The clone planet of Kamino was a dreary place. Ahsoka shivered slightly as she exited the Nebula in a small hangar at one of the buildings built at the edge of Tipoca City. The city would be crawling with clones. Ahsoka could only hope that they would remain unspotted.
Rain pounded down and even from high above the the ocean, she could still hear the crash of the waves. She wrapped her cloak around her and glanced back and Barriss and Lux, who were also concealed in cloaks. The look wouldn't blend in well here, with the shining white clone armor. They would have to find another way to move around the city. They were lucky enough to find a hangar without any troopers in it, though Ahsoka didn't exactly expect her luck to hold out. She flashed back to her conversation with Fives…
"How did you find my comm frequency?" Ahsoka asked.
"That doesn't matter," said Fives. "I need your help. I'm in Tipoca City on Kamino. The Republic is after me because I found something. You're the only person I could think to contact."
"What did you find, Fives?" asked Ahsoka.
"I…can't tell you over the comm. I need you to come to Kamino. It's the only way to make sure no one finds me."
"You sound crazy, Fives."
"That's nothing new for me. I just need you to trust me, Commander."
"Alright, Fives. I trust you."
And one thing led to another and now Ahsoka was on Kamino. Back in Republic territory, the one place she hadn't wanted to return to. But Fives needed her help, and Ahsoka would deliver, no matter what it cost her.
She checked the pocket in her cloak, making sure she hadn't forgotten the Holocron and it's now three kyber crystals, the last of which she'd just extracted from the lightsaber she'd stolen from Grevious. She also placed her lightsabers in the pocket. There would be no use for them here. She refused to use them on the clones.
Lux started towards the door, but Ahsoka held out her hand to stop him. He gave her a confused look.
"Are we not going in?" he asked.
Ahsoka shook her head. "No," she said. "We'll stick out like a sore thumb in there. We need to find another way to get inside without being seen."
"Such as?" Lux asked.
Ahsoka scanned the hangar, and grinned when her eyes set on the small circular hatch in the ceiling with a ladder stretching down the wall. "Emergency access panels," she said, gesturing to the hatch. "If I'm remembering correctly, they should lead to a series of tunnels used in case of flooding."
She made her way towards the ladder, using the Force to easily open the hatch and hop inside, followed by her two companions.
The tunnels were long and made of a dark metal, lit by the occasional light planted in the wall. Ahsoka grinned.
"The perfect way to get around without getting spotted."
"Now all we need to do is find your friend," said Lux. "In a city full of people who look exactly like him. That's not going to be easy."
"They may look alike on the outside," said Ahsoka, "but they're very different in the Force. I've spent years fighting alongside Fives, I'm sure I'll be able to detect him in the Force. I'll just need a little time to find him."
"That may not be necessary," said Barriss. "Look."
She pointed to a figure approaching them, face concealed in the shadows. Ahsoka reached out in the Force and a relieved smile broke out on her face when she felt the familiar presence of her old friend.
"Commander," he called. "You're actually here. I have to admit, I didn't exactly expect that."
He was panting slightly, in a way that suggested that he had recently been running. As soon as she approached him, he wrapped his arms around her in an aggressive hug.
"Oh!" she said in surprise, hugging him in return. "How did you find us in the tunnels? And who's your friend?" She gestured to the droid hovering behind his shoulder.
"I've been using them to get around easier," he said. "I heard some of the men talking about a strange ship landing over here so I figured it must have been you. We don't get many visitors here. It's a good thing you came into the tunnels when you did. Last I heard, they were sending a squad to check out your ship. And this is AZI-3. He's been helping me with the whole…situation."
"Greetings," said the droid.
"Speaking of our ship," said Ahsoka. "What is so important that you made us fly it all the way here?"
"Sorry about that," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn't know who else to rely on, and they're all looking for me down in the city. Let me explain things."
He told them about Tup and the death of Master Tiplar, and how he had discovered an inhibitor chip located within the clone's mind. He explained how he had been hunted for what he had discovered, and the whole situation reminded Ahsoka of her own tangle with the authorities of the Republic.
"Wait," Ahsoka said. "Inhibitor chips? We ran into a someone who knew something about those. He said he'd done research on them and was even going to have a clone send it to Coruscant. He said that the chips could overthrow a clone's free will and force him to complete an action."
"Really?" asked Fives. "Is there any way to contact him? He could be the solution to the problem!"
"I may be able to get in contact with him. Just give me a minute."
True to her word, a few moments later, a voice filled the tunnel.
"This is Captain Ace of the 340 "Nexu" Battalion. State your purpose."
"Ace, this is Ahsoka Tano. You may remember me. I need your help. It involves the inhibitor chips."
"What can I do for you, Tano?"
"I need you to bring your research to Tipoca City on Kamino," said Ahsoka. "It's urgent."
"My team can depart immediately. I can be on Kamino within a few rotations."
"Excellent," said Ahsoka. "I'll see you in a few rotations."
Ahsoka ended the comm, turning towards Fives, who had an extremely relieved look on his face. "Alright, Fives," she said, "I need you to tell me just how many clones there are searching for you."
"Well," he said, "I've got the entire city of high alert, and last I checked, General Shaak Ti was leading the search."
Ahsoka rubbed the bridge of her nose. "That's kind of the opposite of what I wanted to hear."
"Come on, Commander," Fives gestured to himself. "You really think they could resist this?"
Ahsoka smirked slightly. The call with Ace seemed to have reinvigorated Fives, and he was closer to the trooper that she remembered. Of course, he wasn't entirely there yet, but she could blame him after what he'd been through.
"Trooper," said Barriss. "Fives, right? Do you have any evidence of this chip? It could be helpful to Captain Ace when he arrives."
"As a matter of fact, I do," said Fives. "AZI-3!"
The droid handed over a small metal case. Fives presented it to Barriss.
"Inside are both Tup's removed chip, and mine. I had it removed recently."
Barriss opened the case, finding both chips inside. They looked to be made from flesh, but while one was pink and healthy looking, the other was black and looked almost rotted.
"What's wrong with that one," asked Lux, pointing at the rotted one.
"We're not quite sure," said AZI-3. "Trooper Fives' chip appears to be intact, while Trooper Tup's chip seems to have malfunctioned. This could be what led him to assassinate Jedi Master Tiplar."
"Is there any way to prove it?" asked Barriss.
"Until your friend arrives with the evidence, no," said Fives. "But with the evidence, we should be able to put together enough of a compelling case to make the Jedi look into it."
The group chose to remain in the tunnels, deciding that descending into the city below would be a sure way to get captured. Fives had laid down in what looked to be a rather uncomfortable position on the floor in an attempt to sleep while AZI-3 hovered near him, muttering to himself. Barriss, Lux, and Ahsoka sat together in a tight-knit circle.
"Do you think we'll be able to convince the Jedi to look into the case?" asked Lux.
"I'm still not convinced that they won't arrest us the second we show up in front of them," said Barriss. "After all, we are technically criminals."
"We'll make them listen to us," said Ahsoka. "With what we've learned from Darth Plagueis, Sedyn, and now Fives, we know that Chancellor Palpatine has a plan to use the clones to eliminate the Jedi. He could begin this plan at any time. We have to warn the Jedi before it's too late."
"Will they believe us?" asked Lux.
"Only one way to find out," said Ahsoka. "But we have to do whatever it takes to stop him from enacting Order 66."
Darth Sidious looked out over the cityscape of Coruscant. The sun was setting over the utopian skyline, painting the sky all different shades of pink, orange, and blue. The lights of the city shone beneath him as he surveyed the city from his office. In many ways, Sidious believed that Coruscant reflected the Republic itself. It was a shell of beauty that concealed the darkness and corruption at its core.
Of course, Sidious knew that it was himself who was responsible for much of that corruption. It pleased him.
Most days, Sidious would be happy looking over the capital of the Republic, knowing that he had all of them twisted around his finger. But today, all he felt was fury and a deep rage towards a certain individual.
His plan was hanging by a thread, all due to one pathetic, insignificant girl. Skywalker's young padawan was much more troublesome than Sidious had ever thought possible. When she had first been exiled from the Order, Sidious had been more than pleased, believing it would push Skywalker firmly towards the Dark Side. All it had done was give the girl a way to ruin his carefully crafted plan. All she had to do was reveal his identity to the Jedi, and the Sith would end.
Sidious scowled. He had worked for years for this. It would not be ruined by some small Togruta and her ragtag gang of the ex-Jedi and the failed Senator.
Sidious pressed a button and his apprentice appeared by hologram in front of him.
"Lord Tyranus," Sidious said. "Our plan is nearly at it's end. Have you felt it?"
"Yes, my master," said Tyranus, head bowed in a sign of respect. "The Jedi must not learn of it or they will destroy the Sith once and for all."
"We must ensure that this does not happen," said Sidious. "Send all the forces you can spare to Kamino. Ensure that our plan does not reach the ears of the Jedi. You must wipe them out. All of them."