The Guardian's Path

Chapter 14 - Planning

"There has to be something we can do," Padme states flatly. It's evening again – the day spent trying to distract Ani from his grief via various activities, including taking him out in a starfighter for a practice flight – and Padme is back from the Senate, so they're eating a meal together in the early evening.

Anakin has finished appraising them of the results of his scouting at the Temple. The ventilation shafts that lead down to the prison level are filled with numerous security measures as would be expected, so using them to enter or exit would be exceedingly difficult. Even if Anakin could deactivate the measures without causing an alarm – and he could; he knows he could, because he's good with machines – it would take far too much time, time which they do not have.

Anakin sighs, shaking his head. "Not immediately. I don't know what to do now," he admits, looking down at the plate in front of him with unseeing eyes. "I don't – I refuse to give up, but we're running low on options. The only alternative is for me to obtain the security code of a Council member and that is highly unlikely."

"It's not like Master Obi-Wan will give his over willingly," Ahsoka agrees.

"We can try to convince him of our point of view, I suppose," Padme murmurs, "But I doubt he would be willing to forsake his principles for something like this." She's right and that hurts because Anakin doesn't want to think about it. He doesn't want to think about how Obi-Wan would rather let Custos be unjustly imprisoned than help them rescue him.

"Maybe we're looking at this the wrong way," Anakin offers. "Maybe we need to find another way in entirely." Though what that other way would be, he doesn't know.

Ahsoka gives him a dubious look, and from Ani's complete silence, Anakin wonders if he's even present mentally, or if he's lost in thought. If he has something to say, he'll say it though, Anakin knows. "Master," the Padawan begins with raised eyemarking, "There is no other way into the prison. If it was easy to get into, it would be easy to break out of."

Anakin huffs. "Well, it would probably be easier to break out of it than into it at this point, since breaking out only requires a one-way trip. It would give the escapee more time to get to safety without being caught."

"Is there a way to get in without alerting the guards then?" Padme questions.

It's not even something he needs to think about, so he shakes his head. "That level of the Temple is meant to house Fallen Jedi or other dangerous Dark Siders. It is equipped to handle them. No one except Council members are allowed to enter. I don't think the guards even go inside; they watch through cameras."

A silence descends over the table as everyone contemplates his words. A sudden idea takes root in his mind, and he wants to dismiss it out of hand, but at the same time... what choice to they have? They need to do something extreme, something outrageous if they want to get Custos out of there without waiting for weeks on end. Ani could never handle it, and Anakin is admittedly becoming concerned about the boy's mental status. The edges of their bond are becoming stained with darkness, and Anakin shudders to think about what might happen if Ani snaps entirely. An unhinged, half-trained, Fallen Skywalker would be a disaster.

"There is only one thing I can think of," he says quietly, "And it is a horrible idea. I don't think it would even work."

Padme and Ahsoka exchange a look. "Let's hear it," requests his wife.

Anakin swallows, hard, before trying to explain, his heart pounding wildly and erratically. "If I – if I embraced the Dark Side in such a way so as to make the Council think me dangerous, they would arrest and imprison me down there. I... Force nullifiers don't really work on me. I could use the Force to break us out."