A/n: I hope that all of you are staying safe and healthy! Sorry that this took a few months everyone! I was actually infected by the virus and was definitely not up to writing for a while and when re-writing episodes it takes forever. It's hard to stop and go for them when writing dialogue and details, some scenes on screen taking 5 seconds that could be a page of writing depending on the type of scene. I also rewrote this entire chapter because originally Ana was with Obi-Wan when he went to Mandalore, but then I changed my mind.

But I hope that you like this chapter! It takes place during the Mandalore plot, the second episode. It holds a few details that will be delved in more in later chapters, and has a lot of Ana and Anakin bonding. Enjoy! Please tell me what you think!

Chapter Thirteen

It had been a few days since Obi-Wan left for Mandalore. Ana thought about asking why he was the only one that was going on this assignment, but she didn't want to seem needy or hurt that she wasn't being asked to go either. And, honestly, as much as she wanted to go on missions and for the Council to trust her, Mandalore was definitely not on her list of places she most wanted to visit. Obi-Wan saw right past her feigned interest and obvious avoidance of the topic of her staying and explained something about how he knows the Duchess Satine from when he was younger and as a report with her and how it was mostly just a small investigation, whereas if anything came of it then Ana may be asked to join. She understood the underlying message of not to take it personal.

So, she tried not to.

And while Obi-Wan was gone, it was nice to somewhat get back into her routine at the training centre in the Jedi Temple and have a bit of time to herself again. Since becoming a Padawan, she hadn't spent as much time in it as Obi-Wan had been more focused on her lightsaber technique training and dispelling his own teachings on her, not that she minded. She even did some lightsaber training practising the movements that he taught her to deflect blaster shots that a droid moved around her to shoot them out.

But it was nice to go to the training centre on her own again. She missed the strength training, the core-balancing practices.

Since Ana was laying down to lift the weights, she didn't see Anakin come in, but she recognized the signature in the force as he entered and came closer. She opens her eyes and looks over at him as he stops beside her, but she doesn't stop lifting.

"I thought you were supposed to have a spotter for these," Anakin comments, taking a glance around the rather generally sized room with only two other younger Padawans in it. After so many years Ana knew the best times to come that allowed with minimal others in the room so she could have her own peace.

"I can lift more than this, I'm just out of practice and building myself up," Ana explains, a bit of a grunt in her voice as she continued to move her lifts up and down. Although from what she would be building up to, it wasn't much heavier than this. The Jedi temple didn't invest too much into heavy weight lifting. Even so, she could feel the slight strain in her forearms and shoulders from so many reps.

"Well, if you're available, the council has asked if we could join Obi-Wan to escort the Duchess from Mandalore to the Coruscant so she can present her case to the Senate," Anakin explains, Ana noticing how his eyes trailed over to the weights she was lifting again. Was he trying to figure out how much weight that was?

Doing one last lift up, Ana moves the bar so that it can rest above her before she lets go of it, still feeling the heat along her arms like a warm puffed rush as she rested them a bit before she moved to sit up, bringing her legs back over.

"I'm guessing that things weren't as minimal as the Duchess claimed they were," Ana commented, getting to her feet beside him. She sees the two other younger Padawans keeping to their own self-training or exercise and just walks with Anakin, keeping her head turned but making sure she could see where she was going.

"Definitely not," Anakin replied, "they unearthed a terrorist group that is definitely serious about at least civil war, and they are likely behind framing the Duchess against the Senate that she could be siding with the Separatists, but she wants to come here to make her case."

Ana nods as she's relayed the information.

"So we're basically security guards to make sure she is alive to tell the Senate what is going on so that the Republic doesn't consider her part of the Separatist organization and therefore treat her planet as such during a war," Ana considers.

"I think that sums it up nicely," Anakin agreed, getting to the doors. Pressing the button to open the doors, Ana looks over at him again.

"How long until we leave?" she asked, looking back over at him so she could see the answer.

"Cody and Rex are getting the group of Shinies together and getting the ship ready. I would say to be down there in 15."

Ana nodded. That would give her time to change.

She walks down the hall a little further with him as they started in the same direction before breaking off to their separate locations.

"Do you think he got captured during his mission?" Ana asked, looking over at him, a smile ever so slightly tugging at her lips.

The redhead sees his shoulders shake suddenly as though he snorts. Barely a second later, Anakin responds, taking a glance over at her.

"Most definitely," Anakin agrees and Ana can't help the loud laughter that escapes her lips.

~.~

Ana stared out at the blast of white specs of stars flying past as they went at light speed for the past few minutes while Anakin discussed something with the pilots and R2 after a brief discussion with the Council a little over an hour earlier.

Letting her mind wander, it was soon caught up with her when she felt the sliding rumble under her feet of the tremors from behind her. Turning her head slightly, she watches as the doors to the cock-pit open.

Walking up with a batch of Shinies behind them, Cody and Rex walk up the ramp. The moment he steps through the doors to the cockpit, he lifts his helmet off his head. Catching Cody's queue, Rex takes off his helmet as well, both men placing them under one arm before Cody looks back to the five Shinies behind him. Although Ana didn't see it, and pretended not to notice, Cody must've gave them a hard stare while Rex took a step forward.

"General, Commander," he started, as all the Shinies began to take off their helmets as well, "we've already made contact on Mandalore. They are getting their ship ready for us and already starting inspections."

"Sounds good, Rex. Any news on what happened on Mandalore?" Anakin asked, Ana turning her head and herself slightly so she could see him better, but still only caught some of the comment.

"General Kenobi said he would like to debrief us all in person," Cody replied, signing while talking. She made a mental note to tell him how to sign 'debrief' so he didn't have to try and finger sign it. "But he said that there was an attempt on the Duchess's life and that there is a serious ongoing threat."

Ana nods. That was just as much as Anakin told her earlier. Obi-Wan wanted to keep the story brief to the Council and over the coms in case anyone was listening.

"Sounds like enough to need an escort service," Ana agreed before her eyes cast over the Shinies, but kept a friendly demeanour. "And who are our new recruits?"

The soldiers look a little surprised, but Ana liked to know the names of those who she was working with. It was better to identify and talk with them during missions, especially if she needed to give a specific order.

Cody looks towards them, hands already ready.

"Hawkbit," the one beside Cody starts confidently, as Cody quickly finger signs their names so she can be sure of the names and pronunciations.

"Palmer," the one next to him answers a bit more relaxed, Cody still spelling the names out.

"Mixer."

"Rider."

"Jay."

"Redeye."

"I'm just 14606."

Ana makes sure that her face doesn't alter the expression she had before. It was the first time she had been with a clone that had yet to find or be lovingly assigned a name either by himself or his brothers. Or at least, it was the first that she had known she was. There had been a few Shinies on earlier missions she didn't have the time to ask. Perhaps he would find his name on this mission. She begins to wonder if this is their first assignment.

Once finished signing the numbers, Cody gestures with his head to the pilots at the controls, "And from left to right, that's Timber, East, Parr, and Kayden."

The last clone, Kayden, actually raised his hand as a type of greeting and Ana smiled slightly.

"Are you all from the same batches?" She asked, looking between them.

"They are," Cody nods to the pilots.

"Mixer, Redeye, Jay, and I are," Hawkbit clarifies, his stance still a little taller than the others. Cody quickly points to the members before signing that they were grouped.

"And Palmer, 14606 and I are," Rider also explains.

Ana and Anakin both nod.

"We're glad that you can be on our team," Anakin tells them genuinely.

"We're all happy to be here, Sir," Hawkbit replies, a few of the others smiling.

Ana nods again before Anakin suddenly looks over his shoulder. She recognizes the look of someone listening to something before noticing that Parr also looked back, but with his helmet she had no idea what the conversation was. Turning back to Cody, he quickly clarifies, signing back to her, "We'll be arriving at Mandalore in a standard hour."

Ana nods again before Anakin looks over at the Shinies again.

"If there is anything you need to do before we start this assignment, I suggest you do it now. We need you ready for when we enter the Outer Rim."

Almost in unison, the Shinies immediately bring up a hand to their foreheads to salute the two Jedi. Their "Yes, Sir!" was also almost together before filing out one after the other. Cody and Rex, however, stayed behind.

Looking over at the shorter redhead, Anakin gives her a small smirk, "you can go have your meditation time too. I know Obi-Wan would probably agree with me."

Ana rolled her eyes as the four of them turned slightly to look over at the passing planets and galaxies again.

"You saw me in my calm collective thoughts earlier in the gym, don't you remember. If we're looking at your track history, it should be you thinking about meditation to clear your head," Ana countered back with a smirk.

The older Jedi Knight just rolled his eyes, crossing his arms slightly.

"You bench press as a form of meditation?" he asked, unconvinced.

"Not completely," Ana admitted, "not like the traditional way, but it helps ease my mind, let it wander a little while still keeping a focus."

Anakin nods, thinking about this, but Ana shrugged it off and she could see Rex and Cody, and likely the other listening clones, trying to understand the conversation of a half-way through story. Her gaze turns to Cody and Rex beside her as he waves his hand slightly to lightly catch her attention.

"You lift weights?" Cody asked, interested in the conversation, though he already had an idea that the Commander did such already. It wasn't hard to see how large her arms were.

Ana nodded.

"I mostly bench press, but I dead weight sometimes," she replies, already feeling the clones stare at her upper arms, "or doing chin ups and body lifting. I've been practicing on my balance to try and to do a hand stand on the pole."

"Really?" Anakin asked, now the completely interested one.

Ana nodded, shrugging it off slightly.

"What? I like lifting weights," Ana commented, a little confused at Anakin's twisted features of confusion. And why were Rex and Cody finding this so interesting. Sure there were only a few regular Padawans or Jedi Masters that regularly ever came into the facilities, most of them did it because their species required a bit more stamina and exercise to maintain themselves or their species typical physique, but was it really that out of the ordinary. What did they expect she did, just sit around and meditate all day?

"Why?" Anakin asked incredulously.

"Running helps a bit with maintaining cardio benefits, but I prefer weightlifting. Easy to do to let my mind wander while I work, easy to maintain and further my own general and physical discipline, and it allows for me to set and work on my own personal goals," Ana explained, voice casual. It was all a matter of her own feelings about it, whether they understood it or not she didn't particularly care. They didn't have to. But she looks down at her arms and flexes them slightly before grinning at Anakin. "But I also just enjoy it, and in the end I get these."

As she flexed, the Jedi Knight rolled his eyes, but he had his own light grin on his face.

"And your strength has been incredibly helpful before," Cody responds, shifting slightly beforehand so her eyes could catch his movements and lips.

Ana smiles her own thanks and hopes that it hides or stops the soft blush along the tops of her cheeks.

Anakin pauses for a moment, before something finally relents in his mind.

"Just because I've been wondering," Anakin started, a curious grin on his lips as he turned towards her, "exactly how much were you bench pressing back at the gym?"

Ana's mouth quickly quirked up with a smirk, still staring at him.

"That time? 130 pounds, but I still have to get my muscles warmed back up to what they can do," Ana replied, shrugging slightly again.

"Can do?" Rex asked, and Ana smiles lightly at his curiosity.

"Before I was a Padawan I spent a lot of time in the library or the equipment room when I wasn't in classes," which, as she got older, got fewer since most of the other Padawans were getting placed and she pushes away that feeling against her heart before it could pierce, "I could do 170 to 180 in pretty easy reps. My record was 200 but I could only lift that a few times. I'm better at dead lifting that amount. I'm trying to work my way up to that again. But since the past few months I've been under Master Kenobi's teachings and working on my lightsaber skills, it's been a while."

Her explanation ears a few nods of the clone captain and commander, but she almost smirked triumphantly at their slight shock at the knowledge. While she knew she needed to work on lightsaber techniques, and amongst other things, that was something she could do…even if she did it on her own.

"Once you hit 200 again, where would you go after that?" Cody asked, curious.

"I don't know," Ana replied honestly, "that's as high that the Temple has. And I doubt that they will get more."

Before the clones could ask, Anakin clarified in agreement.

"The Temple facilities are more for…things to help you get to a standard that you need to maintain health, but not as a type of hobby," Anakin explained. Did he agree with her?

"Or even to help with skills that would now actually be useful," Ana continued, unable to stop the rantings in her own thoughts. "I wish we would have some type of simulator space to practice skills in the field. Running on the spot is much different than through trees."

"You don't have that?" Cody asked, more than completely surprised. Did Obi-Wan not tell him this?

"Not at the Temple," Anakin agreed, "though I know that the Council is talking about letting Jedi practice on the simulations you use." He looks towards Rex and Cody.

"Until then, I'll have to stick with my 200 pound limit," she knew she should be practicing on lightsaber techniques anyway, but it was better to do that with Obi-Wan where he could tell her what she was doing wrong and how to improve. When she was alone, she didn't have that. She didn't have that for years.

Before she could dwell on anything trying to break through that barrier, Anakin looked over at her and smirked before looking at the clones.

"They also do it because they don't want Jedi to get prideful of their looks or physical abilities when it is our minds and ways in the Force that should guide us," Anakin points out, wiping any of that feeling Ana had right out of her.

Ana looked over her shoulder to glance at Anakin, a small smirk on her face, "Anakin, I'm not gloating when I say that I can bench press much more than you can. I'm stating it as a fact."

In the corner of her eye, Rex shoulders shake slightly as he snorts and looks away to quickly compose himself again while Anakin grins down at her. Ana looks over at Cody and sees him smirking as well. Turning to look over at Anakin again, she shrugs lightly.

"I can see why Ahsoka likes you," Anakin comments with his own smile.

The redhead grinned back at him.

~.~

The sun was bright on Mandalore despite how cloudy the overcast was. Ana walked with Anakin while Cody and Rex were behind them with Mixer, Hawkbit, Redeye, and Palmer. After departing the ship, Anakin and Ana's eyes searched the platform while Rex and Cody talked with some of the Mandalore guards about the supplies in the ship and the list of those that will be onboard. Apparently Satine wanted her own entourage of high class friends going with her and her other government's leaders, even though it was a matter of her own security.

Anakin's eyes saw them first as they made their way to the two with a few other guard members around them. Even though Ana couldn't hear anything, and she doubted at this distance that Anakin or the clones could either, as Satine almost stomped off after she turned her back swiftly to Obi-Wan she doubted that it was a positive interaction.

"Reporting for escort duty, General," Anakin tells him as they place themselves in front of Obi-Wan as the Duchess moved to get on the ship.

"Oh," Obi-Wan almost sighs with relief, "Anakin, Ana, am I glad to see you."

Anakin almost snorts lightly, "you sound tired."

Obi-Wan shrugged as he replies, "the peaceful ways of the locals wore me out a bit."

Already Obi-Wan was moving to walk past them and the others followed along, Obi-Wan slowing his stride almost in realization so that he could move closer to Ana and angle himself towards her while walking.

"The ship is ready Master," Anakin tells him, Ana quickly casting her eyes over to him to catch it before looking at Obi-Wan again. The Jedi Master sighs before stopping and turning to face to group.

"Cody, Rex, can you get all the men stationed at the cargo supplies for debriefing," Obi-Wan tells them, not ordering but with the implied underlying tone still there.

Ana raised an eyebrow. What the hell had occurred here?

She saw Rex and Cody's salutes without their words before all six of the clones moved off towards the compartments and movers to see how far along they were.

"I'm guessing you arrived at your conclusion in a not so smooth fashion," Ana concluded.

"Do they ever?" Obi-Wan asked tiredly.

"So what exactly did happen?" Ana asked.

Obi-Wan sighs, but quickly recounts everything that happened to him in the past twenty-four hours, from going to Concordia and finding about Death Watch, to being captured and the Duchess's help to escape. To Ana's silent relief, he signs as much as he can and she is glad that she won't get a headache trying to follow just his lips with a longer conversation.

At the end of it all, Obi-Wan seemed more mentally tired than he had before he started and she wondered how much sleep he had last night after coming back with the Duchess. She was sure he purposely left out a few details of his recounting, but she didn't want to press. They still had a long way to go back to Coruscant.

There was just one thing that Ana couldn't shake. Pausing slightly, she turned to stare directly at her Master and raises an eyebrow.

"So…you trusted a guy named Vizsla….running an operation to 'protect' the moon where you banished these more traditionalist, warrior Mandalorians….a Vizsla," Ana asked, her tone of both bewilderment with an underlying you-cannot-be-serious, "and none of this tipped either of you off that something was obviously amiss before you got there to investigate - almost getting killed?"

Obi-Wan stared at her, even Anakin raising an eyebrow along with a slight grin. Ana knew she should've reined it in but…how much of Mandalorian, or even Jedi history, did Obi-Wan know?

"You sound as though you are very sure of our mistakes," the Obi-Wan comments, both curiously and with the hint of confused annoyance.

"Well, I would've been more suspicious. You had a man named Vizsla running the show on an off-world location, with complete privacy, and in a location where you specifically banished warrior families who didn't like the Jedi or the way that you kicked them out in the first place," Ana states, still looking at him in bewilderment.

"Not to mention but, you gave this power to a Vizsla family member, like Tarre Vizsla, the only Mandalorian Jedi to become a part of the Order, who created the Dark Saber, then had Vizsla family members steal it and use it as a way to combat their own enemies as a way to unite Mandalorians, especially against their historically common enemy, the Jedi? None of that tipped you off?" Ana asked, eyes almost narrowing.

Obi-Wan opened his mouth to reply before pausing, his eyes casting down in thought, an expression as though everything he thought had been once a lie. Grinning slightly, Anakin looks between the Master and Padawan and coughs to control his own laughter while Ana keeps an eyebrow raised towards her Master.

"I…." Obi-Wan starts, lifting up a finger as he thinks before he brings it back down a few moments later, "….no."

"That's a first," Anakin comments with a grin, still beside the redhead.

Obi-Wan glares at him slightly before Ana rolls her eyes back at them.

"Lets just get to our transport duties?" Ana comments.

Looking back over at his current Padawan, Obi-Wan nods and looks serious again.

"Right," Obi-Wan agrees, "though you bring up an interesting point, Ana. It would be wise for the Duchess to look over any names that may have been associated with the original Vizsla clans and supporters, even if they aren't anymore."

"Can't be too careful," Anakin agreed.

All of them turned together and Ana looked over at Obi-Wan as they began to ascend into their ship again.

"Where do we station the men?" She asked.

"The cargo supplies. We'll want to look those over first, make sure no one or nothing is there meant to endanger the Duchess," Obi-Wan replied.

"Wouldn't have been easier to scan all cargo items before they went onto the ship?" Anakin asks as they reach the top of the landing, angling himself to make sure Ana could see him.

"We don't know who is all involved in this plot against the Duchess. There could be eyes anywhere, including those putting in the cargo after it has been scanned, which is exactly why we are escorting the Duchess and taking precautions even in hyperspace," Obi-Wan says, almost parading a stoic expression that likely went all the way into his tone. Was he, posturing? "….That and a lot of the cargo was already on the ship before we arrived, so we want to double check everything on the ship."

Ana almost snorted but nodded. Fair enough. She just hoped that this ride would go smoothly than some of the others she had been in.

~.~

"You know your marching orders," Obi-Wan tells the group.

Ana stood on one side of Obi-Wan with Rex and Cody beside her, hands up as he signed along to each word, while Anakin stood on the other as Obi-Wan debriefed with the clones surrounding them in a circle. Ana stood, watching Obi-Wan's signs but also taking quick glances around at the men. She sensed a few's slight nervousness, but overall they were prepared and listening, ready and eager for their orders.

"But the safety of the Duchess Satine is of the utmost importance. The Death Watch will stop at nothing to assassinate her before she pleads her case to the Senate," Obi-Wan explained, fingers moving with better fluidity after more use after they got on the transport, but still keeping a serious tone and expression so that everyone understood the reality of their mission and the Duchess's situation.

Taking a few steps ahead, Anakin tells the group, mostly focusing on the Shinies, "The Death Watch may be backed by the Separatists. So stay sharp."

Obi-Wan, Ana, Cody, and Rex all nodded in agreement when suddenly Anakin's face turned and all Ana could see was the back of his head. Brows furrowing she turns to Obi-Wan but sees his head is turned as well. Quickly turning her head back to look at Cody, the clone immediately caught the queue and explained, silently signing "R2 unit will scan for suspicious droid activity."

Ana nods once and silently, but quickly moves the tips of her one hand down from her chin before she sees Rex move to lean more towards them. She raises a brow but sees Obi-Wan turn and catches his "No, that will be all," and decides to let it go.

Giving out the commanding forward of his arm, Cody motions for the clones to disperse to their stations in their groups. Ana turns to Obi-Wan and Anakin, opening her mouth to ask her something before Obi-Wan's attention immediately goes to his wrist. Bringing it up, the four men listen to the message. After a moment, brows furrowing slightly, Obi-Wan replies, "Very well."

Bringing down his arm, he stares at Ana in almost a slit eyed glare that she knew wasn't for her.

"The Duchess is asking for our presence," Obi-Wan reported wordlessly as he signed before turning quickly and almost with annoyance, but Cody and Rex immediately follow. Ana looked over at Anakin, sharing a quick glance with an eyebrow raised before turning into the elevator as well to follow.

Standing in the elevator as it goes up, the tension and awkwardness in the air was thick that it almost prickled at the back of Ana's neck. Side glancing at Anakin, he did the same in silent communication. After few moments of silence, Ana finally couched to clear her throat before Anakin relented.

"I sense some anxiety from you about the duchess," Anakin starts, none of the parties looking at anything but the elevator doors in front of them. But Ana could see in the corner of her eye, and she angled herself a little more ever so slightly so that she could see a bit better even without directly staring. Did Obi-Wan seriously have his hand up to his face to stroke his beard as he was thinking?

"She couldn't be in safer hands," Anakin promises, and knowing full well that his intentions were not about the hearing of the safety of the duchess at this point.

"Yes, I know."

Taking a deep breath, but still keeping his head straight while his eyes tried to look over at Obi-Wan, Anakin tried again, "Then why…."

Ana almost wanted to hit Anakin for pausing.

"Never mind," Obi-Wan took the opening and Ana glared up at Anakin beside her, but she could see the relenting defence in his features, as though he was suddenly tired again.

"Oh," Anakin jumped at the opening, turning to face his former Master while Ana moved so that she could get a better glance at the other two as both Ana and Anakin tried to keep up a facade of casual interest, "so you're close to her?"

"I knew her," Obi-Wan corrected, but his tired face instantly changed to annoyance and Ana didn't need to be able to hear to know that it laced through his tone as his entire body got more rigid, "a long time ago."

Anakin glances back slightly and both he and Ana raise a silent brow again.

"You said that you met her while you were young," Ana prodded. It wasn't like they were going to give up this investigation now. "When you were still under Qui-Gon's teachings, right?" She prayed that she remembered that right and wished that she had paid more attention to what he was talking about.

Anakin glanced back at her again with a certain expression that made Ana silently give one back of defence and that she would tell him later. Though she was kicking herself because there was nothing much that she could explain herself.

Rex and Cody stayed silent in front of them, barely daring to breathe in case it broke Obi-Wan into talking about something else.

Obi-Wan's eyes scanned between both of them, as though searching for an ulterior motive and Ana hoped that they gave convincing neutrally interested expressions to him. Finally, the Jedi Master sighed, defensive shoulders dropping slightly.

"Yes," he both relented and confirmed. But when the door opened again, it was like the spell was broken and Ana was mentally cursing the situation. "But I will explain that later."

Anakin and Ana nodded, giving up for now as all five of them stepped out into the chamber. Looking into the hallway ahead, Ana almost forgot her surprise about how luxurious the ship was. The redhead had only been on battle ships before, where the only colourful things decorating the ship were different shades of grey metal. It always startles her slightly to see the red carpet on the floor and the walls and even posts adorned with ivory and red designs and how everything looked like it was made of red wood instead of metal.

The five of them step down the hallway and see a guarded room not too far ahead. The Mandalorian guards had their staffs crossed in front of the entrance. As the five of them came up closer, Obi-Wan turns back, signing as he says, "Cody, Rex, perhaps you can stay out here, see if the pilots need anything."

Both clones nodded once before turning back to walk down the hallway. Ana looks back at the doorway as they continue to walk closer. Recognizing the three Jedi immediately, the guards pulled back their staffs and opened the doors for them. The red and deep auburn brown regalia was also well placed in the royal room. Satin red curtains draped to design the posts around a three stepped found platform decorated with obvious silk sheets and pillows that the Duchess herself was laying in to keep an appearance as though she was in a painting. A few feminine serving droids and obviously some of her royal and governmental companions surrounding her in a circle that she insisted on joining in the voyage. With this entire act, Ana didn't know whether the Duchess was too overly-royal to realize the danger that she was in, or that she just didn't care for it and was going about her regular, though high maintenance, life to show those wanting to kill her that it didn't bother her in the slightest.

However, considering what she knew of the Duchess and that she and Obi-Wan were at least semi-close, she decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. Obi-Wan didn't associate himself with fools. And whatever Ana thought about her, the Duchess was as beautiful as many said. A very narrow and pointed, yet somehow soft face and large eyes. She couldn't see her hair but knew it would be the soft gold that people claimed it was.

From far away and actually seeing her talk, Ana could see how she definitely had an accent, however her articulation was incredible and almost pointed like the sharpest edge. Incredibly, even at a farther distance, it made her lips pretty easy to read.

"…committed to fighting, we already lost," the Duchess looks down as the droid offers her a tray of drinks.

Ana raised a brow as the three stood at the doorway inside the room, her eyes casting to a man in grey regalia clothing. He must also be a member of parliament on Mandalore. She strained her eyes to try and see what he was saying, but with his body turned away and grabbing for a drink it was hard to make all of it out. Something about 'opposing' and 'humanitarian'.

Seeing the Duchess's head move caught her gaze again.

"I'm going to oppose it as an affront to life itself," the Duchess seemed to clarify.

Ana raised her eyebrow and caught the grimace building on her face before it could fully form.

"As the designated regent of 1,500 systems, I speak for thousands of worlds that have urged me to allow them to stay neutral in this war," Satine says with grace, holding up her head proudly.

"And yet," Ana's face turned as Obi-Wan lifted his hands to sign as he began to walk forward, Anakin and Ana following closely behind, "some might argue that the strongest defense is a swift and decisive offence."

At this point, all of the other sentients had turned to face them, some with surprise and some with light glares. Obi-Wan stops shortly before the steps up to the Duchess's cushioned platform, Anakin and Ana stopping beside him but not giving to much crowding to the other members of the room.

The Duchess's stare seems neutral as she looks down at them, but her eyes always cast straight to Obi-Wan and there was something sad in her eyes. As Anakin stops on the other side of her, Ana catches Obi-Wan nod or bow his head ever so slightly to show his respect.

Still for a moment at their arrival, Satine moves on back to her earlier facade.

"You are quite the General now aren't you, Master Kenobi," the Duchess says, her voice soft but still with a royal elegance in her demeanour.

"Forgive me for interrupting, your Highness," Obi-Wan replied, signing still since his head was still cast towards Satine until he side glanced his Padawan, ignoring the curious glances of his handed finger movements, and saw her angle herself to the conversation. He gave her a specific glance and Ana nodded lightly. Setting his hands down again, he then places on hand at his chest. "I meant no disrespect."

"Really?" Satine asked as she stood a little straighter, moving her chin high as she addressed the room, "Senators, I presume you are acquainted with the collection of half-truths and hyperbole known as Obi-Wan Kenobi?"

At least, Ana thought that it was 'hyperbole'.

All the other Senators and their companions turned to look at the group of Jedi, a few with eyebrows raised or smirks on their faces. The three gave a quick glance at all of them as well before her eyes caught to Obi-Wan again as he shuffled slightly.

"Your highness is too kind," Ana watches him say and her eyes glance towards the Duchess.

"You're right, I am," the Duchess responds, almost disheartened.

Ana stared at the two, eyes widening as her face scrunched up in slight confusion. When she side glances Anakin, she sees that they have matching expressions.

Obi-Wan, however, seemed to take it in strides.

"Allow me to introduce my fellow Jedi," he explains and turns to both Ana and Anakin. Both of them immediately place themselves back into their neutral expressions. Obi-Wan extends an arm out towards them and introduces, "this is Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, and my new Padawan: Ana Staphos.

As the Duchess and crowd look the new pair over, Anakin steps forward slightly.

"Your servant, My Lady," he says, bowing slightly. Ana does the same, offering the Duchess a smile.

"At your service, your Highness," Ana tells her softly.

The Duchess smiles to the redhead before turning her gaze to focus again on Obi-Wan as a servant droid comes up to offer the Duchess a drink again.

"It seems interesting and…curious to me that the Jedi Council would have you of—," the Duchess's speech cuts off to Ana's eyes as she turns her head to grab for a glass, her regalia blocking most of her mouth movements.

Frowning slightly, Ana turned back to Obi-Wan.

"What did she say?" She asked silently, signing.

"She thinks it's amusing I'm back in my teaching days again," he summarizes silently with his signing, with somehow both a bemused and slightly annoyed look.

Ana nods and when she stares back at the Duchess and the other Senators, she immediately feels singled out because even though they are staring at both her and Obi-Wan, she knew why they were staring so confused.

"You're…signing?" the Duchess looks both interested and confused.

Obi-Wan hesitates before looking to Ana, debating on giving the explanation himself as though it was a secret and only hers to share, but Ana barely blinked.

"I'm deaf," the redhead clarifies, keeping a casual even though she hated the stares on her, thoughts of wondering what was wrong with her, how abnormal she was. "I can't read your lips when you look away, your highness."

The Duchess's eyes widen slightly in surprise and Ana doesn't need to hear them, or look at the Senators making the comments, to immediately know that for a brief few seconds, they were whispering about her.

"My apologies," Satine tells her, still both surprised but it was slowly being overlapped by interest. "I have to admit, I've never met a deaf person before. Are you fully deaf?"

"For the most part," Ana answered, forcing the confidence despite the stares of the Senators like they just witnessed an imposter amongst them.

"Interesting," Satine comments, almost giving her a glance over that wasn't sharp or hurtful but the inclining interest wasn't exactly warm either. "I've never met a deaf person, or at least definitely not one your age. On Mandalore, at birth we give children the opera—"

"I'm aware," Ana immediately cuts in when her heart beat to fast for her to keep silent. The second the words leave her mouth, she realizes that she has interrupted the Duchess of Mandalore herself and her shoulders tense for a new reason. Her eyes widen slightly and in less then a second she looks at Obi-Wan and sees that his face is not at all unkind while the Duchess looks mildly surprised, but she still feels the stares of everyone else circling her while their bodies seem to get taller and taller.

"My apologies—," Ana starts again, but the Duchess of Mandalore is already waving her off slightly.

"Do not worry, young one," Satine promises, sensing that she perhaps stepped onto a topic not to be discussed, and was already moving on to a different subject with graceful diplomacy as though all that was said before could be erased.

"I remember a time when Jedi were not generals, but peacekeepers," Satine tries again, though Ana isn't exactly understanding the point of discussing that opinion either, except to create a debating discussion so that she could be more vocal on her views.

Of which, Ana had her own growing opinion with each word the Duchess spoke.

"We are protectors, Highness," Anakin chimes in and Ana is glad for the similar view because she didn't exactly feel ready to talk again just yet. "Yours, at the moment."

And wasn't that true.

"We fight for peace," Anakin concludes.

Satine almost laughs, allowing her glass to be filled again by the droid.

"What an amusing contradiction," Satine comments, bemused.

"What Master Skywalker means," Obi-Wan clarifies, stepping forward with a finger raised, "is that we are acting at the behest of Your Highness to protect you from the Death Watch and the Separatists who don't share your neutral point of view."

"I asked for no such thing," Satine counters back, shoulders and facial features tensing slightly.

"That may be so," Obi-Wan agrees, taking another step further and Ana goes slightly with him this time to keep up, "but a majority of your court did."

Taking a glance around, Ana watches how a few of the Senators either directly look away from the Duchess or to each other. Interesting.

"I do not remember you as one to hide behind excuses," the Duchess mounters again, eyes narrowing with each sentence.

"I do not remember you as one to shrink from responsibilities," Obi-Wan's eyes narrow just as much in annoyance and Ana just stares at him, blinking a few times. Why was this becoming so….personal?

Apparently she was not the only one who was beginning to sense this. The rather large, blue Twi'lek senator stepped between the two's gaze, a forcefully nervous smile on his face.

"I am certain we all agree," he started, clapping his hands before gesturing to the Duchess and eldest Jedi, "Duchess Satine and General Kenobi have proven that there are two sides to every dilemma."

Despite the senator's attempt to break down the awkwardness, Obi-Wan and Satine's glare still stared straight into the other's.

As everyone else's gaze turns to the human male senator again, Ana can only guess he agreed. Her brows knit together slightly as the Twi'lek moves his hands, walking away from line of direct eye contact. It wasn't until the Duchess responds, finally taking her eyes off Obi-Wan that he was speaking.

"I think a multitude makes discord, not good counsel," she declares firmly.

Still moving, Ana tries to twist her body to see what else the Twi'lek replies as he bows slightly in respect to Her Highness, but Ana's attention is caught when Obi-Wan turns towards her and Anakin.

"There may be two sides to every dilemma, but the Duchess only favours hers," he comments, not completely out of the realm of annoyance and snark.

Still staring at Obi-Wan, she misses the amused, pride on the Duchess's face for a brief second before is slides off and she takes a drink. Placing her cup down after, she looks at the redhead and asks, "what about you, Ana, what are your beliefs on peace and war?"

The instant that Obi-Wan and Anakin turn back to Satine, and the way that everyone else in the room was looking at her, she realizes that she missed something. Ana glances at Obi-Wan for clarification and he quickly signs back in silence, "The Duchess wants to know what you think of this debate."

Ana is frozen for a moment, surprised before she looks back over at the Duchess.

"In all respect, Your Highness," Ana begins carefully, wanting a way to avoid her answer so that she can step aside from her own opinions and her assignment, "I'm not here to share my political opinions. I'm here to help protect you."

The Duchess shakes her head ever so slightly.

"But surely you have one," the Duchess pushes gently. "You Master as well as Master Skywalker have all had their input, but you remain silent."

Placed more on the spot than ever, Ana glances over the senators, her fellow Jedi, and the Duchess, all of them staring intently at her.

"Well," Ana finally relents, "I actually agree that remaining neutral for a moral importance and standing that war is not the only way to flesh out dividing opinions is actually a very noble stance and declaration."

The Duchess's one brow arches quickly in surprise, as does Obi-Wan's in his confusion.

"However," Ana clarifies, not finished, watching as a serving droid walked over to her and Anakin with a tray of filled glasses. As Anakin gladly grabbed one, Ana almost absentmindedly grabbed one as well. She could use it, "when it comes to systems wanting to remain neutral despite having the resources and money to fight against a side that is for and practices immoral actions that creates suffering for the people they are supposed to protect then I believe those neutral systems or governments themselves are using their own hands to approve of the suffering of those immoral justices. Not fighting against the injustice only serves to help those that create and gain from them."

She can feel the slight shift in the room and how the Duchess's surprised eyes bare down on her not in hate, but in pure shock. Perhaps nothing as such had been said before. Ana takes a quick sip of her glass, trying not to stare the others in the face.

"Yes, I suppose," the Duchess relents, much to Ana's surprise, "however, I believe that there are much better ways to practice that then war."

"If I may add on to what my Padawan is saying," Obi-Wan starts, stepping forward again, definitely not over the discussion, "A Republic military presence is the only sure defense against the Separatists."

Satine glares at him as though growing more annoyed over this conversation, or perhaps that Obi-Wan had another comment about it, though didn't she start and continue it? Satine set her glass down with almost an eye roll before she stood to her feet, looking very tall on her platform as she stared Obi-Wan down.

"Even extremists can be reasoned with," Satine said almost through gritted teeth that it was harder to make out what she was saying.

Everyone stood back as the Duchess stepped down the steps of her platform while Obi-Wan kept taking steps forward towards her. Both Ana and Anakin gave the two doubtful and curious glances. When Ana moved herself so that she could see both of their lips better even from the side, Anakin followed her but the two still kept their distance as though it was an explosion that they wanted to watch but were prepared if there was a blow.

"Perhaps, if one can be heard over the clanking of their battle droids," Obi-Wan's glare kept increasing with every word as Obi-Wan closed the gap between them as Satine stayed atop the final step, but her height didn't give way to his hardening glare and likely aggravated tone.

"Ah, the sarcasm of a soldier," Satine declared.

"The delusion of a dreamer," Obi-Wan countered back as the two's faces got closer.

She could've sworn the man in in grey robes said something again and she was faintly aware that the giant Twi'lek moved again, but her eyes were still glancing at Obi-Wan and Satine, almost toe to toe as they glared at each other.

While Anakin's face showed infatuated surprise with his hand up as though he was ready to make a toast and Ana's eyes narrowed, mouth agape, as she glanced between the two, both Jedi feeling as though they were going through a confirmed revelation.

The spell was suddenly broken when both Obi-Wan and Satine seemed to snap out of their vicious eye contact.

"Fine!" they both seemed to shout viciously.

Satine actually pushed Obi-Wan aside to get past him, literally stomping in anger out of the room that still somehow had an elegant grace to it. Anakin and Ana's eyes followed the Duchess as she left, their faces still caught in their moment of realization before they noticed that Obi-Wan walked back to stand beside them, his face still lightly twisted in anger. Together, both his Padawan and former Padawan then fully turned to him and both took a drink.

"Perhaps we should go, get ourselves prepared for dinner," Obi-Wan commented.

Almost absentmindedly and still together, both other Jedi nodded before looking for the serving droid. As it walked up to them, they placed their empty glasses on the tray before they quickly moved after a still radiating annoyance Obi-Wan as he left the room, the guards letting them clearly go by without any questions.

The two younger Jedi slowed down until they were only a step behind the Jedi Master, giving themselves quick glances. Silently, Anakin gave her a pushing stare and Ana twisted her face to reply. Anakin's encouraging yet pushy stare became harder and Ana bit her lip before she finally relented. After all, he was the one to start the conversation in the elevator.

Taking a quick step forward to walk beside her Master, she waited until they were around the corner and had more privacy away from the guards and listening ears where only droids walked past before she asked, slowly easing into it, "so…that was a very lively debate."

Obi-Wan didn't look at her right away. So she tried a little further.

"You said that you and Satine have a bit of history….was it always like…well that?" Ana asked, and no one particularly needed to know what 'that' was since it was clearly demonstrated only moments before.

Finally, Obi-Wan glances over at her and sighs before looking back in front of him again.

"Aggrivatingly tiresome, isn't she?" Obi-Wan asked before quickly moving on and not wanting an answer. He clarifies: "I met her on an extended mission when I was younger."

"With Qui-Gon?" Ana asked, Anakin finally setting up on the other side of her.

"Yes," Obi-Wan answers, glancing over at both of them again as the three of them kept walking forward down the hallways, "Master Qui-Gon and I spent a year on Mandalore protecting the Duchess from insurgents who had threatened her world."

By the end of it, Obi-Wan seemed almost tired. All the anger, and passion, seemed to already begin to melt away.

The two other Jedi wait to hear more, but Obi-Wan is silent for a few steps as they make it into the elevator again. Standing on either side of Obi-Wan again, they look up at him in anticipation as he seems to consider his next words.

"They sent bounty hunters after us," Obi-Wan continues, standing back after the doors shut. He presses buttons on the elevator and they feel the compartment move down, but Obi-Wan's face is still slightly tilted towards them as much as he could to show his lips, but still not make eye contact as he crosses his arms and his shoulders deflate a little more. "We were always on the run, living hand-to-mouth…never sure what the next day would bring."

"Sounds romantic," Anakin considers loudly, making Ana stare at him and her eyes furrow slightly before she looks back at Obi-Wan, eager to hear more. But instead, Obi-Wan just looks at him, with an 'are you kidding me' look of slight condescension.

"I'm going to take a guess that it all worked out then," Ana considered. The Duchess was alive, and Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan didn't die on that mission.

"Not completely," Obi-Wan replied as they all felt the elevator stop.

A few seconds later the elevator doors open to the hallway that Ana had briefly seen before when they first entered the ship to find their boardings. The hallway was less grand than the ones above, however the red carpet was still below her feet and the grey metal sidings had some designs flowing through them to give even the generalist low-grade metal walls some elegance.

Obi-Wan doesn't miss a beat in his storytelling as the three walk their way down the slightly twisting halls towards their boardings, Ana and Anakin eagerly following along.

"A civil war killed most of Satine's people," Obi-Wan explains as he walks, still tilting himself slowly in their direction, "hence her aversion to violence."

Ana thought about what she said earlier in the guest room, feeling guilty about what she said not knowing exactly Satine's part in the history of Mandalore's civil war that she had read about. However, at the same time she didn't. While it led in tragic deaths, the properties going against each other and what could be the end result was different.

"When she returned she took on the difficult task of rebuilding her world alone," Obi-Wan continues lightly, though Ana knew how hard that must've been after the conflict had been settled. Still, the banishment of her own people did have certain…contexts that she didn't exactly approve despite a desperate want to end what had destroyed her world.

"You didn't stay to help her?" Anakin asks, softly surprised.

"That would have been problematic," Obi-Wan concludes and they reach his boarding room first.

Entering the room grey, low lit room, Obi-Wan holds out his hand and uses the Force to bring out the chair from the side table and immediately drops himself in it.

"My duty as a Jedi demanded I be elsewhere," Obi-Wan continues, getting comfortable in his seat. He brings up a hand to stroke his beard as he talks out of habit, but when he sees Ana's face twist in slight confusion, he sets it back down again.

As the door shuts behind him, Ana stays on one side of the door, more leaning against the table to see both of them while Anakin leans against the other corner of the room by the bed and doorway.

"Demanded? But it's obvious you had feelings for her," Anakin told him and Ana almost nodded, Anakin's own brows creasing in slight confusion as he considered what he was told, "Surely that would affect your decision."

"Oh it did," Obi-Wan's face is almost grave as he looks down. Looking back up, he explains trying to look between them. "But I live by the Jedi Code."

As he looks down, Anakin's shoulders untense themselves and his face changes as the hardened, demanded confusion stops.

"Of course," he realizes.

" 'a Jedi must not form attachments'," Ana hadn't realized that they made the quote together. It made sense why Obi-Wan had to leave her and she truly felt sad for him, however, the gossip was still incredible and she was still trying to process all of it. Obviously other members of Satine's court had to know, especially with how they acted together just a few minutes ago. She doubted that hadn't happened when they saw each other before.

"Yes," Obi-Wan agrees, looking down again and his habit brings to just his lower beard as he strokes it. She doesn't want to break the conversation though and hoped she could see enough, "but he usually leaves out the undercurrent of remorse."

The sudden jolt right after almost interrupted his last word. Ana sees the com unit light up green for the message incoming and Obi-Wan immediately presses the button at his wrist and brings it to his lips.

"Yes Captain?" His attention is immediately brought back into the serious mode required for a General.

There is pause as Obi-Wan listens, Anakin listening just as intently. After a few seconds, Obi-Wan raises from his chair and Ana looks between them.

"I'm on my way down to assist you," she sees Obi-Wan assure the person on the other line.

"What happened?" She asked, confused.

"That was Rex. R2 may have found something," Obi-Wan replied as Anakin and Ana leaned off of the wall or table to stand straight on their feet, "and two soldiers are missing."

"That's certainly not a good sign," Ana commented.

"We'll go, Master," Anakin told Obi-Wan, looking to Ana for confirmation as he also gently waved Obi-Wan's worry off, "If there is something dangerous down there the clones and I can handle it."

Staring between them for a second, Ana nodded, "we'll be fine. May just be a communications problem anyway."

Obi-Wan stared at them for a moment but Anakin was already moving. Sensing someone at the entrance, the doors opened themselves and Anakin was stepping out. Ana gave Obi-Wan one last glance and a small smile before following the Jedi Knight. She may be without Obi-Wan, however Cody was down there and he could sign if required.

She stops, however, when Obi-Wan takes a step forward.

"I'll go warn the Duchess that something is amiss," Obi-Wan explains, "but if you need me down there, let me know."

Ana smiled and nodded.

"Of course, Anakin and I will be fine," Ana promises.

Obi-Wan chuckles lightly, "Well, I know that you will be."

"I heard that!" Anakin called to him, making Obi-Wan chuckle slightly but Ana was still laughing about the earlier joke, completely unaware of the other.

"I think Anakin is getting impatient," Obi-Wan tells her before gesturing towards down the hall to where the elevator was. "Go. Stick with Cody."

Ana nods again before going after Anakin as he begins to walk down the hall again, jogging lightly until she finds herself next to him. Anakin presses the button for the elevator and the two step inside and wait for the elevator doors to shut before Ana looks over at him, a small smirk tugging at the side of her lips as she feels the elevator slide down.

"Nice set-up," Ana comments, crossing her arms as she leans against one of the walls, "getting him to go back to the Duchess."

"Seems like they ended on the wrong foot," Anakin can't help but smirk himself. He then looks directly at her and asks, "and you knew that they had a history together?!"

"I didn't!" Ana insists, mouth gapped in slight surprise. "He just mentioned that the Council thought it might be a good idea since they have a bit of a history together. Or at least, that's what I think he told me…I zoned out slightly."

Anakin smirks and nods his head.

"Yeah, his voice and rants has a tendency to make your mind drift doesn't it?" Anakin asked.

Ana raised a brow to him, giving him a pointed look.

"Ah, right," Anakin sighs, though the smile is still on his face.

"I get your point though," Ana replied.

There was a brief pause before Anakin looked over at her again.

"Do you think they…" he trails off.

Ana nods, "something is definitely there because I'm pretty sure that's the definition of an ex-lovers spat."

Anakin snorts, his shoulders shaking and both of them try to hush their own giggles.

When the elevator suddenly slows to a stop, Ana pushes herself off the side of the elevator and the two wait until the doors open before they step out. Around them in a non-linear semi circle is one R2 droid and five clones.

"Alright men, what's the problem? We're missing dinner," Anakin says as the two Jedi walk forward, still a bit light heartedly from the conversation on the hold.

Stopping in front of the clone Captain and Commander, Cody replies, signing while Ana is sure that he is speaking even with the helmet on.

"We're not sure yet, General and Commander," Cody replies as Rex begins to point and direct other Shinies, "but there is still no sign of Mixer or Redeye."

The R2 droid immediately rolls forward and Anakin holds a hand up slightly before looking down at the droid as it rumbles around almost excitedly.

She never understood droids.

As Anakin leans down to talk, Ana looks at Cody with a brow raised. Cody and Rex stared down at the droid as well and although she couldn't see it, she was sure they had somewhat confused and doubtful looks on their faces as well.

When the droid suddenly turned around, an antenna shooting up from the top of its cap, Cody had to jerk away as the droid rolled down the hallway it entered. Anakin immediately followed it and Ana stared at Cody.

"Droid scanning," he signed his report quickly. The three of them looked at each other for a moment before following the Jedi Knight, the Shinies following not too far behind.

The further they went down the hallway, the darker it became. The clones automatically brought up their hands to turn on the lights set on the side of their helmets and Ana gave herself a mental note to include some sort of lighting in her own pack that she could set on her belt when she was on missions. As long as she stuck around the clones and they kept their lights on, however, she should be able to at least see Cody signing. Not being able to hear anything though in the darkness where light could only go so far, Ana was wondering if perhaps she should've stuck with Obi-Wan.

The group follows the droid as it shifts around cargo crates and turns down different hallways.

It's not too long, however, when R2 leads them to a rather large box, the height taller than Anakin with its one side on the ground and now showing a completely bare box.

"The contents of the box are missing," Cody signs as they stop.

When the clones all turn to Anakin, Ana looks and in the light she is just barely able to see him say, "or it got up and walked away."

Ana stared back at the box, looking over the material before she steps inside herself, the box incredibly roomy for her. She looks around carefully, squinting her eyes as she looks all over the sides before she replies, "there are no air holes in here."

"That strikes off a person being smuggled in," she sees Anakin reply as she steps back out of the box.

"Unless they have a respirator," Ana reminds him, though that may seem unlikely still.

Anakin nods in consideration before he finally turns around to face the men, arms still crossed as Ana quickly coming up beside him.

"Alright, fan out. Separate squads. I'll contact Obi-Wan," Anakin replied.

The soldiers immediately nod and Rex corrals the soldiers closest to him while Cody does with the rest, having Rider and Jay come with them as they move down the corridors to the right while Rex took his group back to the southern quarters they had already passed.

Ana stuck close with Cody, still unnerved by the darkness and silence of the setting.

"Do we know where Redeye and Mixer may have been seen last?" Ana asked as they walked, turning another corner as she glanced at Cody.

"Redeye was somewhere in this area. Mixer was where Rex and his group is headed," Cody signs back. Thankfully, even though the light is directed in front of them, she is able to clearly see his hands.

Cody looks over his shoulder for a moment before looking back to Ana, waving his hand slightly to catch her attention away from quickly inspecting the boxes and floor in front and around her to him again.

"Rider thinks that it must've been fast, whatever got them. No one heard anything," Cody reiterates quickly, looking around him as he signs. "No one was able to get out a signal for help either."

"Must've jumped them quick," Ana agrees, but that didn't make her feel better. The clones were strong, and with their armour and their trained skills, it was not easy to kill. Whatever and whoever this could be, and if that box could show the possible size, whatever was hiding around was strong and fast. Neither option, especially together, sounded great in this darkness.

Ana focused on what was around her though, her gaze following the lights of the trooper's helmets as they looked around, but in the almost complete darkness her eyes were beginning to adjust. She hated the towering boxes and narrow route, it left easy prey to be ambushed.

She focuses on what's around her, the dampness and must of the boxes and walls, the shadows and if any of them moved. She felt for the air around them, it was still but she could still tell the movement came from some vent. It was all too still for her liking.

They only took a few more steps, about to turn around around another corner when Ana suddenly felt a few slamming type of vibrations against her feet through the floor. She immediately looks behind her and notices that the other clones in their group have too. She didn't imagine the commotion that vibrated through the metal floor.

"Why do I feel like this is Anakin?" Ana mumbled but she was already running back through the darkened route that they came, Cody a step behind her as Rider and Jay followed.

As she ran down the corridors, she swore that she felt more hard vibrations against her shoes as she walked but she couldn't be sure if that was what it was or just her running. They soon made it back to the large empty box where they had been at before. Ana barely paused, sensing for Anakin before she turned and headed straight forward down the corridor from the box. In the corner of her eye she saw the blue helmet of Rex and the white of the others down the other way turning back onto their hallway, but she didn't wait for them. They were following the noise Anakin was likely making, she was following the Force and her instincts.

She hadn't run down too far before she made it to a more lightened, circler space where at the centre of it was a light. She took in the scene quickly, but that didn't mean she felt something hit her when she saw the massive, spider like droid on the other side of the room from the fallen Anakin that laid closer to her.

Just as she entered the clearing from the boxes, Ana took out her sober and the green light echoed along the boxes for just a second before she was in the centre of the space and launched herself at the large, droid.

Ana swung, trying to land on top of it. Her swing took out a few of the legs, however the things other legs managed to hold it up. This metal was much thicker, more expensive, than the metal of the battle droids, she almost felt a bit of push against the light sayer's blade as she went few the few legs. As she landed on it, she tried to keep her grip to bring the saber's blade down through the top of it, however the droid uses all of its momentum to almost buck her off its back before she has the chance to bring the blade down. As she's falling back, slamming against the ground and grunting once, she senses the charged energy of the blasters and looks up from her spot on the ground, lifting herself slightly, even on an angle, to see the group of clones shooting at the droid. After a few bolts hit the front of its base, the droid fell completely to the ground, defeated and broken.

Anakin gets to his feet first and Ana carefully pushes herself up again.

"And I thought battle droids were ugly," she commented, on her knees and taking her lightsaber back in her hand and about to push herself all the way up when something caught her eye. Looking up at the others, she noticed a shadow between the legs of the men.

"What's behind you?!" Ana asked, almost jumping to her feet.

Anakin's head was the first to look back, but as she got to her feet she saw the thing for herself without needing someone to answer her. She watched as another assassin droid, just as big and ugly as the first creeping over to the doors of the lift.

Both Anakin and Ana ignited their lightsabers again as the whole group ran forward, watching as the droid pried the doors to the lift open. Anakin was the first to reach the lift, but by then the droid had already opened the doors and climbed inside. As the clones slowed to their stop, Ana went past them and beside Anakin as the two Jedi looked up the lift.

Before she could give the idea, Anakin was already talking into his com unit, both Jedi distinguishing the blades of their lightsabers.

"…assassin probes down here. One made it up the lift. We'll try to hold the others here," Anakin said, com-unit almost all the way to his lips.

"How many more would you guess that are down here?" Ana asked, the two making one glance back up the elevator before pulling themselves back again. There wasn't a way that the Jedi could make it back up to the guest floor. Hopefully Obi-Wan would be able to handle that droid.

"I think that box could fit at least one more," Anakin thought out, moving to look back at the assassin droid they had just destroyed.

"I agree," Ana replied, following him. And the more likely scenario was that it was still somewhere down here.

In retro-spect, Ana thought that turning their backs to the fallen assassin droid was not the best choice that they could've made as they looked at the soldiers still around them.

"Stay sharp, there might be one left," Anakin tells the soldiers, "Lets spread out—"

It was almost like a shiver that went up her spine. What was the Force—

Cody's attention suddenly turned to something behind them.

"—and find it," Anakin continued before Cody's sudden gesture to what was behind them and his outcry broke their concentration of each other.

Both Ana and Anakin looked over their shoulders and the moment they saw some kind of movement in the corner of their eye they had spun around, grabbing at the lightsabers on their belts. As the seven of them backed up, slowly moving towards each other in almost a circle, Ana and Anakin ignited their lightsabers as they got a better look at the tiny more spider like version of the large droid they had just killed, coming out of the top of the droid like maggots and flies swarming out of a dead body. Ana didn't know what was worse, the large singular spider-like droid that ran like a bull towards them or seemingly hundreds of red beady eye swarm coming to them like a wave.

Almost immediately, the clones were firing at the tiny crawlers, blasting them back and trying to hit as many as they could. One thing Ana found out about these droids wasn't that they were tech made to avoid threats at them like the giant one was, but rather to keep going at their intended target no matter what probably due to their much larger numbers.

Watching one suddenly fly up from the ground, Ana let out a certain word under her breath that she knew Obi-Wan wouldn't approve of in surprise before she brought her blade forward, cutting it in two before it fell back to the ground. As though it was the one to start a revolution, almost immediately the other droids began to do the same and Ana was quickly moving her blade back and forth while keeping an eye out both for the clones and Anakin beside her but also where more incoming fly-ins were coming from. A few times she caught two droids in one swing. It was almost like the lightsaber blaster exercises that she had been doing with Obi-Wan in her lightsaber training, except it was a bit more chaotic. She would have to try training with two blaster bots next time.

She kept swinging her arms, keeping them tight to herself, but moving her wrists and upper arms to swipe at the droids flying towards her. The clones were trying to move in each direction while generally staying in the same place as the droids began to swarm closer to their feet but stayed close to each other.

Once they made it to their feet, Ana could feel them begin to climb up her boots and she quickly looked down and shook the one off before trying to stomp on it. She almost cringed, swiping at another oncoming tiny assassin droid, not knowing exactly what she expected to hit her boot with metal, but on her second thought, she brought her foot back up and kicked at it instead. Watching it fly away, Ana began kicking at some of of the others when they came too close to her feet.

She wasn't the only one. The clones were also quickly firing between the ground and sky trying to cover themselves, but the small droids were starting to corral them too. The static energy between the panic, the lightsabers, and the firing blasters made the air almost thick for a moment but she breathed through it. She needed to think of a better plan because this wouldn't work for long against so many small droids. Anakin was dodging them pretty well too, moving his feet quickly so that they couldn't quickly grasp onto him while slicing droids with the blue blade. She wondered if he said something because he very quickly looked over his shoulder, but Ana was too focused.

Sensing a sudden prick in the Force like a small needle jab to the back of her neck, and a rumble against the ground of something falling hard behind her. Turning around, her red hair swinging back in its braided ponytail and almost slapping the side of her neck from moving her head so fast. She sees Palmer on the ground, flailing with his hands trying to get to his helmet as the droids crawled all over him and around his head. After a moment, he suddenly stopped and she felt something in her drop.

She stared for another second until she felt another droid crawling up her boot. She looked back down at it and carefully swiped it off with her lightsaber, kicking a few away again despite the small ache coming in the top of her toes.

It wasn't a use to try and defend the ones flying up if the majority of them were crawling along the ground.

"I have an idea," Ana announced to the remaining clones as she took a step back closer to the clones, getting into a ready, almost crouching stance. "Cover the ones that are jumping!"

Even though her back was to them, she already knew her answer. Crouching closer to the ground, she swung her lightsaber quickly from back to forth like a wiper close to the ground, catching over ten droids in one swing now. She could feel the heat and electricity of the blasters as they flew around her head and she made sure to keep her body still so one of the clones wouldn't actually hit her.

The flashing blue light that was getting closer caught the corner and her eye. Keeping her shoulders still, her head lifted up and she saw R2 rolling closer to the group, some type of electric lighter deactivating bots from left to right like lightening flowing from the ground and to multiple droids. She keeps slashing at the droids, watching them quickly thin out now that she could get a handful in a single swing. Within a few seconds R2 rolls down the hallway across from them and disappears behind a corner of another large crate box.

After another few seconds, Ana swings at the last small droid crawling on the ground, eyes searching but her hand is up just in case she needs to again. In the corner of her eye, she sees the clones behind her shift their weight, looking around too. With all eyes seeing no new droids, Ana carefully gets to her feet, her legs aching as they are forced to stretch. Giving one last glance around, eyes catching a blue light from around the box that R2 went. Hurrying forward, the clones followed the redhead as she followed the blue light, their guns up and ready just in case it wasn't over. However, when the four of them turned the corner, they saw the Jedi Knight swing to kill the last droid while R2 moved around them.

When Anakin finally noticed them, he looked up and gave them a nod, relaxing slightly himself when he realized the small fight was over.

"Good work," Anakin tells them, disengaging his lightsaber. At his turn, Ana did the same, looking down at the floor littered with dead droids.

He looks down and says something to R2 and wondered briefly what he said before Cody was already signing, his fingers lighted by the lights on the clone helmets.

"How did that monster end up in the hold?" Cody asked.

Both Ana and Anakin took a glance at each other.

"More like who smuggled them in," Ana commented. There was no way that these droids would've made it past security when being scanned.

"Exactly," Anakin agreed.

Ana glanced to the side when she saw Rex's head moved. Ana glanced towards Cody before he translates using sign, "Rex says that there has to be a cargo manifest on the ship."

Nodding, Ana tells the clone Captain, "good idea, Rex," before she looks at the last group of Shinies behind them, crossing her arms over her chest, "Rider, Hawkbit, go back to that box we found earlier. See if you can get a number off of it."

"And if there is absolutely anything that seems off, or you hear something, contact us," Anakin agrees. "We'll see if we can find a service droid."

The two Shinies do a salute before they move off in the direction the group had been down before. Ana stared after them before looking at Anakin and considered, "hopefully those assassin droids didn't get to it first."

Anakin shrugged, "won't know until we look."

As he began to lead the way, Ana followed him with the clones not too far behind. Walking around the cargo bay, still keeping an eye out incase they came into contact with another large or small assassin droid, it didn't take the group long before they saw a silver droid shining in the low light by a corner, laying down almost as though it was resting. Did droids rest?

Just as Ana and Anakin were walking forward to get the droid, she was unaware as Rider and Hawkbit came back.

"General, Commander, the number on the box is CX568," Hawkbit relayed to them.

Ana's back turned to them, she was only indicated that something was said when Anakin looked back to thank the soldiers over his shoulder. Ana stared at him, surprised before she turned back and saw the other clones there.

"What's the number?" She asked, turning back to Anakin as they stood above the silver droid.

"CX568," Anakin told her, facing her so she could see him before he leaned down to shake the shoulder of the C3 droid while Ana stood back slightly, looking to Anakin to see the interaction between the two. As its eyes flipped open, staring at the two Jedi in front of it.

"I'm looking for the droid that services the cargo bay," Anakin tells it as it starts to wake up, the clones behind them with their guns still in their hands and ready to be of use if required.

It seems to be a positive response because the droid changes itself so that it can sit up fully on the box's ledge that it was sitting on before stiffly getting to its feet, looking towards the Jedi before it turned around and began to stiffly walk towards another medium sized box as though one leg was longer than the other.

"That's what I'm trying to find out!" Anakin says, annoyance building on his face and likely in his tone as well. Ana raises an eyebrow and looks between the two as Anakin crosses his arm before she focuses on Anakin again, "You're in charge of the cargo manifest, right?"

She realizes that the droid has made it to some sort of screen device, seeing it press a few buttons before it turned back around, holding the device in its hand.

"Well, where did they come from?" Anakin asked impatiently, using his hand to help elaborate the need for urgency as the droid began its stiffly walk back to the group, holding out the device towards Anakin and Ana.

The Jedi Knight snatched it roughly from the droid's hands and Ana moved in closer so that she could look over the list. Both she and Anakin were searching the cargo number list before Ana pointed to the number that Rider and Hawkbit reported back to being on the box.

Clicking the information page for the numbered cargo, Ana and Anakin both read over the information listed in the description, seeing nothing but, as Anakin narrated, "For immediate delivery to Coruscant: one container marked medical supplies."

Ana almost snorted with a slight roll of her eyes. Interesting they decided to put the description as something that was the exact opposite to what an assassin droid was.

"There is no name on this chart!" Anakin's impatient annoyance and words summed up the feelings for both of them, "There is no indication of who shipped it!"

The redhead watches the droid's head and eyes move and Anakin's face twisted into thought.

"What did it say?" Ana asked him as Anakin brought up the device again to look over the screen, then turning his head to look at her.

"It got through with a Senate's stamp," Anakin replied.

Ana's eyes narrowed, staring at him for a few seconds before she looked down at the screen again.

"So the Duchess has two rats in her parliament mix," Ana commented. Or, at least two.

"Since you know a little about Mandalorian houses, are there any names that catch your attention to who is up there?" Anakin asked.

Ana thinks over the names of all the senators upstairs, thinking for a few moments as she tries to remember the names of the rebels in the Mandalorian civil war and in the Old Republic, but none of them particularly paid her any attention.

"Nothing that immediately comes to mind," Ana replied before looking back up at him again, "That doesn't mean that the Duchess has any members that have switched sides despite having no historical ties though."

Anakin nods.

"Worth a shot at least," he replies.

"Someone is still up there wanting to kill the Duchess though and is standing only a few steps away from her," the redhead commented.

"We better warn Obi-Wan," Anakin replied before turning to the clones again. "Rex, Cody, take another walk through in case there is one assassin droid left."

"I'll stay down here, too," Ana tells him. It might be better that if there is an assassin droid around that a Jedi was still down there to help the clones, who's numbers have sadly dwindled since they have left Mandalore.

Anakin nods, already moving towards the hold and pressing the button.

"I sure hope that assassin droid made it out or else this will be an uncomfortable ride up," Anakin said to them, looking over his shoulder.

Ana snorted.

"It'll make it entertaining at least," Ana agreed.

Soon enough after, the doors opened and Anakin stepped inside, taking one last look at the data pad before the doors shut and he was gone. Ana sighed and looked over at Cody before looking at the droid.

"There's no chance that there are cameras down here to watch over the cargo is there?" Ana asked the droid.

Seeing it's head move, Ana barely needed to look over at Cody for a translation before he pinched his thumb and first finger together.

"There goes making our job easier," Ana sighed before looking at all of the men, who were looking at her.

And in that moment she realized that they were looking to her. They were looking to her to know what to do next. Not General Kenobi, not General Skywalker, but her. Anakin didn't even give it a second thought to let her alone to take charge of them. Obi-Wan must've thought Ana would stick with Anakin.

But she was here, and they were wondering what to do next. She needed to push that sinking fear to the bottom of her stomach for now and ignore the kriff out of it.

"R2 is there any possible way that you can scan an area to see if you can find any sort of…droid activity signal?" Ana asked.

The cap on the droid's head moved from side to side and Ana thought for a moment again before she looked up at the spot that they were just in. They had only gone a few rows down into it on one section.

"If there is another one then we at least know where it is not," Ana commented, staring over their shoulders to the hallway that led out into the cargo shelves.

The clones caught her eye before looking over their shoulders as well.

"We were in the west wing. We need to keep more central and to the south wing," Ana commented. "Unless it was programmed not to, that droid would've helped the other when we were attacking it. It was holding a hiding position, just like the droid that escaped past us to the hold."

Cody was nodding, but Ana still paused. She didn't like the idea that in their dwindled numbers they would split up again. If there was more than two, then it would be harder for them to do a wide search. But those things had already outnumbered two clones. They didn't have a choice though. Hopefully Anakin would be back soon to help with their numbers.

"We'll have to split into two again," Ana explained already walking past them to go back down that retched dark hallway, trying not to step on the dead bots scattered like confetti on the floor. Someone was certainly going to have an interesting time cleaning all this up. Looking over her shoulder, the redhead continued to them, noticing how R2 stayed by the entrance, "stay back to back, alert anyone the instant you think something was wrong even if it's a false alarm. We don't need to loose anyone else to these things."

Getting deeper into the darkness as they turned to go down the hallways, the clones already had the lights on their helmets on again and Ana ignited her lightsaber both as a sense of her own light and to be ready in case something sprung out on them again. When they got to the edge of the section that they were already in, Ana looked back and pointed to Hawkbit and Rider before then pointing to her right.

"Hawkbit, Rider, search in the southern end. Cody, Rex, the eastern walls, Jay and I will take the west side," Ana tells them.

Cody gives her a small lingering glance, but she gives him a slight nod before the three groups go on their separate ways. Just as they began going down the next section into the darker corner of the wing, Ana looks back to Jay briefly, who was at his side, looking up and around along the high shelves and boxes, "I won't be able to hear you, so if you need to alert me you're going to need to tap my arm or shoulder."

Jay nods before looking around them again, his side at an angle that almost made them back to back, gun drawn and ready for use if required.

They had just turned another hallway, eyes alert, and it was the first time that Ana was actually more aware that there was silence around them in this corner. Of course it was quiet for her most of the time, but the silence actually hit her as though she could always hear where noise was not because of how utterly isolated she and Jay felt. When Jay suddenly stiffened, he almost grabbed her elbow in the attempt to tap it as he turned back the way that they came.

"What is it?" Ana asked before there was a vibration at her wrist. Pressing the button to be played, she saw the indicators move to let her know someone was speaking and she turned to Jay. Once the light went off n the com-link, she watched as the clone moved his hands in a way of charades where he placed his hands apart, then together before keeping them a little bit apart for a second before put one palm on top of the other in a slight cross and wiggled all his fingers slightly before bringing up one hand and using a finger to move across his body where his neck was.

Ana almost grinned in amusement.

"Solid performance," she told him before feeling another vibration on her wrist. Lifting it up this time, she pressed the button and saw Anakin's blue image appear above it.

"Obi-Wan's going to be hunting out the traitor upstairs," he said, Ana just able to read his lips.

"We're searching the other sections for the last large droid. We've found a few small droids, but they're gone," Ana quickly relayed, feeling that awful prick on the back of her neck come again.

"I'll head towar—"

Jay suddenly pointed behind her, up at tall shelved boxes before lifting his blaster and aiming. He only got a few shots out before Ana spun around quickly and saw the circles of red high in the air above the boxes, moving quickly to the right before hiding behind another trail of boxes on the other side.

"We have eyes on the last assassin droid!" Ana quickly explained before she and Jay were running in the direction it went. "It's heading to the central wing between you and I, Rex. Everyone come this way. Let's see if we can corral it."

The redheaded Padawan didn't wait to hear from the others. When she set her wrist down the com-link instantly stopped the imaged message and both her and Jay were running towards it. Almost hitting with Anakin as he came down the main hallway with R2 on his heels, Ana gave him a nod before they went left and he went right. She was sure the other clones were shortly behind them, but Ana didn't wait as her and Jay stepped forward into the darkness again.

After running into the next area, they slowed down to a jog before stalking, trying to keep light on their feet in case that thing could hear them easily. Jay kept close to her as they walked, his gun up and ready while her lightsaber was in position for another defensive stance. There were still those little droids that may still be around too. What Ana knew was that she didn't want to get snuck up on in this darkness without being able to hear something that was coming.

She didn't know how long her and Jay were searching, moving their feet at a slower pace as they took in more of the world around them, from the lowest to the highest point, before she felt another vibration at her wrist. Looking down at the com-link, she sees the image of Obi-Wan running as he leans into the com-link. In his movements, his mouth is barely visible and Ana squints to try and see it better.

"Ana, Anakin!" Obi-Wan begins, still running steadily, "Tal Merrik is the traitor and he's taken Satine hostage!"

The redhead almost paused for a moment. It did make sense, Merrik was around the Duchess a lot, would know her routine, he would be able to keep in easy, unsuspicious contact with Concordia, and would know where to set a bomb when she and Obi-Wan left. How did they not see it before. She wondered how Duchess Satine didn't suspect anything.

But as bad as the news was about uncovering Merrik and the Duchess's capture, she still had something else pressing into her mind.

"We have another assassin droid down here," Ana replied, keeping her voice low and not realizing it was after Anakin's. "We'll help as soon as we can."

Obi-Wan is the one to end the message and Ana lets it go, creeping down the hallways with Jay behind her. The two keep their eyes as sharp as they can in the low light, searching up and down for the large droid.

They were only a few steps farther down the hallway, about to turn another corner before Jay suddenly stopped and looked both back down the hallway they just went down and to his right. He gestured towards that area with his head again and Ana nodded before Jay led their way back down the hallway and to whatever sound he was hearing.

Only one step behind him at each step, she soon realized what he and the others must've heard when they turn down another corner closer to the right side of the wing and seeing both Cody and Rex on the floor, two small assassin droids crawling over them. Anakin and R2 got to them first, Anakin slicing the one droid off of Cody while R2 disabled the one on Rex's wrist.

It was only those two, and only small droids, which meant that the large one it came from was still around.

Stepping closer, Ana held out her hand and helped the two clones to her feet after disengaging her lightsaber, Anakin soon doing the same.

"Well we found the little ones," Anakin comments as the clones stand up again, everyone back at their feet, "What about the mother?"

Rex shakes his head and Ana sighs.

"It has to be around here somewhere," she remarks. They've searched almost every other compartment that it could've gone," Ana comments before feeling a shiver pass through her.

Before anyone could say anything else, Rex suddenly jumped and before he could point, the mother assassin droid had flown past her and slammed itself into Rex, making both of them fly across to the centre not the cargo ship near the entrance again and right into a pile of boxes.

Before Rex and the droid hit the ground, the remaining four were already running back towards them. Just as the large assassin droid almost pinned Rex below it, its talons about to slam into the clone's body, Rex grabbed them before they could hit him and not a second later he brought his feet up to buck the droid off of him before it could make another decision on how to strike.

Rex must've used all the strength he had because the large droid did actually fly into the air and a few feet away from him. Still on the ground, Rex turned so that he was on his stomach again before he reached for his blaster, Cody and Jay already beginning to shoot at it while Ana and Anakin brought out their lightsabers again.

Realizing it was outnumbered and being attacked, the assassin droid tried to crawl up the wall while the clones were still shooting at it. Dodging all the blasters, when the droid was almost at the ceiling, Anakin suddenly held up his arm and made a fist, a motion that Ana knew well from her discussion with Cody on her first mission. The rest of the group stopped their firing or ready positions as Anakin then threw his lightsaber towards the droid and in her surprise, Ana watched as the blue blade swung around in a few circles as it caught air, getting closer to the droid before finally hitting it.

The blade cut off a few of the droid's legs and as it fell, Anakin used the Force to bring his lightsaber back to him. The ground below her shuttered slightly as the droid hit the ground, hard, but before it could make its next move or get its earrings again, Rex was already on his feet and launched himself on top of the flat head. Holding it down in a kneeling position before using two blasters to shoot repeatedly into the droid's top until the bright red lights turned dim and the droid was still on the ground.

Once it was over, Rex turned around and nodded to the Jedi. The two of them nodded back, placing their lightsabers back on their belts before Ana turned to Anakin.

"Exactly what lightsaber training style was that?" She raised an eyebrow.

Anakin looked over at her and grinned slightly.

"One Obi-Wan would never approved of," he admitted with a small smile.

Ana just shook her head, the hint of a smile on her face too.

"At least those things are all dead," she muttered.

"We're not done yet," Anakin reminded her and the redhead nodded back. They better get back to Obi-Wan. Turning slightly to face the clones, Anakin tells them, "Rex, Cody, gather the rest of the troops. We need you two to station clones at every escape pod. If you see Tal Merrik or the Duchess at all alert us immediately. Don't let any droids past either."

Rex and Cody immediately stood at attention, their shoulders back and back straight as they listened to their commands before nodding once and giving a salute.

"I'll contact Obi-Wan to see where he is," Ana told him, already moving towards the hold.

~.~

Ana ran beside Anakin as they sped down the adorned hallway that Obi-Wan said that he was on after setting the soldiers in their positions. Obi-Wan seemed to be looking for them too because once they took turn in the hallway, they are met with Obi-Wan who was running toward them from the other direction, his face determined.

As they got closer to each other, the three Jedi slowed down so that they could speak.

"Did you find them?" Obi-Wan asked urgently.

"No, but we've stationed troopers at every escape pod," Anakin replied. They had kept their eye out for Tal Merrik and the Duchess in case they would try to make a breaking escape, but they weren't anywhere near the lower levels.

Anakin and Ana moved their bodies to curve and walk with Obi-Wan when he began moving forward in the direction that they came from.

"Merrik will try and signal his allies for help," Obi-Wan explained, already beginning to speed up slightly in urgency, and in a stressed tone that matched his features, "we have to find him."

Obi-Wan immediately broke into a run and after second in slight surprise at his needed urgent worry, they followed after him as the three soon ran back down the hallway into the hold.

The instant the three of them were all inside, Obi-Wan quickly pressed the buttons to shut the door and to go to different levels of the ship, Ana and Anakin taking a quick glance at each other before looking back in front of them.

"This may not be the time to ask," Anakin started barely before the doors had closed, Ana standing on the other side of him, "but were you and Satine ever…"

Obi-Wan's harsh and annoyed tone was clearly written on his face so well that Ana swore in that moment that she actually heard him speaking as he looked over his shoulder to give a glare deeper than Ana ever thought that her Master could give.

"I don't see how that has any barring on the situation at hand!" Obi-Wan seethed before he turned back to look in front of him.

While Anakin shrugged slightly with a small smug yet comforted smile on his face, Ana just stood there with her eyes a little wider than normal. Taking a glance over at Anakin, Ana pursed her lips slightly before mouthing.

"Must've been a bad break-up," Ana commented silently.

Anakin almost snorted and when Obi-Wan turned to look back over his shoulder the two Jedi stood a little straighter. Before Obi-Wan could say anything else to them, Ana suddenly felt the ship slow and she swayed slightly as they came to their new speed.

"Did we just leave hyperspace?" Ana asked them.

Obi-Wan looked back at her, eyes widening slightly.

"The cockpit," he realizes. Obi-Wan turns to press more buttons against the lift key, trying to change their direction when the three were suddenly jolted as though the ship crashed against the mountain. The three of them slammed against the left side of the lift, Ana hissing as she banged her head hard against the wall.

Obi-Wan immediately turned to face her as the three of them lifted themselves back to their balanced stances, Ana placing a hand against the side of her head that hit the metal walls.

"Are you alright?" Obi-Wan asked, immediately concerned as he tried to look over her wound as though he could see past her hand.

For a brief second she swore that she actually heard her ears ringing from the impact before she realized an alarm must've been going off that was triggered by the attack. Bringing her hand down again she took a quick glance at it before putting it back against her head to try and dull the stinging pain and saying, "I'm fine, no blood. Probably going to have a good bump tomorrow though."

"I think Merrik contacted his allies," Anakin commented.

"And I have a feeling they brought friends with them," Ana agreed, the ache against her head slowly dulling but now it was like a throbbing against her skull.

"Likely," Obi-Wan agreed, "we need to find the Duchess before they can get off the ship. We need to keep them on that level or in the cockpit so they can't escape through the invaders."

"Do we know what level it's coming from?" Ana asked.

Obi-Wan was already bringing up the com link, but instead she realized he was pressing the band for something else. Another button on the programers side and instantly an image of the ship, coordinating lines through, above, and below it, lit up.

"Before we left Mandalore I thought it would be a good idea to link myself to the ship's system," Obi-Wan commented.

As the three of them looked closer, Ana realized that there were circles emanating from the top of the ship. Obi-Wan zoomed the hologram in closer. There were three points that had multiple circles around them to indicate the damage.

"I think those three ships are not there for peacekeeping," Obi-Wan said almost sarcastically and Ana wondered if Satine was always a type of audience in his head since he came to Mandalore.

Anakin already brought his com-link up to his mouth and Ana watched him say, "Rex, Cody, we have multiple breaches on the top level. Keep one trooper for each escape pod down there and bring the rest of the soldiers up here as fast as you can. Tell them to be ready the instant they walk out."

There was a pause and Ana knew that was just their reply, a 'yes sir!' that she imagined. The lift's doors instantly opened and the three of them stepped out of it, running down the hallway to the second set of lifts where they would meet the troopers. By the time that they turned the last corner, all three Jedi looked down the long hallway and saw in the darker blue lights how a large group of super battle droids were advancing down the hall.

"Looks like his allies were prepared," Anakin mused when they turned to hide back behind the corner.

"They'll be a distraction so Merrik can leave with the Duchess," Obi-Wan tells them.

Before anything more could be said, they saw the doors to the lift suddenly open across from them and before the three Jedi saw the armour and not just the sudden white in the lift, they were already moving back around the corner and pointing down the hallway.

"Get to those battle droids. Do not let them get to the cock-put or the guest rooms!" Anakin tells them, "there are two hallways down to that post, do a front and back line."

Rex leading the charge, the clones didn't stop running towards their targets even though Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Ana paused at the corner still, the group watching the clones past them, weapons ready.

"We'll take care of this Obi-Wan," Anakin tells him, already turning and beginning to run, gently pulling Ana's arm with him to follow him before he says, "You? Go find your girlfriend."

Ana immediately runs with Anakin to stop herself from snorting, leaving her Master with that last thought as the two follow the clones to the hallway, the alarm still ringing softly like a whisper in her head.

"Did you just say girlfriend?" She turns to look at him, an amused smile on her face as they race behind the clones.

"Why not just call it what it is," Anakin mused back, this time truly making Ana laugh.

When they reach the start of the invading fleet, some Mandalorian guards were also there, trying to defend themselves and those behind them against the blasts that came from the B2 droids and disable them using their staffs. A few of the clones were already taking some cover behind the decorative columns along the sides of the hallway, Rex once in a while signalling for certain clones to advance forward.

Within moments, both Ana and Anakin turned into hallway of the battle. With every step she took the electrical energy in the air from the blaster shots on both sides got more intense almost like she was slowly walking into a fog. The metallic walls and the archways of the ceiling also allowed her to hear the blaster shots because the sound echoed and bounced off the walls. Weirdly enough, they sounded exactly like she thought they would, even in the very dulled sound.

Entering the hallway, Anakin launches into a roll to dodge blaster shots while Ana stays at the one side, using the Force to help jump up to the arched ceilings of the hallway to go over the front two Mandalorian guards and the droids they were fighting to those behind them. While Anakin pushes himself off the wall, Ana uses her hold on the roof to swing over the front line and angles herself to land on on the closest B2 droid, engaging her lightsaber before she hits it. Even though her speed and angle allowed her to swiftly bring the droid down on its back before she stabs the front of it.

Seeing its lights fade, she immediately moves in with Anakin against the other straight-armed droids, both attacking them and using their lightsabers to defend themselves against their blasters. When her more boxed, defensive and trained moves leave her falling back to Anakin's easy fluidity and large jumps or steps as he advances, she tries to swing her arms and wrists more like his approach. Her steps forward are much faster and she feels the fluidity and openness in her arms and still guarded body as she swings against them. She wasn't exactly sure of the grace being in her movements, but it allowed her to disable the droids and advance much faster.

As the two Jedi advance forward wordlessly, it only takes seconds for the last B2 droid to hit the ground with its lights fading as well.

Turning back to look at her, Anakin looks down the hallway behind them at the clones before looking back at her.

"I'm going to those invading ships in case they try to leave on those and see if Obi-Wan needs any help. Tend to the injuries here," he tells her.

She nods, watching Anakin run back down the hallway as she sends a quick message to Cody before she hurriedly makes her way to the Mandalorian guards and the clones, who are relaxing slightly, yet still cautiously, as the battle ends.

Kneeling down by the first clone on the ground, her heart sinks slightly. She stares at 14606 for a moment before bringing two fingers to his temple just to be sure even though she knew through the Force before she lets out a sigh, closing her eyes for a moment.

Forcing herself to stand back up, she moves past the discarded bodies of the super battle droids and Mandalorian guards that are trying to locate the Duchess and get updates from each other. As the clones quickly double check that all the droids before leading quick searches down the hallways around the battle ground.

She moves to the next clone that was slumped head down on the ground. A few other clones that were injured were beginning to lean on others as their brothers tried to support or help them. The hallway was much quieter than before, and although the atmosphere of caution was still in effect, Ana was more focused on something else. As she got closer to Jay, she swears that she feels an energy still dwelling around the clone, but ever so faintly like the slightest breeze against her cheek, the feeling getting stronger and stronger as she got closer. Kneeling again, she carefully places her two fingers against his temple, waiting a few moments before she feels the softest pulses against her skin.

"Jay is alive!" She calls out immediately, carefully lifting at his shoulders to turn him so that he is on his back while continuing, "his pulse is faint, we need a medic!"

A few of the clones came forward, one with a medic patch on his one sleeve kneels down as well, carefully taking Jay's helmet off before feeling for a pulse as well. One of the guards also rushes down a hallway, rushing back with another medic's kit that must've been stationed on the floor for emergency access and the two immediately begin to go through the kit before Ana gets back to her feet and checks on the other injured clones. Every once in a while she looks back at 14606 still slumped against one of the columns down the hallway.

He didn't even have a name.

~.~

The rest of their trip back to Coruscant was not as exerting and Ana, and the sore soles of her feet, were relieved. After the almost twice assassinations of their Duchess, her guests had decided to have their remade dinner in their rooms. Any mood the Duchess might have made when it came to entertaining her guests had come mostly to an end.

Hearing that he had been up most of the night before, neither Ana nor Anakin were surprised when they found Obi-Wan sleeping in his quarters after ensuring the Duchess had made it to her room. When the Council asked for their debrief on the invasion and the betrayal of Tal Merrick, Anakin and Ana said that Master Kenobi was still checking up on the Duchess and her guests. After Rex and Cody did one last thorough search of the ship, everyone felt much calmer for the rest of the ride to Coruscant.

Even still, thankfully it was only a few hours later when the first officer told everyone over the com-units, Ana hearing it from Cody, that they were about to enter Coruscant's atmosphere. Even if she couldn't rest, she wished that the meditation helped her a little, not even sure exactly what was on her mind that kept her from peace.

Either way, as she felt the ship slow to come out of hyperspace, she was on her way to find Obi-Wan and Anakin again while the rest of the crew, the Duchess, and her companions were getting ready for the landing dock. She wondered when docking on the planet how their ship would look with three ships smashed into the top of theirs.

Although she new that it would be the middle of the day back on Coruscant when they docked, Ana was still slightly surprised by the shining bright light of the sun and how it gleamed off the buildings. She squints lightly as she, Obi-Wan, R2, and Anakin walk down the ramp first towards Chancellor Palpatine and his guards, the clones behind them as security for the civilians that followed them. Obi-Wan didn't want any surprises to get through to the Duchess or her companions just in case. This wasn't over yet.

As the rest of the members on the ship began to depart down the ramp, Ana kept to Obi-Wan's side as they slowed themselves before the Chancellor, Anakin on the other side of the older man.

"A job well done, Master Jedi," the Chancellor greeted them, bowing his head in gratitude.

"Thank you, Chancellor," Obi-Wan replies warmly, bowing his head as well.

Both Ana and Ankin follow suit and do the same before her eyes land on the Chancellor again before turning and walking off to the side so that the other guests could make their own greetings before following the Chancellor's direction to walk in the other direction towards his ship.

The three of them watched the group begin to leave before the Duchess finally walked onto the dock, her own small group of security ready to shield her following her as she made her way before the Jedi. She got ready to greet the Duchess before she saw movement in the corner of her eye. She turns to see Anakin turning to walk away from them and he uses his head to gently gesture for her to follow.

Realizing that was likely the better idea, she turns around and follows Anakin, wondering if Obi-Wan even noticed their departure as they took a few steps away down the docking station. They turn back not too discretely to take their glances, seeing Duchess Satine and Obi-Wan exchanging words. Anakin turns himself so he can face her a little better and asks, "can you see what they are talking about?"

"Sadly no," she replies, "they are too far away. I believe, however, that since they are not at each other's throats that it seems to be a civil discussion."

Anakin snorts lightly.

"Nothing like a hero on a quest to save his beloved to entice an old romance," Anakin grins and this time Ana has to make sure she doesn't laugh to loud or to explicitly in case the two looked back around at them.

The take another look, this one even a bit more direct, and watch as the Duchess steps closer. After a few seconds, Anakin turns to look at the shorter redhead again.

"You did well, by the way," he tells her. Ana raises an eyebrow, a little confused but before she could ask, Anakin was already explaining, "being a leader through all of that, taking charge when I went up to talk with Obi-Wan, you did really well for still being on your first few missions."

Ana looked down, blushing ever so slightly and she wished her hair was down to hide some of it.

"I just did what was expected and needed of me," Ana replied gently, her voice a little soft.

Anakin shifts his weight slightly and she decides to look up at him again.

"And you rose to the occasion. I know when you suddenly have that thrust upon you it's hard," Anakin tells her with his own smile. "Not bad, kid."

Ana smiles shyly, yet still with genuine and modest pride, her eyes glancing slightly towards Obi-Wan and Satine again.

"Thanks," Ana tells him, "that means a—is she holding his cheek?!"

The last few words of her sentence were as though she was aggressively whispering them in shock and amusement. Anakin's head quickly looks around to look at it too, both of them still in slight shock as they regarded the two having their final words.

"If Obi-Wan ever suddenly doesn't come home for very long periods of time and over night, you definitely need to tell me," Anakin grins lightly.

"Definitely," Ana agrees instantly, watching how the Duchess then turned to follow Chancellor Palpatine and her guests.

As they watched the Duchess walk away, the two younger Jedi made their way back to Obi-Wan again.

"What was that all about?" Anakin asked, laughing slightly as all three of them watch the Duchess get on the Chancellor's small transport ship as well for their next travel to their boardings before the Senate meeting.

"Nothing that concerns you two," Obi-Wan tells them lightly, watching the ship then lift itself into the air.

"Do you think the Senate will believe her?" Ana asks Obi-Wan tentatively.

Obi-Wan thinks for a moment before replying, "nothing is ever easy."