"If you will not tell me the location of the rebels, then I suppose we have to use other methods of persuasion." The doors to the prison cell opened and a black, round, torture droid entered, red lights shining onto it from the grates that covered the walls.

A bright fluorescent light shined onto the young prisoner and her holo-blue restraints, mixing the colors of blue, white, and red; creating a still-pink color. The droid made noises, shooting air out of its holes, as six long, sharp needles exited from him. They eyed her as a father would when he was mad at his children. Slowly, the small, tiny needles inched towards her and she could feel her heart race faster and faster. She felt a hole in her chest deepening as her throat condensed.

The droid moved closer to her until finally, it towered her. One by one, the six needles entered her small, frail body, pricking her soft, orange skin; breaking the tissues that made up her epidermis. "AHHHH!" She inhaled and exhaled quickly, unable to slow down as they kept prodding at her, the sounds of metal clashing as her chains settled. Blood and sweat piled onto the black floor, combining to make a pool full of bodily fluids; mixing with more puddles of blood and sweat from yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that but they never cleaned it. They kept it there to remind her of her complete and utter lack of control of the situation. All she could do was hover in midair while they did what they wanted to her.

They wouldn't allow her the amenity of unconsciousness. They wouldn't give her the right of death. The only thing they approved, the only thing she could do was scream, and all the while, they enjoyed it. The Imperial captain, the guards, though she couldn't see their faces, she knew they got off on it. They got off on her begging.

Her dry and cracked lips trembled as she tried to utter the words, "Please… stop…" and dropped her head, more sweat dripping off her forehead and onto the floor. "Just stop…" Her body had given up.

The torture droid hovered back, standing next to an Imperial stormtrooper.

"Where are the rebels hiding?!" the Imperial captain demanded. She didn't answer. He hit the control panel in front of him. "I said, where are the rebels hiding?!" Again, she held onto her silence. He clenched his fingers, "If you would like to continue, we can, except this time, it will be even more painful than the last." He hoped that would instill fear in her, comply her to give in. His smile had turned into a dark grin as he took off his helmet, wanting to see her with his own eyes, but after all that, she still didn't say a word.

He gritted his teeth, "Have it your way then." he looked over to the torture unit. "Droid!"

BEEP BOOP BEEP

Slowly, she rose her head, gasping for air as she did, her body shaking from the lack of sleep, food, and water. Her hands gripped the rusted, metal chains as she tightened her face. She firmed her chin, slowing her breathing to a calm, serene tone, and contracted her eyes. Without saying a word, she glared at the Imperial captain.

The torture unit moved in until he was right on top of her. She narrowed her brows, determined not to give in. She wouldn't allow them that. I won't give in. I won't.

Another needle, this one longer and sharper than the last, slowly arose from the droid's compartments. Her heart fluttered violently through her chest as it aimed for her head, but its purpose wasn't to kill, instead to cause massive amounts of pain. She leaned backward, but she could only go so far. The Imperial guard pulled back onto her chains, locking her in place. Her eyes widened as the droid came closer and closer to her head until finally, it pierced through her skin.

"AHHHHH!"

KHHHHHH HHHHHHHSSSSS

His black robe swayed behind him, sometimes it got in front of him. His lightsaber rattled against his belt as it moved back and forth. The sounds of his boots were all too familiar to the men aboard the Star Destroyer. They never stood in his path, never talked back to him, never addressed him without respect; less they endure his wrath.

The bay doors slid open, a sound the Dark Lord had been accustomed to. His underlings saluted him and quickened their steps, some their typing. None looked at him in the eyes.

He entered and approached the admiral, Admiral Tuk.

The admiral turned around, standing at attention, his eyes bellowing with fear. "Lord Vader!"

"Has she said anything, admiral?"

"No, my Lord. She has been quite resistance to our methods." Darth Vader's breath echoed throughout the bridge. It was his signature call, his howl. His breathing alone was enough to instill fear in those who opposed him. Once they heard it, they would drop their weapons and surrender.

After a moment, he said, "Tell your men I will deal with her myself."

"Yes, my lord! I will let them know at once."

Beep Beep

A green light vibrated on the guard's wrist. It was his comms. It wasn't hard to miss from the white armor they always wore and the beeping it made. He pressed against the button and heard Admiral Tuk's voice on the other end. He stood at attention. "Yes, sir?"

"Lord Vader will conduct the rest of the negotiations. He is on his way now."

"Yes, sir. We will evacuate the room immediately." The two stormtroopers looked at each other then at the captain. He nodded, and they quickly scurried out of the cell.

The Imperial captain walked out slowly, but not before turning around and saying, "You had your chance." and walking out.

The young Togruta let out a heavy sigh. She had been there for days, ever since she lost her duel with Vader on Malachor. Since then, they've tortured her constantly, using every technique they could think of to make her break, but none worked. None ever could make her squeal. All the while she resisted, their methods grew stronger and more ambitious. She hadn't felt pain like this in her short life except once before. She refused to think about how many others had been subjected to the Empire's methods.

She reached out into the force, trying to find a way she could contact Kanan or Ezra. Her essence flowed throughout the ship, passing by every stormtrooper, every droid until she exited the ship itself and poured out into space, but she was stopped. She felt as something or someone was blocking her use of the force. She focused harder. "Break through…" She used all her might, all her training. She imagined, in her mind, creating a small crack that she could communicate through. She pushed as hard as she could against the invisible wall when finally, a small, nonindigenous crack appeared. "Kanan," she said slowly. "I'm alive—"

Suddenly, a wall of cold air blasted her. The hair on her body stood up firm. It felt like the prison cell had dropped at least a few degrees. The crack she had created healed, sealing the veil once more. She didn't know what was going on until finally, she heard it.

SHKSSSSSHHHH SHKSSSSSHHHHHH

She stopped herself, contracting her body. She pulled against her chains, desperately trying to get out. No, she begged. THUD. THUD. THUD. THUD. Her chest jerked. Not him…

His breath rang to her ears. It was a constant reminder to her who he was now. She could see him, every step he took, every movement he made, she could see through the walls, him walking closer and closer until he resonated from outside the doors.

They opened, and he stepped inside. He stood in front of the young alien, the red lights shining onto the Dark Lord. His dark-black armor reflected onto her, showing her her malnourished body. She felt nothing but evil radiating off it. There was no light. "Ahsoka Tano," the Sith disdained.

Seeing him in that armor made her sick to her stomach. It was as if someone took her heart out and ripped it in two right in front of her, then laughing at her. Master, she thought. She blamed herself. "Anakin…"

"Anakin Skywalker is dead."

Those words felt like multiple blaster bolts going through her alien body. They consumed her, repeating themselves over and over, and all she could ask herself was how things could have been different if she had stayed by his side. "I should've been there. I should never have left." She hung her head in shame. A lone tear escaped through her eyes and Ahsoka watched it slowly hit the floor. "I should've come back…" Once that first tear had escaped, the rest flowed out of her like a rushing stream. She wished she could go back in time and change things and the fact she couldn't, made the dam in her eyes burst. Every breath he took, every wheeze he did, it was like a lightsaber going through her chest. "I'm so sor—"

"Where are the rebels hiding?"

The tears didn't stop. They flowed onto the floor as the Dark Lord watched, not even caring. She wanted Anakin Skywalker back. Not this Darth Vader. She wanted to feel the warm embrace of his hug, see his bright white smile again. To hear him call her snips one last time.

She pleaded with him, hoping just maybe, maybe she could bring him back into the light, "Anakin, you can stop this! We can walk away together!" He stared emptily at her, not a single movement, not a single sound—aside from his breathing. Ahsoka closed her eyes and focused her energy on him, but she couldn't feel him. She couldn't feel Anakin Skywalker. A dark aura cloaked him and blocked her from seeing the former Jedi Knight. She was starting to wonder, is he really gone?

"What were you doing on Malachor?"

"Anakin, please."

"You have one chance. Tell me where your companions are hiding, or you will die."

Ahsoka's body dropped when she let her grip go of the chains. She couldn't look at him anymore. "You know I can't do that."

"Then, you will die."

Ahsoka's body limped, her face couldn't look anywhere but down. She tried. She tried to save him on Malachor, and she tried here but now she knew; he didn't want saving. It's too late… She slowly closed her eyes and took in one final breath. "Anakin… I love you."

His mechanical breathing sang throughout the Imperial chamber; his darkness emptying the room of all light. "Anakin Skywalker is dead." He ignited his red crimson lightsaber; it's cracking sound drowned out Ahsoka's ears. She heard the crackle of his lightsaber as he raised it.

"I'm sorry…"

WHOOSH

She opened her eyes.

She laid on the bed, not afraid, not scared but calm. She knew it was a nightmare.

She got up from her bed, heaving herself. Her mind was still reeling from her dream. "He really is dead…" A single, lone tear rolled down her cheek. She didn't even know she was crying. She wiped it from her face and stood up, still grasping at the realization that her master was dead, but the moment wasn't long-lived.

"Ahsoka?" she turned around and saw Ezra. "We're almost at Malachor!" she nodded.

"Very well," she said. "Let it all begin."