When the Sun Sets

Chapter 4 - Mandalore

Ahsoka Tano

The former Prime Minister Almec contacts us when we're on the way down to the planet. Bo-Katan snarks back at him, in stark contrast to how I know Satine would have spoken. She's a terrorist, I suppose – she doesn't care for people's opinions. Satine herself is here, though she doesn't seem the least bit appreciative of the war on her planet, even if she's accepted it's inevitable. All we can do is minimize damage.

As for me, I can't deny the thrill of this. It's so, so familiar to be back here with Rex and the boys, with my lightsabers once again clipped to my belt. Alema is here, too, and I feel different in these clothes, but I still feel like me.

I only wish the twins were here, but it's good enough. It's close enough. It's what I've both wanted and dreaded while we were on Ryloth. I sense the familiar danger right before a missile explodes right next to the gunship, jolting it violently. Alema catches her balance on the wall with a yelp.

"We've got incoming!" the pilot shouts, and the ship jolts again, this time making both Rex and I brace ourselves on the walls before it jolts to a steadier position and the doors slide open. We instantly sprint over to the door to survey the situation.

Wind rushes past us as fly down through the atmosphere, more explosions tearing through the nearby gunships. It's been a long time since I've seen so much violence like this, and it should be disturbing how much all of this feels more like coming home than anything else.

"We should do something," Alema says, hand on her lightsaber as she watches the raging fight.

"What are you waiting for?" Bo-Katan demands, activating her jetpack and blasting out the other side of the ship, along with her other Mandalorian buddies.

"Sorry!" Rex calls, "I didn't think to bring you a jetpack."

"Don't need one," I say with a grin, saluting dramatically, "Race you to the surface!"

"I'll race you," Alema shoots back as we leap out.

I land on one of the lower gunships, slashing through an enemy Mandalorian's jetpack, spinning to kick another one off the side. Alema lands on a different gunship, and I lose track of her in the chaos. Swinging over the edge of the gunship, landing inside, I slash the first two's Mandalorians' blasters in half and throwing against the wall before I lunge for the next ones.

The last one's jetpack blasts off unexpectedly, and I catch onto him, letting it take me through the air, even as he tries to shake me off. The rest of the way is fairly fast – we focus on getting the clones down safely and taking out the Mandalorians we see attacking the gunship.

I finally land on a crashing gunship, heading towards the surface where more of Maul's Mandalorians are preparing for battle. I definitely haven't been this close to a burning ship in a long time either, not since Cato Neimoidia, and so much is different from then.

Alema is already on the ground when I land behind her, lightsaber spinning as she deflects away the advancing Mandalorians' shots. "I beat you," she says, grinning.

"I was delayed!" I shoot back, joining her in the fray as the gunship explodes behind me. "Rescuing clones!"

"I still won!"

I don't have the breath to reply.

Minutes later, Bo-Katan and the rest fly over the edge of the platform, shooting the others down, and we press onwards for the palace.

"Beat you," I grin, as Rex finally lands.

"Some things never change," he says, faint amusement clear, before we take off running to catch up with the others. I may not have fought in a long time, but my body still remembers all of it. I lost track of all time as we work our way across the city, but it has to have been hours by now. If not longer.