The ride back up to Admiral Yularen's Venator was oddly silent. Previous campaigns, regardless of the outcome, had usually had Clones bantering with one another on the ride back up to orbit. Ahsoka frequently joined in with the banter, mostly with Rex and the other members of the 501st. Anakin too often frequented the discussion, though nine times out of ten he was the subject of Ahsoka and Rex's joint mockery, much to Obi-Wan's amusement when he and the 212th joined them.
Now however, things were much different. Rex stood staring into space, saying nothing, Obi-Wan beside him, a solemn expression on his face, one that was equally shown by his signature in the Force.
Ahsoka knew they were both mourning. The loss of Cody was something she had never expected to witness, or even hear of. The 212th's Commander was one of, if not the best. Rex had told her numerous times that in a fight, Cody would beat him with ease, and Ahsoka could see why. Cody fought with the strength of a Jedi, right up to the very end.
And that 'end' had come with terrible consequences. General Grievous was now Force sensitive.
How the hell was she going to explain this to Palpatine, let alone the Jedi Council! Would they even believe it?!
Still, the silver lining was that she had gathered what they had come for. The data on the disk Artoo had given her when she stepped into the LAAT to depart was now safely stored away in a pouch on her armour, as were the two injectors she had managed to acquire as well. Hopefully it would give them an edge. Find a way to reverse the process or something? Give Depa Billaba back her Force sensitivity?
That was another issue. Depa, and by extension, Caleb. The Master could no longer use the Force. Could she still teach Caleb? Or would he need a new teacher?
Ahsoka knew that if the situation was reversed and it had been her and Anakin in their place, she would never leave him, even if he lost his connection. She was his Padawan, just as Caleb was Depa's.
'But you did leave him technically.'
Ignoring the voice in her head, she turned to look at Caleb. He, like Rex stood still, staring over at Depa, who was barely clinging to consciousness, supported on one side by Ridge, and by the medic of the 212th on the other. They needed to get her to a proper medical centre for a checkover ASAP.
Luckily, the Venator had one.
"Commander Tano, we are approaching the hanger bay." The voice of Hawk came over the commlink on her arm in that moment, reminding her of where she was. Why Hawk had chosen to address her and not Obi-Wan would have usually been something she questioned, but right now she honestly didn't care, and she suspected that Hawk knew what had happened down on Mygeeto and was trying to give Obi-Wan space.
"Copy that Hawk. Thanks."
"Anytime Commander."
The LAAT landed gracefully in the Venator's hanger as always, a testament to Hawk's ability as a pilot no matter the situation. Ahsoka was glad that he at least had made it this far into the Clone War, when so many had not.
Ahsoka waited patiently for the engines of the LAAT to shut off as Hawk powered the transport down before the blast shields opened, exposing those within to the busy nature of Yularen's Venator. Clones of various ranks and roles ran around, reorganizing what was left of the arsenal from the campaign, as well as directing the wounded to medical, where Kix and Coric were no doubt already waiting.
Various starfighters were littered around the hangar as well, each showing various signs of damage from the space battle that had raged above whilst they had led the ground attack. Ahsoka hated to imagine how many Clones had lost their lives in the battle altogether. If she had her way, it would be none, but then this was war, and casualties were expected.
But that still didn't make it right.
Moving out of the LAAT, Ahsoka spotted a pair of figures moving over to them, and had to resist the urge to sigh.
"You two should be in medical!" Ahsoka spoke dryly, removing her helmet in the process and holding it under her arm.
"And sit around being jabbed by Kix all day? No thanks! Besides, it was just a glancing shot. I'm fine Commander." Jesse spoke first, smirk on his face despite the injury he had taken.
"Yeah and getting exploded is a daily event for me, Snips. Figured I'd be of more use out here than stuck under Kix's regime of terror." Anakin chimed in, trying to stand tall and imposing but failing when a clear lance of pain shot through his body from his injuries. When would he learn?
The sound of boots behind her reminded Ahsoka of those on the transport as well, and she braced herself for what was no doubt coming next.
"Hey Rex, did I miss… anything?" Jesse began to speak but slowed as he witnessed Rex storm past them all, heading towards one of the doors in the hanger that led to the endless corridors around the Venator.
"Is he ok?" Anakin asked, glancing at Ahsoka as Obi-Wan moved up to join her, his solemn expression still present.
"General Kenobi?" Jesse too could clearly see that something was wrong.
Looking up at Obi-Wan, Ahsoka reached into the Force to gently tap his signature. A question.
Obi-Wan responded with a nod.
Turning her attention back to Anakin and Jesse, Ahsoka began.
"We managed to secure some data on the facility, hopefully enough to help deal with this bioweapon… but… Cody didn't make it.
The sudden shift of expression on both Anakin and Jesse's face told them everything they needed to know. Not a single second later, Jesse broke off in a run, following the footsteps of where Rex had vanished off too.
Ahsoka let him go. She knew that if anyone could help Rex through this, it would be Jesse.
Anakin's attention meanwhile was focused solely on Obi-Wan, and she couldn't have been more pleased.
"Obi-Wan I… I'm so sorry."
"It's not your fault Anakin. This is all on Grievous."
"Grievous did this? Kriffing hell."
"My thoughts exactly."
"I'm afraid we've got more bad news as well." Ahsoka interrupted as softly as she could. She didn't want to undermine the loss of Cody or any other Clones who had died today, but they needed to discuss the new bantha sized revelation.
"Well lay it on me Snips. I doubt this day could get any worse."
Ahsoka really wished he hadn't said that.
"Project Nullify was already complete by the time we got there. Grievous tested one of the samples on Depa Billaba, and now she has lost her connection to the Force."
The look of shock on Anakin's face quickly began to morph into horror, especially once Obi-Wan continued to recall the events his former Padawan had missed out on.
"To make matters even worse, through some sort of Sith alchemy, Grievous was able to somehow reverse the process into his own body. He has, to put it plainly, become a Force user."
"What?! But that's impossible… isn't it?!"
"I would have said the same beforehand Anakin. But seeing the evidence firsthand, and being on the receiving end of a Force push from the General, I can only conclude that he has access to all the powers Depa once did."
"And she is now without, for the love of… can't something just go right for us for once! I mean… we were winning this war and had Grievous on the run! Now what's going to happen?"
"I dread to think Anakin, I really do."
A few moments of silence fell between the trio as they each contemplated the revelations. Ahsoka still couldn't believe it.
Cody dead? Depa without the Force? Grievous a Force user?
She wanted desperately to wake up now and discover this entire mission had been nothing but a bad dream. Maybe she should pinch herself and…
No… it was no use denying it. What had happened had happened, and there was no reversing it. They had to push on and honor Cody's legacy as best they could.
And Ahsoka would make sure the next time General Grievous reared his ugly head would be his last.
Entering into the bridge of the Venator, Ahsoka was surprised to find Rex present and in conversation with Yularen, Jesse by his side. Moving slowly forward, but not so forward as to make it obvious she was listening in, Ahsoka stood and waited.
"Admiral, with all due respect, this is a serious issue that needs…"
"Captain, we cannot remove half of the troops from active duty in a moment's notice. Our next scheduled leave is two months from now. Perhaps then would be a better time to…"
"No Admiral… it won't!"
"Careful Captain Rex. Your words sound like sedition."
"I think what Rex means to say is…"
"I can speak for myself Jesse!"
Ahsoka could see an argument coming from a mile away, and chose that moment to intervene, clearing her throat to do so.
"Gentlemen, are we playing nicely?" She spoke as she approached the three of them, glancing worryingly over at Rex, who seemed angry. She had rarely, if ever seen him like that. The only time she could recall was after Umbara, for obvious reasons.
"Hey Commander. Nothing wrong here. Just a friendly disagreement about needing a break is all." Jesse spoke first, his tone suggesting that he was trying his best to either defuse the situation, or lighten the mood.
"She is not your 'Commander' anymore trooper. You do not need to refer to her as such." Yularen spat as he continued to eyeball Rex, challenging him. Ahsoka could see that Rex was just barely keeping his cool, judging by the way his lips began to sneer.
"She might not be a 'Commander' anymore, Admiral," Ahsoka didn't miss the way Rex practically spat Yularen's title. "But she will always be 'Our Commander', no matter the situation."
"She chose to abandon her duties when she left both the Jedi Order and Grand Army of the Republic, Captain, just as you are threatening to do. Perhaps she has been a bad influence on you."
At those words, Ahsoka felt herself snap.
"'Abandon my duties'? I didn't want to leave Yularen. Instead I was backed into a position where staying was impossible, thanks to the Council, to Tarkin and to you!"
"What?!" The venom in Rex's voice was darker than anything she had ever heard, but Ahsoka honestly didn't care anymore. If Yularen wanted to insult and threaten her friends, then he would pay the price.
"Oh… didn't the good Admiral here tell any of you?" Ahsoka spoke, purposely raising her voice so the entire bridge staff could hear her. "Yularen here was part of the prosecution during my trial. He worked with Tarkin to get me sent down and possibly executed for a crime I did not commit!"
The atmosphere in the bridge changed instantly. Whereas before it had been filled with activity, with various Clones going about their jobs, now everything was silent, save for Ahsoka's own heavy breathing, and the gentle beeping of the machines around them.
All eyes were on her and Yularen, and some deep dark pit in Ahsoka's stomach was glad.
The silence seemed to stretch on for several moments before Rex finally broke it, his tone remaining dark and threatening.
"Is it true?"
Yularen was barely able to finish nodding his head before he found himself on the floor, nose clearly broken, spewing blood across the deck from where Rex had punched him in the face.
Ahsoka knew immediately what was likely coming. Rex could very easily be court martialed for attacking a superior officer. In any other situation, Ahsoka might have agreed with such a statement.
But Rex was her friend, and more so than that, he had been defending her.
Plus, Yularen more than deserved it.
Yularen spluttered a few times from his position on the floor before he looked up at Rex, lips moving as if to speak.
Ahsoka beat him to it.
"Don't even think about trying to have him sent to the brig, Yularen. As the personal agent of the Supreme Chancellor, I decree that Captain Rex and all of the members of the 501st Clone Battalion are under my protection. Now, I am going to let this situation go this time. You have learnt your lesson Yularen, as has Rex. This ship will return to Coruscant, wherein upon arrival all Clone Legions aboard shall be subject to an immediate one week shore leave. No exceptions."
Murmurs of surprise and pleasure began to arise at Ahsoka's declaration. Even Jesse began to bounce on his heels ever so slightly at the news.
Yularen however was having none of it.
"You can't do…"
"Already done, Admiral. Now I suggest you go and pay Kix a visit and get cleaned up. Despite this disagreement, even you are entitled to a break after the victory you gave us in space. After all, we all need to work together in this war against a common foe, whether we like each other or not. Am I clear?" Ahsoka continued, using her 'Commander' voice by default.
"Yes Commander." Rex replied first, his voice noticeably calmer as he offered Yularen a hand up, a gesture the Admiral took. Ahsoka could still see that both men were tense and distrusting of each other, but for now they would at least play at being friends.
She knew all too well what it was like to act in such a way after all. The number of times she had had meetings with both Palpatine and Tarkin had given her plenty of time to practise.
Despite the 'conflict' that had occurred on the bridge, the journey through hyperspace back to Coruscant had been surprisingly peaceful. Ahsoka knew that by the time they arrived back at the Republic capital, the various Clones aboard would end up having at least two weeks of shore leave, but she honestly didn't care. After how the mission to Mygeeto had ended up, they all needed a break, be they Clone or Jedi.
Ahsoka moved through the hallways of the Venator, a pair of paper wrapped pastries in her hands, nodding to a pair of 212th members she passed by in the process, her destination in sight.
Despite the relative calm that had been carried around the Venator, there was one person Ahsoka hadn't seen much of since the mission's conclusion.
Stopping outside the door that led to Rex's private quarters, she knocked thrice in quick succession, signalling that it was her. She and Rex had developed the code to let each other know they wanted or needed to visit the other one back during the early days of the Clone War, and to this day it had stuck.
Ahsoka was glad to see some things never changed.
Hearing a gentle 'come in' from the other side of the door, Ahsoka shifted both pastries to be held by one hand as she used the other to gently press the switch at the side of the door, opening it.
Moving through the threshold of the door, she spotted Rex sitting at his desk, various datapads of paperwork and reports piled up before him.
Ahsoka didn't even need to ask what he was looking at. She already knew, and her heart clenched at the thought of how long the list was this time.
Moving towards the Captain, she gently passed him one of the two pastries, before unwrapping the second for herself.
Rex hesitated for a few moments before unwrapping the pastry Ahsoka had given him. She knew he wouldn't be able to resist his favourite.
Moving over to the indent in the wall that where the bed was, Ahsoka slipped in and sat down, legs dangling over the edge as the two sat in companionable silence, slowly eating their food. Much like their knocks, this had become another tradition of theirs over time. If one of them was feeling down, the other would hunt them down with their favourite food in hand. They wouldn't always talk about what was wrong, but they didn't need to. Sometimes companionable silence was all they needed.
Ahsoka was three quarters of the way through her pastry when Rex spoke up, his voice hoarse.
"I… I finished the list. It's not as long as some other ones, but… with Cody… I had to write the 212th's as well. Felt right."
"Were there many?"
"No… I… I think Cody would be pleased. The medics saved the vast majority of the wounded. We lost less than fifty troopers overall."
"That's still too many."
"Agreed."
Silence returned to them both as they continued eating, Rex at a much slower rate than Ahsoka. By the time she had finished, Rex was only halfway through his.
"Slowcoach." She taunted with a smirk.
"Yeah yeah, not everyone can be a scary carnivore that scoffs her food."
"I do not scoff my food!"
Rex chuckled in response, something that Ahsoka joined in with for a few moments before Rex returned to his multitasking of report filing and pastry eating.
Ahsoka watched as Rex's free hand moved across the datapad slowly, filling in a few more lines before he finally set it aside, focusing on eating what remained of the gift Ahsoka had brought him.
"It's ok to mourn, you know?" She began, hoping she wasn't trespassing in forbidden territory. The last thing she wanted to do was upset him even more.
"Yeah, I know, kid. I know. I'm glad you made it though. Cody would be pleased too."
"He was one of the best."
"He was the best."
Ahsoka didn't disagree.
Rex took a deep breath before he finished the final bite of his pastry, turning in his chair to face Ahsoka directly, something clearly on his mind.
"Right, now, about Boil?"
Memories of Boil aiming a sniper rifle, ready to shoot her, came flashing towards the front of her mind before she refocused on Rex.
"Is he ok?"
"Yeah, I've checked with Kix. Boil will be fine, and you don't need to worry either. The problem has been dealt with."
"What was it?" Ahsoka asked, having a hunch. She recalled Fives mentioning, something, a long time ago when he had been on the run. At the time he had been paranoid and scared of everything that moved, and honestly, Ahsoka could see why it was so easy to doubt his words, whatever they had truly been about. Something to do with an inhibitor chip that was a weapon against the Jedi?
"Like I said kid, you don't need to worry. It's just a nasty illness that one of the boys picked up on another planet. Makes Clones get a bit aggressive. They see friends as enemies for some reason. It's all sorted now. Boil will be fine once the drugs wear off."
Or maybe this wasn't to do with whatever Fives had been going on about? At least, that's what Rex seemed to think. The Captain had given her an explanation, and considering how the recent campaign had gone, and the revelations she had seen in person, she was more than willing to believe Captain Rex's words.
After all, it wasn't like he would ever lie to her. If he said it was nothing to worry about, then she wouldn't worry about it.
"Ok Rex, I trust you. But if you ever need to talk…"
"I know exactly where to find you kid. The flashy apartment in the tallest tower on Coruscant."
At that, Ahsoka laughed.
Setting foot back on Coruscant had been a relief. Despite growing up there, and despite at one point living in the darkest and most disgusting streets of the planet, Coruscant was home, and she was always pleased to see it.
"This is… unprecedented!"
The voice of Wilhuff Tarkin however was not something she welcomed.
"I know this seems like something out of a horror story, but I promise you it's completely true. General Grievous has not only found a way to weaponize the Ysalamir into a Force neutralizing weapon, but somehow, thanks to some Sith alchemy or something, he and Dooku have managed to give Grievous Force sensitivity! He's a hundred times more dangerous now than he ever was!"
The shocked expression on Tarkin's face would have normally entertained Ahsoka, but not this time. This time they had a mutual goal, and she had seen firsthand how dangerous Grievous now was.
"We believe you Agent Tano, this is just… not what we expected!"
Unlike Tarkin's voice, Palpatine's was far more welcome. Despite the grave situation she had brought to the table, the Chancellor of the Republic had managed to keep a calm and collected head about the situation. Ahsoka could see the concern in his eyes, but he wasn't letting his fear show, unlike Tarkin.
'Just another sign of him being a good leader. He won't crumble in the face of danger.' Ahsoka thought in admiration. If only more leaders were like Sheev Palpatine.
"So what is our next step then? Surely we must focus all of our resources into locating and destroying General Grievous?" Tarkin continued, speculating aloud.
"A feat easier said than done, believe me."
From the look on Tarkin's face, he didn't appreciate Ahsoka's response, not that she cared at all. She was telling the truth after all. Grievous was not so easily killed.
"I believe Admiral, that is a task better left to the Jedi Order. I shall contact the Jedi Council shortly after this meeting to discuss our next plan. Now, if you would please excuse us Admiral, Agent Tano and I need to speak in private."
Once again the look of shock and near offense at being dismissed on Tarkin's face was a picture. Ahsoka almost wished she could have taken a holophoto.
Still, despite his obvious dislike of her, Tarkin respected the Chancellor. Standing from his chair, the Admiral bowed to Palpatine, before nodding his head at Ahsoka once as he turned to leave the Chancellor's office.
A few seconds later, Ahsoka heard the door shut behind them, and focused all of her attention back onto Palpatine.
"Were you able to acquire any active samples of 'Project Nullify'?" Palpatine asked without hesitation, allowing the worry he had been concealed to finally emerge now that it was just the two of them. Ahsoka felt privileged that he felt comfortable enough to show such emotion around her.
Reaching down to the pouches on her belt, Ahsoka extracted the two injectors she had stolen from the facility on Mygeeto and placed them before the Chancellor on his desk. Palpatine's eyes widened at the sight of them.
"Fascinating. Something this small… and the damage it has done. Tell me, how was Master Billaba faring after her sensitivity was taken?"
"She passed out fairly quickly, your Excellency. No doubt from the shock. When she finally woke up, well, lethargic would be the term I would use to describe her, but then I'm not a doctor."
"And afterwards? On the trip back?"
In all honesty, Ahsoka hadn't seen much of Depa Billaba after the mission had been completed. She knew that Kix had treated her for a while, but after that both she and Caleb had disappeared off together somewhere, no doubt to discuss the severity of what had happened to her.
"Unsure. Master Kenobi would be able to tell you more though I imagine. I know he's giving his report to the Council."
"Hmmm, odd that they have not asked Anakin to give his report would you not say?"
"Anakin was badly hurt during the first phase of the mission Chancellor. Despite his protests, he needed to rest. No boring Council meetings for him." Ahsoka replied with a touch of humour and fondness at Anakin's determination. Said determination had been overruled by the collective might of both Kix and Coric in the end, much to her and Rex's amusement.
"Ah, I see. Very well then, I shall ask Master Kenobi." Palpatine replied as his spindly fingers moved to gently pick up one of the injectors, his eyes inspecting the fluid within. "I shall get this sample to the research and development team right away. Thank you for your service once again Agent Tano."
"What about the second sample?" Ahsoka inquired, gesturing to the one the Chancellor had left on his desk.
Palpatine's eyes surveyed the injector for a few moments before he glanced up at her, a small smile on his face.
"This sample should be enough. Keep this one as a souvenir if you wish. Or dispose of it. Whatever you feel is best Ahsoka. I trust you."
Something didn't sit right with Ahsoka about this, but she trusted Palpatine. Reaching across, she took the second injector and placed it back in her pouch. She'd decide what to do with it later.
"So, what now?"
"Now Agent Tano, you retire to your apartment for the night. I have a Council to talk to. See what secrets they try to keep from me this time."
"Hopefully none." Ahsoka replied.
Though, if she was being honest with herself, she wouldn't be surprised if the Council did nothing but keep secrets from everyone outside of their inner circle.
Count Dooku could not help but sigh at the sight before him.
Seven battledroids. B1 variant. Screaming as they floated in the air thanks to manipulation of the Force.
However, it was not him performing the manipulation.
"Grievous, do be careful with those droids. They are expensive after all." Dooku paraphrased words he had used many years prior, hoping that this time the cybernetic General would listen to him.
"Ha, who needs money now Count?"
Another sigh of despair escaped the Count of Serenno as he rose from his throne, reaching into the Force himself and sending a push in Grievous' direction.
The General, despite his newfound power, did not sense the attack coming, and was thrown to the floor in a tangle of limbs and cloak, a snarl escaping his form in the process as the previously suspended battledroids collapsed to the floor beside him.
Dooku watched as Grievous rose back up to his full height, his golden eyes locking with Dooku's in the process.
"Careful now Count, you aren't the only one with the ability to use the Force anymore. You've got competition."
"I have had competition since I became a Sith Apprentice, Grievous. Your control over your powers remind me of a youngling. You are brash and arrogant. Sloppy. Even now I could destroy you by barely lifting a hand."
"So what do you suggest then my Master? Training?"
"Precisely." Dooku replied, slowly stepping down from his long desk, his foot touching each step and he moved towards when Grievous was. "You might have inherited Depa Billaba's powers and sensitivity, but you still have a long way to go before you even so much as reach a skill level adequate enough for the task at hand. The one constant between the Jedi and Sith is that one only becomes stronger through training, and that is exactly what I intend to do."
"You intend to train me in the Force? As you did Ventress and Opress?"
Memories of Dooku's pasty apprentices, failed apprentices, flooded his mind suddenly.
Ventress had been a promising student, the likes he hadn't had since Qui-Gon Jinn.
And then Sidious had made him dispose of her, and in doing so the Sith Master had created another enemy for them to fight, the Nightsisters.
Savage Opress had been promising, but he too had already been corrupted by the Nightsister magick, by Ventress. He had been a failure before he could even be a success.
And now, he had Grievous. The cyborg General was not what he had hoped he would become, but maybe now, thanks to the twist of fate the Force had given them, maybe now he could be the weapon Dooku sorely needed if he was going to stand any chance against his Master.
Smiling to himself, Dooku spoke.
"The twilight of the Clone War draws near General. We must make every minute count if we are to succeed in our scheme. Your training begins… now."
With that, Dooku ignited his lightsaber.
A bolt of lightning flashed in the clouds above as rain poured down upon the cityscape of Coruscant.
Ahsoka stood at the windows of her apartment, watching the city outside as her hands thumbled with the injector Palpatine had told her to keep. She hadn't decided what to do with it yet, and she hadn't been able to figure out why Palpatine had told her to keep it. Surely it would be of more use to Palpatine to his R'n'D team? Maybe they would be able to make a countermeasure, or something?
Still, Palpatine had, for some reason, chosen to trust her with the remaining injector, and she would honor his decision, even if it left her in a predicament.
Maybe she should ask Anakin or Obi-Wan, or donate it to the Jedi Temple for them to study? Surely that would be the best solution, considering Master Billaba's fate? Maybe they would be able to undo what Grievous had done… somehow?
'Or maybe all of this is futile thinking. Face reality Tano. Depa has lost her connection to the Force for good.' The more pessimistic side of her mind whispered to her, leading to a soft sigh escaping her body.
It really was a hopeless situation.
Another bolt of lightning flashed across the cityscape before her, momentarily blinding her from the brightness of it.
After blinking several times to clear the distortion from her eyes however, Ahsoka found herself face to face with the most unexpected sight.
There, hovering on the other side of the window, amidst the downpour of rain was the same avian creature she had seen on Yavin Four.
The bird hovered before her, wings flapping gently, it's beady eyes staring directly at her, as if judging her. Something about it unnerved Ahsoka. It was almost as if this creature could see into her very soul.
Opening her mouth to speak, Ahsoka hesitated for two reasons. One was the most obvious. The creature was outside, and thus likely wouldn't be able to hear her.
The second reason was different. After all, what could she say, and would the creature even understand her? It seemed to, at least in the past. It had attacked Grievous once for her, allowing her to get away. And then again on Hypori, it had shown her the way in the midst of a dust storm.
And now, here it was again, watching her.
"I…" Ahsoka said before another flash of lightning cascaded across the cloudy horizon.
When the flash had cleared from her eyes, the avian had vanished, and Ahsoka once again found herself alone, watching the rain as her hands played with the injector, now even more unsure over what she had to do.
That creature, whatever it was, clearly meant something to her. Was it trying to tell her a message? Was it waiting for her to do something wrong?
She didn't know, and she didn't know how she would find out.
As the rain continued to pour down across Coruscant, Ahsoka felt a sense of dread, as if something very bad was coming.
The Force had been growing more and more clouded lately, much like the weather around them. If the metaphor was anything to go by, then something told Ahsoka that dark days were ahead of them.
For the first time since leaving the Jedi Order, Ahsoka felt nothing but fear.
Author's thoughts
Ok... I'm not going to give you my thoughts today. Why? Well, I've had a few reviews as of late accusing me of using this section of the chapter to 'bump up the word count', and I'm beginning to grow concerned that no one actually cares for this section or wants it.
For the record, I don't use this section to 'bump up the word count'. Instead, I choose to use it for audience interaction, and to help people understand my mindset as the writer. I post this story over on AO3 as well, where it is significantly easier to respond to people's comments and establish a rapport with them. I wanted to do the same here, so I felt like this was the solution. Clearly I might have been mistaken. It has been suggested by one person that I use the Private Messaging function to respond to people's reviews instead, and that's all well and good... except that not everyone has an account on this site, so I couldn't respond to them. Plus the micromanaging involved in responding to everyone in separate messages in separate PM's would be a pain in the ass, and I have other things to do in life as well.
So, to that end, I leave it up to you lot. If you want me to continue doing these author's thoughts sections, and that includes the responses to your reviews, let me know. If you want me to shut the hell up and just post the story content, let me know as well. If you don't care either way, that's cool as well.
And yes... before anyone points it out, I'm aware of the irony of the above section also being subject to the same accusations, and I don't care.
Once again, thanks to my beta reader 'ArrinSnyders' for all his hard work.
There will be a bit of an intermission for a while, not sure how long, but when we return, the final arc of the story commences. Revenge of the Sith is upon us. :)
As usual, comment and speculate at will. Speaking of which:
Adamantium-Soldier74: I did, and I'm pleased you aren't too mad. Hope you like the final arc when it begins.
AdaptiveAvamaton: Thank you very much for the kind words. I'm glad you enjoyed it thus far. Hope you like the incoming conclusion.
NessaRoseFangirl: Saluting is about right. Cody will be greatly missed.
Glad you enjoyed the chapter though. Thanks again for your support.
DrCyrusBortel: That's true. Strategically it makes no sense for the high ranks to lead from the frontlines. If the general goes down, then the lower level grunts have no one to follow or plan for them.
However it's obvious in Star Wars that they value leading from the frontline. The Clones and Jedi have that sort of relationship with their men where they value loyalty and morale over strategic thinking it seems.
Ace of Hate: Your concern has been addressed.
TragicFiction: You are welcome. Sorry about Cody though.
Cat-Gods-Of-The-Cat-People: You are welcome. Pleased you enjoyed the chaos that occurred, even if it had a less than happy ending.
Australian Dealer: Sorry. I felt bad for doing it to him, but it had to be done.
I'm glad you didn't find Grievous too OP. He has much to learn now. Good thing he has a decent teacher too.
the Mandalorian terminator: Sorry about Cody. I felt bad writing it, but hey, at least he can't Order 66 anyone now.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter too, especially the Rex stuff.
tf330129: Trying my best.
RyanSquad: The 212th will recover in time. They've got Obi-Wan with them, and the 501st will support them too.
Hope you like what happens in the final arc, when I get round to writing it.