"Why! Why have you done this?"

"I have done nothing! I was given no choice!"

"You always have a choice!"

"Not always! Not when everyone and everything conspires against you! Not when your hand is forced! I had to act or else everyone would be dead!"

"I saw you! You marched on the Temple! You led the Clones! You killed them all!"

"Not everyone! I made sure those that wanted to live were able to!"

"I'd rather die than live like a slave!"

"It's not slavery! All I have done, I have done for the greater good! My goal is to protect you… all of you! That's all it's ever been!"

"But at what cost? You've destroyed everything we've ever worked towards!"

"No! It can be rebuilt… it will be. I'll ensure it!"

"I admired you! I wanted to be like you! But now… now I wish I had never met you!"

"Please… don't do this. We don't have to be enemies."

"We became enemies the second you sided with them! But unlike you, I'm not so weak as to give in, and if that means I have to stop you myself, I will."

"Please… don't… you know you don't stand a chance!"

"Maybe not… but as I said, I'd rather die with honor than live like a coward. We all have a choice, and I have chosen my path just as you have chosen yours!"

(Four Days Earlier)

The ramp of the 'Huntress' slowly descended until it made contact with the floor beneath it, allowing its two passengers to depart the quiet isolation of the shuttle for the far busier and hectic hangar bay of Admiral Yularen's Venator.

It had only been a few weeks since Ahsoka had last stepped aboard the ship the 501st and 212th called home, but she found that she had missed it. Just seeing the Clones again, running around the hangar, working on various bits of machinery, or simply just standing around chatting brought a warm feeling to her chest.

She might have left the Order, and by extension the Grand Army of the Republic, but these were still her men.

Her brothers. She would do anything to protect them.

The sound of another pair of boots on the ramp behind her reminded Ahsoka to keep moving. She wasn't alone after all. She could reminisce later in private.

"We were lucky Yularen and the boys were in the area." Ahsoka said to her companion as she turned to face her shuttle, which, despite a few scorch marks from blaster fire it had received on her prior mission, seemed to be in good shape.

"Fortuitous indeed old friend." The voice of Senator Riyo Chuchi echoed softly in her montrals as the Pantoran stood alongside the Togruta, surveying the minimal damage as well. "That said, this is the last time I ever go to Shili with you!"

Ahsoka chuckled at the exasperation in Riyo's voice. The Chancellor had assigned Riyo the task of acting as an envoy to Shili's Senator, who wasn't able to currently attend Senate meetings on Coruscant in person. With the ongoing Clone War, Palpatine had then in turn asked if Ahsoka would accompany the Senator of Pantora on the mission to act as her bodyguard, something that Ahsoka was more than happy to do. Riyo was her friend, and like the Clones, she would do anything for her.

Upon arrival however, things had quickly gone the way of Anakin Skywalker: chaotic and out of control.

It turned out that the true reason Shili's Senator had remained on their homeworld was due to growing civil unrest, which in turn had led to the rise of an anti-Republic militant organization.

Predictably, Ahsoka and Riyo had both found themselves in the middle of a firefight when said militants had attacked and attempted to assassinate both Riyo and Shili's Senator. Ahsoka had taken no pleasure in fighting her own people, but it had been necessary to ensure peace.

"I do seem to be a bit of a trouble magnet don't I? Sorry about the chaos." Ahsoka replied to Riyo, hoping the Senator wasn't too traumatised by the sudden ambush they had experienced.

"Not what I was referring to Ahsoka. I was on about how we couldn't go five feet without someone making eyes at you!"

"What?! They were not!"

"Oh they were Tano! Didn't you see that gaggle of teenagers eyeing you up?"

Ahsoka briefly recalled seeing them out of the corner of her eye, though she had paid them no real mind. Her focus had been on defending Riyo after all.

"You're imagining things Senator."

"Nope… you are being blind my friend. Wasn't just the boys eyeing you up either." Riyo continued, her tone teasing, but not in a harsh way.

"Can't say I noticed."

"Why am I not surprised coming from you?"

"Hey!"

Riyo laughed and clapped Ahsoka's armoured shoulder in the process, her wide smile a sharp contrast to the grim look she had possessed at times during the mission on Shili. Despite the setbacks, the meetings that had needed to be held had gone off without a hitch.

That was until Ahsoka discovered mid flight back to Coruscant that the hyperdrive was malfunctioning. It had been at that point she had turned to Yularen for help, who had luckily been nearby and granted her docking permission.

Not that he could stop her mind you.

"Have you ever thought about it though Ahsoka? Settling down I mean? Marriage? Children?" Riyo spoke again, her tone more serious this time, the earlier teasing gone.

"Honestly, I don't know." Ahsoka replied. It wasn't something she had given much thought to. If anything, these days she was married to her job. "What about you?"

"One day, I'd like to, yeah. Once my career in the Senate is over at least."

"You'd make a good wife and mother."

"Thank you. So would you… if you learnt to stop running into danger every five seconds."

"Never gonna happen."

Once more, both of them chuckled at the banter. Ahsoka was glad to have friends outside of both the Order and Grand Army. It offered her a wider perspective on things.

The sounds of boots coming up behind the duo caused Ahsoka to turn on her heel to greet the new arrivals, the smile that was already present on her face widening even more so when she saw who they were.

"Padawan Dume. Commander Boil. Great to see you both."

"Hey Ahsoka."

"Commander Tano."

In the aftermath of the mission to Mygeeto, many things had changed for the 212th. The first and foremost was the change in command.

With the tragic loss of Cody, the 212th had been without a second in command. That was until Boil, fresh out of whatever surgery Kix had put him through, volunteered to take command in honor of Cody's memory. Obi-Wan hadn't hesitated to accept, and thus Boil had been elevated to the rank of Commander.

Boil wasn't the only new Commander the 212th had gained however. With his own Master currently out of action thanks to Grievous, Caleb had been offered an internship under Obi-Wan, at least until Depa was fully back on her feet. The Jedi Master might not have been able to use the Force anymore, but both she and Caleb were determined to stick together and finish his training.

The Council however, from what Obi-Wan had told her, had a different opinion. They had wanted to reassign Caleb without a second thought as to how both Caleb and Depa would feel.

Ahsoka hadn't been surprised, nor had she been surprised when Obi-Wan, ever the mediator, had stepped forward to take over Caleb's training in the interim period. Everyone had agreed that Depa needed time to adjust to her new situation, even Caleb.

And it was thus that Caleb Dume had not only joined the 212th, but had brought with him what little was left of Depa's own Clone Battalion from Mygeeto, which hadn't been much.

Ahsoka knew that the sudden change had been difficult for Caleb to begin with. He hadn't lost his Master in the traditional sense, but he had still 'lost' her in a manner of speaking. Not being able to feel the ever comforting Force signature of the person you trusted the most was no doubt harrowing. Ahsoka hoped that she would never have to feel that in regards to Anakin.

Despite the difficulty, and judging by the way Caleb was holding himself with confidence, the young Padawan had adapted to his new surroundings. The boys of the 212th would take good care of him, Ahsoka knew that much.

"How's the war going on your end then? Found Grievous yet?" Ahsoka chose to inquire, praying for some good news for once.

Another side effect of the mission to Mygeeto had been the rise of Republic defeats at the hands of General Grievous. With his new found Force sensitivity, Grievous had been cutting a bloody swath through several Republic strongholds, and if the reports she had been sent by Palpatine were right, more than a dozen Jedi Knights and Masters had lost their lives to the cyborg monster in the past fortnight.

The sooner they found and put a stop to Grievous, the better.

"No such luck Commander Tano." It was Boil that answered, frustration in his voice. "We've just driven the clankers off of Yerbana, but there was no sign of Grievous once again. I think he's hiding from us. Probably knows Kenobi will scrap him with ease."

"If anyone can defeat Grievous, it's Obi-Wan." Ahsoka replied, fully confident in the Jedi Master. As much as she wanted to be the one to destroy the monster, she knew the Republic's best bet was in the hands of the master of defensive fighting.

"Very true. Senator Chuchi, it is an honor to have you aboard. We have prepared some quarters for you in the meantime. Would you like me to escort you to them?" Boil continued on, addressing Riyo for the first time with a respectful bow of his head.

"My gratitude to you Commander. Please, lead the way. I'll see you later Ahsoka. Try not to accidentally seduce anyone in the meantime yeah?" Riyo replied as she moved to follow Boil out, shooting Ahsoka a teasing smirk in the process.

"Very funny Senator."

Riyo laughed again as she left with Boil, leaving Ahsoka alone with Caleb.

"What did she mean by that?" The young Padawan asked, a confused expression on his face.

"Huh? Oh… just how some people were apparently eyeing me up on our mission. Can't say I noticed really."

"Oh… fair enough."

A peaceful silence settled between the two companions as they both overlooked the hangar bay of the Venator, watching as Clones of various legions ran around. Several of them, painted in the blue of the 501st saw her and nodded as they passed, a gesture she returned.

"How have the boys been treating you?" Ahsoka inquired, hopeful. It was one thing for him to be acting confident on the outside. The inside however was a very different thing. He could well be using his confidence as a facade to conceal his true emotions.

She had done that herself more than once in the past.

"I mean…. I was terrified at first, but they've been really welcoming. I think having Styles and Grey around has helped as well. They vouched for me and whatnot. The 212th seems more serious than the 501st though. I've already had Jesse roping me into some pranks."

"Ha! Yeah… I know that feeling well. Who has Jesse made you prank then?"

"Captain Rex. He was mocking Ridge for his helmet markings, so Jesse and I painted his Jaig Eyes bright orange."

Ahsoka couldn't help but laugh aloud at the image in her head. She could just see the complete look of despair on Rex's face when he found out what Jesse had done. Part of her hoped Rex hadn't altered the repaint just yet, just so she could join in with the mocking.

"That's a good one. I bet Rex was fuming!"

"Yeah… he was. Jesse took the blame for me though. Ended up on latrine duty for a few days. He said it was totally worth it though."

"Pranking Rex can be pretty funny sometimes." Ahsoka quipped, knowing that despite his annoyance and anger, Rex would see the funny side of the joke. "Though fair warning to you Caleb, Rex gives as good as he gets. He'd have started preparing a complex revenge scheme from the moment he discovered the prank."

The sudden look of dread on Caleb's face was holophoto worthy. Ahsoka cursed herself for not having the means to take one.

A sudden gentle shift in the Force altered her to the far side of the hangar bay as Anakin and Obi-Wan entered, deep in discussion with one another, serious looks on both of their faces. Even from this distance, and being unable to hear them despite her advanced senses, Ahsoka knew that something was up.

Gesturing to Caleb to follow, Ahsoka made to move towards the two Jedi when something unexpected happened.

A ship descended from above, slowly setting down in the hangar bay not too far away from her 'The Huntress'. The design of the ship was not Republic, but rather Mandalorian. It's sharp edges and wide wing span dwarfed anything the Republic had in the hangar bay.

Ahsoka froze as she watched the fighter, known commonly as a 'Gauntlet' settled comfortably in the hangar bay of the Republic Venator, before lowering it's rear ramp. What were Mandalorians doing here?

Shifting her focus back over to Anakin and Obi-Wan, Ahsoka watched as the two Jedi moved to greet the small party of Mandalorians who emerged from the ship. From the distance she was, Ahsoka couldn't make out any real defining features that would identify the Mandalorians, but one of them seemed familiar.

However, before her mind could give her any answers, the group of Mandalorians, minus two of them who stayed back to seemingly guard the ship, moved to follow Anakin and Obi-Wan, who had both now turned around and were heading towards the hangar bays exit.

"Uh… what is going on?" Caleb questioned from beside her, equally as confused as she was.

"Not a clue, but I think it's likely important."

"Should we…"

"No." Ahsoka replied, knowing that if they wanted them at the meeting, they'd have been invited. Despite not acknowledging her arrival, Anakin knew that she was on the ship. They'd likely catch up later. "No, best leave them to it. In the meantime… What do you say to some sparring?"

"You're on Tano!"

Ahsoka had to admit it. She was surprised how much and how quickly Caleb had advanced in such a short period of time.

Before, on Hypori, Caleb had been competent enough to swing his saber precisely, but when it came to a duel against Grievous, the poor Padawan had barely stood a chance.

On Mygeeto, he had again proved himself a formidable threat, covering his troopers with ease as they carved a path to the secret lab. She hadn't witnessed him dueling that day, not to her recollection, but she was certain that he would have improved.

Now however, going toe to toe with him in a one on one, Ahsoka was almost certain that one day, Caleb Dume would rise to become a formidable duelist.

At several times during their spar he had caught her off guard, breaking her offensive and forcing her onto the defense with clean precise swings of his blue blade.

In contrast, when she was on the offensive, Ahsoka found that Caleb's central line was difficult to shift, his own defense clearly having developed in a short time. No doubt Obi-Wan was to thank for that.

Pivoting her golden blade, which was set to low power mode much like Caleb's to avoid injury, Ahsoka lunged forward and attempted to score a hit on Caleb's chest, only for the Padawan to bat her strike away and begin to push her back with a flurry of his own, ones that were inspired by Depa Billaba's fighting style.

Smirking, Ahsoka fell back on her own defensive training. Obi-Wan had taught her a few tricks too after all, much to Anakin's annoyance at times.

Caleb's saber came towards her, and Ahsoka ducked under one of the swings, evading to the side before bringing her saber back up to clash with the Padawan's.

The two stood pushing against one another, oblivious to their surroundings, waiting to see what would happen next.

Ahsoka knew she could end this with ease. As advanced as Caleb had become, and he had, he was still just a Padawan. The same could be said for her of course, in a manner of speaking, but she had far more training than he did. It would take some effort, but she knew she could overpower him.

For now however, she was content to enjoy the fun whilst it lasted. It had been a while since she had sparred with someone in a friendly manner.

Pushing against her opponent's blade, Ahsoka chose to wait patiently. No sense in attacking without a plan, and she wanted to test Caleb. Not all enemies would outright attack him of course. Some would wait and let him come to them.

The saber lock lasted a few more seconds before Caleb finally broke free of it, bringing his saber downwards in an attempt to push Ahsoka's weight to one side. Ahsoka countered with a swing of her own, her golden saber clashing against Caleb's and redirecting his momentum to the opposite side he had intended, knocking him off balance.

Seizing the opportunity to teach him a lesson, Ahsoka put pressure on Caleb with four more swings of her saber, each batting against his stumbling defenses.

Upon the fifth hit she rotated her wrist in a circular fashion, angling the blade in a similar way as it caught Caleb's, just as Anakin had taught her.

The result was Caleb's saber flying from his hand, the blade extinguishing in flight, leaving him defenseless.

Smirking once again, Ahsoka angled the point of her saber at Caleb's throat.

"Yield?"

"Like I've got much choice!"

"You always have a choice Caleb."

"Yeah? Well I choose to yield. Rather not become dinner for a vicious hunter!"

"Probably wise." Ahsoka replied as she extinguished her blade, placing the hilt back on clip on her waist in the process as Caleb moved to fetch his from where it had landed.

Taking a deep breath to calm her senses, Ahsoka reached out, reminding herself of where they were. A secluded corner of the hangar bay, an area that had in the past been set up by her and Rex for sparring practise. Despite leaving them, the Captain had kept it intact, and no one seemed to bat an eyelid over what had been transpiring.

At least, none of the Clones were.

"Very impressive demonstration." A voice, feminine, one that held a hint of aristocracy, echoed from behind, startling both Ahsoka and Caleb.

Spinning on her heels, Ahsoka found a single Mandalorian woman watching them, helmet held in her hands. Her armour was a dull faded grey, but possessed several dull yellow markings on them, the helmet specifically.

"You were watching us?" Ahsoka questioned, wondering why. The Force wasn't screaming danger to her, at least not overtly, but that didn't mean she was safe. Mandalorians were not known for their peaceful nature after all.

"Indeed." The woman replied, her face remaining mostly neutral, even as a small smile emerged on her lips. "It's rare to see Jedi training in action, especially from ones so young. No wonder Mandalore lost the war with you eons ago."

"I'm not a Jedi. Having a lightsaber isn't a prerequisite to being one." Ahsoka replied on instinct. She had long since abandoned that title.

"Very true. But what of that armour you wear? Stolen?"

Ahsoka should have expected this. The custom suit of armour Lukka had constructed would no doubt earn her the ire of any Mandalorians she encountered. She was not one of them after all. By their traditions, she had no right to such armour.

But honestly, Ahsoka was past caring. She didn't call herself a Mandalorian after all. She simply had a suit built out of Beskar.

If the Mandalorians could in theory rule their culture with a Jedi designed lightsaber, why couldn't she protect herself with a suit of Mandalorian Beskar?

"I had it forged for me. Cost me a million credits, but worth it for the protection it offers."

The Mandalorian woman seemed to contemplate her words for a few moments before nodding her head.

"Beskar certainly offers its wearer unmatched durability. There is a reason it is so highly sought after outside of Mandalore. I should attempt to take that suit from you… however…"

Ahsoka didn't miss the way Caleb tensed beside her, as if anticipating a fight.

"...I very much doubt I would survive the combined might of two Jedi, let alone the numerous Clones aboard this ship. Treat that armour well, Togruta."

And with that the woman turned and left, placing her helmet over her head in the process as she moved to rejoin the other Mandalorian guard stationed outside of their ship.

"Well that was weird." Caleb muttered from behind, drawing a smile from Ahsoka.

"Mandalorians are a curious bunch, that's for sure. Easily offended too if you aren't careful."

"They nearly beat the Jedi in the Mandalorian Wars, didn't they?"

"That depends on how you look at it I guess. Fancy tricks and gadgets only get you so far after all." Ahsoka replied, trying to recall what she could about Mandalorian history. She knew firsthand just how dangerous they could be, but it didn't mean they were invincible.

Nobody was.

"I thought for sure she was going to attack us because of your armour! Mandalorians really don't like it when someone outside of their culture has a set!" Caleb continued, a hint of fear, well concealed, in his tone.

"Like she said, she was outnumbered. If she tried anything, she'd be dead, and then whatever this meeting is about would fall apart in seconds. Traditional as they might seem, they are also a very pragmatic culture. They wouldn't risk starting a war over a simple set of armour… I hope." Ahsoka replied, adding a touch of humour onto the end of her words, something that earned a chuckle from Caleb.

Whatever reason the Mandalorians had for visiting however, Ahsoka was sure it was important. They wouldn't come if it wasn't.

The halls of the Venator, despite looking the same, still felt like home.

The bridge, even more so, to some extent.

Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Yularen, his focus shifting between various reports on a holoscreen in front of him, whilst occasionally shifting over to where she was stood alongside Captain Rex. Ahsoka could still feel the tension in the air between the two men, but was pleased to see that was the extent of it. Having the Admiral and Clone Captain constantly fighting would be bad for morale.

"So what… there were a bunch of pro-clanker Togruta on Shili? How did that happen?" Rex inquired, continuing from where their discussion had left off. Ahsoka had been busy detailing her prior mission to the Captain whilst Anakin and Obi-Wan continued discussions with the Mandalorian leader, whoever that was.

"Not pro droid no. More of a renegade group that favour isolationism from the rest of the galaxy. They believe that Shili is better off by itself and want all non-Togrutans purged from the planet. Standard racial supremacist stuff. Small cells of them crop up every now and then. Most pay them no mind."

"Violent vocal minority then? You should have called us for backup." Rex replied, concern in his voice.

"Yeah… invite a bunch of humans to help fight them off! That would only strengthen the argument those sorts of groups make. My people were more than capable of handling them."

"Sorry Commander. I meant no disrespect to you or your people."

"I wasn't offended, Rex. Just how it is. If our people can handle their own renegades without outside influence that would only make the situation worse, then we will. Besides, you guys had bigger issues to handle. I heard Yerbana was a tough campaign?" Ahsoka said, redirecting the conversation so that Rex didn't feel too uncomfortable. Hopefully he knew he hadn't offended her.

"That's one word to describe it." Rex replied to Ahsoka's question. "The Tactical Droid leading that operation was a smart one, until General Skywalker pulled a Kenobi."

"Oh no… what did he do? Flirt with the droid to get it to surrender? I mean… I know Skyguy likes his droids… so I wouldn't put it past him."

Rex's laugh was near enough boisterous and drew the attention of several bridge staff, including the Admiral. Ahsoka paid them no mind.

When the Captain had calmed, he continued on.

"No, Skywalker pulled the fake surrender move. Lured the Tactical Droid out and eliminated it with ease. The boys finished the rest of the clankers."

Ahsoka was about to congratulate him on another successful mission when the sound of the bridge doors opening hit her montrals, as well as the voice of Obi-Wan.

"Admiral Yularen, can you please plot a course to Mandalore and prepare for Hyperspace jump."

"Mandalore!? Whatever for General Kenobi?!"

"For me!" A female voice, one that sent shivers down Ahsoka's spine echoed around the bridge.

Another Mandalorian female stepped in, helmet off, exposing bright green eyes and orange hair to the world.

Ahsoka didn't know her name, but she knew her face.

Death Watch.

On instinct, her hand went to her lightsaber, clutching tight around the hilt in preparation. This woman had been part of a massacre on Carlac! Ahsoka wouldn't let that go unpunished!

However, as she was about to draw her saber, a gentle hand wrapped around her wrist.

"Peace, Snips. She's on our side now."

"But Master! She's Death Watch!"

"Former Death Watch. The organization is gone now, and she needs our help."

"Why the hell should we help her! She's a murderer and a war criminal!"

"Because I can give your Republic Darth Maul!" The woman replied gently, clearly overhearing the commotion between Ahsoka and Anakin. The mention of the Zabrak's name sent another chill down her spine, as well as a flourish of rage. That Sith bastard had left her for dead in the Shrine beneath the Jedi Temple, and had very nearly killed everyone above as well!

She might not have as much of a reason to go after him as others did, but that didn't mean she wouldn't, given the opportunity.

Taking a deep breath, Ahsoka calmed herself. Perhaps, if what the Mandalorian woman was saying was true, then perhaps an alliance to capture Maul was a smart move.

"Fine… but I'll be watching you."

"Fair enough." The woman spoke again, not showing any animosity, despite their past encounter.

"Is this mission even sanctioned by the Jedi Council?" A new voice, one that surprisingly belonged to Lieutenant Thrawn, sounded around the bridge as he entered alongside Caleb. The Chiss nodded in Ahsoka's direction in a greeting, a gesture she returned.

"No. It is not." Obi-Wan's reply came short and sharp, without room for argument. Ahsoka knew that anything to do with Maul was personal for him. Honestly, she was surprised to see how willing he was to go along with it.

"Hmm, very well then." Came Thrawn's reply as he moved to join Yularen, with Caleb heading towards Ahsoka, Anakin and Rex.

"What's going on? What mission?" The Padawan whispered to Ahsoka.

"Darth Maul has been found on Mandalore, at least that's where I presume. I think we are going to go and either capture or eliminate him."

"Maul? The Sith?"

"Yeah… the very same."

"General Kenobi! We have an incoming transmission from Coruscant! It's the Jedi Council." Yularen's voice interrupted them, alarm evident in his tone. Something was wrong.

"How did they find out about this mission already?" Anakin quipped, earning him a nudge from Ahsoka in the process.

"Patch them through Admiral." Came Obi-Wan's response as a single hologram faded in, displaying Master Yoda's diminutive figure to all on the bridge.

The Jedi Grand Master wasted no time in speaking.

"Master Kenobi. Knight Skywalker. Return to Coruscant immediately, you must."

"Master Yoda?"

"Attacked, by General Grievous, Coruscant has been. Kidnapped the Chancellor, he has. Stage a rescue, you must!"

Author's thoughts

And so... here we are, at long last. I uploaded the first chapter of this story on the 20th of May, 2018, and yet it feels like only yesterday that I started it. Funny that. I'm still waiting for my check from LucasFilms to come in the mail however, though for some reason I don't think it's coming! XD

Still, I've come this far, now all I need to do is see it through to the end. This is the arc I've been building to for nearly 3 years. I only hope you all enjoy it.

In regards to this chapter, yes, the first scene of dialogue is another flashforward. Who is speaking however will remain a mystery until we reach it, though there will be hints and clues to point you all in the right direction. I'd love to hear your speculation.

Aside from that, this chapter solely serves the purpose of setting up what is coming next (as well as giving a few fan favs a cameo appearance i the story), which I'm sure you all know what that is. That said, don't expect a complete scene by scene rewrite of ROTS. Hell, some scenes will be missing altogether, and some will be dramatically altered to fit this story. I only hope you enjoy the ride. I've got no idea how long this final arc is going to be, but it's gonna be an interesting one for sure... I hope! XD

As usual, thanks to my beta reader 'ArrinSnyders' for all his hard work. I couldn't do it without him.

Also thank you to everyone who supported my author's note sections. Since you guys still want it, I'll keep doing it. :)

Next time round, the Battle of Coruscant begins.

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

Adamantium-Soldier74: Suffice to say the Council freaked out behind the scenes... but you can also expect that they likely blew off how dangerous Grievous was because he's not fully trained... yet! XD

MoonPetal1: Hey, I'm glad you've enjoyed both this story and my Rebels AU. Both have been great fun to write, even if they took forever! XD
I know the fear you feel over certain characters possibly living or dying, and I do feel really bad whenever I do kill someone off. If you are really worried about a certain character like Rex and Ahsoka, feel free to PM me and I'll tell you whether they survive or not. Same goes to anyone else who sees this message. The last thing I want to do is upset you lot with a surprise death. :)

alexc123: Thanks for your support. Just thought I'd ask just in case. :)

Starkiller: Thanks! I really appreciate your kind words! Hopefully you enjoy how this story ends as I get the feeling it might end up being like a jar of marmite for some people. Still, I'm so close to the end that it would be foolish to stop now. :)
And thanks, I hope you have a good year as well.

Mysterious Guest One: I appreciate your honestly. I get that they can sometimes be a bit too long, but I'm pleased that you think they add something of value. :)

Cat-Gods-Of-The-Cat-People: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. Things are slowly falling into place now. Hopefully there isn't an evil mastermind behind everything! XD
I hope you had a happy new year as well. :)
And thanks for the support regarding my notes section. I'm glad you like them. :)

the Mandalorian terminator: Thanks! I'm glad you liked all of the plot development and revelations within it. Setting things up for ROTS has been fun, and I'm glad I'm finally here!
Dooku might be getting slightly ahead of himself here, but for the moment he has gained the advantage over Palpatine. We will see how quickly that lasts though! XD

1saaa: Thank you for your continued support all throughout this journey. It means a lot to me. I only hope you enjoy how it all pieces together in the end. I just hope I don't let you all down with my vision of how it all ends. :)
And thanks, I'll keep the notes section as well. :)

RyanSquad: ... I mean... when do the Jedi Council ever really listen to solid advice? They unfortunately can't see past their own arrogance at this point. Some members, like Obi-Wan, Plo and Fisto are better than others, but when you've got the likes of the overly dogmatic Yoda and Windu leading them, they can't really do anything, and in this case Cody, and all of the Jedi Grievous has since killed, have paid the price.
Yularen has a key role later in this final arc, so I couldn't kill him yet. However I wanted there to be conflict between him and Rex, but not enough to cause a mutiny. Not yet at least! XD
And yeah... people are going to start to suffer in this arc now. I apologize in advance. :)

tf330129: Doing my best! :)

mastercheif1229: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. Hope this one was just as good. :)
And thanks also for the vote of support for the notes section. :)