Author's Note: And because that was far shorter than usual, here: have another! Watch as Ahsoka attempts a daring... Well, you'll find out😉


Chapter VI

She woke up to the rustling of a medical droid changing her IV bag.

She groggily rubbed the sleep from her eyes, trying to get the sounds and smells of her nightmares out of her mind. They had been even more intense this time. Or rather, more realistic.

The droid left, leaving her in the dim darkness that meant most of the inhabitants of the ship were currently asleep. She briefly wondered how she knew that, before realizing this was the perfect time to enact her plan. She wasn't being guarded, the doors were undoubtedly unlocked - they thought she was an invalid, after all - and she was sure the medical droid working quietly on the other side of the room wouldn't mind answering a few questions. Like, hypothetically, how to escape the ship in the event of an evacuation.

But first, she had to look like she belonged. Roaming the halls in her hospital gown would surely bring a swift end to her venture.

Glancing around, she noticed a large, blue and silver droid at the end of her bed, as well as her washed and folded clothes on the nearby table. The droid seemed to be shut off, as its photoreceptor was dark, and none of the lights on its domed head were blinking. Taking care not to wake it, she swung her feet over the edge of the bed and stood up. Slowly. She paused. Minimal dizziness, only a slight feeling of weakness in her knees. Phew, she thought, relieved. I'm not gonna fall over. Again.

Swiftly, she ripped the IV out of her arm. Wincing only slightly, she flexed the muscles of her forearm. Phew, good on that score too.

Padding as silently as possible, she crossed to the table and quickly shucked the gown. She took stock of her body, noticing all her scars were far more faded, and the deeper cuts were on their way to becoming scars themselves. The slightly mirrored surface of the room's walls showed that her back was greatly improved as well. No longer was it the riot of colour it had been before. She gave an experimental stretch and was pleased at how little pain there was. These Jedi had healed her thoroughly. Huh.

Just before she looked away, she saw the glint of metal and lightly touched the two pieces of mechanical gag still on her face. So. Maybe they weren't that kind.

She put on her old clothes, revelling in the rough, patchy sensation created as it slid over her skin. Finally, a feeling that made sense for her to recognize.

She headed over to the medical droid. Oddly, she found she could decipher it's clicks, beeps, and whirs easily, and it took menial time to determine the optimal route to the escape pods.

Thanking it - then immediately wondering why she'd done that - she slipped out into the hallway.

The blue droid's eye blinked on, and watched her leave.

She wasn't sure how she could tell - all the hallways looked the same, with their dark panelling and high ceilings - but she knew when she got close. She had pulled her hood up to help with her anonymity, but after passing by a fair number of the white guards and no one else, she realized her anonymity didn't exist. There didn't seem to be anyone on the ship who wasn't in some kind of uniform. So now she made sure to check carefully around every corner before dashing to the next junction.

And like she'd thought, she was almost there. Peering around the corner, she could see the escape pods. Only another three junctions, but it was a straight shot. Preparing to make a dash for it, she tensed, every muscle in her body going taught for the split second before she took off.

The moment came and she launched herself around the corner - only to hit something as solid as a wall.

She hit the floor hard. A flash, and all she could see were the black durasteel walls of a different ship, a tall, dark figure looming over her. The figure pressed a button, and a red light pierced her skull. For the space of a heartbeat, she was engulfed in agony and fear.

"Commander!"

She inhaled sharply, and the scene was gone. She was back on the Jedi ship, with one of those guards staring down at her in shock, his blue and white helmet held loosely at his side. Quickly blinking his shock away, he held out a hand.

She took it, hauling herself up. "Thank you, trooper." That was something she'd overheard them say to each other. Trooper.

"I'm so sorry I didn't come see you in the infirmary, Commander. General Skywalker said he and General Kenobi needed to talk to you first, and then you were asleep, then - " He stopped abruptly, running a gloved hand over his almost bald head - Ahsoka noted the way he tried to stand out with just some bleached fuzz left - and gave her a sheepish smile. "Sorry, I'm rambling. We've all just been worried about you for so long, and now you're back safe and…" He trailed off, and Ahsoka, who had let her eyes wander, pulled them back to his face. She didn't like what she saw. His eyes were narrowed, his brow furrowed as he asked, "Commander, what are you doing out here? I was told you weren't yet recovered enough to leave the infirmary."

She clasped her hands behind her back, and attempted to straighten her spine. "There's no need for concern, trooper. I am simply… reacquainting myself with the ship's layout." Ventress had said something about memory serum, so she took a shot in the dark. Hopefully, this guard had been told about the serum. Her gamble seemed to pay off when his look softened from its guarded expression. Slightly.

"All the same Commander, we should probably get you back. It's quite late, and I think the Generals wanted to brief you first thing in the morning." He stepped up close to her, lightly putting a guiding hand on her back, and she felt her body stiffen.

Both their attention was diverted by the sound of a squealing, whistling sound suddenly echoing from up the corridor. They swung their heads around, and a blue and silver droid came rolling around the corner as fast as it's wheels could turn. It was making the alarmed whistling sound. The part of Ahsoka's brain that knew her repressed memories translated the droid's speech in an instant, and she knew: it was telling on her.