How the kriff had this happened?
She still wondered this after being his captive for about a year. She knew she shouldn't have gone but Obi-Wan had wanted her to check on the baby before she vanished into exile for good.
Flashback
"Ahsoka Tano, what a surprise" Bail Organa greeted her, peering over her shoulder
"Oh don't worry, no one followed me" she reassured the Senator
"I'm assuming Obi-Wan sent you" he surmised.
Ahsoka smiled grimly with a hint of sadness
"He wanted me to check on Leia before disappearing into exile. Just to make sure she's settling in"
"Of course, come in."
She followed him inside the palace, winding their way through and heading upstairs until they reached the nursery. The door was open and Ahsoka could see Queen Breha Antilles Organa rocking a crying Leia
"Breha, we have a visitor" Bail announced.
His wife turned, surprised to see Ahsoka standing behind him
"Your highness" Ahsoka bowed
"Princess Ahsoka, what a pleasant surprise."
The Torgrutan winced while Bail glanced between his wife and the padawan
"Princess?"
"You are Ahsoka Sharellia Tano, Princess of Shili are you not?"
"Not since I was brought to the temple when I was three but before then, yes I had been. How did you know?"
"Your mother contacted me a few years ago and when I remembered meeting you, I instantly saw the resemblance."
The sound of Leia's fussing brought their attention once again to the week old infant. Bail walked into the room to his wife's side
"Is she alright?" he asked
"Fine just a little fussy" Breha replied.
She looked back at the princess padawan and beckoned her into the nursery.
Cautiously, the girl walked in and over to the Queen. She gazed down at the baby who continued to cry which caused her heartstrings to tug. Glancing up to Breha, she gestured to Leia and the newborn was transferred from Queen to princess.
Rocking the baby gently in her arms, Ahsoka began to sing in a language neither Breha nor Bail had heard:
"A la nanita nana nanita ella nanita ella
Mi niña tiene sueno bendito sea, bendito sea
A la nanita nana nanita ella nanita ella
Mi niña tiene sueno bendito sea, bendito sea
Fuentecita que corre clara y sonora
Ruiseñor que en la selva cantando llora
Calla mientras la cuna se balansea
A la nanita nana, nanita ella
A la nanita nana nanita ella nanita ella
Mi niña tiene sueno bendito sea, bendito sea
Fuentecita que corre clara y sonora
Ruiseñor que en la selva cantando llora
Calla mientras la cuna se balansea
A la nanita nana, nanita ella."
When she finished, the padawan noticed Leia was staring at her quietly and she smiled
"Hi you."
To the surprise of the Senator and the Queen, the baby began to babble and Ahsoka touched her nose to the infant's.
Breha smiled before she glanced at Bail to see the slight confusion on his face and almost laughed.
That was when all hell broke loose.
There were shouts and screams downstairs, loud voices and blaster fire. Unfortunately, this startled Leia and she began to cry at the top of her lungs.
Racing to the window with Breha and Bail, the trio peered out and gasped. Disembarking a ship was the Emperor's second-in-command and new apprentice, Darth Vader
"Breha, get Ahsoka and Leia out of here. I'll hold off the Stormtroopers and Vader" Bail ordered
"But-" Ahsoka began to protest, not liking having to leave the Senator on his own
"No buts Ahsoka go."
Breha kissed her husband before moving to the wall and Ahsoka kissed his cheek
"Thank you" she said
"You're welcome. Now go."
Hurrying over to Breha, the Torgrutan tried to calm the distraught baby whose screams only got louder. Reaching up to the shelf on the wall, the Queen pulled on a book hidden amongst others and immediately the wall parted into two doors and a staircase appeared. Quickly, the two descended and heard the doors closing behind them.
All along, torches sprung to life as the duo made there way down flight upon flight of stairs. Desperately trying to quiet the baby, Ahsoka wondered exactly where this secret passage led.
As if sensing her question, Breha spoke without stopping
"This leads out of the back of the palace. There'll be a ship waiting for us and then we have to get off this planet before Vader finds us"
"Do you know who he is?" the princess asked the older woman.
Shocked, Breha spun around, thankfully on a landing, causing Ahsoka to abruptly stop less they all fell to their deaths. Staring at her, the Queen's heart suddenly clenched. How was it possible that the young woman had no idea of Vader's real identity?
The princess frowned. Breha was hiding something and apparently was hesitant in giving out information apparently pertaining to Darth Vader. The Queen knew his identity and if she wasn't willing to tell her, then Ahsoka had a hunch it was someone she possibly knew but who
"Breha, who is he?" she asked
"I'm not at liberty to say" the Queen replied
"Breha Antilles Organa who is he?" she almost screamed.
Before the older woman could say anything, they heard voices and panic set in
"Go."
They flew down staircases, slipped through secret passage ways, entered into the palace before slipping back into the passages.
Finally, they slipped out of a wall and out into the gardens of the palace. They raced through and made it to the docking ramp when out of nowhere they were surrounded by Stormtroopers, weapons all trained on them.
Soon, the Stormtroopers parted as heavy footfalls sounded followed along with mechanical breathing Ahsoka knew to be a respirator. This meant one thing.
Darth Vader.
He approached them and Ahsoka glared at him
"You think you can outrun a Sith Lord?" he asked
"Oh I wasn't trying to outrun you; I was trying to out walk you. I didn't even know you could run in that thing. Must weigh, what, a million tons? Actually I think it makes you look fat and bulky" Ahsoka replied sarcastically.
'Ahsoka!' Breha thought exasperated.
Leave it to the snippy padawan to insult a Sith Lord.
There was a dark growl and it sent a chill up both their spines as Vader towered over them, his attention on Ahsoka
"Don't get snippy with me, little one."
'Oh no.'
Ahsoka growled and bared her teeth, tightening her protective hold on Leia.
Vader was amused; she was like a mother shielding her young from the danger.
'Still as protective as always' he thought.
He turned to his nearest trooper
"Take Padawan Tano and the child to my ship. Place her in a holding cell, the child in the nursery"
"Yes sir."
Ahsoka was lead to the Executor and froze at what she heard next
"Kill the Queen and the Senator."
End Flashback
That had been one year ago and she'd been stuck in this holding cell all this time. In all that time though, whenever Leia cried, one of the workers brought her to Ahsoka who took the child and told them rudely to piss the hell off.
Right now, Leia—whose first birthday was approaching—was currently in her nursery and so Ahsoka was stuck meditating in her holding cell.
Her thoughts turned to Breha and Bail.
Somehow, Bail had managed to escape the Stormtroopers in the upper part of the palace and made it to a ship. He'd swooped in, firing as he lowered the ramp for Breha and she'd watched as they had fled Alderaan to hide out.
A grim smile came to her lips. She knew they were safe.
Well, she hoped they were. With this war though, there was no telling.
As for her, these Force inhibitor cuffs were still annoying her. What also annoyed her yet made her innately curious was the fact that Vader hadn't tried to kill her in the past year.
Okay, well that wasn't entirely true. They argued every time he came to see her and didn't leave on any better terms. He'd used the Force to choke her sometimes when she really knew how to push him.
Ahsoka wasn't sure why but in a twisted way, she was thankful he'd kept her alive.
Speaking of which, the sound of heavy footfalls and mechanical breathing coming toward her holding cell made her growl as she stood up readying herself to face her enemy.
This time she would be ready, she had a plan all figured out. Whenever she tried to attack Vader, he would always activate his lightsaber and it made her pause, lest she wanted to be killed and leave the baby helpless and unprotected.
Today would be different. This time when she attacked, she would go for the lightsaber and kill him. Then, she would find Leia and escape in an escape pod or fighter and make her way to Tatooine where Obi-Wan was hiding out.
There she would explain everything to him and hopefully he would let her stay and they would raise Leia.
When the door opened and Darth Vader appeared, Ahsoka pounced.
She lunged and grabbed the lightsaber, activating it and holding it to his neck.
She frowned, however, when she realized he'd been expecting this
"I'll kill you. You killed Padme, and then killed the Jedi Order and everyone, especially the younglings. You won't live to see another day, Vader."
The dark chuckle that followed made her growl and then
"Try it, Snips."
TBC