Chapter 18: Deception
Ahsoka's POV
Ahsoka and Rex agreed that she would head out into the corridor to see what the noise was while he flanked her from behind to catch the possible intruder off guard. Ahsoka slowly walked out in to the vast Jedi Temple hallway with her lightsaber hilts in her hand ready to be activated if need be. What she saw surprised her. Barriss Offee was standing in the middle of the hallway, her lightsabers on the ground and a green mist surrounding her.
"It's quite ironic really, isn't it" Barriss said, her voice sounding deflated
"What is?" Ahsoka questioned still gripping her weapons
"That we are both no longer Jedi yet here we are" Barriss said looking up at Ahsoka, tears rolling down her eyes
Ahsoka didn't know what to do. She had never thought she ever see Barriss again let alone feeling bad for her. Rex had come up behind her, pistols centre meters from her head. Ahsoka shook her head and Rex lowered his weapons at the signal.
"I just had someone who I thought I could trust betray me, and it is only know that I realise, that's exactly what I did to you all those years ago"
Barriss' POV
A few moments ago
The two had arrived outside the Temple a few moments ago and snuck there way in. As they were exploring the corridors they heard the familiar voice of Ahsoka.
"Let's take them" Barriss said already grasping her lightsabers and about to head for the door but Ventress stopped her by grasping her shoulder.
"I have a better idea" the Dathomirian stated. "Why don't I exact my revenge on you by leaving you here to be killed" Ventress said with a grin. Barriss looked at Ventress stunned.
"What are you talking about!?! I thought we were a team! We can defeat all of our enemy's and rule the Galaxy as we want to rule it!" Barriss exclaimed on the verge of tears.
"Well it was never going to happen because me being here in physical form is just an illusion I created" Ventress exclaimed as her presence faded into a green foggy mist and she was gone leaving Barriss all by herself in the Temple halls.
Bo Katan's POV
"Stand down Maul! And I'll give you a quick and mostly painless death!" Bo yelled to the red and black tattooed Zabrak. Her Night Owls which had become the New Death Watch, started forming a circle around the throne room leaving no room for Maul to make an escape.
"If you couldn't do it before, what makes you think you can do it this time?" Maul questioned, referring to the last few days of the Clone Wars when her and the former Jedi, Ahsoka Tano, had attempted to finish him off.
"Because now I have this" Bo exclaimed as she reached out to the back of her jet pack and pulled out the weapon that Pre Vizsla, former ruler of Death Watch, had owned. The Dark Saber.
Rex's POV
Both he and Ahsoka stood in the centre of the room shocked at what Barriss had just said, no one said anything until Rex's com started beeping.
"Is it the fleet?" Ahsoka asked
"No...it...it's coming from Mandalore" Rex said confused. "But it's coming through on the secure channels, that could only mean..."
"BO" Ahsoka realised. Ahsoka had mentioned that they needed to make a quick stop there but now it looked like they'd be spending a bit more time there. They both started to make their way to the exit where they would then meet Lux at a rendezvous point.
"Wait" Barriss shouted out, obviously not knowing what to say next.
"Look Barriss, when you betrayed me, I was on my own for a while. It's time for you to do the same" Ahsoka said, and with that, they left her.
Kanan's POV
"Kanan, why do you have this?!" Ezra yelled out in confusion. The Sith Holocron was now sitting in Ezra's palm and there was nothing Kanan could do to cover it up. Wait, I have an idea
"Ezra, I know this looks bad" Kanan began but was interrupted.
"BAD! You banned me from using it and then go ahed and use it yourself. At first I was mad that you took it off me but then I realised you were doing it for my own good, to protect me. But now I see it was all just a lie!" Ezra said, anger and sadness expresses in his tone.
"I was using the Holocron so I could stop Ahsoka!" Kanan yelled, lying, making Ezra look at him stunned. "Look, I was gonna tell you once I was ready but I guess I have to do it now" Kanan begun.
"Ever since Ahsoka returned we've been losing bases like farmers lose their money to Jabba! Our base on Atollon was compromised, the base on Onderon is being ambushed as we speak and now here we are, the Empire right above us! And this all happened when Ahsoka came back."
Ezra's POV
He'd never even realised that the Rebels and started losing bases ever since Ahsoka came back into the picture. He does make some very good points
"Plus don't you think it's odd how she won't tell us where she's been and what's happened to here?" Kanan added. "My guess is she's working for Vader"
Ezra couldn't quite believe it. During their time before Malachor, he had taking a real liking to Ahsoka. She had always been that kind of older mentor that could teach him stuff Kanan didn't understand or didn't know. Of course Kanan was always the one he went to first, but he had felt so guilty after Malachor, he blamed himself for so long and once she returned, he felt so much relief. But Kanan is probably right, he would know so much more than me
"Alright, what do we do?" Ezra asked, feeling some hesitation.
"We need a team. A team to take her down"