Clouded by the Dark Side

Chapter 59 - Prison Break

Ahsoka Tano

I don't know how long I've been in here, but it's probably after nightfall. Where is Anakin? Why hasn't he come here yet? For that matter, how long are they planning to hold me in here? What even is going to happen now? I've never been in a situation like this before, and I have no idea how to handle it. Anakin and I break out of Separatist prisons all the time, but this is different.

I stand up, pacing across the cell, stopping in my tracks at the sight of a small object lying right within my sight on a ledge outside of the prison cell. "A key card?" I whisper aloud to myself.

Of course. I should have known Anakin would do something to get me out of here, because there's no one else who would have put that key card there. I've broken out of Separatist prisons enough times. Now shouldn't be any different. Once I do get out of here and meet up with him again, maybe then we can figure out what we're going to do next. Likely he already has something in mind, or he wouldn't have done that in the first place. Did Aniya get one of these too, or was it just me? I'm not going to wait around to find out.

Reaching out with the Force, I lift the card off the ledge, maneuvering it into the lock. The ray shield immediately deactivates.

Throwing a brief glance around to make sure no guards are in sight, I slip out into the hall. I don't know where Aniya's cell is, but it shouldn't be hard to find. The rest of the cells to the end of the hall, to where I turn towards the exit are open, so she might be at the other end, provided she isn't already out, which she probably is.

I sprint down the hallway as silently as I can, rounding the corner to see three clones lying on the floor, dead or nearly so. Only one of them is still moving a little.

What – what?! I slam to an abrupt stop as I take in the scene. What happened here? Whoever did this, it was definitely not Anakin. There was a fight, and it wasn't pleasant.

Something glints on the floor, and I dart forwards to see my lightsabers and comm lying there. The green light on my comm flashes, indicating it's currently connected to another.

I reach down, picking it up. "Hello? Who is this? Why are you helping me?"

The call promptly disconnects.

I hear sudden movement, and whirl around to see Aniya approaching from behind me. "What's happening?" she hisses. "Why aren't you in your cell, and – what?!" She freezes, a wave of horror crashing off her as she stares at the motionless clones.

"Someone left a key card outside my cell," I explain hastily, "I thought it must've been Anakin, but when I came here..."

Aniya steps over to one of the clones, the one still partly conscious. "What happened?" she asks urgently. He loses consciousness before he can answer, if he even heard.

Right on cue, the door to the hall suddenly slides open, and Fox steps into the hall, taking a startled step back. "What's going on here?" he demands sharply, only making me realize all over again how incriminating we look, standing here over a group of unconscious and likely injured clones.

"It wasn't us!" I cry in protest, but he isn't listening. He runs over to the controls, hitting the alarm button.

No. No. Any sense of reasoning abandons me, and I bolt. Aniya is close behind, grabbing her lightsaber with the Force as we run past where Fox is and continue down the hall.

We race around another corner, ducking around two droids in the middle of the hall as we go, only to come face to face with four other clones. I whirl around, promptly bolting the opposite direction.