Even the Dark Side Can't Take Our Memories

Chapter 14 - The Rescue Mission Informational Ploy

Ahsoka tugged her hood further over her face, hurrying through the bustling streets of the Coruscant underworld. Bright, neon signs blared advertisements for lekku coloring and Zabrak horn removal, while people of all species attempted to manipulate Ahsoka into buying their likely ineffective products. She pushed past them, feeling naked and defenseless without her lightsabers thumping reassuringly against her thighs, though she knew that even without a weapon, she was still more prepared to defend herself than anyone around her with her self-defense skills.

Upon her original departure from the Jedi Temple, a ship had been provided to Ahsoka for just a few days before she was able to get back on her feet. She had a feeling that this was not standard protocol and rather orchestrated by Anakin, but did not ponder this thought. Either way, in order to get to one of the few Republic prisons surrounding the Senate building, Ahsoka had to find herself a speeder.

Ahsoka wasn't quite sure how she knew this, but she was sure that Barriss was innocent. Well, obviously, Barris wasn't completely innocent, but Ahsoka had a feeling that no one knew the full story except for Barriss herself - and even then, maybe not. Ahsoka had not been able to gather enough solid evidence of Barriss's somewhat innocence from the recording Anakin had sent her to gain some sort of redemption for Barris with the Senate, or the Jedi Council; Ahsoka needed more proof. So, with little difficulty, she had tracked the holorecording to find out which Republic prison was incarcerating Barriss, and now planned to fly there, somehow find Barriss, and get the full story.

She was very concerned about the lack of detail in this plan.

Ahsoka pushed through a few more traversing citizens then tossed a handful of credits onto an iron counter underneath a burnt orange, metal awning. "One speeder for rent," she said, pulling her hood even tighter around her facial features. The short salesman grunted, beckoning for her to follow him. He brought her through a rusty sliding door that led into a sort of small, outdoor hangar, and led her over to a beaten-down speeder - it would do. "Thank you." The man nodded and sidled off.

Ahsoka slipped inside the speeder, grasped the squeaking handles and soared up, alone, into the outreaching horizon of Coruscant.

As she flied, Ahsoka attempted to think through her plan a bit more thoroughly. Without thinking of the man who had taught her the skill, for that would flood her with emotion, Ahsoka planned to hack into the prison's mainframe through its entrance keypad to determine the location of Barriss's cell and the code to get in. Ahsoka dreaded the thought of encountering a prison guard, for they were clones - and though she knew that she could easily physically overpower one if necessary, Ahsoka wasn't sure if she would be emotionally able to fight someone who had once been her brother; though, of course, she'd already had to when escaping the prison she'd been condemned to stay in upon being accused of the Jedi Temple bombing.

Once she knew where Barriss's cell was, Ahsoka would extract a holoprojection of the prison's layout, then use it to guide her as she scaled the outside of the prison walls and somehow got onto Barriss's floor. Once she reached Barriss's cell, she would easily be able to get in from the outside with the entrance code. Then there was just the issue of talking to Barriss...

Ahsoka sighed. It was the best plan she had, and though there were some flaws, it ultimately wasn't a terrible one.

Ahsoka landed her speeder in a spot behind the towering walls of the prison hangar so that it was hidden in shadow. She stepped out discreetly, sidling along the hangar's exterior walls until the prison's side entrance was in sight-

"I thought I'd find you here." Ahsoka jumped practically a foot in the air and had to clap a hand over her mouth to stop herself from screaming. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and her stomach felt as if it had exploded with a flurry of baspoor gliders.