Ahsoka stood before the bacta tank, her eyes glued to the floating form of her former Jedi Master, suspended within the liquid inside the tank.
Whatever she had done on Mustafar…
'You know what you did! You used the Dark Side of the Force!'
…had clearly been to some level of success. Anakin had remained in stasis long enough for Sidious's men to return them all to Coruscant. Ahsoka hadn't been conscious for most of it, but from what Commander Fox had told her, the surgery Anakin had undergone had been extensive.
The stab wounds had penetrated both lungs, damaging them severely in the process. Anakin would never be able to breathe naturally ever again, and would likely be forced to rely on a portable breathing apparatus for the rest of his life.
It was a small mercy, Ahsoka thought. He at least lived, despite Amidala's best attempts to murder him. The bacta tank was merely being used to heal the external wounds on his chest, and she knew he wasn't at all fussed about any scars he ended up with.
And yet still, the damage was done. That was what infuriated Ahsoka the most.
How could Padmé not see the plan?! How could Obi-Wan not? If they had just trusted her and Anakin for another few hours, this whole situation would have been resolved! Sidious would be dead!
But now, thanks to their 'shoot first, ask questions later' attitude, they had doomed the galaxy to rule under Sidious, at least a little bit longer.
'Maybe I should just let them suffer! They made their bed, so why not let them lie in it!'
She hoped they were happy with themselves, and she prayed they stayed out of her way. She wouldn't give them a second chance if she saw either of them again.
She certainly wouldn't ever trust them again either.
"Agent Tano, you don't need to stay here. He likely won't wake up for another few weeks or so. The Doctor says he's in a coma."
Ahsoka tried to ignore Fox, but she knew he was telling the truth. Standing around in front of a bacta tank wouldn't resolve anything. Despite the state of the galaxy, there were still people she could try to protect…somehow.
"I know Commander. I know. Did you have something for me?" Ahsoka questioned as she turned away from Anakin's floating form to face the Clone, who stood before her, two Coruscant Guards flanking him.
"Yes Ma'am. Emperor Palpatine wishes to speak to you in the central atrium."
Ahsoka cringed inwardly at the title. He wasn't worthy of the title of 'Emperor'. He was a Sith monster!
"Thank you Commander. Would you escort me to him?" Ahsoka pressed, wondering if Fox had been sent to bring her in like she was some sort of criminal.
It wouldn't be the first time after all.
"If my Lady doesn't mind. The Temple is not completely safe yet."
"Then lead the way, Commander."
Fox and his cohorts turned to lead the way out of the Halls of Healing, pace faster than she expected.
Before she passed through the threshold of the doorway, Ahsoka glanced back at Anakin one last time.
"Sleep well, Master. Our fight isn't over yet."
And with that she turned and continued to follow Fox through the hallways of what remained of the Jedi Temple.
She didn't know if it was some sick joke of Sidious' to make his new base of operations the Temple of his mortal foes, or if there was some strategic genius she was missing, but she didn't care. She felt so numb being here again. Despite the lack of bodies, clearly having been disposed of by the Clones loyal to Sidious, she could still feel the death in the Force.
She really didn't want to be here, but she had no choice anymore. All of her choices had been taken away in the past seventy two hours by those around her.
Windu had decided she was a traitor.
Anakin had made her his accomplice in a plan to destroy Sidious.
Obi-Wan, Caleb and Padmé had decided that she was their enemy based on her presence by Anakin's side.
And Sidious had made her make the choice between Anakin's life or death.
Ahsoka didn't know where to go anymore, or who to go to. All she could do was hold on for as long as she could. An opportunity would present itself eventually.
Breaking into a march to keep up with Fox, Ahsoka soon found herself emerging from one of the many battle scarred hallways of the Temple and onto the second floor of the central atrium.
There, standing before one of the few remaining pristine banisters overlooking the ground floor of the atrium was Darth Sidious. He was alone, not that that mattered. She knew he was more than powerful enough to handle any attempted assassinations on his life.
At least ones that he expected were coming.
Gritting her teeth, Ahsoka moved to stand before Sidious as he turned to face her, his eyes bright gold despite his facade.
She didn't bow, or show him any respect. She wouldn't, even if he had helped her save Aankin's life.
So instead she stood in silence, waiting for him to speak.
Sidious' eyes surveyed her for a few brief moments, before he nodded and gestured for her to join him overlooking the central atrium.
Despite her hesitation, she moved closer.
"I have received the reports from the medical team. Lord Vader will make a recovery thanks to your loyalty. Congratulations."
Ahsoka visibly flinched at the mention of the name 'Vader'. She didn't even want to think about it.
"I just hope it was worth it." She said in response, not even trying to keep the bitterness from her voice.
"Such a shame that Senator Amidala never truly cared for him. She wouldn't have tried to murder him if she truly loved him. Ironic really that the Jedi Padawan is the one who loved him the most in the end."
"I don't 'love' Anakin. I never have." Ahsoka spat in response, trying to burn that idea out of her mind. Sidious was just trying to mess with her. To toy with her emotions. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her snap however.
"No, perhaps not in the same manner Senator Amidala pretended to, but you were loyal nonetheless, and your loyalty has been rewarded."
"As you say." Ahsoka said, purposely sounding as vague as she could. She hoped that would annoy him.
Sidious said nothing in response as his eyes were drawn to the Temple around them.
"This Temple was once a symbol of hope to the galaxy. It is a great shame the Jedi Order could not compromise and work with us. I did not want this to end in a bloodbath."
'Bullkriff.' Ahsoka thought to herself. He was a Sith. All they cared for was destruction and manipulation.
She might have used the Dark Side briefly, but she didn't have any desire to see things destroyed or manipulated. She wasn't a Sith like him. The Dark Side had simply been her only option at the time.
"So what now? How do you plan on ruling this new Empire of yours?" Ahsoka broke the silence, not caring if she was overstepping her mark or whatever.
"Politics are not currently your concern, at least not in the traditional manner. I have something else in mind for you." Sidious replied as he turned to face her, removing something from his robes and presenting it to her with his hand.
Ahsoka examined the object in his hands. A long piece of metal that looked a lot like a lightsaber hilt was placed with a circular structure around it, resembling a handguard.
Ahsoka knew it was a lightsaber, but it was the strangest design for a lightsaber that she had ever seen.
Glancing up at Sidious' eyes, she raised an eyebrow in confusion at him.
"I believe you are most proficient with the Jar'Kai form of lightsaber combat? This will ensure you remain at your best potential."
She should refuse him, or take the weapon and use it to cut his head off here and now. But that would succeed in accomplishing nothing. She needed to wait and be patient, and bide her time just as Sidious had done during his time as Chancellor Palpatine.
Reaching forward, Ahsoka grasped hold of the unorthodox hilt and took it from Sidious, nearly stumbling from the weight of the weapon.
Sidious took a step back from her as he spoke. "Ignite the blade. Test its effectiveness."
Ahsoka held the hilt out to her side and ignited the blade, unsurprised when a deep red blade flashed into existence from the emitter, bathing her in the colour of the Sith.
"I apologise. It seems that red is the only colour I can create."
Ahsoka didn't respond to the obvious taunt, and instead gave the blade a few test swings through the air before her, testing its weight in combat. With a closer look, Ahsoka saw what appeared to be a second emitter on the other end of the hilt. This weapon clearly had the functionality to be used as a double sided weapon, like the one Maul and the Temple Guard's had favoured.
She likely wouldn't use that feature very often, if at all.
Extinguishing the blade, she placed the hilt on her belt along with her current lightsaber. Jai'Kai would be tricky with two different designs, but she would get used to it.
And if not she would simply modify the hilt Sidious had given her to better suit her style. She hoped it would be an insult to his own craftsmanship in the process.
"Your gift is most appreciated." Ahsoka replied, not bothering to hide the sarcasm in her voice.
Judging by the humourless chuckle Sidious gave in response, he had recognized the sarcasm.
"That weapon is the first of many that have been created. Their design shall be uniform, but allow for each individual user to customise to best fit their style. I am not so senile as to ignore potential advantages that comes from personal choice, after all. You shall use it in defence of the Empire, as shall the rest of your cohorts."
"I don't follow? What cohorts?" Ahsoka inquired, not fully understanding Sidious' words.
At her question, the Sith Lord gestured over the balcony and towards the lower level of the central atrium, where a collection of individuals appeared to be escorted from the Temple under armed guard.
From a distance, Ahsoka could only really recognize the towering figure Masana Tide in the centre of the group, but that alone was enough for her to be able to identify the rest.
Those were the Jedi that had surrendered and joined her and Anakin when they initially came to the Jedi Temple. Those were the Jedi she had managed to save.
A dozen or so, out of thousands. Not the outcome she had been hoping for.
Still, some were better than none.
"What will happen to them?" She inquired, struggling to keep the growl that was on the edge of her throat back. Sidious had promised he wouldn't harm them!
"They have proven their loyalty to the Empire, and thus they shall be rewarded in kind. There will be much resistance to our new order, and thus we will need loyal defenders to seek out those who would see us fail, as well as a division of experts that will be useful in tracking any remaining Jedi survivors."
"So they are Jedi Hunters? Like General Grievous?"
"More Agent Tano. The Inquisitorius will be both our first and last line of defence, and you shall play a key role in their development!"
That took Ahsoka by surprise! Sidious wanted her to do what?! Manage and maintain a group of Jedi Hunters? Or did he just want her to be part of this 'Inquisitorius'?
Before she could speak again however the Force around them shifted suddenly, and the sound of boots on the floor moving towards them drew both of their attention.
Turning to face the newcomer, Ahsoka's eyes were drawn to the tall Pau'an's exposed face. He was still dressed in his Temple Guard armour, albeit badly burnt, but his face was now fully exposed for all to see.
"My Emperor. I have attended, as summoned." The Pau'an spoke as he fell to a knee before Sidious, bowing his head in an obvious sign of respect.
It occurred to Ahsoka that Sidious had probably expected her to do the same, and was more than likely offended when she hadn't.
'Good.' She thought. If she had offended him by not bowing in his presence, then she was happy.
"Rise my friend." Sidious spoke as he gestured upwards with one hand. The Pau'an did as ordered, and rose to stand tall above them both. His eyes moved over to Ahsoka's briefly, a subtle nod in his head acting as a form of greeting towards her.
Despite the situation they were in, she returned the gesture, her eyes being drawn to the lightsaber hilt present on his belt. It was not his Temple Guard saber staff, but instead a hilt similar to the one Sidious had given her moments earlier.
"How may I serve, My Lord?" The Pau'an said, a dark desire present in the Force around him that Ahsoka didn't like, one that almost felt like ambition.
"It is time the three of us discuss your next assignment. With Lord Vader currently recovering from his injuries, it falls to the two of you to complete his work. But rest assured, I believe this task will be one you both enjoy."
"We would be honoured, My Lord."
Ahsoka didn't reply like the Pau'an. Instead she kept her expression stoic, trying not to betray any emotion that could be used against her.
"The Jedi threat may have been placated for now, but if history has taught us one thing is that they are never defeated. Together, the two of you will train our new recruits in the ways of the Force. I will impart knowledge to you, Grand Inquisitor," Sidious began, gesturing to the Pau'an upon mentioning the title of Grand Inquisitor,' "At least until Lord Vader has recovered enough to pass on his teachings. From there, you will guide the Inquisitorius as you see fit against the Jedi threat."
Ahsoka had been right. These 'Inquisitors' were Jedi Hunters.
"Very good, My Lord. And what role, pray tell, shall Agent Tano have within our ranks?" The Pau'an spoke, gesturing to Ahsoka in the process in a way that made her cringe.
Sidious's eyes remained on Ahsoka's for a few brief moments, as if judging her before finally speaking.
"Tano will act as our liaison between Inquisitor and Sith. Whilst you will maintain command and control over the Inquisitors as a whole, she will report your activities directly to myself and Lord Vader. She will hold a high ranking position as overseer of the Inquisitorius, and will be granted the ability to supersede your decisions if she disagrees with them."
Ahsoka didn't want that. She didn't want complete power over a group of individuals who would be actively hunting Jedi, much less so when there was a better candidate for complete leadership standing before them.
To his credit however, or maybe thanks to his training as a Temple Guard, the Grand Inquisitor did not flinch at the mention of the control she would have over him. He simply nodded his head in respect.
"Very good, My Lord. Agent Tano and I will cooperate to ensure the success of our organisation to the best of our abilities."
The Force told her that he wasn't overly pleased about reporting to someone much younger and inexperienced than him, but right now he had no choice but to accept.
Ahsoka would discuss the finer details with him in private. There was no need for them to be at odds with one another. That would do them no good.
Besides, if she could perhaps convince some of the Inquisitors round to her way of thinking, she and Anakin would have more allies in their plans to overthrow Sidious when the time came.
Perhaps, just perhaps, despite how much she hated this situation, she could use it to her advantage.
"If that's what you deem best." Ahsoka finally spoke for the first time since the Grand Inquisitor joined them, directing her words at Sidious to gauge his reaction.
The Sith Lord smiled sickly at her before he continued.
"Furthermore, the Inquisitorius will be responsible for routing out insurgents within when the situation calls for it. The former Senator of Naboo, if she yet lives, will be one such priority target for your organisation to hunt down and eliminate. I trust I can leave this task in your capable hands, Agent Tano?"
An image of Padmé stabbing Anakin came to mind briefly, filling Ahsoka with anger she didn't know she had for the woman. If she was still alive then no doubt Anakin would want a few 'words' with her. She would capture Amidala for him at the very least.
"It'll be my pleasure." Ahsoka replied, giving her first genuine response since joining Sidious here. Padmé wasn't getting away with what happened on Mustafar, and neither would Obi-Wan if she ever saw him again. If they had just listened…
"Excellent. Now, as we stand here talking, the remaining Jedi could be regrouping. Report to the Temple Archives and access the holocron vault. I want everything of value that isn't strapped down removed from the archives at once before we suffer from more intruders. Understood?"
"Perfectly, my Lord." The Pau'an's reply was instant as he bowed once again before turning and walking away, leaving Ahsoka alone with Sidious.
Ahsoka glanced at the Sith Lord before she too turned and left, increasing her speed to match the Pau'an's.
They had a job to do, and whilst she didn't want to do it, for now she had to.
She had to bide her time. Wait for Anakin to be better. Wait for allies to be found within the Inquisitorius, and perhaps around the rest of this newly formed Empire.
Only then would she be ready to face Sidious, and destroy him for good.
If the Dark Lord of the Sith could be patient and bide his time, then so could she.
Caleb Dume sat in the conference room of the Tantive IV, feeling out of place.
He shouldn't be here. It shouldn't have come to this. He should be back in the Jedi Temple, with his friends and with Master Billaba. Not here, hiding on the Senator of Alderaan's personal ship, away from an army of mind controlled Clones who wanted them dead by the orders of the Sith!
And he shouldn't be here, in the conference room listening to the adults in the room discuss their next move.
There was no next move. They had lost everything. All they could do now was hide, not fight!
"Hunted to all ends of the galaxy, we will be. Find safety first, we must." Grand Master Yoda seemed to be the only one who agreed with Caleb's opinion. The Elder Jedi had advocated for a more cautious approach, to hide away and bide their time. Wait for an opportunity to strike.
Caleb knew it wouldn't work. The longer they waited, the stronger Sidious became. Plus he was tired from all the fighting. That wasn't what being a Jedi was all about. It was about being a peacekeeper, not a soldier.
Besides, attacking outright, here and now without allies would be just as disastrous for them. There was no right solution. No matter what they did, they would lose.
Caleb had never felt so lost in all of his life. Part of him just wanted to run away. To jump in an escape pod or fighter and take it to some random planet in the galaxy and hide.
At least if he was away from everyone else, he would be harder to find.
"The Senate is in complete chaos with the rise of the Empire. A vast majority of the Senate support Palpatine's ascension to Emperor. I'm afraid we will find no allies there anytime soon."
"And with the Clone army under his control we've lost the Order's only true ally. How could we not see it coming?"
"Powerfully deceptive, Sidious is. Too strong for me, he was. Need more allies, we do, before we can hope to strike out against him."
"We need to rally as many Jedi as we can. Perhaps Commander Boil was successful in finding Commander Bly and Aayla? Or perhaps Quinlan Vos yet lives?"
"Hope, we can, Obi-Wan. In desperate need of familiar faces, we are."
Caleb knew that none of them were addressing the elephant in the room.
Skywalker and Tano.
There had been no news over official Imperial channels regarding if Vader had survived Senator Amidala's attempt on his life, but Caleb hoped he hadn't.
As for Ahsoka…Caleb didn't want to think about her. He had admired her, and she had become everything he fought against.
If he ever saw her again, well… he'd do his damn best to destroy her.
"We also need to discuss Padmé." Senator Organa continued, filling Caleb with another rush of despair.
That poor woman had lost so much. Didn't she deserve to rest?!
"Tragic is Senator Amidala's loss. Share it, we all do, but nothing more can be done to change the events. Move forward we must."
Polis Massa had been a disaster. Caleb didn't want to think about it either, but it was another thing he'd make Tano pay for.
"She will certainly be committed to stopping the Empire when she recovers." Obi-Wan stated next, drawing that discussion to a close.
A close that offered no real closure for Caleb. They had no plan except to wait, which wouldn't work in the long run.
But they couldn't act now, or they'd be caught.
Caleb didn't know what to do!
"As much as I want to offer sanctuary on Alderaan, I'm afraid its status as a core world would make it a prime target for Imperial patrols looking for surviving Jedi and wanted Senators. Naboo too is too great a risk. If you are to hide for now, you must find an out of the way planet, perhaps one not on the star charts."
"Agree with your assessment, I do, Senator Organa. Take many years for us to rebuild, it will, but a chance we have. Agree, do you, Master Kenobi?"
"I do, Master Yoda. The time to fight is not now, but later."
"THERE IS NO TIME TO FIGHT! WE'VE LOST!" Caleb surprised even himself with his outburst, but he meant every word. They were a mere five people against an entire Empire, led by a powerful Sith. They didn't stand a chance.
"Caleb…" Obi-Wan tried, but Caleb cut him off.
"No! We can't! I can't! I don't want to do this anymore! I'm a Jedi! Not a soldier! I don't want to fight!"
"Sometimes there is no other option, my young friend." Senator Organa spoke, his voice quiet, clearly trying to comfort the Padawan.
Caleb knew that part of what Organa was saying was true, but right now he couldn't see any other way.
They couldn't fight. They had to run and hide.
It was time to admit defeat.
"I can't do this." Caleb repeated as he rose from his feet, storming out of the conference room despite Master Kenobi's attempts to call him back.
He stormed through the hallways of the ship, not sure where he was heading. He had no intended destination. He just needed to get away from everything, from everyone!
Perhaps then it was the will of the Force that had led him to the section of the ship that contained the escape pods.
Caleb stopped to contemplate.
He should stay. He should help his friends, his family. He should fight the Empire.
But he was too scared, and he was tired of fighting. He just wanted to hide and rest, and not have to worry about the state of the galaxy.
Why should a fourteen year old, Jedi or not, have to bear the burden of the fate of the galaxy on his shoulders?
Echoing down the hallways, he heard a voice call out his name, and in that moment he made up his mind.
Caleb moved towards an escape pod, his hands interacting with the panel next to it, priming it for launch to the closest habitable planet in whatever system they were in.
As the door opened, the Force nudged him to turn.
Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Obi-Wan Kenobi, a horrified expression on his face.
Caleb locked eyes for a brief moment with the man who had become his surrogate Master, before he spoke softly.
"I'm sorry Master."
And with that he entered the escape pod and sealed the door behind him.
Obi-Wan Kenobi dashed towards the escape pod as the door shut, trying desperately to stop its launch.
But it was too late. By the time he reached it, the pod had already launched, and there was no way of recovering it.
The weight of what Caleb had just done came crashing down upon Obi-Wan like a rockslide. The Jedi Master fell to his knees before the control terminal, and struggled to contain the sound of despair that emerged from his throat.
Caleb had left. The Jedi were virtually wiped out. The Sith controlled the galaxy. His men had turned against him.
And Anakin and Ahsoka, the two people he cared for the most in the entire galaxy, had turned against him.
For the first time in his life, Obi-Wan Kenobi didn't know what to do.
The warm rays of sunlight that shone across Rex's face were a welcome change from the cold dark and damp lower level of Coruscant.
The descent down the ladder from the holocron vault had been tricky with only one hand to grasp the rungs, but Rex had made do with what he had at his disposal. It had taken a while, but they had all made it down into the abandoned underbelly of Coruscant in one piece…mostly.
From there, all it had taken was some scouting around to find a way to the surface. During their last visit to the area, Maul had shown up, and Rex had pieced things together from there.
The Zabrak had to have found another way into the belly of the capital of the Republic. All they had to do was find that.
Much to his surprise, or perhaps it was the 'Will of the Force', they had found their way out within an hour of searching, and began the ascent.
And now here they stood, emerging from the depths and onto the surface in an area that looked dense with abandoned industrial buildings.
They were in the 'Works' area of the planet, if his eyes weren't deceiving him. Hopefully, the patrols, if there were any, would be scarce.
"All clear." Rex commanded the squad behind him, letting them too emerge from the caverns below and enjoy the sun on their faces as well. The sun was only just rising over Coruscant. The promise of a new day.
A new day now ruled by the Sith, and with the Jedi mostly wiped out.
He had tried so hard to save as many as he could, but in the end it had all been for next to nothing.
Skywalker had betrayed them. Ahsoka had sided with him, be it through her own will or not.
And the Clones… his brothers?! They were now under the control of a raving psychopath!
He should have done more. He should have started getting those chips out sooner!
"You ok Captain? Do you need any meds?" The voice of Kix drew him out of his internal thoughts, the Clone medic coming to stand beside him, hand holding a bacta hypo, just in case it was needed.
"Nah, I'm fine. Just aches… or well… ghost aches I guess?"
"We need to get you to a proper medical facility as soon as we can. Force healing and bacta patches can only do so much to prevent infection."
"Understood." Rex replied, not feeling like arguing with the 501st medic. He would never win that argument after all. Kix had done the best he could, and even with Master Sinube offering his own medical care through the Force, there was little they could really do in the long run.
Limbs didn't regrow, at least not on humans. Perhaps there were some species out there that did possess that ability.
Turning to face his companions, Rex saw the Jedi younglings, looking exhausted. It had been a busy day for them for sure, and they clearly needed rest.
"Ok everyone. Take five to catch your breath. Then we move out to the rendezvous." Rex spoke as gently as he could, hoping to instil some confidence and reassurance. They didn't have a rendezvous as of yet, but they would keep walking until they found something.
If worse came to pass, he'd break into the Republic Military Command himself and steal a ship for them to escape.
He might not have been able to save as many as he'd have liked, but he could save these Jedi.
These kids.
'Hey kid… good luck.'
'Thanks Rexster! You too!'
Rex tried to push that memory out of his head. He didn't want to think about the danger Ahsoka was in at the moment, if she had even survived the night at the Temple.
Moving away from the group, Rex took a deep breath and began to consider the events once again.
Skywalker had been so willing to kill him. He nearly had, and if they didn't get his hand treated soon, he likely would succeed via proxy of infection.
And yet, Rex knew that by all rights, Skywalker had had him dead. His lightsaber should have cleaved his body in two.
And yet, Rex had found himself pushed backwards, away from Skywalker's lethal bow.
The Clone Captain had been subject to the manipulations of the Force enough times to understand what had happened. Ahsoka had pushed him out of the way. He had seen her crouch and thrust her palms out at the last minute. That act had likely saved his life.
"So what's the plan Captain? I know we don't actually have an RV planned out for anything. Are we winging it as normal?" Fives questioned as he approached the Captain, Jesse approaching from the other side as Kix and the others stayed close to the Jedi.
Rex let out a sigh as he contemplated the horizon. From where they were standing, everything looked fine. Purely peaceful.
Rex knew that the coming days, months and years would not be the same, not with the Sith in control.
"Yeah Fives, we are winging it."
"Good, because my private commlink buzzed not too long ago. I might have a way off the planet."
That was the first good news Rex had heard all day.
"Ok Fives, I'll defer to your judgment on this. What's the plan?"
The ARC Trooper smirked at the Captain as he spoke.
"Got a message from Echo. He and the Batch made it out of there alive with minor scuffs. They managed to get to their ship. Just a case of signaling for evac and we are good."
"Well you guys can go ahead. I'm staying behind. Got a few scores to settle with Skywalker and Tano." A sneer came from Jesse, forcing Rex to turn his attention away from Fives' revelation of the Bad Batch's survival. He would celebrate that fact later.
Right now he needed to make sure Jesse was in one piece mentally.
"Jesse, I know it's hard, but we can't go back. You won't stand a chance against either of them!"
"But…"
"He's right Jesse. You've gotta let it go." Fives added his own contribution, the smirk on his face vanished and was replaced with concern, an emotion that Rex shared.
They had already lost Ridge to Skywalker. He wasn't going to lose Jesse too.
"So what?! You suggest we let their betrayal go unanswered?! They both deserve death for what they did!"
"I don't disagree with you Jesse, but assaulting them now would be suicide. We need to take time to plan and prepare, but we also need to ensure the safety of the younglings first."
"Fives I… damn it!"
"I know Jesse… I know. If they had just listened… maybe there would still be hope for them."
"There's still hope for Ahsoka." Rex interrupted, drawing the attention to him.
"What do you mean?" Jesse asked with barely contained aggression. Rex understood and didn't reprimand him for it. She might have saved him, but he was still angry at her.
"I'll agree with you both regarding Skywalker. He's proven he's lost to us, so if either of you ever get the opportunity, end him. But not her."
"Captain?"
"When Skywalker charged me, Ahsoka used the Force to push me back and out of reach."
Jesse's anger seemed to calm suddenly as he understood Rex's words. "She… she saved you?"
Rex only nodded in response.
Jesse lowered his head briefly in what Rex would call shame before he left them, moving to join Kix and the others.
That left Rex with Fives.
"If she saved you, then maybe…just maybe…"
"I know Fives. I know. I won't give up on her."
Rex glanced up at the Coruscant skyline once again, breathing in the air and enjoying the warmth of the sun.
Somewhere on the planet, his little sister was all alone in the chaos. Chaos she had been forced into by the actions of those around her.
It might take him years to find her and help her, but he would, even if it killed him.
He wasn't ready to give up on Ahsoka Tano.
"Not yet at least."
The door of the Jedi Archive holocron vault had been destroyed with brute force, that much Ahsoka could see. The Archives were intact for the most part, for which Ahsoka was grateful.
The Jedi might have been purged, but at least for now, their history survived.
Following her Pau'an escort, Ahsoka moved through the threshold of the destroyed doorway and into the tunnel that led to the holocrons' resting place.
The security systems were disabled, likely destroyed in whatever battle had taken place inside the tunnel. Scorch marks were present across the walls and flood, with more than one Clone body lying before them. Evidently the cleanup hadn't extended to this section of the Temple yet.
That or Sidious had left them there as some sort of diabolical test for her, the bastard.
Either way she moved forward, trying to act as undisturbed by the situation around her as the Pau'an did. Ahsoka watched as the former Temple Guard, now Grand Inquisitor, moved past the bodies without so much a glance. The Force around him was dark, disguising his emotions from her.
Not that she cared right now. All she could sense was death.
Sighing softly. Ahsoka moved forward gingerly, avoiding kicking the bodies, but paying attention to each and every one. They deserved that respect at the very least. They had been people after all, not mindless battledroids.
Stepping over another pair of bodies, Ahsoka suddenly felt the Force call to her, trying to draw her attention. At first she thought it was the holocrons in the room beyond them, but upon focusing she found the origin of the call was much closer.
In fact, it was directly below her feet.
Glancing down, Ahsoka saw a single Clone helmet, abandoned, but heavily damaged. One half of the helmet had been burnt away, suggesting a direct hit from a blaster bolt.
That however wasn't what drew Ahsoka's attention. On the other side of the helmet were a set of familiar blue markings.
Jaig Eyes.
Rex. This was Rex's helmet! How had he…
A rush of panic rushed through her as she glanced back at the bodies around her. Was one of them Rex?!
Her eyes surveyed the bodies, her breath being held as she looked for even a glance of familiar blonde hair.
When she could find none, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
His helmet might be here, but Rex was not.
That meant he had escaped. That was the first truly good news she had gotten all day.
Bending down, She gently picked up the helmet, her orange hands running across the badly damaged side of the helmet, tracing where the Jaig Eyes would have been.
Everything she had done had led to this. If she had just tried harder… maybe…
But there was no 'maybe' anymore. There was no alternative. This was the situation she found herself in, and she would have to make do with it for the meantime.
She would have to make do until she could garner enough strength and support to change things from the inside.
When that time came, she hoped Rex would understand, and perhaps even stand by her once again. She would give anything to have both him and Anakin back by her side. Just like old times.
"Tano, why are you dawdling?"
"Apologies. I thought I saw something." Ahsoka replied as she crouched back down, gently laying Rex's helmet in a more secluded corner of the hallway. It wasn't completely hidden, but it was out of the way of the rest of the bodies. She would come back for it later.
Rising to her full height, Ahsoka steeled her expression and moved to follow the Pau'an.
As she walked away from her past, she felt Rex's helmet watching her. Judging her.
Waiting for her to come back.
Author's thoughts for the last time
Four Years. Seven Months. Twenty Days. That's how long it took to get this story finished.
But it is, finally, after so very long, finished.
I know many of you will be clamouring for more considering how this story ended, and that's fine. I completely understand, and I do have ideas for a potential sequel.
However, as I said. Four Years. Seven Months. Twenty Days. I really do not have the enthusiasm to do that again anytime soon, as disappointing as that might seem. Writing such a dark and depressing ending has not been easy for me. I much prefer happy and fluffy endings, but I wanted to challenge myself, and thus this ending was born.
Plus I wanted to give everyone an interesting ending that left the future up to their imagination. They do say the best endings leave you wanting more after all, and hopefully I've left it open just enough that maybe, one day, I might return to continue it, if I can think up a good story that doesn't just end in a predictable 'Battle Against Sidious' manner. I did that already after all.
And even if I don't return to do more, the future of this AU is up for the audience to decide.
Anyway, enough pointless reminiscing and internal monologing before I'm accused of propping up the word count with this section again. XD
I want to say a big thank you to anyone who has ever read this story, be it past, present of future. If you've been here from chapter one... thank you! If you stopped reading halfway through... thank you! If you read one chapter and went 'nah'... thank you! If you left a comment, or if you didn't... thank you!
Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey with me, regardless of how long you've been around. I'm sorry it took so long to finish up, but I hope it was worth the wait. There were numerous times I wanted to stop and abandon this fic, but it was the reaction of the readers that kept me going to the end. Without you, I would of given up about 50 chapters ago. :)
And I would also like to offer a very special thank you to my beta reader 'ArrinSnyders'. He practically co-authored this fic. The ideas might have been mine, but he made it legible, and taught me a thing or two about my own language in the process. XD
As usual, feel free to comment at will. Let me know what you think about the ending. All feedback is read and appreciated.
Those who review on Fanfic, know that I read each and every review. I'm only sorry I can't respond to you all like you can to people over on A03. I am available via the PM messaging system here, as well as over on Tumblr too (under the same username). That's where you'll hear any updates first regarding what, if anything, might be next.
And now, for one last time, let me review your prior comments. And apologies in advance for not being able to respond to anymore from this point onwards. I do read them all though, I promise! XD
Brick88: Heh, I'm glad you enjoyed the chaos of the battles. It was good fun to write all of the chaos, even if I did tame down the Mustafar duel by a considerable amount.
I hope the epilogue was worth the wait as well. Bringing everything to a close with a rather bitter Ahsoka who doesn't really know what she wants was fun. :)
champion of the little people: That's very true, though he's still taken some nasty damage being stuck on a breathing apparatus for the rest of his life. I guess Sidious will have to find a new way to keep him in check. XD
TheIronFistInTheVelvetGlove: I'm glad you enjoyed the start of the story and found the premise interesting enough to continue onwards. I'm not 100% vested or knowledgeable of either canon or legends, so I hope you can excuse any omissions or mistakes on my part. The goal was to create an interesting story. I only hope I succeeded.
Lordban: The events of Mustafar will certainly be something that would shape a lot of character dynamics going forward, that's for sure. No one (except for Sidious) left that place happy or in one piece. :)
Ascoobian: Oh naturally. He was totally lying his ass off there, but he wanted to see what Ahsoka would do. Either she would delve into the darkness to save Anakin, or end up letting him die, in which her grief would turn her instead. Either way, Sidious gets a new apprentice to use.
Anyways, glad you enjoyed the chapter. It was a nightmare to get done, but I did it. Having Padmé stab Anakin and take away his agency serves to further the key theme for this story, which is why I went with it. Throughout the story, especially this final act, people have been forced into situations by the actions and decisions of those around them, robbing them of their agency. Ahsoka was forced to side with Sidious by Windu and the others, and now Anakin has been forced to stay by Sidious side by Padmés actions. The good guys in this case have essentially accidently created this own future villains, though neither Anakin nor Ahsoka are innocent in that regard either. It's a disaster either way.
Only time will tell how different this Vader ends up being. Maybe one day I'll explore that. Who knows. :)
loldelegate: If I was to continue this story, I imagine I would try and show different aspects of how entrenched in the darkness both Ahsoka and Anakin are. It'd be no fun if there wasn't conflict in their dynamic and they were 100% unified in their approaches after all.
I do recall a fic by that name actually, yes. Shame it got discontinued, but as is the way sometimes. :)
Alfredo12StarLegionnaire: At long last, it's finally done! Hopefully it was worth the wait! XD
Using that deleted scene was always a goal of mine because I knew people would recognize, but not expect it to show up. For this AU's version of Padmé it made sense. Plus she got a moment to shine that wasn't dying of sadness or Sidious enduced sadness...whatever. XD
I'm really pleased you picked up on the theme of the lack of agency as well in this chapter. Anakin and Ahsoka have both essentially had their decisions made for them regarding their future by the actions of those around them. Only time will tell if either of them can escape this vicious circle.
Mysterious Guest One: Maybe one day. I'm a bit worn out from this one to be honest.
60FPS: Sorry for the long wait. I only hope the epilogue was a good enough ending for you.
At least it ended on a note you enjoyed however. :)
manushudson: This is indeed the final chapter of this story. Hopefully it was a good one.
As for a sequel, maybe one day.
tf330129: Glad to have surprised you at the end then. Last thing I want is to be predictable.
And thanks. Hope you enjoyed the ending.
dpx6101: Uh... knowing the reputation GOT's final season got... I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. XD
But considering the 'well done'... I'll assume that was a good thing, so thanks. XD
Vandal55: Glad you enjoyed the chapter. It was a fun one to get done at long last.
As for a sequel, no promises of one being made, so don't get your hopes up too high.
FailedKeikaku: Um... oops... and sorry... and you are welcome?!
Such a confusing mess of emotions! XD
the Mandalorian terminator: That's where the idea came from. It was too good of a deleted scene not to use in some regard! Plus it makes for a nasty last minute plot twist by having Anakin wounded by someone else for once, and in a different manner.
Glad you liked it. :)
EmperorNefarious1: In any other story, I would of given it a happy ending, believe me. I enjoy them a lot more myself. This was a lot harder to write than I think a lot of people realize. I don't do well with tragedy, even tragedy I am in control of.
Still, glad you enjoyed the chapter. :)
Grand Warsmith: Thanks! I'm really glad you enjoyed the chapter as much as you did. It was good fun to finally bring all of the pieces together and tie everything up with a few last minutes twists in the midst of it all, even if it took forever to write it up.
As for the Caleb vs Ahsoka duel... you aren't wrong. No way Caleb, no matter how much he improved as shown at the very start of the ROTS arc, could take on Ahsoka in a fully fledged duel. But for this duel, as you said Ahsoka is not at her best, and doesn't want to kill Caleb, so she's not fighting to her full potential. That's how I viewed it when writing it at least.
Hope you enjoyed the last chapter. :)
Thristan: The great irony of that line isn't lost on me, that's for sure. If only the Jedi has listened this time round.
Ryan1017: I think Padmé probably would be strong enough to stop Anakin if she had the chance. ROTS wasn't great with it's perception of Padmé honestly, so I wanted to give her a shining moment of badassary that wasn't dying of sadness, even if it was at Anakin's expense.
Plus wounding Anakin was the nail in the coffin that was needed to cement Ahsoka's downfall.
Either way, I apologise for hurting Anakin, but don't worry, he lives through it in the end.
Familiarantiguo: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! Poor Anakin will certainly have severe trust issues and anger at those he was once close to when he comes to. Being stabbed by your wife does that to you.
And that's it. Again, sorry I can't respond to any more comments via this method. I do read them all though, I promise. :)
And if you do want to chat, I'm available via PM here or on AO3 or Tumblr. Just please be patient with me and replying. XD
And so, I guess there really isn't anything else to say except for thank you.
And well... goodbye. :)