The Knight Before The Dawn | Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Letta Turmond sat in a state of perpetual sadness watching the events of the Jedi Temple bombing unfold on a projected screen in her apartment. She felt helpless and alone. Jackar's dedication to his cause was admirable, but it blinded him to the effects that it would have on his wife. A local news reporter's voice was the only thing keeping Letta from drowning in the silence of her apartment.

"The Jedi are still refusing to offer any statement on the explosion inside the Jedi Temple Hangar. Based on the military mobilization around the Galactic Senate building it is fair to assume that this was no accident. Many concerned citizens are beginning to gather at the steps of the Temple. Some appear to be protesting the war but most appear to be there out of concern for loved ones who may have been injured or killed in the explosion. Jedi Master Cin Drallig and a team of Jedi Temple Guardians are preventing the crowd from entering the Jedi Temple…"

Letta felt such sympathy for those who were at the Temple waiting on word of their loved ones. The only difference between them and her was her knowledge of the bombing and knowing that her husband would never return home. After a moment or two, she realized that she would be there if she didn't know about Jackar's suicide bombing. In order to look innocent, she should go to the Jedi Temple like the other family members who were searching for their loved ones. Letta knew that she wouldn't ever see Jackar again, but going was what she should have done. Besides, she couldn't bear the empty apartment. She turned off the news and left for the Temple.

---

Once the alarms were silenced and the Temple was secured, events and activities of the Jedi Temple began to proceed as normal once again albeit at a more alert intensity. Barriss Offee wasn't able to ignore the loss of Tutso Mara, but she did find a middle ground where she could function normally. She bottled up the emotion like she used to. It was difficult and she knew that it would probably hurt more in the long run that way, but it was what she had to do in order to leave her room without falling apart emotionally.

Unintentionally, Barriss was slowly replacing her mournful thoughts with feelings of rage. She went over her time with Jackar Bowmani and Letta Turmond again and again trying to figure out something that they missed. 'Why did Jackar explode so late in the day?' She kept asking herself. No one was supposed to get hurt nonetheless die! Barriss was arriving at the only conclusion that made sense. She had been betrayed. With Jackar having a trigger that set off the nanodroids whenever he wanted, he had to have intentionally waited until the hangar was full of people. He initially wanted to kill the majority of the Jedi Council. She should have anticipated this betrayal.

Barriss wasn't victim to her emotions. She was aware of the rage building within her. She recognized that being alone with her thoughts was only going to accelerate her downward spiral of thinking. So, she left her living quarters and started walking the halls. Everyone was talking about the bombing. She even heard several people mention the possibility of a Jedi being responsible. At first, Barriss was pleased to hear the gossip. Conversations were deviating to talk of the suspected Jedi's motives and provocations. The idea of reforming the Jedi Order was seeding in the minds of many throughout the Temple. However, not every overheard segment of gossip was good for Barriss to hear.

While most of the passerby's were talking about the Jedi Order in general and perhaps they shouldn't be surprised that a Jedi would bomb the Temple, there were also a lot of negative comments about the bomber. Barriss should have been prepared to hear the comments, but they were delivered far more painfully than anticipated. The words like 'traitor' and 'Dark Jedi' sunk like daggers into her heart. Most of the comments were subjective and vague due to just being based on a rumor, but she took each comment personally. It was too early to tell if the Jedi would truly reestablish their role or simply write off the suspected Jedi as another traitor like Dooku or Krell. Barriss tried her best not to let the overheard comments get to her too much. It wasn't her fault that people were killed. That was Jackar and Letta's doing.

Her saddening train of thought was immediately halted when she overheard a very crucial piece of information concerning the bombing. Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, were called back to Coruscant to lead the investigation of the bombing. Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest! Barriss immediately began considering the possibility of Ahsoka and her even stealing just a few minutes to talk. She wouldn't confess to the bombing or anything, but she desperately wanted to see her best friend again to confide in about her frustrations. Luminara was keeping her distance at the moment and Barriss was happy to have her space. Luminara probably realized that she'd gone too far with her confrontation in Ahsoka's room. 'Hopefully…'

Thoughts of excitement were quickly dampened when Barriss overheard the name Letta Turmond. News of Anakin taking her in for questioning was the last thing she wanted to hear. 'How in the world could Master Skywalker already suspect Letta's involvement?' Barriss thought to herself as she roamed the halls of the Jedi Temple. 'Letta… What have you and your husband dragged me into?'

Barriss Offee walked down to the holding cells as quickly as she could without bringing attention to herself. She kept her head lowered and tried her best to hide her hastened pace in the layers of her traditional Jedi attire. In moments that felt like hours, she arrived just in time to see Anakin Skywalker just outside an open cell. She continued her pace. Anakin walked inside the cell. Barriss was able to look inward for a brief moment to see Letta inside before the door closed behind Anakin.

For a very brief second, Letta's and Barriss' eyes met. Barriss saw a frightened and timid Letta who appeared to be in a compromising mood. Barriss' face grimaced with the thought of Letta acting so selfishly and wanted Letta reminded that there were more lives than her own at risk. However, the message sent was not the message that was received. Letta saw Barriss' face and it pushed her skeptical mind to begin doubting Barriss' resolve. They shared an uneasy trust to begin with.

When the cell was closed, Barriss wanted to go to the surveillance room and watch the interrogation, but her Padawan authority didn't allow her to enter. So, she returned back to the halls. Even if Letta was released with no charge, she would still be a person of interest. Barriss couldn’t risk contacting her. After only a short time, Barriss saw Letta leaving the Jedi Temple. Letta appeared frightened, but more assured somehow. Not knowing what went on in that holding cell gnawed away at Barriss, but there was nothing she could do about it.

She knew that she could only roam the halls aimlessly for so long before looking suspicious, so Barriss returned to her room for a much-needed rest. She lied down and was about to fall into a light sleep when her door opened without warning. Barriss reached for her lightsaber with her war-hardened reflexes, but froze when she saw a droid enter her room. It was one of the droid detective's little assistant droids. Barriss quickly returned her lightsaber to its designated place in her room and waited for the droid to explain its intrusion.

The little, humanoid droid turned its large, binocular-shaped head back and forth and all around as it scanned Barriss Offee's room. After an uncomfortable moment, the droid stopped scanning and walked towards Barriss who was sitting on her bed. "Pardon the intrusion, Padawan Offee, but have you seen this Abyssin worker?" A small holo-image of Jackar appeared out of its hand.

Barriss put on the pragmatic and indifferent face that her Master liked to use so often. "No, I haven't. Who is he?"

The droid responded. "He is a person of interest in the bombing of the Temple. Where were you located during the explosion?"

"I was here." Barriss responded. Until the droid asked some more probing questions she didn't feel the need to be alarmed.

"Did you hear or witness anything prior to the bombing that you would consider odd or unusual?" The droid continued.

"Not that I can remember. Is it true that a Jedi is behind the attack?" Barriss saw an opportunity to get some information on the case.

"Nothing is certain at this ti-" The droid was interrupted when a droid language began communicating with it from the holoprojector in its hand. The brief message was relayed and then the droid turned around to leave hurriedly.

Barriss called after it. "Wait! Stop! What is going on?"

The droid turned towards Barriss and said. "We have found Jackar Bowmani." The droid then continued on its way back to the Droid Detective. Just hearing the droid mention his name caused Barriss' heart to jump and her mind to go into overload. 'If Jackar is alive, what caused the explosion in the hangar? Is that why Letta was here?' She thought to herself.

Barriss had no way of receiving any more information on the case. The Jedi Temple was beginning to shut down for the night aside from the additional security placed in light of the bombing. Everything was upside down. The droid detective had no doubt brought Anakin and Ahsoka to interrogate Jackar. It was only a matter of time before Jedi Temple Guards would come knocking at her door to arrest her for conspiracy and accessory to murder.

The night came and dragged on yet no one came. After giving up on waiting for an arrest, Barriss tried to sleep through the rest of what would be a very long and restless night.

---

In the morning, Barriss Offee woke up to a temple-wide holo-transmission. A funeral service was about to be given for the Jedi who died in the bombing. The entire night passed and she was still not under arrest. At least for the moment, she was in the clear. Barriss considered not going to the funeral. She was at the very least partially responsible for their deaths. Barriss needed to act as if she knew nothing about the bombing though. So, she steeled herself and headed out to the ceremonial chamber.

A flood of Jedi, officers, friends and family slowly found their seats as the service was about to begin. Barriss felt for a moment as she did before any of this disaster ever unfolded. She was just another Jedi amidst thousands. Almost robotically she made her way to a seat and waited for the service to begin. Her mind was running everywhere but the current moment. It wasn't until everyone was quiet and Jedi Master Mace Windu began speaking that she realized she had sat directly in front of Tutso Mara's body.

She tried to hold it in, but the pain and feelings of loss accompanied by guilt were too much for her to hide. Barriss desperately searched with her eyes to find something else to focus on, something to keep her strong. As if on cue, she felt a nudge on her right elbow. She pulled the side of her hood back and saw the best person possible to be sitting next to her, Ahsoka Tano. Fashionably late as always, Ahsoka and Anakin tried to squeeze in to their seats. No one seemed to care, but Master Windu shot them a glare between phrases.

Nothing was said, but just finally having Ahsoka at her side made everything for Barriss so much easier to bear. Ahsoka gave a gentle elbow nudge to Barriss as a silent hello. Barriss didn't nudge back, but smiled under her hood. She began to wonder about what her master had said. 'Maybe she is right. Maybe I am too reliant on Ahsoka… No. I've lost close friends and have been betrayed. This isn't a normal circumstance. I need a friend because I'm going through a hard time. It's not wrong to seek comfort when you're hurting. If someone is hurting, the last thing they should be is alone.'

Just as Barriss was reassuring herself that reveling in Ahsoka's company was okay, Mace Windu finished his opening statements and the next Jedi Master stepped forward to speak, Luminara Unduli. Barriss wasn't even paying attention to the funeral until her master's voice hit her ears. Her eyes snapped up to meet Luminara's. Master Unduli began speaking of how all living beings are connected by the Force and that life is never truly lost. Her speech was profound and comforting, but her eyes continually stopped at Barriss as she looked back and forth across the room.

Everyone in the room saw the normal, balanced and stoic demeanor that Luminara was known for, but Barriss could see past it. There were subtle gestures that linked together a subliminal lecture. Barriss didn't even need to hear anything. Luminara was feeling a combination or worry and disappointment seeing her Padawan sitting alongside Ahsoka and Barriss could see it clear as day. Barriss held a subtle glare towards her master for a time, but she couldn't hold her resolve for long. She couldn't keep looking past Tutso Mara's body to have this silent argument with her master. Even as just a blur in the foreground as she focused her eyes on Luminara it was impossible to put the pain aside. By the time Luminara was finished speaking, Barriss was emotionally shattered and numb to any sort of comfort Ahsoka's presence could give.

The rest of the service passed in what felt like days. Barriss continually had to reel herself back from crying over how many had died thanks to her plot gone wrong. As the final speaker, Master Yoda asked for a moment of silence before concluding the ceremony. Ahsoka couldn't help but notice Barriss' anguish and took the opportunity to inquire. She leaned over and spoke softly as not to disturb anyone. "You were close to one of them?"

"Tutso Mara. We trained together. He taught me how to hold my lightsaber correctly." Barriss replied as she kept her gaze on the Jedi ceremonial cloth that covered Tutso's body. Hearing Ahsoka's voice was like serenity given auditory form. Ahsoka didn't speak further so as not to disrupt the moment of silence, but she remained close to Barriss as a silent pillar of strength.

With Yoda's final statements, the fallen Jedi were lowered into the floor. Doors closed over them and beams of light shot up to the ceiling. It symbolized the Jedi becoming one with the Force. The pain was still very raw, but seeing the symbolic gesture gave Barriss a bit of closure.

The crowd of officers, Jedi and others slowly emptied the room. Barriss wasn't ready to be alone and didn't want her master to track her down for another round of lectures. So, she followed Ahsoka and Anakin in her own silent and shadow-like way. A Republic Officer, Admiral Tarkin had joined them as they walked through one of the many massive halls of the Jedi Temple and began discussing the ongoing bombing investigation. As they all walked shoulder to shoulder, Barriss wasn't particularly pleased with how the Admiral and Anakin had maneuvered their walk to put Ahsoka and Barriss apart from each other. It wasn't intentional though and Barriss wasn't about to make a scene.

As Tarkin spoke to Anakin, Ahsoka gave Barriss a quick smirk. It was a subtle gesture, but Barriss always found comfort when Ahsoka smiled like that. It sort of held the idea or perspective of 'whatever, we can take on the world with our hands behind our backs anyways.' Barriss hadn't intended to learn more about the bombing investigation. She was just hoping to spend some more time with Ahsoka, but she was very eager to learn more regardless. So, she listened in on Tarkin and Anakin talking.

Things had escalated much further than she knew. Letta Turmond had been arrested for the murder of her husband, Jackar Bowmani and for organizing the bombing of the Jedi Temple hangar. The topic of discussion was what to do next with Letta. Admiral Tarkin informed the Jedi that Letta had been moved into a military holding area and taken out of Jedi custody. Ahsoka was very upset when Tarkin continued by stating the Supreme Chancellor's plan to remove Jedi from as many military matters as possible. Ahsoka stepped ahead and stood in front of them. She apparently already felt very strongly about Letta's fate. "If Letta's guilty she's guilty and she should be dealt with."

Her raw anger over the situation surprised Barriss, but she remained a silent listener. Ahsoka was defeated in the argument when Anakin spoke up agreeing with Tarkin. Ahsoka grimaced at the floor in protest. Barriss wanted to comfort her friend a little, but she was feeling her own frustrations and confusion towards the situation. Despite her attack on the Temple, nothing had changed. Even her closest friend wanted to maintain control over the military. When the tension-filled silence became too uncomfortable, Barriss finally spoke up. "The evidence seems clear, Ahsoka. Nothing will ever change." The unfortunate frustration for her was that she agreed with Tarkin for the most part. Barriss didn't think the Jedi belonged anywhere near a war's battlefront. However, removal of the Jedi at this point due to a lack of faith from the Republic was like a punch in the gut.

Tarkin continued walking and gave a few final words to strengthen his argument. Barriss couldn't help but feel distain for the officer, but didn't interject further. He spoke of complete removal of the Jedi from the Clone Wars. Adding to Ahsoka's frustration, Anakin sided with Tarkin. Once Tarkin was ready to leave through an elevator and had made his last snide comment, Barriss turned to Anakin and Ahsoka. Accompanying them any further would prompt inquiry and she wanted to remain discreet with any attention away from her. "I have many things to attend to, Masters. Good day." She respectfully bowed and made her exit. As she walked past Ahsoka, Barriss said Ahsoka's name hardly above a whisper as a more intimate farewell to a friend.

The conversation between Tarkin, Ahsoka and Anakin was immediately playing through Barriss' mind over and over as she walked back to her living quarters. She didn't like Tarkin at all, but she couldn't help but agree with him. When he mentioned removing the Jedi from military matters she saw a chance for the Jedi to finally return to the Light. It may be ill-timed and for the wrong reasons, but perhaps her plot with Letta and Jackar may have succeeded, just not the way she had wanted. The ends hardly justified the means, but a Jedi mustn't focus on the negative or the past.

Barriss was so caught up in thought she didn't even notice that Ahsoka had ran down the hall to catch up to her. "Company?" The familiar voice came up from beside her. Barriss, of course, agreed. With just the two of them walking alone, Barriss finally had an opportunity to confide in her friend. Ahsoka spoke first. "Every time I think about this I feel conflicted. It's hard not to let feelings turn into attachment and pain."

Ahsoka brought up the exact topic of discussion Barriss wanted to go over. She had been frequently asking herself ever since this entire mess started what Ahsoka would do in her place and her own views on attachments and emotions. She remained resolute and assured of herself, but her master's confrontation was still a terrible emotional bruise on her mind. "Ahsoka, have you ever wondered if it was right to ignore your emotions?" Barriss asked.

Ahsoka answered. "My master would say our struggle as Jedi is to move past them."

Barriss smiled. "You make it sound so easy." Moving past them certainly sounded easier than suppressing them. Maybe Ahsoka could guide her in a meditation later.

"Well, it isn't easy, but it's possible." Ahsoka explained. "Like when we were stuck in that battle tank on Geonosis. It was hard not to be afraid. Still, you and I got past it, and I guess we'll get past this."

"You've always been capable of seeing things clearly." Barriss marveled at her friend's wisdom. She envied such clarity of thought.

Ahsoka chuckled at Barriss' remark. "I guess I've fooled you like I fooled everyone else." Barriss was finally going to learn where Ahsoka stood on the issue of Jedi in the war, but the conversation was cut short by Ahsoka's comlink beeping. Her master, Anakin, was calling her to the war room. As Ahsoka's brief transmission with her master commenced, Barriss couldn't help but marvel at the fact that a temple of 'peacekeepers' even had a war room.

When the transmission was over, Ahsoka turned back to Barriss. "Look, I have to believe that one way or another this woman is going to pay for what she did." There was a wild fury in Ahsoka's eyes as she spoke of justice or revenge. It wasn't clear as to which. Ahsoka was actually trying to reassure Barriss with the ideas of punishing Letta. The opportunity to confide in Ahsoka was ruined and seeing Ahsoka's thirst so openly for revenge hurt Barriss deeply. She needed to end the conversation while she could still maintain composure.

"You shouldn't keep your master waiting." She said with a respectful bow and smile. Ahsoka ran off towards the war room.  Barriss fell into despair before Ahsoka was even out of sight. How could she even continue being a part of the Order? Her best friend was just as tainted by the Dark Side as the members of the Jedi Council.