I'm baaaaack! This is a nice long chapter for yall! It was actually gonna be longer but i thought it would be more efficient to split it. My motivation has been kinda low for this story until today, so I'll grind and make sure I have extra chapters. I'm definitely glad I took a week off posting, my motivation for anything but my art has been gone. I'll have a bunch of time for this story this week though, so enjoy!
Chapter Six: Chancellor Palpatine, interrogations are my specialty
Obi-Wan laid back on the table, his entire body sore. The droid Dooku had employed for the task of coaxing information out of him was not gentle, and it took much of his willpower to keep from cracking. The E-V series unit was definitely doing its job well, but the General would never give in.
His entire body arched in pain once again as the electrical current in the metal table was reactivated, a yell escaping his raw throat. The shocks coursed through him, the sensation quite unpleasant. His writhing was rubbing the wrists raw, as his sleeves were not protecting them from the friction. It was definitely not fun.
The droid stopped the onslaught, asking, "Are you ready to end the suffering? All you need to do is become a one-time informant, give us reliable information on the Republic. That way, your friends will not go through this experience as well, unless you lie."
He sighed. The clanker had tried that routine more instances than he could count, pain disorienting him and taking away his ability to tell time. He didn't even know how log he'd been here, it felt like forever. Every shock, cut and burn lasted an eternity, but he would never break. Not for anything.
The E-V clearly took his silence as a no, and his screams filled the room as a white-hot needle was dragged across his skin. It was added to his small collection of injuries on his upper arm; the droid had taken the liberty of cutting off his sleeves, though he had not been careful with the scissors.
The instrument was retracted, but the reprieve did not last long. The Jedi Master let out a grunt as a metal hand struck him in the face. That was definitely gonna leave a mark, but he was more worried about his teeth. Keeping them intact was ideal, even if they could be regrown. He would rather not have to go through that on top of his current situation.
Too weak from torture to move his head back to its position staring at the ceiling, the dizzy man was able to see when his gracious host decided to bless him with his presence again. Dooku had been present at the beginning of his interrogation, giving him an opportunity to go without the torture and just give in, but that had obviously been unsuccessful. So, the E-V had been sent in and the pain had begun.
The Count was back, and Obi-Wan didn't know if he should be relieved. He opted to just have his head loll on the table, not wanting to put energy into focusing on anything. He was drained mentally and physically because of this pompous bantha fodder. Not thinking straight, he swore at the man. "Chuba."
It did not come out with the intended venom, but it still satisfied the tired General. It was less fulfilling, however, when the Separatist laughed. He found it amusing that he had upset his grand-padawan so much that the usually calm man would use an expletive to describe him, but he needed to get down to business.
"Obi-Wan, are you really so stubborn as to subject your friends to this suffering, all for a corrupt government? I am merciful enough that I may leave the girl for last, but I doubt she can hold up as well as you under torture."
The Jedi's eyes narrowed as he replied, "She's got more guts than you think. But you would really call our Senate corrupt when you, the Separatists' leader, are overseeing torture?"
Dooku chuckled. "Even without swearing, you always did have spunk. You can have a break for the rest of today, you've earned it. But with your place empty, I think the clone should fill it."
The beaten man was angry at the Sith Lord standing over him for subjecting him, and soon his friends, to this experience, but he was also angry at himself for feeling relief at not being the victim for a while.
As managuards dragged him away, Obi-Wan let shame wash over him.
Count Dooku sat in his office aboard his ship, plotting his next move. The clone had been fetched, but the droid could deal with him. Simple Captains did not have the same intel as the Jedi, but he still had enough mercy to hold off on the child. He would normally have saved her for last, but he wanted Skywalker rattled. If he couldn't torture the boy as much as the others, going after his mind would be best.
The clone would be removed from the room before the togruta got there, but Skywalker would be forced to see his padawan in the aftermath of her suffering. The Separatist would oversee that, he didn't want E-V destroyed and the girl freed. A healthy threat would keep the Jedi's rage at bay and protect him from the unbridled wrath of that pilot and the Force.
The old man once again mulled over his Master's words. Why spare Skywalker? What was so special about that arrogant Jedi that having mercy would be helpful? He was quite strong in the Force, but the leader of the CIS wasn't sure how that was relevant. The dark side led to strength far beyond what some extra midichlorians could accomplish, and leaving one of the most successful war generals unharmed was not his idea of a good strategy to win. It was the Sith way to show no mercy, to take what was theirs, so why was he being denied that privelege?
The Count chastised himself once again. If his Master wanted his motivations clear, he would make them so. Sidious' mind was far too complex for his apprentice to understand, and it did no good to question his orders. Being obedient was the only option, all the rest would end in death. The Sith Lord reminded himself again of the consequences of insurgence. He might actually take examples from those punishments and put them to use on Skywalker's friends.
It would be good to contemplate what made them all tick, what would truly break them all. Kenobi was not hard to understand, he was driven by the ridiculous idea to help others at the cost of himself, never focusing on power like he could. The selflessness could be a weapon utilized ruthlessly against the Jedi Master, pushing him to his breaking point by forcing him to watch his friends suffer. Plant the idea that it was his fault, that would be grand.
The clone was driven by loyalty and individuality, he wasn't really sure how that could be weaponized. The individuality was not something he could entirely erase, that path would be pointless and lead him nowhere in the quest for information. The loyalty would have to be weaponized, forcing him to make a choice. His Generals and Commander or his Republic. The choice would be painful, and every moment he wasted would be a moment of anguish. That would work.
What to do with Skywalker's pet? The feisty togruta certainly had personality, he'd figured that out. Loyal as well, and a hard worker. She was, however, reckless. That had been evident when she'd run for her Master without a second thought back on Zygerria, foolishly dooming them all. Perhaps he would torture her normally for a time, then strike a deal with her after some days. The reckless nature of the padawan and pain-muddied mind would lead her to accept, succeeding in acquiring the trade routes.
Skywalker himself wouldn't be a tough nut to crack. Some Force-lightning and manipulation should do the trick. Let him get angry, play up his un-Jedi-like emotions and the General's knowledge belonged to him, Count Dooku.
His Master was going to be happy.
Rex was sitting at the back of his cell when the clankers came back. Oddly enough, it sounded as though they were alone. There was no evidence to suggest that General Kenobi was being dragged along, and the Captain went to visually investigate. A quick look through the rayshield at the managuards coming down the hallway confirmed the lack of Jedi between them.
What if something had happened to him? What if the Jedi was dead? That was a terrible thought. The clone was used to loss, but his COs were not. Skywalker would not take it well, and Ahsoka would be devastated, both of them absolutely destroyed by that terrible possibility. He had to hope that the resilient man was still undergoing torture, as much as the thought pained him. They had really kriffed up for that to be the good option.
The man was taken out of his thoughts quite abruptly when the managuards stopped their travelling. Right outside of his cell. Well, better him than his friends. That's what he told himself as the droids lowered the rayshield, stepping into the cell and roughly taking their prisoner by the arms. He did not protest as he was dragged over the floor, toes scraping the metal ominously.
Rex shared a look with Ahsoka, not realizing that this was just making her replay what had happened with General Kenobi when he was taken. Using his eyes, the clone did his best to convey the message he needed her to receive. He would not break, and she needn't worry about him. Everything would be fine as long as they stayed calm.
The Captain prayed his Commander had understood the relatively quick glance as he was taken out of sight, and resolved to find a way out before she could be hurt, too. Setting his mind to this new task, he started cataloguing every turn they made, the beginnings of a map in his mind. It helped that he already had a fairly good idea of the layout of most Seppie ships, he just needed to figure out which one this was. Even if he couldn't, the clone knew that most of these buckets of bolts had basically the same layout and weren't difficult to navigate. Thank the Force for order.
The man kept his head low so as not to arouse suspicion, but the clankers holding him weren't paying any attention. He counted as they took a right, a left, another left, and a right into a room containing several turbolifts. They entered one, holding their prisoner a lot tighter than necessary in such an enclosed space. He estimated that it took them down one floor, where the group swiftly exited the machine. One more minute of walking and the group arrived at a blast door.
Rex just knew that this was his destination, and braced himself for what he knew to be coming. The doors opened, and he was shoved in, landing on his knees in an attempt not to fall on his face, bound hands not being very helpful. Looking up from his place on the floor, the clone quickly took in the room. It was as dull as the rest of the ship, metal walls surrounding him, but there did seem to be two decorations.
In the center of the room, a flat table stood, some restraints adorning it. It was not difficult to guess what that instrument's purpose was, having the only illumination in the room situated directly above it, casting the metal slab in a bright glow.
In a dark corner of the room, an E-V series lurked, emerging from the shadows. This was clearly his kind host, ready to make the clone comfortable. It started to speak.
"If you wish to make things easy on yourself, lay on the table. If not, I can easily subdue you."
Rex laughed. Genuinely guffawed at the absurdity of that statement. "You must be cross-wired if you think you can get me on that slab of metal."
He stood from the ground, bound hands held in defensive position. The E-V made a noise much like a sigh, one of its appendages extending. Its opponent backed away, unsure of its purpose, but quickly understood when a jet of electricity shot out, hitting him in the chest. The Captain convulsed, collapsing onto the metal floor. He was prone as E-V used some of its arm-like protrusions to lift him onto the table, fastening him on. The shock wore off soon after, numbness receding. There must have been some sort of stunner involved, because normal shocks didn't do that.
True fear was quickly squashed by the clone when the droid loomed over him, a blade whirring menacingly. It threatened, "Tell me what you know or suffer."
He kept his mouth shut, but that didn't last long. As the sharp metal made contact with his face, Rex yelled.
Plo Koon sat with his new twi'lek friend, a blanket 'round her shoulders and tea in her hands. The Republic ships were generally kept on the colder end of room-temperature, to ensure the clones didn't overheat in their armour. This was not beneficial to their newest guest, who was wearing very little clothing. She had been offered a cloak but refused, instead accepting a blanket.
"What is your name?" asked the kind kel dor. They had not yet had a true conversation, the General instead having to deal with the data spike, but he could now take some time to settle in the refugee.
She spoke, her voice timid from years of submission, "Kays'halaan."
He mulled it over, sounding it out once. "Kays-hal-ahn."
She nodded, holding the blanket tighter. Kays'halaan was by no means a coward, but a life like hers would make anyone terrified of men, and she was on a whole ship of them. Plo Koon was the only one she was close to trusting, but she would not yet permit him to be further in her quarters than the door, something he stood respectfully in the threshold of. The orange man had been kind, bringing her warm tea that tasted extravagant to the ex-slave and a blanket softer than anything she'd ever been given. They were now in her quarters, and he was trying to start a conversation.
"We need to speak of your arrangements," began the Jedi. The twi'lek snapped to attention. Arrangements? What was he going to do to her? "When we arrive on Coruscant, you will need somewhere to go. I'm sure you realize that you cannot live in the Jedi Temple, so we must work out something else."
She nodded, relieved that he had not meant anything more sinister. Everyone in her life had used and exploited her, so Kays'halaan was not entirely trusting of this man, but he gave off a calming presence and made her want to be.
She murmured, "I meant what I said before, at the palace. I can work, I'll find a cantina and a place with low rent-" not having been born into slavery, instead being taken a few years before she was an adult, she understood some things about the world- "and live on Coruscant."
The kel dor nodded. "I can arrange for some credits to be provided to you and a place to stay in the Temple for a standard week to give you time to find proper living arrangements."
The purple twi'lek had to hold back tears. This was the kindest thing that anyone had ever done for her. To free her when he could just leave was kind enough, but taking the time to actually help her start a new life was so heartwarming. Barely keeping the saltwater in her eyes from streaming down her cheeks, she smiled up at her savior. He nodded back, being unable to smile, and stayed silent while she gathered herself.
Plo Koon started, "Do you require anything else? Medical attention? Guidance?"
Kays'halaan looked down for a moment, considering. Finally, she said, "Are you going to help anyone else? Are you just abandoning the other slaves?"
He winced nearly imperceptively, but the ex-slave's trained eye noticed it immediately. It was certainly a mortal dilemma, choosing who was more worthy of the Republic's help, and that made it difficult for the Jedi Master. Of course, it was far harder for the actual slaves. He replied, "The council is in agreement that we must be careful with how we approach this. If we go for the entire slave empire, it is too bold a move. The Separatists will send too many droids to fight and nobody will be helped. If we search for recently captured togruta colonists, we will be met with less resistance and manage to help more people. The Queen is tricky-"
The twi'lek scoffed. Once again, her boldness was growing. Liberation was amazing for her confidence. "The Queen shouldn't be a problem anymore, Jedi." At his perplexed tilt of the head, she elaborated, "She disappeared pretty recently. Her prime minister, my former master, is the acting leader of Zygerria." She wanted to insult them both, but the memory of the whip's burn was too fresh to try it. She was still haunted by her trauma, and would be for a while.
The General thought for a moment, then asked, "Can you tell me everything you know about her disappearance?"
Ahsoka wasn't even scared when she sensed the managuards' return. It was concerning, however, when she saw that Rex was held between them. She was nearly pressed to the rayshield, staring in horror as his head lolled and legs dragged. The Captain had several cuts on his extremities, she could see this with the help of the lack of sleeves, and a few burns here and there. His face was bruised and bloody, but his appearance wasn't even what worried her. What was truly terrifying was the implications of returning the clone but not Master Kenobi. Was he truly dead? Still under torture? She didn't know-couldn't know.
After throwing their captive into his cell with a loud thump as he hit the ground, the droids could go two ways. Towards Ahsoka, or towards her Master. She wasn't sure what she wanted their choice to be, hating herself for that, but was instantly fearful when they started clanking over to her. She couldn't help it; she was a sixteen-year-old onboard a Separatist ship and was about to be tortured. Some terror was understandable. Backing into her cell with her bound hands held in front of her, the togruta gathered herself and decided she wouldn't go without a fight.
As the rayshield was lowered, the teen sprung. The hunks of metal had no time to ignite their electrostaffs as the near-feral padawan attacked, kicking one in the head as she grabbed the leg of the other. She yanked the metal limb with all her might while pulling back her foot, leaving a managuard knocked down, the other dented, and a huge pain in her foot serving as a reminder that these karking slave clothes weren't steel-toed boots, and kicking metal hurt like being run over by a herd of banthas. Stringing together a plethora of curses that her Master was very proud of, the Commander got back into a fighting stance as the dented droid came at her again. Fistfisghting whilst bound at the wrists was difficult, but she made it work. That is, until the other one joined the fray.
This time, it had its electrostaff fired up, and clearly was unafraid to use it. She dodged and whacked as much as she could, drawing upon the Force for focus, strength and balance, but this challenge proved too great for the teen as the staff finally caught her stomach. Ahsoka grunted in pain as she was knocked to the ground, metal hands seizing her biceps as she hung limp. She could vaguely hear her Master yelling as she was dragged away, all the fight gone.
Anakin leaped to his feet when the sound of clanging and scraping could be heard. A quick look into the hallway confirmed his suspicions: the managuards were bringing Rex back. He chose not to ponder the implications of that in regard to Obi-Wan's absence, instead being happy that the Captain was, aside from some injuries, okay.
Rex was roughly put back in his cell, and the General realized three fundamental truths at the exact same time. Number one: If torture had been debateable as what awaited whoever was taken by the droids, it was now undeniably what happened. Number two: The managuards were probably going to escort another prisoner away. Number three: Seeing as it could be either of the two remaining Jedi, that meant that Ahsoka could be next.
Anxiety started to set in, a frown playing across his face. With the rayshield to his friend's cell back up, the droids were about to reveal who was next. The pilot's face fell when they clanked over to his padawan's cell, lowering the rayshield. He couldn't believe that Dooku would go as far as to torture a child. She was sixteen, hardly old enough to even know anything of use to the old shabuir!
The dread was replaced with shock and then pride as he heard banging and saw a managuard fall back onto the metal hallway floor as the other staggered away from an expert kick to the faceplate. He was silently cheering his spunky little student on as she dealt blow after blow to the clankers, expertly evading the attacks he could see a managuard making. He was more nervous, however, once the second droid rejoined the fray. This time, it had an electrostaff that was turned on, and it looked dangerous.
The Jedi was practically biting his nails, the gloves the only thing stopping him, as he saw the hulking droids swing as his teenage padawan. He actually cried out as if he had been struck as well when she finally went down, the sound of metal connecting with flesh exposed by her slave outfit seemingly amplified as if by speakers. He watched in horror as her body was dragged from her cell, the togruta stirring weakly in her captors' grip.
Anakin started yelling, a combination of curses and threats to those droids who really could not care less. It was also a message to Dooku, if he was listening. Soon, his captive would escape, and he would be coming for him with a vengeance that should provoke fear. The General was not known for the mercy he bestowed upon his enemies, having nearly killed Bruno Dentourri in cold blood earlier on in this hellish mission.
As the subdued Commander was dragged away, he swore to get her and his friends to safety.
Ahsoka feebly struggled as the E-V droid forced her into restraints, a second shock already having been delivered to the weakened girl. She glared at the sinister droid, staring deep into its photoreceptors. After a few moments, she conceded the staring contest to her opponent, laying back on the metal table. It pressed uncomfortably on her back lek, but she had a suspicion her discomfort was about to increase a lot.
The togruta looked up as the sound of the door opening rang through the room. A man entered, dressed in fine robes. An examination of his belt provided all the proof needed to determine who it was, and she knew for a fact that the only person who owned a singular curved lightsaber was Count Dooku.
She looked up into his face as he approached, struggling to fight off the stunning component of her most recent shock. His face betrayed no emotion as he loomed over his captive, casting her in shadow. He smirked as her eyes darted around, a trapped feeling washing over her. Good, she was afraid.
The Commander pushed down on her fear and greeted her host. "Count Dooku," she said.
His smile widened. "Ahsoka Tano. I'm glad I finally have the pleasure to meet Skywalker's pet." Her eyes narrowed, but she did not speak. "I do not desire to torture children if I can avoid it, so let's make this easy. Just tell me the coordinates to the Nexus route and you can go back to your cell."
The teen laughed, a grin forming. "I'd die before helping you, old man."
He sighed, flicking an imaginary speck of dust off of his cloak. "I should have known that this would be difficult." The hand that had been adjusting his cloak shot out, sizzling lightning branching off to strike the padawan prone on the table.
She screamed, the assault taking her by surprise, and writhed on the metal that was annoyingly adept at conducting the Force-lightning. Her assailant retracted his hand, allowing her to catch her breath.
"Let's try that again," he drawled. "Give me the coordinates."
The feisty teen snarled, "Never."
The second barrage of lightning was more bearable, as it had been expected, and she clamped her teeth together to keep from screaming. It still hurt like a bantha though.
"What are the-" The Count began, but was cut off.
"You're like a looped holorecording, you never stop talking!" Ahsoka yelled the last part, doing her very best to make life difficult. For her efforts, she was backhanded across the face.
She turned her head back to Dooku and spat a mouthful of blood at him. It landed on his shoes.
"Well, you certainly have spirit, padawan. Unfortunately, spirit will not help you."
As he ignited his crimson blade, the hilt removed from his belt, her eyes went wide as saucers. She struggled to get away, but it was futile, and her screams filled the room.
End of chapter!
Notes:
-tbh this chapter was gonna be a lot longer but then i realized that I already had like 10 pages
-ik that I'm so mean to Ahsoka in my stories lmao but I bully her bc she's the youngest
-Protective Anakin mode ACTIVATED
-Omg where's Obi-Wan?
-Ahsoka said FIESTY (am i using that word too much I almost feel like one of those menwritingwomen posts)
-Yay more Kays'halaan! At this point I think she's done for this story, tbh I don't even want her to exist at this point in time bc I wanted her to happen way before the war but this story isnt even fanon so who cares
-Dooku is confused af
Tune in next week for chapter Seven!