69

                                    

                                          
Ahsoka was sick of being captured. She sat in the small hold, arms wrenched uncomfortably behind her back, wrapped around a pole and tied to keep her from moving. Force blocking cuffs kept her from reaching out telepathically, either to the force or Rex. It terrified her, the big empty gap where his light had been. Hondo paced back and forth in front of her, clicking his tongue. 
                          
"Ahsoka, dear, you should have simply handed the crystals while you had the chance. Now I'm afraid I have to drive a harder bargain." He said, his voice somewhere between sarcasm and remorse. Ahsoka said nothing, opting for a predatory growl low in her throat instead. One of the pirates glanced at him. 
                          
"Is she feral or something?" He asked, edging away from her. Ahsoka slid her fangs out of her sheaths and wondered if her venom worked on weequey. 
                          
"I don't know, cut me loose and let's find out." She snarled, nearly jerking her arms out of her sockets to lunge forward and snap at him. The man yelped and fell backward with an undignified scream. Ahsoka laughed, and surprisingly the pirates joined in, laughing at their frightened crew mate. 
                          
"You do have your master's spirit, little one." Hondo tutted, chuckling. Ahsoka extended her fangs a little farther and clamped own on her venom sacks so the sickly greenish-white fluid beaded up and dripped onto the floor beneath her. He sighed. "Please, put those pretty little things away. Your venom has no effect on us." 
                          
"No, but they're sharp, and I bet if I used them to slice your jugular they'd kill efficiently." She spat and struggled at her bonds again. For all her words and wishes, she would have a hard time carrying out those threats. Her head was aching from the lack of connection to the force and from her cold. She shivered slightly. 
                          
Hondo knelt in front of her and grasped her jaw roughly, forcing her head up to meet his gaze. His breath was hot and fetid on her cheek. "Listen, young one, I'll make you a deal. You cooperate like the good girl that you are and don't fight me, and I leave your friends in tact." He said softly. Ahsoka's lip twitched as she jerked her head away. 
                          
"Fine. One one condition." She growled. Hondo raised an eyebrow. "No cages. Restrain me any way you wish, but no cages." Hondo threw his head back and laughed. 
                          
"Alright, miss Tano, I accept your terms." He stood and turned back to the crew. "What are you looking at?  Back to work, you lazy lumps. Or it'll be no alcohol for a week." He roared. "And Gerick," He called up the the helm of the ship. "Set a course for home." 
                          
The pirates ignored Ahsoka for the rest of her ride, except for one who shoved a plate of water and lukewarm mystery meat at her, leaving it on the floor with the snide remark of "If you growl like an animal you can stand to eat like one."
                          
Ahsoka wasn't hungry. Her head pounded in time with her heart beat and she was shivering much harder now. She must've dozed off sometime, because she was rudely awoken to a pirate kicking her in the side. Tied up as she was, she had no way to evade his blows. He drew a vibroblade and cut her binds. She fell forward onto all fours and struggled to get up. The pirate lost his patience and dragged her up by the curve of her montral. Pain lanced through her head and she cried out. 
                          
The pirate laughed. "Next time it's the head tails, girl." Ahsoka gasped and stumbled as he dragged her. He took her too this strange contraption that lit up blue around her. Her hands were bound in front of her, but that didn't matter. She couldn't move from the next down anyways. This was so, so much worse than a cage. 
                          
Hondo stood in front of her, sneering down at her. "Now be a good jedi and stay there. Your master will come and then I'll have two jedi to ransom off." He smiled down at her. Ahsoka made an effort to raise her head to glare at him. It wasn't easy. 
                          
"Only my master? Good. He might leave some of your crew alive because of jedi crap. My friend on the ship has no such qualms." She gasped. Hondo tutted. 
                          
"The clone? I'm sure my men could handle a single soldier, even if he does have a lightsaber. I wonder, where'd he get it?" The pirate asked. Ahsoka paled even more. They knew about his weapon. 
                          
"It was a gift." She lied, hoping it was a good one. Hondo shook his head. 
                          
"A gift eh? From who?" He smiled cruely. Ahsoka curled her lip and spat on the ground. 
                          
"That's classified. GAR secret information." She growled. Hondo reached to his belt and pulled out a little device ended in two spines that crackled with electricity. He smiled. 
                          
"I find that sometimes, information can be as valuable as money or spice. Don't make me use this." He flicked it down at her, catching her lekku for a brief second. Her vision whited out momentarily as she screamed. Once she could see again, she hung her head, coughing and gasping. Her throat, already sore, burned. She stared up at the pirate with as much intensity as she could muster. 
                          
"I don't break that easy." She croaked, but her mind was already dreading the coming pain. Hondo smirked. 
                          
"Nor do I expect you too. You know what? Keep your secrets. Now that I think about it, I hear the new secret sith lord for the CIS has deep pockets and that he would like to get his hands on you." The pirate stood up and walked away, letting her hand there. She ducked her head, watching the room until there was nobody left to see the tears streaking her cheeks, both from sickness and terror.