Disclaimer: We don't own Star Wars.
Full summary: Sequel to Reunion. A year later our Jedi cohorts are brought together again. This time to protect Lady Amidala from the attempts on her life. How will these familiar tidings ride differently now that Qui-Gon lives, Anakin loves him, and the cold fires of bitterness burn in Obi-Wan's heart?
Warnings: Slash, JA reference, drugs, and violence
Pairing(s): Eventual Qui-GonxAnakin (subdued GarenxObi)
Fic type: AU, romance
Bizarre speaks: Uhm, in the spirit of...whatever...I post this chapter 12 hours early.
Chosen
Volume Four
Immolated Destiny
Chapter IV: It Goes
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan would not have appreciated the interruption as they were headed for Kamino.
"So this Dexter says the Kaminoins are cloners?" Qui-Gon wanted to make sure he had the details straight. He was half hoping he'd misunderstood. He couldn't imagine why cloners would want the Senator from Naboo dead.
"Yes, cloners," Obi-Wan restated. "Not much contact with the outside world," he added. "The larger your purse, however, the more likely they are to deal with you," he grinned.
The larger your purse, now, that could be a problem. Qui-Gon hoped that, by some grace of the Force, a solution would present itself. The Jedi had limited funds.
"You make sure we find them," Obi-Wan assured the old Master, "I'll make sure they'll talk to us," Kenobi said.
"Right," Qui-Gon agreed. His task was simple. Navigating wasn't that hard, even if you didn't have exact coordinates. A planet was hard to hide.
Despite doubts about the existence of the planet when they came out of hyperdrive there it sat, looming before them, Kamino, home to the reclusive cloners. They landed on one of the floating laboratory complexes that dotted the massive oceans that made up the majority of the world's surface. To their surprise they were expected. Obi-Wan was secretly relieved, that made his job easier. He had a private stash of credits, but really didn't want to spend them.
Kamino's Prime Minister, one Lamma Su, welcomed the Jedi with open arms. There was pride in the slender towering alien's tone when describing the vast quantity of units they'd created. A veritable army of clones…
Qui-Gon was alarmed at the implication. "An army?"
"Yes," the Prime Minister confirmed with a nod of its large bulbous head. "The army Jedi Master Syfo-Dias commissioned."
"Syfo-Dias!" Qui-Gon gasped. He quickly recovered, though. They must handle this carefully or be revealed. "Did he mention who they are for?"
"Of course," Lama Su wasn't ruffled at all. "This army is for the Republic."
"Well, then," Obi-Wan interjected. "Shall we have a look at them?" he suggested pleasantly. This was the break they were looking for, but they still must play their role. He almost fell out of character when he saw the clones, though. Fett, it was Jango Fett! From his circle of shadowy friends the young Knight knew the unsavory bounty hunter well.
It was arranged by the Minister and a Kaminoan called Taun We, that the Jedi could meet with the original Fett. Master Qui-Gon was looking forward to it though Obi-Wan seemed on edge.
Jango was a sturdy dour fellow. He glanced at Obi-Wan and but made no indication that he recognized the younger Jedi. "Who're you?" he rumbled with a sneer.
Taun We introduced them as Jedi and in the brief conversation that followed Fett disclosed nothing of much use. They thanked the sullen man for his time and efforts on behalf of the Republic.
"Yeah," he snarled and showed them the door.
They at thanked the Kamino and bid the tall aliens farewell. Then the pair headed up to the landing platform.
"We must contact the Council," Qui-Gon said sternly.
"You go do that," Obi-Wan shrugged. "I'm not going into that rain until I have to." He really wanted to see if he might have a private talk with Jango.
"Very well, Obi-Wan," Master Jinn said tersely, pulling up his big hood and hunching over to weather the driving wind and rain as he ran for their ship.
As soon as he did so, Obi-Wan sped down the sterile halls for the bounty hunter's quarters. Jango Fett was already gone.
"Yes, Master, I--" Qui-Gon glanced up mid sentence when a soaking wet Obi-Wan appeared. He'd been speaking with Master Yoda concerning this disturbing turn of events.
"Fett's gone," the Knight said, shaking out his long hair.
Qui-Gon shook his head angrily. "I must go now, Master," he said quickly. "I will call back as soon as possible." With that he cut the transmission. "Let's go," he ordered Obi-Wan as he slid into his seat and fired up the thrusters. They had to catch that bounty hunter! Plainly Jango Fett knew more than he'd revealed.
"I'll take us out, Master Jinn," Obi-Wan hurried to take the controls. He wasn't letting an angry Qui-Gon have the helm, trusting the old man's reactions even less than he'd trusted young Anakin Skywalker.
Fett gave them a run for their money. Leading them into a dangerous asteroid field and dropping concussion grenades in his wake. The Jedi were not daunted, however and ultimately found themselves on the remote planet of Geonosis. Home to massive droid foundries.
Anakin had his own problems. The intensity of his disturbing visions increased till he was frantic with worry. His mother was in real peril! He could feel her anguished cries of suffering through the Force. He had to do something!
It was a terrible choice. Stay on Naboo and abandon his mother to a grisly fate or defy his orders from the Council and leave Padmé unguarded.
His charge made things easier when she finally got the truth out of him. She would go along. Then he would still be carrying out his orders to stay with the Senator.
The Padawan wasn't sure if that would be allowed. Tatooine was a wild, dangerous place as it was, outside the Republic's rule of law. There wasn't time to debate the Council for permission, though. He had to get to Tatooine as fast as possible.
"I am going to Tatooine, Anakin," Padmé finally stated plainly, ordering her sleek state ship prepped for take off. "You can come if you like," she grinned at the look on his face. "It will be hard to watch out for me if you don't."
He could have hugged her!
Once they made planet fall, things fell apart completely. His mother, Shmi, was no longer the property of the junk dealer, Watto. He'd sold her to a moisture farmer, Cliegg Lars, who had a stake out past the dune sea, near the vast canyon lands of the native Tusken raiders. Anakin and Padmé made haste to find the homestead.
"She's gone, son," the crusty farmer told them gently. "Taken," he sobbed, "by the Tuskens." Apparently the man had fallen in love with Shmi, freed her from slavery and taken her to wife. Now his lady was presumed dead, a victim of the raiders.
"Where?" the tall young man claiming to be her long lost son asked. The look in his eyes was frightful.
"Out that way," the farmer's son pointed over the horizon toward the soaring cliffs and deep valleys of the dry canyon lands. "But it's been so long, she can't be," the kid stopped at the grim frown on Anakin's face.
"Do you have a speeder I can borrow?" Anakin asked softly. The local men exchanged a look then hustled to get Anakin their old speeder bike.
"Stay here," the Jedi apprentice told Padmé. "You will be safe with these people," he assured her, sensing this was true.
"Anakin," she started.
He held up a finger for silence. "Please, Padmé, do as I say."
He was so serious it scared her. "Anakin," she whispered and kissed his cheek quickly. "Be careful," she called as he sprang into the saddle and fired up the bike.
A dark look was his only reply.
Sadly, he returned with a cloth-shrouded form tied down behind him on the bike. He gently lifted the still form and carried his mother's body off for burial. No one had the heart to say anything to him for a long time.
"Ani?" Padmé finally found him in the garage, working halfheartedly on something. "Anakin," she repeated when he didn't respond. "Are you alright?" What a blow this was to him. His mother meant everything to the boy, she knew that. He'd dreamed of one day freeing her from bondage. She hoped he would see that at least that part of his desire had been fulfilled. Shmi had died a free woman, even if it was not his doing.
"The shifter, broke," he murmured, not even looking up. "Life seems simpler when you are fixing things."
"Ani," Padmé took a step closer.
"I'm good at fixing things," he said then, finally meeting her gaze. His eyes were bright with unshed tears. "Always have been." He hadn't been able to fix his mother, though.
"Anakin," Padmé said gently, placing a hand on his trembling arm. "I know you are upset, talk to me."
"I couldn't fix her," he whispered.
She had to stifle a gasp. "That was not the same, Anakin," she tried to keep her voice steady. Was he crazy with grief? "She was not a thing."
"I know!" he snarled. "She was my mother," he flung the broken lever arm into the wall with all his might and rage. "I could have saved her!"
"Anakin," Padmé tried to get him to calm down.
"I knew for so long she was in trouble," he sobbed, tears starting at last. "I should have come sooner."
"Anakin, listen to me."
"No!" he snarled and pulled away. "I should have," he was hysterical now, full of self-loathing and sorrow. There was no way to stop the flood of emotions. " I failed her."
"No, Anakin, no," Padmé tried to tell him it was not his fault, but he wouldn't listen.
"I knew," he insisted. "Why? Why did this have to happen!" he screamed furiously at uncaring fate.
"Anakin, stop it," she tried to explain. "No one can control these things," she finally took hold of his arms to stop his pacing. "Listen to me. No one can control these things, Anakin," she said patiently. "People die."
"I know that," he hissed. "I kill them."
"What?" she drew back suddenly at his menacing tone. "What do you mean?"
"I killed them," he whispered. It was frightening to hear. "All of them," his face was a grinning mask of death behind his tears. "Not just the men. The women, the children. All of them."
Padmé put a hand over her mouth. Oh, my God. What had he done?
"All of them," he sobbed softly as he sank to the ground.
Padmé knelt beside him and wrapped her arms around his shaking shoulders. It was all she could do.
To Be Continued...