Sweet dreams are made of these...

[thespaceopera]

[ Calibration Rooms ]
( for A-M characters )

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ROOMS BY CHARACTER

A Abigail Hobbs Aiya/Gray Nightingale Adrasteius Anor'thalion Ahsoka Tano Alex Russo Allen Walker Anders Anthony Crowley Asteffiel Axel

B - D Belthazar Spellscry Beverly Crusher Bran Stark Caesar Zeppeli Cayde-6 Cheese Sandwich Clay Terran Coil Cole Davesprite Duke Pantarei

E - I Elecman.exe Elena Gilbert Elize Lutus Felix Harrowgate Fenris Finrod Haruka Tenoh/Sailor Uranus Imperator Furiosa Isabela Issac Lahey

J - M Jade Harley James Barnes/Jim James Barnes/Winter Joseph Joestar Katara Katniss Everdeen/Nova Kirito/Kazuto Kirigaya Kurt Wagner Leanne Loki Maladict(a) Max Caulfield Megaman Mordin Solus

Comments

[resnipstance]

Isn't it obvious?

It's a dream. Or, more accurately, you're in my dream.

[digthefuzz]

R-right. That does seem to be the only thing that makes sense. [He looks around at the destruction.]

But no offense... This kind of feels more like a nightmare.

[resnipstance]

[Ahsoka looks out at the destruction in front of them.]

... It does, doesn't it?

It wasn't always like this, here. It used to be peaceful.

[digthefuzz]

[He looks out as well, standing beside her.]

...Is it because of the war?

[resnipstance]

[She shakes her head wryly, still not looking at him.]

Ironically... not so much. It might sound strange to you, but... at least when I was fighting in the war, I felt like I had a purpose. Maybe I should have felt more conflicted about it. But I didn't.

Now, though... I feel like I don't know who I am anymore.

[digthefuzz]

[Kurt frowns as he looks at her.]

No way! But... of course you should know who you are. I haven't known you long and I still know who you are! You're Ahsoka Tano, and you're a Jedi who kicks butt!

[resnipstance]

Actually... [she can't meet his gaze.]

I'm not.

I-- I left the Order.

[digthefuzz]

[Now he stares blankly, in surprise.]

...What do you mean? Why would you... leave the Jedi?

[resnipstance]

... Would you like to see for yourself?

[digthefuzz]

...Only if it's something you're okay with me seeing.

[resnipstance]

[Ahsoka shakes her head again.]

It's important. ... Come.

[She takes Kurt by the hand and leads him down the hallway to their left-- the art gallery. They pass by a long, long sequence of paintings, mostly all of Ahsoka. Mostly all of fighting. Finally, Ahsoka stops near to the end of the corridor, in front of one of the final pictures.



She steps aside, then, allowing Kurt in front.]

[digthefuzz]

[He quietly follows along with her pull, stealing curious glances at the paintings as he passes them.

Then, when they stop, he takes a look at the picture. It almost looks like... a trial.]

...That looks serious.

[resnipstance]

... It is.

I just... I need you to understand. I don't want you to think that... that I'm a liar, or a bad person. And it's not as simple as "the Jedi are good" or "the Jedi are bad." It's... more complicated than that.

If you touch it, you'll understand.

[digthefuzz]

I trust you. Things can be... complicated.

[He makes that clear before he reaches out and touches the painting.]

[resnipstance]

[The following memory plays. It's a recent memory-- very recent. All the imagery, all the thoughts and feelings Ahsoka had on that day, they're still sharp and fresh as the day they happened.

You stand on trial before the Jedi Council, accused of murder, terrorism, treason and sedition. You know you're innocent. You know you're being set up. But nobody other than Anakin believes you, and the evidence is overwhelmingly against you. And yet... this isn't the trial to determine your innocence or guilt.

No, this is something else. This is the Jedi Council, deciding that you're guilty before the official trial has even begun, and casting you aside. This is the Council deciding that politics are more important than their Code. They would rather bend to the whim of the Senate and be seen washing their hands of you than to stand by you as you claim your innocence time and time again. It isn't fair. Why does nobody believe you?

You can only feel unending despair as Master Yoda proclaims the verdict, and Anakin's anger as he rages at the Council. But even as they rip your padawan braid off your head, you can't even find your own rage anymore. You're long past that. All you feel now is a hollow emptiness, and a desperate struggle not to cry rising from your stomach. You've haven't cried since you were a child. And you're not a child any more. You never cried even when you were marching into the front lines of a war at fourteen, when General Grievous was choking you to death, when you were shot multiple times, when you were kidnapped by hunters, when you saw your friends die in front of you because of decisions you made...

No. You didn't cry then and you won't cry now.

But you fought so valiantly for so long. You were so loyal. You believed in everything they told you. So how could they believe you capable of such atrocities? That's what hurts the most. The Jedi Temple is your home, the Order is your way of life. It's all you've ever known since the age of three. It was... your family. The one thing you stood for, that you would stand by, no matter what.

And now it's thrown you to the wolves. And the craziest thing is? You still don't hate them.]

[digthefuzz]

[It's a heartrending memory, and one that's beyond anything that he ever imagined of the Jedi order. It's especially unsettling to see Yoda, whom he remembers as the loveable muppet who always has the right thing to say, giving down that harsh verdict.

It's an overwhelming and crushing amount of emotion. But he finds strength in Ahsoka's strength regardless, and he waits to see if there's anything more to experience in this memory.]

[resnipstance]

[That seems to be it, for now.

There's a warm presence by Kurt's side when the memory fades, though. Ahsoka's hand is on his shoulder, offering wordless support.]

[digthefuzz]

[He feels that touch and that support. But is he really the one who needs that support the most right now?

Kurt turns to face her with tears in her eyes, and he quickly tries to wrap her in a warm hug.]

[resnipstance]

[Well, she won't say no to that. Ahsoka doesn't get nearly enough hugs in her life. She returns the hug with a soft smile.]

... It's all right, Kurt. I'm... all right.

I was cleared of all charges in the end. But... you get it now, right?

Why I couldn't go back, after that. Even though they said I could.

[digthefuzz]

If you say so. [But he keeps up the hug for a few more moments, including some pats on the back.]

I do get it now. Really, I do. I never imagined... the Jedi could be like that, Ahsoka. I'm so glad that you're okay... and I'm proud that you stood up for yourself like that.

You're a real Jedi.

[resnipstance]

... I'm not so sure about that.

A real Jedi probably wouldn't have gotten themselves into such a tangled mess in the first place. It's only because the real culprit knew I was reckless and impatient that they were able to frame me. Breaking out of my prison cell, trying to track down the killer on my own, only served to further implicate me.

For all my efforts, it was Anakin who found out the truth, in the end. Not me. My judgement was... too clouded by personal bias.

[digthefuzz]

Anyone can end up in a mess like that, Jedi or not. It does sound complicated, but... I don't know.

You were doing what felt right, a-and this wasn't your ault. Even if you couldn't find out the truth yourself, it still sounds like a Jedi to me.

[resnipstance]

... Thank you. ... I appreciate that.

Though I'm afraid Anakin might never forgive me. I think he thought... if he just cleared my name, everything could go back to the way it was before. I guess... all I can do is hope that one day he'll understand, too.

[digthefuzz]

[Now he looks uneasy at the mention of Anakin. He seemed like such an important person to Ahsoka...

but he knows how that story ends. And that's something else to eat at him.]

That's a tough one. [He hesitates but then he goes on, trying not to let the movies influence his thinking. How can he know for sure that they're the 'real' story, after all?]

I think I know how he felt, believe it or not. When something seems like a simple fix... and it looks like you can change things back to the way they were. Or even better! [For him and Rogue to restore Mystique together, as a family...]

When that kind of thing doesn't work out... It can be tough. A-and it's hard to understand the other side. [Rogue.

He's pulled back from the hug now, but he keeps his hands on her shoulders as he talks to her.]

But it's not impossible. I'd like to... believe in your hope. That- that the two of you can get along again. It just... takes time, and it takes faith.

[resnipstance]

... Thank you.

I'd like to believe in that, too.

[She looks at him then, studying.]

... It sounds a bit like you're speaking from experience.