Barriss made the first move. She leapt at Nathan, slashing at him downwards with little effect. Nathan parried every strike from her, high, low, middle, before letting the blades lock up momentarily.
"You can't kill me, Barriss. You're trapped." Nathan said, and he was right. If Nathan lost, the entire Jedi Order would be onto her, in an instant.
"Never." Barriss hissed at him, breaking out of the lockup and pushing him back with the force, before throwing her blue lightsaber at him, which he swatted away easily. She summoned it back to her hand, but Nathan had already seized his opportunity. He pressed the attack onto her, slamming the blade against hers with such force it was barely blocked.
The night setting of the Temple set a beautiful scene, with not such beautiful cicrumstances. Both blue and ocean-coloured blades lit up the corridors, illuminating the way as they dueled. Nathan's intention here was not to kill. But oh, how he wanted to. He needed a confession, not a body.
Nathan swung his blade repeatedly at Barriss, with no slowing down. His anger for what she had done emphasised with each strike. She had killed his master, gotten his bestfriend involved. His hatred for her was certain.
Barriss tried to block as best she could, but it was no use. She attempted a last-ditch lock up, but Nathan saw the fear in her eyes, and whacked her saber out of her hand, sending her to the floor and her hilt out of a window.
"You are beaten, traitor." Nathan proclaimed, holding his lightsaber to her neck.
"In the name of the Galactic Senate, you are under arrest."
He cuffed her, making sure she didn't leave his sight, before walking her towards the Council chambers. There, he planned to make her talk, for everything she had done.
It was still the early hours of the morning, but Nathan wasn't about to wait. He had done what they could not. He had found and secured their suspect.
He used a device which summoned all Council members to the chamber immediately, no hesitation.
"You know, I co-"
"I don't want to hear a single word from you, Barriss. I have every right to kill you where you stand for what you've done."
"You're not seeing the bigger picture."
"There is no bigger picture, you little rat." Nathan whispered harshly into her ear. "Your death will bring me peace."
Barriss couldn't believe how harsh Nathan sounded. He didn't sound like himself at all.
One by one, the members of the Council entered the chamber, including those off-world. Master Kenobi was one of the first to answer the call.
"What has happened here?" He asked, stroking his beard with one hand, resting his other across his elbow.
"You'll see, Master Kenobi." Nathan replied quietly, and the Jedi Master said no more.
Once most of the Council had arrived, Nathan spoke.
"I have called this meeting to come forward, with a confession, from none other than Barriss Offee." He stated clearly, nudging the traitor forward. "Jedi padawan, and traitor to the Republic."
"Is this true, padawan?" Master Windu asked, staring her down with a flicker of fire in his eyes.
"It is."
There were gasps among the Jedi in the room. They had no reason or intention to accuse Barriss, who was deemed such a positive and outgoing character around the temple.
"Explain yourself, Padawan Offee." Master Windu demanded.
"My reasoning comes from within. I believe that the Jedi have fallen so far from what they once were. We have become slaves to the not only this war, but to the Senate. We fight as soldiers, not keepers of the peace!" She raised her voice, in anger.
"I became a Jedi to rid the galaxy of cruelty. But now I see it for what it is. We ARE the cause for cruelty in the galaxy. We are so stubborn to admit our fall from grace, that the Sith Lord has escaped from under all of our noses for over a decade! Do you not see it?" Barriss began to cry out, in pure anger, letting everything out, all of her frustrations.
"Barriss Offee, a traitor you are. Locked away, you shall be. Speak with the Senate on your fate, I must." Yoda explained, still in disbelief at her outburst.
"You mean, she isn't definitely going to be locked away for good?" Nathan asked, confused.
"No, padawan. Her fate is not in our hands."
Nathan wanted nothing more than to take her head from her body with one stroke right now. But he couldn't say that.
Temple guards arrived to take away the traitor, leaving Nathan stood alone in the center of the room. He looked around at every Master.
"Well?" Kenobi asked suddenly, looking in Master Yoda's direction.
Yoda took a deep breath.
"Padawan Tynan. Kneel." He spoke softly.
His words almost echoed in Nathan's mind. Without hesitation, he dropped to one knee.
"By the right of the Council," Master Yoda said, igniting his green lightsaber. "By the will of the Force." He placed his saber just above each shoulder.
"Rise, Nathan Tynan, Jedi Knight."
Nathan was lost for words. A knight? He had dreamed of this for years. It may not have been great timing, but he had achieved something his Master had told him he was destined to do, to become a Jed Knight.
"Thank you, Masters." He bowed to all of the Masters in the room.
"To your quarters, you may go." Yoda smiled at the Jedi, who began to leave quietly, with a smile on his face. He couldn't believe it.
Just as he was about to leave, he remembered something.
"Master Yoda? What will become of Ahsoka Tano?"
Yoda pondered this for a moment. The Council were all silent in anticipation.
"Brought back to the Temple she may be. Released of all charges, she is."
Nathan couldn't hold back his excitement. He bowed once more, closed the chamber doors, and sprinted to his room.
Tommorow, he would set out to find her.
YOU ARE READING
STAR WARS: CONFLICTED
ActionThis is my Star Wars Story, set in the Clone Wars time period, about a young Padawan named Nathan Tynan, who was born in 37 BBY. He was the apprentice to the Togruta Jedi Master, Shaak Ti, and he often spent his free time training with her or, when...
