Luke Skywalker walked through the magnificent Imperial Palace, wishing his headache would leave already. It had come on suddenly in the middle of the night, hitting him as hard as a bulk cruiser. Now, thanks to the Force, it felt just a knife digging into the base of his skull. It dulled his senses and demanded a constant stream of pain repressing Force techniques. However, dulled as his feelings may be, they were not completely numb. Especially when the hallway seethed with anxiety.

Directed at him.

Luke tried to ignore the sidelong glances and murmurs in his wake. The odd- ness of it all made him edgy. This was the Imperial Palace. Come on, he strolled down this hall at least once a day! Despite his head's screaming protests, Luke lightly brushed the mind of a passing businessman, just to see what this tenseness was about.

My gods, he looks like him.

Like who? Luke mused, now more perplexed. He shook his head, cringed at the throbbing protest, and hurried straight ahead. What was bothering everyone so much? Should ask Leia about it, he thought, if my head doesn't kill me before I see her. At the corner of his vision, Luke noticed an aide hurrying up to him.

"Jedi Skywalker," she said, her voice level, but Luke easily sensed her agitation.

"Yes?"

"President Mon Mothma requests your presence at a meeting in the her office."

Luke blinked.

"Right away?"

The aid nodded her, black hair jumping.

"I can be there," he responded, guessing the meeting would explain the uneasiness oozing around the palace.

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"Ouch,"

Anakin Skywalker moaned as his came to. Not fully conscious, he absently fell of the bed.

"Ohh..." he moaned again from the floor.

Anakin shook his head, clearing it of cobwebs, and forced heavy eyelids open. Stunned stupid, he stared at the poofy white carpet for several seconds. Then, he gripped the rug. When the world stopped spinning, he carefully stood up. Blue eyes scanned the room distrustfully.

"Where the heck am I?"

He'd woken up in some type of suite. Some type of really badly decorated suite. The white walls and floor, high ceiling and the sleek furniture reminded him of the Retro's Years soap opera set. There was also a really big window. Filled with an unnamable dread, the Jedi padawan approached it and stared out.

Early morning Coruscant greeted him. Colossal buildings, swarms of ships, nothing natural to be seen----defiantly Coruscant. But it couldn't be. Anakin groaned in frustration and his dread mounted. It was all so familiar but it was just so wrong. With a deep inhale, Anakin forced himself to be calm. He straightened up, and stretched out with the Force.

Whenever he was on Coruscant, he could always sense the Jedi Temple. Such a concentration of Jedi created a strong mark on the Force. When he found the Temple, maybe he could figure out what part of Coruscant he had mysteriously been transported to.

nothing.

nothing.

nothing.

Anakin almost panicked. He couldn't feel the Temple! The breath he had been holding rushed out like a popped balloon. Anakin felt again, flailing with his mind the same way you would flail for a chair that had been pulled from under you. It couldn't be his senses at fault-he was the Chosen One!-but the Temple wasn't out there.

"Then this just isn't Coruscant, " Anakin figured out loud, but felt little truth in the words. Anakin opened his eyes, and studied the skyline a little more. Fighting the nagging sensation that he should recognize them, Anakin turned from the creepy scenery.

He saw the suit had two doors. One, leading to a 'fresher, the other hopefully leading to the exit. Anakin made a beeline for the latter. Not surprisingly, it was locked.

"Sith," he muttered anyway. Well, at least any questions about his status (guest/prisoner) were answered.

"Sith," he muttered again. They'd taken his lightsaber. The new one made to replace the other smashed in the Geonosis factory. He could hear Obi-Wan's reprimanding voice right now...

Suddenly sore, he flopped back onto the white bed, and tried to think. How'd they get him? What had happened? Slowly, memories came back.

....late at night, slinking out of the Temple in a "borrowed" ship.... Why was I doing that? Anakin struggled to remember more.

....something was with him. Something important....

Anakin fitted several stray memories together

....going to Naboo..

Yes, to see Padme.

Because she…

She..

....With a rush it all came back. Anakin jerked up like he'd been bitten.

"No, not Padme," Anakin gripped the sheets like a wanted to tear them.

He'd failed Padme, like he'd failed his mother. Again, he hadn't been strong enough. A yell of frustration threatened to burst forth. Padme needed his help and he went and got captured by...by.. Anakin steamed.

He had to get out of here. Not just for his sake, but for his wife's.

With his robe's sleeve Anakin wiped a few stray tears away. He stalked to the door and studied the lock. Heck, he was the Chosen One-a single lock wasn't going to hold him. Besides, he had some genius at mechanics. After going over the lock a couple times, Anakin managed a smile. Piece of cake. He'd seen locks of this sort before-way less sophisticated than the one before him but he could figure it out. With some time, (which he had a lot of just then) maybe a battery from that lamp, and a thin screw that must be somewhere in the room, he'd be out of here. Anakin smiled from cold satisfaction. Boy, were his captors in for a surprise.