When She Was Gone

Chapter 6

At the name "Snips," Makari's patience snapped. She'd had it with the sentiment.

She growled, flipped her lightsaber and lunged. Skywalker's eyes widened in surprise and he threw himself to the side, dodging Makari's attack. She was so determined and angry that she was sloppy, and when she was sloppy she was even more dangerous. Skywalker knew it too, and he finally drew his 'saber, if not to fight her then to at least block her attacks. She disconnected her lightsabers and ran at him, where he quickly locked her into a stalemate.

"Don't call me that," Makari snarled. "I'm not your Snips anymore." Skywalker's face remained defiant, like he was shutting out what she was saying.

He wordlessly twirled one of her 'sabers out of her hand in his signature move and grabbed it out of the air. "I'm not going to fight you, Ahsoka," he said. "You're not Makari. Fight it."

"The only thing I'm fighting is you."

"I can't hurt you."

"Then I will hurt you." She jumped up, pushed her feet off his chest and flew up into the stalactites. It was dark up there, shadowy between the formations, and she was wearing black.

Makari cut a hole in the ceiling—she knew there were old animal tunnels above the rooms—and squeezed up into the small opening. She wriggled and crawled until she was above the safe room. Skywalker's voice echoed faintly around her. She closed her helmet.

She heard Skywalker say something hurriedly into his wristcomm, and she knew her window was closing. She squirmed into a sitting position and began to cut yet another hole, this one beneath her.

~~

Leia sat rigid, unable to move, listening to the noises outside. Two very muffled voices kept finding their way through the door. She couldn't make out either one clearly, but one sounded familiar. She could only hope that it wasn't her father or Rex.

Then there was silence, and that was even worse than the voices. What was going on out there? She and Luke shared a frightened glance.

Suddenly, Luke's wristcomm beeped. Everyone in the room jumped about a foot. He raised it to his mouth.

"Walker 4."

"Luke! Are you all right? Where's your mom and Leia?" Their father's voice asked frantically.

"Dad! We're fine. Where are you? What's going on out there?"

There was a pause before he said, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you. I'm right outside." One of the littler kids pressed her ear to the door. "Be on high alert. Get ready to open that door and make a run for it. Ahs—someone's coming through the animal tunnels in the ceiling." Leia snapped her head up, as did many others.

Padmé pulled Luke's arm to her face. "Ani, we can't open that door in time. It's huge. It took five people to close it, and there are about ten locks."

"Kriff." Leia glanced at her mother. Anakin didn't curse. "Then I guess I'm coming to you. The twins know what to do." Leia nodded to her disembodied father. She and Luke stood, unclipping their lightsabers from their belts.

"Everybody against the walls," Luke said to the quiet room. They did as they were told, too scared to argue.

There was a moment of tight silence—in which Leia's heart was pounding so hard she thought it might explode—before a blood-red light lit up the ceiling. Padmé aimed her blaster. The only noises for a few seconds were of Anakin heaving at the door with the Force and the lightsaber cutting.

Then several things happened at once. A short cylinder fell from above, the door was wrenched off its hinges, people started scrambling for the exit, and Luke and Leia ignited their lightsabers.

A cloaked figure dropped from the ceiling. Their face was covered by a black mask. They stared at the twins and their 'sabers for a moment, then ignited their own.

The Sith flew at Padmé first, but Luke blocked them swiftly. Leia lunged from behind, hoping to lock them between her and Luke's lightsabers, but they were too quick. They did a sort of limbo under Leia's 'saber, dodging her attempt.

But while they were preoccupied with dodging, Luke managed to slice a chunk out of their helmet in a move so swift Leia would have missed it if she wasn't looking.

Underneath was an orange face, sickly yellow eyes burning out at the twins. Black markings covered her cheeks and forehead. She gave Luke a death glare and yanked off the rest of her helmet.

Then she lunged for Padmé again, and she was so fast Luke and Leia didn't have time to move.

They watched, horrified, as time slowed down and her blade closed in on their mother. She couldn't seem to move, with a look of disbelief frozen on her face.

Just before the red blade sliced their mother in two, Padmé found her strength and dove to the side. The Sith growled. She was determined.

As she took another swing at Padmé, Leia jumped forward and locked the attacker in a stalemate, only inches from her mother's face.

"Sorry to interrupt," Leia spat, "But wouldn't you prefer a challenge?"

The Sith grinned. She was happy to oblige, and she flipped over Leia's head, landing neatly behind her. "Luke," Leia said calmly, circling the Sith, "Take Mom outside." He was all too eager to do so, and he rushed out of the room with his stunned mother.

"Very heroic," the Togruta finally spoke. Her voice was filtered and...well, it sounded bumpy. It was like there was something interrupting the feed of vocal noises every few milliseconds. It sounded like a shuttle engine. "You're the brave one."

Leia shrugged. "He's more of a pilot." Her heart was still hammering, but she spoke evenly.

"Twins." Not a question, a statement. Leia could feel uncertainty coming off this woman. What was she fighting herself about?

"Ding ding ding," Leia said. "We have a winner." The Sith winced. Visibly.

"I see the commentary runs in the family."

Leia cocked her head, still walking and turning. "Who are you?"

Just then, Anakin burst into the room. The Sith hissed.

"Ahsoka—" he started, but was cut off when she grabbed Leia from behind and held her lightsaber to her throat.

"Say that again, or anything, for that matter, and I move this closer."

Anakin put his hands up and backed away. Leia was shaking in fear. Please, please, please don't hurt me, she thought. "Hold still," the Togruta muttered into her ear. "Just—hold still."

What?

What is she doing?

Anakin gave Leia a pleading look, but stayed where he was. The Sith slowly turned Leia and started to back out of the room with her. "Don't move," she told Anakin.

They passed Luke and Padmé in the tunnel. Luke started towards them, but the Sith hissed again and he kept his distance, watching, terrified.

She took Leia to a wall, cut a hole in it, and pushed the circle out, dragging Leia with her.

She delivered her to two Death Troopers, who forced her onto her knees. Leia kept her face pointed at the ground when they addressed her, defiant. So they knocked her out with the butt of one of their guns.

~~

Anakin raced back through the tunnels, headed for the fighter bay. The Syren wasn't fast enough to follow Imperial TIEs, and if he knew anything about Ahsoka it was that she'd leave with her prize while she still could.

He threw himself into a Y-Wing, ignored the Rebels yelling at him, and took off.

Hold on, Leia.

I'm coming.

A/N
Whew that was a long one!!
Lotta stuff happened. I'm getting the feels just going over it. Who else can't wait for Season 7 in February??? I am HYPED