I Am No Jedi: Ahsoka x Reader

Chapter 12

The alarms suddenly stopped shrieking. It was good that Nova and Axle had successfully reached the security room and did what she had told them. They were good soldiers too, she had no doubt that they would be able to reach the shuttle before them.

The Twi'lek turned to Anakin. The only problem now was getting the bedraggled group past the Separatist security and into the escape shuttle without getting caught.

He seemed to know what she was thinking.

"I'll handle it," he said with a knowing smile. Aayla relaxed a bit. She knew that look – it was when he had a plan. But she wasn't convinced; Anakin's ideas were not what she would call quick, simple and easy.

Once the injured troopers were patched up to the Generals' satisfaction, Anakin explained his plan. 

"One word," he said, and pointed up at the ceiling to a metal cover. "Vents." As soon as he had finished speaking, he used the Force and removed the vent cover.

"That's the oldest trick in the book-" Aayla began, but Anakin ignored her.

"Up you go," he smiled at the troopers and began lifting Echo up the metal shaft.

Soon, all the clones and Generals were safely concealed within the ventilation system, the injured troopers being carefully dragged along.

"If we turn left at the next junction, we should be able to arrive at the hangar. But there's a longer route that will take us closer to the shuttle," Bly glanced up from his virtual map and called to Anakin, who was leading the group. The clones, in their robust armour and carrying so much gear, had some trouble keeping up with the Jedi. Not to mention they had to help tow their wounded brothers.

Aayla pondered for a second. "Take the long way. My apologies for the discomfort you're all feeling," she frowned at Anakin, who was facing away from her. "But it's safer and more guarantee for the mission to succeed." There were a few irritated mumbles in good humour, though the determined clones did not protest otherwise.

The group continued crawling through the vents. The Jedi could sense their displeasure and Anakin slowed down so that he was moving at the same pace as his men.

A soft yellowish light bathed the metal in front of them. Anakin crawled forward a bit more and suddenly stopped, almost causing the clones to knock into him and each other. He brought his face close to the vent cover so that his cheek was almost touching it.

"This is it. We're at the hangar," he turned and whispered to the ARC troopers behind him. There was scattered sighs of relief. "Our shuttle is down to the left. I'll contact the droid first, get it to open the side door. We'll have to grapple hook down one by one." He threw a concerned glance at the immobile, injured men. "Master Secura or myself will have to Force pull you down."

He looked at the sea of nodding heads and spoke into his wristlink. He then carefully removed the vent cover, not making a sound. Anakin stuck his head down the opening and waited for the perfect moment. In the blink of an eye he had leapt down, jumped onto their shuttle and swung over the side and into the cabin.

The next few clones followed, using grapple hooks. Tix, the soldier who had been shot twice in the leg, had passed out from exhaustion and shock. Aayla carefully lifted him up with the Force and sent him down towards the other Jedi.

At last, everyone was out of the vent, everyone except for Gallet. From their position in the shuttle cabin, Aayla and Anakin had trouble Force carrying the injured clone into the ship.

"I think it's clear. Just wait for that last droid to go around the corner and then we'll get him down here," Aayla told Anakin. He nodded.

"Three...two...one...NOW!"

They both concentrated and Gallet's form levitated out of the vent...

"Hey! What's that?" two droids suddenly walked into the hangar and caught sight of the soldier suspended in mid-air. A hundred heads swivelled and focussed their eyes on the trooper.

"That's a clone!" the first droid's companion shrieked. "Where's my blaster?"

"GO! GO! GO! GO! GO! GO!" Anakin yelled and they barely pulled Gallet into the shuttle before the first volley of shots were released.

"I said after that droid!" Aayla shouted.

"That's what I did!"

"No, you didn't wait long enough!"

"Whatever. Get the ship moving!"

The Sheathpede Class Transport Shuttle rose off of the ground, its powerful engines thrumming.

"The door!" Hio suddenly remembered. He pointed hurriedly at the control boards. Without a second to waste, Aayla focussed on the Force and sensed which one was the lever to open the huge gate. The lever switched on.

A second later, the vessel was zooming out of the hangar, red blaster bolts in its wake. After that, the ship disappeared into hyperspace.

Heartrates and adrenaline levels were high but falling. The clones were clustered in the cabin, the injured ones sprawled or lying on the floor, now safe.

"That was close," Anakin grimaced. He fished the data chip out of his utility belt. "All for this. It's not even the real one." He sighed. "I sure hope Master Koon is having an easier time than us."

Aayla stood up from her place next to the wounded troopers, her hand still cautiously over her lightsaber. She opened her mouth to chastise the Jedi but shook her head in annoyance and closed it, sitting down next to one of her men instead.

"We might as well see what's inside that chip," she said quietly as she watched one of the clones helping to treat the injured.

Shrugging, Anakin plugged it into the computer, which was mounted into the wall.

A shimmering, pixelated hologram appeared before them, sending a soft blue light across the walls and floor of the shuttle. The crackling sound of static echoed, before it slowly ceased, and the hologram grew clear.

Aayla and Anakin wrinkled their noses in disgust, for the figure in the hologram was no other than Hexa Renou herself.

Her shiny silver skin was polished and gleaming in the display, her robotic mouth forced into a cruel smile, beady artificial eyes twinkling with evil delight. Hexa's scalp was bare, though it was clear through her features that she was a female droid. The robot almost looked like a metallic version of Ventress.

"So..." her honeyed voice sounded. "You've found the so-called deciphering data chip." She threw back her head let out a piercing laugh that had no humour and sounded almost dead. "Good luck with deciphering messages with this data. It's fake, you foolish Republican scum. You'll never find the real chip – because there isn't one!" Hexa cackled again and the hologram vanished with a warble.

Anakin turned to Aayla, gritting his teeth, and growled, "Of course it's that machine that appears." And with that, he yanked the data chip out of its socket.