The Unchronicled Adventures of Ahsoka Tano, Book Three

Chapter Twelve: Refining the Plan

AHSOKA TANO

“All right, so what are our options here?” Lux asked Ahsoka. The next day, they were planning their break-in of the Jedi Temple, which was to take place a few days later.

“Well, I’ve come up with several plans to break into the Jedi Temple – again. The first is that we either go in disguised as Jedi, and the second is that we sneak in at night. The first couple of steps are the same as our last break-in.

“Plan Number One would be in the daylight hours that the Archives aren’t all that busy. Either I go in alone wearing this-” to which Lux gave her a displeased look, and she corrected herself, “-or we find another cloak for you to wear, and we both sneak in. We would use the ventilation system to get into a corner of the Archives Library, and from there we could search the computers for the data we want to locate. Then we’d use the same route back out.

“If we go with Plan Number Two, we wouldn’t have to use the cloaks. It would take time, but I know that I can disable the security cameras that watch the Library and the Holocron Vault. Then we would do pretty much the same thing as in the first plan. Anything to add?”

“Well, in most ways, you pretty much covered it,” Lux said. “But how are we going to get the data we take back to the Archives afterwards? If we do go back to return it, the Temple will be crowded with police, security and lots of Jedi Masters.”

“I thought about that. Maybe we should wait it out until the security leaves, and then we bring it back. I have a feeling that I might need to travel away from Coruscant for my research.”

“Excuse me, Ahsoka, ‘I’?” Lux didn’t take her meaning.

“Yes, ‘I’. You can help me with the break in, but I’ll need to travel alone. The people in my dream might relate you to me, and if I do uncover anything important, they might hurt you for it. I can’t let that happen, Lux.” She was pained at the thought of Lux in danger of any kind, and looked away.

“It’s all right. I think I get it: this is your journey,” said Lux. They both heard the ‘not mine’ at the end of it, even though it wasn’t spoken out loud.

“I think it’s time I told you about my dreams, Lux. Then you’ll understand why I need to do this alone.”

“Cable guns?”

“Check.”

“Cloaks?”

“Check.”

“Lightsabers?”

“Check.” Ahsoka patted her belt where the lightsabers could be found.

“Communicators?”

“Check.”

“Your things-for-hacking-into-computers-whose-names-I-can’t-remember?”

Ahsoka laughed. “Check.”

“And last, but not least, device for saving data?”

“Check. Now can we please stop this?” she asked, exasperated. Lux, who had been naming the items for the fourth time that they were to bring for their (second) break-in, and Ahsoka, who had been checking the bag to verify that everything needed was there, were ready to commence Operation Data-Retrieval.

Their plan was simple. First off, Ahsoka would program the cameras in the Library from home to show the same footage on a loop, which would erase all evidence of their being there. During the last few hours of the Archive Library’s opening hours, when there would be almost no one present, they would sneak in using the ventilation system, like the last time. They would use the cable guns to scale the walls, and then enter the complex system of vents at the heart of the Temple.

Once inside, Lux and Ahsoka would don Jedi cloaks and costumes, and pretend that they actually were supposed to be there. Then they would copy the information that they needed, and sneak into the Holocron Vault. This would require reentering the vents, and then drilling (or simply cutting, in Ahsoka’s case) into the vault, and deactivating the security measures – mainly some laser beams – that would otherwise be linked to alarms. Then they would take the vents back out.

“All right,” said Lux with a grin. “We’ll need to buy you a ship for later, and I know some people who can help with that.”

“Then let’s get moving! Oh, and Lux, just warning you, but we might have a few Jedi on our tail.”