Daughter of Mortis

Unhinged

Altar of Mortis episodes: Star Wars The Clone Wars, Season 3 Episodes 15-17

      Ania blinked her eyes open, slowing becoming aware of herself. Her vision blurred, then cleared slightly. She looked around, every movement seeming to hurt. Ania glanced at her wrists. They were shackled together in a pair of iron cuffs. She glanced at her feet, which were also shackled, although only at the ankles.

     Ania eyed the base of the hut. It was obviously a portable one. The ground was dirt cleared of grass and there were small cracks between the hut and the ground. Ania quickly screwed her eyes shut as someone entered the hut. She cast her senses out, watching the events around her through the Force.

    Pain hammered in her skull and her eyes flew open again. The blue haired boy stood over her, eyeing her warily. "Good. You're awake. Ahsoka wants to see you."

    "Ahsoka?" Slowly, the memories came flooding back to her and Ania drew her knees up under her chin. The Force rippled off her in small tides.

    "Woah. Kanan wasn't kidding when he said your presence was strong." His blue eyes were wide with amazement and a small amount of admiration.

    Ania gulped, her chest heaving with small amounts of panic. What is going on? I never panic! She drew in long deep breaths, before turning to the boy. "Who are you?"

    "I think you should tell me your name first, seeing as you're my prisoner," he arched his eyebrow cockily.

    "Commander Ania Tano." There was no use in lying to him. She would have to erase herself anyway, before Vader found her.

    "Ezra Bridger. You're Ahsoka's daughter, aren't you?"

    The visions began again. The brown haired man being shot on the ramp of a ship, a crying child, a Togruta woman, Ahsoka, being shot as Vader grabbed her child. Ania brought her iron clad hands up to her head and slammed them into it, knocking herself back onto the cot.

"Woah, woah! Hey!" Ezra leaned over her, eyes narrowed with concern. "Are you ok?"

Ania closed her eyes again, forcing down the building pressure within her. "I'm fine."

"It was a rhetorical question. You're clearly not fine. Come on. I'm taking you to Ahsoka. She'll know what to do." He moved as though he were going to help her.

Ania bared her teeth and shot up. "Don't touch me, rebel scum!" She hissed. "I can walk on my own!"

Ezra jumped back as though she had bitten him. He crossed his arms and glared back at her. "Fine, then. Get up and prove it."

Ania twisted herself so her feet hit the ground. She stood up, but took no steps. "I can't walk if my feet are bound," she pointed out.

"And I'm not keen to have you run away," Ezra retorted. He bent down to her feet and messed with the mechanisms in the locks. The magnetic seal came undone and her legs snapped free of each other. Ezra straightened, pointing a finger at her. "If you run or attack me, those locks will come back online and you won't be going anywhere."

"Don't worry, blue boy. I won't try to run." Ania strode confidently out of the hut, ignoring the pressure behind her temples.

Ezra prodded her in the back. Ania changed direction as he indicated. A girl dressed in Mandalorian armor walked past them. "Enjoying babysitting duty, Ezra?"

"Don't try it, Sabine," he replied through gritted teeth.

"It's your own fault. Kanan wouldn't have assigned you if you hadn't run off like that."