Ittummi, Kkowir forest - Kashyyyk
All around the broken city, wookiees and the few rebel soldiers left sifted through the wreckage in a long process for clean up. They helped each other to clean around the broken buildings, remove the wrecked vehicles, and clear the dead. Some wookiees grieved for lost friends and family, but most everyone was just grateful to be alive.
Outside of one house that was not yet broken stood the Shan family, Rex, and Boil, as they waited anxiously for news. Eventually the door opens and T'ra emerges with a solumn look on her face.
"How is he?" Boil asks immediately.
"He is stable. But whether he makes a full recovery is up to him now," she replies.
Jarik and Ahsoka both furrow their brows in worry while the others share startled glances of confusion.
"What do you mean?" Rex asks worriedly.
"While I can mend his physical wounds, there is little I can do if he does not possess the will to live," she explains, her voice grim. "His mind is full of grief over the things he has done, and the people he has lost."
Jarik faintly widens his eyes in surprise and share's a pained glance with Ahsoka, who immediately knows what's on his mind. Her own expression is mournful and heartbroken. Jarik can't help but feel a slim sensation of guilt as he remembers that fateful day so many years ago. Though outside, dark, forces were also to blame, stealing the life from her, much of her passing ultimately came as a result of the heartbreak she felt that day.
The day that Padmé lost the will to live.
"Thank you for trying, Master," Ahsoka says, her voice gentle but appreciative.
T'ra nods her head in acknowledgement, sensing a bit more to Ahsoka's words but choosing not to pry.
"Of course. And call me T'ra," she replies with a kind expression.
Ahsoka nods back as well. With the topic of discussion concluded for now, Rex and Boil vanish inside the house to see their brother, hoping that he would persist through his pain and wake back up. The Jedi remain outside to give them a bit of privacy. Mara shifts back and forth on her feet, glancing up at T'ra periodically before finally succumbing to her curiosity.
"So... Force healing... you guys can all do that?" she asks, looking around at them. "When did you learn to do that? It's what you did when Hoark was poisoned a few years back, right?"
"Yes, at least a form of it. It's... hard to explain," Ahsoka tells her, pondering the memory with a frown. "A lot of it has to do with Jarik and I's unique circumstances."
"Very unique," Jarik interjects.
"But I could learn it, right?" Mara asks hopefully. "Seems like a pretty useful skill to know."
"Perhaps. However, much like psychometry, it is very rare," T'ra states. "Force healing is not a skill that can be learned, but a gift that you are born with."
Jarik crosses his arms in frustration, once again unable to help it as his memory falls back on the events that led to Anakin's fall and the collapse of everything they knew. He glances at Ahsoka with bitterness in his eyes.
'So much could've been avoided if Anakin had that option,' he says over their bond.
Ahsoka returns the look with a hard, yet pained, glare of her own.
'Maybe, but... please don't dwell on it,' she tells him, for her own sake as well as his own.
Jarik grimaces in apology and sighs.
'Sorry,' he replies.
She acknowledges him by opening her hand by her side and Jarik drops his arms to accept her hand with his, and she squeezes it gently. Oblivious to their shared dialogue, Mara continues her conversation with T'ra.
"―how do I find out if I can do it?" she was asking.
"Meditation and focus on the Living Force within yourself over a period of several weeks," T'ra answers simply.
Hoping for a much easier and straight forward option, Mara's eagerness drops into a bit of guilty disappointment.
"Oh," she sighs.
A faint smile of amusement appears on T'ra's face as she senses Mara's inner dilemma.
"Guess that's for another time!" Jarik interjects loudly.
Mara looks at him and then Ahsoka and crosses her arms in displeasure as she remembers their Force dyad.
"Cheaters," she scoffs.
T'ra lifts a confused brow but doesn't comment, and Ahsoka turns to her after giving her daughter a noticeable eye roll.
"What do you plan to do now, T'ra?" she questions.
"I do not know," T'ra admits slowly. "I must confess that I'm hesitant in joining the Rebellion as an active combatant, at least so quickly."
"You wouldn't be the first," Jarik tells her. "Shaak Ti aided the rebels as a combat instructor for new recruits, much like how she oversaw the clone's training on Kamino during the war."
He lets out a sorrowful sigh before continuing.
"Sadly she passed on into the Force after the Empire attacked our base," he reveals.
T'ra gazes at him sadly, familiar enough with the togrutan Jedi Master to know how much she was admired by her peers, T'ra among them.
"I am sorry to hear that. She was a beacon of light to many," she says sorrowfully, though manages a small smile. "But I'm glad to hear she continued to do good."
"She did a lot," Jarik nods in agreement, his voice tight. "Maybe..."
He pauses for a moment, recalling the ways that Shaak supported the Rebellion. A thoughtful frown crosses his expression as he ponders some other ways that T'ra could provide similar support.
"What if you could help us find surviving Jedi?" he suggests, looking at the Jedi Master. "We do have a group whose main focus is on finding them."
T'ra ponders the idea for a moment.
"Perhaps. Over my long years I have met many Jedi who would have the skills and knowledge to hide, given they survived the initial purge," she starts to say, growing more thoughtful. "There is one in particular whom I suspect could have done both."
Intrigued at the thought of meeting another Jedi, Mara uncrosses her arms and looks at T'ra in excitement.
"Who?" she asks.
"Master K'Kruhk," she reveals.
Ahsoka's eyes widen briefly in recognition.
"I've heard of him," she remarks. "Anakin told me that Master K'Kruhk and his padawan, Baylan Skoll, were part of the team that rescued him, Obi-Wan, and Padmé on Geonosis."
"Why'd he mention them specifically?" Jarik asks with a raised brow.
"They were powerful," she shrugs in response. "He noticed things like that."
Jarik rolls his eyes in exasperation.
"Of course he did," he scoffs.
"And he would be right. If anyone could have survived Order 66, it would have been K'Kruhk," T'ra interjects confidently. "And, if I'm right, I may know a way to find him."
"That's awesome!" Mara grins.
"It certainly is," Jarik agrees, seeming a bit more tense. "But for now, let's save this conversation for a more private setting."
Catching note of his meaning, Ahsoka and T'ra both stretch their senses out in search of anyone that could potentially by prying in on their conversation. Though there isn't anyone or anything close by as far as they can tell, experience has them both agree with Jarik's caution.
"Agreed," T'ra says.
With the threat of an Imperial attack gone for the time being, Jarik contacted R5 and gave him the order to fly the Knight Hawk to Ittummi to pick up them and the rebels, their job on Kashyyyk now finished. Happy to finally be back in action and of some importance, the astromech quickly followed the order and soon enough the Knight Hawk was set down on the outskirts of the city, allowing the rebels to start packing up and loading their belongings onto the ship.
Fortunately, the supplies that they had brought the wookiees on their journey here were stored inside one of the buildings that did not suffer direct damage from the Empire's attack, leaving the inhabitants with more than enough to last for a while. While packing everything some of the rebels took the opportunity to express their farewells.
"Great to fight alongside you, big guy," Cara was saying.
The rebel shock trooper had her hand held out to Tarfful for a handshake, but the wookiee chieftain bypassed it in favor of a bone-crushing hug, lifting the solider off the ground with such strength that even she feared her body might snap. Nearby, Ulvac laughed at his commander's plight.
Meanwhile, Idryssa was expressing her own goodbyes to a fellow teammate.
"I'm almost going to miss your complaining," she admits.
"Hah, very funny," Tivik grumbles, glancing at her. "You sure you want to stay?"
With the loss of Xosad and Mari, Idryssa would be the only one left of their small band amidst the wookiees. She sighs and shakes her head at him, somewhat pained by the reminder.
"You know I won't go back to the Partisans," she tells him. "Better I stay here."
Still skeptical and in disagreement with her choice, Tivik nevertheless concedes and shakes her hand in farewell.
Standing on the ramp of his ship, Jarik observes the crowd for a moment before watching as T'ra approaches in calm silence, her stride pausing before her feet stepped off the organic surface and onto the metal one.
"You ready to leave, T'ra?" Jarik asks gently.
"No," she admits. "But if not now, when?"
He does know how to respond and merely nods his head in acknowledgement, giving a small comforting smile in return.
THE NEXT DAY...
Great Temple, Yavin 4 - Outer Rim Territories
After the hours long trip from Kashyyyk to Yavin 4, the Knight Hawk and its passengers returned to the familiar environment of the Rebel headquarters.
Following the disembarking and a short time of rest, Jarik, Boil, Rex, and Cara reported to the command center to give their update on the situation at Kashyyyk. With the other leaders busy with separate manners at the moment, Garm Bel Iblis was the sole official to hear their report, listening intently to catch every detail. When they concluded he pondered the information in silence for a short while before responding.
"I am sorry about your losses," he tells them. "Nevertheless, with the leadership of the 212th now gone their hold over Kashyyyk will weaken considerably. The wookiees have hope of a brighter future, thanks to your efforts."
"Thank you, senator," Cara nods in acknowledgement.
With her role in the mission now concluded she turns around from the holotable to depart, though not without first addressing the two clone troopers.
"Till next time, huh?" Boil comments.
"You can count on that, old man," she says in reply.
Rex chuckles while Boil grins at her in amusement.
"Careful who you're teasing, trooper," he retorts.
Rex and Boil both share her arm in farewell, the respect between them all mutual, and then Cara leaves the room.
"Now..." Garm starts to say, regaining their attention. "...my next biggest concern is Commander Cody, and I'm not quite sure how to handle this."
The two clones' expressions become grim at the change in topic. Still unconscious in a coma of sorts, Cody was currently kept in the base's infirmary under constant supervision and surveillance.
"I understand, Senator, but trust me when I tell you that his defection from the Empire is sincere," Rex states firmly. "We might not have survived if he hadn't stood up to Kahdah."
"Be that as it may, he still served as one of the Empire's top military commander for many years," Garm points out. "With all that in mind, you can't expect rebel command to give him a slap on the wrist and forget about it."
"What do they want to do with him right now?" Jarik asks, a bit cautious of the answer.
"While they commend his actions against Kahdah, most of the council doesn't trust him," he answers, his expression grim. "Some even want him executed for his crimes."
The three stare at him in astonishment.
"Executed?!" Boil exclaims.
"Fortunately, those who wish for that are very much in the minority," Garm reassures them. "But the point is Cody is in no position to join our ranks right now."
"But there is a precedent for Imperial defectors joining us, like Kallus," Rex argues.
"It's more complicated than that," he shakes his head in response. "Kallus spent almost an entire year as an inside agent for us. As far as we know, Cody remained loyal to the Empire up until this point."
"And how do you feel about it?" Jarik inquires.
"I would like for him to join our fight. But I cannot ignore his history either," he admits.
Jarik nods in acknowledgement and holds a hand to his chin in thought, pondering the options for Cody.
"I'll try to put in a good word for him," he decides. "At the very least, he can build trust by sharing intel. Surely rebel command wouldn't ignore that."
"Indeed. Let's hope it's good enough," Garm says in agreement.
A bit relieved to hear the possibility of good news for Cody, both Rex and Boil let out heavy sighs.
"Thank you, sir," Rex says.
"There's one last thing I'd wish to discuss with you three," Garm says, retaining their attention before they could leave. "Just recently we were contacted by Lux Bonteri who expressed, to put it mildly, some concern about Saw's behavior."
Jarik sighs, crossing his arms with a grim expression as the all-too familiar topic comes up yet again.
"He's only getting worse, isn't he?" he deduces.
"Unfortunately so," Garm says in confirmation.
"How much worse?" Boil asks cautiously.
"He no longer seems to care what Bonteri has to say about his methods," he explains, frowning. "To be honest, I'm worried that he may soon dispose of Bonteri completely."
"I can't see him going as far as to kill Lux," Jarik shakes his head in disagreement. "Worst case scenario, Saw banishes him from his militia."
"At this rate I'm worried Saw will lose sight of the enemy we're trying to fight... if he hasn't already," Rex comments.
Garm nods tensely in agreement.
"Jarik, is there any chance you could talk some sense into him?" he suggests. "Despite his extreme behavior, he does respect you."
Jarik frowns as he ponders the idea for a moment before shaking his head.
"He respects what I'm capable of, not my character. There's a difference," he determines. "No, senator, I'm afraid he wouldn't listen to me. Not unless I had another plan to attack Coruscant."
"Like that'll happen any time soon," Boil scoffs.
"That is unfortunate," Garm says grimly. "I fear that sooner rather than later his actions will get to a point that we may end up drawn into conflict with the Partisans, just like the Empire."
"Let's hope you're wrong," Jarik replies.
"Indeed," he nods in agreement.
"Did you ever know Jaro Tapal?" Ahsoka inquires.
She, Mara, and T'ra made their way across the base's extensive landing pad, headed for a particular ship in particular. As they walked, T'ra pondered the question that was directed her way and shakes her head.
"I know him by reputation only," she replies. "Is he a survivor?"
"No, but his Padawan is. Cal Kestis," Ahsoka tells her.
"He's pretty skilled. And he's best buds with a Nightsister if you can believe it," Mara adds, grinning.
"It is not the strangest thing I've heard of," T'ra remarks.
Mara looks at her curiously but doesn't comment, having heard of weirder things herself as well.
"Jarik asked Cal and the Mantis crew to help in searching for lost Jedi," Ahsoka says. "Would you be willing to join them?"
"Certainly," T'ra says.
Ahsoka nods in reply but then falters in her step and winces as she feels an ache throughout her whole body, if only for just a brief moment. The two Jedi still notice, however, and Mara looks at her worriedly.
"You okay, Mom?" she asks in concern.
"I'm fine. Just tired, that's all," she reassures with a smile.
"Yeah, sure," Mara scoffs, not believing her for a second.
Before she can press further they reach the Mantis, and Mara opts to pry for details later. Having already met the crew members Mara initiates contact first by banging on the door to the ship.
"Knock knock! C'mon Cal, Merrin, four-armed grandpa, whatever-your-name-is!" she calls out loudly.
Ahsoka sighs in exasperation, shaking her head, while Mara just smiles. It doesn't take too long before the door ramp opens to reveal a very grumpy Latero male.
"Ok, first off, my name is Greez. Got it? And second, that was rude," he grumbles at Mara.
"Sorry," Mara apologizes, still smiling.
"Hmm hmm," Greez replies, unconvinced. "Well, can I help you ladies?"
"Is your crew all here?" Ahsoka asks.
"We're all here!" Cap's voice calls from inside.
"Yeah, what the kid said," Greez adds, waving them over. "You can come on in."
They take the invitation and step into the ship, Mara going first and Greez sighs as she strolls past. He takes a moment to observe the other two Jedi.
"I don't believe I've met you two yet," he comments. "Name's Greez Dritus, how're ya doing?"
"Just fine, thanks. I'm Ahsoka," she greets him. "Sorry about Mara, she can be a handful."
Mara makes a face at her but Ahsoka doesn't acknowledge it. Greez waves his hands in dismissal.
"Ah, don't worry about it, I've dealt with worse. Thank you though!" he smiles at her, turning to T'ra.
"I am T'ra Saa. It is a pleasure to meet you, Greez," the Jedi Master greets with a pleasant bow.
"Huh, thanks. Same to you," he replies cheerfully.
As T'ra walks by Greez can't help but look at her in amazement and a bit of surprise, shaking his head.
"Tall lady," he murmurs to himself, intrigued.
He stiffens uneasily when Mara turns to gape at him, but before she could confront him Cal and Merrin arrive to interject themselves into the conversation.
"Nice to finally meet you, Ahsoka," Cal says, grinning.
Ahsoka smiles and nods back to him, whereas Merrin inspects her with a critical eye.
"I was under the impression that you were dead," she states, frowning.
Ahsoka turns toward Merrin, reminded somewhat of Ventress as she observes the Nightsister for a moment, though quickly dismisses the thought as the similarities ended there.
"It's a long story," she sighs.
"Yeah, a really long story that I still haven't heard completely," Mara interjects accusingly,
"You will," Ahsoka replies calmly, tilting her head and smiling. "Eventually."
"Hmph," she crosses her arms, unamused.
"What can we do for you guys?" Cal asks them. "Right now we're trying to figure out where to start with finding surviving Jedi. Jarik gave us some intel, but it's not a whole lot."
"That's actually why we're here," Ahsoka replies, gesturing beside her. "This is Jedi Master T'ra Saa. We found her on Kashyyyk, and she may have an idea of where to start looking."
The crew look at T'ra with surprise and newfound curiosity.
"Another Jedi, huh? Well that's great!" Greez remarks.
"It's good to meet you, Master Saa," Cal says happily, bowing his head in respect.
"And to you as well, young Kestis," she responds in kind, returning the gesture. "I did not know your master, but I have heard only good things about him. He would be proud of you."
Cal nods, a flicker of emotion stirring as he remembers his old master.
"Thank you, Master," he says.
"You said you know where to find lost Jedi?" Merrin then asks.
"Indeed, my friend," T'ra nods. "Jedi Master K'Kruhk is someone I knew well, and if he survived the Purge then I may know how to find him."
"You know where he is?" Cal asks eagerly.
"I know some of the pieces to this puzzle, but not all," she replies.
Greez frowns, momentarily confused, but Cal was undeterred.
"At least we have a place to start. Great!" he says happily, looking at Ahsoka and Mara. "Is Jarik coming too?"
"Not right now. The three of us have to return to our home for the time being," she replies, and Mara frowns in slight disappointment, but acceptance. "There are... things... we need to take care of, and I'm not sure when when we'll be back."
As she spoke Mara glances at her suspiciously but doesn't comment right away.
"We understand," Cal nods to her.
T'ra turns to the two Jedi before they depart with a gentle smile on her face.
"Safe travels, Ahsoka Tano and Mara Jade," she tells them. "May the Force be with you."
Knight Hawk, Hyperspace - Andromeda galaxy
The door opens, allowing Jarik to enter the main cabin and escape the incessant beeping of R5 from the cockpit, making him shake his head in annoyance. Mara and Ahsoka are seated at the table and Jarik joins them. After a few moments of silence Mara turns toward Ahsoka with an expectant look.
"So, mom, what else is there you need to do?" she asks.
"What do you mean?" Ahsoka frowns, confused.
"When you were telling the others about why we had to go," Mara reminds her. "I got the feeling you weren't just referring to Talia."
Ahsoka nods in realization and shared a brief glance with Jarik, who shrugs helplessly at her.
"Well, for one thing, I need to rest," she starts off, and Mara frowns. "And before you say anything, I don't mean a simple night of sleep."
"Though that does sound nice," Jarik comments.
In spite of herself Mara stifles a yawn, the recent events having left her rather exhausted.
"I feel that," she agrees. "But you were saying?"
"It's a long story, so I'll give the very condensed version, but when we were out on our own trying to repair our dyad the end result was... not exactly what we expected," Ahsoka says in reply.
"You remember what we told you about the Mortis gods, right?" Jarik then asks.
"Yeah," Mara nods, frowning thoughtfully. "And then there's the cute little owl that follows you guys around."
"That would be Morai, the Daughter," Ahsoka reveals.
Mara's eyebrows raise a bit high and she looks at her in bewilderment.
"Seriously?" she asks.
"Seriously," Ahsoka confirms. "When she gave her life to save mine, that transfer of energy tethered her soul to me, allowing her spirit to live on. The convor is how she manifests herself to us in the physical world."
"It gets better, trust me," Jarik chimes in, smiling.
Mara frowns at him warily but Ahsoka continues.
"Coming back to our dyad, when we finally managed to repair it what happened next was unlike anything we had ever imagined," she explains. "We gained more than just our bond again. It unlocked the potential for me to wield Morai's power."
"The poten― wait, what?" Mara pauses incredulously.
She gapes at Ahsoka with wide eyes, taking a moment to process what she just said.
"Hold on, her power? Are you're telling me that you like some sort of, demigoddess?" she exclaims in disbelief.
"That's an oversimplification of things, but so is this story, so we'll go with that," Jarik shrugs.
She continues to gape at her parents, looking between them in astonishment.
"Holy kriff! That's so cool!" she suddenly says, grinning. "So you can totally just waltz on up to the Emperor and―"
"Easy there missy, it's not that simple," Ahsoka interrupts with a sigh. "Yes, I have access to Morai's power, but you have to remember that I'm still a mortal being."
Mara's grin falters and confusion becomes present on her face.
"She channels that power through her, and through our dyad I can do the same. It's not the same as directly having that power," Jarik explains. "Fighting Sidious directly is still too risky, because there's just so much we don't fully understand either. Yes, maybe we could beat him, but the same holds true for the opposite."
Mara listens with rapt attention, taking in their explanations and nodding along as she understands what they're saying.
"Oh. I guess that makes sense," she comments, losing some of her earlier excitement. "But... what does that have to do with sleeping?"
"Like I said, I'm a mortal being. My body isn't capable of carrying all that power so there are times when I need to recover, or recharge, so to speak," Ahsoka replies.
A uneasy feeling cuts through Mara and she looks at Ahsoka with worry in her eyes.
"For how long?" she asks warily.
"Depends on how much power I exerted," she answers, shrugging. "The more I use, the longer I sleep. The first time I slept it took me months before I woke again."
"What happens if you use too much power?" Mara then asks.
Ahsoka hesitates before responding.
"I don't know," she admits. "Hopefully I never will. But it does begin to hurt if I prolong it for too long."
Mara thinks back earlier to when she noticed Ahsoka's brief moment of discomfort, her worry increasing a little bit more.
"That... really sucks, mom," she murmurs anxiously.
Ahsoka sighs, recognizing her daughter's fear and saddened by it.
"It's not the worst thing in the universe," she offers in consolation.
"Yeah, that honor goes to Papa Palpatine," Jarik interjects humorously.
Mara stifles a laugh and scoffs instead.
"Say less, dad, say less!" she grins, before looking at him suspiciously. "Wait, do you also have to, uh, sleep?"
"Nope," he answers.
"Huh," she frowns. "Space god magic is weird."
"Say less, Mara, say less," Jarik replies.
"Hey, you can't use my own lines!" Mara glares at him.
"I just did," he smiles back.
A bit of argumentative banter erupts between the pair and Ahsoka simply listens in silence with a faint smile of amusement on her face.
Author's Note: Just a reminder, the events leading up to Jarik and Ahsoka's "power boost" occur in the Sun and Moon story on my page. Thanks!