Note: The accidental meeting between Anakin and Yoda is the first POD we've seen. It takes place about 31 minutes into the movie, just before they had that talk in canon. The first chronologically is considerable time before Episode III, but the changes only affect the main characters now. Will be explained eventually. Anyway, obviously the sequence of events in canon has been altered. Considerably.

Chapter 2

Anakin was summoned immediately, and even though he did not tell them where he had been, the three of them met in Obi Wan's quarters. In the sparsely furnished, very utilitarian rooms, this time with R2-D2 in attendance, they sat on the few chairs and tried to deduce who could have sent him the message.

"I've no idea, Master." Anakin said, "That code was in the library for a long time, and I have used it over the holonet on occasion, you know that."

"But why," Padme asked, "should the separatists or anyone who doesn't need our... your help know about this code and my personal comm details?"

Anakin didn't answer, but Obi Wan did in his stead.

"Maybe because Anakin could not be reached directly. Whoever sent this likely knew that you and Anakin know each other well enough for you to take a message to him if need be."

Obi Wan turned towards R2 and missed the quick glance the two other humans in the room shared.

"In any case, you should watch it, Anakin, and then decide what to do next."

He was about to turn and leave the room when Anakin bid him to stay.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Master." Anakin said, "I..."

He paused, trying to find the words he needed. "I would tell you anyway, so this way we might save some time. It seems like the sensible thing to do."

"You, sensible?" Obi Wan replied with a chuckle. "Who are you and what have you done with the real Anakin Skywalker?"

With only a grin as a reply, Anakin turned his head towards his wife. "That goes for you too, Senator. After all you did to bring this to me, that's the least you deserve."

"Thank you, Anakin."

"Well then," he said, taking a deep breath, "let's be about it. R2, display the message please."

After a few enthusiastic beeps, the little droid displayed a hologram of a hooded figure of middling stature, about a head shorter than Padme.

"General Skywalker, I need your help. I contact you because there is a matter that needs to be dealt with and that needs your unique talents. It is a matter that is a grave threat to the security of the Republic and can potentially turn the war in favour of the separatists. Therefore if you want to help me be at Entrance 1138 to INCOM dispersal facility in The Works at local sundown. Please come alone. Help me General Skywalker, you're my only hope."

"Well, that's... cryptic to say the least." Obi Wan said as the hologram dissolved. "What do you think this is about?"

"Master, I have no idea." Anakin said. "There are easier ways to set a trap than this one."

"Unfortunately you're right."

Padme recalled what the person had said. "If it is a matter that can threaten the Republic, then will you go?"

She couldn't quite keep the worried edge out of her voice.

Anakin looked at Obi Wan. "What do you think, Master?"

Said Master knew that Anakin had half-decided to go. The Council meeting would not last long, as it was only discussing routine matters. And Anakin would not be needed for very much of that.

What Obi Wan didn't know that Anakin had hoped to be able to spend the rest of that day with his wife, one of the rare days where the both of them were not needed for anything. Normally he would have sought her approval, but with someone else in the room..

But they both knew that he wouldn't be able to sit still while this was going on.

"You should go, Anakin." she said, "Isn't it the Jedi's sworn duty to help people in need?"

"She's right you know." Obi Wan added, "And I know you well enough to say that if you didn't go you would beat yourself up over it for the next couple of days. And I know how... unpleasant a moody Anakin can be."

Obi Wan didn't miss the quick smile that flashed over the Senators face.

Anakin grinned. "You know me too well, oh my Master. Though I must say, I am never moody."

"Ah," Obi Wan replied, "then that time when we lost track of that Separatist commander on Irantus was the exception to the rule, I'm sure. As was the one time we were stuck on that pirate asteroid for three days?"

"Yes, Master, exceptions proving the rule, I'm sure." Padme added with a grin.

Anakin felt amused for the first time since... it had started and couldn't help showing it. For a few moments everything that dampened his mood fell away as the two people he loved the most, one as his almost-brother and the other as his wife, were around him and for once nothing was trying to kill them all.

"But on a more serious note," Obi Wan said after a while, "who could have gotten access to your code while it was still in use by you?"

"I'm not sure. It's not as if I handed the could out as a promotional freebie with propaganda holovids."

There were actually only two times he had done this, and neither could have done it. One of those persons was in the room, and he had parted with the other on less than good terms. Besides, that person looked nothing like the figure they'd seen.

"Do you think it's a trap then?" Padme asked.

"Well obviously it's a trap." Anakin said, "But as my dear Master will tell you, unlike him I am fairly good at getting out of them without help."

"Quite aside that it was only the one time and you could have fallen into that rancor trap yourself, my then still very young Padawan, caution is advised in this. You shouldn't go alone. Whatever the message said."

"Maybe true, Obi Wan. But consider. Whoever wrote this is either waiting for me to bring half the Clones on Coruscant with me in which case he'll be gone or he won't be a threat to me. Not everyone's perception of the force is flawed these days."

Obi Wan ignored the dig at the Council and instead looked at the Senator, as if asking for help. However she just shook her head. "You know him better than I do. Do you think anything I can say will change his mined?"

"True. But Anakin, you just reminded me of another question. What do we tell the Council about this?"

"Nothing, Master. The Council would only urge caution and tell me to ignore the message. I on the other hand have an adventuring spirit and want to know what is going on there."

His old master sighed. "Very well then, but I urge you, at least take a comm-link with you so you're not totally cut off from help. You only need to make a call."

"I know, Master. You've always been too good a friend for anything else."

Padme wondered if she'd missed something, but then, Anakin's dissatisfaction with the Jedi Council was hardly news to her. It should be, but it wasn't. She wished she could do something about that.

"Then we will reconvene here-"

Padme interrupted. "If I may, Master?"

"Of course."

"Thank you. Master Kenobi, I think I can offer my quarters at 500 Republica for this. There you would be able to come to his aid without being seen by anyone, and if I may, R2 can splice the code into my system, in case anything more arrives."

That night Anakin dreamt the dream again. Once again Padme was lying on the table, in pain, calling for him, dying in childbirth. One thing was different though. This time he actually saw her die, and the child with her.

By next evening, Anakin was pacing up and down in his own quarters, desperately wishing for the numbers on his chrono to climb faster. He hadn't slept at all after the dream in spite of trying out every meditation and relaxation technique he knew, and his lack of sleep fed into his impatience.

Impatience he still felt when he jumped out of the speeder that had taken him to one of the entrances to what had once been the industrial heart of Coruscant. It, and the sectors that had followed had been abandoned when manufacturing moved elsewhere, so they were not a place respectable citizens went these days.

Therefore, perfect for clandestine meetings. As he looked at his surroundings, Anakin saw precisely nothing at all. If you wanted anywhere on Coruscant without constant air traffic, this was it. But what was even more unusual, and what triggered Anakin's sense of foreboding was that there wasn't any ground traffic either. At this time of night the criminal element that inhabited parts of the sector now should be out and about, but the entire scene was only remarkable for being devoid of life.

He had parked on a small raised platform, the abyss on one side and the two massive ferrocrete pillars that marked the entrance, a lift that would descent several levels downwards, about forty metres away. In-between him and it discarded speeder and droid parts were scattered, marking this as a former loading dock of some sort. It had all been here long enough for enough dirt to accumulate to allow the growth of some vegetation in the cracks and over some of the parts. Sensing danger, Anakin pulled his lightsabre from his belt and walked towards the entrance.

As he passed the rusting hulk of a T-11 about five metres from the entrance he sensed movement behind him, so in one swift move, he turned on his heels and ignited his sabre. Three IG-100 MagnaGuard Droids, their double-ended electrostaffs turned on and ready to fight.

Anakin took up a defensive stance and let them come.

All three charged him at the same time, staffs raised to chest level. The first one reached Anakin's range and carried out a sweeping strike, but the Jedi ducked below and came up inside of his opponent with his lightsabre. The weapon connected with the droid's body just to he left of the backup and sliced up his innards.

It's remains fell to the ground.

Anakin didn't stand to watch, and before his opponent was still, he was on the next. This droid parried Anakin's attack with the staff and swung one of the pulse-generating tips towards him. Anakin dodged, jumped to the rear, only to have the third droid swipe at him.

He turned and force-pushed the third droid into a large piece of wreckage where it remained for the moment. At that moment the second droid came at him from behind with his staff raised, but Anakin ducked, pushed his lightsabre over his shoulder and pulled it forward again. Even though he didn't actually hit the droid with it, his opponent stepped back to avoid it, giving him the time to stand, turn and face his enemy.

Both charged each other, Anakin with a furious yell on his lips. His sabre clashed with the staff, and for the next few minutes the fight was reduced to a furiously fast exchange of blows as both opponents tried to gain an edge over the other. Eventually Anakin had enough. He force-jumped over his opponent, turned in the air and came down on his feet. The droid tried to turn, but Anakin swiftly swung his sword, completely bisecting his enemy.

He rose back to his feet with a deep breath and looked around. The scene before him was quiet, but he knew that at least one more droid was out there, so he ran toward where he had last seen it. As he approached, the droid was entangled in the wreckage and vegetation, trying to get free. Anakin ended it by stabbing his sabre into it's head.

"Anyone else?"

As if on queue, the elevator doors opened, and out stepped six more droids.

"Oh come on..." Anakin sighed, force-grabbed a chunk of what had once been a speeder of some sort and slammed it down on the droids before they could move.

He waited for several minutes, but this time it really seemed to be the end of this ambush.

What would he do next? Turn around, fly back and report the ambush or try to find out there those droids had been coming from?

It didn't take him long to reach the elevator.

Once on the other end of it, he couldn't help but take in the vast scenery of desolation and remnants of industry. The closest building was indeed the old, abandoned INCOM facility. Most manufacturing had fled the planet eons ago, but some, like INCOM, had maintained local production of speeders and airbikes for the market on Coruscant, but long before the Trade Federation attack on Naboo that had started the spiral to war the facility had been abandoned.

Anakin reached out into the Force, but he felt no living being nearby. Which was odd. Though officially abandoned, The Works was a hive of criminal activity, and the INCOM facility was a near perfect place, intact, large and close to a back entrance with vehicle access.

What he did feel however was a faint, almost undetectable remnant of a force signature that was... he would almost say familiar, but so faint that he couldn't identify it's owner. In short, the entire affair had been a waste of time, but at least he could confirm that a Force-user was involved in this. It certainly warranted further investigation.

With a sigh he shut off his sabre and returned to his speeder.

As he sped away he failed to see the figure that had watched it all. With a hidden Force signature he hadn't seen nor felt the figure had accomplished it's goal.

tbc