First Star Wars fanfic. Hope you enjoy.
Ahsoka walked with Rex along the blood stained halls of the place she had once called home. Only hours ago, had it happened, had her history been violently erased from the galaxy. Now, only a mess of some of her greatest friends laid before her, the grey pallor of death creeping upon them. She had learned who had done this. Her master had betrayed their brethren and now served for Palpatine, or as she finally understood him, Darth Sidious. She had only survived due to her exile.
Rex, who had secretly removed his "inhibitor" chip, had abandoned the rest of his brothers, hoping to save a few members of the jedi in the hopes of keeping the order alive.
Shots resounded through the halls and Ahsoka and Rex bolted. in the library they saw four jedi, Tera Sinube, Eeth Koth, Eekar Oki and Coleman Kcaj, defending themselves against a unit of clones. At their feet, laid the body of Jocasta Nu, she seemed so peaceful, yet so somber. Ahsoka could barely believe her elderly friend was gone.
"Get away from them!" Ahsoka screamed, forcing the unit through one of the few windows, but not before one landed a laser through Master Koth's chest.
"No!" Ahsoka screamed, running over to the master.
"Ahsoka, you're alive," Sinube turned to see her.
As they approached, Kcaj held his lightsaber at Rex's neck.
"Get back, or I won't hesitate to kill you," Kcaj warned, until Ahsoka turned around,"It's okay, he's not like the others," at this, Kcaj lowered his blade, but kept it drawn as he looked over at Master Sinube for advice. Sinube nodded his head and Kcaj withdrew his blade.
Koth's breathing became laboured as the other jedi turned to him. Ahsoka placed her hand over the wound, but Koth simply removed it, "It's too late for that," he half choked, "Go with Sinube, Oki and Kcaj... Find the others... And get off of this... Planet," Koth's eyes closed and his breathing stopped.
A tear dropped from Ahsoka's eye as she folded Koth's hands over his wound before turning to the other Jedi masters, Koth's lightsaber in hand, "Rex and I came here to save as many Jedi as possible. Do you know of any others?"
Both masters nodded, Kcaj leading Ahsoka and Rex, Sinube and Oki bringing up the rear. Before they left, Sinube walked over to Jocasta Nu's body. He pulled it close and hugged it. He was brought out of thought by Ahsoka, "Master Sinube, we must go," she said to him sombrely. He nodded his head and quickly laid Nu's body on a table. As they left, Sinube turned back once more to Jocasta's body. "Rest easy, my apprentice," he said, "rest easy."
The four Jedi and rogue clone walked through the training grounds atop the temple, taking care to not walk on any of their fallen brethren. Ahsoka noticed several among the dead, Cin Drallig, Bene, Whie Malreaux, Tiplee, all dead.
Sinube walked over to the bed of the famed blossom tree that had sat in the temple for centuries, now a stump marked by blaster fire and ash, and placed his hand upon the circular engraving. At this, the floor beside him sank into the ground, creating a ramp down to a door. Ahsoka looked down into the dark door and saw six pairs of eyes looking out at her.
"Ahsoka?" Came an all-too familiar, nasally voice.
"Katooni?" At this, Katooni and the other five initiates Ahsoka and Yoda had taken to Ilum stepped out of the shadows, Katooni running out first and hugging the former padawan around the waist.
"Padawan Tano," the others bowed to her.
"Petro, Ganodi, Gungi, Zatt, Byph, thank the Force, you're all right." Ahsoka smiled down, "I thought I'd never see you guys again."
"We didn't think we would either." Petro answered.
"Wait?" Ganodi questioned, "Why did you come back?"
"I came back to save the survivors," Ahsoka answered, "speaking of which, get to the hangar, I need to go check for something. With that, Rex, Kcaj, Sinube, Oki and the younglings made their way to the hangar while Ahsoka headed off to a private place only the Jedi knew of.
She sat in the middle of the cell that had been her home for a year now. The tears streamed down her face, and her breaths were hitched.
They were gone, all of them. The thing that she had tried to warn them of, the thing that had driven her to do appalling things, the thing that had left her in this place, unable to help Her master, her friends, her brothers and sisters, and it was all her fault.
"I-I'm sorry," Barriss cried into her hands, "I'm sorry I failed you Master Luminara, I'm sorry I killed you, Tutso, I'm sorry I let myself get dragged into this. But, I'm most sorry, for framing you, Ahsoka."
Suddenly, she heard the door to the secret corridor open and the footsteps coming towards her as well as the opening of her cell door. She remained facing the opposite wall, "Come to finish me off, like the rest of my kind," Barriss asked, her voice cracking in anguish as she said this.
"Barriss, it's me," came the voice of one of her closest friends, "Ahsoka."
"Ahsoka!" Barriss turned to see the friend that she had betrayed, smiling at her.
Barriss walked over and Ahsoka saw her eyes were red with tears. Barriss then proceded to reach out and touch Ahsoka's cheek before grabbing her into a death-hug.
"Ahsoka, I'm so sorry, I was wrong to frame you, Barriss pleaded, "please forgive me."
"Of course, I forgive you. If only we'd listened to you, we might not have ended up in this position." Ahsoka replied, "I missed you, friend."
"Why did you come here?" Barriss questioned, breaking the hug.
"To save whoever I can," Ahsoka replied, "come, we must move."
At this, Ahsoka handed Koth's lightsaber to Barriss and held her shoulder, giving her a forgiving smile. Though, at first, puzzled by the presence of the deceased Koth's lightsaber, Barriss finally realized what Ahsoka meant.
"No, Ahsoka," Barriss stated as clearly as her broken voice could, "Never again. Not after what I've done."
"Barriss, you need t.."
"I Can't!" Barriss cut Ahsoka off as she slid down to the floor, more tears dropping from her eyes, "After all the people I've hurt. I just... Can't."
Ahsoka looked pitifully upon her friend and kneeled down to her level.
"Barriss," Ahsoka started, "I know what you're feeling. I felt the same when I left the Jedi Order. I didn't trust myself and I didn't trust the council, but I need you to help us, you owe me at least that."
Barriss pondered the thought for a bit before sighing, hugging her friend and grabbing the lightsaber.
"Okay, where do we head?" Barriss asked.
"We get to the hangar," Ahsoka replied, "Let's go!"
With that the now renewed friends made their way to the hangar, ready to start again.
As they reached the hangar, Barriss paused to ask a question, "Wait, how are we going to escape?"
"I have my connections," Ahsoka replied as the hangar doors opened.
Inside, the younglings, Sinube, Kcaj, Oki and Rex were waiting, ready for an attack if necessary.
"Ah, you're finally here, Ahsoka," Eekar Oki replied before turning over to Barriss, "Barriss?"
Barriss pitifully bowed to the Jedi who were now staring at her. Kcaj appeared to be staring daggers at her, but Sinube and Oki seemed to be pitiful of her.
"Ahsoka, why have you brought Barriss here?" Kcaj asked.
"Because!" Ahsoka replied with an attitude, wrapping an arm around Barriss' shoulder, "I trust Barriss, no matter what she's done."
Katooni and Ganodi quickly ran up to Ahsoka.
"Ahsoka!" Ganodi shouted, "There's a rusted shuttle sitting on the landing pad. I think it's more clones."
Ahsoka looked over to see the shuttle and sighed in relief, "No, Ganodi, that's our ticket out of here."
Ahsoka and Rex quickly lead the others to to the shuttle, Rex climbing in first in order to help the younglings and masters into it.
Barriss and Ahsoka were the last on the ship. As Ahsoka climbed on, she heard shuffling from down the hall and knew she had to be quick. She sealed the door and ran to the cockpit. There, two of her friends were getting ready to lift off, Lux Bonteri and Riyo Chuchi.
"Are we good to go?" Ahsoka asked Lux.
"Yes," he replied, "We're good to go."
"Perfect time as well," Riyo replied, "any longer and we would've been forced to deal with them," she pointed to the battilion of clones entering the hangar before Lux turned the ship and started flying into space.
Ahsoka walked back into the passenger compartment and informed them that they were now safe.
"Ahsoka?" Barriss asked as she followed Ahsoka into the cockpit, "Now that we've have escaped, where do we go from here?
Ahsoka smiled, "Barriss, we go where the Force takes us." She then gripped her friend's hand, "together."
The End.
I may make a follow up story in the future.