Chapter Text
“Ahsoka the Chancellor wants to apologize in person for the trial. He wants you to go to his office later,” Anakin told her.
“Do I have to go?” Ahsoka asked from her chair by the window. She’d been a bit fearful at any mention of the Chancellor.
“Snips, he’s an old man who feels bad, just humor him,” Anakin pleaded.
“Fine,” Ahsoka said, “Might as well get it done now.” She got up, donned her sabers, and headed out the door.
Ahsoka made her way to the Chancellor’s office, and told the droid receptionist why she was there. The droid escorted her upstairs immediately and Palpatine was waiting at his desk.
“Padawan Tano, thank you for coming,” the Chancellor said, his voice sharp yet frail.
“My Master said you wanted to apologize?” Ahsoka prompted.
“All in good time. Come, sit,” Palpatine said, gesturing to the chair on the opposite side of his desk.
Ahsoka did so, hesitantly. The Force felt clouded and filled with warning. But… Why? Then realization hit Ahsoka smack in the face as she looked at the Chancellor.
“You're the Sith,” Ahsoka muttered.
Instantly, Palpatine’s demeanor changed. A menacing grin came across his face and, to Ahsoka’s surprise, and horror, he cackled wickedly.
“Your perception proves true, Tano. But what, may I ask, will you do with this newfound knowledge?” Sidious asked, his voice thunderous.
Ahsoka hesitated. Could she take on a Sith by herself? She internally filtered through her options swiftly. She could run, but that would make her a coward. She could call Anakin, but would he even believe her? She could call another Master, but surely Sidious would end her before then. Or, she could take him on her own, and quite possibly give her life, right after she had avoided a death sentence. Ahsoka chose the last option, it seemed as though it would have the best outcome.
Ahsoka’s green blades ignited. She was glad Anakin had gone back and found her sabers after the manhunt. She was glad she had decided to stay.
“Now your abilities are deemed foolish, surely you can not expect to take me by yourself youngling,” Sidious said.
Ahsoka knew better than to make the first move. She stood there, watching Sidious as he moved around the room. Her head turned with his movements, and she dreaded the moment when she would not be able to see him behind her. She closed her eyes as Sidious drifted into her peripherals, trusting the Force to warn her. And it did. As Sidious bared down upon her, she lifted her blades into a parry.
“Maybe I was wrong about you. Your skills with a lightsaber and connection with the Force are stunning, dear one,” Sidious was trying to distract her. He swung his saber through her own, passing her shields and grazing her arm. Ahsoka clenched her teeth and went on the offensive for which she had learned Jar’ Kai.
“Neither of your Masters have used Jar’ Kai, young one. You would make an excellent apprentice.”
“The Dark Side does not exist in me,” Ahsoka said. “I would be worthless for you.”
“You are right,” Sidious said as he slammed his saber into her side. Ahsoka stumbled, but kept her ground, asking the Force to take her pain. Sidious took one of her sabers, her shoto blade, with a maneuver. Catching Ahsoka off guard, he Force pushed her into a wall, causing her to drop her other saber. He threw blue streams of lightning at her and she shook violently.
Ahsoka gasped for breath. She knew she had broken some ribs, because her lungs burned whenever she breathed. Sidious bared down on her, but as the tip of his saber began to impale her abdomen, Ahsoka called her saber to her and for once, didn’t hesitate as she plunged the blade through the Sith’s heart. He collapsed against her when she deactivated her saber.
Ahsoka pushed the dead man off of her, and with every drop of strength she had left, made her way to his desk, keeping an arm around her middle as she went. She managed to comm Kix before she collapsed.
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
“Rexxxx!” Kix shouted as he ran into his Captain's office.
“What is it?” Rex asked, looking up from the stack of datapads he was working with.
“Read this,” Kix demanded.
“Kix, I’m in the middle of doing paperw…”
“It’s urgent from Commander Tano,” Kix said. Rex blinked, then took the datapad from Kix.
Kix, I need help. In senate building. Chancellor’s office. Hurt. Bad. Need help.
“What is this?” Rex asked.
“It’s the transcript from a comm she sent me half an hour ago!” Kix shouted.
“We need to go,” Rex said, slamming his bucket on his head. Kix followed Rex to the hangar, where they boarded a speeder and Rex probably broke multiple laws by how fast and recklessly he was driving. But hey, this was his little sister they were talking about.
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
“I apologize, you cannot go up there without an appointment,” The receptionist droid said. Kix was distracting it so Rex could hit the deactivate button. As soon as that was done, Rex and Kix raced up the stairs. Rex kicked in the door and he and Kix ran inside, guns up. But there was no threat.
“There!” Kix said, pointing to a montral peeking out from behind the desk. On the other side of it was Ahsoka, bleeding out, twitching, and looking absolutely ghastly.
“Oh vod’ika,” Rex whispered. Kix found her pulse, weak, but there.
“We need to get her to a medbay,” Kix said. He was packing gauze into the wound on her abdomen.
“I’ll lead, you carry her,” Rex commanded. Kix nodded. Kix gently picked Ahsoka up, cradling her gently. They left the Senate building.
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
Ahsoka was in and out of surgery and the bacta tank for five whole hours. Rex paced anxiously outside the medbay, and Anakin was shouting at Obi Wan, who was trying to get him to calm down.
Finally, Kix pushed through the medbay doors, looking exhausted. Rex turned to him and let his vod’ika lean on him when he swayed on his feet.
“It took Coric and I an hour to get the bleeding under control. Three broken ribs, a three inch impalement to the abdomen, luckily only grazed her small intestine, Coric and I patched that up easily. A large graze on her upper right arm, subject to infection, but we got it under control. Deep gash on her left side, which is where most of the bleeding was coming from. Several electric burns, and a mild concussion. She flatlined twice. She’s in the tank for the next twelve hours, which will be critical,” Kix listed robotically.
“You need to sleep now,” Rex said. “You did a good job.”
“I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep,” Kiix muttered impatiently.
“Hey, I don’t care if it’s in the barracks or in front of Ahsoka’s tank. You need to sleep. Okay?” Rex said.
"I'm ‘onna go get a chair,” Kix said before he slumped in Rex’s arms.
“I’ll go get some chairs,” Obi Wan said, leaving Anakin, Rex and Kix.
“She died TWICE, Rex,” Kix groaned, he looked like he was on the verge of tears.
“But she’s not dead now,” Rex said. Obi Wan came back, levitating a stack of four chairs and Rex led them into the medbay. They set up the chairs in a half circle in front of Ahsoka’s bacta tank. Kix fell asleep on Rex’s shoulder, and Anakin did likewise to Obi Wan.
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
After a whole twenty four hours in a bacta tank, Ahsoka was taken out and dressed in a simple white gown.
It wasn’t until the next day that Kix found out she was in a coma. A coma that lasted a week and three days.
Anakin was a wreck, and only left on the fourth day because both Obi Wan, Rex and Kix told him he smelt like a bantha crossed with a mudhorn, and that he should shower, lest that be the first thing Ahsoka smelt when she woke up. He slept at night on the cot next to hers.
Rex stayed with her at night, talking to her and telling her stories about the Torrent shenanigans.
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
Anakin had fallen asleep by her bed on the eleventh morning. His mop of uncut hair was what Ahsoka woke up looking at.
“Master?” She whispered. He didn’t wake up, but someone else took notice.
“Welcome back to the land of the living,” Kix said, his voice holding raw joy.
“What happened? Where’s Sidious?!” Ahsoka asked. She tried to sit up.
“Easy there. It’s okay. You killed him. He’s gone. We were all so worried about you. I panicked when I got your comm,” Kix said.
“You never panic,” Ahsoka pointed out.
“That’s how worried I was,” Kix said.
“Sorry,” Ahsoka muttered.
“Don’t be. I’m just so glad you’re alive.”
“Snips?” Anakin said, groggily.
“Hi Master,” Ahsoka said.
“You’re awake!” Anakin said and he gave her a very awkward hug. “I’ve got to call Obi Wan! Be right back.”
“How long was I out?” Ahsoka asked Kix.
“Two days short of a fortnight,” Kix responded.
“That long, huh?” Ahsoka quipped weakly.
“Yeah, but your body needed it,” Kix said.
"Ahsoka!" "Er… Commander!” Rex exclaimed, walking into the room.
“Just Ahsoka, Rex,” Ahsoka said.
“I’m glad you’re alive,” Rex said, pressing his forehead to hers.
“Me too Rex. Me too.” Ahsoka said.