"Leader, I think we're about to reveal ourselves in full aren't we?"

"Yes, no more hiding after today"

"By the way how's your eyesight?"

"Getting blurry at times again, and no I don't understand why the equipment didn't work fully in repairing my eyesight after the acid attack"

"Maybe after this we can get the Federation to send a medical ship to finish the repairs to your eyes"

"Most definitely that will happen, though not necessarily for the reason you think they will, but they might send medical aid for your people because everyone has been affected by this"

"So much for us being able to join the Federation like they had announced when all of this started"

"The Federation understands it's not your fault and they will also quickly find out that steps were taken to stop them, you'll join the Federation once things are a bit more stable I promise you"

Finally the day of the final battle arrived and it was pretty chaotic and live, most resistance fighters were no longer wearing their cloaks that disguised their identities either having taken them off right before battle or having lost them during the fight. Everyone was watching and all were cheering whenever the terrorists were stopped, everyone noticed that the one identified as the leader was still cloaked and fighting the leader of the terrorists and eventually it was only the two of them left

"Surrender now, your people are all either dead or unconscious, I don't want to kill you but I will if I must, you might be afforded lenience if you give this up now"

"I will never surrender to you traitor"

The terrorist leader manages to rip the cloak off of the resistance leader and that's when they receive a surprise, the resistance leader was an alien in a Starfleet uniform

"I am no traitor I am a Starfleet officer, one you tried to kill months ago when we first decided to see if you met the requirements to join the Federation. Oh and just so you know I've been fighting without my full strength and winning"

"Then use your full power Starfleet!"

Ashland goes for the bracelet and takes it off and as soon as that is done she simply raises her hand and the terrorist leader goes flying three feet and then she deliberately blindfolds herself and gets back into the battle and wins

"What are you?"

"I'm a Starfleet officer but I am also what's known as a Jedi have abilities that I had to hide because of you but I hide no longer"

She knocks out the terrorist leader and then speaks directly to both the citizens of the planet and also the rest of the Federation since she knew they were also watching

"This is Sophomore Sentinel Portland I hereby declare the terrorists that have been trying to prevent this planet from joining the Federation defeated, I hope Starfleet will send aid soon for these people because they need it, people of this planet you are now free from terror and I hope it remains that way for a very long time, this is Sentinel Portland signing off"

The broadcast ends and Ashland is allowed to use the computer in the main government building to write up the report about the days actions and send that and the rest of the reports she had written while in hiding to Starfleet Command. Once that was done she talked to the citizens who had the same abilities she did as a Jedi

"It's completely up to you as to whether or not you want to train at the temple in the Republic but I figured you at least wanted to know where your strange abilities came from which you no longer have to hide to keep yourselves safe"

"Is that also why you helped us disappear?"

"Yes, but only when we knew your lives were at stake"

"I think all of us need to think about it this is all so sudden"

"I understand and completely agree with you"

Several days later they received the first ships full of supplies and the doctor on board demanded to see Portland as soon as they arrived and Ashland didn't bother to fight it

"What happened to your eyes? I'm seeing partially repaired damage that is degrading again"

"They managed to use acid on me and temporarily blinded me, we used the equipment we had which fixed my eyes but unfortunately it didn't last, turns out the equipment isn't quite good enough but hey it lasted long enough for you guys to arrive to finish the repairs"

"True enough, now then keep your eyes open and in two minutes I'll be back"

Finally though her eyesight was fully repaired and she had orders to rejoin the Yoshimaru as soon as they could get to it

"For now though you're assigned to me so as to help the transition between the resistance fighters and the Federation go smoothly, though I must say some of your reports showed that your solutions to problems were...inventive to say the least"

"Had to work with what I had and to be honest there were times I wasn't sure if what I was doing was the right thing. Yes I had orders from the Jedi council to see if there were any potential Jedi on the planet and to help them if I could, however to fake my own death was probably a bit much now that I have a chance to fully reflect on the plans I made and did. I could have told more than just my Captain the truth so as to have backup at times when we really needed it, not to mention that maybe if they had known who I was sooner the rest of the resistance wouldn't have been so hesitant to follow some of the plans I had made"

"But do you honestly think you would have survived as long as you did if you hadn't faked your death?"

"I don't know Captain I would like to think I would have but I just don't know"

"By the way how did you manage to get equipment that fixed your eyes partially that lasted long enough for us to arrive?"

"While I was alone I knew that I would eventually be gathering people to fight by my side and I knew that I would need equipment in case anything happened to people, so I slowly started to either gather equipment that wasn't really being used anymore or I built the equipment from scratch using what little I knew as a basis. I made sure that if I was building from scratch I tested it multiple times before using it on an actual person and I was always the first person the equipment was used on because I knew I could live with the consequences of a failed device"

"But you couldn't go into a healing trance due to the Force inhibitor you used on a constant basis"

"True, but I knew that it was better to have consequences on only me for when I had access to bacta and Starfleet equipment again then to risk the lives of the citizens of the planet, fortunately there was only one failed experiment in regards to the equipment and that was because of the fact that we were trying to hack into the comm signals of the terrorists and we never managed to do that, though it did give us a basis of listening in on the government officials to keep tabs on their safety. Besides I had to wear a Force inhibitor at all times that means I couldn't use the trance"

"You are insane you know that Sentinel, you risked your life on a regular basis and it amazes me that things worked out the way they did"

"I know at times I'm surprised as well, there were several times I thought I would be captured and the resistance ended, if that had happened I don't know where the planet would be now"

"Well for now we have a mission to accomplish so let's get to it Sentinel"

"Yes Captain"

They quickly start getting things moving for the people and two weeks later the Yoshimaru was orbiting ready to pick up their wayward officer who they were decidedly going to have words with for making them believe she was dead for so long, even the Captain was going to have words for not keeping in contact and making him think that something had happened to her for real this time

"You have some explaining to do Sentinel"

"I know Captain believe me I know"

"It's been almost a year since we thought you died, killed in an explosion"

"More like eight months"

"Nine months Sentinel, you're forgetting the time difference between the planet and Federation"

"Okay you have me their Captain, but at least you had hope for three months while they didn't"

"Actually after the three month mark both the Jedi Council and Starfleet agreed the crew could know about your secret mission and three month order, and that's when I learned they hadn't given up hope until I subconsciously started to emit feelings of true loss in regards to you"

"Didn't know that, the problem is that things suddenly started going real fast and I never had a chance to contact you until that live broadcast a few weeks ago"

"Did you successfully complete your mission?"

"Yes I have both Starfleet and the Jedi Council have my reports in regards to that mission"

"It's good to have you back Sentinel, now then normally we wouldn't force you into a major mission so soon after you completed one but unfortunately we're needed at the former Neutral Zone"

"What for?"

"It would appear that some people are still having trouble with the Romulans being part of the Federation so we need to resolve those tensions"

"Even though it's been a few years since they officially joined there's still tension?"

"It would appear so and unfortunately we have no clue just what started things off this time"

"Well then let's go, hopefully we'll arrive before things get out of hand and people start shooting"

They do indeed manage to solve the current problem and soon enough it had been three years since they had managed to free the Federation and it was time for Starfleet to graduate fifteen Jedi. By this time Ashland had actually been transferred to the Enterprise for her next assignment and it just so happened that they were on Earth at that time so Ashland was at the academy to see her fellow Jedi graduate and become Starfleet officers

"Well let's hope that Starfleet is ready for fifteen Jedi at once, now for me to congratulate them and then get back to the ship"

She goes over to the group of fifteen and they see her and instantly recognize her

"Congratulations on graduating from the Academy, though I do wonder how you managed to catch up to the others Sentinel Loren"

"They tested everyone before allowing them back into the academy to see how far behind they fell during the fight to free the Federation and it turned out that I was pretty much caught up because I stayed with cadets during that fight and they taught me everything they could that first year cadets learned. When that was discovered the teachers decided that I would be taught both years so as to finish my first year training while doing my second year. I exceeded all their expectations and as you can see I graduated with the rest of my fellow Jedi"

"Yes, now then who are..."

They all feel a sudden darkness and Ashland is the first one to recover and start acting

"Get everyone back inside, now"

"Right"

They all split up and start getting the cadets watching and their fellow graduates moving meanwhile Ashland quickly finds the nearest Admiral and runs towards him

"Admiral, get everyone inside now"

"Excuse me officer but..."

"As the highest ranking Jedi in Starfleet I am ordering you to get everyone inside, now!"

She quickly turned away from the Admiral and ran towards the river and also brought out her lightsaber while the rest of the Sentinel's stood guard at the doors so as to help protect everyone should the enemy got past Portland, which as it turned out they would but only because there were so many of the enemy they overwhelmed her, but that's also when they got their first true lesson about being Starfleet officers because the higher ranking officers backed them up from the start covering for them when they couldn't cover for the civilians. A lot of people learned that day exactly what a Starfleet officer who was also a Jedi could do in a situation like that and people were in awe of their abilities. Once the fighting was over though Ashland ran over to a fellow officer who served with her on the Enterprise who was a Vulcan, but they were also Force sensitive though they had decided to forgo Jedi training

"T'vran hang on, we'll get you help I promise"

"Not...going...to last...Sentinel...but you can...remember...for...me"

T'vran puts his hand on her just like Spock did to McCoy years earlier and then "passes" on, however Ashland knew what was going to be needed though she did close his eyes in death first

"Help is on the way Sentinel"

"It's too late, all they can do now is help keep his body in stasis until we can get to Vulcan"

"Why do you say that?"

"He passed his Katra into me, and what's more is that the bond is stronger than with Dr. McCoy had with Ambassador Spock because of the fact that we're both Force sensitive, the only difference is that I have training as a Jedi and he decided not to train"

"You do realize that what you're proposing is dangerous, to both of you"

"I know that there's a risk one or both of us can die but I am willing to take that risk, right now we need to get ready to head to Vulcan and I need someone to explain things to Captain Picard for me"

"Why can't you?"

"Because, I'm exhausted and injured, I'm about to pass out"

Right after she says that she does indeed pass out and while they put T'vran in stasis they treat Ashland for her injuries, with Picard looking in on her room

"How is she?"

"She's fine Captain, it's more exhaustion then anything else, but we are worried about her mental state"

"Why?"

"I'm going to be frank, what's been done to her has only been done once before and I fear that if the situation lasts too long we're going to lose her mind"

"What's happened?"

"Lt. T'vran passed his Katra onto Portland, now then when that happened to then Dr. McCoy he was put into a hospital because they believed he lost his mind, now that we know what can happen we can monitor it but I would still feel better if we had a Vulcan healer with you so that we can monitor what happens while the two are combined"

"Granted, how long do we have?"

"I give you two weeks at best"

"How soon can she leave?"

"By tomorrow, we just need to make sure that she's healing fine, seeing as how right now she's unable to go into a healing trance due to the dual minds"

"We'll be ready"

They soon leave and Ashland got a surprise when she woke up, due to her actions in saving lives and the fact that she met all qualifications when she put on her uniform she realized that she had moved up in the ranks again, she now had a black star with silver outlines on her collar. They eventually reach Vulcan and perform the ceremony which would separate the two minds once again, but once the ceremony was completed they had to have a very long meeting with those in charge of T'vran's family due to a unique situation that had popped up