A/N: Thank you Kakaski and Zaconator and Zackis for following and favoriting this story, respectfully. I really appreciate your patron.

This story takes place in a floating timeline. Meaning, Ashoka in the Clone Wars cartoon may have been 16 at the end of the series, but is 18 now and has served as Anakin's apprentice the same amount of time as she did in the cartoon show. This is if I wrote the Clone Wars cartoon series how I'd set up and portray every character. If you have any questions, hit me up on the PMs, it's always open.

I was thinking about introducing Boba Fett somewhere in this story, but a teenager (around 18-20). It screws with the cannon, but none of this is cannon anyway, because it's a Fanfiction. I got some ideas what an older Boba could do in this universe.


Jedi Council

Obi-Wan walked into the Jedi Council meeting. Only three Jedi were present for the meeting (Mace Windu, the Tholothian Adi Gallia and Yoda). Though a part of the Council, Obi-Wan was usually unavailable for many matters, due to him being active in The Clone Wars. Yoda deemed so few Jedi Knights worthy of a place on the Council, but with numbers thinning, Yoda wondered if one day he'd be the only member present for such matters.

"Masters," Obi-Wan bowed to show his respect for the Council. A blue flickering hologram Mace Windu standing, gestured for Kenobi to take his seat.

"What has your reconnaissance gathered?" Windu asks. The Jedi have been tracking General Grievous' movements for months. They knew him to be a warrior, easily pleased when Dooku threw him a fighter to challenge the Jedi slayer. However, Grevious' latest foray in Galactic Republic holdouts like Lianos has pestered the Council as to why he would take such a random planet.

"I believe General Grievous is planning on usurping Count Dooku as leader of the Separatist." Obi-Wan said. He called R2 over, he was carrying information Jedi spies have recovered when patrolling Lianos. "Are you sure, Obi-Wan. Your feelings aren't betraying you?" Mace asked, raising an eyebrow; curious in what would cause the General to make such a power play at this moment, one that if failed could cause the end of the Separatist. Yoda was confused too, taking his shriveled up hand and running through his thinning white hair.

"Grievous never cared for the Separatists. All he wanted was power and an army; he has taken on the Order's best Jedi and now he feels that Dooku is on the verge of victory; and his days as a useful asset are numbered." Obi-Wan turned on R2's footage and a bright blue screen illuminated the dark Council room. It was Lianos, an overhead view of some desert part of the planet far from civilization.

"This was taken at the junkyards in Doryia." Obi-Wan informed the Council.

"What is this?" A befuddled Adi asks. Obi-Wan just waited for the answer. Lianos shook as did the camera, the entire Council's ears popped at the shattering sound. A big mushroom cloud encompassed the area. When the smoke cleared, all that was left was lava and ash. The film stopped and Obi-Wan took to the center of the Council room.

"That was taken two weeks ago." He says, looking a little more agitated, despite that not being the first time he's seen that video.

"What was that?" Adi Gallia asks, mortified that such a weapon existed in the galaxy and so close to the Republic.

"We don't know, but the aftermath of the detonation resulted in the area being uninhabitable; the air unbreathable and the ground is currently sinking into the planets core." Obi-Wan told a shellshocked Council. Yoda dropped his walking stick, the old man's heart couldn't handle such distress.

"Stop this we must." Yoda said, hiding the fear in his voice well, just thinking about a weapon like that going off in a city made his heart race. Keeping his composure, Master Yoda, as did the Council entered a catatonic state for a short while, before finally breaking out of it. Mace's eyes glazed to the side of the room, away from the gazes of the other Jedi's. Adi shook her head in effort to erase the feeling of sadness and fearing the consequences of a weapon of that magnitude being in Grievous' hands.

"Will go to Lianos, you and Master Gallia, will." Yoda said, regrouping with himself. Gallia stood up from her chair and met Obi-Wan at the center of the Council room

"What is the status of our Clone troopers?" Obi-Wan asks the Masters. Mace and Yoda exchanged looks of doubt with each other. "Go only you two." Yoda answered the question. Obi-Wan wanted to voice is displeasure, but he knew soldiers didn't come cheap. Kamino held up developing more Clones until the Galactic Republic could pay the bill. The only soldiers Obi-Wan trusted was Captain Rex & Commander Cody, all stationed on Florrum.

"Yes, Masters," Obi-Wan and Adi bowed and walked out the Council room, the looks on their faces changed from monotone to angst.

"A man like Grievous should not have a weapon of that power." Adi said, her voice sounding reckless. Obi-Wan temporally pondered how a fight between Gallia and Grievous would turn out.

"Agreed. And with our current state in this war we can't afford another loss, certainly not of this size." Obi-Wan began to think of ways they could find where Grevious is making this weapon.

"All we can do is track Grievous on Lianos and use the force." Obi-Wan said. Adi looked back at Kenobi. "But that ability has been diminished for sometime." She admitted in defeat.

Obi-Wan and Gallia walk past the Youngling training center in the Temple. Master Yoda would teach his students meditation technics to calm the excitement that came with youth. Presently, it is gathering up dust. More and more Younglings were promoted to Padawan when not ready to see action. Many great Younglings died in The Clone Wars; possibly Yoda's biggest regret is panicking when the once vast number of Jedis in the galaxy began to thin.

"You know I've searched the archives to see how many Younglings died since the war." Adi confessed. She walked over to the sparing area, seeing the training lightsabers gathering up dust. "..." Adi couldn't bare to share the statistic, her bottom lip trembling. Obi-Wan placed a hand on her shoulder and helped her off the ground.

Obi-Wan enjoyed teaching Younglings, it was easier than teaching Anakin. All the young boys and girls he tutored all grew to become soldiers and not the peacekeepers he told them they were.

"If we can't stop Grevious, then there won't be a next generation." Obi-Wan said, getting down to brass tax. Adi nodded and walked to the Hanger Bay.


Halls Of Healing

Anakin yawned, mindlessly flipping channels on the HoloNet. Getting wrapped up in the occasional soap opera, but since his Padawan was right next to him, he didn't didn't want to risk her ridicule and kept flipping through the listings.

"You don't have to stay here, Ashoka. I'll be fine." Anakin seen his Padawan's boredom. Ashoka's finger tips scrapping the wooden armrest of the chair, her head resting on her right hand.

The sliding doors opened, revealing it to be Chancellor Palpatine. His distinguished grey hair made him look younger than he actually was. Palpatine ordered his three guards to leave the room. He looked at his favorite Jedi laying helplessly on the hospital bed, a bacta wrap on his left cheek. Palpatine sensed Anakin couldn't wait to get out of here and back into the field. He dreaded being sidelined from The Clone Wars; feeling he was not doing his part to protect the Galactic Republic. Palpatine smiled gingerly.

"Master Skywalker, I am pleased to see you are looking well." The Chancellor shook Anakin's head. "We hope the siege on Christophsis was a success?" He asked. Anakin's expression turned stoic. "It was, Chancellor." Was all he was willing to say. Palpatine didn't pay much mind to it. He turned his head to see the Togruta Padawan standing not to far from Anakin.

"Pardon me, my lady," The chancellor began with faux politeness. "But could me and your Master have a moment to ourselves?" The Chancellor knew Anakin wouldn't like it if he was more forceful in pushing his Padawan out of the room. Ashoka looked to her Master for his approval. "You've been cooped in here long enough, you can go, Ashoka." Anakin said. Ashoka nodded and bowed, before exiting the room.

"Your Padawan is growing up, soon she'll be a Knight." Palpatine observed the Togruta's force capabilities, Anakin having no knowledge of this. "Ashoka strong with the force and has impressed me on numerous occasions, but she is still young." Anakin said, thinking back to when they started their relationship on Christophsis, he didn't even want a Padawan, certainly not one as brash and reckless as she was.

"Yes, but enough about that. I've come to talk to you about the state of the Republic." Palpatine sat down. "I've seen allot of Jedi admitted since the beginning of The Clone Wars." He added. Anakin looked away from the window that showed wounded Jedi's hobbling around.

"I know what our situation is." Anakin says coldly. "We're losing support across the galaxy, the Republic has defaulted on its debts to the Kamino cloners and the senate is voting for a resolution that will enact a Republic wide military draft to combat our lack of manpower." Anakin recited the many things he's heard his secret lover senator Padmé Amidala said to him on their nights away from the lights of the Jedi and politics.

In Palpatine's mind, he knew Anakin was right; and he was worried. Worried the war would end in the Republic's surrender, leading to Count Dooku establishing his empire to rival his Masters. The loose ends of General Grevious and Asajj Ventress. Palpatine sensed Grevious' trickery and wanted him dealt with. If the war is to be loss, Palpatine needed a backup plan and fast.

"Senator Amidala has been against the creation of the Clone army since the very beginning and now she is pushing for a law that would force men and women to serve." Palpatine expressed his disapproval. "Tsk tsk."

Anakin took offense to Palpatine's claim Padmé was a liar. "She didn't want to vote for an army that popped out out of thin air and I don't believe she would have voted for you to garnered emergency powers, either." He fiercely defends his wife's honor. "With all due respect, chancellor, senator Amidala knows what she's doing."

Palpatine hid a smile. He struck a nerve! Padmé means allot to Anakin, that's something to write down. "Would you have voted to give me emergency powers, Anakin?" He asks in a grandpa tone. Anakin took a hard look at the chancellor. They've known each other since Anakin's late teen years, he taught him everything he knows about politics and how it effects the Jedi.

"No." Anakin said with conviction, looking into the chancellors. "No, I would not."


Jedi Temple hallways

Ashoka left the Halls of Healing, she didn't want to wait outside for ages, while her Master and the Chancellor talked away the night.

"Meet friends, what friends?" She said to herself, very frustrated. Barriss has been traversing the galaxy for months, her other friends are either senators currently authoring a bill that will alter the entire Clone Wars or people on the Outer Rim territories, so none of them are stopping by for a visit anytime soon.

She decided to walk back to her quarters. It was getting late and she needed rest. She seen two teens conversing while watching the HoloNet. Taking an interest, Ashoka joined them.

"Hey, Ashoka, how's Anakin?" Jeri (human) asked, shaking her hand. He stood at 1.72 meters, his blonde buzz cut was neatly trimmed, Jeri wore a grey tunic, greying than overcast clouds. "He's okay, the medics said he should be out in less than a week." She said.

A Twi'lek breathed a sigh of relief. "Whew, that's good to hear, I heard when he came back the medical droids had to shoot him up with nullicaine?" Catherine asked. She stood about the same height as Ashoka, 1.6 meters. Her blue skin looked smooth and unfettered; obviously not seeing any battle in The Clone Wars will do that. Catherine sported a sports coat and a skirt very similar to Ashoka's, except this one was black to match the sports coat.

"They did." A very grave Ashoka said.

"What's going on?" She asked, referring to the action happening on the HoloNet. Jeri pointed to the fire engulfing downtown Coruscaunt. The newswoman spoke about what unfolding.

"Wide scale riots against the senate and their handling of The Clone Wars, Coruscant burns brightly tonight. There have been no casualties, yet to report." She said. The video showed stores getting ransacked, people being ran out of their homes and citizens papers that made people who left the Separatist controlled territories for the Republic being burned. People shouted "No war! No war!"

"We're losing on all fronts; chancellor Palpatine and the Jedi have failed us and we won't have it anymore!" One man screamed, holding up a lightsaber as if it were a toy. He must have bought that on the black market.

Jeri couldn't stand to watch the news and turned off the HoloNet. "I barley recognize this planet anymore." He said, throwing the remote to the other side of the room. "First they want war, chanting 'Down with Dooku' just months ago, and now, when things aren't looking so good they're looking for something to blame!" Jeri yells. Jeri's hands shook, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

Jeri didn't accept that the Jedi were wrong in this management of the conflict with the Separatist. The Jedi always had the Republic's best interest at heart.

Catherine walked up to her friend, rubbing his shoulders and talked to him in a soothing tone. "We will make a difference." She tries to convince him, but to no avail. Jeri laughed off her notion. "Me and You?" He said, almost mocking his friends well intentions to find a bright side. "I don't know if you know this Cathy, but we're at the bottom of the totem pole in the Order. We'll never be Jedi's." He said defeated, sitting down holding his head in his hands. "I need to be alone now." Jeri said shooing Ashoka and Catherine away.

The two girls left the wry Youngling. "Sorry about that, Ashoka. Jeri can be very passionate. Guess that's why he isn't anybody's Padawan." Catherine said apologetically. Ashoka looked back at the still distraught Jeri. "Emotions aren't inherently bad, it's just a matter of controlling them." She said.

Catherine was confused at Ashoka's point. "But doesn't the Jedi Code say 'There is no emotion, there is peace'?" Catherine countered Ashoka's assessment of the Jedi's leniency on emotion.

"But the original text was 'Emotion, yet peace." She said back at her. Admittedly, it was a very vague text she was quoting and could be interpreted in many ways.

"Just because it is said differently, does not change the message." Catherine said. Ashoka didn't have a counter to that. "The Sith welcome emotion, their over acceptance of passion leads them towards the Dark Side." Catherine said. "It is an attempt to control the very force they manipulate." Catherine was always more brains than bronze, she knew so much about past Jedi Knights and Sith Lords, you could quiz her out of the blue and she'd give a detailed response to each of your questions.

Ashoka and Catherine decided to walk down the deserted Jedi Temple halls. Both girls could hear their boots squeaking across the dusty floors. The Temple felt like a ghost town, a place that hasn't been inhabited in ages. Funny, how fast war can thin the herd.

Catherine knew some friends that died in the war, as did Ashoka. Deep down, even though she'll never admit it, Ashoka feared Catherine and Jeri becoming Padawans and losing them in the conflict too. Catherine shared the same angst with Ashoka. Always brash, bold and reckless in her dealings with the famous Anakin Skywalker, it is a recipe for disaster.

Both walked down the halls, never saying a word to each other, just taking in the cold silence. Ashoka walked into where Master Yoda trained the very small Younglings. She and Catherine stared nostalgically at the gadgets they used to train with. "Remember when you wanted to learn to dodge blaster bolts and told me to shoot at you." Catherine laughed, digging inside a chest of Yoda's equipment.

Ashoka smiled, remembering fondly her drive to be the best often put her in danger. "Yeah, you weren't a sharp shooter." She teased. Catherine laughed so loud, she clamped a hand over her mouth, feeling embarrassed when making a sound of a cackling, mad woman.

She looked down at the old training lightsabers, rusting, probably not functioning. "It's a shame we had to grow up so fast, Ashoka." Catherine said with genuine sadness and guilt in her voice. Ashoka sensed her friends fret and comforted her.

She silently agreed with her that she was too young to be thrusted into the biggest conflict the galaxy has ever seen. But Ashoka wanted this. She lusted to prove herself and become a Jedi, ever since she was a wee child at the tender age of 4 when Master Plo found her on Shilli. Catherine may not been ready to fight in the war, but Ashoka always knew she was ready.

Catherine will be ready, Ashoka made a promise to herself she would be.


A/N: That's it! End of chapter 4. The premise has been set. The Republic is in shambles and the Jedi are loss and cannot use the force effectively and chancellor Palpatine is worried about his much grander plans.

Like it or hate it, I want to hear your opinions on this chapter.