The likeliness was unmistakable. In the secure privacy of her underground catacombs, she'd met with the prodigious pupil who had baffled the best of her Missionary Instructors. It was a mere child- 9 years of age- and yet, Ahsoka could not deny the resemblance.
"It can't be," she thought to herself. "It's impossible."
But there was the preconscious intellect- the confidence- the sheer boldness- and the aura brimming with untapped potential. The child who stood before her- Leia Organa- was the daughter of Anakin Skywalker.
It did make a certain amount of sense. Anakin's affection for Padme Amidala was no secret among those close to him. During the time of the Clone Wars, Padme and Bail Organa had been steadfast allies. For a child of Padme and Anakin to find her way into Bail's care wasn't unthinkable. The galaxy had been told that Padme's child had not survived when her mother died in childbirth. But having seen what Anakin turned into, the purpose of the deception became clear. This child had been hidden- intentionally- secreted away as a weapon to one day be wielded against the Sith. A weapon, Ahsoka realised, which had now fallen into her hands.
"I didn't think you were real," said Leia, a note of awe in her voice. Dressed in the all-white uniform of the Missionary Schools, she was a regal figure in spite of her stature.
A brief smile flickered across Ahsoka's face.
"Your instructors should have disciplined you for such blasphemous talk," responded the Empress, actively suppressing the conflicting emotions.
"They tried," shrugged Leia. "They tried to change me. To... 'condition' me. But they couldn't do it."
Force-conditioning was standard practice in the Missionary Schools. Despite the natural resistance of Force-sensitives to most forms of mental manipulation, Ahsoka's Schools had mastered this power to an extent never once seen before. To assure the absolute loyalty of the Light's most powerful tools, a regiment of conditioning was conducted whenever students displayed signs of deviancy. And no matter how strong-willed, no one could resist it forever. Or so Ahsoka thought.
"'Condition'- where did you hear that word, child?"
"I heard teachers talking about it. Everyone else in my class is so- so gullible! They all just-"
"They believe," interjected Ahsoka. "They have faith."
"Well I don't believe."
Ahsoka couldn't hide her smirk.
"Even though I stand before you now?"
"The teachers are liars."
Prior to this meeting, Ahsoka had gone to great lengths trying to unearth the child's past. It seemed that both of her legal guardians had been on Coruscant the day of the Purification. Since then, Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan had been cared for and instructed by undercover Missionaries. It was a now-standard form of political manipulation Ahsoka's empire practised across the galaxy- identifying and subverting would-be rulers towards serving the First Light's ends. But the child had done what most adults never could- she saw through the facade. And it was then that her affinity for the Force was recognised.
"What makes you say that?" Ahsoka asked, humouring Leia.
"I know they're liars."
"And what about me?"
"People say you can do anything."
"That is part of the faith."
"Then why do people get hurt?"
"Excuse me?"
"People say all things are possible through your power. Then why don't you stop people from getting hurt?"
Ahsoka chuckled.
"Maybe a bit of suffering is necessary for people to realise their truest selves."
"That's stupid."
There was something endearing about Leia's defiant and unrelenting rebelliousness. It was a bittersweet familiarity.
"You've seen this empire I've built. All of it- everything I've accomplished- it wouldn't have been possible without tremendous hardship. But perhaps that's a lesson you'll learn in time."
"I'm not going back to the School."
Now was the critical moment. From all Ahsoka had learned, it was undeniable that this child would be invaluable to her order. If she wanted Leia's voluntary and enthusiastic participation in her designs, Ahsoka would need to offer a tremendous incentive.
"I'm not going to force you. I've seen the records. So many times you've tried to run away. Why?"
"Because the teachers are liars and bullies and they-"
"They sought to strengthen you. To cut away the excess and mold you into a powerful tool."
"They were cruel! They were liars! They just wanted to use me!"
Ahsoka nodded.
"We are all instruments, and all of us have our parts to play in upholding the order of the First Light. But... perhaps you wish to pursue the more treacherous path."
"What's that?"
"The path of truth."
Leia's eyes widened.
"Truth?"
Ahsoka smiled inwardly. Now she had her attention.
"Truth. The secrets of this universe fit only for the worthy to know. Become my protege, and I offer you the chance to learn the true nature of the Light. I will teach you to exploit every atom of your potential and gain power over any foe who stands before you. It is a path that is long and hard. Through traversing it you will come to know true cruelty. But if you reach its end you will emerge invincible and indomitable. So, young Leia... is that something that interests you?"
Sitrep couldn't understand it. Days of preparation, and they all seemed to have gone to waste. The Blitzkrieg remained still over Concordia, sitting in geosynchronous orbit with all non-critical systems offline- all the while, the Beskar Raiders initiated their attack. Thrawn had explained part of the plan to Sitrep- but frustratingly, had left the rest for the clone to figure out.
"These raiders have demonstrated a degree of technological superiority over our own forces," Thrawn had said. "This advantage they possess over us- we must understand its nature if we are to undo it."
But the crew of the Blitzkrieg already had an advantage of their own. By cross-referencing the position and rotation of Concordia with the recorded exit vectors of the Beskar Raiders, Thrawn claimed to have calculated the approximate entry point of the Beskar Raiders. Sitrep's first instinct was to alert Mandalore's system defence fleet to reinforce this point, which Thrawn had strictly forbidden.
"This information cannot be allowed to spread beyond the crew of this ship."
He had been insistent that the Blitzkrieg be nigh-invisible to any would-be raiders. His solution, however, seemed less than ideal. The Blitzkrieg hovered in a position well beyond sensor range of potential entry points, only alerted of the attack via a series of satellite relays.
"Individually, each satellite is far too small and rudimentary to be distinguished from random debris. And therein lies their utility. The first satellite in the sequence is a simple Cronau radiation sensor- if it detects a ship exiting hyperspace within its sensor radius, it is programmed to fire a laser at the photon-detector of the second satellite in the sequence- which then triggers that satellite to project a laser towards the third satellite... and so on and so forth. This satellite-chain eventually reaches a similar detector aboard the Blitzkrieg, which is capable of operating even in low-power mode. Encoded in the frequency and pulse rate of these lasers are the precise coordinates of the Cronau emission. The result is a nigh untraceable message transmitted at near-lightspeed across a vast distance."
The next stage of Thrawn's plan relied on the unique design of the Imperial variant of the Arquitens. Upon receiving the signal from the satellite relay, a burst of power would be directed towards briefly activating the Blitzkrieg's magnetic launch system. The opening notch of the Blitzkrieg enabled fighters to be accelerated to attack speed from the hangar almost instantly- and any detectable power surge would almost certainly be written off as a sensor glitch. A single TIE would be launched via this system without once firing its engines. Aimed at a precisely calculated angle, Concordia's gravity would pull it around the moon and direct it towards the entry point of the raiders. In theory, it was an elegant plan which would allow a fighter to reach the engagement zone in mere moments. And in theory, the lack of any drive emissions from engine activation would render this fighter almost invisible to sensors. But theory was one thing. Practice was something else entirely.
It was, after all, a madman's gamble. What if the satellites were detected by the attackers? What if they recognised the energy signature of the Blitzkrieg's magnetic launch system? What if a slight imprecision in planning or execution sent the TIE hurtling engineless towards the surface of Concordia? And even if every aspect of the plan was executed to perfection, what would happen next? If these raiders were as dangerous as the reports would have Sitrep believe, what could a single fighter do to stop them?
Not very much, as he would soon find out.
"Anakin's daughter lives."
Standing in front of the mirror of her lavish personal bedchamber, Empress Ahsoka Tano still struggled with the weight of those words. When she closed her eyes, she could still see flashes of those horrid memories- the march up the Temple stairs, and the unconscionable massacre that followed. She remembered the fury that overcame her when she confronted what her master had become- the spite, nurtured by betrayal, which had allowed her to stab Vader from behind without a second thought. And yet, mixed in with those memories was the undeniable reminder of who Anakin once was. He was the older brother she'd never had. At the time, it seemed that his faith in her would never waver. It seemed as though his bond with her could never be broken. And she could still feel the warmth with which he'd embraced her after her ordeal on Mortis. For so long, Ahsoka had been able to suppress these memories- to push them to the back of her mind by sheer force of will. But seeing Leia's face- seeing that all-too-familiar Skywalker determination in her eyes- it was just too much.
"Anakin..." she thought to herself, feeling the tears welling up in her eyes. "Why?!"
She understood his resentment for the order. She understood his hatred for the Jedi. But the lengths he'd gone to- the monster he became- how could Ahsoka ever hope to understand that?
"But then again... how am I any different?"
Had she not abandoned her principles for the sake of greater power? Had she not allowed herself to fall just as far? Certainly, she'd seldom killed out of a sadistic, malicious impulse. But Ahsoka had crossed countless lines her old self wouldn't have dared to approach. Now, clone and Mandalorian legions waved her banner as they embarked on their blood-soaked crusades throughout the galaxy. Her agents infiltrated the hearts and minds of the people she claimed to protect. She lived in a palace of unrivalled opulence, built from the plundered riches of countless systems. And she'd cultivated a myth of godhood so convincing, even she caught herself buying into her own dogma. Now, the only people who surrounded her were mindless sycophants- people who believed she could do no wrong, people who would never hold her accountable for her mistakes. And it was all by Ahsoka's own design.
"No," she thought. She wasn't a monster. She fought for the greater good. And all those necessary evils were just that. Necessary. Who else could have brought the galaxy back from the brink of oblivion? Who else could have united its people under a single glorious banner? Empress Ahsoka Tano was worshipped from the innermost reaches of the Galactic Core to the most distant worlds of the Outer Rim. And for good reason. She was the force that held the galaxy together. It was her efforts that brought unprecedented prosperity to her people. And with the daughter of Skywalker under her tutelage, she could achieve so much more.
"You were the Chosen One," Ahsoka muttered with gritted teeth. "You could have done so much if you hadn't squandered your power."
Wiping the tears from her eyes, a resolute expression spread across her face.
"I'll make sure your daughter doesn't make that same mistake."
"We've received a message from the satellite relay! Cronau emission coordinates coming on screen now!"
The bridge of the Blitzkrieg was abuzz with activity at the announcement from the ship's comms officer. They had been waiting on high alert for almost a week- using an intensive series of rotating shifts to ensure maximum combat readiness at all times. It was an effort that had taken its toll on the crew. But now, Thrawn thought, it would all pay off.
"Helmsman-" ordered Thrawn from his command chair. "Shift bearing to point one-nine-three and prepare for fighter launch."
With a hissing of compressed gas, the Blitzkrieg adjusted its orientation with exquisite precision. At this moment, Thrawn knew that the TIE pilot he'd assigned for this operation would be shuddering with dread. Everything hinged on the flawless execution of this manoeuvre.
"Magnetic launch system charged!" came a voice from the command pit.
"Alignment?" asked Thrawn.
"Initial projections green."
"Then fire!"
A sudden jolt shook the crew as the magnetic launch system activated, firing the TIE fighter like some bolt from an enormous blaster.
"Launch successful, TIE is away!"
"Excellent. Now, initiate a total power-down of all non-critical systems! They must not detect our presence!"
"Yes sir!"
The excitement on the bridge slowly receded as an uncertain anticipation took hold.
Sitrep approached Thrawn's command chair from behind.
"What now?" he whispered to the captain.
"Now... we wait."
But for their endless vigilance and meticulous preparation, what had they to show for it? The TIE fighter Thrawn had sent out, Sitrep later discovered, hadn't even been equipped with weapons. The ship had been jury-rigged to incorporate a number of advanced passive sensor systems- and so, it had done nothing but fly past the engagement zone as the Beskar Raiders attacked. Thrawn had indeed known where the Beskar Raiders would attack from- and yet, rather than reporting this information to his superiors, he'd kept it under wraps and silently observed as these thieves claimed further victims. The result was a massacre.
Thrawn's TIE had recorded the attack with exceptional clarity. With frighteningly precise timing, four Kom'rk class fighters entered the system and swiftly destroyed the escort ships of a passing transport frigate. Then, a number of jetpack-equipped raiders were dispatched from the ships' troop compartment, swiftly breaching the frigate's docking port with some manner of explosive charge. By the time the system defence fleet had been alerted to the threat, it was already too late- the fighters and their stolen frigate had vanished into the safety of hyperspace.
The crew of the Blitzkrieg was livid. They'd stood ready as the attack progressed, waiting patiently for Thrawn to give them the order to act. But that order never came. Instead, Thrawn's inaction had allowed valuable beskar to fall into enemy hands. It had cost lives. And through it all, the Chiss seemed utterly unconcerned by these results- as though these losses were little more than forgettable trifles. In the following hours, Thrawn had holed himself up in the Blitzkrieg's command centre, giving explicit orders not to be disturbed. And that had been the last straw. The crew was already exhausted from the many days of prolonged combat readiness. This would only serve as further fuel for the fire. And Thrawn's reputation- what little respect it had garnered- would undoubtedly be tarnished by his total and utter negligence. Sitrep feared a mutiny was imminent. But more than that, he wanted answers. He wanted to know how someone so supposedly brilliant could act so cold and aloof. And so it was that he defied orders and entered Thrawn's command centre.
Thrawn did not even turn at the sound of the door sliding open. His back remained turned to Sitrep, eyes focused on a holoprojected recording depicting the attack.
"Commander Sitrep," he said, his voice almost a whisper. "I believe I gave orders that I was not to be disturbed."
"With all due respect, sir... you owe us an explanation. You owe me an explanation! I stood by you, I- I told the crew that you had an endgame, that there was some method behind this madness!"
"And you were right to do so. Thanks to your efforts, we have gained remarkable insight."
"Insight? Insight?! I was under the impression that our objective was to stop the Beskar Raiders, not to watch and marvel at their handiwork!"
"Hm... and how do you suppose we defeat an enemy we do not yet understand?"
With an exasperated sigh and gritted teeth, Sitrep shook his head.
"I recognise that to you, this might just be some curiosity or... game. But there are lives at stake here. Your negligence and your refusal to take this threat seriously-"
In a slow and deliberate motion, Thrawn turned to face Sitrep. Just the intensity of his crimson gaze was enough to silence the clone.
"Do you think me a fool, Commander Sitrep? The actions you have labelled negligent and indecisive were taken precisely because I recognise the enormity of the threat before us. Firing blindly in the dark as my predecessors have done is not an approach that will succeed here."
Sitrep wanted to argue, but the cold resolution in the Chiss' voice gave him pause.
"Fine, then at least... at least explain what you had hoped to learn! Explain what you intended to gain from all this."
"It is as I said before. Insight."
But the depth of this insight was something even Sitrep could not have predicted. In the vacuum of space and without external propulsion, the TIE deployed by Thrawn should have travelled towards the target at a constant rate. But sensors aboard the fighter showed a brief deceleration, as though it were experiencing drag.
"A sensor glitch?" Sitrep had proposed.
"Not at all. The pilot herself reported feeling a notable deceleration as she neared the target. I suspect the cause was none other than an interdiction field."
Interdiction fields were the product of cutting-edge technology. They were a gravitational distortion projected across a region of space, preventing a ship from jumping into hyperspace. But beyond that, they served another functionality- pulling ships already in hyperspace out of hyperspace.
"That's impossible- the mass shadow... not to mention the energy signature- we would have detected that from a parsec away!"
Thrawn gave an unsettling smile.
"And therein lies the ingenuity of this scheme. This interdiction field isn't projected from a craft in space- it's projected from a base on the ground."
Sitrep's eyes widened.
"You mean... on Concordia?!"
"Precisely. Atmospheric disruption serves to conceal the energy signature, while the mass shadow is hidden by the natural mass of Concordia itself."
"So then- these Beskar Raiders haven't actually charted out a new hyperspace lane."
"Not at all. They jump to the location of this base from somewhere in deep space, relying on the interdiction field to pull them in safely. But that is not all I have been able to confirm. Ever since these attacks began, transport frigates have had their docking ports reinforced with beskar. You'll notice that that's done little to deter them. But if we analyse the emission spectra of the charges used to breach these transports, the reason for this becomes evident."
With that, Thrawn brought up a comparison with the spectrum analysis of the Council Chamber Bombing.
"...Kyber," muttered Sitrep.
"Kyber," confirmed Thrawn. "Komr'k gunships and jetpacks- those could be attributed to any common criminals or mercenaries. But we've only ever seen one group employ Kyber-based weaponry."
Sitrep nodded. The conclusion was obvious.
"The Children of the Watch."
"Whoever they are, they're more than Mandalorian traditionalists. Kyber weapons- interdiction field generators- these aren't the tools of ragtag revolutionaries. You alluded to the idea that I do not understand the nature of this threat. But now? I'm not certain anyone does."