Fate's Child
Chapter 3
A/N: This is my longest chapter to date and will contain descriptive violence later on.
Planet: Coruscant, Location: Jedi Temple
Anakin stomped into the temple, his rage burning a hole inside him. How could that Bounty Hunter just kill one of the most powerful and wise Jedi's in the history of the order. He would not let this go unanswered for, he would petition the council to let him chase this Bounty Hunter to the ends of the galaxy and extract his revenge. Obi Wan would want his killer brought to justice.
"Masters, I request permission to hunt down and kill the Bounty Hunter responsible for the death of Obi Wan." Anakin stated, getting straight to the point.
Mace Windu was the first to speak up after several moments of silent consultation. "Anakin, I do not think it wise to hunt this Bounty Hunter, he dispatched one of our most trusted Jedi seemingly easily, who knows what he would do to you."
"How can you say that, Master Obi Wan wasn't easily dispatched he fought and gave his life to protect me. Besides I am stronger in the force then him, I can take this Bounty Hunter."
"Fight this Bounty Hunter, you cannot, win, you cannot, permission to hunt this killer, the council does not grant you" Master Yoda said.
"Anakin, you must meditate to release your anger," Ki-Adi Mundi said, "Anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering and suffering leads to the Darkside."
"How can I meditate when Obi Wan's killer is on the loose?" Anakin demanded
"Meditate, you must, If to remain on the path of light you mish to be" Yoda advised
Anakin sighed; there would be no chance that the council would budge once their mind was made up. "Yes Masters," He bowed before exiting the council chambers
Planet: Coruscant, Location: outside Senator Padme Amidala's Apartment
Soren was once again on the rooftop of the building adjacent to Senator Amidala's Apartment. This time however he was determined to find a way inside.
He activated the enhanced optics inside his helmet and targeted the power box that fed energy to the entire apartment.
Seems fairly stupid that the power box is on the outside of the facility and not under heavy guard, Soren thought to himself, there should atleast be some form of security near the power box
Soren activated his faithful jetpack and glided over towards the apartment that held his quarry. He was about the open the power box when he noticed a speeder pulling in and Anakin Skywalker furiously jumping out, muttering something about the "council rejecting his attempts to hunt Obi Wan's killer", From his hiding place in the shadow's near the power box Soren suppressed the desire to laugh out loud at the Jedi's attempts to sway the righteous council in his favor. However Anakin's angry musings would be music to Darth Sidious' ears because Anakin was one step closer to falling to the darkside. Soren made a mental note to tell Sidious Anakin's behavior at their next meeting. Soren shook his head to clear his thoughts and focus one the task at hand: disabling the apartment's power and then move in without getting sensed by Skywalker, who would no doubt be on high alert once the power failed. Soren stealthily opened the casing of the power box and consulted his wrist mounted computer. Once he had determined which circuit to disable he drew a small three inch Vibroblade from its sheath beneath the plate on the back of his hand and began to slice through the fine purple cable when he faintly heard Anakin and Padme talking, he decided to eavesdrop first then formulate a plan of attack.
Planet: Coruscant, Location: Inside the apartment of Padme Amidala and Anakin Skywalker
Anakin sat on a small plush stool, his legs crossed and his arms resting on his knees as he tried to force himself to meditate, but tried as he might he could not achieve the calm that came when one's mind emptied and allowed the force to rejuvenate them. Meditation had always been one of Anakin's weak points; Obi Wan had always been able to achieve meditative calmness almost instantly. The thought of his Master brought fresh waves of emotion gushing up, chocking Anakin. He tried to release them into the Force but it was impossible. So instead he chose to silently weep. It wasn't quiet enough as Padme heard his sobs and entered the room to comfort her grieving husband.
Outside, clinging to the side of the building, Soren smirked under his helmet as he knew that soon Anakin would stop being overly emotional and turn his sadness into extreme anger, unknowingly giving into Darth Sidious' plan. However, Soren couldn't care less about Anakin's feelings; he only cared about one thing and one thing only. Getting paid, this wasn't always the case. Once he had been a caring individual but when his wife and children were cut down during a raid on Mandalore he became the pitiless, merciless individual he was today.
Soren boosted the sound amplifiers he had built into his helmets audio systems as he eavesdropped on the conversation between Padme and Anakin, in the hope that one of them would let slip anything that would aid Soren in his bloody task.
"I don't know what I'm going to do, Padme" Anakin said, choking back tears
"Anakin, Obi Wan will be missed but you can't just go out and kill some Bounty Hunter because he killed your friend" Padme replied, trying to get through to Anakin.
"He wasn't just my friend, Padme," Anakin said, rage seeping into his voice, "He was like a father to me."
"I'm sorry, Anakin, "Padme replied, while rubbing her husbands back, "How 'bout we got to sleep and I'll petition the senate tomorrow to let a team of Jedi hunt this Bounty Hunter and bring him to justice.
Soren snapped off the audio amplifiers, he had heard enough, now he knew when he would strike. He returned to the power box and once again drew the small Vibroblade, he paused, watching and listening for any indication that someone would stumble upon his little operation. Satisfied that he was alone Soren raised the blade and deftly sliced through the thin cable. Instantly the lights above him snapped off, he heard Padme shriek at the sudden lack of light.
Inside the apartment Anakin instantly knew that something was wrong. He reached out to the Force to determine what the problem was but he couldn't focus, his emotions were playing havoc with his Force connection.
"Stay here Padme, I'll go and see what the problem is." Anakin said, clipping his lightsaber to his belt and venturing out of the apartment.
Soren quickly activated his Jetpack and boosted up to the balcony, not a moment too soon as Anakin jogged around the corner and inspected the power box. He watched with satisfaction as Anakin realized that he had fallen for the trap that someone had set. He turned and sprinted as fast as he could back towards the apartment.
"Padme?" Anakin yelled as he bolted back inside the apartment.
"I'm here Anakin" Padme replied, easing her husband's uneasiness.
"I thought something had happened to you," Anakin said, relief evident in his voice, "Someone cut the power to the apartment, it appears they knew exactly which one would cut the power to our apartment."
The couple turned their backs and began to head towards their bedroom; Soren took that moment to slip inside the apartment, sticking to the natural shadows. He froze as Padme stopped to survey her surroundings, lucking for Soren her eyes hadn't adjusted to the darkness yet and as such she failed to notice the armor clad Mandalorian crouching in the shadows behind the couches near the entrance to the balcony. Satisfied that she and Anakin were alone he continued towards the bedroom.
It was then that Soren struck. He crept up behind Anakin, withdrawing a length of garrote wire from his glove. He quickly wrapped the thin wire around Anakin's neck and pulled viciously.
Anakin choked as his air supply was suddenly cut off. Padme screamed when she saw an armor clad man choking her husband, immediately she ran and hit the man in the back with her fist, it did little to the man. However the sudden strike threw Soren off balance, which allowed Anakin to tip forward and fling the Bounty Hunter across the room. Soren quickly regained his footing and drew his trusty LL-30 Blaster Pistols and aimed them at Padme, instead of Anakin.
"Drop that Lightsaber, Jedi" Soren said in his battle voice which, when filtered through his helmet's speakers created something close to a growling voice which meant serious business. "I wouldn't want to have to shoot the lady, its against my style to hurt women."
Anakin reluctantly dropped his lightsaber. As soon as it hit the carpet the young Jedi sprung into action, using what little force connection he had he sped towards Soren, connecting with a powerful tackle, sending both of them through the thin wall and into the Skywalker's bedroom. Soren slowly rolled to his feet and returned Anakin's attack with a sharp kick of his own, sending the younger man back through the broken wall.
Padme yelped and quickly evaded her flying husband who immediately returned to a vertical base and called his lightsaber to his hand, activating it as soon as the cool metal hit his palm.
Soren stiffened when he heard the tell tale buzz of a lightsaber activating, he turned and looked at Anakin who was smirking as he realized that he had the upper hand in the fight. Soren reached for his blaster, but then it dawned on him that when Anakin had spear tackled him through the wall his blaster's had been knocked from his hands. Never the less Soren was not easily defeated; he drew a twelve inch Vibroblade from its sheath located on his right boot.
The two opponents stared at each other for an unnamable amount of time, neither moving, both waiting for the other to become frustrated and attack. It was Anakin who lost his patience first, although he was a Jedi and they naturally had patience, Soren was by far the more experienced combatant and as a result knew right from the get go that the impatient Jedi would attack first. Anakin charged at Soren, swinging his lightsaber in a wide arc, Soren nimbly sidestepped and countered with a swift slash from his own weapon, cutting through the fabric of Anakin's tunic and piercing the skin that lay beneath. Anakin yelped in pain but quickly stowed it and released more anger, turning to Soren he charged again but this time he used the Force to push Soren through the broken wall. However what Anakin didn't realize was that Padme had stepped towards the bedroom to check on Anakin's progress with defending their home against the intruder and as a result three hundred pounds of force aided Mandalorian had flown straight into the pregnant Senator knocking her forcefully to the ground.
Anakin, shocked at what his Force push had done, deactivated his lightsaber and sprinted to his fallen wife, oblivious to the fact that Soren was slowly picking himself up of the floor.
"Padme," He shouted, "I'm so sorry, I didn't realize that you were behind that bastard"
Padme groaned in response before her eye fluttered open and immediately widened. "Anakin, Watch out!"
Anakin began to turn around when Soren bashed him over the head with one of the small futons, knocking him into unconsciousness.
"Now," Soren sighed, "That's out of the way, back to business"
He began to slowly advance on Padme who had started to slide backwards, in an attempt to escape the advancing Bounty Hunter. Soren grabbed Padme by the hair and lifted her to her feet. She screamed as tufts of her long hazelnut hair ripped from its roots. She attempted to slap Soren in the face to get him off her but all she met was the cold unforgiving durasteel of the Mandalorian's helmet. Soren, not wanting to disobey Sidious by hurting the babies inside Padme, wrapped his arm around her neck to force her into unconsciousness. However Padme had other ideas and kneed him in the leg, although this didn't physically hurt him, it did throw Soren off balance and allow Padme to escape his powerful grasp.
Soren spun on his heel when he heard Padme activate Anakin's lightsaber; he quickly dove out of the way of a sloppy swing. He quickly regained his footing and used his Jetpack to lift himself over a slower more controlled swipe, he killed the thrusters of his Jetpack and on the way down he lightly punched Padme in the face, causing her to fall to the ground.
Soren quickly retrieved Anakin's lightsaber from Padme's hands and activated it, appreciating how light it felt. This truly was a masterpiece, no wonder why the Jedi were feared and respected throughout the Galaxy. He turned his attention back to Padme who had regained her footing and was holding one of his LL-30 Blaster pistols.
"Hey, that's mine" Soren said
Padme didn't reply but instead began to pour blaster fire, surprisingly Soren began to swing at the bolts with Anakin's lightsaber, most missed him but he smashed back several. Suddenly the blaster fire stopped one of the few bolts that Soren had deflected had hit Padme in the shoulder and sent her spinning to the floor. Soren had had enough; he just wanted to seized Padme's children and give them to Sidious, then finally get payed.
Padme groaned in agony she clutched at her shoulder, feeling the hole that the blaster bolt had left and smelling the burnt flesh turned her stomach. She had never been in so much pain. This was something that Soren intended to rectify. He gripped Anakin's lightsaber and slowly stalked over to Padme's crumpled form. She made to grab his Blaster which had landed near her but Soren nimbly stepped forward and sliced off her left arm at the elbow. Soren smiled evilly as Padme grasped her stump. He removed his helmet and sighed as the cool evening air wafted against his sweaty face. He dropped his helmet and knelt next to Padme she briefly overcame the searing pain radiating through her entire being to punch Soren in the face with her remaining arm. He stumbled backwards and turned back to her, a look of pure rage plastered on his face, it quickly disappeared and was replaced with a look of calm. He grinned and wiped the blood from his split lip. He sprang back over to Padme and drove Anakin's lightsaber through her shoulder, before she could register the injury Soren sliced off her remaining arm just above the bicep.
The Senator nearly passed out with the pure agony of her severed limbs. What Soren said and did next finally pushed her over the edge and made her body shut down with pain.
"Hold still, this wont hurt a bit," Soren grinned while gesturing to her swollen belly, "Actually I tell a lie, it will hurt… a lot."
He drew his three inch knife and began to cut into Padme's stomach, her eyes went wide with the shock of Soren invading her womb, she instantly knew that he had come for her children. Soren hummed as he calmly cut into her womb, careful not to accidently hit one of the children. He peeled back the folds of skin and muscle tissue, sometime during this Padme had passed out, this didn't affect Soren in the slightest so he simply continued his theft. Soren sat back on his haunches and gazed at his handy work. Padme's womb had been cut open and now he could make out the two babies that lay inside. Using extreme caution he removed the first baby, a boy and wrapped him in a soft white towel that he had retrieved just before he finished cutting. Next he removed the second baby, a small girl. He also wrapped the child in a towel; he laid both of the crying infant's on the kitchen counter and returned to the main room. He snatched his helmet off the floor and restored it to his head. He then grabbed the twins and walked calmly towards the balcony, he paused when he heard Anakin groan. He turned and looked on as Anakin struggled to get up, when he did he immediately saw Soren with two babies, copious amounts of blood on the front of his armor and connected the dots.
"Why are you doing this to me?" Anakin half roared half sobbed
"Shit's and giggles, chump" Soren replied before bowing mockingly and flying away on his Jetpack.
Planet: Coruscant, Location: Rooftop's
Soren landed next to his ship and once he had secured the twins in a sleep pod he contacted Darth Sidious.
"How are you proceeding Soren?" Sidious asked
"Very well my Lord," Soren replied respectfully, "My mission is complete and I shall bring the babies to you at once."
"Excellent" the ghostly holographic figure of Sidious said before disappearing.
Soren started his ship and rose into the night sky, instantly blending into the lanes of traffic.
Planet: Coruscant, Location: Darth Sidious' Lair. The Works, Lower Coruscant.
Soren landed his ship, not too long after Sidious had terminated his transmission he had received co-ordinates to Sidious' Lair in the Works I lower Coruscant. As he disembarked he noticed great columns of smoke rising from the smelting works that produced the majority of Starship hulls throughout the Galaxy. He walked along a long walkway and entered the cavernous lair of Darth Sidious. As if by magic Sidious appeared from the shadows.
"Good," the Dark Lord of the Sith said, "You have done well, and for your deed you shall be rewarded"
"Yes, Milord" Soren replied, secretly he was thrilled at the prospect of getting paid.
Sidious motioned to the doorway and the Agent entered, bringing with him a large silver briefcase. The Agent opened the case and inside lay, what appeared to be twenty five billion credits.
Soren nearly passed out at the beautiful sight before him. All that money for simply killing two people and stealing two babies, it seemed a bit over the top. But then again Darth Sidious did appear to be the type who would reward success greatly.
"Hand the children to me and you can have the money" Sidious said, glee barely contained in his voice,
Without a moments hesitation Soren transferred the two sleeping babies into Sidious' black robed arms. He then closed the case and relieved the Agent of its weight. He nodded briefly to the Agent before turning to leave. Sidious stopped him with an offer.
"You have done remarkably well," He said, "I wish to offer you a position as my personal bodyguard"
"How much are we talking here?" Soren enquired, "In terms of payment?"
"That briefcase holds two months wages for my bodyguard," Sidious explained, "Money isn't an option, although I am willing to pay you twice that amount if you choose to accept"
Soren was staggered, if he accepted he would no longer have to travel from planet to planet stalking from the shadow's and living like an animal in various bars around the galaxy.
"Well, this was going to be my last job," Soren said, "I'm retiring from Bounty Hunting, so that means I'm all yours"
Sidious clapped his hands with satisfaction as he had talked Soren into becoming his bodyguard.
"Excellent, hopefully you will serve me better then this traitorous scum" Sidious said gesturing to the Agent who was dumbfounded at the accusation.
"I can assure you Milord I have always served you faithfully" The Agent exclaimed
"Liar!" Sidious growled, "I have intercepted transmissions made by you to Republic Intelligence officers"
Realizing that his cover was blown, the Agent drew a small KYD – 21 Assassin Pistol from the secret holster under the back of his shirt. "Then you leave me with no choice," The Agent said, "You are under arrest"
Sidious cackled at the Agent's failed attempt to get him to surrender. Seeing that Sidious would not be swayed the Agent opened fire with his blaster. However he did not possess the reaction time of Soren who drew one of his LL-30's and fired one shot into the traitorous Agent's head, killing him instantly. He spun his trusty blaster on his finger and holstered it.
"Very well done Soren" Sidious said, "you have already proved yourself worthy of the position of Bodyguard."
Soren nodded in response before kneeling before Sidious and removing his helmet.
"You if you are to become my bodyguard you will require the knowledge of my alias," Sidious said before drawing back his long hood. Soren took an instinctive step back when Sidious revealed his identity. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine.
"Supreme Chancellor!" Soren exclaimed before a sly grin appeared on his face. "Those Jedi are fools if they cannot sense you during Senate hearings"
"Yes, They Jedi are clouded by their self righteousness" Palpatine growled, "Moving on to more pressing matters, you will require a different attire so that young Skywalker doesn't recognize you"
Soren nodded in agreement before discarding his helmet and leaving the lair with Palpatine.