Into the Shadow
Chapter Six: One long year later…
It had been approximately one year since Anakin Skywalker had been caught trying to free Padmé. He had undergone grueling long sessions of interrogation, but he refused to say where the Jedi were and he refused to admit his motives for returning to Mustafar.
It was now midday, though it was impossible to tell. The temperature was boiling, yet the sky was dull and gloomy as though a storm would emerge at any moment.
Yet there was no rest for Anakin; he had been led to a small interrogation room only to be questioned by the Chiss whom he had come to know as Sev'Rance Tann.
But despite her attempts, he was still being uncooperative. She had had enough.
Anakin's hands were bound behind him and she had made sure that he was too weak to use the Force.
Sev'Rance's patience had worn thin; she grabbed him by his neck, almost making him fall out of the metal chair he was sitting in. It had been a year, yet he had given them no information.
"My patience will only last so long, Jedi; so do yourself and your wife a favor and tell me want I want to know!" She said, narrowing her eyes at him in anger.
When she let go after a while, Anakin began to cough violently; yet he turned his head away. "I already told you that I don't know where the Jedi are—even if I did, you would have to kill me first!"
Sev'Rance smiled. "I don't need to do that; I can just ask your wife instead. I'm sure that she would know."
"Leave Padmé out of this!" Anakin said, fearful for Padmé but glad to know that she was still alive. If he played his cards right, then those long months of planning might just pay off.
"Then give me the information that I want!" she said angrily.
"I said I know nothing," Anakin repeated, this time calmer. "You're wasting your breath and your energy."
Sev'Rance sighed and ran her hand through her hair; four hours had gone by, yet she couldn't get any information out of him. She turned to a guard who was standing by the door. "Take him back to his cell; I'll deal with him again soon enough."
Anakin was glad that she was starting to lose her cool; even though it wasn't necessary for his plan to work, he was still happy that she wouldn't get her desired information.
0-0
When Anakin left, Sev'Rance kicked the door in frustration. She couldn't believe that Palpatine was still on Korriban after she had told him that Anakin had been captured—she had told him a year ago!
But she also knew that she was required to contact him after every interrogation, and she knew that he would be pleased with the results of their latest meeting…
000
A year was a long while when it came to Sabé and Felix; in a years time they had developed a bond; she had even convinced him not to track down the unfortunate girl who had escaped from Jabba's palace.
She had begun to care for him deeply also, and they had stayed on his home world of Correlia, for that was where they intended to get married. For Sabé's sake, Felix had just about given up on Bounty Hunting and was beginning to get into Swoop racing, which was becoming popular again.
Even though life for Sabé was beginning to smooth out, she still thought of Padmé and hoped that she was alright; yet she knew that she could do nothing to combat the Emperor.
000
Padmé was not alright; she sat with her back against the wall of her small cell. She was hungry.
Palpatine's men had not fed her for two straight days; the only thing that she had received was water. Padmé didn't know why they had suddenly decided to starve her, but she had given up hope—especially when Sev'Rance had come to her cell a year ago, to tell her that Anakin had been captured. She knew that it was impossible for her life to get any worse.
Hungry, alone, and in despair, Padmé slumped to the ground, barely conscious.
000
After going to Dagobah for backup, Mace and Aayla never returned to Mustafar. Yoda had told them that it was too risky, and they had agreed, despite the fact that they wanted to help Anakin.
Together they had helped train the young Jedi, and restore some sort of order amongst themselves.
They had also learned the harsh truth about Obi-Wan. Yoda had informed them that he wouldn't be welcomed back to the Order and he had refused to answer further questions.
So they had no choice but to ask themselves:
Has Obi-Wan completely turned to the dark side?
000
On Mustafar, Anakin was putting his plan together; he saw the Sith stand guard at his cell, and knew that the time for his escape had come. The Sith would be easy to defeat since Anakin had the element of surprise.
Anakin fell of his small bed with a thud and began coughing violently as he had his hand on his throat.
The Sith saw this, and thinking that Anakin wouldn't be able to do any physical harm to him, stepped inside to see what was wrong with the Jedi.
Anakin seized this opportunity and he knew that the only way to secure his victory was to tap into the dark part of him that remained. He was willing to risk his Force alignment for the safety of Padmé and the twins.
He stretched out his right hand and began to Force Choke the Sith man before he could react or do anything to prevent it.
The Sith did try and hold on to what little oxygen he had left, but the fight didn't last for long. He soon fell lifeless to the ground.
Anakin quickly searched him and took his lightsaber, not realizing that he was acting more like a Sith than a Jedi. He then switched clothes between himself and the Sith and afterwards slid the cell door shut to stall time. He then slipped out of the cell block to find Padmé.