Chapter 6: Dark Mirror

Anakin sat quietly at the desk, the terminal's display casting a bluish-white hue to his face in the dim lighting, as he scrolled through the massive computer databanks in the Temple Archives. It was late, and the Temple Archive was dark, except for the station near the doorway where he worked, searching for any information that he could find that might help Obi-Wan. His former master had left a little over two hours ago, as soon as the meeting with the Council had ended, and ever since, Anakin had been searching through the massive store of tapes, files, and topographical maps.

He reached up and rubbed his eyes, sleepily, and then ran his hand through his hair and over his head, brushing his long, sandy hair up and out of his face; he hadn't slept, except for nodding off for a few moments in the med lab while his leg was mending, since he had left home the night before, and he was starting to feel the effects. He blinked his eyes several times, and then rubbed his neck, as he tried to turn his attention back to the display.

He was having trouble concentrating; time and time again, his mind would drift back to that moment on the ship, back to that instant when he had caught a brief glimpse of the face underneath that thick, black hood.

It had haunted him again, relentlessly, since Master Windu had given him the assignment of tracking down Dooku's elusive killer. He looked down from the display, and rested his elbows on the desk in front of him as he clasped his hands behind his neck, and took a long, deep breath as he closed his eyes, tightly.

How could it be possible, Anakin thought to himself; he could still see the glowing, yellow eyes looking back at him, as if from a distorted, evil mirror, glaring at him, filled with a hatred and rage unlike any that he had ever seen before. He had felt it, through the Force; the dark tremor vibrated through the core of his being, and he could still feel its icy chill as the haunting face appeared, over and over again, in his mind.

Fear was something that seldom manifested itself in his heart. Indeed, only twice before, four long years ago, could he ever remember being truly afraid. Both times, it had been the fear of losing Padmé that had terrified him; once, when she had been injured in the Tusken camp, and again when the bounty hunter had taken her while he attempted to rescue Obi-Wan. He could still feel the sense of helplessness that he had felt that day, when he had searched the dark tunnels of Geonosis frantically, with only his heart and her tremor to guide him.

But now, as he watched those cold, yellow eyes stare back at him from the dark corner of his memory, he felt a different kind of fear; a sense of dread, a deep foreboding, that somehow, what he had seen could have been real.

Anakin suddenly heard the sharp rap of Yoda's cane on the smooth, marble floor behind him; he looked up, taking a deep breath, as he sat up in his chair and turned toward the doorway. Yoda stood there, looking at him quietly, his small hands resting on his cane.

"Weary you look, young Skywalker," Yoda said, as he stepped through the doorway and walked to the desk where Anakin sat, the sound of his cane echoing through the dark, empty room. Yoda stopped as he reached the desk, and looked at Anakin with keen interest. "And troubled, as well," he said finally, as he tilted his head and studied Anakin's tired, worried countenance.

"No, I'm all right, Master, really," Anakin sighed, and he took another deep breath as he ran his hand back through his hair again, looking back at the display in front of him. "I've just been trying to gather as much information as I can for Master Obi-Wan."

Yoda looked at Anakin thoughtfully for a moment. "Found anything, yet," he asked, as he took a step closer to Anakin's chair, "that may be of use to Obi-Wan?"

Anakin sighed deeply, as he studied the display for a moment, and then turned and looked back at Yoda. "I'm afraid there's not a whole lot of information here, Master," he said, as he watched Yoda step closer to him and look at the display with him. "It seems that, other than some routine imaging and climate data, nothing much has happened there."

"But," Anakin said, as he pressed a button on the display, "I did find something that might be useful." He paused for a brief moment, as he shook his head slowly. "But, it might be a long shot, at best."

Yoda watched as an image of the planet Utapau's surface appeared on the display, and listened as Anakin gestured toward the screen. "Most of the planet's surface is covered with these large, deep craters," Anakin said, as he began to adjust the scale on the image, bringing the surface of the planet into view on the display. "Those craters are connected by what appears to be a vast series of subterranean tunnels."

Anakin paused and looked back at Yoda. "If you were looking for a place to hide," he said, as Yoda looked up at him, "you'd never find a better place."

"A logical choice it would be then," Yoda nodded, "for General Grievous and his forces."

"Right," Anakin said, drawing the image in a little closer, as more detail emerged on the screen. "But, the whole planet's surface is covered with these things. It would take Master Obi-Wan and half the Clone Army a month to search half of them." "But then I found this," Anakin said, as he swung the image to a quadrant of the planet in the northern hemisphere, and zoomed the image in closer.

Yoda looked at the display with keen interest, as Anakin pointed to a small group of large craters; large plumes of steam, or gas of some kind, could be seen venting into space. "See these columns of steam, or vapor, or whatever?" Anakin asked, as he turned and looked back at Yoda. "This is the only group of these types of vents that I've found on any of the planet's images so far."

"When Padmé and I went to Geonosis to try and find Obi-Wan," he said, as Yoda looked at him with keen interest, "We found his ship near a group of vents that looked just like these. We discovered, after we got there, that they were exhaust vents for the droid factories that the Separatists were running there."

"If Grievous is trying to regroup and rebuild his droid forces," Anakin said, as he turned and looked back at the display carefully, "then it's a fair bet that they're going to be running at least one of those factories to build more droids." He turned and looked at Yoda, and watched as the Jedi master studied the display with great interest. "If they are, then there's at least a chance that those factories might be here."

Anakin looked at Yoda, somewhat apologetically. "I'm sorry, Master," he said, as Yoda looked up at him. "I know it's not much, but it's just about all I've been able to find so far."

"Enough, it may be," Yoda said, as he looked back at the display and nodded his head, slowly. "Suffice for now, it will have too," Yoda said, as he looked back up at Anakin. "Relay this to Obi-Wan," he said. "Begin his search there, he can, and contact us if he finds anything of interest."

"Yes, Master," Anakin nodded. "I'll relay it to him right now."

Anakin looked at Yoda, as he stood quietly and watched him for a long moment. "Is there something else, Master?" Anakin asked, as he looked at Yoda curiously, as he stood, his hands resting on his cane, watching him thoughtfully.

"Yes," Yoda said, as he cocked his head and looked up at Anakin. "Suspect there is, I do," he said, and then smiled, slyly. "If ready to discuss it with me, you are."

Anakin took a long, deep breath; he knew he couldn't hide something like this from Yoda. "Yes, Master," Anakin said, quietly. "I am," he said, and then he paused a moment. "I'm just not quite sure how, or where, to start."

Yoda turned and extended his hand toward the table beside them; the chair in front of it slid very quietly across the floor to his hand, and he turned it to face Anakin. "Always a good place to start, the beginning is," Yoda said, as he climbed up into the chair and turned toward Anakin, placing his cane across his lap. "Now," Yoda said, studying his young friend with great interest, "What troubles you, Anakin?"

Anakin laid his head back onto his shoulders, slowly and took another long breath. "Something that I saw onboard the Imperial Hand, Master," he said, as he folded his arms across his chest and stared thoughtfully at the ceiling above him.

Yoda listened intently as Anakin sat quietly for a moment, and then began to speak, his eyes still fixed on the ceiling above him. "When we first saw Dooku's killer," he said," his face was covered by the hood of his cloak, and the emergency lights were on, so it was pretty dark in that room. We never really got a good look at him."

"General Grievous came in on us, right after Dooku died," Anakin said. "He attacked us both, and while we were dealing with him, Dooku's killer grabbed the Chancellor and bolted for the door."

"When I tried to stop him as he was leaving," Anakin continued, quietly, "I got a glimpse of his face under his hood, just before he threw me across the room and escaped."

"I failed, Master," Anakin said, as he turned and looked back at Yoda with an anguished expression. "If I hadn't let myself be frightened and distracted by what I saw, I could have stopped him."

Yoda looked at Anakin, his own face bearing an expression of deep concern. "What was it you saw," Yoda asked, "that disturbed you so much?"

"His face, Master," Anakin said quietly. "For an instant, I saw his face when he looked at me."

"Someone you recognized, was it?" Yoda asked, tilting his head slightly as he looked at Anakin's anguished face intently.

"Yes," Anakin replied, with a weak nod of his head. "It was me."

Yoda's own countenance grew more serious as Anakin continued; he could sense the anguish and pain that flowed through the young Jedi as he thought of that moment onboard the Imperial Hand. "It was my face, Master," Anakin said, leaning forward in his chair and looking at Yoda intently. "I know it can't be possible, but I swear, for an instant, I saw the person under that cloak, and it was me."

Yoda turned his troubled face downward toward the floor. "Deeply troubling, this is," Yoda sighed, and he sat quietly for a long moment. "Certain, are you," he asked finally, turning his attention back to Anakin, "of what you saw?"

Anakin nodded his head, slowly, turning his own eyes downward, as he folded his hands and rested his elbows on his knees. "Yes, Master," he said, quietly. "I'm certain of what I saw. I just don't know if I can force myself to believe it."

"Hmmm," Yoda mused, nodding his head slowly. "Doubtful it is, that he would have chosen to place that image in your mind, or have been able to do so that quickly," he said, as he looked back up at Anakin. "Consider we must," Yoda said, as Anakin looked back at him, "the possibility that what you saw was real."

"Sufficient time, there has been, since Geonosis," Yoda continued. "In charge of creating the clone army, Dooku was," he said, as Anakin sat silently, listening to him. "If able to obtain a sample somehow, he was," he said, as Anakin's troubled eyes met his, "possible, it would be."

Anakin knew that Yoda was correct, and he turned his gaze downward again. The thought had crossed his own mind, yet he had resisted it, refused to accept it as a possibility; the thought unnerved him, very much so, and each time it had entered his mind he had rejected it, choosing rather to accept that it had been some evil trick manifested through the dark powers that Dooku's killer controlled. He felt violated, betrayed, in a way that he'd never known, as he considered for the first time, seriously, what he had felt in his heart since that moment on the ship.

"So what you're suggesting, Master," Anakin said quietly, turning his troubled face toward Yoda again, "is that Dooku somehow found a way to clone someone else beside Jango Fett." Anakin paused for another moment, and he took a long, troubled breath. "And that someone," he said, somewhat weakly, "Is me."

"Consider the possibility, we must," Yoda said, his expression becoming more compassionate and concerned. "Tried to turn you to the Dark Side, Sidious did," Yoda said thoughtfully. "Possible it is, that attempted to compensate for that failure, he has."

"But how would he have managed to get enough genetic material from me to do that, Master?" Anakin asked, his expression both pained and puzzled. "I never even cut myself on Geonosis, and I only fought Dooku that one time, in the hangar. I never would have even tripped and fallen if it hadn't been for..."

Anakin stopped in mid sentence, as his eyes met Yoda's for a long moment. "That probe," Anakin said, slowly and thoughtfully. "I thought it had just stunned me," he said, turning and looking back toward the floor for a moment.

"The probe left a couple of pretty good bruises on my back after it hit me," Anakin said, letting his mind drift back to that day four years ago. "That night," he continued, "Padmé brought out the med kit and put some anesthetic on the spots where the electrodes had hit me, and she found two small cuts, right between them," he said, as he looked back toward Yoda.

"Hmmm," Yoda mused, nodding his head. "Corroborates our theory, this does," he said. "If cloned from you, Dooku's killer was, and trained in the dark arts he had been," Yoda continued, "a formidable opponent he would be, indeed."

Anakin nodded his head slowly, as he allowed himself to accept the fact that what he had feared might actually be the dark, sinister truth. "Important it is," Yoda said, as Anakin looked back toward him, "that we share this information with Obi-Wan, and your companion."

"If your clone, Dooku's killer is," Yoda said, as Anakin nodded his head slowly and listened intently to the diminutive Jedi master, "then aware they must be of his existence, so that use him against them, Sidious can not."

"I understand, Master," Anakin said, nodding his head weakly. "I'll contact them both and let them know what we suspect."

"Track down this killer, we must," Yoda said, as he turned his cane over slowly in his hands.

"Where do we start looking, Master?" Anakin said, as he looked at Yoda inquisitively.

"Repeats itself, history does," Yoda said, as he reached over and touched the computer display in front of them; he tapped the buttons several times, and Anakin watched as a solar system appeared on the display, and then zoomed in to a dark, blue planet. "Tracked down Jango Fett we did, on Kamino," Yoda said, looking back at Anakin as he spoke. "If true, our theory is," Yoda said, "then start our search there, we will."

Anakin nodded his head, slowly, as he looked at the planet spinning slowly on the display in front of him. Yoda looked at him for a moment; he could sense how deeply troubled the young Jedi Knight was as he considered this dark possibility.

"Remember, Anakin," Yoda said, looking at Anakin supportively as he turned a tired, worried face toward him, "No fault of yours, any of this is. If true this turns out to be," Yoda continued, "then the work of the Dark Lord alone it is."

Anakin nodded his head, and smiled, somewhat faintly; he understood what Yoda was trying to tell him. "I understand, Master," he said, quietly. "And thank you."

"Trust in the Force's guidance, we must," Yoda said, as he climbed down out of his chair and took his small cane in his hand. "Depart for Kamino in the morning, we will," he said, and then turned to look at Anakin again. "But now," he said, looking at Anakin's tired, weary expression, "time to rest, it is."

Anakin watched as Yoda reached out with his hand and pressed the button on the display in front of him; the screen went blank, as the small data cartridge popped out of the drive, and Yoda took it into his small hand and looked at it for a moment. "Take this with you," Yoda said, as he handed the small device to Anakin. "Go now, to Obi-Wan's residence," he said, as Anakin looked at the small device thoughtfully. "Relay what you have found to him, and share with him what we suspect regarding Dooku's killer."

"Yes, Master," Anakin said obediently; he was exhausted, and even if he had wanted to, he wouldn't have been able to resist Yoda's suggestion.

"Contact your companion from the ship you can, in the morning," Yoda said with a nod. "Depart at first light from your landing pad, we will."

"I'll be there, Master," Anakin said, as he stood up and placed the small data cartridge into his belt. He followed closely behind Yoda, as they made their way out of the Archive Library and started down the long hallway toward the Temple entrance.

Obi-Wan blinked his eyes sleepily, as he heard the long series of beeps and whistles over his cockpit transmitter again. "What?" Obi-Wan said, groggily, as he took a deep breath and sat up straighter in his seat in the cockpit of his ship. He looked at the display again, as Arfour repeated the long series of whistles and clicks again.

"I'm sorry, Arfour," Obi-Wan said, as he reached over and pressed the control switch near the left side of the cockpit. "I suppose that I was sleeping more soundly than I thought I was."

Obi-Wan smiled as he saw Arfour's next series of clicks and whistles appear on the display in front of him; he had been pleased, indeed, when he had learned that his trusted astrodroid had survived the crash of the Imperial Hand with only a few minor damages. He had grown quite accustomed to having him with him, especially on long, quiet voyages such as this.

"Yes, I know, and thank you, Arfour," he said, somewhat sleepily. "I do appreciate you piloting the ship tonight," he said. "Now what's the problem?"

Arfour let fly with another long series of whistles and clicks. "Oh, good," Obi-Wan said, as he reached over and switched on the small holographic imaging system in the cockpit of his fighter. "Maybe Anakin's sending that information we were hoping for. Patch it through the encoder and relay it here, Arfour," he said, and he leaned back in the pilot's seat, folding his arms across his chest, as he watched Anakin's image flicker as it appeared over the small imager.

"Hello, Master," Anakin nodded. "I hope that I didn't wake you?"

"As a matter of fact, you did," Obi-Wan grinned, sleepily. "But that's quite all right. You look like you could use a little rest, yourself," he said, looking at Anakin's tired face.

"I hope to get some shortly," Anakin nodded again. "And I'll keep this short, so you can get back to your own. I have some information for you on Utapau that I hope will be helpful for you."

"I knew you would have," Obi-Wan said. "What'd you find?"

"I'm sending Arfour this series of images of the planet's surface," Anakin said, as Obi-Wan watched him and listened intently. "It's of a group of large craters in the planet's northern hemisphere. Let me know when you have them, Master," he said, as he looked back up toward Obi-Wan.

"Arfour," Obi-Wan said, as he switched on the display directly in front of him, "relay the images as soon as you receive them from Anakin." He watched quietly for a moment, and then the image appeared on the display in front of him.

"I've got it now, Anakin," he said, turning up the brightness on the display a bit. "Go ahead."

"If you'll look right here, Master," Anakin said, as Obi-Wan watched the image draw in closer, revealing more detail of the planet's surface, "You'll see a series of what appear to be thermal vents rising out of this group of craters."

"I see them," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head, as he watched the display zoom in, revealing the tall, white towers of gas.

"This is the only group of vents like these I've found on the entire planet so far," Anakin said. "They look an awful lot like the exhaust vents we found on Geonosis, near the droid foundry. Remember?"

"I do," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head. "So, if Grievous is there and rebuilding his forces, it's a good chance that we might find at least one factory on the planet."

"That's what we're thinking," Anakin nodded. "It may just be an unusual natural phenomenon, but it's as good a place to start as any, I suppose."

"Agreed," Obi-Wan replied. "Good work, Anakin. You've given us a place to start, at least."

"Arfour," Obi-Wan said, turning his attention to the little droid in the back of his ship, "relay this information directly to the battalion ships. Have them meet us just east of these coordinates as soon as we enter the planet's atmosphere, understood?"

Arfour whistled that he did indeed, and Obi-Wan turned his attention back to Anakin as he addressed him again. "There's something else, Obi-Wan," Anakin said, his expression growing more thoughtful. "Something I need to tell you about Dooku's killer."

"What is it, Anakin?' Obi-Wan asked, his own expression growing more concerned as he listened to Anakin intently.

"When we were on that ship," Anakin said, "I got a glimpse of his face when I tried to stop him. I didn't say anything to you at the time because, well, I wasn't entirely sure of what I saw."

"That's alright, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head. "A lot was going on, then. Have you been able to identify him?"

"We think so," Anakin sighed, nodding his head. "At least, Master Yoda and I believe we have a theory about who he may be, anyway." He paused for a moment, and then continued. "You may find this a little hard to believe."

"After what we've learned about Palpatine, Anakin," Obi-Wan said with a dry laugh, "I think you're going to be hard pressed to shock me, no matter what you think you've found."

"Well," Anakin sighed, shaking his head as he continued, "Brace yourself, Master. I don't know any other way to tell you this, so I'm just going to say it." Obi-Wan watched as Anakin's image flickered once or twice, as Anakin took a deep breath. "We think he may be another clone."

"A clone?" Obi-Wan said, leaning forward in his seat and looking at Anakin's image intently. "You mean like one of the clone troopers, another clone of Jango?"

"Not Jango, Master," Anakin said with a sigh, "but someone you're very familiar with, a Jedi Knight of your acquaintance."

Obi-Wan sat quietly for a moment, a look of deep bewilderment on his bearded face. Suddenly, he looked up and out of the cockpit window, as his mouth dropped open in disbelief. He looked back at Anakin's image, as he folded his arms tightly across his chest and looked at his young friend, his right eyebrow lifting curiously as he spoke.

"This Jedi Knight," Obi-Wan said, as he looked at Anakin's image with a look of wry amusement, "he wouldn't happen to have long blonde hair and a tendency for getting his former master into trouble, would he?"

"He does have long, blonde hair, Master," Anakin said, smiling sheepishly at Obi-Wan. "But to be honest, you're pretty good at getting yourself into trouble on your own."

Obi-Wan took a long deep breath, and looked back out of the cockpit window, as he watched the stars streak by, slowly. "Okay, Anakin," he said, finally, as he turned and looked back at his young companion's image, shaking his head. "I have to hand it to you," he said. "You did it, I'm shocked."

"Sorry, Master," Anakin said, his tone deeply apologetic. "I'm really sorry I didn't say anything to you sooner," he said. "I just wasn't sure that I believed what I'd seen."

"I understand," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head. "It's all right," he said. "I'm not sure that I'd have believed it either." He paused for a moment, taking a long deep breath. "Are you absolutely sure, Anakin?"

"I believe so," Anakin nodded. "We even have a theory about how Dooku would have obtained the sample he needed."

Obi-Wan looked back at Anakin, curiously. "The probe? On Geonosis?"

"Yes, Master," Anakin said with a nod. "That's what we're thinking, if this turns out to be true."

"So what's your plan?" Obi-Wan asked, looking at Anakin's flickering image intently.

"Master Yoda and I are leaving first thing in the morning for Kamino," Anakin said. "Yoda feels that it's as good a place as any to start. If Dooku did have another clone created, it's a fair bet that it would have had to be done on Kamino."

"Four years, though," Obi-Wan said, thoughtfully. "They told me it took a full five years to grow a clone to adulthood, successfully."

"Maybe they've made improvements," Anakin said, shrugging his shoulders a bit. "Either way, if it was done successfully, it's a fair bet the cloners on Kamino pulled it off."

"I agree," Obi-Wan nodded. "Contact me when you and Master Yoda get underway in the morning, will you?" Obi-Wan looked at Anakin's tired, weary expression. "I think it'd be a good idea for you to get some rest now, Anakin. You haven't had any since we left Naboo."

"Understood, Master," Anakin nodded. "You try to do the same, too. You've still got a way to go till morning."

"I will," Obi-Wan said. "And tell Master Yoda that I'll contact the both of you as soon as we get to Utapau," he said. "Hopefully, we'll turn up the evidence we need quickly."

"I will, Obi-Wan," Anakin said, and then he smiled weakly at his former master. "And remember, if you happen to see me out there anywhere," he said, "my saber blades are white, remember? And I do carry two."

"Believe me," Obi-Wan nodded, chuckling under his breath, "It'll be the first thing I check for. Get some rest, my friend. We'll talk first thing tomorrow."

"You too," Anakin grinned, nodding his head. "And be careful. May the Force be with you."

"May the Force be with you, Anakin," Obi-Wan smiled, and he watched as Anakin's signal flashed, and then faded away.

Obi-Wan took a long, deep breath, and then looked back out of the cockpit toward the stars that slipped silently by, as the ship's engines hummed softly. "As if things weren't complicated enough, Arfour," he said with a sigh, and then he settled himself back down into his seat.

"Wake me when we get close to the Utapau system, Arfour," he said, and he leaned his head back against the headrest of the pilot's chair, and closed his eyes. With everything he had just been told, he thought to himself, it was going to take him a while to drift back to sleep.

Anakin screamed again, as loudly as he could, but it was no use. No matter how hard he tried, she simply couldn't hear him.

He blinked his eyes in the thick smoke as he ran after her, calling to her frantically. It was no use; Padmé simply couldn't hear him over the rumble of the continuous thunder that rolled through the angry, boiling sky above them, and he watched, through the thick, smoky haze of the angry, volcanic terrain, as he saw her run through the opening and into the dark, rocky structure ahead of him, her dark blue cloak billowing around her as she ran.

He ignited the blades of his sabers, as the sea of droids closed in around him, blocking his path; he swung his weapons fiercely, their brilliant white blades sending the droids crashing to the rocky ground around him, as he pushed his way through the massive throng, screaming angrily as his white-hot blades cut a path toward the structure's entrance, toward the place where he had seen her disappear.

He screamed again as he swung the lightsaber in his left hand in front of him, slicing neatly through the last few droids that blocked his path, and bolted as quickly as the Force would allow him to up the winding pathway toward the dark archway in front of him.

He stumbled, suddenly, as the wave of pain struck him like a fierce wind; it cut through him like one of the sabers he held tightly in his hands. "Padmé!" he screamed, as he regained his footing and crossed the last few feet to the entrance, and plunged headlong into the pitch-black opening.

He ran through the darkness, screaming her name as loudly as he could, as the intense feeling of pain coursed through his body. He turned himself round and round in the darkness, his eyes searching for any sign of her, the blades of his sabers casting a blue-white glow to the stone floor around him as he ran through the dark passageway.

The darkness changed, suddenly, to a thick haze, and he could make out shadows in the distance ahead of him. "Padmé, can you hear me!?" he cried in despair, as he ran as quickly as he could toward the two shadowy figures ahead of him.

He broke through the thick haze and into the dim light of the massive, stone cavern, his sabers still glowing and humming at his sides, as the dark figure stood quietly in front of him, the back of his thick, black cloak turned toward him, as it billowed wildly in the wind that coursed through the dark chamber.

He looked down at the stone floor, as the dark figure turned and took a long step back; he felt his heart cry out in agony, as he saw Padmé lying motionless on the cold, hard floor. "Noooooo!" he screamed again, as he ran to her side, dropping his weapons to the floor beside him as he scooped her up and cradled her in his arms, another wave of searing pain and despair sweeping through his body.

He turned and looked up, through a haze of tears and smoke, as the sound of a dark, sinister laugh began to fill the chamber, and he watched as the dark figure took a step toward him, the brilliant crimson blade of his lightsaber blazing forth as he held it tightly in his fist. Anakin looked up, as the sinister laughter echoed off the cold stone walls; the angry pair of glowing yellow eyes stared down at him from under the thick, dark hood as the dark figure slowly raised his crimson blade up high over his head, and brought it down toward them with a brilliant flash.

"Nooo!" Anakin cried, as he jerked himself awake and sat up in the bed; his breathing came in ragged gasps as he looked around frantically for a moment, his eyes searching the darkness, as he tried desperately to get the remnants of that terrifying image out of his mind.

He took a deep breath as he reached deeply into the Force, attempting to calm himself. It was only a dream, Anakin, only a dream, he told himself, over and over, as he lay back down, slowly, and draped his arm over his eyes as he closed them tightly. He felt the sweat on his forehead roll slowly down the side of his face, and he reached up with his other hand and wiped it away, slowly, and then took another long, deep breath.

It was the first nightmare he had had in four years, and he lay there for a long time, trying to calm his trembling nerves and reassure himself that it was only a dream, that it was just the situation that he now found himself in that had caused it. Padmé's fine, you know that; she's asleep and safe at home, he told himself. Yet, try as he may, he couldn't get the nightmarish sensation of the pain he had sensed in his dream out of his mind.

He tossed the bedclothes to his side, as he sat up on the edge of the bed in the darkness, running his trembling hand slowly through his hair as he took another long, deep breath. This is silly, he told himself; You're going to call her and wake her up in the middle of the night and worry her for no good reason. He looked across the dark room toward the com station for a long moment, as he tried to convince himself that Padmé was fine, that it was only a dream, that he should just go back to bed and let her rest; she was having as hard a time being apart from him as he was from her. She didn't need anything else to worry about.

He looked down toward the floor and closed his eyes again; he felt that same chill run down his back again as he saw those cold, yellow eyes glowing at him again in the darkness.

He stood up, slowly, as he looked down at the chest of his light brown pajama top; he could see the dark brown splotches where his sweat had drenched it. He turned and looked at the com station again, taking another deep breath. He couldn't help it; he had to know that she was safe, even though he could still sense her soothing tremor in his heart. He needed to see her, to hear her voice, and he needed her now.

"She can sleep in in the morning," he sighed, deeply, as he walked to the com station and sat down slowly in the chair. He looked at his trembling hands for another moment, and then reached over and pressed the button on the console; he blinked, as the screen in front of him flashed brightly, casting a bluish white glow to his deeply worried face as he inserted his signal encrypter into the slot and powered up the transmitter.

Artoo sat quietly at the maintenance station on board the ship; his sensors were all off line, with the exception of the few he required to keep an eye on the communications console, as he quietly ran through his self diagnostics in the dark cockpit.

He had finished his diagnostics of the ship's engine systems a bit earlier, just an hour or so after Padmé had finished her conversation with Anakin and had gone back to the house. He had plugged himself in for a leisurely recharge and placed himself in low power mode; he sat in silence, slowly running his self diagnostics routine, checking his data banks for any errors or erroneous information; it was a rare occasion when a droid could enjoy a moment of pure, electronic bliss, and for Artoo, this moment of self indulgence was as good as it gets.

His evening of digital nirvana was to be short lived, however; the little droid's sensor dome lit up brightly, just as he detected the flashing signal indicator on the ship's communications console. He whistled softly as he quickly ejected the power cable from his recharge port, and, leaning backward and kicking his center wheel out onto the deck of the ship, he rolled quickly to the comm station and turned to face it; he popped his data probe into the station's control disk, spinning it quickly, and he whistled brightly as he locked in on Anakin's incoming signal.

Padmé opened her eyes, as she heard the soft whir of Artoo's motors coming down the hallway toward her room. What's he doing coming in here at this hour of the night, she thought to herself, as she lifted her head from her pillow and leaned up on her elbow, listening to the soft whir of his motors as he rolled closer.

She had been awake for quite some time; she had awakened a while ago, and had found it hard to go back to sleep again. She tossed the bedclothes to her side, and climbed out of the bed as quickly as she could, picking up her robe from the chair beside her bed and tossing it onto her shoulders as she walked quickly toward the door to her room, reaching over and picking up the small translator display from her dresser as she reached for the doorknob and turned it, as quietly as she could.

She opened the door, just in time to see the little droid roll up to her. She finished tying the sash of her robe around her waist, and then looked down at Artoo as she placed her finger to her lips.

"What is it, Artoo?" she whispered, as she looked at the little droid anxiously.

Artoo whistled, softly, and Padmé looked at the small display in her hand as she watched the message appear on the translator. She looked at the display for a moment, and then walked quickly to the closet near her and slipped on her sandals. "Let's go," she said, closing the closet door and nodding her head toward Artoo, and the little droid spun quickly on his wheels and headed back down the hallway. Padmé stepped out into the dark hall, closing the door to her room behind her as softly as she could, and then turned and walked quietly and quickly down the hallway after Artoo.

Padmé stepped quickly past her faithful little astrodroid in the living room, and quietly opened the front door to the house, holding it for him as he whistled a quick 'thank you' in reply and rolled out onto the front walkway. She stepped out into the cool night air, closing the door behind her as quietly as possible, and then walked beside Artoo as they made their way around the winding walkway and down toward the hangar near the meadow below the house, his maintenance lights illuminating the path before them as they went.

Padmé looked up as she clutched her robe closed at her neck, as a soft chill crept slowly up her back; the sky was crystal clear tonight, as the cool autumn air swept the sky free of any trace of clouds, and she looked up at the stars as they twinkled brilliantly in the dark sky above her. She and Anakin had spent many nights like this one in the meadow, and she looked toward the eastern horizon; she could see Coruscant's binary star system, its two tiny yellow tinted stars twinkling just above the tree line. I'm coming, Anakin, she willed to him in her heart, as she turned her eyes back to the path in front of them as she and Artoo made their way into the hangar toward their ship.

The ramp was already down, and she could see the dim lights glowing inside the ship as she walked quickly up the ramp and headed toward the cockpit; Artoo had already brought the cabin lights up partially and turned on the cockpit heaters, and Padmé took a seat on the bench and watched as the little droid rolled past her toward the communications console. He popped his data probe into the control wheels and started to spin them back and forth quickly, as he brought the transmitter on line and signaled Anakin across the vast expanse of space between them.

Anakin rubbed his eyes, sleepily, as he waited in the dim light for Artoo's signal; he yawned, and then turned his worried face back toward the console's display, watching the signal indicator light intently.

I shouldn't have called her, he thought to himself, as he folded his arms tightly across his chest and leaned back in the chair. She needs her rest, and now you've sent Artoo to wake her up for no good reason. She's going to be worried sick, he thought, and he sighed deeply, as he closed his eyes and rubbed them again, worriedly.

I couldn't have slept if I didn't, though, he though, as he opened his eyes and took another long breath and sighed deeply as he exhaled. And she needs to know all of this, everything that's happening.

It wasn't just the dream, though, that had brought him to the console where he sat; he missed her, terribly; more so than he could ever remember. He wanted to reassure himself that she was indeed safe and sound, yes, and to make her aware of everything that was going on; but more than that, he needed to hear her comforting voice, to see her face, to hear her tell him that everything was going to be all right.

Anakin heard the soft beep, and he opened his eyes and turned his attention to the display, just as the signal indicator light began to flash brightly. He reached over and pressed the switch on the transmitter, and watched the holographic display as it flashed several times, and then locked in on Artoo's incoming signal.

Padmé watched as Anakin's image appeared on the holographic display above the small table; she smiled at him, trying to conceal her own worried countenance as best she could. "Hey, sweetheart," she said, softly, as she saw him smile back at her. "Is everything okay?"

"That's what I was calling to find out," Anakin said, a worried tone in his voice. "Are you all right? Is everything okay there?"

"Of course, Ani, I'm fine," Padmé nodded, as she looked at his deeply troubled image as it flickered softly in front of her. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I was just worried about you," Anakin said, as he took a deep breath and sighed with a sense of relief. "I just needed to make sure you were okay, Padmé, that's all."

"I'm so sorry I woke you up, Angel," he said apologetically. "I knew I should have let you sleep." He smiled at her, sheepishly. "I woke you and our little ones up."

"No, baby, please don't be sorry," Padmé smiled warmly, shaking her head. "I was awake anyway, and I was just lying there thinking about you. I'm so glad you called me."

"What were you doing awake?" Anakin asked, his countenance growing more relaxed. "Coruscant and Naboo are almost on the same time schedule. You should have been asleep at this hour."

"I woke up about forty five minutes ago," Padmé said softly, as she wrapped her arms around herself; it was still a bit cool on the ship, but the air was beginning to warm as the cockpit heaters slowly did their job. "I don't know why, really," she said, looking at him with a somewhat worried expression. "I just woke up thinking about you, and I haven't been able to go back to sleep since."

Anakin looked at the time on the console in front of him; it was just past two in the morning now; almost exactly forty five minutes had passed since his nightmare had awakened him. He knew in his heart that it was no coincidence that the two of them were awake.

"Well," Anakin sighed, "that must have been my fault, then. I had a dream that I didn't particularly enjoy, and I woke up just about the same time you did." He paused and smiled at her warmly. "I guess you can sense a lot more than just how much I love you these days, huh?"

"I guess so," Padmé nodded, as she leaned closer to his image on the display in front of her; she could tell, instinctively, that something was troubling him. "What's wrong, Ani?" she asked. "What's troubling you?"

"Master Obi-Wan came back, not long after you and I talked tonight," Anakin said, his expression becoming deeply serious. "The Council's meeting went even worse than they expected with Chancellor Palpatine."

"He refused to hear the Council's recommendation," Anakin continued. "He's refusing to lay aside his emergency power and recall the clone army."

"Oh, no," Padmé sighed deeply, as she closed her eyes and sat quietly for a moment. She had known in her heart that Anakin's suspicions regarding the Chancellor were correct; but now, she felt a sinking feeling in her heart as Palpatine's own actions confirmed her husband's suspicions. "That's terrible," Padmé said softly, as she slowly opened her eyes and looking back up at his image on the holopad.

"It gets even worse," Anakin continued. "He's blaming the Jedi for creating the clone army and holding the Council responsible for starting the war, and for Dooku's actions as well."

Anakin paused for a moment, casting his gaze toward the floor in front of him as Padmé listened in shocked disbelief. "He's meeting with a delegation from the Senate tomorrow," he said, "to discuss removing the Council's role and influence from the Republic entirely."

"We had an emergency meeting of the entire Council tonight," Anakin said. "They've agreed that the Chancellor's actions are suspicious," he said, as Padmé watched him turn his troubled face back toward her. "Obi-Wan left a few hours ago with two battalions of clone troopers for Utapau, to try to capture General Grievous and gather evidence to support what we suspect about the Chancellor."

"It doesn't look good for the Republic right now," Anakin said with a deep sigh, as Padmé watched his image flicker again. "I only hope it's not too late to stop Palpatine before something awful happens."

"Oh, Ani," Padmé sighed softly, as she leaned back slowly against the bench where she sat. "No wonder you couldn't sleep, baby." They both sat quietly for a moment, as Padmé watched him turn his troubled face downward again.

"Anakin," Padmé asked, as she leaned forward and looked at his image on the holographic pad closely, "did you get a chance to talk with Master Yoda about what you saw on the ship? You know, what we were talking about earlier tonight?"

Padmé watched his image as he took a long, deep breath, and then nodded his head slowly. "Yes," Anakin said. "I did, just a few hours ago, right after we met with the Council."

"What did he say?" Padmé asked, as she looked at him thoughtfully.

"He said," Anakin sighed, a tone of deep concern in his voice, "that we may have to consider the possibility that what I saw wasn't just some trick or random image that the Sith placed in my mind just to escape."

Padmé's brow furrowed as Anakin looked at her thoughtfully. "Remember that probe, the one that Dooku stunned me with on Geonosis in the hangar that day?"

Padmé nodded her head slowly, and she watched him fold his hands thoughtfully in front of him. "Master Yoda thinks that it may have had another purpose," Anakin said. "He thinks that Dooku may have used it to get a genetic sample from me that day."

Anakin paused for a moment, and then turned his deeply troubled expression to her. "And that he may have used it."

Padmé's mouth dropped open slightly, and she sat silently for a moment as Anakin's words reverberated through her mind. "Oh, no," she said, softly, as she saw the look of pain and anguish on her beloved husband's face. "Ani, are you saying that you believe Dooku cloned you?"

"We think so," Anakin said, nodding his head weakly. "I told Master Yoda about the cuts you found on my back that night, and he thinks that it's enough evidence for us to have to consider that he might have."

Padmé could feel her own heart aching along with his. "Oh, Ani," she said softly, as she wrapped her arms tightly around herself again, "Are you all right?"

"I'd be a lot better if all of this turned out just to be a bad dream," Anakin said, offering her a weak smile in reply. "But deep down inside, I know it's not."

"We're going to Kamino in the morning," Anakin said, as Padmé listened to him intently, still clutching herself tightly. "Yoda thinks that if Dooku actually did have me cloned, we might find the evidence we need there to prove it."

"I wanted to be sure you knew," Anakin said, looking back at her, a look of deep concern on his young face. "I can't imagine that anything would happen there on Naboo, but just in case..."

Padmé knew what he was thinking. She wanted so badly to be there with him now, to hold him, to assure him that everything was going to be all right, just as he always did for her.

"Don't worry, Anakin," she said, smiling reassuringly back at him. "Dooku may have been able to clone your body, and maybe even your abilities," she said, "but he could never clone your heart."

Padmé gazed at him fondly, as she watched his image flicker softly in the dim cabin light. "There's only one Anakin Skywalker," she said, softly, as she reached out to him with her feelings, hoping that he could sense the love and devotion that flowed through her, as she placed her hands over her heart. "He's my husband, and he's my life." She shook her head slowly, as she gazed at him with a warm, loving smile. "You can't clone that."

"Don't worry, sweetheart," Padmé said, shaking her head as she smiled back at him. "I could tell a forgery a parsec away, and I'm as efficient as ever with a blaster pistol."

Padmé watched as he looked up and smiled softly at her. "I know you are, and I know you could tell the difference," Anakin said, nodding his head. "I just needed to make sure that you knew about all of this."

Anakin paused for a moment, taking another long, deep breath. "I just hope that Yoda and I are both wrong," he said, as he turned his gaze downward again.

"I know," Padmé said softly, nodding her head. "I hope you are, too," she said, "but if history is any indication, the odds aren't good that you are."

Anakin nodded his head, and sat quietly for a long moment. "That's not all, Padmé," Anakin said quietly. "Master Yoda said something to me tonight, something that's bothered me a lot, ever since he said it."

"What did he say, Ani?" Padmé asked quietly, as she watched his image flicker a couple of times in the dim light.

"His exact words were, 'Of utmost importance it is, Anakin, that you protect Padmé and your younglings at all costs. On this, all things may depend," Anakin said, as he looked at Padmé, his countenance deeply troubled.

Padmé instinctively placed her hands on her stomach, as she listened to the dark, foreboding words that Anakin relayed to her. "I think Master Yoda senses something terrible, Padmé," he said, quietly. "Why would he tell me that, if he didn't think something terrible was going to happen?"

"You've always protected us, Ani," Padmé said softly. "And you always will. I'm sure that Master Yoda is just as deeply troubled as you are about what's going on. He senses the same things that you do." She smiled at him softly as she watched his image flicker again on the holopad. "Master Yoda is probably just worried, Ani," Padmé said softly. "Just like we are."

He paused for a moment as his dream flashed through his mind again, and then turned his worried face back to her. "I just need to know you're safe, Padmé," he said softly. "If anything ever happened to you, I don't know what I'd do."

"Me, either," Padmé said softly, shaking her head slowly. "Promise me you'll be careful, Ani," she said, as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I know you have to be there, Anakin, I really do. I just want all of this to be over, now, and for you to come home."

Padmé opened her eyes and looked across the cockpit of their ship as she leaned back slowly against the bench where she sat. 'None of this was supposed to happen," she sighed, as a shadow of deep concern spread over her face. "It was hard enough sending you with Obi-Wan, just to go handle this one mission," Padmé said, as she turned her troubled face back to Anakin's image on the holopad. "But now, all of this is just getting too big too fast," she said softly, her voice trembling softly as she spoke.

"I'm so scared, Anakin," Padmé said, her voice almost a whisper as she spoke. "I've never been so scared in all of my life. Please promise me that you'll be extra careful," Padmé said softly, pleading with him. "If anything happened to you..."

"Please don't be scared, Padmé," Anakin said softly, nodding his head and gazing at her reassuringly. "I'm not going to let anything happen to me or to you, I promise. Okay?"

"Okay," Padmé said, as she forced a smile and nodded her head. "I believe you."

"And you're probably right," Anakin said, taking a deep breath and nodding his head. "Master Yoda's just worried about all this, just like we are," he said. "But I want you to be extra careful just the same, okay?"

"I will," Padmé said, nodding her head. "I promise."

"And not just you," Anakin said, "but the whole family. Mom, Dad, everybody; I want you all to be extra careful until I get home."

"We will, Anakin," Padmé said, nodding her head reassuringly. "I promise. I'll talk to all of them in the morning. You have my word, sweetheart."

"Okay," Anakin said with a nod. "And have Artoo contact Owen and Beru on Tatooine, too, and let them know what's going on. I don't want any of our family being in the dark about any of this, okay?"

"I promise," Padmé nodded. "They're about twelve hours ahead of us, so I'll contact them as soon as we get through talking," she said. "And I'll be sure to use the new encrypters you built, too."

"Okay," Anakin said, as he took another deep breath and sighed deeply. "And I'll be home just as soon as I can, I promise."

Anakin looked back at her for a long moment. "I'm sorry, Angel," he said, as he gazed back at her with a deeply loving expression. "All I've done is give you a lot of bad news tonight, and now I know you're going to be worried sick."

"Anakin," Padmé said, gazing back at his image fondly, "Do you remember that night on Tatooine, right after I got hurt, the night we went looking for your mother?"

"Yes," Anakin said, softly. "I'll never be able to forget it."

"I was sure that night, when I was lying on that ground with the Tuskens coming toward me, that I was going to die," Padmé said, softly. "But then you were there, and you drove them away, and you held me in your arms and told me everything was going to be all right."

Anakin took a deep breath as he listened to her warm, reassuring voice. "And that day on Geonosis, when Viceroy Gunray stepped in front of me with that knife," Padmé continued, "I was sure then that I was going to die."

"And then, the next thing I knew," Padmé said, as she gazed at him lovingly, reaching out to him across the stars with all of the love in her heart, "you came crashing through that window, and you drove them away again, and I was back in your arms, and everything was all right."

"For the last four years, Anakin," Padmé said softly, "you've brought me nothing but love and happiness, more than I ever dreamed possible."

"I can handle a little bad news," Padmé said with a warm, loving smile. "Because I know we'll make it through this together, and that you'll always be there to make sure that everything turns out all right."

Padmé closed her eyes for a moment and concentrated on the familiar tremor that she felt in her heart; it was strong now, stronger than it had been since he had left home. She opened her eyes and looked at him for a long moment, as she focused on the intense feeling of love and devotion that flowed through her. "I love you so much, Anakin Skywalker," she said, as she looked at the image of his smiling face on the holopad before her. "And I'm so very, very proud of you."

Anakin closed his eyes for a moment, and then looked back at her with a smile. "I love you, Padmé Skywalker," he said, as he gazed at her fondly. "More than you'll ever know."

"And you're right," he said softly, nodding his head. "We'll make it through this, and we'll do it together."

"We've always done everything together," Padmé grinned, nodding her head. "And we've done pretty well, haven't we?" She shook her head and smiled at him again. "No sense changing things now."

"Nope," Anakin chuckled, shaking his head. "No point in messing with perfection." He paused for a moment, and gazed at her fondly. "Thank you, Padmé," Anakin said softly. "I feel a lot better now that I've talked to you," he said, and then he smiled sheepishly at her. "But I'm sorry I made Artoo come get you out of bed at this hour."

"I'm not," Padmé sighed, shaking her head as she smiled back at him. "I'm not sorry at all."

Padmé smiled as she watched him lean back in the chair and yawn deeply. "You need to get some rest, Ani," Padmé said, as she turned her head and looked at the clock on the ship's console. "You're going to have a busy day tomorrow, and Master Yoda probably won't want to wait around till mid morning to get started."

"No, he definitely won't do that," Anakin said, shaking his head. "I've never actually seen him sleep. I'm not even sure that he does."

"Well, you do, and you need too," Padmé said, nodding her head at him. "Now I want you to go back to sleep and rest," she said. "And no more nightmares, okay?"

"Okay," Anakin smiled, nodding his head. "I promise."

"Get some rest, baby," Padmé sighed. "Will you be able to contact me in the morning, when you get underway?"

"Sure," Anakin said, nodding his head. "I'll contact you first thing when we head out, I promise."

"Now," Anakin sighed, "you take yourself and our babies and go back to bed and get some sleep, okay?"

"I will," she smiled softly back at him. "As soon as Artoo and I get through to Owen and Beru, I'll have him escort me back inside," she said. "I promise."

"Okay," Anakin said, and he gazed lovingly at her for a long moment. "Sleep well and sweet dreams, Angel. I love you very much."

"I love you, Ani," Padmé smiled in reply. "Sleep well and sweet dreams."

"Goodnight, Padmé," Anakin smiled. "Talk to you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Ani," Padmé said softly, and she watched him reach over toward the console in front of him, and his signal flickered twice, and then faded away.

Padmé took a long, deep breath, and then turned to Artoo as he swung his sensor dome toward her. "Get Owen and Beru online, Artoo," she said, as she stood up and walked toward the cabinet in the back of the cockpit and took out the small signal encrypter that Anakin had placed there just a few days ago after he had completed them.

She placed it in the encrypter slot on the holographic control pad, and then sat back down on the bench in front of the table and watched as Artoo went to work at the control wheels again.

"We've got a lot to tell them," she said with a long, deep sigh as she leaned back against the bench, folding her arms thoughtfully over her chest as she rolled all that Anakin had told her over in her mind.

Anakin reached over and pressed the switch on the console, and watched with a smile as her image flickered several times, and then faded. He pressed the power switch next to the display, and sat quietly in the chair for a long moment as his eyes adjusted to the darkness again.

He stood up, sliding the chair back up under the console, and then walked slowly and thoughtfully across the room and sat down slowly on the edge of the bed. He looked up toward the window near the bed, and he watched quietly for a moment, as the never ending throngs of speeders and transports wove in and out of the brilliantly lit buildings that reached like glowing spindles into the dark, evening sky.

He felt better, now that he had talked to her, and he lay back down in the bed, pulling the bedclothes up over himself, and then folded his arms behind his head as he looked up thoughtfully at the ceiling above him.

Padmé was right; this was all getting too big, too dangerous, and far too fast. He looked over at the nightstand beside him; he could see the light that filtered through the window glint brightly off the smooth, metal handles of his sabers. He looked at them thoughtfully for a long moment, and then rolled over onto his side, tucking his arm under his pillow. He took a long, deep breath, and closed his eyes.

He felt himself begin to relax, as he sensed her familiar, soothing tremor in his heart. "I love you, Padmé," he whispered softly, and then he slowly drifted back to sleep, as her warm, soothing tremor lulled him peacefully back to sleep.

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