Anakin watched from the yard as Obi-Wan scaled the wall of Hija Gan's small little house without hesitation. Obi-Wan caught the edge of the gutter with his hands and flipped onto the roof. Ranun fidgeted beside Anakin.
"Calm down," said Anakin absently, his focus on watching Obi-Wan disappearing down a ventilation shaft.
"This is illegal," hissed Ranun, flapping his hands.
"You're a member of the security forces," said Anakin calmly. "You have the authority to be here."
"Yes but I don't have any kind of warrant to enter a house!"
Anakin snorted loudly at that and Ranun looked around frantically as if expecting to be accosted by Tylip himself at any moment.
"In the Old Republic, the Jedi had the authority to pursue investigations wherever they had to," said Anakin grandly.
"That's... disturbing," said Ranun, freezing mid-flap to contemplate that kind of freedom.
It was at that point that the front door of the house slid open and Obi-Wan filled the doorway.
"It doesn't look like anybody has lived here in a long time," said Obi-Wan. "The house is empty and the plumbing isn't connected."
Anakin moved past Obi-Wan to look for himself. The front room was bare stone covered in a thick layer of dust, disturbed only by Obi-Wan's footprints.
"A temporary set-back," said Anakin confidently. "We'll find her."
"Do we have any more addresses for her on file?" asked Obi-Wan.
They both paused and turned around when the question wasn't answered. Ranun hadn't followed them inside, still standing out in the front yard.
"Do we have any other addresses for her?" repeated Obi-Wan.
"Why did you mention the Jedi?" asked Ranun, frowning and thinking hard.
"Focus, Ranun," said Anakin. "Any other addresses?"
Ranun was looking at the two of them suspiciously but he obediently pulled out his datapad and tapped a few keys.
"Nothing official," said Ranun.
"Any ideas?" asked Obi-Wan.
"There's nothing in the file," said Ranun.
"Not what I asked," said Obi-Wan. "Have another look, Junior Investigator Ranun."
Ranun tapped at a few more keys and scrolled some more.
"Well... for a while she was getting her messages forwarded," said Ranun. "To a steam factory she used to work at. If it's the one I'm thinking of, it's been closed for a few years."
Anakin and Obi-Wan exchanged looks.
"How far away is this factory?" asked Anakin thoughtfully.
Less than ten minutes later, Anakin and Obi-Wan were moving smoothly in through the store-front with their unlit lightsabers in their hands. Ranun edged in after them with a blaster in his hand, eyeing their lightsabers suspiciously. Lights from the street filtered weakly through the dusty windows and bathed the empty shelves in shadows. Small kernels crunched under their feet and Anakin tried not to focus on the fact that they were probably old droppings. There was a nest of cardboard boxes in the corner and something rodent-like scurried away on many little legs. However, there was a clear path in the dust where several people had been traveling back and forth. The trail led to a door at the back of the room, labeled 'Factory Floor'.
Anakin moved to the door but stopped at a light touch on his arm. He looked to Obi-Wan, who pointed at the rear shelf where a small light flashed. Their entrance had triggered some form of silent alarm and they would be expected. Anakin nodded in understanding. Then he slid through the door, scanning his surroundings even as he was moving aside to give Obi-Wan room to follow. A low mechanical hum vibrated the floor beneath their feet although Anakin couldn't immediately identify its source. The light was too bright for street lighting and had to be light from the planet's two moons, shining through long narrow windows that lined the walls. They reflected off a factory floor lined with pressurised tanks. The tanks were each about the size of Hija Gan's small house but narrowed to a pipe that channeled the steam upward to a network of pipes on the ceiling and out of the room. A raised walkway ran parallel to the ceiling pipes, following the wall for half the length of the room.
A noise sounded from up ahead and Anakin bounded towards it, weaving in and out of the gas tanks. Each tank towered above him but the space between them was designed to be accessible to mechanics and engineers. He could hear Ranun following, slow and clumsy. Behind, he was dimly aware of Obi-Wan shouting a warning. There was a hissing sound and Anakin leapt backwards just as the tank in front of him vented scalding steam. Anakin pulled back, bumping into Ranun and forcing the Investigator back out of harm's way. All around them, the tanks activated with a deafening roar. Anakin's lightsaber sprang to life as he and Ranun found themselves back to back in a small square of floor wedged between four tanks. Anakin kept his lightsaber angled high over their heads and out of contact with the steam.
"What are you HOLDING?" squeaked Ranun.
"I need to concentrate right now, Ranun."
The steam obscured the way they'd come but Anakin could hear Obi-Wan moving and activating his own lightsaber. Between the water vapour and sweat from the heat, Anakin's outer tunic was quickly saturated. He could feel Ranun nervously shifting from foot to foot behind him. Anakin looked upwards to the walkway and the tangle of pipes. It was the only direction they could move that wasn't blocked by either steam or tank. Anakin had to shout to be heard above the roar of steam.
"Ranun, stay here," said Anakin. "I'll be back shortly."
Anakin crouched and launched himself towards the ceiling. His feet had barely left the ground when he felt the warning in the Force. He twisted awkwardly in mid-air, bringing his lightsaber down to deflect the blaster bolt aimed at Ranun. He landed hard on his left ankle, barely maintaining his balance.
"Get behind me!" shouted Anakin.
Ranun shuffled behind the scant protection Anakin afforded.
A second and third blaster bolt burst out of the steam towards them. Anakin deflected them easily, the end of his lightsaber hissing as it flashed through the steam. He couldn't see much of the room but he could easily hear where Obi-Wan must be. Obi-Wan's lightsaber hummed, rising in pitch as it swung fast and whining sharply as it deflected a blaster bolt. Two more blaster bolts pinged out of the steam towards Anakin and again he deflected them. Anakin's eyes flickered upwards towards movement on the walkway above.
"Not good...," muttered Anakin, probably too quiet for Ranun to hear.
Ranun followed Anakin's gaze and held his blaster tightly in his hand.
A twilek woman stood above them, leaning on a cane with one arm and drawing her other arm back to launch a grenade. A stun grenade could leave them to stumble blind and deaf into the deadly obstacles around them. Anakin pushed sharply with the Force and the grenade jerked out of the woman's hand and fell to her feet. Anakin averted his eyes from the grenade's bright detonation and look back in time to see the Twilek staggering blindly on the walkway. She hit the railing and flipped backwards over it, falling from the ceiling towards the steam below. She screamed as she disappeared from Anakin's sight.
Ranun slumped against Anakin's back and Anakin could feel the young human trembling. Anakin reached a hand back to pat Ranun on the shoulder while keeping his lightsaber extended with the other. A rattling sound vibrated through the floor and the steam vents shut off, one by one. As the last one hissed away, Anakin could see Crose and Obi-Wan standing across the room at a control panel. Crose's bulk was huddled on the floor, watching resentfully as Obi-Wan's lightsaber remained aimed at his face.
Anakin led Ranun across the room, avoiding the motionless body of the twilek. Obi-Wan appeared unharmed and his tunics were dry.
"You alright?" asked Anakin, looking Obi-Wan up and down.
"Me?" asked Obi-Wan, raising an incredulous eyebrow.
Anakin looked down at his soaked clothing and thought briefly about conceding the point.
"It's just a question, Obi," said Anakin. "No need to get excited."
Obi-Wan rolled his eyes and sighed deeply as if letting it go was an effort.
"Investigator Ranun," said Obi-Wan. "Would you like to take charge of the prisoner?"
Ranun moved forward eagerly, pulling cuffs from his belt.
"Arresting a jewel smuggler," muttered Ranun gleefully. "It's about time."
"So, missed out on all the action this time, huh?" said Obi-Wan mildly, returning his lightsaber to his belt.
Anakin deactivated his lightsaber and gestured with it.
"You know, I just don't want you to feel left out," said Anakin. "It's for your own good."
"Really?" said Obi-Wan.
"Well..."
Anakin pivoted, igniting his lightsaber to deflect the bolt that Crose had just fired at Obi-Wan's unprotected back. Ranun tackled the cuffed Crose to the ground and wrestled the concealed weapon away from him. Obi-Wan, who hadn't had a chance to draw his own weapon, looked wide-eyed at Anakin.
"Huh," said Obi-Wan. "I'd better keep you around."
"You wouldn't know what to do without me," agreed Anakin.