A Pirates Love

Disclaimer: All credit goes to George Lucas the creator of Star Wars

Summary: Anakin was captured by pirates after winning a pod race at the age of seven and has spent the last seven years in their care. He won his freedom at the age of ten by making a deal with Hondo that he would stay if he could be free and this would be ensured when Hondo made himself Anakins guardian. Anakin is turning out to be quite a feisty assassin, even though he cannot bring himself to kill. They go to the Jedi temple at the request of the Jedi council to make sure that they are all being legal, when they take an interest in the teenage boy being picked on by the other pirates. They realise that Hondo does not want a boy who cannot kill and take Anakin into their care, but something dark is looming on the horizon, Anakin takes a shine to one Senator Amidala.

Chapter 12

They walked through the corridors cautiously, constantly on guard for the murderer. But Anakin could not hear anything for the first half of their walk, which took thirty minutes. Obi-Wan kept glancing over at Anakin, who just shook his head. But when they reached the corridor that contained padawan learners, the voice came back. But it was quiet.

Kill

"I can hear it again." Anakin said. "Its going to kill."

"How loud was it?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Quiet, I could barely hear it."

"Keep walking, we must." Master Yoda said.

They walked the entire length of the corridor and Anakin did not hear the voice again, but when they reached the next corridor the sound was so loud that Anakin almost put his hands over his ears, before he remembered that the sound came from his mind.

YES! DEATH!

"Obi-Wan I heard it -"

He was cut off by a loud scream from up ahead. They rushed forwards and found the body of another padawan on the floor, the walls around it held scratch marks and blood was stained everywhere. There were bloody paw prints on the floor and Anakin knew what it was.

"Those are the prints of a nexu." Anakin said outloud. "Nexu's dont have force capabilities, do they?"

"No. They dont. This doesnt make any sense." Obi-Wan said. "Why was the padawan out of their quarters in the first place?"

"Call the other masters, I will. Remain here and watch for the murderer, you must. An animal with thoughts that can be read by Skywalker in such a way, impossible it is. Beware of danger."

Obi-Wan ignited his lightsaber once Master Yoda had gone, but Anakin did not do a thing. He was still so confused by the entire situation.

"Anakin, ignite your lightsaber. You are in more danger than anyone else, Anakin. Not just because you're a padawan, but because you can actually hear the murderers thoughts."

Anakin did as he was told and kept watch on both sides of the corridor whilst Obi-Wan crouched beside the dead padawan and checked him for any signs of a second party being involved with their killing. The corridor was so quiet that you could have dropped a pin and you would have heard it. Not only was the silence suspicious, but it also made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

A scuffling sound to his right made Anakin turn and point his lightsaber in that direction, Obi-Wan stood up and readied his own lightsaber, but it was just Master Yoda and the rset of the Jedi council.

Anakin stood to the side whilst they took their own looks at the dead padawan. The lights in the corridor had been turned up to the brightest setting so that if anyone did come by then it would be easy to see them.

Qui-Gon stood beside Anakin and they both kept watch on either end of the corridor for any signs of trouble. No one had spoken a word to Anakin yet, so he guessed that Master Yoda had yet to tell them about the voice in his head. But they most likely did know, otherwise there was no explanation for how they knew that the murderer was down this corridor, aside from the loud scream.

Where are all of the padawans? They hide in their quarters, but when they come out I will find them. First I must wipe the security footage, but those pathetic council members are there! Wait, is that a padawan with them?

Anakin's eyes widened and he looked around silently. The murderer was watching them or, more specifically, watching him. Anakin gulped and looked up to see that the security camera was still intact, and what the murderer was after. Maybe he had destroyed the other one too? Anakin was, accidentaly, letting off a wave of panic through the force, which also happened to convey the message that the murderer was really close by.

"Anakin, are you alright?" Obi-Wan asked curiously.

"Someones watching us." Anakin said, pointing to the end of the corridor where two shining yellow eyes had just come into view. The council stood up straight with their lightsabers and half began to slowly walk towards the cloaked figure that was now in view. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were standing very close to Anakin by now, concerned for his safety.

"Did you sense him, or read his thoughts?" Obi-Wan questioned.

"I read his thoughts, he was thinking of killing me. And taking the security tape, he hasnt destroyed it yet." Anakin added. As he spoke a lightsaber was activated with a burst of red light. It was the figure at the end of the corridor. He was a sith.


"This part didnt happen did it?" Padme asked, her arms folded across her chest. Anakin frowned.

"Just because it isnt believable for a senator, doesnt mean it didnt happen. It did happen, and your interuptions arent doing much to help you understand this." Anakin scolded.

Padme arched an eyebrow. "Your story doesnt sound believable in the least to a normal person."

"Then just enjoy the story before I decide to tell you a story of Obi-Wan's lecture. You will hate it more than I did, and I actually had to live through it."


Anakin was shoved backwards as Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan took up defensive stances in front of him to ensure that the sith did not harm him.

"Anakin get back to our quarters and dont look back, understood?" Obi-Wan ordered.

"Yes master." Anakin obeyed, turning around and running off to the corridor that held his and Obi-Wan's quarters. The doors of the corridor opened and some padawans came out looking confused, Anakin skidded to a halt at the sight of them.

"Woah, what are you all doing in the corridor?" Anakin asked, though it was a stupid question given his position.

"What are you doing in the corridor, Skywalker?" One of them asked smartly. Anakin rolled his eyes.

"I was looking for the murderer with Master Yoda and Obi-Wan." Anakin said, they did not believe him.

"How come we werent allowed?" Another asked.

"Because none of you could hear his thoughts, unless you didnt tell anyone. And we all have to go back inside our quarters because there is a sith in the temple and a nexu as its pet." Anakin informed them.

"How did you hear his thoughts?" The same padawan asked.

Anakin was getting annoyed now. "Look, if you dont want to get hurt, or possibly killed, them you'll go back inside and stop acting like the smart ass that you are!" Anakin said. The padawan glared at him, igniting his lightsaber.

"Say that again." He said, taking a step towards him. Anakin was not intimidated.

"Say what? That you are a load of poodoo that makes everyone else look like kriffing angels when you're around? Oh sorry, I dont think its appropriate for a Jedi to say!" Anakin yelled holding up his own already ignited lightsaber.

The padawan moved towards Anakin before another two stopped him. Anakin, who had not moved forwards or backwards, was left untouched by his fellow padawans.

"Calm down, the both of you." A different padawan told them. "If there is a sith in the temple then we should all go back into our quarters. If there isnt and this is another of your pranks -"

"It's not. And I only do those with Vos, you all know that. There have been two padawans killed so far, didnt you hear the announcement to stay in our quarters?" Anakin asked.

"We did, but no one explained anything." He replied. Everyone just kept watching Anakin, who gave up trying to get them to listen.

"Argh! I give up on you all," Anakin said, walking towards his own quarters. "see you in the netherland of the force."

Anakin walked into his and Obi-Wan's quarters and flopped down on the couch, closing his eyes and trying to fall asleep. He had been in the company of pirates for way too long, for he genuinley did not care if those stupid padawans were harmed. If they were killed then that was something else entirely, but this was just taking the kriff. They didnt even listen to him!

There was the sliding noise of doors opening and closing from outside and Anakin could sense that all of the padawans had retreated into their quarters, perhaps they had decided to listen to him after all. Anakin really didnt give a damn at that point in time, he was feeling a mixture of frustration and fear. Both emotions that he was more than used to after being in the care of Hondo.

Obi-Wan returned to find his padawan had fallen asleep on the couch, no doubt from exhaustion. The sith had gotten away, in a sense. He did not get out of the temple, but he did manage to disappear right in front of them. So far every room in the temple had been checked and double checked for any signs of the presence of the sith; one of the padawans seemed to be fairly upset at Anakin for swearing at him, a lecture was due on that subject.


"Hang on." Padme interupted. Anakin sighed.

"What is it now?"

"You're doing Obi-Wan's point of view? How in the world is that possible?"

"He told me the first part and I could see what happened next, though I did not show it. Now hush."


Fighting the urge to shake him awake, Obi-Wan walked over to his own couch and began filling out some more reports on his data pad. Though Obi-Wan did not mind that Anakin had obeyed his orders and came back to their quarters, he was thoroughly annoyed by the way that he had 'handled' the padawans that came outside.

The reports were boring enough on their own, but even worse was the fact that every few seconds Anakin would say something in his sleep. After an hour of reports, a quick sleep and some more reports, Anakin sat up straight on the couch, screaming. Obi-Wan barely had time to comprehend what was going on when Anakin stopped screaming, laid down and curled into a ball, shaking madly.

Obi-Wan quickly walked over to his padawan to ask what was wrong, but it soon became clear that he would get no answer. Anakin's eyes were deathly still and unfocused, his body was drenched with sweat and the only indication that he was, in fact, alive was his breathing, which came in shallow breaths. After a few seconds Anakin went still, but he still did not give any indications of being alright. Obi-Wan wondered what his padawan could have dreamt of for him to end up in this state and almost asked him if he was alright.

Almost.

Anakin had not said a word to Obi-Wan and had not so much as looked at him; Obi-Wan came to realise that his padawan was in such a state that he did not even know that there was someone beside him, he was too weak to realise it.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan said in a desperate attempt to get him to acknowledge his presence. "are you alright? Anakin you arent dreaming, say something."

Anakin remained silent and still, causing Obi-Wan to worry even more. Eventually, Obi-Wan decided that the couch was not the best place for a traumatized padawan to be resting and lifted his apprentice into his arms, opened to door to his chambers, and laid him down on the bed. Since Anakin was only fifteen years old, he was fairly easy to carry.

Anakin was very stiff, Obi-Wan had assumed that since he was upset he would be limp, but it appeared that he was not. Obi-Wan wondered what could have happened to cause this effect from a dream, when the truth hit him. The pirates. The day that Anakin had arrived he had had the worst nightmare that the temple had ever seen and it took several Jedi masters to wake him up, including Master Yoda. This must have been another nightmare, except something that was much, much worse.

This was what Obi-Wan did not understand. While Anakin was awake he was a Jedi who didnt obey the rules and let his personality of a pirate run his life, but when he was asleep it was as though he was being tortured, and in a way he was.

Obi-Wan walked back into the lounge of their quarters as the door opened and Qui-Gon walked in. "Good morning Obi-Wan." He greeted warmly.

"Good morning, Qui-Gon." Obi-Wan replied.

"Where is young Anakin?"

"He is in his chambers, he has had a nightmare and I'm not quite sure what has happened to him. He has just curled up into a ball and wont say anything or move at all." Obi-Wan explained.

"How long has he been like this?"

"Five minutes so far."

"And he has not moved at all?"

"He has not."

Qui-Gon nodded slowly. "I see," He began. "Elynis Travis has arrived and is interviewing every padawan on the events of last night, she wants to talk with Anakin now, but I do not see how that is possible."

"It does not appear likely that he will be talking to anyone for quite some time now. Why did she come here, Qui-Gon? With the events that have happened with the sith surely she would be unwise to continue with her plans?"

"She is a stubborn women, Obi-Wan. Many wish to see her put in her place one day." Qui-Gon stated. "Do you think that Anakin will require medical attention?"

"I would say so, I have no idea what has happened to him. He may have gone into shock, though I do not see how that is possible. I believe this has happened because of a dream that he had of his time with the pirates."

"That would be the most likely cause." Qui-Gon agreed. "I shall see to it that a medi-droid watches over him and gives us its diagnosis on Anakin, but now there is a council meeting in session which you will need to attend."

"I did not know of a meeting, is this because of the inspector?" Anakin asked.

"I would imagine it is."