Chapter 7 - Chasing the Assassin

DISCLAIMER: We (unfortunately) do not own Star Wars. :P

Anakin Skywalker

The three of us head towards the bar. "Why do I get the feeling you're going to be the death of me?" comments Obi-Wan as we step inside and look around. Hundreds of creatures are milling about. Some of the beings are human but many are not. A few give us either slightly worried or disgusted glances upon seeing that we're Jedi, but most don't pay us any attention.

"Don't say that, Master." My voice drops a bit, voice suddenly thick with emotion. I know I can be exhausting at times, but I'd die before letting him get hurt. "You're my brother. I love you, and I don't want to cause you pain."

"Then why don't you listen to me?" he asks.

"I try."

Aniya sighs, clearly starting to get uncomfortable with the conversation.

"Do you see him?" Obi-Wan questions, getting back to business.

"I think he is a 'she'," Aniya replies.

"And I think she's a changeling," I add quickly. So, she could be literally any of the beings in here. It's far too easy for her to hide. But there's three of us here, and unless she's escaped out another entrance, she's around here somewhere. Perhaps even waiting to attack us.

"Then be extra careful," Obi-Wan commands, "Go find her." He turns to walk off. What is he doing?

"Where are you going, Master?" I inquire.

"To get a drink," he replies before walking away. Well, that sure is helpful. Okay, fine, we'll go do all the hard work for him.

"How about you go that way, and I'll go this way," Aniya suggests before heading off, quickly disappearing into the crowd. I begin looking around, trying to see if I can sense the assassin nearby. Many people nearby are giving me suspicious or hostile looks, not uncommon in such places. Suddenly, I begin getting the feeling of danger nearby. She must be really close... but then again, such a feeling would be natural in here. Anyone could try something.

The feeling of danger suddenly flares. It's coming right from – I spin around towards where Obi-Wan is just in time to see him igniting his lightsaber and slicing it through the arm of the assassin who is about to fire her blaster at him. Aniya and I immediately run to Obi-Wan's side while everyone else begins rising and turning towards the cause of the commotion with various exclamations. "Easy, Jedi business!" I call.

"Everyone get back to your drinks," urges Aniya. I can feel her throwing a Force suggestion into the words. We don't need anyone getting in the way now.

As everyone very slowly turns back to whatever they were doing before, Obi-Wan and I take the assassin back outside where we lower her onto the ground with Obi-Wan on one side and Aniya and I on the other.

"Do you know who it was that you were trying to kill?" Obi-Wan questions as she glares hatefully at the three of us.

"The Senator from Naboo," hisses the assassin as if it hardly matters. Anger boils within me. How can she act as though lives don't matter? It shouldn't be surprising considering she seems to be a very experience assassin, but still.

"Who hired you?" Aniya demands.

"It was just a job," she retorts, glaring at us again.

"Tell us!" I command, and then repeat while adding a powerful Force suggestion, "Tell us now!"

"It was a bounty hunter called –" she begins and is cut off by a sudden noise above us. The assassin's form suddenly begins shifting from human back to her real self. Her skin is slowly changing to an olive green. We look up just in time to see a man dressed in armor, with a jetpack, blast up into the sky and disappear.

Obi-Wan reaches down and pulls a dart of the now-dead assassin's neck, who has completely shifted. "Toxic dart," he sighs.

"Just great," grumbles Aniya in frustration, "Next time, perhaps we shouldn't take the people we're chasing outside?" She stands up slowly. "At the very least I suppose we might have a lead to figure out who hired her. Maybe."

I stand up as well. I know this ordeal is far from over. This assassin might be dead, but clearly there is someone much more important who wants Padme dead for some reason. And that person is clearly pretty determined, so he... or she will be perfectly capable of finding another way.

**w**

By the next morning, Qui-Gon is fully healed and all four of us find ourselves standing in front of the Jedi Council to receive our instructions. "Track down this bounty hunter, you must, Masters Jinn and Kenobi," commands Master Yoda.

"Most importantly, find out who he's working for," Master Windu adds.

"What about Senator Amidala?" Obi-Wan queries.

"The bounty hunter who wants her dead is still alive, and until we find him, she will continue to need protecting," declares Qui-Gon.

"Handle that, your Padawans will," replies Yoda. My heart soars at the thought of being able to stay with Padme for probably a long time. And this will be my first mission without my master.

"Anakin and Aniya, you are to escort the Senator back to her home planet of Naboo. She'll be safer there," Master Windu commands us, "And don't use registered transport. Travel as refugees."

Both of us nod. "As the leader of the opposition to the Military Creation Act, it will be very difficult to get Senator Amidala to leave the capital," Aniya points out. The Military Creation Act is act meant to create an army for the Republic to defend it against the Separatists – a group with an ever-increasing number of planets who have broken away from the Republic. I'm honestly afraid of where things will go. I don't want war.

"Until caught this killer is, our judgment she must respect," Yoda responds.

I nod again. "But I know how deeply she cares about this upcoming vote, Master," I warn. I know there's no way she'd be taking her own safety more seriously than her duty. I might not have seen her for ten years, aside from yesterday and this morning, when I've hardly been able to talk to her at all, but I know she always puts her duties above herself. "She is more concerned with defeating the act than with –"

"Anakin," Master Windu cuts me off, clearly getting irritated, not that there's anything unusual about that, "You and Aniya should go to the Senate and ask Chancellor Palpatine to speak with her." He just seems to want us to get on our way and out of here as fast as possible. Typical. Actually, the feelings are mutual. I never want to stay in the Council chambers for long. Even now, it doesn't bring good memories.

Yoda dismisses us, and we bow before exiting the room.

I certainly notice now nervous my sister is feeling as we walk out into the halls. "Don't worry," I tell her telepathically, "You know it'll be fine. It always is."

"I know," she replies. "But really. I can't figure out why I'm so wary of him. It drives me insane, and I can't think of a logical reason for it." Her frustration is obvious even through the Force.

I sigh. I can't figure out what's up with that either, but I know she's always thought it was weird he paid so much attention to us. Honestly, I agree, but I'm certainly grateful for it. A lot of times, it seems that he's the only one other than Qui-Gon that sees our full potential, though how he understands I'll never know. Aniya is insistent that something's off, which I'm not certain I agree with, but I suppose it is possible, however unlikely that may be. Even so, I haven't been able to give him my full trust, even if I do like talking to him. I trust my sister more than the Chancellor, just as I should.

**w**

Qui-Gon Jinn

"Master Qui-Gon more to say have you?" asks Yoda when I hesitate to leave. Obi-Wan pauses behind me, waiting as well.

"Anakin and Aniya have been having visions of their mother dying. I believe someone needs to check on her," I inform them, waiting for the objections to come. I know they're never going to agree right away, but I have plenty of arguments if they don't. And if they still refuse, once the mission is over, I'll find a way to do it on my own. I can't let the twins keep living like this pointlessly.

"How do you know they're visions?" objects Windu, narrowing his eyes at me, "It could just be the result of their attachment to her." Of course, he'd think that. But it's understandable, I suppose. Jedi having visions is relatively uncommon. Even so, that doesn't condone brushing it off as nothing.

"They've both been having identical dreams for many days – weeks – now," I retort, standing my ground, "That wouldn't have happened unless something is wrong." Whatever is going on, I think their mother may be dying. If I go soon enough, I may still be able to prevent anything too serious from happening to her.

"Send someone to check on her, we shall," Yoda murmurs thoughtfully, his ears twitching, "The best person to send, you would be."

"You should remain with Obi-Wan for now. This mission takes precedence," Windu argues. "There is a possibility Count Dooku could be involved."

I hesitate at that. I haven't heard from him for the past six years. After he left the Order ten years ago to investigate and track down the Sith on his own, he'd kept in contact with me through monthly holocalls. I knew that he'd reclaimed his title and land on Serenno as a means to help him. I'll never forget the last message I received from him.

"Qui-Gon," Dooku sounds unusually stressed and anxious, which is extremely strange coming from him. I've always known him to be calm and collected, even if he is standing perilously close to the Dark Side like he's often wont to do. "I've picked up a trail, and I'll be following it. I'll get back to you as soon as I have concrete evidence." His voice fades at the end almost as if he's moving around and wary of being overheard.

Suddenly, the message begins chopping, and I can only pick out a few words. "... transmission being intercepted... cannot say more... danger... Sith... the Senate... Republic is failing." It ends there, leaving me feeling unsettled. Something is horribly wrong, and I can only hope that Dooku will be alright. Not for the first time, I wish I had joined him.

I'd waited desperately for more news first for days, which soon became weeks and months. Scarcely a year had passed before I learned that Dooku had founded the Separatist Alliance, but he never reached out to me again, and though I tried hard to get in touch with him, he never answered. While I have no evidence, I can't help but fear that something terrible happened to him. I can understand his reasoning for leaving the Order and Republic and founding the Separatists.

I'd left the Order myself – however briefly – because of the Council's decision regarding the twins. Both the Order and Republic are corrupt and need to be corrected, even if I wouldn't go as far as he has. But I don't think that he'd actually try to assassinate Senator Amidala, like Windu is suggesting. What would he gain from that? She's trying to defeat the bill to create an army which would undoubtedly start a war with the Separatists. Why would Dooku want that? It doesn't even make sense.

But at the same time, even if Dooku isn't involved, an important force of the Separatists would be. Or for that matter, someone from the Republic itself who has something to gain from the views the Senator is opposing. I sense a deeper plot, one which is larger than someone who dislikes her trying to eliminate her. Yes, as much as I don't want to, investigating the assassination attempt does come first. It could be part of a plot which will have galactic proportions for all I know.

I nod. "I will stay with Obi-Wan until the mission is over and then go to Tatooine," I decide. The meeting is adjourned, and I exit the room.

"The twins won't be happy to hear this," remarks Obi-Wan as we exit the Council chamber. I sigh softly. I don't want to do this to them, but given the circumstances, I don't think there's any other way.

"I know, but it's the only choice now. The Council wouldn't agree on anything more," I reply.

"We can tell them what happened when they get back from meeting the Chancellor," decides Obi-Wan. Not long later, I spot Anakin and Aniya hurrying towards us.

"The Chancellor agreed to convince her to return to Naboo," Anakin informs us as they fall in step beside us.

"Qui-Gon talked to the Council," Obi-Wan tells them. Their gazes instantly turn to me, hopeful.

"They agreed that I could go to check on her, but after the investigation into the Senator's assassination is completed." Frustration flashes through their expressions, and they look away.

"But..." Aniya protests.

"It could take a long time," Anakin objects.

"Ani," I say, trying to reassure them, "Don't worry. I'll make sure to go there as soon as possible."

**w**

Aniya Skywalker

I'm doing my best not to squirm too much during the talk with Palpatine. I know Anakin doesn't really mind the long conversations we have with him, but at times, I do. The Chancellor may feel almost like a friend to us both, but I can never seem to shake the slightly uneasy feeling his presence always gives me – us, actually more often than not. Sometimes it makes me itch to question many things I believe in, a feeling I don't like at all. I hate being uncertain. It's just not me. Being here reminds me of the darkness within me that I wish wasn't there.

"I will talk to her," Palpatine assures us, "Senator Amidala will not refuse an executive order. I know her well enough to assure you of that."

"Thank you, Your Excellency," Anakin and I chorus.

"And so, my young Padawans, they have finally given you two an assignment on your own," he notes with a smile, "Your patience has paid off."

Patience? It's hard not to laugh. Perhaps he only does pay attention to us because of our power considering he seems to be forgetting one of our most predominant traits. We are anything but patience. Or maybe we've just been able to put on a good show.

"Indeed," I agree dryly, "However, I believe we're anything but patient."

"Our masters' guidance more than our patience," Anakin agrees with me.

Palpatine's smile seems to grow. "Neither of you need guidance," he tells us as slowly begins walking across the room. The two of us immediately fall in step beside him. "In time you will learn to trust your feelings. Then you will be invincible. I have said it many times, you two are the most gifted Jedi I have ever met."

"Thank you, Your Excellency," we reply. Yes, I'm definitely nearly squirming now. Why is it that he seems so... obsessed with us being powerful? Inside, I'm unnerved by the statement although I try not to show anything. I know it's true that we're both very gifted, but somehow, he seems to understand our potential a bit too much. I'm guessing the only person that fully understands exactly what we are is Qui-Gon. Palpatine seems a little too sure in our power. I don't know if that's good or bad. Only time will tell.

"I see you becoming the greatest of all the Jedi, Anakin and Aniya," Palpatine adds, "Even more powerful than Master Yoda."

It's possible. We're both the stronger in the Force than any other living creature. But still. It'd be wrong to say that I don't hope he's right, and therein lies the problem. I shouldn't want power like this. Period. It's a dark emotion that always surges to the surface during these meetings.

"I just hope we'll know how to use our powers for the right purposes," I murmur quietly unable to help but shift uncomfortably.

Luckily for me, Anakin notices and hurriedly excuses us so we can get back over to Padme's. I'm grateful to be back there since her presence has a way of calming me in a way no one else's can. It's just what I need when I'm feeling like this.

After going back to her apartment, we find ourselves outside her room where her and Dorme are packing for the trip. Jar Jar is standing near the doorway with us. "Representative Binks. I know I can count on you," Padme tells him, pausing her packing for a moment.

"I am honored to accept this heavy burden. I take on this responsibility with deep humility tinged with an overwhelming pride. It is not every day that I am called upon to –" Wait, he can speak completely coherently sometimes? All this time I had no idea. He must've learned it after coming to Coruscant.

Padme cuts him off. "You're a good friend, Jar Jar. I don't wish to hold you up. I'm sure you have a great deal to do."

"Of course, M'lady," he replies before bowing and walking out, his ears flopping. Seriously, I swear he's going to make me die from laughter if I stay around him too much. He may have learned to talk a more understandable form of Basic, but it hasn't decreased his goofiness. And the Senatorial robes look so wrong on him, no offense. He gives both of us a smile as he walks out.

I'm still trying not to laugh, but when Padme walks past Anakin and I back into her room, I calm down fast. She's clearly not happy in the least. "I do not like this idea of hiding," she grumbles, frustration evident.

Anakin and I slowly follow her. "Don't worry," my brother assures her, "Now that the Council has ordered an investigation, it won't take our masters long to find that bounty hunter."

Well, I have the feeling that's far from her biggest concern.

"I haven't worked for a year to defeat the 'Military Creation Act' to not to be here when it's fate is decided!" she replies, increasingly exasperated.

"Sometimes we have to let go of our pride and do what is requested of us," Anakin responds.

"You've grown up," Padme notes with a smile before turning and hurrying to the next room to collect a few more items to pack.

"Master Obi-Wan manages not to see it," Anakin remarks, randomly picking up a spherical decoration using the Force and making it float for several seconds before putting it down again. He doesn't sound terribly upset by that, which is unsurprising. Both Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, the latter especially, tend to see us as the children they initially knew us as.

"Mentors have a way of seeing more of our faults than we would like," Padme points out as she continues bustling around, "It's the only way we grow."

I nod, feeling genuinely happy to finally have some time alone with her. "I think it's just as much that he's taken care of us since we first came to the Temple, and he's taken to us as his children practically. Or much younger siblings. It'd be hard for him to realize how grown up we really are. I think Qui-Gon may actually see it less than Obi-Wan," I murmur reflectively.

"I've realized," agrees Anakin before the faintest amount of frustration creeps into his tone, "We're both ready for the trials to become Knights, but they don't think we are. Obi-Wan says we're still too unpredictable, as does the Council. I don't think Qui-Gon wants to let us go either."

After a moment, Padme steps over to us. "Ani," she says quietly, staring at both of us, "Don't try to grow up too fast."

"We are grown up," objects Anakin.

"You did just say that yourself," I remind, smiling slightly before glancing out the window.

Anakin stares at Padme for a long moment, in a way that's making me uncomfortable since I know what's going through his head. I know how much he cares about her, but of course seeing that in action just completely weirds me out. I mean this is my brother we're talking about.

Padme hastens to get back to her packing. Thankfully, I don't think there's much left to do.