"Skywalker stop."
"Are you kidding me!?"
Anakin knew he'd be in trouble the second the outburst escaped his lips, but frankly he didn't care what Master Windu thought. If Force users around Coruscant were falling victim to whatever had afflicted the Jedi Temple's denizens, then there was a damn good chance that the same could be said for Ahsoka!
"Tano is no longer your concern. We must focus on the situation here and now. If she has fallen into the same slumber the rest of the Order has then she will be fine."
"I don't care!"
"Um… not to interfere, but isn't Tano working for the Chancellor now? Maybe we could enlist both of their help with this, assuming she's conscious that is?" A third voice, the one belonging to Bil Valen interrupted, his facial expression contemplating deeply.
"That's true. The Chancellor needs to know that the Order is compromised. He might even be able to help us." Masana spoke next, voicing her own support for Anakin's personal quest. Despite barely knowing the two Knights, Anakin appreciated their support.
Windu however clearly did not.
"The Chancellor is a politician. Whatever this is is related to the complex nature of the Force. I very much doubt the Chancellor understands the gravity of such a situation."
"Maybe, maybe not. Still would not hurt to inform the Supreme Commander of the Republic that he has just lost one of his most important assets in the war we're all fighting. And we need all the help we can get with this one!" Bil retorted, throwing an exasperated look at Windu in the process, who returned it with a sharp glare of his own.
Windu remained silent for a few moments before a soft sigh escaped his throat.
"Very well. Skywalker, seek out Tano and see if she can assist us in this matter, and inform the Chancellor of the events that have transpired. In the meantime Knights Tide, Valen and myself will search for other unaffected Jedi and try to figure out what has occurred here."
Anakin didn't need Windu's authorization to go look for Ahsoka. He would have gone with or without it. Still, getting the Jedi Master to change his mind was no easy feat. Anakin had to give credit where it was due to Bil and Masana.
"Thank you Master Windu. Good luck in your search."
"There is no such thing as luck Skywalker." Windu replied before turning his back to the Jedi Knight, hands moving over the holoterminal before him, as if trying to connect a call.
Out of the corner of his vision, Anakin spotted Masana staring at him with a smirk on her face. Upon locking eyes with him, she winked once, before turning around to inspect another console.
Taking that as a vote of support from the Dowutin, Anakin began to head for the exit.
He had a Togruta to find.
His first destination was Ahsoka's flat, one that he now possessed a spare keycard for. Ahsoka had gifted it to him during his stay a few weeks back, giving him a place to stay whilst at odds with his wife. Things between him and Padmé had improved since the Clovis incident, but they were still frosty at best. He certainly hadn't been allowed back into their shared bed, which upset him greatly. He really missed sleeping by his wife's side.
The one positive was that Clovis, despite still being in an induced coma from Anakin's assault on him, was expected to make a recovery. It was just a case of when he would make that recovery.
Padmé, despite her anger at Anakin, hadn't reported the full truth of what had happened to the Senator from Scipio, much to Anakin's surprise. He had fully expected to face the wrath of the Coruscant police services for his actions against Clovis. Whilst Anakin maintained that the man had deserved the beating he'd gotten, he knew that Padmé had been right about just how brutal he had been. He could have killed Clovis!
Moving into Ahsoka's apartment, Anakin was instantly put at ease by the sight of the Togruta sitting on her couch, watching the holovision whilst she ate out of a bowl of what looked like noodles.
"Oh thank the Force." Anakin couldn't help the words of joy escaping his mouth as he moved around the couch to join Ahsoka, pleased to see that she was fine, albeit with a perplexed look on her face.
"Thought you were supposed to be deployed today with the boys." Ahsoka said, taking another bite of her noodles before using the Force to switch the holovision off, clearly tired of whatever nonsense had been on it.
"That was the plan yeah…. but things have changed. You've not felt anything off with the Force today I take it?" Anakin replied with his own question, not wanting to waste time. It was an emergency after all and they had to act quickly before anything worse happened. If the Separatists were to attack now for example… well… Anakin didn't even want to think about the bloodbath that would follow.
"Nothing out of the ordinary… why?"
"It'll be easier to explain when we are together Ahsoka. Get your armour on and let's get to the Chancellor's office right away. We need your help."
The way Ahsoka's eyes widened at the mention of her help being needed would have been comical had the situation not been so grim. Despite being in the middle of food however, the Togruta was quick to spring into action, moving to her bedroom as she spoke.
"Must be important if you need me and the Chancellor."
"You don't know the half of it Ahsoka."
Much to Anakin's surprise, the duo had been at the Chancellor's office for a meeting within the hour. Turned out that as the personal agent of Chancellor Palpatine, Ahsoka could request a meeting with the man whenever she wanted it and have it accepted without hesitation. Anakin hadn't been privy to when Ahsoka had called the Chancellor to ask him for a meeting earlier, but clearly she had worked some sort of magic to get one so fast.
That or Palpatine really had just decided to drop everything for them simply because he liked them. In a way Anakin hoped that was the case.
Moving through the reception area and into his office, Anakin bowed before the Supreme Chancellor, a gesture that Ahsoka also made before moving to sit in one of the two vacant chairs across the desk from the leader of the Republic.
"Well my friends, I must say this is very unexpected. What can I do for you both?" The Chancellor spoke, his voice full of authority and control, but with a hint of the grandfatherly figure that Anakin had come to see the man as beneath it.
"General Skywalker said he needs our help with something big." Ahsoka spoke, her own tone professional, as if she was addressing a superior, which she was. It always amazed Anakin how quickly the Togruta could jump between 'Snips' and 'Commander' in a blink of an eye.
"I see. Well then Anakin, what assistance do you require my boy?" Palpatine replied, his eyes warm but his face full of concern as he gestured to the spare chair next to Ahsoka, one that Anakin finally moved to take.
"It's not just me, Your Excellency, but the Jedi as a whole. There has been an attack at the Temple." Anakin replied, his own tone grim as he began to recall what had happened thus far. Beside him he saw Ahsoka stiffen at the mention of an attack. It was likely she was remembering the last Temple attack she had investigated, and how it had led to her expulsion from the Order. Hopefully something similar wouldn't happen this time.
"An attack? I have not heard of an attack on your Temple. How many are injured?" Palpatine asked, shock in his voice as he leaned towards his desk, his spider-like fingers entwined with one another.
"That's the thing, this isn't your conventional attack. No one has been harmed physically, though something has happened to the Force."
"The Force? This is far beyond my understanding, my boy, but I will help how I can. Please continue."
Glancing over at Ahsoka briefly, and receiving a perplexed look in the process, Anakin continued.
"Something has happened to the Force. What we aren't sure, only that a vast majority of the Jedi within the Temple and on Coruscant have suddenly been rendered unconscious. They are alive and stable as best we can tell, but non-responsive. Even the Council members were affected. Kriff, even Master Yoda fainted."
"Master Yoda fainted from whatever this was? What about Obi-Wan… and Plo Koon?" Ahsoka spoke, her voice full of concern for the two Jedi Masters. Despite leaving the Order on bad terms it appeared that Ahsoka held no ill will against those two Council Members. Anakin was glad for that at least. In her place he would likely be the opposite.
"Both down too I'm afraid, but alive. The only Council Member unaffected was Windu."
"You're kidding me right?!"
"Nope."
"Ooohhh this is gonna be fun."
The sarcastic tone in which Ahsoka replied brought a small smile to Anakin's face despite the gravity of the situation. He was glad he could still count on her to lighten the mood.
"Are there any other Jedi who are currently awake?" Palpatine's inquiry brought Anakin back from his internal thoughts. The elderly man had a grim, yet confused expression on his face. Anakin could almost see the metaphorical cogs turning in the Supreme Chancellor's mind, contemplating every single possibility and outcome.
"Master Windu and I found a few other unaffected Jedi so far. Two Knights to be precise, Tide and Valen are their names. Aside from that we also contacted another Jedi who is away from Coruscant. She and her Padawan seemed unaffected as well, likely due to distance from Coruscant itself."
"So this weapon has only affected Coruscant then? There's that at least!" Ahsoka interrupted, earning a nod of agreement from Palpatine in the process.
"Indeed. As devastating it is to lose the assistance of the Jedi Order, we must focus on the positives. Now my boy, what plans do we have to investigate thus far?" Palpatine spoke, fingers separating from one another and coming to rest on his desk instead.
"Master Windu is working with Knights Valen and Tide at the moment to ascertain what has happened. But as it stands we are running blind Your Excellency. With the Temple Guard down for the count the Temple itself is vulnerable."
"Not to mention Coruscant." Ahsoka input once more, earning another grim look of despair from Palpatine in the process.
"I've ordered the 501st to run security in the meantime, but until we find anything all we can do is keep those that have been affected safe."
Palpatine seemed despondent for several moments, the cogs in his head clearly still turning as he debated the best strategy going forward. For now one of his best assets in the Clone Wars was unavailable to him, leaving the Republic in grave danger should the Separatists launch a full scale assault on Coruscant itself. Anakin hoped that Dooku and Grievous would never be stupid enough to do such a thing.
After several moments had passed however, Palpatine's expression changed once again, this time shifting into a look of determination and focus.
"I will send out an alert to all battalions in every theatre of war we possess warning them of this incident. I will also ensure that no Jedi returns to Coruscant in the meantime to spare them of this unknown affliction. Agent Tano, I want you to go with General Skywalker and assist in this investigation as my representative. I want frequent progress reports about said investigation as well. If you find anything out you must inform me."
"Of course Your Excellency." Ahsoka's response was swift and professional, bowing her head in the process, before glancing over at Anakin, a silent question in her eyes asking if he was ready to head to the Temple.
"Good. Now, before you go I do have one piece of speculation. Perhaps you will call me insane Agent Tano, but do you remember that Temple Guard we both spoke to the last time we visited the Temple together?"
"I do, Chancellor. What about him?"
"Do you recall he mentioned the possibility of a Sith Shrine being constructed deep below the Jedi Temple as a legend?"
Anakin's eyes widened suddenly at the mention of a Sith Shrine. How had he never heard about this before? It couldn't possibly be true… could it?
"I recall." Came Ahsoka's response, an edge of worry on her tone, as if she knew something Anakin did not. That was never a good sign.
"Perhaps I am jumping to conclusions, but from my personal reading I have discovered many mentions of Sith shrines and temples housing superweapons of some kind. Could this be a possibility here?"
"I mean…. if the Shrine really does exist then, yeah, maybe."
"In that case Agent Tano, find out if it does, no matter the cost. If anyone will know it will be Master Windu. Get him to come clean on the orders of the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, no matter what."
If Anakin had been surprised by the mention of a Sith Shrine before, he was very nearly bowled over by the discussion currently going on around him! The Chancellor was ordering Ahsoka to effectively flaunt her authority over Windu's, forcing him to release any information that might possibly exist. The idea of someone who wasn't Master Yoda telling Windu what to do was ridiculous, but Anakin couldn't wait to see the look on Windu's face when it happened, even if it resulted in no new information.
"It will be done, Your Excellency." Came Ahsoka's reply, a hint of hidden joy in her voice as she understood what the Chancellor was ordering her to do. No doubt she would get just as much enjoyment from ordering Windu around as Anakin would get from watching it happen!
"Then you best be off to the Temple my friends. Good luck."
Author's thoughts
Firstly, (and this is not an attack on anyone, just a friendly heads up), to the people on fanfic who've been leaving comments over on my 'One-Shot Saga' story because of a controversial one shot and opinion I hold on Rex and his 'lie' about removing his chip... just remember that I don't have to write stories for you lot, and I can and will stop if you don't learn to accept that other people have different opinions. I wasn't attacking you because you have a different opinion, I simply chose to vent my annoyance and dislike over the retcon with an interesting concept via a one shot as a way to sort my own head out. I hold no ill will towards Rex. If I did... I'd of killed him off instantly. Instead I chose to let his character depart from the Rebels AU with dignity for the meantime. My opinions of Rex and Order 66 are shaped from my own personal experience, not yours. If you got a problem with that, keep it to yourself. I have enough problems with the voices in my head telling me I'm worthless. I don't need you lot doing it too! I don't mind criticism, but not outright aggression over an opinion I hold. I like to write stories with unique viewpoints and twists, some that are controversial, but I do so for the sake of the story, not to cause conflict. I know Rex and the Clones aren't to blame for Order 66, I'm just having some issues right now trusting Rex because to me it seemed like he lied about not betraying his Jedi, hence the one shot.
Be nice and accept that not everyone has the same opinion as you. No need to attack them for it. Maybe my opinion on the matter is flawed, but that's because I am a flawed person who doesn't accept what I perceive as betrayal and lies well. I'm sure you all think you have a right to your own opinion, and I agree with you all on that... but the question is why do people have to make it seem like I don't have a right to mine?
I'm not blaming you lot for not sharing my opinion... all I ask is that you respect that others might not agree with you, and not to attack them for it.
In the words of the Twelfth Doctor... "Just be Kind." :)
Right, mini rant over. On with the actual authors thoughts.
Well... now that is over, this was a simple and quiet chapter. Dialogue central really, but needed to advance the plot in the right direction, thank you Palpatine. Good thing he did his research like a kind elderly man he is right? I'm sure he didn't know about the Shrine any other way! XD
And oh look, Ahsoka is just fine! I wonder why that is? Odd... huh? Nothing suspicious at all. XD
So yeah, not much really to talk about this chapter honestly. Some might call it filler (probably a lot), but I just call it character development.
The next chapter is a bit more of the same honestly, but again, it's needed to advance the story somewhat. After all, not everything can be super duper action chaos all the time right? XD
Though I will say one thing about the last chapter and the reviews for it. I'm pretty impressed just how many of you put the pieces together as the reason why the conscious Jedi were still conscious. You guys might be onto something there.
Then again, I shouldn't be surprised really. You lot are smart cookies. Still, nice job guys! XD
As usual, thanks to my beta reader 'ArrinSnyders' for his help. He continues to do good work. XD
Next time round Anakin and Ahsoka return to the Jedi Temple to speak to Windu and the others. I'm sure nothing will go wrong. XD
As usual, comment and speculate at will. Speaking of which:
Jayfeathers Friend: You're not wrong about that connection you are making. I guess only time will tell how accurate you are though. Perhaps there is something else at work here. Hope you enjoy what is to come. :)
matthewbarcas31: Thanks! This arc was my favorite to plan so I hope you like it! XD
TaitanoRules555: Having never played Jax/Daxter, I'm gonna have to go for Ratchet and Clank. Those games were fun! XD
Erukat: I'm glad you are excited for it. It's gonna be a good one... hopefully. :)
I'm glad the chapter was able to catch you off guard. A good mystery now and then never hurt anyone... just knocked them out it seems. I wonder what could have happened. Don't worry though, you've got your first major clue in this chapter. Hope it helps. :)
And yes... the 'Anakin wasn't even a Council Member' was totally an inside joke/reference. I love sneaking those things in. XD
Silver-Dragon66: That's some interesting speculation you have there. I wonder how true it will be. XD
iamtheshepard16: Thanks. Hopefully this arc is received well, as it's the one I've been looking forward to most of all.
Your guess as to the reason why certain people are awake and others not is a good one. Only time will tell how right or wrong you are though. XD
Morriganna: That would certainly be an interesting idea wouldn't it? Something has happened to the Jedi, that's for sure.
Cat-Gods-Of-The-Cat-People: Thanks a lot... and no problem. I'm glad you enjoyed it and are looking forward to this arc.
lunariseuropa: Glad you liked Masana's appearance. She plays a major role in this arc, and she is a lot of fun to write, especially when she is interacting with Anakin. XD
Dressyone22: Very suspicious indeed... and something certainly isn't right here. I wonder who could be behind it all? XD
The other characters that you might not know (Masana and Bil being the main ones) are two of the future Inquisitors in canon. Masana becomes Nnth Sister, and Bil becomes the Sixth Brother. I thought it would be interesting to have the show up some more, hence their appearance. :)
And thanks for the understanding. I'm gonna need a serious break once this story is over, but never say never to another one. :)
TheNewGuy1138: You might be onto something there. There certainly is something connecting all of the conscious Jedi. Only time will tell if you are correct. I hope you like the answer when it comes. :)
1saaa: Sorry that you had a bad day. I have those pretty much on a daily basis now. XD
This arc is full of lots of mystery and puzzle solving, so yes, it does seem like the arc for you really. I hope you enjoy the direction of it, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what speculation you bring to the table as always. Hopefully this chapter helps to give you more clues to follow. You might need them to figure out exactly what is going on and who is behind it. Gotta give you those breadcrumbs after all. XD
Thanks again for the review. Hope you enjoyed this chapter too. :)
tf330129: Keeping it up still! XD
RyanSquad: No problem. Hope you enjoyed it. :)