Chapter 19
Ahsoka sat alone in her quarters. It was dark outside, and the artificial lights cast a pale glow across the room. She had been at her desk for hours, staring at the holopad, trying to write the mission report, but she didn’t even know where to begin.
How am I supposed to explain what happened?
Oh, I got killed and resurrected by the Son and the Daughter.
Yeah, that would sound perfectly believable.
But that wasn’t the only problem.
Ever since they’d returned to Coruscant, she’d felt… watched. Like something unseen was lurking just out of sight. She blamed the Son, blamed whatever darkness still lingered from that place. It felt like he was out there, somewhere, just waiting for the right moment to strike again.
Frustrated, Ahsoka shut off her holopad with a sigh. I’ll try again tomorrow.
As she stood and stretched her aching muscles, she thought she saw something move behind the window. A flicker, something dark. She turned her head sharply, eyes scanning the glass and the darkness beyond it.
Nothing. Just her own reflection.
Great. Now I’m paranoid.
Maybe a meditation session would help.
She sat cross-legged on her bed, closed her eyes, and tried to focus on her breathing. Inhale. Exhale. Center. But her mind refused to quiet down. Instead of peace, unease rose in her chest like a tide. It was like invisible eyes were locked on her, watching, waiting.
She opened her eyes.
For the briefest moment, she thought she saw something light flicker past the window—something small and fast. But when she blinked, it was gone. Nothing.
This clearly isn’t working.
Suddenly, her commlink blinked, catching her off guard.
Who would be calling her this late?
“Hello, Commander,” said Jesse on the other end. His voice was cheerful, slightly slurred, like he’d already had a drink or two. “We’re heading to the bar soon. You wanna come?”
Ahsoka hesitated for a moment.
Then, “Yeah. Why not?” she replied.
There was nothing else she could do tonight. She couldn’t meditate, and she definitely wasn’t going to sleep. Maybe a drink, and a little distraction, wouldn’t be the worst idea.
The clones were already waiting for her in front of the temple. It was a small group. Kix, Tup, Slak, and of course, Jesse himself.
“I always knew you were the most fun commander,” Jesse greeted her with a grin.
“Someone’s gotta keep an eye on you troublemakers,” Ahsoka replied with a smirk.
As they walked through the city, Ahsoka glanced at Jesse with curiosity. “So, why are we going out? Did something happen?”
“We wanted to celebrate having you and the captain back,” Jesse explained. “And get this, Rex actually agreed to meet up with us later.”
The group chuckled, and Ahsoka laughed with them. The thought of stoic, by-the-book Captain Rex at a bar, possibly with a drink in hand, was oddly amusing. Even though she knew the Captain was more than his outward expression showed.
The presence of her friends eased her nerves a bit. Their warmth and laughter gave her something to focus on, something real. But even so, a thin layer of unease clung to her thoughts like a shadow she couldn’t shake.
As they walked through a narrow alley on their way to the bar, a sudden noise made her stop in her tracks. Something had fallen behind them.
She whipped around.
An old barrel lay on its side, rolling slightly before settling still. Her eyes narrowed. Was that… a shadow ducking behind the corner?
Her hand hovered near her lightsaber as she reached out with the Force.
Nothing.
The space around them felt still. Empty.
Maybe I really am just imagining things.
Still, she couldn’t shake the sensation that something, or someone, was just out of sight.
The atmosphere inside the bar was lively. A band played upbeat music, loud, but not overwhelming. The group ordered drinks and found a table on the far side of the room, away from the band.
Ahsoka mostly listened, smiling at the clones’ stories, occasionally taking small sips from her drink. It had a touch of alcohol, but not much, Jesse had ordered for them, keeping it light for her.
After a while, it was just her and Jesse left at the table, watching Slak attempt to dance with a woman. Or rather, try to dance. His steps were wobbly and uncoordinated, swaying more with the alcohol than the rhythm of the music. Ahsoka and Jesse giggled.
“Commander,” Jesse said, turning toward her with a lazy grin. “Is it true you died?”
Ahsoka choked on her drink. “Where did you hear that?” she asked, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.
“So it is true? Crazy.” Jesse grinned, voice slurring just slightly. “Our commander is a zombie.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m still very much alive, thank you.”
Before he could reply, a Twi’lek waitress approached their table and placed a glass of shimmering red liquid in front of her. She was dressed in minimal clothing, clearly hired more for show than service.
“I didn’t order anything,” Ahsoka said, confused.
The Twi’lek winked. “It’s a gift from someone.”
Ahsoka felt the skin of her head-tails flush darker. “Well… send them a thank-you back,” she said flatly.
Still, curiosity got the better of her. She picked up the glass, but the moment her fingers touched it, a wave of unease swept over her. It felt like the Force itself was trying to warn her.
Cautiously, she sniffed the drink. It smelled sweet… and familiar. Her eyes widened.
Vreshka berries.
Sweet, rare, and toxic to Togrutas. The berry was sometimes used in drinks, but never for her species. It wasn’t a mistake she could afford to ignore.
Her gaze scanned the bar, sharp and searching. Who sent this? Was it just carelessness, or something more?
Her eyes landed near the entrance, where familiar figures had just arrived. Kix was greeting Rex, and the two were heading over.
As Kix reached the table, his expression shifted. “Don’t drink that, Commander!” he warned.
“It’s…”
“Poisonous,” Ahsoka finished, cutting him off. “I noticed.”
Rex looked between them, confused. “It looks like a regular drink to me.”
“For you and me, it is,” Kix explained. “But the ingredients in it are dangerous to Togrutas. Where did it come from?”
“It was a gift,” Jesse answered with a shrug. “Somebody sent it over.”
Rex’s eyes narrowed, sweeping across the bar with the focused intensity of a soldier.
“Leave it, Rex,” Ahsoka said, sensing his rising concern. “It was probably just an accident. We’re here to have fun, remember?”
Still, her fingers lingered near her saber. She tried to push away the tight feeling in her chest, but it clung to her like smoke.
This hadn’t been an accident. She was sure of it.
The night went on without further incidents, but Ahsoka couldn’t shake the feeling of being unsafe.
“You alright, Commander?” Rex asked. Jesse had managed to convince him to join them for one drink, and now the two of them sat quietly at the edge of the bar.
“Just a bit tired,” she answered.
“Should I take you back to the temple?”
Normally, Ahsoka would’ve declined, she was a Jedi, more than capable of handling herself. But tonight, she could really use the company.
“If it’s okay with you.”
“The others will be fine,” Rex said. “Let them have their fun. Kix has it under control.”
Ahsoka nodded in agreement.
The air outside was cool, a soft contrast to the warmth and music of the bar. In this part of Coruscant, foot traffic had slowed, but the city’s distant hum was ever-present, a soft, pulsing reminder that Coruscant never truly slept.
They walked through the same narrow alley she and the others had taken earlier. The silence between them was comfortable until Rex suddenly reached out, stopping her with an arm across her chest. His gaze was sharp, focused, narrowed to slits.
“What is it?” Ahsoka whispered, her hand already on her lightsaber.
He didn’t answer. Instead, he picked up an old can from the trash-strewn floor and hurled it forward.
Ahsoka’s breath caught.
The can struck something midair, right at neck level, and was instantly sliced in two. A soft, almost silent snap followed, and the pieces clattered to the ground beside a nearly invisible wire strung across the alley.
Her stomach dropped.
That wire could’ve taken her head clean off.
Heart racing, she scanned the shadows. Then, movement. A shadow slipped across the rooftop. Without thinking, she jumped, saber ignited, and chased it upward. Her boots landed silently on the rooftop, but whoever had been watching her was already gone vanishing into the dark like smoke.
She made her way back down to Rex, breathing hard.
“Did you see them?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No. Whoever it is, they’re fast.”
Their eyes locked. Her voice dropped. “The only thing I know is they’re following me… and they’re trying to kill me.”
Rex didn’t look away. “Are you sure?”
Ahsoka hesitated. Two incidents in one night. That couldn’t be coincidence… could it? The drink might have been an accident. And maybe they just happened to walk down the wrong alley. Was she seeing danger where there was none?
“No…” she admitted, finally. “I’m not.”
She looked away.
She felt a warm hand on her shoulder, grounding her.
“I get it, ‘Soka,” Rex said gently. “Let’s go home now.”
As soon as they reached a busy street, Rex waved over a speeder taxi. It brought them to the entrance of the clone quarters. Ahsoka knew it was time to head back to the temple, but something held her back.
Rex seemed to read her thoughts.
“You can come in for a bit, if you’d like,” he offered calmly.
Ahsoka let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding and nodded.
Rex’s room hadn’t changed since the last time she’d been there. He motioned for her to sit on the bed, and she did.
“Do you think I failed?” Ahsoka blurted out, the question that had been bothering her for days finally slipping free.
Rex looked confused, shaking his head. “No, of course not. Why would you think that?”
“I’m… I’m a Jedi. I’m supposed to be strong, but I…”
“You are strong,” Rex cut in. “You survived a war as a child. You survived the Son.”
“I killed thousands of people… I almost killed you!” Ahsoka protested, her voice rising. “And now, I’m scared of every shadow and every little sound. I’m supposed to be stronger than this!”
“You were possessed by the Son. You couldn’t do anything. It wasn’t you.”
Ahsoka jumped to her feet.
“You don’t understand! It was me! He only amplified what was already there. And I couldn’t stop it. I was weak. I would’ve killed you…”
She sank back onto the bed and whispered, “I don’t know how I could’ve lived with the fact that I killed you.”
“But you didn’t.”
She looked at him, eyes uncertain.
“You didn’t,” he repeated, calm and steady. “I’m still here. And so are you.”
Rex’s voice remained gentle, but serious. “Ahsoka, it’s okay to be angry. I know the Jedi always preach strength, calm, always making the right choices, but look at General Kenobi. Look at Skywalker. You remember Skywalker’s anger just like I do. And even Kenobi didn’t always do everything right.”
His expression softened.
“You died, ‘Soka. And you came back. What’s stronger than that? It’s only natural to need time.”
His words grounded her, helped her breathe. Her thoughts were still tangled and confusing, but her mind began to settle.
They talked a little more after that. Mostly Rex talking, keeping his voice calm and steady. He noticed her eyes slowly drifting closed, her face finally peaceful in a way he hadn’t seen since Mortis.
Carefully, Rex stood and pulled the blanket over her body, doing his best not to wake her.
“I don’t know what I’d do if you were gone too,” he whispered.
He went to the cupboard, pulled out a spare blanket, and settled himself into the chair. It wasn’t comfortable, his neck would definitely hate him tomorrow, but he’d take that.
Just before he drifted off, he thought he saw a shadow pass across the little window of his room.
But he dismissed it.
Probably just his imagination… fueled by everything Ahsoka had said.