Chapter 7: Betrayal

Star Wars viewing guide: Star Wars: The Clone Wars – S3: E11 "Pursuit of Peace" and S5:E17 "Sabotage"

"Teckla lives in a district that rarely has electricity and running water as a result of the war. Her children can now only bathe every two weeks, and they have no light in which to read or study at night," said Senator Amidala from Naboo, the same Senator that offered compassion to the grieving Mandalorian Duchese at Obi-Wan Kenobi's fake funeral. Senator Amidala gave this speech before the Senate months ago, but I was listening to it on replay. The bill she was speaking against would have diverted funds to produce five million more clones and promote the ongoing war. I found her speech enlightening. The woman Teckla that she spoke of was one of her aids who lived in one of the poorer districts on the senator's home world of Naboo.

The senator continued to describe how basic humanitarian services which the Republic had funded for years were now being neglected for the war effort. "If not for the people like Teckla and her children, who are we fighting for?" asked the senator, and I found myself agreeing. "But if we continue to impoverish our people, it is not on the battlefield where Dooku will defeat us but in our own homes." A senator that understood compassion? Who would have thought a politician would have been more compassionate than a Jedi?

The senator's speech ended in a round of applause, and the bill was defeated. But I knew it was only a matter of time before another such bill was passed. The voice of a few compassionate senators could not hold back the war lust that had fallen on both the Senate and the Jedi.

Yes, the Jedi had fallen into war lust as well. They were no longer keepers of the peace. They were warmongers. They involved themselves in a diplomatic dispute and elevated it to open warfare. They supported a government that couldn't hold itself together, then used force when diplomacy failed. Now they run all over the galaxy fighting a war just to find some shadowy figure, some bogeyman of ancient history: a dark lord of the Sith.

The absurdity of it all made me furious. The more I dwelt on it, the more my fury at the situation turned towards hatred of the Jedi. Even the supposedly wise Jedi, like Master Yoda, were pulled into it. Even reflective, calm, and detached Jedi like Master Luminara Unduli were now military generals.

After I realized the depths of my hatred for the Jedi, I spent little time on the battlefield. My division still existed, and I was still its general, but Captain Turq and his men mostly remained with Master Luminara's 41st Elite Corps. Instead of the frontlines, I spent more time in the Temple and on Coruscant.

In the eyes of most, I was simply spending more time in Jedi meditation and contemplation. In a time of peace that would have been a well-accepted role for a Jedi. Even in this time of war, many Jedi still accepted such a role. And it was in keeping with my character as they knew me in my pre-war years, as padawan to the great Luminara Unduli.

But what they didn't know was the nature of my meditation. Using the Cloak of the Sith I continued to delve deeper into my hatred of the Jedi. Twice a day I would spend twenty minutes summoning this rage and anger, then concealing it under the Cloak of the Sith. With each meditation my anger, my hatred grew.

It didn't take long for me to conclude that the Jedi Order itself was corrupted. Its most basic teachings were the very thing destroying its compassion. Their willingness to allow much of the galaxy to suffer for some 'greater good' was appalling. The War was only the most extreme form of this fault. But, in truth, it was all invasive of the Jedi Order.

It all led me to one conclusion: the Jedi Order was beyond reform. It would have to be torn down completely before it could be rebuilt.

Even as I continued my internal meditation, I also did external research. I wanted to know more about how the galaxy viewed the war and the Jedi in particular. I couldn't go to Naboo to check out the district of the Senator's aid, Teckla, but I could travel through Coruscant's lower levels. What I found there was appalling. I found people starving and naked. I found humans who were so sunlight deprived that their skin was as pale as snow.

I spoke to many people. Most of them told me that things had always been tough, but since the war it had become nearly unbearable. Power flickered in places below level 1200. I didn't even dare to venture below level 900. Even the air circulators were failing frequently, as the repair techs and maintenance droids were reallocated to the shipyards and other vital military functions. The lower I went the worse the air became. It was almost unbreathable. Humans and other species who often would live to 70 or 80 years were probably dying in their 40's and 50's just from poor air quality.

As my visits to the underworld became more frequent, I decided to purchase clothing that looked less Jedi Temple and more street like. Although I could dissuade attention from myself using both light and dark techniques in the Force, I still wanted an outfit that wouldn't stand out. I also wanted something different from my usual clothing which was a mix between Jedi and Mirialan style. I felt different, so I wanted to dress differently.

I used to look down upon other Jedi who choose nontraditional garb. None were more offensive than Aayla Secura's embrace of the skimpier garb of a disreputable Twi-lek female. I even judged Ahsoka's tendency to bare her shoulders and show her skin. But now I saw the individualism these Jedi exhibited. They dared to stand out in a Jedi culture that was about suppressing one's individuality.

I used to think embracing my Mirialan heritage made me unique. But Mirialans had a long history with the Jedi and even espoused a Force based religion. They aligned their own values with those of the Jedi. They were always on the lookout for Force sensitive individuals. I was identified when I was only four months old. At ten months, Master Katri arrived to test me. She then took me to the Jedi Temple. The respect between the Mirialan and the Jedi was mutual, with Mirialan Jedi masters often taking on Mirialan apprentices. Which is why I was paired with Luminara when my time to be a padawan arrived. Embracing my Mirialan heritage was just a further embrace of the Jedi Order.

Looking for something different, I settled on an all-black outfit. The biggest difference was ditching my ankle length skirt for a pair of tight-fitting black pants. They allow athletic movement, and they were padded on the thighs. I picked out a matching pair of knee-high boots that were tough enough to act as light armor. The top was also tight-fitting with long sleeves. I had a utility belt around my waist, and a pair of black leather gloves that covered much of my forearms. The whole ensemble was completed with a black hooded cape that clasped at my throat. Thus, I had my disguise. Or rather, I had come to see my Jedi garb as my disguise. Dressed like this, I wasn't hiding who I was. I was myself. It made me feel independent; it made me feel powerful.

Wearing my new outfit. I continued my exploration of the Coruscant underworld. While I did so, I also searched for the Martez sisters, the two girls who were orphaned the day Ziro the Hutt was sprung from prison. At first, I checked with Coruscant's child protective services. I found an entry on the sisters. The older one, Rafa, was too old to enter the foster system. The younger one should have been placed with a foster family or an orphanage facility, but a war time provision allowed public services to temporarily lower the maximum age. So, both sisters were left to the streets. They were supposed to receive financial support, but those funds were diverted to the war effort. I searched for them for days, before I finally found them.

"Rafa, where are you taking me?" asked the younger sister.

"You will see in just a moment, Trace," said the older sister. She was leading her younger sister, Trace Martez down a sidewalk on level 1313. They stopped outside a laundromat. "Well, what do you think?"

"A laundromat? Why did you bring me to a laundromat?" asked Trace. "I know my clothes stink a little bit after working on my ship, but it can't be that bad."

"Not 'a' laundromat," said Rafa. "'Our' laundromat."

"Our laundromat? As in, we own it?"

"That's right. Rafa's Laundry."

"How did you get it?" There was a note of suspicion in the younger sister's voice.

"I got it off an Toydarian. He was so willing to part with it."

"What do you mean, Rafa?" asked Trace, crossing her arms.

"Well, he must not have wanted it that badly if he wagered it on that hand."

"'That hand?' Rafa, did you win this place in a gambling circuit?"

"It was hardly a gamble," said Rafa. "That man had no sabacc face."

"What are we going to do with a laundromat?"

"Wash clothes, of course," said Rafa. "And it might also make for a good place to meet people, you know, away from the repair shop and your ship."

"People like Pinto?"

"Yeah, among others," said Rafa.

I slowly approached the two sisters. "Excuse me," I said. "I hear you are opening a new business on the block."

Rafa turned and faced me. I searched her with the Force to see if I could sense any recognition. But Rafa looked me in the eye and didn't recognize me. "That's right. It will take us a day or two to get it up and running."

"It is hard scraping by, isn't it?"

"What do you know about it?" asked Rafa, with a suspicious tone.

"I was just wondering if you needed any help," I said.

"Help?! From whom?" asked Rafa.

"I heard what happened to your parents," I said. "What the Jedi did to them."

"How do you know about that?" asked Trace.

"Word travels in the underworld."

"That it does," said Rafa. "What's it to you?"

"I want to help," I said. It was true. I felt partly responsible for the death of their parents, even as I put most of the blame on the bounty hunter Cad Bane as well as not a small bit on Master Luminara.

"Really?" asked Trace. "How?"

"Don't answer that," said Rafa. "I don't care what help you're offering. We don't want it."

"What?" I was surprised.

"No one helps around here," replied Rafa. "Not the Jedi, not the Senate, not the public services. They all have their war to deal with. And anyone down here is just trying to work an angle. The only question is, what angle are you working."

"I am not working an angle, I assure you."

"So you say now, but later the payment will come due. We can't count on anyone, so we count on ourselves. Trace and I will be just fine. Seeing as this establishment is now mine, I'm gonna to ask you to leave."

I put up my hands in a nonthreatening gesture and slowly walked away. What damage had been done to these two! What little I could do to help them! And where were the Jedi? A Temple full of 'compassionate peacekeepers' and not one of them turned their eyes to the foreign world under their very feet?

I was back at the Jedi Temple and back into my usual attire. As I walked the corridors of the Temple. I was deep in thought. If there was truly no redeeming the Jedi Order, then what could be done? I could leave the Order in protest. But then I would be seen just like Count Dooku. While I could sympathize with the former Jedi Master's points, I had seen the brutality with which he had brought war to the galaxy. No, a separatist movement was not the answer. But if I could not reform the Order then I certainly couldn't remain with that same Order.

What if I started my own Jedi Order?

Yes, a Jedi Order free of the War and free of the Republic with its politics and corruption. A Jedi Order that was compassionate. That focused on serving the people, not the social institutions. Such an Order might have been able to act as a third party and negotiate peace between the Republic and the Separatists. That was something my Jedi Order could have done.

'My Jedi Order'? That could not be. I was not a master. I couldn't lead a new Jedi Order. Who would follow me?

On the other hand, why not? I had seen the truth. The Jedi Order, and the Republic for that matter, had fallen. It was time to begin anew. I could lead the way. I could persuade other compassionate Jedi to follow me.

As I neared the Temple refectory, my thoughts continued. I had received an insight, a new way of thinking. Surely, I couldn't have been the first. And surely, I couldn't be the only one who currently thought this way. There had to be other Jedi in the Order who could see things the way I see them now. And if so, then they might just join me. But who? And how would I recruit them?

I had just gotten a tray of food in the refectory when I heard someone call my name. "Barriss." I turned in time to see Ashoka approaching. Her left arm was in a sling and her shoulder bandaged.

"Ahsoka, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she said. "But I could use company for lunch."

"Of course," I said. I waited for Ahsoka to get her food, then I walked with her to a table. We sat down and began our meal in silence. When we were mostly finished, I asked, "How were you injured? A battlefield wound?"

"Yeah," said Ahsoka with a sad note in her voice. "On Onderon."

"I heard that Onderon was liberated by a local militia and is rejoining the Republic." I faked happiness at the idea. Onderon had tried to remain independent, but it had been caught up in the war anyway. Rejoining the Republic would only put them in position to be at war again.

"That's right. I was assisting the militia forces, when I took this hit." Ahsoka moved her left arm around. "It's almost healed. A bacta infusion is doing its work. It's a bit sore and a bit weak." Ahsoka dropped her eyes. "I wish damaging my arm was all that blast did."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I was using the Force to rescue one of the freedom fighters from a cliff ledge. I almost had her when I was hit." Ahsoka lowered her eyes again. "I…I lost her."

For a moment I was quiet. Then I said, "I am so sorry."

"Thank you, Barriss," said Ahsoka, lifting her eyes to me. I saw gratitude in those eyes. "My whole time on Onderon was a challenge. I had gotten so close to those rebels. It was hard to stay focused at times."

"What did Master Skywalker have to say about it?" I asked. I found myself wanting to learn more and more from Skywalker.

"He reminded me to always put purpose ahead of my feelings."

"That sounds like what Master Luminara would say," I added. I tried to hide my disappointment at hearing Skywalker spout off the standard Jedi responses.

"I suppose so," said Ahsoka. "But he understood my struggle."

"What do you mean, he understood?"

"I'm not entirely certain," said Ahsoka. I sensed some anxiety rise in Ahsoka. It was as if she was afraid to say something; something about Anakin Skywalker; something she didn't want others to hear, not even me. Ahsoka quickly changed the topic. "I think a little time away from the battlefield will do me good. So, I've decided to take your advice."

"What advice?"

"You said I should chaperone younglings on their Gathering. I talked with Master Yoda and volunteered. I will be boarding the Crucible the day after tomorrow. By then my shoulder should be back to normal."

"That's great," I said. I remembered my own Gathering fondly. But less fondly of late. Perhaps because I could no longer connect to my lightsaber's kyber crystal in meditation.

"It will be good to relax and meditate a bit," said Ahsoka. "I need some time to let my emotions calmed down."

"Is that what Master Skywalker recommended?"

"No, this was my own decision. Master Skywalker is always ready to jump back into the next battle."

"He enjoys the battlefield that much?" I asked jokingly.

Ahsoka responded in kind, "I think he finds it relaxing." Then Ahsoka turned serious. "I suspect that Anakin's need to be in the fray is simply because he wants to do good. He's a man of action; I will give you that. But his actions are always for a purpose. He is always trying to help someone. Whether it's taking down a dangerous enemy like Grievous or defending a village of pacifists or rescuing other Jedi like Eeth Koth or even just saving his droid. There's always a reason behind his actions. He cares deeply about the Republic, his soldiers, and his friends."

"You are truly fortune to have him training you," I said.

"Just don't tell him that," laughed Ahsoka. I laughed too.

But I had meant what I said. Everything Ahsoka had just told me about Anakin Skywalker was exactly how I felt a Jedi should be. Kind and compassionate; motivated by a desire to help others. Using their abilities for the people. The Jedi should not be soldiers in an army. They should not be slaves of the Senate or the Chancellor. They should be at the service of the people.

As Ahsoka moved on to her next item of food, my thoughts went deeper. Anakin Skywalker was believed to be the Chosen One of whom a prophecy of old had spoken. He was to bring balance back to the Force. What if he was meant to bring balance back to the Jedi?

Master Luminara Unduli had never focused much on prophecies. In her view they were an elusive matter, on the fringe of the Jedi concern and not core to their focus. Only more radical Jedi like Sifo-Dyas and Qui-Gon Jinn would pay attention to them. But I had discovered that Luminara Unduli was wrong about a great many things. Could she have been wrong about this?

Those who believed the prophecy thought that the Sith were the reason for the disbalance in the Force. But what if it was the Jedi Order that was out of balance? What if it was the Jedi themselves that needed to be changed? And how could Anakin Skywalker change it? Maybe over time, Anakin would grow in power and influence. Maybe, one day in the future he would sit on the Council, or he would be training more Jedi like Ahsoka.

No, that wouldn't be it. Master Luminara wasn't the only Jedi who looked down on Anakin Skywalker. Many others thought less of him. Master Windu was prime among them. Anakin would not be able to sway the whole Jedi Order. And even if he could, it would take time. And in that time the war would destroy so many lives! No, it was the same as my thoughts before. The Jedi Order could not be changed. The Order was too corrupt. It was only through tearing down and rebuilding that a truly compassionate Jedi Order could arise.

The only hope was for a new Jedi Order to be formed, my Jedi Order.

And I needed Anakin Skywalker to be a part of my new Jedi Order. He was compassionate and powerful. If he came, so would Ahsoka. And more would follow. We could form a new type of Jedi! And with the Chosen One at my side, I would succeed!

I stopped my grand thoughts. It wasn't possible. Skywalker was too loyal to the Jedi and to the Republic. With people like Obi-Wan Kenobi and Chancellor Palpatine holding his loyalty, how could I ever convince him to leave them and join me?

"Barriss, are you okay? You haven't taken a bite in five minutes."

"Huh, what?" I asked as Ahsoka broke me out of my thoughts. She was almost finished with her lunch, cutting her dessert with a fork. "I'm sorry, Ahsoka. I was just deep in my thoughts, that's all."

"Must have been some deep thoughts," said Ahsoka. "I think your head was in another galaxy."

"Perhaps," I said.

"I have to get going," said Ahsoka. She quickly finished her dessert. "Thank you for letting me join you."

"Anytime, Ahsoka," I replied. Then Ahsoka took her tray to the cleaning area and left. As she was leaving, I looked at Ahsoka, my friend; trained by Anakin Skywalker as a compassionate Jedi.

There it was! The answer to my dilemma was right in front of me. The key to bringing Anakin Skywalker into my new Jedi Order was…

…Ahsoka Tano!

Jackar Bowmani, a one-eyed Abyssin male, was almost ready to depart for work. He had his orange tech suit on. He wiped off the face shield of his helmet so he could see clearly through his single eye. He searched the kitchen of the apartment he shared with his wife. It was fairly large as far as apartments on Coruscant go. But it was in a poorer part of town. However, Jackar felt privileged that his job earned him enough to provide this home for him and his wife.

Still searching through the kitchen, he called out, "Letta, did you prepare a lunch for me?"

"When did that become my job?" shouted Jackar's wife from another room. "Am I your servant?"

"I was only asking," replied Jackar. "I am more than capable of doing so myself." Jackar started grabbing various food items and placing them into his lunch box.

"Good, because I'm not doing it," shouted Letta still from the other room.

"You used to," said Jackar.

"Not anymore," said Letta, Jackar's human wife, making her appearance in the kitchen entry. "I don't care what you eat at that…Jedi Temple."

"You never used to hate the Jedi," said Jackar.

"The galaxy didn't used to be at war," she replied.

"A war the Jedi are trying to stop," countered Jackar.

"How? By cloning more soldiers, by blockading planets, by assassinating enemy leaders?"

"That last part is just Separatist propaganda."

"Don't be naive, Jackar!" barked Letta. "The Jedi are not peacekeepers. They're warmongers. What is it the clones call them? 'General.' And you're no better."

"Me?"

"Yes, you!" added Letta. "You're a munitions expert. You arm their gunships. You are supporting the war."

"I am supporting the Jedi!" replied Jackar.

"The Jedi and the War, they're the same thing. That fact that you can't see that just shows how blind you are!"

"I will not listen to this. I go to work for the Jedi, and I provide for us. My wages provide our sustenance and provide for our livelihood."

"Livelihood? Look around you, Jackar. We live in the slums. So much for your precious Jedi."

"The Jedi have needed more workers since the War. And there are less funds to spread around. Everyone feels it some."

"You can't blame the War and support the War at the same time," said Letta.

"Maybe you would prefer to live on your own without me!" accused Jackar in anger.

"Maybe you're right!" replied Letta.

"I don't have time for this. I need to catch my train." Jackar grabbed his helmet and lunch box and left the apartment. He almost missed his train, but fortunately he was able to make it on time to the Jedi Temple hanger where he worked.

Jedi Master Luminara Unduli was walking the halls of the Jedi Temple when she spotted her old apprentice walking towards her. Luminara smiled to herself. It was strange knowing that Barriss was no longer her apprentice, but an independent Jedi Knight. For many former master and apprentice pairs this would actually lead to a deepening of their relationship as equals. That was certainly truth of Kenobi and Skywalker. Luminara was curious herself to see what would become of her and Barriss. Barriss was still walking towards Luminara but with her head down staring at her feet. "Barriss," Luminara called out in a kind voice.

"What?" Barriss' head snapped up as if she was startled out of her thoughts. Then she replied in an equally kind voice. "Oh, Master Luminara, forgive me. I seem to have gotten lost in my thoughts."

"I noticed," replied Luminara. "I haven't seen you in some time. I admit, I am not used to that. How have you been?"

"I have been fine, Master," replied Barriss initially without detail. Then she added a comment. "It is strange being on my own. It has taken some getting used to."

Luminara released a slight chuckle. "I remember that myself. It may take some time to make the adjustment."

"I'm sorry, Master. But I have to get going," said Barriss.

"Of course," said Luminara aloud. But interiorly she was a bit put off. Was Barriss avoiding her? Was she trying to get rid of her?

"Thank you, Master," said Barriss. She walked past Luminara, but then turned around almost in obligation and said, "It was good to see you, Master."

"And you as well, Barriss" replied Luminara.

Barriss straightened herself and bowed her head. "May the Force be with you." Then she turned and departed.

Luminara took a moment to watch her former padawan walk away. Was there something bothering Barriss? Was she upset with Luminara? Luminara couldn't sense any animosity in her former padawan.

Maybe this was normal. Maybe this was Barriss trying to find her way and her identity apart from Luminara. Maybe this is exactly what she had told Anakin Skywalker on Geonosis. Luminara had to let go of her old padawan.

After an undesired encounter with my old master, I was once again in the Coruscant underworld. But this time I wasn't seeking out the average citizen. I was looking for a different group.

As I walked down the dark and narrow alleyways, I spotted a holographic sign. On it was displayed a clone trooper helmet. The helmet was surrounded by a red circle, and a diagonal slash went through it. Next to it were two other holographic signs with wording that read, "The Jedi are Corrupt" and "Stop Cloning Violence." I subconsciously checked the hood of my cape and entered the building.

I was stopped at the door by a Twi-lek guard. I allowed him to check me for weapons. I had left my lightsaber in a concealed location a block away. I lowered my hood for a moment. I wasn't famous so my face wasn't known to all. "Your invitation, please."

I presented an invitation. I had found a member of this group and used a mind trick to get an invitation from him. It was safer than using a mind trick here. These people were on alert for Jedi. Even now, I could see a man watching from a distance, looking for any sign of Jedi powers.

The guard checked my invitation and handed it back to me. "A Mirialan? I thought you were all Jedi lovers."

"Yes, we were. But war tends to change things," I said.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," said the guard. "Welcome, take a seat anywhere."

I choose a seat away from the center, but not in a suspicious corner. Using the Force, I again deflected attention off myself. After a while of not being noticed, I covered my head with my hood again.

More people gathered for the meeting. Ironically this meeting room was once a public service office before the war had allocated funds away from it. I sat and listened to a few speakers. They all had the same thing to say. The War was hurting them. The Jedi were corrupt. Nobody was doing enough to end the War. And it was the people who were hurt. Some had Separatist sympathies, but most hated both sides. Some blamed the clones, while others felt bad for the soldiers whose lives were being tossed away.

There was one speaker who caught my attention, a human woman with light skin and brown hair. She had a few tattoos under her left eye, but her right eye was surrounded by a tattoo that when up and back into her hair line and down her check, meeting another tattoo that went from her right ear to the corner of her mouth. She also had a tattoo on her right shoulder.

"I am Letta Turmond. My husband, Jackar, works for the Jedi in their very Temple. It was his dream job. We were both so excited when he passed all the requirements and was hired. But now, things are different. His job is to arm their gunships which they share with their clone troopers. He is underpaid. Yet, day after day he continues to go to work."

"Why doesn't he quit?" asked another woman in the crowd.

"Can he not find work elsewhere?" asked another bystander.

But Letta denied the comments. "That's not it at all. He sees his work as noble. He supports the benevolent Jedi. When I try to speak with him, he defends them. The warmongers are his heroes!"

"Then he is a collaborator in this War," accused a bystander.

"Yes!" shouted Letta. "He is a collaborator. He is so blinded by his naivete that he cannot see the reality in front of him. Or maybe he simply chooses not to see the truth: The truth that his heroes have fallen! The Jedi have fallen! The Jedi are evil!"

She got a round of applause and cheers. Another man stood up, apparently one of the organizers. "This is why we need to do more. Men and women like this woman's husband have been blinded to reality. We need to continue our protests, so that we may open their eyes."

"Are you also blind?" Letta accused the leader. "If I cannot convince my own husband, what makes you think that you can convince this city with mere protests? The Jedi have the whole Senate convinced, what can a street demonstration do to change that. No, we must do more."

The room erupted, and the organizers tried to calm the atmosphere. I stood up to match the rest, but I said nothing. This woman, Letta, was right. Something needed to be done. The popular opinion was swaying against the Jedi, and enough people were angry that if they received the right motivation and the opportunity they would move against the Jedi. All they needed was a catalyst.

After the meeting was over, I drifted out with the crowd. After recovering my lightsaber, I made my way to a more personal meeting.

So many agreed with her! Letta knew it was true. But it was one thing to say so in a meeting. It was another to take action. How could she convince them to act?

"Letta Turmond."

Letta jumped as a shadow seemed to appear in front of her. "Who are you?" The answer came in the form of a blue lightsaber blade. "A Jedi?! You've been spying on us!"

"Yes, I have," said the figure clothed in a black hooded cape. "And I've heard what you have to say."

"I meant every word of it," said Letta defiantly.

"I know." The figure deactivated its lightsaber and lowered her hood. Letta saw a young yellow-skinned Mirialan woman with diamond tattoos on her nose and cheeks. "And I agree with everything you said."

"What?!"

"Not all the Jedi are blind to what we have become," continued the Jedi. "Some of us understand. And some of us are ready to take action. The question is, what are you willing to do to expose the Jedi?"

Letta knew this could be a trap. But at the same time, if this Jedi was serious…

"I am willing to do anything."

Preparations for my 'catalyst' took some time, several weeks in fact. Smuggling a bomb into the Jedi Temple would not be easy. It would have to be nearly undetectable. I settled on nano-droids. They could be brought into the Temple any numbers of ways. It was not hard to locate such droids. All I had to do was research Jedi records on known and suspected criminals. Then I purchased the nano-droids using a false identity. The droids were stored an old munitions plant on level 1315. I had already given Letta Turmond the location of the warehouse and instructed her on how to make the bomb. Everything was in place. It would not be long now.

I was walking through the Temple hanger, subtly watching the workers, noting their typical stations. I shouldn't even be in the hanger, less it looked suspicious. But I wanted to see it for myself. The hanger was a mixture of Jedi, clones, and civilian workers. Yes, the hanger would make for an effective demonstration.

Just as I was about to leave, I spotted Ahsoka and Anakin approaching with Captain Rex. Ahsoka looked over at me. "Hello, Barriss. Here to see us off?"

"I wasn't aware that you were leaving," I said. "In fact, I barely knew you were here at all. You come and go so frequently."

"I will stop by to visit once I've returned," said Ahsoka. "I promise."

I smiled and allowed a small chuckle. "I'll hold you to that. Where are you headed?"

"Cato Neimoidia. The Separatists have launched an invasion. We are rushing to assist."

"Ahsoka, we need to get going," said Anakin.

"On it, Master."

"Go," I said. I followed Ahsoka to the gunship where Anakin and Captain Rex were already waiting. I looked up at them. "May the Force be with you, Anakin and Ahsoka."

"Thank you, Barriss."

I watched the gunship take off. I was glad Ahsoka and Anakin wouldn't be here for what was about to happen. Ahsoka's absence did complicate my plan a bit, but I was confident I could still make it work.

I took one look around the hanger. By the end of the day tomorrow, this place would look a lot different.

Jackar got ready for his workday like any other, pulling on his orange uniform and grabbing his helmet. As he went into the kitchen to prepare his lunch, he saw his wife. "Letta, what are you doing in here?" Jackar looked in his wife's hands. "Did…did you made me my lunch?"

Letta looked to the side as if embarrassed. "Things haven't been so good between you and me. I know we differ on our opinions of the Jedi, but I've pushed you too hard." She pushed up the brim of her purple hat and looked Jackar in the eye. "I guess this was my way of saying, 'I'm sorry.'" She extended the lunch box to him.

Jackar took the lunch box. "This means a lot to me."

"I know," said Letta. "You better hurry. We don't want you to be late for work."

"Right," said Jackar. "Talk to you later tonight?"

"Yes, I will be here when you get home," said Letta.

Jackar gave his wife a gentle kiss on the lips. She returned the kiss. There wasn't much love in it, but it was a start. Then he left for the Jedi Temple, lunch box in hand. And he looked forward to a soul-to-soul talk with his wife that evening.

Maybe, just maybe he could make things right between them.

I sat in the library and waited. By now Letta's husband would have worked most of his shift. He would have consumed the nano-droid filled lunch that I had instructed Letta to provide him. And soon those same nano-droids would activate, turning Jackar into a living bomb. I closed my eyes and waited.

First came the sensation of death. Then came the shock wave. Then came the sound of the explosion.

I had just bombed the Jedi Temple!