Hero of Naboo Chapter 16 Preview

NOTE: Good news, update should be earlier rather than later. 

He followed her into the room, and for the first time since meeting him, Anakin almost felt angry with Vader.

All aorund the room, children no older than Ahsoka sat on benches or the floor, various ones curled into fetal positions, while Phara Nannar ran around, trying to help one youngling yet two more always needed her as well. Whimpers and sobs permeated the room as something hung oppressively over everyone. He felt like he was looking at children about to be sold off in slavery for the first time, scared and confused as something cruel and beyond their understanding was happening to them.

But while he knew Vader was technically responisble, that didn't explain one thing: "What's wrong with them?" Anakin asked in confusion.

Ahsoka looked to him in disbeleif, but Anakin didn't notice as he looked over them.

"Get it off, get it off!" a human boy nearby started snapping desperately, clutching at his clothes as if he was trying to rip something off.

"Hey, hey!" Anakin called as he moved to kneel beside the younger male and placed a hand on his shoulder, whose fear soaked brown eyes looked up sharply to lock with Anakin's blue orb. "What's wrong? What is it?" he asked softly, trying not to startle the youngling.

The Jedi-to-be shivered as he curled into himself. "I-I keep waking up, in a suit. Its cold and dark, and someone is on the floor wi-without thei-their he-head, and I want out! I want it to stop! I-I can breath," he sobbed, clutching his head through his brown hair.

"Hey! What's your name?" Anakin asked suddenly.

"W-what?" the boy responded, as if pulled back from his nightmare.

"Your name? Who are you?" Anakin asked with a small smile.

He stared for a moment, too stunned to even be scared. "Tel....Telloti," he answeredm eyeing Anakin between awe and incomprehension. "You're not afraid?"

Anakin's smile suddenly became much older than it should have been able to. "Not of this," he answered honestly, keeping his hand on Telloti's shoulder.

He glanced up and beyond the boy ever so slightly. He thought he had been imagining it, but something felt odd when he touched Ahsoka or Telloti. He didn't experience whatever was making these children so scared, but he could almost feel it, see it. As if there was another figure opposite of the dark skinned boy, its hand on the other shoulder. It reminded him of what Vader felt like in the force, but wilder and not as cold. There was no control or direction, it was just- there, existing. Feasting? Plaguing?

He didn't know or have the luxury to care right now. All he knew was that he wanted this to stop.

And just like that, only one shoulder had a hand on it.

Anakin looked surprised as he realized the screaming and crying had stopped. Looking around, he saw the other younglings looking around- minus the ones that collapsed in exhaustion. Some whimpered and were very uncertian of their safety still, but the room no longer felt so oppressive.

And admist it all, one furry little Jedi regarded Anakin with incomprehension. "What did you do?" Phara asked with a furrowed brow. She was sure he had done something, but she hadn't felt anything in the force repelling the Dark Side. It was like it just....left them alone.

Anakin looked to her and gave the most honest answer he had. "I have no idea."

Telloti stared at the older boy in thanks and amazement while Ahsoka was flat out awed by her new friend.

Phara eyed the boy as something seemed off. Not in the force, regardling this at least, but the boy himself. He was wearing fairly dirty clothes that weren't what most younglings and padawan wore. "Anakin, what clan are you in?" she inquired curiously.

Anakin's next answer was honest, but the implications truly shocked the small jedi.

"I don't think I have one yet?"

Meanwhile

Plaguies was almost disappointed by Sidious, using mere training droids equiped with practice lightsabers to try and stall him. That said, there was a lot of them, the better half of a hundred filling the hallway. Far more than he ever commissioned. Not a threat, but a very annoying and time consuming obstacle. Mostly because Plaguies himself had properly altered their programming to dodge Force attacks- intend to keep Sidious from becoming too dependant on his force lightning, but they'd register any conventional hand gesture one would make as a manipulation of the force. 

Normally, he wouldn't mind dismantling these little mock-army with overwhelming speed and skill, but unfortunately, Sidious's entire goal here was to keep the Muun busy, to buy time enough to get off Coruscant.

So it was time to be unconventional.

He deactivated his lightsabers, slowly and diliberately folding his hands behind his back. The droids registered this as an opening, lunging to attack the Dark Lord. His finger moved behind his back, causing the metal panel of the floor to wretch off its bindings and slam four or five droids into the ceiling, crushing and dismantling them. The metalic sheet slammed down on the next line of mechanical, doing the same. As the pieces from the first batch fell from the ceiling like rain, Plaguies took a deep breath before pulling away his breathing mask. The dark side condences in his lungs, infusing with the air, before he let loose a sonic skreach. Halve the remaining droids were flayed apart by the attack, and more still were shredded by the falling debris being propelled forward at high speeds.

The remaining obstacles only survived by hidding around corners or framing around the wall. Replacing his mask, he shot forward at speeds that rendered him a blur to the average mortal. With a bursting motion of his fingers, the trail of metal parts and robot bodies were flung back to crush and impale the last adversaries.