Hey, guys, I'm back!

Before I get started, I wanted to ask a question: if I decide to give Ahsoka a significant other, and if it isn't the pairing you commented in favor of, would that be a deal-breaker for reading this story? I used to ship one pairing, but it's changed since I started reading more fics. My mind isn't made up, but I'm leaning towards one.

This chapter is a bit shorter than the others have been, and it's got a lot of jumps. The next few chapters are going to be filler chapters with several fragments of storylines that aren't solid enough to warrant their own chapters.

I'll be responding to reviews now!

RyanSquad: I will neither confirm nor deny that Zeta Squad will be joining Ahsoka ;)

MalirBly: I'm glad you enjoyed it! Hope you like this one too!

Jedi Alex Colbent: Kinda! And I will neither confirm nor deny anything about Palpatine.

GamingGuy84: Always a good and bad side to things, unfortunately. Here's the next chapter! We'll see Lux next time, but I will neither confirm nor deny whether it will be romantically or platonically.

HaywireEagle: You're probably right. Bear in mind, this was Ahsoka's first major information exchange as a Knight. She didn't give Shaak Ti time to interfere before she told him. That won't be the end of it, and she'll learn of the consequences of her actions very soon.

Jeda31: Anakin can never do anything halfway! I knew I had to sneak in something about Ahsoka doing that chant early on, haha. We love seeing war-profiteers get their just desserts.

Stevonnie-U: AYYYYYYYY!

Michael (Guest): I'm glad you enjoyed it! College has been kicking my butt, but I finally got another one out!

Guest: Ayyyee! That's the goal!

Prince Loki Stark: I'm glad you like it so far!

maryej483: Coleman will have a minor role, but… it'll be a role :)

Ax (Guest): The writing process is ongoing!

Fires of Eden Rose Aurora: We can only hope for positive change. We shall have to see :)

And without further ado, here it is!

Taun We frowned as she looked towards Lama Su's office door. It had been a while since she'd heard anything from him. She was considering knocking on his door, but the last time she had knocked when he said he wasn't to be disturbed, it hadn't gone well for her. He'd made it clear that she wasn't the only one who could do her job.

Deciding against it, for now, she stood and left to check on the Jedi. Nala Se had reported that the male Jedi and the Clone had finally both awoken. If she could speed along their final business, they could be on their way. Apparently, they had one more matter of business to attend to on behalf of the Clones. The Jedi had always shown the Clones compassion and kindness, something Lama and Nala neglected to do. Taun We was one of very few Kaminoans who believed that the Clones were organic beings that deserved respect and compassion, much to the amusement of the Prime Minister and Chief Medical Scientist.

As she passed a group of cadets, she smiled at them and gave them a kind nod. "Good afternoon, Cadets."

The female cadet, Riley, gave her a bright smile. "Good afternoon, Madame We. You finally left your office, I see."

Taun let out a light chuckle. "Yes, I finally have."

"Where are you off to?" Reggie asked.

"I'm off to see the Jedi. They have one more matter to discuss before each of them return to Coruscant."

Tumbler frowned. "Even General Ti?"

"I'm afraid so. They have an important meeting in a couple of days, so she requested a leave of absence."

"Can we come with and say goodbye?" Comic asked.

As Taun We frowned and considered it, Maverick gave her a bright smile. "C'mon, Madame We, we'll be good."

Chuckling and shaking her head, she finally gave in. "Alright. Come along."

All five of them gave a little cheer as they turned around and walked with her. "Do you know what they're gonna ask about?" Maverick tried to ask casually.

Taun We shook her head with a long-suffering sigh. "I do not, Maverick. And I doubt I could tell you, even if I did."

"Worth a shot," he muttered, causing Comic to snicker.

Comic and Maverick held one conversation, Tumbler and Reggie held another, leaving Riley and Taun We to walk in silence. "Hello, Riley. How are you doing?"

Riley smiled shyly at her. "I'm doing alright. We, um, we met one of the other Jedi and an ARC Trooper earlier today. I'm a little nervous about seeing the rest. I don't have my helmet with me."

"How did your meeting with the two of them go?"

"They were both very accepting. I hope the others will be, too, but I don't know."

"Which Jedi did you meet?"

"General Tano."

"Hmm. She's a newly dubbed Knight if I'm not mistaken. She would be about your biological age, correct?"

"I think so."

"And…?"

"She's nice."

"… And…?"

Riley blushed as she looked down at her feet. "She's… she's cute. Jedi aren't allowed to have relationships, though. Plus, I dunno if I'd ever date her. I think we'd make good friends, though."

"Would you like me to request that your squad be placed under her command?"

"…I'd like that."

"Then consider it done, Riley. Who knows, you may meet a young Admiral and hit it off with him or her."

"Maybe…"

The two made the rest of the trek while listening to either of the two conversations. Eventually, they arrived outside the room where the Jedi and Clones were all waiting. Taun We entered first, followed by Reggie, Comic, and Maverick.

Tumbler frowned when he saw Riley hesitate. "Do you need your mask?"

"I… I dunno…"

ARC Trooper Fives appeared in the doorway. "Come on in, Riley. My brothers and the General are just as accepting. I haven't told them about you yet, because I figured it would be better for you to tell them. I promise they'll be good about it."

Tumbler gave her an encouraging nod, and she took a deep breath before nodding as well. Fives waited near the door, Tumbler entered first, and Riley entered next.

Anakin, Rex, Jesse, Kix, and Tup all had similar reactions at first: shock. Seeing her nervous look, Anakin smiled encouragingly. Meanwhile, each of the Clones grinned at her.

Ahsoka grinned at her, too. "Hey, Riley. I'm glad you came, too. Guys, this is Tumbler, Reggie, Maverick, Comic, and Riley."

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," Anakin said. "I'm Anakin Skywalker."

"I'm Captain Rex of the 501st."

"ARC Trooper Jesse."

"First Aid Specialist Kix."

"I'm Tup. No special title for me," he said with a grin.

Comic and Maverick looked at Anakin with wide eyes. "You're a legend around here, General Skywalker. You too, Captain."

Rex chuckled and looked at Fives. "Thought you said these five were different."

"They are, for the most part," he replied, smirking at Comic's and Maverick's dropped jaws.

Tumbler shook his head at them. "Sorry for them, sirs. I'm the leader of Zeta squad."

"It's all good, Tumbler," Anakin said. "Shinies all have similar reactions to Jedi."

Reggie and Riley snickered as they shared a look.

After a few moments, Taun We looked at Anakin, Ahsoka, and Shaak. "Doctor Se informed me that you have one more matter to discuss before you leave for Coruscant?"

Anakin nodded. "Actually, we had a question on behalf of the Clones. Erm, I'm not sure if you'll want the Cadets here for it?"

Taun We smiled at him. "I have a different opinion of the Clones than most Kaminoans. If it's a question for their benefit, to give them hope, then they can hear it."

Anakin nodded. "Well, we were wondering if, along with researching a way to disable the chips, you can disable their rapid growth?"

"'Chips'?" Tumbler asked in confusion.

"Disable our rapid growth?" Riley asked in awe.

"Long story, kids," Rex replied simply.

Taun We frowned thoughtfully. "Hm… We can affect the growth when they're in the embryo pods ― hence why we continue to grow some of them until they are children, or even adults lately. However, I'm unsure if there is a method to disable it when they are already adults. I will instruct our Humanitarian Scientist, Xeno Kuhas, to investigate as soon as possible. And this will remain between us; no need to involve Minister Su or Doctor Se until absolutely necessary."

"Very well," Anakin replied. "On behalf of my men, thank you, Madame We."

"Your men are very welcome," she replied, smiling gently at the 501st Troopers.

Tumbler approached Shaak Ti and gently cleared his throat. "General Ti, Madame We said that you're leaving?"

He received a gentle smile in return. "Yes, but only for a few days. Not to worry, Zeta Squad; I'll be back in time for your graduation."

The cadets gave a little cheer. "We thought you were going to miss it," Riley admitted.

"Not a chance," Shaak Ti said with a rare grin.

"Puck, I'm fine," Obi-Wan insisted. "Just a little banged up."

"Those 'bangs' are exactly why I'm going to check on you," the medic said stubbornly. "You don't get hurt often, but as soon as you do, you become my subordinate. General or not. Now hold still."

Rolling his eyes goodnaturedly, Obi-Wan acquiesced and sat still.

Puck applied a bacta patch to where a bolt had grazed his upper arm and washed his minor cuts and bruises with a bacta-soaked rag. After a few minutes of work, Puck stood back and set the rag aside. "There; all done. That wasn't so bad, now, was it, sir?"

Obi-Wan chuckled. "No, I suppose it wasn't. Thank you, Puck."

"Anytime, General."

The Jedi rose and left the makeshift med-bay. He made his way to Tiplee and Tiplar. Their final push had been successful, thanks to Boil's squad. Trench had pulled back the bulk of his forces, and the CIS forces were preparing to withdraw from the system. The Mikkian sisters agreed that they could finish off the Separatists that were still there or handle the surrender negotiations, while Obi-Wan and the 212th returned to Coruscant.

Tiplar pointed out that "Kenobi and the 212th" sounded like an amazing band name, but Obi-Wan wasn't as amused by that.

Obi-Wan was relieved that he could begin his journey back and prepare himself for his conversation with Satine. It was ironic that he could fight a seemingly hopeless battle with bravery and determination, but the moment he had to have a heart-to-heart with Satine, he was rendered anxious and clammy. However, that was an issue for a later time.

For now, Cody and Boil were working on the departure preparations, while Obi-Wan was receiving a briefing from Anakin, Ahsoka, and Shaak. The three were on their way back to Coruscant, and they'd just informed him about the chips and the exchange with Lama Su.

Obi-Wan sighed, massaging his temples. "That's not good. Ahsoka, I hate to say this, but you shouldn't have made that deal."

"What alternative was there?" Anakin asked defensively.

"The Jedi could've footed the bill from Minister Su instead."

Ahsoka looked to Shaak Ti, who gave her a grimace and a nod. "By the time I could've interrupted you, you had already told him the Chancellor's identity. I'm afraid that the Council was displeased with the way you handled the exchange."

Ahsoka looked at her feet sadly. "I'm sorry, Masters. Once you mentioned an information exchange, I assumed that meant there weren't credits we could spare for the Kaminoans' research."

Shaak Ti put a hand on her shoulder. "It's alright, Ahsoka. We all make mistakes. Force knows I've made enough of them when I was a Padawan and when I became a Knight. I still make them sometimes to this day. For now, all we can do is move forward with damage control. Hopefully, we can convince the Minister to keep it to himself."

"Generals." Obi-Wan heard one of the clones speak from behind them. Rex, if he wasn't mistaken. "ARC Trooper Blitz contacted us from Kamino. He says he has an urgent message for the three… er, four of you, actually."

Obi-Wan frowned curiously as Anakin tapped away on the console, and then Blitz appeared as well. "Generals," he greeted. "I'm afraid I have bad news. Minister Lama Su has died. We suspect foul play, but he's been locked in his office since long before you left; reportedly, since before General Skywalker woke up."

While the other three stood in shock, Obi-Wan stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Do you have any suspects?"

"None that fit. Madame We was the last to see him before he went into his office, but we confirmed she wasn't in there. Additionally, preliminary evidence showed no signs of a struggle, but his neck was broken. Our next suspects were the Jedi, as Madame Se confirmed there'd been a disagreement, but all three were accounted for. When we investigated his office, we deduced that he had contacted someone; however, we were unable to find out who."

Obi-Wan shared a look with Anakin. "I suppose the log was either erased or deleted?"

"We aren't sure, sir. All we can say for sure is that it was tampered with. He could've contacted an encrypted channel with a scramble-wall. Thousands of communications get sent out to the Grand Army, so we can't track the satellites."

"Right. Could we talk to Madame We for a moment?"

"I'll request her presence. Stand by."

As the hologram disappeared, Obi-Wan pinched the bridge of his nose. "I can't be the only one thinking that we already know who killed him."

Shaak Ti nodded. "It is far too coincidental for him to die after finding out about Palpatine's identity."

Ahsoka groaned and put her face in her hands. "This is all my fault!"

Anakin put a hand on her shoulder. "You may be a Grey Jedi, but don't let your anger cloud your vision. It was Su's greed that got him killed, not you."

Obi-Wan nodded his agreement. "Minister Su dug his own grave. And I'm fairly sure Palpatine was the one who laid him in it."

The holo-table let out a beep, and a hologram of Taun We appeared. "Greetings, Masters Jedi. I was assured by ARC Trooper Blitz that he made you aware of the current situation."

Obi-Wan nodded. "I want to assure you that the Jedi will make this investigation a priority. We have a suspect, but I cannot disclose their identity to you."

Taun We frowned. "May I ask why?"

Obi-Wan sighed. "If I told you, you would be a target, just as the Minister was. The Jedi are not in a position to apprehend the suspect as of yet. What I can tell you is that it is part of why we need Protocol 66 neutralized."

Taun We sighed. "Masters Kenobi and Ti have never given me reason not to trust them. I will continue to trust your judgement, and I will give the reigns of the investigation over to you."

"Thank you, Ma'am. I assure you, we will notify you as soon as we can confirm or deny our suspicions."

As the hologram disappeared, Obi-Wan pinched the bridge of his nose. "This is going to be interesting…"

Anakin nodded. "We'll let you know when we're close to Coruscant. You'll probably get there before us, so we'll see you at the Temple."

"I can't believe the Minister is dead," said Reggie.

Riley had to agree. While he'd not been kind to her — or to any Clone — he was still the Minister.

Comic scoffed. "He's always been a greedy worm. If you ask me? Karma finally caught up to him and bit him in the jugular."

Again, Riley had to agree, although she wouldn't have put it so bluntly.

"Quit it with the dark humor," Tumbler ordered. "He was still our superior, whether he was a 'greedy worm' or not."

"I'm not joking, for once. He tried to have Riley killed because he thought she wouldn't be as effective. Now, she's probably the one of us who could make ARC Trooper by the time the war ends. He ordered 99 to be put on sanitation before he could even get a chance. He died a hero, and Su wouldn't have allowed him a hero's burial if not for Madame We. Blast it, he tried to stop Troopers from adopting names as cadets!"

Maverick grunted his agreement. "Guy was a piece of shit."

"Language," said Tumbler. "Look, I hated him, too, but we shouldn't speak ill of the dead." He smirked. "Even if he was a piece of shit."

"Language," Riley said automatically. "Does anyone know what happened?"

Reggie shrugged. "The rumor going around is that Count Dooku did it somehow. He's the only one with the motive and the ability."

Maverick nodded. "Couldn't have been Ventress. Heard she's a Jedi now. It'll be interesting to see if the Troopers accept her or not. She's got one of the highest kill counts in the war."

"Agreed," said Tumbler. "But I'm not sure what's gonna happen now. You think Madame We is gonna be Minister?"

"Maybe," Riley said with a shrug. "Hopefully."

Reggie sighed. "Not really worth worrying about now. Either way, we'll be shipping out soon enough. Gotta love being an expendable clone."

Riley sighed, too. Sometimes you could feel worthless as a Clone. Shipped out just to get cut down by droids. While their squad was one of the most skilled, the odds of getting through to the other side of this war safely were… slim. And the longer it dragged on, the lower the odds got.

Hopefully, the war would be over sooner than later, but… what would happen to the Clones once it was?

The Clones were gathered in the med-room, continuing to monitor Tup until they arrived on Coruscant. Luckily everything seemed normal, and Tup was doing well.

Anakin smiled at them as he leaned in the doorway. The brothers were in very high spirits after their visit home.

As he walked away, Anakin pulled out his holo-communicator. After several moments, Padmé appeared. "Hey," Anakin greeted.

"Calling back so soon?" Anakin had already briefed her on Tup's condition. While she was teasing, there was concern laced in her voice.

"No new updates on Tup, but I have a… a pretty big favor to ask of you."

"What's going on, Ani?"

"You have a meeting with your other Senator friends soon, right?" She nodded. "I wanted to ask you to introduce something for when this war is over."

"What kind of 'something'?"

"Something for the Clones. I asked Madame We to have one of the scientists work on a way to stop their accelerated aging. The looks on their faces… It gave them so much hope. If it's possible, I want to ask you if you can introduce legislation to help them when the war ends."

Padmé seemed to be catching on. "I think I understand. That could be difficult, but I might be able to convince other Senators to side with it."

"If you can, I know that I would appreciate it, and I'm sure the Troops and Cadets I met today would, too."

"It'll take a lot. The Clones are paid for with tax-credits, so Senators will think they hold ownership of them."

"They aren't supposed to be a slave army," Anakin said, his jaw tightening. "It's about time the Senate saw that that's what they are without insurance for when their duty ends."

"I agree, Ani," she replied gently. "Don't worry, I'm on your side."

Anakin sighed. "I know… I know."

Padmé gave him a gentle smile. "I love you, Ani. I'll see you soon."

There it is! I'll be working on the next chapter when I can, but it'll be a slow process.

As I said earlier, the next few chapters will be filler-types with fragments from various storylines that don't warrant full chapters but are still important enough to be addressed.

I'll see you guys later!