In this chapter, we get more of an idea of Shaak's longer term strategy and the divergence from canon continues as the effect of the Togruta masters is felt …
Thanks to new followers: Ronnie Carroll, Sued13, mccal011, armandoandres, matthew barcus 31.
Chapter 31: The Skywalker Legacy
Felucia, 0 ABY 3 months, 7 days
Four more weeks have passed. Grand Master Shaak Ti and Master Ahsoka Tano were in the underground Temple of the Order on Felucia and they were listening to music. A gently lilting tune followed, with detailed instrumentation. As she listened to the melody build, Ahsoka found herself carried away to a distant place and time … (to the reader: play Shostakovich, Waltz #2 to hear what they heard).
"Mother, wherever did you find this? It's simply incredible. So perfect for what I'm feeling."
"My child, Master Nu has brought us many new treasures, among which is the expansion of our music library. Our collection of the Jedi heritage is almost complete. Our knowledge has grown even more … but of course, there are some volumes that are seemingly lost forever, but as the keepers of the Order, it falls to us to somehow reconstruct them from the things we are learning as well. The importance of music cannot be discounted. It is a window to our souls. Sentient beings everywhere have a connection to it and through it."
As the selection ended, Shaak disengaged the holocron she was playing.
"Come, my child, I've some new things to show you."
With that, they closed up the wall and rose back to the surface. Shaak walked a few hundred metres as Ahsoka followed her. She then chose a spot in the forest, removed her outer robe to reveal a silky pale blue garment that covered most of her body, then raised her arms overhead and spread them quickly with a jerk so that her hands were pointing at 45-degree angles to her upright body. The tree she was facing was suddenly cleared from the others that had been surrounding it. The GM then drew her arms together and pointed her fingertips toward the tree. Within a split-second, it ignited in flame that rushed upward and the warmth of the blaze washed back on Shaak and Ahsoka. Just as suddenly, Shaak again spread her arms, then brought them downward and toward her body, and the flame was quickly doused, its supply of oxygen having been cut off. Shaak turned to her daughter and nodded, with a smile on her face.
Ahsoka was astonished. "Mother, what just happened? Can you now direct fire …"
"Yes, my dear. I have learned the secret. It was something I had been working on years ago but had put aside. Now I have learned the necessary adjustment to the technique. It is not fire per se, but raw energy."
"And you put it out just as quickly as you started it …" Ahsoka shook her head in wonderment, her eyes wide open.
Shaak put a hand on Ahsoka's shoulder and rubbed it gently, sending a wave of warmth through her daughter's entire body. Ahsoka smiled and turned to her. "That felt so nice, mother … I just noticed the air getting cooler."
"One more thing, dear. Please observe."
Shaak again pointed both hands at what remained of the tree, then launched what appeared to be a beam of energy, gleaming in bright pink, into the target. The tree then ceased to exist, apparently having been consumed by the blast. At that instant, Shaak snapped her fingers and the waltz melody played again, then reverberated through the forest. Ahsoka felt herself slipping into a trance for about a minute, and as she came out of it, she felt a feeling of pure happiness, such as she could scarcely ever recall. "Mother …"
Shaak smiled and caressed her daughter's rear lek. "Glad you liked that. I'd been working on it and I wanted to give it to you … because my dear, I want this to be your birth anniversary day."
Ahsoka turned around to face her. "Really? How did you determine that it was today? I never knew much about it when I was born."
"Ah, but now you do. We now have the records for so many of the Jedi from the past, including yourself – and your precious Anakin. You are now 37 standard years of age. I thought it might give you peace to know this about yourself."
Ahsoka nodded, then smiled with wonderment and affection toward Shaak. "You've just done so much for me. How can I ever repay you …"
"By just being all that you can be, my dear … it is your destiny."
With that, she donned her robe again, as the temperature continued to drop. Felucia had usually been a hot and humid planet, but now it started to feel quite agreeable.
Ahsoka noted this change in the environment and spoke up. "Is it my imagination, or is it getting cooler here?"
Shaak chuckled, then snapped her fingers again and summoned her speeder.
"Come, dear, we've a little trip to take."
The two of them rode for almost thirty minutes, zipping past various groves of trees and cleared areas, finally arriving at what appeared to be some type of large block-house. As they entered into the structure, they then descended three levels into the ground. As a portal slid open, they gazed upon a large open area with rows of video screens and banks of data-pads on a continuous counter surface that wrapped around about 75% of the room. Several people were seated at various places along the work area. As Shaak and Ahsoka entered, Knight Xendar Silkaw approached them and bowed deeply.
"Grand Master Shaak. Master Ahsoka. Welcome. We are pleased to have both of you here this fine morning."
Padawan Frehya Lumoxa then stepped forward, smiling broadly, and wearing a long robe of elegance similar to Shaak's.
"Thank you, Knight Xendar. Masters, we have put together a short presentation for your benefit, to demonstrate the functions we have installed for planetary management."
Ahsoka looked at her former apprentice with astonishment. Clearly the woman had been quite busy and was making the absolute most of her position as Shaak's executive assistant. Frehya proceeded to show them the various features that could now be directly monitored, the systems that controlled the environment of the planet, which included maintenance of temperatures and the balance of the atmosphere and the planet's oceans and seas. She then reviewed the beefed-up planetary defenses, which included massive new laser cannons – large enough to do severe damage to Imperial Star Destroyers – and the beginnings of drone-based orbital defenses similar to what Ahsoka and Chelli had installed on Almania and were being replicated in the Pantora system where the new rebel base was being constructed.
After Frehya had completed her presentation, Shaak thanked her and spoke to Ahsoka.
"My dear, I'm sure you have many questions. Would you like to get to some of them now?"
"Yes. Is it your plan to change this planet's basic climate?"
Shaak smiled. "As part of an overall approach. We believe a greater diversity of life will become possible in the next few years. Felucia will become a beautiful place in the Galaxy when we are finished. This is being accomplished by a gradual adjustment of its angle of incline on its axis around our star, Felix. I have such regard for this place that I want it to be a more inviting world in the future. Currently it is too hot and humid to allow much of that. Already our atmospheric maintenance – that we started about five years ago – has started to lessen the oppressive heat. Eventually, Felucia will have seasons – not the extreme cold that a place like Almania or Orto Plutonia has, but more temperate zones than it has at current."
"Mother, how will we prevent violent storms and other damage during the adjustment period?"
"By means of atmospheric management. The satellite systems which are in place are especially attuned to monitor conditions and careful steps are being taken to prevent anything from developing that can do such damage. We are moving in a gradual direction."
"So more people will be able to enjoy living here?"
"Eventually, yes. But this will not be a world open to just anyone who wants to land here. I will explain more in the future about how the settlement phase will proceed."
Ahsoka thought for a minute, than asked.
"The defense upgrade … will it be enough to keep us safe from Imperial forces?"
Shaak paused, then answered. "At the current time, we will continue to keep a low profile. The time has not yet arrived to be open about what we are doing."
She then introduced Ahsoka to some of the people working in the room, telling them that they should consider her to be one of the primary rulers of Felucia, as a Master of the Order. Therefore, Ahsoka should be in full understanding of all of the various processes that were underway. Plans were also ongoing to replicate much of the control facilities to various locations on the planet so they could work as a network and back each other up. Frehya was in charge of coordinating all of these plans.
As she left the installation, Ahsoka had much on her mind. How much power is Frehya gaining here? She seems to have Mother's complete trust. Was it her idea to change the planet, or did Mother always want to do this … and – will this be the only world that gets such reworking? So much to consider, but as always, Mother has a plan. She just lets us know piece by piece.
In hyperspace on the Outer Rim, 0 ABY 3 months, 10 days
The Imperial Dreadnought Annihilator cruised through the Outer Rim as Darth Vader and General Tagge were having a discussion. The Emperor was growing angrier by the day as the Empire was on a losing streak and it didn't look good. Tagge reviewed the record: First a Star Destroyer in the Lothal system, then two more shortly before the Battle of Scarif. Then the Death Star plans were stolen right under the nose of Tarkin and Vader from Scarif. Shortly after that, the Death Star was destroyed, as was yet another Star Destroyer that came to wipe out the Rebel Alliance base on Yavin IV, and now the weapons factory on Cymoon 1 had been mostly destroyed by the compromise of its main reactor.
"What have you to say for yourself, Lord Vader?" Tagge quipped.
"There are obviously forces at work that we have not yet understood. And this fact was not understood by those tasked with carrying out the missions they were assigned." Vader said in his usual matter-of-fact way.
Tagge scoffed. "I will admit that I am hardly alone in seeing the Death Star as 'Tarkin's Folly' … it's never good strategy to put so much emphasis on one asset. Whether that is a giant station or one man – such as you."
"At least Tarkin had a vision – something others sorely lack."
"I may not have such grand plans – but I get results. We wasted over 20 years of planning and construction building that thing, and for what? Destruction of a rebel-sympathizing planet … that only hardened their resolve to defeat us."
Tagge then informed Vader he had assigned another mission to him – to oversee repairs on a CR90 corvette that had been used by a pirate gang that had attacked an Imperial shuttle. Once that was complete, Vader would use the ship to attack its base of origin, which would allow him to wipe out the pirates. It was all part of Tagge's overall mission – to wipe out as much pirate and syndicate activity in the Outer Rim as possible, so as to compensate for the loss of the Death Star.
To say that Vader loathed this type of assignment was a huge understatement, but he figured the activity might yet yield some tangible benefits. If he had to serve under a man such as Tagge, he might as well figure out how to make it work. Carrying out hum-drum missions such as pirate eradication could lead to bigger things down the road. When they found the pirate base, a large space station on the Outer Rim, Vader sent a half-dozen storm troopers aboard it to seal the core. They soon found themselves under attack from two customized droidekas with missile launchers, and missiles were incoming. The Dark Lord used the Force to reverse the missiles, which destroyed the droids and fatally injured the pirates, although one of them had activated the self-destruct before he died. Vader ordered the storm troopers to return to the corvette and await his return, and he was also able to retrieve information from the pirate base's computers before getting away as the base exploded.
Once they had returned to the Annihilator, Vader reported to Tagge and informed the general that his plan had impressed him with its results, then revealed the evidence that showed the pirate gang in question was backed by the Crymorah Syndicate. But the information also showed him that the pirates had been supplied with the modified droidekas by someone named Doctor Aphra – which was a piece of information the Dark Lord had not disclosed to the Grand General. Darth Vader wanted to build his own private forces and such units would be quite useful for his plans to get back in the Emperor's good graces. He therefore had to find the mysterious doctor, and so he instigated a manhunt for her, one that burned up several days and much fuel for his TIEx1.
Kallidahin Space, Southern Outer Rim, 0 ABY 3 months, 12 days
Chelli Aphra made preparations to go retrieve the Triple Zero Personality Matrix for the Droid Gotra. They had sent her a coded message that she should go to the Galactic South, and the Kallidahin Space – located in the same sector as Polis Massa (also the birthplace of both Luke and Leia, as Kenobi and Yoda had brought their mother Padme Amidala there to give birth in relative obscurity). Cad Bane had declined her offer to go with her – and thus collect some of the lucrative fee – so she was on her own. Something that never bothered me before, why should it now? She mused.
Chelli Lona Aphra looked back on all she had accomplished in her short life so far and how many strange turns it had taken. There were some very fortunate circumstances – certainly running into Ahsoka Tano on Vaynai was one of them – and there were others decidedly less so. But here was a chance to bag a cool half-million credits and make up for all she had spent on her ship, the Ark Angel. How she would love to return to Ahsoka's side with even more prosperity than before. The Togruta had proven herself to be an honest broker and those were good times. Breaking up with Sana – over really nothing more than a difference in vision – kind of bothered her, and she hoped they could mend their relationship.
They were two seemingly different women with different backgrounds, having met at university on the Core world of Bar'leth. Chelli, the daughter of a scientist and sometime archeologist, had come from what passed for respectability, while the dark complexioned Sana had been the granddaughter of smugglers that had put enough away to give their offspring a more stable existence. The two had a hot fling that became something more, as they had shared many a drink together and hatched various schemes of what they might do when fortune smiled on them. Sana would always praise Chelli for her keen intellect and razor sharp perception and Chelli liked Sana for her humility and good-natured outlook. When the Almanian deal paid off big, the two thought they had taken that first big step, but soon they were in disagreement over what to do next. Chelli wanted to pursue archeology like her father, while Sana wanted to invest the money they had made and try to stay close to Ahsoka and the Rebel Alliance, figuring that, after the destruction of the Death Star, that things were looking up for them and it might be a good idea to have friends in what would soon be high places.
So on she went in the Ark Angel, and it wasn't long before she found the BT-1 assassin prototype droid, floating in space amid the wreckage of a destroyed Imperial base from the Tarkin Initiative. Chelli had done her research and deduced that this droid had gone rogue and killed all the personnel at the base and then somehow caused it to self-destruct. Just one more misadventure for the Empire – are they ever on a losing streak, she chuckled, as her ship reeled in the prototype, which had been deactivated. Soon she realized the droid would stay inoperative until she could find a way to communicate with it, as it only understood a particular language that would be known by a 3PO series protocol droid. It just so happened that she had such a droid, but it too was inactive, and the plan was to reactivate it with the Triple Zero Personality Matrix software she had been tasked with recovering.
It just so happened that the Kallidahin Space was not far from her current position, so she quickly set a course for it. While studying the details along the way, she located her objective – the Quarantine World III, a large asteroid that housed the prized software. The curator of the place was an old adversary from her past on Bar'leth, a former classmate named Utani Xane. Going in, Chelli did everything right. She used nano-droid "dust" to expose a ray-shield that she then was able to evade, then she pinched the personality matrix device (containing the programming) and hid it in her jacket, but on the way out, she slipped up and triggered the alarm, which brought on another self-destruct mechanism. Chelli was able to evade a droideka and dive under a closing doorway, but then came face to face with Xane, who took her into custody with stun-cuffs after she handed over the matrix to a group of B2 super battle droids who were part of the curator's security force.
It was at this exact moment that a certain TIEx1 star fighter approached and delivered none other than the Dark Lord of the Sith himself. As Chelli watched him in amazement, Vader wiped out the B2 droids with his light sabre and the Force. She quickly took advantage and tackled Xane, who was trying to flee with the software. As they both tumbled to the deck, Chelli was barely able to catch the matrix and almost went over the edge of the platform into a deep chasm when Vader helped her up, after having disposed of Xane. He then told Chelli he needed her help.
In hyperspace on the way to Tatooine, 0 ABY, 3 months, 26 days
Ahsoka, along with Hedala and Luke, were returning on the Corvala Dawn from a trip to the Pantoran system, where they had briefed Riyo Chuchi and the system leadership on the latest Alliance plans, now that the base was in place and fully established. Riyo had also secured Ahsoka's financial support for her upcoming campaign to be Chancellor of the system. Ahsoka trusted her old friend would look out for Alliance interests once she had gained the highest office in the system, as her power would then cover both the populous moon Pantora and the larger but more inhospitable planet Ordo Plutonia, plus all other planets and satellites in the system. Riyo was an especially adept leader, good at balancing the interests of the various factions that supported her candidacy.
As they bade Riyo farewell, Luke suggested that they pay a visit to Tatooine on their return to Felucia, as Shaak would not be expecting them immediately. Ahsoka and Hedala were both wondering what he was up to.
"Luke, what do you have in mind?" Ahsoka queried.
"Yeah, do you really have to visit that sandbox?" Hedala snipped playfully, as she smiled at him and flashed her bright green eyes.
Luke ignored her and turned to Ahsoka. "I would like to visit Ben Kenobi's house that he left behind. I think there is something of value there that he wanted me to have."
Ahsoka considered it. "Why are you certain of this? Does the Force tell you …"
"Not exactly. But I seem to remember Ben taking this lightsabre …" Luke held it up for emphasis. "… out of a trunk of some sort. I feel he left me other things of value that may have been my father's, not just the sabre."
Ahsoka thought about it and nodded. "Yes. You might well be right. As you know, I was once your father's apprentice. As he was once Obi-Wan's. If anyone may have saved something of Anakin's, it would be him."
"Master Ahsoka, why did you and my father stop working together?"
Ahsoka stopped for second, realizing that he really had a limited understanding of what she basically took for granted. But if Luke Skywalker was going to be everything that she and Shaak wanted him to be, then the time had come to start opening his vista of understanding.
"Luke, let's get underway first. This is a long discussion and I want Hedala to be part of it. We can go to Tatooine. In fact, I would like to recover anything that Obi-Wan left behind … although … the Tuskens likely ransacked his place after he left it."
Luke sighed, "You're probably right. But I also want to know what happened to my aunt and uncle."
"We'll learn all we can. I can promise you that much."
R8-ND set the course for Tatooine, and the Corvala Dawn was soon on its way. The trip would take about five hours. They would have some time on the planet to do some investigating, but then they had to be on their way to Felucia. After they had settled in, Ahsoka went to the galley of her ship and served a cold herbal beverage that Shaak had made earlier. It was a combination of stimulants and awareness enhancers, conducive to deep thought but also providing a psychological lift. Once she had served them, Ahsoka related the tale to Luke and Hedala of how she had to leave the Jedi Order after being falsely accused.
"So why did you not stay after you were cleared?" Luke wanted to know.
"It's complicated. I came to understand that the Jedi Order didn't really care what happened to me. There was no contrition on their part, no apologies. It was more like, 'this was a learning opportunity for you and it was the will of the Force.'"
Hedala interrupted. "Sounds like a raw deal to me. You served them so honorably. What about Master Shaak? Why didn't she step forward?"
"We have discussed that. At the time, she didn't want to make waves. Yoda and Mace were dominant on the Council then and she clearly was playing along with them. She has since expressed her deep regret for not standing by me and preventing them from turning me over to Tarkin and the military for a trial that would have ended in my death."
Luke spoke. "I guess I can see why you hated Tarkin, then."
"Absolutely. He was a dirt bag from the beginning. And to think I saved that guy's life. But enough about him. He got just what he deserved."
"So, about my father …"
"Yes. Anakin and I were extremely close. At the start of the Clone Wars, I had just been named as a Padawan. I was 14 years old and it was such a great feeling, that my career was about to take off. They told me that I was one of the youngest to gain that honor and that my abilities and potential were huge. I couldn't have felt any better."
She took a deep breath, then sipped some of her beverage. Hedala and Luke did the same, and remarked on how tasty it was.
"So … imagine my surprise when I was told that I would be serving Anakin Skywalker, who himself was only 19 at the time but was the rising star among the Jedi, having recently been made a Knight."
Luke was growing quite interested in the tale. "Wait. You mean my father became a Knight at age 19? I'm 19!"
Ahsoka chuckled. "Yep, it's all true. But I would have become a Knight at age 17 … if I had stayed in the Order. Both Mace and Yoda said that, because of my ordeal, they considered me to have passed the trial."
She looked at him and noted that he was even more impressed.
"You and my dad must have been quite a team," he remarked.
Hedala smiled. "Nothing about Master Ahsoka surprises me. You are the best, Master."
Ahsoka laughed. "I wish that were true. But I can tell you I always try to be the best I can be."
She continued. "So much happened to us during the war. Anakin and I became very close, we saved each others' lives several times. We were like brother and sister. I could feel how much he cared for me. When I left the Jedi, I realized I was leaving him, too. That was hard."
Hedala then asked, "Did you ever wonder what might have happened if he had decided to leave with you?"
Ahsoka nodded. "I used to wonder about it all the time." She then paused, unsure of where she wanted to take this discussion next. She wanted Shaak to be part of this after they had returned to Felucia.
Luke then broke in. "So when did my father die? Ben told me that Vader killed him. When we were fighting Vader on Cymoon, I wanted to get revenge but I didn't accuse him directly. He had so much power it was all I could do to hold him off after he slammed Hedala into the wall. I still don't understand exactly why he backed down."
"I showed up at that point and Vader knew he had to retreat. I know how to deal with him." Ahsoka nodded and gave a smirk.
Hedala broke in. "I'm sure glad you did. I didn't think Luke and I had much of a chance but we were fighting back with teamwork. We at least made him work."
"Luke, I had already left the Jedi so I didn't know exactly what happened to Anakin at the time because after Order 66, I had to go into hiding. When the Emperor took over, it was no longer safe for anyone who had been in the Jedi. We had to put away our lightsabres and refrain from showing Force ability. I was just 18 when I came to live with Hedala's family on Thabeska. It was while I was there that I discovered she had Force ability – Hedala, you were only 4 years old, do you remember?"
Hedala nodded.
Luke had grown even more curious. "You say you didn't know what happened at the time. But now?"
"Luke, we are going to tell you more. But this is something that I want Master Shaak to be part of … when we are with her again."
"So I have to wait, then?"
"I'm sorry, Luke. I hate having to do this to you. But in time all will be revealed. Then you will understand how and why we are fighting the Empire and what we are doing as part of that fight … and … where you fit into it. Shaak knows how important you will someday be. Luke, they called your father The Chosen One. There was an ancient Jedi prophecy that such a One would arise and be the One to bring balance to the Force. I never really knew what that meant – and he didn't either."
Luke seemed confused. "This is getting more and more complex. What do you think it meant, balance to the Force?"
"Shaak and I are also trying to learn what it means. We're not entirely sure about it ourselves."
Ahsoka nodded tersely and glanced at each of her apprentices in turn. Hedala seemed deep in thought as the herbs were having their effect on her, while Luke figured he wasn't going to learn everything right away, so he had to be patient.
Besides, he thought, it might be interesting what they could find on Tatooine. His admiration for Master Ahsoka had only gone up after she had told him about some of her past. My life has changed so much, so fast. He then realized that only a few months ago he had been living on a moisture farm and dreaming of a more interesting and exciting future. It was when Ahsoka had come to Tatooine that everything changed and he was in awe of her – her mind, her abilities, even her exotic beauty, but most of all, her kindness. Somehow, she will see me through this, he thought, as a smile came to his face.
(to be continued …)
