Revenge

Chapter 5. Temple Bombing Part 1

Author's note: This chapter is a retelling of the Ahsoka arc in season 5 through another POV character.

"So Ahsoka, where are you going tommorow?" Padmé asked curiously as she sipped some tea from her cup. "Well, Master Skywalker and I have been assigned to go to Cato Neimodia," the Togruta answered excitedly.

"Sounds like someone is excited," Satine teased. Ahsoka giggled lightly and spoke again, "It's been boring lately at the Temple. Last time I went somewhere was what? A month or two ago?"

Padmé remembered almost instantly about the last time she went somewhere, which was accompanying Younglings to the planet Ilum. She remembered as clear as daylight how much Anakin was panicking when her ship didn't came back that day. He can barely sleep and was checking his data pad for every 10 minutes to check if she arrived. When they heard that she's safe with Obi-Wan, Anakin screamed in joy. In her mind, the two became so close as if they were siblings.

Ahsoka then came up with an idea. "You know Duchess, how about I also tag along with your quest to retake Mandalore?"

"You don't have to do that."

"I know, but I will be a help," she responded with attitude. "Anakin won't let me go unless you asked me to, I'm bored in the temple, and I've been hanging around with you and Padmé lately. You're a friend of mine and I will always help my friends."

Satine sighed as she smile. "I really don't want to involve a lot of people in this, especially underage people," she explained. "I'm 17!" Ahsoka half shouted.

"That's still underage," Padmé reminded the 17 year old.

Ahsoka narrowed her eyes and stared at the Senator from Naboo, giving her an annoyed look. She muttered something under her breath that the two older ladies can't hear. Ahsoka turned her eyesight to Satine again. "Pretty please..." she begged with her hands clapped in front of her.

"Fine."

"Yes!" she screamed. She ran towards the Duchess and hugged her, catching her by surprise. Ahsoka whispered to Satine's ears, "I promise I'll go with you."

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The next day

Padmé gasped in horror as she saw a thick, black smoke coming out from the Jedi Temple. She covered her mouth instantly. Instinctively, she ran towards her desk in her office and grabbed her comm link. She almost pressed Anakin's comm number when she remembered that he and Ahsoka aren't in the Temple.

Sighing in relief, Padmé put her comm back down and sat back on her chair. Her right hand hold her leaning head. Did the Seperatists did this? Probably.

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Obi-Wan ran as fast as he could towards the direction he had heard an explosion came from. He had been in his room meditating when a loud boom can be heard echoing throughout the temple, and that he felt a great disturbance in the Force as it happened.

When he got there, a lot of people are on the ground. Those who were unaffected are rushing to help those who were injured. Other than that, corpses could also be seen laying around in the now destroyed hangar. Who could've done this?!

Coming back to reality, Obi-Wan rushed towards one of the workers who worked in the Temple. Once he was on his side, Obi-Wan asked, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I was thrown into one of the walls when it happened," the worker explained as he pointed towards the wall he was thrown off into. Obi-Wan look towards it then back to him.

"We have to get you out of here. Can you walk?"

"I think so," the worker answered. Obi-Wan helped the man to stand up. The worker's right arm hold on to Obi-Wan's shoulders to stabilize himself. They slowly walk towards the exit. Once there, a medical worker was waiting. He took the injured worker away to the med bay, leaving Obi-Wan behind.

The Jedi Master observed his surroundings one more time. Everyone present at the scene are either already evacuated or was dead and lying down in the floor.

There was nothing else he could do, so he walked away, back to his room.

~ Sabotage

"Thank you for coming Duchess," Bail Organa formally said. "My pleasure Senator," she replied. Satine and Bail bowed to one another, and then she turned to the door to leave his office.

The Duchess of Mandalore walked alone in the crowded Senate Building. After a long meeting about trades, Satine is ready to head back to her apartment.

Every now and then, she greeted some Senators, or have a small talk with them before walking away again.

After half an hour, Satine finally arrived in her apartment. When she got there, Satine saw Obi-Wan waiting in front of the door. What is he doing here? she thought to herself. Curiously, she walked towards him.

"Obi-Wan?" she called out. "Satine?" he replied as he realized that she had just arrived. Satine opened the door to her apartment. "Please come in," she invited. Obi-Wan walked in and Satine came behind him, closing the door.

When they're inside, they began to talk. "I heard about the bombing, are you alright?" Satine asked, concerned with his condition. "Thankfully," Obi-Wan answered her.

He then continued. "I was just from the Military Base, I thought I'd came by to see you."

"And why did you came by to see me?" she asked in a slightly teasing tone. Obi-Wan rolled his eyes and answered her question, "I think that your request will be delayed."

Satine gasped in surprise. "Why?! My people are in need!" she shouted.

"Satine, Anakin and Ahsoka are in charge of the investigation of the bombing of the Temple," the Jedi Master explained. "You know me and Anakin have been appointed for the upcoming Siege, and that you have personally requested for Ahsoka to come as well."

The Duchess dropped to her couch as she covered her face with her hands, stress filling her head. "They're counting on me Obi," she speak lowly, almost whispering.

Obi-Wan sat next to her. He tried to reassure her, "I'm sure this wont delay too much."

Satine turned to look at him. "Yesterday Bo called me again," she told him. He asked, "What did she say?" Satine looked down to her laps, fighting the urge to cry. "More people have been executed for trying to rebel against Maul."

Of course it disturbed Obi-Wan as well. He want to comfort her, tell her that it'll be fine. He sat closer to her, putting his right arm around her. "It's going to be fine."

Satine excepted his gesture and sat even more closer. She leaned her head to his shoulder as his right arm wrapped around her. For a moment they stayed that way, until they both realized that they have crossed the line.

The woman cleared her throat as she pulled away from him. There was an awkward silence for what just happened.

Finally, Obi-Wan stood up. "I must get back to the Temple," he excused himself. 

They both make their way to the door. Satine opened the door for him. Before leaving, he turned around once again. "There's going to be a funeral in the Jedi Temple in two days. You are invited to attend it."

She remembered the last time she attended a "funeral". "Last time I went there, I attended your funeral," she recalled bitterly. Obi-Wan sighed. "It's for real this time," he dryly replied. He turned away and left the place.