The Wolf Pack

Chapter 54

Kriari didn’t want to kill Barriss, that much she knew as she charged towards her, lightsaber drawn and clearly on the offensive. But she couldn’t just stay there as she chatted away with Ahsoka saying he had been her friend. Friends didn’t murder eachother. 

It was Ahsoka who reacted first, as Kriari had been expecting and it was Ahsoka as well who blocked Kriari’s first attempt at a blow. Ahsoka had always been an excellent duelist, but Kriari had more combat experience than her friend, so getting past her defenses didn’t take much effort. Barriss, for all she had done, stood still as she witnessed everything unfold. Kriari could see the confusion in her eyes as she dodged Ahsoka and turned her lightsaber on Barriss. 

Kriari didn’t want to kill her, but she couldn’t stand by and do nothing. She kicked the padawan in the face and struck her on the right forearm, creating a searing gash that cauterized immediately. Kriari made sure the strike was deep enough that, even with Force healing, it would take reconstruction surgery to get rid of the scar.

 Barriss scattered across the floor and looked up at Kriari with both betrayal and disbelief. She held her arm to her chest protectively and very much in pain. Kriari couldn’t bring herself to feel guilty as she stood over her and turned her lightsaber off. She had rarely been this angry.

“I get that you were trying to defend yourself, but if you ever kill another clone without real need again, I will do much more than give you a little reminder not to do it again,” she said, nodding at the scratch on Barriss’ arm. “Jedi are treading a thin line as it is, we cannot allow ourselves to be careless.”

Barriss bristled.

“Oh and you’d call what you just did very Jedi-like, wouldn’t you?” 

“No, but I plan on leaving the Order as soon as the war is over. I’m not fighting for the Jedi or the Republic, I'm fighting for them,” she said pointing at Trap’s still steaming corpse. “and I will do anything to keep them safe from people like you who don’t give two shits if they live or die.”

Kriari could feel Ahsoka behind her, torn between agreeing with her friend or defending Barriss’ actions. Kriari couldn’t let doubt overcome her, she had to stand by her actions and take full responsibility for them. So she told both remaining Padawans that she would be going to disable the hyperdrive and while one of them should keep the bridge, the other should call for help. 

She hadn’t advanced four steps when Barriss finally spoke up again. 

“Mirialan culture encourages self defense in case of an attack, but also discourages violence once the attacker ceases their actions,” she took a deep breath in. “I will not report you to the Jedi council, nor will I retaliate against your violence. Your reasons are as valid as mine, so I hope we can still work together and respect each other after this. I will also be keeping the scar.”

Kriari understood the intent behind the olive branch Barriss had extended, but still she needed to point out how Barriss was still making excuses for herself.

“I am Zabrak, Barriss. Hiding behind one’s nature or culture to avoid introspection is a bit cowardly don’t you think? I have no issue with putting this behind us, but you should really keep that in mind. Though I do appreciate you not snitching.”

There would be no way Kriari was going to put this behind her. She would forever remember the smell of burnt flesh and plastoid armor coming from Trap’s body. It reminded her too much of Ord Anlata, of Sinker’s corpse facing down on the rubble of a collapsed building; of Art’s missing legs after she had cut them off herself. 

Kriari struggled to keep her dinner down. If she ever smelled charred human meat and bone again, it would be a million years too soon. Still she said nothing as she turned towards the engine room once again. Barriss was not responsible for her trauma, but she wasn’t helping it either, so Kriari simply chose to leave before she broke down. The situation was serious enough for them to have to worry about her mental state. 

So Kriari said nothing and left.

She did feel kind of bad for Ahsoka who had just happened to be in the middle of it all. Not only had she had to face her best friend in a clearly hostile and violent manner, but she would be forced to take a stance on the matter or at least consider it. Kriari had also bypassed her defenses with more ease than Ahsoka had been comfortable with, which made the Togruta wonder just how good a Jedi she really was. Of course that hadn’t been her friend’s intention, but the thought appeared anyway. The situation was by no means comfortable for any of the people involved: Kriari had been triggered, Barriss had been made to question everything she knew and Ahsoka was faced with the thought that maybe she wasn’t as good as she had previously thought. 

This triggered something in each of them: the will to be better, to do better for themselves and those around them. As they went their separate ways, each of the PAdawans considered their next step. To get out of the situation they were in with no lives lost and then to train, to learn, to evolve into better Jedi, better people. 

Without looking back, Kriari took to the ventilation system, and a few moments later Ahsoka did the same. Barriss stayed in place and turned towards the corridor that lead to the bridge. She would do better, she had to. Unlike Kriari she would continue to be a Jedi, not because she had to but because she wanted to. But if she ever wanted to be knighted, to become a part of the Council, she had to do better. So she would.

Kriari would never know it, but that single encounter would shape Barriss’ future in ways neither of them could have imagined. And Barriss would years later want to thank her for it. Only the Force knew if she would be able to.