Rated T: for course language and violence
Chapter 1: The Chase that Would Span Centuries
BOOM.
White rubble rained down in front of Anakin Skywalker's eyes. Somewhere from the maze of broken marble slabs, a laser blaster had shot out, hitting the pillar, missing Anakin's head by only a foot. Now, it looked like a giant something-or-other had taken a bite out of the stone marble.
Anakin ducked back behind the tall pillar. So much for that, he thought.
Edging around for another look, he chanced trying to catch sight of the rebel he was chasing. He looked for the tell-tale sign of a head, or cloth or anything. It was hard to tell, really. The landscape looked like it had been sliced in so many different angles, a mosaic of triangles and rectangles, everything varying shades of grey.
He crept forward, hoping to use the giant slab that leaned at a dangerous angle as a new barrier. It was going to fall over—when was the only question. By its size and smoothness, he guessed it used to be a wall. He poked his head around the edge, hoping the new perspective confirmed his suspicions.
All clear.
Stepping over a loose, flat stone, he pushed off the ground at a run, pumping his legs harder and harder. He could feel that the rebel had gained considerable distance. He could catch up. He would catch up. The rebel wasn't going to get away.
"Anakin! Need help?" called his Jedi Master, Obi-wan, far behind him.
"I've almost got him!" he called back. He hoped his voice didn't alert the rebel just how close he really was. Only a muffled reply reached his ears. Obi-wan was too far away now to distinguish his words.
A dry wind and dust bit into Anakin's skin as he raced between and over the uneven stones. He ran past their jagged edges with the speed and precision one only got through years of Jedi training. His muscles burned with the strain to keep the speed up.
After reaching the outskirts of the broken stone pillars, Anakin came to a stop. Everywhere he looked, there wasn't an obstruction tall enough to hide a man—not this far from the central area.
He felt that the rebel was supposed to be right there. Yet he wasn't. Confusion frustrated him.
A few minutes later, light footsteps announced Obi-wan's arrival before he came running into view. "What happened?" he asked.
"Gone," muttered Anakin, brushing debris from his hair. It fell in a shower of white powder. "What about the accomplice?"
"Handled," said Obi-wan. "The leader must be caught. Top priority now."
How were they supposed to find him when Anakin's senses told him that he was within a distance that he should have been easily visible? Though with every passing second, Anakin felt the presence recede from his mind.
"Alright," said Anakin, giving up on trying to solve the strange problem, "when do we leave?"
"You're going alone," said Obi-wan, taking out a communicator and proceeded to type a message.
The statement had him stupefied for a moment. In all the nine and a half years he'd known him, Obi-wan never let Anakin go after an enemy alone. Sometimes he felt that Obi-wan went out of his way to restrict him. He surveyed Obi-wan for a moment, taking in the soot stained clothes—a matching set to his own.
"Am I hearing you right? Didn't hit your head too hard back there, did you?" Anakin asked, futilely rubbing at a particular annoying spot on his sleeve. Jedi had an image to live up to. They weren't supposed to look like they came from a fight—or more accurately, you weren't supposed to be able to guess that the fight took a wear to them.
Obi-wan waved him off in a good-natured manner. "Don't write me off yet. I still have much to teach you."
Anakin sat down on a toppled column, finally giving up on his clothes. He was finally coming down from the high of running, and he felt the fatigue begin to sift into every muscle. He surveying the wreckage around him. Fresh wreckage. It was a functioning building just until two hours ago.
"If I'm going, then what will you be doing—not resting, I hope?" said Anakin.
"I will be meeting with the council to discuss security with the elders. I'd ask you to come, but your input would be too immature to do any good," replied Obi-wan in a dry tone, keeping watch around them.
Okay, he deserved that. He shouldn't have taken that jab at Obi-wan's age. Not that Obi-wan was actually old, he was actually in his prime, but, in Anakin's mind, 35 was practically ancient compared to his 19 years, and the abundance of age related jokes was too tempting to pass up.
"You're sending me on a wild goose chase. The rebel could be anywhere," said Anakin. He welcomed a solo mission, but not if it was a waste of time.
"We know that his organization is planning to attack the summit on Naboo." Obi-wan crossed his arms. A gesture that Anakin recognised to mean that Obi-wan made up his mind on the next course of action.
"—You guess," interjected Anakin.
"It's your top priority, Anakin. Look around you." The carnage was out of place in the sunny day. The harsh light made a dark contrast in the cracks branching in the heaps of white marble strewn around beyond recognition. It was impossible to even begin to guess at what part of the building it came from.
"This bomb was meant to kill one person," Obi-wan continued. "Luckily for us, he didn't succeed, but look at the damage. It would take years to rebuild this. The street. The building…" Obi-wan trailed off, shaking his head. He didn't need to elaborate, Anakin got the picture—heck, he was looking right at it.
The summit would house many senators. These particular rebels were fanatic in their attempts to kill government officials. They were the most dangerous kind. Their attacks usually killed innocent civilians who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. There was an exponential relationship between the scale of attack and the number of officials targeted. He shuddered to think what might be.
Sighing, Anakin got to his feet. "I'll take the one-man ship," he said as he headed in the direction to the ship bay.
From behind, he heard Obi-wan calling, "May the Force be with you, and remember to be careful!" stressing the last part. It wasn't just a cordial goodbye. When Obi-wan said it, he actually really meant for Anakin to take it to heart. In other words, Anakin, don't take risks; don't do what I wouldn't do, he translated in his head; also words he heard too many times to count.
He raised his arm in farewell without a backwards glance. The day Obi-wan finally had faith in him was the day he would stop making age related jokes. Maybe.
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Author's note: I would love any constructive criticism, so that I can improve my writing. (For example, were there any areas where the story dragged (a.k.a. pacing)? See my bio for a more comprehensive list. Your comments would be greatly appreciated. Thank you :)