Chapter 16
An uncomfortable silence filled the Jedi Council chamber. Ahsoka stood in the center, all eyes fixed on the holographic projection before her.
“They all have this inside their heads?” Mace Windu’s voice finally broke the silence. His expression was unreadable.
“Yes, Master,” Ahsoka confirmed, her arms stiff at her sides, hands clenched into fists. She had been standing here for several minutes now, waiting for the Council to say something—anything.
“We must discuss this immediately,” Saesee Tiin said grimly. Several others muttered in agreement.
Ahsoka bowed, preparing to leave, but Mace Windu stopped her.
“Wait. Padawan Tano—what would you suggest we do next?”
Me?
Why were they asking her? She was just a Padawan, not even a full Jedi. Why should she have a say in something this important? She met Windu’s gaze, seeing the challenge in his eyes.
Well then.
She cleared her throat. “I suggest we begin removing the chips immediately. We start with battalions that aren’t currently in combat. From there,” she took a steadying breath, “every clone transferred into our forces should undergo surgery to have the chip removed as well.”
Mace Windu studied her. “So we won’t inform the Kaminoans? We won’t order them to stop implanting these chips?”
Ahsoka shook her head. “No. If we tell them, they could report back to the person behind this. We can’t risk that. The fewer people who know we’re aware of the chips, the better.”
She held his gaze, determined not to back down.
The silence stretched until Master Yoda finally spoke. “Hmm. Your proposal… consider it, we will.”
Still uncertain if she was dismissed, Ahsoka glanced at Obi-Wan. He gave her a reassuring nod and a subtle hand signal.
Wait for me outside.
Ahsoka had to wait a long time before Obi-Wan finally emerged from the Council chamber.
“Walk with me,” he said, and Ahsoka quickly fell into step beside him.
“So you and Master Ti just happened to find the chip by inspecting a dead body?” Obi-Wan asked, raising an eyebrow.
Ahsoka cringed. She had given the Council a very condensed version of what had actually happened.
“Technically, yes. The full story would’ve taken too long.” She hesitated for a moment before asking, “So… what did you decide?”
Obi-Wan sighed. “We refined your idea. It was actually a good one.”
Ahsoka beamed on the inside at the compliment.
“But,” he continued, “we also decided not to inform the rest of the Jedi—at least not yet. There was a long debate about whether or not we should come up with a cover story.”
Ahsoka frowned. “What about Anakin? He won’t accept anything but the truth.”
“That’s why we’re going to tell him now,” Obi-Wan said. “He’s already wondering where you disappeared to this morning without telling him.”
Ahsoka winced, avoiding his gaze. Right. She might have forgotten to inform her Master about her sudden trip to Kamino. But to be fair, she had been pretty preoccupied.
As soon as they stepped into Anakin’s quarters, she felt a wave of frustration through the Force.
“Where have you been?! Kriff, you can’t just run off like that!” Anakin snapped the moment he saw her.
“It was important, Master, I swear!” Ahsoka protested.
“Oh? Then you’d better explain yourself!”
She glanced at Obi-Wan for help.
“Let me handle this,” he said with a sigh.
As Obi-Wan recounted everything, Ahsoka watched her Master’s face shift from shock to disbelief to something close to anger.
“What?” Anakin ran a hand through his hair. “And you figured all of this out—without telling me?”
Ahsoka nodded. “Master Ti told me not to say anything,” she defended herself.
Anakin huffed, clearly unconvinced. “We’ll talk about that later,” he muttered. Then his expression hardened. “You said the 501st will be the first to undergo surgery?”
“Yes,” Obi-Wan confirmed. “Most of their men are currently off the battlefield.”
Ahsoka exhaled a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. If the 501st was going first, that meant Rex would be safe.
“To be precise, the procedure should be starting right about now,” Obi-Wan added.
Ahsoka blinked. That was fast. She had expected it to take days just to prepare for the first surgery.
Anakin narrowed his eyes. “There won’t be any side effects?”
“We can’t know for sure,” Obi-Wan admitted. “But as long as the surgery is performed correctly, the location of the chip isn’t particularly dangerous. The only potential risk Master Ti mentioned was slight personality changes in rare cases.”
Anakin folded his arms. “Then let’s hope that doesn’t happen too often.”
Everything should be fine now. She had found the chips, uncovered the treacherous order, and the Jedi were taking steps to fix it. But still, a nagging sense of unease plagued her mind.
Maybe visiting the medical bay would help. The clones who had undergone surgery would be there, and seeing them recover might put her at ease. She wasn’t even sure if the procedures were finished yet, but she needed to do something.
The medical droid had initially denied her entry. It had taken at least ten minutes of convincing before it finally relented, allowing her inside on the condition that she remained quiet and didn’t interfere.
Four clones lay in the pristine white beds, their heads wrapped in bandages—Coric, Kix, Jesse, and Rex. They all seemed stable, simply resting as their bodies recovered.
“Commander…?” a soft, groggy voice mumbled from the bed to her left.
Ahsoka smiled. “Hey there, Rexter. How are you feeling?” She stepped closer to his head so he wouldn’t have to strain to talk.
“Mmh… alright.” His voice was barely audible.
Ahsoka chuckled. “Yeah, you definitely sound like you’re doing great.”
Rex made a sound that was probably supposed to be a laugh.
Then, after a brief pause, he asked, “Why… why did they do this? Why remove the chip?”
There it was. The dreaded question.
Ahsoka’s expression softened. “I’m sorry, Rex. I… I can’t tell you.” She averted her eyes, guilt pressing against her chest.
A light touch on her hand startled her.
Rex’s fingers ghosted over hers, barely there, but warm.
”’S alright, Soka.”
She stayed by his side for a little while longer, filling the silence with small talk—insignificant stories, things to distract him from his exhaustion.
After a few minutes, Rex mumbled, “Can you do that thing again? The one that helps with the dreams?”
Ahsoka shook her head gently. “I don’t think that’ll be necessary anymore.”
The relief on Rex’s face was unmistakable.
For some reason, she suddenly had the urge to touch his hair again. Slowly, she let her fingertips glide through the short strands, savoring the warmth and softness.
She wasn’t sure if she imagined it or not, but she could have sworn he leaned into her touch.
Ahsoka swallowed. “I should get going now,” she murmured softly.
Rex hummed in acknowledgment, already half-asleep.
“Say hi to the others when they wake up.”
Everything seemed to be going smoothly. But what now?
It was already late, and the sky above Coruscant was dark, but Ahsoka still felt too restless to sleep. Maybe going out would help.
The temple was quiet as she walked through the grand halls. Just to be safe, she had pulled on a gray cloak and raised the hood over her head.
She was just about to step outside when a familiar voice called out to her.
“Wait, Ahsoka!”
The Togruta turned to see Barriss running toward her.
“Are you going out?” the Mirialan asked.
Ahsoka nodded.
“Great! If it’s okay, I’ll tag along.”
“Yeah, of course. Why not?”
The two Padawans made their way into the lively streets of Coruscant. Despite the late hour, the city was still full of light and energy.
“Any idea where to go?” Barriss asked.
Ahsoka smirked. “Yeah, there’s a bar Jesse and the others like. The clientele isn’t too bad.”
Jesse was always talking about it after successful missions, walking around the ship and trying to convince everyone to come along and celebrate.
The bar was located in a quieter area, right at the edge of the undercity. Ahsoka pushed the door open, scanning the room. There was an empty table in the far back, which she chose for them. On the way, she stopped at the bar to grab two non-alcoholic drinks.
Once they were settled, Barriss leaned forward with an amused expression.
“So, my friend, what have you been up to? Anything interesting?”
Ahsoka took a sip of her drink. “Just the usual. Helping out at the Senate, catching criminals… you know the drill.” She kept her tone casual, not wanting to lie but also not allowed to share everything she had uncovered.
“I’m sorry, Barriss, but can we not talk about work right now? I was hoping to take a little break from it.”
“Of course,” Barriss said with understanding. “Then, have you read the new novel by Sain Uo? It’s so good, honestly.”
Ahsoka grinned. “Yes, I did!”
They quickly fell into a lively discussion about the latest book from the crime author they both loved.
“The only thing I found unnecessary was the romance subplot,” Ahsoka commented.
“What? No, it was cute!”
“It felt so out of place.”
“But isn’t it nice to daydream? Just a little bit of romance in our lives?” Barriss teased.
Ahsoka shook her head. “No, I don’t have time for that.”
Barriss raised an eyebrow. “So the rumors aren’t true?”
Ahsoka frowned. “What rumors? What are you talking about?”
“So it isn’t true? The things people are saying about a young Togruta and a certain Captain?”
Ahsoka blinked in disbelief. She and Rex? Where were people getting that idea?
Then it hit her—someone must have seen her going into his quarters the other night.
“I think there might have been a misunderstanding,” she defended quickly. “And anyway, wouldn’t that be weird? I am his superior.”
Barriss shrugged. “As long as everyone involved is comfortable. It seems to be working for Master Secura and her commander.”
Ahsoka’s eyes widened. “Wait, they’re finally together?”
Barriss smirked, easily taking the bait. “Oh, you haven’t heard? Well, let me tell you…”
Ahsoka relaxed, letting her friend steer the conversation away from her and Rex. Maybe she was just imagining things, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that this wouldn’t be the last time the topic came up.
Still, as they left the bar a few hours later, Ahsoka couldn’t shake the thought. Her and Rex?
Was it really just that one moment, or was there something more that others saw? Something she hadn’t noticed?
She shook her head, pushing the thought aside as they hailed a space taxi. Neither of them felt like walking all the way back to the temple.
The ride was quiet, and when they finally arrived, Ahsoka stretched, feeling the night’s fatigue creeping in.
But just as they walked up the temple steps, something caught her eye—a shadow shifting behind a corner.
She tensed.
“Did you see that?” she whispered to Barriss.
Her friend frowned, glancing in the same direction. “What? No. Is there something there?”
Ahsoka hesitated before shaking her head. “Nah… I’m probably just imagining things.”
Great. Now I’m starting to think I’m getting paranoid.
Still, the uneasy feeling didn’t leave her. It was as if unseen eyes were watching her—staring into her back—until she finally stepped inside the temple again.