Author's Note: I'm sorry if you got two emails about this chapter. Something... Broke the first time and it published an old version of the doc. I have NO idea why. I hope you didn't read the one without the Author's note, because if you did you got an old version that hadn't been fully edited.

Moving on...

I have made the horrible discovery that I don't really like writing Anakin. Anakin was given a strange and stiff voice by George Lucas in the prequels. Some of this was intentional, trying to match Vader's somewhat formal speech patterns and some of this is probably the result of less than perfect writing. I've tried to partially replicate it here while also making Anakin younger than in AotC and I'm not sure I've been entirely successful.

To compensate, this story will have a bit more action and adventure to it.
I hope you enjoy

Act 2: Knight of the Republic

Fun: Anakin Skywalker

26 BBY
Obi-Wan Age: 31
Anakin Age: 15

Anakin grunted as he picked himself up off the floor, having been bested yet again by Yoda, and looked around for his lightsaber. The diminutive master called both his staff and the missing lightsaber to his outstretched hands. Anakin noticed how the Master seemed to collapse in on himself after the fight, suddenly needing his cane again, and wondered why he even bothered with it if the Force could supply him the mobility he needed.

Yoda extended the lightsaber to Anakin. "Better you are doing, yet much to learn, you have. Powerful you are and quick, young Anakin. But learn to think you must. Learn to be more clever than your opponent. You cannot win on strength alone. Always a stronger opponent there is. Then, only will your mind save you, Anakin."

"Yes Master," Anakin said dutifully. To himself, he thought that if one actually was the most powerful, then Yoda's point was kind of useless. Afterall, who was more powerful than Yoda?

"Well, Padawan, did you defeat Master Yoda yet?" Obi-Wan walked into the room, a smile on his face.

Anakin laughed, he hadn't seen Obi-Wan in nearly a month. It turned out that Anakin's training was anything but traditional. Starting so late, and having never been a youngling or initiate, he had received intensive private instruction from the greatest masters of the order. Saber practice with Yoda, academic lessons with Jocasta Nu, meditation sessions with Plo-Koon, lectures on the code from Ki-Adi Mundi and more. This last was the worst in Anakin's mind, as Master Mundi was possibly the most boring sentient on Coruscant. All of this was on top of the usual Padawan duties with Obi-Wan.

Unfortunately, some dangerous business had called Obi-Wan off Coruscant recently. "Undercover detective work," his master had explained simply. "It's not really something I can take you along for."

"Surely there's another master that can deal with it?" Anakin had practically whined before Obi-Wan left. "Like Master Quinlan Vos. That's kind of his thing isn't it?"

Obi-Wan had chuckled. "Well yes, but I'm rather uniquely suited for dealing with this group. I have a bit of history with them, after all."

And that was that. Anakin's training had gone on in the temple without Obi-Wan. For a few days, it had been fun, being out from under his Master's thumb. He might have snuck out of his room to roam the temple grounds on more than one late night only because he knew he could get away with it. But the fun had worn off rather quickly and boredom set in, followed by Anakin starting to miss his master. They had hardly been parted for more than a day or two since Naboo.

Life was just boring without Obi-Wan. His master's sharp, sarcastic sense of humor was a never-ending source of entertainment as the two would banter back and forth like brothers. And compared to Obi-Wan, the other Masters were a bit… Anakin could think of several words that fit, but none of them were polite. Stiff, dry, and dull.

Anakin smiled as he turned to his Master. "Well, I didn't beat him this time, but it's only a matter of time. Don't you think, Master Yoda?" Anakin hoped desperately that Yoda would realize this was a joke and not actual boasting.

He shouldn't have worried. Yoda tilted his head to the side and reignited his lightsaber. "Beat you again, I will. Go easy this time, I will not. Send you back to your master like a scared youngling."

"That's… That's okay. I don't feel like dying today," the Padawan laughed. "Obi-Wan have you come to rescue me from saber practice."

Obi-Wan shook his head. "No. In fact, I would take great pleasure in watching the Grand Master of the Order put my Padawan in his place." He smiled and bowed to Yoda. "Thank you, Master, for overseeing my most unruly Padawan in my absence."

Yoda extinguished his Saber and nodded to Obi-Wan. "It was my pleasure. Find your prey, did you?"

"Yes, actually, and I was wondering if perhaps my Padawan would like to take a bit of a trip. I suspect he may have more fun busting gangsters than training at the temple."

One side of Anakin's mouth tugged upward into a smile. "Why Master, it's almost like you know me. Where are we going? I'm flying."

"First, yes, I know you well, and I'm starting to regret that you picked up my sense of humor. Second, Ruusan, Mid-Rim, we'll talk about it on the way. Third, of course, you're flying. There has to be some benefit to having you for a Padawan. Let's go." Obi-Wan turned to Yoda. "Master with your leave."

Yoda nodded and gestured to the door.

As the Master and Padawan walked down the hallway towards the hangars, Anakin's curiosity got the best of him. "So are you going to tell me what this is about or do I have to start guessing."

"Depends on how good a guesser you are I suppose?" Obi-wan shrugged. The orange light of Coruscant's sunset filtered through tall windows into the Temple casting them in a warm glow.

"Well, you've been undercover..." Anakin started to say, then smiled. "Obviously you need my help taking down some gang that's too much for an old man like you to handle."

"Ha. In your dreams Anakin. No this isn't the first time I've brought down this crime lord. Over a decade ago Qui-Gon and I took down the whole organization. Slavers. Disgusting operation."

Anakin swallowed and tried to ignore the uncomfortable topic or think about his mother. He still hadn't figured out how to reconcile his feelings for his mother with the Jedi Code, and he wasn't sure that he ever would. "Apparently you didn't do all that good a job if they're back.."

"Hardly my fault," Obi-Wan said thoughtfully. "Turns out the Azure Hammer was clever enough to stage a mass break out at the Republic Penal Colony on Kessel. One good side effect is, a life of hard labor seems to have kept him from going back into the slave business. Unfortunately, he's hardly moved to philanthropy. Now he's manufacturing deathsticks under the moniker of Golden Fist."

"Creative type I see. And he's moved from one type of slavery to another," Anakin mumbled, frustrated that such scum existed in the Republic.

"My thoughts exactly, and I thought you wouldn't mind the opportunity to head back into the field."

"Oh no, Master, I love endless private sessions with the other Masters," Anakin deadpanned. "Why would I ever wish to go out into the field and actually do something useful?"

Obi-Wan eyed Anakin for a moment. "You know, when I took you as a Padawan, I thought you were going to learn more from me than just sarcasm."

"Well, when you're given the opportunity to study under a Master…" Anakin said as innocently as he could. He kept a straight face for as long as he could before both he and Obi-Wan began to laugh. This sudden outburst in the peaceful halls of the temple gained them contemptuous glances from at least three Jedi Masters.

The next day on Ruusan, huddled in a dreary back alley of a barely pronounceable city, they went over the plan for what seemed like the hundredth time to Anakin. "Yes Master, I have it all down. It's not that complicated."

Obi-Wan sighed and scratched the goatee he had recently begun sporting. "Look Anakin, I don't mean to patronize, but these are very violent criminals. You're my responsibility, and I need to know your head is absolutely on straight today."

Anakin held up his hands defensively "I'll follow the plan. No improvising; I promise." Obi-Wan nodded, satisfied. Anakin continued. "I do think it's a bad idea to try and take them alive. This… Azure Hammer, Golden Fist… whatever he is, has escaped from Kessel. I mean, no one escapes from Kessel."

The older Jedi sighed. "Anakin, we're peacekeepers, not executioners. All we can do is turn criminals over to the proper authorities. We do not dispense justice ourselves."

"Wouldn't we be justified to do so here?" Anakin asked, honestly curious. "These are murderers and ex-slavers, manufacturing deathsticks of all things."

"In this case? Perhaps. No one would question a dead drug lord. But most cases are not so clear. Slopes can be slippery and bad precedents can be set." Obi-Wan looked at his Padawan and folded his hands together behind his back. "Anakin, the Order operates the way it does for a reason; it is to protect both the public and ourselves from Jedi abusing their authority and power."

Anakin thought about this for a moment. "I understand," he said nodding. And in truth he did, though he wasn't necessarily happy about it in this case. "Better to do our job and remain above reproach than lose our place of influence by going too far."

Obi-Wan smiled, pleased with Anakin's answer. "Precisely. Now if you'll excuse me, I think it's time we begin our little operation. I'll wait for your signal." And with that Obi-Wan pulled his hood over his head and walked off down the rainy alleyway.

Anakin watched him go before leaving in the other direction, thinking to himself for the thousandth time how glad he was he'd ended up as Obi-Wan's Padawan. He'd talked to other Padawans. He knew how strict the other Masters could be. Obi-Wan was strict too, naturally, but in a different way. Obi-Wan allowed Anakin to question things. It wasn't enough that Anakin knew what the code was, but that he understood it. And if asking questions helped Anakin understand why things were the way they were, well that was fine with Obi-Wan.

The Padawan refocused himself on the mission ahead. It was a simple operation. Obi-Wan would go ahead and take out the roof guards on the warehouse they were about to raid, while Anakin would creep around the perimeter and place their specialty smoke grenades in the air recyclers. When he was finished, he'd signal Obi-Wan, and the fun would begin.

The first part took only a few minutes. Hitting up the air recyclers at each corner of the building and planting the smoke grenade was child's play. He didn't see any guards or any sign of his Master, so clearly Obi-Wan had been successful with his task. Anakin primed the last grenade in the outgoing ventilation shaft and replaced the cover. Now he just needed to get into position. Somewhere on this side of the building there was supposed to be… Ah, there it was.

Anakin smiled and rolled his eyes. There was the garbage shaft that Obi-Wan insisted was the best ground level entrance for Anakin to take. Thankfully he wouldn't have to smell it. Much. He pulled a breather out of his robe and placed it over his face. He wouldn't smell it now, but he would later when he took this thing off.

Grimacing, he pushed his way through the garbage and then wriggled upward through the shaft. Judging from the slimy texture, he knew he was going to look awful and smell worse on the other side. After a few meters, he finally dragged himself out of the shaft into some sort of dumpster. Calming his mind, he stretched out his senses to feel the world around him. No one in his immediate area and Obi-Wan far above him on the roof. Perfect. Anakin pulled out his transmitter and sent the signal to Obi-Wan. He waited a few seconds for the return signal to go ahead. The transmitter lit green. "Here we go," Anakin whispered to himself and flipped a switch on the detonator.

It took nearly a minute before there was any reaction. By the time he heard shouting, it was too late, and thick smoke was billowing out of the ventilation. Reaching outward one more time, Anakin sensed no one in his immediate area and slipped out of the dumpster, quickly pulling off his breather. His face wrinkled immediately from the stench radiating off himself. Lovely he thought.

Anakin ducked quickly into some crates and glanced towards the ceiling. The smoke was trailing upward rapidly leaving the bottom half of the warehouse clear. There were confused mutterings from a few of the gangsters as they pointed at the rafters. They seemed to think that whoever had planted the smoke had used the wrong kind; what good is a smoke grenade if all it's smoke floats up to the ceiling?

Suddenly Anakin heard Obi-Wan's voice project loud and clear over the warehouse. "Excuse me, I'm looking for the gangster formerly known as Azure Hammer, though I hear lately he has been calling himself Golden Fist. Honestly, with such an unoriginal naming system I'd expect you'll soon be Crimson Sword or some other nonsense." The voice came from the smoke-shrouded catwalks high above the floor of the warehouse.

"Well you've found me," a booming voice bellowed. "What is it you want? Your theatrics are amusing enough that I may not have my men kill you. Maybe. Depends on your answer."

Anakin tried to get a lock on the voice. With the gangsters distracted, he began to slip through the rows of crates towards where he thought he had heard the Devaronian yelling from.

"Oh, I think you know why I'm here." Obi-Wan's voice came from a different part of the rafters. "After all, I sent you to Kessel a decade ago. Maybe I'm not the best at counting, but I don't think you've served the three centuries of work you were sentenced too," Obi-Wan stalled, letting the Padawan get as close to the gangster as he could

"Hmmph. One of the Jedi then. I'd guess the young one all grown up. Vermin. I think I'll just have my men start shooting into the smoke and hope they get lucky."

"That's actually a terrible idea. You see, the second one of your men takes a shot, you lose your chance to just surrender peacefully."

Anakin was behind the Devaronian now. He was surrounded by a group of about six of his men, all heavily armed and staring up trying to lay eyes on Obi-Wan. Anakin smiled to himself. This was too easy, like a tooka chasing after a hand-light.

"Look Jedi, you know that's not happening," the Azure Hammer said, starting to sound bored. "Come down, and let's get this over with." He motioned to his men who started to spread out. "You've got ten seconds before my men open fire. Ten."

Obi-Wan only laughed. "I told you. Firing is a bad idea."

"Five"

Anakin prepared himself for action, breathing in deeply and taking his lightsaber in hand.

The voice from above only laughed again. "Your mistake."

"Three, Two, One, Fire!" The gangsters all opened fire at where they thought they had heard Obi-Wan's voice. The moment the blaster fire hit the smoke, it dropped rapidly towards the floor leaving the ceiling free and the bottom level embroiled in the thick mixture. Anakin smiled and shook his head. He didn't know where Obi-Wan had found these specialty smoke grenades, but it was definitely a neat trick. Usually lighter than standard atmospheric pressure, the smoke needed only a catalyst to begin combining with free oxygen in the air. One blaster bolt was enough to catalyze a whole cloud of the stuff.

And make it denser than standard atmospheric pressure.

As it surrounded the Gangsters, Anakin heard the snap-hiss of Obi-Wan's lightsaber and briefly saw the glow as it dropped from above into the mire. There were shouts of confusion and occasionally blaster fire as Obi-Wan moved through the gangsters, slicing weapons apart and introducing faces to the stun knuckles he occasionally carried when he knew it would come to fisticuffs.

Anakin leaped to his feet and moved towards the dark shape he knew was the Devaronian. Two smaller forms, bodyguards, flanked him. Anakin opened his hand, and all three blasters flew in his direction. He managed to catch two of them with his saber as they passed him. He missed the third but knew it was unlikely to be found again in the fog. The shapes turned his direction, and Anakin jumped and landed a flying kick square in the chest of one of the bodyguards, a Rodian, and turned to point his lightsaber at the Devaronian.

The other bodyguard quickly lunged toward Anakin with a vibroblade he'd failed to notice. Anakin moved to slice it in half and was surprised when it stopped his blade cold with a strange electric pinging sound.

The Azure Hammer laughed a booming laugh. "Good tricks all around. You must be the runt. Always a runt tagging along with Jedi. We have our tricks too. Never seen a magnetically sealed vibroblade, huh?" He drew a vibroblade of his own. "Too bad your Master never warned you they existed." He lunged at Anakin. Anakin sidestepped past the blade and retreated back into the fog. No sense getting in over his head. The Force gave him an advantage in that he would be able to sense them in the haze but they would be half blind. The Devaronian and his bodyguard began to advance in his direction. Anakin let them take a few steps before leaping at the bodyguard, knocking away his vibroblade in a single sweep. Landing behind him he dropped low, sweeping the legs out from under his opponent. The thug fell hard on his back, the air leaving his lungs explosively; Anakin knew there wouldn't be any more fight left in that guy.

He turned back towards the Devaronian who was just beginning to round on him. Suddenly Obi-Wan dropped on him from above, disarming him and knocking him to the floor. The Devaronian tried to struggle to his feet and then pointed his horned head at Anakin and charged. With one swift swing of his saber, Obi-Wan ended the Azure Hammer for good.

Anakin exhaled slowly and extinguished his saber. "Well then. That solves the problem of sending him back to Kessel."

Obi-Wan looked down at the dead gangster and nodded grimly. "Yes, I suppose it does. What a waste." He pulled a handful of binders out from his robe and tossed some to Anakin. They set to work restraining the remaining thugs. "All in all, good operation, except for the fact that I had to take down the leader. I thought you would have dealt with him by the time I got here."

"Yes well, there were complications," Anakin said, snapping a binder around the wrists of one of the bodyguards.

"What sort of complications?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Magnetically sealed vibroblades. Didn't know about those." Anakin kicked one of the blades across the floor of the warehouse. It skidded to a stop at Obi-Wan's feet.

Obi-Wan stopped picked it up and inspected it. "Oh. Yes, those can be a bit of a problem can't they." He tossed it aside. "You did well Anakin. I'm proud of you."

Anakin ran a hand through his blond hair, smiling at the compliment "Thank you, Master. But for the record, I had it under control. I would have taken him down very shortly had you not intervened."

Obi-wan smiled and shrugged. "I know. You're very capable now, Anakin, and I'll try not to leave you behind at the temple anymore."

"Life is much more... Fun when you're around, Master. I don't think I can handle another month at the temple without you. It was..."

"Boring?" Obi-Wan filled in the blank, a playful smile crossing his face. "Why I would have thought you would have loved lectures on the Code by Master Ki-Adi Mundi. He can be so passionate about the most banal of points." They both laughed as they finished putting binders on the thugs and commed the Ruusan Security Police.

Author's Note: Again I'm not sure I captured Anakin, thankfully, the format of this piece means I won't have to focus on him too much more. (Though I will have to come back to him at least one more time...)
Hope you enjoyed this. I had fun referencing the previous Dexter story. I figured since we never got to see Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan take down The Azure Hammer, I'd let Obi-Wan and Anakin get another shot.

On one final side note my spell check was totally cool with the word Deathsticks. I laughed out loud at that discovery.