Shoving away the hands that were attempting to help him, Obi-Wan scrambled to the edge of the ruined balcony and vaulted into the pilot's seat of the hovering cruiser. It was dim, but he could still sense Anakin. His lover didn't seem to be in any pain, but neither did he appear to be conscious. So Obi-Wan focused on that, ignoring the frantic shouts coming from behind him. He kept his mind locked on whatever sensations he could feel coming from Anakin because it was the only chance he stood of finding him. Obi-Wan wasn't going to stop until he'd found Anakin and destroyed whoever had taken his lover from him.

Obi-Wan was unsure about the controls of the cruiser, but managed to propel it forward quick enough to stop anyone from following him. It was hardly a smooth ride, the ship jerking and swerving which nearly caused several accidents. There was no damage done to his ship and he made good time as he navigated his way through the endless lanes of traffic. Obi-Wan had no idea where he was going. None of the buildings looked familiar. He was simply following the frantic tug he felt on Anakin's end of their bond. It was his only guide.

Obi-Wan…? Obi-Wan! Where are you?

Anakin awoke with a start, barely managing to swallow a startled scream. The only thing he could tell at first was that he was lying on his back, arms and legs spread out stiffly, held down in utter darkness. He struggled against the binders holding him in place, but the strength of his durasteel arm wasn't enough. It only caused a grating of metal against metal.

Obi-Wan…? Obi-Wan! Where are you?

Anakin was suddenly fearful that Obi-Wan was in a worse situation than him. He couldn't sense the other man anywhere in the pitch black. Or anywhere else. Calming himself, Anakin took several deep breaths, attempting to slow his frantic heartbeat. He needed to concentrate if he was going to be able to locate Obi-Wan. If he could sense Obi-Wan then he could find out whether Obi-Wan was all right or not. He couldn't remember what had happened after the chunk from the balcony above had hit his shoulder. Obi-Wan had been under him, though, so he should have been safe. He only wanted Obi-Wan to be safe.

Obi-Wan, please... Please. Please be all right. Answer me. Please.

…. Anakin.

Obi-Wan's comforting presence washed over him, blanketing him in warmth. Anakin squeezed his eyes shut tight, willing away the tears he could feel burning behind his eyes. Obi-Wan was safe. That was all that mattered.

I'm coming.

Anakin wanted to scream at him to stay away, but he was finding it hard to concentrate. His mind felt hazy and everything felt out of focus.

Obi-Wan...

Once again Anakin's presence faded and Obi-Wan feared the worst. It hadn't been a gradual fading, instead feeling as though a curtain had been dropped between them. Anakin felt muted, faded, as though Obi-Wan was seeing him through the surface of a murky pond. There was enough for him to grasp hold of, though, and Obi-Wan doggedly followed it through the bustling city.

To a wide, domed building.

The Senate building. He had been there the day before with Anakin to visit the Chancellor, a man that Obi-Wan instinctively didn't trust. There had been something off about the aging senator and given the current situation Obi-Wan knew that his fears had been justified. And while yesterday he had only been wary of the man, Obi-Wan now hated him. He would destroy Chancellor Palpatine for whatever he was currently doing to Anakin.

Cutting across several lanes, Obi-Wan docked the cruiser at the first available hanger. He didn't even both cutting the ignition before vaulting himself out of the seat. Even though his bond with Anakin was somewhat muted, he could still feel his lover's fear and pain tingling at the edges of his mind.

Obi-Wan's bare feet slapped against the permacrete flooring as he sprinted towards the nearest corridor, a vibrating force around him instructing him when to duck, twist or jump to avoid the blaster bolts being aimed in his direction. He didn't question it, there was no time. Instead Obi-Wan was merely grateful to whatever force was guiding his steps, bringing him closer to Anakin.

After rounding a few corners, Obi-Wan was brought to his knees by a sudden flash of pain that wasn't his own. He stumbled to his knees, barely able to support himself with trembling arms.

Anakin! Obi-Wan screamed across their bond in his panic, fearing what was happening to the younger man.Please hold on, Anakin. I'm coming. Just hold on.

He wanted to offer comfort, but doubted that the trite words his mind supplied would do much to sooth him. So instead he scrambled to his feet and continued sprinting down the corridor. The only weapon he had was the blaster he'd found in the cruiser. He had convinced the guards to let him out of his cell on Geonosis, though, and Obi-Wan was certain he could manage something along those lines. He would have to. He refused to leave without Anakin.

Yoda stood in the center of Obi-Wan and Anakin's apartment, watching over the clone troopers as they sorted through the mess. It had been foolish to believe that the balance that had been reached that morning would do anything to hinder their unseen foe. The Sith master had patiently waited for ten years and would not be stopped by losing his earlier advantage.

"Clues, you have found, as to the source of the attack?" Yoda asked as one of the command clones stalked towards him.

"None have been found, Master Yoda."

"Your search you will continue," the diminutive Jedi ordered, turning slowly towards the exit. "Find the Sith lord, we must."

Yoda had tried, several times, to sense Obi-Wan's location. All that he could sense, though, was chaos. The normally calm and serene Obi-Wan Kenobi was a mass of roiling emotions. Anger and fear were foremost in his mind, drowning out almost everything else. His love for Anakin was the beacon that pulsed in the middle of it all. It was that love which prevented Yoda from fearing another unbalancing in the Force.

"Find young Skywalker, Obi-Wan will," Yoda murmured to himself, nodding his head briefly. It was the outcome that he was uncertain of.

Anakin returned to consciousness much more gradually the second time. He took a quick survey of his surroundings only to find that nothing had changed. He was still strapped down to what he assumed was a table in a pitch black room. Gathering all of his energies, Anakin tried to find a weakness in his bonds, straining against them both physically and through the Force. On both counts the durasteel bands refused to budge and Anakin could feel blood dribbling from his abraded left wrist. He thumped his head against the solidness below him in frustration, muttering the vilest curses he could think of. He knew that it would do nothing to help free him, but it helped with his anger.

Obi-Wan? Anakin tried, searching through the chaos for a more rational part of his lover's mind. A part that wasn't acting purely on instinct. Wherever you are, Obi-Wan, stay there. This is a trap. You need to stay away.

It was likely a futile attempt because Anakin received no response. He could feel the frantic pulse of Obi-Wan's fear and anger, as well as his desperation, but he didn't hear Obi-Wan's comforting voice echoing in his mind.

"It appears that I was rash in my judgment of Kenobi all those years ago," Palpatine mused from somewhere in the darkness, his voice echoing all around him. "I had thought that his destruction of Maul and the anger that consumed him at the time was just a reaction to his Master's death. Had I known that he possessed so much anger I would not have spent so much time cultivating yours."

"Leave him alone!" Anakin shouted, straining once again against his bonds.

"Such an unoriginal response," Palpatine drawled, clearly amused. "You will have to forgive me when I refuse to grant your wish. I should thank you, though. After all, you are partly responsible for helping Kenobi to reach his potential. He would not be so susceptible to the Dark Side had the two of you waited until he regained his memory to form your bond. I look forward to making him my apprentice."

Anakin's mind was reeling. Even though it had been some time since he'd truly trusted Palpatine, he never would have thought the aging Chancellor was a Sith lord. Palpatine had been his friend, one of the few he'd had after leaving Tatooine.

Stay away! Anakin screamed through their bond. Please stay away!

His pleas were cut short when Anakin suddenly found himself engulfed by painful Force lightning. He screamed, twisting his body about in a futile effort to evade the painful attack. Every nerve in his body pulsated with fire so that all Anakin wanted to do was pass out and not feel anything else. He had to stay conscious, though. Obi-Wan was coming, he could feel it, and he had to make sure that Obi-Wan didn't fall victim to whatever Palpatine had planned.

Stay away, Obi-Wan. Please...

Standing in the turbolift as it descended into the bowels of the Senate building, Obi-Wan could not keep his body from twitching. Even though every second brought him closer to Anakin, he couldn't handle standing still. He wanted to be doing something, anything to help Anakin. Obi-Wan hadn't been able to sense anything from him since that sharp burst of pain. He could still feel the tug along their bond that was leading him to his lover, but he couldn't feel anything from Anakin himself and that worried him.

In his frustration, Obi-Wan lashed out, punching the wall directly in front of him as hard as he could manage. It didn't make him feel better, but it distracted him for a brief moment. So Obi-Wan punched the wall again, this time adding a scream. He raged at his muddled reflection that stared back at him from the scuffed panel.

Feeling suddenly overwhelmed, Obi-Wan stabbed his fingers into his hair, squeezing his eyes shut as he crouched down in the center of the cubicle. He struggled to even out his breathing, knowing that he would be of no use to Anakin if he lost control. He had to stay calm even though all he wanted to do was destroy whoever had hurt Anakin.

Obi-Wan was jarred when the turbolift came to a sudden stop, nearly losing his balance. He was on his fee before the doors even opened, though, stalking out into the dark corridor. There was very little light in the corridor, a few dim overhead fixtures only. Anakin advanced down the hallway, the blaster held before him. Anakin was close. His presence was singing in Obi-Wan's veins.

Obi-Wan could barley resist the urge to call out to his lover. He was desperate to hear Anakin's voice, but knew that it would be a mistake. Whoever had taken Anakin would have him under guard and could possibly hurt him if Obi-Wan revealed himself too soon.

The door opening at the end of the corridor startled him. There was no excess light coming from that room and Obi-Wan couldn't see if there was anyone inside it. His bond with Anakin was practically humming, though.

"Obi-Wan, get out of here!"

In complete contradiction to the words, Obi-Wan sprinted the final length of the corridor. Barefoot, his approach was much more silent as he ran on the balls of his feet. He clutched the blaster tightly, his finger hovering near the trigger.

"There is no need to sneak so, Master Kenobi," a voice called from within the room. "Your padawan and I have been waiting for you."

Unlike Anakin's earlier shout, that gave Obi-Wan pause.

"Get out of here—ahhhhh!"

There was a sudden blue glow that filled the room just before Anakin started to scream. That had Obi-Wan charging down the final length of the corridor. When he burst into the room, he couldn't quite comprehend what it was he was seeing. Blue lightning was flashing from the hands of a hooded figure on the far side of the room and flowing directly into Anakin.

"Anakin, no!" Obi-Wan screamed, launching himself across the room and onto the table that Anakin was strapped to. He covered Anakin's body with his own, screaming as the lightning seeped into his own flesh. He screamed as the pain of it cut through his whole body. It lasted for only a moment, though, before the lightning faded and he was left panting over Anakin's prone form in near darkness. Lifting a trembling hand to Anakin's cheek, Obi-Wan touched his fingertips against Anakin's skin. "Anakin, are you okay? Please be okay."

"Obi-Wan…."

The dim light was replaced by a brilliant brightness when the lights came on. Tensing, Obi-Wan raised himself up so that he could better see the hooded figure on the far side of the room. There was an ominous air surrounding the man, that side of the room darker than the rest.

"You are nothing if not loyal, Master Kenobi," the hooded man murmured as he slowly stepped towards them. "It is a commendable trait, one expected in a Jedi."

"Let him go," Obi-Wan growled, sliding off the table and holding the blaster towards their enemy.

He laughed darkly, his lips turned into a scowl below the edge of the hood. "Come now, Master Kenobi. You don't actually believe that it will be that easy, do you?"

Obi-Wan fired the blaster, the bolt singeing the right shoulder of his cloak.

"Yes, actually, I do."