Obi-Wan's POV
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Ten minutes earlier ....
I watched as Anakin froze in the doorway, his hand stuck on the doorframe, and I could feel his distress, though I had no idea what was causing it. For a few moments, I waited to see if he would move, but he seemed so thoroughly lost in his thoughts, I figured he would need prompting.
"Anakin," I started quietly, trying not to startle him, "are you going in?"
He looked back at me, and I winced to see the fear and pain in his eyes. He internalized something for a second before dropping his gaze reluctantly. "Um, maybe you guys had better wait out here, at least for a bit. There are a lot of people inside, and most of them will see three Jedi as a target. I can sneak in and have a look first. Stay hidden as best you can." He held Ahsoka's gaze until she nodded mutely and looked down.
I wasn't happy with this change of plans, but Anakin entered the building before I could say anything. Pursing my lips, I stood watching him disappear into the crowd inside. The Force was yelling danger into my ear, and I knew it was not a good idea letting him go by himself. But his stubbornness came from a good heart, even if it got him into more trouble than it kept him out of, and besides which, I trusted him. I just hoped he would contact us before he engaged Asajj, rather than afterwards. Something told me it was a vain hope, but time would tell.
"Master Kenobi," Ahsoka asked softly, "is that a good place to hide?" She was pointing to a small space between two wooden crates, just large enough for a couple of people to squeeze into.
I nodded. "Good spotting, padawan."
We crouched in the space, pushing the crates apart just a fraction so that we had a little more breathing space, then settled in for the wait. I kept a sharp listen out for Anakin, both through his commlink and through the Force, but it was difficult to make out exactly what was going on inside. The Force was thick and confused, mushing together in dark strains of blackness and threatening emptiness. I could still pick out Anakin's Force signature glowing as bright as a lamp, but if I tried to get anything more precise, my feelings became vague and indistinct. This was both a good thing and a bad one, for it indicated that the Dark Side hung in the air. It was good because that probably meant Asajj was here, but it was bad for the same reason. If Anakin went alone ....
Barely a minute had passed before we heard a commotion from further down the street, and both Ahsoka and I knew something was off. She exchanged glances with me, and I could see the conflict in her orange-coloured face. I felt the same.
A gunshot made up our minds for us, and we sneaked along to get a better view of the situation. I was mildly relieved that Anakin was not with us. If he had been, he almost undoubtedly would have ploughed in headfirst, whereas I preferred to figure out what was happening before I got involved in it.
A pair of thugs had a young man in his late twenties bailed up against a wall. The man was holding a small, leather satchel close to his chest, his blue eyes flicking suspiciously between the two thugs. His brown hair was plastered to his creased forehead with sweat, and he was at least a head shorter than his assailants, though he appeared to be average height. Both thugs were dressed entirely in black, despite the insufferable heat of the twin suns, and their faces were hidden by masks, though I guessed from their build that they weren't humans in race. A blaster mark had been burned into the ground almost licking at the man's cream boots, which I was glad to see. He hadn't been injured – yet.
"Hand it over," one of the thugs growled, his gloved fingers playing with the trigger of his blaster.
"I already told you," the man responded in a low voice. "It won't interest you. It isn't money, if that's what you're after."
"Well, what is it, then?" the second one hissed, pressing a jagged knife to the man's throat. "Speak."
"I think not," I said calmly, stepping from the shadows while at the same time minutely indicating for Ahsoka to remain hidden.
The thugs spun around in surprise, though their posture soon turned unfriendly, regripping their weapons as they checked out the newcomer. I stood still for their scrutiny, waiting for them to make the first move, though I was as ready as a coiled spring.
"You're a Jedi," one of them chuckled in obvious delight, spinning the barrel of his gun slowly. "Maybe you don't know the price that could be fetched from you."
"Oh, I'm very aware, thank you," I responded politely. "But perhaps you have forgotten one thing: I'm a Jedi."
They exchanged confused glances before looking back at me.
I tucked my cloak comfortably around myself. "Kindly leave this gentleman alone." I gestured to the man who was watching the proceedings with a mix of pleasure and ... fear?
"That's not likely to be happening any time soon," the one with the gun snorted, but I sensed his overconfidence was a facade. "We want his satchel. And besides which, you're just one Jedi. Who do you think you are against us?"
I cocked a ginger eyebrow, then glanced behind me, pausing a moment. Then I called back. "Ahsoka, please come and join me." As she stepped forwards, I gave her a slight nod, silently asking her to come out with confidence. First impressions, they say.
The fifteen-year-old strode out, her face set in stone as she stared down the thugs, her fierce gaze unwavering as she adjusted the lightsabers that swung from her red-brown belt. That was the final straw. One Jedi was bad enough, but two? The thugs took off down the street without another word.
Ahsoka smiled brightly at me. "That went well."
I couldn't help but return her smile. "Well done." Then I turned my attention to the man who still stood with his back pressed against the wall, his satchel held tightly to himself. I bowed slightly. "Obi-Wan Kenobi, at your service. And this is Ahsoka Tano, my friend's apprentice."
He eyed us for a moment longer before stretching out his hand in greeting. "Thank you very much for your help. I don't know where I would have been without you."
I shook his hand firmly. "It's our pleasure. This seems the wrong place for a respectable person like yourself to be. Were you forced here?"
He sighed, changing his grip on the satchel. "No, I came here out of desperation. I have a droid that needs repairing, but I can't find the parts for it anywhere. I thought I would try this place, but I'm not sure that was my wisest idea. I know you're Jedi, but you wouldn't happen to know where you might find these pieces, would you?" He opened the satchel and produced a small tablet. After the screen lit up, he pressed a few buttons, then showed us the plans for a droid similar to an astromech droid, though not identical to one.
I studied the picture for few moments before shaking my head. "No, I'm afraid my friend would be the better one to ask. He's very good with technology and has droid bits and who-knows-what stored in that big brain of his."
The man was giving us a funny look as he carefully stowed his tablet back in his bag. "Your friend is a Jedi – is that right?"
I nodded, but Ahsoka prevented me from continuing by tapping my arm. Her face was screwed in concern as she glanced over her shoulder.
"Master, I think Anakin ...." She didn't finish her sentence, her eyes filled with worry.
"Stay with this gentleman," I instructed quickly. "I'll comm you if I need help." Then I sprinted down the street. I felt it, too. At first, it was just a tremor in the Force, a warning of risk. But it quickly turned into a throbbing, pulsing threat, mingled painfully with hurt and happiness of a bygone age. And it was coming from Anakin: he was remembering something of his past. Then a sharp pain stabbed through my bond with my friend, and the Force fell quiet around him.
I rounded a corner, pulling my hood low over my head and blending into the shadows of the dark street. Sneaking against one of the towering walls, my eyes darted to the end of the alley, where were a couple of people. A hooded figure stood over a young man who was lying motionless on the ground. With a satisfied grunt, the hooded person stepped back, glancing down the street and unintentionally giving me a glimpse of their face. My breath caught in my throat. It was Asajj. My self-control wavered momentarily as protective anger flared in my heart. What had she done to Anakin? There wasn't a doubt about the identity of the unconscious person. But I focused my attention on the job at hand, not the emotions that it sparked.
Asajj stood undecided for a moment or two before stooping to murmur something in Anakin's ear. I wondered briefly if she didn't realize he wasn't conscious.
"Watch out, young Skywalker," she hissed just loud enough for me to catch. "It's always dangerous to come alone. Where is your padawan? I'm sure she'll come along soon enough, when she realizes you're in trouble ... and in pain." She planted the heel of her boot onto Anakin's back and dug it in between his shoulder blades before twisting it roughly. Even though he was unconscious, he flinched, and I had to stop myself from making any noise and blowing my cover.
She continued unsympathetically, a menace to her tone betraying more than she wanted to say. "It hurts when you don't have people to watch your back, doesn't it? But Dooku has a surprise for the lot of you. Wouldn't you like to know what it is? Anyway," she cast a casual glance towards the door at the other end of the street, "I might just let you have some fun. I did promise those nice gentlemen that a Jedi would come for me, and they'll fetch a very good price on you. As for me, I have a ride to catch. So long, Jedi."
I watched in frustration as she knocked on the door, then performed a neat backflip, landing on the roof of one of the nearby buildings. I knew I should follow her, but I worried for Anakin when the door opened and a group of three exited it. Two of them grinned when they saw Anakin's limp form, but the third – wearing Mandalorian armour, I noted – took to the skies, taking Asajj with him.
Hesitating, I considered my options. Should I chase Asajj and leave Ahsoka to help Anakin? Or should I stay and try to track down the Sith later? But I shouldn't have stopped to think, as I realized too late.
The shorter of the two remaining men crouched beside Anakin, drawing a small dagger from his belt. He glanced at his buddy, the tip of the blade hovering dangerously close to Anakin. "How long do you think it will take for the little Jedi to come?"
The other man's blue eyes glinted slightly. "Not long, if we do this." I watched in horror as he plunged his colleague's dagger into Anakin's back, just above the place Asajj's boot had been mere minutes before. Though still out cold, Anakin whimpered pathetically, and I couldn't take any more. Asajj could wait. Anakin couldn't.
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Sooo, this went a little darker than I meant it to, soz! It should get lighter, really!
But anyways, I hope yous enjoyed a bit of Obi-Wan POV; I had a good time writing it. This chapter was gonna be so super long that I decided to split it up, meaning more Obi-Wan in the next chapter!
Also, any clues who our friend with the leather satchel might be ...?