Wartorn

Chapter 14 - Mystery Weapons

Author's Note: I hope y'all are enjoying the story! :) I'm curious to hear everyone's thoughts/opinions about the direction this is going. :D

~ Amina Gila

Ahsoka has never hated bugs quite as much as she does now. It doesn't help that their constantly flapping wings, when there's hundreds of them in here, is seriously annoying her montrals. They're nonstop chattering is also driving her up the wall, almost literally, given that she's currently chained to it, a distance above the Queen's throne.

Because apparently, the Geonosians have a queen.

She doesn't know if it's better or worse that she also knows Anakin is never going to listen to her warning to stay away. He'd contacted her again, and the signal had been fading in and out, but it was enough for her to yell at him not to come after.

The bugs smashed her comm before she could say anything more, and that in and of itself is reason to know that he's not going to stop searching until he finds her. And she has no idea what the bugs have going on here, but it's obviously something they're fully confident will be able handle whatever Jedi come. There's something more going on, and she's not sure what.

But she has the distinct feeling it has something to do with those worms the other Geonisans are taking from the Queen. What even are those things? Some type of larva?

It's then she feels a slight shift in the Force, the way it always burns and brightens when Anakin's approaching. Of course, he's coming.

Except, the first person to step into the room isn't Anakin – it's Luke.

"You Skyguys never listen to orders, do you," Ahsoka calls, twisting a little in the restraints. She hates being trapped here.

Thankfully, Jai is elsewhere – he's the least skilled of all of them. She wouldn't want him to be in this mess, which he undoubtedly would be if he were here. They've only known each for a couple years, but they're... close. Having a padawan gave her a new understanding of how Anakin must've felt towards her, even if for him, she thinks he saw her more as his child than a padawan. There is a difference, even if she doesn't really know what it is – she shouldn't be closer to anyone than master and padawan, anyway.

Even if her connection to Anakin definitely runs deeper than that.

"Only when they make sense," Luke replies, lightly.

"I believe our degrees of sensibleness and stupidity are very different," Ahsoka huffs.

"You are the creatures who attacked Geonosis," the Queen snarls, "Why have you come before me?"

"You attacked us first," Luke retorts, and off to the side, Ahsoka can see the clones silently entering the room, taking up positions behind the bugs. They're planning something – or at least they better have a better plan than this, because they're hopelessly outnumbered.

"You have tried to destroy our planet, but you will fail. My empire is forever," she snarls. The way she talks makes Ahsoka very badly want to cough or clear her throat. How can a living being sound so hoarse? That shouldn't even be possible.

"It doesn't seem that way to me," Luke responds, standing his ground. He doesn't look the slightest bit scared, which is impressive for someone not raised a Jedi, if Ahsoka's being honest. Anakin is training him well, despite his concerns. "Geonosis has almost been defeated. If you surrender, the Republic's judgment might not be as harsh."

"No, Jedi, no," she retorts.

"I'm not a Jedi – "

"I destroy you," she hisses, "I no submit to you. I control you. I devour you. Before I had but one Jedi, but now I have three."