Two days later, two days after Dooku explained the plan, Anakin's confidence in his fighting abilities has doubled, and he rightfully considers himself a master swordsman, on par with Dooku. Being the Chosen One, Anakin has a much stronger connection to the Force – though it's often overwhelming at times – which he uses to his advantage. Slowly, the magnitude of his pain and grief for Obi-Wan have begun to recede, though he still has moments where he can't imagine living without his brother. It will always be that way; Obi-Wan was, and always will be, his everything, and Anakin might be learning how to control himself, how to channel his pain into something constructive, but the moment the mission is finished, he thinks he'll shatter entirely. And even if he doesn't, the longing will take years to fade, and his love for Obi-Wan will never lessen.
"You should accompany me when I go to greet our late arrivals. Eval is finally here," Dooku informs Anakin, who lets out an exaggerated groan, carefully gauging the Count's reaction. Sometimes, he's incredibly strict, taking no arguments from Anakin, and sometimes, he simply ignores Anakin's protests. Today is the latter day apparently. Anakin is always wary of pushing Dooku too far because he'd rather not fight the elder man, not with their long, complex history of being adversaries.
"Okay, fine. I'll come." Anakin stands up, striding out of the room after Dooku. How lucky that he's wearing his armor; he'd rather not be recognized.
They walk out to the landing pad, surrounded by four MagnaGuards, stopping at the top of the stairs. Anakin watches silently as three beings descend from the ship, his eyes narrowing behind the helmet. Three? There were supposed to be two. Moralo Eval and Cad Bane. He recognizes them, but the third man he does not. Something about him seems so familiar, though Anakin can't place why. The helmet concealing his face doesn't help either.
The first, Eval, rushes towards them. "Count Dooku, I apologize for my delay," he announces hastily as two of the MagnaGuards point their electrostaffs at him. He glances at them, a slightly worried expression on his face.
Dooku's expression indicates he's not particularly forgiving of the delay. "Your careless delay could have ruined my plans, Eval," he practically snaps, "I see Cad Bane is with you. Who is the other one?"
Eval pauses, almost as though he just remembered his companions. He turns to look over his shoulder as the two approach him. "This is Rako Hardeen," he explains, "When Bane's escape plan failed, we only succeeded thanks to Hardeen. I thought he might be useful for the tournament."
Hardeen. Rako Hardeen. The bounty hunter who had murdered Obi-Wan, his master, his best friend, his brother. And he's walking free, while Obi-Wan is dead. A haze of white-hot anger and pain rush through him, and Anakin snaps.
***
Obi-Wan hadn't counted on Dooku having another apprentice, if that's who the masked man is, but he doubts it will affect his ability to perform his mission. Hopefully. At least until a snarl escapes the man, his body going rigid. So much anger and hatred swirl in his Force signature, that it almost makes Obi-Wan flinch. Almost.
"Enough small talk, I want my money," asserts Bane, crossing his arms stubbornly.
"That makes two of us," Obi-Wan adds, still slightly uncomfortable with his new voice, keeping a wary eye on Dooku's companion.
That's when he lunges towards the group. Straight towards Obi-Wan. He can't shake off the feeling that the man has something against him. Personally. Or more accurately, against Hardeen, since that's who he currently resembles. He's slightly surprised when Dooku's arm flies out, catching the man before he can move too far.
"There is no time to deal with personal grudges, Lord Vader," hisses Dooku, frowning at the man.
"But –" the man – Vader – protests. Obi-Wan notes that he appears to have a vocoder in his helmet which distorts his voice.
Dooku stares him down. "Once our mission is complete, you will have sufficient time to deal with personal scores. I won't pretend to understand how you feel, but we do not have time right now. It will have to wait."
Obi-Wan vaguely wonders if Dooku really sounds sympathetic, or if it's just his imagination. Probably my imagination. I couldn't believe him capable of sympathy. All he knows for certain is that they have a new Sith to deal with. Lord Vader? Definitely a Sith name. The Council will have to be informed at the soonest opportunity. Perhaps he'll find out what happened to Anakin at the same time, though he's unsure if anyone would deem it important enough to inform him before his mission is complete.
"Sorry, Master," grumbles Vader, something in his voice slightly sardonic.
Dooku glares at him, and his apprentice offers an exaggerated sigh. "Apologies, Count. It won't happen again," he concedes, this time sounding sincere.
Obi-Wan shakes his head slightly, wondering how Dooku can deal with him. As the tension dissipates, he allows himself a moment to study Vader. He's a tall man, significantly taller than Obi-Wan, and the size of the armor hints at his potential strength. He's wearing black armor, a helmet concealing his face. A lightsaber is clipped to his belt. The outfit is completed with a flowing cape that hangs halfway down his boots.
Obi-Wan wonders briefly how his lightsaber skills are. If he's anything like Ventress, he won't be difficult to beat in combat. Somehow, he doubts that Vader would appreciate being compared to her. He seems to radiate an aura of power and authority like no one the Jedi Master has ever seen. Well maybe. The only one who could come close to matching him is Anakin.
Sighing quietly, Obi-Wan pushes thoughts of his former Padawan from mind. He doesn't need to be distracted by thoughts of him right now, though he wonders how Anakin is handling his death, and if he's alright. Ahsoka's words haven't stopped haunting him. When he gets back, he hopes Anakin will understand his reasoning. Stop thinking about him. You can't get distracted right now. With an effort, Obi-Wan turns his mind back to the task at hand, unwilling to admit how unnerved he is by the masked Sith watching his every move.
"I think perhaps it would be best if you went inside," Dooku remarks, still watching Vader like a hawk.
"If that's what you want," Vader replies flatly.
"Vader..." There's something distinctly caring in the way Dooku says the name, and it boggles Obi-Wan's mind that the Sith Lord might care about someone. A sigh escapes him, and he continues, "We have talked about this. You should try sparring with some MagnaGuards. It will help." He doesn't touch his apprentice, but he seems very close to doing so.
Obi-Wan watches as Vader's hands fist at his sides, his helmet turning towards Obi-Wan for a moment before he nods stiffly. Turning sharply, he walks away. Though Obi-Wan won't dare reach out to the Force to touch him, he can practically feel the Sith's emotions boiling around him. How unusual. He'd always thought Sith had more control – Ventress was never a Sith – but maybe not. Maybe Dooku is simply the exception to the norm. It's not as though Obi-Wan has met many Sith.
He's distracted from his musings when Dooku turns to face them once more. "So, you were concerned with your money. You shall have it and perhaps much more. Both of you, if you would like to enter our friendly little contest."
"I'm in, if he's in," Obi-Wan replies without a second thought, tipping his head towards Bane.
Bane glances at him before looking stonily at Dooku and crossing his arms. "You already owe me for one job, Dooku, anything else will cost you triple."
Dooku regards him coolly. "I assure you that if you survive the challenge, the reward will be well worth it."
If you survive. That doesn't sound too promising, and Obi-Wan takes a deep breath, trusting in the Force to guide him. He must remain alive, so he can help foil Dooku's plan to kidnap the Chancellor – the reason why he was sent on this mission in the first place – though he is confident that whatever is in store for them will not be enough to kill a Jedi.
***
Anakin holds his lightsaber up in front of him, trying to bring his anguish under control. It's not fair. It's not right. The man who murdered Obi-Wan shouldn't be walking free right now. Dooku is right though. If he spars, he'll be able to prevent his emotions from devastating him, but Force, it hurts so much. He'd almost forgotten what the pain was like.
Being on Serenno is like his personal haven. He doesn't have any contact with anyone, and he enjoys it. Loosening the ties with his life, save Dooku, has helped him forget, but now, he's no longer so sure that he'll ever be able to go back. Seeing Hardeen reopened all the wounds he'd been trying so hard to close. He just wants Obi-Wan back, though he knows it's an impossible dream. He's dead. He'll never be coming back.
A half-growl, half-sob escapes him as he motions to the four MagnaGuards facing him. If Dooku knew what he was doing right now, he'd be furious. Anakin might be an excellent swordsman, but he can't fight off four droids in unison. Not when he programmed them himself via Artoo to be a worthy adversary for himself. They'll be attacking him in unison. He doesn't care. Fighting will take his mind off Obi-Wan, and more importantly, off Hardeen. That's what he wants – no, needs.
Spinning their electrostaffs, the MagnaGuards advance towards him, closing in from all sides. Perfect. He'll work himself to exhaustion. Even if it's not the right way to deal with his crushing pain, at least he's not hurting himself intentionally. Throwing himself into a fight will help. For now. And a temporary distraction is all he can get. Anything to get his mind off the pain tearing him apart.
Anakin lunges towards them, knowing even as he does, that he'll be using very little of the emotional control he's learned over the past few days. He's running solely on emotions, and more than likely, he'll end up being injured. He doesn't care; he almost wants it. Soon, he falls back into a familiar pattern, his red lightsaber slashing and spinning to keep the four at bay.
***
Anakin lays on a couch, his helmet on the floor. He's completely exhausted. On second thought, maybe dueling with four MagnaGuards wasn't such a good idea, at least not when he's fighting simply to let out his negative emotions rather than dealing with them in a healthier way. He closes his eyes. Maybe he'll be lucky, and Dooku will be too busy dealing with the bounty hunters to find him before he has a chance to recover. Maybe.
A few minutes later – or it could have been an hour – he hears footsteps, and Dooku enters the room. He raises an eyebrow, silently appraising Anakin's condition. Uh oh. He knows he'll be in trouble now. Why does he always seem to get in trouble with his masters or trainers? He won't call Dooku a mentor, even if that's what he is. It would be better not to answer that. He doesn't want to think about Obi-Wan right now.
"What did you do, Skywalker?" inquires Dooku, a hint of mild amusement in his voice. Anakin barely resists the urge to snarl at him for finding his suffering funny.
"I ended up on the wrong end of an electrostaff," Anakin admits, "More than once." He groans, shifting his position to one slightly more comfortable.
"I see, and how did that happen?" Why, oh why does he sound just like Obi-Wan when Anakin did something he shouldn't have? His former master always had a pretty good idea what Anakin did or didn't do, and it seems Dooku has the same skill. Wonderful. He's not that predictable. Really, he's not.
Anakin closes his eyes, unwilling to admit to trying – and almost failing – to destroy four MagnaGuards at once. What had he been thinking programming them like that? Oh wait. He hadn't been thinking. Finally, he opens his eyes, reluctantly meeting Dooku's expectant gaze for no more than a second.
"I – uh – I guess I tried to duel too many," mutters Anakin, looking anywhere but at Dooku. He almost expects him to react how Obi-Wan would have.
To his credit, Dooku doesn't sigh, though he looks like he wants to. "You know that's not how you're supposed to deal with your emotions. Control is more important now than ever, since Sidious will find and exploit every single weakness you possess when we fight him," warns Dooku.
"I know," replies Anakin flatly. And he does, but frankly, he can't bring himself to care right now. He misses Obi-Wan too badly. He wants him to be there with him, but he can't be. He'll never be there again because he's dead. Anakin closes his eyes against the pain that shoots through him.
"I came to find you since I'm done testing the bounty hunters. We have a team of six now," Dooku reports, "But I think there is something I should discuss with you."
Anakin pushes himself into a sitting position, even though every muscle in his body seems to be screaming in protest. He'd rather not show weakness to Dooku if he doesn't have to. "Is Hardeen –" he begins, and Dooku nods. Anakin slumps back against the couch, a mixture of relief and irritation flooding him. He wants the man to die, but he wants to do it himself. Revenge may be a path to the Dark Side, but Anakin thinks he'd be justified this once. After all, Hardeen murdered Obi-Wan, and he's irreplaceable.
"I'm actually here about Hardeen," remarks Dooku. He seems content to stand inside the doorway.
Anakin stiffens imperceptibly. "What is it?"
Dooku frowns, "I don't think Hardeen is who he claims to be."
"What?" hisses Anakin, narrowing his eyes, "What are you saying?"
"Let me explain my reasoning," replies Dooku, a veiled reprimand in his tone, "In the tournament, it was because of Hardeen that most of the contestants survived the first two trials. He has an excellent aim, which could be believable since he killed Kenobi, but something about him is off. I considered putting him in charge of the operation, but he refused to kill Eval when asked."
Anakin nods, catching on. "And if he killed a Jedi Master for no reason, then he's clearly ruthless."
"Exactly my thinking," Dooku concurs.
They remain in silence, both mulling over the situation. "Normally, I'd say we shouldn't be too concerned," admits Anakin, "But since the stakes are so high, we need to be extremely careful. If he's not the real Hardeen, then who is he?"
Dooku regards him quietly. "You won't like it," he warns.
Anakin raises an eyebrow, waiting for him to explain.
The Sith Lord crosses his arms, looking every bit the regal and composed Count he is. "Since Hardeen conveniently murdered Kenobi right before this occurred, I would speculate that they are, in fact, the same person."
But Obi-Wan is dead. He wouldn't do that, or would he? Anakin stares at Dooku in a shocked silence. No. It's not possible. He must be wrong. "No," Anakin finally manages to say, his voice oddly emotionless. He shakes his head. "No. He can't be. Obi-Wan – he wouldn't do that." Because he couldn't possibly hurt Anakin so badly intentionally. There is another explanation for this. He knows there is. There must be.
A hint of sympathy surfaces in Dooku's expression. "I hope you're right," he says quietly, "Because if Kenobi or another Jedi is here, our plans will fall apart, and Sidious will likely not die."
Anakin can't accept that. He won't because Sidious could potentially destroy the galaxy. There is no room for mistakes. They must succeed or the galaxy will fall. "We will not fail," he replies, a deadly certainty in his voice, "If Sidious escapes us this time, we will go after him later. No matter the cost, I cannot let him live. Neither of us can."
"You're right," Dooku agrees simply. He doesn't need to add that after their first attempt, there may not be a next time, especially if Sidious figures out who they are, and what they're up to.
"I should talk to him," Anakin finally decides, "I'll give him a warning."
Dooku gives him a long, appraising look before nodding. "Don't lose your temper on him and watch what you say. If he's not a Jedi, we don't want to lose his help."
Anakin clenches his jaw. He doesn't want Hardeen's help, but he knows Dooku is right. "I'll be careful." He reaches for his helmet, pulling it over his head and attaching it. Slowly he pushes himself to his feet, still slightly unsteady from the electrostaffs' effects. He closes his eyes, drawing in the Force to take the edge off his discomfort.
"I'll go now," he tells Dooku, striding to the doorway. The Count doesn't reply but seems to approve as he steps out of the doorway, letting Anakin pass.
***
Ever since Vader had indicated he carried a personal grudge against Hardeen, Obi-Wan has done his best to keep an eye open so he could maintain his distance, but apparently, Vader has other plans. Obi-Wan stands as still as possible so as not to antagonize the Sith as he prowls around him. Will he ever get tired of pacing in circles? It doesn't matter. Hopefully, this will be over with very soon.
"Listen here," snarls Vader coming to a halt only a foot in front of him, "I don't know much about you, and nor do I care to. I just want to make one thing perfectly clear. If you, in any way, interfere with our plans, then I will personally hunt you down. Not only that, but you will be single-handedly responsible for the collapse of the galaxy."
Vader's words both surprise and alarm Obi-Wan. If Vader suspects that he might try to interfere with the plans for kidnapping Palpatine, then Dooku must also. And if they don't trust him, who do they think he is? Or did Hardeen really have the reputation of double crossing? He doubted it, since the Council specifically selected him.
"If I get my money, I won't have a reason to betray you," Obi-Wan replies coolly.
"You are no bounty hunter," mutters Vader, his vocoder probably making his words louder than he'd wanted them to be. The finality almost sends shivers down his spine. They know something, but what? He'd been so careful. He'd kept his distance. What could he have done that might tip them off?
"I work for money," he answers, trying to sound flippant, "I don't know what you're trying to imply, but I don't care. If you'll pay me, I'll help you."
"Dooku already assured you that you would be paid," Vader snaps coldly, "But you aren't worried about that." He probes him through the Force, and Obi-Wan distantly wonders what he can sense.
Obi-Wan sighs. This has already gone on too long. "Look. What do you want?" He's careful not to let himself sound too demanding.
"I want you to do the job we're hiring you to do, and I don't want you to interfere with our plans," Vader replies bluntly.
"I'm a bounty hunter. You pay me, I'll do what you want," Obi-Wan retorts.
Vader lets out a sigh, but Obi-Wan can still feel raw anger simmering around him. "You'd better." It's all he says before he turns sharply and stalks away leaving Obi-Wan feeling somewhat shaken.
They don't trust him, that much is obvious, but he doesn't know why. Something must have happened. Something he doesn't know about. All he knows, is that he must tread with care. Under no circumstances can he allow them to suspect that he's a Jedi unless they already do. Either way, the future of his mission has just become far from certain.