How to Take an Empire

Chapter Thirty-Five: Pursuit

"Ahsoka," Vader began, tone conveying a clear warning.

"I know," Ahsoka said, her voice coming out garbled as a result of the voice piece under mask and wraps of her disguise. "Let you do all the talking with the Imperials while I just stand behind you and look threatening."

Despite the fact that her face was covered, Ahsoka gave Vader a cheeky grin. By the mental nudge reinforcing his earlier warnings, Ahsoka was sure Vader knew she was grinning anyway. He turned to face the ramp of the shuttle, the 501st, now colloquially known as Vader's Fist, having already descended down the ramp ahead of them. Without warning, Vader started his descent, but having a decade of following him when he decided he was ready to move, Ahsoka started just in time with him. She stopped in time with him when he met Tarkin after walking through the path his Fist had gone before him.

Ahsoka tuned out the conversation, not caring about whatever respectful pleasantries both men were going over with each other, and surveyed the wreckage of the attack from almost five days ago. Most of the bodies had already been cleared and carried away, but the previously beautiful square was little more than ruins. And though she could easily sense the remnants of the chaotic emotions from the attack, she didn't have the gift of sensing the echoes in such a way that she could see what happened. Whatever there was to find out from the remains of the attack, she learned it all in the briefing Vader gave her.

Taking her focus off the ruins, she scanned the local authorities instead. After a few moments, she spotted a pale-haired human male with green eyes and a thin nose. While Vader continued his conversation, Ahsoka made her way over.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"Yes. You can," Ahsoka said, holding out her hand and showing off her Fulcrum insignia on the flat screen of a discreet wrist comm.

His lips thinned, and Ahsoka got the feeling that he wanted to run away.

"If you try to run, the only one you'll be hurting is yourself," Ahsoka said simply. She was, of course, the one that had just arrived with Darth Vader.

"How do you have that symbol?" he asked lowly.

"The Fulcrum has agents and spies where you'd least expect them. Even Lord Vader's special task force to find Jedi and other Force users." That was only half true. She did have agents and spies in many Imperial task forces, security teams, and military, but none among Vader's inquisitors. Even if they weren't partners and she had tried, they would have quickly been weeded out. This spy didn't need to know that. "Shouldn't be much of a surprise considering you're a captain in the local security forces of this planet. And you're just the one to give me the information I need to give the Fulcrum the information they want about this mission."

"And that is?"

"They," Ahsoka began slowly because run-of-mill members of individual cells weren't supposed to know who the Fulcrum really was, "want to make sure that the Eriadu cell had nothing to do with this."

"And what do you need to know from me?"

"The coordinates to your cell's current base of operations."

"Why should I trust you? You're with Vader."

"Vader's handled. He'll be following a wild goose chase from a tip I planted about a Jedi being involved. While he's occupied, I'll go to the base," Ahsoka explained. The only thing she didn't say was that Vader already knew she planted that tip to give him an alibi for the Emperor.

The man hesitated, apprehension fouling his presence. It couldn't have been because of her disguise. Once she showed him her insignia, he should have been relieved, which meant he had something to hide. It didn't make Ahsoka feel any better about all this.