Dressel was nothing more than rumor, Vader deduced, for the benefit of running the Empire on errant missions across the galaxy in search of a rebellion base that remained hidden despite following up on as many ‘rumors’ as sprang up. He had taken command of several in the past week alone, but this time it was done to distract him from his train of thought on Mustafar, with no effect whatsoever.
“My Lord, long range scans show nothing of interest. We have our two cruisers acting as scout vessels completing their runs of the vagrant moon settlements on the far end of the sector but nothing of note reported thus far.” The attaché adjutant addressed Vader.
Vader looked in his direction saying nothing, the methodical inhale and exhale echoing throughout the command deck, disturbed only by pings and whistles from the various tech suites and bays sounding out their respective reports. The adjutant reverse stepped not waiting for a reply and quickly shuffled away. Staring out the viewport, he could not shake the thought of his former padawan. Her thought took him down several different avenues of their own creation in a process maddening his already limited patience. He had learned to adjust his life to the suit but hated it with a burning passion at the same time because the suit would not adjust to him. The cycle he used to fuel his rage, the source of his power, became his mantra, although it helped little to decipher his own decision-making process at the moment. To add to the already challenging puzzle of her actions and mere presence was his master’s complete silence on the matter. He needed to vent his anger and frustration. He needed to channel his brewing rage into action. He would find her himself. He would put a hastened end to any collusion that may or not be actively transpiring. He would find her and face her. He would finish her and let his destiny dictate his actions in doing so. He was well beyond inquisitive in this moment. It was time for statements, not questions. Action, not pondering.
“My Lord, the Emperor demands you communicate with him.” The same adjutant rattled behind him, breaking him from his moment of decision.
Without a word he spun from the viewport and with long strides, broke for the holotable at the aft end of the command center. Ensuring the door was closed before receiving he faced the center of the table, “What is thy bidding, my master?”
“A question, Lord Vader. Why is it I find you in Dressel without consulting me prior?” Palpatine spoke with deliberate emphasis.
Vader wasted no time, “Following through with your initial instruction to search out and destroy rebel perpetrators, my master.”
“Ah, then a viable lead you think you possess. It is of no consequence for the time being. Your task force will be needed at Scariff in short order. I trust you won’t become too distracted to be of service there?”
“Of what purpose is our presence to suggest at Scariff?” Vader was being compliant and nothing more.
“Whatever purpose I deem necessary Lord Vader, of which you will be apprised en route.” Palpatine returned. Vader refrained from adding anything further, just stared with intent at the image of his master, wondering if his time to ascend the throne of the Sith was close at hand. “Something more you wish to add?”
“No.” Vader said more quickly than intended, the hatred burning in the eyes behind the mask. Wanting nothing more than to rip this man apart, piece by piece.
“Careful Lord Vader, your emotions betray you. You had me convinced the conflict was abated. Was I misled in my judgment?”
“No.” Vader waited a little longer this time for emphasis. “There is no conflict, only power.”
“Good. Good. Your anger makes you very powerful indeed. A power you’re going to need in the coming days.” Palpatine cackled as the transmission ended.
Vader stared into the empty space that remained for a few minutes. He hated that man yet worshiped him. Turning his anger and rage into a power that only he could channel effectively. That is until he saw the images of his former padawan using her own anger and rage to deal a highly effective carnage of her own. Not unlike him.
Turning back for the main command deck, he strode with authority through the opening doorway and boomed his voice through the room “Commander, recall the cruisers at once, and make ready the fleet for Scariff.” He didn’t wait for a reply and made for his quarters.
“This is it Ahsoka, hangar 35.” Kowani said as they neared the hangar entrance. Ahsoka took a moment to survey the surroundings of the ship and contents of the hangar. There were several service droids making superficial repairs to the KDY-D5 as well as a fuel lead currently retracting to its source bay on the hangar wall. She took a minute to appreciate the ‘Mantis,’ registered as ‘Deep Seven,’ as it was an uncommon vessel in its own right.
“We’ll need to screen the ship before we even think about taking it, I am sure there is surveillance posted in and around it.” Ahsoka said pointing out the obvious.
“I can handle that, I’ll have R3 run the necessary scans.” Kowani stated as she pulled her comm to her mouth issuing the commands to her astromech.
“That worked pretty well last time.” Ahsoka chided, turning to her with an eye raised. “May need some of that transponder magic of yours too though.” She finished.
“Easier done than said.” Kowani finished with a smile. They both clung to the wall outside the entrance waiting on the astromech. “Ahsoka, someone clearly wants you for something, alive at that. I tracked the original bounty and dispatched the hunter…. well, he more or less dispatched himself but I have a feeling it was just a means to flush you out. This, someone, knows enough of you, and me for that matter, to figure out how to do just that.”
“All a consequence for my actions on Nar Shaddaa no doubt.” She sighed heavily. “With a pretty extensive list of things not to do, that may be at the top. It’s hard to explain, but I didn't even know in the moment what I was doing to be honest and having some time to really think about it.”
“Think about it Ahsoka, there are only a few individuals who would have taken offense to the things you said, never mind your actions. The two you were specific about would have just simply established an execution order, not demanded your abduction. At least that's where my thinking takes me.” Kowani said rather bluntly.
“There is that, and even that line of thought has multiple variables.” Ahsoka said more to herself as she brought a thumb and finger to her chin. “Why alive and who are the two most important questions to answer first.” she said to finish the thought staring intently at the sandy ground. Having a moment to reflect, they both were letting the latest events register and running through the possible importance of each sequence in the ordeal.
“Ahsoka, who was that Iktochi?” Kowani was curious.
Ahsoka squinted in deep thought, coming out of the mental reverie shaking her head. “I have no idea, I’ve never seen him before, nor have I seen that particular use of the force either.”
“It was easy to spot once I was able to focus on my strengths, but my intuition tells me he greatly underestimated you.”
“He underestimated US Kowani, you underestimate yourself.” Ahsoka laughed. “Who he was though, now that I think about it, is less relevant than who sent him….and where he got this.” She pulled out the saber hilt she was sure belonged to Master Windu and stared at it intently as R3 came rolling into view.
Kowani was staring at the hilt herself, more engrossed in the object than she thought she should be as R3 bumped into her right leg for the third time, snapping her out of her thoughts.
“I know what it is Ahsoka, but I am assuming there is more to this saber than I could imagine.” Kowani confirmed her interest.
“Absolutely.” Ahsoka said quickly in return. “It belonged to one of the greatest of the Jedi order Kowani, or so I believe It’s his anyway, or was his…. I don't know.” She held it tightly and convinced herself to investigate its presence with more depth. There was more than enough to do at the moment. “Let’s see what we have here?” She said while turning back to the hangar entrance.
“R3, we need to run several sets of scans on this ship. Our objective is to leave the planet with it. We need to ensure it will not be traced, whatsoever, after we enter it. We also need to ensure we are not detected approaching it, nor entering it. Then I need to know if I can employ a grade 3 hyperlink to the comm suite suitable for downloading the transceiving signal mask. We don't need to project, we can do that from the Liberator, I just want to know the link can be established for piggybacking.” Kowani finished the recitation staring into the night sky, counting out the orders on her fingers to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything. “I don’t want a repeat of Nar Shaddaa.”
Boops beeps and a sarcastic prolonged whistle escaped the little droid as it rolled into the bay.
“I’d prefer not to repeat that myself.” Said Ahsoka. “By the way, Kowani…”
“I already know, otherwise you would have mentioned it by now. That’s why we’re running a mask and nothing more. We’ll get you set up here, I’ll mask you from my ship, but it’ll be a permanent tag. It can’t be scrubbed…. well, until I scrub it anyway.” She smiled. “What’s her name?”
Ahsoka stared at the Mantis for quite some time, not saying anything. The ship was in essence a relic, but a classic. And a well-armed classic at that, the weapons foils brimming with sharp toothed destructive power. The hull covered in repainted, carbon scored, aftermarket durasteel plates, sporting every shade of gray imaginable. She, internally, gave whoever had taken care of her a lot of credit and at once, appreciation, for keeping a centuries old ship in top shape. “Morai.” She said finally, a slight smile creasing her lips.
“Morai it is.” Kowani could have sworn she heard that name somewhere before but couldn't place it now. “Easy enough to pilot solo, forget about that forward cannon without a droid of your own though, but we’ll see, more surprises wait inside, I’m sure.” From the left side of the bay, R3 was finishing up with his data link and cadence of three beeps in Kowani’s wrist comm confirmed it was clear to enter. “Link with the ship itself to be sure R3, no surprises.” The little droid reminded Ahsoka so clearly of R2, even to the point of being flush with personality although at the expense of being completely thorough with its assignments. She laughed to herself at the thought and memory as she watched it speed towards the belly of the ship. “We will be headed to Yavin Ahsoka.” Kowani returned her attention to Ahsoka. “Yavin 4 to be exact. We are already synced on our comm’s but use the same frequency in subspace as well if you need anything.” Her attention pulled away at the hissing of the aft boarding ramp. “R3, I didn’t say open it!” She barked without bothering to use the comm. The little droid turned its photoreceptor toward her and beeped furiously before withdrawing its data link arm, twirling its head twice and racing up the ramp. “I swear I’m gonna send that droid to the spice mines of Kessel one of these days.” Kowani said in frustration. Ahsoka still laughing at the interpretation of the droid’s own frustration, motioned for Kowani to take the lead as they both followed R3 up the ramp.
With some hesitation, Kowani carefully stepped into the aft cargo bay in wide eyed wonder, Ahsoka spinning on her heels right behind her with the same look of curiosity and astonishment. Silently conveying their own discoveries to one another, with a pointed finger or a hand wave, the two were amazed at the amount of weaponry assembled in the average sized bay.
“Ahsoka, there is enough here to fortify the garrison on the other end of town!” Kowani said matter of fact. “Torpedoes, contact missiles, power cells for all manner of cannon and blaster. Far more than I think this ship is capable of hosting. Arms dealer? And if so, what is, or was, the intended destination?” She finished, not really expecting an answer.
“I have no idea, but we can certainly try and find out.” Ahsoka answered anyway.
Kowani identifying items along her lines of expertise and Ahsoka, her own, they were both amazed to find a wide assortment of top of the line, black market parts and crated items direct from Sienar fleet systems piled up carefully and bound to the rear wall of the bay. Kowani rushed over to the largest of the energy bound crates sporting the crested black wings of the Sienar logo, “Ahsoka, do you know what this is?”
“I sure do.” Ahsoka responded immediately. “Brand new IG-45 Hyperdrive. As well as new parts for 215’s, in fact everything in here is new. I don't see anything aftermarket at all.” She finished, voicing her amazement at the cache they had discovered. Ahsoka let her own curiosity at what else was onboard take over as she left Kowani in the bay hold to her own discoveries. Walking through the fore bay door and into a short hall she identified a tech bay to her left and a crew’s quarters to her right, but it was the engine bay directly ahead of her that she was drawn to first. The red wafting light from the Ion power cell held all the illumination she needed to identify those exact same engines, twin 215’s, of which the replacement parts were for, contained within the most immaculate engine compartment she had ever been in. The thought of that came and went quickly as her memory drifted, briefly, to her years spent in the Jedi temple hangar maintaining the various craft housed within it, meant in comparison to her presence here only. With that memory chased away, it only brought her to appreciate her immediate surroundings even more. An exact match of the new hyperdrive was in place against the rear port wall of the bay, impeccably spotless and fueled to near max. Returning to the cargo hold she found Kowani gone and surmised that her own inspections would have to have been the communications suite. Smiling to herself at that acknowledgment she made her way up the portside stairs to the upper level of the craft. Kowani wasn’t inspecting the communications suite, she was in fact pouring over the data pad of the central holotable, an image flickering in and out at its center.
“Ahsoka, you've got to see this. I’m trying to hack the log to stay the image and find out anything more that I can.”
“I’ve seen this man before.” Ahsoka said, not really hearing what Kowani was saying. “I can’t remember where though, but I know I’ve seen him.”
Kowani finished her last line of code and committed it to the encrypted cycle hoping it would nullify the security protocol its previous owner poorly enacted. “Should be coming back in cycle, now.” She said, in time with the green encryption emitter. The image snapped into clarity and began moving, the audio crackling in but unintelligible.
“What is he saying?” Ahsoka relayed, paying more attention to the voice than the words.
“I have no idea, nothing I’ve ever heard before.” Kowani admitted. “And won’t be able to dive into that without access to my archives. Something I am not too comfortable doing presently until I am assured of zero security risk.”
R3 rolled into the central room from the fore communications bay, beeping, whistling, and whirling.
“R3, remote launch the ‘Liberator’ and send it to 223.45, quickly!” Kowani barked out.
“Good thinking, we can link in high orbit.” Ahsoka commended the quick thinking of her friend, understanding R3’s warning of an Imperial lock down on the spaceport. They both rushed forward, Kowani stopping and seating herself at the comm suite, Ahsoka dashing for the cockpit. Dropping herself into the pilot’s seat she ran through the cadence of flight prep switches and buttons with force aided speed and precision, engaging the repulsor and lifting off the ground. A quick glance out of the canopy confirming the threat detection alarm blaring in the cabin as a squadron of troopers rounded the corner of the hangar entrance supported by an AT-ST. “Kowani, need you in here NOW.” She yelled out, hoping it was loud enough, as blaster fire began peppering the transparisteel. Her fears abated as the Mirialan dropped into the co-pilots seat and engaged the shields without any instruction from Ahsoka.
“Diverting to forward deflectors.” She relayed her actions, as she also powered up and took control of the fore cannon. “You can’t go anywhere without getting shot at, can you.” Depressing the triggers, she unleashed two shots of her own that exploded with more intended authority than either of them were expecting. Time stopped momentarily as they both were in awe of the devastating effects their salvos had inflicted. The squadron was just simply gone, vaporized, atomized, obliterated. The domestically engineered and built hangar entrance was now twice its size revealing the AT-ST lying on its side with its ‘appendages’ nowhere to be seen. They both looked at each other with forming grins on their faces and nodded in complete appreciation of the ship now in their possession. Ahsoka finished her preflight checks and engaged the 215’s with a satisfying whine, as blaster fire from sources unseen deflected harmlessly off the shields. Not wasting any time, she throttled up and shot from the spaceport and planet’s surface.
Ahsoka continually ran through the improbabilities of recent events and could not separate that current thought entirely from what she, in truth, had been living her entire life. What was normal for some, was never normal for her, would never be normal for her. The thoughts, as they often did, came, and went quickly.
“R3, reroute the ‘Liberator’ to 304.52.” Kowani broke Ahsoka’s reverie.
“What did I miss?” She truly was curious.
“Nothing at all Ahsoka, I had preprogrammed the ship as an atmospheric moisture extractor and need to keep up appearances for the time being.”
“Your version of normal runs somewhat parallel with my own it seems, at times anyway.” Ahsoka said.
“It does at tha….” Kowani cut herself off and looked at Ahsoka who had clearly felt it too. “What was that.” Asking the question, neither had the answer for. She had felt an added pressure in the cabin of another presence, the chill that accompanies the unknown run up and down her spine. Ahsoka turned her head, fully expecting to see someone, something, but saw only the rear of the cabin. The lights of the
various consoles behind them as well as their monitoring screens and the rounded dome of R3 indicated nothing had changed.
“I certainly felt something.” Ahsoka finally spoke. “Kowani, take the yoke a minute, I want to check this out.” She got up from her seat and slowly made her way aft to the comm room, Kowani exuding satisfaction that it wasn’t her idea. R3’s photoreceptor following Ahsoka from the cabin in an unarticulated whiny of anticipation of his own being the only sound added to the rhythmic hum of the finely tuned Ion engines. It was a chill, the likes of which are only reserved for the dead, that Ahsoka felt pass straight through her in a manner she could only describe as deliberate, as if its source were feeling its way ‘through’ her. Her spine reverting to its original temperature, she turned back around slowly to see an almost invisible ‘shape’ moving away from her and coming to a stop in the doorway back into the cockpit.
“You both possess enough of the living force to prevent entry on my part, so it is in this fashion I must make introduction and state my intention.” A disembodied voice issued forth, slowly and with emphasis imparting no identifying accent or inflection. All other sounds ceased, all that could be heard by either Ahsoka or Kowani was the voice seemingly emanating from between them. “I am T’zar Ek and embody my own interests in this realm. The Iktochi was simply a means of forwarding our removal from Tatooine, catered to the Mirialans interest on behalf of her Togrutan friend’s wellbeing.” Both Kowani and Ahsoka were bewildered in the moment, certain they had both spent too much time in the Tatooine suns.
“If ‘you’re’ referring to the bounty on Ahsoka, yes, I saw to that.” Kowani spoke first.
“What bounty?” It was Ahsoka’s turn to question.
“I did forget to mention that, but rest assured there is no one on Tatooine fulfilling the bounty someone issued for your capture. Quite sizeable sum I might add.”
“Probably not the first time.” Ahsoka returned.
“Actually, it’s the seventh, according to the data on the holochip.”
“Yes, the bond between you, I feel, was responsible for her involvement Togruta.” T’zar Ek continued. “I reside within the Force but am not the Force. Mirialan, your people would call me ‘asecha ikmachhak’ and Togruta, your people would call me ‘sa’darra shili’neh.’ Both translating to shadow spirit if I have the correct inflections.” Kowani and Ahsoka both nodding in affirmative. “The Sith and Jedi once held to a prophecy and my interest in this realm is to observe its culmination as ‘we’ believe that time is at hand. I am sure there are many questions better served answering when time is more readily available. My objectives are aligned with nothing beyond my own interests and that of the rest of ‘us.’
Waiting for some time to pass and assuring themselves the ‘spirit’ was finished with his statement Kowani spoke up. “T’zar, was it? I think I can speak for Ahsoka as well on this, but I’m not sure how to even respond to that.” Ahsoka gave a Kowani a shoulder shrug to confirm the statements validity. “If the reality is as you say, we clearly can’t stop you from ‘observing’ but neither can you interact. So that leaves both parties at a resulting stalemate of sorts until mutual interests can be identified and made clear. At the moment that will have to wait as the two of us must attend to a situation currently forming in front of us that needs our immediate attention.” Ahsoka waiting for some sort of translation only followed Kowani’s outstretched hand and pointed finger to the threat assessment board lighting up the control panel. Dispelling all notions of a ‘ghost’ in the cabin and shaking her head at her earlier thoughts of the new normal, she jumped into the pilot’s seat once more and focused on the data provided by the assessment screen.
“Two imperial cruisers decanting from hyperspace and locking on our signal. Time to see what other surprises this ship has.” Ahsoka said, at once alerting Kowani and preparing herself for combat.
“R3, were going to need you to reload spent weapons and assist when needed.” Kowani conferred to her droid.
“Beep…. boop…. whistle.”
“This damn ship can reload itself? How the hell do you know that?”
“Boop...whiny”
“Of course it did. Well, you tell the ships computer to do it’s best to keep up!” Kowani said amid refocusing her attention to Ahsoka. “Not that it matters at this particular time, but this ship’s navicomputer puts even mine to shame. We have a dozen jump points in this sector alone with routes displaying I’ve never seen before!” Relayed Kowani, giddy with excitement.
“That is good to know.” Ahsoka said, bringing the weapons systems online and linking the data path to the assessment board. Green lights almost off the charts affirming the situation was well in hand. The ventral weapons arm deployed fully with a satisfying, if rather loud, click. “They sure don’t make em like they used to.” She finished, revealing her own affinity for antiquity.
“3 wings of TIE’s Ashoka.” Kowani keeping up with the latest events taking place in front of them, as she was prepping the deflector shield compensator for directional variations at the same moment a volley of turbolaser fire from both Arquitens class cruisers were finding their range. “No idea how these shields will hold up against those turbolasers though.”
“I intend not to find out.” Ahsoka stated before accelerating hard and employing countermeasure moves to befuddle the cruisers tracking abilities.
“There is a more…. efficient way to handle this encounter.” T’zar Ek spoke up. “One that would provide a legacy so to speak.”
“Im listening.” Admitted Ahsoka.
“I’ve seen how capable you are with saber in hand and can grant you, us, the ability to end this through that means.”
“You leave us both in a conundrum I am afraid and can only respond the same way my friend did earlier.” Ahsoka returned without taking her eyes off the controls or the data screens for fear of losing their advantage.
“Not really the time to unravel mysteries.” Kowani continued for her.
The first of the three wings of TIE’s were upon them, the flight lead diving in with its twin laser cannons spitting lethal energy beams, harmless however, as they were overmatched by the ship’s deflectors, accentuated with the accompanying roar of its twin P-s4 ion engines as it passed under the hull beneath them. It’s 2 wing mates proceeding in the same manner, with the same results to form up behind them and create a containment perimeter as the remaining 2 wings closed in. Ahsoka pushed the yoke in further, bringing them into full attack speed as the weapons system chimed in awaiting an authoritative trigger squeeze to unleash its payload. Unwilling to wait a moment longer, she simultaneously released an aft siesmic charge as she fired the fore and wing mounted laser cannons with devastating precision, tearing through two of the advancing fighters and leaving those aft to dodge the concussive charge. The first squad lead was able to correct his trajectory and clear the sonic wave of destruction, his wing mates however could not adjust quickly enough and were torn to shreds instantly. Ahsoka began a feverous roll, bringing all forward laser cannons to bear on individual targets and they responded in kind with explosive results eliminating two more of the incoming TIE’s.
“R3, take the lead on the rear cannons and target that final TIE behind us.” Ahsoka barked out. Immediately with data link arm inserted, R3 began the remote process of targeting the assigned order and brought the cannons to bear with rapid fire bursts.
“Please at least allow me to demonstrate my claims, as this situation is but a canvas for opportunity.” T’zar Ek broke in once more. “Your skills are admirable and possible danger from this encounter is seemingly mitigated by them, for that reason alone my skill set could prove….’useful’.” Adding more emphasis to the latter.
“What exactly does that mean?” Kowani was the first to question.
“I’ll show you.” And with that the ‘shadow’ was gone, the chill in the cabin along with him.
“Ahsoka, this is one of the craziest situations I think I’ve ever been in.” Kowani said, more an affirmation of her own sense of self than a statement.
“Pretty normal day actually.” Ahsoka wasn't lying.
In the time it took for that exchange, the chill had returned to the cabin and they both whirled around upon sensing ‘his’ presence again, although the sight before them was anything but what they expected. The fully flight suited TIE pilot was bringing his right hand to point beyond the canopy’s transparisteel. Without thought Kowani whipped out her blaster and fired several shots into the pilot’s chest, burning through the fabric and flesh beneath, sending him sprawling in reverse in a mortal freefall. R3 twisted its dome around to examine the situation and returned the ‘gaze’ to its master as if stunned by her reaction. Ahsoka, although concentrating as much as possible on the incoming parade of hostility, began questioning the validity of her last statement.
“Ok, nothing normal about that. What just happened?” She said, voicing her thoughts.
“What I’ve been trying to tell the both of you.” The voice of T’zar Ek returned. “Your encounter with the Iktochi had little to do with the Iktochi himself and almost everything to do with my interest in you…. the both of you.” He added the last after a second of thought. “You will find the TIE on your aft…. pilotless. R3 confirmed his statement with a trail of beeps and boops assuring both Kowani and Ahsoka that the TIE was in fact decelerating and powering down.
“If you try your hardest NOT to kill ‘me’ this time I can accomplish quite a bit more.” T’zar Ek stated before vanishing again. Ahsoka looked to Kowani who only shrugged her shoulders, her blaster still in her hand, who returned the gesture with a shrug of her own. Returning her focus to the battle in front of her, she watched as one of the TIE’s broke formation, wheeled around and started blasting away at the TIE in front of it, decimating it quickly in a ball of burning light. The same TIE came to bear on its next target with the same results, then continued on a forward path up and well over the ‘Morai’ with no change in its trajectory. It was the odd angle and fevered maneuvering of one of the cruisers that caught the attention of both and Ahsoka and Kowani immediately after concluding the TIE was no longer a threat. It was pitching hard starboard in what looked like a move to take it away from the other cruiser, thought Ahsoka, and without time remaining to ascertain any sort of truth to the strategy, it erupted in a chorus of explosions. Beginning aft and ripping centrally through the length of the vessel, results of which were bombarding the second cruiser with devastating precision. The remaining TIE fighters were already heading for the planet’s surface in apparent acknowledgment of the inevitable outcome unfolding. The threat assessment board began flashing its white indicator to inform Ahsoka that all was clear, and she could do no more than turn to look at Kowani.
“Ok, nothing normal about this, at all!”
“I am going to have to agree with you on that...completely.” Kowani said, shaking her head as the chill returned to the cabin.
“In short order, there is no threat.” T’zar Ek said.
All attention forward as they watched the second cruiser scatter its various parts in all directions with one final explosion.
“Well, that’s going to get Imperial attention.” Ahsoka said without taking her eyes off the shrinking ball of fire and gasses.
“Something we’re becoming quite good at I might add.” Kowani returned.
“No disagreements here.”
“T’zar we’re going to have to discuss this in depth for sure. I don’t know what it was you did exactly, although I am beginning to understand how you did it. Either way we can’t afford the fallout from any more demonstrations at the moment.” Ahsoka said, wanting to take the lead at this point but also feeling an uncertain urge to learn more from this being. “Kowani, what do you want to do with your ship?” She finished trying in earnest to change the subject.
“it depends on our next objective I suppose. We can leave it in orbit here and return to it another time. I can jump it somewhere else. We can link and piggyback. We’ve already discussed where I was headed, but that isn’t paramount by any means. I guess the bigger question is where do you need to go?”
Ahsoka thought about that for a minute and wasn’t at all sure how to respond, not for lack of subject, but for immediate audience. She closed her eyes and reached out slightly with the Force, feeling both Kowani and T’zar immediately, her intent being to moderately identify T’zar’s intentions. She saw T’zar in what his corporeal form, humanoid, tall, broad shoulders, and pale purple skin was once. It was his eyes that caught her attention though, pupils less white than they were. She placed a hand to the side of his head as it began to bow in submission to her, those white eyes closing in the process. She could see his mind with acute clarity. His past flooded her own mind with their images and how he emotionally responded to those images in the moment they were happening. How there was almost a complete lack of emotion on his part, in the present, at them left her with a great deal of doubt about him and their current situation in general. She enclosed him in a cloaking shroud of imagery of her own, meant only as a distraction. He was instantly flooded with continuously changing memories of her earliest recollections, Ahsoka being careful not to divulge anything of importance. She added random images of memories more recent meant to confuse any sort of mental picture he was performing. As she poured more into her efforts the return imagery was ceasing, ensuring her the process was working with significant effect. At that moment she whispered only one word to the form of Kowani. “Dagobah.” And one meant for the Force itself, “Master.” Instantly, she returned her efforts to the Zeltran’s form under her hand and slowly released her touch. He dropped to his knees and was visibly weeping as Ahsoka reverted and brought herself out of the simple Force meditation.
“Ahsoka…. Tano…. you have experienced….so much….in so short a time…. I can’t even begin….to imagine…. what it’s like….” T’zar cut himself off from the citation of his own descriptions of the jumbled reality he was just subject to. “How it is that you can convince yourself to trust anyone at all is a mystery to me.” He finished as Ahsoka felt him get back up to his feet. “And why ‘he’ has such great interest in you.” He added. Kowani twisting her head to hide her expression of pride at his musings of trust, assured in that comment that she herself had made the right decision.
“Who’s” Ahsoka catching the final part of T’zar’s comments.
“Well, the one whom commissioned the Iktochi of course.” T’zar said.
“The holotable!” Ahsoka thought instantly. “R3, can you access the recording again, as well as any other saved data?” The returning measure of sounds issuing forth from the droid assured her he could.
“Ahsoka, about Imperial attention. Perhaps we discuss getting out of this system before we have to replay our last engagement?” Kowani interjected. “Although I am sure T’zar would relish the opportunity to displace starships throughout the system, the longer we’re here the more difficult it will be to leave.”
“And in all honesty, I don’t know that I could.” T’zar said coldly.
Ahsoka agreed immediately. “R3 we’ll figure out the holotable later, take us to the ‘Liberator’.” Kowani, understanding Ahsoka’s intention, took her data pad from her pocket and began linking it to the ships navicomputer.
“Just going to borrow some routes.” She added levity.
Ahsoka did appreciate the response although her reaction to it was anything but. Her mind was racing with all that was becoming a desperate mixture of confusion. Lost in her thoughts for the sub light travel to Kowani’s ship, she was trying feverishly to make sense of T’zar’s presence or more accurately, his presence at this precise time. The thoughts needed to be more organized if she were to even attempt to make sense of everything much less identify a path that even Obi-wan couldn't see…. or maybe wouldn’t see. Her destiny. She had never really given it much thought, usually being placed in reactive situations, albeit of her own making. Yes, she always did seem to draw attention to herself but that usually came as a result of reaching out to protect others, guide others on the path of their own destinies, but never her own. Opportunity to withdraw always seemed to conflict with the needs of others, or the Force itself at times. She began to think heavily about her own needs and found that she really hadn’t put much thought into it at all, ever, as her mind returned to her query with a healthy dose of the unknown and indecision.
“Hey, you alright?” Kowani punched her in the shoulder for the third time pulled her back into the moment. Ahsoka blinked twice before realizing what Kowani had said.
“Yeah, just lost myself for a minute there.” She said the words but didn’t believe them. The meaning in the moment being the face in front of her own. T’zar was correct. She found it difficult, if not impossible at times, to trust in anyone else, or anything for that matter. But here was her Mirialan friend, yet again, expressing concern for her with no motive for doing so.
“Good, cuz we’re here.” Kowani smiled.
“Thank you Kowani.” Ahsoka said while getting up to wrap her arms around her friend.
“You’re welcome?” Kowani returned the gesture, although uncertain of its origin.
Ahsoka pulled back slightly and placed both hands gently on Kowani’s head and brought her head forward to rest just as gently upon Kowani’s. “For being you.” Was all she said.
“We got this Ahsoka. I don’t really know what ‘IT’ is that we got, but I know that we do.” She said, bringing her own hands up to Ahsoka’s head to mirror the gesture yet again. “I can’t begin to describe how it feels to be trusted.” She added softly, as R3 tugged at her pant leg with his servo service appendage.
“Well, that was touching.” Added T’zar.
“Yes, well, till we meet again Ahsoka.” Kowani said with a long look at her, brimming from ear to ear, R3 leading the way to the aft hold and docking hatch.
“You were right to withhold your intentions from her.” T’zar spoke as Ahsoka continued looking towards the aft of the ship, the direction of Kowani’s departure. “She would have tried to convince you otherwise I believe.” Ahsoka just shook her head.
“I don't even know what my intentions are.” She said, taking her cloudy gaze from the aft of the ship to return to the pilot’s seat. “At least none that are reasonable.”
“What is reasonable Ahsoka? To one who’s endured so much.”
“That is the question, isn’t it.” She replied, accessing the ship’s navicomputer to carry them to the Dagobah system. “I can’t stop you from coming with me, or even being present for that matter. Before I engage this jump were going to identify your intentions with absolute clarity and were going to do it my way.” She finished, turning in her seat to ‘face’ T’zar with the most serious expression she was sure she had ever mustered.