The fools believe me dead, and yet I have mastered immortality.
En route to Tatooine, the three ship formation opened up a holocom channel.
Ahsoka and Lara appraised Kanan, Hera and Maris.
"We really do look like a bar joke waiting to happen." -joked Hera, making Kanan snort.
Ahsoka smiled. "Well, we are going to Tatooine. Visiting the local watering hole is about the only non-sand related activity."
"Not true. I hear womp rat hunting and pod racing are pretty great. Barely any sand, too." -said Kanan.
Maris raised an eyebrow. "Ending an innocent creature's life? How very non-Jedi of you, Knight Jarrus."
Kanan shrugged. "Well, I've never been a great Jedi. Not a Darksider either, but I'm definitely no Master Kenobi. Also, a womp rat may be many things, but never an innocent creature."
Ahsoka rolled her eyes. "Right. Well, we should probably talk our plan out. As you know, we need to find and capture Boba Fett, the Mandalorian bounty hunter, so we can question him about his theft of the plans for the Imperator-class Star Destroyer. He's the Hutt's preferred asset, and he's clad entirely in beskar armor and cortosis weave, according to our intel. Heavy blasters, rockets and flamethrowers are the armament we know about, but you can bet he's got more up his sleeves."
"The Hutts are hard to touch without hard evidence that they orchestrated the theft, due to their treaty with the New Republic, but Fett is fair game." -said Lara. Maris snorted; as a Rogue, she could do a lot more than touching the Hutts. They were not bound by the same moral code as Jedi, or by the laws which governed the rest of the New Republic military. So long as they did not needlessly kill, they were given free reign to accomplish their mission, and they'd made sure that the whole galaxy knew it.
Kanan thought for a moment. "Where are we gonna find this guy?"
Ahsoka shook her head. "No idea. We'll have to question the head Hutt around here, Jabba."
The Twi'lek Commando scoffed. "Good luck with that. Jabba won't tell you guys anything, if his species is anything to go by. And it is."
"Not to them, no. I'd wager I'll have more luck." -said Maris.
Hera raised an eyebrow. "How so?"
Maris gave a predatory smile. "Like most of his slimy brethren, Jabba has taken an unfortunate liking to humanoid women. Twi'leks, mostly, but I'm sure he won't say no to a Zabrak."
Kanan rubbed his beard. "It might work. What's our backup plan?"
Ahsoka's expression soured. "We do the galaxy a favor and take him out. It should draw Fett out, or at least drive him nervous enough to make a mistake. And if it doesn't, at least we'll have access to the crime lord's data afterwards. Of course, that'd risk a diplomatic incident. Not that Hutt space has ever felt like being diplomatic, but they're obviously still mad at the Republic, and they're not demilitarized."
Lara piped up. "You can see why we'd prefer option A, even if it's...less than decent. No offense, ma'am." -she said, looking at Maris neutrally.
The Zabrak shrugged. "Have to try harder if you want to offend me. I'll get your answers either way."
Ahsoka smirked at that. "In any case, that'll just be Kanan, Maris and I. The rest of you I want on scouting duty; try to find any trace you can of Boba Fett. Contacts, enemies, allies. We keep our ships warm - I have a feeling we'll need to beat a hasty exit out of Tatooine."
Hera smiled. "Should be fun. See you planetside, Spectre One and Two out."
The communication ended, leaving Lara and Ahsoka alone. Lara had a frown to her face. "Credit for your thoughts, Commander?" -asked the Jedi Knight.
Lara had a faraway look. "I'm already wary of this mission - too many things could go wrong. Having a Rogue with us…" -she trailed off.
Ahsoka raised an eyebrow. "Not a fan of Anakin's pupils?"
"I have nothing against Operative Commander Skywalker and his...acolytes. But you out of all people should know, most Mirialans cannot stand by the use of the Dark Side." -she said, pursing her lips.
"Ah. Barriss?" -Ahsoka asked quietly.
Lara nodded stiffly. "My people are still discriminated to this day for her treachery. Add to that our faith, and, well, it's why you will never see any Mirialans in Rogue garb."
Ahsoka hummed. Barriss Offee had once been a trusted friend and confidant, and a powerful Padawan, strong in the Light, but her doubts in the Jedi Order had ultimately led her astray. She'd been sentenced to life in prison for her actions, but the Dark Side had...consumed her within, and the warden had been forced to terminate her before she terminated them. Lara was right: the galaxy at large held a certain distrust of Mirialans ever since. Worse still, Mirialans viewed the Dark Side as exclusively evil, the flip side of the Light which they based their religion on, so to them, Barriss' turning was tantamount to sacrilege.
"I understand, believe me. Before I rejoined the Order, I had a similar opinion of my former Master's project, but I have come to respect the Dark Side of the Force as a powerful tool in the right hands. I do hope, however, that working with Maris won't be a problem. She's a very capable warrior. Anakin speaks highly of her abilities."
Lara straightened up. "We'll get the job done, ma'am. Just point us at the enemy."
Ahsoka nodded. "Good to know. Now go gear up, we're just about ten minutes out from arriving in-system."
The Togruta walked over to the cockpit, where Leia was absently watching over the readings and preparing for the shift back to sub-light speed.
"I felt anger from the Commander before. Is she alright?" -she asked neutrally.
Ahsoka gave her a sad, knowing smile. "I believe so. She was just expressing some concerns regarding the mission, and our involvement with a Rogue."
Leia snorted. "Gee, why could that be? I'm sure this mission is to go off without a hitch." -she said, voice laced with sarcasm.
The Togruta frowned slightly. "Your feelings betray you, Leia. What's wrong?"
The human kept her gaze on the shifting blues of Hyperspace, but ultimately sighed. "Luke's not here."
Ahsoka gave her a sad smile. "I did notice that."
Leia shot her a dirty look. "Master Kenobi had already asked him to stay with Mother. I didn't bother inviting him after he told me. Just...said goodbye. Again."
"I'm sure he had his reasons. Padmé couldn't ask for much better protection than her own children, and you know that for a fact." -Ahsoka tried to cheer her up.
She winced. "I know, but it's not that. I kind of...haven't slept well. Visions, maybe, though I hope it's just nightmares. They're not clear or anything, but I feel like they're warnings, that something big is coming. And of course, in typical Skywalker-Naberrie fashion, we're all right in the middle of it. Plus, this whole mess with Bail, who was supposed to be safe and all...it's made it clearer than ever not only that my family has a lot of problems, but also that we are all at very real risk of not living to solve them."
The Togruta knew that, while her Padawan very much loved her entire family, she wasn't without her reservations, especially when it came to Anakin, and it all came back to when Ahsoka and Leia had met.
More than seven years before, Ahsoka had been living on Shili. As she'd said to the Commander, her people had received her with open arms, even offered her a place of honor as a Shiv'Shilim, a part of the Huntresses of Shili. Togruta, being a carnivorous species, never abandoned their hunting habits. Quite the contrary, in fact; having evolved in a hyper-competitive ecosystem, where few prey existed, and predators were abundant, made their species prioritize the role of Huntress. Male Togruta did not take part in the hunt; instead, they stayed behind and protected the community, taught the children the ways of combat, kept their religion and culture alive in the face of a galaxy that wished to force them into homogenization. The Togruta believe that they are the chosen of their main goddess, Shili; that in defeating and feeding on their prey, they renew the cycle of energy of their world, which will eventually reclaim them. Huntresses are the daughters of Shili, the gifted children that drive the cycle. Ahsoka, while unsure of those beliefs, wanted to contribute to the people who saved her life, and so she accepted the position.
The following two years became a period of adjustment. Her moral compass needed to be put slightly aside, as her job literally required her to kill innocent creatures pretty much daily. Her attire changed radically, as she wore only a leather harness to keep her chest from moving, white painted patterns all over her body, and a loincloth for modesty's sake -quite the formal dress, considering Togruta embraced nudity more than the Twi'leks or even the Zeltron, famous for their racy fashion styles, ever had. Her connection to the Force became much more spiritual than mental. Even her fighting style changed slightly, as the long, ancient, dual curved-hilt lightsabers she had been given with the position handled differently than her old green and yellow blades.
By the time Ahsoka met Leia, she was a very different person than the Padawan who'd rejected the Order. It wouldn't have been a problem, if not for the fact that Leia hadn't gone to Shili alone.
Anakin had felt something on the Togruta homeworld, a disturbance in the Force powerful enough to warrant his curiosity. With the excuse of taking Leia to visit the planet, he'd gone to check it out, only to find his old Padawan, mingling with the natives. Now, by this time, Anakin was barely establishing the Rogue base on Dromund Kaas. His resistance to the Dark Side was still being perfected, his temper still not entirely controlled. Knowing that his Padawan was not only alive after all those years, but thriving amongst her scantily-clad people, had been too much for his control. The Dark Side had briefly but firmly taken him, causing him to lash out in rage and pent-up grief at Ahsoka, who'd resorted to a desperate defense, one that, even with her further years of training, and near-mastery of her personal duelling style, she could not hold for long.
That's where Leia came in. At 9 years old, the young girl had little formal training. Only a few months had passed since she'd started living at the Temple, and what her father had taught her was only for self-defense. Horrified at seeing her father lose control, yet brave beyond any acceptable measure at her age, she'd thrown herself between her father and a prone Togruta she knew almost nothing about, igniting her practice blade, and managing to block a couple of lethal strikes, before she pushed out with all her might, and perhaps something darker, against her own father.
The Rogue flew, and with that, the rage subsided, but not before the damage had been done: the last swing he'd blindly taken had managed to shallowly cut Leia's skin, a large, diagonal slash immediately burning itself onto her abdomen. The youngling had immediately fainted from the shock.
The wound was merely cosmetic, but that did not help much. The fact remained that he'd lost all control, harmed his own flesh and blood. It caused him to have a crisis in his beliefs, and nearly ended the Rogue Order before it truly began. Only Master Yoda's insistence that it was necessary had convinced him of going through with it, with the utmost care never to fail again. It had also nearly ended his marriage. As it stood, he instead chose to accept his responsibility and devote himself to atoning for his mistake by making sure no others would fall, keeping himself half a galaxy away, building the training grounds and giving his family time to process the event. As for Leia's relationship with her dad...the accident was forgiven, but would likely never be forgotten. Her reflection easily took care of that.
Ahsoka saw no point in lying. "You're not wrong."
"No. Mother's been the subject of half a dozen assassination attempts since I can remember, Father leads his Force-damned army of Darksiders and goes against the most dangerous people in the galaxy on a regular basis, and Luke is always getting in trouble with Master Kenobi. I mean, they both nearly died just last week, on Raxus Prime."
"And you?"
Leia turned away, staring at Hyperspace and absently rubbing the exposed skin of her arms as if the cold of space could get to her through the transparisteel viewport. "I can handle myself."
"Be mindful, Leia. Do not let arrogance overpower your control. You are not infallible, however talented you may be." -Ahsoka warned.
The young human bristled, the edges of her irises slowly darkening. "Arrogance? I can take care of myself, and you won't see me boasting about it like that Sithspawn of a Zabrak."
The Togruta frowned, then calmed, sending her feelings of compassion and understanding through their bond. "Peace, Leia. Breathe, and let the Force take away your negative emotions. Like we've practiced."
Leia looked like she might argue, but did as she was asked. Almost immediately, the cockpit became slightly warmer, and the Padawan looked at her, slightly panicked. "It happened again, didn't it?"
Ahsoka nodded. "I doubt it will ever stop, Leia. You are too powerful already, and your potential is near limitless. The Dark Side will not willingly leave you alone. You must fight back at every moment."
She scowled. "Why me? I don't wish it on Luke, but he's just as powerful."
Ahsoka shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe it's because of what you've seen. Your exposure to your Father's darker abilities. Perhaps it's because you have a quirky Togruta Huntress as your teacher, instead of a traditional Jedi Master like Obi-wan. Regardless, I doubt you could've escaped the Dark Side's focus for too long."
Leia slumped on her chair. "It's...relentless. Normally, I don't even feel it, but...I know it's there, ready for the taking. I know just how strong I would become, and I can almost see what would happen. I fear my willpower would crumble before the temptation, Master, and no one would be able to stop me then."
Ahsoka actually smirked. "Well, aren't we a little full of ourselves?"
Leia grit her teeth, "I'm serious!"
"So am I. You would be inordinately powerful, yes...for someone of your age. You are still young, and while powerful, you are yet far away from reaching your full potential. The Force is infinite, all-powerful. We are no more than fleshy conduits for it and its will, and as such, we have limitations."
Leia sighed glumly. "I just...don't want to hurt anyone I care about. I'm afraid of...being like him." -she said, hugging herself.
Ahsoka pursed her lips. "Leia, your father is not a bad man. He has serious flaws, but then so do you and I, and everyone in this galaxy. Anakin bears a burden heavier than you can imagine, and for your sake, and that of those he loves, he bears it alone."
"I know. And I know I can't very well hate him for what he's done, given I just got tempted again. I just wish dealing with him wasn't this...frustrating."
Ahsoka chuckled. "Family always is. You're the daughter of the smartest woman I know, and the most powerful human in the galaxy. You might've been born into the toughest family of all time. That you still love each other to bits is a testament to your strength. I may not agree with every Jedi ideal anymore, but Master Yoda has the right of it: Fear leads to Anger, which leads to Passion and Rage, all of these, paths of the Dark Side. As you are so confident in your abilities, so should you trust those of your loved ones. They have made it this far, you know?"
Leia sniffled slightly, but pulled a watery smile. "You're the worst, you know that? Preaching old Jedi propaganda while being you. Was this all a stealthy lesson on not dissing the old Jedi way?"
Ahsoka winked. "Not everything was as bad as I'm sure Anakin and I make it out to be. The Order was hardly villainous, just terribly outdated and close-minded. Now, strap yourself in and pay attention to the screen, we're about to overshoot Tatooine."
With a jolt, the gunship went back to sublight speed. For a second, everything was well. The tan surface of Tatooine filled most of their view, and the stars returned to being one-dimensional dots against the inky black of space.
Then, they realized just what was in front of them, blocking their view of the planet below with its giant gray monotony.
The Daughter of Mortis was nose to nose with a dreadfully familiar Star Destroyer.
The starting line of this chapter is a bit of an experiment! Let's see how it turns out.
Alright, ladies and gentlemen. This thing is gonna be really plot-heavy from here on out! I think I've done the job of establishing most of my main and ancillary characters well enough. The world is well and truly built and all, so it's time to go into the first main arc!
I've thought about how...convenient it might seem that they almost literally run into the Star Destroyer above Tatooine. However, I've also come to the conclusion that Star Wars is a universe based on coincidences -which really, they aren't. The will of the Force is constantly driving the galaxy forward (as well as the plot), and I want the Force to be this...omniscient, almost god-like entity, that has nothing to do with science (midi-chlorians are attracted to Force users, not enablers here, remember?), and everything to do with mysticism, impossible to understand eon-long plans, and cosmic cycles. Hopefully it will come across that way.