A/) Thank you for all the comments! I'm glad you've all like how I've set up the main crux of this story. We'll be flicking between Anakin and Ahsoka every other chapter, of which in this one, we return to them. Just getting all the characters into position so I hope to be able to write longer chapters very soon :)

Three

Reporting to the Jedi Council was one of the hardest things Anakin had, had to do. Informing them that one of the twelve leaders of the Order had been captured was his duty, no matter how much it hurt as all he wished to do was jump into his star-fighter and rescue his Master from wherever he was being held.

He had a duty to Ahsoka; to instruct her in the ways of the Jedi. Anakin didn't intend to listen to whatever the Council said, unless, of course, they took action and sent out search parties for Obi-Wan and that he was sanctioned to help.

He stood in a private room with Ahsoka at his side, on-board his cruiser. His arms were folded and he waited while his technicians patched him through to the Jedi Council. He had barely said a word to Ahsoka since they had arrived back, not knowing what to do with her in this type of situation. To her credit, she had just watched him; he could feel her inquisitive stare at his back even now…

He had tried to find Obi-Wan in the Force but the connection between them was blocked. As expected when a Jedi was captured by the Separatists. Force-suppressants were in high supply these days.

Finally the connection to the Council went through and the images of the seven Masters still at the Temple came before him, the others were on assignment, out of contact, or in Obi-Wan's case, a prisoner of war.

"Skywalker, what do you have to report?" asked Mace Windu.

After all, Anakin wasn't supposed to be reporting in; that job was Obi-Wan's. He had expected a little anger from the Council at his unauthorised transmission. It wasn't as if Obi-Wan could contact the Council and tell them he was a prisoner.

"I regret to inform you, Masters, that Master Kenobi didn't report in at the prearranged time. I took the Twilight –" he saw Windu frown – "and found Obi-Wan's fleet completely destroyed. There were only a few survivors, Commander Cody among them." He wanted to wring his hands together to make himself feel better but it wasn't the right thing to do at this moment. "It was Grievous, and they took Obi-Wan alive."

"This is unfortunate news…" replied Mace Windu, leaned forward in the hologram. "Disregarding your own fleet to inspect Obi-Wan's position was irresponsible of you, Skywalker –"

Anakin started to interrupt but Mace held up a hand to stop him.

"Let me finish, however it has been noted that you are an expert pilot and you did make the correct judgement call in going in by yourself instead of sending your entire fleet into a potentially dangerous situation," finished Windu, surprising Anakin with his small praise of his actions.

"What of Master Kenobi?" asked Adi Gallia. "Was there any indications of where he could be?"

Anakin shook his head sadly. "Commander Cody told me he tried to track him, but Grievous split his fleet up. I have techs inspecting the engine traces left in the system to determine what directions they could be heading to. Cody didn't know what ship Obi-Wan was being held on either."

"Troubling news this is," said Yoda. "Difficult to sense Master Kenobi it is, but alive he remains. Into the shadow of the dark side he has been taken. But why and what for is unknown."

"I'm going to help with the investigation," stated Anakin. He wouldn't take no for an answer. "The important thing is to track down Obi-Wan before the Separatists can use him against us."

"You are needed to patrol the systems, Skywalker," said Mace Windu sternly. "We cannot authorise your venture. Regardless of Master Kenobi's situation, it is vital that we do not lose any ground over his capture. We need to keep those systems secured to prevent any Separatist ship from slipping through our nets. If they did, they'd be in a position to attack Coruscant."

Anakin felt angry. The Council was willing to leave Obi-Wan in the hands of the enemy? "No. I did not expect that you would leave him a prisoner." His defiance shone through his Force aura.

"We didn't say that we would leave him in the hands of the Separatists either," stated Windu. "You made that conclusion on your own."

Anakin bristled. Windu had never liked him, had always distrusted him. "I can find him!" he returned angrily. "Just give me a chance!"

"There is nothing more to be said on this subject, Skywalker," continued Windu. "You are to remain in position and the Council will deal with this ourselves. We do not intend to leave Master Kenobi a captive. We will send a Master of this Council to you, and you will aid them in their investigation but you will not be in charge, and nor will you leave your post unless you have express permission from this Council regarding this matter."

He still felt angry. He steeled his jaw. "Fine." It was rude but he didn't care. All his worry was taken up by his concern for his former Master. He was a Jedi Knight now, with an apprentice of his own. Surely they should trust him? If they could trust him to train a Padawan to Knighthood, why couldn't they trust him to bring Obi-Wan back alive?

Duty.

It all boiled down to that.

Defending their borders was more important.

And he could understand that but he and Obi-Wan were close – if anyone stood a chance of finding Obi-Wan before anyone else, it was Anakin.

He took a deep breath and resolved himself. He knew what he had to do and the Council were not going to like it one bit. "Yes, Masters," he managed to grit out before he ended the communication.

"Master?"

"What is it Ahsoka?" he asked her.

Ahsoka bit her lip wondering how best to phrase her question. She decided to skip the formalities and go straight to it. She had been Anakin's apprentice long enough to know that he obeyed the rules when it suited him and that there were times when obeying the Council was not the best course of action. She was sure that she knew what he was going to do. "We're going after Master Kenobi, aren't we?"

He nodded. "We are or as far as we can. This is not a good example to you, Ahsoka, but the Council are wrong this time. It will take over a day for any Council representative to get here. I don't think we will locate Obi-Wan in that time but we can make some headway. Perhaps we can find something for the Master that comes to use." He suddenly grinned. "Besides Master Windu told me to patrol the systems… so, he didn't explicitly state to stay on board this ship did he?"

"Oh that's sneaky, Master," replied Ahsoka, marvelling at the way he had interpreted his orders.

"And it will get me in trouble," shrugged Anakin, "but finding Obi-Wan is more important to me. Admiral Yularen is more than capable of defending this ship and this system if I am patrolling elsewhere."

"If anything happens, he will call you back, won't he?" she clarified.

"He will. He's a good Admiral, Ahsoka, and I won't abandon my duty to the people of the Republic either if an attack happens. We will return and fight."

She could tell Anakin meant that even if it would be putting Obi-Wan's life on the line.

The dark side rolled around and through him, cascading in waves that flicked throughout his body. It pleased him greatly that he still continued to elude the pitiful Jedi… that they did not even suspect that he could even be a Sith Lord. His plans were moving steadily forward that would eventually lead to the destruction of the Jedi Order. His plans had long been in the making and finally they were coming to fulfilment.

Jedi died in the war every day and the dark side cackled in glee at each death… Save for one particular Jedi that seemed to be well adapted to surviving whatever Sidious threw at him.

Kenobi.

That name grated on his skin, and his eyes flashed yellow as he thought of the man that bore that name.

But now he had his chance to rid the galaxy of this Jedi…

Word had reached him through the Jedi Council that Kenobi's fleet had been attacked and the Council Master spirited away. He had not ordered any such attack however it seemed those orders had originated from his apprentice.

Though Dooku was in charge of the overall war effort, he still received the majority of his orders from his Sith Master. Sidious hadn't sanctioned an attack on Kenobi; Dooku had acted alone, choosing to defy Sidious' orders to leave the line of defence unbroken for now.

Before contacting his apprentice, he would have to meditate, bask in the glow of the dark side and uncover the truth behind Dooku's treachery. Find out exactly why Dooku had taken the Jedi Master. He wouldn't be angry if the attack had ended with Kenobi's death… but the fact the aim had been to capture…

Either way, Kenobi was doomed to die.

Sidious would see to it, personally if he had to.

To be continued...

Please let me know what you think!

So Sidious enters and the games are about to begin!

The next chapter will focus on Obi-Wan and Dooku. I hope to have this chapter posted next week sometime.

Until then,

the-writer1988