Shattered Mission

By Crow T. Author

Category: Star Wars Alternate Universe (AU) (Sequel to "Padme's Heart")

Setting:

Two months after Revenge of the Sith. Anakin Skywalker has destroyed the Sith and fulfilled his destiny as the Chosen One. The new Jedi Council has elected to suspend the "no attachments" rule for the Chosen One, and has allowed Anakin to remain in the Jedi Order and has made him a Master Jedi. The twins were born on Naboo and the Skywalker family lives in a house on the outskirts of Theed, Naboo's capital city. Anakin has taken an apprentice, 12-year-old Sikka, and Obi-Wan Kenobi has also taken an apprentice, 17-year-old Oren Kendrel, whose previous master was killed in the Clone Wars.

Five knights were chosen for the decimated Council and promoted to Master status: Dakin Nua, Kiro-Ren, Jiasha Tahlandi, Jerrod Wyn and Tru Veld.

Summary:

Obi-Wan and Oren are sent on a mission to find the Separatist leaders, specifically Shu Mai (former Presidente of the Commerce Guild). They discover that Shu Mai and possibly Poggle the Lesser (former Archduke of Geonosis) have fled Mustafar. Their chase takes them to Muunilinst (home of the Intergalactic Banking Clan) where the mission and Obi-Wan's very life are threatened by unforeseen events. Anakin's training of his new apprentice, Sikka, is interrupted when he realizes that Obi-Wan is in danger. Master and padawan join in the mission, which has now become much more complicated. What has happened on Muunilinst? Is it the will of the Force?

Shattered Mission, Chapter 1

The Jedi starcruiser streaked through hyperspace, its two occupants relaxing in the cockpit, feet up on the console. The younger of the two men, seventeen standard years old with dark eyes, dark hair in a buzz cut and a thin braid falling from his right temple, read aloud from a datapad he held in his hand. The other, approaching forty years of age and sporting a neat coppery-brown mustache and beard, listened patiently until, startled by what he had just heard, dropped his feet from their perch and sat up straight.

"Another letter?" Master Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi asked, incredulously. Grinning at his master, Padawan Oren Kendrel nodded. "We only left two months ago! When does she find time for her lessons, for her training?"

"I don't know, Master," Oren laughed. "Maybe she never sleeps."

"Well, go on," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head and leaning back in his cockpit seat, "let's hear it."

The young man ran his fingers over the datapad he held in his hand and brought up the letter from his friend, which he had just downloaded along with other missives from the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. He began to read...

My dear friend Oren,

What excitement we had here today! Master Skywalker was changing Leia's nappy and she smiled at him! And it was a real smile, too, not just tummy gas. She's such a cutie! He was so happy that she finally recognized him.

I think Luke is getting more hair, but it's hard to tell because it's such a light color like his father's. Leia's is darker, almost black I think, just like Miss Padme's. Mrs. Naberrie comes over some days to visit and to help out. She's a nice lady and very funny, too. And Sola, Miss Padme's sister has brought her baby boy over a couple of times. I think he's about five or six months old. Her little girls love playing with our twins. It gets pretty—"

"'Our twins'?" Obi-Wan interrupted. Oren laughed and said, "I guess she's getting pretty possessive of them. She probably thinks of herself as their aunt, or big sister." He returned to her letter.

It gets pretty crazy when everyone is here, so Master Skywalker and I go into the den to work on my lessons. Master Nu keeps sending me more lessons all the time! Doesn't she know I have work to do here, taking care of the babies and helping Miss Padme?

Just kidding! Don't tell her I said that or I'll get into real trouble!

Anyway, pretty soon we'll be starting my off-world training. Master Skywalker said we'll be going to planets with different climates so I can learn how to solve problems and get along on those kinds of places. I bet you did all that a long time ago, but because of the war I'm just now getting to do it. It sounds kind of exciting, but a little scary, too.

Well, it's time to go. Let me know what you two are doing, okay? I think Master Skywalker talks to Master Kenobi often, but I don't usually get to hear what's going on. Take care of yourself, Oren.

Your friend,

Cee

Oren smiled at his master as he closed the file on the datapad. "I guess I should answer her and let her know where we are."

"Yes, I'm sure she would appreciate that," Obi-Wan remarked. "Now what else did we get from the Temple? Anything on Shu Mai?"

Master and Padawan flew on through hyperspace, reading the new information and planning their next moves as they searched for the traitor Presidente of the Commerce Guild, Shu Mai.

"Waaaaaah!" As the piercing cry jerked him awake once again, Master Jedi Anakin Skywalker opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling above him. He felt the mattress move and reached over to stop his wife of three years, Padme Naberrie Skywalker, from getting out of bed. "I'll take care of her this time," he said sleepily. "You stay in bed and get some sleep." She mumbled an answer and gratefully pulled the bedcovers up to her chin and went immediately back to sleep.

Briefly, Anakin sat on the edge of the bed, shook his head to clear it, and then put on his robe and walked through the connecting door to the nursery. There in the crib was the source of the interruption to his peaceful night's slumber. Leia Skywalker, sick or in pain or just perturbed with the world in general, was screaming louder than her father thought was possible for such tiny lungs. Of course, her twin brother, Luke was wide awake as well and adding his two credits' worth to the din. Anakin knew they weren't hungry; they'd been fed just over an hour ago. Besides, this screaming in the middle of the night had become fairly routine. Padme said it was colic, whatever that was, and that it was nothing to worry about. She said it should end at three or four months. Great, at least another month of this, he thought, reaching down to see if either of his children were wet. "Thank the Force for small favors," he mumbled, just as his apprentice walked sleepily into the room. "Go back to bed, Sikka," he said, lifting his little daughter from the crib. "I can handle this." "Yes, Master," the young girl yawned, as she turned and left the room.

As usual, Luke quieted down once his father was near. Holding Leia in one arm, Anakin placed his palm on his son's head and marveled at the strength of the Force within the tiny boy.

He spent the next several minutes walking around the nursery, yawning, alternately holding Leia in his arms and up to his shoulder and talking to her. Patting her back, he tried soothing her through the Force, which seemed to work, so he went to lay her back in the crib, but her howling started again, so he resumed his pacing. "Okay, Leia. It's time to go back to sleep. You're not alone here, Luke is right next to you, Mommy and I are in this room right over here, and Sikka is in that room over there." He yawned deeply again and scratched his head. "What to do with you?" he mumbled, exasperated. Spying the rocking chair in the corner, he nodded and headed over to it. Just as he sat down, however, Luke began whimpering. Anakin dropped his head and sighed. "All right," he said, walking back to the crib. He placed Leia next to Luke and then scooped them both up and returned to sit in the rocker. As he pushed gently with his legs, the chair rocked back and forth while he held one infant in the crook of each arm. Luke settled down right away, happy to be where he was. By the time Anakin fell asleep, both infants were quite comfortable, contentedly blowing bubbles until they, too, were sleeping.

[Later...]

Padme awoke in the darkness of the bedroom and rolled over to snuggle against her husband. Finding only the cool surface of the sheet, she sat up, wondering where he was. She noticed a light under the nursery door and remembered hearing her daughter's screams earlier. All was quiet now, but she decided to check on the babies anyway.

Padding across the floor in her slippers and closing her robe at the neck, she opened the door and looked in. The sight that greeted her brought her hands to her lips and joy to her heart: There were her children, fast asleep in the arms of her husband, who was slumped down in the rocking chair, snoring lightly. She watched silently for awhile before she crept quietly over to the chair and knelt down next to Anakin; Luke and Leia sensed her presence and turned their faces toward her. As she lifted Luke into her arms, Leia began to whimper a little, waking her father.

With one eye open, Anakin smiled at her and sighed. "Good morning, my love," Padme said, giving him a soft kiss. "You looked so dear there with them, I didn't want any of you to move." He smiled sleepily at her and asked, "Morning? It's still dark outside." "Well, it will be morning soon," she replied, carrying Luke over to the changing table, "the sky is starting to lighten." As Anakin rose from the chair with Leia, Padme said, "You go back to bed, Ani. I'll get Sikka to help me change and feed them." She called out toward the room's other door, "Sikka?" "Yes, Miss Padme," a muffled voice replied, and the young girl entered the room, buttoning her robe. She took Leia from her father and began changing the infant's diaper.

"Goodnight," Anakin said, yawning and returning to the bedroom. "I wish you could have seen them when I came in," Padme said to Sikka as the babies got fresh diapers. "Anakin was asleep in the rocker with both of them. It was so beautiful."

"He's a good father, isn't he," Sikka observed. "I think lots of fathers wouldn't bother to help with babies in the middle of the night." "Yes, he is," Padme replied. "He's very special... Now, let's get these hungry ones fed."

"Hmmm, nothing new on our quarry," Obi-Wan mumbled as he scrolled through the files on the small datapad's screen. "But Master Windu wants us to contact the Council with our progress thus far." He looked up at his apprentice and said, "We can also tell them what we've learned about Poggle the Lesser." "Yes, Master," Oren replied as Obi-Wan returned to scanning the pad. "Well, here's something that should make your day, Oren. The Council have decided to allow padawans twelve years of age and older to let their hair grow." He raised his eyes to see a satisfied grin on the young man's face. "Fantastic!" Oren exclaimed. "Now you won't have to cut my hair while we're out here, Master."

Obi-Wan laughed. "That's right! You must be very pleased at that prospect, Oren. I never could get it quite right, could I?" They both chuckled at that well-known aspect of Obi-Wan's skills. "That's not for me to say, Master," Oren replied, diplomatically, "but I think I did hear that you were never asked to be the Order's official barber." Obi-Wan looked askance at his apprentice for a moment, and then said, "Yes, I suppose you're right about that, my young friend." He returned to the pad. "But there's more here. 'The padawan braid must always be at least ten centimeters longer than the length of the hair.'" He checked Oren's braid and said, "Well, there'll be no problem there for you. Your hair will never catch up with your braid, Oren... All right, that's all of interest, I suppose. Let's contact the Council now."

He fiddled with the communications console until a signal was sent to Coruscant. They both turned to face the holoplayer.

"Master Kenobi, news you and your apprentice have for us?"

"Yes, Master Yoda," Obi-Wan replied. "We found evidence on Mustafar of the Separatists having been there, but they seemed to have completely disappeared from there, covering their tracks very well. None of the maintenance crew had any idea where they went, and I sensed no deception in them. We also spoke to the operators in the control rooms." He turned to his student. "Oren, tell Master Yoda what happened while you were investigating." Obviously, Obi-Wan could have related the entire episode to the Council, but he wanted Oren to get used to interacting with the Council.

Surprised, Oren looked at Obi-Wan, who nodded encouragingly. He turned back to the image of the Council room and gulped. "Uh, yes, Master Yoda," he began, nervously. "I, uh, was checking one of the control rooms while Master Kenobi was talking to a supervisor and, uh, one of the operators came over to me and told me he liked to listen in on the conversations in the control room. He said no one paid attention to them, so it was easy. And then he said he'd heard some of them talking about going to, um, Geonosis. So I found Master Kenobi and told him." He looked over at his smiling Master.

"And what did you find on Geonosis? Any intelligence on Shu Mai's whereabouts?" Jedi Master Mace Windu's stern visage looked out at them from the holographic image.

"And are the Republic's security and rehabilitation forces maintaining order?" asked Jedi Master Tru Veld.

"Yes, they are, Master Veld," Obi-Wan replied. "And yes, we did, Master Windu. I'll relate to you everything we saw and did there."

As Obi-Wan began telling of their adventure on Geonosis, Oren paid close attention in case his master again surprised him with opportunities to speak to the Council...

[Flashback]

As the ship approached the factory planet of Geonosis, Obi-Wan filled his apprentice in on the members of the Separatist Confederation of Independent States and his own experiences on Geonosis at the start of the Clone Wars.

"Count Dooku was able to bring together a powerful alliance of corporations and businesses to help finance the Separatist movement and to provide armies and supplies. First, there was the Intergalactic Banking Clan, whose Chairman was named San Hill."

"I'm familiar with that name, Master," Oren said, relaxing in the pilot's seat. "Wasn't he captured some time during the war?"

"Yes, very good, my young apprentice," Obi-Wan replied, nodding appreciatively at the young man. "In fact, my Clone battalion captured him on Muunilinst and turned him over to the Senate for trial. Chancellor Palpatine intervened and suggested that San Hill pay a fine, in lieu of going through a trial during a time of war. His reasoning was that the IBC supported both sides and thus was not really guilty of treason." He frowned. "Of course the Senate supported his suggestion by a fair majority. I understand that several billions of Republic credits were paid by San Hill to the Republic and that he was subsequently removed from his position as Chairman of the IBC."

"Where is he now, Master?"

"I have no idea. I suspect he must have some family or acquaintances he can rely on to support him. At any rate, he is now of no consequence, fortunately." Obi-Wan stroked his beard and continued. "Let's see...the rest of the Separatist Council... Ah, I believe you know about the Trade Federation cretins Nute Gunray, Rune Haako and Lott Dod." Oren nodded. "And then we have Watt Tambor of the Techno Union, Shu Mai of the Commerce Guild, and Passel Argente of the Corporate Alliance, all of whom committed their forces and technology to Count Dooku. Oh, and let us not forget the former Archduke of Geonosis, Poggle the Lesser, who was very happy to provide Dooku with his droid armies. All of them are still at large; thus, we have our mission to find them, starting with Shu Mai, if we can find out where she has gotten to."

"And you think we will find more information about her on Geonosis?"

"I'm hopeful, Oren," Obi-Wan replied. Just then an alarm sounded, indicating that they were about to leave hyperspace. "Okay, strap in and let's see where we are." Through the cockpit's windows, the colored streaks of hyperspace were replaced by the bright points of many stars, moons and asteroids. As the ship oriented on Geonosis, the planet's reddish orb and beautiful ring system hove into view. "Wow," Oren observed. "Yes, 'wow' indeed," Obi-Wan replied, entering the landing coordinates into the computer.

When the ship broke through the bottom layer of lemon-colored clouds, they looked over the landscape below. "Ah, there is the occupying army's command center", Obi-Wan noted. "We'll land there and check in with the Clone commander. Perhaps he has some intelligence we can make use of."

As they exited their ship, a small detachment of Clones approached. One of them greeted the two Jedi Knights and saluted. "General Kenobi, I am Commander Tenko. We were informed of your arrival and we have prepared quarters for you and your student. We weren't told how long you would be here, but I believe you will find everything in order here and proceeding smoothly."

"Thank you, Commander," Obi-Wan replied. "That is good news, and as I expected. We hope to have no need of quarters here, as we would very much like to quickly locate the information we seek. Have your men uncovered any data regarding the Separatist leaders, particularly the Council members? We are interested in where they might be headed."

"We are still gathering and collating what we have, General. Nothing regarding the Separatists has been found so far," Tenko informed them as they arrived at the command tent.

"Very well, Commander," Obi-Wan replied, frowning. "We'll have a try and see what we can find. Come along, Oren." Master and apprentice headed for the closest Geonosian hive structure and entered through one of the tunnel entrances high up on the outside of the hive. "Hm, this looks familiar, Oren," Obi-Wan said as he looked around the high-ceilinged chamber at the end of the tunnel. "This is either the same chamber I encountered three years ago, or one very similar. Let's see what we can find."

Several of the insectoid Geonosians were scurrying about, watched over by Clone troopers. Obi-Wan stopped one of the creatures and said, "Excuse me, we are looking for a meeting room, one with a large circular holomap table in its center. Around the edge are computer stations and—" He realized the creature was cowering before him, its wings and limbs quivering so that he thought they might separate from its body. He reached toward it, saying, "Here, I'm not going to hurt you. I just need to find—"

"Excuse me, sir." As the creature fainted, Obi-Wan turned to see one of the Clone troopers approaching him. "It's no use trying to talk to them. Most are terrified of us and won't speak. You'll need a translator, anyway. I know the room you're looking for and I can give you directions. It's not far from here."

"Thank you, corporal," Obi-Wan responded, noting the clone's rank. "Very much appreciated." They followed him over to where they could look down into the huge chamber. The corporal gestured with his left hand as he spoke. "Follow this level around to that opening there, do you see it? It's just before that broken column." Obi-Wan and Oren nodded. "Go in there and head down the ramp until you come to the second opening on the left. Take that left and follow that tunnel. It opens into the map room. There should be a hand translator or two in there."

"Thank you again, corporal," Obi-Wan said. "You've been very helpful." As they started away, the Clone called out, "General, be careful where you step. There are—"

"Yes, I know, corporal. I've been here before and had a few close calls myself. Come on, Oren."

As they circled the chamber, heading for the broken column, Oren asked, "Master, what was he warning us about?"

Entering the opening and proceeding down the dark ramp, Obi-Wan replied, "Oh, these creatures have burrowed in all directions in their hives. There are holes in the walls, floors, ceilings. I suspect they see a need for a quicker way to get from here to there and create it. So, be careful, Oren, and watch where you step." Silence. "Oren?"

[Flashback continues next chapter.]