Thrawn stood on the bridge of the Chimaera, waiting for the report to come in. After the Ghost had flown past and damaged his Star Destroyer, Thrawn had ordered his bridge crew to assemble a damage report, so he could assess the damage sustained in the attack and figure out what was next.
By now he assumed that the rebels were on board the station, and no doubt Tarkin was attempting to put up a fight.
Secretly, Thrawn hoped that Tarkin would meet his downfall. If there was one thing the rebels were good at, it was undermining well respected imperial commanders. They had done it to him time and again.
And whilst he was not actively defecting, he was willing to let them have a victory today.
Because in the long run this station was a threat to Thrawn's people, and Thrawn's people would always come first to him.
He wondered if the rebels, specifically the non-human ones felt the same. Syndulla had proved time and again that she would sacrifice her past for her present. But what about Tano? Would she rush to Shili's aid if attacked?
Whatever she would do was of trivial concern right now however, as an officer approached the Chiss, datapad in hand.
"Officer, have you completed your report on the damage sustained?" Thrawn spoke, as calm as ever.
"Yes Grand Admiral. The Chimaera has taken extensive damage in multiple sections. Hull breaches in numerous decks led to decompression. The hyperdrive also overloaded and disabled many of the ships key systems, such as weapons, engines and communications. We will need to make repairs to the separate nodes in order for them to each function. Currently the Chimaera is running off of its backup generators, but they do not provide enough power to return the ship to a fully operational condition."
It was a lot of information to take in in a short space of time, but Thrawn had suspected as much. The Chimaera had taken more damage than he had anticipated.
Still, the ship wasn't destroyed, and he wasn't dead.
That reminded him of another situation that had arisen during the attack.
"What about Governor Pryce's condition?"
Thrawn would be lying if he said he wasn't concerned about his friend's condition. When the explosion had rocked the Chimaera, many had been thrown off their feet. Thrawn too had fallen, hitting his head on the floor, leaving a nasty purple bruise on his skin.
'At least it wasn't a broken nose again!'
However, Pryce had not been so lucky. She had not only been knocked off her feet, but down headfirst into one of the lower levels of the bridge. She had hit the floor with a sickening crunch, one that caused even the hardiest of people to grimace.
Without waiting for a medical crew, Thrawn had jumped to the assistance, ascertaining Pryce's condition, and prepping her for med bay. When a medical team had arrived they had carted her off towards the med bay.
Thrawn had heard nothing since.
The officer spoke again.
"According to the head doctor, Governor Pryce has sustained a severe head injury. The force of the impact led to some internal bleeding in the head, which has since been stopped, however the Governor remains in a comatose state for now. They are unsure how long it will be until she awakens, if she ever does."
Thrawn refused to show emotion. He refused to show despair due to the plight of his friend.
All he could do was wait and see, and ensure that Pryce received the best medical attention she deserved.
"Re-route as much power to the med bay as possible to help the wounded. Focus on repairing engines and comms for now. Weapons and shielding are not important as it stands." Thrawn spoke, his commanding tone evident to the officer, who quickly snapped off a salute, before heading off to complete his task.
Turning back to survey the state of the bridge, Thrawn brought his hand to his head to rub the bruise gently. He had a slight headache, but nothing that was too serious.
He had to focus on getting Chimaera back into operation status, before questions were raised.
Shock.
Horror.
Despair.
Anger.
Those were the emotions Ahsoka Tano was feeling.
Those were the emotions that everyone was feeling.
Ahsoka stared out the window at the empty void of space.
Yoda, gone.
Yoda was gone.
How could this happen?!
She didn't move, found she couldn't. Even after everything that had happened between the two of them, Ahsoka felt nothing but remorse over Yoda's apparent sacrifice.
And it had been a sacrifice. Yoda had chosen to ensure the team could continue.
And Ahsoka would honour that choice.
Taking a deep breath, she turned to face the team.
Their faces all showed a similar reaction to hers, in particular the other force users present.
Obi-Wan and Vos bowed their heads in respect. Ezra's mouth seemed to be stuck gaping open at what had occurred.
Kanan remained unmoved, but through the force Ahsoka could feel his despair. She didn't need to see his eyes to be able to read the pain he was going through.
Even Maul seemed to be showing some remorse at the death of a well respect Jedi Master, a far cry from what he had been like when she had first met him.
The rest of the team, despite not being force sensitive, were all grieving also. The clones had removed their helmets in signs of respect. Saw and Cham stood tall, their faces stoic.
The rest seemed to be unsure of what to do next.
But they had a plan. They were to proceed to the detention centre ahead.
Taking another breath, Ahsoka spoke.
"We need to keep moving, he would want us to. The detention centre is our goal. From there, we can plan ahead further."
No one replied verbally, merely choosing various nods or hand gestures to acknowledge.
And Ahsoka was fine with that. This was not the time for sentimental speeches about loss. They all knew this was a possibility.
But Yoda of all people? First to go?
Ahsoka would never have imagined.
Steeling herself, Ahsoka moved away from the airlock door, and headed into the passageways beyond, the team following in her wake.
One thought came to the Togruta's mind as she closed in on the door to the detention facility
'Whoever is guarding this place is about to have a really bad day.'
Lieutenant Brom Titus hated his situation.
Once, he had been a respected Admiral, in charge of a top secret program of a top secret ship. The Interdictor was supposed to be the crowning achievement of the imperial navy. A vessel capable of nullifying the effects of hyperspace.
First tests had proved promising, and it seemed at the time that Titus was on route for another promotion.
And then, he had arrived. The boy, the Jedi.
Ezra Bridger.
He had escaped captivity. Made a mockery of his men.
And destroyed his prototype Interdictor.
And Titus had been held responsible for the loss, leading to his demotion to Commander.
From there, he had been relegated to a world in the middle of nowhere, and the once respected Admiral had become the head of a scrap facility!
The hubris was too much for Titus to take. He deserved better than this!
But still, he had his rank, and he had people who listened to him.
He was still respected.
And then, Bridger had shown up again, destroying his station and further shaming him in the eyes of the leaders of the empire.
Thus, they had one again demoted him to Lieutenant, stripping away any real sense of authority he had and placing him in charge of a simple detention centre.
All he had to do was watch over the prisoners.
'I deserve better than this travesty!' Titus thought to himself.
At least things were peaceful. After all, what could go wrong?
It was then that the doors at the far end of the detention centre opened, and a figure strolled in.
Turning to face the new arrival, Titus froze at the sight of the person as he identified him.
"You have got to be kriffing kidding me!" Titus yelled aloud as he reached for the alarm.
But it was no good. The boy, Ezra Bridger, was here again to ruin his day. The young Jedi had lifted his hand, grasping Titus with some unspeakable power, and pulled him to the floor, away from the alarm.
Rising to his knees in defeat, Titus huffed.
'How predictable.'
Ahsoka moved into the detention centre behind Ezra, who had opened the door and taken point, disarming an imperial officer along the way.
The human was now on his knees before them, as the rest of the team filtered into the room, spreading out.
Ahsoka moved with Ezra, approaching the downed imperial officer.
What surprised Ezra was that he seemed to recognize the man.
"Brom Titus? How the mighty have fallen!" The young Jedi mocked in an amusing manner. There was no hidden hatred for the man in his tone, by rather a sense of irony about it.
The imperial officer, the one called Titus, created a look of despair and hopelessness on his face before he replied.
"You just can't leave me alone can you? What is your problem with me boy?!"
Ahsoka resisted the urge to roll her eyes at his plea. He was an imperial! He willingly served a tyrannical, racist regime! He was no better than Sidious!
'Calm yourself, Lady Tano.' Maul's voice echoed in her head suddenly, bringing Ahsoka back to reality. She couldn't afford such dark thoughts at this moment. But she would put the situation to good use.
"Are you keeping any prisoners here?" Ahsoka enquired, her tone commanding.
Titus's gaze turned to her, a sneer coming onto his expression.
"I'm not telling you anything, rebel scum!"
She had expected this, and she a solution to such a situation. If they would not cooperate with her…
"I tried to give you an out Titus. Maul, come over here a second." Ahsoka spoke aloud, gesturing to her Zabrak comrade, who promptly moved towards them, a dark expression on his face.
"You require my services Lady Tano?" Maul asked when he was within earshot.
Ahsoka shifted her head in Titus' direction before speaking.
"I get the feeling that our new friend here is keeping prisoners. He won't tell me about them, nor will he give me to code to open the cells. Would you get them for me instead?"
To someone like Titus, it seemed to be a harmless request from a person who could not be bothered to do it themselves.
To the force sensitives in the room however, it was a much more frightening prospect.
A sinister smile came to Maul's face as he nodded in acceptance, before moving towards Titus menacingly.
Titus' eyes seemed to shift in fear as Maul approached. What was the Zabrak about to do to him?
When he was right in front of Titus, Maul rose his hand to the imperial's face, and delved deep into the darkside of the force.
Maul pushed into Titus' mind forcibly, breaking through any defences with ease and malicious intent, before routing around in the memories for the answers they needed.
Titus' began to groan in pain, his own hands coming to claw at his head, as if trying to get something off of it.
Or out of it.
"Yes, yes. He is keeping prisoners here. Wookiees if I am not mistaken. But why?" Maul began, his eyes glowing bright gold in fury.
"Wha… what are you doing to me?" Titus spoke in stutters, still clawing at his head.
"Oh, slave labour, to build this station! How disgraceful! I almost admire that, almost!"
Titus released a gasp of pain. "Get out of my head!"
Maul continued onwards, pushing deeper into Titus' head, probing for the code.
After a few more painstaking moments for Titus', Maul found what he was looking for.
"Ah, got you!"
Then, as fast as he had entered, Maul pulled out of Titus' head. The imperial released another yell of agony, before collapsing to the floor, out cold from the mental intrusion.
Maul stepped back from Titus' form, turning to a nearby control panel, and entering a code.
With a resounding clang, the various doors that acted as cells slid open.
"Good work Maul." Ahsoka spoke to her unlikely friend, before moving towards one of the now open cells to glance inside.
As her eyes adjusted to the dim light within the cell, Ahsoka could make out a trio of tall, hairy figures.
Wookiees.
The Wookiees saw Ahsoka, and after releasing a series of growls and whines in their language, backed up away from the Togruta.
Ahsoka knew they would be scared. Being held captive aboard an imperial space station, and forced to work on its construction would be enough for anyone to be suspicious of new people.
But Ahsoka was not here to harm the Wookiees.
Instead, she could set them free.
Clearing her throat, Ahsoka spoke.
"Can any of you understand me? I'm not here to hurt you."
Ahsoka hoped that at least one of the Wookiees understood basic. She assumed they did, otherwise they would have a hard time understanding their imperial masters.
One of the Wookiees, a tall grey furred one nodded, shielding the other two behind her.
[Yes, I understand basic. You understand me?]
The Wookiee language was a complicated one, full of guttural growls and other sounds. It was times like these that Ahsoka was glad she understood Shyriiwook. It had helped her in the past, and now it seemed it would help her once again.
"Yes, I do. I'm here to free you all from the empire. What's your name?" Ahsoka spoke softly, showing nothing but kindness, something that she doubted these Wookiees had seen in a long time.
[I am Custos. You free us? Why?]
"It's what I do. My name is Ahsoka. I'm on a mission to destroy this station, but I'm going to get you all out of here as well. How many of you are there here?" Ahsoka continued, feeling as though she had made some headway with the female Wookiee now that she had learned her name.
[Most of pack is dead. Died under strain of work. Only seven of us left now.]
Remorse filled Ahsoka. All this time she had been preparing for this mission, and innocent Wookiees had been dying.
"Custos, can you talk to your people? Get them to understand that we are not going to harm them?" Ahsoka inquired gesturing around the detention centre. Through her montrals, Ahsoka had picked up on movement in the other cells, and she guessed they was the rest of the Wookiee prisoners.
[You really help us? Set us free?]
Ahsoka nodded, a sincere look on her face.
"I promise."
Custos seemed to contemplate what Ahsoka had said, before turning to her other two cell mates.
[Inform the others. Follow the Togruta and her team to safety. Nothing to fear. They are friends.]
Ahsoka moved out of the cell as the Wookiees dispersed into the others cells, informing their own kind of the recent events.
Ahsoka meanwhile moved to rejoin her team, who were waiting for her.
As she neared them, she reached for her comm link.
"Hera, we made it to the detention centre and have freed some captive Wookiees. What's our route?"
There was more momentarily static on the other end of the comm link, and for a second dread filled Ahsoka.
Had something happened to Hera?
Then, a voice came through in reply, just not the one everyone was anticipating.
"Oh, Commander Tano, apologies for the delay. Captain Syndulla and Chopper are currently working on repairs. May I be of assistance instead?" AP-5 spoke, his monotone voice ever a strange source of comfort.
"No worries AP. Can you look at the map and determine our best course of action to get to the crystal?"
The sounds of fumbling on the other side of the comm link occurred again as AP-5 analysed the map he had, before the droid began to reply.
"From where you are you need to get to another set of shuttle bays that are adjacent to one another. From the detention centre you need to access the turbolift at the far end of the room. It should take you to a series of bridges across a wide open space. From there, you will be able to access the first shuttle bay."
The team listened to AP-5's description of what lay ahead. It would be dangerous to cross such a distance with the freed prisoners, let alone ensuring that the team survived as well.
But that also brought up another problem. How were they going to get into the next shuttle bay? Surely it would be locked like the last one was?
"Don't tell me I need to go crawling through the vents again?" Ezra spoke out in annoyance. He may have done his job admirably, but that didn't mean he liked it very much.
Especially not after his close encounter with that murderous spherical droid.
However it appeared that AP already had a solution to the problem.
"There is a second route that can be taken by a small team that leads to the shuttle bay interior. From there, they can open the door from the other side. You can access this pathway directly from the detention centre."
Now that was good news. A small strike team moving through a smaller route would draw less attention, and allow them to reach the shuttle bay and open the door for the other team.
"AP, where exactly do we access this back route?" Ahsoka spoke into the comm, glancing around the detention centre for some sort of secret door.
"Unfortunately, to access this route you must first drop down into the waste disposal chute nearby. From there, you will access a storage chamber, and there, a hallway into the shuttle bay."
Ahsoka saw the looks of disgust that went around the various faces of her team. None seemed to be too enthralled with the idea of traipsing through a garbage dump to access a side passage. But it had to be done.
"It's the best we can do with the short amount of time we have." Ahsoka spoke to her team, who seemed to nod reluctantly.
Now it was just a case of dividing the team again.
Glancing around the group, Ahsoka mentally selected some people to accompany her. She was not as adverse to the garbage section as others were, so she would happily lead the smaller strike team. And she knew who she wanted to come with her.
"Alright, I'll lead a team through the side passages and open the door from the other side. Rex, Wolffe, Gregor and Hondo will accompany me. The rest of you will go the route with the bridges. Escort the Wookiee prisoners to the shuttle bay. Hopefully, from there Hera will be able to extract them once the Ghost is back up and running. If not, we'll have to improvise."
As she finished speaking, Ahsoka glanced towards her selected team members. She couldn't see the face of the clones, as they were hidden behind their helmets. Hondo however had a look of surprise on his face at being selected for such an important mission. Truth be told, she had picked him because if they ran into any trouble she knew his unorthodox nature would benefit them more than it would a larger team.
Now however, it was a case of figuring out who would be in charge of team two.
She couldn't pick Rex again, as he was now part of her team.
But that still left her with many options. The same dilemmas as before rang through her mind. Whilst many of them could lead, others might not be as willing to follow them into combat loyally.
Still, out of everyone, she had an idea of who to pick.
"Rau, I want you to lead the other team. Get to the door as soon as you can. Hopefully we can get it open in time for you."
Fenn Rau nodded his acceptance, clearly more than happy to lead the second team. And it seemed on one objected to the Protector being in charge. He had more that proved himself as capable and loyal in the past.
And she trusted him. He could do it, and he wouldn't sacrifice anyone's life at will.
It was then that Ahsoka heard footsteps approach from behind her. Turning, she was greeted with the face of Custos.
[I have spoken to the pack. We will follow your team. Help you fight.]
Ahsoka nodded in understanding. She didn't want to put the Wookiees at risk, but they could more than handle themselves if the situation arose.
"What about this guy?" Zeb then spoke out, gesturing to the collapsed form of Brom Titus.
Despite happenings in the past, Ahsoka was above cold blooded murder. She knew however that certain individuals in her team were not, and Titus couldn't just be left here in case he rose an alarm after they were gone.
Glancing round, Ahsoka had an idea.
"Put him in one of the cells, then lock the door. He can't do anything from in there."
Zeb chuckled deeply at the Togruta's statement, before bending down to scoop the imperial up, and carried him into an open cell.
"Commander, over here." Wolffe's voice came out next. Turning, Ahsoka spotted Wolffe and Rex by a grate on the side of the wall.
"That must be the chute to the waste disposal area." Ahsoka spoke, moving to investigate.
"It smells of Poodoo down there!" Hondo exclaimed, his hand coming up to hold his nose in disgust. Ahsoka had to admit she got a sense of joy at watching the pirate squirm at the stench.
But Hondo was right, it was overpowering.
But it was also the route she had her team had to go.
"Ok, we'll head down here. Rau, take the second team and the Wookiees into the turbolifts. Get to the hanger bay doors as soon as you can."
Rau nodded again before speaking, "Consider it done Commander Tano." Before leading the way, the rest of his team following behind him, and Custos and her pack behind them.
Ahsoka turned her gaze back around just in time to see Wolffe remove the grate blocking them access.
"Down we go then." The Wolfpack leader muttered grimly, clearly not looking forward to it.
"Oh come on, how back could it be?" Gregor spoke next, his voice still as enthusiastic as ever.
Ahsoka was grateful that he was still remaining positive about the situation. That gave her some semblance of hope, even after Yoda's demise.
Leaning forward to look down the chute behind where the grate had been, Ahsoka took a breath.
"Only one way to find out."
And then she vaulted down the chute.
Author's thoughts
So, a much nicer chapter this time round, with little to no death.
Unless your name is Brom Titus of course, then you are having a bad day. A very bad day.
Also, the name for the Wookiee OC in this chapter comes from the Latin language. Custos means Guard/Guardian.
And Pryce doesn't appear to be in too good a shape either. Poor Thrawn, he has got so much on his plate right now.
Anyway, you may notice that uploads have slowed considerably since we got to Act II of this story. It's proving to be harder than I expected to write, so I apologize for that. Coupled with the fact that I have ANOTHER bloody cold, and you can see why my writing has slowed.
In regards to last chapters events, it seems my readers are split down two reaction paths. Half of you seemed content with Yoda's death, considering his force ghost ability. The rest of you are like, "YODA! NOOOOOO! TARKIN YOU BASTARD!"
I have to say, I was pleased with the reactions, as well as the blaming of Tarkin.
Now before we get onto the review section, I want to answer a question that a few of you asked. I have not seen 'The Last Jedi' yet, and I doubt I will for a while. I like to wait before going to see a newly released movie, give the hordes of fans the chance to see it first so that it is quieter when I go (in theory). That being said, no spoilers please, or else I will kill Thrawn off by having him trip down some stairs. And no one wants that!
Next time round Ahsoka and her small team encounter... something, and the second team attempt to cross a narrow bridge. What could go wrong?
Anyway, as normal, comment and speculate at will. Speaking of which:
WolveHulk: Oh Tarkin will get what he deserves, don't you worry.
FossilQueen1984: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, and understand why Yoda died first. It made sense to me. He's long past his prime now anyway. Hope you enjoyed 'The Last Jedi'.
LukeDude: I'm glad you liked both chapters. They were a challenge to write to ensure the action gets across well.
Hondo was only trying to help. :(
And yeah, Tarkin being responsible for Yoda's death was designed to make you hate Tarkin even more. He is such a deplorable character, I can't understand why anyone likes him.
No Yularen yet though. Where could he be?
And now, your questions:
1. Yoda does indeed possess the ability to go force ghost in this AU. Whether or not he chooses ot use it yet will be seen later on.
2. Cassian, K-2 and the Larte sisters have remained on Raada to await the return of the team. (assuming they come back that is) Sato has gone AWOL after stopping Draven. They won't reappear in this story till after the suicide mission. The focus is now solely on the team and the mission.
3. I didn't think about adding gravity wells to the Death Star. Damn, that's a good idea. Too late to add them now though I'm afraid.
4. Aside from the synthetic crystal, Sidious has the Malachor Sith Holocron with him, but that is it. He is keeping most of his treasures hidden away, per Operation Cinder.
Chiara Polairix Edelstein: The deaths are certainly beginning. Glad you liked the scene between Ahsoka and Yoda before Yoda's sacrifice.
I've also heard mized things about 'The Last Jedi'. But then I know not to listen to 'popular opinion', as most of the time it is wrong. (Look at the reception to Ahsoka when she first appeared for example)
Travis Middleton: No rematch lightsaber fight this time round. Yoda doesn't even have a lightsaber by this point. But yeah, the death was supposed to be a surprise one, but also one that made sense.
Glad you liked Jerjerrod's cameo, as well as the Ahsoka/Tarkin reunion.
jamese765: The Death Toll does indeed begin. Place your bets how many with fall.
Mysterious Guest number one: Thanks, glad you liked the chapter. Yoda's death will be avenged... I hope.
SLE's fave guest: No, I am not playing around with this story, as you will see soon. Glad you liked the shock value of Yoda going first.
Also, I'm glad you enjoyed Hondo's brief moment of humour in the dire situation they were in.
Mogor: I'm sorry for killing Yoda. Really I am, but someone had to go, and I felt it should be him first. More chapters are coming, as well as more sadness.
Maliwan: I'm glad you liked the idea of the force users working in tandem with one another last chapter, It was a fun idea to envision. Yoda's physical body may be gone, but his spirit does indeed live on.
Cranky Paws: I hoe you had enough tissues for Yoda's demise. It was strangely sad to write, even if Yoda is not really my favourite. Still, it had to happen. Besides, he's not really dead, he is just a ghost now. :)