Author's Note: For those wondering, you may want to pay attention to Yoda's vision in Chapter 99: Future Tense. While not necessarily accurate per say, what he saw is rather... telling of what's to come. One such vision has already come to pass...


-Chapter 116: Death with a Hyperdrive-

Location: Ord Mantell

"Not all tears are an evil. Many are borne of a pure heart."

Days earlier, on the trip back from Orron III...

Curled up on her bed, alone in her quarters, Ahsoka rocked back and forth with red-rimmed eyes wide open. "Why?" She whimpered as she looked at the hilt of her shoto laying at the foot of her bed. "Why?" She said again, trapped in a dark cycle that had swiftly developed the moment she was alone. Her motions continued, simple yet those of a shaken being, her thoughts rampant and her guilt vengeful. "Why?" She didn't mean to do that, stabbing him certainly wasn't her intention. She expected him to block, or dodge, or do something different than what he actually did. "Why?" She shivered as she remembered the sound of her saber piercing his skin, searing clean through his body. The sound he made, kriff, that sound. A simple grunt, partly a gasp, but every pitch of his tone reverberated with betrayal and hurt... with pain and agony... caused by her. Anakin's words, spoken after she'd rejoined the retreat and Rex had offered his report, resounded in her head. Congratulations, Ahsoka. You're the first Jedi to ever beat Wraith in a duel. He was proud of her and wanted her to be so too.

Maybe she would be, if her anger towards Wraith had not been replaced with such immense self-loathing.

Ahsoka buried her face in her arms. How could she have done that? How did it come to pass that she would stab him? It seemed impossible, implausible. She would never do that to him. Never! Her shaken, battered mind worked to come up with some sense of reason. She'd betrayed him, betrayed them... why?

"Th-Th-That wasn't me." She said to herself, denial creeping into the splinters already forming in her mental shields. "Heh, it couldn't have been. I didn't do that, I would never." The sad smile of a cracked psyche spread across her face. "That's it. That's it, i-i-it wasn't me. I didn't stab him." She determined, still rocking back and forth. She would never do that to him. She loved him! "I didn't." She said, voice losing strength as momentary denial and partial insanity gave way to an old, hated friend: depression. "I didn't..."


Present day...

Ord Mantell was an industrial world situated in the Bright Jewel system of the eponymous Bright Jewel sector in the Mid Rim territories. The Republic had fought hard claim this world full of economical potential from the allies of the Confederacy and had now established firm control over the planet, using it as a sort of depot to house the 8th Sector Army and its resources, before deploying them to the Mygeeto Theatre. For all intents and purposes, Ord Mantell was the staging ground for the Republic before it was thrust into one of the 'Triad of Evil' and some of the bloodiest battles of the Clone Wars. Medical facilities for returning Clones were almost always at max capacity, while fresh reinforcements and an active supply depot for equipment and vehicles kept the planet constantly busy.

It seemed like another morning for the Clones stationed on Ord Mantell, either waiting for their time to go to Mygeeto or waiting to leave and return to Coruscant. It was business as usual for everyone under the bright and sunny blue skies... until something drastically changed.

A red glow appeared in the sky, bright enough to draw the attention of most every trooper on the ground. Its luminosity only grew with each passing second until the Clones had to shield their eyes just to maintain visual contact. Then its size started to increase, slowly at first and then drastically within mere seconds. Too little too late did the Clones realize what it was and it was as they scrambled to react that the beam struck dead centre of the Republic base...


Hours later...

A trio of Venator cruisers alongside four Acclamator cruisers, belonging to Anakin, Obi-Wan and Plo Koon, streaked through hyperspace en route to Ord Mantell. A last-minute distress call had been dispatched from the base, only for all of Republic command to lose contact with them moments later. Many Jedi suddenly sensed a disturbance in the Force, as though millions of voices cried out only to be instantly silence. After repeated attempts to solve the problem, Republic command deduced that the Separatists had suddenly sprung an attack upon Ord Mantell and had dispatched the nearest units to try and save the base personnel. They had no idea what to expect, only that they were likely entering a very hot warzone.

Anakin, Yularen, Rex, Obi-Wan, Cody, Plo and Wolffe stood around a holotable as they examined what little information they knew about the currently unfolding situation.

"For the Separatists to make such a sudden assault on one of our supply bases is a very bold move." Plo stated.

"Yes, but in order to do this, they would have to believe they have what it takes to overwhelm us. Something that does not bode well for what we're about to face." Obi-Wan grimly mused.

"Whatever it is, we should hold back and assess the situation. We may have to clear the air before we can land on Ord Mantell." The Kel Dor responded.

"We can have fighter groups ready by the time we arrive." Anakin affirmed. "But I get the feeling we'll have to make our decision on the fly. The Separatists really don't want us to have the time to think or act or anything."

"They're up to something. And it can't be good." Obi-Wan agreed. "Many of us felt that disturbance through the Force."

"I still feel like death warmed over." Anakin muttered.

"Then we had best prepare ourselves for anything." Plo determined. With their plan decided, if only just, the Jedi set about their work and ended their inter-ship communication.

"Let's get those fighter squadrons ready, Admiral. Full accompaniment." Anakin asked, making for the bridge's turbolift. Before he did anything further in his readership role, he needed to make a stop by Ahsoka's quarters. She'd been quiet and a little withdrawn since Orron and, while he'd given her some space, he was starting to get a little worried.

Arriving on a lower deck, he quickly made his way down the halls, passing a few Clones who saluted as he walked by them. His quarters and Ahsoka's were right next to each other, designated for General and Commander use only. Arriving at her door, he knocked three times. "Ahsoka?"

"One second!" Came a response from the opposite side. Well, she certainly sounded chipper today, which seemed rather strange given her withdraw nature the past few days. It wasn't long until the door opened to reveal a bright and beaming Ahsoka... what Anakin didn't realize was that her smile was forced, her emotions in the Force false and overprojected to hide the truth. "What's up, Master?" She wondered.

"You missed the briefing." Anakin replied. At that, her face fell.

"Sorry." She mumbled.

"It's okay. I get you're going through stuff right now." Anakin responded, offering a gesture of empathy as he put a hand on her shoulder. "Just... keep me in the loop, okay? I like to know what's going on with my apprentice." He added.

"Yeah, sure." Ahsoka agreed, clearing her throat as her mood picked up just a little. She needed an explanation as to why she'd been so moody lately, something other than the fact she was really regretting her actions towards Wraith on Orron. "I've, uh, started into my heat cycle again." She lied. Anakin froze.

"Oh..." His embarrassment was rather tangible and Ahsoka offered another excuse.

"Don't worry. I packed plenty of hypospray." She assured him. In reality, her next cycle wasn't do for another month or so. But, given how she went through similar troubles when it occurred, this was her best cover-up.

"Alright. If you need anything, don't hesitate to let me know. I'm here for you." Anakin replied. Ahsoka smiled warmly.

"Thanks Master." She said, stepping out of her quarters. "So, care to catch me up on what I missed?"

He did, filling her in on what little they did know about Ord Mantell's current situation. There wasn't much to tell, so Ahsoka was more than ready for whatever lay ahead. Or so she thought...

It was a short while later that the fleet arrived in the system and exited hyperspace... only to find the most jaw-dropping of disasters awaiting them.

A vast column of debris had been kicked into Ord Mantell's orbit, originating from where the Republic base had once been. It was as if a part of the planet had exploded outwards, the world below shrouded by storms and unnatural weather patterns as a shockwave slowly rolled across the planet, carrying pieces and chunks of the planet's very crust. To the arriving Republic it was like watching an explosion in slow motion, the observers able to pick out every little detail with painful ease. From their leading cruiser, Plo Koon and Barton Coburn looked on in dismay, both Jedi and Admiral believing there was nothing more that could be done.

"I've never seen anything like this." Coburn whispered. A man who normally kept his emotions in check, Plo could sense the fearful awe in Coburn's voice.

"No small wonder this was felt through the Force." Plo agreed. The Jedi turned and made for the holotable, quickly initiating a communication with the other three cruisers. Anakin, Ahsoka and Obi-Wan's holorenders appeared moments later.

"I'm... speechless." Was all Obi-Wan could muster.

"What could have done something so... devastating?" Ahsoka wondered.

"I suspect the Separatists have employed some manner of superweapon." Plo offered. "Perhaps something in conjunction with what Redmeption Company found on the edge of the Unknown Regions."

"No wonder we felt a disturbance. There's... nothign left." Anakin quietly added. "But what did this? Some kind of bomb?" He wondered, shuddering at the thought of something so deadly being widely circulated.

"Perhaps. But we need more information before we can draw any sort of conclusion." Obi-Wan responded. "We should run some scans, see if there's any clues to be found."

"I will take the lead in that regard." Plo offered. "The rest of you cover our flank, just in case the Separatists wish to spring a trap."

"Understood." Anakin agreed. A new plan devised, a single Acclamator accompanied Koon's cruiser as it advanced towards the debris column, the remaining three Acclamators and twin Venators forming a defensive line for Koon to retreat back to. Seeing no imminent threats, however, the cruiser ventured forwards towards the remains of Ord Mantell.

"We can't get too close, General. That debris might have enough force behind it to pierce our shields entirely." Coburn advised.

"We need only get within scanning range, Admiral." Plo evenly responded. "We'll run a deep scan of the planet, focus on the atmospheric particulate for any telltale clues. Check all frequencies and put out hails on our usual channels, just in case someone survived that."

"All due respect to your orders, sir, but that seems highly unlikely." Coburn grimly replied.

"Never lose hope too early, Admiral." Plo said, though he too believed that it would be impossible for someone... for anyone to survive something like this.

As he did so, Obi-Wan and Anakin had their fighters prepped and ready for immediate deployment should the Separatists try to attack them. While Anakin and Ahsoka were prepared to play the waiting game until Plo Koon could make a proper report, Obi-Wan couldn't help but feel a tingle in the Force. Like a cold shiver that ran up his spine and squeezed his heart, the Jedi Master could not shake this feeling that swept over him.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." He murmured. Unsure of what to do and seeing no evidence for any potential issues, all Obi-Wan could do was wait with his guard raised. Minutes passed as Plo continued his studies, the Jedi waiting rather tensely for either an answer or for something to happen. The Kel Dor stood calmly by and allowed his men to proceed as they were trained, all of the Venator's exterior sensory equipment running hot as they analyzed the debris column. In time, a member of the bridge crew approached him with their preliminary findings.

"Sir, our scans of the debris column show traces of the planet's upper crust as comprising the majority of the column, but there's too much interference from the phenomenon that's been created to analyze anything further." He reported.

"What kind of phenomenon?" Plo queried.

"It's... hard to explain, sir." The crew member slowly replied. "In short, there's plenty of high-temperature readings and nearly-molten traces of select pieces of debris, as well as some kind of radiation that is permeating the entire column. It's all coming together to create a kind of... storm." Plo stroked his chin protrusions as he thoughtfully considered that data. "It's very strange." The crew member summed up.

"Undoubtedly." Koon agreed. "Focus on the radioactive aspect, let's see if we can draw a conclusion based on that evidence." He suggested. With a salute, the crew member returned to his task as Plo called up Obi-Wan. "Are you ready for a surprise, Master Kenobi?" He wondered.

"Well, I've already had a few today, so what's another?" The human quipped in response.

"Our scans have detected levels of radiation throughout the debris column." Plo reported. That gave Obi-Wan pause and the Jedi stroked his beard thoughtfully.

"Ord Mantell is not a radioactive world. Could it be from the planet's core?" He asked.

"Unlikely, given how the blast contained only elements of the planets upper crust." Plo responded. Obi-wan thought some more, a second conclusion not far away.

"Then it comes from the weapon that did this." He surmised.

"Indeed. We suspect much the same." Plo affirmed with a nod. "Our current data is inconclusive. We're performing some more scans and will know more momentarily." His holorender disappeared as Obi-Wan processed the discoveries. What kind of weapon-

"General! There's a ship dropping out of hyperspace, not far from General Koon's ship!" A Clone in the crewpit suddenly announced. Obi-Wan's gaze jolted towards the viewport, hesitant to issue a further order until they realized what they might be up against. He had his answer soon enough as a massive ship dropped out of hyperspace before Koon's Venator.

It was the Subjugator-class heavy cruiser Executioner.

"A Subjugator." He realized. "Perhaps this was a trap all along." His conclusion was hastily reached and his ensuing orders issued with even greater speed, calling up Plo Koon once more. "Master Plo, you need to move now! Admiral, relay orders for evasive maneuvers to the rest of our ships! We're all within range of their ion cannon!"

The Republic ships acted swiftly, but the Separatists anticipated such a move.

Their reactors were charged and ready to fire, even as they exited hyperspace. Purple arcs of electrical energy crisscrossed the cannon's face as the singular blast charged up to full capacity. Anakin and Obi-Wan ordered their cruisers to port and starboard, spreading out towards the direction of the Subjugator's aft and bow where they might avoid the full force of the EMP wave. Plo made to dive low, ordering both cruisers straight down.

But his close proximity to the emerged cruiser was to his disadvantage and.

Unable to respond fast enough, Plo's cruiser and the Acclamator were caught in the ensuing EMP wave, the ships starting to drift as all systems instantly shut down.

"It's like the Malevolence all over again!" The Kel Dor mused with a grimace as he and his crew lurched, the ship shuddering beneath them. Every instrumentation panel erupted with bolts of electrical feedback, each system short-circuiting and shutting down as the bridge lights dimmed and flickered.

Anakin and Obi-Wan were far more successful in their evasion attempt, every ship avoiding the blast. Counting themselves fortunate, they swiftly made to act.

"Defensive positions! We have to protect Master Koon, draw its fire away from us!" Anakin ordered.

"I can run a squadron out to his ship, we can try to rescue him now!" Ahsoka quickly suggested, frantically recalling the first time this sort of thing had happened.

"No, it's too dangerous. Their guns would blow you to pieces before you were out of the hangar." Anakin countered. "We'll buy ourselves some space, maybe cripple this thing, then we'll see about getting Plo out. Get down to the hangar and prepare bomber for deployment." He instructed, Ahsoka darting off to do just that. But even as the cannons opened fire on the Executioner, a new report came in.

"Sir! There's another ship on our scanners! It's coming around the moon!" A Clone told Anakin. The closest of fifteen that orbited Ord Mantell, the celestial body had completely concealed a ship from the searching Republic... until now.

"Give us a visual." Anakin ordered, a nearby trooper quickly moving the scan results to the bridge holotable. The image it projected both startled and unnerved Anakin. "What the hell is that...?" He gasped.

From the middle to the aft of the ship, it looked just like a Subjugator. The bow, however, resembled anything but. The ion cannons had been removed in favor of a long, cylindrical shaft that extended to a single opening at the end, like the barrel of a blaster, towards the tip of the bow. It was surrounded by three protruding claw-like structures, as if the hull had opened up and unfurled to reveal something truly terrifying.


On the bridge of the Devastation, General Greivous cackled in triumph as he watched the Republic scramble to act. The chaotic nature of their plan was already working in their favour. "Those cruisers are helpless targets, just waiting to be annihilated! Charge the weapon, single reactor." He rasped, his words quickly relayed through the ship to the droids manning the superlaser systems. "Let us give them a taste of our new superweapon."


The red glow started in the middle of the ship, quickly flowing forwards as veins and conduits along the barrel lit up brightly as a charge filled the superlaser that comprised the bulk of the Devastation. Powered by dozens of kyber crystals, the result was not unlike a lightsaber igniting... only on a far more colossal scale. A single red beam erupted from the tip of the Devastation, streaking through space and slamming into the drifting Acclamator below. The blast pierced the hull cleanly, triggering a chain reaction that destroyed the entire ship in a manner of seconds. Plo and the bridge crew shielded themselves from the blinding explosion as they all struggled to comprehend the terrifying menace the Separatists had unleashed. Realizing that the threat of destruction was imminent, Plo ordered everyone to the escape pods.

From their cruisers, Anakin and Obi-Wan looked on in stark horror at the capabilities of this new warship. Having heard what was going on outside, Ahsoka quickly deployed her lone starfighter even as the Executioner laid down withering suppressive fire to keep the Republic at bay. She had to save Master Plo! Anakin's voice erupted through her comms, ordering her back to the ship. But Ahsoka clicked them off. She was not going to lose her oldest friend.


Relishing in the destruction, Grievous coughed and reset his internal systems as he prepared to continue unleashing the Devastation's abilities.

"Cycle the reactors and prepare to fire again... and target the other cruiser this time." He ordered, his predatory eyes fixed on Plo Koon's stricken cruiser. With over six reactors fueling the powerful superlaser, the switch was made and the charge-up process was underway in mere moments.


Piloting her Eta-2 snubfighter towards the depowered Venator, Ahsoka expertly wove under the barrage of turbolaser fire coming from the Executioner. Since communications were not an option, Ahsoka used her bond with Plo Koon to communicate telepathically.

Master Plo, I'm on my way to find you. Once you launch your escape pod, I'll float you back over to our ship. She promised, explaining the plan she'd concocted.

It's too dangerous, Ahsoka. You need to pull back and wait until we're at a safe distance. Plo responded.

I'm not gonna lose you, Master! We saved you last time and we can do it again! The Togruta vehemently promised. I have to help you before this thing destroys your ship with you on it!

It may already be too late for that, little one. Plo quietly responded. The ion wave has shorted out the door components, we're working on them now but we may not have the time to reach them.

Don't talk like that! You'll live, you and your men will be just fine! Ahsoka responded, ignoring the warning alarm from her scanners as the Devastation charged up another shot. Glancing out her starboard side, she saw the distant cruiser framed by the powerful red glow emanating from the bow. It was such an intense brightness it hurt to look directly at it. Ahsoka grew worried and started to panic. Please Master Plo! You have to try!

Calm down, Ahsoka, and listen to me. Koon gently instructed. Ahsoka fell quiet and could sense the heaviness creeping into Plo's voice. I know you are scared to lose me, but don't be. Learning to let go is part of the Jedi way. Even if I become one with the Force, I shall fight alongside you. I will be in the very power you wield against the Separatists. You have come a long way since I first met you, little one. I am proud of the Padawan you've become and I know you will make a fine Jedi Knight one day. Do not be afraid, Ahsoka. There is no death, only the Force. His words were spoken sincerely, but even still, Ahsoka did not want for Plo Koon, her oldest friend, to die.

M-M-Master Plo! She stammered, uttering no more words but practically begging him to stay with her. Her panel blared another alarm, the Devastation had fired again.

Take heart, young one. In spirit, I will be with you always. The Kel Dor sadly promised. May the Force be with you, Lil' Soka. Aboard his ship, Plo sensed the imminent destruction coming for them all and embraced his fate.

"Master Plo! NO!" Ahsoka verbally shouted as the red glow filled her cockpit and forced her canopy to polarize. Another blast from the Devastation streaked through space and struck Plo's cruiser, piercing the vulnerable hull. Explosive energies rippled across the ship, tearing the entire cruiser to pieces until the entire thing detonated in a massive explosion that blew the cruiser to space dust.

There was nothing left of it.

Ahsoka sat frozen, horrified. Through the Force she had felt Plo's calming spirit, and then in a flash he was gone, leaving only a hole behind where her bond with him had been. Her trembling hands held the controls but did nothing, her snubfighter maintaining its speed and heading towards the orange plume and the shockwave rumbling towards her. Her astromech beeped an inquiry, but Ahsoka said nothing, still rooted to where she sat, her expression one of pained shock. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she realized he was gone... they were all gone.

Aboard their cruisers, Anakin and Obi-Wan stood stunned as they felt the deaths of all aboard through the Force. Plo Koon, the 104th Battalion... all of them were gone. The crews fell silent, shocked by the sudden loss of their comrades, their brothers. They slowly turned to their Generals for answers. Anakin was the first to swallow his emotions.

"That ship... it'll pick us off one by one." He finally said aloud. "We have to leave, we have to... tell everyone about this." He made a call to Obi-Wan who agreed with his plan.

"This war has... just taken another turn for the worse." He gravely added. Anakin put in a call to Ahsoka who did not respond. He finally ordered her astromech to hijack the systems and pilot her interceptor back to the cruiser. The remaining Republic ships turned on heel and beat a hasty retreat out of the range of the Separatist guns.

Aboard the Devastation, General Grievous watched their retreat and cackled, their fear so tantalizing and their reaction delicious to watch.

As soon as Ahsoka was aboard, the broken Republic fleet left the remains of Ord Mantell behind, as well as the grave of Jedi Master Plo Koon, Admiral Barton Coburn, Commander Wolffe, his Wolfpack and the entire 104th Battalion.


Later...

In an emergency meeting, Obi-Wan and Anakin compiled their findings to form a conclusive report about the defeat at Ord Mantell and the loss of Plo Koon. Just the two of them reviewed their data, Ahsoka alone in her quarters... curled up in a ball, weeping, her gloves removed, a razor in her hand and her arms stained with her own blood...

"We can certainly say we know what destroyed Ord Mantell." Obi-Wan noted.

"Yeah... but it's the tactics they used that bugs me." Anakin continued. "They seemed to be ready and waiting for us... like they wanted us to see this."

"You think they were giving us a demonstration of their abilities?" Obi-Wan wondered.

"Well, with seven Subjugators running around and this eighth new super cruiser, they definitely wanted us to know what they were capable of." Anakin determined. "I'd hate to see a fleet of more than one of those ships."

"There's plenty of things to worry about, namely our current location for the time being." Obi-Wan responded. They were safe in Republic-controlled territory, well away from Ord Mantell which was now in Separatist hands. "We've received word that Mygeeto has fallen. Another Subjugator took out our naval groups and a super-soldier routed our ground forces." Obi-Wan grimly explained, hating to be the bearer of bad news.

"Dammit." Anakin grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Now they own the whole 'triad of evil'."

"Not good, especially for us." Obi-Wan agreed, pulling up a star map of the galaxy and updating what was now under Separatist control. The majority of the Outer Rim was now marked by red, only a few blue spots remaining. "They're making a big push, alright. But when will it end?" He wondered aloud. Anakin looked up to study the star map himself. Growing up, he'd always marvelled at the routes the smugglers and traders showed him, those willing to oblige his curiosity when he was nothing more than boy in Mos Eisley, a nobody on Tatooine who dreamed of seeing the universe and flying to the stars himself one day. Many of the coordinates and routes rang familiar bells with him, taking note of the complex web running through the Outer Rim, passageways stemming from planet to planet.

Then he saw it. Slowly but surely, Anakin began to put the pieces together.

"No no no, hold on..." He said, drawing Obi-Wan's attention as he gathered his thoughts. "They've cut off Ord Mantell from Mygeeto, meaning they can take it without a fight." He stated, pointing at the two planets on the map.

"Yes, we've established that. Just like they've already done with Saleucami and Felucia." Obi-Wan agreed.

"But think about it. Where is Ord Mantell?" Anakin replied, getting a little excited, and not in a good way, as he slowly made his friend aware of his revelation. Obi-Wan looked at the chart, pondering and tilting his head a little.

"Apart from right there?" He mused, gesturing to the exact point on the holomap. Anakin rolled his eyes.

"It's at the intersection of two trade routes: the Celanon Spur and the Entralla Route." He stated.

"Yes, and the Separatists already control Celanon." Obi-Wan agreed.

"But that's where the route begins. Look at where it ends!" Anakin exclaimed, drawing a line with his hand as he highlighted the location of Ord Mantell in conjunction to Celanon and Mygeeto.

"It forms a perfect triangle." Obi-Wan realized.

"It gets worse." Anakin gravely continued, "Saleucami is on the Talcene Transit route which connects with the Perlemian Trade Route. Felucia is also a part of that route and a prime access point in the Outer Rim." He explained, having memorized the star maps of passing Spacers a long time ago.

"So the Separatists now have easy access to major trade routes, allowing them to dominate the Outer Rim." Obi-Wan surmised, which fit with their current actions as well as the territory they held.

"That's not all," Anakin continued, Kenobi's gaze darting towards him.

"How much worse can it get?" He wondered.

"When you realize that Celanon is on the Hydian Way and that the Separatists now have starting points on two major trade routes," Anakin revealed, "which end..." he trailed off as he started drawing a line, following the route past other planets, reaching down through the Mid Rim and into the Core Worlds.

Obi-Wan's eyes widened as Anakin's finger stopped over the glittering dot that represented Coruscant.