Chapter Three – Knights... rescue

Anakin focused on keeping himself completely still. He had a feeling that even with the door between them, some of them would pick up on his slightest movement. No doubt Masters Yoda and Windu could, and then they would certainly ask him why he had been pacing.

Because that's what he was forcing himself not to do: pacing. Since yesterday evening, when Obi-Wan had told him that the Council wished to see them in the morning, Anakin had had this sense of anticipation. He felt something was going to happen, something big, but be it good or bad he could not see.

Suddenly the door opened and Obi-Wan, who had been talking to the Council for almost an hour now, looked at him. "Has Padawan Taro not arrived yet?" Anakin shook his head and looked at his Master questioningly. "Is his presence also required?" When Obi-Wan nodded, Anakin felt his sense of anticipation slowly become a feeling of dread: had they found out how he felt about Taro?

"Shall I go look for him?" He wanted some time away from the dreadful hall outside the Council chambers, so he could think properly and regain his calm. "That won't be necessary," Taro offered, rounding the corner slightly out of breath. He bowed his head to Obi-Wan and walked past the Knight into the Council chambers. Curiously, both Anakin and Obi-Wan followed.

"Forgive me, Masters, but an injured Padawan was brought to the Healer's Wing just before I was about to leave, and Healer Tomau asked me to help him treat the young man," Taro said, looking at Yoda.

"How was the Padawan injured?" Taro turned to Master Windu, who had asked the question. "He had been sparring with a friend, since apparently both their Masters decided they needed the practice. Apparently a manoeuvre he wanted to try did not succeed and his arm came in contact with his sparring partner's light sabre. But the wound is not too grievous, simply a large cut on his forearm. No permanent damage was done," Taro answered and Master Windu nodded almost relieved.

"Good. But that's not why we called neither you nor Knight Kenobi and his Padawan here," Master Windu said and noticed Anakin straighten his back. "We have called the three of you here because we are sending you on a mission." Taro and Anakin both looked at Master Windu expectantly, but it wasn't the dark-skinned Master who spoke next.

"Word had reached us that the Dark Side could be sensed in the palace of King Rathomer of Nedian, one of the smallest planets of the Republic. Three months ago, we sent Knight Aayla Secura to investigate. The easiest way to get her in the palace was to have her pose as a new member of the King's harem," Master Ki-Adi-Mundi said, and Anakin and Taro turned to look at him.

"She reported to us some weeks ago that indeed a Sith Lord is active on Nedian, and that she suspected two people. However, our informants tell us that she has been discovered. The mission, as you may suspect, is to free Knight Secura and befalls Knight Kenobi and Padawan Skywalker. You two must break into the King's harem and free Knight Secura."

Anakin smiled, already excited about the mission. It sounded like there would be a lot of action, and he was going to spend time with Taro. But then he remembered the Jedi Master's words: only he and Obi-Wan had been named. Taro wasn't part of the mission! But then why had he been summoned?

"The mission Master Yoda has taken upon himself and his Padawan is tracking down the Sith Lord active in the palace. We believe he has great influence on the King, since it was the King who ordered Knight Secura be held captive in his harem," Ki-Adi-Mundi said.

"If we get to the King, the Sith Lord will come to us," Taro said, and Ki-Adi-Mundi nodded. "First get to King must we, difficult shall be. Unless…" Yoda didn't even finish his sentence when Taro cut him off, which surprised Anakin to begin with.

"No, Master. My people are already at war, and the chance still exists that the King embraces the advice of the Sith Lord willingly. Should that be the case, yet another enemy to my people shall be born if I arrange such a meeting in that capacity. Also, the arrangement between you and my father was that I could join the Jedi Order as long as Rezai would remain on Aravane," Taro said and cast a brief glance at Anakin before adding," an arrangement I find most agreeable."

Yoda sighed and nodded, but it was Master Windu who spoke. "We have contacted Aravane. The meeting is already arranged," he said, and Taro looked at the dark-skinned Master. "Are they expecting Rezai?" Master Windu nodded at the Werin, and Taro sighed. "Then so be it. When do we depart?"

"In three hours, you may go prepare yourself," Master Ki-Adi-Mundi said, and Taro nodded and bowed to the Masters before turning around and leaving the Council chambers. Obi-Wan also bowed and walked out, and Anakin followed.

Anakin was lost in thought. Taro was his closest friend, the person who knew most about him. Even more than Obi-Wan. But after the conversation in the Council chambers, Anakin had the distinct feeling that there was much he didn't know about his friend. For starters: who or what was 'Rezai'?

Anakin waited in the shadows until Obi-Wan had incapacitated both guards in front of the door. As he walked to the door and stepped over the two unconscious guards, Obi-wan opened the door and the two of them walked down the hall.

They quickly made their way to the stairs and started climbing them as quickly as possible without making a noise. They had to be on the top floor, where Knight Secura was supposed to be, and they wanted to be in and out as quickly as possible.

A door opened somewhere above them and they heard footsteps on the stairs. Remaining completely still, they waited. The footsteps approached quickly and within seconds two female guards came into Anakin's view.

They seemed surprised to see the two strange men there, but reacted immediately and started shooting with their blasters. Reacting even quicker however, Obi-Wan and Anakin both ignited their light sabres and deflected the shots back to the guards.

They hurried upstairs, stepping over the two corpses, and all but ran to the top floor. Reaching their destination, they slowed down and started making their way down a richly decorated hallway. Anakin was focused on any enemy that could cross their path and left finding Knight Secura to his Master.

When they reached the last bedroom down the hallway and Obi-Wan gestured for him to stand guard, Anakin turned his back to the door and trained his eyes on the hallway. He could feel his Master using the Force to open the door and as soon as it had been opened a Twi'lek shot out of the room, right into Obi-Wan.

Anakin briefly looked at Aayla, who had electronic restraints around her wrists and ankles and a gag in her mouth. Obi-Wan ignited his light sabre and cut through the restraints before Aayla herself removed the gag. "The Healers on Coruscant will find a way to remove the restraints later," Obi-Wan told her.

"We must act quickly. The King is a Sith Lord," Aayla answered, and was surprised when both Anakin and Obi-Wan gasped as they remembered the armed contingency that had accompanied Yoda and Taro to the King.

Anakin would have been amazed at the skill with which both Knights who were with them were taking down guards, both swinging their light sabres to deflect blaster shots and slice through bodies. He would have, if he hadn't been ten meters ahead of them frantically taking down twice the amount of guards that they handled.

His only thoughts were on Taro, who he pictured facing not only dozens of guards but also a Sith Lord. Since he didn't know what the King looked like, he envisioned it was Darth Maul attacking the Werin, which made him even more determined to get to the throne room in time.

When he reached the door the throne room, he used the Force and it swung open violently just as Obi-Wan and Aayla came up beside him. The throne room was covered with bodies and severed heads of dead guards. Master Yoda stood on the throne with his light sabre in hand, though it wasn't activated.

Taro was standing just before the throne, his light sabre still ignited and the King's dead body at his feet. "It's good to see you're safe, Knight Secura," he said, and the Twi'lek nodded at him. "Yes, thank you. The same goes for you as well. I see you have dealt with the King."

Yoda came off of the throne and grabbed his cane. "Yes, Sith Lord defeated have we. Escaped however his master has. Wonder do I: same Master has he as other Sith?" He didn't have to elaborate which other Sith Lord he meant: Darth Maul. Had the mystery Sith Lord already found himself another apprentice?

Just before they reached the ship, Anakin noticed Taro tense up. Master Yoda stopped walking, with his eyes closed, and he groaned before walking again. Before Anakin even noticed what was going on, they reached the ship and saw a woman standing before it.

Though when they approached her further, he realized that she wasn't human. She was tall and muscular, almost a man in stature, but she was more beautiful than any other woman of any other species he had ever seen. She had shining, platinum blonde hair which almost reached her hip and incredibly bright blue eyes.

When he saw her eyes, Anakin immediately looked at Taro. There was only one other person he knew with eyes like hers, and his suspicions were confirmed when she took a step towards them and addressed the Werin.

"Rezai, the Werin need you," she said, and even her voice reminded him of Taro. "Your father was hurt on the fields of Remy." Taro nodded and sighed, and Yoda did the same. "Right to go have you. Broken agreement have we, do the same now right you have," Yoda said. "Go you must, need you Werin do. To Coruscant return you must when finished."

Taro sighed and thanked Yoda. "Taro? What's going on?" The green-eyed Werin turned around and looked at him, but before he could say anything the female Werin interrupted. "You must address the Rezai of the Werin by his title," she said sharply, but Taro shot her a look that silenced her.

"What is she talking about? What's a Rezai?" Taro didn't look at Anakin when he answered. "My father is the King of the Werin, and Rezai is my title. It means Prince," he said, and Anakin gasped. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, but the arrangement Master Yoda made with my father was that I would receive no royal treatment as a Jedi."

"Rezai, we must depart now," the woman stressed and Taro nodded. The woman made her way to a ship somewhat further, and waited for Taro to follow her. Promising Yoda he'd return as soon as he could, Taro walked over to her.

As Yoda, Obi-wan and Aayla made their way onto their own ship Anakin followed. Just before entering the ship, he looked around one last time. Just in time to see Taro being cold-cocked and dragged into the ship by the Werin female.

In an instant Anakin leapt out of the ship and ran, using the Force, to the other ship just before the hatch closed. He jumped in and ignited his light sabre, ready to free Taro, when out of the blue darkness descended upon him.

T.B.C.

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay in update, I had finals to take care of. Thanks to everyone who reviewed.