Note: I AM COMPLETELY PSYCHED! GUESS WHAT GUESS WHAT GUESS WHAT! I glanced at -browse-movies-Star Wars-Filter:Galen Marek because I like to read a few fictions on him.

AND THIS STORY IS ON PAGE ONE! Yea, there are only 54 stories in Galen Marek category, BUT STILL! Page one. 1. Uno. I cannot help but thank everyone for their support of this story. Thanks mighty Tree-hugging dudes. :) *raises beer*

streetsurfer95: I'm glad you like the council scene. To be honest, I wasn't that big on it myself. It was necessary, but I generally don't like big stuffy meetings in stories just as much as RL. Every fiction I read where there is nothing but politics and stuffy meetings and other crap, I'm the guy who skips over it completely. Probably the only political story I have ever liked in FF was "The Wanderers" and 2 MassEffectXHalo FF's.

As for his old skills. Well, yes and no. His skills were raw Force Pushes, levitation, pulls, and lightning. He lacked the finesse for technical skills and compensated with pure and utter power. I'll admit over time that he will regain some of his skills, but a large portion of his skill and power is still locked in his memories. That is because as a Sith, a huge portion of his power is behind his emotions, and those negative emotions that give him power are forgotten. He has lost a lot of "fuel" behind himself, but he is still Starkiller. He will still have basic techniques and a lot of raw power to back it up with.

RosePhin: I am very glad you like this story! I write it so that people can enjoy it. After all, why write it so other people can read it? If I wanted to I could just keep it all in my own head and hog him for myself!

There are indeed quite a few twists. Don't think they're done yet. :) Far from it.

This chapter is primarily character development and friendship. Not much progress will be made in the main plot, but it is essential to one of the characters.

If you want to skip it, go ahead. It is more of an interlude.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not even the clothes on my back

Episode 5 - Classified Information Part 4/6

Maris was a strong girl. She had survived childhood. Survived becoming a Jedi Padawan, and most of all survived Felucia.

So why was she shaking like a leaf?

Maris held herself tightly to still the shaking and sat down on the temple steps. The wind blew by biting at her legs causing her skirt to fly like a cape. Tourists, soldiers, and most of all, Jedi walked by. None paid her any mind, and those that did never said a word. She was just another girl at the temple crying to them. What importance did she have in a planet of trillions? She was one person. She was no one… The only one who thought her more than nothing was gone.

His eyes…

"MARIS!" A yell came followed immediately by a running body. The invader's leaping hug nearly sending the two of them barreling down the thousand-step stairs. The only thing that kept them from falling to their death-by-bruises was Maris's developed instinct and strong legs.

She bounced back with a vengeance and threw the giggling offender off. Ahsoka fought back and held on tightly. "By the Force, Ahsoka!" Maris growled and finally pried the girl off.

"But I missed you." She responded pleadingly.

Maris sighed. It had been two years since she seen her friend. "You know I hate that."

"And that's why I do it." The Togruta responded cheekily. "Can't have you icing back up."

True enough, perhaps the only reason she kept doing it was to get a rise out of her. When they were originally put in the same youngling group, Maris was cold as ice. But Ahsoka was always cheerful and… annoying. The endless prodding eventually won her over.

"I know… I'm sorry." Maris hugged her back. It lacked her usual strength, and Ahsoka knew it.

"Are you going to be busy later?" The Togruta asked.

Maris shook her head. A Padawan with no Master was more or less on permanent standby. If they couldn't get her a new Master at all she would be sentenced to the farm worlds as though she was a failure like the others who didn't make Padawan. She tried really hard not to think about it.

"Then let's go!" Ahsoka took the horned girl's hand and started to bolt, only to be halted when the hand wouldn't budge. She fell back with an 'ack!'

"Where?" Maris asked. She wasn't about to go somewhere without knowing where first.

"I don't know. Dax's Diner, then wherever you want!"

Maris looked at her skeptically. Dax was a very large friend of Ahsoka. Because the man was a friend of her master, and of her master's master, and her master's master master's. The 'lineage' of masters was quite close to the alien and his food, and his contacts in the underground.

"Ahsoka, I-" Maris breathed in shakily and dropped her head down. "I just… I want to be alone."

Of course her counterpart wasn't that cooperative. She plopped down on the steps next to her and said firmly, "And now is the worst time for that. I heard…" Ahsoka gulped deeply. "And as sorry as I am… I know I cannot possibly understand."

"Yeah, not many can." Maris muttered.

"But there is one thing I know." Ahsoka smiled. "You briefly forgot didn't you, when I got you focused on me?"

Maris snapped up to her and saw victory in her friends face. She had made Maris angry, and got her to forget for even a few seconds. "But no amount of forgetting can change anything." Maris responded..

"No, it can't. But neither will what you're doing. So get off your butt and come on! Master is giving me the day off!" Again Ahsoka grabbed her wrist and tugged, but this time Maris let her.

His eyes looked at her so innocently… She recalled. It was almost sickening.

She shook her head and raced her friend down the steps. Her ghosts could wait a little while.

Despite Ahsoka's best intentions they had lived their lives as Jedi. It was a religion that disapproved of material possession, emotional attachment, and really any form of emotional release outside of meditation. You get angry? Meditate. You get jealous? Meditate. You get happy? Keep it contained. Younger's lack of emotional control was expected, but if you had any hope of ascending up the ranks, you needed to be as solid as a rock.

Suffice to say: Being 'girly' was a subject she, nor Maris, were very knowledgeable about. So they went to the one who was acting as a kind of guide to Ahsoka in all things girly: Senator Amidala.

"Are you sure this is wise?" Maris wondered an hour later as they entered the mall. The galactic mall was a thousand stories tall all the way to the planet's surface, ten miles in diameter, and filled with enough people to colonize a small planet. Every race from across the Republic came here to shop and exchange cultures and goods.

It was also annoying. Maris was used to the gentle quiet of wildlife and trees from Felucia, and now she was surrounded in noise. Advertisements screamed their goods, groups chatted, or rather, yelled at each other in order to be heard, and every noise echoed in the tight rooms. The noise made her jumpy and aggravated easily.

"Nope." Ahsoka quipped from beside her. With a quick tug she pulled her friend out of the fray as a crowd nearly plowed them over. Maris and Ahsoka moved to the wall and watched people go by.

They moved along the wall until they found a utility room with an unoccupied terminal; and they pulled up a map. The mall was split into various rings on each floor, with the center being a food court and private security. Every ring had shops that grew progressively larger the closer you came to the center. There were nine giant elevators, capable of holding a hundred people each, spread out evenly.

Maris glared at all of the names and ads on the screen. She could barely place one from another.

"Which one you want to see?" Ahsoka asked.

"Don't care."

"Can I pick then?"

"Go ahead." Maris crossed her arms and turned back, leaning against the wall. She let her gaze fall lazily over people, but really she was taking note of anything of importance. Two years in a world as hostile as Felucia, and not to mention other battlefields, had left her with some ingrained instincts. She disliked the crowd. There were so many people that she had trouble distinguishing one from another. If a fight broke out she could only run or she would hurt a lot of people. If she could even find the attacker in time to defend herself.

Meanwhile, Ahsoka made a quick list of places that seemed interesting.

"Why are we even here?" Maris asked skeptically. "Not like any Masters will approve of us buying anything to keep." Besides a trinket or two, small ones. Hardly seemed worth the effort.

"Because it'll be fun. The place is like a modern museum."

"Museum?" Maris scoffed.

"Yea, a museum of the modern and most up to date awesome stuff! Or the exotic." Ahsoka finished collecting a list of places to see and go. Maris rolled her eyes.

"Fine. Where to?"

First stop was clothes. Being Jedi, they didn't know quite what to make of it, but they found some that interested them. The native Togruta designs caught their eye, but they frowned at how… exposing it was. Ahsoka's people had developed in a direction that renders females as almost pleasure servants in every capacity, and it clearly showed. "I think I see why Varus thought I'm a slut." Tano muttered as she eyed some things even she wouldn't dare wear. She might as well be naked if she was going to wear that stuff!

"Who?" Maris asked. She pulled out a more conservative skirt, but while it looked nice, it was flashy and flow-y. Very bad combat traits. Very impractical.

"Varus, new Padawan under my Master."

Maris's eyes bugged out. "General Skywalker has two Padawans?!"

Ahsoka Tano nodded. With a sigh she put the stuff in her arms back. "Let's try over there." She pointed. "Yeah, Varus is a special case. He applied for the Jedi at a late age, but was accepted. When he arrived he was caught off guard and beaten. Uh- Something happened… and there is a shortage of Master's now with the war. So… yeah."

Well great, there wasn't anything over here either that made her feel good about herself. The only label she could think is "slut" in everything on some level. Everything showed so much skin. She looked down at herself and suddenly wanted to get a large coat or robe and cover up. She had a skirt over her legs as always, but a large breast strap showing her stomach was seeming less… right. Maris looked like she was getting the same feeling.

It didn't help they were getting weird looks from guys all over the place in the mall. Looks that sent chills down her spine.

"What happened to him?" Maris asked curiously. They left the store and decided to try to find somewhere more… appropriate.

Ahsoka shrugged. "Got hit in the head. Amnesia."

"Ouch!" Maris flinched. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked. It's his to tell."

"Its fine. He may yell a lot and have a serious mouth, and temper, but he doesn't seem the type to hold grudges. Just pretend I didn't tell you, ok?"

The edge of Maris's lip curled slightly. "Alright."

They picked a store that looked fair and practical. The native planet design being advertised wasn't flashy like Naboo or as edgy as Ahsoka's people, nor Maris's, but was a planet used to battle and efficiency. Not as much as Mandalorians, but the planet had the pride of supplying the Republic with most of its soldiers. (Until the sudden release of clones.) Everyone on the planet in question was required to have a year of military boot camp alongside their higher education. And if anyone wanted to enter the military elite, that counted as a specialty just as much as engineering and nursing.

Maris's eyes immediately flashed in delight on the female section. It wasn't wasteful or flashy, but still looked somewhat pretty while mostly going for maximum efficiency. It wasn't almost-sexy like some other military might be with dense leather or material that looked like latex.

One caught her eye and she changed her mind. She didn't need to look like she had a six-pack or breast padding. "Ew." She giggled at the sight of it.

"Ok, that's disgusting." Ahsoka agreed.

They moved on and looked around in the store.

"So what's it like having a partner in the madhouse otherwise known as your team?" Maris asked.

"Maddening."

"Really? I thought he would be the one thinking you insane. You were always so… forward. Stick you with General Skywalker and it's like setting fire to gasoline."

"If you must know I have made drastic improvement!" The girl huffed. "He's the problem. Always so… mouthy."

"Yea you said that." Maris picked one out and quite liked it. It was expensive though; but she should be fine… Azhaak Ti left her a sizable amount.

Ahsoka looked over to see Maris was shaking again, and her eyes were distant and filled with horror and pain. Maris realized she was being watched closely and snapped herself out of it. "Yeah, you said he was mouthy, but it can't be that bad. You hang out with me too, you know."

"You wouldn't call me a slut at first sight."

Maris glanced at her and examined her up and down. Ahsoka glared at her, "You wouldn't!"

"If I didn't know you, or seen any other Togruta, maybe. You said he had amnesia. He didn't know you actually are very conservative by your people's standards."

"Yeah well… wait till I tell you the biggest thing his mouth did. He got himself black marked in Hutt space!"

Maris laughed. "Really? What he do?" She picked another that satisfied her and waited for Ahsoka to do the same.

"OK, picture this. You have two Jedi Generals, Jedi Master Mace Windu, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, and two of the highest ranking clone captains in the room."

"Sounds like a dizzying combination. Obi-Wan is nice, but Master Windu… I wish he wouldn't glare so much."

"I don't think he tries to. It's just people think he does from how his face is structured, so far as Master Anakin tells me. He is actually nice when you get to know him."

"Fair enough." Maris shrugged. Ahsoka picked up some clothes herself and they walked to the changing room. Unfortunately there was a line.

Ahsoka continues, "Anyway. They are discussing logistics and tactics and strategy and so on. An issue with a shortage of Medigel came up, and they scheduled to have a meeting with Jabba the Hutt."

"Yeah?"

"They wanted to trade with one of Jabba's planets in his domain that has an abundance of Medigel from the water's floor. I forget the name. Has a very passive species that never fights, just always surrenders to whoever owns the space."

"I don't like them, already. What cowards. Do not they not care about their own freedom at all?" Maris muttered.

Ahsoka just shrugged. "Jabba the Hutt appears in a transmission as scheduled, and the first words uttered in the meeting is 'Who's the fatass?'"

Maris's eyes bulged out and she stared at Ahsoka as the girl entered her changing room. She entered her own changing room a moment later. "You cannot possibly be serious."

"Dead. Serious."

"By the Force…" Maris muttered to herself before it hit her. She nearly fell in a fit of giggles that grew into full blown laughter. "Is he an idiot!?" She laughed.

"Nah, just has a LOT to work on." Ahsoka replied from the other room. "Calling me a slut, calling a Hutt a fatass, very aggressive, calling Master Windu a Baldy. I mean, would you ever call your master 'Tree-Hugger?!'" Ahsoka heard a gentle gasp. "I mean. Gah, such a handful. But he is OK when you get him actually committed to something and he shuts up, you know? You know?... Maris?" Ahsoka put her head out of the curtain and didn't see anybody. She finished putting on what she was trying on and went to check on her.

"Maris?" Ahsoka asked. Silence. "Marrriiis?" Ahsoka poked her head in the curtain slowly to find Maris was on the floor shaking and gently crying.

"Maris, I am so sorry! It was stupid and selfish and-"

"Shut up…" Maris grumbled. She kept her face down on the cold counter top to hide how puffy and red the area around her eyes were. It also felt good against her hot skin.

Ahsoka fell into silence. She always talked about how Varus got himself in trouble, then turned around and did the same herself. She still had a lot to learn.

"I'm not mad at you 'hsoka." Maris said gently. "I'm just… unbalanced."

"Oh come on, I'm sure you can say something stronger than that!" Ahsoka encouraged. She ordered them both a shake.

"I could." But Azhaak Ti wouldn't have been pleased.

"You know, even Master Skywalker curses. Yeah! Very strongly, but in Huttese. Growing up on Tatooine, half the battle is just appearing tough."

The shakes were placed before them. Maris raised her head and sighed. Her face wasn't as puffy as before. "Fine. When I get home, I'll let it lose in all vibrant colors!"

"Much better!" Ahsoka laughed. She took to her drink.

"It was still immature."

Ahsoka groaned, which earned a gentle giggle from her friend. Maris stirred her drink thoughtfully, "It's not your fault. I've been a wreck ever since…"

"Her death." Ahsoka finished gently.

Maris shook her head, to which Ahsoka looked confused. "It wasn't just the death. It was everything after. The Sith left her to rot like garbage… No memorial… No… chance to mourn properly. Just death, and then blood and gore and beasts all over her like she was just another meal." Maris pushed the food away in distaste. "I'm… I'm not hungry." She tucked her head down back into her arms and sniffled.

Ahsoka opened her mouth to protest. After all, her friend needed to eat! But she snapped her mouth shut instead. "Alright."

"I saw him…" Maris said. Her smoothly had long turned to watery milk-cream and the shop was nearing closing time.

"Who?" Ahsoka asked.

"The Sith. I saw him at the Jedi Temple."

"Wh-what?" Ahsoka gasped. "At the temple? Are you sure?!"

"I don't know…" Maris admitted. "The time on Felucia, what I remember most was the sheer hatred and redness of his pupils. He was an animal just as much as the wildlife. But then in the temple… There was none of that."

"Maybe it wasn't him." Ahsoka suggested. "I have never heard of a Sith losing the famous redness once they have it."

She dipped a cloth into a cup of ice water and put it against her face. "No. It was definitely him." Maris said with as much strength as she could muster. "I don't know his name, I don't know his Master. But I can never forget those eyes, no matter what form they may take."

His eyes… like ghosts she could feel them on her back, chasing her, taunting her, refusing to leave her at peace.

"We have to do something." Ahsoka said quickly. "Maris! You live in the temple don't you?!" Maris nodded.

"You don't think he is after me do you?!" Maris's eyes opened in shock. Was he after her to finish the job? That would explain his presence at the temple, but then, why not just kill her at Felucia while he was at it if that is the case?

No, no one could explain the ways of Sith. Some considered it sport, others just killing. Clearly this was the more sporting kind. Letting her go only to hunt her down to her very home.

Ahsoka suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders and took her attention. "You are staying at my place!"

"But-"

"No buts! I am not having a Sith going after my best friend! And we are going to do something about it!"

Chapter Edited by Aeterna Knight: u/4617921/

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