AUTHOR'S NOTE: I hoped you all enjoyed chapter 5 as much as I did writing it. As I continue on with this tale it has become a labor of love. In case some might be wondering about my position on Star Wars canon, well, all I can say at this point is that there are plenty of unexplored spaces within the fabric of it, and I take "poetic license" where I find the opportunity. A shout-out to: david. davies. 5851, TheVampireStrahd, and Pink ranger 13 for the feedback. And also, to everyone following the story or adding me as a favorite, this is an expression of gratitude: thank you for everything! Just so you all know, I have a full-time job but fortunately there is time during some days to jot down notes for upcoming chapters. Now, without further ado, let's see where our heroine is headed next … as the title of chapter 5 states: expect the unexpected.
Chapter 6: Out of a Dream
Felucia, 1 BBY 9 months, 20 days, 7 hours
The scene shifts to Coruscant – the capital planet of the galaxy and a world completely urbanized, featuring every possible lifestyle from unimaginable levels of wealth and luxury down to meager day-to-day existence on the streets. Master Ahsoka Tano is seated on a throne of immense grandeur, which is covered in platinum and gold, polished to a fine texture. She is dressed in a glittering gown and robes of spectacular beauty, covered in jewels and ornate detail from the far reaches of the galaxy. Standing behind her are her apprentices Hedala and Frehya, now full Knights of the Order, each dressed in her finest attire. In front of her are the dignitaries and power-brokers from almost every major world, seated by the thousands, awaiting this moment. A gentle wave of anticipation ripples through the audience, as Grand Master Shaak Ti, herself dressed in her finest – a long black robe made from the pelts of some unknown creatures – approaches the throne. She is carrying a crown adapted to fit around the wearer's montrals and lekku – one covered in more jewels – and she motions for Ahsoka to rise. "To everyone: kings, queens, senators, chancellors … to all assembled guests … I give you … her exalted majesty Ahsoka the First – Empress of the Galaxy!" As she is crowned, the roar from the crowd becomes deafening and it is echoed across the galaxy via the Holo-net into various city and town squares, where assembled multitudes are cheering. Ahsoka then motions for all to be seated and she steps forward. "My humblest gratitude to all of you for making this moment possible. I will be a compassionate ruler who deeply cherishes the trust you all have placed in me. I dream of a galaxy where every sentient life is treasured, every dream is valued, and everyone may enjoy the liberty that is promised to you by the stars that make all life possible …" Her voice thunders through the halls across the galaxy and the applause continues into the night.
"Wha ….?" Ahsoka awakened with a startled look on her face as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. My goodness … THAT was one crazy dream. She was back aboard the Corvala Dawn in her private quarters, and realized she was very hungry. So she quickly got back into her battle gear and headed into the ship's galley, where Hedala and Frehya were conversing while they prepared breakfast.
"Well, Frehya, what do you think? Master Ahsoka has been very quiet since we got back to the ship last night."
"I'm not sure. Master Ti is very mysterious. She seems kind and gentle, but I detect much more to her."
"Yes, I felt that too. As they say, the Force is very strong with her."
At that, Ahsoka entered the room and both of them were immediately silent. She then spoke:
"Ladies, let's get ready. I feel we have a big day ahead of us."
"Yes, Master. Would you like us to make you anything?"
"That would be great … thankyou, Hedala."
After they finished, and the apprentices had suited up, Ahsoka led them back to the wooden building they were in the previous night. Grand Master Shaak was already up and about, dressed in her usual black robe.
"Good morning, Master Shaak … may I ask what you call this structure we are in?"
"It is our Assembly Hall. Where we bring guests to our humble world."
Frehya inspected the building and asked, "Is it safe, though? It seems a rather simple structure …"
"I think you will find it most adequate, Apprentice Lumoxa. The wood is imported from Kashyyyk and it is further reinforced – with the Force. Unwanted visitors with hostile intent will be dealt with accordingly."
Ahsoka stepped in. "Forgive my apprentice … she is still learning of your ways, Master."
"Of course. Now, if I may, we have a full schedule ahead of us today."
Grand Master Shaak then laid out her plans for morning and afternoon training sessions. These were to be quite rigorous, with her acolytes – Force users of assorted species from various worlds – engaging in combat with each other and with Ahsoka's two apprentices. Shaak also introduced her other apprentice, a onetime Jedi Padawan by the name of Maris Brood, a female Zabrak (same species as the Night-brothers of Dathomir, such as Maul), who bowed deeply to Ahsoka. ("Much respect I have for you," she sincerely told her.) Shaak intended for Maris, Ahsoka, and herself to engage in some rigorous combat as well. But for the early session, Ahsoka was invited to oversee the proceedings.
Shaak led everyone on a walk about 2km away to another cleared area in the forest, about 400 metres square and on level ground. This was used as a sort of arena, and contained a small seating area (similar to "bleachers" in American sports stadiums). It wasn't long before Shaak's acolytes were going at it, slashing away with training-model lightsabres that were set to non-lethal energy levels (the controls on these sabres could only be overridden by Shaak herself). Hedala and Frehya were each given a sabre and they waded into the battle with excitement. Master Ti had devised a sort of "points" system that would tally on each user's sabre when crucial blows were struck.
As the combatants went at it, Shaak could be heard shouting various encouraging phrases. "I will never ever let go … this is what I'm made of! They can hate but never break me. This is what I'm made of!" The level of energy displayed astonished Ahsoka … Something different is happening here … "Make no excuses! It's not about what you've done, it's about what you're doing … It's all about where you're going no matter where you've been! It's now or never! Tomorrow's good – today is better!" Why am I just sitting here? I need to be out there too… Ahsoka thought with building excitement.
But soon she would get her chance. As Shaak blew a whistle, the combatants halted their activity and went to the sidelines for well-deserved rest. Soon, Maris, Ahsoka and Shaak were out there participating in a three-way battle – one in which Ahsoka's blinding speed gave her a decided edge. Both Maris and Shaak were swiftly put down as Ahsoka scored blow after blow. Of course, Shaak was not expending very much energy herself, preferring to observe the interplay between Ahsoka and Maris. The Zabrak had some rather aggressive moves, but Ahsoka anticipated nearly all of them and showed herself to be an excellent counter-puncher. Her excellent sense of balance, spacing and timing – inherent in the Togruta species – made it quite difficult for Maris to compensate. As they concluded, Maris looked to Ahsoka in awe: "You are great, Master Tano," she stated emphatically and bowed deeply. Hedala and Frehya swelled with pride as they watched their master and both gave soft whistles of appreciation. Ahsoka herself felt calmly satisfied. She returned Maris's bow and gave her words of encouragement. "Master Shaak is right to believe in you," she replied. "You bring such energy to the battle. I am very glad you are with us."
When they had all done enough to satisfy the Grand Master, she called for everyone to come together and participate in what she referred to as "team building" activities. These were unique exercises that were predicated on joint use of the Force to create much greater impacts than one user alone could accomplish – with the exception of supreme talents like Ahsoka and Shaak herself. The acolytes had much experience in these techniques already and Shaak considered them to be her advance guard. Any group or organization foolish enough to attack Felucia from beyond would find itself in serious trouble quite quickly. Shaak had created an elaborate system of masking and shielding that made it nearly impossible for any off-worlder – even one as proficient in the Force as Emperor Palpatine – to detect the level of Force activity taking place there. Even an attempt to penetrate the Felucian atmosphere would send distorted signals to a spacecraft – unless such craft had been given direct permission to enter the world below. And Shaak was not in the habit of issuing such permission. This is why no other remaining Jedi had any knowledge of her whereabouts and continued to believe that she had never survived Order 66, as her carefully constructed "death" had settled the question for most. So the Empire essentially ignored Felucia, considering it to have no raw materials worth exploiting nor thinking the native population to be much above a primitive level of sentience.
Another technique that Shaak drilled into her acolytes was the concept of "shatterpoint." This was a matter of studying various entities to know how they were constructed, and in the process, determining where the weaknesses and flaws in the structure lay. "Sometimes what appears to be a strength can actually be a weakness," she would say. "Observe how the tree that bends with the breeze is the one that often stands the longest … while a seemingly solid entity can actually break quite simply – when you know the molecular structure." Using the Force as a "short cut" in more quickly identifying these weaknesses and flaws and then applying direct pressure to them was the favored method. Ahsoka was already naturally gifted in this as well, but until she arrived on Felucia, there was no one to help her perfect her technique. Because of these methods and their many uses, Shaak stressed much time outside the combat arena, wanting her students to study concepts that she had gained from the holocrons. And of course, it was also essential to spend time in meditation, as this would allow the Force to enter into one's consciousness.
Felucia, 1 BBY 9 months, 20 days, 12 hours
After a break and a small meal, Shaak led Ahsoka away from the main camp off to a more private enclosure. When they got there, Shaak then suddenly turned on Ahsoka and hit her with a sustained blast of Force-based lightning – a moderately strong charge of about 20 kilowatts – from her palms that dropped the younger Togruta like a sack of potatoes. The Grand Master kept the blast going for a full minute as her student writhed on the ground in agony. Finally, when the ordeal was over, Shaak came over to Ahsoka and determined that she was functioning well despite it. Ahsoka at this point was unconscious, and Shaak whistled loudly for Maris to come over. When the Zabrak got there, she examined Ahsoka carefully.
"She's doing well, Master. How much did you give her?"
"More than I would give you at this time, my apprentice. Yes, I am quite impressed. It was over 60 seconds."
Maris asked with some urgency: "Can I help her?"
"Yes, help me bring her back to the facility. She will spend some time soaking in bacta. I will watch over her."
"As you wish, Master Ti."
As Ahsoka's seemingly lifeless body was lifted into the tank and immersed, Shaak reached out to her with the Force and began to chant an ancient Togruta ritual in the native language of Shili, the home world of all Togruta. Magnificent beings, heal this daughter of Shili … make her strong, make her whole … she is the wondrous one from the ancient prophesy. (A rough translation into Galactic Basic.) Shaak then sat on the floor next to Ahsoka's bacta tank and called for her two apprentices. When Hedala and Frehya first saw Ahsoka in the tank, they were of course quite concerned, but Shaak spoke to them in soothing tones, explaining that their master was regenerating much of her body and soul.
Hedala spoke first. "How long will she have to be in there?"
"For about 48 hours," Shaak tersely replied.
"Will she be all right?" Frehya also asked with a worried look.
"Yes. She is quite strong. She is already healing now," Shaak soothingly answered, and caressed the older apprentice's upper arm.
Hedala queried with a strange look: "What exactly happened to her?"
"I am not prepared to go into that now. Just know that she underwent a rite of passage especially for someone as gifted as she. You both will come to be even more proud of your master than ever before. I am much gratified by your concern for her. She has chosen well … for you are her loyal and devoted servants."
It was apparent to Shaak Ti, Grand Master of what remained of the Jedi Order – though whether she would call it that was an open question at the time – that Ahsoka Tano had such a high concentration of Midichlorians that the intense electrical charge could now be absorbed by her body. This was a critical first step toward giving her the means to live up to the great promise that was held out for her. Shaak, during her long periods of study and meditation, had reached out to great Togruta force spirits from the ancient past – and had heeded their call: to win the battles ahead, reach down deep into your essence to find all you would need. This had worked for her, and she now felt certain that Ahsoka, her greatest project, would someday surpass even her own ability. But Shaak was a giving soul – her fondest dream was to make the galaxy a place of harmony and coexistence – and her beloved "child" would receive everything she would need.
The Grand Master's philosophy was that positive motivation was far more effective than negative motivation, because it encouraged trust and caring between the members of her team and fostered enthusiasm to prove the Master right when she gave you the chance to excel. During the seemingly endless drills, her acolytes came to see each other not as rivals but as teammates, and when one might fall, the others were always there to pick him or her up. It was really all about love. In Shaak Ti's mind, the Empire – regardless of how many resources it commanded and the terror it could strike in people's hearts – was in reality far weaker than it might seem at first. Finding the shatterpoint – at the level of each Stormtrooper, TIE fighter, Star Destroyer, all the way to the very top of the structure – was the key to bringing the whole organization down. Shaak had discerned – and had also confirmed, via her hologram sessions with Yoda – that the Emperor himself was that shatterpoint. Ahsoka had told her just a night or two earlier about her observation that when you came hard directly at the Imperials, they were thrown off their game and startled, and thus she saw her own shatterpoint experiences. And so, Grand Master Shaak Ti decided on this night to contact the old Master himself, to discuss and ruminate. Finding him available, his cheerful greeting was unmistakable:
"A fine evening it is for you, Grand Master Ti?"
"A fine one indeed, Grand Master Yoda. Our student is being prepared now."
"The test, she survived?"
"As I expected, Master."
"Next on your agenda, what is?"
"A settling of scores it will be. Our Ahsoka is a strong entity now – One with the Force."
Yoda stroked his chin, thoughtfully. "See that, I do … Misjudged her in the past, I did. Correct, you were, Grand Master."
"Thank you, Master."
"Indeed, as your Padawan – stronger she would have been. Sooner, we could have learned from her …"
Shaak nodded and paused. "Shall we meditate together, Master? I always gain much from our sessions."
"Shaak, my friend, as do I …"
As Ahsoka floated in the bacta tank, falling in and out of consciousness, her mind at first flailed hopelessly as she tried to make sense of her situation. Gradually the events started coming back to her. Why did Master Shaak turn on me? Why am I still alive? And then the "crazy dream" of her becoming the galactic empress started to recur. Try as she might to push it away, the images kept coming to her, but this time, she let them wash over her and the effect was most soothing. To envision herself as the ultimate champion of what she thought was good and right was exhilarating. Is this what Master Shaak meant by telling me of my destiny?
Felucia, 1 BBY 9 months, 19 days, 16 hours
As another day or so passed, Ahsoka slowly came out of her reverie and Shaak decided it was time to extract her from the bacta tank. Using the Force, Shaak gently lifted her greatest acolyte from the tank and set her on the floor next to her. She began to slowly massage Ahsoka's muscles and after a few minutes, the younger Togruta started to come to consciousness. Shaak put a finger to her lips and spoke softly.
"Relax, my child. You have been on a journey – now you have returned."
Ahsoka nodded slowly. "What happened …"
"It was your test, dear one. And, I am happy to say, you have passed."
"Whoa … I remember being shocked … it hurt so much …"
"Yes."
Ahsoka rubbed her eyes. "But I feel much better now. And I can see clearly. Master Shaak …"
"I am here for you, my child."
"What do you need me to do?"
"Just rest … everything in good time."
Hedala and Frehya, both consumed with worry over their now beloved Master Ahsoka, were alerted by Shaak Ti to come to the recovery room in the medical building. As they arrived, they rushed to Ahsoka's side. She looked up at them with love in her eyes as they each took one of her hands and squeezed it gently.
"So good to see you both. I hope you weren't too afraid while I was gone…"
Hedala spoke firmly. "Never, Master … you have taught us to be strong."
Frehya chimed in. "And brave. Ahsoka, we loved watching you compete during the training. You are so great …"
Ahsoka shrugged. "It was really nothing new for me. Anakin and I pushed each other so hard back in those days …"
"I was so inspired watching you – you are like a bolt of lightning – quick and potent," Hedala remarked excitedly.
Ahsoka laughed at that. "Well … not sure I like that image, but …"
"Tell us what you need. We're here for you, Master," Frehya spoke as she looked her master in the eye.
"I will need to rest some more. Master Shaak has plans for me. But soon, we will be leaving."
Shaak then returned and asked the apprentices to leave. She then turned to Ahsoka and gathered her up in a warm embrace.
"My child, I love you so much. And I am so very proud of you. You know, I was talking with Master Yoda the other day …"
"Oh really? I would love to speak with him. It has been so long."
"And he would also like to speak with you. But first, I would like to explain to you what happened."
Ahsoka sighed. "Sure."
"I gave you an extreme dose of electric current. Your body handled it well but your mind had to go on vacation for some time."
"Why exactly did you do that?"
"Darling, it was to prepare you for what lies ahead. There are grave threats to our lives, our loves, all we hold dear. Everything depends upon us having the maximum strength to deal with those threats."
"So …"
Shaak looked at her intently. "Ahsoka, my dear, do you understand how powerful you are? How absolutely strong your body is …"
"Not really …"
"You have such a high level in the Midichlorians that the ability you have to absorb punishment is remarkable. And with time, this ability will now be turned on anyone that might want to do you harm."
"Seriously?"
Shaak nodded. "Absolutely."
"So what happens next?"
"After some more rest, I want you to head back to your affairs on Almania and the other worlds you are living in at the moment. You will get caught up with everything, then I foresee another test coming your way. One I feel sure you will pass quite well."
"Can you give me more than that?"
Shaak laughed softly. "No, my child. You have all that you need."
To be continued ...
