Back in the Game (COMPLETE)

9.10.7

"Oh, there is," the Sister said, having received control from Ahsoka moments ago. Windu was startled by the drastic change, but he was more worried about what he had just signed up for. The Sister changed into her disguised look, even though it in no way went with the outfit Ahsoka had picked out that day.

"The Sister," Windu greeted hesitantly. She didn't wait for him to recompose himself.

"You and I both know that Darkness in you is a little above your average," she pointed out, picking up her bag and slinging it over her shoulders. "And since it's just us, you don't need to pretend like it's not from losing your troopers and Jedi."

Windu cleared his throat, and tried to wipe his face of expressions. "Jedi do not have attachments, Sister. Given what I now know about your alter-ego, you should know that."

The Sister smirked, and a small chuckle escaped her. "That hasn't stopped you, though. Take it from someone who's actually studied the Dark Side, Windu. I can see that pit inside of you. It looks mighty inviting, doesn't it?"

"What are you saying?" he asked, before he could admit that she was right.

"You want to repay me, repay us?" she confirmed. "Then listen to me: Pay attention to that pit, but don't let it consume you. If you let yourself fall in, it's a long climb back out, but that doesn't mean you have to ignore it."

"Ignoring it is the only way to avoid it," he argued, pulling up his hood and walking away. He didn't like where this was going.

The Sister just shook her head. She didn't blame Windu, it was hard to see past the emotions sometimes. "Why is it there?" she called after him.

He stopped, only a few feet away from her. Windu could hear that she was being genuine, and if he was honest, he could use a bit of experience with the Dark side right now. "Loss."

She nodded. It was a pretty common response. "That pit is made of loss. You might dive in hoping that you can use the Darkness to avenge the loss, but that doesn't get rid of it. The only thing you will do is lose yourself too."

"Then how?" he asked, turning to the only Dark user he might actually one day trust. "What do I do with it?"

"Understand it," she answered, her voice calm and consoling. "Know what brought you to it, and know where you need to draw the line. You can't heal a wound by ignoring it, but by addressing it. Reconcile with your loss, and then put it in its place."

He looked down, then asked, "Is that what you do?"

You are totally giving away our secrets here, Ahsoka groaned, but she didn't try to stop her.

"It's what Ahsoka does. I'm a bit more comfortable with the Dark Side. That's not what she wants, though."

"What does she want? What has she found that took leaving the Jedi to find?" he asked, looking around. What was so important to Tano that she gave up the only life she had ever known?

"Balance," the Sister answered, smiling. Closing her eyes, she called on Ahsoka. Ready to show him?

I think it's about time, she agreed, and they raised their arm together. They brought forth the two pillars in their minds, the Light and the Dark, and brought them together. They had been training themselves over the past few months, ever since the night Ahsoka had built new lightsabers. It was coming more naturally now, although it was still a slow and confusing concept. They were learning, though. That was the promise they had made to each other. They would learn, over time.

From the pillars, they let the Forces flow from their hand and engulf the Jedi in both simultaneously. It wasn't a neutral, lifeless Force, not on either side of the balance, but on both. It was a harmonic Force, still working out some dissonances but more in tune with each other than ever before. As it worked its way into Windu, he felt the deep pit inside him shallow up a little bit and it didn't seem as intimidating to him. At the same time, the Light seemed to calm down and it felt more stable, more like it had before the mission to Corellia. As a Form VII user, it intrigued him, and as a Force user, it entranced him. Never before had he known that the two opposing Forces could ever be one. Even if they weren't completely one right now, it was clear that progress had been made.

As the two women released the Force, the Sister let Ahsoka take her place again. She had done her job, and Windu was going to be fine now. Besides, Ahsoka was the natural host. The Sister had been born out of Ahsoka and she was the one who didn't require the Dark Side to exist.

Ahsoka swallowed, and tightened her muscles as the familiar feeling of acid ran through her body. The transition from Darkness to Light, or even to her regular, balanced form, was still a little painful, even though it had greatly improved since she had killed Sideous. She closed her eyes for a second, fighting the urge to groan. It took a second, but the Darkness subsided and the balance in her returned. When she opened them again, Windu was staring at her.

He didn't really know why, but it was right then that he realized just how much she had changed since she had left the Order. The same girl he thought had betrayed them was not only an adult now, but she had trained in the Dark Side, deceived two Sith as well as the whole Jedi Order, and killed the Chancellor, and then, even after that, she managed to enact a phenomenon not seen in the galaxy in centuries. No Force-user had achieved balance like that for generations, and here was this...woman, one who had abandoned the teachings of the Jedi, and she figured it out all on her own with a little help from the Dark side.

She gave him a grin. "Still think I can't keep it in check?"

"I think you might be the only one who can," he admitted, still in awe from earlier. "I don't think even Master Yoda was alive the last time someone was able to do that."

"You could have just asked," Ahsoka told him, referring to their earlier conversation. "You didn't have to ask the Sister to know what I've been searching for down here."

Windu nodded, not having realized that she had been listening before. After a moment of thought, he suggested, "I know you are a working citizen now, but I believe there are a lot of Jedi who would benefit from learning about this balance that you have found."

The offer came at a surprise to Ahsoka, but she smiled and shifted her bag on her shoulders. "Maybe I can find a time to run up to the surface. It's been a while anyways."

"You are welcome to stop by whenever you can," he officially invited her. "As long as you don't bring guests. Regular civilians usually can't enter the Temple."

"Understood," she nodded, and they both started walking out of the alley. They both had homes to get to. As they walked, Windu took out the coordinates again.

"You know, we could probably use your expertise at these locations. You do have a reputation for pulling off risky missions." He looked at her, tilting his head sideways. "Dooku doesn't have to know you're there."

Ahsoka was grateful for the offer, but there was a reason she hadn't already gone to do it herself. "I'd rather not get swept back into the Clone War. There are enough small battles going on down here, ones that I can help without without risking lives. Besides, I learned how to be reckless from Anakin. You already have a general willing to take risks."

It was enough to make him laugh, for the first time that night. "He'll be glad to hear you said that, I'm sure."

She shrugged, a few choice memories playing through her head. "I've said it before."

Windu's speeder appeared around the corner of a hidden alley, and Windu diverted from Ahsoka's walking path to climb in. He was about to start the engine, but one last time, but he hesitated. Ahsoka saw it, and paused before walking on.

He looked up at her, a look in his eye. "I don't like thinking about it, but we do have a spot on the Jedi Council to fill now. If Dooku is planning to conquer the galaxy, then I'd like someone with his ability to be leading the fight against him."

It took all of Ahsoka's willpower to not break into a huge smile. If Master Windu followed through on that, one of Anakin's more private, but very large goals, was about to be fulfilled. Instead, she just added her thoughts. "He does have a reputation for minimal casualties. It's not like he hasn't pulled off stuff like this before."

"And with the Chancellor having been dealt with, he's had more control of his emotions than ever," Windu remembered. "Which I ought to thank you for, I suppose. We didn't exactly get a chance to speak before you fell down a shaft, if memory serves."

"Believe me, it was my pleasure," she assured him. "But you better get going. Jedi aren't thought well of down here. You'll want to leave before a bounty hunter gets a glimpse of that lightsaber."

In response, he started up the speeder and shifted it into gear. With one last approving look at the Togruta on the ground, he sped off down the street, leaving Ahsoka to wonder what was about to happen.