Chapter 9
Ahsoka was torn. Her duty as a Jedi was to help her master and save the children in danger, but another part of her—the part she wasn’t proud of—feared what would happen if she faced Cad Bane again. She told herself she wasn’t afraid of him, not really. She was afraid of what he made her feel. Anger and shame still burned inside her.
But how could she explain to Anakin that she wouldn’t be coming along? There was no way she could tell him the real reason. In no world would she admit what had happened between her and Bane before. That left her with only one choice—to push through.
This time, at least, she had the advantage. They had set up a small ambush in the nursery of a soon-to-be Gungan youngling. While the child was safely in the arms of her mother, Ahsoka had hidden inside the dimly lit room, waiting. Bane would come. She knew he would.
And he did.
The second he stepped inside, Ahsoka struck. She was faster this time, more prepared. Before he could react, she launched herself at him, sending him crashing to the ground with a hard, precise kick.
“It’s over, you scum,” she growled.
In that moment, she didn’t care about keeping her emotions in check. She didn’t care if she was giving in to her anger. She just wanted to make him pay—pay for what he had done, for what he had made her feel, for the helplessness he had forced upon her before.
With practiced speed, she unbuckled the restraints she had brought and yanked his arms behind his back, snapping the cuffs around his wrists.
“Now, how does it feel to be the one who can’t do anything?” she snarled into his ear, pressing her knee harder against his back to keep him pinned.
Bane gritted his teeth, his breathing ragged. “Just wait until I get out again,” he hissed.
Ahsoka’s grip on him tightened.
“You won’t,” she said coldly.
They brought the newly captured Cad Bane to a detention cell on their cruiser. Ahsoka couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe and satisfaction as she watched the Jedi min tricking Bane, restrained and helpless. To get information where the other children were.
They managed to saved the children. Bane had escaped, but still, Ahsoka felt... incomplete. She didn’t feel the peace she thought she would after their victory, after they’d thwarted Bane’s plans and dealt him a blow. She was still angry. At myself, she thought, staring at her reflection in the mirror.
Maybe it was time for a change. Maybe she should alter her outfit. She had been told before that it wasn’t suited for the battlefield. She considered wearing something more like Anakin or Obi-Wan, more armor, something practical. But then she remembered Aayla Secura—an older Jedi who also wore less clothing. And Ahsoka felt confident and good in her current attire. So, she should keep it… right?
Ahsoka sat in one of the hangars, cleaning her lightsaber. Some volcanic dust from Mustafar still clung to the weapon’s pieces. She was lost in her thoughts when a soft voice interrupted her.
“Hey, little lady,” came the familiar voice.
She looked up and smiled. “Starshot, long time no see.” The clone, with the star tattoo over his eye, sat down next to her, tinkering with his blaster. His calm presence always put her at ease.
“Say, Stary,” she asked after a moment of silence, “Do you think my outfit is… too revealing?”
Starshot glanced at her, clearly puzzled. “Who told you that?”
“Please, just answer,” Ahsoka urged.
He sighed. “Do I, or do we, wish you’d wear more armor for protection? Yes. But that goes for all Jedi. What’s most important is that you can move freely in what you’re wearing. And knowing that you’re quite agile, a lot of clothes would only hinder you.”
“But—”
“No buts,” he interrupted gently. “If anyone even looked at you the wrong way, they’re at fault, not you. Ahsoka, you’re fifteen. Please remember that.”
Ahsoka nodded slowly. It matched her thoughts on what an outfit should be like. It eased her mind a little.
“Oh, I almost forgot!” Starshot exclaimed, digging into his pouch. He pulled out a shiny silver trinket, shaped like a wolf. “Since we don’t get to have you as our commander, we decided you should at least have something to remind you of us.”
Ahsoka took the charm carefully, feeling its weight in her palm. Maybe she could add it to her outfit. She smiled at the clone and, in gratitude, bumped her head gently against his outstretched hand.
"My squad alone killed 65," Ahsoka challenged her master as they walked onto the bridge of the ship that was flying over Geonosis.
"And mine had 73," Anakin replied, grinning.
Ahsoka rolled her eyes. Of course, her master would win again.
“How nice of you two to arrive,” Obi-Wan greeted them, his voice dry with amusement. He turned away from them and activated a call. A hologram of Master Yoda, Mace Windu, Luminara Unduli, and the Chancellor appeared.
Ahsoka narrowed her eyes, staring at the holograms. She still didn’t understand why the Chancellor had to attend their meetings. The Jedi were more than capable of handling matters themselves. She crossed her arms, watching the hologram with suspicion.
Their plan this time was less risky and more structured than usual. A big factor in that was likely the involvement of Obi-Wan and Master Mundi instead of Anakin. It was simple: they split into three squads. Obi-Wan would lead an attack from one side, Ki-Adi-Mundi from the other, while Anakin and Ahsoka would charge straight through the middle. Then they’d all meet together at a assigned point.
Very fitting for them.
“This wall here could be quite a problem,” Ahsoka pointed out, indicating a massive barrier blocking off an entire path.
“That won’t be a problem,” Anakin assured her. “We won’t even get near that thing.”
Ahsoka raised an eyebrow but said nothing. We’ll see about that.
Anakin and Ahsoka were the last to board their gunship.
“Are we ready, Rex?” Anakin asked the clone captain.
“Yes, General. General Kenobi is already on his way.”
“Then we have some time to catch up,” Anakin said as the doors closed.
Ahsoka grabbed onto the handle above her head as the gunship took off, soaring through the air. From her position, she could see the battle unfolding next to them. The Republic forces were holding their ground for now, but every time a ship took a direct hit and erupted into a fiery explosion, her heart clenched.
How many lives are being lost in the blink of an eye?
Suddenly, a blast rocked their ship.
“Hold tight!” she heard Rex command his men.
Another blast struck them.
Ahsoka lost her grip on the handle.
For a split second, she was weightless, the force of the explosion tossing her like a leaf in the wind. Desperately, she reached out and grabbed onto the first thing she could—Rex’s arm.
“Sorry, Rexter!” she shouted over the deafening noise.
Rex barely had time to brace himself before their ship spiraled downward in an uncontrolled descent.
As they crashed into the ground, Ahsoka felt the impact knock the air from her lungs. Every time I’m flying with Skywalker, we crash!
She groaned but quickly assessed the situation. Fortunately, none of the clones were lost or gravely injured.
“Let’s go!” Anakin shouted, shoving open one of the gunship’s damaged doors.
Outside was pure chaos.
Blaster fire lit up the dusty red battlefield. The clones scrambled for cover behind rocks and debris, firing at an onslaught of droids and Geonosians. Ahsoka and Anakin ignited their sabers, green and blue cutting through enemies with practiced precision. They were holding their ground fairly well, but Ahsoka wasn’t sure for how long.
“Rex, comm Cody and ask Obi-Wan for some help over here,” Anakin ordered.
Guess we had the same idea.
Ahsoka positioned herself in front of Rex’s cover, deflecting blaster shots to give him more protection.
“General,” Rex called out.
“What is it? Do we get help?” Anakin asked.
“No, sir. I’m afraid not,” Rex responded grimly. “Cody said they lost communication with General Kenobi’s ship. He never landed at the designated point.”
Ahsoka’s heart pounded.
Could Kenobi have been on one of the gunships that exploded in the sky?
“Every time you need him, he isn’t there,” Anakin said sarcastically, though his tone was tight with underlying concern.
Ahsoka ducked behind cover and knelt beside her master.
“But what if he’s hurt? He could be injured! Shouldn’t we help him?” she argued.
“No, we don’t have time for that right now!” Anakin snapped. “Rex, we need to get moving.”
Rex nodded, signaling the troops to advance.
“Ahsoka, you’re with me,” Anakin ordered.
“At your command,” she replied, though she hesitated for a second.
Anakin seemed to notice.
“Hey, I’m worried too,” he admitted in a quieter voice. “But you need to trust him. We have to get to the objective. That’s how we help Obi-Wan.”
Ahsoka exhaled sharply and nodded. He was right. They had a mission to complete.
They ran through the red-orange canyon, blaster shots flying past them. The battlefield was a storm of dust and chaos. As they rounded a curve, Ahsoka’s eyes landed on it.
The wall.
The one she specifically pointed out earlier.
She skidded behind a rock for cover and turned to her master.
“Thank you for this situation, Master!” she shouted sarcastically.
“What? It was your job to go through the holomaps!” Anakin shot back.
Ahsoka huffed. “And I did! I pointed out this giant wall! You just said, ‘Don’t worry, Snips, we’re not even going to get near that thing!’”
Rex cleared his throat, interrupting their banter. “What’s the plan, General?”
Anakin exhaled. “Ahsoka and I are going to climb that thing. Hold your ground here as best you can until we blow it up.”
He handed Ahsoka a backpack filled with explosives.
She sighed, tightening the straps. “Fine. But I so called this.”
Anakin rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Let’s move.”
The climb was easy. Ahsoka even kind of enjoyed walking up the canyon walls next to the giant wall, moving vertically with ease. On their newly gained high ground, it was no problem blasting the droids by deflecting their own shots. Soon, they were able to jump down onto the wall itself and take down the last remaining droids—or so they thought.
Droidekas emerged from holes in the ground beneath them, their shields flickering to life. Ahsoka and Anakin stood back to back, deflecting blaster fire, but as long as the shields were up, there wasn’t much they could do. Suddenly, Rex appeared behind one of the droidekas, moving his blaster carefully into the shield before firing a direct shot into the droid’s head. Anakin took advantage of the distraction, using one of the bombs to destroy the other droideka.
They threw the rest of the explosives into the arms of an unsuspecting battle droid and shoved it back down into the depths of the wall. Ahsoka exchanged a look with Anakin. Both nodded in silent agreement. Ahsoka then lifted Rex with the Force and flung him down. The Jedi quickly followed, leaping off the wall just as the bombs detonated behind them.
Before they could hit the ground, they used the Force to slow their descent, also catching Rex in mid-air. Ahsoka chuckled as she heard the rapid thumping of his heartbeat even through his armor.
“Please don’t ever do that again, Commander,” Rex said, trying to sound professional, though his voice carried a slight shake.
“But where’d be the fun in that?” Ahsoka teased with a smirk.
Afterward, they reached the landing point without any further problems. To her relief, both Master Mundi and Master Kenobi were already there.
“You’re late again,” Obi-Wan commented dryly.
“And you look like you were too slow to dodge,” Anakin shot back, eyeing Obi-Wan’s sitting form.
“Please, can we concentrate on the shield generator again, gentlemen?” Master Mundi interrupted, clearly unimpressed. He was holding his side, visibly injured himself.
Destroying the shield generator was quick work. Ahsoka and Anakin were now the only Jedi remaining on Geonosis after Obi-Wan and Mundi had been taken back for medical attention.
Soon enough, a gunship landed, and on board were Master Luminara Unduli and her Padawan, another Mirialan. Ahsoka waited for the older Masters to speak first.
“Ahsoka, as you already know, this is Master Luminara Unduli and her Padawan,” Anakin introduced.
“Ahsoka Tano. Honored to fight with you,” she said with a polite nod.
“Barriss Offee, at your service,” the other Padawan greeted in return, offering a small bow.
The four Jedi stood around a holomap displaying the tunnels and the factory.
“As you can see, some of these tunnels lead directly to the main reactor,” Luminara explained. “The Padawans will go through there and destroy it while we provide a distraction outside.”
“The Padawans? Isn’t that a bit risky?” Anakin voiced his concerns.
“My Padawan is adequately prepared for this task,” Luminara assured him.
Anakin still didn’t look convinced. Ahsoka resisted the urge to sigh. He could put a bit more faith in me.
“Trust us. We will be able to complete it,” she told him.
“I’m just worried about you. Barriss may know the tunnels, but you do not,” he countered.
Ahsoka rolled her eyes. “We’ll make it. She’s trustworthy, haven’t you heard?” Then, turning to Barriss, she added, “If you’re ready, let’s go.”
The tunnels were dark and eerily quiet, but Barriss led them through at a fast pace. It wasn’t long before they reached the reactor. The tall room was bathed in a dim red light, and for the moment, no enemies were in sight.
As they worked, carefully attaching the explosives to the reactor, Barriss suddenly asked, “Do you like fighting?”
Ahsoka blinked at the unexpected question. “Yes. I can protect myself and the ones who can’t protect themselves this way,” she answered honestly.
“But isn’t it against the peace we’re searching for?”
Ahsoka didn’t need to think long about that. “No. Words can’t stop metal from piercing through flesh. As long as the Separatists use weapons, we need them too. Not for attack, but for defense.”
If Barriss had a response, she never got the chance to say it.
A sudden screech echoed through the chamber as a swarm of Geonosians flew into the hall, blaster fire raining down on them. Ahsoka and Barriss ignited their lightsabers, deflecting shots and cutting down enemies as fast as they could.
Then, out of the corner of her eye, Ahsoka noticed a much bigger problem.
“The bombs!” she shouted.
Some of the Geonosians had started pulling the explosives off the reactor.
Without hesitation, Ahsoka flung herself into the air, trying to retrieve them.
“Ahsoka, watch out!”
She barely registered Barriss’s warning before sharp claws dug into her skin. The next thing she knew, she was being lifted into the air, struggling against the Geonosian’s grip. But the creature held firm—until it suddenly hurled her against the metal structure of the reactor.
Her head hit with a sickening crack.
Pain exploded through her skull, and for a moment, her vision darkened. Unconsciousness loomed over her, but before it could take hold, she was jolted by an overwhelming wave of worry. It was so strong, so sudden, that it almost shook her body back into full awareness.
What was that?
She didn’t have time to ponder the strange sensation.
A loud rumble shook the ground.
A tank rolled in through the gate.
Forcing herself to push past the pain, Ahsoka scrambled back to Barriss’s side.
“Do you have a plan?” Barriss asked, breathless.
Ahsoka scanned the room. Tank. No bombs. Reactor.
She nodded. “Yes, I do. Do you trust me?”
Barriss hesitated for only a second before nodding.
“Good,” Ahsoka said.
Without another word, she leapt onto the tank, Barriss following close behind. Ahsoka wrenched open the hatch and, using the element of surprise, swiftly cut down the droids inside. The two Padawans climbed in, taking control of the vehicle.
“This could be the last thing we do,” Barriss murmured, understanding Ahsoka’s plan.
“Yes. But it’s the only way now. With fewer droids, there will be less fighting.”
And with that, she pressed the fire button.
Everything erupted around them. The deafening sounds of stone crashing against metal rang through the inside of the tank. Ahsoka instinctively covered her montrals, trying to block out some of the noise. She squeezed her eyes shut, the feeling of helplessness creeping in. If we don’t make it out of here, Master, Rex, Kenobi, Starshot, the Wolfpack… she thought, her heart heavy. Goodbye.
Eventually, everything grew quiet. It wasn’t the comforting kind of quiet, but the eerie silence that follows when you’re completely alone in the vast emptiness. Ahsoka slowly opened her eyes. Barris sat across from her, her face streaked with tears. Without a word, Ahsoka reached over and placed a hand on hers, offering what little comfort she could.
"We’re not going to get out of here," Barris said, her voice hollow. It wasn’t a question—it was a resignation.
Ahsoka didn’t share the same certainty. She believed they could survive. They had survived worse. They had survived the crashing of the factory on top of them, and she believed the hardest part was behind them.
"No," Ahsoka replied, her voice firm. "But they don’t know where to search for us. They'll declare us dead and give up."
Barris sounded so sure of herself, so convinced that their fate was sealed. Ahsoka shook her head.
"My master won’t ever give me up," Ahsoka said with certainty. She knew Anakin. He had never left her behind, and she knew, deep down, he would come for her now, just as he always had before.
"Ahsoka..."
Ahsoka furrowed her brow. "Did you just say my name?" she asked, looking at Barris.
The other padawan shook her head slowly, eyes distant.
"Where are you?"
Ahsoka paused, a shift in the Force rippling around her. Her focus sharpened, instinctively reaching for the familiar presence that could only mean one thing. She concentrated on the connection—Anakin.
It felt easier than it had with Master Plo. Without closing her eyes, she could already feel the invisible strands of connection between her and her master. And then, a wave of relief washed over her—but it wasn’t hers. It came from Anakin.
At that moment, she knew. They were going to be okay.
"What are you doing? How can you be so calm?" Barris asked, clearly startled by Ahsoka’s sudden change in demeanor.
Ahsoka held a finger to her lips, signaling Barris to stay quiet. "I’m getting us out of here," she whispered, her voice steady.
She could sense Anakin’s approach, his presence drawing nearer. She focused on that, trusting the connection between them. Then, the rumbling returned, and soon after, light began to pour through the tank's windows. Ahsoka pressed against the lid, and with a forceful push, it sprang open.
Fresh air hit her face. She climbed out of the tank, quickly turning to help Barris. The two of them stood on top of the tank, looking out. Ahsoka smiled with pride when she saw her master standing just outside the crater, next to Luminara.
"I knew you would save me“