POV: Anakin Skywalker

"I'm not so sure that this is a Togruta cruiser," I whispered. Ahsoka held my hand tightly as we crept through the cold corridors. "It smells of alcohol and other illegal things…"

Shmi began to cough. I turned a little to give her a worried glance. "Hey, relax. Breathe through your mouth."

She nodded and slowly began to do so. Ahsoka held my hand tighter. "I feel like something bad is about to happen."

A sharp jolt of pain ran through me. I groaned and clutched my chest. "It's Obi-Wan." I felt a presence moving down the corridor towards us. "Someone's coming."

The girls hid and I moved around the corner, holding the hilt of my lightsaber. "I'm going to kill him," I whispered to Ahsoka.

"Why? What if he's innocent?"

"No one gets away with hurting my family."

"We still have to catch Dooku."

"And we will. I'll make him suffer greatly for what he did to you."

"It won't end like Jaele did."

"No, it won't. I'm going to watch his torture and enjoy every last moment of his life."

"Ani, don't say that, please…"

I closed my eyes and began to relax myself. I looked across the hall at my worried wife. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I got a little out of hand there and I apologize. I don't want to scare you. I do, however, have a plan of action now."

"It's okay, Ani. What's your plan?"

"I'm going to let myself get captured. I'll figure out where they're holding Obi-Wan and then you and Satine will come in."

I held my lightsaber in the air and carefully levitated it over to her. She gripped it tightly, watching me curiously. "Keep that and yourself safe, Soka."

She nodded as the shadow of the someone came closer. I jumped out and kicked the man's knees. He was a Weequay pirate – one of Hondo's men from the looks of it. "Jedi!" he shouted.

I gave Ahsoka one last look and the three of them hid better so I couldn't see them. I jumped over the pirate and ran as fast as I possibly could. Then again, I'd learned before that running always ended up resulting in failure. I wasn't disappointed as I ran into a room full of drunken pirates. "Blast," I muttered. "This is why Obi-Wan doesn't run headfirst into something…"

In the very back of the room, I saw Obi-Wan dangling from a curved structure. It was similar to one of the missions we'd had a long time ago. Dooku had been captured by these pirates and they ended up deceiving us and adding us into the bargain as well.

Electricity – dormant – pulsed through the structure. Several blasters were aimed directly at my face and I raised my hands in surrender. I knew Ahsoka would come to my rescue. She usually did…

Force-binders were snapped around my wrists harshly. Obi-Wan looked pretty worn out from a distance. He was slumped forward, chin touching his chest. He looked much worse as I was led closer to him.

His clothes were torn in areas like he'd been whipped. A curved structure on the right was lowered and my wrists were lifted above my head. The binders linked to the structure and I was raised up, my feet dangling beneath me.

I groaned as my wrists were stretched a bit. The pressure of the binders after being lifted began to burn and it felt like my skin was being torn.

With my back to Obi-Wan's, I couldn't really talk to him like I'd been hoping to.

I rested my chin on my right shoulder and attempted to talk to him. "Obi-Wan," I whispered. "Hey, old man, wake up."

I saw him lift his head slightly, allowing it to fall back towards his shoulders. "Ana… kin?"

"It's me," I whispered quickly. "Are you all right?"

"How… how are you… here?"

"The girls and I went after you. What have they been doing to you?"

"Electric –"

"Hey!" a pirate shouted, his voice slightly off. "What are you two whisperin' 'bout?"

"What can we offer you in exchange for our freedom?" I asked quickly, sounding a bit too hopeful.

A chorus of laughter echoed through the room. I cringed and glared at the crowd around us. "You're dealing with scum, Skywalker," I muttered to myself.

"Such a bold question," a new voice spoke. I realized instantly who it was. This was Hondo, the pirate leader. "For those in no position to bargain."

He held up a device and pressed a button. Electric pulses coursed through Obi-Wan and me. Our backs arched in immense pain and we both began to cry out. I heard their laughter and drinks being bashed against each other in drunken toasts.

The pulses grew stronger for a few moments until a blast echoed through the room and they finally stopped. I hung limply, gasping at the amount of pain that still lingered. This had to be the most intense burst of electricity that I've ever had to go through.

"So," a feminine voice said seductively. "I hear that you've got some Jedi in need of breakin'?"

Ahsoka. Her voice was slightly off – accented. The way she sounded right now really turned me on. "Calm yourself or this won't work, sweetheart. There's always time for that later."

I heard a few whistles aimed towards her and I grew immensely jealous. She came closer to me and ran her hand down my leg. "This this one new?" she asked, turning to look at Hondo.

She had a completely different outfit on and she actually looked pretty good. Well, good from a husband's point of view is much better than it sounds. "Again, calm down, Ani."

I chuckled lightly despite the pain it caused.

Hondo crossed his arms over his chest and gave her a very observant glance. "And who might you be, beautiful?"

"My name need not be important. I'm a bounty hunter in search of a slave. A Jedi would provide most… resourceful in my cause."

A few pirates moved to take Obi-Wan down and drag him out of the room, leaving me suspended alone. "Prove who you are," Hondo laughed, taunting her.

I heard the buzzing ignition of an electrowhip. "I can't do this to you."

I watched her stare at me sadly as she gripped the handle. I felt her dread well up inside of her to the point that she clearly showed hesitation. "Do it," I whispered, commanding her.

"I can't –"

"Do it, Ahsoka!" I snapped. "Together, we will find Obi-Wan. I need you to do this so we can get out of here together."

She snapped the whip against the floor once before making contact with my back. I held back from crying out by biting deeply into my lip to the point where a small line of blood trickled out. I knew that crying out would hurt her, so I forced myself to stay strong.

I did, however, arch my back and groan in agony, but it wasn't as bad as it could have been. She did it one more time before electricity flowed through me again. I couldn't help but scream now. I felt her shock and hesitation, her eyes were on me. I heard someone tell her to hit me again and she reluctantly did.

POV: Ahsoka Skywalker

It hurt to see and feel the amount of pain he was going through. I hit him one last time, my hand shaking violently. The electricity pulses stopped and steam began to rise off of his body. He was breathing heavily yet slowly and blood was dripping down his back.

The pirates unbound him from the structure and he collapsed onto the floor, shaking. "He's all yours," Hondo laughed. I'd heard stories about him from Anakin, so I knew who he was.

I stared at his body, watching his back rise and fall in a very slow motion. I felt like he was fading away from me. Several laughs erupted around me and began to irritate me.

I smirked and nodded, leaning forward to grab him by the wrists. I pulled him up and he managed to walk with me, limping horribly. "Soka…" he whispered, his voice strained when we exited the bar.

"Ani, I'm so sorry." I managed to carry him down a decent distance from the bar before crashing down in a corner. I held him against my body tightly, not wanting to let him go. My left lek draped over his shoulder and his head rested against my chest. I put my hand on his cheek and kissed his hair. "I'm so sorry…"

"I'm… tired… Ahsoka…" he whispered beneath me, his voice sounding so strained and so weak. His body shook violently against me and I felt horrible. I'd caused this to happen. I knew I shouldn't have listened to him. He's too headstrong, thinking he's strong enough to survive anything, but he was only my Anakin.

I kissed his hair again and tears began to stream down my face. I could feel the Force fading in him and my chest tightened. "You can't go to sleep, Ani. Stay with me," I pleaded. Sleeping for him meant sleeping for an eternity. He would never wake up again if he fell asleep now.

He attempted to lift his head to look up at me. "I'm… so… tired, Soka…" His voice kept cracking as he spoke and it looked like it hurt, too. I ran my fingers through his hair slowly and kissed his forehead.

"No," I whispered. I looked down at his face to see his face paling and his eyes closing slowly. His body was finally giving in after all the torment he's been through. "No, no, no," I pleaded desperately. "Don't leave me, Anakin. Please, you can't."

He lifted his head for a moment, a weak smile plastered onto his lips. His eyes were glazed over and dull, his beautifully tanned skin continuing to pale, losing all of its lively color. "I… love… you…" he whispered. "Always… always… and… forever…"

"Don't leave me," I whispered in my final attempt to prevent his death.

He closed his eyes and lay still for a moment. That moment turned into moments, which turned into minutes. I don't know how long I sat here like this, but I knew it was a very long time. A river poured down both sides of my face as I felt absolutely nothing inside of him. The Force was gone…

I killed him.

I held his head against my chest tightly and cried into his hair. I rubbed his left cheek and felt the deathly coolness of it. I moved my hand down his face, his neck, his shoulder, and down onto his chest. The coolness lingered no matter where I touched him. My Anakin was gone.

I touched just above his heart and felt nothing. It was empty and lifeless.

"Ani…" I whispered. My lips trembled as I stared at his pale skin. "This isn't funny. You can't do this to me," I growled. "Wake up, Anakin. Please, you have to!"

I was shaking him lightly and he jostled limply in my arms. I felt another presence enter the corridor and I looked up to see Shmi – his daughter. She poked her head around the corner and gave me a very concerned look. "What's wrong with Daddy?" she asked as she ran towards us.

I cradled Anakin in my arms as she knelt down in front of me. I ran my fingers through his hair and lifted my head again to stare into her eyes. "Is Daddy sleeping?"

She sounded so innocent and I couldn't corrupt her. I nodded slowly. "Yeah," I whispered, my voice breaking once again. "Daddy is sleeping…"

I wiped my eyes and wrapped my arms around his shoulder. Shmi gently touched his arm. "Wake up, Daddy. Mommy needs you."

I hated to do this to her. I couldn't lie to her, but I couldn't tell her that I'd killed her father. The amount of stress put on his body in the last few months had been too much for him and I had just ended his life.

His final words echoed in my head as I closed my eyes and kissed his hair again. "I love you. Always and forever."