CHAPTER ONE: THE BYSTANDER EFFECT

"If I succeed, they will call me a traitor to Germany. If I fail, I will be a traitor to my own conscience."

-Claus Von Stauffenberg

"'You aren't my daddy.'

'I know I'm not. But I'm going to take care of you.'"

-the last words of a child who died in the 1944 Hartford circus fire, and her rescuer's response. (Retrieved from "The Circus Fire: A True Story of an American Tragedy" by Stewart O'Nan)

She's cold and everything hurts. Normally, this would have been a minor issue; Ahsoka would have pressed on until she couldn't anymore, and then she would have contacted her master or Rex to come get her. But this time was different.

It had looked so much like fog when it bore down on her, but just a whiff of the white cloud was enough to convince even the greatest denier that it wasn't, and Ahsoka was in serious trouble. She'd taken off running as fast as she could while the gas slowly invaded her lungs. Trying to find some end to the white nightmare. Trying to find her men.

But eventually, the gas won. She'd collapsed onto the rock she now leaned against, reduced to a shaking heap and praying one of her men would find her.

"Well, what do we have here?"

Someone knelt in front of her, none too gently grabbing her shoulders and holding her in front of them.

"Hello there," the stranger taunted, lifting her chin. "Cooper! I need some help over here."

"Oh, she doesn't look too good." A new voice said, more hesitant than the first. "Guess that makes our job a little easier."

"Yes it does. Gotta love that gas." The first crowed, grabbing Ahsoka around the waist. "All right, Jedi. You're coming with me."

She tried to scream, but only managed a terrified whimper. The stranger hoisted her into his arms, and then she was being taken away.

"Cooper, I need a break."

"D-Doesn't policy state that whoever takes the credit for her, brings her in?"

"I'm your superior! Take the brat for a minute."

There was a sigh, then she was transferred to someone else. Her carrier draped her over his shoulder and took a couple of steps.

She writhed from the discomfort of blood rushing to her head, and her carrier's hands slipped. Her head cracked against the ground, making her thoughts even fuzzier than before. Her carrier swore.

"Rats!" he grumbled as he examined her head. "That might be a concussion."

"For Force's sake, Cooper!"

"If it's so easy, you do it." He mumbled.

"I heard that, soldier!" the first man snapped, shoved Cooper aside, then scooped Ahsoka up again.

"If you're causing me so much trouble, you'd better be good when we get back to base," he hissed, his breath hot on her ear.

MASTER! Rex, Fives, Jesse, Master Kenobi…anybody. Please help me…

…..

As soon as he walks in the door, John Bonteri's military jacket takes up residency in the corner of the utility room.

His wife Mina closes her eyes for a second. John takes good care of his uniform, for him to throw it like that means something's up. "Bad day at work?" she asks.

John sighs and takes a seat at the dinner table. "You have no idea."

"Try me."

He takes a deep breath. "After the gas launch, Tor brought in a prisoner."

Mina walks back over to the coffee maker and starts it up. She has a feeling John's going to need it. Her husband sighs. "It was a Jedi. A young one."

"How young?"

"Sixteen. Maybe. She's a tiny little thing." He presses his hands to his forehead. "They're going to interrogate her when she's able to speak."

Mina turns to face him. "She can't speak? Is she hurt?"

"Yes," John takes a deep, shuddering breath. "She's sick from the gas attack, mostly unconscious and very weak and dazed when they got her to wake up. Tor thinks she has information about the Republic's battle plans, but if they do anything to her she'll die. Anyway, she can't speak even if she wanted to."

"Sickbay will take care of her until she's well." Mina lies. The sickbay at the base would keep the kid alive until she could speak, and then hand her over to the "interrogation staff." From then on, her fate was up in the air.

"There isn't an antidote for the gas, it has to run its course." John says. "They've tossed her in a cell and left her there until she wakes up.

"They, um, they put me on guard duty." He finishes.

Oh. That explains it.

Mina sets the cup of coffee in front of John before taking a seat next to her husband. John continues. "The heating system in the cell block is broken. I swear, it's below freezing. The kid's hanging in there, but the cold's not helping at all."

He wraps his hands around the mug. "I tried to fix it, but it just blasted her with cold air and made it worse."

"Is she going to be all right?"

John meets his wife's eyes. "Even if they don't torture her, her health is failing. She's a Jedi, and she's crying. Mina, every time I look at her I can't stop thinking about the kids."

Mina Bonteri isn't a former senator for nothing. An idea pops into her head.

"What if it was Lux or Sierra?"

"What?"

She looks John in the eyes. "What if Lux or Sierra was brought to a Republic prison and died because they weren't cared for?

John brings a mental picture of the young Jedi to his mind's eye and swaps her face out with his children's. The pale beads of cold sweat spotting the girl's forehead now plaster Lux's hair to his face; it's his daughter's voice crying out in pain as she's wrenched to her feet.

He stares forward. "I don't like Jedi, but this one's just a little kid. She's crying her eyes out."

"Well, what have you done about it?"

John remembers in that moment exactly how much he loves his wife. "I asked Cooper to fix the heater. He said he'd try. After all, we have to keep her alive. In the morning I was going to see to it that she gets some nutrition."

"All right, that's a good start," Mina says. "You're a good man, John Bonteri. Remember that."

John squeezes the mug so hard, he's afraid it might crack. "They won't hurt her. I won't let them."

Mina is silent for a long time. Only when the coffee goes cold does she speak.

"I won't either."

JOHN

The turbolift at work runs notoriously slow. You'd think the Separatist Alliance could pony up some more money to pay for better elevators, but when I brought up the subject with Mina, she went ape. So I've learned just to take a nice deep breath and play some mindless cell phone game while in the elevator.

I've gotten to the second level on Zombies Four when the doors open and Cooper walks in, holding a blanket.

"I tried," he says, "It didn't work. The fans worked fine, but the actual temperature didn't go up. That's why I've got this." He gestures to the blanket.

"How is she?" I ask, even though my mind is screaming you didn't give her a blanket until now? My Force Cooper, don't you know anything about kids?

He winces "I didn't think she could get worse, but she did. The little one's fading fast." He sighs. "We've got to get her to talk."

The turbolift grinds to a halt and drops us off at the detention level. Cooper and I walk over to the girl's cell and deactivate the door.

The young Jedi lies curled in a ball in the corner, shivering violently.

"Has she been this bad all night?" I ask, rushing to her side and rubbing her back.

"No, not until recently" He walks over to us, kneels, and shakes the girl. "Wake up, little Jedi."

Unnecessary. Who could sleep in this cold? Her eyes flutter half-open. They're a pretty blue but now they're cloudy and unfocused, from illness or cold I'm not sure.

"Hello, child." I croon, grabbing the blanket from Cooper's hands and wrapping her shivering body in it. She wants to stay away from me, that much is obvious, but when the fabric wraps around her she instinctively snuggles in.

"Feeling better, sweetheart?" I peel off my jacket and bundle her in that too before settling her next to me.

She doesn't respond verbally, but she winces. Oh no. Not now…

"Have you fed her? That might build some trust. And what about the fits?" I ask.

Cooper nods. "Just some water. Tor said nothing else. And no, the fits haven't started yet."

Thank Force. "All right, Cooper. I'll take over from here, you head home."

"See you later, John." He says to me, and tweaks the girl's nose as a sort of goodbye to her.

I wrap my arm around the girl's shoulder once he's gone. "Cooper's got a good heart. He tried to take care of you." I say.

If anybody asks me what I'm doing, I'll say building trust, a standard tactic to get a prisoner to talk in interrogation. But for the second point...Well, not really. Cooper's kind of a pushover.

She shivers violently under the blanket.

The temperature change in the cell has me newly worried. It's even colder in here than in the hall, and I'm in a heavy uniform. For a sick person wearing warm-weather clothing to be in here, I'm surprised she hasn't already succumbed. Cooper's right, she is fading fast.

Maybe I can get her moved to sickbay. After all, she is sick.

Commander Torrance would never allow it. But then again dead men tell no tales, even if you torture them.

"Okay kid, I'll be right back. I'm going to see if I can get you somewhere warm." I say. "Close your eyes and go back to sleep."

She shudders again and whimpers "Master,"

I freeze solid. Then just to make sure this actually happened and feeling like a horrible creature who crawled out of some dark hole, I slap her across the face. Hard.

"No! Stop! Get away from me!" she sobs, clutching her blanket around herself.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. But I had to." I apologize and pat her on the shoulder.

She flinches at my touch. "ANAKIN!"

Done are the soft whimpers and from this one. Her scream echoes through the cell. I only have one response.

Please Force, if you answer prayers then mute the others' ears so they don't rat her out!

The door swooshes open, revealing a horrified private.

I open my mouth, but my throat is dry.

"Run," the private whispers.

What?

"Run," he repeats. "Please, sir. Commander Tor heard it. He's ordering an interrogation room prepped. Take her and run!"

He pushes the girl into my lap, pulls the both of us to my feet. I grab her so she doesn't fall, pressing her face into my shoulder to muffle her sounds of protest.

"What?" I ask. "Why?"

He shakes his head. "I had to watch her when Cooper was gone, and I thought my heart was going to break."

Taking the criminally slow elevator is ridiculous, but there's no way to get to the stairs without passing Tor's office. Looks like it's my only option. Considering my hands are full, the private hits the call button for me. As the elevator comes, I turn to him.

"You need to get out of here."

"But sir-!"

"That's an order, private. If this goes south, someone needs to run interference. Go!"

The private bolts and gets down the hall just as the elevator doors open.

I freeze.

Standing in the elevator, is Commander Peter David Torrance. Better known as Tor.

He smiles. "Seems you're a step ahead of me, John."

Current options: Punch him in the face, kill him, or play along. I'm going to play along.

"Yes," I fake-smile and step into the elevator. "I like to stay on top of things, sir."

Tor looks with disgust at the girl. "Now as for you, Ahsoka, I wonder just how long you've been talking and not letting us know."

Ahsoka? Is that her name? Where have I heard that before? "She's been very quiet until just now, sir."

Tor reaches for Ahsoka and it takes all my willpower not to jump back. He grabs first my jacket, and pulls it loose.

"John, you're supposed to be wearing this, not dressing her up like a child's doll. And seriously," he takes a fistful of the blanket, and pulls. "Are you trying to sweat the kid out? Why is this blanket…let go, Jedi!" Ahsoka has balled her hands into fists, holding the blanket tight. Tor is not impressed.

"Give her to me." He orders, holding out his arms.

Yeah, how about no? But I hand her over. Apparently sensing the transfer, she shrieks and clutches my shirt.

"Well, he seems to have grown on you!" Tor grunts, tugging her.

"Sir, maybe it would be better if I carried her. She knows me." I try. As if on cue Ahsoka presses herself against my chest.

"Not a chance, John. She's mine. Now get her to let go!"

Gently as possible, I ease the fabric out of her grip, and Tor pulls her away. She screams.

"No, I won't go back there!"

"Oh, you're not," Tor chuckles, squeezing her so hard she coughs. The elevator dings, and he leads the way out. "You and I are going to have a talk, Ahsoka Tano. About the Republic."

Ahsoka Tano? As in, Anakin Skywalker's apprentice!

"Sir, I should return to my duties," I deadpan, and set off for the service stairs.

Our building does not have public holo comms and I don't want my personal one to be traced, so I stop in front of Celebrity Gossip Addict's cubicle and pop my head in with a huge, excited smile.

"Guess what! Jym Jardashian just came in with her son, South East, and they're meeting people in the break room!"

Celebrity Gossip Addict runs off screaming "Where?" and I grab his desk phone. First, I call Mina.

"Mina, if someone captured a high-profile Jedi, what are the diplomatic procedures?"

"Well…it depends on who the Jedi is."

"Okay. Let's say, hypothetically, it was the padawan of Anakin Skywalker."

"What? John, I want an explanation!"

"Um, this is a hypothetical situation."

Mina sighs. "Fine. If Ahsoka Tano was captured, the authorities would need proof of life. Considering how high-status she is, they'd probably have to see her in the flesh."

"Okay. How soon can you get to the courthouse?"

"What is going on?"

"I'll fill you in as we go, Mina. Just head for the courthouse. Thank you, I love you, you're the best." I hang up before she can ask any more questions. Then, I dial for the interrogation room.

Tor picks up the phone. "Interrogation. Commander Torrance speaking."

"Yes, hello." I say in a nasally voice. "This is…Ronald McDonald from the courthouse. We're calling to remind you of your appointment to bring in Ahsoka Tano for proof of life."

"I don't remember setting up a proof of life appointment."

"Yes, but you know how those Senators are. Always the impatient ones."

Tor swears. "Get this over with, fast. I'm a busy man. I'll have her over in twenty minutes."

"All right, make sure to bring a guard with her. We'll have someone meet you up front to fix her up for the holo." I say, and Tor hangs up.

I pick the phone back up, and call Mina with the rest of the plan.

MINA

John's master plan had better be good, for all I'm dealing with.

When Tor pulls into the parking lot (cutting off a school bus and a pizza delivery driver in the process), he slammed his car doors and dragged, by the shirt collar, a young girl.

I recognized her, of course. Very few wouldn't. But the look of terror and pain on her face as she stumbled along…that wasn't familiar.

And it's not okay, either. I did not join the Confederacy of Independent Systems to watch soldiers mistreat little girls. Even if they are Jedi.

"Hello, Commander," I greet him, jogging into the parking lot so the girl doesn't have to stumble as far. "I see you've brought our guest."

And in an instant, Tor's demeanor changes. He stops dragging Ahsoka, and instead slips an arm around her waist and picks her up. A very convincing smile plasters itself on his face, and his manner toward the girl becomes chiding versus malevolent.

"Yes," he says cheerily, apparently not recognizing me in jeans, my glasses instead of contact lenses, and without any makeup on. Why John picked that exact moment to call me, I'll never know. I barely recognize myself.

"If you'll just take a seat, I'll be taking Ahsoka here to be cleaned up. May I ask where the guard is?" I lie, grabbing Ahsoka's arm.

But Tor doesn't let her go. "Now, now, now. You'll be back with us again soon, little Jedi."

She flinches, and it takes all my willpower not to put myself between the two.

Give me the girl, Tor, or the police will never find your remains.

Tor chuckles, running a knuckle down Ahsoka's cheek. "Don't worry, she likes her guard. Still getting used to me, though. The guard's en route. I'll send him after you."

John, of all times you decided to be late…

But I smile, more or less yank the girl out of Tor's grip, and lead her away. As soon as we're out of sight, I sit her down in a chair.

"My goodness, you're an ice cube!" I exclaim, settling her by my side. "Just hold on for a few more minutes, until my husband gets here. Remember him? Your guard?"

Ahsoka decides not to respond, and to instead curl into a ball next to me. I rub her back to calm her down.

"I'm sorry, honey." My voice cracks, and I pull her close. "I'm so sorry!"

John arrives a few minutes later, holding Ahsoka's blanket. "Thank goodness you have her," he mutters, bundling her up tight.

"What's the plan?" I ask.

John secures the blankets with a quick tuck. "Okay. So the plan is that you're a Republic spy who's taken her, and I went down heroically fighting you."

"Honestly, I think Lux could think up a better plan than that." I reply.

"I know, but it's all we have."

POP!

"AH! What was that for?" John cries, hands flying to his newly bloody nose.

I raise my fists. "John, if you say you've gotten into a fight, it actually has to look like you got into a fight. I'm very sorry. Anyway, how were you going to pull that story off?"

"Like this!"

He pulls out his Taser, and my poor husband stuns himself.

"…Oh. I love you," I apologize to his twitching body, then grab Ahsoka and head for the back door. By a miracle of the Force, I get into my car and out of the parking lot without incident.

At the house, I shut the garage door behind us, then open the back seat door, to find that she has kicked out of her swaddle.

"Master, help me!" she shrieks, flailing wildly while tears run down her cheeks.

"Don't cry," I beg, picking her up. I rush down the hallway and tuck her into one of the spare beds after pulling her shoes off. "It's all right love. Go to sleep. You're safe now."

"Let me go. Please don't hurt me." She sobs in a voice that breaks my heart. A Jedi, one of the galaxy's greatest warriors, reduced to begging for mercy. She's even more terrified than the day we discovered Lux's paralyzing fear of puppets.

"Nobody's going to hurt you. I'll protect you." I soothe, and pull her into my arms. For some reason she doesn't cry. Instead she snuggles up against me. Can't Jedi sense the truth with the Force? That must be what's going on. Or maybe it's just my body heat.

Force, I don't care. She trusts me. Marginally.

Her skin is pale and chapped from cold, pockmarked with cuts and bruises where there should be the soft glow of health.

"I love you," I croon. Even if I don't mean it she needs to hear it, and I give her a little kiss to drive the point home.

"Nooooo!"

"Okay, that's enough of that, Mina." I mutter to myself.

John comes home at five when his shift ends. I have to admit, he doesn't look too perky after stunning himself.

"Absolute silence. She needs to rest." I whisper.

"Okay. Where'd you put her?" John whispers.

"The extra room. Get some extra blankets. She's still too cold."

While John disappears, I stay by Ahsoka's side.

"Are you warming up, my dear?" I reach to examine the bump on her head and she winces. "Oh, that must hurt. I'll put some ice on it when you're comfortable."

"Mina, are the blankets by the couch OK?" John yells at a volume comparable to a ship engine.

Before I can say or do anything, the girl stiffens and begins to cry again.

I love my husband…

"Yes John, the blankets by the couch are-."

"Master!" Ahsoka wails.

John stands in the doorway with said blankets. "Oops. Sorry." He says sheepishly.

"You'd better have a very good way to get her back to sleep."

John snaps his fingers. "I know! That stunner worked well on me." He says sarcastically.

Think back to the reasons why you married John, Mina. Remember why you married him.

"NO."

"Okay, um…my mom always made me drink tea when I was sick." He deadpans. "I'll go make her some in a minute."

"Make sure you get a spoon. She can't drink on her own." I say, then redirect my attention to her. "Don't cry. It'll be better if you go back to sleep." And you will also guarantee that John lives to see the morning.

She sobs quietly, then I watch as her face crunches in pain. "Dad!" She screams, jerking away.

"It's alright! It's alright!"

John sighs. "Okay…if I remember this correctly, she won't wake up for good for a while. She'll be like this until that happens. When she does wake up, she'll feel weak and dizzy. But beginning any minute now, she's going to have fits."

"Fits. Define."

"Attacks of excruciating pain. There's nothing we can do about it. Keeping her calm will help a little, but otherwise, our hands are tied."

I sigh and start to spread healing ointment onto the cuts pockmarking Ahsoka's face. She weakly slaps at my arms.

"No, no, no, no!"

John catches her wrists. "Sweet pea, please calm down…"

"Who did this to her? Who hurt her so much that I can't tend to her without tears?" I ask.

John shakes his head. "If I ever get the chance to get Tor fired…"

"Tor did this in interrogation?" I demand, snapping the ointment tube closed.

"Not in interrogation. In her cell, while I wasn't with her."

"This is brutality to a prisoner. I don't care what side she's on. She's a child!"

He sighs. "I know. But it's over now, doesn't she know that?"

I give him a look. "John, she's terrified.She's screaming for her master." I whisper as I stroke the young Jedi's forehead, ignoring her jerk of shock. "Calm down, love. You're safe now. Tor's gone. And he is never going to hurt you again."

"Do you have any ideas?"

"Yes, actually. Make her comfortable till we can do more." I watch as Ahsoka's face relaxes.

John bites his lip. "You seem to have a knack for that. Kid hasn't been like this since I found her."

"I'm a mother, John. It's instinct."

ANAKIN

Where is she?

Oh my dear force, where is she?

I've commed Ahsoka several times. I don't know why she's not answering. Once Torrent Company got wind that she was missing, they took to the battlefield again, combing every square inch of it. They're not looking for their commander. They're searching for their sister.

But it's been a day. I'll let you calculate the odds.

Every so often, I hear a cry of "Commander!" or the even more heart-shattering: "Cissy!"

That's what my men call my padawan when they think others aren't around.

Master? Are you there?

The bond rings in my head, Ahsoka's message loud and clear. I jump on it. Snips! Where the force are you? I reach into the bond, feeling for her presence. It's far away, carefully hidden. Small, fragile, vulnerable…a child. A terrified child, clinging to her bond and her master. That can only mean one thing. What's wrong with you?

Somebody has me, master. I don't know where I am. I can't wake up. I need you!

Drugged. I seethe. Those monsters drugged you! Force, when I get my hands on them- don't worry. I'll be there soon. Try to move. It'll help you wake up.

Okay, she pauses, and a few seconds later a wave of her pain murders my mind. DADDY!

"It's alright! It's alright!" A woman pleads from Ahsoka's side of the bond.

Ahsoka, I'm hearing a person. You need to focus on what they're saying and I might be able to figure out where you are. I order.

I know. I'm trying, it hurts so much. She whimpers. But she manages to bring the words into a blurry focus.

"Calm down, child. You're safe now. Tor's gone, and he's never going to hurt you again." The same woman says. She does something-I can't tell what- that comforts Ahsoka, just a bit. It helps her focus and brings her back to me. Whatever that woman did for her, I will be forever grateful.

Okay, Snips? I don't think there's anything malignant right here. If you even start to think that you may be in danger, contact me immediately. I'm looking for you, and so are all the clones. They want their Sissy back. Force only knows how many tears will be shed when they watch "Family Affair" tonight. So you focus on getting better, and I'll find you soon. Okay?

Okay. I love you. Ahsoka says and closes the bond.

The signatures I sensed around Ahsoka are careful and quiet, but they remind me of someone: Lux Bonteri. As long as Death Watch isn't involved he wouldn't hurt Ahsoka, ever. I can just hope these people will do the same.

But Ahsoka Tano, like every teenager who ever lived, will never, unless under extreme duress, breathe the words "I love you" to a family member. If the phrase is spoken, you can be assured one of three things has happened. 1. The child is severely injured or ill. 2. The child is scared out of their mind. 3. Your lottery ticket has been announced as the big winner, everyone who wronged you in high school apologizes on hands and knees, and you've magically stopped aging at 30.

In my case, it's everything but Three.

(A/N: So, that's Chapter One! This story was inspired by the mindset of the conspirators of the 20 July Plot, and the actions of Paul Rusesabagina during the Rwandan genocide. Also, Ahsoka is really OOC in this chapter. This is because she's so sick.

So, how was this? This is my first fanfic, and I would love some feedback. Constructive criticism is great, but flames are for campfires and toasting marshmallows.)