A tall Kel Dor walked briskly down one of the corridors in the Twelfth Sector headquarters. His distinctive breathing mask and protective goggles made him instantly recognizable, and the lightsaber hilt hanging from his belt left no doubt about his allegiance.
Plo Koon was a Jedi Master and had served on the Jedi Council for over fifteen years. Born on the planet Dorin into a family long attuned to the Force, many of his relatives had belonged to the ancient Baran Do Order. Following in his uncle's footsteps, Plo Koon had been brought to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant as a child to be trained in the ways of the Force. Like all Kel Dor, however, he was forced to wear a breathing mask in Coruscant's oxygen-rich atmosphere.
As he made his way through the building, the Master could sense a ripple of agitation among the personnel. The holographic recording of the recent duel between a Jedi and a Sith had already spread through the facility, circulating across military and civilian networks alike.
The duel itself had drawn intense attention—but it was the ending that truly disturbed people.
A Sith woman struck down.
And a Jedi wreathed in green fire and lightning, somehow surviving what should have killed him.
The spectacle had already begun spreading across the Holonet like wildfire.
Ironically, the footage had turned **Dagon Marek** into something of a public sensation. Commentators and gossip networks were already speculating wildly about the armored Jedi. Some ridiculous entertainment outlet had even listed him among **Coruscant's top sixty bachelors**, citing his imposing physique and mysterious helmeted appearance.
Plo Koon found the entire notion mildly baffling.
The Jedi Council, however, had far more serious concerns.
The Order was already preparing a response, treating the duel as an isolated incident involving a previously unknown Sith operative. Yet the recording had raised troubling questions. The moment when Marek had been engulfed in green fire and lightning—followed by the sudden burst of brilliant light that saved him—had unsettled several Masters.
The Council would undoubtedly wish to question him about it.
Whatever had happened in that corridor was not something the Jedi had witnessed in thousands of years—not since the ancient wars against the Sith.
The Council had therefore instructed Plo Koon to prepare for the arrival of a corvette carrying a delegation of senators back to Coruscant.
And a badly wounded Jedi.
And also…
Ahsoka Tano.
Plo Koon slowed slightly as he thought of her.
He remembered the day he had found her.
During a mission many years ago—shortly after he had first become a Master—he had discovered a small Togruta child, barely two years old, strong in the Force. He had brought her to the Temple so she could be trained among the Jedi.
Since then, he had quietly followed her progress.
Ahsoka had always regarded him as something of a guardian figure, and her delight whenever they met had never faded.
If her Master had nearly died, she would be deeply shaken.
When Plo Koon reached the office he was seeking, he stepped inside.
Several officers were gathered around a holovisor, discussing the duel that had already become the most talked-about event in the sector. Standing nearby were two Jedi: Luminara Unduli and her Padawan, Barriss Offee.
Luminara was a Mirialan from the planet Mirial. Her deep blue eyes and distinctive tattoo—a delicate chain of black diamonds running from her lower lip to her chin—marked her heritage clearly.
She was widely regarded as an exceptional duelist. Her movements in combat were calm, elegant, and precise, flowing seamlessly from one strike to the next like wind through tall grass. Many in the Temple often remarked that while all Jedi were brothers and sisters in the Force, only with a few—such as Luminara Unduli—could one find such natural harmony.
Barriss Offee, her Padawan, was also Mirialan. Though quieter and more reserved than her Master, she possessed a remarkable talent for healing through the Force. Luminara had carefully nurtured that ability, guiding Barriss patiently without forcing her down a path she was not ready to walk.
As far as Plo Koon knew, Barriss—now sixteen and a Padawan for nearly four years—had only recently begun constructing her own lightsaber.
"Master Plo," Luminara greeted him with a courteous nod.
Barriss bowed respectfully.
"I believe I know why you are here."
"Yes, Master Luminara," Plo Koon replied. "Jedi **Dagon Marek** requires your Padawan's assistance."
"Then we must not delay," Luminara said calmly. "It seems we have little time to prepare. Barriss, you heard that?"
"Yes, Master."
Barriss inclined her head.
"I will head to the medical ward immediately to prepare the operating room—and to meditate."
Without further hesitation, the young Padawan departed swiftly down the corridor.
Plo Koon turned his gaze back to the holoscreen, which was replaying the final moments of the duel.
Ventress striking.
Marek collapsing.
Green lightning.
Green fire.
Then—
That blinding burst of light.
"Do you think she can handle it?" the Kel Dor asked quietly.
"I do not know, Master," Luminara admitted honestly. "The Jedi's injuries appear severe. Frankly, I am surprised he survived at all."
Plo Koon studied the frozen image on the holoscreen.
"The Council will want answers," he said thoughtfully. "That flash of light… whatever saved him from that green fire… none of the Masters recognized it."
Luminara frowned slightly.
"Something connected to the Force?"
"Perhaps," Plo Koon replied. "Or perhaps something far older."
He turned toward the doorway.
"Either way, we will soon hear the truth from him directly."
Luminara inclined her head.
"Then we had better meet the ship."
Plo Koon paused briefly.
"And Ahsoka will clearly need someone's support right now."
"Ahsoka?"
"Oh," Plo Koon said, "I did not mention it."
"This Jedi has a Padawan."
"Ahsoka Tano."
"I was the one who brought her to the Temple."
"I see," Luminara said with a faint smile.
"Then I am curious to see what kind of Padawan such a Jedi has."
Together, the two Masters turned and headed toward the speeder bay.