On opposite trajectories, the Jedi pairs traveled swiftly and silently around the small mountain to Grievous' compound. They bounded through trees, over boulders and through piles of sticks and dry leaves without making a sound and without being seen by enemies. After twenty-five minutes, they watched each other emerge in the trees on either side of the small hatch. By now, it was getting dark and the droids on patrol were activating their headlamps.
They stayed hidden and used hand signals to coordinate their next move. Obi-Wan made fist and gave the indication to approach the hatch. Anakin ignited his blue lightsaber, easily searing a large circle in the hatch as Obi-Wan used the Force to silence any sound the procedure may have caused. Then he deftly leapt through the smoldering opening and into the small dank corridor below.
Almost immediately, he felt the nagging sensation that something was wrong. Again, he determined it had mostly to do with him, so he pushed the feeling aside and focused on sensing everything about the immediate vicinities. There was no danger too close other a patrol of two droids heading in a direction opposite their own. He sensed a computer console, not far from where he stood. He signaled for the rest to join him.
One by one, Anakin, Ahsoka and Aayla followed Obi-Wan through the hatch and into the passage below. Anakin, crept up to Obi-Wan, tapped him on the shoulder and Obi-Wan pointed him in the direction of the nearest mainframe console.
Anakin, who was unusually gifted at sensing machines, felt the compound teaming with them. He felt hundreds of metal bodies at work and millions of amperes flowing and splitting and flowing again. He repeated the signal to Obi-Wan in accordance with protocol and approached the console. The three other Jedi followed him so that they could provide cover from different angles as Anakin hacked.
Anakin pulled the cover panel off of the console and went to work. Prodding the circuits carefully, he delved into the computer, expertly breaking and making new connections that would allow him access to any information about the compound that he wanted. Within minutes, he had located the files that held the information regarding the hostages. He hacked into them easily and committed the information to memory. But before exiting, he noticed a file that was more heavily encrypted. What information could be more vital than the location of the hostages? Challenge accepted, he thought. He was making progress with decoding the heavily protected files when suddenly his metallic arm connected with live current and shocked him.
"Sith!" he growled, pulling his arm back sharply and resisting the urge the punch the computer and smash it to pieces.
Obi-Wan was at his side instantly. "What's happened? Are you alright?"
"Fine," Anakin assured Obi-Wan as he stood shaking out his arm. The shock had left an uncomfortable tingling sensation from the tips of his prosthetic fingers to the top of his shoulder. But it would be a quick fix and it could definitely wait. That's not what troubled him. "Obi-Wan, there is something in here that they really don't want anyone to know. Even I couldn't break in."
Aayla and Ahsoka cocked their heads slightly so they could listen better to Anakin's words from where they stood at their protective posts.
Obi-Wan stroked his beard thoughtfully. Was this fact at all connected with the foreboding he had felt? He let it slide for now. "Are you sure your arm is alright? Were you able to locate the younglings?"
"Yes, I think so and yes I found the younglings. Follow me." Anakin disappeared around the corner into and his companions followed him.
Deep within the confines of his compound, General Grievous sat in his chambers awaiting instruction from his superior. Instead, the hologram of a droid flickered to life on his desk.
"What now?" bellowed General Grievous to the Technical Droid. "Make it quick."
The droid spoke as ordered in its dull monotone. "Apologies sir, but there has been an attempt to breach our most encrypted files."
"Were they successful?" barked Grievous.
"Negative, sir. Cathodic protection prevented them from accessing-"
Not caring for the technical details of the thwarted breach, Grievous dismissed the droid while it was in mid-sentence with the smash of his metal fist on a button. Then he let out and deep malevolent laugh. So they came after all, he thought darkly and laughed some more. Chances are it was the Skywalker brat who did the hacking. And where there is Skywalker, there is sure to be Kenobi.
Then the hologram of Count Dooku flickered to life on his desk and this time Grievous sat up straight and bowed his head in respect.
"What news of Republic intervention, Grievous?" demanded Dooku getting right down to the point and eyeing the droid general disdainfully.
"They are here, my lord," reported Grievous proudly.
"That was fast. What do they know?" questioned Dooku, skeptical that Grievous could provide anything helpful.
"Nothing of importance. I will contain them until you arrive."
"Very well, Grievous. I shall be there within two standard days. Do what you will but keep them alive."
"Yes, my lord" replied Grievous failing to hide his excitement.
"Almost there" signaled Anakin to his Padawan. She was doing well. Ahsoka hadn't made a peep since they entered the compound and her high stamina was allowing her to keep up with the Jedi Masters. If the Force had been kind enough to bless Ahsoka with a rare spell of silence, it was bound to help them complete this mission unscathed. Or would it?
Another brief flicker of danger slithered its way through Anakin's thoughts. He glanced back at Ahsoka again, then to Obi-Wan and to Aayla. Everyone seemed fine thus far. The only thing that was really bothering him was the tingling in his arm. It had intensified since the initial shock. He gave it a shake and oddly it seemed to almost feel lighter than it usually did.
No time to think about it though, one more level and two more corridors and they would be within the prisoner holding cells and undoubtedly faced with more security obstacles.
Anakin finally came to a halt in front of a circular steel door. As his Padawan skidded to avoid colliding into his hip, Obi-Wan and Aayla immediately took protective stance on either side of him.
For the second time today and hopefully the last, Anakin reached for the panel of a computer with intentions to hack into it. But as Anakin curled his fingers around the transparisteel frame, something was undeniably wrong. The fingers on his right hand did not want to respond and he had to concentrate very hard to even get them to twitch. Movement evaded him until eventually he couldn't get his arm to respond at all. Kriff.
"I can't open it," Anakin confessed dully. "My right arm shorted out. Its useless."
"What do you mean useless?" whispered Aayla apprehensively.
"Useless as in I can't use it," replied Anakin annoyed. Why were they always relying on him to do the technical tasks anyway?
Ahsoka's eyes widened in fear and she bent to try to give comfort to her Master.
Anakin looked away from her shamefully but let her probe his malfunctioning arm nonetheless. This was something he had never wanted his Padawan to see. He feared it would be a reminder to her that her Master was permanently handicapped and had once been critically defeated in combat.
Obi-Wan reacted quickly. "It's alright Anakin, we'll improvise. I'll give it a shot."
Obi-Wan and Anakin swapped places immediately and Obi-Wan removed the panel and began to manipulate the circuits inside. As Anakin took up a protective stance, he felt awkward and unbalanced. The Force wasn't flowing through him like it usually did and it made him feel ungainly and nauseated.
"Master?" pleaded Ahsoka with worry in her widened blue eyes.
"It's fine Ahsoka, I'll fix it later. I have another arm don't I?"
Indeed Anakin did have another arm, but he still felt wrong. The only thing that he disliked about his false arm was that it served as a reminder of a great mistake he had made. Other than that, he had grown accustomed to it and even learned to allow his own Force presence to flow through it. Now, the false limb hung loosely at his side and all the Force strength that usually flowed throughout it had to be sloppily diverted. And what was worse, the suggestion of danger swirling within the Force had returned and wasn't quick to dissipate.