Trial of the Times

Chapter 28 - Scheming - Rewritten

Ahsoka is typing furiously on her wrist comm, exchanging messages with Rex as she appraises him of what just happened – she is this close to storming into the Council chambers and screaming herself hoarse – and dissuades him from bringing the entire 501st Legion to storm the Temple and break Anakin out. It's outrageous and completely unfair! How dare they – how dare they take her master to lock him up like some kind of dangerous criminal for trying to destroy Sidious and end the war.

She senses more than hears Obi-Wan approaching, and she looks up at him, scowling as Anakin's instructions replay in her mind. When the Temple guards were leading him away, he'd reached out to her through their bond, telling her how to find Dooku and instructing her to go to him and inform him about what happened. "Master Obi-Wan, what happened?" she demands, sounding irater than she intended. She's not upset at him, because she's certain he would never have condoned Anakin's arrest, but she's still angry, and she'll do her best not to lash out at him.

He lets out a quiet sigh. "The Council expelled Anakin after learning about his marriage," he explains, "And they also felt that since Anakin all but admitted to wanting to embrace the Dark Side, he was too great a threat to be allowed to leave."

Ahsoka crosses her arms, knowing that her anger and worry are being projected into the Force. "What will we do now? I want to help. What the Council did is wrong. They shouldn't have done that to Anakin."

"I know." Obi-Wan's voice is quiet, and he momentarily looks down at the floor before meeting her eyes. "I don't know what we'll do now, but we need to figure something out. If I could contact Dooku, it would be easier. He might have some ideas."

She brightens slightly. "Anakin told me where Dooku is right after he was arrested. He wants me to tell him what happened," she informs Obi-Wan.

The Jedi Master seems momentarily surprised, though he hides it well. "I don't like the idea of sending you to meet Dooku alone, but if I leave the Temple now, the Council might become suspicious," he admits. "I should check on Anakin. Go meet with Dooku, but I want you to take a few clones with you, and if I don't hear back from you within a few hours, I'll track you down myself. Is that understood?"

Ahsoka nods. "Understood, Master Obi-Wan," she confirms, before turning and hurrying off, sending a message to Rex to update him, telling him to send a few clones to meet up with her in the underworld. They'll go from the meeting spot to where Dooku is waiting. She can understand Obi-Wan's caution because she is wary about contacting Dooku while alone, but Anakin trusts him for some unfathomable reason, and she trusts Anakin.

It's not long before Ahsoka meets Fives and Jesse – Rex is still recovering, and as such, if there's a fight, he won't be much help – and the three of them head towards the Works on speeder bikes. It'll take them some time to get there, being as they're using speeders instead of a shuttle or starship, which will give Ahsoka plenty of time to organize her thoughts. This will be the first time she's ever interacted with Dooku, so she's understandably a bit nervous, but she won't let that deter her, because Anakin needs her – them – and she refuses to fail him.

***

There isn't much to see in the Works, being as it's a mostly abandoned industrial area, though there are still a few factories here and there which are still in operation. Dooku has never much cared for the area, especially given how much criminal activity occurs here. He very much looks down on criminals. Something went wrong though; he can feel that much. Sidious is long gone from the system – or maybe he's hiding himself entirely in the Force – and while Dooku would like to leave as well so he can contact his allies, he cannot do so until Skywalker and Kenobi have returned.