Back in the Game (COMPLETE)

9.5.3

Mace Windu was the first to speak. "Tano?"

Ahsoka nodded, making sure to conceal the many emotions she was feeling. "Hello, Master Windu. It's been a while."

Depa Billaba turned to Caleb, who was seated next to her bed. "You didn't mention she had come as well."

"You didn't ask, Master," he replied, shrugging. "I figured you would ask when you were ready, but I didn't want to tell you if you were still recovering from your injuries."

"How are you here, Ahsoka?" Plo Koon asked, wincing as he sat up on his cot. "We have not heard from you in over a year."

"No," she admitted, "but I heard that you thought you did. Your Inquisitor friend seemed like quite the character."

Farther down the room, Obi-Wan scoffed. "I'm afraid 'friend' is stretching the truth. I'm sorry to repeat Master Plo, but how in BLAZES are you here???"

Ahsoka grinned at his outburst. Even now, she could still count on Obi-Wan to lighten the situation. "I don't know if the Padawans already told you, but all of you were replaced with Changelings. It was actually thanks to the fake Master Windu that I came."

"Me?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow. "What did I do?"

"Things that you would never have done," she answered simply. "The Changeling looked like you, but they didn't have the act quite down."

Shaak Ti, who was in one of the cots nearest to the door, hid a smirk. "And where are these Changelings now?"

"At the Detention Center, the last I heard," Ahsoka answered, turning to face her. "When I left they hadn't been identified, but from what the interrogators could tell they were hired by the Separatists, but not necessarily loyal to them."

"That's all well and good," Adi Gallia remarked, "but how are you here? Since when do you appear out of nowhere to join a mission halfway across the galaxy?"

Ahsoka looked to Jinx, O-Mer, and Caleb. "Have you told them about the emergency council yet?"

When all of them shook their heads, she continued. "The Order elected a temporary council to take charge of the Temple in your absence. They granted me permission and rank to lead the 501st Legion for one mission, both of which will be repealed upon re-entry into Coruscant's atmosphere."

Windu looked at O-Mer and the other Padawans. "I thought you led the mission to Lokori."

He shook his head. "We voted that Ahsoka be in charge since the clones already trusted her, and she was the one who had seen Scarlet Haven before. She planned out all of the teams so that we could get everyone out as quickly as possible, right before we destroyed the base. I can't speak for the other squads, but my team had no casualties."

"Neither did mine," Jinx added, smiling supportively at Ahsoka.

"Unless Ahsoka's squad lost someone, which I doubt," Caleb suggested, "I don't think we lost anyone."

Ahsoka nodded, refusing to externally show pride at the fact. "No casualties were reported. Everyone who came on the mission returned."

That really shut up the Council. For several seconds, no one spoke, until a slow, steady clap came from the very last cot in the room. All heads turned to see Anakin slow-clapping for Ahsoka, a giant grin across his face.

"I was wondering what took you so long," he quipped, sitting upright. He was the least injured of the Jedi, so he was freer to move than the rest.

Ahsoka smirked and raised an eyemark. "Well, if you hadn't gotten kidnapped, I wouldn't have had to figure out where in the galaxy you were hiding out at. It's not my fault the Lokori system is six hours away."