The Unchronicled Adventures Of Ahsoka Tano, Book Ten

Chapter One Hundred: Questions And Confrontations

AHSOKA TANO

Thanks to a tip from Chopper, Ahsoka and Kanan had managed to corner the fleeing Inquisitor just as he was reaching his TIE Advanced. With a surprisingly effective use of the ship's guns on Chopper's part, they had succeeded in subduing him and confiscating his weapon.

Ahsoka had stood guard while Kanan did a more thorough search of the inside of the TIE fighter. Before long, he had found a pair of binders in a small storage locker beneath the controls. Ahsoka had secured them around the Inquisitor's wrists and done a final search to ensure he was not carrying any other concealed weapons, then, they had deemed him ready for questioning.

She had instructed Kanan to keep the spinning lightsaber as far out of reach as possible, and while he was upholding his task admirably, she was still keeping an eye on him and her senses on high alert. These Inquisitors were tricky, and she couldn't let her guard down for so much as a second for fear that one of their ploys would get the better of her.

Her thoughts drifted briefly to her children and how close the Inquisitors had come to taking them away from her. For their sake as much as that of all the other children strong with the Force who were vulnerable to an attack, she had to make sure this one didn't escape.

"You're the fourth Inquisitor we've seen," Kanan said, drawing Ahsoka back to the present. She noted how tightly he clenched his lightsaber hilt, and wished for a moment they had a bond strong enough for her to be able to reach out and remind him telepathically to loosen it. "How many are there?"

"More than enough for the two of you. Nothing can save you."

Ahsoka frowned. Even in defeat they lose none of their pride, do they?

"Why are you on Malachor?" Kanan tried, his expression stony.

"Hunting," the Inquisitor answered coolly.

"But you were not expecting us," Ahsoka said, hoping to get an answer that was a little more specific. "Who are you after?"

The Inquisitor laughed to himself once again, and Ahsoka could sense it was not an act - his interrogation seemed to genuinely amuse him. "A shadow."

And that was when Ahsoka felt it: the slow hum in her lekku of the earth beginning to move beneath her feet. It was followed quickly by a discernable shaking that was spreading rapidly outward from its source: the center of the Temple.

Ahsoka stared, openmouthed, as the stone pyramidion began to glow a nefarious crimson, the etchings on its surface turning a brilliant gold. The glow spread outward until the pillars around them were lit up as well, humming with a dark power that pushed and pulled at her consciousness, urging her to give in and surrender herself to it...

"We need to find Ezra." Her voice sounded considerably stronger than she thought it would; even strong enough, she realized, to fool Kanan into thinking she wasn't sick with worry.

Kanan nodded and turned to Chopper, who was waiting nearby. "Get back to the Phantom and get ready to leave."

The droid warbled an affirmative and ignited his jetpack boosters. Ahsoka didn't pause to watch him fly away, instead hauling the Inquisitor roughly to his feet by one arm. "Come on," she growled. "Let's take a walk."

As they began to run, pushing the Inquisitor ahead of them, Ahsoka bit back a sigh. The only thing she and Kanan could do now was pray that Ezra was still in one piece and that the 'shadow' the Inquisitor had spoken of hadn't gotten to him first.

In the chaos, she hadn't noticed that the Inquisitor had pushed a button on his comlink. Later, as much as she would need it, she would have no way of knowing that that simple gesture was the stone that started the avalanche that would tear apart everything she had ever known.

Ahsoka looked up as Kanan, who had been tracking Ezra through their bond in the Force as Master and apprentice, slowed to a stop before a narrow triangular doorway set into the rock whose outer edges glowed a sinister red.

She noted the seemingly random scuffs and scratches along the ground before them uneasily. Here and there, she could almost make out familiar symbols, blurred and worn away over time by the elements. But despite how difficult it was to decipher them, she was able to read one word over and over again: ARTIFACT.

"He's inside - I know it," Kanan said, gesturing to the heavy slab of stone that barred the entryway shut. "But there's no way he lifted that door."

Again, Ahsoka's thoughts returned to the carvings on the floor and her limited knowledge of the ways of the Sith. "Not without help."

Or maybe there's another way in...

Behind them, the Inquisitor chuckled. Kanan whirled, his whole body tensed to spring. "What's so funny?"

He didn't have time to question the Inquisitor further before his comlink crackled to life. He raised it to his face, a muscle jumping in his jaw as he asked Chopper what was wrong.

Ahsoka caught only part of the reply, but Kanan filled in the gaps when he spoke again. "What do you mean, we've got company? And what are you laughing at?" he demanded, turning again to the Inquisitor.

A moment later, he had his answer: a soft whirring reached their ears, growing louder by the second. And it could only belong to the spinning cycle necessary to power the repulsorlifts in the Inquisitors' lightsabers.

He must have warned them when the Temple began to change, Ahsoka realized. Damn it, why am I so out of it? I should have been watching more closely!

Ahsoka and Kanan ignited their blades and stood to the ready as Fifth Brother broke the cycle on his saber and landed a short distance away. Then, he lashed out at them in a series of quick strikes almost before they could block him.

But even though he didn't land a hit, his efforts were worthwhile: they made an excellent distraction to keep them from reacting in time to stop Seventh Sister from zipping past them and freeing their captive with one swift stroke of her blade.

"An excellent day's hunt," she said as he summoned his blade from where it hung on Kanan's belt. Then, they primed their sabers and stood at the ready.

*The Inquisitors are closing in. Having freed Eighth Brother to stand together, will Fifth Brother and Seventh Sister manage to get the better of Kanan and Ahsoka? What advantages might the Jedi be able to use to help even out the playing field? Will Ezra be able to come to their rescue in time? And what will their reaction be when they realize exactly whom Ezra has befriended in his search for the holocron? You'll find out in the next thrilling chapter of The Unchronicled Adventures Of Ahsoka Tano!

*studying the stars through a telescope*

*gasps as I spot a new pattern* WHAT IS THIS STRANGE ALIGNMENT I GLIMPSE IN THE HEAVENS

*scribbles down some notes on a page*COULD IT BE TRUE? COULD A QUADRUPLE UPDATE AND THE ONE HUNDREDTH CHAPTER OF THIS TALE TRULY HAVE COINCIDED??

The answer is yes, my friends! HAPPY ONE HUNDREDTH CHAPTER OF THE FANFIC!! :DDD

NOW CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME HOW THE KRIFF I EVEN GOT THIS FAR BECAUSE I HAVE NO IDEA

Anyway, this chapter was a little jerky for my liking, but for reasons I shared in the last few chapters, it's to be expected while writing from an episode.

It actually almost felt like filler, because I need it to set up the next chapter, but I probably wasn't putting as much effort into it as I should have been. But hey, it's partly yesterday's half-delirious 2AM Sharron writing, so what can you do XD

So yeah, seeing as I don't have much else to say about this chapter, I'll let you guys get onto the next one. ONWARD!!!