"So, what's going on?"

Obi Wan sighed. "Be patient, Anakin. Soph, are you alright?"

"Fine, Master."

His eyes slipped to Echo, who grimaced. "He gaslit her pretty heavily."

"If you're up for it, I think it may be time to explain what happened," Obi Wan told her gently. "He's back in your life now and everyone needs to be prepared. He's considerably more dangerous as an adult considering what he did as a child. They need to be prepared and informed on how to protect you best."

"What if he's right?" Soph wondered. "What if it wasn't him? What if it was me?"

"Soph, I saw the damage myself," he reminded her. "You are not responsible for what happened."

Soph only shrugged. "Fine."

"Where would you like to start?" Obi Wan questioned. She took in a deep breath.

"From the beginning," she turned to Domino, Cody, and Anakin and began. "Ezio and I were best friends long before we ever met, Ani. He was the only person I was really close with, aside from… um, we were taken in at the same time and we were attached at the hip. I still don't… I don't even really know what happened myself. All I know is what I've been able to piece together myself."

"Piece together from what?"

"I don't think I'll ever truly know," she admitted. "Look, we were nine and best friends going everywhere together. We did all of our tests together, impressing the right people, coming up at the top of our class- basically being star pupils together, because we pushed each other to be better. Then one day, nothing."

"You stopped being friends?" Anakin frowned. She shook her head.

"Literally nothing. No memory. It drops while we were studying for our exam on the makeup of the kyber crystals and picks back up in a cell in the temple."

Droidbait's eyes widened. "In a cell?"

Soph nodded. "It was explained to me that I killed three guards and copied half of the sensitive information in the archives before selling it to a pirate. That information is still out there somewhere, and it has been proven that it has in fact gotten out there based on some hidden temples that were bombed."

Echo looked at her in horror. "What happened?"

"Well, I couldn't deny physically doing it based on the video evidence, but I had no memory and no reason to do it. Things were made ten times worse when no one would let me see Ezio. We were inseparable and when I was told he refused to see me, I knew something was very wrong. Apparently, I attacked him, too."

"I don't understand," Anakin said, frowning. "There's video evidence?"

"You didn't go through the early training," she reminded him. "There's this thing called Midichlorian sickness. When you use the Force too much too suddenly, it… I can't really explain the science behind it because it confuses the shit out of me, but it can make you do horrible things. There's strict guides in place to prevent this, but every few years, an overworked youngling or padawan will just… absolutely lose their shit."

"Jesus," Anakin cursed.

"So, the running theory was that I experienced a strong negative emotion, did something extremely strenuous with the force that exerted massive levels of energy, and snapped to do some pretty Sith type stuff. The treatment for it is medicine, counseling, and Force therapy- which is sort of like soothing an aching muscle by stretching."

"So they just gave you some therapy?" Hevy wondered.

Soph shrugged. "I got all of those things, and to them, I seemed to be completely back to normal. Despite that, they told me that I needed to do the trials and find a Master or I would be deemed a failed youngling and released."

"What the hell?" Anakin stared at her. "Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"Released? What does that mean?" Fives wondered.

"The Jedi Order can reject a youngling if they can't find a Master," Obi Wan cut in. "It happened to me before my Master decided to take me in as his padawan."

"Right," Soph nodded. "So I go before various Jedi doing the trials, right?" She made a face. "No one picked me."

"What?" Anakin stared at Obi Wan. "You didn't-,"

"No one wanted a tainted youngling as a padawan," she shrugged. "Recovery from Midichlorian sickness can be rough and can include multiple backslides. No one wanted to deal with that. So, I was without Ezio, feeling unmatched amounts of shame, and being rejected from the Jedi Order for doing something I couldn't even remember doing."

"Force," Cody muttered. "I'm sorry, Soph."

She flashed a tense smile at him. She appreciated his concern. "I was heading to the ship to leave when I literally ran into Obi Wan."

"Barreled into me," he corrected.

She rolled her eyes and kept going. "He steadied me and told me to slow down like he always does. I told him I was tired of being there and he asked me why."

"You didn't know?" Anakin wondered.

Obi Wan shrugged. "I wasn't a Master yet and my opinion wasn't requested. I had just returned to Coruscant- when she ran into me, I'd just gotten off the shuttle."

"He asked me why and I told him my story from my perspective and… shit."

"Breathe," he coached. "We've got you, Soph. You're safe."

"He knew what happened," she said after taking some steady breaths. "Something with identical symptoms to Midichlorian sickness is… mind control."

Anakin cursed loudly and tipped his head back. "Egan used fucking mind control?"

She sighed. "Obi Wan took one look at my mind and recognized the signs of not only mind invasion, but of mind control as well. That… it scars a mind beyond repair when it's done correctly, and he did it correctly."

Echo reached under the table and offered his hand silently. She took it rather gratefully.

"Jedi mind control is… suggestions," she clarified for Domino and Cody. "No one is being forced to do anything. The kind of mind control Ezio used on me is the kind that can kill someone. For him to do it so young is… unthinkable. It's why I'm worried he might be right."

"Soph," Obi Wan said softly. "The damage I saw can't be faked. Somehow, someone taught him. You didn't do it."

"Why did he do it?" Droidbait asked quietly.

"I wish I could tell you. He… Obi Wan's right. If he did it, he was working for someone. With the mind control in mind, Obi Wan went to the Council with two goals: to inform them that he'd taken me on as his padawan, and to expose Ezio. When he brought up Ezio, though, the possibility was shot down based on the fact that he'd been injured."

"Bullshit," Cutup muttered.

"He argued that there was proof because of my mind, but Master Halsey took Ezio as his padawan and somehow saved him from being investigated. He protected him at every turn while my Master protected me. They hate each other over it."

"That's why we hate him," Anakin understood.

"The Council never wanted to do anything about Ezio. They let our masters battle it out and tried to keep us apart because, at that point, they saw us as bickering children and I was the instigator. Apparently, I still am."

"I can't believe I didn't know," Anakin told her.

"Obi Wan and I kept it a very good secret," she answered. "It's a dirty secret from my past that everyone has tried very hard to sweep under the rug. By the time you were taken on as his second problem child, the majority of it was over and talking about it wouldn't change anything. No one but Obi Wan believed me, anyway. I didn't feel like telling anyone so they could call me a liar, too."

"I wouldn't have," he said quietly. "I believe you, Soph."

Soph squeezed her eyes shut and squeezed Echo's hand. "I went so long… hoping I'd never see him again. Last time, I didn't. I don't know what's changed."

"Can I ask…" Obi Wan hesitated, debating if he should even ask the question. "Your father?"

She breathed out slowly. She reached up to touch her necklace with her free hand to calm herself and took in a shuttering breath when she remembered it was gone. "My father was a temple guard. He kept me connected to him and my mother, even giving me her necklace. He… he worked the night it happened and I…"

"He made you kill your own father," Anakin understood. As he looked at the upset, shaking and vulnerable woman before him, he felt that familiar hatred and anger rise up within him. "Don't worry about him. I'll handle it."

"No, you won't," she told him sharply. "You're liable to kill him."

"Soph-,"

"Anakin," Obi Wan held up his hand. "Breathe. Look at her. She's right here."

"Shaking like a fucking leaf!" Anakin waved at her. "She's still terrified of him. Who's to say he won't do it again?"

"He won't get near her," Cutup spoke up.

"But he will! He always does," Anakin argued. "He very well may get her alone and use mind control on her again. He could make her do anything. He already made her kill her own father, he'd probably make her kill anyone close to her- especially Echo."

Soph let out a quiet whimper. Echo's eyes sharpened on Anakin. "General, respectfully, shut up. Your anger is hurting her."

Anakin's eyes slipped to Soph, who had her own eyes closed tightly. He could see her squeezing Echo's hand under the table so tightly that he seemed to be losing circulation in that hand. "Soph… I'm sorry."

"You're right," she said, looking to Echo in worry. "He's right."

"Soph, I won't let him near you," Echo told her seriously. "You're scared of the Council, but I'm not. I'll die before I let him hurt you again."

"Don't say that," she requested. "I need you alive."

"I'm not leaving," he promised. "Just breathe. He's wrong, okay? It's all- you didn't do it, Soph, and he was manipulating you both times you spoke with him. You're safe, I'm safe- I'm good, Soph."

"You're good?" she met his steady eyes and breathed out slowly, letting some of the fear fade as she found herself unable to fear for her safety with him looking at her like that. She knew with everything in her that he'd kill Ezio if he ever touched her again. "Promise?"

"I swear," he shifted their hands to grab her pinky with his own - a silent pinky promise that did, in fact, make her feel better. "We're safe, and I'm going to continue to keep you safe. Ezio won't hurt you again while I can help it."

"We'll form a human shield around you every time you go to the temple," Hevy said. Soph blinked. She couldn't tell if he was joking or not.

"I think we need to think more into how he did it," Obi Wan said when he saw Soph had steadied, gripping onto Echo like the lifeline she needed. "You were nine. How would he be able to do that so perfectly?"

"He had to have been trained," Cody said. "Who would train a nine year old to do that? Who would take the time to corrupt a youngling?"

"Good question," Anakin frowned. "Whoever it was had to have gotten to him young. Who would've had access to him at that age?"

"Any number of Jedi and any number of elected officials," Obi Wan sighed. "Too many people have access to the temple. There's tens of thousands of Jedi in the Order and a decent amount of politicians that have toured the temple."

"I'd guess politicians," Anakin muttered. "There's apparently only a handful of good politicians."

Soph frowned as she thought about it. Who would have access to him? Who had she ever seen him with? "Well, he was close with Master Gallia when we were young, but so was I."

"I can't imagine her having a hand in this," Obi Wan hummed. "Is there anyone else you can remember him being around?"

Soph sighed and shook her head. "Like I said, we spent a lot of time impressing the right people, which means we were around a lot of Jedi, especially around when it all happened since we were entering our final years of training before becoming padawans."

"So most padawans aren't as young as you were?" Droidbait wondered. She shrugged.

"My case was… it was either find a Master or be thrown into a galaxy I'd never explored before. I never knew anything outside of Coruscant until the negotiations with the trade federation began."

"What happened then?" Hevy questioned.

"That's what really began this war," she explained. "I went with my Master and Qui Gon to try to get the trade federation to fuck off of Naboo-,"

"Soph," Obi Wan said disapprovingly. "We were there for calm negotiations, you know. You were too ready for a fight."

"I felt it," she defended. "I told you I did."

"And I told my Master the same thing," he shook his head.

"But we went from the blockade above Naboo to escaping to Naboo, then to Tatooine with Padme, where we met Anakin and- it was a mess, but it was the lead up to the war."

Fives looked surprised. "Huh. I never knew you had a hand in the beginning of all of this."

She nodded. "I wasn't supposed to be there, but Obi Wan was too stubborn to leave me behind. He never left me at the temple by myself, so I went with them. The Council weren't too happy about it. They still think I'm the reason Obi Wan was so insistent about taking Anakin on as well."

Anakin snorted. "You didn't even like me back then."

"I wasn't fond of sharing the only person I trusted," she reasoned. "You're just too stubborn not to be my friend."

"Didn't you say your whole line is an ungodly amount of stubborn?" Echo pointed out. She made a face at him.

"Shut up."

"He's got a point," Cody grinned at her. "I don't think I know any of you that aren't stubborn."

"Even Dooku is," Fives agreed. He paused. "I guess we can't really say about General Kenobi's Master."

"Oh, he was," Soph snorted. "That man resented me for so long because Obi Wan's focus shifted from the orders from the Council to taking care of and training me."

"He didn't think I was ready for a padawan," Obi Wan explained.

"Yeah, but it's not like he was going to give up on me because of Qui Gon's concerns," Soph shrugged.

"Back to the point," Echo said slowly. "You have no idea who it could've been?"

"No, I mean, all types of senators and such came to visit and see the upcoming padawans. Even the Chancellor came once."

"Palpatine?" Cutup looked alarmed. She shook her head quickly.

"Chancellor Valorum," she corrected. He looked confused. "Palpatine convinced Padme to call for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum. That poor man lost because of the bureaucracy. By the time that happened, though, we were in the middle of the mess with Naboo."

"I didn't know he manipulated himself into becoming Chancellor," Droidbait said. He paused. "I guess I probably shouldn't be surprised considering."

"That's a thought, though," Anakin hummed. "Maybe it was Palpatine."

"I don't know," Soph frowned. "I can't recall ever seeing him."

"But think of it like this: he immediately took interest in me when I came to the temple and then… groomed me to be a Sith. Who's to say he didn't do the same thing with Egan?"

She couldn't argue that. "I'd agree if I could recall ever seeing him, but I just can't."

"Is there some sort of record of visitors back then?" Fives wondered. Soph's eyes shot to him.

"You're brilliant, did you know that?"

"Yes."

She snorted. "There were logs. They'd be in the archives now. It would take a long time, but we could go through it and try to find it."

"Who's got time for something like that?" Anakin shook his head. "Between the war and your deliveries, everyone's too busy."

She considered the question for a quiet moment. Her eyes widened. "Ahsoka!"

"Is she needed?" Obi Wan asked Anakin, who shrugged.

"Anything to get the kid away from the war for a bit," he said. He reached down and pressed some buttons on his comms. "Hey, Snips. Come to the meeting room on the deck. We've got a favor to ask."

"Coming," she replied. "I'm nearby. I was talking to Rex."

Soph winced along with Domino and Cody. She really did not need to deal with him.

It wasn't long before the door opened and the young girl walked in, looking around. Her eyes widened. "What happened? What's wrong?"

"Why would anything be wrong, Commander?" Hevy asked.

"You guys look grim, and- Master, are you okay?"

Soph looked at Echo. "Is it that obvious?"

"You're still shaking," he said quietly. She grimaced.

"'Soka, we've got a favor to ask. It's extremely important, but it'll be boring."

"What is it?"

"Next time we go to Coruscant in a couple of days, we need you to come along to spend a chunk of time in the archives looking for something."

"Looking for what?"

Soph leaned forward. "Look, this needs to be done with the utmost secrecy. The Council cannot know we're doing this. Understand?"

"No," she frowned and came to sit by Anakin. "Why can't they know?"

"It's a really long story that I'm not looking to tell again," Soph admitted. "But this is important. We're trying to find proof that a certain Jedi has done something really, really horrible."

"Who?" her eyes widened.

Soph hesitated. "Ezio Egan."

Ahsoka's brow furrowed. "He did the lessons on animal kinship, didn't he?"

"It's his specialty," she agreed bitterly. "He's done something horrible, 'Soka."

"To who? What'd he do?"

"To me," she admitted quietly. "I'm sorry, but I'm not sharing what he did. It's not something you need to hear, anyway. But the Council will call it retaliation if they know we're looking into it again, so we have to keep it secret."

"When did he hurt you? Why would the Council do that? You're a Master, wouldn't they want to punish him?"

"We were nine," she answered. "I wasn't a Master back then. It's complicated, but they stood by him back then because it seemed like there was proof I was lying. Now… it's complicated, but they'll stand with him over me."

"I'm sorry," Ahsoka said genuinely. She looked sad for her Master. "What do you need me to look for?"

"We need records of visitors in the period of… say six years?" she frowned. "Anyone that specifically was there to visit Ezio or Ezio and I both."

"Both of you?"

"We were good friends when this all happened," she explained. "Best friends."

"Your best friend hurt you?" Ahsoka's eyes widened. "Force, that's awful!"

Soph grimaced. "It'll require days of research and a good cover story."

"We can tell them you're being punished for disobeying orders," Anakin told Ahsoka. "Because you did spend another entire night playing Sabacc with Epsilon without telling me."

Ahsoka's eyes widened. "Did they tell you? I told them not to!"

"Oh, I had a shiny follow you after you left your quarters that night," he snorted. "After your stunt last time, I figured I'd make sure you don't do it again."

"So, we'll say you're being punished with some pointless studying," Soph decided. "We can drop you off there in a couple of days and I'll pick you up again as soon as you're done."

"This sounds like torture," Ahsoka complained. "You're sure this will help?"

"Honestly, Ahsoka, no," she shook her head. "But it's truly the only hope we have right now."

"Okay," she agreed with a sigh.

"Thing is," Soph began slowly. "You have to steer clear of Ezio. I do not want you alone with him ever. I need you safe, and I know he won't hold back if he does decide to hurt you. Okay? Stick to Master Plo if you have to. He'd be sensitive to this case, so I'll get in touch with him and explain everything."

"He doesn't know?" Echo asked, surprised.

"He was away doing some sort of peacekeeping stuff when it happened," she explained. "We didn't get close until after I became Obi Wan's padawan, and the last thing I wanted was to bring up the darkest part of my past."

Ahsoka was looking between them in worry. She could see concern radiating through Domino. Anakin was frowning darkly, and Obi Wan was looking at Soph with some sort of deep, old sadness. Cody just looked pissed. Looking at Soph last, she saw fear shining in her eyes. She looked small, and she never looked small. The sight scared Ahsoka a bit. "Master, is he dangerous to you?"

"He always will be," Soph confirmed quietly. "I think… I need to stop."

"Of course," Obi Wan nodded. "Get some time with your team. Spend the next couple of days resting. Things can resume when you're doing better. Understand?"

"Yes, Master," she agreed. She got to her feet, tugging Echo up with her. He hovered closely, watching the room carefully. The rest of Domino rose as well, following them out of the room. When the door closed behind them, Ahsoka looked at Anakin.

"Is she going to be okay, Master?"

"I don't know, but we're sure as hell going to do everything in our power to try to make sure she is."

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