Anakin Skywalker (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
morally_cryptic) wrote2015-04-15 10:49 pm
morally_cryptic) wrote2015-04-15 10:49 pm
Entry tags:
[fic/rp] across the galaxy
[ooc: Just prompted by a little mental image of Anakin "stargazing" that popped to mind earlier.]
On Coruscant, it was impossible to see the stars, even if one was looking out from the Council room at the top of the Jedi Temple. An unfortunate side effect of so much light from so many buildings and various forms of transport speeding around the airways. Not to mention that there was simply so much starship traffic, one likely wouldn't be able to tell the lights of ships from the field of stars behind them anyway.
Anakin had discovered this unfortunate fact not long after he came to live at the Jedi temple. He'd thought that, surely, so close to the center of the galaxy, the sky would be full of stars to see that he'd never been able to see before on Tatooine. Instead it turned out that perhaps the only thing that was better about Tatooine than Coruscant was that the desert planet was so sparsely inhabited and that the skies were so clear. Even out on the Rim, the sky was full of stars and the spiral arm of the galaxy could be clearly seen arcing across it.
He didn't try to watch the night sky on Coruscant anymore, but he still kept up the habit of at least looking for a moment whenever he found himself on a new planet. At the center of the Republic, however, he has to content himself with substitutes.
Which is why he can be found in an empty classroom surrounded by a holographic rendering of the galaxy. He's been spending all afternoon, so far, carefully marking off different star systems in various designated colors. Technically the entire exercise could be done by a computer but that wasn't Anakin's purpose in doing it. It requires concentration, but it doesn't require him to spend much effort in actually thinking so the whole activity is almost meditative.
The first batch of colored systems is simple: yellow for those that Anakin has already been to. Naboo might possibly be a subtly brighter yellow than all the rest, as if he'd lingered on that one for a moment longer than the others. He'd once told Qui-Gon he was going to see them all and certainly he had a better start on most other inhabitants of the galaxy, but it was still extraordinarily minute compared to the sheer number of systems represented on the map.
The second batch are green, signifying systems where battles of the Clone War have been fought and the Republic retained (or gained) control. Another group are blue, for the Separatist-won battles.
And finally, there's a sprinkling of red dots across the galaxy, mostly concentrated Rimward, and these are for those systems where battles are currently raging. Places he should be where he could be doing some good and making a difference. Staring at those flashes of red, it was almost enough to have him just commandeering a starfighter and heading out somewhere...anywhere. After making sure orders somehow just happened to make it through the system so that Rex and the 501st would be meeting him, of course.
But it wasn't, quite, enough. Contrary to some people's beliefs, he did have enough self-awareness to recognize that any action along those lines would likely not end well. That didn't mean he didn't still feel the temptation and it's that thought that has him swiping a hand through the starfield and systematically clearing everything out again until only dots of yellow remain on the map. He stares at those longest before they're wiped clean as well.
On Coruscant, it was impossible to see the stars, even if one was looking out from the Council room at the top of the Jedi Temple. An unfortunate side effect of so much light from so many buildings and various forms of transport speeding around the airways. Not to mention that there was simply so much starship traffic, one likely wouldn't be able to tell the lights of ships from the field of stars behind them anyway.
Anakin had discovered this unfortunate fact not long after he came to live at the Jedi temple. He'd thought that, surely, so close to the center of the galaxy, the sky would be full of stars to see that he'd never been able to see before on Tatooine. Instead it turned out that perhaps the only thing that was better about Tatooine than Coruscant was that the desert planet was so sparsely inhabited and that the skies were so clear. Even out on the Rim, the sky was full of stars and the spiral arm of the galaxy could be clearly seen arcing across it.
He didn't try to watch the night sky on Coruscant anymore, but he still kept up the habit of at least looking for a moment whenever he found himself on a new planet. At the center of the Republic, however, he has to content himself with substitutes.
Which is why he can be found in an empty classroom surrounded by a holographic rendering of the galaxy. He's been spending all afternoon, so far, carefully marking off different star systems in various designated colors. Technically the entire exercise could be done by a computer but that wasn't Anakin's purpose in doing it. It requires concentration, but it doesn't require him to spend much effort in actually thinking so the whole activity is almost meditative.
The first batch of colored systems is simple: yellow for those that Anakin has already been to. Naboo might possibly be a subtly brighter yellow than all the rest, as if he'd lingered on that one for a moment longer than the others. He'd once told Qui-Gon he was going to see them all and certainly he had a better start on most other inhabitants of the galaxy, but it was still extraordinarily minute compared to the sheer number of systems represented on the map.
The second batch are green, signifying systems where battles of the Clone War have been fought and the Republic retained (or gained) control. Another group are blue, for the Separatist-won battles.
And finally, there's a sprinkling of red dots across the galaxy, mostly concentrated Rimward, and these are for those systems where battles are currently raging. Places he should be where he could be doing some good and making a difference. Staring at those flashes of red, it was almost enough to have him just commandeering a starfighter and heading out somewhere...anywhere. After making sure orders somehow just happened to make it through the system so that Rex and the 501st would be meeting him, of course.
But it wasn't, quite, enough. Contrary to some people's beliefs, he did have enough self-awareness to recognize that any action along those lines would likely not end well. That didn't mean he didn't still feel the temptation and it's that thought that has him swiping a hand through the starfield and systematically clearing everything out again until only dots of yellow remain on the map. He stares at those longest before they're wiped clean as well.
Re: well you know, the robo claw gets to come out so rarely....
"Well then, I guess we're at your mercy," Obi-Wan replies, sending a calming wave through the Force in Anakin's general direction. It's the only way he can remind his friend that they wanted this to happen.
The woman gives Obi-Wan a suspicious look, before returning her attention to Anakin. "You'd better start acting like your friend here; I wouldn't want anything...unfortunate...to happen to you."
"We're already beyond unfortunate, madam," Obi-Wan replies. "And my friend doesn't take kindly to threats."
Re: well you know, the robo claw gets to come out so rarely....
The suggestion of enslavement has never sat well with Anakin and it is likely that both the fact that he knows this is a ruse and they aren't hapless merchants as well as Obi-Wan's steady presence next to him that has him keeping his reaction contained down to the one word. He makes a show of taking a deep breath and letting it out. "He's always been more accommodating than I have, I'm afraid."
Her eyes narrow but she gestures for the guards to flank the two Jedi before she indicates deeper into her ship with a jerk of her chin. "If you two gentlemen will come with us? Not that it's a request.
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The woman snorts. "Never said anything about off-loading anything, either. Save for you two jokers. Now get going."
Well, that was interesting. That would mean the two waiting on the other side were probably waiting to board the ship so they could assume control. Obi-Wan was willing to bet that their charming little freighter was going to be taken to an alternate drop-off point.
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A little reluctantly, Anakin follows Obi-Wan off the ship, giving a backward glance toward the hold where the bacta is stored. He could only imagine how much these people were going to sell that for in the middle of wartime. Too bad about the ship, he'd been pretty pleased with the modifications he'd made.
Too bad he hadn't included a self-destruct...
...but he had included a tracking device, all nice and covertly snugged up in the ship's innards and set to piggyback its transmissions off of the comm system to lesson the chances of it being detected.
"Your hospitality is overwhelming," he says dryly as he crosses the threshold into the apparent pirate ship.
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Once everyone's on board, the crew members approach the woman, who simply says, "You know your orders." The two disappear through the airlock before it's sealed and the sound of the other ship decoupling reverberates through the hull.
"As for you two," she continues, her attention back on the Jedi. "You'll get to see just how overwhelming our hospitality can be. My boys here will see you to your accommodations."
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The urge for another smart comment is there, but he also figures he's made his point and certainly drawn enough attention. So he just smiles sardonically in response.
For their parts, each guard takes a Jedi and starts 'ushering' them toward the ship's brig. Though the one who's gotten stuck with Anakin doesn't seem quite certain of how to manhandle him with that metal arm.
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"So, do we get shared accommodations, or will we be spending time in solitary confinement?" Obi-Wan asks conversationally. The only reply he gets is a shove in the back from his guard. "Talkative fellow, aren't you?"
From somewhere behind them, the woman replies, "They don't get paid to talk, merchant. Save your breath."
"Since we're apparently staying with you for a while, please, call me Owen."
"Don't really care about your name, mister. Keep walking."
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It's not precisely solitary confinement but when they get to the brig they are indeed shoved into separate cells. The ship isn't large enough for the cells to be of any reasonable size nor for there to be too many of them or much space in between. The unfortunate thing was that for what they lacked in space, they made up for in energy consumption as there were energy shields between the bars.
Glancing at the several other waiting cells, Anakin looked back at 'his' guard, "should we be expecting company?"
The guard just snorts derisively, "nothing you need to know."
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"That went well. We're in the thick of it now. Thoughts?"
Meaning he'd like an actual answer once Anakin's gotten the snarky reply out of his system.
you know him so well, Obi
Okay, he flashes Obi-Wan a quick grin to let him know he got it out of his system and keeps looking around the brig, pitching his voice lower just in case someone's listening in. "Seems strange they didn't search us. And if they planned on actually using us as slaves they would have used different restraints." You know, like shock collars.
Of course he does. They've known each other for far too long.
"I don't think slavery is what they're after," Obi-Wan replies finally, also keeping his voice low. "It seems a logical assumption given that the ships and passengers are never seen again. But it could also simply be long-term imprisonment. How long-term is up for debate, as no one's been released yet, but that doesn't mean it isn't a possibility."
At this point, he chooses to sit on the floor cross-legged, resting his hands lightly on his knees. "There is also the strong possibility that they have two bases in operation; one for the processing of the cargo they steal, and the other for dealing with their prisoners. The question is, what are they doing with the supplies, and how can we make that knowledge work in our favour?"
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"They have to be locals...or be working with locals. We're past all the checkpoints and they dropped out of hyperspace almost right on top of us. This close to the planet, that would get pretty tricky."
Hopefully, that suggested they weren't Separatists.
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"And you are correct. They could have another ship waiting for a signal to jump in, take the cargo, and then destroy the ship. But why destroy a ship when you can use it for parts, shelter, or storage?" Because a lot of cargo ships have specialty holds meant specially for whatever it is they're carrying.
"And as for not searching us, how would anyone know to start bringing weapons to fight off pirates? Taris has been keeping this under tights wraps, lest the wrong people try to exploit the situation, and no one's returned to tell their story."
oh god, I just imagined Anakin hiding his lightsaber in his arm
"And no...there haven't been any stories but don't at least some merchants carry weapons, especially when they're transporting valuable cargo?" Just in case? If nothing else, it seemed sloppy of them not to check.
He cocks his head suddenly, listening to the thrum of the engines through the body of the ship. "I think we've jumped to hyperspace."
Now I'm tyring to figure out the logistics of that....
Obi-Wan frowns at the mention of hyperspace. "What are the odds that Taris isn't our destination?"
Re: Now I'm tyring to figure out the logistics of that....
[you and me both. :)]
Anakin shakes his head, "who knows? Maybe they have other cargo to pick up."
They really didn't have enough information yet for this one. Frustrating.
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[I was going to move it to them finally arriving to wherever, but wanted to give Anakin a chance to react to the meditating bit :) ]
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That didn't mean he didn't pace anyway, taking measured steps and setting his heels down just enough to make a soft thunk. Not because he wants the noise to disturb Obi-Wan--though if it does, he figures the other man will get over it...or start talking again--but there's something a little soothing about the rhythm.
If he had something mechanical
besides his arm, he's probably be fiddling with that instead.Anakin is fairly certain they drop out of hyperspace at least once before they jump back in. Course change or perhaps they're actually heading back to Taris but leaving their 'guests' to think they'd actually gone much farther? That he couldn't tell.
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He pulls himself out of his meditations, and just as he opens his eyes, he says softly, "I think we're there."
The guards come back shortly thereafter, as if summoned by his comment. Obi-Wan's guard sneers at him, and offers the gruff command of, "On yer feet, Merchant."
Obi-Wan allows several seconds to go by before he actually complies, testing how much defiance these two will take without the presence of their master.
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Anakin raises his eyebrow at 'his' guard before raising his hands in a gesture of submission. "No need to be rough now, I'll play nice."
His guard doesn't look particularly like he believes a word of that but he opens the cell all the same.
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"No need to shove," he says nicely. "Joints get a little creaky after sitting for so long; didn't want to hurt myself getting up."
"Boss don't care, so I don't care." He escorts Obi-Wan into the corridor and through the ship toward what the Jedi can only assume is the way off the ship.
Which is good, because they'll finally get to see where the kriff they are.
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The sunlight as they step out of the ship that Anakin is left blinking for a few moments, letting his eyes adjust from the relative dimness within the ship's interior. It's also enough that his momentary half step of pause has his own guard giving him a shove in the back. "Keep moving."
"I would if I could see," he mutters.
Only then does he get a good look at what surrounds them.
The ship has landed of a large open area surrounded by high walls that remind him a little uncomfortably of the arena on Geonosis. The difference is that here there are buildings up against the walls, presumably for storage and possibly as housing. There also aren't any Geonosians in sight but there are plenty of people moving with purpose and a small gaggle obviously waiting for the ship and escorting crates on a hovercart.
The other difference between here and Geonosis is Anakin doesn't see any gates in the walls.
He flicks a glance over at Obi-Wan, expression suggesting what he's thinking. They don't look like pirates.
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He catches Anakin's glance, reading into it and nodding imperceptibly to say he agrees. This just gets curiouser and curiouser.
His surprise is further compounded when he catches sight of the woman again, giving orders to a couple of the workers. Which in and of itself isn't out of place, but the fact that her body language is completely different to the stand-offish brute that she portrayed when she and her crew picked the Jedi up.
Far from eliciting fear, or acting the high and mighty lord over the people, she's actually gentle and respectful with them.
A sharp poke in his shoulder draws Obi-Wan's attention back to their predicament, and he pulls his attention away from the woman to favour his guard with a side-long glance.
"Let me guess, we're honoured guests of whomever runs this place, and we're going to be enjoying the same hospitality that we were given on the ship?"
"Shut it," the guard barks. "The Master will be deciding what ta do with yous."
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The guards start directing them in the direction of the closest building, though it's still something of a walk. One gets the impression all this open space is for ships to land since there appears to be no other simple way in and out.
Some of the people give them curious glances, but none pay overmuch attention which suggests that this is both a common enough occurrence as to occasion little notice and also that the people here weren't overly concerned about these stranger who show up out of nowhere.
Anakin didn't get the feeling they were all a bunch of stone-cold sociopaths so that seemed to suggest that they weren't getting herded to their deaths, at least.
But then, where were all the others that had disappeared?
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And as for the people here....perhaps they were the ones who'd been taken?
"Apparently," he replies to Anakin.
"You merchants are all alike," one of the guards growled softly. "Don't think you'd stop talkin' iffin I cut yer head off."
Obi-Wan can't help the tiny smile that tugs at his lips. If the situation wasn't serious, this would actually be kind of funny.
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wall o' texting you right back
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The Percentile Die I just rolled says that behind Door Number One is...
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Wall o'text, ahoy!
/boggles
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