[20 BBY[Plus Thirty-Eight Hours Departure from Moraband]
[Executive Security Solutions City-ship/Capital-class Warship Stormcrow {II}, Battle-group Army of Light, Arda System, Gordian Reach, Outer Rim Territories]
Quarantine wasn't particularly fun, but I'd always been a stickler for such things, and after our various experiences down on the Magical Sith Deathworld we couldn't afford to take any chances. Even Kenobi had agreed with me on that, putting Shesagora, and his senior officer, Admiral Yularen, in charge while I had Doctor Wee'bako and her staff put us through a barrage of physical and psychological tests. Considering that involved two squads of, now secretly de-chipped, Clone Troopers, one of own squads, and, the big danger, our little band of Force users and favoured possession targets, apparently, of Sith ghosts.
Thankfully the lower armoured decks of the former city ship were designed for that particular purpose thanks to the Corelians modular installation during refit. Modern, with actual amenities once we got through the initial screening, and capacity to break us up into several small separated groups with small shared spaces. Not ideal for a disease break, but we'd already done a full day after testing, an initial clean scan, and with some Force related things interaction wasn't a bad idea either.
Still the battery of tests, followed by a brief rest, more tests, and then a sleep period of nearly fourteen hours followed by a nice breakfast-dinner and I felt fully functional as I slipped into a meditative stance, sitting half-lotus on a blue and red coloured ritual mat, with white woven runes of protection and concentration...though they were orcish, and largely unknown to the others here. But it helped me as I centred myself, focusing on controlling my emotions, on thinking through the lessons I'd learned by this, near disastrous, encounter on not-Korriban.
That done I opened up my, new and transcribed, copy of the Aionomica and began to study its contents once I'd opened it up at the bookmark. One couldn't really read any of the more...dangerous...texts around the Jedi after all, and even the ancient text itself was somewhat disfavoured by some within the order for its reliance on aspects of the older Code. It was actually interesting the level of availability of several texts...outside the Temple, and how far 'soft' discouragements went in many texts simply lying to gather dust on the shelves or storerooms. I hummed to myself, not even looking up as I felt the nearby presence.
"Padawan Tano, the first out it seems...and how can I help you on this fine day?"
"Umm...Hello..." came the awkward greeting as the young female togruta female came into my small 'bedroom-apartment' as I preferred to think of it. Better than 'medical prison cell' where even our faeces was monitored by the computer systems. She wasn't overly confident either, rubbing at her arm as she stood in the white patient clothes and slipper shoes we all got from my Chief Medical Officer "...ah, sorry, um, Stor...um, General, I mean you can call me Ahsoka. Padawan Tano, sounds so...you, know"
"Too official sounding, hmm?" I mused back with amusement, closing the book and gazing up at her "Well, then call me Daron and I'll call you Ahsoka, at least when not on duty anyway. Now, come in, don't hover at the door awkwardly, you want to talk I'm guessing, or just bored?"
"Are you...meditating?" she asked inching forward, and I couldn't help but give her an odd look.
"Uh-huh, you know I'm sure we all got the 'meditate you must, improve connection to Force it does' speech, multiple times, from various Masters..." I replied back resisting chuckling "...even Anakin did it, with encouragement mind you"
"But I thought...well, since you..."
I motioned in front of me "Here, sit, I sense you want to talk...as to meditation, it helps with the Force, and even without, for clearing your mind and thinking matters through. Considering we're stuck here for a time, it seemed the best thing to do while I waited. Now, what's on your mind Ahsoka?"
She did blush a little at that, though she did slip out of her slippers and moved to take her own position directly in front of me "Well you left, and...um, I didn't think all the boring stuff...that you'd keep doing it?"
"You really are Anakin's padawan ya'know?" I couldn't help but say as I managed to gesture here into position and looking at me, the huffing looking indicated 'of course I am' without anything needing to be said by her as I continued "...but no, it's something important that helps with our control, and after what we went through, I'd rather the time spent working through my emotions and thoughts after what happened. Which I expect is on your mind...though I am a bit surprised your here, rather than with said Master, or Kenobi"
"Skyguy's...I mean, Master Skywalker's hand is still getting seen too..." she complained, without trying to obviously complaining "...and Master Kenobi was with him earlier, and I think he's sleeping now, and said I should meditate"
"Hmm, well you could, but I suspect you want to talk?"
She shivered "Barriss said she thought it good to talk to you, and you were there...and what was that? None of the Masters ever said..."
Silence came about for a few seconds as she trailed off. I gave a hum, resting my hand on my knees "That, at least, isn't a surprise. Anakin shouldn't have gone down there, nor taken you with him...but what is done is done I suppose. What I must say I am very impressed with you Ahsoka, you came through, alive, and not crazy, and that's a mighty impressive feat considering the terrible nature of Moraband as it's now called"
"Did...did...the visions were so real, and they cut Skyguy, and that ghost said things...showed me things..." she babbled at me suddenly "...that the Jedi...that we...that we...killed everyone there"
I hummed again, taking her hands into mine, edging us closer together as I felt the panic or shock well up inside of her "Ahsoka, WE, did nothing of the sort, bar unholy zombies which were trying to eat mine and Ventress's faces off, much like with you according to General Kenobi's report. Nor should we say that Jedi today are the Jedi of the millennia ago, because they're not, nor are you Ahsoka, so don't feel guilt for things you did not do, nor could have stopped"
"But she said...that...that..."
"Xoxann..." I stated with a sigh giving her hands a squeeze "...really isn't to be trusted, as that seems to be the spirit that tormented you I believe?"
She nodded, but didn't speak "One of the founding Dark Lords, the Dark Jedi who were exile, who then overthrew the Sith Kings, and would like nothing more than to undermine your faith in the Order. Ironic for me to be saying it, but for their faults they aren't that Order that butchered worlds, nor is it the same Republic, nor the same Sith to be entirely honest. Yes terrible things were done, learn from them, but don't let it consume you padawan"
"Maybe" she whispered, looking down but nodding faintly "...and what did you encounter? And...and...how could you trust...her?"
"Hmm, hmmm, that's a hard one. I trust in Asajj Ventress's strength in the Force, and it was a risk I admit taking one whose used the Dark Side, and claimed to be Sith, down to what-was-Korriban, but I'd little option considering the stakes. Landing an army could have worked, or it could have lost us said army...I lean towards bad times there...so I choose the strongest of the three I hired as my escort"
"How can hire them, their..."
"Evil?" I mused with a smile "Not really, a different tradition, one with Dark Side traces, but I have limited options Ahsoka, while I'm not opposed to the Jedi Order...well, I was there long enough to know I have offended several Masters enough to face retaliation, and I also know Count Dooku definitely wants me dead, so again, best options. I have things to offer her, and she's things I need, so there's a deal to be made. Mutual self interest...and to be honest? She also made it off that place alive, and without cackling like a Dark Side drunk emotional lunatic. That's impressive in its own right, and she's to be respected for it"
Ahsoka's swirling emotions calmed, and Gods was she obvious up this as I held her hands and allowed some calm to creep into her from me, but she did seem to be thinking "You really believe Jedi might come after you, but we're all on the same side?"
"Maybe, maybe not, but I'm a better safe than sorry sort of person..." I admitted serenely "...and my soldiers did kill, admittedly traitorous and Dark Side drunk, Jedi Master right in front of me and that tends to be seen badly let's say..." then chuckled "...and going to Moraband probably hasn't helped with that either, even if we returned mostly okay. Now, let help you meditate, at least ease some of that stress that's very clear even to me..."
--
[From: Stormcrow Decryption Analysis]
[Re: Confederacy of Independent Systems Priority Alerts]
[Messages as follows]
-Priority Alert Message-All Commands-Top Secret-Priority Alert Message-
Message Begins*
Commander Artel Darc is to considered traitor to the Confederacy of Independent [Data Corrupted] and is to eliminated with lethal [Data Corrupted] on the orders of [Data Corrupted] due to an attempted assassination upon Count Dooku, and theft of military equipment.
The Acolyte [Data Corrupted] is be considered extremely dangerous, and has exhibited unknown personality traits due to interaction with unknown materials, believed Republic trap in nature. Count Dooku has been injured and has been evacuated to Serreno for healing – the elimination of this assassin, along with the traitor Asajj Ventress, and the Republic General Daron Stormcrow is to be now considered a priority.
A bounty of 35,000 Credits is to be offered on all three individuals.
For the Freedom of the Confederacy!
Message Ends*
--
[20 BBY]
[Executive Security Solutions City-ship/Capital-class Warship Stormcrow {II}, Battle-group Army of Light, In Orbit Randorn II, Randorn System, Belderone Sector, Outer Rim Territories]
"We're now in orbit General, Fleet is in formation..." Gardan announced as I came over to the tactical display, resting my hands on the metal sidings "...no enemy forces detected as yet, combat-space-patrol is being deployed"
"Excellent work Gardan, start surface scans once we've got things secure up here in orbit. Once we find somewhere safe we send down a few cargo ships and try get ourselves some supplies" I replied wearily resting at the display. Coming out of quarantine had meant a return to near constant jump-jump-rest-jump-jump as we made our way towards Republic held space the long way. Older, slower, hyperdrives didn't like the pressure we were putting them under, and Fleet movement meant slower, more energy efficient movements along with constant watchfulness.
Along with other demands such as fuel rationing, and the fact we had to feed hundreds of thousands of sentient beings living in less than ideal conditions. Shesagora at least had gotten a chance to rest after my return, but I'd between studying the reports on Moraband, from the Confederate's intercepted comms, and dealing with rather crushing effect the Sith ghosts seemed to have had on Anakin in particular, but also on Ahsoka. To a lesser extent with her, but her faith was shaken a little, and Anakin...I was concerned there. Darth Vader...fucking Sith ghosts, what were they thinking?
'You know exactly what they were thinking, so don't get all weak' I reminded myself but pushing the situation aside for the moment. I'd explained my position to Kenobi, and he seemed to understanding of it after handing over my bodyguard's tactical data. It might buy me some favour with the Temple, which would be good, however unlikely, considering we we're heading into the Core to make repairs. My other concern of course was what Anakin blabbed to Darth Unlimated Powah himself, and the fact the mad sorcerer apparently could somehow track his potential apprentice through even Force insane places like Sith home space.
It had also taught me I needed to seriously, *seriously, upgrade my contingency plans for any such conflict with a living Sith Master. Aaron was scrap metal beyond his central processor, and Abigail wasn't in much better condition; I needed to rebuild them in totality, as well as finish design and creation of Zorro and Zeta-Jones as lighter assassin models. Perhaps when we got into repair yards and unloaded our cargo of traumatised former slaves I could rework my plans...
--