Chapter 8: When All Sith Hells Break Loose

I had settled down nicely in my, well, not-so-cosy but definitely spacious cave and life began to get normal again. Not the "jedi normal" but a new weird "Ahsoka normal". I was not happy, but I survived. I had water, food and a roof over my head - actually several when I let my thoughts sift through the entire Temple structure above me. Life could, after all, have been worse. I'd even managed to keep the tight shielding so well that it by now had become a habit and I didn't have to focus on it constantly.

And then all Sith hells broke loose in one terrible, horrible, devastating afternoon.

I was not aware of what was going to happen. Nobody was. We had all from time to time felt the looming shadow over us but I think we'd all got so used to it that we considered it a result of the ongoing war with the seppies.

I was completely oblivious when it began. In one moment I sat on my sleeping mat consuming my dinner (cold meat and some rather dry bread I had bought for a credit in the mid-level market) and in the next I lay there curled together like a little ball of pain and despair. Something happened somewhere. I could feel a…shift and something that had been bright and well known suddenly turned dark and gloomy like the threatening skies of a thunderstorm covering the bright blue sky.

"Skyguy…", I gasped, "what are you up to now?"

This horrible feeling of despair and anger and regret had something to do with my Master, no…my former Master. Of that I was certain, but I had no idea what could cause this flooding of dark feelings that seemed to come from the galaxy itself.

I bad barely managed to compose myself before the next wave came and that made me collapse again.

I had no idea of what was going on but the sudden pang of numerous Force sensitives passing into the Force was almost too much to handle. No, wait. It was too much. It felt like thousand souls were just wiped out as they never had existed. It was pain and horror and surprise and I understood nothing. Not even the largest separatist battleship would be able to take out so many at once.

I closed my eyes, covered my ears and screamed. It was all too terrible to take in.

And then the more physical assault began.

First it was only a faint distant rumbling but then it drew closer. And closer yet. From my shelter down in Coruscant's ground it was hard to hear what actually happened but I could have placed my second last credit that the Temple above me was under attack form some airborne forces. Did the seppies really dare to attack Coruscant? This was not the time or place for staying underground. I simply needed to see what was happening. Whatever it was it couldn't be good. I didn't need the noise from above to tell me that. The Force had already told me that whatever was going on, it was a disaster for the Jedi.

I emerged from my hiding and began to weave my way through the levels as fast as I've never done before. And finally I was there and could see the Temple from a distance, just in time to see the south spire fall under the heavy bombardment.

"Oh, Force. No!" My lips moved but not a single sound came out, which was just as good. In that moment it wouldn't have been too good to be associated with the Jedi, I supposed.

My first instinct was to run towards the Temple. There had to be someone inside and maybe they needed help. Most Jedi were out in the war zones in the outer rim, so mostly the council, or at least a couple of them, some old Masters and the initiates were left in the Temple. Or that was the way it had been when I left myself. Likely the situation hadn't improved a lot since then. I might have followed my instincts but then I saw it. It was a sight that I'd never expected to see. A batallion of clones were marching up the stairs towards the main entrance. I had no doubt that other clones were approaching from other directions as well.

"No," I whispered again.

And then, in a short glimpse, I saw the blue insignia of the 501st and my blood almost froze. It wasn't possible. It couldn't be. They were my friends, my brothers and they had fought alongside the Jedi for so long. They would never betray us. I mean…them. They wouldn't.

They did.

Carefully I moved forward. I needed to be sure. I needed to know.

And soon I came to wish I hadn't. It surely was men from the 501st entering the grand staircase and even from my distant position I could see a lone tall figure dressed in a black robe in front of them.

And for the third time in a very short period I whispered "No".

I knew that Master Anakin had been at odds with the council far too frequently and that he sometimes had his doubts about certain aspects of the Jedi teachings, but surely he wouldn't turn against those who had raised him? Would he? Would he turn against Master Obi-Wan?

Would he…turn?

A shiver went through my body by the thought of it and I knew without any doubt that he had. That was the horrible feeling I had noticed before … all the dying. My Master, my friend and mentor had turned to the dark side, and in his wake the loyal 501st would follow.

I turned and ran.