A/N: Wow we're at 102 reviews now. I never thought anyone would actually read this and enjoy it.
Tuesday, 9:52am; Jarnollen.
Obi-Wan's legs were aching by the time the palace loomed into view over the horizon. They hadn't been able to park the ship any closer, the jungle had been dense, impossible to fly through. But a few miles down the rocky path there had been a convenient stopping place, so they'd parked there.
Once they'd presented the facts to the Council, the mission had been approved instantly. There was some hesitance at the methods they'd used to extract the information, but in the end the Council had decided that it was important that they got Anakin to safety first, then work out what to do next. Obi-Wan was glad they finally had their priorities aligned with his.
But when it had come to the extraction plan, they'd had a... disagreement. Obi-Wan had maybe yelled at Mace Windu. The whole situation amused Quinlan, who was laughing about it for the entirety of the flight, but Obi-Wan was worried he'd have some repercussions to deal with when they got back. But Windu had ruled that they were not allowed to immediately get Anakin out. They had to make a peaceful approach. Obi-Wan did not like the idea of what might happen if they were refused. It could put Anakin in even more danger than he was already in. Obi-Wan would've preferred to surprise attack them, grab Anakin, then do a runner. It would've been simple.
But, of course, Windu being the Head of the Order, he had a lot of influence. So Obi-Wan and Quinlan were stuck trekking down a rocky path, under the false pretence that they were there to check up on the quality of life for the workers. They'd decided not to unveil the fact that they were Jedi until necessary, so Obi-Wan had a blaster clipped to his belt rather than a lightsaber. The weapon was clumsy and heavy; Obi-Wan felt exposed without his preferred protection. But no one would believe that they were sent by a minor government charity if they turned up with lightsabers and full Jedi robes.
Obi-Wan's clothes felt wrong as well. A dark, almost black, brown. The outfit was made up of a plain shirt and combat trousers. Obi-Wan was glad that they let him keep his boots, they were much better for running than anything other footwear.
While Obi-Wan felt out of place, Quinlan was in his element. He carried an air of confidence, his experienced showing. He'd probably infiltrated so many places that he couldn't remember them all. Obi-Wan, on the other hand, was not one for sneaking around.
"Relax." Quinlan said, pulling Obi-Wan from his thoughts. Obi-Wan glared at him.
"We are infiltrating the house of a madman, under false names, and we have to find Anakin and get out safely. I think I have a right to be panicking." Obi-Wan replied.
"We'll be- Wait, madman?"
Obi-Wan sighed.
"Did you not read the information I sent you?"
"Well, I skim read it." Quinlan said guiltily. Obi-Wan rolled his eyes.
"Of course you did."
He paused, thinking of the beat way to phrase it.
"The guy who owns the house is a little, ah... eccentric."
"In what way?"
"You know. Has a bit of a fetish for violence. Runs an underground Spice trading empire. Enjoys the finer things in life. The usual type."
"Why the hell are we doing this peacefully then? Surely the Senate wouldn't mind us ridding the galaxy of yet another drug dealer." Quinlan asked. Obi-Wan shrugged.
"I have no clue. I guess they want us to stay on good terms. But they've given us permission to resort to aggression if needed."
Quinlan gave him a sly grin.
"Does that mean we get to blow things up?"
Obi-Wan rolled his eyes again.
"If needed. But the only reason the Council is letting us do this physically rather than politically is because no one would really care if he died or not."
"Good thing I brought these along then." Quinlan said. He pulled his cloak out on one side and unveiled three thermal detonators. Obi-Wan sighed.
"If we get caught because of them, I will be more than annoyed with you." He said. "I specifically told you to leave all non-blaster weapons behind."
"Relax. I know what I'm doing."
Obi-Wan was about to reply, but two figures came into view. They were standing in front of the huge gates, hands on their belts, where Obi-Wan presumed they had blasters. He shut his mouth, stopping the friendly bickering. He saw Quinlan slowly shut his cloak and do it up. Obi-Wan tried to mimic the new way Quinlan was walking, a mixture between a confident swagger and a respectful gait. It was harder than it looked, so he just walked normally, making sure he stayed a step behind Quinlan.
They reached them, and Quinlan cleared his throat.
"We are here to inspect the working conditions of this household." He stated. Obi-Wan, if not already knowledgeable of the plan, would've had a hard time picking out the lie. But the two men didn't budge, instead they looked at him suspiciously.
"We have no orders to let anyone in today." One of them replied.
"This is the house of Mr Jasha, is it not?" Quinlan asked, his cool confidence unwavering.
"Yeah, but we haven't been told..."
"The Coruscant Worker's Union sent us. We just want to have a look around, and a quick talk with Mr and Mrs Jasha. Then we'll be on our way."
One looked unconvinced, and when he opened his mouth Obi-Wan had a sinking feeling that they might have to bring out the blasters. But the other put a hand on his shoulder.
"Mate, we can take you round the back. If you are who you say you are, you'll be fine. If you're not, we'll give you a chance and you can walk away now."
Obi-Wan and Quinlan shared a brief glance. Obi-Wan saw his determination mirrored in his friend's eyes, so nodded.
"We'll follow you." He said. The second man gave some hurried reassurances to his friend, then took the lead and walked to the side. There was an overgrown path, recently trodden on by someone, but it was still a fight to make it through the ferns. Quinlan followed Obi-Wan down it, letting the man get a decent way ahead before he spoke.
"So. What's the plan when they realise we aren't Union volunteers?" Quinlan asked. Obi-Wan thought through the options.
"Try to do minimal damage." He decided on. He didn't particularly want to harm anyone, especially any innocent slaves who might get caught in the blasts. But he also wanted to rescue Anakin.
Quinlan gave him a knowing look.
"When we get in we should split up. You check the upper levels, I'll check the lower." He said. Obi-Wan shook his head.
"What if one of us runs into trouble?" He asked.
"We can fight our way out."
"Quin. I have a blaster." Obi-Wan joked dryly. His aim was less than perfect. But Quinlan just grinned. Obi-Wan looked at him suspiciously. Then he looked down and saw his lightsaber being held out to him. Looking up quickly, he snatched it away before the guard could see, slipping it into his robe.
"Quin!" He hissed. "I told you not to!"
"Both of us know that you're terrible at shooting. We don't want you to be caught unprepared."
Obi-Wan looked at him, both impressed and disbelieving.
"You had this planned from the start, didn't you?"
Quinlan smiled, not answering. They both hurried to catch up with the man leading them, not wanting to end up looking more suspicious than they already were. Obi-Wan saw the black door, so much smaller than the ones he had seen through the gate, emerge from the wall to their side. The man ducked into it. Even Obi-Wan with his smaller stature had to bend slightly, and Quinlan practically needed to stoop.
It was dark inside, and Obi-Wan took a moment to adjust from the harsh morning sun to the dim lighting. When he had finally blinked enough, he saw the outline of a man sitting and reading at a desk. The guard bowed politely, but both Quinlan and Obi-Wan glared at him. He had the air of a slaver, much like the ones they'd interrogated. Obi-Wan had learnt how to tell a lot about someone by how they acted, and Quinlan had so much experience in the matter he could figure entire portions of people's lives out just by how they acted.
"Good Morning. We weren't meant to be having visitors today, though it's a pleasant surprise."
His voice suggested he thought the exact opposite. It was steely and cold. Obi-Wan smiled, as friendly as he could manage under the circumstances. It probably didn't really work, but it was worth a try.
"Were you not? I am deeply sorry that we are disturbing you, in that case." He said apologetically. The guard cleared his throat.
"They say they're from the Coruscant... What was it?"
"Coruscant Worker's Union." Quinlan supplied.
"Yes, they're from the Coruscant Worker's Union, Sir."
The man looked at them.
"Funny. I would've though that I would be informed." He said. Obi-Wan forced himself not fidget under his gaze.
"I was certain that we sent Mr Jasha a message about it."
"All his messages are relayed to me." The man snapped.
Obi-Wan didn't flinch as the guard did, but his hand slipped slowly down to his lightsaber hidden on his belt. Quinlan made a similar move.
"Are you certain you read them through?" Obi-Wan asked. The politeness in his voice was quite obviously false now. Their time was up.
"Definitely."
The man gave no warning, but pulled out a blaster, his hand reaching under his desk. Personal experience led Obi-Wan to believe that it was likely there was some form of alert button under there, so he darted for the man's hand. Quinlan, meanwhile, activated his saber and swung it up with expert precision at the blaster. It hit the barrel, rendering the weapon useless. It gave Obi-Wan time to bring his fist down on the man's head, knocking him to the floor. He hit it with a smack, and Obi-Wan winced.
"Oops. That was harder than I intended." He said, to no one in particular. Quinlan was busy grappling with the guard. Obi-Wan stood up and dusted himself off, while Quinlan finally managed to knock out the other man.
"It's no loss. He was a jerk anyway. Couldn't he see we were obviously respectable Union Members?" He joked.
They took a moment to catch their breath.
"I think we need a diversion." Quinlan said suddenly. Obi-Wan sighed.
"Now you're changing the plan?"
"Just think. I draw those people out, down to the lower areas. While I'm there I can search for Anakin. Then you can search upstairs easily, without all the heavy guarding."
"Are you sure that you won't get caught?" Obi-Wan asked. Quinlan gave him another cocky grin.
"You know me. I could bluff my way out of anything."
Obi-Wan smiled despite his nerves.
"Fine. I'll go and try to find Anakin, while you do the same but draw people out. You should probably blow something harmless out the front, then circle back around to check for him. We don't want the guards to go where he is." He said. Slipping his lightsaber out of his belt, he walked to the door. It opened to a long corridor. "I'll meet you out front."
They parted ways, Quinlan going back to find a suitable spot. Obi-Wan walked down the deserted corridor, his lightsaber held close to his body, but ready in case he needed a quick activation. There were doors along the passageway, but after the first few were empty Obi-Wan had to give up and presume that the others would be too. He didn't have time to search every room in the building after all.
He'd been tentative about letting Quinlan take the downstairs searching. Slaves were usually kept down there, so it was likely Anakin would be there too. Obi-Wan trusted Quinlan with his life, but this was Anakin that they were talking about. Obi-Wan wanted to be there to make sure he was alright.
However, Obi-Wan hadn't had time to argue, and as long as Anakin got out he didn't really care as to the specifics. He had a bad feeling about taking a more violent approach, fearing that the Council might be less than pleased. But they had authorised it nonetheless, and Obi-Wan was definitely going to use everything in his power to get through.
When he reached the end of the corridor, it opened into a large hallway. To his right was a large library, in front was an armoury of some kind, and by his left there was a spiral staircase. Obi-Wan took the left and climbed up the stairs towards the high up floors. He was about halfway up when he heard the first explosion go off, a floor trembling bang. Quinlan must have thrown it at the wall. Obi-Wan thought, putting a hand on the wall to steady himself. Once the shaking stopped he continued climbing up, heart beating fast. The next floor was a lot more crowded. And in a pandemonium. People were looking back and forth in disarray, trying to figure out what to do. Nobody noticed as Obi-Wan slipped between the crowds, his clothing meant that he blended in well with them.
Another explosion sounded, this time further away. Obi-Wan wondered briefly how Quinlan was getting on. But he pushed the thought aside, he didn't have time to focus on multiple things. He had one objective, and one objective only. Someone pushed passed him on the stairs, followed by two guards. Obi-Wan was almost knocked down, but at the last minute managed to clutch the banister. He almost called out, but then remembered that he wasn't meant to bring attention to himself. Instead he continued on his way.
The top floor was much emptier than he expected. There was no one around as far as Obi-Wan could see, though that might have been because of Quinlan's diversion. He wandered along without anyone stopping him.
There were less rooms to check up there, though they were far bigger and more luxurious. Obi-Wan couldn't imagine being so attached to the material. He preferred to better himself by having only what was needed in life, no more and no less. He checked five different rooms, all of which were devoid of any presence, when he heard footsteps coming around the corridor.
There was no place to hide. He was trapped in the open, the doors behind him were too far away to reach, and if he went forward he would certainly be seen. Obi-Wan looked around quickly for another type of hiding place, but there were none near. So, a hint of regret running through him, he activated his saber. Using the Force, he waited until the person was in the right place. Then he swung quickly around the corridor, bringing the person down onto their back. He saw that it was a woman, and she didn't look like someone he would've expected to meet high up in the household. There was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind telling him that he should let her go, but he quenched it, telling himself that he could never be too careful.
"Who are you?" He snarled. He didn't want to trust an unreliable source. The girl whimpered.
"I- I'm Sinya. I'm a slave here." She said. Obi-Wan almost choked. Clambering up onto his feet, he extended a hand to help her up.
"Oh. I do apologise." He said. She looked at him, confused, but also grateful.
They stared at each other in silence for a moment. Then Obi-Wan remembered why he was there.
"You haven't seen a teenager here have you? Blond, braid down his back. Cream tunic." Obi-Wan asked, reciting Anakin's description for what felt like the thousandth time.
"Not here no. Sorry."
"It's fine." Obi-Wan said.
He nodded at her when it was clear that the conversation was over, then moved past and continued down the corridor. He looked over his shoulder and saw her enter one of the nearby rooms.
Obi-Wan was giving up hope when he reached the last room on the upper floor. It appeared that Anakin wasn't going to be there after all. He hoped that Quinlan had managed to find him. He wouldn't care who or how they found him, as long as they all left alive.
He pushed the door open. It was heavy, a dark wood native to the planet. Lifting his head, he looked into the room.
His heart nearly burst out of his chest. There was a body lying on the floor, it's arms flung back. It was a man, not long dead by the looks of things. He was wearing a pale shirt, but it was scorched where he must've been hit with a blaster.
For one second, one heart stopping second, Obi-Wan had though that it was Anakin. The similarities were such that the two were easily mistakable for each other. Obi-Wan had though that he'd lost Anakin twice. And he wouldn't survive that. He wouldn't be able to live if he lost his Padawan twice.
He was going to leave the room, going to step back outside, when something moved beside the wall. He quickly grabbed his lightsaber firmly with two hands, raising it and spinning to face the danger. But there was no danger. There wasn't just one body in the room. There were two. And one was still alive.
Obi-Wan vied with the idea of leaving the person behind. He didn't have time for distraction. But he couldn't do it. He couldn't just leave someone to die. Cursing his righteousness, he stormed back into the room, towards the now prone body on the floor. Turning it over, he gasped. It was Anakin.
A/N: Finally, the reunion we've all been waiting for. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!