POV: Ahsoka Skywalker

I felt a vast wave of darkness shroud over Tatooine's atmosphere. That worried me. Anakin hadn't returned yet. I haven't heard a single thing from him in over twelve hours and that killed me. I held Kylar against my chest, rocking him slowly, humming a lullaby to him.

Sheila was cooking breakfast for the three of us and I was stunned as she abruptly barged into the room. "Ahsoka, you and your son must take cover."

"What's going on?"

She began moving around, shutting every window and closing all of the blinds. I stared at her, wanting to know why she was racing around in a panic. "Ahsoka, can you shield your Force signature as well as his?"

I nodded. I couldn't guarantee that it would last long, but I had been taught how to shield us. Anakin wanted us to remain safe no matter where he was. Sheila silently motioned for me to follow her and I scooped up all of Kylar's things, taking them downstairs to the living room. She touched the wall and a tunnel opened up. I couldn't imagine how she'd managed to mask its presence, but I didn't question her.

I went in and, as I turned around to see if she was following, the wall returned to the way it would look normally. This tunnel was a hidden cave. It was damp and cool with few dry spots. I wrapped Kylar in his blanket and sat on the wet ground, holding him against my chest. I concentrated as hard as I could, hoping that we couldn't be traced.

After nearly ten minutes, a door burst down in the house. I jumped and held Kylar closer. I could hear men screaming commands at Sheila and she refused to give them the information they came for. I heard them asking where the 'Togruta and child' were. My eyes widened. They must've captured Anakin. There was no way anyone would come after me unless he had been captured.

"There is no Togruta nor is there a child in this home. I live alone as I have for the past thirty years. I have no husband nor have I ever married. I bear no children nor have I had any. I know not who this Togruta is, but I harbor no fugitives of any sort in my home."

"Search the perimeter. The woman couldn't have gotten far with her child."

They began rustling around, throwing things. I could hear many things breaking outside of this cave and I tried my best to hush Kylar. He wasn't crying much, but he was whimpering. He was just as scared as I was. He must've known his daddy was in danger. "Sir, there's no sign of them anywhere."

"Shoot the woman. We'll scour the planet until we find her. Lord Skywalker wishes to have them aboard his ship and so it will be done."

Lord Skywalker? There was no way that could've been Anakin. He'd never been a lord of anything. He was a Master of the Jedi, but not a Lord of any sort. I realized that this 'Lord' of whom they were speaking must be a relative of Anakin's, maybe even his father. If that were the case, he had been captured and betrayed. I could almost taste the amount of anger he more than likely felt right this moment. To be betrayed by one of your own… I couldn't imagine it.

I heard a blast followed by Sheila's scream and a thud. I closed my eyes and kissed Kylar's forehead silently. "If you find the girl and the child, we have been ordered to bring them in alive. No mistakes can be made or I'll have your head myself before we even make it back to Lord Skywalker. If either of them is harmed in any way, you have failed."

I heard them leaving and I couldn't hear Sheila's breath or voice any longer. I knew they'd killed her and I regretted coming here. I regretted staying here. I could've protected Anakin. I could've kept Sheila from death if I'd left with Anakin. I got up and pressed my hand against the wall. It shimmered as it faded away and I walked out cautiously.

"Ah, Mrs. Skywalker." I grabbed one of the sabers on my belt and immediately activated it, pointing it at a hooded man. "How well you have deceived my men. You have learned from your husband, no doubt?"

"Let me take my son to a safe haven. He's only a child."

"Funny how your husband said the same thing moments before I slaughtered him." My heart exploded. It wasn't even a matter of it shattering into pieces. My heart had a supernova. This man killed – no. I couldn't believe that. Anakin wouldn't have let his guard down like that. No one would risk killing him.

"You're bluffing," I whispered. His smirk faltered and I knew I was right. "Where is he?"

The man sighed. "He's alive, but weak." He lowered his hood and I saw a man whose features nearly matched Anakin's. "I apologize for the hassle we've placed upon you. Anakin refused to let me see my grandson as well as his lovely wife. He didn't lie about your beauty."

I snarled angrily. "Let me see him." This man was Anakin's father and he had betrayed his own son. I knew Anakin hadn't led them here. He would never risk putting his family in danger, but his own father appeared to care less about hurting him.

"Mrs. Skywalker, please, put your lightsaber away and come along with me. You'll see Anakin all in due time."

Kylar began to cry in my free arm and it would only be a matter of time before this man took advantage of us and used Kylar as our weakness. "I will only come if my son remains untouched by you and your men."

He looked hurt, but I, quite frankly, didn't give a damn about his feelings. This man was no closer to being family to me than he was to Anakin. He had abandoned and betrayed his only son and now he was preying upon his grandson and myself. "Mrs. –"

"Enough! I am Ahsoka Skywalker, wife to Anakin Skywalker and mother to his son. I have a name."

He backed down from the formalities and nodded, easing up a bit. I didn't like that. I would kill this man at a moment's notice. Perhaps even less, but it depended on Anakin's well-being. If he was barely alive, this man would pay for the things he'd done.

Anakin's father motioned for me to follow him. I did and I deactivated my lightsaber, but I did not clip it to my belt. I kept it firmly in my hand, ready to kill him if he so much as looked at me wrong. I held onto Kylar, kissing his hair as he cried, quietly shushing him while rocking him gently.

His men watched as he led me down several halls and I was beginning to think he was deterring me from where Anakin was really being held until I heard Anakin's cries. My heart tightened at his screams and Kylar tensed up in my arms. Anakin's father turned towards me and frowned. "What are you doing to him?" I screamed at his face, angry beyond words.

"It's… It's something I must do. He is a prisoner aboard my ship. I cannot give him any special treatment, nor can I give that same thing to you."

He moved to unlock the door as I gaped at him, tears welling up in my eyes and falling with each and every cry. The door opened and he told his man to take a few minutes away. I could smell burnt flesh and it killed me. I knew they'd been electrocuting him. I'd been with him enough times to know that. The man who had been electrocuting my husband stepped out of the room and I quickly entered before his father could. I ran to Anakin, holding Kylar tightly.

Ani was gasping for air, trembling in his suspension. I touched his face, my own hand trembling against his skin. "Anakin, I'm here. Soka's here, my love."

"No," he whispered. "L-Leave, p-please."

I could feel his pain and I saw how tearstained his face had become. I grabbed Kylar's hand and gently slid it across Anakin's cheekbone. His head immediately shot up, but it looked as though he'd done it and acquired a tremendous amount of pain. My eyes were on him as he stared, afraid and hurt, at our son with soulless eyes.

"Anakin – " His father stepped closer only to be interrupted by Anakin's profane outbursts. I held Kylar's head to my chest and covered his other ear with my hand. I watched Anakin's face as his anger exploded. I couldn't and wouldn't blame him. His father hurt him beyond belief. I mean, his father hadn't done this directly, but he hadn't stopped it either.

"Give… give me a moment with my wife," Anakin pleaded weakly. He slumped forward, exhausted. I saw tears in his clothes and the dried blood around his wrists. There were freshly made scars in places where his shirt had ripped. I glanced to my left and saw an electrowhip. These scars would never leave him. They had been driven and burned into his skin.

Anakin's father left without another word, but I felt him remain nearby. I broke down, watching Anakin suffer as silently as he could. I heard him let out weak cries that he tried to stifle and I could see how badly he was hurting. I moved closer to him and kissed his neck, being careful of his chest. I didn't want to hurt him more than he was right now. I cried as I continued to kiss his skin. He must've wanted more because he lifted his head enough to press his lips against mine. They were bloody, but I didn't care. My husband was more important than anything. I wanted his kiss, his touch, his love. His kiss held so much pain and I knew he needed to let it out somehow.

He bit down on my lower lip and I lifted a hand to his neck, stroking the crook of it slowly. He shook intensely until he finally pulled away in frustration. "I'm sorry," he whispered. I held the side of his face, rubbing my thumb over his cheekbone. "I'm sorry I'm not strong enough… I'm sorry I'm… I'm sorry…"

"You are my hero," I whispered, staring at him lovingly. "You've never been weak to me. You're the strongest man I know in both body and soul. I know you're in pain right now and I wish I could do something to alleviate as much of it as I possibly could…"

He let out a small sigh that sounded as though he were laughing and that disturbed me. "You want to take my pain from me?"

"More than anything."

He lifted his face to look at me and he smiled, his eyes filling up with life once more. His eyebrow raised a little and I saw the child inside of him return as he smiled weakly. "Tell me you love me?" he whispered.

I kissed him as lovingly as possible without hurting him and I lifted my free hand up to press my palm against his chained one. "I love you, Anakin. I love you with all of my heart and soul. I would give anything to keep you safe," I whispered, tears sliding down the sides of my face.

His voice got quieter as he spoke. "My love for you is undying, Ahsoka." I smiled at him and lowered my hand to stroke his cheek. I laughed lightly as I cried and he stretched as much as he could so he could, with help from my own movement, kiss my cheek. "You're my everything and I promise I will keep you safe. I will die to keep you and our baby safe."