Disclaimer – all original Star Wars characters in this fanfic (excluding my OC's) are the property of Lucasfilm and Disney.
Chapter 32 "A Kindred Favour."
Ten years passed after the Invasion of Naboo. Many solar systems declared to leave the Republic and join the Separatist movement, which under the leadership of the mysterious Sith Lord, Darth Vundus, threatened the peace of the galaxy. The unrest caused the Galactic Senate to debate a Military Creation Act to form a standing army for the Republic's protection. Senator Padmé Amidala, former Queen of Naboo, returned to Coruscant to vote against the Act, even though there were no longer enough Jedi to maintain peace and justice in the galaxy.
Upon her arrival on Coruscant, she narrowly escaped an assassination attempt that claimed the life of her decoy, Cordé. As a result, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine requested that the Senator Amidala would be protected by Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Padawan, Anakin Skywalker.
That night, the assassin Zam Wesell made another attempt on Amidala's life, though the Jedi were able to foil her plot. They pursued her through Galactic City and eventually disarmed her in the Outlander Club. When she questioned by Obi-Wan and Anakin outside the bar, she was killed by a toxic dart, fired by another bounty hunter, before the Jedi could learn the name of her employer. Obi-Wan was able to recognize the Mandalorian armor and knew that it was the same bounty hunter that fought him and Master Fisto at the Citadel, Jango Fett. When they returned to the Jedi Temple, Obi-Wan was assigned by the High Council to track down Jango Fett. Anakin continued his task of protecting the Senator and was asked to escort her back to her home planet of Naboo while the Junior Representative Jar Jar Binks assumed the Senator's duties in her absence.
Obi-Wan learned during his investigation that the toxic dart was created by Kaminoans of Kamino. The Jedi Knight visited the Archives, but he was unable to locate the system. When he asked Jocasta Nu about it, she surmised that the system must not exist since it was not in the archives. Unconvinced, Kenobi visited Master Yoda, who was teaching the Bear Clan, and the two agreed that someone had erased the files on Kamino from the Archives and that Kenobi needed to visit the location of the lost planet.
22 BBY - Planet Kamino, Tipoca City – Capital of Kamino, Cloning Facility.
Obi-Wan landed his Delta-7 Aethersprite-class light interceptor on the landing pad before the entrance to the cloning facility, leaving his astromech droid R4-P17, nicknamed Arfour, inside the interceptor's astromech slot.
Quickly pulling his hood over his head, due to the heavy rain, Obi-Wan fast-paced towards the transparent doors, which automatically opened before him. When he entered the facility, he was immediately approached by a female Kaminoan, named Taun We.
"Master Jedi," the Kaminoan said in a calm and friendly manner. "The Prime Minister is expecting you."
"I'm expected?" he asked, not hiding his incredulity.
"Of course," the Kaminoan replied. "He is anxious to meet you. After all these years, we were beginning to think you weren't coming. Now, please, this way."
The Jedi Knight was surprised, but he wanted an answer, so he complied and followed the Kaminoan down a long corridor until they entered a room with a male Kaminoan, who sat on an egg-shaped chair, that was attached to the ceiling. The Kaminoan stood up, and the female gestured towards him. "May I present, Lama Su, Prime Minister of Kamino," she introduced.
Obi-Wan and Lama Su bowed to each other politely, while Taun we gestured towards the Knight. "And this is Master Jedi..."
"...Obi-Wan Kenobi," the Jedi introduced himself.
"I trust you're going to enjoy your stay," Lama Su said and gestured towards a second egg-shaped chair, which came spiraling down from the ceiling. "Please."
When they both sat down, the Kaminoan spoke. "And now to business. You will be delighted to hear that we are on schedule. 200,000 units are ready, with almost a milion more on the way."
Obi-Wan had no idea about what the Kaminoan spoke, but he decided to play along. "That's good news," he replied, wanting to learn more.
"Please, tell Master Sifo-Dyas that his order will be meet on time," asked the Kaminoan.
"I'm sorry, Master..." Obi-Wan was even more confused now.
"Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas is still a leading member of the Jedi Council is he not?" Lama Su asked.
"Master Sifo-Dyas left the Jedi Order almost ten years ago," Obi-Wan replied. For a slight moment, the Kaminoan changed his stoic expression to a slightly confused one. "Oh, strange," he stated, and once again, his face became almost droid-like. "He placed the order eight years ago and kept visiting us from time to time to supervise the creation of the army we built for him."
"The army?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Yes," the Prime Minister confirmed. "A clone army, and I must say, it's one of the finest we have ever created."
"Tell me, Prime Minister, did Master Sifo-Dyas told you who it was for?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Of course he did," the Kaminoan replied. "The army is for the Republic, but you must be anxious to inspect the units for yourself."
"That's why I'm here," Obi-Wan lied with a smile on his face. Lama Su stood up and gestured Obi-wan to follow.
The Kaminoans took the Jedi deep into the facility, where he was able to observe the cloning process inside the hatchery from a corridor above it. Great racks holding glass spheres stretched across the immense room to the end of Obi-Wan's vision. Each sphere contained an embryo, suspended in a fluid, and when the Jedi reached into the Force, he sensed strong waves of life energy.
"Very impressive," commented the Jedi.
"I hoped you would be pleased, Master Jedi," the Prime Minister said. "Clones can think creatively. You'll find that they are immensely superior to droids. We take great pride in our combat education and training programs. Our methods have been perfected over many centuries."
A thought appeared in Obi-Wan's mind. "You mentioned growth acceleration."
"Oh yes, it's essential," the Prime Minister replied. "Otherwise a mature clone would take a lifetime to grow. Now we can do it in half the time."
The tour took Obi-Wan through the commissary next, where hundreds of adult clones-all young men Anakin's age, sat in neat rows, all dressed in red, all eating the same food in the same manner. He never saw the face of Jango Fett, so he wasn't able to recognize their faces. "The are totally obedient, taking any order without question," said Lama Su. "We modified their genetic structure to make them less independent than the original, of course."
"And who was the original host?" Obi-Wan asked.
"A bounty hunter named Jango Fett," Lama Su replied without any hesitation. "Master Sifo-Dyas handpicked him and brought him to us."
That information surprised Obi-Wan. The bounty hunter that fought the Jedi was used to create an army to fight with the Jedi. "Where is the bounty hunter now?" he asked.
"He received a call from a Geonosian and needed to leave Kamino in a hurry," answered Taun We. "He left a few minutes before you arrived, Master Jedi."
Obi-Wan needed to catch him and inform the Jedi High Council about his discovery. Since the bounty hunter was contacted by a Geonosian, Obi-Wan decided to fly to the most logical place to find Fett... planet Geonosis.
Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Accommodation Sector, Yoda's Quarters.
When Obi-Wan contacted the Jedi Temple on Coruscant from the landing platform on Kamino, using scramble code 5 and 'the old folks home,' which was a codename used by Jedi agents on the field, Mace Windu, Master Dooku, and Grand Master Yoda knew that it was important. Extremely important.
They took the call in Master Yoda's quarters, after Mace checked the corridor both ways, then pointedly closed the door. The hologram of Obi-Wan Kenobi appeared before them. The Knight stood in heavy rain, which was normal considering the weather on Kamino.
"I have successfully made contact with the Prime Minister of Kamino," Obi-Wan informed the three Jedi Masters, who sat on large poufs around his hologram. "They are using the bounty hunter Jango Fett, the same one that we fought at the Citadel and the one who's involved in the assasination attempt at Senator Amidala, to create a clone army."
"Do you think these cloners are involved in that, as well?" asked Master Windu.
"No, Master, there appears to be no motive," Obi-Wan replied.
"Do not assume anything, Obi-Wan," Master Yoda advised. "Clear, your mind must be if you are to discover the real villain behind this plot."
"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan replied. "They said Master Sifo-Dyas placed an order for the clone army, at the request of the Senate almost eight years ago. I thought he left the Order ten years ago."
"He did," Master Dooku confirmed. "But apparently, he still uses his title."
"Did the Council ever authorize the creation of a clone army?" Obi-Wan asked.
"No," Master Windu answered without hesitation, and without even looking to Yoda for confirmation. "Sifo-Dyas did not have the authorization of the Jedi Council."
"Capture Jango Fett, you must," instructed Master Yoda. "Question him, we will."
"Yes, Master. I learned from Kaminoans that Jango apparently was contacted by a Geonosian so I'll head to planet Geonosis to fidn him. I will report back when I have him," Obi-Wan glanced over his shoulder and abruptly instructed R4 to cut the transmission.
"Why Sifo-Dyas didn't contact me all this years," Dooku muttered, grabbing his chin. "I have a bad feeling about this."
"Blind we are, if the development of this clone army we could not see," Yoda remarked.
Dooku looked at Yoda. "Didn't the former Jedi Shadow, Zai'shira Kessen had a vision about the clones and the war?" he asked.
Mace exhaled through his nose. "She did," he confirmed. "I think it is time to inform the Senate that our ability to use the Force has diminished."
"Only the Sith knows of our weakness," Yoda replied. "If informed the Senate is, multiply our adversaries will."
Planet Naboo, Lake Country, Varykino.
The Lake Country was the most isolated area of the planet Naboo. The region, known for its great natural beauty, was located in a valley dotted with numerous lakes and surrounded by mountains. Its lakes were sealed off from Naboo's underground waterways, and caverns and thus were safe from large aquatic creatures. Varykino, the private retreat of the Naberrie family, was situated on the small island of the same name in the Lake Country.
The island was sealed off from the planet's waterways, protecting the estate from attacks by the various sea monsters that were native to the world. On one side of the villa, a set of steps led to a private beach, and across the waters of the lake was a smaller island that was home to a variety of birds. On the other side of the structure was a water gate and dock that were connected to the main retreat by a series of steep stairs.
The building itself was made of yellow rock and had red roofs topped with copper-green domes. The rooms of the villa were linked by both wide marble hallways and outdoor gardens. Notable areas of the house included a throne room that visiting royalty could receive guests in, as well as the Room of Morning Mists, an open-air veranda that overlooked the lake. The estate kept several Berenko-class gondola speeders in service for transport across the waters.
Anakin and Padmé spend much time together on Naboo, and they enjoyed each other's company. Eventually, Anakin revealed his deep love for her and vowed to do whatever she requests. However, Padmé resisted, explaining that it would be impossible for the two of them to be together, since she was a Senator, and he was a Jedi. Anakin was angered by this and experienced an inner conflict between his strong desires for her and his duties as a Jedi. Aside from that, Anakin also felt that his mother was in grave danger.
After a sleepless night filled with nightmares, Anakin woke up and went to the veranda. Closing his eyes, he stood silently and began to meditate. Padmé found him after she woke up and decided to leave him alone, however, the Padawan spoke and kept his eyes closed. "Don't go."
Padmé stooped and turned to look at Anakin. "I don't wanna disturb you," she said, but Anakin inhaled through his nose and replied. "You're presence is soothing."
The Senator watched the young Jedi for a moment. "You had another nightmare last night," she stated.
"Jedi don't have nightmares," Anakin replied defiantly.
"I heard you," Padmé quickly answered. Anakin opened his eyes. He knew that she saw right through him. "I saw my mother," he admitted. The Padawan turned to face the Senator with a worried expression.
"She's suffering, Padmé," he added. "I saw her as clearly as I see you now. She's in pain. I know I'm disobeying my mandate to protect you, Senator, but I have to go. I have to help her. I'm sorry," he apologized. "I don't have a choice."
Padmé, who listened closely, suddenly spoke. "I'll go with you."
Anakin's eyes widened. He started to reply, ready to argue, but Padmé's smile held his words in check. "That way, you can continue to protect me," she reasoned.
Anakin stared at her, and he hardly believed what he heard. For some reason he did not quite understand, the Padawan found a good measure of justification in his abandoning the letter of his orders now that Padmé decided to accompany him. With a smile, he agreed.
A few hours later – Planet Tatooine, Lars Moisture Farm.
Tatooine was a planet located in the Outer Rim, a region of the galaxy far removed from its core. It had three moons, Ghomrassen, Guermessa and Chenini, and twin suns, Tatoo I and Tatoo II. The whole planet was covered in harsh deserts, and only a small part of its northern hemisphere could sustain intelligent life. The landscape was covered with sand dunes, mountains, and canyons, which made traversing the planet very difficult. Due to the absence of surface water, those who lived on Tatooine had to draw moisture through the dry air.
The cities of Tatooine were frequently blasted by sandstorms, and the inhabitants always seemed to know when one was coming. Not much distinguished the towns as the poor standard of living was common. The cities were separated from each other by large expanses of deserts. Rural life, on the other hand, was mostly small moisture farms that sold water and food for a meager living.
A moisture farm was an area of land devoted to water production through the drawing of moisture from the dry air. It depended on vaporators, a type of device that could harvest excess atmospheric humidity. On hot and arid desert worlds like Tatooine, moisture farming was a vital activity.
One of such moisture farms was owned by Cliegg Lars, an older human male living with his son Owen Lars, his girlfriend Beru Whitesun, and Shmi Skywalker, which was bought and freed by him from the Toydarian Watto.
Upon arriving on Tatooine, Anakin tracked down Watto, from whom he learned that his mother has married a moisture farmer named Cliegg Lars, and traveled to the Lars moisture farm.
The first form that came into view as they walked toward the homestead was a very thin droid, dull gray in color, with weatherbeaten metal coverings. Obviously, in need of a good oil bath, he bent stiffly and worked on some sort of fence sensor. He rose with a jerky motion when the pair approached. "Oh, hello," he greeted. "How might I be of service? I am C-"
"Threepio?" Anakin said breathlessly, hardly believing his eyes.
"Oh my!" the droid exclaimed, and he began to shake violently. "Oh, my maker! Master Anakin! I knew you would return! I knew you would! And this must be Miss Padmé!"
"Hello, Threepio," Padmé said.
"Bless my circuits! I'm so pleased to see you both!" the droid exclaimed happily.
"I've come to see my mother," Anakin explained. The droid turned sharply towards him, then he seemed to shrink back. "I think... I think," C-3PO stuttered. "Perhaps we'd better go indoors." He turned toward the homestead, motioning with his hand for the couple to follow.
Anakin and Padmé exchanged nervous glances. Anakin could not shake the feeling of doom that lingered long after the imagery of his nightmares had faded. By the time they caught up to the droid, he was in the courtyard, announcing. "Master Owen, might I present two important visitors?"
A young man and woman came rushing out of the house almost immediately but slowed at the site of Padmé and Anakin. "I'm Anakin Skywalker," Anakin said at once.
"Owen Lars," the young man introduced himself and gestured at the woman beside him. "This is my girlfriend Beru." The woman nodded with a warm smile.
"I guess I'm your stepbrother," Owen said, his eyes never leaving the young Jedi of whom he had heard so very much. "I had a feeling you might show up."
"Is my mother here?" Anakin asked.
"No, she's not," came a gruff answer from behind Owen and Beru, from the shadows of the house door. All four turned to see a heavyset man glide out in a hoverchair. One of his legs was heavily bandaged, the other, missing, and Anakin knew at once that these were fairly recent wounds. His heart seemed to leap into his throat.
"Cliegg Lars," the man said, moving in close and extending his hand. "Shmi is my wife. We should go inside. We have a lot to talk about." All four humans followed him while the droid returned to his duties.
"It was just before dawn," Cliegg said, gliding toward the table in the homestead kitchen with Owen beside him, while Beru peeled off to gather some food and drinks for the guests.
"They came out of nowhere," Owen added.
"A band of Tusken Raiders," Cliegg explained. A sinking feeling nearly buckled Anakin's knees, and he slumped into a seat across from Owen. Anakin didn't like hearing the name of Shmi spoken in the same breath as the grim words, Tusken Raiders.
"Your mother had gone out early, like she always did, to pick mushrooms that grow on the vaporators," Cliegg explained. "From the tracks, she was about halfway home when they took her. Those Tuskens walk like men, but they're vicious, mindless monsters. Thirty of us went out after her. Four of us came back." He grimaced and rubbed his leg, and Anakin felt the man's pain clearly.
"I'd still be out there, only... after I lost my leg," Cliegg nearly broke down, and it struck Anakin how much the man loved Shmi.
"I just can't ride anymore," Cliegg went on. "Until I heal. I don't want to give up on her, but she's been gone a month. There's little hope she's lasted this long."
The words hit Anakin like a stinging slap, and he retreated from them, back into himself, back into the Force. He reached out, using his bond with his mother to try to somehow feel her presence in the Force. Then he stood up.
"Where are you going?" Owen asked.
"To find my mother," came the grim reply. Before any more words were said, C-3PO appeared and announced. "Excuse me. A sisnister-looking droid is standing near the homestead."
"What droid?" Cliegg asked.
Anakin narrowed his blue-colored yes and looked at Padmé, who meet his gaze. The Padawan had a hunch that it could be an assassin droid that looked for the Senator. "Stay here, all of you," he told and went to confront the droid.
The young Jedi carefully left the homestead and spotted the droid, who simply stood out in the open. Black-plated with blue photoreceptors and a brown side pack, the droid was armed with a blaster rifle on his back and had two pistols attached to his hips. Anakin saw a bunch of assassin droids in his life as a Jedi, but this one seemed very advanced. Keeping his hand on his lightsaber, Anakin demanded. "What do you want droid?"
"Response: I'm looking for you, meatbag."
Anakin narrowed his eyes at the word meatbag. Before he could say anything, the droid continued. "Reassurance: Im not here to fight you, but to assist you."
Anakin had to admit the droid had a unique speech trait and vocally prefixed all of his sentences with a word conditional that described the type of sentence that it was. "Who are you?" asked the Padawan. He was curious but still wary.
"Introduction: I'm a HK-X8 the deadliest assassin droid in the galaxy and the personal bodyguard of the ArchKnights of the Kingdom of the Force."
Anakin's eyes widened when he heard that sentence. He heard about the mysterious group that freed the slaves from planet Kessel, but he never thought that an assassin droid would look for him. HK reached into his side pack and pulled a holoprojector. He pressed a button and threw the device at the sand.
A few seconds later, a full-sized holographic image of a young, strange boy appeared before the human. The boy had a tail wrapped around its leg and a pair of horns on his head. Anakin never saw such a species before.
"Hello," the boy nodded with a friendly smile.
"Umm... hello," Anakin replied awkwardly, not knowing who he was or what he wanted.
"My name is Deiven Virlo," the boy introduced himself. "I'm one of four ArchKnights of the Kingdom of the Force and you, are Anakin Skywalker. It's nice to meet a Force-brother."
Now Anakin was completely confused. "Say what? A Force-brother?" he asked.
"We have different mothers, but we both were conceived by midi-chlorians," Deiven explained. "So in a way, the Force is our father, if we assume the Force is a male, or just simply a parent."
"My mother is my real and only parent, and she's in danger," Anakin stated. "So excuse me, but I don't have the time to chit-chat right now. We can talk after I'll save her."
"I actually want to talk about saving your mother," Deiven said. "Another ArchKnight had a vision about you and your mother, who was kidnapped by the Tuskan Raiders. You'll find her, but she'll die in your arms. Enraged, you'll kill every last one of them, even the women and the children."
Anakin's eyes widened, he felt his knees getting soft. "I don't believe you!" he exclaimed defiantly. "I'll save her!"
"Can you heal with the Force?" Deiven asked and tilted his head to the side. "Do you have any medicine with you?"
Anakin clenched his fists and gritted his teeth in helplessness. He was a skilled Padawan, but his skills didn't matter in this situation. "You 'can' save your mother," Deiven reassured. "But you need our help. Keep in mind that if she survives, there will be consequences, maybe even dire ones. Are you ready to accept that?"
"I don't care about the consequences!" Anakin said strongly. "I need to protect the ones I care about!"
Deiven's holographic image looked over his shoulder at HK, who reached into his side pack and pulled out a bottle filled with a green substance. "Medicine is kind of our thing," said the ArchKnight. "We gave HK a bottle filled with special bactade, an edible form of bacta, which would heal your mother's injuries and provide her with much needed nutrition. HK will go with you to the Tusken Raider's camp. While you keep the Tuskan Raiders busy, he'll find your mother, and give her the bactade. It will keep your mother alive long enough for her to receive a proper medical treatment."
Anakin listened to Deiven, and a spark of hope appeared. The young Jedi asked. "Why are you helping me? What do you want in return?" In reality, he didn't really care, but he asked anyway.
"Nothing," Deiven replied, looking back at Anakin. "My mother died while I was an infant. While I don't know how it is to lose a mother, I can imagine that's a terrible thing. I thought at least one of us should have a living, loving mother. Since we're a Force-brothers, consider this a kindred favor."
The Padawan exhaled through his nose and nodded. "Thank you," he replied.
Please R&R ;)