Normally I don't respond to reviews in the text of the story, that's what the review reply button is for, but a couple of anonymous reviews (that lack e-mail addresses) have caught my attention and I feel compelled to answer to them. This is a one time only exception! If you review anonymously and want a response, leave an e-mail address OR contact me through my author profile page, there's the 'send message' link or my e-mail. Now...

Queen Padme - Glad you like the story! But, um, Shmi is safe already and back with her family and Vader (Anakin) didn't lose it and slaughter the Tusken Raiders (see chapters 8 and 9). As for the arm...I make no promises.

JediMan - Again, glad you enjoy the story! I have no problem with criticism unless it's just a mindless flame, those annoy me. But "identical to the movies"? Identical implies that it is a clone (no pun intended here!) of Attack of the Clones and it's not. The main differences so far being: Anakin isn't really a Jedi, he's just pretending to be one after 'being on the Dark Side'; Nobody (except the bad guys) knows who Anakin really is or anything about his history; Anakin saves his Mom before the main events of AotC kicks off and doesn't slaughter the sandpeople; and instead of Anakin drooling over Padmé the entire time, he totally misses that fact that it's her and they don't really get along at all. The events are very similar to what happens in the movie, but they are not identical. The relationships between the characters, their feelings and motivations, are very different. As for there not being enough Dooku, I'm sorry it's taking so long for him to really show up, but he'll be here. So I beg patience.

I thank all my reviewers, both signed and anonymous. I read and appreciate them all. So please, if you like it, review often to tell me about it!

Chapter 19
Trouble on Geonosis

Padmé hunched over her chair and gazed into the dancing flames that crackled in the fireplace. She tried to use the hypnotic motion of the flickering firelight to clear her cluttered mind. But she wasn't having much success.

Behind her and to the side she could feel Vader's eyes on her and struggled not to shudder. His presence had been unsettling when she'd first met him, but it had steadily gotten worse. Now she wondered how long it would take her to snap under his constant stare. The estimated time frame kept shrinking.

She really wished that Obi-Wan would finish up his investigation soon. As soon as he did, she would be free to return to Coruscant and she would be free of Vader's uncomfortable presence. Or, if he ran into a dead end, she hoped he could pass off his detective work to another Jedi so that he could come here and keep her company. She trusted Obi-Wan, but his Padawan she could barely stand.

How did Obi-Wan come to choose such an unpleasant Padawan anyway? She seriously doubted that the Knight would have selected the young man if his only positive attribute was talent with a lightsaber or skill in the mystical Force. He must've had some other positive traits, like a nice personality or a sense of humor. Though if he'd ever had a more pleasant personality, she was having a hard time imagining it; she couldn't even picture him smiling.

Then a thought came to her. What if Obi-Wan wasn't Vader's first master? Perhaps the young man's first teacher had been harsh and driven all the cheer out of him. Or maybe Vader's original master had been killed and the loss of his mentor had soured him. Or perhaps some mission with Obi-Wan had gone wrong and it had scarred him inside.

Padmé almost turned around and asked Vader whether any of those things might be true. But the uncertainty of how he would react stopped her. If she struck a nerve, he might become even more miserable to be around. With all the things already on her mind, she really didn't want to have to deal with him anymore.

And those 'other things on her mind', while distant physically, was all too near in her mind. Someone wanted her dead very badly. Or at least wanted her far away where she had no power, no influence. And their attempts on her life had very nearly succeeded. The first time Cordé, Versé, and some of her security staff had paid the ultimate price. The second time Obi-Wan and Vader had risked their lives only to discover that there were bigger forces at work than originally thought.

While she put up a stubborn, defiant front in the face of these threats, she was deeply shaken inside. Friends of hers and trusted employees had died for her, and it left her feeling sick. And now her friend Obi-Wan was off on his own trying to put a stop to things, risking his life for her once more, while she was left in the company of a creepy Padawan.

Padmé anxiously chewed on the inside of her cheek as she willed her eyes and thoughts to focus on the fire. Maybe if she managed to lose herself in the flickering light, she'd satisfy Vader's request for her to relax. And then maybe he'd leave her be and stop staring directly at her so much. Maybe…

Hurry up Obi-Wan, she sighed, but…be careful. I don't want to lose another friend…

Obi-Wan cautiously picked his way over the rocky, sandy terrain, back to his Jedi Starfighter. He was very careful to keep his presence in the Force masked and to move as silently as possible. If he was spotted now, all his investigating would be for naught.

His visit to the mysterious world of Kamino had been…interesting, to say the least. The tall, willowy, colorless Kaminoans, while brilliant geneticists, seemed quite ignorant of other species behavior, and for that he was deeply grateful. They had entirely missed his utter confusion and shock when they had told him that he had been expected and gone over his 'order' with him.

It seemed that a rogue Jedi Master, Sifo-Dyas (now quite conveniently deceased), had placed an order for a clone army in the name of the Jedi Council for the Republic. This, of course, made no sense whatsoever. When he had consulted the Council for information on this claim, they had been more disturbed than he, for they hadn't sanctioned the commission of an army, nor did they know anything about it.

None of them had even had a premonition concerning this army, ordered nearly ten years previously, and this deeply troubled Obi-Wan. First, the entire system of Kamino had been wiped from the Archives databanks, something that only a Jedi could do. Second, the Kaminoans mistakenly believed that Master Sifo-Dyas had, with the Council's blessing, put in the order for the army. And third, the template for the clone army itself was troubling.

The prime minister of Kamino, Lama Su, and his assistant, Taun We, helpful and friendly as ever, had cheerfully arranged for him to meet the source material for the army after he'd toured their cloning and training facilities. The template was a Madalorian bounty hunter known as Jango Fett. When Obi-Wan had questioned the gruff, wary man about his involvement in the cloning, he claimed to have never met Master Sifo-Dyas. He said he'd been hired for this job by a man who called himself Tyranus.

After his communication with the Council, Obi-Wan had been ready to bring Fett to Coruscant for more formal questioning when the armored bounty hunter had fled with his 'son' Boba. Obi-Wan had tried to stop him, but he'd lost the fight and Jango had gotten away in his odd ship. Thankfully, he'd managed to attach a signal beacon onto the hull of Jango's vessel and had trailed the hunter to the arid world of Geonosis.

While in the debris ring orbiting Geonosis, Obi-Wan had been detected and engaged in a second battle with the bounty hunter. After a good deal of crazy flying, which Vader would've probably enjoyed, Obi-Wan managed to fake his destruction and then make it down to the surface of the planet.

From there, he'd slipped into the rocky, hive-like complex of the insect-like Geonosians in search of the elusive Jango Fett. What he'd found there was even more disturbing than what he'd stumbled across on Kamino. And he was still reeling from it.

At least he'd managed to discover who wanted Padmé dead and why. The Trade Federation, still somehow headed by Nute Gunray, was still smarting from its defeat at Naboo and sought revenge. To soothe their wounded honor, they wanted Senator Amidala dead. But who they went to for help in this was truly shocking.

Count Dooku had once been a respected Jedi Master. He was a student of the ancient and wise Master Yoda and Qui-Gon Jinn had been his final student. While most Jedi had thought of him as a mild radical, he was thought well of especially for his skill in the nearly extinct lightsaber style, Form III. But after Qui-Gon's death on Naboo at the end of the blockade crisis, he resigned from the order and claimed his noble birthright, becoming Count Dooku.

He was here. And he was the one with which Nute Gunray spoke when he anxiously demanded to know if Padmé had been killed yet. And the Count, in his deep velvety voice, had assured the Nemoidian that she would die as promised.

Obi-Wan had spied on the Count as he, the Trade Federation representatives, met with others including the Banking Clans, Geonosians, and the Techno Union to discuss the Separatist Movement. Jango Fett stood guard at Count Dooku's shoulder. A feeling of chilly Darkness permeated the meeting chamber. It reminded him of battling Darth Maul.

As he listened it became clear that they were talking treason. They all signed a treaty of 'mutual protection' if the Republic interfered in their affairs. There was mention of droid armies far greater than what was put into action on Naboo and vague battle plans. They were preparing for war.

When the meeting ended, he slipped out of the hive complex to make his report. And so here he was, hiking over the surface of Geonosis, trying to get his thoughts in order for his up-coming talk with the Council. Who knew his simple investigation into a dead bounty hunter would've lead to all of this?

Obi-Wan sighed as his red-and-white Starfighter came into view. He wearily marched over to Arfour and tapped lightly on the Astromech's sensor dome to wake him up. As Arfour bleated into wakefulness, Obi-Wan straightened his robes and got ready.

"Arfour, I need to place a call to the Council…"

Vader watched Padmé perch anxiously in her chair by the fireplace. She was tense, a taut string about ready to snap, and she was drenched in negative emotions. He again wished, for probably the millionth time in less than two days, that he could help her, ease her worry and fear. If he revealed his true identity to her…

No, he'd already made up his mind. She'd only be mad and hurt that he'd lied to her about his name. And then she'd ask too many difficult questions and dredge up nightmarish memories. It'd just be a huge mess that he wanted desperately to avoid. Once Obi-Wan unraveled the mystery and took care of it, the assignment would end and he would never see Padmé again.

Padmé suddenly seemed to come to a decision on something. She straightened up and turned to face him. As she opened her mouth to say something, Vader was suddenly reminded of his vision from that afternoon. Before she could say whatever she meant to say, Artoo rolled into the room and whistled for attention. Vader looked sharply towards the droid and felt a forbidding chill rush down his spine.

"What is it Artoo?" He asked.

Artoo chirped some response that Vader could only guess at a meaning for.

"A message?" He guessed.

Artoo beeped an affirmative and left for the comm room.

Vader followed closely behind the squat little droid. And behind him, he could feel the Senator following along. However he barely paid her any mind. He was too consumed by the dark feeling of premonition. Something was either wrong, or going to go wrong very soon…