Chapter Twenty-One: Trying Times
"Hardeen escaped prison?" Padmé asked when her husband walked into their bedroom nearing midnight. "He wasn't even there for - "
"I don't want to talk about it, Mé-Mé." A flicker of a smile crossed his face while he observed the bedroom, which was covered in clothing and beauty products. He dropped the boots in hand beside his side of the bed. "Are you taking the entire apartment?"
"I'm packing for Naboo - remember? Festival of Light in less than two weeks? I'm leaving early to visit my family?"
"Right." He strode to the dresser and began to rifle through his own clothing, extracting a fresh tunic and leggings. "Are you sure that's such a good idea?"
She sighed, carefully rolling a dress into the suitcase. "Why wouldn't it be? Ani, the threat of assassination is nothing new to me."
No response came from him - only a huff while he searched for his undergarments. She studied him a moment, wishing she could reverse time to that fateful night, before Obi-Wan died. She felt horrible to admit that she couldn't even remember the last time she spoke to the Jedi master.
"Have you told Satine about Hardeen's escape?"
He dumped the fresh clothes on the bed, tossed his lightsaber and belt onto the pile, and walked into the 'fresher. "Why are there so many hair products in the sink?"
"Ani!" Padmé clicked the suitcase closed and put it on the floor before following him. "What are you not telling me?"
"Nothing you need to worry about," he muttered, beginning to take off his tunics. The white skin of his many scars shown under the florescent light.
She propped her hands on her hips, ignoring the twinge at putting pressure on her hips. Pressing Anakin for answers was never a good idea, but she was frustrated and far too concerned to remember that. "Really? So if you dash off to some Outer-Rim planet tomorrow and I'm suddenly widowed I won't have a reason why?"
That got his attention. He grimaced, dropping the tunics into the hamper and leaned against the sink. It was so quiet she could nearly hear the whirs of his mechanical arm. "Hardeen escaped with Cad Bane and Moralo Eval to Nal Hutta."
"Nal Hutta?" A cold feeling creeped up her spine at the mention of the planet. "How do you know they're heading to Nal Hutta?"
"The Chancellor told me."
"The Chancellor?"
"Is that a problem? I trust him and - "
Padmé raised her hand to silence him, not even bothering to hide her weariness and physical pain. She stepped away from him when he tried to embrace her, folding her arms over her chest. "We're not having this argument now, Ani. Why would the Council want you to take - "
"The Council isn't authorizing this mission. They don't trust me enough. They think I'll do something reckless and - "
One of their comlink's shrilled in the bedchamber. Neither of them moved to get it, staring each other down. She wanted to yell, to demand why he thought it was a good idea to head to Nal Hutta, the place where Gardulla the Hutt was currently living. The other, less sane part of her wanted to take advantage of his semi-clothed body and forget about everything that was happening. Ha, like wild sex happened anymore, with her health.
"That's Ahsoka's tone," she murmured. "Promise me you won't take her with you."
"Obi-Wan was her master too."
She put her fingers to her temples, letting out a frustrated breath. "Ani...this does not add up. None of this does. Obi-Wan was given two weeks leave before dying by a sniper who is now working with the man willing to assassinate the Chancellor. We've known about this supposed attempt for how many weeks? Then Satine - "
"Do you think he knew?" Anakin muttered, staring at the floor.
Padmé blinked, wondering what he was talking about.
"... Satine's pregnant."
"What?"
Anakin didn't speak for a few long moments. His face was impassive, save for the tears were shimmering in his eyes when he glanced up. The topic of children was always a sore one between them - but not because they didn't want any, but because they did. Badly. Had the war not started, there was little doubt he would have quit the Order to father and care for their brood.
She didn't resist his embrace this time, tucking her head into his shoulder and feeling the cool metal of his arm seep through her dress. "I leave tomorrow."
"I do too."
"Guess we have to make the most of our time together."
"Have Mama and you named me yet?"
Obi-Wan whipped around, realizing he was back in the reactor chamber on Naboo. He was staring at the little girl - the little girl that was his daughter - and swallowed hard. "What?"
The little girl, with her curly hair bound in two braids, cocked her head. She was sitting on the edge of the shaft, legs swinging over the abyss.
"You haven't?"
"...you won't be born for months."
She shrugged, smiling a little. "I'd like a name."
Obi-Wan licked his lips, glancing around and shaking his head. He started to note how gray her skin looked and prayed it was just a trick of the light and not a warning that something worse was coming. "You'll...you'll get one. I promise."
"What if it's too late?"
"What - wait - wait!"
Obi-Wan bolted awake, gasping hard. He squeezed his eyes shut, about to wind his fingers in his hair before remembering where he was. Right. On Nal Hutta. In an inn, waiting for Eval and Hardeen to come searching for him.
"Please be okay Satine," he laid back down on the thin mattress, closing his eyes tight. "Please be okay."
"Sir - this is borderline illegal."
Anakin shrugged, glancing from the controls to the Holo of his clone captain. "What the Council says is one thing - "
"How we go about doing it is another," Rex finished, his helmet hiding his face. There was little doubt he was rolling his eyes.
Somewhere behind the Captain, Commander Cody scoffed and muttered: "Skywalker - out of all the Jedi - Skywalker."
"Master - we are approaching Nal Hutta. We need to drop out of hyperspace."
"Copy that, Snips." Anakin smiled ruefully, pulling the ship out of hyperspace. The green, gaseous planet of Nal Hutta loomed before them. "I'm just asking you to cover for me, Rex - you'll be fine. The Chancellor will vouch for you should Master Windu ask about my whereabouts."
Shaking her head, Ahsoka stood from her chair and leaned against the pilot's. "Force willing, we will arrest these scums, take them to the nearest prison transfer station, get back to Coruscant before Master Windu realizes we are gone."
"The Force willing causes me to fall off of buildings."
Anakin smiled - his first true smile in days - and cut the transmission. It quickly faded while they descended into the thick, green atmosphere of trying planet. The color reminded her of phlegm hacked up during a bad cold.
She watched Anakin's shoulders tense while the planet's surface became visible.
The shuttle flew over leagues of bubbling swamps and small towns, each one humming with activity. Even from the confines of the shuttle she could feel the darkness of the planet, the sinister nature of it. It seemed bent on breaking everyone's spirits, laughing when someone fell dead from exhaustion and cackling when a righteous man committed a horrible act.
A few jumbled curses left Anakin's lips while they found the busy landing zone. He maneuvered through the airspace, setting down in a small space once a group of staggering pedestrians moved out of the way.
He sat for a moment in the pilot's seat, staring ahead out the window. It was hard to tell what he was thinking, and even harder to sense his emotions.
"Master? You okay?"
Anakin rubbed at his neck, wincing a bit. His fingers traced behind his ear, like he was touching something just below the surface of the skin. "Nothing, Snips. Come on."
"What makes you think Obi-Wan's murderer is on Nal Hutta?" Ahsoka asked while she followed Anakin down the ramp. This place is like Coruscant and Tatooine had a love child, she thought while glancing around. Gross.
"I got a tip from the Chancellor himself," Anakin muttered while they weaved through the crowded port, one hand kept on his lightsaber.
"How are we gonna find them?"
He snorted, glancing at her. "Ahsoka, you should know by now. If you want to find a lowlife?..."
She smiled, scanning the buildings until she found the sleaziest looking one. "You start at the saloon."
"I've taught you well, my young padawan."
"I don't know if teaching is the right word."
"Hey!"
Gamorrean guards waited outside the saloon, eyeing every patron while they passed through the entrance. They snuffled and got ready to fight upon glancing at Anakin and Ahsoka - but ultimately didn't do anything.
Anakin smiled a bit thinly, sidestepping two hookers and walking into the saloon.
If she thought Coruscant saloon's were bad - this was worse. There were beings passed out from drink - and some dead from drugs. Sex workers were everywhere, doing their craft everywhere. She didn't know where to look, for fear of catching sight of something she really didn't want to see.
"Even now Gardulla finds a way to torture me," Anakin muttered before barking something out in Huttese.
What? Ahsoka thought while off-duty Gamorrean guards raised their swords at them, snarling something back in that awful language. Without warning, he used the Force to push them into the counter.
People laughed and shouted, clapping their hands while words were exchanged between Anakin and the guards. He rolled his eyes, and used the Force to pry one of the Gamorrean's swords out of his hands and sending it through the air, where it embedded itself in a creature's head.
Ahsoka widened her eyes in horror while everyone cheered, following her master tentatively while they strode to the bar.
The bartender - a hybrid of some kind - spoke gruffly through a voice modifier, cleaning a glass with a rag that had seen better days. "The fugitives are already gone."
Anakin raised his eyebrows. "All three of them were here?"
"Two came in, met the third."
"When did they leave?" Ahsoka asked, stepping out from behind her master.
"Nothing's free on Nal Hutta, especially information."
Before she could prevent it, Anakin snarled and used the Force to choke the bartender. The legs of creature kicked helplessly. "I don't have time for games.
"You - you just missed them."
Anakin tightened his hold on the bartender. "Keep talking."
"I heard," he started to choke and splutter, "one of them say they...just just bought a ship."
The saloon was silent now, save for the gagging bartender. Anakin didn't move from his position, watching him struggle for a few seconds before dropping him unceremoniously. A ghost of a smirk flickered on his lips while he turned. "Let's go, Snips."
She hesitated, glancing back at the coughing bartender before following.
A Bith stopped them on their way to the ship, speaking rapidly. Ahoska hung back, watching the two converse. She had realized early in her padawan days that her master knew and understood plenty of languages - he just preferred to let Obi-Wan deal with them.
Anakin pulled out a holo of the bounty hunters, gesturing rapidly and saying, "So you only gave them enough fuel to reach the nearest filling station on Orondia, which is owned by your brother? Well, that's a nice little money-making scam."
Ahsoka spoke when he walked up to her a few moments later, leaving the chortling Bith behind. "We better get going. Orondia's pretty deserted. They may steal a ship there, to throw us off their trail."
"I like your thinking."
"Master?" Ahsoka murmured while they walked to their ship, rubbing at her arms. "What did you mean...about Gardulla the Hutt?"
Anakin pressed his lips together, eyes trained ahead. "I was owned by her - are you done asking about my life, padawan?"
Not even in the slightest, she thought, thinking of Senator Amidala.
Neither of them spoke during the four-hour trip to Orondia, save a few words here and there.
She tried to sleep, but only managed to catch a few winks of sleep.
The image of Anakin at the saloon kept coming to her mind - he was so angry, so ready to end life...for vengence? She understood the need for solace - but murder wasn't the right way.
Besides, Ahsoka rolled over on the stiff mattress and closing her burning eyes. I have a feeling Hardeen isn't who he says he is. The thick blanket around her felt suddenly too suffocating - she was usually grateful for its comforting fibers. She stood and headed into the cockpit. It was still strange to take a spot that was usually occupied by Master Kenobi.
Anakin merely glanced at her while she sat, and turned his head back to the blue streaks of hyperspace.
"You should get some sleep."
"Should. Ever been to Orondia?"
"No. I heard it was supposed to be the Outer-Rim version of Coruscant. The oil industry produced to much pollution and fuck - messed up - the atmosphere, right?"
Anakin cracked a smile at her curse. "Something like that. It's still a beautiful planet - aside from the noxious gas fumes and ugly-ass pipes."
It wasn't long before they pulled out of hyperspace and descended into the planet.
Orondia's sky had a purple hue, casting shadows on the many gorges and ravines. She wasn't exactly sure why her Master thought it was pretty - even inside the shuttle the gas fumes were seeping through, making her head ache. Turning to lean her head against the window, she spotted the filling station - and a very familiar figure climbing the ramp of a large, dirty ship.
A figure that was wearing a ranger hat, walking up a ship ramp that had been reported stolen on Coruscant.
"Look! It's Cad Bane."
"Are you sure?"
She gave her Master a disbelieving look. "Who else wears a hat like that?"
"Good point."
Anakin watched the ship prepare for take-off. A feral grin came over his face, and he gave chase a moment later, ramming the hull of their shuttle into the bounty hunter's ship.
The oil station gave way to a mess of rocky terrian and pipelines. The two shuttles continually rammed into each other, metal screeching.
The chase could have been minutes or hours, but suddenly Anakin was scrambling from the pilot's seat, yelling, "Take over! I'll bring them down!"
She glanced back at him in shock, and reached for the controls. The familiarity of them helped calm her racing heart, and she closed her eyes for a millisecond, reaching out into the Force to try and calm herself.
Anakin was there, a blind mess of rage and grief while he battled Cad Bane in top of the ship.
Master Kenobi was there too, wildly trying to maneuver away from the shuttle and - wait -
What?
Bane shot at the pipelines, causing an explosion of oil and smoke.
She tightened her grip on the controls while the bigger ship disappeared into the cloud of smoke.
She only just saw the rock formation Hardeen's - Master Kenobi's - ship went under. Her reflexes weren't fast enough to avoid the formation or the ship crashing into hers.
She couldn't prevent the shuttle from spinning widely around into a ditch either - or the whiplash that caused her to black out.
Ahsoka woke to red emergency lights. She rubbed her head while standing, trying to figure out what happened. Every time she blacked out like this, she feared she was on Mortis again, separated from everyone she cared about in the galaxy.
Right. Oronida. Master Kenobi is Hardeen!
She scrambled up, kicking the jammed ramp down and coughing while she took in her surroundings.
There was only piping equipment around her - that she could climb on. On the mess of metal and pipes she discovered a fight between Anakin and two of the bounty hunters - who, she wasn't sure. She couldn't really see the fight. Really just a blur of light and the faint outlines of their bodies.
Ahsoka spotted the nearest infrastructure - at least fifteen meters away. The infrastructure would put her behind the bounty hunters, where she could easily take them out. Igniting her lightsabers, she used the Force to guide to her jump, and accidentally landed in front of Cad Bane - who was about to shoot an unconscious Anakin.
She deflected the blaster bolts easily, glaring at Hardeen - Master Kenobi - while doing so.
A voice came out of the smoke, followed by the grostque body of Moralo Eval. "The ship is still operational. I got it working. Now let's get out of here."
Bane smirked, tucking his blaster away and tipping his hat. "You're lucky we're in a hurry, little lady. We'll have to dance another time."
Ahsoka stood over her master for a moment, glaring at their backs while they walked away.
She met the eyes of Master Kenobi, who glanced at Anakin and winced. The ship while it took off while Anakin groaned awake.
Shaking her head, she disengaged her lightsabers when the ship took off and knelt to the ground. "Master! Master, are you all right?"
He tried stand - to no avail. A cough left him, and he clutched at his ribs.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
Anakin spoke, his voice hoarse. "That's why I felt a connection. Obi-Wan is still alive."
"I - I don't understand," she whispered, more to herself than Anakin.
"I don't, either. But we're gonna get to the bottom of this. Believe me."
Author's note: yes, for those who read "Cyar'ika Jett'i" last year - the chapter and the next few contain several scenes that are word-to-word too that fic.
Now I have a question for y'all - I have the rest of this fic written. How many want it published all at once, or a schedule of once a week for the next two months or so? (As there are about 10 chapters left, give or take)
Let me know!
ii Digestive Reader ii