Back in the Game (COMPLETE)

9.1.3

Ten minutes later, Ahsoka was packed in a gunship with a squadron of shinies, taking off to the Temple. After the roar of the engines died down a little, Ahsoka made a bit of conversation. There was a bit of flight time ahead of them, after all. "First mission?" she asked.

Some of the troopers nodded. One of the soldiers standing next to her spoke. "We just got out of the Academy two days ago."

"Fresh off Kamino, huh?" She smirked and went on. "Have you been assigned to a battalion yet, or are you still waiting for orders?"

"Still waiting," someone else answered. "They said we should get assigned within a week or so."

"Best of luck, then. I hope you all are comfortable with jet packs," she added.

A trooper from the side of the ship called out. "What is the plan? Are we just landing and figuring out as we go?"

"Not quite. Once we get inside the Temple, our first target is to take out any Jedi in sight. We don't have time to decide who is real or an intruder, so set your blasters to stun. We'll check after the fight to see if they are Changelings. When all of the threats have been shot down, we'll work our way to the basement. Most of the Younglings and Padawans are hiding down there, and we need to make sure they're safe. Bottom line is that they live. Does everyone understand?"

"Sir, yes sir!" The squad responded, and Ahsoka felt a pang of guilt since she wasn't their commander, and didn't deserve the respect. Before she could correct them, though, the pilot's voice filled the chamber.

"We're coming over the drop zone," he warned them. "Doors opening in five, four, three..." he trailed off, and the doors slid open after a few seconds. The wind rushed in, and the soldiers held on to the rail straps to steady themselves.

Ahsoka made sure the blaster in her holster was secure and tightened the straps on her bag. "Fire up the jet packs," she instructed, and the soldiers activated them. "Jumping in three, two, one!"

She dove out headfirst, and for the first time in a long time, she was really skydiving again. It was so much better than making do on the skyscrapers, but she couldn't enjoy it. Not when the Younglings and Caleb were at stake. The clones jumped out behind her and they raced towards the Temple. Ahsoka landed first, lightly touching down as the troopers used their packs to slow their fall. While they removed them for speed's sake, Ahsoka got to work on the door. It locked from the inside, but with a few seconds of concentration, she used the Force to unbolt it. She pulled out her blaster and motioned for the squad to do the same.

"Weapons at the ready," she told them, and she led them into the Temple.

The hallways were silent, except for the hum of the air conditioning and the lights. Ahsoka used the Force to feel for where everyone was. The Younglings and Padawans she could feel easy, but no other Force-sensitive presences were active in the Temple. She could feel non-sensitive beings, though. Most of them were in the lobby, but a few of them were in the hangar.

When all of the men were in the building, Ahsoka spoke to the captain of the squad without turning around. "Alert the other squadrons. I count four in the hangars and seven in the lobby. Set blasters to stun, shoot first, and ask questions later."

The captain relayed the message to the other two squads. When the confirmation came back, the captain asked. "What's our move?"

"We'll trap the Changelings in the lobby. They won't be able to hold off an attack from both sides. The intruders in the hangar will be trapped by the layout of the room."

"Copy that," he responded, and the troopers followed Ahsoka down the stairs, silently sneaking to the main entrance.

For Ahsoka, walking through the Temple again was like reliving her childhood. Millions of memories came flooding back to her, and she had to suppress them all to stay focused. She knew every square centimeter of this place, it had been her home.