The Force of Our Love

By AllietheEpic7

A Detective Conan Star Wars Crossover

Chapter 1

"Shinichi! Hey, Shinichi!"

"Ahsoka, wait!"

Rolling his eyes, Shinichi slowed down just enough to let his fellow Padawan and her Master catch up to him, though he kept walking to the main ship hanger. As much as he'd like to talk to Ahsoka, he couldn't stop to catch up now. They were good friends, even though Shinichi was almost 19 and she only 14.

Ahsoka jogged up beside him, an excited smile across her face. "Hey, what's the rush!? I thought you'd be happier to see me again! It's been so long since we've been back from the front, and I scheduled this perfectly for our relief time to match up with yours."

"Wait, so this is why you insisted we get time off!?" Knight Skywalker yelled, still behind them.

"Sorry, Ahsoka," Shinichi spared a tired smile. "But Master Windu and I have been called back out on a mission. The senator of Kuscao has been kidnapped. Since Kuscao has control over vital hyperlanes, it's imperative that we get her back."

Master Skywalker finally caught up to them. "Do we know who did it? Was it Dooku?"

Shinichi shook his head. "The security footage found at the scene of the kidnapping conclusively rules out both Dooku and Ventress. It only got a fraction of a frame, but from what the security detail found, we're looking for a young human male. Fortunately, it's required by law for Kuscao Senators to wear a tracking device, which Master's already traced to Crora 5."

Master Skywalker frowned. He'd never really like Shinichi—mostly because he and Master Windu didn't like each other, he suspected—but fortunately, he'd never vocalized his displeasure with Ahsoka and his friendship. While he had no doubt that if Master Skywalker did try to keep them apart, Ahsoka would disregard his orders, but it would also hurt her immensely. "Are you sure you won't need back up? We could help if you need it."

"There's no need to make such a sacrifice, Knight Skywalker." Shinichi made sure not to call him Master to his face. He always flinched when someone did so, though it's gotten less severe since the Clone Wars started. "It just an in-and-out mission; hopefully, we won't even encounter the kidnapper at all."

"You're at least taking a battalion of soldiers with you, right?" Ahsoka asked fretfully.

"Only a handful; Crora 5 isn't big enough to fit an army without scanners picking them up, but we will have more troops waiting outside the atmosphere."

Grapping his shoulder, Ahsoka forced him to stop. She then hugged him, squeezing him tight. "Just make sure you come back in one piece, okay?"

He hugged her back just as tightly. "I will. I'll be back before you know it."

He let go and sped away towards Hanger 3. He had a cruiser to catch after all.

Skyguy looked down at Ahsoka as Shinichi hurried away. "Is something wrong?"

"I've just…" She bit her lip, hesitant to mention it, even if she knew her Master would understand. "It's just this feeling I have. Like I'm never going to see him again."

Saying the landing on Crora 5 was rough was an understatement.

Shinichi gripped the armrests of his seat tightly, stomach rolling as the small cruiser cut through the planet's atmosphere. Well, it was technically a moon, but it had enough atmosphere to support life and a small mining facility, so Shinichi counted it as a planet. His fingernails dug into the cushioning as another bout of turbulence shook the ship. He bit his cheek; he hated flying in the passenger bay.

Master Windu sighed, looking up from his meditation. "Calm yourself, Shinichi. Worrying doesn't do anything."

"Sorry, Master," Shinichi flinched as the ship jerked again. He envied his Master's seemingly unnatural calm. "I just… prefer flying myself, that's all."

"If we'd let you fly, we wouldn't make it here in one piece." Master Windu didn't even seem bothered as the ship landed with a sharp jolt, whipping Shinichi forward in his harness. "See? We're fine. Now let's move."

They unbuckled and swiftly left the spacecraft, the exit ramp pinging softly under their boots. Master Windu ordered the Clone Troopers to stay with the ship, but to be ready to leave at any time; they'd most likely need a quick departure.

Crora 5 wasn't the prettiest planet Shinichi had seen by far—that would always belong to his native Naboo, even if such thoughts were pointless. The moon was all mountains, the odd tree popping up here and there nothing but twigs. There wasn't a speck of green or blue in sight, only dirt brown with thick purple clouds covering the sky. In the distance, an abandoned castled waiting and as Shinichi stared at it, a life force became clear to him. "Master. I sense the Senator, coming from there." He pointed at the castle.

The castle was desolate, all inhabitance gone once the Clone Wars forced the rich family who lived there back to their home planet. It stood tall, twin black towers protruding out the top and piercing the sky.

Master Windu began walking towards the castle, Shinichi only steps behind him. "Be on your guard, Padawan. It's very possible that this is a trap."

"Yes, Master."

They made swift work of the journey, no more words passing between the two. Shinichi knew better now than to break radio silence on a mission without it being necessary. Carefully, Master broke of the windows leading inside and they were in, the room seeming to be some sort of parlor. Windu turned to him. "There's something… strange about this place. I can tell the Senator is here, but not where…"

"A trap then."

"Most likely. Be on guard. You check the tower on the right while I focus on the left. If we don't find anyone, we'll scour this floor for any sign of a dungeon."

Shinichi nodded and found the stairs for the right tower. This wasn't the first time they'd separated on their missions; in fact, Shinichi had come to expect it from his Master. Windu took it upon himself to take the more dangerous routes for himself, so Shinichi was certain that the only thing that lay ahead were dusty tables and unused rooms. He kept one hand on his lightsaber just in case as he searched the rooms, but didn't bother taking it out or igniting it.

That was his mistake.

Suddenly, the Force around him screamed out in panic and before he could react, something sharp had pierced his neck. The effects were immediate, Shinichi's legs collapsing from underneath him. The last thing he felt before he passed out was a Dark presence smothering out the Light around him.

"Shinichi! Shinichi, look!"

The young Initiate refused to look up from his meditation, even as a grubby hand pawed at his robes. "Go away, Kaito."

"Not until you look, Shin-Shin!" The hand shook him roughly. "Come on; look at what I can do!"

His mouth twisted and Shinichi's eyes snapped open. He was fully prepared to tell Kaito off until he saw what was in the fellow 8-year-old's hands: a small stem full of primroses, still too young to open, with Kaito holding it by its dirt covered roots. "Kaito! You've killed it! Go put it back before you get in trouble!" Honestly, a flower doesn't belong in the Hall of a Thousand Fountains, that's just common sense!

Kaito pouted. "But they're not dead! See, I'll show you." Kaito squinted really hard at the flowers and pursed his lips, the usual face he made when he was concentrating. Slowly, the flower buds began opening up, revealing their pale yellow petals to the world.

Annoyance forgotten, Shinichi could only watch in pure awe. An excited smile lit his face. "Kaito, that's amazing!"

Kaito grinned back just as hard. "Not as amazing as you, Shin-Shin," he teased playfully.

Shinichi shoved him a little. "Oh, stop underselling yourself. Seriously, Kaito, I've never seen anyone do something like this before!" He grabbed Kaito by the arm and pulled him out of the hall. "Come on, we have to show a Master this! They're going to be impressed!"

Returning to consciousness was difficult. His brain swam in a daze, unable to focus on a thought longer than a second as Shinichi struggled to awake. He felt that he was forgetting something… something had happened, something he really had to be concerned about… but the bed he was on was so comfortable, better than he had ever felt before, and a blanket was wrapped around his body, protecting him from the hyperspace chill around him…

His brow furrowed. Hyperspace chill…? When did he get to hyperspace? Last thing he remembered, he and Master had just been dropped off for their mission. Master made them split up again, then…

Hazy eyes flickering open, Shinichi stared incomprehensively at the durasteel ceiling above him. He didn't recognize it. The medical bays on their battleships were always pure white, and the Republic used a cold grey durasteel, not warm toned. His head falling to the side, Shinichi noticed a bookshelf just opposite to his head, filled with real books made of real paper, not data chips. A desk had been shoved into the corner, a hologram map reflected onto the wall behind it with several red dots marking various planets that Shinichi did not recognize. Halfheartedly kicked under the desk was a shirt that had been left there for a long time. This was a captain's quarters, Shinichi realized belatedly, the drug starting to wear off.

He tried to move his arms, only to learn they were above him and that they wouldn't move more than a few inches before stopping with a clank. He looked up.

His wrists wore energy-cuffs, chaining him to the bed and cutting off his connection to the Force.

Shinichi closed his eyes. Okay. So, he had to escape. Either escape or wait for his Master to come rescue him and there was no way he was doing that again after Dorrian 3. Releasing a breath, Shinichi ran his fingers over the binders, trying to find a weak spot. He'd probably have to pick them, but if he could find a key hole first—

The Dark Side flooded over him in a sickly wave and before Shinichi could react, a Sith strode into the room.

Despite his current inability to manipulate the Force, he could still feel it, not that he wanted to at the moment. The Dark Side pressed in around him, threading around his Light in an attempt to infect it. The Sith towered over Shinichi from where he lay and his hood covered the upper half of his face in shadow, but Shinichi instantly knew; this was the man who they'd seen in the security footage, the man who kidnapped the Senator.

And now Shinichi too.

The Sith smirked and Shinichi fought to keep his face a passive mask. "Well, look at the pretty fly that's fallen into my web." Shinichi bit his cheek to keep a snarky comment in. "I didn't expect to see you, Shinichi Kudo."

The Sith knew his name. This was bad. This was very bad. "Nor I, you," Shinichi said, his voice nearly as monotone as Master Windu's. "Shall I assume that you are another one of Dooku's apprentices?"

"Not particularly." The Sith didn't seem to be in any hurry, just standing there looking down at him. Shinichi felt terribly exposed. "Does it bother you, Shinichi? How in the dark you really are?"

Shinichi narrowed his eyes. "I don't recall giving you permission to be so informal with me, Sith."

He laughed, and Shinichi blinked in surprise at the joyous noise. "Permission… I think you'll find that I don't need permission for anything anymore, Shi-ni-chi. Anything I want, I take." The Sith touched Shinichi on the hip, his fingers trailing up his side, then over his ribs to rest over Shinichi's heart, which was beating rapidly. "And I finally have something I've wanted for a very long time now."

"Don't touch me!" Shinichi jerked away from the hand. "Who do you think you are!?"

"That's a very easy question to answer, my dear Shinichi." The Sith swept off his hood and suddenly Shinichi couldn't breathe.

It couldn't be. No… no that was possible. It's impossible!
But that didn't change was his eyes were seeing. And that was Kaito Kuroba standing before him under all that black, his eyes the molten yellow all Sith had. He smiled, a sinister slash on his face. "Don't you remember me, Shin-Shin? I remember you. And trust me, I've been dying to see you again."

A/N: And there's chapter 1! I know this was pretty low on the poll, but I just love this idea too much to let it sit for much longer. I know I haven't been updating lately, but I think I've shaken off most of my funk and I should start updating semi-regularly again. Thanks for reading!