DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything…

The room was dimly lit with shadows flickering over the floor and walls. Two figures stood facing the giant ceiling-to-floor window, staring out into the depths of space. One of the figures stood tall and straight, while his companion had hunched shoulders with his body buried within the depths of a dark cloak.

"When will the credits be deposited?" the tall figure demanded.

"When you find him," the other figure rasped.

The tall figure turned to his companion, his hand dropping to his belt where a blaster hung.

"Three years you've had me looking for him and I've still not been paid for my efforts! I want my credits old man and if you don't transfer them now I swear…"

The tall figure suddenly cut off as he felt his throat being slowly closed by the Force. The man beside him still hadn't moved but the taller man could feel the anger flowing off him.

"I told you when you first came to me that I would pay you when you gave me results. For three years, it appears to me as though you have just been following false leads and coming up with nothing but dead ends. That is not my idea of results," the older man stated.

The taller man continued to choke for a few more seconds. Just before he stared seeing black spots in front of his eyes his throat was released and he sucked in a much needed breath of air. As he continued to fill his lungs, his companion spoke.

"I will give you two more weeks to bring me the Chosen One and then, and only then, will I pay you for your troubles. If you fail me, you will be joining your father sooner than anticipated. Now leave me and start earning your keep."

The tall man didn't move for a few seconds. Then, slowly, he bowed and left the room, his fingers once again caressing the trigger of his blaster. The time would come when he could avenge his father's death but for now, he just had to continue with his seemingly impossible task.

***

Two days after the meeting…

Anakin carried the last container of weapons into the back of his modified X-wing Starfighter, stacking it on top of the previous one. He closed the cargo hold and stared at the machine without seeing it for a few seconds. He knew it was wrong to be lying to Padme and he hated himself for it but he knew it was what had to be done. His family had to remain hidden and he would do anything to see them safe from harm.

Behind him, he heard the elevator ding and he turned to see the doors opening. Padme was standing in the lift, Leia in her arms and Luke clinging to her hand. As soon as the doors were open Anakin's face broke into a smile.

Luke dropped his mother's hand and ran towards him. Anakin scooped him up and ruffled his light sandy hair.

"How you doing Champ?" he said as he kissed his son's forehead.

Luke beamed up at him. He held out one of his little hands and opened it for Anakin to see what he held. A silver nut shone in the artificial light of the hanger bay, identical to the ones that Anakin used when he was building things.

"I finded this in my pocket yesterday!" Luke said.

Anakin smiled and took the small piece of shrapnel from his son's hand. He smiled at Luke.

"You can keep it Champ," Anakin said as he placed it back in his hand.

Padme, who had joined them with Leia, smiled at her husband. It was a sad smile and, even though Anakin was no longer in tune with the Force, he could still feel her pain. She didn't want him to go.

He tucked Luke in against his side and reached for his wife and daughter with his free arm. He pulled her into a tight hug. Leia wrapped her arms around his neck as well and the small family enjoyed the few silent seconds that the embrace offered them.

Anakin kissed Padme as they pulled apart, a kiss filled with longing and passion that both of them felt to their cores. As they parted Anakin smiled comfortingly at her.

"I'll only be gone a week. This deal is already pretty much sorted, I just need to meet with Olin so he can sign off for the weapons and then I'll be home before you know it."

Padme nodded. "Just be safe."

Anakin kissed her again. "I always am."

This made Padme laugh. Anakin Skywalker was well-known for throwing himself into trouble without thought of his own safety.

Anakin turned his attention to Leia who was staring at her father's face as though trying to memorise it. He gave her a gentle smile as he kissed her forehead.

"You be good Princess," he said.

Leia nodded without removing her eyes from his face.

"I will Daddy," she promised.

He smiled and looked back to Luke.

"Will you look after your Mummy and Leia for me Luke?" he asked.

Luke nodded solemnly.

Anakin kissed his forehead again and then lowered him to the ground. Padme offered her hand and the toddler took it without thought. Anakin kissed Padme one last time before jumping into his X-wing. He engaged the engine and lifted the small craft out of the hanger. He waved over his shoulder to his family and saw them waving back. Without further thought, he accelerated and was out of the hanger in milliseconds.

***

There were six men in total, all hovering around the circular planning station. The Senate building's schematics glowed a soft blue as the holo-projector shone up from its place in the middle of the station.

Ferus Olin pointed to a scaled version of the main room.

"This is where the majority of people will be. We cannot be seen by them because we're unsure as to how many of them are Separatists," he explained.

He looked down at the control panel in front of him and pressed a few buttons. The hologram adjusted itself accordingly and soon the men were staring at the lower levels of the building. Obi Wan took over speaking, allowing Olin to adjust the picture whenever appropriate.

"After analysing the entire structure, I have devised that our only way into the building is through the air vent system. It will be a tight squeeze but doable, with the added bonus that we can end up wherever we need to as the system joins every room in the Senate."

Ferus pressed another button and the said vent system began to glow a soft yellow, highlighting its windy path throughout the expansive building.

"What about the security system? Surely they would have the vents marked if they're in any way physically accessible?"

Obi Wan gave the speaker a small smile. The man's name was Pieter Gorvus and he was only young, younger than Anakin by three years but he had proved his worth countless times. He was particularly skilled in undetected movement and as such had become a valuable spy.

"The security in the Senate has always been wired so that if it is breached it will immediately go into shut down, closing all access in and out of the building…"

"So how would that benefit us?" Pieter pressed.

Obi Wan continued as though he'd not been interrupted. "The only way to get the Senate out of lock down is if you're a Jedi. As the defenders of peace, they were the only ones allowed such high security access. So the security program was designed to allow Jedi to override the codes that would put the building into lock down."

A grin began to form on Pieter's mouth. He could see where this was going now. After Order 66 was executed and during the Great Jedi Purge, all of the Jedi's were killed – except two, and after Ferus had returned to his Jedi calling, that number had risen to three. And all three of those men stood in the room with them. He didn't even care that Anakin was no longer in touch with the Force – just one Jedi was enough to strengthen his resolve against the Separatists.

"So Ferus and I will override the security system while you four go in and retrieve the Senators. Anakin will lead you as he has knows where the detainee blocks are. Once in there your priority is to get the Senators out safely via the same method as entry. Get in and out as quickly as possible," Obi Wan explained.

The three men nodded solemnly. Anakin moved away from the group and leant his back against the wall. It wasn't long before Obi Wan and Ferus joined him, standing around casually as though they were going over their plans. The other three men moved towards the crates of weapons Anakin had bought with him, each eager to see the latest weaponry that the talented young mechanic had created.

"Just remember that you have to be last out," Obi Wan reiterated, causing Anakin to sigh loudly.

"I know," he replied wearily. He scrubbed a hand over his face.

Ferus studied his friend. He knew he was worrying about Padme and the children but he was always like this before missions. He smiled and placed a friendly hand on the younger man's arm.

"Anakin they will be fine. They're always fine. Your shields are still up so there is no way for the Emperor to find you or your family."

The man raised an eyebrow at Olin with slight amusement.

"I know thanks but for once I wasn't thinking about Padme or the twins. I was thinking that something feels wrong," Anakin said. He glanced from Ferus to his old Master, both of who were staring at him. "Don't you feel it?"

Obi Wan nodded gravely. "I do, something has felt wrong about this plan since we arrived on Coruscant."

"So I'm not going crazy then!" Ferus didn't know whether to be happy about that or not. "I keep feeling as though the dark side is pushing against me, propelling me forward. It's almost as though it wants us to go ahead with our plan and I'm not sure if that's a good thing."

"I'm feeling that too my friend," Obi Wan agreed. "I cannot get a strong connection to the Force as the dark side is strong on this planet. I am having doubts about continuing with this rescue mission."

Anakin, who had fallen into the deep recesses of his mind while his friends talked, suddenly snapped back to attention. He faced Obi Wan with desperation in his eyes.

"We can't leave without the Senators. If we don't succeed, they will be taken away and slaughtered. Padme would be distraught!" he stated.

"Always thinking with your Padme brain," Ferus laughed. "We're not going to abandon the Senators Skywalker, you know that. We're just going to have to listen to the Force more carefully from here on in."

Anakin nodded slowly, settling back down. He didn't miss the fact that Obi Wan was staring at him, watching his every move – he just chose to ignore it. Silently, he pushed himself away from the wall and walked over to the weapons case, joining in with his teammate's conversation without hesitation.

"He's stronger in the Force than he realises," Ferus muttered to the Jedi Master beside him.

Obi Wan nodded thoughtfully. He had been more than a little surprised by Anakin's uncanny perception even though he had cut himself off from the Force. It appeared Ferus had picked up on it too and had been just as shocked.

Anakin ignored the looks he could feel Obi Wan and Olin were giving him and gave his full attention to the three men before him.

Each was holding a weapon of some description that Anakin had either modified or created from scratch. He reached out for the weapon Pieter was holding. It looked just like a blaster but Pieter knew that if it could be modified, Anakin Skywalker would have found a way.

"I created a new chamber for the energy particles to be stored in and adapted the gas release valve," Anakin began explaining. Seeing the blank look on Pieter's face he sighed and pointed it at rivet in the wall. "Basically, I made this blaster more powerful. It is more accurate, has more force behind its shots and the gas cell will last longer. It is also completely silent to the ears of most beings."

He shot the rivet out of the wall without seeming to aim. There was no sound, just a flash of red then a soft ping as the rivet flung out of its home. Pieter nodded in appreciation. He took back the weapon and continued to study its design.

Anakin moved on to the next man, who was short but thin. Scamp had a pinched face that always appeared sour even when he was laughing. The man was an incredibly good shot and he had a long record of being the first into a battle and the last out. He was a well respected man, even if he did live up to his name.

The young rebel leader quickly explained what his weapon did before continuing on to the last man. Thom Hardle was an ex-slave just like Anakin and so he always felt a strong connection to the man. He recognised the determination and fierceness in Thom's fighting style as his own was similar. Growing up as a slave hardened anybody, and no matter how long ago it was or how many planets you put between yourself and your past, you never fully leave it behind.

As Anakin was going over the new functions he'd added to the DC-19 "Stealth" carbine when he sensed movement behind him. Obi Wan and Ferus had rejoined them and they waited patiently for their friend to finish his explanation.

"I think it is time to go," Olin announced.

Suddenly serious, the small group quickly did a once over on their plans before going their separate ways. Anakin and his team of three left the old house quickly but casually, disappearing into the darkness that night provided.

Olin and Obi Wan watched them become dark shadows before slipping away, both buried in the depths of their cloaks. The pair didn't take long to reach the Senate building. Cautiously, Obi Wan reached deep into the Force and felt three familiar presences waiting patiently near an air vent. The Jedi knew that Anakin would be with them, even if he couldn't feel him through the Force.

"They're ready," he muttered.

Ferus nodded and the pair disappeared into the dark shadows of a nearby building. They both settled down on the cold ground, hidden behind a large overflowing waste bin.

"This is where it all starts," Ferus said with a wayward grin before opening himself to the influence of the Force.