The call came early in the morning, and Ahsoka knew she couldn't ignore it, not when it came from Chancellor Palpatine. She had a duty. It was her role to serve his will, no matter the time of day.
For the Chancellor to be calling her this early in the morning, before the sun had even risen on Coruscant, then it must have been important. No doubt it was a new mission, finally.
It had been months since the incident with the Sith Shrine. Very little had changed in the aftermath of it. From what Anakin had told her, the Council had chosen to ignore the Shrine, deeming it inert and harmless. Ahsoka knew that was a mistake. The Sith Lord, Sidious, had acquired the holocron from the Shrine. She knew that the Council was now aware of this fact thanks to Palpatine telling them during his meeting with them, but still they did nothing to address the threat!
Ahsoka had proceeded to smash one of her plates when she had heard about their lack of response. Anger had briefly taken over, leading to her flinging the plate across her apartment and into a wall, narrowly missing Anakin's head in the process. Her old Master had thankfully laughed at her display, before helping clean up the shards of broken plate.
All things considered, Ahsoka shouldn't have been surprised. The Council was known to ignore the obvious. They had demonstrated this during her phony trial!
Still, there was nothing she could do but voice her concern to both Anakin and Palpatine, which she had done. Both of them shared her grievances, but could do little to change the Council's minds. It struck Ahsoka as odd that the most powerful man in the Republic wasn't able to supersede the Jedi Council's decision. She could only assume that was down to the Council claiming that the existence of a Sith Shrine was of Jedi concern alone, not the Republic's.
'Except that the Separatists are under the command of a Sith Lord… and the Republic is fighting them! Surely the Sith are a concern of the Republic as well!' The voice in her head had practically screamed in outrage over the reveal. She guessed it was just another piece of evidence to support Maul's claims. If the Jedi kept this sort of behavior up, then both they and the Republic would be doomed to fall.
Pushing aside those thoughts, Ahsoka continued in her previous task, heading to the Chancellor's office. He had said it was urgent, and honestly, she was glad it was. She hadn't had a proper mission in weeks, months even. She honestly felt like she had been going stir crazy after her wounds healed as best they could. She had a nasty scar on her thigh now, but that was the only real lasting damage.
She had gotten very lucky that day. If she ever encountered Maul again…
"Ah! Agent Tano! Excellent! Sorry to call you this early!" The Chancellor's voice drew her out of her thoughts, nearly making her jump as she recognized her surroundings as his office. She had clearly walked in during her mental distraction without realizing.
Clearing the haze out of her eyes, Ahsoka smiled back at the Chancellor and replied.
"It's no worry Your Excellency. I live to serve. How may I help you?"
"We've found it!" Came the Chancellor's reply as he gestured to one of three seats before his desk. The other two were occupied, one by Lieutenant Thrawn, and the other by Admiral Tarkin, who greeted her with a curt nod. She was still getting used to him treating her with some level of respect. Now that she was no longer a Jedi, he seemed to value both her assistance and skill more.
That didn't mean she liked him however, and she was fairly certain he didn't like her either.
Thrawn nodded at her as well, a warm smile on his face that contrasted the ever stern grimace of Tarkin. She was pleased to see that he still saw her as a companion after their last mission together.
"Found what?" Ahsoka inquired as she sat opposite the Chancellor, watching as he moved his hands over his desk, typing on an inbuilt holopad and bringing up the map of the galaxy.
Ahsoka watched as Palpatine rotated the map slowly, before beginning to zoom in on territory outside of the core worlds and into the outer rim. Eventually, he brought the map up to the Albarrio sector, before again zooming in on a planet, one that Ahsoka had never been to before, but one she had heard of.
Mygeeto.
"Mygeeto has been the site of an ongoing campaign against the Separatists for several weeks now. We were making considerable progress against removing the droid occupation, however, things have changed as of late." Palpatine began to explain, before turning to face Tarkin, gesturing for the Admiral to continue.
"A distress call from the Jedi General in charge of the operation came through to command last night. General Billaba and her Clone legion are pinned down on the surface and steadily losing ground. Their fleet, aside from a single wing of Mandalorian starfighters calling themselves 'Skull Squadron' has been utterly destroyed. They are trapped on Mygeeto, fighting for their lives as we speak."
"Have the Jedi been informed of this?" Ahsoka inquired, a sense of dread rushing over her, before she pushed it down to maintain her professionalism. If Master Billaba was in trouble, then that meant Caleb was too. The thought of the young Padawan fighting against impossible odds was not something she welcomed.
"They have, and Generals Skywalker and Kenobi have already marshalled both of their legions for a rescue mission. They leave Coruscant in a few hours."
"And that my dear is where you come in." Palpatine interrupted Tarkin before he could continue, his expression grim. "General Billaba and her men did not know what they were walking into. Neither did Republic High Command, not until Lieutenant Thrawn here provided us with some last minute intelligence."
Confusion rushed through Ahsoka's mind at that. How could Master Billaba not know what she was walking into? Had there not been enough intel?
"I don't follow." Ahsoka replied, glancing over at Thrawn, whose red eyes held a hint of understanding.
"Neither did we. Thrawn?" Tarkin muttered from beside Ahsoka, addressing the Chiss with a questioning tone.
The Chiss glanced over at Palpatine, as if asking permission to share what he knew, and received a nod in return from the Chancellor.
"I have been studying various pieces of intelligence recently, most of which was acquired by yourself, Agent Tano."
"What sort of intel?" Ahsoka asked, surprised. She had brought many things back from her missions in recent months. Thrawn could be talking about anyone one of them!
"Intelligence relating to what the Separatists call 'Project Nullify'. I have been studying the data discs you brought back from the facilities you raided on both Myrkr and Hypori. That, combined with the data we retrieved from the Venator shipwreck on Manaan helped to provide us not only with a location of another lab, but security clearance codes as well. I believe that this lab is the origin point for this project."
"And let me guess, it's on Mygeeto?" Ahsoka asked, putting together the pieces as Thrawn explained.
"I am afraid so. General Billaba and her men have no idea what they have stumbled across." Thrawn finished, moving to a pouch on his uniform's waist, retrieving a small holodisk in the process before passing it to the Chancellor. "This holodisk contains everything we know about 'Nullify' as it stands, as well as schematics and topography of the area surrounding the main facility."
"Thank you Lieutenant. You are dismissed. Same to you Admiral Tarkin. I must speak to Agent Tano alone." Palpatine replied, taking the disk from Thrawn with a smile as he dismissed them both. Beside her, Ahsoka felt Tarkin hesitate briefly before he stood from his chair, bowing in a sign of respect and leaving with Thrawn.
A few moments later, Ahsoka found herself alone with the Chancellor, who began to speak again.
"I will not lie to you, despite my attempts at persuading the Jedi Council of this project's existence, most of them continue to believe it does not exist, and that it is a simple scaremongering tactic."
"Then they are idiots! We brought them proof!" Ahsoka nearly yelled in outrage, struggling to keep her temper. How could the Council be so blind?! Had Windu and Yoda really not listened to Master Billaba, or even Obi-Wan, who had seen a facility with their own eyes!
"I understand your frustration, however, there is a silver lining to this." Palpatine said, his tone calm and collection, despite Ahsoka's outburst.
The Togruta took a deep breath to calm herself, shooting the Chancellor an apologetic look in the process, one that he brushed off with a wave of his hand, telling her it was alright.
"And what's that?"
"The Jedi on site on Mygeeto is Master Billaba, and she has seen and knows that this weapon exists. Likewise, the two Jedi being sent to extract her are Jedi that have taken this threat seriously. Both Skywalker and Kenobi have seen proof of this project, and I believe that they will be more than happy to assist you in ending this threat."
Ahsoka considered the Chancellor's words. If this was the main facility for 'Project Nullify' then this was perhaps the only opportunity they would have to end it before it reached completion. Any weapon that could strip a Jedi of their Force sensitivity was something that needed to be destroyed, and considering recent events, the last thing the Republic needed was for the Jedi Order to be compromised yet again!
"So what would you have me do?" Ahsoka asked, waiting for more official orders. She knew what she wanted to do, but in the end, she was here to do the will of the Chancellor, not her own.
"I want you to join Skywalker and Kenobi's rescue efforts. Save General Billaba, and then convince all three of them to help you infiltrate and take down this main facility. The last reports we got from Billaba spoke of heavy ground resistance defending what they assumed was the Separatist headquarters. Now however, I believe this to be the facility itself. General Grievous has also been spotted on the planet, and if he is defending this facility, he will be defending it with everything he has. You will need the full might of the Republic army backing you up to even stand a chance of infiltrating the facility."
Ahsoka understood exactly. There was no way she would be able to enter the facility alone, even with the added benefits of a stealth ship! She needed Anakin and Obi-Wan, as well as their legions to even stand a chance.
The only issue would be persuading them. Hopefully they would listen to her.
"I understand, Chancellor. I won't let you down."
"You rarely do Agent Tano. However, there is one more thing I ask of you, something that must not leave this room."
A sudden unease rushed through Ahsoka. If the Chancellor was asking something like this of her, it was important.
As in, 'Survival of the Republic' important!
"Of course. What do you need from me, Your Excellency?"
Palpatine's eyes narrowed for a moment, his posture stiff and concerned. Now Ahsoka really was worried.
"There is a good chance the Separatists have already completed this project. They could, in theory, be producing it as a weapon in the facility as we speak. If that is the case, and there are active samples of the weapon within, I want you to bring one back for study. If this weapon can be deployed, we need to find a way to neutralize it, and we cannot do that without a sample of our own for study. Bring back any useful information Agent Tano. It might just save the Republic."
"Consider it done Chancellor."
The Chancellor had let her go shortly afterwards, handing her the holodisk that Thrawn had given him in the process. Palpatine had told her that she would need it, both to help plan the mission, but also as a tool to help convince the Jedi to assist her.
Their help would be paramount, even if part of Ahsoka didn't like risking their lives. If she could, she would do it alone, but as it was, she knew she couldn't. She needed their help. She just had to persuade them to join.
"Shuttle 'Huntress', this is a military lane. Change course now or you will be detained."
The voice that echoed around the cockpit of her ship was one that Ahsoka was familiar with, and one that made her grit her teeth, if only for a moment.
Ahsoka had served with Admiral Yularen for many years, and whilst they had never been the best of friends, she had always respected him for his ability to command and control an otherwise hopeless situation. She had thought he shared some respect for her as well, especially after Ryloth and the creation of the Marg Sabl maneuver.
But then… her trial. She hadn't known at the time, not until Palpatine had mentioned it in passing, but Yularen had been against her. He had worked with Tarkin behind the scenes as a member of the prosecution. Rather than recuse himself for fear of providing a biased report, Yularen had sided with the man who had tried his hardest to get her executed!
She knew she shouldn't be angry. Yularen was likely just doing his job, but even still, she had trusted him, just like she had trusted the Jedi Council… and when the time came, he didn't have her back.
Instead, he tried to get her killed!
When Palpatine had told her, albeit by mistake, she had wanted to fly to Yularen's Venator and punch him in the face. The Admiral was lucky that he had been on the other side of the galaxy that day.
Her anger had faded over time, thankfully, but that didn't mean she trusted him.
Not anymore.
Clearing her throat, Ahsoka began to respond, adopting a borderline snide tone.
"Republic Venator," She began, refusing to use the Admiral's name, mainly out of spite, "This is the Supreme Chancellor's personal agent, codename 'Huntress'. The Chancellor has authorized my presence. You will allow me docking permission immediately."
There was silence for a few moments on the other end of the comm line. Whether or not Yularen was checking to see if her arrival had been scheduled or was delaying for some other reason, she didn't know, and honestly, she didn't care.
'Maybe he knows it's you and he's trying to hide from you!' The voice in her head suggested with dark humour. Ahsoka knew it wasn't likely the case, but part of her hoped it was. It would certainly make her feel better.
"'Huntress', you are cleared to land. Proceed to docking hanger four. General's Skywalker and Kenobi are on the bridge." Yularen's voice finally responded through the comm, his tone edging on what sounded like annoyance."
In the past she might have cared, but not anymore. She had a mission to complete.
"Acknowledged." Was all Ahsoka said in reply as she began to pilot her ship towards the Venator above, her destination in sight. It would be easy to find her way to the bridge once on board. She had lived aboard Venators for years after all, and their layouts were all similar, if not exactly the same. That would be the easy part.
The hard part would be trying to convince both Anakin and Obi-Wan, as well as Yularen.
'Never let it be said that I don't take on challenges'
"General Billaba's forces are pinned down in this central structure. They have the high ground, which offers them some advantage over the Separatists, but they are completely surrounded, and droid snipers prevent them from leaving the structure. Furthermore, the sheer numbers of battle droids present on the battlefield have only ever previously been seen on planets such as Geonosis and Hypori, both of which had several droid foundries on them. It is possible that Master Billaba stumbled across one such facility by mistake."
Anakin listened as Obi-Wan detailed what little intel they had about the upcoming mission. Anakin didn't know Depa Billaba very well, not the same way Obi-Wan apparently did, but that didn't mean that he didn't care. On the contrary, Anakin did. He wouldn't leave a Jedi behind to die, much less one with a Padawan of her own, as well as whatever was left of her Clone legion.
They were in serious trouble, and Anakin was more than happy to lead a rescue team alongside Obi-Wan.
"The sheer number of clankers could be a serious problem. Just look at these artillery batteries they've got set up!" Commander Cody spoke next, standing beside Obi-Wan as they both surveyed the holomap before them. Mygeeto's surface was a hostile environment, dangerous to practically every species in the galaxy. How the Lurmen, the species native to Mygeeto, survived there, Anakin didn't know, but they had, and it spoke wonders for their strength and resolve.
Luckily, the battle they were about to wage was not directly on the surface of Mygeeto, but instead on one of the many raised platforms that hung high above the surface of the planet.
"We'll need to neutralize those artillery batteries along the way, as well as that sniper nest pinning General Billaba's men down. If we don't then this whole operation will fail within minutes." Captain Rex spoke next from his position beside Anakin, offering his own analysis of the battlefield before them, an analysis that Anakin agreed with completely.
"The only problem we face is not having enough men to cover all objectives at once. If we had a third legion to support and cover all three objectives, this mission would be much easier." Cody replied, gesturing to the holomap before them, drawing Anakin's eyes back to it. The large central structure that Billaba and her men were pinned in was situated on a central platform, one that had two bridges leading to it, bridges that were completely covered in Separatist troops according to the last piece of intel they had received.
Both of those routes had artillery emplacements along the way, which needed to be taken out as well. That means dividing their forces and attacking from two directions at once.
However, that still left the sniper nest, which was positioned on another set of raised platforms above both bridges. From there, the droid snipers had complete control over the entire battlefield, making any movement of the Republic's part extremely hazardous.
"Unfortunately we are going to have to make do with what we have at our disposal, even if it means leaving one of these targets active for a while." Obi-Wan commented from the other side of the holotable as the door behind him opened, Admiral Yularen stepping through the doorway and joining the meeting, his eyes meeting Anakin's as if he wanted to say something.
"Everything ok Admiral?" Anakin asked.
"The fleet is ready to deploy General Skywalker, but I thought you ought to know…"
The sound of the doors behind him opening interrupted Yularen before he could finish, whilst also drawing a subtle gasp from the Admiral as recognition flooded through his eyes, as well as a small burst of worry as well.
Eyebrow raised in confusion, Anakin pivoted on his heel to see who had intruded upon the briefing. When he too recognized the figure, a wide smile broke out on his face.
"Snips! What are you…" Anakin began to say as the armoured Togruta practically marched into the room with a commanding stride, confidence resonating off of her. Through the Force, Anakin could feel a brief burst of surprise from Obi-Wan, before his signature became happy too.
"Gentlemen." Ahsoka interrupted Anakin mid sentence, holding a hand out to silence her former Master. Her expression was not a welcoming one however, and that worried Anakin. "As per Chancellor Palpatine's order, I am here to assume control of this operation in its entirety."
"What?!" Yularen exclaimed with horror from his position on the opposite side of the holomap, drawing an annoyed look from Rex in the process. "You can't do that Tano! You are not a member of the Grand Army of the Republic."
"Yes I know. You and your fellow Republic Admirals saw to that, didn't you Yularen? But no matter. As Palpatine's personal agent, I can relinquish command from even a high ranking Jedi such as Master's Kenobi or Skywalker. This operation is now under my command, understood?"
Anakin's eyes widened in surprise at Ahsoka's sudden show of power, as well as her unexpected hostility towards Yularen. What had she meant about Yularen seeing to it that she was no longer a member of the GAR?
"Understood Commander." Rex was the first of the five to speak, snapping into a salute without hesitation, a small smirk on his face. It surprised him how quick Rex was to accept the sudden change of command. Was Rex more loyal to Ahsoka than he was to him? Anakin wouldn't mind if the answer was yes of course, but even still, it would have been nice to know beforehand.
"I must say Ahsoka, this is very unorthodox. What reason do you have to take control of this mission?" Obi-Wan, ever the diplomat, spoke next, one of his hands coming up to stroke his beard in the process, the universal Obi-Wan sign of deep thought.
The Togruta's eyes narrowed suddenly as she turned her head to face Obi-Wan, and for a moment Anakin thought she was going to treat him with the same cold tone she had Yularen.
That was until a warm smile broke out on her face, her icy persona fading instantly, with 'Snips' returning in place.
"Don't be such a grump Master Kenobi. I'm not really here to take command. The operation is still yours and Anakin's, I just couldn't resist the temptation to flex my political muscles."
Anakin released a sigh of relief that he hadn't known he was holding. The sight of Ahsoka, apparently pissed off, was scary, he knew that from experience. A pissed off Togruta with the personal backing of Chancellor Palpatine however was a whole other story. She could, in theory, demote him and Obi-Wan to latrine duty! It was oddly enough in her power if the Chancellor deemed it so.
"Kriff Ahsoka! Don't do that! I thought we were all in serious trouble for a moment!" Anakin said, moving towards the Togruta to gently slug her in her armored shoulder in an affectionate greeting, one that Ahsoka returned with a nudge of her own.
"All things considered Anakin, the mission would be better off in my hands than yours anyways." The Togruta replied with her trademark sarcasm, moving to join the others around the holomap as well, her eyes surveying the layout of the map. "At least you've got a semi decent plan. Splitting up your legions to control both landing zones should force the droids to split their resources."
Anakin glanced back down at the holomap again, not giving any real thought as to Ahsoka's true purpose on the ship. It was likely that the Chancellor had simply sent her to help, and he had no problem if that was the case.
However, whilst Anakin might not have a problem with her presence, it was clear that someone else did.
"Would you mind explaining why you are here Tano." Admiral Yularen said, his tone bordering on demanding. Anakin didn't miss the way Ahsoka stiffened suddenly, before her head lifted up from staring at the map to meet Yularen's eyes in what was very nearly a death glare.
Ahsoka stared at Yularen for several moments without speaking, her signature in the Force cold and withheld from the other Force users. Something was clearly very wrong. But why was she taking it out on Yularen?
"I am here, Admiral, because the Chancellor has received intel regarding your mission, specifically your objective. He has asked that I accompany you on this mission, and I intend on doing so, with or without your permission."
Yularen seemed hesitant to accept her explanation, his eyes moving over to Anakin's as if asking for clarification.
Anakin simply nodded his head in return. If the Chancellor had ordered Ahsoka along, then even if they wanted to, they couldn't refuse. The Chancellor's power was supreme after all, and he knew what he was doing.
"What sort of intel Agent Tano?" Obi-Wan chose that moment to intervene, respectfully using Ahsoka's new title, something that earned a smile from the Togruta in response as she began to explain.
"Intel regarding what the Separatists refer to as 'Project Nullify'. The Supreme Chancellor believes that General Billaba and her legion have stumbled across the main lab for this project, and I need everyone's help to destroy it once and for all."
Author's thoughts
Here we go people! The penultimate arc of 'Agent of the Chancellor' has begun, and whilst this chapter might be solely set up for what is to come, it very much sets the tone. Timeline wise, we are now one in universe month away from the events of Revenge of the Sith. Everyone looks like their Revenge of the Sith designs, and plans are in motion on all sides. All hell is about to break loose, and believe me, it's gonna be a challenge to write.
This next arc will wrap up the 'Project Nullify' stuff, so expect a lot of strands to come together here, perhaps not in ways you'd expect. I only hope you like what I've got planned for this arc.
As for this chapter, the one thing I do want to address is Ahsoka's cold attitude towards Yularen, and the idea that he was on the prosecution during her trial. Whilst it might seem out of the blue, apparently, according to Wookieepedia, it is in fact true! I was just as surprised as you lot must be!
Still, I couldn't let that idea go to waste, so regardless of whether or not it is actually canon, in this AU, Yularen was on the prosecution for Ahsoka's trial, alongside Tarkin. Time for some serious tension! XD
Now... there is another thing I want to address going forward, and that is the well know tag of 'Major Character Death'. Eagle eyed AO3 users will likely have already spotted the tag show up in the tags section, but since Fanfic doesn't have such tags, I wanted to add it here as a warning as well. From this chapter onward, characters can and will start dying. Some fan favs... and some less popular ones will be biting the dust.
I want to apologize beforehand for what might happen. I really don't like killing characters off, and I always worry that it will greatly upset someone, which is the last thing I want to do, believe me.
To that end, I want everyone to know that if I kill off your fav and it upsets you so badly that you no longer want to read this story, then I respect your decision and will never hold it against you. Don't force yourself to read something that you know will upset you. I wouldn't want that for you all.
If you are seriously worried about a character dying and want to know beforehand, feel free to message me on fanfic over private messaging, or if you have a Tumblr account, send me a message there as well.
The last thing I want to do is traumatize someone to the point of a mental breakdown. I've been there myself, and I know how damaging it can be. Fiction is meant to be a form of escapism from the cruel world we currently live in, not a bleak reminder of it, at least in my eyes.
That said, those people who have followed me since my Rebels AU will likely be able to figure out which characters are going to be just fine. I have my favs that I won't ever kill off as well. :)
Furthermore, just because I am warning you all about this doesn't mean I'm going to go George RR Martin levels of character death on you. I'm not a complete monster, but some people do need to die in this story at some point.
So... sorry in advance if I upset you with a choice. I won't hold it against you if you chose not to read if I kill your fav. If anything I'd respect that more than forcing yourself to suffer. :)
Anyways... warning over. Let's wrap this up.
Thanks again to my beta reader 'ArrinSnyders' for all his hard work. He's a star!
Next time round we join the crew of the Venator as they travel to Mygeeto. Brace for some funny stuff, including a sparring matching between everyone's favourite Clone Captain and Togruta little sister. (big sister?... I mean.. she is older than him! XD)
As usual, comment and speculate at will. Speaking of which:
Dressyone22: Palpy sure does love a nice peaceful party. Helps him relax after a busy day at the office! XD
But yes... more than one background plan is in motion now! XD
Dream Plane: I'm glad you enjoyed the chaos of Snip's party! It was great fun to write some fun and chaos for once after the darkness of the previous arc. Throwing them all together like that was awesome!
And yeah, Obi-Wan and Masana will be fine... the idiots. As will Anakin and Padmé.
As for Fives... wait and see! XD
Cat-Gods-Of-The-Cat-People: Glad you enjoyed the madness. It was hysterical to write, and I loved every minute of it.
And yes... the cliffhanger was pretty mean wasn't it? I wonder what plans are in motion now? XD
Australian Dealer: He he... I'm glad you got the irony with the teams. That was a fun sneaky reference to hide, so I'm pleased you got it! XD
Fives was always gonna come back at some point, this seemed like the best time for it. I wonder why though? XD
the Mandalorian Terminator: Yeah I'm pretty proud of that title to be honest. Stroke of genius if you ask me... which is rare. XD
I'm pleased you enjoyed the party. Writing downtime is a lot of fun, and they all deserve it (except maybe Palpatine of course!)
1saaa: OOPS! Sorry! I usually upload just before I go to bed so that I go to bed in a good mood.
If I've done it again, which I likely have, don't feel like you have to read and review it all at once if you want. No rush! I can wait if you want to leave a bigger review. :)
Firewing's Scepter: Thanks! Glad you liked it! XD
tf330129: Still going as best I can! XD
RyanSquad: Oh?! And what do you think I've done to Kix out of interest? XD
Yeah, no way Ahsoka would banish Anakin. They are besties for a reason! XD
You're not wrong about the Clovis business, and I do agree and tried to show both sides. In the end, I think Padmé would forgive Anakin because she adores him so much. Hopefully nothing like this happens again though! XD
I personally do not ship Rex and Ahsoka whatsoever. I don't ship Ahsoka with anyone really, much less someone who has tried to kill her at one point (admittedly... that was out of his hands, but it still left a nasty taste in my mouth). I prefer to think of them as 100% loyal friends to each other. Romance isn't always needed after all. :)