Ahsoka looks out over the city of Theed, propping her chin in her bruised hand as the Chancellor gives his speech on the stage. She can just about hear his words from the safe room, but everything coming out of his mouth goes straight over her head.
She can't see Anakin through the ray shield, but she can feel a combination of anticipation and adoration pouring off him in waves. What he finds so fascinating about Palpatine, she'll never know.
He isn't missing her, that's for sure.
She's supposed to be protecting Anakin's back- like her vision told her to- but he doesn't even want her around. Heck, even Obi-Wan only started visiting her in the Halls of Healing after he was done working with the Council.
Sitting upright when the fireworks start, Ahsoka inspects her purple palms. She clenches her fists- at least the one that works- and wishes she could go back in time to the restaurant and demand that they ignored the Council's emergency meeting and just finished dessert.
She should've trusted her instincts and told her Masters that someone was watching them. Instead, she stayed quiet, and nearly got Obi-Wan killed.
Her injuries are nobody's fault but her own.
Sighing, Ahsoka carefully stands and unclips her lightsaber from her belt. If she's going to sit in this room all night, she may as well be productive. Igniting the single blade, she lets the gentle hum lull her into calm before practicing some gentle motions.
She doesn't trust her leg enough to do her usual drills but swinging her lightsaber whilst standing in one spot helps quieten her mind. The only thing she has to think about is not accidentally slicing off her left hand.
Just as she's about to lunge forwards to deliver the killing blow to her invisible opponent, she feels an icy breath against her montrals.
Time to save your Master, young one.
She spins- a little wobbly- to find nothing behind her except the ray shield generator exploding into a ball of flames.
She leans out the window, squinting to spot her Master, only to see a wall of smoke surrounding the stage. Then, she sees the blue lightsaber, vibrant and bright.
This is it.
This is what her visions have been preparing her for. Although she's trembling, she raises her lightsaber and prepares to leave the safe room which Obi-Wan ordered her to stay in.
Not that way, young one!
She pauses, swivels around to face the window again. Closing her eyes, she feels the pull towards the ledge, a countdown that she needs to jump in five... four... three... two... one...
She lands- very roughly- on the back of Hardeen's speeder, but the bounty hunter is too preoccupied to notice her lowering herself beneath the vehicle, hanging onto the bottom and glancing back at the window she just jumped from.
Not bad, for an amputee.
Reality hits her like a slap in the face.
She's on the back of a speeder being driven by the bounty hunter who nearly killed her whilst aiming for her Grandmaster.
Kriff.
Ahsoka clings on tight with her working hand, feeling immensely grateful that Anakin trained her to have insane upper body strength.
Masking her Force-signature should her Master come looking for her, Ahsoka hangs onto the speeder until it stops and Hardeen climbs out.
With some difficulty, Ahsoka manages to traverse the speeder to crouch behind it, using it as cover as Hardeen meets up with his accomplices. She immediately spots Bane with his infamous wide-brimmed hat, and there's a short man- a Phindian- who's beside the blue-skinned bounty hunter.
