Chapter 8
A whole year.
It had been an entire year since she had been assigned as a Padawan.
And still, she had made the same mistake.
Caught up in the thrill of battle, she had ignored orders.
Now here she was, stuck in the Jedi Archives sorting holobooks—or at least pretending to.
Her real assignment? Guarding the Holocron Chamber.
As if anything would happen inside the Jedi Temple.
Ahsoka rolled her eyes and stacked another holobook onto the shelf.
The door to the library slid open with a soft hiss. A figure entered, his hood pulled low over his face.
Ahsoka straightened her posture. Even without seeing his face, she recognized him.
“Master Enisence,” she greeted. “Can I help you with anything?”
“No,” the older Jedi snapped.
Well, someone’s having a bad day.
She narrowed her eyes at his back but returned to her work.
Then, suddenly—
Darkness.
Every light in the Archives went out at once.
Something felt wrong.
Her hand instinctively drifted toward her lightsaber.
It wasn’t just the blackout—it was him. There was something off about Master Enisence, beyond his bad attitude.
Then it hit her.
Master Enisence had been missing for at least a week.
Her blood ran cold.
Ahsoka turned on her heel and hurried toward the main are of the archive. She needed to find Madam Jocasta and report this.
But she didn’t have to go far.
The librarian lay unconscious on the floor.
Ahsoka’s lightsaber ignited with a sharp snap-hiss.
She was right.
At one of the research tables, Jocasta Nu stood—or at least, someone who looked like her.
Ahsoka took a step forward, tightening her grip on her saber.
“You,” she called, voice firm. “You’re under arrest. Put your hands where I can see them.”
The fake Jocasta’s body shimmered.
A moment later, green skin and yellow eyes replaced the librarian’s familiar features.
A Clawdite. A shapeshifter.
Ahsoka barely had time to react before the woman pulled out a blaster and fired.
Ahsoka deflected the bolts with ease, forcing the intruder backward—toward the vents.
Oh, no, you don’t.
The Clawdite pivoted, making a desperate lunge for the open vent.
But Ahsoka was faster.
She grabbed the intruder’s arm and yanked. The Clawdite stumbled, and Ahsoka used her momentum to twist her around, wrench the blaster away, and pin her with a blade at her throat.
“I said you’re under arrest,” Ahsoka growled. “Now, tell me—what are you doing here?”
She expected resistance. Silence. Maybe even another escape attempt.
But instead, the Clawdite smirked.
“Cad Bane sent me,” she admitted.
“He wanted access to the vault.”
The Holocron Vault.
Ahsoka instantly reached for her comm.
“Master?” she said urgently.
Anakin’s voice crackled through. “Ahsoka?”
“I caught an intruder in the Archives. She says Cad Bane is after the Holocrons.”
Silence. Then, a second voice joined the line—Master Windu.
“He needs a Kyber crystal and a Jedi to open one,” Windu said gravely. “Otherwise, the Holocron is useless.”
The Clawdite let out a breathy chuckle.
“Bolla Ropal,” she said.
Ahsoka stiffened.
“That’s the name he mentioned,” the Clawdite continued. “Bolla Ropal.”
Ahsoka felt a chill crawl down her spine.
Cad Bane already had a plan.
Ahsoka had learned that Bolla Ropal was a Jedi Master who had been out of contact for some time. The last known transmission placed him in the Devaron system.
She also learned more about Cad Bane—a Duros with blue skin and far too many weapons hidden on his person.
Rumors painted him as one of the most dangerous bounty hunters in the galaxy. And now, he was after Jedi secrets.
Their fleet arrived just in time to prevent the Separatists from escaping.
A clone officer quickly informed them of the worst:
Master Ropal had already been captured.
Acting fast, Anakin ordered their gunners to target Bane’s hyperdrive. A well-placed shot disabled the ship, stranding the bounty hunter.
As Anakin and Admiral Yularen discussed a way to board the enemy cruiser, Ahsoka found herself lost in thought.
Why were so many Separatist ships here?
Whoever had given Bane this mission was in a position of significant power. And not just anyone—someone who understood the Jedi well enough to know the value of a Holocron.
Dooku?
That would make sense. But wouldn’t he send his personal assassin instead?
Before she could dwell on it further, Anakin finalized a ridiculous plan to board the enemy ship.
And, like always—it worked.
AT-TEs stomped onto the enemy cruiser’s hull, providing cover as the Jedi and clones breached the ship.
Once inside, they fought their way to the bridge, securing it for their own use.
“R2, run a search for Master Ropal,” Anakin ordered.
The astromech beeped in confirmation and plugged into the ship’s systems.
They split up to search the detention block.
Ahsoka moved carefully through the halls, flanked by clones.
Besides the steady rhythm of trooper boots, her montrals picked up another sound—
“…Stop arguing about the ships! Darth Si—”
The voice grew too quiet to understand.
Ahsoka’s heart pounded.
Darth?
Was a Sith behind all of this?
The only one she knew of was Count Dooku, but she didn’t know his Sith name.
Was it him?
She shook her head and focused on the task at hand.
They reached the next cell. Ahsoka carefully opened the door.
Inside, the lifeless form of Bolla Ropal hung limp against the restraints.
Her breath caught in her throat.
“…Master Ropal?” she asked softly, but there was no response.
Anakin’s voice came through the commlink.
“Ahsoka, did you find him?”
She swallowed hard.
“Yes,” she said. “But it’s too late. He’s dead.”
Anakin arrived moments later, stepping into the cell. His jaw clenched as he took in the sight.
Then, his gaze dropped to Ropal’s belt.
“The crystal is gone.”
His expression darkened.
“Let’s find Bane—and take back what doesn’t belong to him.”
Suddenly, the entire ship shook violently.
“General Skywalker!” Admiral Yularen’s voice crackled through the commlink.
“There’s been an explosion on the enemy ship. I advise an immediate evacuation.”
“Not until we have Bane,” Anakin shot back.
The lights cut out without warning, plunging the halls into darkness.
Ahsoka’s grip on her saber tightened.
She and Anakin led the clones forward carefully, their movements guided by the faint emergency lights flickering along the walls.
Then—
Clang.
Ahsoka’s head whipped around just in time to see Rex stumble back, rubbing his helmet where he’d walked straight into a hanging pipe.
“Switch to night vision,” he ordered, his voice dripping with annoyance.
Ahsoka barely managed to stifle her laugh.
Serious mission, Ahsoka. Serious.
A shadow darted across their field of vision.
They ran after it, chasing it through the ship’s corridors—until they skidded to a stop inside the gunnery room.
It was full of battle droids.
And at the center of it all stood Cad Bane.
Ahsoka’s eyes narrowed.
“Give us the Holocron, Bane!”
The bounty hunter smirked.
“I don’t think so, little girl.”
Ahsoka huffed.
Little girl?
I’ll show him what this little girl can do.
Bane pressed a button on his wrist device—
And suddenly—
The gravity disappeared.
Ahsoka yelped as she was flung into the air, along with Anakin and most of the clones.
Meanwhile, the battle droids—who had magnetic feet—remained firmly planted on the ground, firing at the helpless troopers floating above them.
Ahsoka twisted midair, struggling to stabilize herself while deflecting blaster bolts.
“Men, you’ve been trained for this!” Rex shouted, his voice laced with irritation.
Already, he had secured himself to the floor using the specialized magnetic grip in his boots.
The other clones hurried to follow his lead.
Even they had bad days, it seemed.
Now, only Anakin and Ahsoka remained weightless.
Ahsoka quickly assessed the situation—her eyes locked onto R2.
“R2, activate the gravity!” she shouted.
The astromech beeped in confirmation, rolling to a control panel.
In that moment, Anakin spotted his chance.
Floating just close enough to Bane, he kicked the Holocron straight out of the bounty hunter’s hand.
It spun in the zero-gravity, drifting between them.
A split second of victory.
And then—
R2 reactivated the gravity.
Everything—Ahsoka, Anakin—came crashing down.
The Holocron fell.
Bane lunged for it, snatching it up before the Jedi could recover.
Then, he ran.
Ahsoka’s frustration boiled over.
“I’ll get him!” she yelled, immediately giving chase.
“Ahsoka, wait for me!” Anakin called.
But she didn’t listen.
She barely registered the sound of a door locking behind her—
Her focus was on Bane.
The corridor was a dead end.
Ahsoka smirked, her chest rising and falling with deep breaths.
“Your journey ends here, Bane.”
The bounty hunter didn’t react at first.
His crimson eyes raked over her form, lingering for just a second too long.
Ahsoka suddenly felt… exposed.
A chill crawled up her spine.
“I wouldn’t say so, little girl,” he finally answered.
Then—he moved.
His hand shot for his blaster, aiming straight for her chest.
Ahsoka’s instincts kicked in—her saber flashed to life, the green glow illuminating her face.
She effortlessly deflected the shot—
And sent it right back at him.
Bane grunted as the bolt knocked his blaster from his grip.
Ahsoka lunged forward—
But she hadn’t expected his next move.
His foot kicked up, slamming into her wrist—
Her lightsaber went flying.
Ahsoka’s breath hitched.
But she didn’t panic.
She had spent hours training hand-to-hand combat with Rex and the other clones.
This was nothing.
Bane lunged at her—
But she sidestepped, catching his wrist.
A quick twist—
A sharp kick—
And the bounty hunter crashed to the floor with a thud.
Ahsoka stood over him, smirking.
“I am not a little girl,” she stated confidently.
For a moment, Bane just looked at her.
Then, he chuckled.
“Maybe you aren’t.”
Before she could react—
Pain.
White-hot pain.
Red electricity surged through her body, crackling against her skin.
Ahsoka screamed as her muscles spasmed, her vision flashing white.
Then—
It stopped.
She collapsed to the floor, her limbs refusing to move.
Her breathing was ragged, shallow.
She felt weak.
Bane loomed over her, slapping cuffs onto her wrists.
Then, he stepped back, his gaze roaming over her once again.
Ahsoka’s heart pounded.
The look on his face made her skin crawl.
She forced herself to sit up, every movement slow and agonizing.
“The Holocron is useless to you,” she gritted out. “You can’t open it.”
Bane smirked.
“Oh, I have a plan for that.”
He stepped closer—
Too close.
Ahsoka instinctively tried to shuffle back—
But her body was still too weak to respond.
Bane crouched behind her, his breath ghosting against her neck.
Ahsoka froze.
“Your Master will come running for you,” he whispered. “If you just scream loud enough.”
Her stomach turned.
“He’d never help you,” she forced out, her voice shaking.
“Well, then… I have plenty of time to have a little fun with you.”
Ahsoka’s blood ran cold.
No.
No, no, no— master please! Help me!
Bane’s hand brushed against her shoulder, his fingers trailing down her arm.
Her skin itched everywhere he touched.
She willed her body to move, to do something—
But her limbs were still too weak.
Bane’s hand moved lower, dangerously close to her exposed stomach.
His lips curled into a smirk.
“Beautiful Togruta like you are hard to find,” he murmured. “Or cost too much at the market.”
Ahsoka clenched her teeth, her breath shaking.
She struggled again, but her body refused to listen.
For the first time in a long time—
She felt helpless.
She had almost accepted her fate when—
Footsteps.
Heavy, rushing footsteps.
Bane tensed.
“Looks like we’ll have to finish this another time.”
Relief flooded Ahsoka’s chest.
She had been saved from death before—
But this was different.
Her heart nearly gave out when she saw him.
“Ahsoka!”
Her Master.
Anakin’s eyes burned with rage.
Bane merely smirked.
“Looks like you actually care about your little Padawan, after all.”
With a press of a button—
A shield activated, separating Ahsoka from Anakin and Bane.
“If I press this button,” Bane said casually, holding up a small remote, “the little girl gets launched into the vacuum of space.”
Ahsoka flinched at the way he said it.
“But…” Bane held up the Holocron. “If you open this for me, she lives.”
“No!” Ahsoka shouted.
“Master, don’t do it!”
But Anakin had already dropped into a cross-legged position—
One hand outstretched.
Cad Bane's eyes flickered away for just a second as he tucked the opened Holocron into his coat.
It was all Anakin needed.
With a swift motion, he summoned Ahsoka’s lightsaber into his free hand. The green blade ignited with a snap-hiss, glowing alongside his own.
Bane let out a disappointed sigh.
“I expected more of you, Skywalker.”
Then—he pressed a button.
Ahsoka gasped as an invisible force slammed into her chest, sending her flying backward.
At the last second, her fingers latched onto the doorframe.
Her arms strained, her grip growing weaker by the second.
She risked a glance down—
A gaping void of space stretched out just a few meters behind her.
Not good.
Anakin wasn’t faring much better. The same pull had forced him off balance, sending him skidding across the floor.
They could only watch helplessly as Cad Bane turned away, escaping into the corridor.
Ahsoka gritted her teeth.
“You got a plan?” she called, struggling to hold on.
Anakin’s sharp eyes scanned the room. Then—his gaze locked onto something.
He extended a hand.
A small, hidden orange button suddenly pressed inward.
Ahsoka gasped in relief as the blast doors slammed shut beneath her feet.
She immediately rolled onto solid ground, breathing hard.
But there was no time to rest.
Anakin sliced off her binders in one swift motion, handing back her lightsaber.
And they were running again.
“Skywalker, you need to leave the ship now!” Yularen’s voice crackled through the comlink. “It won’t be stable much longer.”
“We’re on it!” Anakin called back.
The hangar was chaos.
Blasterfire streaked across the battlefield as clones fought back a wave of droids. One of the gunships had already been secured, defended by their troops.
But Ahsoka’s eyes darted to the far side of the hangar—
Where he was still fighting.
Cad Bane.
An explosion rocked the ship, shaking the floor beneath her.
Ahsoka lost sight of the bounty hunter.
She and Anakin cut down the remaining droids, making a break for the gunship.
“What about Bane?” she shouted over the noise.
“He’ll go down with the ship.”
“And the Holocron?”
Ahsoka turned toward the wreckage, ready to run back into the fire—
But Anakin grabbed her arm.
“No more almost dying today,” he said firmly.
Ahsoka hesitated—
Then clenched her jaw.
Fine.
They boarded the gunship.
The Resolute felt… different. It usually gave her some feeling of safety but not right now.
Ahsoka was one of the first to step out of the gunship, her mind still whirling from everything that had happened.
A clone trooper walked a few meters ahead, holding his arm as if injured.
Ahsoka’s brow furrowed.
“Hey, soldier—do you need any help?”
She took a step forward—
Then froze.
She couldn't sense him.
There was no familiar presence in the Force.
Her eyes flickered to his injury.
Green blood seeped through his fingers.
Ahsoka’s breath hitched.
“You’re not a clone.”
The trooper whipped around, slamming his shoulder into her.
Ahsoka stumbled, hitting the ground.
Before she could react—
The imposter was already running.
His voice still rang in her head:
“We’ll see each other again.”
The warm water of the shower did nothing to wash away the feeling.
Ahsoka scrubbed harder, nails scraping against her skin.
But no matter how much she scrubbed, it lingered.
The ghost of Bane’s touch.
His hands—his breath—
She clenched her eyes shut. Tears slowly rolling down along with the water of the shower.
Frustration welled in her chest.
She was a Jedi.
She was supposed to be stronger than this.