Chapter 6 – The Lawless

Author's Note: I think y'all have been waiting for the next chapter, long enough, don't you? Lol. I can't promise monthly updates, but I do promise that you'll get the next chapter in May, since it's already done. :) Thank you all so much for your patience! I hope you enjoy this chapter! :D

WARNING: Self-harm, suicidal thoughts/feelings, blood, and general darkness!

~ Amina Gila

"Obi-Wan!" cries Satine in shock and horror as a blaster bolt strikes his left shoulder. Anakin's heart nearly stops, especially when Obi-Wan begins falling, his jetpack either malfunctioning or stopping because he's in too much pain to use it. This is too much like what happened before, and Anakin doesn't – can't go through it again. He can't lose Obi-Wan only months after he last thought him dead, but he can't exactly drop the Duchess either, not while he's supposed to be protecting her.

Just as Anakin is considering taking his chances at grabbing Obi-Wan physically – slowing his fall with the Force can only do so much – another armored figure swoops up, catching him mid-air. "Come on," she calls roughly. "Follow me."

Anakin doesn't without a second thought, feeling Satine's muted surprise in the Force at the woman's voice. They manage to duck into a small, enclosed area off the streets and away from the Death Watch warriors pursuing them. Once they've landed, Anakin releases Satine, grateful to be away from her. She has feelings for Obi-Wan, which automatically means that propriety dictates he keep a distance between them.

"Who are you?" Anakin asks warily as the armored woman – is she part of Death Watch? She kind of looks like it, so why is she helping them? – lays Obi-Wan down on a cot.

The woman pulls off her helmet, revealing short red hair, cut in the typical Mandalorian warrior style, and sharp, green eyes. "I am Bo-Katan Kryze," she answers, nodding to Satine.

"Korkie?" the Duchess worries.

"Is fine," Bo-Katan answers in a clipped tone as she looks down at Obi-Wan's unconscious form. "We took him out of the city."

Satine nods gratefully, hurrying forwards and hovering over Obi-Wan. "The bolt went through his shoulder," the Mandalorian – who is apparently Satine's sister? – reports. "We can put a bacta patch on it, but he needs to be evacuated. He'll never be able to fight in this condition."

Anakin can't suppress the worry rushing through him as he moves to his former master's side. His face is pale, and Anakin reaches out through the Force to probe their bond. Obi-Wan's Force signature doesn't even respond. He must be out cold. Anakin nudges him, silently urging him back to consciousness.

Satine crouches next to Obi-Wan, expression filled with fear and anxiety. She reaches up, touching his face lightly. "Obi, wake up," she whispers, and the tenderness of the gesture makes Anakin feel as if he's intruding on a private moment. He looks away, meeting Bo-Katan's eyes, and it's clear that she's feeling similarly out of place.

When he looks back, Satine is holding Obi-Wan's hand, fingers resting on his pulse. Anakin fights his instinctive urge to touch his former master as well. He knows what it's like to be worried and desperate enough to feel someone's pulse to ensure they're alive, especially after a harrowing incident. Seeing as she's not been fighting at all, he can understand why this might have shaken her as much as it has him. And then again, she, too, would have thought Obi-Wan dead during the Hardeen incident, the memory of which brings forth a violent surge of emotion, grief most prominently.

He shakes his head, pushing it aside, even as he clenches his right hand into a fist, wishing, not for the first time, that he wasn't wearing armor. He wants pain; he needs it and seeing how Satine is treating Obi-Wan… it hurts for some reason, and he can't quite understand why.

Slowly, Obi-Wan's eyes flutter open, and a weak moan slips from his mouth. "Obi? Obi, can you hear me?" Satine asks quietly, still holding his hand in hers. Anakin feels something akin to jealousy twist in his gut. He wishes he could do that, could show his open affection and adoration like she can and without rebuke. Anakin simply doesn't understand how the Jedi are supposed to act as if they don't care about each other, especially not when his emotions run as strongly as they do. It's not fair!

"N'kin?" Obi-Wan mumbles, blue-gray eyes flickering around as he likely tries to take stock of his surroundings and decide if he needs to panic or not.

Burying his resentment, Anakin leans closer to Obi-Wan. "Master, I'm here," he answers, feeling a touch of something like happiness – is this what it feels it, the feeling of contentment and warmth in his chest? He can no longer remember; it's been so long since he's felt anything other than a gnawing depression – as he moves into Obi-Wan's sight. "How are you feeling?"

They have to remove the armor to apply a bacta patch to the shoulder wound, and Anakin had hoped to wait until his former master regained consciousness. "Like I was shot," Obi-Wan replies dryly, moving as if to sit up, before a hiss of pain escapes and he gives up the effort.

"What were you even thinking, staying in the line of fire like that?" scolds Satine, obviously deciding that he's recovered enough to lecture. "You could have been killed! Wasn't once enough? Seriously, Obi-Wan, for a general, you seem to have absolutely no self-preservation skills."

Anakin looks away to hide his smirk. He's been telling Obi-Wan that for years to no avail. Maybe he'll listen to the Duchess, if not him. Or maybe not. He suddenly has a vivid recollection of the time when they escorted Satine to Coruscant. All she and Obi-Wan were doing was bickering. Well, this should be fun to watch. Exchanging a look with Bo-Katan, he steps back slightly, arms crossed, as Obi-Wan frowns at Satine.

"I've almost been killed many times," he reminds her, "But I'm still here. I'm not that easy to kill, Duchess, believe it or not. Had I not drawn the fire from our pursuers, they would have been aiming for you and Anakin. There wasn't even a choice to make."

"You came to help me, not get yourself killed!" Satine exclaims with a scowl. "With all your running around on the battlefield, the Separatists would be more than happy to get rid of you."

Oh, this is definitely going to be fun. Anakin inches backwards, happy to let them bicker for a few minutes. They still have some time before they have to decide their next course of action. From the amused look in Bo-Katan's eyes, it's clear that she has the same idea. When she catches Anakin's glance, she shakes her head with an almost fond expression.

"Don't worry, they are," Obi-Wan assures her dryly. "In fact, I somehow seem to have become the most-wanted Jedi by many of their leaders."

"I wonder why," the Duchess sniffs.

All at once, Anakin is struck by the realization that they act like an old, married couple, a couple who have been together for years, and he can't quite smother his snort. Instantly, two pairs of eyes turn to him, and he holds up his hands. "It's nothing," he assures them, careful to keep his tone level, "But perhaps, Obi-Wan, we should consider attending to your injury."

His former master shifts, failing to hide his wince when he does. "Yes," he agrees, "That would be a good idea."

Satine and Bo-Katan exit the room, probably to have a much-needed talk, leaving Anakin to care for Obi-Wan. It thankfully doesn't take long to bandage the injury once he's successfully managed to remove the armor and Obi-Wan's tunic. "You're lucky your arm wasn't shot off," Anakin comments dryly as he finishes applying the bacta patches, helping Obi-Wan put his tunic back on and temporarily leaving his armor off.

If he needs it, he can replace it, but he shouldn't be using his left arm until it begins to heal. Abruptly, this reminds Anakin of the deception, and he turns away, unwilling to let Obi-Wan see the pain he's struggling to hide. "Anakin…" Obi-Wan begins, but Anakin ignores him, going to the door to tell the others that the injury has been tended to. They need to plan their next move.

Obi-Wan gives him a look, equal parts frustrated and fond – though it may not be the right word, because he's already proven that he doesn't truly care. It's a look which Anakin is quite familiar with, having been on the receiving end many times. He tries not to think about it, to think about what Obi-Wan might be thinking right now.

"We need to plan," Anakin declares once the door has closed behind Satine and Bo-Katan. "We know that Maul is here, along with Savage."

He glances at Obi-Wan for confirmation, and he nods. "I sensed them when we were pursued," he elaborates. "How certain are we that they will not find us for now?"

"I have some men out there keeping watch," Bo-Katan answers, the harshness never fading from her green eyes. It makes Anakin think that she's always like this. "We should have some time before the Death Watch get here, and it will be enough for us to escape and mount a counterattack, assuming you have a plan."

"We cannot let Maul continue to wreak havoc on Mandalore, even if we are not officially supposed to be here," Anakin assures her vehemently. "Now is a good time for us to defeat them, regardless of what we must do to ensure victory." He must go; the Force is telling him that if he tries to confront Maul, the result will be favorable. Waiting would be foolhardy, especially being as he has the Force's "blessing."

"Anakin, no," Obi-Wan protests. "You will not be able to defeat them alone, and I cannot go with you!"

"Then it's a chance I have to take," Anakin replies firmly. "We have a chance, and we must take it. If nothing else, I can at least attempt to ascertain what he might be planning. Once we know, we can decide what to do next."

"I still think it would be best for us to leave the planet and escort the Duchess to Coruscant where she will be safe, but alright, you may go. Please be careful, Anakin," Obi-Wan cautions, "And may the Force be with you." Anakin nods, pulling his helmet down over his head and leaving the room. He's glad for the excuse, because he doesn't know how he would have otherwise hidden the stab of pain which pierced his heart. Even now, even after so many years of working together, Obi-Wan doesn't trust him. He doesn't listen to him, always insisting that Anakin listen to him. Maybe his plans are stupid and reckless, but at the very least, Obi-Wan could have the courtesy of hearing him out!

Shaking the un-Jedi-like thoughts from mind, Anakin shoves his anger aside as he moves through the back hall to reach the street. He'll have to remain on high alert. If he's spotted entering the palace, it will not be good, especially being as he's supposed to be avoiding detection. Reflexively tightening the shields around his Force signature so no trained Force user can sense him, he activates his jetpack and flies away.

**w**

Not even two minutes after Anakin has left, Bo-Katan looks down at her wrist comm, brow furrowing slightly. When she looks back up, her expression is tight. "We have to leave," she tells Obi-Wan and Satine. "My men said that there's scouts searching the area. If we go now, they won't find us. I'll send some people to escort Skywalker and let us know what happens when he reaches the palace."

Obi-Wan nods in silent understanding, activating his commlink as Bo-Katan gives orders. Satine's anxiety echoes softly into the Force. "Anakin, come in," he calls.

"Yes, Obi-Wan, I'm here," Anakin replies.

"Bo-Katan has decided to send an escort who will be able to report back if something happens to you," Obi-Wan informs him. "Also, we'll be moving elsewhere, since some Death Watch warriors are snooping around."

"Copy that," Anakin answers promptly. "I'll let you know when I'm leaving the palace."

He sounds so normal over the comm, and if Obi-Wan didn't know better, he would think that Anakin was normal. Something's wrong. Something is terribly wrong, and he wishes he know what to do. He doesn't. How can he help Anakin if Anakin doesn't even seem to want his help? Obi-Wan can't even count the number of times when he's tried to prompt his former Padawan to tell him what's troubling him so much, but every time, Anakin either laughs him off or acts like he's insane for even asking.

What is he supposed to do? He wants to help, and he's tried – Force knows he has – to tell Anakin that if he wants to talk to him, he'll listen. But somehow, he doesn't think Anakin is really accepting it. He's pretending that he's fine, but Obi-Wan knows him. He can see the signs that indicate that Anakin's anything but alright. He seems tired, often times, though he hides it well, and Obi-Wan suspects that he's lost a lot of weight, not that his robes and armor make it easy to notice.

It started not long after Obi-Wan took the undercover mission, though he didn't notice at first, trying to get past the lingering awkwardness of interacting with people who he'd made think him dead. But then he did realize, and he wonders sometimes if he realized far too late exactly how bad things had gotten. He'd noticed, obviously, that Anakin's actions were bizarre to say the least when he essentially defended Obi-Wan's actions to Ahsoka, and from Anakin's behavior at the time, he could tell that he was keeping his emotions buried.

Initially, Obi-Wan had expected that whatever Anakin was really thinking about the undercover mission would come out. It didn't. Instead, one week led to another, and the next thing he knew, they'd been sent back to the front lines. By then, Anakin's behavior seemed more normal, and he had tried not to think too much on with whom Anakin had spoken, because surely, given that he was no longer acting so obviously as if he was hiding something, then he wasn't. Except now, Obi-Wan can't help but wonder if he was wrong. He noticed a month after the mission that Anakin wasn't, in fact, the same as he was before.

His jokes and quips were much more half-hearted, and he sometimes spaced out – when he thought no one was looking – eyes becoming empty and vacant as if he was in another place altogether. What happened, Obi-Wan wonders, to the openness which Anakin has always had? He's always worn his emotions openly, but now, it's as if Obi-Wan is groping through a fog to feel anything from him. It's disconcerting, and if weren't for the fact that he can tell that something is wrong, he might drop it.

He can't.

He owes it to the person that Anakin used to be, to the friendship and bond which they share – had shared? – to help Anakin find himself again, regardless of what he has to do to ensure it. But he hardly knows where to start or what he can even do. Obi-Wan hates feeling helpless, though he indisputably does right now. He has no one who might be able to help him figure this out. Well, that might not be true. Perhaps he ought to go speak with Senator Amidala, who might be able to provide him with assistance he won't find otherwise.

"Obi-Wan." Satine's voice breaks through his thoughts, and he forces himself to refocus on the present. They have to leave, and quickly. There isn't any time for them to waste. "Do you need help putting your armor back on?" She sounds as if him wearing armor is distasteful, but the fact that she asked speaks of her worry for him.

Obi-Wan looks down at the armor which is meant to cover the upper half of his body and grimaces. He doesn't want to ask for help, but he'll never be able to put it on alone. He can hardly even move his left shoulder without spasms of excruciating pain flaring through his arm. He can't quite bring himself to verbally acknowledge his weakness, so he instead nods.

In the end, Satine proves to still be quite knowledgeable about the donning of armor, because she skillfully helps him put it on. The heavy metal is stressful on his shoulder, but he ignores the pain. Once they've reached another, more secure location, he'll be able to rest his arm again. If Anakin could see what he's doing, he'd probably be furious and fret incessantly.

The flicker of amusement is squashed when Obi-Wan again remembers how Anakin's been acting. He would help if he only knew how.

A blaster fires outside, startling him. Bo-Katan pulls her helmet on ducking out the door momentarily. "Be careful," Satine whispers, leaning closer and pressing their foreheads together.

It's a Mandalorian tradition – called a Keldabe kiss – when one person leans their forehead against another. It's as much a gesture of violence as it is of trust and protection. Given that Mandalorians have traditionally been warriors, which means that they used to always wear helmets, the tradition of Keldabe began as a way of nonverbally expressing one's affection for a fellow comrade, whether they be a sibling, close friend, or even lover.

Obi-Wan can feel Satine's deep fondness for him through the Force, and he lets himself bask in it for no more than a second before pulling away. He'll always love her, but he can no longer regret not having remained with her. Had he chosen her over the Order, he might never have met Anakin, and he frankly cannot imagine a universe where Anakin isn't the center of his world.

"I'll be careful, Satine," Obi-Wan promises in a quiet voice, a tenderness seeping into his words despite his best efforts to prevent it.

He can see the emotion flash through her eyes, and he backs away from her a little more so as to dissuade her from doing anything which they'll later regret. It's not that he doesn't want to be with her, but their positions make any chance of relationship all but impossible. And now really isn't the best time to talk about this, not with Death Watch chasing them. Besides, Bo-Katan looks as if she'll shoot them both if they start such a conversation, so Obi-Wan pulls his helmet down over his head and rises, following the sisters from the room.

**w**

Anakin makes it to the palace without being detected somehow, though perhaps that has more to do with the way he listens to the Force than anything else. After everything went down, after he started hiding his feelings from everyone, it was as if something changed, though he can't quite explain what it was. Perhaps his desperation to have someone who can understand him subconsciously pushed him to turn to the Force. It's… strange, because the Force is not really sentient, but at the same time, he can swear that it has offered him comfort on more than one occasion when he was grieving.

Sometimes, Anakin thinks the Force actually whispers to him in words more than vague feelings. He's learning to trust the Force more because he can no longer trust himself. If he trusts the energetic entity that gives him his power, then he'll be alright. He won't need to trust himself if he trusts the Force. Sometimes, he thinks he's stronger, too. Sometimes, he thinks the Force is controlling him more than he is controlling it.

For someone else, it might be disconcerting, but Anakin finds it soothing. His pain no longer matters if the Force is flowing through him, filling him with power, showing him exactly what he needs to do to become better, to achieve the most desirable goals. His men have noticed. They pay attention to the feats he does, and Rex has commented – more than once; and Fives, too – that he's been doing things that he never has before. Is he? Maybe. He doesn't know, and frankly, he only cares for protecting his men.

Anakin no longer cares how strong or weak he is. He used to, because he thought that he had to be powerful to protect people, to be what the Jedi Council wanted. But after… Hardeen, he's come to accept that the Council will never think he's good enough. Nothing he does will be good enough for them. So, he's stopped caring. He became lost in his depression and apathy, while simultaneously still caring about all the lives around him. He just stopped caring for his own. He stopped caring about how badly he was hurt.

He could only live through the second-hand feelings of those around him – which translated to spending more time with the clones and Ahsoka. And Padme if he was ever on Coruscant, though it's harder with her, because she can see his depression, and she always tries to talk to him about it, even though he doesn't want to talk about it. It also meant that he's been spending less time with Palpatine for which he feels guilty. His long-time mentor has done nothing to hurt him, but he doesn't radiate happiness and an infectious joy – unlike Ahsoka and his boys – which Anakin can greedily and desperately absorb, craving the lightness that he himself is no longer capable of experiencing.

Anakin shoves those thoughts from mind as he crouches atop a building near the palace, scanning through his helmet to locate the best place of entry. His Mandalorian – terrorist, technically – escort lands next to him, waiting silently.

"It's beskar," one of them says suddenly, and Anakin nearly starts, looking up at the woman.

"Excuse me?"

"Your armor," she clarifies. "It's beskar. It withstands blaster bolts and laser swords. Use that to your advantage."

Realization dawns, and Anakin feels a sudden gratitude. "I will," he assures her. "Thank you."

Be careful. The Force is tense around him, coiling as if it wants to protect him from what is about to come. Anakin closes his eyes, basking in its warm glow. Where? he sends to it. Where do I need to go? Show me.

Follow me, the Force whispers to him, and like every time before, it swells within him, tugging him in a certain direction. He goes, flying away, following the beckoning of the entity who is said to have created him. Maybe it did. Maybe it was waiting for this to happen so it could step in and help him in the way he so desperately needed to be helped. Maybe it, somehow, cares about him enough that it's trying to make up for the pain he's enduring, keeping him together so he doesn't shatter entirely. Maybe. It's a nice thought, anyways.

The Force leads Anakin to a back entrance, and he slips inside. A guard spots him but says nothing, probably assuming Anakin is one of them since their armor matches. As soon as the Death Watch warrior is passed, Anakin pulls himself into a ventilation shaft, crawling through the passageways with increasing speed as he Force urges him onwards. Before long, he's crouched near a grate through which he can see much of the throne room. It's high in the ceiling, giving him a perfect vantage point, and he's hidden himself in the Force. Maul and Savage won't sense him, so it's time to see what they're up to.

Something is nudging at the edge of his senses, something far enough away that he can't pinpoint it. Or perhaps it's being masked. Either way, the Force is whispering warnings in his ear, telling him to be careful, to be cautious, telling him that there is great danger which is coming his way. Anakin is not afraid. With the Force as his ally, Anakin has nothing to fear.

As he peers down into the throne room, he sees Maul sitting on the throne, Savage next to him. And then, he senses something. Something dark and sinister. It's as if the Force itself is holding its breath, curling around him with equal parts protection and warning.

"I sense a presence," Maul murmurs from below, and Anakin hardly dares to breathe. "A presence I haven't felt since…" He inhales sharply, a sudden spike of fear echoing into the Force before it's smothered. "Master," he whispers.

Anakin hears noise below, struggling, and twists so he can better see the area near the door. The two guards on the inside are hovering in the air, trapped in an invisible grip, clawing at their throats as they're strangled. The door slides open and a black-hooded figure steps inside, dropping the two, now dead Mandalorians to the floor.

"Master," Maul exclaims, rising from the throne and hurrying down the steps before dropping to one knee in front of the Sith Master and bowing his head.

It takes all of Anakin's willpower to not make an audible sound, because that is Sidious. Sidious is right here, and maybe – just maybe – now is the time he can destroy him and end the war. The Force is with him. He is not afraid, even if he should be. If he can take down Sidious, he doesn't care if he dies in the process. All Anakin knows is that Sidious must die. Here. Now.

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