Entry 2 – Stakeout
Coruscant
Time forged ahead as usual. The upper level of Coruscant's atmosphere was littered with countless spacecraft. It seemed much like any other day on the Core World. One particular vessel, an unnamed commercial freighter, was transporting Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka Tano closer to their destination.
After navigating the appropriate skylanes, Obi-Wan piloted his small ship towards the topmost spire of a glittering skyscraper. There, he descended hundreds of stories. His sights were set upon the shadowy corridors between buildings, where he could remain inconspicuous by avoiding the main routes.
Once he reached the lower level of skyscrapers, Obi-Wan used each corridor to fly deeper into Galactic City, the planet's capital. An orange-yellow sky shone with brilliance, but sunlight quickly vanished as Obi-Wan altered the ship's trajectory in an abrupt fashion.
He dipped the tiny ship below the apex of Coruscant's undercity with a specific endpoint in mind. Artificial lighting and numerous advertisement holograms gave the environment an unnatural feel as Obi-Wan's vessel cruised along.
Darting in and out of several familiar passageways, Obi-Wan made his way through the crowded neighborhood. Then, after one final turn, he ascended a few stories and exited the sublevel. The freighter hovered next to the base of a magnificent edifice.
All of the nearby skyscrapers were partially blocking the sun's natural light. However, intense rays of cerise still trickled through the spaces between buildings. The unique hue told Obi-Wan that dusk was approaching.
Up ahead, the Jedi Master could see his terminus, a public parking platform surrounded by many towering high-rise apartments. The ship would reach the busy dais in a matter of moments. It was time to wake up Ahsoka.
During the hyperspace jump to Coruscant, the young Togruta had strapped herself to the cargo hold side of the ship's main partition. She desperately needed to nap, for the girl's disorder was wreaking havoc upon her sleep cycle.
Sitting on the chilly durasteel floor of the cargo hold, Ahsoka had dozed for a minimal amount of time. True slumber never came. The Togruta began to stir on her own, so Obi-Wan didn't have to alert her to their whereabouts.
As if on cue, Ahsoka entered the cockpit as the craft arrived at the parking platform. "Hello Master Kenobi." With her red-skinned hand against the bulkhead, she continued. "I felt the ship slowing. Is this the place?"
"Yes, Ahsoka." Obi-Wan spoke the words plainly while landing the freighter. "Indeed it is." He cut the realspace engines and the vessel came to a smooth stop. The parking spot they occupied was deliberately chosen by the Jedi Master. "Did you sleep?" he asked.
Ahsoka stared at her feet. "Not well," she admitted honestly.
Sighing his concern, Obi-Wan responded. "That's too bad." He shook his head and exhaled again. "I'm sorry about the accommodations," he offered, wishing they could have traveled in a more luxurious craft.
The girl immediately felt guilty for sharing the truth. "Think nothing of it, master." She hoped Obi-Wan wouldn't blame himself for her lack of sleep. "We can't be discovered, which makes this freighter crucial to the mission."
It had been a long time since Obi-Wan worked with Ahsoka, but he was still impressed with the girl's selflessness.
After studying the parking platform through the ship's transparisteel viewport, Ahsoka sat in the copilot's seat. There were dozens of ships and speeders parked on the commercial dais.
"You know," Obi-Wan began. "I can handle surveillance myself." He was genuinely worried about the girl. "Why don't you try to get some rest again? I'll be able to sense anyone outside the ship."
Ahsoka was touched by the kindness, but refused to let Obi-Wan work alone. "No way, master." She was quite adamant about doing her part. "This is a two person job. You need to focus your concentration on Padme's star skiff. I'll make sure no one approaches us from outside."
Obi-Wan knew the young girl was right. "Very well," he said, "but you're staying right here with me." If anyone recognized her as a Jedi, the results could be disastrous. "You can sense the ship's surroundings through the Force."
Actually, Ahsoka had no intention of vacating the copilot's chair. Only the soothing nature of Obi-Wan's presence could help the girl cope with her inner turmoil right now. "No problem," she replied, as thoughts of Anakin bombarded her psyche.
Obi-Wan grabbed a pair of sophisticated electrobinoculars from the cockpit's storage compartment. He started tinkering with the device.
Ahsoka looked at the buildings through the viewport. She wondered where Obi-Wan would aim those electrobinos. "Master Kenobi… I don't see any landing pads." The red-skinned Togruta was baffled. "Where is Padme's skiff?"
The Jedi Master manned the electrobinoculars with one hand and pointed with the other. "See those two apartments?" He was pointing to the general vicinity of two tall structures.
"I do," Ahsoka said while cocking an eyebrow, "but there's nothing up there. No landing pad." Her curiosity peaked.
Now Obi-Wan held the viewing device tightly with both hands. "Look between the buildings." The electros whirred as he adjusted the focusing knob.
Squinting, Ahsoka looked hard. "There's nothing out there… Wait. You mean that dark spot in the far distance? I can barely see it."
"Precisely." Obi-Wan would have chuckled under different circumstances. Through the electrobinoculars, he had a perfect view of Padme's Coruscanti dwelling, complete with attached landing pad.
"Isn't that the senator's penthouse suite?" Ahsoka asked without expecting an answer. "How… How'd you know about this view? It's like a parsec away!"
Obi-Wan smirked playfully. "Ahsoka, my child. Never underestimate my skills at reconnaissance." He could see Padme's J-type star skiff sitting upon its landing pad. Adjusting a few knobs, Obi-Wan made the image clearer.
Ahsoka thought about the comment, and smirked as well. "I figured Padme's skiff would be somewhere closer. Her veranda's docking area is only big enough for airspeeders. Where is she keeping it?"
Proceeding to keep tabs on the starship yacht, Obi-Wan answered. "Padme still has access to the attached landing pad, courtesy of the Naboo Embassy."
This time squinting even harder, Ahsoka could just make out the ancient skyscraper that housed Padme's suite. "Didn't the Embassy furnish the entire apartment? I'm not surprised they gave her a landing pad too."
Obi-Wan almost turned his head, but he couldn't afford to take his eyes off the skiff. Did he detect a hint of jealousy in Ahsoka's voice? Ultimately, the Jedi Master let it go. He had already warned the girl.
The electrobinos provided a detailed view of the veranda's mouth for Obi-Wan. Surprisingly, there was no sign of Padme yet, and she was due to leave this evening. All Ahsoka could see was the silhouette of Padme's apartment building, surrounded by the smog-shrouded city.
Supposedly, Padme Amidala would depart within the hour, and Obi-Wan's information was rarely inaccurate. He and Ahsoka were a safe distance away from Padme's sleek, chromium starship, and the stakeout was in full swing. Now, they only needed to wait.
-o-o-o-o-o-
An hour quickly went by, and the only significant change was the color of the sky. The deep indigo tint made it clear that dusk had arrived. Ahsoka Tano gazed at the hypnotic skylanes above, while Obi-Wan Kenobi kept watching the senator's starship.
'If only I could drop into a meditative state,' Ahsoka thought to herself. Utilizing the Force, she was fully aware of the freighter's immediate surroundings. Meditation wouldn't disrupt her awareness, but she dismissed the idea. The young girl figured it would be rude to relax while Obi-Wan sat there doing all the principal work. Still, she made a simple attempt to calm herself, but it was to no avail.
Obi-Wan peered over at the girl for a brief moment. He noticed that she was scrutinizing the luminous Coruscanti traffic. To ease some of the discomfort they were both feeling, the Jedi Master decided to break the silence. "You know, my master Qui-Gon used to make me stare at the skylanes in order to achieve meditation." He spoke the words with as much warmth as possible. "Then, I taught the technique to Anakin."
A smile formed across Ahsoka's face. It was her first in days. "Really?" She seemed to be intrigued, for the comment triggered a warm memory. "Anakin used that method with me. He never told me it was yours."
Now it was Obi-Wan's turn to smile. "It's good to know that Anakin felt some of my techniques were worth teaching," he stated in a playful manner. Then, he aimed the electrobinoculars at Padme's veranda. No activity yet.
After another quiet moment, Ahsoka chose to bring up a delicate topic. Though seemingly out of the blue, the subject had actually occupied the girl's consciousness for quite some time. She spoke her mind. "Master Kenobi, I know it's not the Jedi way, but… have you ever known hatred?" She slunk backwards in the copilot's chair, a bit embarrassed about asking the question.
Still spying on the landing pad, Obi-Wan responded to the unexpected inquiry with one of his own. "Why do you ask, Ahsoka?"
Adjusting her head-tails, the female Togruta respired. "Well… it's just that I've been feeling so much anger… towards the clones… towards Palpatine… and even towards Anakin." The troubled girl paused, hoping Obi-Wan wouldn't notice that she was trembling. "I can't even process the atrocities they've committed." An uncharacteristic look of rage flashed across her face. "I think I hate them." She paused again. "All of them."
Obi-Wan could sense a dangerous ferocity in the girl. He didn't quite know how to respond to such a confession. So, trusting in the Force, he allowed instinct to take over. "Have you ever known hatred before?"
Ahsoka contemplated the question for a moment, and shifted in her seat. Considering the honesty they had been offering each other, she decided to give a genuine answer. "Honestly master, when I had feelings for Anakin… I hated the way he and Padme looked at each other."
Obviously, she was reaching out to Obi-Wan. Searching the girl's countenance, the Jedi Master could tell that she had let go of her crush. However, this business about hatred concerned him tremendously. Obi-Wan felt that the problem required him to be just as honest. There was no reason to hold back.
"I hated the way they looked at each other as well." He continued to peer at the skiff through the binos. "I hated the way she would do anything for him," Obi-Wan added with a sigh.
Ahsoka was truly stunned. 'Did Master Kenobi just tell me that he had feelings for the senator?' Before she could answer herself, Obi-Wan proceeded to share his thoughts.
"I also felt intense hatred towards the Sith Lord I faced on Naboo." He could see the demonic Zabrak in his mind's eye. Despite the painful recollection, Obi-Wan still attempted to comfort his friend. "Ahsoka, in all honesty, Jedi are not perfect. It's a fact we know all too well... now." He placed one hand upon his bearded chin as images of Anakin flooded his mentality.
"Thank you for helping me through this, Master Kenobi." Shocked at the sincerity she had been offered, Ahsoka was truly moved. The young Togruta felt great relief knowing that Obi-Wan dealt with emotion too.
His free hand returned to the electrobinos. "You're quite welcome, Ahsoka." The Jedi Master had no reservations about confiding in the girl, but he desperately wanted to change the subject. Dark thoughts of the past seemed to invite more unwanted memories. Continuing to survey the landing pad, Obi-Wan remembered a more recent encounter.
It was just before his trip to Shili. Obi-Wan Kenobi had visited Padme Amidala as a wanted fugitive. He had conversed with the senator in the very apartment he was now monitoring. The Jedi Master couldn't keep the thoughts at bay, and his arrival at Padme's veranda replayed in his head.
When he landed in his speeder, Obi-Wan had no idea how to explain the situation to Padme. Nevertheless, all of the horrendous information he had acquired would have to be shared. She greeted him with open arms, but that couldn't change the truth.
Palpatine was the Sith Lord. Revealing this fact was the easy part. Telling her what Anakin had done was pure anguish. Obi-Wan cringed at the recollection. Astonishment and disbelief had broken the foundation of Padme's soul, obliterating her usual luminosity. She reeled from the unspeakable news.
The fateful meeting had generated much agony. However, Obi-Wan sensed something that day, and it gave him new hope.
Suddenly, the electrobinoculars detected movement. Obi-Wan snapped out of his reverie and returned to the present. He leaned forward, pressing the binos against the transparisteel viewport. "Looks like we finally have some activity."
Ahsoka was concentrating hard on the freighter's immediate surroundings when Obi-Wan's announcement instantly caused her stomach to knot. They were that much closer to following Padme. The intimidating realization sent shivers through Ahsoka's red and white striped lekku. She listened attentively as Obi-Wan described the scene.
"Hmmm… Padme appears to be arguing with Captain Typho on the landing pad. I assume he doesn't want her to leave without protection." Always amazed by the senator's determination, Obi-Wan couldn't believe she was planning to confront Anakin alone. 'She would truly do anything for him,' the Jedi Master mused to himself.
Waiting anxiously for more information, Ahsoka tried to control her shaking hands. Though the girl knew what would happen next, she never wanted to hear Obi-Wan confirm it.
"Okay… there's her protocol droid. He's boarding the ship." Obi-Wan waited for more action, then spoke again. "And there she goes. It's just Padme and Threepio. The Captain has left."
Both of Ahsoka's montrals began to ache. She rubbed them vehemently, questioning her fortitude. 'Am I ready for this?'
The moment had arrived. Padme knew exactly where to find Anakin. Her J-type star skiff's realspace engines ignited and the teardrop-shaped yacht lifted off the pad.
Obi-Wan put the binos away and squeezed Ahsoka's shoulder warmly. "It's time," he declared.
It all happened so fast. Obi-Wan's small freighter ascended hundreds of stories. Ahsoka watched the public parking platform shrink as they left it behind. Keeping their distance, the Jedi were soon trailing Padme's ship.
Once again, Obi-Wan steered his vessel through the traffic of several skylanes. He followed Padme and Threepio into Coruscant's upper atmosphere.
Ahsoka centered herself through the Force. However, this did not quash her doubts about the mission. She had no clue what to expect.
The light from three of Coruscant's four natural moons reflected off of Padme's sleek skiff. A gorgeous, shimmering effect was the result. Below, thousands of vehicles and skyscrapers caused the night to sparkle. Both Jedi took notice, and relished every second of the beauty.
As Ahsoka continued to reach out with the Force, she knew that Obi-Wan would offer his generous support throughout the assignment. The Jedi Master's selfless compassion brought comfort to the girl.
Suddenly, Padme's reflective craft blasted into planetary orbit. Obi-Wan properly adjusted his freighter's controls and broke free of Coruscant's standard gravity as well. Both starships pierced the black canvas that was space.
With the exception of Darth Sidious himself, Padme Amidala was the only one aware of Anakin's galactic position. Soon, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka Tano would possess that knowledge also.
{Revised 1/17/16}
~to be continued