Chapter II – On the Move

The apartment had eerie silence that had taken residence there. The living area had shards of porcelain about the floor. A plant stand that Padme kept her favorite indoor plants was toppled over. And in the midst of all this mess lay C3PO, offline and broken. Anakin entered the room with thunderous yell.

"Padme!" He was panting and frantic. R2D2 as usual was not too far behind. His eyes searched left and right for signs of trouble… and he found it. He sensed through the force that Padme was not there. However he could see that trouble had already paid a visit. He saw C3po lying against the wall missing his left arm and leg. He reached behind C3po and clicked a switch back and forth until…

"Oh!" C3po looked around nervously, "Oh! Sir, I am terribly sorry if I said something to offend you."

Anakin looked at c3po, his gaze intense "Where's Padme?"

"She hasn't returned from the senatorial meeting as yet, Master Anakin."

"What happened?" He looked around the living area.

"Pardon me sir, but don't you remember?" C3po looked at Anakin.

"What?"

"You were here-- Upstairs in your quarters." R2 whistled. "Ms Sabe went up to check on a noise she said she heard, but she did not come back down. A moment later, you came down the stairs. I don't believe you were in a very good mood. I said I didn't know you were here and the next thing I knew I was flying backwards through the living area."

Anakin's nostrils flared. He lifted C3po and placed him in a chair. "Don't go anywhere. R2, fix him". R2 rolled over C3po's limps whistling and beeping along.

"Master Anakin, how can I–" C3PO started but before he could finish, Anakin was half way up the stairs. He sensed no other presence in the house. He entered the bedroom and turned on the lights and discovered a lifeless body lying on the balcony. He opened his mouth as he exhaled his shock. It was Sabe. He quickly walked over to her and kneeled next to her body to see how she was killed. Her neck was broken. Seeing Sabe lying on the floor gave Anakin an uneasy feeling. She looked so much like Padme, it was as if this was an omen; a glimpse into the future. It was at this point he realized that this murder was no accident. Sabe was the target. She was Padme's bodyguard and a good friend to them both. Just then, he thought to himself, I can't let Padme come home to this.

R2 had just finished making the repairs on C3PO's leg and was starting on his arm. Anakin came back down the stairs "3pO, when you are done, I want you to request for a repulsorlift transport…for Sabe."

"Of course sir. Is there anything wrong?"

"Sabe is dead." Anakin said taking out his comlink.

"Oh my! That's terrible." C3po looked at R2. R2 beeped and whistled sadly.

Anakin spoke into the comlink, "Captain Panaka."

A voice answered "Yes, Master Jedi."

"Where is Padme?"

"I've just helped her into the speeder. She should be arriving home at soon."

"No. Do not bring her home. Something's happened here that I do not think she should see." Anakin's voice was firm.

"What's wrong?"

"Sabe's been murdered."

"What? By whom?" Captain Panaka slightly raised his voice.

"I do not know yet." Anakin paused, "I want you to take her to the Jedi temple. Tell her I will meet her there shortly to explain what's going on."

"Alright."

"Skywalker out." Anakin put the comlink in his pocket.

"Ms. Padme," Captain Panaka cleared his throat. "Your husband just instructed me to take you to the Jedi temple."

Padme was deep in thought, worried about the action the new emperor has taken against the Jedi. What would become of them? What's going to happen to Anakin? More importantly, what kind of world will she be bringing this child into? These are just a few of the questions floating around in Padme's head. As she sat silently in the backseat of the speeder, she gazed miserably out of the window. "Ms. Padme," Captain Panaka looked over his shoulder.

She looked up, "I'm sorry, Captain…I wasn't paying attention."

"Your husband has instructed me to take you to the Jedi temple."

"Why?" She asked curiously. She thought this was an unusual thing for her husband to do. She thought he is cutting this secret marriage/pregnancy pretty close. Something must be going on.

"He says he'll meet you there shortly and explain." He sounded a bit melancholy.

She waved her hand and said "Okay. Let's go."

Mace Windu walked through the halls of the temple towards the briefing room. His hands were crossed at the wrists as he stepped in the room. There he met Obi-wan who just returned from his battle with General Grevious on Utapau. He was intently watching the holonews and listening to the developments that occurred in the senatorial meeting.

"I am glad you have recovered from your injuries, Master Windu." Obi-wan looked at Mace with a smile.

"Thank you Master Kenobi."

"I was just getting up the speed with what's been going on while I've been gone." He looked back at the newscast. "How can this be?"

"The emperor is fooling the people. No one seems to protest the idea of him taking total control of the galaxy. We did not see this coming."

"What choices do we have left?" Obi wan ran his hands through his hair

"Not many." Mace folded his arms. "There are still some things we need to get to the bottom of before we make a move. Anakin seems to more involved with the Sith than we thought."

"Are you saying that he as turned?"

"No. But there seems to have been something going on. Palpatine mentioned Senator Amidala as if this was supposed to persuade Anakin."

"Did he?" Obi wan rubbed his beard. "Anakin and Palpatine have been friends for quite some time."

"It also appears that Anakin is the apprentice that Sith lord has been trying to aquire."

"Where is he now?"

"I don't know. It was reported that he had left before aid had arrived."

"That's not like him at all. I will summon Anakin."

Anakin moved from drawer to trunk to closet, packing the things he thought he and Padme would need. As Sabe's body was removed from the premises, C3po and R2 began making preparations for a home that would not lived in for quite some time. They would have to find a new apartment if and when this is all over. Anakin was receiving an incoming transmission on the comlink.

"Hello Anakin." Obi wan voice was a surprise to Anakin.

"Master, you've returned from Utapau. Its good to hear from you." Anakin swallowed.

"I suppose you have been expecting this transmission."

"Yes I have actually. I know the council has some questions for me."

"Yes they do, as do I. You will be expected here to make a full report. Now that we know who the Sith is we must act quickly. You must come to the temple now, Anakin." The tone in Obi wan's voice did not hide the urgency of the matter.

"As a matter of fact, I am on my way there now to meet Padme."

"Padme is coming here? Is there something wrong?"

"Sabe was found dead in Padme's bedroom. I found her body." He sighed, "I didn't want Padme to see her body. I didn't tell her why."

"Oh dear. Poor Sabe"

"There's more."

"More?" Obi wan was intrigued.

"You'll hear all that I have to say when I get there."

"Hurry Anakin, there's no time for delay."

"Yes master."

"Kenobi out."