When the Sun Sets

Prologue

Author's Note: I'd love to hear if anyone has predictions of where this is gonna go. :D

~ Tirana Sorki

Anakin Skywalker

"Anakin, Aniya, where are you?!" Obi-Wan demands into his comm, not even bothering to look over his shoulder. That's normal for him, though.

"We're right here," I call cheerfully as my twin and I make our way through the smoking debris littering the battlefield to where Obi-Wan and Cody are crouched behind the remains of a scorched gunship. "What are you doing down there?" Blaster shots are flying all around us, but none are coming close by.

"We're taking cover," Obi-Wan snaps, angrily. "Now get down!"

"Really, Obi-Wan?" Aniya snips, scanning the seemingly endless lines of droids ahead of us, "We've faced far worse odds than this before."

"If you keep standing there, you're going to be shot," he retorts, ducking down behind the gunship again.

"You're not serious," I retort, striding forward and climbing up onto a destroyed gunship, "There's only a thousand droids down there, tops." Aniya climbs up on the pile next to me, smirking at Obi-Wan's obvious irritation.

"What are you up to?" Obi-Wan demands, scowling up at us, "Where are Rex and Appo?"

"We already won our parts of the battle," Aniya replies, "Which had more droids than you're facing now."

"So, we decided to come help you with yours," I finish.

"You're overdoing it!" protests Obi-Wan, "Again."

"If you insist, we can hide here and do nothing," Aniya chirps, "But I'd prefer to get moving."

"And we can let the people in the city suffer longer and miss our next chance at finding Dooku," I continue – Dooku is far more elusive than Krell, which is saying something, and we're lucky to have finally tracked him here, though we haven't been able to pinpoint a location.

"Now, you know I –" he begins to argue.

"Or," I cut off, "We can do things our way and help them now."

Obi-Wan groans. "Alright, fine. I know better than to try and stop you."

I can't help smirking a little – I've seen Obi-Wan do this before, but now, he's stuck himself in a situation he knows the way out of but hasn't thought of yet. And really, this time, I already know who's won – there's no question of it. "Stay there." Aniya drops down next to Obi-Wan while I stand again, turning to face the droids. "Hold your fire," I call, raising my hands in a feigned surrendering gesture. "Hold your fire. I have come to surrender."

The shooting around me finally dies down as the droids glance at each other – they should know by now it's a trick, but they were never programmed to be very intelligent. Frankly, it's insulting to all of droid-kind. Some of Threepio's programming was there when Aniya and I made him, but we still programmed him better than that.

Behind me, I sense Aniya's amusement and Obi-Wan and Cody's wariness as they look over the side of the gunship.

All I need to do is launch into one of the very, very boring Obi-Wan-style speeches I've heard in my life, stalling for time while the tactical droid finally appears atop the tank. "Now, Artoo!" I call to the droid as it peaks over the edge at us – the boys are impatient to get going. Yeah, so am I.

The tactical droid is mid-giving the order to continue firing when I catch it with the Force, yanking it towards me and cutting it in half with my lightsaber.