When the Sun Sets

Chapter 10 - Then The Wolves Came

Author's Note: The major divergences pick up pace... now! ;)

~ Amina Gila

Anakin Skywalker

Obi-Wan's words – and Qui-Gon's – are still replaying through my mind as I work on Council work, with Aniya's help. If we finish this early enough, perhaps we'll have time to see Padme and Jaufre again before we have to go back to the Senate to be with Palpatine. We're playing both sides here, and I loathe it, even if both sides also know it. I just don't know what to think of any of this anymore.

Qui-Gon only gave me even more questions about the Council's loyalty, and I feel lost.

Aniya's beeping comm pulls me from my thoughts. "Appo?" she asks in mild surprise, as a small hologram of him appears in front of us.

"We have a report for you, General," he replies. That's... odd. We don't have any missions in progress right now, and he sounds unusually serious. Not that Appo ever isn't, but still.

"What is it?" Aniya asks.

"One of the boys was at the clone bar, and he ran into CT-5555 and CT-1409."

What?

I haven't heard of their whereabouts in months. There's still a search for them – Fives for attempted assassination of the Chancellor, and Echo for aiding him and deserting the army.

"What did they want?" Aniya demands.

"They want to meet with you immediately," Appo replies, "They gave the coordinates."

I frown, exchanging a tense look with her. "Alright, we'll be there," she decides.

"Should I alert the Coruscanti guard?" he asks.

"No, just wait. We'll see what they want first."

"Yes, ma'am," he replies, before the connection breaks.

"Why would they want to meet us now?" Aniya asks rhetorically, turning to me.

"I don't know. But we should hurry." Whatever they want, it must be urgent if they're actually coming to us like this. I've missed them, honestly. They were two of the boys I was much closer with than the others, and it was hard with them being gone, especially with how it happened. I don't understand why Fives would ever do what he did, but he wasn't in his right mind.

The location is deep in the Underworld, and I'm admittedly on edge when Aniya and I finally get there, igniting our lightsabers as we step into the dark, abandoned building. I can sense them close by, but I don't see anyone immediately.

"Fives?" I call, scanning the room, "Echo?" They're hiding, obviously not certain whether they should be on guard. I don't blame them. I don't really know what happened, but we were looking for them for a long time. They must have somehow escaped Coruscant.

I hear a quiet noise, and spin around as they both step out of the shadows. They're dressed in civilian clothes now, and their hair looks different, definitely a way to help cover up their identities.

"General," Echo greets, moving forwards.

"What's this all about?" Aniya demands, as we extinguish our lightsabers. I don't sense any ill-intent or danger. It's nothing like the last time they called us down here – then, Fives had seemed almost completely out of it.

"Why did you call us here?" I ask.

"It's about what I spoke with you about before, sir," Fives explains, "I – I was drugged then, and I wasn't thinking clearly."