Fortress Inquisitorius, Nur - Outer Rim Territories
The unceremonious execution of their fourth member still left the team rattled, though they couldn't say they particularly missed his attitude. Perhaps that makes them bad for thinking so, but it is what it is.
Since then, however, there's been little for the troopers to do aside from make their rounds through the fortress on patrol or mingle in the cafe while on break. In both cases, their thoughts are often occupied by fretting over the next victim of their leaders while making their rounds through the fortress.
"There's been nothing to do around here since that fiasco on..." Benton pauses to look around before continuing, lowering his voice to a whisper. "...on Malachor."
Khardan merely grunts in acknowledgement.
"Maybe we're running out of Jedi to hunt," Firis suggests. "Take it as a positive."
"Or they're running out of Inquisitors," Benton mutters.
"They'd still send us out. We're trained to fight Jedi, remember?" Khardan reminds him.
Benton scoffs.
"Come on, we all know they don't see us as anything more than cannon fodder."
Khardan and Firis both shoot him a fierce glare.
"Shh! Are you trying to end up like Veldin?" Firis hisses.
Benton grimaces at the unsettling reminder and he holds his hands up in defeat.
"Sorry, sorry! I'm just saying... if they ever send me out to fight that one Jedi with the blue poncho, the next time you'd see me is at a funeral," he says.
"Skill issue."
Benton blinks in surprise and gapes at her in disbelief for a few seconds.
"Are you s― did you just― Lady, shut up!" he scowls at her.
Firis opens her mouth to retort but is interrupted by a beeping noise. They glance around for a moment before realizing the sound is coming from Khardan.
"What's that?" she asks.
"My comlink," Khardan answers.
He looks down at it and frowns. The expression on his face seems to make him age considerably.
"Who'd be calling you?" Benton asks.
"Is it that..." Firis trails off uneasily.
Khardan takes a deep breath to steady his nerves and stands up from his chair, grabbing his helmet as he does so.
"I'll be right back," he states.
Benton and Firis watch him depart before sharing an uneasy look with each other.
Once he's in a private location Khardan puts his helmet on to cover his face and lifts his arm to accept the call request. A small holographic image of the eerie dark-haired woman is projected from his gauntlet.
"Captain Fellec speaking," he states.
"How soon can you gather an assault crew?" Aralina questions.
Khardan lifts a brow beneath his helmet.
"How soon do you need?"
"One rotation."
The captain frowns.
"That may be difficult to―" he starts to say.
"One. Rotation. Do not make me repeat myself."
Aralina's glare is soul-piercing, and even through the blue image Khardan could swear her eyes were glowing yellow. His swallows down his protests and gives a stiff nod in response.
"I'll make it happen," he says. "What's our target?"
"Are you familiar are you with the occult?"
"Occult?" Khardan asks carefully. "You mean the Jedi?"
A small smile slowly stretches across the woman's face.
"You'll find out soon. Bring your troops to the Farlax sector and await my call."
J't'p'tan, Farlax sector - Core Worlds
With nothing to do in a prison cell, the two Jedi had plenty of time to discuss with each other about the things they had seen on Remnicore. There was a lot to ponder and question, and seemingly no end to the amount of surprises they could throw at the other.
The expression on Jarik could only be described as melancholic, yet oddly enchanted, as he describes his experience to Ahsoka.
"...I've spoken to other spirits before, as you know, but with Qui-Gon... it's just different," he was saying.
Her gaze expresses empathy and understanding.
"Because you knew him in life," she remarks, to which he nods in agreement.
"After he died, the uneti tree felt like the only place where I could still feel him," he says, a faraway look on his face. "I doubt it's still standing."
"Probably not," she replies with a forlorn nod and sighs, thinking about her own encounter with a fallen mentor. "To be honest, I'm still not fully sure if I did speak with Master Plo and not an illusion. Do you know if he learned the secret?"
Jarik thinks about it briefly and shrugs.
"I'm not sure. But if anyone in the Order could've found out, I'd bet on him," he replies.
"I hope so."
Ahsoka looks down at the floor from where she's sitting against the wall, appearing glum, and Jarik takes her hand into his own while offering a faint smile of consolation.
"We had great mentors, didn't we?" he says softly.
"The best," she murmurs back.
She lays her head on his shoulder and the duo sit together in silence for a short time, allowing themselves to be comforted by each other's presence. The reminder of their mentors, however, brings a sense of bitterness and sorrow to Ahsoka.
"There's nothing I could've done for Anakin, is there?"
It was phrased as a question, but spoken like a statement.
"You saw his friendship with Palpatine more than I did," Jarik sighs, looking at her meaningfully. "Could you have gotten between that?"
Ahsoka ponders it in her mind, feeling more and more doubtful the longer she does.
She never questioned Anakin's friendship with the Chancellor but, after her trial before the Republic Court, her opinion of Palpatine was soured. The more she thought about it, the more unsettling it was.
"I don't know," she mutters.
"Neither do I," he admits. "Best not to keep dwelling on it. It… it just hurts you more."
He hesitates when saying that, recalling his own experiences with attachment.
"I know," Ahsoka replies. "But it's hard. I thought about him so much that I disregarded everyone else."
And it wasn't just with Anakin. How many times did she have a narrow view of the world during her youth? How many times did she choose one thing, only for that choice to leave countless others to face the consequences?
After losing her squadron over Ryloth she promised herself to never again put her comrades in needless peril. Yet what did she do that fateful day at the end of the war?
"Ahsoka…"
As if sensing her inner turmoil, Jarik turns to her with a serious gaze.
"Believe me, I get it," he tells her. "I've done a lot these last two years."
Ahsoka sighs, shaking her head.
"How do I get better?"
Jarik smiles at her.
"You're already doing it."
She looks back at him with conflicting emotions, unsure if that could be true. But she still smiles back regardless, deciding to hope for it.
Redemption isn't an impossible thing.
Eventually, Ahsoka's thoughts drift to the overarching topic of their earlier discussion and the being, or beings, who seems to show the way in which it is even possible.
"Jarik, when you learned how to become a Force spirit, did you ever encounter a..." Ahsoka pauses, her brow furrowed. "...I'm not sure, a person?"
He ponders her question with a thoughtful frown.
"A Priestess?"
"White mask, black robes?" she describes.
"I don't know what they look like. I never got that far because of my... you know," he admits awkwardly.
Ahsoka smiles at Jarik in understanding and wordlessly urges him to continue.
"But Master Yoda told me about them," he tells her.
"One of them spoke to me in the Pyramid after we were separated," she recalls, shaking her head in amazement. "I've never seen anything like it, not even on Mortis."
"Yoda found them at a place he called the Wellspring the Life. I've tried to learn anything I could over the years, but all I've ever found was a brief mention in the Rammahgon, one of the sacred texts back home," he explains, giving her a meaningful look. "It... described them as servants of the Whills."
Ahsoka lifts her head to look at him, her brows lifted in astonishment.
"The Whills?" she repeats.
"Yep," he nods in confirmation.
A flurry of thoughts rush through her mind at the revelation, yet again feeling as though the universe as she understands it is being flipped upside down; an all too frequent occurrence lately.
"That's incredible," she breathes out in awe. "No one's ever been able to prove they even exist, much less meet them."
"I wonder if Morai knows," he remarks.
"She probably does."
Jarik nods in agreement and sighs, then smiles at her.
"Sounds like the Priestess helped you learn the secret."
Not completely, from what it sounded like, but it is a step in the right direction. Ahsoka smiles and resumes leaning back against Jarik, taking comfort in his presence.
"We learned a lot of things," she muses.
Within a small and secure chamber of the Temple, some members of the Council of Nassi were gathered to discuss the alarming precedent caused by recent events. Wialu, the Matron, stood to one side facing the wall, on which mosaic art of a white and green convor is displayed. The other three members present were in a heated discussion full of strong differing opinions.
"I see no reason why we should be debating this. Let us wipe their memory of us and be done with them," an orange-skinned Twi'lek says.
"It is not that simple, Arunna," Xudi replies.
"It is standard protocol for everyone who discovers us," Arunna states, glaring at the other woman. "Do not let your fondness for them get in the way of our responsibilities."
Xudi bristles at the veiled insult and meets her gaze with an equally fierce look.
"I am not. These are very unique circumstances which we haven't dealt with before."
"And what do you suggest, Xudi?" Sydali asks her.
"Listen to their account of what happened to them," she replies. "We should know all of the details before passing judgment."
"What difference does that make?" Arunna demands.
"A great deal," Xudi states firmly.
"Because your feelings are clouding your judgment," she retorts.
Xudi shakes her head in frustration at Arunna's clear dismissal of not only her opinions, but also her character. Clearly she never agreed with the idea of her ever being amongst the Jedi in the first place.
Before she could express her annoyance, however, the argument is put on pause as Wialu turns around to address her companions.
"Enough," she silences them before giving Arunna a stern look. "Arunna, Xudi has proven her worth to our order many times. She is not one to let herself be misguided."
Arunna sighs but begrudgingly defers to the Matron, though her focus is quickly placed onto Xudi.
"However, I cannot easily abide by your reasoning for not ridding ourselves of these Jedi," Wialu starts to say, expecting a response.
Xudi is all too ready to provide one.
"Matron, you yourself said that Lady Morai requested we aid them," she points out.
"That was before they did the unthinkable," Wialu reminds her. "Because of them we are now at risk! Tor Valum knows we protect one of the Infinity Stones, and if he finds us..."
She shakes her head, not willing to voice the possibilities that follow.
"I know what would happen," Xudi acknowledges grimly.
"Then how can you defend them?" Wialu questions.
"I know them well. Better than most. They did not fall for the words of the Dark Prophet."
Arunna shakes her head in dismissal.
"He does not need them too in order to get what he wants," she states.
"Maybe," Xudi nods in acknowledgement. "But they learned more about Remnicore in that short time than we have in generations. We should at least hear them out."
"And then what? Let them go free?" Sydali asks incredulously.
"We can determine that later," Xudi replies, unwilling to agree or disagree.
Arunna scoffs.
"Absurd. Matron, we can't―"
"I should punish them for what they've brought upon us. I should! And yet..." Wialu sighs, the moment of intensity fading. "...you are not wrong, Xudi. Their circumstances are unlike any other."
A wary look is shared between Arunna and Sydali. Wialu takes a step closer to Xudi and levels her with a serious gaze.
"If anything goes wrong then responsibility lies solely with you and, as such, you will face the same consequences they do," she states, pausing to let her meaning sink in. "Do you understand me?"
Xudi is nervous. This place and its mission has been her whole life. The idea of losing it is... rough. But she taught her students a long time ago to stand up for what they know is right. It would be shameful of her to not obey her own instruction.
She nods her head in acceptance.
"I do, Matron."
Wialu eyes her for a moment longer and then nods, seemingly satisfied.
"Good."
The quiet stillness of the Fallanassi prison is disrupted by a ring of orange sparks appearing in the air, prompting Jarik and Ahsoka to stand up. The sparkling vortex expands to allow Wialu and her three council members into the prison, standing just outside of the cell.
"Tano. Shan," she addressed them.
The Matron's voice is stern and devoid of emotion to match the blank expression on her face. Xudi stood close by, appearing apprehensive, whilst the other two sorceresses carried harsh looks of disdain.
"Matron," Ahsoka defers with a faint nod. "Please, if we could just―"
Wialu lifts her hand, prompting Ahsoka into silence.
"There are only two outcomes that follow this conversation," the Matron states. "For your sake, your explanation will need to be thoroughly convincing."
Ahsoka takes a deep breath and replies with another nod, then steals a brief glance over at her husband. Jarik crosses his arms over his chest, a bit anxious but ready to meet the challenge posed by the conversation ahead.
It doesn't take long for the questioning to start, first initiated by the untrusting Twi'lek, Arunna.
"Were you aware that your presence on Remnicore could've brought catastrophe to the universe as we know it?"
"Wialu did tell us about the dangers you keep at bay," Jarik answers.
Arunna's gaze hardens.
"So then, you admit that you would risk the safety of the universe for your own personal gain?"
Jarik blinks at her and shakes his head.
"That is not what―"
"You knew full well the level of destruction you could've unleashed, and chose to go regardless!" Arunna snaps at him. "Have you no regard for what we do here? Have you no shame?!"
Jarik glowers at her but reigns in his temper and tries to calm himself. Already he feels this conversation will at the very least give him a huge headache, rivaled only by dealing with politicians.
Ahsoka grimaces, understanding his thought process. They'll have to be careful with how they answer.
"We wouldn't have allowed any of that to happen," Jarik states firmly.
"I disagree," Arunna curls her lip in contempt.
"Arunna, this is getting nowhere," Xudi interjects.
"There's no point in listening to them. Jedi are vain in their ignorance," she retorts.
Xudi turns to her with a scowl.
"If anyone should know the faults of the Jedi, Arunna, then it is I. Don't forget that."
Arunna doesn't back down, matching her glare.
"I certainly won't."
"Enough, both of you," Wialu reprimands them with a harsh glare. and sighs, shaking her head. "Sydali?"
With priority now directed to her instead of the others, Sydali takes a step toward the barrier to question the Jedi.
"You were instructed by the Matron to never seek out Tor Valum. Why did you ignore our mandate?"
"To be clear, we did not do so blindly," Jarik says in reply.
He spares a glance at Ahsoka and she nods.
"We were guided by Morai," he adds.
Wialu lifts a curious brow but otherwise doesn't react, already aware of the pair's connection with the Daughter. The other three, however, express a mixture of shock and astonishment. Arunna's surprise quickly morphs into fury.
"You dare make such a claim―"
"Arunna," Wialu intervenes yet again.
The Matron gives her another look of warning before turning her gaze back to the Jedi with clear skepticism.
"Why would Morai ever tell anyone to seek such a horrid creature?" she demands.
"She never told us to seek him, nor did she tell us to trust him―quite the opposite," Ahsoka states. "Ever since she died and... well, y'know... her spirit lived on through me."
Xudi stares at Ahsoka in Astonishment, a newfound sense of awe and confusion washing over her at the revelation.
"Matron, she can't―" Arunna protests.
"She speaks the truth, Arunna," Wialu reveals, nodding to Ahsoka. "Continue."
"Whenever Morai sought to guide us, she typically appeared in the form of a convor," she explains. "The morning after our meeting, Jarik and I were debating what to do about Tor Valum when we saw her again. When I asked her if he could help us, she lead us to Cera."
"And Cera just agreed to take you?" Sydali questions.
"Not because she wanted to," Jarik quickly clarifies. "She hated the idea."
Ahsoka nods her head for emphasis.
"Please, you can't blame Cera for our decision."
Wialu furrows her brow in response.
"She chose to aid you, for which there are consequences," she states simply.
Ahsoka seems to deflate at the news while Jarik merely crosses his arms with a grim look. The Fallanassi sorceresses appear unsympathetic to their disappointment.
"Now, tell us everything that happened to you on Remnicore, and be precise," Sydali instructs them. "Do not leave out a single detail of your encounter with Tor Valum."
Cera lets out a heavy sigh as she kneels down on the floor and begins scrubbing at a patch of mud.
Essentially overnight her reputation plummeted to one of the lowest among the Fallanassi, with practically everyone critical of her and judging her decision to aid the two Jedi. It stings, especially having spent a good deal of her life as one of them, but she can't blame them for being upset. She did break the rules to the highest degree.
Does she regret it? Not really, but the aftermath hasn't been good. After being yelled at by Arunna and receiving a devastating lecture from other leaders, she's been put to work for the foreseeable future.
Not Fallanassi work, but menial tasks like cleaning anything and everything, every second of every day, for as long as Wialu decides.
It could be worse, she supposed.
When the area she was scrubbing at was spotless of any traces of dirt and mud Cera stands back up and turns around.
"Why'd you do it?"
Cera jumps in surprise at finding Xiffé standing directly behind her, the Verollian's large and imposing stature nothing short of frightening in that brief moment of alarm.
"Holy— don't sneak up on me like that," Cera says.
Xiffé remains silent, her arms crossed and lips pressed into a thin scowl. Cera notices her behavior and sighs.
"You don't seem very happy with me," she comments.
"Just answer the question, Cera."
"I already told the Matron," Cera picks up her bucket of cleaning water.
As she moves to walk away, Xiffé's eyes narrow and she bares her teeth in a hiss.
"Is this some kind of joke to you?" she demands. "You put all of us at risk! You could've ruined us all!"
"We're not ruined," Cera retorts.
"You don't know that!"
Cera pauses and grits her teeth in frustration, turning around to face her.
"Why is this so important to you?" she exclaims.
"You turned your back on us!" Xiffé storms up to Cera and jabs a finger to her chest. "For what? Some lowlife Jedi? They don't deserve your chumminess!"
Angry now, Cera shoves her hand away.
"Kriff you! You haven't got a clue!" she snaps in reply. "I've spent decades thinking I would never see anyone from my family again. I won't lose my sister a second time!"
Xiffé's eyes widen in outrage, but she manages to reign in her temper and instead fix Cera with an icy glare.
"You can't justify this. If you wanted to break our trust then you should've run off with Talsava!"
In an instinctive burst of anger Cera reacts by punching Xiffé in the face. The Verollian steps back in surprise before retaliating with a slash of her claws. Cera narrowly ducks to avoid her but is then struck from a whip-like blow of Xiffé's tail, sending her crashing into the wall. Right then Nya enters the corridor carrying a few books and yelps in surprise at the confrontation.
"What're you guys doing? Stop it!" she exclaims.
Xiffé glares down at Cera, who returns the look with equal intensity, but hisses at her before storming away.
Nya rushes over, saying something frantic to them both, but Cera doesn't pay attention and instead glowers at the other woman's retreating form.
A trio of Imperial attack shuttles hang in the black void of space at the far reaches of the local star system, waiting to connect with the individuals who directed them there to meet.
A smaller ship approached the Imperial shuttles and connected itself with the docking tube on the leading vessel.
Inside the main room of the shuttle, Khardan stood at the head of his squad of purge troopers, flanked by Benton and Firis, awaiting the arrival of their contact. When the door opened they stood at attention and received their first good look. One of them was a male dressed in a strange armor—albeit Imperial in design—and he wore a red mask which covered his face. The other was a human woman who carried a far more sinister presence, dressed in all black with dark hair hanging over a pale-skinned face.
Khardan refrains from shivering at the woman's presence, finding her much more unsettling than over holo-message, and he can tell his comrades felt the same way. Aralina inspects the assembled group for a moment and then smiles.
"You made it. Good," she murmurs.
"Of course, ma'am," Khardan replies with a stiff nod. "You say there's a Jedi hiding in this system?"
"Not a Jedi," the male warrior, Ochi, corrects coldly.
Khardan frowns underneath his helmet and hesitates nervously before responding.
"Then what's our target?" he questions.
Aralina levels him with a predatory gaze and advances, her gait slow as she moves to circle him. He resists the urge to back away as she trails one hand across his shoulders; a strange two-fingered ring—blackened and charred—on her hand clinks against his armor.
"I wonder, Captain... is your impatience born of noble desire to see a Jedi fall? Or is it mere disdain for your purpose...?"
She pauses behind him and he glares straight ahead.
"I'm loyal to the Empire. Nothing more, nothing less," he states.
The woman hums in response and finally moves away from him, returning to her original position beside Ochi and giving him a faint nod.
"There is a settlement on J't'p'tan, which has something of great value to the Emperor," Ochi informs them.
"How do you want us to proceed?" Khardan inquires.
"These cultists will not take kindly to our presence," he growls in reply. "We must wipe them out."
With fortunately minimal interruptions Ahsoka and Jarik were able to give a basic summary of their journey to Remnicore and encounter with Tor Valum, as well as explain their thoughts about what occurred, though they refrained from sharing some of the more personal interactions in their visions. When they finished their story Wialu pondered it in silence for some time while everyone waited for her to respond.
"It's clear that Tor wanted you to come to Remnicore," she finally says. "Why do you think that is?"
They both have some of their own theories, especially Jarik, and none of them were great.
"He kept calling us the Sun and Moon," he says in reply.
He stares intently at the Matron in search of some sort of reaction, and though she kept it subdued he wasn't disappointed by what he saw—she was surprised.
The other Fallanassi weren't as subtle in their response.
"Sun and Moon?" Sydali exclaims in clear astonishment.
"Then he's mad. It is only a tale," Arunna says.
"It's more real than you might think," Jarik counters.
Xudi, despite already having heard their story, is still nevertheless baffled by the idea of her students potentially being the focus of an ancient prophecy.
Arunna scowls at Jarik's reply.
"Are you insinuating—?"
Wialu holds out a hand to interrupt her and she begrudgingly falls silent.
"I see," Wialu murmurs. "What do you believe he wants with you?"
"He said he wants to help us to unlock our full powers in order to protect the galaxy against a future enemy," Ahsoka answers.
Xudi frowns. Her thoughts turn toward one potential enemy which they've felt impressed to keep a closer eye on in recent years.
"And what do you think?"
At her question Ahsoka and Jarik share a brief glance with each other before responding.
"He likely does believe we can defeat that enemy," Jarik starts to say.
"But he's only using us to get what really wants," Ahsoka finishes.
"Which is?" Sydali questions.
"The Mind Stone," he answers.
The Fallanassi all grow a bit more tense.
"So you're aware he is of no help to you," Wialu states coldly.
"We believe he can help us—"
"Unbelievable!" Arunna exclaims.
"—I'm not finished!" Jarik snaps back at her. "He does have the knowledge to help us."
"He's simply using truth to further his own ambitions," Ahsoka clarifies.
Even Xudi can't help but visibly express her own skepticism, though Sydali voices it for them.
"How can you be so certain that Tor has genuine knowledge that can help you?"
"You can learn a lot about the art of deceit when Palpatine is your greatest foe," Jarik remarks dryly. "The greatest deceptions are often shrouded in truth."
Wialu lifts a brow at that, intrigued, and inclines her head faintly in acknowledgement of his point.
"Very well. How much does he know about the Mind Stone?"
"Enough to know what it is," he states grimly. "And if he knows you have it, I can only assume he also knows your location."
"Likely it was revealed through the illusions he cast on you both," Arunna suggests.
The scowl on her face leaves little doubt about who she casts blame on.
"None of them were about you or this place," Ahsoka dismisses the possibility.
"As far as you know," Sydali argues.
"Matron, if I may," Xudi interjects. "Their tale has revealed a great deal about Remnicore—more than we've been able to learn in over a hundred years."
"Are you suggesting this absolves them of punishment?" Arunna demands.
"Not at all," she retorts. "But as stubborn and hardheaded as they are, Ahsoka and Jarik are not fools. Even as younglings they were talented, and they know better than to underestimate the enemy."
Arunna shakes her head.
"Noble or otherwise, intentions do not matter. Not when they present such risk!"
"Perhaps," Wialu says.
She looks at the Jedi with a frown on her face.
"Did he tell you what to do with—?"
Before finishing her question she pauses and falls silent, glancing to the side as if she spotted something in her peripheral. Her sudden silence surprises everyone, and the other Fallanassi take a step closer in concern.
"Matron? Are you alright?" Sydali asks.
Wialu frowns, slowly shaking her head.
"I'm not sure."
Ahsoka and Jarik both make an attempt to stretch out with their senses in the Force, but an unseen barrier prevents them from seeing beyond their cell.
Being outside of the cell's shielding, however, Xudi does the same thing and an uneasy look appears on her face.
"I sense it too."
A sense of dread leaks into Jarik's mind.
"What is it?" he asks.
The other Fallanassi pay him no mind, but Xudi turns to answer him.
"Something approaches. Something dark."
Oh no.
The two Jedi share a panicked look.
The altercation with Xiffé left Cera bruised from where she was struck hard, but it wasn't serious enough to demand any attention so she continued cleaning as usual. Currently she was moving along a corridor in one of the Temple's upper levels, and while passing by a window movement in her peripheral caught her attention.
She backtracks a few steps and looks out the window, not seeing anything right away. She dismisses it and starts to move on when a flock of convors pass by the window with loud screeches.
Cera blinks in surprise and watches the convors vanish into the sky, somewhat perplexed.
Then she looks down at the ground and spots something else. Sneaking away from the building is a figure adorned with black armor, using bushes and other small structures as cover against those on the ground. Cera narrows her eyes in bewilderment at the otherwise bizarre sight, not yet recognizing the danger.
"What...?" she murmurs.
The armored figure vanishes into the trees close by and an uneasy sense of dread enters her gut.
Then an explosion rocks the building.
Author's Note: Sad news about the passing of James Earl Jones, he was an icon to so many. RIP