AN: Bit of a warning here, but well, if you didn't get the implications about what Essence Transfer does in earlier chapters I'll lay it out plainly.
Character death ahead.
o.o.o.o.o
CHAPTER 5: SNIPS
Republic Center for Military Operations, Coruscant
19.1 BBY (16:1:9 GrS)
BETRAYED. If there was one word to describe how the Togruta felt, that would be it. When push came to shove, at the first sign of suspicion, the High Council had turned her over to the Republic military to stand trial. Every Jedi she knew except Anakin believed she was responsible for feeding nanites to temple employees and blowing them up, killing dozens.
Even Master Plo had forsaken her.
Hands bound in cuffs, Snips looked across the gunmetal grey durasteel courtroom of the Republic Center for Military Operations. To her left, Wilhuff Tarkin, now promoted to Admiral once again, entered with a crisp stride across the floating catwalk opposite the one Padme was currently crossing.
Then, another voice drew her gaze upwards.
"Ahsoka Tano," the voice of Sheev Palpatine echoed from the walls as he sat overlooking the cavernous courtroom while flanked by two of his Red Guards, Mas Amedda occupying another tribunal podium situated lower and to his left. "You have been charged with sedition against the Jedi Order and the Republic itself. This court will decide your fate. Prosecution, you may begin your arguments."
Turning back to the left, Snips scowled angrily. Tarkin had not yet walked to the end of his prosecutorial podium. He's late to my trial. The bastard doesn't even give me the dignity of being on time.
The moment the human reached the end of his podium, however, he began speaking away in his posh Eriadu accent, without the slightest hint of embarrassment, a camera probe circling around him as he addressed her. "Former Padawan Tano, I shall prove that you were the mastermind behind the attack on the Jedi Temple, and that once your accomplices carried out your orders, you eliminated them one by one. When you are found guilty, I ask the court that the full extent of the law be brought down upon you, including penalty of death!"
Wow. Snips's eyes went wide. Anakin better get—
—A sharp pain flared up behind her right eye. Snips gasped, groaning in pain.
The spectators on all sides began muttering amongst themselves as Tarkin backed away in surprise, caught off-guard by this turn of event. A uniformed Clone technician manning the console bank on one end of the control platform behind Tarkin turned his head to look in Snip's direction. A look of confusion was etched on the man's face.
Someone from one of the Senatorial boxes yelled "BOO!" thinking she was acting for sympathy.
Snips screamed in pain, the jeers silencing as the observers began frantically talking amongst themselves.
Her head felt like it was on fire, so intense she couldn't even think straight.
A Clone's voice yelled "MEDIC! GET A MEDIC!" in the background.
Those were the last words Snips ever heard. Her ears rang—A piercing shriek drowning out everything else. A bloody iron taste flooded her mouth. In the most excruciating pain she had ever felt, Snips collapsed to the platform beneath her.
Padmé leaned down close to her, eyes wide in fear. Her mouth was moving, but Snip's couldn't hear a word.
She opened her mouth, slurring, trying to thank Padmé for ever having tried to help her. As a bright blind spot began cutting into the corners of her eyes, she looked up into the courtroom, past Padmé's teary face, past Tarkin's stunned expression, past the annoying camera probes that swarmed the air around her, past the boxes full of nervous military officers, terrified senators, and the mortified members of the Jedi Council.
Sitting above them all was the Supreme Chancellor, Sheev Palpatine, who was smiling as he looked down at her, mouth open in an almost elated fascination. From his expression, it was as if he had won the Galactic Lottery.
He wants me to suffer, Snips realized in horror. Why is he enjoying this? She opened her mouth, and began turning to Padmé, trying to tell her to look up, but it was too late.
Looking into the Supreme Chancellor's horrifying face, the terrified and distraught Togruta died in agony.
