Jedi Insurgency 219 (Interlude 27)

(Two weeks after Order 66) 

After holding off Sev’rance Tann, Ahsoka and Rex had made it to the ruined Jedi Temple of Dantooine. Abandoned, it sat within a wide valley full of overgrown plants, and abandoned archeological equipment. It appeared someone had attempted a dig some dozens of years ago, and had fled in a panic. 

Ahsoka had fled here after hearing stories from one of her most precious friends. Little did she know that she would run into him here of all places. A cocktail of complex emotions hit her heart. Although she had abandoned the Jedi Order after they had been so cold to her, that didn't mean there weren't Jedi she cared about. Anakin, Yoda, Obi-Wan, and…

“Master Plo…” Ahsoka slowly said, her tense shoulders sagged in relief as the Kel Dor man stood at the gates to the temple, looking at them contemplatively. 

Plo Koon turned towards her, his tall frame silhouetted against the fading light made him almost appear ethereal, like a ghost. Holding out a hand, she barely dared believe he was alive. So much loss had occurred these last few days, it was almost unbelievable. 

“Ahsoka. I thought I might meet you here.” Plo said in a warm tone. His deep, charismatic voice was full of caring as he slowly approached. 

There was no judgment in his tone. No disappointment. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Like an affectionate Uncle, Plo radiated a steady kind of stability that Ahsoka found herself drawn to. In these chaotic times, someone as reliable as Master Koon was just what she needed. 

Ahsoka swallowed, her composure faltering. She felt like a youngling once again, being stared at by the only one who didn't laugh at her in class. 

“Oh, Ahsoka. My rambunctious tangerine.” Plo sighed wistfully, and opened his arms wide. 

“You old orange.” Ahsoka sarcastically folded her arms, and turned her head away with a ‘hmph.’ Yet a smile was beginning to blossom across her face. 

“Oi, are ya going to leave a man hanging like that?” Rex cat called from a few steps behind. 

Ahsoka looked away in embarrassment for a second, and then after a moment's hesitation, threw herself into his embrace. Like a cat seeking attention, she was like a missile, colliding with his chest. 

“Mmph, you're heavier than the last time we did this.” Plo good naturedly patted her on the top of the head. 

Ahsoka had tears flooding down her cheeks. The young Togruta woman felt the warmth of one of her beloved teachers, and didn't want to let go for a second. 

After some time had passed, she composed herself, and gradually became serious. 

“I recently had a conversation with Darth Maul, and a student of Count Dooku by the name of Sev’rance Tann. They said that Anakin had fallen to the Darkside. That he killed younglings! But I don't believe it. I came to this temple to lie low…but with you by my side, surely, we can investigate these lies, and save Anakin!” Ahsoka quickly said her piece, and tugged on Plo's arm, only for him to remain motionless. 

Plo Koon did not answer immediately. His gaze drifted past her, toward the temple ruins. 

“There are many things the Force whispers. Some truths reveal themselves only when we are ready to accept them.” Plo whispered, wiping the tears away from her face.

“I need to know. I deserve to know the truth. You can't stop me.” Ahsoka deeply breathed. 

“And yet, it appears you are the one holding onto me, Padawan.” Plo seriously stated without breaking eye contact. 

Ahsoka released her grip as if she was stung after touching something hot. Although she did not want to be called Padawan, when Plo said it, it was full of care & concern. 

The softness of his reply only made it harder for her to come to grips with reality. She looked away, blinking rapidly, her emotions were becoming ever more difficult to control, and a nearby rock the size of a fist imploded as she briefly lost control of her emotions. 

“Commander…the General makes a good point. We need to rest for a bit before we take off galavanting across the galaxy. How about we stick to the plan, and lay low? You two explore that creepy temple, and after some time has passed, how about I ply the locals, and holonet for information?” Rex-playing the mediator-spoke from the side. 

Ahsoka opened her mouth to hotly reply, to say something along the lines of ‘waiting patiently is for the likes of Yoda. My Master taught me to act in the moment, to never let an injustice fall through the cracks because doing what's right is more important than doing what ‘should be done.’ 

However, she never got the opportunity, as Plo's next words resonated in the Force with her. 

“This place calls to me. There is something here, an echo, perhaps of what had been. Come. We may find more than answers to your question.” Plo patted her on the shoulder, then turned to enter through the old broken gate. 

Ahsoka stared at the ground for a moment, and then, with great reluctance in her steps, followed behind. 

Once they were inside, the dusty temple felt older than anything Ahsoka had ever experienced before. Obviously looted dozens of times, there were broken security systems all over the place, and dirt everywhere. Despite several collapsed hallways, and overgrown areas, the Force was strong in this place. Just outside of the edge of her vision, she could see robed Jedi discussing philosophy with one another, and hear the distant sound of lightsabers clashing in practice. As soon as she turned to look, these echoes of the past would disappear, leaving an eerie emptiness that made Ahsoka hungering for more. 

Ahsoka walked beside Plo Koon, and touched a wall, melancholy subconsciously touching upon her psyche. “What was done here is the exact same thing that happened to the Temple on Coruscant, isn't it?” 

“Yes. According to the archives, Revan had become a Jedi once more, and his student, Malak, fearing his return, bombarded this location, turning it into the ruins you see today.” Plo patiently answered her. 

“Hmph. He must still be a Sith. That Darkside Adept couldn't shut up about him.” Ahsoka rolled her eyes, and huffed. 

“Maybe so, but his warning is what allowed me to have enough time to escape. Otherwise, I fear I would've been shot out of the sky.” Plo casually remarked as he trudged forward.

Ahsoka bit her lip at that. She had a negative opinion of this man, Revan. Why did he get to become a Jedi again after all the awful things he had done? Jealousy, and other complex emotions struck at her heart as she silently followed behind. 

Walking deeper into the complex, they eventually entered what had once been a central chamber. A cracked statue of a robed figure stood at its heart, its face had become worn smooth by time. 

“If Revan was so great, he should've stopped Order 66. You should've stopped it, but the Council was too arrogant.” Ahsoka bitterly complained, crossing her arms. 

“We thought ourselves invincible, unchallenged since the Ruusan Accords a thousand years ago. You are right to disdain us, Ahsoka.” Plo humorlessly replied, holding his lightsaber up to read some half decayed inscription. 

She glanced at his back in disbelief. Surprised that a Jedi would admit to such a thing. 

Plo Koon stepped closer to the statue, resting a gloved hand against the stone, and sighed. “We sensed the darkness, knew someone in the senate was pulling the strings, and yet we did not act, fearful that we would be accused of attempting to overthrow the government. Ironic, isn't it?” Plo sighed. 

And for the first time in her life, Ahsoka saw that one of her idols had grown weary, and weak. The man who had once defeated Master Yoda in a lightsaber duel was now-in that brief second-nearly haggard, like a man who hadn't shaved or bathed for five years straight. 

Ahsoka slowly exhaled, and hugged him silently from behind. 

“It seems I am the one who is having trouble letting go afterall, hrm?” Plo lightly chuckled, then turned to face her. “Thank you, Ahsoka.” 

“Don't grow used to it.” She grumbled, and stepped closer to the center of the chamber, closing her eyes briefly. 

The Force stirred around her, and an indescribable chant seemed to meet her ears. 

“Master Plo, if Vader is who they say he is…” She began to say, but couldn't finish. 

“Then you will face that truth when the time comes. You are not alone in this, Ahsoka. You never were.” Plo said in an understanding tone. 

Ahsoka silently nodded, and then tiredly leaned against another statue. Some mechanism was triggered, and a trap door opened from the statue, spitting out a glowing blue cube into her hands. 

“A holocron, how fortuitous.” Plo happily remarked. “Go on, perhaps this is the opportunity you have been seeking these past two weeks.” 

Ahsoka steeled herself, and then channeling the Force, found herself inside a space station. 

Looking out a viewport with his hands behind his back was a man in a dark black cloak. 

For a moment, she worried that she had somehow picked up the holocron of a Sith, but that was impossible, as Jedi always used blue cubes. 

The man was silent, and Ahsoka approached slowly from behind. Through the window into space, she saw a nearly endless amount of spaceships flying in formation. 

“Magnificent, isn't it?” The man asked in a deeply charismatic, altered voice without turning around. 

“What is this place? Who are you?” Ahsoka asked in a somewhat confrontational tone. 

“This, little Togruta, is the Star Forge, and I…” The man said, then turned around to face her. 

When he showed his face, Ahsoka's breath hitched, and she ignited her lightsabers. 

“...am Revan.” 

~~~~~~~~

Time had no meaning within the depths of the ruined temple, and several months had passed since that fateful encounter. 

Within the ruined temple on Dantooine, Ahsoka sat meditating with the holocron in front of her. A conflicted look spread across her face as she had to admit, under his tutelage, she had become a Master of dual lightsaber combat, and was confident she could defeat Maul in a fair fight. Perhaps not even Obi-Wan could stand against her sabers now. 

However, she still didn't like Revan. His training methods were brutal, efficient, and wholly practical. After spending so much time with him, she learned that Revan had a flair for the dramatic, and underneath the mask, there was a caring heart. The more she trained under him, the more like it felt like it was Anakin under the mask, that is, if Anakin had matured, and not been so headstrong. Being constantly reminded of her Master, best friend, and big brother, her heart was constantly at war. She couldn’t stand Revan, and yet his tutelage was the only thing that kept giving her hope. 

“Revan.” She muttered under her breath, as if the name itself left a bad taste.

Behind her, Plo Koon silently stood watch, and nodded. His tutelage in the Force had been just as important. 

“The time to confront Vader is nigh. Rex returned not long ago carrying information about Master Windu's scheduled trial. Obi-Wan is gathering a strike force…shall you join me?” 

Ahsoka nodded. Although she disdained Mace Windu, she had to get to the bottom of this.

“He said he had one more lesson for me before we go. As if he knew I was going to be in trouble…”

“The Force works in mysterious ways. Go, Ahsoka. You are ready.” Plo confidently reassured her.

Ahsoka smiled in thanks, then entered the mindscape of the holocron. 

“Knowledge is not bound by the dogma of those who came after.” Revan spoke immediately upon her entry, picking up from their conversation last time. 

“Yeah, that sounds like something someone says before teaching you how to fall.” She sassed back. 

“You seek strength, but you fear the cost. I've tempered you through the flesh. Have you prepared your spirit?” Revan asked, never once turning his gaze away from the fleet outside the viewport. 

“You do not scare me, Revan.” Ahsoka slowly bit out. 

The chamber hummed with the Force as Revan turned around with a flourish. 

“The Force is not divided as you were taught. It is one current. Light and Dark are mere expressions of this singular stream. Are you prepared to express yourself, young one?”

Ahsoka crossed her arms, and tapped her foot. “Get on with it already. Are you going to keep this ‘mysterious wizard’ act up all day?” 

“As you wish.” Revan lifted his hand, and before she could react, a bout of [Force Lightning] struck her full on the chest. 

The pain was extraordinary as she fell to the ground. Her skin was see-through, and a wordless scream howled within the chamber as her bones became visible due to the electrical shock. 

“Focus.” Revan said, pacing slowly around her. “Feal this unique stream of mine. Replicate it, mimic it, then make it your own!”

She growled, and lifted her hand, a spark manifested, then fizzled out into nothing. 

Revan raised a hand, shocking her casually once more. 

“The technique you seek is not born from hatred alone. That is a common misconception. It is born from intensity. Clarity sharpened to a point of unfiltered power. Use your emotions, all of them. Bend the Force to do your bidding. Shock me if you dare, or forever remain the little Togruta girl locked in fear for the rest of your life.” His words were cold, and commanding, yet they were expectant, demanding her to accomplish something he knew she was capable of.

A faint crackle of energy danced between his fingers, Ahsoka instinctively tensed. Then shook her head to clear the fear from her mind. 

Closing her eyes, she deeply pulled upon her emotions, going against everything she had been taught as a child. A churning undercurrent of power flickered within her veins as she thought about her love, anger, sorrow, and much, much more. 

Anakin.

Windu. 

The betrayal.

The emptiness left behind.

Her breath wavered.

“I can’t-” She began, starting to falter. 

“Yes, you can.” Revan firmly replied. 

“Stop resisting what you feel deep down inside. You are not here to train as some warrior of justice. You are here to survive.”

Ahsoka’s hands trembled slightly at her sides, and then as her fingers curled, the Force responded.

Something inside her shifted, and she refused to surrender! The energy at her fingertips stabilized. And then a thin arc of blue-white lightning lashed outward, striking towards Revan with a sharp, echoing snap.

“Heh.” Revan chuckled, shattering into a million pieces. 

The holocron’s light dimmed slightly, and Ahsoka awoke from her meditation. 

Holding out her left hand, the darkness gathered, and sparks flared as [Force Lightning] was breathed to life. Holding out her right hand, the technique she had learnt from Master Koon, [Force Judgement] made an appearance. 

“Let us depart. The Sith shall be most surprised upon our arrival.” Plo amusedly remarked, and patted Ahsoka on the shoulder as he left the chamber. 

The orange Togruta, canceled the techniques, and then glanced down at the now dormant holocron with a complicated look on her face. 

“Thank you…Master Revan.”