The figure before her, dressed in the heavy cream robes and armour of a Jedi Temple Guard, stood still, doing nothing, saying nothing. The Force around him did not move, but rather simmered in contemplation. It was clear that he was waiting for her to make the next move, whatever that may be.

Why was he here? How did he know who she was? Had the Council discovered she was working for Palpatine? Had they sent this Temple Guard to bring her in or something?

Ahsoka silently cursed the fact that she had chosen to leave her lightsaber in her apartment. She didn't think she would need it on the streets of Coruscant. The underworld sure, but not the upper levels.

But now, as she stood before the Temple Guard, her eyes were drawn not the his covered face, but to the lightsaber he possessed, attached to the belt at his waist. If he drew that to attack, she wouldn't stand a chance.

Her only option was to talk her way out. Lucky for her, that was what the Temple Guard had said he wanted in the first place.

"Do I know you?" Ahsoka questioned, keeping her tone neutral and her stance peaceful. The last thing she wanted to do was intimidate him into thinking she was a threat, even if he was several inches taller than her.

"Not personally, but we have met." The Guard replied, betraying no emotion in either his speech or his body language. What exactly did he want?

"When have we met?" Ahsoka replied, eyes hardening at the Guard before her. She hadn't known any of the Temple Guards personally, and from what little of the role she understood it was a rotating position with the Order. Perhaps they had met before this person became a Temple Guard or something.

Or maybe he was a fan. She had had those come up to her before.

"We met when I removed your Padawan braid during that hoax of a trial you endured, and again when the traitor Offee was brought to justice!" The Temple Guard replied, his tone far harsher this time round, with what seemed like deep anger within it.

Images flashed in Ahsoka's mind. Of her trial, both before the Senate and the Council. Of a hand reaching out and pulling away her Padawan braid with force. It was a feeling that she would never forget.

And now, here was the individual who had removed it before her. Had he come to finish the job?

"What do you want with me? I left in case you weren't informed." Ahsoka spat, snarling slightly at the Guard before her. She wished he would take off his helmet, just so she could see his face. She wanted to look into his eyes, to be able to judge his reaction to her words.

"I was aware, and I support your decision. I have not come to 'bring you back to the fold'." The Guard spoke, a sarcastic edge to his voice, "But rather to ask you about Offee's words. Do you believe they have any merit?"

It was a big question, that was sure. Ahsoka had spent a long time thinking about Barriss' words before the Senate. How she had all but called the Jedi servants of the dark side of the Force. How they were becoming the very thing they had sworn to destroy.

And despite trying to see through her words, to convince herself that Barriss was wrong and the Jedi were a force of good, she couldn't.

Barriss' words made sense. The Jedi had become Generals, not peacekeepers. Sure, they didn't bomb civilians or enslave species like Count Dooku did, but they still led an army of clones who had no choice but to fight. Men who were slaves in all but name. Men who willingly followed their every command at whim, who died for them, who occupied planets in the name of peace.

And it was the Jedi who led this, who advocated this. Sure, Palpatine had requested their help in the war, but hadn't it been the Jedi who had attacked the Separatists on Geonosis first? By that logic, hadn't they started the war?

Barriss' actions had been evil and wrong, but they had shown just how far both the Jedi Order and the Republic had fallen. They had been willing to execute a sixteen year old based on little more than suspicion!

All of that had only helped to reinforce Ahsoka's decision to leave. She couldn't in good conscience continue to serve the Jedi whilst they fell further and further away from what they were supposed to be.

But perhaps under Palpatine's wing she could still do some good, and not feel dirty about it in the process.

"Barriss' words have relevance. The Order is indeed not what it used to be, and if they do not change I fear both they and the Republic will pay the price." Ahsoka replied honestly, trying to keep any anger out of her voice. It was a touchy subject for her, but one that was of great importance. If she could get someone else, aside from Anakin and Palpatine to listen to her then maybe change was possible.

And if not, at the very least she had the potential to help one more person, even if it was a Temple Guard. A good deed was a good deed, regardless of the person it was towards.

The Guard remained motionless for a few moments, clearly contemplating Ahsoka words. Whatever was going through his head was clearly causing some internal debate however. Through the Force Ahsoka felt his signature fluctuate slightly, anger residing on the edge of it, threatening to spill out at a moment's notice.

And then he spoke.

"I appreciate your honesty Ahsoka Tano. I too have begun to have my doubts of the Order's decency. They are not what they once were, and I am left unsatisfied by my place with them. I want you to know that there are others within the Temple, a small band of us in fact, that share this opinion. We see your trial as unjust, as a symbol of the failings of the Jedi. The Councilors may have turned their backs on you, but you have allies in the Order. Remember that."

And then, with nothing more to be said, the Temple Guard moved past her, his long cloak billowing behind him as he left.

"Wait a minute," Ahsoka called out to his retreating form, the Guard halting as he was addressed, "Don't I get to know who you are?"

The Temple Guard remained motionless once again, not turning to face her.

"A friend." He replied, before continuing on his way. It was clear she was not going to get any more information from him, so she let him leave, hoisting her cases of armour once again and turning to go as well.

Even so, she got the feeling she had not seen the last of the mysterious Temple Guard.

Much to Ahsoka's surprise, the following week went by incredibly quickly. No call came from the Chancellor, evidently meaning he had no assignment for her. At first Ahsoka had been disappointed, finding herself going stir crazy from the lack of action.

To counter that, Ahsoka had found herself a local gym, and had proceeded to attend everyday for a rigorous workout. No one had questioned why she was there, or who she was, and Ahsoka found she liked that. It was nice to have her privacy respected for once. She had had to submit an application with name and address, but that was kept private by the gym itself. Unless someone recognized her it was unlikely that she would be pestered at all.

Over the days she found she was enjoying her free time. As a Jedi Padawan, free time was more often than not occupied with endless studying or practising various katas with her saber. Sure, she still did that now in the seclusion of her fancy apartment, but it was not the same. Before she had had the ever present monolith of the Order and its rules and regulations breathing down her neck, telling her what to do and how to train.

Now she could do what she liked when she liked.

Plus it helped not to have Anakin chastising her every time they practised together for her reverse grip. Why he was so adamant that she change it had been beyond her at first. Now though she understood. The reverse grip allowed for more flexibility with her maneuvers, as more often than not it would result in weaker, yet faster blows from her lightsaber. In contrast Anakin favoured heavy debilitating strikes that forced enemies onto the defensive until they became exhausted.

It had taken time, as well as many petty arguments for them both to come to an accord. They had agreed to respect each other's style of fighting, adapting what parts they could from one another in the process. It was why they worked so well as a team. Anakin would cover Ahsoka's flaws and vice versa.

Ahsoka always missed his company, as well as support on solo missions. Now that she was serving as Palpatine's personal agent, it looked more and more like she would be fighting alone.

Perhaps now would be a good time to rethink and adjust her combat style to incorporate Anakin's more aggressive forms. Not that she would tell him of course. She'd much rather not be responsible for his ego expanding twice the size it already was.

Resolute in her decision to begin a new training routine, Ahsoka glanced down at the bowl on her table, half empty from her morning breakfast. She had to finish that off first.

Outside the window the sun shone brightly through the blinds, inundating the apartment with rays of sunlight that bathed her body in warmth. Despite being early morning, it looked like it would shape up to be a good day for some exercise.

Finishing off her breakfast, a composite of various fibres and proteins in a rich soup, Ahsoka pushed her chair back and stood from where she had been sitting.

Reaching down Ahsoka picked up the bowl, moving over to the kitchen area and began to wash the bowl up for later use. There was no sense in leaving it around to stain the bowl when she could easily clean it here and now. It wasn't like she was in a rush this morning or anything.

Seconds later, she took back her words.

A loud beep sounded out several times throughout the apartment, a sign that her personal commlink was being called. Turning to glance at where the commlink rested on her table, Ahsoka reached lightly into the Force, using it to grasp hold of the commlink and pull it towards her, catching it in her hand and activating it in the process.

"Tano here." Ahsoka spoke, keeping her voice professional. She didn't think answering any call in a laid back manner would be appreciated, even if it was someone like Padmé calling her.

The voice that came through the call was not Padmé's, and Ahsoka was thankful that she had been respectful.

"Ahsoka my dear I have new information for you regarding the data you acquired on Myrkr. Can you please come to my office right away?" Chancellor Palpatine's kindly, yet authoritative voice hit her montrals, the tone nothing but respectful towards her. In fact it felt like she could even say 'no' to it if she really wanted to, not that she did.

If he had another mission for her then she would certainly accept it.

"Of course Your Excellency. I will be right over." Ahsoka replied, waiting for Palpatine to disconnect the channel himself. When she was certain the Chancellor had hung up, she placed the commlink back on the table, before moving towards her bedroom.

Reaching underneath the bed she pulled out the two cases of armour Lukaa had crafted for her.

Now would be a good time to test them.

Fully suiting up in her armour had taken some time, especially when it came to fitting the damned Akul fur cloak. In the end she had given up trying to attach it in a way that would not hinder her movements, instead choosing to abandon it in her apartment for the time being. She appreciated the gesture and all, but as it stood she had no real use for it.

That was unless Palpatine was sending her to some sort of frigid wasteland. Then she would most certainly double back for it before she left Coruscant.

Aside from the cape the rest of the custom made Mandalorian armour fit perfectly, and gave Ahsoka a strangely satisfying feeling. She couldn't imagine what Rex and the others would think if they saw her now, fully armoured up.

The only thing she wasn't currently wearing was the helmet, which was tucked gently under arm as she entered into the Chancellor's office. Glancing over at his desk she saw him analysing a hologram of what appeared to be a military base. As she approached she began to recognize the architecture of the building. It quite clearly belonged to the Separatists.

In fact, it looked almost like the facility she had snuck into on Myrkr.

Coming to a halt in front of his desk, Ahsoka stood to her full height and spoke.

"Agent Tano reporting for duty Your Excellency."

The Chancellor glanced up from where he had been studying the hologram a brief look of surprise coming to his face as he took in her new armour.

"Ah, Ahsoka, I didn't hear you come in. Please, sit." He spoke a moment later, the ever warm and welcoming smile that adorned his face appearing, compelling Ahsoka to sit opposite him.

"Thank you Your Excellency. What seems to be the problem?"

At her question the Chancellor gestured to the hologram before them, the smile on his face being replaced by a grim frown.

"My slicers have completed their decryption of the data you recovered from Myrkr, as well as salvaged what intelligence they could from the damaged data drive you and Skywalker brought back. From what we have been able to piece together Count Dooku and General Grievous are experimenting on a species of creatures native to the planet Myrkr. Why we cannot begin to speculate yet, as no intel in either source you recovered has given us a clear enough picture of their intentions. We were at a loss, until this came up." Palpatine spoke, tilting his head to the hologram.

"It looks very similar to the facility on Myrkr, just not surrounded by a giant forest." Ahsoka replied, inspecting the hologram for herself. The outside layout seemed roughly the same, and she could only assume that the inside was also similar.

"Indeed, and it may very well hold the missing information we seek. My analysts believe that the facility you broke into was merely an offsite backup facility. The data there was only one half of whatever the Separatists are doing with these experiments. Thus, if we can acquire the second half…"

"We can piece together exactly what Dooku and Grievous are up to… I like it." Ahsoka replied, a smile coming to her face. It was a sound plan. If they could understand what this weapon was, they could counter it.

Palpatine's hand moved gently across his desk, the hologram powering off in the process as he extracted a small data disk and handed it to Ahsoka, who readily took it.

"Unfortunately there is a complication. This facility is located on the planet Hypori, which is currently under firm Separatist control. We only discovered this second facility by pure chance." Palpatine spoke, standing from his seat and moving over to the window, looking down at the city below.

"What do you mean?" Ahsoka enquired, not sure if she should move to join him by the window or remain seated. Had she earned the right to treat the Chancellor as a friend yet, rather than an employer?

Palpatine audibly sighed, as if wanting to hold back some information for some reason. Clearly he either didn't want her to know, or knew it might possibly upset her for some reason.

"A Jedi Master and her battalion went to scout the planet for droid foundries and any weaknesses in their defenses. The plan was to cut off at least one source of production of their troops, much like General Grievous attempted to do once on Kamino. Unfortunately their ship was shot down and they are currently stranded on the planet not too far from the facility. With some luck they managed to transmit long range scans of the facility, as well as an intercepted transmission from the Commander of the facility to Separatist command about 'Project Nullify', before they crashed. With the stealth drive in your ship I believe you could bypass any external defences, infiltrate the facility and retrieve the information with the help of the Jedi and her Clones, and extract all of them back to Coruscant."

It was always good to have a plan of some kind, even if nine times out of ten Ahsoka had ended up improvising in the field, altering the plan in the process. Anakin had always supported and advocated those sorts of plans. Obi-Wan had not. At least, not always.

Standing from her seat, Ahsoka waited for the Chancellor to turn to her before she bowed to him.

"It will be done Your Excellency."

Palpatine nodded in appreciation, before retaking his seat at his desk, extracting a datapad from under his desk.

"I appreciate your willingness to assist in this mission. I imagine it will be hard working alongside a Jedi Master again, considering how quickly they cast you aside on mere speculation. I trust you will be able to work through that?" Palpatine enquired, his eyebrows raising as he questioned her.

"Of course Chancellor. In the field I am a professional."

Palpatine smiled in response, clearly pleased with her outlook.

"Excellent. I will attempt to establish communications with the General to inform her that you are coming. In the meantime this datapad contains a transponder code to look out for. That will mark the location of their encampment, which is no doubt somewhere hidden. Good luck Agent Tano. Go and bring security and prosperity to the Republic."

Bowing to the Chancellor again, Ahsoka replied with respect.

"Yes, Your Excellency."

From orbit, Hypori looked simply like a giant dust bowl. The planet was a myriad of shades of orange, some lighter, some darker, and some bordering on shades of brown as well. From space, Ahsoka could not work out what the terrain below would be. The colours could indicate a desert, or some mountains of various heights.

Or perhaps it was simply just an orange planet.

Glancing out of the cockpit windows of 'The Huntress', Ahsoka continued to hold her breath as the shuttle slowly moved past the Separatist blockade that was overhead. Upon exiting hyperspace at the edge of the system, and immediately powering up the cloaking device, Ahsoka had managed to count enough Separatist battleships to successfully invade the core worlds. If Count Dooku was using the planet as a staging ground for a major offensive, then it wouldn't be long before another series of brutal drawn out campaigns began.

That was the way in war, or so it seemed. A period of heavy fighting, one side assaulting the other, would then be followed by a brief respite as both sides recuperated and planned what to do next.

The cycle would repeat itself from there. One side would attack, war would rage, and then a period of little action would occur, only to be followed by a fresh breakout of conflict.

Truth be told Ahsoka was beginning to wonder if this damned war was ever going to end. How old would she be when it did? Where would she be?

Would she even still be alive?

Pushing that thought to the back of her mind, as she had no intention of dying anytime soon, Ahsoka adjusted the controls of the shuttle, angling the ship down towards the surface of the planet, and into the atmosphere.

It would be next to impossible to escape from Hypori in anything other than 'The Huntress', and there was no way they were fighting their way past a blockade of that size without being instantly vapourized.

That only left stealth as an option.

"All part of the plan." Ahsoka muttered to herself as she tightened her grip on the joystick some more, attempting to balance out of the turbulence of atmospheric entry. Despite the seemingly rocky entry, Ahsoka managed to keep it steady, and when she was certain that everything was stable, she reached across to the commlink and inputted the code from the datapad Palpatine had given her.

The code began to broadcast on a hidden frequency, avoiding being picked up by any Separatist listening posts nearby. If the signal was discovered, then the mission as a whole would fail and no doubt everyone would die as a result.

Again, another reason why stealth was so important, at least for now.

Precious seconds ticked by with no response, and Ahsoka began to expect the worst. Perhaps the Jedi and her troops had already been found by the droids and slaughtered. Perhaps this was all for nothing.

Perhaps she would have to infiltrate this facility all by…

The comm-link pinged in that instant, the sound of someone responding to her call. Someone was still alive!

"Thank the Force." Ahsoka sighed to herself, directing 'The Huntress' over to the set of coordinates that came through with the response. She was clearly expected, which meant that Palpatine had managed to get a message through, despite the difficulties he would have no doubt encountered.

Ahsoka had to admire his ability to get a seemingly impossible task done. The Chancellor was a very resourceful man. She saw now why he had managed to retain Chancellorship for so long.

He was far more effective in leading than a certain group of others were after all. And unlike them he hadn't turned his back on her at the slightest hint of so called treason.

Ahsoka had to continue flying for several minutes before something that looked like a good place to hide came into view. It helped that the coordinates she had been sent pointed the way too, but even so, it would only be a matter of time before the Separatists found this small encampment.

Before her was a range of mountains, varying in size and shape, andall very good for concealing what was between them. Glancing out the cockpit window, Ahsoka spied what looked like the entrance to a cave, one that appeared to head deep within the mountain itself. If she were to guess, that was where the Jedi Master and her Clones were hiding, waiting for her.

Her suspicions were confirmed seconds later, when she spied two figures emerge from the cave, glancing up at the sky as if looking for something.

They couldn't see her of course, thanks to the cloaking device, but at this point they could probably hear her ship. Her ship's engines weren't equipped with silencers after all, merely sound dampeners instead. Anyone could still hear the ship approaching.

Not only that but they would also certainly see her when she got close to the ground. The dust that would be thrown up by the landing would draw anyone's attention.

Angling the shuttle downwards, Ahsoka settled in for a comfortable landing.

As expected, dust was thrown up from the ground, almost creating a mini sandstorm, attracting the attention of the two individuals who had exited the cave earlier.

When Ahsoka was content that 'The Huntress' was settled, she power off several systems, but left the cloaking device active. Otherwise all the Separatists had to do was fly over when the device was offline and see her ship to know where the Clones were hiding. At least by keeping the ship invisible she was negating that possible outcome.

It would also mean that she would have to remember exactly where she parked!

Standing from her seat, Ahsoka reached across the the co pilot chair, hefting her new helmet up and placing it over her head. It was easier than carrying it everywhere she went, and whilst she wasn't too concerned about revealing her identity, it was good to have the choice to do it or not.

Besides, the helmet would offer her benefits, especially in the dark of the caves she assumed she was about to head into.

Walking through the shuttle, Ahsoka began to descend the ramp, stepping onto the dusty planet below, her combat boots leaving imprints on the ground below.

Glancing before her, she spotted the two individuals waiting for her, a look of surprise on both of their faces. At first she was confused why, then it came to her.

She had probably just materialised out of nowhere to them. They didn't know she had a cloaked ship.

That or they assumed she was a Mandalorian, given her armour. And given Mandalorian history with the Jedi and the Republic, it would be of no surprise that they were confused, if not apprehensive about her presence.

Chuckling under her breath at the thoughts, Ahsoka stopped to quickly mark the sand below her, scraping the front of her boot horizontally across where the base of the ramp that led into 'The Huntress' was. The marking would hopefully help her find the ship later.

When that was done she began to move over to greet those waiting for her. As she walked she took in the two vastly different figures before her.

One of them was clearly a Clone, his face similar, yet different, to all of the men she had served with for years. Running from the top of his head, across his left eye and down through his cheek at a diagonal angle was a thin scar, one that looked healed over time. His armour was much like that of many troopers, customized with thick red lines and markings that were no doubt representative of his Clone Battalion.

The second of the two individuals was much shorter, and much younger. He was human, and had a look in his eyes that suggested that he only wanted to please those around him.

He was also dressed in the simple robes typical of a Jedi, and sported a small braid of hair at the back of his head.

A Jedi Padawan.

As she neared to Clone and Jedi, the trooper stepped forward.

"Are you the Chancellor's agent?" The Clone asked, his voice teetering on the edge of exhaustion. He was clearly very tired, not that Ahsoka was surprised.

"I am. And you are?" Ahsoka replied, surprised at the sound of her own voice. The helmet modulated it slightly, not to the extent of it being unrecognizable, but distorted enough.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Sir. I'm Commander Grey, and this here is…" The Clone… Grey, spoke, saluting in the process before gesturing to the young Padawan beside him.

Before Grey got a chance to finish however, the Padawan did so for him, bowing in a sign of respect in the process.

"My name is Caleb Dume."

Author's thoughts

Firstly, sorry for the delay with this chapter. Personal issues. Anyway...

So, from one surprise cameo appearance to another. It's pretty obvious who the Temple Guards is, or will be should I say? I wonder who his little group of like minded individuals is? Anyway, it made sense to introduce his future arch nemesis into the story at the same time as him. Plus I knew people would really like to see young Caleb Dume in all his innocence. He and Ahsoka are going to have quite an interesting relationship that's for sure. :)

In regards to last chapter, I'm glad people liked the addition of a suit of Mando armour for Ahsoka. We need more Mandalorian armoured aliens. Imagine a Gungan wearing that stuff! Or a Dowutin! Or a Besalisk!

Anyway, I do bring some bad news with this chapter, so sorry for this. I am going to take a short break for a whiler for personal reasons. I am a bit burned out from writing at the moment, and I need time to re plan some things for what is to come. The reason for that is that I have created a whole new arc for this story that needs to fit in somewhere, as well as expand the role of a character who was only going to appear briefly in this story, (That character being Caleb) but I've now decided to make more prominent.

So yeah, I'm not giving up, before people ask. I will be back. i just need some time off.

Besides, who knows. I may have a new one shot or two coming soon for my rebels AU. :)

Once again thank you to my fantastic beta reader 'arrinsnyders'. You're a champion my friend. :)

As usual, comment and speculate at will. Speaking of which:

Travis Middleton: It was indeed the future Grand Inquisitor. I hope you liked his cameo in this chapter.
Glad you enjoyed the Mando armour reveal, as well as the appearance the grandfather of a certain Mandolorian artist.

HuffleHecate: It is the Grand Inquisitor, just not quite yet. Glad you were excited. Hopefully this chapter continued to please.

SWGoji2001: You know me. When I can include cheesy cameos for no reason whatsoever i will. XD Hopefully you didn't mind them. :)
Bring the other Inquisitors into this? Now there's an idea!
Fives most likely won the betting pool. Hopefully nothing happens to him before he gets a chance to spend it.

ItsJustABook; Thanks, glad you liked the chapter. The Temple Guard has his own goals. I wonder what they are?

SLE's fave guest: See now I wasn't sure how currency worked in Star Wars, but I doubt a full suit of customised Mando armour would be cheap right?
I compensated for the growth of her montrals. The shape of the helmet is described as having tall spires on top, giving her room for growth. Guess I didn't make it clear enough. Oops, my bad. :)
It is the Grand Inquisitor. I haven't figured out a place for Ventress to show up yet unfortunately. :(

Mysterious Guest one: Glad you liked the design of the armour. It was hard to get right and still feel like something Ahsoka would wear.
The Temple Guard has his own motives for finding her. He's not a lackey of the council.

MK Foxy: I do so enjoy leaving you all on cliffhangers. XD
Glad you enjoyed the chapter. :)

Han. S: That's ok. Not everyone has to like every character. I personally am not a huge fan of Rex, even though the community adores him. I find him a bit boring, but that's just me.
Glad you like the story, and you are welcome for me writing it. :)

Adamantium-Soldier74: Thanks, glad you liked the chapter.
Maybe the Temple Guard just felt like a stroll? :)

DreamPlane: A peculiar bit of coincidence me thinks. I only chose the T-6 shuttle as Ahsoka was seen with one at the end of Rebels.
Still, they were, and still are great planes for flying. :)