Hello everyone. Thank you for all of your continued support with this story and, indeed, all of my stories. We are starting to get towards the "Who did it?" moment in this story but it will still be a few chapters away. In addition, we are seeing Ahsoka slowly pull away from the despair that she was in at the beginning of the story. Anyway, this chapter is the follow up of the previous one; Anakin, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka drag Joa Pritia in front of the council and Ahsoka gets another evaluation from the healers on her depression and the progress of her recovery. Note, there'll be a great deal of Anakin, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka's thoughts at the beginning of this chapter, but things will pick up after that.
An Agri-Corps Mystery: Chapter 11 – Council Questions
The Scales of Justice; that idea had been one of the cornerstones of the Jedi Order since its inception some twenty five millennia before. Indeed, the idea that a Jedi had to do his or her best to apprehend those that would wish ill on others for personal gain was part of the very oath that every Jedi had to swear at some point. That was certainly going through the mind of Anakin Skywalker as he led the disgraced Agri-Corps Jedi, Joa Pritia, into the High Council Chamber. Of course, he had other reasons for his dislike of the woman; namely the way that she treated Ahsoka. In his view, Joa was the primary reason why he caught Ahsoka about to take her own life.
In his mind, Anakin had been going through the answers that she had given Obi-Wan, Ahsoka and himself. The slight detail that was still concerning him the most was the apparent involvement of Chancellor Palpatine. If he thought about it, it was possible that Palpatine was concerned over the number of people going hungry in the Republic due to the war, but somehow, Anakin knew otherwise. Anakin had become very wary of the man since he told Anakin to find strength from his wife's death and this had gone some way to confirming his suspicion. Anakin hoped that the council would take note of that after this.
The other aspect which Anakin had been thinking over was the murder of Draskel Kifar. He still believed that Joa was guilty of that at well, but he had to admit, his feelings were uneasy about that and he had already sensed that Ahsoka believed Joa was innocent of that. In an effort to show his new Padawan how much he valued her, he decided to listen and he agreed that they would continue that side of the investigation after dealing with Joa. Of course, that left a problem. As he had pointed put right at the beginning, he was not an investigator and he had almost no idea how to carry out a murder enquiry. Still, he could tell that this mission had already helped Ahsoka in her recovery and the young Togruta had been quite bright on the way back after she had got over the way that Joa had spoken to her.
Obi-Wan followed his former Padawan into the High council chambers. In reality, this had been Anakin's mission. Indeed, he had only invited himself onto the mission to help Anakin keep an eye on Ahsoka. The Jedi Master was happy with the progress in the young Togruta even though she did break on a couple of occasions. It was to be expected. Obi-Wan wasn't a healer, but he did know that depression is a difficult and complex condition that is hard to initially diagnose and even harder to easily treat. He knew, therefore, that Ahsoka would need to be watched for a while as it was still possible she could drop and try to hurt herself again.
Even though the mission hadn't been his, Obi-Wan couldn't help but feel concerned about some of the things that Joa had told them; the chancellor's involvement for one. Try as he might, he couldn't think of a viable reason for Palpatine to get involved in a secret project and he certainly didn't like the idea that Palpatine was fascinated with the toxin. Such toxins were the enemy of life itself and there was no viable reason to be fascinated by such a substance. In addition, he couldn't see the reason for the research project to be secret at all if it was just about making food plants more resilient. He agreed with Anakin; something was up.
If he was honest, Obi-Wan was also a little bit taken aback by the fact that Joa was pregnant. That, he realised, didn't matter. The woman was clearly guilty of neglect and negligent manslaughter. The only thing that her pregnancy meant was that it would definitely protect her from any chance of a death sentence. He was glad about that. He couldn't sense any real darkness or evil intent in Joa; the woman had just been misguided by love maybe; maybe even hoodwinked. In addition, he had to disagree with Anakin over one thing; he was certain that Joa was no murderer. Whoever did kill Draskel Kifar, it wasn't her.
Ahsoka trailed slightly behind her new master and Master Kenobi. The young Togrutan had had differing thoughts all the way back from Tanaab. Out of the corner of her eye, she regarded Joa Pritia; who was in binders and being dragged in by Anakin. To Ahsoka it felt strange to see a woman that had been so superior to her in such a state, but she knew that this time, Joa was not superior to her. Ahsoka was now a Padawan and secretly, even though she knew it wasn't very Jedi like, Ahsoka couldn't help but feel slightly smug with herself. Joa had belittled her and kept her alone for almost a year and a half before the human woman ran and Ahsoka now knew it had caused her pain. Now, however, Joa was going to get it. Even so, Ahsoka was keen that Joa didn't suffer too badly since Ahsoka was more convinced than ever that Joa was innocent of murder.
Throughout the mission, Ahsoka had had a secret fear that Anakin would change his mind and had felt some negative feelings returning. To Ahsoka's astonishment, Anakin had comforted her; especially after Joa had belittled her again. This had further helped Ahsoka's frame of mind and she now felt as if she belonged and this was what she was born to do.
Ahsoka was far from completely stable, however. The farmland that they had had to hunt through to find Joa had set Ahsoka's brain working. It reminded her just a little too much of Pheebos and even now, a part of Ahsoka's brain was convinced that she would wake up any minute and find herself alone on that planet again facing a task that was completely pointless after the toxin was found in the plants. Ahsoka felt a stab of pain and worthlessness as she realised her previous position in the Agri-Corps had been a complete sham and a waste of time.
Ahsoka was so lost in her thoughts that she was surprised when Anakin stopped her in front of the council. As she was brought back to her senses, she caught a glimpse of Anakin smirking at her. "Back with us, Snips?" he asked.
Ahsoka could see that Anakin's eyes were full of amusement but that did little to hide the concern that was present on his face or that she was sensing in the Force. This was still new to Ahsoka as no one had ever cared for her before she met Anakin. "Sorry Master," she replied. Her head dropped and a wave of uncertainty and insecurity rolled off her into the Force.
Anakin was instantly concerned as he sensed his Padawan's feelings. It was obvious to him that she was feeling slightly inferior again. He glanced around. He noticed that many of the council members were looking at Ahsoka with some concern and sympathy. It was obvious to everyone that, whilst Ahsoka's mood had drastically improved, she was still far from well and stable. Anakin put an hand on her shoulder and said, "It's okay. As I said, I'll take you Dexster's again after this." Anakin was relieved when he sensed Ahsoka's mood pick up and he saw her smile at him. He turned his attention back to the council and pulled Joa in front of them. "Masters, as you can see, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka and I have apprehended Joa Pritia. We found her lying low in a farm on Tanaab. We have interrogated her already."
The council members looked at each other before they focused on the human woman Anakin had in binders. As soon as she saw all the council members stare at her, Joa lowered her head and looked to the floor. She really didn't want the discussion that was sure to come. Even though she was convinced that the experiments she had helped with on Pheebos were totally legal; even though they were secret, she knew that the council would take a different view. Plus, of course, she had the problem of breaking the code. With all that in mind, she decided to stay quiet for as long as was possible. If she was lucky, the council would just tell Anakin to take her to a cell.
"Interrogated her, you say?" Master Yoda asked. He was very keen to talk to Joa himself since he had been very concerned over everything Anakin had told the council already. In addition, it was obvious in Anakin's body language and what Yoda was sensing about Anakin's feelings, that something concerning had come out of it. Therefore, Yoda decided to give Joa the chance to talk for herself, plus he knew his fellow councillors were keen to hear what she had to say. "Interesting, that is, but wish to question her ourselves, we do."
Anakin nodded quietly. He had suspected as much. Master Yoda had already told him that the council wanted to speak to her, after all. Besides, if the council's interrogation of Joa missed what he considered to be the important pieces, he could still tell the council himself.
Joa paled instantly. That was definitely not what she wanted to hear. Instinctively, she kept her eyes glued to the floor and tried to appear as small and unnoticeable as was possible. She knew it was a pointless and rather silly gesture; the council would ask her anyway, but it was all that she had.
Master Windu leaned forward. He decided to get straight to the point. "Skywalker has told us about the experiments that were being done on Pheebos, Jedi Pritia. What were you trying to do?"
Joa looked up. "I have told Skywalker and Kenobi all of this."
Master Yoda tapped his gimer stick on the floor in front of his chair and the loud whack echoed around the room. "Wish to hear it from you, we do. Answer, you will."
Joa sighed. She was out of options and she knew it. She determined that her only chance now was to get the council to realise that what she did was not wrong. She knew that was a long shot, but it was the only shot she had. In addition, she decided that she would tell the council a bit more detail than she had told Anakin in the hope that the council would look at her more favourably. In a resigned voice, therefore, she replied, "Very well, masters. The experiments were not illegal; I promise you. Since the outbreak of the war, The Republic Agricultural Administration has noticed that food has been getting increasingly tight on many worlds within the Republic. The war itself is part of the reason for this, of course, but in addition, many agricultural worlds, especially Pheebos, have been plagued by pests."
Stass Allie's eyes narrowed. This had interested her. As a medic and a diplomat, she had heard similar reports of farming conditions. She knew that there was some truth in Joa's words, but so far, they explained nothing. "So what was the programme doing?" she asked.
Joa turned to Stass and continued her tale. "Approximately two years ago, two geneticists from the administration; a man by the name of Jerome Deas and his assistant, Hagra Pilow, made a breakthrough in the field of genetic engineering. They had created a genetic mutation that could be added to the genome of many food plants that would allow the crops make a compound that would make them resilient to pests like weevils, but still keep the food edible. A section of the Agricultural Administration that reported directly to the Chancellor immediately commissioned Jerome and Hagra to investigate their discovery and the Agri-Corps base on Pheebos was selected as the perfect base to start work."
The council members looked at each other again. Every one of them instantly knew that the reality was more complex than that. A programme like Joa had just described would not require secrecy. They were even more convinced of that when they noticed Anakin smirking over something. They would have to ask about that after the questioning was finished. Shaak Ti turned back towards Joa; she was puzzled over one thing in particular, "Why was Pheebos picked as the base of this programme?" Immediately everyone turned their heads back towards Joa.
Joa closed her eyes and her breath hitched. "The base on Pheebos was specifically designed for such programmes and new updated systems had been installed in the base only a year before the programme started."
"That was the extra control panel that I noticed in the control room, then?" Anakin asked.
"Yes," Joa replied. "The filters, air supplies and so on were a specific update installed with the onset of war. They made Pheebos perfect for the programme. As far as I'm aware, the underground labs were secretly built at the same time as the base itself was built."
Master Windu leaned forward. He had been stunned by this fact and one thing puzzled him already: Why weren't the council aware of this? Pheebis was an Agri-Corps base and so was Jedi Order property. Therefore, the council were supposed to be informed of everything that happened in the base on Pheebos. The council had already been stunned by what Anakin had told them, but here was evidence that underhanded dealings had been occurring on Pheebos for years and Mace did not like it. With a stern face and an even sterner voice, he asked, "And why weren't the council informed of all of this?"
Joa's shoulders heaved and she loudly sighed as she realised that she, herself, hadn't really been that informed of what was going on. "To be honest, as I told Skywalker, I don't fully know. That decision was above me. All I know is that the Republic Agricultural Administration asked the Agri-Corps not to tell the council about the base's true purpose or the experiment programme."
"That is disturbing," Master Mundi stated. In addition, he was puzzled; why would the Republic Agricultural Administration be keeping things from the High Council? "The Agricultural Corps are a section of the Jedi Order. The Administration should not be ordering them around."
"And why would they keep things secret from us?" Shaak Ti added clearly disturbed by what she had heard.
"Hmmm, Investigate that, we must," Master Yoda replied. His eyes closed and his ears drooped as he shook his head. The grandmaster stretched out into the currents of the Force. Even on Coruscant, he caught a glimpse of deception but despite his best efforts, it was clouded. What worried him the most was that this fitted quite well with Barriss Offee's little speech that she gave after Anakin had exposed her as the traitor that had bombed the Temple a couple of weeks before. Darkness had clouded everything and he felt it rebound on him. It confirmed only one thing; whatever had really happened with these experiments and whatever their true reason was, they were part of the darkness. He was certain of that. "Sense deception, I do. Lost in the dark side, these experiments were."
Ahsoka's eyes widened. Had Master Yoda just decided that the work on Pheebos was Dark? Surly not; she hadn't sensed any darkness there. Quickly, however, Ahsoka thought again. After all, she was now the first to admit that she hadn't been in the best of minds whilst she was on Pheebos. Maybe it was possible and if so, she as even more grateful that Anakin had rescued her.
Joa's eyes went wide and she leapt with surprise. Dark Side? There was no way she was doing anything of the dark side. The intention of the programme was to provide food for citizens of the Republic who were starving in this war. How could Master Yoda believe otherwise? "Masters, I assure you, there was no darkness on Pheebos. The programme's intentions were to feed people, not the aiding of the Sith."
"If that was the case…." Agen Kolar cut in. Although he was unwilling to see any real evil intent in the woman before him, he couldn't deny that the events on Pheebos that Anakin had described were not the actions of true and just Jedi. He, personally, had been a touch disturbed by the murder of Draskel Kifar and had struggled to believe that a fellow Jedi had killed another. "….Then please can you explain the slaying of Draskel Kifar? Such an act can only be described as an act of darkness."
Joa closed her eyes and her voice went quiet; almost whisper like. "I know nothing about that. I didn't even know Draskel was dead until Skywalker told me and accused me of the murder. I believed that he had been told to move out like the rest of us. The news of his death has….upset me."
"It upset Ahsoka more," Anakin cut in angrily. Joa's answer to Master Kolar's question annoyed him; especially when he noticed a few tears appear in Ahsoka's eyes. How dare Joa Pritia claim Draskel's death upset her when he had to watch Ahsoka trying to kill herself after discovering Draskel's body. "You weren't there to see her run and try to kill herself after making that discovery."
"Anakin…" Obi-Wan warned quietly. He was aware that his former Padawan had overstepped the mark again, but Obi-Wan couldn't disagree with Anakin completely. In his opinion, Joa's answer to that question was a little ill thought with Ahsoka in the room.
Anakin quickly glanced around the room. "Sorry, Masters," he quickly added.
Master Luminara Unduli quickly overlooked Anakin's outburst. It was not uncommon for him to outburst in the middle of his reports to the council. In truth, although all the masters were irritated by that side of Anakin's personality, they were all used to it by now. In addition, Luminara had a more pressing question to ask Joa. "So, did you kill Draskel Kifar?" she asked. Luminara was well aware of what the woman's answer would be, but she was interested to hear how Joa said it. That would tell Luminara more than just words.
A hint of panic flowed through Joa. Did the council believe that she was a murderer as well as Anakin? She had to change them of that view very quickly. "I swear on the Force, Masters. I did not kill him. I'm not a murderer. As I've told you, I didn't even know he was dead. I know Skywalker thinks I did it, but I really didn't."
Shaak Ti studied Joa, both visually and with the Force. The Togrutan master could sense the hints of truth in Joa and she could tell that Obi-Wan agreed with her. Shaak Ti smiled however as she noticed the younger member of her own species standing beside Anakin. Apart from saying 'sorry' at the beginning, Shaak realised that Ahsoka had said nothing during this meeting. Shaak knew that if Ahsoka was to get over her depression, she must be included; her people only got over depression caused by loneliness if they are included in a group. Besides, she probably knew Joa Pritia better than anyone else in the room. Therefore, Shaak briefly glanced at Joa. "Well, Joa, there is one in this room who knows you better than we do. I think it's time we asked for her opinion from her." Shaak couldn't help but feel slightly pleased as she watched the human woman pale. She them turned to Ahsoka. "Ahsoka; you served with Joa Pritia in the Agricultural Corps. Do you believe she is capable of murder?"
Ahsoka was stunned by Shaak Ti's question. She wasn't used to anyone asking for her opinion. During her time in the Agri-Corps her role had been to do what she was told and then disappear. Indeed, the only other person who had ever asked for her opinion was Anakin. In addition, the young Togruta couldn't hide her distress over Draskel's death and the council talking about it had brought a little pain out in her. However, despite that, she was keen to help in any way she could especially since she believed Joa to be innocent and she was therefore keen to find out who did do it. She took a couple of seconds to compose herself and to think of her answer before she replied, "No Master Ti. I don't believe Joa is capable of murder and I don't believe she did it."
"She did neglect you, Padawan," Luminara added. Luminara knew that the council as a whole were unhappy with how Ahsoka had been treated on Pheebos. As the senior Jedi, it was Joa's responsibility to look after the young Jedi that were assigned to her Agri-Corps base and that included checking for any species specific requirements. If she had have done that, Joa would have been aware that Togrutas get depressed if forced to be alone. In Luminara's view the fact that Joa neglected to do that was despicable and her lack of care had almost resulted in a young girl killing herself. She turned to her fellow councillors. "If she is capable of neglecting a child, who knows what she is capable of."
Anakin raised a smile at hearing Luminara say that. He was in complete agreement. However, he chose not to verbally say anything because he had already promised Ahsoka that they would continue the investigation.
"I really don't think she killed Draskel," Ahsoka stated in a quiet voice. In truth, she was almost afraid to speak, but nevertheless, as she dropped her head slightly, she managed to add, "My feelings tell me she didn't."
"Ahsoka does know Joa better than we do, Masters," Shaak Ti countered. Shaak hadn't really been that surprised by Ahsoka's answer as she had sensed the same herself.
Master Windu brought both of his hands together in front of him. It was a sign that he was deep in thought. In truth, he was uncertain of what he believed about Joa. However, he was certain of one thing; the killer of Draskel was now the main priority. As disturbing as the experiments were, if they were sanctioned by The Republic Agricultural Administration, there wasn't much that could be done about them as they were not illegal. However, something could be done about the deaths. "If young Tano is correct and Joa did not kill Draskel, we must determine who did." He turned to Joa. He had a question that he thought was important for the continuation of the investigation but, after everything that Skywalker had discovered, he was unwilling to believe any official records. "Jedi Pritia, what was Draskel's position in the base?"
Joa was slightly relieved that it appeared that some of the council members believed her innocence with respect of the murder at least and she had been surprised that Ahsoka had spoken for her. She decided therefore to come completely clean and answer the question truthfully. "He was in charge of the warehouse and of the shipments on and off Pheebos. He organised the ships that collected our produce but he also arranged for materials to be brought in."
"Materials?" Master Mundi asked with a frown. "Such as what?"
"Officially….." Joa began, "…Spare parts like harvester blades, food for the personnel, and things of that nature." Joa gave a deep breath. Now she would have to tell everything and she wasn't entirely comfortable. "Unofficially, supplies for the experiment programme."
"What kind of supplies?" Agen Kolar asked.
Joa's eyes fell to the floor. "Petri dishes, spare DNA sequencers for breakdowns, and things like that. He also got rid of any tests that proved incorrect."
The council members all frowned and looked at each other. The unofficial nature of all of this did not sit well with any of them. Anakin also frowned. Since it would be down to him and Ahsoka to continue the investigation, he had to start as quickly as he could. A question came to his mind. Anakin wasn't sure if he had heard it in a drama on the HoloNet, but he figured that it was an important question nevertheless. "Was Draskel acting normally before you had the order to flee?" On hearing Anakin's question, the council all turned their attention back.
Joa pouted a bit as she thought. If she was honest, she hadn't thought about it. As she looked back, however, she realised something had been wrong. "Now you mention it, no he wasn't. There was something concerning him."
Ahsoka's eyes sprang wide; she hadn't noticed that whilst she was on Pheebos. However, she realised that it had been a while since she had talked to him. "What?" she asked.
Joa shook her head. "I'm not sure," she replied. "But looking back, he was looking slightly oddly at one of the scientists on Jerome's team and he did keep saying that he sensed deception and mistrust about the guy."
Master Windu raised an eyebrow. There was no doubt in his mind that Draskel had noticed something. However, there was no hope of finding out what now and he was annoyed by that. "If he told you that, why didn't you investigate?"
"I…I…I n…..never got around to it," Joa stuttered out. In hindsight, she realised, she should've done something about it. Guilt started to creep through her as she realised that her own inaction had allowed the death of a college.
Master Yoda looked at Joa. He had sensed the build-up of guilt within the woman. He could tell instantly that the situation had finally got to her and she had realised her own failures. It was something that he had realised himself over the last week. It had been him that had initially prevented Ahsoka from attending the Gathering and he had initially reversed his original plan to assign her to Anakin because of her attachment issues. Master Yoda knew that he had been as guilty as Joa over Ahsoka's depression. He was glad, therefore, that Anakin had met Ahsoka and picked the girl himself. Because of that, he knew what Joa was feeling. "Hmmmm, guilt I sense in you, Joa; much guilt."
Joa looked at the grandmaster and a few tears started to drip down her face as her situation finally hit her. She was guilty of negligence and she was guilty of neglect. She could sense the wisps of depression and pain around Ahsoka. Her tears started to increase as she realised that the young girl's condition was the fault of her and everyone else at the base; as was Draskel's death. She hadn't pulled the blaster trigger herself, but she may as well have done. "Yes Master," she uttered out in reply as her head dropped. "I didn't kill Draskel myself, but…I may as well have done." She picked her head up again and turned to Ahsoka. "I'm sorry Ahsoka; I really am. You were lonely and in pain, but I never bothered with you."
Anakin wrapped an arm around Ahsoka as a few tears started to drip down her face as well. "Th….thank you," she replied.
Anakin smiled. At last Joa had finally admitted her guilt over child neglect and he could sense that Ahsoka had improved because of it; even though she was crying slightly. In addition, he could now sense that Joa was indeed innocent of the murder; Ahsoka had been right about that. With that in mind, he knew that finding the true killer would now do wonders for his Padawan's state of mind and would bring her some kind of closure. He gave Ahsoka's shoulder a comforting squeeze and looked at Joa. "So, who was Draskel concerned over?"
Joa shook her head. "I don't know the guy's name. I only dealt with Jerome and Hagra and for some reason, it was determined early on that secrecy was imperative at the beginning. He was one of the geneticists and as far as I was aware, he was the one who carried out most of the DNA sampling and splicing."
Anakin frowned. He wasn't really an investigator, but even he knew that not knowing the name of everyone you worked with was odd. Just what was really going on with that programme? He was now convinced that, in reality, it had very little to do with the solving of food shortages. Nevertheless, he could sense that Joa was speaking the truth so he would have to leave it. There was one topic he could bring up, however and it would prove to the council that he was not the only Jedi that had wanted love in their life. He put on a smirk and said, "Yes, you've already confirmed to Obi-Wan, Ahsoka and I how you dealt with Hagra Pilow."
Now she was feeling slightly better, Ahsoka couldn't help but feel amused by her master's comment and she had to work hard to stifle a laugh behind her hand. Everyone on the council smiled slightly as they saw the slightly amused state in the young Togruta. It was lovely to see her wanting to laugh even though it wasn't exactly Jedi like. However, Anakin's comment had interested them as well.
Stass Allie's eyes narrowed as she watched Joa visibly sink after Anakin's words. She was very intrigued and she knew everyone on the council was, so she asked, "What do you mean by that, Knight Skywalker?"
Anakin smirked again; that was the perfect question. "I mean, Master Allie, that it turns out I am not the only Jedi to have had a lover. In fact, Ahsoka got Joa to confirm that she is currently carrying Hagra's child."
"What?" Master Windu barked in a loud voice as he looked at Joa with some distain. "Is this true, Jedi Pritia?"
"Y….y…..y…yes it is," Joa confirmed. In addition to the guilt, a tinge of fear stared to rise within her. Master Windu's voice had terrified her and she had no idea what would happen now.
"Hmmmm, matters not, that does," Master Yoda stated. He was, of course, disappointed by the news that Joa Pritia had broken the code and had gotten herself pregnant, but compared to everything else she was guilty of including negligent manslaughter and child neglect, it was really insignificant. "Charges against you, Joa, there are. More important, they are." He glanced around the council chamber and at Obi-Wan. He could tell that there really was no option. He was saddened that a second Jedi in two weeks had committed crimes. Joa's were nowhere near as serious as Barriss Offee's, of course, but they were crimes nevertheless and in this case, there was no need for a hearing. "No option, we have. Place you under arrest, we do. Expelled from this order, you are." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "A dark day, this is. However, Kill Draskel, you did not and told us the truth you did. Lenient the courts will be; push for a suspended sentence, we will. Live in peace as a mother, you can."
Joa smiled. That was about as good as she could have expected. She wasn't bothered about being expelled since she was trying to run away anyway. If everything worked out as expected, then she could now live in peace with Hagra and their child when it was born especially since he had promised to ask her to marry him. "I understand," she said. "Thank you for your leniency."
"Misguided you were," Master Yoda replied, "but evil you are not. Escort her to temple security, you will young Skywalker."
Anakin looked at Master Yoda. He was happy that Joa wasn't going to completely get away with everything, but in his opinion, she did deserve a slightly tougher sentence, but that would be for the courts to decide. In addition, so far this discussion had missed the most important detail that Ahsoka, Obi-Wan and him had obtained from Joa; Paplatine's involvement. The council had to be informed of that. "Yes, Masters," he replied, but instead of walking out of the door, he held his ground and added, "However, there is one more disturbing aspect to this situation."
"What would that be, Skywalker?" Master Mundi asked. This was unusual; it was not like Anakin to linger around the council for any longer than required. Ordinarily, he would have been running out of the chamber by now. Something must be up.
"When Obi-Wan, Ahsoka and I interrogated Joa ourselves on Tanaab, she informed us of a very concerning fact; namely the fact that Chancellor Palpatine is directly involved with the experiments. In fact, according to Joa, after this programme collapsed, the chancellor ordered Jerome and Hagra to continue the experiments with the toxin elsewhere."
"What?" Master Windu blasted. This was inexcusable. What possible reason could the chancellor have for ordering more work on the nerve toxin that was created supposedly by accident in this programme? It should all be destroyed, not continued.
Master Yoda groaned and shook his head. He didn't like that information at all. He looked at Joa and asked, "True, this is?"
Joa sadly nodded and replied, "Yes it is master. Hagra told me when I informed him I am carrying his child. As I told Skywalker, according to Hagra, Paplatine is fascinated by the toxin that was created and ordered more work on it. I do not know why or what work he ordered on it. All I know is that Hagra is not happy about it. That was why we were planned to run away together."
Master Yoda grunted; a slight hint of anger could be heard in his voice as he replied, "No reason there is, to be fascinated by such a toxin. The enemy of life it is. Concerns me, this does."
Obi-Wan stepped forward. He had been relatively quiet up until now since this was Anakin's mission and so Anakin's report to give. However, as a council member, he had to state his own suspicion over this. "Masters, I feel that we need to start watching Chancellor Palpatine slightly closer. This incident only makes me more wary of him. We should remember the words he said to Anakin after Senator Amidala's death. We need to look closer at him."
"Agree, I do," Master Yoda replied. "Disturbing his actions, have been. Too much power he has obtained for himself. In addition, continue this investigation, we must. Round up the other Agri-Corps Jedi involved in these experiments, we will." He turned to Anakin. He could sense that Anakin was keen to find Draskel's murderer to help Ahsoka find closure and he quite agreed. "Concentrate on finding the murderer of Draskel Kifar, you and your Padawan will, Knight Skywalker. Suggest you talk to Jerome Deas and Hagra Pilow, I do."
"Yes Master," Anakin replied. In the corner of his eye, he noticed a slight smile on Ahsoka's face. There was no doubt that she needed this as well. He turned to Ahsoka, "Come on, Snips, we'll deliver Joa to temple security and then we'll go to Dexster's."
Ahsoka smiled. "Thank you, master."
Stass Allie chuckled a little bit before she stood up. As a healer, she was keen to evaluate the young Togruta's progress. It had been obvious during the meeting that Ahsoka still had the odd negative thought and that her depression was still causing her a few issues. "I will follow you Skywalker." She gave a comforting smile at Ahsoka. "Just before you go to Dexster's Diner, Padawan Tano. I just want to briefly check you over. I can sense that your depression is still giving you a few issues." She looked back up to Anakin and added, "You can come as well Anakin. It won't take long."
Anakin gave Ahsoka' shoulder a comforting squeeze. Although he would have preferred to go straight to Dexster's after handing Joa over, Ahsoka did need a small amount of additional help. He nodded and said, "Alright." He sensed Ahsoka's slight worry and added, "I'll be with you, Ahsoka. Don't worry." He smiled as he saw Ahsoka smile back at him. He then turned to Joa. "Come On." As the woman nodded, he led the three women out of the council chamber.
-0-0-0-0-0-
Anakin didn't think that the Halls of Healing were anyone's favourite part of the Jedi Temple. They certainly weren't his. Neither were they the favourite section of his former master, Obi-Wan. On this occasion, however, Anakin was actually reasonably happy to be following Master Stass Allie to her consultation room.
The reason was Ahsoka. Anakin was delighted in the progress that his new Padawan had made in overcoming depression, but during the mission to arrest Joa Pritia, it had become obvious that she was still having a few issues with negative thoughts. Although he would have preferred to take Ahsoka straight to Dexster's Diner, he was nevertheless keen to hear what the healer made of Ahsoka's recovery so far. Since Stass Allie had allowed him to come with Ahsoka, he figured that this wasn't going to be any kind of major consultation, more a sort of catch up with how the young Togruta was doing.
Anakin glanced across to Ahsoka who was walking beside him and smiled. She had only been his Padawan for a little over a week, but already in his eyes, she had become essential to him. Through the bond that was beginning to form, he could make out a few uncertain thoughts that Ahsoka was having and he could sense that she was a little uneasy about the check-up that Stass Allie was going to give her. Anakin wasn't particularly surprised by that. After all, he never liked healers fussing over him either and, in Ahsoka's case, there was no doubt she was still suffering from depression. Her thought processes were still likely to be upset, therefore, he reasoned.
Master Stass Allie opened the door into her consulting room and gestured inside. "Please enter," she stated. As Anakin and Ahsoka followed her inside, Stass pointed at a chair at the side of the room, "Please take a seat, Knight Skywalker. You can listen to your Padawan's progress." Anakin nodded and did as was instructed. Stass then sat down behind a small desk and pointed to a chair in front of it. "Please sit, Padawan Tano."
Ahsoka gulped slightly and sat down. She wasn't particularly looking forward to this. She couldn't help the way that a slight fear gripped her. Ahsoka knew that it was irrational, but she couldn't help but think that Master Allie was going to declare her unfit to be a Jedi or require her to be sectioned to an institution. The logical part of her mind knew that those thoughts were just the remnants of the depression nagging her and that she should bare them no mind, but there was still a small part of her that couldn't help listening.
There was no doubt, however, that Ahsoka was grateful towards Anakin. She knew that she owed him everything. Indeed Ahsoka realised that she owed him her life and she definitely owed him her new Padawan status. She quickly glanced at her master and a determination hit her. She would see this through. This slight illness she had would not beat her; she would end her negative thoughts. She would; she would.
Stass Allie studied her patient for a moment. She could sense the slight conflict in Ahsoka's mind, which was typical in depression cases, and she could sense Ahsoka's slight fear. However, she could also sense a growing level of determination within the young Togruta. Stass was very pleased to sense that. It was a very good sign. Still it was obvious to the healer that the mission that Ahsoka had just been on with her new master had affected her in both a positive and a negative way. To Stass, it was the obvious place to start. "So Ahsoka, how did you find the mission to find Joa?"
Ahsoka smiled. In general, the mission had been a very positive experience for her. It was a little odd hunting down Joa and the serenity of the farms they searched in reminded her of her loneliness on Pheebos a little too much, but for the most part, it felt wonderful to be doing something worthwhile. A slight grin came to her face; it was great to torment Anakin and Obi-Wan a bit as well. "I felt a lot better during it," she replied. She then grinned again. "Especially when I turned out to be the most mature Jedi on the mission."
"HEY!" Anakin blasted from his seat which caused Ahsoka to giggle.
Stass struggled to hold her laughter as she looked at Anakin and then Ahsoka with a smile. That was certainly good to see, in her opinion. Besides, Ahsoka had a point in Stass' view; both Anakin and Obi-Wan acted like children on occasions. "I see. How did you find the role of a Padawan? It is different to your former role in the Agri-Corps."
"It is different," Ahsoka replied honestly. She paused and wondered whether to continue. She wanted to tell the truth, but would the truth end her new status. Again, determination hit her; she would not allow her negative thoughts to control her. She sighed and continued, "I didn't think I would ever be a Padawan and I didn't think I could ever keep up."
"And did you keep up?" Stass Allie asked with a raised eyebrow. Stass Allie knew that such thoughts were actually fairly typical in new Padawans. Ahsoka was certainly not unusual in having such thoughts, but of course, Ahsoka wouldn't know that.
Ahsoka glanced across to Anakin. A slight but strange fear gripped her. Had she kept up? Ahsoka thought that she had, but how would she know?
Anakin immediately sensed Ahsoka's uncertainty. In Anakin's view, Ahsoka had no reason to worry; she had kept up extremely well. He sent calming waves through the Force to Ahsoka and nodded to her in a calm way.
Ahsoka immediately calmed slightly as she felt her master's attempt to calm and support her. "I th….think so," she uttered out. "It was all new to me though. I didn't really know what I was doing and my brain seemed to be a bit slow on occasions."
Stass Allie nodded. "Don't worry about that. It's just the lingering side effects of the anti-depressants. They sometimes do that to Togruta patients. How are you now? Any more side effects, at all?"
Ahsoka shook her head. In fact, she had never felt as clear headed as she did at that moment. It made her realise just how bad she had been on Pheebos. "I'm great now. I've never felt so clear. I think I'm through the side effects."
Stass smiled. She was relieved to hear that; she knew that Ahsoka had been unusually hit by side effects. "That is good. I can safely leave you on the medication now then." She gained a slightly more serious look on her face. She scanned Ahsoka with the Force; trying to sense any suicidal thoughts. To her relief, she couldn't find any in Ahsoka, but she would still have to check. "Have you had any further urges to hurt or kill yourself, Ahsoka?"
On hearing that question, Anakin sat up a little straighter. He prayed to the Force that Ahsoka was over that at least.
"No…..no, I haven't," Ahsoka added. "However, I…..I still feel a little….." Her breathing hitched a little. Ahsoka did wonder if she would ever be completely happy. "I still feel a little…..inadequate."
Anakin didn't like that. He stood up and walked to Ahsoka and immediately pulled the girl into an embrace. He didn't care that a council member was watching. He had to show Ahsoka just how much he valued her. "You are far more than adequate, Snips. You are a wonderful Jedi and a wonderful girl."
"I must agree Ahsoka," Stass added. She left Anakin comfort Ahsoka for a few seconds before she added, "Well, you are improving, young one. I know you feel conflicted at the moment; I have sensed it in you. I am pleased that you have had no more thoughts of suicide and it was lovely to see you make fun of Anakin." Stass chuckled when she saw Anakin frown at her. She shook her head with amusement and continued, "The feelings of inadequacy you are having will pass." She looked at Anakin, "Knight Skywalker, I will let you take her to that diner now, however, I want you to help her find friends when you return. I am going to file an official treatment request for her stating that she should be allowed to attend some parties and social events that are coming up. She must find people of her own age even if they're not Jedi."
Anakin smiled as he saw Ahsoka's astonished response. It was clear to him that Ahsoka never expected to have friends. He turned back to Stass and frowned slightly. "That sounds unusual for a council member to say."
"For her, Anakin, being Togruta, the requirement to be part of a friendship group is more important than following the exact letter of the Jedi code. Anyway, as I said, I'm happy with her progress and I'll let you both go now."
Anakin nodded. He had to admit, he would never have believed that he'd ever a member of the council say something was more important than the code. To him, it showed just how bad Ahsoka had been and it showed how important it was for her to overcome that. "Thank you master," he stated.
Ahsoka also smiled as she realised that she would never be alone again. "Thank you, Master Allie," she chirped.
Anakin put an arm around Ahsoka and stated, "Come on, we have a diner to get to. We can continue to find Draskel's killer tomorrow."
Ahsoka smiled as Anakin led her out of the door and she realised that another hurdle had been overcome. There was no longer any reason to fear or any reason to doubt. She was Anakin's Padawan and he had made it perfectly clear, that was how it was going to stay and she was very happy about that.
Well, that's chapter 11. I am very sorry that this chapter took a while; I've actually taken over two weeks to write it. I couldn't get the dialogue to work properly and the last section also caused me a copule of problems.
I hope you liked the way things went here and you have a few more details of what happened on Pheebos now. So, who did kill Draskel? You'll find out soon. I also hop the way I handled Joa's fate. I felt it was important that she wasn't treated too badly. As I've stated before, she isn't really evil or bad.
I also hope you like Ahsoka's progress. Yes, she is recovering and quite quickly, but I felt it was important to show the doubts that still resided in her mind. In this story, the role of a Padawan is completely new to Ahsoka so I wanted to show that she felt a little inadequate even though she's sixteen now.
My next update will be for The Order Redeems but In the next chapter of this story, Anakin and Ahsoka talk to Jerome Deas and Hagra Pilow. Will they shed any light on events and will they shed any light on the guy that Draskel had bed feelings about?