They finally reached the fortress and made their way to the secret lower levels. Anakin paused by a slanted wall with a door. He shoved it aside with a Force push. They entered into a stone corridor of shining black with no turns. At the end, there was a plain wall.
"It's a dead end?" Han glared at Anakin.
Anakin resisted the urge to snap back. "Not quite. It's got a latch you can only access with the Force." He looked at Obi-Wan. The Jedi master studied him carefully, keeping a light mental touch through the Force with him. He nodded and Anakin turned forward, breathing lightly in and out. He didn't sense anyone on the other side. Sliding his eyes shut and resisting the anger and despair the planet's dark side augmented in him, he moved his hand. The door suddenly sprang open, a solid wall rumbling aside. Artoo squawked in surprise.
They all winced at the sound. "Noisy much?" Han demanded.
"If they can't open it, they can grease any moving parts I guess." Luke pointed out.
"They don't even know it's here." Anakin carefully led the way in, looking out for droids.
"Now where's the data?" Han demanded.
"By the meditation chamber at the top."
"Naturally." Han snorted sarcastically. "As far up as possible."
"Unfortunately, yes."
"So the Dark Lord could look down on his petty subjects." Leia said pointedly.
"On this rock? There aren't any 'subjects' left. Officers and military, but no subjects." Anakin replied coolly.
Artoo rolled to the lead. He had the layout of the place, and were it not for the 'Force users only' doors, might've done the job on his own. As it was he was able to warn them occasionally, tootling a warning when a security droid floated up on them. Artoo had been given the appropriate clearance codes so he was able to allay it's suspicion. He was also able to plug in on various levels and alter the video recordings, making it look like a minor malfunction randomly skipping through the system affected them. However, enough of the rebel team were on most wanted posters that they needed to hang back out of sight of the security droids while Artoo cleared them out.
Obi-Wan was considering the layout, and occasionally sliding his gaze sideways to study Anakin. The former Sith looked grim but determined as he led them. The stairs and lifts were offset every few levels, making a straight path to the top impossible. The hallways were a maze. A sense of increased dark energy seemed to emanate from one corridor.
"What's down there?" Ahsoka asked, then flinched. She knew even before Anakin mumbled reluctantly that it was the security level. That was a polite way of saying prison, dungeon, interrogation center and torture chamber. Chewbacca lingered an instant longer staring at it.
There were still Imperial officer's stationed here, although it was reduced to a token force. They had to avoid people fairly often. Once they passed a black Arfour unit that gave Artoo Detoo a long suspicious buzz. They twittered at each other a moment. Anakin glanced back a few times, frowning. If the droid grew suspicious, they would not sense it follow. He recognized the droid as one he'd picked up after Artoo left with Obi-Wan and Padme, to co-pilot his old starfighter. That was back before he'd had the TIE fighter. It had been no true replacement for Artoo though. It had been a tool. Artoo was a friend. Finally two levels up, they found an unused storage area to duck into. They appeared to have lost the droid.
"Let's take a few minutes to rest." Kenobi stated.
"Getting tired old man?" Han teased.
Chewbacca poked Han's shoulder and howled at him.
"Hey! Okay, yeah, I forgot you're the oldest guy in the team…"
They all sank down in the abandoned area on the various unused boxes. Pulling out the field rations they took a moment to eat. Anakin eyed the food gloomily and exchanged a look with Obi-Wan and Ahsoka. Artoo rolled around, poking at boxes and even found one full of unused stormtrooper rations.
Han was restless. "I'm going to scout around." Chewie followed as he vanished out the door. Artoo hooted softly and went after him. Luke was meditating. Ahsoka was talking to Leia. Anakin was left with Obi-Wan.
"You've gotten spoiled very quickly with Padme bringing you food."
"It's not that the food is so much better all the time. She only has so much to work with. But I do appreciate the company."
"I've been wanting to ask you something. By any chance, did you have this place designed like the Citadel on purpose?"
Anakin rolled his eyes heavenward. "Well…yeah. It kind of inspired it. Not as a prison so much as I wanted privacy. And those chateaus Dooku used to use were…disturbing. The thought of all those people going insane reminded me of how I felt when they were treating my injuries. I really thought I would lose my mind. I guess from a certain point of view I did."
"The whole planet is unsettling. It's a horrible planet." Obi-Wan replied.
Anakin didn't disagree. He rose, absently strolling around the storage area peering into boxes. "Hello, what's this?" He opened a crate and pulled out a bottle of Corellian whiskey. "Hey, it's a whole case full of liquor. We have a supply officer with good taste around here." He pulled out a bottle of Naboo wine with his other hand. He looked between them, eyes alight.
"No." Obi-Wan said flatly.
"What?" Anakin was halfway to opening the wine bottle.
"I said, no." Obi-Wan waved a hand and yanked the bottle away with a Force pull.
"Hey!" Anakin complained. "The medic said I could eat and drink normally, within reason."
"It lowers inhibitions and the last thing you need in this place is lower inhibitions."
Anakin glared. Kenobi glared back. Luke looked up, surprised. "I thought Jedi didn't drink alcohol."
"They usually don't."
"You've drunk plenty!" Anakin fired back. "I've seen you so plastered you couldn't remember where you parked your fighter!"
Obi-Wan rolled his eyes heavenward. Trust Anakin to remember that. "Rarely, in the course of a mission. And face it, it was your bad influence that started it."
"I didn't make you do it."
"I don't even know where you picked it up. You just started one day."
Anakin folded his arms, scowling. "Nejaa didn't mind."
"Nejaa? Halcyon? He got you started?"
"We shared quite a few drinks and talked, well, stuff we couldn't talk about to anyone else."
"Like what?"
Anakin opened his mouth, hesitated. "Can't. I promised."
Obi-Wan's brows rose and then folded into a furrow.
Luke continued to watch with interest as Obi-Wan firmly kept a rein on his father's impulses. He couldn't remember Obi-Wan ever taking that tone with him. The closest he'd experienced was his uncle, who used it far more often than he'd liked. His father's reaction was also interesting. He may not like it but he wasn't ignoring him either. His expression flickered between frustration, indignation and resignation.
Anakin sighed and looked around. "Maybe when we're out of here?" He suggested plaintively.
Obi-Wan nodded slightly and his head cocked, listening. A frown crossed his weathered face.
Han slammed in with Artoo whistling excitedly behind him. Chewie followed on the rear, hyper alert and gun raised. They could hear an alert echoing distantly down the corridors. "The ships we shot down are past their check in. They've gone on alert and are searching the fortress."
"We'd best hurry then …"
"Is that Corellian whiskey?" Han's eyes lit up and he hurried over to the crate.
"Han!" Leia shot to her feet.
"What?"
"We haven't time for that!"
"Well they aren't …"
Ahsoka bounced up and grabbed a couple of the bottles and thrust them into her pack. "How about we think about using them to celebrate leaving this place."
"I agree." Luke shook his head as he rose, giving his father a curious look.
They filed out carefully. They hadn't gone far before Arfour suddenly spun from his position near the front and let out a irritated trill. Racing straight back along the corridor, welder arc ready he nearly collided with the other Artoo unit, the black one. He fired his rocket jets and bounced up above the other droid's dome, intentionally colliding with it's sensor and zapping it with the welder. The other droid wailed as Han spun around and shot the black droid. It slammed back into a wall smoking. Artoo hurried after the group. He turned and looked at Anakin with a sound like an electronic snort.
Ahsoka let out a startled noise. "Don't tell me after the incident with Goldie you actually tried to replace Artoo when you became Vader?"
"No droid could replace Artoo. But for awhile I did still need a droid in the socket. That was R4-K5." Anakin glanced down at Artoo. "I didn't deserve to have Artoo. I'm glad he was protecting my family."
Artoo let out a more satisfied whistle at this.
Things got even harder now. There was nothing for it. Even with a token force on duty, they were near enough the command center that the corridors were well guarded.
They proceeded carefully. Obi-Wan and Luke threw the occasional Force distraction. But this didn't always work now that they were alerted to intruders. They found themselves pinned down for some time behind a corner. Han finally snorted, "ah, vape it," drew his blaster and fired at the two, taking them down in a moment. An officer had just passed in a neighboring intersection and ran up with two guards. He fired as they charged around the corner. Luke and Obi-Wan drew lightsabers and reflected the blasters back. Luke leaped into a run, charging forward into them and sweeping his blade through the blasters. The guard went down as Chewie slammed him into a wall.
Unfortunately, the initial shots had echoed down the corridors. They could hear more guards approaching. The group raced for the upper levels. It turned into a running battle. Finally Anakin slammed to a halt before another empty wall. Focusing the Force, he motioned and it moved aside. They all charged in and Anakin spun, motioning to the door again to close it.
Artoo rushed up to a console. Floating in a force field above it was a large interlocked cube and triangle shape, containing a series of data sets. They contained a wealth of data about secret Imperial weapon projects. The droid deactivated the console and Chewie grabbed it. Anakin carefully started tapping and shifting pieces, turning warning yellow and orange lights green. Finally he released it and it opened, allowing access to the multiple data cards.
They divided up the various files between their packs. Obi-Wan was strolling around the room warily. He paused, hitting a second force user's only latch and a wall hatch opened revealing a cabinet. He winced.
Anakin looked over and cringed too. Shame colored his face red. Obi-Wan looked at him. "I'm so sorry Master."
"I know." Obi-Wan said with quiet grief. He considered the lightsabers of slain jedi for a moment and then retrieved them, stowing them in his pack.
"Now we have to fight our way out." Ahsoka had her hands on her hips. "Or can we steal a ship from that landing?"
"We'd have to disable the tractor, laser turrets and the TIE hanger entrance." Luke stated thoughtfully.
"I am not leaving without the Falcon!" Han protested.
Chewie chimed in with a sudden howling question.
"Were there prisoners?" Han translated.
"I don't know." Anakin shook his head.
Chewie grumbled sharply. Han stared at him. "Why didn't you say that when we were down there?"
Chewie roared at him.
Ahsoka nodded. "We had a mission to complete first."
Anakin held his hands out sideways. "Artoo? Can you check and see if there are any prisoners listed?"
The droid squealed and headed for the secure computer link. He bleeped and whistled thoughtfully.
Anakin leaned over the console, reading. "Yeah, there are a few. Came from a ship they confiscated passing through restricted space. Presumed to be rebels. Four, including the captain."
Obi-Wan studied them. "We might not be doing them any favors if we offer to get them out when we still have to fight our way out ourselves."
Leia snorted. "They'd be better off dead than in an Imperial torture chamber!" Her eyes burned into Anakin. He looked away, eyes downcast.
Obi-Wan rubbed his forehead lightly. "Oh the irony of this situation."
"Irony?"
"You think, you all think, that you are so different then Anakin. But veering off from a mission to rescue prisoners is precisely what he would do. Did do, no matter what anyone thought, on many occasions."
"So you think we should leave them there?" Luke was startled.
"I didn't say that. Merely that one might not be able to accomplish all of our objectives. Escaping with the data and the prisoners may be impossible. And given the nature of the data, on secret weapons and scientists it could cost many lives if we fail."
"Then we don't fail." Ahsoka smiled. Her eyes were bright with mischief and she glanced at her former master. "I'm not ashamed to say I learned that from my former Master and I agree with it."
Anakin managed a half smile at that.
"How about we split up." Luke said slowly. "Some of us go for the prisoners, some for the Falcon to fly it up to the upper level landing area and the rest take out the tractor beam and deactivate the weapons."
"I'm going for the Falcon." Han said firmly. "I'll fly it up to that platform and pick you up."
Chewbacca growled and grumbled.
"Chewie says he's going for the prisoners." Han informed them.
"I'm going with him." Ahsoka said suddenly.
"I'll take the files back to the Falcon with you." Leia said. "They have to be our first priority."
Kenobi considered. "I believe I'll go as well. You might need help in the tunnels. And I'm getting a bit old for this."
Leia sighed, admitting. "I might." Her face was tight in annoyance at the thought.
"I guess we're going for the tractor and weapons." Luke looked at his father. Anakin was blinking rapidly as if processing this. Artoo squealed and rolled to their side.
"I think he should come back with us." Leia warily eyed Anakin, mindful of her personal mission not to let him out of her sight.
Luke shook his head. "I don't. He knows where everything is. If we need an alternate route to get the prisoners out, and it has a Force user door…I won't know about it. I can open it when I know it's there, I think. But I wouldn't know how to find it in the first place."
"That's settled then. Let's go." Han spun toward the exit. Leia hesitated but followed. They stuck together up to a point. But finally they reached the point where Anakin and Luke needed to veer off. Anakin took a few steps in the new direction and then stopped. He looked back at Obi-Wan. The rest of the group carried on, but the older man hesitated. Kenobi clapped a hand on his friend's shoulder, met his eyes. "Be careful."
"I will." Anakin replied, meaning it in more than one way. "You be careful too."
"Anakin …" Obi-Wan hesitated. "Take a weapon." He offered him the lightsabers.
Wincing, Anakin stepped back, shaking his head. "Won't need it."
"You will and you know it."
"I can't. I …" He shivered. He'd killed the owners of those blades.
Thoughtful, Obi-Wan handed Anakin his own lightsaber.
Anakin's mouth opened and he tried to hand it back. "I can't. And you might need it."
"I will have no qualms about using one of these others."
Anakin hefted the familiar weight. "I … won't dishonor it."
"I know." Obi-Wan smiled, giving him a confident look.
Luke paused a few steps in. He glanced back with a slight smile.
"Look after each other." Obi-Wan said as he turned away.
Next Ahsoka and Chewbacca peeled off. "Ahsoka." Obi-Wan stated calmly. He held out a lightsaber. She hesitated, eyes wide. "This is a different day. We need Jedi. It is what you do, not just an honor bestowed."
She nodded slowly and took it, waving goodbye. They headed for the prison area. When they arrived they called Anakin and Luke. They acknowledged with a click of the comlink.
"Ready?" Luke asked his father, studying the short route between the computer as Artoo plugged in and the generator area.
Artoo whistled an affirmative.
"As I'll ever be." Anakin nodded grimly. He was already doing relaxation techniques and readying for battle. This would be a serious test. To go into battle for a Jedi always meant fighting two fights at once. The physical battle was easy, his training allowed muscle memory and sheer habit to deal with that. But dealing with the dark side whispering in his ear, urging him to give into the dark side? That was a far more dangerous challenge. And between the two, he knew which one was the more important one to win.