The Citadel - Part 1

As he heard the doors open, Anakin refocused on the attack, needing to ensure that it ended quickly before Padme came in. One of his assailant was quick. Devious. And perfectly willing to jump onto the sofa to match him in height.

"I have you now," Anakin crowed and ducked under Luke's swing to grab at him. The boy ended up with his back to Anakin's chest, held there by an arm under his arm pits as Anakin tossed Luke's stick away, then parried a blow from Sephanino, the little Patrolian boy that was fast becoming Luke's best friend.

Luke shrieked at him and wriggled. "Sephy," he called in a serious tone and the boy tossed Luke his stick. Luke arched backwards to press the length of it to Anakin's throat.

"A mortal blow," Anakin cried dramatically. "You have slain me," he said and then collapsed backwards, Luke still in his arms. He could hear Sephanino laughing and Luke let out a frustrated sound as he failed to get free.

"Dad," he sighed as they lay on the floor together. "You need to let me go."

"I'm dead," Anakin reminded him.

"You're talking."

Anakin peeped at Sephanino who smiled at him. Luke patted at the metal hand holding him and then sighed, apparently grieved beyond everything.

"Mom," Luke yelled suddenly. "Dad's not playing fair."

"He killed me," Anakin yelled out. "Boy needs to learn to mind his surroundings."

Someone cleared their throat.

Anakin twisted his head to look at the person standing north of him. Sephanino's father stood looking half amused and half baffled.

"Good evening," Anakin said without missing a beat. "Your son was a worthy opponent."

Luke wriggled and started to giggle against him. Anakin sighed and sat up with him, resting his chin on Luke's blond hair. He gave Stephanino a salute which the boy returned before running over to his father.

"I did tell you," Padme said, sounding amused. "My husband is always looking for people to indulge him in his games." She entered the room, her hands fiddling with an earring to take the jewellery out. She was visibly pregnant now and every time she walked into the room, Anakin was overcome with an insane urge to point that it was his baby she was carrying.

"Did you behave?" the Patrolian asked his son. Anakin wracked his brains for the name of Sephanino's father but was pretty sure the man had the same name as his son and that was just weird.

Sephanino nodded earnestly, looking a little more formal now. "I appreciate you having me as company," he said, bowing to Anakin and Luke.

"Pleasure," Anakin said and Luke nodded.

As the pair left, Padme sighed and looked around their main living quarters. Then, she shook her head and sat heavily down on the sofa, rubbing her stomach. "Your daughter," she said, "was wriggling around at the senate dinner. I think she was enjoying herself."

Anakin reached out a hand to point at the bump. "No more politicians," he said firmly. When Padme raised an eyebrow at that, he stared at her. "I've seen your hours," he muttered.

Luke finally managed to wriggle free and then clambered up onto the sofa. "I killed Dad," he declared with a grin. "It was awesome, Mom. Sepphy threw me the pole and I leaned back and chopped his head off."

Padme reached out to stroke some hair out of his eyes. "Very impressed," she said. "And now we won't have to feed him. Think of the money we can spend on games."

Luke cackled with joy and snuggled in close. Anakin had just about managed to get the boys into the pyjamas so that Sephanino could be put straight to bed when he and his father returned home. The sight of his little boy now, in pyjamas and snuggled against Padme with a contented look plastered on is little face was a joy.

His family, Anakin thought twisting to face them all properly. Padme stroked Luke's hair as she scrolled through her datapad, and Luke yawned, staring down at Anakin with sleepy eyes. Anakin knelt up and lifted Luke from his place on the sofa. "I'll put him to bed," he said softly.

Padme gestured and Anakin dipped Luke down low so Padme could press a kiss to Luke's head.

"Not sleepy," Luke protested as Anakin straightened and headed for Luke's room. He used the force to pull back the covers to easily slip Luke in.

"When do you go on your mission?" Luke asked as he settled into the bed.

"Two days," Anakin replied, sitting on the edge.

"Are you rescuing someone?"

"We are," Anakin said with a small smile, stroking the boy's hair. "There's a Jedi Master who's been captured," he said, trying to keep the details a little hazy.

"Why aren't you helping him?" Luke asked, big eyes wide and solemn.

"We need to plan." Anakin dropped his hand down. "The master is a great jedi. If he's been captured then we need to make sure the plan is very good, otherwise we'll just be captured along with him."

"I can help," Luke offered earnestly. "I beat you today."

Anakin swallowed back the automatic laugh and hesitated, not sure what to say to that. But Luke huffed and curled around him a bit, eyes still fixed on Anakin's face. "You let me win," he said sounding a little annoyed.

It hadn't occurred to him that Luke would honestly thought he'd won. "You need proper training," Anakin said. "Want to come and watch me and Obi-Wan spar tomorrow?"

Luke nodded instantly. "And then I'll learn and can help you."

"You already help me," Anakin promised, kissing Luke's forehead. "Get some sleep."

When Anakin returned to Padme he sat heavily down next to her. "Luke genuinely though he'd won against me."

Padme hummed. When he looked, she was scanning the Hyper lane information.

"If they get hold of this," she said softly, looking up at him with worry. "The Nexus route will take them straight here." She turned off the datapad and rubbed her forehead.

"I know," he said, becoming serious. "I wouldn't go on this mission if it wasn't…if they got those co-ordinates it won't matter how many Jedi we have on planet."

Padme said nothing, but rubbed her belly soothingly. "You will be back though. For Luke's birthday-"

"That's six weeks away," Anakin said, gaping at her. "Padme, this isn't a long assault. This is…in and out. Preferably coming out with more than we went in with. That's it."

She shot him a doubtful look, one that Luke had definitely inherited.

"You," he said, stroking their baby, "need to be more like me. I'm the odd one out here."

Xxx

The briefing room was quiet as they studied the plans for the citadel. The prison was a fortress, heavily guarded and almost impenetrable. It was said that no-one had ever escaped.

Well. First time for everything.

He hadn't been their first choice, Anakin knew that and it bristled somewhat. But with the war getting worse, there were too few people and it had once been his and Obi-Wan's speciality. Mostly because Obi-Wan seemed to find it hilarious to have Anakin captured in order to sneak into whatever it was they were going to break out of.

If Obi-Wan suggested that plan one more time-

"Is this recent?" Obi-Wan asked, leaning forward to study the hologram of the plans.

"Their security has prevented us from obtaining up to date versions. So we've been forced to construct a crude map from the data in the archives." Master Plo stood straight, his distaste at the idea obvious.

Across the table and through the blue flickering hologram, Anakin could see the way that Obi-Wan winced and then study Ahsoka thoughtfully. "The map will be old, the data difficult to rely on," he mused.

Anakin's former Padawan didn't seem to realise that Obi-Wan was studying her. "We'll be going in blind," she muttered, a trifle annoyed at the idea and Anakin almost smiled because wow, was she one hundred percent his Padawan.

"We'll have an advantage though," Obi-Wan said slowly. "The separatists won't kill Master Piell while they need the co-ordinates. It might make them hesitate if we are discovered."

"Or," Anakin said, folding his arms, "They'll be so desperate to see that we don't have access to the hyper land that they'll kill him as soon as they think we're on the way."

Obi-Wan hummed and then shrugged. "Impossible to tell. But we cannot risk that he will break."

"No," Anakin agreed.

"There is more," Master Plo said. "Getting through their defences is almost impossible. Without a high priority military code, we will struggle to get you through their scanners."

"Supply ships?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Supply ships are manned by droids. They'd sweep for life forms. Perhaps though there is a way that we could trick their scanners." Master Plo gestured and they left the briefing room.

"That will be difficult." Obi-Wan stroked his beard thoughtfully. "I wonder…perhaps we can find some way to disguise ourselves in the cargo."

"The more we do that, the better the separatists get at finding ways to spot life forms," Ahsoka pointed out as they started down the wide halls of the temple.

"I might have an idea," Anakin said, turning it around in his head. It was risky and would leave them vulnerable, but it also might just be worth it.

Ahead, he spotted Luke who he'd left with the padawans that were getting ready to be knighted. Three of them had returned to the temple and it was a shame that all they would get from their ceremony were two masters and a day to meditate over their new rank before being sent off into the galaxy again.

"Care to share?" Obi-Wan asked.

Dragging his eyes away from his son, Anakin nodded. "Later," he said. "But uh…I did promise Luke that he might get to watch us spar."

Ahsoka looked like she might burst out laughing at Obi-Wan's expression. "The fate of the war is resting in our hands and you wish to spar?" his former master asked with some disbelief.

"It helps me think," Anakin said with a shrug. "Or we can just sit around and talk about stories. Hey, remember on Mandalore when you decided to grow that beard when the Duchess-"

Obi-Wan held up a hand. "You are running out of stories," he grumbled. "I suppose it might help the padawans relax before their knighting tomorrow."

"Yeah," Anakin said. "Best if they see me wipe the floor with you so they aren't unnecessarily intimidated."

"Pride, Anakin."

"Not a Jedi, master."

Xxx

The room was quiet. It was very light and all carpeted to ease a landing. Sitting cross legged, Luke rested his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands as he watched Dad warm up.

Ahsoka sat next to him and she seemed to be thinking about something else. Part of Luke wanted to ask what, but he senses that maybe she wanted to be thinking about something else at the moment. Scattered around the circle were other padawans, Eekar Oki, who Luke had started talking to about swimming was watching with big serious eyes.

Dad was studying his lightsabre and did something with it so that the intensity dimmed, just a little.

"That's generous of you," Obi-Wan said, making no move to do the same with his own.

Dad raised an eyebrow and waited. After five seconds, Obi-Wan sighed and mimicked him while Dad turned the lightsabre over his hand a few times, as if getting used to the slight difference.

They both took different poses to start. Then they were moving and it was like watching a dance. They were fast, so very very fast and Luke felt a little silly that he had honestly thought for a moment that he might be as good as Dad.

They eased off a little and almost seemed to be playing with each other. A tumble here, a force push there. Dad's shoulders started to relax and Obi-Wan's breathing had slowed as they both seemed to relax into what they were doing.

One of the padawans shifted as if to get up and Ahsoka shook her head. "Wait," she promised.

And then it happened.

Luke couldn't see the moment that they both agreed to switch the style, but both moved with different purpose at the exact same time. And suddenly, it was no longer playing or dancing, but a true duel. It didn't feel like they were trying to hurt each other, but it certainly felt like they were both suddenly looking to win.

Opposite, the padawans started to look impressed.

"That," Ahsoka said quietly to Luke, "Is why they are considered some of our most effective Jedi warriors. If Master Windu was here it would be a true show."

Xxx

"My boy," the chancellor greeted Anakin the following day. "I hear that you have taken the mission to return the hyper lanes to us."

"I have, your excellency," Anakin said shifting a little. "And I will ensure that I bring you my report, personally."

The chancellor nodded sadly. "It is a horrible feeling," he said slowly, "to treat everyone that works with me with suspicion. I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have you."

Anakin nodded. "I imagine it is hard," he said, remembering how he had once felt when his marriage had ben a secret. "It is nothing something I would wish on anyone."

The chancellor inclined his head. "And your plans? The life detector scanners are going to be hard to deal with-"

"We are using carbon freezing," Anakin said, trying not to let out his amusement as Obi-Wan's rant came back to haunt him. The man had muttered and paced for about twenty minutes before talking himself into the plan, yet still managed to be annoyed with Anakin for suggesting it.

The chancellor paused and his expression became suddenly blank. "Carbon freezing?"

"Those on the mission will be frozen. Artoo and some droids will take us through and then defrost us on the other side."

"How…ingenious," the chancellor said, taking his seat. "Is your wife aware of the plan?"

That had been a less amusing conversation. But she too had seen no other way other than to beg him to send someone else.

He couldn't. Couldn't let someone else work with Ahsoka and Obi-Wan. Not when there was this much at risk and they were walking into such danger.

"She was…she understands," he said looking away.

When he looked back, the chancellor had sat back in his chair and was looking distant. As if sensing Anakin was looking at him, he blinked and smiled. "I was simply…you give so much for the republic and the order. I assume the order will be keeping an eye on things while you are away. Your son's well-being."

Why did everyone seem to assume this would take such a long time. "Chancellor, I doubt it will take a week. It's an in and out mission."

"Quite," the chancellor said, as if shaking himself. "And I am certain that with you at the helm, it will proceed perfectly."

It would.

He'd make certain of it.