Chapter Fourteen: Assassins and Strategic Retreats
It was now four years later and Harry and Anakin were on their way to the Senate apartments, to meet with Senator Amidala. Thanks to attempted assassination attempts the Senate had requested Jedi protection for her while the historic Military Creation Act, which Padme vehemently opposed, was debated about in the Senate. The vote for it's implementation or not was soon, and Senator Amidala was the leader of the opposition to it.
'No wonder there's been attempts on her life' Harry thought as he rode the elevator up to Padme's apartment. Beside him, Anakin was tense. The now 19, almost 20 year old young man was worried about how Padme would see him. The last time they'd met, he'd been 9 and she was 14. He hoped she liked what he'd grown into.
Harry caught the gist of his Padawan's thoughts and shook his head. "Hey lover boy knock off the romantic thoughts. We're here to guard her, not spend hours mooning over her hair, or her eyes, or certain other parts."
Anakin glanced sideways at his master and grinned. "Yeah but protection involves keeping a close eye on her so I can stare at her all I want" he replied. Harry shook his head. "Believe me Padawan, the last thing a woman likes is a guy constantly ogling her rear, no matter how cute it may be. We have a job to do here, do not let your personal feelings for her get in the way" he ended firmly as the lift stopped.
Yes but what if she doesn't like me came the thought from Anakin over the bond.
sigh Anakin, she will like you, if you do your job and don't make a fool of yourself. If you allow yourself to become distracted by her physical attributes I will personally hang you from the top of the tallest tower in the Temple understood.
Yes Master I, oh wow!
Harry rolled his eyes as Anakin's mental thought processes abruptly ceased when Padme came over to them. Holding out her hand she shook hands firmly with Harry and then with Anakin, her eyes lingering slightly on him as if not quite believing that the little boy she'd said goodbye to had turned into the handsome, intense young man in front of her.
Harry shook himself out of his thoughts and followed Padme further into the suite.
"Our presence will be invisible my lady I promise" he said before adding a silent, Pay attention to Anakin. Padme frowned.
"I don't need more protection Master Potter; I need answers as to who's trying to kill me. They got my bodyguard on the platform this morning."
Harry sighed and said, "You flatter me Senator but its Knight Potter." Before he could continue with his planned speech about being there for protection, Anakin broke in.
"We will find out who's trying to kill you Padme, I promise" he said earnestly, not noticing the disapproving look that Harry was giving him. Harry sent a silent We'll talk about this later before saying, "Very well, we can begin making discreet enquiries Senator, however our first priority is to ensure your safety. It would not look good for the leader of the opposition to the current bill to be assassinated while under Jedi protection after all."
Padme smiled, and replied, "No it most certainly would not Master Potter. I'll leave you and Captain Typho, my Head of Security to discuss security matters while I retire for the evening."
Harry and Anakin stood up as Padme did, and watched as she left the room, heading for her bedchambers. The two Jedi then separated, Anakin checking the security on the apartment while Harry followed Typho downstairs to see to security on the lower levels.
When Harry entered again he heard an argument between Anakin and Padme.
"… need to be able to see you in order to protect you Senator" Anakin said firmly. Padme shook her head. "Anakin, I'm not comfortable with you watching me. I'll program R2 to warn you of intruders, I'll be perfectly safe."
Harry decided to step in at this point; Anakin needed some help convincing Padme to accept their help it seemed. "We wouldn't watch if you were changing my lady, our job here is to keep you safe."
Padme wavered slightly before asking, "Do you want to catch this assassin or not, I'm perfectly willing to be bait." Harry growled slightly. "I'm not happy with this plan Senator; there are many ways to kill you without alerting either myself or Anakin until it was too late. There are other ways of catching the assassin than offering exactly what they want."
Padme growled back at Harry but turned and went into her room, shutting the door firmly behind her. A few minutes later and the cameras were covered while Padme was changing, and then uncovered when she was in bed. Harry nodded; apparently she'd seen the sense of his suggestion even if she hadn't liked it.
Padme fell asleep soon after that and Anakin and Harry were able to talk freely. Anakin started with, "I don't see why we're not going along with her plan Master. It's a good one, you know it is." Harry looked at him for a long moment before replying, "Actually it's not, there are so many holes in it and so many things that could go wrong that it's not an option."
Anakin grimaced before saying, "We can still catch the assassin if we're careful though. I mean," he broke off as Harry growled while looking at the camera view. Padme had apparently decided to take things into her own hands and had covered the cameras again. Running a hand through his hair in frustration Harry turned back to Anakin.
"It looks like the Senator has decided to do things her way. We'll just have to work around it" he sighed. Anakin nodded and then changed the subject.
"Why don't you like politicians Master?" he asked. Harry looked at him and then smirked before replying "Because I don't trust what they say most of the time. Politicians are skilled at saying what the people want to hear, and then not really delivering. Also, it's difficult to find a non-corrupt politician these days. I can name 2 that I know of and they are Senator Organa and Senator Amidala."
Anakin cocked his head to the side. "What about Chancellor Palpatine? He doesn't seem to be corrupt. He's also interested in seeing me but you've never agreed to it, or else you've allowed only short visits. Why?"
Harry sighed. "Anakin, you remember what my scar used to act like?" His Padawan nodded, confused. "Yes, it detected the presence of Voldemort, or reacted whenever he was planning something. Why did you ask that?"
"Because every time I'm around Palpatine my scar itches and if I'm in his presence for too long it starts burning slightly. He's always been a bit too interested in me, and now you, for my peace of mind and I've seen an indecipherable look in his eyes a few times when I've stopped him from seeing you. To put it bluntly I don't like him, I don't trust him and I sure as hell don't want him anywhere near you."
Anakin worked at holding his jaw up, he'd never known that particular information regarding Palpatine and Harry's scar before. Cautiously he asked, "What do you think it means though?"
Harry shrugged. "I'm not sure but I'm always on my guard round him. You should be too, just remember to stay polite and don't advertise the fact that you're being cautious OK."
"OK Master, now…"
He broke off as he sensed a disturbance in Padme's room. Harry sensed it at the same time and they burst into Padme's room. The Senator herself sat up in bed as Anakin ignited his lightsaber and cut two small things that looked like centipedes in half. Harry spotted the assassin droid outside the window and raced to it, jumping through and grabbing hold of it.
Anakin watched as Harry was flown away and was about to go after him when a mental Stay with the Senator Padawan, I'll be fine arrived over the bond. Anakin ground his teeth together but obeyed, secretly delighted to be able to sit next to Padme and put his arm round her shoulders. Padme herself didn't know why she allowed it, only that she trusted him and felt safe with him around. She hadn't missed his reaction to seeing her again and she'd had to work to hide her reaction to him. The mutual attraction was there, now all that remained to be seen was if the two could overcome their positions in society enough to allow attraction to turn to love.
Harry meanwhile had been taken on a thrilling, death defying ride through Coruscant. He knew he was being taken back to the real assassin; droids like the one he was holding onto were made to be controlled by one person. He squinted slightly and spotted his prey getting into a speeder a few metres ahead. Grinning, he let go of the droid and transformed into Goldshadow.
A few seconds later the griffin had torn through the roof of the assassin's ship and had extracted the screaming assassin with one paw. Holding her securely in his paw Harry turned and flew back towards the Jedi Temple.
I've got the assassin Anakin; I'm on my way back to the Temple. Stay with Senator Amidala, I'll see you tomorrow morning.
OK Master. Um, how did you do that?
chuckle I'm currently in my griffin form Padawan and the assassin is securely gripped in my right front paw. She's fainted from shock I think.
So would anyone have if they'd been yanked out of their vehicle by a cross between a lion and an eagle.
Quiet you, just focus on the job, and no ogling the Senator.
Bit difficult to follow that order given that she's currently pressed up against me and staring at me.
Then act like the gentleman I know you are Anakin. I'll see you later.
Goodnight Master.
Harry gracefully flew in between the lanes of traffic till he got to the Jedi Temple. Smirking inwardly he landed on the top of the tower that contained the Council chamber and politely knocked on the window with his tail. The Council members looked shocked for a second before Mace rose from his seat and opened the window.
Harry thrust the assassin in through the window before squeezing in through the gap. Once inside he changed back to human form and stood beside his captive. The Council took over and questioned the woman thoroughly, learning that her name was Zam Wessell and that she'd been hired by a bounty hunter known as Jango Fett. She knew who her target had been but didn't know who Jango was working for. The Council called Coruscant Security and handed her over to them. Harry had been dismissed and had gone back to collect Padme and Anakin from the apartment, as they would stay at the Temple until the next morning. With the knowledge that another bounty hunter was after her, the Jedi had decided to err on the side of caution.
After a brief argument between Padme and the Council, the next morning which the Council won, Padme reluctantly agreed to leave Coruscant and go back to Naboo where Harry and Anakin could keep her safer. Padme then brought up a further objection.
"There is safety in numbers Masters, I would feel safer if there were more people in our group."
The Council frowned until Harry spoke up. Turning to Padme he said, "With your permission Senator, my parents, who are part of the Order as well, have wanted to make a trip to Naboo recently. Would you consent to them coming along? My father is part of security here and my mother is one of the Healers."
Padme frowned. "Would I be able to meet them? I don't have anything against them coming; I'd just like to meet them first."
"Of course Senator Amidala" Mace said before calling James and Lily to the Council chamber. When the two arrived they found Harry and Anakin standing in the middle of the chamber with a woman that they hadn't seen before.
"James, Lily may I present Senator Padme Amidala of Naboo. She has requested that two more people accompany us to Naboo, given that there is safety in numbers. Do you still wish to take that trip to Naboo?"
James and Lily exchanged a glance before James replied, "We'll be happy to accompany you Senator. I gather you know Harry and Anakin?"
Padme nodded. "Yes we met during the Trade Federation blockade ten years ago, and we've met several times at the Senate in the intervening years."
James nodded then moved forward holding out his hand. "I'm James Potter and this is my wife Lily." Padme nodded and shook his hand replying, "Padme Amidala from Naboo. Shall we get going?"
In short order the group of five found themselves on Padme's ship, with the Marauder shrunk and in Harry's pocket for safekeeping. The ship could be shrunk and resized safely, so Harry saw no reason not to bring it. On the trip to Naboo, which was lengthened due to several hyperspace jumps to throw off any potential trackers the five got to know each other better. Padme allowed them to use her name, and Harry finally got her to call him by his. James and Lily sat back and watched with interest, as this was the first time they'd had a chance to join Harry on a mission.
When they reached Naboo, they spoke with the current Queen and then headed for the lakeside retreat up near the mountains, an isolated area where they should be safe from any potential assassins.
Back on Coruscant, Obi-Wan had been assigned to tracking down Jango Fett, and his first port of call was a friend that could tell him the identity of the small dart that had been used to kill Zam Wessell when she was in custody at the security centre in Coruscant.
Finding what he needed, the Knight returned to the Temple where he located the planet he was after. Soon after that he headed off for Kamino in order to locate the bounty hunter that had forced Padme into hiding.
Back on Naboo things were going fairly smoothly. Harry was worried about Anakin though; the Padawan had dark circles under his eyes and wasn't sleeping well. When they were all out in the meadow one day, and Padme was discussing the politics of the Republic with James and Lily, he took the opportunity to have a quiet conversation with his apprentice.
"You look tired Anakin, when was the last time you had a decent night's sleep" he asked quietly. Anakin met Harry's eyes before looking back at the grass. "I don't know" he admitted. "I keep dreaming about my mother, and I don't know why. I thought she'd be safe with Mr Lars but I keep sensing that she's in pain."
Harry frowned. "Moisture farming can be hazardous Padawan, maybe you're sensing that she was injured while working on the farm?"
Anakin shrugged. "Maybe Master but the pain is too severe for that. I don't know what's happened but I want to go and find out."
Now Harry frowned again. "We're in the middle of a mission Padawan; we cannot ignore our mandate to protect the Senator, which is what you'd be doing if you left now. Once the mission is finished we can go check on her, but for now, we stay here. Understood?"
Anakin glared at the grass but nodded reluctantly. "Understood Master" he muttered. Harry nodded and watched as Anakin got up and wandered over to Padme, entering the conversation smoothly and inciting a friendly debate. He considered Anakin's dreams, the Padawan wasn't given to nightmares so it had to be visions but he didn't know how to help him through it. He thought of telling him about the visions that he used to have but decided against it. Although knowing that his Master had been through much the same thing might help, Harry also knew that what Anakin really needed was confirmation of his mother's condition and that was something that he couldn't be given right now. Sighing, Harry rolled over in the grass and watched with interest as Anakin and Padme grew closer as the attraction between them deepened. Love was slowly blooming between them and Harry chose to view it as a good thing.
'Now all I need to do is teach him to control it' he thought. Over the next few days he witnessed the attraction deepen and accidentally overheard a conversation between the two which centered on why they couldn't love each other. Padme was hung up on the fact that she was a Senator and Anakin a Jedi, but Anakin countered that with the argument that Harry was in love as well, and that the Order did permit marriage under certain circumstances. Padme put up several more arguments until Anakin finally promised to wait until he was a Knight before they got married. At that point Padme finally revealed that she was in love with Anakin and Harry left before he witnessed anything that might be embarrassing to Anakin if he'd known it.
That night Harry woke to hear the sound of soft whimpering coming from Anakin's room. Quietly he walked the few steps from his room to Anakin's and opened the door. Padme was by the bed and looked to be trying to calm the Padawan down. From the few words that Harry made out it would appear that it was another dream about his mother. Harry came further into the room and sat on the opposite side of the bed to Padme, reaching out and gently stroking Anakin's braid, using the Force to calm his Padawan down. Anakin tossed and turned a few minutes longer before calming and going deeper into sleep. Padme left minutes later, but Harry stayed there for a good half hour longer, making sure the dream wouldn't return.
When he went back to bed he was so tired that he missed the morning meditation session which proved to be an error on his part as it gave Anakin the chance he needed in order to make a very large mistake.
