When Barris was led away to wash, and Asoka was approached with reproaches, a new face suddenly appeared in the dining room. And what a face it was — a tall man with smoothly combed, completely grey hair, dressed in a black robe with the republican symbol. He approached the centre of the conflict and immediately intervened:
"Step away from her, she's not to blame. Don't always judge by what you see," he said loudly, causing everyone to turn around. Asoka recognised him immediately; it was the Supreme Chancellor. From the first day the girl appeared in the Temple, she enjoyed the exceptional favour of this man, who constantly watched over her, approaching her from time to time and asking how her training was going. Asoka was flattered by the attention of such an important person towards her, so small and modest, that she sincerely told him that she found theory difficult, but that in practice she already had no equal. These conversations were infrequent, as the Chancellor was almost always busy with politics and only found time to visit the temple about once a month. And once, when Asoka turned twelve, he not only asked her teacher to excuse her for the whole day, but also showed her his office in the senate. The girl liked this slightly gloomy room with a high wooden table and a wide mahogany cabinet with large glass display cases. Behind it stood many interesting things: wooden and stone figures depicting animals, people and funny creatures, as well as various geometric shapes. She especially remembered a large purple ball with numerous points shining on its surface, like stars. Later, the chancellor explained to Asoka that it was a very rare mineral from the planet Naboo, which could only be found once a year. Asoka then asked if she could find one just like it next year. The chancellor promised that as soon as he could, he would give her one just like it. Then they went for a walk and wandered along the illuminated alley of the Upper Level until evening, talking about Ahsoka's past and whether it resonated with the present. Tano once again told the Chancellor openly about her longing for her father, about how even now she missed his company. About her troubled relationships with her comrades. About the Council Masters, who, as she always felt, considered her nothing more than a useless little girl. Palpatine listened to her attentively, as if trying to catch every word and intonation with which it was spoken. From the very first minute, Ahsoka noticed that this man had a strange ability to win people over. Without doing anything deliberately, he seemed to make her reveal what was on her mind. Trogurta even dared to say that, in a sense, he had become closer to her than anyone else in the Order. No, she loved her teacher very much and was ready to tear apart anyone who dared to even look at him askance, but at the same time, like the other Jedi, she always had to conform in everything. And every day, Ahsoka tirelessly proved that she was worthy of praise from any of the Masters and of being called a Jedi. It was different with the Chancellor. He seemed to understand all of the girl's thoughts and accepted her for who she was, without telling her what to say or think. Ahsoka simply lost herself in these conversations, regretting only that they were not more frequent. Now, for example, he had come to see her for the first time in two months. Ahsoka was so happy to see him that she almost forgot her troubles and took a step forward.
"Hello, Supreme Chancellor," she said with a smile that didn't quite fit the unpleasant situation the Togruta found herself in.
"Greetings, Padawan Tano, it's good to see you again," replied Palpatine, standing next to her.
"Why are you talking to her, Chancellor?" interrupted a Padawan's voice. "You saw what she just did to Barris. She's completely impossible, why did you bring her here?"
But the Chancellor's expression did not change, and he replied with the same calmness:
"Yes, I did see everything. And how do you like the fact that Barris deliberately provoked her by insulting those who are close and dear to Ahsoka? I am sure that each of you has had such people in your life. Now ask yourselves, how would you have reacted if someone had dared to insult them?
These words sounded so different from what was happening in the dining hall and in the hearts of everyone there that the Padawans couldn't help but listen.
"I wouldn't have kept quiet," said one of them, a Twi'lek in a white robe.
"I would have cut him down with my sword," confirmed a small Talotian woman.
"No, I would have challenged him to a duel and then..." said a short, thin boy with chestnut curls sticking out at the sides.
"Asoka was right! She was right about everything!" could be heard here and there. "We never liked that Offee! She's cunning and malicious!"
"You see, Asoka, the boys have realised their mistake," said the chancellor, placing his hand on the trogur's shoulder. "You have nothing to fear. No one will touch you here. Come, your teacher is waiting for you. I'll walk you there, if you don't mind."
"Of course not, I haven't spoken to you in so long!" Asoka happily agreed and walked down the corridor with the chancellor.
"It seems like something's wrong with you again," the chancellor said, as accurate as ever.
"That's right. No one in the Order wants to see me for who I am, even though they should have seen me long ago! It's as if no one cares that I'm trying to be at least as good as the others." Ahsoka remembered old grievances and shamelessly indulged in them.
"You see, Asoka," the Chancellor began in a heartfelt voice, "the Masters are ordinary people too, and they sometimes fail to notice the obvious. For example, when you do something you haven't done before, and not in the best sense, they will realise what you were like before, but it will be too late.
"But I already do many things that a Jedi should not do. I often act inappropriately. For example, just now, I acted justly, defending the honour of worthy people, but at the same time I showed emotion and allowed my anger to come out, and that is against the Code," Ahsoka poured out her heart as usual.
"Believe me, there's nothing wrong with that. Yes, on the one hand, the Code says that you must not give in to your emotions, but at the same time, it urges you not to resist the state of your soul, which is natural at the moment," the Chancellor explained calmly as he walked beside her.
"But my teacher would hardly approve of what I just did; he tells me not to show negative feelings about what is happening. And I always listen to him. After all, he is as wise as Master Yoda, as capable as Master Windu, and as perceptive as Master Qui-Gon Jinn," Asoka smiled at the words, remembering her teacher.
"There's no need to tell him about this. Such news could easily upset him. I think Barris will keep quiet too," the Chancellor suggested. "I seriously doubt that she will honestly admit where she got such an exclusive decoration in the form of white lumps in her hair.
Asoka laughed heartily and thought once again that not everyone in the Order was prejudiced against her. There were still those who loved her and always accepted her. Meanwhile, they had already arrived at the launch pad, where Tano was waiting with his teacher, Master Unduli, and her ever-present Barris. Ta had already washed and changed the purple scarf that always covered the Mirialan's shiny black hair, no matter the weather, for a clean one. Seeing Asoka, she merely glanced in her direction and gave her an unfriendly look. Master Unduli, however, greeted her younger colleague politely. She also belonged to the Mirian race and, according to many, looked like her future student would look in the future. Even their clothing style was the same. However, this was not surprising or strange, as according to the traditions of their people, the Mirialans could only teach their own kind. Asoka bowed to her and approached her mentor. Master Plo stood and stared into the distance. Without even seeing his student, he already knew she was there and turned around before she saw him.
"Asoka, I'm glad you're not late," he said with his usual warmth. "Let's go to the ship. They're waiting for us."
This time, Master Plo himself was the pilot. Of course, it would have been possible to choose someone else whose specialisation in the Order was flying, but Plo never used their services because he loved to pilot ships himself. However, he always had only one co-pilot — his beloved student, who, as everyone knew, loved the sky more than anything else in the world. Now, as in her childhood, looking into his calming blue eyes, Asoka thought that only there could she be truly happy, and only he truly understood her complex, rebellious soul, which was constantly searching for something. He and the Chancellor, Tano added in her thoughts, but did not say it out loud. The Order did not trust politicians very much and, as her sensitive child's mind perceived, even disliked them, and therefore would hardly approve of Asoka's friendship with one of them. As if overhearing the girl's thoughts, as soon as she settled into the co-pilot's seat, the teacher asked:
"I saw you come to the site with the chancellor. Where did you manage to meet him?
Asoka thought for a moment. She didn't want to lie, but she didn't want to tell the truth either. In the end, she found what she thought was a suitable answer:
"He was in the dining hall where I went to have breakfast. He called out to me on my way out, and we decided to walk to the site together."
"Interesting. What could he be doing in the Order's dining hall, and in the Padawan Hall at that?" Plo asked aloud, puzzled. "Is the food in the Senate dining hall that bad?"
"More likely, the company wasn't very good," smiled Asoka, already completely overcome by a feeling of elation. "Politicians are often terribly boring. I understand why you are so reluctant to deal with them.
"Well, I'm not surprised," said the Master, "You'll make up for all of us.
"Maybe I will, otherwise the Chancellor wouldn't have told me to come to him when I needed something," Asoka was glad for Palpatine's intervention today and was also pleased that Barris had seen it. Now he definitely wouldn't be assigned to her.
"I wonder what business you have that I don't know about," asked the teacher, who really didn't understand the reason for his interest in Asoka.
"He asked about my progress in my studies, as well as what I find most difficult here, and I replied that it was my relationships with my peers — although Asoka was not lying about that — he had seen my little skirmish with Barris and wanted to find out what was going on.
"I hope he was able to explain to you how important teamwork is for a Jedi, because I still haven't managed to do it," said the Master with a heavy sigh. He loved Asoka very much and would never have traded her for another apprentice who was more obedient and easier to get along with, and it had nothing to do with the promise he had made to the late Phil. This little Togruta, so impulsive and impetuous, but at the same time so direct and emotionally pure from the very first day, had captured the heart of the elderly Master, sometimes even more than Phil had before, but at times it seemed to the teacher that he did not understand her at all. Being wise and patient by nature, he tried to be lenient with Asoka's character and not scold her for her mistakes, but to make her learn a lesson from each of them. And this was no exception.
"I don't know if it's possible in principle to have authority over peers who can't see beyond the ends of their noses and can only be proud of a new technique they've learned or a special insight they've gained in meditation," Asoka couldn't help herself and took on a dismissive tone again.
"Asoka — the teacher couldn't hold back either, and his voice became more stern — Don't you think that the reason for this attitude may not lie solely with them? You yourself are often overly critical of people, unable to forgive them even the smallest flaws. Try to be a little more forgiving and easy-going with them, don't expect anything serious or supernatural from them. Discuss their affairs and their victories with them, even if they seem insignificant to you. Rejoice with them, show your interest, and your comrades will warm up to you.
"But what if I'm really not interested, if I already know everything they're talking about? What should I do then?" asked Asoka, convinced that there was another way to solve her problem, which she had not always considered to be a problem. Having simply grown accustomed to being a leader among the children on Tatooine, the girl could not accept that things could be different elsewhere. It seemed obvious to her that it would be the same in the Temple. It turned out that reality could be different. It was hard. It was sometimes terribly frustrating. And her mentor added fuel to the fire:
"Take, for example, just now, when we were boarding the ship. You chose to sit in the cockpit, even though you could have stayed in the cabin with Barris and her teacher. I don't mind your company, I'm even glad to have it," Plo hastened to say, seeing that Ahsoka was frowning. "But it would be much more useful for you to spend this time in the company of those with whom you will have to interact actively on the upcoming mission. Barriss has already been to places like this and could tell you what to expect.
"Barris? She would never help me. She is just jealous of me and tries to undermine me in every way possible. Like today in the dining hall. Besides, she dared to insult my father, and I cannot forgive that!" Asoka even jumped up in indignation.
"I'm sure you just misunderstood each other, and because of your youth and passion, you didn't think it was necessary to sort things out. I hope the mission will bring you together." The Master could imagine what might have happened between the two and really wanted their working together to smooth out any conflicts. However, Asoka didn't really want to discuss it at the moment and, deciding to change the subject, asked about the mission. The teacher understood and began to tell her about it, and after a few minutes, all conflicts were forgotten, because the mentor told her something...
***
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