"- the transmission cut off suddenly and it seems likely Jacen is also now in enemy hands." said Qui-Gon. "A rescue mission is on its way from Coruscant, I will join them on Geonosis. Protect the Queen, Anakin, and tell her she'll be able to go home soon." the Master's holographic image vanished. Artoo, who'd generated it, gave an unhappy whistle.
"The Jedi will never get there in time," Padme cried, "they're half a galaxy away!"
"Master will, he's probably there already." Anakin replied with steely calm.
"What can Qui-Gon do alone?" she demanded.
He grinned. "What can't he do! You've seen Master in action Padme." he turned to Cleig and Owen. "Don't worry about Obi-Wan, there isn't anything in the universe he and Master can't handle together."
"They can't fight a war." Padme interrupted. "And that's just what we'll have if the Jedi go charging in sabres blazing!" She got up and headed for the stair leading to her room. "I'm going to Geonosis."
Anakin crossed the living room in three long strides and caught her by the arm. "Why? What do you think you can do?"
"Prevent a war." she answered fiercely. "Master Dooku was right, the Separatist leaders know I'm against military action, they'll listen to me."
"Padme they've been trying to kill you!"
"No they haven't, just Nute Gunray and probably behind the other's backs. I might be able to use that."
"You heard what Master said, it's not over yet. I have to protect you."
"Then you'd better come with me hadn't you." she replied, pulled free and headed up the stairs.
Anakin turned to the others in desperation. "Mom -"
"Perhaps Padme is right, son." Shmi said gently.
"Queen Amidala's word carries a lot of weight in the Galaxy, Anakin." said Cleig. "Maybe she can talk the Geonosians into letting my son and this Master Dooku go."
Anakin looked skeptical.
"I don't see how you can stop her from trying - unless your Jedi rules let you tie up heads of state." Owen put in.
Cleig grinned a little wryly. "I'm afraid Owen's right. When a woman gets that look in her eye all a man can do is get out of the way."
Anakin glanced at Shmi and Beru, both looked demurely smug. Obviously they agreed with their men. He threw up his hands. "I guess I'll just have to hope I'm Jedi enough to get her out of whatever she gets us into."
Padme hugged Shmi, and turned to Cleig. "Thank you for everything and don't worry about Obi-Wan, we'll get him back safe I promise."
He cleared his throat. "When you do, tell him if he's interested he's got a family that would like to meet him."
"I will." she hugged Cleig too, then Beru and finally Owen then ran for her ship, Anakin following like a dark shadow.
They settled themselves in the pilot chairs. Behind them Artoo whistled and bleeped, telling Threepio in how to strap in.
"My this is exciting." the protocol droid was saying happily. "I've never flown in a spaceship before."
"This is not a good idea." Anakin said quietly.
She refused to look at him. "I have to try." then it burst out of her in spite of herself: "I'm sick and tired of my friends taking my risks for me!"
Anakin didn't answer but she could feel him watching her all the way to Geonosis.
The stillness of the imprisoned Jedi's Force rapport rippled under the impact of a powerful presence very familiar to them both. Obi-Wan's blue eyes popped open to stare incredulously into Dooku's dark ones.
"Qui-Gon!"
The old Master nodded. "Surely you're not surprised?"
"I guess I shouldn't be." Obi-Wan said grimly. "I wonder what he's done with Ani and the Queen?"
"You'll be able to ask him soon."
Jacen was dozing, hidden in a rocky cleft above the remains of his ship, when a familiar presence jerked him fully awake. "Master Qui-Gon!" scrambling over Arfour he looked down at the ledge and saw the tall brown robed figure standing beside the burnt out fighter. The Master looked around, then up. Their eyes met and Jacen felt the tension wash out of him. Qui-Gon would know what to do.
"The worst of it is I was cut off before I got to the most important part," Jacen explained, after he had climbed down to join the Master. "Madam Moore is a Sith, and she's not only behind the Separatists but she's the one who ordered the Clone army on Kamino in the Council's name."
"I see." Qui-Gon said thoughtfully. "So that's their plan."
"Master?"
"The Sith have engineered a war, Jacen, and I fear it's far too late to stop it." he shrugged the problem away. "Do you have any idea where Obi-Wan and Master Dooku are being kept?"
The Queen of Naboo's bright silver ship approached the stalagmite city, flying low over the dusty red plains weaving between rock outcroppings.
"I don't think it'll be a good idea to put down on the field, not with all those Federation ships." Anakin told Padme. "Look for someplace hidden, where we won't be spotted."
She scanned the rugged landscape ahead, then pointed: "What about there? looks like exhaust ports of some kind."
"That'll do." he agreed and aimed for one of the columns of steam. The ship arrowed down the huge vent to settle gently on its the rocky floor.
Padme unbuckled her harness and got up, settling her white cloak around her. "Whatever happens out there follow my lead. Remember we're here to find a diplomatic solution to this mess."
Anakin half grimaced, half grinned. "Don't worry. I've given up trying to argue with you."
There was a hatch, and behind the hatch a tunnel with rough, unfinished walls. Padme's white suit and cloak seemed to glow in the dimness as she walked determinedly ahead of him. Anakin found himself falling farther and farther behind, as he kept looking over his shoulder. He had a very bad feeling about this; he knew they were being watched. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye he saw a bit of wall move. "Wait."
Padme stopped, looking at him uncertainly. Then her eyes moved past him to the passage behind them and she screamed.
Anakin didn't blame her a bit, he'd have screamed too if he'd had the time or the breath for it. Suddenly the walls and ceiling of the tunnel had come alive with vicious winged aliens. He managed to cut down their first rush, but not even a Jedi could stand forever against numbers like this. "Run!" he yelled. And Padme proved she could obey orders when it mattered, sprinting for the light at the end of the long tunnel. He backed after her as fast as he could, fending off the creatures as he went.
He backed right into Padme, almost sending her over the edge of a tiny ledge. As he clutched at her, to keep her from falling, he had a brief, crazy, out-of-time flash of another fair haired young man and pretty dark haired girl teetering on the edge of another ledge.
"Back!" Padme ordered, just as the door behind them slammed shut. Which was probably as well considering what was in the passage. Then, just to make it perfect, the walkway stub beneath them started to retract into the wall. No question but the Geonosians knew they were there - and weren't at all happy about it.
Padme, smart girl that she was, jumped onto a conveyor belt not far below, a fast moving belt that carried her almost out of sight in the few seconds it took Anakin to follow. Then a swarm of winged Geonosians descended on him and he had all he could do to defend himself, hoping desperately that they would concentrate on him and leave Padme alone. But his feelings told him that wasn't at all likely.
Suddenly the mirror-like dome that sealed their cell winked out. Obi-Wan started to his feet - just in time to catch a slight, white clad figure as it tumbled down the steps into the pit. It took him a second to recognize her, and another to find his voice.
"Your Majesty!"
Anakin was right behind her and Obi-Wan exploded: "Have you lost your mind? What were you thinking bringing her Highness here?"
The exclusion field reappeared overhead as Amidala pulled free. "Don't blame, Ani, Obi-Wan. It's all my own fault. I insisted on coming. I thought I could help."
She sat down on the stone ledge running around the pit and put her head in her hands.
"Padme thought she could talk the Separatists into releasing you and Master Dooku." Anakin explained quietly. "Jacen was cut off before he could warn the Council about the Sith."
"I see." Obi-Wan said heavily. He looked at the Queen. She wasn't crying - quite - but she was awfully close. "I'm certainly in no position to criticize you, Padme," he told her gently, "not after walking right into a trap myself." then his tone turned crisp. "Make yourself useful, Anakin, Master Dooku's been hurt."
The burns were much better than they had been, thanks to Obi-Wan's efforts, but still very ugly. Anakin's face darkened at the sight of them. "Who did this too you?" he demanded.
"I did it to myself, in a way." the Master answered calmly. "It was necessary to inflict some damage on Nute Gunray's viceregal palace, naturally his battle droids tried to stop me."
Anakin settled himself cross legged at the Master's feet and grinned up at him. "What kind of damage?"
"Extensive I fear." Dooku said with an unmistakable undertone of satisfaction.
"Way to go, Master!" Anakin crowed.
Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. "Two of a kind. No wonder poor Master Yoda hasn't got any hair left."
"He used to be taller too." Dooku said, straight faced.
Obi-Wan snorted with unwilling laughter.
Anakin took the old Master's wounded hands between his. "They won't get Qui-Gon, Padme, he'll save us."
"But what can he do?" Amidala asked forlornly.
"Something unlikely and reckless to the point of insanity no doubt." Obi-Wan said dryly.
"And extremely effective." Dooku finished mildly.
Anakin and the old Jedi Master seemed to slip into some kind of trance. Amidala could feel the power of the Force radiating from them - what was Ani doing?
"Healing Master Dooku's hands." Obi-Wan told her quietly. "Anakin's unusual strength in the Force allows him to do things the rest of us can't."
"You brought Master Qui-Gon back to life." she reminded him.
He winced a little. "That was - a unique event. I couldn't do it again." he smiled wryly in a way that reminded her suddenly and shockingly of his father. "Hopefully I won't have to."
"I met your family on Tatooine." she blurted. Maybe this wasn't the best time - but then what did they have to do but talk? And maybe she wouldn't get another chance. "Your father is married to Ani's mother. You have a brother named Owen, they live on a moisture farm near a little town called Anchorhead.
Obi-Wan seemed more bewildered than anything. "I don't think that's possible, your Highness, I was born on Ator. It's one of the Core Worlds."
"Right." Anakin opened his eyes, loosed the Master's now healed hands, and turned to look at them. "I wondered about that too. And why they call themselves Lars instead of Kenobi. According to Cleig - that's your father Obi-Wan - he was an indentured worker on Ator when you were born. That's why he and your mother gave you up, they figured you'd have a better life as a Jedi than they could give you. But a few years later they managed to get off Ator. Your mother wasn't indentured so they used her name to buy passage and to register the homestead on Tatooine.
"Your mother's name was Akia Lars, and you had a sister Orual. But they both died of the Red Fever twelve years ago. Cleig bought Mom to look after the house and vegetable garden for him and Owen. Then he fell in love with her and married her."
Obi-Wan still seemed bewildered, and maybe a touch irritated. "That's all very interesting, Anakin, your Highness, but why bring it up now?"
"Because your father and brother would like to see you." Amidala answered. "If you're willing."
He looked at her steadily for a moment, then spread his hands apologetically. "I'm sorry to sound so cold, your Highness, but the Jedi have been my only family for as long as I can remember. The idea of having another one takes a little getting used to." he smiled faintly. "No doubt I'll feel much more enthusiastic about a visit once we're out of our present predicament."
She managed to smile back. "I'll feel a lot better after that too."
After a while Amidala lay down and pretended to sleep. Ani and Obi-Wan, freed from the necessity of keeping up her spirits up, fell silent joining that intimidating old Jedi Master in meditation. Though they didn't seem to find Dooku intimidating at all, judging by the easy way they joked with him, like family just as Obi-Wan had said. He already had a father in Qui-Gon, and a brother in Anakin, so naturally Cleig and Owen seemed somewhat - extraneous. Maybe Beru was right, maybe it was too late to mend that broken bond. Poor Cleig...poor Obi-Wan.
'It's wrong, the Jedi are wrong to take babies away from their families, to seclude themselves in their Temple remote, unknowable and untouchable. It's wrong, all wrong.'
'You're just saying that because you can't have Anakin.' Queen Amidala said.
She felt herself saying the words, and yet at the same time she was watching herself, in her royal paint and robes, say them.
'No' she answered. And now she was Padme in the colorful tunic Beru had picked out for her with her hair loose on her shoulders, looking at Queen Amidala, and being looked at by her. 'No, that's not it. I can't have Anakin because of you too, but I don't feel our way is wrong. Hard, yes, but not wrong. If it's too hard we can quit.'
'So can the Jedi.' said the Queen.
'No they can't,' Padme argued, 'not really. We can go home, but where is a Jedi to go? To strangers? To a world they know nothing about?'
"Padme."
"Yes, Amidala?" she said sleepily, and opened her eyes to find Anakin staring at her. "Ani? I was talking to the Queen."
"You are the Queen, Padme." he said, looking a little alarmed.
"Yes of course, I was talking to Padme too." then she woke up all the way. "I'm sorry, Ani, I was dreaming -" she sat up and looked around the cell. Obi-Wan and Dooku were both on their feet, staring expectantly up at the field sealing them in. "What is it? Is something happening?"
Anakin nodded. "Yes, we all feel it. We've got to be ready."
"Ready for what Amidala asked, gathering her cloak around her.
"Anything - everything!" Anakin grinned, obviously he couldn't wait.
It was almost an anti-climax when the field vanished, revealing Master Qui-Gon standing above them, lightsabre in hand. His eyes went first too Dooku. "I'm glad to see you safe, Master." then moved to his apprentice. "I did not expect to see you here, Anakin."
"It's my fault." Amidala said quickly. "I insisted on coming - I thought I could help. I'm sorry."
The Master's blue eyes, softer than Obi-Wan's and clearer than Anakin's bored into her for a moment then he smiled. "No harm done, your Majesty, shall we go?"
"Where's Jacen?" Obi-Wan demanded the moment he emerged from the pit.
"Right here, Master," the young Jedi answered from the doorway he was guarding. "I went back to the ship as ordered, contacted Coruscant and Master Qui-Gon and waited for help - uh, they blasted the fighter I'm afraid, but Arfour's all right."
"Well done, Jacen." Obi-Wan clapped his Padawan's shoulder. "I'm glad to see you're turning into a more prudent man than your Master."
"With all due respect, Master, that wouldn't be hard." Jacen grinned
"Recklessness runs in our line I fear." said Master Dooku gliding to look out of the open doorway. "You seem to be the exception, young Jacen."
"Or maybe a throwback to your Master Yoda." said Anakin, joining them.
"Mace is on his way with, I would guess, every able bodied Jedi in the Temple behind him." Qui-Gon told Dooku and Obi-Wan. "All we have to do is stay alive and free until they arrive."
A look of alarm flashed over Anakin's face "That might take some doing, Master." he and Jacen hastily slammed the door shut and bolted it - just in time
It vibrated under the angry blows of many fists. Amidala looked around nervously. They were standing in a cavernous chamber with rough stone walls soaring to a sky light high overhead. the uneven stone floor was dotted with pits like the one that had been their prison and piles of loose stone. There seemed to be no way out.
Master Qui-Gon gazed calmly up at the distant skylight. "Have you ever done any rock climbing your Highness?"