Again and again, the terrible torture continued. Filthy, dirty hands with black nails. Sweaty and clinging. As if created solely to cause pain. Again and again, they grabbed her fragile shoulders, pressing her tightly against the wall, preventing her from escaping. Any attempt ended with an electric shock delivered through a collar that blocked the Force, and thus any chance of escape.
And these hands, knowing this, continued to grope her young body, lingering especially on her breasts, squeezing them with their clinging fingers, pinching her nipples. Quickly and trembling slightly with excitement and lust, they tear off her tunic, almost ripping it apart. Then one hand begins to lustfully grope between her legs, slipping under her thin leggings and through them into her very soul, smearing it with filth that can never be washed off. And now, considering the preparatory stage complete, the tormentor pushes his victim onto a pile of prickly hay and, breathing heavily, falls on top of him, having previously unbuttoned his trousers. Just a little more, just a second, and this vile offspring will be inside. The victim makes a last attempt to defend himself, covering himself with his hands and begging desperately:
"No, don't, I beg you, no..."
But all she gets in response is a slap, and a moment later, her entire being is pierced by a sharp pain, the worst pain in the world. Moans of despair escape from her swollen lips, and new blows rain down on them, silencing her. And so it always is. Many times. And today is not the last.
"No, please don't," Asoka sobbed for the umpteenth time.
"Come on, what's wrong? Wake up. It's just a bad dream, nothing more," the soft, soothing voice burst into the terrible world of her nightmare.
Togruta opened her eyes and returned to the peaceful tranquillity of Shaak Ti's little house. She realised that it wasn't Robert who had raped her again. The reason for all the pain was the pain left over from giving birth to his child.
No, it was just horrible to have given birth to a child of such a scoundrel. To defile herself by the mere fact that he had touched her. Nothing could be worse. After this, Asoka was not only unworthy of being a Jedi, but even of existing in this galaxy! However, Master Shaak Ti thought quite differently, and when Asoka clung to her arm, terrified by her disturbing dream, she simply hugged her and, pressing her against her rather large chest, began to speak words of comfort:
"Don't be afraid, it's just a bad dream. You have a high temperature, that's why you're seeing all these horrible things, but don't worry, nothing will happen to you. You're here now, with us, and we won't let anyone hurt you. Me, Mace, the children...
The impression of the nightmare gradually faded, and the Togruta began to calm down. Robert is dead. She herself had seen him fall and the blood gushing from his broken temple flooding his ugly, hideous face. He is no longer in this world. He will never come back and dare touch Asoka again.
Filled with gratitude, Tano dropped her heavy head onto Shaak Ti's chest, and when she had calmed down and was almost asleep, the older Togruta gently moved her younger companion onto a pillow. It was old and lumpy, but to Tano it seemed softer than down, for the last few months her bed had been the floor of the ship or even the grass under the open sky. But now Shaak Ti held her hand in hers, and the girl began to drift away on the dark waves of sweet oblivion.
***
The next day, Asoka woke up to the quiet clatter of cutlery in the next room, which now seemed to be serving as a kitchen. Something was clinking merrily, and energetic voices could be heard in time with the sound. It was Shaak Ti, who, without distracting herself from cooking, was talking to one of the younglings, either asking him for something or persuading him.
Asoka was now fully awake and, stirring, turned her head to the right. There, not far from her, watching her intently, sat a short Talotian girl of about twelve in a traditional headdress with multiple tassels. Her blue eyes looked kindly at the dark and always slightly shy face. And before Tano knew who it was, the girl shouted loudly towards the kitchen, so that Asoka almost jumped:
"Master Ty, she's awake!
"Do as I told you," Shaak Ti replied from behind the door. "I can't come now.
Then the girl turned again and, looking at the frightened Togrutta, decided to introduce herself again, just in case:
"Hello, I'm Katuni.
"And I'm Ahsoka," the girl introduced herself mechanically, forcing the words out of her sore throat. "I recognise you.
"Me too," Katuni replied. "Master Shaak Ti said during morning training that if we called you 'She Who Came From the Forest' again, she would personally box our ears. Do you want something to eat?" she asked without thinking.
"No, not yet," said Asoka, listening to herself. "I'm very thirsty, though."
"That's right," Katuni said happily. "Master Ti said you need to drink as much water as possible because you had a fever. I brought a whole bottle especially for you."
It seemed that here, in this makeshift camp of survivors, life was accepted as it was. However, Asoka was a little embarrassed when Katuni began to fuss over her; she was not used to being the centre of attention. But the girl calmly and kindly, without any servility, placed a basin of warm water in front of Asoka. Then, taking two towels, she offered to help her wash. Tano was completely embarrassed, but she had to accept the help, as she clearly did not have enough strength to cope with the task herself. When everything was finished, Katuni, without a trace of reproach, calmly and impassively poured the water out of the window of the hut. Later that day, when all the Jedi's main tasks had been completed, Shaak Ti came into the room to check on her unwitting charge and see if there had been any deterioration.
"Well, the bleeding has slowed down," she said after finishing her examination. "It looks like you won't have any problems conceiving, but you'd better stay in bed for a few days.
The woman spoke bluntly and frankly. There was nothing offensive or malicious in her words, but Ahsoka was terribly ashamed of such examinations. Although it was strange that she could still feel embarrassed, considering how she had been living lately. Perhaps the skills and manners that had been instilled in her by the Order before... that is, before Tano returned to her homeland, continued to live on in her despite everything.
After all, when she returned to a place she hadn't been to in fourteen years, Asoka couldn't even imagine how her home had changed. Or rather, that her home, the Tano family home, no longer existed. She didn't know that her father had died and that her mother had remarried a farmer and moved in with him. It took the girl a lot of effort to find the farm and then to be horrified by what it turned out to be. Dirt, chaos and complete moral freedom. Everyone around knew who lived there, and since Asoka was now there too, the reputation of the farm's owners now extended to her as well.
Dirty jokes and shouts were directed at her and her mother when they went to the market for groceries. Asoka couldn't hear the words, but she could tell from the expressions on their faces and the movements of their lips that they were offensive. And every time, her whole being wanted to rush towards the mockers and convince them that she and her mother were not like the Hogarths, the father and son who owned the farm.
But who would believe her, a ragged girl, a fugitive Jedi, expelled from the Order on charges of a serious crime, whose innocence was also being questioned here? This meant that in the eyes of her fellow villagers, she was just like the Hogarths and had the same reputation, which meant she deserved to be mocked just as much as they did.
But apparently, not everyone thought that way, and not everyone judged him just because of what they saw. For example, Shaak Ti and Windu. They seemed completely oblivious to Tano's worn-out clothes and did not even condemn her for giving birth to a child out of wedlock. They treated her as if she were still a member of the Order and their comrade who had simply fallen on hard times.
But Asoka herself no longer felt the same as before, even though she wanted to with all her heart. She knew that it would take a very long time to wash away the stain left on her soul by the Hogarths. And she would do it, even if it cost her her life.
***
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