Archive of Our Own

"I'm not guilty!" Ahsoka says, clearly scared and probably angry, at least that's what Anakin thinks.

"I know that! I believe you, don't you know that?!" 

"But nobody else will!" 

...

What?

But...but Obi-Wan would, and Barriss, most likely master Unduli in addition, Orth, Elizabeth, master Plo, and several others.

Anakin knows that they would.

But why didn't Ahsoka think so? 

"Snips, you know better than that, I taught you better. Of course others will believe you! And I've always believed in you!"

"I know you do." She gives him a sad, knowing smile. "Wish me luck."

And then she jumps down onto a ship and heads down into the undercity.

All Anakin can think is: if she did trust him as she said she did, why was she still running?

Then later he and Rex find her, and she's teamed up with Asajj Ventress, the same former Sith assassin who tried to kill her multiple times throughout the war.

And only one thought starts going through his mind.

She didn't trust him.

She lied.

At some point, Anakin and Rex meet up with Wolffe, Thorn, and several other clones at a warehouse.

They find Ahsoka when they get inside, surrounded by boxes of nano-droids, the same ones that caused the explosion at the Jedi temple hangar.

Wolffe hits her with several stun blasts.

They got her.

And although Anakin knows she's innocent, knows that she is...

A tiny part of him starts to doubt.

The council was back in session, speaking to the hologram of admiral Tarkin.

None of them were pleased.

Mace was tempted to destroy a window and walk backwards until he fell out of the council tower, but he restrained that urge.

"The Senate requests that Ahsoka Tano be expelled from the Jedi order, so she may be tried for treason against the Republic." Tarkin stated, more so demanded.

What the admiral still failed to understand was that the council didn't serve at the Senate's will. Master Gallia herself had confronted the Senate not long after Palpatine was granted emergency powers right before the war started, reeducated them on the Ruusan reformation, made it clear that the Senate had broken their end of the contract therefore absolving the Jedi of their end of it, meaning the Jedi didn't have to do anything the Senate requested or demanded.

The Jedi having such free will again had helped in multiple situations, Onderon was freed from the Separatists far more quickly, master Plo went with Obi-Wan to Mandalore with their respective battalions and saved duchess Kryze, Maul opted not to surrender and thought it wise to try to face down Plo alone in a duel (which he lost pretty quickly), he and Savage opted not to surrender despite how many chances they were given (six each) so were killed in duel, and the battles at Cato Neimoidia, Mygeeto, Felucia, and Saleucami had progressed far more than they would have otherwise.

Sadly master Gallia didn't survive Boz Pity, that battle took place very early last year. But she was cut down by General Grievous before she could really react.

Master Shadday Potkin now occupied her seat on the council. Her diplomatic skills not as good as Adi's had been, but she always tried her hardest, and honored Adi by continuing her work there.

But back to the present.

Mace stared at the hologram form of who was an insufferable nuisance for a moment.

Before he did finally respond.

"No." 

Tarkin meanwhile briefly loses his composure at that before he regains it and frowns.

"What?" 

"I said no." Mace repeated, almost scoffing at Tarkin's attempt to intimidate the council.

"Master Jedi, this is an order directly from the Supreme Chancellor himself, therefore you will follow it." 

"Yes, because we are quite the experts at 'following' the Chancellor's orders." Elizabeth responds dryly.

Tarkin narrows his eyes.

Momentarily Mace almost thinks the man is constipated given the way his face scrunches up in the hologram.

"Ahsoka Tano has committed multiple crimes including high treason against the Republic. One of your own did this, Jedi, therefore you have no jurisdiction."

Ki-Adi meanwhile didn't hide a humorless chuckle at how badly the man just contradicted himself.

"I find it hard to believe, considering she and Knight Skywalker have been off campaigning on Cato Neimoidia for a while. She could not have feasibly assisted in that battle and simultaneously orchestrate a bombing."

"She could've easily had an accomplice. Perhaps Knight Offee, given how close I've heard they are as friends." 

"I would tread carefully, admiral Tarkin." Eeth spoke, eyes cold and tone level. "For one, Knight Offee has been involved in the outer-rim siege at Felucia along with master Secura, and both were off world at the time of the bombing. Secondly, you've never once until now suggested another could be involved, you've solely been going after Padawan Tano. And third, where is your evidence to support your claim?" 

"Not to mention you yourself just said she is one of our own." Obi-Wan added, with a smile that seemed too cheerful, but Mace could tell it didn't reach his eyes. The smile was cold, dangerous. "Therefore you contradict yourself by saying we do have jurisdiction." 

Tarkin looks at them both furiously, but Yoda cuts him off before he can respond.

"Handle this internally, and how the council sees fit, we will." 

Yoda then abruptly ends the call.

And finally they can begin their discussions about Tano being caught and brought back.

"I trust we are standing with Ahsoka? As we appear to be doing now?" Obi-Wan inquires.

Ki-Adi looks to him, sympathetic, though he didn't seem to exactly side with Padawan Tano, and Mace didn't blame him.

This looked bad for her regardless.

"Yet there is physical evidence, evidence that suggests her to be the mastermind behind the bombing." 

Obi-Wan suddenly holds an expression, clearly feeling betrayed right now.

Mace sympathized, but the evidence, circumstantial or not, was overwhelmingly against Padawan Tano here.

Her running didn't make her look any less guilty, if anything it made things worse.

Not to mention her being seen together with Ventress, a former Separatists.

Even the council couldn't overlook any of that.

Shadday nodded in agreement with Ki-Adi, expression not giving anything away.

"She was found surrounded by a great amount of nano-droids in boxes and crates, that alone would be enough for any court to convict her." 

"How could you think this? After all Ahsoka has helped us accomplish in the war?" Obi-Wan asks, voice almost tight.

Shadday shakes her head.

"That isn't my meaning, I'm saying that regardless of our own thoughts on this, everything seems to point to her. Circumstantial or not, the evidence is all against her, master Kenobi." 

"She shouldn't have ran. Bottom line, she shouldn't have ran." Kit spoke up, one of his tentacles shifting just a bit, signaling his discomfort in going against a friend on this. "You know that yourself, Obi-Wan, even she knew that."

"But she ran anyway." Depa spoke from her seat, not quite frowning but it was something close. "That makes everything much more difficult for everyone involved, Obi-Wan. It will make our investigation into whoever the real culprit is that much harder." 

Obi-Wan looks like he wants to say something against this, but clearly he comes up with nothing. 

Mace already had a feeling how this was going to go.

"Indeed, a difficult choice, this is." Yoda started.

"Well...well we cannot just throw her to the wolves, so to speak. You know the Senate would rule her guilty purely out of spite." Obi-Wan pointed out.

"We're aware, but that isn't our intention. While we all know she isn't guilty, we also cannot overlook the evidence." Ki-Adi replied, mostly sounding tired.

Yoda looked between them all, and sighed.

Mace personally would vote in Padawan Tano's favor, but most of the council would vote against her.

But this wouldn't be the typical vote where she gets expelled.

This was something different.

"To the chamber of judgement, summon Skywalker and his Padawan." 

Anakin didn't utter a word to Ahsoka before the council was ready, mainly because he felt, honestly, kinda betrayed by her right now.

Was that irrational of him?

But soon Ahsoka stood on a platform, the entire council facing her from above.

"Padawan Tano, you have been accused of domestic terrorism, conspiracy, high treason, and the murder of fellow Jedi, Clone Troopers, and civilian workers. How do you plead?" Master Potkin started it off.

"Not guilty masters. I promise, I'd never do this, you know I wouldn't, most of you." 

"We cannot base this off our own opinion of you, Padawan, this is being decided based from the facts and evidence." Potkin replied evenly.

Master Mundi then spoke next, tone neutral.

"Can you explain how you got access to the nano-droids in question?"

Ahsoka shifted uncomfortably.

"You talk about it like they were mine, they weren't."

"Then perhaps you could clarify." Mundi retorted somewhat coolly.

"I was looking into the warehouse I was found in. I got a tip about it, and decided it was worth looking into." 

"You received a tip about it?" Mundi raised a brow.

Ahsoka nodded.

...

Even Anakin didn't get her in this moment.

"And Ventress? Can you explain your association with her?" Master Plo spoke next, given his tone of voice, Anakin wondered if the Kel-Dor was questioning his faith in Ahsoka.

It was one question Anakin himself wanted answered for sure.

Because how is it she didn't appear to trust him, yet she trusted Asajj Ventress?

Yes, he still felt fairly bitter about that.

Ahsoka frowned but shrugged.

"We had a mutual understanding, I thought she was helping me." 

Obi-Wan stays silent for now but openly facepalms, as does Elizabeth.

"Mutual understanding?" Master Windu questioned, looking quite displeased with her right now.

Truthfully, Anakin didn't blame him.

"Yes, we had an understanding about each other's circumstances." She added.

"Now isn't the time to be cryptic, Padawan." That this statement came from master Ti was fairly surprising.

Ahsoka took a deep breathe and responded.

"She was abandoned by her master, just as I'm being abandoned by the order I serve." 

...

...

...

What???

Ahsoka, just.......what???

Anakin does sense the entire council in the force, all twelve members hurt by that claim.

Anakin himself feels even more hurt, and more betrayed.

By Ahsoka.

How could she say that??

He told her not to run, told her it would make her look guiltier and guiltier, told her to trust him.

She didn't.

Now she's saying they abandoned her?

Anakin might not always agree with the council but, feeling their reaction to that through the force, it makes it clear that they do mean well.

That they do care.

That they have her back.

But...

Clearly that isn't reciprocated.

"Ahsoka..." Obi-Wan finally speaks, voice sounding softer than Anakin has...really ever heard it. "..how could you say that? After everything?" 

"...it's true. I know this meeting isn't to decide whether I'm innocent or guilty, it's the council officially casting me out." She replies, only looking somewhat apologetic.

Anakin gets that she's scared and all, but...

At this point it's like she's letting irrationality get the better of her.

Which is ironic since Anakin always thought if that had happened it would be him, not her.

"Well you have one thing correct at least." Master Koth spoke, his force signature now shielded and unreadable. "This meeting isn't to determine whether or not you committed the crime." 

"To determine why choose this path, you did, this meeting is for." Master Yoda said, ears drooped slightly.

"I...I had to. I...they were going to blame me anyway, it wouldn't have mattered." 

"Every decision anyone makes matters, Padawan Tano." Elizabeth is next to join, tone devoid of any of the fondness she used to have for Ahsoka, clearly Ahsoka's declaration broke her trust in his Padawan. 

"If you had simply remained in your cell, then all of this could've been avoided." Master Billaba chimed in. "After all, someone with a lightsaber killed clone troopers at the prison. Had you remained in your cell, it would have become clear that you were being framed." 

"No it wouldn't have." Ahsoka retorted, she sounded more anxious, though her reply caused several of the council members to frown, even Obi-Wan.

"And how is that?" Master Wurhui also finally spoke, tone neutral.

"...well I took a nap, and when I woke up, there was a keycard outside my cell."

...

Another thing she left out before.

Wonderful.

This just gets better and better somehow.

"Took a nap, and woke up to find a keycard outside your cell?" Ki-Adi drawled, not impressed by this.

"Yes."

"And you didn't find this suspicious?" Obi-Wan sounded both dumbfounded and stunned.

Because yeah, why wouldn't she find that suspicious? Right after Letta Turmond was killed to keep her silent.

Convenient.

"No, I assumed my master was helping me." 

...

....

....

....

...

What????????

Now Anakin might be very unorthodox, but he isn't one for breaking the law, at least, not to that extent.

"You assumed your master, Knight Skywalker, was helping you?"

"Yes."

"The same man who told you not to run because he knew it would make you look guilty?" Master Windu's eye twitched in irritation.

Ahsoka went to reply, but she stopped suddenly, like she was finally starting to realize.

"...but...it...had to have been...it.......oh...."

"Ah, so there is a brain in there somewhere." Elizabeth unashamedly comments, before she continues. "Padawan although your masters methods can be quite... abnormal, even you've acknowledged that he tends to be law abiding."

"Let's get this right." Mace began. "So you were requested by Turmond to go see her, and she was murdered before she could tell you the identity of the other culprit, allegedly a Jedi. After you're imprisoned, you wake up from a nap and use a keycard that had been conveniently laying outside your cell to escape, then you run into several bodies of dead clones, with your lightsabers right in the middle of the crime scene, in perfect viewpoint for commander Fox to come in and see. Then you decide to ignore your master's warnings and you run, eventually disregarding his warnings again before going into the undercity. Then you team up with Ventress and decide she's more than trustworthy, despite everything. You receive a tip directing you to a specific warehouse, proceed to assault and incapacitate an entire group of GAR soldiers, and flee the scene, where you then split off from Ventress to search the warehouse, and somehow end up in the middle of boxes full of the same weapon used to bomb the temple hangar?"

...

...

Wow.

"Is that an accurate retelling?" Master Windu inquired, sounding fairly bored now.

"...yes??" 

"..."

"...yes."

"And yet a probe droid caught you speaking to someone via hologram. Who is it you spoke to?" Obi-Wan inquired.

And Ahsoka stiffens a bit, before shaking her head.

"I was, but I can't tell you."

"You are aware of how this looks, Padawan Tano?" Master Potkin points out, not happy about yet something else Ahsoka had not told even Anakin about.

Whatever it was.

...

Had there been another Jedi involved?

Barriss had been looking in the undercity with Nahdar, it couldn't be either of them especially since they checked in with master Tiin.

So it must have been someone else but...who?

Ahsoka clearly had the answer, and yet she was concealing it.

Doesn't she understand that whatever it is is more than likely what would exonerate her? Why can't she see that?

"I have a question." Shaak Ti spoke, looking between the other council members before looking back down towards Ahsoka. "Why did you not trust your master?"

That question threw Ahsoka off.

"I...what?"

"Why did you not trust your master? I understand if you didn't trust us, but you should have trusted him, at the very least." 

Ahsoka looks like she has no idea what she's gotten herself into, which, she probably didn't.

After a moment, she speaks again.

Yet it's clear that she doesn't think before she does.

"I...didn't know who to trust."

Barriss, who'd been standing off to his right the entire time, went still before relaxing. But it was clear she'd just closed herself off in the force.

Anakin understood how hurt she was, he was just as hurt by that, if not more so. While Ahsoka was like his little sister, Barriss saw Ahsoka like a younger sister too, so clearly it devastated her to hear that despite everything, Ahsoka hadn't even trusted her.

Anakin starts shaking.

Is...is this what betrayal really feels like?

"...Ahsoka..." Obi-Wan started, but Anakin finally spoke, voice softer than he'd ever sounded in years.

"You didn't trust me..." 

Ahsoka turned to look at him, as if realizing her mistakes, now she looked highly guilty, but the damage was done.

"You didn't trust me..."

"Master-"

"I would've given my life for you without a second thought, but you don't trust me."

He looks up at her, clearly it showed on his face because she recoiled.

"You lied to me. You told me you knew you could trust me. But then you don't listen to me, and join Ventress, because you apparently could trust her. But not me, not even after everything. Christophsis and Teth, the Malevolence, the kidnapping by the Trandoshans, the Citadel, Kiros, Zygerria, all the way up to now. I've always had your back, always. But wait, you can't trust me, right?" 

To which she recoils and further flinches back with every word. 

He could sense her regret and guilt prominently now, but right now he didn't pay it any mind.

He was too hurt for that.

"You did one thing you should never do in this type of situation, Ahsoka." Barriss spoke, her tone wasn't cold, but it wasn't warm like it normally was. She placed a hand on his shoulder and gave a reassuring squeeze, sending him some feelings of comfort through the force, and the feeling of 'I know how you feel'.

"...what's that Barriss?" Ahsoka asked warily, not prepared for the tone of voice Barriss was giving her.

Anakin doubted highly that the two would ever be as close as they were after this, but...he doesn't think he'll be as close with Ahsoka either. 

Worse, he wasn't even angry with her.

Not even disappointed anymore.

Just...

Hurt.

And that felt worse than anything.

"You distrusted us." 

And through the force Anakin felt the moment Barriss closed off the bond she had with Ahsoka, a move that surprised him. But to be fair, if Ahsoka didn't trust them, how could they trust her in return?

She wasn't guilty of bombing the Jedi temple.

But she was guilty for breaking the hearts of multiple people.

Anakin turned and then walked out of the chamber of judgement.

And the council finished up the meeting.

Yoda sighed.

"Shorten this, we will. In unanimous agreement, the council is."

Mace looked back to her, after having watched Skywalker exit. His expression was currently one that was impassive, but his eyes were full of disappointment and pity.

"The council finds you not guilty of all charges levied against you, Padawan Tano." 

She briefly looks surprised by this, but more guilt leaks into the force.

While the council as a whole does sympathize, none of them are exactly pleased with her right now after all this.

From what Mace can sense, the emotions were mixed.

Plo, Obi-Wan, Shaak, and Kit all felt... simply saddened and hurt really.

Yoda was similar, with a bit of pity thrown in.

Elizabeth's trust in Skywalker's Padawan was effectively destroyed by Padawan Tano's own words about being 'abandoned'.

Ki-Adi, Mira, Shadday, and Depa all seemed to feel mostly pity towards the young Togruta now, sympathy was there but not prominent given... everything.

And Eeth did feel a little angry, which wasn't surprising, Eeth always held strong to the principle of loyalty, it was one of his biggest traits in fact, his loyalty to his own fellow Jedi and the clones.

Mace himself was a mixture of all of these, Sadness, hurt, pity, sympathy, and a bit of anger.

Tano had in fact likely destroyed even Skywalker's trust in her at this point, and it would take a long time before she could earn it back.

"You are to retain your Padawan status, and all titles related to the Galactic Army of the Republic." Ki-Adi continued as the platform lowered and Ahsoka was freed of her restraints by a temple guard. Mace sensed some reluctance, but Ki-Adi finished despite it. "From henceforth, the council and the order stand with you, Padawan Ahsoka Tano." 

Mace is actually surprised by the amount of guilt Tano was giving off right now.

But now he'd have a Senate to address.

...

...

...

Well...

It was going to be a long day...

"Not guilty, huh?" Fox started, tone not giving anything away as he continued working on paperwork at his desk. 

Quinlan leaned against the doorway, thinking 'Foxy really needs a new activity for stress relief' but shelves the thought.

He's fairly sure he and Fox are dating at this point, though it's just not something openly acknowledged, yet at least. 

But anyways...

He'd known Fox didn't think Padawan Tano was guilty, but her escaping her cell and running didn't help, along with the dead clone troopers at the prison.

"Yep. Apparently the council knew she didn't do it, but they do think that while her fear was understandable, Obes told me, and I quote, 'she immediately went to using the last resort, and chose stupidity'. I have never heard Obes talk about her like that before, which tells me she must have done something to hurt him and Skywalker bad."

Fox hums, sounding somehow unsurprised.

"Sounds like they got the wrong Jedi." Fox says, as he finally looks up briefly from all his paperwork.

Quinlan didn't really react to this, although he couldn't resist a frown.

"I'm more worried that they may have the right Jedi, but the wrong truth." 

To which Fox freezes briefly, before shaking his head with a grunt.

"Don't be cryptic, that tiny abomination comes by and does that too much." 

Quinlan grins.

"Well congrats Foxy, cause most of the Jedi are at least unofficial members of his lineage." 

And finally, Fox stops with his paperwork, rises from his seat, walls over to a wall beside a shelf, and then dramatically faceplants into said wall.

"I should get you sent to a psych ward."

"Nothing Obes and Lumi haven't tried before. And Bant tried to give me some kind of serum that she said would 'calm me indefinitely'. Trust me, I'm indestructible at this point."

"...I'm sure I'll come up with something."

No one expected what happened next.

One moment, Ahsoka was cleared by the council.

The next, she's left the temple and handed herself over to Republic authorities.

The Jedi didn't know how to react.

And surprisingly, despite the situation, neither did Tarkin. 

Not that anyone cared about that.

Regardless the Senate then disregarded the Jedi Council's ruling on Ahsoka, and put her on trial.

And despite it all, Barriss still helped, went into the underworld of Coruscant, and found Ventress. She interrogated Ventress, to which she revealed Flora Vizsla, another close friend of Ahsoka's, had been the one to give them the tip about the warehouse.

And just like that, the case was solved.

Barriss confronted Flora, confirmed her to be the culprit, and after a semi-lengthy duel, involving her using the lightsabers she stole from Ventress, Barriss defeated her and put her in restraints before heading towards the Senate.

And Anakin had been at the trial.

Although hurt by everything Ahsoka said, he still cared a lot for her and wanted to keep being there for her. So he and Barriss agreed that while Barriss looked for Ventress, he'd stay there with Ahsoka.

He barely restrained his urges to scowl and even outright snarl as Palpatine spoke, speaking to the entire court, insinuating Ahsoka to be some Separatists spy.

He was infuriated.

Palpatine was supposed to be his friend, yet there he was, throwing Anakin's Padawan under the bus, so to speak, and not looking or sounding apologetic about it as he droned on and on.

And Anakin realized it as the question manifested in his mind.

Why did he ever trust Palpatine?

He should've known better.

Palpatine couldn't be trusted.

Should never have been trusted.

Obi-Wan was right about his concerns about the Chancellor over the years.

Palpatine was playing them each for fools.

If he really cared about Anakin, he'd be doing something to get Ahsoka out of this, but he was pushing her further and further into it.

Eventually Barriss entered, and revealed the true culprit, Flora Vizsla, who'd been knighted shortly after Umbara. She was a Togruta like Ahsoka, but older, being almost nineteen. With light purple skin and markings, with her lekku and montrals having purple stripes.

She was another good friend of Ahsoka's, or at least, everyone thought she was.

She confessed to it all, but was interrupted by Barriss before she could try to drag the order through the mud. 

The guards then took Flora away, and Ahsoka was freed from her restraints, looking even more sad and guilty. 

This was one thing he didn't blame her for, given Flora clearly used all this to her advantage to frame Ahsoka for the crime.

But after the whole thing was over, while the Jedi council all stayed seated above, he went to see the Chancellor.

A conversation was overdue to get to the bottom of why Palpatine had it in for his Padawan.

"Ah, Anakin my boy. It is-"

"Why?" Anakin interrupted the man. The royal guards on either side of Palpatine shifted uncomfortably.

"Pardon?" Palpatine looked confused.

"Why were you trying to help get my Padawan killed? Why do you have it out for her so badly?" 

Palpatine blinked, shaking his head.

"My boy I have nothing against her, I think she's quite wonderful in fact. However I did have a job to do, and had be be impartial, I could not show any bias."

"Funny, that's exactly what it looked like, bias against my Padawan." 

"Anakin-"

"Don't call me that anymore you sleemo. You know I was an idiot for ever trusting you, this makes it clear that you never cared for me, not really. If you did, Ahsoka would've already been freed and handed back over to the Jedi where she belongs." 

"Now let's take a moment, I understand you have been stressed from all this..."

"This has nothing to do with stress, Chancellor. It's about you betraying my trust and feigning care for me while you try and get rid of Ahsoka. So I'll ask again, why?"

Palpatine stills for a moment, and suddenly something feels...off.

Then his tone goes from kind and grandfatherly to level.

"Tread carefully with your tone, Anakin."

They were in the halls of the building, which were empty right now, everyone was still in the courtroom.

"Oh? Have I actually made you angry, your excellency? And you haven't answered my question."

"..."

...

"Your Padawan is a liability, you should see that by now my boy. She did destroy your trust and break your heart after all, so I wasn't going to feign sympathy." 

Somehow that rubs him the wrong way.

Maybe it's because he's so angry.

He's shaking at this point after all.

But soon he's summoned his lightsaber.

And blue light fills the empty corridor.

"...no..."

"My boy, think very carefully about this." 

"No...no...no!" He looks up at Palpatine again.

None of this would've happened if the man hadn't pushed it.

Going after Ahsoka, despite it all, was the wrong thing for Palpatine to do.

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" 

And suddenly he lunges.

And slashes out.

But something hits him.

He's sent flying back and into a wall, before sliding down to the floor.

Wait...

No...

That was force lightning.

And it was coming from...

From Palpatine's fingertips.

Palpatine, whose eyes were now a very unmistakable Sith yellow.

...

The Sith lord...

"Mm, how tragic. This isn't how I planned it, but I suppose I'll have to adapt as always. Given you will not join me willingly or unwillingly at this point, I no longer have use of you." Palpatine spoke, tone now icy.

Anakin gaped.

This...isn't what he expected.

...

...

...

But...darn it, now it all made more sense.

The sound of footsteps is heard, and they all turn to see master Mundi coming around a corner.

He stops when he sees Anakin on the floor, and Palpatine, who still hadn't hidden his Sith eyes again yet.

Master Mundi then arms his lightsaber, but doesn't ignite it yet.

"Chancellor, stand down." 

Palpatine looked at Mundi, as if sizing him up, before frowning.

"This is no business of yours, master Jedi. Leave now, while you still can." 

Ki-Adi-Mundi simply narrowed his eyes.

"Seeing as you appear to be attacking one of my fellow Jedi, it is fully my business, Sith." 

Palpatine then feigned a sigh.

"See Anakin? Now a Jedi Council member will perish because of your selfishness in attacking me. Pity, I had looked forward to eliminating the council in one fell swoop, but it seems I'll have to move up the time table. I'm sure you'll understand, after all I risk you escaping and warning the other Jedi, and I cannot risk that." 

...

What was he talking about?

"Then I suppose it's a marvelous thing that we're having problems with the comms right now, modern technology right?" Master Vos appears beside master Mundi, his saber is ignited though.

Palpatine scowled, mostly looking annoyed.

"So that defective experiment told you then. Not surprising, but a shame regardless. No matter, I can always acquire a new pet."

"Chancellor, in the name of the Galactic Republic, we are placing you under arrest." Mundi stated, activating his lightsaber.

"I see."

And Palpatine summons two lightsabers, one from either sleeve, and activates them, crimson red.

"Your treason is quite a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one." 

And next thing Anakin knows, Mundi uses the force to send both Royal guards into the wall, knocking them unconscious, and Palpatine is flying across the room in a spin, letting out some sort of war cry.

Everyone waited in the courtroom.

No one expected Anakin to be exiting from one hallway, or for Chancellor Palpatine to be fighting him and masters Mundi and Vos, using two red lightsabers.

But the Jedi react immediately.

It's not long before the clones, led by Fox, Cody, and Rex, set up a perimeter to block Palpatine's exits.

Meanwhile as Vos gets a lightsaber cut across his abdomen and gets sent flying back with a force push from the Sith, masters Yoda, Windu, Koon, Ti, Fisto, Koth, and Billaba all jump into the fight.

Palpatine was powerful, yes, but he couldn't handle this many highly skilled and powerful masters and council members all at one time.

But he tried.

Kit Fisto lost half of one of his two front tentacles, and then got knocked out with force lightning.

Eeth Koth got stabbed through his upper body, not a fatal wound especially for zabraks, but still fairly bad.

And Plo lost his lightsaber and left hand when he pushed Depa out of the way of an attack that she was unable to counter in time.

Unfortunately for Palpatine, that simply meant that masters Mareel, Kenobi, Potkin, and Wurhui joined in, along with masters Unduli and Tiin.

And that was far too much for even a Sith Lord like Palpatine.

Eventually he lost both of his hands, courtesy of Obi-Wan actually, and then was hit with several stun blasts from members of the 501st, 212th, and Coruscant Guard.

Really, everyone had no clue what just happened.

Only that somehow they'd uncovered a Sith Lord.

Cody blamed Obi-Wan for being a Sith magnet.

Obi-Wan simply opted to stroke that infamous beard of his and not reply, because he was petty that way.

And Mace?

Mace simply had a massive headache.

Or possibly migraine.

And might be on track to a stroke, potentially.

Somehow he already had a feeling Anakin was to blame for this headache.

It was either Skywalker or Kenobi.

Force forbid it be Yoda, or they might be doomed.

Regardless.

Everyone all felt one emotion then.

Complete and utter confusion.

Rex stared at the hologram form of Fox as he stood in his office in the 501st barracks on Coruscant.

"So you're telling me that he was a Sith Lord the whole time? Was behind the entire war along with Dooku? Was plotting to wipe out the Jedi with some sort of contingency order hidden in a chip imbedded within the brains of all of the vod'e? Was grooming my general to become his next apprentice? And have himself crowned Emperor over the entire galaxy?" 

"Don't forget the Death Star."

"What?"

"A planet killing space station." 

"..."

"And project blackwing, which would've brought about the zombie apocalypse, and given the conspiracies Stone loves spouting off, I'll never hear the end of it."

"What?" 

"I mean I was just gonna use a slugthrower, but I guess watching him lose some limbs was satisfying enough for now."

"..."

Rex finally sighs.

"...we would've won the war within the first few months if you'd been assigned to the 501st like originally planned." 

"Of course we would've. Cause while you all try to add in diplomacy, I have no mercy and don't play fair." 

"Yep, would've won the war early." 

"I had a whole plan to utilize rhydonium on remotely controlled vessels to obliterate entire fleets, but whoops, that's gone." 

"...I take it back, we would've won within the first week."

"Dear?" Obi-Wan says tiredly to his unofficial husband as they stand side by side at the steps leading up to the Jedi temple.

Cody turns to him, face blank, but eyes questioning.

"I believe I should consider retirement." 

"...although your actions were, well frankly stupid." Mace started, standing in the council chambers with almost every other council member. Minus Plo, Kit, and Eeth, who were being treated for their injuries. "Your intentions to try to clear your own name were admirable." 

"You struggled to prove your innocence, but ultimately you accomplished it." Master Potkin spoke, not sounding particularly enthusiastic.

Ahsoka sighed.

"Stop, please." 

This earned her mixed looks.

But she looked up to each of them.

"It was Anakin and Barriss who cleared my name, not me. I don't deserve any of this." 

"Padawan..."

"I just made everything...worse. Skyguy warned me if I ran I'd look guilty, but...I ran anyway. This whole situation, even with Palpatine, it's all my fault."

"Padawan Tano." Mace spoke more firmly, gaining her attention.

"The council is glad you have seen the errors in your responses to this, but you are not at fault for everything else. Palpatine being exposed as Darth Sidious was Palpatine's own doing, and partly Anakin's. If anything, we believe that, in a way, this worked out for the best, in that it inadvertently saved the galaxy from the rule of a Sith Lord." He drawled the last part. 

Yep, another headache courtesy of Skywalker.

But probably another of the few he could somehow say 'thank you' for.

"We have also determined that you've faced enough punishment of your own making. Your Padawan status is, again, reinstated, but it will take a lot of time and work to regain the trust of those whose trust you have broken." Mace added.

Ahsoka looked down with closed eyes, before looking back up again, but her eyes shone bright with determination and she nodded.

"I understand masters. I know I've broken the Council's trust in me, as well as my own master's, but I promise, I will work my hardest to earn it back even if in a small amount. I won't let you down, not this time." 

Master Yoda looked up at her, expression soft, with a small smile.

The force itself seemed to hum quietly in reassurance.

"Faith in you, we have, Ahsoka."

"What do you mean order 66 and a plot to destroy the Jedi?" One Etain Tur-Mukan spoke into a communicator.

She was baffled.

Mainly because she hadn't been aware of this gossip.

Force darn it.

That was new.

...

She didn't like it.

"What do you mean inhibitor chips? Wait, Dooku had Sifo Dyas killed? And...zombie apocalypse? Please, I think you've been visited by Fives too often, Stone, as if." 

...

"Wh-wait...what the heck is an AT-AT?? Or an AT-AT?? Okay, so you mean like the current vehicles we have, but updated and uglier? So...the AT-AT is a vehicle that might resemble what they call a camel? Oh no, you're right, that's an insult to camels everywhere, my apologies."

...

"...Fives and I are not related, no. Well, not by blood.....but now that you mention it, maybe I should adopt Fox as a new sibling. Thank you so much, I'll be there in ten minutes."

...

"Nope, I insist, besides I'm already outside. Hm? Ten minutes? Oh I lied, I've been planning this for three years now Stone, finally I will achieve unlimited power, via Fox. And...I'm coming in now, okay bye bye."

"Uh...Thorn?"

"Yes Stone?"

"...we...I think the galaxy might be doomed."

Thorn turns to him as they sit beside each other at a table in the Guard's barracks.

"Etain?"

"Etain." 

...

"And the gremlin is coming in about six minutes." 

...

"Well, the galaxy was nice while it lasted."