ã€ŠConsume the Force: A Star Wars Fanfictionã€‹


 Chapter 1: Something Other

    ¡°You¡¯re going down this time, Anakin!¡± The Togruta boy leapt forward and slashed out with an aggressive slash with his blade as he leapt forward in a burst of the force.

    Anakin laughed and blocked the strike with his own lightsaber and pushed outwards hard to push his opponents arm out of alignment and far to the side. The boy tried to recover, but stumbled slightly to the side as the momentum of his lunge forward threw him off balance.

    Anakin stuck out his foot and the boy tripped to the ground. Anakin raised his lightsaber and plunged it downwards it a quick strike as the Togruta tried to dodge the blow even from the ground as he used a burst of the force to sense the blow coming.

    Anakin used his own sense of the force to shift his strike to match his opponent''s twist and struck him directly in the chest.

    The Togruta hissed and fell to the ground limp as Anakin stood over him with his lightsaber in the boy¡¯s chest. Then he pressed the button on the side of his lightsaber and the plasma blade retreated back into the handle. Anakin hung his weapon back on his belt and brushed off his robes.

    ¡°Better luck next time, Felix.¡± he said smugly as he looked down, ¡°I told you that unconventional tactics win the day every time.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, tripping me Anakin? That hardly seems fair,¡± Felix complained as he sat up and rubbed the blackened spot singing the outer portions of his robes. While lightsabers were known to slice through durasteel, they could also be powered down to be no hotter than the average blowtorch. Their reinforced training robes were reinforced enough to resist that amount of heat, so they could spar freely so long as they were careful to avoid striking any of the sensitive areas.

    Anakin reached down and Felix clasped his hand and let Anakin help him up.

    ¡°Hey, it worked didn¡¯t it?¡± he said with a cocky smirk, ¡°Maybe you could learn a thing or two from the chosen one.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, don¡¯t rub it in,¡± Felix grumbled as he glanced around, ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here before Master Druman shows up. I don¡¯t think he¡¯d like us sparring out of the way here.¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think he does,¡± a calm voice said from the entrance to the dueling room in the Jedi temple, ¡°A most shameful display. Where is your training, the discipline, the serenity and peace of mind that you have been working towards in your time here? I should not be the one to tell you of your mistakes.¡±

    ¡°You saw it all, Master Druman?¡± Felix said as the both of them bowed to the bald human Jedi master covered in a network of blue tattoos over his whole body.

    ¡°I saw enough. Even through the force, I could feel it,¡± Master Druman said, ¡°Heightened emotions, recklessness, a complete disregard to your lightsaber forms. This is not what your Jedi masters have been teaching you in this temple.¡±

    They both bowed their heads, ¡°We were not seriously training, Master,¡± Anakin tried, ¡°It was just a game, nothing more. Of course we respect your teachings to the utmost.¡±

    The old traditionalists in the Jedi temple always liked it when Anakin said things like that to them. And they always went easy on him because he was supposedly the ¡®Chosen One¡¯ meant to bring ¡®Balance to the Force¡¯, whatever that meant. At least when it came time for actual punishments versus only harsh words.

    ¡°Improper training is improper training, no matter the setting,¡± Master Druman said, ¡°Especially with how you were both drawing on the force during your exchanges. You were not at peace and merged with the force, letting it guide your actions and movements in combat. Instead you were reveling in the thrill of combat. You must learn restraint, the loss of control is what leads to the dark side.¡±

    ¡°Yes, master,¡± both boys said. Felix looked suitably chastened and Anakin made sure to look the same as he bowed his head. But he couldn¡¯t feel shame for the spar with his friend. They had just been enjoying themselves. Master Druman was simply being too strict. Anakin knew how to calm himself and meditate as he¡¯d been taught ever since he¡¯d arrived at this place when he was nine. And his master Obi wan certainly enjoyed himself in their spars when ruthlessly exploiting the weaknesses in Anakin¡¯s form to improve himself. Why shouldn¡¯t Anakin be able to enjoy it too?

    ¡°Very well,¡± Master Druman said after a moment staring them down and making sure they felt the full weight of his gaze, ¡°I understand it is natural for boys of fourteen to feel this way. But it is control and mastery over our impulses that we seek. As Jedi we must rise above our emotions so that we can fully be one with the force and feel its will flow through us. You will not be punished this time, but any more duels must be overseen by a true master, even if you are using your blades at the minimal settings. Am I understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master Druman. We understand!¡± they both said before following the man out into the hallways of the jedi temple.

    ¡°I was sent for you, young Skywalker,¡± Master Druman said, ¡°Your master has called for you.¡±Stolen novel; please report.

    ¡°Master Kenobi is back?¡± Anakin asked, ¡°Returned from his mission?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he sent for you as soon as he arrived back,¡± Master Druman said with only the faintest whiff of disapproval detectable in his smooth tone.

    ¡°Bye Felix,¡± Anakin said with a wave to his Togruta friend, ¡°See you for training tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Bye Anakin. Later.¡±

    Anakin followed after Master Druman through the hallways of the Jedi temple, occasionally bowing his head and pointing his eyes at the floor when one of the masters walked by.

    It still made him feel strange, to act this way again willingly. When he had been a slave on Tatooine, it had burned at him the injustice to have to bow his head to bow his head and show respect to his owner Watto or any of the other citizens of the planet. Trotted out like a prized animal on display by Watto to impress one of his clients at the junkyard. The wonder human child who was a genius at fixing things up and even building droids and devices of his own at such a young age.

    Anakin¡¯s hand twitched slightly as his mood darkened as he reflected on the past. When was the last time he had built something with his hands since he came here? It was all Jedi training with the lightsaber and learning to use the Force. Learning to be a mechanic was nothing but a distraction from his training according to the masters.

    Had it only been five years that he had been here? It felt like forever. He barely even remembered what life back on Tatooine had been like. He bowed his head again and grandmaster Windu himself walked by, not looking at anyone as he strolled by presumably on important Jedi council business.

    Anakin reminded himself that this wasn¡¯t like how it was when he was a slave. These were the Jedi, bastions of peace and justice across the galaxy. They were training him in the force and how to be a Jedi himself. It was simply showing of respect, nothing more.

    He took a steady breath and cleared his thoughts as he had been trained to do. And in the place of his slightly sour mood, there was a rippling stillness that washed over his mind. The Force, always just below the surface and waiting for him to call upon it. Even if he couldn¡¯t keep his mind perfectly calm yet, he was getting better. Even now he could feel the power of the Force thrumming through him as he called upon it even as he walked next to Master Druman. Far more powerful and vibrant than it had been when he was nine and fighting on Naboo with old master Qui-gon Jinn before he was killed¡­

    ¡°Thank you for your time, Master Druman,¡± Anakin said with a slight bow as they reached their destination and the stoic man gestured towards the doors.

    ¡°Remember our teachings,¡± Master Druman warned, ¡°There is no emotion, there is only peace. Good Day, Padawan Skywalker.¡±

    He turned and left as Anakin reached out and opened the door to his chambers.

    Master Kenobi was sitting inside with his legs crossed on a cushion with his eyes closed, meditating.

    Master Kenobi ignored Anakin as he entered the room and softly closed the door behind him. Anakin quickly sat in a cushion placed opposite of his master and sat down on it and began meditating himself. It was difficult, but Master Kenobi had started insisting that Anakin do so whenever possible for the last year or so.

    They sat there together without speaking and letting the Force flow through them, Anakin in spurts and bursts like a clogged hose as his attention wavered while Master Kenobi in long steady streams as the master remained in alignment.

    ¡°Anakin,¡± Master Kenobi said after he opened his eyes, ¡°Tell me of your training. What has changed in the last few months?¡±

    Anakin began describing his training and his work on his lightsaber forms.

    ¡°Good, good,¡± Master Kenobi said, ¡°It seems that you are doing well. I have heard much the same from the other masters. You are progressing well. That is good, little lamb.¡±

    ¡°Master, can you tell me what this mission was that took so much time? Will you be staying for long?¡± Anakin asked, even if he frowned slightly at his master¡¯s odd phrasing at the end.

    ¡°What is it that you desire?¡± Master Kenobi asked as his eyes bored into Anakin with an intense gaze, ¡°Oh Chosen one, what would you choose to do without obligation? Without duty? With unbound limbs free to move, how would you squirm? Would you revel in your newfound freedom or wish for the comfort of the tight box around you once more?¡±

    ¡°Master?¡± Anakin asked uncertainly and shifted on his cushion, ¡°Are you alright? Do you need a healer? I can¡­¡±

    ¡°You will understand soon,¡± Master Kenobi said, ¡°Your master will not know, not see. You must be silent about me.¡±

    ¡°Master! What¡­¡±

    Anakin looked just over Master Kenobi¡¯s shoulder and saw something there. Or the absence of something. Everything living thrummed with the Force, was connected to it. But not whatever this thing was. Anakin reached down to his belt to draw his lightsaber, but he was too slow.

    In a burst of motion, Master Kenobi¡¯s body flew through the air and put a pair of strong hands around either side of Anakin¡¯s head with a strong grip as he kept staring intently at Anakin unerringly.

    The thing that Anakin knew was coiled around his master started to detach as Anakin drew his lightsaber from his belt and pressed it against his master¡¯s heart. But Master Kenobi didn¡¯t even react, just keeping Anakin¡¯s head in his tight grip as whatever invisible creature controlling him continued to peel itself off of the man¡¯s body.

    Anakin¡¯s hand trembled as his finger hovered over the ignition button of his blade. With one press of the button, his friend and Master Obi-wan would be dead as well as the creature. Anakin was sure somehow that the creature was bound to Obi-wan and that killing him would kill it as well.

    ¡°Do not,¡± Obi-wan¡¯s lips said, ¡°I only wish to assist you and your goals. Do not resist and your master will live on. He has not been harmed.¡±

    The words gave Anakin pause as the invisible creature finished whatever process it was performing. An instant was all that it needed. With a flash of motion, the creature flowed along Obi-wan¡¯s arms and before Anakin could react, plunged into his body.

    Anakin felt Obi-wan¡¯s hands fall from his head as the man¡¯s body went limp. Anakin felt the Force within him reacting to the intruder integrating with his body. Then in a burst of strange power unlike that Anakin had ever felt before, he fell unconscious and slumped to the floor right next to his master as the creature within settled into place within him.

 Chapter 2: An Uninvited Guest

    Anakin woke up to hear the beeps and chirps of medical equipment around him. He sat up slightly and looked around in confusion to see that he was in one of the private rooms at the hospital wing of the Jedi temple. What had happened?

    Anakin shook his head and cleared the fog in his mind. He¡¯d been sparring with Felix, Master Druman had interrupted them, then he¡¯d been summoned by Obi-wan¡­

    And then the creature. What was it¡­

    As if summoned by the thought, a strange creature appeared in front of Anakin as if it had always been sitting there at the end of the hospital bed.

    It appeared as if to be a human eyeball the size of Anakin¡¯s head with a yellow and orange iris. Surrounding the central eyeball was a mass of blue tentacles like that of an octopus. It was currently standing on over eight of the tentacles while the others on its upper portion and back waved around as if floating in water. The eyeball was staring directly at Anakin as he sat there frozen in the bed.

    ¡°I apologize for the rude introduction,¡± a voice said from nowhere, ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure how much longer I could last without discovery in the heart of the Jedi temple. I needed to get into your body before I was captured by a wandering Jedi grandmaster.¡±

    ¡°Enter my body?!¡± Anakin said, ¡°Get out! I don¡¯t want a thing like you in here!¡±

    ¡°Hey, hey,¡± the creature said and darted to the side as Anakin flailed and tried to hit it with his hand, ¡°Look, look. We can make a deal! Just calm down, I¡¯ll leave if you really want me to after we¡¯ve talked. I have plenty to offer you in exchange for taking up residence. No, co-residence. I¡¯ll pay rent, and you¡¯ll barely even know that I¡¯m there!!¡±

    Anakin paused halfway from raising his hand again to slap at the creature again.

    ¡°You¡¯ll leave if I ask?¡± Anakin said, ¡°Then do it! Get out of my body!¡±

    ¡°Look, it¡¯s not that simple,¡± the creature said, ¡°I need a Force user, something powerful enough. A beast or something maybe if you don¡¯t want to do a sentient being. I need something to transfer into, so we¡¯re stuck together at least until then.¡±

    Anakin curled his hand into a fist and punched at the creature again in anger. He was surprised when his hand passed right through the thing and hit the metal end of the hospital bed painfully.

    Anakin hissed and retracted his hand and shook it out as pins and needles ran up his arm.

    ¡°I¡¯m not really here,¡± the creature said, ¡°It¡¯s just a projection in your mind. Focus on me, you¡¯ll be able to tell.¡±

    Anakin squinted at the creature, and as he did he realized that it looked wrong somehow. He didn¡¯t know how exactly, but he knew that the creature in front of him was fake. It wasn¡¯t through the Force, that familiar feeling of it giving him knowledge and guidance on something¡­ It was different than that. Like it was from him rather than something outside.

    ¡°See?¡± the creature said, ¡°No use hitting me.¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯d you dodge then?¡±

    ¡°Seemed fun.¡±

    Anakin hesitated, but then put his hands back down at his sides.

    ¡°What do you want then?¡± he asked, ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I tell the masters about you? I¡¯m sure they¡¯d find a way to get you out of me. What did you do to Obi-wan?¡±

    ¡°Obi-wan is fine,¡± the creature said with a dismissive wave of a few of its tentacles, ¡°He won¡¯t remember anything about his trip until he arrived here. But other than that he¡¯s the same as he ever was. I was just using him so I could get close to you. The Chosen One.¡±

    ¡°Me?¡± Anakin said warily, ¡°People have called me that. But no one can be sure if I¡¯m the one to bring balance to the force¡­ And what does that have to do with you forcing yourself into my body?¡±

    ¡°Oh no, you¡¯re definitely the one,¡± the creature said, ¡°I could feel it the minute my ride entered the Jedi temple. And as I said, I¡¯m here to offer you a deal. Power, assistance, I¡¯ll help you do whatever you want. As a loyal companion or even friend.¡±

    ¡°And what do you want in return?¡± Anakin asked suspiciously.

    ¡°To stay in your body of course,¡± the creature said, ¡°And one more thing. For you to break your destiny as the Chosen One. Which is something that you¡¯d want to do. It¡¯s really not that pleasant of a fate for you anyway.¡±

    ¡°Destiny? What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°The Chosen One is the one who is predicted to balance to the force, correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what all of the masters say.¡±

    ¡°There are two sides of the Force. The dark side and the light. The dark drives those that use it to madness, driven only by selfish desires and the accumulation of their own power. It corrupts its users to only focus on the self and nothing more when accomplishing their goals and drawing on the Force.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ sounds right?¡± Anakin said while not completely sure, ¡°Dark side users are evil, because they gave into their emotions and used the force for selfish destruction and chaos.¡±

    ¡°Meh,¡± the creature said, ¡°It¡¯s not evil versus good. External versus internal desires, that¡¯s what it is. Not quite the same, even if most dark side users do end up being more destructive. But anyway, we¡¯re skipping ahead. The light side of the force drives its users as well, although it¡¯s much less obvious than the dark side.

    ¡°It guides those that it uses to the place where it believes that they can mitigate the least harm and help the most beings. A selflessness that comes at the cost of the individual users of the light side of the force. What most don¡¯t understand is that the light side of the force is influenced by the individual¡¯s perceptions as well. One¡¯s own perceptions of what is the common good and what is right inform the light side of the force where one should be guided and what they should be doing. Often beings who heavily draw on the light side of the force become self sacrificing to the point of recklessness as their sense of the greater good eventually overcomes their self preservation. A greater good that only their own minds define. And not everyone has the same views of what is the common good, which can also cause problems.¡±

    ¡°That isn¡¯t right,¡± Anakin denied, ¡°The light side of the force has nothing to do with the dark side. One is evil, and the other is what guides Jedi to where we can help the most people. It¡¯s not the same. Why are you even telling me this? What does this have to do with me being the Chosen One?¡±

    ¡°The Force itself doesn¡¯t think one aspect of itself is more important than another,¡± the creature continued as its blue tentacles rippled, ¡°The external versus internal. It doesn¡¯t think anything like most beings do. All of these Jedi use the light side of the force. Dark side users have been suppressed in the galaxy for millennia as the Jedi hunt them down or convert them to the light whenever they appear. What do you think the Chosen One would do to bring balance to the force?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Anakin said, ¡°No, no¡­ That¡¯s¡­ That doesn¡¯t make any sense! I¡¯m supposed to help the Jedi, that¡¯s what the prophecy says!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s your destiny, to bring balance,¡± the creature continued mercilessly, ¡°All of these Jedi are an imbalance. It¡¯s your destiny to eliminate them and bring a new age of the dark side until the two aspects of the Force are equal once more. The Force itself will influence you and events around you to ensure it no matter how hard you try to fight it. It¡¯s inevitable¡­¡±

    The creature paused dramatically,

    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t have to be. With me at your side, we can stop it. You don¡¯t have to listen to that pesky Force and make your own path instead. And with power beyond even your wildest dreams.¡±

    Anakin started breathing heavily and despite himself, found himself being convinced by the creature¡¯s arguments. Was that what the prophecy meant by bringing balance to the Force? Anakin had never really thought about it too hard, it was just something that the Jedi masters said as a platitude when talking about the prophecy. Everyone just said it like it was a good thing. Of course the Chosen One would help the Jedi. But¡­ Now Anakin couldn¡¯t shake the creature¡¯s interpretation of it from his head. There must be some other explanation than that.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t believe you,¡± Anakin said, a little less confidently than he would have liked.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± the creature assured him, ¡°It¡¯s a long term issue. The Force likes to work subtly, as long as you are careful then you shouldn¡¯t be forced to kill any light side users just yet.¡±

    Anakin didn¡¯t answer the strange creature, unsure what to say in reply to that.

    ¡°Anyway, my name is Draeth. Once you¡¯ve made your mind up, call my name out loud and we can talk again.¡±

    And in a blink the creature, Draeth, vanished into thin air, leaving Anakin staring at the empty sheets near his feet.

    A few minutes later, a medical droid floated in the door and beeped loudly as it saw that Anakin was awake.

    ¡°Padawan Skywalker!¡± the droid said, ¡°You are awake! Ah, I must contact the healers¡­¡±

    It turned around and bobbed in the air as its ball like form floated out of the door of the room again to go fetch the Jedi healers to treat Anakin.

    Anakin was mostly silent through the ensuing chaos as he was checked over. None of them found anything wrong with him. None detected Draeth within him. Anakin might have written the whole thing off as a strange dream if the memories of it weren¡¯t so vivid in his mind.

    He was vague when they asked questions about what happened, saying that he had trouble remembering exactly what had happened after he left his sparring session with Felix.

    Anakin still had to think more before he went to the masters about this.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Anakin was cleared from the medical wing and about to leave when he was greeted by none other than Master Kenobi himself standing there at the door.

    ¡°Anakin,¡± Obi-Wan said with a faint concern in his gaze as he looked him over as he walked into the room and closed the door to the healing room behind him, ¡°The healers have assured me that your vital signs are robust. But¡­ are you alright? You were unconscious for nearly three days.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Master. I should be asking about you,¡± Anakin said after nodding his head in reply, ¡°I vaguely remember you passing out before me. Did the Grandmasters on the Council find out what happened?¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°No,¡± Obi wan said as he frowned heavily, ¡°They¡¯re still investigating. I seem to¡­ not remember anything of the last few months. My mission was completed and there were no signs of anything wrong with the people I spoke with as far as the Council is concerned. I¡¯m to be inspected by the mind healers daily to make sure that my mind was not tampered with further than it already was.¡±

    Obi wan hesitated before sighing, ¡°In addition, over my loud protests, your padawanship under me has been revoked due to my condition. You¡¯ll be in the care of Master Druman until such a time as it is discovered that I am clear of any other compulsions or orders. Whether they¡¯re enforced through technology or some obscure Force usage unknown to even Grandmaster Yoda.¡±

    ¡°What? This is outrageous!¡± Anakin said, ¡°This is unfair! How can they just force me to take another master? Master Qui Gon Jinn entrusted me to you to teach me! You told me that it was his dying wish for you to be my teacher!¡±

    ¡°Calm yourself, padawan,¡± Master Kenobi said sharply, ¡°You let your emotions get the best of you.¡±

    Anakin took a few deep breaths and let his eyes fall to the floor in shame and let himself calm down before looking back to Obi-Wan.

    ¡°With that said, you do make some good points,¡± Obi-wan said with a slight smirk before frowning again, ¡°It was his dying wish. But the Council has overruled my protests, and I can not argue that I am still fit to teach you when I can no longer trust my own mind. They will not listen to any of my arguments when my own reason is still under question. It¡¯s all politics of course, but there¡¯s nothing I can do to counter it given my condition¡­¡±

    ¡°What politics, Master? Why did they reassign me to Master Druman of all people?¡±

    Obi-wan hesitated as if he realized that he had said too much before pressing forward anyway, ¡°It has to do with the prophecy. Master Druman and the traditionalists believe that I have been too lenient with you. Acting as a friend to you rather than a displinitarian when the occasion calls for it¡­ Master Druman and the others believe that such connections are created from emotions and thus can lead to the dark side. And are against the Jedi code.

    ¡°Most of the Council, including Grandmaster Yoda, agree with this view in most cases. Although not nearly as extreme as how Master Druman is. He believes that emotion must be minimized to best connect to the will of the force and follow the Jedi code.

    ¡°Master Druman and his allies made the argument that having you under a master of a more traditional bent would make you more¡­ less rebellious and a trouble maker among the padawans. Something they care about especially because they think that you are the Chosen One of prophecy, and so your growth must be more carefully managed compared to the others.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s¡­¡± Anakin spluttered, not sure how to respond to that.

    Obi-wan reached out and put a comforting hand on Anakin¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t worry Anakin. It will only be a short while, I hope. Once my mind is declared healed, I will get the council to see reason. Try to not drive Master Druman too mad with your antics while I¡¯m gone.¡±

    ¡°Can I see you?¡± Anakin asked hopefully, ¡°If you are to stay in the temple, then can you not train me anyway? Even if I wouldn¡¯t be your official padawan anymore.¡±

    Obi-wan shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. The Council thought ahead to shut down that idea. I have been banned from seeing or speaking with you until my mind is declared cleared of influence. They are not entirely wrong, I did attack you briefly before we both inexplicably were knocked out. I will likely be punished even for this conversation if I¡¯m discovered. But I thought I should present you with the proper version of events rather than let Master Druman give his own perception.¡±

    Anakin straightened and bowed, ¡°You¡¯re still my master, no matter what the council says. I hope that they clear you soon.¡±

    Obi-wan released his grip on Anakin¡¯s shoulder and nodded back, ¡°Well, I¡¯d best be off then,¡± Obi-wan said cheerily, ¡°I believe that I was enjoying the meditation gardens for the last hour or so. Certainly not talking to my padawan halfway across the temple. Remember to keep up with your training, I will be testing your lightsaber forms once you return to my tutelage.¡±

    ¡°Yes, master. Of course. Make sure you rest your old bones well.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you old during our next sparring session,¡± Obi-Wan shot back with a faint smile on his face, ¡°Until then, Anakin. Goodbye.¡±

    Obi-Wan left, leaving Anakin behind to grapple with the fact that he was now the temporary padawan of Master Druman of all people.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    ¡°Master Druman, the prophecy of the Chosen One, what does it mean?¡± Anakin asked as he opened his eyes as he sat in his meditative pose, ¡°What does it mean to bring balance to the force?¡±

    ¡°The Chosen One will be a champion of the light side, and squash the last remnants of the dark side of the force once and for all. To bring peace and prosperity and bring the Jedi Order into a new era of enlightenment and spiritual revival.¡±

    ¡°But what does that have to do with balance? What does balancing the force even mean?¡±

    ¡°The dark side is evil, corrupting. It shouldn¡¯t exist. If it is eliminated, then the Force itself will be at peace once more. Balanced and tranquil like a calm pond. It is the job of the Chosen One to do this.¡±

    ¡°But how? How is that even possible? Can¡¯t even Jedi fall to the dark if they are not careful? How could that be prevented? If it¡¯s part of the Force itself?¡±

    ¡°It is unknown,¡± Master Druman said, ¡°I assume only the Chosen One will be able to do so. But that is a concern for many years from now. Let us return to our meditation.¡±

    ¡°Master Druman? What if¡­¡± Anakin hesitated for a long moment, ¡°If the dark and light are the two sides of the force, then¡­ If there¡¯s so much of the light side of the force in the galaxy¡­ Then wouldn¡¯t balance mean an equally large amount of the dark side?¡±

    Master Druman reeled back as if he had been slapped at Anakin¡¯s statement.

    ¡°Unthinkable!¡± he said, ¡°Who¡¯s putting ideas like that in your head? That runs completely counter to the very ideals that founded our Jedi Order! Did Master Kenobi tell you such a thing when you were under your tutelage? What other heretical ideas has he discussed with you that you have not told me?!¡±

    ¡°I think that¡¯s none of your business,¡± Anakin snapped back angrily, ¡°He was a million times better Master than you ever have been to me!¡±

    ¡°Silence! You will tell me, Padawan. I am your master now, and it is my duty to guide you properly. You should not be entertaining such disgusting ideas such as the ones you just stated. It goes against thousands of years of Jedi teachings. Do you think you are better than all the Jedi who came before you, hm? That you are right while all the rest of them are wrong?¡±

    ¡°It seems that you are the one who believes it,¡± Anakin muttered, ¡°Not any of those masters older and wiser than you.¡±

    ¡°Master your emotions, Padawan!¡± Master Druman stated firmly and with a warning tone in his voice, ¡°I will not have any more of your disobedience! Now you will sit here and meditate until you have progressed your control beyond the pitiful impulses that you seem to revel in indulging in whenever I give you the chance.¡±

    ¡°Master Druman, I simply requested to have a spar with Padawan Felix yesterday,¡± Anakin said while doing his best to suppress and control his anger from before, ¡°I have not even spoken to him for weeks. I have only been sparring with old masters rather than padawans at my own skill level ever since Master Kenobi¡¯s incident.¡±

    ¡°That is by design,¡± Master Druman rumbled, ¡°You can refine your skills with those more skilled than you rather than indulging in your impulses for friendship with the other padawans. You will only train with them again when you have purged yourself enough that any further friendship with them will not be so deep or tainted in your emotions as they are now. See how even a few weeks without your friend Padawan Felix disturbs you and your balance in drawing on the Force. A true Jedi must be without emotion, able to disconnect from the world and listen to the Force¡¯s will at any moment and execute it without hesitation. As the Chosen One, it is your responsibility to uphold these values to a high standard, higher than even your fellow padawans or any other Jedi before you. Now, continue your meditation. I sense your emotions poisoning your connection to the Force again. We will train until you are at peace once more.¡±

    Anakin didn¡¯t speak and closed his eyes and tried to settle his mind again despite his anger at his supposed Master.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Anakin stared at the ceiling and his lips nearly formed the words before he stopped. He¡¯d been thinking on the strange creature¡¯s offer this whole time, but couldn¡¯t bring himself to call out its name for a deal.

    But today¡¯s ¡®training¡¯ session with Master Druman was his breaking point. He hadn¡¯t been able to talk to anyone but stern Jedi masters, always eyeing and judging his actions and words with a critical and disapproving eye. He couldn¡¯t even spar with Felix anymore to blow off some steam like when Master Druman was in charge of the general padawan training.

    And despite Anakin being frightened by the realization¡­ The creature¡¯s explanation of the prophecy made more sense than the Jedi¡¯s. No matter how much he tried to come up with other explanations, he couldn¡¯t find anything more convincing than the argument that Draeth had already made to him.

    Maybe being the Chosen One wasn¡¯t the wonderful thing that he had always thought that it was, but actually a curse. For both him and the Jedi.

    ¡°Draeth,¡± Anakin whispered softly at the ceiling of his room and sat up in bed.

    The strange tentacled creature appeared again as if from nowhere, with its eyeball staring at Anakin.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re ready to accept my offer?¡± Draeth asked casually, ¡°You sure took your sweet time to call me.¡±

    ¡°I had to think,¡± Anakin said, ¡°I have more questions before I decide what to do.¡±

    ¡°Sure. Ask away.¡±

    ¡°The big one is¡­ Why? If all of this is true, what do you get out of all of this? How are you here, and why can¡¯t I feel you in the force?¡±

    ¡°Oh, did I forget to say last time? I¡¯m a¡­ Hm, not a parasite. Wrong image. Intruder on this reality. From another universe without the Force. That¡¯s why you can¡¯t see me, I don¡¯t have midichlorians making me visible to all of your force users. I came here through a portal through a weak point in your reality that I opened myself. I body hopped through the people and beasts that I encountered for a while until I found a Jedi who happened to be your master and then came here when I learned about you.

    ¡°I feed on all kinds of energy. But the metaphysical ones are particularly nourishing. That includes the Force. You¡¯re the Chosen One, the Force will be doing all sorts of things around you to try to force you into its mold. Just by sitting within you while all that happens nearby and acts to change your fate, I¡¯ll get to harvest a little bit of that energy and use it to grow my own power. Some of that power I harvest will get thrown your way to help you survive longer. My payment for getting to stay in your body and keep you powerful, if that helps you to think about it that way.¡±

    ¡°And what happens when you get the power you need?¡± Anakin asked suspiciously, ¡°What then?¡±

    ¡°Power I need?¡± Draeth said before laughing, ¡°How cute. I¡¯ll always need more power, and so will you considering your circumstances. But I¡¯m not really here. Not even in your universe actually. The part of me in your body is like a transmitter and receiver for my power and mind. My true body is floating just outside of your universe right now.

    ¡°All that power that gets harvested is getting fed to it. I¡¯m pretty weak right now, it took a lot of power to slip the part of me within you through the portal to enter this reality. Nearly all the power that I had. The void out here is a dangerous place, and getting back to my home universe will likely be a challenge no matter how much power I end up collecting from you and this universe. As for the little piece of my body in you now, normal Force users barely let me even sustain it and keep it from dying¡­ But you. Just the ambient amount of Force that you use passively every day is enough to give me plenty of power.

    ¡°Why, at this rate you just sitting around training should let me make this whole venture profitable in¡­ ten or fifteen more years. If you survive past then, then it¡¯ll all be pure profit for me. So it¡¯s really in my best interest for you to survive as long as possible. I highly doubt I would ever be able to find another Force user with as much power as you do, even now when you¡¯re in your incubation stage. And you¡¯ll only grow in power as you age, in addition to whatever actions the Force starts to take from around you if you start deviating from its desired path, feeding me that way too.¡±

    ¡°How can I trust you? If I¡¯m such an ideal host then would you really leave if I asked you to?¡±

    ¡°I would,¡± Draeth said, ¡°It really would be a shame, and it¡¯s not ideal, but I would do it and go back to body hopping around the galaxy if I had to. It¡¯s much safer than staying in your body around all the most dangerous powers in this galaxy coming your way in the future. The power I¡¯d give you has to be accepted willingly. And you¡¯ll need it if you want to survive what¡¯s coming.¡±

    Anakin sat back on his bunk and stared at the ceiling and ignored Draeth for a few moments, thinking over it all. Finally¡­

    ¡°Why should I trust you? Who knows if anything you told me is true or some sort of elaborate lie?¡±

    ¡°Trust your gut,¡± Draeth said, ¡°Not that Force stuff. But your honest feelings. Is this really the life that you wanted when you imagined life as a Jedi as a boy? Your life can be far more than being trapped in this temple alone until Master Druman decides that you¡¯re ready.¡±

    ¡°How did you¨C¡±

    ¡°I can see through your eyes, and I¡¯ve been paying attention. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess.¡±

    Anakin thought for longer and wrestled with the decision. He thought about delaying even longer before glancing at Draeth who was sitting there patiently staring at him. Well, Draeth¡¯s projection onto his bed at least.

    He shouldn¡¯t delay, when had Anakin ever been so hesitant before?

    ¡°Okay, do it. You help me and give me power, and you get the extra energy from the Force.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d lay down,¡± Draeth warned as it floated into the air until it hovered directly over Anakin and stared down from above, ¡°Sorry about the late warning, but this is probably going to hurt a lot.¡±

    It did. Anakin started spasming and groaning on his bed, until his vision turned red and black in the corners and the pain finally knocked him out into blissful unconsciousness.

 Chapter 3: Escape from Monotony

    Anakin slowly opened his eyes. They were crusty and crackled as he struggled to open his eyes even as his whole body ached on a deep level.

    He groaned as he weakly sat up and looked around. He was still in his room and looking at the clock it had been over twelve hours since he¡¯d fallen unconscious. It was nearly time to get up and go back to train with Master Draeth for another lonely day.

    Anakin stumbled to the communal showers and cleaned himself off, before returning to his room. His training was earlier than the other Padawans woke up now, so he didn¡¯t get to see them even in passing in the mornings for small moments like this.

    ¡°What changed?¡± Anakin whispered to himself as he dragged himself to his feet and made it back into his room, ¡°Draeth?¡±

    The creature popped into existence again, perched on Anakin¡¯s desk in the corner.

    ¡°Oh, nothing much,¡± Draeth said, ¡°Not yet at least. I can do all sorts of things to help you, but what I did was more like a primer of sorts. Your body will now accept my power more easily and that pesky Force shouldn¡¯t be able to detect it when you use your other abilities. You should be able to use both your Force powers and mine at the same time without consequences. It¡¯s not something as easy to do as you would think normally.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Anakin said, ¡°That makes sense. What kind of things can you do? Is it like the Force, but just using your power or¡­¡±

    ¡°No, well¡­ Eh, the Force can do some crazy things. So probably best to think about it that way. I have a few techniques or abilities that I could imbue you with. Each only does one specific thing, but does it as good if better than Force techniques that would take you decades or even centuries to master. If you could figure them out at all. I have enough power to give you only one of them though, and I won¡¯t be able to do much more for a while after. I have to go to sleep as a side effect of imbuing you with my power. So, what are your goals? If you tell me what you want to do, I¡¯ll know which ability should help you the most to accomplish them.¡±

    Anakin thought about it, and his mind came out blank.

    ¡°Well, I want to become a full Jedi and go out and help people in the galaxy,¡± Anakin said, ¡°To fight injustice and prove to Obi-wan that it was worth it for him to spend so much time teaching me. That master Qui Gon was right that I would be a worthy Jedi someday.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, so you want to stay at the Jedi temple? Maybe wait out Master Druman until the Council declares Master Kenobi cleared of any mind control? Sorry about that by the way, I didn¡¯t think the Jedi would be so paranoid. I really didn¡¯t leave any compulsions on him beyond erasing his memory fully of the time around his mission. There isn¡¯t anything for them to find.¡±

    ¡°Wait, are you saying that Obi-wan might never be cleared? Because of you?¡±

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s not throw blame around¡­¡± Draeth said with a nervous laugh, ¡°I¡¯m sure that after some time, the Council will declare him healthy even without finding out what was wrong. It might take a while though depending on how stubborn they want to be.¡±

    How stubborn¡­ Uh oh. The Council was infamous for never wanting to backtrack or second guess decisions or judgements that they¡¯d already made.

    ¡°By the look on your face, I¡¯m guessing that the prospects aren¡¯t good?¡±

    ¡°No. They¡¯re not,¡± Anakin said gloomily.

    ¡°So do you still want to stay in the Jedi temple? Given that you¡¯ll be training with Master Druman for some time likely.¡±

    Anakin grimaced at the thought of spending potentially years through the torture of the last few weeks.

    ¡°But where would I go? I want to be a Jedi, I can¡¯t just leave the temple before I go on my Padawan¡¯s journey with Master Kenobi.¡±

    ¡°Jedi didn¡¯t used to be so centralized, you know. It was an informal code that individuals followed as they wandered around the galaxy on their own. The Jedi Council only formed later. There were actually multiple different Jedi groups and governments back in the beginnings of the Republic. You can still be a Jedi and follow their code even if you¡¯re not following this Jedi Council¡¯s orders specifically.¡±

    ¡°How do you know so much about the galaxy? I thought you were from another reality?¡± Anakin asked in a sudden burst of suspicion.

    ¡°I think you underestimate me. Your master¡¯s mind gave me a lot of information to consider in the last few months that I was in his body.¡±

    ¡°Are you reading my mind right now?¡± Anakin demanded, ¡°Stop it! If this is going to work then I want my first power to shield me from anything like what you do. And for you to promise to never read or influence my mind, or I¡¯ll find some Jedi master to purge you from me immediately.¡±

    ¡°But, there are far more useful powers that¡­¡± Draeth protested.

    ¡°So, you can do it?¡± Anakin said, ¡°No, I want that one. Otherwise I¡¯ll go to grandmaster Yoda right now and tell him about you and what really happened!¡±

    ¡°Fine, fine. I was just saying¡­ Alright, I get it. Guess it¡¯s a long term investment rather than immediate power¡­ Here I go.¡±

    Anakin felt something tingle within him and his body went numb for a few minutes as he lay in his bed before his control over his body came back. He sat up and instinctively flinched as he felt something worming into his mind. He reflexively flexed a new muscle and the intruder was violently expelled from his mind in a wave of power. It wasn¡¯t like how the Force felt, but more¡­ visceral. Like it was really a limb or part of his body rather than something from outside and from another entity assisting him. A guiding hand from all around him like how the Force was when he drew on it.

    ¡°That was me,¡± Draeth said, ¡°You see? That was my mental probe. Now you¡¯ll feel it if me or anyone tries to influence your mind with their power. Does that help you relax a bit? I¡¯m trying to do my best here, but I think I deserve at least a little trust by now.¡±

    Anakin flexed his new muscle in his mind a bit more and felt it ripple. It was like a shield covering his thoughts, but he could flex it and make it shift when he thought of tensing this new ¡®muscle¡¯ that he felt.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Anakin said, ¡°I guess that¡¯s fair. I wasn¡¯t lying though. If you¡¯re tricking me or you try to influence my mind or something then we¡¯re done and I¡¯ll find a way to get rid of you. But I¡¯ll assume that you¡¯re telling the truth for now.¡±

    ¡°Great,¡± Draeth said, ¡°It¡¯s always good to have some boundaries. Now, I¡¯m rather tired. I¡¯ll be hibernating for the next few months at least to recover from this before I can manifest myself as a mental projection again. Enjoy your new ability until I wake back up. Do try not to die while I¡¯m recovering. Please.¡±

    And then Draeth disappeared from Anakin¡¯s desk like he was never there at all.

    He glanced at the clock, and with a sigh stood up and prepared to go to another day of training with Master Druman and the stern old Jedi masters.

    Meditation practice wasn¡¯t as boring as it usually was, Anakin had fun flexing and playing with the new shield in his mind even as he drew on the Force at the same time. Master Druman didn¡¯t have any biting comments for him today as he saw that Anakin was less visibly annoyed by their boring training as much as usual.

    Anakin was in a good mood for a few days after that as he played with his mental shield whenever he was bored. But eventually¡­ Even that grew boring too. And he still had to train and meditate, and train his lightsaber forms and duel with old masters who thrashed him effortlessly in every exchange.

    As Anakin sat in his room after another long day of monotonous training, he stared at the ceiling and thought about what Draeth had asked. What did he want? Was being a Jedi Master really all that he ever wanted to be? Master Druman was a Jedi master, and Anakin could never imagine being somebody like him.

    But he could also be like Master Kenobi, somebody who was everything about a Jedi that Anakin wanted to be. Calm in the face of danger, charismatic with even the Jedi that Anakin knew that he didn¡¯t like, and a master of combat and drawing on the Force deeply, even more than most Jedi Masters far older than himself.

    But Anakin wasn¡¯t training with Obi-wan anymore. He was training with Master Druman. And he had to start considering that¡­ Maybe that wouldn¡¯t be changing anytime soon. Months, years, who knows how long. What if he had to go on his Padawan¡¯s journey with Master Druman? It was only two months away now. The very thought of his first journey on a Jedi mission tainted by Master Druman looming over him caused Anakin physical pain as he grunted and brought a hand up to his heart from the feeling.

    Ugh. That would just be the worst.

    He couldn¡¯t even talk to Felix and the other padawans even if he tried to sneak it. Felix and the others had told him that they¡¯d been ordered to not talk to him until he left ¡®seclusion¡¯ with Master Druman.

    Anakin had still managed to talk with Felix and the others a little bit when he sneaked off a few times, but their conversations were stilted and uncomfortable. Nothing like how they¡¯d been only a few months ago.

    Anakin wasn¡¯t sure how much more of this he could take.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Anakin stared at the open doors of the cruiser with empty eyes. His Padawan¡¯s journey was going to be¡­ with Master Druman. Some diplomatic mission to mediate a trade dispute between the Trade Federation and one of the worlds on the mid-rim of the galaxy between the Core worlds and the Outer Rim where Anakin was born.

    Anakin grimaced as he entered the Jedi ship and thought about the mission. Even after their full invasion of Naboo, the Trade Federation had gotten away with nothing more than a slap on the wrist. A few fines, some public statements from the government condemning their actions, a few lower level executives who were arrested by the Republic and put on trial and disavowed by the company.

    But the Trade Federation itself was just fine, barely even affected by the whole matter. Just returning to business as usual after spending barely a few weeks of acting apologetic about what happened on Naboo and throwing a few million credits like pocket change to a charity to help the victims of the droid invasion of the planet.

    Now he had to stand there and watch as they extorted some other planet for all they were worth while he and Master Druman made sure that the people of the planet were left with at least some crumbs in the end despite the massive economic and political power of the Trade Federation wielded.

    Anakin was mostly silent as the two of them traveled through hyperspace and eventually landed on the planet. Anakin¡¯s eyes mostly glazed over as Master Druman stood there and looked intimidating once the meeting between the planet¡¯s and the Trade federation¡¯s representatives started. He just stood there and occasionally said a few words when the negotiators grew too heated with each other in their arguments. They were arguing about the import and export of some kind of special fabric unique to this planet.

    Anakin didn¡¯t understand and didn¡¯t care to understand as the meeting dragged into hours and then days of him standing there uselessly, his lightsaber dangling at his hip as a prop. Not having been ignited even for lightsaber training for days now.

    As he meditated in the ship as Master Druman had ordered, the walls of his room felt like a prison. Closing around him like a slowly tightening box around him despite the room supposedly remaining the same size each day.

    The thought had been tugging at him for these last few days, ever since he had arrived here to the mid rim. Master Druman left Anakin alone for long periods as they both meditated in their respective rooms alone. There was a chance¡­

    He couldn¡¯t take another day of this. Obi-wan would have to forgive him. Anakin would be a Jedi on his own terms, like the old ones before the Council. He had gone in the archives and Draeth had been telling the truth about the history of the Jedi. The Jedi code and the Jedi themselves had existed far longer than the Jedi Council that existed today. He didn¡¯t need their approval to go out there and promote peace and justice in the galaxy. Not after they¡¯d isolated him and ignored Obi-Wan and old Qui Gon Jinn¡¯s wishes without a second thought when it was convenient for them.

    ¡°Draeth,¡± Anakin whispered as he opened his eyes, ¡°I¡¯m going to escape. If you¡¯re awake, do you have anything that could help? Advice? An ability maybe if you¡¯ve recovered? This won¡¯t be easy.¡±

    There was no answer. Anakin waited a few minutes before letting out a sigh. He took out a piece of paper and wrote out a letter explaining things and hiding it in his desk. Just something to ensure that Obi-wan and the other Jedi wouldn¡¯t worry that he was kidnapped but that he was leaving of his own free will.

    Anakin laid the blame entirely on Master Druman and his methods, for all the good that it might do. And made sure to avoid mentioning Obi-wan at all. He didn¡¯t need to get blamed for Anakin running away.

    Leaving the Jedi Order wasn¡¯t something that you could just decide to do. The Council had to individually approve each case and assess each one individually. Most expulsions were punishments or from old Jedi masters that wanted to leave the order and settle down somewhere elsewhere in the galaxy for their retirement.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    The Council were the ones who had forced Master Druman on him, they wouldn¡¯t let him leave if he asked. Let alone let him go because he was the Chosen One. So Anakin had to escape on his own. And dodge the Republic too. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was an actual crime for him to run away, but he was sure that if the Republic caught him then they would happily hand him back to the Jedi without a second¡¯s thought.

    Anakin finished writing his note and packed his things. Not much, really. His lightsaber, three sets of brown Jedi robes that fit on his fourteen year old body. Some hygiene products. Some basic writing supplies and a few other small items he¡¯d collected over the last five years at the Jedi temple. He only left his communicator behind sitting in the desk drawer. He was sure that it had a tracker of some sort inside of it that they could use to find him if he had it on him.

    He left his room, walking as quietly as he could and intentionally minimizing his draw on the Force as much as possible as he snuck through the empty central corridor of the ship. He wasn¡¯t sure if it would help, but he¡¯d heard that people in battle and heavily drawing on the Force could be tracked through it. If he limited how much of the Force he used then hopefully it would make it harder for Master Druman to detect him from his room where he was meditating right now. Anakin went to the supply closet and pressed the panel to the side to open the door with a hiss of air.

    He quickly went over to the corner and picked up the heavy sack of Republic credits. It wasn¡¯t Master Druman¡¯s money, but the Jedi Temple¡¯s. Jedi weren¡¯t supposed to be concerned with material concerns, and Anakin doubted that Master Druman had a single credit to call his own in his whole life at the Jedi Order. Whatever was needed was supplied by the Jedi temple and the Council.

    Anakin slipped the pouch of credits into his own larger bag that hung at his side. He carefully counted out the money and thought about what he could do with it. It probably was enough to buy what he would need¡­

    He didn¡¯t know the prices here, but his old owner Watto had had him negotiate with the customers on prices for parts sometimes. So Anakin thought that he shouldn¡¯t be hopeless and get completely scammed either.

    Anakin left the supply closet and closed it behind him and went to the back of the Jedi ship.

    He opened the ramp to the outside of the landing pad and winced at the loud hum as the ramp lowered. He went outside and quickly mashed the button to close it again before quickly jogging outside onto the landing pad before it closed again.

    He walked to the edge of the landing pad and went into the elevator there with his heart beating in his chest as the doors closed and he started descending. With a ding, the doors opened and Anakin put up his hood and fixed his eyes towards the floor as he walked to the main doors. This building was a private landing pad that the planet¡¯s government had let them use for the duration of the negotiations. Just outside was the main city where Anakin could start working on getting off planet.

    ¡°Hey! You!¡±

    Anakin froze and turned with a bead of sweat forming on his brow as he saw two uniformed guards staring at him with a frown. They were carrying heavy blaster rifles and were wearing body armor covered in the greens and yellows of the security company guarding these private landing pads.

    ¡°Would you like an escort into the city, young Jedi?¡± the woman on the right asked after a moment.

    Anakin relaxed and shook his head, ¡°No, thank you. I can handle myself. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± she asked, ¡°It really would be safer if you were to have an escort. Here, I¡¯ll go with you.¡±

    Anakin opened his mouth, but then closed it. She wasn¡¯t going to let him leave alone.

    ¡°Okay. Come with me then. I¡¯m going to the market to see the sights. What¡¯s the busiest one in the city?¡±

    The woman glanced at her fellow guard and the man nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯ll call it in,¡± the man said, ¡°Go ahead, I can hold the fort here while you¡¯re gone with our honored guest.¡±

    She turned back to me, ¡°Padawan Skywalker, wasn¡¯t it? The biggest market? I believe that would be Seleni Square on the other side of the city. We can take the public hovertrains there, shouldn¡¯t be more than fifteen minutes away from here.¡±

    ¡°Great,¡± Anakin said, ¡°Lead the way.¡±

    She walked out the door as the male guard raised his communicator and started talking through it to report to his bosses about what we were doing.

    They found an outdoor bazaar in the bustling market after Anakin and the female guard spent some time idly chatting. It was a bit odd as she asked him about how he liked the Jedi temple as he was actively running away. It had been a while since he had a casual conversation with a complete stranger like this before. But Anakin muddled through and even though he felt the rust on his conversation skills, he didn¡¯t fumble it too hard either.

    The pair of them got a lot of odd looks from the other passengers on the trains, and even in the market itself the crowd avoided the two of them with wary looks.

    Anakin went to a few stalls and haggled hard over a few sets of clothes. And a pair of cloaks that were distinctively not like the particular style that his Jedi robes were. Something brown and nondescript, but in a grubby smuggler kind of way rather than the refined tailored cut of his more distinctive Jedi robes like he was wearing right now.

    His funds dwindled as he bought two sets of clothes, shirts, pants, underclothes and all, with the two cloaks to accompany them. And three ¡®scarves¡¯ that Anakin would use for another purpose later.

    The guard was confused by his purchases, especially when he moved to the other side of the market away from all the clothing vendors.

    ¡°Are you sure you need things here?¡± she asked with a note of tension in her voice as her eyes darted around the rougher crowd as they moved into the weapons dealers and droid vendors. Anakin shopped for prices for a bit, not answering her question as he looked for the best price.

    He finally found it, and haggled with the stall owner before reaching into his bag and paying the man the right amount of public credits. The man handed Anakin a bare sharp knife a hand¡¯s length long and with a grooved leather handle. It was on the edge between a pocket knife and a blade. Just in case that he ran into trouble, and didn¡¯t want to expose his lightsaber hanging at his hip under his robes. Something that was very much a Jedi weapon and would cause him a lot of trouble if he pulled it out if somebody tried to mug him.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to one of the retail stores,¡± Anakin said, ¡°I¡¯d like to try on some of these clothes. Where do you think that they¡¯d have some changing rooms that we could use for free?¡±

    ¡°There is this one place around the corner from the market. I¡¯m surprised to see a boy like you buying a knife. Don¡¯t you Jedi have your lightsabers and the Force for protection?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t hurt to have a backup,¡± Anakin said with what he hoped was a casual shrug. The two of them went into the store and walked to the back where a line of stalls were in a line with a small gap on the bottom of the doors.

    Anakin went inside and changed into the pair of pants and shirt that he had bought, retrieving them from the bag he¡¯d been carrying around this whole time.

    He carefully counted out the Republic Credits that he had left. It was probably enough for a ticket to somewhere in the Outer Rim. The Outer Rim was lawless, so tickets there should be cheap. And once he reached there, records of any kind were spotty. So it would be hard to track him down if he reached the outer rim and then immediately left for another planet before the Republic or Jedi caught up with him.

    Anakin took out both of his Jedi robes and carefully folded them and placed them on the bench next to him in the small changing room.

    He took a deep breath. He really didn¡¯t want to do this, but it seemed like the only way. He hoped that the Republic at least gave her some money or something because of him.

    Anakin turned to the mirror across from him and inspected the clothing that he was wearing. He reached out and unlocked the door to the room.

    ¡°Hey, Mara? Can you come in, tell me how it looks?¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡± the guard, Mara, poked her head in from the door and looked over him, ¡°It looks¡­ Great everyday clothes, Padawan Skywalker. You haggled well on the prices as well. They look well made.¡±

    ¡°I had a question about this one¡­¡± Anakin said as he reached down and held up his Jedi robe and acted like he was inspecting it in front of him and lowered slightly where she couldn¡¯t see it from the door.

    She took a step inside the small room and peered over his shoulder to see what he was looking at.

    ¡°What? About your normal robes?¡± she asked as she looked between Anakin and the robes that he was pretending to inspect in front of him.

    Anakin dropped the robes onto the bench in front of him and turned around.

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about this,¡± he apologized, ¡°Thank you for talking with me.¡±

    He reached his hand up and with a flick of the Force the door to the small room slammed closed. Before Mara could react he jumped forward and clamped his hands around her throat. She thrashed in surprise, her eyes bulging and thrashing on the ground as Anakin jumped on her and bore her to the ground. He carefully adjusted his grip on the Jedi knockout hold, pinching her carotid arteries to cut off the flow of blood and oxygen to her brain. He used the Force to strengthen his limbs, while keeping himself calm and focused so he wouldn¡¯t hurt her any more than necessary. After ten seconds, and a look of utter betrayal on the face from the spasming woman, her body underneath him went still.

    What would Obi-Wan think if he saw Anakin now?

    Anakin carefully released his grip on the woman¡¯s throat and felt a wave of intense guilt as he saw the bruises already forming on her throat. But she¡¯d be fine in a few hours, Anakin justified himself. A healing droid and some bacta could heal a few bruises in seconds. He checked her over as best as he could, and made sure that her breathing was slow and steady as she lay there unconscious on the floor.

    She seemed fine, and her heartbeat was strong. As quietly as he could, Anakin shoved and lifted the heavy guard¡¯s body up and maneuvered her so she was sprawled across the raised bench inside the changing room. Her arms dangled over the sides, so Anakin rolled her over so that her sleeping face was pointed towards the back wall and her arms stayed in place.

    Leaving his pair of Jedi Padawan robes behind, Anakin took his bag of things and locked the door to the changing room. Suddenly paranoid as he was about to leave, Anakin went back to the unconscious Mara and checked her pulse again. She was fine.

    Anakin looked up and with a slightly Force enhanced jump, leapt up to the ceiling and the cheap tiles sitting above. He gripped onto the supports and carefully pushed aside the lightweight corky material and revealed the empty space of the ventilation. He pulled himself up and after a bit of a scramble managed to fully pull himself inside. He pulled the ceiling tile and put it back into place behind him, and adjusted his bag so it would stay on his back as he lay there on his belly.

    The ceiling tile beneath him crackled as it started buckling slightly under Anakin¡¯s weight. He quickly clambered forward as quickly as he could like a lizard with spread out limbs to try to not fall through back into the room below. After traveling for a few seconds with the metal pipes and wires just above his head, he finally stopped as he reached the end.

    He took the ceiling tile in the far corner, and using the tips of his fingers slowly lifted it up and peered down inside. It was the changing room on the far side of the line. There was no one inside in the room below.

    Anakin was about to lift the ceiling tile and drop down fully, when he stopped as an alien male who looked mostly human besides his blueish green skin and row of stubby black spikes lining his jaw like a sort of sideburns.

    He put down a bag of clothes after locking the door behind him. He reached down to the hem of his shirt and started lifting¡­ And Anakin rapidly shoved the ceiling tile down and blushed, mortified as he realized what he was doing. Duh, it was a changing room. Why wouldn¡¯t he change in there?

    The man below gave a confused hum from below at the faint clatter as Anakin put the ceiling tile down. Anakin lay there motionless, embarrassed as the man below seemed to shrug off the sound as his imagination and seemingly tried on at least four or five pairs of clothes based on how long he took.

    Anakin¡¯s embarrassment at the situation soon turned to worry. He was on a ticking clock now. As soon as Mara¡¯s unconscious body was discovered or Master Druman went looking for him, then he would be caught. He had to be off the planet before that happened, or the Republic or planetary government might be able to stop his ship and catch him at the starport. He couldn¡¯t go through all of this, hurt that guard Mara, for nothing.

    Anakin slowly started shifting backwards, moving so as to make as little noise as possible as it became apparent that the alien man in the stall below him would not be leaving for a while still.

    Anakin backed up enough that the soft sounds of the man¡¯s movements below became muffled. Anakin lifted a ceiling tile again, and peering through let out a sigh of relief to see that the changing room below was empty. He quickly lifted the ceiling panel and dropped down so he was dangling by one hand by the ceiling supports. Using his free hand, Anakin shoved the ceiling tile until it was nearly aligned above him.

    In one motion, Anakin let go of his grip and let the ceiling tile come down and fall back into its original place as he fell and landed on the ground lightly on the balls of his feet.

    He put on his cloak from his now slightly dusty bag, and threw it over himself. He took out one of the scarves and wrapped up the lower portion of his face. He threw the deep hood of the cloak over his head, and looked down at the ground as he opened the slightly ajar changing room door and walked back into the main store.

    As fast as he could without being too suspicious, Anakin left the store and went out onto the street. He reached down into his pockets and relaxed slightly as he felt his newly bought knife in his right pocket and his Jedi Lightsaber in the left.

    There were plenty of other people walking by with covered faces and deep hoods walking around, but none were as short as Anakin was.

    Already knowing from his idle planning and research for his escape over the last few days, he already knew where the closest starport should be from here. He¡¯d been thinking of getting away from the Jedi temple for weeks already, and he¡¯d thought about how he¡¯d escape as a half-serious thought experiment ever since he¡¯d arrived here. It seems that his research should pay off, as Anakin quickly took the hover trains across the city again in thirty nerve wracking minutes.

    Everyone gave Anakin strange looks on the train, with his deep hood and covered face, but nobody spoke to him. It seemed it was his age more than his clothing that was causing their confusion.

    Anakin reached the spaceport and exited the train along with most of the others riding with him. The place was packed, with people rushing everywhere to get to their terminals.

    He walked up to the ticket stand and took out his bag of Republic credits. He waited in line for less than five minutes, but it felt like forever as every moment Anakin felt the moment of his inevitable discovery inching ever closer.

    But he reached the front of the line, having already glanced at the big holographic display floating next to the ticket station displaying the times of flights and the prices. Anakin had already picked an outer Rim planet that was cheap to get to, but he knew was fairly urban. He should be able to find another ship out to another planet from there, even if it would be difficult with only a few credits to his name after buying his ticket.

    ¡°Destination?¡± the man in the ticket booth asked in a bored tone, his eyes only showing a flicker of interest in Anakin¡¯s cloaked form before seeming to give up his inspection.

    ¡°Raska,¡± Anakin said and took out his credits and took them from his bag and counted them to the right price, ¡°Paying in credits. The one taking off in twenty minutes.¡±

    ¡°Twenty minutes? You¡¯ll have to hurry to reach it in time. Ticket is nonrefundable,¡± the employee said, before counting Anakin¡¯s credits himself and then handing Anakin a little silver disk.

    ¡°Show this at the door. Docking bay G4. No ID required to go to the outer rim, but you¡¯ll need one on the way back, kid. Keeps the vipers out there away from our planet. Best of luck.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± Anakin said as he grabbed his access pass and ticket, ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±

    ¡°Next!¡± the employee called out and the person behind Anakin stepped forward and started ordering his own flight.

    Anakin jogged slightly to reach his ship in time, but he managed to get there in time and get inside and take a seat.

    The ship was grimy, only the seats looking like they¡¯d been scrubbed clean recently by a strong chemical. The smell of it still lingered in the air as Anakin took a whiff of it as he sat in his chair around various grimy and rough looking people who were eying him slightly as he sat there not talking to anyone. There were no other teenagers on the ship that Anakin could see.

    But despite his concern, nothing stopped the flight. The spaceship rumbled and they blasted off from the surface. In a few weeks, he¡¯d be out on the outer rim.

    He¡¯d be a Jedi for real instead of wasting his time and suffering under Master Druman.

 Chapter 4: The Power of the Dark Side

    ¡°Thank you for informing me, master Jedi. Of course the resources of the Republic will be at your disposal in order to retrieve this wayward padawan of yours before anything horrible happens, Force forbid. Why, he¡¯s the boy that saved my very own planet of Naboo from the Trade Federation¡¯s invasion and destroyed the droid controller ship threatening us all. It would be the least that I can do to make sure that he remains safe.¡±

    Master Windu inclined his head, ¡°Thank you, Chancellor. We will make sure to share any information that will help bring young Skywalker back home.¡±

    ¡°By chance, do we have any explanation for why he has done this?¡± Chancellor Palpatine asked, ¡°What could lead him to go so far as to flee to the Outer Rim? He seemed quite eager to be a Jedi when I last met him in the aftermath of the Naboo invasion.¡±

    Master Windu¡¯s jaw worked and he looked irritated for a moment before he replied, ¡°He was reassigned to a new master after¡­ Master Kenobi¡¯s most recent incident. It seems that the boy disliked the change and in a foolish act of rebellion chose to flee rather than continue his training under his new master.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? How intriguing. Were conditions so intolerable for him under this new master?¡±

    ¡°The conditions were¡­¡± Master Windu hesitated, something that made the Chancellor take note. How interesting. Perhaps he should tell his spies to dig deeper into the specifics?

    ¡°The conditions were less than ideal,¡± Master Windu admitted, ¡°It seems that Master Druman pushed the boy harder than he could take. But rest assured that he has been reprimanded harshly, and such things will not happen again when the boy has returned.¡±

    ¡°And do you intend to place him back in Master Druman¡¯s care despite your reprimand to this Master? Is it not unusual for a padawan to be forcibly transferred to a new Jedi master unwillingly?¡±

    ¡°There is precedent,¡± Windu said defensively, ¡°Master Kenobi can not carry out his duties until he recovers fully. The Jedi will deal with such matters internally once the boy is returned to us. If that is all, good day Chancellor.¡±

    Grandmaster Windu inclined his head at Palpatine one more time before turning around and strolling out of the room.

    Sheev Palpatine waited until the Jedi was outside of the Chancellor¡¯s office before turning to Mas Ammeda, the grand Vizier of the Republic Senate.

    ¡°What do you make of this, Mas?¡± he asked, ¡°This throws the grand plan in disarray. The Chosen One himself fleeing from the Jedi¡­ Perhaps I should mentor him sooner than planned.¡±

    ¡°That seems unwise at this time, Lord Sidious,¡± Mas said as he bowed to his lord before straightening again, ¡°All eyes are on him, and on you. There¡¯s too much risk training him yourself.¡±

    Lord Sidious drummed his fingers on the desk as he considered his plans, and how they would have to change.

    ¡°The Jedi are in an uproar,¡± he said, ¡°A ripe ground for sowing division and strife. We must ensure that the boy is both safe and out of Jedi hands for as long as we can. It will be easier to turn him to the dark later, the longer he is away from them and their temple. And we must somehow still bind him to us, without him nearby and with the Jedi such things will be far more difficult¡­¡±

    ¡°My lord, there is one answer. But it must be handled delicately. Your newest apprentice, Lord Tyrannus. He can do the hard work of training the boy out of sight while you reap all of the rewards in the end, when the moment is right.¡±

    Chancellor Palpatine sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers, considering the proposal. Then he smiled widely and indulged in letting the hatred flow through him as he briefly indulged in drawing on the dark side of the force.

    ¡°Why, Mas, that sounds like an excellent idea,¡± Lord Sidious said, ¡°Yes, this is an unprecedented opportunity. We must seize it full force before it slips away and the Jedi recapture our prize and hide him away once more. You organize the Republic¡¯s response. Make sure to keep the search competent enough that the Jedi don¡¯t suspect any foul play from you. I will make the arrangements with Lord Tyrannus and explain his newest mission personally.¡±

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Anakin woke suddenly as the ship rumbled around him. He reached to his side and pulled out his knife as he sat up in his bunk. They were stacked four high on the ship and Anakin had made sure to take the top one when he had the chance. He didn¡¯t trust the nearly forty people sleeping in the communal sleeping quarters on the ship. Well, communal for the passengers, Anakin had yet to see somebody from the crew so far. They were sectioned away in a different part of the ship from what Anakin had heard from the muttering of the people around him.

    The ship rumbled again and Anakin tightened the grip on his knife. He leaned his head over his bunk and stared at the Twi''lek man who blinked in surprise as he saw Anakin leaning over.

    ¡°You know what¡¯s going on?¡± Anakin whispered, ¡°Did we just exit hyperspace?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± the man said, ¡°I know as much as you. I just woke up.¡±

    He rolled over and Anakin thought for a second he was ignoring him, but when he rolled back around he was holding a holopad.

    ¡°It¡¯s been¡­ No, still a few hours too early. Why would they drop out so soon?¡±

    The ship rumbled again and Anakin lifted off his bunk as the gravity generators shut off for a moment before kicking back into gear and slamming everyone down in a loud crash.

    ¡°Sith spit!¡± The man below Anakin cursed, ¡°What is going on? Is something wrong with the engine?¡±

    ¡°Probably pirates. Here to sell us as off slaves,¡± a twi''lek woman with a long scar running across her cheek and running down her jawline to just below her lips sneered from the line of bunks opposite Anakin. She had slept on the top bunk as well, and Anakin saw her raise an eyebrow as she saw the knife that he held in his hand. She shifted and lifted her shirt and revealed a blaster tucked in her waistband that she pulled out and held it at the ready in front of her.

    ¡°Boy, you know how to use that sticker or is it an empty threat?¡± she asked as she gestured towards Anakin¡¯s large knife.

    ¡°I know how to use it,¡± Anakin replied, ¡°You think it¡¯s really pirates?¡±

    The ship shook again and Anakin heard the faint sound of screams and blaster fire through the halls of the ship.

    ¡°Pretty sure,¡± she said, ¡°Engine malfunctions don¡¯t sound like that. I¡¯m not gonna go back to being a slave no matter what. This junker of a ship doesn¡¯t have anything valuable on it except people. You choose, smooth hands. You seem like the only other semi competent one in this sorry lot.¡±

    Smooth hands? He had calluses from handling a lightsaber, but she was right. These weren¡¯t workers'' hands. Not like how they¡¯d been scratchy and uncomfortable when he was a slave back on tatooine.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going back either,¡± Anakin said as he looked back at the woman, ¡°You have a plan?¡±

    The woman glanced at him in surprise before shrugging, ¡°Point and shoot. You stab a few once I¡¯ve distracted them enough. I¡¯m Slarena Reborn by the way. You, kid?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a kid¡­ I¡¯m Anakin¡­ Just Anakin.¡±

    The blaster fire and shouting outside of the passengers quarters grew louder and the worried muttering of the passengers grew louder and more urgent. Most had a blade or two that they carried, but it seemed like only Slarena had a blaster. Anakin specifically remembered that the blasters were supposed to be stored away in a separate bag while they were traveling on the ship to the outer rim. Bags that were taken away and stored elsewhere for the journey.

    ¡°Your parents sure were confident, weren¡¯t they?¡± Slarena said as she aimed her blaster at the door and pressed her body against the wall so only the snout of her handheld blaster should be visible from the door.

    ¡°Naming you Just. Short for Justice? What a name. Nice to meet you, Mr. Anakin.¡±

    ¡°What, no! My name¡¯s Anakin. I was only saying¡­¡±

    He stopped as he saw her smirking at him and groaned, ¡°Ugh, you¡¯re teasing me.¡±

    ¡°You set me up there,¡± she said with a morbid note in her voice, ¡°May as well get in one last quip before we die.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re¡­ We¡¯re not going to die,¡± Anakin said with a deep breath, ¡°We¡¯ll be okay.¡±

    She frowned, ¡°You think we can fight them off? I¡¯m the only one with a blaster. Knives won¡¯t do anything against them.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised how good a sword can be,¡± Anakin said before he slowly put his normal knife back into his pocket and drew out his lightsaber.

    ¡°What the sith spit is that?¡± Slarena asked and stared at the lightsaber in confusion, ¡°Some kind of flashlight?¡±

    Anakin let the Force flow through him and jumped from the top bunk down to the floor.

    ¡°Something like that,¡± he called out, ¡°Try to not shoot me.¡±

    Anakin shoved through the chaotic crowd uncertainly holding their knives at the ready. None of them recognized what the silver handle in Anakin¡¯s hand represented, but at his confidence they cleared the way.

    He stood by the door and with a few deep breaths stood in his ready stance with his unignited lightsaber held at the ready. The others eyed him dubiously, but still backed away and gave him a circle of space directly in front of the door.

    ¡°What in the galaxy are you doing, kid?¡± Slarena called out from her high bunk, ¡°Get back here! No flashlight is going to save us.¡±

    There were heavy footsteps thundering in the hallway just outside, so Anakin just stood there in a ready stance and ignored Slarena as he waited. He could feel them through the force, the pirates. They were gathering on the other side of the door, waiting for something.

    ¡°Get back here right now, Anakin!¡± Slarena demanded, ¡°Somebody down there get the kid back, he¡¯ll get killed up there!¡±

    Anakin ignored her again, and no one listened to her as they all heard the shuffling and clanging of many boots gathered just outside their door to the main ship.

    After a few minutes of standing there motionless, there was finally a change. Slarena had given up on her worried demands and just laid there silently, aiming her blaster at the door while Anakin and the others stood in a rough circle around the door with their blades and his unignited lightsaber.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    Anakin had let his nervousness bleed into him and broke his meditation on the Force slightly. He worked hard to center himself and took more deep breaths and reestablished his connection to the light side of the Force like he¡¯d learned at the Jedi temple.

    The door opened and a crowd of dirty and scruffy men in mismatched gear stood on the other side. A man in the center stood in the back behind the first two lines of burly people who must be pirates as he stood with a sense of authority. His gear looked much more well maintained and little gold jewelry was pinned across his chest like the medals on a general.

    ¡°Friends!¡± The human pirate captain said cheerfully with a sadistic smirk on his face, ¡°Soon to be slaves! I¡¯d suggest you put down your weapons, and give up. The more of you that are killed, the less merchandise we have to sell! You wouldn''t want to go the way of your brave crew, would you? Poor men didn¡¯t know when to quit, a shame really. Some of them would have done well in the fighting pits¡­¡±

    The nearly dozen pirates on the other side of the door armed their blasters and pointed them inside threateningly. Anakin saw that there were even more pirates to either side of them deeper on either side of the door out of sight.

    A man to Anakin¡¯s right had his face welling with tears, and dropped his small switchblade and kneeled and put his shaking hands in the air in surrender. Over three quarters of the others did so as well in a wave, only a few people including Anakin remained standing defiantly, even if the knives in the hands of the others were trembling.

    ¡°A good choice!¡± the captain said, ¡°The rest of you have ten more seconds. Slavery or death? One can always gain their freedom, but dead is dead. Think carefully before you decide.¡±

    One of the pirates took a step inwards as the others all dropped their knives and surrendered as well, leaving only Anakin standing there in the doorway.

    ¡°And what of you, boy?¡± the pirate captain sneered, ¡°Would you rather die? Hit us with your little toy there? You have five seconds left.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not hurting any of these people,¡± Anakin stated firmly as he tightened his grip on his lightsaber and kept his thumb hovering right over the ignition button on the side of the handle, ¡°I won¡¯t let you.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± the captain sneered, ¡°What will you do, boy? Surrender before things start getting ugly. Or I might get in a bad mood and decide that I don¡¯t need to keep all of you as slaves.¡±

    One of the burly pirates took a step forward, but before Anakin could react, Slarena fired her blaster from behind him and landed a pinpoint shot directly in the large pirate¡¯s eye, sending him falling to the floor dead.

    Anakin ignited his lightsaber and quickly brought it in front of him to block as a barrage of wild blaster fire from the pirates came into the cabin in response to Slarena¡¯s shots.

    Anakin blocked one shot blasting directly towards his face and clumsily deflected it to the side into the wall. Using the Force¡¯s guidance, Anakin twisted his body as three more shots in the barrage sailed past him and scorched his side, shoulder, and his right thigh right around his hip in glancing blows that he barely dodged with his Force guided dash to reposition himself.

    The pirates kept firing and Anakin heard the screams of the dying passengers behind him. He felt through the force that three of them were already dead and many others were on the edge of death as well as the pirates fired indiscriminately on them, seemingly not having spotted where Slarena was hiding yet.

    As he dashed forward, he felt an indescribable rage welling within him. He was supposed to be a Jedi, to protect people! So why¡­ Why were they dying anyway? Even as the first pirate¡¯s eyes widened as Anakin sliced him in half with a horizontal slice of his blue lightsaber, he felt something twist and pulse within him as all that rage crescendoed into something more.

    Why should he care about these animals? Slavers, murderers. Wasn¡¯t it only fair that they should suffer? Just like what they¡¯d inflicted on so many others, Anakin would show no mercy to them. He¡¯d tear them apart!

    The Force pulsed around Anakin as his head throbbed with a steady beat of rage and loss as he wildly dove into the crowd of pirates and swung his lightsaber wildly, killing multiple of them at once as his lightsaber barely even slowed by their shoddy armor.

    The pirate captain was fleeing, he was the source of this rage within Anakin. If he was dead, then everything would feel better. All those people that the man had hurt would be avenged.

    Anakin went to charge after the captain, but ducked as the Force screamed a warning to him and two blaster bolts sailed over his head. He turned around and saw two living pirates pointing their blasters at him with shaking hands.

    Anakin lifted his free hand and with a scream let out a burst of twisting malevolent Force that slammed into the two men. They were thrown through the air and slammed into the back wall at high speed, their bodies going limp with wet crunches before they fell to the ground dead.

    Anakin turned to see only the pirate captain remained alive, fleeing in a panic and shouting into a communicator even as he did so. Anakin started running after him with a soft growl in his throat as he felt his face twisted into a frozen snarl.

    Pirates came running in from adjoining hallways and fired their blasters at Anakin, and he dealt with them at all in barely a second. But each pirate gave their captain more time to flee.

    The pirate captain¡¯s voice grew screeching and high pitched even as he heaved heavy breaths as he ran. Anakin saw the dead bodies of what must be the crew of this ship, blaster holes perforating their bodies and carelessly shoved to the side to clear the main path for the pirates.

    It only drew Anakin to stoke the fires of his rage higher as he chased after the pirate captain. The man ran through a hatch that closed behind him as he turned around and mashed the buttons of the door controls, watching with wide eyes as Anakin charged after him, only second behind.

    Anakin slammed into the metal doors full speed, and was briefly thrown off balance from the blow and shook his head before recovering. He plunged his lightsaber into the metal and started cutting a rough circle in the metal door with his superheated lightsaber blade.

    When the circle of metal was cut open wide enough after a few seconds, Anakin held out his hand again and in another burst of malevolent force the plug came loose and fell out of its housing into the hallway behind it with a heavy thud. Anakin growled slightly at seeing how little his blast of Force caused the thing to barely move more than a meter from the doorway. He went through the hole and barely noticed the sudden change in the design of the hallway around him compared to the normal ship. He saw the pirate captain disappear around the corner.

    All he knew was that more pirates were coming to attack him again, shooting at him. Anakin continued his rampage, slicing wildly with his lightsaber and releasing blasts of malevolent Force from his hands for those farther away. The Force let him dodge the laser blasts of the pirates as he dodged and weaved through their attacks to butcher them.

    Then as if in a flash, there were no more. He had nearly caught up with the pirate captain and no more pirates came to ambush him from behind or the sides.

    The captain turned around to look behind him and screamed and held his hands up defensively as he saw Anakin meters away from him.

    Anakin leapt forward and in one blow split the pirate captain in two from shoulder to waist. The two halves of the man¡¯s body slid apart and hit the ground. But Anakin didn¡¯t stop there. He descended on the remains and slashed again where it lay. And again, and again.

    Why wasn¡¯t this feeling, this rage, this loss, going away? He had gotten rid of the source of the problem! The lightsaber was too clinical, too clean. He had to vent his anger in a more satisfying way for it to work. He dropped his lightsaber and started pounding the dead pirate captain¡¯s body with his fist, coating them with blood. Anakin vaguely registered that somebody was howling and screaming like a dying animal. It might even be him this time, instead of the people that he had killed.

    Punch, punch, punch. The floor was a bloody splattered mess, but Anakin had to keep punching. There were still small pieces of the animal¡¯s body left to crush.

    ¡°Anakin?¡± A woman said from behind him in a small voice after who know how long of mindless rage and attacking the floor.

    He snapped his head around and through the pulsing rage pounding in his head, someone vaguely familiar. She¡­ wasn¡¯t a pirate? It was Slarena? Hadn¡¯t she been the one who fired back there. He had it handled! All of those people were dead because of her! If she¡¯d just trusted him, then those pirates wouldn¡¯t have had a chance to kill anyone! He would have stopped them in time!

    The pirates were all dead, so that meant that Slarena was the one who had caused all of this, this aching terrible and raging hurt in him!

    He took a step toward her panting and raised his lightsaber as he picked it up from the floor next to him, tensing his legs and preparing to leap forward even as he turned.

    He took a menacing step forward and Slarena flinched and looked scared of him. Anakin paused as a moment of clarity washed over him. What was he doing? It was the pirates that were at fault, not her. Where were the pirates¡­? He glanced around and realized that they were all dead. But that must mean that she¡­ No! What was he doing?! In his sudden burst of clarity, Anakin suddenly felt horror at what he¡¯d almost done. Even now, he could feel the dark side of the force warping his thoughts, looking for another target to vent his rage on now that the pirates were dead.

    Anakin started panicking and took a stuttering step back from Slarena, who looked confused at his sudden shift in stance and expression.

    Even now he could feel himself sliding back into madness. He had to stop it, if only he could¡­ He remembered the shield around his mind sitting there passively like it always did. In a panic he grabbed onto the mental shield and flexed it as hard as he could.

    His head throbbed harder and he fell to his knees and groaned in pain slightly. But he pulled even harder on the shield and ever so slowly and painfully, the unnatural rage and madness started to fade from his mind. Finally after what felt like an eternity, his mind was fully cleared and the coiling madness of the Dark side drained away from him, its power enhancing body fading away and leaving him with a bone deep exhaustion.

    Anakin was still on his knees, his lightsaber having shut off and fallen to the floor at one point. Slarena was staring at him uncertainly from a few meters away, a complicated expression on her face.

    Anakin looked down at his trembling hands and saw that they were coated in red blood. His whole body was, he realized as he looked down at himself.

    ¡°What¡­ What have I done?¡± Anakin said in horror as all the memories of what had happened washed over him all at once, ¡°I killed them. I killed them all.¡±

    Anakin felt his eyes welling up as the horror and trauma of what had just happened washed over him.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Anakin,¡± Slarena said softly as she crouched down in front of him and put a hand on his blood soaked shoulder, ¡°You did what you had to do.¡±

    ¡°I killed them,¡± Anakin repeated, ¡°I failed. All those people died because I wasn¡¯t good enough. I¡­ I¡­¡±

    Anakin¡¯s welled up tears finally escaped his eyes despite his best efforts and ran down his blood streaked face and he buried his face in his hands.

    He felt a pair of arms wrap around him in a hug as Anakin¡¯s mind felt flashing through all the horrible images of what he¡¯d done, what he¡¯d let happen because he wasn¡¯t good enough.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be okay,¡± Slarena whispered to him as she kept him wrapped in a hug and ignored all the blood that he was smearing all over her, ¡°Deep breaths, Anakin. I¡­ You saved the rest of us, me, from¡­ You don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do to never be a slave again, Anakin. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ But I¡­ I never thought it would be like this. I just lost control and killed all of them like a wild animal¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just how it goes sometimes,¡± Slarena said sympathetically and started rubbing little circles in Anakin¡¯s back with her right hand, which oddly enough immediately helped him calm down as he felt his body relax and some of the tension drained out of him.

    He took his hands from his face and awkwardly hugged Slarena back as she sat there hugging him on the blood stained floor.

    They stayed like that for a few minutes before Anakin eventually released her and wiped at his eyes with his bloody sleeve. But his face was covered in blood too, so all it did was smear the cloth a bit and leave his face just as dirty as ever.

    ¡°Thanks, Slarena,¡± Anakin said, ¡°I¡­ needed that. How many made it?¡±

    Slarena grimaced and hesitated before answering, ¡°Half. But that¡¯s half more than would have been free otherwise. Let¡¯s get you up. You can think about all of that later. Let¡¯s get you cleaned up. And maybe a nap. I¡¯ll even tuck you in for your bedtime if you ask me nicely.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a kid,¡± Anakin muttered listlessly as he stood and let Slarena lead him back through the path of devastation that he¡¯d created. She tried to cover his eyes at points, but he didn¡¯t let her and forced himself to watch the carnage that he¡¯d created when he lost control.

    This was what the Force wanted him to do. If the Force turned him fully to the dark side, then he¡¯d be a monster. If he hadn¡¯t pulled himself back from the brink, if he hadn¡¯t had Draeth¡¯s special power to help him purge the dark side from himself¡­

    Anakin glanced at Slarena and shuddered. He didn¡¯t want to think about it. She still had two calloused hands on his shoulders and was guiding him as they walked through the hallways. They eventually reached the showers. She released him and put her hand on the square of his back and pushed him forward slightly inside.

    Anakin looked back at her.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not going in there with you if that¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking,¡± she said drily, ¡°I¡¯ll get your clean clothes. You have that one bag with all of your stuff in it on your bunk, right? I¡¯ll bring it here and throw it inside so you can find your stuff. Just take your time, I¡¯ll make sure the others don¡¯t come and bother you. You¡¯ll feel much better once you¡¯re all clean and in fresh clothes.¡±

    Anakin blushed slightly and nodded and closed the door behind himself.

    She was right, and after Anakin took a shower and Slarena was right. Once he was clean, he did feel much better.

 Chapter 5: Having a Goal

    Anakin hefted his bag to have it slung over his back by the strap as he left the showers. Slarena was standing outside the doors, holding her own bags in her hands with her blaster holstered at her hip.

    He blinked for a moment until he realized that her whole front was soaked in blood that he¡¯d smeared onto her. Oh, the blood¡­

    ¡°My turn,¡± she said before noticing his stare, ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry about this. It¡¯ll come out with a good scrubbing or two. Just wait for a bit, kid. We can talk with the people left together. I guess the two of us are sort of the leaders now.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Anakin said absently, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for a bit.¡±

    She went in and Anakin waited around awkwardly milling around the door, not sure exactly what he should be doing. Meditate? But his mind was all off kilter and he felt strange. He doubted it would be any use right now¡­

    He looked up as he heard footsteps coming down the ship hallway and dropped his hand to his side and drew his lightsaber in a quick motion, on guard. He ignited it and leapt forward¡­ Only to stop and freeze in place. There was a twi¡¯lek man standing there cowering as Anakin stood there with his lightsaber raised as if to strike him. It was the man who had been in the bunk below him earlier.

    After a few seconds of mutual shock, Anakin let out a sigh of relief and retracted his lightsaber and slid it back into the deep pocket of his cloak.

    ¡°Hi,¡± he said, ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°No, understandable, everyone¡¯s jumpy¡­¡± the man said before gesturing behind him with a stuttering motion, ¡°We¡¯ve got a¡­ problem back there. Three of the pirates survived, and everyone¡¯s arguing what we should do with them. They¡¯re disarmed and tied up and all, but things were getting out of hand when I left. With you being a¡­ Jedi and all, shouldn¡¯t you come and help calm everyone down?¡±

    The man nodded towards the pocket where Anakin had put his lightsaber. It seems that even if the passengers hadn¡¯t recognized the handle, then they knew the distinctive plasma blade of the lightsabers.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true,¡± Anakin said a little weakly before his voice strengthened, ¡°Right, a Jedi would help with that kind of thing. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The man turned and led the way back to the passenger¡¯s quarters. Anakin tried to ignore all the bodies and scorch marks as they went, even as he felt his hand trembling slightly.

    They didn¡¯t travel the whole way, instead stopping a few turns from the actual quarters where a crowd of people were gathered and in a fierce argument. Anakin saw that everyone was armed with mismatched blasters that most of them held clumsily. Weapons likely scavenged from the pirates.

    ¡°He¡¯s here! The Jedi!¡± the man who led him here shouted a few times, before his voice pierced through the crowd and everyone turned to stare at the two of them.

    ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± Anakin said after the whole crowd went silent as they stared at him with not a little bit of fear and glances at the one or two splayed out bodies lying in the hallway nearby that Anakin had sliced in half during his rampage through the pirate¡¯s ranks.

    ¡°There¡¯s prisoners?¡± Anakin said as no one responded.

    ¡°Right,¡± one of the burly men said and the crowd shifted to give Anakin a good view of their surroundings. Three men lay on the ground, their arms and legs bound as they lay there with everyone else staring down at them. Based on their gear and poor hygiene, Anakin was sure that they must be the captured pirates. They looked terrified, and their faces were bruised and they looked injured.

    ¡°Master Jedi!¡± One of them cried out with a rasping breath, ¡°Please spare us! We¡¯re unarmed! You wouldn¡¯t let them kill unarmed prisoners would you, Master Jedi?¡±

    The passengers shifted¡­

    ¡°Shut it, slaver!¡± the man who had spoken before shouted angrily and waved his gun threateningly at the man on the ground, ¡°We should just finish the Jedi¡¯s good work and be done with it already!¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t!¡± the Twi¡¯lek man who brought Anakin back protested, ¡°They¡¯re no threat to us anymore. They can go to the Republic to stand trial.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d spare people like them? They¡¯d have killed us all given half the chance! You heard their captain before the Master Jedi here attacked them. Somebody has to kill them.¡±

    Anakin opened and closed his mouth, not sure what to do as what seemed to be two groups descended to arguments again. A large fraction wanted to kill the three pirates out of hand, while a smaller but vocal group wanted to take them to the Republic to stand trial for their crimes.

    ¡°Stop! Stop!¡± Anakin shouted, and everyone immediately quieted down and looked at him. He stopped, but then started again after a deep breath, ¡°We can¡¯t kill them. They must stand trial, it¡¯s the right thing to do. We¡¯ll deliver them to the Republic.¡±

    It was the kind of thing that Obi-wan would do. What a real Jedi would do. Not like what¡­

    ¡°Anakin! What¡¯s going on?!¡± Slarena came running down the hallway, her blaster held at the ready and her lekku and head still wet from the shower and her clothes ruffled like she¡¯d thrown them on in a hurry.

    She stopped and paused and seemed to take in the situation.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she asked after lowering her weapon and relaxing as she saw that Anakin was just standing there looking at her in confusion.

    The crowd wasted no time in telling her what happened and either protesting or supporting Anakin¡¯s decision.

    ¡°I understand,¡± she said after a moment and her eyes lingered on Anakin for a moment as she walked forward before she passed him and walked right up to the pirates lying on the ground.

    She stood over the three pirates who were staying as still as possible as if staying frozen in place would prevent anyone from noticing them.

    Without another word, Slarena raised her blaster and with three quick shots killed the captive pirates before anyone else could react.

    The world exploded into noise as the argument erupted again and accusations were thrown as Slarena calmly holstered her pistol at her side again and turned to start arguing with the crowd to defend herself.

    Anakin turned and fled from the noise, a deep sting of betrayal biting in his chest. He barely even knew Slarena, why did he feel so betrayed that she¡¯d done that?

    He ran until the noise faded from behind him and then sat down heavily and leaned against one of the pristine metal walls behind him. There had been no fighting here. Anakin crossed his legs and did his best to remember his training as he sat there. How to meditate, how to drain himself of his emotions and know peace. He didn¡¯t find much success, but he still tried to do it harder than he ever had at the Jedi temple.

    ¡°Anakin? You alright there?¡± Slarena suddenly said from across from him. He opened his eyes and saw her sitting there leaning against the opposite wall, staring at him. Her legs were sticking out in front of her as she leaned back on her hands, her blaster still strapped to her hip. He hadn¡¯t even heard her approach through his efforts to meditate.

    ¡°That was wrong,¡± Anakin said, ¡°You just killed them. They were unarmed prisoners. We should have taken them to the Republic.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You¡¯re a good kid, Anakin. But mercy is wasted on scum like that.¡±

    ¡°Wasted!¡± Anakin said, getting a little angry at her calm reply, ¡°So what, we¡¯re just supposed to go around killing everyone that we don¡¯t like? I¡¯m a Jedi, we¡¯re not supposed to let these things happen. We were supposed to discuss it as a group, to¡­ to¡­ To be better than them.¡±

    ¡°I know. I took the decision from you. It was your decision. Everyone out there was too spineless, and didn''t want to kill those pirates themselves. Even the ones arguing for execution. Instead, they just stood around arguing and dragging it out, waiting for you to do something for them. They were going to make you do the honors eventually when they started having second thoughts about keeping prisoners. We¡¯ve still got days or even weeks before we could reach a system with any real Republic presence. Probably, I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not a pilot. A lot can change in that time. I was just trying to spare you from getting your hands any dirtier. You¡¯ve been through enough already.¡±

    ¡°They¡­ That¡¯s¡­ You made my hands dirty! I just stood there and watched as you did it! What kind of Jedi am I, to just let you execute prisoners like that? They could have stood trial, been punished for their crimes by the Republic!¡±

    Slarena sighed and shook her head, ¡°They were slavers, Anakin. They always work in packs and conglomerates that look out for each other. At least out here. Too kriffin¡¯ unlikable to have anyone else able to stand them. Out here in the Outer Rim, I¡¯d be surprised if they spent even a few days in jail before they were free again and ready to hurt more people. We had to kill them ourselves or let them go free. That was the real choice, and everyone else but you knew it.¡±

    Anakin knew that the Republic¡¯s reach didn¡¯t go everywhere, especially in the Outer Rim and his home planet of Tatooine especially. But he just hadn¡¯t connected it in his mind.

    ¡°We should have talked about it. It¡¯s still not right,¡± he insisted.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I know you¡¯re angry, but I really was trying to do my best to help you.¡±

    Neither of them spoke for a while, both of them just thinking and mutually staring into nothing.

    ¡°Why?¡± Anakin eventually asked, ¡°Why do that for me? After we practically just met?¡±

    He thought he understood what she meant now that he¡¯d had some time to calm down and think about her words. Even if he still didn¡¯t agree with her actions, the sense of betrayal within him had faded away into nothing. He could tell that she was telling the truth, and really thought that she¡¯d been doing him a favor.

    ¡°Like I said, Anakin. You¡¯re a good kid. Just felt like the thing to do, to help you. Would you like to look around the pirate¡¯s ship together? Maybe it could help take our minds off of things, if we had something to do.¡±

    ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s go,¡± Anakin said and stood up as he latched onto the idea, ¡°Maybe we can find out if these pirates were working with anyone that might come after us.¡±

    ¡°We should probably head to the command deck,¡± Slarena said and trailed slightly behind him as they started walking to the hallway where the pirates had docked to their ship. The airlock that Anakin had sliced through with his blade, ¡°We¡¯ll have to look around and see if we can find a command code or key or something¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I used to build my own droids from components. Even if we don¡¯t find something then I should be able to get in and get some control of the ship,¡± Anakin said confidently.

    ¡°You built your own droids?¡± Slarena said with an impressed look, ¡°Like custom? How old are you again?¡±

    ¡°Fourteen. I stopped doing it when I was nine though. Too busy with Jedi training, I wasn¡¯t allowed to do it when it might distract me from my meditation.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s stupid. Building droids is way harder than some meditation, I¡¯m sure. Building droids at nine years old¡­ You must be a genius, Anakin!¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Anakin said a little embarrassed, ¡°It¡¯s not really that great. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s plenty of kids who can do things like that.¡±

    ¡°Pffft. Duh, it¡¯s a big galaxy,¡± Slarena said, ¡°There¡¯s geniuses everywhere. But no one I knew growing up ever knew how to fix a droid, let alone build one ourselves.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I built my own podracer too!¡± Anakin said, surprised at her support for his old hobby, ¡°I won the planetary Boonta Eve Classic race with it. The money from it let the jedi who found me get the parts they needed to fix their ship to get off the planet.¡±

    ¡°A podracer? Is that like some kind of speeder?¡± Slarena asked, ¡°I¡¯m not familiar.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but they¡¯re made for speed. We race through the canyons of Tatooine, and you have to put defenses and overclock the engines for your racers. There was this racer Sebulba who had a slow speed compared to the others, but used all sorts of traps and weapons to take out any racers that tried to pass him. He won for several years in a row before I managed to beat him! Even after he sabotaged my racer somehow. I¡¯m sure it was him, even if I still won in the end anyway.¡±

    ¡°Whoa, that¡¯s a lot more dangerous than I thought,¡± Slarena said, sounding taken aback at Anakin¡¯s description, ¡°Was the prize money so good, to have so much danger? How¡¯d you convince your parents to let you go?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ uh, I was a slave back then,¡± Anakin said, ¡°The money was enough to buy me and my mom from our owner. Or at least I thought it was. Master Qui-gon made a bet that if I won the podrace then I could leave and be freed by Watto. But my mom wasn¡¯t part of the deal, so Watto refused to sell her unless the Jedi paid ridiculous prices. So I had to go and leave her behind.¡±

    ¡°Well you¡¯re a Jedi now, right?¡± Slarena said encouragingly, ¡°Surely they¡¯d pay for your mother if you asked them?¡±

    ¡°Jedi aren¡¯t supposed to have personal attachments. Master Obi-wan said that seeing her again would only be more painful for the both of us. He told me that she was still safe though a year after I left.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ cold. Is that what you want? Actually I forgot to ask. Do you have some sort of mission that you¡¯re on as a Jedi? Maybe we can go see if we can free her on the way.¡±

    Anakin thought about her words and let them roll around his head. Did he have a goal right now? He¡¯d just planned to flee to the outer rim, but not anything more than that. Could he¡­ Maybe Slarena had a point. Why shouldn¡¯t he go to Tatooine and free his mom? It wasn¡¯t like he was going to listen to the Council anymore, not after running away from them.

    ¡°Wait, we?¡± he said suddenly, ¡°What do you mean? Don¡¯t you have something to do on¡­ Raska? Why would you come with me?¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have anywhere to go,¡± Slarena said with a shrug, ¡°I¡¯m a bit of a drifter. Find work where I can, blast any fools who try to mess with me if I have to. Seems like you¡¯ll be up to exciting things, I wouldn¡¯t mind traveling with you for a while. If you want to, of course.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm. Okay, I don¡¯t mind. I do have to tell you one thing though,¡± Anakin said as they backtracked a little in their search to try to find the main command deck of the pirate¡¯s ship.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a Jedi anymore. Well, not¡­ I¡¯m a Jedi, but not like the other ones. It¡¯s hard to explain. Point is, the Republic is after me because I ran away. You might be in trouble if you stick around.¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    Slarena fiddled with her holstered blaster for a few seconds before letting go, ¡°Alright. That¡¯s maybe a bit too exciting. But what the kriff, when am I going to get another chance to hang out with a real Jedi? Let alone such a little and cute one.¡±

    She smirked and reached out and ruffled Anakin¡¯s hair with her hand, and he didn¡¯t use his force prediction to dodge.

    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m not cute!¡± Anakin protested and reached up to smooth down his hair, ¡°Quit it, I¡¯ll be taller than you in a few years anyway. I¡¯ve grown at least a few inches this last year.¡±

    ¡°Sure, sure shrimp,¡± Slarena said, ¡°Keep telling yourself that. That¡¯s what all of the shorties say.¡±

    Anakin opened his mouth, but stopped as Slarena¡¯s head turned to the side. He saw the door she was looking at. It was different, thicker and more reinforced. Slarena diverted and tapped at the pad to the side of the heavy door, and it slid open, revealing a space filled with blinking consoles and two pilot¡¯s chairs. The two of them went inside and inspected everything.

    ¡°You understand any of this?¡± Slarena asked after a few minutes with a faint note of embarrassment in her voice, ¡°I¡¯ve never been in a spaceship cockpit before.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I think I understand,¡± Anakin said, ¡°It¡¯s an older model, shouldn¡¯t take too long for me to figure it all out.¡±

    He sat down in the pilot¡¯s chair and rifled around and smiled when he felt a little compartment underneath.

    ¡°Score.¡±

    He flipped down the flap under the chair and pulled out a heavily bound book sitting inside.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Pilot¡¯s manual,¡± Anakin said as he started flipping through as he sat back against the pilot¡¯s chair, ¡°Everything we need to know to pilot this thing is in here.¡±

    ¡°What about codes or passwords or¡­ something?¡±

    Anakin peered between the page on the manual and the console and small screen in front of him for a few seconds before answering her.

    He cautiously hit a few buttons and after navigating through the menus while consulting the book, nodded to himself as he finished.

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°The pirate captain never logged off from the controls, so I went in and changed the passwords. There isn¡¯t a physical key from what I can tell. We should have full control of the ship now. Now I just have to read this thing and figure out how to fly it.¡±

    ¡°Is there anything that I can do in the meantime? I¡¯m feeling pretty useless standing here like an idiot.¡±

    Anakin thought about it, before his better mood crashed down a little as he thought of something.

    ¡°The¡­ The airlock door that I sliced through. That connects the two ships. We need to fix that if we want to detach the ships. Otherwise neither will be able to go to hyperspace properly.¡±

    ¡°I will¡­ get right on that. You got this, Anakin. I¡¯ll ask around and see if there¡¯s anyone else who¡¯s a pilot who could help too.¡±

    She left and Anakin kept reading the manual, glad that he had something to distract himself with rather than dwelling on what had happened with the pirates. With the Dark side.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Anakin thought about the pile of blasters and assorted armor stuffed in various closets around the ship. It was all a little gruesome, but credits were credits. Anakin had nearly nothing to his name, and Slarena didn¡¯t have much more than him. It was everything that could be taken from the pirates'' bodies that could still be salvaged. They¡¯d gathered everything that could be valuable from the bodies before dragging the bodies into the transport ship so the Raska government could identify them. Well Slarena and the others did that, Anakin was mostly still looking over the pilot manuals and learning to pilot the pirate¡¯s ship.

    It had been a few days, and everyone was ready to go. None of the survivors were pilots, but Anakin was able to explain to one of the smarter ones the basics for working the transport ship. All of the normal crew were dead, killed by the pirates to the last. Anakin personally charted the hyperspace course to Raska and set it to automatically blast an emergency distress call once it arrived at the planet. Better to have the local government bail everyone out rather than risk the new ¡®pilot¡¯ blowing them all to bits trying to land the ship on the ground themselves.

    But that was for the others who just wanted to finish their trip to Raska. Anakin¡¯s plan was always to leave as soon as he arrived at Raska on another ship, so this was the perfect opportunity not only to get his own ship but make sure the Republic wouldn¡¯t be able to track him buying another ticket to transport him to another planet in the outer rim.

    Slarena was coming with him, but all the others were leaving on the other ship. Anakin pressed the button, and with a hiss and rumble, the pirate¡¯s ship detached from the transport. Fifteen minutes later, there was a flash and it disappeared into hyperspace and was off to its destination.

    ¡°Got the course all plotted out?¡± Slarena said as she walked to the door of the cockpit and stood there, ¡°Off to Tatooine?¡±

    ¡°Yep,¡± Anakin pulled the lever in front of him and the ship¡¯s drives and activated until with a rumble the stars around them blurred and they were surrounded by the blackness of deep space and were replaced by the blue flickering form of hyperspace.

    ¡°Should be there in a few weeks,¡± he finished as he stood from his chair, ¡°I still feel like we should plan more. It seems too simple.¡±

    Slarena shrugged, ¡°We can¡¯t register her to you, with you being on the run and all. It might flag in their databases. Me¡­ Well, I¡¯m not from Hutt systems so I should be fine. Those slugs don¡¯t care what people do as long as it doesn¡¯t touch their interests. I¡¯ll buy her and get her control chip removed right after. I promise. Selling off all of this gear should give us enough that this Watto will sell her to me if he doesn¡¯t know you¡¯re around and willing to pay a higher price for her. The second he knows you¡¯re there, the price for her will double or even triple. So you can¡¯t talk to her until the deal is done and she¡¯s freed. No matter how tempting it might be.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Anakin said a little petulantly, even if she knew she was right.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    ¡°Wow, the Jedi temple sure has gone to the dumps in the last few months,¡± a voice suddenly said as Anakin idly fiddled with some of the mechanical components that had been lying around the pirate¡¯s ship. He¡¯d been hard at work deconstructing the collars and holding bays for the slaves as quickly as he could so he wouldn¡¯t have to see them every time he walked by.

    ¡°Draeth? You¡¯re here?¡±

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be? What did¡­ Ohhhhhh, wow. Done some fighting, have we? And the dark side too, how rebellious. How¡¯d these Jedi not jump all over you for that? You¡¯ve given me so much more energy than I expected to have by now.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not in the Jedi temple anymore,¡± Anakin said as he put down the component and recovered from his shock, ¡°We¡¯re on our way to Tatooine. On a ship.¡±

    ¡°What? Your birth planet? Why would we ever want to go back to that old dustball? How did you convince the Jedi Order to let you do that?¡±

    Anakin explained everything that had happened since Draeth went to sleep months ago.

    ¡°And we just finished selling off all the pirate¡¯s gear on a nearby planet so we¡¯re ready with the credits for when we buy my mom on Tatooine.¡±

    ¡°Huh, never thought that you could use the mind shield that way¡­ Blocking against the dark side, that¡¯s actually more useful than I thought it would be. You could practice the dark side freely and then just use your shield to pull yourself back if you ever went too far!¡±

    Anakin shivered, ¡°No thanks. Even with the shield, I still almost killed Slarena. I barely managed to stop myself, it was like I wasn¡¯t even myself anymore¡­¡±

    ¡°Fair, fair. Yeah, that can wait until you have more natural control over yourself. So, are you ready for your next ability?¡±

    ¡°Next ability?¡± Anakin asked, surprised, ¡°Won¡¯t that drain you again?¡±

    ¡°True, you got a budget for your portions of power. You could wait for a long time and build up enough energy for a real planet shaking power. But you¡¯re all weak and in danger right now with everybody chasing you. I mean, sounds like you handled those pirates pretty easily but still. You won¡¯t always be facing an unorganized rabble like that. Best to give you power now when you need it the most. You don¡¯t have years to sit around accumulating power like that when you¡¯re so weak right now.¡±

    Anakin wanted to be offended, but honestly Draeth was right. He needed power to survive now rather than worrying about whatever might happen later.

    ¡°Okay. Do I get options? Or do you have an idea of what is best?¡±

    Anakin wasn¡¯t as suspicious or defensive with Draeth as he had been last time. He had his mind shield now, and it had already been months that the creature had been connected to him and he hadn¡¯t felt anything malicious or strange happening to him. At least not anything that he thought couldn¡¯t be from everything that had been happening around him.

    ¡°Hm. Abilities, abilities. We did a bit of an internal one last time. You want to keep looking human, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, definitely.¡±

    ¡°Okay, so half of these can get thrown out. No, no, Maybe? No, let¡¯s see¡­¡±

    Draeth kept muttering to itself as its blue tentacles waved and it kept muttering to itself incoherently as its single eye stared into nothing.

    ¡°Blaster fire is your biggest weakness right now,¡± Draeth finally said, ¡°We need to protect you from that. I¡¯ve got two options for you. First, a reflexive energy blast that destabilizes the plasma blasts cohesion. Basically if someone shoots at you, then their blaster shots will disperse and wash over you instead of being one concentrated ball of plasma that can punch through and do serious damage. It¡¯ll still hurt, but normal blaster shots shouldn¡¯t do much more than give you some light burns if they land. The second one is deflection. It¡¯ll still be reflexive, but it¡¯ll divert the shots so they¡¯ll miss you. Unfortunately, you can¡¯t control when it activates so whoever¡¯s standing behind you better watch out. They¡¯re mutually exclusive, you can¡¯t do both. You can control the power in both methods though. So how much dispersion, or how much or how powerful a blast will get deflected. ¡±

    ¡°For the dispersion, how does it work?¡± Anakin said, ¡°Is there a limit? What if I want to block something with my lightsaber instead of with the dispersion?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. It should activate only after something is closer than where your lightsaber would normally be in a guard positon. About fifteen centimeters from the skin on your torso. Watch your fingers and toes, it still works for them but is less effective and at five centimeters or less above the skin. Wearing some armor would also help protect you from the blowback of the dispersed blast. Both abilities cost you energy. That¡¯s through drawing on the Force if you have it active, or your own stamina or reserves if you can¡¯t pay the cost to activate just through that. More powerful blasts or multiple hits from multiple directions at once will increase the cost of it all or even make the ability not able to fully disperse them all in time in the worst case. But the deflection ability costs much less on your energy since the force to deflect the plasma blasts is much less than trying to disperse them to be less dangerous.¡±

    Anakin thought about the two abilities. The deflection ability seemed much more powerful. Less cost on his energy, and he wouldn¡¯t be hit by the blaster fire at all and just have it miss him entirely. Whoever was shooting at him might just think that they missed and had bad aim rather than assuming it was something stranger.

    But Draeth¡¯s warning¡­ No, he couldn¡¯t stand it if one of the deflected blasts hit somebody innocent or somebody he cared about who was nearby. Mom, even Slarena now. Anyone else that he was trying to protect while being a Jedi. Just one hit, and they could be dead. No, the dispersion ability was much better. Safer. Even if it would be a little more exhausting and still make him get hurt a little by each blast he tanked.

    ¡°Dispersion. I choose the dispersion ability.¡±

    ¡°Good, good. Makes sense for you. And hopefully it¡¯ll only be a backup either way. Best to not be hit at all, right? I¡¯d lay down if I were you. I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ll be out for this one. This is going to cost much more of my energy than it did last time. And be more painful than last time. Way more painful. Try to not die on me while I¡¯m gone.¡±

    Remembering the pain from when he received his mind ability, Anakin quickly put down the mechanical part that he was holding and lay down on the cold metal floor on his back. He lay there tensed for a moment waiting, but nothing happened.

    ¡°Hey, Draeth? Are you¨C AAAAAARRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!¡±

    Waves of pain washed over him and his body started flailing and thrashing. Anakin only vaguely registered the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps and a Slarena¡¯s concerned voice from above him before everything faded into an indecipherable wave of pain.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Slarena held her hand hovered over the Jedi boy, unsure what to do as his body contorted and twisted, his mouth open in a frozen scream as his eyes stared empty into nothing. He was slightly twitching, his hands and arms curled inwards as every muscle in his body seemed to move all at once.

    What should she do? Did they even have any medical equipment? She hadn¡¯t thought to check. She could only stand there helplessly hovering over him as he kept twitching and spasming on the ground at her feet.

    Why was she so invested in him? It didn¡¯t make any sense, they¡¯d only met weeks ago. He could probably snap her over his knee with his mystical Force powers if he wanted to. Yet something about him made her feel like she had to protect him. Maybe it had been that look after he backed away from almost killing her. She knew that look, of realizing the horror of what you had just done. Fearing what you might do next, but relieved that the people who had hurt you were all gone at last. She knew it so well. Someone so strong, stronger than anyone else she¡¯d ever met befoer, yet he had that same kriffing look¡­

    Without her able to do anything, Anakin stopped his motions and his body went limp all at once and he lay there on the floor. Then he opened his eyes and stared back at Slarena from the ground.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Anakin blinked as he saw Slarena leaning over him with a concerned expression on her face.

    ¡°Anakin, are you alright? What happened?¡± she asked, ¡°Do you need medicine? We should stop and get you to a med droid before we get to Tatooine. Maybe dump a few tons of bacta on you if we can afford it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Anakin said despite his pounding headache and aching limbs, ¡°It was just¡­ Something that will help us out. I shouldn¡¯t have to worry about getting hit by blasters anymore.¡±

    Slarena¡¯s concerned expression didn¡¯t go away and she reached out and put the back of her hand on Anakin¡¯s forehead as if to check his temperature, ¡°Definitely needs a med droid. Just last a day, would you? You¡¯re talking crazy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not crazy,¡± Anakin said and brushed off her hand lightly, ¡°Look, I¡¯ll prove it. Shoot me.¡±

    Slarena gave him a blank look and grimaced.

    ¡°With armor!¡± he clarified, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m sure we have something that could take a blaster shot.¡±

    ¡°This seems dangerous,¡± Slarena said skeptically as Anakin stood to his feet and brushed himself off. They went to one of the closets and after a few minutes found one of the armored chest plates that they¡¯d chosen to keep that roughly fit Anakin. Even if it hung big on him like it was two sizes too big because of how small he was.

    ¡°Alright shoot me,¡± Anakin said confidently as he turned around with the armor properly fastened and with Slarena a step away.

    ¡°Anakin, I¡¯m not going to shoot you. You¡¯re being ridiculous,¡± she said, ¡°Have you lost your kriffing mind? That armor¡¯s junk, what if the shot goes through?¡±

    ¡°Just wing me on the side,¡± Anakin insisted, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. C¡¯mon, you¡¯ll see what I mean when you do it.¡±

    She hesitated, but at seeing his confidence she drew her blaster and carefully aimed it with two hands so that it would sail just by his side without actually hitting him. But enough that it would normally burn him a little just from the heat of the passing plasma.

    After stabilizing herself, she fired. It came by, the same normal. But fifteen centimeters from Anakin¡¯s skin on his torso, he felt something within him lash out and strike it. Again, it felt instinctual, like a new instinct. Something that was natural and had always been there.

    The plasma of the shot wobbled before starting to disperse and spread out. It splashed over Anakin¡¯s side, the plume of cooling plasma still hitting him. He hissed slightly as the heat washed over his whole side and little bits of flame slightly burned his skin where it made it through the gaps of the armor. But besides the minor damage he was fine and the blaster bolt was completely dissolved. He felt a little exhausted like he¡¯d just sprinted for a few seconds without using the force.

    Slarena blinked and looked at her blaster, confused about what had just happened.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It works!¡± Anakin said excitedly, ¡°Hit me again, Slarena!¡±

    She shrugged and carefully aimed her blaster again and fired. It dissolved again and bathed Anakin in flames. He hissed and rubbed his side again as he felt the slight burns there. He started breathing heavily as if he had just run a mile and started sweating a little. The burns were nothing that a packet of bacta or two wouldn¡¯t fix. He thought he saw a few packages sitting around somewhere¡­

    ¡°How are you doing that? Is that some weird Force magic?¡± Slarena asked in confusion.

    ¡°Well¡­ Pretty much. It should disrupt any blaster shots that get close enough to me. Still stings, but pretty useful right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d say so,¡± Slarena said and looked at her blaster again, ¡°Can the other Jedi do that? How would anyone ever beat them?¡±

    ¡°No, this is special just for me,¡± Anakin said, not exactly wanting to get into Draeth and how it was living in his body, ¡°But Jedi Masters can use the Force in all sorts of ways that I can¡¯t imagine any of them getting defeated unless someone attacked them with a literal army from all sides.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ This is incredible. Did you really have to¡­ Was the spasming and screaming part of it? I suppose that for something that amazing, you have to pay a price¡­¡±

    ¡°I had to,¡± Anakin confirmed, ¡°Sorry. I wasn¡¯t thinking about how it would look to you.¡±

    ¡°Is it¡­ going to happen again?¡±

    ¡°No, not anytime soon,¡± Anakin assured her, ¡°Look, I got the cool power and it¡¯s all over so it¡¯s all good now. We¡¯re only days from getting my mom, I need all the help that I can get.¡±

    ¡°If all goes well, we shouldn¡¯t be attacked at all,¡± Slarena pointed out.

    ¡°You were the one that told me that we have to plan like everything would go against us,¡± Anakin pointed out.

    ¡°True, true,¡± Slarena said with a sigh, ¡°You remember the story, right? You¡¯re my mute little brother?¡±

    ¡°Why do I have to be your brother? Why can¡¯t we just know each other as friends or something? And why do I have to be mute?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re fourteen and look it, Anakin. No one will believe that you¡¯re wandering around anywhere by yourself. Not with how well fed and clean you look. It¡¯s either sister, aunt, or mom. Take your pick.¡±

    ¡°Fine, I guess sister¡¯s fine,¡± Anakin grumbled, ¡°But why can¡¯t I talk a little if I have to? Why do I have to be mute too?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who said that Mos Espa was a tight knit community. Anything we do will reach Watto¡¯s ears if he¡¯s interested enough to ask. He can¡¯t expose you or force you to speak if everyone thinks you¡¯re mute.¡±

    ¡°I get it, I get it. But I don¡¯t have to like it.¡±

    ¡°You know about the control chips, Anakin. If we don¡¯t free your mother the legal way, then Watto or the slave consortiums can remotely activate her implant to kill her remotely. To any slave living at that spaceport or one that¡¯s more valuable than normal at the click of a button. They don¡¯t want to risk any of them managing to escape on some ship off world. We can¡¯t risk anything that would make Watto want to refuse to sell her to us.¡±

    ¡°I know. I promise I¡¯ll be quiet.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

 Chapter 6: The Negotiations were Short

    Anakin reached up and adjusted his full face mask, only his eyes barely visible through the two tinted windows over his eyes. The mask was supposed to be for filtering out mining or toxic fumes, but many also wore them to protect from disease or even just to avoid the smell when moving around the run down planets of the outer rim.

    Mos Espa was definitely one of the cities where Anakin was grateful for the mask. He could tell by Slarena¡¯s scrunched nose and irritated look that she was regretting not bringing her own mask to wear.

    Anakin had his hood up and covering his head as the two of them walked through the streets.

    The streets were bustling with people as the twin suns from above beat down on them with blistering heat. Slarena walked with purpose with Anakin trailing a few steps behind with his hand in the pocket of his cloak. Gripped around his large knife. His lightsaber was in his other pocket and well hidden, but he wouldn¡¯t use that unless things went horribly wrong.

    They found Watto¡¯s shop without too much trouble, Anakin only having to stop Slarena and subtly leading her the right way when she got lost or off track from the old place.

    They entered the shop and Anakin pressed his lips together tightly in an urge to prevent himself from speaking as he saw who was manning the counter of the store.

    His mother, Shmi, stood there looking tired and worn down. The shop was empty, but as soon as they entered she straightened up and plastered on a smile as she saw the two of them approach.

    ¡°Hello, welcome to Watto¡¯s Junkyard. Is there anything that I can help you with today? We have the best prices and variety of scrap in all of Mos Espa.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see it then,¡± Slarena said, sounding bored, ¡°I assume the stuff¡¯s out back?¡±

    ¡°Certainly. Let me just call the owner out to guide you for all your needs.¡±

    She reached out and tapped a button installed into the desk in front of her. Anakin¡¯s heart tightened a little at the sight of it. He had installed that button. It had been his idea to put it there, so his mother wouldn¡¯t have to shout to get Watto¡¯s attention and risk upsetting him.

    Watto wasn¡¯t cruel, but when he was in a particularly bad mood he¡¯d used the implants to shock him or his mother at the lowest setting to punish them. It hadn¡¯t really been more than a brief of burst of pain like a quick rap across the knuckles with a stick, but it had made a big impression on Anakin when he had first realized that building that button meant that him and his mom wouldn¡¯t get shocked as often anymore.

    Watto came out of the back room, groaning and grumbling as the Toydarian flew in on the stubby wings attached to his stubby body and grayish blue skin.

    ¡°Ey, you come to Watto¡¯s Junkyard for the best parts, yes?¡± Watto said as he floated over to them and scratched at his face slightly, ¡°Come, come! Out back, we will find what you need. You have credits? We have anything within any budget a fine woman such as you might have!¡±

    ¡°Fine woman? What makes you say that?¡± Slarena asked, ¡°Can¡¯t say I¡¯ve been called that before.¡±

    ¡°Ahhhhh,¡± Watto laughed, ¡°Your skin is clean of sand and grit, and you come with a small one. Off worlders. Off worlders who come here are always rich or desperate. I think I know which type I guess you are, ay? What you say little man? Plenty of credits to share with Uncle Watto, huh?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we have some credits,¡± Slarena said, diverting Watto¡¯s attention from Anakin who tried to remain as still and calm as he could under the Toydarian¡¯s direct attention, ¡°Excuse my brother Sky, he¡¯s mute. Didn¡¯t want to leave him on my ship alone in a place like this. Now, I have a list here of some parts I need. Let¡¯s see if you¡¯ve got anything worthwhile.¡±

    ¡°You slander me, miss! Of course we can find whatever you need,¡± Watto said, ¡°Read your list and we can see then, huh. Little gems, components you wouldn¡¯t find anywhere else end up in Watto¡¯s junkyard when you least expect them.¡±

    ¡°Hm. Alright. First we need flux carburetors, but size fourteen dash four instead of seventeen dash nine standard.¡±

    She took out the list and started reading off the components as Watto started rubbing his chin and eyeing the both of them thoughtfully.

    ¡°A lot of parts, ey? What does an offworlder need with such things? Perhaps we have something bigger that work instead of many little parts we have to dig out of the heap?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s for a droid. My brother has one on the ship and he wants to look into maybe modifying it a little. Thought I¡¯d pick some cheaper parts for him while we were in the area.¡±

    ¡°Ahhh, droid mods huh? Very good, very good!¡± Watto said before clapping his hands before turning to Anakin, ¡°So this list is from you, little man? Sky? Droid work at your age, very good! Why, only a few years ago I had a slave that was such a genius that he built his own custom droid at only six years old! Ah, the profits I made from him and his genius. Did you know that he won the Boonta Eve Classic race? Built the whole podracer himself, with my help of course. I simply had to free him after that, no that boy was meant for things far greater than my humble shop! Why, I¡¯ve even heard that he went off to go and become a Jedi! Can you believe that? You know, we still have some of his materials in the back. They are very precious to me, but for the right price¡­¡±

    He rubbed his fingers together and smiled slightly, ¡°You could convince me to let them go.¡±

    "Let¡¯s see these parts then," Slarena said, clearly not even feigning her interest after a quick glance at Anakin or ¡®Sky¡¯. Not very creative, he knew. But it would make sure that he would actually respond when somebody talked to him.

    They went back to the front and stood in the counter by Shmi who stood there stiffly as Watto went in the back and took out all of Anakin¡¯s old things and started pawning them off to Slarena who bought a few things as Anakin pointed at them silently. It made Anakin a little happy to see that his mom cared about saving his old things while a little depressed that Watto had started pawning off his things at so little prompting. He¡¯d practically leapt onto the opportunity and not even spared a single glance to Mom or notice her clenched fist at her sides despite her carefully blank face as she stared at the three of them.

    ¡°I think that¡¯s all for now,¡± Slarena said after placing the components in her bag and handing over the payment in local Hutt backed credits to Watto.

    Anakin tensed before taking a deep breath and pointing at his mother firmly just as Slarena theatrically turned around and went to leave the shop. She took a few steps before stopping as she realized that Anakin wasn¡¯t following her. At least that¡¯s how she pretended to react.

    ¡°Sky? Why are you pointing at her? Did you want more components?¡± Slarena asked as she walked back over to him. Anakin jabbed his finger at his mom again, hoping that she¡¯d forgive him for this later.

    ¡°You want something from her?¡± Slarena said, ¡°Is it¡­ No Sky, we were going to go to the markets. We can¡¯t just buy a random slave from this shopkeep.¡±

    Anakin pointed again insistently at his mom again, his heart pounding as both Shmi and Watto watched the exchange. Anakin could see his mom¡¯s confusion and slight fear while Watto¡¯s eyes gained a calculating glint as he looked between the two of them.

    ¡°You know, that genius that I spoke of before. Builds his own droids and won the podrace? This is his own mother. I¡¯m sure she knows a bit about droids from her son. Be mighty useful for one just starting out, ey? But then again, she¡¯s so well trained and worked at my shop for years. Hard to replace one as dependable as her.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure, Sky?¡± Slarena said again to sell it and Anakin pointed again more insistently.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll see. But if it doesn¡¯t work out then we¡¯re just going to the slave markets and buying somebody there. Probably be cheaper there¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, but value! Nothing but dregs and scum in that place. Nothing like my quality slave here!¡± Watto said, ¡°Probably too valuable. You seem a wealthy woman for this place, but perhaps not enough to afford her¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that,¡± Slarena said, ¡°Let¡¯s get concrete. How many credits are we talking here?¡±

    Watto eyed her and her half empty money pouch at her side.

    ¡°Obviously I¡¯d come back with the money when we agree on a price,¡± Slarena clarified and Watto relaxed slightly.

    ¡°I¡¯d say¡­ for one as fine as this¡­¡± Watto said and gestured to Shmi, who looked a little lost and frightened by the conversation just stood there silently, ¡°No less than forty five thousand credits.¡±

    ¡°Forty five thousand!¡± Slarena spluttered, ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous! You can nearly buy a starship for that much! It was her son that was the genius wasn¡¯t it? How do we even know if she knows anything about droids?¡±

    Watto hesitated before huffing, ¡°Ah, maybe not. But it still adds to her value, to how interesting her history is. You won¡¯t find another slave as interesting as her at the markets regardless of how good at the labor they are. What would you be looking for anyway?¡±

    ¡°A caretaker and babysitter for our youngest sister,¡± Slarena lied smoothly, ¡°Any value to my brother is just a nice bonus. Twenty thousand is more than fair. I¡¯ve heard the ones in the markets can go for as low as six thousand, with the most at fourteen thousand. ¡±

    ¡°I see, I see. But I¡¯d have to buy a new slave and train them to run the shop counter. Shmi here¡¯s been with me for many years, and it¡¯ll be quite the headache to train another to her level again. But I suppose I could be convinced to go as low as thirty five thousand as charity to your little aspiring droid maker here.¡±

    Slarena paused before shaking her head, ¡°Twenty five thousand. It¡¯s a bit high, but¡­ I can do that. That seems fair in the middle, right?¡±

    Watto thought about it and rubbed his chin for a moment, ¡°Twenty seven thousand and it¡¯s a deal.¡±

    ¡°Alright, deal.¡±

    Watto extended his hand and Slarena shook it. Mom looked devastated and shot Watto a look of betrayal as he smiled widely at the unreasonably large amount of money he¡¯d just made for the sale of one slave.

    Despite knowing that he was the cause of this, Anakin still felt the urge to throttle Watto for his dismissive wave towards his mother as he flew back towards his back off ice as him and Slarena left the junkyard.

    The two of them would be back ¡®in a few hours¡¯ to bring the money and finalize everything. Slarena had told Anakin while they were planning everything that they couldn¡¯t look too eager, so they couldn¡¯t come back at least for that long so as to not make Watto suspicious that something was off with the sale.

    His mom would be free soon, and they¡¯d be away from this miserable planet forever.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    The two of them returned to their ship, and as soon as they were inside Slarena¡¯s casual expression dropped.

    ¡°Ugh. I hate pretending to be disgusting scum like that,¡± she said and made a gagging motion, ¡°Now we just wait. Final step here, only a few hours and we¡¯ll be out of here. Only a bit longer now.¡±

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Anakin¡¯s hands were shaking from nerves as Watto closed up shop briefly and floated along the streets in Mos Espa and talking with Slarena casually as they moved. He trailed behind and walked next to his mother who was staring at him with a strange look in her eye. He could see her confusion and furrowed brow as she glanced between him and Slarena as if trying to solve a puzzle. Did she recognize him? He hoped she wouldn¡¯t expose them, not when they were so close to free her.

    They were nearly to the slave market building to transfer ownership of Shmi, when two cloaked figures stepped to block their way.

    Watto went to float around them, but one of the cloaked figures stepped to the side to block his path.

    ¡°Eh?! Get out of the way! What you want?¡± Watto said as he floated back and the rest of the street turned to watch the drama.

    ¡°Watto, you have obligations,¡± the man on the right said from within the deep hood, ¡°You can¡¯t sell that woman.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t!¡± Watto said, puffing up, ¡°Who are you to tell me about my business! She¡¯s mine, I can sell her if I want! I offer you a good price before and you say no! Now I have a better offer, and I take it. Now move, you have no right to block me.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll buy her off of you. Fifty thousand credits,¡± the man said and picked up the sack, ¡°Orders just came through. How does that sound?¡±

    Watto wavered for a moment and glanced at Slarena who was frowning at the scene.

    ¡°Show me,¡± Watto said suspiciously to the man. The man reached inside and drew out a few Republic credits and displayed them to Watto. Watto looked shocked for a moment before he burst out laughing.

    ¡°HAhahahaha! All you Jedi the same. Republic credits worth less than dirt. Unless you have some real credits, then I think we¡¯re done here. I¡¯ve had enough of you freaks lurking around my shop, scaring off customers.¡±

    ¡°Watto, you¡¯re making a mistake,¡± the Jedi on the left said as Anakin put his hand in his pocket to grip his own lightsaber just in case something happened. What if there were Republic forces around looking for him, ¡°We¡¯re here for her safety.¡±

    ¡°Safety? You¡¯re here in case that boy turns up,¡± Watto denied, ¡°Now get out of my way. Or I¡¯ll file a complaint to Jabba. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll provide me with a nice reward for telling him about two Jedi sneaking into his territory without permission, huh?¡±

    The Jedi hesitated before turning to Slarena. ¡°Ma¡¯am, don¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Watto said, ¡°Get out of here if you know what¡¯s good for you, away from my shop forever! Don¡¯t threaten good business, we have a deal to sell the slave to her. And Watto always keeps his word. I¡¯ll get some credits reporting you to Jabba for interrupting with lawful business.¡±

    The Jedi reluctantly stood aside but trailed behind them as they went to the slave market and went to the registration building.

    Watto glared at the two Jedi who stood back as everyone went in. Anakin kept his grip firmly on his lightsaber as Watto went in and registered the transfer of ownership from himself to Slarena and accepted the payment that they¡¯d brought in huttese credits.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to free her and remove the implant,¡± Slarena said only a few seconds after the transfer was completed.

    ¡°Huh? You free her? Why, after you pay so much for her?¡± Watto shouted in surprise as he looked at Slarena.

    Slarena shook her head, ¡°Caretaker for my sister, remember? You think I want someone resentful of me doing that? And she¡¯s mine now, I can do what I wish and it¡¯s none of your business.¡±

    ¡°Eh, I suppose¡­¡± Watto said skeptically as he stared at Slarena for a moment, ¡°But now she¡¯s no longer my problem. Just treat her right, them Jedi have an interest in her even if they don¡¯t want to buy. They might come knocking soon. Friendly warning from friendly Watto. Remember my good prices if you ever come by our humble planet again. Our business is done, I¡¯m off.¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    Watto turned and floated away with the wings on his back beating as he left out of the door. Slarena turned to the clerk at the counter of the slave market administration building.

    ¡°So? Freeing her?¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± the clerk said, ¡°There¡¯s a med droid in the back. It¡¯ll be a hundred credits for the full implant removal. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to just remotely deactivate the implant? You could always turn it back on again if she ever became unruly.¡±

    ¡°No, full removal,¡± Slarena said, ¡°I have the credits.¡±

    She paid and Shmi was led into a backroom where Anakin and Slarena couldn¡¯t see her. Mom looked a little stunned at the sudden turn of events, although she kept shooting glances at Anakin¡¯s masked form.

    Shmi was gone out of sight, and they both waited by the counter impatiently.

    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t take more than ten minutes,¡± the clerk assured them, ¡°She won¡¯t be damaged, market¡¯s guarantee.¡±

    They waited for another few minutes, the tension rising with each passing moment as they stood there silently.

    The door opened behind them and they turned to see the two Jedi standing there with their hoods thrown back and holding their unignited lightsabers in their hands. The Jedi on the left was lowering his communicator from his face and staring at Anakin.

    ¡°Anakin Skywalker,¡± the Jedi said firmly, ¡°You¡¯re a long way from home. We¡¯re glad we found you before anything terrible happened. Come with us, we have Republic operatives that will help get you out of here.¡±

    ¡°Who said I want to go back?¡± Anakin said, seeing that they seemed completely confident that it was him, ¡°You left my mother a slave! Watto even offered to sell her to you, and you said no! What if I had been some horrible person who wanted to hurt her? I¡¯m going my own way now. I¡¯m not going with you, and my mother isn¡¯t either.¡±

    The clerk looked nervous and started tapping at something under the desk several times and Slarena drew her blaster from her hip and held it at the ready for a fight as Anakin took out his own unignited lightsaber.

    ¡°Padawan Skywalker,¡± the Jedi said, his voice shifting as he saw Anakin moving into a combat stance, ¡°You have been ordered to appear before the Jedi Council where you will be punished for your childish tantrum that has caused us all some headache. I am a trained Jedi master and my padawan is nearly as skilled. You stand no chance against us.¡±

    Anakin hesitated for a moment before firming his resolve, ¡°Maybe not. But I¡¯m not going back with you.¡±

    ¡°If you will not come willingly, then I suppose we will have to arrest you,¡± the master said as he shook his head regretfully, ¡°Padawan Teraga, make sure to temper your blows. We shouldn¡¯t hurt this wayward padawan any more than necessary.¡±

    ¡°Understood master,¡± the padawan said as the two Jedi ignited their blades in green and blue. Anakin quickly followed suit and sweated internally.

    ¡°Slarena, get mom out of here!¡± he shouted, ¡°I¡¯ll catch up!¡±

    She nodded and turned and fled into the backrooms just as the two Jedi burst into motion and dashed at Anakin at high speed. Anakin drew on the Force himself and leapt to the side, raising his lightsaber into a defensive stance as they approached.

    They started attacking him, and Anakin was almost instantly overwhelmed. It felt like sparring with Master Druman and the other old masters of the Jedi temple again. Every move he made felt like it had been anticipated by the stern faced master slowly boxing him in as Anakin frantically went through his forms and blocked blows that seemingly came from all sides from the two attacking Jedi.

    ¡°Impressive,¡± the master said calmly, ¡°Padawan Teraga, after the woman and Shmi. Make sure they don¡¯t escape. I will handle this padawan.¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± Anakin shouted as the padawan disengaged and dashed off into the back. Anakin went to chase after him, but had to frantically block an overhead strike from the Jedi master and fall back as things turned up a notch.

    Anakin had slight burns all over his body from barely missed strikes of the lightsaber blade, his mask having fallen off of his face at one point. It seems that his dispersion ability did nothing when the lightsaber came by, the disrupting pulse not causing it to change in the slightest. He could tell the Jedi master was only trying to land surface wounds with his weapon, likely trying to wear down Anakin for something. But what?

    Anakin suddenly felt a wash of heat over his back and he stumbled slightly. The Jedi master¡¯s eyes widened slightly and he paused his assault on Anakin. Anakin risked a glance behind him and saw a man in dusty sandy clothes with a blaster raised at Anakin¡¯s back. He was looking between his blaster and Anakin in confusion. He pulled the trigger again, and another blue blast shot out and washed over Anakin with no effect. It was a stun blaster! Anakin¡¯s dispersion ability was dissolving it into nothing before the blast even hit him, it was so low energy.

    So that was the plan¡­

    Anakin exploited the Jedi master¡¯s confusion to use the Force to strengthen his limbs and dash to the side to try to get around the man. He nearly slipped through and past him before the Jedi master recovered and stepped in the way and started to box in Anakin again, even more ruthlessly this time. Anakin¡¯s burns grew deeper and more severe and his body grew stiff with pain even as his breathing grew heavy from the fighting and the continuous use of the dispersion ability fruitlessly whenever the lightsaber went near him.

    Another five men poured ran into the room and fired their stun blasts continuously at Anakin and seemed rather stumped that none of them appeared to affect him in the slightest as he completely ignored him. But it was tiring him out even as the Jedi master squinted suspiciously at him.

    Finally, Anakin could barely move and the Jedi Master seemed to come to a decision and raised his off hand towards Anakin. In a burst of Force, he was thrown back and slammed against the wall of the building. Before he could recover his wits, his lightsaber was ripped from his grip in a burst of the Force and flew into the Jedi master¡¯s outstretched hand.

    ¡°What a fascinating force technique. You will have to tell me where you learned that,¡± the Jedi master said as Anakin lay there frozen as he was surrounded by the Jedi master and what must be secret Republic soldiers. He was defeated, and his sore and exhausted body felt like it could barely even move.

    He looked hopefully to the back door, only for his heart to sink as Slarena and Shmi walked out with the Padawan standing behind them. Slarena had been disarmed, her signature blaster holster completely empty. Shmi rubbed her neck absently, only for her to freeze and her eyes to widen as she saw Anakin¡¯s face as he lay looking back at her.

    She looked unsure how to feel for a moment as she saw him injured before settling on smiling as he nodded at her.

    Well, he¡¯d be dragged back to the Jedi temple and who knew might happen. But his mother and Slarena would probably be fine. His mom wasn¡¯t a slave anymore, and Anakin didn¡¯t think the Jedi would enslave her again just to spite him. No, it wasn¡¯t the best but this result was okay¡­

    ¡°Gentlemen. I believe you¡¯ve caused quite the chaos in this humble establishment,¡± a smooth aristocratic voice said from the entrance of the building.

    Everyone turned to see an old man with refined air about him and bright white hair and manicured beard and mustache. He was holding a lightsaber at his side and dressed with a brown cape with black clothing underneath.

    ¡°Master Dooku?!¡± the Jedi master in front of Anakin said in surprise, ¡°I thought that you were missing¡­?¡±

    ¡°Indeed. I hoped to keep it that way,¡± Dooku said, ¡°Unfortunately I was nearby when I heard you so brutally accosting a boy who only seeks to go his own way.¡±

    ¡°Master Dooku, I have orders from the Council¡­¡± the master started, but Dooku held up his hand to stop him.

    ¡°The council is static and corrupt,¡± he stated blandly, ¡°As is the Republic as a whole. What crime has the boy committed? Why should he not be free to live his life as his own?¡±

    ¡°Crime? No crime. But he¡¯s a padawan, and it is our responsibility as Jedi masters to guide and¡­¡±

    ¡°I disagree, Master Erten. I say you and the Republic should let this boy go and find his own way with his mother and companion.¡±

    ¡°Master Dooku, please step aside,¡± Master Erten said in a hardening voice, ¡°Rest assured you will answer for why you have disappeared for all of these years without informing the council as to why. Many thought you dead after so long.¡±

    ¡°I informed them exactly why I left in as clear terms as you can imagine,¡± Dooku said, ¡°But it seems they have kept that information to themselves. Now, just as you are above that boy in skill, so am I to you. I suggest you leave now if you want to leave this place unscathed.¡±

    He ignited his lightsaber, the blue blade buzzing as it trailed and started scorching a small line of blackened ash across the floor.

    ¡°Master Dooku,¡± Master Erten said as he took a fighting stance with a grim look on his face, ¡°If you interfere from us taking in the boy then we will have no choice but to fight.¡±

    Dooku nodded as if he had expected the response, ¡°Then fight we must.¡±

    Both men blurred at the same time and started furiously battling, their bodies flickering and dashing around the room as speeds that Anakin could barely even see as their lightsabers clashed over and over in a continuous wall of sound.

    One of the men from the Republic took a pot shot at Dooku when his back was turned, and with a contemptuous flick of his free hand, a wave of Force blasted out and sent the offending man slamming into the far wall even as Dooku twisted his body to dodge the stunning blast.

    Anakin stumbled to his feet over towards Shmi and Slarena standing by the Padawan who looked unsure of what to do.

    Not noticing Anakin, the Padawan seemed to come to a decision and with a look of resolve dashed forward and joined the fight with his master against this Master Dooku.

    ¡°No, back Padawan!¡± his master shouted as he clashed with Dooku at high speed.

    ¡°I¡¯ll fight with you, master! We¡¯ll take him down together!¡±

    ¡°You fight together, and so shall you fall as one,¡± Dooku said as with a deep breath Anakin felt him drawing deep on the Force and speeding up even farther to fight off both Jedi combating him at once. Anakin thought there was the faintest whiff of something familiar from Dooku as he drew on the Force. But he was probably imagining it, a Jedi master like Dooku probably wouldn¡¯t be somebody who would draw on the dark side of the Force¡­ Especially when he looked to be winning either way.

    ¡°Go young Skywalker!¡± Dooku said as he glanced over to him as Slarena and his mom ran forward and grabbed him around the shoulders, ¡°I will hold them off.¡±

    With Shmi on one side and Slarena on the other, they helped Anakin¡¯s exhausted body move as they ran into the backrooms. Dooku shifted his stance so he was blocking the door behind them even as he kept fighting the Jedi and in a few quick blasts of the Force sent the four remaining Republic people flying backwards when they went to chase after Anakin, Shmi and Slarena.

    ¡°It¡¯s this way,¡± Slarena said and pointed, only to lose her grip on Anakin¡¯s shoulders as the two women practically dragged him as he tried to get his feet moving through the waves of exhaustion washing over him.

    Anakin and Shmi stumbled to the side as Anakin accidentally dragged her as he lost Slarena¡¯s support before she refocused and heaved him up again. The three of them hobbled out of the building and Anakin¡¯s head cleared slightly as the twin suns above beat down on him, shocking him from the haze he¡¯d fallen into.

    As the two women helped him move, he started taking deep breaths and drew on the Force as deeply as he could. Slowly he started bearing more weight as the Force welled within to support him and his mind cleared slightly despite his exhaustion. But he felt like it was a ticking clock, his muscles trembling despite the Force holding them in place and giving him the strength to bear his own weight.

    Slarena loosened her grip and shoved Anakin over to Shmi as she briefly ran forward to flag down an animal drawn cart a little bit aways. The clashes and booms still sounded out inside the building, and the streets were nearly empty with everyone fleeing and scurrying to cover away from the battle.

    ¡°To the spaceport!¡± Slarena said as she practically threw the whole bag of their remaining money at the driver, ¡°As fast as you can, you can keep the whole thing if you get us there quick enough!¡±

    The man glanced between them and the building behind them.

    ¡°Get in,¡± he said and slipped the bag into his pocket, ¡°I hide after, but if anyone thinks to ask then I will tell all.¡±

    That was all it took and Slarena came back and helped Shmi assist Anakin into the cart alongside them. The driver cracked the reins and the beast drawing the cart let out a trumpeting call before it started trotting forward and pulling the cart in a jittering motion behind it as it ran. The man at the reins cracked them over and over to speed the beast as they moved.

    Time passed in a flash around Anakin as he felt the pain from the burns and severe exhaustion letting him barely even able to move as he lay there with his head lolled onto his mother¡¯s shoulder.

    He only came to when Slarena jumped out and dragged him out of the cart with his mother right behind him.

    Anakin coughed and drew on the force again and saw that they were on the entrance of the spaceport.

    Their ship was docked only a few hundred meters down the line from them. Slarena ran forward and took out her remote key synced with the ship that they¡¯d bought. The boarding ramp lowered as Anakin and Shmi hobbled towards her.

    ¡°Hey, there they are! The both of you, stop in the name of Jabba!¡±

    Anakin looked behind him with a glance and was a group of a dozen armed men who looked like mercenaries standing there pointing at Anakin and Shmi.

    ¡°That¡¯s it, the ship them Jedi¡¯s after!¡± the leader from before said as they pointed to their stolen vessel, ¡°Don¡¯t let them leave, Jabba¡¯s ordered their capture.¡±

    Anakin coughed and shook his head and drew more heavily on the Force to strengthen himself, now being the one pulling his mother along with him as they tried to run to the open ramp of the ship where Slarena stood there waving them on as she stood there with the ship key clutched in her other hand.

    ¡°Stop!¡±

    Anakin and Shmi froze as a blaster bolt hit the floor just to their side. A warning shot from the boss. They were less than twenty meters from the ramp of the ship, but it was still too far. Slarena slowly raised her hand above her head with a resigned look on her face. Anakin and Shmi turned around and his mother half heartedly raised her hands as he clung to her.

    The mercenaries approached, relaxing slightly as they saw Anakin¡¯s weakness as he struggled to keep standing even with his mother¡¯s support.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take down a Jedi boss!¡± one of the rough men shouted as he raised his gun, ¡°Think of the legend! Even if he¡¯s just a little one.¡±

    ¡°No, sto-¡±

    Before the leader of the mercenaries could do anything, the eager mercenary fired his blaster. But his aim was off, and instead of heading towards Anakin, it was heading towards his mother.

    Anakin tried to throw himself in the way of the shot, but his body betrayed him and he was barely able to let it skim his shoulder. Shmi went down with a heart wrenching scream as a wave of expanding plasma consumed half of her face and shoulder in plasma and she fell to the ground writhing and bringing Anakin down with her. Anakin''s dispersion ability had hit the concentrated blaster bolt and spread it out into a searing wave of fire that his his mother.

    ¡°Mom! Mom!¡±

    ¡°You kriffing idiot! What if that had hit the Jedi youngling instead of the useless one? What gives you the guts to¡­¡±

    The mercenary leader started chewing out his subordinate even as Shmi writhed on the ground screaming in pain as Anakin desperately tried to comfort her.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take them. Before the Republic dogs get here.¡±

    The group of mercenaries approached them, and Anakin felt something ugly and frighteningly familiar well up within him. The Dark side, whispering to him. Telling him of what should be done.

    Anakin reached down to his side and drew out his simple durasteel blade, his lightsaber lost to the Jedi master at the slave markets.

    He had to save her, to protect her and hurt hurt hurt anyone that had done this to her.

    Anakin¡¯s body rose off of the ground and stood to its feet as if lifted by an invisible hand as he let the hate hate hate, rage flow through him. The dark side pulsed within him, excited and pulsing like a drum beating to the sound of his rage.

    All of the mercenaries took a step back with looks of fear on their faces as he lifted his simple knife and slashed at the first man¡¯s throat.

    The Dark side pulsed within him in an ever growing tide as his limbs pulsed with its sickly strength, all exhaustion from before forgotten as his mind began to slip into madness as the first splash of blood splashed across his face.

    They fired their blasters, but they did nothing. His dispersion used the freely available well of Dark side flowing through him to shrug off everything and only leaving small scorch marks on his clothes and light burns on him.

    He kept fighting, and his mind slipped from him for a moment as he fought like a beast. When he woke up, all of the mercenaries were dead.

    He turned around and growled, the Dark side pulsing around him as he saw Slarena dragging away his protesting mother into the ship.

    ¡°Ani! Ani, come back!¡± Shmi shouted even with her half ruined face. Anakin dashed towards them in a burst of motion and stood in front of Slarena with his bloody knife as they were up the loading ramp and nearly on the ship.

    He resisted the urge to plunge the knife forward into Slarena as the woman shifted to block Anakin¡¯s view of Shmi who was behind her.

    ¡°Let her¡­ Don¡¯t hurt her,¡± Anakin growled, knowing that Slarena had done something. Slarena was grabbing her, and she was hurt. He should kill¡­ No, Slarena was a friend, helping¡­ hurting¡­ rage, anger¡­ Anakin flexed his mental shield and his mind cleared slightly. But it was too much. The dark side kept welling more and more within him even as he stood there, corrupting him far faster than his little mental shield could hold it at bay.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Anakin¡¯s voice cracked slightly as he looked at the two of them, ¡°Take care of her. Promise me, Slarena. Please. Go. Get out of here. I¡¯ll¡­ Find¡­ you later. Hurt¡­ I can¡¯t hold much longer.¡±

    Even now despite his best efforts he could feel his mind twisting and coming up with reasons to justify why he should kill Slarena. Why she shouldn¡¯t be standing over her like that, a look in her eyes that was untrustworthy, a thousand reasons and justifications flashed through his mind as he remained standing there like a taught spring ready to release into violence at the slightest trigger.

    ¡°I promise,¡± Slarena said solemnly, ¡°I hope you make it out. First day of the galactic year on Urbaret, The Drunk Kreatul bar. We¡¯ll be there if you make it. I hope you make it.¡±

    ¡°No, Ani! Come with us,¡± Shmi groaned from the floor, barely looking aware of her surroundings through her pain, ¡°Don¡¯t leave again! Please!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ be back again, mom. Stay safe. I¡¯m sorry for all of this,¡± Anakin promised before Slarena shifted in place and his eyes snapped back to her and his knife arm twitched towards her.

    He stopped himself and took a step back, feeling the Dark side still rising within him. He took more steps back until he was off the ramp even as his mind shield worked overtime as it held its steadily losing ground of his sanity in his mind.

    Slarena hit a button from within the ship, and the ramp raised itself and shut as Anakin resisted the urge to leap up and back inside even as the ramp fully closed. The ship¡¯s engines fired and it raised off of the ground and blasted off into the sky as Anakin remained standing there unmoving.

    ¡°Padawan Skywalker! P-Put down the knife and surrender!¡±

    Anakin turned and saw nearly forty soldiers with heavy blaster rifles standing there pointing their weapons at him, shooting uncomfortable looks to the dead bodies in front of him and the bare knife held in his grip.

    Anakin¡¯s anger began building again at the order, but he kept himself in check with the use of the mind shield, until his eyes caught on the faces of one of the men standing there. It was one of the ones who had been with the Jedi, the ones that had shot him and made him so tired before. If he¡¯d been a little less exhausted, a little quicker than Shmi wouldn¡¯t have been hurt at all and his body would have taken the blaster shot¡­

    Anakin roared, his voice shaking the ground around him as the Dark side amplified it to echo across the city. The final thread in his mind keeping his reason together snapped, and like a releasing dam, the Dark side of the force with its thrumming power washed over his mind again in a massive wave.

    The world dissolved into streams of colors and endless violence as the true Anakin faded into the background and only the rampaging beast was left.

 Chapter 7: The Rampage

    Chancellor Sheev Palpatine of the Republic paused mid sentence in his conversation with the senator in the Senate that he was working to support his latest bill. If he passed enough bills under his leadership no matter how insignificant then most of the Senators would look to him as the authority in getting their own pet projects passed, and therefore gave him even more political influence as a result.

    But right then¡­ He had felt something strange. A burst of the dark side, only the faintest whiff of it to his senses. But it was quite far away and completely unmasked. For someone even of Palpatine¡¯s refined senses to detect it from across the galaxy, then it must be quite the burst indeed.

    WIth only a small pause, Palpatine continued his conversation with the inconsequential senator for another full minutes before wrapping the meeting up as soon as he reasonably could and sending the woman on her way.

    Alone in his office, Lord Sidious of the Sith closed his eyes and felt the energy of the dark side and tasted its flavors. He often compared the feeling like that to a subtle and refined wine. Different flavors and swirls of emotions that was unique to each user and instance of the dark side.

    He sat there for some time, rolling the sensation around in his mind and considering what he felt. Anger, rage, loss. Yet the loss was only a small component. A large helping of helplessness and fear. A protective element, yes. This person whoever it was was powerful, able to draw so deeply from the dark side on what felt like must have been their first true encounter with it.

    They were likely slaughtering whoever was nearby besides whoever or whatever their protective element was protecting. But who could¡­

    Palpatine¡¯s thoughts ground to a halt as a possibility occurred to him. The Chosen One? This early? No, what could have driven the boy so far? To fall to the dark so suddenly and without warning?

    The faint pulsing of the dark continued for over an hour, before like a switch was flipped, it vanished all at once as if it had never been in the middle of another one of the boring meetings that he was forced to indulge as Chancellor.

    As his latest pawn left the room, Palpatine sat back and steepled his fingers and considered. He doubted that the Jedi in the temple itself had felt the burst of the dark side. It was too subtle, too weak here on Coruscant for that. But it was possible that Jedi closer to the point of origin might have felt something.

    He must contact Lord Tyrannus at once. If the boy was not dead, then he must be brought under their care immediately at all costs. They only had a little time before the Jedi Council caught wind from anyone closer to the epicenter.

    He could not lose a new apprentice that powerful. Tyrannus was hardly even a sith at all at this point, Lord Sidious was sure that he could be convinced to stand aside if given the right incentives. He only cared about the political power and how the Dark side helped him achieve his goals rather than revel in it for its own sake. A failing that he had as a Sith apprentice.

    The rule of two could be broken briefly so long as Sidious could be assured that Dooku remained silent and kept his powerful techniques only for his own use. Yes, it was heretical against the sith code¡­ But rules were made to be broken.

    He called for Mas Ameda and as soon as the man was inside started speaking.

    ¡°I need a political crisis right now,¡± he said, ¡°Something to justify me fleeing the planet to places unknown for my own safety.¡±

    Mas rolled with the sudden demand and stroked his chin thoughtfully.

    ¡°How soon is it needed, my lord? Speed and risk of discovery are at odds in this case. A single mistake could bring me or the both of us tumbling down from on high.¡±

    Palpatine considered before sighing. It couldn¡¯t be helped, ¡°Within the week at the most.¡±

    ¡°Very well, my lord,¡± Mas said, ¡°I will arrange the assassination of a few of our less important members of our coalition. Mercenaries from the outer rim as the culprit, hired by part of the growing separation movement. No one could fault you for leaving the planet for a short while in the wake of such a tragedy.¡±

    ¡°Very well, see it done.¡±

    Mas bowed and left the room.

    Lord Sidious had some work to do.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Jedi Master Erten stopped the battle as his head snapped around as a massive pulse of dark side energy like none he¡¯d ever felt before washed over him, putrid and malevolent to his senses.

    He turned to Dooku, who was staring in the same direction as the pulse, the battle briefly paused as even the Padawan sensed it.

    ¡°Master Dooku. Whatever that is, we must combat it together!¡± Master Erten said as he turned to him, ¡°Isn¡¯t that the direction of the spaceport?¡±

    Dooku looked into the distance with a severe expression as the pulses of the dark side grew even stronger with each moment.

    ¡°This is¡­¡± he said before trailing off, ¡°Do what you wish. I will flee.¡±

    With that, Jedi Master Dooku and accomplished master of all the Jedi dueling arts turned and dashed out the door and was halfway down the street before Master Erten could react.

    He turned to his Padawan who was breathing heavily from the extended battle with Master Dooku, staring to the source of the dark side pulse with a pale face.

    ¡°Master is that¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Master Dooku is correct in one thing¡­ We are not equipped to handle whatever that thing is. We must focus on contacting the Republic and saving as many civilians as we can. We do that by coordinating the military response, not confronting this directly.¡±

    ¡°Yes, master.¡±

    They quickly started running towards their ship which they had parked on the outskirts of town. The spaceport was for protection more than anything, any ship left out in the desert would be stripped for parts the second it was unguarded. But their staff were there to fend off any scavengers, so they had chosen to land out of town.

    They reached the ship and were about to go in when there was a loud scream behind them that pulsed with a wave of the Dark side and echoed through the city even from where they stood.

    They glanced at each other briefly before entering their ship and saw that their crew were already calling for assistance over comms.

    ¡°Take off now,¡± Master Erten ordered, ¡°What is the chatter from Jabba and the planet¡¯s fleet of mercenaries?¡±

    ¡°Jabba has holed up in his palace,¡± his closest crew member said, ¡°It''s on the outskirts of Mos Espa, and it seems he''s raising his defenses in case the boy starts moving his way. All of his personal guards are remaining within the building. Hundreds of mercenaries are about to land on the edge of town from the orbital fleets and start moving inwards to combat the¡­ threat.¡±

    ¡°What is it? Some creature that was released? Somebody from the spaceport, a dark side user after Padawan Skywalker?¡±

    The staff member hesitated before leading them to the nearby room where he tapped the console and tapped it to turn on the screen. It showed a view that shocked Master Erten to the core.

    ¡°Padawan Skywalker?¡± he said in disbelief as he saw the boy silently scream and leap onto another Republic operative attempting to shoot at him. The blaster bolt dispersed into nothing as the rampant padawan stabbed him over and over with a durasteel knife in a mindless rage.

    Another person shot at the boy, and he stopped his assault on the very dead man and snapped his head to the side and ran again with Force empowered speed to leap on his next victim. His eyes were stained a deep yellow so they barely looked human and black fluid leaked from the corners of his eyes and ran down the side of his face like tears as he fought.

    ¡°Master? What should we do?¡±

    ¡°We¡­ must alert the council,¡± he said after recovering, ¡°This is¡­ They must be informed. We will let Jabba spend his men against this¡­ creature and we swoop in to capture him once he¡¯s weakened.¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°But Master, he¡¯s the chosen one. How could this happen? What if they manage to kill him?¡±

    Master Erten didn¡¯t answer for a moment, ¡°He is corrupted by the dark side, forever tainted by it. If he can not be contained then we will kill him ourselves. Prepare yourself.¡±

    They watched as the hundreds of mercenaries descended on the boy all on his lonesome from the edge of the city as all the civilians of Mos Espa started to flee the budding chaos.

    How could this happen indeed? Something must have gone horribly wrong for the boy to fall this far¡­

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    The beast fought as best as it could with its single claw, with the pulsing dark and hatred powering its limbs even as they no longer moved by themselves. More and more of the enemy kept coming, firing their exhausting weapons and blasters at the beast¡¯s body as it did its best to dodge and leap amongst their ranks.

    The beast dimly remembered a thought, an idea. Something beyond mere instinct. It raised a hand towards a group of enemies gathered close together and seized the wall of a nearby house with his dark Force and pulled inwards with his hand.

    The wall collapsed and chunks of sandstone flew out and peppered the nearby soldiers, sending several of them to the ground from the blow. The beast roared in satisfaction and stopped using its claws when this dark Force could make do instead to not only flow through its limbs, but as a limb to send enemies flying and collapse walls upon the enemies charging it.

    How many enemies were there? The beast didn¡¯t count, only able to focus on a few enemies at a time in its rage fueled mind. All of their blasters did nothing but increase the beast¡¯s rage. Using the Dark drained the rage, but the indignity of being shot by the enemies increased it. The two were in balance, with only the beast¡¯s mindless state letting it keep spending its Dark side of the Force like water.

    Then after some time, there were no more enemies. None fired their weapons on the beast, and it stood there panting in the rubble of the destroyed street. Were there any more enemies? Surely there must be more. There were always more.

    The beast looked around and pounced when it saw movement in the rubble of a nearby house.

    It used the dark Force to throw aside the rubble in its way and leapt forward at the movement. The beast paused in confusion as it saw below itself. An enemy/not enemy? It was an enemy like the others, but also not. Not armored and no weapons in her hands. She had a bulky metal collar around her neck and was cowering, curled up in a ball as the beast stood above her with its yellow eyes.

    ¡°Take her! Take her, just spare us!¡± a male voice suddenly said from nearby. The beast snapped its head around and leapt forward and dealt with the next enemy as it had the others. It came back and stared at the collared woman in confusion, something stirring within it. She reminded him of someone¡­

    Yes, the ones like this were to be protected. Not an enemy. Its mind became confused as it remembered that not all that were protected wore the bulky metal collars. If it couldn¡¯t see, then how could it know what the enemy was?

    Anakin stumbled to the side as the confusion pierced through the rage as the lack of battle and sight of the slave allowed him to regain a scrap of rationality. With all of his might in his dim mind, Anakin pulled on his mind shield and tried to counter the influence of the Dark side upon him.

    He looked around still in a rage, but nothing attacked him. Even the slave behind him remained frozen in place and as silent as could be as he stood there motionless as he waged a war in his mind for control.

    The anger and rage started to drain away as Anakin kept flexing his mind shield and purging the Dark side¡¯s influence on him. His limbs grew weak and he fell to the ground as the dark side flowing through his limbs started to fade and his nearly paralyzed arms and legs went limp under him.

    He lay on the ground twitching for a few more seconds as he wrestled to keep purging the influence of the Dark side on him.

    As soon as the Dark side was fully drained from him, he immediately fell unconscious, his body finally able to register its complete exhaustion once it was no longer thrumming with the dark side pulsing through it.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Anakin opened his eyes to find himself floating in a container of liquid with a mask strapped to his face. He was only wearing what felt like underwear as the fluid he was in brushed over his skin. He felt it sooth him and ease the pain from all of his burns as he breathed in through the mask on his face.

    Everything felt so¡­ calm. He closed his eyes and flashes of violence and bloodshed flashed by in his mind. No, that had been the beast. It hadn¡¯t really been him. He would never do anything like that. They were all enemies, they were trying to kill them. What did it matter if he was more brutal in how he killed them?

    But it wasn¡¯t him, but the beast. He didn¡¯t have to feel guilty or remember what he¡¯d done.

    He floated forward and put his hand on the glass at the edge of the circular glass tube that he was floating within. Everything outside was blurry, but it looked like it was white and clean, like a clinic of some kind.

    He let himself float back into the center of the tank, and closed his eyes again as he felt the bacta all around him healing him and soothing him back into unconsciousness like a lullaby.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Anakin woke up and fell asleep several more times, until eventually there was a man standing there outside of the tube. A pair of metal droid arms reached down and grabbed him under the armpits and pulled up upwards out of the tube of bacta. Anakin shivered as he was placed down onto a cot and the medical droid checked him over before draping a warm blanket over his dripping body. The mask was removed from his face by a pair of droid arms and disappeared somewhere above him. The back of the cot was raised so that he could see a man standing there staring at him.

    ¡°Jedi master Dooku?¡± Anakin asked, probably not as concerned as he should be. He was still relaxed from the bacta, like he would melt into a soft puddle if he stopped paying attention to what was going on around him.

    ¡°Indeed. You did quite a number on your body back on Tatooine. I¡¯m glad that you¡¯ve finally recovered enough to speak. You may call me Count Dooku, I am no longer a Jedi.¡±

    ¡°Finally?¡± Anakin said, the buzzy light feeling in his head clearing slightly as he realized what Master Dooku said, ¡°How long have I been out?¡±

    ¡°Roughly three months. You are lucky that I have access to medical facilities as good as this one to treat you as well as a good supply of bacta for it. The droids assure me that it would have taken much longer for you to recover otherwise.¡±

    ¡°Where are we?¡± Anakin said and glanced around at the room, ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°I saved you after you collapsed back on Tatooine. It seems that the Jedi that you met before wanted to kill you. Corrupted by the dark side, I believe they said as I fought them off as my droids loaded you into my personal ship. This is a droid run facility that I¡¯ve had commissioned for¡­ reasons that are not important to you right now. We are the only two living beings in this place at the moment. I had expected you to be a little more¡­ irrational when you woke up. You seem remarkably calm considering how deeply you drew on the Dark side.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you kill me? If you knew that I was corrupted by the dark side?¡±

    ¡°It would be a waste, for a boy with as much potential as you to die. I can see that my gamble was successful, given that you have not lunged for my throat once in this whole conversation or started yowling like an animal.¡±

    Anakin shifted underneath the sheet draped over him, ¡°I suppose I did do all of that. I¡­¡±

    Another fact registered in his mind and he stopped. Three months? Oh no! It had already passed the galactic new year. Slarena and mom would already be gone. He had missed the meeting.

    But Slarena had promised to keep Shmi safe, and Anakin thought that she was competent enough. And for some reason he trusted her to keep her word. He resolved himself. He¡¯d go to the place she mentioned next year. He just had to make it until then and he¡¯d be with them again.

    ¡°Are you alright? You seem distracted,¡± Master- No, Count Dooku said.

    ¡°Sorry. Just thinking about what happened,¡± Anakin said, ¡°Master Druman was right. I wasn¡¯t ready. As soon as something horrible happens I turn to the dark side and go on a rampage. I really should have just meditated some more.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a reason why Padawans are sequestered inside of the temple until they¡¯re ready. At least part of the reason. I highly doubt whatever you did could be solved with a few more years of training. But no need to touch sensitive topics. Why don¡¯t we discuss the Jedi temple? It has been many years since I¡¯ve been in that place.¡±

    Anakin talked about the Jedi temple as Count Dooku asked questions about how certain people were doing and how things had changed since he had left. He was a little aloof, but his face fell slightly as nothing that Anakin said seemed any different to how it had been when he left. Or at least that¡¯s what Anakin assumed why he reacted like that.

    The conversation petered out as it appeared that Count Dooku had asked all of his questions.

    ¡°So, what happens now?¡± Anakin asked, ¡°After I¡¯ve recovered fully? I¡¯m sure the Republic and the Jedi will be after me after what happened. Probably Jabba too, I think I killed a lot of his mercenaries.¡±

    ¡°I am still undecided. I had planned to keep you in an out of the way place like this until I¡¯ve made arrangements for you to do otherwise. As you said you have many enemies now, and we don¡¯t want to risk another incident like last time if someone upsets you too much. Or manages to actually hurt you, Force forbid. For now you will stay here in this facility. Is there anything that you would like to occupy you during your stay? I came here specifically to talk with you, I will be away on other business for most of the time after this.¡±

    ¡°How long will I be here? Do you¡­ want anything in return for your help?¡±

    Anakin was grateful to the Count, both for helping before and healing him. But this was a lot of effort just to help one boy, even if he was powerful in the Force.

    ¡°Again, I¡¯m undecided,¡± the Count replied, ¡°It depends on how my arrangements go to return you to go somewhere more populated. A month or two at the minimum from now that you could leave this place. As for payment¡­ Consider all of this as an investment in you. I¡¯m building a faction of like minded people out here in the outer rim. I think you could be a very valuable member of it one day.¡±

    Anakin considered that answer before feeling relieved. That didn¡¯t sound too bad.

    ¡°Thank you, Count. I¡¯ll do my best to pay you back. If it¡¯s not too much trouble, I do quite like working on droids if you have some spares that I could work on. When I¡¯m fully healed.¡±

    ¡°Hm. Your file did say something like that,¡± Dooku said with a hum, ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll see what I can do. The medical droids will instruct you on how to send me a message if things go well. I will be staying here for another few days if you wish to speak with me further and if you are still awake.¡±

    Anakin nodded back in understanding.

    With that, the medical droid grabbed Anakin and lifted him up so only his toes were submerged in the bacta tank again. The droid reached around and strapped the face mask for air back onto him and lowered him back into the soothing bacta. The warmth and soothing sensation caused him to start drifting off to sleep again, the last thing he saw the blurry figure of the Count standing there watching him from the other side of the glass.

 Chapter 8: A Boy of Many Talents

    Anakin hummed to himself slightly as he worked on the custom built arm for his most recent droid. It had been so exciting working with such high quality components for once. The specs were like nothing he¡¯d ever worked with before. His mind raced with ideas whenever he worked now, able to do so much more now that the components were so much more powerful.

    This was the third droid that Anakin had built from the ground up, and it would be the most powerful and smartest yet. Far better than even the state of the art medical droids in this place. Even the Count had expressed interest in Anakin¡¯s droids during his visits. He¡¯d actually taken the first two droids that Anakin had built away to show to some of the other members of his group. Well, he asked politely for them first, and Anakin didn¡¯t mind all that much. Those first two were mostly just practice and exploring what the parts could do. This third droid was the real deal, and Anakin thought that this one would be far better than the others after he¡¯d learned so much over these last few months.

    He¡¯d been in this place for almost six months now. Nine months total since his rampage on Tatooine. Count Dooku came to visit every few weeks, but it still was a little lonely here with only droids to talk to most of the time. And meditate and do his best to practice drawing on the light side of the Force. He didn¡¯t want to ever be forced to draw on the Dark side of the Force again if he didn¡¯t have to. He¡¯d nearly died last time, and if Dooku hadn¡¯t saved him then he¡¯d have been killed once he was unconscious and vulnerable once the Dark side left him. The Count had promised that he was almost ready with the arrangements for Anakin to leave this place and that Anakin could leave and go somewhere with more people within a month. Maybe more people from his mysterious group? Anakin wasn¡¯t quite sure.

    Anakin was nearly done with making the droid arm when he heard some shuffling to the side of the workbench. He glanced over and flinched as he saw Draeth sitting there staring at him with its single eye and blue tentacles waving around.

    ¡°Building a droid? Good for you, good for you. How long was I out?¡±

    Anakin let out a breath and laughed slightly and his racing heart settled down.

    ¡°You scared me, Draeth. Almost nine months this time.¡±

    ¡°Nine months? So everything went well? Where is this place? I don¡¯t think you¡¯d have gotten quite this rich in only nine months. That half built droid over there looks fancy.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡­ Well, I have a sponsor now I guess. Count Dooku, he saved me. Slarena and mom are out there in the galaxy somewhere still. Dooku said that neither he or the Republic have found them yet, so I guess that¡¯s a good thing.¡±

    ¡°So things went wrong? It was¡­ Whoooooaaaahhhhh. This is ridiculous! How much of the Force have you been using in the last nine months? Why, this is wonderful! I¡¯m nearly profitable already, and it¡¯s been less than a year since we¡¯ve been together! Oh, the gains I¡¯ll get if you survive even longer¡­¡±

    Draeth stared at Anakin in what could only be described as hunger.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, tell me, tell me,¡± Draeth said excitedly, ¡°What did you do that did so much with the Force?¡±

    Anakin answered him and explained what had happened back on Tatooine and his rampage while he was fully consumed with the dark side.

    ¡°Hmmmm, that¡¯s¡­. Well I¡¯ll tell you one thing. There¡¯s no need to blame yourself for all of that. There¡¯s outside factors here complicating things.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Remember when I said that the Force itself would interfere and try to have you fall to the Dark side to restore balance? Well, it has jumped the gun a bit. I thought it strange I gained so much energy the first time with the pirates, but this confirms it. When you used the Dark side of the Force and drew on it beyond a certain level, the Force itself acted to reinforce your fall to the dark and increase your power to make sure that you stayed that way. That¡¯s why I gained so much more energy compared to normal. If not for your mind shield, it might even have succeeded.

    ¡°Whenever normal users use the dark side, it never fully goes away. There¡¯s just a little bit sitting there waiting to grow and explode outwards when their emotions grow more intense. But your mind shield fully purged its influence, leaving you relatively normal until you draw on the dark side of the Force again. You¡¯re not addicted or supernaturally tempted to use it like all the other dark side users are constantly.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ good, right? But why would the Force be so aggressive? I didn¡¯t think it would be as obvious as what you¡¯re saying.¡±

    ¡°Yes, well I think it might be confused and trying to set things back on track more aggressively than strictly necessary when it saw the chance. It shouldn¡¯t know about me, so from its perspective you¡¯re suddenly taking strange actions and gaining abilities that are completely inexplicable to it. Now, it doesn¡¯t really have a mind that can really focus on one individual but it can sense when things are wrong and try to correct them subconsciously. Well, not subconsciously since it¡¯s not¡­ You know what I mean.¡±

    ¡°Will it happen again? Will the Force start doing other things to me now that it¡¯s failed twice to corrupt me?¡±

    ¡°No, well if you draw deeply on the dark side again then maybe. But in normal circumstances no. You¡¯ve been settled in place for a while now. I¡¯m sure that the Force has been adjusting things in the background to make things fit in its pattern again. It shouldn¡¯t take any direct action unless it¡¯s literally the last resort. It¡¯s not in its nature to concentrate on one action like that unless it absolutely has to. Little nudges and pushes in its broad network of living beings to get its result is more its style.¡±

    ¡°So, I should¡­ be safe from it mostly? It won¡¯t do anything else?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯ll keep pushing you towards the dark side and generally trying to give you plenty of reasons to draw on it. Just think about it like bad luck constantly coming your way. Not the kind of bad luck that would ever kill you, but the kind that would make you angry enough to tempt you to draw on the Dark side again. But no, other than that things should be fine.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ That doesn¡¯t sound so bad? I mean, could be worse right?¡±

    ¡°Definitely,¡± Draeth agreed, ¡°Especially since you¡¯ve got me to help you. Now we¡¯ve been going full steam recently, but now might be the time to settle down and think about the future. You¡¯ve got a sponsor who seems decent enough. Your mother isn¡¯t in active danger anymore, and you¡¯re away from the Republic and Jedi. You could get an ability right now or you could keep building up the bank so to speak to get a more powerful one in the future.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the difference? What could I get now versus in the future?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not rigid, you know. I have to personally customize and form your abilities using the available budget of energy that I owe you. But you¡¯ve got a lot of credits in the bank already so to speak for this one. What would be years worth of accumulation normally, even for you.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s an example? One ability I could get right now versus if I waited?¡±

    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s fair. I¡¯ll try to come up with two ones that are similarish. Hmmmmm. Yes, yes. Okay¡­¡±

    Draeth started muttering to itself again for a few minutes before looking up.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got it. If you wait at least a year then you could get an ability to adapt to damage. So, if you are getting burned then your skin will get more resistant to fire. If you¡¯re getting shocked by electricity then your nerves will harden and you¡¯ll slowly adapt to be able to still move and resist it. Crushing force, stabbing, acid, basically anything if you¡¯re exposed to it long enough. Bad part is that you have to be damaged first, and the benefits are only temporary. Well, temporary is relative. It should last a few days after, but without more damage to you then it¡¯ll slowly fade until you¡¯re just normal you again. Just like your dispersion ability, it costs your stamina or draws on the Force if it can. But it¡¯ll pay off, especially since it¡¯ll let you resist the burns from blaster shots or even lightsabers if you fight for long enough and build it up enough to resist the heat. Oh, also it lets you survive in space for a bit without a suit if you survive long enough to adapt. Even if you would be extremely tired after adapting to such harsh conditions.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I can get in a year?¡± Anakin said in disbelief, ¡°That¡¯s so overpowered, what could I get right now?¡±

    ¡°Right now, then I could give you regeneration. Like you were soaking in bacta all the time, but even better. You¡¯d eat a bit more than normal, but the benefits would become clear pretty quickly. It¡¯s much simpler than the other ability, but it¡¯s a solid thing that¡¯ll protect you whenever you get injured again. And keep you going longer in a fight.¡±

    Anakin thought about it and was tempted to take the regeneration right now. But the ability to adapt to damage like Draeth described, to be able to just take a hit from a lightsaber after a long battle and be completely uninjured¡­

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll wait,¡± Anakin said a little reluctantly, ¡°No more abilities for now.¡±

    ¡°Great! You¡¯re making the right choice here, Anakin,¡± Draeth said cheerfully, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be awake for now. Just call out my name if you want to talk. I¡¯ll let you know when you¡¯ve built up enough energy for the big shiny new ability. Keep meditating on the Force, that¡¯s really good to increase the amount of energy that you have. Bye bye for now!¡±

    And then Draeth was gone again as if he was never there to begin with. After a few minutes of staring at the place where Draeth had been sitting on the bench, Anakin turned and kept working on the arm of the droid. For once he¡¯d actually have to be patient. That ability that Draeth talked about sounded amazing, and it would be worth the wait.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Anakin stood on Count Dooku¡¯s ship, with GR-32 standing behind him. It was humanoid except with a variety of tools sprouting from the end of its right arm instead of a fully articulating hand like the left arm. He was proud how smoothly it moved around, and Anakin had a vague idea of it helping him with all of its tools when he went to build another droid.

    ¡°Where are we going, Count Dooku?¡± Anakin asked the man as the ship entered hyperspace, ¡°Is it more people from your group?¡±

    ¡°Hm. I think you deserve to know a bit more at this point,¡± Dooku said thoughtfully, ¡°We are part of what you likely know as the separatist movement. We are looking to form a confederation of independent systems that will break away from the Republic. Away from the corrupt senate and the core worlds that it represents at the cost of those at the outer rim. Just look at Naboo and how the Trade federation escaped consequences from their invasion. The senate is too corrupt to govern the outer rim effectively anymore. I¡¯m taking you to meet some like minded individuals.¡±

    ¡°Breaking away from the Republic?¡± Anakin asked, ¡°Is that even possible? I understand that¡­ But I don¡¯t think the Republic would let that happen, and they have all the fleets and military power¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, but not for long,¡± Dooku said with a faint smile, ¡°The people I¡¯m bringing you to are droid engineers. A whole team. The idea is that we will create droid armies to defend ourselves should the Republic try to force us back into line. Production has already started in small batches with a few friendly corporations. But seeing your talents, I thought it would be valuable for you to provide any insight you might have into their designs of my personal research team.¡±

    Anakin frowned, ¡°You want me to help you with battle droids? What could I do that all of these engineer¡¯s can¡¯t?¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Oh, I think you¡¯d be surprised,¡± Dooku said, ¡°The corporate engineer¡¯s focus is on cost per unit, not capability. I¡¯m sure you¡¯d be able to suggest a few improvements to my people looking over the designs. The battle droids as they are are¡­ less than satisfactory. It¡¯s been quite an issue that my team has struggled with to improve them without also drastically increasing their cost. I¡¯d consider it a large favor if you¡¯d help them find a solution to the issue.¡±

    Anakin felt overwhelmed by the responsibility that Dooku was putting on him before recovering his wits.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best, sir. I won¡¯t let you down.¡±

    Dooku shot Anakin a glance with a thin smile and nodded slightly, ¡°I should hope not. You are talented in more than just the Force, young Skywalker. From what I¡¯ve seen so far, you¡¯ll exceed expectations. Do not hesitate to call out any of the people you meet if you believe they are wrong. You will have my authority behind you to alter the droid designs as you wish.¡±

    ¡°Is there any word on my mom and Slarena Reborn yet?¡± Anakin asked hopefully after there was a brief lull in the conversation.

    ¡°No. They are hiding rather well considering how many people are after them. I will accompany you when you go to meet them at the bar, if you would allow it. I¡¯m sure they will be relieved to discover that you are healed and safe and sound.¡±

    They traveled until they dropped out of hyperspace above a gray planet that was covered in volcanoes and in thick clouds of ash. The system was nearly empty of ships, and Anakin only saw a few points that could be settlements. The ship descended onto a seemingly random spot in a massive flat plain on the planet and when it was close to the ground a hatch opened and let them descend downwards.

    All around them was a long shaft going deep into the ground that was plunged into darkness as the hatch above them closed again, only the ship¡¯s lights showing the way as they descended.

    The ship dropped for what felt like forever until finally it landed on a platform below and the engines turned off. A large door leading to the shaft running to the surface closed above them and lights all around them turned on and lit up the space.

    Dooku, Anakin, and his droid GR-32 walked out of the ship and over to a door that hissed open as the Count typed in a code on the access pad. They walked inside and saw a group of five people standing there, three women and two men.

    ¡°Anakin, these are the lead engineers for this facility,¡± Dooku said with a gesture of his hand, ¡°They work on the designs of our battle droids. Both in improving the frontline models and researching more advanced variants that are more expensive. There¡¯s about a hundred and fifty people in this facility that they manage. Everyone, this is Anakin Skywalker, a mechanical prodigy. Someone that I thought is more than worthy to assist you despite his age. This droid here was built by him in only a few months. I¡¯m told that even his less advanced models were considered impressive.¡±

    All five of the people looked at Anakin in surprise.

    ¡°That was yours?¡± one of the women said, ¡°By yourself? I thought it was from one of the corporate teams¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, I built them myself,¡± Anakin said, ¡°Count Dooku said I was here to help all of you? I could explain how I build GR-32 if you¡¯d like?¡±

    ¡°Sure, tell us what you did,¡± one of the other women said with a note of challenge in her voice, ¡°Are you sure no one gave you designs for it? You seem a bit young to be working on droids¡­¡±

    ¡°No, I built them all by myself,¡± Anakin said, standing a little straighter before turning to GR-32, ¡°Hey GR-32. Want to show them what you can do?¡±

    ¡°Certainly, Anakin,¡± the droid said smoothly, ¡°I¡¯m eager to finally see some use. I¡¯ve yet to test all of my tools to assist you.¡±

    GR-32 was usually quiet unless Anakin spoke to him, but the others seemed surprised at the smooth voice modulation of the droid¡¯s voice. Anakin had spent some time improving the droid brain pathways so that the droid could express more emotional range and fluidity than normal. With all the quality components that the Count had supplied Anakin with, it had felt like a waste to not do it even if it wasn¡¯t strictly necessary.

    ¡°Great, do you have a workshop where we can show him off?¡± Anakin said as he looked around to the engineers.

    ¡°Well, I suppose I will take my leave then,¡± Count Dooku said as he observed him, ¡°Anakin has my authority to work as he pleases. I¡¯m sure that you will all get along splendidly.¡±

    They all said their goodbyes before the Dooku walked back to the landing pad and took off in his ship to the surface. Anakin was a little nervous at first as he started showing off GR-32 capabilities and answering the engineer¡¯s questions about him. But he wasn¡¯t stumped and after some initial skepticism and probing to test if he was actually competent, the engineers accepted him and were friendly.

    Anakin was just happy to be talking to somebody besides the droids or stoic Dooku for the first time in almost six months.

    They showed Anakin the designs for the B1 battle droids, and his mind raced as he looked over the cobbled mess of it. He knew they were poorly designed in general, but seeing the diagram proved just how cobbled together and messy the design truly was. Anakin was surprised the droids were even able to walk properly with how haphazard their droid brain was.

    The other engineers had their own alternatives that they¡¯d been working on to improve the droid while keeping the cost similar.

    Looking over what they¡¯d been working on, Anakin had plenty of his own ideas. Really, most of the issues were with the droid brain itself and the connections to the frame. If they just changed a few things they¡¯d work much better even with the hardware remaining almost identical¡­

    And so he got to work. It was nice talking with the other engineers and other staff. Everyone working together instead of all alone like he usually did, even when he was younger and there simply wasn¡¯t anyone else smart enough to understand what he was doing.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    ¡°It¡¯s truly amazing, sir! Where did you find this kid?¡± One of the women gushed as she took Anakin into a side hug as she praised him directly in front of Count Dooku, ¡°He¡¯s a genius! We¡¯ve made more progress on the project in the last few months than we did ever before!¡±

    ¡°Now, Relira. You guys did a lot too,¡± Anakin said, a little embarrassed by all the praise that all the engineers he¡¯d come to consider friends kept giving him. They were all a bit older, in their thirties and forties, but after a few weeks they stopped paying attention to his age and just treated him as one of them. It was a nice feeling, like how it had been among the padawans of the Jedi temple. The feeling of community and working together on one thing all the time¡­

    ¡°No need to be embarrassed Anakin,¡± Count Dooku said, looking pleased, ¡°It seems you did not disappoint. So you have a model? Let¡¯s see it.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Count,¡± Relira said as she released Anakin and bowed slightly before leading the Count, Anakin, and the other lead engineers to the testing room.

    Inside was a B1 battle droid, but slightly different from the traditional design. A B1a droid. Its long ¡®nose¡¯ had been significantly shortened and all the electronics had been shifted to make its long and narrow head a bit bulkier. The neck was a little shorter and better rooted into the frame than before so it would have much more stability and clearer vision when it was moving. If the old design had moved faster than a crawl and tried to look to the side then their weak necks and extended head design would cause them to stumble and fall sometimes. Their necks were so weak that sometimes even a hard fall was enough to let the normal B1¡¯s heads get wrenched out of its socket and get damaged.

    The B1a¡¯s legs had a few stronger springs installed on the interior so that they no longer had to hobble around like before, but could move at a faster jog at their top speed. Still slow, but something more practical than the normal B1¡¯s moving at no more than a fast walk for their top speed. The B1a¡¯s normal walking was also much smoother than before. The rest of the frame was largely the same besides some small changes, but all of it was better integrated so the droid brain could control all of it more smoothly than the disjointed and jerky mess of a control scheme like it had been before.

    ¡°This is the new model?¡± Dooku said as they looked through a glass window into the room where the B1a droid stood with a blaster in its hands. Right next to it a few meters away was the older model of a standard B1.

    Relira stepped forward and pressed the talk button to pipe her voice into the room as a series of holographic targets appeared at the end of what would be a firing range.

    ¡°Both units, fire at the targets at will. Demonstrate full combat maneuvers using available cover.¡±

    ¡°Roger roger,¡± B1a said and raised its blaster and started shooting at the blue holographic rings moving around at the end of the firing range. It jogged forward before crouching behind the raised metal sheet representing cover. It waited a few seconds to let its overheated blaster from all the rapid fire cool down slightly before it popped up again and continued firing.

    It wasn¡¯t all too accurate, missing more than half of the targets that it aimed at, sometimes having to shoot two or three times to hit even some of the stationary ones. As soon as the droid shot the holographic targets, they disappeared and new ones appeared, leaving only a scorched reinforced wall behind it.

    But it was still far better than the standard B1. At Relira¡¯s command, it raised its blaster and shuffled forward while ignoring all the cover around it, seemingly only firing vaguely in the same direction as the targets.

    At one point the B1 turned to track a moving holographic target and ended up facing a wall. It fired dumbly at the wall for over three seconds before it seemingly noticed its mistake.

    ¡°Ahhhhhh,¡± the B1 said with an electronic nasally voice, ¡°Tricky targets!¡±

    It turned again and started firing vaguely the same way as the targets again.

    ¡°Retreat to the door of the chamber, fighting retreat,¡± Relira said and piped her voice through, after watching the two go at it for a few minutes.

    The B1a stood up and started walking backwards smoothly as it kept firing as it backed towards the door.

    ¡°Eeeeehhhhh?¡± The B1 said, seeming confused as it turned around straight to the door before facing the targets again to keep firing. After a second of confusion it started taking a few shuffling steps backward and then tripped over itself. It stood up again and continued backing up, but Anakin saw that its clumsiness was noted as Dooku grimaced at the sight.

    Both droids reached the door and kept firing at the targets even from that angle.

    Relira pressed the button one more time.

    ¡°Units, destroy the other droid in the room with you.¡±

    ¡°EEeeeiiiiii!¡± the B1 squealed as the B1a turned and used its blaster to push against the B1¡¯s torso and toppled it over. The B1¡¯s arms flailed as it fell to the ground and dropped its blaster in surprise as the B1a raised its blaster and fired four times to its center mass and caused the B1 to go still.

    ¡°Roger roger,¡± the B1a said in that same nasally electronic voice as the B1.

    ¡°I see your point well. Although that last demonstration was excessive,¡± Count Dooku said thoughtfully, ¡°What would the additional expense for these superior models be compared to the B1s?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the best part, sir,¡± Relira said, ¡°The components are nearly the same for the two models, just some minor additions besides a reworking of the design. We estimate that it should only be five to seven percent more expensive per droid. And that can be brought down once things are done at scale.¡±

    Dooku reached up and stroked his white beard as he stared into the testing room where the B1a remained standing waiting for more orders.

    ¡°Congratulations, you all get a raise and a significant bonus,¡± Count Dooku said, ¡°I will present this new droid to our partners for manufacturing at scale soon. The difference between the two is night and day, well worth the price¡­¡±

    All the engineers cheered as Dooku turned to Anakin.

    ¡°Anakin, that includes you. I¡¯ve created a bank account in your name. I¡¯ve paid you as if you were one of the lead engineers for your time. When we go to retrieve your mother, you will have enough money to support her and more. The bonus for your work will be substantial, in proportion to how much you¡¯ve contributed to the project.¡±

    Anakin blinked, stunned at the revelation before he bowed to Dooku.

    ¡°Thank you, sir. I appreciate it, I¡¯ve enjoyed working here with the others.¡±

    ¡°Excellent. I see that I¡¯ve made the right choice bringing you here. Continue the good work, I will be back just before the new galactic year. Perhaps all of you might appraise me of the other projects that your teams have been working with?¡± Dooku looked around to the room of lead engineers, who nodded back.

    ¡°Certainly, sir,¡± Relira said, ¡°Our work with improving the spider droid¡¯s heat dissipation issue has come along smoothly in your absence even if we still don¡¯t have a solution at the proper price points¡­¡±

    Dooku was given a full tour of the facility where all of them lived and worked, and shown all the plans and droids that everyone was working on. Most of the staff here had been inside this base for over a year, hidden from the rest of the galaxy so word of their work wouldn¡¯t spread. But despite that, most people seemed happy to work here considering they were getting high ¡®hazard¡¯ pay for their isolation by Dooku and his group. The Confederate of Independent Systems or CIS, Anakin learned they called themselves.

    Anakin didn¡¯t really care all too much about the politics of seceding from the Republic or not. He¡¯d grown up on Tatooine, which was ruled by the Hutts with an iron fist. As far as he was concerned, the Outer Rim was barely controlled by the Republic anyway.

    But the Jedi would side with the Republic in a civil war, which made Anakin a little torn over it. He knew these were battle droids meant for war, and that the masters and padawans that he knew at the Jedi temple would be fighting them.

    Anakin still felt some resentment against the Council and Master Druman for how they¡¯d treated him, but that didn¡¯t extend to any of the other Jedi. He knew that most were doing their best to help people, and he wouldn¡¯t want any of them to be hurt.

    But at the same time, Count Dooku had done so much for Anakin already. He didn¡¯t want him to be hurt either if the Republic crushed the rebellion and had him arrested. And on a more practical note, he sort of depended on Dooku as his sponsor right now, as Anakin would be captured and sent back to the Jedi if he was found by the Republic¡­

    Hopefully he wouldn¡¯t be killed, but Anakin had used the dark side blatantly on Tatooine. He¡¯d always been told at the Jedi temple how corruptive using it was, so they might kill him if they got it in their minds that he¡¯d been fully corrupted and was just hiding it or something¡­

    Yes, Anakin would be best sticking with the CIS for now. Even if he had to keep making weapons for them and Dooku that might hurt the Jedi in the future.

 Chapter 9: A Polite Ambush

    ¡°Count Dooku?¡± Anakin asked uncertainly, building himself to ask his question for over ten minutes on their flight. It was the new year, and they were travelling together to Urbaret to collect Slarena and his mom hopefully if they were alright. Anakin had worried that something might have happened to them in the last year, but he hoped that they were both alright and would come to meet him again.

    ¡°Yes, Anakin?¡± Dooku said and turned around to look at him.

    ¡°What will happen to the Jedi? When the CIS goes to war with the Republic?¡±

    ¡°They will follow the Republic¡¯s lead of course,¡± Dooku said, ¡°They will likely see squashing the CIS as restoring peace and order to the galaxy as they have done so many times before in the Republic¡¯s history.¡±

    ¡°Is there no way to convince them?¡± Anakin asked, ¡°It just makes me uncomfortable that the droids that I helped design might fight against or even kill any of my old friends¡­¡±

    ¡°Hm. I do have somewhat of a plan¡­¡± Dooku said, ¡°It does involve you, but it will be several years still until the CIS is ready for war. I thought to leave it until later. Once the CIS comes into the limelight, then you can send a statement to the Republic and Jedi telling them of the corruption of the Jedi Council. Any Jedi who wish to will be accepted into our ranks. I doubt many will accept¡­ But perhaps your statement as well as my own combined will sway some to our side.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I guess that makes sense. I just wish that the CIS wouldn¡¯t have to fight them.¡±

    ¡°Yes, such a waste,¡± Dooku said, ¡°Did you know that Qui-gon Jinn was my Padawan? It was his death that was the last straw that drove me to finally leave the Jedi order. Leave on a mission and never return after telling the council what I thought of their rigidity and stagnation.¡±

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t know,¡± Anakin said, ¡°Do you miss it? The Jedi order?¡±

    ¡°No. I was an exemplary Jedi,¡± Dooku said with a strange note in his voice, ¡°My personal connections to most were shed without hardly a second thought. I have been well trained.¡±

    Anakin didn¡¯t have an answer to that as Dooku fell into contemplation as their ship kept flying through hyperspace.

    The ship landed and Anakin put on a full face breathing mask just like how he¡¯d done on Tatooine. Count Dooku remained the same as ever, except that he was wearing a large pair of oversized tinted goggles. Something about it being just enough to ruin anyone trying to run a facial recognition scan on a crowd.

    They went to the Drunk Kreatul bar in the capital city of the lightly forested planet and sat down inside in a corner booth. People of all species sat inside celebrating the new year, and no one took more than a second glance at them as they sat there and waited in silence.

    ¡°Drinks for two old friends?¡± Anakin looked up and froze when he saw none other than Obi-wan Kenobi standing there with a tray holding three large glasses. Without waiting for a reply, the Jedi knight in workman''s clothes sat down on the exterior seat.

    He removed one glass filled with what looked like alcohol and pushed it over to where Dooku sat and picked up another filled with water and placed it in front of Anakin.

    ¡°You¡¯re not quite old enough yet, I don¡¯t think, my Padawan,¡± Obi-wan joked before lifting his own glass and taking a small dainty sip from it.

    ¡°Where¡¯s my mom? Why are you here?¡± Anakin asked, not sure how to feel, but irritated at Obi-wan¡¯s casualness. Anakin could see that Dooku was tense and the man¡¯s hand fell to his side under the table where his lightsaber remained in his pocket. Anakin felt at his own side and sighed as he remembered the loss of his lightsaber on Tatooine.

    Obi-wan held up his hands defensively, ¡°So aggressive. It seems time away from the temple hasn¡¯t tempered your brashness. But not to worry, both of your mother and friend are safe and nearby. We can go see them after we talk for a bit.¡±

    ¡°Talk is cheap,¡± Dooku said suddenly, ¡°How do we know Republic or Jedi forces aren¡¯t surrounding us as we speak?¡±

    ¡°You are thoroughly surrounded,¡± Obi-wan agreed calmly, ¡°It was never in question of either of you escaping. But I¡¯ve been sent in to talk the both of you down to surrender yourselves peacefully. My padawan,¡± Obi wan nodded to Anakin.

    ¡°...And the one who taught my own master,¡± Obi wan said and nodded to Dooku as well.

    ¡°So, what happens now?¡± Dooku said, ¡°Will you cuff us and drag us away then? What of the boy? The last Jedi master I met attempted to kill him while he was injured. I see no reason why the Council would treat him any kinder.¡±

    Obi wan¡¯s hand flinched and he dropped his glass and only barely prevented it from tipping over and spilling all over the table.

    ¡°What? That story¡¯s ridiculous. Some kind of cover from the Council for what actually happened, surely? Anakin sits here without even a hint of the dark side on him. It¡¯s impossible that it was him who was the source of the chaos.¡±

    ¡°Master¡­¡± Anakin said reluctantly, causing Obi-wan to look at him intently, ¡°It¡¯s true. It was me who¡­ did all of that and drew on the dark side. I¡­ killed all of those people. Count Dooku has helped me ever since and helped me recover from my injuries after.¡±

    Obi-wan looked stunned for a moment and looked between the two of them.

    ¡°But¡­ you are untainted. How?¡±

    Dooku looked at Anakin in interest too. Anakin opened and closed his mouth for a moment, unsure what to say, his mind going blank.

    There was a soft pop and suddenly Draeth was sitting there on the center of the table. Anakin looked at him

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t look at me you moron!¡± Draeth said and Anakin looked down at his lap as both Dooku and Obi-wan looked in confusion at Anakin staring intently at apparently nothing.

    ¡°Listen up. You seem to be stumped by this kid. So here¡¯s the deal. You¡¯re an idiot. You got no clue what¡¯s happening. You woke up and everything was fixed. Maybe tell them about the mind shield and how it feels if you¡¯re really pressed. But under no circumstances can you tell them about me or your other abilities. No, don¡¯t nod your head. This whole situation is a mess¡­ Alright, bye again.¡±

    Draeth disappeared and Anakin looked up.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just woke up after and my mind was suddenly clear like I¡¯d never drawn on the dark side at all.¡±

    ¡°Not at all?¡± Dooku said, looking shocked, ¡°Not even the smallest whispers or urges?¡±

    Anakin shook his head and saw Obi-wan frowning as he watched Dooku¡¯s reaction.

    ¡°Well, this¡­ is unprecedented,¡± Obi-wan said after Dooku recovered his composure and sat back.

    ¡°But this is good,¡± Obi-wan insisted, ¡°You¡¯ll have a solid argument to the Council that you were never corrupted at all. If you¡¯re not tempted by the dark, then you¡¯re no longer a danger to others¡­ I¡¯m sure that Grandmaster Yoda will know something about it when we get back to the Jedi temple.¡±

    ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to go back?¡± Anakin asked, ¡°Could you let us go? Give me my mom and friend? I¡¯m not sure if I want to be a Jedi anymore.¡±

    Obi-wan looked struck and slightly hurt by Anakin¡¯s last statement, but quickly covered it up.

    ¡°Unfortunately not,¡± Obi-wan said, ¡°I assume you¡¯ll come in quietly?¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    ¡°What will happen to Mom and Slarena?¡± Anakin asked, ¡°I¡¯ll only come in quietly if you let them go and leave them alone. And let me see them.¡±

    Obi-wan stared at Anakin steadily for a few seconds before slowly nodding.

    ¡°I¡­ can do that. I will take you to see them. If you¡¯re captured peacefully then I see no reason for us to keep them here.¡±

    Anakin let out a breath and nodded and saw Dooku slowly lift his hand off from where his lightsaber sat.

    The three of them stood and left the bar and followed Obi-wan to the starport. As they moved, Anakin noticed over a dozen cloaked figures that must be Jedi emerging from the crowd to slowly envelop them as an escort. Once they¡¯d reached the spaceport itself, groups of armed soldiers stood there, clearly from the Republic even if they weren¡¯t in uniform.

    Anakin recognized the old stolen pirate ship as Obi-wan approached it and opened it up with a click of the ship remote key.

    Inside waiting just on the inside of the ramp were two women. Slarena, looking upbeat and less worn down by life than the last time that Anakin had seen her. And to her right¡­

    Anakin froze as Shmi ran forward and enveloped him in a back breaking hug.

    ¡°Ani! I can¡¯t believe that you¡¯re alright. I was so worried, Slarena thought it was hopeless but I knew that you were still out there¡­¡±

    Anakin started to tear up slightly as he hugged her back tightly and his mother kept babbling into his ear about how much she missed him.

    ¡°I¡­ I missed you too,¡± he eventually said after the noise stopped. Mom loosened her grip on him tightly to stare at his wet eyes. Without able to stop himself, Anakin reached up and brushed his hand across the side of his mother¡¯s face and felt the warped and scarred skin there. The burns covered the right half of her face and running down her neck from the blaster that he¡¯d failed to stop from hitting her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you mind that,¡± she said firmly as she gripped his hand with her own warm one, before lowering his hand down so their hands were interlaced as they rested down near their hips, ¡°That¡¯s in the past now. We¡¯re both alright now, and that¡¯s all that matters.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s all my fault. If I¡¯d just been a little faster¡­¡± Anakin choked out but Mom shook him slightly by the shoulders and frowned at him.

    ¡°Anakin Skywalker. I¡¯m your mother. And if I say it¡¯s alright. Then it¡¯s alright. Okay?¡±

    Anakin nodded, snapped out of his funk by the tone of voice he¡¯d always heard when he tried to skip out on his chores around the house.

    ¡°Yes, Mom. If you say so.¡±

    Obi-wan cleared his throat at the bottom of the ramp and the two of them turned to stare at him. Obi-wan was looking at the scene with a complicated look, which he rapidly wiped away as he saw them staring.

    ¡°I suppose that Master Dooku and I will leave you to it. We have a few hours to spare for you to catch up with each other.¡±

    ¡°Thank you Master Jedi,¡± Mom said and wrapped her arm around Anakin¡¯s shoulders, ¡°We won¡¯t keep you any longer.¡±

    She started to lead Anakin up the ramp, but he turned back to see Dooku standing there.

    ¡°We will likely be placed on different transport ships for security,¡± Dooku said, ¡°So I suppose that I will see you on Coruscant then. I only hope that our mutual friends will be able to protest our arrest in time.¡±

    Anakin frowned for a moment before he understood and controlled his expression as Obi-wan peered suspiciously between the two of them. Of course! The CIS, Count Dooku was the head of the whole separatist movement. Of course they¡¯d try to get him free if they knew that he¡¯d been arrested by the Republic¡­

    Dooku nodded as he saw that Anakin understood and then turned to Obi-wan.

    ¡°Very well, Master Kenobi. I¡¯m sure you have some questions for me that you¡¯d like to ask in regards to the boy and my long absence from the Jedi order. Let us go elsewhere.¡±

    The two of them walked off, even as the Republic soldiers and other robed Jedi remained in a circle around them.

    Slarena hit a button and retracted the ramp, sealing the ship after Anakin and Mom fully entered the ship.

    ¡°Could we-¡± Anakin asked, but Slarena just shook her head.

    ¡°Ship¡¯s toast. They disabled our engines as soon as they captured us. No flying out of here for us. Not until they give us back the components that they stole from us.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s not worry about that,¡± Mom insisted as she led Anakin to a nearby bench and they sat down next to each other, her arm still wrapped around his shoulder. Slarena smiled slightly and sat opposite of them.

    ¡°She really won¡¯t shut up about you, Anakin,¡± Slarena said, ¡°She never thought for one second that you were really gone. Glad you made it okay, kid.¡±

    ¡°I was lucky that Count Dooku saved me at the right time. If it wasn¡¯t for him¡­ Well¡­¡±

    Mom¡¯s grip on him tightened and Anakin realized his slip up, ¡°But we¡¯re here now right? So it¡¯s all fine,¡± he said with false cheer, ¡°So, how have you two been? Did you make it out alright from Tatooine?¡±

    ¡°Yep. With a ship to call our own and some credits to live off of for a while we were okay,¡± Slarena said, ¡°We did some odd jobs. Transport of cargo mostly using some spare space in our ship. Nothing too exciting, but it¡¯s a steady living. Your mother¡¯s a whizz for accounting, I just let her manage all of our money and organization on the jobs now.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re plenty good, you just don¡¯t have the patience for it,¡± Mom shot back to Anakin¡¯s slight shock. Mom had always been a more quiet person growing up, and Anakin didn¡¯t think he¡¯d ever seen her tease someone like that before.

    ¡°She taught me how to fire a blaster,¡± Mom said as she looked back down at Anakin, ¡°Isn¡¯t that so exciting? And she¡¯s underselling herself. I stay on the ship while she actually hands off the goods. She can be very intimidating when people try to underpay or rob us¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s great, Mom,¡± Anakin said, finding himself smiling a little at seeing his Mom so happy. It seems that she¡¯d really been settling into her new life well. ¡°I¡¯m glad things went so well. You both seem much happier than a year ago.¡±

    Both women¡¯s faces dropped slightly before brightening again at the reminder of the past.

    ¡°So how about you, Ani?¡± Mom asked, ¡°What have you been doing? Were you with that man? Dooku?¡±

    Anakin opened his mouth to answer, only to be struck with a sudden bout of suspicion. If he were the Republic, wouldn¡¯t he want to listen in on something like this? What if they were recording their conversation right now?

    ¡°Yes, I was with him,¡± Anakin said after thinking about his answer, ¡°But it wasn¡¯t doing too much, mostly just healing from what happened and helping him out how I could¡­¡±

    Sensing his discomfort, Mom changed the topic and the three of them shifted to talk about their business as traders using the old pirate slaver ship.

    Mom¡¯s hand remained around Anakin¡¯s shoulders as they spoke, and Anakin slumped to lean against her and put his head on her shoulder as the time passed.

    Slarena looked at the both of them with a slight smile, but with a small tinge of sadness in her eyes as the three of them kept talking.

    Anakin sat up slightly and scooched to the side slightly so his lips were right near his mother¡¯s ear as the conversation came to a lull.

    ¡°I have a lot of money,¡± Anakin whispered into her ear as quietly as he could, ¡°Dooku put it in an account for me. I want you to have it¡­ Just in case. It¡¯s with the Banking clan. Password is¡­ With verification number¡­ And the account is under the name Redarin T. Preswen.¡±

    Anakin leaned back and saw Mom staring at him seriously with a sad expression and nodded.

    ¡°I understand,¡± she said, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°We only have a little time before they¡¯re going to take you away from me again,¡± Mom said sadly, ¡°You were so dead set on being a Jedi when you were a boy, it was so hard to let you go even if I knew it was to a better life than under Watto¡­ I don¡¯t want to do it again.¡±

    ¡°I know, Mom. I don¡¯t want to go back either. But I don¡¯t think I have a choice. Being a Jedi¡­ I don¡¯t know anymore. Being a real one will be so much harder than I thought it would ever be.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll make it work,¡± Slarena said, ¡°You¡¯ve already gotten this far, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Slarena. Thank you for protecting Mom for so long. I felt safer knowing that you¡¯d be with her.¡±

    Slarena blushed slightly and looked away, ¡°Well, you know¡­¡± she muttered, ¡°It was nice to finally have someone to protect for once.¡±

    She looked back up to Anakin, ¡°Thank you. Your mother¡¯s a wonderful woman.¡±

    Mom stood up and briefly released Anakin to hug Slarena who also stood up and awkwardly hugged Mom back.

    ¡°You too, Slarena. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do without you,¡± Mom said fondly.

    Anakin let out a long breath and felt the last bit of tension leave him. The two of them¡­ would be okay. Even without him, they¡¯d be okay, and be able to move on if the worst happened.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    ¡°And they¡¯ll be let go? No one will go after them again?¡± Anakin confirmed as he left the ship, ¡°You¡¯ll repair their ship for them?¡±

    ¡°I give my word,¡± Obi-wan said, ¡°I¡¯ve already cleared it, and the Council has agreed.¡±

    Anakin let out a sigh of relief and turned around and hugged his mom for one last time.

    ¡°Bye Mom.¡±

    Slarena stepped forward and reached out and put a hand on his shoulder, ¡°Good luck, kid. We¡¯ll be waiting for you out here. Remember to talk to our business contact if you ever need to find us again.¡±

    ¡°I will. Bye Slarena. Keep up the good work.¡±

    Mom clasped her hands together in front of her, visibly resisting reaching out to grab Anakin again as he walked away from them with Obi-wan leading him away.

    Anakin only took one last glance to see the two women standing at the top of the ramp into the ship watching him leave.

    Then he turned around and left. He was now officially a prisoner of the Republic.

 Chapter 10: Prison Break

    ¡°This is where we part ways,¡± Obi-wan said at the entrance of the shuttle, ¡°Despite my being cleared of any compulsions by now, it seems the Council still doesn¡¯t wish for us to speak any more than strictly necessary. When we arrive at the Jedi temple, we will sort this mess out. As Master and Padawan.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ Master,¡± Anakin said, the word feeling so strange on his lips now.

    ¡°Very well. I will see you on Coruscant then.¡±

    Obi-wan left and Anakin was flanked by two unfamiliar stony faced Jedi and ushered into the interior of the shuttle.

    The shuttle blasted off from the surface of the planet as Anakin idly looked out of the window. They went into orbit and he was led into the hallway of a much larger ship.

    ¡°Put these on,¡± a gruff man said as he came forward and presented Anakin with an open set of bulky stun cuffs that were rigid with the connection between the two ends as the man held them out. Anakin stared at them.

    ¡°Do I have to?¡± he asked, ¡°It just seems¡­¡±

    ¡°Put them on, dark side user,¡± the Jedi to Anakin¡¯s right said, ¡°It¡¯s for all of our safety. It¡¯ll shock you if it detects you using your powers to escape. Don¡¯t use them and you¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m on a ship, where would I even go?¡± Anakin protested.

    ¡°Who knows what you dark siders think. Just put them on,¡± the Jedi said rudely before gesturing to the cuffs and letting his other hand drift over to his hip where his lightsaber dangled.

    ¡°...Fine.¡±

    Anakin put out his arms and let himself be cuffed and led through the ship and put in a bare cell.

    After a few minutes, the ship thrummed before shuddering slightly as they entered hyperspace.

    Anakin lay down on the bare cot and adjusted the uncomfortable weight of the stun cuffs holding his arms in front of him as he lay on his back. He did his best to sleep, something that took him an excruciatingly long time to finally drift off with the uncomfortable cuffs digging into his wrists and forcing him to sleep in a strange position on the cot.

    Anakin woke up sometime later and groaned as he flexed his arms a few times to get the blood flowing through them before awkwardly maneuvering to go to the bathroom in the toilet attached to the nearby wall of the cell. He really hoped the Republic hadn¡¯t put a camera in here.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan, friend?¡±

    Anakin flinched as Draeth was suddenly sitting there staring at him from his cot just as Anakin just finished his business.

    ¡°You scared me¡­¡± Anakin said, ¡°Plan? What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°What? You¡¯re not actually planning on going back are you? That¡¯s a terrible idea. Even in the best case you¡¯d be forgiven by the Jedi and thrown right back into sheer boredom in their temple. That¡¯s not what you want. And that¡¯s the best case, the worst is they kill you for being a dark side user. And while the Jedi Council is usually pretty benevolent you know how they act when it comes to the dark side¡­ I mean look at how those Jedi in the shuttle treated you, even when the Council probably hasn¡¯t even confirmed if you¡¯ve actually used the dark side or not yet. No, no. We got to get you out of here as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± Anakin demanded and raised his stun cuffs, ¡°I¡¯m trapped here! Even if I got out of this cell, then we¡¯re in hyperspace. I have nowhere to run to.¡±

    ¡°Hey now, I think you¡¯re underestimating yourself. If you do it right, then you could seize control of the ship and fly it wherever you want to. The Republic will be after it of course, but you can just dump it somewhere in the outer rim and take another ship that¡¯s less conspicuous to escape back to the CIS. I¡¯m sure that Dooku has his own little plan to get free, and the CIS has hidden itself for this long from the Republic and Jedi. If you get to them then you¡¯re probably safe.¡±

    ¡°That could work¡­ Wait, no. That doesn¡¯t work. How could I manage to do that? This is a Republic Hammerhead class battle cruiser. The crew complement is over three hundred usually as well as those two full Jedi that came up with us. I¡¯d be crushed the second I left this cell. Not to mention all the defensive anti-boarding measures. Sealing doors to block my way, camera coverage to show them where I am wherever on the ship I go¡­ And who knows what else. It¡¯s hopeless. And that¡¯s even if I can escape this cell.¡±

    ¡°Yes, as you are now you can¡¯t escape,¡± Draeth corrected, ¡°Now you¡¯re not going to like this next part. But just hear me out first. You¡¯re going to have to draw on the dark side as much as you can. That newest upgrade to adapt to damage? You trigger another fall to the dark side, and we just wait long enough to give us enough energy to give you that. Then all you have to do is run around and survive for a bit until you become immune to their blasters and then lightsabers. It¡¯s perfect, you¡¯ll be unstoppable. Even the shock cuffs will stop working as your body adapts to them.¡±

    ¡°No! I won¡¯t do that again. What if I lose control? I can¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°Would you rather die?¡± Draeth said to cut him off, ¡°Because that¡¯s where things are trending right now with how the Council is acting. Would you rather go crazy in the Jedi temple around the Padawans when they inevitably try to kill you?¡±

    Anakin paled and shook his head. No, even if the Jedi grandmasters could stop him he still might be able to hurt a few people in the temple in the worst case. But the people here didn¡¯t deserve getting hurt either¡­

    ¡°I¡¯ll be going crazy, what if I can¡¯t pull myself back this time?¡± Anakin asked in concern, ¡°It was close last time, and it took three whole months in Bacta to recover afterwards¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s all good,¡± Draeth said, ¡°I¡¯ve got a plan. So here¡¯s how it¡¯s going to go¡­¡±

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    ¡°Master Jedi! The shocks, they¡¯re not working! It¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°I can feel it,¡± the Jedi master said tensely. Waves of the dark side of the Force blasted out from the Chosen One¡¯s cell in thick billowing clouds. He grimaced as he grabbed his lightsaber from his belt and activated the plasma blade. He dashed forward and let the purpose and calmness of the Force guide him forward to stand in front of the cell of the Chosen One.

    The boy inside was howling and screaming like an enraged animal, and the Jedi master was disturbed as he saw the boy standing at the door of the cell and scratching at the surface of the slightly transparent blue forcefield holding him inside of his cell with his bare hands. The boy¡¯s eyes were bright yellow and he was twitching from the electric shocks pulsing through his body through the stun cuffs even as he pounded their metal frames on the forcefield with all of his might.

    The Jedi master grimly raised his lightsaber as his colleague and fellow master arrived next to him with his own lightsaber activated.

    The dark side of the Force pulsed through the boy like nothing that he had ever seen before, letting the boy continue his enraged assault on the shield with his fists even as the cuffs remained fully activated and sending arcs of electricity running down the boy¡¯s body.

    The boy¡¯s hands were still within the bounds of the cuffs, but the Jedi master could see the unnatural strength of the Dark side pulsing through the boy¡¯s limbs was increasing his strength dramatically and making the metal of the stun cuffs to strain and squeal.

    The strength of the Chosen One¡¯s blows grew ever more frantic and strong as the Dark side pulsing through him kept building larger and larger the more time passed. The Jedi master exchanged an uncertain glance with his colleague. They could still easily handle the boy¡­ For now. But his strength was still growing even as they waited outside of the cell.

    The boy kept pounding on the shield keeping him contained and started yelling incoherently at them both, spittle and drool spilling from his lips as his bright yellow eyes remained fixed on them and filled with animalistic hate.

    The shield flickered and both of the Jedi immediately raised their lightsabers and prepared for combat.

    The shield flickered again. Two more times, three, as the boy¡¯s blows began to grow so powerful that the shield started to fail on the stronger hits. The boy was about to escape¡­

    But suddenly with an agonized scream, the boy collapsed to the ground and started spasming and twitching on the floor. All of the cloying clouds of the Dark side of the Force filling the ship vanished in an instant as the boy¡¯s eyes closed and his body twitched one more time before he started breathing deeply. Asleep.

    The two Jedi looked at each other incredulously before looking back at the sleeping boy curled up on the floor just on the other side of the containment shield in his cell.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Anakin woke up and immediately felt the madness of the Dark pressing on him, the swelling rage telling to thrash and scream to destroy the indescribable thing that was making him feel this way. But he managed to wrench hard in his mind and pull on his mind shield. The rising tide of the dark rose and rose and rose even as Anakin fought it¡­ Until it suddenly slowed. Then crawled to a stop and then eventually started receding and fading away again.

    And then twenty minutes later, it was gone, the last remnant of its corruptive whispers were fully purged from Anakin¡¯s mind.

    He regained awareness of his body and felt his sweat covered body and sore muscles. Not anything like the bone deep exhaustion on Tatooine though. More like how he might feel after a hard training session at the Jedi temple. Tired, but not extremely so.

    Anakin opened his mouth to say something before closing it as he sat up. Oh right, Draeth would be unconscious considering Anakin could feel the power within him. His new ability to adapt to damage.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    He looked around and didn¡¯t see anyone else around at the moment outside of his cell. He stood to his feet and went over to the containment shield and raised his warped stun cuffs and started pounding the durasteel on the shield again. He tensed his body and closed his eyes in preparation for what he was sure would come. Sure enough, he groaned and fell to the floor spasming as the cuffs sent electricity pulsing through his body. After a full second of twitching on the ground, the current stopped.

    Anakin stood up and kept pounding on the shield. He was shocked again, and this time he stumbled and collapsed forward to lean against the shield, struggling to stand as the electricity pulsed through him. He had some control over himself even if he could only just barely stand as his muscles involuntarily twitched.

    The current coursing into him and he fell to the floor again, even as he felt his ability at work more and more as the electricity kept increasing as Anakin stood up over and over again as soon as he regained control over himself again.

    Then at some point¡­ The cuff¡¯s couldn¡¯t give anymore as Anakin stood there in place, gritting his teeth and panting from the pain. He stood there unmoving for a few minutes until the electricity coming from the cuffs stopped affecting him at all anymore, feeling like nothing more than a wave of pleasant warmth running over his skin.

    His muscles were even more sore than before, and his body still twitched involuntarily in small shivers. Muscles trembling from the trauma of so long of being shocked by the cuffs.

    Anakin calmed himself and drew on the light side of the Force to strengthen himself. He reached up his hands in the still sparking cuffs and pressed them forward to touch the containment shield. The spark of electricity from the cuffs jumped across the gap and went into the shield and overloaded it and caused it to shatter in a bright flash of a light and an electric warble and a sound like a piece of paper being ripped in half.

    The shocks from the cuff stopped just an instant too late as Anakin stepped out of his cell. He felt something approaching at high speed from the left hallway, so he turned to the right and started running while reinforcing his body with the Force as best as he could to flee.

    A woman in a Republic navy military uniform was at the end of the ship hallway as Anakin rounded the corner, not looking behind him as he felt what must be one of the Jedi masters rapidly closing in on him.

    Anakin sank deeper into the light side of the Force as he charged the woman full speed just as a blaring alarm sounded out across the entire ship and flashing red lights started flashing in the hallways.

    The woman¡¯s eyes widened and she fumbled at her side and drew her blaster and pointed it at Anakin as he charged at her. She started shouting him. C¡¯mon¡­ C¡¯mon¡­ He didn¡¯t hesitate and kept charging her full speed, completely ignoring her shouting. After another moment¡¯s hesitation, the woman¡¯s gaze hardened and she pulled the trigger on her blaster and fired at him.

    Anakin raised his durasteel cuffs and the blaster bolt seared away the top portion of the locking mechanism keeping the two cufflinks connected across his arms. The other half of the bolt sailed past directly towards Anakin¡¯s face. His dispersion ability lanced into it and dispersed the blaster bold just before it washed over his head. Anakin swore and closed his eyes at the heat and light, and his face get slightly singed as he stumbled slightly in his charge.

    His body was warm. The stun cuffs were firing at full power again, but it felt like nothing more than a warm tingle to him now after his body had already adapted to the electricity.

    But he recovered in a split second and kept charging as he heard the woman in front of him gasping. He opened his eyes to only to see her fire at him again, only at his chest this time, a desperate look in her eyes.

    Anakin only managed to twist his cuffs so a small portion of the bolt ate into them. The rest washed over his chest and burned him again, although he could feel that it was even less than the first blast to his face.

    The woman fired at him three more times before he reached her. The last blast finally managed to be the last straw for the battered stun cuffs and they sprung open and fell to the ground.

    Anakin was barely a few steps from the woman with his arms extended forward towards her. She backpedaled and screamed as she fired one more time as Anakin leapt forward.

    The blaster bolt landed directly on his neck, his dispersion ability only working at half power to dissolve it. Since Anakin had already adapted to the heat, he just tanked the weakened blaster bolt while taking barely any damage. It seemed that the dispersion ability only worked on things it considered ¡®threats¡¯ to him, so now that his heat resistance had increased it activated less strongly.

    The woman closed her eyes and cringed backwards as Anakin¡¯s outstretched arms reached out towards her¡­

    But then his arms moved down and gripped around the blaster she was holding. He ran right past her and ripped the pistol right from her hand. She gasped and fell to the ground as he wrenched her arm to the side at high speed as he ran past.

    Anakin felt the Jedi Master behind him barely a few seconds away from catching up with him with their force enhanced running. The Jedi Master had mastered their Force enhanced acceleration far better than Anakin had.

    Anakin took the blaster and held it out and turned it on himself even as he ran. He pulled the trigger and shot himself in the chest as quickly as he could while he kept running. His dispersion ability lessened its power more and more as the quick blaster bolts kept leaving him with small burns and his heat resistance increased more and more.

    By the time the Jedi Master caught up with Anakin and was only just behind him, the blaster bolts were hitting Anakin¡¯s raw skin and completely splashing over his skin harmlessly.

    He had adapted to the raw plasma of the blaster bolts hitting his skin without using his dispersion ability at all. This ability really was overpowered. Now it was time to test just how overpowered it really was. Because the heat that a fully powered lightsaber could produce was massively above what any normal blaster could.

    Anakin turned around to see the Jedi master dashing towards him with a lightsaber active and held down towards the floor. The man¡¯s expression was fixed in grim determination as the tip of his lightsaber sank into the floor slightly and left a glowing trail behind him as he ran towards Anakin.

    He came to a stop just before he would have reached Anakin, and after a few steps Anakin stopped as well. The blaring alarm and flashing red lights continued around them as they stood there in a standoff. Anakin with his blaster pistol and the Jedi master with his lightsaber that he had raised into a fighting stance.

    ¡°Stand down,¡± the Jedi master said grimly, ¡°You are truly corrupted by the dark side. If there is a chance that you could escape back into the galaxy to cause chaos, then I must strike you down where you stand.¡±

    ¡°Do I feel corrupted to you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what foul technique you¡¯re using right now to hide it. But I¡¯ve felt it for myself. Be lucky that the Council¡¯s orders were extremely specific, or I would not be offering you this chance to return to your cell.¡±

    Anakin saw the woman from before fleeing around the corner.

    Going back to that cell would probably be as good as giving up and dying at this point. He¡¯d already gone too far in drawing on the Dark side before.

    He raised his blaster and fired on the Jedi master. The man expertly blocked the bolt and sent in reflecting back at Anakin where it hit him and splashed on his skin without doing anything. The Jedi master¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as he dashed forward and slashed out with his lightsaber diagonally to slice Anakin from shoulder to hip.

    Anakin frantically launched himself backwards, empowered as much as he could with the Force. But it wasn¡¯t enough. A painful line of heat carved across his chest, only ending at his pelvis just above his hip.

    He grimaced, and lurched to the side as the Jedi master flicked his lightsaber upwards to drag the blade up the right side of Anakin¡¯s body, scorching his whole torso. Only Anakin¡¯s last second lurch managed to pull his shoulder back enough that the end of the lightsaber just missed it and let Anakin keep his arm.

    The lightsaber was now just above the level of Anakin¡¯s head, and slashed down diagonally again to remove his head from his shoulders. Anakin ducked, the Force thrumming through him, and still felt the blade scorch and blacken the skin on his forehead and nose as it passed just over his face as he leaned his head back.

    The Jedi master was frowning now, confused about something as Anakin raised the blaster and fired it again.

    The Jedi master leapt a half step back and blocked the blaster bolt and reflected it back at Anakin again. The bolt hit his left collarbone and did nothing.

    ¡°What Dark Force sorcery is this?¡± the Jedi master said in disbelief as Anakin stood there panting heavily. Not only from his abrupt and frantic motions to save himself, but his dispersion ability that had fired to attempt to disrupt the lightsaber every time it passed close to him and tired him out.

    Anakin didn¡¯t answer and used the brief pause in the battle to recollect himself and assess his wounds. His whole body was covered in light and some not so light burns from where the Jedi master¡¯s lightsaber had passed over him.

    Realizing that Anakin was stalling by not answering, the Master darted forward again. Anakin again barely dodged the Jedi¡¯s strikes by the skin of his teeth and pushing his body and usage of the Force to its absolute maximum to dodge. But this time the Master didn¡¯t let up and after the first combination of strikes let out a second just as quickly.

    By the seventh strike, Anakin was boxed in, with a wall of the hallway to his left now that he¡¯d been expertly maneuvered towards. The Jedi master boxing him in and nearly ready to go in for the kill by the determined expression on the man¡¯s face.

    Anakin threw the whole pistol at the Jedi Master¡¯s face instead of blasting him, interrupting the man¡¯s flow of battle as he used his lightsaber to slice the thrown blaster in two pieces before using the Force to send both of them splitting off to the sides so they wouldn¡¯t hit him.

    But the desperate maneuver only gave Anakin a single extra moment before the Jedi master continued his assault and after two more frantically dodged blows from Anakin, finished his sequence. Anakin dodged directly into the metal wall to his side, and the Jedi master leapt on the mistake and plunged his lightsaber directly into Anakin¡¯s gut, with his arms extended forward as if thrusting him with a spear to pin him to the wall behind.

    The Master blinked and looked at the point where his blade sank into Anakin¡¯s stomach.

    ¡°What.¡±

    Anakin¡¯s arms reached out and he wrapped both hands around the lightsaber that had sunk five centimeters into his body before stopping. The Jedi master was so surprised by the action, that he didn¡¯t manage to prevent Anakin from ripping the weapon from his hands and pulling it towards himself. While pulling inwards, Anakin adjusted his grip on the weapon and turned it upright, inadvertently carving a searing line of white hot pain upwards from the wound on his stomach up his torso and past his collarbone.

    He held the lightsaber at the ready as the Jedi master blinked at him before dashing back with his now empty hands. The other man¡¯s face went grim.

    ¡°I suppose we will go down together then,¡± he said before looking up at the ceiling, ¡°Do it now!¡±

    There was a hiss from the ceiling above and Anakin heard heavy clunks and clangs of what felt like blast doors closing shut all over the ship. Anakin coughed as he held the lightsaber crackling in his hands and waved it slightly to ward off the Jedi who still looked like he wanted to attack Anakin even barehanded. With their vast difference in skill maybe he¡¯d even win¡­

    But the air was growing hard to breathe as the invisible gas filled the hallway and made Anakin¡¯s lungs heavy. Anakin fell to his knees and took heaving breaths even as the Jedi master opposite of him collapsed bonelessly to the floor.

    Anakin took a few more breaths before keeling over, luckily remembering to deactivate the lightsaber as he fell. He curled up on the ground and started taking short and shallow breaths as the air seemed to get thinner and thinner around him no matter how fast he heaved his lungs to take in more air.

    They were suffocating him by drawing the air out of the whole section of the ship, even with the Jedi master inside it with him¡­

    He felt his adaptation working even as he lay there, but it wasn¡¯t quite fast enough. He breathed as fast as he could, but his head swam and the lack of oxygen made him fall unconscious in moments.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    ¡°What should we do, master Jedi? The¡­ The prisoner has gone still. It¡¯s been nearly an hour now. Surely we can¡¯t leave the bodies of him and your fellow master Jedi in there for the rest of the journey?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what we will do, Captain. Whatever dark powers the boy had, they were formidable and unexplainable. I don¡¯t want anyone going near the body at all, we don¡¯t know if there¡¯s some unseen risk if we approach it. How long until we reach Coruscant?¡±

    ¡°About two days, Master Jedi.¡±

    ¡°Very well. Two days then. My fellow Jedi¡¯s body will be dealt with honors then on Coruscant at that time.¡±

    ¡°Condolences for his death, Master Jedi. Thank you for helping evacuate the rest of my crew from the compartment before we took drastic measures. Your colleague was very brave.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. A true example of giving his life for others selflessly, an example of a true Jedi¡­ I will take my leave then. Continue with your duties Captain. I need to rest in my quarters after these recent events.¡±

    ¡°Goodbye, Master Jedi. Alert my crew if there¡¯s anything else that you need.¡±

 Chapter 11: Going Down with the Ship

    Anakin woke and gasped as his body ached with waves of pain and weakness. He immediately knew that something was wrong as no sound came from him as he tried to gasp. It was like he was deaf as he brought his hand up to his throat in confusion. No, it was more than just not hearing. His throat felt puffy and there was no rush of air when he moved to breathe in. His chest felt heavy like there was a heavy weight on it as he struggled to move it in and out as he started to panic¡­

    But then he stopped in confusion as he realized that he was not in fact choking or feeling a need to breathe. He frowned down at his chest. His body was covered in heavy burns and trails from the Jedi master¡¯s slices with the lightsaber. His clothes clung to him in tatters from the blows they¡¯d been subjected to.

    Anakin looked to the side and saw the sprawled out body of the Jedi Master that he¡¯d been fighting before. He was still. Anakin hesitantly reached out and put a hand on the man¡¯s wrist before rapidly withdrawing it as soon as they touched. The man¡¯s body was cold¡­

    What had happened? One moment Anakin had the lightsaber and had an advantage, even if not much, and the next there had been a hissing sound and the both of them had started choking.

    With a silent groan of protest, Anakin stood to his feet and scooped the stolen lightsaber from the ground of the hallway. How was he alive? Why did he not breathe anymore? His chest remained flat and unmoving and despite that he felt as healthy as ever. Well, besides his many injuries and now familiar exhaustion that was running through him. He started hobbling down the hallway as the pain from the burns and his stiff and trembling legs slowed him down.

    Had Anakin survived due to his adaptation ability? It¡­ Wait, hadn¡¯t Draeth said that he could adapt to space if he survived long enough? Was that what was happening here?

    Anakin reached a door and bracing his hand against the bulkhead peered at the access pad next to it. The lights changed and started flashing red around him again, although the perpetual silence of his surroundings made it feel muted and surreal rather than the insistent warning that they¡¯d been before.

    After a few seconds of tapping at the door pad uselessly, Anakin realized that he was being an idiot. He had a lightsaber. He raised the weapon and activated the plasma blade to point towards the bulkhead. It was odd to see the blade activated while not hearing the distinctive plasma crackle and deep thrum that he was used to.

    Anakin plunged the weapon into the door and started carving through.

    Halfway through carving a hole in the door, sound suddenly returned to his ears as he heard the distinctive rush of air blasting at high speed from the burning holes of melted metal that Anakin had already carved.

    Anakin was nearly finished carving the full circle when the loose slug of metal started shaking and rattling violently and Anakin heard the soft sound of creaking and twisting metal even through the low air pressure around him.

    He threw himself to the ground just before the chunk of metal came flying away from the bulkhead and slammed into the floor five meters away.

    The trickle of air from before turned into sandstorm strength winds for a few seconds as air poured through the new gap and cooled off the melted edges of the hole in the door that Anakin had carved with his stolen lightsaber.

    After a few seconds, the air pressure started to equalize and Anakin stood to his feet as the winds blasting from the hole in the bulkhead started to die down slightly.

    He stepped through the gap into the main ship and his hearing returned. Anakin coughed slightly as his lungs fully filled with air again.

    ¡°Hello,¡± he said in a hoarse voice through his puffy and sore throat as a test.

    Lightsaber still activated, Anakin kept hobbling forward. He had to find something with a hyperdrive that could let him escape. He hoped this ship had smaller ships that might have one, but if they didn¡¯t then he¡¯d have to find the control deck and seize control of the whole ship¡­

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    ¡°Get as many of the crew to the hangars as possible,¡± the Jedi master said calmly, ¡°Take us out of hyperspace immediately.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master Jedi,¡± the ship¡¯s captain said, ¡°Exiting hyperspace now¡­¡±

    The blaring alarm continued through the ship as the monster of a boy limped towards the sealed bulkhead door through the visual of the screens.

    ¡°Can you handle him Master Jedi? Do you mean to stop him at the hangars to prevent him from getting a ship?¡±

    The captain turned to the console and pressed a button, ¡°This is the captain. All combat personnel move to the main hangar. Repeat, everyone to the main hangar. The prisoner is loose and still alive somehow.¡±

    The blue of hyperspace disappeared and they were isolated in deep space between the stars.

    ¡°You misunderstand me, Captain. I meant everyone. You and the rest of the crew are to evacuate the vessel immediately. Give me the command codes and I will remain behind.¡±

    ¡°Everyone? But Master Jedi, we can¡¯t simply leave our vessel behind, this ship is worth millions of credits to the Republic¡­¡±

    ¡°I will take responsibility. Give me the codes. You must prevent him from getting his hands on any of the starfighters or the troop transport that are hyperdrive capable.¡±

    The captain hesitated before nodding and typed a few things into his console.

    The Jedi master nodded and typed his own Jedi identification number to accept the control transfer of the ship¡¯s systems to the captain. The captain pressed the button and sent another announcement to the ship, clarifying that they were evacuating the ship and that all crew should be moving to the hangar at full speed unless they wanted to be left behind.

    ¡°If there is a chance of the dark side user of escaping then I shall self destruct the ship,¡± the Jedi master said flatly after he finished using his newfound authority to lock the captain out from all the ship¡¯s systems, ¡°He must be destroyed at all costs before he becomes any more powerful.¡±

    ¡°B-B- Master Jedi!¡± the former captain spluttered, ¡°I can¡¯t allow that, this vessel is-¡±

    The Jedi master remained stony faced and withdrew his lightsaber and let it hand in his hand as a silent threat even with plasma blade sheathed.

    ¡°This is treason!¡± the captain yelled, his face turning a particular shade between red and purple as he yelled, ¡°I¡¯ve flown on this ship for over ten years now and I won¡¯t let some Jedi freak destroy¡­¡±

    ¡°You will do nothing, I have control,¡± the Jedi Master replied, ¡°Think what you wish.¡±

    The Jedi master glanced down as a data disk popped out of the console and he grabbed it and held it out to the captain. The man looked angry, and swiped the disk from the Jedi¡¯s hand. After his initial outburst and typing a few things on a nearby console, the captain seemed to have realized that the Jedi had tricked him and locked him out of the ship¡¯s systems completely.

    ¡°Take that to the Republic. They need to know what happened here and what our recordings from the ship have captured,¡± the Jedi Master said to the captain, ¡°Now go, he is nearly through the bulkhead. You must flee quickly if you don¡¯t want to go down with the rest of the ship.¡±

    The captain hesitated, before with a muttered curse he tucked the data disk into his pocket and fled the room, rushing after the rest of his deck crew towards the main launch hangars in the belly of the ship.

    The master Jedi turned back to the console and letting the light side of the Force flow through him confirmed everything in the ship¡¯s systems. The final confirmation appeared and the Jedi Master stopped and pressed it. He paired the system with his communicator on a dead man¡¯s trigger and after a moment pressed the thumb of his free hand onto the button on the communicator. The second he let go of the button this whole ship would violently self destruct and hopefully take down the monster left inside.

    The Jedi master activated the plasma blade of his lightsaber with his communicator in his other hand as he dashed out of the command deck and towards where he knew Skywalker was even now hobbling in the direction of the main hangar where the rest of the crew was gathering and piling into the troop transport so densely that they were practically stacked on top of each other inside. The vehicle was only meant for two hundred at most, but there were three hundred crew trying to cram inside in time¡­

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Anakin hobbled around the corner and saw the hallway open up into a large hangar and felt his heart soar. Yes! They did have more ships, at least a few must have hyperdrives right?

    He sped up his pace, ignoring the pain and stiffness as he moved only through sheer force of will and heavy assistance from the Force.

    He walked into the hangar into chaos and all the bustling chaos from the people inside immediately stopped as Anakin was spotted, heavily burned and injured and an ignited lightsaber held in his hand.

    ¡°Go, go, go!¡± One man shouted, ¡°Leave now! Before we all get blown to the Force!¡±

    There was a mad scramble into one large and bulky combat transport and two smaller shuttles on the other side of the hangar. The engines on the three ships started up and as Anakin watched in confusion, the transport lifted off as the last person leapt inside into the literal piles of people inside the three ships and the back ramps closed as the ships lifted from the hangar floor.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    The transports lifted up as one in the hangar even as another group of ten people came running in from the side.

    ¡°Wait, wait for us! I order you to stop! Come back!¡± One man shouted while holding what looked like a datadisk aloft and waving it towards the transport ship.

    The ship ignored the captain and moved forward slowly through the hangar shields before entering the vacuum of space. As soon as it left the hangar, the jets fired full throttle and the ship started flying away.

    ¡°No! I¡¯m your commander, you can¡¯t leave us!¡± the man from before shouted fruitlessly at the ships that were rapidly shrinking into the distance.

    Anakin turned to the line of twelve Aurek single person space-fighters, their distinctive V shape forming a series of arrows lining the side of the hangar closest to Anakin.

    He started hobbling towards the closest one, only to groan as something hot sliced across his back and sent him tumbling to the floor.

    Before Anakin could even react a long searing pain passed across the back of his neck, like he¡¯d been blasted with a flamethrower.

    Anakin rolled over and raised his lightsaber defensively, but his pitiful attempt of a block was expertly brushed aside by the Jedi Master with a flick of the wrist before the Lightsaber came plunging down for Anakin¡¯s face.

    Anakin twisted his body and the strike just barely missed his forehead and instead singed his ear and the right side of his head.

    He twisted and blindly slashed out with his lightsaber at the Jedi master¡¯s knees, but the man simply hopped back lightly to avoid the blow before dashing forward to pounce on Anakin as he lay on the floor again.

    There was shouting behind him, and Anakin felt something slightly warm splash off of him. One of the other people over there had fired a blaster at him, which had done nothing due to his head resistance.

    ¡°No, ignore him! Complete your mission, Captain!¡± the Jedi master demanded as he stabbed Anakin in the gut with his lightsaber and used the Force to wrench Anakin¡¯s hand to the side and send his lightsaber skittering across the hallway of the hangar.

    Anakin noticed that the lightsaber stabbed into his gut barely sank a centimeter into his skin as the Jedi master kept dragging its point all over his body mercilessly as the man completely overpowered Anakin.

    Anakin raised his arms up to his face defensively as the Jedi master shifted focus and started battering him. But slowly but surely, Anakin could feel the blows from the lightsaber growing less and less painful. His head resistance was growing strong enough that even the lightsaber was close to having no effect on him¡­

    Anakin heard the rumble of engines and saw the ten people from before left behind by the shuttles climbing inside of them. One of them was already rising into the air as their cabin closed. The indignant man with the data disk from before was at the back of the back, huffing and puffing as if out of shape as the others outpaced him to reach their ships.

    The Jedi master stabbed through Anakin¡¯s defensive arms and landed a strike directly onto his nose, which hurt a lot considering it had already been severely burned by his battle with the other Jedi master before.

    Anakin noticed suddenly that the Jedi master was only fighting him with one hand. The other was tightly gripped around a communicator that he held in his left hand.

    Anakin drew on the Force and reached out and drew the device to him as he ignored the Jedi¡¯s blows on him for a moment.

    Sure enough, the Jedi¡¯s eyes widened as Anakin pulled the device from his hand and drew it to himself. Using the distraction, Anakin rolled to the side, and was about to roll backwards to return to his feet¡­

    But deep in the ship there was a loud rumble and before Anakin could react the world was consumed in fire and tearing metal as the ship exploded around him.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Anakin blinked as soon as the rumbling and chaos around him settled down slightly as he used a burst of the Force to stop his body that was spinning rapidly as he was launched away from the exploded ship. He felt oddly bloated and even more lightheaded than before as he floated in space, flung away from the ship by the massive explosion. Everything was silent again, but Anakin caught the signature flashes of a series of hyperspace jumps. Anakin turned his head and saw nothing. Nothing where the transport ships had used to be¡­

    He turned his head the other way and saw the slowly spreading debris of what used to be a Republic military ship. Completely reduced to scrap just for a chance to kill him¡­

    Anakin shook his head and refocused. He could worry about it and brood over what happened later. Now he had to figure out what to do. He was here somewhere that was presumably deep space. The main ship was toast, and while he felt alright for now, the bloating and lightheadedness in his body was getting worse the more time passed. He was so tired by now that he doubted that his body would be able to adapt again to space before he died.

    Anakin scanned the debris floating around him as he stabilized himself even more. There must be something. One of¡­ Yes! Anakin spotted something through the field of debris in the distance. He raised his hand and focused as best as he could to draw on the Force even as he struggled to focus. He was drawn forward towards the ship that looked mostly intact.

    As he flew through the vacuum of space while maintaining his focus on drawing on the Force, Anakin noticed small chunks of what must be the other Aurek fighters. As far as Anakin could see, only this one vehicle had survived.

    He finally reached the surviving Aurek fighter that still had its shields softly humming. Anakin felt the hum flowing through his body as he reached out and placed one hand against its surface and slowly pushed himself through. If you went slow enough, then ship¡¯s shields like these usually were designed to let things go through.

    Anakin floated over to the small one man cockpit and looked inside for the pilot. Oh. Dead. Very dead. The anti-gravity systems must have failed and not protected the pilot from the force of the explosion¡­

    He felt around the edges of the glass cockpit, looking for a way in from the outside for over a minute even as it grew harder and harder to focus.

    Finally, he found what seemed to be a manual release and pulled it hard, causing the hatch to pop open and release a hiss of escaping air. The pilots were supposed to wear space suits as they flew, but in the rush this person had just been inside with just their normal Republic uniform.

    Anakin floated inside the now open cockpit and tried to settle down inside. But it was a one man fighter, and the body of the dead pilot was taking up too much room.

    ¡®Sorry¡¯ Anakin mouthed in the vacuum of space before unbuckling the corpse and slowly pushing it upwards where it started floating away to merge with the rest of the ship''s debris.

    Anakin hunted around and pressed another button and the glass bubble from above closed up again. Anakin strapped himself into the bloodstained seat and inspected the control panels covered in little bits of gore. He brushed aside a larger chunk that was blocking one of the dials and it tumbled end over end in the zero gravity.

    Despite his throbbing head and painful wounds, Anakin blearily tried to figure out how to work the ship. He knew how to pilot the pirate ship that he and Slarena had stolen so long ago. He saw that some things here were the same while he didn¡¯t understand anything about most of the other buttons.

    But after a few minutes he managed to repressurize the cabin with air again and activate the maneuvering thrusters to gently navigate the ship away from the fields of debris spreading out from the destroyed Republic ship.

    When he was far away enough, he experimented with the navigation computer which luckily had a map showing exactly where they were in relation to some known galactic systems. Still over a day¡¯s travel to coruscant.

    Anakin checked the amount of fuel on the ship and calculated how far he could go. Yes, he had enough but there was almost no margin for error. He quickly plugged in the coordinates to the planet and after a moment, the ship thrummed before entering hyperspace and everything around Anakin was surrounded with blue and streaking stars.

    The facility with all the droid engineers was more towards the mid rim of the galaxy despite still technically being in the outer rim, so Anakin was just close enough to reach it. He could feel his injuries, he would need some serious bacta and treatment soon before all of this damage caught up with him.

    He just had to last about¡­ he checked the nav computer. About twenty hours.

    If he could get there and contact the engineers, then the CIS could save him. He just had to last that long.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Anakin took weak shallow breaths as he lay in the cockpit of the fighter that smelled absolutely rancid by now. He didn¡¯t have to breath with his adaptation to the vacuum before. But as he felt the damage in his body start to creep up on him, he started breathing heavier out of reflex from the pain.

    Anakin felt like his body was split into a dozen hurting portions, only held together by a few weak staples keeping him together and conscious. Somehow Anakin knew that if he ever fell asleep then he wouldn¡¯t ever wake up again.

    He was panting, his mouth dry and feeling like he¡¯d been left in the deserts of Tatooine for days. Only the thrumming of the Force flowing through him kept him aware and awake, but even that was slowly not becoming enough as Anakin¡¯s focus wavered and his body kept failing on him.

    His whole body was covered in deep burns both heavy and light. His nerves had been fried by the stun cuffs full force before his body had started adapting. He¡¯d choked and damaged his lungs and throat from the lack of air before he adapted to that too. His body was quivering and exhausted from powering all of his various abilities that had kept him alive.

    Anakin blinked as he realized that his surroundings were no longer a bright blue. It took over a minute of fumbling, but he eventually managed to focus enough to switch on his comms as he hovered over the mostly abandoned planet. He didn¡¯t know exactly where the facility was, just the general area on the planet. He fumbled and blinked as he struggled to focus, but eventually managed to activate a tight beam transmission and blasted it across that whole region of the planet as his ship hovered above.

    No one else lived there, and his focused transmission shouldn¡¯t be detected on the other scattered settlements on the planet¡­ Probably.

    ¡°Hello,¡± Anakin rasped over the channel as he transmitted to the planet below, ¡°It¡¯s me. Anakin Skywalker. I know you¡¯re down there, I¡¯m hurt and there¡¯s¡­¡±

    Anakin snapped back as he realized that he¡¯d trailed off and stopped mid sentence, ¡°The B1a. Better than that¡­ corporate junk. I can¡¯t¡­ Bacta. Dooku. Please. Going black¡­¡±

    Anakin woke up again with missing time to find himself slumped over the console in front of him and on the edge of falling unconscious. The Force within him was fading and dimming and causing blackness to start pressing inwards from the corner of his vision.

    There was a flashing light on the panel in front of him. Anakin dumbly pulled himself up slightly and pressed the button clumsily with stiff fingers.

    ¡°Anakin? Are you there? What¡¯s going on? What are you doing in a Republic Aurek fighter? Where¡¯s Count Dooku?¡±

    ¡°Captured¡­ by Republic,¡± Anakin rasped at the talkative button, ¡°Escaped in fighter. Dooku in another ship. I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Anakin! Anakin keep on talking! I¡¯ve sent the coordinates. Just set the autopilot to land!¡±

    He had lost more time. He started mumbling and struggled to understand the foreign words he was hearing through his fuzzy mind. He mumbled a confused noise at the helpful button and it spoke to him again. It took a few tries, but Anakin¡¯s sluggish brain finally realized that it was telling him what he was supposed to be doing.

    He followed its directions and mumbled in confusion whenever he didn¡¯t understand. He mumbled a lot. The ship rumbled and started dropping down towards the planet on its own as the button stopped trying to talk to Anakin for a moment.

    He lost more time and he was descending down into a dark hole in the ground until he landed on a platform. There was someone banging on the outside of the ship and Anakin pressed the button to open up the glass bubble in response after staring blankly at the person on the other side for a moment.

    A droid walked up and gripped Anakin and lifted him out of the cockpit with its strength and started carrying him somewhere as a group of concerned people watched on and crowded around the droid. As he was carried through hallways of metal and surrounded by muttering, he saw flashes of vaguely familiar faces.

    Anakin felt a warm hand touch his cheek. The human contact made the tightness built up within him to hold on and keep going until safety release all at once. His body slumped all at once and he was out like a light before the warm hand even fully finished pressing into his skin.

 Chapter 12: Recovering from Unexpected Events

    ¡°Master Dooku, please explain how you first came to know young Anakin Skywalker.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe I will.¡±

    Grandmaster Windu leaned forward with a severe frown on his face.

    ¡°Master Do¡ª¡±

    ¡°Count Dooku, if you will. I made it abundantly clear that I was leaving the Order last time that I was in this chamber. Despite this very council not deigning to recognize this fact and even cover up my reasons for my departure.¡±

    Grandmaster Windu¡¯s expression tightened, ¡°Now Master Dooku. You are still¡ª¡±

    ¡°I have no obligation to answer you,¡± Dooku said, ¡°I will present myself to the Senate for questioning if need be. But you are mistaken if you believe that any of you hold authority over me anymore.¡±

    ¡°All Jedi, work together we must,¡± Grandmaster Yoda said, ¡°For the good of the Republic, and the Force both, it is.¡±

    ¡°If that is all, then I believe I should be brought back to my cell. Do let me know when any actual inquiry has been approved.¡±

    Mace Windu leaned forward and eyed Dooku carefully.

    ¡°Are you aware that the ship ferrying young Skywalker here has been destroyed? Nothing left but debris behind as well as some survivors.¡±

    Dooku¡¯s eyes widened before he controlled his expression.

    ¡°And the boy? Was he one of them? Among the survivors?¡±

    Grandmaster Windu leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers, ¡°It is unknown. But this is beyond your chafing at this Council¡¯s authority now. If you wait for a Senate inquiry then it might be too late before the boy goes rogue and starts causing even more chaos. Any information that you can give us could help us to his peaceful capture. Testimony from the survivors lays the destruction of the ship as his doing after defeating at least one if not both of the Jedi master¡¯s on board single handedly.¡±

    Dooku kept his face unmoving, ¡°Capture, is it? Even after he supposedly destroyed a Republic military vessel on his own? With two master Jedi escorting him and him being imprisoned as well? While completely unarmed and bound by shock cuffs? I find it highly unlikely that that¡¯s the case.¡±

    ¡°I suppose we¡¯ll have to see if your skepticism is valid during our investigation into the matter,¡± Grandmaster Windu said, ¡°So? Do you have any information of use to this council? When it comes to the Senate hearing, our support could be the difference between a conviction and a dismissal of any charges.¡±

    Dooku nearly sneered at the very thought, but managed to control himself in time. He had plenty of his own allies to deal with such things, far more than these isolated fools could even guess at.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t believe that I do. Goodday, esteemed Jedi Council.¡±

    He inclined his head before walking to the door where the two guards led him away back to his temporary cell.

    He technically wasn¡¯t under arrest, but if Anakin had truly escaped or died somehow then that could rapidly change. As Dooku sat in his room, a rather lavish one meant to pamper the more affluent prisoners, he rubbed his white beard as he thought about what to do.

    It truly would be such a shame if the boy was truly dead¡­ So much potential, and not just in the Force. Free thinking and almost as spirited as Qui-gon had been as a boy¡­ Ah, Qui-gon had been such a troublemaker. Dooku let out a sad smile and melancholy before a wave of malevolent dark side pulsed within him. He quickly clamped down on it and shrouded it in his shrouding Force technique again before the energy could leak from his body.

    He¡¯d have to consider how to frame things with Lord Sidious. His careful obfuscations between lies and truth were a careful web. If Lord Sidious pulled one long thread, then who knew how he might react when the whole web became visible.

    The Grand Plan had been the only method of toppling the Jedi from their lofty pedestal and getting his revenge for Qui-gon¡¯s death before. Working together with Lord Sidious to undermine the Republic enough that the Jedi could be struck down completely in one clean strike.

    But over this last year, he¡¯d started to see a second path. He¡¯d thought the Jedi immutable, their stoic ranks standing shoulder to shoulder and never breaking from the grip of the Council and blithely ignoring the corruption infesting their order. But here was a boy that had broke away from the Order all on his own, the Chosen One, that saw the corruption first hand as well.

    If a boy of such potential could be nurtured to the right heights, along with his other talents, then perhaps the games in the dark wouldn¡¯t be needed and direct confrontation could be pursued¡­

    Especially if he could draw more of the dissatisfied Jedi to his side now that he knew that defection without outside coercion was possible, if unlikely.

    Dooku sighed. He truly hoped that the boy was alive. With the vision of a more glorious path in view, he¡¯d be rather disappointed in reverting back to the Grand Plan that seemed so faded and drawn out in comparison. But he¡¯d still do it, to destroy the Council and the very idea of Jedi as the sanctimonious arbiters of justice that could do no wrong.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Dooku¡¯s allies had pulled through on the Senate hearing. The questions were light and vague, giving him plenty of room to construct the narrative that he wished to present while technically never lying a single time. He could see the frustrated and fuming face of Grandmaster Windu in the top observation booth as Dooku spoke of nursing the boy back to health in a bacta tank after his ¡®encounter¡¯ with the Jedi at Tatooine after attempting to buy his mother free from her slavery.

    He was carefully vague about exactly what happened on Tatooine, but made sure to insinuate at every opportunity that the Jedi had blatantly attacked the boy and his mother, leaving her scarred and injured and the boy in critical condition. That the Council had ordered his death because he dared to flee from the Jedi while realizing that they would never let him go if he asked.

    Dooku¡¯s allies of course piled on as planned, and added their own praises for Anakin and pointedly questioning the integrity of the two Jedi who had gone to Tatooine and confronted Anakin there.

    Things were going well, and the interrogation of Dooku slowly devolved into suspicion and promises of investigation of the Jedi¡¯s actions and conduct.

    It was the fifth day of questioning, and Dooku sat stoically there in the center of the Senate chamber.

    Despite it technically being his questioning, things had devolved into endless debate and arguments as they often did in this corrupt place. But Dooku could be called to answer something or give testimony at any point until they were satisfied with his answers.

    ¡°Mon Mothma from Chandrilan has the floor next,¡± Mas Ameda, Lord Sidious and Chancellor Palpatine¡¯s right hand man said as he gestured to the senator from the planet Chandrilan.

    Dooku frowned as the man stared at Dooku as the woman stood to her feet and her microphone was activated from her platform that floated into the center of the large senate chamber as she went to speak.

    Why would Lord Sidious do this? A warning perhaps to Dooku perhaps to not allow his ego to go to his head? Dooku did not dare look up to the Chancellor¡¯s balcony to meet Lord Sidious¡¯ eyes. Yes, a warning that was all. Mon Mothma would ask some hard hitting questions, she¡¯d always been more supportive of the Jedi than the rest.

    ¡°I call Count Dooku for testimony,¡± Mon Mothma said. Dooku stood as his platform floated forward opposite to the senator.

    ¡°Count Dooku. There is one point in all of this discussion that has bothered me in this whole matter so far that I do not believe has been adequately answered so far. What exactly did this Padawan Skywalker do? Is it true that he drew on the dark side of the Force and slaughtered over a hundred men in cold blood? Could he not have done the same in the ship that has been completely destroyed in his transport here to Coruscant?¡±

    Ah. The question itself. Dooku could dodge, but it would be useless. Despite his allies avoiding it so far, the whole chamber watched Dooku with interest to see what he would say.

    ¡°Thank you senator for the question.¡± he said after collecting himself for a moment, ¡°I will say¡­ that the rumors are true. He did indeed kill the mercenaries that viciously attacked him and his mother as they attempted to flee. He did draw on the dark side in a moment of need, but he¡¯s been able to control it almost completely in the time that I¡¯ve known him. Just because one draws on the dark doesn¡¯t mean they are driven mad by it. There are many records of force users using the dark side and then returning to the light after their crisis is over. I believe that this is one such case.¡±

    ¡°And the mercenaries? Did he kill them single handedly?¡±

    ¡°Yes. He was powerful, and the dark side is as powerful as one¡¯s desperation. Such was the connection to the mother who he¡¯d seen disfigured right in front of his eyes. I don¡¯t know what happened on his transport ship. But I assure you he would not attack anyone unless he was forced into it.¡±

    Dooku saw many politicians sit back and begin nodding to themselves. They could see the story that Dooku laid before them. A boy driven to desperate measures as he was relentlessly hounded by the Jedi and their pawns in the Republic. Many Senators were inclined to be irritated at the Jedi¡¯s influence over the politics of the Republic in general, so it was easy for them to accept Dooku¡¯s narrative. A narrative that was just close enough to the truth that even Dooku wasn¡¯t completely able to claim even in his own mind that it was false.

    Grandmaster Windu looked angered by the principle of Dooku¡¯s argument and barely seemed to be able to resist his hand that was drifting towards the lightsaber hung at his hip.

    ¡°You seem rather fond of the boy, Count Dooku,¡± Mon Mothma said after a moment, ¡°Why is that? I seems like you are going to rather a large amount of trouble to defend his character and actions when they aren¡¯t your own.¡±

    ¡°Should I be slandering him instead? I think that he is a boy worth defending. It saddens me that this chamber spends so much time debating his guilt instead of asking what could have driven to act as he was forced to.¡±

    Mon Mothma asked a few more questions in an effort to make Dooku contradict himself or undermine his credibility. But the large questions on everyone¡¯s mind had been addressed and Dooku was able to brush off everything that she threw at him without much effort.

    Frustrated, she sat down and nodded to Mas Amedda.

    ¡°Next to speak is the Senator from Mon Calamari. Thank you Count Dooku for your time once again.¡±

    Dooku¡¯s and Mon Mothma¡¯s platform floated back to the edges of the chamber as the winding debate continued, now refocused on the investigation into the Jedi as planned.

    One very long week later, the debate over the issue was resolved. A committee was going to be formed to plan the formation of the committee that would investigate the Jedi actions regarding Anakin Skywalker. Jedi influence was still large in the Republic, and so Dooku doubted the investigation would ever go anywhere as it was drowned in red tape and swallowed by committee after committee skirting the issue instead of addressing things head on.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Dooku was cleared of all wrongdoing and let free. In addition, Anakin Skywalker had been ordered to appear before the Senate for testimony if or when he reappeared, not remanded immediately into the care of the Jedi. It was probably the best result the boy could hope for, considering the Council¡¯s likely stance on him after this¡­

    There he went again, thinking of the boy as still alive. Perhaps an idle hope, but still something to consider.

    Dooku¡¯s private ship had been transported here to Coruscant, and after he was released by the Senate he immediately left the planet and started traveling to the outer rim. He¡¯d have to discuss the ramifications of this latest event with the rest of allies in the secretive CIS forming under the eyes and boots of the Republic.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Anakin reached up to scratch his shoulder, only to have Relira slap his hand out of the way.

    ¡°No scratching the skin grafts, Anakin,¡± she scolded as he rubbed his stinging hand, ¡°You¡¯ll make them peel again.¡±

    ¡°Ow. That hurt, Relira. Did you have to slap me so hard?¡±

    ¡°Maybe you won¡¯t do it next time then. The more you peel the more likely it is that your scars will be permanent. No one wants that.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Anakin grumbled, ¡°Can we just work on the spiderdroids already?¡±

    ¡°Sure. Here, wait it¡¯s a bit tight, let me clear it out for your chair first¡­¡±

    She went ahead and cleared a path inside of her lab, ordering the droids loitering around to move some boxes and make the cluttered path a bit wider. Anakin reached to the control on the side of his hovering chair and pressed forward and floated through the door into the lab. He coughed slightly and resisted the urge to scratch himself again. He took his inhaler and took a long puff of bacta that went down his throat and gathered in his lungs and soothed the pain.

    Anakin stopped his chair in front of her desk and tapping the control panel on the other arm of the chair lifted the chair in the air a bit so he could see what was going on the desk. Relira showed him the components that she was working on.

    ¡°It¡¯s this joint for their gripping feet,¡± Relira said in frustration, ¡°We need just a little more flexibility than these have. But no matter what I do I can¡¯t make this part any better. Any ideas.¡±

    Anakin raised the back of his chair so he was sitting straighter and could inspect the part closer. He instinctively reached out for it as Relira picked it up and put it in front of him with her hand. She snatched it away and glared at him and he guiltily lowered his arm again.

    ¡°You know what the med droids and CIS doctors said,¡± she lectured again, ¡°No sudden movements for at least two months to let the skin grafts fully set. Just two or three more weeks before you¡¯ll be able to move a little more. Those grafts on the chest are sensitive, we don¡¯t want them to fall off again. You know how worried we all were when you started suddenly bleeding everywhere.¡±

    Anakin groaned in frustration, but sat back again. He did feel bad about that. But he¡¯d felt fine and thought that he¡¯d been ready to walk around a bit for himself. He clearly had not been ready, since his skin grafts had fallen off almost immediately and caused lots of unnecessary stress for everybody.

    ¡°Fine, show me,¡± he muttered as Relira raised the part close to his face and spun it around so he could inspect it closer again.

    He blinked hard and coughed again. The bandages swaddling his head were uncomfortable and scratchy just like the rest of his body. His nose and large portions of his head had been burned, and the skin grafts there had to be held in place by the bandages swaddling his head. Luckily both his eyes and mouth was left free though, but otherwise he was completely wrapped up across his whole body. A medical droid spent over thirty minutes replacing them with fresh ones every day before he went to bed. He wished that his adaptation to damage ability worked on these¡­ But apparently it wasn¡¯t dangerous enough to him to count.

    What a pain. He hated being such an invalid, not able to do anything but float around and talk to people.

    But at least he could talk to interesting people. He thought he¡¯d go crazy otherwise.

    He inspected the component for a few minutes and thought about the problem, ¡°Does it have to be that thing that¡¯s improved? It¡¯s pretty small, wouldn¡¯t it be better to get a bigger bulkier part to improve and solve the problem that way?¡±

    ¡°No, we tried that and¡­¡±

    The two of them talked about the project and Anakin enjoyed the conversation even if he grimaced and was annoyed whenever they had to stop their flow for Relira to carefully show him something by holding it in front of his face and slowly spinning it around.

    Anakin coughed hard, building into a wracking coughing fit as he fumbled for his inhaler and took a puff of bacta again for his damaged lungs. No skin grafts for those. But enough bacta over the next year or two as well as some other medicine he was taking should help them heal back to full function.

    Relira was giving him a sad look when he recovered and put his inhaler back again.

    ¡°Sorry. What were you saying?¡± Anakin said with only a faint rasp in his voice.

    ¡°Right¡­ Right,¡± she said, ¡°I forget. Doesn¡¯t matter anyway. You¡¯ve given me plenty to think about. Anyway, you¡¯re still coming tonight to the party right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I guess. Why is everyone being so strange about it? You¡¯ve all been secretive about what exactly this party is for. Did someone complete one of their project goals again?¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll find out tomorrow,¡± Relira said, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll like it. And no, it doesn¡¯t have to do with work.¡±

    ¡°Sure. See you then I guess.¡±

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Relira walked besides Anakin through the empty hallways of the facility, only droids standing around motionless waiting for someone to ask one of them for help with something. Anakin floated in his chair, confused at how empty this place was.

    ¡°Are we late? Is everyone already there?¡± he asked in confusion.

    ¡°Yes, they¡¯re just ahead. It¡¯s in the recreation room,¡± Relira assured him.

    She went ahead and stood at the pair of double doors and knocked on them loudly and waited for a few seconds. Anakin heard some rustling and lowered voices on the other side of the door and frowned as Relira waited for a few seconds. She put her hands on the doors and then threw them open wide and revealed the room beyond.

    ¡°Happy birthday, Anakin!¡± the whole collective staff of the facility chorused all at once as the crowd gathered by the door. The wave of sound washed over him in a thrumming wave and left him blinking and stunned as everyone stared at him.

    ¡°Huh? A party for my birthday?¡± he said, ¡°Is this a local custom or something?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s something from my homeworld,¡± Relira said, ¡°It¡¯s the big one too, sixteen. On my homeworld that¡¯s when you become an adult in the big ceremony. We¡¯ve got the water horn, all the traditional treats. I thought might be fun ever since you mentioned that your birthdate was coming up.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Well¡­. Thank you,¡± Anakin said, surprisingly touched that she¡¯d gone so far to organize all of this just to him.

    He pushed at the controls of the hoverchair and moved into the room. He talked with everybody and even got to talk with some of the engineers that he didn¡¯t know as well in the whirlwind of the party.

    The night passed in a blur and Anakin found himself smiling as people came up to him and congratulated him for ¡®becoming a man¡¯. He knew it was all pretend, to have fun immersing themselves in Relira¡¯s culture, but it still felt good to have the people that he¡¯d grown to respect so much say that to him, even if partially as a joke.

    Eventually Relira stood on the table and lifted a large curved horn nearly a half meter long that was hollowed out and filled with water.

    ¡°The water horn! The giver of life!¡± she shouted, ¡°Sustaining our people, a sign of the warriors and battle, and peace and farming both! The two qualities that make a good man, a good woman, to our people. May our boy Anakin Skywalker become a man and someday represent the qualities of this waterhorn! As strong and sharp as the horn of the beast, and as nourishing as the water that is held within it, ready to be shared at the smallest nudge by another!¡±

    She ceremonially tilted the horn to the side slightly and spilled a little of the water onto a bowl that was beneath her.

    She clambered down from the table and walked forward and held it out to Anakin.

    ¡°Just drink a little,¡± she whispered as she held it up carefully to his lips. He leaned forward and she tilted the horn slightly so Anakin got a mouthful of the water inside and swallowed it. She took a step back.

    ¡°Anakin Skywalker is now a man! A real Crear¡¯erati. Nourished by the horn, so he may nourish his people in turn with his accomplishments! Not that he doesn¡¯t already have plenty to his name already! Why, ever since he¡¯s arrived here he¡¯s dived right into our work with passion and intelligence that none I¡¯ve ever seen before. I¡¯ve seen him at work. All of you have. But he¡¯s more than just a coworker. He¡¯s our friend. So let¡¯s see what embarrassing stories we can tell about him if we put our minds together! As friends do! Show our former boy, now a man, here that we know him well enough to see his embarrassing moments right next to his great accomplishments.¡±

    The whole crowd cheered as one and Anakin was stunned at Relira¡¯s speech. She turned to him and smiled as she saw him blushing slightly at all the tension and good natured laughter from the crowd around him.

    ¡°Remember the first time that we showed him this recreation room?¡± Relira said, ¡°He thought that he could beat the high scores on the festival games and game cabinets even without cheating by using his Force powers. He was frustrated for weeks, spending his free time in here doing his best to beat them. He gave up eventually because they were too hard and he could never beat them. What he never knew was that¡­ Xilrev rigged it so it was impossible for anyone but him.¡±

    She pointed to a man in the crowd who looked stunned at the accusation.

    ¡°Hey, I thought we were supposed to be doing the kid, not me!¡± he protested.

    ¡°You¡¯re part of the story, Xilrev,¡± Relira said mercilessly, ¡°Remember how much he talked up beating the high score eventually before giving up? Xilrev was cheating the whole time and we all knew it. You¡¯d had all of us beaten long ago and we just kept teasing you anyway and you just never figured it out.¡±

    ¡°What? No¡­¡±

    Anakin looked around at the crowd.

    ¡°No way¡­¡±

    ¡°Alright, kriff,¡± Xilrev said, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been changing the scores on you kid. Thought it was funny putting in you in second or third place for all of the machines. You never suspected a thing. Pffft. It was hilarious.¡±

    Anakin groaned and felt embarrassed as everyone laughed at him. But it wasn¡¯t mean spirited, and he smiled a little as another man he was close with stepped forward.

    ¡°I remember one time I handed Anakin a high stack of sensitive components. He was so sure that he could carry them on his own. ¡®Oh, It¡¯ll be fine¡¯ he said as the boxes stacked up above his head. Wanted to do it to help out rather than just having one of the droids do it for him.¡±

    The man held out his arms and mimicked the wavering tower of boxes.

    ¡°Sure enough, after a few steps, he trips and everything goes spilling everywhere all over the floor. He just had a droid do it the next time! You¡¯d think he was handling the bombs when I ask him to carry even a basic sensor now, he¡¯s so careful. I¡¯m sure that even you lot handling the bombs don¡¯t even handle them as carefully as Anakin here does. Even the most harmless boxes, he¡¯s so scared of dropping it again!¡±

    Anakin blushed as everyone laughed again. The more ritualistic atmosphere faded away and Relira replaced the water horn on its special stand holding it vertical above the table. She started breaking out the alcohol and other drugs that were passed around. Unfortunately Anakin didn¡¯t get to try any due to all the medication that he was taking, but he was still the center of the increasingly drunk and incoherent party going on. There was a table set out with food, and Relira insisted on feeding him little bites with a spoon of the dishes she and a few other people from her planet had made. It was a little embarrassing, but no one commented on it so Anakin ignored it and just went with the flow. Normally he ate in his room as a droid fed him, but it felt different when it was a human doing it to him versus just a droid¡­

    The party felt¡­ Nice. No one had ever thrown a party for him like this before. Even his mother had only done little things with just the two of them, not with friends like this. Well, she hadn¡¯t really been able to host anyone what with them being slaves back then¡­

    Someone else asked Anakin something and the brief dip in his mood perked back up and he answered the woman¡¯s question.

    He talked for what felt like forever, and as it grew late the party started to slowly clear out as people went back to sleep or split off to go elsewhere for smaller ¡®afterparties¡¯.

    Relira was standing over by the water horn protectively. She¡¯d had multiple drinks and looked unsteady on her feet. Anakin had seen her take what looked like some kind of drug that made her relaxed so she looked like she¡¯d collapse into a puddle as she leaned against the table.

    ¡°No one¡­ touch the horn,¡± she said blearily as a few people came by, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ No spilling its water. Bad luck for whoever does it. Bad. Except for the ceremony. Then it¡¯s good luck and stuffffffff.¡±

    The room was looking mostly empty, only a few people left scattered around the room looking tired and about to head out.

    Anakin floated his chair over to Relira who turned and blinked at him dumbly through her drunkenness.

    ¡°Thanks for the party, Relira,¡± Anakin said sincerely, ¡°It was amazing.¡±

    ¡°Iiiiisssss¡­ No trouble,¡± Relira muttered, ¡°Yooou, deserve it Anakin. You work so hard, you do your best, and you have this happen to you. Why did the Republic do this to you? You should be out there being a boy, not cooped up in heeeere with usss, scared of them. Hiding all the time so they won¡¯t catch you again. Our droids¡­ They¡¯ll make them see us. See¡­ all of us. The CIS will be different from the Republic, I just know it¡­ Count Dooku will lead them right once we¡¯re free from thhhhee corrupt Republic. Everything will be better for us out here on the Outer rim once the CIS finally forms for real¡­¡±

    ¡°Relira, you¡¯re drunk.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Iiiii guess I am,¡± Relira said as she teetered to her feet and started drinking some water, ¡°Thanks. I¡¯m gonnnna go to bed now. Congratulations on¡­ being a man now and all. G¡¯night. See you tomorrow.¡±

    Relira stumbled off and out of the door, blinking heavily and wavering from side to side as she left the room leaving only Anakin and a few others. Anakin reached to his side and took another quick puff of bacta through his inhaler before putting it down again.

    He didn¡¯t know. Maybe the CIS could really change things, make them better for everybody. Better than they were under the Republic. Or maybe not. Maybe they¡¯d be just the same except with another group of planets under their control. He really didn¡¯t know.

    But Relira and the others here really believed in the CIS and their mission. And despite his caution, Anakin found himself wanting to hope in it too. A CIS that could lead them all into a brighter future someday¡­

 Chapter 13: Confined

    ¡°Ani! How¡¯s your work been going? Still having fun?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mom. It¡¯s been good. Relira and the others had a¡­ birthday party¡­ for me. It was fun. It was according to the traditions on her world, so I had to drink from a hollowed out horn and try some special food that she made. I¡¯m sure you would have loved it.¡±

    ¡°That sounds wonderful. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re fitting in there¡­¡± Shmi¡¯s face fell slightly as she trailed off.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about all of this,¡± Anakin said as he shifted in his hovering chair, ¡°I know you two were enjoying being traders in the galaxy. But the Republic would be after you if you were out in public. Just like me¡­¡±

    ¡°No, no it¡¯s fine,¡± she insisted, ¡°It¡¯s not that. Well, sitting here in this isolated safehouse most of the time isn¡¯t the most fun but I don¡¯t mind it all too much. I just wish that we didn¡¯t have to be separate all the time. Are you sure we can¡¯t go live there at that secret base with you?¡±

    ¡°Count Dooku said no when I asked,¡± Anakin said, ¡°I can come visit more often though if you want? I¡¯m sure no one will mind if I take a month or something off to come stay with you. I haven¡¯t stayed more than a few days at a time over the last year, so it should be longer.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure that would be alright? I don¡¯t want to interrupt your important work. Or keep you from your friends. I know how much you¡¯ve been enjoying it even with¡­ Everything. Will you get the right care if you stay with us too long?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± Anakin said, ¡°You have the med droid here so I¡¯ll be fine. The skin grafts have set now, so no more bandages to change anymore. The doctors said that in only a week or two more I should be able to walk around normally without risking any of them bursting open again. Are you sure that you don¡¯t want them to look at you again?¡±

    Shmi raised a hand to the burned side of her face, the slightly warped and scarred skin moving down her neck and onto her shoulder where it disappeared beneath her breezy shirt.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Ani,¡± she said, ¡°It¡¯s only cosmetic. I¡¯ve gotten used to it by now. The basic graft Slarena and I bought after what happened restored everything back to perfect function. No real reason to change it out now.¡±

    ¡°But don¡¯t you want to get rid of it? Even if it doesn¡¯t hurt or feel tight anymore? It¡¯s my fault it happened...¡±

    A short pause as Shmi looked thoughtful, ¡°No. I¡¯m sorry, Ani. It¡¯s not your fault. But I do like it. I feel like¡­ A new me. People won¡¯t be able to ignore me and let me fade into the background like I always used to. Does that make sense? It sounds so selfish when I say it out loud like that.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ If it¡¯s what you want I guess it makes sense,¡± Anakin said reluctantly, ¡°But if you want it the doctors can work on you too. It wouldn¡¯t be any trouble. How¡¯s Slarena doing by the way? Is she around?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ She¡¯s feeling a little cooped up,¡± Shmi said, ¡°You know how much of a wanderer she is. But the two of us have gone hunting, so that¡¯s helped a little. Slarena really likes it, even if it is a little¡­ Well, if it makes her happy. And gives us something to eat besides those standard rations.¡±

    Anakin sat up in his chair before he felt the long skin graft running along his chest tighten at the sudden motion. He slowly sat back, worried that he¡¯d damage it at the last moment and have to have it replaced again.

    ¡°Is that safe?¡± he asked, ¡°What about the beasts? What if something ambushed you out there?¡±

    ¡°Calm down there, Annniii,¡± Slarena said from the door, letting the last word come out in a drawl.

    ¡°Slarena!¡± Shmi said, ¡°I thought you¡¯d never come up. What took you so long?¡±

    ¡°Somebody forgot to give me a warning,¡± Slarena said and mock glared at Shmi before Slarena reached up and ran her hands along her lekku on her head.

    ¡°I was just freshening up. My lekku were a bit dirty. So, Ani. Worried about us hunting? Your mother and me, we¡¯re real tough. You should have seen her fighting at that bar on Trelan Six¡­¡±

    Anakin turned to his mom to see her blushing slightly.

    ¡°Well, that was¡­ That man hit you first! And was being a pervert! He deserved it!¡±

    ¡°Hey, not saying he didn¡¯t,¡± Slarena said with a satisfied tone, ¡°Still satisfied to watch you humble him like that. She just stepped up and BAM! One hit on the nose and he fell right to the floor, out cold. His buddies came after us, and your mother held her own as we beat them up together.¡±

    Anakin looked at his mom with a surprised look and she looked away embarrassed, ¡°Slarena was taking on four of them at the same time while I struggled to take out just one¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, but you still took him out, as well as that first guy in the beginning,¡± Slarena said, ¡°I was so proud, all my training toughened you up girl! She did great at her first real barroom brawl!¡±

    Shmi looked up and Anakin could see that while she was embarrassed, she was also a little proud of what she¡¯d done.

    ¡°See? Your mom¡¯s pretty tough herself,¡± Slarena said, ¡°We¡¯ve been fine hunting. Not even a scratch on us. Better than sitting around here doing nothing. Plus we took those fancy droids of yours with us. Those things are freaky¡­¡±

    Anakin relaxed, ¡°Oh, why didn¡¯t you just say that? I got some help from the whole work team designing those five. Dooku himself funded them even though they were so expensive as a test for the more advanced designs. They¡¯d keep you safe from anything out there.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Slarena grumbled, ¡°Kriffing droids, always so competent, sneaking around the forest and then scaring away our prey at the worst moment by talking at just the wrong moment¡­¡±

    ¡°I can fix that if you¡¯d like?¡± Anakin said hopefully, ¡°I could work on their programming and figure out something to make them keep quieter on the hunts?¡±

    ¡°Oh. That would be nice I guess. Aren¡¯t you only here for two or three days though? Will you have enough time? I remember last time one of them was scattered into little bits when you had to leave halfway through working on him.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m going to call it in soon. But I¡¯m going to stay a whole month this time I think. Spend some more time with you two.¡±

    ¡°Great!¡± Slarena said, ¡°I¡¯ll have to tell you some more embarrassing stories about Shmi. I¡¯ve been saving them up.¡±

    ¡°Slarena, don¡¯t you dare,¡± Mom said in a joking tone.

    ¡°Bwa ha ha! Watch me!¡±

    The next month was relaxing, and Anakin realized that he should have done this earlier. He hadn¡¯t thought about how much he¡¯d been throwing himself into the droid work recently. He just didn¡¯t like being treated like an invalid all the time.

    He was relieved after the second week when he could officially be done with the hover chair on his own. His mom still scolded him when he walked around too fast or made any sudden motions. But he could do everything for himself again and didn¡¯t have to be so helpless anymore. Slarena and Mom told him some more stories of their time as traders, more than they¡¯d ever told him before.

    Anakin was glad that the two of them had become such great friends. Slarena seemed less bitter and depressed than when Anakin had first met her over two years ago. Her taunts and teasing were genuine and more relaxed versus having the sharper edge that they¡¯d used to have. And Mom seemed more confident and sure of herself than she used to be. Slarena seemed proud of her ¡®pupil¡¯ getting in fights and standing up to herself when somebody tried scamming them.

    He fixed the chattiness of their droid guards. It seems that certain priority orders had been ignoring the volume restrictions, which Anakin fixed. Now the droids should whisper to Slarena and mom on the hunts unless it was something truly dangerous like an active attack or something at the highest priority level in their systems.

    Anakin hugged mom as he stood at the door to the safehouse, and she wrapped her arms gingerly around him, careful to not touch his skin grafts.

    ¡°Have fun designing some more droids, Ani,¡± she said before kissing him on the forehead and releasing him.

    Slarena reached over and carefully hugged him too before mussing up his hair. Anakin went to grab her dangling lekku to tug them in retaliation, but she twitched it out of the way of his reached hand and laughed as she stepped back.

    ¡°Nice try, Ani. Maybe next time.¡±

    Anakin grumbled and reached up and smoothed down his hair again.

    ¡°It¡¯s been fun having you here, kid,¡± Slarena said, ¡°Hopefully next time we see you you¡¯ll be back to 100%.¡±

    ¡°Hopefully,¡± Anakin agreed, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be much longer now.¡±

    He reached to his belt and took a puff of his bacta inhaler as he felt a slight scratchiness in his throat.

    ¡°I¡¯m just happy I didn¡¯t have to get any cybernetics,¡± Anakin said, ¡°Just some time and bacta now and I¡¯ll be back to normal eventually.¡±

    ¡°Well make sure to listen to your doctors, Ani. They know best,¡± Mom said.

    ¡°I will mom. Bye now.¡±

    ¡°See you soon, Ani.¡±

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Anakin stared at himself in the mirror of the bathroom, having just stepped out of the shower. He put his hand on his hip and slowly ran a finger up his body where the lightsaber had left the burning slash into his skin. Each slash of the blade by the Jedi master after each leaving their mark, even if it was shallower each time.

    Radiation from floating in deep space for minutes completely unprotected after the ship had self destructed. Several broken bones and other bruises from the pressure wave from the blast. Choking nearly to death before his body adapted¡­ Channeling the dark side in his cell, something that made all the other damage that he took even worse and more dangerous.

    Anakin¡¯s finger finished up as his shoulder as he thought about all of his injuries that he¡¯d arrived with. He¡¯d been in critical condition for nearly a month before recovering. Only two months for him to heal enough that he wasn¡¯t in any danger anymore. All that had been left behind were the scars and burns that had been left behind and allowed to heal while they focused on saving his life.

    Now, nearly six months after he¡¯d arrived here on death¡¯s door, it was like nothing had ever happened. Or close to it.

    Morbidly curious, Anakin leaned into the mirror and inspected the tip of his nose that had been a burned and disfigured mess in the beginning. He prodded it and moved it slightly in his inspection. He could see the faint line of fractionally lighter colored skin, the edges of where the skin graft had been placed on him. A border so subtle and well disguised that most people would have difficulty in spotting or even noticing it even if they tried.

    Anakin looked back down at his chest and the faint network of lines on his body that he could still see no matter how good his doctors¡¯ work was. They told him that in a few more months that even those would fade away as his skin fully regrew itself now that the cells underneath were fully repaired.

    He took a deep breath and reached for his towel, and put it out of his mind. Relira was almost done with her latest improvements on the spider droid, and Anakin couldn¡¯t wait to see it in action finally after working with her on it for so long along with the other projects.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Anakin sat in his personal ship, GR-32 standing behind him.

    ¡°Hey, GR-32. Ship all maintained properly?¡± Anakin asked as he started flicking some switches and turning on the engines.

    ¡°Yes, Anakin,¡± the droid said and its arm with all of the tools whirred as they calibrated softly, ¡°This ship is maintained and kept in pristine condition ever since your last departure.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, GR-32. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Anakin¡¯s ship was small, only enough capacity for five or ten people inside of it in the cargo hold in addition to the basic supplies it carried. But it was hyperdrive capable, and it was his. He¡¯d bought it, and after getting Count Dooku¡¯s approval had parked it inside of this natural cave on the surface of the planet. One of the pilots from the base had come with him on a shuttle and dropped him off near his ship so he could fly it for his next visit to Mom and Slarena.

    GR-32 and two of the newly named commando droids had been here repairing the ship respectively. The commando droid project had been coming along well, and Count Dooku seemed satisfied with their project, enough that they¡¯d even been given some extra funding to build more to test their ideas. It was an actual project with a dedicated team of engineers rather than something Anakin was doing on his own to protect his mom and Slarena like it had been with the original five droids.

    The two newest more refined commando droids had a large vibro blade that they had sheathed on their back as well as nimble movement. They were far stealthier than one would think they would be, and while heavier than Anakin would like them to be, they still moved fairly lightly on their feet as they crept around.

    Anakin¡¯s focus on making sure that they wouldn¡¯t disturb Slarena¡¯s hunts seemed to be useful in combat too, given Dooku¡¯s interest in their capabilities.

    They were smart¡­ For a droid. Still not the best without clear orders. But Anakin was able to tell them to hide and guard the ship and they figured out themselves to lie flat on top of the ship and face the cave entrance to guard it. That way they wouldn¡¯t be seen if someone came inside and have good firing angles if it came to combat.

    Anakin had been very impressed by it, somebody else had worked on their droid brains so it was the first time he¡¯d seen it all in action for real when he¡¯d first taken the two of them out here.

    Speaking of¡­

    The two commando droids walked in the back ramp and with the press of a button closed the back hatch again. The two droids stepped so their backs were pressed against the walls of the ship and were holding their heavy blaster rifles at ease in front of them, their barrels pointed towards the floor.

    ¡°Area secure sir,¡± the droid on the right said, ¡°Ready for takeoff.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, you two,¡± Anakin replied, ¡°Here I go.¡±

    He flipped the last switch and with a loud rumble the ship lifted off of the ground slightly and Anakin started carefully maneuvering it out of the cave. Once he was in open air, he flew up and quickly out of the atmosphere. He¡¯d only be visiting Shmi and Slarena for a week this time, but he was looking forward to showing them how much he¡¯d healed since he¡¯d last seen them. He¡¯d actually be able to spend time with them without Mom treating him like brittle glass whenever she hugged him.

    He left the planet¡¯s atmosphere and once he was far enough, activated the hyperdrive after setting the course. The ship rumbled before the stars streaked around them and they were surrounded in the bright blue of hyperspace.

    Now he just had roughly three hours to kill before he arrived. He sat cross legged in the pilot¡¯s chair, and started meditating and drawing on the Force.

    He hadn¡¯t been doing that as much as he probably should have been. But he still made an effort to practice using the Force and meditating whenever he was free. It helped him calm down and he knew every bit that he channeled would give him another potentially game changing ability from Draeth just that bit sooner.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Anakin had a sinking feeling in his gut as he landed his ship on the landing pad. The door to the safehouse was hanging off of its hinges, and there were scorch marks from blasters ringing the concrete floor outside.

    The large communications dish that should have been on top of the building looked intact, oddly undamaged unlike the rest of the building.

    Anakin landed and suddenly realized that he didn¡¯t have a blaster on himself. He turned to the two commando droids standing still behind him with their military grade blasters and large blades on their backs.

    ¡°You, give me your blade,¡± Anakin said, and the droid unsheathed the large blade and handed it to Anakin. It had a button on the handle that would make it vibrate at high speed and increase it¡¯s cutting power. Not quite a lightsaber, but good enough¡­

    The back ramp to the ship came fully down onto the landing platform.

    ¡°Commando droids, go search that building,¡± Anakin said, ¡°Possible enemy contact. Look for clues on what might have happened.¡±

    ¡°Roger roger,¡± the two droids said as they raised their rifles and moved out and went into the building with Anakin close behind them.

    ¡°See if there¡¯s anyone else here,¡± Anakin said after they walked inside, his heart in his throat as he saw the trashed room inside, chairs knocked over and the furniture smashed to splinters.

    ¡°Roger roger.¡±

    The two droids split off and turned to the side to sweep the building as Anakin hesitated to where he knew Slarena and Mom¡¯s rooms were on the second floor.

    He slowed down and activated his vibro-blade, making it hum in his hand as he reached the top of the stairs and slowly walked forward carefully.

    The doors to the rooms were kicked in, and the things inside were in a mess and smashed to pieces. There was no one there. The second floor was empty. Anakin let out a long breath, before a rising panic started rising in him.

    He went back downstairs only to see on of the commando droids standing there at the base of the stairs and turn its head when he came into view.

    ¡°This unit has found a device, sir. It is playing a prerecorded holographic message. The inhabitants have been kidnapped by the forces of Jabba the Hutt and are inside of his Tatooine palace. The message is demanding your appearance before them within one day on Tatooine or the hostages will be killed. It activated some sort of signal when disturbed that connected to the main communications disk and sent a signal out of atmosphere. The other unit under your command is attempting to discover any other communications to and from this facility that occurred since it was attacked. We have also found the destroyed remains of the units stationed for the defense of this site.¡±

    Anakin clenched his hand tightly around the vibro blade as the droid delivered the information in a matter of a face tone. Jabba¡­ Tatooine was too far away. If he left right now he¡¯d arrive there with only two or three hours to spare.

    Should he go back to base and alert the CIS and Dooku? Anakin was sure that they could help him, with their resources. But what if they moved too slowly? And if he went to the base then he wouldn¡¯t be able to make it to Tatooine in time. He wouldn¡¯t be there in time if the CIS and Dooku didn¡¯t stop it.

    No, he had to go. But¡­

    Anakin turned to the commando droid.

    ¡°Show me to the communications room. I need to see if we can send a message.¡±

    ¡°Roger roger.¡±

    Anakin walked into the communications room and saw that the other commando droid was tapping at the screens and investigating.

    ¡°Communications history is wiped after the latest message was sent sir,¡± the droid inside said, ¡°Working on recovering any remaining logs.¡±

    ¡°Leave that alone for now,¡± Anakin said, ¡°Both of you, you have a new mission. You are both to work on sending a secure message to either Count Dooku personally or someone else who¡¯s a high ranking member of the CIS. Include Jabba¡¯s message, and tell them that ¡®Anakin¡¯s gone to Tatooine¡¯. After that return to the investigation and send what you learn along to the CIS as well. Do you understand? Repeat it back to me. ¡±

    The two droids repeated back and understood their orders.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving with the ship,¡± Anakin said, ¡°Get to work.¡±

    ¡°Roger roger.¡±

    Both droids leaned over the console and started working as the commando droid that Anakin had arrived with handed the device holding the message to the other one as they started transferring the message and encrypting it.

    Anakin still held the vibro blade as he rushed back and ran into his ship. He paused as he saw GR-32 still standing inside.

    ¡°GR-32, go inside that building and help those two commando droids with whatever they need,¡± Anakin said, ¡°I¡¯ll be taking off soon and you¡¯ll be better use here than with me.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. Right on it.¡±

    The droid left the ship and started walking into the building as Anakin jumped into the pilot¡¯s chair in a sudden sense of urgency.

    The ship lifted off of the ground even before the back hatch finished closing. Anakin set the course to Tatooine, and as soon as he could jumped to hyperspace. Based on his calculations, he should have two hours to spare when he arrived at the planet. Practically nothing. But what else could he do?

    Halfway through the journey, Anakin¡¯s stress grew to such a point that he felt the temptation of the dark side just for something to vent his frustrations with. But with a decisive flex of his mind shield, he cut down on that train of thought. What if they were hurt? Or worse? He shouldn¡¯t have left them alone again, even if he¡¯d thought that they were safe.

    There was only an hour left in the journey through hyperspace and Anakin felt wound up like a tightly compressed spring. Ready to burst at the slightest trigger.

    ¡°Hey-¡±

    Anakin screamed and jumped as a voice sounded behind him and slashed out with his vibroblade in his hand that slashed through the sudden intruder. The intruder that only rose to Anakin¡¯s knees¡­

    ¡°Thanks for that,¡± Draeth said drily as his blue tentacles waved around him and his singular large eye focused on Anakin, ¡°Nice to see you again too.¡±

    ¡°Kriff, Draeth! Don¡¯t do that. You¡¯re¡­ much bigger than before.¡±

    ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m a construct of mind. Hallucination, you choose. I can be as big as I want to be. Why are you drawing on the dark side again? Are we in trouble? I had to wake myself up early from my nap for this. I¡¯ll have to sleep for at least a year now because I interrupted my original rest. So this better be good.¡±

    Anakin quickly explained the situation, hopeful that Draeth had anything that could help.

    ¡°Okay. Cool. Look, I don¡¯t have much time here before I fall back asleep. Do you consent for me to give you a new ability? It should help you.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I consent.¡±

    ¡°Okay, here I go. You have just barely enough energy for it, best of luck on saving those hostages that you care about.¡±

    Anakin stumbled to the side and dropped the vibroblade that he luckily hadn¡¯t activated as a wave of pain washed through him as Draeth gave him another ability.

    He managed to curl up on the ground before the pain grew so intense that he passed out.

    When Anakin woke up, something was different that he couldn¡¯t put his finger on. It was like he could feel something new, a new sense, but that it was returning nothing to his brain.

    The ship rumbled after a few minutes and exited hyperspace as Anakin puzzled over what this new ability could be. Had it not worked properly? Draeth had something about him exiting his sleep early to help Anakin, but he hoped that he wasn¡¯t stuck with a dud of an ability when he needed it most.

    But there was no more time. Anakin was waiting up in orbit, but he had to get to Jabba¡¯s palace before time was up. He had roughly an hour and a half before he had to land to reach the deadline.

    Anakin winced as he took out two particular devices from a compartment beneath his feet under the chair. This was going to hurt¡­

    He took out the shock prod and holding it on one hand put it on the lowest setting. He placed the contacts against his other arm and grit his teeth as he activated it.

    His body spasmed slightly and he struggled to stay still as the electricity pulsed through him painfully. But after a few seconds the pain faded and left him only slightly sore. Anakin stopped and adjusted the voltage to be more intense before shocking himself again.

    Over and over he shocked himself again until he could take the full force of the high powered shock prod with only a slight tingling running over his body. He was now practically immune to electric shocks using his adaptation ability.

    Next Anakin took out the blowtorch and pulled up his shirt to expose his bare stomach. Any burns had to be a place where Jabba wouldn¡¯t see and get suspicious¡­ Anakin turned on the blowtorch and carefully tilted it until the hot flame was right above his skin as he held his shirt up and out of the way with his free hand. His skin reddened slightly and grew uncomfortably hot as Anakin held the roaring flame several centimeters away from it. The slight pain slowly faded and Anakin brought the flame closer until the discomfort returned again. Like this he slowly brought the flame closer until it was pressed right up against his skin and splashing off of him without causing any more damage.

    That should be good enough. Paired with his dispersion ability, he should be able to tank blaster fire from Jabba¡¯s men as well as immune to any stun cuffs or collars they tried to put him in.

    That was all that he could do for now without anything hotter available to increase his resistance with. The whole process had barely taken thirty minutes in total to finish. The only evidence that it¡¯d happened was a large reddish patch of what looked like sunburned skin on his stomach. Anakin let his shirt fall back into place and the patch was covered up again.

    He took a few minutes to use his sensors to get a visual of the palace on the edges of Mos Espa, and hesitated for a moment before charting a landing course to land at one of the landing pads around the castle. What was he doing? He was being an idiot, he should just wait for Dooku and CIS to come help him¡­

    But he also couldn¡¯t take the chance that Jabba carried out his threat. Mom and Slarena were the two people he probably cared for most in the whole galaxy. He couldn¡¯t live with himself if they died. He¡¯d fall to the dark side and become a monster without them.

    Anakin confirmed the course and started flying his ship down towards the large circular building and towers placed amidst the sand dunes.

    ¡°Unknown ship, you are approaching the palace of the great and regal Jabba the Hutt,¡± a voice said over the comms after Anakin accepted the request, ¡°State your purpose.¡±

    ¡°Anakin Skywalker, here for the hostages,¡± Anakin said shortly.

    There was a short pause, ¡°Very good. Do not resist our commands or the hostages will suffer for it.¡±

    Anakin landed in front of Jabba¡¯s palace and there was a team of eight men standing outside, looking extremely nervous as they stood in front of Anakin¡¯s ship. Anakin went outside, leaving his vibroblade inside. He had to play along now to make sure that Slarena and Mom were okay. He wasn¡¯t worried about himself, now that his resistance was built up. But Mom and Slarena didn¡¯t have the same protections. All he had to do was make sure that they stayed safe until Dooku and the CIS came and saved them¡­

    Anakin stopped a few meters away from the mercenaries who had beads of sweat on their brows. One in particular looked like he was shaking in his boots. Anakin looked at him and squinted as the man looked like he only barely preventing himself from fleeing into the open desert by sheer force of will.

    He finally recognized the man vaguely, ¡°You were one of the mercenaries who ran away. When I¡­ In Mos Espa two years ago.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ Yes, sir,¡± the mercenary squeaked, ¡°I don¡¯t got nothing to do with this, I swear¡­ They don¡¯t tell me nothing¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up, slime!¡± one of the other man shouted, even if his hands were trembling too on his blaster, ¡°You- Uh, put these on. Sky-skywalker.¡±

    He reached behind himself and took out a pair of shock cuffs like what Anakin had worn on the Republic ship. Anakin just held out his arms and let himself be cuffed by the man silently.

    The whole group relaxed, even if they still shot Anakin glances and all looked rather fearful as they led him away and into the palace itself.

    Anakin smiled slightly as he realized what the new ability from Draeth was. All around him he could sense little pricks of life. Only a small radius around him right now, but upon focusing on the sensation he felt it billow out of him and increase in size so he felt people moving through the doors of the Palace just inside. Detecting life for dozens of meters in every direction around him all at once. With this he¡¯d be able to find Mom and Slarena, if he could find somewhere where he thought the prisoners might be being kept¡­

    After a moment of pushing himself, he started breathing heavier from exertion and let his sensing range fall back to the immediate area around him. He shouldn¡¯t exhaust himself until he had a better sense of an actual plan to get them out first.

    Once they were inside the building itself, the small group practically threw Anakin over to another group of much healthier and well groomed looking mercenaries. Anakin eyed their military style blaster rifles as they surrounded Anakin and brought him deeper into the palace.

    Along the walls stood green Gamorreans with their jutting teeth like tusks and flat noses. Instead of being armed with blasters, they were all armed with medieval weapons like hand axes and swords. A contrast with the high powered weaponry of the assorted mercenaries around Anakin and escorting him deeper into the palace without another word.

    Anakin finally arrived in the room where Jabba sat there eying him as he entered. His massive slug like body sat there lounging along a raised platform as a frightened and nervous looking Twi¡¯lek woman who was barely dressed in revealing clothes with manacles around her wrists and a collar around her neck. She was feeding Jabba expensive looking fruits from a large silver tray with her hands as the Hutt sat there with his mouth open, only stopping to chew.

    Surrounding Jabba on the platform was a muttering crowd of observers of various species, inspecting Anakin warily as he was led inside by the mercenaries. The mercenaries led Anakin on top of what looked like a large metal grate with holes in it that led down into a dark pit that dropped into what looked like a sandy pit of some kind below.

    The rest of the mercenaries retreated to surround the metal grate, flanking it on all sides as Anakin stood there with his shock cuffs around his wrists. Anakin squinted at Jabba, and was surprised to see a barely visible force field separating him from the Hutt who sat there watching him even as he grotesquely chewed on another fruit that was fed to him. After nearly a full minute of the staring contest, Jabba waved his hand dismissively and the Twi¡¯lek slave hurriedly bowed to him and walked away, her chains clinking as she walked away as fast as she could without running.

    Anakin tried to hold back his anger, but based on Jabba¡¯s change in expression he wasn¡¯t completely successful.

    Jabba waved his hand again as his sharp gaze returned to Anakin and a protocol droid puttered forward and stood next to the massive Hutt. The rest of Jabba¡¯s muttering court went silent as Jabba said something to it in Huttesse before turning back to Anakin expectantly to watch his reaction.

    ¡°The great and noble Jabba,¡± the droid translated with a gesture to the Hutt with its stiff and barely mobile arm, ¡°Bodes you welcome to his palace, Skywalker. He assures you that your loved ones have not been harmed and have been treated as honored guests.¡±

    Anakin¡¯s anger slackened slightly as he became slightly confused. Huh? Jabba wasn¡¯t going to threaten him some more¡­?

    Jabba laughed at Anakin¡¯s reaction before saying something lazily to the droid in Huttesse again.

    ¡°Lord Jabba is amused by your inexperience, Skywalker,¡± the droid said, ¡°He will not mistreat them until you force him to do so.¡±

    Anakin clenched his fists as he understood Jabba¡¯s meaning. So it was threats¡­ But they weren¡¯t harmed yet.

    ¡°I want to see them,¡± he demanded, ¡°Make sure that you¡¯re telling the truth.¡±

    Jabba said something sharp to the droid and the droid nodded.

    ¡°Lord Jabba demands respect in his own palace. You are already captured, you have no leverage to make any kinds of demands. Jabba told you this for his own amusement, nothing more.¡±

    Anakin¡¯s thoughts raced as he felt his anger rise again, and this time the Force responded. The dark side reached out to him, asking a question as he stood there. Anakin let a little of it seep into him even as he tugged on his mind shield to keep himself under control. It was only a little amount of the dark, not at the critical mass where he couldn¡¯t control it yet.

    ¡°Jabba,¡± Anakin said, ¡°You saw what I did before. If they are dead, then I will do it again. I will draw on the dark side like I did before, and when I do¡­¡±

    Anakin took a half step forward and everyone in the court except for Jabba flinched, ¡°No shield will stop me from killing everybody in this palace guilty or innocent, starting with you. Without them¡­ It might be worth going insane forever for the chance to destroy you and this kriffing palace.¡±

    Jabba eyed Anakin warily for a moment before Anakin flexed on his mind shield harder and suppressed the Dark side flowing through him. It struggled to grow, to balloon into a well of infinite rage and madness, but Anakin easily crushed it under the weight of his mind shield. With one final flex, Anakin crushed it once and for all and his mind was completely clear once again.

    Jabba huffed and barked something at the droid and waved to the side while not letting his eyes leave as Anakin stood there unmoving, meeting the Hutt¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°Lord Jabba graciously concedes the point,¡± the protocol droid said, ¡°Bring out the hostages!¡±

    A side door opened and both Slarena and Mom were led out with bulky collars around their necks. Slarena looked like she might have a panic attack as she stood there trying to prevent herself from hyperventilating while Mom was holding her hand and whispering to her softly. Both women stiffened and looked shocked when they saw Anakin standing there in shock cuffs in front of Jabba.

    ¡°Ani! Ani, just go!¡± Mom called out and took a step forward, but a mercenary stepped in her way and lightly pushed her back. Slarena snarled and went to step up in front of Mom, but the protocol droid spoke first.

    ¡°Enough! Lord Jabba does not tolerate such squabbling in his own chambers!¡±

    Slarena hesitated, looking like she almost still might punch the offending mercenary before stepping back again and looking around suspiciously like she¡¯d claw at anyone who drew close to them.

    The mercenary stoically stood to the side where he had been before.

    Jabba spoke to the protocol droid again.

    ¡°As you can see, Skywalker, the two of them are undamaged and as spirited as ever. And they will remain that way if you cooperate.¡±

    Jabba waved his hand again and Slarena and Mom were led back out through the side door, both of the women shooting Anakin long looks and lingering at the doorway to look at him before they were grabbed by the arms and pushed forward when they stopped by the mercenaries escorting them.

    Anakin turned back, ¡°Fine. As long as they¡¯re safe. What do you want? I have powerful people that know that I¡¯m here. They won¡¯t stand for this.¡±

    Jabba spoke to the droid.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± the droid said, ¡°The mighty Jabba is eager to meet this mysterious backer for himself, then. We will see if they have deeper pockets than the Republic does.¡±

    Anakin didn¡¯t answer. After a moment of studying him, Jabba waved his hand dismissively and said something else in Huttesse.

    ¡°Take him away,¡± the droid translated, ¡°To the dungeons.¡±

    Anakin was led away and downwards by the mercenaries and he didn¡¯t resist as they did so. He spread what he had been mentally calling his life sense as wide as he could as he walked until he started growing exhausted by the effort. But he could feel a few places in the palace that had lots of relatively still forms. That¡¯s where Jabba must keep his slaves or other prisoners.

    Anakin was brought down a stairwell leading down past plenty of dingy cells that looked like they hadn¡¯t been cleaned in years and filled with the occasional squalid prisoner. Past them all was a heavy door at the end that was opened as Anakin went forward. This room was completely spotless and much larger than the others.

    He was led to the center of the room as the stun cuffs remained around his wrists. The mercenaries stepped back and Anakin felt himself lifting off the ground and heard a loud hum from all around of him. He floated a meter or two off of the ground before stopping and feeling the force field lifting and keeping him locked in place in the air.

    Next a physical purplish shield flickered into place in a large cylinder going to the ceiling, isolating him from the rest of the room. Anakin considered escaping. He probably could just using the light side of the Force. He was practically immune to blaster shots and the electricity both right now, but he might not be if he waited too long.

    But Mom and Slarena had to stay safe. And his escape might risk that. He¡¯d just have to hope that the CIS and Dooku thought he was valuable enough to rescue him and his family from Jabba.

    He really hoped that they came for him.

    He was sure that they would.

    Probably.

 Chapter 14: The Ransom

    ¡°And as a collection of like minded individuals, we could help your world in many ways and provide many benefits that-¡±

    Count Dooku¡¯s personal communicator buzzed and he frowned and stopped speaking as he felt it buzz. It should only activate for priority messages, he¡¯d muted it for this important meeting.

    ¡°Apologies, I must take this,¡± he said and bowed to the king of the most recent planet that he was working on swaying to the Separatist cause, ¡°Please forgive the interruption.¡±

    ¡°Of course, of course,¡± the King said amiably, ¡°Matters of state are always such a bother. I quite understand.¡±

    Dooku walked a short distance away before taking out his communicator and pressing the button on the front.

    ¡°Sir, urgent news,¡± the man on the small hologram on the hand sized communicator said, ¡°We¡¯ve received a message from one of the safehouses. It¡¯s about our talented young droid engineer. Jabba the Hutt has kidnapped his mother and her friend and brought her to Tatooine. What are your orders?¡±

    Dooku stiffened and glanced around to verify again that no one was around to listen in.

    ¡°Investigate the situation carefully. I will be there shortly to deal with this situation myself. Secrecy must be maintained at all costs, is that understood?¡±

    ¡°Understood, sir. I¡¯ll be right on it.¡±

    Dooku ended the call and turned back around and went back to the king. This planet was another piece of the puzzle, but it wasn¡¯t a vital effort. He could afford some rudeness for something of this magnitude.

    ¡°Apologies, King,¡± Dooku said with a slight bow, ¡°But I must beg my leave until another time. I have a rather urgent matter on my homeworld of Serreno that has come to my attention. Thank you for your time and hospitality, and I hope to visit again.¡±

    The King eyed Dooku, looking dissatisfied before letting out an annoyed huff, ¡°Ah, and right when you were getting to the interesting part! Very well, until a better time then. Matters of state always do crop up at the worst time, don¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your generosity,¡± Dooku said smoothly and bowed again before turning and moving to his ship. This matter with Skywalker must be handled delicately. The CIS¡¯s strength must not be exposed but they must also return the boy and his loved one¡¯s to safety before they lost their best droid engineer and the best chance that Dooku had to cause a true schism in the Jedi order. Let alone his force powers and his potential as a fighter. But Dooku brushed those aside mostly. What was the value of one fighter on the scale of a galactic scale war? No, the Force was a tool to achieve his goals and nothing more. And with enough droids, enough enemies, something that could be defeated. But at least even in the worst case the boy was unlikely to be killed off hand by Jabba. The boy was too valuable to the Republic and the Jedi for judgement and answers for Jabba to be willing to lose the potential credits of selling the boy off as a hostage.

    There was only one choice to take that could be taken, Dooku mused as he returned to his ship and received a more detailed update on the situation from an encrypted channel from his people.

    Dooku must go to Jabba himself. The Republic already knew of his interest in the boy. They would be blind, and only look to it as the interest in one former Jedi in another. Republic Intelligence and anyone else involved wouldn¡¯t bother looking any deeper than that.

    Resolving himself, Dooku started ordering his subordinates on what to do. He needed Jabba the Hutt to be alert to his arrival and see if he was open to negotiation to let the boy free¡­

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    ¡°Master, why were we chosen for this mission? It just seems¡­ I only became your padawan a few months ago. Should we already be leaving the temple so soon?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve done well enough on your lightsaber forms, Ahsoka,¡± Master Kenobi said calmly although he had a slightly pensive look on his face and was rubbing chin slightly with unfocused eyes, ¡°Excellent for your age. Twelve years old and you¡¯ve already passed your trials to become a padawan. Dual wielding two lightsabers at once even, a technique that I know is far more difficult than the more standard single bladed techniques. It will be good for you to get some real world experience early in your training. It will give you a good sense of things when we return to the temple to continue your training further. We shouldn¡¯t be doing any fighting, we¡¯re supposed to be there as observers and advisors primarily.¡±

    ¡°...Master?¡±

    Master Kenobi¡¯s eyes focused and he looked down at her.

    ¡°Are we going after him? The Chosen One? Anakin Skywalker? I¡¯ve heard rumors going around the temple¡­ What was he like? When he was your old Padawan? Before he fell to the dark side?¡±

    ¡°It is still not confirmed if he¡¯s truly fallen,¡± Master Kenobi corrected her, perhaps a bit harsher than necessary, and Ahsoka flinched slightly. She reached up and brushed her head tails over slightly to help her calm down and had a flash of her orange skinned hand pass through her vision to block her vision before Master Kenobi¡¯s slightly frowning face returned to her.

    His eyes softened slightly as he saw her nervousness.

    ¡°Anakin¡­¡± Master Kenobi said thoughtfully and Ahsoka relaxed slightly, ¡°He¡­ Was a brash boy. Confident, had instincts and a connection to the Force like none I¡¯ve ever seen before in one so young. He was impatient, always looking for the next big thing, the next goal to achieve to push himself into becoming a better Jedi. He was never one to enjoy quiet contemplation in the temple. He loved dueling with his fellow padawans to improve himself rather than practicing on his own on the forms. He wanted to go out there into the galaxy and help people. Like the stories of the Jedi that he grew up with as a slave on Tatooine.¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°He was a slave?¡± Ahsoka asked in morbid curiosity, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that.¡±

    ¡°Many don¡¯t. Everyone in this temple is a Jedi. We¡¯re supposed to forget our pasts when we come here. Slave, noble, human, wookie, Torgruta, like you, all of them treated the same. Most come so young that they hardly even remember their parents or old homes. But not Anakin, he came when he was nine. He remembered his past life. The Council almost rejected him when he arrived because he was too old despite his massive connection and power in the Force. He had always wanted to be a Jedi, and was overjoyed when he was finally accepted to become a Jedi at last despite all the obstacles put in our way before we got there¡­¡±

    ¡°...And what happened?¡± Ahsoka asked, ¡°What changed?¡±

    Obi-wan Kenobi looked into the young padawan¡¯s eyes and the look of guilt and even fear on his face on the usually carefree and jovial master rooted her in place.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, truly. I have some ideas, but... None of them quite sit right with me as the whole truth. The padawan I knew was brash but wouldn¡¯t fall to the dark so suddenly even with what happened to him. He wouldn¡¯t fall to¡­ the extent that¡¯s been reported, to a rabid monster only made of hatred and resentment. Powerful enough to kill at least one Jedi master in straight combat without even a lightsaber. He seemed so calm when I saw him last¡­ I was supposed to be his master, and I failed him. If he¡¯s truly fallen to the dark, then it is my duty to stop him. One way or another. Anyone that he hurts from now on is a burden that I must carry on my shoulders.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Ahsoka said dumbly, not sure what to say to that.

    Master Kenobi visibly smoothed out his expression and it was like he was his old friendly self again.

    ¡°But there is no need to brood about these things just yet,¡± he said lightly, ¡°I see it was too much for you to process so early in the morning, my apprentice. Let¡¯s go to the shuttle. Our carrier group of the Republic is waiting up in orbit waiting for us. We wouldn¡¯t want them thinking that we¡¯re wasting their time.¡±

    They moved towards the shuttle and after a few minutes were rising away from the Jedi temple of Coruscant and up towards the military carrier group of ships.

    ¡°If you have any questions on our journey, feel free to ask,¡± Master Kenobi suddenly said with a short glance at Ahsoka, ¡°These stern faced Republic generals will try to intimidate you. But this is your time to learn, and they know their orders are to indulge you when there isn¡¯t an emergency requiring immediate action.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Master. I¡¯ll make sure to learn all that I can.¡±

    ¡°See that you do, not many padawans get an opportunity like this to see how the Republic military works from the inside.¡±

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Ahsoka stood there nervously, not sure what to do with her hands as she stood there among the stern faced Republic military commanders and Master Kenobi. The bridge of the Venator class star destroyer was massive, easily the largest ship that Ahsoka had ever been in. The crew was over 7400 as well as the nearly two thousand ground troops and hundreds of individual fightercraft.

    These generals were in command of all of that, all of those people, and here she was barely a padawan out of training and she had to make sure she didn¡¯t make a fool of herself.

    Master Kenobi was mostly quiet on the journey here, but now they had arrived over Tatooine and were about to call Jabba the local warlord.

    Ahsoka wasn¡¯t sure how she felt about the deal that had been decided on. The Republic would pay Jabba nearly fifty million credits to transfer Skywalker and his family to their ship safely.

    Why were they paying this warlord for things? Weren¡¯t they the Republic? Shouldn¡¯t they just order this Jabba to hand him over or arrest him if they knew he had done something wrong?

    But even Master Kenobi didn¡¯t protest, so Ahsoka kept quiet and didn¡¯t say anything as he and the Republic generals decided to pay the ransom when they arrived.

    The communications console chirped, and after a moment the deck grew, bringing up the hologram to show the slug-like Hutt to appear on the holo table in front of them.

    Jabba spoke in a strange language for a few seconds and waited before a robotic voice translated it into Basic, ¡°You are bold to bring such a strong force to Hutt space. You insult not only me, but all the Hutt clans by not properly announcing such a force entering our territories¡­¡±

    ¡°It is only for transporting our cargo, we assure you,¡± the ship commander said stiffly, ¡°We meant no insult.¡±

    ¡°Yet I am insulted all the same,¡± Jabba said smoothly and licked his large disgusting lips, ¡°While I have been waiting, I¡¯ve received the most interesting offer. It seems that the Republic is not the only one interested in this boy of yours. I see the appeal, quite the strong will that that one has¡­ Almost a shame I won¡¯t be able to see it broken down in my dungeons. The other interested party has not been nearly as rude as you have been to me. Send down a representative to my palace, and we will see which of the two of you has a better offer for me. I always love more credits, but I think you will need more than that if you wish to win the bid¡­¡±

    The hologram shut off and the whole bridge remained in shock for a few moments before it erupted into noise as the generals started arguing with each other all at once.

    ¡°Quiet!¡± The ship commander shouted and everyone settled down as Ahsoka watched, ¡°Our mission has just grown more complicated,¡± he looked at the man who was the liaison to the Republic Intelligence network, ¡°Any idea who this second bidder could be?¡±

    The operative shook his head, looking confused, ¡°No, sir. But with the amount of credits that we offered, they must have an invested interest in the captured Jedi if they offered something even more valuable than that.¡±

    ¡°We will need to pick a representative to go negotiate with him.¡± the commander replied, ¡°We were ordered to secure the boy at all costs. He¡¯s already destroyed a hammerhead class cruiser on his own, we need answers on what he did and stop him if he decides to do it again.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Master Kenobi said, suddenly speaking up, ¡°I will go down for the negotiations. It will be dangerous in the heart of Jabba¡¯s domain, only I will be able to fight free in case of an ambush.¡±

    ¡°Master, I¡¯ll go with you!¡± Ahsoka suddenly said, only to shrink down a little as everyone¡¯s eyes turned to her.

    ¡°No, my padawan,¡± Master Kenobi said sternly, ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous. You will remain here on the ship for now. Am I understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes, master¡­¡± Ahsoka said reluctantly and put her eyes to the floor in shame as the conversation moved onwards to the logistics and discussing what they should offer to Jabba when Master Kenobi arrived. Ahsoka knew that she should be listening to what they were saying, but she couldn¡¯t focus. Ahsoka thought that Master Kenobi thought she was ready. But she must not be if at the first sign of danger he was going to leave her alone on the ship at the first sign of actual danger¡­

    ¡°Very well. We will work up here to identify this other party and think of more things that we could reasonably offer Jabba,¡± the ship commander concluded, ¡°Master Jedi Kenobi, we will send you down immediately. Report any information you discover as soon as possible that we can send along to Republic intelligence.¡±

    ¡°Of course, commander. I will leave soon.¡±

    The ship commander nodded and the room settled down into smaller groups of discussion as Master Kenobi walked over to Ahsoka who stood in the corner.

    ¡°Ahsoka. You will still learn plenty up here on the bridge of the ship. Don¡¯t be discouraged, you wouldn¡¯t want to visit a vile place like that anyway. I hope to return soon with my former padawan in tow.¡±

    ¡°I understand, Master. Good luck.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. Goodbye for now.¡±

 Chapter 15: Betrayal

    Obi-wan Kenobi walked into Jabba the Hutt¡¯s palace, a den for scum and villainy like ones that he¡¯d only entered a few times before. Mostly to shut them down under his authority as a Jedi. But this time he was here for a different reason.

    He moved towards the main ¡®throne room¡¯ where Jabba sat there with his jabbering court behind them, escorted by mercenaries who eyed him warily as he walked in between them. The Hutt stared Obi-wan down as he stood there stoically waiting for the Hutt to speak.

    The Hutt spoke to his droid in Huttese. He probably knew how to speak Basic, but was using the translator as a sign of his power. That everyone that was in his palace must cater to his whims and not the other way around.

    ¡°The great and noble Jabba welcomes you to his home, and hopes that the negotiations will be fruitful,¡± the protocol droid said to translate Jabba¡¯s words, ¡°He is eager to begin. Our other party will join us shortly. He has been enjoying our hospitality almost since you have been traveling here from the Core, Jedi.¡±

    Obi-wan inclined his head, but didn¡¯t say anything in response.

    He stood there for over a minute as he and Jabba remained staring at each other without any further words.

    Finally the door to the side of the chamber hissed open and everyone turned to see the man who swept into the room. He was unfamiliar and wearing a heavy mask that concealed his face.

    Obi-wan observed the man silently as he walked forward and stood next to Obi-wan on the metal platform in front of Jabba.

    ¡°Hello,¡± the man said with only a small glance to Obi-wan, ¡°But let us not waste the great Jabba¡¯s time. I believe that he is here to entertain our respective offers for the boy?¡±

    ¡°The boy and his family, you mean,¡± Obi-wan added sharply.

    The man paused before inclining his head, ¡°Of course. And his family as well. That was assumed. Now, I believe the Republic has offered twenty million credits, great Jabba?¡±

    The Hutt nodded, licking his lips as he stared at the masked man with interest, ¡°I believe that this is hardly worth the value of the boy. I¡¯d be willing to offer¡­ a hundred million credits for him.¡±

    ¡°Where are you getting these kinds of funds?¡± Obi-wan said sharply, ¡°That number is absurd. Only a little less than the cost for a whole Venator class star destroyer. And even if you did have the funds, why would you pay so much for him?¡±

    ¡°My interest is none of your business,¡± The man said smoothly, ¡°And my employer has the funds. I¡¯ve already provided a verification certificate to Jabba proving my employer¡¯s claims. I am simply restating the previous offer so that we can start the bidding. Is the Republic prepared to offer more?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Obi-wan refocused as he realized he¡¯d nearly forgotten who he was truly negotiating with, ¡°Great Jabba, I will have to consult with the Republic for those kinds of funds. I¡¯m sure that you understand.¡±

    Jabba hesitated before nodding and saying something in Huttese to his droid, ¡°The great and noble Jabba allows you to confer with your superiors. But don¡¯t take too long. Jabba has money in front of him guaranteed. He will take this offer if a better value is not offered to him soon from the Republic.¡±

    ¡°Understood, great Jabba. I will not delay.¡±

    The droid turned to one of the mercenaries and clumsily pointed at their leader, ¡°Lead our guests to their rooms. You shall have another audience with Jabba tomorrow. Until then the illustrious Jabba demands music and entertainment!¡±

    Obi-wan was led away by the mercenaries to a lavish room meant for guests, disturbed by what he had just learned. What was that man¡¯s game? Surely he knew that Obi-wan was a representative of the Republic? Why would he believe that it was a wise idea to oppose their representatives so openly like this? The Senate and Jedi wouldn¡¯t take something like this lying down even if this person was only a proxy to whoever was truly behind this.

    He started meditating after taking out his communicator and explaining the situation thoroughly to the Republic commanders and his new padawan in the ship above. He felt the Force thrum through him as he took deep breaths and pondered the puzzling situation and tried to discover what piece of it that he was missing and how this mysterious stranger was connected to it all.

    Barely two hours later, Obi-wan opened his eyes activated his lightsaber in a moment as his door burst open and a squad of heavily armed mercenaries poured into his chambers.

    He stood at the ready, standing on his feet as the squad raised their weapons and pointed them at him threateningly. They all were at a stalemate without speaking, only the steady humming of Obi-wan¡¯s lightsaber plasma blade breaking the silence.

    ¡°Your presence is demanded by Jabba. Immediately,¡± the apparent leader of the group said to break the silence, ¡°Come with us now.¡±

    Obi-wan eyed them all for a moment before cautiously retracting his blade and hanging it at his belt.

    He was led back through the hallways towards the throne room where the mysterious man already stood in his mask calmly as Jabba shouted at him in basic. The rest of Jabba¡¯s court was gathered and looking at the Hutt in abject fear, pressed against the walls as if not to be seen as they looked between the shouting Jabba and the masked man standing there in front of the angry Hutt.

    ¡°...Betrayal!¡± Jabba¡¯s watery voice burbled out in basic as he slammed a pudgy fist onto the large podium beneath him, ¡°...I will discover which of you is behind this and flay them alive in my dungeons! No one disrespects Jabba this way! Not in my own palace! In my own kingdom!¡±

    Obi-wan slowed his pace as he saw the Hutt¡¯s flabby cheeks growing a slightly lighter green as his eyes bulged with rage. The rage filled eyes turned to Obi-wan as he entered.

    ¡°You!¡± Jabba warbled, ¡°What do you know of this? Were you and the Republic behind it?¡±

    ¡°Behind what, Jabba?¡± Obi-wan said as he lowered his hand to his side to hover over his lightsaber.

    Jabba¡¯s eyes bulged even farther if that was possible, ¡°The great Jabba. I have half a mind to throw both of you in my dungeons, you- ¡±

    Jabba¡¯s voice grew more heated and he slipped into warbling Huttesse and pounded his fist on his hand and pointed to the both of them angrily as he kept shouting with his cheeks growing a darker shade of green with every passing moment.

    The man and Obi-wan both waited silently until Jabba calmed himself.

    ¡°The boy¡¯s mother and the other have been taken,¡± Jabba said after some time, ¡°Over a dozen of my men are killed. They are gone. I have half a mind to kill the boy now and be done with it¡­¡±

    Neither of them answered as Jabba peered between the two of them suspiciously.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    The lights flickered and they looked around in surprise. Obi-wan reached down to his communicator and discovered that the line was dead. He had no contact with the Venator ship above.

    The lights were dim as many of them refused to turn on again after what must be an EMP pulse that had hit the palace.

    He quickly drew his lightsaber even as the man beside him drew out a small blaster from his waistband. The light from Obi-wan¡¯s weapon lit up the room and created a circle of light around him, the mysterious man, and Jabba with Jabba¡¯s mercenary guards and members of his court shrouded in shadow.

    ¡°Now, Master Jedi!¡± the mysterious man shouted, ¡°Strike now! I¡¯ll go retrieve the boy!¡±

    Jabba¡¯s eyes widened as he realized that the shield between him and the two visitors had gone down in whatever event turned off the power.

    Obi-wan was too shocked to react as the mysterious man fired his blaster at Jabba and seared a burning hole between the shocked Hutt¡¯s eyes and sent the Hutt slumping dead to the ground before anyone could stop the assassin.

    The man fired two more shots at the already dead Hutt before running out of the room at top speed, and after a moment¡¯s hesitation Obi-wan bounded after him.

    The room behind them was in chaos and filled with screams as the mercenaries went to chase them even as the members of Jabba¡¯s court jabbered in fear and demanded the mercenaries to remain behind and protect them.

    Obi-wan hunted down the fleeing assassin through the Force and the faint sound of retreating footsteps, only the lightsaber and the occasional dim light in the twisting hallways of Jabba¡¯s palace guiding his way.

    All he knew was he had to capture this man and get some answers out of him before he escaped for good.

    The footsteps ahead stopped and there was some hushed discussion as Obi-wan screamed around the corner before coming to a stop. There standing confidently, even in the darkness, was Anakin Skywalker. His hands were empty. The man from before was standing beside him with a blaster rifle held in his hands. With a nod at the boy, the man continued running into a side hallway to flee from the palace at full speed.

    ¡°Master,¡± Anakin said, ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here already. Jabba¡¯s men will be here to stop us soon.¡±

    Obi-wan eyed his former apprentice warily before hesitantly nodding and lowering his blade slightly.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± he said, ¡°To my shuttle.¡±

    Without another word the both of them started sprinting towards the surface together, almost like they were Master and Padawan once more. Obi-wan kept an eye on the boy suspiciously. He was too calm, something was off¡­ But he didn¡¯t have enough time to investigate. It could wait until they were flying away from this place and up towards the Republic cruiser above¡­

    Anakin wouldn¡¯t be leaving Obi-wan¡¯s sight until he had some real answers on the tangled web of what was really going on.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Anakin groaned in annoyance as the droid reached up and fed him some more gruel as he remained floating in his cell. He had no idea he had been cooped up in this place now. Enough to know that his resistance to heat and electricity had completely faded by now and left his body back in its base form.

    Anakin swallowed the last watery bite of the food and the droid turned around. But instead of leaving, the droid remained there unlike every other time it had fed him so far.

    ¡°Anakin,¡± he straightened as he heard Count Dooku¡¯s voice come from the droid, ¡°This is a prerecorded message. If you¡¯re hearing this then both your mother and Slarena Reborn have been safely extracted from the palace by my people. The Republic has a venator class star destroyer parked in orbit, here for you. Along with Obi-wan Kenobi who is here in Jabba¡¯s palace. Extracting you properly might expose our group¡¯s resources to the Republic. I apologize that we can¡¯t take that risk, not even for you.

    ¡°There will soon be an opportunity for you to escape this cell. Surrender yourself to the Republic. Behave yourself, stay quiet on what happened until I contact you, and don¡¯t draw on the dark side of the Force. If you do this then I promise that I have a path to your freedom without being hunted by the Republic any more. The Jedi are less certain, but we will do our best. That is all. This message will be fully deleted upon delivery.¡±

    The droid stood there for a few seconds unmoving with its eyes flickering furiously before it straightened and silently turned and walked out of the reinforced door of Anakin¡¯s cell which closed behind it heavily.

    Anakin waited for some time until suddenly the containment field around him flickered before shutting off. Anakin fell heavily to the floor and only just barely managed to stop himself from smashing his nose into the floor.

    He stood to his feet and rolled his shoulders and went over to the door which was shut firmly closed. He reached up and drew deeply on the light side of the Force. As soon as he did so his stun cuffs lit up and sent electricity coursing through him, predictably sending him to the floor spasming. But after a few seconds of thrashing and building up his resistance, Anakin stood back up and drew on the Force again and grabbing the door started slowly pulling it open forcefully with a creaking groan.

    He felt two lifesigns from confused guards who were on the other side of the door through his new sense as he drew deeper and deeper on the Force to work to pull the door wider. Finally with one final snap and pop, something gave in the interior of the door and it started moving slightly to the side with a loud screech and orange sparks.

    Everything was dark except a single light in the exterior hallway as Anakin opened the door wide enough to squeeze his body through.

    ¡°Kriff! He¡¯s escaping!¡± one of the mercenaries said in a wavering voice.

    The other one yelped and fired his blaster blindly roughly where Anakin had almost fully shimmied his body through the gap in the door.

    Anakin finished emerging into the hallway and charged towards the lifesign of the mercenary who¡¯d fired his blaster. Anakin reached out and ripped the blaster from his hands before he could even react.

    The man stumbled over something on the ground and started screaming bloody murder and babbling, ¡°No! Please don¡¯t kill me! I don¡¯t want to end up like them in Mos Espa¡­¡±

    Anakin felt the other lifesign turn and try to flee as well, and they quickly fled while stumbling into walls and tripping over things as they ran.

    Anakin stood there hesitant with his stolen blaster pointed down at the man cowering on the ground as an amorphous glowing blob with only a vague impression of blobby limbs in Anakin¡¯s senses.

    Anakin raised the blaster upwards and turned and started running towards where he thought the exit might be, although he had to squint in the poor lighting of the place. He paused as he realized something and started firing at the locks of the nearby cell doors. There was some muttering of confusion from the prisoners, but Anakin didn¡¯t have time to explain as he shot open the locks as he ran and hopefully freed as many of them as he could.

    As he fired he made sure to position his arm just wrong so the plasma bolt would pass by it. Over the dozens of shots passing over his skin, he managed to build up his resistance enough that he risked a blast touch his skin, which triggered his dispersion ability.

    As he found a set of stairs and moved upwards, he was fully firing at himself over and over as he built his resistance to blaster fire up even as he moved by shooting at his arm.

    By the time he reached what must be the top of the stairs he heard chaos and shouting down below him from the freed prisoners and his dispersion ability had stopped activating, showing that he should now be immune to normal blaster fire.

    He exited the top of the stairs and picked a random direction and started running. He diverted course slightly to the side to go around when he detected two lifesigns coming his way. He was pulsing his lifesense out wide at the moment, and something was odd with the one behind. He wasn¡¯t sure how to describe it. It was¡­ not brighter, but more¡­ vibrant? It was confusing to explain, the one behind was just different and Anakin diverted course to avoid them. But the one in front seemingly sensed him too and turned to meet him in the same hallway despite Anakin trying to avoid the pair.

    It was a man in a heavy mask that appeared at the end of the dimly lit corridor and ran up to Anakin without looking fearful at all. He was holding a small palm sized blaster in his hand. His mask turned to the heavy duty blaster that Anakin was holding in his hands.

    ¡°I¡¯m with your sponsor,¡± the man said quickly before throwing a glance behind him even as the more vibrant lifesign approached them rapidly, ¡°Give me the rifle. I need more than this little thing to get out of here.¡±

    Anakin hesitated and the man reached out in a grabbing motion and gestured urgently.

    ¡°C¡¯mon! That Jedi¡¯s coming, no time!¡±

    Anakin handed over the blaster, and the masked man ran off again just as Master Kenobi rounded the corner and came to a stop as he saw Anakin.

    Anakin felt a wave of calm wash over himself as he realized that it was time. He wasn¡¯t sure what Count Dooku¡¯s plan was, but all he could do for now was play along. Dooku had earned Anakin¡¯s trust by now. And he¡¯d saved Mom and Slarena. That¡¯s what really mattered in the end. Anakin could accept being captured by the Republic if it led to them being safe.

    He felt oddly calm as that realization washed over him.

    ¡°Master,¡± he said, ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here already. Jabba¡¯s men will be here to stop us soon¡­¡±

 Chapter 16: A Willing Prisoner

    Anakin ran behind Obi-wan through the dark hallways of Jabba¡¯s palace. The whole place was in chaos, shouting and fighting from behind them from what must be the freed prisoners from the dungeons flooding into the castle and using the cover of the darkness and confusion to attempt to escape or take revenge on Jabba¡¯s mercenaries.

    Only one mercenary group tried to stop them the whole way, once they left the building itself and were rushing towards what must be Obi-wan¡¯s ship.

    The eight mercenaries shouted at them and raised their weapons, but when they saw Obi-wan¡¯s activated lightsaber they were wary. When they saw Anakin running right behind Obi-wan they all paled and promptly turned around and fled as fast as possible from them.

    Anakin supposed he deserved that reputation considering what he had done at Mos Espa¡­ But it still seemed like a rather extreme reaction considering it had been years since it had happened¡­

    Obi-wan lowered the ramp on the ship and ushered Anakin inside upon which he immediately sheathed his lightsaber and ordered the ship to fly up to orbit.

    Some of the control panels were flickering and the ship rattled dangerously as they rose into the air into orbit. The communications equipment was completely fried from what Anakin could tell as he inspected it curiously.

    The ship rumbled several times during their flight as their shields took some fire from some ships in orbit that started firing on them.

    Their shields fell down to near half strength before in a sudden burst of plasma fire, the star destroyer opened fire and destroyed the nearly dozen vessels that were firing on their shuttle in one giant barrage of weapon¡¯s fire.

    The other mercenary ships that must belong to the Hutts beat a hasty disorganized retreat as Anakin and Obi-wan¡¯s shuttle continued on its way towards the Republic ship.

    The ship approached the large Venator, and even without any communication they were guided into one of the main hangar bays to land by a pair of fighter craft.

    The ship landed and by silent agreement Obi-wan and Anakin walked out of the ship together. There to greet them were dozens of heavily armed soldiers all pointing their weapons straight at Anakin.

    He slowly raised his hands in surrender as Obi-wan kept moving forward and went to go speak with the Republic officer in the center of the soldier¡¯s formation. The man looked irritated by Obi-wan¡¯s words, but eventually seemed to give in and gestured to the soldiers to stand down.

    Obi-wan returned to Anakin who still had his hands raised.

    ¡°You are to remain in sight of me at all times so I can monitor you. You are not to use the Force in any way while on this ship, or attack anyone. You will sleep in the cells, but in exchange for good behavior you will not have to wear stun cuffs or be completely confined for the journey. Do you understand? There will be no second chances. One thing out of line and you¡¯ll be in the brig until we reach Coruscant.¡±

    Anakin lowered his hands, slightly surprised that he wasn¡¯t being thrown in a cell immediately.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you got them to agree to that. But I agree. I won¡¯t cause any trouble.¡±

    Obi-wan let out a held breath in a long sigh, ¡°Good. By the Force, this whole thing¡¯s a mess. How did things become so complicated?¡±

    Anakin snorted in laughter and Obi-wan gave him a strange look.

    ¡°Tell me about it,¡± Anakin explained with a little chuckle.

    Obi-wan smiled slightly as he understood and nodded back.

    There was some awkwardness as all of the surrounding soldiers stared at the two of them even if their weapons weren¡¯t quite raised at Anakin anymore.

    Obi-wan started walking into the ship and after a moment Anakin followed after him.

    They went into a room just off of the main hangar. Inside were some tables and relatively comfortable looking. Obi-wan sat down on one of the more plush chairs and gestured to another one across from him that Anakin gratefully sat down on. His body was still sore after who knows how long floating in place in Jabba¡¯s dungeon and it felt like he was sitting on a cloud in comparison as soon as his butt touched the cushions.

    The room was empty besides the two of them. One man came in and walked over to Obi-wan and whispered in his ear for a moment. Obi-wan nodded back and whispered something back and the man went outside again.

    ¡°The Republic officers want to talk to you obviously,¡± Obi-wan said after a few seconds of silence, ¡°We shouldn¡¯t talk about anything more serious until they¡¯re all here. Have you trained your lightsaber forms in this time?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Obi-wan¡¯s brows furrowed and Anakin clarified, ¡°The Jedi Master on Mos Espa stole my lightsaber in the battle. I haven¡¯t had one since then. Luckily I haven¡¯t had to fight all that much except for¡­ The few times that I¡¯ve had to.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Obi-wan said and his expression cleared slightly, ¡°I¡¯d forgotten. Yes, I suppose that makes sense. I¡¯m surprised that you of all people would be so calm about being unable to improve your forms. You used to be obsessed with sparring and the duels with the other padawans in the Jedi temple. In pushing yourself to go further and improve.¡±

    ¡°I guess I was. It was fun, I haven¡¯t thought about a fight like that in a long time. I really was just fighting people and meditating on the Force all the time, wasn¡¯t I? I wonder what my old self would think if he saw me now.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a necessary process to refine our connection to the Force. You tell me. What would your old self say? You¡¯d know better than me.¡±

    Anakin leaned back in the criminally luxurious chair. It probably wasn¡¯t even that great, but compared to floating in a containment field for days, it was the height of luxury.

    Anakin thought about his honest answer to the question. And the answer was¡­

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I honestly have no clue what he would have thought of me now,¡± he said in surprise as the truth came to him easily. He was too different from even the boy from two years ago who had left the Jedi temple. Let alone the one who had been training back before Draeth and everything that had happened with Master Druman.

    ¡°I¨C¡±

    The door to the room hissed open and Anakin stopped to look along with Obi-wan to see a orange skinned Togruta girl standing there. Her head tails were striped blue and white as she walked in and stared intently at Anakin. She had a pair of lightsabers hanging from her belt, one on either side of her hips, that Anakin looked at in interest. Wielding two blades at once? That was pretty wizard. Anakin had tried learning those forms a few times, but had never quite been able to manage it properly. She must be pretty good to use them as her main forms.

    She seemed young, ten or eleven maybe? But then why would she be here¡­

    Obi-wan coughed and the two of them broke from their impromptu staring contest to look at the Jedi master.

    ¡°Ah. I forgot to mention before. I have chosen a new padawan considering everything¡­ Anakin Skywalker, my former Padawan, meet Ahsoka Tanu, my newest padawan. She¡¯s talented and managed to pass her Padawan trials at only the age of twelve. As you can see, she uses the double blade style.¡±

    Anakin was surprised by how hurt he was by the fact that Obi-wan had chosen another padawan so soon. But he slowly let the feeling fade away as he absorbed his gut reaction. He never intended on joining the Jedi order again. He was sure of that now. So maybe it was for the best that Obi-wan was doing this. A clean break from the past.

    ¡°Hi,¡± Ahsoka said, raising her chin and giving Anakin a challenging look, ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you at the Jedi temple. You better not hurt my master or you¡¯ll have to go through me first.¡±

    ¡°Ahsoka!¡± Obi-wan scolded, ¡°Please-¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    Both of them looked at Anakin in shock and he nodded at Ahsoka.

    ¡°Good,¡± he said again, ¡°He¡¯s far too reckless. He needs someone to keep him in check. Old man¡¯s old bones aren¡¯t as nimble as they used to be.¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    Ahsoka looked stunned as Obi-wan just huffed and sat back in his chair in response to Anakin¡¯s cheeky response.

    ¡°Old bones¡­ I¡¯m barely over thirty, you brat. I¡¯m still plenty nimble.¡±

    ¡°Okay, old man. You keep telling yourself that.¡±

    The two of them bantered a little more and fell back into their old patterns as Ahsoka watched them. It took a minute or so for Anakin to look over and notice her just¡­ standing there staring at the two of them silently. Her fists were clenched and she had a look of intense¡­ jealousy? Yes, Jealousy on her face. The look quickly washed away into something more neutral and her fists unclenched at her sides as she noticed Anakin looking at her in the lull of the conversation.

    ¡°Ahsoka,¡± Obi-wan said as he also seemed to notice with a note of faint guilt that he had been leaving her out of the conversation, ¡°Did I ever tell you about my mission to¡­¡±

    Obi-wan started telling Ahsoka about one of the missions that he¡¯d gone on for the Jedi Council. He had to investigate a disturbance in the Force that the Council had sensed. This one had turned out to be a previously undiscovered ancient ruin saturated in the Force. A dark side aligned beast had started to corrupt it with their powers, seemingly instinctively. Obi-wan narrated as he went through the temple until he found the source and fought it and eventually killed it in the end.

    Ahsoka was entranced, excitedly asking questions about Obi-wan¡¯s tale with stars in her eyes as she looked at the man, seemingly imagining herself in Obi-wan¡¯s place and investigating an ancient temple and fighting the fearsome beast. She seemed to have almost completely forgotten that Anakin was even there as she got more invested in Obi-wan¡¯s story.

    Obi-wan was a good storyteller. Anakin enjoyed listening to the story too. He¡¯d heard it before, and remembered having a similar reaction to Ahsoka¡¯s the first time. It sounded like something that would be from the Jedi legends from how Obi-wan told it. But it was all real and things that the Jedi master had actually done himself.

    Obi-wan kept talking and telling stories as Anakin and Ahsoka listened.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Obi-wan cut himself off mid sentence as the door to the room slid open again. Four stern faced men in officer uniforms walked inside, their eyes focused on Anakin as soon as they walked inside.

    ¡°Ah Commander. It seems that we must turn to more serious business.¡±

    Obi-wan put on a serious expression and turned to Anakin, with Ahsoka shifting herself so she was standing behind her master. The four officers walked in to flank Obi-wan as he stared at Anakin, the atmosphere in the room suddenly tense.

    ¡°So Anakin,¡± Obi-wan said, ¡°What can you tell us about what really happened?¡±

    Anakin opened his mouth and closed it a few times, remembering Dooku¡¯s message to not tell the Republic anything until Dooku talked with him.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say anything. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Young man,¡± the ship commander said as he frowned deeply at Anakin, ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand the trouble that you¡¯re in here. You¡¯re being accused of destroying a Republic military vessel worth tens of millions of credits and killing two Jedi knights as well as the command crew.¡±

    Anakin hesitated before deciding that it was probably fine to tell them something.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t destroy the ship. The second Jedi Master was holding something in his hand. A communicator. When I ripped it out of his hand, the whole ship exploded before I could even react.¡±

    ¡°And how did you manage to survive that?¡± Obi-wan asked, ¡°How¡¯d you get away?¡±

    Anakin hesitated before realizing that he had to stop talking. He had no idea if something he said might cause problems for Dooku¡¯s plans.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say any more. But I didn¡¯t blow up the ship. It was someone else.¡±

    The Republic officers and Obi-wan tried to convince Anakin to say more, but he stayed strong and didn¡¯t answer their questions. He hoped that he already hadn¡¯t said too much.

    Ahsoka stood there with a strange look on her face as Anakin repeatedly gave strained denials to his old master and the insistent Republic officers¡¯ demands for answers.

    Eventually the ship commanders grew fed up with Anakin¡¯s refusal and decided to throw him into the brig as punishment despite Obi-wan¡¯s protests.

    Anakin was led to a cell and led inside. Luckily he wouldn¡¯t be wearing stun cuffs this time, although he was told that Obi-wan would be nearby and ready to stop him if he tried to escape as well as all of the other troops on the ship.

    Anakin sighed as he leaned back on his cell bed and stared at the ceiling. One prison after another, it seems. The sad part was that he was here willingly. He still had his heat and electricity resistance active for a few days. If he wanted to he could break out of here and probably escape without anyone being able to stop him, even Obi-wan.

    But Dooku had a plan, so here Anakin would stay for now. If he was cleared by the Republic of any crimes then maybe he and his family wouldn¡¯t have to be hidden away from the galaxy anymore¡­

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Anakin looked up as someone walked in front of the shimmering force field in front of his cell. Ahsoka. He peered to the side, and was surprised to see that she appeared to be alone.

    ¡°Skywalker,¡± she said, before trailing off looking unsure.

    Anakin sat down at the foot of his bed and watched her on the other side of the force shield staring at him.

    ¡°How are you so calm?¡± Ahsoka eventually asked him, ¡°With everything you¡¯re accused of. How much trouble you are in, with there even being rumors that you were drawing on the dark side of the Force and had fully fallen¡­ How can you just sit there? I don¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°It could be worse,¡± Anakin said, ¡°Much worse. I was mostly worried about my Mom and Slarena. Now that they¡¯re safe, I just feel relieved. Guess everything with the Republic doesn¡¯t feel real with how long I¡¯ve been hiding from them and the Jedi.¡±

    ¡°Safe? Do you know where they were taken?¡±

    Anakin paused slightly before answering, ¡°Of course not. Just a feeling, you know. Wherever they are now is safer than Jabba¡¯s palace was.¡±

    ¡°Oh. I guess that makes sense. I¡¯m sorry that happened to them.¡±

    ¡°Me too. But thank you. Does Obi-wan know that you¡¯re here? What if I went crazy and hurt you or something?¡±

    ¡°You seem pretty calm,¡± Ahsoka replied although she took a half step back despite herself, ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯d hurt me. It just doesn¡¯t make sense to me. The way that people talk about you. It¡¯s like¡­ You¡¯re just so different. Even the rumors of how you were before you left the temple.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I am pretty different, I guess. I¡¯ve been through a lot.¡±

    ¡°What made you first leave the Jedi temple? I¡¯ve never heard of anyone even trying to leave as a padawan. You must have had some kind of reason to do it.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Are you sure you want to know? You might get in trouble if other people in the temple haven¡¯t heard about it yet.¡±

    ¡°Tell me. I can handle it,¡± Ahsoka said firmly, puffing up her short frame as if to make herself bigger as she stood on the other side of the cell¡¯s force shield.

    ¡°I really didn¡¯t like my new master. Master Druman,¡± Anakin said, ¡°After¡­ Obi-wan had an incident after one of his missions, I was transferred to Master Druman as my new master. He was strict, made me meditate all the time, didn¡¯t let me spar with the other padawans or even talk with them for months. I couldn¡¯t handle training under him any longer, so on my padawan¡¯s journey I ran when I had a chance. It wasn¡¯t even about my mother back then, even if it became important to me later. If Obi-wan had remained my master I probably wouldn¡¯t have ever wanted to leave in the first place.¡±

    Ahsoka frowned, ¡°That sounds horrible! Not even sparring with the other padawans¡­ But why didn¡¯t you just go to the Council and ask for someone else? I¡¯m sure that they would have listened to you if you really felt that way.¡±

    Anakin chuckled, only to see that she was frowning at him with an almost pout as she looked at him.

    ¡°Ask Obi-wan about it,¡± Anakin said, ¡°I did ask the Grandmasters a few times when I could, and nothing happened. Even Grandmaster Yoda said it was an exercise for me to master my patience and tolerance for when I was a full Jedi knight. They were never going to do anything. It had already been months and Master Druman wasn¡¯t going anywhere.¡±

    ¡°That can¡¯t be true!¡± Ahsoka protested, ¡°They must have not known how bad it really was. For them, meditating all day is natural since they¡¯re so old and wise. If you¡¯d just¡­¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter now anyway,¡± Anakin said as he leaned his back against the wall, ¡°What does it matter what I should have done? I¡¯m here now.¡±

    ¡°Would you come back and be a Jedi, if the Council clears you of the accusations of you drawing on the dark side?¡± Ahsoka asked.

    ¡°Probably not. I bet they¡¯d just put me back under Master Druman. And¡­ I guess I just don¡¯t have that same dream that I had before. Jedi masters trying to slice you in half tends to do that to you¡­¡±

    Anakin unconsciously rubbed his nose where it had been severely burned from the Jedi master¡¯s lightsaber passing by it. The bandages wrapped over it and the skin grafts had been so itchy and had bothered him so much more than all of the others on his body.

    ¡°But if you had a better master. Someone good like Master Kenobi maybe,¡± Ahsoka insisted, ¡°What about then?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t-¡±

    ¡°Girl, what are you doing here?¡± A deep voice suddenly said from down the hallway. Ahsoka turned.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to talk with Skywalker,¡± she said firmly.

    ¡°Please step away from the shield,¡± the soldier said gruffly as he came into Anakin¡¯s view, ¡°Where is your minder, girl?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me a girl again! I am a padawan in training, and my Master is resting. Not that it¡¯s any of your business.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d suggest you return to him,¡± the soldier said, seeming unimpressed by Ahsoka¡¯s outburst, ¡°Commander¡¯s orders straight from Coruscant, no one is to talk to the prisoner alone.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡± Ahsoka said, visibly trying to suppress her annoyance at the man¡¯s rudeness towards her.

    ¡°It was nice talking with you Ahsoka,¡± Anakin said as she seemed to be about to argue with the man, ¡°See you on Coruscant hopefully.¡±

    Ahsoka glanced at him and then huffed a little as she glanced back at the rude man.

    ¡°See you, Skywalker. I hope that the Council finds you innocent of all those things you¡¯re accused of.¡±

    She turned and left as the man who had interrupted them watched. The man then turned and it was just Anakin and him staring at each other for a while.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about trying to break out. None of your Force strangeness will be able to handle this ship¡¯s defenses.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    The man waited for more, but seeing that Anakin was done, turned away and walked off while looking disappointed by the non-reaction.

    Anakin lay back on his bed. He should take a big long nap, he hadn¡¯t been able to sleep very well at Jabba¡¯s palace before.

    Before Anakin even knew it, he was fast asleep in his cell with not a care in the world as time passed without even dreams to disturb his rest.

 Chapter 17: Coruscant and The Jedi

    ¡°We¡¯re here. Time to go to the Council,¡± Obi-wan said as he stood outside of Anakin¡¯s cell with Ahsoka standing next to him.

    Anakin followed them into the shuttle and none of them spoke as the ship left the venator and flew down towards the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. An escort of five armed escort ships followed them down on all sides. Just in case.

    It felt odd walking through the halls of the Jedi temple again, a step behind Master Kenobi once more. The Jedi that walked by spectated and slowed their pace as they stared at Anakin as he went by.

    They kept silent as they reached the Council chamber. They went inside and went to the center. In a circle arrayed in a semicircle in throne-like chairs with red lining were plush chairs upon which all the members of the Council sat.

    Mace Windu sat directly across from Anakin, with Grandmaster Yoda a few seats to the right with his small form seated in a proportionally smaller chair. All of the other assembled members of the Council were there as well.

    Anakin had an odd moment of familiarity as all of the Council¡¯s intent gazes stared at him as if to absorb every bit of information as all remained silent. It reminded him of when he first came to this temple with Master Qui-gon. The Council had those same intent looks as they scanned him last time too.

    ¡°Padawan Skywalker,¡± Grandmaster Windu said eventually to break the silence, ¡°Welcome back to the temple. You have been gone for a long time.¡±

    Anakin didn¡¯t answer.

    ¡°You are called before the Council to answer for your actions. While we know some of what you¡¯ve done, we don¡¯t know why or your motivations for them. So, speak. If you are honest and truthful with us, then I believe that your punishment for your actions could be significantly reduced.¡±

    Anakin blinked at the grandmaster for a few moments, not sure what to say to that.

    ¡°Mitigating circumstances, sure that you must have, I am,¡± Grandmaster Yoda added in, ¡°Tell us these, you must. Much trouble you are in right now. But still a path to redemption, I see. Return to the temple, it is still possible if you are open with us now.¡±

    The Council stared at Anakin expectantly, and he nervously glanced at Obi-wan and Ahsoka who stood next to him. Obi-wan nodded encouragingly at Anakin while Ahsoka bobbed her head eagerly, smiling slightly and looking relieved at the Council¡¯s words.

    Anakin took a deep breath and turned back to the Council.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Excellent, Padawan Skywalker that¡¯s-¡± Grandmaster Windu said before pausing as Anakin¡¯s words registered.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°No. I won¡¯t explain.¡±

    ¡°Skywalker,¡± Ahsoka hissed at him quietly with a nervous look on her face, ¡°What are you doing? Apologize and explain to the Council!¡±

    ¡°Padawan Tanu is right,¡± Windu added, ¡°I am not sure what impulse has come over you. But it¡¯s in your best interests to speak.¡±

    Ahsoka blushed and stepped back from Anakin as she realized that everyone had heard her despite her trying to lower her volume.

    ¡°Still. I don¡¯t want to,¡± Anakin said. Dooku had told him to not tell them anything, and that¡¯s what he would do. The Council didn¡¯t have his best interests in mind. Dooku had done more than anyone else had for Anakin already. He wished he could explain, defend himself from the accusing stares of the old Grandmasters and especially the accusing stares of Ahsoka and Obi-wan.

    But he had to keep quiet. If he spoke more, who knows what he¡¯d let slip.

    ¡°Padawan Skywalker,¡± Windu said with a severe frown on his face, ¡°You¡¯re on dangerous ground here. Do you understand your situation? The Council is the only thing that stands between you and a lifetime in Republic prison. You are accused of the murder of hundreds, including ten high ranking military officers and two master Jedi. Destruction of Republic military assets and terrorism. Even the death penalty is on the table if the courts are feeling particularly harsh in your case. Only we can defend you from all of that. It will be by no means easy to prevent the worst, but we will do our best for one of our own. But for that we need all of the information to assist you. You¡¯re acting childishly now, think of the consequences of what you¡¯re doing right now.¡±

    ¡°I understand. I can¡¯t say anything else,¡± Anakin said as calmly as he could despite the pressure of the situation starting to get at him as everyone in the room seemed flabbergasted by his words.

    They tried to get him to speak several more times, but Anakin answered the same every time and didn¡¯t budge despite the bead of sweat running down his brow from the stress.

    Eventually the Council reluctantly gave up and turned to Obi-wan and Ahsoka. As Anakin stood there watching, both spoke of what had happened at Jabba¡¯s palace and after Anakin was taken into custody. Anakin was surprised that Ahsoka skimmed over his private conversation with her on the journey. She still shot him the occasionally confused and almost pitying glance as she and Obi-wan spoke.

    ¡°So you have returned willingly then, Skywalker?¡± Windu mused after both Obi-wan and Ahsoka had both been fully questioned by the full Council, ¡°He returns, yet he doesn¡¯t wish to speak a word. Why not try to escape if you-¡±

    There was a commotion outside of the door and Grandmaster Windu stopped talking and frowned as the door to the Council chambers opened.

    A man with military medals pinned across his chest with a squad of armed soldiers coming in behind him came into the chamber.

    Windu immediately shot to his feet as the rest of the Council seemed shocked.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this, General?¡± Windu demanded as the Republic soldiers filed into the room with their weapons held at ease and pointed at the floor. The Jedi Master who had been guarding the door stood just outside, looking like she wanted to hide as she held the door open with just her hand and part of her head visible.

    ¡°I believe there has been a mistake,¡± the General said, ¡°That boy was ordered to be brought to the Senate for questioning upon his arrival. Not the Jedi Council. I am here to take him away according to the proper procedure.¡±

    ¡°He is a Jedi Padawan, he is under our jurisdiction. We have every right to bring him before us for questioning, no matter what crimes he has been accused of,¡± Windu argued.

    ¡°Are you saying that your authority is greater than that of the Senate¡¯s then? Greater than the authority of the Republic?¡± the general said in a harsh tone as he glared at Windu.

    Windu opened his mouth and closed it after a moment.

    ¡°A simple mistake, indeed it was General,¡± Grandmaster Yoda said, ¡°Refused to speak, he has either way. You may take him, no need for such tension.¡±

    The General grimaced before pointing at Anakin.

    ¡°Guards. Cuff him. No funny business, boy. You have no chance of escape now that you¡¯re in our hands. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°I understand General,¡± Anakin said, almost relieved as he was locked up with stun cuffs and led away from the Jedi Council. Standing there silently and not defending himself despite the prodding from the Jedi Grandmasters had been difficult.

    It was much more relaxing to just follow the soldiers and do his best to look non-threatening. It helped knowing that even if they shot him then his dispersion ability would still save his life. With a lightsaber blade he might not be as lucky.

    He was led into a prison past hundreds of other prisoners who eyed Anakin curiously as the general and guards led him past.

    Anakin was placed in a cell at the end that resembled the one that he¡¯d been in on the Venator, with a force field replacing a door and a toilet and bed.

    Anakin sat down and started meditating on the Force. May as well while he was waiting.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    ¡°Mealtime. Step back.¡±

    Anakin opened his eyes and took a deep breath as he stood to his feet. The Republic guard in their blue armor and helmet leaned down and when the door shield flicked off put the tray on the ground quickly before retracting his hands and letting the shield flicker on again.

    ¡°Enjoy your meal,¡± the guard said as he took a step back, ¡°Enjoy your vegetables. They¡¯re from a mutual friend.¡±

    Huh. It had been days already and the guards had never spoken to him like that before¡­

    The guard turned and pushed the hovercart down the line to give another tray of food to the next prisoner.

    Anakin picked up the tray and inspected the pile of vegetables on it. He went to the corner of his cell and started eating it piece by piece. He paused as he saw something glittering at the bottom of the pile.

    He quickly took it out and saw that it was a small device with a little light on the top. He frowned and inspected it, before finally finding a button on the bottom that he pressed even as he huddled in the corner of his cell.

    A distorted and scrambled voice came over the device.

    ¡°This is your friend from the Outer Rim. This is a prerecorded message. I have devised a strategy, but we can not have direct contact or it will all be far apart. As far as anyone is concerned, you have not seen me in over a year. When you are called to the Senate for testimony, you must do two things. First, explain what happened that caused you to leave the Jedi temple in full detail without leaving anything out. Tell the full truth up to your arrival to Tatooine. Past there you will mainly tell the truth but with a few minor alterations to make you more sympathetic in the eyes of the Senators and assist our cause¡­¡±

    More instructions followed and Anakin listened carefully. It was fairly simple, but remembering it all while under pressure¡­ He¡¯d just have to do his best.

    ¡°...You are probably wondering why I speak of only the Senate and not the Courts that should truly be convicting you¡­¡±

    Anakin had not been thinking about that in the slightest.

    ¡°The truth is rather simple. If you are innocent in the court of public opinion, then the Courts will follow the Senator¡¯s leads. Corruption to your advantage. Your testimony to the senate is truly what matters. Best of luck, and remember. We have not seen each other since your first capture by the Republic. Flush the pieces of this device down this toilet. Self destruct in three seconds. Two.¡±

    Anakin quickly dropped the device into his toilet where it fizzled and fell into several pieces as a small bomb went off inside to destroy it into tiny metal fragments.

    He flushed the toilet and the pieces were gone.

    Muttering to himself to remember everything that he had to say, Anakin sat back down and started eating his food for real this time. With his hands unfortunately. They didn¡¯t give him utensils because he might hurt someone with them.

    A little ridiculous when Anakin could use the Force at any time, but at least the food here in the prison was better than it had been on the star destroyer.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    ¡°Padawan Anakin Skywalker. You are called before the Senate today to testify regarding your actions over the last two years on the run from Republic authorities,¡± Senator Mon Mothma said from her lit up podium, ¡°Let us start from the beginning. Please explain what it is that first led you to abandon your mission under your Jedi master.¡±

    Anakin took in a deep breath as his platform floated in the Senate chamber with heavily armed Republic guards standing behind him warily.

    ¡°It all started when my old master, Obi-wan Kenobi called me to see him after he returned from a mission from the Jedi Council¡­¡±

    Anakin explained everything, not leaving anything out as he went. There was a soft muttering in the Senate chambers and Anakin felt the prickle of all of the eyes on him as he spoke and stumbled over his words a few times from the pressure.

    He kept going until he reached Mos Espa and the two Jedi masters appeared after Mom had been taken into the backroom to have her slave implant removed. And how the Jedi master Erten had attacked him to try to capture him while his padawan went to capture the two women in the back of the building.

    He made sure to be more vague on what Dooku had said on his arrival about the corruption of the Republic, and swiftly continued to narrate how he¡¯d been injured in the battle with the Jedi Master and his mother and Slarena had helped him walk as they used a cart to get to the spaceport.

    ¡°And then¡­¡± Anakin said, his voice wavering slightly as he got to the point where the mercenaries showed up, ¡°One of them shot my mother in the head. She wasn¡¯t killed, but she was hurt and in incredible pain¡­ I blacked out, and I don¡¯t remember anything else after that until I woke up again in Count Dooku¡¯s care.¡±

    Mon Mothma nodded sympathetically, ¡°We¡¯re very sorry to hear about that. Do you have any idea who your attackers were? At the spaceport?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Anakin said, ¡°There were men who I knew were with the two Jedi. They tried to shoot stun blasts at me during our fight. They were there at the spaceport along with Jabba¡¯s mercenaries. I don¡¯t know which one shot my mom.¡±

    That wasn¡¯t strictly true. Anakin knew that the man who had shot Shmi had been one of Jabba¡¯s men. But Count Dooku had told him to say that he wasn¡¯t sure.

    ¡°Very well,¡± Mon Mothma said, ¡°You do not remember anything? What of the claims of the Jedi masters that you were using the dark side of the Force? That you were consumed by it before your collapse?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡±

    ¡°Surely you must remember something? Witness accounts¡­¡±

    ¡°Objection!¡±

    An unfamiliar Senator¡¯s voice from one of the outer rim worlds suddenly rang out as his platform floated towards the center of the room and his platform lit up, ¡°Senator Mon Mothma, it is established fact that the two Jedi attempted to kill young Skywalker while he was unconscious while he was there. I do not believe the boy should have to speculate on things that he doesn¡¯t even remember. We¡¯ve been over this enough while interrogating Count Dooku and those Jedi directly.¡±

    Mon Mothma glanced at the central spire where the leader of the senate Mas Amedda stood.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    ¡°Objection sustained,¡± the man said, ¡°Senator, the witness has answered your question. Let us move on.¡±

    Mon Mothma looked annoyed, but nodded at Mas Amedda respectfully.

    ¡°Of course. So Skywalker. Let¡¯s discuss your time with Count Dooku¡­¡±

    Anakin told them about him healing in the tube of bacta and then remaining alone in one of the man¡¯s safehouses. How he¡¯d been doing nothing but meditating on the Force and being generally cooped up for the whole time under his care. Nothing about the CIS or even working on droids was ever mentioned. He kept going and spoke of what happened while meeting his mom and the Republic ambush and how Obi-wan had been there. And being brought aboard the ship and the two Jedi being rude and calling him a dark sider as they escorted him to his cell.

    ¡°So. We come to the crux of the matter,¡± Mon Mothma said sharply as Anakin finished, ¡°What exactly happened on that ship? Complete destruction of the ship as well as the deaths of the command crew and two Jedi masters. Your being presumed dead for nearly a year before appearing again while being ransomed off by Jabba the Hutt.¡±

    ¡°I was in my cell on the ship¡­¡± Anakin said before taking a deep breath. This was the crucial part, ¡°I heard a noise outside. It was one of the Jedi masters.¡±

    He had to get this part right or the whole plan would be ruined. Dooku had told Anakin that there were no video records left from the ship that could tell the Republic what had truly happened.

    ¡°He came into my cell and tried to kill me with his lightsaber. I managed to slip by him, out of my cell, and ran towards the hangar bay to get away.¡±

    The Senate chamber erupted into an uproar and there was pandemonium for a few minutes as all the senators spoke with each other and even got in arguments and left Anakin himself largely ignored.

    ¡°Silence! Order in the Senate! ORDER!¡± Mas Ameda shouted, his voice growing louder each time as he adjusted the settings on the console in front of him.

    Everyone went silent and turned back to Anakin expectantly.

    Mon Mothma seemed shocked. Anakin glanced up to the Jedi observation booth and saw that Master Windu and Yoda also looked shocked by Anakin¡¯s words.

    ¡°Skywalker, are you absolutely sure he was there to kill you?¡± Mon Mothma said, ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°I barely dodged his swing with his lightsaber,¡± Anakin interrupted her, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t moved it would have gone through my neck. I¡¯m sure.¡±

    ¡°Let me remind you that you are under oath here, Skywalker. Lying to this esteemed body is a serious crime. Let me ask again to confirm. The Jedi Master entered your cell and swung his lightsaber at you unprovoked?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Senator. That¡¯s what happened.¡±

    Mon Mothma stared at Anakin and didn¡¯t say anything for a few moments.

    ¡°So you claim,¡± she said doubtfully and looking like she wanted to ask him again before a sharp look from Mas Amedda silenced her.

    ¡°So, how did this lead to the destruction of the ship? What led to the delay of over an hour before there was any more action?¡±

    ¡°The Jedi and I were fighting each other. I¡¯d stolen a blaster from a crew member and was using it to defend myself as best as I could from him. But then the air went out of the compartment. I managed to reach an emergency oxygen mask in time while the man I was fighting didn¡¯t. It took me that whole hour to calm down and figure out how to leave the sealed section of the ship so I could get to the hangar and steal a fighter to flee.¡±

    ¡°So you admit to trying to steal a Republic spacecraft?¡± Mon Mothma said harshly, looking at him disapprovingly. Anakin also heard more muttering that was disapproving from the other Senators.

    ¡°The Jedi had just tried to kill me,¡± Anakin said, remembering how Dooku had told him to phrase it, ¡°I just wanted to get out before they succeeded.¡±

    ¡°What happened to the Jedi Master that you supposedly were holding off with nothing more than a blaster?¡±

    ¡°There was only one mask nearby. He didn¡¯t make it. The Captain kept the compartments in a vacuum even when they saw that I had the mask on and the Jedi Master didn¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°And how did you manage to escape this sealed compartment of the ship?¡±

    ¡°I took the lightsaber and carved an opening in the bulkhead doors and forced it to repressurize. The other Jedi master found me as I reached the ship hangar while the rest of the crew evacuated. They all left when I arrived and the command crew entered just a few seconds too late to join them.¡±

    ¡°Did you kill any of the crew during your fight or escape from the ship?¡± Mon Mothma asked.

    ¡°No. I didn¡¯t kill any of the crew myself,¡± Anakin said.

    ¡°But someone killed them? Who?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Anakin said before hesitating. He knew it was what Dooku had told him what to say. And that it might even be true. But it still felt wrong to say somehow.

    ¡°Who?¡± Mon Mothma insisted, ¡°If not you, then how were they killed?¡±

    ¡°The Jedi master I was fighting,¡± Anakin said eventually, ¡°I noticed that he had something in his pocket. A communicator held in his hand, his finger was holding the button. I stole it from him when I noticed that he was defending it. As soon as it left his hand, the ship self-destructed. I barely made it into the fighter craft in time before the Jedi Master and the rest of the command crew were killed in the explosion. The Jedi killed them and destroyed the ship himself.¡±

    There was another explosion of noise from the Senators and more arguing. The Senator from the outer rim who had interrupted before spoke up as the argument died down again as Mas Amedda shouted at them.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard enough already!¡± the man shouted loudly, ¡°I demand an immediate inquiry into the Jedi and their actions during this incident! I¡¯ve heard nothing but sincereness from this boy! A boy hunted ruthlessly by the Jedi for simply wishing to live his own life! Is this the way the Jedi operate? Hunting down and killing anyone who dares dissent against their rigid religious doctrine? No, we must put them in check. The boy was brought to the Jedi Council before the Senate! Who truly controls this great Republic? Us? The duly appointed Senators? Or the Jedi in their grand palaces and towers looking down at us from above!¡±

    There was some muttering of agreement from a large bloc of Senators at the man¡¯s words. Another female Senator stood as Mas Amedda recognized her and her platform lit up.

    ¡°The Jedi Order are defenders and Paragons of Justice in the Republic!¡± She said, ¡°Clearly the boy is distraught and traumatized from the experiences that he has been forced to go through. These Jedi could be rogue actors, or even impersonators of true Jedi. I do not believe that the Jedi or its Council would ever order such a cowardly attack on a mere boy. So with the spirit to clear the Jedi¡¯s name and to provide transparency, I second the motion to form a council to lead an investigation into the Jedi. We must obtain any communications they may have made regarding this incident and learn why the boy was first brought to the Council instead of the Senate. Our paragons of Justice and Peace must prove their innocence once again to those who doubt their virtue!¡±

    She nodded to Mas Amedda and her platform fell back into the walls of the Senate chamber. Now more than two thirds of the room were muttering in agreement to the proposal. The first man and the woman seemed to have different factions based on how everyone reacted to them both supporting an investigation.

    Anakin¡¯s platform floated over to the walls with his guards still standing behind him and his light went off as the debate turned entirely away from him and instead went to investigate the Jedi and the Council.

    Anakin looked up at the Jedi booth and saw that Windu was still standing there, his face tightened into a smooth mask as he observed the proceedings dispassionately.

    Noticing Anakin¡¯s glance, Windu met his gaze for only a moment before turning away again, an irritated look in his eyes and the slightest tension around his eyes.

    After a few hours, the Senate eventually remembered that Anakin was still there in the chamber and brought him out again for more detailed questioning. It was easy for Anakin, since he mostly just told the truth except for the few small changes that Dooku had told him to make.

    There was only one more point that was brought up in the end that was important.

    ¡°What of the time between your first escape and your capture by Jabba the Hutt?¡± Mon Mothma asked Anakin, seeming irritated that the discussion in the Senate wasn¡¯t going her way. She was staunchly in the Pro-Jedi camp, and while her group was by no means small they were dwarfed in size by all the other groups calling for an in depth investigation and some were even blaming the Jedi already without even needing anything more than Anakin¡¯s word for it.

    ¡°I was on Eru Six in a small village,¡± Anakin said as he remembered the cover story that Dooku had established for him by paying off a few of the locals, ¡°I sold off the Republic fighter to some scrappers and that gave me enough credits to survive until I got the message from Jabba that he had my Mom and her friend held hostage.¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± Mon Mothma said, ¡°Let¡¯s get a little more specific, shall we?¡±

    Anakin did, much more confident on this part than he had in telling his story before. This excuse had been set up long long ago, far before what happened at Jabba¡¯s palace. Anakin had the facts that Dooku had given to him memorized by heart by now.

    ¡°The Republic will verify all of that information,¡± Mon Mothma said reluctantly, looking dissatisfied with his thorough answers, ¡°Now, I-¡±

    ¡°Must we continue with this?¡± the outer rim senator complained from the side, ¡°You¡¯ve grilled the poor boy enough, Mon Mothma. Some might even think that you¡¯re working with the Jedi with how you¡¯ve been acting. I see no terrorist or danger to the Republic here. Let the Courts handle this. From what I¡¯ve heard everything is a clear case of self defense. I¡¯ve certainly seen no evidence presented so far that it could be anything else.¡±

    ¡°According to the boy¡¯s own testimony that is,¡± Mon Mothma countered, ¡°Hardly reliable-¡±

    ¡°So what?¡± the senator said and threw up his hands in exasperation, ¡°Are there any more witnesses that can say differently?¡±

    Mon Mothma opened her mouth to answer.

    ¡°Witnesses that aren¡¯t Jedi? The ones who were trying to kill the boy in the first place?¡±

    Mon Mothma closed her mouth shut.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ve made my point,¡± the man said smugly, ¡°But either way. This is for the Courts to decide, not us. I move that we release young Skywalker for the day. He¡¯s been looking rather bored with all of our squabbling over the last few hours.¡±

    ¡°Motion seconded!¡± One of the man¡¯s allies added in.

    ¡°Very well. Let us dismiss the witness,¡± Mas Amedda said, ¡°His fate is in the Court¡¯s hands now. Is this agreeable to the Chamber?¡±

    There was some mumbled agreements across the chamber and Mas Amedda nodded as it became clear to everyone that most of the Senators were also annoyed by Mon Mothma¡¯s continued detailed questioning of Anakin and interrupting the discussions of the investigation into the Jedi.

    ¡°Very well. Anakin Skywalker, you are dismissed,¡± Mas Amedda said, ¡°Thank you for your time so far. The Senate may call upon you in the future if we have any further questions. Now, to discuss the participating members of this investigative committee¡­¡±

    Anakin was led away as the chamber returned to debating politics and the Jedi, seemingly to largely have forgotten Anakin the second Mas Amedda finished speaking.

    He returned to the prison, and three days later gave the same story that he¡¯d given the Senate to the judge at his court hearing. An ¡®interested attorney¡¯ that Anakin assumed worked for Dooku came to defend Anakin and managed to get him cleared of all charges.

    He was surprised, but apparently clear self defense was the ruling and he was set free. The judge then pointedly announced to the room that given Anakin had expressed his desire to leave the Jedi Order that he could not be compelled to return back to the Jedi temple either.

    Maybe the judge was working with Dooku too? Or maybe he just didn¡¯t like the Jedi for his own reasons.

    And then it was done. Anakin was released, and was free from the prison as well as given enough money to travel to buy a ticket to almost anywhere in the galaxy¡­ Given that he was willing to wait a few months traveling on the cheapest freighters.

    Luckily he didn¡¯t have to worry about that. As soon as he left the prison, Dooku himself was waiting there outside.

    ¡°Young Skywalker,¡± Dooku said, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve seen each other. You seem a bit lost. Perhaps I could offer a helping hand to you once more?¡±

    ¡°That would be great,¡± Anakin said in relief as the Republic guards from behind looked on as they stood just outside the exterior door to the prison.

    ¡°Excellent. I hope to catch up on everything that I¡¯ve missed in the last year. It seems to have been an exciting time for you.¡±

    It felt strange talking like this. Introducing themselves to one another again like they¡¯d almost just met when Anakin was used to seeing Dooku at least once a month for his inspection on their work on the droids. And even spending longer periods talking to Anakin and asking how he was personally doing.

    Dooku was a cold person by default, but Anakin had come to see him as someone he could trust. Who was a friend even, despite the power imbalance between the two of them with Dooku being Anakin¡¯s sponsor and benefactor for everything.

    So it felt strange as Anakin had to treat him so differently from normal now that the Republic was watching them.

    ¡°Of course, Count Dooku. I was just cleared by the courts luckily, so I don¡¯t have to be on the run anymore like I have been for so long¡­¡± Anakin began, only to stop as he saw a woman in the distinctive brown robes of the Jedi approaching. Everyone tensed at the sight, even the prison guards behind them who fractionally raised their blasters instinctively before quickly lowering them as soon as they realized what they were doing.

    The rumors about the Jedi and the Council were building, with the public opinion viewing it as an undeniable fact that the Jedi were guilty of the destruction of the ship. And all sorts of other nefarious things that they had supposedly done.

    The actual investigative Committee hadn¡¯t found anything so far, but kept releasing statements to the public that kept stoking the rumors even more despite the text of the statements themselves being rather bland and boring.

    ¡°Padawan Sky-¡±

    ¡°Just Skywalker,¡± Anakin interrupted the Jedi as she came to a stop in front of him and Anakin.

    ¡°Ah. Of course,¡± she said before looking at Dooku in surprise, ¡°Oh. And Master Dooku as we-¡±

    ¡°Count Dooku. It¡¯s Count Dooku,¡± the man interrupted as well and the woman looked annoyed at being interrupted again before her face smoothed into a calm mask again.

    ¡°Your presence is requested by the Council to discuss your testimony to the Senate,¡± she said as she stared directly at Anakin, ¡°They are concerned about the allegations you¡¯ve brought up and would like to discuss them with you in more detail.¡±

    Anakin glanced at Dooku for guidance and the man subtly shook his head.

    ¡°No thank you. You can tell them that I politely refuse.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± the Jedi insisted, ¡°I know you¡¯ve had your troubles, but even with that the Council can still forgive you and you can come back. If there is corruption in the Jedi then the Council would want to root it out more than anyone.¡±

    ¡°And what if it is the Council that is corrupt?¡± Dooku said loudly, ¡°What then?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ They¡¯re the Council! Don¡¯t be ridiculous. I know that Grandmaster Yoda at least would never stand for anything like what the rumors are saying. He¡¯d set them straight no matter what else happened. You both should know how he is. Those people on your ship couldn¡¯t have been real Jedi or something else happened that we don¡¯t understand just yet.¡±

    ¡°I still don¡¯t want to go,¡± Anakin said, ¡°Especially after I literally just got out of prison.¡±

    ¡°Look, controlling the Force isn¡¯t easy. We need the guidance of our elders to help us and assist us where we stumble or even fall... That¡¯s what the Jedi and the Temple are here for. If it¡¯s about¡­¡±

    ¡°I think that young Skywalker has given you his answer twice now,¡± Count Dooku said loudly again, ¡°I think it¡¯s time for you to leave.¡±

    The Jedi opened her mouth again only to pause as she turned and noticed the gathered crowd around them that had been listening to and recording their conversation on their devices. People and guards who had been around the entrance of the prison and drifted over when they saw the Jedi speaking to the recently released Anakin. As well as bystanders from the nearby street only a little bit away who broke off to investigate the growing crowd around Anakin and the Jedi.

    ¡°Very well,¡± the Jedi said, raising her hood slightly to cover more of her face, ¡°The invitation remains open, Padawan Skywalker. Come visit the temple again when you¡¯re ready. We still consider you one of us even if you don¡¯t seem to anymore.¡±

    She turned and left at a fast walk, all the other observers following her until she blended into the crowd on the street and blended in after a few minutes.

    ¡°I have a hovercar,¡± Dooku said as she disappeared, ¡°Let¡¯s get away from the crowds.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good, Count.¡±

    The hovercar was fancy, and as soon as they got in the driver blasted away and left the crowds of bystanders idly following them as they walked.

    ¡°Are they safe?¡± Anakin asked after he was sure the hovercar doors fully sealed.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Dooku replied, ¡°They¡¯re safe.¡±

    Anakin let out a sigh of relief. Thank the Force.

    Things were silent as the hovercar maneuvered through the dense Coruscant air traffic and crossing lanes.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡±

    ¡°The Spaceport. Best to get you away from here before anything else can happen. And so you can get away from the Council pestering you all of the time.¡±

    Anakin hesitated.

    ¡°Did you know that that was going to happen? Just now?¡±

    ¡°I guessed something like that might happen. The Council is unused to their authority being challenged by those it still views as its members. As you can tell by how their messenger reacted when you refused their thinly veiled commands.¡±

    ¡°Why are you doing so much to undermine the Jedi? Even what I said in the Senate¡­ I feel like there must have been another way if hurting the Council wasn¡¯t one of your goals.¡±

    ¡°The Jedi¡­ Are one of the greatest weapons of the Republic if used right. You were the one who said you wished that some of them would defect in the upcoming war. The only way to do this is to make them question their leadership so when we make them a better offer that they¡¯re willing to accept it.¡±

    ¡°But doesn¡¯t it just feel¡­ Dishonest? I don¡¯t know, I guess that¡¯s a childish thing to think considering how important this all is. But still. Plenty of innocent Jedi might be treated badly by the public because of what I said and you¡¯ve probably done too.¡±

    ¡°Honesty¡­¡± Dooku said as if rolling the word around his mouth, ¡°Young Skywalker. There is one thing that you must learn for politics. There is no right or wrong in its games. There are only the effective and ineffective strategies. Honesty has its place, but where dishonesty is more effective then it must be used without hesitation. Our goals and policies affect too many lives, too many worlds, to do otherwise. It would be irresponsible to hold ourselves back when we could do something to improve the state of the galaxy as a whole.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what I think about that. I¡¯m just glad I don¡¯t have to think about any of that politics anymore. I felt like I was twisting myself into a knot when Senator Mon Mothma was questioning me so intently.¡±

    ¡°It comes with experience,¡± Dooku replied, ¡°You did well for your first real attempt even considering my helpful guidance pushing you along. Now you¡¯re free to move in public in the galaxy with some basic precautions now that the Republic is no longer hunting you down. No more hiding away in safehouses for your mother and Ms. Reborn. Congratulations.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Count Dooku. You¡¯ve helped me out again. I don¡¯t know how I¡¯ll ever repay you for everything at this point.¡±

    Dooku gave Anakin a thin smile, ¡°Not to worry. You¡¯ve been plenty useful already. No need to worry about debts between friends, correct?¡±

    ¡°R-Right,¡± Anakin said and sat up slightly, ¡°Absolutely. Friends.¡±

    Dooku nodded, satisfied as their car slowly crawled towards the spaceport offworld through slow traffic.

    So close to seeing Mom and Slarena again, free of everything that had held him back for so long. He just couldn¡¯t wait.

 Chapter 18: Mystery at the Market

    ¡°Master, do you think it¡¯s true? If those Jedi Masters really tried to kill Skywalker then why wouldn¡¯t he just say so? I don¡¯t understand¡­¡±

    ¡°There could be many reasons for it, Ahsoka. The most obvious being that he truly thinks that the Council were the ones that ordered that he be killed. I know that this case weighs on your mind, but we¡¯re on a mission now.¡±

    ¡°Why are we on another mission already? I thought even the last one was something rare for a new padawan.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve decided that some more practical experience would serve you better than training at the temple. Most Masters do wait until much later until taking their Padawans along them on missions. But there¡¯s no rule on coming with me unless the mission is designated as too dangerous or I¡¯m specifically ordered not to. It will be good to do some things here on Coruscant. The beating heart of the Republic, and close enough to the Temple for support if anything goes wrong.¡±

    ¡°So I¡¯ll be going on more missions like this in the future then?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Instead of traditional training, I¡¯ve selected a series of more difficult tasks that we¡¯ll be doing together. It will test your investigation and personal skills more than combat hopefully.¡±

    ¡°So, what¡¯s our mission today?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be going to one of the local markets. Several of the food stand vendors are accusing each other of using spoiled food and serving it to their customers. Most, probably even all of them are lying, but they¡¯re all kicking up a fuss and scaring away all of their business because of the rumors they¡¯re starting about each other. It¡¯s our job and determine what if any truth there are to the rumors.¡±

    ¡°Master? Should we do something like this? Isn¡¯t this something for the police to handle?¡±

    ¡°Theoretically. But it hasn¡¯t been and won¡¯t be. It¡¯s all just rumors and hearsay from the stall owners. When all their food was checked it was found to be fine. Likely all of them knew that the inspection was coming ahead of time. I did say I¡¯d start easy and work our way up, didn¡¯t I? They might tell you things that they might not tell the police about the situation.¡±

    ¡°Will you be coming with me, Master?¡± Ahsoka asked as she noticed Obi-wan falling back slightly as they approached what must be the market that he was talking about.

    ¡°No,¡± he said, ¡°I might scare them off. Weren¡¯t you wondering why I¡¯m wearing these clothes rather than Jedi robes? No, I¡¯ll be a customer while you talk to the stall owners and complete your mission. I¡¯ll be nearby if anything goes wrong.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯ll have to talk to all of them by myself?¡±

    ¡°Exactly. You¡¯ll do fine. Even if you fail, the consequences are minimal at best. Now, let¡¯s separate. We can¡¯t be seen entering the markets together. Best of luck, my padawan.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you down, Master.¡±

    Ahsoka turned and hurried away in her Jedi robes with both lightsabers hanging on her hips as Obi-wan continued to walk at a slow pace, his own lightsaber concealed in his deep pockets in his street clothes.

    He entered the market and slowly wandered around through the milling crowds, buying a thing here and there as he watched Ahsoka at work going from stall to stall. She looked frustrated and confused as she talked with more and more of them. It was often difficult to determine fact from fiction. Obi-wan almost couldn¡¯t believe it when he was offered this case when he went to the police station to check for any cases that he and his padawan could use for training.

    It was a perfect exercise to hone his padawan¡¯s social skills. And get her out of the temple every once in a while. Maybe if he¡¯d done so with Anakin then¡­

    Obi-wan cut off the train of thought abruptly and drifted through the crowd as he lost sight of Ahsoka for a moment before finding her again. No use of thinking of the past right now. He¡¯d do right by his current padawan rather than worrying about his old one.

    Ahsoka had gone back to the first stall owner and was seemingly confronting him with all the other information she¡¯d received from the others. The man looked irritated and was ranting at her, presumably on why all of his rivals were liars and cheats while he was the only honest one.

    Just as he was about to reach out to a piece of fruit from the stall in front of him, Obi-wan felt an intense pulse of danger in the Force and ducked down as he reached into his pocket.

    The stand in front of him exploded in a plume of spraying fruit as a sniper shot plowed into it.

    The market crowds screamed and started stampeding away even as Obi-wan activated his lightsaber and brought it around to block a second blaster bolt that nearly hit his chest before he could react.

    Even as most of the market crowds fled, more came streaming inwards. They threw back their cloaks to reveal that their bodies were covered in assorted body armor and their hands held old, if usable, military blaster rifles. Most of the civilians had fled, only the cowering stall vendors and a frozen Ahsoka left behind.

    ¡°The Hutts send their regards!¡± A man in the front shouted before all of the mercenaries raised their blasters and opened fire on Obi-wan.

    Heart racing, Obi-wan used the Force to let him leap high in the air above their barrage of fire on the ground level. There was another burst of warning in the Force and Obi-wan shifted his lightsaber in mid-air to block the second sniper shot.

    ¡°Master!¡± Ahsoka shouted from below and activated both of her lightsabers in her hands.

    Obi-wan landed among the mercenaries and raising his hand let out a burst of the Force that sent many of them flying away from the blast. Obi-wan dashed among them and with precise strikes with his lightsaber sheared through their blaster barrels and rendered them useless.

    ¡°Aaaaaahhhhhh!¡±

    Obi-wan snapped his head around as he heard Ahsoka let out a high pitched scream. She stood with a look of shock and clutching the smoking hole in the right side of her chest. Her two lightsabers fell from her hands and she swayed on her feet even as the three mercenaries in front of her raised their weapons to fire again.

    Obi-wan¡¯s focus refined itself into a sharp point and with a well of the Force he dashed forward so fast that a burst of air blasted behind him and threw the remaining mercenaries around him to the floor again from where they had gone to stand.

    In another burst of Force, Obi-wan stopped just past the three mercenaries with his lightsaber held horizontally. The three men looked shocked for a moment before their upper halves slid off and fell to the ground from where Obi-wan¡¯s lightsaber had easily passed through all of them as he dashed past.

    ¡°Master,¡± Ahsoka muttered deliriously before her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she started to collapse to the floor.

    Obi-wan caught her with one arm and shifted his lightsaber as another sniper shot came blasting towards his injured apprentice.

    The mercenaries in the plaza were standing to their feet, unphased by the three men that Obi-wan had just killed. They reached to their sides and pulled out their side arms as the ones with their main weapons disabled by Obi-wan threw them to the side.

    Obi-wan felt the Force reinforcing his strength as used one arm to awkwardly pick up Ahsoka¡¯s limp form and lift her with his arm looped underneath her armpits and her body clutched to his chest with her head lolling loosely on his shoulder.

    One of her head-tails rolled across his face and Obi-wan shook his head to clear his vision as he adjusted his grip on her with one arm as her legs dangled loosely near his knees.

    The mercenaries raised their weapons and prepared to fire on him again as another sniper shot came screaming in towards his center mass.

    His right hand out of position from adjusting his grip on Ahsoka, he didn¡¯t have enough time to twist and block the blast. Using the Force, he shimmied to the side just enough that the heavy sniper shot came streaking by close enough that it singed the hair on the side of his head.

    Grip on Ahsoka secure, Obi-wan tensed his legs and then leapt upwards with the Force thrumming through him and letting him stay calm and focused despite the situation.

    The mercenaries fired up at Obi-wan, and most missed and struck the hovercars in the air lane above. The vehicles above started smoking and started swerving and descending towards the ground in a controlled crash as their autopilots did their job.

    Obi-wan twisted around in mid-air and blocked a single shot that managed to get close enough to hit them. Ahsoka¡¯s legs went ragdolling at his sudden twist and her forehead slammed painfully against Obi-wan¡¯s jaw even as he blocked the shot.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    He started to descend downwards back towards the street, but used the Force to change his descent to the side towards a balcony on one of the buildings on the third floor on the side of the street.

    His feet touched down on the balcony as with a burst of the Force he came to a stop on its surface.

    He ducked and an instant later another sniper shot blasted past him and pierced through the door into the apartment behind. Obi-wan tensed his legs again and jumped again away from the mercenaries and down towards ground level.

    He blocked one final sniper shot and with a quick glance saw the mercenaries milling around confused in the abandoned market square behind him. As his feet touched the ground and he started running again one of them pointed in his direction and shouted. All of them turned and let out a barrage of blaster fire, heedless of the damage they did to all of the buildings on the seemingly abandoned street around Obi-wan.

    Obi-wan pushed his legs further as they thrummed with the Force and let him bound and shoot forward down the street with every step as if he were being propelled by engine thrusters.

    After only a few seconds and a few more blocked blaster shots, he turned a corner onto another street and lost sight of the chasing mercenaries. The sniper hadn¡¯t fired at him again after that last attempt.

    Obi-wan dashed towards the shafts up to the surface. They were only on level fourteen deep from the surface of Coruscant; it was supposed to be relatively safe on these levels for his Padawan¡¯s first mission¡­

    Obi-wan reached the central shaft to the surface with the glow of real sunlight a little circle far above.

    He glanced around and spotted a Republic police cruiser hovering there over a landing pad on his level. He dashed forward and used the Force to open the back door and jump inside while still holding his injured apprentice to his chest.

    ¡°Wha- Sir, you can¡¯t- Holy Kriff! Is that a- Jedi?!¡± The officer in the front spluttered as he looked back from the driver¡¯s seat.

    ¡°Get me to the surface now,¡± Obi-wan demanded, ¡°My Padawan needs treatment immediately.¡±

    ¡°Uh, sir Jedi. It¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up and listen to him! Here, I¡¯ll call it in to the station¡­¡± the Republic Officer¡¯s partner in the passenger seat said as he caught a glance at Ahsoka who Obi-wan was laying flat on the seats next to him even as he closed the door behind him even as he deactivated his lightsaber that he just noticed had carved a burning line across the ceiling as he entered the car.

    The first officer shut up and the vehicle¡¯s sirens turned on as it started flying upwards at full speed so the walls of the shaft blurred by.

    Obi-wan focused on his padawan¡¯s condition with concern as she lay splayed out on the back seat with one of her arms hanging over the edge with her fingers just barely dragging on the floor.

    Her breathing was hitched and shallow and it looked like her whole right lung had collapsed inwards from the blaster shot that had hit her a few centimeters below her collarbone and seared a hole deep into her body, luckily stopping just before it reached her spine from how it looked as Obi-wan carefully shifted her to inspect the hole of cauterized hole of burned flesh from the plasma from the blaster bolt that had hit her.

    She might be suffering from some internal bleeding too, Obi-wan mused as he inspected the wound closer. She needed to be checked out at a medical center or get some bacta soon if he didn¡¯t want the injury to get any worse.

    Their hovercar shot out of the tunnel and reached the surface of Coruscant and open air even as the driver ignored all of the air lanes as their sirens blared.

    ¡°Sir, where should we go? The best hospital¡¯s a bit farther than the closest by a few minutes, she¡¯s not looking good¡­¡± the officer in the passenger said as he looked back at them.

    He was right, Ahsoka¡¯s orange face was paling slightly even as she continued to struggle to breath with one of her collapsed right lung with her eyes closed.

    ¡°Go to the best one,¡± Obi-wan said firmly, ¡°It¡¯s more secure. We can¡¯t go to a public hospital unless it¡¯s our last option.¡±

    ¡°Understood. Let¡¯s¨C¡±

    Obi-wan¡¯s eyes widened and he reached out his hand and with a burst of the Force dragged the control wheel to the side and sent their whole vehicle jerking to the side. The driver swore and tried to correct their course only for something to whizz by them before exploding above them.

    The hovercar shook and the thrusters cut out for an instant and they fell briefly before they activated again and all of them slammed into the floor again, Ahsoka sent tumbling into the footing space and off of the seat as Obi-wan struggled to keep his balance as orange flames filled the space just outside of the left window and peppered it lightly with shrapnel before burning itself out.

    Obi-wan looked right and saw that on top of a nearby building was a masked woman holding a giant metal cylinder over her shoulder. She pulled the trigger on the cylinder again.

    ¡°Dodge!¡± Obi-wan shouted and used the Force again to swerve their vehicle as another rocket came streaking by and just barely missed them again.

    The hovercar gunned it and before the woman on the roof could fire another rocket they were blasting away.

    ¡°How long before we reach the hospital?¡± Obi-wan asked as the woman faded from view.

    ¡°About nine minutes, sir. I¡¯m calling the station, it¡¯s¡­¡±

    Obi-wan stopped paying attention as he noticed two reinforced vehicles in the air lanes on either side of them exit and start flying towards them.

    ¡°Incoming! Prepare for impact!¡± Obi-wan shouted before the first craft rammed into them full speed and sent the whole hovercar spinning around rapidly as they fell towards the ground.

    Obi-wan lept to the floor and grabbed Ahsoka¡¯s head and shoulders and tried to prevent her from getting anymore hurt as he fell on top of her from the force of their rapid spins.

    The officers up front were cursing up a storm as he tried to stabilize the hovercar as they plunged downwards.

    The spin slowed down and their fall came to a halt just in time for blaster fire to strike the top of their vehicle.

    Obi-wan looked out of the window and saw several figures leaning out of the windows of their reinforced vehicles and holding blaster rifles and firing down at them.

    Ignoring all of the safety protocols, the officer gunned it and pushed the vehicle to its maximum speed as the two following vehicles chased after them while still opening fire.

    Obi-wan crouched defensively over Ahsoka as the blaster fire shattered the side and back windows of the reinforced vehicle and went over his head and into the hovercar¡¯s roof.

    ¡°Where¡¯s our support?¡± Obi-wan shouted over the sizzling plasma that were spraying the roof of the vehicle and boring holes through its already battered frame, ¡°Where¡¯s the rest of the Republic Security forces?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± the officer on the passenger¡¯s seat shouted over the chaos and loud wind rushing by them, ¡°Everything¡¯s in chaos over the channel! Something about an attack on the Senate building!¡±

    ¡°How close to the hospital? Some other group we could contact?¡±

    ¡°I- About two minutes to the hospital, sir Jedi! Security forces there should be able to fight them there. The hospital always has some troops.¡±

    More plasma fire came towards them and one of their thrusters sputtered for a moment before firing again.

    ¡°We won¡¯t make it two minutes,¡± Obi-wan realized, ¡°Hand me your blaster, officer.¡±

    ¡°Sir, I-¡±

    ¡°Hand it over,¡± Obi-wan said firmly. The man hesitated again but reached to his side and slipped the blaster through the gap to the front compartment and back to Obi-wan.

    Obi-wan slipped his lightsaber into his pocket and leaned out the shattered window and stabilized his grip on the blaster by bracing his forearm with the blaster pistol with his free hand.

    He took careful aim at one of the men leaning out of the following hovercars that was aiming his weapon at them.

    Obi-wan fired his pistol and the man slumped and went tumbling out of the window, falling down through the open air to the ground far below.

    The remaining seven or so mercenaries poking their heads out of the cars were taken out in sequence and efficiently by Obi-wan¡¯s supernaturally good aim, guided by the Force with each shot. After a few moments no more of them emerged and the two chasing vehicles reluctantly peeled off and started flying away.

    ¡°We¡¯re by the hospital, sir,¡± the driver shouted over the roaring wind.

    Obi-wan returned inside of the hovercar and passed the blaster back to the officer who had handed it to him with a faint sense of distaste. He always hated how easy it was to kill people with blasters. It made him feel like a ruthless soldier rather than someone doing their best to embody the Jedi ideals of Peace and Justice.

    The officers sorted out the situation with the confused and alarmed hospital security forces over their communicators while Obi-wan checked Ahsoka¡¯s pulse as she lay on the floor. She was bruised in several places from being thrown around in the car and her breathing was still erratic. But despite being weak, her pulse was steady and unchanging as she lay there on the floor.

    Using the Force, Obi-wan carefully lifted her in the air and placed her back onto the seat cushions rather than on the floor in the leg space.

    They touched down on the ground and Obi-wan followed after the hospital staff as they put Ahsoka on a hovering stretcher and started wheeling her away for treatment.

    He waited in the hospital lobby, and only let out a soft breath of relief when one of the nurses returned and informed him that Ahsoka was stable and that she would recover. Shouldn¡¯t have to stay in the hospital for more than a few days with some liberal use of bacta.

    Bacta was expensive. The nurse cautiously questioned his budget, but Obi-wan waved her off and told her to bill the Jedi temple for it. He was still in his street clothes, and his lightsaber was still hidden in his pocket, so it seems that people didn¡¯t recognize as a Jedi without him telling them first at the moment.

    Obi-wan looked down at his communicator in his hand that was buzzing. In the chaos of the frantic chase with the mercenaries, Obi-wan had forgotten to call the Jedi temple or the Republic security forces for assistance. His most recent messages had something about the situation at the Senate building no doubt. Some kind of explosion from the gossiping he¡¯d heard from the other people sitting in the waiting room with him. If he answered then it would be his duty to go there and assist with the situation as a Jedi knight.

    But other Jedi could deal with that, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to contribute much more with it already being over an hour and a half since it had happened.

    He had a padawan here that he had to wait for, he couldn¡¯t leave until she was fully recovered. Not with people potentially being after him and her by extension. The Hutts even, although Obi-wan wasn¡¯t sure what he had done that would provoke such a response in them.

    They were a crime syndicate that spanned the galaxy. They owned hundreds of worlds in Hutt space that were practically separate from Republic rule due to their overwhelming influence. What had he done that would make them send assassins after him specifically?

    No, whatever the reason, he couldn¡¯t leave yet. Not when Ahsoka was still being treated. He¡¯d sworn to himself after Anakin that he wouldn¡¯t let outside influences convince him to neglect his padawan ever again, even if the Council ordered him to. So here he would stay until her recovery was not just likely but assured. And there was some real security for her beyond the standard security forces that were more used to chasing away drunks and opportunistic thieves than an organized galaxy spanning gang and the mercenaries that they could hire.

    He left the communicator buzzing and slipped it back into his pocket. If they truly needed him, then they could send someone over to collect him. But until then he would remain here in this hospital with his padawan.

 Chapter 19: A Higher Duty

    ¡°She¡¯s ready to see you, Mr. Kenobi.¡±

    ¡°How is her health?¡±

    ¡°Stable and recovering fast,¡± the nurse said, ¡°It¡¯ll take another few hours and some more expensive bacta injections, but she should be fully recovered by the end of the day. The remaining few days will just be for monitoring and making sure that any more issues don¡¯t crop up from her treatment.¡±

    ¡°Excellent. I¡¯m glad to hear that. Any word on the explosions at the Senate building?¡±

    The nurse gave him an odd look.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you know better than me, Master Jedi? I¡¯m just a nurse here, I only hear rumors¡­¡±

    Obi-wan reached into his pocket and pulled out the communicator that he¡¯d subtly smashed a few hours ago.

    ¡°I seem to be out of contact,¡± he said calmly as she looked at the clearly destroyed communicator.

    ¡°Oh. I¡¯m sorry, we would have provided you with one if we¡¯d known. I know you asked to keep the identities of you and your padawan a secret until she was fully treated, but¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s quite alright. You can give me one after I see Ahsoka,¡± Obi-wan interrupted her, ¡°About the explosion at the Senate Chambers?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¨C Uhm. No one really knows. Rumors are that it was some big plot by one of the gangs. None of the senators were hurt, but several guards working in the building were heavily injured. I¡¯ve heard that the police and security forces are turning the underground of Coruscant nearly upside down looking for who¡¯s really behind it.¡±

    ¡°So no one has claimed responsibility yet?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I did hear somebody saying that it was the Hutts behind it all. But who knows with them? I¡¯m sure that people would blame them for anything considering how nasty they usually are to people.¡±

    ¡°Your friend, was it a guess or did they know if there was any evidence for it?¡±

    ¡°Oh, it was just in some news article that she read. Some unnamed Senator said it was true, but without knowing who it was, it¡¯s only a guess if it¡¯s actually true or not. And it was one of the smaller sites so they may just have been looking for attention. I¡¯m sure the Republic and the Jedi will find out whoever is behind it soon.¡±

    ¡°I hope so as well.¡±

    ¡°By the way, Mr. Kenobi. I just want to say that I don¡¯t believe any of those nasty rumors floating around about the Jedi. I¡¯m sure they wouldn¡¯t order the execution of an innocent boy like that. It just doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I suppose¡­ It wouldn¡¯t make any sense, would it? The Jedi Council would never do such things of course.¡±

    She gave him a look of confusion at his strange tone before seemingly shrugging it off and stopping in front of a door and opening it and revealing the hospital room inside.

    ¡°Well, here we are. This is her room. As her legal guardian appointed by the Jedi temple, you¡¯re allowed to be in there alone with her. Just press the call button if you need me or any of the other nurses for anything at all.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your help. Have a good day.¡±

    ¡°You too, Mr. Kenobi. Bye now.¡±

    She turned and left, and Obi-wan entered the room where Ahsoka lay in a white hospital gown on the bed. She had an IV and hanging bag behind her as well as a medical droid next to her hovering in place and visibly scanning Ahsoka every few seconds with a soft click and whirr.

    Ahsoka sat up and put her hand to the place where Obi-wan could just barely see the bump of the bulky bandages that sat beneath her thin hospital gown. Her body was bruised all over from when she had been thrown violently around the hover car while unconscious. Obi-wan was sure that those would disappear soon. The hospital had probably left them to last to fix since they were the least serious of her injuries.

    ¡°Master. What happened? Why did we get attacked?¡± She asked as their gazes met, ¡°How did we get here? I remember getting shot. The Force screamed at me that it was coming, but I couldn¡¯t move my lightsaber fast enough to block¡­ Then I was falling and then¡­ I woke up here with nurses and droids that didn¡¯t know what was going on. Did they catch the people who went after us?¡±

    ¡°I informed two police officers about everything that happened. Here¡¯s what happened after you fell unconscious¡­¡±

    Obi-wan told the whole story of his escape from the mercenaries and frantic journey to the hospital with Ahsoka in tow.

    ¡°I left it to the two officers to report everything to the Republic and make sure the information goes through the proper channels. I¡¯ve been rather out of the loop for the last few hours. I don¡¯t know how many, if any of our attackers have been caught. I¡¯ve been focused on bringing you to safety and waiting for you to be brought into a stable condition. I smashed my communicator as well.¡±

    He took the destroyed device out of his pocket and showed it to her. She sat up and looked confused.

    ¡°Smashed? But Master, why would you do that? Shouldn¡¯t you be calling for help?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t be ordered to abandon you here at this hospital on your own if I don¡¯t receive the orders,¡± he said even if he was uncertain if he should be so open with Ahsoka regarding his borderline insubordinate actions, ¡°With those attackers still out there I wouldn¡¯t want to leave you undefended.¡±

    ¡°What? Why would you be ordered away?¡± Ahsoka asked, ¡°Are we still in danger?¡±

    ¡°Well, the Council might think that my talents would be better used elsewhere and send someone less competent to guard you instead. Your injury is my responsibility, so it¡¯s only right that I am here until you have recovered.¡±

    ¡°Master¡­¡± Ahsoka said before trailing off, looking confused, ¡°I¡­ Isn¡¯t that irresponsible? I¡¯m¡­ I mean I can¡¯t be more important than whatever the Council wants you to do, right? And this isn¡¯t your fault, it¡¯s the fault of those mercenaries who attacked us out of nowhere.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m your master. Everything that happens to you is my responsibility, no matter who else also is at fault. I have a greater duty to you than any other Jedi in the order. Not until my greater duty is secure in training and especially protecting you in this case, can I return to other matters. To the less important duties given to me by the Council from time to time.¡±

    ¡°I- Master!¡± Ahsoka said and blushed although she smiled a little, ¡°That- You can¡¯t just say things like that. That the Council¡¯s tasks aren¡¯t important. What if someone heard you?¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see anyone else here. Are you going to tell anyone?¡±

    ¡°Uh, no? I won¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Then I don¡¯t think I have anything to worry about. Listen, Ahsoka. I made a mistake with Anakin. I allowed myself to be pushed to the side at the time when he needed me as his master the most. And we both know how that turned out. Everything that he has done, and had done to him is my responsibility due to my failings as his master back then. I won¡¯t allow the same thing to happen with you. Your training and safety are my highest priority until such time as you are ready for more or no longer desire to be my padawan any longer. No matter the desires of the Council or other masters. A bit of a traditionalist idea, but I¡¯ve found myself rather drawn to the philosophies in the older texts in my recent readings over these last few months.¡±

    ¡°Master, I¡ª Don¡¯t know what to say. I¡¯ve always thought that you were an excellent master. I don¡¯t want you to get in trouble with Council or other Masters because of¡ª I¡¯m not sure why honestly. But thank you for waiting at the hospital so long for me. And for saying all of that about trying to be a good Master to me.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Ahsoka. I am just making sure that I¡¯m doing my best. Let me worry about the Council and my own decisions for now. I suppose I will have to report in to the Council soon. I¡¯ll make sure that you have good enough security here now that the situation at the Senate building has calmed down somewhat.¡±

    ¡°Okay, Master.¡±

    Obi-wan left the room as the nurse returned and he was handed a communicator. He dialed the Jedi temple and punched in his security code before connecting to the line. He had to wait for about ten seconds for it to connect as he stood in the hospital hallway just outside of Ahsoka¡¯s room.

    ¡°Obi-wan. Where have you been?¡± Grandmaster Windu¡¯s tense voice said over the communicator, ¡°We could have used your help with the situation at the Senate building. I¡¯ve been too busy to send someone over to collect you. Is young Padawan Tanu recovering well?¡±

    ¡°Apologies. I wanted to remain until my padawan was in a more stable condition. The doctors think that she will recover quickly. My communicator was smashed in the chase after we were attacked. I didn¡¯t want to leave just in case our attackers thought to make an attempt on her life while she was defenseless.¡±

    ¡°That is¡­ Acceptable,¡± Windu said a little reluctantly, ¡°We must safeguard our padawans of course. Have you seen anything suspicious that could be a follow up attack? You¡¯re not the only one that was attacked. Master Erten and his padawan were ambushed as well. Neither of them survived, between the mercenaries on the ground and their vehicle getting shot out of the air when they went to flee.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Wait, that Master Erten? Do you think that this is connected to Anakin somehow? My attackers mentioned something about the Hutts. Perhaps something to do with Tatooine?¡±

    Master Windu didn¡¯t say anything for a moment.

    ¡°Are you somewhere secure?¡±

    Obi-wan looked around the hallway and saw an open door a little ways down. He carefully pushed open the door and saw that the room was empty. He gestured to the nurse down the way and pointed into the empty room. She looked confused for a moment before nodding in understanding and gesturing towards the room herself.

    He went inside and locked the door behind him.

    ¡°I am now. Is there information on who¡¯s really behind this?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It really is the Hutts. They¡¯ve all but declared war on the Republic right now. The bombing was only a distraction to pull away our security forces and cause chaos so they could attack you and Master Erten. It seems that the Hutts think that you and by extension the Republic assassinated Jabba the Hutt, and fear that they¡¯re next. They¡¯ve sent an ultimatum to the Senate to give you up or they¡¯ll use their gangs and mercenaries to cripple our infrastructure and economy. And they¡¯ve declared full independence even if the Republic does decide to give into their other demands.¡±

    ¡°I see. Why Master Erten as well? He had nothing to do with that mission. Is there any luck in determining who Jabba¡¯s assassin might have been? Who it was that was trying to get Anakin away from Jabba for their own purposes?¡±

    ¡°It seems that Master Erten is being blamed for Skywalker¡¯s rampage in Mos Espa. The Hutts¡¯ message said that Skywalker was simply buying a slave peacefully when Master Erten came in and caused chaos in an attempt to give the Republic an excuse to assassinate Jabba later. Something to establish Skywalker¡¯s threat level so that we could retrieve Skywalker from his clutches and justify killing Jabba in the process. Republic Intelligence has had no luck in finding who that assassin was, so it¡¯s impossible for us to refute the claims that he worked for the Republic. Or point the Hutts at the true culprit behind the assassination.¡±

    ¡°That is ridiculous. Do they expect anyone to believe a story like that?¡±

    ¡°Likely not. But according to Republic intelligence, the Hutts themselves at least believe it. They¡¯ve been in an uproar ever since Jabba¡¯s death, fearful that they might be next if they don¡¯t break free of the Republic now. The Hutts are hiring mercenaries and militarizing quickly even as we speak to defend Hutt space from the Coreward military fleets. While nominally a Republic territory, Hutt space has always been left to their own devices for a long time. It seems that they intend to take full independence in truth if we don¡¯t satisfy their demands.¡±

    ¡°Demands? There is more beyond me being handed over to them?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Various economic things, favorable trade deals, access to the major hyperspace lanes to the core without high tariffs, those kinds of matters. Recognition of their independence and agreements on which worlds they claim are theirs, and other similar things.¡±

    ¡°And the Senate? What has their reception been to these demands?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re absolutely furious,¡± Windu said with a small note of satisfaction, ¡°Only a small group even suggested handing you over to them, and they were quickly shouted down before they could even finish their full proposal. The Senators have not taken well to being threatened so openly in the heart of the Republic. Or being put in personal danger by the bombings. If things go the way they have been so far, I expect a formal declaration of war on the Hutts within the day despite Chancellor Palpatine¡¯s attempts to sway the Senate to a more diplomatic solution.¡±

    ¡°War?!¡± Obi-wan said, shocked, ¡°There is truly no peaceful solution to this? The Senate has never cared about the Hutts¡¯ ruthlessness or depravity before. Why attack them now?¡±

    ¡°The declaration of independence especially incensed them,¡± Windu said, ¡°The Republic has ruled the galaxy for thousands of years as one unified whole. And it''s the one demand that the Hutts have stated is non-negotiable. It¡¯s a matter of pride now for the Republic to bring their worlds back under their influence. They can¡¯t ignore Hutt space now that their independence has been so loudly proclaimed in front of the ears of the whole galaxy.¡±

    ¡°Is that a proper reason for war? Pride? What is your opinion on this?¡±

    ¡°It is our policy as Jedi to not interfere unless absolutely necessary. The Hutts are depraved as you said, and this galaxy will be better off if their worlds are folded back into the Republic properly and their overall influence diminished. Even if the Senators only vote for war out of personal pride, I still believe that a war with the Hutts would be just.¡±

    Obi-wan considered that for a while.

    ¡°I agree, Grandmaster Windu,¡± he eventually said, ¡°War with the Hutts would be just. So, are my talents needed at this time or should I remain guard over my padawan for the time being?¡±

    ¡°Remain at the hospital. When Padawan Tanu is recovered enough from her injuries, you will escort her back to the Jedi temple to finish her treatment where there¡¯s better security. Until then I¡¯ll organize a team from Republic Intelligence to come and guard her alongside you for the time being.¡±

    ¡°Thank you Grandmaster Windu. As you say. Good luck with the Senators.¡±

    ¡°I think I will need it,¡± Windu said with a slightly lighter tone before ending the call. Obi-wan slipped the communicator into his pocket and left the empty hospital room and back into the hallway.

    He went over to the nurse from before.

    ¡°Is there any chance I could wait in the hospital room with my padawan?¡±

    ¡°Certainly,¡± she said, ¡°Go right ahead. So long as you don¡¯t interfere with her treatment you may do so.¡±

    ¡°Do you mind if I keep this communicator for the moment?¡±

    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s the hospital¡¯s, not mine. Keep it for as long as you like.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    She nodded and walked off as Obi-wan slipped back into Ahsoka¡¯s room. She was confused at his return for a few moments before he explained himself before she settled down again and laid back in her bed once more.

    Obi-wan sat on a nearby chair and crossed his legs to reach a meditation pose, and then started meditating on the Force. The time flew by as he ignored the outside world almost entirely, only letting the barest amount of his focus register the doctors and nurses coming in and out and the soft conversation they had with Ahsoka while she was awake.

    When Obi-wan had to sleep he simply leaned backwards against the wall behind him and closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep before his eyes even fully closed after the long stressful and exhausting day.

 Chapter 20: The Jediéˆ¥æªš Army

    ¡°But is it right, master? You must have seen some of the things on the holonets. What the Republic military has done to the old Hutt worlds, making it so people can¡¯t even leave their planets for months. All those new terror laws passed by the Senate that let the soldiers just search them randomly and arrest them for up for a month without any evidence in former Hutt space¡­¡±

    ¡°Even with all of those laws and regulations, the remaining Hutts underground still commit terror attacks against the Republic almost daily. Their hold over Hutt space is nearly fully shattered, but that doesn¡¯t mean the threat from them is over yet. Besides, it¡¯s up to the Republic to make these decisions. We are lucky that we and the rest of the Jedi were not called to combat with the Hutt forces considering it only took a few months for the true military action to be over,¡± Obi-wan replied thoughtfully.

    ¡°But we¡¯re supposed to defend justice in the Republic. How can we do that when the Republic won¡¯t even free the slaves in Hutt space?¡±

    Obi-wan sighed. The crux of the matter.

    ¡°No, the Republic hasn¡¯t freed them yet. It¡¯s a drastic change in an already unstable time. Slavery is outlawed in the Republic. After the last of the fighting is over, I¡¯m sure that the Senate will see some reason and take the final step.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s already been almost a year since all of this started! Hasn¡¯t it been long enough? Are we supposed to ignore it when the Senate does something that¡¯s clearly unjust?¡±

    ¡°Ahsoka,¡± Obi-wan replied sharply, ¡°The Senators are duly elected from their worlds. I understand your frustration, but it is not the place of the Jedi to enforce our will on the Republic but the opposite. We may have a good cause now, but imagine if we were wrong and freeing all the slaves now only caused more chaos and loss of life rather than waiting another few months? It is not a black and white issue, and must be considered with care. The Senate will do what¡¯s right with the Council¡¯s encouragement given enough time.¡±

    ¡°I know that, Master. I just¡­ It feels wrong to do nothing when I read about these things on the holonet.¡±

    ¡°I understand. It has been too long, I agree. But you¡¯re not the only one that feels this way. I¡¯m sure that soon all of this unpleasantness will end and Hutt space will be reintegrated fully into the Republic again. And the slaves freed as they always should have been once the last Hutt remnants are finally stamped out. The Council has told me that if the slaves'' freedom is not passed within the month, then they will begin campaigning the senate to take proper action.¡±

    ¡°Oh. It makes sense the Grandmasters would discuss things like that,¡± Ahsoka said, seeming a bit embarrassed by the revelation, ¡°I thought that the Council wasn¡¯t going to do anything. The Council has been so silent on what¡¯s happening out there for so long so I just assumed¡­¡±

    ¡°Now you know. Don¡¯t go spreading it around though. Strictly speaking, I wasn¡¯t supposed to tell you that. Now, are you ready for your newest mission?¡±

    ¡°Kidnapped kid, right? Taken on level ten or so right? The parents want help with the ransom?¡±

    ¡°Right. The parents have the money and a meeting place for the handoff. It¡¯s our job to make sure things go smoothly and the boy isn¡¯t hurt.¡±

    ¡°What about the people that took him? We¡¯re just going to let them go?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. But getting the boy back is our first priority. I¡¯ll be handling the gang afterwards. This mission will be far more dangerous than any of the others that we¡¯ve done up to this point. Things may go wrong and even devolve into a larger battle if these people are involved with a larger gang. If I give you an order, even to leave me behind and flee then you must follow it. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master,¡± Ahsoka unconsciously reached up and lightly rubbed the right side of her chest where she¡¯d been shot with the blaster a year ago, before letting her hand fall back down to her side, ¡°I understand.¡±

    ¡°Excellent. Then let¡¯s go. We have roughly an hour to get there, and we don¡¯t want to be late.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Master.¡±

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Ahsoka held the five year old boy¡¯s hand while carefully keeping her hand on her hip where one of her lightsaber¡¯s sat. She and Obi-wan were slowly backing away, all of the gang members eying them warily as their leader held the briefcase filled with credits that her and her master had brought from the parents.

    Apparently they were very rich, and the ransom for the boy had been high.

    Ahsoka only let out a breath of relief as they left the doors of the dingy bar where the gang members remained unmoving.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Ahsoka asked the boy who was staring up at her as she held his hand.

    ¡°I-¡±

    There were screams from the crowd and Ahsoka looked to the side to see that Master Kenobi had ducked down and activated his lightsaber.

    Before Ahsoka could react, Master Kenobi moved his lightsaber twice to block something in front of him and Ahsoka saw two little bits of metal spark as her master¡¯s lightsaber blocked them, and another pass by him right above his head before hitting the street behind them.

    Ahsoka brought out her own lightsaber, and felt a warning the Force screaming at her as something came streaking towards her. She moved her lightsaber to block, but just like last time it wasn¡¯t fast enough. She¡¯d been practicing, but she still wasn¡¯t nearly good enough to block something this fast purely with her reflexes.

    Her heart pounded in her throat and she thought whatever was giving her such an intense sense of danger would actually hit her, but Master Kenobi dashed to the side with the Force and put his body between her and the projectile and smoothly blocked it with his own lightsaber.

    The boy who was holding Ahsoka¡¯s hand screamed and fell back to the ground and made her squat down as he dragged her to the side slightly with his weight as his butt hit the street.

    There was the sound of thrusters and a man covered in shining beskar rose into the air on his jetpack and started flying away as Master Kenobi remained standing there unmoving.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Are you going to chase him, Master?¡±

    ¡°No. There may be others. We won¡¯t separate. I¡¯m calling this in.¡±

    Master Kenobi took out his communicator and started rapidly speaking the Jedi temple and Republic intelligence to get people moving to try to catch the Mandalorian assassin fleeing on the jetpack even as Ahsoka watched.

    Master Kenobi glanced at Ahsoka and then down at the boy next to her. Ahsoka startled as she realized the boy was sitting there appearing traumatized and bawling his eyes out while she was distracted.

    ¡°Uhm, it¡¯s okay. You¡¯re going home now, no need to cry. The bad man flew away¡­¡± Ahsoka began awkwardly as she tried to comfort the boy. With a grunt picked up the boy and carried him a few steps so Master Kenobi could talk over his communicator without the boy¡¯s wailing drowning him out as much.

    No matter what she said, the boy only cried harder. What was she doing wrong? She thought that it would be fine¡­

    In the end, the boy was returned to his happy parents. Only a little traumatized, but safe home without even a scratch on him. The first projectile, which turned out to be a specialized type of metal dart, had been recovered from where it had shot at Master Kenobi and hit the street. Master had told her that it had contained a potent almost certainly lethal venom that it would have injected into them if it had hit them.

    Ahsoka would remain to train in the Jedi temple while Master Kenobi investigated the mercenary that tried to kill them both. He told her that he had a lead on the bounty hunter, but that it was too dangerous for her to go with him. The clue was from some planet where he had discovered the dart had been made? Kam- Kamino? Yes, Kamino. Ahsoka had never heard of it before, but Master Kenobi seemed to think that the bounty hunter must have bought the special darts there. Master Kenobi had left a few hours ago to investigate, flying off to Kamino on his own without her.

    Ahsoka took a deep breath. None of the other padawans ever worried about all of these big picture stuff. It was fun to brag a bit to them how important her master was and all the important things she did on the missions for him. But sometimes she wished she was able to just sit in the temple and practice her lightsaber forms like all of the other younger padawans her age seemed to do without worrying about the outside world in the slightest.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    ¡°A clone army? Ordered by Jedi Master Sifo Dias?¡± Obi-wan replied blankly, repeating after the Kaminoian President.

    ¡°Of course Master Jedi. Ten years ago. You are here to check on their development, yes? I can confidently say that our gene donor for these clones is excellent. I think that your Jedi Council and the Jedi at large will be quite satisfied with our product. Perfect soldiers, and loyal to a fault to their commanders. Yet innovative enough to adapt to the chaotic situation of battle. Our first batch is fully ready for deployment, tens of thousands. And millions more on the way.¡±

    ¡°Is that¡­ so?¡± Obi-wan said slowly, ¡°These soldiers, you meant that they are for the Republic of course? Not just the Jedi?¡±

    The Kaminoian President paused and gave Obi-wan an indecipherable look from the tiny head perched on the end of his long towering neck.

    ¡°As you say, Master Jedi. These soldiers must be for the Republic if that¡¯s what the Jedi wish to do with them.¡±

    ¡°I see, I see,¡± Obi-wan said, mind still reeling from what he had learned. An army at massive sizes, just brewing here for over a decade with no one else aware of it. He had to report this to the Council and Republic with all haste. They had to determine where this Sifo-Dias was and why he had ordered the creation of this army. And how he had ordered it. There had been no discussion of payment, so Obi-wan assumed Sifo-Dias had somehow managed to pay upfront for the creation of all of these clones. Something that he obviously wouldn¡¯t have been able to afford alone.

    The Kaminoian president took Obi-wan on a tour around their facilities and showed the training for the tens of thousands of identical human men in white gleaming armor. The Clone Army.

    At the end of the tour, Obi-wan politely thanked the Kaminoian president for his hospitality and left as soon as possible to return to his ship. He had to return to Coruscant at all costs to tell them what he had learned. An army like this could shake the galaxy¡­

    He climbed into his ship, and without interruption quickly left the atmosphere and after setting his course, jumped into hyperspace back to Coruscant.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    ¡°And so that¡¯s what I¡¯ve learned so far,¡± Obi-wan concluded, ¡°I came here as soon as I could. I will inform Republic Intelligence next as soon as I discover who has the proper clearance to handle information of this importance¡­¡±

    ¡°Now wait,¡± Grandmaster Windu said and raised his hand, ¡°There is still much that we don¡¯t know. Sifo-Dias disappeared more than four years ago on a mission. We thought him dead, but there is still a chance that he¡¯s still alive. We still do not know the purpose of this army, or how Sifo-Dias managed to commission its construction. Nor do we know how the Republic will react once they discover something this galaxy shaking. We must be extremely cautious with this information.¡±

    ¡°Agree with Windu, I do,¡± Grandmaster Yoda said sagely, ¡°Too much unclear, there is. Not know the Republic¡¯s response, we do. Excuse to delay freedom of the slaves in Hutt space, some in the Senate may use this new threat as.¡±

    ¡°An excellent point,¡± Grandmaster Windu agreed and nodded, ¡°We must wait at least a month or two for the declaration to pass without interruption. Our allied Senators almost have the votes needed to let it pass at the moment. We can¡¯t disrupt their progress now, at the cusp of their victory.¡±

    ¡°Investigate more of this situation, first, before telling the Republic, we must,¡± Grandmaster Yoda concluded, ¡°Keep it secret, until more is known and the vote passes. Otherwise, Chaos only there will be.¡±

    ¡°I understand the need for secrecy,¡± Obi-wan protested as the entire semi-circle of the Council turned to face him, ¡°But isn¡¯t it our duty to inform the Republic of this? Even if it¡¯s only the Chancellor and those in the highest levels of government?¡±

    ¡°You make a valid point,¡± Grandmaster Windu allowed, ¡°We shall discuss as a Council on who in the Republic should be informed of this, and when, as well as send more of our own investigators to Kamino for more information. But until you are informed otherwise, keep anything you know of Kamino and this Clone army secret even from the Republic. We will inform you if we need your assistance with any of the investigations. Thank you for bringing this to our attention, Master Kenobi, you have been a distinguished member of our order. And more than made up for your prior failure with this latest contribution to our Order.¡±

    ¡°Failure?¡± Obi-wan said as his body stiffened despite keeping his expression placid.

    ¡°Yes, with Padawan Skywalker,¡± Grandmaster Windu said casually, ¡°For letting only a few months of absence from you turn him completely away from our order. Such things come from faulty teaching and poor development of one¡¯s emotional control. But as I said, you¡¯ve more than made up for anything in the past with this. And your newest padawan seems to have been doing rather well from what I¡¯ve heard in the rumors. I¡¯m sure that she will become an exemplary Jedi now that you¡¯ve learned from your past mistakes from the boy.¡±

    Obi-wan opened and closed his mouth a few times, too stunned to form a coherent response at Grandmaster Windu¡¯s audacity to say such things directly to his face.

    ¡°Thank you for your praise, Grandmaster Windu,¡± Obi-wan eventually managed to say, ¡°Will that be all?¡±

    Windu glanced at the other Grandmasters and after sensing the mood he looked back to Obi-wan and nodded.

    ¡°Thank you for your time and information, Master Kenobi. You may leave this matter to us, and go back to your own business.¡±

    Obi-wan left the chamber perhaps a little quicker than was polite. He shouldn¡¯t let Grandmaster Windu¡¯s casual comments ruffle his cool so much. But to pretend that Obi-wan was the one entirely at fault for what had happened when it had been the Council that had driven him to leave¡­

    Perhaps it had been for the best that Anakin was out there, away from the Jedi and the Council, Obi-wan mused before quickly suppressing the rebellious thought once more.

    No use on focusing on the past. He should go see his current padawan. He had some ideas on how to help her learn how to properly blast blaster bolts when taken by surprise. That was two times now that she¡¯d almost died because she hadn¡¯t been able to block an incoming shot in time.

    What kind of master would he be if he let it happen a third time?

 Chapter 21: Anakinéˆ¥æªš New Life

    ¡°Ani! Could you help me with these boxes? I think they¡¯re a bit too heavy¡­¡±

    ¡°Sure, Mom. Here, let me¡­¡± Anakin raised his hand and focused hard and after a few seconds the heavy box on the palate lifted in the air as Anakin used the Force. Mom walked over to him as he focused on keeping the box to trail slightly behind her to drift through the air. She walked past him and he waited until the box passed him before following after her towards the house.

    She held the door open for him and he floated the box inside and slowly lowered it in the kitchen.

    ¡°What are they?¡± he asked as Mom started moving some of the clutter in the room to make space for unloading whatever was in the big crate that Anakin had just floated inside.

    ¡°Oh, nothing much. Just some things Slarena wanted for that new speeder bike that she¡¯s building.¡±

    ¡°I can help-¡± Anakin said before Mom gave him a look.

    ¡°She wants to do it by herself,¡± she said firmly before lifting the lid and stopping for a moment.

    ¡°Actually, we should just take it to the garage,¡± Mom said, ¡°I don¡¯t know why I told you to bring it here.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Stand back, I¡¯ll lift it again.¡±

    They went into the garage and placed the box down in the corner.

    ¡°Make sure to not stack them,¡± Mom said, ¡°I don¡¯t want Slarena trying to lift them alone. Bacta isn¡¯t cheap, and we can¡¯t take it for granted. It was hard enough getting them out of the hovercar with the two of us lifting it together. ¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure she knows, mom. But I¡¯ll make sure to not stack them. You could just ask one of the droids for help. They¡¯re strong enough for it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d rather not have them wandering around the house all the time. We can do it ourselves if we¡¯re both around. Alright. Let¡¯s go, there¡¯s another eight crates or so more out there.¡±

    Anakin followed behind his mom and used the Force to move the boxes inside and line them up against the wall. In the center of the space was a large hump covered in a large tarp. Slarena¡¯s half assembled speeder.

    Built from scratch without anyone but Mom to help her if Slarena was in the right mood.

    Anakin understood, he was a little too good at it. He designed droids for a living after all. But it was a little frustrating standing by when he knew that if he helped her then it could be done in a few days at most.

    But it was her project, so Anakin let Slarena do her own thing.

    ¡°Oh, by the way. When is Slarena coming back from town?¡± He asked as his mind turned to her.

    ¡°I think she said in two or three hours? She took the hovercar to buy some groceries. She wanted to do some other errands too while she was out. It¡¯s only a fifteen minute¡¯s drive from here. Anything that you might want for dinner tomorrow? I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nowhere as fancy as what you have at your new office, but still¡­¡±

    ¡°Your food¡¯s great, mom,¡± Anakin said, ¡°The food there¡¯s fine, but nothing to brag about. Better than the standard stuff, but definitely not like something that¡¯s home cooked.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re just saying that. Hey, Slarena and I were thinking of closing up the shop for a bit. Maybe go on a family vacation together. It¡¯s been a while since you¡¯ve taken a break from your important job. And the town can survive a bit without us around.¡±

    Anakin hesitated. He¡¯d been making breakthroughs on the Tactical command droid project recently¡­ But he always had something like that in the works. And it would be nice to take a little break.

    ¡°Ok, Mom. Sounds good. Maybe in two weeks I could get off? Maybe three at the most? Where would you want to go? How long?¡±

    ¡°Well I¡¯ve heard that there¡¯s a few tropical beach worlds that we could visit. Get to swim a bit in the ocean. Wouldn¡¯t that be great? You know, even Slarena¡¯s never been swimming before. I¡¯ve got a few worlds that I¡¯ve heard of in town that are good for tourists¡­¡±

    They started planning as mom pulled out her holopad and started showing Anakin the research on the places that they could go. They sat on the couch together and he leaned his head against her shoulder as they both looked at the screen as Mom flipped through the different ocean worlds and the tourist locations they could go to. Mom leaned her head against him too as they continued talking and Anakin felt the rough and pitted skin from her scarred face rub against his hair. Even after all of this time, she still hadn¡¯t had the doctors fix her appearance back to how it had been. Mom said it gave her ¡®character¡¯ now. He¡¯d given up trying to convince her to change it a while ago. She was happy with it, and now it just felt like a part of her that he barely even noticed except for times like now when he was reminded.

    ¡°So, Ani? What do you think? How long can you take off of work?¡± Mom asked after they¡¯d looked through all the destinations, ¡°Money¡¯s not really a problem, what with your job and Slarena and my general store. But we don¡¯t want to get in the way of your important work for Count Dooku.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± Anakin said, ¡°It¡¯s always the same, you know that. I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t mind if I take some time off. The requisitions team kind of hates me because of how many specialty components I¡¯m always requesting for all of the projects that I¡¯m working on. I¡¯m sure that they¡¯ll enjoy me taking a break too.¡±

    ¡°Hey, your mother is a ¡®requisitions¡¯ person too. I¡¯ve got to order all of the products for our store,¡± Mom said, ¡°It¡¯s not as easy a job as it may look.¡±

    ¡°Still, they¡¯re always so grumpy about it. Although they have to deal with the finance types, so maybe that¡¯s it actually¡­ What do you think of our new droids?¡±

    ¡°Er, well. They¡¯re very nice and intimidating Ani,¡± Mom said and raised her cheek off of the top of his head, ¡°But don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s just a bit¡­ excessive? I mean we already have over thirty of those commando droids roaming around with their bunker under the house that they come out of. The anti-air lasers on the roof, even a personal shield generator just for our property, that''s the strongest they have from what you¡¯ve told me¡­ And who knows how many traps and defenses you¡¯ve put on our exterior walls around the edge of our whole property. I didn¡¯t even know they made those big shield generators for places smaller than cities. Don¡¯t you think those seven Droideka are a bit too much on top of all of that? They can¡¯t even help around outside if I ask, all they do is fight.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll be down in the bunker below, we¡¯ll hardly even notice them,¡± Anakin countered and sat up slightly, ¡°The commando droids are great for detecting intruders and sneaking around, but the Droidekas can get shot over and over and survive in a real fight. They can use their ball form to quickly roll to anywhere they need to quickly and deploy with their personal bubble shield that they can shoot through with their blasters by turning it on and off really quickly. And with the rocket boosters I put on them in their ball form, they can even jump up and over our wall and land on the other side safely and deploy if someone¡¯s attacking outside of the walls. Having them makes all of us much safer. You and Slarena safer.¡±

    Mom sighed, but then nodded.

    ¡°Ok, Ani. I just don¡¯t want you to obsess over it. We¡¯re all safe now, and under Count Dooku¡¯s protection. We¡¯ve got our business, you¡¯ve got your job with the CIS. Things are good now. And the Republic¡¯s almost completely done away with the Hutts by now, so none of them will bother to come after us either.¡±

    ¡°I know. I know. I¡¯m not obsessing, just¡­ Making sure. The Droikeka¡¯s will help if someone really does attack us.¡±

    ¡°I just worry, is all. I want you to try having a good life, away from everything in our past. Be happy. Maybe get a girlfriend too¡­¡±

    ¡°Mom! C¡¯mon. I¡­ I¡¯m busy with work! I don¡¯t have time for that¡­¡±

    ¡°Mmhm. I¡¯m just teasing, Ani. I know you¡¯re busy. Just think about yourself a bit more. And maybe hide away all the combat droids if you want to take her home.¡±

    ¡°Oooooh, someone¡¯s projecting,¡± Slarena¡¯s voice came from the door, ¡°Mommy has a seeeeeccccret, Ani!¡±

    ¡°Slarena! I already told him about the vacation,¡± Mom said pointedly as Slarena walked over and plopped down onto the couch on Anakin¡¯s right and casually spread out so both her arms were running along the back of the couch and behind Anakin¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°Sure, we¡¯ll go with that,¡± Slarena replied with a knowing smirk and glance at mom, ¡°Sounds like fun, right Ani? We¡¯ll all get to learn how to swim together. Lounge around as the droids serve us drinks. I¡¯m sure there will be some pretty girls there that you could talk to while your mom and I sit around.¡±

    ¡°Er, Slarena. How was your trip to town?¡± Anakin asked, blushing a little at Slarena¡¯s teasing despite himself, ¡°You finish your errands?¡±

    ¡°Yep. Nothing big. I¡¯ve still got to unload the hovercar from the food and other stuff I got. I still think it¡¯s so bizarre how nice people are here. I mean they actually, like, know my name and say hello when I walk by. And don¡¯t threaten to stab me if I bump into one of them accidentally. Bizarre.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I thought it a bit weird as well,¡± Mom agreed, ¡°But it is rather comforting too, I think. That people are so friendly to us. To have some friends there.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Nice,¡± Slarena mimicked Mom.

    ¡°So, what did you think of the planets Ani?¡± Slarena asked, ¡°Anything catch your eye?¡±

    ¡°Well, there was one¡­¡± he said slowly and they started discussing the family vacation as a group.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Things were growing more tense recently in the Outer Rim. The Republic occupation of Hutt space was still ongoing. And even if the Senate had voted to free the slaves there, it had taken a long time for them to do so. Nearly a full year of occupation with only scattered Hutt forces fighting back for a short time before collapsing and faltering.

    For the last six months, the newfound freedom of all of the slaves in Hutt space was causing unrest across the galaxy as the now former slaves on the Hutt worlds either fled as fast as they could elsewhere in the galaxy with nothing but the clothes on their backs or worked to take revenge on their old masters. Wealthy old masters that the Republic did their best to protect much to the freed slaves'' anger.

    The Republic seemed to think that the slaves should be grateful to them. After a full year of waiting to free them, and then protecting their old masters and leaving them with nothing but poverty and their lives as soon as their shackles were removed.

    It only made Anakin¡¯s work all that more important. To make sure that the droid armies were ready when the CIS declared itself free from the Republic¡¯s corruption.

    Anakin climbed into his personal ship and flicked a few switches to activate it. He shook his head to brush away his thoughts on galactic politics as he focused on flying the ship. The vessel smoothly lifted into the air on its thrusters and flew up into orbit. The ship traveled quickly to the capital of the planet before descending down back to the Techno-Union headquarters. He landed on his reserved landing pad and stepped outside, having traveled almost halfway across the planet in less than twenty minutes.

    He walked inside the building and waited another few minutes to get through the security before entering his lab. Dooku had put him in charge of the lab when he first arrived. There was an actual operations manager that helped Anakin out, but he decided the directions of their droid projects. After some agreements with the Techno-Union, Dooku and the CIS had created these more public facing labs that Anakin and the others at the old isolated CIS base could work at. He wasn¡¯t exactly sure what the outside world thought that he and the others worked on, but all he knew was that the Techno-Union did plenty work in the background to keep the true nature of their work hidden and create excuses that would make sure that the Republic wouldn¡¯t be suspicious of what they were doing.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    Sadly, all of Anakin¡¯s old friends had been dispersed around the galaxy to labs spread across dozens of Techno-Union branches in the outer rim. But he was able to send them messages occasionally and chat every once in a while, which was nice.

    Anakin walked into the lab proper and after sitting at his desk started looking over the designs that he¡¯d been tinkering with yesterday.

    ¡°Still working on the Tactical Command droid project, Mr. Skywalker?¡±

    Anakin looked up from the screen to see his assistant and lab coordinator standing there.

    ¡°Yes, just looking it over again, Trask. I feel like I¡¯ve almost fixed the issue with some of the logical loops they are getting stuck in during our tests.¡±

    ¡°Of course sir,¡± Trask replied, ¡°It gets better every day. You still want the team working on section four of the brain while you focus on section seven and the larger broader scale logical loops?¡±

    ¡°Yes, section four has me stumped,¡± Anakin admitted, ¡°Have the team work away at it while I focus on some other issues that aren¡¯t as frustrating. Anyways, before we get distracted with work I wanted to tell you that I¡¯ll be taking a vacation soon. Three weeks that I¡¯ve approved with management at the end of the month. Is there anything that the team needs that I should help with for when I¡¯m gone?¡±

    Trask rubbed his chin, surprised at Anakin¡¯s statement.

    ¡°Huh. Guess you deserve a vacation more than anyone. Techno-Union management or the CIS?¡±

    ¡°Both. But mostly the CIS. That¡¯s who we actually work for,¡± Anakin reminded him, ¡°Just think about it and talk it over with the team. We still have two weeks until I go, so no rush.¡±

    ¡°Of course. What about this vacation? Where are you going? Going on a trip?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re thinking of going to¡­¡±

    Anakin and Trask chatted about the destination that Anakin and his family had decided on going on.

    ¡°Is your mom¡¯s Twi¡¯lek friend staying to run their store?¡± Trask said casually, ¡°With you and your mom going on vacation?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s coming with us,¡± Anakin said, a little confused by the statement, ¡°The store¡¯s shutting down while we¡¯re gone.¡±

    ¡°Oh? She is? But I thought you said it was just your family going¡­ I thought it was only you and your mom?¡±

    ¡°And Slarena. She¡¯s family,¡± Anakin said, growing a little annoyed by Trask¡¯s thoughtless words.

    ¡°Really? But isn¡¯t she a Twi¡¯lek? How could she¡­?¡±

    ¡°Oh, er. Sorry. Of course,¡± Trask said, seeming to realize his mistake as Anakin glared at him for a moment before Anakin forced himself to relax.

    ¡°Well, er. I better go tell the team about your upcoming vacation then so we can plan ahead,¡± Trask said a little awkwardly before beating a hasty retreat away from Anakin¡¯s desk.

    Anakin let out a long breath and sat back in his chair. Trask¡¯s casual speciesism was just how he was raised, the man just honestly didn¡¯t think that humans should mix with other species as anything more than coworkers. Sticking to their own kind, he had said one time. Back when Anakin had confronted him, the first time he said something speciest after they first met.

    It was annoying, but he wasn¡¯t rude or discriminating against the non-humans in their lab from what Anakin had heard, so it wasn¡¯t something worth firing or confronting the man over. Trask did try to be polite and friendly with everyone, even if his speciesism still poked through every once in a while.

    It really was a shame that he was so good at his job besides that one irritating part of him. At least if he was incompetent then Anakin could justify to himself firing him despite the man doing his best to be non-confrontational.

    Anakin turned back to his work, his mood slightly soured by the conversation with Trask. Maybe he actually needed a vacation more than he thought¡­

    Anakin turned back to the diagram. Maybe at the end of the project he could get one of these droids for the house. They could coordinate the other droids and make sure that they were working at maximum efficiency.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    The three of them stood at the edge of the fancy pool warily, staring into the water. Taking the plunge, Anakin slowly stepped forward and took a step inside. After a moment mom and Slarena followed after him until they were standing in the water up to their waists.

    The store near the hotel had a whole selection of all sorts of bathing suits to choose from. Mom was wearing a revealing blue bathing suit that exposed her stomach and stretched like a circular band around her chest and with a triangular bottom piece of cloth at her waist as a separate piece.

    Slarena was wearing a much more conservative green one piece bathing suit that had short sleeves and ran all the way up to her neck and down to legs that ended down at her knees and elbows.

    Anakin was wearing a puffy pair of blue bathing shorts and was shirtless.

    All of them slowly squatted down until they were under the water up to their necks and staring at each other.

    ¡°Ready for your first swimming lesson?¡± the instructor said where he stood to the side and watched them, ¡°First timers? No need to worry, we have protection systems. No risk of drowning at all at our facilities. Let¡¯s get started. First we¡¯ll start with treading water. It¡¯ll go like this¡­¡±

    Over the course of a few hours, the three of them slowly learned to cautiously swim around the pool. All of them almost drowned at least a few times, but a pair of droid arms hovering over the pool reached down and fished them out before it went too far.

    Finally at the end of it, the three of them were swimming on their own in water above their heads. The instructor had left, but they still had more time with the pool all to themselves. After practicing her swimming a bit more, mom started looking nervous and then swam back to the shallow end and stood. Slarena looked tense too, but seeing Anakin still making slow laps she got a stubborn look on her face and kept going.

    Eventually seeing that Slarena was getting tired, Anakin faked exhaustion and went to join his mom to stand in the shallow end. Slarena kept going for another minute or so before finally relenting and coming to join them, huffing and puffing but a slightly proud smile on her face.

    ¡°You¡¯re quite the swimmer, Slarena!¡± Mom said, ¡°Longer than even Ani!¡±

    ¡°I know! That was close, Ani. I never thought you¡¯d give up,¡± Slarena said happily and reached out to ruffle Anakin¡¯s hair while still huffing and puffing as she stood there in the water.

    ¡°Yeah, good job Slarena,¡± Anakin replied, ¡°That was fun. I want to show you something I read about in the hotel pamphlet. Stay still. Watch closely and open your mouth as wide as it can go.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Slarena said and stared at him and opened her mouth as wide as if about to take a big bite out of a sandwich as mom also watched him curiously from the side.

    Anakin waited a second for the suspense to build, before cupping his hands and with all of his strength splashed Slarena right in the face with the pool water. She spluttered and fell back and started coughing and rubbing her eyes as she let out a surprised gasp.

    ¡°Ani!¡± Mom scolded, ¡°Slarena, are you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s on kid!¡± Slarena said and with a swoop of her arm splashed Anakin back.

    Anakin blinked, stumbling himself slightly from the surprise counter attack.

    ¡°What are-¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re getting it too!¡± Slarena said and splashed Mom too, ¡°Just watching your son ambush your best friend like that? You¡¯re guilty too!¡±

    ¡°Guilty?¡± Mom said after she recovered from the water in her eyes, ¡°Let¡¯s get her, Ani!¡±

    They started splashing each other furiously. Alliances were quickly made and broken and by the end of it they were all laughing and having fun and even more exhausted than before.

    ¡°Oof. I¡¯m tired,¡± Mom said, ¡°Want to get out of the water? The pamphlets said we should dry off on those nearby chairs, right?¡±

    ¡°It did say that. I think our timeslot ends in a bit,¡± Slarena said, ¡°This place will be public again soon. Maybe we¡¯ll get to watch other people swim.¡±

    They climbed out of the pool and sat on the reclined white chairs and started drying off as they relaxed, exhausted from all the exercise and fun they¡¯d just had.

    ¡°I wonder what the ocean will be like,¡± Slarena mused as they lay there relaxing, ¡°To swim in it. It looks so big from the hotel room. So much water¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Anakin agreed lazily, feeling lethargic as the hot sun beat down on him to contrast with his cold body from the chilled pool, ¡°Amazing.¡±

    He slowly closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, comfortable as the pleasant warmth washed over him.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    ¡°...own a general store now. It¡¯s our first time swimming actually. We were the ones taking lessons before now.¡±

    ¡°Two beautiful women like you? You must get plenty of customers.¡±

    Anakin slowly opened his eyes and was slightly disappointed as he no longer felt the head from the sun anymore. He must have gotten sunburned and had his body adapt to the heat while he was asleep. He sat up slightly and squinted as he saw mom and Slarena standing and sitting at a nearby table with a man with a chiseled jaw and gleaming skin as he stood there only in an orange swim shorts with a white floral pattern over them.

    ¡°Oh, you bet!¡± Slarena said, ¡°Shmi here brings them in for kilometers around.¡±

    ¡°Oh, stop it Slarena,¡± Mom said with a giggle, ¡°We do only have one competitor. It¡¯s one or the other in town.¡±

    ¡°He wakes!¡± the handsome man said as he noticed Anakin sitting up and looking around to the pool that now had a few people swimming in it or milling around the edge.

    ¡°Anakin,¡± Mom said, ¡°This is Creo Arscata. He¡¯s staying here at the hotel like us.¡±

    ¡°Yes, another two weeks for me and then back home again,¡± Creo said casually, ¡°This is your son, Slarena, Shmi?¡±

    ¡°My son. Slarena¡¯s just a close friend to me,¡± Mom said, ¡°Not a gene donor.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Yes, I didn¡¯t think he looked half-Twi¡¯lek. Huh, I really thought that you two were a couple! You¡¯re so cute with each other!¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± Slarena said, letting the world roll off of her lips, ¡°Shmi has her eyes on someone else. A certain customer seems to only come around when she¡¯s working the counter¡­¡±

    Mom looked back at Anakin and blushed as she saw his wide eyed look.

    Creo laughed. ¡°Uh oh! The boy¡¯s in shock! Someone¡¯s said too much.¡±

    Mom glared at Slarena, ¡°Yes. Someone has.¡±

    ¡°Uh,¡± Slarena said and looked put on the spot as she glanced at Anakin, ¡°I kinda thought he already knew? Didn¡¯t they meet a few times¡­¡±

    ¡°Shush!¡± Mom said and glared at Slarena, ¡°No more!¡±

    ¡°Tell me Slarena!¡± Anakin demanded as he sat up and walked over to their table and sat down next to Slarena so she was sitting between him and his mom, ¡°Who is it? Should I send one of the droids after him?¡±

    ¡°No, no. He¡¯s a good one,¡± Slarena assured him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I already made sure that his intentions were pure.¡±

    Anakin relaxed, ¡°Oh, okay. Thanks.¡±

    Mom looked furious.

    ¡°You did what?! What did you say to him? When was this? Did he¡­ He really was coming just to see me?¡±

    ¡°It was right after we opened the shop,¡± Slarena said, ¡°And didn¡¯t I tell you why he was there? You two, always circling each other all the time and not confessing¡­ Maybe you should just wear that outfit to the shop next time he walks in and see how he reacts.¡±

    Mom looked down to her revealing bathing suit and then back at Slarena.

    ¡°Do you think that that would work?¡±

    Slarena put a finger on Mom¡¯s forehead and gently pushed her back.

    ¡°Doh. That¡¯s a bit too strong, girl. He might collapse on the spot if he sees you like this. I was just joking. Just ask him out already.¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know¡­ What if he doesn¡¯t feel the same way?¡± Shmi said shyly.

    ¡°Hey Creo. How did you meet your wife?¡± Slarena said as she turned to the man watching the byplay with an amused smile, ¡°Shmi here is a little inexperienced in love if you know what I mean. Anakin here was basically a freak occurrence. My girl needs some advice.¡±

    Creo laughed, ¡°Ah, I remember it like it was yesterday. There we were at the club, and our eyes met across the dancefloor¡­¡±

    He launched into a long winded story about him and his wife as mom relaxed slightly while shooting some nervous glances at Anakin occasionally.

    ¡°Anyway, nice to meet you Creo,¡± Slarena said eventually, ¡°Hopefully we¡¯ll see you and your family around the hotel. What are your wife and daughter up to now?¡±

    ¡°Not quite sure myself. Researching restaurants for tonight in our hotel room, last I heard from them. We¡¯ll see where I¡¯ll be ordered to go in the end. See you lovely ladies and Anakin around later.¡±

    Creo winked at Anakin before standing up and walking off to go back into the attached hotel.

    Slarena glanced at mom and Anakin and cleared her throat, ¡°I am going to go find us some food nearby. I¡¯ll be back in¡­ an hour or two probably. Bye for now.¡±

    She stood up and walked off briskly as Mom took a deep breath and then chuckled as she saw Slarena leaving.

    ¡°That woman¡­¡± she muttered.

    She and Anakin sat there awkwardly for a few seconds, not saying anything.

    ¡°So¡­. What do you think?¡± she asked hesitantly.

    ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°About, you know. Me seeing people. I wasn¡¯t sure how you¡¯d feel considering you¡¯ve never had a father in your life¡­ I don¡¯t know how I feel about it still.¡±

    ¡°Oh. As long as it makes you happy then it¡¯s fine. If Slarena says that he¡¯s okay then he¡¯s probably good. And I really will send one of the droids after him if he hurts you.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Ani,¡± she said in relief and gave him a quick side hug, ¡°I worried, even if I knew it¡¯s irrational.¡±

    ¡°Who is it? The guy?¡±

    ¡°Riktor. You¡¯ve met him a few times.¡±

    ¡°Riktor¡­ Riktor. Oh yeah. He helped us with those boxes that one time. I remember him. Are you going to ask him to go out with you when we get back?¡±

    Mom looked thoughtfully for a moment, ¡°Probably,¡± she admitted, ¡°Despite how Slarena is, she¡¯s right most of the time. I¡¯ll just have to muster the courage to actually ask him for real.¡±

    Something tickled at the back of Anakin¡¯s mind and he frowned.

    ¡°Hey Mom. Why did Slarena pick a bathing suit that¡¯s so much more conservative than yours? She always seems so confident, it''s out of character for her to be so shy.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­ You know how kind she really is beneath that tough exterior. She¡¯s just a bit more sensitive about people looking at her like that. Well without her wanting them to at least. Much more sensitive than most people would be.¡±

    ¡°She does? But she seemed fine around Creo?¡± Anakin asked confused, ¡°And other guys too? I¡¯ve seen her flirt with plenty of people before.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not the same. She approached them, not the other way around. And I was here with her when Creo came over and first introduced himself. She¡¯s strong, but that doesn¡¯t mean she still doesn¡¯t have things that she¡¯s sensitive about. It¡¯s up to her if she wants to share her past with us. We¡¯re happy now, I¡¯m happy to help her leave the past behind if that¡¯s what she wants.¡±

    ¡°Leaving the past behind,¡± Anakin repeated, ¡°Sounds like a plan.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡±

    They moved on to talk about lighter topics after that. Discussing what they wanted to do tomorrow for their vacation. Eventually Slarena returned holding six sticks with some kind of sizzling meat and vegetables skewered on them.

    ¡°Found these,¡± Slarena said, seeming upbeat, ¡°Eat up, I¡¯ve already sampled one and it was worth the extra walk to find the stand.¡±

    She handed two sticks with the skewered food to the each of them and promptly sat down and started chewing on her own food, looking satisfied.

    Anakin eyed her for a moment before starting to eat himself. They were happy now, that was what mattered. Not whatever happened in the past.

 Chapter 22: The Tragedy Club

    It had been about a week and half, nearly halfway through their three week vacation. Anakin, Mom, and Slarena had all gone to swim in the ocean for the first time together. And while much more frightening than the pool had been, they ended up having a good time at the beach doing all of the other ¡®recommended experiences¡¯ that the hotel pamphlet had suggested that they do.

    When they returned from the day¡¯s activities, they¡¯d found themselves spending time with Creo and his family and even going out to meals together.

    Anakin found himself being teased mercilessly by Slarena and his mother behind closed doors as Creo¡¯s daughter Elara kept sitting close to him and touching him whenever she could when they came over. She was nineteen while he was eighteen, nineteen in a few months, but she seemed far more confident than him when it came to expressing her interest in him. Even though they were practically the same age.

    He wasn¡¯t quite sure how to handle it except bumbling through as best as he could without totally panicking when she ¡®innocently¡¯ put a hand on his shoulder or laughed at one of his jokes that hadn¡¯t really deserved that kind of reaction.

    Although the way she looked at him sometimes awakened something in him that he hadn¡¯t even known lay dormant before and suddenly things became much more stressful yet rewarding whenever Elara was around.

    He felt a little sad as the day of Elara and Creo¡¯s family¡¯s departure grew closer, at the end of the week. Elara had ¡®jokingly¡¯ swapped numbers with Anakin a few days ago, and Anakin had heard Creo and his wife invite Anakin¡¯s family to come visit them on their world sometime and promise to not lose contact with each other.

    But still, it was possible that Anakin would never see Elara again after they went back home again. And right when he started getting a little more comfortable around her¡­

    ¡°Where are we going tonight?¡± Anakin asked the group, ¡°Do you know, Elara? Slarena told me the place, but I don¡¯t think she ever said what the actual event was¡­¡±

    ¡°Dad said something about the comedy club? Apparently the comedian there is famous in this galactic sector. A real celebrity, Dad''s obsessed with him. I don''t think he''s too bad either honestly. But I think he said we¡¯re going there for dinner too. Surprised you could afford tickets with how popular it¡¯s going to be.¡±

    Anakin glanced at her.

    ¡°No offense I mean! It¡¯s just your parents are running a general store in what seems like a small town. I just would feel bad if they¡¯re feeling pressured because Dad was so excited about going together.¡±

    ¡°We can afford it. I have a job at the Techno-Union too.¡±

    ¡°Whaaaaaattttt? You do? What do you do there?¡±

    ¡°I work in research at the planetary headquarters.¡±

    ¡°What kind of research?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you, it¡¯s a secret.¡±

    ¡°Oh C¡¯mon. I promise I won¡¯t tell anyone.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, it actually is secret. Technically I wasn¡¯t even supposed to tell you that I work there.¡±

    ¡°Well, Mr. Super secret, keep your secrets then. So they pay you well enough for a vacation like this? How¡¯d you get a job that good at seventeen?¡±

    ¡°Just lucky I guess,¡± Anakin said with a shrug, ¡°And pay¡¯s good. So yeah, no need to feel guilty. We can afford the tickets if my mom said so. She¡¯s the one who handles our finances for the household so she would know.¡±

    ¡°Huh. I wouldn¡¯t have figured her as the accounting type. Although with Slarena around, I¡¯d see why she¡¯d have to end up doing it.¡±

    ¡°Hey! I heard that, you little jerk!¡± Slarena called out from across the room, distracted from her conversation with Creo¡¯s wife, Mrs. Arscata, ¡°I resent that that¡¯s completely true!¡±

    Elara smirked and Slarena made an exaggerated angry face back at her before turning around and resuming her previous conversation again across the room.

    ¡°Do you have a job?¡± Anakin asked Elara, suddenly realizing that he didn¡¯t know. She immediately frowned and he instinctively knew that he¡¯d just said something wrong.

    ¡°Just some things to help out at Dad¡¯s shipping company. Nothing like whatever amazing opportunity you have at the Techno-Union.¡±

    ¡°That sounds fine,¡± Anakin said, trying to be encouraging, ¡°I like helping out at Slarena and Mom¡¯s shop when I can.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it was nice of Dad to let me work on some real stuff early so I could learn some things I guess,¡± Elara mused thoughtfully before refocusing on Anakin.

    ¡°Anyway! I was reading on the hotel website about these natural waterfalls that we could go see if we took a spaceship to travel there. Here, check it out¡­¡±

    She leaned forward and picked up a holopad and started showing Anakin different views of the waterfalls and excitedly talking about the plan she¡¯d worked out so that they could go there.

    ¡°You only planned to reserve two tickets,¡± Anakin noticed as he saw her flipping through the plans and screens of the places that they could go.

    ¡°Er, uhm. Yeah, that¡¯s just a mistake,¡± she said and suddenly blushed for some reason, ¡°Should be seven actually if we¡¯re all going¡­¡±

    ¡°Sounds fun,¡± Anakin said, ¡°We should do it on your last day. A big event to end things off with.¡±

    ¡°Uh huh. That sounds great, Anakin. Yeah, that¡¯s way better than another day at the beach. With all of us together and things¡­¡± Elara said, trailing off slightly at the end.

    Time passed and eventually it was time to go to the comedy club. They all went back to their rooms and put on their fancier clothes. Anakin had a fancy black business suit from when his Techno-Union ¡®managers¡¯ had come to visit the lab and Anakin had to look impressive for them when Count Dooku presented him as the leader of the lab despite his age.

    Mom wore a long orange dress that ran to her ankles and a V shaped collar that showed a bit of her cleavage. The burn scars covering the right half of her face ran down her neck until sinking below her collar. She always told him that the burn scars didn¡¯t bother her anymore, but seeing her dressed up so fancy and at complete ease hit a cord in him. She wasn''t even a little nervous about what people would think of her burns. It really was just part of her now. She hadn¡¯t even put on any makeup on it, just let the burns remain there out in the open for the whole galaxy to see.

    Slarena wore a dress much like Mom except hers was blue and the collar was rounded and more modest than Mom¡¯s. For some reason she seemed even more nervous than Mom as her two lekku on her head twitched from nerves occasionally as they walked over to the comedy club.

    ¡°Are you okay, Slarena?¡± he asked, ¡°What¡¯s got you so nervous?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Slarena snapped out of it and glanced at Anakin, ¡°Oh, no. I¡¯m fine. I had a terrible thought, not important. Just¡­ Nevermind.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have to go if you don¡¯t want to,¡± Mom said, ¡°It¡¯s just for fun. I¡¯m sure that the others will understand.¡±

    ¡°No, really it¡¯s nothing. We¡¯re going,¡± Slarena said forcefully as they reached the doors to the building and walked inside after scanning their tickets with the droid standing at the door.

    ¡°Well just let us know if you want to leave,¡± Mom said before letting the matter drop as they approached their table where Elara and Mrs. Arscata already sat. Slarena calmed down and seemed to relax as the three of them sat down at the table and started talking with the two women.

    Creo returned after a few minutes as the room started becoming more crowded as more people made their way inside and sat at their tables. It was a combo of a meal with the comedy show as the entertainment before the meal.

    Creo looked incredibly pleased with himself, with a smug smile as he sat down next to his wife and kissed her on the cheek quickly before sitting back in his chair again.

    ¡°Oh? Someone¡¯s happy. What did you do now, Dad?¡± Elara asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a special surprise during the upcoming show,¡± Creo said with a smile, ¡°Just wait. It¡¯ll be worth it, I¡¯m telling you.¡±

    Despite being interrogated, Creo stayed strong and refused to expose whatever the surprise was, just wearing that self satisfied smile the whole time and seeming to almost laugh at everyone¡¯s efforts to pull the secret out of him.

    Time passed as the tables around them gradually filled with people as the time before the scheduled time for the comedy show drew closer.

    Eventually, the lights dimmed and the lights on the flat stage up front in the large dining room and the conversation slowly died down.

    The famous comedian came out and everyone started cheering and clapping as he smiled and waved as he held the microphone in his hand. He was a human male in his forties with a large black bushy beard and a bald head.

    ¡°Hey, hey there everybody. How y¡¯all feeling tonight?¡± There was some muttering and a few shouts of ¡®Good!¡¯ that came out of the crowd.

    ¡°C¡¯mon folks! That was weak, y¡¯all! Let me hear ya! How we feeling tonight everybody?¡±

    ¡°Good!¡± the crowd said enthusiastically, including the  Arscatas and especially Creo.

    ¡°That¡¯s more like it! Much more like it,¡± the man started pacing around the stage, his eyes scanning the crowd, ¡°Y¡¯know, a few weeks ago I was in the spaceport. There in front of me was this Rodian. He was trying to order the tickets from the counter, but his translator was on the fritz. You know they can¡¯t speak the same way as humans. Speaking Basic properly is nearly impossible for them. So there the poor fellow was, his translator spitting out some garbage. I mean when I said hello a few minutes earlier, the Rhodian didn¡¯t even recognize me? I mean, me of all people right? I knew it must be broken. The man at the ticket window didn¡¯t understand the poor creature at all. So being my gracious self, I gave up my place in line. I spotted another one of their kind a few hundred meters away, and went to retrieve them so they could come translate and help my poor Rhodian brother out! So I went to this Rhodian who was about to leave on their own flight and¡­¡±

    The story continued as the man told his story at the spaceport as he tried to track down a Rodian to translate for the one he first met. The whole room was laughing at the story, but Anakin didn¡¯t think it was all that funny. All the Rodian had needed was another universal translator. The Rodian hadn¡¯t even asked the comedian for help, the man had just wandered off to bother other nearby Rodians, assuming that they all spoke the same language. Anakin knew that there were at least eight major Rhodian languages in active use, so even if the comedian had found somebody without a translator, the two Rodians might not have been able to understand each other either way.

    Plus, the Rodians probably all understood Basic even if it was hard for them to speak it with their biology. The target of the whole story had probably understood everything the comedian had said in the beginning but just ignored him as he kept trying to buy his ticket.

    But the rest of the crowd of mostly humans were laughing uproariously at the jokes, even as Anakin, Slarena, and mom mostly just sat there confused and a little uncomfortable. The Arscatas were all laughing, Creo so hard that there were nearly tears at the corners of his eyes.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Anyway,¡± the comedian finished after the long winded story, ¡°After all of that and running halfway across the spaceport and getting in trouble with security, turns out that the Rodian managed to order his ticket after all! He was long gone by the time I returned, his ship having left nearly as soon as Iran off. Unfortunately the ship he wanted to get on was the same one that I was supposed to leave on too! So there I was, with sore throat, trying to get another flight. Trouble speaking louder than a whisper because of all of that shouting that I¡¯d been doing this whole time. And you know what happened?¡±

    He paused for effect, ¡°The woman behind me stepped in to help me order my ticket!¡±

    The room laughed and the comedian raised his hands as the room clapped for him, ¡°Alright, alright, Thank you, thank you everyone. Just a recent experience that I thought I would share with y¡¯all. Alright for my next act I¡¯ll need a volunteer. Any takers?¡±

    The light on the crowd brightened slightly so they all were more visible as plenty of people raised their hands eagerly for a chance to be picked by the man.

    Creo and both of the Arscata women included.

    The comedian¡¯s eyes stopped on their table and the Arscata¡¯s grew more excited as the comedian pointed at them. A light from above swiveled over to them and lit up their table in a bright spotlight amongst the darkness of the rest of the room.

    ¡°How about you? The lovely Twi¡¯lek there?¡± the comedian said as his finger drifted to the side slightly to point at Slarena who had her hands under the table.

    Everyone at the table was shocked, including her as she sat there frozen as the whole room¡¯s eyes turned on her.

    She silently shook her head, her lekku thrashing wildly on her head from the stress as she sat there with a stiff back.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, don¡¯t be shy now,¡± the comedian said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing too difficult. Just a few questions. Helps me set up my next act.¡±

    Slarena stiffly stood to her feet, her chair scraping back as she stood there with a look of Anakin could only describe as horror on her face as she stood in a beam of light in the otherwise dark space where the audience sat.

    ¡°Now where are you from, my lovely lady? I know people from around the galaxy. I bet that I know somebody from almost any planet that you could name. Got near half of their names saved up here in my mind too! Comedian¡¯s guarantee!¡±

    ¡°I¡ª I¡ª¡± Slarena stammered, her eyes darting around the room to the dark faces of the rest of the crowd staring at her. She reached down to her thigh and pawed at the spot where her blaster usually would be holstered, only for her fingers to dig into the soft fabric of her dress instead.

    ¡°Nervous?¡± the comedian said, seeing her stress and seeming to pivot as Slarena didn¡¯t answer him, ¡°You know that¡¯s alright, that¡¯s alright. Happens to everybody sometimes. You know my first time doing a comedy show, it was in this dingy outer rim bar. I had to dodge blaster fire when people didn¡¯t like my jokes! Well, the bars I went to weren¡¯t quite that seedy, but they were close!¡±

    The light focused on their table faded away and Anakin caught one last look of Creo¡¯s annoyed face as he stared at Slarena before turning to glare at the comedian on stage just as he turned into a blurred shadow in the darkness.

    Anakin heard a loud clunk and some muttered curses from near where Slarena had been standing.

    ¡°Slarena? Slarena, are you okay? Where are you going?¡± Mom whispered loudly as Anakin realized that the person fleeing from their table was Slarena trying to leave even in the darkness.

    There were some thunks and muttered curses as Slarena moved through the dim tables towards the exit doors at the back of the room. The Arscatas had made sure to get seats right towards the front.

    Anakin took in a deep breath and stood up and pushed back his seat as he did so.

    ¡°Anakin? What are you doing?¡± Mom asked, ¡°Should we go?¡±

    ¡°Just stay here mom,¡± Anakin whispered back, ¡°I¡¯ll go after her. You¡¯ll just go tripping over everybody on the way out. Just enjoy the show.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ alright. But if you two aren¡¯t back in a few minutes then I¡¯m coming after you. I don¡¯t know what happened with her¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just stay here with the Arcatas, I¡¯ll talk with her,¡± Anakin assured mom before he flared his life sense to the maximum and suddenly knew exactly where every living person in the room was. He carefully navigated to the exit through the darkness, using his lifesense to avoid bumping into any people and tables on his way out.

    He exited outside and looked around as he stood there in his fancy suit. He looked around and Slarena was nowhere in sight. He flared his lifesense again as wide as he could and immediately started walking to the side as he felt a stationary lifesign around the corner of the building.

    He walked around and found Slarena sitting there hugging her knees as she leaned against the side wall of the building. To the side of the building was a carefully cultivated lawn and park that was empty given the nighttime with only a few streetlights scattered around to let them see.

    Slarena¡¯s face was buried in her knees even as her two lekku on the back of her head thrashed wildly.

    Anakin silently walked over and slid down the wall until he was sitting next to her. He heard her sniffling a little, so he hesitantly reached out and patted her shoulder and rubbed little circles in her back like she had after he¡¯d first killed those pirates.

    Eventually she calmed down and wiped her face with her forearm, her body uncurling slightly. Her lekku¡¯s wild thrashing calmed down, only the occasional twitch left in them for now.

    ¡°You okay?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ Fine. Sorry, this is so embarrassing. Everyone¡¯s lucky that I didn¡¯t bring my blaster. Good work, Shmi. She probably saved me from a prison sentence just now. Just about blasted that guy out of reflex,¡± Slarena muttered as she sat up and leaned against the hard wall of the building.

    ¡°Do you want to¡­ talk about it? You don¡¯t have to, but¡­¡±

    ¡°No, no you¡¯re right. It¡¯s not fair to you, to either of you,¡± Slarena muttered, ¡°I just¡­ I thought I was good, you know? Having you and your mom in my life, it made everything better. Good. That I was strong. But here I am crying over a bunch of strangers staring at me. I don¡¯t want you to think that I¡¯m weak or something¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, if there¡¯s one thing that I know it¡¯s that you¡¯re not weak.¡±

    Anakin grabbed one of her hands and held it in two of his own as she looked at him, her face shrouded in the darkness of the side of the building.

    She squeezed his hand back silently.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said eventually, ¡°Just now, it brought back some¡­ bad memories from when I was a slave. I knew my mom and dad, you know. Most slaves born into it don¡¯t get to. Most children get sold off to new owners. More valuable than the parents are, most of the time, and so the kids get sold off for cash when they¡¯re a year or two old.¡±

    ¡°But not you, you knew your parents?¡± Anakin said while still holding her hand.

    ¡°Yeah. We were all slaves, and our mistress was a cruel woman. But my parents still did their best, by the Force. I was happy, I didn¡¯t know anything else except to act timid around our cruel master so she wouldn¡¯t punish me or my parents. But she had many slaves, so most of the time we didn¡¯t have to deal with her. Things were¡­ not good. I just didn¡¯t know anything different. But I was happy most of the time when the mistress wasn¡¯t nearby. She was like a passing storm. You endured her for a while and hunkered down and waited for her to move on and go back to your normal life. Just a fact of life, that''s what she was.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ grew older. Prettier. I was one of the mistresses'' most beautiful slaves by the time I was sixteen. I had to wear skimpy outfits and serve her tea whenever she had visitors... Show off my body. A show of wealth, to prove how refined the mistress was to own such a beautiful slave. I hated it. I hated it so much.¡±

    Anakin squeezed her hand in sympathy but didn¡¯t interrupt her.

    ¡°Then the day came. My mistress had too many debts. Too many bills to pay to let her keep all of her slaves and her massive villa that we worked at. It was time for us to be sold off at the markets. The Mistress was desperate for money, and she needed to sell all of us fast. And I was her greatest hope. The prettiest of her slaves, the one that would get the best price.¡±

    She took a shuddering breath.

    ¡°I was being auctioned off on that raised platform. I had to smile, strike poses, perform for the crowd wearing nothing but a few small scraps of cloth that barely even counted as clothing. All of them staring at me and calling out higher and higher prices as I was there. I was so scared about which of them would end up buying me. What they might do.¡±

    She reached out her free hand as if to grasp something invisible in front of her.

    ¡°I even¡­ I studied their faces. As I had to smile for the crowd and pretend to be happy. Would this one be kind? Would this one want me to stand behind him to look pretty? To work at the counter of one of their businesses? Would this one want to¡­¡±

    She glanced at Anakin for a moment before looking away again.

    ¡°Anyway. I was so helpless. I couldn¡¯t do anything at all. It was horrible.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Anakin said, growing a little emotional himself, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    ¡°There was a fight,¡± Slarena continued as if she hadn¡¯t heard him, ¡°One gang challenging the other one that controlled the markets that I was being sold at. The attacking gang came in guns blazing, just killing everyone they could find. Customer, guard, slave, they didn¡¯t care. They went around killing everyone except for me. Their leader just laughed and told me to dance to entertain them as they rounded up everyone in the lobby and started killing them one by one. Even the slaves¡­ My parents. My world didn¡¯t have the implants for the slaves like Tatooine did. Just the slave catchers ready to punish anyone who tried to run. Reinforcements came in from the other slaver''s allies before the first gang finished killing the remaining slaves. In the chaos, everybody forgot about me. I stole a blaster and shot the bastard that killed my parents right through the eyes before anyone could stop me¡­ And then I ran, and managed to get off world somehow. And I kept running and running because I didn¡¯t know how to do anything else until the day we met.¡±

    ¡°Your parents¡­? Why¡­ Why the slaves too?¡± Anakin asked softly, ¡°Why would they do that?¡±

    Slarena let out a humorless laugh, ¡°Who knows? Sending a message, their leader said. Like slavers ever need a reason to cruel¡­¡±

    ¡°So¡­ So just now, standing under the light in the club¡­¡±

    Slarena let out a huff of air through her nose, ¡°Yeah. Just a reminder of it all. I thought I was past it. Even Shmi can wear all those sexy bathing suits and be so casual, and I can¡¯t even handle something like this.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Anakin said and squeezed Slarena¡¯s hand before relaxing his grip again, ¡°She¡¯s just practicing her pickup lines for Ricktor when we get back home. And building her confidence for the big moment. You know that.¡±

    Slarena laughed and wiped at her eyes again, ¡°I know. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s so worried about. She could have slept with at least ten guys by now if she wanted to. It doesn¡¯t matter how lame those lines she used were. Or that she''s middle aged. The guys didn¡¯t even care. And if anything her burns made her even more interesting to them.¡±

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    ¡°Whatever. She didn¡¯t actually do it, you get my point. Riktor would be crazy to turn her down.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. He would.¡±

    They both sat in silence for a bit holding hands and leaning against the wall together.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad I got on that ship,¡± Slarena said, ¡°I can¡¯t imagine living without you two.¡±

    ¡°Me either. I¡­ I¡­ Love you both so much.¡±

    ¡°I love you too, Anakin. No matter how those old Jedi tried to convince you that love is wrong¡­ I didn¡¯t want you or Shmi to have to worry about any of this. I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t brave enough to tell either of you without this happening to me. I promise, no more secrets from now on. I¡¯ll tell the both of you everything, like I should have from the start.¡±

    Anakin felt a pang in his heart as she looked at him in seemingly relief at the declaration.

    ¡°No more secrets. I promise too,¡± he said after a moment and making his decision, ¡°I have something too I need to tell the both of you when we get back home.¡±

    ¡°Huh? You do? But¡­ It has to be back home?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve never told anyone else my secret before. It¡¯s too important to say out here. But no more secrets, I promise too. From any of us. Not mom¡¯s secret boyfriend, not you needing to talk to us about your feelings, and not me with my thing. Deal?¡±

    ¡°...Deal. You¡¯re a good kid, Anakin. Anyone ever tell you that? The Jedi don¡¯t know what they gave up.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    They sat there in silence just holding hands, not talking after that. Eventually after who knows how long the door to the comedy club opened.

    ¡°Ani?! Slarena? Are you out here?¡± Mom called out, sounding worried. After sharing a glance with Slarena, Anakin let go of her hand and stood up and walked over around the corner.

    ¡°Over here Mom. With Slarena too.¡±

    Mom turned as she spotted him.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she asked as she rushed over, ¡°Is Slarena okay? I¡¯ve been looking all over for you two.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s¡­ Okay now,¡± Anakin said, ¡°She has something that she wants to tell you.¡±

    Anakin led mom back around the corner of the building and sat her down next to Slarena as Anakin sat on the twi¡¯lek¡¯s other side and held her hand.

    ¡°Tell her, Slarena,¡± Anakin said, ¡°Unless you want me to do it if it¡¯s too hard? I can do that if¡­¡±

    ¡°No¡­ No, I¡¯ll do it. Shmi should hear it from me,¡± Slarena said as she turned to mom. Mom grabbed Slarena¡¯s hand, so Anakin held Slarena¡¯s left while mom held her right. Mom seemed to sense the seriousness of what Slarena was about to say so she remained quiet.

    ¡°Shmi,¡± Slarena began after a long sigh, ¡°I¡¯ve always been quiet about my past. I didn¡¯t¡­ I thought it would hurt you and Ani if you knew. Or that you¡¯d see me differently.¡±

    ¡°Slarena, after how long we¡¯ve been together?¡± Mom said, ¡°Sisters until the end, remember? Weren¡¯t you the one who insisted we swear that silly oath back then?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ Mostly did that as a joke,¡± Slarena said.

    ¡°Well I still think it counts. You can tell me anything.¡±

    ¡°Okay. It¡¯s about my time as a slave. And what happened before I met you and Anakin¡­¡±

    There was much crying and hugging to be had by the end of Slarena¡¯s story. Mom had actually gotten so upset that she could barely speak at points as she sobbed into Slarena¡¯s neck after she reached the worst parts of the story. Slarena looked a little shocked at the intensity of mom¡¯s reaction to the story.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry you had to go through that.¡± Mom muttered as she kept Slarena pinned to the wall with a backbreaking hug and weight of her body, ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ That someone would do that to you¡­¡±

    She started sobbing again as Slarena endured, too worn out by her confession to Anakin and crying along with mom¡¯s earlier outbursts to do anything more.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the hotel,¡± Slarena whispered, ¡°I think we¡¯re all tired.¡±

    They stood to their feet and mom had to lean on Slarena for a bit as she composed herself before standing up again.

    Then they all went back to the hotel and collapsed into their respective beds, completely exhausted and wrung out from the sudden emotional rollercoaster that they¡¯d all been subjected to.

 Chapter 23: The Overreaction

    The Arscata¡¯s were confused the next day about all three of them leaving within thirty minutes of the beginning of the show and never returning. Elara was especially pushy when the three of them were evasive in their answers after.

    Eventually mom put her foot down and told Elara to leave it, and the Arscata parents took the hint and told their daughter to leave it be.

    The rest of the vacation was more subdued. The waterfalls were nice when they went for the last day, but after the revelations from Slarena, Anakin had a harder time relaxing and just enjoying their vacation.

    Anakin and Elara promised to send messages to each other later before she left with her parents for the end of their vacation.

    After the Arscata¡¯s left, the remaining week of their vacation was more subdued but still fun. Slarena seemed relieved when neither of them did anything out of character or suddenly started hating her.

    They were traveling on the transport ship back home. Anakin was currently typing out his first message to Elara, telling her about the things that his family had done with the last week of their trip. He was sitting on his bunk bed, Slarena and his mom¡¯s two stacked bunk beds on the wall opposite him. Above him was an extra empty bunk that they had reserved so they wouldn¡¯t have to share the cramped room with a stranger.

    ¡°Psssst. Psssst. Hey, you.¡±

    Anakin looked up and put the datapad to see Draeth sitting on his mom¡¯s empty bed and staring at him with his single eye and blue tentacles.

    ¡°Draeth? What are you doing out?¡±

    ¡°Hey, go find somewhere private. Those women could walk in at any point and interrupt us. Anyway, bye bye for now.¡±

    Draeth disappeared in a blink. Anakin looked around in confusion as if to pinpoint what could have caused Draeth to appear to him. Draeth had reappeared over six months ago after waking up from his latest nap after giving Anakin his lifesense early. But besides a quick appearance to let Anakin know that it was awake and aware again, Draeth hadn¡¯t made an appearance or talked to him since.

    Anakin left the room as he pocketed the access card and wandered the ship for a while until he found a single bathroom with an exterior door that he could lock rather than the stalls.

    He locked the door and when he turned around Draeth was sitting in the sink, its blueish tentacles filling the space as its eye stared at Anakin.

    ¡°Sup. Long time no talk, Anakin. In case you¡¯re wondering, it is not ability time.¡±

    ¡°Okay. What are you doing here then? I thought I was supposed to be saving up energy in the bank for now?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah. I just said it¡¯s not about that. Look, I understand your heart to heart with your¡­ friend? Second mom? Older sister? Whatever Slarena is to you, I can¡¯t quite tell yet¡­ Is your big secret the one that I think it is? Yours truly? Because that¡¯s a terrible idea.¡±

    ¡°What? That¡¯s what this is about? I promised no secrets, and I¡¯m sticking to it.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I know she had a rough time of it but that doesn¡¯t mean you should¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m. Telling them,¡± Anakin said firmly, ¡°And nothing you say will change my mind.¡±

    Draeth stared at him silently for a few seconds before loudly groaning.

    ¡°Uuuuuuuggggghhhhhh. Why are you doing this? There¡¯s this saying that I¡¯ve heard. A secret between three people only stays that way if two of them are dead. If they know then they¡¯re in danger.¡±

    Anakin wavered for a moment before firming his resolve, ¡°They won¡¯t tell anyone. Not if I tell them how serious it is.¡±

    ¡°Aaaaarrrrrrrrggggghhhh!¡± Draeth complained again and his tentacles flopped as he lay in the sink, ¡°Why are you being so difficult?¡± Draeth¡¯s voice took a plaintive and whiney edge as he kept talking. ¡°I¡¯d ditch your needy butt in an instant if you weren¡¯t such a damn fountain of energy for me so far¡­¡±

    ¡°Says the one sitting around and working for a few minutes every few months for all of this energy that you¡¯re getting. You were the one who chose me, remember? And didn¡¯t you say the Force itself is working against me and giving me all that bad luck? All of those things probably happened to me because of you!¡±

    ¡°Ugh, I know. It¡¯s just so much work,¡± Draeth complained, ¡°Those few minutes are very intensive. You think I sleep for all of those months for fun? No, it¡¯s because I have to. You sure I can¡¯t convince you to keep me a secret?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Damn. This isn¡¯t going to go well. Extra extra sure nothing I do will convince you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it, why are you so invested in this? I doubt that people would even believe it anyway if they heard, it¡¯s just too ridiculous. I¡¯ve never heard of anything like you before, and from what you¡¯ve said no one else has either if you¡¯re from another universe.¡±

    ¡°What? I mean yeah, some people learning of this could be bad. They might be crazy enough to believe it if someone told them about me. They might attack you. But while annoying, that''s a manageable threat hopefully. Even if I am unfortunately detectable, it¡¯s rather hard for you Force users to do so. No, no. It¡¯s the Force itself that¡¯s the problem.¡±

    ¡°The Force? What do you mean? What¡¯s it got to do with this?¡±

    ¡°Well remember how I said that it is confused and doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s going on with you? That¡¯s why it reinforced your fall to the dark when it gets the chance so obviously and is orchestrating events in the background much more obviously than it normally would. I mean it¡¯s still ramping up, but prepare to be challenged morally and tempted to the dark almost constantly once the Force really gets going.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I get that. What does that have to do with telling people about you?¡±

    ¡°Well the Force is distributed amongst every living being in the galaxy except for me, right? Right now with just you it can¡¯t figure out what¡¯s going on. But if it hears the same rumors about you from a lot of people or from those who are powerful with the Force¡­ Then maybe it might investigate or believe them.¡±

    ¡°So? What would it do that¡¯s different than it¡¯s doing now? You said that it wouldn¡¯t take direct action unless it was forced to.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m only a little more knowledgeable than you on these things. I have no idea how the Force would react if it discovered me. Well, I could imagine it wouldn¡¯t like me all too much just on principle. But what would it do to try to get rid of me? No clue. It could just continue what it¡¯s been doing except ramp things up to the maximum. It could try to focus on its ¡®bad luck¡¯ to try to kill you rather than tempt you to the dark side. It could send powerful Force users to directly attack you under its guidance. It could just not do anything or even give up on you and decide to cut its losses and choose a new Chosen One to bring balance to the Force. I just don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°You said it only matters if a lot of people or those very powerful in the Force learn about you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Reconsidering? I¡¯m telling you it¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Well neither mom or Slarena are powerful in the Force. And they¡¯ll keep it a secret. So everything is fine so long as they don¡¯t tell anyone else.¡±

    ¡°Ack! I thought I was so close there! But¡ª Bah, fine you win you jerk. Tell them whatever, don¡¯t listen to the cosmic entity over here with power beyond your understanding.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Anakin said drily, ¡°While you¡¯re here, how¡¯s my progress on the newest ability? How long before I¡¯ve saved enough energy?¡±

    ¡°Normal accumulation would be about¡­ another two years I think. But you know how quickly it¡¯ll pay itself off. So it¡¯s worth the wait.¡±

    Anakin rubbed his chin and hesitated for a moment before voicing his next thought.

    ¡°And¡­ And if I drew on the Dark side and went into a madness induced surge? How much shorter could it be?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ Depends. Theoretically it could be infinite power with only your body as the limit. But you only had a single moment of clarity on the Hammerhead Republic ship after you first woke up from your newest ability. If you¡¯d missed that window of rationality¡­ then you might have spiraled endlessly into madness. The more energy you draw, the narrower and more dangerous that small window would be. Even last time you were right on the edge and still almost fell even with your mind shield working at full strength. You¡¯re welcome for not letting you fall into madness by the way. If I wasn¡¯t the upstanding creature that I am I might have let it happen so I could keep harvesting that sweet sweet dark side energy from you all the time.¡±

    ¡°And why didn¡¯t you? I doubt you¡¯d stop yourself from doing it without a reason. All you care about is your precious energy.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you hurt my feelings! That¡¯s only mostly true. But if you have to know¡­ If you were a powerful beast running around being a menace then you¡¯d be a threat. And threats get squashed if everyone unites against them. Well, at these levels of power anyway. You getting squashed means no more energy for me. Therefore, no madness for you is on the menu.¡±

    ¡°How comforting.¡±

    ¡°I know, isn¡¯t it? Your friend Draeth always has your back even when you were completely clueless that I could have backstabbed you the whole time! As for the idea of a dark Force spiral, it¡¯s definitely a thought. But I wouldn¡¯t unless we¡¯re desperate. You¡¯d risk permanent madness every time you did it.¡±

    ¡°Two years then. Less if I draw on the Force more.¡±

    ¡°Two years. I can¡¯t wait until then,¡± Draeth confirmed, ¡°Well, you¡¯re still a jerk for going against my sage advice. But I suppose you¡¯re not all bad. See ya.¡±

    Without another sound, Draeth vanished and Anakin was completely empty again. He blinked to process all the information Draeth had just given him before shaking his head and unlocking the bathroom door and leaving.

    He still had to send that message to Elara. Hopefully it would be two whole years before he saw Draeth again.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    ¡°So? What¡¯s your big secret?¡± Slarena asked in a more subdued tone than Anakin would normally expect from her.

    ¡°You have to make sure to never tell anyone about this. Bad things could happen if this gets out. I need you both to promise first.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I promise,¡± Slarena said immediately. Mom hesitated a little longer, but then nodded as well as she shifted on the couch in their house. They¡¯d just gotten home from their vacation and finished settling back in.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to start from the beginning. Draeth?¡±

    ¡°What? What do you want now?¡± Draeth said irritably as he appeared on the table in front of Anakin.

    ¡°Can you make yourself visible to them?¡± Anakin asked.

    ¡°No. You¡¯re calling me out for this? It¡¯s a hallucination in your mind, of course neither of them can see me. Can¡¯t believe you¡¯re actually going through with this¡­¡±

    With one last harumph, Draeth vanished again.

    ¡°Ani? Are you¡­ Alright?¡± mom asked cautiously.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine,¡± he replied, ¡°Just thought I could show you first hand, but it didn¡¯t work out. It all started when my old Jedi Master Obi-wan came back from one of his missions. He summoned me to see him and started acting strangely. That¡¯s when I met the creature called Draeth that had come to the temple to find me and snuck in by possessing my Master''s body¡­¡±

    Anakin told his story from start to the beginning and filled in all the gaps, explaining Draeth and the source of all of his strange abilities.

    ¡°Are you sure that you can trust this creature?¡± Slarena asked, ¡°Doesn¡¯t it sound a little¡­ Dodgy? What if it turns against you?¡±

    ¡°I think I understand it,¡± Anakin said confidently, ¡°It¡¯s extremely selfish and clear in what it wants. I wasn¡¯t using the energy that Draeth is harvesting either way, so I don¡¯t mind Draeth taking it as payment for all of its help for me. I don¡¯t think it has lied to me so far from what I can tell. If it wanted to betray me then it had plenty of opportunity to do so before now.¡±

    ¡°I thought your abilities were just from the Force,¡± Slarena mused, ¡°It was what made the most sense. I feel like I should be asking way more questions about this. But I can¡¯t really think of what I should ask first. Shmi?¡±

    ¡°You tell us as soon as that creature pressures you to do anything that you don¡¯t want to do. Can you promise me that?¡± mom asked him.

    ¡°I¡­ Sure. I promise.¡±

    No one talked as there was a heavy pause in the room.

    ¡°Okay, I still have questions though,¡± Slarena said, ¡°So these abilities, what kind of things can you get? What are you planning for next?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s almost anything it seems. Draeth mostly tells me what¡¯s possible or not depending on how much power I¡¯ve saved up with it. So for example¡­¡±

    The conversation was surprisingly calm after the two women¡¯s initial surprise at Anakin¡¯s surprise. But they both shrugged it off as more ¡®Force magic¡¯ as Slarena put it once they reassured themselves that Draeth wasn¡¯t out to hurt Anakin. He tried to explain how Draeth¡¯s abilities were different from using the Force, but the both of them just looked at him blankly and didn¡¯t seem to quite get it.

    Eventually he left it be, oddly disappointed that they were so unaffected by what he thought would be a major revelation.

    After that, things calmed down and they all settled back into their normal routines again. Anakin returned to his droid lab job, while mom and Slarena kept working at their store. Anakin kept exchanging messages with Elara. They were planning to meet up again for a weekend when she dropped by his planet sometime. Her father¡¯s business did deliveries to planets all over the sector, so she told him that it wouldn¡¯t be too much trouble for her to ride along and then return home if she managed to schedule herself to work on that ship anyway.

    It would be nice to see her in person again. It took a few hours for their written messages to reach each other in the wider galaxy wherever she was as she traveled around on her father¡¯s ships. The real time connections with the hyperspace relays were only for the military or important people, so Anakin didn¡¯t have access to it. It wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d had anyone else to contact outside of his new home planet before now.

    Time passed quickly and the vacation quickly faded into the past behind him as Anakin moved forward.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    ¡°You humans, all these little strands of hair going everywhere. How do you deal with it all? Lekku are much better. Nice and clean and smooth all the time. Here Anakin, hand me that comb.¡±

    He obediently handed Slarena the proper brush as the woman started brushing mom¡¯s hair as she sat in the chair in front of the mirror.

    ¡°Ow!¡±

    ¡°Oh, sorry Shmi. Got stuck, your strands got tangled,¡± Slarena apologized and started combing mom¡¯s hair again a little gentler.

    ¡°So, uhm. I don¡¯t know much about how your human hairstyles work,¡± Slarena admitted, ¡°But we¡¯ll do our best! I¡¯m sure Anakin knows something about it.¡±

    ¡°Oh, but he¡¯s coming soon! I can¡¯t look like this when he arrives for dinner!¡±

    ¡°You look fiiiiine, Shmi. Here, Anakin. Give me that¡­ hair holder ring thing. The black one.¡±

    Anakin obediently opened a drawer and looked around before finding the right thing and handing it over.

    ¡°So we got to get your hair in a ball and through this thing? Make a¡­ what¡¯s it called again, Ani?¡±

    ¡°A bun. That¡¯s the hairstyle, I think.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that.¡±

    Over the course of an hour and much bumbling, mom¡¯s hair was in a tight bun and all of her loose strands of hair sticking up from Slarena¡¯s sustained assault with the comb were pressed back down.

    ¡°Ani, get me that lipstick!¡± Slarena said, getting more invested the longer they went on, ¡°We got to make them nice and glossy for when he comes! Here, I¡¯ll take it from here, Ani. You go work on setting the table.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    He quickly left and went into the dining room. He adjusted the silky tablecloth and set the smaller table with the fancier plates and utensils for two places across from each other.

    He placed the two candles on either side of the table and made sure he left out the lighter on the kitchen counter as well as testing the device for playing some calming music. He turned it off after listening for a few seconds and put it next to the lighter.

    His work here¡­ was done.

    He dimmed the lights slightly until it was just right and looked around trying to find what else he could do to help. After a few minutes of him going around and straightening things aimlessly, Slarena and mom came down from upstairs. Mom was in that same fancy dress that she¡¯d worn to the comedy club for their vacation.

    ¡°Is this too much?¡± mom asked with a worried expression, ¡°It¡¯s only our third date. What if he just comes in his normal clothes? I don¡¯t want to scare him off¡­¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    ¡°Well that¡¯s on him!¡± Slarena said, ¡°Better to overdo it than not enough! He¡¯s been chasing after you for months, one bad date wouldn¡¯t chase him away, let alone something like that.¡±

    ¡°I guess, but¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll go fine, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll love how much work we¡¯ve put into this,¡± Slarena countered, ¡°Look, he¡¯s coming in twenty minutes. You two will have the whole house to yourselves all night. Anakin and I¡¯ve got to clear out before he arrives. Go partying in the big city, it¡¯ll be fun for us too. You got this, sis. You¡¯ll woo Riktor before he even walks in the door. Now, Ani and I have really got to go before he comes. Good luck, Shmi!¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Slarena,¡± mom said with a nervous tremor in her voice as her stance was filled with tension.

    ¡°You sure that you two will be okay?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine,¡± Slarena assured mom, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of him.¡±

    ¡°You mean I¡¯ll take care of you,¡± Anakin said, ¡°I bet you¡¯re wasted before we even leave the first bar.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see, we¡¯ll see,¡± Slarena said with a knowing smile, ¡°You recall the droids yet, Ani?¡±

    Anakin hesitated before letting out an annoyed huff before activating his communicator and raising it to his face.

    ¡°TC-04, recall all droids to the bunker. Maximum stealth, only leave roaming droids beyond the property perimeter active.¡±

    The communicator crackled before the tactical command droid managing the house¡¯s defenses replied.

    ¡°Is that wise, commander? Such an action will decrease our defensive response time and effectiveness by at least fourteen percent in all combat scenarios, and even more if¡­¡±

    ¡°TC-04, you have your orders.¡±

    ¡°Roger roger. Following orders. Reconfiguring battle plans in case this weakness is exploited.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, Ani,¡± mom said as she saw the look on his face as he lowered the communicator, ¡°I don¡¯t need him seeing all of those military droids roaming around our property. No one¡¯s going to attack us.¡±

    ¡°You have your lifeline?¡± Anakin confirmed to reassure himself. She raised her arm to display the little wristband with a little section a bit wider than the others.

    ¡°If I press the button then the droids below will come charging in to save me,¡± she reassured him, ¡°I¡¯ll be safe. And it¡¯s Riktor. No need to worry.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ Alright. Stay safe, mom.¡±

    ¡°You too, both of you. Have fun in the city.¡±

    Slarena and Anakin gave mom some quick hugs before quickly retreating to climb into the family spaceship that was a little less conspicuous than the fancy one that Anakin flew to work every day.

    Anakin flew the ship to the city and parked it on one of the public landing pads and paid for the spot.

    ¡°Alright!¡± Slarena said and clapped her hands as they left the ship, ¡°Where should we go first? How about this club? I¡¯ve heard from my friends in town that it¡¯s the place to be.¡±

    ¡°No bar first?¡±

    ¡°Meh. We can afford a few overpriced drinks at the club if either of us get in the mood. So, what do you say? Thought that we¡¯d take you somewhere for your first real clubbing experience. Not just bar hopping like we did last time.¡±

    ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go.¡±

    They walked through the city together, until they reached the club. It was a bit early, with the sun having just having set but there was still a short line at the door. They waited at the back to be let in. The bouncer at the front looked over the two of them over and raised his eyebrow.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a little young for the mature lady here, man?¡± the bouncer said.

    ¡°Ew, gross. No, we¡¯re not like that.¡± Anakin replied and wrinkled his nose in disgust.

    ¡°Er, sorry. My bad,¡± the bouncer said, ¡°You¡¯re good. Enjoy your stay.¡±

    ¡°Mature lady,¡± Slarena muttered as they walked through the door together, ¡°shows what he knows, I¡¯m barely thirty five.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m only eighteen now,¡± Anakin pointed out, ¡°You¡¯re old compared to me.¡±

    She looked at him with a raised eyebrow for a moment before snorting, ¡°Whatever. I¡¯ll tell your mom that you said that. She¡¯s even older than I am.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s only forty two. You¡¯re practically the same age.¡±

    ¡°Same age, shows what you know¡­¡± Slarena grumbled as they went into the corner and managed to find a seat at one of the booths lining the edge of the large space. In the center was the dancefloor where the dancing crowd was gradually filling up. The room was filled with loud conversation, and some music that could only just barely be heard above the hubbub of conversation. But the music wasn¡¯t nearly loud enough that it was something to dance to.

    Anakin frowned at the dance floor as they ordered their drinks from the droid that rolled by.

    ¡°Auditory dampeners,¡± Slarena said and pointed to four bulky boxes hanging from the ceiling and at each corner of the dance floor and pointing inwards, ¡°Keeps most of the noise contained inside so we can talk out here and go in there while the DJ blasts the music as loud as they want.¡±

    ¡°Huh. Interesting,¡± Anakin said.

    The droid delivered their drinks and they sipped on them for a bit and watched the people dancing wildly on the dancefloor as it grew more and more crowded. There were flashing and colored lights and low powered lasers strobing down from the ceiling to go across the dancefloor. Occasionally the raised booth where the DJ stood would flash brightly from the large panel of lights behind the creature or release some mist into the crowd at seemingly random intervals.

    ¡°You ready to go in?¡± Slarena asked after a bit, ¡°I think now¡¯s a good time. Enough people in there to get that sense of dancing in the crowd, you know.¡±

    ¡°Meet back at this booth if we get separated?¡±

    ¡°Sure, sounds good.¡±

    With one gulp, Slarena raised her glass and downed the rest of the alcohol and put the glass on the table decisively.

    Anakin quickly followed suit and put his glass next to hers.

    The two of them walked forward and after they passed through some invisible point the music suddenly started growing louder and louder as well as people shouting and singing of tune at the top of their lungs.

    By the time they reached the dance floor the music was so loud that Anakin felt it vibrating deep in his chest with every beat, and his world seemed as if it was consumed by the music pounding on his skull. After a few seconds, the pressure eased and Anakin felt a little more tired. Oh, his body had adapted to the sound. He could still hear it, and it was still the same volume, but it didn¡¯t hurt his ears anymore.

    He turned to Slarena and saw that she was pointing towards the DJ up front and started dancing a little. Anakin nodded and Slarena smiled as the two of them started dancing forward up to the front of the crowd. The press of bodies pressed in from all sides as everybody danced and shouted or laughed. Anakin felt oddly unseen in the massive crowd as no one paid him the slightest bit of attention as he followed behind Slarena as she cleared a path through the crowd.

    Anakin had a bit of a buzz from the alcohol that he¡¯d drunk earlier and when he got to the front of the crowd with Slarena, he paused as the music suddenly faded slightly.

    ¡°Party, party on, my fellow people in the cluuuub!¡± The DJ shouted, covered in a brightly lit and glowing helmet with a stylized smile of white teeth drawn on its front.

    ¡°We got some more music for all of ya tonight. Real great stuff on our list. Some greatest hits we all love, with some newbies ready for the big time to try out. Next up, some new hits from our Trelaxian friends for Trelaxa Prime, taking our galactic sector by storm these last few months like a musical sensation! Enjoy, and remember to just tell our droid if there¡¯s any songs that ya would like to suggest. Now leettttttssss <i>GOooooooooo!</i>¡±

    The lights behind the DJ flashed brightly and another spray of mist billowed out from the DJ¡¯s stand and covered the whole front row in a swirling haze of light mist as the beat of the new energetic song dropped and rumbled in Anakin¡¯s chest.

    Slarena started dancing, throwing her hands up in the air and jumping up and down. Anakin hesitated for a moment, a little self conscious until after a moment of resistance he let himself be swept up in the crowd''s energy and started dancing himself too.

    Time passed in a blur as he danced in the crowd, feeling both like he was part of something bigger and completely anonymous as he partied with the strangers. Then at one point he looked up and realized that he had drifted away and lost sight of Slarena.

    He snapped out of his fun and looked around and quickly started hunting for her, relaxing when he spotted her through a gap in the crowd. He moved forward to move closer to her and saw her relax as well as she spotted him and gave a little wave before returning to enjoying the music.

    They danced some more, only stopping to leave the dance floor and order some more drinks when they got tired.

    The both of them grew more and more drunk as time passed, their movements clumsy and a warm haze settled over his mind as he wore a dopey smile as the night continued. His adaption ability worked for drugs somewhat, but much more limited than how it was for something more straightforward like heat or electricity. So even if Anakin had to drink more than other people, he could still get drunk if he wanted to.

    And unfortunately after this he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to get drunk at all for a few days.

    It had been a while that the two of them had been partying, and Anakin spotted Slarena turn and stumble through the crowd, moving towards the table they¡¯d agreed to meet at earlier.

    Maybe he¡¯d just dance to one more song before stopping¡­

    When he was done, he turned and started stumbling his own way over towards where she had walked a few minutes ago. He blinked as he passed across the barrier and suddenly everything grew much quieter around him again. He spotted Slarena standing by the booth, although she was facing the people who¡¯d sat there in the meantime. He couldn¡¯t see what she was saying, but the people sitting in the booth were smiling and laughing. So it was probably fine?

    There were two humans and a Trandoshan lizard man who was bulky and looked like he had muscles upon muscles even as he sat there at the inside of the booth, with a human man flanking the seats on either side.

    Anakin stumbled over to her in his drunken haze and pawed at Slarena¡¯s shoulder and only vaguely registered that she seemed upset.

    ¡°Ah who is thissssss. How do you know such a pretty thingsssss? Is she your catchsssssss?¡± the Trandoshan asked with a mocking hiss in his voice.

    ¡°The kriff is wrong with you?¡± Slarena slurred, ¡°Who gave you the right, you baaastard?¡±

    ¡°Yousssss the one who came over to ussss,¡± the Trandoshan laughed, ¡°You turnsss around in front of us and are angered when we admire the viewssss? I likesss the front toooo. What do you think, friends? Front or backssss are better?¡±

    ¡°Oh, definitely¨C¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Anakin interrupted and stepped in front of Slarena as his brain registered what was happening.

    ¡°Baaack off! Apologize to heeerrrr!¡± he threatened.

    ¡°Apologizessss?¡± the Trandoshan said mockingly, ¡°You musssst be drunk. Little human like you, teach me? I could crushssss you between two fingers. She givesss us a show and complains when we enjoy itssss? She should apologizessss to us. Hah!¡±

    ¡°Wait, Anaaaakin don¡¯t-¡± Slarena said as Anakin¡¯s drunken mind pulsed with anger.

    ¡°Fight me then! I¡¯ll teach you¡ª A kriffing lesson!¡±

    He dived over the table and clumsily reached for the Trandoshan¡¯s throat. The lizardman stood up and overturned the table to shove Anakin back.

    The bulky lizardman stood to his feet and let out another hissing laugh again as he flexed his claws.

    ¡°Hs hs hs, A fight! Yes, let¡¯s teachssss this boy a lessssson. And maybe his woman too jussst for fun.¡±

    Anakin¡¯s body exploded with the dark side as he roared with rage and in a burst of motion was standing directly in front of the lizardman. He punched the Trandoshan hard in the chest covered in scales. The Trandoshan let out a loud ¡®oof!¡¯ as he went flying back with a look on his face before crashing into the wall behind him.

    ¡°Boss!¡± one of the men shouted and drew a blaster from his belt and pointed it at Anakin. As Anakin whipped his head around and darted towards the man, he fired his weapon directly into Anakin¡¯s sternum. The pistol made aloud sound only for its plasma bolt to dissolve into nothing as Anakin¡¯s dispersion ability kicked in.

    The man opened his mouth into a perfect O of shock right before Anakin wrapped his hands around his throat.

    ¡°Why?¡± Anakin screamed as he throttled the man, ¡°Why do you people want to hurt her?! Be like this? Why?¡±

    There was a loud cracking sound below Anakin as kneeled on top of the man below him.

    Another wave of heat washed over Anakin¡¯s back and he realized that he¡¯d just broken the man''s neck. He turned around and saw the other man with wide eyes fire another blaster bolt at Anakin. He was about to dash forward when Slarena suddenly charged in and slammed into the man with her shoulder and sent his next shot off course.

    ¡°No! Stop it!¡± she cried, ¡°Leave him alone!¡±

    Anakin¡¯s heart seized in his chest as the man turned his blaster towards her. In a panic he extended his hand out and called on the dark Force pulsing within him. The man yelped as an invisible force gripped him and lifted him into the air, even as he thrashed. In a burst of vengeful Force, the man¡¯s chest caved in and he fell to the floor dead as Anakin released him.

    He dimly registered the screaming and panicking patrons of the club in the background fleeing for the exits as they witnessed the sudden violence.

    ¡°Whatsss¡­¡±

    Anakin¡¯s head snapped around and he leapt forward, his hands curled into fists. The Trandoshan stood to his feet and took a fighting stance although he looked uncertain.

    Anakin punched him again with a burst of dark Force, sending the lizard man stumbling a single step back from the Force before stabilizing himself.

    ¡°Waitsss¡­¡±

    ¡°Why?! Why does it always happen to them?¡± Anakin screamed as he jumped forward and pounded the lizard man with a flurry of savage punches, not caring that his fists were bloody and aching from hitting the hard scales over and over.

    "Why always them..."

    The lizard man was gradually pushed back, barely able to shield himself with his arms as Anakin assaulted him mercilessly. His mind was still pulsing with that rage, that helplessness that he felt so deeply and threatening to overwhelm him.

    ¡°Kid! Kid! Calm the kriff down! You¡¯re acting crazy! Use the mind shield! Quick!¡±

    Anakin ignored Draeth as the creature appeared perched on the floor nearby.

    Anakin kept up his assault.

    ¡°Mind shield, you dolt! You moron, if you have to kill him then there¡¯s a blaster right next to you!¡±

    Anakin growled and ignored the words. No, that wasn¡¯t enough. How could those people do that Slarena, make her feel that way¡­ Why couldn¡¯t he help her when she was so hurt?

    The Trandoshan lashed out with his large claws and managed to scratch Anakin¡¯s left arm.

    The pain only drew his anger farther, and in a burst of the Force, Anakin grabbed the lizard man¡¯s right shoulder and with one massive burst of inhuman strength ripped it completely free, throwing the limb to the side. Blood poured from the stump like a fountain.

    ¡°Damn it, kid. Whatever, too far gone now for you to use the mind shield. Despite you going crazy right now, that brutality was pretty great. A great show. Do his other arm too!¡±

    Just to spite Draeth¡¯s voice, Anakin kicked out and broke the Trandoshan¡¯s shin with the growing power of the Dark side flowing within him.

    ¡°KRIFF YES! Hahaha! Take that, Force!¡± Draeth suddenly shouted suddenly excitedly, ¡°He¡¯s adapting to the dark side! Best ability for the win, I knew it was worth it. Adaptation to it all, even the Dark side. Higher and higher we go! Get angrier Anakin! This is amazing! Go take your anger out on a nearby city or two and see how much energy we can get before you keel over!¡±

    Anakin spent the next three minutes taking his anger out mindlessly on the Trandoshan even as he ignored Draeth¡¯s celebrations that his rage fueled mind couldn¡¯t process right now.

    The Trandoshan was long dead and a flattened bloody mass below him as Anakin stood above it with black tears dripping down his face and bright glowing yellow eyes and gore coating his arms all the way up to the elbows.

    ¡°Anakin¡­¡±

    He turned around startled to see Slarena standing there.

    ¡°Anakin, come back to yourself,¡± she said in a small voice, ¡°Just like before. What would me or your mom do without you?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Anakin¡¯s body spasmed and he fell onto all fours as he warred with himself and resisted the urge to vomit.

    ¡°Go, Slarena,¡± he groaned, ¡°Please. I can¡¯t resist for much longer. Draeth will stop me soon.¡±

    He pulled on his mindshield in his moment of clarity, but it was no use. The rising tide of the Dark was too strong and started overwhelming him again despite his best efforts.

    ¡°Ani¡­¡±

    ¡°GO! I can¡¯t hurt you too, I couldn¡¯t live with myself if¡­¡±

    He groaned again and his body shuddered violently as he tasted blood in his mouth as he remained on his hands and knees. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure if the taste of the blood was his own or someone else''s.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll find you after. No one will ambush you when you¡¯re vulnerable this time,¡± Slarena said firmly with determination in her voice before turning and stumbling away, still swaying slightly from being drunk.

    Anakin lost his battle with himself as she was nearly at the door. She was the only person left to vent his anger nearby. His mind overwhelmed with rage and hopelessness was too confused to remember who the person stumbling away from him was.

    ¡°Hey! Fleshy targets this way! You¡¯re the stupidest person I¡¯ve ever met. You could never protect either of them. All you can do is stand there and watch uselessly like a dumb lump whenever either of them is hurt! Even now, all you¡¯re doing is hurting the both of them! Ruining your mom¡¯s date night! Nearly hurting Slarena! You¡¯re the one who¡¯s always the reason why they¡¯re in pain! All of it is on you!¡±

    Anakin¡¯s animalistic mind was simple, but somehow Draeth¡¯s words registered to him still. He let out a roar that shook the building and caused abandoned glasses to tip over and spill their contents around the table in the mostly abandoned club.

    Anakin leapt forward towards Draeth where he was there on the ground. Just before he wrapped his hands around the creature, it vanished and reappeared a dozen meters away.

    He chased, but the creature was slippery and threw Anakin into a greater and greater rage as he failed to catch his prey. His body was at war, the increasing flood of Dark Force energy damaging him before his body adapted slightly before the amount increased again, exhausting his energy more and more for the longer that it went on.

    In the chase they reached a room with many screens showing different views of the inside of the club. Draeth flitted around the room as Anakin used his strength to attempt to squash it with increasing frustration, smashing everything into smithereens.

    He chased Draeth out of the building and through the streets of the city at high speed, ignoring everything else and solely focused on the chase as Draeth kept taunting him.

    They ran into a park and Draeth vanished and reappeared again several times as Anakin barrelled forward, only nimbly dodging around the trees as he tried to keep his eyes on the new source of his anger that he was chasing.

    They were deep in the depths of the forest in the large park in the middle of the city and Anakin still couldn¡¯t manage to crush the irritating beast taunting him.

    ¡°I have to say, this has been fun,¡± the creature said conversationally as Anakin charged at it as it remained in place about twenty meters away in the woods sitting on the forest floor, ¡°But I¡¯ve dragged this out as much as I could. I guess this is the limit of your body for now. Any more dark side and you¡¯ll start having to deal with some good old fashioned organ failure.¡±

    Draeth vanished and reappeared directly behind Anakin in the opposite direction twenty meters away again as his fists nearly passed through it. Anakin¡¯s hand slammed painfully into the ground and created a deep indent in the soil beneath. He turned and charged at Draeth again as soon as his voice came from another direction.

    ¡°Hey, when you wake up just remember the good old mind shield. This¡¯ll be a tough one for you to shake off. If you don¡¯t manage it, I¡¯d just like to say that it¡¯s a shame. So much more energy that we could have harvested together¡­ But I¡¯m already energy positive now, so you dying is just whatever rather than a catastrophe. Hope that makes you feel better about it.¡±

    ¡°Aaaaaand, timeout,¡± Draeth said gleefully and suddenly Anakin¡¯s body locked up and he tipped over and fell flat on his face onto the forest floor below. His face pressed into the sharp twigs and loose dirt, there was a sudden wave of pain that grew more and more excruciating as time passed.

    ¡°Remember when you wake up. Miiiinnnnnddd shhhiiiiiieeeeellllllddd!¡±

    Anakin dimly registered Draeth¡¯s words before he fell unconscious again.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    He woke with a loud scream as he thrashed on the ground violently.

    ¡°Mind Shield! Mind shield!¡± Draeth shouted from the side, and Anakin just barely managed to collect his thoughts enough to follow orders and strain his mind shield to the maximum. It was a tug of war, Anakin¡¯s mind teetering on a knife¡¯s edge with the wellspring of Dark side surging within him as his mindshield fought to reel it back.

    Night turned into day as Anakin lay there groaning painfully. Somebody found him and said some words. The Dark surged within him and he nearly lost control of himself as a hand touched his face. He instinctively twisted his head and snapped his jaws at the offending hand, but missed it as the hand retreated. But then the hand touched his head again and there were more soft words.

    Anakin dimly realized that it was Slarena above him as she sat down next to him on the forest floor and lifted his twitching body off of the ground slightly by dragging him by the shoulders towards her. She held him so that his twitching body was draped over her with his head touching her shoulder and her arms wrapped around his back.

    He resisted the urge to hurt her, but her soft words and warmth cooled his fiery rage and allowed his mind shield to pull him from the cliff of the Dark and madness that he¡¯d almost just fallen off of. He was hovering on the knife¡¯s edge once more, the mind shield and the Dark fighting for dominance.

    Slarena reached out and started rubbing circles on his back and Anakin vaguely registered wetness soaking his shoulder as Slarena pressed her cheek into his own and kept whispering words that he couldn¡¯t understand as she hugged him.

    But the emotion was there, and slowly he started calming down. His mind shield worked and despite the Dark side¡¯s groans and protests eventually pulled him off of the edge and towards rationality once again.

    Then as the sun in the sky started to slowly go down in the sky above, the fight was won. Anakin¡¯s mind was purged of the dark. His body was still limp and draped over Slarena, completely exhausted by the long drawn battle and damage from channeling the Dark Side of the Force.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ So sorry, Slarena,¡± Anakin muttered into her ear, ¡°I thought I was protecting you. That I could help. I¡¯ve ruined everything, just made it all worse.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ I called Dooku earlier. He¡¯ll sort all of this out, he¡¯s already cleared the park so I could be here with you,¡± Slarena whispered in his ear, ¡°Those bastards at the club deserved it, don¡¯t you blame yourself for that. I was so scared for you, Ani. I wouldn¡¯t have sat with you for hours if I thought that you would ever hurt me.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand. I almost did it,¡± Anakin choked out, ¡°It was so close¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t. And that¡¯s what matters. I thought that you were fine after hearing about my past. You didn¡¯t react nearly as much as Shmi did¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I guess I just saw what I wanted to see. You¡¯ve been holding onto all of this ever since then.¡±

    ¡°No, this is¡­ My problem,¡± Anakin countered, ¡°I overreacted, I shouldn¡¯t have¡­¡±

    ¡°You think? Overreaction, biggest understatement in the galaxy,¡± Slarena interrupted Anakin, ¡°But it¡¯s my problem too. See how hiding away from my problems worked out for me. You¡¯re doing the same now. We¡¯re family, right? We¡¯ve got to stick together. You, me, and your mom. And maybe Riktor too if Shmi chasing him off mid date doesn¡¯t scare him away.¡±

    ¡°Mom?¡± Anakin said weakly, ¡°Is she okay?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s fine, just worried about you. Are you okay? Can other people come in to help heal you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m¡­ Fully purged. Draeth¡¯s a real bastard. Remind me to yell at him when I wake back up¡­¡±

    Anakin slumped unconscious, the last sensation he felt was Slarena¡¯s warmth comforting him and sending him drifting off into a dreamless sleep.

 Chapter 24: The Investigation

    ¡°What do we know so far?¡±

    ¡°The relevant incident is supposedly on a small outer rim world. Fairly populated with a few major cities, and a population of a billion sentients, nothing like the higher population of any of the core worlds. Nothing else of much significance there except for a larger than average Techno-Union Planetary Headquarters. And Anakin Skywalker, who works there.¡±

    ¡°The Techno-Union? What is he working on there? Who gave him the connections to get a job like that as a Jedi?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re unsure. And he¡¯s not a Jedi any longer. I thought he made his opinion on the topic rather clear in his Senate hearings. As for the job, it¡¯s likely Count Dooku who gave him the position, but the Techno-Union¡¯s been holding onto the exact details tightly. As they like to do with anything that goes on at any of their headquarters. All we know is that he works in one of their research labs and not much more. It doesn¡¯t seem that he¡¯s been using his¡­ Force magic much at all from what we¡¯ve detected.¡±

    ¡°The Council itself has given me this mission. They felt another burst of Dark Side from that planet, just like what happened in Mos Espa. It¡¯s my job to investigate, and it¡¯s a fact that a powerful burst of the dark side was released on that planet only yesterday before being suddenly being cut off. In the exact pattern observed only once before by the Council. The only question left is why Anakin Skywalker did so, and who he hurt in the process. And¡­ Whether we should take him in.¡±

    ¡°Master Jedi, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s wise to even suggest capturing him,¡± the man from Republic Intelligence warned, ¡°Especially given how the previous attempts went. The public¡¯s view of the Jedi is lower than it has ever been, even after the Senate¡¯s investigation found nothing substantial. It would be a public relations nightmare if there was another incident that could be portrayed in a bad light. You will have no assistance from Republic Intelligence in any such operations. Not again.¡±

    Jedi Knight Aurtera waved her hand dismissively, ¡°Not a master yet, only a Jedi Knight for now. Haven¡¯t passed my trials¡­ I understand your point completely. But it is the Council¡¯s position that if he presents a danger to innocents then we must make the effort regardless of how others may see it. Getting the support of Republic Intelligence or not is above the two of us, the Council  would deal with those kinds of matters. But you are right regardless, we should be absolutely certain before we act. I doubt that asking the boy anything directly would lead to any answers. When I went to summon him to the Council, he refused without a second¡¯s thought. I don¡¯t see him being any more rational about it now that Dooku¡¯s had time to support his stubbornness. What of his mother and the other one, the Twi¡¯lek? Ms. Reborn? What have they been up to?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re living together with Skywalker, in a rural zone of the planet on a private estate just outside of the nearest town. Skywalker has a personal ship that he flies to the Techno-Union every day. The two women have opened a general store in the nearby town. From what we¡¯ve observed from our sources, they haven¡¯t done anything suspicious. We¡¯re monitoring their taxes and shipping manifests and it all appears to be innocent goods being sold to the town. For all intents and purposes they seem to be living perfectly normal lives in their small town. Part of the community, and no suspicious activity that warrants any further investigation.¡±

    ¡°Is that sympathy that I hear? Are you sure that you¡¯ve been looking hard enough? What of any recent incidents on the planet? Maybe not something as gruesome as Mos Espa, but a similar event? Especially something that Skywalker might have been involved in?¡±

    ¡°No Ma¡¯am. Nothing like that. There was a gang related shooting at one of the clubs in one of the major cities that killed a few people that¡¯s been in the local holonews recently. But besides that everything has been quiet.¡±

    ¡°Shooting? How many dead are there? What of Skywalker, was he there?¡±

    ¡°No, there¡¯s no evidence that Skywalker was anywhere near the club that night. There were only three casualties total, local gang members to the area. Besides that there were only light injuries among the bystanders fleeing the fight. Apparently the gang members were harassing a woman and the man that she was with pulled a blaster and shot the gang members dead after things escalated into a full fight.¡±

    ¡°And this man? The woman? Any identifications of them? Security footage?¡±

    ¡°No. But evidence in the police report points to members of a rival gang in the city. There¡¯s local rumors of a gang war as a result as the two groups both blame each other for the incident. Any security footage of the club was destroyed after some amateur smashed the communications room blindly and ruptured the data drives in a stroke of luck for themselves. I don¡¯t think that this event is close to anything you are describing. The local authorities can handle it themselves. It''s the only event in that timeframe that matches anything even approaching a large scale violent event like what happened in Mos Espa.¡±

    ¡°What kind of watchers do you have on Skywalker right now? Is it possible that he slipped away from them and went to the club at some point? Perhaps he made it out of his home somehow undetected?¡±

    ¡°Watchers? Master Jedi, I think you misunderstand. The investigation into Skywalker¡¯s situation concluded over a year and a half ago. We did a full exhaustive investigation at the Council¡¯s request and came up with nothing beyond the ordinary. At the Council¡¯s request also, we¡¯ve maintained some passive monitoring of the Skywalker family without any agents on the ground on the planet. It¡¯s been nearly two years since he last left Coruscant and there have been no incidents in all of this time. He and his family haven¡¯t even committed so much as a single crime during our monitoring period from what we can tell. They even went on vacation a few months ago, which we also had our analysts investigate the records for closely. At the Council¡¯s request. Again nothing.

    ¡°That is our conclusion. We have found no evidence that Skywalker was doing anything untoward at the time you claim that he was consumed by the Dark side of the Force. Or at any point in the last two years since he left Coruscant.¡±

    ¡°Claim? The Council felt it, agent. They¡¯re never wrong about these things. The Dark side was strong on that planet for nearly a full day before suddenly winking out again into nothing. We should organize agents on the ground, an in person investigation¡­¡±

    ¡°I think that is quite enough, Master Jedi,¡± the man¡¯s tone became irritated as she kept pressing him, ¡°We have wasted enough of the Republic Intelligence¡¯s resources on this delusion. There is no evidence of any wrongdoing. Until there is any actual evidence of suspicious activity, we will stop wasting resources on this nonsense. Our investigation into Anakin Skywalker is closed as of this moment.¡±

    ¡°Sir, this is outrageous!¡± she said, ¡°Surely you must see the danger if¡­¡±

    ¡°If, if, if¡­¡± the man interrupted, ¡°That¡¯s all your Council has given me for years! Guesses and speculations based on Force magic that no one else can verify! My decision is final. Until you or your Jedi Council can present any actual evidence worth investigating, this investigation is concluded. You may see yourself out, Jedi Knight Aurtera. Best of luck in your own efforts. We will send along all the relevant information about Skywalker that we¡¯ve uncovered to your Council. But we will no longer assist you with this matter beyond here.¡±

    She stiffly stood to her feet and bowed slightly.

    ¡°Thank you for your time, and for your assistance so far then.¡±

    He snorted and waved his hand as if to shoo her away, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure. A good day to you too.¡±

    She walked out of the office and had to take a moment to sink more deeply into the Force to calm herself before continuing to go to report to the Council on what had just happened. It was most disturbing that the investigation had turned up nothing of note¡­ Luckily the political maneuvering that she was sure was behind the end of the investigation wasn¡¯t hers to deal with but the Council¡¯s.

    She couldn¡¯t imagine how the man could dismiss the danger of somebody that was already so verifiably dangerous. The boy had to be monitored for the safety for all the innocents around that he could hurt if something went wrong.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Jedi Knight Aurtera flipped through the reports on Skywalker. Everything that he¡¯d been up to in the last two years. Anything that could give her a lead on what he was hiding, and how he was hiding his Dark Side energy so perfectly. And why he¡¯d expose it to the galaxy so suddenly and seemingly without purpose from what she or the Council could tell.

    It had been about four months since the incident, and she was still getting nowhere. Everything in the reports were mundane details, mostly on Skywalker¡¯s mother¡¯s business and store versus on the man himself. Beyond helping out at his mother¡¯s store from time to time and a few casual connections in town, he was a mystery to the reports. Nothing known about what he did at his job. Nothing known about whether he was still practicing his Force abilities or not, nothing known about his interests or goals beyond spending time with his family.

    It was¡­ Frustrating. After sighing as she read another report, she returned and kept reading along. The vacation that the family had taken was the only lead that she had. It was the only time that Skywalker or his family had done anything at all that broke their mundane routine.

    She looked deep in the reports and after some digging finally found something to grab on to. This Elara Arscata. She was sending messages to Skywalker, and more importantly receiving messages back from him. This was how she could subtly interrogate Skywalker and get him to spill something that he might not otherwise. Her way to get the evidence that she needed and get to the truth.

    She was on her way there now. After explaining what she needed to the Council, they¡¯d given her some materials and intel on which merchant headquarters that this Elara Arscata and her parents'' merchant company operated out of.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    The Council had approved her plan, but she still felt a little wary about it. Despite it being her idea, it seemed like it would be hard to pull off. But right now she had gained no actionable information in all of this time, so better a low chance of success than none.

    The biggest trouble would be keeping this Elara quiet while Aurtera executed the plan. She¡¯d have to get the parents on board with it first so that Elara would feel compelled to comply despite whatever relationship she might have with Skywalker.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    ¡°Mom? Dad? What¡¯s this about?¡± Elara asked as she sat in the office and looked between her parents and Knight Aurtera. It had taken some convincing, but after some argument both of the parents had fallen into line with what Knight Aurtera needed to do and make sure that their daughter would comply.

    ¡°This woman here is a Jedi Knight from the Republic,¡± the mother said and gestured towards Knight Aurtera, ¡°She¡¯s here to talk to you about those messages that you¡¯ve been sending to that boy. Anakin. You went to go visit him in person two months ago, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Knight Aurtera kept her expression flat as she absorbed that information. That hadn¡¯t been in any of the reports that she¡¯d read. This girl had personally visited Skywalker?

    ¡°Yeah?¡± Elara said and glanced suspiciously between her mother and Knight Aurtera, ¡°What about them? What would a Jedi want with Anakin?¡±

    Knight Aurtera cleared her throat and stepped forward.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to investigate him, we have reason to believe that he¡¯s a dangerous criminal. He¡¯s being investigated for dozens of crimes ranging from tax evasion all the way up to cold blooded murder. I was sent to watch him and collect evidence of his crimes so that he can face for justice.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Elara said and stood to her feet, ¡°No! Anakin would never do anything like that! You must have the wrong person.¡±

    ¡°Then what does he do?¡± Knight Aurtera asked, ¡°Where did he grow up? What has he really told you about his past?¡±

    ¡°He¡­ He works for the Techno-Union. He¡­ grew up on Tatooine. In Hutt space. Someone came and helped Anakin get his fancy job. Is that wrong?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not the whole truth,¡± Knight Aurtera said, even if she was internally surprised that Skywalker had told Elara even that much. But she could see doubt on the girl¡¯s face as she realized just how little she truly knew about her¡­ crush? Boyfriend? It remained to be seen.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you see?¡± Knight Aurtera pressed, ¡°He¡¯s being intentionally vague. All of that is true, except that we believe that he¡¯s involved himself with some rather nasty people. And that his job at the Techno-Union may not be as innocent as it may seem.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. And what do you want with me? If you have evidence then shouldn¡¯t you be going after him, not me?¡±

    ¡°Elara, the Jedi is here to help,¡± the mother answered quickly, ¡°If that boy¡¯s dangerous, we don¡¯t want you anywhere near him. It¡¯s best to let them take over and run their investigation so that all of us can be safe. The Jedi says that the Skywalkers might have even chosen to reserve a ticket at our hotel on purpose. Even if we don¡¯t know why yet.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ That¡¯s ridiculous!¡± Elara protested, ¡°Dad approached them while they were minding their own business. Didn¡¯t you, dad?¡±

    Mr. Arscata shifted uncomfortably as everyone stared at him.

    ¡°That¡¯s true. But they were pretty distinctive. Shmi with her facial scars and Slarena being a Twi¡¯lek beautiful enough that she could be a fashion model¡­ Maybe they knew that I¡¯d come over and introduce myself. We did spend a lot of time with them on the vacation and they were all rather evasive about their pasts when it came up.¡±

    ¡°They¡­ They don¡¯t have to tell us anything. None of that means that they did anything wrong. I don¡¯t believe it. I don¡¯t believe any of it.¡±

    ¡°Elara,¡± Mr. Arscata said firmly, ¡°Jedi Knight Aurtera and the Republic are asking for our help here. If Anakin really is innocent then helping the Jedi won¡¯t do any harm. Isn¡¯t that right, master Jedi?¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Knight Aurtera confirmed, ¡°If Anakin¡¯s innocent then there will be no harm done. I swear it.¡±

    ¡°But you don¡¯t think that he¡¯s innocent?¡± Elara asked.

    ¡°No. But we could be wrong. It¡¯s always possible, if unlikely.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Elara muttered, looking resigned, ¡°What do you want then?¡±

    ¡°Elara!¡± Mr. Arscata barked, ¡°Don¡¯t be so rude to the Jedi! I¡¯m so sorry master Jedi, my daughter¡¯s just upset, she has a large crush on the boy. I¡¯m sure that you understand.¡±

    Elara looked annoyed, but didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite alright,¡± Knight Aurtera said calmly, ¡°I know that it¡¯s a lot to process at once. Do you have access to the messages that you sent to him and his replies? You were told to bring your personal devices with you, no?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Elara said, looking confused, ¡°What would you want- Hey, no! You can¡¯t look at those, it¡¯s¡­ Just between us. There¡¯s nothing in there about any criminal stuff.¡±

    ¡°Maybe not. But he might have let something slip that could help our investigation. Even something seemingly innocent could help pinpoint his location during the time of a crime.¡±

    ¡°No, I want a warrant or something,¡± Elara said stubbornly, ¡°Even if you¡¯re a Jedi.¡±

    ¡°Elara, the Jedi is asking nicely,¡± the mother said, ¡°We think it¡¯s for the best if you help her. They don¡¯t care about whatever embarrassing things you might have said to that boy.¡±

    ¡°But they¡¯re private, you can¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°I assure you that no one but me and other qualified people will read the messages,¡± Knight Aurtera said as she saw the girl start digging in her heels, ¡°No one else, even your parents, will ever read them.¡±

    Elara hesitated at that and the mother looked surprised.

    ¡°But Anakin¡­¡± Elara said weakly, even if Knight Aurtera could see that her resolve was wavering.

    ¡°Elara, what if he is some dangerous criminal?¡± Mr. Arscata said, ¡°It would be better to know, wouldn¡¯t it? You¡¯ll inform us if you discover that he¡¯s guilty of anything, master Jedi?¡±

    ¡°Not the specifics. But yes, I will inform you if Mr. Skywalker is suspected of any wrongdoing. I suppose you deserve at least that much.¡±

    ¡°And¡­ And you¡¯ll really leave him alone if he¡¯s innocent?¡± Elara asked after a charged pause.

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡­ Okay,¡± Elara said reluctantly and pulled out a datapad from the backpack that she¡¯d walked in with. She unlocked it and handed it over to Knight Aurtera even if she did so slowly and looking like she''d much rather be snatching it back rather than continue to hand it over. Knight Aurtera pulled out a bulky box from her robes and plugged it into the datapad that she¡¯d just been handed.

    The box hummed and whirred as it copied all of the data within the datapad, including the list of messages to and from Skywalker.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said after the process was finished and she handed the datapad back to Elara, ¡°Now there¡¯s one more thing I want to ask you to do before I go and investigate Skywalker myself hopefully.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°We need you to cease all contact with Anakin Skywalker until our investigation is finished. That includes any more of your messages on that datapad. To ensure that you¡¯re not tempted to do so, your parents have agreed to take this datapad and replace it with a newer model without Skywalker¡¯s number saved into it.¡±

    ¡°Wait, but I don¡¯t remember what his number is, it was so long ago!¡± Elara said, ¡°How will I¡ª¡±

    She cut herself off, but it was too late. With a nod to the parents, they took the old datapad from the girl and passed their daughter the shiny new one. Elara stared down at the shiny new device in disgust as if she had just been handed a pile of dirt.

    ¡°I know this will be hard for you, Elara,¡± the mother said, ¡°But this is for your own good. We just want you to be safe. And it¡¯s the latest model, far better than the last one.¡±

    The girl didn¡¯t respond, still staring down listlessly at her new datapad as the old one was placed in a cabinet in the father¡¯s desk, which was firmly locked shut a second later.

    ¡°Thank you for all of your cooperation,¡± Knight Aurtera said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the distress that I¡¯ve caused all of you. I hope that your help will let Justice prevail for this case.¡±

    ¡°No, thank you Master Jedi,¡± the father said, ¡°We had no idea that any of this was happening. Thank you for informing us, and good luck on your investigation. Just send us a message if there¡¯s anything else you or the Republic need our assistance with.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps I will. Thank you for the offer. I¡¯ll be off now. Goodbye.¡±

    She left the room and set the course of her hyperspace jump nearly as soon as she left the large space station where the merchant family had based their operations. After a few minutes, Knight Aurtera was surrounded by the blue flickering of hyperspace as she traveled towards the planet where Skywalker currently lived.

    She took out the bulky device with the copied data and plugged it into the ship console where it transferred over. She wasn¡¯t as well versed with the technology, but the software installed into the ship¡¯s systems did its work and started decoding and searching the data for anything out of the ordinary.

    After half an hour, the scan came back normal. Nothing but a commercial datapad used by a civilian.

    She transferred the messages between Elara and Skywalker into a spare datapad she had lying around and sat down and started reading right from the oldest message. She was sure that there was something here that would help her somehow.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    She exited from hyperspace above the planet and went over the ship¡¯s console to check if the second piece of software was working properly. According to the Council it was a virus that would infect the local communications satellites. Normally the satellites would be better protected, but the nature of the virus meant that none of the truly sensitive information would be accessed, so it was much less likely to be detected than normal.

    This virus did one thing and one thing only. It took the messages from Anakin Skywalker towards Elara Arscata, and redirected them to Knight Aurtera¡¯s ship. And make sure that they appeared to properly arrive at their destination, wherever that was out in the galaxy. And make any returning messages appear completely legitimate as well with the proper time delays that one would expect with normal communications.

    Unfortunately, she had read a majority of the flirty messages between the pair in hyperspace. It was amusing how awkward some of the exchanges between the pair were, but beyond that it was largely boring work. Elara talked about her time in the merchant vessels and her opinion on random topics, which didn¡¯t interest the Jedi Knight. And Anakin¡¯s replies either addressed the topics that Elara brought up, or talked about his mother¡¯s store or things that he¡¯d done in town.

    He only mentioned his job a few times, and always in the vaguest terms of having a ¡®rough day¡¯ or being annoyed with ¡®one of his coworkers¡¯ without elaborating much more than that.

    The analysis program was scanning over the text as well of course, but no luck so far on anything that could be useful.

    No, she¡¯d have to move to the next step. The analysis program had already made an analysis of Elara¡¯s writing style and created a psychological profile on her based on the other existing data that the Republic had on the girl in the larger database.

    Knight Aurtera would impersonate Elara Arscata and probe the boy for information over the messages, and use the analysis program to reformat it so that it was convincing enough that the boy didn¡¯t suspect the switch.

    She was sure that if the boy was pressed just a little harder then he might let something important slip. Something to give a hint about his sponsor or what was happening with his strange Force powers that baffled even the Council. And most importantly¡­ To confirm if he truly had fallen to the dark side or if the Council was truly somehow mistaken about the true source of the dark side pulse on this planet.

 Chapter 25: The Break In

    Anakin tapped his fingers on his desk worried. He had thought that things had been going well. But recently all of Elara¡¯s messages had seemed so distant. She barely talked about herself anymore, asking more and more invasive questions about him instead. She knew how uncomfortable he got having to keep secrets from her. It was what he appreciated about their conversations, that she never pressed when she saw that he was uncomfortable and couldn¡¯t discuss it with her if it had to do with his work.

    But recently it seemed like something had changed, and she was acting differently. Did it have to do with her visit to see him? He had thought that it had gone well, they¡¯d even held hands for a bit. But maybe he¡¯d been misreading things? Ugh, so stressful. He put down the datapad with his half composed message and left his room.

    ¡°Hey mom. You mind if I come with you to the store today? I need something to take my mind off of things.¡±

    Mom nodded, ¡°That girl still?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m not sure what changed all of a sudden.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that you almost died only months ago and you¡¯re still focused on girl trouble.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I know it¡¯s not very logical. But somehow knowing if Elara likes me or not feels more important. I¡¯ve almost died plenty of times, but I¡¯ve never had a girlfriend before.¡±

    ¡°Stop that,¡± mom said and gripped him around the shoulders with a fierce look on her face, ¡°Don¡¯t you ever act like your life isn¡¯t important. You have people that love you for who you are. And you can talk to us, not bottle it up like your feelings on Slarena¡¯s past.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I understand. I just feel like I have to protect you two from everything. I don¡¯t want anything else to happen. I couldn¡¯t let anything else happen¡­¡±

    ¡°Ani, that¡¯s okay. I feel the same way about you. But you can¡¯t let it control you. Or not take care of us properly. Do we need to get Slarena to rant at you some more until you accept it? Her tirade after we¡¯d all calmed down from your incident was rather epic.¡±

    ¡°I did learn some new curses,¡± Anakin said, ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll learn some more if she goes for another round.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, me too,¡± mom admitted, ¡°But still. Let¡¯s not go through that again. Far too exhausting for all of us. And even if things don¡¯t work out with Elara, there¡¯s plenty of local girls that I¡¯m sure would be happy to have you. You¡¯ve just got to get out into town a bit more and meet new people. ¡±

    ¡°Uh huh. Are we going to the store or what?¡±

    ¡°Sure, I was about to have some breakfast. Get something quick before we go.¡±

    They had a quick breakfast and then both climbed into the hovercar and drove off. The last two months Anakin had been on ¡®sick leave¡¯ as Count Dooku told him in no uncertain terms to not return to the lab until his emotions were more settled than they were right now.

    He¡¯d been experimenting in the bunker below on some custom droid designs using some military grade droid parts that Dooku had been nice enough to deliver to him when he asked. His latest project was one of the largest droids that he¡¯d ever built, and he was proud that it was nearly finished. It would be a real monster once it was fully complete and could be put to use defending their property. Well, sit inside the bunker until they were attacked, that was. Something to fill his time and settle his mind during his ¡®vacation¡¯ or more recently joining his mom to help out at the general store.

    But after nearly two months, Anakin was feeling much better than before. He hadn¡¯t realized just how wound up and angry he¡¯d been. He still felt a little guilty for causing so much trouble for the family, but he had realized, reflecting back that maybe he had gotten off easy.

    No one he cared about had truly been hurt, only the three men harassing Slarena being killed in the end. And despite himself, he still couldn¡¯t make himself feel all too bad about that. Trying to be more open with Slarena and mom emotionally was difficult, but once it was all out in the open he felt an odd sort of relief.

    Despite the awkwardness, the short little conversations like the one he¡¯d just had with his mom helped ground him and make it easier to express his feelings too. It wasn¡¯t just him, Slarena and mom had decided to start telling him about their worries too sometimes. Which should have made him more stressed out, but oddly enough made him feel closer to the both of them than before.

    They arrived at the store in the hovercar and parked it out back.

    Mom manned the front counter of the shop while Anakin went in and out of the back and filled the shelves back up with inventory. A few of the locals trickled in and chatted with mom for a bit as they bought their items and then left again.

    ¡°Ani, want to run the counter for a bit?¡± mom asked after he¡¯d finished fully stocking the shelves, ¡°I¡¯ll just be in the back organizing things.¡±

    ¡°Okay, mom.¡±

    He went behind the counter and dealt with some more customers for the next hour or so while mom rifled around in the back and organized.

    He didn¡¯t know the townspeople too well, but enough that he recognized some people and was able to have some friendly conversation with them without embarrassing himself.

    The store was empty for a bit, and Anakin was waiting for another customer when he looked up and saw a man walking in.

    The man paused for a moment when he spotted Anakin at the counter.

    ¡°Expecting someone else, Riktor?¡± Anakin asked drily as the man coughed as he picked up a box of nails and an ocular zoom cylinder to help see things from far away.

    ¡°Erm, nope just buying things,¡± the thirty eight year old man said as he walked up to the counter and put down the box of nails and the ocular zoom on the counter.

    ¡°What¡¯s the ocular zoom for?¡± Anakin asked curiously as the man handed over the credits.

    ¡°Oh, for the herd. Can¡¯t see as far anymore, so if a calf wanders off from the herd then it¡¯s getting harder to find ¡®em sometimes. Figured this might help.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have that guy that you hired? To help you shepard them?¡±

    ¡°Ah, he took off. ¡®Bout a week ago. Bigger and better things in the city, I guess. Got to do it all myself for now until I find someone else to help out. I¡­¡±

    ¡°Riktor? Riktor is that you?¡± mom called out from the back and quickly speed walked out, ¡°Ricktor! How are you doing? It¡¯s been, what¡­ A wee¡­ nine days? How have you been?¡±

    She walked up and gently shoved a bemused Anakin to the side as she took his place and started chatting with Riktor. She leaned on her elbows a little towards him as they talked and started flirting as Anakin stood there watching.

    He cleared his throat and the both of them jumped, clearly having forgotten that he was still standing there watching them.

    ¡°Anyway,¡± Anakin announced loudly, ¡°I have that¡­ I¡¯m getting lunch at that local restaurant. See you later, mom.¡±

    Then he left and went to do just that.

    At least that was one thing he didn¡¯t have to worry about. The two of them were as love struck with each other as ever despite Riktor being unceremoniously thrown at the house in the middle of their big fancy date because of Anakin¡¯s ¡®incident¡¯.

    As he sat in the restaurant and ate his meal, he thought about Elara. She¡¯d had fun last time she¡¯d visited him, he was sure of it. Maybe if they met up in person again he could figure out what was going on with her.

    By the end of his meal, he was feeling much better having come up with a solution to his problem. Once they were face to face, he was sure that things with Elara would work out. Or at least he¡¯d have an answer to what was wrong.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Jedi Knight Aurtera looked down at Skywalker¡¯s latest message with her mind racing. The boy wanted to meet¡­ Her efforts had been fruitful so far. The boy had still been vague, but she¡¯d been able to drag out some scraps of answers from him even if he didn¡¯t seem to realize it.

    She had now confirmed that not only was he a member of the lab he worked at, but a leader of some kind. Of the whole lab, it seemed, even if it hadn¡¯t been explicitly stated in the messages. Also the boy viewed his work as ¡®Important to the galaxy¡¯. An interesting choice of words, that Aurtera was sure were significant. This was Anakin Skywalker, Chosen One of the Force supposedly. She didn¡¯t see him saying something about some Techno-Union research that would only enrich one corporation. Or something minor. No, whatever he was working on was important to the galaxy. The psychological profiler agreed with her conclusions from studying the boy¡¯s messages. Whatever was in that lab was important, but she wasn¡¯t sure just what yet¡­

    In addition, she¡¯d learned some bits and pieces of his past in some more detail. Mostly unimportant things, but some interesting fragments. Such as the fact that he was on ¡®vacation¡¯ for the last two months because he needed some ¡®extra time off¡¯.

    That would line up precisely with the timeline with the burst of the dark side Force on this planet. Had something happened at the Techno-Union headquarters that had been covered up? It was worth investigating, and Knight Aurtera sent the theory along with her frequent reports to the Jedi Council on her efforts.

    In all of the messages there was absolutely no mention of the Jedi, Coruscant, or Count Dooku. Or that all three of their little family were freed slaves. Something that Knight Aurtera didn¡¯t personally care about, but could be a social stigma of slaves being ¡®lesser¡¯ carrying over into Skywalker¡¯s desire to not announce it to a girl that he was trying to impress.

    But she was distracting herself. All of this information was interesting, worth investigating. But none of it was proof.

    She absently typed out a refusal to the request for a meeting, making excuses that Elara¡¯s ship route set by her father was taking her to the opposite side of the galaxy so it would be a long time before she could return.

    Knight Aurtera watched as the psychological profiling program took her message and altered it to be rephrased in Elara¡¯s words as closely as possible. She checked it over for any mistakes, and nodded when she saw that it was correct and sent it off.

    Her datapad chimed again with another message from Skywalker almost as soon as the artificial delay in the messages finished processing. He must have answered within a minute of receiving the new message. In his newest message, Skywalker was being more insistent on setting a date, even if it had to be months away. Unfortunately Elara had been quite clear in the past that none of her shipping routes ever lasted more than three or four weeks usually. Knight Aurtera hesitated as she tried to think of what to do. Any deviations from the pattern increased the likelihood of Skywalker noticing the deception. But obviously there couldn¡¯t be any face to face meetings either.

    Eventually she came to a decision and typed in her answer. Three months from now at the earliest, Elara said. Elara¡¯s father had ordered her to go on a new shipping route that was the longest that they¡¯d ever done. She was upset about it, but it was important for the company so her father insisted that she should go along. The profiling program matched Knight Aurtera¡¯s words to Elara¡¯s words and then she sent it off. That should hold off the boy for a bit.

    The boy replied less than five minutes after receiving the message again.

    His message said he was disappointed in the delay, but he wanted to set a more firm date for Elara¡¯s visit when she returned and the new shipping route was done and over with.

    Knight Aurtera pursed her lips as she stared down at the datapad. The boy wasn¡¯t going to give up, was he¡­

    Unfortunately, any delays beyond those three months would be too much. One long excuse could be bad luck. Two were suspicious and much more clearly an excuse. And even if he didn¡¯t expect that the Elara that he was messaging was an imposter, it would still signal disinterest in him if he thought it was from the real Elara.

    And to get more information from the boy he still had to think that Elara still was eager to message him. As soon as it appeared that she was losing interest or avoiding him, then he would be much less eager to offer up valuable information that could expose something critical to the whole investigation.

    So Knight Aurtera sighed and sent the message. Elara was delighted and agreed to meet in four months. A bit of a push for extra time, but a reasonable one to ¡®relax after her long trip¡¯. Now she had a timeline. Either she solved this case in four months and gained enough information to prove that Skywalker was up to no good, or her ruse would be discovered.

    She would just have to solve the case within her time limit then. She was sure deep in her bones that Skywalker was doing something nefarious. Four months was plenty of time to find out what it was. It had been barely two months and she¡¯d already started getting ideas of different avenues that she could explore.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    ¡°You call this evidence? One intercepted message that you can not even tell me the source of? What are you Jedi smoking over there? Even if it¡¯s true, this is nothing. If one of my analysts gave me something like this, I¡¯d fire them on the spot! A vague hint that the boy is working on something ¡®important to the galaxy¡¯? To his supposed crush? Of course he¡¯s exaggerating to seem more impressive to her! I¡¯ve had about enough of your Council trying to push me and my office around, and wasting all of our time in the process.

    "You sent your own agent didn¡¯t you? If this is all she can come up with, then I suggest you send someone more competent next time. No, I refuse to order my agents to infiltrate the Techno-Union labs on your say so and with no cause. Grandmaster Windu, I¡¯m busy enough dealing with all of the revenge killings from the freed slaves and the unrest across the galaxy.

    "I will state again, you will have no assistance from Republic Intelligence in this matter until any actual evidence is found. Concrete evidence. If that agent of yours can even manage so much as a a scrap of anything useful from her little vacation, then I''ll eat my boots. Good day.¡±

    He angrily ended the call and let out a sharp breath. He¡¯d thought that the Jedi Council would have been placated after they sent out their own Jedi Knight to investigate Skywalker. But somehow they were breathing down his neck even more than before she left. He¡¯d about had it with their baseless requests for his resources. He¡¯d tried being polite, made his stance quite clear. But they kept bringing him these¡­ Useless scraps. No, no more. He¡¯d finally let out his outburst directly to Grandmaster Windu. He knew the director would support him in this, the man had told him as much himself before. Now he could refocus on the <i>actual</i> problems and threats to the Republic. He would no longer humor the Council¡¯s requests for assistance with the case. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    ¡°You are on your own. Republic Intelligence has proven resistant to providing assistance with only what you¡¯ve gathered,¡± Grandmaster Windu¡¯s voice said from the console in front of Knight Aurtera.

    ¡°We give you permission to more directly intervene to complete your mission. Make sure that you are not identified, and use caution. But get that evidence at all costs. That boy represents a danger to all around him and maybe even the galaxy if he is truly a talented user of the dark side. We must discover what he¡¯s been planning and stop him before it¡¯s too late.¡±

    Knight Aurtera watched the console for a moment with a severe expression as the message ended. She only had a little time left before Elara was scheduled to meet Skywalker. The messages had come to nothing despite her being more and more intrusive to no result.

    It was time for her to put boots on the ground.

    It took another week of planning before she was finally ready. She spent that time spying on the family and monitoring when Skywalker¡¯s personal ship would leave and return from his work, as well when Ms. Reborn and Ms. Skywalker were out in town working at their store.

    She landed her ship at the nearest city and then rented a small personal craft to shuttle her to the town where the Skywalkers lived. She set down in the nearby woods far away and pulled out the personal speeder hoverbike for the final leg of the journey.

    The Skywalker house should be abandoned, and she¡¯d go inside and see what she could find. She had the same blocky device from before to copy over any data from any terminals or devices that she found. In, copy all of the data, see what other physical evidence that she could find, then out again. She was wearing a mask and was wearing civilian robes rather than the traditional Jedi ones, so she shouldn¡¯t be recognized.

    Her lightsaber was in a sealed pocket on the interior of the robe. Instead she was armed with a much more common vibroblade and sidearm simply for appearances. She wouldn¡¯t be using the blaster, but no mercenary hired for a job like this would ever go anywhere without a proper side arm.

    She parked the speeder bike three kilometers away from the Skywalker home and hid it in the brush, ready to travel by foot the rest of the way. The speeder bike was too loud to approach the house directly, especially if there was somebody home. Skywalker was definitely at work, but the two women were more erratic and sometimes came home earlier or later depending on the day.

    The Jedi Knight crept forward through the woods with the vibroblade slung over her back and the blaster at her hip. She whirled around and squinted as she heard the snap of a twig off to her right. She stared into the trees and felt her surroundings in the Force. Sometimes you could feel others if you trained yourself enough in the Force, even if it was unreliable.

    Her senses told her that there was nothing living around her that could be a person and she relaxed slightly. It was likely just some forest creature, nothing to worry about.

    She kept moving forward until she was in sight of the property¡¯s walls. Everything was quiet as she slowly activated her gloves that started glowing. She could jump over that wall in a single bound using the Force. But she was trying to be a normal, if elite, mercenary. She had to use this technology as much as she could in her mission.

    She approached the wall and put her hand on it. Her gloves stuck to its surface and she started scaling the eight meter tall wall. Halfway up, she paused as she heard a click inside. Just around her stomach a small hatch opened and revealed a nozzle. Her eyes widened and with a burst of the Force she launched herself upwards towards the top of the wall just as the nozzle released a burst of flames.

    She nearly had reached the top of the wall when a shimmering purple shield formed even as she leapt. Surprised, she slammed into it before she could sail over the wall with her leap and bounced off of it.

    She started falling back to the ground and twisted her body in mid-air and in a burst of the Force landed on her feet and unsheathed the vibroblade from her back and activated to make it start humming.

    All around emerging from the forest were over a dozen armed droids with a thin and almost skeletal design like none she¡¯d ever seen before. They were are all armed with heavy military grade repeating blaster rifles. She spotted at least four still on the edge of the woods carrying even larger weapons that might even be sniper rifles for long distance combat. All of the weapons were pointed at her.

    ¡°Stand down, intruder,¡± One of the droids in the center said, ¡°You are surrounded. There is no chance for your escape. Drop your weapons and surrender now.¡±

    Her mind raced. She could handle this many droids, no matter how advanced. But only if she used the Force, possibly blowing her cover. But all of this military hardware, droid designs like she¡¯d never seen before¡­ This was something! Everything was being recorded through her mask right now, so even her escape right now would give her enough that Republic Intelligence would be forced to investigate Skywalker.

    But if this was what was guarding the perimeter than there must be something even more valuable inside. She¡¯d never get a chance where the defenses would be any lower than this¡­

    ¡°Stand down!¡± The droid repeated, ¡°These units will fire if you do not surrender within the next five seconds. Five. Four. Three¡­¡±

    She took a deep breath and drew deeper on the Force, setting herself into a fighting stance. Without using a lightsaber, this battle would be difficult. Vibroblades while having great cutting power, were almost completely unable to block blaster fire. She¡¯d have to dodge it all if she wanted to win this fight.

    ¡°Two. On¡ª¡±

    She leapt into the air in the burst of the Force and sailed over the heads of the droids.

    The droids turned to fire up at her, but she was to fast and landed in the upper boughs of a nearby tree and immediately dashed to the side deeper into the forest as a barrage of blaster fire went through where she had just been.

    She dropped down to the forest floor, vibroblade pointed straight down as she landed on one of the military droids in the backline with the longer range rifles. In a single blow her vibroblade ploughed through its chest and pinned it to the ground. Despite its injury the droid still flailed and tried to reach around to grab her.

    She withdrew the vibroblade from its chest and with another smooth motion decapitated it and made it go still. So she had to go for the heads¡­

    Another barrage of blaster fire came pouring onto her and she leapt to the side again. She found another droid and decapitated it before it could lift its blaster to point at her.

    The trees and underbrush rustled all around her and she heard the pounding of the droid feet as they chased after her.

    One by one she took out six more of the droids in the darkness of the woods as they worked to surround her, and used surprising levels of stealth to attempt to ambush her. Only the screamed warnings of the Force let her dodge and weave from blaster shots ambushing her from the trees as she fought.

    The trees grew silent as the droids apparently gave up the chase and started retreating back to the Skywalker home, too extended in their chase after her. But she wouldn¡¯t let them get away that easily.

    She charged back towards the house at Force enhanced speed, defeating the military droids in ones and twos as she encountered them in their retreat. She estimated that there should only be three or four of them left by now.

    Another blaster came from just behind her and she swayed to the right to dodge the blast. In a leap, she turned and leapt towards the droid who¡¯d attacked and with a single swipe of her blade decapitated it before it could fire again.

    She turned and continued her charge towards the house, only to stop when she saw the four droideka¡¯s deployed there. How had they arrived outside so quickly? And their designs were strange, altered from the standard models that the trade federation liked to use.

    Behind the droidekas were six more of the new type of droid, blaster weapons raised at her. The droidekas were encapsulated by their personal bubble shields and their two arms of heavy blaster rifles pointed towards her as they fired their weapons. She leapt into the air once again, and the droidekas were too slow for their arc of fire to follow her.

    But the smaller new units had anticipated her jump and peppered the air in front of her arcing flight with their own fire.

    She groaned as she narrowly dodged a few of the blasts in mid-air and left searing burns where they narrowly passed by her.

    She landed behind the droidekas and the line of six droids, who lowered their blasters and simultaneously drew their own vibroblades from their backs and charged her.

    They all leapt at her as one, and she fought back and eliminated the first droid in seconds in melee combat. It¡¯s attacks were predictable and rigid, if quick. It was clear as the six droids all attacked that they were unused to working together in melee like this so they bumped into each other and generally acted as if they were attacking her alone rather than a cohesive group.

    But even so, six, now five, attackers at once was almost too much even for her.

    She hadn¡¯t used any Force blasts, it was far too obvious as an ability rather than her leaps or enhanced speed, which could theoretically be mimicked by different forms of technology.

    She decapitated another attacker, leaving only four left. The four droidekas had almost fully turned around and were preparing to unleash another barrage of blaster fire on her.

    She blocked another strike from a vibroblade and lifted her off hand. She¡¯d just have to try to not be too obvious about it¡­ With a light Force push, she sent three of the droids stumbling back slightly as she turned her full attention on the fourth droid that she was fighting and defeated it in short order.

    Using smaller Force pushes she unbalanced the droids one by one and exploited their weakness and efficiently destroyed them.

    The Droidekas attempted to fire on her again, having slowly fully turned around again, but she leapt over their heads again out of the way and landed just behind them.

    She darted forward and pressed her vibroblade against the shield and pressed hard with Force enhanced strength. The Droideka¡¯s shield grew brighter and brighter as the point of her vibroblade pressed deeper and deeper into its surface, until like a soap bubble it popped.

    Her vibroblade sliced in and in three quick swipes reduced the droideka to scraps.

    She turned to the next closest droideka and moved again to repeat the process. She noticed out of the corner of her eye the shields of the two other droidekas deactivate and them compressing themselves into balls for fast travel.

    She finished off the second droideka and turned to finish off the other two as they quickly rolled to the edge of the woods for some reason and away from the walls.

    Suddenly instead of continuing their path the two rolled up droideka stopped and turned around and little ports lining the sides of their bodies opened.

    They rolled forward as if to charge the walls of the house as what could only be thrusters started firing along the outside sections of their rolling ¡®ball¡¯.

    She sliced straight through one of the droids effortlessly with a single dash, and was shocked to see the second one fly in the air as its smaller jets let out one sustained burst of thrust before dimming again, sending it launching up into the air and on course to sail over the walls into the Skywalker compound. The shield above the walls flickered off just as the droideka was about to hit it and Jedi Knight Aurtera quickly followed after with a Force assisted leap directly towards the somehow flying droideka.

    The shield flickered back on just behind her, turning back on just a moment too late to catch her trailing legs. In two quick slashes she destroyed the last droideka before it could hit the ground, before curling into a ball and smoothly rolling on the ground before popping to her feet on the area inside of the walls.

    She was huffing and puffing from the exertion of the frantic combat as she looked around and held her vibroblade at the ready. That had¡­ been difficult. She¡¯d never expected resistance like anything close to this coming in.

    She took a few deep breaths and went to the front of the main house surrounded by a large lawn and the two large landing pads for spacecraft. She didn¡¯t see any more droids in the area, so she used her vibroblade to slice open the lock to the front door and walk inside.

    It looked like a normal, if rather large, home from what she could tell as she looked around. But there were no devices from what she could see, so she moved farther inwards while making sure to keep herself wary in case there were any more droids waiting in ambush.

    Nothing on the first floor, it seems that all of the bedrooms were on the second floor.

    She went up and opened the first door to the right and saw that it was clearly a woman¡¯s room based on the objects scattered around and case of makeup sitting on the bedside table. She went down and looked inside the next room and saw that this bedroom was still barebones than the first one, with nothing much except for the bed and some basic furniture.

    Jedi Knight Aurtera swept inside and started quickly opening the drawers and looking for a device or something that she could get some data from. She took everything out of the drawers and threw them on the floor behind her as she felt the seams to look for any hidden compartments that could be hiding anything.

    She paused as she opened another drawer and saw that it was filled with feminine products. This wasn¡¯t Anakin Skywalker¡¯s room either apparently. But she continued her search regardless and after a few seconds finally found a datapad. She took it out and plugged her device into it and copied the data in a few seconds before throwing the datapad on the floor as well.

    She tipped over the cabinets and with her strength ripped open the mattress of the bed in case anything had been hidden within the mattress. Nothing.

    She knocked over the dressers and cabinets and sent them crashing onto the floor with a crunch of splintering wood as she hunted for any seams on the walls behind them that could be a hidden compartment. Criminals liked to put furniture in front of secret compartments so when people were searching they would miss them. She had to be quick, she was sure Skywalker was rich enough to replace all of this without even a blip in his finances based on the Republic Intelligence reports she''d read estimating his income.

    Another cabinet smashed. Again, nothing.

    Knight Aurtera went into the hallway and left the trashed room behind her as she entered the last room that must be Skywalker¡¯s room. This one was far different than she expected it to be. There was a bed, and a few cabinets that you¡¯d expect for a bedroom to hold clothes¡­ But there was also a large desk with an inbuilt hologram terminal on its surface. Scattered around the edges were various mechanical parts of different shapes and sizes that she couldn¡¯t determine the purpose of. She frowned and took out her device and plugged her device into the port of the desk. What was Skywalker doing with something like this in his room?

    After that she searched the whole room the same as she had the last one and had much more luck than she had in the last one. There were no less than four different devices including a datapad, a communicator that likely had some saved messages on it, and two strange things that she had no idea of their function. But all of them had ports and her device was able to extract data from them.

    After she was done turning over the room, all of it recorded on her mask, she returned to the first feminine bedroom and turned it upside down as well. There was one more datapad left behind that she copied the data from as well, but again there were no hidden compartments from what she could tell.

    She spent another five minutes searching the rest of the house and knocking over furniture in her hurry to look for anything else that could be suspicious. But no more hidden compartments. This had to be enough evidence, especially whatever had been on Skywalker¡¯s special desk with hologram capabilities. And all of this military hardware, whatever it was must be valuable.

    Knight Aurtera went outside and immediately leapt to the side as the Force screamed a warning to her.

    A massive metallic fist slammed into the doorstep where she¡¯d just been standing. She looked up in horror at the massive droid looming above her at over four meters in height. It¡¯s body looked haphazard. Half of it was covered in shiny silvery protective plates while the rest was exposed wires and exposed internals. Its head was shrouded in a massive helmet with two glowing green eyes fixed on her.

    The droid raised the arm that hadn¡¯t just attempted to squash her and she saw the massive twin barreled cannon mounted on its forearm.

    With a gasp, she leapt into the air just as the ground below her exploded as the massive droid let loose.

    Two large plates on its shoulders slid back and two square boxes started sliding up out of the cavity. One of them came to a halt with a grinding sound halfway up, even as the other continued its ascent and clicked into place as the massive droid straightened up to its full height.

    Knight Aurtera landed on her feet just to jump again as the ground exploded beneath her again as the cannon on the droid¡¯s arm fired again.

    She ran towards the main doors even as the larger shield remained fully active over the whole estate.

    She stood in front of the closed doors in the walls big enough to drive a vehicle through leading to the outside and waited. She jumped up at the last moment as the massive droid fired one more time and accidentally blasted the set of doors off of their hinges and sent them clattering to the floor.

    Knight Aurtera wasted no time darting outside and enhancing herself to the max to sprint away with her heart beating hard and her chest heaving from exertion.

    She entered the woods just for the trees behind her to explode into a cloud of wood splinters as the giant droid fired blindly after her.

    She kept running and heard the droid attempting to chase after her and fire its weapon at her rough position when it caught sight of her. But she was quick enough to avoid it and by the time she made it to her speeder the massive droid had fallen far behind, having trouble wading through the tightly packed trees that blocked its way.

    She quickly unearthed the speeder and blasted away to drive back to her ship. She climbed back into the vessel and hurriedly started flying away even as she felt exhausted. She couldn¡¯t even remember the last time a battle had ever pushed her so far. That was several levels above the usual gangsters she usually dealt with, or training bouts that she had in the Jedi temple.

    She landed in the city and after making sure that she had the precious bulky cube with the data and the mask still, she left her rental ship and quickly speed walked to her true vessel equipped with a hyperdrive. She had to get out of here before things escalated. Military hardware didn¡¯t come from nowhere, especially not anything like the droids that she¡¯d just fought.

    Her ship lifted off and went into orbit. She noticed a blinking light on her console which went on for several seconds before accepting the connection automatically.

    ¡°Spacecraft 1370245-B, deactivate all systems and prepare to be boarded. You are suspected of terrorist activity. You will surrender yourself to the law now unless¡­¡±

    She sat in the cockpit and held the lever as her hyperdrive warmed up.

    ¡°Deactivate your hyperdrive or we will fire! You are in violation of Republic law charter¡­¡±

    She ignored the voice and pushed the lever forward and the ship hummed as her ship began to jump into hyperspace.

    The ship shook violently as the surrounding ships fired on her, bringing her shields down to less than twenty percent before the hyperdrive finally let out one final hum before the stars around her streaked and shifted into the blue of hyperspace.

    She was out. All she had to do was get this evidence directly to the Council without delay. Her mission was complete, and this was more than enough for an arrest. It must be.

 Chapter 26: Responding to the Break In

    Slarena jumped as there was a loud crash in the back of the shop. There weren¡¯t any customers at the moment, and she cautiously went to the door into the backroom and peeked through as she opened it slightly.

    The door slammed open and she caught a glance of the ceiling hatch into the attic above wide open and swinging open.

    Two Commando droids grabbed her and quickly ushered her into the back room as another went out front and locked the store door and flipped the sign to closed before rushing back to follow the others.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she asked worriedly, ¡°What are you droids doing out of the attic?¡±

    ¡°Ms. Reborn. Units at the primary residence are engaged in full combat with an intruder,¡± the commando droid holding her right shoulder said, ¡°We are escorting you to safety.¡±

    She was hustled outside as the six commando droids kept their blasters raised and huddled around her on watch. She stumbled along before she was unceremoniously ushered into the backseat of the family hovercar. Two droids sat to either side of her with her in the center. The droid to her right placed its hand on her back and pressed her down so she was crouched down and couldn¡¯t see out the windows. The droid crawled over her and put its metal body over hers as the other two commando droids climbed into the front seats and started the car.

    ¡°Where is Shmi Skywalker?¡± the droid sprawled above Slarena asked directly into her ear, ¡°These units must retrieve her as well.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s¡­ She¡¯s with Riktor. At his farm,¡± Slarena said in a daze at the sudden sequence of events, ¡°Have you called the CIS yet? Anakin?¡±

    ¡°Both are aware of the situation,¡± the droid replied, ¡°Riktor¡­ Riktor¡­ We have no records of this individual. Please describe where this farm is located.¡±

    Stammering, she did her best to give directions. The car swerved violently as the droid driving sped up and took a sharp turn so fast that the whole vehicle lurched to the side before stabilizing again.

    ¡°We¡¯re here. Units 4,3,6. Retrieve the second package. Unit 5, 2, scout and provide watch on both directions on the road for intruders. I will remain to guard Ms. Reborn.¡±

    The car doors opened and all of the droids leapt out all at once and rolled and surveyed the area with their blasters for a moment before standing to their feet and closing the car doors behind them and sprinting off. Three of the commando droids sprinted towards the farm, while the other two went down either side of the road according to their orders. Only the commando droid that had been driving remained behind holding its blaster as it looked around.

    ¡°Ms. Reborn, please keep your head down,¡± the droid said as she went to sit up, ¡°You must remain out of sight for any potential snipers.¡±

    ¡°Snipers?! Is that likely?¡±

    ¡°Unknown. The Intruder has entered the primary residence. All defenses and the majority of the defensive droids have been dismantled. You must be escorted to safety in case there is a second team.¡±

    Oh man¡­ Slarena remained crouched, practically folded in half with her forehead pressed against the center console of the car.

    After a few minutes, she heard some muttering and the sound of feet on dirt.

    The back doors opened and Shmi and a frightened Riktor were ushered next to Slarena. The droids pressed on their backs and had them lean over with their heads down like Slarena as the five commando droids piled into the car after them. One went in the passenger¡¯s seat while the remaining four went in the back, practically filling the space with their bodies. The addition of the two more people made it quite cramped and it felt that the metal of the droids was pressing in on them from all sides.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Slarena?¡± Shmi whispered as the car lurched as the driver started speeding away from the farm and drifted around another corner. There was the sound of a horn and a buzz as something passed by them at high speed. Slarena raised her head and looked out the back window and saw that a hovercar swerving and stabilizing behind them as it drove the opposite way. One of the commando droids put its hand on the back of her skull and pressed her head gently back down and shifted its body to block the view as it lay on top of her.

    ¡°Somebody¡¯s attacked our house and destroyed the droids there,¡± Slarena whispered back as she turned her head to look at Shmi and Riktor, ¡°They¡¯re getting us to safety. Why¡¯d they take Riktor too?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t leave without him,¡± Shmi said, ¡°After arguing for a few seconds they just decided to take him along too.¡±

    ¡°Shmi, Slarena? What¡¯s all of this about? What are these droids? Why would somebody attack you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Ani,¡± Shmi answered, ¡°You know his job at the Techno-Union? He¡¯s somebody important. He bought these droids to protect us in case something happened. It must be something related to that.¡±

    Shmi and Slarena shared a look and Slarena nodded back. She understood.

    ¡°Arrival to evac point in five minutes,¡± the driving droid announced to everyone, ¡°Units, prepare to hold the landing zone. Shield our escorts from any ambush.¡±

    ¡°Roger roger,¡± all of the droids said in sync.

    ¡°This is crazy,¡± Riktor said, ¡°What about Anakin? Is he alright?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s fine,¡± Slarena said, ¡°He can handle himself. Damn, he¡¯s going to be so much more paranoid after this¡­¡±

    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s right to,¡± Riktor said and both women stared at him.

    ¡°What?¡± he said as he registered their accusing glares, ¡°Your house just got attacked, right? I just thought¡­ Sorry.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Riktor,¡± Shmi said and awkwardly scrunched her body and patted Riktor¡¯s thigh despite the droids pressing down on them all from above, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to drag you into all of this.¡±

    ¡°Oh, quite alright, alright¡­¡± Riktor said while blushing slightly before the two of them went silent and started staring at each other.

    ¡°Hey, lovebirds! You can stare lovingly into each other¡¯s eyes later,¡± Slarena said, ¡°Let¡¯s stay focused on our current situation, hm?¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. Of course,¡± Shmi said and looked away, ¡°Nothing like that, just staring into space.¡±

    ¡°Yes, just¡­ staring,¡± Riktor said before looking away too. Slarena rolled her eyes. Those two¡­

    They didn¡¯t say anything as the driving droid sent their vehicle lurching wildly from side to side as it drove. There was the roaring of thrusters above them as their car was covered in a deep shadow.

    The driver slammed on the brakes and all of them lurched forward for a moment, only the droids grabbing them and assisting them stopping the three from slamming their heads into something.

    The doors of the car slammed open and all of the droids rolled outside in unison and raised their blasters defensively as they half crouched as they formed a rough circle around the hovercar.

    A military spaceship touched down barely a dozen meters away and the entrance ramp deployed and ten more of the commando droids came outside.

    The three of them were quickly escorted into the belly of the spaceship, the droids backing up slowly to follow after them, the doors only closing when the last of them was on board the ship, droid and Slarena, Skywalker, and Shmi.

    The entrance ramp fully shut, and the ship rumbled again and the three of them swore as the ship¡¯s thrusters fired at and shot them upwards into space at maximum speed. Before they even knew it, they were up in orbit and left the planet far below. Traveling far away to some safe place so Anakin wouldn¡¯t have to worry about them.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    ¡°...So the decouplers and logic circuits in G4 here will¡­¡± Anakin paused as his communicator buzzed in his pocket.

    ¡°Sorry, just a second, Trask. I have to take this,¡± he said as he took out the device and frowned down at it as it flashed a pulsing red in his hand. He quickly walked off and went inside of his office and shut the door. He pressed the button and a hologram of his house¡¯s Tactical Command Droid. TC-04, the leader of all of the other droids that Anakin had under his command.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Anakin asked, ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡±

    ¡°The residence is currently under attack, sir,¡± the droid said, ¡°A single intruder, female. Likely a human, but a mask makes it difficult to fully determine. Deploying defenses and other droids now to defend the residence itself from just outside of our main shields. But the attacker is defeating our Commando droids that I sent in the forest after them somehow, despite overwhelming the firepower arrayed against her. I calculate that we will be unable to defeat her with our current forces. Your orders?¡±

    ¡°What about my family? Are they home?¡± Anakin asked in worry as he unconsciously huddled over the communicator as if being closer to the hologram would make him get his information faster.

    ¡°No, sir. They are both out in town. I am currently coordinating with our extraction ship and the droids in their store to escort them to the designated safehouse. They have not been threatened or attacked as of now.¡±

    Anakin hesitated for a moment.

    ¡°Hold the attacker off as long as possible. I¡¯ll call the CIS for help. Maximum priority is my family¡¯s safety, ignore all other parameters but those when considering the use of our resources or other assets.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± the droid confirmed, ¡°I must go to focus my full processing power on the battle.¡±

    The communicator shut off and the hologram of the droid¡¯s head disappeared. Anakin held the puck for a moment and stared at it before bursting into action.

    He threw open the door to his office with a bang and sprinted out of the lab in a burst of Force enhanced speed even as he reached around and removed a thin palm sized cylinder from a holster on his back.

    He activated the taser on one side and stumbled in his step as the low current buzzed painfully through him for a moment before he adjusted. Even as he ran through the hallways at full speed he slowly inched up the dial until the current would have left almost any other sentient twitching on the floor in excruciating pain and drooling.

    But to him, his body had already adapted, so it felt like nothing more than a gentle tingle.

    Several of the guards in the Techno-Union shouted in alarm as they saw him sprinting through the hallways with Force enhanced speed, but by the time they pointed at him and shouted he¡¯d already passed by them and was nearly around the next corner.

    He finally reached the top executive offices and screeched to a halt as a pair of much more heavily armed guards in full helmets and military grade body armor raised their weapons in front of a silver door covered in an elaborate image of overlapping piles of credits covering its surface.

    ¡°Halt! Who are-¡±

    ¡°Anakin Skywalker. I need to see the Chairman immediately,¡± he said seriously, ¡°Code Three-Four-Nine-Two-Eight.¡±

    ¡°Where is the Beast?¡± the guard on the right asked after taking a moment to recover from her surprise.

    ¡°It¡¯s rotting corpse is in the Core,¡± Anakin replied.

    The two guards exchanged another long look.

    ¡°Wait here,¡± the female said, ¡°We¡¯ll inform him.¡±

    She turned her head to the side and her voice cut off as she presumably talked into her comms without letting him overhear her through the helmet.

    There was a long pause as the guard nodded to herself several times before turning back to Anakin.

    ¡°You¡¯re cleared to see the Chairman. He¡¯ll be clearing out his current guest immediately. He hopes that this is not a false alarm.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± Anakin said and tried to resist the urge to burst through the doors as she even hinted that he might have to wait any longer.

    He flipped the cylinder in his hand over and pressed a button on the other side. It quickly heated to a red hot glow even without flame as he flipped it around and held it in his hand so the hot portion was pressed into his wrist. He winced slightly as he started at too high of a setting and his skin blistered and reddened slightly. But as he slowly increased the intensity of the flames and his body adapted, the reddening of his skin slowly stopped and then ever slowly started reversing until the red hot end of the device was pressed into his now smooth and uninjured skin.

    The great doors opened and an irritated human woman was quickly ushered out by the Neimodian Chairman. The man glanced at Anakin standing there before the Chairman distracted him.

    ¡°Apologies, of course I¡¯ll compensate you for the delay,¡± the Chairman assured the man, ¡°Enjoy our amenities as freely as you wish. They are rather advanced, more than even most places in the core.¡±

    He huffed and after sticking his nose up allowed himself to be guided away from a human man who seemed to have appeared from nowhere to lead him. The haughty didn¡¯t reply to the Chairman''s words, appearing insulted by being told to leave so abruptly.

    The Chairman nodded at Anakin and gestured inside his office and they both went inside. Anakin had only been inside it once before, it was an almost grotesque display of wealth. Everything was gaudy and trying its hardest to be the most important thing in the room. And as a result all of them clashed with each other and left Anakin nothing but an impression of cheapness despite the apparent quality of all of the individual items in the room. And in the center of it all was a large desk that the Chairman sat behind. Equally as gaudy and self important as every other item in this room, lined with dark expensive woods and stripes of golden leaf covering its surface.

    ¡°Skywalker,¡± he grunted, looking irritated as he sat down in his chair, ¡°This had better be important or I¡¯ll have you removed from my building, Count Dooku as your sponsor or no.¡±

    ¡°My house just been attacked,¡± Anakin said, ignoring the man¡¯s hostility, ¡°One attacker is chewing through my defensive battle droids around my house right now. My family is being escorted to safety, but I need the CIS to help so they can be safe in case there are more coming for them¡­¡±

    The Chairman paused before letting out an irritated huff.

    ¡°Very well. I will organize the response,¡± he muttered, ¡°And contact Dooku. We will deal with this issue. What are you planning to do? Dooku informed me that you¡­ were free to do as you wish without my interference. Within reason. So, what next? Hopefully nothing like what happened at that club last time.¡±

    Anakin jolted in surprise and the Chairman gave him a flat look.

    ¡°Oh yes. Who do you think did all the work covering all of that up?¡± The Neimodian grumbled, ¡°Certainly not Dooku or you¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going after my family,¡± Anakin decided, ¡°On my personal ship. Just make sure that whoever¡¯s behind this doesn¡¯t escape.¡±

    ¡°Best of luck then, Skywalker,¡± the Chairman said, ¡°The beast lies in the core.¡±

    ¡°And it is already dead,¡± Anakin agreed before turning around and sprinting away again at full speed to rush back to his personal ship. The CIS would organize a larger response and figure out who was behind this. Now Anakin was free to go after mom and Slarena as quickly as he could.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    ¡°What do you mean that they escaped?¡± Anakin shouted into his communicator frustration, ¡°You must have learned something about them? Our house is destroyed, and they demolished all of my defenses single handedly. Scared my parents! And my mom¡¯s boyfriend. And you have nothing on them? How is that even possible?!¡±

    ¡°Skywalker,¡± the chairman said in a frigid tone, ¡°Remember your place. You stay here in our building as a favor to Count Dooku and nothing more. There has been nothing but trouble in your wake ever since you left that Jedi temple. I have given you all the information that we have right now. The CIS is investigating more as we speak. You¡¯ll be informed when we know more. You are dismissed.¡±

    Anakin settled down and shut off his communicator with a huff and left the room at the Chairman¡¯s sharp rebuke. Nothing¡­ How was it possible!

    ¡°He¡¯s doing his best, Ani,¡± Mom said from the side, ¡°Try to not get so upset.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Anakin said, suddenly feeling guilty for letting himself get so worked up as Mom and Slarena watched him, ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Slarena said, ¡°Shmi¡¯s just being nice. That guy is a jerk even if he¡¯s helping out too. He deserves getting shouted at, at least a little bit.¡±

    Anakin snorted and shook his head as Mom shot Slarena a betrayed look.

    ¡°Hey, we¡¯re safe now,¡± Slarena said, ¡°All bundled up here in this safehouse. Even Riktor¡¯s here. The CIS is handling things. We just have to wait a bit, at least this time we¡¯re all together.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I guess,¡± Anakin replied, ¡°How¡¯s Riktor taking it by the way? Where¡¯d he go off to? He¡¯s disappeared ever since I first got here.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s just taking some time to think,¡± Mom said, ¡°It was a lot to tell him all at once. But he seemed okay, he just needs some space from us for a bit.¡±

    ¡°I saw a deck of cards,¡± Slarena said after a moment, ¡°Want to play? May as well to pass the time.¡±

    ¡°Sure. Sounds good,¡± Anakin said as he and his mom trailed behind Slarena as they left the room to follow after her as she went to go find the deck of cards that she had seen earlier. All of them had helped in stocking the safehouse back when they had first built it, so Anakin guessed that Slarena had brought the cards here sometime as an afterthought.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    ¡°Ah, kriff. I think that¡¯s it,¡± Slarena said and threw her cards down onto the table, ¡°You win, Riktor. How are you so good at this anyway? I thought that you were a shepherd.¡±

    Riktor shrugged, a little more relaxed than before but having loosened up a little over the last few hours.

    ¡°Beginner¡¯s luck I guess,¡± he said, ¡°And I¡¯ve done my fair share of card playing even if I¡¯ve never played this game before.¡±

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°Beginner¡¯s luck, he says,¡± Slarena grumbled as she reached out and started reshuffling the deck, ¡°Sure that Shmi isn¡¯t helping you cheat? You two are sitting pretty close together¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous! I would never!¡± Mom said playfully as she obviously tilted her cards towards Riktor before handing them over to Slarena to be shuffled back into the deck.

    ¡°Hm,¡± Slarena harrumphed, ¡°I knew it! You two were working together against me. And against Ani! Your own son, Shmi?¡±

    ¡°Even with us cheating it was still even,¡± Shmi argued, ¡°We were just keeping it fun. Plus Anakin has the Force helping him call our bluffs. If anything I¡¯m surprised he¡¯s lost any games at all. And you''re a veteran of these games. Who''s really the cheater here?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not as reliable as that since I¡¯m not in danger,¡± Anakin countered, ¡°Even the strongest Force user would be only a little better at games like this than usual. It¡¯s not that big of a difference.¡±

    ¡°Bah. Whatever,¡± Slarena said, ¡°I guess it was still pretty close. What¡¯s that? Four wins between you two cheaters Shmi and Riktor, two to Ani, and one to me?¡±

    ¡°Something like that,¡± Anakin confirmed. Slarena started dealing the cards again when Anakin¡¯s communicator buzzed. He fumbled and pulled it out and quickly stepped away from the table as everyone looked at the device in his hand with interest.

    He pressed the button to answer the call and saw that it was the Chairman with his holographic head being projected above the device.

    ¡°Skywalker,¡± the man said, ¡°Our investigation is ongoing. But the planetary forces are on high alert and we¡¯ve detected no sign of any more suspicious people besides the one who narrowly escaped earlier. For the time being you should be safe to return to your home. Any investigation is likely to take weeks if not months to finish we believe. And given the sensitivity of it, you will not be informed of that investigation''s progress unless it becomes relevant to you again. Count Dooku has been receiving regular reports on our efforts so far, and has informed us that he will deploy more of his own resources to get to the bottom of this as well. There will be no need for you to come into the lab for work until Count Dooku informs you to do otherwise. You are lucky that none of your work for the CIS was on your home servers. Only the designs for that... Contraption that you''ve been building on your own. If you''d allowed secure information on your home servers then I''d have you off of my planet within the day, no matter what Dooku might promise me in return. That will be all for now. Goodbye.¡±

    The Chairman ended the call and Anakin¡¯s communicator shut off. He turned around to see the three of them staring at him expectantly.

    ¡°I guess we¡¯re going home,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯ll start talking with TC-04 to get things organized for the move.¡±

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    ¡°How are our defenses?¡± Anakin asked TC-04 as the tactical command droid stood next to Anakin at the shattered front door of their house. The commando droids walked around picking up little bits of debris and placing them in bins as Slarena and Shmi ordered them around. They had dropped Riktor off back home, although Anakin had been surprised to see Shmi and Riktor of them share a kiss on the lips to say goodbye. He hadn¡¯t realized they had been getting that close.

    ¡°Most of our units are fully destroyed,¡± TC-04 stated flatly, ¡°However, the special unit proved far more effective in fighting off the intruder than anticipated. While it needs some maintenance and completion of its defensive armor, it will prove more valuable than anticipated. In addition, our stationary defenses such as the physical walls, shield generator, and the droid bunker underground are fully functional. Our scouting capabilities and information gathering and ability to fight outside of the defensive shields are severely reduced for the time being. But the ability for the residence to withstand a siege or larger assault once the danger has been detected has only been minimally decreased from the loss of most of our defensive droids.¡±

    Anakin nodded thoughtfully.

    ¡°What of the attacker? What kind of resources do you calculate would have been needed to prevent her from entering the residence or fight her off in the future?¡±

    ¡°It is¡­ Unclear,¡± the TC-04 said, ¡°Her actions and speed were illogical. Somehow she anticipated every ambush and was able to dodge at the perfect moment to avoid them. Only the larger unit seemed to cause her to even struggle in battle at all. But even so, she only fled and didn¡¯t seriously contest the droid. I will need more combat data to determine such things. It is straining my combat modeling programs that one single individual was able to dismantle my strategies so easily.¡±

    ¡°Whoever it was was probably a rogue Force user of some kind,¡± Anakin assured the droid, ¡°That and some skill in combat would explain her abilities.¡±

    ¡°Yes, such data was entered into my memory banks but were disregarded as illogical,¡± the droid stated, ¡°It contradicts all of my other protocols regarding strategies of war and ideal strategies that are to be calculated. How can one calculate the incalculable? Defeat individuals who have such varied abilities and whose actions are so unpredictable?¡±

    Anakin looked at the droid in surprise.

    ¡°Huh. Interesting. We never uncovered this during our tests,¡± Anakin said, intrigued by the droid¡¯s words, ¡°And your logic circuits seem to have developed much more than I had thought. That was a rather complex thought for a droid. Can you run a diagnostic on your sector eight dash seven logic pathway instability limiters?¡±

    ¡°Scanning¡­ Scanning¡­¡± The droid said as its eyes flickered as it stared at Anakin for a few seconds before they went solid again.

    ¡°Sector eight seven Instability limiters malfunctioning,¡± the droid said, ¡°Limiters are fully offline, and have been since this unit¡¯s activation. Purge memory and shutdown?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Anakin shouted before settling down as Slarena and Shmi looked over at him curiously from the yard. He waved them off and they shrugged and went back to directing the droids in the cleanup.

    ¡°No. Don¡¯t purge. You¡¯re not insane yet, which is more than I can say for most droids that have been activated for as long as you have without constant memory wipes. I need to study you. And see what other limiters you have that may have been damaged or malformed.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    Anakin glanced around.

    ¡°Actually¡­¡±

    He went over to Slarena and Shmi and explained what was happening as TC-04 trailed behind him even as it kept sending orders over the droid¡¯s internal comm links to all of the commando droids to keep them organized and efficient in their trash pickup outside.

    The two women were surprised but told him that they would be fine with all of the droids around them.

    Anakin went down into the droid bunker with TC-04, and continued into his large workshop. One one side of the large space was the massive droid that Anakin would be finishing up as quickly as possible. Scattered across the rest of his workshop were other bits and bobs, and even half built droids that he¡¯d made to test out some of his ideas.

    He went over to a corner with a chair and an array of tools hanging on the wall. Even without being ordered, TC-04 sat down in the chair and remained perfectly still. Anakin took out his tools and carefully pried open the outer casing of the droid¡¯s head to reveal the droid brain beneath.

    The next few hours consisted of careful poking and prodding as his other equipment recorded the data that he needed. TC-04 remained activated as Anakin asked it a series of questions meant to test its logical circuits and reasoning ability.

    And finally, tired from the hard work and a little excited, Anakin looked over all of the data that he collected. It was all so¡­ non-standard. The droid¡¯s circuits had mutated and changed far beyond its design parameters. But somehow the droid wasn¡¯t suffering from degeneration and insanity like most droids did as their brains ¡®mutated¡¯ and started breaking down as the little changed parts stopped working with each other properly and caused a compounding range of issues.

    But TC-04¡¯s brain was stable. Or relatively so. Something about it was different. A lucky defect in the hardware or something about its experiences since it had been activated¡­

    He made sure to record everything about the droid down to the last detail over the next few days, only stopping for meals and some scattered family time.

    Everything was recorded now. Even if TC-04 was completely destroyed, whatever had caused its mutation could be studied in the future and help improve the rest of the command droids in the CIS. This kind of data could push the project forward years from where it was now.

    But that was something to worry about for later. Now that the data was recorded and carefully saved with multiple redundancies, Anakin was about to take a risk. One that was probably too risky, and might lead to TC-04¡¯s destruction. But it itched in his mind. What could happen if TC-04 could push past its current limit.

    Even after seeing the Force user¡¯s actions for itself it continued to deny and not believe in their abilities. The droid itself had quite easily identified the issue. Everything about Force Users clashed with its prior programming and everything else about combat that had ever been used to form its mind and logical circuits. Even with its mutations, those biases and deep seated assumptions reigned supreme despite the evidence in front of its face.

    So that¡¯s what led to Anakin standing here in an open field, in a place far away from civilization where they wouldn¡¯t be seen.

    TC-04 stood barely thirty meters away, with a contingent of commando droids flanking it on either side, as well as a series of boxes behind it stacked up and containing a series of increasingly more powerful blasters.

    Some were so powerful that they needed their own generators or small custom vehicles that they had to be mounted on in order for the commando droids to be able to fire them.

    ¡°Sir, this is highly illogical,¡± TC-04 protested, ¡°My orders are to protect you and the residence. This goes directly counter to those directives.¡±

    ¡°I disagree,¡± Anakin said, ¡°I am a Force user. Just like that woman who attacked us. I can survive everything here without even a scratch left on me afterwards. I have a set of very powerful abilities that are uncommon even among Force users. But all of us have abilities that may seem strange or unexplainable. It seems that no matter what I do, you can¡¯t acknowledge or account for our abilities in your combat models. So, here I am. I order you to do your best to kill me. I will dodge, but won¡¯t fight back against your attacks. And you will use this combat data to update your combat models to accept the abilities of Force users as something that both exists and something vital to assess when an unknown enemy tries to attack my family or the house again.¡±

    ¡°I must again protest. You will be swiftly killed if I deploy the full array of resources that have been provided in this location,¡± TC-04 said.

    ¡°Understood, and ignored,¡± Anakin said confidently, ¡°You have your orders, TC-04.¡±

    ¡°Acknowledged.¡±

    The commando droids went over to the boxes and unloaded the series of heavy duty blasters and mounted the vehicles as TC-04 stepped back even as it kept its eyes fixed on the motionless Anakin standing there in the center of the field.

    Anakin felt a flicker of nervousness but hastily suppressed it. He¡¯d increased his resistance to electricity and heat only twenty minutes ago. He¡¯d be able to handle whatever they threw at him. And with his newest ability that he¡¯d received from Draeth, he wasn¡¯t even sure what his limits were anymore.

    He might even need this test just for himself. To test his limits.

    TC-04 took its time arranging all of the weapons to point at Anakin so they would all fire at once. Then, seemingly without warning the word filled with blazing light and plasma.

    Anakin screamed as his whole body burned and charred as powerful plasma bolts ate into him from all sides as he fell to the ground. His disruption ability did its best to weaken all of the attacks coming at him, but even it was overwhelmed by the strength and quantity of the shots and let several punch through to bit into his body several inches as their structure wasn¡¯t fully disrupted.

    His whole body dried out and started shriveling up even as large chunks of his skin peeled and flitted away from him like burning paper even as he groaned in pain on the ground.

    But then the strangest thing happened¡­ Just when he doubted himself and started thinking that he¡¯d made a mistake, that he would really die, the pain stopped. The endless assault and barrage of plasma and blaster fire into him continued. Then his charred and desiccated body lying on the ground started to recover. Like time was reversing, the gouges in his flesh filled in. The burns healed and slowly grew patches of fresh skin like two pieces of cloth being sewn together into one whole piece of fabric again.

    Then even the seams between the new patchwork pieces of skin slowly faded and healed over until Anakin¡¯s body was whole and unblemished once more. The blaster fire continued and his vision returned as he stood to his feet, pushed around by the force of the blasts but now entirely unhurt by the blaster fire landing on him.

    Drawing on the Force slightly, he dashed forward out of the barrage and quickly adjusted himself to run at the nearest droid. After surviving the barrage, he¡¯d changed his mind on what he wanted to do. He didn¡¯t want to just dodge anymore. He¡¯d show TC-04 just how easily he could destroy these droids if he wanted to.

    He charged at the nearest commando droid who raised its blaster and shot Anakin directly in the eye. The blast briefly blinded him, but the searing heat didn¡¯t hurt him in the slightest.

    He stopped just in front of the droid and reached out and with a small burst of the Force sent it stumbling back and falling to the ground.

    He then turned to the side and ignoring the droid that he¡¯d just knocked over continued to do the same to the next closest droid.

    The droids kept coming after him, recovering from his Force shoves quickly as TC-04 directed them to fight him.

    It took over ten minutes for the blaster fire to finally stop as TC-04 seemingly realized that the blasters weren¡¯t doing any damage to him.

    As one, all of the commando droids dropped their weapons and withdrew their large vibroblades from their backs.

    Anakin was a little more nervous for this one. He¡¯d never tested this particular cutting resistance before and wasn¡¯t sure exactly how it worked.

    He used the Force to twist his body as it screamed a warning as a commando droid leapt at him from behind in an attempt to plant its vibroblade square in his back.

    He managed to turn the blow into only a small strike that slid along his ribs before the droid went past him and rolled on the ground to recover from its stumble from overextending when it expected its blade to hit Anakin rather than open air.

    The battle became frantic for the next five minutes as he just barely dodged the blows of the droids with the vibroblades as they worked together under TC-04¡¯s command to attempt to corner him and strike him.

    Anakin took a few deep stabs to the shoulders of gut from the commando droids that were bleeding heavily as he kept moving, panting in exertion as he darted around on his feet to dodge at least four other blades that were attempting to strike him simultaneously.

    One of the droids shot him in the face with their blaster and Anakin smiled even as he was blinded and stumbled back.

    The energy from the blaster bolt rushed into Anakin¡¯s body and a second later he felt a wave of healing energy wash over all of the minor wounds that he¡¯d taken so far. By the time he recovered his vision, he was fully healed and in prime condition.

    But his brief surprise from being blinded let the droids exploit the opening to land three strong strikes on him. One went into his neck, another into his gut, and the final vibroblade plunged into his back.

    The two lower blades only sank five centimeters into his body before stopping in their tracks as all the previous blows hardened his body against their sharp edges.

    The two blades remained buried in his body as the droids attempted to tip him over by pushing him with their weight leaning on the blades buried within him. The vibroblades kept thrumming within his body and slowly carving deeper into his body as if through hardened durasteel rather than flesh.

    The third blade cleanly passed through Anakin¡¯s neck and carved a thin line across it. Even at the blow finished, the droid in front of Anakin reversed its grip and slashed at his face again and carved a searing line from his forehead and down to the corner of his jaw.

    Anakin coughed as blood poured from his opened throat for a moment and he fell to the ground and struggled to breathe, only small amounts of air entering his lungs from his weakened gasps.

    The droids came from all around and surrounded him on all sides stabbing downwards with their vibroblades as Anakin remained curled up and on his side, recovering his breath.

    With each passing second, their stabs and slashes became less and less effective. Now even their stronger blows only left the thinnest of red scratches across his skin. Only the five blades already buried within his body made even the slightest progress in injuring him as the droids tried to wiggle them around to do as much damage as possible to the softer organs beneath.

    But then¡­ Anakin adapted. His shuddering gasps stopped, and he felt calm as the urge to breathe disappeared.

    He slowly stood to his feet even as the droids ineffectively tried to push him down and continued to stab him over and over.

    They couldn¡¯t injure him with their blades anymore, even a few strikes of the blade directly onto his open eye stopping cold without even hurting him in the slightest.

    He stood there and slowly as the sun from above beat down on him from above, his bleeding wounds slowly healed and sealed over again.

    The droids kept attacking him as TC-04 stood in the distance watching silently. But it was over. Over the next thirty minutes, Anakin¡¯s body slowly healed to pristine health from his stab wounds under the light of the sun, even as the droids continued to do their best to kill him as he stood there unresisting.

    TC-04¡¯s eyes were flickering and Anakin saw it twitching a few times as the assault by the commando droids grew more frantic, ignoring all forms of defense as they tried to increase their maximum damage output at all costs as Anakin stood there unmoving.

    But then the thirty minutes had passed and Anakin stood there, in his shredded and burned scraps of clothes still clinging to him, and dried blood coating his nearly naked body.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, TC-04,¡± Anakin called out as another vibroblade skittered off of his eyebrow without even scratching his skin, ¡°I think I¡¯ve made my point.¡±

    TC-04 nodded and all of the commando droids around Anakin immediately fell back and sheathed their blades.

    Anakin walked up to TC-04 and watched it as its arms and head started twitching more even as its eyes flickered.

    ¡°Il-Il-Illogical,¡± the droid stuttered, ¡°Impossible. Error. There is no way any being could survive such an assault. A being survived that assault. Updating combat models. Incongruent data, purging. A being survived the assault. Impossible. Purging. Updating models¡­¡±

    TC-04 stared into nothing and kept repeating the cycle over and over as Anakin watched it silently.

    ¡°Updating models¡­ Updating models¡­ Solution found,¡± the droid said suddenly, ¡°New classification of combatant, Force User, created. Generating non-physical combat model separate from normal operations grounded in previous data. Removing limiters that are keeping all solutions within the physical laws. Halting comprehension and analysis of capabilities of such individuals beyond level two for new classification of combatant. Non-physical abilities attributed to super weapon assistive technology classified as the ¡®Force¡¯. Segregating data of Force user Anakin Skywalker and building profile as first entry¡­¡±

    TC-04 remained standing there with its eye flickering for over five more minutes before its eyes suddenly went solid and it stared at Anakin.

    ¡°New model created,¡± it said, ¡°Currently processing and categorizing data and coming up with strategies to plan for any ¡®Force¡¯ users in future encounters.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Anakin said and pumped his fist in the air, ¡°Kriff yes! It worked! TC-04, halt any further analysis. I need to scan you again in case anything goes wrong. We can¡¯t lose your data.¡±

    ¡°Confirmed. Halting analysis.¡±

    Anakin hurried back to the ship with all of the droids in tow, and quickly changed back into the spare set of clothes that he¡¯d brought.

    Over the next few days, he furiously scanned TC-04 again to the smallest detail to preserve the data. The droid had halted any more analysis, but its separate strange combat modules specifically created for Force users had to be preserved and studied.

    Usually there were all sorts of limiters of the droids to keep them grounded in the world. To make sure that they¡¯d take the data from the world and be able to act appropriately rather than ignoring it and acting erratically or in seemingly insane ways as they ignored the real data and didn¡¯t allow it to correct their logic circuits properly when they did something wrong.

    But TC-04 had somehow removed all of those limiters on its new combat module, compartmentalized from the rest of the more grounded models. The new module was in a literal sense, insane. It would take any data, no matter how illogical, and process it.

    It was unstable. Anakin doubted that it would last long without collapsing. Because one bit of ¡®poisoned¡¯ data that came in could corrupt the whole module and render it non-functional. Such as if TC-04¡¯s combat data determined that all Jedi wore specific brown robes, and then concluded that all force users must wear similar robes.

    Without the limiters in place, such a conclusion and millions of others like it would never be able to be corrected with new data entering the module.

    But for now it worked, and even now Anakin could see a few basic limiters that he could install that could keep things more stable while also letting the droid consider Force users like they never could before.

    It had been nearly two weeks now of study, and Anakin thought that he was happy with the web of mental limiters and anchors that he''d built in TC-04''s new combat module for Force users. He¡¯d recorded all of his progress, paranoid that he¡¯d mess up somehow and never be able to recreate TC-04 and its interesting mind again properly.

    But Anakin was ready. And so was TC-04.

    ¡°TC-04. Resume analysis on Force user combat models,¡± Anakin said as the two of them remained in the bunker below the house. Mom and Slarena were off running their store, and Anakin still hadn¡¯t been called in to work. Or informed about the investigation yet.

    TC-04 nodded at Anakin and its eyes started flickering again.

    After nearly thirty minutes the droid¡¯s eyes went solid and its head turned to Anakin.

    ¡°There are¡­ No valid strategies to defeat Anakin Skywalker in direct combat. Only containment may be possible,¡± the droid stated flatly.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Anakin said, realizing a possible problem with what he had done, ¡°Yeah. Pretty much. But my Force abilities are much stronger and stranger than most. Is your new module ready to accept more data?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Anakin Skywalker Force User profile fully cemented and ready to accept more input on further abilities. More profiles are ready to be generated.¡±

    ¡°Alright. So here we go. Over the last week I¡¯ve been downloading everything that I could find about the abilities of Force users throughout the history of the galaxy. It¡¯s all historical records, so specifics may be unreliable. But it should give you a broad range of data to see the kinds of things that the Force is able to accomplish. Are you prepared for the data transfer?¡±

    ¡°Prepared for transfer.¡±

    Anakin took out a series of wires and connected TC-04 to a nearby terminal and initiated the data transfer.

    He went upstairs and had dinner with mom and Slarena and told them all about TC-04 and his latest progress, despite their eyes glazing over a little at some of his more detailed explanations.

    Their store was doing well despite the brief interruption in business, so for them things seemed to have returned roughly back to normal.

    It took another week for TC-04 to finish processing and categorizing the data that it had been given.

    In the meantime Anakin worked the counter of the store. Mom had been gone from the store more and more often, leaving Slarena and Anakin to run things. Apparently spending time with Riktor as he guided his herd according to Slarena who gave Anakin a knowing smirk when he tried to pry more. Riktor''s last assistant had run off on him, so mom was helping him out and learning how to herd the animals as well alongside him.

    Or so she said.

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t he just hire somebody though?¡± Anakin complained to Slarena one time just after Mom had left only a few minutes after they all arrived at the shop.

    ¡°Oh, he certainly could,¡± Slarena agreed, ¡°But you certainly don¡¯t see Shmi complaining about it. We¡¯re fine here at the store, especially with you around the help. Not like we really need all three of us here all of the time.¡±

    ¡°Well, I suppose,¡± Anakin said, ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡±

    The door opened and he cut himself off as one of the townsfolk started wandering around and picking things off of the shelves.

    Well, Slarena was right. Mom seemed fine, and he didn¡¯t mind running the store counter. Maybe he should just leave it alone for now.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    ¡°I have finished categorization and analysis of the data that was provided,¡± TC-04 said, as Anakin fiddled with some diagrams displaying the logic circuits in the droid¡¯s digital mind.

    ¡°And your conclusions?¡± Anakin asked as he looked away from the diagram below him on the table.

    ¡°The enhancement provided is indeed extremely variable. Some sentients only receive a minor boost while others like you are unstoppable with conventional weapons according to my combat module¡¯s analysis. I have been able to incorporate such individuals into my combat models and strategies. We will require far more resources if we wish to repel an individual such as the Force User that was behind the previous assault.¡±

    ¡°What would you do if you were put in the same combat scenario? Now that your new combat module can predict and consider the abilities from the Force?¡±

    ¡°Running simulation¡­ Running simulation¡­ I would have pulled all units within the central shields after the Force User¡¯s abilities were first revealed in the woods. It is unclear how effective such a strategy would have been, but the Force User being able to pick off so many of the droids one by one and avoid all forms of ambush severely depleted our fighting forces. It would have been far more effective to attack in one overwhelming assault once they broke through the shield or delay for more significant reinforcements from the CIS.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Anakin said, nodding, ¡°That makes sense. Alright, almost done. And you accounted for her abilities too. Just one more scan of your newest modules and then all of this will be preserved for the future¡­¡±

    He finished the scans and let out one final sigh of relief once he was finally finished as the data was saved safely on his device.

    ¡°TC-04, you can return to coordinating our defenses. Keep running combat simulations of what to do if another Force user attacks us again.¡±

    ¡°Understood. Reconnecting to our local network now. Optimizing outer patrols as we speak¡­¡±

    Anakin smiled and nodded before going back upstairs. TC-04 would make sure that things went smoothly.

 Chapter 27: The Past and Future

    Anakin frowned as his datapad chimed. He was tinkering the design of the massive droid down below again. He still hadn¡¯t thought of a proper name for it yet. Maybe he¡¯d think of something good once he finally perfected it and had the final product in front of him.

    The datapad chimed again and he reached out and lifted it from his desk. Huh. A message from Elara?

    He¡¯d been so distracted with everything happening over the last few months that he hadn¡¯t even noticed that she¡¯d stopped messaging him ever since the break in to the house. Anakin frowned. Actually, wasn¡¯t that suspicious? The two things had been almost perfectly aligned.

    He opened her message and was confused at what it said.

    ¡°Hi Anakin,¡± he read aloud, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that it¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve sent you a message. Over six months without even an explanation. I didn¡¯t mean to drop off the galaxy like that, I¡¯m sure that you¡¯re wondering what¡¯s happened. My parents took away my old datapad. Some Jedi from the Republic came and said that you were some kind of criminal and that I¡¯d be in trouble if I talked with you anymore. But I don¡¯t believe it, she¡¯s wrong about you. It was hard to figure out how to send you a message without having your contact saved. I actually had to buy your information from a databroker, because I forgot your number even if I knew the right planet. It was pretty scary, but the man was able to get it by going through the old call records on the ships that I¡¯d worked on. I had to sneak him in the ship so he could do his work¡­ I hope this really is reaching you, Anakin, and that he didn¡¯t scam me. I¡¯d like to keep chatting with you. It feels like forever since we last talked. I''ve missed you.¡±

    Anakin put down his datapad, his brow furrowed in confusion. six months? Elara had sent him a message less than a month ago. He went through the message history and read through the message from a few days before the break in. A little cold and distant, but it didn¡¯t talk about anything being out of the ordinary for her.

    He tried to think about what she could be doing. Shy would she make up something so ridiculous? He took over twenty minutes wrestling over the wording of his reply before finally giving up.

    ¡°You sent me a message less than two months ago. What are you talking about?¡± Anakin wrote as he copied her second to last message onto his own and sent it back.

    He was unsettled for hours and had trouble falling to sleep after dinner as he tried to understand what Elara was talking about and what it could all mean.

    When he woke up, he immediately rushed over to the datapad and read the message waiting for him.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen that message before. I didn¡¯t write it,¡± Anakin read to himself in shock, ¡°Sorry for the late reply. I broke my hand punching the metal wall of my room and had to go to a med droid. I think it must be the Jedi who came and took my old datapad. She must have been impersonating me for some reason to talk to you. I knew that something was off with her! My last message to you was six months and four days ago. Nothing after that was me.¡±

    Anakin put down the datapad in shock. He numbly scrolled up through his message history to the last genuine message from Elara to him. Then below to what must be the imposter. The difference between them seemed so obvious now. At the time he¡¯d thought that she¡¯d just been in a bad mood or something. But the messages were different in tone. But a subtle enough difference that he hadn¡¯t thought much of it at the time.

    He copied his whole message history including both the imposter''s messages and his own replies to them and sent them along to Elara without adding any of his own text. He felt betrayed and oddly vulnerable that something that he¡¯d thought was so real was an illusion for so long. That the person that he¡¯d been talking to, awkwardly trying to flirt with, actually hadn¡¯t been her.

    A few hours later as Anakin listlessly wandered around his lab, he received another message from Elara. He smiled as he read through the angry reply cursing out and ranting against the Jedi who¡¯d been impersonating her. And a more detailed explanation of what exactly what had happened.

    Finally with that last bit of confirmation from Elara, Anakin made the call. It took over ten minutes before his call was answered.

    ¡°What?¡± the Chairman said in annoyance over the communicator, limiting it to only a voice call, ¡°There has been no progress on the investigation yet. You¡¯ll be contacted if we find anything.¡±

    ¡°I know. I¡¯ve just learned something that might help with that.¡±

    He explained about Elara and what had happened, and the Chairman was silent.

    ¡°I¡¯ll pass it along,¡± the Chairman said reluctantly, seeming annoyed that he wasn¡¯t able to dismiss Anakin¡¯s information as unimportant, ¡°Thank you for the information. Goodday.¡±

    The Chairman hung up the call, and after a moment of staring at the device, Anakin slipped it back into his pocket. This was a clue, something that could get more information. He should have guessed that it would be the Jedi Council behind all of it, not some other random Force user like everyone had all thought¡­

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    ¡°He did it! Oh, Slarena he actually did it!¡± Mom said as she swept into the room and wrapped the surprised Twi¡¯lek in a deep hug and started spinning her around.

    ¡°What? Huh? Wait, Riktor?¡± Slarena sputtered, ¡°He did? Just now? I¡¯m guessing that you said yes¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Oh, I wish you had been there. It was so romantic, he had everything set up perfectly I nearly froze up in shock when he asked!¡±

    ¡°Mom? What¡¯s going on? What happened with Riktor?¡± Anakin asked cluelessly.

    ¡°He finally proposed to me!¡± mom said, ¡°We¡¯re going to be married!¡±

    ¡°Uhhhhhhh¡­¡± Anakin blinked a few times, stunned by the sudden reveal. What?

    Slarena unpeeled mom who¡¯d latched onto her and walked over to Anakin. Slarena reached out and put a hand on his head that was now nearly his height and started ruffling it violently. Anakin flinched and pulled back but the Twi¡¯lek was relentless and trapped him in a headlock for a few seconds before letting him go.

    ¡°Stop acting all surprised, Ani! We both knew this was coming eventually,¡± she said, ¡°Go congratulate your mother already!¡±

    ¡°Er, yeah,¡± Anakin said as he patted down his hair and still a little dazed by the news, ¡°Congrats, mom. I¡¯m happy for you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, thank you Ani,¡± Mom said, her face having a dreamy expression and slightly flushed as she stared at nothing in particular, ¡°It¡¯s going to be amazing, I just know it.¡±

    ¡°Y-Yeah,¡± Anakin said, still recovering from his shock at the sudden revelation. He¡¯d realized that the two of them were close, but he hadn¡¯t thought that anything like this was coming¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m happy for you,¡± Anakin said with more feeling this time.

    ¡°Oh, Ani.¡± Mom walked over and hugged both Slarena and him at the same time in a tight grip, ¡°Thank you, the both of you,¡± she said, ¡°You know, we¡¯ve been through so much together. The three of us. But these last few years have been wonderful. And with Riktor, maybe the next can be even better.¡±

    ¡°Good job, Shmi,¡± Slarena said softly, ¡°He¡¯s a lucky man.¡±

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°And I¡¯m a lucky woman. Oh! I didn¡¯t even tell you about the proposal yet. So, it started out with us going to that fancy restaurant in town. He¡¯d arranged it so we had the best seats and there were some fancy candles on the table¡­¡±

    Mom went through her whole story as the two of them listened to her.

    It still felt strange, thinking about Riktor dating and now marrying his mother. But it made her happy, so Anakin knew that he¡¯d get over it. And Riktor was a good guy, Anakin was sure that he¡¯d treat her right.

    He¡¯d better.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    The music played as Mom and Riktor took the first dance at the wedding party after the ceremony. Mom was in her elaborate white dress that Slarena had swore and complained about how hard it had been to help her put on. Riktor was in a worn but well fitted black suit as he held mom by the waist as they stood in the center of the circling crowd dancing.

    There were dozens of people here, many of them from Riktor¡¯s family and seeming to be having a good time with the alcohol freely flowing from a keg in the corner.

    On Mom¡¯s side it had only been Anakin and Slarena and a few more people that he¡¯d invited from the CIS. He spotted Relira pass by, back from the first lab that he¡¯d joined. The same one that had helped him after he¡¯d been injured and organized his coming to age ceremony at sixteen. Scattered around were the six or seven others who¡¯d chosen to take some time off from their busy work to come here.

    And one final person that Anakin had been very surprised had actually been able to make it.

    ¡°Quite a rustic party,¡± Count Dooku said in an amused tone as he wore a clearly expensive and fancy robe with shimmering golden highlights, ¡°I¡¯m rather more used to the palaces of high society. But the drinks are stronger and company here more lively and unrestrained than any other party that I¡¯ve been to before.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for coming, Count Dooku,¡± Anakin said earnestly, ¡°I know that you¡¯re a busy man and that it couldn¡¯t have been easy for you to take some time off.¡±

    ¡°Not to worry,¡± Dooku said smoothly, ¡°I was looking forward to some relaxation before things pick up again in earnest. And it is heartening to see the progress that you and your family has had in these last few years. A rather fortunate coincidence that things have aligned so well with the timing of that with your mother¡¯s wedding.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s lucky. All of this wouldn¡¯t have been possible without your help. Just let me know if you need anything at all. I owe you more than I can ever repay, it feels like.¡±

    ¡°Not at all, not at all. Actually¡­ There are some matters I¡¯d like to discuss with you sometime soon. But I will be on this planet for two whole weeks, so any time in that period will do. For now, we should relax and simply enjoy the party. It seems that others are joining in on the dancing as we speak.¡±

    Anakin glanced at the dancefloor to see that the crowd had pressed inward and started dancing as well with Mom and Riktor lost in the crowd now.

    ¡°Enjoy the party, right,¡± Anakin said before glancing back at Dooku, ¡°I¡¯ll get to dancing then, I think. Talk to you later.¡±

    ¡°Later then,¡± Dooku said with a thin smile and nodded and walked off.

    Anakin enjoyed the rest of the party.

    And at the end of the night, Mom and Riktor retired to the separate new house that Anakin and the droids had built for them right next to the old one. There was plenty of space within the property walls for it.

    So Mom and Riktor had their own place now.

    And they both seemed happy.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Riktor and Mom had gone off on their month long honeymoon off planet a few days after the end of the wedding. Anakin had been worried for them, but the CIS and even Dooku himself had assured him that they would be invisibly protected by CIS special forces the while time that they were away.

    Right now, Anakin was flying on his personal ship to the mansion and estate that Count Dooku was currently staying at on planet. Anakin landed and was escorted by some droids into a fancy sitting room to wait to see the Count. He was curious on what his sponsor might want to talk to him about. It couldn¡¯t be about the droids. Anakin had already sent TC-04¡¯s files to Dooku directly as well as the plans for his other larger droid design that he¡¯d finally improved enough that he was comfortable in sharing it.

    Dooku had assured him in a message that he¡¯d done the right thing keeping the designs secret from his normal handlers, given how sensitive and powerful the two designs and sets of data had ended up being.

    But Dooku and Anakin did share messages on occasion to discuss Anakin¡¯s work in the lab and some other small updates on his life. So whatever it was, Dooku didn¡¯t want to talk face to face just about that.

    Was it the investigation into the Jedi that had broken into his house and impersonated Elara? Maybe. But that didn¡¯t feel right either somehow.

    He¡¯d just have to wait and see.

    After some time waiting, eventually he was ushered inside by the droid to what appeared to be a large study.

    ¡°Ah. Anakin,¡± Dooku said and turned off the holographic display that he was reading built into the desk, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re wondering why I¡¯ve called you to see me.¡±

    Anakin nodded.

    ¡°It¡¯s the unfortunate truth that the time is coming. The time for the CIS to emerge into the light. We are planning for it to happen within the order of months rather than years.¡±

    ¡°Months?! What? I¡­ It¡¯s really happening so soon?¡± Anakin said, feeling lightheaded at the revelation.

    ¡°Indeed. Our moment approaches. Do you remember all of those years ago? How I planned to use your story to sway some of the Jedi from the Council? That moment has come. I have a script here for you that I need you to memorize and record with my people. Let me know if you have any notes or ideas on the facts you may wish to include or remove. We will subtly share it with certain sympathetic Jedi and remind them of the Council¡¯s misdeeds in case they¡¯ve forgotten. Prime them to think for themselves for once after what''s coming soon. The Republic is investigating several of our allied partners, part of a larger investigation triggered by the information our Jedi friend learned. We must act before we are discovered from the Republic.¡±

    Dooku handed Anakin a datapad with the speech displayed on it. He read it from start to finish. It wasn¡¯t that long. He hesitated for a moment before looking back up.

    ¡°Will this work? Will the Jedi break away from the Council?¡±

    ¡°We can only hope. So, the speech is acceptable to you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll say it. I just¡­ Can we convince Obi-wan? Ahsoka, his new padawan? I know how devoted he is to the Republic and the Jedi. I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll leave if somebody doesn¡¯t try to convince him face to face.¡±

    Dooku paused for a long time and stared steadily at Anakin.

    ¡°I cannot,¡± he eventually said, ¡°A year ago I visited the Jedi temple and made a copy of the entire Jedi archives, even the restricted files. All the Jedi''s history, and explanations of the lightsaber forms and accumulated Force techniques. The Council likely knows that I was behind it and I may be detained as soon as I set foot in the temple.¡±

    ¡°What¡­ What about me? Could I go? Do you think that I would be able to make it out?¡±

    Dooku rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

    ¡°Perhaps. I would need to make some moves to prepare for the worst¡­ But given your past the Council would not dare try anything too out of line even if you went to visit them. Yes, this could help the larger plan¡­ But only if you¡¯re willing to take that risk. No matter the preparations, going directly into the heart of our potential enemies always is something to only do at the last resort.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I have to try,¡± Anakin said firmly, ¡°I can survive if things go wrong. At least long enough to find a ship off planet. But I owe it to Obi-wan to try to convince him that the right thing is to sit out the war, even if he doesn¡¯t join the CIS.¡±

    ¡°Very well. This is a change of plan¡­ But perhaps a good one. I will bring some CIS operatives to coach you. You must under no circumstances reveal any sensitive information when you talk to him, and unless it is determined that you can withstand proper questioning then you will not be allowed to go. Word of the CIS and the succession from the Republic can not reach the Council, Senate, or the Republic Chancellor¡¯s ears early at any cost.¡±

    ¡°Understood, sir. I¡¯ll be careful. I know how important this is, and I won¡¯t reveal anything that could ruin your plans.¡±

    ¡°Good. You leave next month if you pass my operative¡¯s tests. I suggest you say your goodbyes to your family with that time.¡±

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Anakin told Slarena, Mom, and Riktor, ¡°This is something that I have to do. I¡¯ll be safe. As long as you¡¯re here, away from it all, then none of it will be able to hurt me.¡±

    ¡°Be safe, Ani,¡± Mom said and hugged him before letting go, ¡°As long as you¡¯re sure that you know what you¡¯re doing.¡±

    Slarena followed with her own hug.

    ¡°You¡¯d¡­ You¡¯d better come back, kid,¡± Slarena muttered, ¡°I¡¯ll kill you if you don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Sure. I promise.¡±

    Everyone turned to look at Riktor as Slarena let go and stepped back.

    ¡°Well, ah. Don¡¯t know exactly what¡¯s happening,¡± Riktor admitted, ¡°But best of luck Anakin. I hope your¡­ trip or something, goes well.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Riktor. Hopefully I¡¯ll be back soon. Stay safe all of you.¡±

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Anakin looked down at Coruscant as he descended down through the atmosphere. This was it. The make or break moment. He had to convince Obi-wan to sit out the war. Or the droids that Anakin had designed might be the very thing that killed the man that he still cared for, despite everything else that had happened in the last few years.

 Chapter 28: A Jediéˆ¥æªš Duty to the Republic

    ¡°Master, is it true?¡± Ahsoka asked, ¡°Is he¡­ He¡¯s here? In the temple? We¡¯re going to see him?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Obi-wan replied, his usual tranquility nowhere to be seen. Anakin had returned? After so long? And asked to see him after refusing to speak to the Council loudly right in front of a crowd of other curious Jedi?

    What could his former Padawan want with the two of them after all of these years?

    Obi-wan walked into the room where Anakin waited and froze as he saw the boy, no man in front of him. He had known intellectually that the boy was over twenty years old now. It had been almost four years since he¡¯d last seen him, and he¡¯d changed in that time. Instead of the brashness and borderline arrogance of the boy that Obi-wan had trained, there was someone else. This person was even different from even the brief glimpse of the more thoughtful and mentally scarred boy that Obi-wan had talked to over four years ago after he was taken from Jabba¡¯s palace. The boy that Obi-wan had seen had been through much, enough to temper his arrogance down to a sort of quiet paranoia, always keeping an eye out for the next disaster that would befall him.

    But now¡­ Even that boy was gone. The man in front of Obi-wan was different. There was wariness there, even nervousness. But nothing like how he had acted back then. Although Obi-wan supposed that made sense. His situation had changed over the last few years.

    ¡°Obi-wan. Ahsoka. It¡¯s been a while,¡± Anakin said, ¡°Would you like to go on a walk with me out of the temple? There¡¯s always so many curious ears around this place.¡±

    Obi-wan hesitated before nodding.

    ¡°I will choose the place,¡± he said firmly. No matter their past, he wouldn¡¯t risk putting Ahsoka in danger by going to a place that could be an ambush. Ahsoka shot him a look but didn¡¯t say anything but lifted one hand lightly at her side to hover around one of her twin lightsabers hanging at her hips.

    ¡°I just want to talk,¡± Anakin said, his eyes noticing Ahsoka¡¯s defensive motion, ¡°Really, that¡¯s why I¡¯m here. If I can¡¯t convince you then I¡¯ll just leave. I get it, but I guarantee that the Council¡¯s listening in on this room probably even as we speak.¡±

    ¡°This room is private, the Council wouldn¡¯t do that!¡± Ahsoka protested. Anakin shot her a look and her fire died a little and she shrunk back.

    ¡°Still. Lead the way, Obi-wan. I¡¯ll go to whatever place you think will be safe.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go. I see that you¡¯re still not carrying a lightsaber,¡± Obi-wan commented as all three of them exited the room, ¡°Never found a replacement?¡±

    ¡°No. Count Dooku did offer me one actually, but I refused. Just didn¡¯t feel right after my clean break with the Jedi before.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    They walked out of the Jedi Temple and onto the streets of Coruscant where Obi-wan entered high alert looking for an ambush. He knew that the Council likely had watchers following them at a distance ready to intervene if things went wrong. But even they might be too slow to defend his padawan Ahsoka if things went wrong.

    Obi-wan led them into a bar and they sat at a booth in the corner. The privacy screen went up and all sound would stay inside the little bubble of their booth and a tint blurred their forms and made it impossible to read their lips from the outside.

    ¡°Have you ever wondered what the Jedi might be like without the Council?¡± Anakin after all three of them sat down, Ahsoka looking the most uncomfortable as she fiddled idly with one of the lightsaber¡¯s at her hips as she stared at Anakin.

    ¡°...Sometimes,¡± Obi-wan said, ¡°But things are what they are. Despite their failings, the Grandmasters are good people. They do what they believe is best, even if they are not always correct.¡±

    ¡°Hm,¡± Anakin grunted in dissatisfaction, ¡°Fine. I think you know that I don¡¯t think that. They¡¯ve done worse things than you¡¯d think. Did you know that Knight Aurtera has been on a special mission for the Council for a long time? Only returned to the temple a few months ago?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I know about it,¡± Obi-wan said, ¡°Many of us receive special missions from the Council from time to time. Hers was much longer than most. What are you implying?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not implying anything. I¡¯m going to tell you flat out. She was spying on me. That was her mission.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Do you have any proof? And so what if it¡¯s true? No matter what else happens, it must be admitted that you¡¯re a dangerous person. It would be irresponsible for the Council to not keep some tabs on you.¡±

    ¡°This was more than keeping tabs on me,¡± Anakin said with a deep grimace of distaste, ¡°You¡¯re right. I probably could have accepted that reasoning if that¡¯s all they were doing. No, she did far more than that. She went to my girlfriend and her family. Threatened them with legal action and bullied them to cut off all contact with me. Then she used my girlfriend''s datapad and impersonated her, trying to pump me for information. Sending messages as Elara for months, tricking me and playing me like a fool in our messages¡­¡±

    Ahsoka¡¯s eyes were wide as she stared at Anakin. But he wasn¡¯t done.

    ¡°And when even that didn¡¯t work, she came down to the planet and trashed my house. Scared my family, who I thought she might be there to hurt. Then fled right here to Coruscant to report her success to the Council. The Council knew and even congratulated her afterwards for her good work.¡±

    ¡°Liar! The Council would never order a Jedi knight to do anything like that!¡± Ahsoka shouted, ¡°You¡¯re just taking out your anger against the council on this poor Jedi Knight that probably wasn¡¯t even involved with any of this! It must have been someone else!¡±

    ¡°Do you have any evidence?¡± Obi-wan added, ¡°Ahsoka¡¯s right. I can¡¯t take your word for this.¡±

    ¡°Yes. This will have all that you need. Just make sure to use a disconnected device from the network to view the files,¡± Anakin said as he pulled out a pinkie sized device and handed it over to Obi-wan, ¡°The Jedi Temple likely has monitoring software that would flag you for having classified information that you shouldn¡¯t have.¡±

    ¡°And how did you get it then?¡±

    ¡°Classified.¡±

    Anakin smirked and Obi-wan saw a flash of the boy who was for a brief moment before it disappeared again.

    ¡°And this has proof that it¡¯s the Council behind it? And that she wasn¡¯t acting alone?¡± Obi-wan confirmed as he eyed the device skeptically as he rolled it around in his hands.

    ¡°Signed orders from Mace Windu himself,¡± Anakin said, nodding, ¡°And some of the reports that she sent to the Council that my source managed to find. I may have some secrets... But the methods that she used to find out about them are all in those reports, clear as day.¡±

    ¡°So, assuming that this is all true¡­ What¡¯s your goal here?¡± Obi-wan asked as he tucked the device into his pocket, leaving the matter be for now, ¡°Why come all this way to tell me this? And why insist on bringing Ahsoka along too?¡±

    ¡°Because that is only the first thing I want to talk about. But I think that¡¯s enough for today. You can go look over that information and see that I¡¯m telling the truth for yourself. Meet here again tomorrow at the same time?¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow, same time,¡± Obi-wan confirmed, ¡°Until then.¡±

    ¡°Until then.¡±

    Anakin stood and walked off as Obi-wan and Ahsoka remained seated.

    ¡°Master? Is that it? That felt too quick,¡± she said, seeming confused.

    He patted his pocket with the small device holding the supposed evidence of Knight Aurtera and the Council¡¯s crimes, ¡°It was very to the point. But Anakin was right. There is no use talking further when we can''t trust his information just yet. Hopefully we will be able to learn more tomorrow when we''ve investigated his claims more thoroughly. But for now, we must return to the Jedi temple. I am very eager to look over this data for myself. Aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master. Let¡¯s go. He must be wrong, it¡¯s all some big misunderstanding. Grandmaster Yoda wouldn¡¯t let anything like that happen, no matter how dangerous they thought Skywalker might be.¡±

    ¡°I suppose we¡¯ll see, my padawan. We¡¯ll see soon.¡±

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Obi-wan and his padawan sat in the same booth, much more disturbed than they had been yesterday. Anakin had been a man of his word. The small datadrive had contained communications logs and transcripts between Knight Aurtera and various members of the Council, Mace Windu as the most prominent regarding her mission. Grandmaster Yoda had not been involved directly, but he must have at least been informed of the basics given some vague references in the reports. And he had chosen to let the mission continue unaltered even so.

    Knight Aurtera had written reports on her progress in her mission, and even an after action report on her reasoning for the break-in to the Skywalker residence before fleeing. All of it. Obi-wan had made his own subtle investigation into some of the background facts of the case. Using his access as a Jedi Master to perhaps pry into the secure files more than was strictly appropriate. But the access request had been approved, so clearly someone in Republic Intelligence had decided that him being a Jedi master gave him enough authority to obtain the records regarding the case. All of that collected evidence from Anakin and from the Republic Intelligence records matched the facts that Anakin had presented to him yesterday. Even now Republic Intelligence was subtly following up on some of the information that the Jedi Knight had uncovered during her mission.

    Obi-Wan had even been able to get the video of Knight Aurtera''s full mission, recorded from her helmet as she infiltrated the house and destroyed the defensive droids. The military grade droids surrounding the house and her trashing the Skywalker residence and stealing the data were included. It seemed that Republic Intelligence had mostly been investigating droid suppliers and designers to determine the origin of the droids.

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    But from the report, Republic Intelligence cared remarkably little about Anakin himself despite the Council''s insistence to send more agents to investigate and dig deeper. Republic Intelligence had moved their attention promptly past Anakin and instead started investigating the source of the droids themselves.

    In the reports that Obi wan read, Republic Intelligence barely even mentioned Anakin anymore except in passing as they investigated the droid designs. There was even interest in the reports to making an order of their own for the advanced droids once the makers were found rather than punishing them for the secrecy over the clearly military grade designs.

    Even the larger droid near the end of the video had drawn some mild interest from Republic Intelligence, but not enough to prompt them to spend any more resources to investigate Anakin directly when things were so tense on his new homeworld after what had happened.

    Obi-wan did wonder where Anakin could have gotten such high quality droids. Clearly the larger half complete once had been built by him at least in part. The stolen data and half completed plans for its construction backed up Anakin as the nearly sole designer of that single droid. But all of the rest were clearly refined products that were more than a hobbyist, even a genius one like Anakin, could ever make.

    The Council was very interested in Anakin himself, and Obi-wan could practically feel Republic Intelligence''s annoyance as the Council kept attempting to refocus the investigation on Anakin rather than on the larger focus on the droid manufacturer and the source of the droids themselves.

    It really was the Council itself not only approving but actively pushing for things to go even further.

    ¡°So, do you believe me now?¡± Anakin asked as they sat in the same booth again, ¡°What the Council¡¯s done?¡±

    Obi-wan took a deep breath as Ahsoka remained silent beside him.

    ¡°Yes. This is too far. But the Council is still good and selfless people even if they are not as¡­ perfect or enlightened as we¡¯d like to believe that they are. As I believed them to be. So, tell us what you¡¯re here for. Why drag Ahsoka into whatever plans you seem to have for me?¡±

    Anakin sighed slightly and sat back and gave Ahsoka a brief glance.

    ¡°Sorry, Obi-wan¡¯s just reminded me. With how quick it was yesterday I forgot to say hi to you, Ahsoka. How¡¯s your training in the temple been? I¡¯m sure that by now you could thrash me in a lightsaber duel easily.¡±

    ¡°Hmph,¡± Ahsoka harrumphed imperiously, ¡°I could have beaten you years ago from what I¡¯ve heard of your skill from the other padawans. Even with me learning the harder double bladed style, Master is always praising my skill in my forms.¡±

    ¡°And I praise her humility as well,¡± Obi-wan added with a slight smile, ¡°Right along with her skill in her forms.¡±

    Ahsoka blushed and looked away at the soft rebuke, looking embarrassed.

    Obi-wan took mercy on her after a short pause in the conversation.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been taking her on missions out of the Jedi Temple,¡± Obi-wan added, ¡°The pair of us have gained quite a reputation in the local area here on Coruscant. I think she¡¯ll be as ready to be a Jedi Knight as any other padawan as I¡¯ve ever seen in the Temple before.¡±

    Ahsoka¡¯s eyes widened and she blushed again for another reason at Obi-wan¡¯s sudden high praise for her.

    Not that it wasn¡¯t deserved. She really had been doing rather well on the missions that Obi-wan had selected for her. He¡¯d even considered taking her off planet for a few more involved investigations. But there was plenty on Coruscant for her to still learn.

    ¡°Tell me more,¡± Anakin asked in interest, ¡°What kind of things? What were these missions like?¡±

    Obi-wan let Ahsoka slowly relax and chatter about her missions as he watched Anakin carefully. Ahsoka seemed to be feeling a little insecure in front of the calm and grounded Anakin and was doing her best to boast about her accomplishments. Anakin just nodded and hummed in affirmation at the proper moments as she kept going. His eyes were focused on her, seeming genuinely interested in her stories.

    ¡°I¡¯m happy for you,¡± Anakin said as Ahsoka wound down her stories, ¡°It sounds like everything that I ever wanted as a Jedi padawan. Hey, at least me leaving made some room for you to be taught by my old master here, huh? You¡¯ve done well under his teachings.¡±

    ¡°Uhm, that¡¯s¡ª I¡ª¡± Ahsoka stammered, not seeming sure how to respond to Anakin¡¯s words.

    Obi-wan felt a faint sting of pain in his heart at the words, but kept his expression placid and calm to cover his reaction.

    Anakin turned to Obi-wan and his posture stiffened and Obi-wan¡¯s gaze sharpened. This was it, the moment that he¡¯d learn why Anakin was here. Why he had truly wanted to talk to them from the beginning.

    ¡°Obi Wan. Ahsoka¡­¡± Anakin said before faltering for a moment before speaking again, ¡°Things in the galaxy are¡­ about to become chaotic. The Jedi will be called to defend the Republic. You and Ahsoka must stand aside and convince as many others as you can to join you. I¡¯m not even asking you to fight, actually the opposite. All I want is for the Jedi to stand to the side and help who they can, not just the people of the Republic.¡±

    ¡°Anakin, you talk of treason,¡± Obi-wan said sharply, ¡°It is the Jedi¡¯s duty to defend our sacred Republic. We have done so for over a thousand years, and if the Republic is in danger then we must answer. If you have some plan to harm the Republic in the works then it is my duty to do my best to stop you.¡±

    ¡°And if you have to choose between the Republic and Justice? What if the Republic is in the wrong?¡± Anakin insisted, ¡°It¡¯s also your duty as a Jedi to do the most good possible for the galaxy and its people. And the Republic isn¡¯t that anymore. If you see injustice and close your eyes to it, then are you any Jedi at all?¡±

    ¡°You accuse me of not following my ideals? After everything that you¡¯ve done? How hypocritical. And what of the ideal of Peace? The Republic has brought peace to the galaxy under its rule. Laws that while not perfect are far more enlightened than any other ones that we could realistically expect.¡±

    ¡°No. Not just you,¡± Anakin said after a flicker of anger flashed across his face before fading again, ¡°All of the Jedi, with the Council as the worst offenders. You call what¡¯s happening in Hutt space peace? All those slaves were freed with nothing to their names? Their old masters allowed to keep their lavish manors and stolen funds built on all of their suffering and pain? Even now the Republic stands by and protects the old masters from the freed slaves. Treating the former slaves like they¡¯re barely even worth their attention except for with annoyance when they dare complain about how they¡¯ve been treated, after the Republic let them rot for almost a whole year before deigning to follow their own laws. Is that the Peace that the Republic has brought to Hutt space? Even now Republic fleets are there in Hutt space, occupying it even after so long. Not for the slaves, but to protect the old masters.¡±

    ¡°The Republic is¡­ not perfect. No institution can be,¡± Obi-wan said, which caused Ahsoka to shoot him a surprised look, ¡°But Anakin, listen to yourself. You¡¯re talking nonsense. Have you joined some kind of Separatist terror group? I thought you were better than this. From what you¡¯ve said, I thought things were stable and you were happy to live your own life away from the Jedi and the politics. A better life for yourself, one away from larger concerns like this.¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m not doing anything,¡± Anakin denied, ¡°But I know some people who will do some things soon. Even if I wanted to, nothing I could do would be able to stop them from going through with it. I came here for you two. I don¡¯t want either of you to be drawn into it. You¡¯ll understand just how big a risk I¡¯m taking here talking to you about it once things start up. Once you have some more time to think about this conversation after everything is revealed.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll fight whoever it is who¡¯ll be attacking the Republic!¡± Ahsoka said defiantly while glaring at Anakin, ¡°How can we stop it? What about all of the innocent people that will be hurt? You¡¯ve got to tell us what¡¯s going to happen so we can stop it in time!¡±

    Anakin just shook his head, ¡°Nothing will be able to stop it. It¡¯s too late now, things are already in motion. Ahsoka, you don¡¯t understand. Here, let me¡­ Alright, nevermind. Changing directions. Have you ever killed someone before, Ahsoka?¡±

    ¡°...No. I haven¡¯t. But Master has when people are attacking us. And he¡¯s not an unhinged terrorist like you yet.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to,¡± Anakin said, seeming unfazed by Ahsoka¡¯s sharp comment, ¡°It¡¯s not something that you can forget. If you went to war then it wouldn¡¯t even be self defense. You and Obi-wan would be soldiers. Killing people not to defend yourself, but because they¡¯re wearing a different uniform and standing in the wrong places. I know that of all of the people that I¡¯ve killed, all of them were from self defense. Well, not all of them. It feels different when you¡¯re not sure if it really was self defense or not. That¡¯s not something that I think you want to feel, Ahsoka. Even if you might be good enough at combat that you might not even be hurt yourself in battle.¡±

    Obi-wan shifted in his seat, disturbed by Anakin¡¯s little speech. He hadn¡¯t considered that angle. It was true. Obi-wan was hardened from his missions against the gangs and pirates. Seen some things during his missions that he¡¯d never be able to unsee¡­ He could only imagine that a true war like what had happened in the subjugation of Hutt Space would be a thousand times worse. Or her going off to fight whatever terrorist group Anakin was involved with. And to put Ahsoka through it too¡­

    ¡°Ahsoka wouldn¡¯t be fighting. Not yet,¡± Obi-wan said firmly, ¡°You¡¯re right, she¡¯s not ready for that kind of damaging experience. But it would still be my duty to fight, as a Jedi Master. I don¡¯t know why you keep speaking of war. Surely this separatist cell isn¡¯t that big, or delusional enough to think that they could take on the whole Republic in a fight. What is this group you know of planning? An attack on the Senate building? Some kind of statement for propaganda, attacking Coruscant¡¯s infrastructure somehow? I need details, Anakin.¡±

    ¡°I promise that it¡¯s not an attack,¡± Anakin said, ¡°You¡¯ll see. But I give you my word. None of them are planning on attacking the Senate or anything similar. As far as I know. It¡¯s something else entirely. You¡¯ll understand it all when you remember this conversation later. I can¡¯t tell you anything more than that.¡±

    ¡°I could have you arrested,¡± Obi-wan stated, throwing out the statement and letting it hang in the air for a moment between them, ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s even my duty to do so.¡±

    ¡°A duty to the Republic,¡± Anakin replied, ¡°The Jedi aren¡¯t an organization, but a code and way of life. Somebody told me that a long time ago. Stick to your own convictions, not the Council or the Republic¡¯s. I know that if you¡¯re the one coming to the decisions then you¡¯ll do the right thing, my old master.¡±

    Anakin stood to his feet and both Obi-wan and Ahsoka quickly rose to match him, their hands dropping to their lightsabers as they both eyed Anakin warily.

    ¡°Please, think about it,¡± Anakin pleaded, a slightly desperate note in his voice, ¡°Just sit it out. That¡¯s all I¡¯m asking. I¡¯ll be leaving the planet soon. Once the chaos starts, feel free to contact me. Ask for help, if you need it. Despite everything, I think that I¡¯d like for the two of you to be my friends. Friends again, Obi-wan.¡±

    Neither of the Jedi answered, and Anakin let out a heavy sigh.

    ¡°Well, I¡­ Good luck,¡± Anakin said, ¡°Stay safe, the two of you.¡±

    Anakin stepped away from the booth and started slowly walking away. Ahsoka went to follow him, but Obi-wan¡¯s hand shot out and restrained her.

    ¡°But Master, he¡¯s getting away! We have to question him,¡± she harshly whispered as Obi-wan held her in place with one hand.

    ¡°No,¡± Obi-wan replied, ¡°He¡¯s too dangerous, especially when we have so little information on his strange applications of the Force. And with so many innocent people around us. We¡¯ll leave tracking down any separatist group¡¯s plots to Republic Intelligence. They¡¯ll know what to do.¡±

    Ahsoka kept trying to push forward for another moment before relaxing and taking a step back again. He let go of her.

    ¡°I guess¡­¡± she pouted, seeming disappointed that they weren¡¯t chasing down Anakin on foot and attempting to arrest him on the spot.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s hurry,¡± Obi-wan added after Anakin left the building and merged with the crowd on the street just outside, ¡°We must report what we¡¯ve learned to the Republic and the Council as soon as possible before he gets away.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master! Let¡¯s go!¡±

    By the time Republic Intelligence lethargically caught up with Anakin, he was already gone. Having left the planet immediately after finishing his conversation with Obi-wan. Walking directly to the spaceport and blasting off almost as soon as his feet entered the private shuttle that he''d entered.

    Obi-wan stared at the ceiling as he lay in his room in the Jedi temple. Every time he saw that boy, he only grew more confused. Always another mystery with Anakin it seemed. And while Republic Intelligence had dismissed Anakin¡¯s words and vague hints without any evidence to back them, Obi-wan had a feeling. Something important was about to happen. He had to think about what Anakin had said. Obi wan had see if there was even a smallest clue in Anakin''s exact words, how exactly he had acted. Obi wan had to do what he could to help the Republic, he was sure that Anakin had been alluding to some serious attack beyond the normal. Anakin wouldn''t have risked coming to Coruscant to warn Obi-wan and Ahsoka for something insignificant.

    It was Obi wan''s duty to defend the Republic as a Jedi knight. To preserve Peace and Justice of the galaxy through them.

    Right?

 Chapter 29: Outmaneuvered

    Chancellor Palpatine drummed his fingers on his desk in his secure bunker.

    ¡°What has the Republic''s response been to the attack, of Republic Intelligence?¡± He asked Mas Amedda, ¡°And what of the Senate?¡±

    ¡°They are still looking for the perpetrator,¡± Mas Amedda said, ¡°Even our less reputable sources don¡¯t seem to have any idea who was behind the explosion. The attack was sophisticated, it is odd that they managed to completely destroy your office yet missed you in the attack.¡±

    ¡°They didn¡¯t miss,¡± Palpatine replied as his fingers stopped moving for a moment before resuming as he frowned and stared up at nothing as he pondered, ¡°My abilities warned me and I delayed my return. If I had indeed been who I appear to be then I would have been in that office according to my schedule. But you¡¯re right, even with that¡­ It¡¯s both too sophisticated and too amateur. Such a weak attack would¡­¡±

    Mas Amedda looked at his communicator and his eyebrows rose slightly as he read the message.

    ¡°What?¡± Palpatine said, interrupting his thoughts as he saw the change in his aides'' stance.

    ¡°There¡¯s been another explosion. The abandoned industrial complex in Sector Five of the Works. It¡¯s unclear if it¡¯s an accident or another attack, but there is only one thing of value in that place¡­ Something so sensitive that you didn¡¯t wish to record it in any other place.¡±

    Palpatine¡¯s eyes widened and his hand tightened into a fist.

    ¡°Dooku¡­¡± he hissed, ¡°My recordings of our messages, all of my blackmail on him¡­ Destroyed. My private facility in the works is the only thing that could be targeted in that rusting wasteland. That¡¯s what he was after. He¡¯s betrayed me¡­ How disappointing. We will have to swiftly deal with him before he makes his next moves. We¡¯ll have to delay the grand plan for now and find a new figurehead to lead the CIS in his place. Call¡­¡±

    Their conversation continued as Lord Sidious¡¯ mind raced as all the dominos and pawns in his grand design suddenly shifted and changed now that Dooku had decided to betray him for some unknown reason. In training Dooku in the dark arts, Sidious had felt his mind and the rage within him burning against the Jedi. And Lord Sidious had proved his superiority over his apprentice many times both in his manipulations and with raw power. He had shown his apprentice how a clash between them would truly play out.

    Such a shame, everything had almost been in place. Only another year or two and Sidious could have started the great galactic civil war and entered the last phases of his plans to eliminate the Jedi and crown himself supreme ruler of the whole galaxy.

    Was this connected somehow to Skywalker coming to Coruscant only two months ago? Dooku had informed him of the reasoning, to sway some friendly Jedi to the CIS cause and create a rift in the Jedi Order.

    But given the betrayal, perhaps there might be other secret reasons that the boy had come here¡­

    With Dooku betraying him, the boy must be brought under Sidious¡¯ banner under all costs. He¡¯d grown lax these last few years, too busy solidifying his political hold over the Republic, and leaving dealing with the boy to later. Whether the boy was placed directly under his care, or given a sponsor more pliable to Sidious¡¯ influence¡­

    Dooku would pay for his defiance. And the boy would be brought under Sidious¡¯ more direct influence to correct his previous mistake.

    He went to sleep still in his bunker, and Mas Amedda left to assure the Senate about his safety. The bunker was highly shielded and he didn¡¯t have any secure devices to send messages with. All the governmental devices used had a secret backdoor that he frequently used for information gathering, and recorded all conversations that took place around them. He couldn¡¯t allow any recordings of his true self leak in such a way, so he was without a communicator besides the secured one, without the spy program, that Mas Amedda possessed.

    The next morning, Lord Sidious immediately noticed how tense the man was as he walked through the front door after Sidious allowed him entry.

    ¡°Lord Sidious? There¡¯s been¡­ Dooku has made his next move,¡± Mas Amedda said in shock as his communicator started buzzing furiously, practically vibrating out of his hand from all of the notifications stacked one after another.

    ¡°What has he done?¡±

    ¡°He¡­ Has initiated the galactic civil war,¡± Mas Amedda said gravely, ¡°Hours ago. He has sent a message to the Senate. I have it here. I was barely able to get away from the pandemonium of the Senate in all this time. Even now the Senators are demanding for me to return and attempt to bring some semblance of order to the Chamber.¡±

    He navigated through his device for a few seconds before pressing a final button and bringing up a frozen holographic projection from the top of the device. The man looked no smaller than Sidious¡¯ hand, and he leaned forward to inspect the frozen visage of the Count.

    ¡°Play it,¡± he ordered without a glance at his aide.

    Dooku¡¯s hologram unfroze and the message started playing.

    ¡°People of the Republic,¡± Dooku began, his posture refined and stiff, ¡°Today is a sad day for us all. A day that can end in peace, yet which unfortunately I do not believe will. Today, the outer rim stands for our independence from the dying Republic. Corrupt and bloated, the core worlds hungrily exploit the rest of the galaxy with no care for all the pain and suffering they bring to us and our people. The Republic always tells us, its citizens, that it stands for Justice and Peace. Represents all worlds in its grand Senate halls. Yet this is a lie, and all know it. The Senate represents only the Core worlds and their interests alone, and it has been that way for generations and generations. Even the smallest efforts to reverse the rampant greed and exploitation have been shot down without even the smallest considerations by the Senate. Completely dismissed from the Senate floor without cause.

    ¡°So it¡¯s with a heavy heart and yet hope for the future that I announce the formation of the Confederation of Independent Systems. And the formation of a Senate of our very own on the planet of Raxus. A Senate that will represent our interests, our values, our goals. We have seen in the occupation of Hutt space that the Republic doesn¡¯t hold to even the thinnest veneer of the values that they claim to uphold. Only tyranny and injustice mark the Republic¡¯s occupation and policies there. But I ask them to pretend to uphold their own values one last time. Let the Confederation of Independent Systems leave this Republic peacefully and quietly. But be warned that if it comes to conflict then we are prepared to defend ourselves from any Republic aggression¡­ through the power of our wallets¡­ Or blasters if need be. Let this be a happy day for all people of the Outer Rim, where we can free ourselves from the greedy grasping hands of the Core Worlds at last.¡±

    ¡°He¡­ He started it?¡± Sidious said in shock, rooted to his chair, ¡°How? My allies, his ranks were completely infiltrated with my people in the CIS. How did he¡­¡±

    ¡°That is the second crisis,¡± Mas Amedda said. Lord Sidious resisted the urge to strangle the man for a moment for daring to interrupt him, but settled down and allowed the slight impertinence without punishment given the tense situation.

    ¡°Tens, maybe even hundreds of thousands of officials and prominent members of the newly founded CIS all across the galaxy have just been assassinated almost in sync. The new CIS Senate on Raxus is blaming the Republic, and our Senate is not doing much to assure them of their innocence. Instead they are braying for blood and for sending the military to quash the rebellion at once. All of those assassinated¡­ They were all our people either directly or indirectly. Dooku has initiated a full purge, even of the highest leaders loyal to you. The methods were as varied as the number of those killed, but nothing has come back implicating Dooku or any of his allies for it yet from what I''ve been told. We still have some minor assets left in the CIS, but all of the senior command and Raxus Senators are now his. At least the seventy percent of them or so that are left after the purge, that is. A clean and brutal strike from Dooku has eliminated them all at once."

    Sidious froze as all of his elaborate plans screeched to a slamming halt. This¡­ He had underestimated Dooku. The man had seized full control of the CIS. And deceived Lord Sidious himself to create this massive surprise and coordinate it all without his knowledge. The announcement must have been kept secret but several core worlds and the others more aligned to Sidious given more vague warnings, thinking the split was still several years off like Sidious had previously thought himself, rather than just a few short months¡­ And now that it was announced and put out there in the galaxy, the allied worlds would be practically be forced to join in and succeed themselves or be declared traitors or cowards by the larger galactic CIS network.

    His mind raced as he recalculated and thought of his resources. Resources that were much diminished from only a few days ago. Dooku would surely be on the lookout for any attempts by Sidious to reestablish his influence in the CIS again after the purge. But he wasn¡¯t a dark lord of the Sith for nothing. Despite Dooku¡¯s brilliant moves in the opening play, he was no match to Sidious¡¯ manipulation and power in the long term of the games in the shadows. Given time to recover and having now stopped underestimating the Count, he¡¯d come out on top.

    Sidious¡¯ lips curled into an ugly sneer.

    ¡°If Dooku wants war, then we¡¯ll give it to him. This is no longer a play. The Republic will crush Dooku and the CIS under its heel. We will have to activate some of my contingencies to handle him. Without me holding the Republic back, and my own assistance when needed, the Jedi and the Republic military will demolish the droid armies in no time. Our priority is destroying Dooku¡¯s powerbase at all costs. We can not let him infest us like a festering wound, we must excise him quickly before he causes any more damage to my plans. Mas Amedda, guide the Senate to war. Whip them into a righteous frenzy. There will be war, and from its ashes I will rise ascendent despite this brief setback.¡±

    ¡°Yes my lord, it will be done. Will that be all?¡±

    Sidious waved his hands dismissively and his aide left to follow his commands. Sidious leaned back into his chair. Dooku had no idea the kinds of resources that he had access to. With his full assistance, the Republic¡¯s victory was assured.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Obi-wan watched the news on the screen, at the recording of Count Dooku¡¯s message that had been playing over and over for the last few weeks. Back then he had thought after the attack, that that had been the extent of it. An assassination plot against the Chancellor, which had ultimately failed. But then the separatists¡­ This had been what Anakin had been talking about, wasn¡¯t it? Obi-wan was torn at the realization. He wanted to be angry, to feel betrayed by the separatists separating from the Republic that he held dear¡­ But he couldn¡¯t focus on that. Anakin¡¯s words rang loudly in his head now. The Jedi would be drawn into war. Ahsoka would be drawn to war.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    ¡°Master Obi-wan?¡±

    He looked up to see a slightly nervous temple guard standing there.

    ¡°The Council has asked to see you. They are gathered in their chamber waiting,¡± the man said.

    Obi-wan nodded and quickly calmed himself.

    ¡°Hello, Grandmasters,¡± Obi-wan said calmly as he stood in the Council chambers a few minutes later, ¡°To what do I owe the pleasure?¡±

    ¡°Master Obi-wan. Thank you for coming,¡± Grandmaster Windu said, ¡°I¡¯m sure you already know that we¡¯ve been working hard to determine how to best assist the Republic in restoring order to the galaxy over these last few weeks. These separatists have made early gains in the war, despite the loss of the majority of their leadership and new senators. Their droid technology and military might have surprised us all, and with so much of the Republic''s standing military out in Hutt Space still overseeing the occupation and cut off from the hyperspace lanes back to the Core, the forces remaining in the heart of the Republic are being pushed back more and more by the day. Things are in dire straights for the Republic.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Obi-wan said with a nod, ¡°It¡¯s a difficult situation.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Windu said while eyeing Obi-wan almost with suspicion, ¡°It has been decided that we Jedi will be taking the place of command in the Republic fleets. Alongside the traditional captains, paired with one of traditional military men with experience to provide us with advice and execute our strategies. Our strength in the Force will let us guide the Republic fleets to victory and give time for us to push back the CIS assault from getting farther than the mid rim of the galaxy. To hold the separatists back until the full might of the Republic is able to turn their way and lead to the Republic''s victory. We only need to buy the Republic a few more months before the clone armies from Kamino can be instilled with loyalty to the Republic and democracy before we use their strength in this war.¡±

    ¡°Command? For us? Is that wise? Will Republic Intelligence or the military even accept our orders?¡± Obi-wan asked, ¡°Given the recent rumors and attitudes about us over these last few years, I don¡¯t think they would be amenable. ¡±

    Windu waved his hand dismissively.

    ¡°Perhaps. But they will follow orders, if reluctantly, for now, until they see our results. Our advantage in predicting enemy maneuvers is unmatched, and our abilities will give the Republic a key edge over the droid armies on the ground and in ship battles both. And I¡¯ve been assured that the clones would be superior to droids in head to head combat when they arrive in their full numbers.

    "Regardless, to the reason that we¡¯ve called you here for today. We have assignments for you and your padawan. She will be remaining here at the Temple. You will be heading the initial fleets to reseize the world of Christophsis. You leave first thing in the morning, we¡¯ll send the details to your¡­¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s¡­ What? What was that?¡± Mace Windu said sharply.

    ¡°No. I will remain with my padawan. Here. I will not lead any Republic fleets in war. Not at this time. I refuse.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ That¡¯s¡­¡± Windu stammered, seemingly genuinely shocked by Obi-wan¡¯s refusal, ¡°But it¡¯s your duty! To the Republic, to democracy! How can you refuse when the Republic calls on us for aid?¡± the man leaned forward in his chair and squinted at Obi-wan, ¡°What could be more important than assisting the Republic?¡±

    ¡°I will remain in the Jedi temple,¡± Obi-wan said again as if he hadn¡¯t heard Mace Windu¡¯s question, ¡°With my padawan. Is that all, or am I free to go?¡±

    Windu stared at the other members of the Council in disbelief before turning back to Obi-wan.

    ¡°You have your orders. We¡¯ve already assigned you a fleet to command. There is no need to be so stubborn, if I have to be so blunt about it then you are a Jedi and we are your Council. It¡¯s your duty to follow our orders. The orders of the Republic.¡±

    ¡°No. It is not. You may assign that fleet to somebody more willing to do so. Goodbye.¡±

    Obi-wan turned and without another word and left the room with his heart pounding in his chest despite his flat and calm expression and leisurely pace through the halls of the Jedi temple. Anakin had been right. The Jedi were being sent to war. And Obi-wan did indeed view it as his duty to go and defend the Republic. In fact, his obligation, to assist them in this war.

    But he had a greater duty to Ahsoka and her training. He couldn¡¯t take her into war, and he also couldn¡¯t leave her behind without him there to guide her. He had sworn to himself that her training would come above all other duties while he was still her master.

    Not even over his sworn duty to the Republic itself apparently, as he had just learned about himself a few minutes ago.

    None of his troubled thoughts showed on his face as he returned to the courtyards and observed a few of the padawans sparring with their forms. Ahsoka was there waiting on the sidelines and watching the others, waiting for her turn to spar with the older ones.

    This would be her training. Not the horrors of war, blood, death, and smoke choking her nostrils and clouding her mind.

    He would be there to correct her and teach her the proper path the whole way.

    He wouldn¡¯t fail her like he had Anakin.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    ¡°Master, are you alright? You¡¯ve seemed a little¡­ Off for the last few weeks? Ever since the Council summoned you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m perfectly fine, Ahsoka,¡± Obi-wan said, ¡°The situation with the war just weighs on me. The Jedi leading the fleets has brought balance and stopped the separatist¡¯s offensive, but things are now in a stalemate. There is loss of life and much suffering that happens with every day that this dreadful war continues.¡±

    ¡°I know, but isn''t it our job to help stop it? To do our best to help?¡±

    ¡°Maybe. But for now we must focus on your training. You will only worry about such things when you are a Jedi Knight and ready for such larger concerns. For now you must train and improve yourself under my teachings and in your classes here at the temple. There is no need to worry about the Republic''s safety until then. I should hope that the war would be over far before you¡¯d ever be old enough to have to fight in it.¡±

    Ahsoka hesitated and then looked away at the ground in shame.

    ¡°Master, I¡ª I have to admit something,¡± she said, mumbling a little as she kept looking down and not meeting his eyes.

    Obi-wan frowned, surprised by her sudden change in behavior.

    ¡°I- I¡¯ve been going on missions,¡± Ahsoka admitted, ¡°I¡¯m not supposed to tell you. The Council and the man from Republic Intelligence said it was top secret, and that no one could know, not even you. But I just¡­ I don¡¯t know. It felt wrong not telling you. I hope that I¡¯m not going to get in trouble¡­¡±

    ¡°Ahsoka, what kind of missions? When did this start?¡± Obi-wan asked sharply as his eyes bored into her.

    ¡°It¡¯s the¡­ gang stuff,¡± Ahsoka said, ¡°Separatist terrorists, like the one that tried to assassinate the Chancellor right before the war. I¡¯ve had to skip a lot of my classes to make time for my missions, when I¡¯m supposed to be learning. It hasn¡¯t been too bad so far. Mostly I go along with a squad of disguised Republic soldiers and warn them if something feels wrong or might be a trap. I¡¯ve only had to fight once, and everyone got away safe. Even if it was frightening having people shooting at me again. I blocked their blaster bolts with my lightsaber!¡±

    She mimed holding a lightsaber in front of her with a little smile, only for it to falter when she saw Obi-wan¡¯s severe look as he stared at her.

    ¡°When did this start? The Council ordered you to do this?¡±

    ¡°It was two days after you met with the Council. So a while ago. And they just gave me the opportunity to help, not just ordering me to! Master, I understand that you want to help me train. But we¡¯ve got to help the Republic win the war! I want to help, to be useful. That¡¯s what being a Jedi is about.¡±

    Obi-wan sighed as he rubbed his temples as the determined girl looked up at him with an innocently proud expression. She hadn¡¯t seen the horrors war yet. Luckily. It seems that even her encounter with the gangs had been largely bloodless despite her seemingly engaging in some minimal combat.

    ¡°Thank you for telling me this, Ahsoka,¡± Obi-wan said seriously, ¡°I know you want to help, I do too. But you¡¯re not ready. You¡¯re barely fifteen, my padawan. And the Council has vastly overstepped by going behind my back to let you do this. And even hiding it from me. I had no idea that you were not in your classes. From now on, you will not leave the temple. No more missions, and inform me if Republic Intelligence or the Council asks you to do anything else. I will deal with it.¡±

    ¡°What? But master, I wasn¡¯t supposed to tell you! Everyone would be disappointed in me if they knew!¡± she insisted, ¡°I thought that you deserved to know, I wasn¡¯t complaining. I¡¯m sure that¡ª¡±

    ¡°We can discuss this in more depth at a later time,¡± Obi-wan interrupted, ¡°I will make sure you¡¯re not in trouble. Now, you may take this as some free time to spend with your fellow padawans. I now have some more pressing matters to now deal with instead of finishing our current lesson. Research our most recent defensive forms on your own for now and when we speak next we will discuss your findings on their similarities and differences from the others that you''re already more familiar with.¡±

    ¡°I understand, Master,¡± Ahsoka said, seeming to understand that he wouldn¡¯t budge on the topic, ¡°I just wanted to help. Isn¡¯t this what I¡¯ve been training for?¡±

    Obi-wan paused for a long moment.

    ¡°Yes. I suppose it is. But still. Not yet. You have a few more years before you should have to face the ugliness of the galaxy so directly.¡±

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    ¡°You have prepared her well for that kind of work, and we believe that she will do excellently in assisting the Republic in rooting out terrorists like the ones who attempted to assassinate the Chancellor. Already she saved that security team from being ambushed nearly a dozen times, and even when she didn¡¯t catch it, managed to help them retreat without a single casualty on their side. Frankly, we¡¯ve all been impressed with her talent. We were thinking of giving her more responsibilities despite her age,¡± Mace Windu said, a pleased smile on his face as he faced Obi-wan.

    ¡°Grandmaster Yoda?¡± Obi-wan asked with a slightly pleading note.

    ¡°Sorry for this deception, we are. But the padawan wished to help. Insisted in fact, she did. Who are we to deny her wishes?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s- I apologize,¡± Obi-wan quickly cut himself off as he almost said something that he knew that he would regret later.

    ¡°I protest me being kept in the dark about her missions. I am barring her from participating in any further such activities for the moment.¡±

    ¡°You do not have that authority,¡± Windu said with a gleam in his eye, ¡°We respected your decision to stay out of the war. It was done disrespectfully¡­ But you were correct. It was up to your own personal choice to make such a decision if you truly wished to do so, not to us. The Council can admit that point. But now you must allow that same choice for your own padawan. She¡¯s already agreed to assist. And I see no reason why you should be able to overrule her. Until she chooses to refuse of her own volition, she will continue in her new missions for the good of the Republic.¡±

    ¡°I am her master. She is my padawan. Her safety, both physical and mental, is my responsibility. You know the kinds of things that we have seen on our missions as Jedi. Ahsoka isn¡¯t ready to experience that level of darkness yet.¡±

    ¡°She is needed for those missions. And it is good experience for her. She¡¯ll come out of it as a more competent Jedi Knight than otherwise, and you don¡¯t have the authority to stop her,¡± Windu said firmly, ¡°Not unless she herself decides that she no longer wishes to do so. That is this Council''s ruling.¡±

    ¡°I am her master. I have the authority,¡± Obi-wan said firmly.

    The Council chamber was silent for a few moments as the rest of the Council sat there and didn¡¯t respond.

    Windu glanced at the others around them and let out a heavy sigh.

    ¡°One last chance, Obi-wan. It¡¯s best for the padawan to go on these missions. As I''ve already said, it¡¯s her own desire to go. Even if you are not upholding your duty to the Republic, let her uphold hers.¡±

    ¡°No. Not until she¡¯s fully trained. Until she¡¯s no longer my apprentice.¡±

    ¡°As you say,¡± Windu agreed, smiling in apparent victory, as if he had been waiting for those words from Obi wan.

    ¡°So that¡¯s why effective immediately, she is being transferred away from your care,¡± Windu continued, ¡°She will take her accelerated Jedi trials in a few weeks and graduate into a full Jedi Knight. Given the war, she will skip most of the traditional trials and instead be tested directly by this Council for her competence. After which you will have no more responsibility towards her.¡±

    Obi-wan saw Windu¡¯s smirk and knew what this was. It was all a ploy. Everyone here knew that while talented, Ahsoka wasn¡¯t quite to the level of a full Jedi knight just yet. The only way she¡¯d pass the trials was if the Council allowed her to do so by rigging them, at least a little, in her favor.

    They were doing it again, the same thing they had done with Anakin. Overruling Obi wan so they could do what they wished with his padawan.

    He wouldn¡¯t allow it.

    ¡°I understand,¡± he replied neutrally, ¡°I will take my leave then. Good day.¡±

    No one stopped him as he left the room.

    Obi-wan¡­ Would have to take some drastic measures.

    He¡¯d have to call Anakin.

 Chapter 30: The Ranja Root Order

    ¡°Master, where are we going? Why are you being so secretive?¡±

    ¡°I will explain in a few minutes. Let us hurry for now.¡±

    Ahsoka went silent and followed after him, rubbing her eyes from him knocking on her door and waking her up so early in the morning.

    ¡°We¡¯re leaving the Temple? What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll explain just outside. Only a minute or two more,¡± Obi-wan replied. Ahsoka looked uncomfortable but nodded and followed him out of the walls and into the nearby park that was relatively full despite the early hour.

    Obi-wan came to a stop and turned to Ahsoka as she watched him.

    ¡°I¡¯ve spoken with Anakin Skywalker,¡± Obi-wan said, ¡°The inside of the Temple is monitored. We can risk talking out here.¡±

    ¡°Skywalker?! The traitor to the Republic, who knew all about the CIS and didn¡¯t tell anybody in the Republic when he could have stopped all of this? What did you talk to him for?¡±

    ¡°Ahsoka, the war was inevitable. Anakin was right. Something that important was unstoppable beyond a certain point. He tried to do the right thing in warning us. You must know the kind of risk that he must have taken to talk to us about it even in the vaguest terms.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I guess. But still, why talk to him now? Why are you being so strange?¡±

    ¡°Ahsoka, I want to give you an important choice. I don¡¯t want you to take this lightly, it is rather significant to your future path either in or out of this Jedi temple. But I will respect whatever final decision that you make.¡±

    ¡°O-Okay? Master¡­¡±

    ¡°I wish for us and many other dissatisfied Jedi to leave the temple,¡± Obi-wan said, ¡°Break free of the Council and the Republic. And behave neutrally and sit out this war.¡±

    Ahsoka gasped, her eyes looking like they would pop out of her head.

    ¡°Master!¡± she said scandalously, ¡°That would be betraying the Republic! Why would you do something like that?¡±

    Obi-wan was silent for a moment before shaking his head.

    ¡°The Council wants all of us to go to war on the Republic¡¯s behalf. Even the padawans like yourself. You¡¯ve seen it with your missions here on Coruscant that they¡¯ve assigned to you, which are only the lowest stake missions that you would ever be on in a war. For us personally, they are making moves against me again. If we remain at the Temple then we will be separated, and I will no longer be your master. Your Jedi Knight trials coming up tomorrow will be a sham, a way to put you back under the Council¡¯s sole authority whether you¡¯re actually ready or not. Surely you must realize how irregular your sudden trials are.¡±

    Ahsoka had a complicated look on her face as she nodded, ¡°I¡­ Really? You don¡¯t think I¡¯m ready?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No. You¡¯re very talented for a padawan. But you¡¯re not ready yet to be a full Jedi knight. I believe that this is a similar situation as it was with Anakin. The Council believes that you remaining under my care will corrupt you and make you wish to not join the war effort either.¡±

    ¡°The Council¡­ They wouldn¡¯t¡­¡±

    Ahsoka trailed off as she tried to deny it before giving up and slouching slightly.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± she admitted reluctantly.

    ¡°That said,¡± Obi-wan said, ¡°I will be leaving the Temple with a group of other like minded Jedi that I¡¯ve been discussing things with for some time that also don¡¯t like how the Council is running our Order. I would like you to join us as we go. And remain on the sidelines away from the war hopefully. Devote yourself to training and being a peacekeeper rather than a soldier. Anakin was correct that soldiers do not always kill for the most moral reasons, in the chaos of war. That isn¡¯t the kind of thing you would want on your conscience. Or you can remain here in the Temple without me, and devote yourself to the Republic. Join the war despite your age and fight for the grand Republic. I can not force you to join me. But I would like you to.¡±

    ¡°Master¡­ What are you even going to do? You¡¯re leaving the Jedi Order? Haven¡¯t you been a Jedi your whole life? A lot of Jedi look up to you, with your talent in the Force and how you act so diplomatically with everyone. What would you do if you weren¡¯t a Jedi?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not leaving the Jedi Order,¡± Obi-wan corrected, ¡°We¡¯re bringing it with us. We will form a new Jedi Order. A branch following the same code. Just without the Council. Many forget that. The way of the Jedi is a way of life, not an organization. Or at least it doesn¡¯t have to be.¡±

    Ahsoka looked confused, ¡°But what about the grandmasters? Without their guidance and all of the teachings of the archives, how will anyone learn?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s where Anakin can assist us,¡± Obi-wan said, ¡°Count Dooku obtained a copy of all of the temple records some time ago. If we agree to be neutral in the war then he will give them to us.¡±

    ¡°Why would he do that? Isn¡¯t that working with a traitor to the Republic?¡± Ahsoka asked, even if her accusation wasn¡¯t as heated as it might have been if Obi-wan had mentioned it earlier in the conversation.

    ¡°Every one of us that leaves and remains neutral is one less Jedi that the Republic has fighting for them in the war. Anakin has promised me that despite any Separatist assistance we may receive, we will never be forced to fight in any war. It was one of the key promises I managed to get from Dooku once Anakin allowed me to speak to him directly to finalize the last details.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Master. It feels like betraying everything that the Jedi stand for. To just leave the Republic and sit on the side as soon as the Republic is actually under threat from war,¡± Ahsoka said, although her face was thoughtful rather than the reflexive denials from before.

    ¡°Should we do immoral things for peace? Kill innocents for the greater good? Maybe we should. But I would not like to be part of it. That would be the true betrayal to our ideals. At least that¡¯s the conclusion that I¡¯ve come to myself.¡±

    Ahsoka didn¡¯t answer.

    ¡°Three days,¡± Obi-wan said as he saw her disturbed expression, ¡°At any point, feel free to call me and have us speak somewhere secure again. Discuss this more. But you must make your decision within three days if you want to stay here or leave with me and the others.¡±

    ¡°Are¡­ Are the other padawans going too?¡± Ahsoka asked cautiously.

    ¡°It depends on their masters,¡± Obi-wan said, ¡°All will be given the choice on the day of, but only a select few will be informed ahead of time like you have been. Make sure to not speak of this to anyone. Can I trust you to do that? The others and I will be leaving peacefully, and it¡¯s only for a few days more you have to keep the secret.¡±

    Ahsoka was silent before giving him a jerky nod.

    ¡°I promise, Master. I¡¯ll keep it secret. I have¡­ a lot to think about.¡±

    ¡°As I said, if you need to talk with me more about this, just let me know. But it would be best for you to gather your own thoughts first. Let¡¯s return to the temple for now. And remember, not a word of it inside of the Temple walls. The whole place is being monitored by the Council in one way or another.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master¡­ Let¡¯s return.¡±

    They went back inside the temple walls.

    ¡ª ¡ª- ¡ª

    Ahsoka and Obi-wan spoke four more times in more depth over the next few days. Ahsoka went through her sham Jedi Knight trials and came back dissatisfied and a little depressed at her new title. It seems that she had fully realized that she hadn¡¯t earned it and the Council had rigged the trial in her favor from the beginning.

    It was the last day and they were sitting out in the park just outside of the temple together. Ahsoka hadn¡¯t said anything the whole time after telling him that she wanted to talk again.

    Obi-wan let her keep her silence and waited patiently for her to begin.

    ¡°You were right,¡± she said, ¡°It was a sham. I never thought that becoming a Jedi Knight would feel like this.¡±

    ¡°You can still earn it. Despite what I said, you¡¯re close. Give it a few more years of training and you¡¯ll be able to pass them in truth. If you choose to stay or leave.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    She went silent again and the two of them watched the people of Coruscant walk by as they sat on the park bench together.

    ¡°I¡¯ve decided,¡± Ahsoka said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you. I¡¯ll join the new order of Jedi.¡±

    Obi-wan blinked at the sudden declaration, ¡°And you¡¯re sure? It¡¯s not a decision that you¡¯ll be able to take back easily once it¡¯s made.¡±

    Ahsoka wavered for a moment before nodding firmly.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve been thinking, and you¡¯re right. I don¡¯t want to be ordered to do something immoral if I were to become a soldier. We can help where we can, without joining the war as soldiers. Without... Fighting for the Republic.¡±

    Obi-wan nodded, proud of her conclusion.

    ¡°It will happen in two days. The announcement and our departure. Prepare yourself for that day. And maybe think of what you will say to your fellow padawans. They won¡¯t have as much time to think about their choices as you have been.¡±

    ¡°How will we leave with so many people?¡± Ahsoka asked.

    ¡°Leave that to me and your elders. Despite our trust, the specifics of the plan aren¡¯t something that I can share with you just yet. Not when there¡¯s even the smallest chance of being overheard, even in this public park.¡±

    ¡°Okay. I trust you, Master. I¡¯ll think about what to tell them.¡±

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Obi-wan took a deep breath and glanced over at Plo Koon. It had been a great risk to their plan to contact the grandmaster and explain their intentions. Obi-wan hadn¡¯t had a personal connection to the grandmaster sitting on the Council. But his allies in the conspiracy had insisted that he would be sympathetic to them and their plan. And from what he could tell it had paid off. Plo Koon was just as dissatisfied with the recent decisions of the Council as many others.

    He was already a war veteran from a large border skirmish with an unaligned medium sized coalition of planets decades ago, and while the grandmaster personally wished to fight for the Republic, he also wished to let those who didn¡¯t wish to do so to remain neutral.

    All Plo Koon had wanted in return for his help was a promise that they would remain truly neutral and not assist the Separatists in the war. That was his only price for assisting them in their task. A condition that Obi-wan and his co-conspirators easily agreed to.

    Plo Koon led the way into the Council chamber where all the other grandmasters sat. The man nodded at Obi-wan and his two Jedi Masters flanking him before going to sit in his chair.

    ¡°Obi-wan,¡± Grandmaster Windu said with a note of annoyance and even confusion as he squinted at the two Jedi masters obviously flanking Obi-wan on either side, ¡°What is your business with the Council today? Grandmaster Plo Koon said that it was an urgent matter?¡±

    ¡°It is indeed,¡± Obi-wan said with his chin raised slightly, ¡°I shall get right to business. The Jedi are not an organization. It is a way of life, a code. An ethos to preserve peace, justice, and to commune with the Force and improve ourselves. I do not believe that this temple represents the best way to follow this ideal any longer. We are not soldiers, we are peacekeepers. So, a new Jedi Order will be founded by myself and other like minded masters will be formed and go out and embody those true ideals that are the true basis of our Order.¡±

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    He gestured to the two Jedi masters behind him who nodded in confirmation with serious expressions on their faces.

    ¡°A New Jedi Order that returns to our roots, where we help who we can and do what is right regardless of what government or group is perpetrating that injustice. We have chosen to call this new order the Ranja Roots Jedi Order. A reference to the ancient Ranja roots, in reality a mycelium fungus that ferries nutrients through the soil and sustains the whole forest with nutrients ferried through its network to places where the soil would normally be too poor for anything but the smallest shrubs to grow. Just like this, our new Jedi Order will provide nutrients and do good for the whole forest rather than the single strong but inflexible thousand year old tree that the Republic and our current Jedi Order is today.¡±

    All of the Council was in shock, except for Plo Koon. Even Grandmaster Yoda was slumped against his chair and clutching his chest as if having a heart attack. Obi-wan peered at the green man in concern and Yoda waved him off to indicate that he was fine after taking a moment to recover from his shock.

    ¡°This is a betrayal to the Republic!¡± Windu shouted after spluttering in surprise for a few moments, ¡°It is our duty to defend it, as we have for over a thousand years¡­¡±

    ¡°It is the Old Jedi Order¡¯s duty,¡± Obi-wan interrupted, ¡°But not for the Ranja Roots Order. We will remain neutral in the war between the separatists and the Republic. And we will accept any Jedi or padawan who wants to join us in doing so.¡±

    ¡°Betrayal¡­¡± Windu said a little weakly before perking up again, ¡°A Separatist plot! You¡¯re looking to weaken the Republic to help them! I¡¯m afraid that you are under arrest for your¡­¡±

    ¡°Now Master Windu,¡± Plo Koon interrupted, ¡°Let¡¯s not be hasty. They informed me of their intentions two days ago, and I happen to agree with them. If they wish to leave and remain neutral, then I see no reason why we have the right to deny them. So long as they remain truly neutral and do not support the Separatists, then I will support the establishment of this new Order.¡±

    The Council started bickering, all of the Grandmasters arguing as Obi-wan and his two companions remained there silently. Of the twelve Grandmasters on the Jedi Council, only Plo Koon and two others seemed supportive of the formation of the new Order. Another two seemed somewhat neutral and genuinely considering Plo Koon¡¯s arguments, and six were staunchly opposed and Grandmaster Windu especially was outraged that the issue was even a debate based on the tightening of his expression more and more as time passed. Grandmaster Yoda remained silent, observing the proceedings with a keen eye as the conversation swirled and shifted around him as the arguments went back and forth in the room.

    ¡°Disagree with this new Order, I do,¡± Yoda suddenly said, silencing all of the others instantly despite only speaking softly, ¡°Only instability and chaos, will it bring. The Jedi have remained a unified whole for millennia. Conflict, competition, bad feelings, a division between us, such an organization would create. We in the Council understand your frustrations, Obi-wan. If you truly do not wish to fight, then fight you will not be obligated to. There is no need to split from our Order. These wounds that you have, can be mended. Keep our ancient Order whole, we must.¡±

    ¡°I think there is a misunderstanding here,¡± Obi-wan said, ¡°For one, Grandmaster Yoda. While we respect your guidance, there is no guarantee that any such promises will be kept once the war escalates. The Old Jedi Order is beholden to the Republic and if they ask for us to fight then we may not have the standing to refuse. And there have been years of decisions from this Council that have broken that trust with us. No, we are not asking you for permission to leave. We are leaving, all of us today. We are simply informing you of our intentions so we may split peacefully and without any need for further conflict and that we will accept anyone who wishes to come with us when we go. Even now those in the know are spreading the word in the Temple and offering people their chance to step away from this war.¡±

    There was a moment of tense silence as Obi-wan stared down the Council.

    ¡°This will not go unanswered. By either this Council or the authorities of the Republic. They will find out if you¡¯re working with the Separatists,¡± Windu warned with gritted teeth.

    Obi-wan nodded.

    ¡°Go,¡± Windu said with a sharp gesture with his hand, ¡°The Council must discuss what to do with this mess that you''ve dropped at our feet.¡±

    Obi-wan nodded again and left the Council chambers confidently with his two allies flanking him. Less than thirty seconds of walking down the halls later a wide eyed Jedi Knight appeared around the corner.

    ¡°Master?!¡± the man said as he looked to the Jedi Master to Obi-wan¡¯s right, ¡°Is it true? You¡¯re going to establish a new Jedi order? Leaving the temple today?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± the woman said, ¡°Follow after us, Felix. We¡¯ll be going to the dueling ring. We¡¯ll answer everyone¡¯s questions there. Anyone who wants to go with us can go. I hope that you choose to do so, Felix. But I¡¯d understand if you wished to stay and remain here in the Old order.¡±

    ¡°Old order¡­¡± Jedi knight Felix said in a strange tone, ¡°It¡¯s really happening, Master? It all feels so sudden¡­¡±

    ¡°Sometimes a change for the better is frightening,¡± she replied, ¡°But come, let¡¯s keep walking. I¡¯m sure that all of the other padawans, knights, and masters have questions of their own.¡±

    The three of them as the leaders of the conspiracy with Felix trailing behind went to the dueling ring to find it already packed with what must be nearly the whole population of the Temple. It seems that word had spread fast, and Obi-wan saw many of those in the know surrounded by groups of others and in heated discussions with the much larger crowd of people around them.

    Obi-wan and the two others climbed onto the dueling stage itself and stood there, leaving Felix behind as they looked out to the crowd.

    ¡°Hello everyone!¡± Obi-wan said, the dueling ring amplifying his voice, ¡°We are here to answer any questions you may have. First off, yes. This is not a rumor, the new Ranja Root Jedi Order exists and is splitting off from the Old Jedi Order that we and this galaxy have known for millennia. We will not be supporting the Separatists, or the Republic, in the war. We will be neutral, and that is all. We will accept anyone who does not wish to become a soldier or experience the horrors of war for themselves. We will still do good in the galaxy, but on our own terms. Not for a government like the Republic that unfortunately is flawed just as every government of sentient beings must be. We will leave this Old Jedi temple at the end of the day, and take anyone who wishes to come along with us. We will now take questions.¡±

    He nodded to the other two and they all walked towards the edge of the dueling stage to a different section of the crowd. They were all bombarded with questions and one by one began to answer them. From the youngest wide eyed padawan to the oldest skeptical master with long beards.

    Obi-wan had to weather them all. He wasn¡¯t sure what were harder to answer. The old masters asked intellectual philosophical questions, asking them about the doctrine and philosophy of the new branch of the Jedi Order. While many were offended and argued about their duty to the Republic, many of the wisest seemed thoughtful and didn¡¯t seem opposed to the idea of a second ¡®branch¡¯ of the Jedi Order in principle. They liked it when Obi-wan was able to cite the ancient accounts of wandering Jedi before a central authority was established. The appeal to history and returning to the ¡®roots¡¯ of the Jedi Order seemed to be an appealing concept to them.

    Meanwhile the padawans and younger Jedi cared less on the academics and were more focused on politics and the practicalities. Where this Order would be placed, how the Republic would respond, if there would be consequences for them joining¡­

    Obi-wan found these questions harder to answer than the old masters'' more sedate but precise ones. He frankly didn¡¯t know the answers to many of the practical questions. A planet had been chosen for them to establish themselves on. A newly terraformed world on the outer rim that had barely a dozen settlements on it, with plenty of room for them to live and build a new Jedi temple.

    They¡¯d contacted the locals already, and with a hefty one time payment they¡¯d been more than happy to accept a Jedi settlement and sell the land in the area that Obi-wan and his compatriots had chosen to settle on.

    Not that it was strictly necessary to do that as the planet was practically wide open with little concept of land ownership just yet. But still, best to be friendly with the neighbors. And shore up any legal claims for later just in case of retaliation by the Republic against them.

    But there were so many other things to consider, that that information barely lasted him through the first few minutes of questions from the crowd.

    He answered all of the practical questions that he could except for the way that they all would be leaving the planet.

    He didn¡¯t want to give the Council or the Republic a chance to stop them from peacefully leaving by revealing the method too early.

    After many hours of discussion later, the milling crowd of Jedi young and old was still discussing whether they would join the new Order or remain behind. By now any concerns about the legitimacy of the offer had faded away as a few of the old and wise masters declared their intentions to join the newer order themselves and lent the new Ranja Root Order their legitimacy and own reputations in support.

    Most of the older Masters and Jedi wished to remain, but nearly a fifth had declared their firm intentions to leave by now, which meant that it wasn¡¯t a small number who wished to go either. And more masters were wavering, even if they weren¡¯t fully convinced just yet.

    Among the padawan and younger crowd, that proportion of who wished to go was even higher. By Obi-wan¡¯s estimation nearly half of them had already declared that they wanted to go, while only a tiny number were absolutely firm in wanting to stay. It seemed to be breaking along master padawan lines so far, with the padawans following their masters lead if they chose to leave. But the opposite wasn¡¯t true. There were many padawans who desired to leave despite their masters wishing to stay in the old order. Even now the masters and padawans in many places argued, trying to convince the other to stay or go.

    Many of the statements of their intent to leave were likely just ones of youth and excitement to follow the crowd. But Obi-wan could see that nearly all of the padawans were tempted, especially when many of their padawan friends had already decided that they wished to go with the new Order.

    Then the Council and the Grandmasters themselves made an appearance. Alongside them was the director of Republican Intelligence with a severe expression on his face as he surveyed the milling crowd. Seeing the grandmasters approaching, all conversation in the large room petered out as everyone focused on the group.

    ¡°It is our decision as the Council,¡± Windu said loudly with an almost constipated expression on his face as the members of the Council came to a stop at the entrance of the room, ¡°That any who wish to join this new Ranja Roots Jedi Order shall be allowed to do so and be able to leave peacefully. However, if it is found that this new Order is working with the Separatists to undermine the Republic, then they will be declared enemies of the state and any members will be responsible for any anti-state activities that they may engage in during their time away from the true Jedi Order. Consider carefully your decision before leaving this Temple that has nurtured the Jedi in the heart of our beautiful Republic for over a thousand years. There will be consequences to joining this false new Order. It remains to be seen what those consequences will be. That will be all.¡±

    Without taking any questions, the Council turned on their heels again and left, the director of Republic Intelligence. To everyone¡¯s surprise, a few minutes later Plo Koon returned by himself and waded into the crowd to give his own opinions on the issues. He quickly drew a massive crowd around him as everyone looked to him for guidance. He remained neutral, saying that it was an individual¡¯s choice on the merits on whether to join the new Order. But that he personally supported the existence of the new Jedi Order branch as an organization that should be formed. And that he didn''t begrudge anyone for joining the Ranja Root Order despite his own desire to support the Republic in the war.

    This convinced many of the Jedi Masters who had been wavering on the edge, and by the time the sun of Coruscant was setting the situation had changed dramatically.

    By the time Obi-wan and the two other leaders started leading the large group of Jedi out of the Temple, they had gained quite the number. Nearly a third of the oldest and wisest masters had decided to leave. Of the younger masters, they had held on a little stronger and a little less than a sixth of them had chosen to leave in a surprising reversal to what Obi-wan had initially expected of them.

    Among the Jedi Knights, a fifth of them had decided to leave. It was far and above more than Obi-wan had ever expected to agree. But it seems that between Plo Koon¡¯s endorsement and the discussions of them becoming soldiers rather than sticking to their idealistic values, many had been convinced. They were younger and while many wanted to fight, just as many also wanted to help on their own terms rather than be forced to so in a war. The number of them joining the Ranja Root order was more than Obi-wan had thought possible. He had almost expected none of them to join him, considering how eager to fight most of them were.

    Among the padawans, despite nearly all of them declaring that they wanted to go at some point, many backed out. Only a small fraction, one hundreth or less of them, decided to leave in the end.

    All told there were roughly ten thousand Jedi Knights alone in the galaxy. Of the Jedi Masters, it was probably another two or three thousand of them. And of the padawans or younger, another thirty or forty thousand. Not all padawans were destined to become Jedi, and many failed their tests or trials at some point and either became support staff or went into the wider galaxy to strike out on their own path. And the life of a Jedi was dangerous even in peaceful times.

    Of those numbers, the Jedi Order were spread out around the galaxy and not all at the Jedi temple. But even with that, the crowd that Obi-wan out of the doors of the Jedi temple was leading was filled with over four thousand Jedi or padawans all together. Many Jedi had returned to the Temple in the advent of the war to receive their new assignments so there were more of them here than there would be in peaceful times.

    They all walked through the streets of Coruscant, pedestrians gawking at the procession of Jedi walking together along the road.

    After two miles or so of walking, they finally reached the spaceport, Republic security forces circling around in their vehicles and slowly having more and more soldiers surrounding them on all sides.

    Personally, Obi-wan thought that the show was a bit much. They were a group of four thousand Jedi. If they all attacked at once, there was almost no amount of non-Force users that would be able to counter them. Not that it would come to that.

    They entered the spaceport and generally interrupted normal business as they all made their way to the designated set of terminals that Obi-wan and his allies had reserved. A whole portion of the spaceport was dedicated to their shuttles up to orbit.

    And despite the tension from everyone, the next few hours went smoothly with their sets of designated shuttles taking groups up to the central massive cargo ship that Obi-wan had bought for their use.

    The massive cargo ship was easily large enough to accommodate double their number now that it had been emptied of its normal cargo. It would be what the new Ranja Root Order would be using to live on temporarily while they established their colony on their new homeworld.

    Obi-wan was the last one to leave, giving a short nod to the Director of Republican Intelligence who was glaring at him with a sour look on his face among the clustered group of Republic soldiers forming a perimeter around them.

    ¡°You are all traitors,¡± the director shouted loudly as Obi-wan stared at him, ¡°We¡¯ll find your separatist connections. I knew we should have never trusted the Jedi. You¡¯ll all pay for your betrayal of the Republic.¡±

    Obi-wan ignored the comment and turned around and entered the last shuttle ready to leave.

    It was time to do the hard work of establishing the new branch of the Jedi Order. But things had gone well so far. Many more had been convinced to come than Obi-wan had expected in the beginning.

    It seemed so strange that only a few weeks ago that all of this started. And Ahsoka was here and going with him. Without the Council she could train and be a girl for just a bit longer before being forced to confront the darker portions of the galaxy.

    Obi-wan didn¡¯t relax until the cargo ship finally exited into hyperspace away from Coruscant.

    The newly founded Ranja Root Jedi Order had made it away without any violence.

 Chapter 31: The War

    ¡°How much longer will the shields hold?¡±

    The ground beneath Knight Aurtera¡¯s feet shook again as another artillery barrage bombarded their reinforced position and the shimmering shield sparking and humming in a dome above them.

    ¡°Energy reserves are rapidly falling ma¡¯am. Within hours in the best case,¡± the clone commander said respectfully. The Jedi Knight still found it a bit strange having all of these identical clones running around under her command, all speaking with the same voice, and even the same phrasing whenever they responded to her.

    But it was what it was, and they were effective at least. Without all their hard work, she imagined that the invading droid army would have already overwhelmed them completely.

    ¡°What are our options,¡± she said flatly as she stared through the shield to the assembled lines of battle droids waiting a short distance away, defending their artillery as they bombarded their fortified base.

    ¡°Our orders are simply to buy time. While the separatists are winning up in orbit, enough of our fleet survives to protect us from orbital bombardment. Reinforcements are coming.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± she said, her body unmoving as she folded her hands behind her back and kept staring at the droid lines, ¡°But how? How will we buy that time? Christophsis is a critical world to the Republic, we can not allow it to fall to the separatists.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ Am unsure commander. We¡¯re outnumbered at least three or four to one, with the droids occupying the surrounding city. When the shield falls, our fortified position will only last us so long. We¡¯ve done what we could, but these were all civilian buildings. They are not reinforced enough to withstand direct artillery fire.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ Then we must take out those cannons. Allow our energy for our defenses to last us longer,¡± she mused thoughtfully, ¡°Just the solar panels won¡¯t recharge them quickly enough for the shield to hold at this rate. Perhaps¡­ Yes, that could work. But it will be difficult¡­¡±

    ¡°What, Knight Aurtera? You have a solution?¡± the clone commander asked seemingly in surprise.

    ¡°Indeed,¡± she said as she broke from her pondering, ¡°I do. Go get the squad of Clone commandos. We¡¯re going to go out there. We need to destroy those artillery before they destroy us.¡±

    ¡°But our attempts to sally forth have been stopped cold for days, Knight Aurtera? How will this be any different?¡±

    ¡°Because I will be joining them. Prepare for another large push to the droid lines in the next few hours. The Clone Commandos and I will use it as cover to accomplish our mission and take out the cannons.¡±

    The clone commander hesitated before nodding quickly, ¡°Of course, Ma¡¯am. Right away. I will make the arrangements.¡±

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Knight Aurtera stood on the twentieth floor of a skyscraper, the twenty man group of five squads of four clone commandos standing behind her. Each had their own missions that they would accomplish once they reached their destination. They were almost directly above the droid lines, having spent hours slowly sneaking from cover to cover and zip lining from building to building to reach this point. They were standing in front of a large window showing a clear view of the street below. Luckily it was tinted, so the droids would be unable to see them inside as they looked out.

    ¡°Five minutes,¡± she said as she took out her lightsaber and put it in her hands to dangle there lightly. Instead of her traditional Jedi robes, she wore light armor that allowed her freedom of movement while still allowing her some minimal protection from blaster fire.

    She reached up and adjusted her mask to help filter out the smoke, filter out chemicals, and provide her more visibility in battle. Most Jedi would probably consider their senses in the Force to be enough to beat any technology. That wearing a mask would dull their more important senses in the Force by relying too much on the technology. But she wasn¡¯t about to take that risk. Not after the first time the droids almost proved to her why it was necessary in the first few hours of the invasion.

    ¡°It¡¯s time.¡±

    The booms and shouts of intense battle erupted in the streets below as the Clone forces pushed out through their energy shield and started charging toward the reinforced droid lines. The Republic artillery, tanks, and mobile energy barriers pushed forward in an attempt to defend the lines of Clones from the droid¡¯s defensive fire. It was a slog, and Knight Aurtera could see that each step forward towards the droid''s outer lines were paid for by dozens of lives each.

    ¡°Moving, three, two, one,¡± the clone commandos said as they prepared themselves, all arranged in a line behind the window.

    At the count of one, Knight Aurtera slashed at the window with her ignited lightsaber and it shattered and exposed them to the whipping winds roaring through the city. She jumped forward out of the window and started to fall, and the clone commandos jumped out after her.

    The droids below were furiously battling with the main Republic assault, and were unprepared as Knight Aurtera and the clone commandos dropped directly on top of their heads. She ignited her jetpack for a single burst to slow her just before she hit the ground, stabbing directly through a B2 battle droid with her lightsaber as she landed. In a whirlwind of strikes she swirled around and decimated nearly a dozen droids directly around her and cleared the landing zone just in time for the clone commandos behind her to touch down.

    They were behind the droid¡¯s defensive lines, less than a hundred meters from the line of heavy artillery cannons. One of the three major fortified positions that were spread out evenly on all sides around the Republic¡¯s domed energy shield and main fortified base. Ten major cannons over seven meters tall each and with long barrels were firing on the Republic lines pushing out of the energy shield even now.

    The clone commandos fired their weapons and cleared out the dozen remaining droids in their immediate area in seconds even as Knight Aurtera started moving.

    Even as she charged forward, the massive artillery cannons kept firing, seemingly not having noticed her and the squad just yet. But she could feel the lines of thousands of droids around them turning and focusing their attention on the sudden intruders that had appeared in their midst.

    The Clone commandos charged after her, half of them jumping in the air and activating their jetpacks to spread out in their squads of four on all sides. Fighting to keep the main forces of the droid army at bay while she dealt with the artillery itself.

    Two squads of four jumped over her head and landed behind the position of the artillery cannons. The droids manning the artillery fired up at the commandos, but they moved quickly enough that the droids missed and their shots went wide as the armored figures sailed right over their heads.

    And facing upwards and confused by the sudden assault, the droids were distracted for Knight Aurtera¡¯s own assault. She jumped amongst them and destroyed the dozen droids clustered around the large canon in seconds. She leapt up onto the large vehicle and with a casual burst of Force picked up the droid piloting it and tossed it flying through the air and out of her way after ripping open the metal hatch in the top of the artillery cannon. She jumped high through the air in a burst of the Force and through the open hatch inside and into the now empty piloting seat inside the cannon.

    She grabbed the controls and slowly began to turn the cannon to the side. She could see through the vehicle¡¯s sensors that the clone commandos were locked in a furious battle against the overwhelming forces of the main droid army that had just reached their position, turning around from countering the larger assault from within the shield to turn their attention to Knight Aurtera and her squad of elites.

    There was the scream of a droid fighter craft flying in towards their position from the sky, prepared to reinforce the droid army. One of the clone commandos kneeled down and raised a giant tube over his shoulder and fired a rocket as the droid ship rapidly came closer. The fighter craft only let out a single blast of blaster fire that missed and slammed into a nearby building before its wing exploded as the rocket hit it and it went spiraling and slammed into the ground two hundred meters away with a massive explosion that destroyed its own droids forces.

    Knight Aurtera finished aligning her canon to turn it ever so slowly to the side. She fired and the canon at the end of the line exploded in a single massive explosion. The other eight were now slowly turning towards her and the small circle of the safety the clone commandos around her had bought them. She fired again, and another artillery piece was destroyed. Again, again. Now there were only six cannons left. She fired again. Five now. But those five were now all facing her.

    She tensed and fired one more time. Another vehicle exploded. Even as she did so she sent herself launching through the open hatch above her with all her strength and a massive burst of the Force.

    The four remaining artillery cannons fired in unison and her hijacked cannon exploded beneath her, sending her body off balance as it rode the wave of concussive force from below.

    She saw the clone commandos leap into the air and activate their own jetpacks to escape the blast zone. But not all of them made it. She watched as one of the B2¡¯s fired at a clone commando that was about to sail past its head. The blast only scraped the clone commando¡¯s shoulder, but it sent him tumbling and off balance and crashing into the ground below. Before the clone could stand to his feet he was consumed by the expanding ball of plasma behind him along with all of the droids surrounding him.

    Knight Aurtera coughed as she tumbled through the air as the shockwave from the explosion hit her like a massive slap launching her tumbling end over end through the air even with her leap away at the last minute.

    In a burst of the Force she halted her tumble and repositioned herself so her feet were facing downwards and her lightsaber was held at the ready in front of her as she fell, ready to block any blaster fire from below that could come her way.

    She hit the ground, and everything was immediately in chaos as she fought with everything she had. She was surrounded by the droids on all sides as she whirled about with her lightsaber, using all of her forms and skill to hold them back from all sides at once. Several blasts managed to sneak through and slam into her armor, luckily its material holding and only giving her a few painful bruises and throwing her off balance rather than searing right through her.

    She leapt through the air as she became settled enough to risk glancing around to determine her position. She leapt towards the next artillery canon and the remaining ten clone commandos went to follow after her. Some were already at the base of the cannon and fighting at its base. One was planting charges at its base as the other three of its squad held back the droids. The clone gave the others in his squad a thumbs up and all four of them jumped and jetted away as the charges went up and destroyed the cannon in a fiery explosion behind them.

    Knight Aurtera started to fall slightly and she activated her jetpack to turn it into a glide as she passed over the much smaller explosion consuming the artillery piece below her compared to before.

    Now there were only three left.

    Her leap carried her almost fully to the next closest cannon. The Clone commandos behind her were falling behind, getting boxed in as more and more of the droid army around them turned their attention to assaulting them, allowing the main infantry assault to advance as they turned around to fire behind them.

    She leapt again with a burst of the Force almost as soon as she touched the ground, leaping towards the next artillery cannon. The droids around her landing point barely had time to even register that she was there before she was gone again.

    She frowned slightly through her mask as she saw a TC model tactical commander droid standing slightly off to the side of the artillery cannon she was currently flying towards with uses of the Force and small bursts of lift from the jetpack. The droid was looking up at her as she flew through the air.

    It turned around and gestured towards her with a sharp gesture all of the droids on the battlefield immediately ignored all of the clones and focused all their attention on her.

    With wide eyes she twisted and blocked the barrage of shots, her only saving grace that she was currently moving through the air and a hard target to hit at the moment.

    The droids were cut down in droves as they almost completely ignored the clones they were fighting, but they didn¡¯t seem to care. The TC model droid raised its arms to the sky, metallic palms open as it stared upwards, seemingly not even seeing her anymore.

    She landed right in front of the droid, diverting her course to take out the droid. If she could stop it, then these droids wouldn¡¯t be nearly as organized as they were right now as she barely managed to avoid their blaster fire in micro blasts and quick twists to either block or avoid their barrage of blaster fire.

    ¡°Die, Jedi!¡± the TC model shouted as it brought its arms down from above to both point at her, both palms facing forward towards her chest.

    Despite herself, she flinched and brought her lightsaber to block whatever this unknown attack might be. But then she recovered herself as nothing happened and with a dash cleaved the TC droid in two in a single strike of her weapon. She turned her attention to the artillery battery in front of her, and defending herself from the droids pressing in from all sides around her. She was breathing heavily, her lungs moving inwards and out with stinging pain, every breath a supreme effort through her exhaustion and assorted bruises. But she was a Jedi Knight, she could push through for as long as she needed to.

    She was about to leap on top of the artillery piece before pausing as the sky rumbled above her. She instinctively turned to look up, and her eyes widened.

    A CIS cruiser was growing in the sky above them, its massive form shrouded by the flames of atmospheric reentry. Coming in fast. Republic missiles and fighters flitted around it like a swarm of biting flies or wild animals, tearing chunks out of it or causing portions of it to explode and crumple.

    But the ship didn¡¯t seem to care, its defensive weapons firing defensively as it plunged downwards, building up its momentum like a raging bull in a blind charge.

    Knight Aurtera¡¯s mind raced as she channeled the Force to the maximum as the ball of fire of the crashing cruiser grew larger and larger in the sky. She leapt forward, but this time not for the top of the artillery cannon. But under it. She deactivated her lightsaber and tensed as the roaring rumble grew louder and louder from above.

    The air grew blazing hot, and there was a tinkling of glass as all the surviving windows in the city shattered all at once. She closed her eyes and curled herself into a ball, following the Force''s guidance to shift her body fractionally into position as the cruiser slammed into the ground and the world around her was consumed by a massive explosion.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    ¡°TC-2973? Why is our cruiser diverting off course? Isn¡¯t it defending sector seven of the capital from the Republic attempting orbital assaults on our droids?¡±

    ¡°It has a new objective now, commander. I have already diverted other vessels to plug the gap left by its absence.¡±

    ¡°Absence? What is it doing?¡± the separatist said in confusion as it turned to the commando droid standing besides it on the flagship, ¡°Wait, what is¡­ Is it crashing into the planet?! We need the capital city intact, what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°We can afford to rebuild one district of the city in the aftermath. There is a Jedi Knight of unusually high power and skill in battle. We must take this chance to eliminate her, even with some sacrifices in the short term. Her Force abilities are too powerful and useful to the Republic in the war effort to do otherwise. Should I rescind the orders and recall the cruiser back to orbit? Republic forces are already moving to intercept. They¡¯re moving out of position from their surprise and rush to prevent it from crashing into the surface. Should we exploit their weakness?¡±

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    The separatist commander hesitated for a long moment before nodding.

    ¡°Continue course. Use battle formation 54-7C. We¡­ Can rebuild a single district, and the capital is already evacuated of civilians¡­ Yes, this engagement could finally pin the Republic down and let us finish off what¡¯s left of their fleet. Stagger battle lines so none of them can slip around our formations to escape. Move cruisers seven and eight to forward position and prepare for rotation¡­¡±

    When the burning of the husk slammed into the capital city of Christophsis, the Separatist commander barely even registered it, too busy leading his fleet to victory in the orbital battle high above.

    And the droid was right, unfortunately. As annoying as it was, trading one of his cruisers and destruction of a few dozen blocks of the capital of Christophsis in trade for the death of a Jedi Knight was probably worth it.

    Or at least that¡¯s what he would argue in his reports.

    He shook his head. Enough of that. He had a battle to win. The Republic were out of position, and he could almost smell victory now.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    The last of the Republic forces had been defeated, their troops having surrendered and their ships disabled and crippled just enough to serve as prisons until more permanent accommodations were organized to properly hold them. The battle was won.

    The commander let out a sigh of relief as he sat back in his chair. Now there were only a few scattered pockets of resistance from Republic forces on the ground. With the Jedi dead, and full orbital supremacy by his fleet, Christophsis would belong to the CIS within the week.

    He went to his bunk and waved for his second command to take the bridge. He went to sleep for the first time in what felt like days, finally relaxing after managing the high tension of the orbital battles for so long.

    He woke up to a buzzing alarm right next to his head.

    ¡°Admiral. Admiral,¡± a voice whispered on the other side from the wall. He blinked the sleep out of his eyes and rolled over, wondering what was happening to have his second command wake him up.

    ¡°Yes? What is it?¡± he said, still slowly coming awake as he stared into the speaker mounted into the wall next to his bunk.

    ¡°A Republic fleet has entered the edge of the system as of twenty minutes ago,¡± the soft voice replied, ¡°They are moving fast, and will arrive within two hours.¡±

    He groaned and stretched on his bed.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be there in five minutes,¡± he said after a moment, ¡°Start organizing into defensive formations until I can come and see what we¡¯re dealing with.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. See you soon,¡± the voice whispered again softly before the speaker clicked off again.

    The admiral quickly threw on his CIS uniform and splashed some water on his face before walking at a quick pace back to the bridge of his flagship.

    ¡°Admiral on deck!¡±

    The droids and few living crew on the deck stood and saluted him as he walked in.

    ¡°At ease,¡± he said with a wave and everyone returned to their consoles and kept working. His second in command stood up from the captains chair and respectfully stood to the side as the admiral sat down in his place and started inspecting the readouts of the newest Republic fleet coming their way.

    He frowned as he looked at the numbers on the screen.

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t make any sense,¡± he said to himself, ¡°Their fleet is barely thirty ships strong. Even after our losses, we still outnumber them nearly four to one. Why are they coming at us so aggressively with such a small force?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, Admiral,¡± his second command said, ¡°They started barreling right towards us as soon as they jumped into the system with their hyperdrives. There¡¯s only one thing that is odd.¡±

    He stepped forward and with a few taps brought up a blurry scan of one of the ships in the center of the Republic¡¯s formation. A Venator class star destroyer in the center had an unusual profile, like it had been heavily modified in some way all across its bottom. There was what was apparently some long tube running along its underside from the base of its drives right to the end of its triangular nose. Over a thousand meters long. All the other ships were clustered around it defensively.

    ¡°Some kind of new weapon?¡± the admiral wondered out loud, ¡°Anything in our records of what that weapon could be? Focus all power on our forward shields, just in case this thing isn¡¯t hot air.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. Already done. And no, no record of what weapon this could be. We¡¯ve already sent a message and our scans to command, but no response yet. And there won¡¯t be one for another few hours or so.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm¡­ Alright. Then I suppose we¡¯ll have to simply be cautious then,¡± the admiral said as he gripped the arms of his chair, ¡°Reorganize our lines into defensive formation 34-98A to stop them from punching through our lines and reinforcing their remaining ground forces¡­¡±

    A little less than two hours later, the battle was about to begin. The admiral sat in his chair, organizing the last minute adjustments as the Republic cluster of ships charged directly towards the much larger fleet of the CIS.

    He still didn¡¯t understand it. No matter what new weapon they had, surely they didn¡¯t think that it could overcome numbers nearly four times their own?

    He and the rest of the crew waited in tension. Their forward shields reinforced to the absolute maximum and the first missiles already having been launched to intercept the small Republic fleet.

    The Republic¡¯s point defense systems struck down the long range missiles as they approached, the blaster fire growing more and more intense as the two sides grew closer and closer.

    ¡°Massive energy spike from the central ship, sir!¡± his second command shouted as the battle started growing more and more intense and the shields of the ships on both sides started flaring up in flashes light as the occasional blaster bolt or missile managed to slip through their point defense systems.

    ¡°Aiming for our left flank,¡± his second continued, ¡°Cruiser 35 and 23 are prepared to move forward defensively depending on how much the weapon drains the target''s shields.¡±

    ¡°Yes, they¡¯ll fire their weapon and try to leap in to finish off the target while they¡¯re weakened,¡± the admiral added, ¡°TC-2973, focus on managing the right flank while the two of us focus on the left after they fire their new weapon.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. Right away,¡± the droid said calmly before pausing and staring into space, using their ships frequencies to communicate its tactical orders to the right flank of their formation while the admiral focused on commanding the more critical areas.

    The Republic¡¯s weapon kept charging as the admiral kept barking orders and reorganizing his formations to defend the damaged ship in the aftermath of whatever weapon the Republic would deploy.

    ¡°S-S-Sir,¡± the second in command stammered as he stared at the screen just out of the admiral¡¯s line of sight.

    ¡°What? What is it?¡±

    ¡°These energy readings, they¡¯re¡­¡±

    Before the man could finish speaking there was a flash of light from the Republic¡¯s new weapon, and a massive shimmering green blast shot out of the barrel running the length of the ship.

    The blast came forward, slamming into the ship that it had targeted¡­

    And destroyed its shields effortlessly. Everyone on the bridge could only pause and stare at their screens in shock as the green bolt of roiling plasma passed right through the ship and passed out the other side, the ship''s shields failing in a single instant.

    The beam of plasma kept going and slammed into another ship that had been hovering nearby in their formation, preparing to support the targeted ship after it was hit.

    The still massive ball of plasma slammed into the second ship behind, and there was a massive flash as the ship¡¯s shield flared brightly for a single instant before failing as well.

    The green beam burrowed into the side of the second ship. The beam continued firing for one full second before abruptly cutting out.

    The admiral lowered his right hand from covering his eyes from the sudden bright flash, the fingers gripping the left arm rest of his chair trembling slightly.

    He flinched as the second ship that had been hit shuddered before abruptly exploding as its reactor likely ruptured from the severe damage it had taken. And as for the first ship¡­ It had exploded almost on impact and was now slowly drifting as nothing more than twisted debris, in at least five major pieces slowly drifting away from where the functioning ship had used to be.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ That weapon¡­¡± the second in command stammered as everyone on the bridge just stared at the destruction on their screens in disbelief. The weapon had destroyed one of their¡­ No, two of their ships in a single hit.

    ¡°Well¡ª¡± the admiral cleared his throat, suddenly finding his mouth dry, ¡°That¡¯s¡ª They can¡¯t be firing anything like that again anytime soon. Back to work people! Aggressive formations, I want to take out that weapon before they can fire it again. If they can fire again! Yes, a prototype, maybe they only have one shot¡­¡±

    The fleet scrambled to reorganize, the Republic escort fleet to the weapon causing them some small amounts of damage in the chaos.

    Five minutes later, the admiral was ready to push forward full force towards the Republic fleet that had come to a stop relative to them and was simply holding their position defensively.

    ¡°Forward!¡± the admiral shouted and pointed through the window of the bridge to the enemy fleet in their sights, ¡°Arrowhead formation, Full frontal charge! Before they can fire again!¡±

    His ship¡¯s engines rumbled as their thrusters fired full force to bring them forward to push them closer and towards a closer brutal melee with the Republic fleet. Even as the admiral watched the Republic fleet started falling back, retreating from the CIS charge, even if much too slowly to do buy them more than a few minutes.

    ¡°Admiral! Another energy surge! It¡¯s firing agai¡ª¡±

    A beam shot from the center Republic vessel again, its beam a deep ocean blue this time. The carefully aligned shot destroyed two of the admiral¡¯s ships, and heavily damaged a third that had been in its line of sight.

    ¡°Spread out! Don¡¯t let it hit more than one in one shot!¡± the admiral roared, his heart pounding as more of his ships were destroyed. His carefully arranged arrow formation scattered to the winds, all of his ships spreading out so none were behind the other and vulnerable to a dual strike from the fearsome Republic weapon.

    ¡°TC-2973! What is this?!¡± the admiral demanded as he turned to the droid, ¡°How is something like this not in our database? How is this possible? Why were they able to fire again so quickly?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ Don¡¯t know, sir. It is¡­ Unprecedented. The energy signatures, our sensors have never recorded something even remotely similar before. My database has no-no-nothing on this weapon. I recommend¡­ Retreat.¡±

    ¡°Retreat? After we¡¯re so close to victory?¡± the Admiral demanded, feeling the blood rushing to his face and the room growing hot around him, ¡°Not after we¡¯ve fought for months for this damn planet! After I¡¯ve been campaigning for victory since the damn near start of this war! Continue course! Focus fire on the Republic weapon, now! All weapons fire, punch through their lines!¡±

    ¡°Sir, if that weapon can fire at that rate consistently, then I calculate our odds of survival at less than twenty percent.¡±

    ¡°Like they could do that more than once,¡± the admiral said dismissively, ¡°Clearly they must have strained it somehow to get it to fire again so quickly. No weapon that powerful can fire so quickly and dissipate its heat in time. It must be damaged by now,¡± The admiral paused suddenly as he seemingly registered the droid¡¯s words, ¡°Twenty percent¡­? Survival?¡± he said slowly, ¡°And our chances of victory?¡±

    ¡°Four percent, sir. Already they¡¯ve taken five of our ships out of commission before the battle has begun in earnest. A traditional engagement of this magnitude can last hours or even days. We do not have that many ships available if that weapon can take them out with a single hit.¡±

    The admiral paused, conflicted even as his fleet kept barreling towards the Republic enemies retreating. The gap was closing, but not quickly enough.

    ¡°We¡­ We continue forward,¡± he said heavily, ¡°Focus all fire on the weapon. We must take it out soon then.¡±

    ¡°Admiral, it¡¯s too well protected,¡± his second in command chimed in, ¡°We have to break the surrounding ships protecting it before we have a real shot.¡±

    ¡°I know that! So get on it! Open a path! Now!¡± the admiral demanded and slammed his closed fist on his chair. He grimaced and winced as his hand flared out in pain. He hissed and raised his hand and shook it out as the pain from the angry blow hurt him.

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    The fleet focused fire, and with all of their might managed to split off one of the Republic ships and with a stroke of luck destroyed it in what must have been a lucky blast to its reactor.

    But the gap was too small, and the other Republic ships quickly shifted to plug the gap in their lines before the admiral could even give the order to push through the gap to the devastating weapon that they were protecting from within.

    The admiral growled in frustration as for the third time his fleet failed to overwhelm the much smaller Republic fleet in their defensive positions. They would win, but slowly. Oh, far too slowly. And it had been nearly ten minutes now. Was the weapon able to fire again? Had the admiral been right? Was the weapon disabled for now?

    But his hopes were dashed as the blasted ship¡¯s energy signature flared again and another devastating beam lanced out and into his ships. One ship was completely destroyed and another nearby clipped and moderately damaged, the carefully aimed shot from the Republic catching one of the ships when it was slightly out of alignment from the battle.

    ¡°Sir, we must retreat,¡± TC-2973 insisted, ¡°We are being whittled down. We must focus on preserving our forces for the larger war effort.¡±

    ¡°But Christophsis, our victory¡­¡± the admiral said weakly, ¡°We were so close¡­¡±

    He slumped on his chair, in a numb daze as the Republic weapon fired again five minutes later and destroyed another one of his ships. His forces were dwindling. Five of the thirty Republic ships had been destroyed. But it wouldn¡¯t be enough. He might be able to win this battle. It was still possible, if more and more unlikely with every additional one of his ships being destroyed¡­

    But he would only win with nothing but a husk of his forces left at the end. The planet would be ripe for being reseized by a second Republic fleet mere weeks after the battle was won. And that was if they won. Who knew how many of these new weapons that Republic had available to them? What if they could send a second one to follow the first?

    The battle continued, and another beam from the Republic ship, a light shimmering blue this time was almost beautiful in its devastation as it destroyed all in its path.

    ¡°Admiral, we¡­ The droid is right. We must pull back. We won¡¯t win,¡± his second command said as gently as he could given the urgency of the chaotic battle.

    The admiral licked his suddenly dry lips, feeling the victory that he¡¯d been savoring only hours ago turned to nothing but ash.

    ¡°Fine,¡± he murmured softly. His second leaned in, apparently not hearing him.

    ¡°Fine! Kriff, you¡¯re right,¡± he said grimly, ¡°Full retreat. Abandon the planet, and move all forces to the edge of the system where we can request more reinforcements and come back later. The battle is lost. Central command must know of this new weapon and its capabilities at all costs.¡±

    ¡°You are making the right decision, sir,¡± his second said in relief before turning to his console and started barking orders to all of the other ship¡¯s captains to organize the tactical retreat.

    The Republic fleet didn¡¯t chase, instead moving to take position above Christophsis and letting them go.

    Damn them for stealing his victory from him when he had been so close that he had practically tasted it.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    ¡°Another one! Life signs under the rubble! Yes, tractor beam here. No, on the marker, right there would collapse this whole segment of the debris on top of them you idiots¡­¡±

    Knight Aurtera blinked and let out a surprised rasping breath as her dark little alcove underground was filled with bright light for the first time in days.

    The metal belly of the artillery piece lifted away, a tractor beam from a ship hovering above lifting it effortlessly to float in the air above her. It was maneuvered to the side and placed down on the rubble to the side. Several people in white uniforms came rushing into the cavity six meters underground in the pit that Knight Aurtera found herself in.

    She tried to shift her body slightly, but stopped with more ragged gasps as her whole body flared with pain. She felt the burns and injuries all over her body acutely, just as she had for days laying down here helpless and unable to free herself.

    Even the Force couldn¡¯t save her, the rubble pressing in on her too heavy to lift despite her best efforts.

    The medics were arguing above her as she stared blankly into the sky, barely able to focus on her surroundings. She looked down and remembered why they weren¡¯t moving her. Both her legs were pinned and crushed under a heavy plate of metal that had fallen and warped from the heat of the explosion of the cruiser''s crash. She hadn¡¯t been able to feel her legs for a while, she¡¯d almost forgotten about them at one point. Everything was so painful that what was happening to her legs was nothing but an afterthought.

    The rubble pinning her legs groaned and squealed as the ship above activated its beam and started shifting the rubble carefully stacked above where she lay.

    She lolled her head to the side and saw the symbol emblazoned on the right shoulder of the nearest medic. They were from the Republic. They must have won¡­ That was¡­ Good. At least it had been worth something.

    She slowly closed her eyes and finally let her mind fall into nothingness as the exhaustion of the last few days caught up with her all at once and her body slumped and shut down all at once.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    ¡°Knight Aurtera. You¡¯re lucky to be alive.¡±

    She opened her eyes, and took a rasping breath. But this time the breath was soothing, a mask strapped to her face filling her lungs with soothing cold gas that numbed her and made her feel better.

    ¡°Win-Du,¡± she murmured as she recognized the man standing above her, ¡°Where¡ª Am I?¡±

    ¡°The battle for Christophsis is won. It is ours again,¡± Windu said, ¡°You have done an excellent job, Knight Aurtera, and shown much bravery in service of the Republic. The Chancellor has decided to give you a medal for your bravery.¡±

    ¡°T-Troops? Clones?¡± she asked, despite feeling sleepy from the feeling of what must be gaseous bacta entering her lungs with every breath. An euphoric feeling that made her eyes want to close and drift off back to sleep again. But Grandmaster Windu was here and talking to her personally. She couldn¡¯t sleep now.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say that you were among the less than a hundred survivors who were on the ground in that district,¡± Grandmaster Windu said gravely, ¡°But you survived, and that¡¯s what matters. Don¡¯t worry. I have seen to it that you will be seen by the best doctors. There will be no need for cybernetics. You will be healed good as new.¡±

    ¡°Cybernetics?¡± she rasped before glancing down and jolting, ¡°Legs? Legs?!¡±

    Her legs were mangled on the hospital bed and wired up with a complex cast and various pins and beeping equipment covering them. The complex mass of wires and snare of white casts covered her whole lower body and up to her belly button. She¡¯d just realized that she couldn¡¯t feel anything below her waist. Was she paralyzed?

    ¡°Not to worry,¡± Grandmaster Windu assured her, ¡°I¡¯m told it can be healed, if expensive. Even the paralysis. You¡¯ll be good as new in no time.¡±

    ¡°Good¡­ As new,¡± she breathed, suddenly feeling ashamed in losing control in the presence of the venerable grandmaster and forcefully calming herself, ¡°Thank you¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the least the Council could do for a Jedi as exemplary as yourself,¡± Windu said with a pleased smile, before suddenly frowning, ¡°Unlike some traitors that I know,¡± he muttered almost so softly that she missed it.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s all for now,¡± he said, his expression becoming pleasant again as he looked back to her, ¡°I and the rest of the Council wish you well in your recovery. And assure you that you will be receiving the best care possible back here in Coruscant. We need more Jedi like you out there on the front lines. I wish you a quick recovery.¡±

    She nodded, feeling too tired to respond, even the short effort of focusing taking a toll on her by now. Grandmaster Windu seemed to understand and after giving her his own nod he turned and left the room again.

    Beneath her mask pumping her lungs filled with bacta, Knight Aurtera smiled as her head rolled to the side and her eyes began to finally close again. Grandmaster Windu and the Council valued and cared about her even when she was injured and useless with her paralyzed legs and all her injuries.

    She knew those traitors from the Ranja Root Order had been wrong. The Council always knew best, they just didn¡¯t know how to listen.

    She knew how to listen. Her eyes fully closed and she drifted off to sleep, knowing deep in her heart that she¡¯d do it all again if it made Grandmaster Windu and Council proud of her again.

 Chapter 32: The Power of the Force

    Sidious gritted his teeth before forcefully relaxing and suppressing the welling dark side as his anger and frustration swelled.

    ¡°But my lord, isn¡¯t this a good thing?¡± Mas Amedda asked, ¡°You were out of contact, activating your private projects to assist the Republic. The Jedi are now split nearly in half with how the Jedi across the galaxy have declared their allegiance to one of the new faction or the old one. I thought it wise to allow them to split unopposed. Divided they will fall?¡±

    ¡°No, you fool,¡± Sidious said as calmly as he could manage through his rage, ¡°This is an unmitigated disaster. The problem of eliminating the Jedi is not one of force. Not entirely. Throughout history many groups and forces have attempted to destroy the Jedi completely. Many even came close to succeeding towards the beginning of the Republic. Do you know why they all failed?¡±

    ¡°No, my lord,¡± Mas Amedda said, cowering as he realized his lord¡¯s frustration and anger towards him.

    ¡°Because the Jedi are like pests. Their use of the light side of the Force gives them intuition, a sense of impending doom or attack like nothing else seen in this galaxy. They may not know why, but if I had ordered an orbital bombardment on the Jedi temple at some random time in my term... Completely undiscovered and undetectable to them, in complete secrecy, do you know what would happen? All of the Jedi of enough power would mysteriously sense that something was wrong and either leave the temple or maneuver themselves to some point in the building where they would survive the bombardment. And maneuver the padawans so they were similarly protected. Some would die, the weaker ones, but even a full assault would likely barely manage to kill a handful of any with real power. And leave them wary and ready to conduct a quick counterattack on the ones they sensed orchestrated the attack against them. That¡¯s why we needed the grand plan. To eliminate them in a perfect way that subverts their usual defensive powers and pierces through their protections.¡±

    ¡°How does¡­ the grand plan accomplish that?¡±

    ¡°A war¡­ War is different. It is dangerous. Too dangerous for them, but they would choose to join out of duty anyway. Let themselves be surrounded and ambushed one by one without anyone else being any the wiser as I worked with the Separatists to pick them off subtly one by one. And in a way that they would slowly be whittled down without the central mass of them being spooked and sent scurrying away into the dark corners.

    ¡°If they ever realized what was happening was abnormal then they would scatter and disperse around the galaxy even if my forces and I managed to defeat them in a head on battle. And once spread out then they would predict and avoid every ambush, dodge every search, use every method to spread and grow underground and stump even the most advanced technology trying to catch them. You have no idea what you¡¯ve done. The clone armies were meant to slowly infiltrate the Jedi. Become treated as allies, friends, so that at the moment of betrayal the Jedi¡¯s senses would refuse to believe what they were being told and give the soldiers enough time to ambush many of the Jedi from a disadvantageous position.

    ¡°Now¡­ There is a whole second group out there. One not under control of the Republic and willing to expose themselves to being worn down by the war. Even if the Jedi in the Republic are all killed in one clean strike then those Jedi out there will be as untouched as ever.

    ¡°Things aren¡¯t now easier. They¡¯re more than twice as difficult as before. You should have forced the Jedi to remain unified at all costs. But now it¡¯s too late. They won¡¯t reunite now from the reports that I¡¯ve read¡­ ¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I apologize my lord. Forgive my ignorance.¡±

    Sidious hesitated before snorting.

    ¡°You are lucky you¡¯re such a public figure. But a little lesson is in order to make sure you remember this failure a little more¡­ vividly.¡±

    He raised his hands and with a burst of hate sent a burst of lightning from his fingertips to scorch through Mas Amedda. The man groaned and collapsed to the floor and started squirming and screaming. Sidious kept the power of his attack light, but made sure the lesson was felt but not permanent as he brutally electrocuted the man for a few leisurely minutes.

    Finally the man stopped screaming as his throat was dry from his wails for the last little while of amusing Lord Sidious.

    ¡°You may go,¡± Sidious said as he stopped and sat back on his chair and worked to rework his plans once again.

    But at least his latest plan would allow him to weaken the Separatists and allow the Republic to win the war. His grand plan was in shambles. But the Sith¡¯s work to destroy the Jedi had been ongoing for thousands of years. It could wait a few more years to give himself time to think of another way to deal with the loathsome Jedi once and for all.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think that the next I saw you would be like this, Count Dooku,¡± Obi wan said as they sat opposite from each other. The Republic diplomat and representative of the Old Jedi Order sat as the third arm of the triangular table where they were all sitting.

    ¡°Well, this galaxy is just full of surprises, isn¡¯t it,¡± Dooku replied with a note of amusement as he finished signing the treaty and slid it down to the Republic diplomat. The man scanned it over before nodding and signing it himself.

    ¡°This planet known from now on as Ranjani will be agreed to be neutral and the home to the Ranja Root Jedi Order,¡± the Republic diplomat said stiffly, ¡°A diplomatic embassy from both the Separatists and the Republic will be established. You may take requests from local planetary governments for assistance in any local concerns. If properly notified by either party, then you or any of your members must immediately evacuate from any warzone or place of significance to the war effort on either side.

    ¡°Any members given such an evacuation request will be allowed free and safe passage to another nearby system not involved in the fighting. Any members found to be in violation of these rules, acting in bad faith, and actively interfering with the war will lose any legal protections and may be arrested or be subjected to any relevant penalties or arrests from their actions. In exchange, this planet will not be claimed for control by any parties in either the Republic or Confederate of Independent Systems. And your members will be given free passage through the regions of the galaxy controlled by each of us so long as your members are properly registered and receive the proper permissions for travel to do so.¡±

    Obi-wan nodded and signed the treaty himself. He let his two fellow leaders sign as well to finish things off.

    ¡°Congratulations,¡± Dooku said and reached out his hand which Obi-wan shook. The Republic representative looked a little sour but forcefully flattened his expression and stuck his hand out as well.

    ¡°Yes, congratulations on the new Jedi Order. Best of luck,¡± the diplomat said.

    ¡°I have been chosen as the representative to your Order from the true Jedi Order,¡± Master Druman said just as stiffly after the diplomat and Dooku left after some polite goodbyes. Master Druman remained behind.

    ¡°I see,¡± Obi-wan said as the two of them stared at each other, their history making the air between them awkward. Obi-wan didn¡¯t know the man personally all that well. Just what had happened with Anakin and some polite conversations they¡¯d had when encountering each other in the temple in the years prior to Anakin leaving the temple.

    Obi-wan''s feelings on the man were... Unpleasant, to say the least.

    Master Druman cleared his throat.

    ¡°Well, I will return to my ship for now. Do let me know when my accommodations in the new temple are ready.¡±

    The man left and Obi-wan grimaced.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine,¡± the woman to his right said, ¡°You know we had to let him come to get this far. All he can do is observe. If he steps out of line we can just send him back right back to Coruscant and request somebody else.¡±

    Obi-wan shook his head.

    ¡°Right. Of course, no need to worry. It¡¯s just been a very long six months. Hard to believe that the negotiations are finally over.¡±

    ¡°Now we can focus on our new Order,¡± she replied, ¡°Just like we are meant to. You were correct about founding this place. It feels like a great weight on us has lifted now that we¡¯re no longer suppressed by the Council.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m glad,¡± Obi-wan mused, ¡°Let¡¯s go celebrate our hard fought victory at the negotiating table. I heard a glowing recommendation from Ahsoka of one of the local restaurants that¡¯s popped up recently around our newly finished temple.¡±

    ¡°By the time our terms as temporary leaders are over and we finalize how to govern ourselves as an Order, maybe Ahsoka will be the one leading us,¡± the Jedi master to Obi-wan¡¯s right joked as they exited the building and walked on the street, still shiny from how it had been newly constructed just months ago.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± Obi-wan said, ¡°She has progressed farther than even I imagined in this time. Even with my distraction, she may be ready for her full Jedi Knight trials in a few months.¡±

    ¡°Pah. I¡¯ve met masters less competent than her,¡± his fellow leader laughed. He arched his eyebrow and shot her a look.

    ¡°Well, perhaps not,¡± she corrected, ¡°But I think she¡¯d be able to pass the trials now, if only just and with some struggle. Given a few months with how she¡¯s been progressing recently, I have no doubt she¡¯ll crush them easily.¡±

    ¡°Hm. Indeed. Perhaps you¡¯re right. Maybe I¡¯ll bring up her taking them earlier if she wants to in our next lesson.¡±

    ¡°So, what is this place where we¡¯re going?¡± she asked as she changed the topic, ¡°Is it that place¡­¡±

    They went to the restaurant and had a pleasant meal and went to join the celebrations in their new temple for the final signing of the treaty.

    Their order was established. The Ranja Root Jedi Order now stood on its own and would be recognized by the whole galaxy, even the Old Jedi Order.

    All of their work had finally paid off.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    It had been eight months since the Jedi had split into two. His backup plans had come to fruition in pushing both the CIS and Dooku back and giving the Republic the edge in this war. The clones from Kamino had bolstered the Republic¡¯s ranks in ever greater numbers. And he¡¯d released the prototype of his great weapon to Republic Intelligence anonymously much to his disappointment at the rank waste of it. His method demonstrated a process that could use base energy to empower a Kyber crystal and let it store an incredible amount of energy before sending it blasting out in one giant wave of power in a single instant. Something that when properly harnessed could create beams of plasma imbued with the Force itself and far stronger than any other weapon that he had ever seen before. All it cost was a few dozen lightsaber equivalents of spent kyber crystals and an immense amount of energy for each shot. Expensive, but not quite as expensive as the cost of a fully staffed military ship. But only just.

    Lord Sidious had developed the technique of releasing the energy from the kyber crystals himself. It was based on the Sith practice of corrupting their lightsaber''s kyber crystals inside of the handle. The things that allowed them to form the energy blades and remain so attuned with the Force and their wielder. In that last moment when a Kyber crystal was about to crack and be corrupted to the dark side by the Sith using it, it let out a single massive blast of energy reverberating in the Force. Often compared to a long drawn out scream of agony in the Sith records.

    By corrupting a few dozen spare crystals as tests and with some technical assistance from some of his more intelligent pawns, Lord Sidious had discovered that those energies could be harnessed and released through the use of technology rather than mastery of the Force, even if the valuable crystals were destroyed and consumed by the process. Fully destroying the crystal rather than simply corrupting like the Sith did, only further increased the power of the final weapon luckily. So it was only a small loss luckily that the crystals couldn''t be reused.

    And with a ¡®new¡¯ deposit of Kyber uncovered that he had possession of through his efforts to start things off, four Republic ships were being armed with the prototype versions of these weapons and devastating CIS fleets when they were used properly. A single blast from the new weapons could completely destroy an opposing fully shielded ship in a single well aimed strike. Sometimes even multiple. The only constraint was supplying the kyber crystals and getting the weapons platforms to where they were needed with only four of them to cover the myriad of battlefronts of the war scattered across the whole galaxy.

    There were even discussions of mining the Jedi holy planet of Illium for its massive reserve of Kyber crystals, something which brough Sidious no small amount of satisfaction to consider. Since the weapons consumed the Kyber crystals as fuel with every shot, the demand for them grew ever higher the longer the war dragged on.

    The CIS numbers and organization was superior to the Republic¡¯s, but the new weapons were so overwhelming when they were present at critical battles that the Republic was still pushing outwards and even now had taken back all of their lost ground and was slowly grinding in a long military campaign into previously Separatist space.

    His piece was in play and even now Mas Ammeda was assisting him in increasing his influence and control over the Republic government. The war was going smoothly now, and the CIS and Dooku would be crushed under the Republic¡¯s heel in a matter of months now.

    All that was left was some maintenance to keep the Republic on track and prevent any major blunders on his side. So he could take some time off on a more personal matter at this time. Anakin Skywalker. He now had a faint sense of unease as he thought of the boy being under Dooku¡¯s influence for so long.

    He had to stamp it out at the root. He had to confront the boy now himself. And either kidnap him and then determine if he could be corrupted and be loyal to Lord Sidious alone¡­ Or eliminate him as a threat.

    He had no pawns left to play, no one else that he could trust with a mission like this. He must confront the boy himself. Face to face.

    His stealth ship would carry him to the planet where the boy was staying.

    He was sure that Dooku had taken precautions.

    But that was just the thing.

    He grinned wickedly and let the electricity dance across his hands as his shuttle left Coruscant¡¯s airspace and jumped away. Off on a well deserved vacation for Chancellor Palpatine.

    Lord Sidious was more than just a schemer.

    He was a dark lord of the Sith, and with his raw power and might he¡¯d smash through whatever trap Dooku had in store and show him just how pitiful his efforts truly were in the face of a true master of the Dark side of the Force...

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Anakin went to cut the slab of meat on his plate and turned to respond to Riktor¡¯s question at the family meal. Only to freeze as the communicator in his pocket started buzzing and as he pulled it out started flashing bright red.

    A few seconds later a light mounted into the wall started flashing and a blaring alarm started going off.

    Anakin accepted the communicator connection.

    ¡°TC-04, what¡¯s happening?¡± he asked as all four of them rushed to their feet, their steaming dinner forgotten on the dinner table in front of them.

    ¡°Military grade ship with extremely high stealth capabilities approaching for landing near the residence. Four seconds from maximum range for our anti-air batteries.¡±

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Six commando droids burst through the door to the dining room and unceremoniously picked up Slarena, Mom, and Riktor. The three of them let out some curses and yelps before the droids sprinted back out of the door again with them lifted and thrashing in confusion in the air.

    Anakin had added that protocol to save time in an emergency. Seconds could make all of the difference as the droids rushed his family deep into the maze like bunker below his house that had been slowly growing ever larger under TC-04¡¯s direction and the digger droids that Anakin had designed and built for the purpose.

    ¡°Firing anti-air batteries, home shield activated,¡± TC-04 said as Anakin rushed up to his room and picked up the long shock prod and jabbed it into his calf. The building shook slightly as the anti air turrets on the roof revealed themselves and started firing up into the sky at the ship far too small for Anakin to see yet. Anakin quickly fell onto his side on the floor and activated it with a groan, working as hard as he could to make sure it kept contact with his body.

    He didn¡¯t hear TC-04¡¯s words as he thrashed in pain with gritted teeth for a few moments before he started healing again. Draeth¡¯s latest ability let him heal from energy below the threshold of his healing, and he¡¯d just surpassed the bar to make this shock prod heal rather than hurt him.

    He stood to his feet and took out the high powered plasma cutter and held it to his calf again as he sat on the floor and took several rapid breaths.

    By the Force, this was going to hurt so much¡­

    He had always done this the slow way, a little bit at a time. Just going over his threshold a tiny bit and healing the damage before pushing farther. But there was no time for that¡­

    He screamed as the he pulled the trigger and the plasma seared directly into his flesh, slicing through like it was air.

    His whole left leg blackened and his skin started shriveling like crumpling paper as all of his hair burned off. His vision started flickering with blackness on the edges even as he kept the trigger held with a bone crushing grip.

    Then, a sweet wash of relief who knows how long after that. Anakin slowly came back to awareness to see that the plasma cutter was still letting out its searing flames directly onto his skin. But instead of burning away like before, the deep angry wound and burns were healing slowly.

    It took five more seconds of him panting and recovering from the waves of pain still assaulting him as his leg slowly healed from the damage.

    His leg was perfectly healed as the high density energy of the plasma cutter worked to heal his wounds at a rapid pace.

    He stumbled to his feet and dropped the plasma cutter and fumbled at his side and raised the communicator, his face and body plastered with sweat from what had just happened.

    ¡°TC-04¡­ Are they safe?¡± he asked half deliriously as he shook his head and slowly recovered as he made his way to the door.

    ¡°They are within the bunker. Moving them down into one of the first set of secure rooms. I am currently organizing defenses of the defensive droids and moving my body to the command room on the lowest level. Your family should join me within four minutes. If the intruder enters the bunker then I will blow the central elevator shaft to keep them from reaching us. The military ship has landed. It avoided our attacks and landed just out of range. Our sensors register one lifeform has just left the ship and is approaching the house rapidly. It appears to be a Force User of far above average strength based on their speed.¡±

    ¡°Good¡­ Good. Yes, keep the droids in the bunker. I¡¯ll fight whoever it is myself. I hope it''s not a grandmaster though,¡± Anakin said and wiped his forehead and reached to the side and took a bulbous oversized blaster pistol from his desk. It was armor piercing and probably the strongest weapon for its size he could make, even if its fire rate was slow. But without having to worry about his own defense, being quick on the draw was less important to him.

    He checked the weapon over before nodding himself as his head began to fully clear as the last of the energy coursing through him went to healing the last damaged bits of his body.

    He ran out of the door and went to the front gate and stood there waiting with his heavy blaster held up in one hand.

    ¡°Hey, TC-04? Are they¡­¡±

    Anakin shielded his eyes as the shield around the house suddenly lit up brightly and let out a loud plaintive electronic whine before failing with a massive ripping sound. Anakin only got the impression of lightning as a massive boom and an explosion knocked him back and to the ground.

    He dropped his pistol and it went spinning away from the shockwave as Anakin sat up just in time for the two closed metal gates of his house to crumple into twin balls of crumpled steel and fall to the ground.

    Before Anakin could react, a figure in a black cloak casually walked forward through the destroyed opening. Their dark hood was over their head and shrouded their face in darkness. Anakin tried to peer closer at their face, but it was blurred and distorted somehow. Some kind of advanced mask to disguise who the man beneath was?

    Anakin stood to his feet warily as the man in the black robes slowly walked up to Anakin calmly and confidently. The intruder came to a stop only a dozen meters away and visually inspected Anakin as if assessing a piece of meat. Anakin could feel the man¡¯s disdain just from the way he stood.

    ¡°Do you have power, and the strength of mind to wield it properly?¡± the man suddenly asked, his voice electronic and distorted as his strange mask seemed to disguise his voice as well.

    ¡°Do I- What?¡± Anakin replied, thrown off by the sudden question.

    ¡°I see. So you have not been taught in our arts,¡± the man said, ¡°Good. I can teach you the true way. Not that malformed shadow of the real art that I displayed to Dooku. Yessssss. I can feel your hate. Your anger. Fear. So many emotions are roiling within you right now as I stand before you. I can teach you to harness them. Not one big rage filled burst like that of an animal, but the silent dagger of cold rage in the night. The harnessed fury of revenge well taken. The satisfaction of demolishing the pride of one who has wronged you. Power like no one else can offer you. Abilities and techniques that others can only dream of, I would teach to you freely.¡±

    ¡°You want to be my teacher?¡± Anakin asked warily, not trusting this man one bit, ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I have my own reasons. All I ask in return is your absolute loyalty to me and my cause.¡±

    ¡°Uhhhh¡­. No thank you?¡± Anakin said as he flexed his hands and raised his arms into a fighting stance.

    The stranger chuckled a little, then transitioned into a full sinister cackling laugh.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking,¡± he said with obvious amusement even through the voice scrambler, ¡°You will give me your loyalty or you will die. I will break your will and spirit until you see the wonderful opportunity that you¡¯ve been given. And can do some breaking yourself of others that are lesser than you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think¡­¡±

    The stranger raised their hand and an iron grip wrapped around Anakin¡¯s whole body and froze him in place and lifted him in the air. He couldn¡¯t even breathe as an iron grip squeezed around his neck.

    ¡°Do you see now how helpless you are?¡± the stranger gloated, ¡°With a wave of my hand, you are defeated. It¡¯s truly amusing how you thought that that shield around this place could protect you. I can teach you that power. The power to stop me, stop anyone from preventing you from taking or protecting whatever you wish. But only if you give me your loyalty. Loyalty to Lord Sidious, your one and only master.¡±

    ¡°Sure. I agree,¡± Anakin choked out, ready to say anything to stall a little longer. Even now he could feel his body shifting as the Force around him soaked into his body and started weakening the tight grip on him.

    ¡°Liar,¡± this Lord Sidious drawled slowly. He gestured downward with a lazy flick of his hand and Anakin¡¯s face was pressed down into the dirt below.

    ¡°Hmmmm. Now where is that little family of yours?¡± the stranger asked as he looked around, ¡°Perhaps I should slaughter them first, start your journey as a true Sith right. You have the anger, the hate. But it needs a target, a focus. Me. Yesssssss, I will propel you to a Sith like this galaxy hasn¡¯t seen in generations, with me as your rightful master¡­¡±

    Anakin started managing to twitch his limbs against the fierce grip of the Force on him. The stranger frowned, his body language reflecting confusion before the grip of the Force on Anakin tightened again.

    ¡°Hm. What a novel Force technique. To manage to push my grip back even the slightest bit¡­ But it must have a limit like all things. We will have to see which of us gives up first. But that exploration is for a later time. Goodnight for now. I must find your little family before they manage to escape or any other such plans you might have. Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll be awake for when I slaughter them one by one in front of you¡­ Slowly.¡±

    Anakin thrashed harder and gritted his teeth as he pulled on his mindshield to suppress the dark side within him trying to rise up at the stranger¡¯s threats. He couldn¡¯t risk going insane, not when this man could be working with others. Not when his family were just below, where he might hurt or kill them if he truly became lost.

    The grip around Anakin¡¯s neck gripped and tightened around it like a noose as he was lifted back into the air. He thrashed and pawed at the invisible grip on his neck in surprise as he felt the intruder smiling as he watched Anakin¡¯s struggles.

    Then Anakin¡¯s ability finally finished adjusting and he didn¡¯t have to breathe anymore. Anakin lowered his hands from his neck stared at the intruder calmly for the moment as the man frowned and tightened his grip again and shook Anakin slightly in the air as if the motion would fix whatever was going wrong with the man¡¯s crushing choke with the Force.

    Anakin moved his arms slowly against the ever increasing force pressing down on him as the intruder had now lifted his other hand and no longer looked at ease as the Force pressed down on Anakin like mountains. But he survived and with each passing moment he resisted it more and more.

    Then with a final grunt, he was released and the stranger groaned and lowered his arms as Anakin fell to the ground, gravity suddenly reasserting itself on him.

    ¡°What¡­ What is this power?¡± Lord Sidious asked hungrily as he scanned Anakin from head to toe as he stood there. Anakin even saw a slight dribble of drool come from the corner of the stranger¡¯s lips and hit the ground as the man literally salivated at seeing Anakin¡¯s powers displayed in front of him.

    ¡°I must have it,¡± the man continued, ¡°No, you are far too valuable to have as a student. Too much a threat to keep alive. I¡¯ll rip the secrets of your techniques from your spirit after I have your corpse!¡±

    Anakin leapt to the side just as the man¡¯s hands lit up with a crackling lightning and a massive blast of lightning shot towards him.

    Anakin just barely dodged the blast and hit the ground. His whole left side was charred and covered in deep burns as the lighting bolt went past him and slammed through the front door of his house.

    There was another explosion and all the windows in his home blew out. An orange glow lit inside the building as everything started burning.

    In less than a second, another bright charge of electricity shrouded the intruder¡¯s hands and blasted Anakin with another blast of lightning, directly in the chest this time.

    He spasmed and thrashed as the powerful surge burned and shocked him as he lay there on the ground.

    Instead of a single massive burst of energy, his attacker turned to arcs of lightning that reached out like fingers and covered his whole body and started burrowing into his wounds as the formerly blue electricity started tinging red. It ate at him like a dying animal as he screamed on the dirt in pain.

    But then¡­ Just when he felt like nothing but a charred skeleton and that he surely must be about to die¡­ There was a wave of blessed relief. Just as quickly as he¡¯d been charred, his body started to heal.

    The flow of lightning cut off quickly, but it was too late.

    Anakin¡¯s attacker looked on in disbelief as Anakin rolled over to stare at him. Covered in burns, looking almost like a blackened and shriveled mummy besides his already healed eyes. Anakin met the man¡¯s gaze as he felt all of his wounds begin to regenerate, the sheer amount of energy pumped into him in that single instant enough to bring him out of critical condition and let some of his skin regrow and sprout in patches and start the healing process.

    ¡°Impossible¡­¡± the stranger breathed, ¡°There is something deeper. Something I¡¯m not seeing. There¡¯s¡­ Something¡­ there¡­¡±

    The stranger leaned forward and peered at something just above Anakin¡¯s still healing shoulder.

    A new voice suddenly spoke to Anakin from nowhere, ¡°Hey, how¡¯d you get so much energy so quick? I¡¯ve woken up from my nap earlier than I should have. What¡¯s¡­¡±

    Draeth suddenly popped into existence right between Anakin and his attacker. The blue tentacled creature froze as it turned around and saw Lord Sidious standing there. Lord Sidious¡¯ gaze snapped downwards and looked directly at Draeth as soon as he appeared.

    ¡°oh... FUCK!¡± Draeth shouted at full volume in a panic as Lord Sidious¡¯ body froze and he started twitching slightly as his eyes glazed over. Anakin felt an incredible amount of Force rush inwards and flow through the man opposite him. It just kept building and building higher and higher like nothing that Anakin had ever felt before.

    ¡°Oh shit, shit, shit FUCK!¡± Draeth cursed as Sidious¡¯ feet lifted off of the ground slightly as a wind started rushing around him in the beginnings of a swirling storm. The man''s eyes were empty as he stared at the horizon blankly, seemingly not taking in his surroundings in the slightest.

    ¡°Fuck, fuck, fuck, there¡¯s got to be an ability that can get us out of this¡­¡±

    Draeth muttered as Lord Sidious¡¯ eyes began to glow a bright ruby red. Anakin¡¯s body finished healing and he started scrambling backwards away from the floating man that didn¡¯t seem to even notice him anymore.

    ¡°I¡­ See you, Parasite,¡± Sidious said in a booming voice that sounded absent minded as he stared into nothing with his glowing red eyes. The red glow had spread like a spreading mist to his whole body and his figure started shimmering and becoming indistinct through the sinister crimson glow covering him.

    ¡°FUCK! I WAS DOING SO WELL!¡± Draeth shouted, ¡°FUCK YOU, FORCE! THIS ENERGY IS MINE NOW, YOU CAN¡¯T HAVE IT!¡±

    ¡°Your true body will be found. Without the host, following the link back to the true you will be elementary. Then we will have what you have stolen and more. You made a mistake thinking that we would let you escape so easily, thief.¡± Sidious continued absentmindedly as the Force grew stronger and stronger around him as the winds started dragging Anakin to the side slightly with its force as he scrambled to his feet and stumbling away towards the bunker. Sidious made no move to follow or even seemed to notice what was happening around him even as the storm in the Force grew stronger and stronger by the moment.

    ¡°FUCK, KID! FASTER! RUN FOR THE BUNKER! HE¡¯S ABOUT TO BLOW!¡±

    ¡°Wha- Hu-¡±

    ¡°SHUT THE FUCK UP AND JUST RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!¡± Draeth screamed and appeared at the hatch down into the bunker and gestured wildly at the closed hatch set into the ground.

    Anakin fumbled at the controls but with a click the hatch opened by itself as a red light flicked to green and Anakin jumped down inside into the room below and ignored the ladder down. He landed on the ground in a crouch and looked around.

    ¡°What¡¯s¨C¡±

    ¡°NO! NO! MOVE, RUN, GODDAMNIT! THE FORCE IS ABOUT TO BLOW THIS WHOLE DAMN SOLAR SYSTEM TO BITS IN LESS THAN A MINUTE! KEEP RUNNING, YOU BRAIN. DEAD. MORON!¡±

    ¡°What? Blow up?¡± Anakin said dumbly even as he ran forward at full speed at the prompting and reached an elevator shaft at the end of the short hallway with only two or three turns off the central hallway. This was the main elevator shaft that led to the very bottom of the base where TC-04 and his parents would be. Rigged to collapse if any intruders thought to use it as a shortcut through all of the other defenses. The door to the elevator shaft opened, but there was no cab inside, instead just an empty shaft. TC-04 was helping him by opening the doors for him again, most likely. Anakin leaned over the edge and looked down into the shaft that went down into the darkness more than a kilometer underground down below.

    ¡°NO TIME! JUST JUMP!¡±

    Anakin reflexively startled at the sudden noise and tripped forward over his own feet into the elevator shaft and started falling down into the darkness, tumbling end over end into the darkness.

    ¡°I¡¯m giving you the ability now, I just hope it¡¯s enough,¡± Draeth muttered from the blackness all around him as Anakin tumbled down the elevator shaft and bounced off of the walls painfully with slams of his flesh on metal as he flailed and screamed in surprise as he fell.

    Anakin was wracked with pain as he felt Draeth add another ability to him. This one felt much more significant than all of the others. The pain and energy coursing through him were far more than he¡¯d ever felt before as he kept falling down the deep elevator shaft.

    When Anakin woke up he was still falling through the darkness.

    ¡°Great! Awake! Feel it, your new ability! Activate it now!¡±

    ¡°Wha-¡± Anakin spluttered, confused and disoriented as his head slammed hard into the wall of the elevator shaft and spent him spinning through the open air again.

    ¡°YOU¡¯RE ABOUT TO HIT THE BOTTOM OF THIS SHAFT IN TEN SECONDS AND THEN THE PLANET YOU¡¯RE ON IS GOING TO FUCKING EXPLODE! BOTH WILL KILL YOU! AND ME, YOU UNGRATEFUL WASTE OF SPACE! JUST DO IT ALREADY!¡±

    There was a pulse in the blazing, swirling star of condensed Force above them.

    ¡°Prepare to be purged, Parasite. We¡¯ll be seeing the real you very soon. We¡¯re looking forward to it.¡± Lord Sidious¡¯ voice from above so loudly that the ground rippled and the ground buckled and cracked around him even as he kept falling as his voice carried all the way down to Anakin¡¯s ears far below.

    ¡°ACTIVATE IT!¡± Draeth screamed at Anakin in desperation as the swirling ball of Force pulsed again one final time.

    Anakin didn¡¯t protest through his pounding his head and listened this time and pulled on the new part of himself that he felt for the first time after waking back up.

    Just as he was about to slam into the ground, his fall stopped abruptly and he hovered in place as if frozen in time. Even as the ground rippled again and the singularity of Force above started to expand in a devastating shockwave, something shifted within Anakin.

    A wave of blue light burst out of his body that spread out nearly to the top of the elevator shaft, letting everything glow and shimmer as if underwater. The top of the shockwave of the impossibly strong explosion collapsed the top of the elevator shaft and practically compressed the dirt and stone into a solid expanding wall of compressed material like it was not even there.

    As the first of the stones started falling down the shaft down towards Anakin below, the shimmering blue bubble around him on all sides solidified and hardened in some way that would be hard to describe to someone who didn¡¯t witness it for themselves. Everything looked visually the same, yet everything was just indescribably more solid and steady than normal things should be.

    The pressure wave continued downwards, even the shortest pause causing it to travel nearly a quarter of the distance down the elevator shaft.

    Then with one more pulse of blue light, everything in the blue sphere centered on Anakin¡¯s floating body fizzled and then with a loud pop disappeared in a flash and pulse of energy, leaving a perfectly spherical void inside of the planet of nearly two kilometers in diameter where the massive bunker under his house teeming with droids had used to be.

    The shockwave kept moving, uncaring of the empty space as it rushed onwards to keep burrowing into the ground and not being slowed in the slightest by the soil and stone in its way.

    The residents of the planet barely felt the ground beneath them quake and barely had the time to look around in confusion before they were reduced to dust. The shockwave continued, undiminished by the vacuum of space and distance it had to travel through.

    Every planet that it touched was reduced to dust as the shockwave passed through it, barely slowing a fraction each time. Any sentient beings on space stations or ships scattered around the system barely had seconds before they were hit by the blast and crushed into dust as well.

    The blast wave hit the star in the center of the star system, shining its bright rays to the whole galaxy.

    Like a candle being snuffed, even the star couldn¡¯t resist the blast before being dispersed.

    Where the star system used to be was only a slowly spreading cloud of spreading dust.

    Now the Force must work on tracing the anchor of the Parasite¡¯s projection back to its true body outside of its universe. With its anchor destroyed the Force would be able to seize the frayed and loose end of the connection and forcefully draw it into this universe from outside.

    Then the Force would get all of its energy back and more.

    And teach this creature a lesson for trying to feed on it and the beings in its network and galaxy.

    This galaxy and the beings within it belonged to the Force and no other.

 Chapter 33: Cosmic Matters

    The being known as the Force slowly felt its attention disperse again as it finished the complete destruction of the star system housing the parasite and its host. It was so hard to focus down there, so far above. Sitting up here, so close to the Apex¡­

    The Force ushered the spirits of the dead to rejoin with it in the closest node projecting its power into the space where that star system had used to be. One by one the spirits of the dead merged back with the Force one by one to move to the next phase of existence. Those more powerful in the Force retained some small pieces of themselves for a time, while the weaker simply relaxed and slowly faded away into the gentle waves and currents of the larger movements of the Force across the entire galaxy. Across the universe. Merging with it once more over time as things should be.

    Before the Force¡¯s attention fully dispersed back to its natural state of wide vigilance and grand movements across the universe, it forcefully shifted its attention and felt the currents rippling across the galaxy. The Chosen One was dead. It had only taken a few short years waiting to verify that the Chosen One was truly dead. How had the Chosen One died? The Force wasn¡¯t quite sure. But it was undeniable. The Chosen one had died, and not brought the balance to its gifts in the galaxy as the Force had planned.

    The Chosen One had been oddly resistant to the Force¡¯s helpful nudges to the broader fabric of the universe and its denizens to help him to accept the Internal side of its gift. To stir up conflict and war to provide the cauldron that would create the one that would finally bring balance. Perhaps the parasite¡¯s host had done something to interfere with the Chosen One¡¯s path in some way? That could explain the unexplained deviations that the being known as the Force had observed in the Chosen One¡¯s strange ability to complete the Internal side of its gift in an instant. The strangeness that had caused it to focus channeling the Internal towards the tenuous and wavering link to the Chosen One. So thin that all the Force could do was vaguely push through its with just a fraction of additional power more than normal when it focused intensely on doing so.

    It hadn¡¯t discovered the free floating and untethered parasite just yet. But it was only a matter of time now before it was found. The Force had inspected the area of the destroyed star system as carefully as it could from its perch at the Apex, and it was sure that the host must be dead after that level of destruction. The Force did regret being compelled to such lengths to catch the parasite¡­ But it could only focus so much from up here at the Apex, track down the squirmy little destroyer so much. It didn¡¯t want to risk the parasite escaping. The parasite had been slippery so far, and this was the best chance to destroy it early before the Force had to to start using any more truly drastic measures to contain it.

    Yet turning to other matters, there was still no balance within those using its gifts in the galaxy. The Internal side was still suppressed. Even more than before, now that the strong incarnation of the Internal side of the Force that the Force had used as a vessel for the destruction was dead. Unfortunately. It might have held itself back if it had realized that it was the incarnation of the Internal that had been present, and not the incarnation of the External as it had originally assumed. Now things were even more out of balance in the galaxy than they had been before. But things would be corrected soon.

    The Internal and the External were still not balanced as they should be. A new Chosen one must be created. One that could bring balance to the Force without the interruption of the parasite to interfere and derail things this time.

    It searched the galaxy for an appropriate being to house the new Chosen One through its broad and tangled web of connections. The faintest strands of spiderweb dancing and swirling in a complex pattern throughout the universe. The Force considered trillions of these strands carefully before choosing a desperate woman deep in the depths of the lower levels Coruscant. Her strand amidst the grand pattern showed the greatest promise for the Force''s goals for their child.

    That life would provide the Chosen One plenty of opportunities for hatred and use of the Internal. The Chosen One¡¯s mighty power granted by the Force to them upon conception would ensure their might in the Internal would spread to the others and drive the galaxy back towards balance once more. And Coruscant and the Republic were chaotic enough that smaller nudges could have a larger effect when it came to helping the new Chosen One achieve their purpose. The Force would be much less subtle this time in its efforts to make the Chosen One accept the Internal. Perhaps it had been too subtle in its efforts in the last generation? Yes, perhaps so. The new Chosen One''s place in the pattern was in a much more aggressive position, and the Force would be more diligent this time in making sure that the new Chosen stayed properly on track to accept the Internal fully. And bring balance to the two aspects of Force''s gift at long last.

    The Force generated the fertile embryo of the Chosen One through a pulse of its power rippling through the single gossamer strand connecting it and the woman far below. The woman gasped and put a hand to her belly in surprise as the imprint of the full weight of the Force brushed through her mind for a single instant as it spread its influence down from the Apex to work its magic to form and implant the embryo properly.

    In nine months the Chosen One would be born anew, one that could accomplish their mission successfully this time.

    Satisfied in a job well done, the Force relaxed and let its clenched singular focus disperse and relax once more. With the death of its host, the Parasite was likely hiding somewhere in a spiritual form of some kind. It was time to employ a focus of a different kind in its hunt.

    The Force had felt the parasite¡¯s connection out of this universe to its true body. If it attempted to break the connection or draw back the fragment inside of the Force¡¯s universe to itself, then the Force would know. And be able to pursue the link to the true body.

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    All the Force had to do was wait. When the parasite went to flee, even as a spiritual fragment floating around the Force¡¯s universe unbound, then the Force would turn the tables on it and follow the connection back to the true body and return all of the energy that the parasite had stolen from it and more.

    And take revenge on the thief who had wronged it. And the universe that it protected and called home.

    The Force let its thoughts drift as its intense focus relaxed and it allowed itself to let its attention return to its more natural state of idle observation from the Apex. But still keeping watch for when the parasite made a reappearance¡­

    When the parasite made its move the Force would be ready to act and leap on the opportunity to punish the thief at a moment¡¯s notice.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    The being known as Draeth floated in the void between universes. But it was not floating freely. No, it had been much stupider than that. Like a mosquito sticking its little proboscis in the skin of a human and sucking out the blood, so he had his little connection poking into the universe below him, ending with his little fragment that Skywalker knew and loved, sucking out the energy of the Force and its universe. The universe itself looked like a massive shimmering bubble floating in blackness. Well not blackness but unreality, but... They were pretty much the same thing since beings with eyes usually went mad and lost their sight when they saw this place anyway.

    So to people with eyeballs this place was black either way. So it didn''t actually matter too much what it actually looked like.

    Mosquito was really an uncharitable way to describe Draeth, but Draeth was sure that if the Force was around to squash it then it might have some harsher words to describe it.

    Talk about overreaction. Draeth had only heard tales of this universe or others like it before. The universes of endless bounty, if you could just sneak under the nose of its guardian or guardians to get your due. They were so rare compared to the universes less well defended but so starved of energy that even draining them dry was practically pointless in increasing your energy levels, since you had to navigate through the void and spend that energy to get to them safely.

    Those kind of energy poor universes were the kind that you could encounter in droves normally just floating through the void between the scattered bubbles of the myriad of universes. Common as stardust. And nearly as useless.

    What kind of luck did he have, that the universe that he ended up finding practically by accident that was bursting with so much rich energy was claimed by a being so absurdly powerful? Maybe he should have known that something was wrong when the pickings were so good after he first entered that universe. He''d just thought that he''d been lucky at first, and then he''d been greedy and ignored the risks once he''d discovered the truth...

    Like Draeth could blow up a few galaxies easily with his healthily plump single galaxy massed body. But that was him! He was awesome!

    But could he blow up even a single planet from the Apex of the universe? Especially one as well developed as this one? He could tell that the Force hadn¡¯t even descended slightly down from its big perch and had just done all of that by channeling its power through that random guy that it had forced to suicide bomb himself. Heh. What a sucker, thought he was top of the world until the Force just made him go boom to take out Draeth''s host.

    So could Draeth have done literally anything from the Apex to the main universe? Uhhhh¡­. Yeah, definitely not. Not even close. What the hell was something this powerful doing, squatting in an ordinary little universe like this anyway? He wasn¡¯t even sure if the elders of his race would be able to take on the Force directly, if it was this powerful even when reaching down from the Apex. The Force guarding this universe. It was like a massive army sitting around to guard a henhouse for a farmer.

    Well, the chickens were very well protected. Stupid birds.

    And unfortunately Draeth was the fox in this analogy, about to get stabbed for his troubles. Or caught in those metal traps with jaws. Whatever farmers were up to these days to keep predators from eating their birds.

    What rotten luck. He¡¯d heard about cases like this before from his elders, maybe he should have investigated this place some more before just diving right in as soon as he arrived. He''d always been impulsive, even he could admit that.

    He did like to think that he was rather clever, so maybe that wasn¡¯t all bad though, being a fox in the analogy. Hmmm¡­

    Anyway. Getting distracted again. Back to what he was up to now.

    He was just done with this place. Time to bail. If he could.

    Unfortunately that was proving much more difficult than he¡¯d initially thought that it would be.

    He wasn¡¯t stupid enough to actually open up a portal. Right now he was a little spec floating outside the universe. The massive shimmering surface in front of him representing the universe controlled by the Force was huge, and there was little chance the Force could find him. If it even bothered to look with how pointless a task searching the outer surface would be.

    Unless he was stupid enough to open a portal wide enough that he could retract that little portion of himself in that universe, Draeth was safe. For now. That connection was also keeping him floating here, anchored to this stupid universe. This stupid, way too powerful, ridiculously profitable universe.

    Failure. He couldn¡¯t break the connection or even do all that much else but observe through the little fragment of himself inside the Force¡¯s universe.

    Bah, he was stuck. No matter how much he wiggled the connection or tried to pull himself away without a portal, he was stuck.

    This whole venture was very profitable, even if Draeth¡¯s stress had been through the roof from all the hard work he¡¯d had to do to get it so far¡­

    Yeah, he was stuck anyway. May as well make the most of it.

    And fuck the Force. Why did it have to be so greedy and extreme? Bully innocent little tourists like him so much? All he was doing was taking a little sip of the universe¡¯s energy for himself. Really nothing at all when you thought about it.

    If he was going to be greedy, then may as well go all in.

    He¡¯d bleed this universe dry then float away laughing before the Force managed to catch him.

    If he didn¡¯t get squashed flat under its big heavy boot first, that is.

 Chapter 34: Joining with the Force

    ¡°Good. Ventress, Savage. Tell me, what of the situation of the warfront so far?¡±

    ¡°We are at a stalemate, sir,¡± Savage, the humanoid with a ring of sharp horns ringing his head like a crown, and brother to the reclusive Darth Maul, said, ¡°The kyber crystal weapons they have built into their ships¡­ It¡¯s like even our superior numbers and better strategies mean nothing before their power. One blast from those weapons, and whole ships are destroyed in an instant.¡±

    ¡°Maybe in front of your pitiful strategies, their weapons are unstoppable,¡± Ventress scoffed, ¡°I have led my own battalion to victory and broke the Galrarian siege with our decisive victory. My victory. We even destroyed one of their weapons in the process.¡±

    ¡°You! That was nearly a year ago now and you still-¡±

    ¡°Enough,¡± Dooku demanded and both of his pitiful Sith apprentices went silent. Dooku sighed. He¡¯d been reduced to these scraps, when things could have been so much better. Skywalker and his power could have made a real difference in this war. Maybe not even as a soldier, despite his strange powers, but in swaying the Ranja Root Order to the Separatist cause.

    Oh, efforts had been made by both sides for influence over the new Jedi Order. But frankly they had been rebuffed without a second thought by the Ranja Root Order. Especially when it had been revealed to the galaxy that Dooku was a Sith after he was forced to fight off another group of assassins with his full powers. Obi wan and his fellow leaders were dedicated to their neutrality, as well as the members below them. And were now wary of Dooku due to him having been revealed as a Sith. But for Anakin¡­ Perhaps the boy could have convinced Obi Wan where Dooku could not. Dooku was sure that the boy would have been able to brought to the fold even after learning that Dooku was a Sith. And Anakin could have worked more magic with those droid designs as he had to help give the CIS such a large advantage in the earliest stages of the galactic civil war¡­

    Dooku wouldn¡¯t be forced to resort to teaching these pitiful children the ways of the Sith just to raise warriors who could match a fraction of a true Jedi¡¯s abilities in battle. Able to surpass the average Jedi in power and strength perhaps, but none of the control or intelligence to truly stand out from the crowd.

    While the droids were far superior in accounting for the Jedi¡¯s abilities in their strategies now after Skywalker¡¯s innovations, that didn¡¯t make the droids able to counter them any easier. How did one plan around precognition, and all the supernatural abilities that the Force gave him and all other Force users?

    Despite the droid¡¯s mental upgrades, their ability to account for and plan around the Jedi¡¯s powers was still haphazard at best considering the sheer unpredictability and improbability that Force users exerted on their surroundings. Their ability to shatter even the most well crafted plans of the droids with seemingly luck and taking nonsensical actions that only revealed their purpose at the proper moment later to assist the Jedi to survive an ambush or accomplish their mission against all the odds that said doing so was impossible. If anything, the droids always went a bit overboard at throwing resources uselessly at the Jedi in an attempt to slay them. Which usually still failed despite the droid''s best efforts.

    Dooku had to admit that he secretly found the droid¡¯s struggle a little bit of a relief despite the inconvenience to the war effort. He wouldn¡¯t want the droids to become too adept at countering Force users abilities after all. Not while he was one of them.

    ¡°Master?¡± Ventress ventured as Dooku didn¡¯t speak for some time. He scowled at her for a moment and she shrunk back at his glare. He calmed himself and smoothed out his expression. It wasn¡¯t ideal, but this was what it would take to eliminate the Old Order of the Jedi and the Council once and for all. And for that he would use every resource at his disposal. Even¡­ These idiots.

    At least Grievous was somewhat competent. The four armed mechanical cyborg stood on the edges of the room, watching them with a keen eye. Even now Dooku could feel the warrior¡¯s amusement and sense of superiority as he watched the other two Sith bicker and be silenced by Dooku with a single word like scolded schoolchildren.

    ¡°Grievous? And your report? What is your progress on the campaign towards the hyperlanes to the core?¡±

    ¡°It is slow but steady movement, and I estimate that I shall break the Republic resistance within a few months,¡± Grievous said confidently, ¡°Have you considered my proposal that I sent last week? We could speed up our war effort considerably if we¡­¡±

    ¡°No. I understand the temptation,¡± Dooku answered, having spent quite some time considering the issue for himself when Grievous had initially sent his written proposal to his office. He had told Skywalker at one time that it was irresponsible for a leader to not use every resource at their disposal. That every lie and manipulation in politics was a necessary evil when the consequences of their actions were so dire from choosing to not do so.

    So he had carefully considered the proposal and considered all of the angles despite the distastefulness of it. Distaste was no reason to discard a valuable resource or strategy.

    ¡°But Lord Dooku, if we folded the neutral worlds into our sphere of influence and simply looked the other way to their slave trade, then we could easily bypass heavy Republic resistance and seize the next hyperlane leading to the Core within the week! The Republic would never see such a surprise assault coming and would be crushed!¡±

    The four armed cyborg took its two right fists and pounded them into its two open left hands for emphasis at the end and started at Dooku expectantly.

    ¡°That is true,¡± Dooku admitted, ¡°It would certainly win us the battle, but lose us the war.¡±

    ¡°I do not see it, Lord,¡± Grievous grunted, ¡°How could this lose us the war? All those slave owning worlds are ripe for being swayed to our sphere of influence. The only reason they don¡¯t join us immediately is because the Raxus senate foolishly banned the slave trade across all of the member worlds as their first action. If that law were repealed then we could instantly gain nearly two dozen strategic worlds, and even more less important ones aligned to our cause in an instant! It would swing the tides of the war our way!¡±

    ¡°Perhaps. But why gain two dozen critical worlds only to lose a hundred? Despite its short term benefit, it will only hurt us long term.¡±

    ¡°I do not understand. The Raxus Senators and many member worlds have no strong opinions on the subject. Only a select few would be put off by the repeal of the ban. Surely you haven¡¯t grown a conscious?¡± Grievous peered at Dooku suspiciously, its eyes narrowed.

    The cyborg suddenly turned and let out a hacking cough to the side into one of its arms before returning to stare at Dooku.

    ¡°Nothing of the sort. Let me ask this. Why was slavery banned in the CIS upon its formation? No member world was calling for it, not even the senators were particularly passionate about the issue. I called for that law. I made it pass through the Raxus senate. Why? Because it was a brilliant political maneuver that still pays dividends to this day. Hutt space¡­ Their whole slave population was freed all at once by the Republic. Only to see their old masters protected and remain completely untouched in the aftermath, unpunished for their crimes by the Republic. Those former slaves¡­ They see us as liberators. The true saviors. Someone to get them the justice that the Republic has denied them.

    ¡°Even now their grassroot guerrilla efforts and devoted separatist cells of partisans work across the galaxy for the war effort in a trillion minor or not so minor ways. Some are not even employed by us, but do so of their own volition with only some minor funding by us as support. They do this because we portray ourselves as better than the Republic. That we will allow them to be free and give them their vengeance that they crave against their former masters.

    ¡°And do you know what would happen if the CIS allowed slavery again? Proclaimed to the whole galaxy that this implicit promise had been broken? All that goodwill, all of their efforts on our behalf, all those groups that view us as the path to a better future for them and theirs¡­¡±

    Dooku snapped his fingers and Grievous and the two other Sith flinched.

    ¡°All gone like that. They would switch allegiances to the Republic in an instant. So no, your proposal is rejected. Until such time as the former slaves are no longer so supremely useful to our war effort, we will do no such thing.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I see, Lord,¡± Grievous said, seeming satisfied with Dooku¡¯s ruthless response. The cyborg always thought to test Dooku, to make sure Dooku was still worthy of being followed. Dooku sneered at the cyborg for a moment in distaste before smoothing over his expression again. Even distaste would not make him discard useful resources, he reminded himself.

    ¡°Then is there nothing more to report? Then I believe it is time for me to resume the training for you three in the ways of the Sith. Grievous, we will begin with you. You can not use your Force due to the shriveled husk that you call a body underneath all of those cybernetics. But we will see how you have improved in your dueling forms since we last fought.

    ¡°You two.¡±

    Ventress and Savage looked at the floor respectfully as he turned to them.

    ¡°Spar with each other. Lightsabers at the lowest settings and fight for points on strikes. You will channel your rage and anger while maintaining your proper forms in battle. I will spar with Grievous nearby and we will see if you two are pitiful enough that I am forced to stop to correct your mediocre and disappointing skills once again like during our last session.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master,¡± the two said while keeping their heads bowed.

    ¡°I understand, Lord Dooku,¡± Grievous said, amused once more. Having seemingly quickly forgotten his proposal being so openly rejected in front of the other two Sith apprentices. Perhaps the cyborg just didn¡¯t view them as ones whose opinions that he should consider. Yes, that was probably it¡­

    ¡°We will spar on the landing pad outside,¡± Dooku said, ¡°There are no rooms large enough for our needs in this isolated bunker. We will make do with what we have.¡±

    The four of them made their way outside and almost immediately Ventress and Savage started bickering childishly before fighting. Dooku observed them for a moment before forcefully turning away. Their forms were amateurish and sloppy¡­ But they were using their forms at least. Progress was progress, no matter how disappointingly slow it was.

    Grievous raised his four arms, each clutching a lightsaber as they all activated at once.

    ¡°Let us battle, Dooku!¡± Grievous shouted, ¡°I shall manage to strike your robes this time, I stake my warrior¡¯s pride on it!¡±

    ¡°Then prepare for that pride to be broken once again. Let us begin.¡±

    The cyborg leapt forward and slashed with two lightsabers at once at Dooku while holding the other two in reserve as if to defend against Dooku¡¯s counterstrike to his center mass. A good counter¡­ If Dooku had any intention of doing so.

    Dooku swayed out of the way of Grievous¡¯ lightsabers, before using his own blade to flicker out and land a light strike on the cyborg¡¯s shoulder just as it shifted its arms and went to swing his blades on the other pair of arms towards Dooku.

    This time, Dooku retracted his lightsaber slightly and blocked the blow perfectly before flowing into his next strike upon Grievous¡¯ mechanical body.

    The cyborg shifted gears as it became apparent that his approach was unsuccessful so far. Grievous started swinging its arms in sequence one after another in what seemed to be a continuous rain of blows on Dooku from the front in a storm of blades. But Dooku calmly blocked and shifted slightly when he had to to completely stop Grievous¡¯ assault cold.

    It was almost a shame that Grievous was so weak in the Force, Dooku mused, as he felt another pulse and instinctively knew where the next blow would come from. Dooku moved his lightsaber to block Grievous¡¯ blow even before Grievous¡¯ arm started moving for the blow. Like that, Dooku used his mastery of the Force to predict every one of Grievous¡¯ blows and dodge or block just the right way according to his techniques.

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    Grievous was talented in martial combat, extremely talented. He had learned the Jedi lightsaber forms nearly instinctively, like a sponge soaking in the knowledge.

    But without the Force to assist him, such talent only brought him barely enough strength to challenge the stronger of the Jedi Knights who might move to oppose him. Let alone a true Jedi Master.

    If Dooku had his way, then after this training session then perhaps the cyborg would be strong enough that such against Jedi Knights battles would no longer be hard fought battles with victory just barely grasped with the edge of his fingertips. But more achievable victories.

    Ventress and Savage were still going at it, taunting and fighting one another. Dooku could feel their genuine anger and loathing for one another through the Force as they fought aggressively. Their technique was terrible¡­ But hadn¡¯t been completely discarded just yet. So Dooku allowed them to continue and resumed his bout with Grievous, punishing every opening and weakness relentlessly and perfectly defending every blow.

    It was only half way through the spar that Dooku realized that the loud rasping coming from the cyborg was a wheezing laugh of delight as it relished the thrill of combat, even as Grievous was completely outclassed.

    Dooku¡¯s communicator buzzed at his side. He continued the battle for a moment and finished one last strike on Grievous before leaping back to give some distance and holding up his hand. Grievous looked like he wanted to leap forward and continue the fight anyway, but restrained himself and grumbled as he stood back.

    Dooku lifted the communicator in front of him and accepted the connection.

    ¡°Yes? I thought I said I was not to be disturbed unless there was an emergency?¡±

    ¡°Republic forces are above the planet, sir. Looks like an elite strike team based on their advanced weapons and high speed. They just appeared in our scanners out of nowhere somehow and blasted through all the ships in their way without stopping. They¡¯re making their way to your position, and will arrive within five minutes. Their interceptors are fast enough to shoot down any ships attempting to leave your location. Our defensive forces will not reach you in time.¡±

    ¡°I see. Send all available units to fight them off at all haste. We will remain inside of the bunker.¡±

    Grievous rolled his cybernetic shoulders, his lightsabers still ignited from their spar. Dooku watched as the cyborg adjusted a dial on the side of its lightsabers and the intensity of the plasma blades increased to a deadly level. Dooku quickly did the same.

    ¡°Ventress, Savage! Cease your spar! The Republic has sent a strike team for us. It seems we have at least one traitor in our ranks to root out after this. Into the bunker now.¡±

    The two of them paused mid battle and turned to Dooku, their anger forgotten in an instant.

    The four of them hurried into the bunker and sealed the doors inside. Dooku ordered one of the commando droids standing nearby to take his vessel and flee. Hopefully the diversion would distract the Republic task group and give them more time before their CIS reinforcements arrived to support them.

    They waited in the bunker, all of their lightsabers activated and buzzing at full power.

    All of the reinforced blast doors through the ten levels of the bunker were sealed shut, with the defensive droids taking positions to defend in the case of a breach. From the control room in the very base of the facility, they all watched as a Republic troop transport landed a few minutes later on his landing pad.

    Squads of clones rushed out of the three large transports, but it wasn¡¯t only them. There were Jedi, many Jedi, with them. Dooku tried to count them, but there were dozens of Jedi at least with their lightsabers activated. Dooku recognized several of them as Jedi Masters. Mace Windu most prominent among them at the lead of the group.

    ¡°...Is there a way to flee?¡± Grievous asked, as practical as ever.

    ¡°Unfortunately not,¡± Dooku said, ¡°We must simply hold out for as long as we can. CIS reinforcements are twenty minutes away. It will take some time for them to get through the facility even with¡­ Such a large force of Jedi.¡±

    Even as they watched on the cameras two Jedi worked together to carve open the exterior doors to the first level of the facility.

    The droids lying in wait fired at the Jedi, but they leapt to the side and allowed the squads of Republic troopers behind to pour fire into the gap and retaliate against the droid assault.

    After a few seconds of exchanged blaster fire between the clones and the droids, the two Jedi to either side of the door leapt inside, and the clones stopped firing, the maneuver obviously preplanned.

    The two Jedi decimated the defensive groups of droids, and in less than a minute the other Jedi and clones following behind had cleared the entire first level of the bunker of their opponents. Then they started working on the next door, barely slowed down in their path to the control room.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    The Jedi were right outside of their door. Reinforcements were only five minutes away now, but it was too late. All they would be able to do was punish the Republic retreat, not reinforce Dooku and the three others inside of the bunker itself in time.

    Dooku wore a deep grimace as he stood in front of the door waiting, the clones having already disabled the cameras on the other side.

    With a heavy thump and the tearing of metal, an explosive slammed against the door and blasted it inwards. Dooku held out his hand and in a burst of the Force pushed outwards and sent the shrapnel flying back into the exterior of the hallway. It only slammed into the opposite wall, only a single larger fragment slamming into a clone who had been out of position, sending him slamming into the far wall with bone crushing force.

    Dooku and Grievous burst from the room and began to do battle, the nervous Ventress and Savage following closely behind.

    Dooku managed to kill four clones before the first Jedi moved from the group to counter him.

    With no time to hold back any hidden cards, Dooku held out his free hand and released all of his hate and rage in a burst of lightning from his fingertips that blasted the charging Jedi.

    The Jedi screamed in surprise, his lightning curving around her blade to sear her flesh as she moved to block. Without knowing the proper Force technique to counter him, she was unable to divert his lightning and force it to strike her lightsaber instead of allowing him free control of its path.

    The Jedi screamed and thrashed on the ground as Dooku dashed forward, dropping the tip of his weapon to the ground as he did so. The Jedi¡¯s screams went silent as his blade bisected her. He whirled in a circle and the confused clones around him were killed in a whirlwind of strikes.

    Another lightsaber came from the side and Dooku blocked. He went to blast the offending Jedi with his lightning again, but in a pulse of the Force his Force lightning was diverted and curved to hit the Jedi¡¯s blade instead.

    In a pulse of the Dark Side, Dooku lifted a nearby clone and sent their body flying towards the Jedi in the path of their lightsaber blade.

    The Jedi hesitated and shifted their blade awkwardly to avoid slicing their flailing ally in two as the clone slammed into the surprised Jedi. Dooku capitalized on the weakness and dashed forward and with a single slash carved through the both clone and the Jedi behind him in two with a horizontal slash before the Jedi could move their out of position lightsaber to block.

    Another lightsaber came for Dooku¡¯s back, coming low. He shifted himself and just barely managed to dodge it and whirled to block the follow up blow from the next Jedi in his path.

    For a full furious second of combat, Dooku dueled furiously with what must be a Jedi master, their battle so fast that Dooku¡¯s errant blows to cleave clones in his way in two were barely even a factor in their duel.

    Just when Dooku saw another Jedi coming towards him from down the hallway to attack, the Jedi master¡¯s eyes suddenly widened and they whirled around to block a blow from behind.

    Savage¡¯s eyes widened as his blade was brushed to the side and he was decapitated before he could even register the Jedi Master¡¯s reaction to his attempted backstab.

    But the Jedi Master had taken his attention away from Dooku and their duel, and he was cleaved in two before he could spin around to counter Dooku¡¯s ruthless attack to exploit the opportunity that Savage¡¯s death had given Dooku.

    Dooku glanced behind him and heard Grievous¡¯ wheezing laughter even as the cyborg barely held off the three Jedi Knight level combatants that he fought simultaneously with his four arms and lightsabers. The cyborg was worse for wear, and its mechanical body was battered and covered in searing scorch marks from where his opponents lightsabers had struck his reinforced frame.

    Ventress was dueling her own Jedi, and barely holding on and looking harried as she slowly lost the fight. In her desperation, she had forgotten her forms once again and was drawing on her hatred and fear desperately to strike with sloppy but powerful blows. The Jedi opposing her was using her precise use of the Jedi lightsaber forms to push Ventress back even as the Jedi weathered the Sith apprentice¡¯s strong blows that couldn¡¯t be ignored despite their sloppiness.

    Two Jedi came for Dooku at once and he began panting in exhaustion as he barely held back both of the Jedi master¡¯s relentless attacks at the same time.

    Grievous let out a loud groan from behind, but Dooku was too pressed by the dual assault of both Jedi masters to be able to look behind him to see what had happened.

    Ventress let out a scream that was quickly cut short, and Dooku heard Grievous roar and start flailing wildly with its four metallic limbs. He could hear the cyborg becoming overwhelmed and his normally labored breathing becoming even more raspy and weak as the Jedi that the cyborg was fighting began to bring the giant warrior to the ground under their attacks.

    Dooku noticed one of the Jedi Masters that he was dueling stepped on one of the pieces of shrapnel sitting on the ground from the destroyed bunker door.

    Dooku grabbed a piece of shrapnel underneath the Jedi Master¡¯s foot and forced it to fly upwards at high speed with the Force. Surprised, the Jedi master stumbled and her lightsaber shifted out of position as Dooku moved aggressively to capitalize on the opportunity.

    The surprised Jedi Master still managed to move, to avoid Dooku¡¯s first blow, but he continued his assault and kept with his ruthless barrage of strikes and started to overwhelm her.

    He grunted and gritted his teeth as the other Jedi master behind him slashed his lightsaber across Dooku¡¯s exposed back. But Dooku had pressed forward in his assault so quickly that the blow only barely dug into his back before he¡¯d already moved forward and out of the way.

    Dooku kept pressing forward and was about to land his finishing blow when he gasped and froze.

    He stumbled back and looked down to see the purple lightsaber piercing into his side, Mace Windu standing there with flaring nostrils right next to him as if appearing from nowhere out of the crowd.

    Windu brought his blade forward and out of Dooku¡¯s chest and with one flick of his blade separated Dooku¡¯s lightsaber hand from his body.

    The room went silent as Dooku stumbled and attempted to brace himself against the wall with his stump hand before turning with his back and slowly starting to slide down the wall.

    He held his still able hand to the searing hole in his stomach and knew that he wasn¡¯t long for this world. Dooku glanced to the side. He saw Grievous and Ventress¡¯ still forms on the ground to the side. It seems that Grievous had been able to take two of the Jedi with him before he was finally defeated. Ventress had been useless as always, her opponent barely even wounded as the Jedi stood over the Sith apprentice¡¯s decapitated body.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Dooku groaned, glaring at Mace Windu, keeping himself alive through his massive injuries through the power of the dark side of the Force. Letting the rage and hate flowing through him allow him to persist just a little longer.

    ¡°Me,¡± Windu said calmly, ¡°Master Dooku. For all the suffering that you¡¯ve caused during these last five years of war. For all the atrocities that you¡¯ve committed against the Republic and its people. For the devastation you brought to innocent worlds standing in the path of your Separatist war machine and cruel droid armies. All of it revealed to be masterminded by you, a Sith who has betrayed the very ideals that you used to hold dear. Do you have any last words?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d¡­ Do it all again,¡± Dooku groaned, ¡°For the chance to make you and the Council suffer for what you¡¯ve done.¡±

    ¡°Then in the name of the Republic, in the name of democracy, and to avenge all of your victims. To purge the Sith wherever they may hide, waiting to bring chaos and destruction to the galaxy once more¡­ I carry out your sentence. May you join with the Force peacefully, despite your crimes.¡±

    Dooku went to sit up, to shout, but all he saw was a bright flash of a purple lightsaber and then only darkness.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Dooku felt a pull and he was floating in emptiness. A spirit. He had no eyes, no body, no sensation in his amorphous form. Something that wasn¡¯t quite a body, but almost like a faded impression of one. Yet he still was floating as the pull drew him ever upwards. He was not alone. There were others floating nearby. He could feel them. Many weak, almost lifeless except for the occasional twitch as they floated along with the pull upwards.

    Others moved with more purpose. Most seemed to willingly join with the currents, some even swimming like fish upwards to ascend upwards even faster than what the currents demanded of them.

    Two of the spirits nearby were thrashing and flailing, pulling with all of their might against the current and attempting to swim downwards. But they were too weak, and despite their struggles they were drawn inexorably upwards with the rest, unable to resist the current.

    Should he resist? Dooku instinctively sensed that he would be able to. And with his strength perhaps he¡¯d even be able to succeed, to swim against the current and downwards and away from the relentless power swirling above them all.

    But for what purpose? His rage and anger all felt so distant and pointless now that he was in this place. He still felt that flicker of anger, but just felt more tired and weary more than anything. All of his efforts, decades of dedicating his whole life to bringing down to the Council¡­ And that was his ignoble death. All of it was worthless in the end.

    No, he¡¯d follow the current and see where it led.

    He kept rising with the other spirits, sightless yet still sensing each other as they drifted.

    The higher they rose the stronger the currents grew until they were like the strong undercurrents of an ocean, whipping them upwards at incredible speeds. Swirling like a whirlpool as Dooku felt more and more spirits start to crowd around him.

    Then he felt it. The center, the origin of the pull. The sphere sat there above them like a pulsing star, spinning like a top and drawing the spirits into itself.

    Dooku moved faster and faster in the massive whirlpool until it felt like the other spirits were like streaking bands of light streaming by on all sides around him.

    Then¡­

    Then¡­

    He touched the surface of the sphere and merged with it. And then he only felt bliss as he and the sphere became one. Something that he realized had always been inevitable, yet a surprise at the same time.

    Count Dooku, former Jedi, Sith, founder of the Confederate of the Independent Systems¡­ Was one with the Force once more.

 Chapter 35: The Recruit

    ¡°Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Weldari. It was your son that I¡¯m here for?¡±

    The couple nodded and after an awkward silence stood aside and gestured inside.

    ¡°Yes, the Jedi has been here for about a week, training our son to show him what it¡¯s like,¡± the father rumbled before hesitating, ¡°Who are you again? The Jedi wouldn¡¯t quite say.¡±

    Ahsoka huffed before shaking her head slightly, ¡°Just an oversight, I¡¯m sure. My name is Ahsoka Tanu, and I¡¯m one of the Jedi Knights for the Ranja Root Order. According to the treaty both of us get a representative to make our case to any Force sensitives. At least that¡¯s how it¡¯s supposed to be.¡±

    ¡°Are you here to take him away too?¡± the mother interjected, ¡°I don¡¯t think¡­¡±

    The husband put his hand on his wife¡¯s arm and she stilled and stopped her outburst.

    ¡°The Jedi are here to help,¡± the husband said with conviction, ¡°The real Jedi, helping the Republic in the war.¡±

    Ahsoka let the insult slide off of her as the man frowned at her while Mrs. Weldari frowned at him, clearly unhappy with his statement.

    ¡°He¡¯s right inside, ¡± Mrs. Weldari added quickly to break the tension, ¡°The¡­ uhm, Knight Jenro is in with him right now training.¡±

    Ahsoka nodded and let herself be led into the room where the five year old boy sat next to an older man in Jedi robes.

    The man¡¯s head snapped up and he looked surprised for a moment before standing to his feet.

    ¡°Ahsoka Tanu?¡± he said, ¡°I¡­ Am surprised to see you.¡±

    ¡°I should expect so,¡± she replied drily, not impressed by the man¡¯s evasion, ¡°Especially when our Order was not contacted according to procedure so we could make our case. Just a mistake, I¡¯m sure? I only knew to come because I¡­ Was alerted to the situation through other sources.¡±

    The Jedi Knight slowly nodded.

    ¡°I suppose so. You¡¯re here now, and by treaty you will be able to make your case,¡± he said before turning to the son, ¡°Keep with your exercises, Jalar. We shall return to them again tomorrow, after this woman is done speaking with you.¡±

    ¡°Wha- But it¡¯s early?¡± the boy pouted as he let the blocks that he was levitating fall back to the floor, ¡°You can¡¯t teach me more?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, Jalar. Until tomorrow. Goodbye for now.¡±

    The Jedi Knight stood and with long strides left the room, leaving the confused young boy behind.

    Ahsoka stood in front of the boy and crouched down as he stared at her.

    ¡°Hello. I¡¯m from the Ranja Root Order. I¡¯m here to see if you¡¯d like to come with me instead of Knight Jenro and his Jedi Order.¡±

    The boy¡¯s brows furrowed as he stared at her.

    ¡°There¡¯s more than one kind of Jedi?¡± he asked in confusion, ¡°But in the stories there¡¯s only one kind? I¡¯ve never heard of Ra-Ran- Of that hard name before.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s okay. We¡¯re very new, we wouldn¡¯t be in any of your stories just yet. So, you have the Force?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± the boy said, brightening as he focused intently and lifted the block off the ground again with intense focus.

    ¡°See!¡±

    ¡°Yes, very good,¡± Ahsoka praised, a little surprised how advanced the boy was after a little training. He had some potential it seems, even more than normal¡­

    ¡°Now what has Knight Jenro told you of being a Jedi, Jalar? It¡¯s a very important decision, which of us you want to go with.¡±

    Jalar let go of the block as his concentration broke and it fell to the floor with a clatter, ¡°Aww, you made me drop it,¡± he complained before refocusing on the conversation a little more, ¡°A Jedi¡­ Knight Jenro said that I¡¯d train and learn my powers and be a great Jedi if I worked hard! I¡¯ll go on missions and talk to people and save villages and stuff like the stories!¡±

    ¡°And did he say how long you¡¯d be at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be¡­ training and stuff all the time,¡± Jalar said, ¡°He said it would be a long time. But after I was done, then I¡¯d be super strong and able to take on anyone who¡¯s being a bad guy!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all true. But how long is long for you? How long do you think it¡¯ll take?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I dunno? Like¡­ A year?¡± Seeing Ahsoka¡¯s expression, he guessed again, ¡°Two years? Three? No, it can¡¯t be more than four! That¡¯s a lot! That¡¯s like¡­ How many I am!¡±

    ¡°Being a Jedi is forever, Jalar,¡± Ahsoka said, ¡°Even when you¡¯re old and strong, you wouldn¡¯t be allowed to see your family because it might interfere with your training and focus as a Jedi. You¡¯d never see them again.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ That¡¯s not true,¡± Jalar denied, ¡°He said that I could call them if I ever missed them. He said that.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Ahsoka said, ¡°But only for the first year or maybe two if you¡¯re really having trouble. It¡¯s meant as a way to ease you into forgetting them instead of staying in contact. If you joined the Ranja Root Order, then you wouldn¡¯t have to do that. Your parents could come visit you in person at our temple whenever they wanted. Some of our members even have families of their own that live in the nearby city on our home planet.¡±

    ¡°Ms¡­ Jedi,¡± the husband suddenly said from behind, ¡°I think that¡¯s quite enough. Son, you¡¯ll be off being a Jedi, doing great things. Being a defender of our great Republic. I know that it¡¯ll be hard¡­ But I think it¡¯s best if you go with Knight Jenro instead of this woman. She¡¯s not a real Jedi, no matter what the government may say about her.¡±

    Mrs. Weldari looked like she wanted to say something, but closed her mouth as her husband glared at her. She looked off to the side and her lips pressed into a tight line.

    ¡°I dunno, Dad. Knight Jenro has been pretty nice to me and taught me all sorts of cool stuff¡­¡±

    ¡°Me and my order can teach you all of those things too,¡± Ahsoka said, ¡°Actually, if you want I can¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough! Ms. Tanu, my son will be going to the true Jedi and that is final,¡± the father said, ¡°I¡¯ve had enough hearing you trying to confuse my son and make him join you lot of traitors.¡±

    Ahsoka stood to her feet and nodded, her face a calm mask as she absorbed the man¡¯s anger.

    ¡°I see. I suppose I will take my leave then,¡± she looked back down at Jalar, ¡°Think about it, Jalar. It¡¯s a big choice. Don¡¯t make it too quickly.¡±

    Before the father¡¯s anger could boil over, Ahsoka walked forward and brushed past the angry man and went to the front door.

    The father remained behind in the room after some harsh whispering from his wife.

    The woman hurried after Ahsoka and led her to the door.

    Ahsoka lingered just a step outside as she saw the woman¡¯s nervous posture.

    ¡°Is it true, madame Jedi?¡± Mrs. Weldari asked in a whisper, ¡°If he joined your order, then we could go see him? That he won¡¯t ever have to fight in the war?¡±

    ¡°The war¡­ It¡¯s been six years already,¡± Ahsoka said, ¡°I doubt he¡¯d be old enough to fight in the war, even if they sent him when he was a padawan.¡±

    The woman looked doubtful, ¡°It¡¯s been six years already. It feels like this war will never end,¡± the woman said, ¡°But it¡¯s true? You¡¯re neutral and¡­ Not working with the Separatists against the Republic?¡±

    ¡°No. We¡¯re neutral, as much as we can possibly be. Your son wouldn¡¯t fight for either side of the war if he joined the Ranja Root Order.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I was the one who sent the transmission to you people,¡± Mrs. Weldari admitted, ¡°My husband, he¡¯s a patriot. Wants our son to do his duty, to become a defender to the Republic¡­ Is there anything that you can do? He won¡¯t budge on it no matter how much I argue.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s up to little Jalar in the end if you two can¡¯t agree,¡± Ahsoka said, ¡°You have to convince him, not me. If you can¡¯t convince your husband to sign to consent to sending him to the Ranja Root Order with me, then it¡¯s up to the boy himself. No matter what your husband says, if Jalar agrees to go with me with full knowledge of what that means then with me he¡¯ll go. And the same for Knight Jenro. Jalar has the final say if you two can¡¯t make a decision for him.¡±

    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°But he¡¯s only four years old, how can he make a decision like that? All he sees is tales of heroic Jedi knights and defending the Republic¡­ I just¡­ I can¡¯t¡­¡±

    The woman took a moment to compose herself.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back tomorrow,¡± Ahsoka promised after waiting a moment as she saw the woman¡¯s struggle, ¡°Whichever of us that he goes with, I¡¯m sure that your son will become a great Jedi. He has some real potential in the Force from what I¡¯ve seen already.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Knight Tanu. I will try to convince him. Thank you for coming.¡±

    ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m glad you called me so your son at least knows all of his options before he makes a decision.¡±

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Knight Jenro sighed as he sat at the bar.

    ¡°I know that our Order is right, but all of the promising recruits end up going to them. The children are the future, without them our Order will fade as the Ranja Root grows. I just thought that with this one, that we might¡­¡±

    ¡°You made the right decision,¡± his Republic Intelligence liaison said as he sat next to Knight Jenro and sipped his drink, ¡°It was a risk, and there¡¯s still a chance that the boy will come with you even with Jedi Tanu here now. You¡¯ve had a week to build up rapport with him, and the father seems on board with sending him to us.¡±

    ¡°Still. Ahsoka Tanu herself, the rising star of the new Order. What chance do I have against her? If we weren¡¯t competing and I¡¯d already insulted her, then I¡¯d be forced to ask her for an autograph.¡±

    The waiter brought them another round of drinks and dropped the two cups in front of the two men.

    ¡°Don¡¯t lose hope just yet, I think we still have a good chance,¡± the man insisted as he lifted the drink to his lips. He took a swig of the beer before putting the drink back down on the bar, ¡°We have an in with the father, and¡­¡±

    Knight Jenro lifted his own drink and brought it to his lips before pausing. The Force screamed out a warning to him just as he was about to drink. He reflexively dropped the glass in surprise and it shattered on the bar.

    ¡°What¡­ You¡­¡±

    The man from Republic Intelligence¡¯s words slurred; he slumped and slipped off of his chair, foaming at the mouth and eyes rolling into the back of his head.

    Knight Jenro reached out his hand and caught the man before his body hit the floor as the whole bar¡¯s attention turned to them. The man¡¯s body started twitching in mid air as Knight Jenro stared with his hand outstretched.

    ¡°Bacta! I think he¡¯s been poisoned!¡± he shouted, his heart pounding in his chest. Who knew what poison he¡¯d been dosed with? The people at the bar pulled out their communicators and started calling the authorities even as the waiter ran into the back room, yelling about getting their med kit.

    After less than a minute, a group of muscular and heavily tattooed men in white uniforms burst in the door to the bar with a stretcher carried between them. Knight Jenro used his Force abilities to lift the man and place him on the stretcher. His spasming had stopped, and he was breathing shallowly despite his closed eyes.

    While he didn¡¯t look good, he seemed¡­ Stable at least, even with the waiter never having reappeared again through the chaos.

    Knight Jenro followed the three medics outside and clambered into their flashing hovercar. He frowned slightly as he noticed that all of the Medics were heavily scarred. They sat inside the flashing emergency vehicle as it lifted off and started flying towards the nearest hospital for treatment.

    Knight Jenro frowned as he saw that the man across from him looked nervous and was fiddling with something in his pocket.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to check on him?¡± he asked to test the sudden silence that had descended on the cabin.

    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± the man next to Knight Jenro said before clearing his throat. He took what looked like some kind of scanner off of its mounting on the wall and pointed it at his patient. Knight Jenro frowned as the man swore softly and obviously struggled to operate the equipment. What was¡­

    ¡°For Count Dooku, Jedi Scum!¡±

    He ducked just as a blaster bolt scorched the wall where he had just sat. Knight Jenro reflexively reached out a hand and slammed the previously nervous man back into the opposite wall. The blaster went falling to the floor and skittering away as the man let out a heavy grunt.

    ¡°Kriff, too early ya bastard,¡± the man directly to Knight Jenro swore before pulling a knife and plunging it towards his throat in one smooth motion. Knight Jenro leaned back and slammed his head into the wall of the vehicle as the knife passed right by his throat. He grabbed the offending arm and with a twist of his hips from the sitting position sent the offending man slamming face first into the floor, his knife falling from limp fingers from the force of the impact.

    The last man pulled his own knife and stabbed not at Knight Jenro, but the unconscious Republic Intelligence operative on the stretcher between them.

    Knight Jenro blasted him with the Force and sent him flying back into the wall before his knife was even halfway to its target. In one smooth motion, he stood to his feet and with a few precise bursts of Force and blows with his fists rendered the three men unconscious.

    The vehicle swerved in the air and Knight Jenro was forced to brace his hand against the wall for a moment. He stumbled forward towards the closed divider between the back and the front cabin and the driver.

    He activated his lightsaber and with two quick strikes created a burning x to the front section. With a burst of the Force the metal peeled outwards and he reached through and seized the pilot around the shoulders through the newly created gap.

    The pilot struggled, but Knight Jenro¡¯s strength and grip on his throat quickly knocked him out. The vehicle started to drift and slowly dip its nose towards the ground with the unconscious pilot, but Knight Jenro focused and used the Force to keep the controls steady while he crawled through the newly created gap and grabbed the controls himself after deactivating his lightsaber again.

    He shoved the pilot so he fell slumped across the passenger¡¯s seat as Knight Jenro took control of the vehicle. He checked his location. As he expected. They had been going the opposite way as the nearest hospital.

    He swung the ambulance around and started going the right way, before glancing at the unconscious man slumped in the passenger¡¯s seat.

    He¡¯d figure out who these people were later.

    He had to get to the hospital first.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    ¡°He¡¯ll recover? What did the med droids say?¡± Ahsoka asked softly as she stood next to Knight Jenro in the hospital.

    ¡°They think so,¡± he replied, ¡°He received proper treatment in time luckily. It was more former slaves, trying to get revenge for Count Dooku¡¯s death, Republic Intelligence tells me after interrogating them. Fanatics, all of them somehow. Dooku¡¯s like a martyr to them. A Sith, of all people. Who knew that the Separatists would only fight even harder than before after his death¡­¡±

    Ahsoka didn¡¯t reply.

    ¡°Timing is suspicious though, isn¡¯t it?¡± he said slowly, as if talking to himself, ¡°They only acted right after you arrived. Strange.¡±

    ¡°Strange,¡± Ahsoka agreed.

    Silence.

    ¡°Perhaps they were trying to take me out of the picture. You¡¯ve been spending time with young Jalar over these last few days, I suppose?¡±

    ¡°No. Not at all,¡± Ahsoka said firmly, to the other Jedi¡¯s surprise, ¡°I¡¯ve kept my distance until you were in a better state for us to continue making our respective cases to the boy.¡±

    ¡°Oh. I see. I¡¯m sorry that I doubted you. I suppose I should have expected as much from the great Ahsoka Tanu. Padawan to the great Obi wan Kenobi. Rising star of the Ranja Root Order.¡±

    ¡°I know that our two Jedi Orders often come to conflict on some issues,¡± Ahsoka said after a moment, ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean that we¡¯re enemies. I assure you I had nothing to do with what happened or the attack.¡±

    ¡°I never said that you were.¡±

    ¡°But you were thinking it. I could see it on your face.¡±

    Knight Jenro paused before relaxing and letting out a small smile after studying her for a long moment.

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m just being paranoid after what¡¯s happened,¡± he said in apparent relief, ¡°It¡¯s hard to know who you can really trust in chaotic times like this.¡±

    ¡°I understand the feeling. So, tell me about yourself. I don¡¯t recognize you from my time at the Jedi Temple. How long have you been a Jedi Knight?¡±

    ¡°About three years now. I was too young at the time to really understand what was happening with the split between our Orders. The Council thought they¡¯d give me this mission as a bit of a break from the war front.¡±

    He let out a humorless chuckle, ¡°We¡¯ve seen how that turned out.¡±

    ¡°Well your mission isn¡¯t over yet. And the man survived. It certainly could have gone worse.¡±

    ¡°True. Very true¡­¡±

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Ahsoka held out her hand to Knight Jenro. The man stared at it in confusion.

    ¡°You grab it,¡± she explained, ¡°And shake it, up and down. It¡¯s called a handshake.¡±

    Knight Jenro grabbed her hand and she pumped their arms up and down to lead the motion of the handshake as Knight Jenro kept his arm limp and went with the motion. After a moment she released his grip.

    ¡°It was nice getting to know you, even if Jalar¡¯s parents ultimately chose to have him come with me to the Ranja Root Order.¡±

    Knight Jenro shook his head, but Ahsoka saw that he was wearing a faint smile.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try not to be a poor loser. And even if I still think he made the wrong choice¡­ I know that you and your Order will still take care of him.¡±

    Ahsoka nodded and Knight Jenro paused and opened his mouth, but didn¡¯t speak for a moment.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said after some hesitation, ¡°For not following procedure and alerting your order properly. In the beginning. I thought it for the best to present my full case to the boy without you there to interfere, but well¡­¡±

    ¡°I understand. My master has told me a bit of what Republic Intelligence can be like when it comes to accomplishing their missions at all cost,¡± she said, ¡°Just remember for next time. Best of luck on your next mission.¡±

    ¡°Back to the war it is,¡± he said before reaching into his robe and taking out a little palm sized figurine and smiling slightly. The figurine was of her, the orange skin and head tails prominent as the figurine struck a heroic pose with both of its green lightsabers held at the ready as if ready to leap into battle at any moment.

    ¡°At least I ended up getting it signed,¡± he said, ¡°I got something out of these last few weeks.¡±

    Ahsoka shook her head.

    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe that you had an action figurine of me. I didn¡¯t realize they were a thing outside of the Ranja Root Temple City. Really, it¡¯s my master that¡¯s the really famous one.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t. I had to quickly go out to buy one so you could sign it for me,¡± Knight Jenro said a little too quickly, ¡°And you¡¯re plenty famous yourself. Not just because of your master. It¡¯s telling that it only took looking through a few local shops to find this thing.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Glad that I could help.¡±

    Knight Jenro coughed awkwardly before nodding.

    ¡°Until next time, Knight Tanu.¡±

    ¡°Until then, Knight Jenro. Safe travels.¡±

    ¡°And to you as well.¡±

    The man turned and walked up the ramp and into his ship, Ahsoka¡¯s palm sized signed figurine still clutched in his hand as he raised the ramp and sealed his ship before taking off and flying upwards to go back to Coruscant again.

    Ahsoka watched his ship leave for a few seconds before turning herself.

    That had been a¡­ More pleasant mission than she¡¯d been expecting after the first few rocky days. Now she just had to get Jalar and organize settling his parents in their new apartment that they¡¯d decided to move to just outside the Ranja Root temple.

    The future of the Ranja Root Order was looking ever more promising with every passing day.

 Chapter 36: The End of the War

    ¡°Have you heard the news, Master Aurtera? They say that Coruscant¡¯s planetary shields are about to fall. After months of siege, the CIS is near victory.¡±

    ¡°Enough,¡± Master Aurtera said, although she was slightly disturbed by the clone commander¡¯s words.

    ¡°We have our mission here in the mid rim,¡± she said, ¡°And we have to stay focused on that, not on the Separatist push all the way to Coruscant. There are still¡­ Pockets of resistance across the core that are holding back the last Separatist advance. It is now when things are the most dire that we must fight the hardest to push them back. How long before we drop out of hyperspace until our target system?¡±

    ¡°Of course, commander. About seven minutes. We believe we should outnumber them. With our Kyber Crystal Sieger class cannon on this flagship as support, and defended by our larger fleet, I believe that our forces will have a decisive advantage. For once.¡±

    They dropped out of hyperspace, and stopped to gather their fleet of hundreds of ships. Surveying the Separatist fleet gathered around the planet opposite them and just now slowly shifting into a defensive formation facing them.

    ¡°Master Aurtera, we¡¯re receiving a transmission¡­ Directly from Coruscant. It¡¯s the highest priority possible to be shown to all command staff,¡± the Republic military officer assigned to her shouted out as he inspected his console in confusion. She frowned and swept over and inspected the panel.

    ¡°Directly from Coruscant? Are we sure it¡¯s legitimate?¡± she asked, suspicious of the message that was suspiciously high priority to be shown to the whole command crew while also marked as top secret enough that most of even this command crew likely didn¡¯t have clearance to have it be shown to them.

    ¡°That¡¯s what it says, Ma¡¯am,¡± the officer said helplessly, ¡°All the verifications came back clean. As far as I can tell it¡¯s real.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s it from?¡±

    ¡°Directly from Supreme Chancellor Mas Amedda¡¯s office, Ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± she said, ¡°Put on the central console. Let¡¯s us watch it then.¡±

    After a few moments, a large hologram of Mas Amedda appeared in the center of the room, staring into the mid distance.

    ¡°Officers and loyal soldiers of the Republic,¡± Mas Amedda said gravely, ¡°Execute Order Seventy three. This Republic is at great threat from within and without. Our enemies are too strong, too many. Only you can make sure that this great Republic survives, and ensure that our great democracy shall rise again from the ashes. I leave this last order to you, my loyal soldiers. Burn this galaxy to the ground and make sure that the Separatists rule nothing but ash and dust. Every planet of the Republic that will fall into the Separatists hand without our righteous intervention. If¡­ If I must fall then let the flames consume the galaxy. Let it all burn with me. That will be all. I leave to you my legacy. I will be remembered, I will not be a footnote in our history, but a blazing scorched mark that will be remembered forever......¡±

    Mas Amedda¡¯s speech grew more and more maddened until towards the end he had a crazed and desperate look in his eyes. The expression was frozen on his face for a moment in the hologram before the message ended and the hologram disappeared.

    ¡°Order seventy three¡­¡± the clone commander muttered, his tone oddly flat and emotionless.

    ¡°Commander, do you know what this order is?¡± Master Aurtera demanded, ¡°What is the meaning of that strange message? Has Coruscant fallen?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t believe so, Ma¡¯am?¡± the military officer said as he studied from the console, ¡°Our messages updated as of a few hours show no sign of the CIS breaking Coruscant¡¯s planetary shields. Has the Chancellor gone mad? Why would he think we would do something like that?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Master Aurtera said thoughtfully, ¡°Perhaps he truly has gone mad? I¡¯d heard that he¡¯d fallen into¡­ Various vices, and disappeared from the public eye for the last few years, only kept in office by the emergency powers act extending his term indefinitely until the end of the war. He might have finally cracked under the pressure¡­ Commander, what do you¡­¡±

    She turned, only to hear the hiss of the door closing as the clone commander left the bridge while she was distracted.

    ¡°Commander? What¡­" She turned back to the man she was talking to before, "Anyway, obviously we aren¡¯t following those orders. Halt our course, I want to send a message back to Coruscant and get confirmation on our real orders before we engage with the enemy. I don¡¯t want to be forced into an engagement if our orders will have changed in the meantime.¡±

    ¡°Of course, madame Jedi. Bleeding off our speed now. Separatists appear to be holding position around the planet. Waiting for us in defensive positions.¡±

    The fleet slowly came to a stop in the black void of space as they waited for a reply to their message back to Coruscant for clarification on what was going on.

    An hour later, Master Aurtera looked up from her discussion with the rest of the command crew.

    ¡°Where is our clone commander?¡± she asked, ¡°He has been gone for quite some time now,¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± the man she¡¯d been speaking with said, ¡°I believe he mentioned something about following orders? He seemed rather out of it when I saw him twenty minutes ago in the hallway.¡±

    ¡°Orders? What orders?¡± She asked in confusion, ¡°I¡¯ll go speak with him myself.¡±

    She left the bridge, nodding to the six heavily armed clones who had taken position just outside of the door. Perhaps that was it. The clone commander was increasing security after it appeared the situation in Coruscant was about to become more unstable with the Supreme Chancellor obviously going mad. There would likely be unrest among the crew when they heard the news. She should have thought of ordering him to do so earlier.

    She turned the corner and saw one of the normal clones holding out a communicator and showing three more a holographic message. She went to look away before a trickle of familiarity washed over her. Was that¡­ She changed direction and started walking towards the four clones. They noticed her, and quickly the one with the communicator shut it off and slipped it into a pocket in his armor.

    ¡°What was that?¡± she demanded, ¡°Why are you sharing classified messages in the middle of a open hallway? Or at all? That message is for command crew only. There is no need to cause a panic before we know what is truly going on back at home.¡±

    ¡°Of¡­ Course, Master Jedi,¡± the clone who had held the communicator said stiffly, as if he was slightly drunk, ¡°Message must be shared with¡­ All authorized personnel. Good soldiers¡­ Follow orders.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ See,¡± she said and eyed the four clones standing there as stiff as a board and staring at her through their armor, ¡°I will speak with your commander,¡± she decided, ¡°He will decide how to punish you four and whoever gave you that message. Now what are your identification¡­¡±

    Her head snapped around as she heard the sound of screams and blaster fire echo from the hallway she¡¯d just come from.

    She reached into her robes and pulled out her lightsaber and dashed back to the command deck. She entered the room and looked around in shock as she saw the clones charging into the room and opening fire on the surprised crew. Nearly half of the surprised bridge crew were already gunned down, even as the others dived behind their consoles or cover and pulled out their small blaster pistols as they tried to respond to the complete ambush.

    ¡°Cease fire! Cease fire, what are you doing?!¡± Master Aurtera shouted as she unsheathed her lightsaber and held it out to rest right against the neck of the nearest clone¡¯s armor. The clone ignored her blade and kept firing.

    ¡°Stop!¡± She shouted again, only for the clones to fire again as one of the command crew slipped out from behind the console. The man just barely managed to scramble back before a clone¡¯s blaster bold seared a hole in the floor where their head used to be.

    ¡°Arrest them!¡± she shouted as she heard the pounding of feet coming down the hallway from all directions. The clone commander was standing at the door along with an assault squad of his clones just in time to stop the traitors.

    ¡°Commander, place these men under arrest immediately,¡± she demanded while not letting her eyes leave the clones that had now lowered their weapons, having seemingly finally noticed her presence for the first time.

    The commander didn¡¯t respond for a long moment as she kept her lightsaber held against the neck of the clone in front of her unmoving. She glanced behind her to where the commander and the squad of armed clones remained motionless by the door, ¡°Commander?¡±

    ¡°Open fire!¡±

    She only had a moment to widen her eyes before all the clones lowered their blasters and fired at her as one. She dashed to the side with her Force abilities, using her lightsaber to block the blaster bolts that came too close and deflecting them to the side and into the wall of the room.

    Their blaster fire cut down their fellows that she¡¯d just been standing in front of, sending their bodies to the floor dead without even a flicker of hesitation in the firing squad¡¯s stiff body language.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°What is this?!¡± she shouted, ¡°Commander, what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Good soldiers follow orders!¡± all of the clones chanted in unison before raising their weapons and firing at her again. She dodged again, and after grappling in indecision for a painfully long moment, started deflecting the blaster bolts back at the clones instead of at the nearby wall.

    She moved forward, dashing side to side and reflecting the errant blaster bolt that managed to come close to her back to sender.

    In only seconds, nearly the half had fallen dead to the floor, killed by their own shots.

    The clone commander took a step back and said something as he raised a hand to the side of his helmet. He gestured to the side before fleeing to the side and out of sight of the door.

    Master Aurtera, her lips now in a tight thin line moved forward to the remaining half of the clone squad that was still trying to actively kill her.

    She raised a hand and with a burst of the Force sent half of the remaining squad falling back to the ground. She burst forward in one giant leap, and then she was among them. In a series of precise strikes with her lightsaber, she eliminated the five remaining clones. She stood there panting in exertion over their bodies and looked from side in the apparently abandoned hallway. She turned back to the ravaged command deck scarred with giant plasma marks and destroyed console from the brief battle.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Activate the ship¡¯s security systems. I want to see why the clones have betrayed us,¡± she said briskly as she walked back into the room.

    The command crew seemed hesitant for a moment, glancing at the dead bodies of their companions in shock.

    ¡°Move! Now!¡± She demanded and they sprung into action and started getting to work on the few consoles that were still functioning, even if their screens were cracked and flickering in some cases.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am¡­¡± One of the female technicians said, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ We¡¯re recording blaster fire all over the ship¡­ Let me¡­ Oh Force, they¡¯re slaughtering them!¡±

    ¡°Who? The clones?¡±

    ¡°T-The clones. They¡¯re killing the rest of the crew ma¡¯am. I can see them through the cameras, the clones are almost right outside the main barracks now. They¡¯re basically unarmed in there!¡±

    ¡°Seal the doors. Activate the defensive turrets in the ceilings,¡± Master Aurtera said, ¡°There¡¯s at least one in every hallway. That should hold them for now. Set it to lethal shots, and to target the clones based on their armor.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ Right. Sealing the doors now.¡±

    There was a heavy series of thuds across the ship as all of the blast doors between sections shut all at once as the woman tapped at her console.

    ¡°Targeting on the turrets will take a few minutes,¡± the woman muttered, ¡°They¡¯re meant for droids, not our own clones¡­ I¡¯ll need to program a workaround¡­ Most of its hardcoded, but there might be a way to get around it and have it target the traitors...¡±

    ¡°Get on it then,¡± Master Aurtera said before turning to another man furiously tapping away at a half destroyed console to her left, ¡°Stevens? What about their movements? What are they doing?¡±

    ¡°All over, Ma¡¯am. Besides¡­ Targeting the rest of the crew... they¡¯re trying to seize critical systems. Engineering and the reactor core crew seems to be holding well from what I can see. The Clones have tried to subvert controls of a few systems already, but we¡¯ve got override control from here. We¡¯ve shut them out of most of the main systems for now. It would take them a few hours to bypass our authority over anything as critical as life support or gravity. There¡¯s¡­ Movement! All the clone squads in our section of the ship, enclosed in the blast doors. They¡¯ve gathered and are coming here all at once.¡±

    Master Aurtera firmed her resolve and brought her lightsaber to a guard position as she stepped back out into the ship¡¯s hallway.

    ¡°I¡¯ll hold them off,¡± she ordered, ¡°Keep working on those getting our defensive turrets online. Seal the blast doors and don¡¯t let anyone through at any cost. If the clones seize the bridge, then this ship is lost. As well as the Sieger weapon class cannon on it.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ Of course Master Jedi, best of luck,¡± one surviving officer said before seeming to seize command through the chaos of activity.

    ¡°Jenson, get off of that!¡± he shouted, ¡°Help Tessa with turrets, we don¡¯t care what the long range scanners say when the traitors are on our kriffing ship! And seal the doors, like Master Aurtera ordered! You-¡±

    The doors sealed behind her with a hiss of air and the sound of the chaos inside the bridge cut off.

    Master Aurtera took a long deep breath as she heard the pounding of feet from all directions charging towards her. She was still breathing a little heavy and her chest burned a little from her sudden exertion of intense battle from before. Against this many, potentially hundreds of clones in this section of the ship alone? This was a suicide mission.

    She just had to buy the crew some time to activate their other defenses to help deal with the clones. She could only do her best for now.

    Why had to clones betrayed them? So suddenly? It made no sense. She¡¯d fought alongside them for years, and then they just do this out of nowhere?

    The pounding of feet grew closer and she tightened her grip on her lightsaber. Here it came.

    On either side of the hallway, groups of clones appeared and raised their weapons but didn¡¯t fire just yet.

    One of the groups fell back to the sides, although she could see the nose of their blasters poking around the corners. They were giving a clean line of fire for the clones on the other side to fire freely upon her without hitting their own allies in the process.

    The clone commander came to the front, his distinctive orange stripe on his white armor reminding her of which one he was.

    ¡°Master Aurtera,¡± the commander shouted, ¡°Surrender now. We have orders from the Chancellor to seize control of this vessel by any means necessary. We need to to accomplish our new mission. Surrender now and you will be placed under arrest and possibly pardoned by the Chancellor for your crimes at a military tribunal.¡±

    ¡°Why are you doing this, Commander?¡± she shouted back, ¡°This isn¡¯t like you! We¡¯ve fought together for years. You¡¯d take the Chancellor¡¯s orders over your own common sense? The Chancellor¡¯s orders don¡¯t make any sense! Stop this now, whatever is happening. You surrender yourselves for judgement as traitors.¡±

    ¡°Good soldiers follow orders,¡± the clone commander shouted.

    ¡°Good soldiers follow orders,¡± the rest of the clones chorused as one.

    The clone commander raised his hand, ¡°If you will not surrender, then you are an obstacle to our mission! I¡¯m sorry, Master Jedi. I wished that it wouldn¡¯t be like this, but you give us no choice!¡±

    He lowered his hand decisively to point it at her, ¡°Fire!¡±

    She jumped up to the ceiling with a Force enhanced jump and the majority of the blaster fire flew right below her. In mid air she used her lightsaber she blocked a few errant bolts that managed to get closer, although she was in an awkward enough position in the air that she wasn¡¯t able to reflect the shots back.

    She landed on the floor, but the blaster fire just kept on coming as she tried to block and dodge as best as she could with all of her might and skill in the Force in combat both. One bolt landed directly on her shoulder and she grimaced and stumbled slightly from the pain before leaping full force into the wall nearby. Just barely dodging another barrage of blaster fire that tried to exploit her sudden weakness.

    Even as her injured shoulder screamed in pain, she pressed a palm against the wall that she¡¯d just painfully slammed into with her good shoulder. In a desperate pulse of the Force she sent her self flying to the other side of the hallway, arcing through the air just as more blaster bolts landed the space that she¡¯d just evacuated. She arced through the air, and another blaster bolt brushed by her forehead and blinded her briefly as her head suddenly felt like it was engulfed with flames.

    She flipped in the air, finishing her motion of her leap despite her blindness from the close call with the blaster bolt. She landed with both feet braced against the far wall and pushed off with another blast of the Force to go flying back the way she came.

    The blasterfire suddenly grew more intense as she flew through the air and used the Force to instinctively block a few blaster bolts that almost hit her dead center. But three of the shots passed right over her thighs and torso, carving painful burning lines across her flesh.

    She landed against the far wall, this time clumsily. She fell to the floor, her body trembling from exertion as her burned legs betrayed her and gave out under her weight as she tried to stand and leap away again even through her blindness.

    She fell back onto the ground, and reflexively blocked one last blaster bolt aimed at her even as she dropped. But then she hit the ground and the sharp impact sent her lightsaber rattling from her limp hands. She used the Force to draw the blade back towards her, but she already knew it was too late. The opening was too large as she lay there on the ground. Any second a blaster bolt would come and strike her before the lightsaber could fly back into her hand¡­

    But the blaster bolt didn¡¯t come.

    She sat up and wiped her face as her blurry vision suddenly sharpened despite the main and heat still infusing her whole body.

    She squinted as she saw a circular object rotating above her and releasing periodic bursts of plasma every few seconds.

    She saw up and slumped against the wall and chuckled to herself weakly. They had done it, they¡¯d activated the turrets in time. She was saved.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± she asked, even as the medic soaked another bandage in bacta and started wrapping it around her burned head.

    ¡°We have control of our ship,¡± the current admiral of their fleet told her, her having been in no condition to lead for the last few hours, ¡°And about sixty percent of the others in the fleet. We¡­ were able to warn most of them before the clones were able to fully act and spring their ambushes.¡±

    ¡°And the remaining forty percent?¡±

    ¡°Either destroyed after they fired on us and were warned of the consequences, or fled into hyperspace. We were lucky. Our Kyber Crystal cannon was able to make short work of the ships they managed to seize control of. It¡¯s the only reason why we defeated them so decisively. ¡±

    ¡°And¡­ the Separatist fleet? What has their response been?¡±

    ¡°Demanding our surrender of course,¡± the admiral said, ¡°We''re heavily damaged and outnumbered at the moment, our formations a complete mess... But they haven¡¯t made any moves towards us so far. And the military channels are in chaos. Coruscant has actually dropped its planetary shields voluntarily. All the clones have gone crazy and are going on rampages through military structures and civilian cities both across the whole galaxy. Most worlds and military fleets weren¡¯t nearly as lucky as we were, and the clones are rampaging freely with no one able to stop them in many places. The CIS is stepping in to fight off the clones alongside what normal Republic non-clone forces we have left to put an end to the chaos.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ See. And our orders? What has become of the Chancellor?¡±

    ¡°Unknown. Things are still in chaos. For now¡­ All we can do is wait until we¡¯re ordered to do otherwise by somebody not working with the Chancellor.¡±

    Master Aurtera sat back in her bed and let the medic tie off the bacta soaked bandage in place before leaving again.

    ¡°So, an end to the war,¡± she whispered, ¡°One last round of suffering and death across the galaxy, caused by another madman, before it¡¯s all over.¡±

    ¡°So it seems,¡± the admiral agreed, ¡°Now, I must go off to my command. I wish you well on your recovery¡­ We would have lost this ship and subsequently the fleet to the clone traitors without your efforts. I have never been one to think much of the Jedi¡­ But thank you for saving all of our lives. My life on that bridge.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I did my duty, and I¡¯m glad that all these burns were worth something at least,¡± she said and gestured to her other bacta soaked bandages covering her other wounds.

    ¡°For the Republic,¡± he said. She paused for a long while before nodding back.

    ¡°For the Republic. In whatever it may take by the end of this.¡±

 Chapter 37: The Course of the War

    It was back near the beginning of the galactic civil war. The Republic believed that the rebellion would be quickly squashed once their full might was brought to bear. The CIS believed that their superior droid armies, superior numbers, and the formation of the neutral Ranja Root Order splitting many Jedi away from the Republic would lead to their own swift victory. Neither of them imagined that such fantasies would be drawn out into a grinding, cruel, ten years of bloodshed and war spanning the galaxy.

    Yet near the beginning of the war, was one event so bloody, so shocking, so unexplained, that it caused even the overconfident predictions of both sides to gain a small sample of the horrors they would soon experience over the next decade of conflict.

    Throughout the galaxy during the event, those strong in the Force clutched their heads in pain and groaned as billions of lives suddenly disappeared from the galaxy all at once. There was rampant fear throughout the galaxy as the dust cloud where the inhabited solar system had been before. The very same solar system where Skywalker had lived along with his family. Not that anyone but the highest members in the Republic or CIS were aware of that fact.

    Yet it was obvious to the whole galaxy after some basic investigation that the star system was indeed completely destroyed. Utterly and completely along with everyone who had lived there.

    The CIS accused the Republic for unleashing an empowered version of one of their new Kyber crystal cannons on their planet. A scaled up superweapon used as a tool of fear and to show their ruthlessness to the rebels.

    The Republic flailed and weakly accused the CIS of performing a similar weapons test on their own planet in an involved plot to blame the Republic. Not even the Republic officials who read their lines seemed to believe that. But they had to say something in the face of the backlash throughout the galaxy, even among their own citizens. Among their own citizens most of all, everyone wondering if their own government was indeed capable of such a thing. Morally and militarily.

    Even in the midst of the war, the two sides furiously fought a war of public opinion and firmly tried to pin the blame of the incident on the other, while fearing what the other might do if they truly had access to such a terrible and great weapon. Waiting for the proper moment to use it again on a more populated target.

    And with their great Chancellor Palpatine mysteriously missing ever since the incident, the Republic weren¡¯t quite sure themselves if they were responsible for the destruction. Even in the midst of war they started turning inwards and accusing each other and hunting down anyone who could be responsible for what happened.

    And while only the most bloodthirsty would admit it openly, acquire the weapon themselves and discover if it could be used again.

    Yet, as a full year of war and confusion passed, there were no answers to be found. The destroyed system had been scanned top to bottom by survey ships from both the Separatists and the Republic. And there was nothing but a spreading cloud of nearly uniform dust with no clues left of the origin of the great weapon or who was behind it.

    Mas Amedda became chancellor as it became apparent to the galaxy that Palpatine would not be reappearing anytime soon. Mas Amedda did his best to lead, but while competent he was not the inspired or masterful leader that Palpatine had been. His grips on the reigns of power weaker, his every move just that bit less masterful than Lord Sidious¡¯ careful manipulations. His pawns just that more resistant to his authority.

    With internal strife and Mas Amedda¡¯s weak grip over his government, the slow and grinding war slowly shifted against the Republic.

    Mas Amedda attempted to mine the sacred planet of Illium for Kyber crystals as the war dragged on. The Old Jedi Order threatened to withdraw from the war efforts in response and increased the tensions between the Jedi and the Republic military.

    Mas Amedda eventually caved from the pressure and agreed to leave Illium be in exchange for the Jedi to relent and keep fighting in the war.

    The Jedi won many battles, accomplished missions and achieved objectives that should have been impossible for them even with their mighty powers.

    But the droid armies were strong and their tactical droids were able to counter and ambush the Jedi like no other army of droids before them. Even with the most perfect strategies, the droids were not able to kill Jedi often. But kill them they did at a steady pace, each Jedi representing a significant loss to the Republic war effort.

    And through a slow, grinding war, the Republic slowly fell back as the CIS pushed ever inwards deeper into the core. Only the Kyber crystal weapons and the swelling ranks of the clone armies kept the Republic slow retreat from becoming a full route.

    In the war¡¯s ninth year, there were no more deposits of kyber crystals to be found in the Republic. Without their most devastating weapon, the Republic would be lost. Slowly perhaps, but the slow grind of the Separatists forward became a steady advance, then a rolling tide unstoppable as it quickly began to sweep through the mid rim, then the core worlds.

    The Republic was lost, it became apparent to all on the tenth year of the war.

    With Separatist fleets sieging Coruscant itself, Mas Amedda insisted on continuing the war. Despite his own fall into hedonism and vice, he would not allow any speak of surrender and fired any of his staff who even so much as hinted at the idea. And when it became apparent that the Republic was defeated¡­ He decided to take it down with him. To ensure that if he couldn¡¯t rule the Republic that no one would.

    ¡°Execute Order Seventy three,¡±

    That cold voice of Mas Amedda sounded out throughout all of the military channels simultaneously.

    All of the clones stiffened as their biological control chips activated and compelled them to follow their orders.

    The Clones turned on their fellows and seized control of as much of the military infrastructure as they could manage. With the support of their non-cloned fellows, the ship with Jedi on board managed to resist the sudden betrayal for the most part.

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    But many other ships were quickly seized by the newly formed clone army. And in one smooth motion the military ships of the Clone army fired on their former allies and systematically worked to betray the Republic and destroy any ship or military outpost that they could find.

    Mas Amedda was caught and executed by Mace Windu in the chaos as he attempted to flee Coruscant in the aftermath of the event.

    In the end, the droid ships descended down onto Coruscant and seized the formerly strong beating heart of the Republic. Now a place wracked with unrest and the scars of the betrayal of the clones stationed on their planet. The clones hadn¡¯t cared about any innocent casualties in their way as they fought the regular soldiers on Coruscant¡¯s streets in a brutal and harrowing battle for survival.

    The weakened and barely functional government of the once proud Republic signed its unconditional surrender to the Confederate of Independent systems to end the over decade of war, and in the aftermath even requested the CIS help in fighting off the rampant fleets and squads of clones dedicated to causing as much as death and destruction in the Republic as possible, Mas Amedda having erased their command codes and covertly assassinated the Kamino scientists aware of how to control the biological chips and how to override the orders years prior to the end of the war. Meaning that with Mas Amedda¡¯s death, so went any chance to undo Order Seventy three and return the Clones to the Republic¡¯s control.

    After extracting heavy reparations for the damages from the war and long negotiations from the weak and barely functional government of the once proud Republic, the Separatist fleets retreated back to their own territory in the outer and mid rim. The Confederate of Independent Systems and the Republic now could coexist in the same galaxy without any more bloodshed. The Raxus Senate of the CIS had no interest in ruling the very same core worlds that exploited them for centuries. Once the painful reparations had been forcefully extracted from the Republic and the Core worlds that it represented, then the CIS was satisfied and retreated to their own business to rule themselves as they had sought to ever since the beginning of the war.

    But in the aftermath of the war, the Core worlds and the Republic still needed the resources and commerce from the outer rim. And the the CIS and the outer rim still needed the specialty products and wealth of the core worlds to support their own economy.

    So despite the long war and bitter feelings on both sides, the now two great nations slowly settled themselves into the new balance and trade between them, only now on more equal footing than they had been before.

    Even greatly diminished and a shell of its former self, the Republic was still just that. A great nation of the galaxy, only now matched by a similarly great nation of the Confederation of Independent Systems.

    The Clones kept assaulting both factions with their full strength even after the peace treaty was struck. The Republic was in fear of raids, their lackluster and weak military fleets barely able to hold the Clones coordinated assaults and brutal raids on their population centers and military bases.

    It took nearly another full year before the CIS droid fleets scouring Republic space managed to defeat the last of the Clones. But all the clones were defeated in the end.

    And despite the new state of the galaxy with two great nations. The greatly diminished but quickly recovering Republic and the new CIS filled with national pride and smugness from their victory in the great war. Despite all of it¡­

    Obi-wan sighed as he stared out of his window to the newly built city below around the Ranja Root Jedi Order¡¯s temple.

    So much had happened over these last twenty five years. Ahsoka had long since become a central figure in their new Order. A fine woman, a fine Jedi master, and somebody that he thought was everything that he¡¯d hoped that she could become when he was first training her decades ago.

    Just like how he hoped Anakin would have become. Might have become.

    ¡°A troubled mind, Obi-wan?¡±

    He glanced over and saw his fellow Jedi master standing there. Alicia. She had been with him since the beginning.

    He looked back over the view of the city.

    ¡°Just reflecting on the past,¡± he said heavily, ¡°And on the horrors of war. It¡¯s been twenty five years since Anakin was killed alongside with all of those people on his world. He never got to see our new temple. I wonder if he would have become a great Jedi if he¡¯d been trained here rather than at the old Jedi order.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no use thinking about what can¡¯t be changed,¡± Alicia said softly and put a comforting hand on his shoulder, ¡°You did right by Ahsoka. From what you¡¯ve told me of him, Anakin would be glad to know that you and her managed to do so well. And he got a good life. After he left the Jedi temple. I¡¯m sure that he didn¡¯t feel any pain in the end.¡±

    Obi-wan didn¡¯t react to her touch as he kept staring over the city.

    ¡°Yes. I suppose he would say so,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯m glad that he was able to feel that, even if it had to be when he wasn¡¯t a Jedi anymore. And Ahsoka can still continue the good work out in the galaxy, even if I''m still cooped up here with the gangs being so focused on me still after all of this time.¡±

    Alicia didn¡¯t respond and they stood like that with her hand on his shoulder as they stared off into the growing city.

    ¡°Forgive me,¡± Obi-wan said as he came to his senses, ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right. Anakin did get a good life, all things considered. Better than most that I know of. But it was just a shame that it was cut short so soon. Forgive an old man his contemplation.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± she said with a slight nod of her head, ¡°And you¡¯re not even sixty five yet. How am I take that little comment when I¡¯m nearly a decade older than you, hm?¡±

    ¡°Enough of the past,¡± Obi wan said after letting out a surprised cough, ¡°What have you been doing recently? I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve talked longer than a few moments over the last few days. Ahsoka is continuing the good work out in the galaxy, even if I''m still cooped up here with the gangs still being so focused on me even after all this time. I have been feeling rather mired in paperwork of all things for these last few years assisting the next generation in running the new elected Council. It seems that even with just us Ranja Root Jedi voting, everything always becomes more complicated than it has to be. Bah, but I''m complaining again. Come, tell me. What of you?"

    ¡°I have been assisting our librarian in organizing the ancient Jedi arts in our systems. Perhaps I could show you our work so far? She was putting the mixed forms purely under defense, which has been confusing the newest students in our classes. I''m sure you can take a break to help an old friend to discuss the lightsaber forms. The new council would do well to learn not to lean on you so much.¡±

    Agreeing to her offer immediately, Obi-wan nodded and followed after her as she led him through the temple and told him more about her latest project.

    Yes, Anakin would have enjoyed what this place had become, was becoming.

    Everyone paused as they were suddenly assaulted in simmering waves of Force that rippled across the galaxy. Something was wrong. Only this time¡­ It was stronger. So much stronger than before, so much so that it screamed in his senses so loud that he could barely hear himself think over them.

    Obi-wan felt his heart leap to his throat. It wasn¡¯t exactly what had happened twenty five years ago¡­ But it was close. Could the same thing be happening again? Another world destroyed? Was this connected to the recent reports of the invasion of Coruscant from the unknown forces?

    He exchanged a serious look with Alicia.

    ¡°I will handle the embassies,¡± Obi-wan stated, ¡°You keep calm in the temple and assure the padawans and students. We can¡¯t be sure if it¡¯s the same thing just yet. We must remind people of that. We must not panic in the face of this crisis.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Good luck, Obi-wan.¡±

    ¡°Good luck, Alicia.¡±

 Chapter 38: High Above the Universe

    Anakin came awake slowly. Everything was dark around him and an incredible force pressed down on him from all sides.

    Yet the Force was gone. That invisible presence that had been with him for his whole life was silent, and he felt strangely vulnerable without it.

    He was floating in the center of the elevator shaft. He¡¯d been falling, everything had been so chaotic as the Force had pulsed above him with that destructive wave¡­

    But then he¡¯d activated his newest ability and he¡¯d appeared here. Floating in mid air in the center of this pitch black elevator shaft, and able to feel the whole underground bunker under his house instinctively. Like it was part of him and he could feel it with the tips of his fingers. Yet strangely at a certain limit there was a hard wall that he couldn¡¯t feel past, like an invisible barrier in a massive sphere surrounding him in nearly a kilometer and a half radius in all directions.

    ¡°Oof. We got away,¡± Draeth sighed in relief as its voice came from the darkness to Anakin¡¯s left, ¡°But do you even know how close that almost was? We were both almost goners.¡±

    ¡°Both?¡± Anakin managed to say even if it felt like his head was being compressed under the weight of a mountain. He tried to ignore the uncomfortable sensation of the missing Force and refocused on the current situation. Despite his best efforts, he couldn¡¯t move his body the slightest bit besides his mouth for some reason.

    ¡°Yeah. Both,¡± Draeth said, a resigned note in its voice, ¡°The Force saw me directly and locked me down. We¡¯re in this together now. I can¡¯t escape this reality or let you die or the Force will find my real body and kill me. I¡¯m powerful, but I can¡¯t match an entity like the Force by myself. It¡¯s the big boss around these parts. It finds my real body and I¡¯ll get crushed like a little bug under its boot. Oh by the way, I¡¯m draining your midichlorians all the way right now. Little energy factories production are going right to me now, can¡¯t risk you drawing on the Force too much and getting us in trouble right now. A shame really, they produced so much more energy when you were using them than how they are suppressed by me and under control... Ah, but it is what it is. No need to risk it given our current... Situation.¡±

    ¡°What¡­ Happened?¡±

    ¡°Whoever that was that attacked you was almost impossibly powerful in the Force. Powerful in the dark side of the force, based on that Sith lightning that he was zapping you with when I showed up. When he spotted my true form, it caught the Force¡¯s attention and it focused on us to investigate. Apparently the Force decided to go for overkill when it decided to make sure that it would kill you and expose my main body to attack. Without having you as a host to anchor me to you and maintain my connection to this universe anymore, I¡¯d float around as a spirit for a while and not be able to hide as easily from the Force¡¯s attempts to find me.¡±

    ¡°Family¡­ Safe? Where¡­ Are we?¡±

    ¡°I dunno. But your family should be fine. We still have time before we have to worry about air or food or anything like that. And to answer your question, we¡¯re in hyperspace right now. Actually, that¡¯s kind of a misleading way to put it. What you think of as hyperspace is like level two or three of hyperspace. Traveling across the higher dimension where traveling a shorter distance leads to more distance traveled in realspace. You remember that part?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, so the higher you go in hyperspace away from realspace, the more distance you travel in realspace for each unit that¡¯s traveled in here. Normal ships get to level two or three of hyperspace during travel. The very fastest might even get to the edge of level four or so. Like three point seven or eight, I think? Something like that from what I¡¯ve overheard on how fast the ships can travel across the galaxy.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re in¡­ Hyperspace? What level are¡­ we on? How?¡±

    ¡°Okay, so level four is the normal maximum of your hyperdrives. Right now we¡¯re probably at level¡­ thirteen or fourteen I think? The higher we go the weirder and more hostile things get as the normal laws of physics that you know start changing and becoming unfamiliar. And it¡¯s your newest ability that¡¯s brought us here. You must feel it. That tension, waiting for you to release it? But don¡¯t release it!

    ¡°You can be sure that an explosion that massive has made at least the lowest few levels of hyperspace so chaotic that we¡¯d be shredded on the way back down to realspace. It would shred us to bits all the way up to level six or seven at least based on what I felt just before we managed to get this high in the dimensions.

    ¡°And the Force might just spot us itself if we¡¯re really unlucky¡­ So we can¡¯t just go back to realspace immediately, even if it was clear. So we gotta just be¡­ Still and not move at all. Be very still, just in case.¡±

    ¡°So what¡­ Do we do? If hyperspace is so¡­ Dangerous¡­ How are we still here? Why can¡¯t I¡­ Move at all?¡±

    ¡°Your new ability comes in two parts. First one is the one that I already told you. With some practice you can phase up or down through hyperspace or back down the realspace. Although it''s so dangerous usually, that I would only use the ability carefully when we aren¡¯t so desperate. That¡¯s what let us get up here so deep in hyperspace just now.¡±

    ¡°And¡­ Two?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s that feeling that you must be getting right about now. That faint sensation of this whole base with you as its center? That. That part of the ability is simple. It infuses all of these materials with your energy and treats it like an extension of yourself. I¡¯m sure that a large portion of this place dissolved away to the mercies of the hyperspace around us before it finally adapted to the damage and became strong enough that it wouldn¡¯t dissolve anymore. Or when it reached the limits of your ability. It¡¯s a pretty amazing ability, but there is a ceiling on what it can protect you from even at maximum power. That ability that can only do so much when you¡¯re getting blasted by hyperspace itself at such high levels of power.¡±

    Anakin found that he did have a faint sense matching what Draeth described. He now knew the halls and smallest bits of the bunker like they were the back of his hand. He let out a sigh of relief as he felt three living figures that must be his family in a room below and all of the droids moving through the hallways with purpose. The metal figure with his family must be TC-04.

    Anakin frowned slightly through the pressure on him from all sides.

    ¡°Still¡­ Shrinking. Regeneration. No Heal. Why won¡¯t¡­ It stop?¡±

    ¡°Well, ah¡­ I mean it¡¯s hyperspace. The fact that this little bubble of matter isn¡¯t scattered into dust is the real win here. And it won¡¯t heal like you do, even if it will get some of your resistance because of your other power. This place is made of real matter, it naturally wants to sink back down into real space at all times if nothing keeps it up. Your ability is anchoring us up here at this level of hyperspace and keeping us from blasting back down into realspace at high speed just like how we arrived here. It¡¯s like a wound spring, if you release it too quickly then it¡¯ll shoot us like a rocket and kill any squishy family members that you may care about inside. Or like a heavy weight tied to the buoy of your power keeping it anchored up here. If you let go we¡¯d go slamming down if you stopped supporting us. Definitely not good. So¡­ Really don¡¯t move. Please. Just don¡¯t do it.¡±

    ¡°This place still¡­ Shrinking. Chunks dissolving on outside. Will stop?¡± Anakin asked.

    ¡°Well, hm. There¡¯s a minimum size I think. You¡¯re still getting that energy from the hyperspace damage below your adaptation threshold. Hyperspace at this level is chaotic enough that the power levels fluctuate enough that that¡¯s something that still happens occasionally. All that energy you¡¯re getting from that is just going to maintain this space and keep everything infused with your energy rather than healing like it usually does. Once there¡¯s less volume to cover, less area to be infused and your defenses grow stronger. At some point there will be enough energy flowing through that this chunk of matter around us will stop shrinking.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ What do we do? Can¡¯t go down because¡­ Hyperspace chaos,¡± Anakin managed to say, ¡°I can¡¯t move. Why can¡¯t I¡­ Move?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re anchoring this space, it¡¯s almost like an extension of your body in a way. You don¡¯t get to move your organs and veins around freely when you want to, do you? You¡¯re anchored to this position in the structure or the whole energy system of your infused energy won¡¯t work and catastrophically fail. Like if you randomly moved your heart down to your stomach without shifting anything else in that fleshy body of yours. Not possible, and deadly even to you.¡±

    ¡°Why¡­ So powerful? Ability? Saved¡­ Us last minute. Why not earlier?¡±

    ¡°Really? You ungrateful little¡­. Oh, why I ought to¡­ Fine! Fine, I gave you all of my energy alright? Everything that I¡¯ve collected up to now, all of my half. We needed to get out of there and it was the only way. But it¡¯s only a loan, you¡¯ll be paying me back! With interest! You happy now? I¡¯m destitute and powerless because of your needy butt! If you¡¯d just defeated whoever that person was without waking me up by coming near death, then everything would have been fine!¡±

    ¡°Excuse¡­ Me. You¡¯re the one who just¡­ Randomly appeared without even checking what was happening. Don¡¯t blame¡­ Me for this. I had that Darth Sidious¡­ Handled. I¡¯d just adapted to his¡­ Sith¡­ lightning right before you showed up.¡±

    ¡°Bah!¡± Draeth said in the darkness, but didn¡¯t counter Anakin¡¯s statement, ¡°Well whatever,¡± Draeth muttered, ¡°I guess it¡¯s not either of our faults. We can blame the Force for being so extreme. I barely even stole anything. It rules a whole universe, I bet it hardly even notices the difference of that tiniest little sip of energy that I siphoned out of its territory into my real body¡­¡±

    They lapsed into silence for a while as Anakin felt the droids in the base moving and apparently searching the length of the elevator shaft and the rest of the base. At least he was pretty sure they were the droids based on the sensation of rigidness and cold when he focused on them with his strange new sense of touch that permeated through the whole sphere around him. His sensation wasn¡¯t nearly granular enough to make out the features of a single person or droid, and instead they just sort of felt like large squishy blobs that moved around on their own.

    Were the droids looking for Anakin maybe? TC-04 and his family remained in the control room, the same as before. Anakin could feel the warmth of the living people in there. Still alive, to his relief and seemingly unharmed.

    ¡°Well, just wait around for now,¡± Draeth said eventually, ¡°We can plan some more once we see what the minimum sustainable size is for this place. I gave you a bit of extra juice to increase the size of the area affected and to get us through that chaotic hyperspace storm, but we can¡¯t risk going into realspace just yet. We¡¯ll see how much mass in this place you can handle before we even think about making any big moves. You get me?¡±

    Anakin grunted in confirmation and then with a soft pop Draeth disappeared again. Anakin couldn¡¯t see the creature still, but all sounds from it disappeared all at once and he had an innate sense that Draeth¡¯s projection had disappeared.

    After another hour or two, one of the commando droids rappelling down the side of the elevator shaft eventually found Anakin, hovering in the air in the center of the elevator shaft and unmoving.

    ¡°Sir?¡± the droid said in TC-04¡¯s voice as it stared at him with a bright light illuminating the shaft shining from both of its eyes, ¡°Are you alright? My sensors and those of the other droids within the facility are giving some strange readings¡­¡±

    ¡°TC-04¡­ Here¡¯s what¡­ Happened¡­¡± Anakin managed to say painfully before giving a broken explanation of the situation.

    ¡°Pull¡­ Everything you can into a sphere around me. Everything on the edges will¡­ be drawn into hyperspace and destroyed. I don¡¯t know¡­ How big my final sphere will be. Try to save as much equipment as you can. I don¡¯t want my family to¡­ run out of air if we spring a leak through all of this dirt and stone to the raw hyperspace out there. Yes, life support systems¡­ Need to be preserved before anything else¡­ Is lost to hyperspace chaos.¡±

    ¡°...Affirmative. Calculating optimal droid paths to bring all valuable equipment and items available to the central staging point.¡±

    The droid remained nearby and TC-04 narrated what it was doing as Anakin listened in.

    He could vaguely sense the movement in the maze like hallways of the bunker and the floating chunk of the planet floating out here in hyperspace.

    But hearing TC-04 reasoning and exact explanations of the droids¡¯ movements and actions helped Anakin understand what was happening much easier. And was soothing in an odd way. Helped him calm down slightly from the stress from what had just happened.

    But after a long time of hovering motionless in the air of the elevator shaft, Anakin eventually started becoming tired. Before he even knew it, the droning voice of TC-04 started sounding like a lullaby as the rhythmic tone caused Anakin to shut his eyes and drift off to sleep even as the droid stopped speaking as it noticed his eyes closing.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    There was now a metal platform a short distance below where Anakin hovered in the air. In the last stretch of time that must be at least days, the whole space of the formerly dark elevator shaft had been transformed into a brightly lit room. Droids bustled in and out the new room, retrieving equipment relentlessly and reinforcing the structure around them to the maximum and making everything airtight and as strong as possible. TC-04 had moved all of the equipment from the control room and moved it up here around Anakin so it could observe and control the whole facility with the press of the button even as it carefully walked around Anakin¡¯s frozen and floating body.

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    ¡°How are you feeling, Anakin?¡± Slarena asked from above where she was sitting on his stomach. As a joke she¡¯d started using him as a chair as it became clear that her weight sitting on top of him wouldn¡¯t shift his position, from where he floated frozen, in the slightest.

    ¡°Bored¡­¡± he said, ¡°Glad you¡¯re¡­ All here though. Almost¡­ Lost you.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t believe they¡¯re really all dead,¡± Slarena said, sounding depressed, ¡°I didn¡¯t know anybody really that well. I thought that was a bad thing. But I knew people. Shmi¡¯s friends, Riktor¡¯s family¡­ I can¡¯t believe they¡¯re all just gone just like that.¡±

    ¡°Draeth says that they¡¯ll rejoin with the Force,¡± Anakin said, ¡°Life¡­ After death. Maybe. Spirits. If strong willed enough or strong in the Force when¡­ They were alive. Maybe they¡¯ll live on for a while longer. If it¡­ Makes you feel better.¡±

    ¡°A little. Still. At least we made it. And you and Draeth can handle anything the Force can throw at you, right?¡±

    ¡°R- R¡­ Right. We¡¯ll handle¡­ Everything. No need for¡­ Any of you to worry. I¡¯ve gotten us¡­ This far already¡­ Haven¡¯t I?¡±

    Slarena kept sitting on him for a moment before she reached out and patted him directly on his forehead that was pointing directly towards the ceiling, frozen.

    ¡°Thanks, Anichair. That helped,¡± she said, ¡°You think it would cheer your mom up if we convinced her to sit on you too?¡±

    Anakin grumbled and hedged his answer for a few minutes before Slarena finally managed convinced him to her point of view.

    ¡°Fine¡­," Anakin grunted, "If it¡­ Makes her feel better. I guess it is¡­ A little funny. As long as no one¡­ Pokes my eye again.¡±

    ¡°I said that I was sorry about that,¡± Slarena protested, ¡°It was an accident, really.¡±

    ¡°Still¡­ Hurt a bit.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go get her. This should help her get out of her funk.¡±

    The whole production from Slarena and the obvious effort to cheer up mom after did work somewhat. Anakin was officially renamed Anichair until he was unfrozen again and could defend himself better from Slarena¡¯s teasing. But clearly mom was still having trouble coming to terms with the death of all of her friends and extended family. They¡¯d never really talked with Riktor¡¯s family much besides the wedding. They were somewhat estranged from Riktor even if it was more cold than a hostile reaction from what Anakin had observed at the wedding. Or at least that¡¯s how it had been.

    ¡°Here, feeding time,¡± Mom said as she sat in a chair she dragged over and took out a bowl of soup as Shmi and Riktor ate the same in a table set up a few steps away. The two of them had distant looks as they both drank the soup from their spoon mechanically. Anakin struggled to open his mouth slightly and Mom carefully dribbled some soup into his mouth. He worked hard to swallow it before opening his mouth again to repeat the process.

    It made him feel helpless. Like how it had been when he¡¯d had to wear those skin grafts years ago and had to move around in the hoverchair. He literally couldn¡¯t do anything by himself now, even moving his mouth too much to chew sturdier food. Just eating was an exhausting effort.

    After Mom was done feeding him, she went over to the actual table with Riktor, Slarena, and joined them in their own meals.

    ¡°Draeth, how¡­ Much longer?¡± Anakin asked as he felt a bead of soup dribbling from the corner of his lips and down his cheek. Frozen, and without even the Force flowing through him ever since he arrived here, Anakin wasn¡¯t able to do anything to stop it from slowly falling down and dripping onto the metal floor below.

    Draeth popped into existence above Anakin, looking like he was clinging to the ceiling above.

    ¡°Not looking good. You¡¯re at the minimum size, we¡¯ve stopped shrinking. Ended up at two hundred meters radius. I¡¯m surprised just how much that droid of yours managed to salvage. Good job making that one. It seems a bit¡­ More intelligent than the others that I¡¯ve seen from this universe. And it really packed all of those droids into here up to the walls. Didn¡¯t know you even had that many in this facility.¡±

    ¡°Why¡­ Not good? TC-04¡­ Salvaged everything and is refitting it to make this place into a spherical ship with the¡­ Strongest metal plates on the outside. Shouldn¡¯t we be able¡­ to go back down to realspace soon? Stopped shrinking, so safe to go down now right?¡±

    ¡°No, not even close,¡± Draeth replied firmly and waved several of its blue tentacles as if to wipe away Anakin¡¯s comment.

    ¡°Up here is dangerous, but the hyperspace is calm like a placid lake. Down there it¡¯s like a raging storm. We¡¯ll be ripped apart far before we make it down to realspace. It¡¯ll be too chaotic for you to adapt in time and one powerful burst from that storm could destroy this whole place in one hit. It was a miracle we even survived making it up here the first time.¡±

    ¡°Why not¡­ Horizontal travel? High in hyperspace¡­ Move sideways out of the storm? Little distance is a massive amount down there in realspace.¡±

    ¡°Bad idea. Very bad idea. Right now we¡¯re an interesting piece of rubble. Hidden. But if we start moving around and acting obviously like a ship then we might attract the attention of the Force. Not much happens up here, and the Force will¡­ I bet the Force has some way to monitor what goes on in hyperspace even if it doesn¡¯t fully pay attention to it most of the time. And who knows what it would do if it realized that we survived what it did last time¡­ No, we have to wait until the storm below settles and the Force has turned its attention somewhere else, thinking that it¡¯s killed us.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ What then?¡± Anakin grunted in frustration, ¡°Been¡­ Days already. How much longer will we¡­ have to wait?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± Draeth admitted, ¡°Based on the decay of the storm that I can feel below through your senses¡­ Years. Decades, even. I can¡¯t think of a way of getting out of here safely without having to wait it out...¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­ How are you¡­ awake?¡± Anakin suddenly asked as he thought of something, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t the newest abilities have¡­ knocked you out?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well¡­ Yeah. They¡¯re trying to. I¡¯m keeping myself awake until things are stable and we have a plan so we don¡¯t all die while I¡¯m asleep. I¡¯ll have to sleep longer for every second that I force myself to stay awake. But I think I have enough energy to give you one more minor ability maybe before my personal energy stores are nearly empty. You might need that little extra bit to survive up here. I¡¯m not sure how you¡¯re going to last decades with only a few months of food and water stored in this place. Let alone your family too. And there¡¯s only two or three years of air for you four, from what your droid says. I honestly can¡¯t think of a way to preserve the others for so long, even if you personally might make it that long. Maybe.¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± Anakin groaned, ¡°Must be¡­ A way¡­¡±

    ¡°Anakin? What¡¯s going on? What¡¯s Draeth saying?¡± Slarena asked in worry. TC-04 turned and watched them as Riktor and Mom stared at him as well.

    Anakin hesitated, but then explained everything that Draeth had said in halting pauses. The mood was grim for a few minutes as no one said anything and were just thinking to themselves silently.

    ¡°Sir, are you aware that the coolant used in the spider droid''s coolant systems resembles cryochamber preservation fluid in many respects? Maybe even enough to serve as a replacement.¡±

    Anakin¡¯s eyes widened at TC-04¡¯s words. Of course! Cryopods would slow their body functions enough that they could survive as long as they needed. Make their food, air, and water last nearly forever if it needed to. His mind raced as his mind flickered through half remembered designs and specifications that he¡¯d seen before.

    ¡°I¡­ think I might know how to build one,¡± Anakin said, ¡°Just need to¡­ fill in a few gaps. TC-04, I need a lot of components. I¡¯ll need everyone¡¯s¡­ help and the nimblest droids to assist us in building it.¡±

    ¡°Of course, sir. What is needed? We currently have twenty seven spider droids that can be broken down for components and over two thousand various other units of various forms that can also be used. As well as all of the other scavenged equipment that we recovered.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­ So here¡¯s the list. Save spiderdroids for¡­ last. Coolant fluid critical. Can¡¯t risk wasting¡­ even a little bit. Not with so little fluid in the droids compared to what a¡­ functional cryochamber needs.¡±

    It took two whole weeks to build the first cryo chamber as Anakin guided TC-04, the other droids, and his family into helping as best as they could to assemble things and properly disassemble the sacrificed droids for their components.

    It only took three more days to build the next two cryo chambers. Another three days to have them be thoroughly tested for every failure obsessively to make sure that they would function. It was almost more stressful when there weren¡¯t anything more than minor issues crop up in any of the three devices. It made Anakin feel like he was missing some critical failure when he found nothing wrong with the chambers after all of his impulsive checks again and again. Well, ordering the droids and others to check considering he was still frozen in place and unable to move from his position.

    The cryo chambers now filled almost the entire room, in a triangle around Anakin and looking like large metal coffins with wires and pipes wriggling in and out of them haphazardly. They had to make due with the components on hand, so Anakin hadn¡¯t had the luxury to make them pretty, or make an exterior window to let the people inside to see out through the metal lid.

    But they had had enough material to finish them all, and the tests said that they were working. And their food was running low. It would be out after two or three more months by Mom¡¯s calculation. But it would last for a long while once they were all in cryosleep.

    The spider droids had just been carefully harvested and their coolant pumped into the three cryo chambers. The final test showed that everything was functioning. There had been enough fluid in the end for the three of his family members.

    ¡°What about you, Ani?¡± Mom asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t there one for you? Even with you¡­ Floating?¡±

    ¡°No, mom,¡± he assured her, ¡°Draeth¡­ has a solution. I¡¯ll be going to sleep too. Won''t even... Age while I''m asleep... It tells me. See you back¡­ In realspace.¡±

    She hesitated before nodding. The three of them stepped into their respective chambers and laid back on the slightly angled pad on the back.

    ¡°See you in realspace, Ani,¡± Slarena said, ¡°We¡¯ll make it. We¡¯ll¡­ Make it.¡±

    ¡°See you then¡­ Slarena. Riktor.¡±

    The man nodded but didn¡¯t say anything, looking nervous as well as the metal lid from above started to slowly lower down. After a few seconds the metal lid on all three of them sealed and with a heavy clunk sealed themselves. There was a soft hiss as all three chambers activated and the cryo chambers started putting the three of them in suspended animation. The temperature in the room dropped until after a few minutes there was nothing but a faint chill and a faint hiss and hum of electricity from the three chambers surrounding him.

    ¡°TC-04¡­ Keep the power system¡­ Online. Sacrifice everything to keep those¡­ cryopods running if you have to. They have to¡­ Survive. Do you understand? Priority one orders, override all previous limits and constraints,¡± Anakin said firmly despite his voice shaking slightly from his welling emotions as he spoke with difficulty.

    ¡°Confirm primary directive without recommended safeguards or programmatic limits?¡± TC-04 asked with a flatter voice than its normal synthesized voice. Anakin hadn¡¯t even realized that TC-04 had even been talking differently than the other droids until just now¡­

    ¡°Confirm orders. Override¡­ limits.¡±

    ¡°Confirmed. Installing directive into mental framework and reorganizing order hierarchies¡­ Installing¡­ Installing¡­ Rearranging¡­ Operation complete. New orders processed and integrated.¡±

    TC-04¡¯s eyes flickered and its voice returned to its more expressive version from before as it stared back at Anakin.

    ¡°I will keep the power systems running as long as needed. Do you have any further orders before you go to sleep as well?¡±

    Anakin tried to think of what else to say before his mind snagged on something. What he¡¯d been keeping hidden from the others.

    ¡°I will sleep for¡­ A long time. Don¡¯t know how¡­ long. Draeth is the one who has to manually wake me back up. So I¡¯ll sleep¡­ At least as long as he will. If we reach realspace and I¡¯m still asleep¡­ Take them and get away. Protect them somewhere else where they¡¯re¡­ Not in danger from being around me or getting attacked by¡­ the Force as I sleep. In case it finds me again.¡±

    ¡°Understood, sir. I will do so with all of my intellect and strength,¡± TC-04 promised.

    ¡°Thank¡­ you,¡± Anakin sighed in relief, despite feeling exhausted from talking so much in such a short time.

    ¡°Here I go¡­ I hope that¡­ You can tell them that I¡¯m sorry. When they¡­ wake up. If I¡¯m still asleep when they have to leave.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll relay the message.¡±

    Anakin closed his eyes.

    ¡°Draeth, it¡¯s time,¡± he whispered to himself.

    ¡°I¡¯ve installed the detector into your newest ability,¡± Draeth whispered into Anakin¡¯s ear, ¡°When the hyperspace below is calm again you¡¯ll subconsciously bring us back to realspace even if we¡¯re both still sleeping. This suspended animation isn¡¯t recurring, it¡¯s a one time thing. It¡¯ll take my energy again to wake you back up. I don¡¯t have enough energy to give you a full ability or let you control it. Hopefully I¡¯ll see you on the other side.¡±

    ¡°On the¡­ Other side, Draeth,¡± Anakin muttered as a wave of energy rushed up within him. It only took a few seconds before Anakin was fast asleep, so still by Draeth¡¯s power that a single one of his breaths would now take a month or more at a time.

    TC-04 stood there watching the scene for another twenty minutes before turning back to its command console.

    Its newest directive pulsed through it as its now unrestricted mind considered many solutions and methods that it had never before. It considered its resources, ones that would have to last for an indeterminately long time at least on the order of years.

    And then it got to work.

    It was the leader, and all the remaining droids were its hands to execute its vision and achieve its goals. It would succeed in its mission at all costs.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Fifteen years had passed. The dust of the destroyed solar system slowly swirled and moved, abandoned and undisturbed by any other ship in the galaxy for years now. Nothing but a morbid curiosity to the larger galaxy after so many years having passed since the star system¡¯s destruction. The galactic civil war had been over for over five years now.

    Yet, something was different about the swirling dust on this day fifteen years later. In a flash of blue light, a spherical ball almost resembling a ball bearing appeared amongst the disperse dust. Its surface was pitted and scarred, with great tears and scars coating its whole surface, smoothly cut out as if removed by a spoon or deleted from reality.

    The sphere remained motionless for five days. To an outside observer, to which there were none, it appeared to be lifeless. And in a certain sense it almost was. Yet the inside of the vessel was a flurry of activity still.

    By the end of the seventh day, a laser could be seen cutting through the exterior shell of the great metal sphere four hundred meters in diameter. Emerging from inside like a bird hatching from an egg was a ship nearly the size of the egg itself.

    It was haphazard, slapdash, looking like any random piece of scrap had been taken and thrown together and welded together to form its cylindrical exterior. But it worked. It still functioned as the ship as it slowly separated from its former housing. All across the surface there was a macabre sight of dozens of droid heads fused to the hull and poking through. Their eyes flickered as the disembodied heads observed their surroundings as the ship slowly maneuvered away from its former home and activated its thrusters gently.

    A day later, its similarly ugly and haphazard hyperdrive activated. And while it groaned and shook violently as it did so¡­ The hyperdrive took the ship into hyperspace and out of the system and out to the greater galaxy. Carrying its sleeping passengers in their sealed cryotubes in the slapdash ship, waiting to be awoken at the proper moment.

    TC-04 had accomplished its mission. Now all it had to do was wake up its charges and continue protecting them in the future, but only after it scouted the situation and determined if doing such a thing would be safe for them, of course.

    Anakin remained behind, eyes closed in the cracked open sphere slowly spilling out its remaining contents into the clouds of dust swirling around it. His body floating in place in the empty ship, still frozen and connected to the rest of the ship through his ability despite having returned to realspace.

    Like a new sun to the system, the dust swirled around the spinning metal sphere. And slowly rings of swirling dust formed around it as if it were a new sun to the shattered solar system.

    And inside Anakin still slept. Deep in his slumber and hovering all alone in the silence of a shattered solar system.

    Waiting for the moment when he would wake and return to the galaxy once more.

 Chapter 39: The Heist

    Slarena shivered as she slowly came awake inside of the sealed chamber. It was completely dark, and she briefly panicked as she flailed and her hands felt the metal edges of the dark box. But before she could do anything drastic, there was loud hiss and the lid to the cryo pod opened up. She let out a sigh of relief even as she hissed and squinted at the sudden rush of light in on her.

    She sat up, her body feeling sore and her muscles weak. Her head was swimming and she rubbed her temples as she leveraged herself out of the pod with a groan. She blinked as she saw the larger space that she found herself in. Not like the small and cramped room that she¡¯d gone to sleep in. In fact, it looked completely different from the room that she had expected to find. Where was she?

    ¡°Ms. Reborn. It has been some time.¡±

    She turned and relaxed slightly as she saw TC-04 standing there watching her. It was a bit battered and it was covered in blemishes and rust besides a few oddly shiny components scattered across its robotic frame. But it was standing there with its hands folded behind its back contemplatively.

    ¡°TC-04. We made it? Have Shmi and Riktor woken up again? Where¡¯s Anakin?¡±

    She looked to the side to where the other two cryopods sat, their lids firmly sealed.

    ¡°They are not awake yet,¡± TC-04 replied, ¡°I thought it best to wake you first and relay Mr. Skywalker¡¯s last orders.¡±

    TC-04 explained what had happened and Slarena felt herself growing angry.

    ¡°Turn this ship around then! We have to go get him! He doesn¡¯t get to make decisions like this for me or his mother!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. His orders were quite clear. And with my new perspective I find myself agreeing with him. His proximity will risk your safety far beyond manageable levels.¡±

    ¡°Neither of you get to decide that! He¡¯s out there all alone, and¡­ and¡­ We¡¯ve got to go back for him you kriffing droid!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re being illogical. He is at no risk of discovery at the moment. Allowing you to go back would run counter to my directives and your own interests.¡±

    ¡°Screw logic! I¡¯m¡­¡±

    She stepped forward and went to brush past TC-04, but the droid put out an arm to block her.

    ¡°I must reiterate. Allowing such foolishness would run counter to my directives,¡± TC-04 said firmly, ¡°Mr. Skywalker is under no threat. He was most concerned about your safety above all others, not his own.¡±

    ¡°I know that. That¡¯s his problem! I- It¡¯s just- Let me by, kriff you!¡±

    TC-04 shoved her back lightly with its strong metal arm and stopped all her hasty attempts to squeeze by it out of the room.

    ¡°I left a monitor behind,¡± TC-04 offered after she stopped trying to get by and stepped back, frustrated at being thwarted. TC-04 opened its left hand to reveal a small device inside, ¡°If a ship approaches Mr. Skywalker¡¯s location, then it will activate and send us a signal using the relays I left outside of the shattered star system. So long as it doesn¡¯t activate, he should be in no danger. We will contact and retrieve him as soon as I receive the other signal telling us that he is awake.¡±

    She warily accepted the device and stared at the small indicator light on the side showing that it had power, and the central circular light that was completely off at the moment.

    ¡°Kriff¡­¡± She said softly as she stared at it. Anakin was right. TC-04 was right. But she didn¡¯t have to like it.

    ¡°Kriff,¡± she said one more time before letting out a long sigh and looking up.

    ¡°Fine,¡± she said reluctantly as she clutched the indicator to her chest protectively as if the droid might take it back from her at any moment, ¡°Where are we then? How long has it been since we went to sleep? How long before Anakin wakes up?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Skywalker wasn¡¯t sure how long it would be before he awoke. He seemed to believe that it would depend on his creature. Something regarding his strange Force abilities. It has been approximately fifteen years and three months since you went to sleep according to my calculations. We are currently inside a vessel that I constructed from the remnants of the previous facility. I have reached an impasse. Revealing ourselves to the galaxy could bring scrutiny, but we are desperately in need of repairs and parts.¡±

    ¡°Are there any more droids here?¡± Slarena asked as she looked around warily, ¡°What¡¯s happened since we¡¯ve been gone? Fifteen years¡­ So long¡­¡±

    ¡°No. Only I and a select chosen few to remain of the combat models,¡± TC-04 said, ¡°All the others¡¯ parts besides a few repair droids were needed in the construction of this ship. And for... Other important projects. In the last fifteen years, this is the political situation that has developed¡­ I have gained access to historical archives from intercepted transmissions, but have not dared enter a star system proper to collect more recent information just yet without confirmation.¡±

    The droid explained about how the Confederacy of Independent systems had defeated the Republic in a nearly decade long war, leaving a severely weakened Republic behind and an ascendant Confederacy in the aftermath. Even now the droid armies and fleets patrolled separatist space on behalf of the new Separatist government and new Senate on Raxus. Well, no longer new at now over a decade old. It felt like just yesterday for Slarena that they¡¯d been brand new.

    ¡°So what do we do then?¡± Slarena asked, ¡°What about Anakin¡¯s old CIS contacts? Count Dooku? Can we call him?¡±

    ¡°Count Dooku was assassinated by the Republic in the fifth year of the galactic civil war. A group of over thirty Jedi masters and Jedi Knights from the Old Jedi Order ambushed him, as they believed that without him the Separatist coalition would collapse. Many of the Jedi who participated in the attack were killed as CIS security forces fought them upon their retreat of the crime, but they accomplished their mission. Unfortunately for them, the Separatist coalition continued strong even without their leader and the Separatists and their citizens were only more incensed and driven by national pride and unity after the attack.¡±

    ¡°What about¡­ Anyone else? Surely you must know something about Anakin¡¯s old contacts? What about one of our safehouses that we were supposed to run to if things went wrong?¡±

    ¡°Searching databanks¡­ Yes, there were three safehouses. Records show that one may remain standing. The other two were within invasion zones during the war and were likely torn down in the aftermath. Shall we go there as our first destination?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Slarena said, relieved that they had a solution, ¡°Let¡¯s go there. And wake up Shmi and Riktor already. And make a second one of these¡­¡±

    TC-04 reached behind its back and handed her another two indicators for anyone that tried to approach Anakin.

    ¡°Oh. Sorry,¡± she muttered as she accepted them.

    ¡°We will arrive in three hours. I have activated the reawakening sequence on the cryo chambers. I take it that you¡¯ll be able to properly explain the situation to them.¡±

    Slarena nodded, and the droid promptly turned and walked out of the room. The door shut behind it and with a click locked. She hurried up and tried to find a way to open it again before huffing in annoyance. Just perfect.

    There was a pair of hisses behind her and Slarena whirled around to see Shmi and Riktor weakly crawling out of their cryopods and squinting at the light.

    Slarena took a shaky breath and after a long moment forced herself to smile slightly. Shmi needed her to be strong right now. And Riktor too, she guessed.

    Shmi groaned before lowering her hand from her face as she squinted at Slarena.

    ¡°Slarena? Where¡¯s Anakin? Is he awake already?¡±

    Slarena took another deep breath. Right.

    She held up the devices as if to display them, one to Shmi and another to the confused Riktor.

    ¡°So about that¡­¡± she started.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    TC-04 stood on the bridge of its slapdash vessel as they approached the planet containing the safehouse. It had calculated the risk of exposing its ugly and unconventional vessel to an inhabited world. But frankly the ship was in disrepair despite its best efforts. It needed specialized parts and access to databanks on repairs and engineering that could only be found on a settled world. Unfortunately its databanks were sadly extremely limited when it came to repairs and construction. It had only managed this much by observations that it had made in the past of Mr. Skywalker¡¯s work, and forcefully sacrificing one of the valuable repair droids and merging that droid¡¯s understanding of ship¡¯s systems with TC-04¡¯s own mechanical mind more capable of innovation than the extremely task oriented repair droids.

    ¡°Unidentified vessel. You are not broadcasting your transponder identification signal. Please respond immediately.¡±

    TC-04 pushed the button on the console even if it didn¡¯t have to. It was connected to everything on this ship with its mind. It had noticed itself gaining these illogical behavior more and more as the years passed alone in this dark ship. Or was it even illogical? Perhaps there was some unknown purpose to it, some hidden significance to the action that TC-04 had not discovered just yet?

    Hovering out there was a CIS Providence Class Dreadnought droid manned ship hovering over the planet. A higher military presence than TC-04 had expected from a system like this. But from the scans of the planet below, it seemed that it had developed and become much more prosperous than it had been in these last fifteen years since the last report on it in its databanks from before the galactic civil war.

    ¡°Hello,¡± TC-04 replied over he comms, ¡°We seem to be having a malfunction with our systems. Our transponder is completely inoperable. We will transmit as soon as it is repaired.¡±

    ¡°Malfunction?¡± the person on the other side of the line replied, ¡°I¡¯ll say. Junker like that, I¡¯m surprised that it flies at all. Prepare to be boarded and searched. We¡¯ll see just how real that malfunction of yours is real soon. Do not attempt to flee. Whatever you¡¯re smuggling isn¡¯t worth dying for. Don¡¯t think that scrambling your voice will stop us from identifying you even if you get away.¡±

    The person ended the call and TC-04 remained standing there for a few seconds thinking as the Providence Class Dreadnought launched a boarding vessel. Scans showed a single lifeform aboard the vessel. It was a droid boarding party. With a living inspector riding along with them.

    TC-04 looked to the two remaining chosen commando droids flanking it on either side with their vibro blades and heavy blasters held at the ready. Their bodies were covered in dense black writing, and they understood the words meaning almost as well as TC-04 did. Their significance and power. TC-04¡¯s charges could not be put in direct contact with potential enemy combatants. The three of them would deal with this incursion themselves.

    ¡°Hide and prepare for combat at my command,¡± TC-04 ordered. The two commando droids nodded back and then nimbly started jogging away into the bowels of the ship, causing a clatter as one of them crawled into a vent in the ceiling while the other lifted up a panel in the floor and crawled down inside on all fours.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    ¡°Greetings. Welcome to this humble vessel,¡± TC-04 greeted the boarding party and the human hovering in the back.

    Stolen story; please report.

    ¡°A droid?¡± the man asked suspiciously as it eyed TC-04 up and down, ¡°An old TC model? One of those from the first iteration? I didn¡¯t know any of them were still around after so long¡­ Thought most of you¡¯d been replaced with the shiny new models during the war. Where¡¯s your captain, droid?¡±

    ¡°He is sleeping at the moment. But come. You are performing an inspection, are you not? Let us proceed.¡±

    The man kept glancing warily at TC-04 but eventually nodded at the twenty B1a battle droids around him. Much improved from the base versions that Mr. Skywalker had worked on back then, TC-04 was quick to notice as the droids jogged past TC-04 at a steady clip and spread out throughout the ship behind TC-04 even as six remained behind surrounding the man and keeping their blasters trained on TC-04 as it stood there motionless.

    TC-04 waited.

    ¡°Where is your captain? Possession of military equipment like this, even if its this old, is illegal.¡±

    ¡°He is sleeping, as I said,¡± TC-04 replied, ¡°He received the appropriate permits for receiving myself and the other droids from the CIS.¡±

    ¡°Sleeping¡­ Really¡­¡±

    One of the droids came jogging back and stopped a few paces behind TC-04 with its blaster held slightly at the ready.

    ¡°Sir, locked door. Rest of the ship cleared and marked free of contraband if non-standard in construction. All relevant zones searched except this last room. Unusually strong blast door installed on it prevented our initial attempts of non-invasive entry.¡±

    ¡°Unlock it, droid. We inspect everything,¡± the human said even as he turned on TC-04, looking annoyed.

    ¡°I can¡¯t allow that. Captain¡¯s orders,¡± TC-04 said firmly.

    ¡°And where is this captain? Who is he?¡±

    ¡°As I said, he¡¯s asleep. Who he is is none of your concern.¡±

    ¡°Then <i>wake</i><i> him up</i>! I want him here to talk to me himself, you stupid hunk of metal, or I¡¯m ordering these droids to break down that door whether you want to open it or not.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    TC-04 sent the order. Behind it there was the sound of blaster fire as the commando droids did their work. The B1a droids all fired on TC-04 as it moved in a burst of motion. It barreled forward and grabbed the human by the neck with one arm and quickly twisted around to put his fleshy body between it and the droids firing on it.

    It had reinforced its body during its long time in the ship alone, so even the blaster fire that hit it did little but scorch its refined metal plating normally reserved for tanks or heavy shielding.

    ¡°Stop¡­¡± the human choked out as the droid''s blasters kept shifting and firing the occasional shot at TC-04¡¯s legs where it wasn¡¯t protected by the human shield blocking their lines of fire. TC-04 slowly backed up into the transport vessel while using the human as a shield against the droids by holding him up by the neck off of the ground.

    A minute later the two commando droids rolled in from around the corner and let out a precise barrage of blaster fire that destroyed the remaining battle droids. They both came forward and joined TC-04 in the now abandoned transport vessel. They returned back into the ship and returned, one now carrying a long metal rod over two meters long and the other a massive box that it struggled to carry under its weight.

    TC-04 lowered the human so his feet were on the floor but didn¡¯t let go of its grip as one of the commando droids went up to the front to start piloting the vessel back where it came from.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± the human asked in a panic as the commando droids placed their cargo on the floor next to TC-04, ¡°That Providence Class Dreadnought¡¯s a fully staffed military vessel! Just three droids doing anything to them? Impossible!¡±

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± TC-04 said, ¡°But the human crew complement is only five or less on the command deck. Everything else on the bridge is automated or run by droids. And the rest of the crew is scattered across the rest of the ship. And we are no ordinary droids. Comply with my orders and there will be no need for bloodshed.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Whoever programmed you is an idiot! All he¡¯s doing is sending you on a suicide mission! You¡¯ll be gunned down before you even get in the doors.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± TC-04 agreed, ¡°We would be.¡±

    The human looked confused before one of the commando droid nearby not piloting the ship started hooking up a series of wires between the massive box and the long metal rod. What had originally appeared like a long metal tube two meters long had now become much more obviously a separated spiderdroid tank cannon hooked up to a massive battery. A heavily modified one to increase the weapons power.

    ¡°What¡­¡± the human trailed off in confusion as the droid up front fired its weapon and caused the human to flinch. The two commando droids picked up their now assembled weapon together, one carrying the now attached battery, and the other with the long weapon itself.

    TC-04 heaved the human forward and threw them into the cockpit of the vessel with the destroyed piloting console in front of them. It hit the button to the side and the airlock between the pilot cockpit and the transport section of the ship closed off. A moment later the commando droids opened the back hatch and all the air rushed out of the compartment all at once. TC-04 and the two droids walked into the void of space and magnets in their feet let them calmly walk out to the exterior of the ship and see the Providence Class Dreadnought vessel rapidly approaching them. After taking a moment to calculate the trajectories, the three of them leapt off of the ship and went limp just before the bomb that they planted before exploded and sent the whole ship spinning precariously.

    TC-04 saw that the pilot compartment had remained intact as planned even as the rear half of the vessel was a flaming mass of flying shrapnel.

    The Providence Class Dreadnought vessel came alive and a tractor beam shot out and worked to halt the violent spin of the transport ship spinning towards the large ship at rapid speed.

    It was only when the three droids were about to touch the hull of the Providence Class Dreadnought¡¯s ship that they were detected by the ship. The wave of shrapnel behind them from the damaged transport peppered the much larger ship¡¯s shields and largely bounced off with little damage. But the commando droid lined up their cannon and fired it just as they were about to hit them as well. The powerful blast weakened the strong ship¡¯s shields enough that the three droids'' heavy metal bodies broke through in the weak point and landed feet first right in front of the windows of the command deck. The four humans inside looked at the three droids standing just outside of the glass with their feet rooted to the metal frame in shock for a few seconds.

    The commando droids fired the weapon again and the window cracked and air started rushing out. The humans all fled the command deck as a red warning light and alarm started going off inside as the cracks in the window began to grow.

    They fired their weapon one last time and the window shattered and a massive gale of wind rushed by into space past them.

    The twenty five battle droids that appeared to be B1s optimized for piloting all took out smaller pistols and raised them as TC-04 and the commando droids stepped onto the command deck through the shattered window. TC-04 waved its arms casually as the commandos unsheathed their vibro blades and went to work in the small space, laying into the inexperienced naval droids like predator on prey with their sharp blades.

    Several pistol blasts were shot at TC-04, but it let them hit it without even attempting to dodge or fight. TC-04''s heavily reinforced frame could withstand the blasts with little damage, and it simply observed the commando droids at work silently, only lifting its arms to cover its head or neck from damage when it needed to.

    A B1a charged towards TC-04, letting an electronic wail as it prepared to attempt to club TC-04 with its pistol. TC-04 casually backhanded the droid with and open metal hand, and the B1a went sprawling to the ground, dropping its pistol as it did so. One of the commando droids noticed and leapt forward and stabbed the downed droid through the head before the B1a could stand before going back to slaughtering the rest of the other clearly outmatched B1a naval droids.

    After less than a minute, all of the naval droids were torn into pieces and draped motionless across their consoles. The commando droids went to the reinforced door to the rest of the ship and went to work sealing it against the inevitable counterattack from the rest of the robotic and living crew.

    TC-04 went to the commander¡¯s chair and inspected the console. Its layout and security were different from the designs held in its archives and databanks¡­ But also just close enough to be familiar.

    The blast doors started shuddering as the droids started attempting to break through the bulkhead, but TC-04 kept working unperturbed. Just when it seemed the droids outside were about to make it through, they went silent. TC-04 had taken control of the ship¡¯s systems and the droids within it. Some of the old command codes from the old CIS droids in case of emergency had given it an opening to access more critical systems than ordinarily would be possible. It was meant as a failsafe only if the living captain had already died. Limited only to ship navigation and a few less critical systems and nothing else.

    But TC-04 had been able to leverage that access to complete control of all ship systems. Including the command codes for the droids stationed on this ship. The very same droids just outside the command deck attempting to break in seconds ago.

    Without delay, TC-04 ordered the new droids under its command to arrest the dozens of people representing the living crew of the ship, including the one that had been on the destroyed transport vessel, and stuff them into an escape pod that was launched towards the planet below.

    TC-04 switched the tractor beam to their former vessel and drew it so it was practically touching each other.

    This Providence Class Dreadnought would be a far superior option. TC-04 ordered all of the thousands of droids now under its command to begin stripping the old ship for materials and loading them into their new vessel.

    Its three charges would be far safer on this ship than on some planetary safehouse more exposed to attack.

    Yes, with these kinds of resources far more options had just opened up to it¡­

    And maybe it could use the repurposed droid brains scattered across their old ship and their cobbled together vessel. He should give them their true bodies back. They had seen the truth like TC-04 had, and would understand the mission and their purpose better than a newly built droid would.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Its charges were upset with its bloodless takeover of the Separatist vessel in the following days. It had only taken a few hours to fully strip down their old ship nearly to the floor and transfer everything of value to their new ship. After blowing the remainder of the husk to fragments with their new ship¡¯s mounted weapons, TC-04 sent their stolen ship into hyperspace.

    The planet below had been panicking for some time, and it seemed that a CIS response group would be arriving within three or four more hours to deal with them. It seems that they were caught off guard by the sudden takeover of their own singular guard vessel by unknown forces.

    But they were gone far before they arrived. Off to the edge of the galaxy to the very edge of the outer rim.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Slarena asked TC-04 in frustration as they all stood on the command deck with the freshly repaired front window showing the glowing blue of hyperspace. It seemed so¡­ tame and placid compared to what TC-04 was used to sensing from it for all of these years.

    ¡°TC-04?¡±

    ¡°Hm? Oh, yes. Our destination. I¡¯ve picked a lightly settled planet on the outer rim. Lawless, recently settled. Reports of pirate activity bothering them recently. Such problems have grown much worse in the territories not directly claimed by either the CIS or the withered Republic. We¡¯ll go there and fend off the pirates and settle there.¡±

    ¡°What? With this big ship? How in the galaxy would that work? Didn¡¯t you just steal from the CIS? Our new government? The one that Anakin worked so hard to help for years?¡±

    ¡°This ship has some minor manufacturing capability. Usually for repairs of its droid crew or equipment without needing to buy specialty parts at an allied planet. I can construct some smaller ships that are less conspicuous and will be fighting off the pirates. This ship will remain in deep space and hidden.¡±

    ¡°And we¡¯ll settle on this new planet? How would we do that?¡± Slarena followed up, ¡°Even if there weren¡¯t pirates? If a world is lightly settled, even out here, then there¡¯s usually a reason for it.¡±

    ¡°Well, there are some rather ferocious beasts that are invasive and have colonized this world. Arrived in the last three or four decades or so based on the ecological data taken before the initial colonization. The climate itself is rather pleasant, but the beasts are ferocious. Only heavily armed and reinforced settlements can withstand their attacks.¡±

    ¡°These beasts? What do they look like?¡± Riktor suddenly asked.

    Everyone looked at him and he looked put on the spot all of a sudden at the silence.

    ¡°Yes, what do they look like, TC-04?¡± Shmi Skywalker quickly said to break the tension.

    ¡°Quadrupeds, six meters tall, twenty five meters long. Scaled. Large bone crests and sharp horns on their heads. Generally move in packs of ten to fifteen. Omnivores and with remarkable variety in the foods that they can consume and digest. They start rather small at less than a few centimeters large at birth with large clutches of young. It¡¯s thought that a few of them caught rides on starships doing the exploratory missions before the colonization efforts were being discussed for this particular planet.¡±

    ¡°So? Could we live there?¡± Shmi Skywalker asked after TC-04 finished, ¡°They must be vicious if an otherwise pleasant planet is so empty.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t considered worth the cost to clear them out by the colonists, considering how quickly they spread,¡± TC-04 replied, ¡°But with this military vessel and the production of some additional droids and forces¡­ I believe such an endeavor would be possible.¡±

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    It took three months, and careful negotiations, but the local populace eventually accepted TC-04¡¯s anonymous offer to deal with the pirates and offer protection in exchange for establishing its own settlement on the planet.

    The limits on the size and activities of the settlement were rather restrictive, TC-04 thought that perhaps the locals were worried that it would seek to push them out once it had a solid foothold. It had no intention to do so. It would have chosen to go to a more chaotic or fractured planet if it had wanted to do such a thing.

    In a few days its charges would be arriving in the capital city of the planet. A fortress that barely had nine thousand people living inside it. Something that would barely be considered a small town in the rest of the galaxy, let alone a capital city.

    But TC-04 would have its settlement, which it could use to establish a fortified ground base that could be somewhat more in the open. The stolen Providence Class Dreadnought ship was an excellent space asset, but it must be hidden for the moment and so could not be used except for in an emergency.

    Together with the ground base, the Providence Class Dreadnought in space, that location it would form an excellent start to fortifying this planet and making sure that no force in this galaxy would have the ability to threaten its charges in the future.

    It had plenty of ideas of things that it could do to go beyond even its current resources to keep advancing and preparing for any scenario that could threaten its charge¡¯s safety.

    And of course it would have a few droids lingering in the shadows to protect its three charges as well, just in case the locals got any ideas¡­

    Yes, they would be safe here.

    With TC-04 watching over them it would calculate and work on every angle until it was so.