Secrets and Suspicion (Book 1)

Interrogation

"That Barriss Offee stole my sabers," Ventress seethed.

"I thought you didn't want anything from the Jedi anymore."

She turned back to him in rage. "When I don't have a lightsaber I do!" She turned around again and paced slowly.

Anakin started Force-choking her. "What do you really want?" he yelled.

She coughed. "I-I want a saber,"

"Too. Bad," he said through gritted teeth again. "You should know you don't come to the Jedi for smuggling lightsabers!"

His bedroom door slid open. "Skywalker, what is going on here?" Ki-Adi Mundi asked. Ki-Adi saw Ventress.

"Ah, Asajj Ventress. This is such a wonderful reunion between old friends," Ki-Adi spoke calmly.

"Master Mundi," Anakin turned and bowed to Ki-Adi, dropping Ventress to the floor with a hard thud. He turned back to Ventress momentarily. "Oops, sorry," he said seeing her attempting to get up and rubbing her head from the fall. "Oh, and by the way, get ready for interrogation and prison by the order of the senator of Naboo."

"Senator scum," Asajj muttered.

Anakin looked at her from the corner of his eye and smirked. "Since when did that become your new catchphrase?"

Ventress rolled her eyes and frowned.

Anakin turned to Ki-Adi. "Thank you for contacting the Senator, Master."

Ki-Adi nodded.

"I'll never understand how you Jedi do things," Ventress said sourly.

"You don't have to," Anakin said, smiling to himself.

When Ki-Adi left to go set up a prison cell under the Temple, Ventress spoke.

"What is with you and that goodie senator?"

"What? Senator Amidala? She prefers me to protect her on missions. I guess I'm all that great and charming," Anakin smirked.

Ventress rolled her eyes as Anakin took her hands behind her back and walked her down under the Temple to the jail cells.

He pushed her forcefully into a cell and the shield went up. "I'll be here all night I case you have any nightmares," Anakin joked.

"Just shut up, you witty Jedi," Ventress said.

"Actually, I'd prefer reckless. But thanks anyway."

The shocktroopers around him chuckled.

"Oh, and one more thing, Ventress. Your interrogation will be bright and early tomorrow morning. Gather your thoughts tonight and get some rest."

"You're so gullible, Jedi. It was me who acted as your Master in that message. I wanted to--"

"Say no more. I'm not that stupid," he interrupted her. Anakin had figured it out as soon as he saw her in his room.

As the night went on, Ventress was overall silent. Occasionally, she would say something, but Anakin would always shoot her evil comments down with a smooth comeback.

Finally, it was early morning time, the time for Ventress' interrogation. They would be gathered at the Senate with others including Senator Amidala, Bail Organa, Chancellor Palpatine, Ki-Adi Mundi, Mon Mothma, and few other members of the Senate.

Neither Anakin not Ventress had gone to sleep last night. They both refused to. Anakin kept an eye on Ventress all night, and so did the other shocktroopers.

"Wake up, Ventress. It's interrogation time," Anakin said with a laugh.

"I'm awake, Jedi scum," Ventress said. She stood.

"Well, good. We should be on our way, then."

Ventress rolled her eyes as Anakin took down the shield and pulled her out of the cell with her hands behind her back.

All the way to the Senate, Anakin took her in one of his bigger ships. He had shoved her in one of the beds, closing her in with the pull-down door that was on it. She kicked it the whole way there.

"You hangin' in there, Ventress?" Anakin asked.

She stopped kicking for a minute, but then went right back to it again.

Anakin was truly tired of hearing it, but acted like everything was perfectly fine.

"We're here," he called back to Ventress. She was still banging the metal. Anakin opened it, and she kicked, not expecting it to open, kicking his bullet wound.

He cursed under his breath, but still acted like everything was fine. "C'mon," he grabbed her arm and jerked her out of the bed.

He walked her to the room where everyone was gathered, and pushed her on one of the voting booths. Bail was on one with Mon Mothma, Padmé was on the one with Anakin and Ventress, and everyone else was on their own.

"Hey," Anakin whispered to Padmé.

"Hi," Padmé replied. "You look exhausted. are you okay?" She paused and pointed to Ventress standing in front of them. "Was she being rambunctious and keeping you up all night?"

Anakin smirked. "You could say so, I guess. I wanted to stay up to watch her, though. Home, after this?" he whispered.

Padmé smiled and nodded. "This is all I have to do today," she whispered back.

"Today we gather for the interrogation of Asajj Ventress," the Chancellor announced. "Last night she attacked Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker in his room at the Jedi Temple. Our dear Senator Amidala will ask her the questions about last night."

"Asajj, how did you get in the Temple last night?" Padmé asked.

Ventress looked down. "I- I beat down the guards and made my way in by running to Skywalker's room. No one was in the hallways."

"What did you want?"

"That girl Barriss Offee stole my lightsabers. I wanted Skywalker to take me to the caves where they keep the saber crystals."

"What made you think General Skywalker would take you there? Or give you a lightsaber?" Padmé asked.

"I'm not sure. I just..."

"This interrogation is no longer continuing. If you don't want to give any answers, Asajj, then you must be taken to jail. The answers that you've given are unreasonable. You had no right to break into the Temple," Padmé argued.

The Chancellor spoke, agreeing with Padmé. "Take her away," he said to the nearby shocktroopers."Make sure you secure her tight at the big prison. We don't want her getting away," he added.

So they took her away without question.