Ahsoka felt her master's turmoil and shared much of it as well.
"Anthan Prime is on the other side of the galaxy," he stated angrily, hastily typing in hyperspace coordinates to the navi computer.
"We still have time," Ahsoka assured her master, "Plus, Obi-Wan is a formidable fighter."
"Yes, but Malicus is ruthless and maniacal. Look what he did to you."
Anakin finished typing in the coordinates and slammed the lever down, lurching the ship into hyperspace.
Ahsoka noted the pain in Anakin's voice, and the anxiety he exuded. She put a hand on top of his, and he turned to look at her.
"If there's anything you've taught me, master, it's to trust in the force. Obi-Wan will be alright."
Anakin smiled at her.
"You're right, as usual, Ahsoka."
"As usual?" she challenged in a sassy tone, "I'm going to remember that."
Anakin chuckled. Ahsoka was glad to see his mood had lifted.
After a tumultuous journey, Anakin and Ahsoka finally arrived on Anthan Prime. Anakin had attempted to make contact with Obi-Wan, but he wasn't answering their signals.
Anakin landed their ship just outside of a small settlement. The one advantage to flying their junk-heap of a shuttle was that it was low profile. Ahsoka grabbed her cloak as she and Anakin exited the ship.
"Interesting crowd," Ahsoka muttered, noting the array of individuals similar to Hub 218. The settlement itself was teeming with business, both in and out of the shadows.
"Supposedly this is Obi-Wan's last reported location," Anakin stated.
The pair entered the settlement. Hiding their identity as Jedi seemed to help them keep unwanted attention away.
Ahsoka couldn't ignore that all too familiar feeling that something was off. She searched the force but couldn't place the feeling. Everyone around them appeared to be enthralled in their own business. It was as though each individual had a secret of their own.
Anakin and Ahsoka searched through faces in the crowd, hoping for a glimpse of Obi-Wan. With no such luck, they came across the town bar as they approached the center of the settlement.
"Let's check it out," Anakin said.
Ahsoka nodded, following her master. Local bars like this one seemed to be the hub of town gossip. Right now, it was their best chance of getting some much-needed information.
Entering the establishment, Anakin walked right up to the bartender, Ahsoka not far behind him. Anakin ordered a drink while Ahsoka walked around, getting a sense of the room. Coming to a quieter section of the bar, she overheard a conversation between a couple smugglers.
"Hope that Jedi is leaving soon."
"Heard he was after Lorn Finis for selling some military-grade weapons."
"That's the problem with Jedi. Always getting into our business."
Ahsoka knew they must be talking about Obi-Wan. She lingered nearby to continue listening.
"Last I heard, Lorn was moving on to Nal Hutta."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I heard he was working with one of the Hutt families."
"Good business there."
Ahsoka, lost in concentration, hadn't noticed the smugglers eyeing her. They had quickly caught on to her eavesdropping.
"Can we help you little lady?" one of the smugglers asked.
Ahsoka looked up in surprise. She turned to leave when the two men got up.
"I said, can we help you?" the same smuggler said, in a more aggressive tone.
Ahsoka's hand flew to her side, where one of her lightsabers was, ready to activate it.
"No, I- "
"She's with me," Anakin interjected, stepping up behind Ahsoka and placing a hand on her shoulder, "And we were just leaving."
Ahsoka gave her master a grateful look as they withdrew from the rapidly escalating situation. The two smugglers eyed them suspiciously as they left.
"Get any information?" Anakin asked her.
"Yeah," Ahsoka responded, "Those smugglers knew about the arms dealer Obi-Wan is tracking. His name is Lorn Finis."
"The bartender mentioned a Lorn who was living on the south side of town. I say we start there."
Ahsoka nodded in agreeance.
They made their way through town, heading toward the southern edge. Ahsoka couldn't the sinking feeling she had in her gut.
"Master, I have a bad feeling about this."
"I do too. I sense Malicus is nearby. Stay sharp."
As they continued on, Anakin and Ahsoka came across a dwelling with the door ajar.
"This must be it," Anakin asserted, pushing the door aside.
It was dark inside, so he and Ahsoka ignited their lightsabers. Searching around, they didn't find much of anything. Most of the place had been ransacked. If Lorn had been here earlier, he didn't leave anything for them to follow.
As they left the dwelling, a hooded figure pulled them into a dark alley nearby. Removing his hood, the figure revealed himself to be Obi-Wan.
"Obi-Wan!" Anakin cried in relief, "You're ok!"
"What in the blazes are you doing here?! You're going to blow my mission!"
"Trust me, this is bigger than your mission."
"It's true," Ahsoka interposed, "We're tracking Darth Malicus. He arrived here shortly before us."
"Well, I can't allow the arms dealer Lorn Finis to leave the planet. If he reaches Nal Hutta with the weapons he has acquired, we could be encroached on by a new war."
"In that case, we'll help you capture him, hopefully drawing out Malicus in the process," Anakin countered.
Obi-Wan nodded.
"Very well then. Follow me, I've just pinpointed Finis' location."