Work Text:
“Ahsoka, it’s all of us.” Rex said.
“Then we must save them, Rex.” Ahsoka said.
“They are trying to kill us kid, how do you suppose we do that?” He asked, incredulous.
She closed her eyes and relaxed, smiling. “The Force, Captain.”
He just stared at her while clone troopers continued to hammer their way in.
“I can use the Force to put them into a sleep for a while and while they’re out, we remove their chips.” She said, matter-of-factly.
He rolled his eyes. “Oh is that all?” He said sarcastically.
She raised an eyebrow. “Got a better idea?”
He sighed. “No, I don’t.”
“Are you with me?” She asked.
He saluted her. “Sir, yes sir.”
She rolled her eyes. “Good, now get behind me.”
He did as she said and a few moments later the clones broke through. As they did, Ahsoka used the Force and knocked them back and unconscious with a massive Force push. “Set your weapon to stun, more are coming.” Rex nodded his agreement.
After many more minutes of fighting and shooting and force pushing, the clone troopers were piled around them, alive and unconscious. “We must work quickly before they wake up.”
They managed to work fast and remove the chips on all the clone troopers. Ahsoka once again had her friends around her and Rex had his brothers back.
“Orders, sir?” Rex asked after a moment of reuniting with his brothers.
“Now we stop this, Rex.” Ahsoka said. “I need a comms unit.”
Rex offered her his and Ahsoka turned to the Jedi channel, allowing her message to be heard by any Jedi who might be listening. “This is Ahsoka Tano, there isn’t much time left, so I’ll be fast, each and every clone trooper has a chip imbedded in them. This chip overrides all emotion and thought and turns our friends against us. You must stop this. This is not their choice, you must know this. Save them, save yourselves. And may the force be with you.”
“Do you think anyone was listening?” Rex asked.
She closed her eyes for a moment. “Yes I do.”
“And now?” He asked.
“We must get to Coruscant. I fear something terrible has happened to Anakin.”
“General, there’s something you must know.” Ahsoka gestured for him to go on. “Fives, before he died, he said the Chancellor was behind everything.”
Ahsoka took a moment to think while the ship raced toward Coruscant. “The Chancellor? I felt a surge in the Dark Side of the Force just before—”
“Lady Tano, have you figured it out yet? I told you the truth before you captured me.” Darth Maul said.
All guns turned on the fallen Sith Lord. He raised his hands up. “No need to shoot me now, I am unarmed.” Several clone troopers stepped out from behind him.
“Sir, he surrendered to us, we found him by the escape pods.” Jesse said.
“Good work soldier.” Ahsoka said.
“I was ready to flee when I realized what you were doing.” Maul said. “These men tried to kill you and you saved them. I will never understand the Jedi. But now you have an army, general.”
“What are you getting at Maul?” Ahsoka asked.
“The Chancellor you have called a friend so many times is a Sith Lord. The Sith Lord. He’s behind all of this. He’s groomed Anakin from the very beginning. I was to capture him a lifetime ago on Tatooine for my former master, but I felt his strength in the Force and saw through my master’s lies. I was going to kill him then.”
“A child?” Ahsoka said.
“A threat to my power and my future.” Maul continued as if uninterrupted. “But we all know how that turned out. So Lady Tano, do you believe me?” He asked her.
She took a moment to close her eyes and think. “Yes. Yes I do.”
“General we can’t trust this Sith scum.” Jesse said.
“Says the trooper who tried to murder his friends.” They all ignored Maul.
“No Jesse we can’t, but you didn’t feel what I felt. Something has happened to Anakin. We must get to him.” Ahsoka said.
“Coming out of hyperspace, general.” An officer said over the comms. “Destination?”
Ahsoka looked at Maul. “Where would the Chancellor send Anakin first?”
“Where else? To put an end to Jedi, to hit them in their very hearts—” Maul said.
“The temple.” Ahsoka said suddenly.
“It would destroy them.” Maul said with glee in his eyes.
“Jesse? Lock this Sith scum back up. We don’t need his interference.” Ahsoka said.
“Gladly, general.” Jesse said.
“Coming upon the temple, there’s a legion of clones marching inside, led by a Jedi.” The officer said over the comms.
“Rex, ready the men. Tell them to set their weapons to stun.” Ahsoka said. “Officer, get the ship directly over those clones.”
The officer confirmed her command and the ship settled over the clone troopers. As one, the troopers on the ground turned around and started firing. The Jedi leading them stopped and looked up.
As the ship stopped over the clones, the clones on the ship fired back, stunning all those on the ground. In seconds the troopers on the ground were knocked out. “Kix, get them aboard quickly and work on removing their chips. I’ll confront Anakin.”
“Yes sir.” Kix saluted while Rex started giving orders to get the stunned troopers on board the ship.
Ahsoka exited the ship and faced her former master. “Anakin?” She asked, “what are you doing?” She could feel his anger swelling and she rested her hands on her sabers.
Then Anakin fell to the ground sobbing. “You don’t understand.” She rushed to his side and kneeled beside him. “If I don’t do this Padmé will die. I can’t live without her.”
Ahsoka held him. “You can’t know that Anakin.”
“I saw it! I had a vision! I felt her die!” He yelled at her, tears streaming down his face.
“We’ll save her together, but not like this.” Ahsoka said. “The Chancellor lied to you, Anakin. He doesn’t care about you or Padmé, he just wants power. I know you, Anakin. This isn’t you, you can’t do this. This is your home, your family. Please Anakin, come back, we need you, Padmé needs you, I need you.” Anakin continued to cry for a few moments, but then he composed himself.
He took a few breaths and looked at her. “You’re right, Ahsoka. Thank you. And I’m sorry.” He hugged his former padawan.
She hugged him back. “Have I ever been wrong? Now let’s go kick some Sith ass.”
He laughed at her. “I’m with you, Snips.” They stood up and boarded the ship and then made their way to the Chancellor’s chambers inside the senate building.
—————————————————————
“Ahsoka Tano, you’re alive.” Darth Sidious sneered as she entered his chambers.
“Did you doubt me, Chancellor?” She asked with malice in her voice.
“You’re as arrogant as your masters.” He said while he stood. “You think to beat me alone?” He mocked her, as she had indeed walked into the chamber by herself. “You’re nothing more than a padawan, were you still a Jedi, but you turned your back on them. You’re nothing and you are alone. And I am a Sith Lord, all the power in the galaxy is at my disposal. What do you have?”
“I have something you will never know and something far more powerful than you will ever have.” She said confidently. “Friendship.”
He frowned as his hands started to spark with lightning. “Your friends are not here to save you this time, youngling.” He hurled his words and his lightning at her.
A purple lightsaber ignited in front of Ahsoka and stopped the lightning. “This party’s over.” Mace Windu said, his mechanical arms gleaming in the glow of his purple lightsaber.
“Was it ever a party to begin with?” Master Shaak Ti asked.
“Certainly not one I would like to attend.” Said master Plo Koon.
“It’s a bit dreary for a party.” Said Master Aalya Secura.
“I for one would at least have refreshments available.” Master Ki-Adi-Mundi said.
“Oh I agree Master and perhaps something to eat, I’m feeling a bit peckish.” Master Obi-Wan Kenobi said.
“Not to mention the party host is shockingly ugly.” Anakin Skywalker said. “Who wants to go to a party hosted by a walking corpse.”
“Now Anakin, it’s rude to comment on people’s looks,” Obi-wan said “I’m sure the emperor is trying his best.”
“What is this?” Palpatine asked finally.
“At an end your rule is and not short enough it was.” The small green form of master Yoda appeared last.
“Surrender Chancellor, you’re outmatched.” Mace Windu said.
“And surrounded.” Captain Rex said as his legion of clones walked into the chamber and did indeed surround him, their weapons aimed at the Chancellor.
“Chancellor Palpatine, I hereby place you under arrest on the authority of the Galactic Senate.” Anakin Skywalker said “On the basis of treason, murder, sedition, attempted murder, and general ugliness. Did I miss anything?” He asked Obi-Wan.
“No, I think you got it all.” Obi-wan replied.
“You are foolish! I am the senate! You cannot arrest me! You’ll have to kill me! Kill me and hope the senate believes you!” At his last word, Palpatine screamed and laughed and let out a large clap of lightning that he sent out towards the Jedi, who deflected his attack. Then he jumped backwards toward the clone troopers and went after Rex.
Ahsoka had managed to see Palpatine’s next move and she leaped in front of Rex, countering the evil Chancellor. With his back to them, the troopers unloaded their weapons on the would-be emperor. He fell to the ground, stunned.
“Good work boys.” Ahsoka said.
The Jedi and clones looked around at each other and inexplicably started laughing. After a few moments an evil laugh joined their laughter. It was Palpatine, he wasn’t as stunned as they thought. “You have me now but how long will it last? No prison can hold me, I have allies everywhere, I will be acquitted in any court of law. I’m too dangerous to be kept alive but I am unarmed. You Jedi won’t kill me, you’re too weak to do it.” He laughed and smiled.
Everyone looked around at each other and then at Ahsoka and they nodded at her. She smiled and the emperor’s smile faltered with it. “I am no Jedi.” She said calmly, strongly, with the weight of the world on her shoulders. She struck her lightsabers down and the emperor was dead.
“You get all that Rex?” She asked.
“Did you doubt me general?” He joked.
“Never.” She said and Rex showed her the chancellor’s own holoprojecter that had been recording and broadcasting the events all over the galaxy.
The Jedi looked at Ahsoka then and bowed to her. Then Anakin was lifting her into the air and the clones were cheering and the Jedi masters celebrating with their friends. The day was won, the emperor dead, order 66 averted, the Republic saved.