"aaaa" - talking through a holocomunicator or comlink. aaaa - inner thoughts and Force Visions. 'aaaa' - talking through a bond.
AN: Thank you princesselsaamidala22 for your review of the last chapter.
If you haven't already done so, please check out Rosella's character bio that I have posted to my profile!
I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. This chapter took me quite a while to write as I had to include a small backstory to explain why Padmè was on Naboo. Plus I had to go out of town this past Wednesday to attend a funeral.
I decided to leave Peppi's lines as they were in the show since I didn't want to have to figure out how to change some words into how the Gungan's speak.
When Padmè is called back to Naboo to investigate a droid sighting, she discovers something much worse which leads to Anakin and the rest of their family rushing to Naboo to see just exactly what she has found.
Happy reading!
Chapter 12: Saving Naboo
Captain Typho and two of his men were outside of Theed.
One of the men had dropped onto the grass and was using a pair of electrobinoculars to see if he could spot anything. Suddenly he pulled them away from his face. "Captain! I've spotted a small group of droids making their way through the valley!" One of the guards quietly reported as he didn't want to alert the droids to their presence.
After heading back to the speeder that they had taken from the palace, and grabbing a grenade launcher, all three of the men quietly snuck back to the hillside. The second guard knelt with the launcher over his right shoulder. Typho did the same, making sure to withdraw his blaster pistol from his holster. The guard who had reported the droids was lying flat on his stomach.
Typho and the other guard glanced at the one who was holding the launcher. The Captain nodded and the weapon was fired. The rocket flew through the air and slammed into the group of droids, causing the B1 battle droids, who were on personal speeder bikes, to careen off course and crash into the ground. The tactical droid wasn't able to stop in time and swerved, losing control of his speeder bike and crashing over a small dune.
As soon as the guard slung the launcher over his shoulder, all three men got up off the ground. Once Typho and his men carefully made their way down the hill, they ran over to the wreckage and grabbed the tactical droid as well as one of the B1 battle droids, seeing that they were still intact. After climbing back up the hill, they loaded both droids into their blue speeder. Then they got in and headed back to the royal palace.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I do hope our beautiful planet is not being threatened. Queen Neeyutnee thought to herself as she stared out of the windows that lined the walls of the elegant throne room. Almost all of Theed was spread out below her. It was peaceful, calm and quiet. She sighed as she was waiting for a report from her loyal and most trusted Chief of Security whom had gone and taken two of his men to scout the plains.
Suddenly one of the guards came into the room. He looked around and once he had spotted the Queen, he made his way towards her and bowed once he had reached the bottom of the small flight of stairs. "Your Majesty," he said.
"Yes?" Neeyutnee asked as she turned around and looked at the guard, who had straightened up.
"The Captain wants to see you in the droid repair room milady. We have found something that you need to see," the guard told her.
The Queen nodded as she descended the stairs. Then she gestured to the guard to go ahead of her. "Lead the way," she said.
The guard turned around and headed out of the throne room, the Queen behind him.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Captain Typho bowed as soon as the Queen entered the room. Neeyutnee looked towards the table in front of her and saw the powered-down tactical droid. She looked to her left and saw the broken battle droid. Then she looked back at Typho. "Where did these droids come from Captain?" She asked.
"My men and I were out scouting and happened to spot a small squad of droids in the grassy wastelands outside of Theed," Captain Typho told the Queen. "We managed to take the droids by surprise and defeat them. After we were sure that they had been taken down, we captured the tactical droid that was with them. We also took one of the battle droids as well as you have no doubt seen on the other table. We have dismantled it out of precaution and your safety. I'm afraid we do not know where they were headed or where on the planet they were coming from."
The Queen looked visibly shaken as soon as she heard the troubling report. Turning to leave the room, she said, "If you will excuse me Captain, I'm going to call Chancellor Palpatine and have him send Senator Amidala to assist us with this matter."
Captain Typho bowed. "Yes, your Majesty," he said as he straightened and watched her leave the room.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Neeyutnee sighed as she sat on her throne watching as Chancellor Palpatine's hologram disappeared. She knew that she didn't have a choice. Yes, she was the ruling monarch, but the young Queen wasn't a warrior. There was also so much that she and her staff didn't know about their current situation. Since she didn't know if this was going to lead into another invasion, she hadn't placed the planet on high alert as she didn't want to worry her people.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
As soon as Padmè got the message from Chancellor Palpatine, who informed her that Queen Neeyutnee requested her presence concerning a matter of droids on Naboo, she dropped everything, collected Jar-Jar, as well as Threepio and made her way to her silver plated H-type Nubian yacht, which had been a gift from the previous ruler, Queen Jamillia. She took off from the floating platform, made her way into space and took off for Naboo, hoping that the droids that had already been found were just leftovers that had been missed when they had cleaned up the mess that had been left behind from the failed invasion when she had been Queen.
As soon as they exited hyperspace near Naboo, Padmè flew her ship down to the planet, over the grassy wastelands and some Shaak that were drinking from a stream and headed to the palace.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Queen Neeyutnee and Captain Typho entered the hangar and watched as a silver plated Nubian ship flew in, turned around and landed on the ground.
As soon as the engines had been turned off and the ramp was safely on the ground, Padmè exited with both Jar-Jar and Threepio close behind her. "We came as soon as we could milady," she said. "Have you located any more droids?"
"Only those three," Queen Neeyutnee said as Captain Typho came up next to her and crossed his arms, a seemingly unhappy look on his face as his lips had curled into a frown. "But what I can tell you is that those droids are certainly not tourists. Please Senator, you must convince the Senate or the Jedi Council or whomever is in charge of this horrible war that we are threatened."
Padmè could tell that the Queen was worried about what this would mean for Naboo and its people. "I'm afraid that the Senate and the Jedi Council will need more proof than what you have told me. Finding a couple of battle droids will not be enough to convince them that there is any sort of Separatist movement or threat to the planet," she told the Queen and Captain Typho in a placating manner that worked fairly well in heated Senate debates.
As soon as the words left Padme's lips, the communicator on Typho's wrist went off. The Captain uncrossed his arms and pressed the answer button.
"Captain Typho, the droids that you brought in are now ready for analysis," a guards voice said.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
A TB-2 medical droid put down the head of a dismantled battle droid that it had been holding on the table and walked over to another table which contained the T-series tactical droid that Typho and his men had recovered from the plains.
"Have you been able to recover any more information from the droids themselves?" Padmè asked as she and the others walked into the room.
"None at all," the Queen replied, shaking her head as she walked past the medical droid and stood on the other side of the table. "Since this war started, the Naboo Security have adopted a very strict policy in which they prefer to shoot first and retrieve data later."
Typho, Jar-Jar, Padmè and Threepio took their places around the table that the med droid was already standing at. The tactical droid was laying in front of them, devoid of all power.
"Hmmm," Padme said as she noticed that the tactical droid was dotted here and there with mud. She gestured to the machine. "If the droids were found in the grasslands, then why is this one covered in mud?"
"That is another question that we want answered Senator," Typho told her.
Jar-Jar suddenly lifted his head in the air, no longer interested in the ongoing conversation. He took a few sniffs, smelling something in the air. Glancing behind him, he spotted the other table. Narrowing his eyes, he noticed a blue slug beetle that had crawled out from the dismantled battle droid.
"Ooh yummy yummy!" Jar-Jar said as he went to try and catch the beetle.
The Queen watched as Jar-Jar walked away, then turned her attention to the medical droid as he then picked up a small circular saw which instantly began to rotate and buzz. As it went around them to the head of the table, Threepio raised his hands and backed up in fear.
As the medical droid began to cut into the head of the droid, Threepio said, "I'm getting a bad feeling about this. With your permission, Senator Padmé, I would like to shut down before I get sensory overload." The protocol droid watched as the metal claws that the 2-1B had for hands took away the white metal covering that was on the droid's head and placed it to the side. Then the golden droid began to walk away.
"Permission denied," Padmè said as the medical droid began to mess around with the wires and circuits inside the prone droid.
"Denied?" Threepio asked as he turned around.
"We need to trick this droid into thinking that he is somewhere else and not on Naboo. He'll respond better if you interrogate him Threepio. You are the only one who may be able to get any information out of him," Padme told him as she gestured to the droid with her right hand.
Without warning the tactical droid sat up, its head shaking from side to side in confusion, which caused both Padmè and Threepio to jerk away in caution. The optical receptors inside his head flickered and then turned off, not allowing him to see. "I cannot see," the droid said. "Where am I?"
"Ooh yummy yummy!" Jar-Jar said as his eyes were focused on the blue bug, rather than the droid interrogation that was going on behind him. The Gungan's long pink tongue shot out to try and catch the treat, but instead it got stuck on the body of the battle droid.
Seeing that it wasn't needed at the moment, the medical droid walked away.
Threepio stood a few meters away and spoke to the tactical droid. "There is no need for alarm as you are safe and in very good hands on board a Separatist ship," he said as Padmè walked around behind the protocol droid and nodded toward the tactical droid as she pointed to it with her right hand. With slow, hesitant steps Threepio stepped closer to the tactical droid and continued speaking. "Count Dooku is here aboard this vessel and he would like to reward you for your brave service."
The tactical droid turned his head towards Threepio and asked, "Brave service?"
"For accomplishing your assignment on Naboo," Threepio said. "Please try and remember what was left in your memory banks as we all want to hear your tale of medical heroics and how you kept the Naboo forces at bay."
"V-virus," the tactical droid said.
The Queen and Captain Typho looked at each other as soon as they heard the word virus. That couldn't be good at all.
C-3PO continued his interrogation, saying, "So you do remember what is in your memory banks." The protocol droid looked at Padmè who gave him a grateful nod, then back at the droid. "Please continue as I'm sure Count Dooku would like to hear more about this virus."
Jar-Jar had managed to get his tongue unstuck and sniffed the air again as he looked around, smiling as he caught sight of the bug. It was sitting on the rim of a dismantled R series astromech droid. He leaned back and stuck out his tongue, but this time it got caught in the gears of the droid. The Gungan cried out as he was dragged towards it.
"A small amount leaked out," the tactical droid said. "Must contain. Naboo cannot know."
Meanwhile, Jar-Jar tried to free his tongue as he was still being dragged towards the astromech head. Then he yelped as his head got stuck inside it and he fell backwards over another empty table. He stood up and tried as hard as he could to get the pale pink head to come off.
"The lab must remain secret," the tactical droid said as he finished speaking.
Padmè started to think.
"A lab on Naboo?" C-3PO's voice suddenly got very excited as he had successfully gotten the much needed information out of the tactical droid. "Do you know where it is located? You must tell…"
Padmè quickly walked forward and wrapped her hand around C-3PO's mouth in an effort to keep the droid from saying anything further, but it was too late.
"It must remain a secret. This is not a Separatist ship," the tactical droid said, as it realized that it had been tricked into spilling it's closely guarded secret.
Typho pulled out his blaster and aimed it at the tactical droid's head while saying, "Unless you want to become a pile of parts destined for the scrap pile, I suggest you start talking and give us the location of that lab."
Even though the droid couldn't see the threat, he knew it was there.
The gears inside the head of the astromech droid started to whir which caused Jar-Jar to wildly spin around and stumble into a shelving rack covered with droid parts. The rack wasn't exactly screwed down tight to the floor. The rack tilted away from the Gungan, falling and knocking into the rack behind it and the rack behind it and soon the whole series of shelves began to fall towards Padmé and the others.
"Lab must remain a secret," the tactical droid said again.
Padmè noticed the falling shelves and said, "Watch out!" She quickly pushed C-3PO out of the way. Not caring if she had permission or not, she grabbed the Queen, pulling her out of the way.
Typho leapt away from the table, putting as much distance as he could between him and the falling shelves.
"Uh oh," the tactical droid said as the machine was crushed beneath the shelves.
Typho turned over and looked up at the mess. The Queen, Padmè and C-3P0 were on the other side of the damaged table. The protocol droid was on the ground while Padmé and the Queen were on their knees.
The Captain made his way over to the table and knelt on the ground, checking on the droid that now lay beneath the steel and remains of the table. He stood up as Padmè was helping Threepio to his feet. The Queen was already standing as she brushed off her dress. "There is no way that we're getting any more information out of him now," he said.
They all looked at Jar-Jar, who took the astromech head off his own head. "Meesa sorry," he said as he walked over to Padmè, showing her the inside of the helmet, "It was an accident."
The beetle dropped out onto the floor.
Padmè knelt down as she saw the little blue bug. "Is this bug what you were after?" She asked.
"Meesa love him. He's a very, very good tongue grabbing. Yousa finden only in one placen," Jar-Jar said happily.
"Where?" Padmè asked as she narrowed her eyes a little.
"In the mud under the perlote tree," he told the Senator.
"Like the mud on this droid," Padmé said as she glanced towards the battle droid. Then she looked up and turned to face the Queen and Typho as she said, "The eastern swamps. I think Jar-Jar just found the location of that lab." Then she got up and ran out of the room.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Threepio, Jar-Jar, Padmè, the Queen and Captain Typho stood around the holo-table in the palace's communication room. Standing before them in holographic form was Master Yoda and Mace Windu. The Senator had contacted the Jedi Council and explained their predicament. She knew that they would be able to handle this situation far better than the Senate could.
Secretly she was glad that Master Yoda and Mace had answered the call. If Anakin had been there, the minute he heard the word droids, he would have disappeared from the hologram and probably been halfway to Naboo before he got the full briefing.
"With the information that we managed to get from the tactical droid, we can safely say that it appears that an attack on Naboo is imminent. It's the only logical explanation," Typho said to the holograms of Master Yoda and Mace Windu.
"A delicate situation, this is. Two Jedi, we will send," Master Yoda told the group.
Padmè stepped forward. "May I recommend General Kenobi and General Skywalker?" She asked. "The Gungans have always respected General Kenobi and they treat him like one of their own. Relations between them and the Naboo have been a little tense lately."
Yoda glanced at Mace and then looked back at the group. "Send them, we will," he said.
The holograms faded away.
"We are still going to need as much information as we can get our hands on. It will help the Jedi put a plan together when they arrive," Padmè said as she turned to look at the Queen and Captain Typho. "Captain, I want you and Threepio to see what you can download from the other battle droids' memory. That also includes the tactical droid. His head may still be of use to us. I'm going to head out and find that lab."
"Are you sure that's the wisest thing to do Senator?" Typho asked.
"Yes Captain, I'm sure," Padmè told him. Then she turned to Jar-Jar. "Come on, let's get moving."
The others watched as they both left the room.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Anakin, Obi-Wan and Rosella were summoned to the war room. When they got there, they found Masters Windu and Yoda waiting for them. All three of them bowed as soon as they descended the stairs.
"You asked for us Master?" Anakin asked.
"Yes, Skywalker. We did," Mace responded. "Senator Amidala has requested your presence on Naboo. The Security Forces that tend to the Queen have found some droids on the planet that seem to be manufacturing a virus. If this contaminant were to be released on both the Naboo and the Gungans, then it would be devastating for the planet not to mention the rest of the galaxy. We want you three to go there, stop whomever is doing this and make sure that virus does not leave the planet."
"Yes Master," Obi-Wan replied. "When do we leave?"
"Right now," Mace responded. "The Resolute has been prepped and Admiral Yularen knows of your mission. Captain Rex and three clone units are also on board, along with the bomb squad should you need them."
"Thank you Master," Anakin said. Then he turned to his former master and daughter. "Let's go!"
Mace and Yoda watched as Anakin, Rosella and Obi-Wan left the room.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Life was good for Peppi Bow. The female purple Gungan sat atop her lead shaak, herding her animals to the river for a drink.
Under the bright and hot sun, the river sparkled. Looking at it from up high, Peppi wouldn't have guessed that there was something wrong with the water. The shaak all lined up at the water's edge and bent their heads to drink the water from the river. Peppi was feeling a little thirsty herself, so she jumped off the back of her shaak. Finding a spot, she knelt down, placing her staff upright in the dirt beside her.
As the shaak continued to drink, the second one from the left reared his head back and began to cry out. Peppi didn't hear it as she cupped her hands and lowered them into the water. She lifted them back up, to her lips and was about to take a sip when she heard a pained bellow. Shocked, Peppi turned and watched in horror as three of the shaak to her left all fell over, their hides quickly turning a greyish color.
Peppi's horrified eyes looked to the water still cupped in her palms. She then tossed it away and quickly got off the ground. She grabbed her staff and began to force her remaining shaak away from the river's edge. "Back! Back! That water gone poodoo," she said.
As her shaak moved backwards, two more shaak, one on either side of her fell down, their hides turning the same greyish colour that the others had.
"This is muy bad," Peppi said as she walked back to the river and looked at the water.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Padmè looked around as she piloted the S-130 Shelter Speeder that they had borrowed from the Naboo Security Forces. As they flew to the edge of Naboo territory, she saw some dead shaak laying by the river. Initiating the landing cycle for the craft, she set the ship down by the statue that marked where the Naboo's land ended and the Gungan's began. Once the ramp was on the ground, they both disembarked, dressed in protective hazmat suits.
Jar-Jar, who had his arms wrapped around himself, uncrossed them and shook out his left arm as he was feeling uncomfortable in the suit. He really didn't understand how the humans could wear this and not feel the way that he was feeling. He caught up to Padmè and stopped moving, almost gawking as he took in the sight before him. A small group of Shaak were spread out in front of the duo, their bodies greying beneath the bright sun. "This is bombad," he said. "Whatsa happen to them?"
"It's the plague that's done this Jar-Jar," Padmè answered as she watched Jar-Jar kneel by one of the animals.
Neither of them noticed Peppi hiding behind the statue.
"We're definitely getting close to the source," Padme said. Then she was then knocked off her feet as the female gungan came up from behind and attacked her with her staff.
Jar-Jar's head snapped up as he felt a slight breeze race by him. As he looked around, trying to find where it came from, Peppi had snuck up behind him and in one swift move had the poor Gungan pinned to one of the dead Shaak.
Sparks flew off the back of the yellow hazmat suit as the female's staff came down on the part where the helmet met the rest of the suit. As Jar-Jar tried to get up, the female struck him again, causing even more sparks to fly off of the housing that contained the life support system. When the Gungan tried to move again for a second time, the female swept his feet out from under him with her staff and placed her foot onto his back. "Whosa are you?" She asked, throwing away her staff as she tried to remove the helmet off of Jar-Jar's head.
"What you doing?" Jar-Jar asked.
"Why yousa here?" She asked as the helmet came free.
Jar-Jar floundered a little before quickly covering his mouth. He mumbled something, then uncovered his mouth and asked, "Whatsa yousa thinkin'?" Then he covered his mouth again as he remembered that he wasn't supposed to breathe the air.
Padmè, who was already on her feet, had her blaster pistol in her hand. She pointed the weapon at the female gungan, saying, "Don't move. I don't want to shoot you if I don't have to." Then she glanced at Jar-Jar. "Jar-Jar, put your helmet back on."
Jar-Jar ran over and snatched his helmet from the female gungan. He quickly attached it back to his suit and began to take deep breaths of air.
Peppi threw her hands into the air as Padmè came closer to her, the pistol still in her hand. "Yousa okeyday. It's not in the air, it's in the water," she told the two of them.
Padmè put away her pistol and removed her helmet, a slight hiss issuing forth as the airlock was broken. "Who are you?" She asked.
"Mesa Peppi Bow," the female Gungan said as she introduced herself.
"We think the virus that made your animals sick came from the perlote trees," Padmè told Peppi.
"Yousa follow this river, yousa finda yousa perlote. Meesa take you," Peppi said as she walked away from Padmè and Jar-Jar.
"No, Peppi," Padmè said as she held up her left hand, "you stay here. We still don't know what we're dealing with here and I don't want you getting hurt." Padmè walked forward and placed her hand on the Gungan's shoulder. "You'll be going home soon, I promise. I'll send some soldiers to pick you up and take you and your remaining shaak back to Theed."
Peppi nodded.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Padmè and Jar-Jar, who had removed his helmet, did as Peppi said and soon, they were walking through the eastern swamp.
"Keep your eyes peeled," Padmè said. "Look for anything that might be out of the ordinary."
A scope popped out of the ground and swivelled around until it settled on Padmé and Jar-Jar.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"I suppose one can never have too many lab rats," an accented voice said as the man watched them move throughout the forest. As he kept watching them through his periscope, he noticed that they were two different species. One of them was a human and the other was a Gungan. His eyes, which caught on to their bright yellow suits, narrowed even further as he zoomed in on them. The only reason that they would even be wearing those suits was if they suspected something was off.
That wasn't good as he had wanted to keep the virus under wraps until the perfect moment. He knew that he had to stop them before they discovered his lab and what he was up to. He took his face away from his periscope and turned to look at a B2 and a B1 battle droid while saying, "Please, escort our guests inside."
The B1 battle droid responded, "Roger, roger."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Padmé was looking around as Jar-Jar walked past her, failing to notice the tree branch on the ground.
He stepped on it and the clumsy Gungan was sent sprawling onto the ground. He got back onto his hands and knees and saw that the ground was metal underneath. "A hatch," he said.
As Jar-Jar began to remove the dirt, Padmè pulled out a comlink and turned it on. "Captain Typho," she said, "I think Jar-Jar and I may have found something. It might be the lab that we came out here to find. Please run a geo scan of coordinates SP127. That should give us the information that we need."
Neither of them noticed a camera that had popped up from the ground from beneath a rock. They didn't notice it watching, taking in their every move before slowly falling back into the ground.
Padmè put the comlink away and knelt next to Jar-Jar. Then she sighed. "There is no way we can open this. Not without help," she said.
A group of battle droids began to pop out of the ground all around them.
"We'll just have to wait for…" Padmè said as she looked up at Jar-Jar before she was cut off.
"Freeze! Hold it right there," one of the droids said.
They both looked up and saw the droids forming a tight circle around them.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Yousa let us go!" Jar-Jar said to the super battle droids that had shoved them against a pole as they struggled against their bonds. Their suits had been stripped away from them as soon as they had been brought underground.
"Who are you?" Padmé asked. "Why have you brought us here?"
The grey-skinned man held a pair of old fashioned glasses to his face as he walked forward and bent close to Jar-Jar, who visibly gulped as he spoke. "The two of you will make wonderful lab rats for my experiments." When he got close to Padmé, he peered at her through his glasses. Padmè looked away as he asked her, "What is a life-form like you doing in a swamp like this?"
"I was just about to ask you the same question," Padmè said as she turned around and glared at the man.
The man backed away and placed the glasses back onto the belt of his bright white lab coat as he said, "Thanks to the support and money from my compassionate friends who are part of the Separatist Alliance, I am creating life." He threw his hands in the air.
"Howsa yousa creating life?" Jar-Jar asked.
"I am so pleased that you asked that question. I will gladly demonstrate it for you," he said as he turned to his left, clasped his hands behind his back and walked over to one of the shield-protected storage units that dotted the walls of the room. The shield that covered one of the units vanished as he approached. He reached in and selected one on the vials as he spoke. "Allow me to present the return of the infamous Blue Shadow virus." When he had it firmly in his hand, he leaned back and the shield locked back around the unit as he turned to face them.
"The Blue Shadow Virus?" Padmè asked as she narrowed her eyes, not believing what she had just heard. "I thought that deadly disease was extinct, never to be seen again."
"Yes, this poor virus was wiped from the face of the galaxy many generations ago, but as you can see, I have given it life once again," the man said.
"Yousa not creating life. Yousa taking life. Yousa poisoned the Gungan water," Jar-Jar said as he was outraged.
To Padmè and Jar-Jar's shock, the Faust began to laugh. Madly laugh.
"Yes…Yes! Unfortunately, in it's true original form, the Blue Shadow virus thrives only in water," he said as he turned away from his captives and walked towards a pedestal. "As you will see in a moment, I have taken great steps to improve upon that weakness." He placed the vial onto the small table, then walked down the steps and over to a bank of control systems. The Faust pulled a lever and everyone watched as electricity coursed towards the vial, striking it. Padmè and Jar-Jar turned their heads away as the electricity flashed bright and hot. They could hear the Faust's laughter as the light died. When they turned around, they saw that the liquid had disappeared and in its place was a swirling blue gas. "Your eyes do not deceive you," the Faust said. "I have indeed just made an airborne strain of the Blue Shadow Virus."
An LEP servant droid approached the man. In its metal hands was a bomb. "This is the final bomb that has been made doctor," it said.
"I'm well aware that this is the last one," the man snapped, while snatching the bomb from the droid, who whimpered in fear. "Do you really think I would lose count?"
Padmé and Jar-Jar looked as each other.
"This virus has now been turned into a gas like form," the man said as he took the vial and placed it into an empty slot on top of the bomb. The red lights on the front turned on. "By combining it with these bombs, the virus will be released back into the galaxy, even more dangerous than before."
"Have you gone mad?" Padmè asked. "There was a reason that deadly virus was wiped out. There is not a single life form in the galaxy that has any immunity to it!"
The man turned to Padmè, his eyes burning with rage as he said, "You mean murdered." He turned back to the LEP droid and handed it the bomb. "Take this away and place it with the other bombs."
"Ok," the little droid said and carefully hurried off while the doctor turned and stalked towards his prisoners.
"Meanwhile, as we speak, thousands and thousands of so called intelligent life-forms are spreading their terrible disease of war throughout the galaxy. Perhaps they are the ones who should be eradicated," he said. "Take them away."
Both Padmè and Jar-Jar struggled as they were grabbed by two super battle droids and taken to another part of the underground lab.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The sun was setting over the horizon on Naboo as a gunship flew through the air and landed in the palace hangar.
The doors opened to reveal Anakin, who had both of his arms crossed over his chest and was tapping one of his fingers on his left arm, Obi-Wan, Rosella and R2. The Knight dropped his crossed arms as he and Obi-Wan got off. As Rosella followed the rest of her family and glanced around, she frowned a little as she didn't see the Senator anywhere in sight. She had thought that the Senator would have been waiting for them to arrive. It was clear that her father and uncle thought so too.
Captain Typho ran to meet them. C-3PO and Peppi came walking up behind him. "General Kenobi, General Skywalker, we are so glad that…" He began, but was cut off.
"Where's Senator Amidala?" Anakin asked.
Obi-Wan and Rosella looked at Anakin when they heard him call Padmè by her Senate title. The teenager was thrown off for a moment until she remembered that not everyone knew that he had married the Senator. The only people who knew were the Jedi Council, Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, Padmè's parents, sister and her husband.
"She headed off to go look for the lab. None of my guards nor I have heard from her since," Typho told them, not at all offended by Anakin's interruption.
"And you let her go?" Anakin asked. It was clear from his tone of voice that he was not very happy and was obviously worried for Padmè's safety.
"Senator Padmé can be very hard to stop once she has made up her mind," C-3PO said as he came forward.
Anakin sighed. "You make a good point Threepio," he replied. "I knew it was foolish to think that she would wait here until we arrived."
Typho gestured to a female Gungan that had been waiting quietly behind him as he spoke. "This is Peppi Bow. She was the last person who saw them. Padmé sent her here for her own safety," he said as she came forward.
"Theysa looking for da sick maker," Peppi said.
"They?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Representative Binks was with her," Typho said to them.
R2 let out a sad beep.
Anakin glanced at Rosella who was standing behind him. "Go with Peppi," he told her. "Have her take you to the location that Padmé and Jar-Jar were headed to."
"Yes Master," Rosella said as she walked in-between both members of her family and over to the Gungan.
The men, R2 and C-3P0 watched as the pair left the hangar.
Once they were out of earshot, Anakin leaned towards Typho and dropped his voice so he was whispering. "Why didn't you send someone to look for them since they've been gone for what seems like a long time?" He asked.
Typho didn't flinch under Anakin's gaze. "Considering the latest pieces of information that we have received, we thought it was best to wait for you," he said.
"What sort of information?" Obi-Wan asked.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The head of one of the battle droids sat in the center of the holotable.
"We did a robo-lobotomy on one of the battle droids and managed to uncover this piece of memory," Typho said. He pressed a button and a hologram of a man wearing a lab coat appeared.
Obi-Wan crossed his arms and asked, "Who is that?"
"We were able to do an information retrieval on the hologram and found out that his name is Doctor Nuvo Vindi. He used to be the senior medic for the Perma Families before vanishing ten years ago," Typho told them.
"I have some good news my soulless automaton friends," Vindi said as his holo clutched a bomb in his right hand. "We have created enough of the Blue Shadow Virus for us to use. Now we can start filling the bombs."
"He said bombs!" C-3PO said.
R2 beeped, letting him know that he heard it as well.
"We will only need to deliver one of these powerful bomb to each key star system," Vindi said as he continued speaking. "Now work quickly. I want those bombs ready to be delivered by…" The holo cut out, but a heavy tension tinted with fear remained.
"If those bombs get delivered and even one of them gets set off, then we will be facing a galaxy wide epidemic," Obi-Wan said as he stood there with his arms crossed. He looked at his brother. "The war will be the least of our worries."
"I do have some good news for you," Typho said and keyed some instructions into the projector. A map of a multi-levelled bunker suddenly appeared, floating and slowly rotating. "Before we lost contact with the Senator and Jar-Jar, she managed to send us the coordinates for the lab. It appears to be underground. We managed to pull together this map from the geo scan of the area that we did."
"It's massive," Obi-Wan said as he looked at the maze of corridors and large chambers. "We need to come up with a plan as we cannot afford to rush into this blind."
"It looks like there are three entry points. Here, here, and here," Typho said as three sections of the map flashed red. "This appears to be the main lab." Another section of the map flashed red.
"And the bombs?" Obi-Wan asked. "Do you know where they are?"
"The scan picked up a large amount of radiation in this area," Typho told them. "With those levels of radiation, that area is most likely where the bombs are being assembled." A fourth section flashed red.
"If Padme has alerted them to the fact that we are on the planet in anyway..." Obi-Wan started to say before Anakin interrupted him.
"If she is still in there and we go in there guns blazing, Vindi could have her killed," Anakin told his former Master and brother.
Then the map of the bunker faded away.
"It's a risk we have to take Anakin," Obi-Wan said as the hologram of the lab disappeared. "We can't let Vindi or those bombs leave that lab. If even one of them gets off the planet, then we are all doomed."
"And if they or we detonate one during the attack?" Anakin asked.
"Better to have one planet infected than the entire galaxy," Obi-Wan replied.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
It was sunset by the time Rosella and Peppi found the found the ship that Padme and Jar-Jar had taken. It was set down at the edge of the Eastern Swamps.
"These the ship belonging to them," Peppi told the teenager as she pointed to it with her staff.
"If the ship is still here, then where did they go?" Rosella asked.
They rode a few meters away from the ship and then jumped off the back of the Shaak. Rosella looked around for a minute and then glanced at the ground. Her eyes widened as she noticed the tracks in the dirt. "It looks like their tracks end here," she said, glancing back up to see nothing in front of her.
As the teenager continued to look around, trying to locate anything that would help her, she heard a slight noise coming from her left. As she turned in that direction, she saw Peppi rising off the ground, balanced precariously on a scope. She quickly crouched down, placing her right hand on the dirt to help her regain her balance. "Careful Peppi," she said, slowly moving around so that she stayed one step behind it, out of view of the camera. "You're standing on a scope." She watched as the Gungan balanced precariously on top, trying not to lose her footing. "Don't let them see you."
Rosella watched the scope, timing it. As soon as she knew that it was safe for her to do so, she jumped up and wrapped her arms around Peppi, using the forward momentum to send them flying over the scope and behind the large roots of a nearby tree.
Peppi and Rosella peered from behind the roots and watched as the scope failed to see them. Upon registering that the only life form in the immediate area was one shaak, it retreated back into the ground.
Peppi and Rosella watched it disappear and looked at each other.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
It was almost nighttime. Anakin and Obi-Wan were waiting in the main hangar for Rosella and Peppi to return from their scouting mission.
"Where are they?" Anakin asked as he took a step forward and clenched his mech hand into a fist. "Rosella and Peppi should have been back by now."
"You need to be patient Anakin. I'm sure Rosella is fine and will be arriving any minute now. You seem to be a bit on edge," Obi-Wan told him as he was calmly sitting on a crate, his left hand propped up by his knee as his foot was resting on top of another crate.
"In case you haven't noticed, we are about to go up against a madman who has a deadly virus that he could set off at any time down in that bunker of his. Also, there is a good chance that we are about to destroy all life on this planet, including ours and the Senator's," Anakin said, a small bit of apprehension in his voice as he turned to face his brother as he flung his hands into the air and then dropped them back down to his sides, "so yes, I'm a bit on edge. Why aren't you?"
"I've had years of practice, so I'm a little better at hiding it," Obi-Wan said.
Anakin shot Obi-Wan a disbelieving look as he slumped his shoulders. Then his wrist com went off. "Master? Are you there?"
The feeling of relief spread through Anakin as he heard Rosella's voice over his wrist com and wiped the disbelieving expression off of his face as he held his right wrist up. "Did you find them?" He asked.
"No Master, I haven't seen any sign of the Senator or Jar-Jar," Rosella responded. "All I found are their tracks and even their footprints have disappeared into the forest. I'm pretty sure they were taken into the lab. The entire area is wired with pressure sensors. There is no way to get in without being detected. I'm more than happy to…"
"Don't even think about doing anything rash," Obi-Wan said as he leapt off of the crates where he had been sitting, thinking of a possible solution. He pressed a button on Anakin's wrist com that would alert Rosella to switch to her holocaster.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The thirteen-year-old pulled out the device and switched it on just as a projection of the bunker appeared, with one of the entrances highlighted in red. Then she heard Obi-Wan's voice. "Padawan, I want you to take one of your thermal detonators and detonate it at the south end of the facility. It should provide us with a nice distraction and seal off the bomb area while we come in through the hatches." The red area was shown exploding before switching back to her father and uncle.
"You can count on me Master Kenobi," Rosella said with a small smile on her face.
"Rex and his men will be right behind you Ella. They'll have your back," Anakin told her.
Then both he and Obi-Wan disappeared and Rosella put away her holocaster.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Anakin ended the call and looked at his brother. "Come on," he said. "We'd better get going."
Both Jedi walked forward as three gunships flew in, landed in the hangar and opened their doors. Anakin narrowed his eyes as he approached the first one.
"I hope you are prepared in case the worst comes to pass Anakin," Obi-Wan gently told him, watching as his brother got on the gunship and stopped as he leaned his mech hand on the open doorway. "Do not risk the mission trying to rescue the Senator." Then he crossed his arms over his chest. "I'll take care of the bombs. You focus on the doctor."
"I am prepared Obi-Wan," Anakin said as he sharply turned around and threw a glare in Obi-Wan's direction. "I'll make sure that I stay focused on my part of this mission." He stepped back and grabbed the overhead strap as the doors closed. Then the gunship lifted off the ground and out the open door, another one right behind it.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Night had fallen when Rosella put the plan into action.
The shaak had finished eating whatever grass was left and made its way over to where Peppi and Rosella were hiding. While Peppi soothed the nervous animal, the Padawan looked back at the area in front of her. As soon as the sensors disappeared back into the ground, she took a thermal detonator off of her belt.
Placing the detonator on her hand and closing her eyes, letting the force flow through her, Rosella focused and soon the bomb floated up off her hand. Shifting her hand so it was behind the detonator, she used the force to slowly push it away from her.
The bomb flew past trees, bushes, mud and rocks. All of a sudden, a scope popped up out of the ground. Rosella jerked her hand back and the bomb flew backwards, dropping behind a bush. She waited until the scope retreated back into the dirt. As soon as it disappeared, she closed her eyes and moved the detonator over the spot where Jar-Jar and Padmè had been when they first discovered the hatch. She opened her eyes and watched as a circle of scopes rose into the air.
"Now!" The teenager said as she let go of the detonator and ducked for cover.
The bomb dropped and exploded.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The doctor and a few of his droids stumbled as alarms went off all around them and the entire lab shook from the detention of the bomb.
Padmè and Jar-Jar, who were tied up to a pole in the middle of the room, glanced towards the ceiling. The Senator had some idea of what was going on, but Jar-Jar had a slightly fearful expression on his face.
Panicked, Vindi flew to a computer that was in the corner of the room. Glancing at the screen he said, "We have a breach!" He pressed two buttons on the panel. "All droids to hatch number one!" Turning to his left, he picked up a bio-hazard hood and walked over to both Padmè and Jar-Jar. "Friends of yours, I assume?" Then the Faust placed the hood on his head, the air hissing as it sealed in place. "They arrived quicker than I would have thought."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Three gunships flew overhead.
Rosella looked up in the air and smiled as she saw them pass over her. After having spent some time in the Temple, relaxing after her previous couple of missions, the padawan was happy to be back in the field, on the front lines, helping her family save the day.
Peppi stood up. "Meesa come too," she said.
Rosella turned around. Trying to be as gentle as she could, the teenager grabbed Peppi's hand, bringing it down to her side as she said, "No. Peppi, I need you to stay right here and make sure that whomever appears when this is all over doesn't escape."
She was sure that with herself, her father, Master Kenobi, the clones, Senator Amidala, heck, even Jar-Jar all down there, no one would be escaping from the bunker. Still, she wanted to make the Gungan feel like she was involved without putting her life in danger.
Peppi pouted and let out a disappointed sigh as she watched the young girl run off. "Okeyday," she said.
Rosella ran, her lightsaber ignited and in her hand as she raced towards the opening that her detonator had created. She deactivated her weapon as she saw that Rex and his men were already repelling down from the gunship by their heavy cables and leapt in after them. As soon as her feet touched the floor, she reactivated her saber, deflecting the red lasers back towards the droids who had fired them.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The other gunships moved into position. Three more thermal detonators were dropped from the one that Anakin was in while two were released from the gunship that Obi-Wan was on.
Suddenly two more explosions rang out through the area.
Instead of waiting for the smoke to clear, Obi-Wan spread out his arms and leapt from the open door of his gunship as another trooper repelled down while carrying his blaster riffle. Turning his body and using the Force to keep himself upright as he fell, he ignited his saber. The blue blade cast a slight glow as he landed on the ground in the middle of a brightly lit hallway. As he stood up, he was surprised to see that there were no droids around his area of the bunker.
He knew that he needed to get to those bombs, but decided to wait for his troops and the bomb squad.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Aboard Anakin's gunship, he watched as two of his men rappelled down into the hole that they had just created. Letting go of his handhold, the Knight took a few steps forward and did the same thing that Obi-Wan had done. Plunging down into the haze of smoke, he landed on the floor, took his lightsaber off his belt and held it out to the side as he ignited the weapon.
Standing up, he mentally ran through what his part of the mission was. He was to go after the doctor, while Obi-Wan handled the bombs. He also hoped that Padmè, as well as Jar-Jar, were safe. Then he heard footsteps behind him and knew that his men were arriving.
One of the men who had been the first to place his feet on the floor, turned around and said, "It's really quiet in here, General."
"That's good as it allows us to focus on our mission without any complications," Anakin said as he heard more footsteps behind him. "It means Rosella's distraction must be working."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Rosella had a confident, yet determined look in her eyes as she raced ahead, smiling as her lightsaber sliced through a super battle droid. It felt good to be back in the field. She had missed out on a mission with her father and uncle as she had been taking a small break at the Temple.
Rex waved a hand as he and his men kept laying down cover fire. "Forward! Come on men!" He called.
The small blond-haired teenager dropped into a crouch as she lashed out with her blue blade, slicing a battle droid in half. Dropping onto the floor, Rosella slid across it as she spun around and used her left leg to sweep a pair of metal feet out from under her. Popping back up, she leapt in the air and sliced the other droid in half. Quickly launching herself into a handspring, she propelled herself forward and sliced yet another B1 battle droid in half.
Two droidekas raced down the corridor, flying past two super battle droids as they rolled towards her and the men.
The teen deflected a blaster bolt that was headed in her direction before darting forward and slicing through a battle droid that was right in front of her. She then leapt onto the wall on her right and sliced another droid in half.
The pair of droidekas showed up, activated their protective shields and started blasting at the group.
The padawan's eyes widened as she saw the rolling death balls in front of her. Battle droids and super battle droids were one thing, but she knew that as long as those blue shields remained active, nothing would harm those droids.
"Fall back!" Rosella ordered her squad as she got into a better stance, silently vowing to do her best to keep Rex and her men safe. Even as she kept deflecting the lasers back at the shielded droids, one of them managed to get past her defenses and hit one of the men, causing the trooper to cry out and fall to the ground.
They immediately began to move backwards, knowing that they would mourn later.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
LEP-86C8 was on his way to the bomb room. In his metal claws, he clutched the last remaining bomb that Dr. Vindi had created in his lab. When he saw that the battle droids that the doctor kept with him get destroyed by two troopers carrying blaster riffles, he immediately turned in the other direction and quickly made his way down another hallway. He needed to find a safe place to hide until this was all over.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Anakin and his squad of clones ran down the corridor until they reached the end of the corridor. There was a door at the end. Inside, he could see that there were some droids inside. Sensing that Padmè was in the room, as well as Jar-Jar and Dr. Vindi, he raised his lightsaber as he drew near and without even thinking about the consequences that his action was going to cause, he thrust his saber through the door and began to cut into it. Two of the men took up positions on either side of their General with their riffles in their hands.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
As Padmè glanced towards the door and saw Anakin, who was slowly cutting through the thick metal, she was forced to focus her attention on the doctor as he made his way over to a control panel on the right side of the wall. Just as he reached for the switch, the door fell inwards, followed by footsteps as Anakin and his squad of troopers burst into the room.
Upon seeing the Senator, as well as Jar-Jar, bound to a pole in the middle of the room, the Knight's eyes widened and he cried out, "Padmè!"
"Don't even think about taking another step Jedi!" Dr. Vindi told him. He had his right hand on the control switch while he pointed his left one at the Jedi. "If you do, your friends will die." Then, just to demonstrate that he was being serious about his threat, he pulled the switch and Padmè and Jar Jar cried out in pain as they were tortured by constant streams of electricity. Vindi smirked underneath his hood. "I'll make this simple. Put down your weapons."
One of the men raised his blaster rifle.
"Wait!" Anakin said, as he thrust out his mech hand, while still holding his ignited lightsaber, causing the trooper to lower his weapon. He could hear both Padmè and Jar-Jar's cries of pain as they were shocked by the electricity and knew that neither he or his men had a choice in the matter. He didn't want to let the doctor escape, but he also wanted to rescue Padmè. Closing his eyes, he sighed, deactivated his lightsaber and dropped it on the floor. "Do as he says."
The clones dropped their weapons as well. A group of battle droids and super battle droids came forward and surrounded them.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Rex didn't like his group's current situation. He continued firing with both of his DC-17 blaster pistols while moving backwards to what little cover he and the remaining members of his squad had grabbed. He narrowed his eyes behind his helmet as he glanced to his left just in time to see another one of his brothers get taken down by an enemy laser. As he found an empty spot behind a piece of rubble, hunkered down behind it and kept firing, he could see that Rosella hadn't bothered to follow her own advice. In the short time that she had been with them as their commander, the teenager had definitely taken on some of the General's blatant attitude regarding following orders.
Rosella was still standing out in the open, in the middle of the room, trying to take down the two droidekas as well as the super battle droids that were behind those shield loving droids. She spun around, using her lightsaber to block the lasers that the small group were currently firing at her and her squad. "This isn't working!" She said, continuing to block as many of the lasers as she could. "I don't think I'll be able to keep this up!"
Then she glanced up at the ceiling as she heard a creaking sound that seemed to be coming from above the small group. Catching sight of a few small loose pieces of rubble that fell onto the shields, she wasn't all that surprised when a large chunk, which then broke apart into medium sized chunks, of the ceiling came crashing down on top of the group of droids.
As Rosella opened her eyes and lowered her hand away from her face, since she didn't want to breathe in any of the dust that had been scattered when the ceiling fell, she looked up to see Obi-Wan standing on top of the pile with his ignited lightsaber in his hand.
"Need some assistance, my dear?" Obi-Wan asked as two troopers, who were members of the bomb squad, dropped down behind him.
Rosella sighed and smiled as she replied, "Nice of you to drop in, Master Kenobi."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"I have realized that I won't be able to keep you where you are for long, Jedi," Vindi said as he made his way across the room to a table. In his hand, he clutched another vial of the gas made virus. Placing the vial in a secure container, he pressed a button, watching as the case sealed itself shut. He picked up the case and turned around. "That is why I'm going to give you a choice instead."
As the mad doctor walked towards the door, he passed Anakin and his men who were standing against the left wall with their hands over their heads. Four super battle droids, along with a few battle droids were pointing their blasters at them.
"That's fine with me," Anakin retorted as he narrowed his eyes at the passing doctor. "I do hope that one of those choices is killing you."
Two of the droids trained their weapons on him.
"Either you capture me or you can save your friends," Vindi said as he made his way to the panel and grabbed hold of the lever again. Pulling it down once more, he grinned as he heard both Padmè and Jar Jar scream as they were once again being tortured by the electricity.
Anakin's eyes widened and then narrowed as he made his move, even though it meant that Vindi would get away for the time being as the Faust escaped through the open doorway. He ran forward and launched himself into a tuck and roll as he went right though the droids who were holding him and his men captive. The metal machines turned and started to fire as soon as Anakin escaped from their circle like prison. He landed on his feet and held out his hand, calling his lightsaber to him. As soon as it was in his hand, he ignited the weapon and began cutting down the droids that were nearest to him. Avoiding a laser that had been fired by one of the B1 battle droids, the Knight leapt in the air as the super battle droid that was on his left fired at him, and sliced another B2 in half.
His men took it as a sign and began to attack the rest of the droids with their bare hands. Reaching out with the force, Anakin picked up the last remaining super battle droid and threw it into the switch for the electricity, causing the droid to light up as its systems were shut down by the large amount of electricity it had just received.
The electric current that had surrounded the Senator and the Gungan faded as it disappeared.
Anakin quickly powered down his saber, returning it to his belt as he raced to Padmè's side. "Are you and Jar-Jar alright?" He asked as he placed both hands on her face.
"We'll be fine," Padmè responded. "Ani, how about next time, you rescue me before you go and destroy all the battle droids?"
"I would appreciate it if I got a small thank you," Anakin replied.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Obi-Wan deactivated his saber and kept it in his hand as he and Rosella jogged down the corridor side by side, the clones following them. As they were running, he said, "Things are going well for us right now. We have secured this lab as best as we can, and hopefully Anakin has rescued both Padmè and Jar-Jar by now."
The pair skidded to a stop, with Rosella holding her saber horizontally, both hands on her hilt. Obi-Wan reignited his saber and held it up, both hands on his own hilt. They had entered another hallway only to be greeted by a super battle droid flanked on each side by regular battle droids.
"If you will excuse me, I believe I have some bombs to find," Obi-Wan said and he took off in the opposite direction with the bomb squad racing after him.
Rosella started deflecting the blaster bolts while saying, "I'll keep the droids occupied."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Anakin helped Padmè up while Jar Jar got up on his own.
The Knight turned to face his men and said, "Pick up your blasters and follow me. We can't let that doctor escape."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The door at the end of the hallway opened and Obi-Wan, accompanied by the bomb squad, ran in.
Sitting in their places on either side of the room, were row upon row of deactivated bombs, the same ones that Obi-Wan and Anakin had seen Dr. Vindi holding in that hologram back at the palace when they had been talking with Captain Typho. There were way too many of them for him to count, but he knew that every single one of them contained a vial of the airborne version of the Blue Shadow Virus. Only this new version was even more deadly than the original one that had taken the galaxy by storm generations before Obi-Wan and the rest of his makeshift family had come into existence. All that remained were the horror stories.
Now it seemed as through the Separatists were trying to bring those horror stories back to life. The Jedi Master knew that if this virus was released back into the galaxy, it could and most likely would spell doom for the Sith, the Separatists, Jedi and the Republic.
"Well, it looks like we found the bomb room," Drak, who was the head of the squad, said as he seemed to be in shock at the number of virus carrying bombs they were now confronted with.
"Yes, and luckily they appear to still be deactivated," Obi-Wan said.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Vindi was running down the hallway, clutching the virus container in his hands. Two super battle droids were flanking him. He reached out and tapped a huge button on his right wrist that lit up red.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
As if they had all been on a cue, all the bombs lit up, their timers blinking red.
"I guess I spoke too soon. Get these deactivated now!" Obi-Wan told the squad of four troopers. The bomb squad immediately got to work. He then lifted his wrist and pressed the button on his wrist com to contact Anakin. "Anakin, am I right to assume that you haven't captured the doctor yet?"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Anakin, Padmè and his men had left the room where both the Senator and Gungan had been held hostage. They were currently racing down a corridor and came to a halt at a crossroads. The Knight had his right wrist held up to his mouth. "Not yet, but I'm working on it," he said as he looked in both directions. "What about you? Have you found the bombs yet?" He picked a direction and darted down it, the others following his lead.
"Yes, but Dr. Vindi has remotely activated them and they're counting down," Obi-Wan told him.
"That's great," Anakin said sarcastically.
"And on top of that, one of them seems to be missing," Obi-Wan informed him.
"Well, at least we know it's down here somewhere," Anakin said as he contacted Rosella in the process.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Rosella," the Padawan raised her wrist as she listened to her father as he gave her a new assignment, "we've got another situation. I want you and your squad to search the facility."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"We've got a miss…" Anakin was saying into his wrist as he and his squad ran into them in an intersection.
"Master?" Rosella asked as she and her squad ran into her father and his squad.
The pair stared at each other.
Then Anakin shook himself and held out his hands as he said, "We've got a missing bomb and a trigger-happy mad doctor on the loose."
"A missing bomb?" Padmè asked as she frowned and looked at Anakin. "I saw Vindi hand a bomb to a little droid after he explained to Jar-Jar and I what he was doing here. That was after he captured us."
Anakin thought for a second and then looked over at his padawan. "Take Padmè and Jar-Jar with you," he told her. Then he raised his left hand. "Split up if you have to, but your main priority is to find that droid. My squad and I will handle the doctor." He dropped his hand and his squad of men followed him down one of the corridors.
"You heard him! Let's move!" Rosella commanded, taking her squad down the hallway south of the one her father had gone down.
Padme and Jar-Jar stood there for a minute before following Rosella and her squad.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
LEP-86C8 was currently making a panicked sort of noise as the rabbit droid made its way down one of the corridors in the bunker. His metal digits clutched tightly at the bomb in its metal claws hands. The one that was currently lit up and counting down. He knew it was the last bomb that had been made and was going to make sure that Doctor Vindi's research was not for nothing. He had to make sure that the plan was a success.
Turning to his left, the small bunny droid stopped as a set of doors opened. Then he darted into the small greenhouse as he was willing to bet that not a single one of those bad people from the Republic would find him there.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Anakin, who had split up with his squad of troopers, had his lightsaber in his left hand as he raced down the corridor towards the room where Doctor Vindi was being escorted to his Sheathipede-class transport shuttle by two B2 battle droids and three B1 battle droids.
"Wha…Jedi!" One of the battle droids cried.
Vindi turned around, his eyes widening a little in fear as he saw the male Jedi from before racing after him.
Anakin raced towards the door, using his saber to deflect a laser back into a battle droid before moving his saber to his right hand and slashing another battle droid in half. As he got into the room, both his hands were on his hilt again as he brought it down onto the last battle droid. He spun around, dissecting both of the B2 battle droids in half. Then he thrust his saber out at the mad man, who had just opened up the case and removed a vial of the deadly gas. "Going somewhere, Vindi?" He asked.
"I'm afraid that you are running out of time, Jedi," Vindi said as he held up the detonator on his wrist which was still counting down. He then dangled the vial in his hand before curling his fingers around it and throwing it in the air. "Catch!"
Anakin watched as the vial flew backwards. He deactivated his saber and hooked it back onto his belt as he ran towards the door, using a force assisted leap to catch the vial just before it smashed onto the floor. Sighing in relief, he looked up and narrowed his eyes as he saw that the door to the hangar room was closed.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Inside the room, Vindi made his way to the controls at the edge of the landing platform. He pressed a button and the circular floor began to rise into the air.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
After securing the vial in his belt, making sure that it was somewhere safe, Anakin reignited his weapon and stabbed the blade into the door. As he began to cut through it, he knew he was going to need backup so he took his right hand off his hilt and activated his wrist communicator. "Obi-Wan, Dr. Vindi's trying to escape so he can leave the planet!" He said. "He's at the landing platform!"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"I'm on my way," Obi-Wan replied as he turned and ran from the bomb room.
The troopers just kept working, deactivating bomb after bomb.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Padme had kept Jar-Jar with her as the pair raced through another corridor. Rosella and her squad had taken another set of hallways in their search for the droid. So far, there had been no sign of the small metal machine.
As the Senator ran past the small room intending to check another room that she had spotted up ahead on her left, Jar-Jar slowed down, coming to a stop as he sniffed the air. Turning to his right, he noticed the greenhouse and jumped in the air. "Ooh," he said, causing Padmè to backtrack to where the Gungan was standing. She watched as he ran into the room. "Something smells good in here."
Padmè followed him in and walked over to one of the tables as Jar-Jar headed over to another one that was covered in blue plants. As she inspected the plants, she heard a faint beeping noise from where she was standing. Quickly looking around, she spotted a small pair of feet underneath the table. Then she saw the bomb. The bunny droid drew its feet underneath the table and scooted away, the bomb clutched tightly in its metal fingers, as it didn't want to be discovered. Crouching down, she smiled at the droid as it looked at her, then the bomb before shifting its focus back onto her. "Hey there, little guy. Why don't you hand that over to me?" She asked as she held out her right hand.
The bunny droid took a moment to think about that option as it dimmed its oral receptors. Glancing at the bomb, the small droid brightened his eyes and launched itself at the Senator as it let loose a horrific growl. Padmè and Jar-Jar, who had walked up behind the Senator, yelped as they moved away from the table. Jar-Jar bumped into the table behind him and almost fell on top of it.
The small droid took the chance, ran out from under the table and bolted for the exit.
"He's getting away!" Padmè cried.
Jar-Jar got off the table and lunged for the droid, grabbing the machine by his stubby legs, causing the droid to let go of the bomb as it crashed to the ground. As the droid tried to reach for the bomb, Jar-Jar grabbed one of its back legs in an attempt to stop him, but that move failed as the small machine was able to grab the bomb and keep it in its grasp.
The Gungan was able to grab the bomb with his hands. Then he yanked it away from the small droid as the machine fell backwards onto the ground. Due to Jar-Jar's rather clumsy nature however, he lost his grip on the bomb as his arms went flying up into the air.
The bomb went flying through the air, causing Jar-Jar to take his eyes off of the droid, who took the distraction as its chance to get up and run out the door.
Padmè who saw the bomb heading straight for her, jumped up, managing to catch it as her back hit the wall and she landed on her feet. The small bunny droid, who was now standing outside of the greenhouse, ran down the corridor as Jar-Jar turned around and looked at it. She took out her comlink and switched it on. "Rosella, I found the last bomb," she said as she looked down at the timer which was rapidly counting down to zero.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Give me your location and stay there. I'll get the bomb squad," Rosella said she raced through the halls with her squad on her heels.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Obi-Wan and a squad to clones came up behind Anakin as he was cutting through the door.
"Almost there," Anakin said.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Vindi looked down at the door from his position on top of the platform as the Jedi Knight finished cutting a hole through it. Before the metal had a chance to cool off, Anakin and Obi-Wan pushed the opening down with their hands and walked into the room. The clones were right behind them.
Up on the platform, Dr, Vindi had grabbed his pistol and was currently firing at the group.
Both of the Jedi and their men managed to avoid getting hit by the first few shots and then split up as they ran into the room. Obi-Wan, who was still running towards the platform, used the force to jump up to the top. He grabbed onto the edge and hung on, but was forced to move out of the way as Vindi fired a few more shots and then aimed his pistol at him.
One of the clones was shooting back at the doctor.
"Don't shoot!" Anakin said as he moved the rifle out of the way. Then he raised his lightsaber and blocked a few of the lasers that came flying in his direction. "If he drops one of those vials, we're finished." He ducked, narrowly missing one of the lasers as it flew over his head and raced forwards. Then he force jumped up to one of the smaller ledges that led to the top of the platform.
Vindi grabbed three of the vials, and held them in his hand. As Obi-Wan was about to climb up on top, the mad doctor threw the vials away as they were useless to him. Calling on the Force to aid him, Obi-Wan leapt backwards from the edge of the platform, catching two of them in the air as he fell towards the ground. Landing on the hard metal surface, he rolled over twice, managing to catch the last one before it smashed onto the ground.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Up on the surface of Naboo, the sun was shining. Peppi had spent the entire night in the Eastern Swamp with the Shaak that she and the young girl had ridden, waiting for something to happen. Suddenly, the female gungan looked down at the ground as it split apart beneath her feet, sending the shaak running while she hopped to one side. "No, no-sa!" She said as she dove for cover and fell on the ground.
Anakin, who managed to make it up on top of the platform, jumped, using the force to fly over the doctor and land in front of him. He grabbed his lightsaber, ignited it and pointed it at the doctor. "You're under arrest, Dr. Vindi. I can assure you that you will pay for what you've done here," he said.
Vindi, who had his blaster raised in the air, growled under his breath, and narrowed his eyes at the male Jedi who stood in front of him. Then he frowned and threw his blaster on the ground.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Peppi looked up and watched as a landing platform with a ship on it lifted up out of the ground. She saw the Jedi who had been in the palace earlier standing there, pointing a blue blade at a man who was standing there with a case in his left had to be the sick maker!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Dr. Vindi reached into the open case and took out a vial.
Anakin's eyes widened as he saw what Vindi was about to do with the vial that he held in his hand.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Peppi saw the vial and used her staff to help her stand up. Then she ran towards the platform.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Vindi began to laugh maniacally, not realizing that Peppi had climbed up onto the platform behind him. Anakin noticed her but didn't say anything. All he did was raise his right eyebrow a little. As the doctor was about to smash the vial onto the ground and release the virus into the air, Peppi ran forward and slammed into the Faust with all her weight, causing him to let go of the vial.
Anakin deactivated his weapon, pushed himself into a force-assisted dash, just managing to grab the vial before it smashed onto the ground.
Peppi landed on her feet, watching as the man whom she had just tackled, rolled away from her. She jumped on top of the Faust as his container of vials tumbled out of his reach.
Vindi backhanded Peppi, trying to escape so he could go after the container. He managed to get to his feet, but the Gungan smacked him with her foot, knocking him back to the ground. She hit his helmet with the bottom end of her staff, forcing him to roll over. Then she proceeded to bash his helmet with the other end of her staff, causing it to short circuit.
Peppi got up off of Vindi. She was holding her staff in her right hand as Anakin came up beside her, ignited his lightsaber and pointed it at the man who was laying on the ground.
"Yes!" Vindi said, his sanity close to breaking. "The bombs are going off, and we're all going to die!" He laughed as he watched the countdown on his wrist. "Yeah, die!"
The red light in the middle faded away as the smaller lines stopped blinking and the beeping died. Anakin lowered his lightsaber.
"Oops. What happened?" Vindi asked.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Drak moved his wire cutters away from the bomb and said, "Deactivated. With plenty of time to spare."
Rosella, Padmè, Jar-Jar, Rex and another member of the bomb squad were in the greenhouse. They all sighed in relief at the news.
"Plenty of…" Jar-Jar said and everyone else turned in time to see him faint.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Up on the surface, Anakin activated his wrist com. "Rosella, are you there?" He asked.
Obi-Wan and the squad of clones came up behind him. Peppi was still standing beside Anakin.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Down in the greenhouse, Rosella lifted her right arm up and answered her wrist communicator. "I'm here, Master. The final bomb has been deactivated," she said. The teenager placed her right hand on her bracer as she asked, "Did you find that mad doctor?"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Yeah. He's been deactivated as well," Anakin said. "Have you seen Padmè?"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"She's standing right next to me," Rosella said and then continued in a sarcastic tone. "Just so you know, I'm okay too. Thanks for asking."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Anakin ended the communication and took his hand off his commlink. He then placed his hands behind his back, while Obi-Wan crossed his arms.
Two of the clones surrounded Vindi and pointed their blaster rifles at him. The doctor scowled angrily as he knew that there was no escape for him this time.
The gunships that Anakin, Obi-Wan and Rex had taken to get to the swamp now hovered over the platform where the Jedi and clones were waiting with their prisoner.