A/N: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and favourited the story so far, as I have said before, it means a lot to me! As always, let me know if you have any suggestions for the story or improvements I could make. I really do appreciate constructive feedback :)
CHAPTER NINE: SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS
Yoda woke alone in his chamber. He was lying on the floor and did not know how many hours had passed since he had ended up there. Turning his head slowly he was able to see out of the small transparisteel window of the chamber and noted that the amber glow of the morning sun meant he had been like this all night. Perhaps that was why his body hurt so much.
He got to his feet awkwardly, grunting with both the effort and the pain it caused, and summoned his walking cane with the Force. Every muscle in his body felt like he had been attacked by a hundred assailants at once. His recollection of the previous night was foggy – he remembered the vision, he remembered the conversation with Obi-Wan and Ahsoka, but the rest was an intangible mess of sounds and sensations. Someone - or something - had been shouting. They spoke of Skywalker, they spoke of fate. The voice had been so loud it had seemed to fill the entire room and echo off the walls.
Skywalker.
Fate.
Yoda frowned with the effort of trying to remember something that felt like it had happened a millennia ago. Skywalker. Fate. What did they mean? What was Skywalker's fate?
And suddenly Yoda remembered it all. He remembered the voice: tinny, serpentine. The cold malevolence of its presence, filling him with pain.
Skywalker's fate was to fall, the voice had assured him. Whoever that voice belonged to was going to ensure that Skywalker did go to the Dark Side.
Yoda leapt to his hover chair, the Force suddenly making him spry. He was already on his comm-link, calling an urgent Council meeting.
If the vision had been a warning of what may come to pass, this voice was an assurance of it. Anakin Skywalker was in danger, grave danger. And because of that, so were they all.
OOOOO
Obi-Wan had only been to Padmé Amidala's apartment one time before. It had been two years ago, when she had been threatened by an assassin and he and Anakin (who had still been his Padawan at the time) had come to discuss the matter and provide surveillance for her at night. The Jedi Master felt the same awe at the absolute opulence of the place as he had the first time he had been there. He could not imagine living in such a large, beautiful space and thinking it to be commonplace, as Padmé did. His own personal quarters at the Jedi Temple were as stark as every other being's there, and although that was for a good reason clearly outlined by the Code, Obi-Wan couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to live here every day. He gave a sly glance at Ahsoka, who had never been here before at all, and noticed her eyes go round as she walked into the expansive living room. He smiled wryly.
"Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, it's so wonderful to see you!" Padmé greeted them both enthusiastically. In a deep maroon dress trimmed with gold thread and her long hair in a simple braid, she was as beautiful as ever, but it was obvious that she was a little frayed around the edges. When she reached out to hug them both, Obi-Wan noticed she was also now wearing a golden wedding band. He did not comment on it.
"Padmé, I hope that you are well," Obi-Wan replied to his old friend. "We parted ways under such difficult circumstances, and I am afraid that it is difficult circumstances that reunite us. Thank you for reaching out to me – I was intending on doing the same to you. We have much to discuss."
Padmé nodded and did her best to maintain her bright smile. "Come and sit down. Threepio will bring us refreshments."
The two Jedi followed their host to the two yellow sofas in the centre of the room. They sat across from Padmé and the three of them all waited until C-3PO had deposited a tray of drinks before speaking.
"Anakin isn't here," Padmé began, addressing the matter that had been on the minds of both Jedi but remained unspoken. "I know that you wanted to speak to him, Obi-Wan, but he did not wish to meet with you. I could not convince him to stay."
"How… how is he?" Ahsoka asked, almost timidly. Although she would never admit it to Obi-Wan, she had been looking forward to seeing her former Master again. She had been worrying about him, even more so since the vision from last night.
"He is… conflicted," Padmé replied. She took a sip of her drink before continuing. "He is upset about being forced to leave the Jedi Order. He has told me some of how he feels but I'm worried that there is more he is hiding from me."
Obi-Wan sighed, running a hand through his hair. He wasn't sure if he felt relief or disappointment at Anakin's absence, especially considering how they had parted.
"I wish there was more that I could do, Padmé. I've tried speaking to the Council, but they will not make any concessions. Not unless Anakin leaves you," he said, looking again at the wedding band on her left hand.
Padmé followed his gaze and folded her hands in her lap, covering the ring. There was a short silence while the two Jedi drank from the tall glasses in front of them and Padmé watched them, thinking about what she wanted to say next.
"Anakin is having dreams as well. Dreams like the ones he used to have about his mother. Only this time, they are about me." She paused, gauging their reactions before continuing. They both appeared unsurprised. "That is the main reason I contacted you. Anakin won't ask you for help, Obi-Wan, because he thinks you won't listen - but I know you wouldn't just abandon him."
"Well, that's why I was going to contact you, Padmé. Other Jedi have been experiencing those same dreams. Master Yoda, Ahsoka and myself. They all seem to be the same dreams as well," Obi-Wan explained gravely.
"Why are so many Jedi having the same dream?" Padmé asked. "Is it serious?"
"We don't know yet. That's what we're trying to find out," Ahsoka rejoined.
"Are you worried, Padmé? About the dreams?" Obi-Wan asked gently. He studied her carefully for any outward signs of distress at his question and found none. She was an incredibly strong woman.
"Only a little, at first," Padmé began. She paused to take another long drink. When she continued Obi-Wan saw the mask of strength begin to slip. "But... then Anakin had another dream last night – the same one that you all had. He said this one was worse than the one before. He told me he… he gave in… to the Dark Side." She couldn't keep the concern out of her voice at that last part.
"The vision certainly is troubling," Obi-Wan conceded. He thought his words sounded foolish as he said them. They were such an understatement.
"Have you… ever felt the Dark Side in those dreams? Like Anakin has?" Padmé asked slowly.
"Yes, I felt it, but in a different kind of way – the main thing I felt during the dream was pain. Not my own pain, though, somebody else's."
"Whose?" Padmé asked quickly.
"Anakin's."
Padmé looked away, her face nothing but concern for her husband. Her guard was down and they could both feel traces of the strength of her love for Anakin in the Force surrounding her.
"Do you know why he was in pain? What happened to him in the dream?" Padmé questioned.
"No. None of us saw him in the dream, we only felt his presence and his pain. The only person we saw was you, Padmé, calling out for his help," Obi-Wan told her.
The young woman nodded. She had heard this part before. She could still see her husband's panic-stricken face from the night before. Her slender fingers toyed with the ring on her finger and her face was still full of distress.
"We came because we were worried, Padmé. About you and about Anakin. Nothing like this has ever happened before – so many Jedi having the exact same visions," Obi-Wan explained. "We need to know if there is anything else important that has happened – anything that might help us work out how and why we are all experiencing the same thing."
Padmé shrugged, not a dismissive gesture but a response to the fact that there was so much brewing under the surface in Anakin right now – where should she begin? "He's suffering, Obi-Wan. I'm so worried about him. He's… he's working for the Chancellor now."
Obi-Wan and Ahsoka exchanged looks of unease.
"Chancellor Palpatine?" Obi-Wan could not believe it.
"Yes. Anakin is the head of his security detail. His job is to sort out any problems threatening the Chancellor or the Senate that are too difficult for anyone else."
"And how do you feel about this, if you don't mind me asking?" pried Obi-Wan.
Padmé took another delicate sip of her drink. "I don't trust the Chancellor," she said simply.
Obi-Wan nodded. "With that you may be wise, Padmé. I share your sentiments. Have you communicated your feelings to Anakin?"
Padmé sighed. "I did, and he did not take it very well."
"This is concerning news, Padmé. It must be brought to the attention of the Jedi Council," Obi-Wan said.
Anger replaced the concern on Padmé's face. "Why? Why does the Council need to know what Anakin is doing? He's not a Jedi anymore. Can they not simply leave him alone? I wanted your help, not theirs!"
Obi-Wan shook his head. "Padmé, I do not mean to offend you, but the Council cannot remain uninformed about this matter. Anakin may not be one of our rank anymore, but he is still a Force user, and a very powerful one at that. If there is any possibility that Anakin could be led astray – even the smallest one," Obi-Wan added, seeing the fire that had been lit in Padmé's eyes by his words, "that is important for the Council to know. This may be related to the visions we have been experiencing."
"I… I understand," Padmé conceded, the ferocity of her glare dimming. "But Obi-Wan, he's a good person. You know that. He's just… lost. That's why he's working for the Chancellor, because he's trying to find an identity for himself again."
Obi-Wan nodded. He felt a breadth of emotion at the thought of his friend's distress but had never been taught the words to express it. What he answered Padmé with seemed ineffectual and simplistic, and he worried that he came across as uncaring. "I know Anakin would have taken being dismissed from the Order very difficulty."
Padmé looked at him, her dark brown eyes seeming to see beyond his words, at the feeling he wanted to express but did not know how. He felt that she understood, and he felt comforted by that knowledge.
"You don't think Anakin would be doing anything bad, do you?" Ahsoka continued the conversation. The young Padawan was still struggling to process that her Master – former Master – would be working with anyone as overtly insidious as the Chancellor.
"I don't think he would intentionally do anything bad. He couldn't – he's not like that. I'm just… I'm just worried that over time Palpatine would be able to convince Anakin that some of the bad things he wanted him to do were not really bad – that he was acting in the best interests of the Republic. That he was keeping people safe. The Chancellor has such a hold over him," Padmé replied sadly.
Obi-Wan reached out to touch his friend's hand. "Anakin's future is clouded at the moment, Padmé," he said, echoing Yoda's words from the previous night. "However, I know that he is pure of heart. With you at his side I do not believe he will lose his way."
Padmé offered him a small smile. "You should talk to him. You both should. I think that would help him a lot."
"If Anakin did not wish to see us today, I think it best that he seeks us out when he is ready. He needs time to work through all that has happened," Obi-Wan responded wisely. He stood up to leave and Ahsoka followed. "Thank you for hosting us, Padmé. And thank you for letting us know about Anakin's work with the Chancellor."
"I just hope that you can find out what these dreams mean before it's too late," Padmé replied softly. "Please let me know if you find out any more about them."
"We will continue to investigate what they mean and the source of them," Obi-wan said.
Padmé escorted her guests to the turbolift that would take them down and out of the apartment complex. She paused in the doorway before saying goodbye, and she turned to Obi-Wan, suddenly beseeching. "Please don't let anything happen to him, Obi-Wan. If he was to… if the Chancellor ever made him… do things that were wrong… please help him."
Obi-Wan placed a comforting hand on Padmé's shoulder. He could sense her distress in the Force. He wished he could do more for her, more for his best friend. However, all that he could leave her with was a promise. A promise that he would uphold no matter what.
"I promise I will always help Anakin if he needs it, Padmé. Despite all that has happened, he still is, and always will be, a brother to me."
OOOOO
Anakin entered The Door to the Afterlife through large automatic doors that, even if they were not admitting him to the real afterlife, had landed him in a very good approximation of it. Anakin had, admittedly, not been in many nightclubs in his life, but of the few he had visited, this one was certainly the largest and the most uniquely designed. It was split over two levels, with the entrance and main dance floor on the first level and booths for patrons to sit and converse in on the second level, which was accessible mainly by several curved glass staircases and was like a mezzanine which provided patrons with a balcony view of the dancers below. Most of the club was constructed with darkly coloured materials or glass, creating a shadowy atmosphere that was punctuated only by the lights of the dance floor. The main bar was situated on an expansive platform that was able to move up and down between these two levels. In the centre of the platform was a large illuminated column that changed colour with the rest of the lights of the nightclub, providing a neon backdrop to the shelves and shelves of alcohol that surrounded it in a ring. The bar itself orbited this column in a large circle, providing easy access for those wishing to imbibe in any and all forms of alcohol the galaxy had to offer. The music of the nightclub was a pulse that Anakin could feel throughout his entire body. All lights were dimmed except for intermittent flashes of red and blue whenever the music reached a particularly powerful crescendo and all the dancers dropped dramatically to the floor. The nightclub was full tonight, absolutely swarming with all manner of beings. Anakin could feel that the general mood of the crowd was one of wantonness – everyone here just wanted to get loose and have a good time. It certainly felt like a place that existed beyond the rigidity of reality.
Many beings, not just female, appraised him as he cut through the groups standing around the dance floor and made his way towards the bar. Anakin ignored them completely, although many of them were broadcasting their lust so powerfully in their thoughts that it may as well have been verbal. He made a point of moving his left hand so the gold wedding band he wore flashed clearly in the pulsing lights, but this did nothing to temper their clearly indecent intentions.
Dressed in civilian clothes of muted tones, his darksaber attached securely to his belt but concealed under his sweeping robe, Anakin hoped nobody would recognise who he was before they needed to. He reached the bar, finding a place between an older man in shockingly crimson attire and a younger woman with her hair piled into an intricate design on her head. They both stared at him as he waited for someone at the bar to serve him, trying to decide whether or not they really were standing face-to-face with the Hero With No Fear. Anakin sensed their confusion and with a subtle wave of his hand clouded the atmosphere around him further, so they both gave up wondering and simply returned to their drinks.
The bar was staffed by around thirty or so different beings – humans, rhodians, twi'leks and others. They all rapidly fired through orders, making drinks with the skill of one who is a master of their craft. Despite the large amount of beings at the bar, Anakin was promptly served by an attractive twi'lek female dressed in black pants and a sparkling cropped top. Eyeing him with a flirtatious stare, Anakin quickly deduced the reason for her speedy service. He met her enticing gaze with a cold one of his own – he was interested in none but his wife.
"My name is Aehew. What can I offer you tonight?" the twi'lek asked, and Anakin sensed the double meaning in her words.
"I'm not interested in a drink, I'm interested in a man," he replied. "Amoor Dadelanius. Does he frequent this club?"
The older man in crimson and the younger woman with the elaborate hairdo turned to look at him. Anakin scowled at them. "This business doesn't concern you. Go back to your drinks."
Aehew raised an eyebrow at him. "Who's asking?"
"That doesn't matter. Can you tell me if Dadelanius is here tonight?"
Aehew laughed drily and shook her head. Her purple lekku moved with the gesture. "Look, man, I'm not just going to go around giving out information about guests to anyone who asks, okay? We value privacy here, so forget about it."
"This is important," Anakin pressed.
"So important you can't even tell me who you are?" Aehew replied dismissively.
"I work for the Chancellor," Anakin offered begrudgingly. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the man and woman sitting near him trying to subtly follow his conversation. He shot them another pointed glare and they swiftly looked away, sensing that they were angering someone who they probably did not want to deal with.
Aehew looked him up and down sharply. "You don't look like someone who works for the Chancellor," she told him. "Besides, if Chancellor Palpatine really had a problem he'd just send in some guards or what-not and deal with it himself. You're not even wearing a uniform."
"This is a problem the Chancellor does not want to draw attention to," Anakin explained in a low voice. "If you know anything about Amoor Dadelanius, you have to tell me!"
Anakin could feel his agitation begin to simmer below the surface. What was he supposed to do if he couldn't get a lead? Go back and tell the Chancellor he had failed already, that he had no idea where Dadelanius was and could get nobody to help him find the man? He would be dismissed immediately. He would be a joke. As the agitation threatened to boil over into anger, that dark dragon inside him began to stir, telling him that he was better than this, more powerful than this, that he had ways to get the information from the twi'lek.
"I don't have to do anything," said Aehew curtly. "And don't bother annoying any of the other staff, they won't help you either." She then turned away and began to wipe the counter behind her.
It was like time stood still as Anakin listened to that dark dragon, considered what it had to say. Agreed with it. Knew what he had to do next.
Checking around him to ensure that the other beings in the immediate area were occupied, Anakin turned back to Aehew, who was still cleaning the counter.
"Aehew," he began, and his voice now carried a tone that could not be ignored, his every command suddenly irresistible to the intended listener.
The twi'lek immediately turned to face him, cleaning rag still in her hand. Her expression was blank.
"I need to know if Amoor Dadelanius is here tonight in this nightclub. As I have said, it is very important. You will tell me anything you know about him," Anakin told her, his voice still dripping with that irresistible, otherworldly command. His hand passed briefly in front of her face.
"I will tell you anything I know about him..." Aehew repeated quietly. "Amoor Dadelanius… he comes here at the end of every standard week. He always brings a large group with him and spends many hundreds of credits on drinks."
"Is he here tonight?" Anakin demanded. "You will tell me if Dadelanius is here tonight."
"Y-yes, he is here tonight," Aehew responded. She was struggling against the mind trick, and Anakin knew she would break free from it any second. She had a tenacity about her that he had to admire – she was not as weak-minded as he initially assumed.
"Where is he?" Anakin asked quickly.
Aehew grimaced. She had control of herself enough now to not respond initially.
"Where is he? You will tell me where he is," Anakin demanded, forcefully enough that Aehew could now not ignore his question. Again, his hand passed quickly through the air in front of her, the air seeming suddenly colder as he willed her to submit to his questioning.
"On the second level. In a booth. He… he will not be alone."
Anakin's hand returned to the pocket of his robe. The mind-trick was over. Aehew staggered, but nobody noticed as the fog of confusion Anakin had caused to mask the mind trick had not yet completely dissipated.
And then the dragon was gone, leaving only Anakin Skywalker again, who felt some remorse at what he had done. He studied the twi'lek carefully, probing with the Force to ensure he had not hurt her in any way. She seemed alright, just tired.
Anakin passed a silver carafe from behind the bar to Aehew. "Drink some water. It will make you feel better." His voice was gentle now.
Aehew said nothing, simply stared at him, but did what he suggested and took a long drink from the carafe.
"I'm sorry I had to do that," Anakin said, and he retreated again through the crowd and onto the second level of the nightclub where the bar was now situated, having ascended during their conversation.
The second level of the establishment provided a more intimate atmosphere than the first. The space was mainly consumed with around twenty secluded booths. Each booth was surrounded by a mid-height wall that provided some privacy from the beings in the neighbouring booths. The booths were furnished with a comfortable leather wrap-around sofa and a low glass table in the centre. Each booth was lit with what appeared to be glowing bubbles floating in midair. In reality they were finely-blown glass baubles suspended with very thin wires, so thin that they were invisible to the untrained eye.
Anakin passed by several of the booths without finding who he was looking for. The first booth housed what appeared to be some sort of pre-wedding celebration party – seven human women were eagerly chanting as an eighth woman, wearing a gaudy veil, drank steadily from a bottle of unfamiliar off-world spirits. The second and third booths contained couples passionately exploring each other's bodies.
As Anakin passed by the third booth and stoicly ignored what its occupants were getting up to, he heard a male voice shouting loudly from a few booths away.
"If you don't honour our agreement, Harckonen, you'll pay the price!"
"What agreement, Dadelanius? We have nothing in writing, therefore we have no agreement!" answered an equally loud male voice.
Dadelanius! Just who he had been looking for.
Anakin stopped, reaching out with the Force to sense the atmosphere of the booth where the argument was taking place. He felt the presence of five beings. Two were incredibly angry with each other and the three others had a more neutral, but wary, opinion of the situation – they were likely guards that Dadelanius and Harckonen had brought with them. One of the men was outmatched, however – two against three. Anakin wondered which of them had the upper hand. He moved closer to listen to more of the conversation, but kept himself hidden from their view. Anakin remembered that Dadelanius was known for his many enemies – this Harckonen seemed to be another being that Dadelanius had unwisely gotten on the wrong side of.
"If there is nothing in writing to signify our deal, that is down to your treachery, Harckonen. I know for a fact that my man Salis presented a contract to you which you did sign. If that contract is now missing it is no fault of mine! The deal stands and you must uphold your end of it!" said the voice that must belong to Dadelanius. Anakin noted a hint of desperation muddying the clarity of the man's voice.
"And why should I uphold a deal for which there is no contract?" Harckonen replied in a wily tone.
"Because, if you do not, you will pay with your life, and I will collect what you owe me from your corpse before it cools!" exclaimed Dadelanius, his tone much more assured now.
It was at that moment, as the two men and their guards all pulled blasters on each other like some sort of stick-up from the Outer Rim, that Anakin quickly stepped into their view, the billow of his robe settling dramatically behind him.
Four men, including Dadelanius, turned to face him, visibly surprised at the sudden intrusion. Harckonen, however, took the distraction as an opportunity, and fired a blaster bolt at Dadelanius.
With no more than the slightest movement of his gloved hand Anakin stopped the bolt in midair. It hung there in front of them, mesmerising the men, and then Anakin sent it flying to the floor as if it were no more than an annoying insect, where it burnt a small section of the tile.
Harckonen's jowly cheeks shook as his mouth fell open in surprise, and then he controlled his features and twisted them into an ugly manifestation of rage. "Jedi! We have no need of your tricks here! We handle our own business."
"I am no Jedi," Anakin replied coolly. "And it turns out that your business is also my business."
Harckonen and Dadelanius exchanged a bewildered glance. Their guards turned their blasters on Anakin, although their expressions betrayed their understanding of the futility of such a gesture. They knew Anakin could toss them all aside with a flick of his wrist if he so desired.
"What do you want with me?" Harckonen asked, sweat now standing out on his brow.
"Nothing. I seek Amoor Dadelanius."
Dadelanius paled, instantly as sweaty as his red-headed adversary. "W-what have I done to offend the Jedi?"
Anakin bristled at the term. "I told you, I am not a Jedi."
"Th-then how can you… you use the Force, do you not?" Dadelanius questioned.
"One does not have to be a Jedi to wield the Force," Anakin replied simply.
Harckonen had been silently eyeing Anakin as he spoke to Dadelanius, trying to work out where he had seen the man's face before. The sudden realisation filled him with a mixture of surprise and fear. "You're Anakin Skywalker!"
"The Hero With No Fear," one of the guards muttered in an awed tone.
"So you are a Jedi," Dadelanius replied.
Anakin frowned, his temper rising at their continued assumption that he was a Jedi and the reference to that stupid, unwanted nickname of his – the so-called fearless hero was no more. Countless times he had wondered if that hero had ever even existed in the first place.
"I work for the Chancellor," Anakin told them. The words filled him with a sense of pride that he had not felt since he had been dismissed from the Order. He relished the feeling of it.
Dadelanius' became even further panicked upon hearing this revelation. "I… uh… what business does the Chancellor seek?" he asked, trying to imbue his voice with a calmness that was clearly not there.
Harckonen's eyes widened as he watched the exchange between Anakin and Dadelanius. Then, when Anakin fixed steely eyes on Harckonen, Harckonen desperately tried to look anywhere but at the imposing figure standing before him.
"Harckonen, is it?"
Harckonen swallowed and nodded, his gaze reluctantly meeting Anakin's.
"You should leave now. The Chancellor's quarrel is not with you. Although," Anakin began, raising an eyebrow at the sweaty man lumbering away from him with his two guards, "you should probably honour your deals every now and again if you want to stay under the radar."
Harckonen muttered something likely offensive under his breath and quickly made his way away from the group and towards the nearest staircase.
Dadelanius watched Harckonen escape, and then gestured to place on the sofa that he had vacated. "Will you t-take a seat?"
Anakin shook his head. "No. This won't take long."
Dadelanius said nothing, waiting nervously for Anakin to continue. His presence in the Force was now comprised of nothing but fear.
"You have been trying to access Chancellor Palpatine's personal communications." It was not a question that Anakin offered the man, but a statement of fact.
"No! No, of course not!"
Anakin narrowed his eyes, taking in the appearance of the man before him. Dadelanius looked as he had in his image on the report Palpatine had given Anakin, and as he had in the holo footage Anakin had watched, only this time he was not composed at all, he was trying to still his trembling hands. Dressed in what Anakin could only assume were expensive fabrics and with a multitude of gold rings on his fingers, it was clear that this man was trying to project an image of wealth that he likely could not truly back-up.
"The Chancellor knows of your many enemies and your many failed deals. He suspects that you have been trying to access his personal communications so that you may gather information about these enemies and extort credits from them or, even more likely, just get rid of them."
"That's a lie! A lie I say!"
"If what I am saying is untrue, why are you so nervous?"
Dadelanius looked around as if trying to seek an escape. He was squirming in his seat as if he wanted to leap from it and run away.
"What are you hiding?" Anakin repeated.
Dadelanius' grey eyes continued to dart around the room, and he reached up with a shaky, ring-laden finger to push some of his blond hair back from where it had fallen across his eyes. The blond was streaked with grey – Dadelanius was clearly not such a young man anymore. Age likely increased his desperation to be rid of his enemies; it would be harder for him to fight against them the older he got.
"I… have nothing to hide," Dadelanius gulped.
"You're lying, Dadelanius," Anakin said. "What was your deal with Harckonen?"
"N-nothing that concerns you or the Chancellor."
"You will tell me what your deal with Harckonen was about," Anakin said, that same irresistible quality as before colouring his tone. He noted that this time he did not feel remorse about using the mind trick on the man squirming pathetically in front of him. He was doing the right thing, he was sure of it. This was his job – he needed this information to protect the Chancellor. The Chancellor himself had praised his abilities and told him to use them when required.
Dadelanius did not even try to resist the mind trick. He answered as plainly as if giving Anakin this information was the greatest joy of his entire life. "Separatist weapons. Our deal involved Separatist weapons. Lodir Harckonen is making them but cannot distribute them safely to the Separatists on his homeworld – it's under Republic control. I was going to distribute them on Yani 8 because nobody would think to look there."
Anakin smiled a bitter smile. His hand returned to the pocket of his robe. "Thank you, Dadelanius. I think the Chancellor would be very interested in hearing about this."
It took Dadelanius a moment to register what Anakin had said, but then his face contained nothing but pure terror. "No! You can't! I won't let you!"
Dadelanius nodded to his guard, and in that instant both men drew their weapons and began firing on Anakin. It took only a split-second and the darksaber was in his hand, ignited and deflecting the men's blaster bolts with fluid ease. Anakin moved with expertly-trained precision, holding the blade in front of his body now with both hands. His mind was in tune with the Force, detecting the blaster fire a split-second before it happened, the bolts hitting the buzzing black blade and flying back across the room at odd angles. They hit the walls and left scorch marks there like the one on the floor.
The air filled with the sound of screaming as the other guests in the venue tried to work out what was happening. There was a great sense of movement in the nightclub as the booths on the second floor emptied and the guests scrambled to get away from the hail of blaster fire.
Dadelanius and his guard were distracted by the mass exodus of the crowd and that second of inactivity was all Anakin needed – he snatched their weapons from them with the Force and landed them at his feet.
"Surrender," was all he said.
"I… I..." Dadelanius' mouth gaped as he realised his defeat.
Then, unexpectedly quickly, the police droids arrived. And, even worse, a HoloNet droid had arrived as well.
"Drop your weapons," one of the police droids droned mechanically. "Your use of force is unauthorised."
Anakin gestured to the two blasters lying on the ground. "I've already taken their weapons."
The droid who had spoken initially gestured its baton-carrying hand at the darksaber which was still ignited in Anakin's hand. "Your use of force is unauthorised. Please surrender your weapon."
Anakin stared at them. "I'm not the one doing anything wrong here – they opened fire on me!"
"Sir, please surrender your weapon," the droid repeated. "We must take you in for questioning."
"You don't need to take me in for questioning, just that man there, Amoor Dadelanius. Ask him about his involvement in the manufacture of Separatist weaponry! He needs to stand trial!" Anakin replied emphatically, gesturing at Dadelanius who, along with his guard, was now being put in cuffs by one of the other police droids. His expression was miserable to say the least.
"Sir, please surrender your weapon. We must take you in for questioning. You were involved in a violent assault," the droid repeated yet again.
Anakin returned his darksaber to his belt and threw up his hands in annoyance. "You don't need to take me in for questioning! I work for the Chancellor!"
"We must take you in for questioning."
"You don't need to take me in for questioning."
"We don't need to take you in for questioning," the police droid mirrored, stepping back from Anakin.
That problem sorted, Anakin turned, about to leave as quickly and discreetly as he could. It was just his luck that this would be on the HoloNet – he could only imagine how annoyed the Chancellor was going to be. The fact that Anakin was working for him was supposed to be kept as secretive as possible, but there was no chance of that now. The story would be everywhere in an instant.
As Anakin made his way quickly towards one of the staircases he noticed someone peering at him from one of the booths. He found it odd that they had not left in the chaos caused by Dadelanius opening fire. As Anakin got closer, trying to work out if they were in need of any assistance, the being fled. Anakin only got a brief glimpse of them but it was enough for him to make out that they were a relatively young woman with purple hair and that they were dressed in clothing that reminded him of a kind of military uniform, albeit one he did not recognise.
"Hey, wait!" Anakin called after them, but it was too late – they were gone.
Anakin made his way out of the nightclub and watched from the shadows of a nearby building's balcony as the police droids escorted Dadelanius and his guard away in their cruiser. He knew he should feel satisfied – he had exposed a Separatist deal that would have cost an untold amount of lives. However, he had also exposed himself to the HoloNet, and he was very concerned about the Chancellor's response to this.
Would the man respond negatively? Would he dismiss Anakin now that his cover had been blown? Those thoughts gnawed at Anakin as he continued to hide in the shadows. He could do nothing to dismiss them. If he had ruined his chances of working for the Chancellor, what was there left for him to do?
A/N 2:I hope you enjoyed the chapter. It was a lot of fun to write. I really enjoy writing Anakin (if you couldn't tell, he's my favourite character) and it was enjoyable getting to show him "flexing his Force muscles" so to speak. More of that coming in the story! It's also been interesting writing Anakin's struggle to find his identity again after being dismissed from the Jedi Order, and not being able to deal with his emotions about this properly. He's not always necessarily doing the right thing and he keeps having to try and justify his actions to himself... Not something that's easy to keep up. At least he's got some supportive people in his corner.
Oh, and Harckonen is indeed a reference to the Harkonnen house from "Dune" - another great sci-fi series that I totally recommend!