Chapter Text
If Ahsoka Tano had been in this position ten years ago, there would be no limit of help available to her. Clone troopers, Jedi, Republic forces of all kind? They’d be rushing to her location, desperate to get her out alive. As the Imperial officer increased the voltage on the machine she was strapped to, Ahsoka screamed. It had been hours upon hours since she’d been free of pain. He wasn’t even asking questions, just gleefully torturing her.
The electricity surged through her bones, effectively causing her pain to worsen. She knew there was no help coming. Ahsoka Tano worked alone. Ahsoka Tano didn’t want to risk lives, unless it was her own life on the line. She knew all too well the price of death. Unfortunately for her, it was not ten years ago. She had no help. There were no Jedi. There were no loyal clone troopers. There was only the Empire and those who weren’t. Still, as the pain grew worse and her voice gave out, Ahsoka screamed in the Force. The first few hours she’d meditated through the pain, but now she was unable to distract herself.
“I always wanted to see a Jedi brought to the mercy of a normal, mortal man,” the officer said, grinning. Help me! Ahsoka‘s mind shouted. She was sure there was no one there to listen. She was sure she would die from this pain. And what a shame that would be! I’ve lived through so much. She could not choke out a reply. Her eyes closed and her vision went black.
(:)(:)(:)
Time had passed, she knew that. Her mouth was dry and apart from her, the room was empty. Her bonds ached and chafed against her skin, a pain she hadn’t noticed before. Her bones felt sore. I probably don’t have much time before one of them comes back, Ahsoka thought brokenly.
She felt oddly calm, despite her surroundings. Confused, she reached out with the Force, closing her eyes in concentration. Just as quickly, they opened again. There was. . . something here. Someone? It felt darker than any living thing she’d encountered, and yet it was so familiar. Ahsoka had felt it before.
A feeling of dread washed over her, and she wished she were at least free of the restraints. Sharp stabs of pain echoed in the Force around her, little sparks of life cut off forever. The thing had struck. Ahsoka‘s mouth felt drier. The dark thing drew nearer and nearer, and nervously she fixed her eyes on the door. Another screech, another voice silenced forever. Her eyes narrowed. And the door opened.
I can’t believe someone came, she thought hopefully. It was as if a great weight lifted from her lungs. Then she saw who it was.
Oh. Ahsoka knew him, and she was quite surprised to see him. The weight was back, along with a sure sense of doubt.
“Lady Tano. What a pleasant surprise,” Maul said, his eyes wide. “I knew the voice felt. . . familiar, but I wouldn’t have dreamed of finding you here.”
“Surprise,” Ahsoka said weakly. She watched the former Sith nervously, wondering what he would do. It was unlikely he would release her, no doubt he remembered her turning him down many times before everything went wrong. He’d known. He’d been right, and she hadn’t listened.
Maul stood in front of her, but made no move to set her free. That didn’t surprise her in the least. They stared at each other for a long time. “You sounded so hopeless,” Maul finally said. He didn’t sound pitying, but there was some emotion there that Ahsoka couldn’t place.
“I am,” she replied. “There’s no one left.”
“Ah, but that isn’t true,” the Zabrak said, a smirk plastering his face. “There is someone else, someone elusive.”
“What? Who?”
Maul said nothing else, but he moved forward, activating his double sabre and slicing through her restraints. Ahsoka couldn’t keep herself from falling; her muscles were so weak. Maul placed his sword at his side and caught her.
“Why?” Ahsoka asked, attempting to stand but failing and leaning on Maul for support.
“I need your help,” the former Sith said. “It shall benefit us both.” He lifted Ahsoka in his arms and took her sabres from a nearby table. Then, he began to walk out of the room.
“Wait, where are you taking me?”
“To my ship.”
“Won’t there be soldiers in the way?”
“Oh, not anymore,” Maul said, and his voice dripped with venom. “I took good care of them already. We’ll be quite safe.”
Ahsoka didn’t want to stop paying attention to what was going on, but she had just been tortured. She couldn’t hold on to her thoughts, and for the second time that day, her vision went black.