Secrets and Suspicion (Book 1)

To Rescue a Youngling

Days and days had passed since Anakin had left for Serenno to face Grievous. Or was it Raxus? No, maybe it was Florrum. Padmé didn't even know what time it was as she laid in bed. She had been so focused on her cramps and mood swings and other problems that she had forgotten where her husband had gone. She had thrown up 6 times consecutively over the past few hours. She was miserable, not to mention feeling pathetic and hopeless. Where was Anakin? When was he going to come back? Ahsoka had left earlier that morning, before Padmé started having mood swings and everything else going on. At the end of the bed, her comlink beeped rapidly and lit up. She groaned as she lifted herself to grab it. She hesitated, but ended up answering it.

"Senator Amidala," Anakin's voice said. He panted quickly. His voice was still the usual strong voice he always spoke in, but something wasn't right. He sounded very weak, but at the same time he didn't. "Senator Amidala, I need-" He grunted with pain and the signal went out.

"Anakin! What's wrong? Ani! Ani, I need you! Answer me!" she cried. "Ani," she whispered. Tears filled her eyes as she spoke. Quiet sniffles soon became loud sobs as she cried and cried, assuming that Anakin was no longer.

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Back on Florrum at General Grievous's new base, Anakin found out Count Dooku was strangely working alongside Grievous. He thought about everything as his arms hung from electrical hand cuffs and his feet in them, too. He was in one of the rooms for prisoners on the new base. Disrupting his thinking, Dooku walked in, walking around where Anakin hung from chains and handcuffs.

"Young Skywalker. I sense much anger in you," Dooku remarked. "I must remind you that anger, hate and revenge are all major qualities of the dark side."

"I'll never join you, Dooku!" Anakin yelled.

"Ah, but you must. Together, we can save the galaxy by stopping the war. We can end death and suffering. But only with the dark side of the Force, can we do that."

"No one can end death! The Separatists are the only ones that are continuing on this war. You just want more to join the dark side," Anakin said coldly, his teeth clenched.

"But what does the Republic see in you, is the question. Are you any use to them. You have the ultimate qualities of a Sith Lord, not a Jedi. You're worthless to the Order. They don't need you. All they want to do is try and prove to us that they have a strong army. But the Separatists, on the other hand, are making battle droids by the thousands every rotation. And all you have is your lousy clone troopers, which take years to breed."

He acted like he was talking about animals. Worthless? The qualities of a Sith Lord? "I don't care what you think of me, or the Republic. I believe you're just simply jealous. It's quite immature of you, an old man being jealous of the Jedi, don't you think?"

Count Dooku laughed maniacally. "You pathetic Jedi." He turned the electric switch on, creating electrical zaps all over Anakin's strong body. But it didn't make him weak. Dooku switched it off. "You let underestimate my power, young Jedi. Now let me leave you to your rest." He turned the switch on again, set for torture until Anakin fell unconscious. It took 20 minutes of high-level shocking to put the Jedi down.

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Hours later, Anakin opened his eyes slowly. He groaned and for a minute, he lost track of where he was. He then realized after seeing the electric switch across the room. He thought for a long time about how to get himself out. He finally had an idea, after what felt like eternity of thinking of a plan. He lifted his limp hand, his wrist still hanging from the cuff. He used the Force to let himself down, willing the button to be pushed in as hard as he could. That plan failed, so instead he picked up a nearby object and threw it at the button with the Force. It worked. He dropped to the floor on his hands and knees. He got up, rubbing his wrists to free them from the pain of the handcuffs. He moved the rafter cover and jumped up in the rafters, closing it behind him.