Chapter 10 - Mad Scientists are Always Pale for Some Reason
After spending several days recovering aboard the Resolute after the incident on the planet inhabited by the Lurmen, Sulani found herself an almost permanent fixture. She never commanded the ship, nor has Anakin asked her to do more than she was originally here to do. It was not hard for her to realise that he was feeling guilty about her getting hurt after he had insisted she come along to Aayla Secura's ship. He did not want to put her in another situation like that and hence she spent almost the whole time aboard the Resolute. At first, she was pleased, she had, after all, never wanted to come out here in the first place. However, now it was getting ridiculous, borderline way too overprotective.
At the current time, Anakin and Ahsoka were down in the cargo bay, going through inventory and making sure things were as they should be. Sulani took the opportunity to visit the bridge, she watched the stars go by as they moved slowly, currently having no urgent destination in mind. For all she moaned and complained about coming out to the front, it was certainly peaceful when you were not needed to take on a battalion of droids trying to take over another planet. Her peace was to be short lived, however, as Captain Rex made his way towards her, "General, I apologise for disturbing you, but I can't reach General Skywalker and there is an incoming call from the Jedi Temple."
Sulani closes her eyes, inhales and exhales slowly; so like Anakin to be unresponsive when he is needed by the Council. "Very well Rex, we can't keep the Council waiting, so I'll take it."
"Very well General."
So Sulani followed Rex off the bridge and into the communications room beside it, she waited while Rex accepted the call and Masters Yoda and Windu appeared before her, "Greetings Masters," she says as she nods her head in acknowledgement.
"It is good to see you well Mother Sulani," Master Windu greets back, "but where is General Skywalker?"
"I can't honestly say Master," Sulani replies, "I know he and Ahsoka were supposed to be down in the cargo hold taking inventory, but Captain Rex informs me he was unable to reach him. I was in the bridge, so I came to accept the call in his stead."
"See I do, tell you then, we must," Master Yoda says gently, "Sent to you, General Kenobi has been. Needed on Naboo, Kenobi and Skywalker are. Separatist presence, on Naboo there is. There now, Senator Amidala and Representative Binks are."
Well this was troubling news and not just because of how Anakin is going to take knowing that Padme is involved. "Very well Masters, I will find Anakin and Ahsoka, prepare for Obi-Wan's arrival and make sure a transport is prepared to take them to Naboo."
With a nod of approval from both Masters, the transmission is cut and Sulani quickly moves towards the doors, "Rex, find Anakin or find Ahsoka, whoever first, they should be together anyway. I'm going to get a transport ready for after Obi-Wan gets here."
"Yes, ma'am."
Sulani was just finishing the ready checks on the LAAT when Anakin, his Padawan in tow, walks over towards her, "What is this about Mother? Rex said you needed to see me about something but he wouldn't clarify."
Sulani assumed it was because Rex had a good idea about his reaction to the news, but alas, she would have to break the news to him herself, "Anakin, firstly, please answer your comms for a change, it would be beneficial, secondly, Obi-Wan is on his way here. You've been called to Naboo for an urgent situation."
Just hearing the word Naboo has him suddenly very alert, "Naboo? What's going on?"
Ahsoka could tell just as clearly as she could that his emotions were heightened simply at the mention of Padme's home world, though only Sulani knew why this was; her former youngling was not sure what to make of the situation. "I need you to remain calm Anakin. The Queen of Naboo had contacted Padme and Jar Jar about Separatist droids found on Naboo. Padme contacted the Council asking for help to figure out what was going on, and she suggested the two of you to Her Majesty. You and Obi-Wan are to figure out what is going on."
She could see the turmoil on his face, but having many years of practice suppressing emotions related to Padme, meant that it was not as obvious to someone who did not know him as well as she did. He did not have a chance to reply, however, as a call came through on his comms, "What is it Rex?"
"General Kenobi just came out of hyperspace and is making his way to board."
"Thanks Rex," and with that, Anakin walks towards the end of the hangar designated to Obi-Wan to wait for his Master to land.
Soon enough, Sulani found herself sitting smugly aboard the transport heading for Naboo. Smugly because her and Ahsoka had been able to double team Anakin into letting her come along. Obi-Wan had stayed out of it for his sanity. That being said, if Anakin was not so distracted by Padme, it may have ended differently. "We're coming up on Theed," the clone flying calls to the group.
With practised precision, the clone lands the transport in the hangar where Captain Typho, C-3PO and an unknown female Gungan were waiting for them. "General Kenobi, uh both of you, Anakin, we're so glad-"
"Where's Senator Amidala?" Anakin rudely interrupts.
"She went to look for the lab."
"And you let her go?" he asks incredulously.
"Anakin," Sulani admonishes.
C-3PO walks forward, "Senator Padme can be very hard to stop once she has made up her mind."
"Good point," Anakin admits, "I know what you mean."
Realising that Anakin had calmed himself, Captain Typho gestures to the Gungan behind him, "This is Peppi Bow. She was the last person to see them. Padme sent her here to safety."
"Theysa looking for the sick-maker," Peppi explains.
"They?" Obi-Wan asks.
"Representative Binks was with her," Typho explains.
As R2-D2 beeps in concern, Anakin turns to Ahsoka, "Go with the Gungan, see if you can find them."
"You've got it Master," Ahsoka replies before walking towards Peppi Bow, the both of them then leaving to search the area Padme and Jar Jar were last seen.
Anakin then turns back to Captain Typho, "Why didn't you send someone to look for them?"
"Considering the latest developments, we thought it was best to wait for you," he explains.
"What latest developments?" Obi-Wan asks.
Typho had led the three Jedi to a meeting room, where they found the head of a battle droid placed on a holotable. As they gather around the table, Typho explains, "We did a robo-lobotomy on the battle droids and came up with this piece of memory."
Typho then activated the memory and the projection that arose was of a tall, very thin and very pale man who was clearly some kind of scientist based on his attire, "Who is that?" Obi-Wan asks.
"Doctor Nuvo Vindi," Captain Typho says, "the senior medic for the Perma families. He disappeared ten years ago."
They then watched what the recording of Vindi was saying, "Good news my soulless automoton friends. We now have enough of the blue shadow virus to start filling the bombs"
"He said 'bombs,'" C-3PO says with worry and R2-D2 blips in reply.
"We will only need to send one bomb to each key star system," Vindi continued. "Work quickly. I want them ready for deliver-" the recording cut off before they could hear the rest of the sentence.
"If those bombs get delivered," Obi-Wan quickly states, "we'll be facing a galaxy-wide plague. The war will be the least of our worries."
"Just another thing to add to our troubles," Sulani sighs, "Why can we never just deal with one thing at a time?"
"There is some good news," Typho interjects. "Senator Amidala found the lab. She sent the coordinates before she disappeared."
The holo-image of said lab was then shown before them, "We've managed to get a geo-scan of the area."
"It's enormous," Obi-Wan notices.
"It looks like there are three entry points: here, here and here," Typho used the holomap to indicate the areas he spoke of before pointing to another area, "This appears to be the main lab."
"And the bombs?" Obi-Wan enquires.
"There seems to be an above average amount of radiation in this area," Typho explains, showing the location on the holomap. "It's likely where they are being assembled."
"If Padme has alerted them to out presence in any way…" Obi-Wan starts to say.
"If Padme is in there," Anakin interrupts, "and then we go in there guns a-blazin', she may get killed."
"It is a risk we have to take," Obi-Wan tries to reason. "Doctor Vindi and those bombs must not leave the lab."
"And if they or we detonate one during the attack?"
"Better to have one planet infected than the entire galaxy."
"Anakin," Sulani calls softly, "I don't like it any more than you do, but it is what must be done if we are to stop this man and keep the rest of the galaxy safe."
Never being able to argue when both Kenobi twins were on the opposing side, Anakin simply closes his eyes and lets out a pained sigh.
They were again in the hangar, waiting for the clone troopers to arrive, but it was getting late and Anakin was getting anxious, "Where are they?"
"Patience," Obi-Wan says, "They'll be here in a moment. You seem a bit on edge."
"There's a good chance we're about to destroy all life on this planet including ours and the Senator's," Anakin picks up more volume as he goes, "So yes, I'm a bit on edge. Why aren't you?"
"I'm better at hiding it," Obi-Wan replies calmly.
Sulani was also trying her best to hide how on edge she was starting to feel. While Anakin and Obi-Wan were having their back and forth, she was sitting a few metres away, trying very hard to meditate with only marginal success. Something just was not feeling right and her usual feelings of unease were raising their head. It is not much longer after this that Anakin gets a hail from Ahsoka, "Master, are you there?"
"Did you find her?" he asks quickly, not subtle in the least.
"Negative," she answers, "I'm pretty sure she's inside the lab. The whole area is wired with pressure sensors, there's no way to get in without being detected, but I'm more than happy to-"
"Do not attempt to get inside," Obi-Wan interrupts her. "I need you to detonate a bunker bomb at the South end of the facility. It should cause a nice distraction and seal off the bomb area while we come in through the hatches."
"You can count on me," Ahsoka says in reply.
"Rex and his men will be right behind you, Snips," Anakin assures her. "They'll have your back."
With that, the call is cut and Anakin is quick to move, "Come on, we'd better hurry."
As they move towards the landing zone, the transports carrying the troopers arrive, and Obi-Wan tries to prepare Anakin for what might be ahead, "Padme may be lost Anakin. Don't risk the mission trying to rescue her. I'll take care of the bombs, you focus on the doctor."
This was clearly not what Anakin wanted to hear as he gets on the transport with the clones and snaps back, "I know what's at stake here."
"You should have expected that reaction, Brother," Sulani says as she moves to stand beside her brother, watching as the transport taking Anakin leaves. "Telling Anakin things he knows, but doesn't want to hear only makes him snappy like that. He feels like you're treating him like a child and he doesn't like it, not in the least."
"I'm very aware Sister," he answers, facing towards her, "but sometimes he needs to hear those things or it doesn't sink in."
"Just be careful Obi-Wan," she warns him. "You need to remember, Anakin was not raised in the Temple like us, he knows that many members of the Council still think he should not have been trained due to his late arrival into the Order. This makes him feel untrusted by the Jedi around him, and if you continue to treat him like the child he no longer is, he might start to believe you don't trust him either. Obi, he's not your Padawan anymore, he's now your fellow Jedi Knight, whom you yourself said was ready, and he wants to be treated as such. Your chastising makes him pull away from you, but if you can rein that in, you'll find he'll start to become as open with you as he was when he was still a child looking to you for everything."
Clearly Obi-Wan needed time to take in those words as he says nothing in response, so Sulani makes her way to her own transport, but not without one last thing to say, "Just think about it, really and truly think about it. Anakin can be volatile at the best of times, I don't want to see that backfire on you because he thinks you don't trust him. So don't give him a reason not to."
A/N: and here is the first chapter of the blue shadow virus arc, with much more of my own content since Sulani doesn't see that much of the action, only a little bit, anyway, the next chapter will be out soon as well, because hurray for more double updates
Seza, out