Star Wars Episode IIIAU: Sith Rising (Star Wars AU Series #1)

The Audio Tapes

Anakin's POV

"Anakin! You should check out the Chancellor's office!" Clay shouted a few minutes after I came back from Naboo.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's a mess."

"It's messier than it was before. Come look." Clay led me to the Chancellor's office. The room looked as if it was struck by an earthquake.

"What the..." I was amazed at the messiness of the room. Clay and I inspected the place for any useful items.

"Hey, Anakin, look at these." Clay picked up a silk bag full of tiny chips.

"Chips? Why would Palpatine have those?" I went over to Clay to examine the chips.

"It's worth checking out. They might have some useful information. Here." Clay gave me the bag with the chips.

---

"Hey, Ani, you okay?" Will, my friend, asked as I joined him and Obi Wan at the local bar. He looked quite different tonight. His blonde hair was slicked back and out of his face. He was wearing a tan trenchcoat, blue pants, and black boots.

"Um...yeah." I awkwardly said.

"I heard about the incident in the Chancellor's office last night. Are you okay?"

"Um, yeah. Windu wasn't so lucky. He broke a few bones."

"How was your mission?" Obi Wan asked.

"Um...fine." Soon, Obi Wan, Will, and I were drinking shots of beer uncontrollably.

"You drank that many shots? Why, though?" Will asked after he and I noticed the pile of shot glasses next to him.

"Stressed...out...can't...process..." Obi Wan was acting drowsy and immediately collapsed on the floor.

"Is he usually like this?" Will asked.

"He overdrinks when he's stressed." I replied. Just then, two Mandolorians clad in red armor barged in and headed towards Obi Wan.

"Inspect him." The first Mandolorian commanded. His buddy knelt down beside Obi Wan and rummaged through his Jedi robes.

"I see nothing." The second Mandolorian said.

"Whatever. Take him." The first Mandolorian ordered. As his buddy was about to drag Obi Wan by the legs, Will immediately took out his gun and aimed it at the intruders.

"Drop him or die." Will muttered under his breath.

"Do you have the audio chips?" The first Mandolorian asked.

"What audio chips?"

"You know what I'm talking about. The audio chips. Our boss needs them."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. We don't have what you're looking for, so you might as well skedaddle before this turns ugly." I got out of my seat and stood between Will and the Mandolorians.

"Fine, then. If you say so, but this isn't over yet." The first Mandolorian replied. He and his buddy left immediately.

"What was that all about?" Will asked as he and I returned to our drinks. I reached into my Jedi robe and pulled out the silk bag containing the chips.

"These must've been what they were looking for." I smirked and replaced the silk bag in my robe.

"Just a bunch of chips? Why would they need them?"

"You tell me." I was about to take my 15th shot of beer when the bartender came over.

"You...might not want to drink...that." The bartender said. I immediately tasted something much more sour than a pack of Sour Patch Kids. Will and I spit out our drinks.

"What the hell?!" Will cried.

"I know, right?!" I replied.

"Let's get outta here." Will paid his credits for our drinks. Then, he and I grabbed Obi Wan by the shoulders and carried him out the door.

Audio chips? Now that could be useful. What secrets do the audio chips hold?

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Author's Note: So, Anakin and Clay found a bunch of audio chips in Palpatine's office. What kind of information do you think they contain?