A/N: Thank you so much for reviewing, everyone! Sorry about the wait. College has kept me busy, but I will update much faster now that I'm finished with exams.
Chapter Eight: Danger on Sluis Van
The Constellation
"Ashoka?" Anakin muttered.
I'm so afraid.
"Ashoka, can you hear me?"
I can't do this anymore, Master. Where are you?
"I can hear you!" He shouted. Then he realized he shouldn't be shouting, he should be thinking—connecting. He had to reach her through the force. He closed his eyes and concentrated all his thoughts on her presence. "Come on." He whispered, feeling the tremors begin to center and grow stronger around him.
"Ashoka?" He questioned. His inner-voice shot through the force like a ship through the vast, black expanse of space.
"Master? Is that you?" He could feel her relief, hovering atop layers of dread and uncertainty.
"Are you all right? What's going on?" He asked, frantically.
"It's Bane. He kidnapped Senator Amidala. They're taking us to a separatist base—
"Padme—is she okay?" Anakin interrupted.
"She's unconscious. One of Bane's snipers knocked her out so she wouldn't try to escape when we land." Anakin flinched. "I don't know what to do, Master."
"Just stay calm, Ashoka. I've got the coordinates of the base and I'm coming after you. You just have to take care of yourself until I can get there."
"I'll try," she thought, weakly, "I wish you were here."
Her feelings rippled in waves through their bond, filling Anakin with an eerie dread. "You can handle this," he said, finally, "Make sure you watch over Padme."
If she had possessed the strength, she would have rolled her eyes. "She'll be fine, Master. She's stronger than the both of us put together."
Anakin smiled, slightly, "I know."
Ashoka sighed, deeply. He was always worried about Padme. Sometimes, she caught him streaming Couruscant news reports to the ship late at night, waiting for some small sight of her in the senate—or watching the midday speeches, smiling sadly at the screen as she talked about a call for peace. She had suspected for a long time that there was something more to their friendship, but ignored it for her own sake. She couldn't take it anymore.
"You love her, don't you?" She asked, quietly. She could feel his mind tighten in the force, surprised at the question. But then, it all went clear. The stress and worry, the countless hours of built-up anger disappeared—replaced by one absolute, undeniable certainty.
"Yes."
"I was afraid of that." She admitted, feeling her exhausted face start to blush. Anakin sighed. Obi-Wan was right, and he hated when Obi-Wan was right.
"Ashoka, you're my padawan. I care about you because you're my responsibility—
"I don't want to be just a responsibility."
"Ashoka…" He could feel her pain in the force, radiating in the same patterns as when Padme rejected him by the fireplace on Naboo.
"I know. It's wrong." She admitted, sadly, "I'm starting to understand why attachment is forbidden. All it does is hurt you." Anakin frowned.
"I'm sorry, I…" but there was nothing more he could say, "Just hang in there for a little while longer." He felt a slight nod of recognition in the force and the connection went blank. Reaching out to feel her presence, he met a steel wall of resistance. She was blocking him.
Sluis Van: Control Room
Grievous paced, impatiently, across the metal floor of receiving bay 9B. Security monitors hung in neat lines across the front wall, jutting above a large view screen that peered out at a lifeless flight deck.
"What's taking them so long?" He growled. A small, orange battle droid tinkered up beside him.
"I'm sure they will arrive soon, General." It piped in a nasally voice. Grievous flicked his metal wrist, sending the droid flying across the room into a steel-plated wall.
"Ow," It said, "I was only trying to be supportive." A loud beeping filled the room as the communicator in his angered grip began to flash.
"What is it?" He asked, irritably.
"I hope your tone does not mean things haven't gone according to plan, General. My master will not be pleased if you've lost control of the situation again." came a smooth voice.
"Count Dooku," Grievous replied, "Everything has been executed perfectly; I assure you. The credits are secure and San Hill has been taken care of."
"And what of the Republic Army?"
"They are no threat to us. General Kenobi is dead and my fleet has trapped the Republic Star. It will be destroyed within the hour."
"General Kenobi…?" Dooku repeated, "And Skywalker?" He thought back to a strange conversation he had had with his master a few days before.
"Skywalker must be kept alive."
"I don't understand," Dooku said, shocked, "He is the most decorated General in the Republic Army. If he were to be killed…"
"He has great potential, my apprentice. I sense much anger in him—resentment towards the Jedi. If he could be turned, he would make a powerful ally for the Sith."
Turned? Skywalker was weak—reckless with his powers. "He is just a boy. I have fought him myself."
"He has grown far more powerful since you faced him on Geonosis. I have seen his hatred. He struggles to remain faithful to the Council."
"And if he is turned? Who will train him?"
"You, of course." Dooku scowled. He knew his master well. "If General Grievous should suddenly become skilled in leading an Army, see that he leaves Skywalker untouched."
"Yes, Master."
"I have taken care of him," Grievous said proudly, "He will be dead by tomorrow."
"Good," Dooku replied. If Skywalker were killed, Grievous would be to blame. He would not let his master replace him so easily. "I will contact you with a meeting location soon. Wait for my signal."
"Of course." Grievous shut off the communicator and turned his attention back to the flight deck. The sky was turning a deep, ashen gray, as nightfall grew closer. He sighed thickly, feeling the lungs behind his metal exterior contract and expand. Any victory he had tonight would be hollow in the grand scheme of things, but a failure would be much worse.
Cad Bane's Ship: Cockpit
The camouflage-colored atmosphere of Sluis Van slowly drifted into view as Cad Bane finished bandaging his wounded chest. A thick scab was forming underneath his clothing, but he pushed the pain to the back of his mind. He had a job to finish.
"Five minutes until landing, Sir," the captain told him, guiding the ship towards the planet's smoggy exterior. Bane nodded and stumbled slightly as he stood from the co-pilot's seat. In the darkness of the cabin, all three snipers sat against the left wall, polishing and reloading their weapons.
"We're landing," Bane told them, "Two of you need to carry the prisoners." The two men stood and headed towards the prisoner's chamber. The woman stayed against the wall, refusing to make eye contact.
"If anything goes wrong during this mission, you had better be prepared to improvise. One more failure and you can forget about a paycheck." He spat. She glared at him and nodded, coldly.
Cad Bane's Ship: Prisoner's Chamber
Ashoka swiped angrily at the tears streaming down her cheeks. Beside her, she could feel Padme's force signature blurring in the force. It made her happy. She wanted the woman to suffer. Some part of her, deep down in the restrained, impulsive depths of her mind, wanted Padme to die. Anakin cared more about the senator than her and it hurt, more than she ever imagined emotional pain could. She understood so clearly now, why attachment was forbidden. Master Yoda always told her to let go, but she had refused. It was crawling, now, out of locked away spaces: the dark side of the force. She wanted to murder someone. She wanted to feel the power, the satisfaction of revenge, to put Cad Bane through the same tortures that he had put her through. Her heart burned with dark, vengeful passion and she accepted it. It nourished her like a deep breath of fresh air, flowed through her veins and gave her new energy. Bane will pay. Her inner voice hissed.
Outside of the door, footsteps clamored down the hallway. Ashoka listened for a moment, planning her next move. When they grew silent in front of the chamber door, she quickly fell limp against the back wall. The door opened.
"Get up, Jedi Scum!" One of the snipers screamed. She sighed, weakly, and slowly moved her cuffed arms in attempt to get up. The two figures studied her for a moment.
"She can barely move," the other snorted, "some Jedi." He lifted her up and flung her limp body over one shoulder in one swift, aggressive, movement. The other followed and did the same with Padme. Her head lolled against his back as he stalked out of the small room.
Ashoka could hear the sound of the landing gear being deployed under the ship, followed by a rough bump as they hit the cracked ground of the planet.
"Hurry up," Bane ordered; pushing the two snipers down the ramp, "the General is waiting." Ashoka moved her head slightly, waiting for the perfect moment to take action. They descended the ramp, closely followed by Bane and three armed droids. She had to be fast. One bad move and it was over. Before long she felt the cool, circulated air of the base encompass her as they passed through a steel door. Above them, a black catwalk stretched along the ceiling before cornering off into different hallways. If she managed to escape, she could get up to the ceiling and outrun them.
She counted in her head: 3—2—1… and kicked herself out of the sniper's grasp. Like lightning, she reached for his thick neck, twisting it under her tied hands until she heard the snap and his lifeless form fell to the ground. Bane pulled the gun from his belt and shot straight for her chest, but she flipped and missed the bullet. Two more flips off the right wall and she hit the floor of the catwalk.
"Get her!" Bane screamed. The female sniper ran along the hallway, shooting repeatedly above her as Ashoka barreled down the black landing. Just ahead, it connected with an air vent. She summoned every particle of strength she had to lift its steel cover away from the opening and crawled inside.
"Son of a bitch!" The sniper cursed, sending three final shot up to the ceiling before turning to face Bane. He walked, briskly, down the hallway. The scowl plastered on his wrinkled lips told her there would be no paycheck in her future. Then he pointed his blaster at her throat.
Sluis Van: Control Room
Grievous fixed his yellowed, reptilian eyes on the air-locked doors of the control room. This was it. He finally had something over Anakin Skywalker. Obi-Wan Kenobi was dead. He would be remembered for this success, centuries after the war had ended: a supreme victory for the Separatist Army. Yet, he couldn't feel it. Very few parts of him were still alive. His legs and arms were riddled with steel bolts and rusting metal joints, his face was made of dirt-covered ivory steel, and his eyes had become so animalistic he could hardly recognize them as belonging to the being he was. He was a machine because of the Separatists, because of that bastard San Hill. Deep down, he knew he was nothing but a pawn to them. Count Dooku regarded him as a child playing a game of war with his toys. Perhaps now, he would take him more seriously.
As he turned to the view screen, the doors emitted a loud snap-hiss and separated to reveal Cad Bane and a rough, young man carrying the unconscious senator. Bane stumbled slightly forwards, clearly agitated by something. He gestured toward the shock generator at the corner of the room.
"Cuff her to that," he rasped. The sniper obliged. Bane turned to Grievous, not interested in beating around the bush. "The Padawan is somewhere in the air vents."
"You lost her? I should have known better than to trust a bounty hunter." Grievous snarled.
"Listen to me, you rusting pile of bolts, I've caught and killed more beings than you and your dismal excuse for an army could possibly dream so I wouldn't be so hasty, if I were you." Bane spat. "I will find her and, when I do, she will pay for the trouble she's cau-" His feet suddenly lifted off the ground, a phantom grip tightening threateningly around his shallow neck.
"I could end you with a flick of my wrist," Grievous replied, dangerously. "Find her and bring her to me. If she escapes, you will not leave this base alive." Just as quickly as he had seized him, Grievous released Bane back to the floor, where he stumbled down to his knees and gasped for breath. He fought for words, fuming with trapped anger, but none would come from his desperate lungs. He scowled, slowly coming to his feet, and turned back to the door. As he passed though the large frame, his vision beginning to blur in time with the throbbing of his chest.
Sluis Van: Air Vent 4C
Ashoka crawled towards a slatted opening at the end of the air duct. The fluorescent lights of the hallway striped in distorted rays across her face as she approached it and peered down, finding a long line of doors looming over a marble floor. The sound of metal clanking against stone echoed down the corridor as three super battle droids passed through and stopped. Ashoka narrowed her eyes and studied them carefully. They stood outside one of the doors as if they were waiting for something. Then, she heard the sounds of whom they were waiting for. Cad Bane stumbled down the hallway, weakly, with one hand pressed to his chest and flashed an access key over the sensor before going in. She backed away, feeling her breath catch slightly in her lungs. Concentrate, she thought, Calm yourself. She moved back to the vent, holding her breath as she watched the door. A few moments later, he emerged carrying two high-powered blaster riffles and a stun gun, clipped to his belt. He signaled for the droids to follow. Ashoka backed against the side of the vent and drew in a deep breath. I need a passkey.
The Constellation
"Two minutes until arrival, Captain." The computer announced, flashing the round atmosphere of Sluis Van across the middle screen.
"Thank you," Anakin said, absent-mindedly. His mind was still submerged in the force, searching for Padme's presence. He could just feel her, as if he were lightly touching the edges of her aura, but unable to connect. Padme… I'm almost there… He thought in a mantra, hoping she would somehow hear him.
A/N: I really appreciate those of you who have stuck with this story despite my tendency not to update for months. I promise I won't make you wait much longer for the end.
Next Chapter: The Choice
