"All troopers, new orders. Our priority is capturing Skywalker." Jesse's orders came on one of the clone's commlink, outside the door.
"Rex, what do they want with Anakin?" Ahsoka asked.
"He's… to be taken to Darth Sidious. Alive."
"Taken where?" Ahsoka asked.
Rex paused, "I…I don't know," Rex admitted. Was he even told? "I…I can't remember. I'm sorry." Rex looked ashamed.
Ahsoka nodded in understanding. "You weren't yourself. It's okay."
They looked back at the door. The clones were halfway through.
Anakin backed away from the door and held his head, struggling to stay upright. It did not miss Ahsoka's glance.
"Anakin, save your strength," Ahsoka said, getting back on her feet. "Rex and I will take care of this." Anakin nodded. He wouldn't admit it, but he was having a little bit of trouble standing now.
"How are we gonna get out of here?" Rex asked.
"I have an idea," Ahsoka said.
"Which is?" Rex replied, prepping his blasters.
"Just set those things to stun. We're not trying to kill anyone," Ahsoka replied.
"Yeah, well, tell that to them," Rex replied, putting on his helmet.
The troopers had almost finished cutting through the door.
"They're almost through," Rex said, aiming at the door.
"Wait." She repeated more quietly. "Wait…"
A few moments later… "Now!" Ahsoka pushed the door back, sending the troopers flying. She and Rex went to work, as Ahsoka provided Rex cover as he stunned the remaining troopers.
"Now what?" Rex asked.
"The escape pods have been destroyed. Our best bet is taking a shuttle out of here," Ahsoka replied, wrapping her arm under Anakin for support.
Rex looked down at one of the troopers who was on the ground groaning.
"The boys are having a rough time of it. Did you hear Maul also escaped?" Rex asked.
"He didn't escape. I let him out," Ahsoka added, as she hurried off with Anakin.
"What? Why?" Rex sounded horrified.
"Diversion. Come on!" Ahsoka continued.
"That's one word for it," Rex said grimly as he stared at his fallen comrades.
(Meanwhile, Maul is wreaking havoc, destroying the hyperspace generators.)
"Oh, I don't like the sound of that," Rex said as they made their way to the bridge. They weren't able to move as fast due to Anakin's condition, but given the circumstances, he was still moving quite fast.
They took out the remaining troopers at the bridge, before rushing to examine the situation. Ahsoka gently sat Anakin down against the wall near the door. She could feel him fading.
"Hangar bay doors are sealed. They've got everything locked down. If they weren't trying to kill us, I'd be proud."
Ahsoka started assigning the droids tasks. "R7, start unlocking the doors on bay 12. Cheep, prep the shuttle. G-G, find out what happened to the ship." The droids one by one, saluted her.
Moments later, G-G let out a series of beeps.
"What do you mean the hyperdrive is offline? Destroyed? It's completely gone?" Rex looked at the scanners. "We're caught in that moon's gravitational field."
"R7, open the main hangar doors."
The doors opened, revealing that the cruiser was hurtling toward an ice-covered moon.
"We need to get out of here," Ahsoka said.
"Any luck with those doors?" Rex asked. R7 beeped a 'yes'.
"And the shuttle?" Ahsoka asked. R7 opened the doors as an answer, revealing a shuttle on the left half of the hangar.
"There it is." Ahsoka said. Before she could get her hopes up too much, the other hangar doors opened, revealing a full company of clones.
"They were waiting for us," Rex says grimly. "So what do we do? Fight our way to the shuttle?"
"There's too many. Besides, I don't want to hurt them."
"I hate to tell you this, but they don't care. This ship is going down and those soldiers, my brothers, are willing to die and take you and me along with them." Rex exclaimed.
Ahsoka's eyes widened, realizing Rex's brokenness. She went to lift up Rex's helmet, revealing a single tear rolling down his cheek. Rex glanced down, ashamed.
"You're a good soldier, Rex. So is every one of those men down there." She paused before speaking, firmly. "They may be willing to die, but I am not the one who is going to kill them."
Rex looked at her intently. He looked like he was in disbelief.
"So we're just going to surrender. Admit defeat. Is that it?"
"No." Ahsoka replied slowly.
"Well I don't see any other option," Rex looking at her and Anakin.
Ahsoka walked back to the window, looking at the company of clones.
"I have an idea," she said. Rex raised an eyebrow.
"Don't worry. It's a good one…I think. I'll tell you on the way." With that, Ahsoka helped Anakin up and led them out of the bridge.
"Hold your fire!" Rex said, one of his pistols aimed at Ahsoka and one at Anakin. They had their hands behind her head.
Ahsoka glanced intermittently at Anakin. He looked like a shell of his former self. He hadn't said much since the medical bay. As if, he didn't have the strength. She could tell he was trying to act like it hadn't affected him. But it wasn't convincing anyone, least of all her.
Rex walked closer. He shoved them in the back, trying to sell the act.
Jesse and the clones aimed their blasters at Ahsoka.
"I said hold your fire, Jesse. I have the situation under control."
"You have your order, sir. Now execute it or I will!" Jesse replied.
Rex stopped walking. "The order was to execute the Jedi for treason against the Republic. The problem is, Ahsoka Tano and Anakin Skywalker are no longer Jedi. Haven't been for some time."
Jesse lowered his blasters, as if considering what Rex said. He then re-raised his blasters. "Sir, you said yourself that we're under special order from Darth Sidious to eliminate Ahsoka Tano and any other clone who disobeys Order 66."
Ahsoka was almost flattered. A special order, just for her. She glanced at the droids to the side, who indicated they weren't ready yet. She could still feel Anakin fading. They needed this to work.
"Just keep him talking, a little bit longer." She asked Rex.
Rex continued, "Jesse, Jesse, listen to me. We've known each other a long time. If we don't get this right, we will be the ones committing treason, not them."
Jesse paused for a moment before raising his blasters again. "Commander Rex, you're in violation of Order 66. I accuse you of treason against the Grand Army of the Republic. You'll be demoted in rank from commander and subject to execution, along with the traitor Ahsoka Tano."
The droids indicated the go ahead.
Ahsoka asked, "Ready?"
Rex shrugged, "Yeah, I didn't much like being a commander anyway." Anakin smirked.
The clones immediately fired. But the droids began their mischief, lowering the platforms.
Ahsoka Force pushed the remaining clones down into the platforms. Anakin also began to push clones down into the lowered platforms, but his movements were sluggish. Rex helped stun the remaining clones.
Suddenly, G-G began to beep frantically. Ahsoka looked over and saw Darth Maul racing towards the shuttle.
Maul turned to look at her and stopped in his tracks when he saw Anakin. He snarled, "There you are." He didn't have his lightsaber anymore, but that didn't matter. He was going to rip Skywalker apart with his bare hands if he had to.
Anakin looked surprised. What did he do to get Maul's attention? He got into a defensive stance. If he had to go down, he would go down fighting.
No, Ahsoka thought. Anakin wasn't in any condition to fight. She raced to intercept Maul.
Maul snarled at her, "You wanted this chaos," throwing supply boxes at her. She dodged them, but when she came in within striking distance, Maul launched her backwards with a Force push.
Ahsoka barely avoided falling into the gaping hole of the lowered platform, digging her lightsabers into the ground.
Maul couldn't help but laugh as he watched her struggle. She had brought Anakin Skywalker to him on a silver platter. Now he could do what needed to be done and deprive his former master of his prized pupil.
Maul moved towards Anakin menacingly. He initially attempted a Force choke, but even in his weakened state, Anakin Force pushed Maul back, breaking his concentration.
Maul growled. For some reason, Skywalker still looked worse for wear, but that didn't seem to be making this much easier.
Suddenly, the clones trapped in the platform holes managed to get the platforms to rise back up. They noticed Maul's aggression towards Anakin and appeared to readjust their aim on Maul. Maul thought grimly, Faithfully serving their new master. Keeping the soon-to-be apprentice out of harm's way.
Maul wanted Skywalker dead, but he was no fool. He knew when a fight was lost. Without his lightsaber and against an entire company of clones, his chance of destroying Skywalker was lost. His fear of death took hold.
He turned to face Ahsoka who was struggling back towards her feet, "You are all going to burn." And he turned and ran towards the shuttle. Ahsoka was beginning to chase after Maul, when the clones turned their attention back on Anakin.
"Focus attention on Skywalker."
The clones set their weapons back on stun and opened fire on Anakin, who was still refusing to kill any of them. His own men.
But it was too much for him, especially in his weakened state. Multiple stun blasts hit their mark, and Anakin groaned and began to fall to the ground, dropping his lightsaber.
"Anakin!" Ahsoka cried out. Both her and Rex made a move towards him.
But as Anakin fell, he used the last of his strength to Force push her and Rex away from him as the troopers converged on his position. "Go," he barely managed before falling forward, unconscious.
She and Rex went flying behind cover of some supply boxes on the left half side of the hangar. As they stumbled to their feet, they heard Jesse's orders.
"Take Skywalker to that shuttle and get him out of here," Jesse ordered. A gate on the right half side of the hangar opened, revealing a second shuttle. A group of clones rushed Anakin to the shuttle while the rest began to surround them.
Jesse turned to the remaining clones. "Now, focus fire on those two!" The blaster fire was too heavy. Without the cover they had, they wouldn't have stood a chance.
Ahsoka felt her heart sink as she saw Maul's shuttle taking off.
They would need a new plan. But they had lost Anakin. Ahsoka was furious. At their pitiful situation. At Anakin for sacrificing himself. At herself for letting him get taken.
No, I am not losing you, Ahsoka stubbornly thought. Rex saw her move to get up and pulled her back down.
"Ahsoka, don't! There's too many of them!" Ahsoka was still lost in thought.
"Hey, Ahsoka, listen to me!" Rex said with such authority, it startled her out of her thoughts. She turned to face him.
Rex sighed, "Anakin made his choice. He wouldn't want us risking our lives to take that choice away from him." He paused for a moment before continuing more softly but also firmer. "He's saving you so that you can save him. You know that."
Ahsoka stared at Rex. She wanted to protest. But she knew he was right.
Ahsoka looked back and saw that the shuttle carrying Anakin had taken off as well. Her heart sank.
She looked back at Rex, with an expression mixed with sadness and determination before nodding. They couldn't let his capture be in vain.
He nodded back and gave a determined look, "Let's get the maintenance deck. Maybe we can find a ship there."
Ahsoka nodded and Force held her lightsabers, carving out a hole into ground directly beneath them.
"Woah!" Rex yelled out as they fell through to the maintenance deck.
They ran to the end of the maintenance deck where they saw an operational Y-wing bomber. "Rex! Get the ship ready, I'll cover you," Ahsoka said. She Force pushed Rex onto the ship, where he managed to grab on.
The clones lowered the hangar platforms to pursue them, opening relentless fire on them.
Ahsoka held on, just barely. She was able to deflect the incoming fire with her Soresu. She felt the heat behind her eyes, remembering her training in Soresu. Anakin.
The Venator cruiser was tearing itself apart. The clones started trip and fall as the floor tilted.
"Got it! Come on," Rex yelled out behind her.
She nodded, but before she could jump in, the ship and the ground beneath her both went into free-fall. She jumped off of the falling debris. After what seemed like an eternity as they fell, she managed to grab onto the opened gunner's seat, pulling herself in.
Rex readjusted their angle, as they watched the Venator continue its fall into the moon below.
"Do you know where the General is?" Rex asked as he piloted the ship.
Ahsoka paused and took a deep breath, closing her eyes, asking the Force for guidance.
She didn't know how long she stayed that way, trying to detect Anakin's Force signature. There was nothing. Nothing. She opened her eyes in disbelief.
"I… don't. I-I'm sorry," she choked out.
They flew down to the moon's surface in silence.
Rex placed his shovel back on the Y-wing. After the dust settled, he and Ahsoka had buried all his fallen brothers.
Rex grimaced. Darth Sidious did this. He killed them. His brothers. And…Anakin was… gone. Where, they didn't know.
Ahsoka was standing in front of the graves of 501st, wearing a gray hooded cloak. She mourned the deaths of her men, who had died for a cause that they themselves didn't have a say in.
The helmets with her face markings haunted her.
She took out Anakin's lightsaber in her hand. They had found it among the wreckage.
She hadn't given up on searching the Force, trying to find where Anakin was being taken. But she hadn't gotten any answers.
She gripped Anakin's lightsaber and held it close to her chest, blinking back tears as she remembered how happy she'd been when he had surprised her with her lightsabers. How happy he'd been.
She looked at the sky for what seemed like an eternity. Maybe the stars would give her the comfort she couldn't give herself.
Only the dead have seen the end of war.