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AN: Thanks for all the great reviews! Here's the next chapter for your enjoyment!
Never Gone
Chapter 10: Danger on Dantooine
Black smoke billowed from the wreckage of the Slave I. Sounds of nature surrounded the ship, as it rested haphazardly in the clearing surrounded by trees. The glass of the viewing window in the cockpit was shattered, as a man had been thrown through it upon impact. But this man had been dead before the crash, as was evident by the hole in the center of his forehead where he had been shot. But no tears would be shed for this man, for he was once known as Jango Fett. One of the most skilled and dangerous bounty hunters in the galaxy. He had made a living preying on innocent and good people, killing them for rich and evil men who desired to destroy everything that good and pure about the galaxy. He had also had a hand in helping create a Clone army, a thought that was particularly unsettling to most.
Anakin groaned at the shooting pain in his head, as he opened his eyes in the smoky cabin.
"Padme, are you okay?" he asked. She whimpered and opened her eyes, letting them adjust for a moment.
"I think so," she replied. Anakin unstrapped them and helped her stand up.
"Come on, we don't want to stay here long. Whoever Jango was bringing us to will probably have seen the crash and we don't want to be here when they come to investigate," Anakin said. Anakin glanced into the cockpit, where Boba had been thrown in the impact. He didn't even have to go check for a pulse, for it was very clear that the boy's neck had been snapped sometime during the crash. He gently took Padme's and they looked away. He was only a boy, but both knew that he would have followed in his father's footsteps, making a living off killing people.
"Let's see if they have any survival packs stored anywhere. We're going to need them," Anakin said. Padme and he scoured the ship for anything useful.
"Back here Ani," Padme called, as she found two packs stored in a compartment at the rear of the ship. The strapped the packs on their backs and Anakin holstered a blaster on his belt. Anakin forced the emergency top hatch open on the ship and jumped up, grabbing a hold of the side. He pulled himself through and then reached down to pull Padme through the hatch. He jumped down to the ground and then reached up to help Padme down. Anakin looked around to survey their surroundings and saw nothing but wilderness for miles.
"How much do you know about Dantooine?" Anakin asked.
"Not much, except that most of the planet is covered in marshes and wilderness. I have heard that there are a few sparse settlements of humans here. I've heard some are scientists and explorers that live here to study the nature.
"Then if Nute Gunray is building his factories here, it's a good bet that he is no friend to those people," Anakin surmised.
"Probably not. His industry would be very destructive to an eco-system like this," Padme replied.
"Look at the sky over there Padme," Anakin pointed. Most of the Dantooine sky was covered with white pillow-like clouds, some darker than others indicating that the planet had lots of moisture and rain. But this particular section was brownish black with the smog and pollution of industry.
"That must be where the trade federation is operating here," Padme replied. He took her hand and led her through a clearing in the other direction.
"Then this way is probably our best bet. Let's just hope we can find someone who has some who can help us. If there are explorers and scientists anywhere on the planet, there bound to at least have a comm station," Anakin said. Padme squeezed his hand, as they began their trek through the Dantooine wilderness.
Obi-Wan Kenobi dropped out of hyperspace over Dantooine. He began his landing sequence and descended into the atmosphere. Luckily, the tracking device was still active and Jango had not discovered it. As he neared the clearing where the bounty hunter's ship was, he was met with an awful sight. The ship was wreck and it had obviously crashed. Obi-Wan flew his fighter low to the ground and found another clearing not too far away and set Padme's sleek Nubian cruiser down. He then journeyed to the crash sight, expecting the worst. When he arrived, he spotted Jango's body on the ground. His face was covered in blood from when he had been thrown through the glass. But the blaster hole in his forehead told Obi-Wan that he was dead before the crash. Had Anakin overpowered Jango? It wouldn't surprise him if that were the case, as he had seen the boy do remarkable things thus far. He climbed in the shattered window and saw Boba next. It was clear that the boy had died in the impact of the crash. He searched the rest of the ship and found nothing. Hope filled him, as he realized they both had to be alive. He quickly fled the crash sight, as he heard a commotion approaching. He hid in a nearby brush and masked his presence in the Force. Count Dooku emerged from the pathway, followed by Nute Gunray, Rune Haako, and several other Separatist leaders. Dooku surveyed Jango's body for a few moments.
"Rune says that Jango's son is inside the ship still. He appears to have died in the crash like Jango. There is no sign of Senator Amidala," Gunray said crossly.
"Jango did not die in the crash viceroy. It seems that he died before it from a blaster shot to the head," Dooku said.
"That's impossible! How could that girl possibly over power someone like Jango!" Gunray shouted angrily.
"She did not viceroy. From the angle of this wound, it appear that whoever shot him is at least 6'2". It seems that Jango had a stowaway who attempted to rescue the Senator. They must have escaped into the wilderness," Dooku said.
"Find them! I want the Senator brought to me, so I can make her suffer!" Gunray ranted.
"Patience viceroy, our droids will find them," Dooku said. The party retreated back toward their living structure, satisfied that the droids that were now scouring the planet would find Senator Amidala and her accomplice.
Obi-Wan quietly made his way back to hisship and quickly contacted the Council telling them that he had found Dooku's location. After his transmission with the council ended, he set off to find Anakin and Padme before the droids did...
After walking for hours, Anakin and Padme sat down under a tree to rest. Anakin opened up his survival pack and pulled out the small canteen of water. He took a drink and handed it to Padme who also took a drink. Then he pulled out the rations, which were dried meat-like sticks. After the very small meal, Anakin leaned back against the tree to rest for a moment. Padme rested her head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her waist. They had hoped by now that they would have found a human settlement or something, but the wilderness went on for miles. The sun was beginning to set and Anakin didn't like their chances in these woods after dark. Suddenly, they heard a rumbling in the sky. There was a flash of lightning and large droplets of rain began to come down on them. The sky seemed to open up on them in a downpour. Anakin and Padme began running through the woods, hoping to find some kind of shelter. The sun was nearly gone and the temperature had started to drop considerably, making the rain cold.
"Ani, I think I see a cave over there!" Padme called loudly over the rain. They were both soaked to the bone now.
"I think you're right," Anakin said, as he squeezed her hand tighter and began running toward it. They went inside and looked around, hoping it was not home to any wildlife.
"This cave looks like it was man made. Maybe we're getting close to finding any people that live here," Anakin mentioned.
Anakin and Padme shrugged off their survival packs, which were luckily waterproof and Anakin immediately went about making a fire. He pulled out several long sticks from the pack. They didn't look like much, but they were specially coated with a highly flammable substance. Their small size made them ideal for storing in survival packs. Anakin laid them together and then lit them a blaze with a match. Padme shivered violently, as a cold wind blew into the cave. Both she and Anakin were wearing thin clothes, as they had been ideal on Tatooine. But now, the thin blue cropped top baring her midsection and long, airy skirt were doing little to keep her warm.
"We're lucky the blankets in these packs didn't get wet," Anakin said, as he laid them out by the fire. His teeth chattered, as did Padme's as another gust of wind blew in. Anakin motioned her over and she moved over to him.
"I have a feeling the temperature is going to drop even more, so these wet clothes are going to have to go," he said. She smiled slyly.
"Well, it's a good thing we're plenty comfortable with each other, or this could be awkward," she teased, as Anakin pulled his tunic over his head. After undressing and laying their clothes out to dry, they snuggled down together in the blankets. Still shivering, they pressed their bodies together tightly, using body heat to keep them warm. Padme rested her head in the nape of his neck, as he held her tightly.
"Anakin, do you think they've found the crash by now?" Padme asked, worry filling her eyes.
"They probably found it not long after we left, especially if they were expecting Jango," Anakin replied.
"They're probably looking for us, aren't they?" Padme replied.
"Probably, I won't lie to you angel," Anakin said, as he caressed her cheek.
"I love you Anakin...and if we're going to die, then I can't think of any place else I would rather die than in your arms," Padme said, as she gazed into his piercing blue eyes.
"We're not going to die, I'll find a way to get us out of this angel," he promised. Padme slanted her lips over his in a passionate kiss, which Anakin returned. The kiss grew feverish and desperate, as they became lost in one another. Outside the cave, the cold air and rain was relentless, but it paled in comparison to the love that burned hot and brightly between the two people in the cave...
Obi-Wan Kenobi sat inside Senator Amidala's ship, waiting for the storm to let up. He had tried searching, but in the dark and the rain combined, it was useless. He would wait out the storm and begin searching at first light. He only hoped that the storm was interfering with the search droids sensors enough that they were unable to search as well. Obi-Wan had to find Anakin and Padme before those droids did. He could not and would not let Dooku get his hands on either of them...