Care to Dance- Chapter 1

Bleep. Bleep. Bleep.

Anakin slowly flickered his eyes open, trying to focus on the irritating beeping noise that engulfed the silent room yet seemed so far away, as he woke up and started to become more alert he saw the beeping was his comm link. Groaning, he leaned over to the side of his bunk on the Resolute and snatched the annoying comm.

“Skywalker here.” He mumbled.

“Anakin, it’s-“

“Padme?” Anakin bolted upright, suddenly awake at the sound of his wife’s voice.

“I’m sorry, did I wake you?”

“No, no I was just resting, it’s fine.” He replied wiping the sleep from his still tired eyes, “Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine.” She hesitated a moment before continuing on, “I-I wanted to ask of you a favour.”

“Sure, anything.”

Padme was straight to the point, voice dimmed down to a low whisper in fear of somebody on her end of the line would hear, “There is believed to be a spy in the senate disguised as a senator, he goes by the name of Senator Lon Adabiila. We have proof that he’s been in contact with the Separatists and is capable of putting the Republic Senate in Jeopardy.”

Anakin thought this was going to be more than just a “can you pick some blue milk up on your way home” type favour, but Padme could be in potential danger and he wasn’t about to let that happen. “So you want me to get this guy? Lock him up?” He asked not quite sure what she was asking him to do, although it sounded as if she was asking for a lot.

“Yes, but he’s a difficult man to come into contact with, he’s always ‘slipping away’ and seems to get around quite a bit, a-“

“Have you gone to the Chancellor about this Padme?” Anakin asked, cutting her off.

“No! Of course not, if Adabiila found out that someone is aware of his actions it can put a lot of people, possibly the entire senate at risk!” Her voice was getting a little louder as she spoke.

Anakin sighed, she was right. “Okay, fair enough. But how am I going to find him if he’s been covering his tracks and is impossible to locate?”

“There is a ball held by the Republic annually, where a majority of the Senators meet, he has been invited so our best bet is that he’ll be there.”

Anakin smiled, she already had it all sorted she just needed him to finish it off. “When is this Ball?”

“In about five days, I-“

Anakin jumped in surprise, not realising he was practically yelling through the comm link. “Five days?! We get back to Coruscant in exactly five days Padme! I don’t think this is-“

“Trust me Anakin, you’ll be able to plan it out on your way.” Her voice was pleading and begging him to do this for her, “I had Republic Intelligence look into it for me and it definitely is the right guy. Please Ani; I know you can do it.”

Anakin thought for a moment, he would have to plan an arrest in five days and he wasn’t too good at the undercover tactical planning scene. All he could do was try- No! Do, there is no try. he thought to himself, repeating the words of Master Yoda in his head, he sighed and gave Padme his answer.

“”O-Okay, just send me all the details on my personal data pad and get me in contact with whoever got the Intel, Ashoka and I will figure something out.”

“Thank you Anakin.” He could hear the smile in her voice as she spoke, but her tone was quickly replaced with panic and urgency, “I have to go, I love you and can’t wait to see you soon.”

“IloveyoutooPadme.” Anakin said so fast, so she would hear it before she hurriedly closed the link. Anakin smiled to himself at the thought of her last words, it could have been his imagination but he had the impression that she might have had this in mind for a while, knowing he was due back soon and using it as an opportunity to see him again… if that was the case, he wasn’t complaining.

Yawning, he punched in for Ashoka waiting for her to answer her comm link and was acknowledged with a grunt and a tired groan.

“Ashoka, wake up.”

“Master,” she whined, still half asleep, “Can’t it-“

“No it can’t. I want you up and in the briefing room in 20 minutes.”

Ashoka sounded as if she’d rolled back into her previous sleeping position and nestled herself underneath her bed covers whilst still talking with her comm link. “What’s so im-“

“Be there Snips!”

Anakin was answered with an irritated and attitude filled “fine” before he closed the link, he was about to set it back down again when another thought came to mind. He needed this mission to run smoothly and successfully and to do that it would require skill and reliability, he needed experience as well as team work to get the job done, done right all at the same time as inheriting Padme’s appreciation for doing an excellent job… and he knew just the person.

“Captain, briefing room in 20 minutes.”

“Yes sir.” Was the automated response he received; expecting no different.


…...to be continued.