Author's Note: 400 FOLLOWERS?! Y'all truly are the best!
-Chapter 55: The Worst of Times
Location: Unknown
"Complacency brings disaster."
Stirred from his slumber for reasons unknown, Wraith first felt the soft and plush sensations of a feathery bed and silken sheets before feeling the warmth of another body next to him. It struck him as a familiar sensation and he rolled over to see who was in bed with him.
It took less than a second for him to recognize Ahsoka.
She was fast asleep as well, her expression one of gentle tranquility. For this moment in time, she didn't have care in the world and she looked so peaceful in the midst of it. Wraith reaches out to gently stroke her beautiful features, tracing a finger along her brow-markings and down to the marking on her cheek.
Force, he felt such an incredible attraction to her, one that no one else could ever comprehend. Was it any wonder he spent his quiet moments pining after her, desperate to know her, to want her...
Wraith reflected on the mixed emotions he felt concerning her; immense desire and crippling fear. He wanted her so much... but was also afraid of how she'd react if she knew his true feelings.
Then Ahsoka's eyes fluttered open, in such a graceful and angelic way, her crystal blue hues meeting his gaze. She offered him a soft smile, not saying anything. Wraith continued to gently touch her face, trying to convey the absolute marvel her felt whenever he looked upon her.
Was it any wonder why he'd fallen in love with her the instant he saw her?
There was that word again. That four letter word he struggled with. The thought of it brought him much joy, but also much anxiety. He had to tell her, for fear he might burst, but could he? Should he?
Lying there, gazing at Ahsoka, Wraith couldn't bear the thought of forever wanting but never having. Working up a faint trace of courage, he whispered the three words he longed to tell her.
"I love you."
Ahsoka continued to smile, her gaze softening a little. There was no immediate reaction as Wraith had feared, but her pause was nerve wracking. When would she say something?!
And then, Ahsoka reached out and threaded her hand through his hair. Wraith leaned into her touch, letting his hand cup her face. The young Togruta who'd stolen his heart shimmied a little closer until they were nose to nose. Still smiling at him, she whispered back,
"I love you too, Wraith." For a brief second, Wraith felt eternal elation.
And then everything changed.
Wraith suddenly found himself suspended by chains, trapped in a durasteel cell with only a holocomm monitor before him, displaying an image of Ahsoka on trial before members of the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order. Bound by manacles, Ahsoka looked small before these powerful, egocentric figures. Their words caused Wraith's blood to boil.
"Ahsoka Tano, you have been found guilty of treason against the Galactic Republic for consorting with a member of the enemy." Chancellor Palpatine declared.
"For this reason, you are hereby dismissed from the Jedi Order. All attributing ranks and promotions applied to you will be revoked, and you are to be sentenced as a war criminal at the discretion of a Republic court of law." Mace Windu gravely added.
"This court finds you guilty and sentences you to death." Palpatine continued. Wraith gasped and struggled against his chains, desperate to save her. "But seeing as your actions helped us capture The Wraith, a far worse criminal than you, we shall lighten the sentence to life imprisonment." He relented. The image suddenly changed to that of Ahsoka, garbed in a prisoners uniform, alone in a prison cell...
But at the open door, stood Captain Rex and a crew of 501st Clones.
"We trusted you, Commander." He spat, sounding repulsed by being here. "And you betrayed us all. Time to show you how we Clones treat traitors like yourself." One by one the Clones entered the cell, Wraith now violently thrashing against his chains as sensed their cruel intentions.
"You animals! Who's the monster now, huh?!" He roared. The device powered off, leaving only a reflection of his helmeted face to look at. "WHO'S THE MONSTER NOW?!" He screamed at his reflection.
Pomel Scipio sat in his lab, making notes on a datapad as he studied a sample of a new chemical compound. All had been quiet, but the peace was suddenly disturbed when alarms started beeping and the Pau'an looked up to see Wraith thrashing about in the bacta tank, suddenly suffering from what had to be a bad dream of some kind. Quickly rising from his seat, Scipio retrieved a sedative from a nearby table and plugged it into the machine dispensing vital nutrients into Wraith's body. The contents were dispensed into the streams and through the tubes, injected fully into Wraith's body. A few moments later, the super-soldier's body stilled and he was just as relaxed and limp as before. Breathing a sigh of relief, Scipio returned to his desk and fetched a voice recorder and connected it to his datapad, selecting a new program.
"Voice log, new entry." He stated. Prompted by his voice, his datapad opened an empty recording slot and flashed the readout Scipio's Log: Entry 80.1A. "I have had to give Wraith yet another sedative in order to ward off yet another spastic attack. It would appear these are directly related to his REM numbers, according to the readouts before me," Scipio stated, examining the flashing numbers before him on another datapad wired to Wraith's tank, "which leads me to believe he is suffering from some very vivid dreams of some sort. What they entail, I cannot be sure. But if these continue, I may have to forcibly drag him out of that tank and end this process earlier than I'd like. It would not be the best for his physical health, but his mental health must take precedence."
