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Ahsoka’s head pounded as she was pulled out of unconsciousness. It was initially impossible to recall exactly what happened to land her... wherever she was. The first thing she noticed was that she was definitely not back on the Resolute, or in any medbay for that matter. She wasn’t touching the ground at all; it was as if she were suspended in the air.
Upon forcing her heavy eyes open at least half-way, she realized why that was. She was restrained in a containment force field. The blue glow the field gave off was doing nothing for her sharp headache. As per the usual with these force fields, her arms and legs were restrained beyond moving. The aching pain in her head made her shut her eyes again, if only briefly.
She gave a soft groan. Her entire body felt so heavy. She must have been knocked out by a nasty blow to the head, which would explain why it was throbbing so badly. Even through her somewhat hazy vision, she was able to survey the area in which she’d been imprisoned. Aside from the two containment force fields in the room, there were no other sources of light. If it weren’t for those, the cell would be completely dark.
Wait... two force fields?
She blinked a few times as she did a double-take, making sure she wasn’t hallucinating. Sure enough, there was a second force field next to hers, and it held someone insanely familiar to the Padawan. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight.
“Master?” She leaned as close to where Anakin was suspended as she could, which wasn’t much. “Master! Master, wake up!”
Her eyes darted about the cell, a freezing panic beginning to take her over. Why was Anakin here? Why was she here, for that matter? She had a feeling it was the Separatists holding them captive. It could also be pirates, but whoever it was, she didn’t want to stick around long enough to find out.
Her attention returned to Anakin when she saw him stir out of the corner of her eye. She held her breath as she watched him, glancing at the door every now and then. Someone could enter through that door at any moment, and she needed to at least figure out an escape plan with her Master before that happened.
“Master,” she whispered. It was as if she had flicked a switch, for he snapped awake at the sound of her voice. He didn’t see her right away, opting to study their surroundings as she did. When his gaze finally did land on her, she could see a fresh bruise on his forehead, meaning he’d been hit over the head too. If only she had a mirror, she would’ve been able to see if she had an identical bruise in the same spot. Considering the pain interrupting her thoughts every now and then radiated from the back of her head, she doubted it.
Anakin wore a tired expression, yet she could pick out the worry in his eyes. “Ahsoka?”
Ahsoka chuckled dryly, wincing a little at the ache that pulsed through her head. “In the flesh.”
He stole a quick glance at the door before shaking his head. He quickly shut his eyes, his brows furrowing with pain. He only allowed that expression to remain for a second before he opened his eyes again and looked back towards her.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, voice tight with concern.
She shrugged. “Same as you, I suppose.”
As she looked him over, she saw that his limbs were restrained like hers. His lightsaber was also missing from his belt. She didn’t have to look to know her lightsabers were gone as well. Their captors weren’t going to be stupid enough to leave Jedi with their weapons.
“Do you remember what happened, Master?” she inquired worriedly.
Anakin sighed. “Not really,” he replied. “I was caught off guard mid-battle. Next thing I know, I’m here.”
He narrowed his eyes a little. “You shouldn’t be here, Snips. I thought I told you to get back to the gunship.”
“Trust me, I was!” Ahsoka protested, the memories flooding back in as she spoke. “I went with Rex and a few others. MagnaGuards intercepted us, and I tried to fight them off, but there were too many. I told Rex to run, and to inform Master Kenobi of what happened...”
Her heart ached as she thought of Rex, yet she could only be relieved that he wasn’t here. As far as she knew, he hadn’t been caught. She couldn’t sense his presence nearby, and if she concentrated hard enough (without keeling over from the pain that would come with it), she probably wouldn’t sense him in the entire facility. At least, she assumed they were in a facility. It unnerved her how little she knew regarding where she and her Master were.
She tried to smile. “But hey, look on the bright side. At least he’s likely already spoken with Obi-Wan by now.”
At the mention of his Master, Anakin swiftly scanned the entire room, as if searching for a third prisoner. When he didn’t see one, he sighed with relief. “Can’t sense him here.”
She tilted her head. “‘Here’ as in just this room, or ‘here’ as in the entire building?”
“The entire building. At least, as far as I can reach, and I can reach pretty far.”
“So he’s not here?”
“It’s very unlikely. Even if they got us, at least they didn’t get him.”
She took solace in that. Rex and Obi-Wan weren’t here. They might even be on their way to rescue them right now. That didn’t mean they shouldn’t come up with some sort of plan. Unfortunately, she couldn’t see anything they would be able to use while their captors weren’t here.
“So, you think they’re gonna interrogate us at some point?” Ahsoka asked softly. She wasn’t sure why she bothered asking; she already knew the answer.
Anakin huffed. “Undoubtedly.”
“For what information, do you think?”
“Anything from battle plans to important coordinates.”
There was a lengthy silence that stretched between the two of them, the weight of their conversation hanging in the air. She had wanted to be able to escape before interrogation could happen, but she saw no other way than to possibly attempt it during an interrogation. One that could quickly turn into a torture session.
She shuddered harshly at the thought. Anakin took notice of her discomfort, his features softening.
“Hey,” he said, breaking the silence. She locked eyes with him, choosing to remain silent.
“We’re gonna get out of here, okay? I won’t let any of them hurt you. We’ll be out before you know it.”
He gave her a small smile. She could tell it was heavily forced, yet the intention to comfort her was still present, and it only half-succeeded. She was uncertain of what would happen to the two of them, but she appreciated his effort to keep her mind in the right place nonetheless.
Before she could reply, heavy footsteps could be heard outside of their cell, followed by the door sliding open. Both prisoners snapped their eyes towards the door as a T-series tactical droid entered with a single MagnaGuard. The droids stopped in front of them as the door closed shut.
“Greetings, prisoners,” the droid droned, using the same monotone voice heard by others of its kind. “I am TO-86. You are here because one of you is suspected to hold information considered valuable to the Separatists.”
Neither of them were surprised by the simple revelation, both glaring holes into the droid. “Whatever it is you want, you won’t be getting it,” Anakin immediately retorted, growling. Ahsoka had to bite back a low growl of her own.
The droid seemed unfazed by their defiance. “The information we require regards the Nexus Route. Half of it was formerly held by Jedi Master Even Piell, who died outside of the Citadel.”
A chill ran down Ahsoka’s spine, her heart skipping a beat as she now understood what their captors wanted from them. She frowned and glanced away at the mention of Master Piell, keeping quiet. Her Master didn’t look at her, likely to keep attention off of her, and for good reason. She shut her eyes, trying not to focus on the droids in front of them, which was incredibly difficult with the faint yet persistent buzzing of the MagnaGuard’s electrostaff.
“It is believed that one of you was given the information prior to his death. Three Jedi were witnessed carrying out the rescue mission, and that included the two of you. You will reveal who it was given to, and if it is one of you-”
“Let me stop you right there,” Anakin interrupted firmly. “Your precious information? I’ve got it. He gave it to me.”
What? Ahsoka snapped her head up, giving Anakin a shocked look. It took a hot second for her to process why he would lie about having the intel they were looking for, but that did nothing to ease her. If nothing else, it only alarmed her further.
“Unfortunately, as I’ve already stated, you won’t be getting anything,” he continued with an air of confidence. “You can torture me as much as you want; in fact, I welcome you to try, or to give up now. I will not give you what you want.”
A sinking feeling set in the Togruta’s chest. Anakin’s outspoken determination was about to backfire, she was sure of it. He briefly glanced over at her and, clearly noticing the intense worry in her eyes, managed to send her a wave of reassurance towards her via their Force bond. She allowed it to wash over her, turning her attention to TO-86. She allowed her concern to visibly fade, steeling herself for what she was about to witness her Master endure.
TO-86 studied the two for a period of silence that almost felt like an eternity. Ahsoka swore her heart was going to burst out of her chest, it was pounding so fast.
When the droid finally broke the silence, it motioned to the MagnaGuard, who slowly advanced towards her. Confused as to why it wasn’t going towards Anakin instead, she pulled herself back as far as she could go, heavily limited by the force field trapping her.
“Very well, Skywalker,” TO-86 replied, moving its gaze to her. Whatever comfort Anakin had tried to give her earlier disappeared, replaced by sheer dread.
“Contrary to what you believe, you will not be the one suffering punishment for your defiance.”
In a flash, the MagnaGuard swung the electrostaff towards Ahsoka, striking her in the side. Her throat closed up before she could scream, electricity coursing through her veins. She could barely hear Anakin shouting in protest over the loud crackling of the electrostaff.
As the MagnaGuard withdrew its weapon, she managed to keep herself upright, gasping and squeezing her eyes shut. It hurt, oh did it hurt, but it would take more than one measly shock to break her... or so she thought.
“Give me the required information,” TO-86 demanded.
Ahsoka kept her head down, unable to bring herself to even glance at Anakin, who was both desperate and filled to the brim with rage.
“No! Leave her alone!” he yelled, struggling to free himself from the restraints keeping him from reaching his Padawan. “I told you to hurt me, not her!”
Once again, TO-86 was unfazed by his pleading. “I do not care what you said to me. Even if I did, you said yourself that you would not give up if we tortured you. If you want this to stop, you will do as you’re told.”
It motioned to the MagnaGuard again, who quickly hit Ahsoka with the electrostaff, using more force than before. Her body convulsed and she cried out in agony, the electricity sharp and burning. The staff was kept there longer this time, long enough for her vision to white out and her muscles to grow incredibly weak.
She couldn’t stop tears from streaming down her face as the pain escalated further. She tried to imagine herself being anywhere else, yet it failed with every jolt her body gave. She clenched her teeth to muffle the scream that tore its way out of her throat, her voice breaking as the electrostaff was finally pulled away.
“Stop it! That’s enough!” Anakin shouted, desperation leaking into his voice. He sounded less angry and more distressed for his Padawan. It was so heavy that she could feel it in the Force, and it made her feel as though she were about to be sick.
TO-86 fixed its blank gaze on the Knight. “Are you going to give up now?”
He shook his head. “No, I-”
The MagnaGuard received its orders, spinning the staff and threatening to shock Ahsoka a third time. She thought she could handle a couple shocks, and she might have been able to, if they hadn’t pushed the second electrocution for so long. She squeezed her eyes shut, slumping forward in her restraints, not even bothering to try and control the painful tremors racking her body as the staff closed in-
“Wait! Stop!”
When the familiar burning electricity didn’t return, her tear-filled eyes hesitantly fluttered open. The MagnaGuard backed up, given the order to withhold its weapon by TO-86. She managed to turn her head - Force, it was so heavy - to look over at the source of the wild voice. It hurt her to see Anakin like this. Maybe if she were stronger, he wouldn’t be reacting this way. Hell, they wouldn’t even be here in the first place.
“I don’t have it,” he admitted, speaking rapidly to keep her from being punished again for as long as possible. “I don’t have the information, neither of us do. I’ve been lying this entire time. It died with Master Piell. There is nothing I can give.”
He paused, a dangerous expression forming on his face. “Hurt her any further, and I promise you this; I will make sure this entire complex goes up in flames, and every being here, droid or not, will burn with it.”
Ahsoka drifted in and out, catching some of Anakin’s words, but otherwise missing his confession to the T-series droid. She panted and whimpered, twitching every now and then. Everything hurt. She was sure the electrostaff had burned her entire side; it felt as though her skin was on fire. She couldn’t stop trembling, no matter how hard she tried. It was a wonder she hadn’t passed out yet.
Unfortunately for them, TO-86 didn’t seem to be convinced by the admission. “I see. You claim to have lied, obviously thinking you would be the one who suffered. An easy prediction to make. Alas, as of now, your threats are empty. The next strike will undoubtedly kill your little learner. Are you going to give us what we require, Skywalker, or will you have this one’s blood on your hands?”
Before Anakin could give his answer, an alarm blared out of nowhere, red lights filling the cell. Through her pained daze, Ahsoka thought she could sense a familiar presence. It was far away, and she could barely sense it, but it was there. Could it be...?
“Intruders!” TO-86 hissed, turning to the MagnaGuard. “Go out there and eliminate them, at once!”
With that order, the MagnaGuard was gone, and the T-series droid remained. “Do not think this is over. You still have a choice to make, Skywalker. The information, or your Padawan’s death.”
As quickly as the alarms sounded, the containment force fields suspending Anakin and Ahsoka in the air deactivated, presumably switched off by one of the ‘intruders’. The former landed on his feet, surprised yet satisfied at the turn of events, while the latter collapsed heavily onto the ground and let out a small pained moan.
Snapping into focus, Anakin’s attention turned fully on the droid, who was starting to back away. He gave it a piercing death glare, taking his time in advancing towards it. “Looks like I don’t have to choose,” he seethed, his anger white-hot.
Raising a hand, he lifted TO-86 into the air with the Force, slamming it against the wall roughly. Ahsoka managed to lift her head off the ground in time to see what was happening, albeit through wavering vision and with only red lights illuminating the room.
“You hurt my Padawan,” Anakin growled darkly. “And now, you’re going to pay for it.”
He clenched his hand, completely crushing the droid before it could defend itself or say anything in response. When he was sure it was destroyed, he unceremoniously tossed it aside, making a loud clanking sound as it landed on the ground. Ahsoka winced at the sound, her head falling back onto the floor against her will.
Within a matter of seconds, she was gathered up in her Master’s arms, held close to his chest. She leaned against him, sobbing and quivering violently.
“Master... h-hurts,” she slurred, whimpering. She buried her tear-stained face in his tunic. “Can’t stop... shaking, hurts...”
“I know, Snips, I know,” Anakin whispered, pulling her a little closer. He shut his eyes. “Kriff, I’m so sorry. I said I wouldn’t let them hurt you, and...”
Aware of his pain, she sent a wave of reassurance mixed with relief through their bond. She parted her lips slightly to speak, only for a quiet groan to come out instead of any intelligible words. If it weren’t for their Force bond, she wouldn’t be able to tell him that it was okay. That it wasn’t his fault she’d nearly been electrocuted to death. If he hadn’t been in the same restrained position as her, she knew he would have stopped it before it even had the chance to begin.
Anakin snapped out of his grief, the urgency of the situation kicking in. They were being rescued; Ahsoka only felt a hint of the familiar light, but he felt it full-force, and he knew who it belonged to. Obi-Wan.
He carefully scooped his Padawan up into his arms, using as secure of a hold as he could without hurting her further. He cast a fleeting glance down at her, giving her a look of sympathy and reassurance before making his way towards the door. The sense of relief grew within her, mixing with the blinding pain. Her Master was free, and he was here. They weren’t going to hurt her anymore. She was safe.
“C’mon, Snips. We’re going home.”