Only Love can Save them

Chapter 3

Barriss Offee pulled her cloak around her tighter as she walked stepped onto Ahsoka's ship for the first time. The walls were pure white and the quarters were lined up, instead of being in one part of the ship. 

The Mirialan still remembered Cody. Her love. At first she couldn't believe Ahsoka's reaction as the Togruta had told Barriss not to go after Rex and Cody. But now she understood. For the fleet and the Rebellion. she reminded herself. If there was time, she would go after him. 

Several rebel soldiers hurried past her as she made her way to the bridge. She braced herself to see her friend in person for the first time in ages. They had to be separated when they each took control of a rebel cell. Ahsoka had taken the Christophsis and Lothal sectors and Barriss the Alderaan and Naboo cells. 

When Barriss entered the bridge, she saw the Togruta. Ahsoka was dressed in a short blue-violet dress with armor over her chest. Gloves reached her shoulders and armor covered her hands and wrists. Boots were knee-high and she wore deep purple leggings. A leather utility belt was wrapped around her waist and her two lightsabers dangled from it. 

"Barriss!" Ahsoka exclaimed, walking over to her friend and gently embracing her. "It's so good to see you again!"

"You too," Barriss replied, returning the hug. 

"Ma'am, incoming transmission from rebels in the Mustafar system!" called a female Tholothian as a hologram fizzed up from the holoprojector. 

A droid, a C1 unit to be precise, popped up. Ahsoka clicked several buttons and spoke, "This is Fulcrum."

Fulcrum? Barriss thought. She'd heard of the informant to the Rebellion, and even received several messages from them, but she didn't know it was Ahsoka. 

The droid chirruped for several minutes, before stopping. Ahsoka nodded and said, "Acknowledged. Fulcrum out."

"So you're the mysterious Fulcrum, huh?" Barriss joked as the hologram flickered out. 

"Yeah," Ahsoka replied absent-mindedly. "Two ships continue on their path to Starlit base and three divert course to the Mustafar system!" she ordered the rebels. 

"What are we doing?" Barriss asked, confused. 

"We're going to-" she cut her sentence off and clasped her hand to her montrals. 

"Ahsoka!" Barriss cried. Ahsoka fell to her knees, her bright blue eyes wide. Barriss knelt beside her, gently resting a hand on her shoulder. "Ahsoka, are you okay?"

"Rex," she whispered as she slowly stood, shaking her head. 

"What happened?" Barriss asked, helping her friend up as several loud beeps signaled they were exiting hyperspace. They were caught in a battle between several Star Destroyers, three squads of TIE fighters and two TIEs that appeared to be fighting the Imperial ships. 

"I'll tell you later," she muttered, before raising her voice. "Deploy fighters to assist the rebels and then ready the ship for docking at the airlock!"

Barriss watched as the Togruta general was calm in battle. She was confident in her soldiers and in her ability to defeat the Empire. There was a chorus of "yes general!"s as the rebels hurried about to perform her orders. Ahsoka hurried towards the docking bay as a large Imperial grey ship moved towards the rebel craft. 

"That's the Empire!" Barriss said, alarmed as it docked. She reached for her lightsaber and prepared to ignite it. 

"Wait, Barriss," Ahsoka reassured. "That's a stolen Imperial ship. There's a rebel ship in there. It's the Ghost. The ship that the rebels in the Lothal sector use."