Chapter 36: The Frame - Part 1
POV: Kael Vorn
Fifteen days until convergence—but Kael's careful timeline calculations shattered when the Temple hangar exploded.
He had been conducting a routine supply run, cataloging medical equipment with Ventress while Ahsoka examined a suspicious crate that Barriss Offee had flagged for investigation. One moment they were discussing inventory logistics; the next, the world disappeared in fire and thunder.
The blast was catastrophic. Flames engulfed multiple levels of the hangar complex. The shockwave threw Kael across the loading bay, his Force Barrier igniting instinctively to protect himself and nearby civilians from flying debris.
Through smoke and chaos, his Force Sense screamed with malevolent echoes. This wasn't an accident—the explosion carried the psychic signature of deliberate malice, careful planning, and ruthless execution.
And worse, he felt Ahsoka's Force presence near the epicenter, panicked and confused, her mental voice crying out in pain and bewilderment.
"No. No, this is wrong. It's too early. The convergence isn't supposed to happen yet."
[CONVERGENCE EVENT: INITIATED AHEAD OF SCHEDULE]
[MAJOR EXPLOSION: TEMPLE HANGAR BAY]
[CASUALTIES: SEVERE]
[AHSOKA TANO: COMPROMISED POSITION]
Emergency responders flooded the scene within minutes—clone troopers establishing security perimeters while medical teams triaged the wounded. Kael threw himself into Force-assisted rescue operations, using telekinesis to lift massive structural beams while his enhanced senses guided him to survivors trapped beneath the wreckage.
The death toll climbed with each victim pulled from the debris. Forty-three Republic personnel, including several Jedi Knights who had been conducting their own investigations in the hangar complex. The Force echoed with their final moments—surprise, pain, and the terrible realization that death had come without warning or purpose.
Among the wreckage, investigators found evidence that made Kael's stomach clench with dread. Nano-droids programmed for synchronized detonation, fragments of a remote detonator bearing familiar fingerprints, and security footage that showed a figure matching Ahsoka's distinctive silhouette near the blast's epicenter.
Anakin arrived as medical teams were stabilizing the last of the wounded, his presence in the Force blazing with desperate urgency as he searched for his Padawan. They found Ahsoka unconscious in the rubble, her body bearing burns and lacerations that spoke of proximity to the explosion's heart. Most damning of all, her hands were covered with explosive residue.
The circumstantial evidence was devastatingly complete.
[FORENSIC EVIDENCE: MANUFACTURED BUT CONVINCING]
[AHSOKA STATUS: UNCONSCIOUS, INJURED, IMPLICATED]
[FRAME OPERATION: SOPHISTICATED]
When Ahsoka regained consciousness in the Temple's medical center, she found herself under armed guard—clone troopers whose loyalty to the Republic superseded any personal affection for the young Padawan they had served alongside. Her confusion was genuine and heartbreaking.
"I don't understand," she said, her voice weak from smoke inhalation. "Barriss asked me to examine that crate. Said she'd detected something unusual. Then... nothing. I woke up in the fire."
The Council convened an emergency session that felt more like a trial than an investigation. Commander Wolffe presented the evidence with military precision: fingerprints on detonator fragments, security footage placing her at the scene, explosive residue on her clothing, and a psychological profile suggesting growing disillusionment with Jedi methods.
Admiral Tarkin's presence added military weight to the proceedings, his cold ambition masked as institutional concern. "The Jedi Order's internal justice system is insufficient for crimes of this magnitude. This is a military matter requiring military justice."
Kael tried desperately to defend her, arguing that the evidence was circumstantial and potentially fabricated, but his credibility was questioned. Everyone knew about his close relationship with Ahsoka—his objectivity was compromised by emotional attachment.
Anakin's fury was volcanic, barely contained by years of Jedi training. "She didn't do this! I know my Padawan! This is a mistake!"
But the Council had no choice. Public pressure, military demands, and the weight of evidence left them with only one option.
Mace Windu's voice carried the weight of personal regret as he delivered the verdict: "Ahsoka Tano, you are hereby expelled from the Jedi Order pending trial for terrorism and murder."
[AHSOKA TANO: EXPELLED FROM JEDI ORDER]
[STATUS: IMPRISONED PENDING TRIAL]
[COUNCIL DECISION: UNANIMOUS BUT RELUCTANT]
Kael's mind raced as the implications crashed over him. This was the convergence event—Ahsoka's betrayal by the Order, exactly as his mysterious benefactor had warned. But something fundamental had changed from the canonical timeline.
In the original events, Ventress had been involved as the real culprit's accomplice, manipulated by Barriss Offee's fall to the Dark Side. Here, Ventress had been with Kael for weeks, her alibi airtight and her loyalty beyond question.
Someone else was orchestrating this frame with resources and sophistication that went beyond simple Padawan rebellion.
Using his Codex's analytical capabilities, Kael reviewed the forensic evidence with systematic precision. The nano-droids were Separatist in design but far too advanced for standard Confederate technology. The security footage contained micro-inconsistencies visible only through Battle Analysis—digital artifacts that suggested skilled but not perfect manipulation.
Ventress joined his investigation, her criminal background providing insights into the psychology of the frame. "This is Sith work," she observed grimly. "The attention to detail, the psychological warfare—isolating her from support structures before striking. Classic Darth Sidious methodology."
Kael's stomach dropped as the true scope of the conspiracy became clear. Palpatine had orchestrated this personally—not Barriss acting alone, but the Sith Master himself removing a piece from the board while simultaneously striking at Anakin's emotional stability.
[INVESTIGATION ANALYSIS: SITH INVOLVEMENT CONFIRMED]
[PRIMARY SUSPECT: PALPATINE/DARTH SIDIOUS]
[MOTIVATION: ELIMINATE KAEL'S INFLUENCE]
[TIMELINE INTEGRITY: 48%]
That night, Kael and Ventress stood outside the detention level where Ahsoka was held under maximum security protocols. Only Anakin had visiting privileges—even Kael's status as civilian consultant couldn't override military jurisdiction once terrorism charges were filed.
Through the Force, Kael reached across the barriers that separated them, his consciousness touching Ahsoka's with gentle reassurance. Her mental voice was small and terrified, carrying none of her usual confidence.
"Kael? I didn't do this. You believe me, right?"
His response blazed with fierce conviction. "I believe you completely. And I will prove your innocence, no matter what it takes."
He felt her gratitude and relief flow through their connection, a lifeline of trust in a situation designed to isolate her from all support.
But as he pulled back from the mental contact, his Codex displayed an update that chilled his blood:
[CONVERGENCE EVENT: ACCELERATED BY 12 DAYS]
[TIMELINE CORRECTION ATTEMPT DETECTED]
[SOURCE: UNKNOWN]
[PROBABILITY OF TIMELINE COLLAPSE: 67%]
[RECOMMENDATION: SOLVE CRISIS WITHIN 72 HOURS OR PERMANENT DIVERGENCE WILL FAIL]
Someone—or something—was actively trying to force events back to their predetermined path. The universe itself was resisting his changes, using Ahsoka's crisis as a lever to collapse the timeline back to its canonical progression.
And Kael had exactly three days to prevent everything he had built from crumbling into dust.
"Not her. Anyone but her. I won't let them destroy her to preserve their precious timeline."
The real battle was just beginning.
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