Disclaimer – all original Star Wars characters in this fanfic (excluding my OC's) are the property of Lucasfilm and Disney.
Chapter 33 "The Consequences."
Planet Tatooine, Tusken Raider's Camp.
Thanks to his bound with Shmi, which acted for the young Jedi like a tracking beacon, Anakin and HK reached the Tusken Raiders camp via Owen's speeder bike and observed it from the top of a high dune. The camp was situated between a number of mountains and was lit by fires outside over two dozen huts that served as the dwellings of the Tusken Raiders.
The huts that comprised the camp were made from animal skins stretched over a wooden or bone frame and were easily portable in case of an emergency. The huts were arranged near a natural oasis, providing the Tuskens with a much-needed source of water. Tuskens and their domesticated massiffs, reptilian, quadruped creatures found on Geonosis and Tatooine, guarded the site.
"Query: Can you sense your mother, meatbag?"
Anakin didn't care anymore about the insulting word. If HK was able to help save his mother, he could call him whatever he wanted. The Padawan closed his eyes and focused. He sensed the pain and suffering of his mother. She was alive, but barely. "The second hut on the top right," Anakin replied.
HK reached for a blaster rifle on his back and extended its barrel, turning his weapon into a sniper rifle. The droid looked trough the scope and took a good look at the hut. He memorized its location and nodded. "Assurance: I'll reach it without any problems. Your mother will survive. Reminder: Keep the Tuskan Raiders busy."
"Maybe I should sneak into the camp while you distract them," Anakin proposed. "You're an assassin droid so you could deal with them."
"Reluctant declination: I would love to kill a bunch of them, but you're not as efficient at stealth as I am." HK activated his personal cloaking device and disappeared, proving his claim. Anakin sighed and decided to comply. He jumped down and headed towards the camp.
As the young human got closer, he spotted a pair of massiffs, which began to sniff and growl. He reached for his weapon and activated it. When the blue blade appeared under the pale light of a full moon, Anakin Skywalker was spotted by the Tusken Raiders.
Many of them began to ran towards him while he cautiously observed their weapons. He wasn't afraid of their gaffi sticks, pole weapons with a spike or blade on one end and some kind of bludgeoning instrument. Even the massiffs were no match for his lightsaber. However, if even one of the Tusken Raiders had a Cycler Rifle, he was the most dangerous one for Anakin. While that type of weapon was very primitive, it used an explosive chemical to launch a solid projectile, a slug, at high velocity. Unlike blaster bolts, such slugs were very hard to deflect by lightsabers. Luckily for Anakin, none of the Tusken Raiders had such a weapon.
HK heard the commotion outside the camp and knew that Anakin began to fight. Being completely invisible, he got closer to the hut in which Anakin sensed his mother. Since the Tuskens fought Anakin, HK casually entered the hut. The room was lit by dozens of candles, and by a shaft of pale moonlight, streaming through a hole in the roof, illuminating the figure of Shmi, tied facing against a rack to the side of the tent. Her arms were outstretched, bound at bloodied wrists, and her face, when she turned to the side, showed the weeks of beatings.
HK turned off his personal cloaking device, untied her, and gently lowered her from the perch, into his arms, and then down to the floor. Shmi's eyelids fluttered open as much as she could manage through the swelling and the dried blood.
"Who... who is it?" she whispered. HK could feel her wheezing as she tried to speak, and knew that many of her ribs had been crushed.
Gradually her eyes began to focus upon him, and she noticed blue photoreceptors and a droid face she never saw before. HK reached into his side pack and pulled out the bottle with the bactade. He opened it and moved the bottle to her lips. Dehydrated, Shmi opened her mouth and began to drink the content of the bottle. It had a terrible, chalky taste, but it didn't matter to her. Every last drop of bactade was gone, and Shmi exhaled, feeling full to the brink of pain.
"T-thank you," the human whispered and closed her eyes. HK knew it would some time for the bactade to work, but he needed to get her out of the camp. Picking her up bride-style, HK left the hut and looked around. Since he was visible, a female Tuskan Raider spotted him and began to alert the others. HK activated his rocket propulsion systems and flew towards the high dune.
The droid was spotted by the Tuskans and Anakin, who used a powerful Force-wave against them and dashed away, enhancing his speed with the Force. The Padawan quickly reached the speeder bike, where HK waited for him with his mother. "Mom!" Anakin called out, but Shmi slept deeply and didn't hear him.
"Reassurance: She sleeps and she's alive. Statement: We need to return to the moisture farm, meatbag."
Anakin breathed a sigh of relief, took Shmi from HK. The droid mounted the bike, while Anakin sat behind him, holding his mother. Three drove off and headed back towards the moisture farm. Since Shmi survived, not only all the Tusken females and children survived but also a decent number of warriors. Anakin had no idea that everything that happened there would have consequences.
Sometime later - Planet Tatooine, Lars Moisture Farm.
When the twin suns of Tatooine once again brought a merciless heat upon the moisture farm, Anakin and HK returned with the sleeping Shmi in the boy's arms. The Lars family, C-3PO, and Padmé quickly left the homestead to see them, expecting the worst.
"She's alive," Anakin reassured as he dismounted the bike, and all the humans smiled. Thanks to the bactade, her wounds were slowly healing, but she was far from okay. "She needs medical attention," he added. "I need to take her to the Temple on Coruscant. The Jedi will be able to help her much better then any doctor on Tatooine."
Cliegg nodded in agreement and replied. "As long as she'll be okay." He didn't have any contacts or wealth to provide her with proper care, and asking any of the Hutt's for a favor was crazy.
Anakin looked at HK, who approached and nodded. "Thank you," he said. "Tell ArchKnight Deiven that I'm very grateful for his help."
"The whole Lars family is," Cliegg Lars added.
HK nodded and spoke. "Statement: It was an interesting mission, meatbag. Now I must return to my Masters." The droid turned around on his heel and walked away. By the direction he took, Anakin assumed he headed towards Mos Espa, where he left his ship. They, on the other hand, needed to quickly return to Coruscant. Before Anakin could head towards Padmé's Nubian yacht, a series of urgent beeps and whistles drew everyone's attention. R2-D2 rolled towards them.
"Artoo, what are you doing here?" Padmé asked.
The droid whistled frantically. "It seems that he is carrying a message from someone named Master Dooku," C-3PO quickly translated. "Does that mean anything to you, Master Anakin?"
Anakin, Padmé, and C-3PO followed the excited droid back to the Naboo ship. As soon as they got inside, Anakin placed his mother on the bed in Padmé's bedroom and returned to the cockpit. Artoo beeped and spun, and projected an image of Master Dooku in front of them.
"My boy, I have an urgent and secret mission for you," announced the Jedi Master. "Obi-Wan followed Jango Fett to Geonosis and he overheard a meeting between Darth Vundus, who turned out to be the former Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas, and the leaders of the commerce guilds, and learned that they are behind the Separatist movement and have built up a new droid army. He also learned that it was Nute Gunray who ordered the assassination of Senator Amidala, as revenge for the defeat of the Trade Federation at the Battle of Naboo."
Since Kenobi didn't fight Jango Fett on Kamino and didn't place a tracker on his ship, the two didn't battle in space, and Obi-Wan's long-range communicator wasn't damaged. The Jedi Knight was able to contact Coruscant to transmit his findings without the need to relay the message through Padmé's ship.
"Unfortunately," Dooku continued. "Before he could finish his report, he was attacked by droidekas. I sense him through the Force so I know he's alive. We already formed a team and we're ready to fly to Geonosis, but it will take us a while to get there. You're both on Tatooine so you're much closer to Geonosis." The Jedi Master looked at Senator Amidala. "I know this will put you in danger, Senator, but Obi-Wan was Qui-Gon Jinn's Padawan. He would never forgive me if I would let Obi-Wan die without doing anything I can. I apologize in advance."
Anakin admired Master Dooku. The older Jedi was different from the rest of the Masters, but the young Jedi was very conflicted about the situation. Not that he didn't want to help Obi-Wan, but heading to Geonosis right now would mean taking his mother with them. It would put her in danger, and she needed medical care and fast.
"You have nothing to apologize for, Master Jedi," Padmé replied instantly. "If anyone will ask, I traveled to Geonosis and Anakin had to come with me to protect me."
Dooku smiled and bowed his head gratefully. However, when he looked at Anakin, he noticed the uneasiness on his face. "What's wrong, my boy?" Dooku asked.
Anakin looked back at Master Dooku. "I'm sorry, Master," he apologized. "I'm conflicted. My mother was kidnapped by Tusken Raiders and needs urgent help so I need to take her to the Temple on Coruscant, but if I go, Obi-Wan may not receive help in time. On the other hand, if I go now and take her with me, I'll put her in danger. I don't know what to do."
"That's the burden of attachments," Dooku pointed out. "Is there someone with a ship that could take her to Coruscant or at least any decent medical center?"
Anakin was about to shook his head when his eyes widened in realization. "There is!" he exclaimed and looked intensely at Master Dooku. "Don't worry, we'll head to Geonosis to help Obi-Wan!"
Dooku raised his eyebrows, but he didn't ask anything. He knew about HK and had a hunch what idea Anakin just had. With a nod, he ended the transmission. "Wait here," Anakin told Padmé and quickly dashed out of the ship, leaving the Senator confused.
The Padawan was still able to see HK in the distance since he just walked. Anakin began to run towards him. "HK!" he called out.
The droid stopped and turned around. "Query: Did I forget something?"
Anakin stooped and exhaled. "Listen, you help me save my mother, but I need one last favor from you," he said. "My Master is in grave danger and it will take some time for the rescue team to save him. We're closer and we want to help him, but I can't take my mother with me and she needs medical attention. The Lars family don't have a ship, but you have. Can you take her to Coruscant?"
HK looked at Anakin for a few moments and replied. "Declination: I can't travel to Coruscant, Jedi would ask too many questions. I must return to my Masters. Suggestion: I can take your mother to them. They would heal her much more efficiently than the Jedi. That's your only option at this moment."
"Where's the base of your Kingdom?" Anakin asked.
"Statement: That's a secret, but the Jedi and the Republic will learn about it soon. Your mother will return to you before that will happen."
Anakin had to choose quickly. It was risky to put his mother's safety into the hands of a mysterious group, but they already helped him once. Not to mention, he didn't have many good options. "Alright," Anakin agreed. "Just bring her back to me safe and sound."
The assassin droid nodded, and the two returned to the Nubian yacht to get Shmi.
A few hours passed since HK took Shmi to Shili, and Anakin, Padmé, R2-D2, and C-3PO departed to Geonosis. The three members of the Lars family were calm and in peace since Shmi was safe and sound. However, none of them could predict what would happen next.
The Tusken warriors from the camp wanted vengeance for the ones that were killed by the young Jedi. Since their prisoner, the human female from the moisture farm, was gone, they knew where to go. They didn't even wait for the nightfall. The Tusken Raiders attacked the Lars's homestead without mercy.
Three humans: two young and one wounded elder had no chance to defend themselves against the angry tribe. Everything was destroyed, everyone was killed. Just like Anakin would kill every single Tusken Raiders if his mother would die, the Tuskens killed the whole Lars family and destroyed the whole moisture farm.
Anakin had no idea that it happened, but it was the consequences ArchKnight Deiven warned him about.
Coruscant, Republic Executive Building, Supreme Chancellor's Office.
Palpatine looked at the city of Coruscant from his office, deep in thought. Master Windu and many other Jedi headed out to planet Geonosis, while Master Yoda departed to Kamino for the clone army. Thanks to the emergency powers, Palpatine was able to call the recently discovered army into battle. Everything went according to plan, but there was still one big problem... Darth Plagueis.
His presence alone was a problem, but he also had a new, strong apprentice. He knew about the clone army and the order sixty-six. And of course, Darth Plagueis knew his true identity, but even that wasn't all. That mysterious group was still out there. He couldn't allow himself any mistakes.
"Prepare my ship," the Chancellor said to Mas Amedda, a male Chagrian who served as Vice-Chair. The blue alien nodded and headed off, leaving Palpatine alone in his office.
Planet Geonosis, Petranaki Arena.
Since Sifo-Dyas wasn't interested in convincing Obi-Wan to join his side, he didn't arrive in his cell and didn't reveal that a Sith Lord, Darth Sidious controlled the Galactic Senate. Anakin and Padmé arrived on the planet but were quickly captured by Jango Fett and sentenced to death, joining Obi-Wan in the Petranaki arena, where they were to be executed.
Also known as the Arena of Justice and commonly referred to as the Geonosian execution arena, was brought about by both a need for entertainment in the rigid Geonosian society and an efficient way of disposing of otherwise resource-draining prisoners. It was a natural formation carved out by millennia of weathering, with additions made by the Geonosians. Its floor consisted of sand and silt upon which events took place. The lower walls of the arena base included ancient low-relief carvings depicting famous battles and events. The arena could also be flooded for aquatic events.
It was named after Petranaki, a form of arena combat fighting that utilized several special weapons, including the Picador's spear. The most popular attractions used deadly beasts in combat, resulting in the extinction of some of the more crowd-pleasing creatures on Geonosis. Those looking to trade with Geonosis would often provide exotic predators for the arena entertainment as payment. Such creatures included acklays, nexus, reeks, and mongworsts.
The tunnel that led to the arena was dark and fittingly gloomy and quiet, except for the occasional echo of cheering from the huge crowd gathered in the arena stands beyond. A single cart was in there, an open oval with a sloping front end that somewhat resembled an insect's head with the top half cut away. Anakin and Padmé were unceremoniously thrown into it, then strapped in place against the framework, facing each other.
"Don't be afraid," Anakin whispered.
Padmé smiled at him, her expression one of genuine calm. "I'm not afraid to die," she replied. "I've been dying a little bit each day since you came back into my life."
"What are you talking about?" Anakin narrowed his blue-colored eyes.
Then she said it, and it was real and genuine and warm. "I love you."
"You love me?" Anakin asked, overwhelmed. "I thought we decided not to fall in love. That we would be forced to live a lie. That it would destroy our lives."
"I think our lives are about to be destroyed anyway," Padmé replied. "My love for you is a puzzle, Annie, for which I have no answers. I can't control it-and now I don't care. I truly, deeply love you, and before we die, I want you to know."
Anakin and Padmé leaned towards each other and shared a love-filled kiss, which lingered and deepened. The sweet moment was just that, though, a moment, for a crack of the driver's whip had the cart jerking out of the tunnel and into the blinding daylight, rolling onto the floor of a great stadium filled with Geonosian spectators.
Four sturdy posts, a meter in diameter, were centered on the arena floor, each set with chains, and one holding a familiar figure.
"Obi-Wan!" Anakin cried as he was pulled down from the cart, dragged over, and chained to the post beside his Master.
"Anakin? What are you doing here?" Obi-Wan asked. Both he and Anakin winced as Padmé was similarly dragged over to the post next to Anakin, and roughly chained up. They saw her curl a bit, defensively, in what seemed a futile resistance. However, the Jedi didn't see that the resourceful Padmé managed to slip out a wire she had hidden in her belt and put it inside her mouth.
"We came to rescue you." Anakin answered.
"Good job!" Obi-Wan replied sarcastically.
Watching the three chained up people from one of the balconies, the young Boba Fett looked up at his father, a perfect older-version replica of himself. "Are they going to feed them to the beasts?" Boba asked.
Jango Fett looked down at his eager son and chuckled. "Yes, Boba," he confirmed.
"Oh, I hope they use an acklay," said Boba. "I want to see if it's as powerful as I've read."
Jango just smiled and nodded, amused that his son was already so interested in such things, and glad for the dispassion in his tone. Boba was strictly pragmatic here, even in the face of the executions of three people. He took in the entire scenario with the cool and collected pragmatism that would allow him to survive in the harsh galaxy.
Suddenly Jango's holoprojector beeped, and the Mandalorian reached for it. Since he didn't want to talk on the balcony, he decided to walk back inside to talk in private with Boba following him. Upon activating the device, a holographic image of a hooded person appeared on his hand.
"Who's this ?" he asked suspiciously.
"It's been a long while Jango," replied a female voice, which Jango immediately recognized.
"Zai'shira?!" the Mandalorian squinted his eyes, surprised. "Heh, indeed, it was. Unfortunately, if you have a job for me, I'm currently hired."
Bobba watched his father with undisguised curiosity, and from time to time, he swept the surroundings with his alert sight.
"Actually I need to warn you, Jango," replied Zaishira. "Your life is in danger."
Jango's expression became serious. "I'm listening."
"The Jedi will attack, and a large battle will begin, Zai'shira warned. "You'll find yourself fighting a reek. The beast will damage your jetpack, and it will be the cause of your death at the hand of a Jedi Master Mace Windu. If you want to survive, don't fight the reek."
Jango Fett knew that Zai'shira probably had a vision. Without a word, the Mandalorian only nodded. "I see you later, I hope," Zai'shira said and ended their conversation. Jango quickly decided to join Darth Vundus, Poggle the Lesser, Nute Gunray, and Rune Haako in the high stands.
When he did, he and Boba noticed that three beasts were already on the arena: an acklay, a nexu, and... a reek.
"Well, this should be fun, for them, at least," Obi-Wan lamented as he watched the three beasts slowly getting closer.
"What?" Anakin asked.
"Never mind," Obi-Wan replied. "You ready for the fight?"
"The fight?" Anakin asked skeptically and looking up at his chained wrists.
"You want to give the crowd its money's worth, don't you?" Obi-Wan asked. "You take the one on the right. I'll take the one on the left."
"What about Padmé?" The two Jedi turned to discover that their clever companion had already used the concealed wire to pick the lock on one of her shackles, and had turned her body about, facing the post. She climbed right up the chain to the top of that post, then went to work on the other shackle.
"She seems to be on top of things," Obi-Wan commented wryly.
Anakin looked back just in time to react to the charge of the reek. Acting purely on reflex, the young Jedi leaped straight up, and the beast plowed into the pole beneath him. Seeing an opportunity, Anakin dropped upon the beast's back and wrapped his chain about its strong horn. The reek bucked and tugged, tearing the chain free of the post, and they were off, the reek bucking and Anakin holding on for dear life. He slapped the free end of the chain at the side of the reek's head, and the vicious beast bit it and held on, its stubbornness providing Anakin a makeshift bridle.
Obi-Wan quickly came to learn why the acklay was such a crowd-pleaser. The creature reared up high and came straight in at him. When Obi-Wan rushed behind the pole, the acklay took a more direct route, crashing into the pole, its gigantic claws snapping the wood and the chain. Freed by the beast's fury, Obi-Wan turned and ran, sprinting right at the nearest picador, the acklay in fast pursuit. The Geonosian lowered his spear at the Jedi, but Obi-Wan dodged and grabbed it. A sudden tug pulled it free, and Obi-Wan snapped it against the picador's mount, causing the creature to rear. Hardly slowing, Obi-Wan planted the butt of the lance in the ground and leaped, pole-vaulting the picador and his mount.
Again the acklay took the more direct route, slamming into rider and mount, sending the Geonosian tumbling to the sand. Grabbing the picador up in the snap of a claw, the monster crunched the life from him.
Atop her post, Padmé worked frantically to free the chain. But already, the nexu leaped up to swipe at her with its deadly claws. She dodged, but the nexu came on again. Padmé whipped it with the chain.
The beast didn't stop, its claws tearing into the pole as it climbed. Then, with a sudden burst, it leaped up to the top and reared before Padmé issuing a victorious roar.
The crowd hushed, sensing the first kill.
As the nexu slashed, Padmé turned in a circle the other way, and while the claws tore her shirt and superficially raked her back, she came around hard, delivering a solid blow across the beast's face with the free-flying end of the chain. The nexu fell back off the pole. Padmé leaped out and back, away from the creature and to the side, and let the chain tug her back, sending her in a spin about the pole. She tucked her legs as she spun, then double-kicked out, knocking the nexu to the ground.
Hardly pausing to consider her handiwork, she scrambled back up the pole, working furiously to free herself completely.
"Foul!" cried Nute Gunray. "She can't do that! Shoot her or something!"
"Wow!" Boba Fett yelled in evident admiration. Jango put his hand on his son's shoulder, enjoying the show every bit as much as Boba. However, the Mandalorian carefully observed the stand. If what Zai'shira told him was true, the Jedi could attack at any minute.
His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the humming sound of a lightsaber. A purple blade was placed right beside his cheek, and Jango felt the heat of the blade.
Darth Vundus turned around and smirked, looking at the dark-skinned face of Mace Windu. "Master Windu, you finally decided to join us."
Master Windu looked at the former Jedi Master with a grave expression and spoke. "This party is over." With that, the Jedi Master gave a quick salute with his glowing lightsaber and then brought the blade back to Jango Fett. After the signal, hundreds of Jedi Knights all around the arena ignited their lightsabers and prepared for battle.
The Geonosians began to flee the arena. Some ran, some flew, but neither of them wanted to fight the Jedi.
"Hmmm... impressive," said Darth Vundus. "But you're not ready for the army that we build." Just as he finished, a line of battle droids came down the corridor behind Mace Windu, their lasers firing. The Jedi reacted at once, spinning about and flashing his lightsaber to deflect the many bolts, turning them back on his attackers. He knew that these few droids were the least of his troubles, though, for as he glanced around, he saw the source of the Sith's confidence, thousands of battle droids rolling along every ramp, in the stands and out into the arena below.
It was the beginning of the first battle of the long-awaited war. The clone wars officially began.
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