Chapter 32 – Malevolence

DISCLAIMER: We do not own Star Wars or any of the characters in it, though we wish we did. xD

Author's Note: In which the Malevolence arc begins, and Obi-Wan is sent on his first major mission. :P

~ Amina Gila

It's nearly a month after their broadcast, and almost three months since the Battle of Geonosis, when Obi-Wan is sent on his first major objective. Sidious has now decided that it is time for him to begin his mission to work his way into the Council's confidence as a double agent. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't nervous. Anakin doesn't know the details about the mission either, something which Obi-Wan has been instructed to correct. That's why they're currently sitting in their shared guest quarters aboard the Malevolence.

Four times the length of a normal Star Destroyer, the Malevolence is the Separatist's biggest, super-weapon. It's armed with an ion-canon capable of disabling the electronic and power systems of any ship caught in the blast, including Star Destroyers. Naturally, it's also heavily fortified with numerous battalions of droids of every type, especially vulture droids.

Obi-Wan's current mission is to ensure that the Republic receives the plans of the Malevolence. Ever since the Separatists allied with the Hutts, the Republic has been suffering heavy losses in the Outer Rim, its ability to send supply supplies severely limited by the lack of any reliable trading routes. To even the playing fields, the Separatist's new toy must be destroyed. Otherwise, the war could end far faster than Sidious wants.

"It's hard to imagine you being a double-agent," Anakin comments with a smirk. "Oh, I know you're capable, but I'm just trying to picture you being deceitful and trying to manipulate your way into getting information for the opposing side." He hasn't said much about Obi-Wan's mission, but the little that he has said has given Obi-Wan the impression that he's not really concerned by it. Or if he is, then he's doing an excellent job in hiding it.

"You're not wrong," Obi-Wan answers, shaking his head. "I know I could do it well on my own volition if I wanted, but I have no reason to do so."

"I should hope not," huffs Anakin, crossing his arms. "So, what are your orders now? I know Sidious wanted you to accompany me to witness a test run of the weapon for a reason."

"There will likely be Republic ships scouting the area, especially given that they know of the mystery weapon," Obi-Wan explains, "And chances are high that a Jedi will be involved on the mission. I am to sneak the plans for the Malevolence to this Jedi so the Republic can find a way to destroy the ship before it makes it's next trip to Naboo."

Anakin makes a face. "I'll help you if it's necessary, but I don't really like the thought of going to Naboo." He's scowling by the end of the ending, a heavy storm of darkness swirling around him in the Force.

Obi-Wan understands what he's not saying. He's not saying that he doesn't want Naboo to be a target, because Padme will be furious if – more like when – she learns that he was involved in what is to come. The Malevolence must be destroyed, but it will come at a cost, and only time will tell what that cost will be. He wishes so badly that he could reassure the younger man, that he could do something to protect him. Anakin doesn't want to fight, even if he does enjoy it many times. He only wants to be left alone so he can be with the people he loves. Fate hasn't been kind to him, and Obi-Wan can't help but wonder how the Force could allow it.

Does it care? Does it care that its son is being treated in this manner? Or does it, too, see Anakin as expendable as long as he brings balance? It's an unsettling thought, one which ignites undue resentment against the unfairness of it all. Maybe Obi-Wan had been hurt when Qui-Gon insisted on training Anakin in front of the Council so many years ago, but he had known, he had felt how important and powerful the boy was. He had sworn to his master that he would train him, and he had failed. He failed Qui-Gon by not fulfilling that oath. It's a guilt he'll forever carry with him.

Many nights, Obi-Wan finds himself unable to sleep – something he'll never share with anyone else, because it's not important and they don't need to know – wondering if he could have done something to save Anakin from the life he's been forced into. Every scenario is wilder than the last, but in the end, he knows that any actions would have been fruitless. He couldn't very well kidnap Anakin from Palpatine, because much as it would have helped, it would have also been illegal, and they would have been on the run ceaselessly. Would it have been worth it? Would he have survived long enough to teach Anakin, to be the master and parent he needed? He doesn't know, and he'll never know now.

"Please stop," Anakin declares, raising an eyebrow at him.

"What was I doing?" Obi-Wan queries, bemused. He is certain that Anakin didn't feel his thoughts because he would have mentioned it if he had.

"You're brooding," Anakin elaborates, a hint of something like amusement in his eyes. "There's enough darkness in the room for only one of us."

"I'll share it if you're willing," Obi-Wan jokes, but his tone falls flat. He hadn't intended to have this conversation ever, but he can't help the wave of guilt which surges over him. "I'm sorry, Anakin," he says quietly unable to stop the words from spilling out. "I can't help but feel that I should have done something to protect you from this." He reaches out, resting a hand on Anakin's shoulder.

Anakin seems completely taken aback, though he shamelessly leans into the touch. "Haven't we already had this conversation? You couldn't have done anything, Obi-Wan. Just accept the situation as it is and move on."

There's a pause as Obi-Wan tries to accept and respond to Anakin's words. Finally, he gives him a small, strained smile. "I try," he says quietly, suddenly, and irrationally grateful that there isn't another Jedi who can comment about his use of the word 'try.'

Any further attempts at conversation are interrupted when Anakin's wrist comm beeps. "General, three Republic ships have just dropped out of hyperspace," reports a droid. "General Grievous is awaiting you on the bridge."

"We'll be right there," Anakin answers, motioning to Obi-Wan. They race through the halls towards the bridge, arriving in time to see three Star Destroyers hovering in the distance. The Malevolence is positioned between them and the nearby planet in the Abregado system which it's orbiting. "General," he says, dipping his head to Grievous as they arrive.

"What should we do?" queries one of the droids.

"Jam their transmissions," Grievous replies immediately, not even bothering to look back at them. Obi-Wan has only met the droid general once before, and they didn't really get off to a good start. Grievous seems to feel that he is the one in charge of the Separatist armies, and that anyone else is simply infringing on his rightful position. He's not terribly fond of Anakin either, but he at least tolerates him, probably because Anakin is a Sith.

Obi-Wan watches as the three Star Destroyers slowly begin closing in. He can feel the Jedi who's here. Master Plo Koon. A glance at Anakin tells him that the younger man is almost eager, and it saddens him, because he knows how many thousands of clones will likely die here. There is nothing he can do to save them, so he lets his emotions go, flowing out into the Force.

"This will be a suitable test for our new weapon," muses Anakin from his place in the observation deck which is positioned in the middle of the bridge and above the rest of the droids who are working on manning the ship. Grievous is down there too, and Obi-Wan knows that their position is a subtle reminder as to who is really in charge. "Fire when ready," he orders.

"As you say, my Lord," Grievous answers, turning back towards the droids. There's a tense few second pause of silence. "Fire!" orders the general, raising a clenched fist in the air.

The circle of purple, crackling energy blasts from the Malevolence, speeding towards the three Republic Star Destroyers. Despite himself, Obi-Wan is nearly fascinated, unable to look away as the ion blast impacts the three enemy ships, rippling across the surface. The three visibly spark with something like electricity as the power sources are completely destroyed.

"Their shields are down," reports one of the droids.

"All cannons, fire!" commands Grievous.

The Malevolence opens fire, red laser bolts tearing through space and ripping into the now defenseless Republic ships. The battle – destruction more like – doesn't take long. It's only minutes before the Star Destroyers are ripped apart under the intense firepower, though Obi-Wan sees a number of escape pods being ejected as the massive ships explode, flames engulfing them as they're destroyed. He can feel numerous lives being snuffed out through the Force, and he fights his instinctive urge to help them and lessen their suffering.

"A rather successful test, wouldn't you say, my Lord?" Grievous brags, without turning to look back at them. It's irking that he's completely ignoring Obi-Wan, but that's going to change soon.

"We must ensure that the Malevolence has remained a secret," Obi-Wan declares, stroking his beard. "Send out the hunters. I want the escape pod with the Jedi to be brought on board. Maybe we should bring some of the others for insurance. We must guarantee that the Republic does not know where we are."

Frankly, he expects that Plo was able to communicate his location with someone before the attack or jamming began; it's what he would have done. It's a good excuse, one which gives him a reason to bring Plo on board instead of simply killing him.

Grievous' eyes narrow at the orders, and Obi-Wan can feel his irritation at being commanded on his own ship, but he doesn't object. The droids obediently dispatch hunters to locate the pod containing the Jedi, while readying the tractor beam to pull the pod aboard the ship. "I'm going to the hanger to guarantee that the prisoners make it to the detention level," he declares. "Anakin, would you like to come with me?"

"Certainly," he agrees, and they turn and leave the room together, making their way to the lower hanger bay through into which the escape pods will be unloaded. There isn't much for them to say, so they wait in silence. It feels like hours pass – though it can't be more than one – before the first pod is drawn to the ship via one of the hunter crews sent out to search. The pod lands with a loud crash on the floor of the hanger bay, and droids open the hatch.

"Surrender, Jedi!" the leading battle droid orders, only to have its head chopped off for its efforts. Plo leaps out from the escape pod, blue lightsaber ignited and held before him defensively as he cuts down the droids surrounding the pod. His clones position themselves behind him, blasters at the ready.

"You can't possibly think you'll escape, do you?" Anakin asks with amusement. He doesn't even bother to make a move for his own lightsaber, and nor does Obi-Wan.

"I am not afraid to die if it means stopping you, Skywalker," Plo replies calmly, unmoving. He's not being antagonistic for which Obi-Wan is grateful. They have no need to fight.

"It really would be best if you surrender, Master Plo," Obi-Wan comments lightly. "You're impossibly outnumbered, and there's no reason for you to have your men die pointlessly." He knows that, of everyone on the Council, Plo is one of the most caring. He cares for everyone, and the quiet reminder that his men will die should make him hesitate.

He does. After a long pause, he extinguishes his lightsaber, conceding to the inevitable. Anakin looks triumphant as the battle droids swarm them, taking their blaster and putting them in restraints as they lead them away. "The droids can handle the rest of the clone survivors. You should go to the bridge to give our report to Dooku and ask him if we should depart for Naboo in case the Republic is sending backup. I'll escort the prisoners to the detention level," Obi-Wan tells Anakin, who nods.

"I concur," he agrees, and they part ways, Obi-Wan following the procession to the detention level of the ship.

Despite himself, Obi-Wan can feel his heartrate pick up as he realizes that now is the time for him to put the plan into motion. He's carrying the plans of the Malevolence on a small datachip in a pocket, and it will be easy for him to slip it to Plo once they're securely in the prison cell constructed for Jedi. He wonders if Ahsoka felt like this during her first mission, when the consequences of success or failure are much higher than they were for the Jedi.

He pauses at the security terminal at the beginning of the corridor, pulling up the security options and setting them so that there isn't any audio in the cells. The droids shouldn't realize that anything is wrong, at least not right away, and by the time that Plo escapes, even though there will undoubtedly be an investigation, all evidence will be destroyed when the Malevolence is. He's grateful that he prepared for this ahead of time.

Once the droids have secured all the clones and Plo in cells, Obi-Wan makes his way to where Plo is. The cell door has a ray shield on the outside, followed by a durasteel door. It won't stop a Jedi who is free from the restraints inside, though it will slow them down. He enters, letting the door close behind him. As long as he stands with his back to the camera, no one will be able to see what they're saying to one another, especially being as Plo's mask covers his mouth. All he needs to do now is slip the datachip to him and detail the plan.

Obi-Wan suddenly realizes that this is the first time he's encountered a Jedi face-to-face after being captured by Anakin, and for some inexplicable reason, he's nervous. He needs to relax. He can do this. He just… doesn't know how to start the conversation. He's saved from breaking the strained silence when Plo speaks. "It is good to see you alive, Obi-Wan. We had feared you might be dead or worse."

"I have been treated well," he admits, knowing that since the device is dampening Plo's Force abilities, he won't be able to verify his words, which is moderately annoying. It makes his job harder as well. "You might not believe me, but Anakin has not harmed me. On the contrary, he has become… attached to me, for lack of a better phrase." He slowly inhales, bolstering his courage. "I know what I said on the broadcast, but I don't want the Jedi to be destroyed. I am not a Sith, and I have no intention of joining them."

"Is it true that Ahsoka has joined them?" Plo asks, and Obi-Wan can almost feel his dismay and sadness. It hurts, and he can't quite contain his flinch at the question.

"She loves Anakin; she idolizes him in many ways, even if she herself is not aware of it," he admits. "No, she is not a Sith, but she has accepted the Dark Side. She's willing to do anything for Anakin."

Obi-Wan knows that he must be prudent about what information he does reveal. He has to say enough that the Jedi believe him, but at the same time, he can't say too much which will uncover Sidious's plans – though he certainly can make them more difficult if he has good explanations – or he'll suffer the consequences.

"And you?" Plo questions.

"I have not used the Dark Side," he answers truthfully, though he knows that's not what the Jedi Master was really asking. "I care for Anakin deeply, but I cannot entirely support his actions." That is also true. He loves Anakin, but he will not condone cold-blooded murder or torture.

He shakes his head, trying to refocus on the important topic. "We don't have much time," he continues before Plo can speak again. "I have a datacard containing the plans of the Malevolence." He walks closer, standing with his back to the camera as he surreptitiously slips it into Plo's robes, ensuring that it's secure before he steps back. "I'll arrange for your clone commander to escape, and if you hurry, you might be able to flee. I'll keep Anakin and Grievous distracted, so they don't realize what's happening until it's too late."

"You would risk yourself like that?" Plo wonders, something almost doubtful in his tone.

Obi-Wan tries not to let it hurt. "I must," he replies adamantly. "This weapon must be destroyed, but I cannot do it myself without compromising my position. It's not improbable for you to escape without assistance if the circumstances are right. The ship is large enough that you can hide fairly easily and get away in an escape pod. There are some with hyperdrives. You must destroy the ship before it reaches Naboo."

"What are the Separatist's plans?"

He hesitates, unsure how much he should answer, though he carefully keeps his expression thoughtful so as not to betray anything. "Dooku wishes to pressure Naboo to join the Separatist cause using any means necessary, even if he must use the ion canon against the planet. It will cause untold suffering, and I cannot abide by such acts."

He steps backwards towards the door, pausing once more. "I'll help you any way I can, Master Plo," he vows. He feels guilty offering a promise like that when he knows that he'll only be able to keep it if Sidious wishes him to. Perhaps in the future he won't be under such close scrutiny, but for now, he must follow his orders to the letter. As it is, he took a risk with speaking at length about himself, Ahsoka, and Anakin.

The Jedi Master remains silent for a moment. "If you are sincere in your desire to help, then I thank you, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan doesn't know how to answer him, so he says nothing, dipping his head in acknowledgement of the words before he leaves the cell, closing it behind him and making his way to the clone commander's location. He doesn't have much more time, and Grievous might eventually notice his absence, though Anakin can cover for him, claiming that he's busy overseeing the prisoners' capture. Still, he cannot raise and undue suspicion, not this early.