Ahsoka and Rex - I want to go far away and never come back

Chapter 16 - The Prisoner

"- One with the force, they are," the small green Grand Master started his speach with as he walked by the stone caskets with the victims of the bombing. "And our job it is to remember that we will in time, also pass on." It wasn't a very sentimental message, but that was simply the way the Jedi lived by their beliefs. "Luminous being are we, but temporary vessels our bodies are. And we shall all find ourselves here in time."

The room and small platforms were filled with people easily recognised, they were great Jedi all of them. Kit Fisto, Mace Windu, Obi-Wan, they were all there. On Ahsoka's far right was Chancellor Palpatine together with his right hand and personal quard. Some few Admirals were further up and highest up were some clones in their gray uniforms. Normally only Jedi would be there on these occasions, but they were in a war, which called for changes of rules and breaking of traditions.

Rex wasn't there, he wasn't close to any of the ones that had died, although Ahsoka probably would have felt comforted by having him there even if it only was far in the background.

"- A moment of silence, I ask, to remember and to move on."

Ahsoka found herself at her master's side, who in his turn stood by Obi-Wan. From her place she could see the frown on Master Windu's face as Yoda finnished his speech. He must still have been thinking about the Turmond girl, Letta, the one who orcastrated the whole thing Ahsoka concluded. She turned her head. On her other side was Barriss, head low and eyes on the floor beneath her. The jokes and laughs that they had shared moments earlier in her room were gone.

"- You were close to one of them?" Ahsoka asked low, but higher than a whisper. Barriss turned hear head to her but only lifted her eyes to one of the coffins.

"- Tutso Mara. We trained together," she answered her. Barriss' eyes became glossy as she looked to Ahsoka and then back to the light fabric with the Jedi Order's symbol that layed over the body. "He taught me how to hold my lightsaber correctly."

Ahsoka nodded her understanding before looking back to Yoda who added a few more sentences.

"- Live for the living Jedi, we must. Live through us, they forever will." Yoda marked the end of the ceremony by tapping his old cane to the engraved floor and the plateaus on which the dead layed sank down into openings under them and were covered by hatches that closed in from each side. One after one the graves lit with a beacon of light from the center that went up into the ceeling.

People stepped down from the platforms and started to leave with a few souls staying behind right by the hatches to mourn. Ahsoka walked after her master and Admiral Tarkin closely followed by Barriss. Obi-Wan stayed behind to talk to Yoda while ahead of them walked Master Ki Adi Mundi and Aayla Secura. When they exited the room with only dimm light they could feel how the last of the tension that had been in the athmosfere after the boming had left.

"- So what happens to Letta now?" Ahsoka asked and turned her head to Tarkin and her master on her right. Tarkin was the first to reply.

"- The bomber has been moved," he said casually and Ahsoka had to stop for a second.

"- Moved? Where? Why should she be moved?" Ahsoka had no personal connection to any of the victims but the order was her life and all the members her family, so she couldn't help putting her feelings in to the conversation.
"- The republic military has taken her into custody," the admiral answered and she started to get frustrated with how easily he took the matter. It was mainly Jedi who had died and it happened in the Temple's hangar so it should be the Jedi who took care of the trial and punishing of the criminal. Her voice was argessive and anger shined through when she asked why. "Clones were killed, which maked this terrorist attack a military matter," Tarkin explained to her but she wouldn't listen. The corners of her mouth twisted into a frown and she looked over to Barris which walked on the other side of Tarkin. She too looked unhappy with the revelations. "An attack on the Jedi is an attack on the Senate."
Anakin cut in to lay his own oppinion on the subject. He agreed with Tarkin to Ahsoka's surprise and she couldn't help but feel slightly betrayed.