Shaak Ti's Secret

by david.davies.5851

After Ahsoka Tano leaves the Jedi Order, no one is surprised when Anakin Skywalker falls to pieces. However, everyone is surprised when Shaak Ti's reaction is even worse than Anakin's. This causes a secret that Shaak Ti has been keeping for seventeen years to finally come to light. What difference does it make to everyone's destiny?

4. Chapter 4: Departures

Hello everyone. Again, I'm overwhelmed by the reviews, suggestions and constructive criticism this story is getting. I know that there were a couple of things that I left out of the last chapter but don't worry; they will be in this one. Anyway, this is one of the first crucial chapters in this story. Shaak Ti gets told of the council decision; what does she make of it? And does Ahsoka find a ship to take her to Shili?

Shaak Ti's Secret: Chapter 4 – Departures

Shaak Ti was surprised with herself as she yet again stood in front of her fellow council members. She had expected that she would fall apart again, but to her amazement, she was calm. The truth was that she had made peace with the probability that these would be her last few minutes as a member of the Jedi Order. Expulsion was the harshest punishment that the council could bestow on her and since she had made peace with that, she was no longer afraid. If, by some miracle, the judgment was anything else then she knew she would have gotten off lightly.

Nevertheless, she was slightly uncertain about what she would do now. Shaak had been a Jedi since a very young age and had known nothing else. Since she was approaching forty three years of age, she knew it was very late in life to find alternative employment, especially with the war on. In her mind, she deserved this; she deserved to lose everything. After all, so had her daughter, Ahsoka, and in Ahsoka's case, it was not her fault.

As Shaak glanced around, the look on the faces of Mace Windu, Agen Kolar and Saesee Tiin seemed to confirm what she expected. Mace, in particular, was dour and sending her a slight stare. She had no intention of inflaming the situation and averted her eyes and glanced around again. To her surprise, the look on the faces of Plo Koon, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Stass Allie all seemed quite positive. Everyone else seemed fairly neutral; especially Master Yoda. His eyes were closed and he seemed to be quiet, meditative. He appeared to be thinking; about what, Shaak didn't know.

She briefly scanned the Force. The feelings that she sensed in her fellow council members were just as varied and confused as they were when she first came in front of them. However, she was able to determine that some kind of unanimous decision had been reached although she could sense that it had been with some duress on some parts. Internally, she sighed. It really did seem that she was right. She called on the Force and for the first time since she had learnt that her daughter had left, she touched the serenity that she had been known for.

"Calm you are?" Master Yoda asked finally opening his eyes.

Shaak lowered her head and nodded. "I will accept any decision that you all make. I know that I will be expelled. I have made peace with that. I will never forgive myself for the damage that we did to Ahsoka, however."

Master Yoda leaned forward. "Let go, you must or devour you, it will."

Shaak Ti lifted her head. "I can't master. Ahsoka is my daughter. I….I don't expect you to understand. Besides, the attachment won't matter soon."

The council members looked at each other before they all again focused on Shaak. Master Yoda concentrated on Shaak. He knew that she would say some kind of emotional response and the truth was that it did concern him. However they were only here to deliver a verdict. "Commit you to Meditative retreat, we do. Two months you may have, away from the temple. If re-centre yourself you do, remain within the Order you may."

Shaak stood in shock. She was certain that she would've been expelled on the spot, like they'd done with Ahsoka, but she had a chance. Sure she would have to spend two months away from the temple, but it was still a chance. However, in reality, she knew it was hopeless. She seriously doubted that she could re-centre herself in two months so in reality, she was probably still out. Still, this was a shock and her voice stuttered as a result as she asked, "W…..w…..when do I have to leave?"

Master Windu leaned forward. He wasn't completely happy with this decision, but he had to admit, it was better than her getting away with it completely. "We will provide you with a ship and the means to support yourself, but you must be out of the temple by this time tomorrow and you must not return for two months. We will give you our final judgement then."

Shaak nodded. Mace Windu's attitude towards her had brought a few more tears to her eyes. It reminded her of his attitude towards Ahsoka as she begged to be heard. Had her fellow council members really learnt their lesson? That thought really worried her. However, she had learnt her lesson and vowed to heed people's words and feelings in future. In fact, because of that, she had come to a decision. "I understand and I thank you all for the chance. I don't…..I don't know if I can re-balance myself, but I will try….."

"Do or do not; there is no try," Master Yoda interrupted with a frown on his face.

Shaak Ti sent a 'really?' look towards Master Yoda before she continued, "I will give it my best. Also masters, I don't want any more secrets so therefore, I have decided to come clean to Anakin Skywalker before I leave. I owe him my daughter's life."

Obi-Wan stroked his beard with worry. In his opinion, that was not a good idea. He knew that Anakin was angry and unstable after Ahsoka's departure. He had no idea how his former Padawan would react to Shaak if she admitted this to him. "I don't think that's a good idea. Anakin is…unhappy."

Shaak dropped her head and her two front lekku hung in front of her. "I must. I think it's one of the things I must do."

In response, Obi-Wan sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. This really wasn't a good plan, but if she really wanted to, then he couldn't stop her. "Master Ti, at least wait until the council meeting is over. Then I will come with you to see Anakin. Trust me; you don't want to see him alone right now."

"Alright," Shaak replied as her shoulders dropped.

"Very good," Master Yoda added; his eyes dropped to the floor as he spoke. "Dismissed, you are. Have today to prepare yourself you do. Report back in two months, you will."

Her eyes slightly weepy, Shaak bowed and said, "Yes Masters." As she left the room, Shaak started to plan what she was going to say to Anakin. After all, it was likely that this would be the last time that she would see him since she didn't really expect to succeed.

As soon as the doors closed, all of the remaining council members sat back. This had been a very trying discussion for all of them and in reality; they all knew that it wasn't over. The council was now a member down. "We must decide who is to replace Shaak Ti on the council," Agen Kolar stated. "We can't be missing a council member for two months."

"I agree," added Mace Windu. "The council must continue to function. We must also cater for the possibility that we may still have to expel Shaak Ti."

Stass Allie narrowed her eyes. In her opinion, this is very early to be discussing this. "Isn't that premature? After all, Shaak may succeed in her task. Her experience watching her daughter grow up could prove very useful on the council."

Mace turned towards Stass. For once, he decided to prove that, despite appearances, he was not above compassion. "I'm not disputing that, Stass. We do need to fill Shaak's position temporarily at the very least."

"I believe you are right," Ki-Adi Mundi added. Although he wanted Shaak to succeed and therefore to be allowed to stay, he could see the requirement for a temporary replacement. "But who would be suitable?"

Master Yoda didn't really want to discuss a replacement, but he knew that he had no choice. For once, he decided to secretly yield to his fellow council members without a word. He would just make sure that whoever was chosen was suitable and had a similar outlook to Shaak Ti. "Hmmmm, suggest we select a female Jedi, I do. Maintain balance within the council that would."

Master Plo Koon sat back in his seat. A suitable candidate came to his mind but he was uncertain what some of his fellow councillors would think about his choice. After all Barriss Offee had fallen into darkness and framed Ahsoka and because of that, he wondered whether Luminara Unduli would be trusted. Since he trusted her, he decided to state his suggestion. "What about Luminara Unduli? I believe she would be an ideal council member."

"Yes, she would be a good choice," Obi-Wan agreed. "We could use her planning abilities right now."

"I'm not sure," said Oppo Rancisis. "I don't suspect Luminara of anything of course, but I do have to ask why her Padawan, Barriss Offee turned dark and bombed this temple. It is possible that such darkness began with her master. Can we take that risk?"

"Barriss Offee and Luminara Unduli are two separate women," Stass Allie replied. She was annoyed that yet again, some of her fellow council members seemed to want a witch hunt. "We cannot judge Luminara by the actions of her Padawan."

Mace Windu leaned forward. He could see value in the suggestion of Luminara Unduli. There was no doubt that she would be an excellent councillor, but he could also see Oppo's point. For the sake of making an informed decision, he decided to point something out. "I have to point out that the beliefs of Padawans often do begin with their masters. It is possible that Offee's did. I'm not saying we should refuse Plo Koon's suggestion, but we must be sure."

"Whilst true that statement is," Master Yoda began. "Forget we must not that form opinions of their own, Padawans often do."

Obi-Wan smirked as he thought of Anakin. "That's true. Anakin certainly has. He's definitely different to me."

"Yes, but Skywalker and young Tano were practically identical," Ki-Adi countered. In reality, he was in full agreement with the suggestion of Luminara Unduli but he wanted to make sure that everyone else's concerns were properly addressed. "However, I believe that young Offee's fall to the Dark Side was entirely her own doing. I think Luminara Unduli is an excellent candidate."

"Any other candidates are there?" Master Yoda asked.

"Aayla Secura possibly," Stass Allie suggested, "But I don't think she has the experience as a master yet and as we know, she has had brushes with darkness. Other than her, no, I have none."

"In agreement are we?" Master Yoda asked as he looked around. Finally, everyone nodded. "Contact her we will. Given the rank of acting High Council Master Luminara Unduli will be." Master Yoda hoped that this wouldn't change anything as he sent a message to Luminara. He knew that she was out of the temple interrogating Barriss and she wouldn't be back until that afternoon. "Adjourned this meeting is."

-0-0-0-0-0-

Ahsoka Tano rubbed her eyes in frustration. She had been certain that finding a ship heading to Shili would have been easy. However, she had been looking around the spaceport for over an hour and as yet, she couldn't find a single ship that was heading to Shili. She wasn't helped by the fact that the war had had a huge detrimental effect on commerce within the galaxy, and because of that, the number of flights taken by freighters had dropped off substantially since before the war. In many ways, that was further proof, in Ahsoka's eyes, of just how wrong the situation within the Republic had got and it reminded her of the aid conference that she had gone to with Senator Amidala on Alderaan. At the time, Ahsoka had been too busy protecting Padmé from Aurra Sing to really listen, but she had heard of the terrible conditions that the war had created for some. At least Padmé had tried to find ways to end the war peacefully, she reasoned.

For the first time in her life, Ahsoka began to question the Force's guidance as she walked past another empty landing pad, especially once she realised that it was the final one. Ahsoka's heart sank as she dropped herself onto a bench. She had no idea what she was going to do now.

In her mind, Ahsoka ran through the possibilities. She could, perhaps, try to obtain a ship herself somehow. She shook her head at her own stupidity; she couldn't even afford breakfast, never mind a ship. Perhaps she could ask someone for help. After all, she knew that she did have some friends she could go to; Senator Amidala for one or maybe Senator Lux Bonteri; if he was on Coruscant that was. Ahsoka's heart ached slightly as she thought of Lux, especially when she realised that the Jedi Code no longer applied to her. She had denied herself love for, as it turned out, no reason. She shook her head and dismissed those thoughts; Lux hadn't really returned her feelings and she had decided months before to leave those feelings behind. However, her heart ached even more when she considered the possibility of even asking Anakin for help. No, that was definitely out; she needed to do this on her own and she knew that, most likely, Anakin wouldn't so much help her as beg and plead with her to return.

Ahsoka sighed with resignation. It appeared that, for the moment at least, she was stuck on Coruscant and her only real option was to head down to the lower levels and try to find employment of some description. After all, if she could earn some credits, then not only could she pay for a flight on a public transport, she could buy some food, drink and accommodation as well.

Just as she stood up, she caught a trace in the Force. Ahsoka frowned and looked around. Somewhere around her she could sense a hint of desperation, annoyance and hopelessness. She had no idea why, but for some reason Ahsoka knew that it was the break she was looking for. Concentrating on the Force, Ahsoka homed in on the traces that she was sensing.

Following the Force, Ahsoka found herself walking away from the main landing pads, which she already searched through and dismissed, and found herself walking towards what appeared to be a starship maintenance area. As she looked around, a myriad of floating maintenance droids scurried around and lines of spare starship parts sat waiting to be fitted in awaiting ships. Ahsooka knew that for all of these parts to be in, there must be a ship in need of repair and as she narrowed her eyes, she finally became aware of a single freighter sat alone in a repair bay. Her hope started to rise as she realised the feelings she was sensing were coming from that ship or from whoever was on board it at least.

As she got close, Ahsoka got her first full look at the ship. Ahsoka could see that the ship was beige in colour and its boarding ramp led up into a fairly broad and snub nose; the top of which appeared to form the ship's cockpit. Behind that, the ship appeared to be an angled rectangle in section which went back for about one hundred and twenty metres. Towards the rear, the rectangle section flared out into four large ion engines with a single defensive blaster turret mounted in front. In many ways it was an ugly ship, Ahsoka reasoned, all angles with no natural curves, but to her it was the sight she had been waiting for. Ahsoka knew she had seen this very ship before; in the vision which had brought her to the spaceport in the first place.

Ahsoka could sense that the ship's owner or captain was inside and for some reason; she could sense that he or she was in trouble. Ahsoka walked to the bottom of the boarding ramp and, deciding to test what the Force was telling her, she called, "Hello!"

A few minutes later a very tall and slender human woman appeared at the top of the boarding ramp. Ahsoka estimated that the woman was about thirty five and she was about one metre eighty five centimetres in height with untidy long black hair and light tan skin. She was wearing a plain brown flight suit which seemed to be covered liberally with oil stains and she seemed to have a solitary stun blaster in a holster which was attached to a black belt around her midriff. In addition, she was holding a damaged piece of power conduit in her hand. Her hazel eyes focused on the skinny teenage female Togruta at the bottom of the boarding ramp and she asked, "Can I help you?"

Ahsoka froze for a second and bit her lip. Even though she still didn't trust herself completely, she stretched out with the Force. Quickly the Force told her that, despite appearances, this woman was actually quite trustworthy and relatively kind. Besides, the woman was no threat to her. The pilot's lone blaster was no match for the Force; not that Ahsoka really wanted to use it. Satisfied, Ahsoka sighed and replied, "Er yes…..em, you don't happen to be going to Shili, do you?"

Ahsoka could see the woman visibly sink as she sighed herself and replied, "Well actually, I do have a cargo that I've got to drop off on Shili, yes. So, you want to go home, I take it?" Ahsoka slowly nodded in reply. The woman smiled and continued, "No problem. My rates are very reasonable for passengers."

Ahsoka immediately grimaced. Of course she would want money. "Er….." she stammered.

"Let me guess; no credits, huh?" she asked as she crossed his arms in front of herself. As she watched the young Togruta deflate, she added, "I'm sorry. I hate to leave a young girl like you on this corrupted hell hole of a rock, especially with some of the sickos that are here, but I'm not running a charity, especially with what these sleemos are going to charge me for repairs."

On hearing her words, an idea came to Ahsoka's mind. She didn't know if she thought of it all on her own or whether it came from the Force somehow. Frankly, she didn't much care. "What repairs?"

The woman regarded the girl for a moment. Why would she want to know that? What could she do about it? Still, it never hurt to talk. "The power conduit feeding the hyperdrive overloaded on the way to Shili. I was lucky; I've heard of ships being vaporised or flung beyond known space for less, but fortunately, I was just a couple of days sub light travel from Coruscant. Now I need the hyperdrive overhauling. I've got the parts but, these infernal klanker mechanics want over three thousand credits to rebuild the hyperdrive." She shook her head then added, "I can repair this ship blindfolded usually, but that is beyond me."

Ahsoka's eyes widened. "Three thousand credits? Why does it cost so much?"

"It's a specialist job; apparently," she replied. She shook her head and grumbled, "Damn Republic ship guidelines. Between their repair charges, inspection charges and the late charges I'll infer on Shili, this'll damn near finish me. I've been flying this ship for fifteen years now…." She closed her eyes and shook her head again.

Ahsoka went silent for a second. Anakin had been obsessed with ships and mechanics and he had insisted on teaching her all about it. Indeed, she remembered patching up a shuttle on Mortis that was in an even worse condition than this freighter seemed to be. Besides, hyperdrive repairs were easy to her. She smiled and in a confident voice, she stated, "I can do it."

The woman's head jerked up and her shock was visible on her face and easily detectable in the Force. "You can? Right… No offence, but I've never met any Togruta who is particularly interested in technology. Isn't your kind more interested in hunting and tribes? Besides you're what, sixteen, seventeen?"

Ahsoka put on an annoyed expression and crossed her arms in front of her, "I'm not a usual Togruta. Believe me, I've repaired crates in worse condition than this." She decided to keep her true past secret. There was no need to tell her that she used to be a Jedi.

The pilot narrowed her eyes. For some reason, now she looked again, she was convinced that she had seen the young Togruata somewhere before. Besides, there was something about this young girl. In addition, she had nothing really to lose; she didn't really have the three thousand credits readily available anyway. "I tell you what. If you can get my hyperdrive working again and save me from having to give these con artists my last credit, you've got your ride home."

Ahsoka smiled and she started to walk up the boarding ramp. "Thank you."

The woman regarded her temporary companion for a second. "I hope you know what you're doing, girl. What's your name anyway?"

Ahsoka bit her lip for a second; was it safe for her to know her name? What difference would it make, really, she realised. "I'm Ahsoka. I'm pleased to meet you."

"Rita Tegrea," she replied. "Now follow me. I'll show you the damage."

Ahsoka nodded and followed Rita inside. For the first time since she had walked down the steps of the Jedi Temple, Ahsoka felt hope blossom within her. This was the start that she needed, now all she needed to do was get this junker of a ship to fly.

-0-0-0-0-0-

Anakin Skywalker sat alone in his quarters which seemed to be oh so empty. His anger burned into his soul. He couldn't believe it, Ahsoka, his little Snips, was really gone and it was clear from what she had said that she wasn't coming back. Even though he'd had all night to think about it and get used to the idea that he no longer had a Padawan, he still couldn't bring himself to let her go.

That was the one thing about the Jedi Code that he could never understand. Why did you have to be so detached from everything and everyone? What was wrong with caring for people and making sure that they were alright? He shook his head; despite what the council said and what his former master said, he knew he'd never be able to let go of some people and Ahsoka certainly counted in that.

What was it with the Force? Why was it that it was always him who had to lose people? He had already lost his mother and now Ahsoka. He smiled as he thought of her; she'd been so awkward, so opinionated and annoying when he first met her and he could still remember the first time she had called him 'Skyguy'. However, quickly, as the two of them found common ground, she became essential to him; in a different way to Padmé, but essential nevertheless. He still expected to see the young Togruta with a bright grin on her face watching the HoloNet or helping him to think of ways to torment Obi-Wan, but no; she really was gone and it was the council's fault; just like it was the council's fault that he couldn't save his mother. Why couldn't the council have trusted Ahsoka like he had?

Anakin stopped; had he really trusted her himself? On reflection, yes, but he certainly could've helped her more, he reasoned. Yes, this was his failure as well. Why couldn't he protect people the way he wanted and needed? He had the power to do it, didn't he? Well, he wasn't going to lose Padmé; he promised himself that. The council weren't going to take her away from him like they had his mother and now Ahsoka.

Anakin's anger and annoyance flared even more when he realised that there was no longer anything he could do about the situation. He had considered running after Ahsoka and trying to find her, but he knew that wouldn't help. She'd said quite explicitly that she needed to sort things out on her own; whatever that actually meant. Besides, he knew that Ahsoka would be difficult to find. After all, she'd managed to stay on the run for almost a week with everyone looking for her. At least if he did find her, he could convince himself that she was safe and perhaps he could convince her to stay at Padmé's. He was certain that his secret wife would allow Ahsoka to live with her.

Anakin shook his head; who was he kidding? The council would never allow him to do that. He could practically hear Master Windu or Master Yoda now telling him that a Jedi does not dwell on the past or attachments. In fact, Anakin wouldn't have been surprised if the council members were patting themselves on the back for breaking one of Anakin's attachments. With that thought, Anakin's mechanical hand came into a fist.

Anakin was snapped out of his thoughts by knocking on his door. He could clearly sense Obi-Wan Kenobi on the other side, but he was astonished to sense Master Shaak Ti as well. What in the name of the Force was she doing here? Anakin sighed with extreme annoyance; hadn't he told Obi-Wan that he just wanted to be alone? Still, he couldn't let another member of the council see or sense his annoyance and anger. Anakin called on the Force to calm himself, cleared his mind of his emotions as best as he could and opened his front door. He gave a quick bow and then gestured inside. "Master Ti, Obi-Wan; come in."

As Master Ti and Obi-Wan followed him inside, Anakin was taken aback. To his astonishment, he could sense pain, hopelessness and reassignment in Shaak Ti. In fact, he could tell instantly that she was feeling just like him only even more so and that she was putting considerable effort into keeping herself under control. That was a state that he knew all too well and it was nothing new to Anakin, but he'd never seen Shaak Ti experience such problems. Something was wrong; he knew it immediately. Anakin kept his observations to himself as they reached his living room. He gestured to his sofa and calmly said, "Please, take a seat. Can I get you anything?" He smirked, turned to Obi-Wan and added, "Yes, Master, before you ask I do have tea."

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, but responded, "Thank you Anakin."

Shaak Ti also quietly nodded her acceptance, but for the moment, she stayed quiet. To her surprise, Anakin didn't seem anything like as bad as Obi-Wan had said. Her heart sank as she glanced around and caught sight of the door into the room that, until the day before, had been her daughter's. To Shaak, even though Anakin's quarters were full of droid parts and bits of old ships and electrical components, the quarters still seemed empty. Her daughter's latent Force signature was everywhere and filled the room, but without the actual presence of the young girl, the signature was vacant and distant. Once Anakin had left the room to make the tea, Shaak shook her head and tears appeared in her eyes.

Obi-Wan and Shaak sat in silence for a few minutes before Anakin entered the room again with two cups of steaming tea. As was typical of anything involving Anakin Skywalker, neither cup matched the other one or the saucer that they were on. In fact, Shaak remembered that Obi-Wan would joke quite frequently in council meetings about Anakin's rather poor domestic abilities. Anakin handed Obi-Wan and Shaak their respective teas, before he sat down himself in a chair opposite to the sofa. "What can I do for you?" he asked.

Calling on the Force to calm herself, Shaak gave a few deep breaths. She firmly believed that Anakin wouldn't be quite so calm after hearing what she had to tell him, but she had made the decision to tell him. "Anakin, I….I've got to come clean to you. I know that Ahsoka leaving has caused you much pain." She dropped her eyes to the floor. "Obi-Wan has told us. I understand since her leaving has hurt me greatly as well."

Anakin kept his expression the same, but inside he focused on Shaak. This was not what he was expecting. He had expected some kind to attempt by the council to try to get him to forget Ahsoka. He had prepared to fight over that; he would never forget Ahsoka. However, he had to work to cover his surprise over Shaak's words. Why would Ahsoka leaving hurt Shaak? It was simply not in the Togrutan Master's nature. He couldn't deny that he was intrigued. He nodded his head and prompted, "Go on."

Shaak looked back up. Even though she was determined to tell Anakin the truth, for a few seconds the words would simply not come. She had been so used to keeping her relationship with Ahsoka quiet that it seemed her brain refused to tell. Eventually, she managed to stutter out, "Anakin, I….I haven't acknowledged this until today, but the truth is that Ahsoka walking away has destroyed me because…because she is my daughter." Shaak watched as Anakin's eyes widened. Before he could say anything, she continued, "I fell pregnant with her whilst I was training my first Padawan on Shili. I…..I've kept it secret for seventeen years."

Anakin was astounded and although he kept his calm façade, internally, his anger flared. His immediate reaction was that this was a joke and a very cruel one at that. However, the feelings that he sensed from Shaak Ti at that moment seemed to conform her words. How could it be true? Somehow, however, after listening to the Force, he knew that it was. Instantly his true anger flared again as he remembered that Shaak Ti had kept quiet and calm all through that farce of an investigation. How could any mother watch as her daughter was accused of a crime that she didn't commit? It took every bit of control that Anakin had not to scream at Shaak there and then. However, he managed to keep his anger secret. Instead he just responded, "Ahsoka is your daughter?" He paused for a second as he thought of something, "Does she know? She never mentioned you to me."

Obi-Wan watched his former Padawan very carefully. Anakin appeared to be calm; far calmer than he had been when Obi-Wan had last visited him the night before and the truth was that it worried him. An angry Anakin Skywalker was dangerous, but an angry but calm Anakin Skywalker was deadly. Since everything appeared to be okay for the time being, he chose to say quiet.

Shaak again dropped her gaze. She felt that she could no longer look Anakin in the eyes. His question had hit close to home and she now regretted that Ahsoka will never know that she was her mother. In fact, Shaak wondered if Ahsoka even wondered or cared who her mother was. That thought cut into Shaak Ti's heart every bit as deep as a lightsaber could have. For Anakin's benefit, she managed to keep her feelings in check and replied, "No she doesn't. I never told her." She closed her eyes and pain radiated off her. "I should've told her," she uttered out. "And during her trial, I should've said something."

Anakin quite agreed with that; Shaak should definitely have said something. However, Shaak's last comment had interested him. "Why?" he enquired.

"I knew she was innocent," Shaak replied as tears started to drip. Although she tried her best to control them, she just couldn't. "My feelings had told me. I…..I thought I was being the better master, but all I've succeeded in doing was to drive my daughter away."

Anakin had the immediate urge to run Shaak though with his saber. Shaak knew that Ahsoka was innocent all along? She could've saved all of this; all of it. How could Shaak have put her status as a Jedi Master in front of her status as a mother? Anakin struggled to hide his disbelief, annoyance and anger after hearing that. He knew that the council would want him to accept what Shaak was telling him. In fact, the council were probably expecting him to blow over this and he was severely tempted to do so. Instead he decided to play them at their own game and see what the council's response to this would be. "So, what will happen now?" he asked calmly. "Does the council know?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes, the council know, Anakin. We have put Shaak on Meditative Retreat to give her a chance to re-centre herself. We don't want to expel her if we don't have to."

Internally, Anakin exploded. If only the blasted council had given Ahsoka that chance or something similar. If they had, his little Snips may very well still be a Jedi and with him. Anakin felt rage burn within him as he realised that the council had turned on what they thought was an insignificant Padawan as soon as that lying idiot, Tarkin, had accused her. To top it all off, now he found out that Ahsoka's own biological mother knew that she was innocent all along and still did nothing. He felt sick with anger as he finally decided to let his thoughts be known. He decided that he wouldn't shout, and he wouldn't lose control. Instead, he turned to Shaak and in a slightly cold voice he said, "I'm not surprised Ahsoka left. You're not much of a mother are you, Master Ti? I take it you've got to leave on retreat now, right?"

"Anakin…." Obi-Wan warned as he stood up.

As she stood up as well, Shaak cut Obi-Wan off. Anakin words had hurt her, but she knew that she couldn't deny them. As she again started to sob a little, she said, "No, Obi-Wan. Anakin is right. I am a failure as a mother and I did fail and betray Ahsoka." She turned to Anakin and added, "Before I leave tomorrow, I just want say, thank you. I owe you my daughter's life. It is a debt that I can never repay and I'm sad that this has hurt you as well. If there's anything you ever need, Anakin….." Anakin just nodded in an uneasy silence in response as Shaak and Obi-Wan left the room. She did feel slightly better after coming clean, even though it was obvious to her after his last comment that Anakin now hated her; not that she blamed him. Now she just needed to prepare herself to leave the following day but it did leave one question; where should she go?

-0-0-0-0-0-

What a mess that had been, Ahsoka reasoned. She had been working on the damaged hyperdrive for six hours now and finally, the engines were near completion. The overloading power conduit had totally destroyed the freighter's hyperdrive motivator as well as taken out parts of the engine control computers and shield generators. In fact, the damage had been so extensive that she was beginning to see why the spaceport's maintenance droids had quoted Rita over three thousand credits for the task.

Although the damage had been extensive, as she expected, it hadn't been anything that she couldn't handle. That thought brought the first real smile that had appeared on Ahsoka's face for well over a week. As she looked around at the work that she had undertaken, she did some final checks to make sure that everything was indeed back correctly and that she hadn't made any serious errors. She couldn't help the pride in her work that appeared within her when she satisfied herself that everything was as it should be. As a Jedi, she had been dissuaded from any kind of pride, but since she had left that corrupted Order behind, she decided to allow herself pride. After all, what other positive feeling could she have at that moment? The only other thing she felt was pain. In addition, she was grateful that the lessons that her former master had given her had helped her one last time.

As she instructed the engine control computer to carry out some last minute diagnostics, Ahsoka put some thoughts into her own future. She was well aware of the fact that getting to Shili was only the beginning really. She still had to find something to do. In fact, the act of repairing this ship had given her an idea. As the ship's pilot, Rita, had said, most Togruta's didn't bother much with technology so starship mechanics were likely to be rarer than normal on Shili. Ahsoka knew that her people were not completely backward; there were ships, speeders and tech on Shili, but there was no doubt that it was rarer than Coruscant. Ahsoka reasoned that there might be a good, but honest living to be made for her as a starship mechanic therefore. She decided to look into it once she reached the planet of her birth.

Ahsoka's thoughts were interrupted by the engine computer beeping. The diagnostics had completed and she smiled again as she read the results. The diagnostics confirmed that this ship's hyperdrive was again fully operational. Ahsoka quickly replaced all of the cover plates that she had loosened and removed and headed back to the cockpit where the Force had told her Rita was.

As Ahsoka entered the cockpit, she noticed that Rita was sat in the pilot's seat with her head resting on the front control panel. As the young Togruta approached the older woman, Ahsoka could both see and sense that Rita was asleep. Ahsoka was not altogether surprised as her efforts to repair the engines had taken over six hours and it wasn't difficult for her to guess that if Rita's story was true, the woman hadn't really slept in two days.

Despite all the pain and conflicting thoughts that were running through Ahsoka's mind, she couldn't help but giggle slightly before she started to turn away. She was stopped, however, by Rita who had quickly woken up and was looking right at her. "How are the repairs?"

Ahsoka turned back to face Rita. With a smile on her face, she replied, "I'm done. I've just carried out the final diagnostics and everything checks out."

Rita's eyes widened. "Really?" she asked. When Ahsoka nodded in response, Rita turned back to the panel. After checking a few things she added, "Well, I've got to hand it to you, girl. You've done a good job. Right we're out of here."

As Rita powered the ship up and prepared for lift off, Ahsoka sat in the vacant co-pilot seat beside Rita. "I would advise being a bit careful for a while; just to make sure that it won't overload again. I have no idea why it did that to begin with."

Rita smirked as the ship lifted off. "Hey, don't worry, I was planning to. Besides, I know this ship." Rita guided the ship out of Coruscant's atmosphere and programmed the navi-computer for Shili. "Well, are you ready to go home Ahsoka?"

Ahsoka looked around and with some pain in her heart, Ahsoka reached into the Force. She wished a final farewell to all of her former comrades. Even though she had left the Order, part of her knew that they were still her brothers and sisters in the Force. They would always be a part of her; especially Anakin and Master Plo. She turned back to Rita and replied, "Yep." This was it and as Rita pulled the lever that blasted the ship into the blue swirls of hyperspace, Ahsoka knew that there was no going back.

-0-0-0-0-0-

Shaak Ti groaned as she carried the last container of rations on board the shuttle. After a night's sleep, Shaak felt more awake, but she still didn't feel any better. However, the fact that she had to hurry was helping her a bit as it meant for a while, she could take her mind off the fact that her daughter had left two days before. She knew there was only an hour before she would be no longer allowed to officially stay in the temple. If she was honest, it was a thought that was both frightening and strangely freeing at the same time.

After the council had told her the day before that she had to leave on meditative retreat, she had spent the entire time after visiting Anakin Skywalker trying to determine where she should go. According to the rules of the Order, anyone who was ordered by the council to go on Meditative retreat was not allowed to stay in the temple, but neither did they have to answer to the council for that time. Therefore for the first time in her life, Shaak was free to go where she wanted. After some soul searching, Shaak decided that there was only one place where a Togruta like her really wanted to go, Shili. Her beautiful and peaceful home world was perfect for the large amount of meditating that she would require and even then, she knew that she would struggle to regain her former composure and serenity.

Even though she was grateful to be given the chance that her fellow councillors had given her, one thing about the council's verdict did puzzle her slightly. Why two months? To her it seemed like an unusual length of time for meditative retreat. In all of the other times she had seen Jedi ordered on to meditative retreat, the period had been a month or less. It was an odd decision, now Shaak thought about it, especially since she had witnessed people being expelled for any sign of a romantic relationship or intimate activity and she had confessed to both, which had led to a daughter. Shaak wondered if, maybe, some council members were perhaps feeling guilty over Ahsoka. If so, Shaak couldn't agree more; everyone on the council should feel guilty. They had all failed her daughter. She definitely agreed with Anakin over that.

Shaak's head dropped as she thought of Anakin. She had been impressed by how well he had kept his thoughts to himself, but his last comment had stabbed her right through the heart. It was quite clear from that one comment that Ahsoka's departure had destroyed him just like her and for a second, Shaak wondered if the council were going to do anything to Anakin; especially after some of the comments that Mace Windu made about Anakin' attachment to Ahsoka during the council deliberations over her trial.

"Hmmm, brooding, you are."

Shaak jumped with surprise as she looked down at Master Yoda. Why hadn't she noticed or felt him approach? "Master Yoda," she stated as she bowed her head. "I was thinking; trying to put things into perspective."

"A wise start that is," Master Yoda began. He quietly looked up at Shaak and studied her for a second. It was clear to him that she was still uncertain and unstable. He had expected as much. "Decided where to go, have you?"

Shaak nodded. "Yes Master. I'll go to Shili I think. My home world is the only place to get the peace I want and need at the moment."

Master Yoda raised a slight smile. He expected that she would return to Shili and it was exactly what he wanted to hear. To Shaak's surprise, he held up a datapad. Shaak instantly recognised it as the one that her genetic test results were on; the one that confirmed that Ahsoka Tano was her daughter. Shaak's surprise was again interrupted by Master Yoda. "Need this, you will."

Shaak couldn't hide her continued surprise as she took the datapad from Master Yoda and examined it in her hands. As she touched the screen, her test results came up instantly. "Why, Master? Why will I need this?"

Master Yoda stayed quiet for a second as he wondered how much he could tell her. Eventually, he decided to adopt his usual tactic and be cryptic. "Playing its hand, the Force is. Listen to it you should. Need these results you will."

For once, Shaak could not understand what the Grand Master was telling her. She felt exactly like a young initiate again. Master Yoda was very fond of baffling the younglings of the Order to make them think and now, he was doing the same to her. She narrowed her eyes and replied, "I'm not following you."

"Two streams in the Force you and your daughter are, Master Ti. Make your way through the Force's path both of you do. However, have a habit of joining into rivers streams do. Remember that, you should." Master Yoda dropped his eyes. "Follow, listen, you must. Guide you the Force will."

Shaak couldn't hide her surprise. Was Master Yoda telling her to find Ahsoka? Surely not, she reasoned. In a stuttering voice, she asked, "What must I do, Master?"

"Be ready, you must. Swirling around all of us our destiny is. In for a surprise, Master Ti, you are."

Shaak closed her eyes and nodded. That didn't exactly help her much. She still had no idea what to do except to go to Shili. "Yes Master."

Master Yoda tapped his gimmer stick on the floor to get Shaak's attention. "Ready to go are you?"

"Yes Master. I've just put the last of my supplies on the ship."

Master Yoda closed his eyes. The truth was that this hurting him a touch as well. He wished that there could have been another way to handle this and accomplish what he needed, but there wasn't. Besides, he was following the will of the Force. He was certain of that. "Good; hurry you must. Out of time you are. See you in two months, I will."

With a tear in her eye, Shaak nodded and walked up the boarding ramp. She gave the Grand Master a last bow, before she headed to the ship's cockpit. She continued to digest everything that Master Yoda had told her as she guided the ship out of the temple's docking bay and up into Coruscant's sky. As she climbed into space, she set the navi-computer for Shili. She gave Coruscant one last glance before she pulled the lever that took the ship into hyperspace.

Well that's chapter 4. I hope you all liked it. Yes, Luminara Unduli will be on the council during this story. I'll get to her reaction to Shaak's situation next chapter. I hope you liked the sections with Ahsoka. I wanted to show that at the moment, Ahsoka is a bit of a walking contradiction. She doesn't really trust herself with the Force, but she still has to use it. I also wanted to show that although she is just as strong as always, she is very uncertain at the moment and doesn't really know what to believe anymore. Don't worry; she isn't going to go dark; she left to prevent that. Also, I hope you liked my little mention of Lux Bonteri. No, there isn't going to be a Lux / Ahsoka romance in this story. I mentioned it because as I said, Ahsoka is full of questions and answers at the moment. I thought that as she realised that she was free of the code, he was bound to go through her mind.

What do you all think of Anakin in this chapter? As usual, he tried his best to keep his true feelings away from the council members. No, Anakin won't be a main character in this story, not yet anyway; he will be more important later. However, I did need Shaak to tell Anakin for something that will happen later.

I hope you like the talk between Shaak and Master Yoda at the end. Yes, it is a small talk but it is a very important talk in this story.

I want to thank Ahsokanerd for looking over this chapter.

Anyway the next chapter will happen whilst Ahsoka and Shaak are in hyperspace so neither of them will be in it. However, despite that, it will be an extremely important chapter; Luminara Unduli is sworn onto the council; what does she say about Shaak's situation? Master Yoda has a talk with Master Plo Koon and gives him a surprising task and Master Plo carries out his orders even though he won't understand them.