Survival: A Star Wars The Clone Wars Story

Chapter 13

Even with her eyes squeezed shut, Ahsoka could still see through the force exactly what was happening to the ship, and even what was going to happen. Frame by frame the action slowed to the beat of her heart. Ahead of them any droids in the path of the ship were flattened instantly and behind, the vulture droids had peeled away from their trail to avoid crashing themselves. The surface of the landing platform had done nothing to slow the ship and what was about to happen would be like slamming into a planet at hyper-speed and – was that someone talking to her?

"Ahsoka!" Anakin. But she couldn't tell if he was actually speaking aloud or in her head. "You know what we have to do." Indeed, she did. It would only be mere seconds now until they hit the wall.

With a crunching sound louder in her ears than a sonic boom, the ship crashed head-first into the Citadels outer wall. The front of the ship crumpled like a metal foil and they were all hurled forward at its sudden stop. With only a split second to react, Ahsoka threw all her strength into a force protection bubble around them and in combining her power with Anakin's, she knew they all had a chance of making it out alive.

~*~*~*~*~*~

At first, Barriss was shocked to find herself no longer in a detention cell. Through the thick haze that was now her vision she could tell she was in what appeared to be the insides of a ship. The world was muffled and quiet; her ears numb to the shouts of the others around her. Gradually, like a slow trickle of a stream, the events of the past hour or so wormed their way back into her brain, although only in fragments. She remembered being woken in her cell by Master Kenobi and Luminara had been there. Then there were the endless corridors she had dragged herself through, and the ship. They had been rescued and escaped, that's what had happened. And yet they hadn't had they? The shouting and the sound of blasters and ion canons was her most recent memory.

Failed. Thats what they had done. Failed to escape and now they were still stuck on this desolate rock with no other way out. What could they do now? Was there even anything they could do other than just surrender? And when had she become so quick to give up? When the Jedi abandoned us, said a small voice, emerging from some long forgotten dark corner of her brain. No, they havent abandoned us, she countered, Master Kenobi is here and no doubt Ahsoka and Anakin too. But that thought would not stop niggling at her. Hadnt Ahsoka said Anakin and Obi-Wan were on a mission for Republic funding, and that they couldnt help them until that was over? Since when did the Jedi council put the needs of the Republic ahead of its own people?

Just what, exactly, have we become?

Barriss wasnt sure she knew anymore, but it wasnt peace keepers. Protectors, fighters, soldiers, warriors, servants, slaves? It was like the Jedi council had no power anymore. They had become slaves to the Republic to the point where its needs were coming ahead of its own. Maybe it was her who was being selfish for thinking so, maybe it was her who was wrong. The council was made up of only the wisest and strongest Jedi, surely they knew what they were doing?

"Barriss!"

Someone... there was someone in front of her, trying to talk to her. Barriss did not yet know who but it was enough to yank her back down out of her own thoughts and into the moment.

It was Luminara who had said her name with such urgency, and had hauled her off the floor.

"Barriss wake up!" Luminara hissed at her and shook her shoulders. "We've been shot down and crashed. We need to get out of here!" Finally, the last fragments of memory clicked into place. Of course, she had felt the disastrous impact of the ship and the wall just before she had blacked out again. Just how exactly were they all still even alive and breathing after crash so severe?

Barriss suddenly became aware of a minute pinprick of pain on her left upper-arm, and gently lifted her other hand to the spot to inspect it.

Noticing the movement, Luminara explained, "We injected you with a vitals booster to give you enough energy for our next plan. It will start to take effect very soon."

I think its taking effect now, Barriss thought to herself as her vision focused and force senses unclouded. Instead she gave a small nod and forced herself to stand. The others had all been accounted for and had gathered into the room her and Luminara were in, looking instinctively to Master Kenobi for their next move. No one looked seriously hurt, but it was obvious from all the tense faces that they were all a little shaken by how the events had unfolded.

The room itself looked relatively unscathed considering how hard they had hit the wall, aside from the fact the front end was caved in and the smell of electrical fire was growing stronger by the minute. Even the astromech unit with them didnt appear to be seriously damaged.

"Any minute now they will search the wreckage so we dont have long. We need to think of a new plan, and fast." Began Master Kenobi. "I suggest something with a distraction large enough to draw their attention long enough for us to make a quick escape."

"We could shut off the power," suggested Anakin. "That should keep them at bay for a while."

"General Skywalker and I can find us another ship. We managed well enough the first time." Captain Rex added. "Well take Ahsoka, Kai and Artoo with us also."

"Good. The rest of us, Master Unduli, Padawan Offee and Boxer and I will handle the deactivation of the power generator, which is I believe located just below the detention block."

"There is one small complication," her master spoke up, proceeding to briefly explain their original mission involving the clone DNA sample, how Grievous had taken it and how they couldnt allow it to remain in Separatist hands. The results would be disastrous for the Republic if the Separatists managed to engineer some biological weapon against the clones from that sample.

This was all information Barriss already knew, but it reminded her of her feelings when she had first learned the truth in that torture chamber. When would her master have told her? Was she ever going to tell her at all? Perhaps that part of the mission had been so secret they had only entrusted her master with it, or perhaps they didnt trust her to keep her mouth shut. Luminara must had figured there was no more need for such secrecy now.

Lifting her gaze, she hadn't realised had dropped, she glanced over to Ahsoka who was standing at the other side of their haphazard circle. Ahsoka, like the rest of them, was unharmed by the crash, although her arms were limp at her sides and her face appeared unusually lifeless. She looked drained more than anything else. Anakin, at her side, did not show any such symptoms, but was betrayed by the fact he seemed to be leaning on the wall a little too heavily. They must have attempted a force protection bubble! Well that explained how they were all still alive and this part of the ship was mostly intact.

"Well that certainly changes things." Master Kenobi said contemplatively. Her master had finished explaining and Barriss refocused on the conversation.

"You and I," he continued, referring to her master, "will reclaim this DNA sample from Grievous." Luminara nodded her acknowledgement, and Barriss thought she looked rather grateful. Maybe that part of their original mission wasnt to be lost after all.

"Ahsoka, Barriss, Kai and Boxer will be responsible for the power generator instead. Now we cannot stay here any longer." Straining her ears, Barriss noted the sound of droid footsteps were drawing closer. "We need to split up now. Staying hidden is no longer an issue, just do your part as quickly and efficiently as possible then get out. Understood?"

They all murmured their agreement then speedily filed through a hole Master Kenobi had cut through the ships floor. Now on the landing bay, they clung to the shadows cast by the towering back wall, the droids now preoccupied with the crash site. Upon reaching the Citadel entrance, they split up, each running in the direction of their respective roles of Plan B.

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AN - a bit shorter than the other ones, but things are gonna start to get spicy from here on in the story so keep a look out, though I can't promise when the next chapter will be up, could be days, could be months, we'll just have to see...