STAR WARS: CONFLICTED

CHAPTER XVII - THE CHASE

Ahsoka paced up and down her cell, with her arms crossed, muttering to herself, trying to stay calm. Not long ago, she had been sent to interrogate Letta Turmond, a suspect of the bombing, and as she was about to get a confession from her, she was force choked into the air, and killed. Right in front of her.

Not only had the death traumatized the Togruta, she was then accused of her death, by being the only person in her presence at her death. But Ahsoka knew the truth. She was being set up.

She sat back onto her bench, closing her eyes and hoping for the truth to be uncovered. But as she closed her eyes, she sensed something in the Force. Ahsoka focused on the disturbance.

* * *

Anakin and Nathan had planned to split up in an attempt to break Ahsoka out. Anakin walked up to the front desk of the prison, hands behind his back.

"I said, my Padawan is in there. Now step aside."
Anakin demanded angrily at the clone at the desk, clenching his fist.
"General Skywalker, Admiral Tarkin has ordered that no one be allowed in there."
"I don't care what she's accused of." He growled at the clone. "Let. Me. In."
Two more clones with stun-staffs made their way towards Anakin, ready if needed.

Suddenly, Nathan came in from behind the desk, sneaking in with the Force. He used the clone's blaster to stun him, leaving him unconscious, and Anakin used the force to faint the other two clones before they could alert anyone.

"I'll find Ahsoka. You try and find the suspect." Anakin demanded to Nathan who nodded quickly, leaving to go the other direction. He sprinted off, leaving Nathan with no clues, and little info to find the intruder. But he was more than determined. He was going to track down this intruder if it was the last thing he did.

* * *

Ahsoka could sense the presence of Nathan and Anakin nearby. Were they coming to take her away? Why would they make those two the ones to deal her with her punishment? She was scared, very scared.

She noticed a small keycard on the floor just outside, probably by a clone. She thanked her lucky stars, before using the force to lift it into place, slicing it down across the scanner. The holographic lasergate faded and Ahsoka had a way out. She took a deep breath, and left the cell, taking off to the right as quickly as she could. She needed to get away, from everyone. The Jedi had betrayed her, and she didn't know who to trust.

Anakin stormed down the corridors, looking out for his padawan in every single cell. He took a left and saw the Togruta, sprinting down the halls.

"Ahsoka!" He yelled after her, taking off as fast as possible. She must have been scared, being accused of the bombing, being framed for killing the suspect, and not holding the guard outside the temple to let people in, it made her look suspicious. But she had no motive. Did she?

* * *

Nathan heard Anakin yell out for Ahsoka, and began to head in his direction, but as he was about to, he heard the noise of footsteps behind him. Nathan spun round, and caught sight of a trailing leg, going around the corner. This wasn't a clone, so what purpose did they have being here, unless...

He went off after the intruder, who was incredibly fast for a normal person. Could it be a Jedi? This might be the bomber, all along. Nathan sped up, darting across each corridor until he was stopped by the sight of three clones, all which had been assigned to keeping guard. There were lightsaber marks across all of their armour.

Nathan knelt down to identify the clones, and he couldn't quite believe it when he saw the name of one of them.

DANDO
MARNIE
TIGRE

He had to glance twice at Tigre's name, but sure enough, it was him. He was dead, that was for certain. The lightsaber wound had almost sliced him in half. Nathan cried out in anger. Another close person to him, gone, in a matter of days after the last.

* * *

Ahsoka cut her way through the roof of the facility, and lifted herself up, instead of running through the corridors. She knew they would catch her if she carried on through there.

By now, almost the entire prison guard and additional clones were onto her.

"Set your blasters to stun!" Anakin called out. "I don't want her to get hurt."
"But Sir, she is a traito-"

Anakin had had enough. He lifted the clone in the air with the Force, choking him under his helmet.

"I gave you an order. Follow it." He said through gritted teeth, letting the clone fall to the floor, still conscious. He marched off with the other clones, trying to sense where Ahsoka was.

She was sprinting across bridges, now with her lightsabers at the ready, deflecting any blaster bolts coming her way. By now, she was much stronger than before, and her need for survival had kicked in, adrenaline rushing through her. She leapt over a fence, before setting off again, still spinning her sabers around her to stop any fire from hitting her. Her acrobatic nature was coming in handy now, flipping over blaster fire and slashing at stun fire.

* * *

Nathan continued on, holding back tears as he ran, trying to find the suspect. Whoever it was, they had gotten further away, because of the death of Tigre, but Nathan could still sense them. He decided it would be quicker to get onto the roof, instead of going through the mazy corridors. He leapt up, but all he could now see was the gunships and clones all following Anakin to one spot, where Ahsoka was. His mind was strewn. He didn't know what to do, so he dropped the chase on the suspect and began to make his way over to the crowd.

* * *

Ahsoka had made her way through a drainage pipe, which led to the underworld of Coruscant. She planned to stay there, and wait and hope that the real suspect would be found. Anakin was still on her heels, getting closer and closer to the Togruta with every step. His connection to Ahsoka through the force was strong, allowing him to sense her steps.

Finally, he caught up to her, and saw Ahsoka stood over the end of the pipe, which looked over the entirety of the Coruscant underworld.

"Ahsoka." Anakin said, trying to not scare her anymore. "What are you doing?"
"You didn't even try to come and help me." Ahsoka replied.
"They wouldn't let me in to come and talk to you." He raised his voice, impatiently.
"You could have, if you tried." She spat back. Ahsoka felt betrayed by everybody, even Anakin.
"How would that look Ahsoka, huh? Forcing my way in would have made you look more guilty." Anakin said. Ahsoka didn't know that they had broken into the prison to try and rescue her, but she must have thought they were sent to prosecute her.
"I'M NOT GUILTY!" Ahsoka cried at her master. She had lost it now, her faith in the Jedi diminished to nothing.
"Then we have to go back and prove your innoce-"
Ahsoka didn't let him finish his sentence. She leapt from where she stood, landing on one of the freighters below. Ahsoka stood up, and looked one last time at her master, far away above her, a tear coming from her cheek.