Gray

Chapter 2

Ahsoka Tano sat crossed-legged atop a stool in her private quarters. Small bits and pieces of metal hovered and rotated around her regal, horned montrels in a slow, serene orbit. Each of these metal parts were intricate in design and fashioned by hand. The intimately constructed components to some carefully made device. Amongst the metal fragments were two crystals shining a resplendent bright white in response to the all-binding Force, and Ahsoka's connection to it.

Not so long ago, Ahsoka heard these two kyber crystals crying out to her through the Force. They were in agony, suffering under the crushing, hate-fueled grip of the dark side. Its power demanded their servitude, making them to bleed. When she came to their rescue and defeated the dark side inquisitor who held them, she experienced a moment of clarity that she didn't fully understand. The crystals were no longer berated by darkness, and she knew that she with inexplicable understanding that it was not her place to call on the power of the light to replace their pain. And so, the Force, pure and unfettered, not compelled nor coerced, flowed through her kybers, marked by a purifying white.

Since that day, for the first time in a very long time, she had opened herself back up to the Force. When Ahsoka left the Jedi order so many years ago, she did so because she knew that there was something fundamentally wrong with their practices. A self-righteousness that came with pledging oneself a Jedi and wielder of the light side of the Force. She didn't understand what her path would be when she left, but she knew that she could be a Jedi no longer. Her mistake was turning away from the Force, instead of embracing a new understanding of it. The day that she gained her new kyber crystals, she knew that there was so much she needed to learn. And so as often as time would allow, she convened with the Force, seeking to understand her purpose within it.

Her natural impulse was to call out to the force, seeking it's acceptance. She would then use it's power to her advantage. But with this new revelation, this epiphany beyond her full understanding, she felt a tremble whenever she called upon it. She knew, as is the way with the dark side, she could also reach out and demand it's power if she so wished, however this was hardly in her nature. It was only with these prolonged meditations, these introspective journeys of understanding that she began to grasp the gray area in between...

The communications holo-panel on the desk in front of her chimed. She opened her eyes. At once the shards of metal began to pull together. She could see from the read out that it was the Vixen cell trying to get into contact with her. "Computer, engage Fulcrum encryption and patch them through." The holo-panel chimed, and after a brief delay, an image of Evaan Verlaine showed up on the screen. On her end, Evaan would only see the spire-like symbol representing Fulcrum, and a muddled, concealed voice when Ahsoka spoke. "Vixen Leader, how was the mission?"

"It was a success, Fulcrum. We have the data that holds all known Kuat Drive Yard satellite manufacturing locations. There are dozens of them spread throughout the galaxy."

"Well done, Vixen leader, your work will be a major benefit to the efforts of the Rebel Alliance." The shards of metal formed the outer casings of two separate cylindrical objects, but didn't come fully together yet.

"Now that you mention it... before we started working with you, Bail Organa informed us that there were several cells..." There was a sense of hesitation in Evaan's voice.

"And there are, but we don't yet have the resources to come together. If the Empire were to catch us all in one place..." The two-white glowing kyber crystals found their way to the center of each cylinder.

"I understand." Evaan nodded just a split second too quickly, rushing past the answer if she wished she'd never asked the question. "Oh, and Fulcrum... there was a minor hiccup on the mission."