Hi!... and sorry about the super long wait. My teachers are pounding me with tests, homework, and projects before the end of the school year.

I'M SEEING SOLO TONIGHT AND A TEACHER SAID THAT IT WAS GOOD SO I'M HOPING IT IS!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed:

BraveSeeker3, CloneWarsNerd, Guest, and masterbroly

brandonack96: Barriss Offee, the Padawan of Luminara Unduli. So in this version, since she dies, she doesn't have a chance to frame Ahsoka for murder and lead her to desert the Jedi, and Anakin won't further go to the Dark Side.

Isabelle Ashmore: Yeah, I've always hated watching Padme's reunion with Anakin because it's so bitter. That's why I changed it.

Emilyroseclaire: It's really cool that this story is an inspiration for you. I'm glad!

MaybeImARebel: Thanks for the review! I really like your stories as well.

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!

(published 5.25.18)

Chapter Nine: Not Technically Dead

19 BBY

Obviously, the only way to lure a completely delusional former Sith Lord into a trap is to taunt them and offer to duel them.

After speaking with Rex, she sent a message around the city, giving Maul an offer: he could come face her or leave Mandalore as a coward.

Obviously, he chose the initial option.

With the remaining forces of Maul's new Death Watch, the city of Sundari had been set ablaze with red tongues of flame licking the sky. Smoke infested her lungs and soot layered her skin and clothes.

She had spoken to the forces of the 501st, discussing the plan time and time again. It was finally time.

And Ahsoka Tano had to muster up all of the strength in herself for this moment.

Yes, Maul stood there in all his black-and-red glory. Standing in one of the plazas of Sundari that wasn't already burning, his cloak was flung aside and his stance projected that he was a man who had never suffered an injury in his life; Ahsoka knew that was not the case. She approached him, sucking in a breath.

"Where's you army, Lady Tano?" Maul called to the Togruta Jedi.

"Busy defeating yours," she retorted, hoping it was true.

The Zabrak gave a small bow in mockery and said, "It was so nice of your former masters to send you out alone and spare me the exertion of a proper fight. You're hardly a Jedi!"

Ahsoka repressed her angry feelings at this statement. "Then it'll be a fair fight; you're only half a Sith." She could picture Obi-Wan rolling his eyes.

He activated a red blade. As quickly as possible, she took out her main saber and shoto blade as well. The green shone in her eyes, a familiar sight. It was kind of like a staring contest that Ahsoka used to play with her youngling friends. She and Maul mirrored each other's actions and walked in a circle around the plaza.

Getting impatient, Maul lurched forward and Ahsoka feinted backwards. He swung at her head, his whole form sloppy, and she was able to deflect him with the little strength she had. The green lightsabers and the red lightsaber locked together just as she yelled, "Now!"

Clone troopers along with Mandalorians ran out from the smoke and shadows, holding their blasters at the ready as Rex activated the ray shield. Ahsoka flipped backwards and threw herself clear of the shield.

And Maul? He was trapped.

"Tano!" he screamed in rage.

Ahsoka smirked and saluted sarcastically. "All part of a day's work. Sorry, Maul."

Suddenly, she heard a creepy voice that made her cringe: "Execute Order 66." She looked over at the source of the voice. One of her commanders was holding a hologram of a cloaked man. The clone replied mechanically, "It will be done, my Lord."

What's going on? Order 66? The clone turned her way and yelled, "All units, fire on the Jedi!"

"What?" Ahsoka yelled as she flipped out of the way of thousands of blaster bolts. "Troopers, stand down!" Mandalorians began to shoot down the clones, but all of the Republic soldiers were focused her. Why are they doing this?

"Ahsoka!" called a voice.

"Rex?" she said, searching for the voice. Wielding his two pistols, he shot at his own brothers.

It wasn't on stun mode.

"We've got to go. Now," he said. A cackle filled the air; the shield had failed. Maul was escaping.

"But - Maul!" she stuttered, deflecting more bolts. Clones were now closing in on the Captain and the Jedi.

"You can go get Maul," Rex offered. "I can fend them off."

Ahsoka thought about it again. "No offense, but you don't stand a chance. Come on." She considered and then yelled over the ruckus: "Get ready, Rex."

"Get ready for - ah!" Rex was already in the air from Ahsoka's Force-push, plunging over the side and under the plaza, Ahsoka jumping over clones right behind him. She landed on the smoking ground, catching Rex with the Force before he could smash onto the ground.

He got up slowly complaining, "I thought I told you to give me a warning next time."

She shrugged. "It was a desperate situation. No time."

From above, a clone's voice asked, "Where did they go?"

"No one, not even a Jedi, could have survived that fall," another one said.

"We have to leave here," Ahsoka said worriedly. "They'll come down here eventually, or the fire will spread. We're not safe."

"What about Maul?"

"Maul can wait," Ahsoka said, although this was a letdown. She had been so close to getting rid of him, once and for all. Rex took off his helmet and sighed.

"Alright," he said. "But we have to go quickly and quietly. I'm sure that Lady Kryze's forces will at least try to deal with Maul, since the clones aren't hunting her, but we still have to be careful."

Ahsoka narrowed her eyes as they began to walk. She whispered, "Why did they attack me? One of them had a hologram of a man and he said 'Execute Order 66.' Why?"

Rex sighed. "Sithspit. Remember Fives?"

"Of course I do," Ahsoka said.

"He had this crazy idea that the clones were part of a Separatist plot."

Ahsoka laughed. "Yeah, good old Fives. Poor guy."

"That's not the point," Rex said. "That idea wasn't so crazy after all. I did some research because of what Fives told me and I found out that we all have these things in our brains, disguised as tumors. They were actually inhibitor chips."

Ahsoka cringed. "I'm afraid to know… what for?"

"The Kaminoan scientists said that they were to stop us from being aggressive, but it was all a lie. It was to control us, like they did just now. Tup's chip fried up and he had an urge to kill Jedi - that's why he shot Master Tiplar."

"Wait…" Ahsoka shakily said, "So you believe that this Order 66 was what caused them to do this? Like, uh, a code word?"

"Yes." The clone bit his lip.

"This could be happening to all the Jedi across the galaxy right now!" Ahsoka cried, then came to a realization. "Well, why didn't you attack me?"

"Based off of Fives' research, I removed my chip. See?" He pointed to his head, where a small healing scar could be seen. "I convinced Wolffe and Gregor to remove theirs too."

Ahsoka put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "At least I know that I can trust you, then." Rex smiled and they continued through the shadows.

"You do realize that if there isn't any record of you being killed, they'll assume that you're still alive." They had just gotten a report from Bo-Katan saying that there had been a galaxy-wide execution of Order 66; the Jedi had been accused of treason against the new Empire.

It was a massacre.

"Well, if we can't be alive, then we'll just have to die," Ahsoka said vaguely.

"I'm not sure I understand, Commander," Rex said while narrowing his eyes.

"Bo-Katan's forces killed a bunch of clones, right?" Ahsoka asked.

"Yeah?"

"Well, if we take one of the dead men and put him in a false grave along with your kama and pauldron, and my lightsabers…"

Rex laughed, "I see where this is going. But Ahsoka, your lightsabers?"

The Togruta looked down. "My master always told me, 'This weapon is your life.' But we've got to do whatever's needed right now." Her head snapped up and her eyes shone with mischief. "Rex, hand me those debris." He picked up a large beam of wood that wasn't charred and handed it to her. "Do you still have a knife?"

"Always carry it around," Rex murmured. Ahsoka snatched it away and started to carve something into the wood in Basic: Here lies the clone who killed Ahsoka Tano.

Rex took off his pauldron and kama. Ahsoka always liked to tease him about his 'skirt.' The Togrutan Jedi stared down at her lightsabers. Her main blade had been with her for years, supporting her. She recalled the time that she lost it, and Master Sinube had helped her retrieve it. But she wouldn't need those lightsaber anymore.

Ahsoka Tano would die with the rest of the Jedi.

They had taken a dead clone and stripped him of his armor. They put the armor into a hole that Ahsoka had dug with her bare hands along with the two lightsabers and Rex's gear. Once they filled in the 'grave,' Ahsoka stuck the 'gravestone' into the ground.

She grinned. "There we go, Rexter. We're both officially dead."

"That's reassuring," Rex joked. For a second, they were silent, until Rex pulled Ahsoka into a hug.

"I'll miss you, Commander," he said, and for once Ahsoka could tell that his serious facade was gone. They had agreed that they would split up in the Outer Rim; separated, they would be less conspicuous.

"You too, Captain." Suddenly, her comlink beeped.

"Ahsoka. Ahsoka! Kriff it, Snips!" It couldn't be…

"Anakin?" she spoke into her comlink.

"Ahsoka, you're alive!" said Anakin in relief.

"Yeah? So are you," she said.

"Listen, the Empire can't intercept this transmission, so listen carefully: I'm sending you coordinates for Polis Massa."

"Polis Massa?" She raised an eyebrow. "Why there?"

"Trust me," Anakin said, "you'll find out."

"Okay…" she muttered. "And I'm bringing Rex."

"Ahsoka, I'm not sure that's the best - "

"He helped me escape," she said simply, and Rex looked down at her graciously.

"Alright. Sending coordinates. And remember to erase all records of this transmission." The comlink beeped off.

"Okay, Polis Massa," Rex said, shoving his helmet back on. "How do we get there?"

"I've got a ship; but we have to be careful," she explained. "I'm sure there are still some troopers in the capital, but I landed just outside city limits."

They made their way back to Sundari, Rex giving Ahsoka one of his pistols for protection, though she'd rather her lightsabers.

When they took off, clones just saw another Republic fighter flying through the atmosphere.

Ahsoka sat in the back of the ship while Rex piloted. She was cautious looking on the holonet; she wasn't sure what she would find.

No, she wasn't afraid. She was a Jedi. She looked at the list: a list of dead Jedi.

The first name was Mace Windu. Master Windu was dead? Apparently, his body had been found outside of the Senate Building by civilians who reported that one of his hands had been cut off.

Then Kit Fisto, Agen Kolar, and Saesee Tiin.

Aayla Secura. Aayla was dead, too?

Ki-Adi-Mundi.

Shaak Ti.

Stass Allie.

Then -

No. No!

Plo Koon. Master Plo was dead. The father figure that she had had for years… was gone. She choked back a sob and managed to keep looking on the list.

Names. More and more names. After about fifty, she had to stop. Cradling herself, making sure that Rex couldn't hear, she cried for the thousands of losses and managed to skip down to the bottom of the list.

Ahsoka Tano, reported dead on Mandalore.

She managed a smile. The plan had succeeded. Now, she was going to find Anakin.

What exactly was on Polis Massa?

Well, that last part was depressing. Oh, don't worry, they get more and more depressing as the story goes on!

This was my idea on how the Siege of Mandalore went about. Obviously, we know what they'll find on Polis Massa...

Thanks for reading, and make sure to review! It always makes my day. Also, tell me what you think about Solo after you see it.

May the Force be with you and God bless!

-HH