Hello and salutations all my lovely and loyal readers! I am thrilled at receiving a new follower and I thank the unanimous person. Now, I've only got one review as of yet, and as I said before a year ago when I first started this story, my steam runs on reviews. The more the better the chapter is! Anyway, without further delay, here's the chapter!
Ahsoka Tano stood before the unwavering Jedi Council. They were in the belief that she would get in their way of tracking and pinpointing the call from Anakin. Ahsoka had learnt quite a bit about electronics and vaguely had an idea how to do it, as she had once seen Anakin do so in less than thirty minutes. She believed the Jedi could figure out how to do it as well, but it quickly became apparent that they were no mechanics and Anakin was the only Jedi who had ever done it. Likely, from the way they were failing, he would remain the only Jedi to do it.
Ahsoka watched them puzzle over the comm when she gained a flash of insight. All they had to do was press those buttons in the right sequence and reconnect the wires! Ahsoka flung herself forward and attempted to explain to several Jedi, all of whom brushed her off. "Please listen to me! Just press the buttons and reconnect the wires for Forces' sake! Don't remake the blasted device!" she cried and grabbed the comm from Windu.
"Give the comm back Ahsoka," Windu ordered sternly but Ahsoka pulled away, gripping the comm tightly.
"No! Just listen to me! Master has done this exact thing before and he showed me how to trace it! Just let me show you please," Ahsoka gasped and held it closer to her so they would fail at grabbing it. The Jedi all turned and studied her, having a silent conversation on how they would apprehend her again. Ahsoka squeezed the comm tighter.
"Ahsoka, while I have no doubt Anakin could do it, I sincerely doubt you could do it as well, when all of our most brilliant Jedi have tried and failed. Give it back Padawan," Shaak Ti answered her and held out her hand for Ahsoka to give it. Ahsoka hesitated and gripped the comm in her sweaty palms. Shaak Ti held still and stared at her, commanding Ahsoka to obey her. Quite suddenly, a younger Padawan burst into the Council Chamber, holding a message like a lifeline to protect himself from the anger of the older Jedi at being interrupted.
"Masters," began the young boy as he read it out loud, "I, Padme Amidala, have a request of personal, and perhaps vital information. I request a team to investigate my Apartment because, to my horror, I have found two dead bodies in my storage room. I would have called my security and regular police to deal with it, but they seem to have died in a lightsaber battle. As strange as this is, they also have foreign markings on their garments, signifying an organization which is unknown. I believe the Jedi are more suitable for this investigation. Send me a message on what you decide."
The Padawan stopped reading and bowed before exiting the room, leaving the Jedi with the message. Ahsoka studied the messages' content before deciding that if she couldn't help Skyguy, she may as well be leading a vital investigation. She gently handed over the comm to Shaak Ti and bowed. "Masters, can I lead the investigation? I can take the restless troops to help me," Ahsoka requested reasonably, much calmer than before. Windu sighed and glanced at Yoda before attempting to reply.
"If only to get you out of our hair, yes. Just make sure to write a report and give to us when you are done," Shaak Ti said softly interrupting Windu's no answer.
"But Master Windu doesn't have any hair," Ahsoka giggling and fled the room, leaving a steaming Windu in her wake.
Padme stood anxiously near her foyer leading to the big front door. A light knock broke the stifled silence and Padme all but flew to let the guest in. "Ahsoka! It's so good to see you! How are you? Have you received any word on Anakin?" she gushed in surprise. The last person she expected at her door was the Padawan. Ahsoka smiled kindly at the stressed Senator before stepping inside.
"It's nice to see you Senator Padme. I am to lead the investigation on the killings in your apartment. Already, my troops are patrolling the grounds and looking around outside the quarters. I am to investigate inside the house," seeing Padme was still not assured, Ahsoka's face softened and she squeezed Padme's arm. "Me and Rex will get to the bottom of this, that I assure you," Ahsoka gently reassured.
"Do you know anything about Anakin?" Padme eventually asked as she led Ahsoka into the sitting room.
"I talked to him last night after my training session was officially over. He was beaming into his Temple comm from his personal one I suppose. He was in bad shape and fell unconscious before I could work out where he was. All that I know is, he needs to be found as quickly as possible. The Jedi are on top of it though and he'll be found. However, I am uncertain as to how reliable they are with the situation at Naboo to think about as well," Ahsoka explained with a weary sigh; she hadn't slept much the night before.
Padme looked fearfully out over Coruscant. "Do you think they'll reach him in time?" she asked tapping her leg nervously. Ahsoka saw no reason to beat around the bush.
"I doubt they will. But let's get away from this depressing subject and move on to the murders. Can you tell me everything you know?" Ahsoka asked and stood, expecting to be shown to the crime scene. Padme stood as well, knowing what was expected of her.
"What rather puzzles me is that I believe that these bodies have been there a few weeks. Now before you question me on this, the only reason why I discovered the bodies was because of the rotting. I never go in that room seeing as it's only a storage room. The door is soundproof and that's probably why I wasn't alerted before. See?" Padme gestured toward a door at the end of her private kitchen which would have been overlooked less directly pointed out.
Ahsoka studied the door and could see no wrong with it. "I don't believe they came in or went out," Ahsoka eventually said aloud as she considered their deaths. "They must have entered through the storage room somehow and were fought and killed. The killer probably saved your life, however this was done illegally so the person must be investigated." Ahsoka decided and keyed the door open.
As the door whooshed open, it revealed a fair sized room, larger than normal living rooms. From the amount of stuff torn about and destroyed, it was clear it had been full and organized. The walls were grazed and gashed open by lightsabers – that much was obvious. Two bodies lay prone in the room in awkward positions. The persons seemed mutated and thrown around. Ahsoka knew at once that they had horrifically died a painful and slow death.
"So you eventually got fed up with the smell and investigated this room as a last effort I take it?" Ahsoka asked Padme, who was watching Ahsoka carefully.
"Yes, and the second I saw the room, I knew the Jedi must be involved," Padme confirmed. Ahsoka entered the room and walked carefully toward the aliens to inspect.
"I believe they died two weeks ago, see how their faces are strange colors? They are rotting quickly… I think the one by the door is a Twi'lek and the other is a roughed up human. Odd for them to be working together," Ahsoka turned back to Padme. "They are a part of the same organization or cult because they have the same uniforms and signs. Their weapons are gone so the victor must have taken them…" Ahsoka hesitated and turned one over. She frowned and quickly did the same with the other.
"It appears they are both rogue Bounty Hunters from the Gamorrean system. Very rare for Separatist supporters, Bounty Hunters no less, to be here. This is becoming more questions than answers," Ahsoka observed pointing at an under-armor marking. Padme nodded in understanding before looking thoughtful.
"I heard a few sounds in the night about two weeks ago. I only thought it my neighbors next door seeing as they are dating, but now I remember suspicious crashes too. The fight must have been brilliant if it lasted so long and loud to get through a soundproof door," Padme shared. Ahsoka marked this information before asking;
"Do you remember the day of the occurrence?"
"No…. wait, maybe Wednesday? Yeah I think it was that day!" Padme said forcefully as she remembered. Ahsoka smiled.
"That's great! There was destruction and a bit of tumult at the transport station in the lower levels of Coruscant. Lots of debris and burn marks were also discovered along alleyways. It happened just below the building! Officials thought it only the poor getting rowdy, but perhaps this is all linked!" Ahsoka thought quickly and studied the room critically.
"I know how they got in," she commented drily pointing toward a man-sized secure ventilation shaft. "It's burned at the latch, see? They must have been running or something and broke in here trying to escape their attacker or something…" Ahsoka trailed off and looked around again. Padme stood silent beside her, trying to let her think.
"Commander Ahsoka, I need you to come see this directly below Senator Padme's balcony," Rex buzzed through the commlink to Ahsoka.
"What have you found?" Ahsoka asked.
"Just come and see," Rex cryptically replied and hung off. Ahsoka frowned before motioning for Padme to follow.
"May as well see this," Ahsoka told the Senator lightly, though within she was quite worried…
As Ahsoka and Padme reached the group of clones, it was apparent they were in a ring around something. Something metal and bright. It was a cylinder shape too, and suspiciously familiar. On the ground, lay Anakin's lightsaber and directly above it was the shaft leading to Padme's Apartment. Ahsoka picked it up reverently and pocketed it. "Anything else here?" Ahsoka asked the clones. Rex shook his head no.
"Since General Skywalker's weapon was here, we thought we should launch an investigation on him as a prime suspect. But of course, we must find and arrest him first," Rex proposed hopefully to Tano, wishing her to catch onto his worry for his missing General. Ahsoka considered his offer before giving a weak and stoic smile.
"Yes. Anakin must be found. Track his lightsaber and get the comm, which is in the investigation room of 12#. Don't tell anyone anything about what we're doing beyond saying; 'just tracking a suspect,' if they ask. Got it?" Ahsoka instructed the clones. Rex and his team saluted and marched back to the Temple. Ahsoka turned to Padme and gestured for the Senator to follow.
"Come along, we'll get to the bottom of this," Ahsoka reassured Padme who had been quiet the entire time. Padme gently smiled back and her eye's sparkled in renewed hope. Help was coming!
THE END FOR NOW
Anakin: Whyyyyyy? I HATE endings.
Me: You have a hero complex. Anakin, I just got the Doctor's note.
Anakin: ~stares at note before destroying it with his lightsaber~ NOW I don't have one.
Me: …