Chapter 9
The New Jedi Council
ARCADIA,
Bastion Temple, Home of the New Jedi Order
A militia transport flew down to the mountains of Arcadia, the ship was alone as it cut through the clouds of the early morning, a thick hazy mist had blanketed over Bastion temple letting its spires stick out like it was under murky water. The ship set down inside the temple's hanger lowering its ramp, Ahkilleon and Lord Asimov exited the ship with Turok, Sigma, Ventus and Terro. Already there to meet them was a familiar set of faces Zatt the cyborg nautolon and Byph the ithorian, wearing his long burgundy robes while Zatt wore his snug fitting mechanic jedi apparel. "Welcome back Asimov, how was Jabiim?" Zatt asked him.
"Secured, our fleet has begun preparations to build a garrison, and take over the mining operations, now enough niceties is it the Council Chamber or the stockade?" Asimov asked.
Zatt sighed "Personally I'd take the stockade, Council asked us to escort you to them."
"Let us get this over with." Lord Asimov said back to his apprentice, "Terro, Ventus I trust you will behave."
Ventus pressed both his hands to his helmet's visor to express his shock "Us, misbehave."
"Honestly my lord, we'd never." Terror replied.
Ahkilleon wasn't sure what they were on about, so he followed Lord Asimov's back into the temple, he wore his robe dried out from the long ride from Jabiim back to Militia space, entering into the larger hall of the Temple. As they walked he noticed the few jedi who were there were all looking at them. Ahkilleon felt anxious as they stared, did they know what happened on Jabiim, did they know he was a child killer, a murderer. He then spotted Corto and Yumi speaking to Yumi's friends, Corto was friends with everyone. Corto waved with a warm smile that faded when he saw the look on his face
Did Corto know?
What would he think.
They followed their 'escorts' up a long flight of stairs that seemed to go on forever, "You ever think we'll get elevators in this place, stairs just seem so… stone age?" Zatt said.
Byph said something in ithorian, "The Masters built this place in stone to limit our reliance on technology, though I do wonder how Master K'Kruhk gets up and down them being as old as he is." Lord Asimov added.
They reached the top where two stone doors were guarded by two jedi, one was a young man with a familiar face, the first jedi Ezra had ran into when he woke up on Arcadia, Chase Piru, beside her stood another jedi with blonde hair tied back in a long braid he was tall, an lean wearing the snug mountain type robes but wore no outer cloak or robe. "Master Piru, Sir Taanzer guarding the temple the same as always?" Lord Asimov said.
Taanzer glowered at Azimov but Chase just said "They are expecting you, 'Lord' Asimov." She said the title almost mockingly.
Opening the doors they walked in and Ahkilleon gulped to be in the room of the New Jedi Council, sitting at it's head was Master K'Kruhk the grey haired whipid, to his right going clockwise sat nine other Jedi, Master Maris Brood the iridonian with red horns white skin and black hair in her snug leathers, then calm collected Dass Jennir in his brown coat looking bored, beside him sat a squat Aleena Jedi, with pale blue skin spikes running back his elongated head with many scars on his face, marking him to be a warrior. He held a long metal stick and wore long robes that covered his whole body. To his right elderly male Veknoid Jedi Master, with a dirty robe wearing an apron he noticed Ahkilleon and smiled at him. Ahkilleon didn't smile back; he kept his head low looking at the Jedi left of Master K'Kruhk.
They were jedi he'd never met either, to K'Kruhks left sat the only one he did know Master Taa, the T'raa Saa with her long tree like hair with robes of white, beside her a brown robed with a breathing apparatus on his chest and tubes sticking out a mask made to look like a humans of a yellowish brown substance, he wore older looking robes but other then that it was hard to tell if he was human or alien. The next seat was empty but the last was occupied by someone Ahkilleon didn't expect to see, Asajj Ventress, a Jedi Master?
"Welcome Lord Asimov, the Council is eager to hear your report from Jabiim." Master K'Kruhk said.
Lord Asimov stepped forward, hands behind his back, "Jabiim has been secured by the Militia efforts, we attempted to secure it via the rebel insurgency there but failed."
"Failed how?" Master Jennir asked.
Lord Asimov paused, "When we made contact they wanted my strike team and I to prove ourselves, to kill Imperial Governor Kraym."
"And you succeed, assassination is not the way of the jedi." Master Saa said her brow furrowed hard and serious at him.
"Much is sacrificed in war for what is necessary." Lord Asimov said.
Ahkilleon gulped as Saa stood "And does that include the death of a child, an innocent?"
Lord Asimov said nothing, "Our intent was not to kill the child, we did not know he was even there."
"Yet another reason to endorse Turok Skell's need for an alliance with the Rebellion, their intelligence network far outweighs our own." the cyborg jedi said, his voice was coming out of a droid's voice box, making Ahkilleo wonder just how deep his implants went. He wore a hood over his head making his head hard to describe, that hood flowed back into a cloak over his baggy jedi robes that were tucked into gloves and boots.
"We are not here to discuss Militia, policy but the actions of Lord Asimov, before your forces secured the capital they discovered both the Governors body and his son with a lightsaber wound the boy shot in the chest."
Lord Asimov said nothing, at first "It was me." Ahkilleon.
"What?" Maris asked.
Ahkilleon held back the emotion, "Governor Kraym's transport had made its way into an alleyway, I was going to just follow them to stay out of combat, but he ran into a dead end. I didn't see the child until it was to late I-" "Padawan, stop." Master K'Kruhk raised his hand to hush him "Breath, in and out."
Ahkilleon did as Master K'Kruhk told him "Now, tell us what happened."
"I was chasing the Governor." Ahkilleon started "I was blocked by stormtroopers, but I got through when the Governor was in the deadend I saw the child, my lightsabers were out I didn't even have time to tell the Governor I wasn't going to hurt him when he attacked me thinking I'd harm the child." Ahkilleon said "The alley was narrow, barely enough room to swing my lightsaber when I broke his sword, he charged me and before I could get out of the way he ran right into my lightsaber." he touched the thick dark iron red saber hilt, sighting it was the one that did the deed.
"And the boy, he watched?" Master Jennir asked.
The padawan nodded "He said he'd kill me back, grabbing his fathers blaster and aiming it at me. I tried to deflect it in time but… I… didn't mean to."
"Didn't mean to, everytime you draw your lightsaber you must be prepared to use it." the droid faced jedi master said.
Ahkilleon nodded "This is… troubling, Lord Asimov what say you?" Master K'Kruhk said.
"It was not what we intended, but my padawan defended himself and I will defend him." Lord Asimov said beside him.
The Masters looked at one another, "You condone this crime?" Master Saa asked.
"It was self defense." Lord Asimov reiterated.
"But someone trained to deflect blasters since he was a child would know how to deflect blaster bolts away from people?" Asajj Ventress said her words were cold but true.
Lord Asimov turned to her, and he looked around the room "Master Ventress, are you of all people on this Council one to speak of crimes?" Lord Asimov asked.
"Master Ventress is right, this is a crime against our Order and the people of Jabiim." the aleena Master said from his small seat between Jass and the blind master.
"Noted." Asajj said, leaning her head on her fist with a cold glare.
"Master Jennir, when you went into hiding, did you always do so with always noble method?" Lord Asimov asked Jass. He turned to The aleena "Master Paratus when the clones stormed the Temple under the command of Vader did you not flee with your droids rather than stand and fight?" Asimov asked he then looked at the three jedi in front of him "Master Saa you hid from the war until the end in self imposed exile, Master K'Kruhk you didn't answer the call cowardice could be called a crime, Maris you ran from the Black Knights when Leo Rock tried to kill the Emperor, none on this Council is innocent or perfect, least of all I." Lord Asimov said to them hands out.
There was long silence, Lord Asimov lowered his arms "The weight of this tragedy has weighed heavily on my apprentice, and I fear it will forever haunt him but we should not isolate him or ostracize one of our own who has given us so much."
"So much?" the cyborg jedi asked.
"Yes Master Cypher."
Cypher that was the mysterious cyborg's name, "When we returned to the rebel base we learned they were not allies, but terrorists intent on leveling the city with bombs planted in the city's sewers and lower mines. My apprentice was taken hostage by their leader and we were thrown in cells."
"You were captured, you Lord Asimov?" Asajj asked skeptic.
"There had been enough death that day, I had hoped my apprentice could convince their leader to stop his madness, I was wrong."
Everyone looked to Ahkilleon, "What happened next Padawan?"
"I… broke free, I fought my way to Nolan- their leader, and I… I killed him before the detonator could finish its countdown."
"His efforts led to saving millions of lives at the price of less than fifty, does the greater good not count for something?" Lord Asimov asked.
Asajj chuckled "The Greater good, this coming from the Warlord of the Jedi?"
"I will admit, I have become impertinent in the heat of war, such destruction, the last time I spoke to members of this Council we did not part on good terms, we as New Jedi must stand as one and hold the faults and failures of our Orders as marks of shame, but to learn from them." Lord Asimov told them, he walked behind Ahkilleon and put his hands on his shoulders "I ask this council for leniency for my apprentice, all blame is mine."
K'Kruhk leaned back in his chair "The council will deliberate on this matter, for now, rest and recover here while we debate, we shall speak again in the morning."
Lord Asimov gave a respectful nod and then he turned to leave, Ahkilleon followed him and went out the door down the stairs "... Thank you, for defending me Master."
"I can only protect you for so long, Ahkilleon, if you are not only to survive this war but wear the crown you must be ready to face those already in power, they will cling to it and see you fall if you do not stand up for yourself." Lord Asimov told him as he stood a few steps down in the shadows of the stairwell.
"But Master I… I killed that boy, I killed his father right in front of him and he-" "Threatened to kill you, I know, What difference does it make if you killed him there or later?" Lord Asimov asked. Ahkilleon was speechless after all Asimov said in his defense, "Say you spared him, he escapes becomes part of propaganda and we fail to cover it up, you-" he pointed at Asimov "And every Jedi are labeled as heartless murderers."
"The Governor was going to die anyway-" "By Stratos's hand, not yours, so shut up and listen to a taste of the real galaxy." Asimov said stepping toward him "Kraym's son goes back to the core, he's got one thing on his mind to avenge his father, he'll be sent to the Imperial military academy, the drive you gave him will make him run faster, fight harder to get the rank he wants, he learns everything about jedi, how we fight, how we die. He'd hunt not only you but every other jedi he can find to fill the hole of vengeance you put in him, he was not innocent, no Imperial is."
Ahkilleon gritted his teeth "Then why spare Choal, it was a city of Imperials?"
"It was a city colonized by the Imperials, the stormtroopers, the government workers, they will be imprisoned, those we find guilty of terrible crimes will be executed, lesser collaborators will be sent to work camps to build the mines for our new droids." Lord Asimov told him shaking his head "Open your eyes, the force is not light and dark, it is older than the Jedi or the Sith before we divided into light and dark, it's gray, stop-" Lord Asimov cut himself off.
He sighed out his helmet "It's been a long few days, rest here for now, we will meet here again when the Masters have made a decision." Lord Asimov stormed down the stairs, his cape billowing behind him.
"You didn't bow to the Council on your ship, why now?" Ahkilleon asked.
"Because I will not see this Order broken ever again." his Lordship added leaving Ahkilleon alone.
After he left the tower behind Ahkilleon returned to the student dormitory, he hung up his robe and looked at his robe in a mirror. It was tattered, worn missing the sleeves and the leather harness he wore was dirty from the mud of Jabiim, Selucami and Felucia. Sighing, Ahkilleon disrobed and went to his dorms shower. He hadn't had a decent wash in a while and let the warm water run over him before he winced. He noticed he was sporting a lot of bruises that were turning yellow. After he washed he walked out to change into fresh robes. Opening the drawers he pulled out one of his dark blueish gray spares he stopped then, remembering how useful the lack of baggy sleeves rolled up or otherwise were. He took it off and used his lightsaber to cut off the sleeves and dressed himself in his new sleeveless tunic, a fresh pair of dark black trousers and his boots untucked like he'd seen the Militia officers wear. He was about to clip the lightsabers to his belt when he looked at the harness walking up to it he noticed the harness had two clips for the grenades he'd used on the AT-AT's. He put the harness on, clipped it around his waist and then clipped the two lightsabers on his chest like they were blasters "Hmm nice." Ahkilleon said before he walked out of his dorm.
He made his way into the great halls walking over the stone bridges and down some stairs when he felt his stomach growl, he hadn't eaten anything since they left Jabiim. He walked down another flight of stairs and across the hall to the eastern part of the Temple into the large cafeteria. The rows of long tables fell silent when he walked in the faces of the many young students, the handful of knights and one or two Masters before it erupted into pandemonium.
"Ahkilleon's back!" he heard a shout as every padawan and youngling in the cafeteria rushed him, Ahkilleon fell back but soon he had people pressed up behind him "It's really you, you're Lord Asimov's apprentice?" one of them asked "You killed an Inquisitor, that's amazing!" another one said "Do you want to sit next to me, you can have my dessert." someone said in his ear as they surrounded him "Is it true you stopped an entire Imperial attack from destroying the Militia on Saleucami?" one of them asked, "And you fought another Inquisitor on Felucai to save some Militia officers?"
"Alright, alright, let the guy breathe!" a voice rose over the others and everyone got out of the way for Corto to push through. He got between the crowd and held his hands up to hush them, the half dathomirian and half kiffar waved his hands down "I'm sure you all want to know the details, but give him some space he just got back, you vultures."
The crowd did back up a bit and got quiet, "Come on I saved you seat."
The ones who hoped for Ahkilleon to sit with them slunk back to their tables, and Corto pushed his way through the crowd "So, Padawan Tano first time meeting the New Council."
Ahkilleon blinked a few times before he replied "I was surprised there was that many Jedi Masters left to even make a Council, but only nine?"
Corto nodded as he grabbed them two food trays "Well twelve is just to much, and even, back when my dad was running with the Black Knights they formed a nine Master Council, so the number stays odd and no vote comes to a stalemate, pretty simple when you think about it."
"There are a few Jedi I didn't know about, even from the ones my mom taught me about." Ahkilleon said as they sat down at an open table.
Corto pushed Ahkilleons tray to him and broke his bread. The food on the tray was some grilled meat, with a roll, some fruit and vegetables with two cups of blue milk and a brown square of some kind with dark brown chunks in it. "Oh yeah, like who?"
"Well for starters, the aleena, Paratus, the blind Veknoid and the cyborg?" Ahkilleon asked him.
Corto nodded as he sipped his milk "Hmm, Master Paratus wasn't in the clone wars, he was a Jedi Master but he's more of an inventor, designed the schematics for this whole Temple, rumors are he made hidden passageways like the ones he used to escape the Jedi Temple during… well you know what." Ahkilleon started to cut his meat a dark brown slab with pink in the middle that was warm and soft to his tongue as he bit into it. "The Veknoid is Master Zao, you can thank him for this." Corto gestured to the food.
"He's… a cook?" Ahkilleon asked.
Corto nodded "Greatest cook in the Jedi Order, blind, but his other senses make up for it along with you know, being a Jedi Master he's actually a really nice guy, and can sleep with his eyes open."
"But he's blind why- you know never mind, alright, alright who's the cyborg with the bronze face?" Ahkilleon asked.
Swallowing Corto wiped his mouth "That's Master Emesa, no one really knows who is, he just appeared one day and was put on the Council. But… there are rumors."
"Rumors?" Ahkilleon asked.
Corto nodded again "Mostly that he survived Order 66, no duh, some say he's one of the Jedi Generals who survived, others a padawan survivor, some even think he's Mace Windu."
"What color is his lightsaber?" Ahkilleon asked.
Corto thought for a few moments, "Blue? I think."
Ahkilleon thought on it a bit, "So K'Kruhk is the Grand Master, Saa is your Master and teaches the healers, Jass teaches about the various cultures he's encountered, Maris… Maris, Paratus designed the Temple, Zao is the cook, what do your mom and Emesa do?"
"My mom, oh yeah she is on the Council." Corto played dumb with a quizzical face before he continued "My mom, who you know doesn't like you."
"I know." Ahkilleon muttered.
"She goes out into the Galaxy to find other Jedi, though she hasn't had to for a while now that Militia space is safe haven for any survivors, it's how Emesa got here." Corto told him as he stuck some of the green vegetables in his mouth, Ahkilleon waited "Emesa is a brilliant cyberologist, you know Admiral Trench right?" Corto asked.
Ahkilleon nodded "He helped raise me."
"Then you probably saw him sporting that new chrome, Emesa designed that, probably designed your hand too, he even works with the Militia's head of R&D the Forgemaster." Corto said, pointing at it with his fork.
Ahkilleon looked at the arm and rubbed it, "High Forge?"
"Some guy named Jaybo Hood, they designed the B5 battle droid, rumors are they got a new one, could it be the B6?" Corto guessed with a comical tone to his voice.
Ahkilleon smirked, "... Thank you, for this I mean I was… well worried when I came back."
Corto waved off the thanks, "You were gone for a while, don't worry about it your adoring fans will get to you soon."
"Fans?" Ahkilleon asked.
Corto smirked and shrugged "You didn't notice when you got back, your anyone the rest of this lot wants to talk about, Lord Asimov's first apprentice, you single handedly took on an entire Imperial assault and an Inquisitor, fought a Sith Lord and survived no one has done stuff like that since… since Anakin Skywalker."
Ahkilleon felt the edges of his mouth curl up "That's… that's high praise."
"Don't let it go to your head." Corto said as they kept eating.
"Oh so your back." a shrewd voice said to them from behind, Ahkilleon looked over to see Yumi, along with her cronies, veiled Fatima, the weequay Urrde and the quarren brute Kragger. They were all holding food trays, with Kraggers exceptionally high to compensate for his sheer size. "Yumi." Ahkilleon said, greeting her.
"Did you real fight an Inquisitor, and win?" Kragger blurted out.
Fatima groaned "Yes Kragger, he was literally carrying his head on Selucami."
"Uh hehe yes Kragger, I did." Ahkilleon replied surprised.
"Whoa." Kragger said out of his tentacles.
Corto rolled his eyes "You guys it's going to go to his head."
"Already has." Yumi said sitting on the side with her brother, still staring daggers into Ahkilleon "Missed you too." Ahkilleon replied.
The others sat down and Ahkilleon was surprised none of them had said anything about Jabiim, but then again Lord Asimov did say it was covered up, just how much. But it didn't change the fact, Ahkilleons relaxed tone shifted. He was back in the alleyway looking at the dead kid he'd killed, accident or not he was responsible, he was a murderer, a killer "Hey, Arcadia to Ahkilleon you still there?" Corto asked.
Ahkilleon shook himself back to the present "Sorry, I was… somewhere else."
"Yeah, we could tell, you got this… weird look on your face." Yumi said glaring at him.
"Sorry, long trip back." Ahkilleon replied, he stood up then "I need some air." Ahkilleon said before he headed to the exit only after eating half of his meal.
He hurried out of the cafeteria and into one of the courtyards, it had a fountain in one corner with water pouring out of it into a stream and then filtering out into the surrounding garden, the edge where the graystone walls met the ground had thick green plants with orb seeds and purplish pink flowers. Thick moss grew around the fountain itself with a single tree that curved left and then back up right before it umbrellas in branches that let the sunlight in. He leaned on the tree forearm first and looked down taking in the fresh air. He turned around and slouched under the tree rubbing his face in his hands trying to figure out what to do.
He knew what he did.
The Council did, so did his Master.
But Corto didn't and he was treating him like they were friends, even Yumi's group were being welcoming because they thought he was some hero.
"Hehe… Anakin Skywalker… how did you handle the fame." Ahkilleon muttered to himself.
"Oh young Skywalker reveled in it." a voice said from, up in the tree?"
Ahkilleon looked up to see something slithering in the trees, no? Someone? A long green tailed man was slithering in the trees like a python, the branches rustled and the leaves shifted before Ahkilleon saw who it was, he was a Thisspiasian; Thisspiasians were a serpentine species, distinguished by their long snake-like bodies and thick beards, that were native to the planet Thisspias. Thisspiasians had four arms, but a pair of them were often hidden beneath their clothing. Thisspiasians slept for a couple of hours per day, however their main form of rest was a type of trance that could last for minutes or hours. The trance provided neurological repair. If a Thisspiasian missed the trance, they could become emotional and irritable, this one had snow white hair over his entire face like a white haired wookiee but without the canine like snout, he had blue eyes and wore long faded brown robes with a scarf and wrap around his white hair. Ahkilleon got up as the Thisspiasian came down "Always looking for his next big adventure, to later return admired by the younger Jedi, you seem to run from it?"
"Your… Master Oppo Rancisis?" Ahkilleon gasped before he stood up straight "I'm- I'm sorry Master I didn't recognize you."
Ahkilleon said, speaking softly and head still bowed "Nor did I expect you to, this is our first meeting young Tano."
"It's just… I never expected to meet so many jedi, especially so many who survived Order 66." Ahkilleon said looking around the Temple, over six months and I'm still not used to it, the Jedi Order rebuilt." Ahkilleon said.
Oppo slithered over to some of the flowers and produced a put from his robes and started to water them "Rebuilt, we are a shadow of what we once were… or maybe we already were, you seem troubled." Oppo said to him looking over his shoulder "You were on the Council in the old Order, I didn't see you in the Council chamber?" Ahkilleon asked.
Master Rancis chuckled "No, I do not sit on the New Council." Hesitant to ask why he wouldn't have to, Master Rancis continued "Do you think you'd sit on the Council again after failing to prevent the Order's destruction?"
"But still my mother-" "Your Mother, oh yes how forgetful of me Tano, you are Ahsoka Tano's son." Oppo turned around and slithered up to him looking him up and down with his piercing blue eyes. "Yes, you have her baring but your fathers eyes."
Ahkilleon gulped "Did you know him too?"
"Not as well as I should have, too late to heed his warnings of what awaited the Jed, too arrogant to stand with your mother when she needed usi." Oppo said before he returned to his garden, "... I'm sorry we were not better Jedi to give your generation a better future." Oppo sighed as his water spout went dry out of water.
Ahkilleon opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out, where did that come from "The future? Ahkilleon asked.
He looked at one of the planets yet to bloom. "I have no idea what my future holds, I thought I was on the right path but now I feel more lost than ever."
"It is dangerous to go into the unknown, but it takes courage to forge your own way and not follow others." Oppo said to him, Ahkilleon heard him "I could use some advice, my Master Lord Asimov is a great warrior, but I… don't think he understands what I'm going through, he told me when we first started training to seek out wisdom from many places?" Ahkilleo told Oppo.
The snake-like Master stroked his long beard, "A wise suggestion, there are many wise jedi masters here, you spoke with the Council today."
"Yes, I'll… be speaking to them again in the morning." Ahkilleon wondered what his fate would be in the New Jedi Order.
"Seek them out." Master Rancis said returning to the water fountain, and filling his spout "Know their minds and you will better know yourself."
Ahkilleon pondered it for a few seconds "Thank you master, for your advice."
The old sage made his way up to the tree and started to give it water too "Go with the Force young Tano, and remember a great tree needs water, good earth and light to see its full potential and most important, patience to grow." Ahkilleon bowed and left the garden before he walked into the Temple's main hall; he walked down the hallway avoiding any large crowds for fear of being mobbed by them when he spotted Master Piru.
"Master Piru, is the Council done debating?" Ahkilleon asked.
She looked over her shoulder, the tall woman was only a few inches above Ahkilleon, "For now, they will speak to you one hour after first light, Padawan Tano."
"I see, um, where are they now?" Ahkilleon asked.
Piru cocked her brow at him, "Master K'Kruhk has left to meet with the General, he's been asked to give Council in some matters of State, Master Saa has gone with him to Leopolis with her Padawan and other healers to treat the wounded."
"Leopolis?" Ahkilleon asked.
"The Capital city on Arcadia, the others are here in the Temple attending classes and their duties, why do you wish to know?" She asked him.
Ahkilleon made up a reason quickly: "I just wanted to get to know the Order better."
"You have been here for six months, seems a bit late?" She asked, arms crossed.
Ahkilleon blushed "I've spent most of my time here training, bettering myself but…. I want to make up for that." Ahkilleon said.
Master Piru sighed shaking her head "Master Zao has returned to his kitchen to prepare tonight's dinner, Master Paratus is in the Forge with Master Emesa, Master Jennir is somewhere around the Temple, Master Brood has gone to assist Master Stormblade in lightsaber training, as for Master Ventress she has returned to her home in Jediville, the town at the mountains valley."
"Thank you Master… wait, the town is called Jediville?" Ahkilleon asked, trying not to laugh.
"It's where most of the jedi and their family live, what would you call it?" Chase glaring at him, Ahkilleon had a feeling she had a hand in naming it.
Ahkilleon shrugged "I don't know, Yodaburgh?"
She raised a finger at "That's… not terrible."
He gave a slight shrug "Thanks again, Master." He said before he left the woman alone. Ahkilleon started to think about who he should find first. He already knew where the kitchen was, had to be near the cafeteria in the east part of the Temple, and the training hall was like the back of his hand on the north deep in the mountains, so finding Maris Brood would be easy, that just left Master Jennir, Emesa and Paratus the last Jedi he wanted to run into was Ventress.
Ahkilleon tried to remember where everything else was, The Forge, that would be either the western part of the temple or… wait. Ahkilleon stopped by one of the vents in the floors that would circulate heat for the Temple and put two and two together. He looked for the nearest set of stairs and followed them down and kept following the floors going lower and lower into the Temple. He finally reached a pair of large metal doors that were open letting out heat. He walked in to see a dimly lit underground hall, it had large stone pillars that were carved from solid rock and the glow of melted metal and ore were lit in many pools around the chamber, with even further back he saw a waterfall of magma in an large underground volcanic chamber held back by a laser wall. At the far end near the river of lava he saw a great machine that fed into the other pools, at its base he spied two figures at table working on something. Masters Emesa and Paratus.
"Stop standing in the doorway like a puppy Padawan, we know you are there." Master Emesa said his voice box echoing an annoyed tone.
Ahkilleon walked in and saw the two of them were working on a droid of some kind, and as he got closer he saw that Master Paratus was just as tall as Emesa, and when he looked down he saw that the Aleena was using artificial legs sticking out from under his robe, and had two long arms sprouting out from under his robe at the table working on the droid, "Masters?"
"If you've come to hear what we decided, we won't tell you." Paratus said, his voice was deep and gruff.
"How's the new arm?" Master Emesa asked as he looked up, behind his yellowish brown mask, Ahkilleon held it up and flexed his fingers "It works, that's all I need it to."
Master Emesa stepped away from the workbench much to Master Paratus's displeasure "The droids are not going anywhere, come Padawan let's run a diagnostics." the cyborg said, walking over to another workbench. He pushed out a stool with the force and bid Ahkilleon to sit.
Ahkilleon sat down and laid his arm on the table, Master Emesa looked at it and took out a small device from the table and opened up the mechano arm, "Your arm is a prototype of another model, it's not uncommon for Jedi to lose limbs but we lost most of our designs when the Temple on Coruscant was sacked, thankfully when Master Paratus escaped he did so with a copy of this one." Emesa pressed the tool into Ahkilleons arm and he winced as his fingers moved at the touch "Nerve response is good, fingers are a bit stiff." Emesa moved to the hand and started to work on them adjusting the response time.
"You said this one was a prototype of another model, what did you mean?" Ahkilleon asked.
Emessa kept working his hood hiding his fake face, "Well, padawans rarely lost their limbs if they could help it, the original model was meant for someone slightly older than you, Anakin Skywalker was his name."
"I know of him, he was a great Jedi, the last one standing when Order 66 happened." Ahkilleon said, Emesa glanced at him and said nothing. "So they say, I had to adjust his designs to fit your body bare in mind as you grow older you'll need to upgrade this to compensate for the other." Master Emesa said as he shut the hatches on his arms finishing his diagnostics.
Ahkilleon rubbed the metal wrist of his left arm and said "Thank you Master, I'll be sure to remember."
"Ah-hem." Master Paratus hissed.
Emesa sighed his voice box making it sound like static, "Yes, yes, alright let's see what Lord Hood has thrown us this time."
Ahkilleon followed them over to the table with the droid on this "Is this a new battle droid model?"
"Yes, the B-series is a wonderful infantry unit, but the Militia Forgemaster often sends his new prototypes for us to tinker with and this one is being modified for another purpose." The droid on the table was bigger than a B5 battle droid but not as bulky as a B2. the more Ahkilleon looked at it the more familiar he became with it's long arms and legs, broad T shaped torso, it's head was really interesting for its resemblance to a Jedi Temple Guard's mask. "It looks like a Temple Guard?"
Emesa nodded "Yes, the New Jedi sought not to establish the Guard, rather we are working on creating an alternative security droid for the Temple, we've managed to combine the chassis of the IG Magna Guard model with our own training droids." the droid was built like an IG droid but it's chassis was more elegant, a lighter white paint was laid on it with gold on the joints.
Suddenly the droid came alive and sat up, the two narrow slits in it's face mask came on with blue optics, it looked at them and cocked it's head "Greetings, I am SN-T3, Jedi Security Droid for Bastion Temple, how may I be of service."
"SN-T3… Sintree-'Sentry?" Ahkilleon muttered to himself seeing the name was careful chosen.
"Test your motor functions." Emesa ordered.
The droid swung it's legs over the table and stood at an imposing 6'8 before it wobbled and fell forward, Master Paratus caught the dorid with his elongated limbs before pushing him back up right "Leg motor is still off, back on the table droid."
"Hand me that splicer." Master Paratus pointed to the one near Ahkilleon and he handed to him "It doesn't look like his leg motor Master, I think his gyroscope he wobbled after he stood not when he got up?" Ahkilleon said thinking out loud.
Both Emesa and Paratus looked at him then at one another, "Take a look?" Emesa suggested.
They opened up SN-T3 and they looked into see the gyroscope inside the droids chest was misaligned, "You know your droid's padawan?" Paratus said as he quickly fixed it.
"My nanny was an assassin droid." Ahkilleon said.
Emesa and Paratus looked at one another, "That… explains a lot, hand me that splicer we could use a hand." Master Paratus said.
RAXUS SECUNDUS
Raxulon, The Hexagon
A jedi transport had landed in the center of the Hex, and both Masters K'Kruhk and Saa were walking through the hallways with Corto following behind them. They parted and Master K'Kruhk they passed by two Militia Regulars into a another doorway sealed behind another door, and three more each with guards and droids to protect it till they finally reached the lower levels of the Militia military headquarters, it was a large room with a hexagon shaped table to fit the theme of the room. There A holomap was showing a contested planet, it zoomed in to show the surface where Militia were engaged with the Empire in a large battle with AT-AT's moving against Militia forces on the ground, sitting at the table looking up with his Azure guards was General Fives Freeman. He was surrounded by droids and Militia officers wearing berets, the faded bluish grey uniform, western style pants and revolver blasters at their hips.
"General, you summoned me." Master K'Kruhk said to him.
The General sat up "That Jabiim situation worked out pretty well wouldn't you say." General Freeman said standing up to greet K'Kruhk they shook hands and Master K'Kruhk grunted.
"Those aren't the words I would put it, the New Jedi Council is very concerned with how victory was achieved, such a price is not how this war should be fought." Master K'Kruhk said.
Freeman looked up at the hologram of the battle, "I know, but it worked, and we can't afford to miss out on the resources Jabiim has, or how the Imperial Garrison surrendered so fast. When I was in the Clone Army I didn't question the politics, now I have to be both soldier and politician, it's exhausting." Fives sighed, scratching his trimmed beard.
"You are aware of what exactly happened General?" K'Kruhk asked hands on his cane.
"I am, Asimov's padawan killed the Governor, and the son, not to mention almost a hundred terrorist fighters who wanted to sink the entire city of Jabiim, leaves us with the question, do the ends justify the means?" Fives said switching off the holotable, he looked around "Give us the room!" he called out.
Everyone walked out except for K'Kruhk and Fives, "We both fought alongside the kids father, I fought with his mother, what do you make of him?"
"Brash, brave, quick to doubt himself like his father but also quick to realize his mistakes like his mother. When Asimov took him as his apprentice I had my concerns, but they are… balancing each other out?" K'Kruhk sighed, stroking his beard.
"What is it you Jedi always say, the force works in mysterious ways?" Fives asked, smirking as he sat down in his command chair.
"You did not summon me for a simple mix of words, what do you want?" K'Kruhk asked him.
Fives leaned in the chair and looked at K'Kruhk with plain brown eyes "Saleucami, Felucia, now Jabiim wherever this kid goes things happen, things people are talking about. Like or not Ahkilleon Tano is becoming a symbol of the Militia and hero to the people."
"Because you are promoting his deeds across the Militia holonet, that's propaganda not fact." Master K'Kruhk told him with a claw pointed accusingly at him before being lowered.
Fives was not fazed by the accusation "And wars are fought not just on the battlefield but in the hearts and minds, you jedi are romanticized by people, it makes sense with all you can do, and I speak from seeing that first hand. Look we've known each other a long time Master K'Kruhk, you helped me fake my death and we found Arcadia together, we started this Militia. I need to know we're on the same side."
"If your hoping to control him, it will not work." Master K'Kruhk said.
Fives snickered, then he laughed. He got up from the desk and paced the room laughing "Hahaha, control him hehe no, no, no…I want to unleash him."
ARCADIA
Bastion Temple
Ahkilleon left the forge behind and walked back up into the first floor, he walked down the hallway and followed the sounds of lightsaber combat to a familiar room, the dueling chamber. The round room had a few students in it and watching the training was Masters Stormblade and Maris Brood, Stormblade was a tall colorful red and brown harch like Admiral Trench, only nearly twice the old spider's size with all of his limbs. The zabrak Maris Brood had her arms crossed in her black leather coat and matching leather outfit. "Remember your balance click-click-click." Stormblade said as he used kendo training sticks to deflect two students at once. There was a group of them all of them younglings with kendo sticks instead of actual lightsabers.
When he noticed Ahkilleon he stopped "Ah, click-click-click the conquering hero returns click-click-click." Walking in Ahkilleon heard a few gasps from the other apprentices and was still taken back at the 'celebrity' status he'd gained only a few days of being on the front. "Masters."
Maris looked over at Stormblade and winked before she clapped her hands "Students gather around, Padawan Tano is far more experienced then all of you he has faced not only one Inquisitor on the battlefield but many, perhaps some of you have questions?"
"Wait what?" Ahkilleon stopped ambushed on the spot.
Suddenly one of the students raised their hands, "How many have you fought?"
Ahkilleon looked at the kids then at the Masters, Stormblade gave a confident eight thumbs up and Maris just looked at him, "Well I… um." He thought about the number of Inquisitors he'd faced which wasn't much, the Eighth Brother, the Fifth Brother, the Seventh Sister the one when he first met the Rebels on the Ghost, then the one at Saleucami so that made "... Five? No six." if he counted Jerec.
"Do they all have those sabers that spin around?" One tholothain boy said spinning his fingers like helicopters "Yes." Ahkilleon said.
"What was it like?" A twi'lek girl with yellow skin asked.
Ahkilleon replied "Dangerous."
"Were you scared?" One of them asked, it was a boy who had dark blueish black hair, he had tan skin with blue eyes but had a long scar on his chin, it reminded Ahkilleon of Ezra "... All the time."
"But how did you win?" the yellow twi'lek girl asked, "I…" he felt the Masters eyes on him "I remembered my training, I listened to my Masters and I new if I didn't stop this… evil, then more would suffer." Ahkilleon said, most of it was true but there was a lot more to it. All the times he got his ass kicked, came back bloody or bandaged after Ezra or Sabine had to tear him away from the fight because he was too stubborn to runaway now it felt like all he wanted to do was run to the fight.
Maris clapped her hands "Thats enough pestering him younglings, back to your training with Master Stormblade, thank you Naru."
Master Stormblade bowed his head in respect, "Walk with me Tano." Maris ordered.
Ahkilleon followed her, and she led out of the training room with her hands in her coat pocket, she didn't carry herself as Ahkilleon thought a Jedi master would, looking at her he put her age around the same his mom would have been, if she were still alive. "You don't look like him." she said.
"What?" Ahkilleon asked.
"Your father, I don't know if it's a human thing or not, but you look more like your mom, didn't know her to well, somewhat new your old man." She said as they went up some steps into a higher walkway "He was wild one, and rumor is so was your mom but to me she was goody goody two shoes Padawan, no offense." she said.
Ahkilleon wasn't sure what she was getting at, but he didn't like how he was speaking about his mother "Well, I can't say much, only that she wasn't very trusting of the last Council." Ahkilleon said.
Maris stopped "... Fair, I can sit at least we aren't them, I'm sure Lord Asimov has already told you of the Congress of Knights."
"He has." Ahkilleon wondered if things were to go from bad to worse, would it come down to a gridlock between the Knights and the Council like in the schism, all because of him?
"What do you make of him, your Maste?" She asked, stopping by one of the walkways looking down at the great hall, less than a dozen people walking around below.
Ahkilleon was silent for a long time trying to figure out the right word.
"Lord Asimov is mighty." Ahkilleon said.
"And that's what you want to be, a mighty Jedi?"
Ahkilleon knew she was probing him, wanting to know who he was like in the training room, it stood to reason that if Ahkilleon wanted to get to know the Masters better, they would want to know him. "I'd settle for a good one, when I was younger not that long ago, I wasn't even sure if I wanted to be a jedi. But seeing this New Jedi Order, what you all have done, I want to be part of that, to see it grow and I know I still have much to learn."
"At least you know you don't know everything, that's a start." she said as she got off the railing "Master Jennir should be somewhere fishing outside the Temple grounds, head north past the trails to the river east of us, that's his favorite spot."
Freezing at that "How did you know I was-" "Jedi-Master." She said poking at her horns near her head showing she sneezed things even he didn't say.
Meanwhile in the Undercroft of the Temple, Lord Asimov was training with five of the New Jedi, two of them were Terro and Ventus the other three all wore dark gray robes with hooded masks, he had his golden saber drawn and the five jedi attacked him, Asimov deflected two blows at once used the force to push the another away, he headed but one of the other dark robed jedi and then kicked the Terro in the chest and head butted Ventus off his feet, the jedi was sent flying before he skidded back down to Terro "He's in a mood." Terro said as he felt his chest.
"Stop shouting." Ventus moaned probably with a concussion.
Asimov sheathed his lightsaber "I can sense you."
Coming out of the shadows of the dark pillars, Asajj Ventress looking annoyed, Lord Asimov sheathed his sword and walked up to her, "Master Ventress."
"Walk, now." She said,
"As you wish." Lord Asimov followed her and they walked out of the Undercroft and out to one of the courtyards above, this was a larger one and empty "I see Master Rancis's gardens are flourishing."
Asajj stopped and glared at him "You always knew small talk wasn't my strength."
"Then why the fuck are you trying?" Asajj asked.
"I am… trying to change." Lord Asimov said.
"What happened on Jabiim, to you?" she asked him.
Lord Asimov walked ahead and stopped, "I went to far."
Asajj blinked and checked her ears, "Oh I'm sorry, did I just hear you-" "Yes, my target was the Governor, a collaborator, a traitor and Imperial, not his son, not a child."
"If this was the old Jedi-" "But it's not, and it can't become like it." Lord Asimov interrupted her."What do you want, no small talk, no proverbs, speak."
Asajj had her arms at her side and sighed, "The Council was at an impasse when it came to your apprentice, you probably noticed we're a seat empty since… they disappeared?" Asajj said.
"I wanted to ask, but later, what are they saying?" Lord Asimov inquired about the current topic.
"At first we were skeptical to see you take Ahsoka Tano's son as your apprentice, but from what the other Masters he's met with have told me, they see he feels remorse, and it's rubbing off on the cold shell of Lord Asimov." she said, looking at him from across the courtyard.
"I am all that you made me, Master." he replied.
Asajj walked up to him "I finished your training so you could survive, to come back from the darkness, not so you could run back into it."
"And I have faced the darkness within me, I saw the abyss and I did not blink, but the way saw my apprentice's pain and fear, he is capable of great destruction and he knows it, but if we could channel that raw power, talent, he would become unstoppable." Lord Asimov said to her, his former teacher.
She narrowed her gaze at him "I hope you know what your doing."
"The offerI made you when the war began, still stands."
"What, come trouncing across the galaxy with you and Tano, be your Kenobi to his Skywalker?" She asked.
"They were a formidable force." Lord Asimov said.
Asajj chuckled even stifling a laugh "And what? Go on random episodic adventures with you and a sarcastic teenager, who gets captured every other day, while you and I go back and forth about whatever?"
"Well when you put it like that Master." Lord Asimov said.
Elsewhere outside Bastion's Temple walls, Ahkilleon had followed Chase's instructions to find Master Jennir, head north past the trails to the river east of the temple, that's Master Jennir's favorite spot. Ahkilleon had learned the trails of the woods in his time out here, often carrying the logs up the mountain top to his and Turok's hideout. He could smell water from one of the many mountain rivers heading east he found the river and walked up stream and the land began to climb large smooth boulders wethered down by the water he passed up a waterfall when he saw some fish leaping from the waters to another part of the stream it leveled out and widened to a bank of smaller stones and he saw him. Master Jennir was standing in the water with his pants rolled up past his ankles, his robes were laid out on the bank by a basket, with his boots and lightsaber and he wore a straw hat to keep the sun off his head as he had a long rod with a string of wire attached to it.
Ahkilleon approached him slowly and Jennir didn't even turn his back, "Master Jennir." Ahkilleon greeted him.
The man reeled in his line after he caught a nibble and pulled out a bright yellow and blue fish with stripes, he pulled it of and looked at it before he undid the hook and released it back into the river before he reached into his pocket and pulled out some more bait to pierce the hook "So, what do you want?" Jass asked.
"I wanted to better understand the New Jedi, Master." Ahkilleon said when Jass glanced at him, "Really, well Maris told me to expect you said I go easy on you, too bad." He said ashe turned around reeling in his fishing rod and walking ashore.
"Master?" Ahkilleon asked before Ahkilleon saw the lightsaber next to Jass's robes go flying, it flew into his hand and out burst a green alser sword, Jass Denir attacked Ahkilleon and he barely had time to draw his own lightsabers and block them.
Ahkilleon backed away "Master Jennir I don't want to fight you."
"To bad." Jass said as he lunged at him with his saber, the green blade moved wicked fast and it wasn't any form Ahkilleon recognized, but a mix, each time Ahkilleon tried to guess his form Jass would change it. Jennir pushed Ahkilleon back and hit his sabers like they were rocks to be shattered, he wasn't just trained in lightsaber combat Jass new how to fight an opponent in other ways. Ahkilleon flipped away and reversed his grip looking at the Jedi Master, "Fine."
Ahkilleon went on the offensive and Jass started to parry with one hand, Form II Makashi, Ahkilleon focused on Ataru, Jass countered him and Ahkilleon slipped his head to the left and kicked off the ground and head butted Jass right in the forehead "You're not the only one who learned to fight outside a Temple." Ahkilleon growled.
Popping his neck Master Denir went to hold his saber with both hands, "I heard you were good, let's see how-MUCH!"
The two of them met again on the river bank this time when battle was joined, Ahkilleon was ready their lightsabers danced and when one went low the other flipped around it, and their sabers sparked out echoing around the trees. Ahkilleon got into a blade lock with him and to his surprise, Jass was smiling. Ahkilleon tried to sense where this hostility was coming from, he was fighting him with no emotion even if Dass was smiling he couldn't feel anger, or fear, sorrow, nothing the man was totally empty of emotion in the fight.
"Trying to read my intentions, you should focus on where my next move will be." Jass shoved one hand forward and Ahkilleon felt the man channel the force, before he dodged the push to Jass's intrigue.
Ahkilleon landed low pouncing, "Come on is this all you got, I heard you had a little berserker in you like your dear old dad?" their lightsabers met "You know, he was the reason the Order broke before the purge, why we were weak." Dass taunted as the and Ahkilleon continued to exchange blows.
"Shut up-" Ahkilelon grabbed a few rocks and hurled them at Dass, the man ddoged one and sliced the others in two with his saber.
"At least your mom as a good reason to leave, they made your dad a Knight to save face." Dass taunted before Ahkilleons anger started to boil over.
No.
He'd been through this before with Jerec, and with Lord Asimov, he was talking to get him off balance. He was wanting Ahkilleon to attack, wanting him to make a wreckless move "At least he stood and fought, and didn't run away?" Ahkilleon asked.
Jass narrowed his vision, his smile gone "Real hero aren't you, killing rebels in front of their family." Jass went on the offensive, he was going harder and faster now Ahkilleon was pushed back to the trees blocking and deflecting the incoming green lightsaber "The young jedi here call you hero, what do you think they'd say if they new the truth?" Ahkilleon felt a small surge of anger from Jass but it wasn't full fury; the man's Jedi training held his emotions at bay. Ahkilleon had to try something different, something to get the fight back in his favor "The New Jedi are trying to be different from the old Jedi, are you?" Jass broke through his defense and Ahkilleon dropped his lightsabers and ran right at Jass, the Jedi Master froze his saber an inch from Ahkilleons face turning it off at the last second for Ahkilleon to throw a left hook with his metal arm so hard Jass was knocked off his feet and into the rocks. Ahkilleon walked toward him but stopped when he heard.
Laughing?
Jass Dennir was laughing, sitting up he laid one hand on his knee a bright purple welt forming on his cheek "Hehe, Force I haven't had a fight like that since I went into hiding."
"Why?" Ahkilleon asked.
"After the purge, I joined up with a few rebel groups, tried to fight the Empire, but it didn't work out so I went into hiding and met some… unsavory characters."
"No- why did you attack me?" Ahkilleon asked.
Jass got up and walked over to his clothes and sat down on a large rock to get his boots on, "To get to know you."
"What?" Ahkilleon asked.
"You don't really know someone until you fight them." Master Dennir said as he got his boots on.
Ahkilleon summoned his lightsabers and clipped them back onto his chest harness, "And?"
"And do you think the Militia are right?" Master Jennir asked as he picked up his hat and his fishing rod, flinging the hook with bait back into the water, Ahkilleon knitted his brow in frustration as the man packed up his fishing gear, "Well?"
He was measuring him up still, "The Empire has to be stopped."
"The Militia doesn't want to stop the Empire, they want to destroy them, do you?" Dass said as he reeled the hook back to the deepest part of the river.
"Wouldn't you?" Ahkilleon asked him without even thinking, "The Empire has taken everything- everything from us, our homes, our families, our faith, they're evil." Ahkilleon said staunchly.
Dass thought about it "So everyone on Coruscant is evil, all three trillion of them?"
"What about the people who were in Choal that the rebels wanted to kill, they were Imperial citizens, you protected them and the Stormtroopers lording over them." Master Jennir put it to him.
"That's not the same." Ahkilleon said.
"Isn't it?" Dass asked him, "Most of the people didn't ask for the Empire to come in and take over their worlds, they did, no one stopped them, hell I even saw people cheering on Coruscant when they destroyed hundreds of lightsabers."
Ahkilleon didn't say anything back so Jass kept talking "The Republic stood fo a thousand years, not all of those years were peaceful, it stood for Freedom, for Democracy, for all people the Militia, what do you think it stands for, since your so keen on fighting for it?"
"... The Empire needs to be stopped, no matter what, my friend- someone I once new said 'We have been called criminals, but we are not. We are rebels, fighting for the people, fighting for you. I'm not that old, but I remember a time when things were better on Lothal. Maybe not great, but never like this. See what the Empire has done to your lives, your families, and your freedom? It's only gonna get worse…unless we stand up and fight back. It won't be easy. There will be loss and sacrifice. But we can't back down just because we're afraid. That's when we need to stand the tallest. That's what my parents taught me. That's what my new family helped me remember. Stand up together. Because that's when we're strongest—as one.' I must have listened to his speech a hundred times."
Jass's line squealed and he reeled in a fish "Good speech, bit… cheesy but the best ones are, so why aren't you with the rebels, and here?"
"With respect Master Jennir, because the galaxy they were fighting for never existed, the Republic that you miss so much, that the adults who were in charge did, the one that my father died for, that betrayed my mother, after everything she gave it… was a lie." Dass reeled in his fish, taking it off the hook "It didn't care about democracy, it cared about profit, about control, and freedom only for those who could afford it."
Jass calmly let the fish back into the water letting it go, "You know a lot about a Republic you never saw?"
"Well I did, and no it wasn't perfect, but the ideals she stood for were, I believed in it so much I didn't hesitate to answer the call to fight for her in the Clone Wars." Jass got up and reeled his hook all the way up to the tip and scooped up his basket, "You got conviction good, you question authority also good, we'll see you at the Council meeting tomorrow morning." and with that Master Jennir walked away back to Bastion.
Ahkilleon shook his head when "Weirdo."
Later that night Ahkilleon returned to the Temple, he had had a busy day and was making his way to his room when he saw a light coming from the cafeteria, he followed the light not sure why anyone would be up at this hour and he saw the light came from behind the serving line. "Ah. I wondered when you would be returning." Ahkilleon heard someone say inside the kitchen, he followed the sound of noise to see Master Zao, the blind Veknoid was standing in his apron with his robe off, wearing only a sleeveless tunic and pants under it, he was stirring a pot of something and spoke "Come, eat, you have had a long day."
Ahkilleon knew he was the last Master he would speak to so he came into the kitchen where a table was already set, like Zao was expecting him, probably was. If Maris had told Dass about him she probably told Zao too or maybe Zao just sensed him looking for the Masters. There were two bowls on each end of the table and Zao came over and with a ladle poured each of them a bowl of soup with vegetables and noodles in it. "The council will decide your fate tomorrow, are you nervous?" Zao asked him.
"I wouldn't be sane if I wasn't." Ahkilleon said, looking at the soup when he picked up his spoon.
"Hmm why is that?" Zao asked.
Ahkilleon set his spoon down before he sighed, "I killed a boy and then killed so many people in front of their own families, the other Jedi here they called me a Hero, I… I'm ashamed." Ahkilleon told him.
"Hmm shame, what did your Master say?" Zao asked as he started to eat his soup, his white eyes staring blankly at Ahkilleon.
"He said that no one would know the good things I did, that I'd be cursed as an invader or a murderer, but that's the price of being a soldier, to fight for a peace we may never see." Ahkilleon said, stirring his spoon in the soup.
Zao opened his mouth with a soft moan "Ahhh, peace, the goal of every Jedi but I sense you fight for more than peace, Lord Asimov calls you a.. Gloryhound?"
Ahkilleon smirked knowing it was true, "I grew up hiding everything about me, my name, my heritage, my skill, I was raised to hide who I really was, to be something that I could never be, I thought I wanted glory but not at… the cost of what happened on Jabiim, I wanted to save lives but the only way I know how is by taking others. I'm good at it."
"Good at killing?" Zao asked, sipping his soup.
"Good at fighting, I always have been, sure I can speak a few languages but sometimes I get confused at all the different dialects, I can fix a droid well enough but it's not like I can rewire an entire system, flying a ship if it's fast, and I'm in a dogfight yes, I'm getting stronger, faster, I need to use it for something that will make a difference and if thats fighting… I accept that." he said as he stuck a spoon in the soup and the moment he tasted it his whole body relaxed, he felt it slide down his throat and into his stomach "That's the best thing I've ever tasted." he looked up to Zao but the blind Master was gone?
THE NEXT MORNING
Ahkilleon was at the base of the Council spire pacing back and forth, Lord Asimov approached him and Ahkilleon met his gaze "I couldn't sleep."
"I should say, you had quite a day haunting the Temple looking for the Masters?" Lord Asimov asked him.
"How did you-" "Master Rancis told me." Lord Asimov said behind his helmet. "What do you make of our New Council?" Lord Asimov asked him.
Sighing Ahkilleon spoke "When I met Master K'Kruhk for the first time he felt he was sincere wanting me and Kanan and Ezra to join the Order, but he's not a fool either if he knows we need to work with the Militia to keep us safe, Master Taa, in healing class it feels like she has a great burden when she looks at me, like she knows something. Master Emesa and Paratus are smart, they know how to build things, Emesa is creative, it feels like he wants to improve things, make them better. Master Paratus is quiet, he speaks only when he needs to. I feel he carries guilt for surviving the Purge."
"He does, he hid on Lotho Minor for years with the junkers when we found him he was already training the Junkers to become his own army, we convinced him to come here and the junkers to become allies." Lord Asimov said "Continue."
"Maris is the youngest but she's smart, she says one thing but I think she means another, Master Jennir is still loyal to the ideas of the Republic, he's unpredictable despite his calm and cool demeanor and Zao… makes a really good soup." Ahkilleon said.
Asimov snickered, folding his arms over his breastplate, "That he does, but you forgot one, Master Asajj Ventress."
"She... hates me." Ahkilleon sighed.
"No, she doesn't." Lord Asimov said.
Ahkilleon shrugged "Um yeah she does, my father wiped her entire people, amazing how they all forget about that."
"I'm surprised your mother told you about that?" his Master asked him.
"Mom wanted me to know my father wasn't perfect, no one is." he explained looking at the long trek up the stairs, "Then you know neither was my Master."
"The Dark Woman?" Ahkilleon asked.
Asimov shook his head "She was one, the other was well she was dark and a woman, but she is a complicated person, come they are waiting."
"Wait, she… trained you… oh my lineage is such a mess." Ahkilleon muttered following Lord Asimov up the stairs they reached the top and Mater Piru and Sir Taanzer. They opened the doors and they walked in, Ahkilleon still noticed the empty char but also saw that Master Saa and Master K'Kruhk were holograms on Raxus.
"I call this Council to Order, Lord Asimov, Padawan Tano, are you prepared to receive the Councils judgment on the matter of Jabiim?" K'Kruhk asked.
Ahkilleon gulped "We will hear you." Lord Asimov said, speaking to both of them.
"After great deliberation and debate, this Council condemns your actions on Jabiim, both in the assassination that led to the death of a child." Master K'Kruhk said from his hologram back on Raxus. "Furthermore we understand this Council does not answer to the Militia's armed forces, we cannot abide that is how this war is being fought, therefore after speaking with the General of the Militia, this Council going forward will be privy to all Military matters involving this war until its end."
Ahkilleon looked at his Master, "What does that mean… for us?"
"It means Lord Asimov will be allowed to return to his fleet, we cannot ignore the victory on Jabiim saved the Militia and Jabiim the cost of a prolonged campaign, and that you cannot be trusted to stay out of combat situations." Master Saa said.
Ahkilleon new what was coming next "Therefore the council will make an exception, you will be allowed to enter military comabt under command of your Master and Warlord of the Jedi, Lord Asimov, under a field commission from the General himself."
"What?" Ahkilleon asked.
"I must ask as well, what?" Lord Asimov asked.
Master Emesa spoke, "The Militia is celebrating the joining of Jabiim to it's ranks, taking the planet in less than a day has bolstered requests for aid from dozens of star systems, and the ore secured has increased the Militia's ability to build ships and droids."
"But I… killed a boy?" Ahkilleon asked them.
"We have not forgotten, but you are young, your life was threatened. You must be a better jedi to avoid ever making that mistake again." Maris said to him "May the Force be with Captain Tano."