"I do not understand."
It took everything in Ahsoka's power to prevent herself from sighing in despair. She enjoyed Thrawn's company, she really did, and he was a natural when it came to strategic planning. Throughout the pursuit Thrawn had kept them on course, following the trail left by the Temple Guard's tracker leading to several near captures of Barriss' ship.
She had evaded them by mere seconds each time thus far, but the net was closing. Sooner or later they would have her cornered and Barriss would have nowhere else to run.
"What do you not understand?" The voice of the Temple Guard interrupted Ahsoka's train of thought, bringing her back to the original issue.
Thrawn liked to ask questions. He liked to analyse. He liked to plan.
And when he didn't understand something, he had to know the answer. It was an admirable trait to have, but after a while it began to grate on her nerves. The nature of the mission she was on likely didn't help.
Still, she didn't want to tell him to shut up. That would be rude, and considering the lengths he had gone to help her so far he had more than earned his endless questions.
"Offee is a Mirialan correct? From my studies, the culture of the Mirialan people is one of peace and prosperity, with religion being a strong basis of their society. From her actions however, Offee seems nothing like this preconception, and I do not understand that." Thrawn replied, hand moving to his chin as his red eyes surveyed the whirling vortex of hyperspace before them. They had been at this pursuit well over a day now, very nearly reaching a dozen hyperspace jumps along the way.
Still, Thrawn seemed captivated by the vortex before him, just as he had been every other time they had jumped to hyperspace.
"Judging an individual by their species is not always the best idea. Not all Togruta are tribal hunters. Not all Twi-leks are promiscuous dancers. Not all Pau'ans are intelligent thinkers." The Temple Guard replied, his modulated voice calm and collected, his presence in the Force calm for the first time since Ahsoka had met him. He seemed content to answer Thrawn's questions, for which Ahsoka was grateful.
"And not all Mirialans are peaceful isolationists. I think I understand better now. Judge a person by their actions, and do not assume they will adhere to their species established culture and tradition." Thrawn finished, a sense of realization coming to his tone as he spoke, his eyes returning to the swirling vortex before them.
"Precisely. If you are to accurately judge a person. First look at what makes them who they are. That will, more often than not, allow you to plan accordingly." The Temple Guard continued, turning his helmeted head towards Ahsoka, inclining it to the side as if asking if she had anything to add to the discussion.
Ahsoka didn't. The Temple Guard had covered pretty much all of what she would have said as well, if not more. She had always believed it was better to judge someone by their actions and their personality than by anything else. It was those ideals that had led her to be friends with someone as quiet and calm as Barriss in the first place. Barriss had been a sense of stability and control to Ahsoka's normally boisterous and hectic way of life.
Somewhere along the way however, that had clearly changed for Barriss, and not for the better.
Before the discussion could shift into another topic however, a low beep echoed across the cockpit.
"The tracker. It has stopped moving." Thrawn spoke, his eyes moving away from the vortex of hyperspace and towards Ahsoka, concern in his red eyes, concern that Ahsoka understood.
Until now the tracker had been constantly moving, shifting between different systems as Barriss attempted to elude her pursues.
Now however it was stationary, as if the ship had landed on a planet or space station.
Perhaps Barriss had run out of fuel, or perhaps she had crashed?
Or perhaps she had simply decided to give up and make a final stand.
Whatever the choice, Ahsoka knew it was too good of an opportunity to resist.
"Can you get us to the same place as her Thrawn?" Ahsoka asked as she felt the presence of the Temple Guard move up behind the co-pilot seat where she was situated.
"I can. We will be exiting hyperspace in the same system as her in less than an hour. Thirty seven minutes to be precise." Thrawn replied, his attention back on the controls of the 'Huntress'.
"Then we have plenty of time to prepare. What is the plan once we find her?" The Temple Guard questioned, helmet shifting towards Ahsoka's face, his signature in the Force barely concealing his anger once again.
"Barriss tried to kill me on Nal Hutta. It's clear she's not willing to come peacefully, so we will be using force. Aim to injure and incapacitate. Only kill if your life is threatened. Both the Chancellor and myself want her alive."
"As you wish, Agent Tano." The Temple Guard replied with a bow of his head, not offering any retort or disagreement with her plan. She was glad that they were finally beginning to understand each other. They would only be able to bring Barriss in together.
Thirty six minutes later, Thrawn gave them the heads up, gesturing to their respective seats in the cockpit.
Returning to her seat, Ahsoka reached her own hands forward and powered on the stealth generator, hiding the Huntress from view the second it dropped out of hyperspace. The last thing they needed was unwelcome attention, and the stealth drive would provide them a good opportunity to sneak up on wherever Barriss was undetected.
To that end, Ahsoka also reached deep into the Force, slamming shut her own mental barriers to avoid alerting Barriss through the Force. The Mirialan would not be escaping her this time.
Once her mind was shielded and her barriers up, Ahsoka reopened her eyes and glanced out of the cockpit window at the gas giant before them. The large orange ball dwarfed most planets Ahsoka had ever seen, and from where Ahsoka was sitting also had at least two dozen moons orbiting around it. Despite years of travelling and fighting all throughout the galaxy, sights like these still filled Ahsoka with a sense of awe. There was so much out there to explore, and so little of it had been recorded thus far. Who knew what lay beyond the unknown regions of space?
"So where are we? And where is Offee?" The Temple Guard spoke from the back of the cockpit, helmet facing towards a screen full of information.
"Starcharts identify the gas giant as Yavin. From the coordinates of the tracker placed upon Offee's ship she appears to have landed on the gas giant's fourth moon, a verdant jungle world. Shall I plot a course Agent Tano?" Thrawn replied, his head turned to the side slightly as he spoke, red eyes looking for answers from Ahsoka.
For a moment it struck Ahsoka as odd that two people older than her were asking her for orders. Had the galaxy really fallen into a place where someone who wasn't even two decades old could order everyone around?
Shaking off her thoughts, Ahsoka nodded to Thrawn, giving him her permission to head towards the moon.
Crossing the void of space towards the moon barely lasted minutes, and before Ahsoka knew it Thrawn had begun the 'Huntress's descent through the atmosphere.
"There appears to be some interf...inf….intere…. issues with the descent. You might consider holding onto something." Thrawn spoke slowly, hands tightly grasping the controls as the shuttle shook suddenly.
"Weather patterns no doubt." The Temple Guard commented from behind them, a speculation that was proven correct moments later when the Huntress emerged from a thick coverage of cloud only to find heavy rain pelting the cockpit window.
"Fitting really. It was raining when we began this journey, and now it is raining as we near its end." Thrawn spoke as he regained control of the shuttle, slowly bringing it down towards what looked like a clearing within the endless canopy of trees.
"Save the deep philosophy until after we have Offee." The Temple Guard spoke with sarcasm, something that earned only an eye roll from Thrawn in response, much to Ahsoka's surprise. She hadn't expected someone like Thrawn to do that!
Returning his focus to piloting the shuttle, Ahsoka felt Thrawn gently land the ship without any problems, before powering off most of the systems, save the stealth generator, before standing from the cockpit seat for the first time in hours, limbs being stretched in the process.
Taking that as her cue, Ahsoka too rose from her seat, bending down to pick up her custom Mandalorian helmet in the process and slipping it over her head. She got the feeling she would need all the protection she could get in what was the come. Barriss would not be defeated easily.
Moving towards the back of the cockpit, passing by the Temple Guard as he too rose from his seat to follow her and Thrawn, Ahsoka moved to the ramp at the rear of the 'Huntress', and descended down it and into the open area around them.
Endless trees stretches as far as the eye could see, and with night falling around them the shadows they cast only made the area darker and more hostile to traverse.
Still, they had to find Barriss, regardless of how inhospitable their surroundings were.
"The tracker signal is coming from that direction." The Temple Guard spoke suddenly, nearly startling Ahsoka as he moved up beside her, hand outstretched and pointing towards the trees before them.
"Then that's the way we go." Ahsoka answered, glancing back at where her ship was one last time, mentally memorizing the surroundings, even if it was just a bunch of trees that looked the same.
With memory secured, Ahsoka turned on her heel and began to lead the way into the forest beyond, her two companions by her side.
After nearly an hour of traversing the forest, they finally found Barriss' ship.
Or more precisely, the wreckage of her ship. The shuttle had clearly taken some damage at some point, damage that had crippled a key system of the ship, enough to cause it to crash land on the forest moon.
There was no sign of a body, which could only mean that Barriss had escaped the crash. The question was in what state had she escaped, and where had she gone.
A sudden rush of the Force hit her mind, nearly bowling her over at the suddenness of it. Barriss' Force signature, once so warm and welcoming, now tinged with a hint of resentment and iciness that Ahsoka would have never associated with Barriss until now called out to her, almost as if it was inviting her to meet.
Ahsoka's first instinct was that it was likely a trap, one that Barriss had had time to prepare and perfect, as was the Mirialan's way.
Clearly however, Barriss had forgotten who had trained Ahsoka in the first place. During her time as Anakin's apprentice there was one thing she had learnt from both him and Obi-Wan.
"She's laying a trap for us. I sense her up ahead" Ahsoka spoke to her companions, her modulated voice hard and resolute, determined in what she had to do.
"What is the plan then?" The Temple Guard responded, his own voice similar in tone to Ahsoka's.
"We spring the trap. This way." Ahsoka replied, before delving into the Force and following the tug in her mind.
Barriss was not escaping this time.
Following the Force was always a strange feeling, no matter how many times she did it. There was just something about putting all of one's attention and trust into something that couldn't be seen, only really felt. To an outsider, putting faith in some ethereal power would have been ridiculous. Better to trust one's natural senses and feelings than the Force.
Except, in an odd way, that was exactly what Ahsoka was doing… following her instincts and her senses and feelings. They led her to the Force, which in turn was leading her to Barriss.
If there was one thing she could thank the Jedi Order for before they betrayed her, it was their teachings. Without them Ahsoka would be lost and in possession of a power she could not even comprehend. At least with the training she knew how to control the power and ensure no one who didn't deserve it got hurt.
"I can sense something in the Force. An echo of the past, of something old, yet connected to the Force." The Temple Guard spoke quietly as the trio moved through the foliage, following Ahsoka's lead.
"I'm glad I am not alone. There's something nearby." Ahsoka replied. She had felt something similar not too long ago, but was unsure if it had really existed, or had been something seeping through the Force somewhere else in the galaxy. It happened from time to time, usually when Anakin was up to no good.
"This ability to sense your surroundings is most fascinating. I only wish there was a way to study it in depth without being a Jedi." Thrawn spoke next, his tone whimsical and full of wonder.
"Perhaps one day you could be permitted access to the Jedi Temple to study. There is much in the archives you could learn, assuming you manage to get past Jocasta Nu that is." The Temple Guard replied, his tone turning slightly venomous upon speaking the name of the aged Jedi librarian. Ahsoka wondered what he had against the woman. She had always seemed nice to her.
But then, so had the Jedi Council, and they sold her out without shedding a tear or without sleepless nights. Perhaps Jocasta Nu was much the same in hindsight.
"I would like that. Perhaps your comrades you speak of so passionately would be willing to allow me to ask some questions as well?"
"I'm sure Masana will be more than willing to. Bil however… let's just say he's not exactly the most reliable of people when it comes to information." The Temple Guard spoke, this time with humour in his voice as he spoke of his friends. Despite his clear frustration, he evidently cared about them a lot.
A quiet hum of acceptance came from Thrawn as the trio fell back into silence, each moving through the trees and other plant life around them until Ahsoka spotted something up ahead.
"I think that's a clearing." The Togruta spoke as she pushed through a set of vines, emerging into a wide open space before halting at the sight before her.
"Fascinating!" The voice of Thrawn came from over her left shoulder as he came up beside her, his red eyes glued to the towering structure before them.
A tall pyramid shaped object stood before the three of them, one that was clearly thousands of years old, as evident by the cracked and worn stone that made up the structure. Yet despite the age, the pyramid still stood strong, a monolith of brown and cream stone amongst a jungle of green.
Glancing around, Ahsoka looked up to the gas giant of the Yavin system, bathing the top of the pyramid in a deep red glow, which in turn seemed to hang off the side of a deep ravine, one that led to the depths of the planet below.
"The Force is strong in this area. This structure has some connection to the past." The Temple Guard spoke, his tone overwhelmed by the discovery.
It was true. The source of the earlier Force disturbance did seem to be emanating from the pyramid, of which Ahsoka assumed was a Temple built long ago. Were the creators Force users? Jedi? Sith? Or something else?
"Think of the civilization that could have constructed this! Such architecture, such culture!"
"Yes, someone clearly had an eye for grand design."
"Who though? Are there any records of cultures in this region of space who could on constructed such a thing?"
"I do not know. Had I access to the Jedi archives I might be able to tell you. Accursed librarian keeping me out!"
"Even still… this is an incre...incred… excellent find. We must detail everything for Republic High Command. Perhaps they will be able to…"
"Barriss."
Ahsoka's one word broke both Thrawn and the Temple Guard out of their fascination, both of their heads snapping round in an instant to where Ahsoka was now looking. Whilst the two had been lost in their interest, Ahsoka had delved deep into the Force, listening for the call that Barriss had sent out.
It had still been present, and upon a simple look in the right direction, Ahsoka had seen her quarry.
Barriss was sat cross legged upon a stone partway up the pyramid, sitting in front of what looked like an entrance to within. She was centered in the Force, calling out to those around her, and oddly enough, at peace, as if she knew something that Ahsoka didn't.
A soft growl came from Ahsoka's right, followed by the Temple Guard moving forward, hand grabbing hold of his lightsaber hilt in the process.
Reaching out with her own armoured hand, Ahsoka gently rested it one the Temple Guard's shoulder, partly a warning against outright attacking, but partly as comfort too. They would need to work together to stop Barriss. That much was certain.
Much to her surprise, the Temple Guard calmed down instantly, though she could still feel his rage bubbling beneath the surface. He was barely holding it back, and if pushed the wrong way he would snap.
Taking a deep breath, Ahsoka began to move towards the pyramid and began to ascend the steps towards Barriss, both Thrawn and the Temple Guard following behind her.
Despite barely taking a minute to climb to Barriss' level, the ascent felt like it took hours in Ahsoka's mind. Barriss had been her friend, and then her friend had tried to kill her not once, but twice!
Ahsoka honestly didn't know how much more betrayal from people she thought she could trust she could take before she too snapped like Barriss had, like the Temple Guard was barely restraining from doing.
Still, at the moment it mattered little. She was not here for revenge against someone who had betrayed her.
She was her to do her job as the Chancellor's personal agent, and her duty was the capture or eliminate a dangerous Republic fugitive.
"I wondered if you would find me here. This place is serene." Barriss spoke softly as Ahsoka approached. The Togruta found it odd how suddenly Barriss was acting as if they were old friends, as if they hadn't just spent the past few days playing Loth-Cat and Mouse throughout the galaxy. Surely Barriss had to know there was no chance to repair their friendship now? She had thrown that chance away when she had attacked Ahsoka on Nal Hutta, when she had attempted to kill her yet again!
"Ironic then that you came to this place traitor. Sought to bring your chaos to another peaceful Temple?" The Temple Guard was the one to respond for Ahsoka, his voice an animalistic snarl under his helmet. His rage was boiling over now, his stance quickly dropping into a combat ready one, lightsaber hilt ready, fully anticipating a fight. Thrawn too had pulled out his blaster, aiming the barrel directly at Barriss head in case she decided to attack.
Unlike the Temple Guard however, Thrawn did not seem too eager for a fight. Instead he was more cautious, yet still ready.
Ahsoka however remained unmoved. She stood as tall as she could, looking down at Barriss through the visor of her helmet, but made no move to equip her weapon, or shift into a combat ready stance. She wouldn't fight… not if she didn't have to.
Barriss looked up from where she sat, her blue eyes calmly looking over those that had come for her, as if analysing them, trying to find a weakness, if there was one.
"It doesn't have to be this way Ahsoka. You've seen the truth about the Jedi Order. You know what the Republic has become. There is still a chance for you. Don't do this."
Barriss words were cleared intended to have an emotional effect on Ahsoka, to convince her to let the Mirialan go after everything she had done.
Part of her wanted to let Barriss go. Everything she had said about the Jedi, the Republic, it all made sense. Nothing was as it had been years ago, and whether the galaxy knew it or not, change was upon them.
The only question was what sort of change would that be? Good? Bad? Or nothing at all?
Closing her eyes again, Ahsoka listened to the Force, trusting it to guide her.
If change was indeed upon them all, then Ahsoka would do all she could to ensure that said change was positive. Barriss' attempt at change had been one wrought in violence and destruction, all things that made up the war they currently found themselves in.
Barriss had acted for change, but had remained the same in a twisted way. Ahsoka would not make that same mistake. She too would be a force of change, but a force that was just, one that was right.
And that meant she had to stop Barriss before she did anything else.
"Silence your tongue traitor, lest I cut it out here and now!" Ahsoka was brought back out of her inner thoughts by the Temple Guard's voice once again, his hand tightly gripping his lightsaber hilt, emitter angled towards Barriss with obvious intent.
"Ahsoka… please." Barriss spoke again, eyes solely on Ahsoka's armoured form. The Togruta knew that Barriss was not able to see her eyes beneath the helmet, but she could tell Barriss was looking at them directly, trying to convene some sort of message through eye contact alone.
Whatever the message was however would never be revealed, not as Ahsoka made her choice.
Reaching down to her belt, Ahsoka gently grabbed hold of her own lightsaber hilt, pivoting the hilt away from her body and to the side, before pushing the ignition switch.
The bright golden beam of plasma flashed to life instantly, bathing both Ahsoka and Barriss in it's golden glow. Ahsoka made no move to strike at Barriss, not yet at least, but that didn't stop the way Barriss' shoulders slumped slightly at the appearance of the weapon.
Refusing to back down after coming so far, Ahsoka spoke.
"By the orders of Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine of the Republic, Barriss Offee, you are under arrest for terrorism. Come peacefully, or we will use lethal force."
Barriss' eyes did not move away from Ahsoka's visor, nor did Ahsoka divert her own armoured gaze away from Barriss' face. There was no going back now, both of them knew it, and neither of them were willing to give any ground.
"Are you threatening me Ahsoka?" Barriss replied, her voice emotionless, eyes growing more and more steely by the second. Ahsoka could already see she wasn't going to give up, no matter how much Ahsoka wanted her to.
"Surrender and come quietly. Resist… and you'll pay the price." Ahsoka reiterated one last time, trying in vain to keep her temperament calm. She didn't want to fight!
But Barriss would not stand down, and that left only one option.
"So be it, Agent Tano." Barriss snarled this time, rising to her feet suddenly, her own bright blue blade flashing to life, poised to strike.
Beside her, Ahsoka heard the sounds of the Temple Guard's own saber ignite, twin blades emerging from both ends of his saber hilt, before being twirled before him in an expert display of swordwork, anticipating the first strike from Barriss.
The first strike however instead came from Thrawn.
The Chiss' blaster pistol discharged once, a red bolt of plasma careening through the air towards Barriss' leg in an attempt to immobilize her before the fight had even begun. If Barriss hadn't been a powerful Force user Ahsoka would have complimented the Chiss' ingenuity.
Barriss however had clearly been anticipating the shot. The Mirialan pivoted her blade to the side, deflecting the shot and reflecting it back towards the Chiss. Acting on instinct Ahsoka moved her own lightsaber to redirect the shot away from Thrawn, saving the Chiss from the grievous harm his own shot would have inflicted.
However, they weren't out of danger yet.
The Force sang in alarm to Ahsoka moments before Barriss reached deep into the Force itself, summoning a wave of energy and directing it towards her assailants.
Thrawn took the brunt of the Force push, flying backwards and landing at the top of the steps, before beginning to roll down them with frightening speed.
Ahsoka too was sent backwards, stopping just short of the steps themselves whilst maintaining her footing.
The Temple Guard however remained unshaken. He pushed through the assault by the Force and lunged with his saber towards Barriss, clashing one side of his yellow blade against Barriss' blue, before pivoting and rotating his blade in his hand, attempted to swipe out her legs with a quick blow.
Barriss broke off from the clash, vaulting over the attempt to dismember her legs in the process before beginning to back away inside of the pyramid, lightsaber held defensively as the Temple Guard moved to pursue, his signature in the Force mired by anger.
Ahsoka didn't know if the Temple Guard could handle Barriss himself. That meant she had to assist, but first she had other issues to deal with.
Pivoting on her heel, Ahsoka reached out with the Force and grasped hold of Thrawn's still tumbling form, suspending and lifting him back up to where she stood on the flat surface that made up the entrance into the pyramid.
Gently moving him to a comfortable position, Ahsoka put Thrawn down at the entrance to the pyramid, his back resting against the stone walls of the doorway.
"You ok?" Ahsoka asked as she moved next to him, checking him over for injuries.
The only external would she could see was a small cut on his forehead, which was slowly oozing blood, but at an easily controllable rate. He certainly wouldn't bleed out anytime soon.
"I am fine. A few bruises never hurt anyone. Go, assist our companion. I will rejoin you once I have regained my stamina." Thrawn replied, gesturing towards the dark chamber within the pyramid structure, his red eyes full of determination.
Knowing that he was right, and more than able to take care of himself for the time being, Ahsoka turned to face the darkness within the structure.
Taking another deep breath to calm herself, Ahsoka reignited her own saber and began to enter the darkness.
Both Barriss and the Temple Guard had a head start on her, and judging by the way they had been engaged in a heated lightsaber duel as they entered, no doubt they were still both on the move. Through the Force she could still feel both of them alive, something she was grateful for. The Togruta may have had to resort to violence to get Barriss to come in, but that didn't mean she wanted her dead.
That was a last resort. The Chancellor had wanted Barriss alive. Ahsoka wanted Barris alive.
Moving through the hall of the pyramid, the golden light of her blade the only thing lighting the way, Ahsoka 's eyes moved to the walls. Ancient scripts seemed to adorn them, clearly a long forgotten language of a civilization equally as forgotten. Thrawn had been right about what this place could reveal of the past, if only they had time to study it. With the ongoing Clone War however it looked unlikely. Ahsoka was just grateful that the destruction caused by the galaxy wide conflict hadn't destroyed everything yet. Hopefully that would remain the case.
Following her instincts, Ahsoka increased her speed to a jog, moving through what seemed like endless halls of ancient architecture, each filled with the same ancient scripts carved onto the walls of stone. Whatever this place had been, it was clear it had been a site of great importance to its people. Perhaps one day they would have a chance to study…
An anomaly suddenly caught Ahsoka's eye. The stone floor ahead had been freshly scarred by what looked like a lightsaber, a clear sign of a fight that had passed through not too long ago.
Confident that she was on the right track, Ahsoka broke out into a sprint, following her instincts and listening to the Force as it directed her through the halls of the pyramid. Several sharp turns later and Ahsoka finally found her targets.
The seemingly endless hallways opened up into a large central atrium, one that by the look of it stretched the full height of the pyramid itself. Levels upon levels of platforms stood above her, each with their own interconnecting bridges that in turn led to doorways that reached back into the dark endless hallways she had just emerged from.
The central chamber itself was bathed in the red glow of the gas giant above, visible through a large broken section of the pyramid Ahsoka had not noticed before.
And there, standing feet above her, sabers clashing together with frightening speed was Barriss and the Temple Guard.
The Mirialan was continuously backing away from the Guard, her own lightsaber meeting each and every one of his strikes with precision, no matter how brutal the blows.
Barriss had always been very good on the defensive when it came to using a lightsaber, something that Ahsoka had found to be her biggest strength when it came to sparring matches. The Mirialan would, much like Master Kenobi, wait for her opponent to tire with their own blows, before moving in and defeating her worn out opponent with a with precise strikes of her own.
As it stood, the Temple Guard was clearly falling into Barriss' trap. His own attacks were harsh and brutal, his swings dominated by his own energy and power. He may have had the most experience out of the three of them, but even he would eventually wear down his reserve energy, practically handing the victory over the Barriss in the process.
As it stood, their best chance was to stand together against the next to immovable object that was Barriss Offee. That meant Ahsoka had to get into the fight somehow, even if it was happening several stories above her.
Reaching into the Force, Ahsoka vaulted as high into the air as she could. Bracing herself, Ahsoka landed upon one of the bridges above, before reaching deep into the Force again to repeat the same action, vaulting high into the air and landing on the same bridge that led to the platform where both Barriss and the Temple Guard seemed to be locked in the heat of the duel, their blades stuck together in a saber lock.
Regaining her breath from the two Force enhanced jumps quickly, Ahsoka turned on her heels and began to sprint towards the ongoing duel, twirling her lightsaber in hand in preparation for the duel. It had been a while since she had gone toe to toe with an actual Force user. Hopefully she was still up to scratch on her saber skills.
As she closed the distance between herself and the ongoing duel, Ahsoka saw Barriss break out of the saber lock with the Temple Guard, thrusting her hand out in the process to push him back.
The Guard countered with his own push, resulting in both parties being knocked backwards and away from one another, giving Ahsoka time to close the remaining distance between them and bring her blade towards where Barriss was now laid on her back. Ahsoka angled the burning plasma for the hilt of Barriss' own saber, hoping to disarm her and end the duel in one blow. Barriss however clearly sensed it.
The Mirialan rolled out of the way of the strike, bringing her own saber up to deflect an attack made by the Temple Guard, who had now also regained his footing. The impact from the blade clash caused the Guard to stumble slightly, denying him another attack, and giving Barriss the time she needed to roll again and push herself to her feet, dropping into a ready position, a stance that Ahsoka copied instantly.
The Temple Guard however reacted differently, releasing a roar of anger and hatred as he darted towards Barriss, twirling his double ended saber in his hand in a vicious circle.
Having no room to assist, lest she risk herself being harmed, Ahsoka was forced to watch as the Temple Guard's blade caught Barriss's once more in a series of strikes, forcing the Mirialan back due to the sheer brutality of each clash.
Eventually, the clashes became too much, and Barriss was once again knocked backwards onto her rear, her back coming to rest against a cracked stone pillar.
A pleased hum escaped the Temple Guard as he stood over the fallen former Jedi, his blade pointed directly at her neck.
But Barriss wasn't done yet. The Mirialan kicked out her foot, aiming for the Temple Guard's ankle in the process, whilst simultaneously bringing her own lightsaber blade up, tip aimed at his chest.
The Guard was forced to focus his attention solely on the incoming blow to his chest, moving his own blade to protect himself from a lethal wound, but leaving his ankle exposed.
Barriss' foot hit the Temple Guard's ankle with speed, causing a groan of pain to escape the Guard as he buckled from the impact, falling to his knees.
On instinct Ahsoka moved to assist, but wasn't in time to stop Barriss from bringing her own blade up in a vicious arc, striking the Temple Guard's helmet in the process.
A roar of pain escaped the Temple Guard as he fell backwards, sparks flying off of where his helmet had been struck by Barriss' lightsaber. The blade had only barely skimmed the skin underneath, but had left a gaping hole in the faceplate, one that burned orange.
Reaching a hand up, the Temple Guard grasped hold of his mask and removed it, throwing it to the side to prevent the molten metal causing any more damage to his face.
For the first time since meeting him, Ahsoka was able to see what species he was. The Guard was an ash-skinned coloured Pau'an, one who had two faded red lines underneath his eyes, as well as an aged face. He had clearly been around much longer than she had. But even then it hadn't stopped him from being outmaneuvered by Barriss Offee.
By now Barriss was back on her feet, something that angered the Pau'an even further. With a roar of fury he thrusted both hands out, palms facing towards the Mirianlan. Barriss barely had time for the look of shock to register on her face before she found herself flying backwards, crashing through the cracked stone pillar and out of the pyramid structure. The pillar had seemingly been part of a wall, one that now collapsed from the lack of support.
Ahsoka barely had enough time to move over and pull the Temple Guard away from the falling rubble, saving him from being crushed in the process. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Barriss rise from the rubble, beginning to limp out into the outside that was now exposed, bathed in the red glow from the gas giant above.
"Go! Get after her!" The Temple Guard spoke, his voice sounding much different now that it was no longer modulated by the helmet he had been wearing. There was an element of what Ahsoka would call aristocracy to his tone, as if he was some noble brought up to speak in an overly professional, and somewhat condescending way. In a way, it reminded her of Dooku.
"Get your strength back." Ahsoka spoke to the Pau'an, who was now struggling to get to his feet, before falling due to the damage done to his ankle by Barriss.
"I will be fine! Pursue her Tano! I have faith in you!"
Spurred on by the Guard's words, and knowing he would be fine, Ahsoka refocused her attention on where Barriss had gone.
Moving through the opening, Ahsoka once again found herself out in the open. Heavy rain pelted her armour as the red light of the gas giant reflected off her. Glancing around Ahsoka realized that she had climbed to near the top of the pyramid from within. There were only a few meters left to get to the top, which from what she had seen earlier from below looked like it flattened out into a platform.
A platform that was partly suspended above a tall dark ravine.
Feeling a warning from the Force suddenly, Ahsoka evaded to the side just in time to dodge the incoming lightsaber that careened through the air. The spinning blue blade barely missed the Togruta before it was summoned back to its wielder, who was slowly climbing the remaining stairs, a look of desperation on her face.
Growling to herself at yet another attempt by Barriss to assassinate her, Ahsoka moved to pursue, climbing the stairs to the two two at a time. Upon realization that Ahsoka was coming for her, Barriss turned on her heels and began to climb the remaining steps herself, disappearing over the top a moment later, vanishing from view.
'Not for long you backstabber! You're not getting away this time!' The darker voice of Ahsoka's mind whispered, urging the Togruta onwards.
As she reached the top of the steps herself, and placed boot upon the flat surface of the top of the pyramid, Ahsoka wasted no time and lunged with her blade. Barriss barely had enough time to bring her own saber up to defend herself, the blue clashing against the gold as the two pushed against one another, Barriss' eyes staring into the visor of the helmet Ahsoka wore.
"You were always naive Ahsoka! Too focused on the here and now, blind to what the future holds, just like the rest of the Jedi!" Barriss snarled, her normally warm and compassionate tone gone completely, instead replaced by anger and hate. Ahsoka could tell just from her tone alone that there was going to be no peaceful resolution to this conflict. She'd have to take Barriss in through force.
"Maybe you're right, Barriss! Maybe I was blind. But you, the Council, the Republic Senate… you all opened my eyes! I can see much more clearly now!"
Pulling back her blade, Ahsoka pivoted to try and strike at Barriss' legs, only to be countered by the Mirialan's own lightsaber.
But Ahsoka didn't let that stop her. Moving her blade back up Ahsoka attempted to swing for Barriss' hilt holding arm, fully intending on taking it off to stop the fight. Amputating a limb was nasty business, but in this case it was necessary.
Once again, Barriss countered, defending her limbs, even as Ahsoka forced her blade forward once again, trying to strike at anything that would destabilize the Mirialan.
Strike after strike came Barriss' way, forcing her back slowly but surely. In her wounded state, Barriss was unable to keep up with the rapid blows that were coming her way courtesy of one pissed off Togruta. Each clash of lightsabers staggered and slowed the Mirialan, leaving her vulnerable to a blow that would kill her. Ahsoka fought the urge within her to seize the opportunity to put Barriss down there and then. She would only do so if absolutely necessary.
"What's the matter Barriss? Can't fight someone when they know who you are? Do you only win when you surprise an opponent from behind disguised as someone else!" Ahsoka spat, allowing herself the time to taunt the Mirialan, hoping it would throw her off balance even further. Despite her weakened and vulnerable state, it was still proving tricky to disarm rather than kill Barriss.
"SHUT UP! YOU THINK YOU'RE SO SPECIAL WITH THE 'CHOSEN ONE' AS YOUR MASTER! HE'S JUST AS PATHETIC AS YOU!" Barriss snapped, entering into a bladelock with Ahsoka, pushing with all her might against the Togruta.
At the mention and insult of Anakin, something inside Ahsoka snapped.
In an instant the Togruta's armoured knee jolted up, crashing into Barriss' chest and knocking her back, groaning in agony.
"You leave Anakin out of this you traitor! He stuck by me… unlike the rest of you!"
Before Barriss could respond, Ahsoka advanced, fangs bared beneath her helmet as she brought her golden blade down in a vicious swing, clashing against Barriss' blue one with a resounding crackle.
The Mirialan stumbled backwards from the impact once, and again as Ahsoka lifted her blade above her head and brought it down once again in the same pattern, crashing against Barriss' blade in a fit of fury.
The brutal assault repeated itself several times, each impact forcing the Mirialan back further and further until she was only a leg's width from the edge of the structure. Behind her was nothing but an empty black void, one that she could very easily plummet into.
Despite the impending oblivion behind her quarry however, Ahsoka did not relent. Lifting her blade up once more, she brought it down in another harsh golden arc, crashing against the Mirialan's blade and knocking Barriss onto her back.
And still, Ahsoka did not relent. Down and down she brought her blade, crashing against the blue of Barriss' now weakened defence. Clash after clash after clash echoed in her montrals, each sound more and more satisfying than the last!
And then, she got through.
Ahsoka brought her blade down once more, satisfied that her target was on her last legs, and instead aimed for the hilt of the saber.
Barriss screamed in agony as the golden blade of Ahsoka's lightsaber eviscerated the hilt she was holding, showering her prone body in scraps of molten metal and sparks. The Mirialan had released the hilt at the last second to avoid any loss of limbs, but even still the wounds were grievous.
Upon seeing her opponent defeated, Ahsoka took a deep breath and angled her own blade at Barriss' throat, the threat clear.
"You are beaten, Barriss. Surrender!"
Barriss stared at the golden blade for several moments, one hand covering a burn on her arm, the other tightly grasped together, shielding the damage present there. Her eyes widened in surprise for several moments, and Ahsoka could see that she was analyzing her situation, trying to find another way out.
But there was none, even Ahsoka could see that. If she attacked, Ahsoka would put her down, and there was nowhere to run either. Behind her was a bottomless void that she would never survive a fall down.
Barriss was trapped, and Ahsoka had succeeded in her mission. Now all she had to do was bring her back to Coruscant.
Barriss' eyes lingered on Ahsoka's blade for a few seconds longer before nodding, succumbing to her defeat and accepting that there was no alternate path.
Pleased that Barriss had finally relented, Ahsoka moved her blade away from the Mirialan's neck, offering her free hand instead.
Barriss eyes shifted to the hand for a brief moment, before she too began to reach for it.
For the first time since starting the mission, Ahsoka felt hope.
And then that hope was promptly shattered in an instant.
A loud rumble echoed throughout the world around them, and Ahsoka felt the floor beneath them both shifted violently. Glancing down, Ahsoka saw numerous cracks around her feet, likely caused by a mixture of age and the ferocious battle that had just been waged around them. Clearly the Force had been too much for the old architecture to handle.
Ahsoka was barely able to jump back in time before the cracks gave way and split further, a portion of the top of the pyramid falling away and descending into the darkness below.
And with it, Barriss.
Instinct kicked in. Ahsoka reached her hand out and manipulated the Force, grasping hold of Barriss as she fell. For a few brief moments, Ahsoka was certain it would be enough.
Luckily for her, it was. Barriss ceased falling, suspended in the air above the darkness below as the rubble fell, disappearing into blackness, the only evidence of it hitting the bottom being a loud thud.
"Hold on Barriss! I've got you!" Ahsoka called as she approached the edge of the fallen away section, manipulating the Force and slowly bringing the suspended Barriss towards her, who was trying her best not to flail her arms around.
Closing her eyes, Ahsoka pulled all of her reserve energy into her actions. Levitation was supposed to be simple! Why was it so hard now!
"Ahsoka."
"Hold on Barriss!"
"Ahsoka… look at me."
Reopening her eyes, Ahsoka looked up, locking with the blue of Barriss' eyes in the process, one's that remained neutral all the while.
"You can't save me." Barriss spoke, tone even and accepting, as if she expected to die here. Couldn't she see that Ahsoka was trying to save her! If only the Force would let her simply….
Ahsoka realized in that moment that it wasn't the Force stopping her from easily saving Barriss. It was the Mirialan herself. Barriss too was manipulating the Force as she hovered in the air, but to block and hinder Ahsoka, to stop her attempts to move her with the Force.
"Barriss? Why?" Ahsoka pleaded, trying to understand.
And then Barriss spoke again.
"You can't save me… and you might not even be able to save yourself."
It all happened so quickly. One moment Ahsoka was struggling to pull Barriss towards her, the Mirialan impeding her progress all the while, the next, Ahsoka saw Barriss' hand raise upwards, palm facing towards the Togruta, who suddenly found herself flying backwards, her connection to the Force breaking instantly.
Author's thoughts
So... been a long since I've updated. Sorry about the wait. Hope this chapter makes up for the delay. :)
Anyways, in regards to this chapter, I'm sure you all have some questions regarding Barriss. Her fate in this story was something I thought long and hard about. I ran through various scenarios in my head, hoping that they would lead me on the correct route for her correct in regards to the overall plot of this story.
In the end, I chose the outcome that is present in this chapter, and I'm fully aware that some people will likely not like this choice. If that is the case, I accept you respect your opinion on the matter. I also apologise if the decision made upsets people. I know there are a fair few Barrissoka shippers out there that will not pleased to see their ship fighting with one another, much less the rather tragic outcome of this chapter. If you are angry at me and don't want to read anymore because of these reasons, That is perfectly fine and I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't understand.
Either way, the fate of Barriss in this story has really been left to the readers interpretation. Yes, she fell off the cliff edge at the end and plummeted to her doom, but she could have very well survived it. I don't intend to include her in this story anymore as her purpose has been served, and I have my own opinion on what happened, but I will leave it up to each individual to decide if Barriss survived or not.
So yeah, that's it really. I'm not gonna bore you all with my drivel. For now let's just move on.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter regardless of the outcome. Thanks again to my beta reader 'ArrinSnyders' for all your help with this chapter.
Next time round Ahsoka deals with the fallout of Barriss' fate.
As usual, comment and speculate at will. Speaking of which:
Bob Story Builder: I'm glad you enjoyed Iena! She was great fun to create and write for, if only briefly.
And glad you are enjoying the story too. XD
Guest Isa: Magnificent? Wow! Thanks very much for the compliment! I really appreciate the kind words you've left me, especially about all of my stories that I've written. XD
I do try to take a more character centric method of storytelling rather than large scale conflict and set pieces as that is the style of storytelling that got me interested in such things in the first place. I love getting into character's heads and seeing what they are thinking. There is just something fascinating about it.
I'm glad you liked Eighth Bro as well. He was awesome to characterise, since he had no character in Rebels.
The overall arc of Ahsoka's in this story is beginning to shift at this point. Only time will tell what direction she ends up taking.
As for the Fallen Order characters, I can confirm there are some cameos of some of them coming up, and one of them plays a major role in the next big story arc, though it might not be who you think. XD
As for Legends... I'll admit that outside of simple knowledge of their existence, I'm not too into it if that makes sense. At times I might reference stuff and occasionally pick bits and pieces out for you (the Ysalamir for example), but aside from that I mainly work with what i am familiar with, which is canon. Sorry if that's bad. :(
And don't worry if you only skim read at first. I've been guilty of that in the past. :)
Thanks again for your comment. Hope you continue to enjoy this story. XD
Erukat: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, as well as the 'reasoning' that Barriss had for her actions. In a way she is right, but at the same time she has deluded herself into thinking her actions were good. Shame she couldn't see it really, but her loss ends up being Ahsoka's gain.
Ahsoka and the Temple Guard forming the Inquisitors? Whatever gave you that idea?! XD
Hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. XD
Dream Plane: Who knows what caused Barriss' mental decline. I'd guess the war itself and the fact that she as a healer was being forced to fight in it. That's bound to mess with anyone's head.
Hope this chapter was worth the wait. :)
Mysterious Guest one: Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. Hope this one was just as good. :)
Ascoobian: What Iena doesn't know won't hurt her. Besides, Ahsoka did try to talk her way out of it. It was Barriss that made the first aggressive move in the end.
And what makes you think Palpatine is evil? He's a nice grandfatherly figure after all who just wants to help everyone. XD
Tonystrom: Hey! Thanks for the comment and for the reading. I'm glad you are enjoying the story so far. Makes it all worth it in the end.
I do have good news for you though. I can confirm that Morai will be showing up again. I have already written a scene for her and have plans to write another one for a future chapter as well. More Morai is coming. Hope that pleases you. XD
1saaa: Glad you enjoyed the previous chapter. It was fun to write.
As for your comment regarding Barriss sounding 'off', that was kind of the point honestly, so I am glad you noticed it. Barriss isn't acting as herself and I wanted that to come across in her dialogue. She's teetering on the edge of insanity by this point due to many reasons such as guilt and anger, and while Ahsoka can still see some of that old kind gentle Barriss in her, the majority of it has been replaced by a villain who essentially thinks she is the hero, as most villains do. A lot of her dialogue and explanations for her reasons are more to do with the idea she is trying to convince herself that she did the right thing rather than convince Ahsoka. Perhaps that wasn't 100% clear though. Oops. XD
Also, I always enjoy reading your theories on what is to come. They make my day! I can't say much without giving things away, but I will say that you are on the right track, but also not at the same time Cryptic I know, so sorry about that. XD
Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter though. Sorry about the wait. :)
Cat-Gods-of-the-Cat-People: Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed the way it went. Hopefully you can say the same about this chapter too.
And thanks for the support for my direction of story as well. I appreciate your willingness to read even if i make odd story choices. :)
tf330129: Still keeping it up. XD