Ahsoka and Kowani both eased back on their respective throttle’s upon reaching the fortress, maintaining vigilance but awe struck by the magnitude of destruction the Mantis had become. A conflagration of twisted burning metal belched enormous pyroclastic plumes of smoke high into the air, dwarfing the monument of once polished black stone that marked its base. A large metal slab with a forked end lay inward to the fortress itself, blown from its mechanisms from the eruptive devastation the ship had become. Several substantial portions of the walls themselves were lying upon one another, large cracks threatening to add more to the piles could be heard splintering with thunderous cracks and bangs, adding their own reports to the cacophonous maelstrom of sound.
“I wish I could have seen it.” Kowani shouted over the clamor, staring up the column of smoke and watching the light of the inferno dance across the uncharred surfaces of Vader’s stronghold.
Ahsoka only shook her head, knowing full well Kowani would have enjoyed it, but feeling somewhat detached from her immediate reality. Emotion took hold unexpectedly, prompting an inner dialogue she had been avoiding. The actuality of her presence, here, at this doorstep, was beginning to influence her thoughts and feelings, creating a mare's nest of confusion and disorder. She had thought herself rid of the emotional ties between herself and her former master, but would they ever really dissipate? Should they? She knew the answers to both questions as rhetorical, but they did not allow for the sudden disorderliness that side of her had become. Whatever answers beheld the truth were on the inside of the structure, not out here.
“We need a way in Ani.” Ahsoka said, placing a hand on the side of her head to wrap the cloth tightly around what remained of her montral.
Kowani heard the statement and stared blankly at the vaulted doorway that was now gateless, permitting, what she thought, was an obvious answer to Ahsoka’s question. Raising a hand to point out as much, “I don’t think we need to overcomplicate this.” She said swinging her leg over to dismount the bike.
‘That’s...” Ahsoka began, dismounting her own bike after coming to a full stop, “not what I meant.” She finished adding her own voice to the deluge of sound and walking ahead of the bike a few meters. The heat was intense on her face and arms as she raised a hand and began drawing upon the Force.
Kowani stared on, the moment dripping with anticipation as she not only saw the magnitude of what Ahsoka was drawing into herself but felt as well as she stumbled forward a few steps. The conflagration before them was already creating a draft to feed itself but it was intensifying substantially with Ahsoka at its focal point.
She was becoming a fulcrum of Force energy and with it the natural energies of the planet itself. What was a strong breeze as the fire consumed its fuel was becoming a storm that was now seeping the flames out of their very existence and reversing the course of the vertical cloud of smoke.
Ahsoka invited in to her all forms the Force would allow. Dark side, Light side...it didn’t matter, there was only the Force, she knew. Focusing on the wreckage of the ship, she closed her eyes to concentrate fully on the breadth of her determination. Feeling the reversal of the draft at her feet she knew her target was now hers to command, the trailing end of the cloth about her head settling down to rest around the Lek’ku at her chest as it finished its involuntary pull forward. With her eyes shut tight to the realities about her she saw within the Force the destination she had intended and waved her hands toward the river of molten rock issuing forth to their right.
Kowani was lost for words. She had seen marvels performed in the past, even recent past from this very Togruta but the magnitude of what was transpiring had taken her breath away. Her bike began inching toward Ahsoka such as the intake of raw power was. “No no no no,” she said to herself as she fought that same energy to get behind it and prevent it from hitting Ahsoka, then watched dumbfounded as the roiling heap of flaming and liquefying metal sluggishly dropped into the burning river in a new protest of brilliant bursts of white-hot explosions as it slowly slagged itself with gravity’s assistance.
The clamor began to subside to a deep resonance from within the ground itself as the last of the ship fought it’s inevitable end. Kowani was snapped out of the visual display by a sharp crack coming from the fortress walls. “Ahsoka, we don't have much time.” She said looking up, trying to identify the source. “I don’t think this is going to hold up much longer.” Ahsoka didn’t even give it a second thought, “We’ve got all the time we need Ani,” remembering T’zar’s impression she added, “he would have built it to withstand a full-scale assault.” Although she was in no hurry, this was not a desirable place to be, “Let’s go.”
Kowani left the bike behind and shuffled up to Ahsoka’s side. She cast a glance down at her wrist comm to acknowledge a received message then quickly tapped out a coded response. “My concern isn’t planet based Ahsoka, there is a blockade up there waiting for us…. well, it is planet based as well, but that’s ‘MY’ main concern.” She said with a finger skyward.
Ahsoka chuckled, surprising Kowani, “of course there is. This is what we were drawn here for though.” She said with her own finger pointed toward the misshapen gateway.
“Spring the trap?” Kowani asked sardonically.
“Spring the trap.” Ahsoka affirmed.
Without hesitation they both navigated the strewn stone and twisted debris that had remained from Ahsoka’s clean up and stepped through the blasted gateway.
There were no trappings nor decoration adorning the walls, they remained as impassive and as polished as the exterior. Scattered stone from the ships explosive entry crunched under foot as the two moved at a moderate pace through the entry corridor. A crumpled form lay against the wall to their right. Ahsoka leaned down to see an emaciated man, his face pocked with stone and debris, an obvious victim of the explosion. From his side she carefully rolled him over on his back exposing deep craters in his chest, bones from his rib cage protruding at odd angles and the full visage of the horror struck across the parts of his face she could identify. Ahsoka carefully placed a hand over his head and drew back, closing the lifelessness that remained. She gathered what remained of his flowing black robe and covered his remains, blaster rifle at the ready, Kowani stood watchful over the rite. The nondescript silence instantly transformed into an unnaturally strange quiet, oppressively dormant of any sound but the beating of their hearts and occasional scuffle over loose debris at their feet. They only looked at each other, neither wishing to penetrate the soundless void. The corridor turned to the left just ahead, a crimson light emanating from out of sight shone against the black of the walls leading to it.
“Point of no return Ani, you don’t need to come any further.” Ahsoka whispered lightly.
Kowani turned to Ahsoka, the shaded visor staring at the Togruta for only an instant before she shook her head, slammed a fresh power cell into the blaster rifle and stepped forward. Ahsoka smiled inwardly knowing it was precisely the reaction she had expected.
They turned the corner to inspect the position and ascertain their surroundings. The corridor gave way to a large, high domed chamber of the same polished black stone and exquisite, geometrically precise metal plating. A routed river of molten rock encircled a central platform, limbed with illuminated slots to vent the steam and smoke from the lava below. A black hooded form sat in its center, Kowani lining up a shot in less time than Ahsoka had even distinguishing it from the flooring below it.
Ahsoka raised her hand to the barrel of the weapon and gently forced it down, Kowani taking the clue, relaxed her form.
“I wondered how much longer I’d have to wait.” Said the form in a thick Mirialan accent, Kowani feeling an immediate tension.
“How many years has it been? But then, you were never the patient sort...Barriss.” Ahsoka said in return, no hint of sarcasm or condescension in her voice.
The hooded head looked up, “You did get my message then.” She said reaching both hands up to remove the cowl, revealing a sallow mix of yellow and green mottled skin, her eyes a pale shade of yellow and her lips a dull black. A small arch of interlocking diamonds beginning and ending under each eye, crossing the bridge of her nose.
‘Thana!!,’ Kowani thought snapping the rifle back up and took aim in the same motion for the center of the Mirialan’s head. “Loyalty? You sit here adorning the markings of loyalty?” Kowani said through the modulated helmet, seething with anger. Ahsoka refrained from settling her this time.
A light smile cracked across the black lips before them, “I have remained ever loyal my friend, loyal to the truth.”
Ahsoka felt her insides clench in her own anger at the words. “You have no right calling anyone friend Barriss.”
Barriss glanced at Ahsoka, “my how you’ve grown up Ahsoka.” Ignoring the charged comment.
“Your vision of the truth is still just as crooked as it was all those years ago, how can ignorance have such a tight grip on your senses?” Ahsoka replied ignoring Barriss’ comment in return.
Barriss stood up slowly, exposing nothing in the gesture as the robe covered her completely. “Perhaps it is best to remove ourselves from pleasantries and get to the point.”
“Good plan.” Kowani said and pulled the trigger, the shot bulls-eyeing the target, sizzling in the wall just over Barriss’ right shoulder.
“She doesn’t have much patience for nonsense.” Ahsoka said with a nod toward Kowani. “Why are you here, and what do you want?”
“I am here to escort you to Coruscant Ahsoka, and I ask that you consider it peacefully.” Barriss said plainly, holding both hands outward, palms facing toward her audience.
Ahsoka felt a rage at that, a rage that had been dormant since Malachor. A host of witty retorts swirled within her mind, links to her own emotions from past events, links to her more recent visions, all of them underlined by a burning anger that begged for revenge.
“Ahsoka.” Barriss said gingerly, “let go of your misgivings, your hate. They aren't the Jedi way.” She said reading Ahsoka’s emotion, and again lacking condescension.
“I wish people would stop saying that.” Ahsoka replied and she heaved a heavy sigh. “We have agreed on certain principles in the bast Barriss, but principle is only equal to thought. It is what we do beyond those abstract notions that defines our credibility.” She added with a sigh, feeling the anger subside somewhat.
“I have never known you to possess such a strong attachment to your feelings, specifically those by way of anger Ahsoka. However, your friend here seems to bathe in them.” Barriss returned.
Kowani inwardly agreed, “for good reason you traitorous b…”
“Let’s just keep a cool head.” Ahsoka said, cutting her off.
“I disagree Ahsoka, I would very much like to know what motivates my compatriot.” Barriss interjected.
Kowani had longed for an opportunity like this. “my motivation, as well as that of thousands more, begins and ends with Keno. If you are here on behalf of anyone on Coruscant, you know full well what I am talking about. Atrocities.” She said, her words filled with malice.
“Of which I took no part in.” Barriss said, giving Kowani her full attention.
She laughed in return, “complicity is still guilt…. compatriot.” She said, almost spitting the words.
Ahsoka shook her head, tuning out the verbal exchange. “Stop. Barriss, you already know we’re not going with you. That fact will remain despite this bickering.” She said in a measured tone. All her dreams and visions of the past rushed to the forefront of her thoughts, beginning with her exoneration in the Judicial court room all those years ago, a moment in time that had irrevocably set her upon her own path. The look of pain, hurt and regret upon Barriss’ face at that time was still present beneath the facade she now presented. She trained the most heartfelt expression she could muster on Barriss, “There is only one reason I am here Barriss,” she began exhaling deeply, “I forgive you.” And with those words a tremendous burden seemingly lifted from her very soul, a newfound freedom emanated throughout her. She felt transcended but knew she wasn’t done. “And” she paused briefly, “I apologize for the part I played. I should have given your misgivings more attention and thought. Together we could have provided a stronger voice to make our point heard. I wasn’t there for you when you needed me the most and for that I am sincerely sorry Barriss.” She finished, feeling a calm washing over her that only honesty could provide. Ahsoka, for the first time in years, felt whole again. She knew she was smiling, and how that smile may be perceived, but it was genuine, and she had no intention of trying to hide it. She reached down at her side and removed the black cylinder from the clip at her waist. She held it in her palm for a few seconds then dropped it to the ground with a thud and resonating clatter, the crystals song from within no longer audible. The silence in its absence comforted her and she knew she no longer needed a physical extension to retain her balance. That balance was now internal. She half turned to Kowani feeling her friend’s tension building, “Ani, let it go.”
“She is right Kowani Y’mmat,” T’zar said, the words resonating within her, “can you not feel the Force around you Kowani? It is at peace.”
His words hung in her subconscious until the proximity chime from the threat assessment software within the helmet warned her of incoming targets, three to be exact.
‘This is a set-up T’zar, see the currents at the feet of the traitor. The Force claims her as it claims a street merchant or Veermok. She is no more in tune with it than the rock outside. No T’zar, the Force is not at peace. It is being manipulated to appear calm on the surface but look deeper, it is a tempest.’ Kowani answered inwardly. “No.” She said aloud and fired the primed blast straight into the forehead of Barriss, cratering her skull as the shot echoed throughout the chamber.
“What are you doing?” Ahsoka screamed, adding her own echo to the din, making a motion to rush to the side of Barriss’ sagging form.
“Ask the woman behind us.” Kowani replied casually, catching Ahsoka off guard. “Or the ones coming toward us from either side.”
Ahsoka turned to give Kowani a bewildered look, only then identifying a cloaked form entering the chamber the same way they had. A chortled laugh, mottled with hints of hysteria, emanating from within the folds of the cloth.
“Ever the peacekeeper Ahsoka.” The voice mirroring that of the deceased form before them said. “Your adept is right to question the merit of my words.”
Ahsoka turned around to face the newcomer, Kowani taking a position behind her to confront the speechless forms materializing out the darkness at their sides. “Your words?” Ahsoka asked slowly, her mind trying to contemplate what was happening. She turned her gaze to the fallen woman, then back to the approaching form, letting the instance play out and doing her best to make sense of the events, her stomach lurching as conclusion began to dawn on her. “Barriss.”
The form before them bore the same olive hands and arms as they escaped the sleeves of the extravagant robe she adorned and moved to remove the cowl over her head, revealing an identical face. Kowani made a motion to sling the blaster rifle over her head and shoulder and let it fall at her back as she drew twin Westar-35’s and held them with arms outstretched to the advancing forms from either side.
“I do stand corrected on my earlier assessment of this particular situation Kowani, adding to your particular perspective, what do you see.” T’zar asked.
She made a quick motion to either side of her, inspecting briefly, the similar Force currents either emanating or drawn into the forms to her left and right. ‘They are unchanged.’ She thought in reply, “She is different.” She uttered for all to hear, referring to the clone ahead of Ahsoka.
“Am I though?” Asked the non-cowled version. “Seeing isn’t necessarily believing is it.” Phrased as a statement rather than a question, the fact resonated with Kowani, and she primed each hold out with a flick of both her right thumb and left index finger which whined audibly, adding to the tension present.
Ahsoka, having distinguished at least a portion of her present reality for what it was couldn’t shake the lingering question within her, “why?”
The Barriss before her split her lips in a crooked smile, “Ahsoka, everything that has been done was for a singular purpose. As much as I deeply appreciate your apology, you carried out your part exceptionally well and have advanced the agenda beyond the Emperor's ability to perceive.”
Ahsoka looked even more confused than before, “By the stars Barriss, I don’t have the patience for these cryptic ramblings. Anything that I have done was by my choice alone, there is no intertwined destiny and most certainly not that of a lunatic demagogue.”
Kowani wasn’t sure if Ahsoka was attempting to provoke anger or manipulating the situation to leech more information from the Barriss she clearly saw as ‘real.’ She could not, however, understand why Ahsoka hadn’t been aware of the approaching forms until she mentioned them. Deciding to gauge the conversation instead of adding to it she said, “That’s far enough, both of you.” As she was acutely aware of the targeting information being fed her by the HUD inside the helmet. Red flashing squares outlined the precise center of both chests complete with probability indicators over them, both reading three digits. All she had to do was fire.
“Out of respect for you I will indulge your curiosity but only this, preparation is the bedrock of strategy Ahsoka.” Barriss said slowly and in the compassionate voice Ahsoka remembered from the former padawan.
Ahsoka’s bewilderment achieved new levels of incomprehension. She wasn’t sure if Barriss had avoided cloaking her words or if she was being manipulated in other ways.
“My sisters and I are but many in the chain that will secure this galaxy for millennia.” Barriss added, fueled by the quizzical look Ahsoka had adopted.
Kowani was becoming impatient as her wrist comm chimed away while she held the two other forms, of which she learned were more of the first, at bay. ‘I have to get that linked to the helmet,’ She thought.
“A wise endeavor.” T’zar said. “This conversation is provoking memory Kowani,” T’zar added, supplanting her focus momentarily, “I cannot place it appropriately, but there is relevance to an agenda here. One which has been evolving for hundreds of years.”
Kowani, although entranced by the idea of fitting into some cosmic scheme, was adhering to her nature and remaining focused on the two targets, ready to act.
“They are…. expendable...in that undertaking and understand the role they play.” Barriss said, giving Ahsoka just a fraction more to contemplate as she nodded toward the other forms in turn.
Ahsoka was struck by the notion, the callous notion, that stood counter to her very belief, “You dare…. you dare mock those that stood and fought at your side, died so that you may live. Those that only ever wanted to be considered individual in a tide of identical faces.” She began, giving a metered volley of the anger roiling within her as the thoughts of Rex and Cody came to mind, and all those that followed.
Kowani could feel the same energies drawing themselves in to Ahsoka that had outside, and she planted her feet to stand her ground behind the Togruta. ‘T’zar, this is bigger than before.’ She thought.
“Much bigger. Keep your focus on the others, I will do what I can to form a buffer. Keep your stance wide.” T’zar added to the befuddlement of Kowani.
Barriss only laughed, “they knew their place Ahsoka, as do my sisters….as will yours.” She added sardonically with a brief wink at Ahsoka.
Ahsoka had reached her breaking point within the rhetoric at that last remark and began laughing, an unnatural laugh that took everyone off guard for a moment, including Kowani. “Ohh Barriss,” She paused briefly, “I don’t think so,” and she snapped her form in the blink of an eye to a low crouch and outstretched her hands.
Kowani instinctively directed the blasters over Ahsoka’s shoulders, both trained on the Barriss before them. The targeting reticles rushing to keep pace with the action, floated in her view a few seconds before finding identical spots to rest right at the conjunction of the shoulders and breastbone. The shots would not kill but they would incapacitate.
The Barriss before them adopted a similar counter defensive stance and made a motion with her arms to either side of her waist. “And what is it that you propose to do about the inevitable Ahsoka?” She said adding venom to the cruel vibrancy her voice had been. “If not me, then someone Ahsoka, you cannot run forever.”
Ahsoka flashed a brief smile across her face, neither telling nor condescending, “I have no intention of running Barriss, those days are over.” She said with an authority Kowani had yet to glean from her friend at any point earlier, giving way to an organic comprehension that T’zar seemed to realize as well.
“She has let it go Kowani. Do you feel it?” T’zar spoke what they were both thinking.
She smiled within the helmet, understanding Ahsoka’s driving need for balance and even her dropping the hilt to the ground, “She’s found it for certain T’zar.” Kowani said. A comforting feeling washed over her in that instant, one of contentment or the discovery of a long-sought peace within. She knew Ahsoka was the center of something truly special, and although she didn’t know what form that would take, it didn’t matter. What did was the Togruta, the bond they had formed and all the intangibles that go along with it. This was the peace she had involuntarily sought.
The two clones of Barriss at either side removed the cowls from their own robes and began reaching down at their sides.
Every participant in the exchange could feel the palpable tension evolving between Ahsoka and Barriss and each ran through scenarios subconsciously of their respective roles to play within it. Kowani could sense a hard-fought turning point was on the precipice of time itself but also that her role lie within not getting in Ahsoka’s way such as the situation was transpiring. She idled her front side closer to Ahsoka’s back to come within contact so she could read the cue she knew was coming.
The Barriss clones seemed to think and move as one organic unit, identical in expression and subtle movements and would not survive this exchange in Kowani’s estimation. T’zar found it frustrating to understand the situation in the same way Kowani was ‘thinking’ it and not sound off his position in the matter, to keep her free from distraction.
Kowani knelt slightly to place her abdomen directly in contact with Ahsoka’s shoulder blades then waited for the anticipated tension to build within the muscles, knowing Ahsoka would employ a very brief exhale and reflexive motion before she made her move. She could feel the even and measured breaths Ahsoka was now taking, that moment before all hell broke loose, when time stood still, and active imagination fabricated a multitude of scenarios and probable outcomes. She felt the breaths get deeper, her own following the same rhythm. The rhythm of the battle worn.
Time froze completely and Kowani felt the extremely short exhale she knew was coming and fired both blasters without hesitation, the bolts seeming to travel in an eerie slow motion as they charged the air around them heading directly for each target. Ahsoka unleashed the full fury of the Force energy she had been accumulating and squeezed both hands in respective fists, turning the left fist slightly and jerking suddenly downward, Kowani realizing Ahsoka’s target as she spun both blasters in unison to the Barriss clone to the left. Kowani was watching in real time as the head turned to an impossible angle then bent back completely before slamming forward with ferocious speed into the Duranium floor with a stomach-churning crunch. Understanding what had happened she then spun to the Barriss to the right who was in her own death throes and clutching ineffectively at her neck.
Ahsoka snapped her left hand down to retrieve her lightsaber before the first of the clones had fallen and was already eyeing Barriss when she felt Kowani’s blaster bolts finish the second.
Kowani spun back toward Barriss and crouched down below the emerging form of Ahsoka as she made to stand, her lightsaber ignited and in hand. She took that precious second to ascertain that both of her initial blasts had missed completely but bought Ahsoka the time she needed to strengthen their odds. Time sped back up again to a more natural pace when Kowani finally tapped her wrist comm, this time not bothering with encrypting anything she tapped it once and said, “Go for extraction N’dali!”