AUTHOR'S NOTE:
(Uh oh, I forgot to upload on FF again OTL)
Work continues for Act II, a couple chapters are already planned out/written, but have yet to go through the editing process (thanks again to my bro and cousin for screening every chapter before it goes live).
Hope you enjoy this chapter!
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"As amazing as this sounds, why should I believe you?"
"It is a simple request, my lady. If you do as I have asked, I will see to it that you are pardoned. Of course, you will also receive a quantifiable sum in your chosen currency in good faith."
"Not to shoot the kark in the mouth, but how do I know you'll follow through? I've been left high and dry too many times lately. I don't need another client backstabbing me."
"Accept the offer, or not, it matters little to me. If it is not you, then there will be others. Besides, I believe the target will interest you."
"...Interesting."
"Your answer?"
" Heh… well. This may be the shadiest job I've ever done… but I guess a girl's gotta eat."
【ＡＣＴ Ｉ： ＴΞＲＲＯＲ】
ＣＨＡＰＴＥＲ ６
Rex had been with the 501st for a very long time, having been the right-hand man to General Skywalker since the very beginning. Of the original Torrent Company, only he and Coric were really left; Jesse being his oldest friend. Out of all the clones, he was one of the oldest and most experienced of the bunch, with a fair share of battles over the years.
But never before had he ever seen the 501st experience such a series of failures before. This campaign was turning out almost as worst as Umbara and Rex considered that to be the worst time of his military career. He didn't quite understand what was so different this time than all the others, they didn't even have a traitorous general this time.
From his perspective, they were doing everything right. Skywalker was leading and everyone was briefed on their plans. Yet every single one of their plans seemed to go wrong. Whether it be malfunctioning (exploding) equipment, ambushes, traps, heavy enemy resistance - everything. It almost felt like the enemy knew their every move and were jabbing them where it really hurt.
The losses were weighing heavy on the troops, despite his and Skywalker's efforts to keep up morale. Rex could tell the whole thing was getting to his brothers, but there was little he could do to make things better. Even offering drinks, better meals, and extra free time didn't lift spirits as much as he and Skywalker hoped.
And of the bad moods, no one was affected worse by the losses than his young Commander, Ahsoka Tano.
With each passing day, the bags under her eyes got worse. While battle fatigue wasn't anything new to the Jedi Commander, it seemed like a whole lot worse this time around. It appeared like she had lost herself completely, staring listlessly into the distance, losing her trademark determination and attitude. Rex could only assume that it's the added stress on top of the nightmares and the whole Fives and Tup incident. Despite regressing into what essentially was a walking corpse, Ahsoka still tried to do her part as best she could. Somehow, knowing that made it that much harder for Rex to watch.
Hopefully, it was getting close to the end of their campaign. These series of missions were supposed to weaken the Separatist hold on this key location on the planet and they were closing in on the final big attack. While they experienced many losses, it wasn't all a failure. Skywalker was a tactical genius after all, despite their setbacks they were still able to make some decent ground. Enough that the final assault on the final stronghold was technically possible. Still, Rex wondered if he should propose the idea of pulling out, for everyone's sake.
It had been about a week since they deployed and about four days since their bad luck started. He, Ahsoka, and a couple of snipers were holed up in an abandoned apartment building for the night, waiting for Skywalker's signal to attack. They had picked this specific vantage point due to the wide view it gave them, in what looked like the balcony of this old apartment. Fortunately, it had been a rather quiet night so far and the clanker party they were supposed to ambush hasn't shown up yet. Now had settled into an uneasy silence, just waiting. Normally, clones always had chatter, even just inside their helmet comms, but it was all eerily quiet.
There was suddenly an audible clatter, not loud, but still startling. It sounded like something had hit the floor.
It was enough to make Rex and the other troopers jump and draw out their blasters. After a moment of waiting, Rex relaxed when he realised it just came out of the other room, where Ahsoka had taken position. She must have knocked something over. For some reason, Ahsoka had decided to 'keep watch' in the room next door, in the tiny living room. Rex hadn't thought much of it at first, but he soon realised that she was outright avoiding them.
"Keep your eyes peeled," he said in a soft voice to the other troopers who nodded.
And with that, Rex entered the other room, looking for his Commander. He found her huddled on a rickety old couch, missing half its cushions and badly burnt. Remnants of the family who used to live here lay strewn on the floor, giving this whole scene a dystopian vibe. Rex noticed that the old lamp on the table nearby had been knocked over, seemingly elbowed by Ahsoka.
"Are you alright, Commander?" Rex asked quietly.
Ahsoka didn't look like she heard him, or even noticed him for that matter. She had her gaze fixed in front of her, and the young Togruta was sitting extremely still. It was sort of hard to see in the dark, but Rex thought he saw her lips quivering.
"Commander?" he asked again. He took off his helmet, placing it on what was left of a caf table nearby. "...Ahsoka?" The captain carefully reached out to touch her knee, concerned.
At his touch, Ahsoka finally blinked, looking mildly shocked, but she didn't flinch or react in any way like Rex expected her to. Instead, she just slowly looked in his direction, her eyes taking a moment to register him.
"Hey, Rex," she greeted him, like nothing was wrong. However, there was a certain strain to her voice, like she was trying hard not to say something else.
Feeling like she needed some company, Rex settled down on the ground next to the couch, unhooking his DC-17's, and began his routine maintenance checks. "This campaign has gone to pot."
"You can say that again." It sounded like a joke, but Ahsoka's delivery was monotone.
"How are you holding up, kid?" he asked. The answer was pretty clear but sometimes things just need to be talked out.
She let out a shaky breath. "Not well," Ahsoka actually admitted. After a moment, she brought a hand up to rub her eyes.
Rex frowned as Ahsoka mimicked the action of crying without actually crying. It was times like these that the Jedi Padawan really looked her age. Well, not that Rex or the other troopers looked their age either. Ahsoka just looked young. It looked like she wanted nothing more than to curl up in a bed and weep, but she wouldn't do that. It wasn't really one for Rex to question the Jedi culture and all that, he hadn't thought he needed to until he met Ahsoka. It seemed a bit much to send youngsters to the front lines like this. It was different for clones, they were born and bred for that stuff, though Rex understood that even baby clones shouldn't witness certain things so early on.
"The boys are having it rough too." Maybe if he brought up the idea that she wasn't alone feeling like his, it might make her feel better. Mention of camaraderie worked for clones at least. "And to be honest, I haven't seen this kind of loss in a while." Umbara came to mind. Though nothing could ever really top that experience.
Ahsoka nodded slightly before gripping her arms, her knuckles tightening into a pale yellow. "It's my fault," she whispered again. "It's all my fault." The last part of her words sounded like a mix between a hiss and a sob.
Rex baulked at such a statement, dropping the blaster in his shock. "No one thinks that, Commander," he affirmed strongly.
She shook her head, cupping her mouth with her hands, blinking slowly. "You don't get it, Rex," she said, her voice wavering ever so slightly. "Don't you see?"
"See… what?" He narrowed his eyebrows at her.
"Every failure we had," Ahsoka's strangled voice confessed. "I was there."
Rex was about to protest, but he paused for a moment, realising that she was actually right. Now that she mentioned it… every mission that went caput were actually missions Ahsoka had been assigned on. Every other mission led by just clones or Skywalker didn't have as much flak. It was a pattern he hadn't really noticed until now and he doubted anyone did either (it was so subtle), but even so, that was all a coincidence right? He just couldn't see a reason why she would be responsible at all. She had always done her best, even when she was at her worst.
Before Rex could try to convince her that it was just a series of coincidences, she made a sound of mangled frustration.
With her head in her hands once more, she whispered her next words. "Someone is trying to kill me." Ahsoka had said this so quietly, her words might've been lost in the wind, had there been one.
"What are you talking about?" Rex felt his emotions spike in anxiety. He was bred and trained to be able to handle extreme stress and emotional situations, but the thought of Ahsoka dying didn't sit well with him.
"Because I know." The young Padawan visibly gulped. "And he knows I know. He must have…otherwise-" She suddenly stopped talking, breathing heavily, her eyes staring out in front of her blankly.
Rex held his breath. "... Who's 'he'?"
"...The Chancellor," she whispered, too scared to say it any louder. Rex was confused. What did that stuffy old guy up there have to do with anything?
"I didn't want to tell you. I was afraid what would happen if I told you. Or Kix, or Jesse, or Coric…" Ahsoka rambled a bit, blinking furiously as her eyes darted around. "I didn't want you to end up like Fives."
Was she still hung up on that? Well, to be fair, Rex still thought about it too. It was never easy to loose a good brother. "I've said this before, but we won't end up like Fives. Kix said-"
"Not that," Ahsoka hissed, interrupting him angrily. Her expression tightened. "I still don't want to tell you. But if I'm going to die…"
"You won't die," affirmed Rex, getting quite concerned at his commander's erratic behaviour. Not once in the years he's known her has Ahsoka ever acted like this. "They'd have to go through Skywalker, me, and the boys first."
"That's what I'm afraid of. I've had dreams about Anakin-... I can't let him die, Rex. Not you either..." Her voice was tight with grief. Rex grimaced, realising that he made things worse. "I might die. I almost did too many times this past week... But if I do, then Fives died for nothing," she lamented, sounding a lot more distraught. "I promised him."
"Promised?" Rex repeated, a little confused. Why would she have failed him? Did he and she have some secret conversation before they split ways on Ringo Vandis? What promise?
At this, Ahsoka's eyes seemed to widen. For a long while afterwards, she didn't say anything, just crossed her arms and leaned back on that dusty, old sofa. She was absorbed in her thoughts, so deeply that Rex actually thought she had fallen asleep. Maybe it would've been better if she did, Ahsoka looked so tired.
"Rex, I don't want this to die with me," Ahsoka finally said, her voice the clearest it's been this whole conversation. "Anakin knows, but I'm not sure he really understands. I don't think he'll actually look into it." She met his eyes, her blue eyes watery with emotion. "But I know you will. You might even understand better than I do."
"You can trust me, Ahsoka." Rex meant every word of that. "Whatever it is you're worried about. You can tell me."
"It's a good thing you're already sitting down for this." Some semblance of a smile crept into her lips. "It is… all very difficult to believe."
"It can't be any weirder than Jesse winning a game of Sabbac," he jokes. Ahsoka's smile grew a little bigger, at least for a moment.
After taking a deep breath, Ahsoka finally began telling her story. "The day you got back, I went to go meet Jesse, Kix, and Coric at the bar."
'I knew it!' He wanted to exclaim, but he kept his mouth shut and just nodded his head. Rex knew that Ahsoka liked to sneak out there sometimes. While he enjoyed her company, he couldn't help but feel antsy anytime she was there. Skywalker wouldn't be pleased that his teenager was there after all.
"But there was someone else there." Ahsoka let out what sounded like a choked laugh. "Fives was there." Rex froze, turning slowly to meet his commanding officer's eyes. "I was there when he died. I tried to help him escape."
An odd rush of feelings overcame him. On one side, he was a little angry that he was left out in the dark about this. Fives was his friend and his brother, one the oldest he's ever had. He had been devastated to find out that he had been accidentally killed when Fox apprehended him. The fact that Ahsoka knew what happened but didn't tell him was a little disappointing, though Rex didn't hold it against her (he never could with Ahsoka). At least, he was at least happy to know that Fives didn't die afraid and alone.
"He told me something," his commander continued. She licked her lips, her breathing growing a little ragged. "Fives said there was a conspiracy against the Jedi Order. One that ends with the death of all the Jedi." Ahsoka gritted her teeth as she said the next part. "But you're a part of it." She sounded terrified.
Rex blinked, utterly stunned by her accusation.
"You're all a part of it. All the clones are," Ahsoka clarified, though it didn't make any more sense to Rex. She brought up her gloved hand to point at her head. "Fives said there were chips in your head. One that would control you somehow. They were organic chips, I think." Ahsoka looked frustrated. "I don't… remember exactly anymore." She rapped her forehead with her knuckles. "But…it would make you do something, anything."
He honestly couldn't believe anything Ahsoka was saying at all. He and his brothers had chips in them that would control them? How was that possible? Rex wanted to ask for clarification, but all he could do was gape in shock. This was not what he expected when he sat down to have a conversation with her.
"And that's not all."
It isn't? The clone captain gawked.
"Fives said the Chancellor was involved. That he was behind this whole thing." Ahsoka scoffed. "I'm not so sure myself but now… I'm sure. I'm sure he's trying to kill me." She brought one weary hand to her face. "That is why our missions have been going so wrong."
"But I thought Fives tried to kill the Chancellor?" Rex finally found his voice.
"He said he was framed," Ahsoka answered. "Though even I'm not sure what really happened… but the same thing must be happening to me." She brought up her knees to her chest, hugging them a little. "The Republic and the Council believe a Jedi orchestrated the assassination attempt. That's what Admiral Tarkin said at least."
He frowned. Rex had heard rumours that the upper Republic management was looking into the whole Fives incident with the Chancellor, though he knew very little himself. The Captain had heard that there might've been someone with Fives, but he wasn't assigned to search nor had he any inkling that it was suspected to be a Jedi, It was even more surprising to realise that it had been Ahsoka. No wonder she had kept silent about it the whole time.
Still, even though the pieces fit, Rex was still having much trouble trying to comprehend this.
"You don't believe me, do you?" Ahsoka actually smirked at him.
Rex was a little stunned when it sounded like she read his mind, but the confusion and disbelief must've shown on his face. "...Sorry, Commander. I-I trust you, but," Rex shook his head, breathing deeply out. "It's a lot to take in."
He wanted to believe in her, but he just didn't really understand it at all. Even with his desire to know what really happened to Fives, this was wild. Ahsoka's explanation was...odd. It isn't like he didn't trust her, but...maybe he just needed this time to think it through. The only thing this whole thing explained was Ahsoka's irregular behaviour lately, why she was acting so uncharacteristically depressive and frightened. This must be why she had him do that brain scan that one time too.
"It's okay, Rex." There was an apathetic tone to her voice, like she had resigned to her fate. "It's okay if you don't believe me. I don't have any proof anyway." Rex gave her a sad look, feeling guilty that he couldn't. "If I die, I'll die at peace knowing that at least this all didn't die with Fives or me."
He wasn't really sure how to respond to a statement like that. It was devastating to know that Ahsoka thought like that. "...Can I do anything to help?" The captain asked hopefully, though he wasn't sure what he could do, but Ahsoka was his friend. He had to do something, right?
Ahsoka just gave him a sad smile. "You can't."
"Well, our last mission was… a success." Minus the fact that they almost lost all their tanks, got ambushed twice, and got half their troops drenched in old sewage water. Anakin didn't think that part was too important… probably.
Over the holo, Obi-wan had an exasperated look on his face as he shook his head. "I dread asking you for the details, but I will have to read it later in your report." He shook his head in disbelief. "Will you have enough resources for the last part of the mission?"
"Just barely," the Jedi Knight admitted. It didn't help that they didn't have many tanks anymore. "But, don't worry, old man, I have a plan." Crossing his fingers that it would actually work of course.
"I'm sure you do." Obi-wan just raised his eyebrows in disbelief. A moment later, his expression grew a little more serious. "How is Ahsoka?"
At the mention of his apprentice's name Anakin grew grim. "Not better than she was before," he reported, his eyes wandering to the floor. "Same old nightmares."
"About the shadow? " The older Jedi crossed his arms, his jaw tight. "The one that's apparently trying to kill her?"
"Yeah, that one." Anakin nodded slowly, sighing. "She's convinced she's responsible for all our failures because of it." Even as he said Anakin shook his head vigorously with a chuckle, ridiculous that she even thought that. "I keep telling her that it's not her fault, but…"
"Has she tried the meditation exercises I recommended?"
Anakin threw up his hands in exasperation. "Many times, old man. None of your herbal tea sit-downs are going to work this time. And before you ask, yes, I was doing it with her the whole time like you said." He released a long deep sigh, shaking his head. "Ahsoka says the shadow 'won't let her'."
His former master brought a hand to his beard, nodding his head slightly in understanding. "Visions… can be quite intense sometimes. They can drive even the strongest of us to do strange and horrible things." Anakin inwardly flinched. His master hadn't found out about Ahsoka's brush with the dark side has he? Though Obi-wan just continued. "There are many at the temple who are experiencing the same. The Mind Healers have been booked for weeks in advance."
"Really?" Anakin was surprised. He knew the Force had gone dark and all, that there may be a few who would sense it, but the fact that every Jedi was going through this? Still, it was comforting to know that he and Ahsoka weren't the only ones. Maybe Padme was in no danger after all, though the frequent calls home could confirm that.
"A great darkness has shadows us all," Obi-wan stated grimly, "and we aren't sure if it's Will of the Force or something much more sinister."
"Obviously sinister, master," scoffed Anakin. "I don't know much about the wills or the whim, but even I can tell you that the Force doesn't just 'blink' out like that."
"That is true," Obi-wan responded with a chuckle. He gave his former Padawan a serious look, speaking again after a long pause. "The Council and the Republic may be interested in retaking Christophsis, but no one would be upset if you decided to return early, Anakin."
"You mean a retreat?" Anakin huffed. "We're at the last stages, we can't back down now. If we leave now, all we have sacrificed would have been for nothing." He gripped his arms. They've had a huge death toll this campaign and he was determined not to let his troops perish for nothing. "We can't afford to hold back in war."
Obi-wan just nodded his head sadly. "You have a point." He sighed. "Just take care of things there and head straight back here, alright? " Anakin nodded. "And do take care of your Padawan. You might be able to work through the nightmares, but she might not."
"I'll keep that in mind," he replied. "See you soon, Obi-wan."
With one more nod, the image of his former master flickered away and Anakin was left alone in his quarters again. Anakin took in a deep breath and rubbed a hand on his face.
Maybe Obi-wan was right. Maybe this campaign was kaput and they should just retreat with what they could. Even Rex had brought it up to him when they got back from yesterday's mission. Leaving early was going to sting everyone on board, but maybe it's for the best that they live to fight another day. But if they pull off this plan, it would give the Republic the huge win it needed. And it wasn't only the Jedi or the Republic counting on him, the Chancellor had personally requested that they see this mission to the end. Considering the fact that he was looking into getting the whole case dismissed for Ahsoka's innocent involvement, Anakin felt some obligation too.
He checked his communicator again, wondering if he should contact his old friend again. They had talked a few times since Anakin had cleared the whole thing up with Ahsoka with him, mostly just friendly chats. This had been a hard mission to get through, even for him. Though Anakin had mostly checked in to see if the Chancellor had been able to rescind the whole 'Jedi Traitor' thing. Apparently Palpatine was putting in the effort, but a lot of it was out of his hands as a victim, but he had assured Anakin that he was trying. The good thing was at least Tarkin hadn't come forward to the public yet.
Anakin hadn't even brought it up with Ahsoka yet, though maybe he didn't need to. Maybe by the time they return back home, things will be hunky-dory and they won't have to worry about the whole Jedi traitor in their midst.
Speaking of which, he should go talk to her. Obi-wan was right, just because he was willing to go through the last leg of the mission doesn't mean she has to.
Exiting his private quarters, Anakin reached out through the dark depths that were now the Force to find his Padawan. However the action wasn't needed, she was right close by, in her own room. Anakin frowned slightly. Normally, during downtime, she'd be hanging out with the troops but recently she sort of pulled herself away. Probably didn't help that she was going through the whole 'it's all my fault' mentality because of those dreams.
Before Anakin had a chance to knock on her door, it opened and Ahsoka was staring right at him, the blankest look on her face he had ever seen. "Master," she greeted, almost robotically.
"Hey, Snips, mind if I come in?" He gestured inside. She wordlessly nodded and stepped aside to let him through. Taking a seat on her bed he patted the spot next to her so she could sit down. She did. "How are we feeling today?"
"I'm alive," she stated factually. Weird answer, but okay. Anakin could work with that.
"I can see that." He chuckled a little. "I'd be worried if you weren't." Really worried. An ancient memory surfaced. Her dark, veiny corpse with those blank eyes. Anakin never wanted that to happen again. Ever.
Ahsoka just gave him a simple nod, not even reacting to his attempts to lighten the mood.
"Uhm… we're going back on the field soon," Anakin continued. "We're departing on the last mission later tonight."
"Right."
He cleared his throat. "Ahsoka, you… haven't been well lately. And I was thinking it might be better for you to stay back this time."
Ahsoka finally reacted, turning to him in both terror and disbelief. "But, master, if I don't come, we'll be severely outnumbered. Even if I-" She swallowed. "Even if I bring things down… I have to try." There was her incredible can-do attitude of hers.
"There's no shame in sitting out," he assured her. "No one is going to think of you any less for doing it. Even Rex had to sit out when he got injured."
She shook her head, her sharp blue eyes boring into his. "No. Master, I can't let you die. " Anakin raised his eyebrows and the mention of his mortality. Ahsoka has been really antsy about that lately. Sure, Ahsoka had expressed concern over his safety before, but she had never been this distressed over it.
"You know me, Snips. I don't die so easily. I'm the great Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One!" He said with a smile. Anakin didn't usually like pulling the 'Chosen One' card, it felt tacky and frankly, Anakin never really understood it himself, even after Mortis. Despite this, Ahsoka looked just as deadpan serious.
"I-I can't." She chewed the inside of her lip. "I don't know what I'd do if you-" The young Padawan gulped.
"... Is it the shadow again?" Anakin asked.
Ahsoka hesitated, then nodded.
"You know they're just dreams right?" Anakin touched her shoulder, hoping his touch would bring her comfort. "All the Jedi have been having them lately. They're not real."
"Mine are," she hissed. "I know they are." The utter disparity in her voice made Anakin sad.
This was what Obi-wan was warning him about, she was acting irrationally. "Ahsoka…" He said her name softly.
"I won't let you die, master," the young Togruta reaffirmed, crossing her arms, looking a lot more determined than she was just a minute ago. There was a hidden threat in her voice.
'If you don't let me come, I'll go anyway.' It seemed to say.
Anakin recognized that look in her eye. Ahsoka was going to stand her ground on this. This meant that they could literally argue about this for literal hours and not get to a conclusion. He could put his foot down, but Ahsoka had adopted his penchant for playing loose with orders and may just show up anyway. She's done that before, multiple times with varying results. Anakin was uneasy about bringing her along, not when her mental health seemed to be spiralling so fast. As much as Anakin hated to admit, he did need her help. If she was going to stowaway anyway, the least he could do is prep her properly.
"Tiebreaker: you can cover my escape while I do the main mission." Anakin suggested. A less dangerous role for her, but one equally as important for the mission's success - well at least, his survival.
Ahsoka contemplated this for a moment, then gave him a worried look. "Anakin… you won't die, right?"
"Of course not," Anakin told her confidently. He was sure about this part at least.
"Alright," Ahsoka finally agreed. The young teenager hugged her arms as she shuddered, her eyes drawn to something in front of her. She slowly turned to her master. "I have a bad feeling about this."
Anakin sympathised. "We all do, Snips." And he just wasn't talking about the mission.
It was an easy final mission, at least her part was. Guard the main entry and exit while Skyguy ran in to do all the 'fun stuff'. Ahsoka wanted to go with him, but she knew better than to put herself on more strain than she can handle. The Padawan was already at her limit, and has been for quite some time. Any more than this, Ahsoka feared she might break from the pressure.
Ahsoka was practically dead on her feet, there was no way she wouldn't be. It had been a hard campaign for everybody. But unlike everybody, she had what felt like a vicious claw grip on her consciousness. It was a feeling hard to describe. The best way to explain how it felt was like someone was scraping untrimmed rusty nails on the sides of her skull. It was an unpleasant experience, one Ahsoka did her best to fight and ignore.
She was certain now, that whatever dark power was orchestrating this entire plot had found her. It, or he, knew her name. Before, Ahsoka hadn't been certain about Fives' conspiracy. She didn't have any proof and honestly, she still didn't. But seeing how hard this man in the shadow was trying to kill her, there really was no other way to spin it. But she wasn't going to let it stop her from fighting, especially when Anakin's life was at stake. For some reason, the shadow seemed just as interested in her master as he did with her. Ahsoka wondered if it was because she told him about Fives' conspiracy, but it seemed different than that. She just couldn't put her finger on it.
Each second that ticked by, Ahsoka could feel her sanity drain away. In an attempt to protect herself, she had put up a thick mental shield, but she could hear the tapping on the outside. Despite her best efforts, whoever was trying to get into her mind would eventually get in. Even if they had to scrap away piece by piece.
The young Jedi Commander sighed and took a deep breath, pushing it all aside for now.
This was the last mission.
She can do this.
After this, she'd be back at the temple with Anakin, Obi-wan, Plo Koon, and the other Jedi. Then they could help her sort this out. She'd talk things out with Anakin and Obi-wan about Fives. She'll be fine. Everything will be okay. It had to be.
She looked around from where she was perched, on part of a column in the middle of the foyer, watching the clones systematically sweep the area in scheduled patrols. Due to the size of this place, it would be a considerably long siege. She didn't exactly like being the rear guard, but knew that this was just as important. Anakin was counting on her to be able to make an exit.
Suddenly, Jesse came up to her. "Commander, Squad C has not checked in yet." Ahsoka furrowed her brows at this. "They're late."
"Comm?" she asked the ARC trooper. That bad feeling. That scraping.
"No answer." He looked up at her, trying his best to hide his concern. "What should we do?"
"I'll go check it out," Ahsoka told him, taking charge as was expected of her. "I'll take Squad A with me. You're in charge until I get back. If I don't check in or return in fifteen, alert General Skywalker immediately." She gulped, feeling a little nervous suddenly, but steeled herself nonetheless.
Jesse shot her a worried look, but gave her a nod of acknowledgement nonetheless. With that out of the way, Ahsoka went to collect the clones in Squad A, trying to ignore the chilling dread that seemed to be clawing its way up her spine. Scraping, that scraping. Ahsoka tried to assure herself that the missing squad was fine. The 501st had sort of inherited her master's penchant for being fashionably late at times. Maybe they found some droids and were in a small firefight. She'd show up and reinforce them.
But, Ahsoka knew better than that. While her senses were muted and muffled, she could still sense that something was very wrong. Something…was here, coming for her or Anakin, but more likely her than him. Ahsoka could still tell her master was fine, at least for the moment. The young Jedi Commander did her best to bite back her rising fear, but it was difficult.
As she and the squad made their way, Ahsoka ended up reaching out through their master-apprentice bond, rattling it a bit to let him know something was wrong. There was a moment of suspenseful quiet, but a feeling of acknowledgement reverberated back. She sighed in relief. At least he knew something was afoot. Ahsoka felt a little better now that she's wanted him.
For a while, she and the clones traced Squad C's patrol path and nothing seemed off so far. The area was secure and there wasn't a droid in sight, live ones at least, there were still some broken remains here and there. Eventually though, they came apart to a room that they were supposed to pass in their patrol. There was a strange tinge in the air, something Ahsoka couldn't quite place.
Curiously, Ahsoka approached the door and it opened up, sensing her approach. Looking aside, Ahsoka could see that it was some small audience chamber of some kind? Or maybe something like a storage room, with no actual storage.
The place seemed empty, at least as far as Ahsoka could tell, but there was something...there. The Jedi Commander signaled to her men to be on alert as they stalked through the rather dreary room. Ahsoka taking point, she was the first one to see what looked like the scattered remains of Squad C. She rushed over, quickly kneeling over the closest clone and putting a hand on his shoulder to check if he was still alive. He wasn't.
"What the hell happened here?" Ahsoka turned to see some of her troopers leaning over their fallen brothers. He turned to meet her eyes and it was clear he was hoping she had an answer. She just sadly shook her head.
"They're all dead," another commented sadly.
Ahsoka knew how they felt. No matter how many dead bodies she'd come across in her young life, it never felt normal to see them. She didn't know if clones had an afterlife like the Jedi do, heck, she didn't even know if non-Force sensitives had afterlives. But she hoped they did. Clones always deserved better.
Swallowing back her grief, Ahsoka turned over the body, trying for any clues that could explain their deaths. That's when she saw it. The familiar and notable gashes on the body. Ones so distinct that really only one weapon could ever make them properly, one that Ahsoka could recognize anywhere.
Lightsabers.
The young Padawan felt her heart drop, realising what this truly meant. She jumped up, whirling around to alert her men about what she's found. But the distinctive swoosh of a lightsaber told her she was already too late.
"Ambush!" one of them managed to cry out before their head was lobbed off.
"Argh!"
The clones bravely tried to hold their assailant off, but they had been ambushed. They stood no chance. Ahsoka only had the time to watch as her entire squad was effortlessly cut down. Even Bolt, the quickest shot of them all, only had time to fire off a single round before a distinctive red lightsaber went through his chest.
Ahsoka let out a feral snarl, pulling out her lightsabers to face off the person responsible for all this, but as she turned to meet their gold-colored eyes, she flinched.
There was a disturbance in the Force, one that she hadn't quite noticed before because of the constant noise in her head.
A distinctive elderly man stood before her, someone she had never met in person, but recognized instantly. The hum of his red lightsaber glowed menacingly as he stepped over the bodies of her dead clones. Despite her rising fear, Ahsoka forced herself to match the gaze of the man who stood before her. He had a morose quality to his stare, one that seemed to pierce right through her. Ahsoka never felt so exposed.
"So, you are the one my master wishes to eliminate." The man looked more amused than shocked however. "I would have never pegged it to someone so young. No wonder the Council had yet to learn of our plans."
Ahsoka couldn't find the words to reply. She wasn't sure she even wanted to reply. The least she could do is keep up her combative stance and point her blades at him. The man didn't so much as blink at her attempts to stand her ground.
"But, where are my manners?" the older man continued. "The most recent addition to my lineage… Skywalker's apprentice." He gave her a smile, but he wasn't really smiling. "It is a pleasure to finally meet your acquaintance, Ahsoka Tano."
Ahsoka could only breathe out. "Dooku."
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Ohohoho, Dooku finally arrives! I meant it to be a bit of a surprise, but I sort of hinted that he was going to show up eventually in Chapter 2 (the prologue was a convo between Sidious and him).
I hope that it isn't too jarring that I'm kinda jumping between different times and perspectives between sections. I wanted to give a feeling that things are getting frantic and there's a lot of different thoughts going around. Also, the first Rex POV! We're actually going to be seeing a LOT more of him in Act II (he's arguably the MC of Act II in some ways). Anakin's POV's are also going more frequent, but Ahsoka's is lessening : )
Anakin's section here actually didn't use to exist. It originally was Rex's section, then a long Ahsoka section, but I decided to shorten Ahsoka's perspective and bring in Ani's. We've been following Ahsoka's thought process since Chapter 1, so we already have a good idea of what she's generally feeling, so it's time for some new viewpoints. I added the talk between Ahsoka and Anakin because even though they don't have time to talk the whole Fives things out, there is no inconceivable way that Anakin would just let Ahsoka silently suffer without trying to talk to her. Obi-wan shows up in the form of a holo, just to give insight what's happening back home.
Also, Ahsoka's mental anguish does intentionally mirror Anakin's distress over losing Padme in the RotS movie, just a fun fact :D
By the way, some of you might be wondering why Rex doesn't quite believe what Ahsoka told him, even though he knows she wasn't lying. My reasoning for this is that he didn't even believe Fives when he told him in the canon. Ahsoka doesn't have the added bonus of being a clone, so to Rex it came off more as his young CO just spouting this crazy conspiracy theory. He trusts her and wants to help, but at the same time is just confused. We'll see what he does with this info later though.
Only one more chapter until Act I ends...
Thanks for reading, until next time :D
(You folks on FF may get the next chapter REALLY soon because me upload bad)