In the year 19 BBY - at the training ground of the Jedi Temple
Shaak Ti, Ahsoka, and Ashla had just finished lightsaber training at the Jedi Temple training grounds. Ashla had finally gotten her real lightsaber at twelve years old, five years after she got her training lightsaber. A green crystal had crossed her path on Ilum. It should be this one, Ashla knew that from the moment she saw it. One could see that the alabaster-colored, red-tattooed Togruta was very proud of her first real lightsaber. Ahsoka, on the other hand, saw the lightsaber fight more as a kind of bridging time, since her master Anakin Skywalker was once again in Chancellor Palpatine's office to cultivate his friendship with the man who was thirty-five years his senior.
"I want to learn the Muun language soon," Ashla said, moving on to a topic other than lightsaber combat, as the three of them paused.
"Do you want to work for the Banking Clan?" Ahsoka asked the four years younger Togruta.
"It could be that we have missions there. And as far as I know, nobody speaks the Muun language here in the temple," Ashla replied.
"And that's where you come in," Ahsoka retorted mockingly.
"Maybe in ten years. After all, I have three hearts," Ashla said.
"Yes, of course: One for Muunilinst, one for Mygeeto and one for Scipio, where the Banking Clan hoards its credit reserves. I used to see a real Muun from the banking clan when I was very little, it might have looked creepy."
At these words, Ahsoka made a defensive hand gesture and huge wide eyes, while the other two Togruta listened intently.
"He had a transpirator mask in front of his face. Just like those creepy Sith from way back Yoda told us about. Do you remember, Ashi?"
Ashla nodded affirmatively.
"Well, I don't care if you could replace that one," Ahsoka explained cheerfully.
"Do you remember when that was exactly?" Shaak Ti suddenly asked interested.
"Yes, that was exactly a week after Master Plo took me to the Jedi Temple from Shili. He himself was then immediately back on a mission. But Master Qui-Gon took care of me a bit since his padawan was so big already."
"So you've seen Qui-Gon Jinn," Shaak Ti said, lost in thought.
"Yes. So Qui-Gon went into town with me to run some errands because he had to take his Padawan to Naboo soon. And that's when we met this Muun," Ahsoka said, widening her big blue eyes again.
Her eyes promised coming tension, her hands made a dramatic gesture. It was like so often: when Ahsoka said something, everyone listened and hung tensely on her full, dark red lips.
"Well, the guy was pretty scary to me, but Qui-Gon approached him right away. He obviously knew him," Ahsoka said with a slightly pained look on her face.
"I knew him too," Shaak Ti pointed out.
"You knew him too? By the Force! I had no idea that guy was so popular at the temple," Ahsoka said with an amused grin.
"He's not a guy, his name was Hego Damask," Shaak Ti replied reproachfully.
Ahsoka hesitated for a moment at this rebuke. Then she cheerfully continued.
"Oh... well... I definitely found him creepy. Qui-Gon picked me up because he was so tall and then said to him, 'Look Magister! Our newest addition from Shili – isn't she cute?' 'Yes, she's really lovely,' he replied. That voice - even worse than a droid. Especially because he wasn't one... Yes, I know, it was because of the mask," she said apologetically.
"And then I said to Qui-Gon, 'The man is evil!'" Ahsoka said, giving Shaak Ti a challenging look.
"Did you say that to him? In his presence?" she replied, stunned.
"Well, I was just a kid. And he looked really bad," Ahsoka defended herself before continuing: "Of course, Qui-Gon was embarrassed. He apologized for me and asked me to apologize too. And do you know what I did?"
"You'll tell us in a moment," Ashla said, anticipating disaster to come.
"I repeated it again. Just one word: 'Baaaaaaaaaad!' And then I puffed out my cheeks and spat on him. Right in his transpirator mask!"
"You did... what?" Shaak Ti exclaimed angrily.
"But he looked really bad!" Ahsoka defended herself. "He looked nice, but there was something evil in his eyes. I can feel something like that," the sixteen-year-old girl explained confidently.
"Hego Damask was not only a respected member of the Banking Clan, but also the head of Damask Holdings and in this capacity he financed the clone army, which has been fighting loyally and tirelessly at our side for two years now!" Shaak Ti continued accusing Ahsoka while her violet eyes narrowed to slits that spurted anger and fury.
"But Yoda also said something like that once," Ashla intervened.
"What did Yoda say?" Shaak Ti asked her daughter angrily.
"'How wonderful a child's soul is,'" Ashla replied.
"In what context did he say that?" Shaak Ti asked angrily.
"Well, he said that when Master Kenobi came to the temple two years ago to look for the exact location of the planet Kamino. He did not find it in the archives. Yoda asked us younglings of the bear clan how we could explain that. And then J.K. Burtola said: 'Then somebody deleted him from the archives'. And then Yoda said that with the wonderful soul of a child," Ashla explained to her mother with a smile at the last sentence.
"But Yoda would certainly not have said that to Ahsoka in that situation," Shaak Ti said angrily.
"Yes and? I was little. Today, of course, I wouldn't do something like that anymore," Ahsoka asserted with a gesture of her orange hand, pointing far away.
"Ahsoka, do you actually know that Hego Damask died only a few days later and the doctors had diagnosed a failure of his transpirator mask? What if it was your booger or your spit that caused him to die?"
"Oh... how long has he been dead? But he was still alive when Qui-Gon said goodbye to him. It wasn't me, Master Ti!" Ahsoka dismissed her accusation, raising both hands in defence.
Shaak Ti glared at Ahsoka for a moment, and both girls noticed that the Jedi Master was seething. Then she turned on her heel and hurriedly left the two younger Togruta. It worked in her. The fact that the three-year-old Ahsoka had behaved extremely improperly towards Hego Damask thirteen years ago was only one of her thoughts. But why had someone in the temple archives deleted the planet Kamino? Only a Jedi could have done that. Naturally!
Sifo-Dyas had done this to prevent the rogue Dooku from finding and destroying the clone army before it was complete, just as his battle droids had attempted just a year and a half earlier. Yes! It was like this! And that's exactly why Sifo-Dyas had to die! Because Dooku wanted it that way! Suddenly she had the anxious suspicion that her visit to Hego Damask could also have something to do with this dark intrigue. After all, Dooku had brought her to him back then. But to what extent? She did not find an answer to this question.
"Do you understand what's wrong with her, Ashi?" Ahsoka asked Ashla in surprise, while the two of them looked after Shaak Ti, who was energetically walking away.
"You know, adults are weird sometimes," Ashla replied with an apologetic smile.
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Two months later
The atmosphere was tense and heavy, as it was at any Jedi tribunal that had to judge a Jedi who had gone astray.
Ahsoka Tano had been catapulted up onto the platform, surrounded by the scrutinizing and doubtful gazes of the Jedi Masters sitting in a circle around her. The accusation was outrageous.
"Do you plead guilty to hiring the assassin whose bombs killed six Jedi, seventeen clone troopers, and three Temple employees?" Mace Windu asked Ahsoka in a stern voice.
"No, it wasn't me!" said the young Togruta in a loud, determined, yet calm voice.
"Did you use the Force to kill the assassin's imprisoned widow and murderess afterwards?" asked Ki-Adi Mundi.
"No, I wasn't. I would never do such a thing!" Ahsoka replied even louder, while her clear blue eyes looked in disbelief as if this were all just a bad dream for young Togruta.
"And yet it happened. Can you prove that you didn't hire the assassin to plant the bombs in the temple? Can you prove that you didn't kill the assassin's widow later in prison?" Shaak Ti asked harshly.
"Of course I can't prove that!" Ahsoka exclaimed excitedly while her voice grew louder, defiant and shrill. "I was on Cato Neimoidia when the attacks happened. And I didn't kill Letta Turmond. I have nothing to do with it!"
"Judgment must be made," Yoda declared.
There was an oppressive pause of at least five minutes.
Shaak Ti felt uncomfortable with this vote. The younger Togruta's eyes were clear and pure. She couldn't read any dark thoughts in Ahsoka - not during the whole trial. And yet all actions and evidence spoke against Ahsoka. Ahsoka had gotten an alibi on Cato Neimoidia with this mission and with her master Anakin Skywalker also present there a perfect confirmation of that alibi. And after the explosions, she had returned, ostensibly unsuspecting, using the Force to kill the assassin's widow and murderer in prison, as holo-vid footage proved. Ahsoka had had nano-droids on her hands—exactly the same as the assassin's Widow Letta Turmond. And Ahsoka had attempted to escape from prison after being arrested for the woman's murder. This struck Shaak Ti as highly suspicious. As if that wasn't enough, Ahsoka had also killed clone troopers in this escape attempt. As with the attacks before! Shaak Ti hated that!
And Ahsoka spat on Hego Damask back then! Shaak Ti knew that this last accusation was completely inappropriate and far-fetched in this situation. Still, she couldn't get it out of her head. Ahsoka called Hego Damask 'evil' just three weeks ago! And she hadn't taken that back! It didn't matter that she regretted her spitting attacks from back then. Yet Hego Damask had the most beautiful eyes in the entire galaxy. Hego Damask's eyes were so green, so mysterious, so full of courage and determination. Surely there might be people who felt something like that to be evil. But what was bad?
Shaak Ti found her mind wandering dangerously. The other council members might notice and blame her inappropriate behavior if she seemed so absent-minded now... Thank the Force, Ahsoka's master, Anakin Skywalker, had stopped Ahsoka Tano's attempt to break out of prison and brought his Padawan back to the temple, so now in peace and quiet fairness could be judged over her.
"The allegations refute them – we cannot. Your status as a Padawan – revoked is. No Jedi anymore - you are," Yoda explained to Ahsoka after the decision period had expired, while his green eyes gleamed darker than ever.
Ahsoka thought she saw a certain desperation in the Jedi Grand Master's eyes. But Yoda was outvoted. She was outside. Her entire life was torn into shambles. Now they no longer protected their former brothers and sisters. And Anakin couldn't help her. Neither did Obi-Wan, who had certainly done his best. Had the Jedi really done their best? Now the Republic would decide about her fate. Ahsoka was desperate.
Shaak Ti now thought it only right that a Republic Court, if not the Chancellor himself, should now deal with the matter. Shaak Ti was sure that the clever and prudent Palpatine would guarantee a good solution of the case. Chancellor Palpatine would let the courts and judiciary do their job and reign supreme as a fair observer and advisor. Just like he always did. Nevertheless, Shaak Ti couldn't get Ahsoka's indignant eyes out of her head. The younger Togruta didn't seem to be lying.
And yet what had happened had happened. Though Shaak Ti wasn't the only one who had doubts during the tribunal. Obi-Wan had openly expressed concerns about bringing Ahsoka to the Republic's jurisdiction. Of course only before the final decision was made. Something was wrong, but what?
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Luminara Unduli and Shaak Ti stood at the edge of the temple's training ground and watched the youths practice their lightsabers. Shaak Ti supervised the training that day while her friend Luminara was available to keep her company.
"I'm so proud of Barriss, now that she's a Jedi Knight and has successfully completed so many missions," she explained, her deep blue eyes shining.
"Well, without Skywalker and his Padawan, she wouldn't have made it on Geonosis back then," Shaak Ti replied.
"How come? Barriss and Ahsoka got back to me and Skywalker together. How do you know who saved who?" Luminara said, slightly annoyed.
"Because Ahsoka went around telling everyone afterwards that she tampered with that chip, which eventually enabled her to get in touch with Master Skywalker so he could mobilize the clones to rescue them both from that buried Separatist tank," Shaak Ti explained.
Luminara looked down for a moment. Barriss hadn't even told her that. Why? Was there a certain pride on the part of the others in their fellow species Ahsoka Tano? And that right now?
"Ahsoka Tano will be sentenced to death today for treason against the Jedi Temple and the deaths of many Jedi and clones. That's as good as certain. You yourself voted on the Council that she should be expelled from the Jedi Order and that in the process she shall be stripped of all her Jedi privileges," the green-skinned Mirialan declared almost triumphantly.
"The verdict has not yet been pronounced," Shaak Ti replied.
"What is wrong with you? I always thought you didn't like her very much," Luminara wondered.
"It's true that Ahsoka was often quite rude and cheeky," Shaak Ti partially agreed.
"Just like her master, who constantly puts himself in the foreground," Luminara Unduli continued.
"And at some point she probably didn't know any boundaries anymore. Why did she have to end up like this - detonating those bombs in the temple? Against their own Jedi brothers and sisters?" Shaak Ti said melancholy.
"And Barriss tried so hard to help her. She had always been a good friend to her. And that's how Ahsoka Tano thanked her. She probably didn't want any help – except from that witch Ventress, of course!" Luminara Unduli said bitterly.
"Yes, that surprised me too. Well, Ventress isn't Dooku's assassin anymore. Maybe she has changed", Shaak Ti thought aloud.
"And if so. She still has her two red lightsabers. What more evidence is needed of what Ventress is? A Sith assassin!" Luminara Unduli hissed derisively.
Suddenly both Jedi Masters heard glass shatter. Instinctively, they turned their heads up, from where the clattering sound of splintering transparisteel had come. Then they both watched in amazement as Barriss Offee, in full regalia, jumped through the shattered pane of glass from the third floor of this part of the temple and cushioned her jump directly onto the younglings' training ground with the Force. But the scariest thing about the appearance of Luminara Unduli's former Padawan were the two red lightsabers she was now holding in her yellow hands. Luminara Unduli knew those lightsabers. They were the two blades of Dooku's former assassin, Asajj Ventress. Luminara Unduli had once crossed her green blade with Ventress' two blades. And together with Ahsoka Tano, they couldn't prevent Ventress from snatching Viceroy Nute Gunray from Jedi custody and bringing the recalcitrant Neimoidian back to the Separatists.
Luminara's first impulse was to pounce on her former padawan to ask her what she wanted in the middle of the temple with Ventress' lightsabers and how she got hold of them in the first place. But then she saw Skywalker. The tall Jedi had dived after Barriss Offee through the window she shattered. In his left hand, Luminara saw Barriss Offee's blue blade. Now the two dueled each other with four lightsabers in the middle of the training ground, while the youths ran aside in amazement and watched the serious, fierce fight of the two Jedi in amazement.
Luminara Unduli looked horrified into the hateful eyes of her former Padawan, in which the two red blades were reflected. She had never seen Barriss Offee fighting so passionately. What happened here? How could it get so far? Why hadn't she noticed that, seen it coming? Eventually, Skywalker's physical superiority and mastery of the Force prevailed. He slammed Barriss Offee into a wall, disarming her. Luminara Unduli looked once more into the blue eyes of her former Padawan, filled with shame and impotence, looking directly at her. Then four temple guards came forward with their yellow-bladed twin lightsabers and took the defeated Jedi in their midst to lead her away. Anakin Skywalker closed the procession to stop the yellow Mirialan from attempting to escape again.
"Looks like not everything is as it seems," Shaak Ti told her friend after Barriss Offee and Anakin Skywalker were out of sight. Instead of an answer, Luminara Unduli merely glared at her friend. Then the green Mirialan turned abruptly to leave the training ground at a quick pace.
A day later, another meeting of the Jedi Council was scheduled. Shaak Ti saw Anakin Skywalker asking Ahsoka Tano to be his Padawan again. But Ahsoka rejected his outstretched hand with the Padawan necklace she had worn instead of a braid while she was hairless. Shaak Ti and everyone saw Ahsoka fight back tears. It was then that Shaak Ti realized that the rehabilitation of the younger Togruta had apparently come too late. Ahsoka turned her back on the temple. She had lost faith in the Jedi Order. Just like Barriss Offee before her - the real culprit in the assassinations and murders that took place thereafter in the alleged name of Ahsoka Tano. Shaak Ti desperately tried to reach Luminara Unduli. But Master Yoda explained to her that Master Unduli had signed off from the Temple for a longer mission to Kashyyyk along with Quinlan Vos.
"Quinlan Vos? But he's so… unconventional," Shaak Ti wondered.
"Well... change... after this... we all need it," Master Yoda explained and Shaak Ti saw no reason to contradict him.
Note by the author: This chapter contains events from the TV-show „The Clone Wars", Season 5, Ep. 17-20