Growing up Again

Chapter 18

Padme held the small recorder in her hand.

"Are you sure about this Ahsoka..? This can always wait for another day.." 

The young girl looked up at the senator, the height difference barely there as the girl had grown over the past few years. 

"Yes. I can do this.." 

Ahsoka quietly turned her head back, making sure that Anakin was keeping his word about keeping the men out of the room. Anakin who stood by the doorway gave a small nod. 

"Let's start." Padme stated, starting the small recorder.

"Name?" She asked in a gentle tone, trying to calm Ahsoka's obvious nerves. 

"Ahsoka Tano." 

Padme nodded, giving a caring smile before asking. "Can you tell me how you first came in contact with Palpatine?" 

"I knew him as a Padawan." Ahsoka drew a small breath in. "My old master, Anakin Skywalker was a good friend of him. I don't know specifically when our first meeting was, but I think I was still a child at the time.." 

"And when did you learn that he was a Sith Lord..?" 

Ahsoka swallowed, her mind going blank for a short moment.

"I was hiding on Tatooine after my "execution". When I went out looking for a job I was taken captive. I woke to find myself in a cell."

"A cell?" Padme questioned. "So he saw you as a threat?"

Ahsoka shook her head. 

"Not necessarily. When he entered the room he seemed sorry for me.." 

"Sorry for you? Can you elaborate?" Padme asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He told me that there were things I had been lied to about. Palpatine told me he could show me the truth.." Ahsoka admitted shameful.

Anakin gently whispered in her mind.

"It's alright snips, we can always stop if it becomes too much.."

"I was shown- visions, stories from my past." 

"Which stories?" Padme asked gently, receiving a small nod from Anakin that it was ok to continue.

"I saw my old master and his own mentor, Obi Wan Kenobi running a mediclorian test." Ahsoka responded. 

"On who?" 

"Me.... I was frustrated that they had never told me of my-" She glanced at Anakin. "-results.. And I felt like I was just a weapon for the council to use." 

Padme nodded. "That's understandable Ahsoka, what was the other story he showed you?"

Ahsoka closed her eyes, her fists clenching at her side.

"I saw my parents' death.. Dooku and Ventress had captured them around the time that I was found by the Jedi Order. Before they killed them, they spoke of how the Jedi had their location, but were nowhere to be found." 

"So the Jedi let your parents die? And this caused you to join him?" 

Ahsoka winced at her brash words.

"The Jedi had a choice, at the time... I just didn't like the one they chose." 

Padme smiled. "If you need to stop it's ok.."