Ahsoka Tano

She has lost contact with one of her cells and unlike other times in the past, she now has the option of investigating to see what has happened to them. Only problem is, she doesn't have a ship. In the past, she'd just commandeer one but there are too many missions going on at present, and she also wishes to keep this one quiet, since this team was deep in the Imperial bureaucracy. 

Looking at flight plans however, she spots a familiar name that happens to be going near the system she needs. Maybe she can get a ride, assuming his mission isn't sensitive as well.

So now she's wandering the hanger bay, looking for Cassian Andor.

Almost two days after her call with Spectre-2, Ahsoka stood in Commander Sato’s office aboard the Phoenix Home, the commander to her side and a holo of Senator Bail Organa before them.

“We need to support our cells better,” she declared which earned a nod from Sato but a shaking head from the Senator.

“I am willing to plan for the future, and I do sympathize with the challenges those cells face, but we do not have the resources to help them beyond what we are already risking.”

Holding up a placating hand, she stopped him. “I am not talking active support here. I don’t mean open conflict—I agree we are not ready for that—but we cannot expect these beings to risk so much if we are not willing to help as we can.”

“What did you have in mind, then, Mistress Tano?” Commander Sato asked.

“A mobile force, which we can use for extractions. We can’t help with attacks beyond supplies, but there is the chance we can give our people a way out if things get too dangerous for them. I’m not suggesting rescuing from Imperial facilities, but if we can get to them before the Empire does, that will go along way towards morale and preserving our numbers.”

Bail rubbed his goatee in thought. “I’m not certain this is wise.”

Commander Santo, stepped forward. “I find I am in agreement with Mistress Tano. If designed correctly, these rescue teams can be in and out before the Empire is even aware they are present. I feel my fleet is up for this task and would offer it as a testing ground. The idea is noble and should be acted upon.”

Bail didn’t seem convinced but was interrupted by a call on Ahsoka’s wrist comm before he could reply.

“Excuse me gentlemen.” Turning aside and out of the holo’s field, Ahsoak keyed her comm. “Yes?”

“Forgive me for interrupting, Mistress Tano,” T4 said. “I have a communication from the Spectre cell but it is unusual. The codes are correct, but the encryption is different than their usual. Shall I answer?”

Ahsoka paused a moment before deciding. “Yes, but relay through to my comm. Fulcrum protocols as usual."

After T4 affirmed the connection and protocols were in place, she spoke. “This is Fulcrum. Who is this?” As she listened to the report the Spectre's droid gave, she grew more and more determined, and a little proud too. They got themselves in over their heads, but they again stood up to the Empire and acted boldly. They almost reminded her of her younger self.

Once the call was completed, she returned to Sato and Bail, a grim determination on her face. “Looks like we’ll get our test much sooner than we’d expected. Is your force ready now? It seems a space only mission, but with Stardestroyers and TIEs in pursuit.”

Sato didn’t even pause before nodding. “As long as we do not have to engage with them for more than a few minutes, we will prevail. I am certain of that.”

“Now wait a moment,” Bail said before Ahsoka cut him off.

“This is a matter of combat,” she said. “The Commander and I have priority here.”

“Very well…though I hope we don’t regret this hasty action,” Bail replied grimly. “I’ll leave you to it.”

She is busy, carefully wrapping a young girl's wounded leg, when she notices a crowd gathering around the refugee camps only holoprojector. Curious and finished with the girls leg anyway, Ahsoka helps the girl stand, so she can join her friends playing, before making her own way to the crowd. By then, cheers and gasps have started and she can just hear a voice from the projector say, "We have been called criminals, but we are not. We are rebels, fighting for the people, fighting for you."

She continues to listen, recognizing the voice and the boy in the holo. He's hard to make out as she only sees him occasionally between the milling people, but she recognizes him as one of the Spectres, Ezra. Listening further, she feels her heart lift and she doesn't even realize she's smiling until the mother in front of her looks at her and says, joy clear in her voice, "Can you believe it?"

Ahsoka nods and looks to the other refugees of the Empire's expansion, people expelled from worlds or forced to move once the Empire used up all the resources of their worlds. The mood of them all is hopeful and almost happy. There is anger, but there's always been anger. The difference is now it's not sullen and impotent. Now it feels like it could do something. Now it needs directing before it can explode or burn up, taking the people with it.

She noticed two people at the edge of the crowd who don't seem to care so much for the message, which now has repeated twice over. In fact, the two men seem to be noting faces of those most outspoken in reacting to the broadcast.

Ahsoka watches them unobtrusively and isn't surprised when they slip away. Well, she had come here to find out how the Empire kept finding out about the relief supplies she'd been delivering and to find a way to stop them confiscating them. Now she knew.

Wrapping her cloak about her, but leaving her hands free, she followed until they entered an office. Kicking the door in, she force pulled their comms from their hands and smiled.

"Good evening," she said as she crushed the devices with her heel. "Spying on these people was your first mistake."

They didn't bother to reply, just drew their blasters and taking aim.

Another force pull and her sabers were in her hands and igniting. "And that was your last."

She's been noticing a pattern as of late, one she doesn't like. Intel sources that were dependable, are shifting and becoming less so. Either the Empire is getting better, possibly even closing in, or her contacts just aren't getting the full story.

It could also be the Empire is shifting their plans or there's someone new in the chain of command shaking things up.

Too many variables.

Deciding to see how wide spread the problem is, and perhaps to warn other rebel agents, she signs on to the holonet, scrolling to the recipe/general discussions; a periodic dead drop for Rebel Intelligence.

Problems with Pantoran casseroles
Has anyone else had trouble with getting good spices lately? I'm not sure if my seller can't get the good stuff due to tariffs or if they're keeping the good stuff for other buyers.

I know my nanowave tends to run 36 degrees cooler, but that shouldn't effect the spices too much, right?

Now to wait for any responses while she did some tracking on her end.

The Jedi do not form attachments; they are for the galaxy, not individuals. This is one of the very first rules initiates learn. Within the Temple this is easy to understand; out in the galaxy, less so.

Ahsoka is contemplating this as she enters. They've got the Separatists secret weapon, a gargantuan heavy cruiser, on the run and nearly destroyed, but now there is a complication. From out of nowhere, a senator's ship entered the fray and was captured. The senator, one Padmé Amidala, was captured and now both Anakin and Master Obi-Wan are on their way to rescue her. Not unusual in of itself, but their reactions to the news had been...odd.

Master Kenobi was concerned, she could feel that much through the Force, but maintained the detached air practiced by most jedi.

Her master, Anakin, on the other hand, reacted quite differently. His concern was much more potent, perhaps even panicked. And he didn't even try for the confident detachment he usually wore, but acted more as when a battalion of battledriods were breaking through their lines.

So which reaction was the truer one?

She awoke to deaths. She could feel them, the terror and fear. The pain. And then, gone. For a confused moment, she was back at the end of the Clone Wars, when in one moment the Jedi Order was snuffed out. Panicked, she sat up, fearful of Rex's safety. And Anakin. And Obi-Wan. Were they safe or were they among those that were dying. Padme! Gasping, she blinked a few times, confused and not recognizing where she was until her mind caught up to her situation.

It was not the end of the Republic and the Order. It was decades past the fall of the Empire. She was at the new Order, Luke's Order. But what was happening? She got out of bed and grabbed a robe to throw about herself. The pain and cries were growing and, for the first time in decades, she wished she had her lightsabers.

In the hallway, a pair ran past her. A girl and an adult. Swayed by the growing feel of the Dark Side, she motioned them to keep running while she turned to face it. She didn't recognize it's feel, but was relieved to feel it wasn't Vader. No, Vader was gone. Focus.

She opened herself to the Force and felt the dregs of sleep and old age leave her. She had to save whom she could. She had to stop whoever was attacking.

She found no one else but did find the path of their attacker. A flash of vision from the Force showed her where she needed to be and so she planted herself at the location; a doorway that lead to the hanger. She could feel the threat coming, the fear rolling before him like tidal waves. She sat quietly in meditation.

"You block the path to my destiny," he said, his voice deep, rich, and calm. "Move."

Despite her trace, a stab of pain hit her as she recognized the voice. One of their own students. Leia's son and Anakin's grandson. "I will not. You will have to strike me down if this is the path you choose."

"Very well."

Ahsoka stood and let go of everything; weariness, sadness, hope, fear, anger, the past, the future, life.

---

As she lay there dying, she could hear the whine of the starship leaving the hanger and, then, the atmosphere. Kylo screamed his frustration.

Her last act was to smile. The child made it.

As light left her eyes, she saw the white convor...and awoke in death.

“What happens is he says ‘I’m not gonna leave you on this mission unprotected.’ And these hanger doors open up and reveals all these clones standing there from half of the 501st. And they’re all now wearing orange helmets and orange striped helmets like her. And Rex is there, and Anakin has given Rex’s command unit to Ahsoka to go and attack Mandalore with Bo-Katan to take back the planet.”

It was kriffing cold. So cold, Ahsoka's montrails were aching despite the thermal gear she was wearing, hood and all. And the biting wind didn't help either. It tore at her jacket and echoed in her head. So cold even flexing her finger and subtlety stomping her feet didn't bring any feeling back to them.

And Master Yoda was talking. She should likely be paying attention. "Important this day is. Your first lightsaber crystals you may find, yes?"

Master Plo nodded and gave them further details, his voice buzzing through his breathing apparatus. Likely dangers and, most importantly, how much time they had before the kyber crystal cavern's entrance would ice over again, trapping any who didn't make it back outside for several rotations.

Then it was time to enter. She entered with the other remaining members of her initiate class, the Clawmouse clan. She was the oldest of them and was beginning to worry that no jedi would ever take her on as a padawan learner.

"Wake up, Tano," Dax hissed as she walked by, jostling Ahsoka's shoulder. A human girl from Corsucant and four years her junior, Dax was convinced Ahsoka had outstayed her welcome at the Temple and should just accept a lesser position, like a Temple groundskeeper. A belief she wasn't shy about sharing with Ahsoka or any of the other initiates that would listen. "The ice isn't going to wait."

"Perhaps we should stay together. Pool our resources." Suggested Mi-shall, a cerean girl who was younger than Ahsoka as well. All three paused and stared into the dark caves before them. Ahsoka nodded agreement while Dax scoffed but stayed with the other two as they entered. They wandered, not quite sure how to search for the crystals, but quickly discovering the tunnels were maze-like. The other two seemed to not care, but Ahsoka decided marking their paths might not be a bad idea and so she searched about for a rock or piece of permafrost. Which was harder than she thought with how dim the light was. Finally she knelt down and felt with her hands until she found a piece which scratched the floor without breaking.

And of course when she stood back up she saw the other two hadn't waited for her.

Running and trying to fight down her annoyance, she found them after two bends. Dax seemed to have found her crystal first, if her struggling to get around a large boulder to another tunnel and the soft glow from within the tunnel was anything to go by. Mi-shall stood watching, as if Dax were something interesting she didn't understand. Dax eventually gave up and pulled back with a scowl, before she schooled her features to peace and tried to move the boulder with the Force. The boulder shifted but was too much for Dax.

Not hesitating, Ahsoka called out, "Let me help," and added her own push with the Force, before Dax could respond. The boulder shifted and Dax almost called out a thanks, but then the ceiling of the tunnel (which the boulder had been holding up) collapsed. Rounding on Ahsoka, Dax spat out, "Look what you did! Now I have to find another way into that cavern! Uggg. Next time you want to help? DON'T!!!" before storming off.

Mi-shall turned her curious gaze to Ahsoka and blinked. "I was just trying to help," Ahsoka muttered in reply before sighing.

"Well, perhaps you should wait for acceptance?"

"I guess. Let's keep looking."

They continued for what felt like hours, getting deeper and deeper into the caverns. Eventually Mi-shall felt the pull of her own crystal but rejected Ahsoka offer of accompaniment, deciding to trust in the Force to guide her path, which made Ahsoka feel guilty about scratching marks to guide her path. Did that make her less of a jedi for not trusting in the Force?

And still Ahsoka felt no pull from a crystal.

Hours later, and the cold had truly set in Ahsoka. She could swear she couldn't feel her fingers, toes, or lekku, let alone a call from the Force . Sometimes she heard Mi-shall and sometimes Dax, but she was never quite sure where they were. The caves echoed terribly. Eventually she did come across Dax, who had been calling for help for some time.

"Oh great, it's you." Dax said from a pile of rocks.

Ahsoka ran over to see what was the matter, choosing to ignore Dax's derision. "What's wrong?"

"Another cave fall. My leg is trapped."

"Can I help?" she asked, remembering Mi-shall's advice.

"I guess," Dax replied glumly. Freeing her was pretty easy but once the rocks were removed, it was pretty obvious Dax was hurt and couldn't walk very well by herself.

"Did you find your crystal?" Ahsoka asked Dax, trying to calculate how much time had passed and if she'd have enough to get Dax to the entrance and be able to return to search for her own crystal. She guessed it would be tight, if she had any time.

"Yes," Dax replied, holding it up.

Ahsoka chewed her lip in thought, but who was she kidding? "Let's get you out of here then."

They made it to the entrance just as the ice was closing in, the sight destroying any chance Ahsoka had of running back to search farther. Taking a calming breath, she helped Dax to stand before masters Yoda and Plo Koon, and a waiting Mi-shall. Ahsoka told herself she could always come back next season to find a crystal.

"All have returned," Plo said with solemnity and gestured to all three. "Show us your crystals."

Mi-shall and Dax showed theirs but Ahsoka shook her head. "I didn't find one. I failed."

"Failed have you? Hmm? Failure is it, to help a fellow jedi? Dax I think would argue for success, yes?" Yoda replied, looking from Ahsoka to Dax, who nodded with more friendliness than Ahsoka had ever expected. "And Mi-shall, how came you to be here?"

"I was lost in the caves, I must admit. Then I found the marks Ahsoka had been making to guide our paths. I followed them."

"Two jedi helped? Failure this is?"

"But I failed to find my crystal."

"Hmm...interesting. Hard is the life of a jedi. Always the galaxy will demand attention. Always there are things we think we need, out there. In the stars, in another's hands," Yoda continued, pacing about as he spoke. Then he stopped and poked Ahsoka's clenched fist, the one which held the permafrost piece she'd been marking the walls with, "When often what we need is right in our hands."

As Ahsoka opened her hand, light caught her kyber crystal and it began to glow.

Ahsoka has been itching to leave the refugee camp for sometime now. At first she was concerned at the urge, thinking she was suddenly adverse to hard work. She'd never been one to do this and while the work here was boring and rarely involved a fight, she still did the work that needed doing. She was not a slacker.

And she had been doing great things here.

She managed to turn the gangs that were harassing the refugees into a local policing force. (Who knew all they had wanted was some control over their situation?)

She had helped to guard and organize pastures for the nerfs which would ease the problems with hunger the refugees were suffering.

She had helped to clean the infirmary tents and arranged teams to help keep them clean, which resulted in secondary infections to be dramatically reduced.

She even taught the kids a bunch of games and sports from other systems, which gave them something to do. There was even mention of starting competitions with other camps on the planet.

And most amazingly to her, she had done it all with very few fights. Getting things done without fights is possible—she knew this—but it had never been her way. She wasn't Padmé or Master Kenobi. She wasn't good at negotiating and getting people to work together, and yet she had done it.

Which had been just what she had needed.

After losing the Council's trust, she had doubted herself. She had come here to help some of the people most harmed by the war. She had done this but she had also learned that she could trust herself. A very important lesson for her.

No, the urge to leave was something out of character for her and eventually she figured out it was the Force pulling her back out into the galaxy. She didn't know where it would take her, but she would follow its lead. It was time for her to leave. 

They sat facing each other across the table; Barriss waiting politely while Ahsoka searched her thoughts. Ahsoka wasn't quite sure why she had to see Barriss once more before she left Coruscant, she just knew she did. Still seeing the friend who set you up to take the fall for their actions hurt.

"Why?" She finally asked.

"I thought I had expressed my reasons quite clearly in my confession," Barriss replied calmly.

"That's not what I meant. Why me? Why did you frame me?"

"Ah. Yes, I own you that much," Barriss replied with a slight smile. "Truthfully, I have asked myself this many times. Opportunity, at first, but there was more to it. I wanted you to see what I did, that the Order is corrupt." She paused long enough to glance at Ahsoka's missing padawan beads. "Perhaps I wanted you to be the one that stopped me as well. My only regret in this was using you. We were friends once and even now I respect you as I respect no others."

Ahsoka was surprised to find she had no anger for Barriss. Disappointment and sorrow, but no anger. "I cannot condone what you have done. You have taken the lives of innocents. Still, I hope you find peace as you pay the price for your actions. Far well, friend."

"I hope you find peace as well, Ahsoka. Where ever your path takes you."