Chapter 12 – Knight takes the Queen
The lava planet of Mustafar was filled with mountains, volcano and rivers of lava. The very air was filled with hot ash. Hotter than Tattooine, it was inhospitable for habitation. The only forms of life appeared to be only droids. The skies were dark and filled orange-red debris and soot. Padme was puzzled as to why Anakin would want her to meet him there. However her excitement at seeing him again after all they have been through overwhelmed her intuition. She flew toward the surface of the planet searching for the landing base and got a good look at the planet. She finally spied an elevated wheel shaped facility. There were seven landing platforms each connected to each other by catwalks. Together they all formed a circle. In the middle of the circle was the lava mining control center which was connected to each landing port via an extension bridge. She chose one landing platform and started the landing cycle. On her way down she saw a tall dark figure standing at the far end of the extension bridge leading to the platform beneath her, watching her land. Although she could not see the face hidden in the dark of the hood he wore, she knew it had to be Anakin. With a joyful heart she landed the cruiser. She couldn't help the ear to ear grin as she quickly unbuckled the safety straps. For two days all she thought about was being with her love. She remembered the three days he spent with her on the farm. She could almost feel what it was like wake up in his arms. She couldn't wait to be in his loving embrace again.
3po sat beside her warily watching. "Miss Padme, I can't help but to think that perhaps you should stay here and wait for Master Anakin to come aboard. This dreadful planet doesn't seem safe."
She looked out of the window and saw the dark figure walk along the bridge toward the ship. She sighed and looked at the golden droid.
"Two days felt like a life time. I don't expect you to understand, 3po. I have to go to him. Wait here, and keep the channels open."
Before 3po could say another word, Padme was already running down the landing ramp.
Darth Patruus stopped just after crossing the bridge and waited for his prize to come to him.
Padme stepped off the landing ramp and ran towards him. She threw her arms around him and said, "My love, how I have missed you so." She closed her eyes and relished the moment.
He grimaced as her swollen belly pressed against him. He found physical contact to be pleasant unless it was by a violent action. His eyes were small as he gazed down his nose at her. He did not move a muscle and would not return her embrace. He was so close now to getting what he wanted. There was no way his plan could fail.
Padme sensed something wasn't quite right about this man that stood before her. Despite how hot the planet was, she felt a cold shiver pass down her spine. A malicious chill seemed to radiate from him. He was not returning her embrace. He was silent and cold. It was like the calm before the storm. Saying nothing to express how happy he was to see her again. Padme's eyes opened slowly and her arms dropped. She looked up in the void within the hood and saw only darkness. "Ani, what's wrong?" She was searching for some sign that everything was still alright.
Patruus allowed a moment of silence to pass before he responded, "Nothing my darling." A wicked grin played across his face.
Darling! Padme took a half step back. He never called her that before. There was something in his voice that was out of place. She sensed restrained malevolent chaos behind it. Through the space between them she felt an overwhelming sense of dread pass through her. Padme felt a kick from within her and she placed a hand over the spot. She narrowed her eyes, certain that this time something was definitely wrong with her husband. She could almost see the white of his teeth as Patruus was baring his teeth. It was as if he were a starving animal with a fresh piece of meat dangling before him. He was almost salivating. She slowly reached up with a nervous hand and removed his hood. A gasped managed to escape before she placed a hand over her mouth. The handsome face she associated with her husband was devilishly distorted. It was dark and twisted by hatred with dark circles around his eyes. The blue eyes she loved so much and often lost herself in were now a sickly red rimmed yellow. She touched his cheek and he turned his head away from her concerned hand.
"What's happened to you?" Padme voice was laced with fear. "What have you done?"
"Nothing…yet. As a matter of fact, I have never felt better." Patruus said with a most venomous smile.
"Something is not right here." Padme shook her head and stepped back again. Then she saw it. Oh Gods! The scar! It's gone! She mouth dropped.
Patruus reached inside his cloak and withdrew a dart. He eyed the blue liquid within and used the force to levitate it in the air. He turned his attention back to Padme. "How is the bundle of joy? I hope everything is going well." He clasped his wrists within the sleeves of the robe.
She noticed his right hand was flesh as he placed his hands within the sleeves. She was trembling with fear. "Anakin, please you are scaring me. What's going on?" She beseeched.
Patruus answered with sadistic charm. "Nothing sweetheart. Everything will be just fine. Trust me. You love me, don't you?" His eyes were fixed on her. She was his prey, his appetizer before the main course.
"What's that for?" She glanced at the levitating dart.
"Oh this?" Patruus smirked, "I just want to give you a little something to make you sleep."
"Why?" Padme's breathing was becoming shallower as he went on.
"Because you have what I want." Patruus said with an eerie softness in his voice. His gaze was darkly seductive as he stepped closer to her.
"What-What do you want?" She looked at him from head to toe. The little hairs on the back of her neck were standing on end and the goosebumps were beginning to form.
Padme couldn't accept this. Her mind began reaching for possibilities. This can't be Anakin. He wouldn't do this to her. This must some trick from the emperor's. They have found me. That what's going on. I've got to get out of here. She looked over both her shoulders expecting to see the emperor, but saw no one. It was only her and this sickening dark likeness of Anakin.
"The baby you carry will secure my place as emperor. The child of Anakin Skywalker will become my servant. The force is strong in my family. Anakin was blessed with the lion's share of it, but luckily he has passed that power on his unborn child. And as soon as the child is born, I will no longer need you, my dear Padme." He extended a hand, sympathetically stroking her cheek. "You and Anakin will barely be a memory. The child will grow up loyal to me and I will have access to a power greater than my own. He or she will serve me and fulfill my every command without question. No one would dare oppose me."
"Are you some kind of – of clone?"
"Don't insult me." His smile vanished and his eyes narrowed.
Padme thought for a moment and her eyes widened in realization. "You're his --- twin." She was astonished and repulsed by this revelation.
"I am." He nodded slightly and he pushed a lock of her curly brown hair away from her face. She flinched and stepped back again.
"Then you can't do this." Padme said, "He is you brother. This child is your niece or nephew, your own flesh and blood. You must see that the darkside will not prevail. Anakin can help you, if you turn back to the light side of the force. This is insane."
Patruus watched in silence with delight in his eyes.
"You must turn from the path you are on. The darkside will only suck the life out you. Surely there must be something or someone you love. You don't have to do this. You can work together with the remaining Jedi and save the galaxy. Return it to a republic."
Patruus grinned and held up his hand, halting her words. He was amused by her pointless words.
"My dear sister, what you fail to understand is that I am a Sith Lord. I am only loyal to myself and I love nothing. There is no turning back to the lightside of the force. I never embraced it to begin with. I was a Sith in the beginning. I intend to rule the galaxy, not because I have to but because I want to. Flesh and blood are meaningless to me."
"What about your mother? What would she think if—"
"My mother is dead. I am satisfied. She served her purpose bringing my self and I guess Anakin into the world. She was just a vessel as are you. Her presence was deemed no longer a necessity."
"No longer a necessity?" Padme raised her eyebrows. "What are you saying?"
"I ordered the Tuskans to take her."
"What!" Padme stepped back again. "They tortured her for over a month before she died."
Patruus shrugged his shoulders. "Everyone goes in their own way."
"You are a monster," Padme shook her head. "And Anakin will stop you. You will not take my child." She shook her head as tears stood in her eyes. She knew her words were meaningless to him. She knew if help did not arrive soon, that she would be powerless to stop him.
"Your will holds no weight where I am concerned. The child will be mine. And as for your beloved Anakin…I will deal with him as soon as he arrives."
Padme took another step back. "Anakin is a powerful Jedi. He will not let you do this. You are no match inside or out and I am sure you never will be."
Patruus's nose flared as he seethed with anger, and delivered a sound backhanded slap, tossing her to the ground. He stood over her and said, "Look what you made me do? I assure you, when all this is over, I promise you, I will be sitting comfortably at the head of my imperial dining table, picking my teeth with Anakin's bones."
Padme looked up angrily as she cradled her reddened left cheek. "Never." She slowly stood up and cried out, "That will never happen!"
He slowly nodded his head. "Anakin will die tonight. And you?" He smirked. "You will help me."
"I would die first."
"Maybe. But not yet."
"I will not let you use me as bait. You will not get away with this. Your plan will fail." Padme's strength and her will was etched in voice.
Ignoring her, he said glanced at the suspended dart, "The substance in this little dart here is a rare poison. Hothian drax. It works on contact. It will paralyze you and put you to sleep for a short while, slow your heart rate and your breathing; essentially making it appear as if you are dead."
Padme's widened her eyes again and parted her lips utter a scream, but shear terror seemed to collapse the sound on her lips.
He chuckled at Padme's horror. "Thing about this poison is that you have to keep yourself calm and relaxed. It is harmless at first but if the host exceeds the threshold of exerted energy or emotional stress, the host will trigger the fatal effects of the poison. It will kill you slowly and painfully. It essentially sucks the life out of you. There is a lethal dose in here. So when you wake up, you'd better keep calm and don't get upset.—Oh! And whatever happens try not to go into labor. Don't worry, I have the antidote."
Patruus truly savored this moment. He watched the sudden fear in her eyes flicker with intensity. Her eyes shifted nervously between the suspended dart and the sickened image of her loving husband. She slowly backed away, shaking her head. "P-please…Please don't do this."
Patruus only smiled. The dark circles around his eyes seemed to deepen accentuating the sickly red rimmed yellow eyes of the Sith. Padme's mind raced frantically reaching out in every direction to think of way out of this mess and silently praying for her Anakin to show. She didn't have the time to digest the realization that Anakin actually had a twin, an evil twin. This was so surreal. It was something that only occurs in nightmare and hellish shop of horrors. Please be here Anakin. Please! I need you now more than ever!
Padme turned and ran toward the entrance ramp to her cruiser desperate to reach the safety of her ship. The weight of the pregnancy slower her down, but she tried to move as quickly as possible. Patruus smirked at her ignorance. He waited until she was close enough to the ship and with two fingers pointed her direction. With terrific speed the dart shot through the air toward Padme. When she realized how close she was to the ramp, her hope started to revive. She started to think that she could get away from him until…a sudden and sharp pain struck her on the back of the neck. She stopped suddenly as if frozen and placed a hand over the area. Patruus slowly walked toward her, smug and triumphant. She felt a sudden chill from the surprisingly cold solution course through her from the neck wound. She felt numbing affects move quickly toward her major organs. Her head began to swim and suddenly everything was moving in circles. She blinked her eyes in an attempt to regain control but was a futile effort. The coldness of the poison reached her toes, completely numbing her legs. Unable to feel her legs, she dropped suddenly to her knees. Her opened her mouth in shock. Her diaphragm and heart gradually decreased their pace. Her eyes rolled up to the back of her head and finally she collapsed to the floor. Patruus stooped down and removed the spent dart from her neck. He placed a hand on her belly. Padme and the unborn child were trapped in a deep sleep. He slightly nodded satisfied that the child…his means to securing his rule, were all right.
"Lord Patruus." A voice rang through the comlink.
Annoyed, Patruus retrieved it from his pocket. "Speak, Captain."
"The emperor's ship has entered the atmosphere. He will be landing shortly."
"Good. Continue your surveillance. Inform me when Skywalker arrives." He stood up.
"Yes my lord."
Patruus turned and crossed the extension bridge to return to the control room of the mining facility. Crossing it, he casually tossed the dart over the side into the boiling lava below.
Anakin's heartbeat rivaled the speed he traveled though space as all his thought was bent on Padme's safety. The only comfort available was knowing that his mentor and brother was already by his side prepared support him in anyway necessary. Although he hated flying, Obi wan was proficient enough to catch up to Anakin, who was already traveling at high speed. But all hopes and prayers of intercepting her were denied as Mustafar finally appeared on the fighters' sensors.
"R2, scan the planet for Padme's ship" Anakin commanded and held his breath. His nerves were on edge as he waited for a R2's response. Thoughts of meeting Patruus again antagonized him. He felt himself losing his grip on his temper and tried a simple and quick meditation technique to calm down. I have got to stay in control.
R2 finally responded with a series of excited beeps and whistles, confirming Padme's danger. Anakin's palm began to sweat and his breathing became shallow. New images of Padme's torment entered his mind causing a temporary spike in Anakin's emotions. Obi wan was not too far behind Anakin. Through the force, he sensed Anakin's apprehension.
"Anakin, you must try to stay calm. The emperor will know your feelings. He will use of against you."
"I know." Anakin was sullen as he attempted again to push the images from his mind.
"I am sure you are aware that the Sith are only using her to draw you out."
"I am very aware, Obi wan. It's a trap. The only thing is one wants me to join him and the other wants me dead." Anakin mind raced as he tried to think of what to do once he arrives on the lava planet. "We could expose Patruus's plan to Sidious."
"No. This situation might be too delicate for that.
"What do you suggest?"
"I suggest we take the only option on the table--spring the trap." Obi wan said Anakin could not share his mentor's confidence. His silence spoke volumes.
"She'll be fine. Save your energy and resign yourself to your faith in the will of the force." Obi wan said in an attempt to comfort his former padawan. "Everything will work out fine."
Anakin attempted to soothe himself as he drew on the force for strength, when at that moment he sensed Padme's force signature suddenly dwindle to a faint signal. He gasped. Anakin held his breath.
Obi wan sensed his shock. "Anakin?"
There was no response, only panic. He gritted his teeth and pushed the starfighter to full throttle, practically leaving Obi wan parsecs behind.
The imperial shuttle slowly landed on the landing port on the opposite end of the mining facility. Look through the window of the control room, Darth Patruus watched and waited for his master to emerge. His sinister plan to overthrow the emperor was a hair's width from success. He could almost taste his victory. As the landing ramp lowered from the base of the shuttle, Patruus received an incoming message from Captain Narsmet.
"My lord." A small bluish image of the nervous captain appeared on the console.
"Yes Captain, what is it?" Patruus spoke into without taking his eye off of the emperor now descending from the ramp.
"We've just received reports that Skywalker has entered the atmosphere. He should be landing momentarily."
"Good." Darth Patruus ended the transmission.
As the emperor's cloaked and hood form, flanked by two imperial guards, slowly made his way toward the entrance, Patruus walked out to meet him halfway. He bowed his tawny head and said, "Greetings master."
Sidious commanded the guards to stay with the shuttle. He turned said, "Lord Patruus." And continued walking toward the doorway with his apprentice at his side. "I take it you have completed your task."
"Your will is done, my master." Patruus glanced at Sidious.
"When the senator dies, Skywalker will join us."
"My master, are you certain he turn?"
"He will have no choice. He will join us or die." He paused, "The death of the senator will start him on the journey to the darkside." Sidious looked to his apprentice, "I have foreseen it."
"Yes master." Patruus and Sidious made their way through the control room.
"Where is she now?" The emperor spoke with deep concern. He cast a watchful eye to the landing ports around them.
"On landing port 7. She's unconscious." Patruus turned his head in the direction of the Nubian cruiser.
The emperor looked at the ship and said, "Can you revive her if necessary?"
"Yes my master."
"You have done well, Lord Patruus." The emperor smiled, "There is not much more left to do." He began walking toward the extension bridge leading to landing port 7. He suddenly stopped and said, "Skywalker approaches."
Patruus watched his master slowly walk into the trap he set and never realized the smirk on his face.
On the way down to the landing port, Anakin spotted three ships already docked. One of them he knew to be Nubian and the others imperial. He didn't see anyone out in the open. He still held hope in his heart that Padme was alright. He landed the fighter on the port neighboring her ship as quickly as he could. Waiting for Obi wan was not an option. He prayed to the force that Padme would be alright. That things are not as bad as it appeared. His nostrils flared as thoughts of his mother entered his mind. I can't fail again. I cannot lose her. She's all I have left. Without hesitation, he jumped out of the fighter and ran along the connecting catwalk toward Padme's ship. His heart seemed o drop in his stomach for some reason. As calm as he had been up to this point, nothing would prepare him for what he saw when he came around to the landing ramp. A sense a dread washed over him and beads of cold sweat clung to his forehead.
Anakin's eyes widened as he saw a sight that would haunt him forever -- the emperor standing over her motionless body. The shear horror of it all shook Anakin's heart to the core.
The emperor stepped away and said, "She's dying young Skywalker." He paused and continued. "I told you in the beginning, that love carries a hefty price for a Jedi. You have no choice now than to join me and use the darkside of the force to save her."
Anakin moved toward his beloved wife and stooped down to check her vitals. He fought back the tears as he realized she was barely breathing and there was no movement from the baby within her belly.
The tears were already flowing as he longingly stroked her cheek. "I will not lose you."
"When she dies, you will be powerless to recall her spirit." The emperor smiled, "No one now can wield a power so great. The Jedi are all but extinct and the few stragglers will be hunted down and destroyed. You have no one now…except me. Your destiny lies with me, Skywalker. Given in to your hate."
Anakin remained silent as he stood up. His gaze never left Padme's still face. This was the start of end for him. He needed to save her. He needed her alive. This was the start of her death that premonition revealed to him. The thought of being without her was inconceivable. It would be like Anakin forever sentenced to a life alone in darkness. There would be no room for love or life, or anything this life could bring him. If he failed and she died, his unborn child would never be. The extension of himself would never exist. The love he shared with Padme would never manifest itself and live on. He would never again awaken in the morning to smell of Nubian wildflowers in her hair. Or find out exactly what his baby's breath would smell like or how strong his or her grip would be. He would lose so much if he did not find a way to save her now. She was locked in a deep sleep as far as he could tell. She seemed alright and out of immediate danger. But on a deeper level Anakin sensed something wasn't quite right about her. Something was different. But he could not figure out what it could be. All he could understand was that now was the time to secure Padme and the baby's safety from this Sith monster standing before him. He could not be allowed to get away with such an offense. Anakin attempted to cool his rage and control his emotions. He blinked and looked at the emperor. His eyes mirrored the rage buried in his heart and the heat of the lava around them. He ignited his lightsaber and moved toward the emperor.
"You can't seriously believe that you can contend with me, young Skywalker." The emperor chuckled, "Learn to use the power of the darkside and together we can rule the galaxy and… you will have your precious Padme at your side. The darkside is the doorway to becoming more powerful than you can possibly imagine. Release your anger. Strike me down with all your might. Avenge your beloved and your journey will be complete. The force is strong with you. Use your hatred. It gives you strength. It gives you more focus." Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was summoning his soon-to-be ex apprentice. The emperor smirked, enjoying Anakin's anger. His lightsaber hilt quickly emerged from his sleeve into his grasp. It was unusual for a Sith master to duel with an apprentice-to-be. This was a job for Darth Patruus. Where is he? The emperor thought as his own anger contended with Anakin's. The red shaft of the emperor's lightsaber appeared as he prepared to attack.