Ahsoka found herself right in front of a pit. She had expected a building somewhat related to a prison or the facility on Kadavo. But instead, she just found a pit, filled with dirty tents. She only saw a few women, that were walking around.
It seemed ridiculous how little people there were compared to the amount of tents. Ahsoka jumped down the pit, ignoring the muddy ramp. She needed to find Padmé as fast as possible.
Every second Ahsoka spent without hiding, was a risk. She looked around the few faces, hoping to see the senator's. But she was nowhere to be spotted. Ahsoka stood there, not knowing what to do.
If she looked in one of the tents, someone would most probably see her. She had to remember that she was supposed to be dead. She looked at the women with pity, as she noticed the collars around their necks.
Ahsoka shivered at the thought of Padmé wearing one just like that. Ahsoka stayed hidden, not knowing how to proceed. She decided to become visible to one of the slaves. Surely they would be on her side.
Ahsoka had to choose who to approach. She noticed a young zabrak girl with beige skin. She was sitting on the ground in a corner of the pit, hugging her knees. She was looking like she was crying.
Ahsoka advanced through the shadows. "Hey!", she whispered. They girl looked up, startled. Ahsoka lifted her finger to her lips, quietly telling the girl to stay silent.
"It's okay.", Ahsoka said as she came closer. "What's wrong?", she then asked. The girl sobbed. "They brought my mother away, this morning. Together with the others." Ahsoka froze. "Who did they bring away?"
The girl was shaking. "Many of us. Barely anyone stayed behind." Ahsoka gulped. She took her holo communicator and projected a picture of the senator into midair. It was an old image, Padmé was dressed up fit for the queen of naboo.
"Do you now her?", Ahsoka asked. The girl nodded. "She was brought away too." Ahsoka turned pale. "Do you now where they were taken?" The girl shook her head and started crying again.
"Who is in charge around here?", Ahsoka asked. "The Twi'Lek. He's in the big tent over there.", the girl pointed to one of the rough constructs. Ahsoka smiled at her. "Thank you. Is there somewhere you could run from here?"
The girl nodded. "I lived in a village, not to far from here, I could find the way. But the collar..." Ahsoka only smirked softly and raised her hands. She closed her eyes in concentration.
As she clenched her hands to fists in a sudden motion a laud crack broke her concentration. The girl's collar was sparking in fiery colors and the metal was damaged. Ahsoka ripped the rests apart. The girl stared at her full fascination.
"How did you do that?", she asked in shock. Ahsoka only smiled. "Hold on to me, would you?" Ahsoka wrapped her arms around the girls waist and force jumped out of the pit.
Ahsoka set the zabrak down carefully. "Will you find your way?" The girl only nodded. "How did you...", she started again but Ahsoka interrupted her with a raised hand. "You broke your collar with a rock and now you want to run away."
"I broke my collar with a rock and now I want to run away." She turned around and fled into the forest. Ahsoka only stayed and looked after her, happy to at least have helped someone on her excursion.
She dropped into the pit backwards landing in the muddy ground. She looked around, targeting the main tent. The Twi'Lek the girl had mentioned, had to know where Padmé was now.
As Ahsoka entered the tent, she found a fat, yellow man currently feasting on a huge plate filled with meat. The whole tent was filed with a disgusting, filthy scent. Ahsoka cleared her throat. "Excuse me."
The Twi'Lek turned around. "What?", he grunted. "I'm looking for a specific one of your slaves.", Ahsoka began. He raised his brows. "Is that so? Who interests you?" "She has been brought of planet only today, I've heard."
The Twi'Lek snorted. "I'm not selling anyone who's not even here." Ahsoka gave him a sour smile. "Oh, I know. I will go myself if you tell me where she is." "Er, no. I won't tell where we ship our slaves. Pay in advance!"
Ahsoka rolled her eyes. "You will tell me where you bring the slaves.", she said, using the force. "I will tell you where I bring the slaves.", he repeated. He had an exceptionally weak mind.
"They are brought to a ship, it moves around constantly. I only know where it is meeting our shuttle, not where it is going to go. They're meeting in the orbit of Polus."
Ahsoka sighed. How hard could it be to find a single person? She nodded. "I was never here.", she said. "You were never here.", the Twi'Lek repeated. It was almost frightening how easy it was to control him.
Ahsoka left his tent. She had definitely underestimated the situation. She took her communicator as soon as she was out of sight of the slave camp. Obi Wan appeared. "Vader is needed on the bridge.", he explained.
Ahsoka nodded. "I have found the slavers that purchased her, but she isn't here anymore." Obi Wan frowned. "Do you know where she is?" Ahsoka pulled a grimace.
"Not exactly. She is being brought to a ship, I know where it is picking her up. But it's moving." "This makes it a lot more complicated." Ahsoka shrugged. "I guess. I don't know where it is, only where it was." Obi Wan nodded.
"Go and see if you can find it. Contact us if you do or don't. And don't forget the bacta. It could blow your cover." Ahsoka's eyes widened. "I almost forgot about that." Obi Wan gave her a criticizing look.
"On it.", she said and ended the connection. She headed back, to the transport ship. She had to get the bacta first. The Imperials would notice if she would wait longer. She would find Padmé sooner or later. But not today.
Sola laughed. "You are seriously expecting me to believe that?" Padmé sighed. "Er...yes, I do. There really is nothing going on between us." Padmé could tell by herself, how obvious it was that she was lying. Sola raised a brow.
"That's what you said when you first introduced him to us, it was wrong then too." Padmé rolled her eyes at her sister. "If I tell you, you won't tell a soul? Not even our parents?" "Are you trying to insult me, Padmé? I always kept your secrets."
Padmé smiled. She was right. Whenever she had messed up as a child, Sola wasn't the one who ratted her out. "Alright. The truth is we're already married." Sola's mouth clapped open. "You are married?" "Shut up!", Padmé hissed.
"No one can know, he is a jedi after all." Sola nodded. "Love is forbidden for them, isn't it?" Padmé nodded. "Well, he is breaking the rules. So we have to keep it secret." Sola nodded. "My lips are sealed." Padmé grinned.
"Thank you, Sola. I'm counting on that." "A tip from your sister, if you want to keep it secret you shouldn't always bring him here." Padmé looked out of the window, Anakin was talking to Ruwee.
"Is dad suspecting anything?", Padmé asked her sister. "Are you kidding? You're kidding." Padmé frowned. "No, not really." "Of course he does. We all do. I just didn't expect it to be as serious." Padmé smiled.
"Serious. Yes, you might say that." Sola smirked. "I know what you mean, sister. I'm married as well, as you might know." Padmé smiled. "Good to know that you understand, why I'm risking so much."
Sola put a hand on Padmé's shoulder. "I'm trusting your judgement, Padmé. If you say he is worth it, he is." "Thank you, Sola." The door opened and Ruwee appeared, followed by Anakin.
"I'm afraid, we have to get going, senator.", Anakin said. Padmé nodded and hugged her sister goodbye. "Say bye to Jobal for me.", she said with a smile and Sola nodded, even though she was staring at Anakin, smirking.
Padmé kissed her father's cheek before leaving the house. Anakin bowed respectfully before following his wife. "Have you told Sola?", he asked as soon as they were alone. "Sort of. She already knew. Sisters know things like that."
"Do they?", Anakin said with a smile. Padmé nodded. "She said that I am not very good at hiding how much I love you." Padmé approached Anakin a little, smirking. "Is that so?" Anakin grinned as he lowered his face.
"Apparently.", she whispered before kissing her husband softly. Anakin wrapped his arms around her. "Get up everyone, we're here.", the nautolan barked. Padmé opened her eyes, puzzled.
She had just been with her husband, what had happened? Like every morning the reality caught up to her. The man she had just kissed was dead. Nuha was moving, still asleep and still on Padmé's lap.
"Wake up, Nuha.", Padmé urged, the nautolan had started to kick some of the slaves that were still sleeping. Nuha yawned and got up slowly. "What?", she asked sleepily.
"We're here. Wherever that is.", Padmé explained and Nuha woke up more with every moment. "Oh.", she said. "Get up!", the nautolan called and opened the door. Padmé leaned forward, wanting to see where she was.
Were they still on Thyferra? She couldn't tell. All she could see was a metal tunnel, lightened by very few lamps. "Are we underground?", Nuha asked quietly. "I have no idea.", Padmé answered while standing up.
She helped Nuha up and exited the ferry with the other women. She looked around, the nautolan was waiting for everyone to get off the ship. "Where are we?", Padmé asked. The nautolan looked down at her.
"You speak without spoken to?" Padmé frowned. "You never told me about that." She hoped he would accept her excuse. He grunted and pushed her to walk on. Nuha was right behind her.
"I guess they're going to be stricter here.", she murmured. Padmé sighed. "Thyferra was the first stage? I hope this is the last." Nuha shrugged. "It might be. They'll have to sell us eventually." Padmé felt sick.
She hadn't even yet thought about being sold to anyone. She would be lonely, she doubted anyone would own as many slaves as the Twi'Lek on Thyferra. "I've never even thought about that."
"Well, they are trying to get some sort of profit out of us. That's what everything here is about. They're only shocking us because broken and obedient slaves can be sold for a lot more credits."
Padmé bit around on her lower lip, she hated that type of thinking. She wasn't an object and there was nothing that made her worth more or less credits. She touched the collar around her neck, cursing everything related to it.
"Let's just think about the here and now, not anyone purchasing us. We should try to look for Thral." A light wandered over Nuha's face. "Why would they separate us earlier if they put us together now anyway?", she mumbled.
"Thyferra was the first stage of out training right? We're less probable to riot now, we're a little broken already. So that's why they are less careful." Nuha shrugged. "Yes, maybe." Padmé noticed how hopeful she was.
The tunnel they were walking through finally found an end and merged into a huge hall, with a high ceiling. Padmé stopped breathing for a moment. There was a big window at one side, revealing a black sky filled with stars.
Either the window was showing them the night sky from a nearly impossible angle, or they had been brought to space. A second tunnel opened, right next to the one they had came from, and another group of slaves entered.
Nuha stopped walking and let the other slaves pass them. She was waiting to see him. She stared into the crowd while it was forming a line just like their own. They were men, that was certain. Nuha shrieked and ran towards one of them.
The man stopped as he saw her. He fit her description well. He had the typical mandalorian face shape and brown hair. Thral came towards Nuha as well, so that they would met in the middle in only a few moments.
Nuha jerked in pain and dropped to the floor. The nautolan came to see what was happening. Another master, Padmé had never seen before came too. Both Nuha, and Thral were pushed back to the lines violently.
Padmé looked at Nuha in concern as they continued walking. "At least we know he is here now. They will let us meet eventually.
Nuha shrugged, trying to hold back her emotions. "Maybe...", she said quietly, while her shoulders began quivering.