Chapter Three: Fulcrum

The young man, Galen Marek, had given more information than he knew of. To begin with, his true name, which seemed to unlock distant memories he himself had been unaware of. Next, the fate of Ahsoka's former master, or that which the Empire peddled out to those that asked. Finally, where he was headed next: the gravesite of Ahsoka Tano and Clone Commander Rex.

Ahsoka stood shakily from where she had been meditating in her quarters before thwarting Marek's attempt to subdue her through the Force. As she started walking towards the master quarters of this ship, she already knew the occupant would be against her plan, but it was the only move she had. Trying to get her thoughts together, Ahsoka found herself standing in Bail Organa's office/greeting room with the senator setting down his current datapad before asking, "Are you certain?"

"I am." She replied, "There's no other person who could've trained the master of this...assassin."

"And you're sure he's not an Inquisitor?" Bail asked.

"He has a much deeper connection to the Force than any Inquisitor I've encountered or heard of," Ahsoka answered, "And he seems too independent to have the same requirements as the Inquisitors."

"Are you prepared if this leads you down a road you may not like?" Bail asked after a pause.

"I am." Ahsoka replied after her own pause.

"Take the fighter." Bail offered, "Just make sure it can't be traced back to us."

Moments later, Ahsoka found herself back in Grievous's fighter and dropping out of the Tantive IV into the vastness of space. With a few strokes of the controls, a hyperspace route had been set that would keep her mostly out of Imperial space, and would have enough stops and adjustments to throw off anyone tracking her.

As the cockpit lit up with the swirl of hyperspace outside, Ahsoka's thoughts began to dwell on her destination. She hadn't even been to the moon, let alone that sector of the galaxy, since Order 66 had been issued. She wasn't even sure the lightsabers were still there, or if the wreckage had been found yet. It had been years, but the Empire was contending with an entire galaxy of wrinkles to smooth out before rolling out total control, they may not have even realized the cruiser - or the 332nd Clone Company - not long after the Order had been given.

An alert flashed and Ahsoka grabbed the controls as the ship came out of hyperspace. The moon looked untouched from above, and the scanners weren't picking up any ships even remotely near the moon. She figured she now had a 50/50 shot of being the first one here, or the assassin - or even the Empire - ambushing her on the surface.

Flying the ship in low, and purposely landing a distance away, Ahsoka grabbed the winter parka and the cloak she had found on "Empire Day," as it was now being called in the Core worlds. She made sure her new sabers were hidden in the sleeves of the cloak as she made her way to the cruiser's wreckage. The helmets of the 332nd Company were fully buried in snow, save one, but this was the place. She could feel that her lightsabers were still here; the one by the graves, and the other deep within the cruiser, in the remnants of the hyperdrive bay. Just as she was about to head into the cruiser, Ahsoka felt the dark presence behind her before she heard the footsteps.

"You led me to this place?" Marek asked.

"Not intentionally," Ahsoka answered calmly, "But the Force works in mysterious ways, especially these days."

"You are Ahsoka Tano," Marek began, "Former apprentice of Anakin Skywalker. You never made it to knighthood, and your last act for the Republic was a citizen-strategist at the Battle of Mandalore."

"You've done your homework." Ahsoka said while unclenching her fists after hearing her former master's name.

"The Empire's archives are extensively detailed for those assumed dead." Marek replied.

"Then why have you pursued me across the galaxy?" Ahsoka asked as she slowly turned to face the assassin.

"I must prove to my master that I am worthy to be his apprentice." Marek answered as he looked at his gloved hands, "I must prove that I am capable of bringing order to the galaxy."

"If you feel you must prove it to him," Ahsoka started, hoping to dissolve the situation, "Then you first must prove it to yourself."

"I suppose...you're right." Marek said after a pause.

Then, with a speed unimpeded by the falling snow, Marek advanced with a thick black cloak billowing behind him and his red blade extending from his right hand. Ahsoka barely had time to react as she ducked and sidestepped his strike while slowly dropping her sabers from her sleeves into her hands. Marek began to swing wildly through the air as Ahsoka continued to duck weave through ever arcing waves of red energy. With a shout of rage, Marek let loose a torrent of lightning from his off hand. Bringing her white blades up at the last moment, the recoil of dark energy colliding with her purified blades jolted Ahsoka's stance but not her drive.

"Enough of this!" Marek nearly shrieked, "I am going to kill you, and bring your head and sabers to Vader as proof."

A quick flash of a Jedi master Ahsoka had barely seen around the Temple at the height of the Clone Wars crossed her mind as she saw the determination on Marek's face.

"How'd that work out after you killed Master Kota?" Ahsoka asked, not meaning to taunt but still slipping into her youthful battle meditation from years' past.

"Shut up." Marek almost growled as he moved his saber to the reverse grip.

"You left him for dead and took his saber," Ahsoka started as she saw his feelings and associated images coming to the service, "But Vader said it wasn't good enough. It never is, is it?"

"STOP TALKING!" Marek screamed as he pounced into the air, meaning to bring his blade down on her head.

Ahsoka brought both hands up and shot a large blast of force energy at Marek in midair, sending him flying into the wreckage of the cruiser. This fight was getting her nowhere, she needed answers sooner rather than later. Using the Force to quicken her step, she beelined back to Grievous's fighter, and took off. She didn't know where she was going at first, but suddenly felt a subtle nudge to go to a world she had only set foot on once. The course was laid in, and as she primed the engines, her scanners picked up two of the new Imperial cruisers entering the system on the other side of the moon. Just as the hyperdrive engaged, a third cruiser entered the system, and Ahsoka felt a sudden deep chill come over her for a moment before the cockpit lit up with swirling stars.

END CHAPTER THREE