The Unchronicled Adventures Of Ahsoka Tano, Book Nine

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Admirian's News

AHSOKA TANO

Ahsoka chuckled, taking in the sight of her husband and the kids' shocked expressions. Lux had met Yularen during the Clone Wars once or twice, at Senate meetings or interviews with the Chancellor. But he and their children had heard many stories of Admiral Yularen coming to rescue Ahsoka, Obi-Wan and Anakin with backup when things were at their direst.

"It's... It's an honor, sir," Lux said. He extended a hand, and Yularen shook it. "Fulcrum has told me a lot about you... Although I understood your acquaintance was limited to during the Clone Wars. But even so, I'm glad that Admirian's operations are being run by someone with your expertise."

"Thank you... Guardian, is it?" Admirian smiled. "The pleasure is mine."

Ahsoka didn't fully understand it, but looking at her husband and the former Admiral she had served with more times than she could count... She could see the beginnings of a genuine friendship forming between them.

"I hate to interrupt," she said, putting a hand on each man's shoulder, "but I'm afraid the pleasantries will have to wait until later." She turned to her contact. "Admirian, do you have the information?"

He nodded, but there was a sense of uncertainty to it. "Yes. I have the information here, but I don't know how much of it will prove accurate."

"Forgive me," Kaylira cut in, and Aeja nodded beside her. Apparently, the girls had no intention of sitting idly by while the grown-ups talked, completely in the dark as to what was going on. "What's the information you're talking about? I heard something about Wookiees, but..."

Admirian looked at the young Padawan with a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. "I see your apprentice is an inquisitive one," he said to Ahsoka, before turning to Kayli, his expression sobering. "We are speaking of the slave trade, something that the Imperial forces have sadly chosen to encourage. It's particularly directed towards the planets that show or have shown resentment towards them or openly state their preference of the old Republic system. Wookiees, among others, are being captured from their homeworld and traded off to work in mines across the galaxy."

Ahsoka nodded, crossing her arms. "The Emperor has chosen to portray this as the punishment of war criminals who can't see the glory of the Empire and want it to go back to the so-called 'anarchy' that the galaxy was in during the Clone Wars." She sighed, turning to Yularen. "I can't believe you used to admire the man – if you can even call such a monster a man – with all that he's done."

"Ahs– Fulcrum." Lux corrected himself quickly, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You can't blame him for that. Palpatine had the entire galaxy under his thumb, even the systems that believed they were fighting to separate themselves from the Republic. It was no one's fault except the Emperor's own."

"I know," she murmured. "But even suppliers such as 'the mighty' Fulcrum needs to have their moments of weakness, huh?"

Admirian nodded, the hint of a smile on his lips. "But we have to get back to business. I have news."

Everyone looked up; the two girls seemed to be especially interested.

"The Imperial Senate is restless," he continued. "I have reason to believe that the military will be taking additional security measures around key worlds such as Alderaan, Mandalore and Naboo... And a few Outer Rim planets, such as Lothal."

"In that case, we'll have to be extra careful," Lux said, his grey eyes grim. He and Ahsoka both knew that extra security around Lothal would mean for their operations. "Thank you, Admirian. This is a terrible risk you're taking, giving us information like this... but we're grateful you're taking it."

"I'm only doing what's right," Yularen answered simply, and put a small data crystal in Ahsoka's hand. She pocketed with a grateful – but worried – smile.

Suddenly, her head whipped up. Her both her Jedi and Togruta senses were tingling – something wasn't right.

Something wasn't right at all.

"Admirian," she hissed. "Something's wrong. You have to hide. Now."

But he did no such thing. Instead, he pushed a button on his comlink. Immediately, his features warped into those of a Rodian male as a hologram covered whatever skin was visible. Then he pulled a blaster and turned the safety off.

Lux, Kayli and Aeja, who had also picked up on what was going on, took blasters out of hidden pockets and off their belts. Although Ahsoka and the girls' weapons of choice were lightsabers, here on Coruscant, the very center of the Empire, it was too risky.

"Scramble," she whispered, and the Jedi present used the Force to reshape their appearances. Although they looked the same to each other, an outsider's perception would be altered so they would believe the four Jedi were totally different people.

There was a moment of quiet, and the tension was so thick it could have been cut with a knife. The four Jedi and the Rebel spy turned back to back, each pointing a blaster in a different direction.

For a moment, no one moved, and the only sounds were those of their breathing and of the nearby speeders as they passed by. It was then that Yularen stiffened, the eyes of his Rodian disguise darting to the door on the other side of the apartment.

"Get down!" he yelled, and they dropped to the ground behind a set of drawers just as the Imperial Storm Troopers started firing.

*The Rebels are under attack! But who could be leading it? And what could the complications concerning Lothal be? What new adventures will our heroes find along the way there? And what could the mysterious Darth Bane and his apprentice Grievous be planning? And who is Rain, the woman who visited Kaylira in a dream? You'll find out in the next thrilling chapter of The Unchronicled Adventures Of Ahsoka Tano!

OMG I'M SO SORRY!!! I haven't updated in WAY over the usual limit in ANYTHING... But I was kind of procrastinating and because I had a long weekend school decided to give me extra homework... But enough with the excuses.

I hope you all liked the chapter, where I was hinting at stuff concerning Lothal *COUGH COUGH* FIRST AND SECOND EPISODE *COUGH COUGH* And yes, I'm spiking up the action again, and leaving you all on a bit of a cliffhanger. Sorry hehehe...

I'll do my best to update soon. Bye!

Have strange premonitions about the future and may the Force be with you,

Sharron