Chapter 9 – Accused
Author's Note: Just giving y'all a heads up that this is the last chapter I have written, but I expect that the next chapter will be done on time, or if not, then at least at some point next month. :) Currently, my brain and attention has been consumed by an Obi-Wan series fix-it fic. Lol.
WARNING: Self-harm, suicidal thoughts/feelings, blood, and general darkness!
~ Amina Gila
Sidious' death did not, in fact, make the war easier. If anything, in many ways, it seems to have made it even harder over the past month since his demise. Anakin can't help but feel bitter and more than a little guilty for the part he played in it. The Jedi gained even more responsibilities after the inconclusive search for Palpatine. Aside from being the ones solely responsible for the military, the Jedi were given a seat on the Senate, entrenching them further into politics. And more than that, Tarkin, now an Admiral, was appointed as a liaison between the Jedi and the Senate, and his voice is strong enough that it's almost equivalent to that of a Council member.
Anakin doesn't like it. Obi-Wan doesn't like it. Windu doesn't like it. Yoda doesn't like it. In fact, there isn't a single person on the Council who likes it. Many of the Jedi are extremely unhappy as well, because never before in the history of the Order has there been a non-Jedi who sits in on almost all Council meetings. Tarkin is not, of course, a Council member, but he might as well be for how often he's at the Temple.
Initially, Mas Amedda took over the duties of the Chancellor, but that changed after the hasty elections that brought Senator Bail Organa to power. The corruption and Sidious' influence is too deeply entrenched, leaving him with very few recourses to help the Jedi out of their... difficult situation. The Senate had all but demanded that Tarkin be in control of the military matters, something which Anakin very much suspects was the work of Sidious' lackies, because Bail can no longer intervene in these matters. Tarkin, in many ways, has as much influence as the Chancellor himself.
That alone is enough to raise alarm bells. Anakin, and many others, suspect that Tarkin was in on Sidious' plans, and now that the Sith Master is dead, the Admiral is attempting to continue with their plot, whatever all it entails, possibly even with Dooku's help. Anakin really does not have a good feeling about any of it.
It will get much worse before it has any hopes of getting better.
But he can't worry about any of that now, not while attending an important briefing regarding the Outer Rim sieges, and not right after Letta Turmond orchestrated the Temple bombing. On the plus side, at least she's in custody now.
Obi-Wan is there via hologram, and Ahsoka is standing at Anakin's side as they listen to what Obi-Wan is telling them. Many other Jedi, mainly Council members, are clustered around the holotable as well. "We've uncovered a Separatist plan of attack. We shall travel to the Anoit system here, then move across to Saleucami," Obi-Wan relates, gesturing to the holomap in front of them.
"So far out of our way?" Windu questions before Anakin can say anything. Although, he probably wouldn't have said anything. He would rather keep quiet if possible and force his mind to focus on tactics and battle strategies. It's easier this way. He's still worn out from Cato Neimoidia. Not only had he been briefly knocked unconscious in his fighter, leaving Ahsoka to save him, but also, he had been hit by a blaster bolt on his upper left arm. He had ignored it, letting the pain ground him.
Ever since that fateful day a month ago when Padme learned the truth, Anakin has struggled to resist the need to spill his own blood, though it's a vicious circle, because the guilt he feels at the thought of Padme's pain should she find out only makes him want it more. He has never called her though, preferring instead to drug himself with stolen sedatives – if he can be assured that no one will come and interrupt him – or Force healing clones, without making it obvious, until he drops from exhaustion.
In addition to that, he's been careful to avoid treating his injuries, leaving them to heal naturally on their own. By denying himself medical supplies that aren't necessary, he's helping his men, and he's not actually... hurting himself intentionally. And if he's sometimes a little slower when blocking blaster bolts on the battlefield than he should be, well, that's simply because of his bone-deep exhaustion. Right?
If not, no one will know. It marginally eases the stinging guilt he feels every time he hurts himself – or lets himself be hurt – though those times are farer and fewer between. He's not getting better though. If anything, he thinks he's getting worse, spiraling ever deeper into the hole of depression and guilt and self-loathing. Even Ahsoka asked him once, a couple weeks ago, if he was alright. It seems like everyone can tell, but no one actually comes right out and says anything to him, for which he's grateful.
"Unfortunately, we must avoid these neutral systems," Obi-Wan replies to Windu, pointing to a cluster of planets.
Before anyone has a chance to say anything else, a hologram of Tarkin appears, making everyone collectively tense. "Excuse me, Master Jedi," he interrupts, the faintest stress on the title betraying his scorn for the Jedi. Anakin can't help but bristle inwardly at it; he's not the only one either. Ahsoka's stance tightens with visible annoyance.
"Yes, Admiral," Windu says, somehow managing to sound polite.
"Commander Tano, your presence is requested by prisoner Letta Turmond," Tarkin declares. There's something... wrong in his words, a faint twinge in the Force, whispering of danger, of plots, of intrigue, of betrayal. It's too distant for Anakin to fully make it out, though he keeps himself attuned just in case the Force decides to be clearer.
Ahsoka's eyemarkings rise in surprise. "The prisoner from the hangar bombing?"
"Why is she asking for Ahsoka?" Anakin questions, as the Force tenses and hums warningly.
"Not exactly sure. But Commander Tano is the only person the prisoner will speak to," Tarkin informs them aloofly.
Ahsoka looks at Anakin, obviously waiting for him to give her permission, and he nods his head. "I'll report back with whatever I find out," Ahsoka promises, turning and darting from the room. Her uncertainty and confusion and anger are humming through their bond, and Anakin reaches out to soothe her. She needs to stay calm and keep a clear head. Somehow, he has the feeling that whatever she finds out won't be good.
The briefing continues after Tarkin excuses himself, though everyone is noticeably tenser now. It makes Anakin wonder if he's really not the only one who feels this... strangeness in the Force. Padme's words come back to him again, and he remembers how she asked him to leave, telling him that she felt being in the Order was doing him more harm than good. She's not exactly wrong, either. It is destroying him, because he's unable to be the person he needs to be, the person he really is. The Order cannot and will not accept him for who he is. That – it's part of the reason why he's planning to leave as soon as the war ends.
He has enough of himself still left that he knows if this... depression gets much worse, he might become actively suicidal and give up entirely on life. Anakin doesn't want that to happen. He doesn't want to fall so far down the smothering pit of despair and pain and self-loathing that he loses sight of how much the people he cares about – Padme, Ahsoka, Rex and his boys, Obi-Wan – will be hurt by his death. Well, maybe not Obi-Wan. He would probably move on with the same calm unflappability that he always seems to possess, that he expected Anakin to show after his faked death.
It's – Anakin can't do that. He can never stop feeling a deep, all-consuming love for his family. To pretend otherwise is stupid, but he has to, because he cannot give the Jedi even more reasons to shun him. If he manages to pretend well enough, if he manages to act as if he's the paradigm of a detached, proper Jedi, maybe they'll actually begin to think he's good enough. Maybe they'll actually begin to show him even the tiniest bit of respect and approval. He wants that. He wants it so badly he feels like he's drowning on it.
He folds his arms over his chest, pressing his right hand on his left arm, surreptitiously digging his prosthetic fingers over the spot where he has a healing blaster bolt burn. It sends a jolt of pain streaking through him, but he doesn't react outwardly, feeling himself relax instead as his mind refocuses on the briefing. He does his best to pay attention, to plan the best course of action for them to take, regardless of who leads the campaign.
They don't get very far, all things considered, before a ripple echoes through the Force, a feeling of shock and fear echoing through his bond with Ahsoka. He stiffens involuntarily, reaching out to her, though she's too scared and panicked to feel him properly, much less respond.
"Anakin?" Obi-Wan's concerned voice breaks through his distracted thoughts, snapping him back to the present. "Is something wrong?"
"Ahsoka," he manages to say. "Something – something happened to her. Something's wrong."
The other Jedi exchange looks, some uncertain, some worried, but no one betrays any indication that they doubt or disbelieve him. "I'll see what I can find out," Obi-Wan decides, reaching out of the transmission field for a moment. He returns with a datapad into which he enters something before they try to continue the briefing.
It's no more than a few minutes before Tarkin's hologram interrupts them again. "The prisoner was strangled in her prison cell," he informs them without so much as a greeting. "Commander Tano is under arrest. They were alone, and there is no one else who could have committed the murder. I suspect that she is the mastermind in the bombing which occurred, and she will be held until the Senate decides her fate." He disappears right after dropping the news on them.
Anakin feels as if he can't breathe right, fear for Ahsoka drowning him. The Force curls around him as if offering comfort, and he reaches out to it, silently asking what he needs to do now. There's no answer, or if there is, he's too afraid to hear it. "I should go see her," he says numbly. "It's obviously a misunderstanding."
Obi-Wan's expression is... something Anakin can't quite make out. Sympathetic, perhaps. Worried. "Go ahead," he tells him when it becomes clear that no one else will say anything. "I'll brief you on anything you miss."
"Yes, Master." Anakin doesn't wait for the possibility that someone else will disagree with Obi-Wan, and he leaves as fast as he can without actually running. The only thing, person, that matters right now is Ahsoka.
He flies faster than the speed limit – and probably breaks all sorts of flying laws – on his way to the prison. As soon as he lands on the platform, he hurries inside to the desk inside the front entrance. Commander Fox is back there behind the glass, speaking with a couple other clones from the Coruscanti guard – which is, to the best of Anakin's knowledge, solely under Tarkin's personal control.
"My Padawan is being unjustly held here. I want to see her." Anakin keeps his voice level and authoritative. He can't wait to see her, to assure her that everything will be alright, that he'll do whatever he must to help her. She's his little sister, daughter almost, given that he's been raising her. Their bond echoes with a faint thrum of fear and he hates it.
"No one is to be allowed into the prison right now," Commander Fox replies, shaking his head.
"But my Padawan is in there!" Anakin protests, shocked. She's a child. Since when can children be imprisoned in the Republic while their guardians – because legally, that's what he is – are denied access. That doesn't even make sense!
"General Skywalker, Admiral Tarkin has ordered that no one be allowed in there," Fox explains regretfully. He doesn't want to do this; Anakin can sense it. He doesn't like the situation any more than Anakin, but he's following orders. Anakin can't fault him for that, even as his fear turns to anger. Why would Tarkin give such an order? Surely, he has to know that Ahsoka would never strangle someone in cold blood like that!
And even if he does have a reason to think that, it doesn't make sense for him to forbid anyone, much less Anakin, from seeing her. He's her master. If anyone can find out what's happening, he can. Not that Ahsoka would ever do something of that nature. But still, this entire situation is making him feel completely helpless, and that makes him angry.
Fox doesn't deserve that anger though, so Anakin won't turn it on him. Instead, he clenches his fists, turning and stalking out. He has to see Ahsoka. He has to. He has to see with his own eyes that she's okay. Exhaustion – and pain, too – are catching up with him, and he would love nothing more than to snuggle with her and take some rest. Not that would actually do that; they haven't really done things like that since... Hardeen.
He climbs back into his fighter, even though he has no plans on leaving. Something in the Force is nudging him to go to Ahsoka, telling him that she needs him, and he refuses to back down. He fires up the engines and slowly glides away, circling around and staying close to the prison, closing his eyes and reaching out with the Force. The muted whispers become louder, more distinct, and he can feel the Force pushing him to Ahsoka's side. He only needs to figure out how to get there.
It's not hard to do now that he's set his mind on it. He has Artoo take over the fighter, and he cruises towards the back of the complex, leaping from the fighter and landing in a crouch outside, out of sight of the guards and security cameras. Artoo flies the fighter away, and he waits for a moment, pulling the Force around him to shroud himself from sight. It's easier this way, to hide in the currents of the Force, willing himself not to be seen. It's far less intrusive than a mind trick, because anyone with a strong will can still look past the mild suggestion to disregard him and see him. Though he's never been the best at this form of shielding, it will have to be enough for his purposes.
He crawls towards a secured ventilation grate, knowing that he'll have to work quickly to bypass the security and get inside before any patrols spot him. But Anakin has always been exceptional at sneaking around, due to his childhood. Knowing how to hide and where to hide was always important, and he's never lost his touch.
Reaching out with the Force, Anakin focuses his mind on the complex security measures, designed to bar easy access. Most people would trip the alarm long before getting in, but he isn't most people. The Force is with him. And it guides him, telling him what he needs to move and tweak to get the grate open. It isn't long, probably not more than fifteen or twenty minutes, before it's open. He sprints to it, pulling it open and crawling inside, closing it behind him. With the dimness of evening outside, it's doubtful that anyone would have noticed.
Ahsoka is in danger, the Force tells him. He knows that, can feel that certainty humming through every fiber of his being. He's been in ventilation shafts so many times that he knows how to navigate them, using Ahsoka's Force signature as a beacon and the Force as his guide. To see Ahsoka – and talk to her – he'll have to actually enter the prison... which is not really ideal. Security recordings will likely pick him up, and he can hardly break her out, since it would only make her look more guilty.
But he won't do nothing either. Maybe a simple encouragement, a promise that he'll take care of her, will be enough. He reaches out to check for patrols and when he determines that the way is clear he pulls aside the grate in the ceiling, unfastening it with the Force, and dropping to the floor below. There are cameras, but if he moves just right, he can avoid them for the most part. He's further back into the prison, meaning he has to move outwards to find the cell where Ahsoka is.
Wait a minute. Why does it feel like she's moving right now? That can't be right, can it?
He picks up his pace, darting around a couple corners and down halls, skidding around a final corner to see Ahsoka standing frozen in the middle of the hall, looking down at the injured, semi-unconscious bodies of several clones lying on the floor. A chill of dread rushes through him.
"Ahsoka!" he whisper-hisses, and she jumps, whirling around, eyes wide.
"Anakin!" she replies, seeming torn between relief and shock.
"What are you doing?" he demands, because he knows that she didn't do this. She would never do this, but something is wrong. "What happened? Why aren't you in your cell?"
She waves, uncertain. "I – I found a key card. I thought you left it there to help me leave."
He looks at her with disbelief. "I wouldn't do that," he answers, shaking his head. "This isn't the Separatists. If I broke you out, it would only make you look guilty."
"Then why are you here?" she wants to know.
"I – I had to see you," he admits in a low voice, feeling somewhat ashamed. "I had to make sure you were alright." He is not proud of his attachments, though he could never regret being attached to Ahsoka.
"What should we do?" she worries.
He lets out a heavy breath and shakes his head. "You can go back to your cell, but I think it's already too late. I think you – and I, too – have walked into whatever trap was set up here. I – I think you were being set up, Snips."
She's scared, though she's hiding it well. The clones begin moving, and Anakin doesn't take the time to think, grabbing Ahsoka's arm and pulling her around the corner into the next hallway. They both freeze together, looking at yet more clones lying on the floor. Ahsoka's lightsabers are there too, as is her comm.
"My lightsabers?" she blurts out, surprised, reaching down and picking them up, clipping them to her belt where they belong. She reaches for her comm next, and Anakin notices that it's blinking as if connected to someone. What?
"Ahsoka, wait –" he begins, but it's too late. She's already pushed the button, thereby alerting whoever it is connected to.
"Hello?" she offers hesitantly, giving Anakin a sheepish, apologetic look. "Who is this?"
There's no answer. Instead, the door slides open, and Commander Fox enters, looking down at his wrist as if receiving a transmission. "What's going on here? General Skywalker?!"
"It wasn't us!" Ahsoka yelps, probably realizing how incriminating this all looks.
Panic claws its way up Anakin's throat, especially when he reaches out with the Force and senses that Fox feels... different somehow. It's as if he's not quite himself, but he doesn't – can't – take the time to figure out what's going on. Fox lunges forwards, slamming his hand on an alarm button before Anakin or Ahsoka can stop him, and the alarm turns on, blaring throughout the facility.
Anakin swears in his head, and he and Ahsoka turn and run, taking off back the way they came. There's a way out if they can only get to it. If they reach that ventilation shaft, they should be able to escape the way that Anakin entered. And then, once they're out, they need to find out who is behind this. It's too bad that Anakin can no longer snoop around for more evidence. He would very much like to know who orchestrated all of this. Someone is setting up Ahsoka, and he just so happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Wonderful. Obi-Wan will kill him for this. Also, this one slip up has undermined all the months of time he's put into trying to portray himself as a perfect, unattached Jedi – not that he's expects anyone really believed or accepted it anyways, because nothing he does is ever enough for the Jedi. Once they get out of this mess, he'll have to start all over again.
"Where are we going?" Ahsoka pants as they run through the prison. "Do you even know?"
"Back the way I came in," he answers.
They nearly crash into a clone as they round the next corner, but they dart around the shocked man and keep running even though he yells after them. "Commander Tano! General Skywalker! Stop!" He gives a report into his comm, but Anakin doesn't stop to listen. He already knew that the clone would report their location; it's his duty.
"This way," he pants, skidding to a halt beneath a ventilation shaft grate. He slides it open with the Force, and he and Ahsoka leap inside, closing it behind them. They begin crawling with him in the lead. The Force is nudging him as to which directions he should move in, and he follows it blindly. Why shouldn't he? It helped him destroy Sidious, after all.
They don't encounter any resistance as they slide out of the exit point of the ventilation system, pressing against the wall in the back of the prison complex. Unfortunately, Anakin hasn't thought this far ahead. He hadn't had a reason to. He thought it would be simple to slip away from sight and have Artoo come pick him up once he'd seen Ahsoka. But that didn't happen, obviously, so he has to figure out something else. They could potentially try to steal a ship or speeder to escape in, but he doubts they'd be able to actually take off with it.
No, their best option might be to run as fast and far as they can, disappearing into the Underworld and taking the time to analyze their situation and figure out what to do next. "The industrial pipelines," Anakin realizes. "Come on."
They dash from their hiding spot, racing towards the walkways that lead away from the prison complex. The clones see them before they get too far and begin to pursue, shooting at them. Live rounds. It sends a jolt of fear through him, because they – they're shooting to kill, and he doesn't understand why. How can anyone even think they did anything? Well, maybe him sneaking into the prison only made it worse, but still...
He reaches out to the Force, and it tells him that Plo has arrived at the prison and is directing the pursuit. Obi-Wan, too, is coming, though by the time he arrives, Anakin and Ahsoka will hopefully be long gone. They sprint down the walkway, using the Force to increase their speed and making several leaps to gain ground. Anakin doesn't – he refuses to go back. They can't. If they do, he'll be imprisoned too, and that will be the end of him trying to help Ahsoka. Tarkin is behind this; he has a feeling he is, but he can't prove it. The Senate won't listen to a "feeling."
Anakin can hear orders being issued, in addition to a couple calls for them to stop. They don't. They can't. Ahsoka flips down a staircase, Anakin right behind her, and they roll to their feet at the same moment. Gunships are flying behind them, and Anakin knows that they don't have much time before they're overtaken. Ships can fly faster than they can run, after all.
"The pipe," he pants, gesturing. "I'll throw you."
Ahsoka makes a running leap, and Anakin stops, using the Force to push her further. She lands on top of the pipe, stabbing her blades down into it and cutting a circular hole so they can jump inside. Anakin keeps moving in her general direction, all too aware of the clones who are fast catching up.
"Not so fast, General Skywalker," says a clone as a gunship lowers in front of him to cut off his path, shining a spotlight down onto him.
Anakin backs up a few steps, undeterred, letting the Force rush through him, filling him with a steady, unbeatable power. He will not be stopped. He leaps forwards, somersaulting over the heads of the startled clones and landing on the top of the gunship before jumping again, dropping through the hole that Ahsoka cut in the pipe. Water splashes as he lands, and there's a flare of relief from Ahsoka.
"Come on," he says to her, and without another word spoken between them, they take off running again through the pipes.
Final Notes: If you want to join our Discord to receive updates or just hang out, here's the invite link, and please delete the spaces! :) discord . gg / nqSxuz2
We also have a tumblr account (and delete the spaces): fanfictasia . tumblr . com
And! We have a YT channel for tributes! Please delete the spaces in the link. :D youtube channel / UC_g1M5rSCxJUzQCRS29B6pA
Finally, if you're interested, you can submit a SW gift fic request via the following form (delete the spaces): forms . gle / rmXWtRomMMaULuPa6