During the night in a dark part of Coruscant an armed female with armored plates got out of her ship and walked over to the hidden figure in the darkness. "I hit the ship but they used a decoy" she told him. "We'll have to try something a little more subtle this time Zem my client is getting impatient, take these" he said handing her a clear canister with centipede like things inside. "Be careful they're very poisonous and Zem there can be no mistakes this time" he warned her as she covered her face and got back inside her ship.
Jason, Anakin, and Obi-wan stood watch in the living room as Padme and Melaena slept. "Captain Typho has more than enough men downstairs, no assassin will try that way any activity up here?" Obi-wan asked. Anakin shook his head "quiet as a tomb" he answered as Jason looked at Coruscant's night scape in the distance. "By the way is everything alright with you and Padme Jason? I sensed some tension earlier" Obi-wan asked his friend. Jason sighed deeply "about a year or two ago we ended our relationship, we have our own duties that occupy our time and we thought it's best" he answered. Obi-wan shook his sadly hearing how his friend was doing before checking the camera status. "What's going on?" he asked. "Uh they covered the cameras, I don't think Melaena liked me watching her" Anakin answered. "What is she thinking?" Obi-wan asked himself. "I programmed R2 to alert us if there is an intruder Obi-wan" Jason told him. "There are other ways to kill a Sentor Jason" Obi-wan warned him. "I know but we still want to catch this assassin right?" Jason said causing Obi-wan to look at him "you're using her as bait" Obi-wan said knowingly. Anakin then defended his best friend/mentor "it was their idea, don't worry no harm will come to them me and Jason can sense everything going on in that room" he said which Obi-wan looked at him warily "trust me" he said to that. Obi-wan sighed "it's too risky, besides your senses aren't that attuned my young apprentice" he commented causing Jason to raise his eyebrow "and yours are?" he asked smirking. Obi-wan glanced at him a bit smugly "possibly" he answered. Jason rolled his eyes and continued standing watch.
Inside the girls bedroom a floating droid stayed in place in front of the window and used a laser to make an opening and deposited the canister. The centipede creatures slithered out and plopped on the floor and moved towards their targets. Before they got any further however R2 activated and lit up the room with a flashlight and surveyed the room. When there appeared to be no danger R2 shut off and resumed stasis. The creatures moved from their hiding places and moved ever closer to the girls.
Meanwhile Anakin stood at the window staring at the scenery deep in thought. Noticing this Obi-wan spoke up "you look tired" he stated causing Anakin to look at him and sigh. "I don't sleep well anymore" he admitted. "Because of your mother?" Jason asked. Anakin nodded "how longer has it been since you spoke to her?" Jason asked. "About three months ago" he answered. Jason walked over and put a comforting hand on Anakin's shoulder "dreams pass with time" he said reassuringly. Anakin nodded and Jason resumed his position. "I'd rather dream about Melaena, just thinking about her is intoxicating" Anakin said. "Anakin while I approve of your 'infatuation' with my sister try and keep your thoughts on the mission at hand" Jason lectured. "Speaking of which what's going on with you and Padme? I noticed some tension earlier" Obi-wan asked. Jason sighed deeply "two years ago we separated because we thought it'd be best due to our responsibilities" he told them sadly. "I'm sorry to hear that, you two are quite the pair" Obi-wan told him smiling softly which Jason returned. Obi-wan's smile faded however when a thought crossed his mind and turned to Anakin" but be wary, they're politicians and are not to be trusted" he told Anakin. "Please not another lecture on politics master" Anakin groaned. "besides I think you're generalizing the Chancellor doesn't appear to be corrupt" he told Obi-wan. "Anakin appearances can be deceiving, while I agree that not all politicians are corrupt Palpatine is a man who doesn't sit well with me" Jason warned him. "Well I think he's a good man my-" Anakin was cut off when Jason sprinted to the bedroom sensing danger. Before the centipede creatures touched Padme Jason activated his lightsaber and swung lightly killing them. As Obi-wan and Anakin made it inside Jason noticed the droid out the window fly away and jumped out the window. Unfortunately he missed the droid by a hair and plummeted downward. Anakin turned to the girls who were frightened by the encounter "stay here" he ordered as he and Obi-wan ran out to catch up.
Jason cursed as he continued to plummet down. He then smiled in realization and manipulated the Force to make him fly upward. When he got up to the same level of the droid he sped forward his robes billowing in the wind as he did.
While Jason was chasing the droid Anakin and Obi-wan took action and got a speeder and sped forward to catch up. They passed a couple of very unhappy drivers as the sped in their way. "You know when we're through here you and I are going to have to talk about your suicidal tendencies" Obi-wan muttered while holding onto his seat tightly as Anakin smirked.
Jason finally caught up to the droid and grabbed on the sides hanging tightly. Noticing this the droid floated closer to the edge of a building causing Jason to lose his grip a bit before recovering.
Further in front Zem noticed Jason holding on to the droid and grabbed her sniper rifle. She aimed and fired causing the droid to be destroyed and Jason tumble downward not having the energy to fly anymore. With that Zem hopped in her speeder and took off. Behind him Anakin and Obi-wan saw him falling and lined up the speeder so he could get in. Jason grabbed the top of the seats and sat down "What took you two so long?" he asked exhausted as they chased Zem "Oh you know Master I couldn't find a speeder I really liked, with an open cockpit and the right speed capabilities" Anakin answered. "If you spent as much time with your speeder technics you'd rival Master Yoda as a swordsman" Obi-wan commented. "I thought I already did" Anakin groaned playfully. "Only in your mind my very young apprentice" Jason smirked as they continued to chase Zem. They sped through multiple speeders almost crashing into them. Zem then flew downward in an attempt to crash them. Anakin swerved out of the way of multiple ships before coming upon a much bigger ship. Anakin continued to speed downward causing Obi-wan to grip his seat tighter. "Pull up Anakin! Pull up!" he begged as Anakin laughed childishly. At the last second they swerved out of the way safely and continued the chase. "You know I don't like it when you do that" Obi-wan groaned. "I'm sorry Master I forgot you don't like flying" Anakin apologized. "I don't mind flying but what you're doing is suicide!" Obi-wan told him as they sped past another speeder. When they entered a power complink field they swerved from side to side away from pillars of flame spewing out. Ahead of them Zem noticed an antenna and shot it with her blaster and flew past it just in time for it to burst with electricity. "Anakin how many times have I told you stay away from power complinks!" Obi-wan complained as they sped through the electricity. When they returned back in the city Zem sped through a tunnel as Anakin continued forward. "Where are you going?! He went that way!" Obi-wan asked exasperatedly. "Master if we keep this chase up any longer that creep is going to end up deep fried personally I want to find out who he is and who he's working for, this is a short cut, I think" Anakin answered. "That's very reassuring Anakin" Jason said sarcastically as they sped forward.
In the tunnel Zem glanced behind her and removed her mask as she went through.
Meanwhile Anakin stopped in front of the end of the tunnel. Obi-wan sighed "well you've lost him" he said frustrated with his arm crossed over his chest. "I'm deeply sorry Master" Anakin told him. "That was some short cut Anakin he went completely the other way, once again you flew-" Obi-wan said as Anakin hopped out of the speeder muttering an "if you'll excuse me" as Obi-wan looked down and groaned. "I hate it when he does that" he muttered causing Jason to grin. "It shows we're doing a good job" he said. "Really? how's that?" Obi-wan questioned as he got in the drivers seat and followed Anakin. "He's more intune with the Force" Jason joked causing Obi-wan to groan again in annoyance.
As Anakin fell he finally saw Zem's ship and quickly grabbed on as it sped past. Noticing this Zem glanced up and grabbed her blaster as Anakin grabbed his lightsaber and stabbed it through the windshield causing her to shoot at him and lose his grip as his lightsaber flew backward. Obi-wan noticed this and grabbed it setting it down next to him. "He will never learn will he?" he asked no one in particular. Zem then flew downward in attempt to fling Anakin off but he held tightly on to the left side. She re-positioned the speeder so it was balanced and grabbed her blaster and fired some shots causing Anakin to hang below away from the shots. When the shots ceased he grabbed the ledge and swung to the other side. When he did Zem flew down again causing Anakin to slide over the passenger door. Zem glanced at him causing her appearance to change briefly before going back. Anakin grabbed her arm with the blaster causing her to fire at the controls and speed out of control. Anakin tumbled down and crashed into some crates as Zem's ship flew down and crashed into the wall. Getting to his feet Anakin noticed Zem get out and chase after her as she ran. She went into a club full of people hiding her from view. Before Anakin could follow suit Obi-wan and Jason called his name. "She went into the club Masters" he told them. "Patience, use the Force" Obi-wan told him. "I'm sorry Master" he said. "He went in there to hide not to run" Jason reminded. "Of course Master" Anakin said. Obi-wan handed him his lightsaber "next time try not to lose it, this weapon is your life" Obi-wan lectured. "I'll try Master" Anakin said as they walked inside. "Why do have the feeling you'll be the death of me" Obi-wan groaned. "Don't say that Master you're as close to what it's like to have a father" Anakin told him. "Then why don't you listen to me?" Obi-wan questioned. "I am trying" Anakin said as they stopped and looked around. "Do you you see him?" Obi-wan asked. "I think he is a she, and I think she's a changlium" Anakin answered. Jason nodded "in that case be extra careful" he told Anakin as he and Obi-wan started to walk off. "Where will you be Masters?" Anakin questioned. "For a drink" Jason told him with a small grin. Anakin shook his head and continued looking.
When Jason and Obi-wan got to the bar a man walked up to them. "You wanna buy some death sticks?" he asked. "You don't want to sell us death sticks" Jason said using the Force. "I don't wanna sell you death sticks" he said almost robotically. "You want to go home and rethink your life" Jason said using the Force once more. "I wanna go home and rethink my life" the guy said walking away. Behind them Zem stalked towards them and took out her blaster ready to kill them. But before she could Obi-wan swung his lightsaber and cut off her arm. Jason grabbed her and moved her forward. Anakin came up to the two and looked at the crowd "Jedi business go back to your drinks" he said as they walked outside. Jason set her on the ground and questioned her "do you know who it was you were hired to kill?" he asked. "It was the Senator from Naboo" she answered groaning in pain. "And who hired you?" Jason demanded. "It was just a job" Zem muttered. Anakin then decided to try his hand "who hired you tell us" he said almost softly causing Obi-wan to look at him before he tried again "tell us now!" he ordered. Zem swallowed deeply before answering "it was a bounty hunter called-" she was cut off when a dart pierced her neck causing her to gurgle. The trio looked up to see an armored figure fly away before looking back at Zem who started to return to her real form trying to speak before going limp. Jason grabbed the dart and examined it closely. "A toxic dart" he muttered as the trio looked back at Zem's body wondering what she was going to say. It seemed the answers they got only led to more questions.