OK, here's the next chapter, folks!
Chiara Sholuk: Thank you!
Black's Phoenix: I quite agree with you, Serena had too much power. Hope you liked the way I changed it.
Chapter 7
Disclaimer: See chapter one.
Obi-Wan and Serena glanced at each other, silent. After a few minutes, he said, "Well, Arfour, I think we've waited long enough... Follow his last known trajectory."
Serena looked down on the red planet. "Doesn't look like the friendliest place I've ever seen," she added grimly.
"Well, if Treneka's hiding there, I don't think it would be, do you?" Obi-Wan replied, steering the ship towards Geonosis.
"You mean Fett's," Serena corrected.
The fighter moved out from the back side of the asteroid and headed away from the asteroid field, descending toward Geonosis. Obi-Wan and Serena looked out toward Geonosis and saw in the distance a large fleet of Trade Federation ships hidden among the asteroids.
"There's an unusual concentration of Federation ships over there," he said, looking at them suspiciously.
"We'd better stay clear," Serena spoke up, and he nodded in agreement.
The ship skimmed across the top of a small mesa along the edge of a rocky ridge. He maneuvered under a rock overhang and landed gently. As they rose from their seats, Serena put her cloak back on over her dark navy jumpsuit. (Think of Sue Storm in the Fantastic Four, only without the Four embroidered on) "Hey Ben, let's stick together on this one, it won't do us any good to be separated."
He nodded. "I wouldn't have it any other way," he replied, and opened the hatch. They went out of the Fighter and walks onto the mesa, the wind whipping at them. Obi-Wan looked around warily.
Geonosis was a red rock planet, featureless apart from buttes and mesas, and occasional tall stalagmites that stood out dramatically on the arid plains. The night was quiet, except for an occasional weird cry that chilled Serena's adamantium bones. She subconsciously moved closer to Obi-Wan, who put a comforting arm around her; and he finally felt some joy and warmth at being able to hold her. But clearing his romantic thoughts from his head, he checked his bearings, then headed away with her.
----
The Naboo Starship descended, hovered, and landed on a bluff, where Anakin and Padme got out. They looked down from the edge of the bluff to where the homestead was seen on the desert floor below.
"Stay with the ship, Artoo," Padme quietly ordered.
Artoo whistled as the two started down the trail toward the homestead. C-3PO was working outside the homestead and looked up as Anakin and Padme arrived. "Oh, hello," he said, "How might I be of service? A am See..."
"Threepio?" Anakin finished, incredulous.
The droid stared at him. "Oh, my... Oh, my maker! Master Anakin!" he cried. "I knew you would return, I knew you would! And this must be Miss Padmé."
Padme smiled and nodded, remembering the protocol droid that Anakin had made for his mother. But he was covered now with metal, and looked much better, thought in need of a clean up. "Hello, Threepio," she nodded.
"Oh, my circuits! I'm so pleased to see you both!" he replied excitedly.
"I've come to see my mother," Anakin replied.
Threepio looked a bit downcast. "I think... I think... Perhaps we'd better go indoors," he replied sadly, and hurried away. Padme knew something was wrong, but followed him and Anakin to the homestead. The three arrived in the courtyard, and Threepio shuffled ahead. "Master Cliegg, Master Lars!" he said. "Might I present two important visitors?"
Owen Lars, a young man with short brown hair and a thin beard, and Beru Whitesun, a nice-looking young woman, came out into the courtyard.
"I'm Anakin Skywalker," Anakin introduced himself.
Owen nodded. "Owen Lars. This is my girlfriend, Beru," he glanced at Beru.
"Hello," she said, and looked at Padme.
Padme returned the look. "I'm Padmé," she spoke up.
Owen sighed, rubbing his hands on a cloth. "I guess I'm your stepbrother," he said. "I had a feeling you might show up some day."
Anakin looked around anxiously. "Is my mother here?" he asked.
"No, she's not," another voice spoke, and Padme turned.
Cliegg Lars swung from the house on a small floating chair. One of his legs was heavily bandaged; the other was missing. He balanced awkwardly and put out a hand to Anakin, who shook it, looking confused. "Cliegg Lars," the man said, "Shmi is my wife... Come on inside. We have a lot to talk about..."
Beru put several steaming cups of ardees on a tray and exited the kitchen...
"It was just before dawn," Cliegg explained. "They came out of nowhere. A hunting party of Tusken Raiders." They all sat around the table, and Beru brought the drinks in from the kitchen.
"Your mother had gone out early, like she always did, to pick mushrooms that grow on the evaporators," Lars continued. "From the tracks, she was about halfway home when they took her."
Anakin looked as if he was about to throw up. No, no, no, no, no... he chanted in his head. Padme looked at him, sadly. Oh Anakin, I'm so sorry, she thought.
She can't be gone, I KNOW she's alive, he replied emotionally.
I hope so too, Anakin, Padme answered gently.
"Those Tuskens walk like men, but they're vicious, mindless monsters," Lars continued on, "Thirty of us went out after her. Four of us came back. I'd be with them, only... after I lost my leg I just couldn't ride any more... until I heal." He grimaced, easing his throbbing leg. "This isn't the way I wanted to meet you, son. This isn't how your mother and I planned it. I don't want to give up on her, but she's been gone a month. There's little hope she's lasted this long." He looked at Anakin sadly.
There was a dead silence. Then Anakin stood up abruptly.
"Where are you going?" Owen asked him.
Anakin turned. "To find my mother," he said bitterly.
Padme nodded, and he looked at her sadly. Come back soon, Anakin, she said, her brown eyes looking at him pleadingly.
"Your mother's dead, son," Cliegg cut in. "Accept it."
Anakin shook his head. "I can feel her pain, and I will find her," he replied firmly, and turned once again to go.
"Take my speeder bike," Owen offered helpfully.
Anakin halted. "I know she's alive," he said, more to himself though than to the others. He turned abruptly.
A few minutes later, he stood looking across the desert, once his home. It now seemed desolate, foreboding, and ominous. Padme came running out of the homestead after him, and he turned to her. "You are going to have to stay here," he said. "These are good people, Padmé. You'll be safe."
Padme's throat dried up suddenly. "Anakin..." she said softly, and engulfed him in a hug, which he gratefully returned, needing the encouragement. They broke apart and looked at each other for a second.
Anakin then walked over to Owen's speeder bike, which was standing close by. "I won't be long," he told her, and swung onto the bike. The engine fired, and he took off across the desert. Padme watches him go.
Anakin rode through three exotic landscapes, hatred and anger full in his mind. He asked a crowd of Jawas for directions a couple of hours later, as the sun was going down. The Jawas conferred excitedly, then the Chief Jawa pointed in a particular direction. Anakin got on the bike and sped off to where the Jawa pointed. Ah ha! he thought. Now we're getting somewhere. He rode over a large dune toward a small flickering light in the distance. What's that? Looks suspicious... He rode up and stopped the bike in front of a campfire, where there were bodies of lying beside the campfire. Two Eopies were tethered nearby, along with a burned and smoking speeder.
Tusken raider's work, he thought grimly to himself.
The lights of the evaporators blinked in the night sky. Somewhere close by, a night animal howled. Padme was pacing the courtyard restlessly. She stopped, listening to the animal howling nearby. She shivered slightly, then turned and went into the garage at the side of the courtyard. Oh Anakin, where are you? she thought to herself, and entered the garage where C-3PO sat working.
The droid looked up. "Hello, Miss Padmé," he said.
Padme nodded and sat down. "Hello, Threepio," she replied, looking around her at all the different mechanical things in the garage.
"You can't sleep?" the droid questioned, jerkily wiping off some power converters.
Padme shook her head. "No, I have too many things on my mind, I guess," she shrugged, mostly thinking about Anakin.
"Are you worried about your work in the Senate?"
"No, I'm just concerned about Anakin. I said things... I'm afraid I may have hurt him. I don't know. Maybe I only hurt myself. For the first time in my life, I'm confused." And she was. Very confused.
"I'm not sure it will make you feel any better Miss Padmé, but I don't think there's been a time in my life when I haven't been confused," the droid replied.
Padme ignored this statement. "I want him to know I care about him," she said. "I do care about him."
"Don't worry about Master Annie," Threepio reassured. "He can take care of himself. Even in this awful place."
"I hope you're right," Padme muttered.
----
Obi-Wan and Serena climbed a steep, narrow trail. Suddenly, a cry was heard close by, causing him to stumble slightly. His foot slipped on the edge, sending a stream of pebbles skittering into the darkness. Serena grabbed his arm and listened, as did Obi-Wan. Silence. She drew her lightsabers but did not ignite them.
"Whew, that was close," he breathed, wiping sweat from his forehead.
She looked at him. "Too close," she replied, annoyed that he had almost gotten killed and nearly given them away.
He muttered, "Let's hope that doesn't happen again," and set off again, Serena right next to him, working his way around a narrow corner, to confront a crouching Massiff (a dog-sized lizard) with slavering fangs! The beast leapt at them, and Obi-Wan ignited his lightsaber as the Massiff knocked him on his back, its jaws open wide.
Serena drew out her claws and stabbed the creature. Obi-Wan threw it off of him and jumped up. "Thanks," he panted. A second Massiff suddenly jumped from behind, and Obi-Wan swung around and cut it in half. The Massiff flew over the cliff, howling. It plummeted to its death hundreds of feet below.
Obi-Wan looked at Serena, who drew her claws back in, cracked her neck and then her fingers. She had a chilling look on her face as she glanced back at the Massiff down below, and walked away.
Well, that was that chapter. Hope you liked, and please review! Think of it as a New Year's gift.