Okay, so from here on it will be a lot of short, but frequent chapters.
-Tim
After several grueling hours trekking through the dense forest, they had made it about halfway to the point at the mountain's south base where Anakin was guiding them. No one spoke, for they took great pains to emit as little noise as possible. They moved carefully, silently, each following in the steps of the one before. They kept weapons in hand, ready to fire in an instant should they run into a hostile force. All eyes and ears were alert, kept so by fear and adrenaline.
Anakin, in the lead, suddenly halted and raised a hand, motioning those behind him to do the same. He peered out through a break in the foliage, seeing a crude but worn path, ground churned by footsteps. He walked back towards the rest of the formation.
"Looks like a patrol route up ahead," he said. "We're going to have to divert to the east so we can stay hidden."
Padme and Typho nodded in assent.
Padme was about to speak when suddenly, they heard a massive roar coming from the direction of the mountain.
"Get down!" Anakin snapped, and all dropped to the forest floor, remaining motionless, as the noise drew nearer, passed directly overhead, and then faded off. Anakin concentrated on his impressions in the force, and several minutes later, he stood, signaling for the others to rise as well.
"A shuttle, medium sized," he said, "coming from the mountain."
Padme muttered a curse. "As we expected, the clones are here."
"And they have my Master" Anakin said, his voice laced with anger.
**
Three more hours, and another diversion after Anakin had spotted another patrol route, and they were at last nearing their goal, the mountain looming larger when they looked through gaps in the trees. In addition, they had heard nearly a dozen more shuttles ascending from the mountain, climbing high into the stratosphere.
Anakin had scanned the area around him, and sensing no danger, signaled for a much needed halt. He sat down, leaning his back against a tree trunk, while his companions attempted to find similar comfort nearby.
"The shuttles seem to launch every fifteen minutes or so," Padme observed. "There is something very unsettling about this." She paused, thoughtful. "Anakin, you said you could sense their presence in the Force. How many do you think are here?"
"I couldn't tell," Anakin said. "The Force signatures from the clones are nearly identical, and it's impossible to separate them, though there are slight variations. Though, from what I could sense, I would estimate there must be thousands of them."
Padme shuddered, remembering how much trouble a mere platoon of clone soldiers had been able to create. "We know they have ships. They sent five cruiser-sized vessels to attack Naboo, but there are no capital ships near this planet."
Anakin caught on to her line of thought. "You think they have a fleet somewhere and are transferring the men here on those shuttles?"
Padme nodded. "And that can only mean they are deploying them to attack somewhere else, and in far greater strength. Even if we cannot rescue Master Kenobi, we have to get word back to Coruscant."
**
Obi-Wan cried out in pain as Raptor's fist smashed into his bare stomach.
"I will ask you one more time, Jedi," Raptor sneered, "why did the Jedi send you here, and have you or have you not sent any transmissions to the Council or the Republic?"
Obi-Wan said nothing. Tried to ignore the agony. Tried to ignore the realization that soon, he would die, alone. Who would train Anakin, he wondered. But he would reveal nothing to the Sith, even if it meant his death, though he had already decided his lifespan was now measured in days, perhaps hours, regardless of his cooperation.
"I grow tired of your attempts at bravado, Jedi," the Sith said. "I would take great pleasure in slowly, painfully killing you myself, but my Master has other plans for you. You are to remain alive until I have your young apprentice in my possession."
"Anakin will be of no more use to you than I," Obi-Wan replied. "He will tell you nothing, and soon the Council will come for us."
"You think so, my foolish friend?" Raptor asked. He laughed, a mocking, evil, chilling sound. "You Jedi believe yourselves competent.but you are clueless as to the true threat to your pathetic Republic. Even if you managed to escape, it would still serve my Master's plans. And as for young Anakin, it is not information that my Master wants from him.oh no..it is the boy's soul. And even now, he is on the planet, walking directly into a trap."
Obi-Wan just managed to suppress a scream of terror as the Dark Lord of the Sith let loose more mocking laughter.
**
-Tim
After several grueling hours trekking through the dense forest, they had made it about halfway to the point at the mountain's south base where Anakin was guiding them. No one spoke, for they took great pains to emit as little noise as possible. They moved carefully, silently, each following in the steps of the one before. They kept weapons in hand, ready to fire in an instant should they run into a hostile force. All eyes and ears were alert, kept so by fear and adrenaline.
Anakin, in the lead, suddenly halted and raised a hand, motioning those behind him to do the same. He peered out through a break in the foliage, seeing a crude but worn path, ground churned by footsteps. He walked back towards the rest of the formation.
"Looks like a patrol route up ahead," he said. "We're going to have to divert to the east so we can stay hidden."
Padme and Typho nodded in assent.
Padme was about to speak when suddenly, they heard a massive roar coming from the direction of the mountain.
"Get down!" Anakin snapped, and all dropped to the forest floor, remaining motionless, as the noise drew nearer, passed directly overhead, and then faded off. Anakin concentrated on his impressions in the force, and several minutes later, he stood, signaling for the others to rise as well.
"A shuttle, medium sized," he said, "coming from the mountain."
Padme muttered a curse. "As we expected, the clones are here."
"And they have my Master" Anakin said, his voice laced with anger.
**
Three more hours, and another diversion after Anakin had spotted another patrol route, and they were at last nearing their goal, the mountain looming larger when they looked through gaps in the trees. In addition, they had heard nearly a dozen more shuttles ascending from the mountain, climbing high into the stratosphere.
Anakin had scanned the area around him, and sensing no danger, signaled for a much needed halt. He sat down, leaning his back against a tree trunk, while his companions attempted to find similar comfort nearby.
"The shuttles seem to launch every fifteen minutes or so," Padme observed. "There is something very unsettling about this." She paused, thoughtful. "Anakin, you said you could sense their presence in the Force. How many do you think are here?"
"I couldn't tell," Anakin said. "The Force signatures from the clones are nearly identical, and it's impossible to separate them, though there are slight variations. Though, from what I could sense, I would estimate there must be thousands of them."
Padme shuddered, remembering how much trouble a mere platoon of clone soldiers had been able to create. "We know they have ships. They sent five cruiser-sized vessels to attack Naboo, but there are no capital ships near this planet."
Anakin caught on to her line of thought. "You think they have a fleet somewhere and are transferring the men here on those shuttles?"
Padme nodded. "And that can only mean they are deploying them to attack somewhere else, and in far greater strength. Even if we cannot rescue Master Kenobi, we have to get word back to Coruscant."
**
Obi-Wan cried out in pain as Raptor's fist smashed into his bare stomach.
"I will ask you one more time, Jedi," Raptor sneered, "why did the Jedi send you here, and have you or have you not sent any transmissions to the Council or the Republic?"
Obi-Wan said nothing. Tried to ignore the agony. Tried to ignore the realization that soon, he would die, alone. Who would train Anakin, he wondered. But he would reveal nothing to the Sith, even if it meant his death, though he had already decided his lifespan was now measured in days, perhaps hours, regardless of his cooperation.
"I grow tired of your attempts at bravado, Jedi," the Sith said. "I would take great pleasure in slowly, painfully killing you myself, but my Master has other plans for you. You are to remain alive until I have your young apprentice in my possession."
"Anakin will be of no more use to you than I," Obi-Wan replied. "He will tell you nothing, and soon the Council will come for us."
"You think so, my foolish friend?" Raptor asked. He laughed, a mocking, evil, chilling sound. "You Jedi believe yourselves competent.but you are clueless as to the true threat to your pathetic Republic. Even if you managed to escape, it would still serve my Master's plans. And as for young Anakin, it is not information that my Master wants from him.oh no..it is the boy's soul. And even now, he is on the planet, walking directly into a trap."
Obi-Wan just managed to suppress a scream of terror as the Dark Lord of the Sith let loose more mocking laughter.
**
