Murder the Dawn: Chapter Eleven: Assassination Attempt
In which assassin Zam Wessell makes her first move.
Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be.
It was another one of those damnable nightmares again. Another one of those nightmares about his mother dying in agony. Screaming in pain. Begging for help.
Another one of those nightmares that caused Anakin to jolt awake in the darkness, gasping for breath, checking his surroundings urgently, and then letting out a sigh of relief that he was, at the very least, still alive.
He got up, walked towards the window, stretched out with his Force senses if only to make sure that Satine was safe and sound.
She was. And sleeping peacefully.
Thank the Force.
Anakin then stood, looking out at the Coruscant city skyline, trying to memorize every last detail if only to soothe his troubled mind. He couldn’t say whether or not it was working though. Every other image seemed to emerge of his mother shattering away into pieces of glass, glass that turned to dust in the Tatooine wind.
And he was alone, looking across the Dune Sea, wanting to run after her and put her back together, but somehow, frozen in his fear.
Shuddering even thinking about it, Anakin took a deep breath, let it out, trying to count to three in his mind. Dreams pass in time, Obi-Wan had told him once, as a small child.
Oh dear Force, let these ones pass…
“Are you all right, Anakin?”
Anakin turned around then, turned to look at Obi-Wan, who seemed to have dark circles under his eyes. “You’ve been having nightmares too?”
“That’s not what we’re here to talk about,” Obi-Wan said, “Are you all right?”
Silence.
“I’m fine,” Anakin said. “Just…nightmares.”
“About what?”
A flush came over Anakin’s face; did Obi-Wan have to pry into his business constantly? Still, he bit his lip, trying vainly to control his temper - still, he tried to reassure himself that Obi-Wan was only trying to help…in his own bizarre Obi-Wan way.
“All right,” he said, “It was about…my mother.”
“Oh.”
Obi-Wan sounded so bemused, so detached, so…coolly interested that even now, Anakin could not help but feel infuriated. How could he simply act like that, after what Anakin had seen?
But did Obi-Wan know? Of course not.
And even if he had sensed it over the Master-Padawan bond, it was not like he could understand. It was one thing to see a woman in agony from the torture of Tusken Raiders. It was something completely different when that woman was your own mother - someone who was one of your only anchors in slavery.
“She’s in pain,” he said. “She’s in pain, and she’s dying, and she’s alone - ’’
Gently, Obi-Wan laid a hand along his arm. “I doubt that future will come to pass.”
“I don’t know.” Anakin sighed. “I didn’t leave her in very good circumstances…”
“She wouldn’t have wanted you to stay in that terrible place. From what you told me of her…”
“Did you know your own family?”
Obi-Wan seemed taken aback at Anakin’s question.
“I mean,” Anakin said, stammering, blushing, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked - ’’
“It’s perfectly all right, Anakin. I was merely…surprised.” Obi-Wan cleared his throat, seeming visibly trying to compose himself. “Jedi…Jedi are separated from their parents at an early age.”
“How early, exactly?”
“As early as infanthood.”
Anakin felt almost like an airlock had opened in his stomach. “But that’s…that’s barbaric!”
Obi-Wan arched an eyebrow.
“I’m sorry,” he said, “I didn’t mean it that way - ’’
Obi-Wan snorted. “You’re too much like Qui-Gon for your own good. If anything, he had the same brutal honesty - he would tell me exactly what he thought about the Jedi Code and the Order’s plans…amongst others. Such positions got him in trouble with the Council.”
“I…noticed.” Anakin cleared his throat. “So what do you remember about your family?”
“Mostly memories. I try not to dwell on them too much - at least not to the point of overattachment. It is not wrong to remember the past - simply focus on the present and let the rest take care of itself.”
Anakin smiled, if weakly. “Qui-Gon’s rubbed off on you, hasn’t he?”
Obi-Wan faltered, if only for a moment. “Yes,” he said, “For his part.”
The urgent toodles from R2 jolted them out of their conversation.
“Satine’s in trouble.” Even now, the Force was blaring a distinct warning to Anakin, screaming like a proximity alarm through a ship. “Let’s go!”
“Yes. Let’s. Just follow my lead,” Obi-Wan said, “And everything will turn out right.”
Anakin chuckled in spite of himself. “After the gundark incident - ’’
“Yes, yes, I know,” Obi-Wan said, stiffly, “Can you just follow me?”
And Anakin did - the two Jedi sprinting to Satine’s room, intent to thwart whatever new plans the assassin had this time.
Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be.
It was another one of those damnable nightmares again. Another one of those nightmares about his mother dying in agony. Screaming in pain. Begging for help.
Another one of those nightmares that caused Anakin to jolt awake in the darkness, gasping for breath, checking his surroundings urgently, and then letting out a sigh of relief that he was, at the very least, still alive.
He got up, walked towards the window, stretched out with his Force senses if only to make sure that Satine was safe and sound.
She was. And sleeping peacefully.
Thank the Force.
Anakin then stood, looking out at the Coruscant city skyline, trying to memorize every last detail if only to soothe his troubled mind. He couldn’t say whether or not it was working though. Every other image seemed to emerge of his mother shattering away into pieces of glass, glass that turned to dust in the Tatooine wind.
And he was alone, looking across the Dune Sea, wanting to run after her and put her back together, but somehow, frozen in his fear.
Shuddering even thinking about it, Anakin took a deep breath, let it out, trying to count to three in his mind. Dreams pass in time, Obi-Wan had told him once, as a small child.
Oh dear Force, let these ones pass…
“Are you all right, Anakin?”
Anakin turned around then, turned to look at Obi-Wan, who seemed to have dark circles under his eyes. “You’ve been having nightmares too?”
“That’s not what we’re here to talk about,” Obi-Wan said, “Are you all right?”
Silence.
“I’m fine,” Anakin said. “Just…nightmares.”
“About what?”
A flush came over Anakin’s face; did Obi-Wan have to pry into his business constantly? Still, he bit his lip, trying vainly to control his temper - still, he tried to reassure himself that Obi-Wan was only trying to help…in his own bizarre Obi-Wan way.
“All right,” he said, “It was about…my mother.”
“Oh.”
Obi-Wan sounded so bemused, so detached, so…coolly interested that even now, Anakin could not help but feel infuriated. How could he simply act like that, after what Anakin had seen?
But did Obi-Wan know? Of course not.
And even if he had sensed it over the Master-Padawan bond, it was not like he could understand. It was one thing to see a woman in agony from the torture of Tusken Raiders. It was something completely different when that woman was your own mother - someone who was one of your only anchors in slavery.
“She’s in pain,” he said. “She’s in pain, and she’s dying, and she’s alone - ’’
Gently, Obi-Wan laid a hand along his arm. “I doubt that future will come to pass.”
“I don’t know.” Anakin sighed. “I didn’t leave her in very good circumstances…”
“She wouldn’t have wanted you to stay in that terrible place. From what you told me of her…”
“Did you know your own family?”
Obi-Wan seemed taken aback at Anakin’s question.
“I mean,” Anakin said, stammering, blushing, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked - ’’
“It’s perfectly all right, Anakin. I was merely…surprised.” Obi-Wan cleared his throat, seeming visibly trying to compose himself. “Jedi…Jedi are separated from their parents at an early age.”
“How early, exactly?”
“As early as infanthood.”
Anakin felt almost like an airlock had opened in his stomach. “But that’s…that’s barbaric!”
Obi-Wan arched an eyebrow.
“I’m sorry,” he said, “I didn’t mean it that way - ’’
Obi-Wan snorted. “You’re too much like Qui-Gon for your own good. If anything, he had the same brutal honesty - he would tell me exactly what he thought about the Jedi Code and the Order’s plans…amongst others. Such positions got him in trouble with the Council.”
“I…noticed.” Anakin cleared his throat. “So what do you remember about your family?”
“Mostly memories. I try not to dwell on them too much - at least not to the point of overattachment. It is not wrong to remember the past - simply focus on the present and let the rest take care of itself.”
Anakin smiled, if weakly. “Qui-Gon’s rubbed off on you, hasn’t he?”
Obi-Wan faltered, if only for a moment. “Yes,” he said, “For his part.”
The urgent toodles from R2 jolted them out of their conversation.
“Satine’s in trouble.” Even now, the Force was blaring a distinct warning to Anakin, screaming like a proximity alarm through a ship. “Let’s go!”
“Yes. Let’s. Just follow my lead,” Obi-Wan said, “And everything will turn out right.”
Anakin chuckled in spite of himself. “After the gundark incident - ’’
“Yes, yes, I know,” Obi-Wan said, stiffly, “Can you just follow me?”
And Anakin did - the two Jedi sprinting to Satine’s room, intent to thwart whatever new plans the assassin had this time.