The first thing I register is that I'm lying on something hard. And cold. Memories slowly flit back to the forefront of my mind. What happened? The balcony at Padme's apartment. The speeder. The stun shots. Right. I was hit so, where am I? I slowly open my eyes to see a bare, concrete ceiling overhead. Huh?
Slowly, I push myself into a sitting position and look around. I'm in what appears to be a concrete storage room. There's nothing inside. It dawns on me that I must have been kidnapped. Panic flares, but I ruthlessly squash it. If Sidious didn't kill me, then he clearly has plans for me. While that's probably a bad thing, at least I'm still alive. That's one plus.
Look at the positives. I frown, realizing that I have no idea what time it is. I cautiously stand up, swaying slightly on my feet. Reaching out, I brace myself on the wall, so I don't fall. I walk to the door and try to open it. Of course, it's locked. Turning, I spot a small window with closed blinds on the opposite wall. I open the blinds, and early dawn light floods the cell.
Sidious sure has a good taste in confinement. Probably he thought I was too untrained to escape. He's right about that, but it doesn't hurt to try. I won't give in to despair, and I certainly won't just sit here and wait for someone to find me. Even if Anakin does locate me, he might not be able to get me out in time. I could be transferred elsewhere or put in Force restraints. I grimace at the thought. Better not push my luck.
Sighing, I sit down on the floor in a meditating position and reach into the Force to calm myself. Even though I'm not in the best position, that doesn't mean I should give up. I need to be strong and remain positive. Closing my eyes, I let the Light Side rush through me, filling me with peace. I gently probe my faint bond with Anakin. It's very still, a clear sign that he's still sleeping.
Turning my thoughts away from him, I reach out for the lock through the Force, manipulating the components until I hear it click open. I can hardly believe my good fortune, and I realize a moment later that Sidious would never let me escape so easily after he went through the trouble to capture me.
Nevertheless, I stand up and cautiously open the door. I find myself looking down a hallway which seems to have many storage rooms on both sides. Great. Where am I anyways? I push it open a little further, knowing that I'll never be able to escape once I sense two Force presences nearby. Guards. They'll stop me before I can run. Doesn't mean I can't try. I step into the hall, wondering if I can run down the hall, letting the Force guide me to an exit.
"I don't think so," a firm voice stops me in my tracks, a hand coming down on my forearm. The man steers me back into the cell. "You'd better stay there. Lord Sidious wants to have a word with you. He'll be by later."
"I do think so," I retort, glaring at him, but not trying to break away, especially when the second guard has a blaster pointed straight at me. Once glance at him tells me who he is. Cad Bane. He's a notorious bounty hunter, who helped Sidious greatly in the Clone Wars. If I move wrong, I'm certain he'll shoot at me. I'd much rather be conscious when Sidious shows up for the meeting.
"I don't find these accommodations to my liking," I scowl at him.
"I'm afraid that these are the best you'll be getting," replies the first man, whom I don't recognize.
"You wouldn't want to make Sidious angry, would you?" questions Bane, a dark undertone in his voice.
I give him an icy look. "We really wouldn't want that, would we," I reply, sarcasm dripping from my words. "He might be grumpy, and an angry Sith isn't to be meddled with."
"Enough talking," snaps Bane, "Stay in there, or we'll have to restrain you. Sidious wants you alive and unharmed, but he didn't say we couldn't bind you."
I decide not to give them the satisfaction of being forced to push me back inside so, I walk in on my own liking as the door closes and locks behind me. One avenue of escape cut off. One more to try. I walk over to the window, looking down as best I can. I realize that the window is only a few stories off the ground. If I jump out, I'll probably land on a landing dock unless I fall over the edge in which case I'll fall to my death.
Still, I think it's worth it. At least it will give me something to do. Reaching out with the Force, I manage to open the window. I push it up until it's completely open. I'll have to move quickly since the bounty hunters might hear me otherwise. I pull myself up, squeezing out the opening. It doesn't look so difficult from here. I'll probably land on the platform below. I can only hope.
As I'm sliding out, I accidently kick the wall. Oops. I'll just have to hope they didn't hear, because I can't afford to stop now. I don't want to be forced to stay there and meet Sidious. Not really. I'd rather just escape and make my own way back to Padme's apartment or the Temple. I smirk slightly, imagining the looks on everyone's faces if I arrive.
Just as I'm jumping, I hear noise from my cell. Uh oh. I hope that Sidious didn't arrive. That wouldn't be good. He'll be furious if I'm trying to escape. No time to think about it now. I draw in the Force to cushion my landing. Thankfully, I land on my feet. The Force sings a warning which I react to a second too late. Before I can run, a cord is suddenly wrapped around me. Looking up, I see Bane.
I groan. Clearly, he figured out I was planning to escape before I got out the window and followed me. Using a cord, he caught me before I could get anywhere. Glancing behind me, I decide that maybe it was for the best. If he hadn't, I might have stepped right off the platform and accidently killed myself. Not fun.
"You are simply impossible," seethes Bane, waving a blaster at me, "Go back inside. No funny business, or you'll be shot." Clenching my jaw, I walk back inside the building, which is clearly an abandoned warehouse. I really don't want to be shot, and I'd rather not take my chances running when I don't know exactly where to go.
Minutes later, I find myself inside the cell staring at a wall while Bane stands inside the door, pointing his blaster at me. I sigh, trying not to give in to my exasperation and annoyance. If Sidious will be coming, the last thing I need is too many negative emotions floating around. He'll simply try to exploit all my weaknesses.
"You're lucky I'm not a Sith," I mutter to Bane, knowing he can hear me, "If I was, you'd be dead right now, and I'd be long gone."
I sit down on the floor, getting into a meditative position. Maybe I'll still have enough time to clear my head. Despite my irritation, I realize that I'm not really scared at the prospect of meeting Sidious. Nervous, sure. Scared, no. I don't really know why that is. I know he could hurt me, but for some reason, I'm not afraid, and I can't understand why. Why am I even questioning it? It's probably a blessing, so I should be grateful.
I close my eyes and slip into the Force, letting it give me a sense of peace and security. I might be in Sidious' hands, but I'm not alone. I have the Force, and I'm certain Anakin will be looking for me. I can sense my sisters' tension through our bonds and gently send a calming wave through the Force. I'm worried enough about my uncertain future without their emotions distracting me too.
I put up a shield across my bonds with them. I don't want to be feeling their fear while confronting Sidious. Searching out my bond with Anakin, I hold onto it. My love for Anakin will get me through this. I know it will. Besides, he'll need to sense me in order to find me. I'll give him all the help I can while waiting for him to find me.
A prickle of the Dark Side disturbs my meditative trance, and I know that Sidious is nearing. I take a deep breath, releasing my anxiety into the Force, letting a sense of calm descend. The Force will get me through this. Maybe I can get Sidious to give up on his insane dreams. It's not likely, but there's still a chance. One I'm going to take.
I can feel him approaching, and I ready myself for the inevitable. I will not be weak in front of him. I will be strong. I will be a Jedi.
The door opens, and I see a hooded figure standing outside. Bane lets him enter before stepping back outside to guard. I stand up, staring fearlessly as he steps closer.
"I'm glad to see you still here, Ariana," rasps Sidious, and I can see a dark smile on his face, "I knew you wouldn't be able to get away."
I shrug nonchalantly, even as my heart rate increases. "It wasn't a problem. I was happy to wait for you," I reply sardonically.
He chuckles, "So bold. I like your courage. You will make a fine apprentice."
"I will not turn to the Dark Side," I answer calmly. This I know to be the truth. No matter what he does, I will not fall. Ever.
"We'll see. We'll see," Sidious says, stepping closer, "You and your sisters are strong. If you won't turn, maybe one of your sisters will?"
"I don't think so," I return coolly, "We will not leave the Light Side." I can sense that he's not getting the reaction he was looking for. He didn't expect me to react as I am. I smile inwardly. Sidious truly underestimates the power of the Light Side.
At that moment, I sense my bond with Anakin flare to life as he reaches out towards me. I don't resist. I let him in, far enough that he can see me and my surroundings if our bond is strong enough. Seconds later, I sense a surge of alarm and anger from him. He knows Sidious is with me. Maybe we will manage to end everything now, though I doubt it. At the very least, Anakin is on his way.
"That may change," he murmurs smugly.
"Perhaps." I raise an eyebrow questioningly at him, "I thought that Sith believe in the Rule of Two?"
"It's an old tradition, one which will no longer be necessary in my new Sith Empire," replies Sidious dismissively.
For a few long seconds, neither of us move. "Why are you doing this?" I ask softly. There is no accusation in my voice. I'm honestly curious to know his reasoning. Whatever he expected me to say, this was not it. I sense a flicker of surprise radiating from him before it's gone.
"For centuries, the Jedi have crushed the Sith. They think they're better than us. They're not. They don't know what true power is," explains Sidious, his voice becoming even darker, "They don't care who we are. They just try to eliminate us." I can almost taste the hatred and anger radiating from him.
It's as though a veil has been lifted from my eyes. I feel like I can understand Sidious' reasoning, if he's telling the truth. It's not about power. At least it wasn't originally. It was about a twisted sense of justice which somehow became something else. Maybe it's not too late to try and convince him to abandon his plans. I feel something akin to sympathy for him. He doesn't really understand the Light Side. If he did, there is no way he would cling to Dark so strongly.
My gaze flicks out the window, even though I'm not really seeing it. "Yes," I agree, "That may be true, but what you're doing is exactly what the Jedi have been trying to stop. If you want justice, you're going about it the wrong way."
He reaches out, grabbing my chin and forcing me to look at him. "Justice is an illusion," he snarls, "We can never find justice, but we can get revenge." I'd almost expected him to say that. Almost. Standing this close to him, I can see his eyes glowing yellow. Surprisingly, it doesn't scare me. I should fear him, but I don't. I know he can hurt me, but it's as though something in me doesn't really care.
"There are ways for you to achieve your goals without forcing yourself on the galaxy as a dictator," I caution him, careful not to let myself sound condescending.
"You're naïve," he spits out, "There is only one way." His hand falls away from my face, as though he can't stand to touch me.
I shake my head, "No, you can prove that the Sith are better than the Jedi by simply not taking revenge. You can lead the Sith to do what the Jedi should be doing. Balance the Light and Dark Sides of the Force. The Sith have so much knowledge, and you can use it for the good of the galaxy. That would be the ultimate revenge, proving that the Sith are better, that they aren't always evil, that they don't always seek power."
I let the Force keep me from becoming desperate. From the derisive smirk on his face, I realize he's not really listening to me. I doubt he'd listen to anyone other than himself. It's sad. He could do so much good, but he chooses to let his hatred blind him. I let myself feel sorrow for a moment before letting it go. We each choose our own path. This is his choice, and if I can't stop him, then I must let go of what he could become if he'd only listen.
"The galaxy will understand that the Jedi are weak when they can't defend themselves against me," he replies ominously. He steps away from me, the Dark Side surging in intensity.
"If you would only listen to me, I would be willing to become your apprentice," I tell him, and I mean it.
"I hear you," he snaps, "But you don't understand enough to tell me anything."
I shake my head slowly. He's not listening to me. If he won't listen, there's no hope left for him. "You could be a good person, Palpatine," I murmur, "It's too bad you can't realize it. It's never too late to change. One day, you'll end up regretting everything you've done."
He glares at me, "Don't presume to think you can understand me." He studies me in silence before continuing, "You know who I am, and you didn't tell anyone." It's not a question, but I nod anyways.
"They wouldn't have believed me," I say by way of an explanation.
"How much to do you know?" he asks, suspicion coloring his tone.
"Everything," I admit, knowing it's a vague answer.
"So, you aren't from here," he mutters, sounding a mix of satisfied and gleeful, "Well, no matter. You'll become my apprentice regardless of your beliefs. And I heard you complaining about your accommodations. Well, you're coming with me."
Suddenly, I have a very bad feeling, and I reach into the Force for my bond with Anakin as Sidious opens the cell door and motions for me to follow him. "Anakin!" I yell at him through the Force, praying that he'll hear me, "You have to hurry!"
"Oh no. We don't need that, my dear." Sidious' voice sounds slightly amused, though there's a menacing undertone to it. I feel a cold sliver from the Force nudging at my mind. He leads me into the hallway and begins walking. I get a sinking feeling that we're leaving the building.
"Get out of my head," I hiss at him, narrowing my eyes. Hurry, Anakin.
He turns his head, looking at me with a cruel smile. "Don't think Anakin will be rescuing you. He will be mine, and nothing you can do will stop it."
"You're wrong," I state flatly, "Anakin will never turn to the Dark Side."
Sidious chuckles quietly. "Oh, I think he will," he answers, a deadly certainty in his voice, "Once a slave, always a slave. He's still very much a slave, and he always will be."
A surge of anger rushes through me at the cold, callous way he's talking about Anakin, like he's an object to be owned and used. I take a slow breath. I won't let him get to me. I can't, but Sidious has just found my weakness. I know it, and he knows it too.
"I don't think so," I reply tightly, "Not if I can help it." It wasn't a good comeback.
Sidious laughs again, "You will help me, my dear. I'm afraid you won't be able to do anything for Anakin." His voice lowers, "But he can do something for you." Oh no. That's what I was afraid of. Anakin could turn to the Dark Side if it meant saving me, and I cannot let that happen.
I stop suddenly, deciding to try one last time to save him. If I can't reach him, then he's truly lost, and his fate will be in the Force's hands. I take a deep breath, trying to let my anger go. I can't be angry right now. Realizing that I'm not following, Sidious pauses.
"You don't have to do this," I tell him quietly, touching his arm.
He pushes my hand away like it burned him. "Yes, I do," he hisses, "Now come with me."
I accept the defeat quietly, following him in silence. I feel Anakin's Force signature up ahead along with another I don't recognize. Letting out a breath, I relax. Soon, I'll be out of Sidious' hands.
When we enter the bottom floor of the warehouse, Anakin stands next to Master Fisto in the entryway. With a snarl of rage, Sidious raises his hands sending a blast of Force lightning towards the pair. Neither ignite their lightsabers in time. The lightning crackles into their bodies, and they're sent flying across the floor.
Grabbing my arm, Sidious bolts towards the door, dragging me behind him. Bane and the other bounty hunter follow close behind. Fisto recovers first, leaping to his feet and drawing his lightsaber. He falls into a defensive position, though he's clearly preparing to attack.
"I don't think so," mutters Sidious so quietly I don't think anyone hears him but me. I know what's coming even before he moves. Stepping back, Sidious sends a blast of Force lightning straight at me, throwing me directly towards Fisto, who extinguishes his lightsaber.
It feels as though every single nerve in my body has been set on fire, and I try not to scream. I lay on the ground, slightly stunned as I attempt to regain enough control to stand up or move. Fisto lunges towards Sidious with Anakin right behind him. Unfortunately for them, the Sith Lord has long since fled through the door.
Seconds later, Anakin reappears by my side, while Fisto tries to catch the bounty hunters. "Are you alright?" he asks worriedly.
"I will be," I grumble, carefully sitting up, "Not every day I get electrocuted."
"We need to get back to the Temple as soon as possible," Anakin comments, "And I'm not waiting for you to recover."
Without giving me a chance to protest, he picks me up. I mutter something incoherent under my breath but put an arm around him so he can take me back to the speeder. Fisto is waiting when we arrive.
"Any luck?" asks Anakin.
Fisto shakes his head, settling into one of the back seats, while Anakin puts me into the passenger seat. "They got away."
Anakin leaps into the pilot's seat and speeds away. "What happened?"
I glance at him, "How about I save the story for when we get back, so I don't have to repeat it?"
He groans, almost as though he'd expected my response. "Learn some patience," I smirk at his slightly annoyed expression. Mumbling something, Anakin increases the speed.
"We aren't having a race, Skywalker," Fisto reminds him, sounding slightly amused.
It takes less time than I'd expected for us to arrive at the Temple. "Do you need to visit the Healer's Wing?" questions Anakin.
"I am just fine," I reply with finality, "I will not be going to the medcenter."
Without giving him a chance to react, I climb out, grateful that I'm no longer as shaky. Not surprisingly, Teagan and Ramona run over and hug me.
"Are you alright?" they chorus worriedly.
"Yes," I answer truthfully, hugging them back.
"What happened?" they demand in unison, ignoring Anakin and Fisto as they get out of the speeder.
"A lot of things," I reply vaguely, "I won't get into it all this very second either."
"A story I'm still looking forward to," interjects Anakin, looking slightly miffed that I forced him to wait.
Knowing I can't tell them what happened in front of Fisto, I decide to get him to leave as politely as possible. "Thank you for coming to rescue me, Master Fisto," I tell him, smiling gratefully. And really. I am grateful, even if I'm currently saying it to get rid of him.
"Did you discover anything that will help us determine the identity of the Sith?" he questions.
Oh. Well, about that – um – I can't say I already know. "No," I answer carefully, because I didn't. Sidious never said anything to reveal himself. Rather, I disclosed that I already knew, something he'd clearly suspected. "He seems intent on turning one or all three of us to be his apprentices," I continue.
"Oh, great," mutters Teagan sarcastically.
"All three?" exclaims Fisto, looking surprised.
I nod. "I asked him that myself. He doesn't seem particularly keen on following the Rule of Two anymore."
"Then we have no way of knowing how many apprentices he already has," muses Fisto, clearly disturbed by my revelation.
"He says that he needs another apprentice," I comment, hoping to allay some of his concerns.
"Of course, because he killed the other one," grumbles Ramona.
"I will go report to the Council," Fisto decides, "And I will let you know if they wish to speak with you about anything which occurred." I nod as he turns and hurries away.
"Now I can tell you the story once we get back to the apartment," I inform the others, turning to face them.
We all climb into the speeder, and Anakin zooms away. Many minutes later, we find ourselves sitting in Padme's living room. For a reason I can't quite explain, I feel a bit nervous to relate the story. Probably because I'm the center of attention, and I'm the only one who was kidnapped. How wonderful. Not.
"I woke up in a concrete storage room," I explain, "And when I tried to break out, I discovered that Bane and another bounty hunter were keeping me prisoner."
"Bane?" interrupts Ramona, looking surprised.
"Yes, I was surprised too," I agree.
"You know him?" asks Anakin.
"We... watched things with him," Teagan answers for me.
"I tried escaping twice, but they stopped me both times," I continue, frowning at the memory, "Then, Bane sat in my cell holding a blaster on me so I couldn't try again. I started meditating, and Sidious showed up not long later."
"So, then what happened?" demands Ramona anxiously.
"I tried to convince him to give up on his pursuit of an Empire," I admit, "Essentially, I tried to turn him back but –"
"You what?" yells Anakin, looking at me like I just grew a second head.
I groan, "He's not completely evil yet, but he wouldn't listen to me."
"Of course," mutters Ramona crossly.
"Why would you even try such a thing?" demands Anakin, still gaping at me.
"Because I could have saved the entire galaxy without killing him," I explain, "The Sith have so much knowledge which could help the universe immensely if not used for the wrong purposes."
"Oh, so that explains trying to talk a Sith Lord out of being power hungry," Anakin deadpans.
I give him a half-hearted glare. "I'm not stupid," I grumble, "I didn't expect him to listen to me, but I had to at least try."
"Anything else?" questions Teagan after a moment of silence.
Once a slave, always a slave. His words flicker through my mind, but I brush them away. I'll never admit how much they got to me. But I can't tell my sisters that part, not when Anakin is there. "Um, I kinda accidently called him his real name, but he already knew, or at least suspected, that we know," I explain reluctantly.
"Ariana! How could you be so stupid?!" cries Ramona. "I mean," she quickly amends, shooting a quick glance at Anakin, who is looking at her with a raised eyebrow, "I mean – nevermind."
I roll my eyes at her. "He already knew we were from another place, but I'm not certain if he meant another dimension. I carefully decided to ignore his comment, because I didn't want him to force the answer out of me."
I pause, recollecting what happened next. "Well, then Anakin and Fisto showed up, and Sidious blasted them across the room with Force lightning. Then, he threw lighting at me to send me flying at Fisto so he could escape."
"What did it feel like?" asks Teagan, though she looks like she's not sure she even wants to know.
"Extremely painful," I reply, "Like every single nerve is on fire."
"Understatement," mumbles Anakin.
We lapse into silence for another long moment, before Anakin suddenly grins. "I had to carry Ariana out of there."
"Not fair," grumbles Teagan, unfortunately loud enough for everyone to hear. She turns red when she suddenly realizes that everyone in the room is looking at her with various expressions of amusement.
"I'm going to call Padme and let her know you're back," Anakin says at last, standing up, "Don't any of you go anywhere. I'll be right back."
As soon as he walks out of the room, I let out an overly dramatic sigh. "Overprotective older brother mode," I state flatly, smirking slightly, causing both my sisters to laugh quietly.
"I was thinking," comments Ramona quietly, "That if Bane is real, then Ahsoka might be also."
No one speaks in the face of her declaration for several seconds. I nod. "You're probably right, but in case she's not, let's not mention her."
"I agree," murmurs Teagan.
"There was actually something else, but I didn't want to tell Anakin," I whisper, casting an uneasy glance towards the door, "Sidious essentially claimed that Anakin is still a slave and insisted that nothing we do will stop him from falling."
"That's – that's not true," hisses Ramona, the first to recover from her shock.
I nod sadly. "I know, but..." my voice trails off, and I shrug helplessly.
"He won't fall," Teagan replies quietly, "We won't let him."
Silently, we nod in agreement. No matter what happens, I'd rather die than let Anakin fall, especially since there's clearly no way of stopping Sidious.