Chapter 19
"Excuse me, master Jedi. Commander Tano, your presence is requested by prisoner Letta Turmond," The voice of Tarkin orders.
"Why is she asking for Ahsoka?" Anakin questions.
"Not exactly sure, but Commander Tano is the only person the prisoner will speak to."
"I'll report back," Ahsoka says.
"Leave your commlink and lightsabers here. Follow me," Commander Fox orders.
Their footsteps echoing in the chilling halls as they approach Letta's cell, Ahsoka asks, "Commander, can we move the prisoner to another cell?"
"Yes, Commander Tano."
The door hisses open, two clones stepping inside, "Let's move it," they order.
In a new cell, "Give us a minute, please," Ahsoka states.
"We don't have much time. I suggest you get whatever it is off your chest," Ahsoka orders.
"The idea of feeding Jackar the nanodroids was not mine. My life is in danger, the person behind this will be able to get to me unless you know the truth."
"What's the truth?" Ahsoka asks, trying her best to sound ignorant.
"A Jedi. A Jedi showed me how to create the bomb. And how to put the nanodroids in."
"Who?" Ahsoka questions.
"If you protect me, I will tell you. It is obvious to me that I have been setup."
Growing impatient, "Letta, you have to tell me who is behind this!"
"It— It's—" Letta starts, only for her hands to fly to her throat, grasping at nothing.
No, this shouldn't be happening, Ahsoka thinks. It is happening, but how?
"Letta! Letta! No!"
Letta falls to the floor, motionless. The door hisses open, clones running in.
"I— I don't know what happened," Ahsoka says, new meaning to the repeated events.
"Can't say I blame you Commander Tano, but all the same, you're under arrest," Fox orders.
The door hisses open, Tarkin towering over the dark steps. He holds out a hologram, the holographic recording of Ahsoka killing Letta.
"I did not kill that woman!"
"You were the only one there. I know that you were upset when this woman was taken into custody by the military."
"That means nothing!" Ahsoka says.
"I beg to differ," Admiral Tarkin states.
"It was… Someone else."
"That is very difficult for me to believe. This is a secure facility. We do not have just anyone running about. And if there was someone else, why did you not sense them?" Tarkin questions, grabbing Ahsoka's chin.
"Ahsoka! What are you doing?" Anakin asks, his voice softening.
"You didn't even try to come and help me!"
"They wouldn't let me in to talk to you!"
"You could have if you tried!"
"How would that have looked Ahsoka? Forcing my way in would've made you look even more guilty!"
"I am not guilty!"
"Then we have to prove you're innocent. The only way we can do that is by going back!"
"Check Artoo for a data disk. You're going to have trust me on this one, master," Ahsoka replies.
"What? Ahsoka, what are you talking about?"
"You have to trust me," Ahsoka says, leaping out of the drainage pipe.
In the blink of an eye, Ahsoka is kicked to the ground, two glowing red lightsabers at her throat.
"Well, well. I didn't believe it when I first heard it, but I guess it's true," a masked voice speaks.
"Hello, Ventress." Ahsoka says, not missing a beat.
The mask hisses open, a confused Ventress revealed, "How—"
"Let's call it intuition," Ahsoka replies.
Ventress extinguishes her sabers, clipping them back to her hips.
"Lucky for you, you seem to have friends in low places. Come." Ventress says.
"Why should I trust you?" Ahsoka asks.
Ventress smirks, handing Ahsoka her old padawan beads.
"How did you—"
"Again, you have friends in low places," Ventress repeats, walking away.
Chasing after her, "But I gave those to—"
Ahsoka's breath hitches as she turns the corner, "James."
"Hey Ahsoka," James says.
Ahsoka runs to James, jumping into his embrace, kissing him.
Finally breaking the kiss, James sets her down, "Ahsoka, what's going on?"
"I don't know. I still haven't really figured it out myself," Ahsoka replies.
"So, it's true then?" Ventress buts in.
"What?" Ahsoka asks.
"That the padawan found a lover."
Ahsoka blushes and stutters, James doing the same.
Getting a hold of themselves, Ahsoka asks, "How did you two find each other?"
"Lover boy was saying that he knew Ahsoka Tano. I inquired as to how and he said that you were to be married. So, I had to see it for myself."
Ahsoka and James join hands, smiling, "Well, here we are," James says.
"I'm going to secure some dinner," Ventress says, Ahsoka flipping some credits to her.
Ventress gone, Ahsoka turns to James, "We have a lot to catch up on."
"Yes, we do," James replies.
"Okay, well, welcome to my galaxy. You know me, you somehow managed to find Asajj Ventress, Separatist war criminal and Sith assassin," Ahsoka says.
"Wait, she's a bad guy? I mean, I figured she wasn't the best type to hang around with but…" James asks.
"Yeah, she was trained by the enemy leader in our war. We're actually still in our war, so I'm working on figuring that one out. That whole thing where I was betrayed and almost sentenced to death? That's happening now."
"Wait what? What do you mean?"
"I think—I think it means we traveled through time, somehow," Ahsoka replies.
James runs his fingers through his hair, sitting down, Ahsoka doing the same.
"Wait…" Ahsoka leaps to her feet.
Tens of clones storm into the area, Commander Wolffe leading them.
"Commander Tano, we're taking you in!" Wolffe orders, firing on both of them, their unconscious bodies dropping to the ground.
The steel door hisses open, a pair of heavy boots stepping in, a lighter pair following.
"Anakin! Did you find the disk?" Ahsoka asks.
"I found the disk, but there was nothing on it. Padme has agreed to represent you," Anakin explains.
"What?" Ahsoka asks.
"I'm sorry, Ahsoka. They expelled you without so much as a second's thought."
James.
"Where's James? Is he okay?" Ahsoka asks.
"The man that was found with you? He's in the next cell over," Anakin states.
Ahsoka breathes a sigh of relief, her shoulders relaxing.
"Who is he, Ahsoka?" Anakin questions.
Ahsoka gulps, her shoulders rising, her body tensing, "He's uh… He's…"
"Ahsoka. Answer the question," Anakin orders.
"He's to me what you are to Padme. An old friend," Ahsoka finally gets out, a large breath of air following.
Counter that one, Ahsoka thinks as Anakin inhales.
Padme smiles, putting her hand on Anakin's shoulder, calming him down.
"Ahsoka—"
"Anakin. We don't have much time. Find Macy, she has a backup disk. It's the proof we need. I can't tell you how I know, but I do. Barriss Offee did it, she showed Letta how to do it all. The proof is on that disk, I did an analysis at the temple after I hugged her, before we left for Cato Neimoidia. She's clouded by darkness, find her and sense it for yourself," Ahsoka explains, Anakin and Padme wide-eyed.
"But—" Anakin starts.
"Just do it. We don't have time to talk," Ahsoka cuts him off.
Anakin sighs, turning and leaving.
"In the meantime, let's work on your defense," Padme says.
"Macy!" Anakin calls out.
"Yes, Master Skywalker?"
"I need your help. Ahsoka needs your help. I need that disk," Anakin states.
Macy nods, "Right this way, Master Skywalker."
Macy leads him to a potted plant, retrieving the disk from under a leaf, handing it to him. He slides it into a pocket on his belt, bumping his lightsaber, a shiver running down Macy's spine.
"Macy? Everything alright?" Anakin asks.
Images flash before Macy's eyes, screams echoing in her mind, streaks of blue flying across her vision. She falls to her knees, clutching her head.
"Macy!"
Gently grasping Macy's shoulders, she snaps out of it, as if it never even happened.
"Macy, what was that?" Anakin asks.
"It— It was nothing," Macy lies.
"No, it wasn't. I've seen it in the clones before. But you're just a youngling, you don't have the scars they do."
"I was scarred just those clones were! But nobody even knows it!" Macy snaps.
"Macy, what happened?" Anakin asks.
"I— I can't tell you," Macy replies, shoulders slumping.
Footsteps approach, "Is everything alright, masters?" Barriss asks.
"Yes, Barriss, thank you." Anakin replies.
"On second thought, Barriss, wait for me in your quarters," Anakin orders.
"Yes, Master Skywalker," Barriss says, bowing.
"It's okay, Macy. You can tell me," Anakin says.
"Ahsoka made me promise not to tell anyone," Macy mumbles.
"What?"
"Please, Master Skywalker, I can't tell you without breaking my honor to Ahsoka."
Anakin nods, "Okay, if you're sure you're okay, you can go."
Macy bows, walking away.
Anakin rings the doorbell, arms crossed behind his back.
"Enter."
Anakin carefully steps into her room, "Barriss, I need to talk to you."
"How can I help you?"
"I've been told some things, I just wanted to confirm them for myself," Anakin states, uncrossing his arms from behind his back, bending his knees.
"What things?" Barriss asks, her eyes darting around the room.
"That you're responsible for the bombing," Anakin replies, sensing the flicker of darkness flare up in Barriss.
Anakin summons his saber to his hands, swinging down on Barriss.
Barriss ignites her saber, a blood-red blade emitting from the hilt.
"Funny, I don't recall Jedi using red lightsabers," Anakin states.
"It suits me better, don't you think?" She responds, going into a flurry of slashes, Anakin forcing her into the hallway.
Chasing her down, "Ahsoka trusted you and you betrayed her!"
"I've learned that trust is overrated. The only thing the Jedi Council believes in is violence!" Barriss yells.
Turning to run, the temple guards appear, "Cease hostilities!"
Cornered, she jumps to the window, cutting through.
"Barriss!" Anakin yells, jumping after her.
Anakin slams his blade down on her again and again, forcing her into the ground. She slides her blade around, pushing him away, leaping at him.
He catches her mid-jump and slams her against a tree with the Force, immobilizing her.
"Padme, I need you to do something for me," Ahsoka says.
"Of course, anything."
Ahsoka reaches into her belt pouch, pulling out her engagement ring, "I need you to hold onto this for me. They'll probably take everything I have before the trial, I just need to make sure this stays safe."
Ahsoka gently places it into Padme's hands, feeling a slight pain at being separated from it.
"Thank you." Ahsoka says.
"The members of the court have reached a decision."
"Ahsoka Tano, by an overwhelming count of—"
"Chancellor!"
"I hope you have a reason for bursting into our proceedings, Master Skywalker?"
"I am here with evidence and a confession from the person responsible for all of the crimes Ahsoka has been accused of," Anakin announces.
"Barriss Offee! Member of the Jedi Order, and traitor," Anakin announces.
"Tell them the truth," Anakin orders, stepping aside.
"I did it. Because I have come to realize what many people in the Republic have come to realize, that the Jedi are the ones responsible for this war, that we have so lost our way that we have become villains in this conflict, that we are the ones that should be put on trial, all of us!"
"And my attack on the temple was an attack on what the Jedi have become, an army fighting for the Dark Side, fallen from the light that we once held so dear. This Republic is failing! It's only a matter of time." Barriss says, Anakin finally placing his hand on her shoulder, pulling her back.
"Take her away," Palpatine says, waving his hand.
In the Council chambers, "Ahsoka, I am so sorry. About everything." Anakin states.
"You have our most humble apologies, Little 'Soka. The Council was wrong to accuse you." Plo Koon says.
"You have shown such great strength and resilience in your struggle to prove your innocence," Master Tin says.
"This is the true sign of a Jedi Knight," Master Mundi states.
Master Windu speaks up, "This was actually your great trial. Now we see that. We understand that the Force works in mysterious ways and because of this trial you have become a greater Jedi than you would have otherwise."
Ahsoka cuts him off, "Bullshit. You're just trying to cover your own ass, as always. You straight up ordered my execution and now I don't even get so much as a 'sorry' from you."
"Excuse me?" Windu finally coughs up.
"You heard me. I meant what I said," Ahsoka affirms, walking away.
About ten feet down the hall she raises both middle fingers, the Jedi not recognizing the gesture but fully understanding its meaning.
Getting his bearings, Anakin chases after her.
"Ahsoka, where are you going?" Anakin asks.
"Away from the Order. And to get some food."
"What? You can't just leave. The Order is your life!"
"I don't have to leave. They already expelled me; the hard part is done."
"But Ahsoka—"
Ahsoka stops and looks him in the eye, "The question is, are you leaving with me?"
Author's Note: Well, that took long enough. 2,200 words, more than double normal. Figured I'd make it longer since so much of it was straight copied dialogue from the show. As long and halfway slow as this chapter is, it's quite critical in setting things up, especially mechanics-wise.
Tarzan doesn't have a beard. That is all.
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