Mace Windu spoke up, his voice deep and challenging. It fell just short of being accusatory, "Did you she help you acquire the nano-droid weaponry found when you were apprehended, the same devices used in the bombing of the Temple?"
Memory Ahsoka's voice was sharp and defiant, pleading for understanding, "No, I was set up and deceived, as you are being deceived now!"
"The question is, Padawan Tano, who is deceiving us?" Mace Windu retorted, "Ventress, you, or someone else?"
"I am not deceiving you!" Ahsoka protested immediately, "I would assume Ventress is,.. but I can't be sure. My sense is clouded." Her voice turned hesitant as she looked down.
"Clouded by the Dark Side these things are, Padawan Tano," Yoda said slowly, "Dangerously clouded, but not just surrounding you, surrounding many things in these times."
"You've already made your decision, haven't you? This meeting is just a formality!" Anakin's irate voice lifted up in protest interjecting himself into the hearing.
"Reached a decision, we have, though not in total agreement are we," Yoda answered in a tired voice. He didn't even seem to acknowledge Skywalker, though he responded to the man's protest, nor did any of the other Masters spared Anakin a look, save for Obi-Wan and it was the merest glance.
"It is the Council's opinion that Padawan Ahsoka Tano has committed sedition against the Republic, and thus, she will be expelled from the Jedi Order," His voice too seemed to carry no reluctance just firmness in their decision.
"You can't do this!" Anakin protested loudly from below.
"Your Padawan status will be stripped from you, and you shall forfeit all rank and privileges within the Grand Army of the Republic," Ki-Adi-Mundi said, there was even a trace of smugness to his voice, whether it was in this action, in his ability to completely ignore the protest from Anakin, or if she was simply imagining it because of the circumstances; Ahsoka was uncertain.
She saw her memory self bow her head and her shoulders slump as tears welled in both of their eyes. She was grateful for Harry's strong presence as he squeezed her comfortingly from behind. "You will be turned over to the Republic courts to await your trial and whatever punishment they will set for you," Ki-Adi-Mundi's voice continued, "Henceforth, you are barred from the Jedi Order."
Ahsoka watched as her memory self bowed her head. But she flinched when she watched one of the Jedi Guards reach up and jerk her padawan braid off. The memory froze there and she felt Harry's arms as they tightened about her gently.
"They pretty much did everything they could to railroad you. Your old Master was right. The meeting was just a formality. There was obviously no discussion or consideration after you pleaded your case. No presentation of evidence or discussion of your testimony. Nothing you were going to say was going to change the outcome of that... farce." Harry's voice was gentle as he squeezed her reassuringly.
Harry held her for another few moments before he released her from his hold, and Ahsoka felt herself missing the reassuring presence. She turned to look back at him and found him floating up higher looking at the different masters.
"Remind me, If I ever run into him again, that Conehead here really needs to be on the receiving end of a couple dozen pranks. I think I would be doing a public service if I teach him some of that humility Jedi always are preaching about," Harry mused as he examined the different Masters thoughtfully.
Ahsoka smiled a little bit. She appreciated Harry's presence in this memory. But then she scowled a little bit as a thought came to her.
"I thought that doing this would protect my mind? You weren't supposed to be able to get to my memories, wasn't that the point of the whole exercise in the first place?" Ahsoka asked him. Her tone was somewhat plaintive as she was disappointed at how easily he had found his way there.
Harry nodded, and floated back down by her away from his inspection of the Masters who remained frozen. "That's true. However I didn't go into some of the details because honestly, I didn't expect you to get this far so fast. Usually this sort of instruction takes years, requiring a guide for the set up after you organize your memories. So … this is phenomenal," Ahsoka practically beamed, as her cheeks blushed red from the praise.
"However," Harry added, his voice turned cautionary, "Your set up was relatively predictable,"
"What details didn't you go into then? Predictable how?" Ahsoka demanded, disappointment once more entering her voice.
"Well, you organized it … and created a whole world but you didn't really create defenses in your mind," Harry explained.
"Defenses? What do you mean by that?" Ahsoka asked, she had thought this world itself was the defense. "Well... that really could be anything. Given your theme? I probably should have been required to be dodging bad ass ninja Jedi all over the place while they were trying to cut me into pieces with all sorts of colored lightsabers. Maybe walls that popped out turrets. Droids trying to barbecue me. Whatever defenses you can imagine. That is the only limit," Harry explained with a gesture all around them.
"And further you didn't define what I could do or not do in your mind," Harry added.
At Ahsoka's frown, he shrugged, "You didn't make any rules for your mind. I could walk through walls, fly, because you didn't stop me from doing any of that," Harry floated back up to level with the Jedi Master's as a demonstration. "How do I stop you from doing that?" Ahsoka asked.
"It's your mind. You're in complete control here. Same principle as all magic," Harry explained as he gestured around still floating in the air in front of the memory of Ki-Adi-Mundi, "Exercise your will."
Ahsoka regarded Harry for a moment and then narrowed her eyes.
Harry tilted his head curiously and opened his mouth to ask a question when his eyes widened and he dropped from the air like a rock, letting out a distinctly unmanly half shriek in the process before he hit the ground.
Ahsoka didn't have time to enjoy that as she found herself falling as well though her drop was a few meters shorter and she landed on her feet.
"Oof!" Ahsoka landed, using her hands to help brace from the impact.
Harry on the other hand landed in a much less dignified heap and remained still for a moment.
"Oh gods, I'm sorry!" Ahsoka immediately blurted as she moved to check and see if Harry was injured.
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