Chapter 45 – Ryloth

Author's Note: In which Anakin and Obi-Wan get an... unexpected mission. ;)

~ Amina Gila

"Windu?" Anakin is gratified to see that Obi-Wan seems as surprised as he is, even if he's hiding it better. "Sidious wants us to capture Windu? Not kill him? And he wants Obi-Wan to help?"

"That is correct," Dooku confirms, nodding stiffly. "I don't know any more than you do. I can only speculate as to his motivations."

"But why me?" Obi-Wan questions, frowning. "If something goes wrong and word gets out, I could lose my credibility as a double agent. Why would he be willing to risk that?"

Dooku's expression tightens. "I think he means it as a test, to see if you're capable. If you fail, if we fail, the punishment will be that much harsher. He would not ask us to do this if he didn't have a good reason. He plays pieces of a game we often cannot fathom or comprehend until much later." The Count doesn't add that it's often too late then, but he doesn't need to.

They all know it.

Anakin and Obi-Wan exchange an uneasy look. It's only been a couple hours since Anakin attempted to begin his lessons with Ahsoka regarding ship engines; the mission seems to have come out of nowhere. Usually, they have more time to prepare beforehand. The invasion of Ryloth is happening right as they speak, and Anakin doesn't really like their odds. They've handled worse, of course, but none where the stakes are so high.

"He won't be easy to capture though, not with his ability to see Shatterpoints," Obi-Wan warns.

"I know," Anakin agrees, "That's why we'll have to set up a trap for him." This is it. This is the moment where he – and Boba, of course – can avenge themselves on the Jedi who killed Jango. If they can capture Windu, they can hopefully get to kill him eventually. Maybe Sidious simply wants information from him. Doubtful, though. Anakin doesn't know what the Sith Master could possibly want with the Jedi Master, but… he isn't complaining. Not right now.

"We have a little time still. We'll need to get to it though."

"Boba deserves to be involved," Anakin decides. "I'm sure we can work something out which includes him. I don't it's fair for us to capture his father's killer without him."

Dooku and Obi-Wan exchange a quick look. "I agree," the Count says at last. "I'll clear it with Sidious, but you should be able to go pick him up yourself."

**w**

Sidious approves as Anakin had expected he would, so he finds himself en route to Naboo to pick up Boba. Dooku was supposed to comm ahead to tell his mother to be ready, so Anakin won't be doing more than stopping for a couple minutes before leaving. More than anything, he wants to stay there for a bit so he can spend time with his mother. He misses her. But there will time for them to spend together in the future once Sidious is gone.

His mother and Boba are both on the landing platform when Anakin lands the shuttle, and he hurries to disembark, so he can greet his mother. "Mom," he murmurs, hurrying forwards and hugging her. "I'm so glad to see you." He can't help but remember his nightmare from a few days ago, though he tries to shove those memories away. He doesn't want to think about them right now.

"I can say the same," his mother answers, embracing him. "You should be on your way, though. I would like for you to stay a while, but… you know how Sidious will get."

Anakin grimaces at that. Yes, he does know. He knows very well, in fact, so he reluctantly pulls away and gestures to Boba to follow him. Together, they board the shuttle, and Anakin slips back into the pilot's seat. "Did Mom tell you what's happening, vod'ika?" Anakin asks as he flies away from Naboo. They're making a couple jumps to throw off any trackers before going to Ryloth. They'll meet up with Dooku and Obi-Wan on the surface.

"She said we're going after Windu," Boba answers, a look of fierce determination in his dark brown eyes. "What's the plan?"

Personally, Anakin isn't sure how much he likes the plan, especially since he won't be extensively involved, but it should satisfy Boba. "So, the capital city, Lessu, is on a cliff. The only way to reach it is via a plasma bridge. Windu will have to get past that to activate it, allowing the Republic forces to cross. We'll allow them to pass, but we cannot permit them to activate the bridge. I'll protect the controls, while you lure Windu deeper into the city. Obi-Wan and Dooku will be waiting for him, and hopefully, they will be able to defeat him. Capture only."

Boba narrows his eyes. "Can you show me a holomap of the area?"

Anakin feels his lips quirk into a smile at the question. Boba is already thinking strategically. Good. Honestly, he suspects that the mission to capture Windu could fail if not for Boba. The boy is young, and Windu will have no reason to suspect him of anything when he first shows up, unlike with anyone else. Boba is their best bet.

**w**

Boba has been waiting for this time to come for so long, and now that it's here, it doesn't even seem entirely real. Vader – Anakin, his real name apparently is – had promised him that they would get revenge on that Jedi for what he did. Boba never doubted him for an instant, but he did wish that the time would come faster. Now, it's here, and he's both excited and nervous. Anger is humming through him, and with it, grief. This Jedi took his father from him, and he'll pay. Once he's been captured, everything will be alright again.

Well… Boba would much rather Windu be dead, but that's not part of the plan. However, Vader did promise him that the Jedi would suffer. Boba… doesn't really want to see it, so he'll content himself with the knowledge.

He crouches in the shadows, wearing tattered clothing, including a cloth wrapped around his head to conceal his features. Hopefully, the Jedi, Windu, will think he's simply another civilian who has been oppressed by the Separatists. From what Boba knows of the Jedi, he suspects that Windu will walk right into the trap. Vader had cautioned him to keep his feelings under control as much as possible, so Windu won't become suspicious when Boba leads him to where Obi-Wan and Dooku are waiting. Anyways, it's not like Boba is the only child in the city, although the rest are Twi'leks, for the most part.

He doesn't end up waiting long, at least not when compared with how long he's waited already. It isn't long before he hears the snap-hiss of a lightsaber igniting and the sounds of a struggle against the droids guarding the outside. Then, footsteps come closer, and Boba hears Windu's voice, telling some clones accompanying him, that he'll locate and capture Wat Tambor, while they should secure and activate the plasma bridge. Just as Vader predicted.

Slowly, Boba shuffles out from his hiding spot, carefully peering around the corner. Windu sees him, of course, and he approaches slowly. "What are you doing here, child?" he asks.

"Hiding," Boba answers, shrinking back a little. He's scared, even though he knows he shouldn't be, because what if the Jedi tries to kill him, too? He doesn't want to die. "I know a backdoor route to the droid command center," he offers.

Windu hesitates for a long moment. "Can you show me?"

Now, it's Boba's turn to pause for a few seconds. "Uh huh," he confirms, sliding out and scampering off. "Follow me."

The Jedi follows him, while the clones split off on their own. Boba is worried that Windu suspects something, because he seems… strangely distant and guarded. Or maybe that's just how the Jedi is, he doesn't know. It doesn't take long before Boba leads Windu to the passageway which enters the command center where Obi-Wan and Dooku are waiting. "Up there," he tells Windu, pointing.

The Jedi steps past him, glancing back once before he moves forwards and through the door. Boba listens attentively, and it's not long before Obi-Wan and Dooku confront Windu. "You're on your own, Master Windu," Dooku states, almost gloating. "Prepare to meet your fate."

"I don't think so," Windu counters, and Boba sticks his head through the door in time to see Dooku and Obi-Wan draw their lightsabers and advance on the Jedi Master. He cheers internally as the fight breaks out. All three of them are skilled, immensely so, and Boba watches them in awe. It's a fast and furious duel, Obi-Wan and Dooku pushing Windu onto the defensive. Too bad Vader isn't here. Boba would love to see him face Windu, but apparently, the way Vader fights is something the Jedi knows how to combat with ease. Disappointing. He knows that Vader would have been here if he could be.

The duel ends in a blur of motion and light. Obi-Wan's blue blade slices through the Jedi's right wrist, and he and Dooku level their lightsabers at Windu's neck. He yields because attempting to continue fighting would have resulted in his death. Boba watches as the Jedi is dragged away a prisoner, and he doesn't know why he feels so numb and empty.

This is what he wanted. This is what he joined the mission for. So why doesn't he feel relieved? Why isn't he happy and satisfied that it's all over? Why is the only thing he feels an aching loss and loneliness? It doesn't make any sense.

They leave Ryloth almost immediately, taking a shuttle off-world and letting the Republic find a way to move in and retake the planet. It no longer matters, apparently, since the main reason the Separatists had continued to fight was because Vader's Sith master wanted to lure Windu into the trap and capture him. They succeeded, and the loss of the Jedi will be a great blow to the Republic, or so Dooku says as they leave.

Once they're in hyperspace – Boba didn't actually hear where they're going next – Vader comes to find him. His expression is caring, compassionate, and it makes Boba feel marginally better. "What's troubling you, Boba?" he asks quietly, sitting next to him, close enough that their shoulders are touching. It's grounding.

He lets out a shaky breath, trying to formulate his thoughts. "I got revenge," he states finally, "So why doesn't it feel like it? I… it doesn't even seem to help." To his horror, tears prick at his eyes, and he forces them away. He will not cry. He will not. He's not a little child any longer. "I – I thought I would feel better, but…" He shrugs.

Vader is quiet for a long moment. "Revenge is messy. It's not… easy, because by its very nature, revenge means we are trying to right something we perceive as a wrong," he explains, "And getting revenge cannot undo what's been done. It cannot bring anyone back. It… I guess it doesn't really change or fix anything." From the way his tone changes, it seems as if it's something he's only realizing now. "It is hard to cope with death, but by not trying to move on, we are only hurting ourselves. Obi-Wan has been encouraging me how to learn control by only doing what he would do in the situation."

What he's saying makes sense, even though Boba isn't sure if he's ready or able to move on from his father's death. He wants Windu dead, he wants to him the Jedi himself, but he knows somewhere deep inside of him that it would change nothing. Vader is right. It won't bring his father back, and that, he supposes, is what he wants most. He aches to have his father back, like a part of him was severed abruptly, tearing open wounds which he doesn't even know the depths of himself.

"I miss him," Boba chokes out, voice shaking, and his lack of response is probably an acknowledgement enough that he accepts the truth of Vader's words. Tears blur his eyes again, and they escape before he can stop them.

"Oh, vod'ika," Vader whispers, sounding pained, as he reaches out and wraps his arms around Boba, hugging him tightly. "I know you do, and I miss him, too. You're not alone, young one." It can't bring back his father, but then again, nothing can. Still, knowing that he isn't bearing the burden alone makes it feel more manageable. Vader was never as close with Boba's father as Boba himself was, for obvious reasons, but Vader did care about him. He does care about him still, and he probably always will, just like Boba himself will.

Grief is hard, and the only thing that makes it more manageable is knowing that you're not alone.

**w**

They detour to Naboo to drop off Boba before continuing to Rattatak where Windu will be confined. No one will be able to find him there, and even if they could, Anakin knows that they won't have the resources to spend. Slowly, bit by bit, the Republic is losing ground. First, they lost a possible allegiance with the Hutts. Now, they've lost an important Jedi Master. The end of the war, he thinks, is pretty much inevitable, even if it'll take many years to get there.

Anakin goes to find Obi-Wan after they leave Naboo. He had chosen to first stay with Boba, given how the child was struggling, but he could sense Obi-Wan's conflict through the Force, though the former Jedi refused to respond to his silent inquiries. Obi-Wan is in one of the cabins, sitting on the floor in a meditative position, though Anakin knows he's not really meditating, even if he's making a valiant effort to do so.

"What's on your mind?" he queries, sitting opposite Obi-Wan and waiting expectantly.

Obi-Wan opens his eyes, something akin to frustration shining in them. "Sidious, the war, the Jedi, you, everything, he answers.

"That was as clear as mud," Anakin answers dryly. "Care to elaborate on any of that?" When Obi-Wan seems reticent, he adds, "You helped me earlier, Obi-Wan. Let me return the favor."

"Is that what it is?" Obi-Wan murmurs half-heartedly. It's nothing like his usual quips. After a moment, he exhales harshly. "It is… about Windu," he admits.

"What about him?" Anakin inquires, trying to keep his body language open and inviting. It's bad enough that he's being screwed up by the war and Sidious; they don't need Obi-Wan to be fighting internally as well. One of them needs to be sane and stable, that person clearly cannot be Anakin, not while Sidious has his eyes on him like this.

"He is well-respected among the Jedi," Obi-Wan answers, "And he knew my former master, Qui-Gon, well. We argued a lot in recent years, because of what happened regarding you, but… I still respected him. I feel… I suppose I feel guilty over betraying him and being involved in his capture like this. I – I hurt him. I cut off his hand during the duel."

Anakin studies him for a moment, before nodding, accepting the words. "I'm sorry," he says quietly. "I don't know what to say to you. I – I'm glad we captured him. I think it helped Boba somewhat to see that seeking revenge like he had been, won't help or make him feel better. And I have no love for Windu – or any of the Jedi, really."

Obi-Wan huffs out something that isn't quite a laugh. "Oh, believe me. I know that. You've never made your distaste of the Jedi a secret, and I don't blame you for harboring anger against them. The Council made a costly mistake, but they are paying for it now, with the war and all."

"Don't distract me," Anakin chides, shaking his head. "I suppose you are also feeling troubled over Windu's fate, whatever it may be."

Obi-Wan sobers a little at that and nods. "I wish I knew what Sidious wanted with him."

"Nothing good," Anakin predicts. "What bothers me most is that we're leaving him on Rattatak with Barriss. I don't trust her." None of them do, actually. They all know that she is far more loyal to Sidious than she is to any of them. It's unfortunate, because making moves against the Sith Master is increasingly difficult with him having a secret agent in their midst. Still, Barriss seems to have gotten the idea that she's not welcome among them – not that she ever tried to be friendly anyways – so she keeps to herself, and on the rare occasions she is on Serenno, she stays in her own quarters and doesn't wander. Thankfully.

There's a short lull of silence as Obi-Wan struggles with something internally. Finally, he sighs, exhaustion visible in his blue-gray eyes. "I – I have been working with the Separatists for a while, but this is different, somehow. I don't know. It's always been you who has led the ground invasions. You have no qualms with killing anyone. I – it is hard for me to fight against the Jedi. For so long, they were always my family, and in many ways, I suppose they still are."

Anakin isn't surprised by the admission, but he is grateful that Obi-Wan is willing to confide in him so much. "I'm Dark, Obi-Wan, and you're not. You're Light. I – I don't want that to change. I'm teaching Ahsoka the Dark Side, but you…" He trails off, unsure how to formulate his thoughts into words. He reaches out, taking one of Obi-Wan's hands and squeezing it. He reaches out to Obi-Wan's Force signature, entwining them together in the Force. "I don't want you to learn it. It would change you, irrevocably, and I don't – I don't want that."

This isn't something they've ever talked about before, and despite Anakin's slight apprehensiveness, he doesn't hesitate to express his thoughts. Obi-Wan is quiet for a moment, before he smiles slightly, genuinely, warmly. "Thank you for telling me that, Anakin," he says, and whatever conflict he had been experiencing seems to fade. "Do you want to meditate with me? I know you don't meditate normally, but… I think it might help you. I know you're struggling after your recent, deep brush with the Dark Side."

Anakin hesitates, but finally shrugs. "Sure," he agrees. "I don't think it will actually help, but we can try." He gives Obi-Wan a half-smile, pulling back and settling down into a meditative position which mimics what he's seen the former Jedi do. "Go on. Show me what to do."

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