Author's Note: Thank you all so much for reading! Hope you enjoy this next chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Trigger Warnings: Shock gag again, and more of the crystal.


Chapter VII

She awoke with a jolt, as the cage suddenly swung toward the shore. It came to a halt in front of four droids, possibly the same ones as last night. The door of the cage swung open, but Ahsoka was so stiff and frozen from her night in the too-small cage that she found herself entirely unable to move. Though she desperately wanted to. She'd do just about anything to not spend another night like that. Completely, one hundred percent, she was at the mercy of things she couldn't control.

Which she supposed was a lot like following the ways of the Force. The difference being, of course, that the Force didn't want her to die a horrible, painful death just because it was fun.

The droids finally managed to pry her out of the cage and away they went.


"How many lights do you see?"

Ahsoka sighed, trying to let out all the emotions that felt like they had been trapped inside her all night float away. Trying to regain some of that "Jedi calm", as she'd heard outsiders call it. It was a lot harder without the use of the Force.

It didn't work as well as she'd hoped.

"You can't be serious?" Ahsoka jerked as the gag closed around her mouth just long enough to give her a good five second shock. Her already limp body drooped even closer to the floor, the only thing even remotely holding her up the tight grips of her guards.

The gag opened up again, and she gasped for air like a fish out of water.

Count Dooku made a frustrated noise from behind his desk. "Perhaps I wasn't clear about the importance of this particular lesson."

"Oh no," she interrupted, having to pause for more air before she continued. "You were very… clear. I'm just… not going to… comply." Something about being in front of him again made her feel a bit like her old self. Snippy. She managed to lift her head enough to give him her best "I'm not backing down" stare. It usually worked on Anakin.

But the Count was decidedly not Anakin. Now it was his turn to sigh. "I see we have yet more work to do to relieve you of your false belief that you have any choice in the matter."

The Count's words stoked a fire within her and though she knew anger was not the Jedi way, she grabbed hold of it, letting it become her fuel. She didn't have anything else to hold onto.

"No, you're going to realize that it doesn't matter what you do to me, I will never give you what you want. There are four lights and there always will be! My Master will come for me any day now, and when he does you had better be far away from here, because if he gets his hands on you, he will tear you to pieces!" Ahsoka broke off, breathing hard, shocked at her own words. She could barely believe she'd that. For a moment, she hadn't just latched onto her anger. She'd embraced hate.

The Count was practically gleeful. "I knew there was promise in you yet." He stood up, lines of mock sadness now carved into his face. "But you forgot one of our lessons in your little outburst." He stood in front of her now and reached into his cloak. "Your anger is not to be directed at me. But don't worry. I will show you where it truly belongs."

She felt the Force pull her head down, before he'd finished pulling whatever it was out of his cloak. But it quickly became apparent as a blood-red glow shone from above her.

Ahsoka gritted her teeth so hard she was sure they were going to crack. I will not beg, I will not beg, I will not b-

She shivered as his hands grazed the back of her neck, and click went the crystal into a space in the back of her collar. And snick went the gag around her mouth.

The pressure on her head lifted.

"We will try again another time. After you've seen…" He paused ominously. "A different perspective."

He turned to the droids. "Take her to the Recuperation Chamber."

Ahsoka's mind went practically giddy at relief at not being sent back to Despair. Nothing could possibly be worse than last night.

Just before they reached the threshold of the doorway, out of the corner of her eye she saw the Count's fingers twitch. The crystal flared.


The door slid shut, and Count Dooku let a satisfied smile bend his lips as the Padawan's muffled screams echoed down the hallway.