Ahsoka tugs uncomfortably at the hem of her dress from the corner of the room. She feels naked without her lightsaber attached to her hip, she's a Jedi and a commander, not some frilly senator. Growling under her breath she yanks the too-short dress down again. Senator Amidala is across the dance floor talking to a large group of senators and diplomats; the senator looks elegant as always in a floor-length emerald dress, her hair done in elaborate braids. It makes her feel even more like a shiny during drill training.
They'd been here for over an hour at this point, the first hour hadn't been too bad. Commander Fox had been stationed by the entrance when they'd arrived. She slipped away from Padmé as soon as she could to stand next to him, looking over his shoulder as he scanned the ID chips of each guest. Unfortunately, he'd received a call for a disturbance on the other side of the Senate Dome; He left, along with his squad of clone troopers with an apologetic, "Sorry, Kid", leaving only the Corrie guards and Ahsoka alone to sulk in the corner. She sighs, resigning herself to the evening spent glued to the wall.
The Senator, it seems, has other ideas.
The nabooian sweeps around the room, her dress fluttering behind her as she makes her way toward the Padawan. Ahsoka looks up as she approaches and automatically straightens, adjusting her own worn blue dress.
"Senator" Ahsoka stands, lacing her fingers together and dipping her head politely like she's seen Master Kenobi do.
"Nonsense," Padmé smiles warmly," You're doing me a huge favor, call me Padmé"
"I don't know about that," She grins awkwardly," I'm still not sure why you wanted me here over Master Kenobi or Master Skywalker."
"This bill is very important. It could change policies on medical support for our troops," Padmé explains," You have experience on the frontlines, your input is invaluable."
"Oh"
Padmé notices Ahsoka's uncomfortable expression and takes one of her hands," Come on, I have some people I'd like you to meet"
The Senator pulls her off the wall, and Ahsoka follows her. Padmé introduces her to different Senators, each conversation makes her wish she'd taken up Master Kenobi's offer of a six hour joint meditation. How many times can one person talk about the number of karking moons their system has?
Thankfully after an hour of tedious conversations, it's time for dinner and everyone begins making their way to the antechamber of the hall where various tables are set up. She follows Padmé to a table in the back and sits down.
Dinner is a lavish meal with more food than she's eaten in the last month. The droids bring the plates one by one, setting them on the table while she deliberates what in the seven corellian hells she's going to eat.
"Padawan Tano," Ahsoka looks up from her still empty plate to see a Twi-lek woman she doesn't remember from the catalog, sitting across the table. She's dressed in elaborate chains and various stones, draped around her, "Senator Amidala tells us you were a blockade runner during the Ryloth Crisis" The woman asks, balefully.
Ahsoka shoots a glance at Padmé who nods encouragingly," Yes, I commanded a fighter squadron.". She doesn't continue, fighting back the surge of guilt at the reminder.
"Yes," The woman drawls, reaching past the senator beside for a bottle of wine. "A costly battle for us"
Ahsoka winces.
"She was also in the second Battle of Geonosis." Padmé interjects, seeing Ahsoka droop slightly," General Skywalker tells me she was quite the hero." Ahsoka smiles gratefully at her, not noticing the scarlet-garbed woman frown.
"Ah," Bail Organa says, joining the conversation, "I've spoken with General Kenobi as well, he speaks highly of you" He grins warmly and Ahsoka relaxes, finally helping herself to the Numa legs in front of her.
The evening continued like this, the senators around her engaged in various conversations, occasionally asking her about a battle or a mission she and her master had gone on. Eventually, her plate is once again empty leaving her to sit impatiently watching. After 20 minutes Ahsoka decides she has enough and stands up, "I'm going to use the 'fresher".
She practically runs out, trying not to slouch until she makes it out of view. She rounds the corner and sighs, slowing down. The Senate building is empty now, the majority of the workers in the banquet hall or at home, and the rounding halls are eerily quiet. Even the typical guards are gone, having presumably been diverted to deal with the disturbance. She frowns, Fox left hours ago. He should have been able to deal with it by now?
The moment she walks in something feels off. The 'fresher looks deserted, dead silent as she enters; Shivering, goosebumps appearing on her skin as she walks quietly past each of the empty cubical. Finally, she reaches the furthest stall, the door banging open to reveal yet another vacant toilet. She lets out the breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. She turns to the sink, her palms oddly sweaty.
"Tell me, Commander Tano."
Ahsoka freezes, the cold barrel of a blaster sliding down her rear lekku.
"Do you know how many men died in the battle for Ryloth?" The woman hisses, and Ahsoka's eyes dart up to the mirror. The scarlet woman is standing behind her, lips pulled into a furious scowl as she drives the barrel further into Ahsoka's head
"I–" Ahsoka starts, reaching for her lightsaber only to realize it wasn't there.
"No!" She roars, "My husband was in that battle! And you killed him." Her voice breaks, "You killed him"
Ahsoka doesn't say anything, her throat tight. Her heartbeat is in her head pounding so loudly she's sure her captor can hear it.
The woman begins unraveling the chains draped over her Lekku with one hand, the other frozen in place. The chains are cold and surprisingly heavy when they hit her bare skin and she shivers; The Twi-lek works fast wrapping them around her wrists. As soon as the chains are in place the world around her goes silent like her head's been shoved underwater. Kriff. Force-inhibitors. There goes that plan.
"Move" The woman grunts, shoving her forward and Ahsoka stumbles, landing awkwardly with her arms bound. "Get up" she kicks Ahsoka in the side and the padawan bites back a whimper.
Impatient, the twi-lek yanks her up and they walk forward. She leads them out of the bathroom and into the empty hallway, up a small staircase, and out onto a vacant balcony. At first, she thinks they've moved to the rendezvous point for the scarlet woman to whisk her off the planet but the sound of chatter belatedly reaches her as they move toward the edge.
The bubbling party below her comes into view and her heart sinks; as scared as she is, her one comfort was that the woman's fury is aimed at her rather than civilians. But as the woman slips a vile out of her dress, she knows it's not going to be that easy. Someone will notice I'm gone soon, I just need to stall. She's not quite sure how she's going to stall so she goes with what she knows best.
"Bad guys need new material, the stalk-your-enemies-in-the-bathroom osik is getting old"
Being snippy.
"Shut up you twat"
The woman injects the liquid into the capsule.
"Seriously. Is there a seminar you guys take cause I'd love provide some input"
She growls and continues to load the gun.
"You should really consider some therapy, It works wonders"
"So little miss know-it-all" She snaps the magazine into place, "Do you know what Crytonium is?"
And Ahsoka freezes. Cytonium is a toxin, a very powerful toxin, enough to take out a full grown man, and look completely like an overdose. "You took my husband from me." She snarls, "Now you're gonna know how it feels to watch people you love die in front of you"
She takes aim, pointing right at Padmé and fires.
Ever since she was small the older Jedi would always tell her that she's too impulsive, that she never thinks before she acts. And it's true. But she's since learned that there's not always time to think. So she doesn't, she jumps.
She feels the bullet burrow itself into her side, shoving her back. For a split-second she's relieved, and then gravity says it's piece and she plummets. Wind whips past her, roaring loudly and turning the world around her into a blur. In any other circumstances this would be nothing, a youngling could do this. But this isn't any circumstances, she's falling and there is nothing she can do about it. So she shuts her eyes and waits for the impact.
It never comes. What does is:
"Ahsoka!"
A pair of warm arms wrap around her, gravity slowly returning and she sags into her arms. "Master?" She croaks, blinking blearily at him, "Wha–"
"Padmé called me, she got worried"
"Master," her head feels heavy, "The bullet… the woman… Toxic'' The noise around returns but Ahsoka can't make out anything comprehensible. Her eyes flutter shut and she knows she should open them, she has to tell them about the assassin, about what happened, and why there's a dart embedded in her shoulder. But the dim lanterns blink jubilantly at her and Anakin's robe is so warm. "I'm sorry…" she sighs, "I failed you".
"No," Anakin says fiercely, pulling her closer, as she slips further unconscious, "Never, Ahsoka, you can never fail me" Burrowed in his robes, she smiles, giving into her Master's very warm embrace.
"Snips"
The voice comes again," Snips"
"G—- wa–y" She mumbles.
The voice softens, "I'm really sorry, but we need to make sure the side effects have worn off."
Ahsoka binks. And then she blinks again, her eyes fluttering open. Anakin's warm expression materializes in front of her. " That's a pleasant sight to wake up to," she mutters.
"Well good to know your sense of humor isn't impaired" Anakin grins cheerfully.
"Wait" She jolts up, her brain finally catching up," The woman! She was on the roof. I—-"
"Ahsoka" He puts a hand on her shoulder," It's fine. You're fine. They found her, Obi-wan's there now"
"Oh. Where are we?," Ahsoka asks, laying back down and Anakin pulls the blanket back up.
"Padmé's" Anakin sighs," I'm so glad you're alright," His voice catches," When you fell— I thought…" He doesn't continue.
"Hey," She jabs him lightly in the ribs," I told you." She leans into his side. "You're stuck with me Skyguy"
"Yeah, Snips." He wraps his arms around her, leaning chin in the small of her lekku, "Yeah."