Chapter 13
Crazy Chase on Coruscant

Obi-Wan clung to the tiny droid with both hands as he dangled helplessly beneath it. The mechanical assassin darted and wove through traffic as it sought to lose its clingy pursuer and make it back to its owner. Obi-Wan squinted against the glaring lights of glowing billboards and traffic signals as he struggled not to fall to his death. He was starting to regret his rash leap through the window.

He yelped when the droid suddenly careened against a building and knocked free one of his hands. Obi-Wan had to shift hands as the droid aimed for a different wall to try and get him off. The Jedi clenched his teeth and held on. He had no other choice, for if he let go, he would fall to his death.

And then things got even worse. There was a loud bang and the small spherical assassin droid disintegrated in mid-air. In the next fraction of a second, Obi-Wan found himself falling downwards into the canyon-like streets of Coruscant.

Oh blast it all!

Vader wove through traffic, his focus fixed on the brilliant presence of Knight Kenobi. Up ahead he finally spied the Jedi, still hanging on for dear life beneath the tiny assassin droid. Rolling his eyes at the older man's foolishness, he leaned on the accelerator and zipped forward to assist him. And then the droid exploded and Obi-Wan fell.

Cursing loudly and explicitly in Huttese, Vader practically stood on the accelerator and sent the open-top speeder into an almost vertical dive. He carefully lined the speeder up with the falling Jedi and matched the speeds. With his eyes watching the traffic speed past as he dove, he trained his Force-senses on Obi-Wan. The instant he felt that the older man climb into the seat next to him, he pulled up, swiftly climbing back up to the level where Obi-Wan had fallen.

"How nice of you to drop in," Vader smirked.

"While I'm glad for the lift," Obi-Wan panted, "what took you so long?"

"Oh, you know Master. I couldn't find a speeder that I liked." Vader shrugged.

"There, follow that speeder." Kenobi pointed out a sleek yellow speeder with prong-like structures on the front and back.

Vader obligingly turned to follow the indicated speeder. "One that was the right color, with the right speed capabilities, and an open cockpit…" He continued calmly stating why he was late as if Obi-Wan hadn't said anything.

"Alright, alright, I get the picture!" Obi-Wan snapped, stressed by his near death experience.

Vader shut up and put all his energies into steering as the target speeder flew more and more erratically in an attempt to lose them. He snorted derisively at the foolish suspect, did he really think he could lose a pair of Jedi? The fleeing speeder dove and Vader followed. Obi-Wan didn't seem to like this dive.

"Pull up," Kenobi hissed as they appeared to be lined up on a collision course with a massive trash barge, "pull up!"

Vader couldn't help but laugh at the Jedi's panic. He knew exactly what he was doing. Compared to pod racing, this was nothing, absolutely nothing. A few seconds from impact, he shifted direction and easily avoiding the lumbering barge with a few meters space to spare.

"Don't do that!" Kenobi gasped, looking pale and mildly ill.

"Sorry Master," Vader snickered. "I forgot that you don't like flying."

"I don't mind flying," Kenobi panted, "but that was suicide!"

"That was nothing," Vader scoffed as the chase entered an industrial district.

The fleeing speeder darted dangerously close to flame-spewing smokestacks and Vader followed close behind. It was hot and uncomfortable and the flames threatened to burn them, but Vader was an excellent pilot and no harm came to them. And then, as the target speeder slipped between some power couplings, the electrical towers overloaded and purple lightning arced between the couplings. There was no time to avoid it, if he did he could lose sight of his quarry, so he blasted right through.

"N-never fly t-t-through l-live p-power coup-plings!" Obi-Wan gasped, twitching from the shock.

Vader didn't answer. He was too busy keeping his trembling arms from throwing off his steering. That hadn't felt nice at all and he hoped he wouldn't have to do that again.

The assassin's speeder kept right on running. It came close to causing several accidents and starting racing through tight tunnels at dangerous velocities. Vader bit his lip and made up his mind. This chase wasn't working. Either their target would end up dead, or they would. Neither was an acceptable outcome. Something had to be done.

When the speeder ducked into yet another tunnel, Vader turned away and raced around the buildings for the other end of the tunnel. He was going to catch this assassin himself and then hopefully this assignment would be over. And he wouldn't have to worry about encountering the Count…

"Where are you going?" Obi-Wan asked. "He went that way!"

"This pursuit isn't working Obi-Wan. Either he's going to die, or we'll get caught up in a crash." Vader replied calmly. "This chase has to stop. And this is a shortcut… I think."

"You think?" Obi-Wan repeated incredulously.

Vader shrugged and put the speeder into hover high above the exit tunnel. He peered over the edge of the speeder and watched for the distinctive target speeder to emerge. Obi-Wan did the same. When the time he guessed it would take the speeder to appear came and went, he winced. Had he picked the wrong exit tunnel?

"Well, you've lost him." Obi-Wan grumbled.

"I'm deeply sorry Master." Vader sighed as he kept watching for the speeder.

"Next time you find a shortcut, make sure it works before you take it!" Kenobi cautioned. "You have to remember that there are consequences–"

"If you'll excuse me," Vader interrupted, spying the speeder and leaping from his own vehicle, free-falling towards his target.

Vader supposed that Obi-Wan said something to him, but the roaring wind in his ears deafened him to whatever it was. Lights and shapes blurred around him as his focus narrowed onto his target. In a few short seconds, he hit the speeder, landing right on the bubble cockpit.

The driver glanced up at him, shocked. The assassin appeared to be a female human, but then the face shifted briefly into something clearly alien. And then the she regained her wits and did her best to shake him off. She almost succeeded.

Vader very nearly slipped off the back of the speeder. He clung desperately to a back prong of the vehicle and flopped around like a rag doll as the speeder darted around. Clenching his teeth, he struggled to get back on top of the cockpit.

Why did I think this was a good idea? He asked himself as he crawled towards the driver. This is all Obi-Wan's fault! If he hadn't been stupid and jumped through the window, I wouldn't be out here! Vader scowled as he struggled to get his slightly numb, tingly fingers to obey his commands. Damn power couplings. He cursed. Yeah, this is all Obi-Wan's fault! He's a terrible Jedi role model, jumping out of windows like a crazy man…

He perched on top of the cockpit and pulled out his lightsaber. Activating the blue blade, he stabbed it into the cockpit and started cutting a hole. The driver jerked the controls and the turbulence knocked his weapon from his numb grasp, sending the hilt spinning off behind him. Mentally cursing, He leaned through the small hole and reached for the controls. The assassin pulled out a blaster pistol and tried to shoot him, but he grabbed her wrist and they wrestled.

A stray shot fried the control panel and the cockpit quickly filled with smoke. Now out of control, the speeder took a nose-dive, lurching towards a low level surface street deep in the bowels of Coruscant. When the speeder hit the ground, Vader was thrown free and rolled for several meters until he hit a wall. Gasping in pain, he staggered to his feet and hobbled towards the burning speeder, wondering if the driver had survived.

She had. He saw her scramble free, catch sight of him, and take off down the street. Spitting a few choice words, Vader gave chase, now on foot. He plowed through the crowded streets, wriggling past drug-dealers and prostitutes as he struggled to keep sight of his quarry. She darted into a night club and he hurried to follow.

"What are you doing!" Obi-Wan shouted after Vader as the young man bailed out of the speeder and free-fell through the streets of Coruscant.

He sat there, astonished, until he saw the young man collide and cling to the speeder they'd been looking for. Obi-Wan pulled himself back together quickly and hopped into the driver's seat to continue the pursuit. Now Vader wasn't chasing down Obi-Wan, it was Obi-Wan chasing after Vader.

Obi-Wan quickly got into the same lane as the fleeing speeder, but since he loathed breaking traffic laws, he was unable to properly close the gap between the two vehicles. Sometime during the chase and scuffle, Vader's lightsaber went flying, and Obi-Wan swerved slightly to catching the spinning hilt. Sighing at the boy's carelessness concerning his weapon, he made a note to lecture him about it later.

And then the assassin's speeder began to vent smoke and lose altitude. Obi-Wan uneasily followed it as it careened down into the lower levels of Coruscant. A flash of worry struck him when the speeder crashed into the street and burst into flames. He hurriedly parked the speeder Vader had borrowed, grabbed Vader's lightsaber, and scrambled to the scene of the crash.

Just as he reached the flaming wreck, he spotted Vader dashing off into the crowd. Inwardly cursing, he gave chase, struggling to keep his charge in sight. When Vader reached the entrance to a nightclub, he put on a burst of speed and managed to catch the boy's shoulder.

Vader spun on him with a wild look in his eyes, before recognizing him and relaxing. "She went into the club Obi-Wan." He explained and tried to rush in.

"Calm down," Obi-Wan chided him. "Think about this. No one goes into a building to run. They go inside to hide."

"Yes, Master." Vader nodded, shifting impatiently.

"Now," Obi-Wan sighed, showing Vader his lightsaber, "try not to lose this again."

"Sorry Obi-Wan," Vader sighed, reaching for the weapon, but Obi-Wan didn't let him have it just yet.

"A Jedi's lightsaber is the most important possession one is allowed. It is meant to be a reflection of the inner self, it is not something to be let go of lightly." Obi-Wan scolded.

"Yes Master, I'm sorry." Vader replied, not seeming all that sorry about it.

"Now, let's go inside and find this assassin." Obi-Wan sighed, relinquishing Vader's lightsaber.

"Obi-Wan," Vader leaned over into and whispered into Obi-Wan's ear. "I think the assassin is a she, and she is a changeling."

"In that case," Obi-Wan murmured back as they slipped into the club crowd, "be extra careful. Now go out and find her." He ordered, heading over to the bar.

"Where are you going Obi-Wan?" Vader asked, confused.

"For a drink," Obi-Wan replied mysteriously.

And that's just what he did. He took an open seat at the bar and ordered a small glass of Corellian brandy. As he nursed his drink and scanned the club crowd through the Force, a foolish alien drug-dealer turned to him.

"Wanna buy some death-sticks?" The dealer asked.

"You don't want to sell me death-sticks." Obi-Wan assured him with a small hand gesture.

"I don't want to sell you death-sticks." The dealer agreed, taking a sip from his own drink.

"You want to go home and re-think your life." Obi-Wan decided, waving his hand again.

"I want to go home and re-think my life." The dealer agreed and left the bar to do as he was told.

With the distraction gone, Obi-Wan returned to searching for the changeling assassin. Not long after the drug-dealer was gone, he sensed the assassin approach. She foolishly was going to try and sneak up on him and shoot him in the back. It might work on some ordinary man, but he was a Jedi. When she drew close enough, he sprang into action.

In a split second he whirled around, snapped on his lightsaber, and took off her gun arm just beneath her elbow. Stunned and disarmed, she slumped to the floor and did not struggle as he took her into custody. Vader was at his side in an instant and helped him drag her outside to rest on the curb.

"Now, do you know who you were trying to kill?" Obi-Wan demanded, leaning lightly into the Force to improve her cooperation.

"Yeah…the Senator of…Naboo." She wheezed.

"Who hired you?" Obi-Wan inquired.

"What do you care, Jedi?" She sneered.

"Just answer the question." Vader growled, glaring at her threateningly.

"I was hired by a bounty hunter," she admitted, looking away from Vader's fierce gaze.

"Who?" Obi-Wan asked.

"J–" She'd barely started to answer when she jerked, went into convulsions, lost control over her shifting, and then went still in death.

Obi-Wan frowned, scanning the area for this new assassin, but was unable to see anyone. Running his fingers over the dead changeling's exposed neck, he pulled free a small, triangular dart. It had probably been poisoned.

"Well, that went well." Obi-Wan snorted, pocketing the dart and placing a call to the authorities about the body of the changeling. "Now, let's get back to the Senator and try to get some rest. We report to the Council in the morning."

"Yes, Master." Vader agreed, and they went back to the speeder and returned to Padmé Amidala's apartment building.