Among the Rogues

Commander Padme Naberrie paced the cruiser's briefing room as Obi-Wan recounted the full details of the battle above Geonosis. Everything the Jedi said only stoked the feeling of dread that had been building in her mind since the Separatists had begun to bulk up their forces on Alderaan several months before.

"Your clones turned on you? But...how is that possible?" Padme asked in disbelief. Her mind was reeling at the news the Jedi brought from the Outer Rim.

"I don't know," the Jedi said, shaking his head.

"This is grave news," Padme said, resuming her pacing.

"Earlier when I described the ship that arrived at the battle before the clones went haywire, you seemed to recognize it."

"Yes, I'm afraid I did. I believe the ship you saw was part of the fleet that belongs to Darth Maul."

"I thought Maul was just a legend. Something the Separatists dreamed up as a scare tactic," Anakin interjected.

"I assure you, he is all too real," Padme said. "I have seen him myself."

"You are certain he styles himself as Darth Maul? After the manner of the Sith of old?" Obi-Wan asked, stroking his beard in thought.

"Yes," Padme answered.

"Who are the Sith?" Owen asked, perplexed.

"They were the ancient enemy of the Jedi, but they were all destroyed a thousand years ago," Obi-Wan explained.

"Then perhaps this Darth Maul is only using the title to stir up fear," Anakin reasoned.

"Perhaps…" Obi-Wan said thoughtfully, "Or perhaps the Jedi have made a serious miscalculation." He turned back to Padme. "Either way, you must see that it is vital this information be brought before the Jedi Council. I must get word to them."

"Unfortunately I don't believe that will be possible. The Separatist jamming signal permeates the entire system. It flickers out from time to time but nothing has gotten through for weeks."

"A ship then. I can leave for Coruscant immediately," the Jedi said. Padme sighed. It wouldn't be that easy.

"I'm afraid I can't give you a ship, General. I'm not authorized to do that," she explained. She could tell the Jedi was beginning to feel a bit exasperated.

"I understand that the relationship between your militia and the Republic has been...tense, but we are on the same side," Obi-Wan insisted. Padme gave him a long look before replying.

"I don't disagree, General, but I can't give you a ship without the approval of Princess Breha. You'll have to plead your case before her." Obi-Wan hung his head in frustration, but Padme knew he would have no choice but to agree. There were no other options available to him, except to attempt to commandeer her vessel, and to do that he'd have to kill her and her crew. Even in a time of war she couldn't imagine a Jedi taking such drastic action.

"Very well," Kenobi said after a moment's pause. "Will you take me before the princess?"

"Yes, that I can do." She gestured to a nearby crewmember. "Agi, get a shuttle ready. I'll be taking our guests to base myself."

"What about my ship?" Anakin asked, stepping forward from the corner of the room where he and Owen stood.

"Captain Skywalker's vessel will be safe on Parvus," Padme reassured him. "I'll make sure our mechanics begin repairs immediately so it will be ready for your departure when the time comes," she added. Anakin nodded, though he didn't look too pleased. Padme didn't have much sympathy for him. Afterall, he was the one who had put her forces in jeopardy with his reckless tactics. He should be glad she hadn't arrested him, or worse.

"I need to prepare a few things, but I'll meet you at the shuttle within the hour. Kilgore will show you the way." She gestured for her other crewmember to usher them out. As the small group filtered out of the briefing room, Anakin lingered in the doorway. He clearly had more to say. Kilgore looked back to see if he should escort Anakin out, but Padme waved him off.

"I'll just be a minute," Anakin said to his companions as they headed down the corridor without him. As the door snapped shut, he turned back to Padme. She felt her pulse quicken with nerves. The last time they'd been alone together, Anakin had asked her to run away with him. She had refused, and they'd parted ways. She'd assumed that parting had been permanent, and yet, here he was, standing in her briefing room.

"Is there something else you need?" she asked him, not taking her eyes from the datapad in front of her. The formality in her tone felt unnatural, but she wanted it to be clear that she was not in a position to renew their romance. However, Anakin had something else on his mind.

"Padme, what about my mother?" he asked. Padme felt a pang of sympathy. She had lost her own parents during the invasion of Alderaan, and she knew something of the torture Anakin must be experiencing, knowing his only surviving parent was being held prisoner. Sympathy, however, was about all she could offer him.

"I know her imprisonment must be hard for you," she said, softening her earlier tone.

"We have to get her out of there. You have to do more than just let Kenobi go to Coruscant, we have to rescue her," he insisted.

"We?" she asked, arching an eyebrow. He bowed his head and sighed deeply.

"I thought...despite what happened between us, I thought our friendship still meant something to you," he said quietly. A fresh wave of guilt swept over her.

"It does. Of course it does. But this is a complex situation."

"Then you won't help me?" he asked, anger edging into his voice.

"I didn't say that," she said with exasperation. She got up and stood at the viewport, looking out at the swirling purple dust on the surface of Parvus. "I know it isn't your strong suite, but try to have some patience." She said, turning back to him.

"I can't leave her to her fate," he said, his blue eyes burning with determination.

"Anakin, your mother is a strong woman, a true survivor. She'll make it out of there." She placed a hand on his shoulder in reassurance. "Go to the shuttle, I'll be right behind you." He nodded and moved to the door. The metal panels hissed open, but he hesitated in the doorway, turning back to say one last thing.

"I am glad to see you again," he said with a small smile. She returned the gesture.

"Likewise," she said. Anakin gave her a nod and stepped into the corridor, leaving Padme alone, her thoughts more troubled now than ever.

As he made his way down the corridor towards the shuttle, Anakin's mind was a confusing jumble of emotions. He was worried about his mother, terrified of losing her, but seeing Padme again...he'd forgotten the effect she had on him. The old feeling of pure joy that he had known during their time together started to return. But as he walked through the shuttle doors and was met with the scowling faces of Obi-Wan and Owen, the happy feeling quickly subsided.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me about her. I can't believe it," Owen said as he paced back and forth, shaking his head.

"I didn't do it to spite you, Owen, calm down," Anakin said as he slumped down in the co-pilot's seat, but Owen wasn't done.

"Of all the customers we sell to, you have to go and get mixed up with the most dangerous," he said, jabbing a finger at Anakin.

"Padme isn't dangerous," Anakin insisted. "You should be a little more grateful, considering she and the Rogues just saved our lives," he added. Owen continued to scowl, but didn't seem to have a retort for that.

"Tell me, if you were only making drops to the outpost, how did you come to know Commander Naberrie?" Obi-Wan asked, not quite ready to let the matter drop. Anakin sighed. He didn't appreciate this interrogation.

"When we first started delivering to the Rogues we hadn't worked out the outpost system yet." He explained. "The captain had a conflict with a scheduled drop, so I made a run alone in a borrowed ship, directly to their base on Alderaan. I was grounded on the base for several days in a storm and the commander and I became...close," he said, trailing off.

"Ah. But less so now, I take it?" Obi-Wan asked. Anakin thought he detected a bit of a smirk in the Jedi's expression.

"I don't see that it's any of your business, but yes, the last time I saw her we didn't part on the best of terms," Anakin responded sharply. He was beginning to feel deeply annoyed by this line of questioning. Hadn't he saved them? What did they care about his relationship with Padme?

"I guess we should be thankful she didn't shoot you on sight then," Kenobi said, leaning back in his chair. Yes, Anakin thought, that was definitely a smirk. Fortunately, before things could escalate further, the shuttle doors opened again and Padme entered the vessel. If she was aware of any tension in the room, she ignored it.

"Gentlemen," she said, taking the pilot's seat next to Anakin. "Strap in and stay sharp, we are about to enter enemy territory." Anakin turned away from Obi-Wan and Owen as they took their seats behind him, and fastened his restraints. Padme fired up the shuttle's engines and detached from the cruiser, setting a course for the bright blue and green orb of Alderaan far in the distance.

As the shuttle approached Alderaan, the wide, grey band formed by the blockade ships began to come into view. Seeing the blockade always filled Padme with a righteous fury. It was so wrong, what the Separatist invaders had done to her homeworld, so unjust, and there was perhaps no more palpable symbol of that than the blockade. Alderaan was literally encaged by the enemy.

"I've never seen so many ships," Owen said, mouth agape, as he stared out the viewport.

"Nothing gets on or off Alderaan without the Separatists' say so," Padme explained as she maneuvered towards one of the checkpoints.

"Then how are we getting through?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Fortunately our intelligence officers are very good," Padme said, holding up a small chip and inserting it into the transmitter.

"Identify yourself," a voice said over the comm.

"This is the the Timberline, requesting permission to land at Oro Village. I have three crew with me. We have food supplies for the area," Padme said, lowering the register of her voice somewhat.

"Transmit the appropriate permissions."

"Transmitting now," Padme replied, and flipped a switch next to the transmitter where she had just inserted the data chip. A few tense moments passed, but then the Separatist officer's voice returned.

"You may proceed." The comm transmission ended. Padme breathed a sigh of relief, the worst part was over. She flew the ship through the checkpoint and down towards the planet, headed for the mountains.

"Oro Village doesn't sound like a militia base," Obi-Wan observed.

"It isn't," Padme said as she flew the ship low, just above the treeline. "But it's the one of the few places that is close enough, and safe enough, to land. We have to walk to the base entrance from there."

"So you never fly to the base directly?" the Jedi asked.

"We launch most of our ships from bases offworld, so no, not really. Only when need requires it. There are too many air patrols to make a habit of it. But I assume you are all up for the hike?" The three men nodded as Padme set the ship down on the small dirt landing strip near a small cluster of houses. "Good. Wait here, I need to make arrangements with my village contact." Padme released her restraints and opened the gangway, where Nan Gosmer was already waiting for her.

"Padme," the elderly woman said, extending her hand to shake Padme's. "It's good to see you. We weren't sure when you would be back this way." She handed Padme a datapad.

"Sooner than expected as it turns out." Padme inserted a chip into the datapad with the shuttle's falsified ship's manifest, a precaution if any Separatist inspection squads should happen into town.

"I suppose you've heard the news," Nan said quietly as Padme punched in her authorization code on the datapad. Padme looked up sharply. Had word finally reached Alderaan of the Outer Rim Fleet's loss above Geonosis?

"What news?" she asked.

"The Separatists...they're mobilizing." Nan whispered excitedly. "All their forces are being pulled into Aldera. The chatter on the comms is that they are moving out. At last!" Padme took in this unexpected news, trying to process it. If most of the Separatists were leaving, the Rogues would finally stand a chance of retaking the planet. It was an opportunity they had been waiting for for years now. But good news for Alderaan, Padme knew, probably meant bad news for some other unfortunate planet.

"Do we know why?" she asked Nan as she handed back the datapad.

"Invasion. That's the rumour." Yes, it would be that. Alderaan had never been much more than a staging ground for a bigger operation, or at least, that was what the intelligence officers believed.

"Which planet?" Padme asked. Nan shrugged.

"Above my rank. I'm sure you'll be briefed when you get to base."

"Yes, I'm sure I will."

"Watch out for Separatists on the move toward the capitol, they're everywhere," Nan warned.

"Thanks Nan. We'll be on our way directly." The old woman nodded and turned, headed back toward the village. Padme walked back up the gangway where the others were now unstrapped and gathering their packs.

"There's movement in the Separatist camps, looks like they might be readying for invasion." She announced as she collected her own things. Obi-Wan turned to look at her.

"Invasion of where?" he asked.

"I don't know yet, but you can bet it will be another step closer to Coruscant," she said.

"This complicates things," he said, his eyebrows knitted together in concern.

"Yes, it does. And it makes reaching base quickly all the more imperative, so we had better get a move on." She swung her pack over her shoulder and headed down the gangway, followed by her three companions.

"Is it far?" Obi-Wan asked as they stood beside the vessel, waiting for the gangway to fold back into the closed position.

"About twenty clicks from here," Padme said as the gangway clanged shut.

"That doesn't sound so bad," Anakin said as they started off, Padme in the lead.

"No, except that Separatist forces patrol this area on foot as well as from the air. They know we operate in the mountains so they are always on the watch in the foothills."

"How is this safer than just flying in?" Owen wondered, clearly nervous.

"We have a better chance of evading a ground patrol. Trust me, it's better to go on foot. Stay close, and keep your guard up. No talking. Keep your blasters drawn. If we encounter a patrol, do everything you can to avoid detection."

"And if we can't avoid detection?" Obi-Wan asked, his eyebrows raised.

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," she said, declining to elaborate. She knew if it came to it, it was better to die than to be captured, but it was a morbid thought that needn't be shared. At least, not yet. Shouldering her pack, she set off into the woods, gesturing for the others to follow.

The trees around them were tall and dense, fully leafed with summer foliage. It was eerily quiet, and every rustling animal in the brush brought them to a nervous halt. It was slow going. They walked single file, Padme taking point, followed by Anakin and Owen, with Obi-Wan bringing up the rear.

The Jedi tried to keep his head clear and focus on what he felt through the Force, but it wasn't easy. First the Republic's unexpected defeat at Geonosis, then an enemy leader styling himself as a Sith, and now plans for invasion? His mind ran wild with possibilities, each more terrifying than the last, but he tried to find the calm necessary to tap into the Force. He hadn't sensed the ambush on the outpost until it was upon them. They couldn't afford to be surprised again.

The foursome trudged on in silence. After several hours, Commander Naberrie signaled for them to halt in a small clearing well away from the main road they had been hiking parallel to for quite some time. She turned back to the group.

"We can rest here. Get some water, stretch your legs. We won't stop again until we reach base," she said in a hushed voice, taking a seat on a fallen log and opening her canteen. Obi-Wan followed her lead, grateful for the respite. His Jedi training served him well, but he had not fully recovered from the injuries he'd incurred over the last two days. A dull ache persisted in his head and the wound in his side, though healing, was still very sore and tender. He sat on the ground and leaned against a tree trunk, allowing his eyes to close, clearing his mind.

A moment later he felt it. A disturbance. His eyes snapped open. "Someone is approaching on the road," he whispered to Padme. She slipped down off the log where she'd been sitting, motioning for the others to take cover as well.

"Kenobi, with me," she said, motioning for Obi-Wan to follow as she took a pair of macrobinoculars from her pack and crept towards the road. They moved quickly, taking cover behind the larger trees as the went. A few meters short of the road, Padme stopped and looked through her macrobinoculars. "Damn," she breathed as she focused in on something down the road. "It's a whole company." She turned to Obi-Wan. "We have to get out of here."

"Agreed," he said. Four against one-hundred were not odds he wanted to play today. They made their way carefully back to the clearing, where Anakin and Owen were waiting, crouched behind a large log.

"What is it?" Anakin asked quietly as they approached.

"Separatists. Lots of them. We need to move," Padme said, grabbing her pack. The others picked up their gear and followed Padme deeper into the woods, farther from the road. No one spoke. Obi-Wan could feel Padme's fear through the Force. She was obviously a capable commander, but she knew the danger they were in. Obi-Wan knew it too. If they were discovered by a full company of soldiers they would never be able to fight their way out.

Without warning, a blaster bolt exploded against a rock less than a meter from Padme. Everyone dove for cover. Padme knelt behind a tree and Obi-Wan crouched next to her, lightsaber in hand, but she shook her head, handing him her spare blaster.

He understood. If the Separatists forces discovered there was a Jedi among them, they would call for reinforcements. He gave her a small nod. Anakin and Owen were positioned behind a nearby boulder, Anakin peering around to look in the direction of the shot. They all waited, but no more shots were fired. Finally, Obi-Wan broke the silence.

"Perhaps they've moved on," he suggested to Padme, who continued to look out towards the road, blaster ready. She looked at him, shaking her head.

"It was a scout. It must have been," she said.

"We didn't return fire. They may decide it was only an animal in the brush."

"Not likely," she told him. No sooner had she spoken the words than a barrage of blaster fire came at them. Obi-Wan pressed his back against the tree as the searing red bolts whizzed past, exploding branches all around them.

Padme bravely peaked around from behind her cover and squeezed off several rounds. Emboldened by her example, Anakin and Owen did the same. Obi-Wan released the safety on his blaster and took aim around the side of the tree, targeting a patch of grey in the distance he knew was a Separatist soldier. He found his mark and the advancing infantrymen went down. But now he could see through the trees that there was a long line of soldiers headed for them, firing rapidly and coming ever closer.

They were pinned down and vastly outnumbered. Obi-Wan returned to his cover and unclipped his lightsaber from his belt. If they were all going to die anyway, it hardly mattered if he gave himself away as a Jedi Knight. He fired another volley with the blaster, waiting for the enemy to get closer. Only a few more meters now. He shoved the blaster into his belt and held his lightsaber at the ready, about to ignite the blade.

Suddenly, the firing intensified dramatically. Obi-Wan ducked down as the number of laser blasts ricocheting around seemed to double in an instant. It took him a moment to realize that it wasn't all coming from their advancing enemy. Someone else was attacking the Separatists. He watched as the Separatist soldiers began to fall, and dozens of new arrivals appeared out of the trees, guns blazing.

They wore no uniform save for the black face covering common to them all, and the insignia of the Rogues patched onto the shoulders of their jackets. Obi-Wan knew the Rogues were well trained for a militia group, but he suspected these troops were elite among the small band of fighters. They decimated the Separatist company with brutal efficiency, leaving none alive. Obi-Wan remained hidden as the clear leader of the Rogue company removed her face covering. He was shocked to realize he knew her. The tall, dark-skinned woman ordering her troops to gather the armaments of the fallen Separatists had once been a Jedi Knight.

"Commander Lyosar, you're just in time," Padme said as she stepped out to greet her friend and comrade.

"I would have hated to miss a good fight," KeAnn responded with a grin. She spoke in a clipped Coruscanti accent not dissimilar to Obi-Wan's own. Her smile faded a bit as Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Owen stepped out onto the road to join them. "Well Naberrie, what sort of trouble have you managed to stir up this time?" she asked, giving the three newcomers appraising looks.

"These gentlemen bring news from the Outer Rim. The princess will want to hear it," Padme explained. KeAnn fixed her gaze on Obi-Wan and he saw a spark of recognition.

"Ah, General Kenobi. It's been a long time," she said.

"KeAnn," the Jedi said, nodding slightly.

"I didn't realize you were already acquainted," Padme said.

"Certainly. Kenobi and I used to be part of the same club, before the Jedi Council tossed me aside," KeAnn said, with just a hint of vitriol creeping into her voice. Obi-Wan ignored it.

"We need to get back to base, quickly. There are matters that must be discussed," Padme said, quickly redirecting the conversation.

"We'll escort you." KeAnn motioned for her troops to form up. As they did so, Obi-Wan looked at the dead Separatists littering the ground. He was struck by something. The two soldiers on the ground near him looked oddly similar. Neither was wearing a helmet, but another nearby was.

He stooped and pulled off the soldier's partially smashed helmet to reveal his face. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. His eyes flicked back and forth between the faces of each Separatist soldier. All three were perfectly identical in every respect.

"They're clones," he said, shocked, trying to understand how this was possible.

"Yes," KeAnn confirmed. "They've had them for a few months now."

"A few months?" He rounded on Padme and KeAnn. "So you knew and you made no effort to warn the Republic?"

"The Republic doesn't even acknowledge we exist!" KeAnn spat back. "We don't owe them anything."

"This is vital information! They must be warned!" Obi-Wan said, raising his voice. Padme stepped between them.

"Enough! This is neither the time nor the place," she said, cutting them both off. "Please, Master Kenobi, I understand your frustration, but we should not discuss it here. We have to get back to base."

Obi-Wan was still fuming, but he nodded. She was right. KeAnn gave him a sharp look, then stalked off to take up point for the march to the base. Kenobi fell into line beside Anakin as the group started off. Anakin gave him a concerned look, but Obi-Wan said nothing to him. He kept his eyes to the ground, focused on keeping his temper in check. He would not let his anger get the better of him. He was still a Jedi, after all.