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Anakin led the small group through the intricate labyrinth that was the Senate building's air vent system. He had only needed one good look at the layout to commit it to memory but it still took ten minutes before he found the slightly smaller vents that led to the detainee blocks.
The ex-Jedi raised his hand over his shoulder, motioning for the group to stop. He heard a few sighs of relief as the men sat back against the wall, rubbing their sore knees.
"One at a time, on your bellies," Anakin instructed. "I'll lead the way."
Without another word, Anakin pushed his lean body into the ventilation shaft, using his elbows to pull himself forward. He heard Scamp, Pieter and Thom enter behind him, their breathing ragged and shallow in the confines of the vents. Anakin forced himself to go faster, knowing that the exit covering wasn't too far along.
When he found it, he whistled once, low and sharp. The three men stopped behind him instantly. The cover was small, probably only just big enough for Anakin's broad shoulders to fit through. The ex-Jedi grabbed the grate in his right hand and pulled it roughly backwards. Had he used his flesh hand, the grate probably wouldn't have come off first go, but as it was, his mechanical hand made short work of the simple bolts used to hold it over the hole.
Wincing at the harsh sound it made as it came away from the wall, Anakin placed the cover on the floor of the vent. All four men were silent for two full minutes as they waited for the alarm to be raised. When no sound of footsteps or yelling was forthcoming, Anakin glanced back to issue his orders.
"Okay, Thom I'm going to need you to stay in here. You're not going to fit through the hole and besides, we'll need someone to help lift the Senators into the vent."
Thom nodded, not in the least bit insulted about not being able to fit out of the vent. He was built powerfully and he was proud of it. It was the only thing he was thankful for during his time as a slave.
"Scamp, Pieter, you're with me," Anakin was continuing. "Pieter, I'll need you to scout ahead and make sure that there is no one around to hinder our mission. Scamp you're on rear scout. You have to make sure all the Senators get out without getting needlessly injured."
The two men nodded.
"Right, let's go."
Without another word, Anakin slithered out of the shaft and landed gracefully on the ground. His feet barely made the slightest whisper as he landed and he didn't even know Pieter was beside him until he brushed past, gun already resting in his hands. Scamp landed almost on top of Anakin but the ex-Jedi quickly jumped out of the way.
Both men shared an embarrassed smile before quickly turning to follow Pieter down the corridor. They took the first door on their left, passing an unconscious clone leaning against the wall beyond the open door.
As the two rebels moved deeper into the detainee block, the corridors began to turn into a maze. If Anakin hadn't traversed these hallways regularly in his days as a Jedi, he had no doubt that they would have gotten hopelessly lost. They had been designed that way for a reason. Anakin briefly hoped that Pieter hadn't got lost.
The pair turned yet another corner and suddenly the doors changed. Where once they'd been made of wood or glass depending on the room beyond they now were made of heavy iron with a grid of bars set at eye level. After five minutes, they had finally reached the cells.
Anakin gave a start as he heard a dull thud and a soft groan of pain. He didn't even glance over at Scamp to see if the other man had heard it too. Without hesitating, the ex-Jedi sprinted deeper into the corridor lined with cells, his blue eyes searching the dimly lit hall for his teammate.
Suddenly there was a flash of white and something solid hit Anakin in the chest. He stumbled backwards, tripped over his own feet and landed heavily on the ground. The white something was now lying on top of him, its weight unbelievably heavy. Anakin coughed, trying to return some lost air after it had all been punched out of him when he fell. He groaned and began to push the white something away from him.
Suddenly the weight disappeared and Anakin was able to breathe easy. He blinked a couple of times in an effort to clear his vision. A hand was pushed in front of his face and his eyes followed the arm up to see Scamp smiling down at him.
"Do you always fight on your back?"
Anakin grimaced as he gripped Scamp's offered hand and pulled himself to his feet.
"Only when the situation calls for it," Anakin muttered.
Scamp just rolled his eyes and turned to find Pieter fighting hand-to-hand with two clones. Without another word he dashed forward and tackled one of the clones to the ground. He landed on top of the stunned clone, instantly drawing his arm back and slamming it down on the man's neck.
The clone's body jerked and he suddenly began making a gargling sound. Scamp stood up and kicked the clone in the side. Anakin winced as he watched Scamp's booted foot make contact.
Suddenly, a heavy fog seemed to descend over his mind, making him dizzy and tired. He lifted his hands to his face, rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands.
"Anakin! Get the Senators," Scamp yelled as he went to help Pieter.
Anakin shook his head as though that would help clear it. Scamp was right. He needed to get the Senators out quickly in case one of these clones had called for backup. But, as he took a step forward, his knees nearly gave out and a wave of nausea crashed through his head. He stumbled over to the nearest wall, bracing himself against it as though his life depended on it.
What was wrong with him? He could vaguely hear Scamp and Pieter calling out to him but he didn't answer. Something was wrong, very wrong. He could feel it in every fibre of his being.
Then, as suddenly as it had come, the fog disappeared and he was fine again. Blinking stupidly, Anakin glanced over to see Pieter take out the other clone before both men dashed to his side.
"Are you okay?" Pieter demanded.
Scamp was watching Anakin's face carefully. The ex-Jedi swallowed back the bad feeling that had swamped him, the feeling that was screaming at him to get the hell out of the Senate building, and nodded slowly.
"Let's just get the Senators and go," he murmured. His voice was croaky but neither of his teammates said anything about his sudden urgency in his demenour.
Anakin waited for the two men to take the lead before peering carefully into the darkened hallway they'd entered through. His hands clenched at his side as he turned to follow them. What had that been about? And where had the fog gone after leaving the feeling to continue tugging at his instincts?
* * *
Obi Wan and Ferus were bored. After they had successfully deactivated the alarm system, all they had to do was wait for their fellow rebels to return, hopefully with the rescued Senators. They both were sitting huddled in their warm cloaks, eyes closed, deep in meditation. Meditating was the best way to create a strong connection to the Force and both men were highly attuned to it at the moment. It was something to do while they waited. After all, the Force would alert them to any danger's that could befall their friends.
Obi Wan frowned as the Force washed through him. There was a tremor, a sudden shift in the light and dark sides of the Force. After the Jedi had been killed, the Emperor had claimed Coruscant as his base planet and it hadn't taken the dark side long to claim its hold on the planet. Both Obi Wan and Ferus had been fighting back the influence of the dark side ever since their arrival but this sudden shift worked in their favour.
To the Jedi, it felt like they were taking a sweet breath of mountain air. The relief from the omnipresent dark side was almost overwhelming even though the balance had only shifted slightly. Ferus opened his eyes to see Obi Wan already staring at him.
"I felt it too," Ferus murmured. "What was it?"
"The presence of the dark side has lessened slightly," Obi Wan muttered to himself. He stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Could it be that the Emperor himself has left the planet?"
Ferus's eyes widened in disbelief. The Emperor hardly ever left Coruscant, what would prompt him to do so now?
Abruptly Obi Wan's back straightened and his eyes became distant. Slowly a crease of pain wrinkled his forehead. He gasped and turned to face Ferus. His face was still screwed up as he concentrated hard.
"Ben?" Ferus said, concerned.
Obi Wan blinked and the distant look disappeared from his eyes. Ferus stared at the older man, confused and worried. He could feel that Obi Wan was distraught.
"The Emperor did leave Coruscant just now," the older Jedi Master whispered hoarsely. "He found something. Something he's wanted for a long time now."
Ferus cocked his head to one side in confusion before realisation dawned on him. His eyes widened in panic and all feeling left his body.
"Padme and the twins!"