(Three days later)
The six younglings were using the Force to lift objects off the ground. Petro managed to levitate a heavy rock with no problem. Katooni was managing to balance three blaster remotes. The others were lifting various items as well, such as Gungi lifting a heavy metal vase and Ganodi moving six small stones around her in a circle. Zatt was sitting down cross-legged on the floor, a book and his lightsaber hovering in front of him, and Byph was concentrating on a statue, lifting it inch after inch as slowly as possible.
Taran was walking down the hallway, still shaken from the dream three nights ago.
"It seemed too real, but it was probably just my mind making me see what I wanted to see," he thought to himself. Still, the image was haunting him, and he couldn't help but worry. He was so worked up about it that he went past the younglings without even noticing them. Katooni watched him go past, his expression troubled. She carefully lowered the remotes down and followed him.
"Taran?" she called out. Taran stopped and turned to see her.
"Oh, hello Katooni," he said.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"I...I'm not sure," said Taran. "I haven't been alright lately as it is."
"Do you need help?" said Katooni.
"Yes." "No, I'll be fine. I just have to clear my mind," said Taran, walking away to a meditation room. Katooni watched him go, knowing that he wasn't as fine as he said he was. Taran found an unoccupied room with a plant and a small pond in the middle of the room, a small automated stream running through it. Stepping near to the pond, he sat down and closed his eyes, beginning to meditate. His mind emptied as he tried to reach the state he needed to reach.
A clone was shot down in front of him by a column of advancing Super Battle droids.
He grunted as it all came back.
An AT-TE exploded from a direct hit from an AAT.
His hands clenched.
The DC-15S he picked up shot the Rattataki teenager in her upper abdomen, dropping her to her knees in front of him as she looked into his eyes as if asking him why.
His teeth grit as the memories kept flooding back.
Ahsoka lay in his arms, perfectly still after taking the damage meant for him from the thermal detonator. Her pulse was gone, no breaths escaping her lips.
He opened his eyes, groaning and yelling to himself for failing to do this simple activity. He sighed and slumped down, closing his eyes as he listened to the stream. He didn't sense the person who walked into the room.
"Are you alright Taran?" said Plo Koon. Taran opened his eyes, frowning as he recognized who it was.
"I'll be fine," said Taran.
"Young one, even those who refuse help know that they need it," said Plo.
"I don't need your help," said Taran darkly, getting up and walking towards the door.
"Taran, please stop. This new attitude you possess is clouding your judgment," said Plo. "It will lead you down a dark path."
"Since when did you care about the path l take? Aren't I just another expendable?" said Taran. "Or are you just waiting for me to finally snap and then send me on my way?"
"Taran, why are you talking like this?" said Plo.
"You know why I am. I'm tired of you all expecting me to keep my mind and mouth shut about this as if it weren't a big deal, but it is to me. Now if you excuse me, I'm going to try and meditate again, and probably fail at it," said Taran.
"You told him," said Ahsoka.
"This is not the time," said Taran, looking at her.
"Who are you talking to?" said Plo.
"No one," said Taran, unsteadily.
"Taran-"
"I just want to be left alone. Please, just go," said Taran, the edge back in his voice returning. Plo Koon knew he shouldn't, but he could sense that Taran wanted him gone. He left the room without a word as Taran sat back down and tried again. Unbeknown to him, Plo stood outside the door, listening in. He heard Taran try again, and sensed his frustration, and fear when he failed. The Jedi Master sighed as he heard him struggle before he left the area and began to walk to another part of the Temple.
He remembered the day he found Taran.
The Jedi Master was walking towards the home of the boy people in the region believed to be the Avatar, and also rumored to be Force-sensitive as well. He knew he had to carry this out delicately. Elementians were probably the most in-tune with the Force than any other people, but they very rarely gave up their kids to the Order. The home was out in the dry region of the province. It was evening and it was beginning to rain. Plo Koon's walk took him into a canyon of sorts where locals said the Cyneran homestead was located. As he began to reach the end of his journey, he saw a sight that sent fear throughout his body like a shockwave.
One half of the house was demolished. Six bodies lay on the ground as he approached, now running towards the home. Five of them seemed to be armed bounty hunters, holes in their bodies as if projectile round bullets had went through them. Then he spied near the home what appeared to be the father, a blaster mark on his back.
Hurrying into the house, he searched through the wreckage for any sign of the mother or the infant. He checked the destroyed side first, pulling away the rubble until he found her body. A blaster wound was on her chest, her eyes closed for all time. Next to her in a demolished crib, a small dome of earth was covering something, where crying could be heard. Using the Force, he split the dome apart and moved it aside. A baby was crying, its arms and legs moving erratically as if trying to find where his mother and father were. Plo Koon carefully picked up the infant, shielding him from the rain.
"There now, I'll take care of you. You don't have to worry anymore little one," said Plo Koon. The infant's cries slowed down before it stopped as its eyes took in the appearance of the Jedi Master. The Jedi Master hastily buried the bodies of the boy's parents before he carried the boy away.
"Everything will be alright young one. You will have others to look out for you. I will be one of them. You will have a home, and friends, and one day you will protect the innocent and one day find another who will do the same," said Plo Koon to the infant child. "I will look out for you too, I promise."
"I'm sorry Taran," Plo Koon thought.
Taran once again groaned in defeat. This time he was trying once again to enter the Avatar State, but so far he only got halfway there before he couldn't go on. He pulled his legs up to his chest and placed his head on his knees, defeated. He just wanted to lock himself away somewhere and never return. If only it were so easy.
He sat up and looked off into the distance.
"You want to tell me what that was back there?" said Ahsoka.
"You know what it was," said Taran.
"I know you're angry at him, but even that was kind of low," said Ahsoka.
Taran sighed. "How would you feel about him after what I went through. He found me and helped raise me, and her."
"Your journey for justice is strange," said Ahsoka, sitting down beside him.
"I miss her, so much," said Taran, his eyes losing their glimmer as they looked downcast at the pond.
"You still have me," said Ahsoka, placing her hand on his shoulder.
"Great. Just great," he murmured. He began to lazily bend the water in the pond.
"Would you like me to leave you?" said Ahsoka.
"At this point, I just don't care anymore," said Taran.
"You should," said Ahsoka. "I may just be a figment of your imagination, but I'm still a part of you, just like she is. What would she say if she saw you right now?"
"I don't know, maybe abandon me here again," said Taran.
"Don't say that. She loves you, even now," said Ahsoka. "Stop being down on yourself and try to live your life the way she would have wanted you." Taran sat in silence, gazing down at the pool.
"I hate to say it, but you're right. I need to let go," said Taran, standing up.
"There you go," said Ahsoka, smiling.
"I just, don't know how to," said Taran.
"If anyone can do it, I'm sure you can," said Ahsoka. "Good luck hero." She disappeared, leaving him in the room. He smiled to himself, something he hadn't done in awhile. He looked back at the pool, smoothing the edge and watching the ripples fade. Suddenly, his breath seized in his throat.
A black fortress appeared, surrounded by an electric fence. His vision kept going, weaving through dark hallways and cells holding prisoners of all kinds, battle droids patrolling the corridors, until it stopped at a laser-shielded door. It went inside, to his horror. Ahsoka was kneeling on the floor, blood slowly flowing out of her wounds. Her breathing was ragged and strained.
"Just tell us what we want to know, and we'll let you go," said a male figure in black armor.
"There's nothing I do know," she said tiredly.
"Liar. We knew you were a Jedi since your capture," he said. "I've read files and reports on you, Ahsoka Tano."
"Not anymore. If you remembered correctly (takes a slow breath) there wasn't a lightsaber on me when I was taken," said Ahsoka.
"But you still have valuable intelligence that I would like to know. I would have thought you'd be more cooperative after all this time, but you're a lot tougher than you look. One way or another, you will break. I know you will," he said before he left. The doors switched off to allow him to pass through before switching back on.
"Use whatever means necessary to see that she does talk," he said. A cruel looking rusty-grey droid that stood at about seven feet tall with various bladed and electric instruments hummed in approval and moved into the room. Ahsoka looked at it approach her.
"Talk, or else," said the droid. Ahsoka said nothing. An electric rod attached itself to its limb. The next thing that followed was Ahsoka's screaming.
Taran's breathing was heavy. This couldn't have been a dream. This had to have been real. But, could his mind be seeing things. But why would it do this in reality instead of his dreams? There had to be another reason.
"You still doubt yourself?" said the shadow, becoming visible in the corner of the room.
"This can't be real," said Taran.
"What I have shown you is real," said the shadow.
"It's a trick. You always try to get me to follow your path. I'm not doing it!" said Taran
"Open your eyes boy! I showed you what was happening to her, and you did nothing!" it shouted. "If you love this girl so much, you'd better go get her back or she's going to die!"
"But..I-"
"It's time you start trusting your senses. The mind is a tricky instrument, but it genuinely never lies. Her fate is in your hands this time boy," it said before it disappeared. "By the way, I wouldn't trust the Council. Knowing them, they'll turn their back on her again."
"My forces still continue the campaign on Mygeeto. The droid collector has been found and neutralized," said Ki-Adi-Mundi via hologram.
"Very good Master Mundi. Any other reports?" said Mace Windu.
"For the moment, everything is fine," said Master Fisto. "Though Master Kenobi and Skywalker have not made contact from the siege."
"His clone commander made contact to tell us that the siege is still underway," said Master Tiin.
"The base's shield surely is formidable," said Master Plo.
"Anymore, report?" asked Master Yoda. At that moment, Taran burst into the Chamber room, startling the six Masters present. He was breathing deeply as if he was just running, but his eyes betrayed something else.
"Padawan, what is the meaning of this interruption?" said Windu.
"Ahsoka (pant) is in trouble."