Clone Wars Chronicles: Volume 1

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/37707415.

Rating: Not Rated

Archive Warning: Choose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Fandom: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All
Media Types
Relationship: Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker, Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano,
CT-7567 | Rex & Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker,
Obi-Wan Kenobi & Ahsoka Tano
Character: Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, CC-2224 | Cody,
Padmé Amidala, CT-6116 | Kix, Original Male Character(s)
Additional Tags: Battle, Undercover Missions, Undercover, Waltzing, Fluff and Angst,
Fluff and Humor, Fluff, Humor, Angst
Series: Part 1 of Clone Wars Chronicles
Stats: Published: 2022-03-13 Chapters: 13/13 Words: 17572

Clone Wars Chronicles: Volume 1

by Avatar_Snips

Summary

Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, along with Ahsoka Tano, Captain Rex,
Commander Cody, and Padmé Amidala are sent on a mission by the Jedi Council. Their
objective is to put an end to the schemes of a vile crime lord by infiltrating a masquerade
ball organized by him. Little do they know, this crime lord isn’t all that he seems, and the
mission takes a dangerous twist when the difference between friend and foe is
indistinguishable.

This work can also be found on Wattpad (my username is @AvatarSnips)

This story is complete!

 A New Mission
Chapter Notes

Hey guys! I'm new to AO3, so I'm still getting used to how it works. Let me know if
anything looks out of place. I hope you enjoy!

Ahsoka spotted her master walking through the halls of the Jedi Temple.

“Skyguy, wait up!”

Ahsoka jogged until she was beside him.

“So, Master, do you know what this meeting’s about?”

“From what I can tell, it involves going undercover to investigate some criminal activity in the
lower levels of Coruscant.”

Ahsoka thought back to Kadavo and grimaced. “We won’t have to dress as slaves again, will we
Master?”

Anakin chuckled. “No Snips, I don’t think this will be anything like that. Hopefully, this mission
should be much easier.”

“I hope so.”

They entered the mission briefing room. Rex, Cody, and Obi-Wan were already there, along with
Master Yoda in the form of a hologram.

“We’re not late, are we Masters?” Anakin asked with a smirk.

Obi-Wan seemed to barely stop himself from rolling his eyes.

“No, Anakin. You’re right on time.” He added something at the end of the sentence that might
have been “for once”.

Ahsoka could see Rex and Cody stifling smiles.

Anakin decided to ignore that comment.

“Have a mission for you, we do,” Master Yoda said, a ghost of a smile on his face.

“It seems like Coruscant’s crime world has become more active while the Jedi have been occupied
with the war,” Obi-Wan explained.

He keyed the console on the briefing table, pulling up a hologram. “Our mission lies in this
building. The crime lord is holding a masquerade ball, and it will be our job to infiltrate it. We will
be going under false identities. While we are there, we must make sure to be subtle.” He gave a
pointed look in Anakin’s direction. Anakin frowned.

“Skywalker, take your padawan, you will.” Master Yoda informed him, stopping the retort that
surely would have followed.

“Rex, Cody, and I will be accompanying you as well,” Obi-Wan added.

“Senator Amidala, you will need. Helpful, she will be.”

Ahsoka’s eyes widened at Anakin’s barely noticeable flinch. He cleared his throat. “Masters,
surely it is too dangerous to bring a senator to the criminal underworld?”

“Senator Amidala has dealt with this kind of thing before. Her assistance will be crucial for this
mission,” Obi-Wan explained. “Is that going to be a problem, Anakin?”

“No, Master. Just looking out for the senator’s safety,” Anakin dipped his head, low enough so
Ahsoka couldn’t see the expression on his face.

“Tonight, the party is. Hurry, you must,” Master Yoda said, his image disappearing, signaling the
end of the meeting.

The three Jedi exited the room, closely followed by Rex and Cody.

“I guess I’ll go tell Pad- um, Senator Amidala about the mission,” Anakin mumbled.

“Actually,” Obi-Wan corrected, ”you should let your padawan handle that. Our uniforms have
already been chosen. Come with me.” Obi-Wan began walking down a different hallway, not
looking to see if Anakin would follow. Anakin sighed loudly.

“Well, Snips, that’s my cue. Looks like you better go and tell Padmé.”

Anakin practically dragged his feet as he followed Obi-Wan, leaving Ahsoka standing with two
confused soldiers.

“Excuse me, sir, but what should we do?” Rex asked.

“Oh, right. Rex, um. . .” Anakin trailed off. “Cody’ll come with us. You go with Ahsoka. Try to
keep her out of trouble.” Anakin winked.

“Will do, General.”

Cody followed Anakin to where Obi-Wan was at the end of the hall, patiently waiting.

“See you later, Master!” Ahsoka called. Anakin briefly raised a hand in acknowledgment, not
turning around.

Ahsoka rolled her eyes and turned to Rex. “Come on, Rex, we don’t want to be late.”

She headed down the hall, and he fell into step beside her.

“Do you know anything about who this ‘crime lord’ is?” Ahsoka asked.

“I don’t know much more than you do, kid.”

Ahsoka sighed. “Looks like we’re being kept in the dark.”

Rex looked down at her with a smile. “Does that surprise you, little ‘un?” He asked, using his old
nickname for her.
Ahsoka grinned. “No, I suppose it doesn’t.”
 Preparing

Rex and Ahsoka arrived at Padmé’s apartment a few minutes later. Ahsoka rang the doorbell. A
moment later, C-3PO answered.

“Who is it, Threepio?” A voice called from inside.

“Padawan Tano and Captain Rex,” he answered.

“Well, let them in, Threepio.” The protocol droid stepped aside, allowing them to walk in. Padmé
rose from where she was seated.

“Ahsoka, Rex, welcome. What can I do for you?” She gave Ahsoka a quick hug and smiled at Rex.

“The Jedi Council assigned us a mission, and it looks like they want you to come,” Ahsoka said.

“Oh, yes. I was wondering when I would hear more about it. I assume you’ll also need disguises?”

Ahsoka nodded.

“Well, I had a feeling you weren’t coming alone, so I have already found something for Rex to
wear.” Padmé picked up a stack of folded clothes, handing them to Rex. “You can use the spare
bedroom around the corner to get ready.”

“Thank you, Senator,” Rex said.

Padmé turned to Ahsoka. “Alright Ahsoka, you come with me.” She motioned her towards her
rather large closet.

“See you soon, Rexter.” Ahsoka waved to Rex and followed Padmé into her room. Once they were
inside, Padmé opened her closet. “I already have some things picked out, but you can look around
if you’d like.”

Pulling two outfits off of the hangers, Padmé laid them on her bed. One was a full gown, and the
other was similar to her outfit from Kadavo.

“Wow,” Ahsoka gasped, “is the party really this fancy?”

“It’s more like a ball than a party,” Padmé said. “You’ll also have to wear something around your
eyes.”

Ahsoka gently touched the fabric of one of the dresses. “They’re beautiful, but won’t they be
difficult to fight in?”

“Hopefully, you won’t have to fight, but I have added some modifications if it does come to that.”
Padmé pointed to the hem of the gown. On the inside, there was a pouch big enough to hold her
lightsabers. “The fabric of both of them is also light and stretchy, and the skirts can be removed
quickly if the situation calls for it.”

“Thank you, Padmé. This should make things much easier.”

“No problem, Ahsoka.”

A ring resonated through the house. “That must be others. You should get ready. Let me know if
you need any help.” Padmé left, closing the door behind her.

Ahsoka looked back at the two dresses. As pretty as the full gown was, she knew it would be more
difficult to fight in, even though it was more suited for this kind of event. She examined the red one
more closely. It was a two-piece, much like her old Jedi attire, and the pleated skirt reached her
mid-calf. It also had separate gloves that went to her upper arm. The entire outfit was covered in
jewels, and the headpiece and mask were very extravagant. Ahsoka winced as she realized how
expensive it must have been.

After a few minutes, she had figured out how to get the dress on.

“How are you doing, Ahsoka?” Padmé’s voice called through the door.

“I’m all set,” Ahsoka replied, folding her Jedi clothes. “You can come in.”

The door opened and Padmé entered. “The others are ready.” She looked Ahsoka up and down.
“You look wonderful, Ahsoka. Is it comfortable?”

“Very.” Ahsoka swung her arms, getting a feel for the costume. “What are you going to wear?”

Padmé pulled a dress out of the closet, It was golden, with hundreds of glittering jewels leading
from the neck to the chest. The skirt was made up of many folds.

“Padmé, this is beautiful!” Ahsoka breathed, letting the teenage girl side of her shine through.

Padmé smiled gently. “Thank you. Now, the others are waiting for you.”

“Got it.” Ahsoka left the room, closing the door behind her. She headed to the living room,
spotting the others. Obi-Wan and Anakin were dressed in robes, looking more like royals than Jedi.
Rex and Cody wore simpler attire, playing the roles of bodyguards.
To no one’s surprise, Anakin and Obi-Wan were bickering about something, and the troopers were
trying and failing to prevent their laughter.

Ahsoka managed to arrive next to Rex and Cody undetected.

“So, what’d I miss?” Ahsoka whispered. Rex looked down at her, not looking very startled. He
was used to her Jedi stealthiness by now.

"Not much." He looked at her more closely.“Wow, kid. There’s something different about you, but
I can’t put my finger on it,” he teased.

Ahsoka nudged him playfully. “I could say the same about you, Captain,” Ahsoka replied with a
smirk, pulling at the edge of his cape. Rex frowned at it, not used to wearing such a thing.

Anakin had finally stopped his argument with Obi-Wan long enough to notice her.

“Who knew you could play the part of a party guest so well, Snips?” he said, looking her up and
down.

“And you can?” Ahsoka shot back. Before they could continue. Anakin’s eyes were drawn over her
shoulder. Ahsoka turned. Padmé had come in, fully dressed in her mask, gown, and headpiece.

“Does this work?” she asked.

Anakin seemed unable to do anything other than stare, so Ahsoka responded for him, subtly
bumping his arm.
“Padmé, you look fantastic.”

Anakin seemed to find his voice. “I agree, Senator.”

“Yes,” Obi-Wan added, stroking his beard. “No one should suspect a thing.” He activated his
datapad.

“I’ll say this again since Ahsoka and Padmé have joined us. We all have forged invitations and
names. Rex and Cody, you two will play as our bodyguards, Axe and Taron. Anakin and Senator
Amidala, you will be Owen and Mina, and will play as a married couple.” Both Anakin and Padmé
stiffened at this, shooting a quick glance at each other. Obi-Wan didn’t seem to notice, and
continued, “Ahsoka, you will be Padmé’s aide. All the others chose their names, so you should
too.”

Ahsoka thought for a moment. “I’ll go with . . . Ashla.”

Obi-Wan nodded. “And I am Terik. Alright, it’s settled then. We will leave here in about an hour.”
 The Ball Begins

Ahsoka watched the glowing buildings zoom by. Anakin, to no ones surprise, loved to drive
fast.He, along with Padmé, sat in the front of the speeder, and Ahsoka, Rex, Cody, and Obi-Wan
were all in the back, with Ahsoka between the two troopers and Obi-Wan to Cody’s right.

As they headed towards the central portal, Ahsoka looked down, lost in thought. She mostly
wondered about her master and Padmé. After seeing all of their interactions with each other, she
knew there was something between them that they were hiding. Before she could ponder on that
anymore, Rex interrupted her thoughts.

“Everything okay, Commander?”

“Hmm? Oh yes, just thinking.” She paused. “And you need to get out of the habit of calling me
‘commander’, especially because of the mission.”

“Yes, sir.”

Ahsoka gave him a half-grin. “I think we need to work on that some more later, Rexter.”

“Right, Com- Ahsoka.” Rex frowned, still not used to it. Despite him calling her more by her first
name when she was younger, he had somewhat gotten out of that habit.

“Better.” Ahsoka nodded. “Oh yeah, when we get there, we’ll have to use our code names. So use
Ashla if you can.”

“Ashla it is, then.”

“Much better, Axe. ” Ahsoka winked at him.

Anakin half-turned in his seat, throwing caution to the wind as he looked away from the oncoming
traffic. “We’re almost there, so get your disguises ready.”

Ahsoka resisted a snide remark at his driving skills and raised her mask to her eyes, seeing the
others do the same.

Soon, they arrived at the landing platform. Many other guests were wandering around, waiting for
the opening of the large mansion’s gate. It was giant, one of the few places on Coruscant with
plant life. The house was bathed in golden light from the many lamps, and an artificial sky showed
thousands of glistening stars, much clearer than what could be seen from the planet's surface. The
temperature was perfect and there was even a faint breeze.

Ahsoka observed all of this while the others exited the speeder. Obi-Wan held out a hand to help
her, ever the perfect gentleman. Anakin raised his eyebrows, but did the same for Padmé.

“Well, aren’t you quite the gentleman, Master,” Ahsoka teased.

“What can I say, Snips? It’s a gift.”

Ahsoka rolled her eyes and Padmé laughed.

Rex stepped up beside them. “I don’t mean to intrude, sirs, but the gates are opening.”

“So they are,” Obi-Wan replied. “Thank you, Captain. Let’s prepare to go inside.”
Anakin offered Padmé his arm, and they headed towards the gate, where the other guests were
already lining up. Obi-Wan followed a few steps behind.

“Wait, Master Obi-Wan— er, Terik? What should we do?”

Obi-Wan turned and thought for a moment. “Ashla, walk between Axe and Taron. They are our
bodyguards, after all.”

“Got it, Master.”

The rest of the group followed him. Cody leaned over and whispered to Rex. “So, this is a party,
right? And not the kind at 79’s. What are we supposed to be doing?”

Rex hesitated. “I’m not entirely sure.”

Ahsoka mentally slapped her forehead. Rex and Cody had been raised as soldiers, of course they
wouldn’t know what to do at this kind of party.

“Just act like you belong. You’re both bodyguards, so hopefully you won’t have to do much
dancing.”

“Thanks, Commander,” Rex said for both of them.

Ahsoka nudged him playfully. “Rex, if you keep calling me ‘Commander’, then this mission will
be over pretty quick.” She shot Cody a glance. “Same goes for you, Cody.”

“Sorry, Ahsoka . . . or Ashla,” Rex said. He looked at Cody. “You know we’re soldiers. It’ll take
us a while to get used to this whole undercover thing.”

“Nothing to worry about, Rexter. Hopefully, this mission will go off without a hitch.”

After presenting their fake invitations to the guards, their group was let inside. Once they entered,
the sight was truly breathtaking. There were lights strung up everywhere, and the ballroom was
completely full. Food lined tables along the wall, and a small orchestra had set up in a corner. The
outside doors to the balconies and gardens were opened, allowing the breeze to flow inside.

Padmé was the one to bring everyone out of their shock. She bumped Obi-Wan with her elbow,
knowing he would still be level-headed enough to give directions.

Obi-Wan shook his head slightly. “Keep your eyes peeled for the crime lord.”

“What does he look like?” Anakin asked.

“We don’t know. We were also unable to find out his name.”

“Hold on,” Anakin stepped in front of Obi-Wan. “We were sent in to find and stop one of the most
powerful crime lords on Coruscant, and we don’t know anything about him?” he hissed quietly.

“Relax, Master,” Ahsoka interrupted, saving Obi-Wan from Anakin’s annoyance. “We’ve had
more difficult assignments than this.”

Anakin sighed. “I hope you’re right, Snips.”

Meanwhile. Rex’s attention was focused on a guest who seemed very interested in them. “Has
anyone noticed how he keeps watching us?” he asked in a low voice. When they looked at Rex, he
inclined his head towards the stranger. Ahsoka looked closely at him. He was about her age, and
he was a Togruta, which surprised her. There weren’t many Togruta on Coruscant.

He had red-orange skin, with complex facial and lekku markings. He was dressed just as
extravagantly as the rest of the guests. His eyes, she noted, were a light purple, subtly reminding
her of Master Shaak-Ti.

This was also when she realized he was coming towards them.

“What should we do?” Ahsoka half-whispered, feeling suddenly self-conscious.

“Just act normal and remain calm,” Obi-Wan said simply, raising an eyebrow at her nervousness.

Ahsoka exhaled slowly. She didn’t know what was making her so nervous. She dealt with these
kind of people all the time. On second thought, maybe she didn’t. Most of the civilians they met
were adults or very young children; none were around her age, for whatever reason. Except for
Lux. Feeling a pang of sadness, she forced her thoughts about him away. She didn’t feel like
dealing with another teenage boy, especially one who had made her stomach feel fluttery.

She looked around quickly, bringing herself out of her musings. Their group had spread out
slightly, acting very normal. Anakin was chatting with Padmé and Obi-Wan, and Cody had backed
into the shadows, looking every bit the imposing bodyguard. The only one who hadn’t moved was
Rex. He looked just as unsure as she did, which was unusual for him. She frowned.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m just a little new to this kind of thing, kid.”

“It’ll be fine. You’re already a real-life bodyguard. Sort of, anyway.”

He was about to reply when Ahsoka sensed the boy behind her.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen another Togruta on Coruscant,” he said, his voice slightly

playful. Ahsoka turned to him.

“I could say the same.”

He gave her a smile, and Ahsoka felt a blush creep across her montrals. She tried to

ignore it as he continued talking. “You have a name?”

“Ashla. This is my bodyguard, Axe.”

“I’m Jett. Lovely to meet you, Ashla.” He held out his hand and she shook it. After a

moment, he let go. “I hope to see you soon.” With that, he walked away, melting into the crowd.
Ahsoka stood there, feeling quite a few emotions she hadn’t felt in a while. She momentarily forgot
Rex was beside her until he spoke.

“That was . . . strange. Is it just me, or was there something off about him?”

Ahsoka raised an eyebrow. “I’m not sure. He seemed pretty nice. He’s also too young to
be one of the crime lord’s accomplices.”

Rex gave her a look.

“What? I’m just saying.”

“Regardless, I think we should be careful. Anyone here could be with the crime lord.”

Ahsoka huffed, but she knew he was right.

“Have you two had any luck?” Obi-Wan’s voice came from her right. Ahsoka shook her head.

“No, Master Obi-Wan. Have you?”

“Unfortunately, no, young one. But keep an open mind.”

“Sure thing, Master.”

Music swept through the room, quiet at first, but steadily growing louder.

“What’s going on now?” Ahsoka asked.

Anakin grinned from a little ways away. “Dancing.”

 Dancing

Rex wasn’t really a stranger to dancing, but this was very different than what he was used to. Sure,
the boys tended to dance at 79’s, but here, everything was so formal.

“I hope you know how to dance, Snips,” Anakin told Ahsoka.

“Of course I do!” However, she looked nervous. Rex felt bad for the kid.

Anakin grinned again. “Watch and learn, Snips. Watch and learn.” Taking Padmé’s hand, he led
her to the dance floor. They began to dance, their movement graceful, practiced, like they had done
this hundreds of times. Rex saw Ahsoka cross her arms out of the corner of his eye.

“Show-off,” she muttered. She looked up at Rex. “I don’t suppose you can dance too?”
“Not like that, kid. Wish I could help.”

Ahsoka groaned. “Same with me. What are we supposed to do?”

“You could dance with me, Ashla,” Jett said, once again sneaking up behind them. “I can show
you the basics.”

Ahsoka hesitated. “Oh, um, sure.” Jett held out a hand, and Ahsoka took it. As he led her away, she
turned back to look at Rex. He gave her an encouraging smile and mouthed, “Good luck.”

Ahsoka managed a nervous smile and waved.

Rex was glad she could ignore the war for this one moment. He didn’t know a whole lot about
civies, but he did know that this dance allowed Ahsoka to act like a normal teenager.

This day was going very differently than Ahsoka had expected. She was terribly nervous, even
after Rex’s encouragement. Thankfully, her gloves hid her sweaty palms.

She noticed her master and Padmé dancing, like it was just the two of them. They were standing
much closer together than normal friends. Despite her suspicions about them, she knew she had to
focus on Jett.

“While certain dances can have many different steps, the waltz itself is pretty simple,” Jett
explained. He moved, slowly, doing a few turns. As Ahsoka studied his feet, she saw the repeat of
the pattern.

“Alright, now you give it a go.”

Mirroring his movement, Ahsoka did her best to dance,

“You got it!” Looking up, she saw his big smile. Heat rose to her cheeks unexpectedly, whether
from pride or something else, she couldn’t tell.

“Now let’s do it together,” Jett encouraged. He gently took her hand and pulled her closer to him.
Ahsoka’s cheeks were burning, along with her head tails, and she really hoped he couldn’t tell.

“Put your hand on my shoulder.” She did as he said. “And I put mine on your waist. Sound good?”

Ahsoka managed a nod. Soon, they were dancing. Ahsoka was a little clumsy at first, but after a
moment the movements felt natural. Ahsoka let herself relax, and for a while, she let herself be a
normal teenager.

Anakin kept his eyes on his padawan, but he mainly focused on Padmé. As always, he was amazed
by her beauty, but also with her ability to tell what his next moves were. They were truly a sight to
behold, based on the looks he was getting from other pairs. While the waltzed, he examined his
padawan more closely. She was dancing with that Togruta boy from earlier, and she was a natural.
However, her dancing skills didn’t surprise him as much as her attitude did. She looked happier
than she had in a long time.

As much as he wanted to tell her to focus on the mission, he knew she needed a break from being a
soldier and a Jedi. At least for a while. Afterall, he thought to himself, how was he supposed to tell
Ahsoka to get her head out of the clouds when he was enjoying his own partner’s company far too
much?

Obi-Wan switched partners again. Strangely enough, he was having no trouble finding a partner for
each dance. He frowned slightly. Why was that?

This time he was with a tall woman with blonde hair and bright blue eyes. When he had first seen
her, he had sworn she was Satine. He felt a small pang of sadness. He was sure Satine was fine,
ruling Mandalore, but he couldn’t shake this feeling, like he wouldn’t see her again.

Obi-Wan frowned. He knew it was against the Code to be thinking like this. Satine was fine. There
was no reason to worry.

After the first few dances ended, Ahsoka headed back over to Rex.

“Having fun?” he asked.

Ahsoka looked up, expecting to receive a scolding look, but instead, Rex was smiling.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself, kid,” he said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

“Thanks.” She smirked at him. “You should consider dancing too, you know. There’s already
some people looking at you.”

Rex looked at the four girls who were staring at him. Ahsoka could swear that he blushed.

“Eh, not sure that’s my thing. Besides, I don’t know if bodyguards are supposed to be dancing
anyway.”

“She might not think that way.” Ahsoka pointed to one of the girls, who was heading towards
them. Rex frowned.

“Great,” he muttered.

The girl had reached them. “Would you like to dance?” she asked quietly.
Rex seemed to be unable to reply, so Ahsoka spoke for him. “I’m sure Axe would love to dance.”
She playfully pushed him towards the girl. “Have fun.” she leaned close to her. “He doesn’t know
how to dance, so you might want to teach him the basics,” she stage-whispered. The girl smiled
and nodded.
As the girl led him away, Rex gave her a look that seemed to say, “Why me?”
Ahsoka laughed and waved at him.

The music began again, and they started to dance. Cody snickered from his spot against the wall. A
mischievous grin spread across Ahsoka’s face as an idea formed in her head. Ahsoka headed over
to the three remaining girls from the group who had been watching Rex.

“If you guys still want a partner, my bodyguard’s twin is right over there.” she pointed towards
Cody. Giggling, the group of girls walked up to him.

Even from where she was, Ahsoka could see Cody blushing. She laughed to herself. It had been a
while since she had been able to prank her friends. Ahsoka turned her attention back to Rex. He
had finally figured out how to dance, and even though he was clumsy, he was doing very well.

Ahsoka smiled softly.

She was about to see what had happened with Cody when she got a cold feeling. Ahsoka froze.

Something’s wrong.

Ahsoka gave a small tug on the Force-bond between her and Anakin, hoping he got the hint that
something was wrong. Luckily, it worked, because Anakin, along with Padmé, were at her side in
seconds.

“Master, I sense something.”

“What do you feel, Snips?” Anakin asked.

“I don’t know, but something is off.”

“I trust your judgment, Ahsoka,” Anakin said seriously. “But nothing has gone wrong yet, so try
not to worry.”

“Okay, Master. I’ll try my best.”

Anakin and Padmé gave her genuine smiles, slowly moving back to the dance floor.
 The Garden

Ahsoka stood there, touching her forehead as a headache flared. She squeezed her eyes shut.

What is going on?

She stumbled slightly as a wave of dizziness overcame her, and would have fallen if someone
hadn’t grabbed onto her arms, hoisting her back up.

“What’s wrong, Ahsoka?” a voice asked quietly.

Ahsoka forced her eyes open. It took her a moment to realize she was looking at Rex. How had he
gotten back over here?

“Nothing, I’m okay. I just sensed something, but it’s gone now.” It was true, whatever the feeling
was, it had gone. Ahsoka still felt dizzy, but it wasn’t as bad as before.

“You sure?” Rex was still holding onto her arms, but released her when she nodded.

Jett had appeared next to her, for the third time that night. “Are you alright, Ashla? I saw you
stumble.”

“Yes, I’m fine. I just need some fresh air.”

“You may accompany me to the garden, if you would like.”

“Yes, thank you. Just give me a moment to talk to my bodyguard.”

“I’ll be waiting for you.”

As soon as Jett was out of earshot, Ahsoka spoke quietly to Rex. “This should only take a few
minutes. I just need some fresh air.”

Rex frowned. “I don’t think you should go alone. Kid, you just passed out. And, you don’t know
this Jett. This isn’t a good idea.”

“Rex, come on. You’re starting to sound like Skyguy.” Ahsoka frowned. “What do you mean, I
passed out? I just fell for a moment.”

“Ahsoka, I don’t know if you realize this, but you were out for at least a minute. I was ready to call
the generals.”

“Really, Rex, I’m fine!”

Rex sighed. “Fine. But you still need to be on the lookout. The crime lord could attack you.”

“He doesn’t know our identities, Rex. He has no reason to attack us. Besides,” Ahsoka smirked, “I
can take care of myself.”

“Believe me, I know,” he said with a half-grin. “Just . . . be careful.”

“When am I not?”

Rex rolled his eyes.

“See you in a few minutes, Rexter. I’ll just be gone long enough to clear my head.”

Anakin had stopped paying attention to the world around him; he was completely lost in the dance.
He was abruptly brought back to reality, however, when he saw movement out of the corner of his
eye. Ahsoka was going outside. Anakin stopped suddenly, and Padmé barely regained her footing.

“Sorry, Padmé. But where’s Ahsoka going?”

Padmé looked to where Ahsoka left. “I don’t know.”

“Let’s go ask Rex.” Anakin half-ran to Rex, who appeared to be deep in thought. They reached him
in moments.

“Rex, what’s going on? Where’s Ahsoka going?”

“She said she needed to clear her head, sir. She nearly passed out a moment ago.” Anakin could see
that Rex wasn’t telling the whole story, but he let it slide.

“She passed out? Is she hurt?” Anakin cursed himself for not paying attention to his padawan. She
had told him about her bad feelings, and he had ignored her.

“I don’t think so, sir. I was able to stop her fall.”

“Well, thanks, Rex.” Anakin narrowed his eyes at the door. “Did she go alone?”
“I believe that Jett kid went with her.”

“We should go after her,” Anakin decided. “I don’t trust that kid.”

He was about to march after his padawan, but then he felt Padmé’s gentle hand on his arm.

“Ani, trust her instincts. I know she trusts yours.”

Anakin sighed, but placed his hand on top of hers. Rex pretended not to notice, but even he
couldn’t mask his surprised expression.

Ahsoka and Jett walked side by side in the gardens. They were alone. Even though most of the
environment was artificial, like the sky, Ahsoka felt so peaceful. She inhaled, closing her eyes and
relaxing as her head immediately cleared. See? Told you I was fine, Rexter.

“Do you like it here?” Jett asked.

“Yes, it’s beautiful! I’ve missed the quiet. Coruscant can be so loud.” Ahsoka covered her near
slip-up. Thank goodness Coruscant was loud; she didn’t know how she would explain the loudness
of battles to Jett. Ahsoka sighed. This was going to be harder than she thought.

“Me too. It almost reminds me of Shili.”

Ahsoka looked up excitedly. “You’re from Shili too?”

Jett smiled faintly. “I am. I only moved here recently, after my family was captured by the
Separatists.”

Ahsoka knew what happened to Separatist’s prisoners. “I’m so sorry, Jett! I didn’t know.”
Hesitantly, she put a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s alright.” He turned to fully face her. “I am so glad I met you, Ashla. It’s been a while since
I’ve really been able to talk to someone.”

“You’re not so bad yourself,” Ahsoka replied. She realized how close they were standing, and her
heartbeat sped up.

Jett continued, his voice barely reaching her montrals, “Which is why I am truly sorry about this.”

Suddenly, Ahsoka felt pain race all over her body, a far to familiar feeling. Electricity. Ahsoka
tried to shout for help, but she couldn’t even move.

Taking hold of her, Jett gently lowered her to the ground. His eyes were sad, and the last thing she
saw was his mouth from the words, “I’m sorry.”
 Consequences

Jett laid Ahsoka’s head on the ground, forcing away his guilt. I had to do this. I’m sorry, Ahsoka.I
really like you, but I can’t forgive the Jedi for what they did.

Jett had told her that his family had been captured by the Separatists, but in reality, they had been
killed during the incident with the Zillo Beast. He had also lied about moving to Coruscant
recently; he had lived here since he was around seven.

Jett scowled. His family died when the Jedi, foolishly bringing the Zillo Beast to Coruscant, had
allowed the monster to escape and create chaos, destroying a large part of the city. It was then that
he entered crime, knowing it was the only way to get revenge and stay under the radar.

“Are you finished moping?” a voice said from behind him.

Jett sighed, gently brushing Ahsoka’s hand before standing up. He turned, scowling.

“You have a job, bounty hunter. Now, get on with it! Before I change my mind.”

The bounty hunter smiled. “Gladly,” she said. Kneeling down next to Ahsoka’s unconscious form,
she placed a hand on her arm. After a few seconds of contact, the bounty hunter took Ahsoka’s
shape. As one of the changeling species, she was perfect for this kind of mission.

“I’ll make this quick,” she hissed in Ahsoka’s voice. Jett gave her Ahsoka’s lightsabers.

“Remember, Ahsoka was not feeling well when she first came out here. Your best bet is to
continue that performance, Ran.”

“Not to worry, kid. I’ve got this covered.” Ran smirked, re-entering the building. Jett was left alone
with Ahsoka.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered again. “But the Jedi are no longer fit to lead this war. They’re too self
involved.”

Having refused three more offers to dance, Rex was fed up with waiting. Ahsoka sure has been
gone for a while. What time is it, anyway?

Rex crossed his arms, tapping his foot. Ahsoka had told him the value of patience, but as much as
he tried, he couldn’t be patient. Not right now.

Rex was ready to march into the garden and bring her back into the ballroom, when he saw
Ahsoka coming back in. As she got closer, he could tell something was wrong.

Kriff, I hope she isn’t still sick.

“Are you okay?” he asked when she reached him. “Did the fresh air help clear your head?”
“Sort of, but I think I’m ready to leave.” Rex could tell that she meant it, because she was pale and
shaking. Now he was really concerned. She was looking worse than when she had left. If she was
admitting that she didn’t feel good, then something must really be wrong.

“Should I get the General?”

“No, I . . .” she trailed off, beginning to sway. Rex put a steadying hand on her shoulder. Ahsoka
leaned heavily against him, groaning. Alarmed, he quickly held her upright.

“Ahsoka? Ahsoka, what’s wrong?” he whispered quickly.

When she didn’t respond, he looked around the room, searching for the generals. General Kenobi
was in the far side of the room, Skywalker and the senator were nowhere to be found. He heard
Cody step up beside him.

“Rex, what’s going on?”

“Cody! Get General Kenobi! Something’s wrong with Ahsoka.”

With a nod, Cody spared a concerned look for Ahsoka before heading to Obi-Wan.

“Hang in there, kid,” Rex told her.

Anakin and Padmé walked arm-in-arm down the halls, wanting some alone time. Padmé had
insisted after Anakin had spent far too long staring into space, worrying about his padawan.

“We almost never get time alone anymore, Ani. Ahsoka can take care of herself,” Padmé had said,
and he had agreed. Now, here they were. In the halls, alone.

Anakin tried to force himself to only think about Padmé. This moment wouldn’t last forever.

“I can tell you’re still worrying, Ani,” Padmé said. Anakin gave a wry smile. Of course she could.

“She knows what she’s doing. You know how many times she has proven that she is capable of
taking care of herself.”

“Yeah, I do.” He leaned down and kissed his wife on the cheek. Even though they were acting as a
married couple, he didn’t want to risk any more than that. “Thanks, Padmé. You’re always so
wise.”

“Wiser than you, Master Jedi? ” she said teasingly.

Anakin’s comm beeped. Sighing a good, long sigh, he answered it.

“Skywalker here.”

“Sir, there’s something wrong with Commander Tano,” Rex responded, his voice laced with
worry. “She said she doesn’t feel well, and she just collapsed again.”

Concern washed over Anakin, removing all of his feelings of relaxation. “We’ll be right there!
Skywalker out.”

Anakin ran back to the ballroom, Padmé on his heels. For a senator, especially one in a dress, she
was very fast. He told himself not to worry and to trust Padmé’s advice.

Rex had no idea what to do. He didn’t have much experience with caring for sick people-- that was
Kix’s job.
Ahsoka started to shiver, bringing him out of his thoughts. “Are you cold?” he asked.

When she continued to shiver, he looked around for something to keep her warm. Then he
remembered the ridiculous cape he was wearing. He unclipped it and wrapped it around her.

“Better?”

Ahsoka nodded, but she was still shivering. He felt her forehead. She definitely had a fever.

After contacting the general, he checked on her again. Somehow, she had fallen asleep without him
realizing. He lifted her up and waited, having some not-so pleasant memories of the Blue Shadow
Virus incident.

Why was Ahsoka sick? She had mentioned something about a bad feeling the first time she had
collapsed. Maybe it had something to do with that. Rex sighed, looking down at her. It was times
like this when he was reminded of how young she was; a child forced to fight in a war.

Well, so are we, he thought grimly, remembering his brothers.

Anakin and Padmé arrived back in the ballroom. Anakin regretted walking so far away now, it had
taken them too long to get back. He almost knocked Obi-Wan and Cody over in his hurry.

“Where’s Ahsoka?”

Cody pointed to Rex, who was holding a bundle in his arms. “Over there, sir.”

They picked up the pace. Anakin could now see that the bundle was Ahsoka wrapped up in a
blanket.

“What happened?” he demanded as soon as he was close enough.

“Like I said, sir, she just collapsed. It may have something to do with the bad feeling she was
talking about.”

Anakin pinched the bridge of his nose. Why hadn’t he listened to Ahsoka?

“We need to get her to the Jedi Healing Center,” Obi-Wan said, the only one level-headed enough
to give orders.

Ran sat on the speeder as they traveled up through the portal. The Hero with No Fear was in the
front with the senator, and Ran was in the back with Kenobi and the two clones. Her head was
against the blonde one’s shoulder. What was his name? She was pretty sure it was Rex.

She had passed as that bratty padawan perfectly. No one had suspected a thing.

Pretending to be sick hadn’t been hard. Shape-shifting was difficult and painful, after all. Ran had
watched the girl for most of the evening, and copying her symptoms was a breeze.

She would have to be careful, though. The girl had quite a few close friends, and they would be
able to tell something was off if she made even one slip-up.
She resisted a smile. After all the trouble the Jedi and Republic had caused, Ran could finally take
them down. From the inside.

Ahsoka slowly opened her eyes, unconsciousness hanging over her like thick fog. She was in a
dark room, laying on a hard, yet comfortable surface. Her thoughts were hazy.

I promised Rex I would only be a few minutes. What happened, anyway? Where am I?
Then everything came flooding back.

Jett.

Ahsoka scowled, baring her sharp canines. Tears stung in her eyes.

That traitor. How could he?

She sat up, looking around. Figuring out that she was in a cell, she examined the door. It was ray
shielded, but different than the usual. It seemed to be made of glass. Odd.

Ahsoka shut her eyes. She was worried about the others. She had no way of warning them about
Jett, with her locked up in here.

Ahsoka grunted in frustration and moved to stand. Her head spun, and she almost passed out again.
Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to stay upright.

Force! Did they drug me or something?

Looking down at herself, she saw that she was in the same clothes, but her lightsabers and comm
were missing.

Ahsoka stifled a growl and took a deep breath, sitting back down on the bed. She crossed her legs.

Falling into meditation was difficult, partially because the cell seemed to dampen her Force
abilities. But eventually, it worked. Smiling slightly, Ahsoka attempted to expand her awareness
outside of her cell. Unfortunately, that is where her luck stopped. Everything outside of the cell
was a muddy blur, and she couldn’t tell the difference between anyone’s Force signature.

She didn’t know how long she meditated before she heard the woosh of an automatic door.

Ahsoka opened her eyes.

He was there.

Alone.

As much as she wanted to yell at him, she couldn’t find the energy. She sighed, not moving from
her current position.

“Why, Jett?”

He looked at her, sorrow in his eyes. “The Jedi have been in control for far too long. They have
allowed innocent civilians to be killed time and again from their foolish mistakes, and yet, they do
nothing to stop it!”
Ahsoka’s eyes widened as she realized where his pain was coming from. “Your family,” she said
quietly.

“Remember the Zillo Beast? The Jedi brought it here, knowing how dangerous it was! And when
it escaped, buildings were destroyed, people were killed! Including my family!” Jett banged a fist
against the wall. Silence filled the room, save for the resonating clang from his fist.

Ahsoka didn’t know what to say. “I’m sorry, Jett.”

He looked up at her, surprise on his face. He closed his eyes. “Ahsoka, I’m sorry you got caught
up in this, but I don’t have a choice! The Jedi are unfit to lead a war.”

Ahsoka stood, ignoring the dizziness in her head, and walked to the cell door. She pressed her hand
against it,

“Jett, I know how you feel, but you can’t blame the Jedi. They’re people. They make mistakes.
And they always try to protect people. They never mean for innocents to be harmed.”

Jett’s eyes flashed. “But it happens anyway!”

Ahsoka sighed. “We can’t change the past, Jett.”

He looked up suddenly. “You could join me, you know. We could get rid of the Jedi. Make the
galaxy a better place.”

Ahsoka froze. “How do you plan on doing that? By killing them?!”

Jett remained unfazed. “If that’s what it takes.”
“Jett, without the Jedi, the Republic would fall! We would lose this war!”
“What if that made things better?”
“You can’t honestly believe that!”
“I do. That’s why I’ve told Dooku about my plan, and he agrees.”

“Dooku cannot be trusted!” Ahsoka pinched the bridge of her nose, remembering Lux’s crazed
plans with Deathwatch. She responded similarly, hoping it would yield a different result.

“Jett, once he has what he wants, he’ll betray and kill you!”

Jett scowled. “Figured I’d hear that from a Jedi.”

“Revenge is not going to fix things! It never works!”

“It will, because the Jedi will be gone.” He took a few steps back. “I’m sorry, Ahsoka. But I have
to do this.” After a moment, he continued. “My offer still stands. If you join me, you’ll be safe, and
I’ll let you out of that cell, as long as you don’t interfere with my plans.”

With that, he walked away. Ahsoka slumped to the floor, defeated.

I’m sorry, Anakin. Rex. Padm é. Obi-Wan. Everyone. I failed you. I couldn’t stop him.

“They’ll know I’m missing. They’ll be able to figure out your plan!” Ahsoka said the next time Jett
came down.

“No, they won’t, because they don’t realize you’re gone at all.”
“What? How-- what did you do?”

“I sent someone in your place. A shape-shifter.”

Ahsoka’s eyes widened. “My friends will be able to tell that it isn’t me,” she replied, determined.
They had to.
 Mission to Ryloth

Anakin sped down the hallway, followed closely by Obi-Wan, Rex, Padmé, and Cody. Ahsoka,
who was still unconscious, was in his arms.

They arrived in the lobby of the Healing Center.

“Can I help you?” one of the doctors asked, sparing Ahsoka a concerned look. Anain fumed. Of
course they could help him! Before he could say something he would regret, Obi-Wan stepped in.

“Yes. My friend’s padawan seems to have fallen ill.”

“Right this way.” She led them down another hall and to one of the rooms. Anakin laid Ahsoka on
the bed.

“We’ll take a look at her. Please, wait outside in the lobby.”

Anakin practically stomped out and collapsed in one of the chairs. The others followed suit. He
sighed. This might take a while.

After the nurse assured everyone that Ahsoka was okay, she shooed them all out, insisting that they
rest.

Despite all of his worry, Anakin passed out as soon as his head hit the pillow.

The next morning, he heard a loud knocking at his door.

“Master! Wake up! We have a new mission!” Ahsoka's muffled yet cheerful voice came through
the door. Anakin groaned, pulling himself out of bed. He punched the controls, and the door
whizzed open.

Ahsoka stood there, back in her regular clothes, as energized as ever. Anakin grinned, relieved to
see her back to normal.

“Feeling better, Snips? You had us all worried.”

“Much.” she smiled back. “We have a new mission. Master Obi-Wan told me to wake you up and
go to the Council chambers.”

“Well, let’s not keep them waiting.”

They walked, side-by-side to the Council room. Anakin couldn’t help but see that there was
something different about Ahsoka. Her Force-signature felt off, and her gait had changed. On top
of that, though she was very cheerful, she hadn’t said anything snippy yet, which was unusual for
her.

Anakin shook his head. She was probably still feeling the after effects of being sick.

“So, Snips, what happened with Jett?”

Ahsoka’s head snapped up. A blush spread across her cheeks and lekku. “Oh, Jett. Right. It was
good. I--he . . . um,” Ahsoka stuttered, looking down. Anakin knew how she felt.
“Relax, Ahsoka. Like I told you on Onderon, I understand what you’re going through.” He
intentionally left out the part about “purpose before feelings”. That isn’t what Ahsoka needed to
hear right now.

“Right . . . Onderon.” Ahsoka looked deep in thought, so he decided to keep quiet.

Soon, they arrived at their destination.

“You requested us, Masters?” Anakin bowed, and Ahsoka quickly

“Yes, Skywalker,” Master Yoda answered. “Have another mission for you, we do. Head to Ryloth,
you will. Heard, we have, that the crime lord may be there.”

“Yes, Master. I am sorry for our lack of success last night. We had some . . . complications.”

“That is alright, Skywalker,” Master Windu said. “Hopefully, this lead will grant us further
knowledge on the crime lord.”

“Your padawan, you will take, as well as your clone troopers. Backup, Obi-Wan will be.”

“Sounds good, Master. We’ll leave right away.”

“May the Force be with you,” Master Windu said. Anakin and Ahsoka bowed once more and
followed Obi-Wan out of the room.

When he saw Ahsoka, Rex smiled.

“How are you feeling, kid?”

“Loads better, thanks!” Ahsoka replied, back to her cheery self.

“You gave me quite a scare. Any idea how you got sick?”

“Oh, sorry, Rex. And no, I’m not sure.”

“Attention, men!” Anakin called. “We have a new mission, so pack your gear and get on the
Resolute! Let’s get going, we’re on the clock!”

“That’s my cue. See you around, kid.” Rex slipped on his helmet and waved, rushing to a gunship.

“Have you succeeded in capturing the Jedi?” Dooku’s voice boomed, the only person, or
hologram, in the room besides Jett himself.

“Yes, Count. We have Skywalker’s padawan, and we have already sent someone in her place.”

“Good. Once this is finished, you will have your revenge.”

Jett bowed. “Thank you, Count.” He turned off the holo-projector, sighing. “I hope you
understand, Ahsoka. I’m doing this for the good of the galaxy.”
The trip to Ryloth was quick and uneventful. Skywalker stayed on the bridge while Ran wandered
down the halls. She fingered the lightsabers and pulled at the fabric of her tunic. She wondered
how Skywalker’s padawan could wear this all the time. To Ran, it wasn’t well suited for fighting.

She sighed. The sooner she got this over with, the better.

Now, how could she get rid of them?

She figured she would start with the clone. He seemed to have a soft spot for the kid, and would be
less suspicious if she made a slip-up.

Ran would wait until after the first battle, and see if the clone survived. If he did, then she would
strike. Killing him would also cause Skywalker to be in enough distress that he would be distracted
when she made her move.

After that, she would take out Kenobi. That only left the Jedi Council and the chancellor.

Ran felt a smile creep across her face. This was going to be easy.

Ahsoka fell into a meditative state again. She felt the Force, searching for her master. For Obi-
Wan. For Rex. For anyone!
However, the dampening on her senses was taking a toll. A dull headache was forming at her
temples. She ignored it, gritting her teeth.

Master! Obi-Wan! Someone, please!

The silence was deafening. Ahsoka held back her tears, determined to save her friends.

I’ll do whatever it takes!

Anakin froze, feeling a disturbance in the Force. It sounded like . . . Ahsoka?

He tore down the hallways, racing for the hanger. Ahsoka was in danger, he could sense it! She
needed help--

When Anakin reached the hanger, Ahsoka was there, perfectly fine. He released a sigh of relief.

“You okay, Master?” Ahsoka asked, concern on her face. Rex, a few feet behind her, also frowned.

“Yeah, Snips, I’m fine. I thought you were in trouble for some reason.”

It was so brief he was sure he imagined it, but he swore he saw her eyes flash.

“I’m fine, Master. Don’t worry.” She gave him a cocky smile. “Besides, someone’s got to keep you
alive.”

Anakin rolled his eyes. “I’m supposed to be the one who keeps you safe.”

“That doesn’t always happen though, does it, Skyguy?”

For a brief moment, that question surprised him. What was that supposed to mean?

Anakin overcame his confusion, smiling. “Well, I try my best, but you can make it so difficult.”

Admiral Yularen’s voice came over the speaker.

“We have arrived. General Skywalker will debrief you on the mission.”

The troopers gathered around Anakin and Ahsoka.

“Alright men. Listen up. Our new mission is to find and capture the crime lord. New intel shows
that he’s here on Ryloth, in hiding. We’ll be sending two groups. The first one will be comprised
of me, Commander Tano, Captain Rex, and three of your best men. We will infiltrate the
headquarters. The rest of you will be in the second group. You will wait for our signal, then attack
the Seppies once we destroy the headquarters. Sound good?”

The men nodded.

“Any questions?” When no one spoke, he continued. “Let’s move out! Good luck, men.”
While Rex picked out three men to accompany them, Anakin and Ahsoka boarded a gunship. A
minute later, Rex, Fives, Kix, and Jesse joined them.

Soon, they lifted off into the air, speeding towards Ryloth. Ahsoka stayed quiet on the ride, which
was unusual for her, but Anakin once again decided not to say anything.

Rex and Fives talked with each other, and Kix prepared his medical supplies. Jesse checked his
blaster, adjusting anything that needed fixing.

They quietly exited the ship when they landed, knowing the mission was over if they were
discovered.

Two battle droids came around the corner of the compound. They hadn’t spotted them yet, but
Anakin knew they would soon.

“Snips, take care of them. I’ll take Rex and the boys around the stronghold.”

“Right.” Ahsoka looked slightly annoyed, but Anakin kept quiet for what was adding up to be too
many times, for the sake of the mission. Ahsoka quietly snuck towards the battle droids, and
Anakin took the troopers with him. As he was leaving, he saw Ahsoka from the corner of his eye
and frowned. She was moving much differently than usual, and when she sprang up, her moves
were sloppy as she cut through the droids. She also held the lightsaber in a forward grip, lacking
her usual grace.

Anakin stopped.

“What is it, General?” Rex asked, stopping as well. Anain didn’t answer, instead focusing on
Ahsoka. Rex sent the boys ahead to continue the mission.

Anakin stepped closer to Ahsoka. “Snips, who was the person who first brought you to the
Temple?”

Ahsoka stood there, raising an eyebrow. “Uh, what?”

“Who brought you to the Temple when you were little?” Anakin repeated.

Ahsoka hesitated. “What does this have to do with the mission?”

“Ahsoka, answer me.” Anakin’s voice was threatening.

“Uh, sir?” Rex had removed his helmet, giving Anakin a very confused look.

“Ahsoka would know that answer in a heartbeat.” He narrowed his eyes at her. “Who are you?”

“Master, come on! It’s me!”

Anakin stepped forward, hand on his lightsaber. “You’re lying! Where’s Ahsoka? What have you
done with her?”

Ahsoka backed away, eyes wide. Anakin unhooked his lightsaber, igniting the blade.

Rex stepped between them. “Sir, I respectfully request that you stand down.”

“Ask her a question, Rex. Something only she would know.”

Rex turned towards Ahsoka. The kid’s eyes were wide and pleading. It made him want to demand
Skywalker why he was threatening her. But then, he remembered all of her strange behavior.

“Go on, Rex,” the General urged, narrowing his eyes at Ahsoka.

“Alright.” Rex sighed. “What was the first piece of advice I gave you, kid? On Christophsis,” he
said quietly.

“It was--I don’t . . . Fine. You caught me. Happy?” Ahsoka growled. Rex and General Skywalker
watched as her face morphed into that of a shape-shifter, similar to the one they had dealt with
when the holocron had been stolen.

Rex inhaled sharply and Skywalker released a snarl.

“Where’s my padawan?!”

“I’m surprised you figured it out so quickly,” the shape-shifter said. “You’ll never find her. And
besides,” she grinned, “you should be much more worried about yourself!”

She sprang, launching herself at the nearest person, who happened to be Rex. Ahsoka’s lightsaber
drawn, the bounty hunter swiped it straight at his head. His eyes widened.

But she was no match for a Jedi. The General fisted his hand, using the Force to yank her away
from Rex. He held her in the air.

“Rex, go inside the compound! See if you can find Ahsoka!”

“Yes, sir!” he paused. “How do you know she’s there?”

“I know.”

Rex nodded, knowing from experience that Jedi were usually right about this kind of thing.
Activating his comm, he called his men. “Kix, Fives, Jesse, with me! Ahsoka has been captured,
and the Seppies sent a shape-shifter in her place. We have to find the commander!”

Rex ran, staying in ear-shot long enough to hear the General say, “You and I have some unfinished
business.” to the shape-shifter.
 The Rescue - Part One

“You summoned me, Count?” Jett asked, kneeling in front of the hologram.

“Kill the Jedi.”

Jett looked up sharply. “What? Why?”

“She is a risk to our plan. I have just received a report from the battle droids stationed on Ryloth.
The bounty hunter has been captured. Skywalker’s padawan is no longer useful. Kill her.”

“But-”

“You want the Jedi gone. So do I. This is how it’s done,” he paused. “Might I remind you what will
happen if you disobey me?”

Jett paled. “No, Count. I will do it immediately.”

“Good. Destroy all evidence, including the stronghold.”

“Yes, Count Dooku.”

Jett terminated the link and let out a frustrated grunt. Why, oh why, did he develop feelings for
someone part of the same group responsible for his family’s death?

But he had to get revenge.

The galaxy had to be free.

“I know what I have to do.”

Rex arrived at the front of the stronghold faster than he expected. Hiding behind a large clump of
rocks, he saw two guards at the door. He sat down, waiting for Fives, Jesse, and Kix. Impatiently,
he took off his helmet and fiddled with it.

Rex was worried.

And angry,

And very confused.

When had she gotten taken? Come on, Rex. When did you last see her? The real her?

It had to have happened sometime during the party. But when?

He thought back, playing the events through his head. They had both ended up dancing, and
Ahsoka had unexpectedly collapsed, and had wanted to clear her head. Then . . .

The garden. That’s the only time and place they could have gotten her.

And that meant they had captured Jett too.

Or, he was a traitor.

That’s why the boy had seemed so suspicious. He got Ahsoka to trust him, and then he captured
her.

Fives, Kix, and Jesse arrived next to him, crouching behind the rocks.

“What’s our plan of attack, sir?”

Rex shoved on his helmet and stood up, determined to find his friend.

His three brothers looked up at him.

“Come on, men. I have a plan.”

“Jett, what are you doing here?”

He stopped in front of Ahsoka’s cell, eyes full of sadness and something else she couldn’t place.

“I’m sorry, Ahsoka.” He pushed a button, closing his eyes.

Ahsoka heard the sound of water. Spinning around, she saw water flooding her cell. She backed
against the cell door, eyes wide.

“Jett! What are you doing?!”

He wordlessly walked away from her cell, pausing at the exit of the hall.

“Jett!”

She saw his fist clench, but he continued to walk away.

Ahsoka pounded on the door. “Jett! You don’t have to do this!”

But he didn’t come back.

Rex looked at the door again. It was being guarded by two B-1s. He smiled. This would be easy.

“Jesse, Fives, cause a distraction. Lead the droids away. Kix and I will sneak into the compound.
Remember to lead them far enough away so the Seppies aren’t alerted when you blast the clankers.
After that, wait outside and watch for more droids.”

“Sir, yes, sir,” Fives and Jesse chorused.

After a count of three, they popped up from behind the rocks, yelling loud enough for the battle
droids to hear them, but not loud enough to alert the rest of the Seppies.

“Um, let’s go after them!” one of the B-1s said.

“Roger, Roger,” the other one replied. They followed Fives and Jesse, not close enough to shoot
them yet.
Rex and Kix snuck by, entering the stronghold. When there were no more guards, Rex frowned.

“This isn’t how it normally goes.” He told himself to ignore the fact. “Come on, we have to find
Ahsoka!”
After searching for about ten minutes, Rex was ready to tear his hair out, if he had enough to do
so.

But then, Kix found a staircase. A hidden one.

That’s got to be where she is, Rex thought. Just in case, he sent Kix to search the upper levels of
the base.

We’re coming for you, Ahsoka.

Ahsoka stood, frozen.

Jett was trying to drown her.

She shook herself, focusing on the water. Gritting her teeth, she used the Force to push against it,
trying to stop anymore from coming in. It pooled around her ankles, but at least she was holding it
back.

For now.

As time went on, Ahsoka grew weaker, and soon she wasn’t able to push back. She released her
hold on the water, gasping for breath.

She resorted to banging on the door of her cell. She knew it wouldn’t do much.

No one would be able to hear her over the water.

And it wasn’t like a battle droid would happen to pass by and decide to let her out.

Ahsoka dropped to her knees, hands still on the glass, and hung her head, defeated. She squeezed
her eyes shut, feeling hot tears stream down her cheeks.

I failed. I’m sorry, Master, I failed you. I failed Obi-Wan, Rex, Master Plo, Padmé. I failed the
Republic and the Jedi. Thanks to me, you’re all about to die, and there’s nothing I can do about it.
Thanks to me, order in the galaxy will crumble.

An uncontrollable sob racked her body. Ahsoka was tired of feeling sorry for herself, but she had
given up.

No one was coming.

Cold water forcefully pushed against her, bringing her out of her moaping. That was when she
sensed something. No, someone.

Ahsoka raised her head.

There!

Ahsoka shot to her feet. “Rex!” She didn’t care about the hoarseness of her voice.
The white and blue armored captain was at the other end of the hall, so he probably couldn’t hear
her over the water.

But that didn’t matter, because he had already seen her.

“Ahsoka!” he said, stopping in front of her cell. “Are you okay?” She could hear him pretty clearly
now, despite the water.

“I’ve been better,” she replied, glancing back at the water. She could practically sense him rolling
his eyes under his helmet. “How did you know I was captured? They said that they sent a shape-
shifter in my place.”

“They did, but we were able to tell it wasn’t you when we got here.” Rex looked around her cell.
“Let’s get you out of there, kid. We can talk more when you’re safe.”

Ahsoka smiled, excitement bubbling in her chest.

Rex punched the keypad.

Nothing happened.

He did it again. When that didn’t work, he pulled out a blaster and shot it.

That didn’t work either.

Ahsoka sighed, feeling her excitement fading.

“There has to be some way to open this! Stand back.” Rex shot the door. The bolt sizzled as it was
absorbed, not even leaving a mark. Rex released a frustrated grunt, tearing off his helmet.

“Rex, it’s okay.” She stepped closer to the door, touching the glass-like material. “You have to get
out before they find you.”

Rex scoffed. “What, and leave you here? Not gonna happen, kid.”

Ahsoka looked down at the water. Since Rex’s arrival, it had traveled from her knees to her waist.
And it wasn’t moving slowly. “Once the water fills my cell, the pressure will destroy the basement.
And I’m sure they have a bomb or something to destroy the base too. You need to leave!”

“I’m not leaving you here. The General would never forgive me if you got killed under my watch.
Frankly, I wouldn’t forgive me either.” He examined the walls. “There has to be another way to get
you out. Are there any other openings in the cell?”

Ahsoka shook her head. She glanced down at the water again. It was nearing her chest. Biting her
lip, she knew she only had a few minutes before the cell was completely full.

She talked more quickly. “Rex, I’m sorry. Please, tell my Master too.” She swallowed, forcing
down her fear. “Rex, promise me you’ll take care of yourself. And Anakin.”

“Ahsoka, don’t-”

“Please.” She looked him straight in the eyes.

“I will.”

Ahsoka attempted to smile. “Sorry it had to end this way, Rexter.”

“No, wait.” His eyes widened. “Kix is here too! He might know a way to get you out!” Rex raised
his arm, activating his comm. “Kix, I found Ahsoka. You have to find a way to get her out! The
door isn’t opening and the cell is filling up with water. Hurry!”
“Got it, Rex. Kix out.” Rex turned off his comm.

“We’ll get you out of there, kid.”

“Okay, fine.” Ahsoka smiled at his stubbornness.

The water was at her collarbone. “Just don’t go, please.” She knew it was dangerous for him to
stay, but he had already refused to leave. And Ahsoka didn’t want to spend the last few moments of
her life alone.

“I’m not going anywhere, Ahsoka.”

Seeing the water at her chin, Ahsoka was forced to float with the water. As she neared the top of
the cell, she took a few deep breaths, preparing to go under.

It wasn’t long before Ahsoka took one last breath before the water went over her head. She let
herself sink back down to the floor, not seeing the point of staying by the ceiling.

Despite the murkiness of the water, she could see Rex standing behind the door. She smiled
slightly. Of course he was still there.

That was when she saw movement behind him.

No!

It was Jett. And he was armed.

Ahsoka’s eyes widened. She banged against the door, wildly pointing behind him. “Rex!”

Luckily, he got the message and turned around just in time. He easily disarmed Jett, holding him at
blaster point.

Ahsoka’s attempted shout of warning had expelled all of the air in her lungs. She grabbed her
chest, knowing it wouldn’t make a difference.

She had always heard that drowning was a pleasant experience. And it would have been, but Rex
was in trouble. The galaxy was in trouble. And there was nothing she could do about it.

The last thing she saw before the darkness closed in was Rex’s face, eyes full of panic.

Anakin had his hand around the bounty hunter’s throat.

“What’s your plan? Why did you capture my padawan?”

The bounty hunter looked him in the eyes. She said nothing.

“Answer me!” He tightened his grip, enjoying her first flash of fear. She finally relented.

“The brat was the easiest to capture. And to act as. If I had made a slip-up as you or Kenobi, it
would have been seen immediately. Besides, she had already warmed up to Jett, so getting her
alone was easy.”

“Jett?” Anakin hissed. “The kid?”

“He wants to kill the Jedi as revenge for his family.” she smirked. “Your apprentice was quite easy
to fool. Maybe--”

In a flash, Anakin threw her against the wall of the compound. She fell to the ground, unconscious.

I swear, Obi-Wan better get here soon.

 The Rescue - Part Two

Rex looked back at Ahsoka just as her eyes closed and she sank to the floor. He released Jett,
running to the door, and banged his hands against it.

“No!”

Growling, Rex leveled his blasters at Jett. “Kid, if you know what’s good for you, you’ll open that
door.”

Jett’s eyes flicked to Ahsoka’s cell. “I-I can’t. This is the only way to make the Jedi pay.”

“This isn’t up for debate. Tell me how to open the door, or your quest for revenge ends right here.”
Rex took a step closer, showing that he wouldn’t hesitate.

Jett looked at the blasters, fear flashing through his eyes. “Fine. You can’t get in from here. Not
without a key. I’ll show you another way. Follow me.”

Casting one more worried look at Ahsoka, Rex followed Jett.

After going up the stairs, Rex followed Jett into a control room. He pulled one of the many levers,
and Rex heard a click. A hidden trapdoor opened in the floor.

Rex activated his comm. “Kix, get in here, now.”

With that, he shoved on his helmet and dove into the water.

He ignored the shock of cold, letting the weight of his armor pull him down.

Where is she?

The murky water made it difficult to see. Switching on the lights of his helmet, he saw a glint of
gold.

There!

Rex quickly swam to Ahsoka, wrapping one arm around her torso and using the other to help bring
them back to the surface.

When he got there, he saw Kix had arrived. After handing Ahsoka off to him, Rex pulled himself
out of the water, shutting the trapdoor.

Rex and Kix set Ahsoka on the floor, and Rex was able to get a good look at her.

The first thing he noticed was that she wasn’t breathing.

Kix immediately began chest compressions.

Rex waited.

Come on, kid.

It had been minutes, and she still hadn’t moved.

He was about to ask Kix why it wasn’t working when Ahsoka grunted, shooting into a sitting
position. She panted, coughing up water.

Relief flooded through Rex.

The kid’s okay.

He moved to her side, rubbing her back until the coughing subsided. Ahsoka leaned against him,
exhausted.

“How are you doing, kid?”

“I’m great,” she said hoarsely. “What happened?”

Before Rex could tell her, Kix leaned forward, checking Ahsoka’s pulse and temperature.

“Everything feel okay, Commander?”

Ahsoka grunted. “Never better.”

Kix narrowed his eyes slightly. “If you say so.”

“So, how did you guys get me out? Thank you, by the way,” Ahsoka said.

Rex gestured to Jett, who had remained silent. “Your ‘friend’ here was kind enough to show us a
way in. After that, we got you out and Kix brought you back.”

“Wow. Thank you. Both of you.” She looked up at Jett. “And you too, I guess. But you put me in
that position in the first place.”

Jett grimaced, looking away. “Sorry about that.”

Before Rex could have some not so nice words with Jett, Ahsoka laid a hand on his arm. “We
should get out of here before they come looking for us. Or before the pressure from the water
destroys the basement.”

“Right.” Rex helped Ahsoka stand, keeping his hands on her shoulders until she found her footing.
Kix gestured to Jett.

“What do we do with him?”

Ahsoka stepped towards Jett. “Are you willing to forgive the Jedi, Jett?”

He hesitated.

“Holding on to all of this hate won’t do anything for your family. They wouldn’t have wanted
this.”

Seeing his mind had been made up, she continued. “Are you with us?” she asked, holding out a
hand.

Instead of taking her hand, Jett took a step closer. Leaning down, he kissed her.

Ahsoka hadn’t even registered what happened when he backed away. “I’m sorry, Ahsoka, but I’m
not ready to forgive them. Not yet.”
Without another word, he left the room.

Ahsoka blinked.

“That kid’s got some nerve,” Rex said in a low tone, staring after Jett.

She looked up in surprise. Ahsoka had forgotten Rex and Kix were still there. She blushed, looking
at the ground. Conflicting emotions swirled through her.

What is wrong with me? Did Jett just-- I-- argghhh!

“Can’t say I understand what you’re going through,” Rex said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “But
we should go.”

Ahsoka shook herself out of her haze. “Uh, right. Lead the way, Rexter.”

As they moved down the hall, Kix looked at Rex.

“Did I miss something?”

Rex hesitated. “It’s a long story.”

Ahsoka scowled. “Come on, guys! Let’s focus!”

Rex smirked back at her. “Sir, yes sir,” he said teasingly.

Before she could make a snarky reply, Ahsoka felt a wave of cold.

“Rex, Kix, stop,” she ordered. They halted and turned back to look at her. “There’s something else
here.”

As she said this, the three of them heard a far-too familiar clanking from the next room.

“Clankers,” Rex growled, jamming on his helmet and drawing his blasters.

“About time we got some action,” Kix added, doing the same.

Ahsoka peered around the corner, frowning. “What are they carrying?”

Rex peeked as well, followed by Kix. There were about seven B1s, standing around was a large
box.

Ahsoka could overhear them talking.

“Do you remember how to set this thing?” One of them asked in a squeaky voice.

The other one shrugged. “Didn’t you read the instructions?”

“There were instructions?”

Ahsoka’s eyes widened as she realized what they were talking about. “Bomb!”

She leapt towards the battle droids, reaching for lightsabers that weren’t there. Instead, Ahsoka
Force-pushed the battle droids, knocking them down.

But not before one of them frantically pushed a button.

Everything happened slowly. Ahsoka remembered turning around and shoving Rex and Kix away
with the Force, as far away from the bomb as possible.

Then the bomb exploded, vaporizing the nearest droids.

Everything turned a blinding white, then black as she was thrown against a wall.

Anakin had called his second wave of troops, ordering them to keep an eye on the still unconscious
bounty hunter. Meanwhile, he took it upon himself to attack the approaching battle droids, head on.
As much as he wanted to go help rescue Ahsoka, he knew he was needed on the battlefield right
now.

He sighed, wiping the sweat off his brow as he sliced through the last droid in the first wave.

Anakin looked up, suddenly hearing the sounds of gunships.

Obi-Wan had finally arrived.

Took you long enough, Master.

Anakin raced back to the compound, arriving just as the ships landed. Obi-Wan stepped out with
Cody at his side. He looked at the unconscious bounty hunter and frowned.

“What in blazes happened here? And where’s Ahsoka? And Captain Rex?”

“Long story, no time to explain!” Anakin ran past him. “Can you take over the battle from here? I
have to go into the compound.”

“Anakin, wait! We still have a mission here!”

He shook his head. “Obi-Wan, the crime lord has Ahsoka! And she’s in that compound!”

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. “When did this happen?”

“At the party. They sent that shape-shifter in her place.” He jutted his chin towards her still form.

“I see,” Obi-Wan said, stroking his beard. “How do you know she is inside the compound?”

“I just know. I already sent Rex to find her. He might need my help!”
Obi-Wan pinched the bridge of his nose. “Anakin, I would love to rescue Ahsoka. However, there
are thousands of battle droids on their way here right now! Our men cannot handle them alone. We
must remain here and finish the battle!”

“But my padawan is in danger!”

“Anakin, trust your captain. I know you’re worried, but we have to prepare for the attack,” Obi-
Wan said, a hand on Anakin’s shoulder.

Anakin scowled, pulling away from Obi-Wan and stalking away. Activating his comm, he tried to
contact Rex. But nothing happened.

Anakin sighed, hearing the sound of even more battle droids approaching.

I trust you, Rex. You have to save Ahsoka.

 Escape

The first thing Ahsoka felt was the terrible pain in her side. She forced her eyes open. The room
was on fire, the ceiling collapsing. A large beam across her legs pinned her to the ground.

She focused on her side, seeing a large shard of metal. Ahsoka gasped as she realized it had almost
completely impaled her.

She tried to lift her head, but the pain increased, causing her to cry out. Ahsoka forced herself to
remain calm, but she had never felt pain like this. At least, not in a long time.

She dropped her head back against the ground. Ahsoka couldn't see anything except for fire and
debris. And in her condition, she wouldn’t be able to tell what other injuries she had.

Where are Rex and Kix?

Looking above her head, she saw something white. It took her a moment to realize it was armor.
Clone armor.

After careful examination, she saw the familiar blue stripes. It was Rex. From what she could tell,
he was unconscious. Ahsoka couldn’t tell if he was hurt, but hopefully his armor took the brunt of
the explosion. A little ways from him, she could see Kix as well.

Gritting her teeth, she reached towards Rex, trying to grab his arm. “Come on, Rex! Wake up!” she
grunted. Force-pulling him closer, she checked his wounds.

There were some nasty dents in his armor, but that was all she could see.

Ahsoka managed to prop herself up on her elbow. She removed his helmet and examined his face.
Other than the dents in his armor, he seemed to be okay. He was still breathing.

With a bit more effort, she was able to pull Kix closer and check him for wounds as well. He also
had a few dents, and the glass shard in his leg made her wince. But nothing too serious.

Ahsoka looked around. The fire was getting more intense; it would only be a matter of time before
all exits were blocked and the structure was compromised.

We have to get out of here.

She gently tapped Rex’s face. “Rex, we have to go! Please, wake up!” She shook Kix too. “Come
on, Kix!”

Ahsoka heard a small mumble from Rex, but that was it. Neither of them moved. Coughing, she
slumped back to the ground. The smoke and her stomach wound were not doing any good for her.

After trying both Rex’s and Kix’s comms with no success, Ahsoka sighed. The pain in her stomach
was growing, and almost tripled when she wormed her way out from beneath the beam that had
trapped her.

She didn’t have long.

Everything was getting hazy. She managed to put Rex’s and Kix’s helmets back on them to offer
some protection from the smoke and fire. But she had no armor.
A loud crack started her. She looked up quickly. A beam large enough to crush them all was
falling directly towards them.

Ahsoka thrust her hands out, catching the beam with the Force. She cried out again, tears slipping
from her eyes.

She was shaking. Her strength was draining fast, and her hold would fail any second.

With the last of it, she shoved the troopers out of the way.

She could only helplessly watch as the beam fell towards her.

An explosion made Anakin briefly lose his balance. He whirled around. The compound was on
fire, crumbling.

Dread flooded through him. Ahsoka and the troopers were still inside.

No!

Anakin was so distracted that he didn’t see the blaster bolt, heading straight for his chest.

Obi-Wan sensed his old padawan’s pain before he saw him fall. Eyes widening, he ran to Anakin,
slashing through droids as he went.

He knelt next to him, checking his pulse. “Anakin!”

Thank goodness, he was still alive.

“Cody!” he shouted, still deflecting blaster fire. “Get a medic!”

“Yes, sir!” Cody responded, firing at another droid.

Obi-Wan looked down at Anakin again. “Stay strong, Anakin. Help is on its way.”

Ahsoka closed her eyes. There was no way to stop the beam.

Then, she was suddenly yanked out of the way.

Ahsoka looked up, barely registering what had happened. She focused on the person in front of
her.

“Kid, are you okay?” Rex asked. He gently shook her. “Ahsoka?”

She looked around, eyes wide. They were both sitting on the floor, and Rex was holding her
upright. Kix was still out cold, and the beam that had been a second away from crushing her was
lying where she had been moments before.
She looked up at Rex again. He had removed his helmet, and concern was etched on his face.

That’s when she realized that he had pulled her out of the way.

Ahsoka’s vision blurred as tears stung her eyes. She threw her arms around her friend, unable to
hold back her tears any longer. She ignored the fiery pain in her side.

Rex seemed momentarily surprised, but he quickly returned the hug.

“I’m sorry, I was just so scared!” Ahsoka hiccuped. She squeezed her eyes shut. “Rex, I failed. I
trusted Jett, and I put the entire Republic in danger!”

“It’s not your fault, Ahsoka. Jett’s plan failed. The General captured the bounty hunter.
Everything’s okay.”

Ahsoka pulled back slightly to look at him.

“Don’t blame yourself, okay, kid?”

She nodded and wiped her eyes. “Thank you.” She gave him a smile. “Who knew you were such a
great pep-talker?” Ahsoka teased. “I-”

She suddenly inhaled sharply as pain coursed through her stomach. Ahsoka doubled over,
accidentally falling against Rex.

“What-” Rex saw her wound. “Ahsoka, that looks bad. We need Kix.”

Ahsoka pointed at Kix, not moving her head from against his chest, too afraid it would cause more
harm to her wound.

“He’s over there, but he’s still out cold.”

Rex sighed. “Guess I’ll go try to wake him up.” He shifted to do so, but his movement caused her
stomach to hurt even more. This time, she couldn’t stop her cry of pain.

Rex stopped moving towards Kix, and instead nudged Kix with his foot.”Kix! Wake up, trooper!”

Kix groaned. “Five more minutes . . .” he mumbled. Ahsoka barely stopped a giggle. Rex huffed,
kicking him harder.

“Kix!”

The medic shot up, pulling off his helmet. “Yes, sir!” Kix rubbed his head, looking around. “What
happened? Is anyone hurt?”

Ahsoka grimaced, turning a bit so he could see her wound. “You could say that.”

Kix’s eyes widened. “Commander, I need to remove that before it pierces anything else important.
Rex, lay her down.”

Rex did as Kix said, trying his best to move Ahsoka without hurting her.

Kix cast a look around. “We don’t have very long. No time for painkillers, I’m afraid. Sorry,
Commander.” He looked apologetic.

“That’s fine, Kix. Just get it out.”

Rex looked hesitant but he didn’t object.

“This is going to hurt. You might want to find something to hold onto.”

Without hesitation, Rex propped her head into a more comfortable position and took hold of her
hand, “We’re here for you, Ahsoka.”
Ahsoka gave a small smile and took a deep breath. “Do it.”

Kix took hold of the shrapnel, bandages at the ready.

When he pulled it out, she only felt pain. She squeezed Rex’s hand.

Then, the world dissolved, and there was nothing but suffocating darkness.

Ahsoka’s cry of pain made Rex wince, seriously regretting the decision to not give her painkillers.
Her hand tightened like a vice before she fell limp.

Rex looked up at Kix. “What happened?”

“Her body couldn’t handle the pain,” Kix replied, quickly bandaging her wound. “We have to
leave now. Pick her up, Rex. I can’t, because of my leg.”

“Right.” Rex carefully lifted Ahsoka, alarmed at how still she felt. Kix led the way out of the
building, Rex at his heels,

They arrived at the main entrance, where Jesse and Fives were waiting.

“What took you so long?! When the building exploded, we were sure-” Fives saw Ahsoka. “Oh.”

“We need to get away from the building! Move it!” Rex ordered.

Luckily, they moved away just as a large section of the building collapsed, triggering more
explosions. They were sent flying.

Amazingly, Rex managed to land on his feet without falling or dropping Ahsoka. Fives ended up
flat on his back, and Jesse almost fell off the nearby cliff, but Kix grabbed him.

“Fives, call the others,” Rex said.

Sitting up, Fives nodded, activating his wrist-comm.

Before Rex could say anything else, Ahsoka’s breathing quickened and she started shaking. At
first, he thought it was from her burns.

But when Kix cursed and ordered him to put her down, Rex knew something else was wrong.

“She’s going into shock!” Kix looked frantically for his med-pack. “Where’s my med-pack?!”

When no one answered, Kix growled and released a string of colorful words.

“Come on, kid, don’t die on us now!” Rex said worriedly, holding onto her tighter. “Fives, how’s it
coming?”
“No one’s answering, Rex.”

Rex gritted his teeth. Why now?

“Does anyone have an oxygen mask?” Kix yelled, throwing Jesse’s empty pack to the ground.
“Fives, give me your pack!”

“General, with respect, you need to move so I can treat Skywalker.”

Obi-Wan started. He hadn’t realized a medic had arrived. “Apologies,” he said, backing away from
Anakin.

He sighed. They had managed to destroy the second, third, and fourth waves of battle droids, but
there were more on the way.

Cody walked up to him. “General, we have attempted to contact the rescue team, but there has been
no response.” Cody’s voice was filled with worry, though he was doing a good job of masking it.
Obi-Wan knew he and Rex were close.

Obi-Wan stared at the burning compound. “Cody, take a few men and check for survivors. I think
we can handle the last battle droids.

“Yes, sir!” He turned to his troops. “Boil, choose two men to accompany us to the compound.
We’re going to rescue the rescue team.”

Boil saluted, turning to the others.

Obi-Wan sighed again. He was worried. About Anakin, Ahsoka, and the brave troops who went to
rescue her. Every day the war went on, he risked losing his padawan and grand-padawan.

Attachment is against the Jedi Code , Obi-Wan reminded himself.

“Thank the Force!” Kix exclaimed. He held up an oxygen mask. Rex partly ignored him, because
Ahsoka had stopped moving,

“Kix, get over here, now!”

Kix let out a squeak of surprise, dashing over. With fumbling hands, he secured the oxygen mask
on Ahsoka’s face.

“Come on, Commander,” Kix muttered, checking for a pulse. Pushing against her chest, he
checked again a moment later.

Kix suddenly yelled, throwing his helmet against the ground.

“What?” Rex asked, checking her pulse for himself.

No.

Rex could only hear his heartbeat punding in his ears.

The kid was gone.

Ahsoka drifted in the darkness, alone with herself.

“Let go,” a voice said gently. “Become one with the Force. ”

It sounded so tempting, to surrender herself to the comforting warmth.

Then, a stronger voice jolted her.

“No! You mustn’t give up!”

Ahsoka knew that voice. Daughter!

“Yes, young one.” Daughter smiled. “It is not yet your time. Your battle is only beginning. Your
friends need you, and so does the galaxy.”

Images flashed past her eyes, too fast to comprehend.

The last one stayed still, though. Ahsoka saw herself, Rex, and Kix. She saw Kix yell, throwing his
helmet against the ground. Why was he so upset?

Rex felt her pulse. He closed his eyes, slumping in defeat.

They think I’m dead, Ahsoka realized.

“Help your friends, child. Wake up!” Daughter commanded.

The last words were a shout, and Ahsoka was forced away from the murkiness of her mind.

Ahsoka slowly regained consciousness. The first thing she noticed was the familiar feeling of an
oxygen mask on her face.

Oxygen would be helpful, she decided as her chest began to tighten.

She took a careful breath. The arms around her tightened.

Ahsoka opened her eyes. Everything was blurry, and way too bright.

She focused on the face above her. Brown eyes, blonde hair, a very surprised expression.

Oh, it’s Rex.

“Ahsoka?”

“Hey . . . Rex.” Ahsoka winced at the pain in her stomach. “What’d . . . I . . . miss?”

Rex blinked, then laughed. “Kix, come here!” He looked back down at her. “Kid, please never do
that to us again.”

Ahsoka gave him a tired smile. “No. . . promises.”

Kix ran over. “I swear, I will personally lock you in your room if you pull a stunt like that again.”
He checked her vitals, muttering something about “reckless Jedi”.

Out of habit, Ahsoka checked on her master through their bond. She frowned when she couldn’t
sense him. “Anakin . . . he needs help!”

Ahsoka made to sit up, but Rex pushed her back down. “No, kid. You’re too injured.”

“But--Anakin . . .” Ahsoka insisted. “He’s . . . hurt.”

“Fives,” Rex said, “try contacting the General again.”

Before Fives could, someone contacted him first. “Fives, come in!” Rex recognized Cody’s voice.

“Cody, we need immediate assistance! The Commander’s injured!” Rex shouted through Fives’
comm.

“We’re on our way. Cody o-”

“Wait . . .” Ahsoka interrupted. “Anakin? Is he . . . okay?”

Cody hesitated. “The General got shot, but our medics said he should make it. There are more
battle droids coming, so we can’t evacuate yet.”

Ahsoka stayed silent.

“Thank you, sir. When can we expect your arrival?” Fives asked.

“We should be there in about 10 minutes. The battle took place farther from the compound than
originally planned,” Cody replied.

“Got it. Fives out,” Fives said, switching off his comm.

Ahsoka sighed. “Rex . . . can you . . . help me . . . sit up?”

After getting the okay from Kix, Rex helped her into a sitting position. Ahsoka took a deep breath,
closing her eyes. Despite her wound, she was able to fall into meditation.

Master, can you hear me?

There was no response.

Master, please! You can’t give up yet, we need you!

 Awakening

You can’t give up yet, we need you!

Anakin frowned in the murky darkness of his mind. Who was that? She sounded familiar
somehow.

Skyguy!

Skyguy? Who’s Skyguy?

Then it clicked.

Ahsoka! Ahsoka, is that you?

Master!

Ahsoka gasped, immediately regretting it as the pain flared.

“Anakin!” She looked at the others. “He’s okay!”

She could see them visibly relax, though they were still tense,

“We’re not out of this yet, Commander,” Kix reminded her. “You’re still in critical condition.
Droids are on the way, and--”

“Okay, I get it . . . Kix. I’ll try not to . . . jinx it.” Ahsoka winked. Kix frowned, moving away to
double check his own wound.

Ahsoka rubbed her stomach, sighing again.

Ahsoka, are you okay? Did Rex find you? Anakin asked through their bond.

I have some bruises, but I’m okay. Rex found me just in time.

You have no serious injuries? Anakin sounded skeptical, even from inside her head.

We should be more concerned with your injuries, Master. You’re the one who’s unconscious.

How do I know you aren’t unconscious too, Snips?

Alright Skyguy, I woke up a few minutes ago. Can you say the same?

If Anakin was conscious, Ahsoka knew he would be rolling his eyes.

Before he could reply, Ahsoka was abruptly shaken out of her meditative state by a shout.

“Droids! On the ridge!” Jesse shouted.

Ahsoka looked towards his pointed finger. There were ten commando droids heading their way.

“We have to move, now!” Rex said.

Before Ahsoka had the chance to insist that she could walk on her own, she was being lifted up
again.

“Rex, I can fight!”

“With respect, sir, you can’t even sit up by yourself,” he said.

“But-”

“No ‘buts’, Commander,” Kix added. “We don’t have time to debate this.”

Ahsoka huffed, frowning under her oxygen mask.

Ducking behind a rock formation, Rex set her down. “Stay there, Ahsoka. We can’t worry about
you and the droids at the same time.”

“Ugh, fine,” Ahsoka grumbled.

Rex gave her a half-grin, grabbing his helmet. He stepped towards the others.

“Men, use rock formations for cover. If we don’t take any unnecessary risks, then we’ll all make it
out of here alive.”

Fives and Jesse nodded. Kix was already loading his blaster.

“Fives, call Cody. Tell him what’s happening,” Rex ordered.

“Right.” As Fives made the call, Rex, Kix, and Jesse peeked over the rocks. A shot whizzed by
their heads, and they quickly ducked back down.

“Guess they’re close,” Jesse said.

“Five minutes till Cody arrives,” Fives reported.

“That’s not soon enough,” Rex said, re-checking his blasters. “Alright, boys, let’s give them a fight
they’ll never forget.”

Fives and Jesse grinned, putting on their helmets.

“Stay here, Commander,” Rex ordered again, motioning for the boys to start firing.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere,” Ahsoka sighed.

The first thing Anakin heard was blaster fire. Groaning, he opened his eyes, wincing at the bright
light.

A figure stood over Anakin. It took him a moment to realize that it was a medic.

A medic? Why do I need a medic?

Then he felt the pain in his chest.

Oh.

Anakin tried to sit up, but the medic pushed him back down.

“Sorry, sir. I have to finish patching you up first,” the medic said.

“What...happened?” Anakin asked.

“You got shot, General.”

Anakin frowned. He never got shot.

“How?”

The medic hesitated. “I’m not sure, sir. You’ll have to ask General Kenobi.”

“Obi-Wan? Where is he?”

“He’s up front, General.”

Of course Obi-Wan is leading now.

The medic ducked a blaster bolt. “Looks like the battle is coming closer. I need to move you to a
safer position, sir.”

The medic picked him up under the arms and dragged him behind a rock pile.

“Where’s...Ahsoka?”

“General Kenobi sent Commander Cody and a few troopers to rescue her and the others, but we
haven’t heard anything yet.”
Anakin gritted his teeth. When Ahsoka finally needed his help, he couldn’t do anything.

“Thank you, trooper,” Anakin said, remembering the medic who had saved him.

“Just doing my job, General.”

In other circumstances, Anakin would have laughed. That seemed to be the clones’ automatic
response whenever they were congratulated.

Anakin closed his eyes, focusing on his bond with Ahsoka.

Ahsoka, where are you? What’s happening?

We’re still at the compound, Master. But there are commando droids on the ridge, and they’re
coming fast. We--

Ahsoka’s voice suddenly disappeared.

Ahsoka? Ahsoka, what happened?

But he was only met with silence.

 Arrival

“Look out!” a voice shouted, shattering Ahsoka’s concentration. Her eyes flew open. The last
commando droid had fired a rocket launcher, and the blast was heading straight for them. It
happened so quickly that Ahsoka couldn’t do anything about it, especially in her current state.

Someone dove on top of her, shielding her from the blast. Ahsoka grunted as all of the air was
forced from her lungs.

Suddenly, she was flying, rocks pelting her. Whoever had protected her from the debris was gone
now. She assumed he had been pushed in another direction.

Ahsoka landed hard on her back, but the force of the explosion caused her to roll. And just like
that, there was nothing beneath her anymore.

Grunting in surprise, she thrust out her hand and grabbed the ledge of the cliff she had been about
to fall off of. In her state, she was barely able to hold on.

Where was everyone else?

Ahsoka felt her grip slipping. “Rex? Kix? Where are you guys? Are you okay?”

There was no answer.

Panicking, Ahsoka quickly opened her bond with Anakin.

Master, I need help!

But he didn’t answer either.

A clank startled her.

No, commando droids! I have to help them-

Before Ahsoka could attempt to lift herself up, she heard the blast of a gun. A loud thud
accompanied a commando droid head falling right in front of her face. Out of reflex, Ahsoka
started to push herself away, temporarily forgetting that she was still holding onto a cliff.

Ahsoka gasped as she started to fall, but someone grabbed her hand.

Ahsoka looked up, seeing a familiar redhead. “Master Obi-Wan!”

Obi-Wan gave her a slightly strained smile. “Looks like we got here just in time.”

Ahsoka rolled her eyes as he pulled her up. As soon as she got to the top, she slumped to her knees.

“Stay there, Ahsoka,” Obi-Wan ordered as he ducked a blaster bolt. “We’ll take care of the battle
droids.”

And then he was running towards the remaining droids, his lightsaber a blur as he deflected blaster
bolts.

Looking around, she saw that the only ones conscious besides her and Obi-Wan were the rescue
team. Everyone else had been knocked out by the blast.
Ahsoka felt her heart skip a beat as she looked at the unconscious clones. She moved closer to Rex
and Kix, feeling for a pulse.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw they were alive.

“Sorry, boys. Guess all of this is my fault.”

When reaching through her bond with Anakin, she was once again met with silence. She grunted in
frustration. “Where are you when I need you, Master?” she muttered.

Anakin was, in fact, running to the compound as fast as he could, despite the protests of the medic.
The pain from his wound was blocking out everything in his head, he could only focus on putting
one foot in front of the other.

He knew it was his fault this had all happened. He hadn’t listened to his padawan, and now she and
the others could all be dead, thanks to him.

Forcing aside his pain, Anakin viewed the ledge in front of him. It would be much safer to go
down carefully, but Anakin didn’t care. The fastest way to Ahsoka was to jump from the ledge. So
that’s what Anakin did.

The jump itself didn’t worry Anakin as much as the landing did. Even with the aid of the Force,
Anakin hit the ground hard, falling onto his side. He grunted as all of the air rushed from his lungs.

But at least he was closer to the compound.

Ahsoka’s vision was getting blurry. She knew she was incredibly lucky to still be alive, much less
conscious. She had already come back from the dead today. Twice.

Her strength left her and she lay down by her still unconscious friends.

Sorry, Skyguy. I was hoping to be awake to see you.

Anakin managed to pull himself to his feet, and kept running. Sweat was dripping into his eyes and
his breathing was ragged. The compound was close; he would be there in less than five minutes.

Spinning around, Obi-Wan sliced through the last commando droid. He looked around,
deactivating his lightsaber.

“Cody, have your men check for any more droids.”

Cody nodded.

Obi-Wan turned back to check on Ahsoka. He carefully kneeled next to her when he saw she was
unconscious, checking her pulse. He sighed in relief when he felt one, but Ahsoka was still in
critical condition.
Obi-Wan’s frown deepened when he saw Anakin Skywalker speeding down the hill, bandages
flapping in the wind.

When Anakin got into earshot, Obi-Wan stood and crossed his arms. “Anakin, what are you doing
here?”

Anakin ignored him and sat next to Ahsoka.

Anakin gently laid his hand on Ahsoka’s forehead. She seemed to smile at his touch, visibly
relaxing. He looked over at Rex, Kix, Jesse, and Fives. He was relieved to see that they were all
alive.

Rex had kept his promise. Ahsoka was safe. Well, mostly.

Anakin didn’t blame Rex or any of the clones for her condition, he knew they had done their
absolute best to get her home safely. If anything, Anakin blamed himself.

“Do we have a medic here?” Anakin asked.

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. “Besides Kix,” he said, looking down at the unconscious medic, “the
only one is the trooper you left all the way back at the battlefield.”

“Oh.”

Anakin carefully shook Kix’s shoulder.

“Anakin, don-t--”

“Kix, rise and shine,” he said, ignoring Obi-Wan’s protests.

Kix groaned, slowly opening his eyes. “What’s going on? Where are the droids?”

“Obi-Wan,” Anakin said, “you should go get a few stretchers.” he turned his attention back to Kix.

“Don’t worry, all of them have been taken care of.”

Kix focused on Anakin’s wound. “So have you, it seems.”

Anakin half-grinned. “You guys were in trouble. What was I supposed to do?”

Kix sat up, rubbing the back of his head. “Follow the medic’s order, sir. We outrank you when it
comes to the safety of you and the troops, remember?”

Anakin shrugged. “We should focus on the others.”

“Right.” Anakin helped Kix to his feet. By then, Obi-Wan had managed to grab a few stretchers.
Kix and Obi-Wan loaded Ahsoka onto a stretcher first, quickly followed by Fives and Jesse. Rex
had begun to regain consciousness.

His eyes widened when he saw Anakin. “Sir? When did you get here?”

“Not too long ago.”

“What about the droids?” he asked, looking around quickly.

“Taken care of.”

Rex stood up, looking at Ahsoka’s unconscious from. “And what about the Commander?”

“Also being taken care of,” Anakin smiled. “Thanks for getting her out of there, Rex. We owe you
one.”

“Only wish I had been quicker. . .” Rex trailed off, sighing.

“Don’t beat yourself up about it,” Anakin said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “You all did
everything you could, and I’m very grateful.” He looked down at his padawan. “And I know she is
too.”
 End of the Mission

After loading everyone on stretchers, including Anakin, the group gathered on the gunship and
headed back to the battlefield.

The droids were all gone when they arrived, and the clones had started to clean up.

When Obi-Wan exited the gunship, one of the troopers hesitantly approached, a shiny by the looks
of him.

“General, while we were occupied with the battle, the bounty hunter escaped.”

“What?” Anakin shouted from his stretcher, sitting up.

Obi-Wan put a hand on the trooper’s shoulder. “That’s alright. It’s not your fault, trooper.”

The trooper nodded, unsure, but went to continue helping his brothers with the cleanup.

“How did she escape?” Anakin demanded.

“Anakin, things happen during a battle. When we both left to save Ahsoka, the men had to take
care of the droids themselves. I doubt they could pay attention to the battle and the bounty hunter
at the same time.”

Anakin sighed, laying back down on his stretcher, but stayed quiet.

Obi-Wan opened his comm, getting in touch with the pilot. “Get them out of here. I’ll stay on the
planet and aid with the cleanup.”

“Yes, General.”

Obi-Wan watched as the gunship lifted off, speeding back to the Resolute.

The next day:

Ahsoka woke up to arguing.

“For the last time, Kix, I’m fine!”

“Sir, you inhaled a lot of smoke, you have a concussion, burns and bruises, a sprained wrist, and-”

“I know, Kix! Believe me, you’ve said so five times! The Commander and General need your
attention more than I do!”

Ahsoka smiled, opening her eyes fully. She was in the medbay with Rex, Anakin, and Kix. Rex
was glaring at Kix with his arms crossed. As best as he could do with a cast, anyway. After a
moment, the medic moved to tend to Anakin, who was asleep.

Rex huffed, frowning at the cast on his arm.

“You know, with all the shouting in here, it’s a wonder Skyguy and I could sleep at all,” Ahsoka
said, sitting up a bit.

Rex looked up, surprised. “Commander?” He got up from his cot, going to her side and sitting in
the chair next to her. “You had us worried, sir.”

Ahsoka grinned at him. “I’ve had worse.”

Rex raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“I think.” She gestured at his wrist. “How are you holding up?”

“Eh, nothing I can’t handle.”

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. “Sure, Rexter.”

Kix was suddenly at the other side of her cot, looking over her vitals. “Glad to see you awake, sir.
Everything feel good?”

Ahsoka opened her mouth to reply.

“Be honest, Commander.”

“Um, I guess my stomach’s still sore?”

“That’s normal. It will likely feel sore for the next few weeks while you heal. Anything else?”

Ahsoka shrugged. “Not really.”

“Alright, then. If you don’t mind, I have to go check on Jesse and Fives.”

Kix walked off.

Ahsoka turned her attention back to Rex. “So, how long was I out?”

“Only a day. Surprising, especially considering what happened…”

“What about Anakin?”

Rex grinned a little. “Well, after he ran over a mile to the compound with a blaster wound in the
chest, he finally passed out soon after we arrived on the Resolute. Hasn’t woken up since, but he
sure does talk a lot in his sleep.”

To prove the point, Anakin mumbled, “Spinning is a good trick, Obi-Wan.”

Ahsoka burst out laughing, seeing Rex barely contain his own laughter.

She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down. Laughing wasn’t doing any favors for her
wound.

“Ow,” she muttered, rubbing her stomach. But she continued to smile.

Rex winced. “Sorry. I guess laughter wasn’t the best idea.”

“No, I feel better. It isn’t your fault, anyway. It’s not like you were the one talking in your sleep.”

Rex smiled at that.

“Quiet down, I’m trying to sleep!” Anakin moaned, pulling his blanket over his head. Ahsoka
thought he was still asleep until he sat up further, opening his eyes. He slowly looked at them.

“You laugh really loud, Snips,” he said, narrowing his eyes.

“S-sorry, Master,” Ahsoka replied, holding back another fit of laughter.

Anakin shook his head slightly. “Anyway, it’s good to see you’re doing better, Ahsoka.”

“You too, Skyguy. But you shouldn’t have run a mile after taking a blaster bolt to the chest.”

“True.” He smirked at Ahsoka.

Rex watched their exchange with a smile on his face.

“What’re you smiling at, Captain?” Anakin said in mock suspicion.

“Nothing, sir. It’s just good to see everything back to normal.”

Ahsoka gave him a wide smile. “Can’t argue with you there, Rexter.”

“I would have to agree,” a voice said.

“Master Obi-Wan!” Ahsoka exclaimed as he came into view.

“Hey, is anyone going to ask what I think?” Anakin almost whined after a moment.

“No,” Ahsoka said with a completely serious expression.

With that, Rex started laughing, unable to stop himself any longer.

Ahsoka and Anakin soon joined in. Obi-Wan smiled.

The family was back together again.

Epilogue

A cloaked figure wandered through the crowded streets of Coruscant. Making sure to keep her face
covered, she ducked into an alley. She was met with two others, also in cloaks.

“You’re late,” the tall, dark-haired human hissed.

“I got captured,” the woman replied.

“Did you reveal anything?”

“I only told them about our plan with the padawan, but--”
“You what?” she was suddenly shoved against the wall, a hand digging into her shoulder.

“Jolon, wait!” the boy said from behind him, his purple eyes widening. “Ahsoka is no longer
important to our plans!”

“Ooh, you’re on a first name basis, are you now, Jett?” Jolon teased, giving him a fanged smile.
Force, he had sharp teeth. Ran suspected that he wasn’t fully human.

Jett blushed furiously. “I’m just saying, spare the bounty hunter. Her revealing our plot involving
Ahsoka changes nothing. We still have the upper hand.”

Jolon raised an eyebrow, growling, but he released Ran. He pulled out his holo-disk, switching it
on.

“What is it?” A deep voice asked from the other end.

“Change in plans, Count. The padawan survived.” He glared at Jett.

“Unfortunate.”

“But I have a better plan. One that will succeed.”

“By all means, tell me. But know this: should you fail me again, your credits will be the least of
your concerns.”

Ran noticed fear flash through Jolon’s eyes, something that only happened while he was talking to
Dooku.

“Yes, Count.”

To be continued. . .

Please drop by the archive and comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!