Complications Arise
Mace Windu wiped the sweat and dirt form his face with the sleeve of his tunic. The clones were working away steady at the debris. He helped, moving large chunks of rock and dirt with the Force while his troop dug and blasted out what they safely could.
They had been re-digging out the tunnel, which they finally had managed to find, for five days now with no sign of Anakin Skywalker. They really had not gotten that far considering the time they had spent compared the time frame Obi-Wan had given him.
Just looking at the density of debris told Mace that there was no way that anyone could have survived, but until he found at the very least a body he refused to give up. Unless he did, he knew that Obi-Wan would always wonder if they had tried hard enough. In reality, Mace felt the same way. What if they stopped now and he was just a few more feet ahead- alive?
"Master Windu." A clone came running down to where they were and Mace stopped for a moment and turned his attention to him. "Sir, Master Yoda wants to speak with you."
"Why didn't he just comm me?"
"The signal wouldn't reach, Sir."
Mace pulled out his commlink and saw that the transmission light was not on. "That's odd. We're not that far underground. The signal should get through fine." He turned to his commanding clone. "Captain, I'll be back soon. Let me know if you find anything."
"Yes, Sir."
"And..." Mace trailed of in his sentence and became completely still.
"Is something wrong, Sir?"
Mace grabbed the clone's shoulder, startling him, and pushed him down the ground. "Everyone, take cover!" But there was none to take and the clones got down on the floor of the tunnel as best as they could as the earth around them began to shake violently.
The earthquake jolted the rocks and dirt loose, sending debris flying around them. The lights they had strung up along the walls flickered off, leaving them in complete darkness. Parts of the tunnel collapsed, leaving loose piles of dirt on and beside them.
Within a matter of seconds, the trembling stopped. Mace picked himself up, brushing the dirt form his shoulders. He pulled out his lightsaber and ignited it, filling the area with a soft purple glow. The captain stood up slowly and removed his helmet.
"Thank-you, Sir."
Mace nodded and surveyed the wreckage while the clones picked themselves up from the ground. Master Windu turned around to see that in the earthquake the massive wall that they had been digging at had partly collapsed, leaving a small opening towards the top. "Captain, made sure everyone is all right and contact Master Yoda. I'm going to see what's on the other side of this."
"Yes, Sir." Mace waited until the captain had gotten his portable light out, then put his saber back on his belt and climbed up and wedged himself in the hole. He paused for a moment then pushed himself into the tight space and abruptly tumbled out on the other side when the dirt gave way.
"Are you all right?" The clone called out when he heard the thud of Mace's body hitting the ground.
The Jedi stood up and brushed himself off once again, wondering how may bruises he had managed to collect within the past three minutes. "I'm fine." Mace pulled out his saber again to light his way and stepped out into what seemed to be a large room. He was unable to see far with the light of his blade, but he was astounded with glimpses of droid parts on the floor around him and the body's they had come from filling broken and battered racks.
Mace walked forward, making his way to a banged up computer console. He stepped inside the middle and started checking the power system and operations. After a moment of struggle, the systems turned on. Mace started running through the files, looking for anything that could help piece together what had happened. With most of the data files being severely damaged, the Jedi continued his search in the security holo-recordings. He found the right day and then entered in the time that he estimated Anakin would have been in the area.
As soon as he entered the information in, a holo of the room appeared in front of him. He focused the image in on the front towards the tunnel opening and after a few moments, a projection of Anakin appeared walking out into the open. He watched as Anakin wandered around a bit. The boy's mouth was hanging open slightly at the sights before him and his eyes shot back and forth across the room. Anakin came nearer to the console that Mace was standing in now and pulled out his commlink. "Master, forget about the computers. You are not going to believe what I found!" After a moment, Anakin looked down at his comm and saw that it was not working, then laid it down on the console and stood perfectly still in meditation.
Mace jumped a bit when a bright bolt of light ran through the holo image and around Anakin's body. The Jedi watched wide-eyed when Anakin fall hard the ground as the Force lighting snapped in the dry air, running across him. After a moment it stopped and from the shadows, Count Dooku came forward. He stepped closer to Anakin who lay stunned on the floor.
Mace felt an acceptable amount of anger rise in him as Dooku raised his hands, shocking Anakin with the lightning again. Even after the boy had fallen unconscious, Dooku continued his torment for a few moments longer.
Dooku bent down over him and removed the belt around Anakin's waist, depriving him of his lightsaber and anything else he could have used. Tossing the belt aside, he rolled Anakin over onto his stomach and tightly bound his wrists and then his ankles together. The count turned the Jedi back onto his side and stood back up as several droids came to the Sith Lord's side. "Take him to my ship."
Mace slammed his hand down on the console and shut off the holo- feed. He had seen enough. "Anakin never was in the explosion." He sighed and rubbed his hand over his forehead. How was he going to tell Obi-Wan about this?
"Sir!" A clone came running towards him. "Sir, all are present, but four were severely injured in the quake. We've taken them up for medical attention."
Mace Windu nodded and walked out of the console and picked up Anakin's commlink from where it had rolled off. "Good."
"Master Yoda wants to see you as soon as possible and there's still no trace of Knight Skywalker."
"How I wish you were right." Mace walked past the confused clone and retrieved Anakin's belt and lightsaber.
He had no desire to tell Master Yoda that Anakin was now in the hands of not only a Separatist, but of a Sith.
Anakin's heart pounded in his chest as Count Dooku and three of his droids lead him into the chamber where Anakin had first awaken. Dooku directed him to stand by one the pillars with the holes in it with his back to the door. "Remove your shirt." Anakin slowly reached his hands up to his collar, but stopped, unwilling to complete the task. "Now." Dooku's voice carried a cold threat sending shivers up Anakin's spine.
He undid the clasps and remove the shirt form his shoulders, knowing that if he did not, Dooku would. The cold air brushed against his skin and Anakin tensed when one of the droids metal hands grabbed his arm. Dooku took the shirt from him and laid it aside. "Get on your knees and put your hands in front of you."
Anakin knelt down and stretched out his hands, dreading every moment while Dooku took his time. The Sith took out a thin durasteel wire, looped it around Anakin's wrist, then ran it through one of the holes, just above his head, and secured it around his mechanical arm.
Anakin tugged against the wire to test its strength only to have it cut at his flesh. "I would not try that if I were you."
Anakin heard a few more droids march in behind him. "What are you going to do?" Dooku never answered him and stepped out of Anakin's sight range. They placed the light in front of him, so that he could not even see their shadows- he was left with the sight of nothing but the pillar he was fastened to and the wall before him.
The room was completely silent for several minutes. Anakin's heart raced in fear of what was to come, for no doubt, Dooku intend to torture him in some way. But for the moment the only torture he faced was of his own imagination. His breath became heavy against his will and his pulse throbbed through his neck as the blood ran down from his arm and his heartbeat pounded inside of him so hard that he was convinced that it could be heard.
Anakin cried out suddenly when, without any warning, he was doused over the head. A bit of the water ran into his mouth. It was very salty and extremely cold. "Why, Knight Skywalker, I thought fear was not of the Jedi." Dooku's voice taunted him from behind, "Most people who are calm don't scream, and most certainly not that loudly." Another bucket was poured over him and Anakin pressed his head against the pillar. The cold was not made for people of Tatooine.
They poured the water over him a third time eliciting a pained groan from his throat when the frigid water stung against his skin. Mercilessly, they doused him, dropping his body temperature and causing him to shiver uncontrollably. His eyes burned from the salt and his breathing grew shallow and rapid.
It did not last long- no more than ten minutes- but by the end of it, Anakin's tears were mingling with the water dripping form his hair. He was kneeling now in a puddle of water and was sagging against the wire binding, unaware of the pain at his wrist.
Dooku cut him loose and wrapped a blanket around the trembling Jedi's shoulders. Anakin offered little resistance as the Sith put his arm around him and helped him to his feet. "Not bad for a desert boy."
Pulling the blanket around him as tightly as he could, Anakin got back down on the floor again, preferring to curl up and regain some of his body heat than to listen to Dooku's words of "comfort."
"Rest while you can, Skywalker. This day is only beginning."
