Star Wars the Clone Wars - One shots

What's this? - Part 2

When Ahsoka wakes up on Zygerria, the back of her neck is sore.

She soon forgets about the pain when she sees Atai Molec towering over her with a cruel smile on his lips. "Wakey, wakey, Jedi scug."

It isn't until three days after they've left that slaver hell, and she can feel an obvious lump at the back of her neck, that Ahsoka remembers the pain she woke up with.

"What's wrong with you neck?" Anakin asks from across the table, not looking at her as he stirs his soup without taking a spoonful. He hasn't had much of an appetite since they got back, and it won't be long until Kix puts him on the meal replacement shakes that all the colonists are drinking to regain their strength.

"Sore." She says, "Probably nothing."

The Togruta colonists have it far worse than she or Anakin. They were kept in the lovely, clean palace, not subject to manual labour and punishments on Kadavo. It'll take the medics some time to heal the colonists' physical injuries, but the emotional scars will stay for a while.

"Might be some chafing from the collar," he murmurs, finally glancing up at her, "They didn't... do anything to you, did they?"

"No," she shakes her head, not wanting him to worry. Besides being electrocuted and threatened by Molec, nobody was interested in the Togruta Padawan. "Did the Queen hurt you?"

Anakin snorts, but says nothing. It's a clear sign that something did happen, but he doesn't want to talk about it.

In their shared quarters that night, the bump underneath her skin keeps Ahsoka awake. She keeps pinching and prodding it, trying to understand what's wrong. It's too raised to be a bruise, and too small to be a tumour of any sort.

It feels hard- a lot harder than skin.

Sighing, she rolls over to watch Anakin. He's sleeping on his back, one hand on his stomach whilst the other supports his head. She tries to settle, but her back lekku presses uncomfortably against the bump, and Ahsoka can't deal with the pain any longer.

"Master," she hisses, sliding out of her bunk. Anakin doesn't stir- he must be really tired. His insomnia has been up and down for a few months now, so when he did submit to sleep, it really knocked him out.

She kneels beside him, touching his shoulder, "Hey, Anakin!"

His eyelashes flutter, but his eyes remain closed, "What?"

"Can you look at my neck?"

Anakin sighs, turning away from her, "It's just chaffing, Ahsoka. Get some cream from the medbay if it's bothering you."

Huffing, Ahsoka decides that if Anakin isn't going to take her concern seriously, then she'll try the medics. Hopefully, they don't have their hands full with the colonists.

If it's just chaffing, then some cream will help. If it's something else, well, she'll cross that bridge when she gets to it.

Kix welcomes her into the medbay with a smile although his concern is clear in the Force. After all, it isn't every day their Commander comes to the medics for herself.

He hums methodically as he prods the lump, and Ahsoka hisses, holding her back lek up so it doesn't get in the way. "When did you notice this, sir?"

"After the slave auction," she replies, "when I woke up."

Kix's professional fingers stop on her neck, sending shivers down her spine, "Do you know how long you were unconscious?"

"No," he's using his stern voice, and dread starts to build in her stomach, "What do you think it is? Infected bug bite?"