Anakin sits cross-legged on the prison floor, waiting for the slaver queen Miraj Scintel to enter. When she finally does, he groans inwardly, knowing full well what to expect. Her piercing yellow eyes gaze into his own blue depths, searching for some unknown answer.
He manages to sputter out a question, to which Miraj rolls her eyes. Nevertheless, she replies in the affirmative, informing her captive that his friends- Obi-Wan, Rex, and Ahsoka- are well on their way to Coruscant. "For I do honor bargains, after all," she concludes with a smirk, pushing back Anakin's unruly hair. "Isn't that right, slave?"
Anakin forces himself to nod; to pretend that nothing is wrong, although he and the Zygerrian queen both know that this is certainly not the case. He after all, is now merely a slave, no longer a hero and General in the Grand Army of the Republic. He realizes that by this time, his friends must know of the bargain he made with Miraj Scintel, as they are now free- and he is a slave.
Miraj cups his chin, an unasked question in her eyes, but Anakin doesn't respond. His expression hardens as the Zygerrian trails a hand down his face, her thumb caressing the lightsaber scar above his right eye. Anakin growls slightly, the gentle touches sending shivers down his spine, but he is powerless to stop the unwanted advances. After all, he is only a slave.
The slaver queen strokes Anakin's hair, a small smirk lacing her features. "You are learning," she remarks softly.
Anakin doesn't bother to reply. It takes all of his Jedi self-control not to lash out at his new mistress. After all, he has already made the deal. There is no turning back now.
A few days later, the explosion comes. The distraught look on Miraj Scintel's face tells Anakin all he needs to know, even as the door bursts open and Ahsoka leaps into the room. She ignores the queen, running straight for her Master. Anakin embraces his student, just as Obi-Wan enters the room in a calmer fashion.
The queen makes one last plea from her position on the floor. Obi-Wan's lightsaber hovers about her neck, preventing her from escape. She knows, of course, that she will not be spared. The fiery look in Anakin's eyes and the activated lightsaber in his hand only serve to prover her point.
Moments later, the queen of Zygerria is dead. And Anakin Skywalker is one step closer to the dark side.
oOoOoOoOo
On the ride home to Coruscant, Anakin is silent. Ahsoka tries to approach him, but Obi-Wan stops her, saying that the Jedi Knight needs some time to himself. However, he, too, is worried about his former apprentice. Even during Anakin's days as a Padawan, slavery was a delicate subject between the two. Now, it is even more so.
And he still wonders about what happened back on Zygerria, although he doesn't dare to ask Anakin about the situation. He recalls, vividly, the dangerous look in Anakin's eyes after he killed the Zygerrian queen.
He wonders, but he remains silent. After all, as he told Ahsoka, Anakin needs some time.
oOoOoOoOo
In the safety of Padme's apartment, Anakin embraces his wife. Padme seems worried, but she says nothing, as Obi-Wan has already briefed her on the events of the past few days. Instead, she tenderly runs a hand through her husband's hair, choosing silence as the best option. After all, what is she supposed to say?