Star Wars: Heir of the Force

Episode 2: Chapter 4

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***HotF***

'How did we end up in this mess' Ahsoka questioned, not for the first time as she leapt underneath a mechanical assembly arm, catching her bearings on the conveyor belt just in time to jump from a large metallic press, and then taking a look to where Padme was attempting her own 'obstacle course'. Luckily, the former monarch's own path was considerably easier than hers, and posed less risk based upon what she had seen.

Her own choice was a faster route to the control center and, though she would not admit it, had also been made out of pride and a desire to show off. It was far more difficult, and contained more risks, than the other woman's.

Did she feel a bit inadequate around Amidala after learning about the romantic dinner she had with Anakin?

Possibly

Did she want to prove to herself that she was still talented and more physically capable?

Likely

Was there a small portion of her mind that gloated every time she succeeded when Padme was struggling with some of the basics, and that hoped she would have something to gloat about to their male companion?

Definitely

A low sweeping weld device nearly tripped the young girl, bringing her focus back to the task at hand and off less Jedi-like thoughts. Another few minutes of various acrobatics and she had just about reached the controls for the entire complex, that was when her focus was interrupted by a cry of pain. Spinning in place Ahsoka's eyes went wide with fear as she watched Padme fall from the platform she had been on, hitting the ground a dozen or so feet below and crumpling into a heap.

The Jedi's heart nearly stopped as she instinctively reached out with The Force. Padme was alive, thankfully, but was likely unconscious. Giving up on her goal she took a step back and leaped as far forward as possible, grabbing onto a droid flying by and using that as a position to launch herself further towards the woman she was supposed to be protecting.

She had failed to protect the one person she had been ordered to, someone who had been kind and believed in her. She had lost focus and now another was paying the price.

After what felt like a lifetime, she reached the downed woman, immediately turning her over to check vitals. Likely a minor concussion and maybe a sprained ankle and bruises, but no broken bones or major internal injuries.

Just as the young girl breathed a sigh of relief and began planning on how to get them out of the area, a familiar rolling sound echoed from all around, just audible over the sounds of construction and metallurgy. Several Droidekas surrounded the two, followed by a suit clad humanoid carried in by a jetpack.

"Drop you weapon Jedi" the man snarled, forcing Ahsoka to obey.

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"I must say I am disappointed." Dooku admonished to the younger man who was, surprisingly enough, seated comfortably in what appeared to be a conference room. "I had such hopes for you… we had such hopes. To continue on the 'family legacy' as it were."

Kenobi's answer was a raised eyebrow in somewhat disbelief.

A soft chuckle escaped the count as he walked back and forth, fingertips gently sliding across the surface of the table. "I'm sure you know that I see Qui-Gon as a son, which would make you something like my grandson."

"It wouldn't matter if you were my actual father." Obi-Wan countered, "I will not join you in destroying the Republic."

Shaking his head, the former Jedi seemed to wearily sink into an empty chair, stiffness and age flashing across his features for a moment. "You do not see the corruption that has taken hold of the Republic that you believe so blindly in. Can you honestly look back and say that there are no flaws? That the Senate does not encroach upon the lives of civilians? That the Jedi do not act in ways that are politically beneficial to themselves?"

For a moment doubt seeped into the younger's mind. This mission had been very unusual in terms of orders from the council. But seconds later Kenobi shook free from the fog covering his eyes, recognizing the Dark Side, from his mission on Naboo.

"The Jedi and Senate might not be perfect," he conceded earning a slight rise in posture from his opponent, which he now knew to look for in terms of bluffing, "but I will not abandon the side of the innocent and democracy. You are the ones raising an army to threaten those who have nothing to do with your conflict. I know what side I belong on."

Dooku's shoulder's slumped and a moment later he rose in defeat, "Very well. Hopefully your own apprentice can talk some sense into you."

An icy chill crawled down the younger man's spine, "What… do you mean by that?"

Pausing for a moment the Sith glanced back, "The young Togruta, she is your apprentice is she not? She was captured attempting to infiltrate the facility with another woman, believed to be Padme Amidala. There is already mistrust towards the Republic amongst the other leaders of the Confederacy but a Jedi and journalist notorious for spreading secrets and rumors sneaking onto the planet? This may very well be seen as an outright attack on our sovereignty.

"What… will happen to them?" Kenobi barely managed to stutter out, concern gripping his heart as he struggled to push it aside.

Turning completely towards the seated Jedi, Dooku's face revealed nothing but sorrow, "They will likely be tried for espionage… and executed."

Obi-Wan practically jumped from his seat, "Ahsoka is not a spy! She is here only to protect Amidala, please let them go."

The count lingered, as if contemplating his options, "I… might be able to convince the others of such a thing if there is a token of good faith in return." His gaze turned pointedly to the other occupant of the room, and the silent message was received as the elder turned and departed.

Join us, and we will let them live.

***HotF***

Padme was more than a little surprised when they were led, not dragged, into a conference room by an escort of battle droids. She had awoken ten minutes prior to a concerned Ahsoka and more than a little dizziness. A short explanation was given by the young Jedi before their cell door was opened and they were told to follow along.

Luckily her ankle had been wrapped enough to make movement without aid possible.

Just as the plain, metallic-gray door slid open with a hiss her companion gasped in surprise, earning one from her as well.

Kenobi, seemingly unharmed, sat at one end of a large conference room table that dominated an otherwise empty room. Just enough light was given for her to take notice of the wall color and assume they were still underground in the caverns.

"Master!"

"Ahsoka"

Was it just her, or did the man's voice contain an unusual combination of stern disapproval and relief?

Once the door sealed again behind them the older Jedi gestured for them to take seats, which Padme happily accepted, and lowered his voice to just above a whisper. "Did the message get through Ahsoka, to Coruscant?"

"Of course, master, just as you instructed."

"Good… then what are you doing here!?"

"We…" the orange-skinned girl bit her lip and looked away, "came to rescue you…"

Obi-Wan snorted, earning him a glare from Padme, "Like you did any better Kenobi. I thought your mission was to protect me, not investigate some random planet?"

Her own rebuke seemed to lessen his disappointment, and a hand was dragged across his face in weariness. "I was trailing the assassin, it seems Jango Fett is working for the Separatists."

That statement earned a frown on the former monarch's face, "But why target me? Sure, I've been considering doing some investigations into them, but nothing has even been started yet."

Kenobi looked… uncomfortable for some reason, and she was just about to press further when the door opened and a familiar voice filled the room, one that never failed to make her skin crawl, "Look what we have here, the queen."

Her fingers gripped harshly on the table, and if her ankle wasn't throbbing in pain, she would be out of her seat strangling the Neimoidian bastard that stood in the doorway, a gloating looking on his disgusting face.

"Gunray" she snarled, earning a confused look from Ahsoka and a stern reproach from the ever-perfect Kenobi.

It was only too bad that there wasn't a pen or something to throw at the monster.

"No more decoy to save you now hm?" the viceroy continued taunting yet staying close enough to his guards that Amidala took notice and smirked darkly.

"No, but even with a busted ankle you still seem terrified of me enough to keep your distance. I'm not sure if I should insult your bravery… or praise your intelligence for staying out of my reach."

This time Gunray's expression shifted into one of rage and he took a step forward as if he would continue and attack the woman, only for Ahsoka to stand from her chair and glare back. "How about you try me instead slimeball. I'm sure if you can handle an injured woman who can barely walk you should be able to beat a teenager no problem… right?"

But the viceroy wasn't foolish enough to enter a room without knowing exactly who was inside. Child or not, the girl was still a Jedi.

"You three will die in here." He proclaimed, "We have located your ship and any hope of it being traced is lost with it. No one knows you are here, and no one is coming to save you."

A gasp escaped from Ahsoka, drawing Padme's eyes as she noticed the fear on the young girl's face. But why? The message had already been sent, why would she be scared about…

The ship

Anakin

Gunray glanced between the two, a confused expression forming for a moment until it twisted into one of glee, "You weren't alone, you brought someone else, didn't you? A handmaiden perhaps? Someone you care about. You might be brave with a blaster in your face, but I wonder if your friend will be the same hm?"

It was at that moment that two more entered the room, one being Dooku and the other being Qui-Gon Jinn. The younger man immediately frowned at the scene before him and turned towards the eldest. "Nute Gunray is a part of the Confederacy?"

"There are many who have joined our call for freedom and balance. I would trust you not to judge one by actions they may have taken many years ago."

"Then perhaps judge them by the actions they have taken recently." Kenobi challenged, "Building a droid army? Preparing invasion starships? These are not the actions of a man who values peace. These are steps towards war, death, and destruction."

"An army? You told me this would be a peaceful separation, that the only soldiers recruited would be for defense."

Dooku frowned at his former apprentice's shift in tone. He had been hoping that having Qui-Gon join him in the room might convince Kenobi and Ahsoka to join them as well, further bolstering their strength and weakening the image of the Jedi Order. Unfortunately, the youngest man was a bit more clever than he had originally anticipated. "I will explain everything my friend, but for now there are more pressing matters. Your own apprentice will be seen as a spy, along with the two young women. If we intervene now, we can save them from..."

"Preposterous!" Gunray interrupted, annoying the count to no end. "Amidala will be executed. I did not pay Fett a small fortune just for her to be pardoned!"

Said girl huffed from where she sat, "Of course, who else would be cowardly enough to have someone else do his dirty work while hiding in a cave. It figures you would be the one behind all this."

Before the Sith Lord could regain control of the room his communicator beeped, alerting him to an urgent situation, or communication, that required his attention. "We shall discuss this more when I return, I have an important matter to attend to. Until then none of them are to be harmed."

As he turned to leave Gunray made some obnoxious protest, shouting about how 'unfair' the situation was and about how there was 'another spy' on the planet. This statement merely earned a roll of the eyes from the elderly man. The former queen had probably brought along a pilot which had slipped out of the ship.

A few battle droids would be more than enough to handle the situation.

***HotF***

Anakin was... concerned. He could sense the distress and concern consuming the two girls he had grown rather close to. Were they hurt? No, he couldn't quite sense physical pain, more stress than anything else.

Padme, in particular, was borderline furious. Was it the Sith nearby? The man clearly focused on the more emotional, self-focused aspects of The Force, he had been instructed that this was indeed what that particular sect studied and deemed 'more powerful' than any other.

The teen couldn't understand why anyone would want to see and experience only one portion rather than all that life had to offer. It would be like only eating one food for your entire life. A hiss nearby brought him back to the task at hand, and he continued his journey through the ventilation ducts that traversed the facility.

There was something important here, an object that could be used for so much death and destruction that it was nauseating. Anakin wasn't sure exactly what it was, just that it existed and that The Force had pulled him here, encouraging him on this path. For a few moments he had even considered that this was why he had initially been so interested in Padme, that perhaps The Force had caused this as a means to an end.

But he had dismissed the idea, knowing that though it may guide him it did not control his thoughts or emotions.

***HotF***

The count frowned at the blinking lights that provided one of the few sources of illumination in the otherwise dark control room. It was a good thing that the Neimoidians had opted to spend time harassing their 'guests' rather than following him around like lost children, if he had to hear one more whispered complaint about the Geonosian's habitat of dark rooms and winding corridors he might opt to ignore his master's orders and deprive them of a few limbs.

Still, the readings and reports were troubling to say the least, the informants on Coruscant had relayed reports of a large number of fighters departing the planet, those usually piloted by Jedi. This had been hours ago, which meant that if there was going to be a large-scale investigation, or even invasion, by the Order then they didn't have much time to spare.

He had no illusions concerning their chances of victory at this stage. If it was a massive battlefield in which artillery, various directions, and sheer numbers could be brought to bear. Yes, their droid armies would win. But, should it be a fight in the cramped tunnels? If the Jedi were able to pick their forces apart piecemeal? Then their plan would be torn apart.

This was all assuming that his former master was not a part of the attack, of course. This thought brought another frown to the aged man's face as he uncharacteristically clenched his fists. He could defeat any member of the council in a one-on-one fight… save for the eldest Jedi.

He wasn't even sure if Sidious himself could defeat Yoda.

A clicking from one of the darker corners brought his attention towards one of the Geonosian leaders. They just detected hundreds of fighters jumping out of hyperspace just outside of the planet's atmosphere.

So, it was a full invasion.

"My master will not allow this insult to stand." he noted to the darkness, almost more to himself than the others present. "Until then however…"

The creature nodded, before pressing a few buttons to eject a small data pad and handing it over to the man, who clicked it on and gazed upon the future super weapon.

"This will be safe… with my master. Begin evacuating the forces, we cannot risk fighting against these numbers. We will continue building our forces elsewhere until then."

With that he deactivated the object, storing it in his cloak before departing to give command to the rest of the Confederacy leaders.

At no point did he, or anyone else, in the room notice the teen hiding away in the ventilation shaft dozens in the ceiling, watching on with interest.

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As the ship touched down, the engines cutting off as the protective shielding dropped a large, dark-skinned man stood up, his eyes narrowing as he took in the deserted wasteland, mountains, and utter lack of life. Soon enough, however, he heard the telltale hum as another ship landed near his own, followed by a third, then several more. Soon over a hundred ships had landed, with cloaked individuals exiting and spreading out into the area.

Windu's eyes closed, reaching out into The Force to guide him forward. He had taken command of the first landing force, with Grand Master Yoda overseeing the second at another location.

"Plo Koon, assemble everyone and prepare to move out, we need to find the separatists and end this war before it has a chance to begin!"

***HotF***

"Where are you going now master?"

Dooku paused, before glancing back at his former apprentice, "It seems as though the Jedi Council has decided to make the opening salvo in this war of theirs. I have already ordered an evacuation of the other leaders and I am heading for my ship now."

Qui-Gon's eyes narrowed in accusation, "It sounds more like they are responding to your own aggression. Why was I not told about army?"

A sigh escaped the older man's lips, he had forgotten how short sighted his 'son' could be, especially at times involving hard decisions. "Because I knew how you would react. I knew that until you saw the true scope of what we are trying to accomplish you would think with your heart rather than with your head. It is the same reason they denied you a seat on the council. I need you to trust me on this my friend."

"Trust?" Jinn countered, irritation obvious in his voice. "This has nothing to do with trust, you made that very clear when you refused to trust me concerning the arrival of Ahsoka and Amidala, when you did not trust me with the truth of who you were working alongside and what they were willing to do for their goals. Have I been trusted with that yet? Have you told me what the plans are or just what is most convenient for you?"

Walking forward, the former Jedi put his hands on the shoulders of the younger, "I have told you everything that is important Qui-Gon. Come with me, join us in bringing an end to the corruption and tyranny that plagues the Republic, help me bring balance to the galaxy. Will you fight at my side once more? Bring your wisdom and leadership to the Confederacy when it needs it most of all?"

Jinn's eyes flickered back to where he felt his own apprentice's Force signature, still a beacon of peace with an underlying core of concern.

The count shook his head, "I would be overjoyed if Obi-Wan and his apprentice joined us as well, but we both know he is too blinded by the Order to see anything else but the path he was dropped onto. I will be waiting in my hangar for the next half-hour, I hope you see the true path before I depart."

With that he turned and left, leaving the man alone in the hallway for a few moments before he too turned, his choice already made.

***HotF***

Closing her eyes, the girl reached out into The Force and focused it onto the sealed door before her. The barrier shuddered in place for a second, before being pulled backwards, earning a smile from the orange-skinned teenager. It dropped a moment later as the two battle droids guarding it stepped in, a mechanical voice commanding them to desist their actions before resealing the entrance.

With a sigh she went and sat back down next to the other female. "Sorry..."

Padme gave her an encouraging smile, but before she could say anything a voice interrupted them from where Kenobi was sitting in apparent meditation.

"I told you not to agitate the situation. The key here is patience my young Padawan, not foolishly jumping without first seeing where you will land."

A scowl marred Amidala's face as she rose to the younger girl's defense. "At least she's doing something rather than just sitting around and waiting. I'm not sure if you understand what's going on right now but I have the odd feeling that they are not going to just let us go."

"Relax, I know you do not understand but The Force will guide Ahsoka and I."

Without thinking the non-Force user snorted in contempt, "You act like Jedi are the only ones who are connected to it."

This statement caused the man's eyes to open and look in her direction, "What do you mean by that?"

Biting her lip, Padme's mind raced for an answer that wouldn't expose Anakin. Before she could come up with a believable answer a humming emanated from the other side of the door, and seconds later the metallic obstacle slid open once more. Instead of the guarding droids there stood a man, ignited blade in hand as he quickly glanced over the occupants of the room before pulling out the two lightsabers that had been taken from the Jedi when captured, and tossed them back to their owners.

"Master?" the other male inquired, rising to his feet in surprise and earning a nod in return.

"I never thought it would go this far… but you were right my former Padawan, this is not the way to peace and freedom. You need to get Padme and Ahsoka clear before any further forces can converge or destroy the compound. You can sense the other Jedi?"

Kenobi nodded, "I can, but I also sense Count Dooku. If we can capture him this war will be over before it can truly begin."

Qui-Gon shook his head, "You are no match for him Obi-Wan. My old master is one of the most talented duelists of the Jedi order. Focus on protecting Padme instead."

"I'm not helpless," the woman argued, "go after him, I'll catch up."

Glancing towards the young Togruta, the younger man gestured towards the door. "Master, please stay with Miss Amidala, we have a war to end."

***HotF***