Chapter 3 : Jedi Hunt

Vader sat on a rock as he waited for officials from the government of Mandalore to come out. He was on the outskirts of Darius, the city nearest, Sundari, the capital city of Mandalore. The government officials had a decent distance to come, but given the priority of meeting him, he knew they should have been traveling with the utmost haste.

As he waited, he continued to get looks from everyone, none of whom seemed to realize he was someone important, despite the platoon of clone troopers with him. It angered him, but he tried to stay focused on the task at hand. Obi-Wan might have been here, and if he had, he would be able to find out where he had gone. The end of the Jedi was close at hand, and once it was over, everyone would know who he was and recognize him.

As he waited for the Mandalorian officials, he went over in his mind what he remembered about Ahsoka, the Jedi he was hunting. He had met her a few times, all shortly after he had become a Jedi Knight. He was on Coruscant for some rest and relaxation and had been recruited to help train the younglings. Ahsoka was part of that group, and he found her the best of the bunch. She was close to being assigned to a Jedi as a padawan, and Anakin heard there was consideration that she would be assigned to him. Nothing came of it, as Anakin knew the Council didn't want him to be saddled with a trainee. They needed him to be free to win the war for them.

Vader was watching the sky when he saw two skiffs finally appear. They landed just a short distance from him in the center of the market square. The skiffs were mostly empty, save for a few people dressed as Mandalorian guards, and one large man with blond hair and fair skin dressed as a high-ranking government official. The guards stayed where they were as the large man walked up to meet Vader.

As the man approached him, Vader took notice of how he carried himself. The man walked with an air of confidence and authority. He had been wondering if they would send out somebody who would cower in fear over dealing with the Empire's most notorious enforcer. He was glad to feel through the Force the man did not have any fear of him. In this context, he liked that he would be dealing with someone who didn't fear him. It meant he would get honesty from him. He had feared he would get a craven politician who would tell any lie he could in order to try and please him.

"I take it you are Lord Vader." The man bowed to Vader when he reached him. "I am Korkie Kryze, nephew of Duchess Satine Kryz. She dispatched me to come here and take you to the presidential palace to meet with her personally. She wanted you to know that the presidential palace is yours to stay in, and that every facet of our government is at your disposal in hunting down this Jedi. We understand the horrible danger our planet is in by having this enemy of the Empire running free, and we want to do everything we can to apprehend them. Satine wants you to know she has already alerted all the security forces on the planet and told them to be on the lookout for any Jedi."

Korkie's words were exactly what he was expecting from any butt-kissing politician who was trying to impress him. He stood and walked right past the man, failing to greet him. He ordered the clone troopers to load on to the skiffs as he walked on to the one that had been carrying Korkie when it arrived. Korkie hurriedly followed him. Once all the clone troopers were aboard the skiffs, they took off and headed for the presidential palace.

...

Padme had difficulty sleeping, as she was tossing and turning with indecision. She had an idea on how to leave but wasn't sure how it was really going to work. It was also going to be tough to break the news to Beru and Owen. Then, there was the whole situation with the twins. She knew she wouldn't be able to handle both by herself, but she couldn't bear the thought of being separated from either of them. She slept in fits and starts. At one point when she woke, she thought she heard one of the babies make a short cry. Since she was having trouble sleeping anyway, she figured she might as well check on them. She got up, put on a robe, and walked across the hall to the twins' room. She was surprised to see that Beru had beaten her there.

"Are they okay?" Padme asked.

"Yes, they were both sleeping when I got here. I guess one of them woke up for a second, but they must have fallen asleep again."

"You've been really good with the twins," Padme said. Beru seemed embarrassed by the compliment.

"I'm just doing what anybody else would be doing."

"Not quite, you're treating them if they were your own children, and I really appreciate that." Padme took a moment to consider if she should bring up the decision she was wrestling with. "I trust you completely to raise them if anything happened to me."

Beru looked completely dejected as she realized exactly what Padme was talking about. "You're telling me this because you've decided to leave, haven't you?"

"Yes," Padme was feeling so bad she could barely get the word out.

"Your children will be safe with me, for however long you need me to take care of them. Even if the worst happens-" Beru caught herself, as she knew she had said too much.

"We don't have to shy away from the consequences of what might happen," Padme said. "I know leaving here could result in my death, and leave my children motherless, but I feel it is a risk I have to take to bring their father back. This is not just about us being a family but saving the galaxy from the darkness that has engulfed it. If I can turn Anakin back, then everything can go back to the way it was. It is a chance I have to take."

Beru looked away from Padme because she didn't want to say what she should have. While Owen had gone a bit too far earlier, he had mostly been right. The Jedi were eliminated, the Emperor was generally accepted as the autocratic ruler of the galaxy. Things were not going to just go back to the way they were. Even if Anakin did turn back, there would be numerous crimes he would have to answer for. The four of them ever being a family was impossible.

"You didn't say much at dinner, Beru. Do you agree with your husband? Do you think I am being irrational in trying to leave and save Anakin?"

Beru hated that Padme was putting her on the spot like this. She knew she could have raised all the same objections that Owen did, but they would do no good. Padme was going to leave no matter what. She thought about how she could best avoid answering without lying.

"I knew Anakin for a long time. In my mind, he will always be the selfless hero who stood up to every slave master in our city so Owen and I could be free to marry. He was a good man, so good, that unlike Owen, I find it impossible to believe he could have ever turned into the man he is now. Since I don't understand how he could have ever become this Vadar, I don't know if he could be turned back or not. I know that deep down he is good, but whatever has a hold of him must be so powerful, that I don't know if he can ever be the man he once was. As I said before, I will trust you with whatever decision you make. You can leave the twins here. It will be a joy for me to take care of them."

"If I do leave, I think I will be taking one of the babies with me. I don't quite have everything worked out, but I think I am going to need one of them to blend in better. I will make a better-looking refugee if I am seen as a desperate single mother. That will make it easier for me to reach home without being recognized. Once there, I can leave the baby with my sister as I try to find Anakin."

"As I said before, I will support whatever you do." Beru left the room as she had heard enough, and she didn't want to be put on the spot to say anything else she didn't believe in.

...

The landing platform on the top of Mandalore's presidential palace wasn't large enough to hold both skiffs at once. Korkie was going to have their skiff land first, but Vader requested the other skiff, the one holding most of the clone troopers, land first. He wanted the soldiers on the ground before him. Korkie obeyed his request, landing their skiff on the platform after the other one exited it.

As soon as Vader stepped off his skiff, the turbolift doors in front of him opened to reveal a human female. She was wearing a very regal gown that completely covered most of her skin, it even encompassed her neck, leaving little more than her face visible. Her skin was light and fair and her eyes blue. Her blond hair appeared to be rather long, but it was hard to tell as it was wrapped up with a very elaborate hair dress. He wondered if she was always dressed like this during the day, or if she had just put on her formal clothes upon receiving the message he was arriving. As the woman walked towards Vadar, she did her best to keep her posture extra straight and her head held high and steady. He wondered if she looked and acted like this for everyone, or if she was just trying to impress him.

"I am Duchess Satine Kryze, leader of Mandalore. It is my great pleasure to welcome you here, Lord Vadar. In case my nephew didn't explain-"

"He explained everything to me on the way here," Vader said as he walked past Satine. He smiled underneath his mask as he could feel the confusion in everyone. They had not been expecting him to forgo protocol like that. Almost everyone was frozen with confusion, only one of Satine's aides had the wherewithal to hurry after Vadar to see if he needed anything. The man was a fast runner and caught up to Vadar quickly. He was astute enough to know he didn't need to introduce himself, he just needed to listen to Vadar as they walked.

"I was offered the Duchess's quarters should I need to rest," Vader said to the man. "I am going to take her up on the offer immediately, can you show me the way?"

"Uh, yes, I can." They had reached the turbolift, and the aide pressed the button. The door opened immediately, and after the door closed on the two of them, Vadar continued telling the aide what he needed. "My personal shuttle will be arriving shortly. I radioed for it on the ride here. It contains some of my personal belongings that I will need during my time here. The attendants of mine on it will know what to do, all you have to do is show them to my quarters here."

When the turbolift opened, the aide led the way. "The clone troopers will need quarters as well," Vader continued. "Korkie didn't say if anything was being provided for them. They don't need much, just a room with a couple cots. They are used to cramp quarters. They will also need meals prepared for them. It will be relatively easy, as they all have the exact same tastes."

They did not have to walk far after exiting the turbolift. "Your quarters are right here, Lord Vader." He entered the code for the door, and it slid open to reveal a luxurious suite. Vader walked into the elaborately decorated living room. He turned his nose up at the décor, reminding himself that he would only be staying a short time. He looked around until he could see the bedroom. It appeared unremarkable and serviceable. He would sleep well in it.

"When the shuttle arrives, have all my things brought down here and left in the living room. I will be sleeping in the bedroom and am not to be disturbed." Vader took a moment to take a measure of the man. He reached out with the Force and could feel the man was confident and not the least bit intimidated at the thought of serving Vader. He could tell he would be a good man to have in his employ.

"Take this," he said as he held out a communicator. The aide took it and wasted no time in pocketing it. "Be sure to answer whenever I call and do so discreetly. I am trusting you to be my eyes and ears here. If you do a good job, I am sure you will find the reward more than worth it. Should you fail me, you will meet the same fate as the Jedi."

Before he replied, the aide threw up a little in his mouth before swallowing it. He started trembling but got that under control. "I hope to do a good job for you," he said as he bowed. He hurried out of the room. Vader closed the main door before taking off his helmet and heading to the bedroom.

...

Padme pulled the speeder to a stop in front of the office that belonged to the captain of the refugee ship that was set to leave in the next couple days. Having to drive all the way to Mos Eisley, she brought the droids along so they could both receive toon-ups in the city. Exiting the speeder, she told them to wait for her.

The captain saw her pull up and came outside to greet her. "Hi, I'm Captain Rendar, and you are-"

"I'm your two o'clock appointment, and you're supposed to be giving me my new name."

Captain Rendar laughed out loud at Padme's response. "You're quite the clever girl. I thought I could trip you up there, but you were ready for it. I can tell you're going to be fun to deal with. Why don't you come inside, and we can talk business?"

Padme walked past him to go inside while Rendar lingered. She glanced back at him and saw he was taking a long look at the two droids in the speeder. When he noticed she was looking at him he moved quickly and hurried past her, leading her to his office. He talked as they walked.

"This ship is going to be a combination of both authentic refugees and impostors, like you. As you know, there are a lot of authentic refugees that ended up stuck here after they were abandoned by smugglers. With the high number of them, it won't be hard for the impostors like you to fit in. There are a lot of people looking to re-enter civilized society with new identities, and the new refugee initiative the Empire is taking gives people such as you the opportunity to do that, provided that they can get people like me to give them a fake identity and real transportation."

When the two of them reached his office, he took the seat behind the desk as he offered Padme the seat in front of it. "You look intelligent, so I shouldn't have to tell you that it is imperative you are not discovered as an impostor. I could be in serious trouble if that occurs. Because of that, the ship must be full mostly of authentic refugees, meaning the spots for the impostors such as you are limited. This further means that those spots carry quite the price. You told me you had something of great value to hand over in order to buy both your transport and your new identification."

"Yes, I did." As Padme reached into her bag to get the item, she wondered how much of what Rendar told her was complete bullshit. There was a good chance the ship would be full of nothing but impostors he overcharged for the transport. She didn't mind, as she thought money wouldn't be much of an issue to her. Ever since the Battle of Naboo, when they had been stuck on Tatooine with nothing of value to barter, she had made sure to take precautions to make sure that kind of problem never arose again. Everywhere she went, she had at least one valuable piece of jewelry hidden in her clothes. She had made sure to select pieces that would be valuable in every corner of the galaxy.

"I believe you will find this valuable enough to pay for my way." After handing over the piece of jewelry, she put her hand back in her bag and grabbed her blaster. She was ready to draw it in case the captain tried anything.

The captain was obviously impressed by the sight of the jewelry. "This is quite good," he said. "It's worth a lot, worth what I initially gave you as an estimate in cost. However, since we last talked, I have had an enormous amount of interest in other people buying their way on, and the price has gone up." Padme had to do her best to hide the disgust she was feeling. She knew she should have anticipated something such as this happening. She had to remind herself that the most important thing was just to get on that ship. If it cost her more than she thought was fair, she couldn't be concerned about that. The problem for her was she didn't have anything more than that piece of jewelry to buy transport.

Rendar leaned forward as he placed the piece of jewelry on the table. "I couldn't help but notice the two droids you had in your speeder. I was just wondering, what kind of condition are they in."

Padme knew exactly what he wanted. It pained her to even consider giving away R2 and Threepio. She had come to consider the two family over the years. She had to remind herself that she was trying to reunite her real family, and if she had to give up the two droids to do so, then so be it.

"The two droids are in perfect condition. I brought them into the city to have a mechanic give them a scheduled diagnostic test. They both checked out just fine."

"That's great. The R2 unit looked like a pretty standard model. There is never a whole lot of variance with them." Padme had to suppress a laugh. If the man knew anything about R2 he would not have said there was not much variation in his model. "Now the protocol droid, I take it one of his specialties is translation?"

"Yes, it is."

"And how many forms of communication is he fluent in?"

"Over six million, as he won't hesitate to tell you if you ask him."

"That is great. With what you told me; it sounds like the two of them are quite valuable. I have use for both on my ship. If you were willing to hand them over to me, along with that piece of jewelry, it would cover all the costs of your journey and identification, and we could consider this deal closed."

Padme had to take a deep breath, and she still hesitated, but she eventually managed to get out the right words. "Okay, the two droids are yours."

"Great." Rendar held out his hand, and the two shook on the deal. Padme felt sick to her stomach over agreeing to give up the droids.

"You can keep the jewelry," Padme said as she stood. "Consider it my down payment. You will get the droids when the transport leaves."

"That is okay with me."

Padme walked out to the speeder, doing her best to avoid looking at Threepio as she slid into the driver's seat. "Did everything go okay, mistress Padme?"

"Yes, everything is just fine." Padme had to fight back a tear as she started the speeder and drove away.