Chapter 6: Battles of many fronts
***1***
On the way to Christophsis, Anakin was excited to be heading back into combat but frustrated to be stuck with Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. Still suffering from his Life Force loss, he needed to deeply connect to the cosmic energy to compensate for his weaknesses.
Hiding in plain sight was easier on Coruscant. Billions of lives' energy intertwined, blurring any single individual's signature. It was completely different when they were on an isolated Star Destroyer. If he tapped into the Force in the wrong way, he could be caught.
Now he and a Jedi were heading to a battle. Intuition told him that Jedi weren't good at warfare, since they were indoctrinated to be peacekeepers.
Things were different thousands of years ago. The Jedi Order almost destroyed the Sith and forced them into hiding. Probably the Jedi Order at that point deserved some respect, but no longer. The death toll from the battle of Geonosis attested to just how weak the Order had become.
Despite the fact that Jedi and Sith were enemies, Anakin needed to ensure Kenobi's success, otherwise, his Master's assignment would fail. He also needed to learn about the Jedi from real interactions, rather than on a philosophical level. The old saying was well said. Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer.
He accompanied Obi-Wan to inspect the massive warship. It quickly became apparent that Obi-Wan was no expert in weaponry.
Anakin spent a whole day teaching the Jedi how every part of the ship functioned. It was frustrating that the Senate had tasked a group of people who had no expertise in warfare to lead, putting the Republic in a perilous situation. Kids were commissioned to be commanders, a rank higher than Anakin held himself.
Anakin had been a Republic citizen for a decade. He was still sometimes shocked by new waves of absurd policies that came out of this democracy . The Jedi leading the war was a new low.
"Anakin, thank you for your explanations. Your knowledge was very much appreciated."
"General Kenobi, you flattered me," Anakin replied absently.
"Just Obi-wan, like old times." Obi-Wan smiled mildly at him.
"Did you mean the Naboo Occupation? It was a terrible time. I hope it will not repeat, but I'll call you Obi-Wan if you want." He hated small talk. It didn't seem like he could get rid of Obi-Wan without a compelling reason.
"I am heading towards the situation room," Anakin said. "I need to familiarize myself with the planetary defense system before the battle."
"I would like to do it together with you." Obi-Wan seemed sincere. "Leave the bridge to Admiral Yularen."
"Then be my guest," Anakin said, trying not to grit his teeth in annoyance. He was not comfortable around the Jedi. Being close to someone who was dedicated to destroying the Sith Order was not pleasant, but it was not the only reason.
He found the way the Jedi Master carried himself annoying. Obi-wan presented himself as a charming and modest person, but Anakin knew he did not see non-Jedi as true equals. Deep down, he was still that same person who called others "pathetic lifeforms" on Naboo when he thought nobody was listening.
Anakin forced his thoughts back to the battle. The Separatists had captured the planet Christophsis to exploit its natural resources and take advantage of its strategic position. The planet had been the Republic's territory for thousands of years. He absolutely would not allow it to fall into the hands of these traitors and chaos creators.
The Separatists had held the blockade for a few weeks. They deployed a large number of warships in orbit. It was a demonstration of force to the fledgling Republic navy, trying to crush their morale.
He and Obi-Wan spent a few hours reviewing the intel and exploring the defense system's weakness. Obi-Wan had rich knowledge about the governing system, people, culture, and biosphere, which Anakin found useful.
Anakin quickly noted down the details of the defense shield, location of critical industries, and strategic position on the planet, trying to incorporate them into the bigger picture of the blockade.
He needed the Force to connect the dots together. Before he had embarked on the trip, he had practiced various ways of using the Force in front of Sidious. He was rewarded with a bolt of lighting if his master detected that he was using the Force. After some burns and self-healings, he figured out a few tricks that could go undetected by another Force user.
Anakin knew it was still reckless to use the Force in front of a Jedi, but it was really tempting to use his power. He stood up, moved away from the tactical display, facing the window with hands on his back. Shutting his eyes, he tapped into the Force momentarily. He needed a brief connection with the Force to ignite the process, but his brain would complete the work itself. Then he severed the connection, stared into the sea of stars, waiting for the plan to present itself in his mind's eyes. He would create a chain effect bringing down the Separatist defense system.
He turned around to face the Jedi, ready to go back to the discussion of strategy. Obi-Wan was looking at him curiously.
"Anakin, you looked refreshed. I mean less irritated. In a better mood."
Mood...What was his business here? Now Anakin was irritated at this invasion of his personal space, not to mention his emotions. "I was in a good mood. Let us finish the strategic session, and you will leave me alone."
Obi-Wan was his boss. He needed to control his temper and not lose his patience if he wanted his ideas approved.
"I can sense your emotions," Obi-Wan explained.
"Oh? What is it?" Anakin lifted an eyebrow.
"Anger. What are you angry about?"
"Is that your business, Master Jedi?" he huffed.
"Yes, it is. Heading towards a battle with anger is not wise. It clouds judgment, young man." Obi-Wan's voice was patient. "In Jedi's philosophy, we believe that fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, then hate leads to suffering."
It was all Anakin could do not to roll his eyes. Ah, the enlightened Jedi Master guiding lost souls. This was not the first time he experienced it.
Survivors of the Occupation of Naboo who resided on Coruscant hosted a private event every year for remembrance. He'd met Obi-wan there a few times. As a youngling, Anakin had always passionately condemned the Trade Federation's aggression, as well as the bystanders who held the power but chose to do nothing. He had not outright blamed the Jedi Order, but Obi-wan had looked at him with disapproval nonetheless. Anakin had seen the same disapproval and annoyance since they'd shipped out. It seemed it was Obi-wan's signature response to disagreement. Anakin was sensitive enough to notice the subtle expression, and he did not like it.
"I have bypassed the stage of fear? Great," Anakin snapped back. "No. I think differently. When you endure suffering, you gain determination. What didn't kill me made me stronger. This is about survival. Anger is a natural instinct. I revel in it."
"I am wondering why you think in that way." Obi-Wan looked at him thoughtfully.
Anakin was hit by this comment, feeling nervous. He may have said too much, but he felt compelled to defend his position further.
"Why do I think in that way? It was about how things started. I came to Naboo as a refugee. I longed for peace and safety, but I ended up in a war zone. A peaceful world was ruined by senseless cruelty. I spent days digging graves and burying bodies. My friends' dying breaths still echo within me. I will not let it go as long as my heartbeats." He made a broad gesture towards the stars outside the ship. "Sheer willpower keeps me fighting back, against atrocities like this."
"It sounds self-tormenting. I lost my Master Qui-Gon in the Occupation. Eventually, I found peace. I hope that one day you get it as well." Obi-wan quickly tapped the desk with a finger. "We need to catch up. It has been 10 years. When I met you, you were a child. Now you are assigned to be my deputy. We'd both benefit from knowing each other better. What did you do after the Occupation?"
Anakin was further agitated by Obi-Wan's patronizing words. "Is this an interview? I will answer if I get my turn."
Obi-Wan nodded in agreement and Anakin plowed ahead.
"I moved Coruscant to continue my education: languages, science, and politics, stuff like that. Later, I became interested in military affairs. My father thought Coruscant's luxurious lifestyle was distracting. He sent me to travel around the Galaxy to see what real life looked like, under the supervision of a few of his personal friends." He hated the fact that one of them was Dooku. At least Anakin had enough practice with this scripted version of his life story. He hated lies, but this answer was true from a certain point of view.
"When I was old enough, I enrolled in the Academy. You know the rest of it," he finished hurriedly. "My turn. What was the reason that the Jedi Order refused to help Naboo during the Occupation? I want your answer, not what the High Council dictated."
"Now I know where your grudge came from." Obi-Wan sighed. "The Jedi are peacekeepers. Our strength is in mediating conflict, not becoming part of it. We usually do not take sides when two Republic systems have a conflict. Your father understood this. Under his leadership, the Senate coordinated with other worlds to come to Naboo's aid. The conflict resolved without further Jedi intervention."
Anakin forced himself to unclench his fist. That sounded like an excuse for incompetence, but he wanted to be fair. At least Obi-Wan and his Master hadn't abandoned Naboo.
"I accept this answer and I appreciate yours and Qui-Gon's efforts. Don't get me wrong, though, I still believe the Jedi failed us," he declared.
Obi-Wan sighed but with some amusement. "Now both of us have our answers. You will be left alone in no time. Before you are dismissed, I want to let you know. You seem up to the challenge in this coming battle."
"Likewise," Anakin responded. Despite Obi-wan's frustrating lecture, the Jedi had his merit.
***2***
The Senate held an emergency session on the Separatists' hijacking of the Coruscant communication network and Dooku's statement about Sith infiltration. Padme had stayed in the conference room overnight. The incident had revealed how vulnerable the Republic's HoloNet security was. Palpatine had requested that the Jedi High Council attend the meeting to address the Sith issue.
Master Mace Windu had been the only Council member stationed in the Temple as all the others had already been sent to various battlefields. In the end, the Senate had decided that the Jedi Order would condemn Dooku's atrocities, but downplay his identity as a Sith. After all, the public did not have knowledge in this area.
Padme walked out of the Senate building yawning. To her surprise, a large crowd of people were gathered holding up signs.
"Truth! No cover-up," one read.
"Senator, are you working for the enemy?" asked another.
"Chancellor Palpatine, we demand transparent leadership!"
Her commlink rang. The blue image of Palis showed up.
"Padme, come to the Jedi Temple entrance. A lot of people are protesting, much more than the ones outside the Senate building."
She looked even more exhausted than Padme herself. The protesters were shouting in the background before her image disappeared.
The crowd outside the Jedi Temple was more energized compared to the other group. They chanted words like "Dare to tell us what a Sith Lord is?", "Jedi accountability", "How many secrets have you hidden?"
Padme felt disoriented and confused. Luckily, Palis founded her quickly.
"These people are so angry. They are vicious!" Palis exclaimed, more flustered than Padme had ever seen her. "Why are people suddenly attacking the Jedi Order simply because they heard Dooku's groundless charges? Are they influenced by the Dark Side of the Force?!"
"Woah, slow down. Let us find Master Windu. He is the person to handle this situation." Padme squeezed her friend's hand. "This is strange indeed. Why are people angrier at Jedi? Normally, people would blame the Senate, since technically we govern the Order."
"Dooku and his operatives engineered it. It is natural for Sith to target the Jedi, rather than go after politicians. Or maybe this Sidious guy is real and he wants to distract people so he won't be discovered," Palis said with fire in her eyes.
"Have you interviewed enough people?" Padme thought Palis needed a break. It was too painfully personal for her. "Let us ask for Master Windu's opinion, then we should leave. There's nothing new to learn here. It just will upset you more. You can write your report at my apartment."
As they readied to leave, a green-skinned Twi'lek young lady approached them. She held a sign which read "keep the children out of the war."
"Senator Amidala, you were against the Military Creation Act. I want to talk to you about the safety of the Jedi children on the battlefield. Some parents want their children back." She pronounced every word carefully. "I am Rackeli Loo, a lawyer representing some concerned parents. "
Padme nudged Palis. "It is exactly your topic."
Rackeli looked at Palis up and down, finally, she locked her eyes on her bright hair. "You are Red! Palis Athia, right? You write about Jedi affairs. I was advised to contact you. Are you interested in covering this story? I already sent a legal letter to the Jedi High Council."
Palis looked as if she was going to cry. "Ms. Loo, I would like to talk to you, but not today. I have to handle this thing." She gestured towards the crowd behind her.
Recheki gave them her business card and a copy of the legal letter before stepping aside to let them leave.
"A lawsuit against the Jedi Order? I had one headache, now it's doubled! Today was worse than Geonosis!"
"Usually, journalists would consider lawsuits good opportunities. More stories to write. You can stay neutral." Padme tried to lighten the mood.
"I am no proper journalist then. I should have stuck with Obi-Wan and fought Dooku with a lightsaber!" Palis took a snack out of her backpack. "I need to have a nice, big breakfast, then play with Anakin's Princess cat. I may feel better." She managed a sad smile. "Where are you Obi-Wan, the great negotiator?"
***3***
Obi-Wan was held in a prison cell. He had tried to fake a surrender to buy time for Anakin's team to take down the droid army commander, but they hadn't shown up on time. His fake surrender turned into a real one. Now he was trapped, waiting for Dooku to arrive so they could "negotiate." As little as he was looking forward to that, he was more worried about his comrades. Why hadn't they come as planned? Had they been captured as well or had they been killed?
He mused on the whole chain of events. The Republic had developed a novel type of cloaked ships, which was still in its experimental phase. Anakin proposed that they used it to run the blockade.
A reckless plan.
The ship could be blown into oblivion if the cloaking device malfunctioned during the mission. And, if the pilot failed to sneak through the blockade quietly, the whole mission was doomed.
Despite Admiral Yularen's vehement opposition, Anakin had still gotten his way. He volunteered to pilot the ship, bringing a squadron of clones. They would get on starfighters after they ran through the blockade. They would abandon the ship after setting it on autopilot on a collision course with the major power generator. The ship would be used as an invisible missile to take down the power supply of the planetary defense shield.
This segment of the plan had gone smoothly enough. From the Separatists' perspective, the starfighters had come seemingly out of nowhere. In their effort to bring down the starfighters, the Separatists had ended up hitting several of their own ships. Anakin's team sustained heavy causality, but the planetary defense shield had been destroyed as planned. Obi-Wan had taken quick advantage of the opening, bringing down troops for the ground invasion.
He had anticipated that the campaign would last a few weeks. The first hurdle was to neutralize the countless battle droids.
The biggest weakness of a droid army was that they could be confused if the chief tactical droid was infiltrated, even if the acting general was still in charge. Obi-Wan had quickly dispatched a recon team to look for its location.
The Republic squadrons immediately stumbled into aggressive firefights against the droid army led by Kerkoiden General Whorm Loathsom. Obi-Wan's men had been outnumbered and outpowered by the battle droids. Fortunately, they found cover behind a building. A dozen clones got on the roof, gaining the high ground. He'd known the advantage would not last long.
His recon team had successfully found the location of the tactical droid. Obi-Wan had transmitted the coordinates to Anakin, waiting for him to finish the job. It should have been fairly simple since they already got this far. Something unexpected must have happened.
As the clones had fought the battle droids, Obi-Wan had engaged in a vicious duel with a bold Dathomirian female wielding two red lightsabers. There was no doubt that she was a Darksider, but the feeling was different from his duel with the Darth Maul. She did not impose suffocating feelings in the Force, thus she was unlikely to be the Sith that Dooku disclosed.
Obi-Wan and the Darksider fought on equal footing, but the clones had not been so lucky. He tried plan B, "negotiating" his way out. Before Obi-Wan surrendered his weapon, he demanded to know his opponent's name, and he got it.
Asajj Ventress.
His lightsaber was taken away. Losing the second lightsaber in a month invoked a great deal of self-loath. The prison cell had a Holonet screen that broadcast separatist propaganda. It displayed the protests against the Jedi Order on Coruscant, with Dooku narrating it gleefully. Obi-Wan wondered how Palis felt now.
His thoughts were interrupted by the thunderous sound of explosions. The noise went on and on. It wasn't the snap bang of a grenade or the muffled whump of an artillery shell.
Orbital bombardment.
He explored the source using the Force. The attack was far away from his location, yet he still sensed tremendous pain, anguish, and death.
The lights flickered and died. The droids guards collapsed on the ground like puppets with their strings cut. Obi-Wan waited in the darkness. Images of destruction invaded his mind through the Force.
He waited in the darkness. He didn't know how much time had passed. Maybe a day, or longer.
A bright blue light lit up the corridor outside his cell. Footsteps approached, growing louder and louder. A figure turned the corner at the end of the hall. In the dim light, Obi-Wan could see it was Anakin, striding towards him with a glowing lightsaber. Obi-Wan's lightsaber. Several clone troopers flanked him.
The glow reflected on Anakin's impeccable face. His focused eyes and sharp movement conveyed an eerie sense of serenity. The imagery reminded Obi-Wan of an ancient legendary figure, the Destroying Angel .
Anakin stopped right in front of his cell. Clearly, he intended to liberate Obi-Wan with his own weapon.
"Anakin, put it down! It could cut off your arm!" Obi-Wan warned. "Just use the blaster to shoot the lock!"
To his relief, Anakin turned it off. However, the next moment he ignited it right in front of the lock, completely shattered it. The door hissed open.
"Now give it back to me. It is dangerous," Obi-Wan said sternly. "Don't be dramatic."
Anakin turned it off, and tossed it to Obi-Wan. " You are rescued, Master Kenobi. The separatist blockade is very much done. The majority of their fleet has already fled or are fleeing. Most of their ground forces have surrendered. Now we are cleaning up." He smiled triumphantly. He looked young and invincible.
"Don't be prideful," Obi-Wan reminded the boy. "The battle is not done yet. We still need to get off of the planet in one piece. By the way, how did you defeat the lady with the two lightsabers? She is a Darksider."
The clone troopers had taken their helmets off. Obi-Wan did not remember all their names yet, but he was trying. Anakin winked at one of the clones, with a big grin on his face. Obi-Wan was fairly certain he was Rex.
"Sir," Rex said, coming to attention, "the woman was guarding the entrance. She deflected our blaster shots and injured a few of our men. We were able to get closer to her and keep her busy. Lieutenant Commander Skywalker and Echo arrived in their starfighters. She couldn't fight off attacks from above and on the ground. She dropped your lightsaber and ran."
"Coward," Anakin added distastefully. "No doubt a student of Dooku."
"Insightful, young man." Obi-Wan joked, then cleared his throat. "Time to return to the Resolute. Something went wrong. The opponent knew our moves. Besides, Admiral Yularen has a lot to explain about the orbital bombardment. It was not part of the plan."
"I asked him to," Anakin declared as he strode toward the exit. Obi-Wan was unimpressed. It was a decisive victory to be sure, but the collateral damage was concerning. Innocent people had lost their lives. It was not the Jedi way.
As if knowing what he was thinking about, Anakin stopped walking. He turned around and looked at him pensively. "People die one way or another. It is the way of war. Deal with it."
***4***
The protest in front of the Jedi Temple waged on and on. The Jedi Council made an announcement about Dooku. This statement didn't appease the protestors. They demanded that the Jedi and the Senate investigate this internal Sith threat.
"You can't sweep it under the rug," angry people shouted.
Rackeli yawned. After reading such news day after day, she grew irritated by both the protestors and the way that the Jedi Order responded. This was inefficient. Chancellor Palpatine and the Chair of the Senate Counter Intelligence Committee already announced that they would take this matter seriously, and promised an investigation. The Jedi Order only needed to say that they would do their part, then the chaos would stop. Instead, they insisted that the investigation of a Sith should be kept within the Jedi Order with no public interference.
They probably had a good reason, Rackeli would give them that. That journalist Red had written a few pieces on the topic that Jedi answered to the Senate only for diplomatic and peacekeeping missions. They stayed independent on internal affairs, such as how they practice their faith and anything to do with the Force, including how to deal with the Sith. She sensed that the way Jedi raising younglings must fall under the latter category.
Intellectually, she understood why the Order had its own way of operation. It was freedom of religion. She had ultimate respect for that. However, practically, she had to move the "Concerned parents v. Jedi Order" case forward. Her legal letter must have been sitting idly on some Jedi's desk while they were on the battlefront saving the Republic from collapsing. She wanted a solution to bring back the children swiftly. Then everyone could focus on their important matters.
An idea struck her. The battle of Christophsis was a tide-changing victory for the Republic. But there were heated debates about whether the orbital bombardment was necessary or even legal. Some media called for Anakin and Admiral Yularen to be tried for war crimes. She recalled that a navy captain named Tarkin had been the first person to come out in their defense. He claimed that desperate times call for desperate measures. The Christophsis planetary leaders and Senate majority stood firmly behind the orbital bombardment decision. The people who advocated for the charges were blamed for being unpatriotic and anti-Republican.
Was the bombardment a war crime? Maybe yes, maybe no. But it became patriotism when it had the public opinion backing it up.
Tomorrow she would attend the protests. She would no longer quietly stand outside the crowd, holding a small sign while waiting for powerful politicians.