Chapter 1 - The Bombing
Plot: Called to investigate the bombing of the Temple, Anakin figures out early on that a Jedi must have been involved. But which one? The plot thickens when Anakin goes to talk to Letta, and she's killed in front of him, incriminating him. He didn't do it, and time is running out to find the real bomber.
Author's Note: Aaaand... behold! The next Sith mystery story! Well, sort of. xP
The first three are Among Us, Identity Crisis, and Nearsight Shadow. :) You don't need to read any of them, of course, but you might find them interesting anyway. ;)
I'd love to hear y'all's theories about who the Sith/Dark Sider is. :D
~ Amina Gila
He felt a disturbance in the Force a while before Cato Neimoidia. Going back there, period, was... almost jarring. Last time was at the very start of the war and Anakin was there with Obi-Wan and Mill Alibeth.
Now, he went there with Ahsoka and the boys.
They had to pull out of the battle, early on, so Anakin and Ahsoka could return to investigate the Temple bombing. The Council chose them, because they needed a non-Council member to investigate, as well as someone they trusted to get the job done right. And they have always been... good with people. Anakin knows things, can sense things, that most people can't. He doesn't fully understand the extent of his powers. Never has. Probably never will. It doesn't usually matter either way.
But the fact that the Temple was bombed scares him. It's shaken everyone, and Anakin can feel it. There was unrest after Cad Bane infiltrated the Temple, but nothing like this. He can't understand how it could have happened. Even Pong Krell, for as evil as he was, didn't dare to outright attack the Jedi Temple.
Not even Dooku has done that.
And there was a Jedi involved. That's what scares him the most. It's not just a rumor. Anakin knew it was true from the moment he returned to Coruscant. Ahsoka was stubborn about believing it, and she still is, even after Letta Turmond confirmed it.
"How can we know she was telling the truth?" Ahsoka demands, arms crossed.
Even years into the war, she's still so naïve. Too much so. Even at sixteen, and two and a half years of fighting, Ahsoka refuses to see so much of the galaxy. Obi-Wan is much the same way. It's – it's how most of the Jedi are, and yes, it's a flaw, because it blinds them to the galaxy beyond where people need them most, but he can't find it in himself to criticize her for it. She's... still young. She can learn. He sometimes wishes she didn't have to, that he could keep her safe from the world forever.
He's tried that. Many times. It only made her angry, so he... tried to stop. Somewhat. But Anakin will and can never stop trying to protect her, because he's her master and that's what he's supposed to do.
"Does it hurt to be too cautious?" Anakin asks. "It's more outlandish to believe no one was helping her."
And, Anakin knows, his emotions in this are clouding his judgment. Of course, they are. It would be true for any Jedi right now. Someone attacked their home.
It's like what happened in the battle of Kamino with the clones. That was... more personal than all the battles they've fought together.
Ahsoka huffs. "But which Jedi would do something like this? Ever? This is our home."
She's so fierce. Passionate. "There will always be Jedi who disappoint us, Ahsoka," Anakin tells her, tiredly. It's been two and a half years, but he still feels like he's in way over his head. He sees the Code in a way no one else does. Anakin can't accept it any other way, and it often feels like many other Jedi are... losing their way in their quest for victory, but it's not his place to tell them they're wrong. He cannot tell Ahsoka she's wrong for doing what most of the Jedi are. That would – it would be wrong. Out of line. "What matters is that there will always be those who chose the Light."
They're just leaving the funeral now, and everyone is scattering out. There were many non-Jedi present. It was... a big thing.
"Well, what happens to Letta now?" Ahsoka asks.
"The bomber has been moved," a familiar voice says, and they instantly turn away from where they were standing off to the side next to a window, unheard. That's the only place where Anakin feels comfortable with Ahsoka, outside their quarters.
The Temple isn't... he's not one of them.
But Admiral Tarkin is here, and Anakin instinctively schools his expression.
Anakin is the General, the master, and he tries his best to play his role at such. He has to be calm and levelheaded for when everyone else is not, no matter how hard it might be. Ahsoka is the one who's willing to lash out and fight back when Tarkin made his view of the clones well-known during the Citadel mission, despite how they were fighting alongside him and repeatedly saved his life. He has very little respect for them, believing a conscripted army would be far superior.
Anakin was... able to find even ground with the Admiral, in the same way he's so accustomed to, because he's never fit with the Jedi, either. He has tried. He never could. But that isn't the only reason Anakin doesn't want to see him – it's that the 501st lost Echo when they met.
Anakin will never forget seeing that. He's seen so many people die; it shouldn't bother him so much. But Fives' scream and the explosion of fire will forever live in his mind.
"What?" Ahsoka demands, twisting around. Her expression is sour, unhappy. "Why would she be moved?"
"The Republic military has taken custody of her."
"Why?" Ahsoka protests, confused. She's upset. She's as emotionally compromised as all the Jedi are. "Isn't this a Jedi matter?"
"Clones were killed," Tarkin replies, "Which makes this terrorist attack a military matter."
Anakin can feel Ahsoka's annoyance. He feels it, too. It's not as if Tarkin cares about this. It's not even as if the Republic cares much about the clones. Once, Anakin wanted to believe they did. Now, more and more, he's seeing the corruption in the Senate and everywhere. Even Palpatine can't root it out. It would take someone with even more power to do that.
"Letta is a citizen, not a Jedi," Anakin reminds, reaching out to squeeze Ahsoka's shoulder. Touch is grounding. It was for him, anyway. He always wished Obi-Wan would do it more. "She falls under the jurisdiction of the Senate, not the Jedi."
To the side, Anakin sees Barriss moving in to join them as they walk down the Temple halls. She's being as quiet as a shadow. He senses a strange level of sorrow and wariness to her, but he has sensed that in everyone since he came back. No one knows who to trust anymore.
"Letta will be dealt with as expeditiously as possible," Tarkin says, moving for the turbolift at the end of the hall, "An attack on the Republic military by another Republic citizen is... disturbing."
Assuming she was the only one involved, but it's already obvious that she wasn't. She couldn't have orchestrated the entire thing on her own, so it's a question of who else is involved. Even after the work he and Ahsoka have done in their investigation so far, that's still something they don't have any clear answers to.
**w**
Ahsoka is still shaken and angry from what happened. How could someone have attacked the Temple? It shouldn't even have been possible.
As a Jedi, she shouldn't let her emotions cloud her judgment, and she knows that, but it's still hard. If they aren't safe in their own home, where are they safe? So, no, she can't help being furious. Anakin is handling it far calmer than she is, of course. He always does. Sometimes, she envies his calmness.
"Company?" Ahsoka asks, walking alongside Barriss as Anakin and Tarkin disappear into the turbolift.
"Sure," Barriss agrees.
It's been a long time since they were together. Ahsoka has many friends, yes, but she rarely has time to be around them. Not since the war started. Not since she met Anakin. And she just wants to... be for a little while and try to calm her mind. Anakin has always told her to let out her emotions, and she's become used to it, even if it's still sometimes hard. "I know we're supposed to 'let go', but I can't think about what happened without being upset," she says, finally. She doesn't know how she could ever stop being upset about something of this magnitude.
It – it was the Temple.
"Ahsoka, have you ever wondered if it's really right to ignore your emotions?" Barriss asks.
Ahsoka glances at her, a sudden prickle of concern rushing through her. This is Barriss, after all, and she has always been unfailingly loyal and unquestioning of the Jedi way. "Are you okay?" Ahsoka asks her quietly. ... right. "You were close to one of them?" she deduces.
"Yes," Barriss replies, quietly. She's been unusually solemn and withdrawn, but that's hardly a surprise. "One of them taught me how to hold my lightsaber correctly."
"Oh," she murmurs. It's no wonder she seems... off-balance right now. Everyone is. "They are one with the Force now. It's never easy, but we have to learn to accept they are gone and move on." It's something she's far more familiar with from the war because clones are constantly dying. She's not really close with any of them, but Anakin is. He has... lost many that he was close to.
"You make it sound so easy," Barriss says.
"No, it isn't easy," Ahsoka agrees, "We all struggle with it, but my master would say our duty as a Jedi says that we must move past them. Like the factory on Geonosis. I was scared then, but we were able to work through our fear to do what we needed to."
"You have always been capable of seeing things clearly," she comments.
"Have I?" Ahsoka asks. She has... questions sometimes, but she still struggles, too. It's just – she doesn't see eye-to-eye with the Council all the time. She... doesn't agree with some of the things they're doing. They have had... disagreements. Sort of. Not exactly, but at the same time, the Council did leave her and a group of padawans alone. Yes, they found their way back, but some things, Ahsoka simply cannot forget. It's been a part of her ever since, carried with her, the knowledge that only Anakin would care enough to try, only Anakin would come back for her if she was left behind.
Even if it was for the greater good.
"It certainly doesn't feel like it."
Barriss smiles faintly. "It usually doesn't," she replies, "But you always seem so certain."
"I thought you always were, too," Ahsoka points out. Barriss had never expressed doubts like this before, and it's weird.
"Once," she responds, after a pause, "But sometimes, I... am no longer certain."
The Togruta frowns. "What do you mean?"
"I... don't know," she admits, "Sometimes, I feel like the Order is no longer what it used to be. The war is changing everyone. We're meant to be peacekeepers."
Ahsoka can't help thinking that Anakin has said things like that before. She's... worried about Barriss though. She can't help it. Either way, she doesn't have time to ask about it, because Anakin calls her off back to their investigation.
**w**
Letta is imprisoned now, but Anakin and Ahsoka are still investigating. She described a little of what the person she was working with looked like. They were hooded, but they were presumably a Jedi. A Force user, anyway. There is no guarantee of anything, though.
They have no evidence, short of her word. She told them that the Jedi was close to Ahsoka in height and humanoid. They have no guarantee, though. All they can do is narrow down the list and search for incriminating evidence.
Ahsoka is right that Letta could be lying, though Anakin doesn't think she is.
He can't entirely say why. He just... doesn't think so.
But one way or another, that's how he ends up at the prison, inside the cell where Letta is. It's a small, dark room, and Anakin can't help thinking that it reminds him of the cells on Tatooine. He doesn't... like prisons. At all. And it reminds him of the countless times he's been captured, none of which were pleasant.
And that's when it happens, of course. Anakin has felt faint traces of the Dark Side for a while, but they're stronger here at the prison. Something is... wrong. Very wrong.
Anakin feels it just a split second before it happens, that something is happening. The Dark Sider is close, very close, but their presence is too well-shielded for him to grasp.
Letta is lifted into the air, the Force tightening around her neck.
Anakin can't see anyone anywhere, but they're obviously somewhere close – in the facility, somehow. He has to do something fast, before she dies, except when he reaches out with the Force, trying to stop whoever's doing this, it's not fast enough.
Or maybe they sensed what he was trying to do first, because the sound of bones cracking rings through the cell, and Letta's motionless body collapses to the floor. He moves to her side instantly, instinctively, but he can already feel her presence fading.
It's too late. She's dead, killed by a Force user – likely whoever else is involved in this, and this is confirmation enough to know that someone is.
The door behind him snaps open, Fox and several others hurrying into the cell.
"Someone killed her with the Force," Anakin tells them, "You need to search for intruders."
One of the clones moves to check Letta, then looks up at Fox. "Commander, she's dead."
In the Force, Fox feels more resigned than anything else. "I can't say I blame you General Skywalker, but all the same, you're under arrest," he replies, as the other clones raise their blasters, in case of resistance.
A rush of frustration washes over him, but it's not as though the clones would have any way of knowing what happened. They weren't here, and they can't feel it the same way Anakin could. They wouldn't know, and it's... only logical to conclude he did it. "Check the facility, either way," he requests, anyway.
"We will," Fox concedes, motioning to the others. They take the body out. Anakin just watches numbly as they close the door. He knew, somehow, something would go wrong when he came here, but it wasn't as though he could have sent Ahsoka. He came himself because he sensed the danger. There's a Dark Sider on the loose, and somehow, they snuck inside the most secure prison on Coruscant. That shouldn't even be possible. No doubt, it's the person who did this in the first place, trying to cover their trail.
At least it's a Republic prison cell, Anakin reminds himself. He didn't do anything. He's not a criminal. He doesn't belong here, and they're not going to keep him here indefinitely. Before long, Obi-Wan will be around to clear this up, no doubt.
But that doesn't answer what could happen in the meantime.
And Anakin loathes being in confined spaces. He's... been captured before. This is entirely different, of course, but still, the similarity makes him restless. And he has never been good with having nothing to do. On Tatooine, he always had too much to do. And on Tatooine, he was... so often alone. Like he is right now. Except he doesn't have anything to focus on, except how he's certain the Dark Sider is on the loose, and planning their next move.
He should have been faster, should have saved Letta. Not because he cares – but because she was their only link to discovering the truth. She would have died, either way. The Republic would have her executed for what she did, no doubt. He couldn't have stopped it in the end, anyway, and Anakin knows that.
But still, feeling the echo of her final moments on the walls is not helping.
He doesn't know how long he's been waiting, when the door to the cell finally opens again. And it's... Tarkin?
"This was an unexpected turn of events," Tarkin comments, neutrally.
"Did the clones find anything?" Anakin asks, immediately. That's what matters most of all, right now.
"They reported catching sight of a small, hooded figure leaving the prison, but the person does not appear on any security footage," Tarkin responds, "There is no guarantee this has any connection with what happened."
Small? That narrows it down, slightly. Maybe. Ahsoka needs to know this so she can keep looking, though that's not what Letta described them as. Was more than one person involved? "... Small, as in close to my padawan's height?" Anakin queries, frowning.
"No. Smaller than that. They did not get a clear visual. But that has little connection with what transpired when you were speaking with Letta."
"We don't know that," Anakin argues, "I felt the Dark Side. Someone killed her. I didn't see who. Their presence was... elusive." He hates to tell anyone that, because he, of all people, should have known who they were and what they were doing. But he didn't. He failed at that, too, because most of what he's good at is failing people.
"We will look into it," Tarkin replies, "But as of now, we have no proof aside from your word anyone else was present. This is a secure facility. People cannot enter at random."
They could have mind-tricked the clones, but why didn't the cameras pick that up? Or did they, and no one looked? That's what Anakin isn't sure of. Nothing makes sense and being stuck in here, unable to keep looking for himself, is making everything significantly harder. "I know that," Anakin replies, "But I sensed someone. It..." He trails off, uncertain. "I must speak with my padawan."
"For now, you must remain here," Tarkin replies, firmly, "Until we ascertain the truth of this situation."
He doesn't believe him, at least not completely, which Anakin can... understand in some ways, given what happened, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating. The Dark Sider is obviously covering up their tracks quickly, and unless they take action soon, they might risk losing them entirely. That can't happen.
He shouldn't have let it be a chance to happen in the first place. He'll just have to wait. No doubt, Obi-Wan will find a way in soon, anyway. He can do that. He's a Council member, after all. And Ahsoka is working on the case. Tomorrow, probably. He can wait until tomorrow.
**w**
Ahsoka's mind is whirling. None of this makes any sense. Someone killed Letta, and Anakin was arrested for it.
Never mind how outlandish and stupid that claim is.
Ahsoka's temper is already on a short fuse, and that's worse now. She and Master Obi-Wan immediately head to the prison to ask Anakin what happened. It's obvious someone killed her to cover up the trail, but Anakin should know more. He has to know something that will help this along.
Ahsoka jumps out of the speeder the moment she puts it down. Obi-Wan climbs out a bit slower, more maturely. She should be calm, but Ahsoka can't even begin to find a shred of calmness. She's angry. She's scared. Anakin has been captured before, but he has never been held prisoner in a Republic prison. She can't believe this is happening, and Anakin has always been right beside her.
He's not now though, and they need to get him out. She has to stay focused and levelheaded like he would in this place so she can try and help him.
"We're here to speak with Anakin Skywalker," Obi-Wan says, moving forwards, arms crossed. He's clearly upset, too, from the way he's holding himself, though she's not paying much attention right now.
"I'm sorry, sir, but Admiral Tarkin has ordered that no one be allowed in there," Fox replies. He sounds slightly apologetic, but Ahsoka doesn't care. "He deems the situation too dangerous and uncertain at present."
"Look," Ahsoka argues, "We have to talk to him. This is urgent. It can't wait."
"I'm sorry, but the Admiral's orders stand," Fox replies, "This is now a military operation, and under his jurisdiction."
She wants to scream. She really, really does, because there's clearly nothing he can do, and this is all so messed up. It's Tarkin she's angry at, and Ahsoka can't remember the last time she wanted to punch someone in the face so badly.
"But you can't just –" she starts, and Obi-Wan pulls her back from the window Fox is standing at.
"We will have to come back later, Ahsoka. There is nothing he can do," Obi-Wan tells her, even if he's obviously extremely unhappy by that.
"Then how are we going to do know what really happened?" Ahsoka argues.
"We will have to request permission directly from Tarkin," he replies. "It will have to wait."
"But Anakin can't wait!" Ahsoka argues fiercely, even if she follows Obi-Wan back to the speeder. "Every moment we waste, the criminal is slipping away. We're just giving them more time to cover their tracks!"
"I know," he answers, tightly, "But we have little other choice right now."
"You're a Council member," she objects, a little sullenly, even as she fires up the speeder. It still feels wrong to be leaving without having even talked to Anakin. "How could it be considered risky for you to talk to him?"
"This does not fall under Jedi jurisdiction," Obi-Wan tells her shortly.
She knows that's true, but it still doesn't make sense. Why can they not see how urgent this is? For now, she'll somehow have to continue the investigation on her own, even when they're obviously missing a large part of the story.
"I will contact you when we receive permission," Obi-Wan informs her.
Ahsoka can only hope that will be soon enough.
**w**
The cold doesn't bother him. Jedi are... immune to most temperature changes. They can use the Force to warm themselves. Anakin is right now. What bothers him most is the plain, dark walls, and the red tint of the ray shield covering the doorway. He doesn't like red. Never has. It's too easily associated with prisons and pain.
He's trying to sleep, but it's hard. The place is... unfamiliar. It's not safe. Anakin doesn't feel safe in many places, if he's being honest. His room at the Temple, somewhat. Most of the time. Padme's apartment, most of the time. Sometimes not. The Chancellor's office. And his cruiser. With the 501st. The boys he knows would die for him without a second thought.
The boys he would die for without a second thought.
The clones have an unfathomable level of loyalty to most people, though it's something Anakin knows he shares himself. They're Mandalorian at heart, even if they weren't raised that way. And Mandalorians are always loyal, even if Anakin has seen many that... aren't good people. That's true about everyone, though.
Even the Jedi.
There's a mouse droid rolling around outside Anakin's cell's door. He hears the sound and looks up at it, warily. It's not that he thinks the thing is about to blow up. That's unrealistic, but still, he can't help being worried, because these were the things that set off a bomb in the Temple. It was bad enough to take out the floor in the immediate area, and the floors in the Temple are thick. They were designed to be many levels. To cause that much damage is not easy.
The person who did it was... not messing around. They were trying to make a point of some kind.
The Force is tensed in a way Anakin doesn't like. Something is wrong – very wrong. Something is going to happen, and it feels different than when Letta was killed. It's something... worse. But it worries him.
Anakin can feel the disturbance in the Force, and it centers around... the building's power generator? That's not good. If the power goes out, a riot will instantly start. That's happened before. It's never a pretty situation. He wishes he had a way of warning Fox and the clones, but he can't. He's stuck in the cell.
Still, he can't help contemplating leaving just to warn them. It's not like he wouldn't go back right after, anyway, though that would probably make them increase security and –
The building shakes with a not-too-distant explosion.
Anakin jolts to his feet instantly.
The ray shield flickers off, and the halls plunge to dark, then light up red when the emergency power kicks in. It's not going to be enough, though.
The Dark Sider is here. Anakin can feel them, and something about the darkness feels even more predominant than it did earlier. He senses the chaos breaking loose across the facility. His fault. Maybe not entirely, but it still feels like it's his fault.
He should have saved Letta and pinpointed the killer's location instantly.
But prisoner or no, he's still a Jedi. People are dying, some of them very close by, and Anakin has to help them. He can't just sit here. Yes, it will put more suspicion on him, but a Jedi's duty is to sacrifice themselves for the greater good. Anakin is used to that. He has no reluctance in sacrificing himself to help.
Especially not when it's also his duty to track down this killer.
The Dark Sider is close. Very close.
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