When Ahsoka awoke the next morning she was still without power. The explosion at the nearby power grid facility had knocked out a large section of Coruscant's main power. The buildings that were lucky enough to have emergency backup generators, such as the Senate building and 500 Republica were ok. There was enough power to run the lights, but that was about it.
That meant that there was no way for Ahsoka to make a hot drink this morning, outside of perhaps using warm water, which was frankly disgusting to Ahsoka. It also meant that she wasn't cooking for breakfast, which was just as bad for her. She could have really gone for a nice slice of cooked nerf meat this morning,
Sighing to herself, Ahsoka sat up in bed, pushing the covers off of her in the process. There was a distinct chill in the air this morning, making it clear that the heaters were not functioning either.
What wasn't helping was the weather. Outside her bedroom window she could hear the heavy downpour of rain, along with intervals of thunder and flashes of lightning echoing throughout the sky.
"Gonna be one of those days." Ahsoka murmured to herself as she rose from her bed, stretching her legs and back in the process. Glancing around the room she found her dress from the previous night haphazardly discarded on the floor alongside the towel she had been given.
Remembering the events of the previous night, Ahsoka bent down to scoop both items up, feeling the dampness that was still in them from the night before.
Shaking her head as she recalled Riyo's behaviour, Ahsoka moved both items over to a nearby clothes bin she had bought. She would have to wash them both later, once the power was restored.
Moving out of her bedroom, Ahsoka set to work preparing a breakfast of some kind. Luckily for the residents of 500 Republica it was not only the lights that were powered by backup generators, but the fridges as well. At least none of her food would go off.
Extracting a bowl from the cupboard, as well as a box of cereal, Ahsoka set to work combining the ingredients.
Moments later she found herself sat on her couch, legs tucked beneath her as she slowly ate her food, staring out the window, watching the world go by. Despite the power cut life seemed to proceed as normal. Skycars drove past in organised lanes, no doubt full of people desperate to get to work on time. Even with the rain thundering down around them, Ahsoka found the morning oddly peaceful. She didn't expect it to last very long of course, not with the possible threat of a terrorist being responsible for the explosion looming over their heads.
Palpatine had said that he would call if he needed her, so for now all she could do was wait and see. No doubt Anakin was feeling much the same. Hopefully he had 'protected' Padmé well last night.
Chuckling lightly at her own joke, Ahsoka took another mouthful of her cereal, her mind turning to other topics.
"I wonder what happened to those idiots last night?" She questioned aloud, knowing that no one was going to respond.
Truthfully she didn't really care what had happened to them. Perhaps no one had found them and they had died there. If that was the case then Ahsoka felt no guilt over the part she played. They had deserved what she had given them.
Taking another bite of her breakfast, Ahsoka returned to her window observations. There wasn't much else she could do this morning and that was fine with her.
If anything, it felt a lot like it was just the calm before the storm.
An hour later, Ahsoka's assumption was proven correct.
The sound of her commlink beeping drew her attention away from the book she was reading about the history of the Pau'an civilization. The Chancellor was calling her.
Reaching over to the device, Ahsoka accepted the incoming call and spoke.
"Tano here."
"Agent Tano, a dire situation has arisen. Please come to my office immediately."
"Of course Your Excellency, I'm on my way."
By now Ahsoka was used to traversing the halls of the Senate building, even when it was restricted to the low level lighting produced by the back-up generators. Even in the dark red hue of the lights it was easy for her to find the path to the Chancellor's office. Several other Senators moved through the corridors as well, no doubt going about their day despite the situation. Ahsoka was glad to see that the wheels of the Republic continued to turn despite the possible danger that was present.
'No, not possible danger, actual danger. Why else would the Chancellor say the situation was dire?' Ahsoka thought to herself as she turned a corner, her heavy armor rustling around her in the process. She had taken the time to armor up, as well as attach the Akul fur cape to the back of her shoulder pieces as well for extra protection, mainly from the harsh rain and wind outside. The weather was quite a contrast to what it had been the past few days, almost as if it knew something was wrong.
A few moments later Ahsoka found herself approaching the Chancellor's office. Stopping briefly to ensure she looked presentable, a feat that was harder than usual in heavy Beskar armor, Ahsoka moved towards the door to Palpatine's office. The door opened automatically to her presence, admitting her without any trouble. Palpatine had known she was coming after all.
Moving into the centre of the room Ahsoka spotted three figures clustered around Palpatine's desk. One was the Chancellor himself, who sat in his chair, analysing a holomap that was displayed before him.
The second figure turned his head upon hearing Ahsoka enter, immediately locking his glowing red eyes with Ahsoka's blue ones, a welcoming smile on his face. Why Thrawn was here was unknown to Ahsoka, but she could tell it was important.
It was then that the third figure glanced over his shoulder, resulting in Ahsoka very nearly seizing up with anger.
Part of her wanted to attack Wilhuff Tarkin, to disembowel him, or capture him and feed him to an Akul on Shili for entertainment for the role he had played in her trial.
But he too had been deceived by Barriss, and the evidence against Ahsoka had been overwhelming at best. If the Jedi Council could not sense that Ahsoka was innocent, what chance did Tarkin have?
Locking eyes with the Admiral, Ahsoka was surprised when he nodded his head in greeting to her, before turning back to survey the holomap before the gathered individuals.
Ahsoka had to say she was surprised to see Tarkin treating her with any real respect. Maybe he, like the Chancellor, felt guilty about his role in her trial. She would watch him carefully, but she was willing to give him a chance.
One chance.
"Ah, Agent Tano, thank you for coming so quickly. We have quite a predicament on our hands." Palpatine spoke up as he noticed his agent's arrival, gesturing to a chair in front of his desk, between Thrawn and Tarkin.
Accepting the offer, Ahsoka sat down, her own eyes running over the holomap before them. Various star systems on the map were highlighted for some reason, as well as the hyperspace routes between them. There also appeared to be a steadily blinking red light on the map, one that was slowly moving. If Ahsoka were to guess, she'd say it was a tracking beacon of some kind.
"How can I help Your Excellency?" Ahsoka inquired, diverting her attention back to Palpatine. The older man had a tired and fed up expression on his face, almost as if he had been up all night worrying about whatever had happened.
Rather than answer himself, Palpatine instead gestured for Tarkin to explain.
"As you are no doubt aware, Coruscant experienced a major power outage last night due to an unexpected explosion at a nearby power facility. As it turns out this explosion was merely a diversion." Tarkin began to explain, his hands moving towards the hologram before them, the map changing to an image of a burning power facility.
"A diversion? So it was a terrorist attack?" Ahsoka replied, surveying the damage on the hologram. Hopefully no one had been hurt, though she very much expected otherwise.
"A Separatist attack. We found remnants of destroyer class battledroids within the burning refinery. Somehow they had been outfitted as suicide bombers as opposed to the usual blaster cannons." Thrawn answered this time, his grasp on basic shockingly good in comparison to last night. Perhaps it was because he was speaking about something he understood.
"Suicide droidekas? What was the diversion for though?" Ahsoka continued on, a shocked expression on her face at the thought of such dangerous droids being equipped differently. She hoped she would never encounter one of those machines in the field. She wouldn't stand a chance.
Tarkin took that opportunity to swipe his hand on the hologram once again, the image changing from the burning facility to a towering fortified structure that was very familiar to Ahsoka.
"The Republic Centre for Military Operations? It'd be suicide to attack that place even during a blackout!" Ahsoka said, remembering her own escape from the building during her time on the run. It was where she had been held prisoner when she was a suspect, and it was also where…
Oh… on no.
Suddenly it all made sense to her, The attack on the facility was a diversion meant to draw support away from the military base, a military base where several high ranking members of the Separatist Alliance were being held prisoner for war crimes.
It had been a prison break.
"I assume by the look on your face that you have figured out what happened." Tarkin said from beside her, a grim expression covering his face.
"Who got away?" Ahsoka asked, beginning to understand why the Chancellor had called for her. No doubt she had to recapture a prisoner or two.
"Both Poggle the Lesser and Wat Tambor escaped and have since fled the planet. Admiral Tarkin is working with the Jedi Council in hopes of tracking them down before they get too far. However, they are not your concern Agent Tano. Another escaped prisoner is." Palpatine took over from Tarkin, reaching across to the hologram of the military base and swiping it to one side, bringing up the image of the map again.
"Who am I looking for?" Ahsoka asked, dread beginning to set in. If she wasn't being sent after a Separatist general… then who was she being sent to find?
"The convict you are looking for Agent Tano is none other than the one who framed you for treason. I believe that you will be the right person to find her and bring her to justice. After all, who knows her better?" Palpatine spoke again, his eyes full of concern for Ahsoka, even as he explained what he needed of her.
Barriss. That was who she was being sent to find. One of her closest friends, and the one who had betrayed her. The one who had been more than willing to let her get executed just to send a message! The one who had bombed the Jedi Temple and killed dozens of innocents!
Fury built up inside of Ahsoka. Was she with the Separatists now? Did she escape with them? Or had she just seized the opportunity and ran like a coward rather than stay and face her crimes!
Ahsoka wanted to find her, wanted to hurt her the same way Barriss had hurt her! She didn't care that it was unlike her… she wanted Barriss to pay!
But she also didn't. She wanted, no, needed to understand why Barriss had done what she had. If she could just find her, talk to her... then maybe, just maybe…
Ahsoka didn't know… all she did know was that she had to find Barriss. She'd make the rest up as she went along.
"Where can I find her?" Ahsoka spoke at last, her expression becoming steely and determined. Right now her past friendship with Barriss meant nothing. She had a job to do, and a criminal to catch.
'Besides, it's not like your friendship with Barriss meant anything to her… why should it for you?' The quiet voice in Ahsoka's head whispered vindictively. As much as Ahsoka agreed with her subconscious, now was not the time to argue with herself and wallow over a broken bond.
"That's the problem Agent Tano, when Offee escaped she stole a Republic shuttle and jumped to hyperspace before we could stop her. She is far out of reach at the moment." Tarkin replied first, frustration in his tone at the thought of an escaped prisoner. She knew firsthand that he would take Barriss escaping badly.
"Yes, she did indeed escape, but she did not anticipate one thing." Palpatine spoke next, gesturing to Thrawn, who leaned forward in his seat, glowing red eyes locking with Ahsoka's blue ones.
"All Republic shuttles have a tracking device built into them for recovery purposes. Offee has since disabled the one in her vessel, but not before jumping to hyperspace. Through careful analysis of the shuttle she was in, as well as fuel supply and direction she was headed in I believe I have extrapolated a possible destination for her." Thrawn explained, his hands pointing towards the holomap before them, indicating a path along a hyperspace route that the blinking red light had been following.
"And where do you think she's headed?" Ahsoka asked, already expecting to not like the answer."
"There are numerous planets along the hyperspace route that she could be on, but the one that seems most likely is Nal Hutta. Said planet is a perfect place to disappear, or at the very least acquire a less conspicuous ship to allow her to move more freely." Thrawn finished, leaning back in his chair, a contemplative look on his face. He wasn't second guessing himself, merely running through his own evidence in his head again to find out how he came to the conclusion. Ahsoka hadn't known Thrawn long, but she could already tell that while he was a bit of an enigma, he was damn good at what he did.
"Nal Hutta? I would not put it past a snake like her to hide on a festering rancid hole such as that." Tarkin quipped suddenly, disgust in his tone.
Despite the way he had said it however, Ahsoka found herself nodding in agreement. If someone wanted to disappear and hide from the law, Nal Hutta was the place to do it.
"I'll head to Nal Hutta right away Chancellor and see what leads I can turn up. She may have a head start, but Togruta are renowned hunters. I'll find her." Ahsoka said with confidence, standing up from her seat and bowing before the assembled group in a sign of respect.
"I have no doubt you will Agent Tano, but there are two things to discuss before you go. Firstly, I want Lieutenant Thrawn to accompany you. His analytical skills will be best put to use tracking down Offee, and he can more than hold his own if the situation calls for it." Palpatine replied, nodding to Thrawn in the process.
The Chiss stood from his own seat, moving to stand beside Ahsoka, tilting his head to one side as if asking a question.
Understanding the Chancellor's reasons for sending Thrawn, Ahsoka nodded back in acceptance. It would be nice to have the company.
"Sounds good, what's the second thing?"
At that, Palpatine hesitated. Rather than answer immediately he instead glanced towards Tarkin, the two acting as if they were having a silent conversation. Clearly whatever the second thing was about was not good.
Several tense seconds of silence passed by before Tarkin slowly nodded his head in affirmation, before turning in his seat to face Ahsoka. Rather than speak however, it was Palpatine who continued to deliver the news.
"Agent Tano, your mission is to find, and if possible, detain Barriss Offee. She is known to be an extremely dangerous individual who will willingly put the lives of innocents at risk, and if the past is anything to go by, will not come in quietly. If you can capture her then by all means, but if you can't then I am authorizing you to use lethal force to eliminate this threat once and for all."
Ahsoka couldn't help the way her eyes widened at the Chancellor's words. Did they really want her to… really expect her to do that? Yes, she had killed people before, but never someone she cared about, or had cared about. Barriss didn't deserve death… did she?
'She would have left you for dead. Consider this a way of returning the favour.' The darker portion of her mind whispered again, causing Ahsoka to flinch before she finally managed to find her voice.
"You want me to kill her?" Ahsoka asked, unable to keep the shakiness out of her tone. She really hoped it didn't come to that.
"It would be preferable if you left her alive for interrogation." Tarkin spoke first, his tone oddly somber, as if he knew the effect the Chancellor's words were having on her.
"Yes, but if the need arises Agent Tano I trust you will make an informed decision. You know how dangerous she is. Whatever you decide we will support you my dear." Palpatine said, his own tone soft and caring.
The very idea of Barriss being dangerous was never something Ahsoka would have considered before she bombed the Jedi Temple. Barriss had always been a soft spoken individual, one who wouldn't harm even an insect. She cherished all life in the universe, no matter how small.
Or at least she had. Clearly, somewhere along the way that part of her had been lost. Whoever she was now was not the person Ahsoka remembered. She was a threat to the Republic, and it was her duty to take her down.
Resolute in her orders, Ahsoka bowed again.
"I'll find her."
With that, she turned on her heel and began to leave the Chancellor's office, Thrawn following behind her, her mind a storm of conflicting emotions.
Author's thoughts
Ok, first things first people... can I just say that I loved how quick all of the commenters last chapter were in expressing their belief that 'Ahsoka has begun to turn to the darkside' simply because she defended herself (and sort of beat up) three racist teenagers. I mean, talk about calling it how you see it right? Gotta say, I loved the reaction to it as that was exactly what I hoped for.
As for this chapter... I'm doubting the details of Ahsoka's next mission are a surprise to anyone. Her hunting an escaped Barriss was always going to be an arc of this story. Don't expect anything too bombastic. This one is more of an internal struggle more than anything, though there will be conflict of some kind.
Also, oh hi Tarkin. Nice to see you here (not!). I wonder why he's being sort of nice to Ahsoka all of a sudden? Is he genuine? Guess only time will tell.
And as requested by many, it's time for some more Thrawn as well. He's got an important role to play in this arc to some extent, as does another character who will show up next time.
So yeah, not much else to say really. Sorry about that. Hope you liked the speedier update this time around. Don't expect that to become a thing though. I'm going at my own pace. Updates will keep coming, all I ask for is patience.
Once again, many thanks to my beta reader 'ArrinSnyders' for correcting and improving my drafts... even if we had a joke argument about me using British terminology for stuff rather than 'Star Wars' sounding terminology. I'll try to stop doing it...I promise. XD
Oh and by the way, to anyone who has read this story from the start and stuck around, thanks a lot. Your continued support means the world to me and is the main reason I keep on writing. Likewise to the people that join halfway through. You guys are awesome. :)
Next time round Ahsoka and Thrawn encounter someone who shares their goals in mind whilst setting off for Nal Hutta.
As usual, comment and speculate at will. Speaking of which:
SWGoji2001: Interesting is one word to describe it that's for sure. XD
Yeah Ahsoka's inner aggression took over for a moment there, but she did warn them. No sympathy on my end for the trio.
Glad you enjoyed the Ahsoka, Lux and Riyo dynamic. I wanted some laughs before the drama. XD
The action is about to build up a bit, but not by much. Next arc is a slow thoughtful one, but with some action in to please those that want it as well.
Dream Plane: Yeah, Riyo was a bit cheeky this chapter. Better hope that Lux and Ahsoka don't get some sort of revenge. XD
Despite those kids deserving it, chances are Ahsoka's actions only prove the points they were trying to make, and will likely fuel their anger even more.
Necrotis: Thanks. Glad the pacing felt good for the chapter. Always hard to get that bit right I find.
Ahsoka's inner darkness kind of stems from Anakin really, but unlike him she is able to control it, for now.
You've got some interesting ideas for what Ahsoka should become. Only time will tell if you are right. XD
yeetashoe: Hey, yeah I remember who you are. Good to see you again, even if it is under a different name. :)
Yeah, Ahsoka certainly wasn't going easy of those three was she? Then again they did deserve it. Pissing off a natural predator is a dangerous thing. Luckily she didn't kill anyone though.
But yeah, you are right to be scared for her. Her actions were borderline Anakin, and we know what happens when Anakin gets pissed off.
Sorry about the lack of Caleb in the last chapter. He wasn't really meant to be important aside from another guest that Ahsoka could hang out with. Rest assured he will return in a few arcs time as he does play an important role in this story.
The same goes for Fives. Don't expect to see him anytime soon, but his survival is important to the direction of the story.
Also, thank you for such a compliment regarding my writing. I'm pleased that you find it gripping in terms of story and characters, even if it can be a bit slow sometimes. I personally think my stories suck, but that's just me being Captain Pessimism. Hopefully I can continue to be unpredictable with the story. It'd be awesome if I can keep everyone guessing until the very end, though I don't see that happening myself. :)
tf330129: I'm keeping it up as best I can. :)
Jayfeathers Friend: Glad you enjoyed the inclusion of Lux and Riyo. They are fun characters to contrast Ahsoka against.
That said, sorry to disappoint but there will be no Luxsoka in the story. In fact there is unlikely to be any romance for Ahsoka at all. Doesn't quite fit the tone of the story I'm afraid.
As for the racism aspect, yeah it's not something that is touched on too often in Star Wars, even though it is quite obviously there. Thought it'd be an interesting thing to look at. :)
1saaa: Firstly, your stories aren't mediocre. I know I've not reviewed them (cause I'm useless like that and keep forgetting to), but they have been good so far. Keep on writing. It's the only way to improve and you will always have people sticking around to read more. :)
Anyways, glad you liked the fountain gag. I needed some humour to balance the dark nature of the end of the chapter, so I'm glad you liked it. Only time will tell if the unprofessional behavior will have any consequences.
The blackout does seems awfully convenient doesn't it? It's almost as if it was planned by someone at the ball itself. Let's hope nothing bad happens as a result. XD
The politics of the Republic and it's various Senators is a fun thing to explore, especially when you put people like Ahsoka and Caleb in it, who are completely out of their depth and just smile and nod along with whatever is being said by whoever they trust the most. Let's hope it doesn't cause any sort of divide in the long run between friends.
The racism was interesting to explore, especially with Ahsoka's slowly declining patience in everything. She snapped here, but no one died, which is good I guess. If something like this happens again, chances are they won't be as lucky as the trio from the last chapter.
Ahsoka has always been a bit more prone to violence than most anyways, most likely partly due to Anakin being her teacher, and her Togruta heritage. The difference is that she knows when not to go too far and knows when to stop, unlike a certain Skyguy who just keeps on going. Let's hope nothing changes that anytime soon.
Though you are right about the fact that I am trying to put Ahsoka in new and unique situations to see what her reaction will be. How she reacts oes indeed shape her future, even if she is unaware of it. Only time will tell what path she picks in the end.
Do I give each reviewer a voice of their own... honestly, not really. I just read it as is. That said I can see when people are getting excited and whatnot, so they rate I read the reviews can speed up and slow down. Weird really. :)
Hope you liked the speedier update this time around. Sorry that you have to wait for a while usually.
Erukat: Glad you liked the Kaesoka stuff. More of that will come soon. :)
The previous chapter was one of two halves really, so I'm glad you had a different reaction to both parts. I felt I needed them to balance one another in a way or else they both would seem pointless. I'm a great fan of contrast in stories after all. :)
Thrawn is an interesting fellow for this story as he isn't the famed Grand Admiral yet, He's still learning, kind of like Ahsoka in a way. Having them bounce off each other will play a role in the future.
Those kids did deserve what they got, but you are right to be worried for Ahsoka. She's not fallen to the darkside or anything, but she was more violent than usual. Good thing she's got someone like Palpatine to talk it over with at some point. I'm sure he won't judge her too harshly. XD
Looks like you were right about a shadow escaping from prison... not that it was meant to be any real surprise of any kind. This was always going to happen. :)
Travis Middleton: Thanks, glad you enjoyed the chapter, as well as Lux and Riyo appearing.
The changing attitudes towards non-humans in the Republic is something rarely explored so I wanted to show it a bit here. Non humans still vastly outnumber the humans of course, but well.. you know what humans are like. No doubt Palpy play some role in escalating tensions a bit.
Let's hope Ahsoka's beatdown of those kids doesn't come back to haunt her in some way, both physically or mentally.
Juxshoa: Thanks, glad you found it interesting.
Ahsoka's actions could be seen as falling to the darkside, or they could be seen as self defense. Only time will tell if she is able to control herself.