Hey folks, Grubkiller here.
This is part 3 of A Fallen Jedi.
Hope that you enjoy.
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Riyo Chuchi's office, Senate Building, Coruscant.
Ahsoka was still thinking about seeing Lux again, and the way she blew him off. One arm hung down and the other grasped it as she leaned against a wall off to the side of the office in deep thought.
'I didn't mean to. I'm just to confused right now.'
Ahsoka was in a private meeting with the Pantoran Delegation, in Riyo's office. They were discussing the referendum which had taken place about an hour ago.
Riyo had voted to gradually reintegrate the CIS planets as soon as possible, whilst maintaining a temporary peace-keeping operation.
Some in her delegation thought that she was being too soft. Too idealistic.
"Madam Senator. With all due respect, don't you think we should punish the CIS more? After all, they trespassed onto our soil early in the war (TCW Season 1, Trespassers) and heartlessly blockaded our world just over a year ago (TCW season 3 Sphere of Influence)," one of the delegates said to Riyo.
Riyo leaned forward in her chair, with her elbows on the desktop, propping up her head with her clasped hands.
"I am fully aware of the situation that was forced upon our cradle world due to this war, and I believe that your concerns are justified. However, I don't believe that we should punish an entire section of the galaxy because of their government's actions. And if we do punish them, how will they feel towards us a few years down the road? The people of the Confederacy deserve a second chance," Riyo said.
Ahsoka smiled. She could tell that Riyo wasn't driven by emotion the way other senators are. She is willing to make calculated decisions while representing her people in dark times.
Riyo and Ahsoka shared a look and nodded to one another in respect.
After the meeting was over, Ahsoka and Riyo walked outside and into the hallway, with several of the delegates in tow. It was time to vote on the Referendum.
"Do you think this Referendum will be voted on the way you hope?" Ahsoka asked.
Rio smiled, closed her eyes, and shook her head. "Well Ahsoka, I don't know. But that's the beauty of Democracy: You can never truly know how somebody's conscience will lead them to vote. Now let's go to repulsor-pod."
Suddenly, a massive boom shook the building, and rumbled throughout the hallway.
"What was that?" Ahsoka asked.
Suddenly, the lights went out, and were soon replaced by the red emergency lights. Ahsoka turned back to the Senator and her delegates. "Stay here," she said.
Riyo nodded, and the Pantoran guards formed a perimeter around the delegation, while Ahsoka moved to the door. As other senators stood around, looking confused, Ahsoka stepped out into the hallway. The light that shined through caused her to squint her eyes, and until they adjusted to the sudden change in light.
But when they came into focus again, she could see what was happening outside. On the docks below, about two hundred dark-cloaked figures were facing off against thirty senate commandoes. A hailstorm of red and blue blaster fire was exchanged between the two sides, until soon, the blue blaster fire died down.
Ahsoka watched in horror, as the remaining dark cloaked figures started to walk over the blue armored bodies, blasting the ones that kept moving.
She reached for her com-link. "This is Ahsoka Tano of the Pantoran security detail. Dozens of cloaked militants are attacking the Senate Building. They've taken the docks and are about to-"
That's when she froze. Some of the figures were lugging tubes off of their backs, and pointing them at the building. That's when other terrorists started to load them with...
That's when over a dozen rockets were launched at the building. Ahsoka rushed back through the doors looked at the Riyo and the other confused Senators.
"Everyone, take cover!" She called out, before she turned around and raised her hands, just as the door suddenly exploded inward.
As the screaming senators dove for cover, Ahsoka used the power of the force to push back the fire and debris, which threatened to cut down everyone in the room. She dropped down to one knee as she struggled to hold back the fiery death that nearly filled the room. But eventually, the explosion dissipated, and all that was left was the floating debris.
The senators watched in amazement, as they were all saved by the woman that many of them voted to put to death many weeks ago for treason.
Ahsoka eventually let the debris fall to the ground, and she dropped to her knees from exhaustion. Riyo and Ion rushed over to try and help her to her knees.
"Ahsoka!" Riyo exclaimed.
"Are you all right, Captain?" Ion asked his togrutan officer.
"I'm fine," Ahsoka said, waving them away as she stood up. She walked through the demolished door, and out onto the ledge, which was where this section of the hallway used to be.
She looked down at the docks, and saw Republic gunships flying overhead. They peppered the retreating terrorists and dropped off two companies of the Coruscant Guard. A firefight ensued, but with the terrorists outgunned, they soon gathered their remaining allies and retreated. But others surrendered.
By Ahsoka's count, over a hundred terrorists were dead, captured, or were too injured to get away.
That still left about 97 terrorists.
"Who were they?" Riyo asked.
Ahsoka shook her head. "Nobody good... that's for sure."
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Republic Holonet News.
TERROR STRIKES THE SENATE!
"Just moments before the voting on the scheduled Referendum, a highly co-ordinated terrorist attack was aimed directly at the Senate Building, killing dozens. Among the dead was Senator Ihu Niopua, along with 20 Senate Commandoes, 50 Federal workers, and 8 Clone Troopers. At least a dozen Senators were also injured, with three of them in critical condition."
After the attack, a terrorist network operating in the underworld, and pledging alliegience to the Separatist Alliance, claimed responsibility for the attack, before releasing this chilling video.
The video feed cut to a group of terrorists standing in front of a banner with their insignia, a separatist symbol with swords crossed behind it. The lead militant, masked like the rest of his comrades, stepped forward.
"To all those who believe in the rights of sentients, we, the members of the Crimson Confederacy, are here to liberate you. We are here to break the chains that have bound you for too long. Our attack on the Senate was an attack on corruption and imperialism that has taken over the Republic. There are 2000 senators in that building today. None of them care about you. Join us, and with Dooku's freedom fighters, we will establish a new era of freedom, justice, and peace that will last for a thousand life times. Hail to the Confederacy!"
The lead terrorist pumped his fist in the air. His followers did the same, repeating his last chant.
The news feed then cut to a still image of Chancellor Palpatine.
"The Chancellor has vowed to crush this insurgency, whatever the cost, and has called on the Senate to vote in favor of this latest Referendum, which would give himself, and the Military, absolute authority over all of Separatist space once the war is over".
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Later, as the cleanup efforts were underway around the Senate building grounds, Ahsoka started to think about her place in the world.
She believed that staying on Coruscant was a mistake.
A familiar thought entered her head.
"You will never see your future if you remain his student," Her vision, of her future self, had told her. "Leave this planet".
About thirty minutes later, she made her decision. She walked through the halls of the Senate, and made it to Riyo's office, where the Senator was having a discussion with her delegates about the referendum, which took place despite the terrorist attack.
"Gentlemen, I really do appreciate your concerns and I'm glad that you could run them by me. But what's done is done. I think we should call it a day," she said, getting up from her seat.
Her delegates bowed their heads and headed out the door.
Ahsoka decided to go speak to Riyo.
She had to break the news to her.
She walked up to Riyo, who was looking over a data pad.
"Senator?" Ahsoka asked. Riyo looked up from her data pad and looked at Ahsoka. "Can I talk to you about something?" Ahsoka asked. "It's kind of important".
Riyo smiled and shook her head back and forth.
"Ahsoka. We're friends. There's no reason to be so formal. You can share anything that you want. Now please, speak away," Riyo said, sitting at her desk and gesturing to the chair across from her.
Ahsoka sat down in a chair across from Riyo.
'Here goes nothing'.
"Riyo, before you gave me this job, I had nothing. No home, no purpose... not many friends. And you were able to give some of it back, in a way. And I can't thank you enough for that," Ahsoka said. The Pantoran Senator placed lips behind her clasped hands, as she listened to Ahsoka speak. "But I think that It's time that I left. Not just this job, but Coruscant to," Ahsoka said.
Riyo was very calm. She just stared at Ahsoka. She then spoke.
"Why do you feel that you need to leave?" the blue senator asked.
Ahsoka started to think about her betrayal several months ago, at the hands of Barriss, the Order, and the Republic that she fought for and dedicated her entire life too. Then she started to think of her crush, Lux, whom she was still struggling with her feelings over. Then about her former master, and how either of those two people would try to convince her to stay. And that was what she was afraid of: being convinced, or even guilted, into staying. Not to mention the obvious danger of Coruscant being the center of several terror campaigns, like the one today, and having a massive bullseye painted on it throughout the war.
She started to think of her vision on Mortis again.
"You will never see your future if you remain his student. Leave this planet!" Her vision of her older self had told her back then.
"I don't think that staying on Coruscant is the best idea. I'm... afraid that I might be convinced to do the wrong thing," Ahsoka told her friend, thinking of Anakin and Lux. "And, I'm not sure that Coruscant is very safe."
Riyo was silent for a few minutes. "Are you sure Ahsoka?" She asked.
"Yes. I need to find my own way, and find a new purpose in life. And I need to do it without people from my past".
Again, silence from Riyo.
She breathed in before speaking.
"I'll get my captain to take you wherever you need to go," Riyo said before Ahsoka got up.
She walked over to Riyo and gave her a hug.
"Thank you, Riyo. For everything," Ahsoka said, a small tear in her eye.
"Anytime, Ahsoka," Riyo said as she returned the hug.
Hours later, Ahsoka met up with Riyo's captain.
Ahsoka no longer wore her Jedi outfit, or her security uniform. She wore a dark gray, sleeveless, skintight top with yellow trims, a matching skirt, and brown pants. The outfit hugged her slender, yet curvaceous, body in all of the right places. Her top's zipper went from the top of her neck and all the way down below a brass belt buckle, which tightened her pants around her slender waist, and her curved hips.
Ahsoka never was afraid of showing off her body. And now she was wearing a suit that was showing off her curves in all of their womanly glory. She also had fingerless gloves and arm braces that were like her old ones, only silver. She wore dark gray boots that went up just below her knees, which were protected by angular knee guards.
Ahsoka's armlets were woven with Cortosis, and she was armed with a knife that had a fixed Cortosis blade, which was holstered on the outside of her boot.
Ahsoka also placed a dark blue colored headdress over her usual Akul-tooth headdress. The young togrutan traveller threw a travel bag over her shoulders, which was full of her worldly possessions and some credits.
"Hello Ma'am. Where will I be taking you on your voyage?" the captain said with a slight bow.
Ahsoka had actually been thinking about it since she last spoke to Riyo. She wanted to leave her old life behind. She then thought of the life that she had before the jedi, when she was three years old.
It was decided.
"Shili," Ahsoka said.
The captain nodded and went to the ship's cockpit to get the engines fired up.
The ship took off into the night sky.
Ahsoka looked out the window in order to look at the millions of lights that showed that the city was lively. It was getting smaller and smaller as the ship climbed into orbit.
The ship entered the blue tunnel of hyperspace to her cradle world.
'Goodbye Coruscant. It was nice while it lasted, but Shili awaits'.
But unbeknownst to Ahsoka, her old life was not going to give up on her that easily.
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Senator Bonteri's office, Senate Building, Coruscant.
Lux paced around in his office at the senate building.
All he could think about was the terrorist attack that took place today. One that also ended with Saw and one of his guards being sent to the hospital, and one more back to Onderon in a bodybag.
He decided to sit down and try to get his mind off things.
That's when his thoughts wondered to the beautiful and brave togrutan woman that had saved his life more times than he could count. The woman that he had secretly admired since the day they met.
Lux thought about her strong personality, her beautiful face, which was full of life, her can-do attitude, her need to help others, and her refusal to give up.
Ahsoka's beautiful body also came to mind. Everything from the hourglass shape of her intoxicating body, from her slender, well-trimmed waist, her curvaceous hips, and to her plump, gravity defying-'settle down Bonteri', he thought to himself, before he shook his head.
He shook his head, trying to focus.
He thought of the way she blew him off earlier, before voting on the Reconstruction Act. He also thought about how the senate voted for full Military occupation of CIS territory by the way, and forced re-integration, along with punishing reparations. But one disappointment at a time.
'Oh Ahsoka, what was it that I did wrong? What did I do that could have hurt you?'
Lux then thought of Steela, and how he noticed how the two of them acted concerning him back during the civil war.
He squinted his eyes shut and shook his head.
'Perhaps that's the answer. While I was going after Steela...I was ignoring Ahsoka, even though I had strong feelings for her too.'
He decided that he had to go find her. He exited his office and walked down the halls of the senate building, in order to get to Riyo's office.
Lux knocked on the door.
"Enter," the muffled voice of Riyo said from the other side.
He walked in and saw the pantoran senator doing some paper work.
She looked up to see Lux standing there.
"Senator Bonteri," Riyo calmly exclaimed before putting her work down to speak. "This is an unexpected pleasure. I'd thought you would've gone home after what happened today."
"I could say the same about you," Lux said.
Riyo smiled. "True. Now, what can I do for you?"
Lux took a deep breath before speaking.
"Senator Chuchi, I wanted to meet with Ahsoka. Do you know where I can find her?" he asked the blue senator.
Riyo stared at him for a few seconds, her eyes bulging out of their sockets, before answering his question.
"I'm-, I'm afraid she's no longer here with us. She told me that she had to leave. So I relieved her of her services, and let her on her way," Riyo explained to the now shocked Onderinian.
Lux felt his gut sink at the heart wrenching news. He sighed and rubbed his face into hands, slightly frustrated.
"Is something wrong Senator?" Riyo asked.
He looked back up to speak to her.
"Do you know where she's going?" Lux asked.
Riyo sighed.
"I'm sorry Lux, but I'm not sure if I should give away that information," she informed.
"What? Why not?" Lux asked, stunned.
"She was very clear that she wanted to leave her old life behind. And based on recent events, I can't say that I blame her," Riyo said.
"Senator please. I am begging you. Please tell me where Ahsoka went. I need to talk to her. It's urgent," Lux begged, as maturely as possible.
Riyo noticed small tears start to well up in his eyes.
"Give me your best reason why I should," Riyo calmly demanded, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Because I'm in love with her," Lux flat out said, choking on his words a little bit.
Riyo sat there in stunned silence. She sighed.
"I instructed my captain to take her to a destination of her choosing. I don't know where she wanted to go. But you might be able to find out in the hanger bay's flight recording logs," Riyo said.
"Thank you Riyo. Profusely, thank you. How can I ever repay you?" Lux asked.
"By not making me regret it," Riyo simply said.
Lux understood what she meant. He went out the door and headed for the docking bay, which normally housed the Pantoran shuttle.
When he got there, he walked over to the empty berth to access a terminal. He activated it and looked through the navigational records.
He scrolled down to the most recent entry.
'Shili. The Togrutan home world, and a Republic planet. Ahsoka is trying to reconnect with her people. Maybe even her family'.
Lux went back to his apartment and packed a couple of bags for the trip.
He then took his speeder to the space port in order to find a transport to Shili.
He found such a ship and ordered a ticket. Lux then boarded the transport which headed into orbit, before jumping in the direction of Shili.
I'm coming Ahsoka. Please don't be angry with me.
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Dooku sat in his private quarters aboard a Separatist Dreadnaught in the Serenno system. He was sitting in a meditation position, and he reached out with the force. He was trying to communicate with someone that was very important to his master's plan.
In the Grand Army HQ, Barriss was still meditating in her cell. She still hasn't touched the trays of food the guards were giving her.
She learned that the dark side gave her body all that it needed.
The food tastes horrible anyway.
The mirilian dark sider continued meditating when she heard a voice in her head.
"Barriss Offee," the voice said.
"Dooku! How are you in my head? what do you want?" Barris said in her head.
"That matters not. What does matter is that I can free you from that prison, should you choose to provide us with your services that is," Dooku said.
"Why should I help you?" Barriss asked.
"Because you want revenge against the Jedi. And I need your help tracking down a certain jedi that you know all to well, in order to fulfill that vengeance. She is vital to our cause," Dooku said.
Barriss was stunned. She knew exactly who he was talking about. The person she had framed for the temple bombing weeks ago. Someone that she secretly admired.
"Alright count. You have my attention. When do I get out of here?" Barriss asked.
"Dear child, you must learn patience. Help is coming. You'll know what it is when you see it," Dooku said, cutting off the telekinetic conversation.
Barriss continued her meditation. She started thinking of the jedi that Dooku was talking about.
Ahsoka is needed by Dooku. Oh this is going to be delicious.
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Admiral Trench's flagship, en route to Anexes.
On a providence class dreadnaught en route to the critical Republic planet of Anexes, Admiral Trench was sitting in his command chair. The cyborg arachnid watched as his ship travelled through the blue tunnel of hyperspace, and as his droids crew went to work. They were prepared to make an ambitious undertaking. One that would help them strike at the very heart of the Republic's ship building capabilities.
"Admiral," a saluting droid said to him. "...we are receiving a message from Count Dooku".
"Ahhhh, *tck tck tck*, put it through," Trench ordered.
"Roger Roger," the droid said as he walked away.
A few moments later, a hologram of Count Dooku materialized a few feet in front of Trench.
"Count Dooku. To what do I owe this honor?" Trench asked.
The ten foot tall holographic image stood stoically.
"Admiral. I have a mission which requires the use of stealth. I want you to spare a squadron of Commando droids for a special mission," Dooku said.
"Hmmm. *Tck Tck Tck*. And what, may I inquire, is the nature of this mission? *Tck Tck Tck*," Trench asked.
"One that is strictly need-to-know. But one that is also critical to the war effort. You will continue with your operation, but you will see to it that these commandoes make it to Coruscant undetected," Dooku said.
Trench looked at the hologram of Dooku with interest.
He then bowed his head.
"It will be done my lord. *Tck Tck Tck*," the robotic arthropod said.
Dooku's hologram disappeared.
Anaxes.
A fortress world located on the Perlemian Trade Route in the Axum system of the Core Worlds. Known as the "Defender of the Core", for millennia it was the site of the Republic Navy's primary fleet base and War College. It was considered the site of naval power, tradition and prestige by the Galactic Republic, even when it didn't have a standing military.
This planet also served as the primary staging area for the Republic Navy's reserve forces, as well as a resupply center for any ships passing through the region.
Whoever controlled Anaxes controlled the Core.
Which was why the planet has always been the target for any invader in every war that the Republic was ever involved in.
Now, the Republic fleet stood guard, ready to defend the planet against any potential threat. But this late into the war, with the Separatist attacks being driven back, and their home territories so heavily besieged, the Republic defenders didn't think they had anything to worry about.
But on the Republic Star-Destroyer, RSV Ardent, Captain Jan Dodonna was hearing things differently.
"Captain, we're picking up multiple bogeys near relay station SD-7!"
Dodonna walked over. He leaned over the young ensign's shoulder and saw that there were indeed multiple unknown contacts near that section of the Republic Area of Operation.
He pressed a button and spoke into it. "Relay Station SD-7, we are picking up signs in your sector of some 70 odd bogeys, please verify."
After a few seconds, an amused sounding naval crewmen answered back. "Very funny, Ardent command. That's a big negative. It might just be a glitch in the system."
The computer that the ensign was at started to blink. The dots that they just saw disappeared. Then more reappeared in a different area on the map. "Wait a minute, they just moved!"
"Running diagnostics to scan for malfunction." One clone said nearby.
"The skies are clear, Station. You got yourself some phantom dots. Over," said the crewman of station SD-7"
Captain Dodonna contacted another station that was in the new area the dots appeared. "Relay station ZX-6, we are reading signs in your sector of some 100 bogeys, can you confirm?"
"Negatory, Station. Scope is clear. I dunno what to tell ya. Solar interference? We've got heavy sunspot activity today." Said a crewman over the comm.
Captain Dodonna began to contact someone else. "Command, we may have a, uhhh, minor relay malfunction. Are you picking up anything?"
"THEY'RE EVERYWHERE!"
Everyone on the bridge became alarmed. The captain called back. "Command, repeat".
"We've got droid ships hovering above the construction hub, and vulture droids flying up our ass! How the hell did they get inside the perimeter!?" Then came a scream, followed by static.
The captain hit a button, and an alarm started buzzing. The call to general quarters was just sounded off. Clones and officers ran to their stations, ready to repel the attack. Jan Dodonna spoke into the comm system again, attempting to warn the Republic. "All Republic forces in system. Our early warning systems have been bypassed and are presumed unavailable. Enemy forces have slipped into the perimeter, and are attacking the shipyards. Stand-by to repel the invaders".
A few hours later, The battle for Anaxes was in full swing.
Separatist and Republic forces were battling over the surface of this vital planet. The admiral of the Republic fleet was dead, and the Separatists outnumbered the Republic, and were led by a superior tactician.
But despite those long odds, the Republic fought on.
Captain Dodonna's ships continued to heroically face off against numerous Separatist warships. Chunks of durasteel were blasted off of the hulls of ships on either side, before slamming down into the surface like meteorites. Blue and red laser fire crisscrossed like a beautiful, yet deadly, light-show.
But despite the best efforts of Dodonna's task force, the Separatists were rapidly gaining control of the skies above this critical Republic stronghold.
The Separatist fleet's first strike on the Republic's orbital defenses proved to be devastating. The CIS invasion force would later set up a foothold on the planet's moon, and on the ground. From there, Trench's forces would launch devastating strikes on the Republic bases and industrial centers within range of his bombers.
Anakin Skywalker's Elite 501st legion, Obi-Wan's 212th Attack Battalion, and Mace Windu's 91st Moble Reconnaissance Corps, along with a fresh Republic task force were soon called up to reinforce the planet, and hopefully drive back Trench's forces.
As Admiral Trench continued the operation, his subordinates carried out Dooku's will in the flagship's hanger bay.
Down below deck, a squadron of Commando droids were preparing to embark on their mission to Coruscant aboard a small stealth vessel.
Victory for the Confederacy depended on them.
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Well folks, that's part 3. Hope that you enjoyed. Part 4'll be around the corner soon.
Also, the admiral trench scene leads into another story that I've written in the past. It's called 'Brother all'. Go check it out.
Anyway, until next time as always, this is Grubkiller, over and out.