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Chapter 6
Anakin stood in the Chancellors office. He had asked to see Ani before he left on his first solo mission. "And so, my young Padawan, they have finally given you an assignment. Your patience has paid off," he was saying. Anakin didn't like the way he said MY young padawan. It seemed as if the Chancellor was still trying to make a connection between them.
"Your guidance more that my patience." Anakin replied, thinking that ego stroking will eventually lead him to what was behind this chumminess.
"You don't need guidance, Anakin. In time you will learn to trust your feelings. Then you will be invincible. I have said it many times, you are the most gifted Jedi I have ever met." Palpatine said as they walked away from the window.
Be polite Anakin, he thought to himself, "Thank you, your Excellency."
"I see you becoming the greatest of all the Jedi, Anakin. Even more powerful than Master Yoda." Anakin just smiled at this and withdrew. Padu was waiting out side, he had come to see him off from a more discrete landing platform. As they were leaving the building they bumped into Padme, she had not recognised Ani.
"I'm sorry, that was my fault," she said.
"No, the fault is entirely mine," Padu said politely, "Let us help you up."
"Thank you," she said, "You Jedi are very helpful."
"So I hear Senator," he said as they started to walk away.
"Excuse me," she said, commanding his attention once more, "I was wondering if either of you could help me."
"Of course," Padu said, looking at Anakin who nodded that it was alright.
"A few years ago a boy was very helpful to me and my planet, I grew fond of him, but he went into training at the Temple and I haven't heard anything since. I was wondering if you would be able to tell me anything about him?"
"This would be a few years ago in Naboo," Padu said, pretending to think about it, all the time looking at Anakin behind Padme who shook his head. There was not enough time for a proper reunion "You must be talking about Anakin Skywalker."
She nodded her head in agreement, "Are you able to tell me anything about him?"
"Squirmy little kid," Padu said, trying to hide a smile. "Good fighter, but a pretty average student." Padme seemed slightly upset that he wasn't doing as well as he should be.
"Padu, we have to go," Anakin said quietly, "You should be pleased, Anakin has made good progress and is doing well, he is happy," Anakin said as he moved toward the ship. Padme stared at the tall young man, Not quite grown into his looks, but with a dangerous walk that was very graceful. He looked quite familiar with a quiet serious expression that had obviously seen a lot and expected more. "Come along Padu, I have a transport to catch."
"Right behind you Anakin," Padu said with a smile as he got on board the speeder. Padme did a quick glance, realising that the handsome boy was indeed Anakin, but before she could say anything he was off.
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Anakin walked down the street dressed as an average person. His braid and hair hidden by a hat. For this assignment he had to spy, find out what was going on in Corellia and then report back to the Council so that they could take further actions. Down a street he saw some thugs laying on some poor men. He knew that he shouldn't interfere, but the Force was telling him to. Without unhooking his light sabre, he dispatched the crooks with a quick fight. They never saw who it was and quickly hobbled away. Anakin was very pleased that he had been able to deal with it with out any bloodshed. Anakin was shocked to discover a very pregnant woman lying on the ground. Rushing over to her, Anakin discovered that the babe was fine, but the woman was in a serious condition. If he had not come along when he did, that babe would have been born without a mother. Anakin healed what he could, and waited for her to come round enough to stop inhibiting the birth. It took a while before the mother was aware enough to realise that she was in someone's room. Anakin tried to reassure her as much as possible, planting reassuring thoughts in the woman head. The woman nodded. "Your baby is about to be born, I'll help you as much as I can, but be prepared for some pain." The woman nodded and bore down as she started to give birth. A few hours later, she gave birth to a healthy little boy. He squalled loudly as Anakin placed the child in her arms.
"Thank you," was all she said.
"Listen, is there anyone I can get, a husband, brother, someone?" Anakin asked.
"My husband is out working, he won't be back for a few days," she looked down at her child, "There is no one else."
"Well, you can stay in my room till your recovered enough," Anakin said looking at the little boy who had finally quietened, "We have to look after this little boy now, don't we?"
"Jaina Solo," she said.
"Han Jinn," Anakin said, knowing that a false name would be appropriate in these circumstances.
"Thank you," she said again, "How come I'm not injured?"
"Cowards probably missed," was all Anakin said.
For the next couple of days while she recovered, Anakin spent his time getting her food, looking to see if her husband had arrived home yet, and looking for the information he required. Arriving at the hangar three days after the boy's birth, Anakin noticed that a ship had finally landed, he walked over to the human pilot disembarking. "Jacen Solo?" he asked the man.
The man looked him up and down, "Who wants to know?"
"I'm here because you wife was beaten up a couple of days ago." Anakin said bluntly.
"Jaina?" he said looking frantic, "Is she alright? Where is she? Is the baby alright?"
"She's fine, so is the baby, I happened upon them just in time," Anakin said. He led the way to his rooms.
"Who are you?" Jacen said as they walked briskly, "You don't look old enough to be away from your mother."
"My mother died when I was three," Anakin said with a wry smile, "I'm just a man in the right place at the right time."
When they arrived Jacen and Jaina greeted each other, Anakin having disappeared when Jacen turned around to thank him.
Anakin walked down the street again, thinking proud of himself. He walked into a bar and ordered a drink. Sitting down, he sipped his drink as he listened for a conversation about Badule. Anakin had been sent to search for him as he had been smuggling goods around the galaxy. The council generally didn't get involved in smuggling practices, that was a job for the local police on any given planet, but Badule was smuggling weapons and drugs. Neither of which the council could tolerate. It as Anakin's job to find out who Badule was selling it to and what they were being used for. He heard a conversation in the back about it. The man leaving was the smuggler so Anakin followed him. Once finding out where he was going, Anakin left a message with the officials there, before going to pick some rooms up. It continued like that for several days, the meetings were useless as the smugglers and the messengers gave no clues about the dealer at the other end. He needed to get into the trade. It was easy for Anakin, he knew the lingo and easily got aboard one of the ships, but at any location he went to as a smuggling pilot he found nothing. In a bar, drinking with his ship mates, trying to get them drunk and wheedle information out of them, Jacen Solo entered. He saw the men Anakin was with and his eyes widened. Anakin ignored him for the moment, and when the men fell on the table drunk, Anakin got up in disgust and left. Jacen followed him and pulled hi down an alleyway. "Those group of men are very dangerous, I'm warning you now because you you are obviously very young, but don't get involved with those men, once your in, you can't get out."
"Jacen," Anakin said laying a hand on the mans shoulder, "Go home to your wife, this is nothing to do with you."
"It's everything to do with me," Jacen said roughly, "I am not going to allow the man who saved my wife and son to die foolishly. If you need money so much, then you can work on my rig."
Anakin dragged Jacen to the man's house and sat him down. Upstairs Anakin could hear Jaina dealing with the screaming baby. Anakin shielded the room before speaking, "I can see that there is no putting you off, you would be great friends with the Wookies with the same senses of honour. I'm here officially because I know those are a bad lot, but I need to know who is in charge of Badule, and I can only get that info by associating with them."
"Badule?" Jacen said, "Do you have any idea who you're up against?"
"Nothing I can't handle," Anakin said with a smirk.
"You really think so?" Jacen said, taking the blasé attitude at face value, "These men will not be stopped, the only people to stand up against them would be a Jedi Master, or the Obi Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker we hear about. They are the only ones that would be able to go up against them and survive." It had appeared that Obi Wan and Anakin had developed a reputation without knowing it.
"Obi Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker?" he said.
"Where have you been boy, the Jedi and the Padawan, unbeatable, though many have tried, and with a knack of getting into trouble. But that's not the point, the point is that since you are neither, you're heading into trouble."
"What can you tell me about Badule?" Anakin asked.
"Bastard," he said, "kills without a thought. It was him that was after Jaina, he doesn't like the competition."
"And the man he's working for?" Anakin asked.
"Why do you want to know?" he asked, "Who are you?"
"I'm a spy, trained for this, looking for information on Badule's contact and why he needs money so badly."
Jaina then walked in with the baby on her shoulder. "Han!" she cried, "Jacen you found him."
"Jaina," Anakin said, picking up the baby, "he's growing!"
"Yes," she said, "Little Han certainly is growing, soon he'll be as big as his namesake."
Anakin looked at Jaina in shock. "Thank you so much! I'm honoured."
"No thank you," Jacen said, "without you, little Han would be alone on the streets god knows where and Jaina would be dead."
A couple of hours later, Jacen and Anakin sat round a table as Jaina put little Han to bed. "The boss is someone in Coruscant. No one knows who, not even Bardule. Rumours are that his name is Darth Sidious, but no one knows more than that."
"Did you say Darth Sidious?" Anakin said, realising the reason to it all. They would have to tread very carefully from now on.
"Yeah," Jacen said, "That's all anyone knows."
Anakin started thinking. He closed his eyes and listened to the force, outside he noticed a droid, a spy droid, who had listened to everything being said. "You're not safe anymore," Anakin said, Jacen looked shocked, "If anyone found out that you told me any of this, you and your family would be dead in a minute. These men are not to be trifled with. Pack your belongings, there is nothing further for me to do here, I will get you out, place you somewhere I know is safe."
Jacen saw Anakin's eyes and quickly did as asked. It was obvious that Anakin was not joking around. They walked to Anakin's ship on the outskirts, carrying only the few belongings the were required. Anakin had sent for his ship a couple of days ago.
"Where will we go?" Jaina asked holding the babe tightly.
"Zonama Sekot" Anakin replied, "I have plenty of friends there, you two will be able to sit tight for a while till things either blow up or calm down. They will be able to tell you when it will be safe."
"What type of ship is that?" Jacen asked in awe. The ship was green and was thirty meters long with a wide wing span. It had two modified Haor Chall type seven Silver class light starship engines and an expensive hyper drive core unit. It's luscious interior was green, blue and red and gleamed brightly.
"It was specially made for me and a friend on Zonama Sekot," Anakin was saying as he started up the engines, "My friends not much of a flier so I get to use it. It's called the Jabitha, after the daughter of the man who made her. It's partly alive." Anakin remembered the mission to find out what that planet was about, they were very welcoming and Anakin loved that planet almost as much as he loved the ship.
"Umm, excuse me, but how can you know what each ting does, there aren't any labels."
"I don't need them," Anakin said truthfully, he was a brilliant pilot, so he didn't need the signals. shall we go? the ship asked, "right away."
"Huh?" Jacen asked.
"Oh, I was talking to the ship," Anakin said, "She's very opinionated."
As they flew away, Jacen started to put things together, "Your name isn't Han Jinn, is it? It's Anakin Skywalker, you're a Jedi."
"Yep," Anakin said as he got them out of light speed.
Jacen sat down in shock as they landed. On the planet, Anakin sensed something wrong. He told the others to stay aboard as her went down. There was no response. Jabitha told him there were no ships near by, or people. Everyone was gone. With mounting horror Anakin looked around the nearby town. There were dead bodies and laser blasts everywhere. It was a Republic army that had done this. Anakin sat down in sadness. These people had done nothing wrong and they had been shot, killed. Anakin got back on the ship. Seeing the look on his face, they didn't ask any questions. They instead landed on Kashyyyk. "This is the home of the Wookies," Anakin said, "They owe my Master and I debts. They will look after you as a point of honour." The Solo family were left there, not knowing what had happened on Zonama Sekot. The Wookies welcomed Anakin and were more the happy to temporarily look after the humans for a while. It was then, they all agreed that the family could move to some remote outpost. Chewbacca would be going with them.
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When Anakin arrived back at the capital, he relayed everything that happened, including the relocation of the Solo family, and what had happened to the people of Zonama Sekot. "My only conclusion is that it was members of the Republic."
"Disturbing this is," Yoda said, "And sorry we are at the loss of your friends."
"Are you sure that it was a Sith behind this." Mace asked.
"Absolutely," Anakin replied, "Everything was tinged with the dark side, and the members of the ship said their leader was a man in a cowl. Jacen Solo confirmed it with the name Darth Sidious. It can mean only one thing, the dark side is preparing for something big."
"Troubling this is," Master Yoda said, "Talk with you later Anakin. May the Force be with you."
Anakin left and went straight to check on Jabitha. She had been acting very odd recently. Ever since Zonama Sekot. Anakin's only conclusion was that Jabitha was dying out of sorrow for the loss of her planet. Over the next few days there was nothing Anakin could do to cheer her up. Even Master Saesee Tiin tried to cheer her up, but with no success. The council became worried about Anakin. They had let him keep the ship because apart from being a political gift, it was alive and not something someone can take away. Even when he beat both Obi Wan and Qui gon in a duel at the same time there was no change. The night after the duel Jabitha gave up and died. Obi Wan was there to hold the teenager as he cried over the death of a good friend.
Yoda came down and watched Obi Wan holding the boy. Anakin would survive this loss, but it would leave scars and he would need to keep busy until the hurt had numbed.
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Review me, I kow very sad, but it had to happen, sorry.