Chapter 2: The Regicides
"Mom!" Tara screams. "Dad!"
G'yaté and Eric are each getting forced onto the bridge, both of them have binders on, with General Grievous right behind them with a tight grip on both of them.
"Tara!" Eric shouts. He tries to pull free of Grievous, but Grievous only tightens his grip and keeps pushing the two forward, eventually kicking them to get them both to kneel, right in front of Tara.
G'yaté starts crying. "Tara," she asks, "Are you alright?"
"Y-yeah," Tara stutters. "Just that, this Grievous is-"
She can't finish her sentence, which prompts Grievous to jump in. "Yes child, they were both found near Milagro, and they were, shall I say, harder to catch than you were."
"You let her go!" Eric shouts at him.
Grievous laughs. "Now that, is something that won't be happening. You see, I am under orders from Count Dooku, and I heard that capturing you was made easier with support from the Senator."
G'yaté and Eric notice Organa, standing several meters away, having watched the whole thing unfold. "Senator Organa," G'yaté says, as if disappointed.
"I, I can assure you, Your Majesty, I had no involvement in this," he tries to reassure her. "I had boarded after your daughter was abducted, and I was unaware of Her Highness' presence until Grievous brought her onto the bridge as well."
"Yet you stand by and let this happen?" Eric shouts. He tries to stand up, but Grievous hits him across the face and he falls back down.
"No!" Tara screams. She starts tearing up. G'yaté moves to be kneeling over him, looking at his face starting to bruise where Grievous struck him.
"Now, General," Organa says sternly, "You are going too far by even having them here in the first place! We. Are. Letting. Them Go. Now!"
Just then, additional sounds of ships jumping out from hyperspace can be heard. Grievous looks past Organa out the window, G'yaté strains her neck to try and see what just arrived, while Tara tries to look over her shoulder.
The tactical droid gives a report to Grievous. "Several Republic ships, Sir. 7 Cruiser-class, 5 escort-class."
Grievous sighs, before turning back to face G'yaté and Eric, seeing Eric push himself into a seated position on the floor. "I have orders from Count Dooku for this mission, in order to ensure that the ultimate plan of Lord Sidious succeeds, you can't be there."
He grabs 2 lightsabers off his belt, and activates them before thrusting both into the King and Queen. They both gasp in pain, before Grievous deactivates them both, watching his victims slide down further on the floor.
"No!" Tara screams, starting to sob. Grievous turns to face Organa, who is mortified at what Grievous just did, yet unable to respond. "I'm getting into my starfighter to fight the Jedi," Grievous says to Organa. "Keep watch of the girl, but you don't have to watch the others anymore."
He laughs, before turning and leaving the bridge.
Anakin is boarding his starfighter, preparing to fight, before he stops suddenly, then looks down at the floor by his fighter.
"Oh no," he says quietly, having felt the disturbance.
Organa is standing still on the bridge, looking between Tara sobbing uncontrollably and the 2 victims of Grievous no longer moving. After some time, he turns to the tactical droid. "Let the Princess down," he orders.
"The General is under orders to-"
Organa cuts him off. "Let Princess Tara down. Now. You are under my command with Grievous not on the ship."
The tactical droid hesitates before reaching towards the control system for the ray shield holder, and pushing a button that drops Tara onto the floor, the binders falling off too. She scrambles towards her parents, but can't hear or feel either of them breathing by now. "Go," Organa says.
"But, I can't leave them," Tara replies, still sobbing.
"You'll have to, Your Highness. I can't save them, but I can save you. If you take a left at the first intersect and then go down the whole hallway straight, you'll reach some escape pods. Please," he begs, "Get yourself to safety. It's all I can do."
Tara doesn't answer. She leans down once more and kisses both her parents on the cheek, before running off in the direction that Organa sent her on, still sobbing.
Anakin is flying his fighter, taking out vulture droids while Admiral Yularen is doing scans of all the Separatist ships, trying to figure out which one has the King and Queen. He receives a transmission from Admiral Yularen, which he accepts. "Yes, Admiral?"
"General Skywalker, an escape pod has jettisoned from one of the Separatist Frigates, with one life form onboard."
Anakin pauses, almost spacing out before he remembers he's in the middle of a battle. "Bring it to the ship, Admiral. I think it might be Princess Tara. I'm going back to meet whoever it is, though."
"Understood, General."
The transmission ends. "Gold Leader," Anakin says, "You're in command of the starfighter now, I have to go back to the command ship."
"Yes, sir," a clone's voice responds before Anakin turns his fighter around, before flying into the hangar and landing inside. Not far from him is the escape pod that jettisoned from the Separatist Frigate. Several clones are approaching it with weapons ready, but Anakin waves them off.
"No," he says. "It's Princess Tara." One of the clones nods at him before turning and leading the others away. Anakin can feel her sense of loss and anguish. He walks toward the pod, and sees Tara slouched down in the seat, sobbing. Anakin kneels down on the floor next to her, but she doesn't look at him.
"They're gone," she tells him quietly, before sobbing louder. Anakin takes a deep breath, but then the ship rocks from a hit from a laser turret.
"I have to go back and help," he says. "Please, Tara, stay here and I'll come back for you. I promise."
He stands up, feeling guilty about leaving but he knows he has to, they're still in the middle of a battle. He runs back to his fighter, and shoots off back to keep fighting the droids.
Not long after he left, Tara stands up and leaves the pod, not wanting to be there at all. She runs out of the hangar and down the hall, until she finds an unused cabin. She enters it, then turns and locks the door. She then takes off the control panel for the door on the inside of the cabin, and looks inside the system with very bloodshot eyes. She sees the wiring for the door that triggers the mechanism that opens it, and disconnects it, further sealing herself in. Wanting nobody to be there except people that can't, she removes the mechanism and places it on the floor, before she collapses in a heap on the bed, sobbing until she runs out of tears.
Anakin is walking through the halls, trying to find Tara. The battle was won, the Separatists withdrew, but with one manned starfighter entering hyperspace in another direction. He reflects on what happened, that he knows of. Tara's absolutely heartbroken. Even while not knowing exactly where onboard she is, he can feel her anguish and pain. He thinks about how she said 'They're gone,' and how he felt the disturbance right before entering battle. He thinks the King and Queen might be dead, but he doesn't want to confirm that or share it with anyone. All she shared with Admiral Yularen was that the person that was in the escape pod was indeed Tara.
He thinks about how he shouldn't have left her, for the only reason to go back into battle. He wasn't needed. The day would've been won even if he had just sat with Tara in the escape pod, instead of running off, thinking he had to do his duty.
He stops walking, suddenly. He turns to the left. He found her. He pushes the button to open the door. It won't open. He enters his password. Nothing changes. He enters his passcode again, and the door still won't budge.
Captain Rex comes walking up behind him. "Sir? Is everything alright?"
"Yeah," Anakin responds, "Just trying to find Princess Tara. I need to talk to her."
"Should we sweep the ship, General?"
"No, I found her. Just, she might've played with the door, because it isn't opening."
"Shall I call for a crew to come and fix it?"
"No, Captain, it's alright. Whatever she did, I can fix it."
"Understood, Sir."
Rex turns and walks back the direction he came from. Anakin watches him leave, before pulling off the access panel to get to the wiring. He tries to see what Tara did to deactivate the operating mechanism, and he notices that she completely removed the mechanism. 'She knows what she's doing,' he thinks. He reaches down to his belt and grabs a small, basic operating system that he carries. He hooks it into where the main operating system would be, and after all the wirings are correct, he pushes the button for the door, and it opens for him.
Tara's mind is all over the place, but it all seems to come back to one thing. Her parents. How she met them. How they cared for her and loved her. How much they would have been willing to risk for her to be safe. And that is what hurt Tara the most right now. 'Did my parents sacrifice their lives for mine?' She felt guilty for their loss. 'If I hadn't been abducted, maybe they wouldn't have been either. It's my fault they're gone.' She thinks about Organa, how he did nothing. 'He could've gotten us released, he didn't try at all to stop Grievous. Him letting me go means nothing considering that he was already too late to save my parents.' She thinks about the future. 'What'll happen to me with my parents gone? Will I still have my life, or will it be back to nothing on Corellia?'
At this point she's cried so much that she can't anymore. Her eyes are bloodshot, with many tear stains and water droplet stains on the bunk. Her lekku twitching every time she sniffles, with the rest of her body unable to move, simply frozen in place laying on her side, facing away from the door, never hearing the work Anakin is doing to open it. She thinks back hard about the day they first met, when it all changed.
Flashback
3 years ago
Tara is sitting on the bed, staring at her feet. She's quite a bit smaller than what she is now, being only about 7-8 years old. She had been living in the orphanage on Corellia for about 6 months, after getting released from the planetary detention facility for being too young. She had tried making friends, but most of them were humans who didn't want to interact with 'Togruta-cross freaks.' She sighs, grabbing her lekku and wrapping some of her hair around it. 'If only I had either grown full lekku or a full head of hair,' she thought, 'Then maybe people would actually like me and I could live a life.' She hears laughter from another room, probably some kids running around playing. 'At least now I have the room to myself for some time.'
The door opens abruptly, startling Tara who jumps backwards, only to remember there's a wall there. Feeling a bit of pain from her lekku, she slides forward to the edge of the bed and stands up, looking at the 2 adults. A man and a woman, presumably a couple, both dressed in expensive looking garments. The woman steps forward. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah," Tara responds. "Hello."
"Hello, Miss," the man says while stepping forward, looking down at her. "What's your name?"
"Tara," she answers. "Sir."
The man chuckles. "Well, Tara, it's nice to meet you. My name's Eric."
He reaches his hand out to shake hers. Tara takes it, and notices that he's rather gentle about it, unlike other adults who have visited.
"Are you from off-world?" Tara asks.
"Y-yes, we are, we're from Coruscant," the woman replies. "My name is G'yaté."
"Nice to meet you both. I've never been to Coruscant."
Eric looks at his wife, who smirks. "Have a seat," he tells Tara. "We can talk more while relaxed."
"Oh, okay," Tara responds, sitting back down on the bed the way she was earlier. G'yaté sits down next to her, while Eric pulls a chair meant for a child up to the 2 of them and sits down on it.
"Honey," G'yaté says, "That's a bit, small for you."
Tara laughs. Eric smiles awkwardly at his wife. "It's fine," he says. "I haven't gained that much weight, honey."
"You keep telling yourself that," she responds, before turning to look at Tara. "But I think our host here would like to talk to us now."
"I, yes," Tara stammers. "Thank you, Ma'am. My name's Tara, I'm from Corellia."
G'yaté stares at the top of Tara's head. "Are you part Togrutan?"
"Y-yes," Tara says. "The partial lekku, but natural hair."
"Natural hair?" Eric asks.
Tara nods. "It looks great," he follows up with.
"Th-thank you, Sir," she responds, not expecting to be complimented for it. "A lot of people here don't think so."
"Then clearly a lot of people here need to get their eyes inspected," G'yaté says.
"Y-yes," Tara replies. "But this planet, Iseno, is mostly human. I haven't seen a single non-human on this whole planet, actually, I'm probably the only person close to Togruta here."
"Then that would clearly make you the odd one out," Eric says, chuckling.
Tara chuckles in response. "Yes, Sir, I guess so."
'Make sure they don't see your tattoos ever,' she thinks. 'Their look on you would change 180º real fast.' She doesn't realize that she pulled down on her left sleeve and tucked her right arm under her left until G'yaté mentions it.
"Are you alright?"
"What?" Tara is caught off guard, not quite knowing why she asked, yet subconsciously tucks her right arm deeper into her left. "Yes, I'm alright, why would I not be? You both are very nice adults to talk to."
Eric looks at his wife, who gives a look of concern back.
"Miss Tara," Eric asks, "Is there something more you would like to say or to show us? A talent, perhaps?"
"I can do acrobatics, Sir," Tara answers, but sounds slightly unconfident, still trying to hide her secret.
"Oh, please show us," G'yaté says. "We'd love to see it."
Tara stands up, releasing her right arm from her left, and jumps up, leaning forward into a perfect handstand. She pushes herself backwards from the handstand with perfect form, standing just the way she was. She sees both adult's eyes open wide, impressed. Tara, thinking quickly, does a front flip before leaping into another handstand, flipping in position from standing on her feet to standing on her hands, before stopping when she is on her feet, stretching her arms out wide to finish the quick performance.
G'yaté and Eric both clap, impressed at her abilities at such a young age. She sits back down, saying, "I would've done more, but I can't go forward without hitting a wall."
The 2 adults laugh, but Eric stops laughing, noticing something on her right shoulder. "Miss Tara?" He asks.
"Yes, Sir?" Tara looks at him.
"There's something on your shoulder, what is that?" He asks, not initially recognizing that it's a burnmark, let alone why it's there.
"Oh, it's just a," Tara stammers, "Another patch of the skin blend, nothing much." She chuckles. "I do have them all over me, after all."
"It didn't quite look orange," Eric replies, "It looked, like a burn if anything."
Tara sighs. "It'll change a lot between us, Sir, but," she rolls up her sleeve. "It is a burn mark, given to people on Corellia who are thieves."
"What?" G'yaté asks, confused as to why she got it.
"I was one a Scrumrat, having been taken in by the White Worms, led by Lady Proxima." Tara starts to tear up. "I didn't have a choice, then one day I got arrested and I got the burn mark from the authorities."
"Republic authorities?" G'yaté's voice sounds horrified by what she just heard.
"Yes, Ma'am, Republic authorities did that. I got arrested while stealing parts off of a crashed speeder, and they gave me the mark before I was sent to a prison."
She sees that both of their faces were filled with shock, but she keeps going. "I got released after not much time for being too young, but the White Worms wouldn't offer me food or shelter."
Eric's voice grew soft, unable to fully comprehend all that had happened to someone so young. "And you've been here since?"
"Yes, Sir," Tara's voice matched his softness. "But most of the people that come through here are humans from this world that don't wish to adopt a cross-Togruta like me. Most of the time the adults I meet here looking to adopt would run off upon seeing the burn or any other marks I have, if the natural skin hasn't chased them off already."
Eric looks at G'yaté, who returns the glance. Eric nods his head.
"Now, Sweetie," G'yaté says, wrapping an arm around her, "That doesn't change our thoughts on you. You're a lovely young girl, who's had misfortunes and struggles, but nevertheless survived it, and you have quite a bit of talent, as you have shown already."
"You, you mean that?" Tara asks.
"Yes, of course we do Tara," Eric adds. "We wouldn't be saying it if we didn't mean it."
"Thank, thank you both," Tara says, "It's been really nice to know you."
This time it's G'yaté who turns to look at Eric, who only smirks in response.
"You never know," G'yaté says, "We could maybe see each other again."
Tara looks up, not understanding what they're getting at. "How? When? Why?"
End Flashback
The door opens suddenly, slightly surprising Tara. The light from the hall shining into the cabin quickly fades away as Anakin closes the door behind him. Tara momentarily stops breathing as Anakin sits down on the bunk by her feet, careful not to sit on top of her. He spends some time just sitting there, staring at the far side wall before speaking.
"Tara?"
She moans in response. Anakin turns to look at her.
"What happened?"
Tara sighs. "He, he, killed them. My parents. They're gone."
Anakin's face changes to become more solemn. "Who exactly?"
"The cyborg. General. Monster."
"Does he have a name? Do you know it?"
"Gre-Grievous. It's what Organa called him."
"I," Anakin hesitates before continuing, "Fought someone else in a starfighter during the battle. Someone who wasn't a droid pilot, and probably not Organa. I didn't see his person at all, but I think they might be this- Grievous you speak of."
"Probably was."
Tara turns her head to look at Anakin, slightly sitting up in the process. "What of the ship I was on? Any word from Captain Maso?"
"W-we," Anakin stutters, "Received the distress signal, but when Master Plo got there he said there was no sign of you or the ship."
Tara sniffles. Anakin puts a hand on her shoulder. "I am so sorry. You've seen a lot today, more than anyone should have to see ever."
Tara doesn't respond to that. Instead, she says, "I never thought anything like this would happen. Ever."
Anakin looks at her confused until she elaborates more. "This, life, this position. I have a burn mark after being arrested as a thief on Corellia. Considering where I am now, Lady Proxima would pay greatly for my hide."
"We will protect you, Tara."
"That's, that's not what I'm trying to say, Anakin. What I meant was," she stops, trying to think of how to word it. "I met them, when I was living as an orphan where at least I didn't have to steal to get food. They came one day, looking for someone to adopt. I talked to them, and didn't even know who they were initially, or that it would lead to this."
Tara sits up next to Anakin, leaning onto his shoulder, still sniffling occasionally, unable to produce tears at this point. He wraps an arm around her shoulders for support. They sit this way for an even longer time until Tara gives in to drowsiness. Anakin slides her so she is comfortably laying down on the bed. Once he is sure that she is asleep, he quietly gets up and leaves the room, knowing he has yet to report on the battle and the situation with the King and Queen.
Flashback
"You said you wanted a boy, honey," Eric says to G'yaté. The two of them are in a room they got arranged for them to stay in on Iseno, speaking privately. "You seemed pretty set on it only a couple hours earlier."
"I know I said that, but," G'yaté says. "I don't know anymore, I mean she's young, sweet, a lovely person to talk to."
"Should we consider her as an option, then?" Eric asks.
"I think, that she might be the one."
"You think so?"
"Do, do you not think so?"
"I think," Eric hesitates before continuing, "Let's do it. For her."
"Thank you, honey."
"You're welcome." Eric sits down next to G'yaté, wrapping an arm around her as the two watch the sunset together.
End flashback
Anakin enters the bridge, immediately being addressed by Captain Rex.
"General Skywalker."
"Captain Rex."
"Sir, there's a war meeting in session right now, and they wish to debrief you on the battle and the situation with the King and Queen."
Anakin hesitates before answering, "Yes, I had best deliver what information I have from Princess Tara right now."
Anakin walks up to the holo table. Masters Plo and Kenobi turn to look at him.
"Anakin," Obi-Wan asks, "Captain Rex informed us that Princess Tara was safely onboard your ship, but that he had no update on the King and Queen."
"Yes, Master," Anakin replies, before looking down at the ground. "Unfortunately, Princess Tara reported to me that her parents were killed by the Separatists, while she was onboard the enemy flagship."
Obi-Wan's face opens in shock. "What?"
"It's what she told me, and," Anakin hesitates before continuing, "She's really beat up about it, and she says it was done by a cyborg, she gave the name Grievous."
"Grievous?" Master Plo asks. "That name doesn't belong to any known Separatists."
"Perhaps," Anakin has to think of what to say, "It could be the unidentified Separatist warrior we are seeking information on. The Jedi-Killer, that is presumably taking lightsabers from dead Jedi and no one alive has seen him."
"Except her, you suggest?" Plo asks. "Did she tell you anything besides 'cyborg?'"
"She called him a monster, and she mentioned Senator Organa was there. Perhaps this Grievous works for the Senator?"
"But," Obi-Wan says, "Princess Tara said in the past that Senator Organa seemed disturbed on Geonosis when he found out she was abducted. And we seem to be implying here that Grievous kidnapped either her or her parents, maybe both."
"We have to consider everything," Plo replies before turning to Anakin. "May we speak to her now?"
"She had fallen asleep when I came to this meeting," Anakin answers. "Considering how she is grieving, I'll wait until she wakes up, and then ask if she can share any more information."
"Understood, Anakin," Obi-Wan responds. "For now, you should set a course back towards Coruscant to bring her back safely."
"Yes, Master."
The holographic images of the 2 Jedi Masters disappear as Anakin turns to face Rex.
"Set the course. I'll check on her."
"Yes, sir."
Anakin walks through the halls of the cruiser, before stopping and looking down at the ground. He put his fingers to his forehead as he felt a disturbance, a darkness. Involving, Tara. No. He starts sprinting down the hallway as fast as he can towards her cabin.
Dream Sequence
Tara is sitting in a chair in a medical lab, with both her parents on either side of her. She appears 3 years younger, the way she was when she first met her parents. A medical droid is talking to her, explaining what the process they are doing is.
"So, Miss, with your DNA and cell extracts we obtained from you we can estimate how old you are, which we have at approximately 8 years old. The other problem we are working on is you don't have a birthdate, so that we will have to decide."
"We decide?" Tara asks.
"Yes, we would pick a day and that would get documented as your birthday."
Tara smirks devilishly. "Could it be today?"
G'yaté laughs. "The day is already partially over, sweetie. We don't have that much time, especially considering we don't have gifts ready."
"What?" Tara asks, faking shock. "You guys forgot?"
Eric laughs at that. "Yeah, that sounds like someone forgot their own daughter's birthday."
"Oh, like you have anything planned," G'yaté responds to Eric's remark.
"I can improvise."
Tara is laughing really hard at this point. She looks down at the floor, but when she looks up the room has faded into darkness, along with the medical droid. All that's left is her parents and the chairs they're sitting in.
Suddenly, 2 lightsabers activate, impaling through each of her parents. Tara screams, as she sees the face of General Grievous be shined on from the light of the weapons. The lightsabers deactivate, and Grievous falls back into the shadows, but Tara still hears the footsteps of the metallic claw-like legs. Yet, she is unable to determine where it is coming from. As she is panicking, a bright light appears in front of her and Anakin comes running in, grabbing onto her.
The light from the hallway that Tara saw in the dream vanishes, as does most of the darkness, but not by much in the dimly lit room.
"Tara," Anakin says, seeming out of breath. "Are you okay? I felt a disturbance and came as fast as I could."
"I, I saw them die, but, again," she responds, slightly confusing Anakin.
"Did you see them die before?"
"Yes," Tara says, starting to sob. Like earlier, she leans into Anakin's shoulder. "It was so nice, it was what it was like before, then he came and killed them. Again."
Anakin doesn't quite know what she meant by that, but he tries to talk to her to get her to calm down. "You're safe now, Tara. Whoever this Grievous is, we will protect you from him."
"He said he had killed Jedi, and he had 4 lightsabers on him."
"That doesn't matter, Tara. We will fight him to keep you safe from the Separatists. You'll be safe on Coruscant, too. The droid armies can't get anywhere near to attack us there."
Tara sighs. "Thank you, Anakin."
"You're welcome." Anakin looks at the top of her head. "The Jedi Council was hoping to debrief you on what happened, specifically this Grievous. Would you be able to do it?"
"I-I think so."
"Thank you, Tara. Now, please come with me. They'll be waiting for us."
He stands up, helping her stand up too, before they both leave the room, headed for the bridge.
Tara and Anakin both enter the bridge, and are addressed by Captain Rex.
"Princess Tara. General Skywalker."
"Captain Rex," Anakin replies. He looks at the holotable and sees Masters Plo and Kenobi have been joined by much of the Jedi Council.
"Princess," Master Windu says, looking at Tara. "I am sorry to hear of the loss of your parents."
"Thank you, Master Windu," she responds, taking a deep breath in the process to avoid crying again.
"Your Highness," Master Yoda says, "Have something to share, do you?"
"Yes, Master," Tara says. "What has Anakin already shared with you?"
"He said that they were killed most likely right after he arrived at the battle," Obi-Wan states. "A disturbance was felt right then. Can you confirm that?"
"I-yes, I can confirm that," Tara replies. "The Republic fleet arrived, and then he-Grievous killed them very quickly and left the bridge of their command ship, which is where we were."
"Please describe this, Grievous," Master Plo requests.
"He-he," Tara hesitates before continuing, "Was a cyborg. He had fully metallic limbs, and a face guard to go along with it. It looked like a Kaleesh Warrior mask, with yellow eyes staring out from behind it." She shudders. "He was tall, very tall. He was carrying lightsabers."
"What kind of lightsabers?" Windu asks. "Were they made by Sith?"
"They were green and blue lightsabers," she answers. "He said that they were weapons of Jedi that he would use against them."
"Stolen, were they?" Yoda asks.
"That seems the most likely answer," Windu replies. "Unless he made them himself, or got them from Dooku."
"He, didn't show any signs of force sensitivity," Tara interjects. "He said how he hated the Jedi, and that he was an agent of Count Dooku."
Windu looks at Anakin. "Skywalker, you mentioned you fought a non-droid pilot in battle, could you elaborate on that?"
"Yes, Master," Anakin responds. "It was a good pilot, who took off from the Separatist flagship, but it wasn't a Separatist-modeled fighter."
"Do you know what model it is?" Windu asks again.
"We aren't sure yet. My Captain is analyzing images of the ship I took to try and determine what it is, and who manufactured it."
"Could this Grievous also possibly be a new ally, working with Dooku?" Obi-Wan asks. "We know Dooku is always looking for more support against the Republic, perhaps Grievous is a contributor.
"But," Tara says, "Senator Organa was there too, Kenobi. And he mentioned that Grievous contributes nothing financially."
"Could he be working for Organa, then?" Obi-Wan asks in response to her answer.
"I don't think so. They, argued at one point, Organa wanted to release me while Grievous said that he was under orders from Count Dooku to deliver me, and my parents to him."
"An agent of Dooku, then?" Yoda asks.
"That seems most likely," Windu answers.
"One more thing, Sir," Tara says. "Right after Anakin arrived, but before he killed my parents, Grievous mentioned that the mission of abducting my parents and I was to ensure that the ultimate plan of a 'Lord Sidious' could succeed. Right after he said my parents couldn't be there, he-"
Tara doesn't finish her sentence, instead she starts to cry. Anakin wraps an arm around her shoulders. Obi-Wan speaks out. "This Sidious, was the same name that Dooku mentioned to me on Geonosis. Dooku had said that he wished to go against this Sidious, with my help."
"But Princess Tara seems to be describing that Grievous is serving Dooku," Windu responds. "And is apparently carrying out part of an 'ultimate plan.'"
"Do we," Anakin asks, "Know anything or have heard anything of an ultimate plan?"
"No prior knowledge on this, have we," Yoda says. "Sith, this Sidious is? Hmm?"
"When Dooku mentioned that he wished to eliminate him, he would be destroying the Sith," Obi-Wan answers.
"The Sith have been known for the Apprentice killing the Master, when the Apprentice becomes strong enough," Windu adds. "Perhaps Dooku serves under Sidious, and wishes to oust him, but for now does his bidding?"
"Possible, that is," Yoda responds. "But for now, on Dooku, our priorities lie."
"Grievous too?" Anakin asks. "A Kaleesh warrior that can kill Jedi and just committed 2 major assassinations seems important, too, doesn't it? We have someone who saw him and survived, we should also focus on tracking him, right?"
Windu looks down at Yoda, seeing him shake his head before tilting his own head back upwards to look at Anakin. "For now, all we can do is track this agent, at least until we start learning more about him."
Anakin sighs in defeat. "Understood, Master."
"Stay on course to Coruscant to return Princess Tara to here," Windu instructs. "Master Plo will remain in the area, searching for more signs of Grievous."
"However, Master Windu," Plo says to interject, "Only about an hour ago, an Alderaan-model ship exited hyperspace, immediately jettisoned an escape pod, then jumped back into hyperspace before we could make any communications efforts with us. In the pod, were the bodies of the King and Queen."
Tara can't respond to that, instead looking at the ground.
"We'll make arrangements to transport them to Coruscant," Windu says. "For now, council adjourned."
The transmission cuts off, and all the holograms disappear. Tara sighs, looking down at the ground. Anakin speaking to her draws her attention back.
"Do you want something to eat?"
"What?"
"You probably haven't eaten since before you were taken, and that was hours ago. You should have something to eat."
"No, no thank you Anakin," Tara says. "I think I'll just go to bed."
"But-" Anakin tries to speak, but stops when Tara breaks free of his grip and leaves the bridge, going to her cabin.
Anakin can only stare at the door, until Rex addresses him.
"Sir?"
"Huh? Yeah? Captain?"
"Any orders, Sir?"
"No, Rex. Keep trying to figure out that ship model, and I'll try to help Tara."
He leaves the bridge, following after Tara.
Flashback
Tara tosses and turns in her bed, unable to sleep. She keeps thinking about everything that's happened to her since getting abducted from the room she finds herself in. She keeps trying to calm herself, but loses all sense of that when the door she's facing away from opens suddenly.
Tara shoots up, screaming as loud as she can while scrambling out of her bed, away from the person that just entered, her mind racing as she tries to think of what to do, until the figure speaks, a voice she recognizes.
"Tara?" G'yaté's voice is heard in the dark room. "Tara, are you alright?"
"Mom," she says, sounding scared. Tara plops down on the ground, her mother rushing over to her.
"Tara," G'yaté says, trying to be calm, "Are you alright?"
"I thought you were someone, coming to take me," Tara shudders, holding on to her mother.
"Tara, I am so sorry, I just wanted to check on you, I didn't want to scare you, I was just so worried, even now that you're back with us."
Tara hesitates. "Mom?"
"Yes, sweetheart?"
"Can I sleep in your room? I can't sleep in here."
"Of course you can, Tara, I'll do anything to keep you safe."
Tara stands up, as does G'yaté, and they both exit the room, walking down the hallway, and after passing a couple guards who G'yaté explained to that she had scared Tara and that there was nothing wrong, the two got to G'yaté and Eric's room. Eric sits up in bed slightly, hearing the door open and close.
"G'yaté?"
"I was checking on Tara," G'yaté responds, "It's alright, she's with us here."
"Dad," Tara mutters, walking up to him and hugging him. He hugs her back, lifting the sheets up so she can get into the bed as G'yaté gets in on the other side. Tara slides in between the two adults, lying on her side, facing her towards her father.
G'yaté leans towards Tara, kissing her right between the stems for the back lekku and right montral. "We were so worried about you," she mutters, "I didn't sleep at all when you were gone."
"I'm so glad I'm back with you," Tara responds, her lekku twitching as she glances over her shoulder back at her, before putting her head back down on the pillow.
"Could I get a new room?" She asks.
"What?" Eric responds, looking straight at her.
"I just, I can't sleep in mine right now," she explains.
"Of-of course, sweetie, whatever you want. We can get you a new room. Tomorrow, though, you need to sleep right now."
"Yes dad," Tara replies as she pulls the blanket further over her. Eric smirks, leaning forward and kissing her on the forehead, before the three all fall asleep.
End flashback
4 Days Later
Tara quickly jolts in bed. She looks to either side of her, expecting both her parents to be there. They aren't. She jumps out of bed, and runs down the hall of the palace towards her parent's chambers. She opens the door and runs to the bed, thinking they would surely be there. When she notices that they aren't, she collapses into the bed, sobbing her eyes out. She stays that way, eventually exhausting herself and falling asleep.
A knock at the door is heard, startling Tara. Padmé's voice is heard from the hallway.
"Princess Tara? Are you in here?"
Tara moans, and rolls over in the bed when Padmé opens the door to face away from her, covering herself with the bedsheets in the process.
"Tara," Padmé says gently, "We leave today, for Naboo, for the funeral. Are you ready to go?"
Tara doesn't answer, instead she slides the sheets to cover herself better.
Padmé sits down on the edge of the bed, looking down at Tara, able to see her face. "Tara," Padmé's voice holding more concern, "You look terrible. Have you been eating enough?"
"I'm not hungry," Tara responds, moaning and turning her face away from Padmé. Padmé takes a moment to think of the best thing to say first, to try and help Tara.
"Tara," she eventually says. "If your parents were here, they'd want you to be healthy. You need to eat. For their sake."
"I've eaten less before," Tara replies. "They know that."
"That doesn't mean you should continue, Tara. They would be heartbroken if they saw you like this, ever. Even if it was before you became their daughter."
Tara sighs. She pushes the sheets off herself. "If you stay with me, I'll do it for them, and you."
Padmé smiles as Tara looks into her eyes. "Of course I'll stay with you." She offers Tara a hand up, and the 2 of them leave the room together. "Now," Padmé says after they have left the room, "You didn't answer my question. Are you packed yet?"
"Unless my friend 'Miss FK.' did any packing for me, no."
Padmé laughs at hearing the nickname, glad that Tara is trying to be able to stay level headed.
The Republic Frigate lands on a landing pad in the city of Theed, the capital of Naboo. Tara and Padmé get off of it, being followed by clone Lieutenant Thire. Waiting for them on the landing pad is G'yaté's mother, an older woman named G'ténni, along with G'yaté's brother, the only family Tara has left. She rushes forward to meet them, being caught in the arms of her uncle.
"Tara," he says, "It's good to see you're safe."
"Thank you, Uncle Oreend. It's good to see you, too."
"I wish it was better circumstances," he says, looking her in the eyes. "Can I take your bag?"
"You can," she says, holding it so he can take it from her. Her grandmother looks down at her.
"Oh sweetie," she says, squeezing Tara into a hug. Tara hugs her back. "Grandma," Tara says quietly. "It's good to see you."
She looks back at Padmé who's been watching the whole time, asking, "Are you ready to go?"
"Yes," Padmé responds. "I think it's best if we do get going, Tara."
The group gets into Oreend's speeder, to go to his house.
2 Days Later
It is a foggy morning as the funeral procession moves through the city of Theed. 2 closed caskets are being pulled through the street by 4 Guarlara each. Behind the second coffin walks Tara, dressed in black robes, holding a candle. Right behind her is her uncle and grandmother, with several others further behind along with hundreds watching from side streets. Tara keeps taking deep breaths while walking, trying to keep her composure in front of all these people as they head towards their final resting spot.
The End of Arc 1
Some minor tweaks and changed one of the flashback scenes, nothing major. Still working on another project (something big and bold that clangs) and sitting on a pitch for something else that would be a lot of work
