As Ahsoka continued prepping her A-Wing, Sabine Wren, the Mandalorian weapons expert of the Ghost crew, approached her with a grin.
"General," Sabine said. "I think I might have an idea to make the Capital ship…fall."
Ahsoka considered it, then she leaned in. "Go on, I'm listening."
Sabine told Ahsoka her plan. As she got into the details, Ahsoka slowly smirked and nodded.
"It's crazy." Ahsoka noted. "But I like it. It could work. Only question is, if we still have enough fuel for it to work."
"Fuel?" A voice repeated from behind. She turned and saw Kanan. "Fuel for what?" He asked.
"Sabine just had a brilliant idea." Ahsoka said. "She told me how you guys stole the Imperial Carrier over Ryloth. And how you destroyed their…reinforcements."
Kanan raised an eyebrow at Sabine, clearly impressed. "Well, there's still a few left from the ones we stole from Horizon Base." He recalled.
"And," Rex said as he approached them. "The Sparrow Squadron did manage to steal loads of them from their supply run in the Western Reaches." He added.
Ahsoka nodded. "Good. Rex, contact the crew of the Carrier and tell them to prep every fuel they can get."
"Yes, sir." Rex said.
"I'll prep the thermal detonators, General." Sabine said and went on her way.
Ahsoka turned to Rex and Kanan. "And I'll see you gentlemen in the Carrier." She said as she hopped into her A-Wing and started the engines. She gave Rex a hand salute.
Rex nodded in return before he went with Kanan to the Ghost. Then she took off.
The Imperial Carrier, which the Phoenix stole over Ryloth, is now orbiting Atollon. Overlooking the planet, it reminded Ahsoka of Geonosis. Besides being a dust ball with its hot and humid surface, Geonosis was also where she fought her first battle on field beside her master, Anakin and her best friend, Bariss.
Ahsoka put her thoughts aside. Focus, she chided herself. We have a blockade to destroy.
She flew towards the Carrier. Out in space, she could see maintenance workers prepping the damaged Command ship. Crates of fuel cells were being loaded from a repulsorlift and brought inside the Command ship.
As Ahsoka's fighter got close to the Command ship, one of the maintenance crew made a signal that it was okay to dock on one of the ship's docking rings, and she did.
She got out of her A-Wing and brought herself into the Corvette's hallway, where the crew was starting to place fuel cells in every open space in the ship.
The Ghost landed on the Carrier just as Ahsoka went down the ramp. She stood near the ship as Sabine, Zeb and Ezra came down the Ghost and headed their way for the Command ship, each with a bag probably filled with thermal detonators.
Hera gave Kanan a hug before joining the other members of the Phoenix, since she was their Squadron leader. Kanan went back up the ramp.
Ahsoka was busy watching others getting their job done that she didn't notice Rex was already standing beside her.
"You looked troubled, sir." Rex spoke up.
Ahsoka frowned. "No, I don't." She argued.
Rex snorted. "Ahsoka, I've fought with you since you were fourteen." He brought up. "I don't have to be a Jedi to notice that something's bothering you."
"Fine." Ahsoka sighed. "It's just that, I haven't been involved in a battle since…well—" She faltered.
Rex raised an eyebrow. "The siege of Mandalore?" He guessed.
Ahsoka nodded in confirmation.
Rex huffed. "I know you're not that little anymore, Littl'un, and you're still as stubborn as you are when you were younger,"
The compliment made her laugh. "I don't deny that." She said.
"But," Rex continued. "You said so yourself. This is what we have to do to destroy that blockade. Now, why do you think they frequently sent us, particularly, General Skywalker, you and the 501st in battles almost everywhere?" He asked. "In space, on the ground, and underwater?"
"Because there's no one else to be sent." Ahsoka remembered. "There're maybe a lot of clone troopers, but there weren't that many Jedi to lead them, no offense."
Rex shook his head, clearly that was not the answer he wanted to hear. "No, I don't think it was that."
"Then what?"
"Being General Skywalker's padawan and Jedi Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, especially the 501st, I think you know what we're known for." He faced her grabbed her shoulders. "We rarely lost battles."
Rarely lost battles. The phrase that often describe her master, Anakin Skywalker and his reckless tactics. Probably what Rex's trying to say is that being Anakin's padawan meant carrying on his legacy. That thought made her smile and filled her with confidence.
"Yeah." Ahsoka repeated with enthusiasm. "We rarely lost battles. Without struggling, that is. But we're gonna not gonna lose this one." She said boldly.
Rex grinned. "Keep that up, Littl'un."
Moments later, Sabine, Ezra and Zeb came out of the damaged Corvette with empty bags.
"It's all set, General." Sabine reported as she handed Ahsoka the detonators' regulator. The button blinked red, which meant the bombs are active.
"Good job, Sabine." Ahsoka said, then straightened. "Now, let's get going."
The others went ahead. Rex gave her a pat on her shoulder before joining the other Commanders of the cells in the Carrier's bridge.
Ahsoka was walking up the ramp of the Command ship, when Ezra called. "Ahsoka?"
She stopped halfway up and turned to him. "Yes?"
"Don't do it again." Ezra said.
Ahsoka frowned. "Don't do what again?" She asked.
"What you did on Malachor." Ezra recalled. "For Kanan and me. Not again, promise me." He pleaded.
She chuckled. "I'm sorry, but can't promise you that, Ezra."
"Why not?"
Ahsoka took a long time to answer. Promises. Not to mention, she'd broken every promise she'd sworn. The first time: She'd promised Lux she'd meet him at the Jedi Temple after he'd been given a seat in the Senate. But she left the Jedi Order, thus breaking her promise. The Second time: She'd promised not to leave Anakin/Vader under that Sith Temple in Malachor. But she fled when he told her leave. Again, breaking another one. I'm not breaking another one, she thought.
"Ahsoka?" Ezra called, which brought her back to reality.
"Because, I'm terrible at keeping promises." Ahsoka spoke up.
"You can't sacrifice yourself again!" Ezra insisted. "You have no idea how the Rebellion had been in your absence—" He blurted out.
"I'm aware of that." Ahsoka interrupted. "But, you have managed to keep it together in five rotations." She reminded him.
"But—" Ezra started to protest.
"I'm willing to do anything for the Rebellion, Ezra!" Ahsoka said, almost harshly. She sighed, and her voice softened. "As its General, I have to keep the fire burning. You of all people should understand that. You and Kanan." She reminded him.
The boy looked down and nodded slowly. "Just…don't die then." Ezra said.
Ahsoka smiled. "That, I can guarantee."
Ezra did something she didn't expect. He gave her a hug, which totally surprised her.
"Be careful." He said.
Ahsoka couldn't help but smile at the little boy's concern. She patted him on his back. "We should go." She said. "We have a blockade to destroy."
Ezra gave her a quick smile before running back to the Ghost.
. . .
Ahsoka walked past the fuel cells implanted with a couple detonators blinking with red light on the Command ships' hallways. She held the charges' regulator and hung it on her belt, right beside her Shoto saber—she had to reconstruct one as Vader sliced her previous Shoto to pieces.
Also, since her battle with him, she had been left more vulnerable than she already was. Having her left arm chopped off and have it replaced with a metal one does not make things better. A Force-user's connection with the Force flowed through the midi-chlorians in his/her blood. The loss of a limb had been known to affect a one's powers. The same thing happened to Anakin when he was a padawan, but he was different. Anakin possessed more midi-chlorians than any Jedi in history, but even so…he's not like any other Force-user she'd known. He was powerful.
She was so lost in thought staring out at the bridge's viewports that she hadn't notice Rex calling her through the commchannel.
"General?" Rex called, probably six times already. "Sir, is everything alright?" He asked.
"Oh, yeah." Ahsoka replied quickly. "Everything's fine. I was just…thinking."
"Are we clear to make the jump?" He asked.
"Wait a few moments before I do." Ahsoka said, sitting down the pilot's seat. "We need timing in this. You need to get there after I'm done talking to them."
"Copy that, General." Rex said. "Good hunting, sir."
"Thank you, Rex." Ahsoka said. Then she pulled the console and the damaged Corvette traveled into hyperspace.