Candlelight

Chapter 11 - Captured

Author's Note: In retrospect, I wish I'd included more with Anakin and the clones, but I guess I'll save that for another Vaderkin time travel ;) 

~ Tirana Sorki

Anakin is quite accustomed to the sensation of when something very, very bad is about to happen. He has it now – a certain, knowing knowledge that this is about to go downhill. It doesn't make much sense, because everything is peaceful on the outside, but he knows it'll happen. Somehow. Sometime.

He and Ahsoka are on a relief mission to help the people after the war. It's not over, but there is some sort of deal being worked out. He knows something is about to go wrong, though. He can feel the Dark Side. The Sith, most likely, are going to try coming after him. He only wishes Ahsoka wasn't going to be caught in the middle of it. Sidious will use her against him.

No sooner do they finish unloading than one of the clones returns with the report that some of them seem to have disappeared.

"Search the area," Anakin orders. He's not even surprised about that. Of course, Sidious will start there. Though it's not Sidious who's here. It's Ventress. He recognizes her presence clearly.

"I will go in alone," Anakin declares, and he moves out. He knows how to be stealthy, and he is right now as he moves from shadow to shadow, concealing himself. He isn't surprised to find the dead bodies of the missing clones, either, or that they've been killed by a lightsaber. That doesn't stop the rage from flaring through him.

He tries to let it go – he knows it was the will of the Force, but he still feels responsible.

He keeps moving across the back alleyway between the tall buildings. He's walking into a trap, but it's best if he comes alone. That way, he's the only one at risk. He's done with putting other people at risk for him.

Something is close, though. He can feel it coming closer, and –

The sound of activating lightsabers rings out, right as a very familiar metal figure leaps for him.

Grievous.

Anakin blocks the flailing blades, shoving him back with the Force. He never fought him in the past, but he's fought Sidious. Grievous is deadly because he uses brute force – he's not a skilled duelist.

The cyborg charges at him again, and Anakin blocks two of the blades, shoving back against them. He's still used to being the stronger opponent – getting used to otherwise after so long as Vader has taken time. It's the only reason the force of it throws him a little off balance, but he still remembers, to a point, how he used to fight.

He steps away – a saberlock with the cyborg is pointless – before swinging for him again. Something is wrong, though, he can sense, as they continue trading blows.

It's not here with Grievous; the focus of it is somewhere else.

Somewhere near...

Ahsoka.

She's in danger, and with Grievous trying to take his head off every five seconds, he can't focus on reaching out enough to determine from what.

But it's only getting stronger with each passing moment, and this was a trap, wasn't it? It was meant to lure him away, or intended to lure Ahsoka away.

Anakin lashes out with the Force, throwing Grievous back, maybe a little harder than he intended to. The cyborg slams into the very thick duracrete wall behind him and goes straight through it.

It was so completely unexpected, it takes him totally by surprise when he feels Grievous' Force-presence fading. He just... killed him.

By accident.