Title: "Transcend Force"
Author: Shaitanah
Rating: PG-13
Timeline: Before ANH (Republic episodes – a month after AOTC)
Summary: Shortly before Episode IV Darth Vader is sent on a mission to the remote planet of Luki IV. + All hell breaks loose!
Disclaimer: Star Wars belong to a genius, i.e. George Lucas. I only wish I owned Anakin/Vader! ;)
A/N: Sorry for such a long delay. Here's the new chapter finally. Please R&R!
Chapter 7
NO MERCY
Hitting the counter with his fist, Kenobi demanded another drink. That local slush that smelled like vodka and tasted like liquid fire caused extreme burning in his stomach, but it cheered him up and cleared his mind in a way the Force never could. His sluggishness disappeared as if by magic.
It was still raining heavily outside. Thick smog drove a hot smell of tropics along the streets. It might have triggered Kenobi's curiosity any other day: Morra's climate was temperate, at least around Narrhuma. But he was too tired and considerably drunk to pay any notice.
The doorbell chimed. A tall handsome youth walked in, flicking water droplets off. Obi-Wan lowered his head, not particularly eager to be seen. The youth ordered a drink, but then paused.
"Hang on", he raised his hand and walked up to Obi-Wan. "Hello there".
"Hello, Anakin", Kenobi muttered and gulped hard. He'd sure as hell need additional strength.
"Why are you doing this to me?" asked Anakin in a tentative whisper. His nostrils flared. His breath came out shaky, scorching Kenobi's cheek. 'Are you going to throw a fit, my young apprentice?' Obi-Wan thought wearily. "I said, why – are – you – doing – this – to – me? Am I that revolting to you?"
"You are speaking in terms of you again! There is no 'me' or 'you'. There is only we in the Jedi". Kenobi got up, trembling. His Padawan blocked his way, devouring him with a furious look. "Let me through, Anakin. Damn it, Anakin, I've had my fill of you and your hallucinations! The black man? Don't you recognize him? You told me the boy was the nine-year-old Ani Skywalker from Watto's junk-shop! Well, clearly the black man is your future!" Something dawned upon the Jedi Master. He flashed Anakin an astounded look and uttered in a hoarse whisper: "I told you you would be the death of me. You'll grow up to be the black man!"
Frozen in the middle of a gasp, outraged, Anakin stared at Obi-Wan. How could he… say that? Had the Force given him a revelation? It was not true, it could not be true! Anakin resisted the impulse to grab Obi-Wan and force him to say it was not true.
Kenobi blinked. The so-called revelation sickened him. Dizzy, wasted, he squeezed his temples and turned his back on Anakin. Unimaginable ache shot through his head. Not again! Obi-Wan massaged his forehead, hoping to chase it away.
"Why won't you talk to me?" he heard Anakin's muffled voice. "You never listen, and you never talk. You're just afraid to establish a bond with me like the one you had with Qui-Gon!"
"What if I am?" hissed Obi-Wan. Hell, the bratty kid had exceeded his limit. This was way too much.
Obi-Wan raised his hand and slapped Anakin in the face. The youth recoiled, barely holding his balance. A thin stream of blood leaked from his broken lip. Kenobi awarded him with a grim look and walked to the door. Rage boiled within Anakin. He pushed his Master hard, reaching out for his lightsaber. Kenobi was faster. His boot connected with Anakin's knee. The boy stumbled backwards, then beat the saber out of his Master's hand. Metallic grip clicked as it fell to the floor.
"Hey! No fighting in my tavern!" the bartender shouted.
Enraged, Ob-Wan summoned his weapon and attacked. Skywalker Force-leapt above his head and landed behind his back. The Jedi whirled. Sparkling blue blades clashed. Executing a move of impressive swiftness, Obi-Wan lunged forward and threw Anakin out in the street. It still rained. Sweat beaded up on their foreheads, washed away by powerful rainfall. Anakin parried and parried again, responding to Kenobi's stabs with incredible persistence. Growling, Obi-Wan countered. The interaction of the two energy fields produced heat and bright flashes. It was so hot under that massive flow of water that they began to suffocate. Roaring madly, the Jedi wrestled as each saber sought to override the opponent.
Obi-Wan punched Anakin in the chest with a forceful blow. The younger Jedi tumbled down into the mud. Kenobi stepped down on him. His eyes shimmered with disdain.
"Never talk to me about Qui-Gon", he hissed. "Is that anyway on clear?"
His neck hurt immensely, but Anakin found strength to nod. Kenobi released him and strolled away. No way Anakin was letting him get away with such madness! He sprang forward, fell Kenobi to the ground despite the loud screams of protest and tied his hands with his belt.
"You can't do this to me!" growled Obi-Wan. There was something animalistic in him now. "I'm your Master, you cannot–".
"Be sure I can. And I will do more if that's what it takes to make you comprehend".
Anakin fetched him to the motel and tied him to the bed, trying to ignore the swearing flowing out of his mouth. He sank into the arm-chair and hid his face in his hands. He wanted to seem strong, to show that he was none the worse for it, but his shoulders began to shake so he had to hide in the bathroom to conceal his hysteria. Tears streamed down his face. He washed them off, wiped it clean and peeked out. Obi-Wan continued writhing on the bed. Anakin dragged the holoprojector over to the bathroom and shut the door safely to isolate himself in silence. He took a deep breath and dialed the coordinates of the Temple.
"This is Anakin Skywalker, do you copy? Repeat: this is Anakin Skywalker…"
Nothing. Quiet. Anakin felt lonely. As if everyone had abandoned them. "No", he squeaked through upcoming tears. "Force, please, no, not now! I need this! I need them so much. I need their help".
He tried over and over again. After tormenting moments of waiting nothing came. He was, in the end, alone.
He noticed only then that he was soaked through. He changed into dry clothes and locked Obi-Wan up. Time to act quickly. He wouldn't let this obsession grow into a fratricidal war.
He saw a boy of about ten years old that earned a little extra in the motel and charged him to look after the door. "See that noone comes in and out of that room, do you understand? Noone!" He gave him some local cash and promised to give more later.
On his way Anakin wondered why he couldn't contact the Temple. He saw Obi-Wan talk to the Council. What happened now? Why was his transmission jammed?
The lights around the institution went out a long time ago. A dull light gleamed at the entrance so that Anakin could see the reception bar. He walked straight to the elevators. Unfortunately, the receptionist was sharp as a needle. He faced her with a gracious smile and introduced himself: "Anakin Skywalker to see Dr Feyh".
"Do you have an appointment?" the woman asked. No, he said. Though he was sure she wouldn't mind. The receptionist didn't share his enthusiasm, apparently. "I'm sorry, Dr Feyh is unavailable. Please, come back tomorrow. Her calling hours are scheduled up there". She gestured towards a large timetable on the wall.
But Anakin was never afraid of taking chances. "On the other hand, you may visit her", he said, performing a mind trick on her, "if you say so".
"If you say so", the receptionist echoed in a blank voice. Anakin grinned, satisfied, and entered the elevator. He was going to get some answers right now.
Darkness flooded the narrow corridors. Anakin let the cabin elevate him to the top and knocked on Vere's door. The Force shaded him with a sheer cloak of insignificance. Even if someone passed by, they wouldn't have paid any attention. Just what he needed.
When noone responded, Anakin did a rather un-Jedi thing: he unlocked the door and slid inside. It was dark, Vere must have left her work place a long time ago. Anakin Force-scanned the office and decided to descend downstairs to that lab where she had taken him earlier. He imagined the place in a form of a large flat map. There… there she talked to him and he told her about Padme. There the strange buzzing went off. Anakin moved closer, examined every inch of the high door. There was a control panel and a photoprint lock on its surface. Anakin used the Force to open it. The first thing he saw was a surgical table with elastic straps attached to it and coated blood on its shining surface.
Quiet noise in the distance distracted him. Anakin secreted himself in the corner. Vere rushed in, her fear washed over the young Jedi in choking fumes. She was shaking fiercely.
"Looking for something?"
Vere turned around quickly. Anakin grabbed her by the hand, holding her in place. Eyeing him in terror, she strived to escape.
"Anakin, I have no time! Where is he?"
"Who?"
"The man who was here! On the table! Where is he?"
He caught her other hand to prevent her from slapping him. "No idea. You have to tell me what's going on! What are those experiments of yours?"
Something thundered far away. The room was windowless but Anakin could sense the lightning bolts rip the sky almost physically. Vere froze.
"We are too late…"
Executive Order # 21: the rebel base on Luki IV ought to be located and wiped out.
Signed: T. Moriarti
Noone heard a sound in a vast underground complex that served a shelter for the Luki rebels. Powerful generators were crackling with bursts of electricity enough to supply the whole bunker. Crowds of various exotic specimen dashed about the headquarters' grand halls.
"Commander Salusa, positive on your request for docking", the retransmitter announced.
O'bar's ship had just landed and was passing custom service. The young Twi'lek couldn't help it. Admiral Armin was totally against letting her go to Luki but she escaped Sahra-Mosca with a handful of loyal pilots. Being so far from Val in such circumstances killed her.
She had yet to decide how to get to Val if he were still with the Imperials. Until then O'bar changed into more comfortable clothes from her spacesuit and took a tour around the bunker. All that fuss was captivating. Hundreds of people just kept working. That perfectly logical, mathematical simplicity fascinated her. That was one of the reasons she liked being part of the Alliance – everybody had their own business to do.
The excursion relieved O'bar stress a little. She felt safe here. She ascended on the ground level and walked outside. The weather was warm and sunny. O'bar noticed Marn by the door. Having heard her footsteps, he dropped something and turned in her direction with a full grin. Must have been smoking, O'bar thought.
"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me", she reassured him. Admiral Armin frowned upon smoking in his detachment.
Marn shook his head. "No, of course, not. I'm covering for you, right? In here".
She smacked him by the shoulder lightly. What a blackmailer! Marn was one of her best buddies though he addressed her roughly as 'Commander Salusa' in public and they never made a display of their relationship. She knew he had certain feeling for her but they remained in the friends zone. Perhaps, if it wasn't for Val…
O'bar sighed. He was still out there, so far away and so close at the same time.
"He'll be with us shortly", said Marn, patting her shoulder softly. "You're very brave. Val's lucky to have you".
O'bar smiled. Her cheeks grew bluish. She still felt uncomfortable when someone complimented her skills, not her classy appearance.
A couple of small lights flickered through the mist. O'bar pricked up her ears. Something rolled through the heated orange sky. Probe lenses zoomed in several meters, scanned the space for lifeforms.
"What the?.." muttered Marn.
"Imperial squadron!" Salusa rushed back to the hatch. "Come on! They'll be here any minute".
The news perturbed the staff but only for a few short moments. Gun towers charged immediately and began blasting away at upcoming aircrafts albeit with no significant effect. Imperials bombarded the surrounding area. Fire left monstrous scorched places on the ground. The sky darkened because of gunfire.
The Rebel control center, shaking under the force of tremendous explosions, still operated amidst destruction. Ravished pipes belched steam, hissing low, the lodging was gradually becoming filled with thick smoke and stench of blood as it splattered in the halls so that the rebels became aware: the enemy had broken through.
The Rebel personnel including General H. Q. was still on duty, directing evacuation ships off the region. Some dived into space, some confused the attackers by keeping closer to the ground.
O'bar charged her twin blasters and fired into the Imperials with no respite. She hated them so much!
A bombshell went off behind her. A few fellow officers were instantly cut down by a giant pencil of rippling rays. A web of deep cracks spread far and wide on the walls. Something hit O'bar from the back and held her down on the floor. She felt too drained to resist. Besides she could hardly breathe because of the smog. Later, when she was free to get up, she had a second to examine her savior who dragged her along the cooling darkness of battle-free space. He was a young man in his mid-twenties, rather good-looking though his long black hair was tousled and covered with gore at the roots. Non-military plain black suit outlined a fine body. A relentless thought shot through O'bar's mind: wasn't that face familiar? Something blazed around his neck. A counter of some kind…
Exhausted, O'bar leaned against the wall. Her posture indicated she could move on no longer. The man came near and she punched him hard in the ribcage. He toppled over to the floor and before he could react, the Twi'lek pointed a gun at him.
"Who are you?" she demanded.
"Hey! I saved your life", the man protested.
"And took me hostage. You're an Imperial! I know your face. How come I know your face?" It suddenly hit her that his face was in their database concerning 'Luki Labs'. It could not have been… or could it? "You're Jass Apollo, right? You're a bloody spy!"
"How different is that from what your precious Kerrit is doing?" Apollo spat. O'bar hit him in the jaw, then there was a severe warning: never to speak of him again. "Look, I know what you think. We're enemies. But now we are in equal danger. There's a safe underground passage from here, I used it to get to your bunker. We could go together".
O'bar hesitated. He was in danger coming both from his and her allies, whereas she had fat chance getting past Imperial encompassing.
In the meantime, Jass very nearly used his chance to push the gun out of her hand, but a small group of rebel survivors burst in and Marn (she was glad to see him alive) held the captive in place and pointed a blaster at his skull.
"Let me handle this".
"No, wait!" Jass pleaded. "You need me!"
O'bar still fought her doubts. Her hand was trembling. Only the General H. Q. knew where that tunnel was. The entrance was decoded. They could never find it without assistance. She examined the survivors briskly. A stout man in his early sixties, Captain Solabella, a seasoned warrior who despised high ranks and never rose higher than a captain. A lean girl, youngish but confident, Athelandra, with a basket stuffed with supply of provisions in her hands. Never forget about food! And Marn. That was it?
"He's an Imperial tipper-off! He brought them here", said Marn stubbornly. "He's not to be trusted".
"No", O'bar said and made him lower the gun. "We need him. Come on, we gotta get going".
They let the captive walk first. Marn still held his gun steadily pointed in between his shoulderblades. Jass rubbed his bruised ribcage and exhaled deeply, keeping check of the footsteps behind his back. The situation was slightly awkward. He penetrated in the shelter in order to get more info on the Rebel plans concerning the TF but instead he ended up as a prisoner. Why the hell did he have to save that cracked Twi'lek commander?
Jass skewed his eyes upon her cautiously. He'd never seen her, nonetheless, he recognized her easily. Her melodic voice, even erupted by an outburst of radio static… It was the woman Kerrit had been talking to when Apollo overheard him. Val loved her, he could tell. Not really knowing why, Apollo couldn't let their love perish.
"Erase that smirk off your face until I will have done it for you", Marn commented through clenched teeth.
Jass sighed. Everything had just begun…