Chapter Text
Ahsoka paused to gather her breath, wearily examining her surroundings. The darkness and her unfamiliarity with the terrain made it difficult, the task requiring her entire focus – so much so that she didn’t notice the three life forms approaching her position until they were upon her.
At the sound of their feet hitting the earth, Ahsoka whirled on the unexpected arrivals; a Human female, a Cerean male, and a Twi’lek male. All three were filthy, their clothing torn and ragged – they had clearly been trapped in the Trandoshan’s game for some time.
“You need to come with us,” the Human female said, not waiting for a response before she and the others turned to leave, retreating into the brush.
“Who are you?” Ahsoka demanded.
They trio paused, and it was the Human female who spoke again.
“We used to be Jedi younglings,” she said, her voice pitched low. Ahsoka knew better than to question the trio further – especially while they were still so exposed – so she followed their retreat in silence.
They led her up trees and through thick brush, hopping from branch to branch until they reached a cave. Once they were safely hidden away in the cave, the Twi’lek male spoke, anger and hurt clear in his accented voice.
“We never stood a chance,” he explained. “They attacked us on a training mission.”
“We were captured and brought here,” the Human female continued.
“Why would they take younglings?” Ahsoka asked, confusion and horror warring for control in her mind. She wasn’t the most adept at discerning the ages of Cerean’s or Twi’lek’s, but the Human female appeared to be similar in age to herself – meaning that the trio had likely been here far longer than Ahsoka had originally assumed.
Too long.
“Because Jedi Knights are too powerful for them,” the Twi’lek male replied bluntly.
“I’m Kalifa,” the Human female continued. “This is O’Mer and Jinx.”
She gestured to the rest of the trio in turn, introducing the Cerean male as O’Mer, and the Twi’lek male as Jinx. When Ahsoka didn’t immediately respond, Kalifa continued, prompting the young Togruta before her.
“Who are you?”
“Ahsoka Tano,” Ahsoka replied. “I was captured during the battle of Felucia. I’m a Padawan learner. What’s the situation here?”
Kalifa sighed. “You’d better sit down.”
“We were taken by those foul lizards for their own amusement,” Kalifa explained grimly. “To be hunted, killed, and mounted on their wall as trophies.”
“We’ve been stuck here for more rotations than we can count,” O’Mer continued, his voice equally harsh and bitter. “No one has come for us. I doubt anyone is still looking.”
“Chew on that, Padawan,” Jinx said, anger clear in his voice. “Then rest. You’ll need your strength.”
~~~
Ahsoka focused all her energy on not stumbling as she made her way off the Wookies drop ship. She was coated in mud, filth, and bile, and there wasn’t an inch of her body that wasn’t screaming in pain, now that the adrenaline of the hunt and battle had worn off.
Her fight with Garnac had left her more injured than she was willing to let on, especially in front of the younglings and Wookies.
She looked up when she sensed Anakin and Master Plo Koon approaching the small group that had gathered on the landing platform. They were an odd bunch – Jedi younglings, a Padawan learner, a Wookie warriors, and bounty hunters alike.
“Ahsoka!” the relief in Anakin’s voice was evident as he spotted her, rushing to her side without hesitation. Ahsoka stumbled towards him without a second thought, grateful when Anakin caught her by the shoulders and held her tight.
Master Plo Koon followed at a slower pace, his deep voice rumbling out from behind Anakin’s shoulder.
“It is good to see you safe, little ‘Soka,” Master Plo Koon said before moving away to speak with the Wookies.
“Ahsoka, I am so sorry,” Anakin said, pulling away too look her in the eyes.
“For what?”
“For letting you go, for letting you get taken,” Anakin replied. “It was my fault.”
“No, Master, it wasn’t your fault,” Ahsoka reassured him. Anakin didn’t relent, looking down.
“I should have paid more attention,” Anakin insisted. “I should’ve tried harder.”
“You did everything you could,” Ahsoka replied, knowing in her heart that what she said was true. She knew that her Master wouldn’t have left her behind easily. “Everything you had to do. When I was out there, alone, all I had was your training and the lessons you taught me. Because of you, I did survive. And not only that, I was able to lead others to survive as well.”
“I don’t know what to say,” Anakin admitted.
Ahsoka opened her mouth to respond, to thank Anakin, but a deep voice interrupted her before she could begin.
“Knight Skywalker, General Tarfful wishes to speak with you before he and the others depart,” Master Plo Koon stated. Anakin looked Ahsoka over once again before nodding, his attention still on his Padawan.
“I’ll be there in a moment, Master,” Anakin replied. “Ahsoka, I think it would be best if you went to see the Healers right away – I’ll join you there as soon as I am able.”
“Yes, Master,” Ahsoka responded, shielding slightly so that Anakin couldn’t sense the lie. Satisfied, Anakin turned and made his way over the waiting Wookie General.
Ahsoka turned and made her way into the temple, still struggling to mask the pain of her injuries. She had never been a fan of the Jedi Healing Halls, preferring to avoid the strict eye of Master Vokara Che whenever possible. Instead, she followed a path through the Temple that would take her to the exit nearest the Clone barracks – it wasn’t a short walk, but she was certain that Kix’s brand of medicine was more than enough for her current ailments.
~~~
Rex looked up from the bunk where he was currently playing Sabacc with Jesse, Fives, and Hardcase as the durasteel door to the 501st barracks slid open, revealing an exhausted and filthy Ahsoka Tano. She was covered from head to toe in filth, her normally impeccable clothing equally dirtied and tattered.
She looked around, her eyes slightly glazed until she spotted Rex, who was already halfway to his feet at the sudden reappearance of his missing vod’ika.
“Rex,” Ahsoka started, swaying dangerously on her feet. Her voice gave out at the same time as her knees. Rex wasn’t fast enough to catch her, but Coric, who had been on a bunk closer to the door, made it in time, grabbing her before she crumpled to the durasteel floor. Rex dropped to his knees next to the pair, frantically reaching for the Padawan.
Coric blocked his attempts with one arm, using the other to feel for a pulse.
“She’s alive, sir,” Coric confirmed with relief. “Just unconscious.”
“Give her here,” Rex ordered, and the other trooper didn’t hesitate, sliding their vod’ika into the arms of his alor’ad without hesitation. Behind them, Rex could hear Jesse on his com already, speaking rapidly to Kix.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with her,” Jesse snapped. “She just came in here and collapsed! Rex has her now – Captain, are you bringing her to the med bay?”
Rex nodded his affirmation, pushing himself to his feet with Ahsoka cradled gently in his arms. Coric already had the barracks door open, and he followed Rex without hesitation as he made his way to the med bay as quickly as he could, given the unconscious Togruta in his arms.
Kix was waiting when they arrived, an empty cot already prepared. Everyone – without looking, Rex was quite certain that at least all of Torrent, as well as several other members of the 501st, had followed them – tried to pile into the med bay, only to be stopped by the wrath of their medic.
“Everybody out,” Kix snarled. “Slana'pir!”
All the reasonable, god-fearing vod’e turned on heel and fled immediately, leaving only Kix, Coric, and the vod’e who could only be described as di’kuts in the med bay.
“Captain, if you’re not going to leave, get out of my kriffing way,” Kix ordered, shouldering Rex out of the way without waiting for a response as he moved around the cot to scan Ahsoka, Coric working opposite him to set up an IV.
“Definitely dehydrated and malnourished,” Kix confirmed, not even looking up from his scanner. Coric nodded and wordlessly began hooking different bags up to the IV. “Broken ribs and an untreated blaster wound as well.”
“We’ll need to get her cleaned up before we can deal with the external injuries,” Coric noted. “We don’t want to risk infection.”
“Given her temperature, I think that we’re already risking that,” Kix responded, his brow furrowing at whatever he saw on his medical scanner. “She’ll need antibiotics as well.”
Coric moved to add something else to the IV stand, his expression grim and focused.
“Kix, is she going to be alright?” It was Jesse who spoke, from where he was lingering near the door with Fives and Hardcase. Kix barely bothered glancing at his vod’e, too focused on his work.
“Why are you di’kuts still in my med bay?” Kix growled, the threat in his tone clear. They had all seen the medic bodily remove vod’e from the med bay, and his voice threatened the possibility – or worse.
“Answer the damn question,” Fives snarled fearlessly. Had Kix bothered to look at his vod, he would have seen that the ARC trooper looked ready to jump out of his skin with worry. It was only the presence of his vod’e – Jesse on his right and Hardcase on his left – that kept him grounded.
“Get out of my med bay,” Kix snapped back. Rex looked away from Ahsoka’s unconscious form towards the three clones lingering near the door, hoping to avoid literal bloodshed.
“Why don’t one of you go and try hailing Helix – the 212th is still planetside, and I am sure that Kix would appreciate an extra set of hands,” Rex suggested, his voice portraying a calm he didn’t feel. “The other two can stand guard at the door – make sure no one interrupts Kix and Coric while they treat Ahsoka.”
The three exchanged glances then nodded, Jesse leaving to com the 212th’s senior medic while Hardcase and Fives stood guard outside the med bay doors.
Kix continued to work soundlessly, leaving it up to Coric to speak to the Captain.
“Sir, perhaps you should com General Skywalker?” Coric suggested lightly. “I imagine he would appreciate knowing where Commander Tano is.”
Rex made a sound of disagreement, unwilling to leave his vod’ika in her current state. The sound prompted Kix to finally speak up – though he didn’t look towards his alor’ad as he spoke.
“That sounds like an excellent idea,” Kix said firmly. “We could probably do without Skywalker destroying half of Coruscant looking for his Padawan.”
Rex sighed, admitting defeat, and moved away from Ahsoka – though his gaze never left her unconscious form, even as he keyed in Skywalker’s familiar frequency. He would give the medic’s the space they needed to treat her, but he would be damned if he let her out of his sight.
“Skywalker here,” came the response only moments later.
“We have Commander Tano, sir.”