'ello, peoples of the earth!
My thanks goes out to the reviewers - katierosefun and CaylithTheGolden. I'm curious - is anyone else still reading this?
Anyway, it's Thursday, and y'all know what that means! Without further ado, I present Chapter 6 of I Know Places! Hope y'all enjoy!
The day after the speech, the Senate was not in session. However, a memorial service was held for the Jedi that had been killed in the bombing. Kira got permission from the Council to attend on the grounds that she would not speak of her true identity to anyone in the Temple, even to Obi-Wan. After the service, she cleared out quickly, noticing the strange looks "Senator Breemu" had gotten.
Kira was relieved to see that it was not the Bergruutfa sector that had been bombed, but a hangar instead. Still, she was upset about the amount of people who had been killed.
That evening, Cadena suggested that she and Kira go to Dex's Diner for dinner. Kira happily agreed to this notion, so that's just what they did.
After dinner, the girls returned to the apartment. Kira plopped down on the sofa, and Cadena wasn't far behind. "I should've asked earlier," Cadena said, "but did the bomb kill anyone you know?"
Kira shook her head. "You?"
"No. I'm just glad it wasn't the Bergruutfa sector that was bombed, because that's what I thought when I first saw the smoke."
"Me too." Kira sighed. Thinking about the clan made her think about her friends. She'd seen Ahsoka at the memorial service and had been upset that they couldn't talk. "Next time I'm on leave, you, me, Ahsoka, and Caleb need to run by Dex's again."
"Yeah, I missed that place. Remember when I ordered that bizi'grina shake?"
"Do I ever." Kira smiled at the memory of her and Ahsoka chasing Cadena around the Temple in a desperate attempt to get her to calm down. Out of the blue, Kira yawned.
The yawn didn't escape Cadena's attention. "Maybe you should go to bed," she said. "You look tired."
"I am tired." Kira stood up. "I'm going to make some tea, and then I'll go to bed. I promise."
Cadena looked skeptical but didn't protest. Instead, she went to help Kira find another comfortable nightgown.
After both girls were dressed for bed, Kira made them a kettle of hot water, poured it into two mugs, and retrieved two tea bags from the cabinet. They stayed inside instead of taking their tea to the balcony, as it was beginning to rain.
Kira sipped her tea. "I wonder what senators do during their free time. Unless Senator Breemu is the exception to the rule, they seem to have a lot of it."
Cadena shrugged. "Have parties. Gossip. I overheard Senator Chuchi talking about some gala she's supposed to attend." She smirked a little. "Or, if you're Senator Amidala, you get into trouble."
Kira pretended to be stunned. "How scandalous!" she exclaimed in the most high-pitched tone she could muster, a difficult task with her voice emulator. In the midst of her laughter, movement in the corner of her eye brought her attention to the window.
Cadena followed Kira's gaze. "Now what's going on over there?" she wondered aloud, referring to the gunships heading towards the industrial pipeline nearby. Their bright searchlights gave them away.
"I don't know. Must be some criminal if they're going to all that..." Kira's voice trailed off when she caught a glimpse of a figure running on the pipeline. "...trouble." She stood up and went to the window to get a better look, setting her mug on the table as she went.
"Kira? What's wrong?"
Kira peered through the window, squinting to see through the rain. The searchlights were locked into a Togruta girl, who attempted to outrun the gunships. That can't be right.
Kira's suspicions were confirmed when the Togruta made good use of two green lightsabers against the stun bolts heading towards her.
Immediately Kira ran into the bedroom for her cloak. There wasn't enough time to dress.
"Kira, what are you doing?" Cadena hissed, having seen the lightsabers.
"What does it look like? I'm going to help Ahsoka." Kira could feel it now. Hurt and anger had clouded Ahsoka's Force signature, but now she could feel her friend's presence. She used the Force to open the locked drawer that held her lightsaber.
"Are you out of your mind!?" Cadena grabbed Kira's forearms. "How's that going to look if Senator Breemu is out there, with a lightsaber, helping what looks like a rogue Jedi? Huh?"
"I don't care how it looks! I just want to help my friend!"
Cadena let go and reached for the drawer to slam it shut. "Kira, listen to me! You might be able to help her if they take her in for a trial. You know all the core world senators have a vote in something like that, right? But you can't blow the cover. You can't!"
"I can and I will if I have to."
"But you don't! Ahsoka wouldn't commit a crime, especially not one big enough for them to send gunships after her! She'll be cleared in a day or two. Breathe, Kira. Breathe."
Kira looked out the window. The ships had boxed Ahsoka in.
Cadena looked, too. "There wouldn't have been anything you could've done." She put the lock back on the drawer and clicked it shut. Kira wrapped her arms around herself, inhaling shaky breaths. She knew she'd let her emotions get the best of her, and she didn't care. She could imagine the clones putting binders on Ahsoka and leading her away like some common criminal, and it made her angry to even think about such a thing.
"It's not right," she said darkly. "This entire situation isn't right. Ahsoka Tano is not a criminal."
"I know."
"It's not right that they're treating her like a criminal."
"I know."
"It's not fair," Kira muttered through gritted teeth.
"I know."
Cadena did know. When Kira looked up, Cadena had a still, sad expression on her face. It made Kira's heart clench. "There has to be something we can do," she murmured. "Anything."
Cadena's face didn't change. "I think we both need some rest," she said instead.
So both girls climbed into their beds, but neither of them slept for a while. When they finally dozed off, it was a restless sleep that would leave both of them waking up feeling no more rested than they'd felt the night before.
In the morning, Kira nicked the transmitter before Cadena woke up and carried it to the balcony, punching in the channel as she went. She rocked on the balls of her feet while she waited for the call to be answered.
Finally Obi-Wan's hologram appeared. "Kira," he greeted her, a little surprised. "Shouldn't you be relaying information to the Council?"
"It's not info, Master," Kira replied. "Cadena and I saw something disturbing last night, and I'd like to know everything about it I can."
"What is it, my young Padawan?"
Kira licked her lips nervously. "We saw Ahsoka Tano running from gunships. The clones were treating her like some criminal."
"Ah." Obi-Wan sighed sadly. "The Council believes that Ahsoka may have been the mastermind who orchestrated the bombing of the Temple."
Kira thought she'd heard wrong. "Master, that can't be right. Ahsoka would never attack the Temple."
"We can't be sure, Kira. The Council has to consider all the options, and all the evidence points to Ahsoka."
"Then the evidence is wrong."
"Kira!" Obi-Wan was visibly shocked at her outburst.
"I'm sorry, Master, but it's true. Ahsoka isn't a criminal."
"I don't want to believe it, either," Obi-Wan told Kira. "But it's hard to tell. We can't sense her intentions; the Dark Side clouds everything."
Kira was silent as she thought about this.
"I'm sorry, Kira, truly I am."
"I just wish there was something I could do."
"Just continue with your own mission. I should find Senator Breemu by this evening."
"Yes, Master."
Obi-Wan offered a smile. "You're doing a good job, Kira. I'll see what I can do about Ahsoka."
"Thank you, Master."
With that, Obi-Wan disconnected the call, and Kira went back inside to return the transmitter to its hiding place. Luckily, Cadena hadn't yet awoken, so Kira quietly slipped the transmitter into the drawer and used the Force to close the lock. Then she grabbed a jumpsuit and vest from the wardrobe and went into the refresher to dress.
The Senate was not in session that day, nor were there any meetings that Kira would have to attend to. She spent most of the afternoon miserably looking at the Holonet for any information regarding Ahsoka.
True to his word, Obi-Wan emerged from the turbolift in the early evening, a small woman with dark hair and eyes following. Kira immediately stood from the sofa, glad she had sent the guards away. Who knows what might've happened if they had seen two Senator Breemus in the same room? "It's good to see you safe, Senator Breemu," she said politely.
Senator Breemu didn't look surprised to see a mirror image of herself in her living room. Kira guessed that Obi-Wan had filled her in on what the Jedi had done. "Thank you, Padawan Narro, was it?" At Kira's nod, the senator continued. "I will admit, I was hoping for a Jedi's help. Perhaps this isn't quite the help I was expecting, but it seems I got what I wished for."
Kira smiled. "I did my best, Senator."
"I'm sure you did."
Kira gestured to herself and the jumpsuit. "I suppose you'll be wanting this back?"
Senator Breemu laughed. "Keep it. Use it as a disguise if you ever need one."
"Thank you, m'lady." Kira bowed.
Obi-Wan spoke. "We'll let you get back to your duties, Senator Breemu. I'm sure you have a lot to catch up on."
"That I do," said Senator Breemu just as Cadena entered, holding the transmitter and Kira's lightsaber. She bowed after she handed the lightsaber to Kira, who promptly hooked it on her belt.
Senator Breemu smiled at the two girls. "Thank you both for your help."
"It was a pleasure," Kira said. Cadena only grinned in reply.
"Good day, Senator," Obi-Wan said. He guided the girls to the turbolift and pressed the button.
Kira exhaled. "Can I take this off now?" she asked, pointing to her wig.
Obi-Wan shook his head. "Probably best to wait until we arrive at the Temple, Kira."
A disappointing answer, but one that Kira obeyed.
Outside, the three climbed in the speeder, Kira and Obi-Wan in the front and Cadena in the back. Obi-Wan pulled out into the Coruscant traffic, then spoke. "You both may want to hear this, but I need you to promise to stay calm. Do you promise?"
Kira nodded, wondering what Obi-Wan could possibly have to tell them.
"Ahsoka was expelled from the Order this morning."
Kira's head whipped around so fast she got a crick in her neck. "Expelled!? Why, Master?"
Even Cadena was shocked. "What happened, Master Kenobi?"
Obi-Wan sighed heavily. "The Senate demanded the Council turn Ahsoka over to them. The Council did try to convince the Senate that Ahsoka would be given a fair trial, but our efforts weren't enough. In the end, Master Windu decided that it would be seen as an act of opposition to the Senate if we refused to turn her over." He was silent for a moment. "I was against it from the very beginning."
Kira sat back in her seat, going over what Obi-Wan had just told them in her head. "Can I see her, Master?"
"I'll see what I can do."
Kira was certain that Obi-Wan could feel the outrage flowing from her Force signature, but he didn't say a word. She was grateful for that. She didn't know how she might've reacted had he mentioned it.
The remainder of the ride back to the Temple was a silent, uncomfortable one.
Silent, uncomfortable rides home. Those happen in my family more often than I would like.
Kira: It's true. Sometimes the tension in the car is so thick I can cut it with a knife.
Me: Thank you for your unsolicited opinion. Now, what music should I get? I need to use this Google Play card at some point.
Kira: Do I have permission to speak without getting sent to your dark, creepy hidey-holes?
Me: Granted.
Kira: The Phoenix. Fall Out Boy.
Me: Considered. *scribbles on piece of paper* Cadena?
Cadena: Didn't you say something about Sweeter Than Fiction by Taylor Swift?
Me: I did, yes! *more scribbling* Obi-Wan?
Obi-Wan: *shrugs* I don't know.
Me: *raises eyebrow* Do you seriously have no idea?
Obi-Wan: No.
Me: All right, then you can do the review notice.
Obi-Wan: Must I?
Me: *nods*
Kira: You can do it, Master.
Obi-Wan: Yes I can, Kira. If you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn, review and let Amy know. Finished.
Me: So noted. May the Force be with you, everyone!