Anakin
Anakin had had to resist the urge to draw Ahsoka into his arms and hug her when she and Lux had returned from their little excursion with the girl he had thought was Annina Janren in tow, cuffed and wearing the crest of the fearsome Kayzani clan with an equally fearsome expression to match.
He had resisted, of course, because he and Ahsoka kept what few displays of affection they were allowed as Jedi teacher and Padawan very private. But he had made his relief that she and the Senator were all right known to her in a slight mingling of their auras and in the looks they exchanged.
The four of them had spoken little on the way down to the basement of Varykino for the inevitable interrogation, even once Padme, Rex and a small escort of clones had joined them. But Anakin hadn't missed the glances of a different sort passing between Ahsoka and the young Senator for Onderon, the slight shifts of body language as they walked side by side.
He was going to have to ask her about that later, and probably give her a stern talking to, if he was reading all this right. But now, as they arrived in a small cellar, he knew there were far more important things to think about.
As Ahsoka brushed past him to the table the clones had dragged into place, Anakin caught a murmur none but a Force user could have heard: "I call bad cop."
Anakin bit back a laugh and inclined his head fractionally to show he had understood, and acquiesce to her statement.
It took but a moment for them to slip into their old rhythm, with the possible exception of having chosen to conduct this interrogation in the opposite roles from what they usually did. In keeping with the task, Anakin maintained a neutral but gentle expression, while Ahsoka mustered the angriest one she was capable of.
"Name, organization of affiliation, and rank within said organization," Ahsoka growled, setting a holo-recorder down on the table before them and turning it on.
Annina – or whoever else she was – rolled her eyes irately, but spoke with a grin. "Kayzani Myarra of the Kayzani clan, assassin-designate of Squadron 13."
Anakin took a slight tilt of Ahsoka's head as his cue to jump in, and said, "You've been apprehended as a member of a Separatist conspiracy, and charged with attempted capture of a Senator. What do you have to say for yourself?"
Myarra barked out a laugh. "I have no allegiance to either side in this war; I only care about the money. I was hoping Dooku would think I was Force-sensitive enough to train me, perhaps to be an assassin like Ventress once was. Once on the inside, I could steal Separatist secrets and sell them to his enemies."
Ahsoka scoffed. "Dooku wouldn't be that stupid."
"He was stupid enough to trust me, at least in the short term."
"Because he saw in you the potential to become a useful pawn in his game – and you did," Anakin said, with levelness to his voice that surprised even him for the gravity of the situation. In this time of crisis, a Force sensitive person not affiliated to the Jedi Order, even a less than well-attuned one, could be very dangerous.
He was glad they'd caught this one before she could make any more trouble.
Myarra shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time – it's just business, really. Fact of the matter is, I honestly couldn't care less if he lives or dies. Now that you have me, I see no reason to keep anything I know about him from you."
Ahsoka leaned in closer, her blue eyes flashing. "Then start talking."
Myarra leaned back in her seat as though to counter her, her body language casual but bearing a flicker of unease Anakin couldn't quite trace to a source. "I was meant to take down Senator Amidala at first," she said, and with a surge of rising anger Anakin wondered if he shouldn't have called dibs on being bad cop. "But then somebody took a shot at Senator Bonteri on Coruscant, and the plan changed. Word reached our friend the Count that he was alive and well, and I became a seducer rather than a sweet young girl seeking guidance in the political sphere."
She gave Lux a wink at the first and a theatrically girlish flutter of her lashes at the second, and the muscles in Ahsoka's shoulders tensed and bunched. Sensing this wasn't a voluntary reaction, Anakin placed a gentle hand on her shoulder to calm her and remind her to keep her cool.
"I was supposed to act like I was working on the Queen's behalf behind the scenes to break the alliance with Onderon. We had falsified documents, recordings, all kinds of proof ready. Had Senator Bonteri died like he was supposed to, an investigation would have brought all this up. His people would've thought the Naboo were conspiring to take greater control of the trade route, and–" she smirked at Lux "–no offence, Senator, but when it comes to bad turns in politics, you Onderonians are quick to anger and wildly patriotic."
Now, it was Padme's turn to put a hand on her fellow Senator's shoulder, and Anakin hid a smile. So, it seems even the calm, levelheaded Senator Bonteri I've heard Lux has become can be quick to anger at times.
"Before long, tensions between Onderon and the Naboo would've passed the breaking point, where a war could start. The Seps were gonna to take advantage of the fact that their focus lay in this rather than the larger Clone Wars and lay siege to both systems before the Republic could intervene – blitzkrieg-style."
Ahsoka's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You seem awfully talkative for someone who'll be off to prison as soon as this little interview is finished..."
Myarra shifted in her cuffs to study the beige mottling of dust on her black gloves and saber cuts over various instruments set into her armor, apparently unfazed. "Refer to my earlier statement about being called a pawn."
'Apparently', indeed. Though outwardly she gave nothing away, she was definitely hiding something. Ahsoka seemed confident in having defeated her, but Anakin knew Myarra remained a powerful adversary, with cunning to match. She would have a backup plan, some means of escape – and they would have to be ready for when she chose to put it into effect.
"I'll even give you the intel I have freely, for the right price," she continued.
"How's a sentence a few years lighter than what's in store sound to you?" Anakin asked, his tone almost conversational. Putting a hint of steel in his voice, he added, "I think that's more than fair."
Myarra cocked her head to one side as she leaned forward, offering him an infuriating smirk; Anakin sensed she had figured out the little show he and Ahsoka were putting on, and realized that he was the one she really had to watch out for. "I'm sorry, I thought you guys were actually interested in ending this war..."
Anakin laughed heartily, crossing his arms as he met the smirk with one of his own. "It's cute that you think you actually mean anything to us, kid."
Myarra sat back again, her eyes darkening, and Anakin knew he had won.
"You've got until 01700 hours to change your mind – that's when we leave for Coruscant. Otherwise, it's... oh, I'd say twenty-five years in prison, at least? What do you think, Snips?"
Ahsoka raised an eyebrow, smiling at him. "I'd say thirty-five."
"Rex, post a guard on her. I want a dozen men watching her at all times, and more on every entrance to the house."
"With pleasure, sir," Rex said, and Anakin could practically hear the smile on his face. But he was all business once more a second later, as he jabbed a finger at Myarra. "You picked the wrong guy's COs to mess with, kid. Understand that, and we'll get along just fine."
With a final grin back in Myarra's direction, Anakin motioned for the others to join him. Then, they left the young assassin to her makeshift cell, and as they walked back upstairs, Anakin found the mood had been lightened immensely.
There was much more to talk about now than there had been on the way in.
*Who loves Snips and Ahsoka bro/sis fuzzy feels, or any kind of feels at all?
*raises hand immediately*
Again, it was really fun exploring the characters' emotions in this chapter, because Ahsoka was not-so-subtly using the bad cop front to vent some anger about Myarra -- I mean, to be fair, who wouldn't be mad if some chick tried to steal your man and then turned out to actually want to kill him?
I guess it's a good thing Anakin was around to keep her her calm(ish) 0_0
Speaking of Anakin, I loved adding little nods to what everyone else's opinions were on Myarra and the situation at hand thanks to his prowess at reading people and sensing thoughts and feelings. I know the narrator or character whose POV is being told is meant to be your window into the scene or world or whatever, but having the Force to tell you these things just adds an extra dimension to that.
This was a new experience in general, because while I've written scenes with characters questioning each other or one person in specific, I've never written something like THIS, an actual interrogation. It made it kinda special and paved a new avenue I can take while writing, which is good, because I've got one or two like it in store for future fanfics.
But I think that's all I've got to say about this chapter, so, ONWARD, to the LAST TWO CHAPTERS OF THE FANFIC!!!