Inside the high council's meeting room, above the jedi temple.
"Masters, I do not see why I wasn't choosen to train the girl? Her master is still only a Jedi knight." A female Togrutan Jedi asked brashly as the leader of the jedi order looked around at the few masters around him inculing masters Plo noo, Obi-wan, and Yaddle.
"Shaak Ti, the loss of your first two padawns has shown your teachings to be..." Master Windu paused briefly. "ill-equiped in dealings with unlawful locals and multi-platform situations a jedi must take on." Shaak Ti was completely stunned by this as a shameful light was shown to the Togrutan, her padawns had lost their lifes to simple criminals, an unusual thing for a Jedi.
Her headtails twitched as she tried to hide the feelings of lose, fear and desire to train again from the other masters as they swiftly took in her ripple in the force.
"But, she is of my race AND gender, we are rare and since Luminara was allowed to teach Barriss..." Shaak Ti protested honestly as Yaddle raised her clawed finger, her voice cryptic and crisp.
"Tradition the Mirialan have, and by body jedi judge not, who is to be whose padawn." Shaak Ti felt a sting of anger at the truth of the grand-master's words as no one argued with Yaddle, no one. The Togruta made a final pitch as she knew it would be sometime before she'd be given a padawn even with the war raging.
"I will be returning to our homeworld for a mission, I request her assistance in tracking down a terror group that has been plaguing our people." The silence was deathly as Shaak Ti knew not to ask for things, it was not a jedi's place. Mace Windu's eyes turned to Yaddle as he knew she would allow it, but something about the Togrutan's request was strange to the green grand-master.
"Troubled your heart is..." Yaddle warned briskly. "Desire, I sense."
"I see no reason why not, lots of Jedi return to their home planets and Shaak Ti is a Master now, plus the padawn could use a mission with all the down time with her master in recovery." Master Obi-wan suddenly spoke up.
"I agree, she has not been to her homeworld since she became a Padawn." Master Plo noo seconded as Mace looked back to the one below.
"Go she may, concerned, I will remain." Yaddle's words and brown eyes struck Shaak Ti deeply as she wasn't sure what the green master meant. The other masters nodded lightly as the decision was made.
"We of the council have decided you may have Ahsoka Tano join your mission, but upon your return you will begin your training as a master consular and go into isolation, that is all." Master Windu announced, ending the meeting without further rebuttal. The Jedi masters exited the council room as Obi-wan pulled along side the Togrutan master.
"Take heart Shaak Ti, Anakin is a fair teacher, Ahsoka has become strong with the force." The bearded jedi smiled brightly as the orange jedi frowned.
"I've failed my padawns, as a teacher, and the force, I will accept the council's decision and go into exile..." Shaak Ti looked to the floor, deeply ashamed as Obi-wan lifted her chin.
"You did not earn the rank of master on your good looks alone Shaak Ti." The two Jedi smiled at each other as the Togruta felt a bit better, but not much. "Use the time given to you to teach Ahsoka the ways of the Togruta, she is young and restless, please have patients with her." The two masters nodded and parted ways as Yaddle's words echoed in Shaak Ti's mind.
"Desire... I sense."
The orange Jedi shook her head at the grand master's strange assumption, walking into the grand hall filled with Jedi as she suddenly paused. She inhaled deeply as her senses came alive in the force.
"I... sense..."
Her long montrals on her head pulsed as she took in the large hall, sonically. Her senses grew stronger as she closed her black eyes and reached out with the force. Bodies, hands, tongues, hearts, moved and pulsed differently in the many different jedi as she focused on one. The Togruta's striped horns became heated as the white on them began to turn a reddish color.
A small orange outline in Shaak Ti's mind moved smoothly onto the open second balcony as the master Jedi opened her dark eyes. The young padawn Ahsoka Tano turned and looked off the balcony with wonder as Shaak Ti's heart skipped a beat.
"So... rare..."
Shaak Ti felt a deep throb in her headtails as a raw heat climbed her frame. She couldn't look away from Ahsoka's blue eyes, searching out in the crowd for answers to the many questions a young girl had.
The heat suddenly turned to fire between her legs as Shaak Ti instantly and shockingly understood what Yaddle had meant. She had assumed the grand master meant her desire to train, not a desire... of the heart.
Lost in thought, Shaak Ti caught a fleeting glance of Ahsoka's sapphire eyes as something suddenly gained her attention from behind her.
It was Master Obi-wan with his bearded smile ever welcoming as Shaak Ti took her leave quickly. Obi-wan was sure to tell her of her new assignment as the Togrutan master headed towards the main hanger to ready troops for her departure, but not without...
"Ahsoka Tano...."
"Master Shaak Ti, Ahsoka Tano reporting for duty." The young Togruta announced pridefully to the Jedi master's back as the older Togruta turned. Ahsoka had never met the Togrutan master from her home planet as she didn't know what to expect, but they were the same, right? Shaak Ti turned and smiled as shock jumped to the front of Ahsoka's mind.
"My teeth?" Shaak Ti continued to smile, her razor sharp teeth glaring brightly as she watched the young Togrutan's tongue cruise her own smooth teeth.
"Did you do that to them?" Ahsoka asked unabashedly as Shaak Ti was shocked this time.
"Child, this is how I was born, this is how you were born." Ahsoka stared at the older Togruta in amazement, when she suddenly realized how little she knew or even remembered from her life on Shili, as Jedi training didn't allow such luxuries.
"Then, why were my teeth...?" Ahsoka pondered shamefully as Shaak Ti put a gentle hand on the blue-eyed girl's shoulder.
"It's a long trip, we'll have plenty of time to talk." The white in Ahsoka's tiny montrals began to turn red as she nodded and quickly took off. After the final preparations were made a clone turned to Shaak Ti standing on the bridge of her Star cruiser.
"We're ready General." Shaak Ti looked over at the young padawn blushing next to her and smiled.
"Launch operation!" The Togrutan yelled as affirmatives rang out from bridge. The giant ship rose high into the air and readied for light speed as a pair of troubled brown eyes looked out from her room, high in the jedi temple.
Deep in lightspeed Shaak Ti headed to her quarters, it had been a long day as she just wanted to rest now. A few clones saluted her in passing as she came to her door.
"Someone..."
The Jedi master tensed up swiftly as she sensed a presence in her room. The orange skinned woman stormed throught the door to find the young padawn rising to her feet.
"Master?!" Ahsoka yelled strangely as Shaak Ti stopped in her tracks.
"Padawn...!? Why are you in my quarters?" The older Togrutan scolded as Ahsoka frowned and headed for the door.
"I thought we could talk." Before the padawn could leave Shaak Ti stopped her.
"I'm sorry, my need to rest has caused me to forget my manners. I did not mean to be rude." Ahsoka looked into the masters black eyes, knowing she meant it as she nodded.
"I'm sorry too, I... just have so many questions." Both Togrutan moods brightened a bit as Shaak Ti offered her a seat. The two sat quietly for a moment, looking at one another as Ahsoka noticed she wore the same battle sash as her under her cloak. Shaak Ti stood up suddenly, walking to a small closet and opened it. She removed her Jedi cloak, laying it on the bed as she reached into the closet. Ahsoka's jaw slackened as the Togruta master reveal as beautiful akul-tooth headdress made of large sharp teeth and put it on.
"Ahsoka, this is traditional attire for our people...." Shaak Ti announced proudly as Ahsoka nodded.
"I know Master, I have one too." Shaak Ti glared sternly as Ahsoka bit her tongue.
"Do you know why?" The master Togruta demanded as Ahsoka shrank silently into her seat.
"It was given to me as a child, I don't know why thou..." The young girl looked away from the older of their species.
"Do you know what these teeth are from?" Shaak Ti asked this time as Ahsoka just shook her head pitifully.
"They are from our only natural predator on our home planet of Shili, the Akul, and you gain the headdress for killing one..." Shaak Ti explained, knowing the girl hadn't kill one as Ahsoka touched her own headdress and slowly pulled it off.
"I know you have no family on Shili and lack in our ways..." Shaak Ti took Ahsoka's headdress from her hands and put it back on her head. "But hopefully I can help change that."
"T-Thank you Master." Ahsoka turned her watery blue eyes up at Shaak Ti's black ones as the padawn suddenly hugged her. Shaak Ti kept herself calm as she wasn't ready to let the padawn know how she felt about her. She would wait until they were on the great plains, when "the wild" would take them, and she knew it would.
"Would you like something to drink?" Shaak Ti slowly broke free from the embrace as Ahsoka nodded happily and sat back down.
The two talking for hours as Shaak Ti explained why Ahsoka's teeth were flattened, because it made her look less predatorial and intimidating. She continued about the Togruta being a tribal species, everyone working for the greater good, and the forests, large plains and shrublands where they hunted small game with teeth and spears and the trampling Akul beast hunted them. Ahsoka listened patiently as she absorbed the information like a sponge, asking questions when needed. Then she asked a more personal question of the Master jedi.
"So did you ever have a padawn Master?" Shaak Ti inhaled deeply as she knew she couldn't dance around it.
"Yes, I did. Two in fact, they both made the rank of jedi knight..." Shaak Ti paused, then continued. "But were both killed by vicious criminals soon after..."
"I'm sorry..." Ahsoka apologized as Shaak Ti shook her head, raising her hand.
"It's not your fault..., anyway it's getting late you should rest before we make planet fall." Ahsoka nodded and headed out as Shaak Ti watched the girl's small frame exit. Just before the door closed Ahsoka smiled back at the master as Shaak Ti nodded and dropped to her bed heavily.
"Soooo tired..." . The exhausted masters black eyes flickered shut as she opened herself up to the force and entered her sleep cycle.
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