Republic's Most Wanted (Star Wars SI)

[Light of Merkan]

The noise of the city roared around me as I groaned. That had been a nasty fall. I reached up to the back of my head and thankfully felt no wetness. I opened my eyes and examined my hand to confirm. No blood, that was good. I slowly moved the rest of my body as I took stock. My back was in pain, but not as bad as I expected. I was positive my arms would be bruised with how hard they had smacked into the ground, but they didn't feel broken. Overall, it looked like yet another fall that had gone my way. I groaned and stood up, then blinked in surprise.

Instead of the brick building I had expected to see, a smooth metallic building rose up above me. It climbed higher than I could see, and it wasn't alone. I was almost surrounded by these odd skyscrapers. I looked around and discovered I was in an alleyway, which made even less sense. I should have been on a street outside an apartment building. I rubbed the back of my head and made my way towards the exit of the alley, intent on getting answers.

What I saw outside the alley froze me in place. Sky cars flew through the air in traffic lanes above and below. What I had thought was a sidewalk was actually only one balcony of dozens that I could see the speeders flying around. Skyscrapers towered overhead and stretched down below far beyond what I could see from my view. And all around me, thousands of individuals. Not just humans, but droids and aliens of dozens of different species. My eyes widened in shock, then suspicion. I knew some of those aliens. That was a Twi'lek walking over there! And that was a… hammerhead guy. Okay I couldn't actually recall the specific name but I would recognize that head and curved neck anywhere.

"What the…" I mumbled to myself as I spun in a circle. Everywhere I looked I saw more and more details I recognized. An alphabet that wasn't English but recognizable anyways; an astromech droid rolling across the street on three legs; a blue police droid ticketing a badly parked speeder. The evidence was all around me. I was on Coruscant.

The laugh started deep within me. I tried to contain it, succeeding in allowing only a giggle to escape at first. But it refused to back down and soon I was laughing hard enough the crowd began to give me a wide berth. I almost never realized I was inside dreams, but now I had not only figured it out but it was a Star Wars dream! Talk about good luck. With a big grin plastered to my face, I began walking down the path.

I expected the dream to kick into gear relatively quickly, but I wandered for what had to be at least an hour with nothing happening. Not the most interesting of dreams, but at least the ambiance was stellar. The sights, sounds, and smells of the massive city were truly impressive. Not exactly pleasant, but impressive nonetheless. The smell perfectly conveyed just how many beings were all around me, and there was an unending cacophony of sounds from every direction. My senses felt assaulted in almost every possible way. But as time went on, it felt less impressive and more painful.

I tried for an open door, but as I approached the blasting music got louder and I quickly swerved away. I just wanted some peace and quiet in my own dream. Was that too much to ask?! I stopped walking and closed my eyes. I turned my thoughts towards Naboo and pleasant beaches. But the sounds of speeders did not change to waterfalls, and the smell of billions did not become the gentle perfume of flowers. All I got for my trouble was the impact of someone walking into me.

"Sorry," I said reflexively as I opened my eyes. The man who bumped into me only grunted as he continued on his way. I sighed. This dream was rapidly losing its novelty. My hands went down to my pockets in their perpetual desire to ensure everything was where it should be, and suddenly my anxiety skyrocketed. My wallet and phone were gone. I patted my pockets again to confirm, and sure enough both were missing.
They're back in the alley.
Should have checked your pockets sooner. That's what you get.
You don't need them, it's a dream. Toss your keys as well and go have fun!
Pickpocket. He did it.
I latched onto the one useful thought and turned in the direction I saw the man go. I tried scanning the crowd for him, but even with my height it was impossible to get a good look at more than a few backs of heads.

I grumbled to myself, then felt hope flare inside me as I saw one of the blue police droids. I squeezed through the crowd and approached it. I touched it on the back of the shoulder and it turned to face me, its chest bearing the Republic insignia.

"Greetings citizen, state your emergency."

"A pickpocket stole my wallet and phone."

"How unfortunate," its voice held no emotion as it responded to me. "What is your name?" I opened my mouth to reply, then hesitated. What was I expecting this thing to do? I didn't even get a good look at the guy, and didn't know for sure he had pickpocketed me. Besides, I would wake up soon.

"Never mind," I said with a sigh.

"Facial scan complete," it said, startling me. I didn't even know they could do that. "You are wanted for questioning. High priority. Please follow me."
Run.
The thought popped up fully formed and I had to agree with it. There was no way this was good. I turned away from the droid and started to move when I felt its iron grip on my shoulder.

"You are wanted for questioning," it repeated. The droid tried to tug me with it. I pulled away from it, forcing it to pull harder, then I shifted direction and moved in close. The move got the droid off balance and I gave it a shove high on its chest. The iron grip released and it went tumbling to the floor. I turned around and ran from the droid, the words "Assault on an officer of the law, resisting arrest," trailing after me.

I ran for as long as I could, which was not long. Gods I wasn't used to this. Fortunately the people of Coruscant didn't seem much to care about me and my plight. Unfortunately, I still hadn't woken up. I slapped my face which accomplished nothing but making my cheek sting. I grabbed onto the railing and tried to get my breathing back under control.
You should have woken up by now…
Oh don't start.
You should have. This doesn't feel like a dream either.
So? Most dreams don't feel like dreams.
I shook my head before it continued. The last thing I needed right now was to argue with myself. Almost on cue, a police gunship dropped down from its flight and began scanning my balcony with searchlights. Okay, you win this round Murphy.

"Put your hands above your head!" A voice shouted, the distinctive sound of a clone obvious even through the vehicle's amplification. Another time that would have made me excited. This time, it was a side note as I ran. Now the crowds of Coruscant were taking notice of me. They parted before me, which made my run significantly easier. Unfortunately, it also made me easy to follow. The gunship followed, weaving above the walkway with grace despite its less than aerodynamic shape. The doors opened and two clone troopers rappelled down quickly and cleanly. Their armor was the red of the Coruscant guard, which spiked my anxiety even higher. Surely I didn't warrant such a response!

"Stop running, there's no way out," one of them called. The gunship flew ahead and blinded me with its spotlights to punctuate the statement. By now my heart was pounding inside me and my breathing was closer to gasping. I came to a stop. The loud thrum of the gunship's engines only marginally louder than my own breathing as the two clones approached me. One pulled out a pair of cuffs and panic flared in me again. I staggered towards an alley. The sound of a blaster firing filled the air as the stun round slammed into me. I was falling again as darkness took me.

I climbed through the twilight of sleep. My body felt sore and I knew I must have slept on it badly. My mouth opened in a yawn and I started to spread my hands in a stretch. But my hands didn't spread out. They stayed locked in place. My eyes shot open and my brain struggled to understand. My hands were locked in a pair of handcuffs, the energy holding them together humming slightly as I pulled. My legs were similarly bound. Something solid smacked me in the shoulder and I twisted to look.

"You woke up quick. No squirming and no trying to run once we land," the clone told me. I felt my jaw drop as confusion filled me.
Told you. You should have woken up there.
What's going on?
I don't know. I'm just your worst case scenario thoughts.
Oh, and what is the worst case scenario here?!
It's simple. This isn't a dream to wake up from.
With a great effort I kept my breathing calm as I looked around the gunship. The two clones were bantering in the way of men who had known each other for some time, and I could feel that we were still flying.

"Where are we going?" I asked? The closest clone looked down at me and I could almost feel his eyebrow raise.

"Don't worry, we'll get you booked into prison soon enough. But the Chancellor asked to see you." He continued talking, but I didn't hear a word of it. Palpatine wanted to see me. Palpatine. A cold sweat broke out across my skin. Why would he want to see me?! There was nothing I could offer Darth freaking Sidious!
It has to just be a publicity stunt. Grab a harmless criminal and take a picture with him. Make him look grandfatherly.
They said you were wanted for questioning. Something else is happening.
Dream logic. It doesn't have to add up.
We know this isn't a dream.
A bump from the gunship landing derailed my trains of thought and the clones stood up. One of them turned off the cuffs around my feet and the other stood me up.

"Alright criminal, move." I wanted to protest, but nothing came out. Step by step we left the gunship and made our way into the senate building.

Each step closer to the office filled me with more dread. My feet felt heavier and heavier. The clones even had to shove me forward a couple times. Thoughts of escape shot through me as we passed every door, but always I felt them behind me. We entered the final hallway, the moment of truth ahead of me.
Okay, cut the dramatics. Listen here, we can do this. We know more than we should. Play your cards right, and you'll get a card out of prison. Then we figure everything else out.
You want to try and out play Palpatine?! Clone Wars era Palpatine?!
We don't need to out play him. We just need to be interesting enough to let live.
Yeah, live so we can be tortured!
Not around so many people. Get friendly, have some visions of the future, play up what you know. We'll be fine.
It was a bad plan, but at least it was a plan. We stopped outside the door and I did my best to bury my terror. I fixed a smile to my face, and stepped inside as the door opened.

The inside of the office was exactly as I had seen it so many times. The large window, the artifacts along the walls, a great desk dominating one end. There was one difference however. Something that took me time to recognize. Grand Chancellor Sheev Palpatine, the most dangerous man in the galaxy, sat at his desk. Dead. I felt my blood drain from my face as one clone threw me to the ground. I hit with no resistance and watched the other clone rush to check Palpatine. His body language confirmed it.

"Oh frickle frack," I said as all of my knowledge flew right out the window.


___________

Hello Sufficient Velocity! This story was originally posted to Space Battles, but I have decided to begin the process of posting it here as well. I hope you all enjoy it.

 

[Light of Merkan]

The interrogation room had very little inside it to warrant my attention. One table with laser cuffs built into it kept me stuck. A metal chair that wasn't comfortable for a few minutes, let alone the hours I felt like it had been. Another chair stood empty across the table from me, and a red energy field for a door. After spending all of thirty seconds taking stock of the room, there was nothing else to do. Nothing except think and spiral.
Palps is dead.
Yeah, I know. We were there!
What does that mean for the Clone Wars? What's going to change?
Who cares?! We have bigger priorities!
I care! Before we at least had knowledge of the future on our side. Now we only have character knowledge.
…Fair point. But you do have more immediate concerns. Namely, the fact that you're in prison!
This isn't prison. They just need to talk with me and see if I know anything. When they discover I don't know anything I'll be free to go.
Free to go on a planet you hate with no money and no identity.
One problem at a time!

The sound of people reached me from outside the room which blessedly gave me something else to focus on. Clones marched up to the door and took positions outside. Perfect. I just needed to convince whoever was coming to interrogate me that I didn't know anything. I straightened up in the uncomfortable chair and let out a breath. The energy field collapsed and I looked up with hope in my heart. Only for it to immediately come crashing down.

A human man walked into the room, hands held behind his back. His gray hair was slicked down to the top of his skull but that couldn't cover up his receding hairline. His eyes looked down at me, full of contempt and condemnation. I let my face fall forward until my forehead rested on the cold table.
"Not you, why did it have to be you?"

"I see my reputation precedes me," the inspector said in his nasally voice as he approached. "If you know who I am, then you know I will get the truth from you." I let out a groan. This was the cop who could be described generously as the one who accidentally solved the Senate murder case and who straight up bungled the case concerning the Pantoran Chancellor's kidnaped daughters. Great.

"Why are you here? Doesn't Coruscant have any other police officers?" I heard him pull out the other chair and sit down, plus the sound of two more sets of feet entering the small room. I raised my head up just in time to see the energy field go back up after two clones walked in. That seemed excessive for an interrogation, but I tried to put it out of my mind.

"Not that I owe scum like you any answers, but I am highly experienced in dealing with dangerous groups and conspiracies. My superiors know if Divo is on the case, then it's solved." I groaned again. He was somehow even more annoying in person than in the show… wait a second!

"Has the Pantoran Chancellor's daughters been kidnapped?" I blurted out before I could stop myself. Divo's eyes went wide briefly, then narrowed.

"Yes," he replied slowly. "They were kidnapped just the other day, but they have been safely recovered. Was that supposed to be a threat?"

"A threat?! What, no! Of course not!" I floundered for an explanation.
Idiot, now he thinks you're even more guilty.
Yeah, not my best timing. Can we please focus?!
"It was uh… just something I heard rumors about." I tried to flash an innocent looking smile, but Divo only continued to look at me with his narrowed eyes.

Not my finest work, but at least now I had a rough estimate of when I was. Let's see, what season were they kidnapped in? Season two, or was it three? Could it have been four? No, surely not. Okay, either two or three. But then, the show wasn't really in chronological order. Gods, it had been too long since I watched it. If only I had gotten off my butt and rewatched it recently. Figuratively speaking. Okay, so I'm probably fairly early in the show's timeline. But then, the clone helmets already told me that. I sighed. This was not going my way.

"Well then Elliot, if that is your real name," it wasn't but I sure wasn't going to tell him that. I was just glad I picked an easy to remember name when asked. "Why don't we get to business and you tell me how you murdered Supreme Chancellor Palpatine?" I felt my eyes try to bulge out of my head as shock filled me.

"What?!" I yelled, louder than I intended. Both clone guards immediately leveled their rifles at me and I was suddenly very thankful for the stationary cuffs as they prevented me from falling backwards with how hard I jolted away. "I didn't kill him!"

"Sure you didn't. You just assaulted an officer after it said he wanted to speak with you for fun."

"What? I…" shoot, had it mentioned Palpatine's name? I didn't think so, but I wasn't exactly operating at peak efficiency lately. "I was concerned when it said I was wanted for questioning. Pushing it over was an accident." Divo raised an eyebrow and reached in his pocket before pulling out a handheld projector. An image sprang from it and I winced. There was me, struggling with the police droid. The hologram sprang to life and I watched as I very purposefully sent the droid to the ground.

"If that's what you call an accident, I'd hate to see you trying to hurt someone."

"Look," I sighed and closed my mouth. The first step to getting out of a hole was to stop digging. "I'm sorry. When the droid grabbed me I panicked. When I pushed it over, I panicked again and ran."

"Innocent people don't run."

"Innocent people that think they're in a nightmare run. I'm not supposed to be here." Divo looked me up and down, then stood up, his arms returning to behind his back. He paced the room a couple times and I resisted the urge to fidget.

"Not supposed to be here eh?"

"No!" Despite myself, I could feel relief building inside of me. Maybe he would listen to my story.

"Do you know how many times I've heard that?" My heart sank as he turned to look at me. "All you criminal types think you're not supposed to be here. You think you're too clever to actually get caught and that you shouldn't be here." He grabbed the edge of the table with both hands and leaned in close to me, the smell of some coffee adjacent drink closing the distance between us. "Well we did catch you. And I'll get the truth out of you." Anger billowed up inside me as he got in my face.

"Listen here you third rate detective," I almost spat out. "That's a lot of patting yourself on the back for someone who has done nothing. You had nothing to do with bringing me in, even if I did have something to do with this, and I don't! You were the one who missed the evidence that the Pantoran chancellor's daughters were kidnapped! You arrested the wrong person for that one old Rodian senator's death, and only got the right one because you happened to spill case secrets to more competent civilians!" I found myself breathing hard as I finished; yelling at him had taken more energy than I expected. Divo backed away during my tirade and watched me with a critical eye while he stood in silence.

"By 'old Rodian senator' do you mean Onaconda Farr?" I shook my head in surprise. That was not what I had expected him to focus on. I dug through my memories.

"Yeah, I think that sounds right. Worked with Senator Amidala and Organa a lot. The younger Rodian senator ended up being the one who killed him. Or was she just an aide? I don't actually remember." I frowned as I tried to remember more details, then paused as I saw a smile spread across Divo's face. He pulled out a communicator and spoke quickly into it.

"Senator Onaconda Farr is the next target. Lock down the senate building. Get eyes on him and bring Junior Representative Lolo Purs in. She's part of the conspiracy." Realization dawned on me.

"That hasn't happened yet." Divo shook his head.

"No it hasn't, but thank you for revealing more of your accomplices."

"Wait no, hold on a minute. That's completely unrelated!"

"Save it. Why don't you stew in here for a little longer and get ready to tell the whole truth next time." My stammerings didn't slow him down at all as he turned and opened the force field before him and the two clones walked out. The door turned back on and I was left back alone with my thoughts. I groaned and let my head hit the table again. I didn't think that could have gone any worse.

__________

Obi-Wan Kenobi leaned against the wall and let his senses expand to fill the space. Here in the Central Detention Center negative emotions ran free even if its occupants did not. Anger, fear, and desperation seemed to press against him, but with his training the emotions slid away. Beyond that noise he felt something much more troubling. A sense of anticipation. The entire air seemed to thrum with it whenever he took the time to sense it.

"Most curious," he mumbled to himself. It had been that way since the Chancellor's death. He didn't know yet what concerned him more: the sense of anticipation itself, or that it was building up to something more than Palpatine's death.

The opening of the nearby forcefield focused his attention back on the present. Lieutenant Inspector Divo exited the cell with his Coruscant Guard escort. The inspector turned towards him and Kenobi didn't have to be a Jedi to see the disdain he held for him and the other Jedi. The man walked toward him, a sneer plain across his face.

"What are you doing here Jedi?" Kenobi shrugged and gestured around him.

"Keeping an eye on the most dangerous criminals in the galaxy of course." Divo narrowed his eyes.

"You're a fool if you think the most dangerous ones are the ones locked up here."

"Oh I imagine you're correct. Still, can't be too careful."

"If this is about the investigation then I will remind you that it is Republic business. Not Jedi business." He emphasized the last line with his finger and Kenobi resisted the urge to move the man's hand.

"Rest assured, the Jedi Council has no plans to interfere with your investigation. We leave it in your more than capable hands." Divo narrowed his eyes again, then walked on. Kenobi waited until the man was fully past before he let out a long breath. There were in fact several Jedi that wished they were taking a more active approach to matter. Especially given the suspicious circumstances regarding this Elliot.

Speaking of, Kenobi felt a familiar presence long before he heard him coming. Anger rolled off his former Padawan like a sea in a storm. He often forgot exactly how strong Anakin was in the Force, but moments like this reminded him perfectly. Anakin rounded the corner, but stopped flat when he saw Kenobi.

"Master. I hadn't expected to find you here."

"And yet I was certain you would make an appearance here." Shame flashed across Anakin's face, but was swiftly replaced by anger.

"Then you know why I'm here."

"I do. And I'm here to talk you out of it."

"Talk me out of it?! It's necessary! We need the truth!"

"And the truth will come out. But this is not a Jedi affair. We have given our word we won't interfere."

"I didn't." Anger almost dripped from Anakin's words and Kenobi felt the desire to step back. Instead he stepped forward.

"Anakin…"

"No, I'm not debating this! He killed Palpatine! The sooner we learn how, the faster we can make him face justice." This wasn't working. He needed a new tactic.

"Anakin, where's your padawan?" The question brought his former pupil up short and he stopped.

"Ahsoka? I gave her some duties in the Temple to take care of. What does that have to do with anything?"

"You didn't want her to see this." He made sure his tone made it a statement, not a question.

"Well, no I didn't, but…"

"No Anakin. You didn't want her or me to see this." He almost added Padme's name to the list, but there was no need. From Anakin's face he could see he had filled in her name all on his own. "I know it's frustrating Anakin. You and the Chancellor were close, it's understandable to feel his loss deeply. But you must be careful to control these emotions, lest they control you." He reached out and put his arm on Anakin's shoulder and felt him sag under the touch as the anger left him.

"You're right, as usual. I'm sorry Master. I just wish there was something I could do."

"I know Anakin. Inaction cuts deepest during grief. But there is nothing we can do now except let the investigation run its course. The truth will come out eventually." He lifted his hand and made his way for the exit while Anakin followed next to him. "Besides, it's possible that this Elliot individual doesn't actually know anything. He certainly doesn't look like a master assassin."

"Master," Anakin chided. "You should know it's always the ones you never expect that are the most dangerous."

"I guess that must be why I've won our last two sparring matches." Kenobi grinned as Anakin sputtered and the two of them made their way back to the Temple.

__________

"I don't like to complicate jobs."

"I assure you, you will be well compensated."

"On such short notice, I better."

"Ten times your usual rate."

"Ten times my usual rate, a starship with no ID number, and three of those fancy commando droids."

"Done. Provided he is alive and unharmed."

"You let me worry about grabbing your assassin. You just worry about payment."