A/N: Sorry for the long time between updates. I've not had a lot of time for creative writing. I haven't abandoned anything, though. My plan for the coming year is to finally finish this story and one other A/P fic I've been working on, and then I'm not sure what's next. Thank you to all of the faithful readers/reviewers for all of the kind words and patience between updates. It really does give me the motivation to keep going.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN: FIGHTING THE DRAGON
The speeder touched down gently on the private landing pad, but Anakin did not even need to go inside their apartment to know that Padmé wasn't there. Her presence was missing, and it wasn't just the high ceilings and the large rooms that contributed to a sense of emptiness within their home.
But really, it never felt like home unless she was there. Whenever Padmé was off-world and Anakin still happened to be on Coruscant (very rare times indeed), he tended not to go to the apartment without her. Without Padmé there the apartment felt like solely her space, and he felt like an intruder. Anakin wondered if now that their marriage was known, and he was technically free to be in the apartment as much as he pleased, that it would one day feel like a space that they properly shared.
Anakin had let his imagination run away with him on the journey home, and by the time he reached the Senate Apartment Complex where they lived, he had been anticipating a glorious reunion with his wife. Something that would be right at home in the melodramatic romances that were a favourite of hers on the Holo-Net.
In the sepia-tinted reunion of his imagination, Padmé was already waiting for him, dressed in one of her more elaborate nightgowns. Before he had even landed the speeder, she would be out on the landing platform, her long hair streaming behind her as she ran to greet him. He would jump easily from the vehicle and gather her in his arms, feeling the warmth of her body and her love as he held her close and spun her around, both of them overcome with the pure joy of the moment. They would kiss, slowly at first, tenderly, before the passion that had gone unsated for so many dreadful weeks overtook them, and the tenderness was replaced with the ferocity of their desire. They would retreat to the bedroom, the distance between them diminished with each powerful thrust and each electric touch.
Of course, just like the romances that Padmé secretly loved, this was all just pure fantasy. Anakin knew it couldn't be this way, even if Padmé had been at home. While their most recent reunion (the night where Anakin had given Padmé the wedding ring that he now kept safely within his pocket), had been more like the one that Anakin was imagining, too much was between them now for something like that to happen again. This reunion was coming off the back of the biggest challenge they had ever faced as a married couple; it would be full of difficult conversations rather than passionate embraces.
That is, if Padmé even wanted to talk to him – the pain in Anakin's throat was suddenly overtaken by the pain in his chest as he thought about that.
He landed his speeder and, just like he had been expecting, Padmé was not there to greet him. He went inside feeling more alone than he had in a while. While there was a lot of work to do to rebuild their relationship, but Anakin thought there was still a chance that they could do it. The love they had for each other was a force unto itself, more powerful than any darkness that could try and drive them apart. He had faith in that.
Although he didn't need to, Anakin checked every room of their home for Padmé, just in case. All of them were empty except for the dining room. C-3PO was standing by the dinner table, polishing some of the expensive silverware Anakin remembered seeing on the table the night that he'd apologized to Padmé over dinner.
All I seem to be doing these days is apologizing to her, Anakin lamented.
"Master Anakin. How unexpected of you to be here at this time," C-3PO chirped, carefully setting down the knife and the polishing cloth on the table in front of him. "Can I be of service in any way? Would you like me to prepare you something to eat?"
Anakin shook his head. "No, Threepio. I just need to talk to Padmé. Do you know where she is?"
"Why, of course I do!" C-3PO was seemingly indignant that Anakin would presume he wouldn't know the exact whereabouts of the mistress he'd served so diligently every day for nearly three years. "Right now, Mistress Padmé is at the Jedi Temple, meeting with Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi."
"Obi-Wan." The name escaped Anakin's lips in a rush and he felt the heat of his anger rising within him. The dragon awoke, alert and intrigued at this new development.
For the briefest moment, the thought they're conspiring against you flashed through Anakin's mind as if it was a neon sign from one of Coruscant's lower levels. The dragon tried to snatch the thought as it flew past. It hoped to build the little green-eyed concern into something that would provide Anakin with the ferocity he needed to reach his full potential.
And it almost worked.
Almost.
For a second, Anakin's expression was thunderous enough to cause C-3PO to take a nervous step backwards. "M-Master Anakin? Are you quite alright?"
Anakin ignored the droid. He ignored anything that wasn't the dragon. He knew he had to fight it, to master it. Otherwise, it would master him, and he would lose everything - right when he was so close to fixing it all. It was time to put an end to it. He could no longer be chained to darkness by his emotions and his fears.
The dragon was feeding him lies. Padmé and Obi-Wan weren't conspiring against him. Padmé had probably gone to get some of Obi-Wan's sage advice. Obi-Wan was the only other person who really knew him, and Padmé knew how close they were. Or, had been.
But what if, the dragon whispered. What if?
C-3PO, wisely sensing that his master was in a mood that was best left undisturbed, made his exit. Anakin barely noticed. He was too busy fighting the dragon.
Just think about what they might be saying right now, the dragon sneered. What they might be saying about you. How much of a failure you are. What a terrible husband you turned out to be. Maybe Padmé is even asking Obi-Wan's advice about whether she should just leave you for good!
No.
And what if … what if they're doing something else. You know exactly what. What if that's what they've been doing every single time they've had these secret little meetings. What if Obi-Wan is doing to her in his quarters what you've done to her countless times in yours.
No!
What if right now she's moaning his name, and you have been completely forgotten. And why not? They've been friends just as long as you've known her. Why shouldn't he be interested in her? She's intelligent, beautiful, and brave. And why shouldn't she be interested in him? He's everything you're not.
Anakin suddenly had a dreadful vision of Obi-Wan and Padmé together, their naked bodies entwined, his wife's head thrown back as she let out a passionate, silent moan. As if they sensed his interruption, Obi-Wan and Padmé both turned to him, lurid smiles plastered on their faces. They laughed, but no sound came from their lips. They returned to the throes of their clandestine desire; Anakin was quickly forgotten.
"No! Enough!" Anakin shouted, to no one at all but himself. "This is not real! This is not happening!"
The agony these thoughts caused him threatened to rip him in half, and he was panting with the effort of trying to control this darkness. It was the worst thing he had felt since the night Padmé had told him to leave.
But he would fight it. It might kill him, but he'd try his damn hardest. He would not give in to the dark dragon. Not this time, not ever. He would not go down the road of jealousy and suspicion, a road that only ever had one destination: heartbreak.
If Obi-Wan and Padmé were meeting right now, they had a good reason for it. He had to believe it. He would force himself to. Anakin did not trust Obi-Wan (he didn't think he could ever forgive him after what had had happened that day in the Council chamber), but he did trust his wife. Despite all that had happened and all they had been through, he knew they shared a love that could change galaxies. He knew her heart and her desire lay only with him.
Anakin reached into the deep pocket of his robe and pulled out Padmé's wedding ring. He turned it over a few times in his hand, admiring the gleam of gold in the light that streamed through the large window. Then he kissed it and put it safely away. Soon, he hoped, Padmé will be wearing it again.
His hand still in his pocket, Anakin pulled out his Comm-Link. He would not rush madly into the Jedi Temple, fire in his eyes. Instead, he would simply call his wife and ask when she would be home, then wait patiently for her return. That was exactly the opposite of what the dragon wanted him to do, ergo it was the right choice. Besides, it meant he could avoid seeing Obi-Wan, too.
And then, suddenly, before he could make the call, Anakin was seized by the unexpected intensity of Padmé's fear through their connection in the Force.
Something was wrong.
Terribly, terribly wrong.
The feeling overwhelmed him. It filled every part of him, every muscle, bone and cell, with terror. Anakin dropped his Comm-Link onto the tiled floor, and it rolled away under the table.
It was happening. His worst nightmare.
Padmé was in danger, and he wasn't able to stop it.
The dreams, the visions, the nightmares – whatever you wanted to call them – they were coming true. Just like they had with his mother. And just like Shmi's death, Anakin was not there to stop it.
Was it … could it possibly be … Libellia Quark? Were her followers taking revenge on him for imprisoning their leader? Perhaps they were goading him into fighting them again. Maybe a showdown with him was what they really wanted.
Various fears flew through Anakin's head at lightning speed. The dragon roared and gnashed its teeth, assuring him that this was his fault. If he had only dealt with Libellia Quark more thoroughly. If he hadn't let the rest of the followers in her hideout escape…
Desperately, Anakin searched through the Force and tried to locate Padmé's presence again. But now there was nothing. No clue of where she was, who she was with or what had happened to her. It was as if someone else was shielding her presence from Force Users.
Then it couldn't be Libellia Quark or her followers. As far as he knew, none of them were Force Sensitive in any capacity. It had to be a Force User. There was no other explanation.
But who?
Despite his bitterness towards his former friend and Master, Anakin knew that Obi-Wan would have had no part in any of it. Although Padmé had been on her way to meet him, he knew that someone else must have intercepted her. He couldn't believe it would be any other Jedi, though – how could it be?
Someone must have infiltrated the Temple. Anakin had no idea who or why but knew that that was the only possible explanation.
There was only one thing to do. He had to talk to the Council. And that meant doing what Anakin had vowed never to do again: talking to Obi-Wan.
With a superhuman effort, Anakin was able to move from his paralysed position next to the dining table and summon his Comm-Link to his hand. In the moment, he found that he registered no animosity at all towards Obi-Wan as he contacted him. For a second Anakin was surprised, but then got hold of himself. This was no time for feuds. The only thing that mattered was finding Padmé, and there was no time to waste.
What surprised Anakin further was that right as he was about to initiate his communication with Obi-Wan, the older man beat him to it.
"Anakin, something has happened to Padmé." There was no greeting, no moment of awkward pause to signify that this was the first time the two former friends had spoken since that day in the Council Chamber. Obi-Wan, just like Anakin, understood exactly what was required of this situation.
"I know, I could feel her fear through the Force. What happened? Where is she?" Anakin's voice was hoarse, not only from the recent choking but from the effort required to contain the stormy waves of his emotion. He was almost startled at his own control, remembering how it had been so sorely lacking only recently, when he had believed Padmé was lost to the insidious clutches of the Blue Shadow Virus.
Maybe he was changing, just as Padmé had told him. But maybe it was for the better.
"Padmé was supposed to meet me in my quarters earlier this morning, but she never arrived. Witnesses reported seeing her arrive at the Temple, and some also saw her go somewhere with Master Windu. After that, we do not know. Both of them are missing and unreachable." Obi-Wan's tone was grave. Anakin could picture the older man's expression exactly. His brow would be creased, and he would be running his hand through his hair.
"Are you saying that Mace has … taken her? Why would he do that?"
"We do not know." Obi-Wan paused for just a moment. It seemed as if he was deliberating whether he should tell Anakin something. Whatever decision it was, it was a quick one, for he continued speaking without much pause. "Anakin, Master Yoda and I have had our suspicions about Master Windu for a short while."
Anakin had always harboured ill-feeling towards Mace Windu, as the senior Jedi seemed to always resent Anakin's place within the Order. Anakin had always felt that nothing he did would ever be good enough for Mace, and that Mace was happy to see the back of him when he'd been dismissed from the Jedi's ranks. But, Anakin had never once for a moment thought that Mace was a bad person, capable of anything evil. He was surprised at how quickly he came to the defense of someone he had never truly liked. "Surely there has to be an explanation for it all. Mace wouldn't do something like this, he's a Jedi Master."
"I agree, there has to be an explanation for it all. But … you haven't been here these past few weeks, Anakin. Something has changed. There is a darkness …" Obi-Wan paused. "Time is of the essence. I will explain everything to you when you get to the Temple. In the meantime, I'll alert Ahsoka to what's going on. She has a right to know."
"How many other beings know about this?"
"Only the Council knows the full extent of what has happened so far, but we will have to alert the other members of the Order. The Temple is currently on high alert, and we need the other Jedi to understand what threat they may be up against. Meet me at the ground entrance to the Temple. With a Master's approval, you should be able to enter."
Anakin grunted his acknowledgment and was about to end the call when Obi-Wan spoke again.
"And Anakin, don't come in here ready to start a fight. We don't yet know what has happened, or what will happen." Obi-Wan's tone, which had been patronizing at first, softened. "I know how you must feel right now, but don't let it get the better of you. This might be a time to prove how you can … well, how you can still function effectively, regardless of your attachments."
Anakin wondered if Obi-Wan could sense that he was glowering, despite them not being able to see each other. The dragon in him resented being lectured by Obi-Wan yet again, when he wasn't even a Jedi, but with an effort Anakin doused the flames of his anger.
He said nothing. There was no time for an argument. There was only time to find Padmé.
"Anakin, this might be a chance to change some important minds about the decisions made regarding your status in the Order."
Anakin clenched his teeth. He took a deep breath before replying simply, "I won't be long."
OOOOO
Padmé's eyes adjusted to the darkness but saw nothing except metal walls around her. The floor beneath her was cool metal too, and the shiver that ran down to the base of her spine had nothing to do with fear.
Every other time she had been in danger, Padmé had been brave. Fighting against evil for so long in her life had hardened her against showing weakness in the face of danger. She had trained with weapons from a young age and knew how to handle herself in a fight. She had come up against all sorts of opponents, with and without backup.
But this was different.
Despite her very best efforts, her queenly composure, and the many dangerous experiences she'd had throughout her life, nothing had ever come close to this.
Padmé wasafraid now.
All of those other times, the lines in the sand had been clearly drawn. Those times had been good versus evil, and there was nothing to fear so long as Padmé had faith in the fact that good would always triumph. But this time the lines were blurred. Mace Windu was a Jedi Master. Mace Windu was good. So what was he doing now? Had he really fallen from the light?
Unlike all of her other opponents, Mace didn't seem to have a clear motive for what he was doing – at least, not one that she could figure out. And that was what made her afraid. Mace Windu was supposed to be good. He was supposed to be fighting for what was right in the galaxy. It frightened Padmé that someone good like that could be acting this way, because what did that mean for the galaxy? It seemed that no matter how hard she tried to believe otherwise, evil might really be starting to get the upper hand.
Right now, Padmé knew that she was alone. Mace must have gone somewhere while she was unconscious. She groaned softly as she looked around, trying to get a better understanding of where she was. Her neck hurt terribly as she turned her head. When she swallowed it was even worse.
Adding to her woes were the cuffs neatly enclosing her wrists and the chain around her waist tethering her to the wall. She was trapped. There was no way she could even stand up from her position sitting on the floor.
She felt the sweat begin to prickle at her neck and under her armpits, but Padmé calmed herself a good deal knowing that the alarm would've been raised when she didn't turn up for her meeting with Obi-Wan, and also when she didn't attend any senate meetings. There were enough beings who knew what she was supposed to be doing today to be suspicious about her mysterious absence, including Obi-Wan himself and her head of security, Captain Typho.
But not Anakin.
Padmé suddenly realised with a surge in her chest that they hadn't spoken in over a week, and she didn't know where he was or what he was doing. She suspected it would have something to do with the Chancellor, though, and decided that maybe she didn't want to know more. The pain of their argument was still a fresh wound.
Would he feel her distress through the Force? She thought maybe not. There had been such a distance between them that had only been made worse by this week. Perhaps their connection was dimming.
She hoped that Obi-Wan would tell him what was going on. Perhaps this terrible situation would at least have one good outcome: it might bring Anakin and his closest friend back together.
Padmé exhaled one long, calming breath. Her situation may be dire, but she was not going to sit here and wait for whatever Mace had planned for her to happen. She had saved herself before, she could do it again.
Unfortunately, Padmé already knew she wasn't going to be able to pick the lock of the cuffs. The beautiful hairpins that held back her curls ingeniously doubled as lockpicks, but as her hair now flowed around her shoulders, she knew the hairpins were gone.
Her cloak was gone too, and with it any chance to use the Comm-Link that was in one of the pockets.
She still had options, though – but she was growing increasingly vigilant for any sign of Mace's return.
Awkwardly, Padmé pulled up the long skirt of her deep blue gown, exposing her legs to the thigh. Of course, the holster she wore there ever since Dooku's assassination attempt was empty too. There was a sense of intrusion at the fact that Mace had been searching for hidden weapons in more intimate places such as that.
She smoothed her skirt back down and checked for her final ace in the hole: one of the secret communicators that was sewn into the sleeve of each of her gowns. It was essentially a tiny little panic button, which, if activated properly, would allow her to contact Captain Typho directly and let him know she was in danger. All Padmé had to do to activate the device was hit it with enough force. But how?
Padmé swore a Huttese curse that she'd heard Anakin use. She examined both the cuffs on her wrist and the left sleeve of her gown, which is what the device had been sewn into.
Now that she was chained to the floor of some unknown location with cuffs around her wrists, Padmé did not feel so confident about the device. Aside from a few practice tries in a completely controlled environment (and quite a while ago at that), Padmé had never actually used the device before, so was unsure what level of force was required to get it to work. Maybe she would be able to press her arm hard enough against the floor if she was able to lean over enough? Or, perhaps she could hit her arm against her knee with enough force to get the device to trigger?
Padmé was in the middle of trying the latter option, keenly aware that time was not on her side and her opponent was perhaps the most dangerous she had ever faced, when there was the sound of a large door opening and closing, followed by footsteps growing louder.
Mace had returned.
In an instant Padmé stopped what she was doing and returned to a neutral position.
The lights above her began to flicker and turn on in succession. Padmé squinted her eyes against the sudden unfamiliar brightness, and what she saw when her eyes adjusted surprised her.
The first thing was that they seemed to be in some sort of warehouse or garage. There were shelves lining the walls, most of them empty aside from a small amount of construction debris scattered around on them. There were some large pieces of machinery in this room, and several doors that must lead to other sections of the facility.
The second thing that first surprised (and then frightened) Padmé was the appearance of Mace Windu himself. Padmé had had limited interactions with the Jedi Master over the years, but she'd always thought that the man carried himself with an immense sense of pride and confidence in the righteousness of his actions. Now, it seemed almost as if he was skulking towards her, like some sort of bloodthirsty beast.
Mace crouched down next to her, so they were speaking at eye-level. His eyes. Padmé noted with alarm that they were red. She found herself unconsciously leaning away from him as much as she could.
"Ah, I see that you've woken up, fair senator. Well, I'm glad to see that my actions earlier did not harm you too much. That would completely spoil my plan, you see," Mace smirked, in a voice that did not seem his own. It almost seemed as if he was fighting to get the words out – sometimes a syllable was more strained than it should have been. It almost seemed as if he was fighting against himself.
"Where are we? Why have you brought me here? What are you doing?" Padmé's questions escaped her lips in quick succession.
Mace just shook his head. "None of that matters – at least, not to you. All that you need to be concerned about is whether or not that husband of yours, the all-important Chosen One, comes to rescue you or not."
"Anakin?" Padmé exclaimed. "He knows I'm here?"
Mace shook his head again. "Not yet." He held up her Comm-Link. "But he will soon."
Padmé, for all of the discomfort and fear that this conversation was causing her, could not help but breathe the tiniest sigh of relief. Her heart felt lighter at just the thought of Anakin coming to help her. After a moment, though, she frowned. "You're using me as bait. You want to lure Anakin here so you can kill him, don't you?"
Mace smiled, and it was such a twisted expression that Padmé had to turn her head away from it. There was something seriously wrong with Mace. She didn't know what, but it was making him almost deranged. There was no warmth or humanity at all in those strange red eyes. "A smart guess. Exactly what I expected from someone whose intellect is as renowned as yours. But not entirely true. I do want Anakin Skywalker to come here, but I don't want to kill him. No, no. If he were to die, that would ruin my plan entirely."
Padmé's frown deepened. "So what is it you want, then? If you don't want to kill Anakin, why are you doing this?"
"Anakin Skywalker must fulfil his destiny. And you are the key to that."
"What do you mean?" Padmé felt a sense of foreboding building in her stomach. Her mind suddenly flashed back to the nightmarish prophecies Anakin had told her he had been experiencing. The ones that foretold her death. Her next words were barely audible, but they seemed to fill the room with the volume of their terrible truth. "You're going to kill me, aren't you?"
"A shame, isn't it?" Mace stroked her cheek with course fingers and she flinched away from him as much as the chain binding her would allow. "I suppose I can understand why Skywalker is so devoted to you – but I don't really care about such things as love. I only care about the destiny of the Chosen One, and the effects his choices will have on the Force. On both sides of it."
"Wh-what are you saying?"
"Anakin will fall. His true path is the way of the Dark Side of the Force."
"No!" Padmé cried. "He would never. I don't believe it. You're wrong!"
Mace ignored her outburst. "Skywalker must fulfil his destiny, and my plan will ensure that he does so. You will be the catalyst that sets him down the path that he is supposed to take. That is the path that fate has already decided for him."
"No," Padmé cried, this time without as much energy. She tried to control her terrible fear at what was to happen to her next. There was no doubt in her mind that the figure still crouching before her, disguising itself as Mace Windu but really the embodiment of true evil, meant for her to die today. It spoke with true conviction in what it was doing, and she could feel terrible power emanating from its very presence in the room. In that moment Padmé knew Anakin's dreams would come true. Just like the ones about his mother had. And, just like he had been with his mother, he would be too late to save her life now.
"I'm sorry," Mace told her. "It has to be like this. There is no way to change fate. The will of the Force has already decided."
"You're not Mace Windu, are you?" Padmé demanded. "You're something else, something horrible!"
Mace paused, regarding her with malicious eyes and an unfriendly smile. "I am something you would never believe," he told her. "Something much more powerful than anything the so-called 'Light Side of the Force' could ever hope to deal with."
And Padmé knew that the thing that called itself Mace Windu was telling the truth.
OOOOO
Never in Anakin's entire twenty-two years of existence had he ever moved with as much purpose as he did right now. He felt as though he could carve a path through the face of a mountain with the power of his strides.
That resolve was enough to take him up the endless stairs of the Jedi Temple and to its austere entrance without hesitation. What made him falter, however, was the sight of Obi-Wan, waiting patiently for him in the shadows cast by the enormous stone reliefs of Jedi Masters from a long-before age.
Obi-Wan's expression was neutral, at first, but Anakin could then see the hint of something softer playing at the edges of his old friend's mouth. He wondered if Obi-Wan was happy to see him again.
Anakin's own feelings about the unexpected reunion were hard for him to fully decipher. On the one hand, he still felt resentment towards Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan had not intervened on Anakin's behalf when he was being dismissed by the Order, which Anakin thought he should have done. There was also the lingering traces of anger and jealousy caused by his horrible thoughts about the nature of Obi-Wan's meeting with Padmé.
But, despite all of this, there was always something about Obi-Wan's presence that Anakin found … comforting. Try as he might, Anakin could never deny the shared history between himself and Obi-Wan, nor the brotherly love that bound them. He realised, with a sudden, unexpected surge of affection, that in the face of this crisis, the only person he wanted by his side to help him was Obi-Wan.
He didn't hate Obi-Wan. Instead, he missed him.
"Anakin," Obi-Wan began, extending a hand to his former Padawan. "It's been a while now, hasn't it?"
"Yes," Anakin replied, unsure of what else to say. He took Obi-Wan's hand and gave it a quick pump.
Everything about the gesture seemed wrong. They suddenly seemed like strangers meeting for the first time, rather than two men who had saved each other's lives countless times. Jedi were supposed to bow, not shake hands. With a swell of sadness Anakin deduced that Obi-Wan had likely been confused about what gesture to extend to him now that he was no longer a Jedi.
Obi-Wan turned to the three Jedi Knights who had been stationed as guards at the entrance. They all looked absolutely agog at seeing Anakin Skywalker in the flesh again, and at the Jedi Temple no less. "Anakin Skywalker's presence has been requested by Grand Master Yoda," Obi-Wan told them.
Without really waiting for the Knights to respond, Obi-Wan turned and began walking down the magnificent hallway, presumably towards the High Council Spire which housed the Council Chamber at is very peak.
Anakin followed him, ignoring the bewildered stares of the three Jedi Knights. He had become used to the looks of awe and admiration the other Jedi used to give him (especially Padawans) but Anakin hated the tinge of fear he now saw in the eyes of these three Jedi Knights. Did they view him as a monster? Was he now beyond redemption in the eyes of the Jedi … and of the galaxy?
"I'm so sorry about all of this," Obi-Wan offered as they walked briskly. "I cannot even begin to imagine what happened. As soon as Padmé didn't turn up for our meeting, I knew something was wrong. Padmé is not the sort of person to be even a nanosecond late for anything."
A few hairline cracks appeared in Anakin's composure at the mention of Padmé's name, but he smoothed them over before Obi-Wan could see.
Now is not the time to lose control, he chastised himself. He had to reign in the dragon no matter what it took in order to save his wife.
"Tell me everything you know," Anakin said. There was no sense of demand in his voice; instead, he spoke with the confident authority that had seen him win countless battles throughout his time in the Clone Wars. Hopefully it would see him win another infinitely more important battle today. "You told me that Mace Windu was involved in this somehow, but I just can't believe that."
Obi-Wan nodded sombrely. "I wouldn't have believed it myself if I hadn't seen the way Master Windu has been acting these last few days. Master Yoda suspects he may be under the influence of the Dark Side, as do I, but why, and to what extent, we do not know."
Obi-Wan and Anakin rounded a corner and before Obi-Wan could continue, Ahsoka Tano was bowling into the two of them at a million miles an hour.
"Master!" she cried, and it was clear she was not referring to Obi-Wan.
Before Anakin realised what was happening, Ahsoka's thin arms had embraced him, and before he knew what he himself was doing, he had embraced her back. "Snips," he responded affectionately.
"When Master Obi-Wan told me what was going on, I knew you would come," Ahsoka said resolutely. "And I want to help in any way I can. Senator Amidala – Padmé - is my friend too."
"Ahsoka," Obi-Wan began, in the same stern tone that used to be reserved for Anakin alone. "I don't know if this is something for a Padawan to be involved in. It's an incredibly serious - and potentially incredibly dangerous - situation."
Ahsoka turned from Obi-Wan to Anakin with beseeching eyes. "Please let me help. I can't stand the thought of being here alone and not knowing what was happening to you all. And besides, if it's really that dangerous, won't you need all the help you can get?"
Anakin felt an intense longing return to the past when he saw the fire of ambition in his former Padawan's eye. He was so glad that Ahsoka had lost none of her determined ambition - nor her recklessness.
Obi-Wan gave a strained sigh. "Ahsoka, I'm sorry, but you need to stay here. We're on our way right now to meet with Master Yoda and - "
"I think she should come with us," Anakin interrupted. He hadn't truly realised until now just how much he had missed Ahsoka.
Obi-Wan turned to favour him with the same exasperated look he had just given Ahsoka.
"She's a great asset," Anakin quickly justified.
"I'm not saying that she - " Obi-Wan replied, before Anakin cut him off again.
"I agree with Ahsoka that we need all the help we can get if we're potentially facing a threat like the Dark Side of the Force. Besides, she is an excellent fighter." He turned to her with a small smile, the ghost of a thousand conversations just like this one, where Master and Padawan had been breaking all the rules in order to save the day. "I know, because I trained her myself."
Obi-Wan just shook his head. This too was a ghost of another time. A past life where he'd had to play the role of Voice of Reason against the dynamic duo of Skyguy and Snips. "Let's just see what Master Yoda has to say about it, shall we?"
With longer strides now, Obi-Wan continued his journey down the grand hallway, Ahsoka and Anakin following quickly behind. Anakin could hear Obi-Wan muttering as they went. "… back at the Temple for all of five minutes and already causing havoc … no wonder Ahsoka is so rebellious … how foolish I was to think that any of my lectures had any impact at all …"
Ahsoka turned to Anakin with a grin, clearly thrilled to have her former Master back for a mission. Anakin managed to return a smile despite the turmoil he felt inside.
OOOOO
Obi-Wan could not deny the change in Anakin.
Physically, he still looked exactly the same; tall, athletically built, with messy curls and a presence of simmering power about him.
But he was different; it was undeniable. Obi-Wan could remember several past missions involving Padmé where Anakin had let his emotions about his attachment to her get the best of him. He knew that inside Anakin must be feeling all sorts of intense emotions. Not only was his wife missing, but he was back in the Jedi Temple for the first time since being dismissed. Yet Anakin, who so often had worn his heart on his sleeve despite the best efforts of the Order to break him of it, was now standing before Master Yoda with incredible reservation.
Obi-Wan wondered what decision had Anakin made within himself to allow this change to happen. He also wondered how long the change would last. In Obi-Wan's experience, when Anakin was in a situation like this, he was gunpowder ready to ignite. It was part of what made him so unpredictable – and so powerful. It was also an undeniable part of his personality, and something that a decade of training in the Jedi Order had never been able to break out of him.
Yoda was explaining to Anakin the suspicions harboured against Mace Windu, and the grave danger that Padmé was in if it was true that Mace had fallen prey to the Dark Side of the Force. He also told Anakin that the Jedi were searching every inch of the Temple for Padmé, and that most of the other Council Members were either preparing teams of Knights to fight a potential Dark Side threat or ensuring the safety of the Padawans and Younglings. Hence, right now the sparse Council Chamber contained only the four of them.
"Grave danger, we are all in, if our suspicions are true," Yoda said. "Find Padmé, we must, and also the source of this evil."
Obi-Wan, who was watching Anakin throughout the conversation, saw that his jaw clenched when Yoda said Padmé's name.
"Something … happened … to the Chancellor earlier today," Anakin quickly replied. "Something strange. I think it also had something to do with the Dark Side, so it may be connected to what has happened to … Padmé."
"What you have witnessed, tell us, you must," Yoda instructed. He moved forwards in his seat, as if to make it easier to hear Anakin's words.
Ahsoka and Obi-Wan also regarded Anakin with expressions of great interest. Ahsoka's eyes were wide as she waited for the information, while the furrow in Obi-Wan's brow deepened as he digested all of what he had heard so far.
"The Chancellor, he - " Anakin was suddenly cut off by the sound of his Comm-Link. He reached into the pocket of his robe and pulled it out quickly, and Obi-Wan watched as the controlled expression Anakin had carefully worn before broke into one of joy and relief as he realised the identity of who was contacting him. "Oh, thank Force," Anakin cried, "it's Padmé!"
The Jedi in the room exchanged looks of surprise. This surprise only intensified when Anakin activated the call and Mace Windu's voice filled the room, as did an overwhelming sense of the Dark Side of the Force. All four of them recoiled at its malicious power.
"Skywalker," Mace sneered, in a voice that was strangely hollow and serpentine. "It must be strange to be back in the Jedi Temple. I bet you never thought you would see the day. I myself certainly didn't, which is such a shame. Such a waste of potential … a prophecy unfulfilled …"
Any joy that had been on Anakin's face was now well and truly gone. "Windu! Where is she? What have you done with Padmé?"
Obi-Wan thought that this must be the end of Anakin's control. There was no way he was going to remain calm when the person who had taken his wife was goading him on like this. Anakin may have changed, but Obi-Wan doubted he had changed that much.
"In the warehouse district of Coruscant," Mace said coolly, and then, even more unexpectedly, he gave them a specific address.
"That's got to be a trap!" Ahsoka snorted. "There's no way you'd just give away your location like that."
Mace laughed, a tinny, unnatural sound. "The location I have given you is correct. Deceiving you is not part of my plan, nor is hiding the senator from you."
"Why did you take her, then? What is your plan?" Anakin growled. Obi-Wan heard him crack the knuckles of his flesh hand, and the control slipped a little further.
Another terrible laugh. "Come to find me, and you will find out my plan as well. It's one that should interest all of you, but especially you, Anakin Skywalker – or should I say, the Chosen One."
"That name has no meaning for me anymore," snarled Anakin.
"Oh, but it will soon," Mace replied in a conniving tone. "Soon, that name will have great meaning for all in the galaxy."
"I don't care about that. I only care about Padmé. Is she safe? Is she alright?" Anakin insisted. There was a dark glimmer beginning to form in his eyes as the conversation continued. Obi-Wan had seen it before; he knew that it meant Anakin was losing the battle with whatever demons he had inside of him. He supposed his question from before about how long Anakin's control would last had been answered.
There was a brief pause and the sound of movement across a hard floor. The next voice they heard was not Mace Windu's, but Padmé's.
"Anakin!" she gasped.
At the sound of her voice, the dark glimmer in Anakin's eyes disappeared. All that was present in the blue depths of them now were love and concern. "Padmé! Padmé, I'm so sorry. I can't believe I let this happen. Are you alright? Please tell me you're alright."
"Anakin, it's okay, I'm okay. Don't blame yourself, and please, don't listen to anything he says. Promise me! He's just trying to provoke you, please don't lis -"
The sound of a hand striking flesh cut off Padmé's sentence. She groaned sharply, but the sound faded as Mace apparently moved away from her.
"See? Your precious wife is fine, Skywalker. Or at least, she is for now. I don't know how much longer I can promise you that, though."
"What have you done to her?" Anakin shouted. All of the previous darkness had returned to his eyes, and then some. Obi-Wan watched Anakin's chest rise and fall as he slowed his breathing, evidently trying to keep hold of himself.
Mace laughed one final time. "Come and find out for yourself," he taunted. The communication ended there.
The feeling of the Dark Side did not leave the room.
"We have to go there immediately," Anakin urged.
"Yes, travel there now, the four of us must," Yoda responded. Ahsoka looked as grateful as the situation would allow to be included in the mission.
"I wonder if …"
"What? What are you thinking, Anakin?" Obi-Wan questioned. He had a terrible feeling about what was going to happen next. The only thing ahead of them now was danger.
The four of them had already started to leave the room, but Anakin stopped in the doorway and turned back to them. "Earlier today I was meeting with Chancellor Palpatine," he began, and Obi-Wan felt a sense of remorse at the thought of Anakin's new role and his employer. "Something strange happened. He attacked me … I couldn't believe it."
"Neither can I!" was Obi-Wan's astonished reply. "Why would the Chancellor ever do something like that? A civilian attacking a Force User …"
"That's just it," Anakin replied. "I don't think he was a civilian."
"Elaborate on this further, you must," Yoda grunted.
"I think the Chancellor might have been possessed."
The weighty statement hung in the air between the four of them. The feeling of the Dark Side that surrounded them still had not dissipated.
Yoda was the first to respond. "Possessed by the Dark Side, you believe the Chancellor to have been?"
Anakin hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "There's no other way he could have had the strength to choke me like he did." He rubbed his neck. Obi-Wan could see the purple bruises under the collar of Anakin's robe.
"So do you think the same thing has happened to Master Windu?" Ahsoka asked Anakin.
"I don't know. I don't know if it's even possible that it can happen to a Jedi Master."
"Unheard of, it is," Yoda replied. "But not impossible. Strong enough, the Dark Side could be. A terrible reality, but one that we must confront. Strong enough, the Light Side is too. Believe that, we must. Overcome this challenge together, we can."
"I hope so," Obi-Wan said. "Whoever has done this to Master Windu is a stronger enemy than we have ever faced before."
"But face them, we must," Yoda said resolutely. "And the time to do so is now."