The Unseen

Chapter 2 - Entering the Castle

Landing the ship had proved to be far easier than Ahsoka had anticipated. She had expected there would be some type of defense around the planet. There wasn't but considering the planet itself is volcanic, she's not too surprised. She stands next to Obi-Wan looking at the towering castle in front of them. The Dark Side is uncomfortably strong here, so much so that she's having a hard time even trying to sense Vader – Anakin – inside. 

She still can't believe that her master could have fallen so far, but she knows in her heart that Obi-Wan spoke the truth. Glancing over at him, she can see the tension in his body. His eyes have a haunted look in them, as they have ever since he first saw the planet. She'd tried to ask him about it, but all he said was that he'd faced Vader here before. Perhaps when she's here, she'll learn more about what happened to Vader.

Perhaps if she had chosen to stay in the Order, none of this would have happened. She can't help but wonder if her leaving had hurt Anakin far more than he'd let on. Guilt gnaws at her at the realization that she may have had a hand in his Fall. Pushing the thoughts away, she focuses on the present. If she's too distracted, she could be killed long before they ever enter the castle.

"There has to be a control room somewhere," grumbles Obi-Wan after they manage to slip into a ventilation shaft and begin crawling. "I doubt that the security here is lax. I'm guessing most of the droids here were specially built."

Ahsoka won't deny that his words send a thrum of fear through her. She'd always taken for granted that those skills would be on their side, and the realization that they aren't, not anymore, is slightly disturbing. For all she knows, they could be walking right into a trap which Vader set up for them. She doubts it though. Ever since Obi-Wan mentioned being able to feel something off, she noticed that she has too, but not as prominently. It's not too surprising since she spent far less time with Anakin than Obi-Wan did. The strength of their bond was legendary.

Part of her doubts that Anakin is really gone, as Obi-Wan is choosing – or trying – to believe, but she doesn't want to get her hopes up either. All she can do now, is trust in the Force to guide her along the right path. "There is," she mumbles in response to Obi-Wan's statement. "But I don't know where. We could search for hours without finding anything."

"There's another way," the Jedi Master decides, pausing behind her. She stops, shifting to look back at him. His expression is thoughtful as his eyes scan the narrow walls of the shaft.

"What are you going to do?" she asks, cautiously reaching out to prob their surroundings. She doesn't want any surprises.

"Use the Force," he responds promptly. "The Dark Side is clouding everything, but perhaps you, since you are more of a gray Jedi, could see through the fog and lead us to the right place."

"You're going to rely on my instincts?" Ahsoka queries, unease sneaking through her. This mission is extremely sensitive, and she's wary about taking a lead role. If she makes a mistake, she could lead both of them into a trap.

"Yes," Obi-Wan tells her. "You were trained by a good master. I have faith in you." Faith which, she hopes, is not misplaced.

"Alright," she agrees reluctantly, closing her eyes and reaching out to the Force. She can feel the faint thrum of a familiar, though dark, Force signature high up in the castle, though it seems eerily silent. Unmoving. She keeps her distance, scanning ahead to locate the best and fastest way to reach the control room. If they can shut down all the security and droids, finding Vader will become exponentially easier.

"This way," she whispers, beginning to move forward along the shaft. The Force is giving her a vague impression of the direction they need to follow. Hopefully, it's the truth and not a trick from the Dark Side. Ugh. Why in the name of the Force did Vader choose here?

After crawling through the ventilation shaft for several more minutes, Ahsoka reaches an exit. "We need to go through here. I think the control room is down the hall," she murmurs.

"This was too easy," Obi-Wan answers softly, expression betraying some anxiety. "Something is wrong. I can't imagine he would have such lax security."

Ahsoka presses her lips together and peers down into the hallway below. "Either this is a trap, or it's because he's here and therefore feels capable of defending it himself."

They exchange an uneasy look, before Ahsoka shrugs. "Let's go. Waiting won't change anything." Pulling back the grate, she jumps down, landing lightly on her feet. Moving more quietly than a ghost, she creeps down the hallway with Obi-Wan following behind her. The silence all around them disturbs her. She doesn't know how anyone could live in isolation for so long. Anakin was never the type to remain secluded, but clearly, much about him has changed.

She puts the thought aside for later analysis, pausing at the end of the corridor and glancing around the corner. "I think it's there," she breathes, motioning to the secured door at the end of the hall. "We need to get inside without alerting the security."

"It should be easy," mumbles Obi-Wan, the Force coalescing around him as he begins manipulating the mechanisms. "I've done this before, but this has been updated a lot."

Ahsoka snorts quietly. "We're dealing with a mechanical genius. What did you expect?"

"Hush, I'm trying to focus," Obi-Wan chides, only a slight twitch betraying how uncomfortable he is when she mentioned Vader.

Truthfully, she cannot imagine how he feels, much less how he's coping with the situation. He's lived with this for years. It's no wonder he's changed so much. When she saw him again, she'd noticed how much he'd aged and hardened, chalking it up to where he's been living and the knowledge that Anakin was dead, but clearly, it was far worse. Beside her, Obi-Wan mutters something which she's fairly sure is a curse he picked up from Anakin.

"Get inside. Now," he orders. "We need to bar the door. I might have just triggered a security mechanism."

She obeys without a second thought, dashing down the hall at his side and pushing open the door before closing it behind them. She pushes the control panel right inside, selecting the option to bar the door, before rushing over to the security terminal just as she hears an alarm go off.

"Deactivate that!" hisses Obi-Wan, moving to a second control panel and beginning to scroll through the controls. "We don't know what could happen, or who will be summoned."

"Only security droids probably," she replies, struggling to get around the access codes. "I only sensed one lifeform inside this castle."

"Hurry," Obi-Wan urges. "I think I managed to shut down the cameras and all data feed. Turn off that alarm and deactivate all the droids."

As Ahsoka hastens to give the commands, she hears thuds – droids – approaching the door. She slams the last button, listening with bated breath as the sound of machinery whirring to a stop echoes around them. She lets out a long sigh of relief. "That was much harder than I thought it would be," she admits. "It's a good thing that I paid so much attention to how Anakin used to do this."

Obi-Wan flinches almost imperceptibly at the mention of her former master, and she feels guilty at saying the name. Ever since she learned Vader's identity, thoughts of Anakin haven't been far from the surface of her mind. "We should go," he says quietly, not meeting her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she apologizes. "I wasn't thinking."

Obi-Wan sighs tiredly, looking at her with something – exhaustion, pain, understanding, or maybe all – in his blue-gray eyes. She's struck again with how old he looks. His hair, which used to be ginger, is mostly gray now. He looks like he's about to talk, but simply nods, accepting her words before turning towards the door and pushing the controls to open it. It slides open. Outside, they can see at least a dozen security droids which were obviously custom-made to stop any unauthorized visitors, including Jedi.

Ahsoka winces, suddenly grateful that they didn't need to fight them off. It would have been a difficult task. She straightens, slipping past the droids and heading down the hall. What she needs to find now is a turbolift or something to get them to the upper floors. She can sense Vader's presence up there, though it remains as quiet and undisturbed as it was when they first arrived. He's alive, but it's as though he's – he must be in a coma like the rumors say. It's the only explanation she can think of.