that it's not best for everyone else."
Obi-Wan put a hand on Anakin's shoulder, but he shrugged it off and stormed towards the Council chambers.
Once there, he took a deep breath and tried to contain his emotions before stepping inside, where he found Masters Yoda, Windu, and Plo Koon waiting for him. He bowed slightly to them.
"Skywalker," said Master Windu. "We've just received a video from our medical station orbiting Felucia."
He pressed a button and a holo-video played. For a moment, all that was there was an empty hangar, but soon a small ship landed in the back of the hangar and three figures exited. A Togruta, a Mirialan, and a human. He quickly put the pieces together and placed them as Ahsoka, Barriss, and Lux.
Another ship landed and a cloaked figure stepped out, igniting a lightsaber. Ahsoka ignited her lightsabers and an intense duel followed, ending when someone, presumably Barriss, who had rushed on board the enemy's ship, blew the ship up, also taking out the camera and ending the video.
"This happened shortly after an evacuation order was sent to the medical station," said Master Plo. "But there is no record of that order ever being sent. It seems that Padawan Tano knew that this was going to happen and hacked into the station to send the signal. We also have reason to believe that she was on Mandalore when we attacked, and while we were there, a clone trooper was ordered to put a tracking device on to ship that looked very similar to the one seen in the video. She was also seen by several troopers trying to get back to her ship."
"So where is the ship now?" asked Anakin.
"Dathomir," said Master Windu.
"The witch planet?" asked Anakin. "Why would Ahsoka go there?"
"We don't know," said Master Windu. "But it is essential that we find her and get her to the Temple. She blew up part of a Republic ship if you recall. This alone is enough to arrest her. Not to mention her leaving behind her post on Ilum. And I won't even mention the fact that she's somehow convinced another Jedi and a Senator to help her with this. She's a danger, to both the Jedi and the Republic."
Anakin had to restrain himself from snapping at Master Windu. Ahsoka was no danger, and he would refuse to go after her if her didn't also want to bring her back for his own reasons.
"Find her, you must," said Master Yoda. "Before it is too late."
Anakin bowed. "Yes, master."