In the End {1}

xvii: Collateral Damage

Ahsoka stood at the entrance to Jaryn's apartment. Anakin was a few feet behind her, his weapon at the ready. The authorities had already searched the apartment for evidence but failed to find anything incriminating. They didn't know what they were looking for. Her and Anakin did.

She turned on the lights and gazed down the main hall. Using the force, she pictured the apartment's layout in her mind. The layout was very similar to that of Letta Turmond's apartment that Ahsoka had searched during her trial, though Jaryn's place was much cleaner and didn't have the pungent odor that had overwhelmed Ahsoka the second she stepped foot in the bomber's residence. Master Yoda always said that the force worked in mysterious ways. Surely it couldn't have been a coincidence.

"The kitchen," Ahsoka said, thinking out loud. "That's where the letter is." That's where she had found the nanodroids. That's where Letta had found them when she returned to her apartment. She had a feeling that's where she would find whatever it was that Barriss wanted them to find.

"What makes you so sure?" Anakin asked.

"A feeling."

She walked down the hall and to the small kitchen. With one hand on her lightsaber, she used the other to turn on the light. She had half-expected Barriss to be standing there waiting for them, but there was no one.

She took a few steps toward the refrigerator, feeling instantly colder. After a careful inspection, she walked over to the counter only to feel that cold feeling fade away. She looked back at the fridge, and the sensation was back.

Then, she understood. It was like a game she used to play with some of her clanmates as a youngling. They would hide something of hers, and she would have to guess where it was based on their temperature-related clues. Colder meant she was getting further away, and warmer meant she was close. In this case, though, she would follow the coldness. It was the dark side speaking to her, begging her to read the words scribbled on the page left for them.

She inspected the fridge again. Still, there was nothing. Then, it hit her. Maybe it wasn't inside the fridge, it was behind it.

"Master, could you give me a hand with this?" she asked. Together, they used the force to pull the fridge away from the wall. Taped to the wall behind it was a folded piece of paper.

"And there's our letter," Anakin said. "Nice work, Snips."

She nodded in appreciation of his praise. He handed her the letter, and she opened it carefully.

Ahsoka Zora Tano,

We meet again. Please give my sincerest condolences to the Bonteri family. I'm sure his brother is greatly saddened by his death. It's really a shame what happened to the Bonteris. I did my research. I know all about you and all about the people you love.

I will be in the cantina closest to the warehouse after Jaryn Bonteri's funeral for one hour and one hour only. Come and find me, little Jedi. I'll be waiting.

Sidious's Hand

Little Jedi? Ahsoka scoffed. Barriss knew exactly how to get under her skin, but she was determined not to give her the satisfaction.

She handed the letter to her master. "Hope you don't have a date tomorrow night, because our good friend Barriss just hijacked our evening."

On the way back to the Jedi Temple for yet another Council report, Ahsoka called Nyx. Their argument wasn't the most pressing concern, but she wanted to sort it out soon so it wasn't nagging at the back of her conscience.

"Hey, Nyx, it's Ashla," she said, seeing his holographic form in front of her. "How was your presentation this morning?"

"Oh, it went great!" Nyx said. She could sense his excitement. "I might get a promotion."