AU: Not Milliways continuity: The Foundry -Reprise

[last_kallig]

Ibani is at a corner booth in Milliways, examining a tactical map of the Kurost sector of the Mid-Rim, specifically the Nanth'ri system.

She's half in, half out of armor, a look worn by many commanders in many worlds and many times. A look that suggests that the Commander was either interrupted en route to sleep or has given up on it entirely.

She has a small stack of holopads set out on the table, listing various groups and their locations, most of them are crossed out. The two on top are for a Major Bessiker and the Sith Hiran Bessiker, his son.

She'd hoped she would never need to enter the Foundry again, but events have conspired against her.

Her stomach sinks as she recalls what she's fairly sure will be Major Bessiker's last message to her or to anyone, that a group of fanatical Jedi had taken the Foundry. She's checked again and again, and there is no one she can send, no one she can spare.

If she can't find an answer here, she'll be going alone into what the data tells her MUST be a trap.

(OOC: dialogue in italics is taken from/adapted from Ibani's canon.)

Comments

[acertainpov]

“Ashara.”

When the pressure of Ryen’s lightsaber pressing down on Ben’s is relieved, Ben stands. He keeps his back to Ibani, Ryen and Ocera, but the set in his shoulders is clear. He can feel you and you’d be a fool to think a turned back is a target.

He also puts himself between the three of them and a clear route from where the Padawan is just standing up, to the door and the way off this station.

“Come, young one, it’s time to go.”

[last_kallig]

Ibani 'helps' by moving to attack both of the Jedi Masters, which ought to keep them plenty distracted!

Ashara doesn't respond at first, and she's shaking slightly when she finally moves toward Ben.

She's repeating the Jedi Code out loud to herself over and over again, like a mantra, the words running together. It doesn't seem to be helping her calm down, much.

[acertainpov]

Ben’s hardly surprised; those words seem so meaningless now. And false, to boot.

He reaches out a hand for her again as she nears, places it on her shoulder, and steers her firmly towards the door, his arm around her.

He still doesn’t look at Ibani even on his way out - she’s doing her part by giving them this space.

As the door shuts behind them he continues on down the corridor, but adapts his pace to Ashara's, his presence serene.

“You were right to try,” he says.

[last_kallig]

Ashara leans into Ben's arm around her, unaware that she's doing it.

She's still saying the Jedi Code to herself when Ben tells her she was right to try and the word 'peace' sticks in her throat like something barbed and sharp.

Then she starts to sob uncontrollably. She'll be horribly embarrassed later, this is not the sort of thing Jedi should do, but she hurts SO MUCH! (And Un-Jedi like behavior seems to be happening a LOT today on this station)

[acertainpov]

They're just about far enough away from the battle that Ben stops, turns her towards him and tilts her head up to look directly into her eyes, ignoring the sobs.

"Emotion," he says quietly, "yet peace. Don't be afraid to feel, Ashara."

Then both his hands are on her shoulders, pulling her to him.

[last_kallig]

Ashara wraps her arms around him and clings, still sobbing.

"Emotion, yet peace," she manages eventually. It's not a version that she knows, but it FEELS right, like nothing else has felt today.

She lets go of Ben, eyes red. "I'm crying all over you and I don't even know your name." She flushes at that.

"Where...where do I GO? I've never been away from Master Ocera and Master Ryen."

[acertainpov]

He gives her a warm smile, using his thumb to wipe away a tear from her cheek and turns back the way they were going towards the hangar. At least now no droids are attacking them.

"I am Ben Kenobi," he says. "I'm not a Jedi of your Order," which is true, "but I know the corruption that can seep into our hears during times of war." Yes, he definitely knows that.

"Go back to your Order, Ashara, if you think it's safe. But remember who sent you here, and what was planned."

[last_kallig]

Ashara is surprised when he says he's not a Jedi of her Order. "Oh, that would explain why, why the Sith didn't attack you." Her voice trembles a little at the end. Look, Ibani is SCARY, OK? At least if you don't know her.

"I'll remember," she says solemnly. They're near the hanger now. "But I don't know if anyone will believe me. It feels like a nightmare, but I'm already awake."

[acertainpov]

"She didn't attack us," he says, a slight emphasis to include her, "because we're not a part of this. If she could stop this without bloodshed I believe she would."

The passage way to the hangar is blocked by a heps of charred droid carcasses. Ben stops just before it and looks at Ashara. "Your fellow Barriss has left already - I know he had doubts. If no one believes you, remind him of the Code.

"Now help me," he says, and holds a hand out towards the blockade, fingers spread, palm out. They'll have to move the bodies together.

[last_kallig]

"Really?" The Sith have the reputation that they have for a reason, after all.

She nods when he mentions Barriss. "Having a Knight agree with me would help."

She reaches out with the Force and her hands toward the bodies to clear the doorway.

It takes a little while to clear the way, even with two of them doing the work.

Ashara makes a small gasping noise when she sees the bodies of Kell Daree and Nomar Organa.

[acertainpov]

"There are as many different Sith as there are different Jedi," Ben says. His hand is on her shoulder again and he steers her gently but firmly to a starfighter away from both bodies. "We're all just people, and the Force flows through us all.

"Ashara, you must be prepared in case they don't believe you. It's going to be a hard thing to hear, and even Jedi can have our minds clouded at times."

For example: this entire mess.

[last_kallig]

"We're all just people," Ashara echos. "They forgot that, Master Ryen and Master Ocera."

She knows what has to happen, that they must be stopped, but the thought of their deaths still hurts, even after what they did.

"I feel like I should have known, that things were going rotten," she adds as they reach the fighter. Her hands automatically go to open the cockpit.

"Would you tell the Sith that I'm sorry, for, for all of this?" It's not much, but at least it's an apology from a Jedi?

[acertainpov]

Ben nods assent - he will pass that on - and puts both hands on her waist to lift her up into the cockpit.

"Learn from it," he says and when she's in, he places a hand on his chest over his heart. "Listen to your feelings, Ashara. The Force will be with you, always."

[last_kallig]

"May the Force be with you too, Ben Kenobi," Ashara replies, hand over her own heart.

Ashara starts the starfighter, then waves one final time before she starts to make her way out of the hanger bay.

By the time Ben gets back to the control room, Ashara will be out of range to feel anything that happens here in the Force. Between the two of them, they've bought her that peace.

Ibani's payment is clear when Ben makes it back to the control room. Ibani's armor is covered in deep, nasty, gashes from lightsabers, several of which look like they could have been fatal without the armor. Ibani has been fighting entirely defensively, not even trying to HURT two Jedi Masters who are both very intent on killing her. It was just about the worst possible handicap she could have given herself, in this situation.

[acertainpov]

Ben jogged all the way from the hangar, unchallenged by droids thanks to appearing Jedi, and makes it to the control room in fairly quick time, although by the look of it, not a second too soon.

He built his shield back up on the way from saying goodbye to Ashara, so it’s the ignition of his lightsaber that announces his presence in the doorway of the control room.

“Well you look terrible,” he tells Ibani. “These two proving too much for you?”

[last_kallig]

Ibani makes a rude hand gesture in Ben's direction, but she's amused at his comment despite herself. "Only because I was treating these two with velvet gloves," she snarks. "Time to finish this dance, I take it?"

Please let it be time to stab these karking Jedi, Ben. Please?

[acertainpov]

“If you’re done leading your dance partners around,” says Ben. He hasn’t moved, aggressively or defensively, from the door, just letting his presence be threat enough, challenging the Jedi to turn to him rather than Ibani.

“I think they’re getting sore feet.”

[last_kallig]

"Oh, very done," Ibani replies, parrying Master Ocera. "They haven't got your skill or your stamina. I shan't bother dancing with anyone else in the future." There is a definite sense of flirtation in her tone and the Force.

Master Ryan turns to attack Ben, anger beginning to rise in him. It might do him some good, if he actually knew how to USE it properly, but he's a Jedi.

Ibani hits Master Ocera with a blast of force lightning, sweeps him off his feet, then brings both lightsabers down in a deathblow.

[acertainpov]

Ryen has a lightsaber through him before he even finishes his attack, Ben having moved just enough to dodge and counter in the same movement. Ryen’s anger had broadcast his attack far too clearly.

“Which is the bigger betrayal?” He asks, as the dying Jedi glares at him. “A corrupt order or your own Padawan?”

Nevertheless, he lets the traitor feel his compassion as he fades away.

[last_kallig]

"I would say Padawan myself, I expected better than that, even from HIM."

Ibani starts poking things in the control center, trying to find what shuts off the flow of Murder droids.

"Thank you, Ben," she says, voice quieter. "They'll never know it, but my people have a future now because of you."

[acertainpov]

Unfortunately, droids and technology is where Ben’s particular expertise comes to an end. He joins her, but only in frowning, trying to figure out where to start poking.

“Thank you for giving the opportunity to send two young Jedi down the right path,” he says. “You could have cleared the station with a lot less risk to yourself,”

[last_kallig]

Ibani finds the right button combination, eventually! She fist pumps when the droid production finally stops.

"I could have," Ibani agrees. "But mercy is...important, when I can afford the cost of it." It helps to keep her off the path of being only the Monster that Korriban made of her.

"Imperial custom is to cremate the dead and give the ashes to the next of kin. I don't know what the customs are, for Jedi. It never seemed a good thing for me to ask, as a Sith."

[acertainpov]

“Cremation,” Ben says. “The ashes are unimportant, as we don’t have next of kin beyond our sibling Jedi. It’s symbolic only, the spirit has already rejoined the Force.”

He’d considered sending Kell Daree at least home with Ashara but the Padawan didn’t need that trauma.

[last_kallig]

"The station has a crematorium, most remote Imperial outposts of any size do. Things happen, after all."

The unspoken question is if Ben wants her help with, well, cremating the Jedi.

[acertainpov]

“Thank you.”

That’s a yes. He glances at Ryen and Ocara, wondering for a second if they managed any regret before the end, and nods.

If nothing else it will clear the station before it can be reused.