Chapter 15: Sending a Message

The droid that was previously in charge of the command ship was more cross-wired than usual. Dooku arrived to find it jabbering away with the subordinates, not even remotely paying attention to where they were heading. He did away with the droid. The head of the droid skidded across the floor of the bridge, coming to a stop at the feet of the second-in-command.

"Take LS-327 to the maintenance hanger. Perhaps he can be of better use for scrap parts," Dooku commanded the droid. It nodded. Picking up the head of the executed droid in one hand and the leg on the other, it dragged the droid away, clanging loudly.

Dooku turned his attention back to the ship. They were in hyperspace. The blue flashes of the viewport sped past. His master had given him very detailed instructions on how to proceed. Dooku could sense his master's growing frustration. The plans Sidious had in place were precarious. Dooku needed to be perfect. He had to succeed. Any errors on his part, or on part of his new apprentice, would not be tolerated.

Barriss had proven herself to be a proficient apprentice so far. Her deep inside knowledge of the Republic and the Jedi Order had proven extremely useful. Dooku had recruited her after the trial of Ahsoka Tano. He sensed her anger and frustration with the Jedi. She thought of them just as corrupt and complicit as he did. The bombing of the Temple and the subsequent framing of a fellow Jedi proved to him she was willing to take bold strokes to put an end to the Order. Her most recent success with the capture of the Bonteri child right from his home planet pleased him. But he was not about to allow her to feel any sort of security. He made that mistake before, with Ventress. Barriss could just as easily fail and betray him.

"Master, do you copy?"

The fleet must be getting close to Onderon if they were in range for him to receive transmissions. He pressed his commlink to reply.

"What is it Barriss? I am busy."

"Oh, I hope not too busy to know what I've learned about our littlest prisoner. I think you will be most pleased." Her voice was smug. Dooku did not like that she knew something he didn't.

"And what may that be?"

There was a brief pause. He heard a faint cry from the child, then silence.

"The boy is extremely Force-sensitive. I just tested him myself," she said.

Dooku remained stoic. His master had to have known the child was a youngling. Dooku figured there had to be a good reason Sidious didn't tell him. The boy already had a strong connection to his mother. Now he knew that connection to be even stronger than they thought. If they could figure out a way to use that to their advantage…

"It is imperative you remain hidden until I reach Onderon. When I give you the signal, bring the boy directly to the command ship. Do not disappoint me."

He ended the transmission without waiting for her to reply.

"Sir, we are about to exit hyperspace. Would you like me to open a transmission to the Republic?" the droid in front of him asked.

Dooku stepped down from the dais. "Put them through."

He waited patiently for the answer, calmly plotting out his next moves.

The alarms went off right as Ahsoka and Anakin entered the bridge. Lux only glanced at her once before large booms were heard. Several Separatist ships exited hyperspace. An entire fleet. But that wasn't what shocked everyone on board the cruiser. The ships moved between the Republic ship and Onderon, creating a blockade.

His stomach sank. What the fuck was happening?

"How did we not detect incoming ships?" Anakin barked over the noise.

Rex answered. "Just like how we couldn't tell the kid wasn't on the planet. They must've found a way to fool our scanners."

Lux turned to the Jedi. He noticed how Ahsoka and Anakin were leaning away from each other like they were getting pulled apart. Ahsoka's face was emotionless. It broke his heart a little. He hated seeing her like that.

"Sir!" a clone at a monitor behind Lux shouted at him. "We have an incoming transmission from the Separatist command ship."

He didn't need to ask who was hailing them. Dooku was certainly aboard one of those ships. He took a deep breath, trying not to let his growing temper rise further. "Put it through, but audio only," he told the clone.

The Jedi stood around the holo table. Ahsoka was in between Obi-wan and Anakin. None of them had said a word to each other since they entered the bridge. Lux didn't need the Force to be able to sense the tension.

"Senator Bonteri," Dooku's voice said. Lux wanted to throttle him. His image flickered to life.

"Count Dooku," Lux replied, not hiding his distain. "First you kidnap my son and now you are holding my planet hostage?"

The Count only smiled evilly. "One must make bold moves to have the complete attention of their enemy."

"You clearly do, now what do you want?"

"As direct as ever, Senator." The Count looked off to his left at something, then back to Lux. "I shall do you the same courtesy. I have your son and planet. Republic forces may try to break my blockade, but we both know that even the meager reinforcements they have just sent for will not make it in time to stop me from bombarding the planet surface."

Lux grit his teeth. Dooku had him trapped.

"My demands are this: return Onderon to the Confederacy. Once you do, I will return your son to you unharmed."

Lux's eyes widened. Return to the Separatists? Why would Dooku commit such a large amount of effort all for Onderon? Even if Lux wanted to comply, he couldn't do so without the consent of King Dendup and a majority vote from the people. But he had a feeling Dooku knew that. He knew he was asking the impossible from Lux.

He tried to meet Ahsoka's eyes. She had a concentrated look on her face. When their eyes locked, he asked her the questions only she could answer.

Is Alek okay? Is he close?

Her response was the smallest nod of her head. Dooku had Alek aboard his command ship. Lux trained his attention back to the transmission.

"Onderon has been part of the Republic for a year. We have no substantial labor force or any large number of valuable resources. What benefit would you have of seeing us under your oppressive rule again? We drove the droid army off the planet once, we can and will do it again." He tried to make his voice sound confidant.

The Count raised his eyebrows. "This generous offer of reconciliation will not be extended again, Senator. With the life of your son and your people in my control, I suggest you consider my offer. I will give you one rotation to decide." He paused, holding in his breath and smiling. Lux didn't like that smile. There was something else Dooku was going to say. "Or I will be forced to take action. Starting with your youngling."

If Lux was angry before, he was furious now. Somewhere off to the side, a person stepped into the frame. They wore a mask and carried a bundle in their arms. Alek's black hair was just visible. Then the transmission cut.

His eyes were staring at the table in front of him. He could feel the gazes of the Jedi. But what he knew would break him was the look Ahsoka would be wearing.

They had been so careful. The whole reason Ahsoka kept Alek moving was so the Order couldn't detect him. So they wouldn't know about him. But now they did. And so did Dooku.

"Youngling?" Obi-wan asked Lux calmly. "Is that true?"

Lux opened his mouth and closed it again. He had to say something. But any words fell flat in his mouth. For once in his life, words failed him.

"Yes."

All eyes went to Ahsoka. Lux couldn't hide his shocked expression. However, he found her face calm. She had a plan. One he apparently didn't know about.

Ahsoka spoke slowly. "That was what Lux had first contacted me about. He had suspicions about Alek. But by the time I got there, he was gone."

The lie sounded so real even Lux believed it for a moment. He flicked his gaze to Obi-wan.

The Jedi crossed his arms. "Well, this certainly changes things," Obi-wan said.

Lux furrowed his brow. "Pardon?"

He elaborated. "Well, now the Council will want to ensure the boy's rescue. Dooku is a Sith. We cannot allow him to have Force-sensitive children in his charge. If-"

"How about you ensure his safe return because he is my son and family, not because he is suddenly valuable to the Order?" Lux snapped. He had lost his father and his mother. He was not about to lose Alek too.

The Jedi must've sensed what Lux was thinking. Obi-wan's face became resigned. He put out a hand as if to reassure Lux. "Senator, you must understand. The boy's abilities make him vulnerable. The best place for him is at the Temple."

"Master Kenobi-"

"This isn't what we should be discussing right now!" Ahsoka cut in. She shot Lux a look, telling him to shut up. "There is no way for Onderon to return to the Separatists. What we need to do is take Dooku's leverage away. He gave us only one rotation. We need to figure out a plan to get Alek off the command ship before Republic reinforcements arrive to destroy the blockade." She looked around at all of them. "Okay?"

Lux couldn't have been happier to admit his wife was right. But he held back his relief.

"Of course," Obi-wan said. But his tone indicated he wasn't satisfied with the end of the conversation. "What do we know about the blockade so far?"

Rex stepped in. He began to explain Dooku's forces. Lux tried to listen but failed to keep his attention. His gaze kept wandering over to Ahsoka. As much as he was trying not to explode with stress, he knew she was probably having a tougher time. He glanced at Anakin. He was laying out an infiltration plan involving the Twilight and a long thin ship Lux had never seen before. The plan was reckless at best, dangerous at worst. But Lux didn't see any other option.

"We just need a way to make Dooku think the Senator is aboard," Anakin finished.

"Easy," Lux said. "I'll be aboard the ship."

"Easy," Ahsoka replied. "You'll get yourself killed."

He looked at her. She crossed her arms and had a defiant look on her face. Lux thought back to when they had their adventure on Carlac with Deathwatch. She wore the same look she did when she told him not to choke on his stupidity.

"Dooku won't fall for this plan unless he knows I'm there. I'll be on the first ship out after we get Alek, I'll be fine."

She didn't back down. "If Dooku sees you he's more likely to kill you AND Alek to make a point. Or if anything he'll hold you both hostage!"

Lux glared at her. "I trust you and the Jedi won't let that happen. This is not up for debate. Now, I'm going to prepare for this mission."

Ahsoka's mouth snapped shut. Throwing the words he used earlier at her probably wasn't the best idea. But Lux didn't think over it too much when he stormed off the bridge. He had had enough of Dooku and his games. It was time to put an end to them once and for all.

Padmé smiled at a few colleagues as she walked down the halls of the Senate building. She had just finished a rather lengthy debate and was very much wanting to go back to her office and crash on her couch for a few hours. Normally, she would be charged up after these debates. But lately, she was feeling exhausted more often.

"My lady, might I suggest you lay down for a bit? My scans indicate-"

"I'm well aware of what your scans show, 3PO," she said, cutting the droid off. "I'll be fine."

He did the droid equivalent of a scoff. Smirking, she pressed the elevator button and waited.

She knew she should be taking it easier, but with everything going on right now there was no way she could afford to take time off. Currently, her main focus was a bill on the house floor about the increase of taxes in the Core Worlds and Lux's situation.

He had sent her a short message before meeting with the Jedi. Padmé knew Anakin and Obi-wan would be sent on the mission. The thought of losing his child, the only family he had left, was horrible. Padmé remembered working with Mina Bonteri before she left when the war started. She had shown her pictures of Lux as a young teen. It was hard to believe all that had passed since then. When Lux first told her about his son, she couldn't help but feel jealous. He looked so proud. Lux had been through too much to give up now. She had hope that everything would be alright.

"Senator Amidala, are you going up or down?" the Chancellor asked.

She broke from her train of thought. Realizing she had been standing in front of an open elevator with none other than the Chancellor inside.

"Oh, pardon me, your excellency. Down please." She stepped in. C3PO followed.

The Chancellor smiled at her. "I saw your debate this morning. Very well done, I have to say."

"Thank you, I always bring my best when it comes to these corporate representatives. They like playing by their own rules."

Palpatine nodded. "I would expect nothing less, my dear." He looked back at the wall, waiting for his floor. Behind him his guards were silent, holding their weapons tightly. She wondered if they seriously thought the Chancellor would ever be in danger in an elevator.

"If you don't mind me asking, have you heard from Senator Bonteri?" he asked.

"Oh, no. I haven't. I was going to try to reach him later. He was in a horrible state earlier."

"I can't imagine." The chancellor sighed, a bit too dramatically. "Losing his son and his planet. Dreadful."

"His planet?"

The Chancellor nodded sadly. "Yes, I am afraid so. I just received word that Count Dooku has placed a Separatist blockade around Onderon."

Padmé flashed back to several years ago. When she was a young Queen with a planet under the control of the Trade Federation. Now Lux was in the same situation.

She straightened her spine and ran a hand over her stomach, feeling uneasy. "Well, neither are totally lost yet. I still have hope."

He nodded. "Yes, yes. The Jedi. But I fear the situation on Onderon is lost."

Padmé glanced at him. "I believe in Senator Bonteri. He will find a way to resolve everything."

The Chancellor didn't respond right away. Padmé looked back at the elevator doors.

"Who knows, in his state of mind he might not be thinking clearly. The relationship between parent and child is…remarkable."

She stiffened. Something in the way he spoke made her uncomfortable. Padmé hadn't told anyone. Well, C3PO and her maids knew. But they were all sworn to secrecy. Even Anakin didn't know yet.

So why did she suddenly suspect the Chancellor knew she was pregnant?

The elevator opened to her floor. "Good day, Chancellor," she said, swishing her long robes out of the cramped space. It was becoming hard to breathe.

"Good day, my dear" he replied.

It could have been her tired mind. But Padmé saw a strange look in the Chancellor's eyes as the doors shut behind her. He seemed almost…evil.

Ta-Da!

Yeah, about Lux not making stupid and rash decisions…

I've been wanting to dive into Padmé's mind for a while. I've got more of her coming up. As for Ahsoka, let's just say she has some choice words for her hubby.

Stay tuned lovelies! Follow and Review!