"I thought Anakin would come to see me himself. I didn't expect him to send you."
Su Ming sat on the soft fallen leaves and lit a cigarette. He leaned against a tree, stretched out his legs, and patted Harley on the backside, sending her to keep an eye on the apprentice. Only then did he speak to Master Offee beside him.
"That isn't quite what happened. He hired a mercenary to watch Aphra's progress. My apprentice and I have been living in seclusion on Franlo, and not long ago, he asked me to keep an eye on the mercenary's work as well. Though nobody calls him Anakin anymore. Most people call him Darth Vader."
The Dark Jedi with the small yellow face smiled. There was something innocent about her smile; she was only in her forties, young by Jedi standards.
"Oh? Don't you hate him? Order 66 killed your master and everyone you worked with in the medical unit. And he was the one who dragged you off to prison years ago, acting as though he had justice on his side."
Su Ming studied the markings on her face with interest. What looked like freckles were actually faint scales.
"You mean the hangar bombing? There was more to that. It was a trap set by the Seth for both sides. Besides, there aren't many Jedi left. Hating him won't solve anything."
Barriss brushed down her black robe. She and her apprentice had even changed in the grass before meeting him, trading their brown robes for embroidered formalwear.
"I have a feeling this war between the Rebel Alliance and the Empire may be a mistake too. It will leave our galaxy weak. That's why I have to bring together everyone I can."
Su Ming's estimation of her rose another notch.