Amara, Ker, and Amber snuck through yet another corridor in the terrorists' fortress as they searched for the prisoner.

"This was a really bad idea," Ker grumbled as he ducked for the twelfth time from a gang of men walking past. "We're going to get slaughtered!"

"Shut up, and look," Amara snapped. "I'm not leaving without Skywalker."

"Why are you even helping the Jedi? I thought you didn't like them," Amber asked as she kicked open a door and waved her gun inside. Empty.

"Because I don't want an innocent life lost. Innocent LIVES I should say, if we don't stop the Holocaust as well," Amara replied. "Now, I think we need to split up. I'll go down to the second level, you check out the basement. We'll meet up outside."

Before her two friends could protest, Amara was already racing for the stairs, evading hidden cameras and disabling security systems. She wished she could just use the Force to sense Anakin – but then HE might sense HER, and that just couldn't happen.

She took the rocky stairs two at a time. So far, the fortress had been made of stone and rock, but she was beginning to notice steel and metal as she got higher up. She paused when she entered the long hall, with about a dozen rooms. She took a deep breath, and whipped out her two handguns before opening the first door. Empty. She continued onto the others.

Empty.

Empty.

Empty.

She had to bit her tongue from groaning in frustration. She glanced around anxiously. Eventually a guard patrol would scout out the entire fortress. She hoped she and Anakin were out by that time.

She carefully opened the next door, peeking inside. It was dark, and appeared empty except for…

…Anakin, lying unconscious in the corner.

Immediately, she holstered her pistols and ran to him, locking the door behind her. She dropped to her knees in front of him. He was knocked out completely, and his breathing was labored. She had to get him out of there. NOW.

"Hang in there, Skyguy," she whispered softly, taking out her vibro-blade, and began cutting through the chains wrapped around his wrists. Suddenly, her eyes fell on a small object on his neck, reflecting from the light pouring from the tiny window above her. She put down her blade, and gently detached the object from his neck.

It didn't take long for her to recognize the chain that he wore. It was her old Padawan braid, extended with a small, thin wire to go around his neck. The initials 'A.T.' were imprinted on the small bow tie shaped bead on the end. Ahsoka Tano. The name that she had left behind two and a half years ago – the name that was HER.

Amara stared at the homemade remembrance chain as she slowly turned it around in her hand, then looked at Anakin. She had tried so hard to shove all emotion away on this mission – she was just going to rescue him, drop him off at the Temple, then leave. But she realized that wouldn't work. They needed closure.

"Well, hello there, beautiful."

Amara jumped to her feet, dropping the chai as she grabbed her pistols. Kalzin stood in front of her, with about a dozen of his men. "Where did you come from?" she growled.

Kalzin just laughed at her. "Put those guns down, silly, and step away from Skywalker before someone gets hurt," he said. "That someone being you."

Amara backed up, but kept her guns raised. "Come near him, and I swear I'll kill you," she hissed through clenched teeth. She wasn't sure she could take them all, but she would sure try – if only to keep him alive a little longer.

Once again, she was answered with a mocking laugh. "You really think you can ME on, girlie? Come now, I know who you are. You're Amara Eanest, rebel fighter for the OUCO and beloved fiancé to Senator Lux Bonteri."

"Former senator. He's no longer into politics…"

"Yet he still holds partial claim over Orderon and the surrounding star systems. Imagine what I could do, with an entire empire under my control."

"Lux will NEVER let you take over Orderon!" she shouted. "You're surrounded, Kalzin."

"Yes, but what good will getting young Skywalker out of here do if he dies soon afterwards?" Kalzin teased, raising an eyebrow. "I'm afraid you're very naive, sweetheart."

Amara narrowed her eyes, letting her fury build. "What have you done to him?!"

"I provided him with a prototype neurotoxin that I was working on," Kalzin replied gleefully. "And he has about a half hour before he dies."

Amara lowered her weapons slightly. "What do you want, Kalzin?"

"First, drop your weapons. Second, take off that stupid helmet so I can see your face. I heard Bonteri always knew how to pick out a pretty female…"

"You don't know what you're saying, Kalzin!" Amara spat. "Things will be much easier for you if you surrender to the Jedi."

"Surrender isn't in my vocabulary," Kalzin sneered. He suddenly took out a tiny vile, filled with a clear liquid. "This is the antidote for the toxin I gave Skywalker. The ONLY antidote. Now, if you don't surrender, I might accidently – let's say – drop this. Then the glass may – I don't know – shatter all over and the antidote will be gone for – how long? – maybe forever?!"

Amara hesitated, and stared into Kalzin's eyes. He wasn't lying. He wanted her.

Amara let the pistols crash on to the ground as she lifted her arms and slowly took off her helmet. Two men dashed forward and grabbed her arms, while two others grabbed her weapons.

Kalzin stepped forward, and brushed his filthy hand against her cheek, sending cold shivers down her spine. "Well, I must give Mr. Bonteri this much – he sure knows how to pick a gal."

"What do you want with me?"

"I want an empire, and I want to use you to get it. You're one of OUCO Commander's greatest agents. You're the beloved fiancé of Lux Bonteri. You're a friend of the governor. I can only begin to imagine what information you hold."

"I'll never talk, Kalzin. And even if you do take me, the OUCO and Jedi will find me."

"Are you so sure? I think the Jedi will be pretty busy with the Holocaust. I doubt they'll waste resources on finding a little runt like you, despite how beautiful you are," Kalzin whispered, bringing his face against hers. She responded by spitting in his face.

"A feisty one…perfect," Kalzin stated with a grin as he drew back. "You WILL come with me willingly, and give me any information you hold, or the Knight dies."

Amara twisted her head back, and glanced at Anakin, who was still lying on the floor. The poison was spreading rapidly through his body, covering him with a cold sweat and crippling his breathing.

Kalzin came up behind her while she watched, and undid her lekku braid, allowing her head tails to fall around her face. "Listen here, if the life of this Knight isn't enough to persuade you, how about your dear fiancé? Or your friends? Yes, I know they're in the basement. I'll call off all my men, and let the OUCO and Republic leave with Skywalker only if you come with me. Don't you want to save your Master, Ahsoka?"

His words nearly paralyzed her, and she gasped. She spun around, to see Kalzin right in front of her, staring into her blue eyes with his cold ones. "That's right – I know who you are, Ahsoka Tano. And I know you don't want anyone else to. Usually I would just make off with Skywalker – he would be enough leverage to get a good ransom from the Jedi – but then I found out his pretty little Padawan was coming to the rescue. And that the same Padawan was engaged to the rich and powerful Lux Bonteri. So I thought I'd switch tactics."

"How did you know?" Amara breathed, barely able to speak out of shock.

"Remember, not everything is as it seems," Kalzin replied in the same low tone, once again caressing her face. "Nothing."

Amara felt tears sting her eyes as he continued. "I have powerful allies, Ahsoka. I could let Skywalker die, and with my connections, make it look like you were in league with me. That you were my inside spy. How would that be? What would your big, brave Lux think of you then. What would the OUCO do with you as a traitor? How would the Jedi feel when they find out that Amara Eanest was actually Ahsoka Tano, and a traitor to all that they stand for? That you allowed the capture and death of their precious Chosen One?"

"They would never believe that," Amara whispered in a shaky voice.

"Wouldn't they? I have friends on BOTH sides that will testify against that statement."

Amara looked down at Anakin's still body. "I'm sorry, Skyguy," she whispered softly. "But I can't let you die." She looked up and faced Kalzin. "I'll come with you."

Kalzin smiled. "I thought you would." He grabbed her arms, and bound her wrists behind her back. "Clear a way out of here to the shuttle!" he ordered his men. "I'll take my prize."

"Wait, what about Anakin?!"

"Don't worry. I'll give the antidote to one of your little friends…I keep my word to lovely girls."

Kalzin and his men dragged Amara out of the room and down one of the halls. But it wasn't long before they were met with blaster fire. After a quick look, Amara spotted Amber and Ker firing their rifles at them. "Tell your pals to cease fire if you want me to give them the antidote," Kalzin snapped.

"Ker, Amber, stop!" Amara cried out, taking a step forward. "Don't shoot!"

The lasers stopped, and Ker gingerly stepped out from behind a stone statue. "Amber, what are you doing? Fight them!"

"I am going with them," Amara said quickly. "Kalzin will give you the antidote for Skywalker – he's been poisoned. Get him out of here, then leave with Lux."

"What?! Amara, what are you doing?" Amber cried, jumping out from behind the corner. "Kalzin, you can't take her."

"She comes willingly," Kalzin said with a smirk.

"Amara, you can't do this! We'll find a way!" Ker protested.

"Please, stand down," Amara begged. "If I don't go with him, he'll kill Skywalker and Lux. I can handle myself. Just promise me you'll get them to safety. Tell them not to come after me!"

It was another minute before Ker and Amber reluctantly stepped aside and dropped their weapons, letting Kalzin and his men take Amara past them. Kalzin paused a moment before tossing the vile to Ker. "That's for the Knight," he said slowly. Then, he dragged Amara down the hall and out of sight.

Ker and Amber stood alone in the abandoned hall, stunned. "Ker, what just happened?" Amber asked slowly. "We just let them take Amara!"

"We'll find her – don't worry. But it's useless to try now. Kalzin obviously has leverage," Ker replied. He looked at the vile in his hand. "We should get this to Skywalker."

Outside, Lux and Obi-Wan were blasting and cutting down men and droids alike while waiting for the three agents to exit the building. Unaware that Kalzin had just taken off with one of them.

Obi-Wan, however, instantly noticed a ripple in the Force, and paused in his battle, closing his eyes. Something had just gone terribly wrong.

Lux noticed. "What's wrong?"

"Something's just happened. We need to get in there," Obi-Wan said quickly. He and Lux began making their way towards the entrance, when they noticed movement coming from the shadows ahead.

"No need. They're coming out," Lux stated, relieved when he saw three figures running out of the building. He was even more relieved when he saw one of them was the captured Jedi.

As soon as he saw his former Padawan, Obi-Wan lunged forward, cutting down Death Shadow's warriors with lightning speed. By the time he reached his friend, there were only a few men left, and Lux quickly took them out.

"What's wrong with him?" Obi-Wan asked quickly as he leaned his unconscious friend on his shoulder.

"Amara said he was poisoned – we already gave him the antidote, but we should get him to the med-bay," Ker explained quickly.

Just then, Lux ran up. There was a smile on his face – seeing how the mission was completed – until a realization made it quickly disappear. "Well, where is she? Where's Amara?"

Ker looked down, and didn't answer. Lux suddenly ran up, and gripped him by the collar. "I said, where IS SHE?!"

"Let him go, Lux!" Amber shouted. "Kalzin took Amara as his next hostage!"

"What?!" Lux dropped Ker, and wheeled on Amber. "Why didn't you stop him?! Why'd you let her go?!"

"She wanted to go!" Ker explained. "She gave herself up so Kalzin would give us the antidote for Skywalker. We wanted to rescue her, but she told us to let Kalzin take her!"

Lux turned away, face burning red. He bent down, grabbed a stone, and threw it as hard as he could with a cry of anger. "Why?! Why the hell would Kalzin take Amara?! Why her?!"

Amber and Ker were taken back by his anger and profanity, and didn't answer. Obi-Wan did however. "We'll get her back. I'll put in a rescue request to the Council, if you care that much about her…"

"Care about her? I LOVED her! She was fiancé, you fool!" Lux spat.

Obi-Wan's eyes grew wide in shock. "Fiancé? You were engaged?!"

"Yes! How could you not know that?!"

"I assumed you were friends…"

"Then you Jedi are even more dull than I had first presumed," Lux stated, gritting his teeth. "Only all of the galaxy knows I was engaged to her."

"We'll get her back then. I promise," Obi-Wan stated. "We need to leave here, though. But as soon as we get back to Coruscant, we'll start looking."

Lux stared at him silently, before reluctantly agreeing.

"I'll find you, Ahsoka," he whispered. "I swear."


Please, R&R. Faves and follows mean a lot, but to see people say in actual writing and in their own words that they like the story - to me - is so much better, because I know exactly what you guys like about the story, and I can add more of it :D