Short chapter this week! I'm excited for the next few chapters. I'm updating on Tuesdays, so look for it then.

...

Off of Geonosis

Chapter 3

On board the Resolute, Anakin Skywalker stalked through the cruiser's corridors, marching back to command from the detention facilities. He was worried. And frustrated. And angry. Ahsoka still hadn't checked in despite him deliberately telling her to back on that rock Geonosis, plus this hyperspace flight was taking far too long, and the Poggle interrogation was getting them nowhere. Anakin knew that he could crack Poggle in just a few minutes… if he bent the code just a little. Wasn't this war? Didn't desperate times call for desperate measures? And if the information Poggle had inside his kriffing bug brain would help save the lives of more innocent families, or even loyal Republic troops, shouldn't they do everything they could to—

He cut off his own thoughts with a groan. It was no use. The other Jedi masters would never agree to his idea of how the interrogation should go. They'd be more likely to report him to the High Council. Besides, he knew he was just stressed that Ahsoka missed check in, despite Obi-Wan's reminders that the two of them had become "quite similar", and there wasn't anything to worry about.

Still, Anakin flicked a glance at his wrist comm again and sighed. Having a padawan was more work than he thought. Sure, he knew that it wasn't going to be easy. From their first mission together he understood that, but Ahsoka could be so snippy and arrogant and hardheaded. She was always cutting corners or arguing his orders, no matter the mission. She never listened. She was reckless. She didn't seem to have any sort of self-preservation, especially on their last couple missions on Geonosis. Anakin grimaced. Now he was starting to sound like Obi-Wan.

He supposed Ahsoka was like him in many ways, as Obi-Wan had been so eager to needle him about. It was no wonder he'd bonded so quickly with the youngling, even anxious for her wellbeing when they were on separate missions. He missed feeling her eager glimmer in the Force at his shoulder, despite Obi-Wan's warmth replacing it, frustratingly aware that he missed his old master just as much when they were apart. Anakin supposed it was the nature of life, and adulthood, and this war that he was constantly missing someone. Padme came to his mind again for what was probably the tenth time today. He'd have to comm her sometime soon. Her presence was always a breath of fresh air, even when things were going wrong.

The Force whispered another warning into his ear. It irritated Anakin to no end. The Force had been whispering about danger since before they left Geonosis, and he was still no closer to finding the source of the trouble than he had been staring at the ruins of the droid foundry. Unless the warnings had something to do with Ahsoka not checking in. Again, a flare of anxiety sparked in his chest. He activated his wrist comm and adjusted the frequency.

"Rex, any luck?"

"No General," the clone captain reported, "but we are broadcasting a message over the frigate's common frequencies."

Anakin sighed. "Alright. Keep at it, Captain. I'm on my way to the bridge."

"Copy that, sir."

"Skywalker, out."

What had his padawan gotten herself into now?

...

Ahsoka dashed to the supply frigate's aft communication center, still reeling with everything that had happened in such a short time. The clones betrayed them. A sort of mind control, with disgusting worm-like parasites that made her skin crawl. She knew the troopers would never betray them of their own free will, but the turn still came as a shock. Bariss hadn't hesitated. To Ahsoka's great dread, Bariss had killed the clones that attacked them, instead of just knocking them unconscious like Ahsoka would've. Ahsoka understood that they were clones, designed to serve the Republic, and to her disgust, be disposable, but the Force still whispered their absence, and it made her stomach roll. She wasn't used to death, pooling thick in the ever- flowing current that was the Force, weighing her down in her onslaught downstream, despite her presence in the war for several months now.

She rounded a corner in the frigate's corridor. Her and Bariss had split up, which sparked blaring Force warnings in her mind, but the decision was made nevertheless. Ahsoka was on her way to contact Master Fisto and Anakin, while Bariss' job was to disable the ship and prevent it from docking at the medical station. If they were to survive, the pest problem had to be dealt with. And if the pest problem was to be dealt with, first they needed to communicate it. Then get control of the bridge of course. They'd already tried to comm the pilots, but there was no return response, and then Ahsoka had felt their deaths in the Force; slow, like dark sludge seeping under a door.

She smashed a button on the control pad and burst into the communications center, lightsaber bared in case there was any clone resistance. The room was empty. Ahsoka spun into a chair before a monitor, activating the processing unit and spinning the transmission's frequency. Her muscle memory had her flipping to Anakin's private comm channel before she realized. She drew in a sharp breath. As much as she wanted her master's help, first she needed to let Master Fisto know. He would be the first one they'd have direct contact with, and the troops would need to keep the ship under quarantine to prevent the worms' spread. She exhaled and adjusted the radio to contact the medical station. A clone trooper with shiny new armor appeared on the screen. Ahsoka leaned in.

"This is Padawan Ahsoka Tano. Do you read me?"

"Affirmative Commander! What seems to be the trouble?"

"I need to speak with Master Fisto. Our frigate has been compromised. We are in dire need of support. Repeat. I must speak with Master Fisto."

As Ahsoka watched, the clone stepped aside and a bright green face stepped into the screen, nodding to the trooper she could no longer see. "Ahsoka. What's going on?"

"Master Fisto! The ship is infected with parasites! They are controlling the minds and actions of the men. The bridge has been taken and we are no longer in control of the ship. I don't know how to stop them."

"Calm yourself, padawan. We will find a solution."

Ahsoka blew out a breath. "Yes Master, but as long as these things are on board, we dare not dock at the medical station."

"No. You must bring the ship in. The only way we can stop these parasites is to analyze them."

Ahsoka shook her head, trying to keep her frustration under wraps, remembering the writhing worm flung off Bariss, the clicking the possessed clones spoke in, the parasites' ability to hide its affects like it had in Lieutenant Trap. "Master, you don't understand how terrible these things are! What if they get loose?"

"We will take precautions."

Ahsoka groaned internally. How could they take precautions if they didn't know what they were dealing with? The whole situation was a bag of puzzles. If they dock at the station, they risk the worms spreading. If they don't dock at the station, they risk the lives of the Master Windu's troops on Dantooine, plus their own lives, and potentially Geonosis to Separatist control again. She frowned. Frankly, Ahsoka felt the third loss was the most upsetting. She didn't really believe she'd die from this, but she definitely never wanted to be on that planet again. There had to be another option.

The Force whispered another warning. Keep your guard up. Her master's voice lingered in her mind.

Ahsoka blinked. That was it! Maybe Anakin could do something. After all, they had Poggle on the Resolute. Maybe he'd have some information she could use.

Ahsoka returned her gaze to the monitor. "I have a bad feeling about this, Master Fisto… But I will follow your instructions. Ahsoka, out."

She waited for the older master to nod his head, then cut the feed, spinning the dials to contact the Resolute. If anyone could get answers out of that slimy head bug, it would be Anakin. She waited for the signal to connect and tuned up the frequency. Pretty soon, a familiar face popped onto the screen, his blonde hair marking him uniquely as the Captain she held in fond regard.

"Cargo ship TB-73, this is clone Captain Rex. Please respond."

"Rex," Ahsoka was so grateful to see his face, "this is Ahsoka."

"It's good to hear your voice, Commander. I've got someone here who wants to speak with you."

Rex stepped away from the screen as her master's darker form came into view. Complete with worried glare and tense voice. "Ahsoka… you missed check in. What's goin' on over there? Are you alright?"

Ahsoka faltered a little at his tone, remembering his warnings and reminders before she'd left Geonosis. And her smug 'what could happen?' that somehow had gone so wrong. A little shame creeped into her gut. How could she have screwed up a supply run, the simplest mission of all time?

"Well Master, not exactly…"

As she explained yet again that the ship was infected with the worms, Anakin's eyes darkened. She could nearly see the gears turning in his head to think of a solution.

"I just don't know what to do. Master Fisto insisted we continue toward the medical station and dock on schedule, but we have no way of containing the worms' spread."

"I know, Ahsoka. Listen to me. Make sure you have a wrist comm and keep it on. I'm going to interrogate Poggle and I'll need to contact you if I make any progress. If you think it's possible, try to take back the bridge. You'll need someone at the controls when the frigate comes out of hyperspace. Lock yourself and Bariss in and wait for my signal. Got it?"

"Understood Master."

The screen faded to black as Anakin cut the feed. Ahsoka took a deep breath. Okay, she had her orders, her master had a plan. That was better than just docking at the station and hoping for the best. She pulled a comm onto her gauntlet and pressed the main on/off button, so it shone green. Now she just had to find Bariss and storm the bridge and hope—

A sudden Force presence loomed at her side. Ahsoka jumped out of her seat, her hand hovering over her lightsaber. The Mirialan padawan stood motionless, staring at her. Ahsoka gasped. "Force Bariss! You nearly scared the lights out of me! How was the reactor room? Were you successful?"

The Mirialan girl didn't respond either in audible words or in the Force. Her presence was completely silent and walled off, not even emitting the calm collectiveness Ahsoka knew well. Instead, her mouth curled into a despicable smirk. Ahsoka tensed once again, her hand resting on the hilt of her saber. "Bariss…?"

In a flash, the boundaries of Bariss' mind flung wide, pummeling Ahsoka like a punch to the jaw. The glass wall between them shattered, razor sharp shards spearing for her skin. Ahsoka lifted her hands in defense, the Force splitting the curtain of glass to either side of her body. A wave of the dark side crashed over her from Bariss' mind, and Ahsoka whipped her head up.

"Bariss! Snap out of it!"

Bariss just lit her lightsaber, the blue glow out of place among the sweltering dark side atmosphere hovering among them. She swung the blade at Ahsoka's head. Ahsoka rolled aside, the metal floor hard against her shoulders and back, flipping up into a crouch. Her saber jumped to her hand, igniting green with a fizz. She grit her teeth. She should've known this mission would be harder than she thought.

...

Don't worry, the new plotline is coming, it's just a REAL slow divide from canon. :) Thanks for reading, please review! I'd love to hear from you.