Coruscant
19 BBY (16:05:17 GrS)
Five days before Order 66…
"No Russo, we're not telling the High Council anything until either we have no choice because Order 66 is imminent—and I don't mean in a hundred hours," Ahsoka said sternly, eyes narrowing as the ISC droid lifted his head to interject, "I mean imminent. Or… Or until we have successfully field-tested this inhibitor chip neutralizing device, and can protect the Temple against Order 66."
Russo-ISC and Ahsoka Tano were now in one of the less-used Jedi Temple laboratories, inside of a cone of silence the Togruta had projected through the Force. After sensing the presence of Clones tailing her a few times, she now highly suspected that Palpatine had put surveillance devices within the Jedi Temple.
"We don't have time to wait," Russo protested. "Assuming you are telling the truth about time-travel—"
"I am."
"Then by my calculations, the likelihood of successfully thwarting Order 66 decreases by zero point two percent every minute we delay. That means our chance of success will decrease by nearly thirty percent today—"
"Which is why we field-test this device tonight, in twelve hours," Ahsoka said firmly. "I've already put in a requisition request for a Temple speeder. The Clone Bar 79's will be the perfect spot to test it. Now…" Her wrist-comm buzzed. "It sounds like the pre-op meeting is happening. I have to go Russo, I will see you again at eight in the evening sharp."
If droids could breathe air, Russo would have sighed despondently. Instead he said, "Very well," in a resigned tone.
o.o.o.o.o
Ahsoka Tano had no memory of the Battle of Coruscant. In her timeline, she had been on Mandalore, aiding the Republic in a last-second regime change. It was a quid pro quo between the Jedi and the remnants of the Death Watch terrorist group—help them retake Mandalore, and the Death Watch would in turn help the Republic capture Darth Maul.
Shortly after installing her friend Bo-Katan Kryze as the short-lived Regent of Mandalore, Palpatine initiated Order 66. Ahsoka spent most of the next twenty years in hiding after the events on the Tribunal played out. Admittedly, willfully aiding a former terrorist who had tried to kill her in the past was far from her brightest moment, but that wasn't happening now.
Turning her thoughts away from Mandalore, and quelling a concern about Maul and his designs, Ahsoka redirected her thoughts back to Anakin and the inhibitor chips—her primary priority given she was aware of the Republic's inevitable victory over the Separatists.
From what she had managed to gather over the years, Palpatine and Anakin had at least a few moments alone together when Count Dooku died, likely because Obi-Wan had been knocked unconscious. She personally theorized that Palpatine had goaded Anakin into slaying Dooku, to push him one step further towards the darkside.
Now on a turbolift up to Mace Windu's quarters, she was determined to be on the Invisible Hand with Obi-Wan and Anakin—to make sure those few moments would never happen. I am a counselor now, but Mace Windu would surely allow me to fight… Hopefully… Maybe that's what he requested my presence for.
As she approached Mace Windu's office, she sensed something was weird, but she did not quite understand what. For the past few months, her senses, and the senses of every Jedi on Coruscant, had been growing dull much like those in the temple prison, Jazal, Masana Tide, Prosset Dib, and the others. The situation was becoming so unignorable that dozens of younglings had been moved offworld under the pretenses of training excursions.
That feels like… Someone else is with Mace Windu, she thought. Maybe Mace Windu wants to know… Blast! What if it's the Coruscant police or the Guard? What if they saw me abduct the Clones—
The door hissed open automatically, revealing Mace Windu and, to Ahsoka's bewilderment, the Halaisi Jedi doctor Rig Nema. Both of them were sitting on meditation pads with an active holoprojector between them.
"You're late, counselor Tano," Windu said sternly.
Ahsoka let out a nervous whistling exhale of breath. Windu had not addressed her by her last name since she was put on trial. "I am sorry Master."
"It's no worry," Rig Nema said dully. "Take a seat."
Once Ahsoka took a seat, the three seated Jedi now formed a perfect triangle around the holoprojector.
On closer inspection, the Togruta realized the holoprojector displayed a list of medical records, all in the form of small ghostly blue digital folders. "Medical records? I thought this meeting was about deployments for the upcoming battle."
"It is," Windu said firmly. "We now believe that the Separatists are preparing for a full-scale push into the Core Worlds, if our intelligence regarding the Separatists all but abandoning the Yag'Dhul theatre are any indication. We have opted to withdraw most of our available Knights and Masters from the Inner and Outer Rim, but there are too few for it to be enough. Too many are still attached to other duties such as learning excursions for younglings and vital diplomatic missions, or are out of contact fighting in the sieges."
Yes it will be enough, though only because it plays into Palpatine's hands, Ahsoka thought, licking her lips nervously. "So these are the records of retired Jedi?"
"No," Rig Nema explained, "these are the records of low level offenders and probationary Jedi locked in the Temple Detention bloc."
Ahsoka blinked in sudden startled understanding of why she was there. I am to give mental evaluations of… "This isn't right! We can't just force prisoners to take up arms."
"We are not forcing anyone," Windu said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "We are offering a select few prisoners early release, in exchange for their help."
Rig Nema clicked the first record. "Now Ahsoka, I know Jazal's force sight has—"
"You can't possibly be thinking of deploying Jazal!" Ahsoka gasped in alarm. "She's blind!"
"Her force sight is growing weak, yes," Rig Nema agreed. "So is that of Prosset Dibs."
"Who we are not deploying under any circumstance," Mace Windu muttered warningly, folding his arms.
Ahsoka shifted uncomfortably, baffled as to what purpose it could serve deploying a Miraluka who was blind to the force.
"Yes of course, Master," Nema agreed, pulling up Prosset Dibs's file. With the holoprojections of the two Miraluka's brain scans hovering in mid-air, she maximized both by moving her fingers in a flicking motion. "While we have all felt our force powers diminish, on Coruscant, as you know this hasn't happened elsewhere in the Galaxy."
"No it hasn't," Mace Windu nodded in agreement. "I only felt my connection to the Force weaken when I returned here—"
"As did a great number of Jedi. Only Skywalker seems unaffected."
Frowning, Ahsoka folded her arms, turning to Rig Neema. "You knew too! I complained about this months ago. You could have backed me up!"
"Well, you caught my attention," Rig Nema smiled. "You are right, Counselor Tano. I have been running weekly resonance imaging over Prosset Dibs' and Jazal's brains. Every week, for he last five weeks, I have detected decreased activity in the occipital lobe—"
"What does this have to do with the upcoming battle?" Windu asked sternly, eyebrows raised.
"The upcoming battle gives us the perfect opportunity to study the spread of our loss of connection to the force," Rig Nema continued eagerly, now opening a map of the Coruscant System. "I say we deploy Jazal, connected up with electrodes monitoring her brain activity, to Centax 1. It's a low intensity conflict zone, and you were planning on sending some of the detainees there anyway. Prosset Dibs will be left here, also with electrodes, and we will compare their brains. If this loss of force connection can be reversed—"
"You—What?!" Ahsoka interrupted in a stammer of disbelief. "I—You're—THIS IS ALL JUST A BIG EXPERIMENT TO YOU!" She yelled, momentarily losing control. "Prosset Dibs… Master Windu, you can't possibly be considering this!"
"Calm yourself," Mace Windu said sternly, turning to Ahsoka, then back to Rig Nema. "I can't possibly deploy a force-blind Miraluka into a conflict zone, even a low intensity one. Even if she agrees to it."
"Well, what if…" Rig Nema paused, raising a finger. "What if we first take her into low orbit to see if there is any change. If there is change in her force sight, we will know it and have very good reason to think she would, in fact, be deployable. Maybe it could be a drill where we take all of the detainees up."
Mace Windu frowned for a moment pondering it. "Why does it have to be Jazal?"
Ahsoka sighed, coming to a realization of Rig Nema's logic. "Because she's blind. Blind beings don't have visual information going to their occipital lobe unless they are using their force sight."
"Precisely," Nema said. "It's the only way we can measure Force connectivity in of itself, as opposed to the mere presence of midichlorians."
"Well, not the only," Ahsoka frowned. "Just the only way you can think of right now, and I don't like it." If the Jedi were willing to do things like this… I wonder if this happened because of me, or whether it happened anyways and I never knew because I wasn't on Coruscant, or in the Order for that matter.
"I don't like it either, Ahsoka," Mace Windu agreed. "But, as far as I can tell, it is killing a multitude of birds with one stone. This will end the biggest legal standoff in Jedi history, ending Jazal's Right of Denial and reinstating her in the Order. It will also give us clues into our loss of connection with the force… This is a dangerous path, but also an opportunity we cannot turn down. No, I think it's a waste of time to send her up in orbit. Send her all the way to Centax-1."
Ahsoka frowned at Mace Windu's choice of words but could not think of any strong counterargument. "All right, it's settled then. Who's next?"
"Rael Averross," Rig Nema said interestedly, opening up the human's file.
o.o.o.o.o
"I thought you didn't want anything to do with the war anymore," Anakin scoffed.
As an unforeseen consequence of altering the time-line, Anakin and Obi-Wan had arrived on Coruscant nearly a day before the battle began. In Ahsoka's original timeline, the two Jedi had been delayed making a rendezvous with her to discuss the situation on Mandalore, negotiate with Bo Katan, and to transfer half of the 501st's troopers to the Togruta's command, for her to use on Mandalore.
With Ahsoka now a Jedi prison counselor, none of those delays had unfolded. At least, that's what Ahsoka believed was solely responsible for it.
"You thought wrong," Ahsoka grunted, frowning as she followed Anakin towards the Naval intelligence Building a few hours after her meeting with Master Windu and Master Nema.
Aside from a brief visit when she abducted and returned her Clone friends in the middle of the night, Ahsoka had not been back to the Republic Center of Military Operations since her trial. The dark permacrete courtyard was far busier than usual, with Juggernaut tanks rolling around, rows of armored units and artillery being serviced, LAATs and shuttles of varying models taking off and landing, and thousands of Coruscant Guard Clones marching in parade formations, Commander Fox pacing in front of a smaller grouping of Clone officers as he gave them instructions.
Near the perimeter wall of the Naval Intelligence Building, batteries of flak cannons, laser turrets, and defensive missile launchers were being emplaced alongside the extant turbolaser towers.
In her mind these wholly inadequate precautions made in the name of keeping morale up, there was quite simply no measure of defensive structures that could be erected before the year was out that could even hope to dent the swarms of droids that would descend upon Galactic City.
"Good afternoon Generals!" a Clone in front of the main entrance exclaimed, flashing Ahsoka and Anakin a salute. "I'll need to see some identification."
"Good afternoon," Ahsoka replied, returning the salute then reaching into her robes for her Jedi peacekeeper badge.
Anakin did the same, then led the way into the building once the Clone was satisfied with their identities. "I don't understand you one bit Snips," he muttered angrily.
Anger… Did I set Anakin further along on a path to the dark side? "It's difficult to explain," Ahsoka admitted. "I still view you as a friend and ally, Master."
"A friend?" Anakin asked crossly. "Ahsoka—"
"Best friend," Ahsoka stammered, flashing a fake smile. "You were the only Jedi who stood up for me. I owe you and Padmé… Everything," she sighed, looking uneasily down a hall leading to the detention block.
"I knew you would never do anything like that," Anakin sighed back.
Ahsoka frowned. No, you initially thought Ventress made me do it. There's a difference… But… No it doesn't matter. Not any more than what is about to happen. The Togruta straightened her face. "Thank you for believing in me, Master."
Anakin smiled, looking back at her for a moment as he approached the War Room's door, the Clone guards snapping to attention as they approached. He swiped his ID, causing the circular blast door to roll open with a pneumatic hiss after a moment of processing from the security computer.
Through the door, a flurry of strategic activity was visible. Mace Windu, Obi-Wan, Rex, Captain Rex, Commander Cody, Admiral Yularen of the Open Circle Fleet, Admiral Terrinald Screed, currently assigned to administrative command of the Coruscant Home Fleet, and the Director of the SBI, Armand Isard, were present and standing around a massive holotable at the center of the chamber.
Dozens of Clone and non-Clone staff enlisted and officers manned consoles and watched status boards and smaller holotanks all around the startlingly large room, with the non-humans present being a small variety, mostly consisting of humanoids like Mirialans, Pantorans, Twi'leks, Bothans, Zeltron, and Togruta like herself. Long gone were any individuals who had multiple limbs and unusual body styles, all since replaced by beings deemed 'less alien'.
Of these individuals, Ahsoka was the only one invited to the war table proper, the only non-human whose voice mattered as anything other than a means of relaying information. And even then, the veteran Clone Officers were merely there to receive instructions and offer input when asked.
Ahsoka hadn't noticed this in her youth. She was paying attention more to the front than anything else, but since she now knew about the future Empire's humanocentrism it suddenly became rather imposing to realize that such chauvinism occurred so brazenly even under the Republic.
"Good afternoon General Skywalker, Tano," Wulf Yularen said, the middle-aged human smiling weakly to them both as they entered.
"Admiral," Anakin replied with a nod.
The Togruta's nod was more curt, she knew the crimes Yularen would go on to commit in the name of 'security' once the Imperial Security Bureau was formed. That he'd been present for her trial and hadn't stepped forward to defend her was another, more personal, sore spot.
"Glad you made it sir," Rex said, then looked to Ahsoka, "You too."
Ahsoka was unable to contain her wince at seeing the thin line of stitches on Rex's bald head. Rex had been the first Clone she sliced open with a laser—Well, the second if you count the last time I did it to Rex… By the time she got to Cody, she had been so practiced that he likely did not even notice when he awoke.
For a nervous moment, Ahsoka thought of asking Rex what happened to his head but thought better of it. He obviously noticed and has accepted it as a mystery. It's just a mystery…
"We were just discussing the Chancellor's defenses," Obi-Wan explained, gesturing to the depictions of the 500 Republica and the Senate Office Complex on the holotable.
"The Chancellor is remaining here on Coruscant?!" Anakin exclaimed in shock.
"Yes," Yularen said wearily. "We advised him of the danger posed by a potential Separatist attack. He has refused to leave, citing that a sudden departure on the eve of the State of the Republic address will only drop morale."
"I need to have a talk with him!" Anakin yelled, turning to leave the war room.
"Wait!" Ahsoka gasped in terror, grabbing the human's arm and yanking him back into the room more forcefully. "Anakin, you—"
"Ouch!" Anakin groaned. "Snips, that actually kinda hurts."
"S—Sorry Master," Ahsoka stammered, releasing his arm from her death-grip. "It's just…" I can't ever let you talk to Palpatine alone ever again from now until the Heat Death of the Universe…
"It won't make a difference, Anakin," Mace Windu said gruffly, leaning on the handrail surrounding the holoprojector. "The Chancellor has made his choice. We will do our best to protect him, but he has already disregarded our advice as well as those of his own inner circle. We will try our best to keep him alive, but at the end of the day, it is the Chancellor's own choice."
"Indeed," Screed huffed. "He believes fleeing would be a sign of cowardice and an admittance of defeat. And that his absence would demoralize the civilian population and our forces."
Anakin groaned angrily, but seemed to accept the arguments.
"Well, it could be a blessing in disguise," Ahsoka sighed. "If something happens to this Chancellor, perhaps the Senate will select a better replacement." The Togruta squeezed her eyes shut after hearing her own words. Damn. Damn I should not have—
Yularen and Screed stared at her, aghast at her statement. Cody and Rex merely grimaced but remained silent, neither commenting.
"Pardon me," Obi-Wan gasped, the first to find his voice. "Did I just hear what I think I heard?!"
"AHSOKA!" Anakin snarled, half enraged and half mortified. "What the hell has gotten into you?"
Ahsoka blushed purple-pink with embarrassment. "I—I didn't mean—My apologies. It was inappropriate. Sometimes, I just…" Wish the Chancellor were not a genocidal Sith Lord hellbent on imposing a dictatorship over the entire Galaxy…
"Ahsoka," Mace Windu said in a fatherly tone, "the Chancellor has earned my frustration as well. On numerous occasions."
Anakin shot him a venomous look.
Windu returned it with a scowl, looking Anakin directly in the eye as he continued. "Yet, the Jedi must serve the Republic and its leaders with dignity and respect. Respect the office, even if you do not respect who occupies it."
"You are correct, Master Windu," Ahsoka stammered quickly, trying to salvage the situation. "I was just frustrated because of the Chancellor's lack of impartiality during my trial, appointing a personal friend of his to the role of prosecutor, among other things… It also seems unfair that he is risking Jedi lives to protect him, when it is his choice to remain on Coruscant. Still, I should have kept the thought to myself."
Anakin snorted, shaking his head as he seethed in rage. Though she could see the conflict in his eyes as he began to contemplate the matter. It's blatant corruption, even Anakin can't deny that.
"I quite agree with Master Windu," Isard interjected, scowling at Ahsoka. "Whatever your personal opinion of his excellency is, keep it private."
Kriff! I forgot Isard was in the room, the Togruta realized belatedly, barely managing to keep herself composed.
Anakin hearing that was one thing, she could likely smooth things over with him later. He may not take it well, but he'd understand why she was angry, having himself developed a heavily negative view on Tarkin since her arrest and trial. Armand Isard was a different matter entirely. The man was one of Palpatine's top cronies, dangerous in ways that even Vader wasn't, and with a reach that Tarkin wouldn't have until he became a Grand Moff.
"These times have been troubling for us all, and we've had few chances simply to stop and recover from everything," Obi-Wan thankfully interjected, raising his hand to his chin contemplatively. An awkward silence settled over the War Room.
"Well, if that's all," Yularen grunted, changing the holoprojection with a press of the remote. "We should get back to the business of defense…"
"Ye—Yes, you're right," Obi-Wan stammered, snapping out of his reverie as Cody snorted in amusement at his General being caught off-guard for once.
Yularen nodded as the holo settled into a spatial display of Coruscant's orbit, a massive number of markers spread between the planet and its moons, most were civilian ships but there were many military transponders mixed among them in orderly formations. "Admiral Salima of the Home Defense Fleet has agreed to General Skywalker's plan to keep her ships near Centax-1 to both guard against any likely attack vector and to cut off any Separatist retreat attempt, should Coruscant be the target of the Separatist push into the core."
Screed furrowed his heavily scarred brow, his cybernetic left eye remaining inscrutable. "Prudent, given few, if any, of the ships or crews permanently assigned to Home Fleet have been in combat before. If they were still in their original positions they'd likely be caught totally off-guard and decimated." He paused for a moment, then admitted with a sigh, "Even with advanced intelligence from SBI and our Clone intelligence units, most beings simply believe the Separatists would never dare attack Coruscant so brazenly. We're honestly quite lucky anyone believes that this attack is imminent at all."
Anakin and Obi-Wan being here earlier is already saving lives, Ahsoka thought grimly. She recalled learning after the war that the Home Fleet suffered massive casualties before they managed to regroup, and the devastation caused by all those falling ships killed millions on the ground.
"Indeed," Yularen agreed as he pulled up a map of the galaxy, "hence why the Open Circle Fleet will be taking up frontline duty, our crews are more experienced and will not freeze up in the event of an attack."
Isard nodded and took over the explanation from there. "As for our reserves, our forces across the Core and Colonies will be the first to be drawn from. Inner-Rim and Mid-Rim fleets will be next, followed by the Outer Rim. Certain worlds such as Kamino, Kuat, Anaxes, and Rothana will be excluded due to the security risks, as will ongoing sieges. These measures will apply to any Republic world that comes under enemy attack."
"And what of our mobile units?" Anakin inquired, frustration lacing his tone as he looked for a way to vent his anger.
Screed eyed him. "Mobile Taskforces, due to their unique situation, will be re-deployed as command feels necessary. Their primary role is reinforcement and relief of beleaguered units across the galaxy, if any of them are needed then they will be called upon."
Ahsoka blinked as she noted a red marker at Randon, near Kashyyyk, which read TASKFORCE UNAVAILABLE. "Ah, what's with this one?"
"Taskforce Kestrel," Isard groused as he crossed his arms. "They redeployed randomly to one of the provisional sectors bordering the unknown regions to investigate what was described as a priority Separatist transmission."
Kestrel… Ahsoka thought, something beginning to dawn upon her as she remembered Kelia mentioning that ship by name back on Krant, alongside a presumed successor.
The Togruta gasped audibly, causing Rex to stare at her in concern. Could this be why Morai disappeared?
"Unfortunate," Screed grumbled, ignoring the Togruta's outburst as he shifted on his good leg. "Commodore Los'ean is one of our best carrier commanders. Without her on standby, the Separatists may get bolder in the region around Kashyyyk, especially given the fact the Wookiees recently declared war on them."
"Have they checked in at all recently?" Obi-Wan questioned, stroking his beard as he stared at the projection. "A mission like that would require frequent updates."
"No, which is unusual for her…" Yularen grimaced.
"You seem familiar with this Commodore Los'ean, Admiral." Windu noted with a raised eyebrow.
He nodded in reply. "Indeed, she was a top student in my tactics class during my tenure at the War College on Anaxes… The last I would oversee graduating as well, even if early, given I accepted a naval commission from the Chancellor immediately after the war broke out."
"I see, but regardless," Windu said, "We have issues of our own. Skywalker, Kenobi, gather your men and debrief them on our battle plans once we're done here, I will contact Master Tinn to have him prepare his fighter wings."
Anakin merely sighed in response. "Right…"
Now's my chance, Ahsoka realized, formulating a basic plan from which she could work on the fly.
o.o.o.o.o
It wasn't long after they had exited the War Room that Anakin glanced over his shoulder to see Ahsoka following. "Ahsoka?" he asked as he stopped. Rex turned in surprise as well.
"Can't sit idly by while the capital is threatened, now can I?" she responded with a smirk. "It'll be just like old times."
He shot back a grin and then exchanged a smile with Rex. "Yeah, it will, come on, the men will be happy to see you again. You still know how to fly right?"
"Just because I switched jobs doesn't mean I forgot everything," Ahsoka snorted as she followed them.
However the battle tomorrow would go, with the plan to disrupt Order 66, she was not going to get much sleep tonight. But, in Ahsoka's calculations, one night of reduced sleep would be a small price to pay to stop the Empire from forming.