Futures Past
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Chapter 9- Dark Days
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A.N: Thank you again to all the lovely reviewers, and although Lola will probably never be back to read this I feel I should address her review. I have always maintained this is an Obidala story, it is in the summary in fact. I'm glad that Ani/Ami shippers read this up to the point where they don't enjoy it any more, but I don't think Lola is right in her estimation of their relationship. Although Obi Wan dislikes politicians he has never disliked Padmé, and to fall in love with someone, their career shouldn't be an issue, if people are attracted to each other then whether she is his Padawan's girl or a politician makes no difference, people can't always help falling in love, it just happens, so I don't think it's fair to say it is contrary to the nature of the characters. I am trying to give my own view of what the characters are like and how they would feel and unfortunately for the Ani/Ami shippers that won't change, I don't think who they are or what they are matters in love, it just happens!
Sorry for the rant everyone just had to defend my story and get it off my chest! Thanks for the support as always, I hope you enjoy this chapter.
*
Padmé looked around in fear. Metal security doors with keypads on them started closing all around her. She was in a section of the temple that Mace hadn't showed her, it was darkened and there were no doors leading off apart from one at the very end of the hallway. The lights dimmed so that intruders would find their way, but as she didn't know about the ins and outs of the temple it didn't help her much either.
She had become separated from Lucas which made her even more nervous.
"He- Hello?" She called weakly, looking around her, she didn't know the security codes to open any of the metal barriers so she was stuck here. She decided to walk down to the other end of the corridor and see if there was anything she could do down there.
She heard something like a whisper in the air and turned around towards the door but there was nothing there. The hairs on her neck stood up on end and her skin tingled, like the feeling you get when someone is watching you.
"Come on Padmé." She muttered to herself. "Pull yourself together, you'll be alright, you are probably safer in here than out with the intruders that are roaming about." She sounded about as brave as she felt.
Something brushed past her and she whipped around, her heart beating in her throat and her skin crawling.
She saw something at the end of the hallway, a dark black shadow and took a step back, but the thing started striding steadily towards her. She fell back against the wall in terror as the thing was almost upon her…
*
"Well there's nothing for it now Anakin, the place will be swarming with those foul bugs in seconds." Obi Wan sighed.
"I'm sorry Master, I forgot they could fly off like that."
"Well next time think! If I had been as careless when I was…" Obi Wan trailed off, closing his eyes in concentration.
He could sense something terrible, Padmé was in danger, his heart lurched instinctively though he didn't know why. Anakin was not attuned enough to pick this up he hoped, but she was terrified and something awful was happening inside the temple. He felt the vibrations of fear and death from the Force as a Jedi was struck down. He gasped, his eyes fluttering open.
"Master? What's wrong?" Anakin stared nervously at Obi Wan.
His Master knew that if he told Anakin of these feelings then his Padawan would insist on returning to the temple or wouldn't be able to focus on the mission, he was sure Master Yoda could handle the problem if it was serious. Obi Wan pushed his thoughts aside and forced a smile to his face.
"…Nothing my young apprentice, just pondering what we should do before those overgrown bugs get here." He felt weak inside but covered up his emotions.
Anakin regarded him suspiciously but nodded and said,
"I think we should go down there anyway, if they know we're here it's only a matter of time before they come, probably overwhelmingly but if we are there, maybe we could control the situation."
Obi Wan nodded weakly.
"It is your decision Anakin, if that is what you think is best."
Anakin confirmed this and then leapt down the hill.
Why does he always do that?! Obi Wan sighed before leaping down after him.
They skidded down the hill, Anakin keeping his balance better because of his slight form and agility.
They reached the bottom and fell straight into the camp, Anakin activating his lightsabre immediately and springing over to the cages, snapping off locks and melting bars, then ushering the frightened Rishians away back up the hill.
Obi Wan braced himself as the hum of wings greeted him. His icy blue lightsabre swung forward to meet them slicing three in half immediately as more rushed from trees, huts and… well everywhere.
The Jedi Knight leapt up to dodge blasts from the Geonosians' weapons and bashed others away with his lightsabre. He flipped in midair and landed back down with the grace of a cat. He drove his lightsabre into a Geonosian's skull and then relaxed, letting go of his emotions and using the Force to flow, feeling the attacks before they came.
Anakin watched his Master with interest, he seemed so in time with the Force, Anakin knew he was reckless with his lightsabre fighting and used his anger to spur him on rather than allowing the Force to direct him, it was one thing that Obi Wan bested him at.
Not for long. He assured himself, glancing down at his robotic arm which was covered with a glove. He didn't like looking at it. To him it was a sign of his failure, his weakness. He had lost to Dooku and this was a reminder of his incapability. He felt anger burning inside him and leapt towards the Geonosians slashing at them, the turmoil inside of him flaring up and pushing him on.
"Anakin no!" Obi Wan cried as Anakin turned to slash another, a new Geonosian appeared from nowhere as raised its blaster in triumph to kill the Padawan. Obi Wan leapt for his apprentice and pushed him out of the way, roaring in pain as the shot connected with his side.
"Master!" Anakin cried in horror as they tumbled to the ground, Obi Wan not getting up.
He glared with hatred at the bugs and with a cry of rage ran towards them, slashing them down mercilessly, the ones that survived this attack- and there weren't many at all- took flight immediately, sensing the unpredictable wrath that the young Padawan presented.
"Master!" Anakin deactivated his lightsabre and rushed to Obi Wan's side turning him over.
Obi Wan was limp in his arms and Anakin choked in horror, frantically checking for any sign of life in his Masters body.
He found a faint pulse and gasped in relief, he couldn't even consider the thought of losing his mentor and father figure too.
Grabbing the Comlink from his Masters belt, he radioed their transport ship.
"Hurry, Master Kenobi is down, he is in need of urgent medical attention, the Geonosian threat is gone. Please hurry!" He repeated to the ship and it seemed like a millennia before the welcome roar of the ship whirred overhead before landing.
Anakin looked around, searching for something but he wasn't sure what, he rushed into one of the tents randomly, the Force was propelling him forward pushing at the back of his mind. He went to a chest on what must have been a Geonosian General's table, activating his lightsabre he burnt the keyhole and split the box open, inside was a small transparent ball with a blue light swirling ethereally in the centre, like a trick of the light but somehow tangible. He stuffed the globe safely in his pocket and ran back out to his master.
Anakin grabbed his Masters robes and lifted him with difficulty towards the ship, where one of the pilots helped him carry Obi Wan to the medical bay.
"Anakin, there is trouble at the Jedi Temple would you like to go straight there?"
"What kind of trouble?" Anakin asked, panic building up inside him.
"Intruders, messages were sent to all of the Jedi ships away on missions warning them before transmissions were cut off."
Anakin fought the worry and tried to stay calm.
"Yes, go there immediately, Master Kenobi needs medical attention, is there anything we can do?"
"What is the wound?"
"A Geonosian blaster, his pulse is very weak."
The pilot looked over Obi Wan a grave expression on his face.
"There's nothing we can do about it here, the resources are poor on this ship and the best thing we could do is dress it, the best bet is to get to the temple ASAP."
Anakin stared at the pilot who shrugged and sighed sympathetically.
"We'll make the jump to hyperspace as soon as we can but we don't know about the Temples accessibility."
"Please hurry." Anakin slumped down in a chair next to Obi Wan, who looked sickeningly pale.
"I'm sorry Master, I should have left it to you, I just wanted to prove that I'm as good a lightsabre fighter as you." He sighed, reaching out to the Force to comfort him and heal his Master, when he found something that did nothing to lighten his mood.
"Padmé!"
*
Yoda scurried as fast as his wizened body allowed. He had witnessed many knights in fierce battle with the dark clad intruders, carrying blasters and talented fighting skills. He hadn't recognised the red symbols on their sleeves but they almost looked like a sun or star with square edges to its points, inside a red circle.
What he had seen didn't encourage him, but he had stayed long enough to dispatch some of the attackers.
He reached out with the Force to try and find the missing senator. She was easy to sense due to her strong link with the Force that even she wasn't aware of, that and her unyielding terror.
He hurried to a mostly unused part of the Temple where Padawans or trainees were sent to when they did something wrong and were sent to commune with the Force and think about their mistakes. They didn't have to use it much and it was empty at this moment.
The security doors posed no problems for the Jedi least of all Yoda and he sensed Padmé strongly though the door.
~
Padmé recognised the feeling of her skin crawling, she recognised the soulless eyes, though they were obscured by the robe he was wearing, she could sense them somehow.
"You tried to hide from me senator." The deep, dangerously dark voice wrapped itself around her like a chain.
"Palpatine." She whispered, fearfully.
A long almost grey hand reached towards her and she winced closing her eyes, waiting for his evil touch.
But it never came. She heard a whoosh and a loud hum and opened her eyes to see Yoda standing beside her, green lightsabre in hand. He stared down at the empty robe on the floor.
"A hologram." He growled disgustedly. Padmé saw two small balls floating from the cloak into the air.
"Master Yoda." She motioned but Yoda was already in front of her, batting the blasts from the two floating mini droids -well really little guns- away from him as if they were nothing more than annoying flies.
He flipped into the air dodging a barrage of blasts that came like rain upon him. He pushed himself off from a wall spinning in midair and slashing one of the guns in half, reducing it to a sizzling mass of wires and shell on the floor, he turned his lightsabre and drove it into the core of the other gun which joined its partner on the floor.
Yoda deactivated him lightsabre and picked up his stick from beside Padmé hobbling back towards her.
Padmé regarded Yoda with wonder and amazement, taken aback at his speed and power.
"Too easy that was." Yoda sighed. "Merely a distraction I fear. Harmed are you?"
"No Master, not physically anyway." She shook her head trying to dispel her discomfort.
"Know you who that was?" Yoda asked.
"Of course, such a machination could only have been devised by Palpatine. I shudder to think what the fate of the Universe would be if he got any more power, he has too much already, he is not the man I thought he was. Merely using me to get him elected to Supreme Chancellor, I am a fool!" She groaned.
"No Senator, just naïve of the senates ways, in the senate many of them their own agendas have. If elected him you did not, a matter of time it was until another did."
Padmé nodded gratefully at the old master.
"You have helped me so much today Master, and I have no way to repay your kindness."
"Enough for me your gratitude is Senator, and consideration of the Force, hmm?"
"Of course Master."
"Come then, back we must go, and clean up this mess."
"Master Yoda." A knight came running to them.
"What problem now?" Yoda asked.
"Anakin Skywalker has returned." Padmé smiled as she heard Anakin's name.
"Problem that is, is it?" Yoda questioned.
"No Master, it's just, Master Obi Wan. He is critically injured."
Padmé's heart gave a jolt. She put a hand to her chest, frowning to herself. Master Kenobi was a friend nothing more, why did she keep reacting to his name like this? She fought off her worry, or tried to anyway.
"Then haste we must make." Yoda frowned, hurrying after the Knight, Padmé in tow.
*
