Star Wars 2.0
Episode 5: Rise of the Clones
Chapter 6
Owen spent most of his time on Urobo in his room at the hotel. Bottles of alcohol stacked up in his garbage as he drank, thinking of the woman with whom he had spent the evening just talking and watching others in the community. They had nothing, not even their own freedom, yet they made the best of what time they had. None of them deserved the fate they had been handed; least of all Baroo.
He longed to return to the Republic. Owen had left there to get away from his brother; to get away from what fate seemed to drag him toward. But if this was what he must constantly be exposed to on the fringes, he wondered what could truly be worse. But then again, leaving here forever would mean leaving behind ever seeing Baroo again. He thought of her face; of the times he made her laugh. Even the biggest transport score couldn't compare to that.
He wanted to see her again. No, he couldn't. What could these feelings possibly lead to? It was only a flight of fancy. He needed to get a job that would take him away from this sector and never bring him back again. Her fate was her own, and that of the others who lived here. There was nothing he could do.
Something called to him from deep within his soul. It reminded him that there was something he could do. Something that could put an end to the suffering he saw. He could use this power to free Baroo, and all those who knew no freedom. He need only use it.
This temptation wrestled against the side that his brother followed. 'What good would it do?' that part of him asked. To cause violence here would only cause suffering elsewhere. Patience was the key. Look at the broader picture. That was what the Jedi preached. That was what his parents valued. But people were already suffering. People already paid with their entire lives the cost of being ignored.
At least the Jedi did not condone this behavior. At least the Republic could excuse this human treatment as outside their jurisdiction. And then he saw it...
Owen had been switching channels on the holovision. But something in his mind had pushed him to remain on this one channel. It was a news story about a political treaty; something that he typically had no interest in watching, but he hovered on it. The Tempus Legion was discussing a treaty with the Republic. The visual moved in on one of the members of the treaty. A young woman. A queen. She was trying to convince the aristocratic leaders to join the Republic in their struggle against the Separatists. Standing next to her was a familiar face; his brother. Owen couldn't even get away from him by flying to the opposite side of the galaxy.
Padme stood before an audience gathered before her. She had spoken with the royal family, who proved to be weak, spoiled in their pursuit of personal gain, and subject to the advice of their advisors who were seeking their own profits. So the king had arranged for a speaking engagement at which she would make her case before the hierarchy of the kingdom. A great deal of pomp and circumstance was presented to pump up the event. Padme wasn't interested. She only wanted to convince them of the need to join the Republic.
She stepped up to the podium and began to speak. She told them about the Separatists; how they had begun as a phantom menace, but had become a true threat to the stability of the galaxy. Though they had originally only assaulted individual worlds, now they were attacking entire kingdoms. Their targets were wide ranging, and not just directed at the Republic. Many non-aligned worlds had fallen under their grasp. The Tempus Legion may be next. Her words stirred the imagination, and had the members of the aristocracy at the edge of their seats.
Throughout the speech, Anakin barely paid attention. Though the sector's military would be helpful, he was not looking forward to working with them and their elitist beliefs. But then Padme's speech took a turn that regained his attention. "The Separatists' use of droids gives them a great advantage. But you have an advantage as well, albeit one that is largely untapped. We in the Republic have found that a free people are a loyal people. With creative and intelligent minds working together, there is nothing that cannot be achieved. The droid cannot, and will not compete with the potential of a free sentient mind."
Though Padme had won over Anakin, she had lost her audience. Many who had previously leaned forward in their seats now began to boo. They understood the implication she was making that their slaves should be free, and they would add to the greater good of society. But what did this girl from the inner core know about servants out here anyway? They were better off where they were; and changing the situation would only cause problems.
Several questions from the audience came to Padme, mostly asking if she was suggesting that they free their slaves. She did not recommend that directly, but she did suggest that the freedom of all people, all people, would lead to solutions of which the droids and their Separatist masters could not dream. This raised the ire of the audience even more, but grew the smile on Anakin's face.
Back in her room, Padme was convinced that she had failed. Now it was her turn to pace the floor, beating herself up and second guessing every decision she had made. She cursed her words and replayed in her mind how much better it would have been if she had said the right things.
The Tempus Legion leadership had not told her their decision, but their reaction had been clear enough. They were not happy with her speech. Her use of language had been skillful enough. But when it came to the subject of people's freedom, they were able to read between the lines. Slavery was a part of their culture, and the very broaching of the subject was enough to turn them off to hearing anything more.
Padme cursed herself for failing the Republic. She had let her short term emotions get the better of her. She would return a failure. This had...
Her thoughts were interrupted by Anakin's hand on her hand. His body was in front of hers. She looked up to his eyes, which peered into hers with a deep pride. A longing even. "You did great," he said. "You did what others were afraid to do."
"I brought shame to the Republic," she said.
"You brought pride to the Republic," he said, and he wiped a tear away from her eye. Then he held the hand there on her cheek. She was shocked suddenly, recognizing the intimacy, and she briefly pulled away. But he held tightly to her hand. She relaxed, and looked deeply into his reassuring eyes.
"What will happen now?" she asked.
"We wait to learn if they see reason," he said softly.
"And if they don't?" she asked.
"That is something to concern ourselves with in the morning," he said. And then, as though drawn by highly charged magnets, their faces drew together, and their lips met. Then their tongues met. Then their hands touched each other's bodies. Their clothes were shed, and they moved to the bed.
The battle was going exactly as General Graves had predicted. Watching the tactical display aboard his capitol ship, he saw each of his damaged, weaker vessels disappear. Then went the transports. The fighters flew in to intercept and do what they could, but they were little more than insects pestering a predator.
The command vessel Spearhead Prime had been kept back for a good reason. Usually Graves put it into the middle of the fight, but he knew this time was going to be different. There was little they could do to win the day. So it was best to preserve their most powerful vessel and their lead general. Both could regroup with another fleet. They could build up again with replacements and strike at another target; a better target.
Next time, General Graves would not make the same mistake. He knew better than the masters. He didn't know when this had happened, but he had outgrown them. His strategy would have worked here, and it will work elsewhere. He ordered his ship turned from the carnage, and they shot off into hyperspace.
Yoda watched the senate debate from a floating disk high above the others. He heard the arguments of both sides; nothing he had not heard already. The old Jedi master was still conflicted in a way he had never felt before. This felt wrong, but he could not justify the feeling, not even from the Force. That power had abandoned his ability to see what either future might bring.
The opposition claimed that the Separatists could be bargained with, and the droid navy had at last been defeated. The Republic military could do it again. Those in favor of the clone military reminded everyone how many defeats they had suffered in order to gain one victory. They pointed out that they must follow it up with strength in numbers toward a specific goal. "This win must be followed up with a breakthrough," Senator Palpatine told the gathered assembly. "This can only be achieved with a large force; and the only one we have is the one I built."
Cheers arose from the crowd. Cheers that gave Yoda goose bumps. It was the last two words that did it. "I built." The clone army was becoming more and more about Palpatine, and less about saving the Republic.
But it was too late for such inner debates. Soon the senate put the measure to a vote.
To be continued...
