Harry grinned and winked slightly. "So... I'd say they're pretty well guarded. You would have at least been a little bit more correct if you said I display emotions."
Shaak Ti responded for both of them, "That just ties into my first point. You being able to hide yourself like only the Sith seem capable."
"Ah I see." Harry frowned as he tilted his head and considered that. "We'll consider that observation up for debate for the moment, though I'm sure we'll come back to it."
Harry's brow furrowed as he ran through her observations to pick up the thread of his thoughts. "I fail to see how what 'visions' you have through your hokey religion are any of my concern. One of my teachers told me divination was a dodgy subject at best. I've never had any luck with it myself. I don't care if you think I'm the cause of them or not." Harry shook his head an expression of disgust on his face. "I long ago stopped putting faith in portents of the future or doing anything to go out of my way to follow them. And have felt that way since the first 17 years of my life were dominated by doing so. I also have a habit of questioning the intelligence and mental stability of people that try and follow them to the exclusion of all else."
"Even Aayla got put through the ringer when she tried pitching the standard 5 D's of prophecy and divination at me," Harry explained calmly. When he saw their blank looks he expanded, "You know... the five D's! 'Doom, death, destruction, darkness and dooooooom!'" He extended out the last word for several seconds of emphasis.
Harry sighed a bit and the amusement from his face as his smile twisted bitterly, "One thing I have learned, is that Fate is a bitch and has a habit of getting exactly what she wants. No matter what you do. Run away from it and hide. Run forward to embrace it."
"If she has a plan for you, there's not a damn thing you can do to avoid it. So the best thing you can do is live your life and let the chips fall where they may." Harry finished with a shake of his head.
While both women were trying to figure out exactly how to reply to that, Harry ran back through her points and his voice turned hard, drawing their attention away from his previous comment, "I have not 'taken' anyone from the Order, and certainly not a padawan. Remember, your cult decided to expel her first. Relinquishing any responsibilities you have to her also relinquishes any rights. You can't have it both ways." "Yes, we removed her from the Order. Yes that was a mistake, and yes we relinquished any rights to guide her." Shaak Ti replied honestly. "And she had every right to walk away. But that does not excuse you preying on a weakness of our race like a predator to bring her under your influence."
Harry looked ready to retort by arguing the definition of guide versus control, before his face twisted in confusion. "Er… what?"
Shaak Ti seemed puzzled at his confusion, and echoed his words. "What?"
"What 'weakness of your race'?" Harry asked, looking honestly curious.
Shaak Ti's eyes flicked to Aayla's and then back to Harry's as she tried to read his face. Not being able to sense him forced her to rely on her observation of his expressions in determining his honesty. After several moments of indecision she finally decided to answer his question. It wasn't like it was some galactic secret.
"What do you know of Togruta?" Shaak Ti asked curiously.
"Um. I've met a few in my travels. But only in passing really." Harry answered honestly, still sounding puzzled.
"While I'm not going to an in depth description of Togruta history. Suffice it to say because of how we evolved, we have a strong sense of unity and togetherness." Shaak Ti explained, "We as a race have a natural aversion to being isolated and alone."
Harry tilted his head thoughtfully, "When you say natural aversion…" he trailed off wanting clarification.
"I mean we are genetically predisposed to wanting to be in a group, to have friends and companionship." Shaak Ti clarified.
"Huh, a race that has a tendency towards communal groups. Sounds a lot like veela then." Harry said thoughtfully as he considered it.
He hadn't known that, but it did help explain a few things. Ahsoka jumping in with both feet with him so impulsively after they had met now seemed to make more sense. It also helped explain why her getting removed from the Order hurt her so much as to cause an extreme reaction.
It was also a testament to her strength. If she was naturally inclined to be in a group, and to avoid isolation and being alone, then the choice not to return to the Order spoke of a strength of will, even he had underestimated.
"I bet that works well with that whole 'no attachments' thing the Jedi code harps on." Harry said a trace of snark in his voice, though there was no real heat to it as he considered the implications for Ahsoka.
On one hand it increased his respect for her, since she had to fight her own nature to walk away from the Jedi Order in the first place. On the other it made him angrier at the Order. "Your ignorance of that aspect of the Togruta nature does not change the fact that a few days with you, under your 'instruction' and her anger not just palpable but she is lashing out and causing destruction! She is on the path to the Dark side and you are leading her there," Shaak Ti straightened resolutely, "Ahsoka Tano falling to the Dark Side would be nearly as bad as someone like Master Yoda, Master Windu, or Skywalker falling. I will not let that happen."
"She's not on the path to this whole boogey-man anti-'Dark-Side' fetish you Jedi are so obsessed with." Harry finally allowed a bit of frustration to show as he rolled his eyes.
"Look around you! This is from a single loss of control!" Shaak Ti retorted quickly, gesturing around at the room where everything was scattered and flung anywhere. "If you hadn't reached her there's no telling how much destruction her anger could cause! This is precisely why anger and hate are dangerous!"
"Being angry in response to be screwed over and betrayed by people you trusted is actually a pretty fucking common and natural response in any sentient life form." Harry's voice was firm, all trace of lightheartedness gone. "It has to be confronted and dealt with if you're ever going to move on as a person and not turn into a callous emotionally repressed arsehole or some vengeful and likely deranged psychopath."
"Your cult's method of just swallowing it whole and pretending it'll just go away…. is so destructive and flat out unhealthy it's not even funny." Harry pushed off the table to stand up taking a single step forward to stare down into Shaak Ti's black eyes.
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