STAR WARS: CONFLICTED

CHAPTER XVIII - CONFLICT

Nathan found Anakin stood there, at the edge of the drainage pipe, staring down at his padawan.

"Where is she?" Nathan asked.
"Gone." Was all Anakin could muster up. His face showed a broken man, one with so much on his mind that he wanted to say, but he couldn't. An expression he shared with Nathan.

"It's okay, Nathan. We will find the culprit. And when I do..." Anakin tailed off, looking down still at the freighter which carried the Togruta.

Anakin walked past Nathan, who still stood where he had been, zoned out completely. The last few days had taken a lot out of the Jedi, and his mind couldn't focus fully on anything.

But he had a mission to accomplish. He must keep a level head. The last time he didn't, he used the dark side, becoming a slave to it. He would find who had set Ahsoka up if it killed him.

But now, he had to make sure Maul didn't.

* * *

"I made a choice. I couldn't stay."
"You were selfish."
"No!"
"You abandoned me. You FAILED ME!"

"Do you realise what I've become?"

Nathan opened his eyes. His door was opening and shutting as the wind moved, but otherwise all was silent. Except for the voices in his head. The voices of Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano.

He frowned. This was not the first time he had a vision like this, or something similar. Once more, it featured Ahsoka.

He got up, and clipped his saber to his belt. He could feel something. The Force. He could sense a strong darkness, but not from him. From within the Temple.

Opening the door slowly, he stepped out into the dimly lit corridors. It was night now, the day after Ahsoka had left. Nathan assumed she was on the run, and scared, and afraid. He wanted nothing more than to comfort her, but second best to that was finding the real reason behind this. And the darkness within the Temple could be a clue to him.

He made his way past the rooms of other padawans, Caleb's dorm, Cal's room, and Barriss' quarters. He stopped dead. The darkness had grown substancially outside her room, Nathan felt it.

He cupped his ear to her door, listening in closely.

"You have done well, young one."
"Thank you, my Lord. She is gone now. You know I would never fail you."
"I should hope not, Miss Offee."
"You know what would happen if you did."

There was an audible gulp, one even Nathan heard from within. Barriss was quivering, he could feel it. He waited for the holotransmission to end, and then he stepped back.

What could we do? He had two options here. Report this to the Council and let the Masters deal with it themselves. Or, he could confront her himself.

Nathan's anger was building again. He could feel his temper going. The loss of Ahsoka, of his master, of Tigre, and of his arm. It was catching up now.

He heard Barriss climb upon her bed, and felt the presence of her meditation through the door. This was his chance.

Nathan kicked the door open with his right leg, taking it off its hinges. He summoned his hilt to his mechanical hand.

"You're going to pay for what you've done, Barriss."

The turquoise blade lit up the dark room. He was done hiding how he felt. It was time for Nathan to really put an end to this.

The ignition of a blue blade followed, and Barriss got to her feet.

"Took your time."