Chapter 44
"Magnificent, aren't they?"
The proud words of Lama Su, the Kaminoan Prime Minister, reverberated through Ben's mind as they were led on a tour of the cloning facility. They were shown a dining hall, barracks, and classrooms all filled with identical beings, and Ben was finding it hard to hide his shock. He wondered how Obi-Wan could remain so calm, playing his part perfectly as the story unfolded in front of them. A Jedi master named Sifo-Dyas had ordered a clone army on behalf of the Republic in the name of the Jedi Council. Even as the debate wore on in the Senate over even the possibility of an army of the Republic, one sat waiting, ready for action.
At Obi-Wan's request, they were led to the apartment belonging to Jango Fett, bounty hunter, template of the clone army, and hopefully someone with answers. Though the deeper they dug, Ben liked what they were finding less and less.
A boy answered the door, one identical to the many Ben had seen in classrooms throughout their tour.
"Boba, is your father here?" their guide asked.
"Yep."
"May we see him?"
"Sure," the boy said, shrugging.
At first glance, Jango Fett looked no different than his clones, except that he was roughened by life. His unshaven face was tanned and weather-beaten, bearing the scars of many battles fought. But, the most noticeable thing about the bounty hunter was his immediate suspicion and unease. Fett was hiding something.
"Jango, this is Jedi Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi. He has come to check on our progress," Taun We announced.
"That so?" Fett said, sizing up the Jedi master. He then turned to Ben and nodded his head. "Does the kid have a name?"
"I'm sorry," Obi-Wan said. "This is my apprentice Ben'dek Itires."
"A pleasure to meet you," Ben said, making a formal bow without taking his eyes off the bounty hunter.
"Your clones are very impressive," Obi-Wan commented casually. "You must be very proud."
"I'm just a simple man, trying to make my way."
Ben knew the routine. Casual, non-confrontational chat would lead up to the more pointed questions. Still, he didn't like the tone in Fett's voice and liked the cold stare fixed on his master even less.
Xanatos found Anakin lying on a bunk in one of the rooms on the transport provided to them. To his dismay, Anakin was shielding heavily, but he could still sense the confused mass of emotions seeping from beneath those shields.
"We are a couple of hours out, Padawan."
"Where's Padme?" Anakin asked softly, studying the ceiling intently.
"I asked her to wait in the cockpit and allow us some privacy."
Anakin's gaze snapped toward his mentor. "Why?"
"You have a battle to fight with your emotions … now. If you are still in this state when we arrive on Tatooine, I will go find your mother on my own while you wait at the homestead."
"No!" Anakin protested heatedly.
"Then you need to get a hold of yourself," Xanatos said firmly
Anakin looked back at the ceiling, his eyes sliding shut as he took a deep breath. He began to shake his head. "Master …"
"First, the fear, Anakin," Xanatos soothed as he sat down on the end of the bunk. "You must right now, here in this room, face the possibility that your mother may already have passed, or could die."
Xanatos knew it was harsh, but he equally knew that his apprentice had all his hopes resting on the fact that Shmi was alive. Anakin needed to be prepared for his greatest fear at the moment to be true.
Anakin's lip began to tremble, tears pooling in his eyes. "What do I do if she is gone, Master?"
"It will hurt, and I can do nothing to spare you that pain," Xanatos answered honestly. "We will grieve her together with your family and cherish the warm memories we have. In time the hurt will lessen, but it will never go away. But know this, Padawan. You will not be alone."
Anakin reached up to wipe his eyes, taking deep breaths to calm himself.
"And now, the anger," Xanatos said.
"What?"
"You know what I mean," the Jedi master said softly.
Anakin lay still for a moment, jaw and fists clenching tightly. He sat up to face his master, more tears clouding his eyes. His voice quivered as he spoke.
"I remember hearing stories from when I was younger of what they do to people. They are savages … animals … and I know they must be doing horrible things to her."
Xanatos ran his hands over his face. Anakin had been angry before, but he had never walked this close to the edge.
"If you do not release this to the Force, it will consume you. I will help you …"
"You want me to meditate?" Anakin asked, half sobbing, half laughing. "I can't even begin to focus, Master. It's killing me to just sit here idly."
Xanatos thought for a moment, resting his chin on folded hands. "You've often told me that life seems so much easier when you are fixing things," he finally said.
"Yes, Master."
"Good."
Xanatos quickly drew and ignited his saber before plunging the blade into the door control, sending sparks flying. Anakin's jaw dropped as he surveyed the blackened panel.
"Master?"
"This is a borrowed vessel. It looks like you have work to do," Xanatos said as he started down the corridor, leaving a very shocked apprentice in his wake.
"Tell your Council the first battalions are ready," Lama Su said as Obi-Wan and Ben stood at the door, ready to leave. "And remind them that if they need more troops, we will need time to grow them."
"I won't forget. And thank you," Obi-Wan replied graciously.
"Thank you."
Both Jedi pulled their robes around them, bracing against the wind, rain, and sprays of water jetting up from the ocean. Ben glanced back to make sure the Kaminoan Prime Minister had left before speaking to his master. He had made a long mental list of questions during their visit.
"Who is Master Sifo-Dyas?"
"I know very little about him, other than he was a respected Jedi Master, and that he died about 10 years ago," Obi-Wan replied. "He would have had the access to erase data from the Archives."
"Do you think this Jango Fett is our assassin from Coruscant?"
"I'm almost positive," Obi-Wan replied, stopping by their fighter. "But, there are still too many questions. We need to contact the Council to see how they want us to proceed." Obi-Wan addressed the astrometric droid sitting in the craft. "Arfour, relay this, 'scramble code five,' to Courscant, care of 'The Old Folks' Home.'"
With a series of whistles and beeps, a small holographic image of Masters Yoda and Windu appeared, grainy from interference by the rain. The droid began to relay the transmission as Obi-Wan stood and explained their status.
"We have successfully made contact with the Prime Minister of Kamino. They are using a bounty hunter named Jango Fett to create a clone army. I have a strong feeling that this bounty hunter is the assassin we're looking for."
"Do you think these cloners are involved in the plot to assassinate Senator Amidala? Mace asked.
"No, Master. There appears to be no motive."
"Do not assume anything, Obi-Wan," Yoda said. "Clear, your mind must be if you are to discover the real villains behind the plot."
"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan acknowledged. "They say a Master Sifo-Dyas placed the order for a clone army at the request of the Senate almost ten years ago. I was under the impression he was killed before that. Did the Council ever authorize the creation of a clone army?"
"No. Whoever placed that order did not have the authorization of the Jedi Council," Mace answered.
"The bounty hunter mentioned someone by the name of Darth Tyranus."
The two members of the Council looked at each other briefly before returning their attention to Obi-Wan.
"The name of a Sith this is … a matter of grave concern." Yoda looked away a moment in thought. "Into custody, take this Jango Fett. Bring him here. Question him, we will."
"Yes, Master. I will report back when we have him.
The holographic image of the Jedi Council members disappeared. Ben looked to his master. "Why do I have a feeling he isn't going to come without a fight?"
"Because he isn't, of course," Obi-Wan stated. "Let's go."
Anakin paced back and forth, booted feet kicking at the sand as he took in one deep breath after another. They had arrived around midday. Both he and Xanatos had agreed that waiting until night and the cover of darkness would be best. It had been a tremendous test of his patience to be so close but do nothing.
He heard the door of the Lars homestead close and turned to see his master approaching. Long-legged strides carried the Jedi master quickly, his long cloak flapping in the late day breeze. Padme walked on one side of him, Owen on the other.
"Are you ready?" Xanatos asked, pinning his apprentice down with searching blue eyes.
"Yes."
Xanatos' gaze lingered on Anakin a moment longer, probing tendrils of the Force evaluating the young man's emotional state across their bond. The Jedi master's eyes narrowed briefly before he turned to Senator Amidala.
"Obviously ..." He smiled. "You will have to stay here. These are good people. You'll be safe."
The two Jedi settled down into the speeder and Owen approached, leaning in to face them both. "Bring her back," he said.
With a final nod, Anakin powered up the speeder and started off into the setting Tatooine suns.
Ben trailed his master's steps as they found their way back through the cloning facility. Since Obi-Wan had spoken with the Council, the padawan had felt uneasy. It wasn't the first time he had disagreed with a decision. He could think of very few times he was actually insubordinate, but it grew more difficult the older he got to hold back his own opinions. His master said that it was part of approaching knighthood and always welcomed the second point of view. This time, however, Ben didn't agree with the collective wisdom of the Jedi Council, and it troubled him.
"Master?"
"Yes, Padawan?" The Jedi master's voice expressed quiet concern as he slowed his steps so that Ben could walk at his side. "Is something troubling you?"
"Yes. Why did the Council ask for us to bring Jango Fett back to Coruscant for questioning? It is obvious he is working for someone, and he seems hardened enough that it is unlikely he will talk."
"It is not our place to question the Council's mandate, Ben."
"I know, Master. I just wonder if apprehending him will only alert someone more dangerous that we are on to them."
"Possibly," Obi-Wan said in agreement. "More likely, they already know we are on to them."
Obi-Wan stopped, his face shifting to a teaching expression that alarmed Ben. He was about to be put on the spot. "What would you do?"
"It's not my call, Master," he answered. "The Council has given us instructions."
"If you were a knight, and the Council had left the situation to your discretion."
Ben shifted uneasily under his master's studying gaze. Obi-Wan always seemed to know when he had thought out an alternate plan. "A tracking device to his ship – follow him, and see who he leads me to?" he suggested.
Obi-Wan stared at him for a moment before letting out a weary sigh as he continued down the corridor. "I don't think I am going to get any sleep after you're out on your own."
"And why is that Master?" Ben asked, half-laughing.
"That is a completely reckless idea," Obi-Wan said sternly.
"This coming from someone who just dove out a window …"
"You're never going to let that rest, are you?"
The Jedi master's eyes twinkled with amusement. Ben smiled mischievously.
"Never, Master. My padawan's padawan will hear how Master Obi-Wan …"
Obi-Wan put a finger to his lips. They were near Fett's quarters. Both Jedi immediately dropped the easy-going banter and turned their complete attention to the situation at hand. They approached the door. Obi-Wan felt around the upper edge of the door until he triggered the locking mechanism. The door slid open, revealing a room that was in complete disarray. The Fetts were gone, and they had left quickly.
"Where are they?" Ben asked.
Obi-Wan made his way to a monitor, calling up a picture of the landing platform. The Fetts were there, unhitching the lines on their ship. Jango Fett was dressed in the armor he had tried to hide earlier, the same bounty hunter they had seen on Coruscant.
"Let's go," Obi-Wan said.
The door opened onto the landing platform and a strong gust of wind ripped at the Jedi's cloaks. If possible, it was raining even more than before. Obi-Wan and Ben rushed toward the ship, both drawing and igniting their sabers in one coordinated movement.
"Careful. It is slick out here," Obi-Wan warned.
The bounty hunter, Jango Fett, looked up at them. He drew his blaster and fired as the boy, Bobba, quickly scurried onto the ship. Obi-Wan deflected the blast, and Jango rocketed up over them, landing on top of a nearby tower. Even from a higher angle, the next round of blaster fire was no match for the two Jedi, each shot expertly deflected back at the bounty hunter who sought cover behind the tower.
The ship began to move. Jango used the distraction to fire an explosive that sent both Jedi flying backwards. Obi-Wan's saber skid across the wet ground. Ben scrambled to his feet, coughing and sputtering, his eyes widening as he saw that the ship's laser cannons were aimed at them. He pushed Obi-Wan out of the way as the weapons' fire cut a path across the landing platform, throwing them to the ground once again.
"I have to get my saber," Obi-Wan groaned. "Get the boy."
Ben obediently made for the ship. Glancing back over his shoulder, he saw Jango Fett land in front of his master. Obi-Wan charged the bounty hunter. He hesitated and began to rejoin the fight, only to have his master call to him. "Go!"
Ben made it to the ship just as the landing platform retracted and the door sealed shut. "You're going to make me cut through, aren't you," he muttered as he balanced himself below the door and plunged his saber into the metal. He looked back to the fight. Fett had now taken to the air, dragging Obi-Wan by a cord wrapped around his wrists. "I don't have time for this," he cursed.
The metal began to glow a fiery red. A small explosion caused Ben to look away yet again, and he almost lost his footing. Obi-Wan had managed to disable the bounty hunter's rocket pack. "Come on, come on," he mumbled impatiently when a burst of warning sang through the Force. He turned just in time to see both Obi-Wan and the bounty hunter disappear over the platform edge.
"Master!" Ben yelled, pulling his saber away. He slid off the ship and began to run. The platform rumbled as the ship's laser cannons chased him across the slick surface. He fell to the ground, trying to control his speed as he skidded uncontrollably. His body jolted painfully as he hit the wall, and then he blacked out.