Hey guys! This chapter is split up into two parts, so make sure to read both to get the full story! :)

TW: Discussion of the possibility of rape. Although nothing is on screen, or described in any sort of detail.

Ahsoka was a good swimmer.

At the Temple, it wasn't mandatory for younglings to learn how to swim, but classes were offered. Of course, nearly every young Initiate excitedly signed up each year, happy to be learning something fun and new.

Ahsoka first took swimming lessons in the Temple pools when she was only six-years-old. The instructors told her she was a natural. She caught on faster than any of her peers, and it wasn't long before she was swimming laps around the big pool all on her own.

After lessons, she always slept easier. When she'd be all tuckered out and would collapse into bed, the day's activities would spill into the night. She'd dream of floating peacefully, like her mattress had been set into the pool, rocking slightly in the ripples of the water.

That's what she felt like now.

Like she was floating.

She wasn't all too sure why. She didn't recall going for a swim recently- in fact it had been years since she'd had the time to- but she's not awake enough to really question it.

For a while, she just let herself bask in the foreign sense, trying to ignore all the muffled sounds that surrounded her. The noises were unintelligible at first, just soft vibrations dancing past her montrals that she felt more than heard, but as she slowly drifted closer to consciousness, it became easier to pick up everything. Easier to pick up the faint chattering of far away voices, and… music?

It wasn't music she'd ever listen to, it sounded like something that would be playing at one of the trashy lower-level bars she's visited on Coruscant for missions. But no- she couldn't be on Coruscant, she couldn't be. Although foggy, her memory of being taken by the pirates was still in the back of her mind. Where the hell was she?

Ahsoka slowly blinked an eye open, then another before her nose was assaulted by the nasty smell of animals. "What the kriff?" She muttered, uneasily hauling

herself up into a sitting position and looking around the small room she was in.

As a Commander, she'd woken up in plenty of cells before, but nothing like this...

The room was humid, the floor covered in scratchy straw and hay. It was dark, but her predator's night-vision she had as a Togruta let her see a small water trough in the corner. She was in a stall for cattle, the same place they kept their skalder.

Sitting up, Ahsoka rubbed the back of her montrals with bound hands. There were visible bruises on her arms- long and finger-shaped, already mottled purple on her orange skin. She tried to take a steadying breath, her mind already running through every possible crime Hondo committed against her whilst she was out.

She drew back when the door slammed open- flying off its hinges and collapsing against the wall. Two Weequays stood in the entrance, shit-eating grins on their faces and drinks in their hands. Ahsoka scowled at the pair- resisting the urge to deck them instantly.

In the galaxy filled with vile perverts willing to leer at her, Weequay pirates had a reputation for being scumbags to women.

She needed to speak to Hondo. Though he was at odds with the Jedi, he held some level of respect for Anakin, and she could exploit that.

"You're coming with us!" One of the Weequays said in a slurred voice, grabbing her bicep firmly and tugging her to her feet. She wanted to fight, needed to- but her body was slow and sluggish. Her head felt like it was full of static, her lekku full of cotton.

She was nearly limp in his grasp as he lent close to her cheek, the alcohol on his breath making her scrunch up her nose, "The boss wants to have a word."

The cantina was similar to the ones on Coruscant except it was somehow worse in smell. The air was thick with smoke- floor sticky with split drinks and probably an array of bodily fluids that Ahsoka didn't want to think about having to scrub off the bottom of her boots later.

She instantly spotted Hondo- two girls draped over his lap and his pathetic monkey-sidekick hopping about. The pirate grinned when he saw her- eyes draping over her body before he jerked his head towards the seat opposite him. Ahsoka was shoved- not too gently- onto the chair and quickly held down with two pirates grasping her shoulders, the surprise jolting her out of her tired, hazed trance.

"Ahsoka Tano," Hondo said with a purr, the two girls on his lap shooting her dirty looks, "you're looking as stunning as ever."

"What do you want, Hondo?"

"Oh, questions already," Hondo laughed, pushing the girls away from him to stand. Ahsoka's stomach tightened when he walked over to her, hand cupping her chin. "You were a lot less feisty earlier."

His comment earned laughter and jeers from the rest of his gang, whilst Ahsoka's skin itched. She jerked her face away from him, feeling violated by his stare. Hondo chuckled, tracing a line down her cheek, "You look so pretty when you cry."

"You disgust me," she growled, hoping she sounded intimidating to make up for how insecure she felt on the inside.

"I feel quite the opposite way about you, my dear."

His imitation of Obi-Wan's term of endearment made her want to vomit over his shoes.

"Breana," Hondo called one of his girls over and confidently put a hand down her top- if it could even be called that- to draw out a small bag. Ahsoka noticed the reddish-brown powder inside, the scent of the drug already bleeding through the air.

"Ahsoka, darling," he kneeled in front of her, resting one hand on her thigh and holding up the bag, "Do you know what this is?"

"Spice," she answered, incredibly weary.

Hondo quirked an eyebrow, looking around his gang with a smile, "You're correct. Have you ever tried it?"

"It's an illegal drug," she said, allowing that to be her answer.

"It is," Hondo rubbed her thigh, nearing the hem of her skirt. Ahsoka kept a straight face. On the inside, she was screaming in terror, trying to convince herself he wasn't half as scary as Tuk'ata. "Even a light dusting on one's clothes is enough to guarantee a life sentence in prison."

Ahsoka watched carefully as Hondo opened the bag. The pirate made a show of licking his index finger, staring at her through half-lidded eyes, before dipping his finger into the substance.

She jerked back as his spice-coated finger came close to her face, about to kick Hondo away when one of the pirates let go of her shoulder to wrap his grimy hand around her throat instead.

Choking on a gasp, Ahsoka still struggled away from Hondo when his finger touched just beneath her nose, smearing the powder down to her lip. It reeked of piss, and

tickled her skin where sweat had started to bead. The hand around her neck squeezed tighter, black spots dancing across her version as her lungs reacted to the lack of oxygen reaching them.

The grip on her throat suddenly released, and not a moment later, something flashed brightly in front of her. Ahsoka lurched forwards, spluttering and hyperventilating.

"So pretty..." Hondo sighed, and a datapad was thrusted in front of her blurry eyes. She blinked furiously to stare at the picture he had just taken of her.

Her heart began to thud even heavier in her chest. She looked dazed in the picture, eyes halfway back in her head and spice smeared under her nose. Hondo's intentions suddenly became clear, and she looked at him with glassy eyes, "Please, you have to delete that."

This was bad- he had blackmail material on her, and if the Council saw the picture, she'd be thrown out of the Order before she had a chance to explain.

"P-Please," She repeated desperately, her voice tight as she held back tears, "Please, you- you have to!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that, sweetheart." He rubbed her thigh once more before standing up, "I ought to have a photo ready to show the Jedi Council how much you enjoyed your visit with us, and it will look nice next to my bed."

The laughter of the other pirates was muffled by her rage, and Ahsoka tried to lunge towards the pirate leader, only to have three grown men hold her back- hands gripping her in places that made her skin burn. She slumped back soon enough, glaring at Hondo, "My Master will never believe you."

"And yet he'll still be disappointed in you for letting us get the better of you."

Hondo turned to the girl once more, "Clean her up, Breana."

The woman sauntered towards her- hips swaying with every step to draw smiles from the men surrounding them. Ahsoka refused to let her lower lip tremble as Breana wiped away the spice under her nose, then licked the substance off her fingers.

Ahsoka used the Force to push the woman away, feeling the same sense of impending doom that she'd felt with the others: Tuk'ata, Atai, Lux, Bane.

Hondo laughed as Breana stumbled backwards, "Put the Jedi in the containment field where I can see her. She's too pretty to be hidden away."

Ahsoka had never been trapped in a containment field before, but she knew that it was not something to mess with.

Obi-Wan had told her about his time as Dooku's prisoner, and about how dangerous the devices could be. If the field were too strong for the person inside, it could very well stop their heart or brain activity. He said he was lucky to have been captured by someone as smart as Dooku, who knew how to regulate the device. If it had been someone else, he might not have been so lucky.

Obi-Wan hadn't intended to scare her when he had said that, but now, she couldn't stop her eyes from welling up with tears as she was suspended in the air, trapped in the pulsing currents of energy generated by the containment field.

The pirates were not at all as smart as Count Dooku. They were fumbling, clumsy, drunkards who she doubted had taken her small mass into consideration when they roughly forced her into the field, putting her on a shameful display for everyone in the room.

What Obi-Wan had left out in his story, Ahsoka now realized, was how exhausting being in the field was.

She thought she had been tired before, but now all her energy had been drained from her, leaving her body weak. The pirates didn't even need to lock her up. If they let her go right now, she was sure she'd just fall limply to the floor, unable to move a muscle.

Which, in her case, was horrifying. Being violated whilst she was unconscious was one thing, but being violated whilst she was awake but unable to fight was a different ball game.

"My, my, Ahsoka," Hondo teased as he approached her. "Skywalker would be so disappointed to see you like this."

Ahsoka grit her teeth, trying to ignore how much that actually got to her. "You know the Republic won't pay a ransom for me," She managed, though her thoughts were jumbled. "And the Separatists can't be trusted. They'll betray you and kill us both."

Hondo didn't seem disturbed by her warning. He just nodded calmly, as if they were discussing something as mundane as the weather. "Yes, I know this, my dear. The Separatists are no friends of mine." He started to circle her, like a predator stalking its prey. "Don't ask me why, but Dooku holds such a grudge against me since our little, 'I held him hostage' affair."

He traced the edge of his sword with his finger, "Pah! Truth is, I have my sights set on more nefarious criminals than I. A businessman who would pay handsomely for a Jedi, a female Jedi at that.

"You don't scare me, Hondo."

The man just laughed, as if he could see right through her facade. Could he? Did he know that she was lying, that she was very much afraid of what the pirate was planning; what he might have already done to her?

She forced her eyes shut before any tears could slip out. She wanted Anakin, or Obi-Wan, or Rex- or just anybody other than these pirates.

She wanted to go home.

The last thing she wanted was to have to join forces with Hondo when it became apparent that she couldn't get the younglings off the planet without his help. She wasn't happy that Hondo was within arms distance of the younglings she was supposed to be protecting, especially Katooni and Ganodi.

Sometimes, Ahsoka, Obi-Wan's voice rang in her head, you have to flirt with the enemy to get your way.

Yeah, right, like she was going to do that. Ahsoka was all maturity and professionalism- with a healthy sprinkle of intimidation- as she convinced Hondo to work with them against the Separatist forces. She even resisted the urge to mock him for ending up in a containment field much like the one he held her in.

For some reason, working with the enemy gave her a sense of control. Ahsoka was fearless as she swung her lightsabers, deflecting the bolts back towards the incoming droids.

Her confidence soared when Grievous appeared, because she knew the younglings were relying on her to protect them, and Hondo would never survive a fight with the cyborg, let alone multiple encounters.

She knew Anakin would be proud of her.

"Let me know when we're about to leave hyperspace," she told the Weequay pilot as she stood from the co-pilot's chair, her sore muscles protesting sourly at the change in position.

Just as she was leaving the cockpit, intending to check on the younglings and then try to find someplace to meditate, Hondo stood from where he was leaning against the wall of the hull, making her startle slightly

"Thanks for the rescue, Soka." He purred, grinning as he blocked her exit subtly.

Her eyes darted around the room, her mind racing to find another way out. She was fine dealing with him when they were on the front lines, when his survival depended on her and she was in control, but now the power between them has shifted.

"Don't call me that," she said lowly, digging her nails into her palms, "It's Commander Tano, to you, Hondo."

"Well, Commander Tano," he took a step closer, and her instincts told her to take a step back, "that was a rather impressive display down there, with Grievous."

"Compliment accepted," she muttered, "Now, if you'll excuse me-"

"Ah-ba-ba-ba, not so fast," he laid his hands on her shoulders, almost gently, "Now you're no longer mine to sell, I'm going to need some form of payment."

She recoiled, and he let her go, "I was never yours, Hondo, and secondly, I don't owe you anything."

"You don't think you owe me anything?" Hondo grinned, "So you don't mind if that photo still gets sent to the Council?"

Ahsoka inhaled sharply- the sly bastard. She knew that her meagre annual allowance wouldn't be anywhere close to what he would expect in return for the payment he lost. That would mean she would need to use GAR or Jedi funds, which would only lead to questions. She would be forced to explain why she was funding a gang of pirates.

"I can't pay you," she said shortly.

"Not with your own credits, no," Hondo took her chin, running a finger along her jaw. Her breath caught in her throat at his sudden touch and she tried to look away but he only tightened his grasp. "But I'm sure you will do a better job than me in persuading General Kenobi to compensate for my expenses."

She nodded without even thinking about it, "I- yes. Okay, I'll speak to him, just-" She wanted to scream at him to back away from her, but she resisted the urge. He was offering her a deal, and she was smart enough to know when to accept it. "I'll speak to him." She repeated, more sure of herself this time.

"Excellent!" He tugged her forwards, pressing a chaste kiss to her forehead before she could react. Ahsoka scrunched up her face, pushing him away when his wandering hand touched her waist. "And you can speak to the Council about sparing me for the little mishap with the mini-Jedi's lightsaber crystals?"

"Fine," Ahsoka took a purposeful step backwards, "Just delete the picture."

"You have my word, darling," he tapped her cheek lightly before entering the cockpit, leaving Ahsoka alone in the hull. She didn't quite believe him. "You're such a joy to have around, Miss Tano!" He called over his shoulder as the door closed.

"Ahsoka?"

She whirled around, eyes dropping to Katooni who had just entered the hull. Ahsoka shook the tension from her shoulders, noticing that the Tholothian looked worried, "Is everything alright, Katooni?"

"I feel like I should be asking you that," the girl stepped forward, and panic soared through Ahsoka when she wondered how much Katooni had seen of her talk with Hondo, "You can't be captured by pirates and just be okay."

Ahsoka allowed herself to smile, "I've faced worse. Fighting Grievous will always be scarier than having to deal with Hondo and his bunch of cronies."

"No offence, Padawan Tano, but I think that's a lie," Katooni instantly called her out, walking over until they were face to face. She looked up at Ahsoka, concern written across her young face, "I know what pirates do to women."

Ahsoka's face fell. How old was Katooni? She wasn't even a teenager yet, and she already knew? "How-"

"We get taught about it at the Temple," the girl explained, crossing her hands over one another, "Well, the girls do; I'm not so sure about the boys." She shook her head, "They teach us self-defence, and what to do if we ever end up in a situation where we could be vulnerable."

She can feel her heart breaking. The picture was clear in her head; young girls sitting at desks as they were told which species would be more likely to be trafficked into slavery, and how to diffuse situations before they grew out of control. It was pitiful that the Jedi had to teach younglings about that sort of thing.

"I don't get it," Katooni crossed her arms over her chest, looking at the ground, "The Masters say we should trust our instincts, but how are we supposed to know which men we can trust, and which ones we can't?"

Ahsoka sighed, she was much older than Katooni, but even she didn't know the answer to that question. She placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, "I guess you can't know, Katooni; you just have to be careful."

Katooni shook her head, "I brought something up in that class once. I said it wasn't fair that, in the Temple swimming lessons, we have to wear a one-piece whilst the boys only have to wear trunks."

Ahsoka's brow furrowed. She'd never considered that before.

"Master Windu said that the rule was in place to protect us."

"Wait," Ahsoka blinked, "Master Windu leads that class?" Katooni nodded, "But he's a man."

"I know," Katooni rolled her eyes, "It wasn't even his idea to start the class- it was Master Secura's. Apparently, the Council didn't want us to become extremists by having a female Twi'lek teach us about sexual assault. Master Windu said that the aim of the class isn't to make every man seem evil."

Ahsoka inwardly scoffed, "I get told that by my Master."

"That's why I asked if you were okay," Katooni said, touching the hand that Ahsoka held on the girl's shoulder. "I figured that once we get to the cruiser, you'd be expected to just brush it off and pretend nothing happened. Master Windu said we should tell an adult if we know that someone's been seriously harmed, but I don't think that's right. You shouldn't try to fight someone's battle without their consent."

Ahsoka nodded, a little stiffly, "Thanks, Katooni, I- I appreciate that."

"You're welcome," the girl smiled widely, as if they weren't discussing something serious. "We've got to stick together, haven't we?"

"Yeah," she nodded again- feeling stupidly dumb compared to the bright Tholothian. Katooni seemed to have all the answers and she was what? Only thirteen? Ahsoka had years of life experience above her, but she couldn't help from feeling so- so utterly clueless.

She wasn't good at talking about this, not like Katooni was. Which was admittedly sad. The younger Jedi shouldn't have to be good at that.

How do you do it? How do you handle this, cause I don't know. Force, I really don't know right now.

"We really do." Was what came out instead.