Head throbbing, stomach lurching, Ahsoka felt her eyes shift in and out of focus as the pain in her skull became too severe to ignore. Her hands were numb, like her wrists had just been squeezed for all they were worth. Ahead of her, she could see her commander lying against the far wall. Save for the faint groaning that came from his voice, the man was motionless. Both his helmet and complementing visor still bore the orange hues of her face as tribute.
"Commander," Ahsoka uttered, voice weak as she outstretched a hand to reach him. Taking a breath of air, she nearly choked on the fumes of death that hung like a blanket of fog around them. Her hand was inches from him when she felt immense pressure on her back. The air in her chest shot forth, and she nearly suffocated on the spot when the pressure abruptly loosened.
"Keep the heretic alive," came a dark, multilayered voice from the black abyss of the hallway. "For now, anyways."
"Supreme Commander," came the voice of the one crushing Ahsoka's lungs. "Her weapons. Is this one of those sorcerers?"
"Indeed." Ahsoka heard footsteps to her right, and tilted her head toward the disturbance. All she saw were the remains of clone troopers, their bodies ravaged and torn. Their helmets still contained the orange paint they had adorned nearly a decade prior. How long it had been since the war, yet even still the love they held for her never faltered. Now they were dead, reduced to rotting flesh in the corridor of a Venator drifting alone in space. Then, kicking the helmet of a lifeless trooper as it passed, the silhouette of a monstrous creature came into view. His armor was gray, thorned, resembling that of a large crab. In his hand he held a staff, of which the end of it was shaped like the head of a serpent. Upon closer inspection, Ahsoka came to the horrifying conclusion it was a serpent, still alive and well within the creature's grasp.
"What…" Ahsoka rasped out, "what are you?"
"We are the Chosen Race," came the voice from beyond. "The gods' instruments of war. Your worlds will fall at our knees, or be left in eternal silence," the voice appeared to sneer, and then Ahsoka saw its face. That horrible, mangled, dagger-like face.
It was the beginning of the end.
#
Twenty Hours Prior, 10 AV (After Victory)
The new temple was something to behold. Resurrected several miles from where the former had once stood, the new facility stood as a watchful guardian over the surrounding cityscape that was Galactic City, Coruscant. Though still under construction, with the uppermost levels of the temple mostly unfinished, its sheer size was a testament to the ingenuity of engineers and laborers alike. When it was first being designed, the Jedi masters were approached by the then Chancellor Bail Organa with a recommendation to create a more spire-like structure, one that could tower over the world as a symbol of protection. The Council agreed. With its lower levels dedicated to the retrieval of archives as well as security, the main levels above provided ample space for training alongside hangar bays full of traffic from Jedi returning and embarking on missions. Among the most notable sites atop the spiraling walkways of the temple were the massive courtyards that intermingled among the many levels of the facility as a way of livening up the views. With private security teams patrolling the grounds alongside newly promoted Temple Guards, the home of the Jedi Order was safer than it had ever been before. Yet, even mighty factions like the Jedi had their demons, and on that day one was rediscovered.
Within the depths of Coruscant's lower levels, salvage vessels combed the dark abyss with their headlights on full power, scanning through debris of the old temple alongside ruins of the levels below it that came undone when the explosion occurred. Often they were unsuccessful in their efforts, with only a few tons of rubble being sifted through at a time. The salvage teams were about to call it in for the day when one's scanner suddenly showed a faint blip in its screen. The Aqualish pilot turned his ship back to temple ruins, and there he spotted an object shimmering in his vessel's headlights. Within the hour, it was retrieved and sent back to the Jedi Temple, where a pair of eager masters stood awaiting its arrival.
Ki-Adi-Mundi and Mace Windu watched the salvage vessel pull into the hangar bay, its landing gear unfolding as it set down before the Jedi with a loud, crackling thud. Mace winced at the sight of the Aqualish, who appeared somewhat intoxicated by the way he stumbled forward. In his hand he carried an ancient holocron, its outer shell cracked from the great fall it suffered during the collapse of the old temple. Looking into the Aqualish's opposing hand, Windu spotted a canister of sansanna spices and concluded the source of the man's intoxication.
Outstretching his hand, Windu took the holocron gently in his grasp before glancing over at Mundi. The Cerean nodded to him before unveiling a small case of Republic credits, which the Aqualish happily took in hand before departing on his salvage vessel.
"An… interesting fellow, if ever I've seen one," Windu remarked before looking down at the holocron within his hands. He noticed the intricate design of its outer shell, the celestial objects outlined as if it were a map, and finally what appeared to be a serpent carved along its underside. Upon noticing it, Windu's eyebrows raised.
Master Mundi was quick to notice the man's change in expression, and looked to him with a hint of curiosity on his face. "What is it?"
"These markings. I've never seen anything like them," Windu said, eyes transfixed on the object. "This holocron must be thousands of years old."
Mundi cocked his head at Mace's response, wondering how such an ancient holocron could have survived the temple's destruction. Surely they would have been destroyed alongside the others. However, when his eyes finally traced over the object, he came to share Windu's sentiment. "Perhaps Master Yoda will know more about it."
Windu nodded. "Perhaps."
While the masters sought out the wisest of their ranks, a pair of the Jedi's most respected were docking in the hangar above. A freighter resembling that of the ancient Dynamic-class slid violently across the pristine surface of the hangar, its mangled landing gear scraping along the ground and sending flaming sparks in all directions. Onlookers were forced to dive out of the way as the vessel tore up the hangar, only for its motion to grind to a halt when several Jedi in the vicinity threw up their hands, allowing the Force to stop the ship in its tracks. The freighter was smoking, and from the outside it appeared as if a fire had started in the cockpit. Those in the hangar looked on with curiosity, too dumbfounded to move, when the boarding ramp suddenly unfurled.
Through the haze of smoke that escaped the ship's interior came two rugged figures, the edges of their wears singed by the flames of the vessel's inner workings. Wheezing and coughing on their way out, the two finally stopped to catch their breath once they had moved a safe distance away from the hunk of metal.
"Anakin," came the grumbling voice of the typically charming Obi-Wan Kenobi, whose enflamed brown cloak had been tossed to the ground to avoid torching his own skin. The fair-faced man's beard was thick from his years of abstention from shaving, and his blue eyes contained the gaze of a person who had seen death mere moments prior. "I told you the ship was too damaged to risk a hyperspace jump."
His younger counterpart had his hands on his knees, allowing his dark blonde hair to fall straight down over his eyes. Anakin was laughing. "Well, it worked didn't it?" He rose to full height a moment later, the scar over his right eye having faded considerably over the decade since its formation.
Obi-Wan wanted to chastise the man, to criticize him for a maneuver that nearly led to their deaths, but in the end found himself laughing alongside his friend.
A Jedi Knight approached from across the way, unable to conceal his frustration at the damage down to the hangar. "Masters," he addressed the pair of men before him, "what exactly happened out there?!"
"Pirates," Anakin answered, his demeanor as calm as ever despite the circumstance. "Got a few lucky shots at us." His arms crossed as he looked to Obi-Wan. "I would've fired back, but Master Kenobi felt an unarmed ship would be more appropriate for our mission."
"Pirates in the Core Worlds?" the knight questioned.
"We'll make a formal inquiry about them later," Anakin waved off the man as he and Obi-Wan stepped toward the turbolift at the rear of the hangar, leaving others to clean up the mess they had made. Once inside, their minds were eased by the silence of the quiet lift. All that could be heard was the humming of the turbolift's engines as it took them up through the many levels of the temple.
Obi-Wan took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, and exhaled. He still found it hard to believe they were alright after coming so close to the end. His mind replayed the incident like it was a movie, which only pumped more stress into his body. Fortunately, Anakin's voice disrupted his train of thought before it could worsen.
"Never imagined venom-mites could be so dangerous," Anakin commented, tilting his head slightly ajar as he thought back to their expedition on Draboon.
"Yes," Obi-Wan replied, his tone somber when he recalled the last time he had encountered such creatures.
Anakin turned to his friend, and upon seeing Obi-Wan's expression, realized the problem. "You were with Satine the last time you traveled there, weren't you?"
Obi-Wan tried to form a smile, anything positive to lighten the mood, but alas his mind would not allow it. "Quite right," he said. "It was as hectic an encounter back then as it was this time around."
"I'm sorry," Anakin uttered, sympathy apparent on his face when he looked to the man who had long served as his mentor for years, and who still did from time to time.
"It's not your fault," Obi-Wan replied. "But it does hurt knowing I will never see her again."
"Who knows? Maybe you will someday," Anakin said, trying to put a bright spin on the situation.
Obi-Wan's eyes shut, like he wanted to believe his protégé, only to shake his head all the same. "That's not how it works, Anakin. You know that." He then gestured to the space between them. "We lucky few can manifest our consciousness when we pass on, to be one with the Force forever." Sorrow welled up in his voice for a fraction of a second before he regained control of his composure. "This is not so for others, and we must accept that if we are to truly realize our stations."
Anakin rolled his eyes. "As wise as always, Obi-Wan."
"I have a good friend who keeps my wits intact," Obi-Wan replied, a smile finally on his face as his eyes met with those of his colleague. Their moment was brought to an end by the sweeping open of the turbolift's doors to reveal red and gray carpeting along the floor that lead to the makeshift Council Chamber. The real one was still awaiting construction.
The pair of men walked across the hallway separating them from their destination and came to stand before the handful of masters that still remained in the Order. Masters Mace Windu and Ki-Adi-Mundi sat enthroned on their seats, and between them was the fabled, green-skinned Master Yoda, whose legs were crossed over one another in his cushioned chair.
"Masters," Anakin and Obi-Wan said in unison as they bowed their heads in respect.
A concerned look was on Yoda's face as he cupped his hands together, and he gestured for the men to approach. "An important discovery we have made today," he spoke to the pair.
"You don't sound very enthused," Anakin replied, eying the master as he and Obi-Wan drew nearer.
Yoda gave a solemn nod of the head. "A dark secret, for a long time, kept from us it has been." He then revealed the damaged holocron the others had retrieved from the salvager, and stretching it out before him, began to manipulate the Force. The holocron's edges twisted and bent, removing themselves once they came undone from the rest of the object. The holocron burst open, with several holographic documents unrolling like scrolls before the group. The first document contained several paragraphs of writing, but as the Jedi tried to decipher the text, they came to realize it was an outdated dialect of the common Aurebesh alphabet mixed with just a hint of Outer Rim Basic. It was the second document that truly caught their attention. It was full of images, with the first being that of a massive, spiral-like object floating alongside a moon. Because it was somewhat obscured by the moon, the light of the star beyond did not fully illuminate its figure, causing its shape to appear somewhat ambiguous. However, from the image enough could be discerned: the object was the size of a moon.
Obi-Wan put a hand to his bearded chin in thought. "What is that?"
"A ship," Windu answered. "Cross referencing this image with the galactic database, we found reports from a Mandalorian team dating back a few thousand years. They described it as a worldship, but little else was gleamed before the ship disappeared." A grim look appeared on his face, and he spared a glance at Mundi before continuing. "However, the report did claim the vessel fired some form of plasma projectile at them. It was enough to shred their ship's armor."
Obi-Wan's head was only filled with more thoughts, and then he saw the second image. It was a creature whose appearance first made him think of the Zabrak race, with flashbacks of the infamous Sith Lord, Maul, coming to mind. However, upon closer inspection he realized many of the thorns and spikes coming off the creature were from its armor. It held a long, staff-like object in its grasp. "What is this thing?"
"That's what we want to find out," Windu replied. "We believe—"
The central communicator in the chamber began to ping, cutting Windu off mid-sentence. The masters shared glances with one another, curious to who could be hailing them, and decided it was more important to acknowledge the communication than ignore it for the sake of their own meeting. The device activated with a pleasant hum, and displayed the colored image of a well-dressed official moments later. Wearing the robes of the Republic's supreme authority, Chancellor Bel Noramu appeared before the Jedi.
Dark-skinned and clean-shaven, the man was rather tall as far as humans came, and though his head was devoid of hair, his glowing green eyes drew all attention away from his scalp. "Apologies for the intrusion, Master Jedi," he addressed those before him. "This matter could not wait."
Windu cocked an eyebrow at the figure before them, unsure of how true the man's words actually were. Though kind-hearted, Noramu often failed to grasp what was truly urgent from what was rather unimportant in the grand scheme of things. "What do you have for us?" Windu reluctantly asked.
A grim expression laid on Noramu's face. "We had a Venator-class star destroyer garrisoning the system of Utapau. It had been checking in on regular rotation until forty-eight hours ago. An Arquitens-class cruiser was sent to investigate, but it too has not reported back. It's been twenty-four hours since last contact was made," the man explained.
"With all due respect, this sounds like a military matter," Windu pointed out. "We're not soldiers."
Noramu gave a slight nod of the head. "I understand, Master Jedi, but I fear we may be dealing with something beyond the capabilities of my troops."
It was then Anakin interjected. "The clones are excellent soldiers. Send commandos if you need to."
Noramu looked at Anakin like a mother would a misunderstanding child. "Quite right, but our ranks are no longer swelled with clones like they used to. It was nine years ago we began allowing commoners to join up, what with clones resigning and all." He went on to say that, while millions of clones remained in the armed forces, their ranks had become greatly saturated by soldiers who were often less than capable. "The galaxy has been kind to us in this time of peace, but peace is often a substance on which soldiers gorge themselves. It fattens them with weakness." He then gestured to the Jedi in front of him. "But your lot have stayed fresh and healthy through it all. It is that health, that tenacity and strength which is needed."
The Jedi sat back in thought, pondering what options they had. Obi-Wan was the first to draw a conclusion. "Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano is presently on Naboo. She is the closest to Utapau."
Anakin was quick to interrupt. "Yeah, but she's on leave."
Obi-Wan tilted his head as if to question Anakin's phrasing. "She's been on leave for well over a week. If the Chancellor has need of the Order, he should get it."
Anakin put up a hand as if to say something else, but fell silent when he correctly judged the effort would be futile. "Fine," he relinquished. "I'll get in touch with her."
Noramu smiled at their acquiescence. "I'll have a fleet meet her in Theed. She will serve as a fine addition to their ranks."
Anakin raised an eyebrow. "Who are you sending?"
"The 501st," Noramu stated. "It's like you said: we need excellent soldiers for this operation, and though it may prove to be just a wild bantha chase, I'd rather send in overkill than realize we should've sent more." With that, the Chancellor nodded to the masters and ended his transmission.
Anakin sighed. "She's not going to be happy about this."
Obi-Wan looked to his friend and put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. They both knew what it was like to run the errands they disagreed with for the Council, but it had to be done. For the greater good, sometimes people had to do what they disliked. "Tell her the sooner she finishes her mission, the sooner she can return to her vacation," he said.
#
Ahsoka, holoprojector in hand, was flustered by the news she had received. The image of her former master, Anakin Skywalker, displayed on the handheld device, and his news did not please her. "They want me to drop everything just because someone's failed to check in?" she questioned, eyebrows furrowing at the seeming idiocy of the request.
Anakin gave a reluctant nod. "I know it's a bizarre situation, but these orders are coming from the Chancellor himself."
"We're not even soldiers anymore!"
Anakin barely managed to stifle a laugh. "We told him the exact same thing." Then, his expression turned to one of seriousness, like a leader taking charge of a frustrating situation. "Ahsoka, I know how much this vacation's meant for your family. Just do this one thing, and you'll be free to take it easy the rest of the week. Heck, take the rest of the month to unwind if you want."
Ahsoka grumbled. "No one here's going to be happy with the news."
Anakin smirked at her remark. "I imagine the twins are going to be disappointed, but they can manage on their own. Padme's always been good with them like that."
Ahsoka leaned back on her plush bed and sighed. "I guess there's no getting out of this. I'll inform you when my task's been completed."
Anakin was about to end his transmission when a final bit of information surfaced. "Oh, one more thing: you'll be meeting Commander Ridge at the Theed spaceport."
Ahsoka perked up. "The 501st's coming along?"
"It's technically their mission," Anakin informed her. "The Chancellor wants you there to ensure everything goes smoothly."
"Right," Ahsoka nodded with a hint of sarcasm, as if the 501st needed her presence. The pair said their goodbyes, and Anakin's transmission ended a moment later. The woman took a deep breath as she closed her eyes, all the while wondering what she was going to say to the others. She had little time to get her thoughts in order, as a knock at the door returned her to the real world. Ahsoka whipped her head about, and saw her partner standing in the doorway. "Lux," she smiled, though a hint of sorrow peeked across her expression at the thought of giving him the bad news.
Adorned in the fine attire of a politician, Lux had grown a surprising amount in the past decade. He was taller, stronger, and his brown hair had grown out considerably. "Something wrong, Ahsoka?" he asked as he walked across the room toward her. "The others are getting ready for lunch as we speak."
Ahsoka sighed, her arms going to her knees for support as her jaw fell agape. "I'm sorry Lux, but the Council has instructed me to undertake a mission on Utapau."
Lux's face contorted with confusion. "I don't understand. They know you're on leave, right?"
"They did," Ahsoka nodded. "But these orders are coming from the Chancellor himself."
A hint of irritation was on Lux's face, not in any way toward Ahsoka but rather the higher powers that cared little to the prior arrangements of others. Before allowing his frustration to show, the man took a step back and steadied his breaths. "Alright," he finally said. "How long will you be gone?"
Ahsoka shrugged. "Hopefully not long. We just need to find some missing ships."
"I suppose dinner's out of the question then," Lux remarked, almost smiling at his own comment.
"This time anyways," Ahsoka admitted with a frown. She then pushed herself away from the bed and took a step toward him. "I promise, once I get back, we'll have a nice, quiet evening together." By then she was mere inches from him, and leaned in close to give him a peck on the cheek.
"I'd like that very much," Lux replied with a smile. He felt Ahsoka's body brush past his as she went to their closet for her lightsabers. While she was shuffling her stuff around, he suddenly turned to her with conviction. "Remember, they chose you because you're the best there is," he stated in an effort to raise her spirits.
Ahsoka turned to him with a smug grin. "They chose me because I'm the closest to Utapau."
Lux thought it over in his mind, and sighed when he realized the truth of her words. "Okay, perhaps, but you'll always be the best in my heart."
Ahsoka playfully rolled her eyes at him. "Spoken like a true politician."
"I would hope not," Lux replied. "Most are bloodthirsty liars."
"But not you," Ahsoka smiled. It took her a few minutes to get her stuff around, but once she was ready, Lux escorted her out of the palace toward the main road leading out to Theed's spaceport. Padme and the twins met them there to wish Ahsoka farewell, with Luke and Leia giving her the most emphatic hugs she had ever received, even from Lux. Once they had finished trying to squeeze the life out of her, she gave Padme a comparatively gentle embrace before turning to Lux. Her body pressed against his for a brief moment, and they joined in a farewell kiss before she pulled away in order to avoid missing her ride out to the spaceport.
Waiting for her at the base of the palace was a hovering carriage led by a pair of bipedal kaadu, a favorite species of the local Gungans. Once Ahsoka had climbed aboard, the Gungan driver whipped the animals into action, and they began pulling away from the palace with haste. Ahsoka stared out the back window of the carriage, waving final goodbyes to those closest to her. The children were the most expressive about their waves, but it was Lux who appeared the most distraught. A grim look was on his face, even despite his effort to appear cheery. Ahsoka wanted to wrap her arms around him all over again, to tell him it would not be long, but it was too late for that. Despite her life being consumed by the Order, Lux had always appeared alright, even supportive of her lifestyle. He was a senator after all, and much of his time was also spent traveling. Yet, because of their professions, they rarely saw each other. It amused Ahsoka to think of how little time she had been around her spouse, the very reason this trip meant so much to both of them, and now it had been brought to a screeching halt. She hoped to reconcile the disastrous moment with him later, but little did she understand what lay ahead. Those quiet moments of her carriage ride were some of the last she would ever experience.
#
Theed had always been one of the major tourist sites for people visiting Naboo. Not only was it the world's seat of power, but its beautiful architecture contained generations of history within their ancient walls. Situated atop a luscious plateau, great rivers flowed throughout the upper city before turning into grand waterfalls as they cascaded over the plateau's edges into the green landscape below. Though many of the same sights could be seen from the spaceport, often there was too much air traffic to allow for the same tremendous views. This was what Ahsoka arrived to when she disembarked from her carriage. Freighters and leisure ships were arriving and departing from Theed in droves alongside trader vessels coming from the nearby planets of Crait and Sullust.
It did not take long for Ahsoka to pick out the bright red hull of a Consular-class cruiser docked on a nearby landing pad reserved for official business. The ship's main ramp had been extended, and it was flanked by a pair of 501st sentries. The clones wore signature blue markings on their armor, and each held a DC-15A firmly within their hands. Ahead of them stood another with his hands behind his back. Ahsoka's jaw lowered slightly as she took in the markings of the clone's armor. His helmet contained an extended visor as a signature of his rank, and short-range antennas shot up from either side of his helmet. It was not the attachments of the helmet that caught Ahsoka's attention, however, but rather the orange hues that ran across it. They were shaped like the markings of her own face.
In the final days of the Clone Wars, many troopers of the 501st painted their helmets in honor of her return to their ranks before they began their mission to overthrow the corrupt government of Mandalore. After they foiled Lord Sidious's plans, the entire division under Commander Rex added the orange hues to their helmets as a show of loyalty, and together they fought the final battle of the Clone Wars, which came to be known as the Siege of Coruscant. In the aftermath, both the Dark Lord Sidious and his former apprentice Maul were killed, and the enemies of the Republic were vanquished. That was a decade ago, and Ahsoka thought she had moved on from war. She believed the troops had too. Seeing such a helmet reminded her of all the death and destruction that had occurred in a matter of hours, but also of the undying faithfulness many showed on that day. Her mind was not put at ease, but she was reinvigorated. "Commander," she addressed the soldier before her.
"Lady Tano," the commander responded before gesturing for her to follow him aboard the ship. "The general is eagerly awaiting you in orbit."
"Has anything developed in the last few hours?" Ahsoka asked while the pair stepped inside the cruiser, with the sentries following close behind.
"A few reports have come in from Utapau's surface about strange activity, but otherwise nothing conclusive," Ridge informed her.
Ahsoka crossed her arms as the cruiser's boarding hatch sealed. "Let's get to the bottom of this then," she said, with the commander nodding in agreement.
#
Within the hour, three Venators loomed over Utapau's northern hemisphere, with a pair of Consular cruisers bringing up the rear of their formation. Aboard the fleet's flagship, the Vanquisher, Ahsoka and Commander Ridge entered the main bridge just as the fleet's general was relaying orders to his subordinates. The heavily padded blue armor of the ARC trooper was unmistakable to Ahsoka, and she approached the man in stride while Ridge followed closely behind.
The ARC trooper turned to see the pair drawing near, and removed his helmet which had the Republic's emblem inscribed on the front of it. The man's bald head as adorned in the same fashion as his helmet, with the emblem of the Republic tatted around his left eye.
"The Jedi Knight finally returns," the man grinned.
"Glad to see you're still leading these men, Jesse," Ahsoka replied.
"Yeah, well…" Jesse began to say, scratching the back of his neck as if he was somewhat embarrassed by what he wanted to convey. "It's been very different these past couple years. The legion's not what it used to be, that's for certain." He then gestured to those around them. "More than seventy percent of its original members were killed in the final days of the war, and I've been forced to pick up the pieces."
Ridge stood silently listening to the general talk, his helmet keeping whatever emotions he may have had concealed.
"We only had a few hundred to trudge forward with, and out of those that remained, even more chose to give up the army, like our good friend," Jesse remarked, and the pair shared a mutual understanding of who he was referring to. "At first clones were transferred from other legions, but now half our force is made entirely of commoners."
Ahsoka could hear the displeasure in his voice. "You don't sound very enthused by that."
Jesse's shoulders sank. "They're just not clones, that much I can tell. They weren't trained for war like we were, and though many have risen to the challenges of armed service, many more have shown they're only here for the paycheck."
"I know you can shape them up," Ahsoka tried to encourage him.
Jesse shook his head in disbelief. "I'm afraid only war can shape up this batch." Commotion from the front of the bridge drew the pair away from their conversation.
"Sir," one of the officers reported. "Our deep space scanners are picking up something near the far gas giant."
"What's the distance?" Jesse asked.
"About forty million klicks. It's possible the object is an asteroid, though such an event is unlikely given the proximity of orbit to the planet," the officer reported.
Making quick work of the information at hand, Jesse gestured for the officer to get on comms. "Plot a course to the object. Have the rest of the fleet stay behind to follow up leads on the surface. I want a report from Lieutenant Kix within the hour," he ordered.
"Right away," the officer nodded before getting to work alongside other crewmembers of the bridge.
Jesse then turned to Ahsoka. "You think it's the lost ships?"
The woman looked out on the empty expanse of space beyond, the only light visible being that reflected by the gas giant and the stars of distant systems. "I don't know, but we can certainly hope."
Troopers all over the ship began suiting up, blasters and helmets in hand as they moved to standby positions. No one was sure what to expect from such an expedition, and while some were thrilled by the notion of seeing action, others were less enthused. One soldier, shorter than most others, stepped wearily into the hallway with his helmet tucked beneath his arm. Stubble was around his mouth, and his crewcut blonde hair had Zanzibar bolts carved along its sides. The man's hazel eyes peered around the corner to spot a platoon of suited up clones marching toward the turbolift at the end of the hall. He prepared to place his helm over his face when he felt a shoulder crash against his, causing him to drop his helmet. He whipped around to see the intimidating uniform of a commando.
Blue stripes ran down the clones arms, and his torso had two stripes conjoining at his chest. His helmet was painted in orange markings. "Watch yourself, commoner," the gruff commando warned before marching past.
Following behind was a clone dressed in the heavy padding of an ARC trooper, whose helmet contained three blue stripes running down it. "Don't worry about Karma. He's just like some of the others. Doesn't think commoners measure up quite yet," the clone said to him in a cool, level-headed sort of way that inspired ease of mind.
"Wish they'd get used to us faster," the commoner remarked as he picked up his helmet. "You never told me your name."
"Darius," the ARC trooper responded. "Now yours."
"Gage Daiyacus, of Ord Mantell," the man replied.
"Ah, right," Darius remarked as he put a hand to the side of his helmet. "Forgot you people have last names." He then gestured for the man to follow.
"You don't?" Gage asked, placing his helmet over his head as he took off after the hastily moving trooper. The only distinguishing mark of his helmet was a small lightning bolt on its right side.
"Just numbers, Gage," Darius replied. "Just numbers."
Back on the bridge, Ahsoka and Jesse were continuing their talk while the Venator moved into position. It would be on top of their target in minutes.
"Still using the same ships after all these years?" Ahsoka questioned as she looked around at the various technologies that had officers so fixated.
"Mostly," Jesse admitted with a pained look. "But technological advancements have been made. This Venator is a Mark II variant. It's got stronger shields, more guns, and ripper cables that can tear holes in unsuspecting vessels."
"Impressive," Ahsoka idly remarked, as her eyes were to the objects beyond the bridge. It was some form of debris, and they were coming up on it fast.
Jesse's eyes narrowed as he tried to get a better look at what was before them, and almost asked Ahsoka to try sensing it out when an officer rose from his chair. Jesse turned to the man, timid curiosity welling inside him as he awaited the officer's words.
"Our scanners are picking up a vague outline of the celestial objects," the officer reported before projecting the display on the main holotable. The image was indeed vague, but the crew could see enough.
Jesse's expression turned grim as he and Ahsoka approached the holotable. "It's the Venator alright." From the image, it appeared the vessel's bridges had been completely blown away, and chunks of its hull floated freely in space around its main body. Not far from it was a smaller chunk of debris both of them took to be the Arquitens.
"We should check for survivors," Ahsoka instinctively uttered.
"No need," Jesse replied. He then turned to the officers and ordered them to dispatch probes to the outer reaches of the system.
Ahsoka looked to the man in astonishment. "You can't be serious. There could still be men alive out there, trapped. Your brothers could—"
Jesse whipped about, his demeanor turning stern as he pointed to the image. "Ahsoka, look at that!" He forced the woman to gaze at the debris once more, the ruins of once mighty Republic ships, now mangled husks of metal. "Something tore those ships apart, and it could do the same to us if we don't play this smart. Hanging back and allowing the probes to do their job is our safest bet."
Ahsoka crossed her arms. "When have you cared about playing it safe?" She then pointed to the holoimage as well. "The main body of that Venator is still intact. If there's even a chance men are alive out there, we owe it to them to help."
Jesse groaned at the thought. "I understand you're concerned. I am too, but my men's lives are at stake here. Can't you see that? We can't just rush into things."
"Then send me," Ahsoka pleaded. "Let me go alone and I'll see if anyone survived."
Jesse found himself surprised by her gumption, and for a brief moment looked back at the holoimage. He sighed, a hand going to his face as he thought of the many ways their situation could go wrong. "No. The Jedi can't risk losing another of their own."
Ahsoka, disgusted by his lack of faith in her, turned away from him as she prepared to leave the bridge of her own volition. "I'm not asking."
Jesse simply shook his head. "With all due respect, you're not a commander anymore, and this isn't up for debate." Then he looked to Commander Ridge, and the pair exchanged nods before turning to Ahsoka. "I can't send you alone, but, you are right. Perhaps there are survivors, and I doubt they have long to live. Commander Ridge will accompany you along with a platoon of our finest."
Ahsoka turned back to the man with an expression of satisfaction. She shared the faintest of nods with him before looking to Ridge, who was already gesturing for her to head toward the lift. They had moved several paces from the holotable when Jesse abruptly called out to them.
"Be safe," he urged. "And Ahsoka…"
The woman tilted her head.
"We're glad to have you back," he said, a smirk on his face as he waved farewell to the woman. "So please don't die on us."
#
The team boarded through an auxiliary hatch on the Venator's port side, with Ahsoka leading the way as they ventured down the nearest corridor. Lights flickered in the dark shaft before finally going out a moment later, at which point Ahsoka reached for her hip. Grabbing hold of her lightsabers, she held them out before her and allowed their blue hues to drench the corridor in light. Following her lead, the squad of clones activated their helmet lamps. "Stay close," Ahsoka said the others before journeying further down the corridor.
Ridge looked back to the troops, all of whom had orange-hued helmets in honor of Ahsoka, and ordered them to tighten their formation. While the team pressed onward, one of the men leaned in to another.
"Can you believe Lady Tano's actually back? I never thought I'd live to see the day," the clone remarked.
"Yeah yeah, Crosswire, it's very exciting," the other said with a roll of his head.
"I was there, you know," Crosswire followed up. "By Commander Rex's side during the closing stages of the siege, when Saxon led his army in a final offensive. We held the line until the Nite Owls arrived, and from there we knew the battle was won."
"Real exciting, Crosswire," the other trooper said in a less-than-enthused tone before gesturing for the man to keep his eyes forward.
The group rounded a bend in the corridor to find a hallway that still glimmered, and moved further into the ship when moans suddenly caught Ahsoka's attention. Turning to the right, she headed down another hallway which led to a shaft near the escape pods. Arms in front of her, she readied herself for what might be found when she rounded the final corner, only to find herself relieved when no surprises graced her vision. What she did find, however, were the remains of several troopers dressed in standard armor. "Check them," she ordered her men before moving to aid one herself. He was dead. Taking a deep breath, Ahsoka tapped into the Force in an effort to speed up their process, and her eyes widened as she took in the sensation of life. She turned away from the dead trooper and spotted another against the inner wall of the room. "There," she said as her arm went up.
Ridge was the first to check on the soldier, and knelt by his side before removing the man's helmet. Beneath it was the face of a clone, bloodied from some previous excursion, whose head was shaved bald. "Trooper, are you alright?"
The man's face was pale, his eyes empty, yet he managed to shake his head ever-so-slightly to the side. "We're already dead."
Paying his words no mind, Ridge grabbed the man by his shoulder. "We're getting you out of here."
In a burst of energy, the clone lurched forward toward Ridge's helmet, his hand pressed against the man's chest. His eyes were manic with terror, and his dry lips managed to utter, "They're still here." As quickly as he pushed himself upon the commander, his body fell lifeless against the wall of the hallway.
Ridge checked for a pulse, but after a moment hung his head in shame. "He's dead."
The other clones raised their weapons. "He said something's still here," Crosswire remarked, his body tensing at the thought of some monstrous creature lurking in the shadows.
Ridge looked to Ahsoka. "Can you sense anything?"
Ahsoka closed her eyes, tension flowing out of her body as she calmed her mind. She felt the Force all around her, moving through the bodies of her men, and even through herself. There was, however, nothing else. She sensed the presence of no other, and opened her eyes to look upon the faceless masks of her men despite the fear she knew they held. "Nothing. I feel nothing," she said, when the floorboards above her shifted.
Ridge was quick to act. "Rifles!" he barked to the others before pointing his massive DC-15A to the ceiling. The others followed suit, and together the seven clones circled up as they prepared to shoot anything that came from above. But nothing came.
Ahsoka looked up with intrigue, wondering what sort of creature could have avoided being sensed through the Force, when suddenly a chill went down her spine. She blinked, and by the time her eyes opened, she could see the silhouette of something further down the hallway, like a ghost among the shadows. Before she had a chance to move, she felt an arm shove her aside.
"Get down, Commander!" Crosswire shouted as he and another came to stand between her and the figure.
Ahsoka felt her heart skip a beat when the floorboards behind them came crashing down. She heard blaster fire, followed by cries of pain as her troopers fell. She whipped around to face whatever monster had outmaneuvered them, only for her mind to be sent spinning when a fist as strong as stone collided with her skull. She collapsed on the ground, her lightsabers sliding along its surface to finally stop at the feet of Commander Ridge, who had been thrown against the inner wall of the hallway. Ahsoka heard blaster fire from the other direction, and tried to reach her lightsabers in order to help. As she was inches from her blades, immense pressure on her back suddenly knocked the wind out of her. She gasped for all she was worth, but felt nothing come back in. All that was left to breathe was the aroma of death that permeated every crevice of the hallway. Looking to where Crosswire had stood, she found two lifeless clones along the ground, their helmets still bearing a mark of loyalty to her. She felt the pressure on her back intensify, and knew it was only a matter of moments before her spine snapped. Her eyes closed, and she readied herself to become one with the Force when, to her astonishment, she felt the pressure subside.
"Keep the heretic alive," she heard a dark, multilayered voice utter from the black abyss beyond her position. "For now, anyways."
"Supreme Commander," came the voice of the one crushing Ahsoka's lungs. "Her weapons. Is this one of those sorcerers?"
"Indeed." Ahsoka watched as the silhouette from earlier stepped into frame, kicking the helmet of Crosswire as it approached. The figure was tall, perhaps eight feet in height, whose armor bore thick horns on its frame. The armor reminded Ahsoka of large crabs, though why someone would use crabs as armor was beyond her. Then she saw the staff in the figure's right hand. She saw the head of a serpent on one end, and though she perceived it to be a mark of decoration, became filled with horror when the head moved. The thing was alive.
"What…" Ahsoka rasped out, "what are you?"
"We are the Chosen Race," came the voice of the figure. "The gods' instruments of war. Your worlds will fall at our knees, or be left in eternal silence," the figure sneered, and then Ahsoka saw its face.
Overcome with terror, the woman screamed. The mangled, bony skull of the creature's face appeared as if it had borne the scars of many lashings, and it lacked a nose. At least, it looked like it lacked a nose. Two holes where its nose should have been rested above its jaw full of dagger-like teeth. Its yellow eyes pierced Ahsoka's heart with fear, and the serpent in its hand began to wiggle around in its grasp.
Seeing her fear, smelling it even, the creature formed a smile with its animalist mouth. "We are the mighty followers of the true creator, Yun-Yuuzhan," he bellowed before lowering himself so Ahsoka could feel the weight of his breath on her nose. "We are Yuuzhan Vong, and your galaxy will tremble before us." Out of the shadows stepped forth more of their race, and before long Ahsoka found she was surrounded by half a dozen of the creatures, the Yuuzhan Vong.
Seizing her only opportunity for help, Ahsoka tapped her comlink in the hopes someone would hear. With a few taps, her encoded message was beginning to take form, when she felt a powerful grip wrap around her wrist.
"What's this?" came a sadistic, almost feminine voice as it tore the comlink away from Ahsoka's wrist and crushed it within its grasp.
Tilting her head, Ahsoka saw the perpetrator of her swollen back, and found that it appeared to be a female Vong standing over her. At least, what appeared to pass as a female. She wore long, black dreadlocks that fell to the back of her muscular, yet sharp neck. Her yellow eyes were harsh toward Ahsoka, and her smile wide.
Then the supreme commander spoke again. "Take her aboard my frigate, Pheeriz Zulatar. We shall learn of these sorcerers in more detail there."
The woman bowed. "As you wish, Supreme Commander Rendis Carr."
Ahsoka felt the weight on her body shift, and then a hand grab her shoulder. There was little she could do with so many standing over her, and though her lightsabers were close, she feared what those serpents could do if unleashed upon her. This was the beginning of the end.
#
"General," one of the officers aboard the Vanquisher reported. "We've received an encoded message from Lady Tano."
"Let me have a look," Jesse replied before coming to stand over the officers. His eyes focused in on the words, and he cocked an eyebrow at what he saw. The words seemed strange, but after a moment he understood, and his eyes widened.
"Sir?" the officer asked, wondering what the change in his general's expression could mean.
"Ready the ripper cables," Jesse ordered before turning to leave. A moment later he was beyond the main doors of the bridge, his helmet secured over his face.
#
"The warship hasn't moved," one of the Vong reported to their supreme commander.
Rendis chuckled. "The fools. We'll torch the heretics to oblivion before returning home with our prize."
As sharp nails dug into Ahsoka's shoulders, she found her mind to be a whirlwind of conflicted thoughts. Why couldn't she sense these creatures through the Force? What motives did they have for attacking Republic ships? Why were they here to seize the galaxy? Was this their true leader? She had little time to think on the matter because of another sensation she felt, this one through the Force. Though there was no noise in space, she could almost hear what saving grace sounded like.
Razor-sharp metal pierced the outer wall of the hallway and, before anyone could make a move, ripped away their only protection from the vacuum of space. Ahsoka pushed away from Pheeriz before the Vong could nab her, and pulled herself toward the inner wall with the Force. Once there, she called her lightsabers into her grasp, and leaped backwards toward the enemy. Two, along with Pheeriz, had been sucked into the vacuum of space, but the supreme commander and his lieutenants dug their sharpened heels into the floorboards to prevent such a disaster. They were about to face another. Ahsoka spiraled in their direction, and in a heartbeat sent her arms forward. She lopped off the head of a Vong and sent his lifeless body floating into the abyss of space before throwing her feet into the chest of another. Her left arm came about to the vulnerable underarm where the warrior's armor was weak, and pierced through to his chest. Using momentum to her advantage, she pushed off the corpse toward their leader, Rendis, with malicious intent. Once in range, she swiped at his chest with her lightsabers. In her mind, the war was over before it even began, when her lightsabers pinged harmlessly off his armor.
Roaring in anger, Rendis sent his right arm forward, and the jaws of his serpent opened wide. His fury turned to pleasure when he heard the last of Ahsoka's oxygen escape as she opened her mouth to scream.
The woman touched her bleeding cheek, and felt venom enter her bloodstream. The pain was excruciating, like the fibers of her body were being torn apart, yet she was still alive. Had it not been for her magnetized boots, she would have slipped into space.
Rendis took the moment to gloat. "That's just a taste of the amphistaff, heretic." He reeled his arm back to send the serpent lashing out again, when another pair of boots touched down between him and his target.
"Ahsoka!" Jesse called out, when the amphistaff came back around. The creature bore its fangs, only for them to crack against the plasma of the clone's arm-mounted shield.
Rendis snarled in the ARC trooper's direction, ready to fight a moment longer, when he realized his oxygen was nearly depleted. Looking out the gaping hole of the ship, he saw gunships and fighters racing to meet them. "Until we meet again," he uttered to those before him, and pulled his feet off the ground. He leaped through the air into the emptiness of space, directly toward the gunships.
"He's done for," Jesse remarked as he handed Ahsoka a helmet shaped perfectly for the Togruta warrior. The pair watched Rendis fall toward the gunships, only for the first pair to erupt in fire. Then Jesse felt the Venator quake. Out of its main hangar came a massive, animalist, tan-colored vessel. By all accounts, it appeared alive, and both Rendis and Pheeriz landed safely atop its outer frame before climbing inside. The creature was a third the size of the Vanquisher, and yet its plasma weapons quickly brought the ship's shielding down to half power. Smaller fighters shot forth from the creature's body, and Republic ARC-180s broke off to counter them.
Having already retrieved Commander Ridge from the vacuum of space, the remaining gunships arrived to Jesse and Ahsoka's aid just as conflict was erupting beyond their position. Looking out, the pair of warriors felt their bodies go numb at the sight before them. ARC-180s cut through enemy fighters like they were twigs, only for many to be scrapped by the cannons of the Vong frigate. Then, bursting forth from the gunships came troopers equipped with jetpacks, who raced to help the struggling fighters. Rockets flew free, and missiles from the enemy frigate retaliated.
Jesse looked on in despair. "What have we gotten ourselves into?"
Ahsoka shook her head, pain still eating at her cheek. "They're the ones who should be asking that."
A moment later the enemy frigate's tail illuminated, and in an instant it shot away from the battlefield at lightspeed, leaving its starfighters to perish at the hands of the Republic.
Standing there amidst debris, Ahsoka felt no ease of mind take hold. No sense of victory. Despite her words to Jesse, she felt as if they had already lost. Their nightmares had become reality in the form of Yuuzhan Vong, who believed by some stretch of the imagination this was their divine right by the gods above. Truly, a new war had begun that day. A war in heaven.
#
Author's Note:
I am not sure if this really belongs in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars category since it takes place after the Clone Wars, but it is a sequel to Star Wars Retold: Victory, which does take place in the Clone Wars, so unless anyone feels this really does not belong here, here it will remain.
I was not sure if I would ever do this story, as my thoughts on it are very mixed, but if the community enjoys it, I'll try to make it happen.