33. Captured

Ashoka's POV

Padme invited everybody over to her home for lunch. Anakin and the boys were deep into the search for Sidious, and they were all at the temple working. Anyway, Padme had made some Berbersian crab salad, and paired it with some red wine for a light lunch that everyone would enjoy.

"Satine, have you met Shmi?" Padme asked as they all sat around the table.

"I believe we met briefly at the wedding," said the Duchess.

"Yes, you are the Duchess of Mandalore and a good friend of Obi-Wan, right?" asked Shmi.

"Actually, Im his fiancee now."

"What?!" came a gasp from the others.

"His fiancee. You mean he actually did it?!" cried Ahsoka.

"I had no idea you were that close," said Padme.

"Really?" I asked. "Skyguy and I used to tease him relentlessly."

"He asked me out to dinner one night last week and told me that the Jedi were released from their vows. He said in all of his life there was no one else he loved beside me. He had been in love with me since the day we met. Now that he did not have to choose between his life as a Jedi and me, he did not see what was stopping us. He got down on one knee and gave me a ring. I said yes, and the wedding is set for next April. You're all invited."

"Oh my God," I said. "Skyguy got married, now Obi-Wan's engaged. This is crazy. Who is planning the wedding?"

"Don't let Ashoka do it," Padme teased. "I told her I liked roses, and we got a bill for 2300 credits just for the flowers."

"But the wedding was beautiful," I protested.

Shmi put her glass down. "Qui-Gon and I got married at City Hall. I wore a white dress, and he was in his Jedi robes. A few Jedi friends came and watched. That was it. But it was nice. He promised to cherish me forever. After I found out Cleave could not come to the Force because he was too weak, I figured I would be alone all my life. But Qui-Gon has stood by me. That is all you really need."

"Hm, that's true," said Padme.

"Well," I said, "Rex and I will have-"

Suddenly, a big explosion shook the room.

"Get Down!" I yelled as I got to my feet and drew my lightsaber. The women dropped to the floor as gas filled the room and entered their lungs. I saw them sputtering and coughing as the gas poisoned them. Then I felt it get to my head. I tried to shake it off as I turned toward the door. Six battle droids filled in and raised their blaster at me. I raised my weapon to defend myself.

"Don't fire," came a Serenno accent. "My master wants them unharmed."

Dokoo, I thought, before dropping to the ground.

The first thing that I was aware of was that it hurt to move. Not in the sense that it was sore muscles, but in the sense that when I moved it sent blinding pain up and down my arm. I opened my eyes, and saw that I was surrounded by a blue energy field. I was in a containment field. Blast it! I thought.

I used the force to sense my surroundings. I thought maybe I could find some sort of off switch that would release me, but I knew it would be no luck. Then the door opened. Dokoo came in with two Magna Guards flanking him.

"Are you comfortable, Little Snips?" asked Dokoo.

"Don't call me that!" I snapped back at him.

"Why? Because it is a pet name from an old master? What do you think Anakin will think of you when he realizes you got his family captured?"

"Its your skin you need to be worried about. You are messing with his wife and his mom, what exactly do you think he is going to do? You are in for a world of hurt, Old Man."

"Old Man? Is that the best you can do? You are really losing your touch, youngling. Besides, I know that Skywalker will be enraged. That is exactly how my master wants him."

"This is a trap. To lure him to the Dark Side."

"Yes, once he sees the pain that Shmi, Padme, and you are in, he will do anything to stop it, including bow before Master Sidious."

"Or he can take you down. It won't be like last time. You won't get him alone and seduce him like you did. This is the Jedi against the Sith. We know what you are trying to do and we will fight."

"We?"

"The Jedi. Me, Obi-Wan, Windu, Qui-Gon Jinn, even Yoda. Anakin is not alone this time, Count."

"Oh, but he is. He has already felt the call to the dark side, my master has made sure of it. No Jedi has left the order and come back. No one has killed so many brethren and been shown mercy by the Senate. Anakin has been alone since the day he was born. He is too different. He is beyond help. Your friend is ours."

"No!" I screamed.

"You mourn him like a brother, don't you child. It was too hard for you to see him fall from grace. I guess you are glad you did not have to see it all."

He got very close to me and began to whisper. "Do you wonder what pushed him over the edge? We all speculate about it. Even my master is not completely sure what corrupted him fully. Why he was so easily manipulated. Maybe it was because he had already lost a child and did not want to lose another one. Think about it. You were like a daughter to him, and you walked away from him. Maybe that is what made him so desperate to save his family. Maybe you created Darth Vader."

"You lie!" I screamed through my teeth. I used the force to push him away from my body. The exertion drained me, and I began to sink down. I closed my eyes and tried to fight the evil words from out of my head.

Dooku laughed. "You poor child. Here you are, another pawn in my master's game. Don't worry, you will not suffer long." And with that promise, he was gone.