Again, thank you so much if you reviewed! (or favorited, or followed) It really helps keep me motivated. I'm so sorry for the long gap since I last updated, it's been a rough few weeks :/. I will try to have the next chapter up soon.

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This chapter takes place a few days after the last chapter, so Ani has already begun his investigation. Here is Chapter 3-

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Serenno was a lush planet far in the Outer Rim, known for its diversity of terrains: deep green forests, huge, sweeping mountains, generous flatlands.

Anakin had never much liked Serenno. He found their aristocrats snobby, and besides, he was allergic to the trees.

His ship, The Armageddon, swept over the tops of the trees, where he was sure to be seen.

That was the point. He wanted to get caught. This land belonged to Dooku, and he was very protective of it. As he was also very busy, the only way for unprestigious folk like Anakin to get his attention was to break one of Dooku's carefully enforced rules.

Anakin glanced behind him. The afternoon guard was already on his tail, angrily flashing things at him.

He allowed his face to split into a wide grin. All too easy.

It wasn't over yet, though. Anakin was just getting to the fun part. If they just had him on trespassing, he wouldn't even get close to Dooku. He would simply be fined or be placed in a mere detention center.

Anakin pushed the engines and his ship lurched forward. He laughed as he sped closer to the developments built near the mountains, and activated his weapons system.

The guard speeders were getting closer, and Anakin let them gain on him. One shot from his ship's weapons at the Count's personal residence would surely get him an audience with Dooku.

He would find out soon enough. He fired and let the guard immobilize his ship.

Dooku did take a liking to me when we last met. Who knows, maybe he's still fond of me. Anakin spared a glance back at the building he'd scorched.

Then again, maybe he isn't.

. . . . .

Several security protocols later, Anakin found himself sitting handcuffed to a chair in one of the stupid detention centers he had been trying so hard to avoid.

This is getting nowhere.

He wasn't quite ready to give up, though. Something told him he would be seeing the Count soon.

. . . . .

Count Yan Dooku of Serenno glared through the glass plating separating him from that boy. He was just as he had remembered, only older. The same arrogant grin was on his face, as if he knew that the Count was looking at him with resentment in his eyes.

I do not have time for this.

It was beneath him to look into petty acts of vandalism, he knew this, but once he had heard the name of the offender, he hadn't been able to help himself.

Anakin Skywalker.

Dooku vividly remembered the day he had met Jango's young protege. The boy had been effective, even then, but that wasn't what had gotten his attention.

It was the boy's Force presence. It was unlike anything he had ever seen; a maelstrom of violent, pure energy, untainted and untrained. It was terrifying and beautiful, and the Count got the feeling that if one tripped the wrong wire, the storm would explode outward, ravaging everything in its path.

By all means, the child should have been a Jedi. Why those old fools had let a prodigy like this slip through their fingers was beyond him.

Dooku was glad they hadn't, though. A rare specimen like this would never have fit the Jedi mold, to try and force it would be like destroying a work of art. If the Jedi were to train him, Dooku was sure that they would have kept him from his full potential. The Sith did not conform to such boundaries.

So Dooku had kept tabs on the boy, not ready to take on a project of that magnitude, and yet not willing to trust anyone else with this precious burden.

So he stared back through the glass at a paradox of the Force, and wondered what in the universe he could possibly want.

He didn't have to wonder for long. The boy told him flat out.

"You're trying to have my friend killed."

The Count was quite taken aback. This was unexpected, especially from a mercenary.

"I'm sure I have no idea what you are talking about. Who is this 'friend' you are referring to?"

"Padme Amidala. You hired bounty hunter Jango Fett to kill her."

Oh. That. Skywalker was being more frank with him than Dooku was accustomed to. And he had a strange half-grin on his face; the Count couldn't for the life of him configure what the boy could possibly be thinking.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, dear boy, but aren't you in league with Jango Fett?" he replied, placing an expression of grandfatherly kindness on his face.

"That's not important," the boy said with a wave of his hand. A serious look came into his eyes as he leaned forward in his chair. "I don't like it when people try to assassinate my friends."

The boy has no right. Dooku kept his face collected and put the rage that had risen up inside him behind carefully placed walls, where it wouldn't interfere with the reasoning of the moment, and where he could call upon it when it could be of use to him.

"Why have you assumed that it was me who hired these so-called assassins? After all, Senator Amidala has many political enemies, myself by no means being the greatest." He gave a placating smile, and tilted his head at Skywalker, a Politician's indicator for reply.

Skywalker wasn't phased. "You have easy access to any mercenary you'd like, and if she were out of the way, it would be that much easier for you to wage your war. Nothing to rouse pacifists to action like making one of their own a martyr."

Dooku's eyes narrowed. While he was sure this plan somehow made sense in that strange mind of his, these assumptions couldn't have been farther from the truth.

"Besides," Skywalker continued, "She has so many enemies within the Republic that no one would even think that it could be you, so naturally you would choose to strike now, while the accusations would be pointed somewhere else."

Dooku found himself become slightly impressed. For someone who clearly didn't understand how politics worked, he had at least gotten one thing right.

"I do wonder," the Count said, deciding it was time to stray away from that particular topic, "how a person such as yourself becomes acquainted with a high-profile Senator."

Finally, the boy seemed slightly flustered, but he recovered quickly. "That's not important. What's important is that you seem to be sending bounty hunters after a perfectly innocent senator, and I need you to stop."

Dooku was certain that the phrase perfectly innocent would under no circumstances apply to a Republic Senator, but he brushed this thought aside.

He stood up. The conversation was moving far too slowly, and he could by no means simply stop the assassinations. This boy is far too comfortable challenging me. He needs to learn his place. Dooku had found that if one's opponent was under the impression that they no longer had the upper hand, the negotiations would suddenly become much more in the Count's favor. Dooku made for the door.

"Wait!" Skywalker said. He tried to stand up, but he was tied to the chair. "Anyone will do anything for the right price."

The Count allowed himself to hesitate. "I have no need of money."

"I know," the boy said, "My services are at your disposal." Another sly grin appeared at the corners of his mouth, as if he knew Dooku wouldn't pass up an opportunity to study such a fascinating force presence.

He hesitated again, and this time it was no show. Then he decided that the Force wouldn't present him with an opportunity that would prove to be a disappointment.

He didn't sit back down, but said, "There is a traitor and a spy somewhere in this complex. You have five days to find and apprehend them. Then, and only then, will there be talk of an arrangement."

Of course, there could be no 'arrangement', but it would prove interesting to see how far the boy had developed his force abilities without training. Dooku had discovered the spy very soon after they had been placed in his abode. He had let them stay; fed them false information, but everything had its time. One door would close, and another, larger door would open.

And in five days, Dooku would know just how vast that new door could be.

. . . . .

"What?"

"I said, milady, Captain Panaka is here," Sabe replied, looking back at Padme with annoyance in her eyes.

"What in the galaxy is he doing here?" she repeated back at Sabe, blinking furiously.

Sabe narrowed her eyes. "He said that you would know why he came."

"What? I have no idea why he's here!"

"Well, he wants to talk security with you. Maybe you can figure it out."

Padme was going to do just that. She swept out of the room and into the Security Quarters, and sure enough, Panaka was there, ordering Typho's men around as if he owned the place.

"Ah, Senator Amidala, I was just looking for you. I want to move your sleeping quarters to the center of these apartments; that would make it much harder for an intruder to, well, intrude," he said.

"Yes, but I don't understand why Captain Typho can't make the arrangements. He is, after all, the head of my security now." She said this with a gentle smile, Panaka had saved her life on several occasions.

The older man stopped giving instructions to her staff and walked toward her.

"While I respect my nephew, and acknowledge that he is very capable, his security measures almost got you killed. I made a promise to our, shall we say, mutual friend, that you would be kept unharmed."

Padme blinked. No. It can't be.

It didn't make sense. How could the retired captain of the Queen's Guard know her bounty hunter? Know him well enough that he came halfway across the galaxy just to do him a favor?

Or did he? "Did he hire you?"

Panaka smiled. "No. This is a favor to you both."

She stepped back. "A favor?"

Panaka smiled wider. "Yes. A favor. I spent a good chunk of my life protecting you, Senator, and I'm not going to just sit around and watch it go to waste."

"Yes, but how do you know him? Who is he?"

The man was still grinning; she wished he would cut it out. It made her feel as if he was laughing behind her back.

"I don't think it's my place to answer that, but I can say that he's on his way to Serenno right now to do your bidding, free of charge. You have to understand that mercenaries don't gift their services to just anyone for free."

And that was how she left the security quarters more confused than she had been before, but she let the man stay. Maybe part of it was because she couldn't turn him away after all he had done, but most of it was because he was because he was her only connection to this ghost she couldn't name and probably shouldn't have trusted.

. . . . .

"Captain, no matter how good of security the Senator has, she will remain in danger until the source of these attacks is found." Obi-Wan was pleasant enough in tone of voice, but he gave no leeway when it came to fulfilling what the Council had asked of him.

Panaka sighed and leaned forward, his face in a grimace, as if he were thinking about something unpleasant. "We...well, we already have someone leading the investigation."

The Jedi physically recoiled in his seat, clearly taken aback. "Who?" he demanded. "Where?"

"Serenno," Padme said. "Our investigator's name remains undisclosed." She glared at Panaka as she said this, causing Obi-Wan to frown and glance back and forth between them.

"However," she continued, "I have every right to hire," Panaka's eyebrows raised slightly at the word, but Padme was undeterred, "a private investigator."

Now it was Obi-Wan's turn to raise his eyebrows. "Even one who operates outside of the law?" It's the only explanation for how she's been acting. He had known her to be perserverent in both word and action, but he had never expected her to go this far.

Padme's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "My private business is not Jedi buisness."

Obi-Wan gave a slight smile. "I would never suggest anything of the sort. I was merely expressing my surprise at the thought," he said. "However, I would advise that you tread carefully with certain...people."

"I am well able to take care of myself, Jedi."

Obi-Wan smiled again. "I don't doubt it, but as you seem covered here security-wise, would you allow me the honor of going to Serenno to assist this...investigator of yours?"

The senator exchanged glances with Panaka, and then gave her consent.

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No more than a couple of hours after the interview (more like interrogation), Anakin Skywalker found himself hiding in a cramped maintenance closet, of all places.

He needed a proper disguise, but he doubted that the security officer just outside would have appreciated him lurking around changing quarters, where the uniforms were undoubtedly stored.

Reduced to hiding in a maintenance closet. This is a new low. What had he gotten himself into?

Five days. Of course, he had gotten out of plenty of tight spots before with Jango, and on his own, but this one would be a completely different sort of challenge.

Well, once I accomplish this, Dooku will be so impressed with me that he won't even ask for a deal, he thought with a sudden grin. He turned his head to look over at the sadly drooping cleaning supplies he was sharing the space with. His smile evaporated. Well, maybe not.

Five days.

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