In the end, having nothing else to do, Ahsoka decided to follow her master and this rotten slaver queen to the balcony of the throne room. When she stepped out onto the balcony, closely followed by two zygerrian palace guards and one heavily weaponised unidentified type of droid, she found herself in the middle of a conversation. Skyguy was trying hard to charm this shameless woman. Even watching it unfold felt awkward for Ahsoka. Yet, it would later become a material that she could freely weaponise against her master. Therefore, she decided to walk closer and listen into the ongoing conversation more carefully, while rolling her eyes at the most awkward moments.
“Oh Lars, you are a bold one indeed, and I like that in a man. A good slaver needs to have courage, to take the offered opportunities. But, it is not good to be too bold, since usually those are the ones who die first. Are you one of those, Lars Quell?” — The queen questioned with glinting eyes.
“I would gladly die if that would let me bask in your glorious presence for just a second more.” — Lars answered with the shamelessness of a practiced womanizer. It almost caused Ahsoka to gag.
‘Seriously, how could he say something like that, especially in a completely serious manner?’ — Ahsoka wondered internally. — ‘I feel secondhand embarrassment only from watching this.’
Then Ahsoka’s eyes widened even further. Seeing that the queen actually blushed from that? At that point Ahsoka was openly staring at the woman, wondering if she was dreaming all of this, and she never actually found her friend, either.
Now it seems that the queen also realized it and turned away hastily. — ‘Trying to cover your rosy cheeks, are you?’ — Ahsoka thought silently while taking in the view.
“L-Lars... you should not say such foolish things so brazenly... Even if I do appreciate your words.” — The queen frustratedly fanned her face. — “I wish I had that cold drink. Where did that stupid girl go? I didn’t ask to bring the refreshments from a mile away!”
A pair of hurried footsteps sounded behind them as the previously mentioned stupid girl appeared. She offered a pair of crystal glasses served on a silver plate while lowering her head dutifully. It was obvious with a glance that she was different from the average slaves even inside the palace. Her movements were more elegant and more professional.
No matter how pretty she looked or how elegant she was. Ahsoka could only feel fresh bile rising in her throat at the sight of her friend so openly submitting to this evil woman. There was no question about it, that she was forced to act in such a humiliating manner. The only thing that kept her from lashing out at the horrible woman was the knowledge that her friend’s fate was about to turn to the better when they succeed with their mission.
“Forgive me, mistress. I turned in the wrong way and had to trace back my steps.” — The young twi’lek said in a sad voice.
“I see. Sometimes I wonder how you managed to survive before I took you under my wing. With that scattered brain of yours, it’s a veritable miracle. I might have to order Eqomu to teach you one more lesson per week. That might manage to squeeze some sense into you, foolish girl.”
Ahsoka couldn’t help but watch in shock, as her friend’s expression morphed into a momentarily terrified one. The very notion of seeing her usually nonchalant friend showcase such fear made her stomach churn. — ‘Was she... was she beaten so much that she broke down and already gave up hope?’ — While Ahsoka was immersed in the vast sea of terrible possibilities that her imagination actively conjured, the conversation flowed onwards.
“Mistress, please spare me. It won’t happen again.” — Nizzal’s words conveyed such desperation it was threatening to break Ahsoka’s heart. Yet the queen seemed to hold no mercy as she narrowed her eyes, lecturing her in a strict tone.
“That settles it then, since you choose to talk back to me in front of my guest. One more lesson per week from now on.” — She stated with finality, and Nizzal seemed to accept it with a pitiful expression.
‘I never saw Nizzy look as crestfallen as she was now. What tortures must have this Eqomu done to her... I looked at Anakin, as fear began to gnaw at me for my dear friend. She is punished because of our arrival here, so we have to free her!’ — Ahsoka pleaded with her eyes towards her master.
Anakin’s features already lost their previous edge. Becoming quite soft as he saw both girl’s lost expression.
While Anakin was momentarily angered by Nizzal’s presence. Because both Ahsoka and Rika, not even mentioning his master, have become quite depressed after the troublesome twi’lek’s arrogant exit. If one could call it that to begin with. Even Obi-Wan seemed to be worried and sad about how things turned out in the end. Adding one more traumatic experience to the long lists that weighed down on the troubled man’s shoulders.
In retrospect, the jedi council itself seemed to regret their actions in condemning the girl. Especially since the revelation that they have likely offended an order with a history that counts in the thousands of years. Anakin almost scoffed at the thought, knowing all too well that no matter if the council has regretted it or not, they would likely do it again. If for nothing else, then just to keep up their appearances. He knew this to be true, which was also proved by the fact that the council was yet to revoke the search warrant on the girl. They were so infuriatingly hypocritical about this entire business that it somewhat shook his, and through him, her padawan’s very belief in the order. Were the jedi just as hypocritical in their other dealings? Or was this a rare exemption? Anakin wondered occasionally. Luckily for him, he was a jedi himself, and therefore knew in fact that the council was more often right than wrong in their dealings. Something about this other force sect, however, made them act unusually hypocritical, and judgemental.
No matter that, because seeing where her rapid escape landed the mischievous twi’lek force user. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of responsibility for the enslaved youngling. It felt so wrong to see her act in line with such humility and orderliness that it made him feel a sense of pity for her. Not even mentioning the guilt. Anakin knew very well what being a slave felt like. He knew it more than he would like to admit. And the more he saw the way the queen treated the girl, the more infuriated he became. There was a growing urge inside him, one that demanded him to alleviate the queen’s head from her shoulders. It was a pity that this was not the time for that, and a jedi was not supposed to think that way to begin with.
Ahsoka knew that the order was not genuinely wrong. There was much good in the Jedi Order, she knew this as any jedi knew, but she also understood now that the good that represented most of the order was often blinded by prejudice and fear. The way they treated Nizzal as an unknown force user was a simple show of that. On the surface, most of the jedi acted politely and showed no hostility, while in reality they were searching for a reason, any reason, to judge her from the beginning.
This made Ahsoka develop some very conflicted feelings about the order and, having no one else to turn to, she decided to speak with her master. Only to find out that her master was increasingly hard to find, or more like, impossible. She didn’t even remember when she last saw him, aside from missions, giving their reports to the council, or eating in the cantina of the temple. Also, those times are not really meant to solve personal trust issues.
She sighed dejectedly. Well, if nothing else, she will have to ask Obi’Wan, or even Master Yoda. Yet if she does that, they will ask: why didn’t she talk about this with her master, and what could she tell them to that question? She can’t lie to them because they will sense it, and figure it out on their own, but if she tells the truth, their reaction will be possibly even worse. In the end, they will reprimand Anakin, possibly even punish him for not supervising his padawan, like at all? She actually had a special love for messing with her master, but this wouldn’t be funny anymore, and Anakin would take it as a betrayal... There was also the one percent possibility that the council would actually decide to choose her another, more experienced master. She didn’t even want to think about that possibility. Her master was at best annoying, yet he was mostly positively annoying... Is that even a thing? Her long line of thoughts was interrupted as the queen and Anakin finally finished their ridiculous flirt session, finally. She looked up as the queen began to give orders.
“Guards show Lars Quell to a first class guest room. Order the slaves to bring him food and drink whenever he desires so.” — With that said, the queen turned back towards Anakin and added almost purringly. — “In the evening hours, I hope to see you in the garden. We will discuss the price of your slave in the company of excellent food and fine wine prepared by my palace chef.”
“There is no need. I wish to gift this one to you, my queen.” — Answered Anakin.
“I appreciate your offer, Lars Quell. Although, I have to deny it, I have long had learned that the things without a price are the ones that we usually pay with the most.”
The woman’s smile faltered as she called out for her servant.
“Nizzy!”
“Yes, mistress?”
The woman’s gaze momentarily focused on Ahsoka as if she had just remembered about her existence.
“I leave this... wild togruta in your care for now. Take her to Eqomu for a reevaluation. Also, teach her some basic manners. Her hateful looks, although amusing, they will get bothersome later. We have to stifle them early on. Otherwise, it would hinder her potential as a proper slave.”
Nizzal hesitated for a second before answering in a neutral tone. One that irked Ahsoka to no end and earned the twi’lek a harsh glare from both the queen and Ahsoka.
“I understand, mistress.” — She said eventually, avoiding both of their eyes.
“Emma will take your shift by my side today, so you will have the time to show around the recent addition.”
“I understand, mistress. I won’t disappoint you.”
“I would expect nothing less. Now, get out of my sight. I need to prepare myself for a dinner.”
Nizzal bowed hastily, then grabbed Ahsoka’s arm and began to drag her back to the throne room. Then through the richly decorated corridors, only to enter a just as beautiful room that had a small balcony of its own. The room had quite a few colorful plants and flowers, luxuriously decorating it. There was even a corner with a high-class computer and a few other electronic gadgets, which were in different states of assembling.
Ahsoka didn’t know what they were doing in such a room. She was kind of shocked that she just dragged her here, suddenly. Without any words or explanation. She looked at her friend’s face questioningly. To her surprise, the twi’lek girl was panicking? Did she drag her here without any plan or further thoughts? She almost chuckled at the thought and quickly decided to help her out.
“So... whose room is this?” — Ahsoka asked that was most relevant to their predicament. She wasn’t going to talk about sensitive things in some random zyggerian noble’s room.
“Mine...” — Came the answer, an answer that immediately diverted her thoughts from their initial track.
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“What? Are you joking?” — She blurted out her thoughts without thinking them through. The whole situation felt absurd.
“No... It’s really mine.” — The girl answered again.
A heavy silence stretched between the two before Ahsoka spoke up again.
“Okay... It looks nice.” — She squeezed the words out with some effort.
What was going on here? Ahsoka's mind whirled in silence, attempting to figure out how a simple slave could live in such a luxurious room.
“Thanks! I like it too.” — Nizzal answered with a small smile. One that managed to frustrate Ahsoka even more.
‘I swear that it’s not that I am jealous or something, but she has a ten times bigger room than mine in the order, with a damn balcony while she is a slave... Something isn’t right here… okay fine... maybe I am a bit jealous, but this doesn’t make any sense…’ — Ahsoka thought internally attempting and failing to understand what was going on.
While she tried to figure it out, the awkward silence stretched on.
“So... you and Skywalker... what are you planning to do here?” — Nizzal asked eventually, seeing how her friend was suddenly lost in her thoughts.
Asoka raised one of her eyebrows at that. — ‘Was she trying to figure out our mission? That would be the bluntest spying attempt, like ever.’ — She wondered. This question also frustrated her to no end, as if Nizzal was suggesting that they were troubling her with their presence. Ahsoka felt as if something that was suppressed from the shock of seeing her dearly missed friend finally snapped inside her. She began to speak with her emotions slowly lashing out, raising her words far above of the volume that was originally intended.
“Is this… Is this seriously the first thing you ask of me after all this time? YOU STUPID TWI’LEK!”
Said twi’lek winced at that, but Ahsoka was far from finished.
“Do you know how long I waited to find you? I was worried for you. I just wanted to know that you are at least alive and maybe healthy, but you just disappeared like you never even existed.” — Ahsoka took a few ragged breaths then continued with her rant.
“Now, I find you as the servant of a slaver queen living in a luxury palace while growing flowers? Only to be questioned about my presence here? Why are you here?! IDIOT! You didn’t even give me a hug after two entire years! And why do you look the same as two years ago? This is just so confusing!”
Ahsoka sensed as two small hands hesitantly offered her a shy hug. All that while Nizzal was making an extremely uncomfortable expression, her cheeks reddening from a fresh sense of shame.
Ahsoka froze for a second, then basically jumped at her old friend, giving her a real tight hug. Threatening to suffocate the now smaller girl. It was at that time when her hands accidentally found a cylinder-shaped object hidden inside the smaller twi’lek’s robes.
Her eyes snapped open as she brushed over the object once again, this time intentionally.
‘Is that a lightsaber? How could she, as a slave, have a lightsaber?’ — Ahsoka wondered silently, as she broke away from the hug while agilely slipping out the object from Nizzal’s robes, which action no doubt surprised the other girl, seeing how her eyes widened at the sight of her weapon in her friend’s hands.
There was a moment of silence as the two girls shared a look of uncertainty.
“I was right... you actually have a lightsaber on you.” — Ahsoka stated in growing confusion.
She activated the blade with the intention of testing its functionality. As it came to life, it was indeed the same silver color, with the dark gray shadows dancing around its edge. The same as she remembered.
There was another moment of silence. Then Ahsoka blurted out her question.
“Nizzy... are you working for the queen, for a slaver on your own accord? I cannot explain you having access to your blade in any other way…” — She demanded an answer.
“Well, of course I am working for her, since I am one of her handmaidens… On my own accord? Nah… I am not that bored, nor that masochistic.”
Ahsoka looked on with a strict gaze, expecting more explanation. Nizzal, seeing the way her friend looked at her, sighed and gave in. — “Look, you see this collar? It’s beskar. I can’t cut it even with a lightsaber. Quite frankly, she grabbed me by my tail… I can’t escape on my own. If I want to live, that is.”
Ahsoka thought about it, but instead of accepting Nizzal’s reasoning, she felt an urge to further question her friend. Something didn’t sit well with her story and it still wouldn’t explain why she had a lightsaber. It sounded like an awful risk for any slaver to allow a trained force sensitive to have access to such a weapon.
“Oh, really... And how many of the other slaves have their own lightsabers? Just don’t say that each of the slaves has one, because what I saw in the city on the way to the palace doesn’t make that statement believable.” — Ahsoka stated sarcastically.
Ahsoka waited for a proper explanation while crossing her arms over her chest, yet the only thing she got was Nizzal’s worried expression as she bit into her lower lip anxiously.
“Sigh... I am waiting for a detailed explanation girl, don’t just stand there like a fish out of water! Oh, and don’t try to stretch the time. I have learned a few new tricks since I last saw you. The result of our duel would be quite different now, especially since I got your only weapon here.” — Ahsoka looked at Nizzal’s face. She was giving her a doubtful expression, but more importantly… Why was she so damn small? She truly didn’t change at all in these two years.
‘I am bigger, with an entire head now. It is weird. I think even Rika is taller than her now. — Ahsoka turned off the silver lightsaber on a whim and added the following words as a snide remark with the intention of ruffling Nizzal’s feathers a bit.
“On second thought, probably not a good idea. It would feel like bullying a helpless little kid. Isn’t that right, shorty?”
The moment those words left her mouth, Ahsoka immediately knew that she had managed to get under her skin! She was giving her that stare, after all.
“So why are you so damn small, anyway? You didn’t even grow a millimeter over two years. Are you a dwarf? I have nothing against dwarfs, of course, but not growing at your age isn’t normal. So what will it be? Should I call you Miss Shortiness, or Oh Short One from now on?”
Nizzal was fuming at the time. Her eyes even flickered with a yellow hue for a second. Ahsoka was starting to worry that her lessons on how to rile up your enemy might have been too effective for her own good. All thanks to her dear master. At least if Grandmaster Yoda asks, what is Anakin’s specialty? She could say proudly that he was a master of snide remarks and well versed in all types of word-fu.
While Ahsoka’s mind wandered around, she kept a close watch on the angry twi’lek’s movements. In the end, she decided that the girl needed one last tiny little push.
“So what is it, shorty?” — Ahsoka chirped and was rewarded with the outburst of the infuriated lass.
“Stop calling me like that! I am not short, it’s normal for my age!” — She stomped cutely on the carpet covered floor.
“You know, you told me that two years ago, and I agreed, but now, this excuse is getting kind of ridiculous.” — Ahsoka shot back without a blink of an eye.
Nizzal turned beet red from hearing that.
“NO, IT’S NOT! Nothing really changed, on my part, that is…” — She admitted at last. — “I am still the same age as I was back then.”
Ahsoka raised her eyebrows at that... This joke was getting out of hand, she thought.
“Shorty... I hate to be the one to say this, but you are delusional.” — She stated.
“NO! Let me finish! It didn’t change for me specifically, because...”
“Oh, for the love of the force, please just don’t say that you are a vampire... That would be hella cringe!” — Ahsoka said teasingly.
“What? No, why would you even suggest...” — She sighed, slowly, just realising that she was intentionally riled up. — “I hate you sometimes…”
Ahsoka chuckled at that. — “I guess, the feeling is mutual than!”
Nizzal looked sad hearing that, and it made Ahsoka wanting to take back that last retort, only it was too late to do so as the other girl sighed dejectedly and continued her explanation.
“... Well, I guess I can see your point, kind of... nevermind. It’s because I was frozen in carbonite until two weeks ago... when the queen bought me, and I was freed from hibernation. Ironically, when I finally awoke in this room, I was already collared and shackled, so I didn’t have much of a choice, really... I changed a smaller prison for a bigger one... At least I am conscious here, but I think that exact fact is not always positive.”
When she said that, she subconsciously massaged the inner side of her wrists and forearms. Ahsoka could swear that she saw a glint of an ugly injury that filled her with a sense of righteous fury just before the girl hastily covered it up with those long sleeves of her clothes.
She felt shaken by the new turn of events. Realizing that the girl didn’t have a chance to leave her a message in this whole two years. This also explained many other things about her disappearance. After all, people may lie low for a while, but they never disappear completely, not if they are alive, and that thought was somewhat troubling.
“I still can’t seem to understand why you act like a scared little girl and not get the hell away from here? You almost escaped from the Jedi Order? Then you actually managed to escape from that highly secured prisoner transporter ship. Which was guarded by Master Kenobi. How did you even manage to do that in the first place? And now, you have a lightsaber on you and didn’t even try to get away. Why?”
The pouting girl proceeded to pull on the strangely shining collar placed around her neck. It immediately sent a spark of electricity through her, resulting in a subdued groan.
The room was once again filled in a bit of awkward silence.
“Ah, yeah, that stuff… Did you actually try to cut it off, or were you so gullible to believe the queen’s words on face value?”
Nizzal seemed to be surprised by this question, and she answered hesitantly. — “I, ugh… She wouldn’t give me the saber if she wasn’t entirely sure that I can’t cut it off. That’s just common sense.” — She protested, and Ahsoka rolled her eyes, realizing that the girl in fact didn’t try to cut it off.
Soka reactivated Nizzal’s borrowed lightsaber, with the clear intention to remedy that, but to her surprise, the other girl jumped away from her. She was afraid.
“Don’t you dare to do that. You will cut off my head accidentally.” — She protested while backing away.
“What? How rude. I am a Jedi Padawan, and three years older than you. That means I have three more years of experience. Now stop backing away!”
“Stop, it’s not that I don’t trust you... but you can’t cut this collar off!”
“Oh, so you have already tried?”
“Well... no, but...”
“Then move your ass over here!”
“You can’t cut it, it’s made from beskar didn’t you pay any attention to what I told you! So put down that damn blade already.”
“Oh... and how do you know it’s really made from beskar?”
“I don’t know for sure, but it looks like beskar, it’s weight seems to be correct and even if you managed to cut it off, somehow, where would I go? I am on a completely unfamiliar planet. Where almost any twi’lek is considered being a slave immediately, I would stick out from the crowd way too much. I at least need some feasible plans first. So chill out!”
“Well, you may have a point there... But that still doesn’t explain why you have your lightsaber?”
“Sigh... I am the secret guard of the queen... I need to have a weapon to protect her...” — The girl admitted at last.
“... What? You are protecting that woman? Are you crazy?” — Was the expected answer from Ahsoka’s side.
“I am not... sigh... I am forced to do so! Can’t you see?”
“What I see is that you are living a comfortable life in a palace while you very comfortably ignore the injustice, the cruelty of these slavers objectifying life left and right, while you are growing flowers and playing video games!”
“What am I supposed to do?” — The girl throws up her arms in frustration. — “Teach them of their uncivilised evil ways? Ahsoka, these zygerrians were slavers thousands of years ago, and they will be slavers thousands of years from now. It is their instinct to enslave others. You may manage to swing a few to your goal, but they won’t change only if you force them to, and at the moment the enforcement falters, they will go back to their original ways.”
“How would you know that so sure? Even if you had visions from the force, those visions could change. They only show a likely possibility, not a certainty.” — Ahsoka argued back.
“Believe me, I know it. I have seen it happen... In the past.”
“How would you see something like that? Were you frozen in carbonite other times, too? Is that how you go on a weekend in your order?”
“No... don’t mind that...”
“Another secret than?”
“It’s… complicated….”
“For the love of the force, tell me, how old are you? Tell me, or I won’t talk to you ever again.” — Ahsoka demanded, enraged by her friend once again hiding things from her.
“... Don’t act like a child, please...” — Nizzal pleaded weakly.
Alas, Ahsoka decided to ignore her completely, and for once pull through on her threat.
Of course, Nizzal tried to weaken her resolve with different types of questions and distractions. She even offered her a slice of cake at one point. It only enraged her, further solidifying her decision.
‘Seriously? A slice of cake that was her best shot? She was definitely looking down on me. I am not that goofy child from two years ago, and you will see it!’ — Ahsoka swore to herself.