'Thoughts'

"Verbal speech via communication devices"

(TIME/LOCATION CHANGE)

Just to clarify this story is a sequel to my other story "Treachery" which covers how Ahsoka and Barriss ended up working for the Empire in case you were curious. Anyway, I do not own Star Wars Rebels, nor Clone Wars, I claim my story and that is that. Enjoy.

(LOTHAL/ORBIT)

The Huntress emerged from hyperspace and accelerated towards the planet. The rebels had been spotted recently on the surface and Agent Kallus was attempting to track their movements. Both Inquisitors had decided to visit the Empire's ruling authority on this planet to make certain of their full cooperation in the investigation.

"Who is in charge of this place?" Ahsoka asked the pilot as their ship was cleared to approach the city.

He brought up a screen, "Minister Tua, appointed here to oversee Lothal's conversion to an Imperial production planet. Apart from minor resistance primarily the majority of the planet has accepted Imperial rule, though they don't seem enthusiastic about it."

The Togruta smirked, "Well, maybe we can change that."

"We are here for one reason, Ahsoka." Barriss appeared in the doorway, "We are here to hunt down these Jedi and eliminate them."

Ahsoka looked over her shoulder at the Mirialan, "Doesn't mean we have to ignore civil unrest."

"Attention, Huntress," a communication arrived from traffic control, "You are cleared to land at the Imperial headquarters, Docking Bay One. Confirm."

The pilot flicked a switch, "Confirmed, Docking Bay One. Inform the Minister that the Inquisitors wish to meet her."

"She has been informed and will be waiting for your arrival. Traffic Control out."

Ahsoka turned to stare through the cockpit window as the ship descended towards the city, "Do we have to be nice to her?"

"As long as she is loyal to the Empire." Barriss replied, "If that changes…"

Ahsoka grinned.

(LOTHAL/CAPITAL CITY/IMPERIAL HEADQUARTERS/DOCKING BAY ONE)

A squad of troops lined up on parade to greet them along with Agent Kallus and Minister Tua, who seemed caught between nervousness and intrigue.

"Inquisitors Tano and Offee." She greeted warmly, "Welcome to Lothal."

Ahsoka gave an exasperated look, 'Oh great,' she thought, 'She's one of those types of Imperials.'

"I am certain that with your assistance these rebels will soon be brought to justice." The woman smiled widely, "Rest assured that any resources you should require will be met."

Barriss looked past her to Kallus, "Have you found anything worth reporting so far?"

He nodded sharply, "We have identified some of the rebels and their vessels. Lothal seems to be their hub for operations despite occurrences on other worlds. Unfortunately they are very skilled at evading our searches. If I had more troops we could do full sweeps, but-"

"But we don't want to give them any publicity." Ahsoka finished, "Very true. The last thing we need is for word to get out about a small group of rebels teamed with Jedi resisting Imperial rule."

"Is it true then?" Tua asked, "That these rebels do indeed have a Jedi on their side?"

"That is what we are here to find out." Ahsoka strode past her, "And deal with them so you can get back to fulfilling Grand Moff Tarkin's five-year plan for this backwater planet."

Minister Tua hurried after her, "I do wish you had arrived sooner. There has been a string of further attacks by these criminals. They stole a supply of ion disruptors and-"

"Rest assured, Minister." Barriss slid smoothly between the woman and Ahsoka, her yellow eyes gleaming through the shadow of her hood, "We are here to deal with the situation. You focus on the running of this planet."

Tua's shoulders relaxed slightly, "I am sure you are more than capable of handling them." Her smile returned, "Agent Kallus is preparing an update for you at the command centre."

"Well then," Barriss smiled politely, "Good day to you, Minister."

Ahsoka waited till the human and her escort had left before folding her arms, "I don't like her."

"Which is why, when it comes to interactions with her," Barriss smirked, "I shall be the one."

The two Inquisitors left the hanger, following their trooper escort to the command centre, "What do you make of these attacks?" Ahsoka asked as they walked.

"Small, crude, they probably view themselves as resistance fighters, taking what equipment they can from the Empire and selling it to criminals or giving supplies to the less fortunate." Barriss answered coldly, "They lack the numbers and weaponry to attack major targets so they settle for being a pain in the side." She turned her head to look at Ahsoka, "A pitiful little band that steals a few crates of weapons and thinks itself victorious."

The escort stepped aside to stand guard as the two Inquisitors entered the command centre where Agent Kallus was intently studying a news report concerning recent rebel activity. He looked up at their arrival and straightened to attention.

"Inquisitors," he greeted formally, "We have a new lead on the rebels."

Ahsoka nodded, "Proceed."

He indicated the news report, "Prior to your arrival a TIE fighter was stolen by the Lasat and the Jedi learner and used to engage a convey led by Supplymaster Lyst. The fighter's locater beacon was disabled and we've counted it as a loss. However, we are going to exploit the attention they generated."

With great interest Barriss lowered her head to watch the report, "Agent Kallus, I believe you have intrigued me."

The news report, being beamed on the holonet, vanished to be replaced with the image of a man as the broadcast was hacked.

"This is senator-in-exile Gall Travis. I bring more news the Empire doesn't want you to hear."

Ahsoka folded her arms, "The reason you aren't attempting to override this hack?"

"Travis is a proud member of the Empire who uses this image as a resistance sympathiser to locate, and then destroy rebel cells." Agent Kallus smirked, "It has been quite an effective method to identify our enemies."

"One of the Republic's greatest peacekeepers, Jedi Master Luminara Unduli, is alive." The image changed to a Mirialan in shackles being escorted by stormtroopers.

Barriss didn't react to the image of her former master but Ahsoka could sense that somewhere within the shadows of her past she remembered being a loyal Padawan. Then a sudden chill emitted from Barriss as the dark side swept away any doubt.

"She is being imprisoned unlawfully somewhere in the Stygian system. As citizens, we demand the Emperor produce Master Unduli, and grant her a fair trial for the entire-" the transmission was cut off and Imperial broadcasts resumed with apologies for the interruption.

Ahsoka and Agent Kallus both fixed their eyes on Barriss as she straightened up. It didn't take a Force gifted individual to work out something was wrong.

"I stand corrected, Agent Kallus." The Mirialan turned her eyes on the man, "You have impressed me."

He bowed his head briefly, almost in relief, "Thank you, Inquisitor. The rebels, and these Jedi, will not pass an opportunity such as this. We expect they will act quickly for fear the Empire will move the prisoner after this information leak. The Spire prison on Stygian Prime is making preparations as we speak to maintain that assumption."

Ahsoka tapped her comlink to contact her ship, "This is Inquisitor Tano, prepare for immediate take-off. We are on our way."

"No," Barriss raised a hand, "I shall handle this, alone."

Agent Kallus took a step back as Ahsoka turned sharply, "Barriss?"

"I have seen the future, Ahsoka." She closed her eyes, "A vision of the Force. I saw the Jedi in a cell with my former master's body. I saw their fear as I defeated them. You were not there, Ahsoka. This is a task I must undertake."

The Togruta narrowed her eyes aggressively, "I do not take orders from you, Barriss. Why should you alone take the pleasure in crushing these rebels?"

"Because in my vision they were defeated by me alone." She replied calmly, "Which means something transpired to lead you away from the confrontation."

"We'll see about that." Ahsoka pointed at the door, "But I am coming with you. Then we'll see what happens."

Barriss smiled sinisterly, "As you wish."

(STYGIAN SYSTEM/STYGIAN PRIME/SPIRE/COMMAND CENTRE)

As incredible as it seemed that is exactly what happened.

Luminara's body had been placed in a cell with an active hologram of her pacing to lure in the Jedi, who remarkably infiltrated the facility without setting off any alarms.

But as skilled as these rebels were they lacked proper skill with the Force, skill that Barriss had perfected to conceal her true self within the heart of the Jedi Temple itself from even the Jedi Council.

She watched the older Jedi use the Force to manipulate the guards into leaving their post. She watched as he and his padawan entered the cell. She strode to the door in time to see the hologram fade inside the containment capsule holding the long dead body of her former master. The surprise and fear emitting from the older Jedi was delightful. They still had no sense of her presence.

"What happened to her?" the padawan asked, "I don't understand."

"No?" Barriss asked clearly as she stepped into the cell, "It doesn't seem complicated."

Both Jedi turned to her with a mixture of apprehension and surprise.

"I am Inquisitor Offee." She smiled, drinking in their fear, "Welcome to the Spire."

The Jedi mentor ignited his lightsaber and the blue glow illuminated the cell as the door slid shut behind Barriss.

"Yes, Luminara Unduli perished with the Republic." Barriss spared a glance at the capsule while lowering her hood, "But apparently the remains are still useful to us." She casually leaned against the wall with her arms folded.

The padawan triggered his communicator, "Spectre Three, come in. It's a trap." The only reply was static.

"No reinforcements, I'm afraid." She turned her attention to the older Jedi, she could sense he was seconds from attacking, "And that means you will both face the wrath of the Empire."

The Jedi charged, his lightsaber swinging for her head. She slid to the side, faster than the human eye could see and snapped her hand up in a claw. The Jedi's lightsaber tore from his grip and flew into hers, "Is that the best you can do?"

"How?" the Jedi was stunned, "Who are you?"

"I am a Hand of the Emperor." She lifted her other hand and the Jedi lifted off the floor and slammed into the ceiling, "I serve as an enforcer of his will." She dropped the Jedi and tossed his lightsaber to him, "You should be aware that you have no chance of defeating me."

The Jedi got back to his feet, lightsaber in hand but did not ignite it, "Wait, I know you." He frowned, "Offee… Barriss Offee." He looked up, "You betrayed the Jedi Order, and your master." He glanced briefly at the capsule."

"I did not betray the Jedi Order," she sneered, "I embraced that it had already fallen and so had we. Why continue fighting the dark side when we already had become part of it?"

The Jedi's lightsaber ignited.

"You really don't listen, do you?" she ignited her own crimson bladed weapon, "Do you think that a briefly trained apprentice and a child with no proper training at all could stand against someone of my experience and power?"

The padawan fired a quick series of energy shot from a wrist mounted catapult that drew the attention of her blade to block them. The older Jedi saw an opening and charged.

Barriss twirled, her cloak lifting off the ground to blind the Jedi from his target. Then her foot lifted and kicked the lightsaber from his hand up into the air. She continued her spin around him and turned her foot to kick him in the back so that he fell onto the cell steps beside his apprentice. She casually caught the lightsaber as it fell, "Clearly, you cannot."

The padawan fired more shots from his catapult and she deflected them with ease, "Is that really all you've got?"

"Well, I've got that." The padawan gestured to a thermal detonator planted at the door.

Both Jedi ducked to the side as the explosive detonated. The force of the explosion opened the door and sent a shockwave directly at Barriss. She channelled the Force to shield herself but in doing so was forced to relinquish the Jedi's lightsaber as he called it from her hand.

When the shockwave dissipated and the smoke cleared both master and padawan were gone, though she could hear their running footsteps and sense their terror.

She pursued.

(COMMAND CENTRE)

Ahsoka watched on monitors as troopers rushed to seal off the route the rebels had entered by. It was so obvious that they would seek the least guarded way into the facility and hope to use it as an escape route. But now that the trap was sprung there would be no escape short of a fleet of ships.

"Inquisitor Tano," an officer hastened to her side, "Shall we dispatch forces to assist Inquisitor Offee?"

She turned her attention to the view of Barriss effortlessly dealing with the Jedi in the hallways. Her lightsaber was only used for necessary defence as Barriss primarily dodged her opponent's attacks or used the Force to fight. Were her opponent more skilled he would try to break through her defence as, while Barriss was proficient in lightsaber use in many forms, she was stronger in the Force and used it as her weapon. Ahsoka on the other hand preferred to use her lightsaber in combat with the Force providing added strength, speed, and instincts.

"I doubt that she will require help." She sighed impatiently, "Why did he have to pick now of all times?"

Right before she had been about to go down to the cell she was informed that a priority message from Coruscant was being sent and she was to receive it. This meant that while Barriss was dealing with the Jedi she had to wait for a call.

"I guess her vision was correct about me not being there." She muttered.

The rebels were in full retreat from the facility, and heading for the external landing platform.

"Seal the doors." Ahsoka ordered, "Complete lockdown."

She watched the doors begin to close throughout the prison. The rebels had regrouped in the hanger. A Lasat and a Mandalorian in unusually colourful armour had joined them. Barriss didn't appear to be any hurry as she pursued, casually forcing open each door she encountered as she closed on the hanger.

"Inquisitor," the communications officer looked up from her console, "We've lost our communications. The external transmitter has been destroyed."

Ahsoka could feel the beginning of the sour taste of failure creeping up her throat. She looked at the monitors.

The two Jedi were standing in front of the hanger door, hands outstretched. Barriss was still casually walking towards the hanger, with only two doors between her and the rebels. Outside, on the platform, three squads of stormtroopers lined up in the event the door was opened.

And it did. The massive door slid open and the rebels surged forward as the troopers opened fire. The older Jedi's lightsaber flashed to deflect fire while the Lasat, the Mandalorian, and the younger Jedi returned fire and started cutting down the stormtroopers.

"Hurry up, Barriss." Ahsoka muttered.

The Mirialan had only one door between her and the hanger while the rebels had now trapped themselves on the landing platform with no-where to run.

"Uh, Inquisitor." Her assistant pointed to the external monitor, "We have incoming."

Her eyes stared at the monitor, "You cannot be serious."

The rebel's smaller ship had lifted into view off the platform, accompanied by a pack of winged creatures native to the planet. The stormtroopers attempted to shoot the rebel vessel but that only seemed to provoke the creatures that swooped down to begin decimating the Imperial forces while the rebels ran for their ship which was targeting the parked TIE fighters.

"Blast them out of the sky." Ahsoka ordered.

The external anti-air gun swivelled and unleashed heavy bolts of energy at the aerial attackers. Two of the creatures fell quickly to the turret while the others and the rebel ship increased their speed to avoid the fire.

Just as it seemed the rebels only escape route was finished the Mandalorian hurtled a detonator at the turret and it erupted in flames.

Barriss paced onto the platform, her lightsaber clearly visible. She reached out a hand and one of the creatures suddenly was flung against the cliff face before plummeting from view. She continued towards the rebels as their ship hovered just off the platform for them to board.

"What are you doing, Barriss?" Ahsoka muttered.

Instead of attempting to stop them Barriss simply watched as they boarded their ship and flew away. Once the ship was gone from view she turned and strode back into the facility.

"I waited here all this time for a call and the communication tower gets destroyed," Ahsoka struggled not to break something as she left the command centre to go find Barriss and get some answers.

(HANGER BAY/HUNTRESS)

While the crew were preparing the ship for take-off for their journey back to Lothal, Ahsoka confronted Barriss in her room.

The Mirialan was meditating on her knees when Ahsoka entered, "I suggest you control yourself." She said calmly before Ahsoka could speak.

Ahsoka flexed her fingers and gritted her teeth, "You let them escape. Don't even try to deny it. You could have killed those Jedi with ease. Why did you let them escape?"

"I am curious, Ahsoka." She replied, "No Jedi survived this long without being clever or resourceful. As you recall our orders are to either bring them to the dark side or to kill them. I wish to try the former."

"You do not speak for me." Ahsoka glared, "Friends we may be, Barriss, but the next time we encounter these rebels I will take the lead."

Still with her eyes closed and a tone of serenity Barriss smiled, "As you wish, but you may wish to calm yourself when we answer that call."

"Inquisitors, there's a call incoming from Grand Moff Tarkin." The communications officer reported over the intercom.

Ahsoka rolled her eyes as her friend's smile widened, "I hate it when you do that."

The two Inquisitors made their way to the central gathering room of the ship where a large holo-terminal was already starting up. A life-sized image of Tarkin appeared, he did not look impressed.

"Inquisitors," his frown deepened, "A report from the prison in the Stygian system indicates the rebels fell into the trap devised by Agent Kallus before escaping the facility despite the fact that both of you were stationed there. Is this correct?"

"Yes, Governor Tarkin." Barriss stepped forward, "It is."

He stared at her, "Would you explain how these rebels managed to accomplish that?"

"I would not." She smiled politely, "This is a matter for us to attend to, you need not concern yourself."

Ahsoka didn't move her eyes from the hologram but she sent out a probing sense in the Force. It was most unlike Barriss to be disrespectful towards Tarkin. Her probe was met with assurance of answers and she returned her attention to the human.

"I do not know what you are intending to do," Tarkin lifted his chin slightly to look down at them, "But you were sent to kill or capture these rebels and despite having them walk right into your trap you failed to do either. The Emperor wants this cell dealt with, I trust you do not intend to defy him?"

"Of course not," Ahsoka stepped forward, partly to appease Tarkin and partly to prevent anymore conversation, "We assure you, we took this opportunity to identify the members of this cell and their capabilities. When next we meet them we shall be ready."

He didn't look completely assured, but his frown lessened slightly, "Very well, send word once you have them, dead or alive." The hologram faded.

Ahsoka turned to Barriss, "Since when were you the arrogant one?"

"Don't misunderstand my intentions, Ahsoka," she seated herself on a chair beside the projector, "I admire the man of course, but he is not skilled in the arts of the Force. He does not understand the power that can be wielded from it. To him anything in his way is to be destroyed. We understand the ways of corrupting obstacles so they collapse upon themselves. These Jedi will join us and destroy their friends, or be destroyed."

Feeling the ship vibrate around them as it entered hyperspace Ahsoka allowed herself a moment of meditation as she sensed star systems pass, planets filled with life and energy. As Barriss said, only those gifted with the Force could understand its mysteries and the battle of the light and the dark. Even with most Jedi gone the light continued to fight back in the form of these Jedi and rebels. They needed to be eradicated before others rallied to join them in open rebellion against the Empire.

"We will find him, Ahsoka." Barriss announced, "But they will find him first."

The Togruta opened her mouth to ask for clarification but the communication officer chose that moment to address them over the intercom.

"Inquisitors, Agent Kallus reports a male Rodian worker fitted with implants containing important Imperial production information on Lothal has gone missing and requests we join the hunt."

Ahsoka stormed off at the smirk on her fellow Inquisitor's face.

It appears our Inquisitors have met the Jedi, well at least Barriss has. Ahsoka on the other hand has not got into a fight with them yet but rest assured her time will come.

After watching Clone Wars and Rebels I always viewed Barriss as the more Force user of the two whereas Ahsoka fitted the fighter class. Barriss would be the supporting role while Ahsoka was the frontline warrior. This is why I had Barriss meet the Jedi first as Ahsoka would kill them then and there and that would kind of stop the story so I needed someone who would have the patience and connection with the Force to wait and see how powerful the Jedi are.

Anyway, please review and I'll see you next time. Though when that will be I have no idea so please be patient.