Chapter 58: CH 60
It wasn't a question, and wasn't even an accusation, rather this seemed to be a pure statement of fact from the Jedi Grand Master. "My vision told me that if I did this, I will not be the only one… though aside from Ahsoka Tano I don't know who else would join us." Aayla nodded in agreement, and had been tempted to bring up Dobby, but had no idea where to even start talking about him.
Yoda closed his eyes at these words, while others did not hesitate to comment upon her statement.
"Absurd! Master Tiin was right. We've seen how it can affect someone to willingly walk the dark paths in the Force! It is to court the fall itself!" Master Agen Kolar spoke up. The Iridonian Jedi Master spoke up with his standard bluntness, though it lacked the confrontational edge Master Tiin had taken. "And yet this Council ordered my own Master to walk that very path in order to try and get closer to Count Dooku all in order to ascertain information about his Master." Aayla responded her tone firm but quiet.
"She is right, you cannot vilify something you authorized yourself, and at the same time discount the path placed before Aayla with the guidance of the Force and all that it entails," said Master Obi Wan, his voice equally quiet, though there was a deeply thoughtful tone to his words as well.
"Uh oh, that's Obi-Wan's 'I'm now thoroughly annoyed with these simpletons' voice." Anakin mumbled, though everyone heard him. "Next comes 'The Negotiator' tone."
Aayla barely managed to resist snorting in amusement.
"I am curious. In all the discussion thus far, where has anyone stated Aayla or Ahsoka intends to walk any specific path at all?" asked Master Windu aloud before waiting, though no one could respond to him.
Finally, Yoda spoke again after all others had finally gone quiet, "Labeled you did the other path as 'horrific'. Describe for me this path. Path that took you away from Ahsoka and her current companion."
Aayla closed her eyes at this request, involuntarily shuddering at the images she saw. "I saw the war continuing on as it has. The Jedi Order slowly losing more and more of our own as our numbers continually diminish as the conflict continues." "Then, some cataclysmic loss… I.. don't even know how to describe it … The Temple aflame … bodies everywhere. Younglings huddled together and then butchered. I saw too many faces to even count, but I witnessed them all." She bowed her head her eyes closed tight as her memory pulled up the images, their emotional impact still strong. She was well aware she was letting her emotions show to the Council, but she couldn't just pretend like it hadn't had an impact.
"The deaths of practically every Jedi I know." Aayla took a ragged breath, "I saw my own death. I could feel only surprise, confusion, and a sense of absolute betrayal as I was killed and my eyes went dark and joined with the Force." Aayla shuddered a bit in remembrance of the vision. "What is different about the other path you envisioned, the one that you believe you're being guided to but are concerned for?" asked Obi-Wan quietly, he wasn't the only one struck by the honesty and emotion in the twi'lek's voice.
Aayla took several deep breaths to steady herself before speaking in a calmer voice, "I saw the war continuing, but I was no longer part of it on a day to day basis. I saw Harry instructing Ahsoka Tano and myself in... something… I saw we were not alone, there were at least… three others, though their identities were shrouded."
"That was the only unclear part of the vision I had actually. The rest was particularly vivid, yet without context. I saw Ahsoka and I fighting a someone with a red dual-bladed lightsaber, and I do not believe it was a friendly spar. I saw… Harry standing alone, watching the largest droid army I've ever seen as it moved forward toward his position." Aayla related quietly, flashing from memory to memory.
Her tone softened further, "There was a sense of resignation in his emotions, though I do not know what for. And what's even odder is that I cannot sense his emotions at all."
She shook her head and pressed on, not wanting to linger there. "The main thing was… I saw a group of us. We were together, simply discussing something. Anakin was present as well. I have no idea who else was there, but something was being discussed that frustrated everyone." "Then, I just know Harry asked a question. I have no idea what the question was, nor what the answer was. I know the answer surprised no one, because everyone knew it… But the answer had never been sought out in the context of that question and the overlying discussion, and the answer shook everyone present to the core." She frowned, a bit of frustration crossing her expression, she knew that particular vision was important but she wished she knew just a bit more to make all the pieces fit.
"And I know the result of that conversation tore down and changed everything. The future literally shifted, and the entire galaxy simply moved in response. I felt the literal ending of hundreds of paths in the Force, and nearly every one of them was one firmly entrenched in darkness." She closed her eyes as she described it to the best of her ability. "The Force has told me that Harry is a catalyst for a change." She looked up and around daring anyone to doubt the sincerity in her words even over a holocom call.
"A change in what?" asked Master Plo Koon.
Aayla frowned, trying to put that into words. She stumbled over the words she needed to describe just how total the impact of his presence was, and ultimately could only think of one word to describe it. "Everything."
The Masters were all quiet at the conviction Aayla was presenting. None wanted to be the one to question a vision in the Force, like that, especially with their own views so veiled for so long. Yoda was still silent, his eyes closed before he breathed deeply nearly a minute later, his eyes opening and looking around the room, authority once more filling his voice. "Matter closed this is. Trust Master Secura we must now."
Yoda's eyes focused once more on her. "If described you have the path, freedom from restrictions you have. Trust your instincts you must. The Force guides you, and its direction you must heed."
"Please do your best to keep us apprised of your location and inform us should you need assistance," said Master Windu after several seconds of silence as Yoda's words sank in. He was essentially assigning her the same thing they had with her former Master when he had attempted to infiltrate Count Dooku's acolytes. He was telling her to follow her instincts and the Force over the code.
"Be careful, Aayla." Quinlan Vos spoke up for the first time in the meeting, his eyes focused on her through the transmission.
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