Anakin's POV
This hallway seems to be never ending. A few twists and turns but nothing more. Finally we find a door I'm prepared to just cut through it but Rex stops me saying it would be to loud and could give away that we're here. Although I don't want to waist time I know we're supposed to be stealthy. My mind begins to drift off when all of a sudden I hear a large boom and some following commotion come from the other side of the complex. My eyes widen when I remember that approximately where Ahsoka and the other clones are.
"General what was that?" a clone asks me.
"I don't know..." I say.
"I think from the left hallway." Another says with worry clear in his voice.
"I think the other team needs immediate help." Rex says. His suspicions are confirmed when I hear Ahsoka's weak voice through our bond,
"Master we need help... I need help." She's in trouble… The two people I care about most both need help and its up to me to save them.
Ahsoka's POV
My eyes slowly open and I am immediately slapped with reality as the pain I'm feeling is some of the worst pain I've ever felt. I'm chained to a post in some kind of control room. Padmé is chained to the same post as me and the squad of clones are chained to the one next to us. Droids are all over a room if I could even get free there's no way we can escape. My leg continues to get worse as blood continues to spill out no matter what I try to do. Padmé wakes up and looks at me.
"Ahsoka what are you doing here?" "We were on a rescue mission as you can tell so far it's not all that successful." I say. She looks at me somewhat annoyed
"What do you mean so far?" She asks.
"Well Anakin is looking for us right now he and some clones haven't been captured yet... I think." I say.
"Alright, at least there's still some hope of escape." She says. Even though I don't show it but I feel some annoyance when I'm around the senator. Barris says that I'm just jealous because I don't like my master having any other attachments besides me but I refuse that to be the case. She seems friendly and all when she's around me but part of me feels like its because she doesn't want Anakin to hear about or see her treating me badly. When I told Barris she says that Padmé must be jealous as well because like me she doesn't want anyone to be really close to Anakin but herself. But right now was not the time to worry about her feelings about the senator after all the whole goal of this mission was to rescue her. Unfortunately now I had to be rescued as well… again. Speaking of which I hope that Anakin will hurry up and find us, I'm starting to feel dizzy again.
Anakin's POV
We eventually hit a spot where the walls are burt. "This is where the explosion we heard must have happened." I say. I look around horrified, at least half of the clones I sent with Ahsoka are lying dead to my horror I also find Ahsoka's lightsaber lying in a pool of blood I grab it and close my eyes trying to reach out to her again but I suddenly hear Rex,
"Sir are you alright."
"Yes we should keep going." I say. We make our way down the rest of the hall and eventually reach a door. With out hesitation I take out my lightsaber and start to cut through the door. I don't listen to the clones protest this time. This is no longer a stealth mission they know we're here. I eventually manege to cut the door open and I run in without hesitation. Inside there are a number of machines two large pillars. One pillar has the remaining clones I sent with Ahsoka chained to it and the other has Padmé who has never looked so tired and defeated and Ahsoka who has suffered multiple burns and other injuries. She looks up and sees me. At first she looks relieved but suddenly a look of horror fills her eyes. That's when I feel the cool metal of a gun barrel on the back of my head.
Ahsoka's POV
I try to continue my conversation with Padmé but the alien comes back in and orders us to be quite. I hang my head I hate being yelled at by anyone. All of a sudden I hear a lot of commotion at the door when I look up I see Anakin running in towards us he stops and looks at us I look at him with a slight feeling of relief until I remember the circumstances. The droids have stealthily surround them and a feeling of pure fear fills my body when I watch one put the barrel of it's gun to the back of Anakin's head.
Anakin's POV
"No! Stop!" Ahsoka yells fear clear in her voice. Suddenly a strange alien emerges from the crowd of droids.
"Don't worry little girl we can make this quick and avoid conflict if you all cooperate." He says. Ahsoka glares at him but nods. "Now General Skywalker, when I learned that you were one of the ones who came here I can't hide the fact that I personally feel honored. You are very well known and very highly talked about by the Sepratists, and for you to come to my facility is an absolute pleasure for me to host you here now." He says.
"My visit is hardly an honor." I say. "Taking a senator and now two Jedi captive is seen as a high crime within the Republic and I can say now that one way or another there will be consequences for your actions." I say.
"Oh I hardly think that necessary, I'm simply doing what needs to be done to serve the separatist's just as what you are doing now is to serve the Republic." He says.
"I don't have time for banter like this simply let them all go and I'll leave you alone." I say impatiently.
"I'm afraid I can't let that happen, Count Dooku will pay me well for the capture of a senator, a squad of clones, and two Jedi. This is unheard of for a separatist capture. I'm sure that the credits will cover me for life!" he says.
"Enough! Let us go!" I say.
"You know I get payed if your dead or alive so I would stop arguing if I were you." He says. My hands ball up into fists as I look back at Ahsoka and see her desperately clutching both of her wounds which are continuously loosing more blood.
"I don't have time for this! Let them go." I say sternly.
"You know for a price I am willing to negotiate." He says.
"Fine. What's your offer?" I say.
"For a price I'll let all of the clones free and one of the two ladies. But just to make sure you won't try anything, I'll kill the girl you don't choose. So the real question is which one will you save?" he says laughing to himself as two droids raise there guns, one to Ahsoka's head and one to Padmé's.
"I will not play your games you sepratist scum! Let them go!" I say.
"What do you want one or none? Now choose!" he says. I look at them completely helpless staring at me waiting for the answer that will determine their fate. The whole goal of this mission is to rescue Padmé. If I save Ahsoka instead of her then the council will be furious saying that my over-attachment to my padawan got in the way of accomplishing the mission. As much as I love Padmé and want to save her I can't bare to look at Ahsoka because I feel so bad for her. She herself knows the very first thoughts I had about the mission. At this point she has already accepted she is probably going to die. And all of a sudden it hits me that surprisingly putting the mission aside I would rather save Ahsoka. We've become so close over the past two years and if anything Padmé and I have drifted apart. But despite wanting to save Ahsoka I should follow orders and finish the mission. I look at her and seeing that knowing in her eyes as she sadly nods, she is still clutching her wounds and turns her head away from me to face them. Then I look at Padmé, she has the what are you doing look like she to knows that I should save her and is wondering why this choice is taking so long. At this point I don't really care I've made up my mind. "Well who will it be Jedi?" He says.
"I choose... the jedi." I say. A look of shock and confusion fills both their faces. The gun goes off before I realize what's happening and Padmé falls to the floor... dead. The droid releases Ahsoka and practically throws her at me causing Ahsoka to whimper in pain. I catch her and pick her up in my arms while they release the clones. Ahsoka turns and looks at Padmé but then quickly looks away and buries her face in my chest. She shouldn't have to have gone through this it is to much for her. The clones are being held at gun point,
"Now for my payment." He says I throw him the credits which he quickly catches and then gives the signal and the clones are released. I waste no time we quickly make our way to the ship, I know Ahsoka needs medical attention as soon as possible. We reach the ship and I quickly run to the medical bay. When I get there medical droids immediately start to work on her injuries while I treat her burns.
"So how is she?" I ask.
"Well despite her obvious injuries, she has some bruising along her spinal chord which should heal, but on the more important side of things she has lost a lot of blood and she is not likely to survive that long without getting a donation.
"I'll donate." I say. I am supposed to help my padawan and I just chose to save her life so I can't let her die now the droids get my donation and then go help Ahsoka. I sit down in the visitor seat and hold my head in my hands. "Come on Ahsoka please be ok." I think as I unknowingly drift into sleep.
