Final Chapter: To the Ends of the Galaxy

With everything that has taken place over the course of the Clone War, someone bombing the Jedi Temple didn't surprise Xur as much as it did for others. As the saying goes, warfare is based on deception…and something in the Force told him there was more to it. Something on this scale…this magnitude…could not be achieved by one estranged wife. No one has the arrogance or audacity to do such a thing alone.

So, when Admiral Tarkin said Letta Turmond had been transferred to Republic Penitentiary, Xur wasn't surprised. The same could not be said for Ahsoka.

"Moved? Where?" she asked. "Why should she be moved?"

"The Republic Military has taken her into custody," Tarkin answered, who was flanked by a new face, one by the name of Captain Reyna Vorchenko. Her short black hair and blue-violet eyes were her most striking features, as well as the fact that she was the youngest woman to ever achieve the rank of Captain. At the incredible age of 25, she was responsible for seizing control of the reeling Republic Fleet at the Battle of Taanab, and single-handedly holding off a Separatist invasion force from breaching the Inner Rim garrison. Her incredible achievement and commitment to victory had shaped her reputation, which is why Xur was satisfied to have her assigned to him on the eve of Operation Countdown.

The bombing had put the entire operation on hold, as the strike on Cato Neimoidia lead by Anakin Skywalker was intended to begin the offensive. Instead, they were here, and stuck with crowd control…and Tarkin's stonewalling was not helping Ahsoka's mood.

"But why? This is a Jedi matter, isn't it?" she protested.

Tarkin disrespectfully rolled his eyes, turning to Vorchenko. "Perhaps you would like to explain this to Commander Tano?"

Vorchenko didn't appreciate being put on the spot, nor did she enjoy the manner of it, but she complied nevertheless. "Clones were killed in the explosion, which makes this instance a military matter," she explained to her, her voice laced with the hint of an accent. "Although I agree with the Com-,"

"An attack on the Jedi is an attack on the Senate," Tarkin cut her off, and Vorchenko hid a look of annoyance. Her relationship with Admiral Tarkin had been mentor-student at times, but she found his views to be too "stereotypical to extremism."

"Admiral Tarkin is right," Anakin agreed. "Letta's not a Jedi. It's not our place to be judge, jury, and executioner for a citizen of the Republic."

Xur groaned. "This politics crap is all bantha fodder if you ask me. She's guilty, we have the statement. I don't see the point in the movement."

"The Chancellor feels very strongly that the Jedi be removed from as many military matters as possible," Tarkin made clear, approaching an elevator at the end of the hall.

"Then he shouldn't have given us command of his army," Xur retorted.

"A fair point, you must admit," Vorchenko agreed, and Tarkin flashed her a slight glare.

"You serve as provisional support…peacekeepers as you say," Tarkin rambled on. "While your contributions are appreciated, you're not soldiers."

Ahsoka huffed. "I hope Chancellor Palpatine knows what he's doing."

"I assure you that he rarely does anything without a strategy."

Once the elevator arrived, Tarkin stepped in, revealing Barris Offee to Xur's vision, who he had not noticed before. "I have many things to attend to, Masters," she said. "Good day."

As she walked away, Anakin nudged Ahsoka's shoulder. "Go, be with your friend Ahsoka." The togruta held somewhat of a reserve, and Xur could sense she still felt uneasy, but she nonetheless did what her master asked. Once she was gone, Anakin entered the elevator with Tarkin. "Coming Xur?"

The zabrak's eyes flashed to Tarkin, and then back to Anakin. "I'll catch up."

Tarkin looked to Vorchenko. "I expect you in my office by this evening."

"Yes, sir," she nodded, and then the door shut, leaving just Xur and herself.

Xur grumbled. "I hate that guy."

Vorchenko crossed her arms, her naval uniform ruffling as she did so. "I'll admit, I'm not too fond of him myself. We have a name for officers who appeal to the Chancellor."

"And what's that?"

"Two-faced bootlickers," she replied, a hint of satisfaction on her face.

Xur chuckled. "Nice, but I prefer kiss-ass to be honest," he joked, but only elicited a small smile from Vorchenko. "By the way, what were you trying to say before he interrupted you?"

She shrugged. "It was nothing. I just think that an attack on the Jedi Temple warrants a Jedi response. Blood calls for blood."

"Yeah, Jedi don't work that way," Xur admitted. "Most of us anyway."

"I've heard," she inquired. "You're different, aren't you?"

"What makes you think I'm different?"

"I noticed your body language as you walked…it's rushed and aggressive. Jedi are usually calm and composed; their footsteps light and expressions suppressed. You also don't back down when the Chancellor's name is mentioned, while many of even the Jedi's most esteemed members hold reserve."

Xur didn't know what to say besides, "You're perceptive."

"I prefer the term, methodical," she corrected.

Xur scoffed. "Could've used you two years ago."

"We've uncovered a Separatist plan of attack," Obi-Wan presented in the Jedi Temple War Room, albeit displayed as a hologram. "We shall travel to the Anoat System, here. Then move across to Saleucami."

Mace Windu, overseeing the holotable, looked puzzled. "So far out of our way?"

"Unfortunately, we must avoid these neutral systems," Obi-Wan clarified.

Windu grumbled in annoyance. "Look, we can't hold off Operation Countdown forever. The longer it takes to launch, the more attacks the Separatists will be able to pull off."

"What about a counteroffensive?" Anakin suggested, Ahsoka looking on at his side. "We already have a Fleet stationed on Roche, right?"

"That's correct, our fleet," Windu confirmed, motioning towards Xur as well. "But that's still prepping for an assault on Dromund Kaas, and we need a new commanding officer."

"Got that covered," Xur nodded. "Captain Vorchenko."

Windu crossed his arms. "But she's assigned to command your ship, not the entire fleet."

Xur nodded knowingly. "Promote her to Rear Admiral and give her the Demeter. She's ready."

"She's only 25 years old," Ki-Adi-Mundi reminded him.

"I'm 18," Xur retorted. "I think it's fairly obvious that this Republic doesn't give a damn about how old you are."

"Excuse me, Master Jedi," Admiral Tarkin suddenly appeared over the holotable.

"Yes, Admiral?" Windu greeted.

"Commander Tano, your presence is requested by prisoner Letta Turmond," he relayed, looking in Ahsoka's direction.

She gave him a puzzled look. "The prisoner from the hangar bombing?"

"Why is she asking for Ahsoka?" Anakin inquired, poking for information from the odd request.

"Not exactly sure, but Commander Tano is the only person the prisoner will speak to."

Of all the things that could've happened right now, that was not one Ahsoka envisioned, so all that was left was a tinge of annoyance in her tone. "I'll report back with whatever I find out."

Xur grimaced as he felt another chill in the Force…the same he had felt when the clone troopers took Letta away for the first time. It was odd…like a bad feeling, unexplainable in nature.

It didn't cease until she walked out the door.

"Something wrong, Xur?" Windu asked. "You seem troubled."

Xur shook his head, trying to regain his focus. "It's nothing. We've just got a lot of work to do."

With that, Obi-Wan continued. "Well, if we're engaging in a counteroffensive…"

The zabrak knew it was more than that, and he had been a Jedi long enough to know that he should never ignore his senses.

Something troubling was on the horizon.

Reyna Vorchenko was a collected individual, always going into a situation with every outcome analyzed and considered. Her eyes and stance never faltered in a moment of conflict, on and off the battlefield. In her position, she couldn't afford a single moment of weakness, as her superior officers leaned upon the ledge of her supposed immaturity, trying so hard to break her down and learn how she worked.

Admiral Tarkin was not the first to try, and he won't be the last.

She sat with one leg atop her knee, hands clasped together in front of her as she looked upon the Admiral in his office, located in the Republic Military installment on Coruscant. The facility was responsible for drydock, battalion organization, training, and housing of criminals awaiting trial.

Tarkin paced the room, his hand rubbing his chin as he did so.

His brow is furrowed, his stance tense, signifying signs of annoyance.

He was harder to read than most, and she knew that was for a reason. An admiral had to be unpredictable, cunning, and at times, ruthless. Tarkin was all of that and more.

"You're becoming more trouble than you're worth, Captain," he said plainly. "I can't have you questioning me at every turn."

That wasn't the first time she had heard that either. The first time, she retorted, and ended up mopping floors for a month. This time, she knew to stay silent.

"As an Admiral of the Republic Navy, my constituents depend on my word to be final and correct. Your words do not allow that."

He's reciting cliché anecdotes to draw attention away from a way of escape. He realizes it is not working and will now switch to intimidation.

"Perhaps you are not aware of the consequences for those who question my resolve?" he continues, approaching her.

His stance and words are attempting to elicit a response.

"I have served too long to be questioned by a mere Captain. Especially in the midst of a Jedi General."

He will not receive it.

"Are we clear?" he asked, and Vorchenko nodded.

"Yes, sir," she acknowledged, keeping her attention focused on him.

Tarkin grimaced with a look of slight disappointment, and then turned his back to her. "You're dismissed, Captain."

Rule number one of combat: never give your opponent what they want.

Vorchenko rose from the chair and adjusted her uniform before moving towards the door, only to have it open before she could reach it. In came a clone trooper, his armor lined with the Coruscant security red.

"Admiral Tarkin, sir!" he blurted. "It's the prisoner…she's dead."

The Admiral dropped whatever he was doing and turned his attention to the trooper. "Dead? How?"

"W-we're not sure," he replied. "We allowed Commander Tano to speak with her as instructed. Next thing we know, security systems go haywire, and once we finally get back inside, she's dead."

"Is Commander Tano in custody?" he asked, and Vorchenko quietly gave him a funny look. Seemed a little early to be so certain.

"Yes, sir. She surrendered without a fight."

"Show me the security tapes," he ordered. "Captain, I remember dismissing you."

With that, Vorchenko left the room, but not without a quiet insult thrown his way to herself.

"I said, my Padawan is in there," Anakin growled through the glass separating him from Commander Fox, the clone trooper in charge of security in the detention wing. "Now step aside."

"General Skywalker," Fox reiterated. "Admiral Tarkin has ordered that no one-,"

"So you keep saying," Xur, who had arrived as soon as he could along with Anakin. "We don't care."

"I don't care what she's accused of!" Anakin lashed out, his finger threatening to punch a hole through the glass. "Let. Me. In!"

Out of options, Fox turned towards the guards closest to Anakin and Xur, and they ignited their electo-staffs.

"Sorry sirs, the Admiral's orders stand. This is now a military operation, and under his jurisdiction," Fox stood his ground, which Xur couldn't help but offer an ounce of respect for his loyalty. An ounce.

The troopers approached, and Xur and Anakin saw no solution other than leave. In frustration, Xur growled. "Don't point that at me unless you're ready to use it!" The clone didn't budge, and the two Jedi exited the area without another word.

Neither of them liked to lose, but they both knew that forcing the issue would only make things worse for themselves and Ahsoka. Compliance was the best course of action, even if it only made them angrier.

Once out of the detention area, Xur slammed his fist into a nearby wall, only resulting in a metal clang after impact with his gloved fist. "Dammit! I knew something was going to happen and I did nothing!"

He felt Anakin's hand tug on his shoulder. "Hey? What do you mean you knew?"

Xur was suddenly flustered, dealing with the burnout of his outburst, rubbing the hand he had used to punch the wall. "I-I don't know…just this feeling…like a bad feeling every time that woman's name was mentioned.

"I thought it was just me being paranoid, but now I know the Force was trying to tell me something. It was trying to warn me about this."

Anakin rubbed his chin, thinking about the possibilities. "That's…interesting. But why would it warn you about Ahsoka. I'm her Master and I didn't feel anything."

Xur suddenly felt cold, as he realized what it was, and how Anakin knew nothing about it. "Maybe it's the…um…Force Bond?"

Anakin froze, but eventually crossed his arms. "Force Bond?

"Y-yeah, you know when…the uh…Force…binds people together," he explained, tapping his fingers together to signify unity.

"Uh-huh," Anakin acknowledged. "Usually shared between family members or their masters and apprentices. So?"

"Well uh…you see…on Onderon…we uh…,"

Anakin's eyes widened with assumption. "You what?!"

"Alright, just listen! She got shot, and I felt it, ok?!" Xur blurted out, clarifying before Anakin could jump to conclusions. "A-and Master Yoda thinks it's a Force Bond. I don't know why it's there, o-or how, but it is."

It took a moment for Anakin to process the information before moving on to his next question. "When were you going to tell me this?! Who else knows?"

"Master Yoda, that's it," Xur made clear. "I don't want this becoming common knowledge, and I knew you'd get all uncomfortable about it, so we kept it to ourselves."

His answer seemed sufficient enough to Anakin, who took a few deep breaths to bring himself back together. "Ok…so…this bond…can you communicate with her?"

Xur shook his head. "No, it's just emotions and sensations. We can't talk to each other. In other words…uh…it's like states of intense pain or distress are transferred. Slight ideas in combat sometimes too."

Anakin's eyes paced around the room, noticing that various troops and officers were beginning to take notice of their conversation. "Ok…let's take this outside. I need to call Rex."

"This is a secure facility, we do not just have anyone running about…and even if there were someone else…why did you not sense them?"

Vorchenko ended the recording with a push of a button, unable to listen to Admiral Tarkin's voice any further. She read the Citadel mission report, everyone did. Even Chancellor Palpatine knew that Commander Tano had saved his life just before their extraction…and she knew it ate at him. In his moment of helplessness, he was saved by a Padawan, and he knew his life was forever in debt to her.

This must be his rectification of that debt. If he could destroy her, then the remnant of his failure will be destroyed with her.

Vorchenko's office has become dark as she had never bothered to switch on the lights after the day workers went home for the night. She assumed it had been at least a few hours since she had begun; looking at the evidence in front of her.

She had a hunch…a gut feeling…that something didn't add up. The first hour she had spent studying Commander Tano's file, learning that she was a loyal and capable warrior, adopting many traits of her tutor, General Skywalker. It was filled with tremendous praise from clones Captain Rex, Captain Raven, and Commander Cody for her many exploits.

Someone like that doesn't just turn…they have to snap…and while the Temple Bombing could've been likely, none of those perished were listed under her "attachments" list. If she did snap, it had to have been external, and there wasn't any evidence to suggest that.

The next hour she had spent analyzing the captured footage of Turmond's murder, and to the naked eye, everything pointed towards Commander Tano as the murderer.

Her hands are raised in the air, opened wide. Turmond is dangling in the air, struggling for breath.

Every instance of the choking maneuver she had witnessed involved a closed-fist to kill their victim, but she was no expert on Force use to make any valid claims. She turned the footage, realizing that the sound had been corrupted in the recording, and had to rely on facial expressions and body language.

Commander Tano's face is filled with fear and confusion, a sincere look of uncertainty as she helplessly watches her die.

Vorchenko was smart enough to know that the look on her face wasn't hard evidence, but it gave her an angle. The missing link was the audio, and she ran through possible ways in which it could've been cut out. The only way to do so is through the gatekeeper room, overseen by Commander Fox, but she was under guard through the entirety of her entrance until being left alone in the cell…without her comm-link and lightsabers.

Her eyes flashed. The comm-link. Someone had to have rigged it to interfere with the footage. How it was specific to this cell, or if Commander Tano had done it intentionally, she wasn't sure. All she knew is that the key to uncovering definitive evidence was through her comm-link.

She stowed her belongings back into their respective drawers before taking her datapad with her, exiting her office. Her time sense was correct, as only cleaning droids remained to remove imperfections of the workspace, their clicking and constant whur the only sounds she could hear. Knowing her office space was on the wrong end of the base, she began with a brisk walking pace, sorting the data she had on her pad on the way. Squads of troopers passed by, offering salutes that she returned respectfully, only to keep moving their respective ways. While protocol was not something she followed religiously, respect was important to her, even to those she wasn't fond of.

Even to Admiral Tarkin.

Vorchenko was quick, and it only took her around ten minutes to reach the detention wing. In that time, she was able to get everything organized on her datapad for quick access should it be necessary. While this base was secure, she prided herself with always being prepared, as it was the first step towards ensuring victory.

Commander Fox looked up, and she could see weariness in his pose through the glass, although not enough to warrant concern. It was his duty to remain vigilant at all times.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Captain Vorchenko, 12th Fleet," she greeted. "I was hoping you could answer some questions for me."

"Depends on the questions," he replied coldly.

His stance is tested, the twitching in his fingers relieving the annoyance he feels.

"I serve under Admiral Tarkin," she added. "The faster you cooperate, the faster this is over."

She knew she had no jurisdiction here, but she keyed in on Fox's weariness to simply accept whatever she said with Tarkin's name in it. It worked.

"Fine, fine," he submitted. "What is it?"

"The Jedi prisoner. Have you scanned her weapons and comm-link for irregularities?" she asked.

"Yes," Fox nodded.

"Did you find any?"

"No."

She paused. The Commander wasn't cooperating in the slightest, even if he was giving her answers. Time to step it up. "I'd like to see it."

Fox shook his head. "Captain, we have orders not-,"

"To let anyone in to speak to the prisoner," she finished for him. "That's not what I'm asking for. Let me see the comm-link."

The clone gave her a long stare, in which she met equally, and their stand-off resulted in his surrender. With a push of a button, Fox activated the container beneath the glass, offering the comm-link inside. She took the device into her hands and attached it to the bottom of her datapad, initiating an internal scan. After a minute, her device beeped, and she slipped the comm-link back into the container.

"Is that all, ma'am?" Fox asked, the tone of distain evident.

"Thank you, Commander Fox. That will be all."

With that, she turned back towards the door, hearing one of the other troopers mention something about a new problem coming up, but she ignored it.

It was then that a heavy attack impacted her head, and her world went black.

Water had seeped into her boots by now, and she had already fallen twice, soaking her body in the sewage water of the Coruscant upper level. She was down to one lightsaber and was still being tailed by an entire battalion of clone troopers…lead by her master.

Ahsoka Tano was being framed for high treason against the Republic, and she had nowhere and no one to run to. This had to have been what true loneliness felt like.

She stayed crouched down, hiding behind a junction between two sewage pipes as a chance to catch her breath. Troopers ran by, lead off in the wrong direction. After a few moments, she continued down the pipe. A constant prying into her consciousness had ensued, and she knew it was the bond between her and Xur. He was with Anakin, chasing her, searching for the same answers she was.

The knowledge of his presence was oddly calming, as it felt like someone was constantly at her back, ready to defend her. While she knew he would, she also knew he was powerless to help her now.

All she could to was run.

The hunting party had been slowed, but she could feel them gaining; closing out all ways of escape. Her senses spiked, and she took a sharp right turn, spotting light at the end. Feeling a chance at freedom, she picked up the pace, only to grind to a halt once she realized what was coming up fast.

A dead end, dropping straight down into the underworld of Coruscant.

She frantically looked around for another option, but the footsteps she knew were coming arrived too quickly.

"Ahsoka!" Anakin shouted out behind her. "What are you doing?"

The horrific events that she had experienced over the last several hours had reached their limit, and her emotions were all that remained. "You didn't even try to come and help me!"

"They wouldn't let us in to talk to you!" he insisted.

"You're General Skywalker and General Eon! You could have if you tried!"

"How would that look Ahsoka…huh? Forcing our way in would've only made you look even more guilty!"

She balled up her fists, a madness she had never felt erupting from her. "I am not guilty!"

Anakin raised his hands, trying to ease his Padawan. "Then we have to prove you're innocent! The only way we can do that is by going back!"

"I don't know who to trust!" Ahsoka pleaded, looking away.

"You can trust us!" Xur's voice chimed in as he slid in behind Anakin. "When have we ever let you down?"

"I would never let anyone hurt you Ahsoka, never!" Anakin insisted. "But you need to come back…make you case to the Council!"

"No! I'm not going to take the fall for something I didn't do!" she rejected strenuously.

"You're not going to take the fall for anything!" Xur promised, approaching, feeling his emotions struggle to worm themselves free. "But you can't rescue a dead princess."

Ahsoka felt herself ease up, wishing nothing more than to surrender to them both, but she knew it was impossible. Even with the two men she trusted more than anyone else in front of her, she still felt alone.

"I know…but you both know just as well as I do that no one else will believe me!" she insisted, beginning to look over the edge as a ship passed by slowly. "The two of you have to trust me now."

Xur sighed, reaching to the back of his belt, revealing a lightsaber. "Consider this a token of good faith then," he tossed it in her direction, and her hands felt the familiar grip of her shoto saber…the one she thought she had lost during the chase.

"Commander," he finished.

"We'll come back for you," Anakin promised, realizing what had to be done, albeit still feeling unsure.

Ahsoka looked up, feeling the loneliness ebb away. "I know you will."

The togruta then leapt off the edge…into the darkness below.

"After further investigation there can be little doubt that the clone officers killed in the escape were murdered by none other than Ahsoka Tano herself," Tarkin rambled on, lightning booming outside of the Jedi Council chambers. "She used a Jedi Mind Trick to convince the clone to open the door, and then proceeded to cut him down along with 5 other clones along the way."

"I…do not believe that Ahsoka could've fallen so far," Master Plo Koon denied.

"The beliefs of the Jedi Council are irrelevant. We deal strictly in facts and evidence, and the evidence points to Padawan Tano as being guilty of the bombing of the temple as well as the murder of the republic officers. This is sedition!"

The holotransmission cut out, and just in time before Xur hurled his lightsaber hilt at it just out of pure frustration. Anakin stood beside him, and he sensed the same amount boiling inside him as well.

"Skywalker, Eon," Ki-Adi Mundi inquired from his seat on the Council. "Was there no way to apprehend Padawan Tano before she escaped?"

Anakin looked to Xur, who simply flicked his head forward, handing him the job of speaking. "No, Master Mundi," he answered.

"The Council believes that Ahsoka may be guilty of the crime. Still believe they are wrong, do you? Hm?" Yoda asked, informing them of the tide's flow.

"I believe that she didn't kill the clones or the woman who used the nanodroids to blow up the Temple. That's why she's running, to prove her innocence!" Anakin pleaded.

Mace Windu turned to Yoda. "Now she's in the lower depths. With her skills, she will be hard to find."

Yoda nodded. "Two teams, we will send. Master Skywalker with Master Eon, and Master Plo Koon, with clones they will go."

"I believe that Skywalker and Eon should actually remain here," Windu countered. "Having them involved might actually make things…worse."

Xur shook his head, reaching Anakin's side. "You'd be chasing after her with both hands tied behind you back, Master. It's nonsensical to keep us here."

"No offense, Eon," Windu eased his former apprentice. "But we both know how close you two are. I'm not confident you'd be able to make an informed decision."

"The importance of Master Eon's presence, critical it is," Yoda stepped in, sharing a glace of acknowledgement with Xur. "But prove to us the two of you will stay focused, you must."

"I've already alerted security on the lower levels to be on the lookout for Ahsoka," Anakin revealed, in which Xur was relieved to hear.

"Go swiftly then, Skywalker, and find this lost child before it is too late."

Captain Raven was not like other clones, as he was not bred to be a footsoldier. He was created to be a fighter pilot, one of the best in the Republic, but complications with his vat threw that goal off course. He was thrown into basic training, and after years of work with overwhelming odds against him, he earned a place in the 501st Legion's Torrent Company. His commanding officers thought he was nothing but trouble, unable to follow orders consistently, but his survival instincts were second to none. Laced with his past of embracing flight, he earned the name Raven from his brothers.

General Eon took him under his wing when the Jedi was just a Commander, and he a Lieutenant on the planet Teth. Ever since, the two had worked hand-in-hand until the creation of the 502nd Legion. Thus, Commander Tano was considered a friend.

He never thought he would be hunting her down.

Taking one last look at his helmet, imprinted with drawn-in purple wings on its forehead, Raven slipped it on, sinking into the familiar state of readiness. The prototype transport they were aboard was state of the art, and turbulence as they raced through the Coruscant air was minimal. Even so, his free hand stayed clasped around the hanging handle above, surrounded by more of his brothers, including Captain Rex.

Of all the times he had served under General Skywalker and General Eon, he had never seen them this tense. There was nothing but uncertainty surrounding the both of them; unsure as to what their course of action should be.

Raven looked to his zabrak companion. "We'll find her, General."

Xur looked back to him, uncertainty plain in his eyes. "That's not what I'm worried about, Raven. This whole thing is a mess."

"We'll figure this out…we always do," Raven reassured.

"I wish I shared your confidence, Captain," Anakin replied, keying in due to close proximity. "But this…this is a deep hole."

"General," Rex announced, just ending a holo-call. "The lower level police claimed to have spotted Commander Tano heading to level 13-12."

Anakin nodded. "Alright, let's bring her home."

As the rest of the troopers prepared their blasters, Xur made an announcement. "If any one of you blasts her in any capacity, you'll answer to me."

Raven nodded. "You heard the General, stun blasts only! We want her alive!"

The transport then descended down into the depths of Coruscant, and before long, Anakin had his eyes trained down below. Raven peered out, using his enhanced vision from his helmet to scan below.

"Shine the light over there!" Anakin shouted, and their transport illuminated a nearby platform. With the help of the light, Raven locked in on two figures, one a young togruta.

"There she is!" he announced, pointing below. "On that platform!"

Anakin and Xur jumped down on cue, engaging in pursuit of them both. Xur squinted, trying to see the face of Ahsoka's partner, but to no avail while he ran. However, he could sense the strength of the Force within them, only making it more mysterious.

They were gaining on them, only to be stopped by a sudden ray shield that blocked out the entrance to the inner settlement of the level. Xur cursed, swinging his lightsaber only to see it rebound off the barrier. Ahsoka looked back, the same look of helplessness in her eyes once they met his. As she paused however, her partner revealed their face.

"Ventress," Anakin snarled as Ahsoka ran off and out of sight. With frustrated desperation, he turned back towards the transport. "Send out the probes, I want them found now!"

Turns out they didn't need the probes after all. After an encounter with Commander Wolffe's squad, Ahsoka was tracked to a factory that had been reported with strange activity. Xur and Anakin were quickly en route, following just behind Plo Koon's team.

As soon as the gunship touched down, Xur's feet were on the ground, trying to catch up with the team already inside. The Force was electric, his bond strengthened by close proximity with Ahsoka. At this point, all he wanted was to end this charade.

He didn't have to wait long.

After weaving through a few corridors, he heard her scream. "No! Wolffe! Let me explain!" before it was cut off by the sound of a stun blast. Cursing to himself for not being fast enough, he picked up the pace, eventually reaching the origin of her voice.

Wolffe noticed his entrance, turning his way as he holstered his blaster. "General, we got-,"

"Move!" Xur shouted, shoving every clone standing between him and Ahsoka aside. Each of them complied, albeit some showing some displeasure, but not enough for Xur to notice. All his attention was focused on the togruta, who was lying silently atop a crate.

A crate of nanodroids.

"Explosives!" Wolffe identified. "These are the same nanodroids used to blow up the Jedi Temple!"

"Are you a pyrotechnic, Commander?" Xur snapped, his eyes boring a hole through the clone's armor.

"But sir,"

"Then I don't want to hear your opinion!" he retorted, turning his attention back to Ahsoka just as Anakin and Plo Koon arrived. Not waiting for their opinion, Xur gently slipped force inhibitor cuffs onto her wrists, and then cradled her body in his arms.

"Nanodroids?" Anakin blurted out. "I…I can't believe it."

Xur knew it, but he didn't want to admit it.

Ahsoka was in far too deep now.

Minutes inched by, and only the footsteps of Anakin Skywalker broke the silence of the room. As a Jedi, the Chamber of Judgment was the only place in the Jedi Temple one never wished to see. Those that do rarely ever come out unscathed, whether it be expulsion, or just the stain on their reputation.

Xur knew Ahsoka was far beyond a stain now. Whatever happened next was not going to be pleasant…for anyone. Even if she's found innocent, this label would forever be stuck to her, and she would simply have to live with it.

But he already knew what they were going to do.

Ahsoka looked up to her pacing master, struggle present in his eyes. "You're not helping," she insisted.

Anakin sighed. "I'm sorry Snips…I just…I just don't know what to do!"

If Anakin didn't know what to do…then no one did. Xur knew that. He had never felt so hopeless in his life, and it was even worse that it all surrounded her…and not himself.

The zabrak's heart leapt and raced, and in a moment of pure instinct, his emotions broke through the surface.

"Ahsoka," he said, grasping her arm from beside her. "Listen…whatever happens," he paused, the moment passing, and he felt her blue eyes pressing for him to finish his sentence. "I just want you to know that-,"

"Xur…," she stopped him. "You're scaring me."

Xur nodded, looking away. "I know…but I can't just-," he was interrupted this time by a chime…this one signifying the beginning of the trial.

"Another time," Anakin urged, helping his Padawan up.

If there ever is one.

Maybe it was the bond…or the feeling he had earlier…but Xur knew something terrible was about to happen.

The three of them stepped atop a platform that raised them into the chamber above, Ahsoka raised the highest. Now, she was truly on her own.

The members of the Jedi Council looked upon her, each of them having their own unique look to their faces. Some stemming from sympathy, some from indecision, some in accusatory fashion…and she could feel them all.

As Xur and Anakin settled in below, Yoda began. "Padawan Tano, serious charges have been levied against you. How plead you?"

"Not guilty, Master," Ahsoka answered quickly. "I would never take the lives of innocence. The values of the Jedi are sacred to me."

"There is evidence to the contrary," Master Mundi countered. "You were alone with Letta Turmond when she died. Can you explain this?"

"Someone used the Force against her."

"Which brings us to Ventress," Plo Koon followed up quickly. "Can you explain your association with her?"

"We had a…mutual understanding," Ahsoka answered, unsure as how else to put it. "I thought she was helping me."

"Did she help you acquire the nanodroid weaponry found when you were apprehended, the same devices used in the bombing of the Temple?" Mace Windu asked once again in rapid-fire fashion.

"No! I was set up and deceived, as you are being deceived now!"

They were just wasting their time, and Xur knew it before they had even entered the chamber. There was no hint of indecision or any real intent to receive new information. Just a drive to get on with it.

"The question is, Padawan Tano, who is deceiving us? Ventress, you, or someone else?" Windu continued.

"I am not deceiving you!" Ahsoka continued frivolously. "I would assume Ventress is…but I can't be sure…my senses…clouded."

"Clouded by the dark side, these things are Padawan Tano, dangerously clouded," Yoda warned. "But not just surrounding you. Surrounding many things in these times."

"Furthermore," Master Mundi added. "The Council is concerned about your ability to resist its influence, as we have discovered the Force Bond that has manifested between yourself and Master Eon."

Xur's eyes shot wide open, slashing his hand through the air. "That has nothing to do with this!" he violently defended, reeling from the idea that Master Yoda had revealed it to the entirety of the Council.

"That's too far!" Anakin agreed. "You're just finding an excuse to convict her!"

Mace Windu suddenly had a look of betrayal, his eyes bolting in Master Mundi's direction. "We agreed not to discuss this!"

Luminara leaned forward. "She's compromised, Master Windu. With a link to Master Eon, she's been corrupted!"

"He's a Jedi," Windu retorted. "And the Council approved of his apprenticeship years ago!"

"About Master Eon, this trial is not!" Yoda intervened, and the Council calmed itself, despite the seething frustration emanating from Master Windu. Once the chamber was quiet, he continued. "Reached a decision, we have, but not in total agreement are we."

Xur could not believe the council had the audacity to bring him into the conversation. The weakness…desperation to find a scapegoat aside from their own lack of vision…it was pathetic…like scared younglings unable to find a solution.

It seemed like the Council was looking for Mace Windu to continue, but he looked unwilling to do so, but Master Mundi moved to take his place. "It is the opinion of the Council that Padawan Ahsoka Tano has committed sedition against the Republic…thus, she will be expelled from the Jedi Order."

Ahsoka's heart slumped to the deepest, darkest hole of her essence, and no words could describe the feeling she experienced.

"You can't do this!" Anakin shouted in vain, only to be held back by Jedi Temple Guards. The hope in Xur's cauldron of emotions had been sapped dry, and all that was left was a broken shell of his body…that simply slumped back against the nearby wall; his mouth left gaping open.

When one's life is sheltered by a people, those people become rooted in their essence. They become family…the people you expect to always be at your side when times are at their lowest. Never are they expected to vanish…because they are all one will ever know.

Imagine that suddenly ripped away.

"Your Padawan status will be stripped from you," Master Mundi continued as the pedestal lowered Ahsoka. "And you shall forfeit all rank and privileges within the Grand Army of the Republic. You will be turned over to the Republic Courts to await your trial, and whatever punishment they will set for you," during that time, a Temple Guard reached out and ripped her Padawan beads from her head, signifying the end of everything she had ever known.

"Henceforth, you are barred from the Jedi Order."

Xur sat aside Ahsoka, his arms wrapped around his knees as he kept both feet atop the bench, his eyes looking across to his broken companion. She hadn't moved or said anything since he had arrived in her cell a few minutes ago, and he hadn't pressured her to say anything. There was no need to induce added stress to the situation.

"Thanks for coming," she finally said.

"No place I'd rather be," he answered, looking away. "I can't believe they did that to you."

She shook her head, not an inch of hope present within her. "Neither can I…a-and how they villainized you for harboring a bond…I-I-I can't…,"

"They're throwing the Senate a bone," Xur shook his head, burying his face in between his knees. "I can't believe they'd just sell you out."

"It's politics," Ahsoka answered. "It has to be."

Xur groaned, his voice still muffled from behind his knees. "It can't end like this. I-I…I thought we'd have more time."

The togruta shook her head. "I don't want it to…but I don't see any way out of this," she admitted, and then turned to face him. "Xur…what you were going to say before the trial…now might be a good time."

His head ripped upwards. "Don't talk like that!" he urged. "We'll figure something out!"

Ahsoka was never much of an emotional person, but the look in her eyes showed an intense level of hurt buried beneath. The last thing she needed was something unanswered.

And this may be the last chance he would ever get.

"Alright," he eased, taking his feet off the bench, her eyes trained on him in anticipation. After a deep breath, he began. "I just want you to know that…whatever happens," a moment of instinct had him take her hand into his. "You are-,"

A madness gripped ahold of Ahsoka as she pulled him in, their lips pressed together into a desperate kiss. Their inhibitions stripped, Xur indulged in her move, kissing the togruta back as if someone else had taken control of his body. All that remained was their broken emotions; souls desperately searching for affection in a state of peril.

Ahsoka finally regained a grip on herself, pulling herself away violently. "No…no, what am I doing?" she shook her head, covering her face with her hands in sheer embarrassment. "How could I…I'm so sorry."

Xur, feeling guilty for indulging in the sudden moment, apologized, "Yeah…so am I," looking away. "M-maybe I should-," he began to rise from the bench.

"No!" Ahsoka reached out, pulling him back. "No, don't go."

The zabrak sighed, still fighting off the raging lustful emotions boiling within. "Ok," he agreed as he took back his seat. "I'll stay as long as you want."

Luckily for them, the awkwardness of their moment was broken by the sudden arrival of Anakin, flanked by another welcome sight.

"Padme has agreed to represent you before the Senate," Anakin revealed, letting a wave of sudden hope rush into Xur, knowing that his companion was in one of the best hands in the Republic.

"I will do everything I can to prove your innocence Ahsoka," Padme promised.

"I am almost certain the person behind this is Ventress," Ahsoka huffed, having held it in for some time. "And you know I wasn't working with her! She was at the warehouse, in the room! We fought, but she got away…didn't any of the clones see anything?"

Anakin sighed. "No, none of the clones reporting seeing Ventress at the scene," he answered, and then raised his eyebrow. "I thought you said Ventress left before you went into the warehouse?"

"That's what I thought too," she admitted. "But then she attacked me when I got inside. I'd know her red lightsabers anywhere."

Xur narrowed his eyes, trying to wrap his head around the story. "But that doesn't make any sense. If she was just going to betray you, I don't think she would've even entertained the prospect of working with you. She would've just turned you in for the cash bounty at the start."

"But the nanodroids, remember?" Ahsoka reminded him. "That's how she pinned the explosives on me."

The zabrak still didn't look convinced but had nothing left to offer.

"Well, if that's our only lead-," Anakin began, but was cut off by the containment shield suddenly deactivating.

"I can do better," a female voice sounded, and then revealed herself. Clad in an olive-green Naval uniform, she descended the stairs.

"Captain Vorchenko?" Xur recognized. "I heard you were attacked during the escape…and I guess not too badly."

"Minor head bruise, nothing I haven't dealt with before," she answered, holding a datapad in her hand. "Pleasure to formally meet you General Skywalker, Senator Amidala," she greeted, slightly tipping her head forward.

"Likewise, Captain," Anakin replied. "You said you have something regarding Ahsoka?"

The black-haired Captain nodded, pulling images on her pad. "I do. After some digging, I deducted that the sound blackout on the security recording originated from Commander Tano's comm-link, as no other device could've possibly interfered with the footage. I was able to scan it, and I discovered something…unexpected," she explained, turning her pad to display the image, or what looked to be a bunch of dots rotating a large sphere.

"What is it?" Padme asked, unsure as to what she was seeing.

"It's a virtual intelligence," Vorchenko revealed.

"VI?" Anakin asked, his eyes wide. "But VIs have been illegal in Republic Space since the Great Hyperspace War…5000 years ago."

"That's correct," Vorchenko confirmed. "To eliminate the possible creation of an Artificial Intelligence, synthetic lifeforms were restricted to droids. Of course, this means that there's little cyber defense against this kind of weapon."

"How'd a…VI get in my comm-link?" Ahsoka asked.

"I had a few thoughts on that," Vorchenko confirmed. "But I decided to look into the VI's purpose, as it is incapable of free will."

"Meaning it had to have been programmed to execute specific tasks," Xur pieced together.

"Precisely," she agreed. "I was able to trace it back to the lost audio, but in the process, I discovered something else," she then turned her pad back to access corrupted footage she had repaired. Turning to display it, the image revealed the maintenance hallway behind Ahsoka's cell. "I was only able to pull images from the footage, as the VI had been programmed to remove any image of the person we're looking for, but as you can see," she then zoomed in, revealing a darkened silhouette.

"That's who set me up?" Ahsoka asked, hope returning.

"Yes, Commander," Vorchenko revealed. "I can't get a positive ID…but I might have a lock on a co-conspirator."

"Ok," Anakin raised his hand, bringing her to a stop. "Maybe you and Xur can look into it, Captain, but I need to find Ventress and get an explanation."

"What?" Padme asked, shocked. "You can't leave now."

"I have to," Anakin urged. "While Vorchenko has evidence of someone else, we don't have a who. I need to see if Ventress is that who."

Xur nodded in agreement, rising to his feet. "Alright, just let me know if you find anything. Once Vorchenko and I follow this lead, we'll compare notes."

"Will do, good luck," he said before leaving the cell.

"We should leave as well," Vorchenko urged. "Time is short. I'll explain on the way."

"Right," Xur acknowledged, but turned to Ahsoka before heading out. "You going to be ok?"

The togruta nodded. "Go…I'll be fine."

With one last worried glance, Xur left with Vorchenko, leaving only Padme and Ahsoka inside the cell.

"Well, until we hear from any of them," Padme suggested, taking a seat beside her. "Let's work on your defense."

Ahsoka didn't respond right away, and found her eyes locked towards the floor. Even despite the sudden good news, she couldn't help but feel doubt…along with the lingering aftermath of the brief moment of weakness she experienced with Xur.

"What is it?" Padme asked.

She shook her head. "Nothing…just forgive me if I'm not too optimistic. I still can't believe the Jedi Order just cast me aside…and I know that if Xur and Anakin don't succeed, the Senate won't hesitate to do the same."

Padme didn't know what to say, as she knew her situation was becoming more and more desperate as each hour passed.

The speeder landed in the dark atmosphere of night on Coruscant, rushed drivers taking off ahead as an obstacle had been cleared from their route. Across from where they landed stood the Dark Star Lounge, a popular nightclub and famous for their influx of smugglers on a daily basis.

The driver, Xur Eon, stepped out, looking around. "You said he'd be here?"

"If my information is good, then yes," his companion, Captain Vorchenko answered. "He likes to wait outside the Lounge, looking for clients."

Xur nodded as they walked side-by-side on approach. "His name is Mouse?"

"Yes, at least his alias is. Human, brown hair, standing at about 5'7"."

The zabrak scanned the front of the lounge, having to sift through crowds of people as they walked the designated sidewalks. Using the Force, he probed through much faster until he hit a match.

"There," he pointed towards a light post, a man fitting the description, but a way off. "How do you want to approach this?"

"Let me ask the questions," she suggested. "I assume you'll be able to put the screws to him if he needs it."

"Won't be a problem," Xur agreed. "But tell me…why are you helping us?"

While they picked up the pace, Vorchenko sighed. "I'll admit it began as mild curiosity, and to satisfy a personal vendetta that has grown to capacity against Admiral Tarkin, but the more I looked into it, the more I realized the gravity of it all. I believe that Commander Tano's fate will determine the direction of the war effort."

Xur was stunned, almost flattered. "W-what makes you think that?"

"Commander Tano is a more prominent figure than you may believe. If she is found guilty, then the people of the Republic will begin to believe the Jedi Order is compromised."

He'd never thought about that, but it made sense. Morale towards the war would plummet if the citizens of the Republic no longer believed victory was close. All the more reason Operation Countdown is necessary.

Not that he's certain he'll ever be a part of it now.

Once they had reached the man, he looked over with an intimidated expression. "J-Jedi…cops? L-look I'm just doing my job here!"

"Captain Vorchenko, Republic Navy," she introduced herself, pointing towards her officer bars.

"You Mouse?" Xur asked, his fists closed.

"Y-yeah, that's me," he replied. "What do you want?"

"We've got some questions for you," Xur answered, giving him a one-handed shove. "I suggest you answer them."

Not waiting for Mouse to complain any further, Vorchenko began. "We know you gave someone the necessary security codes to access the maintenance hallways in the Republic Penitentiary a day after the Jedi Temple was bombed. We need to know who."

The smaller human stuttered, struggling to find his words. "O-ok…I-I did…b-but…I can't just tell you…they'll kill me!"

"Look kid," Xur growled. "I've made much more important people than you disappear. Whoever you're protecting isn't worth it."

"I-I," he stuttered, and then crossed his arms. "You're a Jedi…y-you wouldn't hurt me!"

Xur leaned in, almost baring his teeth. "Oh yeah?"

Vorchenko pulled on his shoulder, and he backed off. "My associate isn't very patient, as you can see. I think it'd save you a lot of trouble if you just told us what we wanted to know."

Mouse hesitated, but another look at Xur seemed to push him over the edge. "Alright…it was a Jedi…female. She didn't give me her name…just said she needed the codes, and she was willing to pay double."

"Can you tell us anything else about her? It's critical that you tell us as much as possible," Vorchenko ushered him on.

"Well," he rubbed the back of his head. "She was not much taller than me…looked a little young. Her face was concealed…as well as everything else."

Xur cracked his knuckles. "I'm going to need more than that."

Vorchenko pulled him away. "That's enough, General. Thank you for your cooperation, Mouse."

"Y-yeah," he stammered. "Sure."

As they both walked away, leaving Mouse to himself, Vorchenko pulled Xur aside. "He was telling the truth. That's all he knew."

"You sure?" Xur asked.

"He didn't have any of the main giveaways for withholding information. Talk speed, posture, look direction-,"

"Alright, I'll take your word for it," Xur accepted. "But I think this still leaves us with too many suspects," just as he finished, his comm-link blinked with an incoming transmission. "It's Anakin."

Patching it through, the signal came in. "Xur, I've finished with Ventress."

"We're done as well. We've learned that a young female Jedi purchased security codes from a broker named Mouse, but he was unable to give an accurate description," Xur relayed.

Anakin suddenly paused, taking a moment before he answered. "Ventress is telling the truth…she's not behind it, but she told me Ahsoka contacted Barris Offee before heading to the warehouse."

Vorchenko suddenly shuffled through her datapad. "Barris Offee…yes, she does fit the description."

Xur shook his head. "No, that's impossible! Barris is Ahsoka's closest friend…she'd never-,"

"It's all we have, Xur," Anakin reasoned. "We have to talk to her."

"I agree," Vorchenko added. "All options must be considered."

After a long moment, Xur nodded. "I'll meet you there."

As Anakin and Xur approached Barris' quarters in the Jedi Temple, Anakin paused before ringing for an entrance. He could sense the unease…the feeling of guilt…and also the feeling of relief that could only be associated with one thing.

"What is it?" Xur asked.

After a moment, Anakin reopened his eyes. "Wait out here. This is the place."

He knew before he even laid eyes on her.

He pushed for a ring, Xur positioning himself outside the door, albeit still feeling slightly skeptical.

"Enter," Barris answered from behind the door. Taking initiative, Anakin opened.

"Barris," he greeted, and she rose from a meditative state in her small quarters. "I need to talk to you."

"Master Skywalker," she recognized, stepping aside as he approached. "How can I help you?"

Anakin spotted her lightsaber hilt lying out on her floor atop a small statue, and quickly called it to his hand as he passed by. "I was told you spoke to Ahsoka before she was arrested. What did you say to her?"

"We've been friends for a long time…I was only trying to help her," she answered. "I hope I'm not in any trouble."

"It's no trouble," Anakin assured. "I just need to know what you told her…and if you told anyone else."

"No," she denied. "I thought I had a clue for her, but I really couldn't tell her anything. Who told you I spoke to her?"

Anakin held back his frustration as she continued to dodge the main question. Nonetheless, he answered. "Ventress. She told me."

"Ventress? Isn't she the one Ahsoka says is really behind all this?"

For one of her oldest friends, she didn't seem very concerned about her uphill climb to innocence. In fact, Anakin could sense her relief once again. "That's what Ahsoka says…but I think she's wrong. Ventress thinks someone else is involved."

"And you believe her?" Barris asked in bewilderment. "W-who else could it be if not her?

As she rambled on, Anakin sent a mental signal outside the door.

"Surely not Ahsoka."

"No," Anakin agreed. "I don't think it was Ahsoka either," he could sense the familiar presence ready by the door. "I think both Ahsoka and Ventress are telling the truth. But…there's only one way to find out."

Snap-hiss.

Anakin ignited Barris' lightsaber in his grip as soon as the door opened. Time slowed down as Xur appeared, reaching out with the Force. Ventress' lightsabers, that Barris had been slowly inching towards, flew into his left hand instead of hers, and he followed up quickly with an enormous right hook that landed far too fast for her to react. The Padawan collapsed to the floor, unconscious from the lightning-fast attack.

"That was for Ahsoka," the zabrak proclaimed. "Traitor."

The Chancellor, results in hand, stepped forward in front of the court proceeding, ready to pass judgement onto Ahsoka Tano for crimes she never committed.

"Ahsoka Tano," he began, his voice projecting across the chamber. "By an overwhelming count of-,"

"Chancellor!" someone suddenly called out from the entrance hall. He looked out, spotting Anakin Skywalker flanked by four Temple Guards and Xur Eon, a Jedi that had caused him a great many problems.

"I hope you have a reason for bursting into our proceedings Master Skywalker," he warned, hiding a bit of distain in his voice.

Xur looked to Anakin once they had reached the end of the walkway and gave him an approving nod.

"I am here, with evidence and a confession from the person responsible for all the crimes Ahsoka has been accused of," Anakin revealed. In the center, his cuffed togruta Padawan tried to see past him in anticipation of the reveal.

Once he moved aside, she couldn't believe her eyes. "Barris Offee! Member of the Jedi Order…and traitor!"

The entire chamber was thrown into sudden whispers of shock and horror, to what Xur was unsure of the details.

Ahsoka suffered the worst of it.

"Barris?" she asked in disbelief. "Is that true?"

Anakin, wanting no time wasted whatsoever, pointed for her to step forward. "Tell them the truth!"

After a deep breath, Barris revealed it all.

"I did it…because I have come to realize what many people in the Republic have come to realize…that the Jedi are the ones responsible for this war! We've so lost our way that we have become villains in this conflict, and that we are the ones who should be put on trial! All of us! And my attack on the Temple was an attack on what the Jedi have become. An army of the Dark Side," she then turned her attention towards Xur. "Weaponizing our members to use the tainted practice instead of condemning it! This Republic is failing! It's only a matter of time…"

"Take her away," Palpatine ordered, unwilling to hear her voice any longer.

Despite the odds…they had done it.

But at a terrible cost.

Ahsoka Tano had bested odds insurmountable to all, and while she didn't do it alone, she might as well have. The Jedi had abandoned her, declaring her beyond saving against the prospect of opposing the Republic Senate…the people she trusted most. Cover against the storm, the people who stuck by, those were the true heroes of this endeavor. Despite what others had told them, they stood at her side until the bitter end…along with a surprise as well.

She was repaired…at the expense of her closest fulcrum, and yet, that fulcrum had been replaced by another.

The Council had nothing to say in their own Chambers as the highest members looked upon her, some hinting at regret, and some at embarrassment.

"Ahsoka," Anakin, her master, began. "I am so sorry…about everything."

Once it had begun, it didn't take long for the others to follow suit.

"You have our most humble apologies little 'Soka," Plo Koon apologized. "The Council was wrong to accuse you."

"You have shown such great strength and resilience in your struggle to prove your innocence," Master Tiin recognized.

Ahsoka lowered her head. "I wasn't alone," she revealed, exchanging grateful glances with Xur and Anakin.

"Indeed," Master Mundi followed. "We were wrong to bring our inner squabble into your proceedings. In that…we forgot how beautiful a Force Bond could be…and this proved as such, as you displayed the true signs of a Jedi Knight."

"This was actually…your Great Trial," Mace Windu suddenly added. "Now we see that. We understand the Force works in mysterious ways."

Xur couldn't believe his ears as his former Master coated his statement with the weight of excuses, using the doctrine of the Jedi Order to justify his cowardice to stand his ground. In that moment, he wanted nothing more than to pull him aside, but respected that the moment belonged to Ahsoka, not himself.

"And because of this trial," Windu continued. "You have become a better Jedi than you would have otherwise."

What a coward.

His respect for his Master had been stripped in that moment, unable to comprehend the inability to admit when he had been wrong…and he wasn't sure how he would earn it back.

"Back into the Order, you may come," Yoda offered.

Knowing the moment had come, Anakin reached into the back of his belt, revealing the Padawan beads that had been ripped from her. "They're asking you back, Ahsoka," he said. "I'm asking you back."

Ahsoka's attention shifted from the beads, her Master, the Council, and Xur until a tug in the Force stopped her. The Bond strengthened…its power stronger than ever before. She could feel his emotions, his thoughts, his intentions…everything.

"You want to leave," he said.

"I don't know," she admitted.

Their thoughts entwined, and time had grinded to a halt as they conversed.

"I-I'd understand if you did, but…Ahsoka…we've accomplished so much."

"I know."

"You have a place here…even if the Council doesn't deserve you…but if you left…the void would never be filled."

"Xur…we never talked about what happened before the trial…when I…it was a moment of weakness, and I'm sorry."

"Affection is not weakness, Ahsoka, and you never let me say my piece before that."

"What was it?"

"I'll admit, I didn't know what to say before, but now I do. You're the greatest partner I've ever had…the closest thing I have to a friend in this screwed-up galaxy."

"Xur…I…I don't know what to say."

"I do…you do too…and you know what to do next."

The trance broke, and time returned to its normal flow. A tear rolled down Ahsoka's face as she knew exactly what he wanted to say. The galaxy…the Force…had brought them together. It wasn't fate…it wasn't chance…it wasn't the Jedi.

It was love.

Nothing would separate them. They would stay side-by-side and see this war through to the end.

To the ends of the galaxy if they had to.

Looking down to the beads, she placed one hand under her master's…and took them into her hand.

"When hope and love has been lost, and you fall to the ground, you must find a way. When the darkness descends, and you're told it's the end, you must find a way. When God decides to look the other way, and a clown takes the throne, we must find a way. Face the firing squad, against all the odds, you will find a way."

- "Dig Down", Muse

Xur and Ahsoka will return in Star Wars Eons Episode II: Revenge of the Sith

Captain Vorchenko will return