Chapter 62 - Attack on Coruscant

Author's Note: ROTS is beginning! :D

~ Amina Gila

Anakin's excitement is steadily growing – and so is his nervousness – as he follows Ahsoka through the halls of the cruiser, to where the clones are waiting. It's been so long since he last saw them, and in some ways, it's easier to know what to expect in their reunion. Their relationship was never... complicated the way it is with Ahsoka and Obi-Wan. Maybe, it's because they aren't Jedi.

Clones from the 501st and 212th are there. "Rex? Cody?" Anakin asks, stepping forwards. Seeing that they're alright is beyond relieving. He doesn't want to think about the number of clones he's already noticed with markings that he doesn't recognize. New ones, to replace the ones he probably used to know.

"It's good to see you again, sir," Rex greets.

"It's been a long time," Cody agrees.

"It... has. I'm glad to be back here." And he is, even if he can't say he misses fighting on the battlefield, exactly. He's fighting to free slaves, fighting for something he actually believes in, and it's the first time he's ever gotten to choose something like that. In a way, it helps him understand why Ahsoka chooses to fight her own way, even if it breaks the rules, but that doesn't mean he agrees with everything she's done. Rules are meant for a reason, even if Anakin doesn't always agree with them, either. "And I'm not a Commander anymore. You don't have to address me formally."

Probably, they'll do it anyway, but he had to offer. They're just friends now. There's no rank between any of them, and Anakin finds that unreasonably freeing.

"I don't think many of the boys will see it that way... Anakin," Cody replies. Anakin knows he's more likely to be comfortable calling him that than Rex – he and Cody always have been equals. Cody took care of him as much as Anakin protected him, after all.

"Can I call you Anakin, too?" Fives asks, materializing behind him, ignoring the look Hevy is giving him.

"Of course, you can," he replies, grinning, "It's good to see you're alright."

"Was there ever any doubt we wouldn't be?" Cutup calls, cheerfully.

Anakin doesn't have the chance to reply, before Fives is crushing him in a hug which he returns. Cutup and Echo are next to join.

"Four-person huddle," Fives decides, gleefully.

"There's no such thing," Echo insists, as he and Fives step back.

"Now it's just a two-person huddle," Anakin says, as he Cutup disentangle themselves.

"You can't huddle with two people," Echo objects, "That's just called a hug."

"Maybe it's different if it's a hug between vode," Anakin supplies. Yes, he just called them his brothers, but it's... the truth.

"A vode hug?" Echo echoes, dubiously.

"A hug between brothers," Fives agrees, smirking.

"A brug!" Cutup suggests, cheerfully.

Anakin laughs.

Anakin's still with the clones – he doesn't know where Ahsoka went – when Obi-Wan suddenly runs into the room. "Cody, Rex, prepare all forces. We're jumping to hyperspace immediately," Obi-Wan orders, and the clones all scramble.

"The Council approved?" Anakin asks, hopefully and a little surprised.

"No, it's Coruscant. Grievous has attacked the capital."

Anakin freezes. What?! Of all places, Coruscant? How would they have gotten there? "How did they get to Coruscant?" It's a theoretical question, though, and the answer doesn't matter so much as that they need to be stopped. If Coruscant is lost, everything will be over.

"That's anyone's guess," Obi-Wan replies, "But the Council is requesting that both Ahsoka and I return to give support."

It's understandable, even if he's disappointed. "What about Mandalore?" Anakin asks.

"I was hoping to be able to come with you," he answers, and Anakin can tell that it's genuine, "But that will have to wait until this is over. I imagine Ahsoka will have supplies from one of her extra divisions to send with you."

He nods, offering him a ghost of a smile. "Thank you."

"Stay out of trouble, Anakin," Obi-Wan says, and for a moment, it reminds him achingly of the time he was his padawan.

"I've done that all this time," Anakin defends, "I'll probably finish up on Mandalore and come to save you before you're finished." Well, he certainly hopes the attack on Coruscant won't be that bad, but it's easier to pretend that they aren't about to lose this war. If they do, the lives of everyone who have died – every last one of the clones, including countless of his friends – will have been for nothing.

"You haven't had to save me in a long time, young one," he replies dryly, though Anakin can sense a distant longing there.

"I missed you," Anakin blurts, before he can think it through, "I know now isn't the time to talk about it, but I –"

Something in his expression in his expression softens a little. "It's... been different without you," Obi-Wan replies. There's so much more they could say, but Anakin doesn't want to talk about that day when he thought Obi-Wan had died, any more than his former master has to. Probably, they need to at some point, if there's anything that really can be said about it, but now isn't the time.

"You've been alright?" Anakin asks, tentatively.

"Yes." Somehow, he doesn't think that's the full truth. "I've heard rumors about what you've been doing. I see you've been quite occupied."

Anakin nods. "It's what I've always wanted to do." He doesn't know why there's a tiny part of him hoping that someone will... tell him that he made the right decision by leaving and going to do this. It's enough that it actually feels like he's finally helping people, but he – he still can't shake that desperate desire for approval.

Obi-Wan touches his shoulder unexpectedly. "You're doing a good job concealing that there's a Jedi involved."

That's... probably as close as his former master will come to that. "We've been careful," Anakin promises, leaning forward without really thinking and hugging him tightly. He's as tall as him now, maybe a little taller, and it's jarring.

Obi-Wan returns it, surprisingly tightly, at least for a moment. "Be careful," he warns, "There will be two of them against you."

"Barriss, Jinx, and O'mer will be with me," Anakin assures. They stayed back at the ship, because they didn't all need to go off, and Anakin was just reuniting with his... family, the one he left, and his mother thought they should give him some privacy for that.

What's going on?" Ahsoka inquires, appearing in the doorway.

"Coruscant has been attacked. We must leave at once," Obi-Wan replies briskly, pulling back, much to Anakin's disappointment. It's the closest he's felt to him, since... before the Festival of Light over a year ago. Maybe, all he needed was distance for a while, to try and accept what happened, as much as he ever can.

"And we're just abandoning Mandalore?" Ahsoka objects.

"You can send whatever forces you can spare, but we need to be back at the capital."

Ahsoka glances between him and Anakin.

"I'll be fine," he assures. Even if he really was hoping to work with both of them again.

"I'll send Rex and a group of the boys," she replies, lingering a moment longer. "Good luck, Anakin."

"There's no such thing as luck," Obi-Wan grumbles.

"I think you'll both need it this time," Anakin calls, "If you haven't finished up with your battle, I'll come to help you."

"Or we'll help you," Ahsoka throws back, heading for the door.

Anakin watches them both disappear through the doorway, wondering why he's hit with a strange feeling of finality as it closes. Something's about to change. He's been sensing that for a while now, but it feels so much more real, suddenly.

It's as though the balance of the Force itself is shifting, and he doesn't know if he's going to like where it settles.

He senses something dark up ahead, a dark, stormy whirlwind, and Anakin knows something very, very bad is about to happen.

**w**

Ahsoka was really hoping she'd be able to go with Anakin, but this is an attack on Coruscant, and it's going to determine the fate of the entire war, of everything she's been fighting for. Now would be the best time to have the Malevolence available, but it's going to take hours to get through all the hyperspace routes to a core system. Hopefully, it won't have to come to that. With the sheer size of the Invisible Hand, there's already going to be extensive damage here.

She leaves the clones to deal with the individual Separatist ships, as she and Obi-Wan blow their way – literally – into the hangar and head to where they're holding Palpatine.

So far, so good, though she immediately senses the Dark Side here. Familiar, too. "Komari's here," she notes darkly. It figures, and it's... dangerous, though it might be best this way.

"It's a trap," Obi-Wan muses. That's unquestionably true.

"Then we'll spring it," she replies lightly, crossing the room to where Palpatine is strapped to the chair – it's an awfully fancy place to put him, but it's also too open for them to take cover. Maybe that's the point. "Are you alright?" she asks, pausing in front of him.

"She's behind you," the Chancellor warns instead, and Ahsoka spins around to see her standing at the top of a balcony, two super battle droids flanking her.

"Komari," she greets, eyes narrowed.

The former Jedi circles around, walking down the stairs towards them, drawing her lightsabers. "You'll regret coming here," she tells them, smoothly.

"You won't get away this time," Obi-Wan shoots back, pulling out his own lightsaber.

Komari doesn't wait, jumping at them. She's nothing like Dooku, and she's not as good a fighter. But Ahsoka won't risk underestimating her. She could be trying to distract them from something more, or Grievous could show up, and she's not going to fall for it.

Ahsoka blocks her blow, she and Obi-Wan pressing their attacks from either side. Komari backs away from them, leading them towards the staircase she came down. The moment the two super battle droids are within range, they start shooting, and Ahsoka Force-jumps away from the Sith, slashing through the two droids as she hits the ground between them.

Komari uses the opportunity to Force-throw Obi-Wan aside, before Ahsoka jumps her again.

"Your anger unbalances you," the Sith purrs as their lightsabers clash. Ahsoka kicks her a few feet back, hissing.

Komari just jumps at her again, but Ahsoka has fought her before, knows her style, and knows somewhat what to anticipate. She trained for this, hoping she'd encounter her again, so they could end this. Komari is deadly, mostly because she has nothing to lose, but she's not as dangerous or hard to fight as Dooku was.

It could be just as much that Dooku was a skilled duelist and knew how to fight against two lightsabers. Ahsoka has two, as does Komari, and it's not as easy for either of them.

Obi-Wan rejoins the fight, and they keep pushing her back. Komari jumps over their heads, unleashing a blast of lightning right at Obi-Wan. He doesn't manage to spin fast enough to block her, and the lightning catches him square in the chest, throwing him to the ground.

Ahsoka might not care for him quite the way she once did, but that makes the rage that instantly flares up inside her no less fierce. With a cry of sheer fury, Ahsoka leaps at the Sith again.

The Sith cackles as Ahsoka slashes at her, but with her renewed strength, the Sith is losing ground faster.

Ahsoka lashes out at her, twisting one of the blades from the Sith's hand before swinging back and slashing at her again. Their other blades are caught in a saberlock, and that gives Ahsoka an opening. She cuts across the Sith's chest – not too deeply – and arm, cutting through her other lightsaber. She swings her lightsabers to cross at Komari's neck.

Behind her, the Chancellor laughs; he sounds strangely proud, and Ahsoka cannot remember the last time someone made her feel like that. "Good, Ahsoka, good. Now, kill her."

Ahsoka's eyes dart from him back to the Sith's furious face, and no sooner is she about to finish it then the gravity of the ship suddenly shifts, yanking her backwards. Ahsoka yelps ungracefully as she struggles to regain her footing.

Obi-Wan starts sliding, and Komari is scrambling towards the doorway. Ahsoka is of the mind to follow, just to make sure she can't escape, but their mission was to rescue the Chancellor, and that's what they have to do.

She doesn't want to let the Sith escape, but... there's not much choice.

**w**

Escaping the Invisible Hand was about as much a nightmare as getting on, if not worse. Cody is waiting for them when the 212th finally picks up their escape pod. After the gravity leveled out again, Ahsoka led them to the escape pods, hence how they made it off in the first place. The ship was badly damaged, and it won't be long before it crashes.

What he's admittedly more concerned with is the fact that Ahsoka was using the Dark Side. He was mostly unconscious when she fought Komari, but he still sensed and saw her rage, the way she drew it in like it was a second nature to her. He remembers doing that himself when Qui-Gon died, but it wasn't the same. It wasn't like this.

Obi-Wan had regretted using the Dark Side – even if he certainly didn't regret defeating Maul, and for obvious reasons – but he doesn't think Ahsoka shares that sentiment. It felt so old, so natural with her, as though she'd done it before. Briefly, he recalls hearing how before she was even trained in the Force, she had used it on Tatooine. Qui-Gon saw her using it, and Obi-Wan had wondered if she knew of the Dark Side long before. Used it instinctively, rather.

She had used it to defend her mother from a slaver. That was something Qui-Gon related to Obi-Wan personally, reluctant to tell the Council, lest it disqualify her further. That was part of why he freed her.

He should have. Only now does Obi-Wan realize how dangerous this could be.

And it reminds him of the Council once conversing about what they would do if Ahsoka were to Fall. That question has far more legitimacy than he cares to think about.

Most of all, he doesn't even know how to broach the topic with her.

They head to the bridge, a tense silence between them while he mulls over it. He and Ahsoka haven't really talked since Anakin left, and seeing him again has given Obi-Wan a sense of balance again.

Anakin gave him purpose, something he'd nearly forgotten.

Up in space, the Invisible Hand is crashing rapidly, and Obi-Wan has a very bad feeling about it.

"Is there anything you can do to stop it?" Ahsoka queries, approaching the windows of the bridge. They won't be able to see it much longer, and the ship is breaking up in space, but it's so fast. Coruscant has planetary shields, but not meant for something so large.

"We can slow it down or destroy it farther, but it's far down enough that we're more at risk of hitting the planet," Cody replies.

This... isn't good.

Ships from below can try to guide it down to a less destructive location, but either way, people are going to die.

It's the cost of war, but it's never happened on Coruscant before. Destroyed ships often crash into planetary surfaces, and with massive damage, but they've never hit a city, much less the Republic's capital before.

Obi-Wan has a very, very bad feeling about what's about to happen.

**w**

It's been months since Ahsoka was last on Coruscant, and she can't believe she's finally back here. The destruction the Invisible Hand caused when crashing was... bad. She doesn't know the full extent, but the city is still smoking from that and the battle, as she makes her way into the Senate building. From what she heard, some of the pieces burned up in space, but what didn't crashed into the city. They were able to direct some of it to a less populated area – right to the portal to the Underworld – so she has no idea how many casualties there were down there.

Ahsoka weaves her way past a few much too chatty Senators and pushes her way past the holonews reporters – who would eagerly interview her for hours, and okay, sometimes she doesn't mind the attention but she's in a hurry right now – to get deeper into the building.

She doesn't have to look far. Kitster is pushing his way through the crowd to find her, and they quickly move to a slightly more secluded spot where they can actually talk. "Kit," she breathes, only seconds before he's crushing her in a hug.

"Haven't heard from you in so long," he murmurs.

"I keep meaning to call you, but it's hard to find the time lately."

"I know," he sighs, pulling back, "But I was... getting worried."

"Don't worry about me," she assures, "I'll always be back here to find you." She's feeling better now that she was able to see Anakin again, but he was gone for so long, and Kitster is the one who's always been there.

"I don't doubt it," he replies, dryly, "Even if one of us was a ghost."

She swats his arm. "That is hardly funny."

"Ahsoka," a voice calls, and spinning around, she sees Padme standing there. "It's good to see you again," the Senator greets with a smile.

It's been a long time since she's seen her looking that cheerful – to be fair, it's been a long time since she's seen her, period. "You, too," Ahsoka answers, returning the grin. The Separatists lost, and even if Grievous got away, they still don't know about Komari. There's a small chance that she's dead, and that would leave the Separatists without a leader. They should know for certain in a day or two.

"It's good to see you back here," Padme says.

Ahsoka nods. "If not for the attack here, I was starting to doubt I ever would get back."

"Me too," Kitster admits, "But come on. Unless you have duties to attend to, maybe we can spend the evening together."

Ahsoka pauses, considering. "I'd like to confirm if anyone's found Komari's body, but otherwise, I should be free to stay." She'd like to, at least for one night.

Somehow, it feels that with a chance the Separatist leader was lost, there might actually be an end in sight, to the war. Maybe. Unless she's just being too hopeful again.

**w**

Air whips across Anakin's face, as he stands at the edge of the gunship, flying towards the Mandalorian city below. He's fought in many small shoot outs since leaving, but never an all-out battle, and it's different alongside the clones.

He doesn't miss the death he knows is about to come, but he's missed working with them.

He grew up in war, and Anakin can't really imagine living any other way. There's something... freeing about it, and there probably shouldn't be, but to be fair, he already knows he's long since diverted from the Jedi way, under the assumption he ever truly was one.

"I'll race you down," Fives yells to him, from one of the nearby gunships.

"We'll see," he calls back, cheerfully. If they were fighting droids, he could tease him about droid count, but well... They're not, so that isn't possible.

Anakin jumps from the ship, falling until he lands on a crashing fighter below. He slashes it open, pulling out the clone trapped inside, but right up ahead there's another already crashing fighter that's headed straight for the wall of a building. Anakin Force-pushes it out of the way – he's grown so used to having to fight without his lightsaber, that he knows how to subtly use the Force to his advantage, far more than he used to – before he jumps off the crashing fighter he's on, falling for the no-longer far below ground.

He never has the chance to see who got there first between him and Fives – everything is lost admit the chaos, but with Barriss, Jinx, and O'mer here to help him, they're pushing the opposing Mandalorians back quickly.

Anakin brought the Bad Batch along with him, too – he'll catch up with them later.

It isn't long before the Mandalorians are retreating, withdrawing their forces to the lower levels of the city and into the sewage tunnels, where it will be nearly impossible to find them.

"How did it go?" Anakin asks, leaning against one of the balcony railings overlooking the city when the Bad Batch come up there to join him. Rex is here, too, as they look over the situation. The city is mostly under control, even if there's still sporadic fighting.

"Another success," Wrecker replies, gleefully, not that he ever doubted that.

"Not over yet," Anakin reminds cheerfully, though he somehow thinks they will win Mandalore. It won't be easy, but he just... knows.

His comm beeps, suddenly. "We were cutting off the access port to under the city when we engaged one of the leadership. Gar Saxon. He seemed in a hurry," reports one of the clones. Vaughn, Anakin remembers his name was, even if he's one of the new ones he never knew before.

"What's doing there?" he demands.

"A system of tunnels, sewage ports, mainly. Some conduit access pipes."

"To outside the city?"

"Unknown, sir."

"I'll be there immediately," he replies, cutting the connection.

"You want us to come?" Hunter asks.

"What could it hurt? Come on." Anakin takes off without waiting for their responses. This is time-sensitive, and they all know it.

The tunnels are entirely dark, and every sound echoes much too loudly. He keeps hearing scurrying sounds up ahead, but it's hard to tell if it's rats or people. He can sense some nearby, but every time they turn the corner, there's nothing there.

When they round another corner, though, the Force flares in warning. Anakin throws up his hands to deflect the missile into the ceiling, and it explodes, throwing him to the ground. The clones immediately give chase, and he scrambles upright, bolting after.

Except, there's several turns in the tunnel, and the Mandalorians go several ways, forcing them to split up. Even if he does not like that.

The ones he's following don't slow their pace until they reach a wider enclosure though it opens into a tunnel on the other side. Anakin's about to follow them through the opening when he senses something else.

The Dark Side.

It's –

He draws his lightsaber instinctively, as Savage and Feral step into view. Still no sign of Maul. What happened to him, anyway?

"I was hoping you would come here," Savage says, stepping into the enclosure, Feral beside him.

"Why?" Anakin demands, eyes narrowed. "What do you want?"

"You gave us an offer once, to take a path where we wouldn't be hunted by the Republic," Feral says, studying him.

"I did," Anakin agrees. He remembers that day, clearly. "But right now, I see the opposite." And he doesn't understand why, because after that last confrontation with the brothers, no one really saw or heard from them much, until now.

"Among other reasons, it was the only chance we had at getting you here alone," Savage replies.

What are they playing at? He senses a strange amount of desperation in both of them that he can't make sense of.

"Why –" he starts to demand, but doesn't have the chance to finish before a blaster shot rings out, aimed straight at Savage's head. He ducks only thanks to the Force, but the shot still hits one of his horns, and from the snarl, it must've hurt. He lashes out wildly, Force throwing Anakin and whatever clones are in the doorway back and races for the opening. Feral sprints after, throwing one final glance back at him.

So much for that. And if they wanted to just talk, maybe they could've just said so?

They didn't have to start a war to do that. Anakin would've listened, but somehow? This sounds exactly like something they'd do.

Crosshair is lowering his rifle, standing a distance down the tunnel, the rest of the squad behind him.

Anakin scrambles to his feet, sprinting after the Zabraks, but they're already gone.

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