Once upon a long, long time in a galaxy far, far away.
We write the year 22 before the battle of Yavin. There is still peace in the galaxy, but the former Jedi Master Dooku, who reclaimed his old Count title, is stirring up unrest and calls the remote systems of the middle and outer rim to fight against the alleged patronizing by the Republic. In this atmosphere it is easy for the Trade Federation and other business conglomerates, to proclaim themselves protectors of the systems feeling abandoned by the Republic.
Due to that erosion of power of the center at Coruscant, criminal organizations gain more influence too. The Jedi feel the changed balance of power, while they have more and more missions to tackle, in which they have to deal with ruthless businessmen and criminals.
But all this is waning in the wake of the assassination attempt on Padmé Amidala, the former queen of Naboo, now senator for this planet. The story unfolding during the tracking down of the alleged assassins and the men behind will change the galaxy forever.
The attack came totally unanticipated. The older younglings had made a running competition and ran over the two hundred meters long racetrack. The younger younglings, some masters and their Padawans stood in line to both sides of the route. Most of them had favored Ahsoka and cheered the ambitious youngling with loud exclamation of her name. Until the hovering training orb, which usually served as a moving target in aiming exercises, shot out of the nothing and hit the fourteen year old Togruta hardly on her forehead – just some standard meters, until she would have crossed the finish line. Now the orange colored Togruta with the white tattoos lay before this finish line on the ground and doubled over in pain.
As the next available healer, Shaak Ti was summoned to look after Ahsoka.
"You have a concussion. You have to rest for at least three days", she explained to the young distraught girl.
But being distraught lasted just for some moments on Ahsoka. "But lying down for three days is boring. I'm fit certainly tomorrow. And then I'll find out who was it", she added threateningly.
"Revenge is not the Jedi way, Ahsoka. We will find out that for you, while you will recover first, as I told you", the twenty-four older Togruta told her with soft, yet decisive voice.
Master Yoda and Master Mace Windu sat in the round Holocom-room of the temple and glanced at the holo-projector in front of them. The transmission unexpectedly came from the Astromech R2D2 of Anakin Skywalker, not from R4, the Astromech of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Anakin Skywalker's master was about to track the trace of the bounty hunter Jango Fett, the alleged man behind the failed assassination attempt on senator Padmé Amidala. For this reason, Obi-Wan headed at first to the planet Kamino, a planet which was miraculously deleted from the archives of the Jedi Temple.
Obi-Wan had contacted the Grandmaster and Mace Windu six hours before, that at Kamino he had stumbled over a long hidden mystery. The since over ten years lost Master Sifo-Dyas in the name of the Republic gave the order to raise a clone army for that Republic – and he had uttered the wish, that this new army should help the Jedi during their missions. And now the main part of this army would be ready for action. Thus the Kaminoan Prime Minister Lama Su had confirmed to Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan had promised to take with him Jango Fett, the genetic template for this army, to interrogate him furtherly in the case of the assassination attempt. He even had installed a bearing transmitter on Fett's ship. And this transmitter had led Obi-Wan finally to Geonosis.
But what Obi-Wan did tell from Geonosis, unsettled Yoda even more than his former report about Kamino. On Geonosis the red-haired Jedi hat met Dooku again. Together with a bunch of notorious separatists like the chairman of the Banking Clan – united in the goal to challenge the Republic. Beside this, the industrious Jedi had discovered large facilities for the production of new battle droids. The blue Obi-Wan did not end his report though, but ignited his lightsaber instead. The transmission from Tatooine, apparently only a stopover for this transmission, fizzled out and ended.
„As many Jedi collect, as much you could, Mace. That clone army on Kamino – see and check out this army myself – I will. On Geonosis, again we'll meet."
But while he was rushing towards his space ship, Yoda wondered, what Anakin had to do on his home planet Tatooine, while actually he had the order to guard senator Padmé Amidala at her home planet Naboo to spare her more assaults on her life. Just three hours before he'd felt unspeakable pain – coming from the young Skywalker. He would tend to the later. After the Jedi would be back from Geonosis.
After bringing Ahsoka into a recovery room, Shaak Ti went again to the place of the race. She ordered all present persons to stand in line and stretched out her force sense. As she came to Ashla, she shrugged back. The aura of her daughter was hazed in a kind of darkness. Shaak Ti knew instantly what her daughter sought to hide. She had the feeling to have met this darkness at one time long before. And what was worst: Ashla showed not bad consciousness or even repent because of, what she had done with the force.
She saw her comlink blink. There was the bluish stature of Mace Windu hovering over the device in waiting. At once she activated the communicator. The new mission to Geonosis left no space for anything else. Shaak Ti decided to deal with the insidious Ashla later. After coming back from the new, still unknown mission.
Shaak Ti hadn't expected to travel together with so many other Jedi. Would it become that bad? She was happy to travel together with her friend Luminara Unduli and two other Jedi in one of the three space ships, while they were in hyperspace on their way to Geonosis. As they fell out in the real space and saw the reddish orb of the planet Geonosis with his many rubble rings around, Yoda's holo-picture flashed up over the holoprojector next to the command board. At once Luminara Unduli activated it.
"Count Dooku on Geonosis – he is. A base of separatists – created he there has. Problems Obi-Wan has. Help him - we must."
The Jedi prepared for their landing on the so called Petranaki-arena, the Arena of Justice, the place for Dooku's latest show. The scene revealing itself before the Jedi was not a nice one. Obi-Wan had confronted Dooku not alone. He, Anakin Skywalker and senator Padmé Amidala, who wore a partly shredded white overall, were at the end of their means. Carcasses of big wild beasts raised and trained for the usual show fighting in the Petranaki Arena, dotted the ground. B1 battle droids and Droidekas had encircled them with aimed weapon arms to thwart any lashing out. It seemed that the two Jedi and the senator were a refreshing change in quenching the thirst of the local Geonosian watchers for new amusement in the ever-repeating cycles in the fight about death or life.
But now Shaak Ti saw, how these watchers, the brownish insectoid Geonosians, spread their four wings and fled the scene, after they realized that the three humans got help from outside. She glanced at Dooku, whom she hadn't seen in person since he brought her to the apartment Hego Damask that evening. Complacent the former Jedi stood together with the Nute Gunray, the Neimoidian vice king, the Geonosian arch-duke Sir Poggle the Lesser, the bounty hunter Jango Fett and others on an elevated gallery held by vertical, slightly convex shaped columns. Just now the spaceship, which was hers, hovered in the same height as Dooku in the gallery. Then it went down without touching the ground yet.
Now Shaak Ti saw Dooku from a frog perspective, while he was throning above her. It had to be just the other way around, she mused. Irrespective of how disappointed the now Count was with the situation of the Republic: How could he take action against his former brothers and sisters? She found Dooku's arrogant behavior in the gallery unbearable. She glanced into the direction of Obi-Wan and Skywalker, who had to be with the senator somewhere totally else, then with her Jedi brothers and sisters, she jumped force-strengthened out of the space ships, which immediately went up to wait above for the victory of the Jedi.
The battle droids and droidekas seemed to become more and more. Surely because the Jedi become lesser and lesser, Shaak Ti thought, holding up her serenity. She like the other Jedi was still able to deflect the droids' blaster bolts and to send them back to their origin. But the pictures of her fallen brethren and sisters were filling her mind too. Dooku would pay for this! She sensed that she wouldn't be able to continue the fight much longer. For each deactivated droid ten new tin comrades entered the arena … and much deadlier Droidekas as well. The curtain of blaster fire went thicker and thicker. Shaak Ti tried to stay as close as she could in the vicinity of Luminara Unduli, to give cover to her friend – just as the Mirialan did this for her too – a well re-hearsed team.
Suddenly the blaster fire ceased. The droids had frozen into a non-fighting stance. Bewildered, Shaak Ti glanced first to Luminara, then towards the gallery, where Count Dooku seized word:
„Master Windu, you have fought gallantly. Worthy of recognition in the archives of the Jedi Order. Now... it is finished. Surrender and your lives will be spared."
It seemed to Shaak Ti, that in the last sentence of this rough, carrying voice, she could find something like warmth … but that was impossible - impossible after such a fight, which cost dozens Jedi lives.
„We'll never surrender, Dooku!", Mace Windu brushed the count off.
„Then I'm sorry, my old friend", Dooku said with apparent regret.
Shaak Ti already spotted how the droids raised their deadly weapons anew, but a familiar sound from above interrupted them again. From the orange sky of Geonosis, she saw Master Yoda's small figure standing in the open space in one of three troop transporters with two open sides. The grandmaster's aura spread resolve and confidence while Yoda watched the shrunken amount of Jedi down in the arena. But what Shaak Ti amazed most, were the white armored soldiers next to him. Shaak Ti had never seen such Soldiers, but she watched in satisfaction how Dooku's face darkened – not only because the shadow of one of the transporters of the Republic fell on his majestic figure.
Green blaster fire chased the droids asunder and the retreated of out of the arena. Then the transporters perched on the corpse- and crap-littered ground to pick up the fighting-exhausted Jedi, before the left the Arena of Justice.
„Dooku is fleeing – follow him – we must!", Shaak Ti heard the blue Holo-Yoda, which was together with Mace Windu and Kit Fisto at another vessel.
The chase for Dooku went difficult and ended with the escape of the count. And while it was impossible for the Jedi to track his destination they flew back to Coruscant.
Shaak Ti looked at two white-armored soldiers next to her, who contributed to her rescue. They had taken off their helmets and Shaak Ti studied their identical faces. They talked relaxed in Basic and it seemed Shaak Ti, as if they had been here for her security already and ever, as had they fought on the side of the Jedi always. As it that would be normal. It crossed the Togruta master's mind that a secret wish had come true – a wish only one had spoken out until now.
Shaak Ti asked herself how the Jedi would get along in the future, when Dooku would cause much more doom with his droids, without these new soldiers. But this question, with her white saviors on her side, was waning quickly. She was eager to take part in the next summit of the Jedi Council, when this battle was being reviewed and she could ask Yoda all the questions she had in mind.
„But why is Dooku doing such? Is it not enough for him not to be a Jedi anymore? Why he is messing with the Order?", she wanted to know during that next session from the grandmaster.
"A Sith – Dooku is now. His red lightsaber – I have seen. The right hand did he take from young Skywalker. To help Dooku and to guide him – I could not", Yoda replied.
In Shaak Ti's mind thoughts helter-skeltered. So Dooku was taken by the Dark Side. Dooku – once the best pupil of Master Yoda.
„Dooku on Geonosis told me, there would be another second Sithlord, a certain Darth Sidious, who controls over hundred senators in the Senate. Who could this second Sithlord be? And is he the master or the apprentice?", Obi-Wan spun the discussion further.
"Hmmm … watch the senate we must", was Yoda's clueless reply on the attempt of Obi-Wan to bring more clarity.
Shaak Ti found it consoling, that the young Jedi master was now a member of the council too. He was as young as she was, when she had been appointed into this position four years ago. She felt, that she would have more talks of exchange with him.
But there was another hope. A hope in the shape of nearly identical faces with tanned skin, brown eyes framed by black hair. Hope in the shape of well-trained bodies clad in white armor.
"Where do these soldiers come from at once?", Shaak Ti asked the Grandmaster.
"The new Army of the Republic – this is", Yoda explained. "Clones of the bounty hunter Jango Fett they are. Jango Fett – dead by Mace Windu's blade he is now. Master Sifo-Dyas ten years ago couldn't know about Jango Fett's role now, when at Kamino he gave orders to raise this army for the Republic."
"Yes, and without the consent or even knowledge of the Council", Mace Windu added bitterly.
"Still, helped the clones did have us on Geonosis", Master Yoda defended the new soldiers.
„Who has financed that new army for us?", Shaak Ti asked.
"Several investors there were", Yoda said. "Lama Su, the Kaminoan prime minister has told me, that some sub-companies in the long bygone conglomerate of companies of Damask Holdings – their roots they have."
Shaak Ti's face went nostalgic. Then Hego Damask had not just spoken about a possibility. He had instead saved this endeavor prudently and with discretion. He let it flourish in the shadows of the unknown, to let it come out just at the right time to step at the Jedi's side in order to save the Republic! Shortly she glanced to a pocked inside her gown, where she knew the secret comlink was, that the Muun had given her ten years ago. Now, with the clone army, financially raised by Hego Damask, she surely won't need it anymore. She thanked the Force, that there were people like Hego Damask. And that it was bestowed on her to have met him.
„Then he did it really", she said solemnly.
„What done – who had?", Yoda asked astounded about the cryptic way of expression of the Togruta master.
"Hego Damask. In his apartment, he pondered about a possibility to create an army for the republic in order to help us Jedi."
"Oh, still on this mission ten years ago – you think", Master Yoda said with a mischievous smile.
"After this day I have to think of this. And to thank him, that he did this for us", Shaak Ti replied seemingly moved.
"Why you didn't tell us that, when I asked you about what with Damask - you had talked?", Yoda wondered.
Shaak Ti swallowed.
„That time he told me – he was pondering about it. And that he would take part financially if someone would have asked him. Next day, he was dead. I would have never thought, that he was so serious that time and even initiated the first steps to the realization. Now I know that with his silence he wanted to save that army from people like Dooku. That's why nobody knew about it until now. Just like some days after Qui-Gon's report from Tatooine nobody wanted to believe, that the Zabrak he met there, was a Sith. So now you have seen Dooku's red lightsaber", she explained with satisfaction.
"And no other agenda – the businessman Hego Damask – could have harbored that time?" Yoda asked skeptically.
"The administrator of Mygeeto told me, that even Hego Damask's father did receive Jedi in his house as guests. Even he considered the Jedi as friends. And I think, that Hego Damask had to die that time, because he wanted to help the Jedi. Perhaps even Dooku did kill him, because they had so much contact. That could be possible, right?"
„So three years ago you flew with the younglings to Mygeeto to talk with the administrator about Hego Damask?", Mace Windu asked in blunt accusation.
For a second, Shaak Ti blinked, then she composed her thoughts.
"How can you say such!", she said indignantly. "Hego Damask has died for us. You should be grateful to him!"
"Right Master Ti is. The clones – they helped us. And Hego Damask – dead he is since a long time. Now quarrel about him – we shouldn't", Yoda rebuked Master Windu.
Then he turned to Shaak Ti. "Master Ti. As a healer and Jedi Master – asking you I want: The supervision and overseeing of the clone soldier production facilities on Kamino – on a regular base take upon you - you want?"
"Yes, I will!", Shaak Ti said enthusiastically and her lilac eyes shone in pride.
Those brave and well-versed staunch white-armored soldiers – even when they were genetically copies of Jango Fett – they were Hego Damask's children too. And she – Shaak Ti, from now on would be their mother. And she would live this official mother role even better than with her and Hego Damask's true daughter. She was bristling with joy about her first visit to the rain planet Kamino. But for now she wanted to fulfil another resolution. To deal with Ashla. Master Yoda agreed with her, that this incident should be dealt with amongst the three Togruta inside the temple.
Ashla and Ahsoka looked at each other stubbornly, as Shaak Ti confronted both Togruta-girls in one room with each other.
"I know, what you have done two days ago, Ashla." Shaak Ti looked Ashla intensely into her black eyes. "And I ask you this just this once: Why?"
„She's so mean. She is ignoring me. Just last time, she promised me, to play Dejarik with me and Master Plo Koon. And then I've seen how she played Dejarik alone with him!", ten years old Ashla sued Ahsoka.
"Shaak Ti gave Ahsoka a sharp glance. "Is this true, Ahsoka?"
„Ashla is so unnerving. She is running after me all the time. She never lets me alone, when I have spare time. She is imitating always", Ahsoka explained agitatedly.
„Ahsoka, Ashla's affection for you is a gift you should learn to value more."
"Yep, just like on the training orb at my forehead two days ago. I thank very much!", Ahsoka retorted and touched theatrically her forehead.
"Ashla, violence is not a way to gain more attention, consolation or even affection. You will for one week do all the order service, Ahsoka is usually committed to. And you will for this sake be in Ahsoka's youngling clan", the Jedi master decided.
"But then I have her around always", Ahsoka moaned.
„Perhaps this will lead you to a better understanding and more respect. And now apologize to each other", Shaak Ti said and grabbed both younglings on her hands.
"But what she's done, was far worse", Ahsoka argued. "Ashla attacked from behind and she stole my victory in the race."
„Your victory? After you promised her, what you didn't keep?", Shaak Ti shot back.
"She wants to have Master Plo all for herself, when he is there. And me too. She is really greedy. Perhaps this is because of her father with the three hearts", Ahsoka said snippily.
„What do you know about Ashla's father? That is not important for this issue anyway!", Shaak Ti snapped.
She was angry that the fact, that Ashla had three hearts, was that widely known in the temple.
"So not?", Ahsoka mocked. "Why we don't have any other Muun or Neimoidian among the Jedi? Perhaps because both species have such a defined strive for property, that they are not able to become selfless Jedi?", Ahsoka threw at her head.
"I don't like how generalizing you do speak about other species, Ahsoka", Shaak Ti admonished her. "After the week, when Ashla did work her penalty in your clan, you will stay for one month in the library with Madam Jocasta Nu. There you can educate yourself about the various species of this our galaxy. When Madam Jocasta will leave you time for this at all. Because lost is the librarian, who reads", Shaak Ti pronounced, while Ahsoka looked her grimly.
"And now apologize both", she tried anew.
"I'm sorry", Ashla mumbled without looking at Ahsoka.
"Look at her and tell her for what you do apologize", Shaak Ti exhorted her daughter one more time.
"I'm sorry to have thrown the orb at your head", Ashla told Ahsoka and looked straight into her blue eyes.
"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you that I did go play Dejarik with Master Plo", Ahsoka said and looked at Ashla in return. Then both girls shook hands.
Shaak Ti smiled genuinely. But she knew that this was just the beginning. But at most she was happy that the darkness from two days ago had left her daughter.