By hiding our faults, we do not become better;
our reputation benefits from the honesty
with which we admit them.
***
Ahsoka walked slowly and unhurriedly; her Master had also slowed his pace—apparently, he too was pleased to return to the Temple, to once again enjoy the beauty and tranquility of this place…
The Temple building had been constructed a very long time ago—more than four thousand years earlier. By Ahsoka's standards, it was ancient history. According to legend, it had been erected by four Jedi—two Guardians and two Consulars; however, the Togruta did not particularly believe this. Too much work, too much… everything.
The Temple stood out even on Coruscant with its buildings reaching heights of several kilometers. Over many thousands of years, the surface of the planet had vanished beneath the dense layers of the megalopolis, and even the highest point of the planet—a mountain whose name had been lost to history—had disappeared beneath the Temple itself. More precisely, the Temple had been built on and around it. The central tower, the Temple Spire, stood exactly above the mountain's peak. Even so, the five towers of the Jedi Temple rose more than a kilometer above the rest of Coruscant, and not every building reached even their base.
Truly, this place had become a home for the Jedi—a place where they lived during the earliest years of their training and long afterward. Even when they traveled far across the galaxy for extended periods, they always returned here.
The shuttle delivered them to one of the smaller hangars located along the perimeter of the Temple. Inside were ordinary transport shuttles and airspeeders, as well as Jedi Delta-7 starfighters, which were ready to carry Jedi anywhere in the galaxy. A recent addition stood out immediately: Clone V-19 Torrent starfighters and LAAT gunships, lined up neatly on either side of the central aisle. Larger vessels were housed in the lower hangars, where they were serviced and prepared for flight. From here, they proceeded into one of the corridors leading toward a branching junction.
Soon, they reached the desired chamber.
"So, Ahsoka, where to next?" the man asked.
Hmm. He knows the way, doesn't he? So why is he asking? Or is he testing me?
"All right." The Togruta frowned slightly. "We don't need to go right—that's the Tower of First Knowledge, which means the youngling training rooms. Up the stairs is also wrong; that leads to the Archives. We definitely don't need to go right and down—that's the oldest part of the Temple, which was turned into a museum long ago. But straight ahead…" She paused briefly. "That leads toward the central spire, surrounded by gardens. So we need to go left and up. That will take us to the southwestern wing of the building. That's where the Medical Corps is located."
With these words, Ahsoka turned toward her Master, who was standing slightly behind her.
"Bravo, Snips. You know the way, so lead on. I hope we won't be wandering around for long?"
The girl snorted softly.
"Master, I've never gotten lost here. Togruta have a very well-developed sense of direction."
"Well, well. I'll take your word for it."
They continued onward. One corridor gradually gave way to another, and although most of the Temple was decorated in sandy-brown tones, there were subtle variations everywhere, and there was no monotony, no mechanical repetition of patterns. No, each corridor had its own character, and there were corridors in red, blue, or green hues. The overall impression of this design was unforgettable.
The outer corridors, however, differed from the inner ones as starkly as night differs from day. These quieter passageways were flooded with light pouring through countless arched windows of stained glass and adorned with statues commemorating ancient events or wars long past. At times, plaques bearing excerpts from the Jedi Code could be found mounted on the walls.
This, too, was not unusual. Not only classrooms, but corridors and gardens alike could become places for meditation or even training duels. Still, the Temple also housed vast lecture halls for instructing large groups of younglings, expansive training halls for honing lightsaber skills, numerous gardens, fountains, and secluded chambers dedicated to meditation. Among the most impressive was the Garden of a Thousand Fountains—with its countless flowering plants, flowing streams and cascading water, winding paths, and areas enveloped in flowers and greenery.
Ahsoka smiled faintly—she still remembered her first visit to the Garden. Thousands of unfamiliar scents, every imaginable color and shade gathered in one place. Compared to the gray, oppressive streets of Coruscant, it felt like an oasis in the middle of a desert…
"We're almost there, Master," the Togruta said, noticing two statues depicting some ancient and renowned Healers. To her embarrassment, Ahsoka could no longer remember their names.
They quickened their pace, passing through a wide, lofty passageway, and finally reached the Halls of Healing.
Ahsoka sighed quietly, unnoticed by her Master. This place had changed greatly since her last visit here during a youngling tour. Yes… it had changed a great deal. Back then, it had been a calm, peaceful sanctuary, flooded with sunlight streaming through the tall windows of the main hall. Combined with the blue-green walls and floor, the light created a soothing, almost serene atmosphere. Rows of beds had stood ready for recovering Jedi, allowing them to rest in comfort. Pink stone pillars stretched upward toward the ceiling, and small doors led to private recovery rooms, each equipped with automatic lighting. Healers had tended patiently to the recovering Jedi. Yes… back then, there had been no one here. Now…
Almost half of the beds were occupied by wounded or recovering. Dozens of bacta tanks were visible in neighboring rooms, and hundreds of meddroids bustled about in all directions. In addition to Jedi and Padawans, there were also a few organic officers and clone troopers. And this was despite the fact that the Jedi were usually able to get the wounded back on their feet within days, with even the most severe cases rarely taking more than two weeks.
"Knight Mikore Vikt. Padawan Ahsoka Tano."
The Chief Healer's voice pulled her from her reverie. Looking back at her Master, Ahsoka realized that he, too, had become lost in thought.
"You're finally here."
Vokara Che stood directly in front of them, staring intently.
"I apologize for the delay, but circumstances…" The Jedi spread his arms slightly.
"Those are all excuses," the female Twi'lek waved her hand imperiously. "Follow me. First, we'll take care of you, Mikore. I'll guide you and monitor the process, and we'll see to your padawan a little later, once my assistant, Surin Bionte, arrives. She's a bit busy right now, so for now, Ahsoka, stay close."
With that, the Twi'lek turned sharply, flicked her lekku, and strode confidently into the depths of the hall.
"Ye-es," said Togruta, though her Master's voice echoed the word with a hint of weary resignation.
"I feel like a youngling," the girl muttered.
"Yes, a very serious madam," her Master replied, following after her.
Ahsoka nodded faintly, glancing around as they walked between rows of beds where the wounded sat or lay. Next to some of them sat Jedi Healers—often placing their hands over injuries or sitting at the head of the bed, palms resting gently against a patient's forehead. As far as Ahsoka remembered—from the same lecture given during their Healing Halls tour—the former addressed physical wounds, while the latter dealt with mental trauma. Through subtle mental influence, Healers attempted to mend injuries that resisted conventional treatment. And there were far more of those than any others…
Soon they reached the far wall, where deep alcoves were set into the stone, separated by modest privacy screens. They entered one of them. Two young Jedi Healers were already waiting inside.
"So, Mikore, this is Kelesia Trebal," the Twi'lek said, gesturing toward the half-Arkanian, who stood out with her white skin and hair. Her face was covered with blue patterns. "And Ashah Murray," Vokara added, indicating a young Miraluka with a silver bandage covering the place where humans had eyes. "They'll take care of you and determine how long your recovery will take. And in general…"
"Knight Vikt," the two greeted him in unison. Then Kelesia gestured toward the cot in the center of the room. "Undress."
Ahsoka was watching her Master's face at that moment—and correctly determined that something was about to happen. And she was right.
One of the Jedi's eyebrows arched upward.
"Completely?" he asked, smiling faintly.
Well, here we go.
It took the Arkanian a few seconds to process what he had said. Then she flushed deeply, nearly matching Ahsoka's skin tone. Ashah, who had maintained a serious expression until then, broke into a smile and raised a fist to her mouth to hide her laughter.
"N-no—only to the waist. And… remove the outer casing from the prosthesis; the droid will assist you," Kelesia finally managed. "Then lie down and relax."
"Yeah, it's as easy as pie for us."
The Jedi unbuckled his belt in silence, pulled off his sleeveless shirt, and lay down on the cot. A medical droid floated forward, extending its manipulators. A few seconds of buzzing and soft creaking followed before it drifted to an extendable table and carefully placed the outer casing of the prosthesis upon it.
The Healers approached the cot together. Vokara and Ahsoka stepped closer as well. Ahsoka had already seen her Master's injuries before, and now that they had healed, they looked far less frightening—though the scars across his chest and the ascetic design of the prosthesis were still unsettling.
"The prosthesis was made by… Barriss Offee?" Vokara asked after a brief pause.
"Yes. How did you know?" Ahsoka asked, surprised.
"Her work is flawless," the blue-skinned Twi'lek replied, "but she places far too much emphasis on efficiency over practicality."
In my opinion, everything is fine. I have no complaints," the Jedi said calmly.
Miraluka ran her hand lightly over the Jedi's sternum.
"I sense… the Dark side," she murmured. "The wound was inflicted by a Sith lightsaber… although—no. Was it a blaster?" Ashah 's voice betrayed a note of surprise.
"Both," the Jedi answered.
Ashah and Kelesia exchanged a brief touch of hands. Then the Miraluka straightened.
"We'll need some time."
"Hm." Vokara turned to Ahsoka. "Go to the next room. Surin has just arrived there. I'll join you shortly."
"Yes, Master."
The Togruta cast one last glance at her Master—then hurried out of the room.
***
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