Padme Amidala had been very lucky. When she had been thrown out of the window there had been a Jedi at the foot of the building, who had managed to use the Force to catch her before she got hurt. Now she was standing outside with Lux, Anakin and Obi-Wan.
"This is all my fault!", wailed Padme. "She sacrificed herself for me. If I had just jumped out of the window when she told me to none of this would have happened!" Lux glared at Padme. It was obvious that he blamed her. Obi-Wan stepped in before an argument could develop.
"Look, we're not going to get any closer to rescuing Ahsoka if we are at each others throats half the time", he said patiently.
"Have you got any ideas about how we can help her Master?", Anakin asked.
"I've got all the clones on the lookout for her as well as many other Republicans. If she is spotted we'll be the first to know about it. In the meantime, there is little we can do", Obi-Wan explained calmly. Anakin knew that Obi-Wan was right but that didn't stop him grinding his teeth with frustration.
Darth Sidious settled down in his office in the Senate building. For all their powers, the Jedi couldn't even tell that the most wanted man in the galaxy was the head of their pathetic, weak little Order. Well, he would be the most wanted man if anyone other than his servant and apprentice, Lord Tyrannus, also known as Count Dooku, knew of his existence.
"My Lord, there is a transmission for you from Base One", his servant, Syphax, informed him, awkwardly breaking the oppressive silence.
"Patch it through", Sidious ordered like a man who was used to being obeyed. One of the new, expensive prototype droids appeared on the screen.
"My Lord", it said mechanically. "The Jedi has told us nothing. She is now unconscious. Please will you give us permission to use the new weapon on her".
The droid's expression of bloodlust was frighteningly human. These droids were supposed to learn from their mistakes and had advanced brain mechanisms. They were built of a virtually indestructible material and were said to be amazing tacticians. Sidious nodded.
"Permission granted".
"Thank you my Lord". The droid almost seemed to be grinning. "I will soon loosen her tongue".
Amy had just finished telling the Jedi about the whole plot to kill General Kenobi. There were many worried mutterings and glances throughout her tale. Anakin Skywalker was first to break the silence after she had finished.
"I can sense that Obi-Wan is no longer in danger. We need to focus on finding Ahsoka. They're hurting her. Please! We have to do something!", he begged desperately. Mace Windu sighed in exasperation.
"The Council is doing its best to find Former Padawan Tano. Now that she is no longer one of us, this may be difficult. Not everyone will be willing to help after what happened."
Anakin prepared himself to scream at Mace. How could he just have said that?! It was the Jedi's fault that Ahsoka had left the Order. They had turned against her and been ready to stand aside and let her die. And now they were blaming it all on her!? Before the Temple bombing had happened, Anakin had loved and respected Mace Windu and all the other Jedi. Now he hated their guts. He often thought about leaving the Order and found himself spending more and more time with his only true friend, Chancellor Palpatine.
"Ahsoka's name was cleared. She was PROVED innocent. Who can deny that!?", Anakin fumed.
"Calm yourself, Skywalker. Many citizens still doubt her. You forget, many civilians died in that blast. They need to blame someone.", Mace clarified.
"And you'll just let them blame her!?", Anakin asked in disgust. He could stand it no longer. In two long strides he had reached the door. He shot the Jedi a cold glare before storming out of the room.
Ahsoka opened her eyes blearily, taking in her surroundings. She was suspended in a tiny concrete cell, surrounded by beeping montiors. Where was she!? This wasn't the Temple! Then she remembered her humiliating capture the day before. Shivers of pain shot down Ahsoka's spine where the droids had electrocuted her and she realised that she was very hungry.
A droid entered Ahsoka's cell carrying a meagre bowl of what looked like thin, watery food. Ahsoka's survival chances diminished with every step it took. The droid thrust the bowl in front of her face but made no move to free her hands.
"You will tell me all you know about the defences and strategies of the Republic or I will kill you", it informed her, something close to a sadistic grin on its face. Ahsoka spat at it.
"I've already told you, I can't remember! I left the Order two years ago!" Ahsoka lied. Really, she remembered it as clearly as if it had been yesterday. Fighting alongside her master, inventing crazy nicknames for each other, exchanging witty remarks.
But that was all in the past. Now, Ahsoka had to be strong. Even after all they had put her through, Ahsoka refused to betray the Republic's secrets to a droid, the very things she had devoted her life to destroying.
The droid seemed pleased by her answer. It lifted the bowl to her face.
"Drink!", it ordered, its voice dripping with undisguised glee. Ahsoka shook her head. This could be another trap. Without another word, the droid lifted the suspension mechanism onto the trolley he had brought the bowl in on, with Ahsoka tied down in it. He wheeled the trolley through numerous corridors, until he reached a thick, metal door.
"I have brought the prisoner. She is refusing to co operate." Ahsoka could sense twisted excitement from inside the room.
"Enter", called a soft, dangerous voice. The droid pushed the trolley inside.
"You may go now", the human dismissed the droid. Then he turned to the helpless Ahsoka.
"I am going to enjoy this immensely", he told her. "But what a waste. You are such a pretty girl". Some thing glimmered deep in his eyes as he strapped her to the operating table.
"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Zamthus, and I will be the first and last living creature you will see here. I will fill your every waking hour with pain. Welcome to the facility."
General Griveous stalked through his shadowy lair in annoyance. When he had heard of the capture of Skywalker's pathetic little Padawan, or should he say former Padawan, he smirked to himself, he had begged to be allowed to dispose of her, to hurt the Jedi in any way possible, but his request had been refused.
His communicator beeped. It was Count Dooku. Feeling resentful, Grievous switched on the com link.
"What is it now, Count?", he snapped irritably.
"Prepare the droids!", Dooku ordered. "Very soon we will begin our attack on Corasont".
The Jedi Council gathered around the holo transmitter. An image of Count Dooku appeared.
"Greetings Jedi", he smiled pleasantly. "I have someone here with me. Someone I know you want back". Now Dooku stepped back to reveal the limp form of Ahsoka Tano. Every part of her was covered in cuts and bruises and there was a deep gash in one leg. When Dooku rolled her over the whole Council gasped. There, branded on Ahsoka's back, were the words:
'Come and find me, Master! Please! They're torturing me! I just want it to stop!" Even the punctuation was in place. Anakin felt sick. This couldn't be happening!
"You heard her, Skywalker", Dooku smirked. "We're hurting her. The only way to save her is to come to these co ordinates ALONE. If we pick up any other life forms within a mile, she dies". Some co ordinates flashed onto the monitor. Then the screen went blank.
Anakin had already left the room. He raced down the hallways to the main hangar. In his mind, he felt responsible for Ahsoka's abduction. Now he was going to fix everything and NO ONE would get in his way.
Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and five whole battalions of clone troopers landed on the planet's surface. Heat radiated from the ground and the air was very humid. Both Jedi could sense the dark side of the Force very strongly, hanging like a thick, dark cloud, squeezing into every crack and crevice in its purge for power.
"Well, at least there's no lava here", Obi-Wan commented optimistically, remembering the mission that had forced him to go to Mustafar, a planet of lava and death that he never wanted to see again. Anakin didn't even smile. He was obviously distracted, thinking about Ahsoka. Obi-Wan frowned.
"Good luck", he told his former apprentice. Anakin nodded in acknowledgement and then started walking to the co ordinates. Obi-Wan silently cursed Dooku for making Anakin go alone. He wondered what he would find.
Anakin reached the meeting place in just under half an hour. Sweat was trickling from his brow, partly from the heat, the fact that it had been an uphill climb all the way and his fears about Ahsoka.
He was standing on the bare crest of a hill, scanning the horizon when a blow hit him in the back. Anakin was thrown off balance and he rolled down the hill, before jumping angrily to his feet. Count Dooku stood above him, flanked by ten Magna Droids. Anakin knew that if this came down to a fight, he stood no chance.
"What do you want?", he asked hoarsely. Dooku smirked.
"I think this is more a question of what YOU want, Skywalker". His grin looked like a shark smiling at a fish before it ate it, a cat playing with a mouse.
"I will give you the child, but you must do something for me in return".
"What do I have to do!?", Anakin queried, hope shining in his eyes.
"You must free Barriss Offee from jail along with all other Separatist prisoners", Dooku told him. Anakin gasped, his mind racing.
"That's impossible!", he cried. "The Council would NEVER allow it!"
"Well, if you care more about the orders of your precious Council than the life of your apprentice, I guess there is no reason for her to be alive anymore. She seems to have no bargaining value, even with you", Dooku countered, aiming straight for Anakin's heart.
"Wait! You can't do that!", Anakin shouted, knowing how ridiculous he sounded, telling a Sith Lord who held all the cards to release a hostage while he himself was heavily outnumbered.
"I am going now, it's time for you to make your decision", Dooku said smugly.
Anakin knew that if he released the prisoners he would be expelled from the Jedi Order. There was no point telling the Council because that would be a straight NO. But he couldn't let Ahsoka die. Even after all the time away from each other, she was still like a little sister to him. No one had any idea how much he had missed her. The choice was now clear to him. Ahsoka or the Jedi. But could he leave Obi-Wan and all his other friends behind for a girl who had done just that to him, breaking his heart? But she had sacrificed herself for Padme, his wife. He knew it was now or never.
"I'll do it!", he promised Dooku. Dooku looked satisfied.
"I expect them all free in two days or I will kill your pathetic little Padawan", he sneered. "When you do as instructed and I have evidence that all the prisoners are free, I will leave her on this very hill for you to pick up."