PART FIVE: LIVE OR DIE?
A Jedi starfighter escaped into the early morning air of Coruscant, circling the skies with the small cloud of transports on their early morn run.
Several hours had passed.
The starfighter landed on a nearby rooftop, adjacent to the ex-Senator's private suite. The lone figure jumped from the cockpit and came to rest on his knee at the edge of the roof. Obi-Wan reached deep into the sleeve of his cloak and pulled out a pair of electro-binoculars. He peered through the binoculars into the distance.
The young women slept soundly in her quarters. She looked peaceful. R2-D2 was always programmed for guard-proof security, C-3PO was shut down in the next room. Jar Jar Binks poked at the clonetroopers lingering in the halls, in hopes to get one to chase him just for the fun of it. Padmé couldn't help to keep that goof-ball around, nor did Obi-Wan really care too much about it. He had enjoyed his company on his many visits to see the ex-Senator. It brought a smile to Obi-Wan's face.
Obi-Wan scanned the rooms again, under heat vision. He could read-out the four guards in the hall, the clumsy Jar Jar in his royal clothes, the blur of the two droids and the sleeping mistress. Other than that, everything appeared normal.
Except for that faint reading in the guest room, Obi-Wan thought, with a cold chill.
Obi-Wan forced out a breath and looked at the room again. The figure disappeared from the scanners and moved into the main chamber. Obi-Wan reached for his comlink, but was stopped but a brush of cold air.
: Don't do it, Obi-Wan. :
"Why do this? What are you trying to prove?" he asked, quietly.
: Do you want to live or die? :
"What is it you want?" Obi-Wan demanded.
: Live or die? If one lives, one must die. You or the mistress. :
"What?! This is madness! You can't make me choose over who lives or dies."
: Do you want to live or die? :
"Live," he whispered. "But not without knowing she will be all right and alive too."
: I cannot guarantee that. :
"Tell me why."
: If you come, maybe I will. :
The figure was now looming over the ex-Senator. Obi-Wan felt frozen in his tracks. He didn't know what to do. Another voice inside his head was screaming at him, telling him to stop the figure. Telling him to move. Telling him to warn the guards. Telling him to wake-up Padmé. He just couldn't do it. He couldn't move. Padmé, wake up, please! Don't let that figure harm you.
: Your powers are weak, Obi-Wan. :
Padmé, please.
He flung his hand forward, the window rattled in return. The figure turned in frustration and disappeared. The guards came into the room quickly, just as the ex-Senator arose from her slumber. In the far distance, a starfighter disappeared into space. Obi-Wan turned to his own starfigher. He called out to R4-P17.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
"Run an examination of the entire area for Anakin, now!" he demanded.
BEEP! BEEP!
Obi-Wan raised the binoculars to his eyes. The guards scanned the rooms slowly for any clues. He turned away and ran toward the starfighter. "Did you find anything, R4?" he jumped into the cockpit.
R4 beeped a sad 'no'.
Obi-Wan slumped back into his chair, sighing. "Run a scan over a radius of the core systems and middle systems."
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
Soon, a planet appeared on the screen. Obi-Wan covered his mouth and thought deeply as the final read-outs made the last connections to Anakin's last destination. He slowly sunk deeper into his seat. Bastion. Of all the places, Anakin, why there? There is hardly any life there.
: Obi-Wan, come to me. Face your destiny and prove to me how weak you really are. Become a victim of the Dark Side and leave the powers of the Jedi behind. The Dark Side can still save you from torment like the light side has already done. :
"Who are you?" his voice cracked.
: Your worst nightmare. :
"If you are my worst nightmare, why haven't you destroyed me yet?"
: Because I like to see you suffer. :
"Haven't I suffered enough?"
: It is your own fear that haunts you and causes the suffering. :
"I'm not afraid."
: Then you are not afraid to face me. :
Obi-Wan found his hands on the controls, as the starfighter rose from the roof, and was destined to head to the last planet Anakin was on – Bastion.
To be continued....
A Jedi starfighter escaped into the early morning air of Coruscant, circling the skies with the small cloud of transports on their early morn run.
Several hours had passed.
The starfighter landed on a nearby rooftop, adjacent to the ex-Senator's private suite. The lone figure jumped from the cockpit and came to rest on his knee at the edge of the roof. Obi-Wan reached deep into the sleeve of his cloak and pulled out a pair of electro-binoculars. He peered through the binoculars into the distance.
The young women slept soundly in her quarters. She looked peaceful. R2-D2 was always programmed for guard-proof security, C-3PO was shut down in the next room. Jar Jar Binks poked at the clonetroopers lingering in the halls, in hopes to get one to chase him just for the fun of it. Padmé couldn't help to keep that goof-ball around, nor did Obi-Wan really care too much about it. He had enjoyed his company on his many visits to see the ex-Senator. It brought a smile to Obi-Wan's face.
Obi-Wan scanned the rooms again, under heat vision. He could read-out the four guards in the hall, the clumsy Jar Jar in his royal clothes, the blur of the two droids and the sleeping mistress. Other than that, everything appeared normal.
Except for that faint reading in the guest room, Obi-Wan thought, with a cold chill.
Obi-Wan forced out a breath and looked at the room again. The figure disappeared from the scanners and moved into the main chamber. Obi-Wan reached for his comlink, but was stopped but a brush of cold air.
: Don't do it, Obi-Wan. :
"Why do this? What are you trying to prove?" he asked, quietly.
: Do you want to live or die? :
"What is it you want?" Obi-Wan demanded.
: Live or die? If one lives, one must die. You or the mistress. :
"What?! This is madness! You can't make me choose over who lives or dies."
: Do you want to live or die? :
"Live," he whispered. "But not without knowing she will be all right and alive too."
: I cannot guarantee that. :
"Tell me why."
: If you come, maybe I will. :
The figure was now looming over the ex-Senator. Obi-Wan felt frozen in his tracks. He didn't know what to do. Another voice inside his head was screaming at him, telling him to stop the figure. Telling him to move. Telling him to warn the guards. Telling him to wake-up Padmé. He just couldn't do it. He couldn't move. Padmé, wake up, please! Don't let that figure harm you.
: Your powers are weak, Obi-Wan. :
Padmé, please.
He flung his hand forward, the window rattled in return. The figure turned in frustration and disappeared. The guards came into the room quickly, just as the ex-Senator arose from her slumber. In the far distance, a starfighter disappeared into space. Obi-Wan turned to his own starfigher. He called out to R4-P17.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
"Run an examination of the entire area for Anakin, now!" he demanded.
BEEP! BEEP!
Obi-Wan raised the binoculars to his eyes. The guards scanned the rooms slowly for any clues. He turned away and ran toward the starfighter. "Did you find anything, R4?" he jumped into the cockpit.
R4 beeped a sad 'no'.
Obi-Wan slumped back into his chair, sighing. "Run a scan over a radius of the core systems and middle systems."
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
Soon, a planet appeared on the screen. Obi-Wan covered his mouth and thought deeply as the final read-outs made the last connections to Anakin's last destination. He slowly sunk deeper into his seat. Bastion. Of all the places, Anakin, why there? There is hardly any life there.
: Obi-Wan, come to me. Face your destiny and prove to me how weak you really are. Become a victim of the Dark Side and leave the powers of the Jedi behind. The Dark Side can still save you from torment like the light side has already done. :
"Who are you?" his voice cracked.
: Your worst nightmare. :
"If you are my worst nightmare, why haven't you destroyed me yet?"
: Because I like to see you suffer. :
"Haven't I suffered enough?"
: It is your own fear that haunts you and causes the suffering. :
"I'm not afraid."
: Then you are not afraid to face me. :
Obi-Wan found his hands on the controls, as the starfighter rose from the roof, and was destined to head to the last planet Anakin was on – Bastion.
To be continued....