In Answer to a Few Questions:

Floating Leaves: Actually, I picked out the last name "Stalin" for this story years ago. (Yes, the plot actually goes that far back. :) I wasn't very creative with name choice back then - I think the name came off of "Stalinburg" or something. Anyways, it sounded good, so I decided to keep it for this plot. I didn't even know there was someone by the name of Joseph Stalin. :)

Sodorland: Thanks for pointing out Anakin's nightmares. I had forgotten about that part. Due to his being cut off from the force, he naturally won't be getting as clear a warning as his clone, but I'll make sure and add that into the next couple chapters.

...

Darra felt she could cut through the tension with merely a leaf, it was so thick. In some way or another Anakin and Laurence had managed to start an ubelievably complicated rivalship over the afternoon. Darra suspected it revolved around the queen.

Rolling her eyes at the scene, Darra leaned against the wall and watched the drama play out. Anakin was like fire, his gaze burning and threatening as he paced around the room. Laurence on the other hand appeared as cool in temper as any Jedi, though he kept up that same icy stare while he continued to stand protectively in front of the Senator's bedroom door.

"I don't like him being over there," Anakin said tartly as he glared through the glass pane that seperated the two enemies.

"He's protecting the Senator, Anakin," Darra pointed out. "Besides, he's been working for Senator Amidala longer than you have. I think he knows what he's doing."

"Well I still don't like it," Anakin retorted as he continued to pace.

Darra sighed. Often these days a part of her wondered if Anakin had changed over the years since Korriban, while the other part said that no, he had always been this way and she had always been too blind to notice.

The door swished open as Obi-Wan entered. "Captain Typho has more than enough men upstairs," he said as he removed his cloak. "No assasin would try that way. Any activity up here?"

"Quiet as a tomb," Anakin replied. "I don't like just waiting here for something to happen to her."

Obi-Wan's brow furrowed as he checked the security cameras. "What's going on?" he asked as his screen drew a blank.

"Agh, she covered the cameras," Anakin said with some irritation. "I don't think she liked me watching."

Darra raised an eyebrow. She had a feeling she knew why.

"What is she thinking?" Obi-Wan questioned as went to the window.

"She programmed R-2 to warn us if there is an intruder," Anakin reassured him.

"There are many other ways to kill a senator," Obi-Wan warned.

"I know, but... we also want to catch this assasin, don't we master."

Obi-Wan's face paled slightly at the implications. "You're using her as bait."

Anakin looked away, flustered. "It was her idea."

Darra wheeled around to face Anakin, feeling a horror wash over her. They hadn't informed her of this!

"Don't worry, no harm will come to her," Anakin told both of them. "I can sense everything going on in that room. Trust me," he added as Obi-Wan looked skeptical.

"It's too risky," Obi-Wan countered. "Besides, your senses aren't that attuned, my young apprentice."

"And yours are?" Anakin challenged.

"Possibly," Obi-Wan replied, his voice laced with tension.

Darra sighed and leaned back against the wall. They were at it again. Sometimes she wished she could just cover her ears and scream for the fighting to stop.

Darra glanced down at Laurence when Obi-Wan and Anakin had finally ceased their arguement for the time being. He was still standing there, patient and unmoving, his eyes surveying the dark hallway. He looked exhausted, Darra noticed. Of course, with the recent events it was only natural that he hadn't gotten as much sleep as usual. As the senator's guardian, he had full responsibility for her safety, despite how many Jedi might be there to protect her.

"You look tired," Obi-Wan drew Darra's attention back to her fellow padawan.

Anakin looked back as he fingered the balcony railing. "I don't sleep well anymore."

"Because of your mother?" Genuine concern filled Obi-Wan's tone.

Anakin hesitated, then nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat. "I don't know why I keep dreaming about her."

Obi-Wan walked over, still keeping his senses alert for danger. "Dreams pass in time."

"I'd much rather dream about Padme," Anakin responded. "Just being around her again is... intoxicating."

"Be mindful of your thoughts Anakin, they betray you," Obi-Wan warned. "You have made a commitment to the Jedi Order, a commitment not easily broken. And don't forget, she's a polititian and they're not to be trusted."

Darra turned her attention back to the senator's door as the two continued. Laurence had stiffened noticably, his posture absolutely still as he listened. Her senses alert, Darra reached out with the force and tried to discern what the guardian was watching for.

Laurence tensed, drawing a blaster as he pressed closer against the door.

Darra immediately activated her lightsaber. "I think something's happening," she warned Obi-Wan as she hurried towards the hallway.

Obi-Wan and Anakin ran forward together, their arguement forgotten.

..

Laurence felt the whisper grow into a roar as the force pounded against the barrier holding it back. Racing through the doorway, he immediately caught sight of two worms slithering onto Padme's bed. Swiftly he raised his blaster, shooting the creatures several times as the ends continued to writhe.

Anakin, Darra, and Obi-Wan raced through the door a second later. Padme sat up with a gasp, and a probe that Laurence hadn't noticed before pulled itself away from the window.

Without hesitation Obi-Wan charged forward and leapt through the glass, catching hold of the probe just in time to go sailing away with it.

"Stay here!" Anakin ordered Padme as he ran out of the room.

Laurence hesitated a moment, her heart torn between his angel and his master. A quick survey of the situation caused him to decide that Darra and the security guards approaching would be more than enough to protect Padme. He went to help Obi-Wan.

"Wait, Laurence - !" Darra's voice echoed behind him.

Anakin may have had to force to help him, but Laurence had been training his body to outrun thugs since he was sixteen and a half. He easily caught up to the padawan, and they exchanged a dark glance as they raced side by side.

A sudden thought hit Laurence and he nearly stopped mid-stride. He was doing it again! He thought he had left his blind competetiveness behind when he left the temple, yet here he was, abandoning Darra and the others once more as he tried to outbest a rival. Had he really changed since his experience on Korriban?

But no. He must have changed. This time he wasn't abandoning the others just for the sake of his pride. This time it was solely to save Obi-Wan.

His spoiled imposter was getting in the way, that was all.

Anakin ran to the first speeder with an open cockpit, and after a fleeting second of hesitation Laurence followed.

Anakin seemed agitated to find Laurence in the passenger seat, but he let the matter pass as the need to find Obi-Wan was much more important.

Laurence's hands were itching to get on the controls, but Anakin surprised him by maneuvering the speeder as well as any podracer. Of course. It would only make sense that the imposter would have as much skill as Laurence when it came to ships. Once again Laurence's blood ran cold as he wondered who in the world his replacement was and how he had been planted in the temple.

Laurence spotted Obi-Wan ahead as the Jedi Master hung onto the probe for dear life. A figure standing against the limelights suddenly pulled out a rifle, blasting the probe into smitherines.

Anakin immediately pulled the speeder into a dive, pressing Laurence against the seat and jostling every bone in his body. For a swift moment Laurence realized exactly how Obi-Wan must feel whenever his padawan was at the controls, but he still couldn't help but get lost in the thrill of the downward movement.

There were only two seats in the speeder, and Laurence knew Obi-Wan would never be able to hold on - especially with Anakin's driving. Pulling himself up, he leapt backwards and smoothly grabbed hold of the head rests in front of him as the speeder moved forwards. Stabbing the spikes on his boots into the yellow metal of the hull, he grinned and watched as Obi-Wan fell against the speeder and pulled himself into the passenger seat.

"What took you so long?" Obi-Wan demanded as he buckled his seat belt.

"Oh, you know master," Anakin commented. "I couldn't find a speeder that I really liked..."

"There he is," Obi-Wan pointed out.

"...with an open cockpit and the right speed capabilities," Anakin continued.

"If you spent as much time practicing your saber techniques as you do your wit you'd best Master Yoda by now," Obi-Wan grunted as the speeder swerved beneath him.

"I thought I already did," Anakin laughed.

"Only in your mind, my very young apprentice." Obi-Wan looked back as they dove again and noticed Laurence for the first time.

"Shouldn't you let the Senator's guard get off somewhere?" he shouted over the noise of the traffic.

Anakin glanced back a second and saw Laurence's grin. "Ah, he's all right," he commented. "I think he's used to this kind of stuff."

"Well I'm not," Obi-Wan said ruefully. "He's making me rather nervous. What am I going to tell Padme if her guardian falls a thousand feet to his death?"

The speeder dove straight down just then, nearly catapulting Laurence into Obi-Wan. He was seriously beginning to reconsider his choice to follow his 'other self' into this mess.

"Pull up Anakin, pull up!" Obi-Wan called as they an approaching ship began to block their flight path.

Anakin laughed at his master's worry, and Laurence quickly stabbed a row of spikes from his arm guard into the speeder hull as his grip began to loosen. Owen was right; he was going to get himself killed someday.

Anakin pulled on the controls abruptly, and Laurence was glad he had the extra support from his arm guard. He didn't prefer hanging by his feet if the situation arose.

"You know I don't like it when you do that," Obi-Wan berated as he and Anakin looked back to make sure Laurence hadn't fallen off during the escapade.

"I'm sorry, Master. I forgot you don't like flying," Anakin said calmly.

"I don't mind flying," Obi-Wan's voice rose a pitch as they swerved again. "But what you're doing is suicide!"

Laurence ducked his head and flattened himself as best he could as they began swerving around large plumes of flame. He hoped his hair wouldn't catch on fire. Usually he tied it back before leaving on a death mission like this, but in this case there hadn't been time.

As the assasin's speeder raced on ahead, an arm poked out of the window and shot one of the power coupling's, allowing a field of purple energy to unleash.

"Anakin! How many times do I have to tell you - " Obi-Wan's voice was cut off as they charged straight into the field of electricity. " - Stay away from... power... couplings!"

The lightning bolts jolted through Laurence's body, leaving his teeth clenched and his head spinning. Ruefully he shook the stars out of his eyes. His friendly imposter was just as bad as he was when it came to suicidal tendencies.

"That was good!" Obi-Wan admitted as they pulled free of the electricity and drew closer to their quarry.

Laurence could have agreed otherwise at the moment, but he did note that they were closer to their quarry than before. Unexpectedly the assasin swerved into a tunnel, and to Laurence's surprise Anakin drove the speeder right past it.

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

"Master if we keep this chase going any further that creep is going to end up deep fried," Anakin pointed out. "Personally I'd like very much to find out who he is and who he's working for. This is a short cut... I think."

The ship swerved in a crescent moon shape, and once again the only reason Laurence didn't fly right off was the blades he had driven into the metal.

Anakin pulled the speeder to a halt as they approached the opposite entrence of the tunnel.

Obi-Wan crossed his arms as no assasin appeared. "Well, you've lost him."

"I'm deeply sorry, Master," Anakin said in an unapolotetic tone.

"That was some shortcut, Anakin," Obi-Wan lectured. "He went completely the other way. Once again you've proved - "

"If you'll excuse me," Anakin broke in as he launched himself over the side of the speeder.

Laurence didn't wait for a second invitation and leapt into the cockpit, quickly strapping himself in.

"I hate it when he does that," Obi-Wan muttered as he watched his freefalling padawan.

Laurence shook his head and pulled the speeder into a dive. He might as well go save 'himself' while he was at it.

Laurence watched in astonishment as Anakin landed precisely on the assasin's ship. The assasin immediately tried to shake him off, veering the ship forwards and to the side as Anakin grimly hung on.

At last Anakin managed to get ahold of the cockpit, and he immediately activated his lightsaber and drove the blade through the glass. A blaster bolt too close to his hand forced Anakin to jerk back, causing him to lose his grip on his saber.

Obi-Wan instinctively put out a hand to catch the flying weapon, and Laurence was reminded of the countless occasions when he, too had misplaced his lightsaber in battle.

Despite the loss of his weapon, Anakin still managed to get the upper hand. Laurence heard blaster shots sound as smoke began to pour out from the assasin's cockpit. Immediately the ship began to bank, and Laurence coaxed a burst of speed from his vessel, hoping to catch Anakin before he fell off and got himself killed.

How strange that he was now on a mission to rescue his identical look-alike. It was enough to make Laurence's head spin.

The assasin's speeder was low enough to the ground that by the time Anakin lost his grip he was in little danger of seriously injuring himself. He hit the ground with a crash and dived into a roll to absorb the impact.

Laurence pulled the speeder into a slick landing, allowing a green-looking Obi-Wan to catch his breath. Without waiting for further instructions, Laurence took off into the crowd.

He was used to pushing his way through heavy populated areas, and in this case his old reputation as the terror of the Coruscant underground proceeded him. Humanoids and other species scattered before him. None wanted to be in the way when "Strike" was on the move.

Laurence could hear his look-alike charging through the packed square behind him. He caught sight of the assasin just as he - no, it had to be a she - raced into a pub.

Slowing his pace, Laurence meandered inside the building and began to wander around. He heard Obi-Wan pulling Anakin to a stop outside, and Laurence smiled as he heard that all too familiar lecture on never losing one's lightsaber.

As he meandered through the pub, thugs and gamblers hid their wares and shrunk into the shadows. Obi-Wan and Anakin entered a moment later and began to search the area, but the already wary customers were tight lipped about any information.

Laurence wasted no time as he strode up to the nervous barkeeper. "What information can you give me about anyone who recently came in here?" he asked in a hushed tone as he placed a credit chip and a blaster on the counter. The implications were unmistakable. There was a reward for information, and a prison statement or worse in exchange for silence.

The barkeeper gulped and swung his head towards the left of the bar, where Laurence could see the purple clad figure hiding in the shadows. He nodded and placed another credit chip on the counter before picking up his blaster.

Obi-Wan meanwhile was questioning one of the customers. Unexpectedly the assasin made her move. Approaching Obi-Wan with blaster drawn, she prepared to draw the trigger.

Obi-Wan's Jedi reflexes were lightning fast as he spun around, drawing his lightsaber and slicing through the assasin's wrist.

The conversation around the bar was abruptly silenced. Obi-Wan hauled the assasin up by her unwounded arm, helping her outside the pub.

"Easy," Anakin ordered the customers. "Jedi business, go back to your drinks."

Laurence scowled as he replaced his blaster. He was a little annoyed that Obi-Wan had taken down his quarry, but the deed was done. He might as well help his master.

Once outside, Obi-Wan gently lowered the assasin to the ground while Laurence pulled out a med pack for her severed hand.

"Do you know who it was you were trying to kill?" Obi-Wan asked.

"It was a senator," the assasin grunted. "From Naboo."

"And who hired you?" Obi-Wan demanded.

The assasin hesitated, reluctant to speak. "It was just a job," she muttered.

Laurence pulled out a roll of bandages and, at a loss for what happened to the scissors, cut off a section with his teeth.

Anakin leaned forward. "Who hired you? Tell us." When the assasin still remained silent, he shouted, "Tell us now!"

The woman gave a worried glare at the Jedi, then answered harshly, "It was a bounty hunter named - "

There was a slight twang, and the assasin's head fell back limply, her face changing grotesquely. Laurence looked up just in time to see an armoured figure sail away, jetpack blazing. Leaping to his feet, he drew a blaster, but the bounty hunter was gone.

Carefully Obi-Wan reached down and plucked a small dart from the assasin's neck. "A toxic dart," he realized.

Laurence looked at the bandages in his hands and slowly wound them up again. He didn't need them anymore.

...

Wow, I couldn't believe it when I checked my traffic page and found over six hundred hits for this story in just one month! I never thought this would be so popular!

Thank you again to all the reviewers. :) It's nice to get so much encouragement.