Chapter 52: True Loyalty

Bastila had exited her quarters, fixing the front of her uniform as she continued down the hall. She had her now black hair tied up in a tight bun underneath her hat and she made sure her wedding ring was secure on her left hand, just to tell the other soldiers not to even think about trying to hit on her. She looked like she was in her mid-thirties.

Walking through the halls, a lieutenant walked up to her. "Commander, we have status reports on the Death Star," he told her.

"Wonderful," she answered.

She looked at the datapad, walking with the young man to the bridge. "Commander Star," a voice called. Bastila stopped, forcing herself from rolling her eyes. Turning on her heel, she looked as Tarkin made his way over to her.

"Yes," she answered.

Tarkin made his way over to her. "Would it be alright if we spoke in private?" he asked.

"Of course sir," she answered.

She reluctantly followed the man to an empty room. "Your performance on the ship is quite…impressive," Tarkin commented as he closed the door behind him.

"You had to get me alone to tell me this?" Bastila asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Well, I'm just saying Commander that you are quite impressive for only being in charge of your fleet for such a short time," he commented.

Bastila crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm curious, how would you like a promotion?" he asked.

"I thought only the Emperor could decide promotions?" she asked curiously.

"It goes through me first," he replied.

Walking over, he stood behind Bastila and an his hands over her shoulders. "I could however…put in a good report in for you. If I agree with such a promotion, the Emperor will listen to my opinion," he commented. She felt her skin crawl as he ran his hands over her arms and lower.

"I am a married woman, Grand Moff," she answered, pulling away from his touch.

"What your husband doesn't know can't hurt him," he told her.

Bastila looked at him with a glare. "I am not going to cheat on my husband for a promotion," she told him. Tarkin just grinned as he stepped closer to her, forcing her back against a wall.

"Well either you choose to do this my way and be rewarded, or the men's way and get nothing. The men are outside, waiting," he told her.

She stared at him, her heart was racing at what he was telling her. "You're lying," she told him, pushing him back.

"Really?" he asked.

He had the doors open and she saw several leering men that were walking by, as if waiting for Tarkin to give them the go-ahead. He closed the door again and he backed her up against the wall. "Now tell me, my dear, what do you choose?" he asked with the same leering grin. Bastila swallowed hard, staring right into his cold, evil eyes.

On the bridge, a Private looked up. "Lieutenant, Rebel ship approaching," he told his current CO.

"Shields up and send out the TIE Fighters," the lieutenant answered.

The alarms went off and all the Troopers ran to their ships. Before a trooper could climb into his TIE fighter however, a bruised and bloodied Bastila stabbed her dagger through his back. She threw his limp body aside and slowly, painfully climbed into the aircraft. Swallowing hard, she lifted off and flew off with the other TIE fighters.

Dodging blasts, she reached for her comlink. "Obi-Wan, let me in," she called to her husband, "I'm in Fighter 4709, the one heading straight for you."

"Shields are down, Bastila," Obi-Wan answered.

She flew through the open doors and they closed behind her. The shields were immediately replaced and she sat back, trying to catch her breath. Everything in her body ached, her head, her arms, her legs, just everything throbbed. She could feel blood trickling down the side of her head and her nose as her body screamed at her to rest. Her arms went limp to her sides when she heard the door to her Fighter open. "Bastila?" she heard her husband call, but he sounded so far away.

Feeling his arms go around her, she wrapped her arms around his neck as he lifted her up and she could faintly hear him call for a medic before her world went black.

Anakin hurried down the hall with Padmé by his side. They stopped when they saw Obi-Wan standing outside the medical room, moving his hand over his face. "Obi-Wan, is she alright?" he asked.

"She was really beaten up when I got her out of the TIE Fighter," Obi-Wan replied, "they told me to stay out here."

Padmé rested her hand on his shoulder as he rested his hand against his forehead. "Do you think…" Padmé started.

"I don't think, Padmé. I know what they did to her," he replied.

He let out a deep breath. "I had instructed the droid to come to my quarters once it's done examining her. For now I need to go meditate," he told them before walking away.

"Ani…" Padmé murmured, looking at her husband.

Anakin shook his head slowly as he waited outside the room to find out what the medical droid had to say.

When Bastila slowly came to, she saw Obi-Wan beside her, resting his hand over hers. "Bastila…" he said softly. She blinked her eyes slowly as she looked around, her grey eyes searching around the room. She slowly started to sit up, but her back screamed at her to lie back down. She kept the sheet to her chest and looked around.

"Where are my clothes?" she asked.

"Right here," Obi-Wan replied as he gestured to the clothes beside her bed.

Reaching over, she grabbed her clothes and went to get changed, her knees almost giving out as she stood up. Letting out a deep breath, she went into the fresher to change. When she came back out, she sat on the edge of the medical bed. "Bastila what happened?" he asked, resting his hands over hers. Bastila stared at the gold band around his left ring finger, tracing her thumb around it.

"I really don't think I can tell you what happened," she murmured.

"You can tell me anything," he answered.

Instead of answering, she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, burying her face into the side of his neck. Obi-Wan hugged her back, moving his hand up and down her back. "I love you," she told him, hugging him tighter.

"I love you," he answered, even though he wished she would just talk to him.

Later on, Bastila was standing in her quarters, looking at the bruises on her torso when she heard knocking on the door. Pulling her shirt down, she cleared her throat. "Who is it?" she asked. She looked over her shoulder when she heard the door open and Revan stood there. "What do you want?" she asked as she sat down on the bed.

"I came to see if you were alright," he replied.

"Well I'm fine so you can just go," she told him.

Revan sat beside her with a sigh. "Bastila, I'm for once just trying to be a friend," he answered. She lowered her head, twisting her ring around on her finger. "I was there to help when it happened the first time, you know you can trust me with anything," he told her.

"What exactly do you think happened?" she asked.

Revan gently grabbed her hand, pushing her sleeve back to reveal the bruises on her arms. "Hand prints on the arms and I can guarantee you have the same type of bruises on your legs," he told her.

"Stop, you don't know anything," she answered.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yes, you know nothing!" she answered.

Revan stood up. "Really? You are acting exactly when Malak tortured you," he told her. Bastila closed her eyes tight, not wanting to think about it.

"He gave me a choice," she said suddenly.

"Who gave you a choice?" he asked.

Bastila sat down with a heavy sigh. "Tarkin did, he told me that if I slept with him I'd get a promotion. If I denied him he'd give me to the other soldiers where they'd just use me any time they wanted and get no reward from it," she replied. Revan stared at her. "I would rather be raped than cheat on my husband," she said softly.

Standing up, she looked at the holopic that she had hung up on the wall in the corner. Her loving husband and two beautiful children, all three that she adored more than anything in the galaxy. "How could I be so blind, Revan? I let my guard down, I let this happen again," she told him.

"Bastila, you listen to me now," Revan told her, standing in front of her.

He stared at her intently. "This was not your fault," he told her.

"Yes, it is, I could've fought harder," she answered.

"On a ship filled with thousands of men?" Revan asked.

Bastila swallowed hard, resting her hand against her forehead. "I'd rather die than betray him, I've finally found the happiness I've wanted in thousands of years," she told him. Revan sighed as he pulled her into a hug.

"You are the strongest woman I have ever known," he whispered.

Bastila hugged him back, closing her eyes tight.

That night, Bastila walked out of the fresher to see her husband sitting up in bed waiting for her. "You alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she replied, getting into bed.

She moved beside her husband, resting her head on his chest. Obi-Wan rubbed her back gently, watching as she closed her eyes. "I love you," she said softly.

"I love you too," he replied.

Bastila snuggled closer to him, keeping her arms tightly around his waist. Obi-Wan hugged her close and fell asleep with his wife in his arms. Sighing softly, she closed her eyes again and drifted off in his arms.

On Coruscant, the Emperor was in his office when a soldier walked in. "My lord," he greeted the Emperor with a deep bow.

"What do you want?" Sidious demanded.

"My lord, I have brought news, about Grand Moff Tarkin," the lieutenant told him.

"What about him?" Sidious asked, sounding bored.

The lieutenant placed a report on his desk. "He is dead my lord," he replied. Taking the datapad off his desk, he looked over its contents. It was a medical report.

"Found dead in his quarters you say?" Sidious asked.

"Yes my lord," he replied.

"Stabbed in the chest with a Vibroblade?" Sidious murmured.

The lieutenant nodded his head slowly and Sidious just tossed the datapad back on his desk. "He was annoying anyways, glad someone finished him off," he answered.

"My lord?" the lieutenant asked surprised.

"I will send you a new commanding officer immediately. Get out of my sight," Sidious ordered.

"Y-Yes my lord," the young man stuttered before leaving the room quickly.

Sidious just grinned as he slowly stood up. "As soon as I possibly can, I will have an even more powerful Grand Moff on my side," he said with an evil cackle. Looking at his holoscreen, he stared at the usual reports of Justice fighting his army. It was from a camera from one of the Storm Troopers' helmets. He watched as Justice fought Storm Troopers with several hooded fighters, but then he saw one of his men grab one of the cloaked figures, revealing to be the former Senator Amidala. "So…I know your weakness Justice," he commented under his breath as he watched Justice toss his weapons to the ground and go to his knees.

Watching the continuing fight in front of him, he just grinned. "If I find Senator Amidala, I'm sure I can get him on my side," he commented as he sat back down, laughing maniacally.