It was nothing concrete but Harry had always been good at sensing an oncoming storm, and since Ahsoka had joined him, he had gotten the feeling that there was a doozy on the horizon. One that history and statistics told him he was going to tempted to be dragged into… mostly because of his inability to see someone else suffering and not stand idly by doing nothing. The fact he now had two Generals of the current conflict and a discharged military commander as his apprentice was ignored for now. Though no hint of his internal musing showed on his face.
Shaak Ti regarded him levelly, though there was still more than a little caution in her face. She had heard of people saying the conflict didn't involve them, and didn't impact them for various reasons before so it wasn't a new concept.
The way Harry laid out his argument, she couldn't necessarily agree with. There were things she presumed he didn't see and wasn't aware of. But she had also never heard the argument about clones laid out like that before. She wondered though, if the battle wasn't between the Republic and the Separatists, but either the Republic or the Separatists and someone else, a planet, or a population, what Harry's reaction would be.
Shaak Ti tilted her head and regarded Harry in silence for several minutes as she considered these things. She could hardly blame him for neutrality. Entire systems had declared the same thing. She didn't necessarily agree with everything he was saying but she couldn't refute that from his point of view it made sense.
Harry just let the silence hang, meeting her gaze unflinchingly. "I disagree with you on a great many things, especially on the galaxy and the Republic. However you have also given me some things to think on and hope to have a deeper discussion at another time." She took a long deep breath, and then bowed her head slightly. "I will give you my apologies for the conclusions I drew."
He looked surprised, having forgotten that the conversation actually started with her accusing him of being evil. Though he was more surprised that she admitted to being wrong and at least seemed to be listening to his words rather than preparing further arguments to advocate their stance. He inwardly snickered, that had happened so many times in the past that it was hardly a surprise that he lost count. He just nodded his head in acknowledgement of her apology. She nodded in return before she continued, her tone conciliatory, "So, if what you say is true, may I ask what you said was happening to Pad- Miss Tano?"
Harry regarded her thoughtfully for a moment before he tilted his head in acceptance of her apology and attempt to move on. "She is learning a skill called Occlumency. The first two steps are something that seem to be central to the Jedi Order. Clearing your mind and remaining calm. The Order seems to stop there and then branch off into their own… directions. Only utilizing that skill for some reason and never actually taking the 'skill' to its true potential."
"But the next step in the process is organizing and categorizing one's memories after you've entered your own mindscape. Ahsoka has been doing that since the day after I met her. Part of that process is reliving those memories," Harry crossed his arms. "That is every memory you've had of your entire life. Not just viewing, but experiencing them again. That includes the emotions that come with them, which leaves the person far more emotional than normal for awhile."
"In fact, she will continue to relive the same traumatically emotional memories over and over again until she can dispassionately re-live any trauma she's experienced in her life with perfect clarity without totally breaking down," Harry lectured calmly, appreciating their attentive listening. "Completing this process means she had accepted and moved on from every trauma, trial and misdeed she has ever experienced. Normally that entire process takes several months to a year of work., but Ahsoka seems to be somewhat of a prodigy." "However, now that she's almost there, she soon be able to finish the defenses on her mind that are slowly built while doing this, and be able to hide herself, not to mention making her a much more mentally healthy and stable individual," he finished before he sighed and shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "But until that happens, every wrong that has ever been committed by her, or by others to her will be right at the surface, and it will take very little to set her off while she deals with those fresh emotions."
"Especially as I know she's been putting off dealing with the emotions of everything she's gone through recently thanks to your Order," His tone was sharp as he finished. Making it clear that he would not brook argument on those points. Shaak Ti was frowning at that as she turned that over in her mind. "Thank you for answering my question. Do you mind if I take some time to meditate on what I have seen and learned today before asking you any follow up questions?"
Harry shrugged. "Sure, knock yourself out, Red."
Shaak Ti showed no reaction to the name, though nodded a little bit and looked around before she turned and departed the room, choosing to head out of the doors to the house.
Harry watched her go before raising an inquiring eyebrow at Aayla who stayed behind. "Yes?" "Did you have to push her like that?" Aayla asked with a frown on her face. She watched her friend go and, like so often before, it was hard to tell what the woman was thinking.
"In a word? Yes," Harry replied blandly.
"Why?" She asked, "And please don't tell me it's because you think it's fun."
"Fine, I won't say that. But... from what I have seen the Order is just like dealing with a child who's been indoctrinated with his or her parents pure blood beliefs from my society. You have to rub their nose in the fact that their belief structure is, not only wrong, but stupid," Harry sighed a little bit and slumped.
"And this probably won't even be the last time I do this with her if she hangs around much longer. She might question everything I do in minutiae, never accepting any of it at face value until it's been proven not once, twice or even three times that her initial gut reaction to it was wrong."
"I may have to do this, over and over again, citing logical arguments, sources, and empirical, unassailable data to prove my point, and I'm willing to bet it still won't be enough for her. It's not that I'm proving myself right to her, I have to repeat it so many times because she has to give up on the immediately assumption that I'm wrong."
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