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RESOLVE II

8.

The man before him was caramel skinned, dark haired, and scarred. He spoke with a distinctly Mandalorian accent, and was built like an athlete who spent his days training his body into a machine of efficiency. His eyes were difficult to read, and no doubt the hard edge to them came from a life time of strife.

Obi-Wan had seen such eyes before, in the faces of survivors and combatants of great conflicts.

But there was something else to Jango Fett's eyes that Obi-Wan found curious. The man spoke honest words, but his eyes told of something hidden he did not wish to be revealed.

A boy of ten walked by him and Siri, not even trying to hide his interest, his eyes dancing up and down their forms. Obi-Wan could see the similarity. This unaltered clone of Jango Fett would grow at a normal rate. For all intent and purpose the boy was Fett's son. Yet they carried the exact same DNA. Moral grey area, to be sure. The entire operation was. . . unnatural.

Pleasantries were exchanged as Taun We did the introductions, then the tall Kaminoan woman left them to their conversation.

"How did you and Master Sifo-Dyas meet?" Obi-Wan asked. He felt unusually focused in the brightness of the Kaminoan domocile.

"I don't know who that is," Fett said. If it hadn't been for Obi-Wan's Force-perception he might have called the man a liar then. But Fett was being truthful, he could feel it.

"He was the one responsible for setting up this project. Strange, perhaps he delegated. Who approached you?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I was approached by a man named Tyranus."

It was only by the grace of over three decades of Jedi training that Obi-Wan did not react. He kept his eyes on Fett, but he could feel Siri's shock and distress in the Force. She'd been with him when they had found Sifo-Dyas' downed ship on the moon of Oba Diah, and she'd been there when Silman revealed that Count Dooku and Lord Tyranus were one and the same.

It was starting to look like Obi-Wan's suspicions were true.

He needed to speak to the council immediately, but an abrupt departure wouldn't do. Besides, there was something else he needed to know.

"Have you ever been to the core?" Obi-Wan asked. He kept his tone conversational.

"Often enough," Fett said.

"You must see a great deal of the galaxy in your line of work," Obi-Wan turned a circle and studied the sparse living area. A couple datapads lay next to a holoterminal. It appeared that Fett owned nothing of luxury or frivolity. "Have you ever been as far as Coruscant?"

"Once or twice," Fett said as he fastened a button on his sleeve.

"Recently?"

Obi-Wan realised his misstep too late. He was so certain that Fett was the bounty hunter he and Anakin had briefly encountered the night of the Senator's attempted assassination, that he'd allowed his desire for confirmation to tread over his better sense.

Fett stilled, as though considering the question. Then simply said, "No."

Obi-Wan sensed Fett's deception immediately. He had his proof, but at the cost of Fett becoming suspicious of them. Siri remained silent throughout it all, but Obi-Wan could practically feel her blue eyes boring holes into the back of his head.

Taun We re-entered the room before Obi-Wan could attempt to allay Fett's newfound suspicions. "The records are ready for you, Master Jedi," she said.

"Wonderful," Obi-Wan said. He turned to Fett and gave him a short bow. "Thank you for indulging my curiosities. I'm glad to have met the man who made this grand endeavour possible."

Obi-Wan did not wait for Fett's farewell greeting. Something told him it would consist of little more than a nod of acknowledgement anyway. He turned and swept out the room after Taun We and Siri, but he spread his senses out behind him, and felt Fett's acute discomfort. Fett was afraid, and it was the kind of fear Obi-Wan had sensed in animals before great natural forces bore down upon their homes.

His instincts told him that Fett would flee.

Taun We transmitted the records to Obi-Wan's datapad once they reached the administrative quarter of the settlement.

"Thank you so much for your assistance, Taun We," Obi-Wan said. "I must report to the Jedi Council now."

"Of course," Taun We said. "Do you need assistance getting back to the landing platform?"

"We remember the way," Siri said, a friendly smile on her face, but Obi-Wan could feel the urgency rolling off her in waves.

The two Jedi bowed to Taun We, then turned and quickly made their way down the sterile corridors.

"You pushed it too far, Obi-Wan," Siri said once they were out of earshot.

"I know," he said, accepting his blunder and his companion's tongue-lashing. "When we get to the starfighters I want you to get a lock on Fett's ship while I report to the council."

"We may need to move quickly," Siri said. "He was very skittish by the end, and if he's going to flee he's not going to waste time. What do those records say?"

They picked up their pace, almost running. Obi-Wan took out his datapad and scanned the transaction records. He frowned, expressing his annoyance and confusion. "The credits came from the Banking Clan through an anonymous benefactor," he said. "Maybe this is what Tyro tried to warn me about."

"What do you mean?"

"He mentioned a clandestine financial group before. . ." Obi-Wan trailed off. Finishing the sentence was a moot point. Siri knew what had happened.

"Yes, I remember," Siri said softly.

They reached the doorway to the landing platform and rushed out into the strong winds and rain once more. Siri headed straight for her starfighter, jumped in the cockpit and began scanning the structures around them to locate other active ship signatures.

Obi-Wan came to a stop in front of his starfighter and R4's optical sensors.

"Arfour," Obi-Wan said. "Establish contact with the Jedi Council."

The droid worked quickly and efficiently. Within moments he heard Mace Windu's answering voice.

"What have you discovered, Obi-Wan?"

"An army was commissioned, masters," Obi-Wan said. "The Kaminoans are under the impression that Master Sifo-Dyas placed the order on behalf of the Republic and the Jedi Council. The template they used is a bounty hunter by the name of Jango Fett. I'm convinced he's behind the assassination attempts on Senator Amidala."

Obi-Wan pulled his cloak tight around himself. It was more to prevent the wind from whipping it around his body than to protect him from the cold.

"That does seem like a logical conclusion," Ki-Adi-Mundi's voice came crackling over the comm.

"I'm afraid there's more, masters," Obi-Wan said. "Fett was approached by Tyranus, who we now know to be Dooku. Fett is also one of two Mandalorian survivors of the Battle of Galidraan. And if you recall, before he left the Order it was Master Dooku who spearheaded the attack on the Mandalorians.

"I suspect Dooku may have killed Sifo-Dyas and then posed as him to build this army. What's most troubling is that both these men have displayed their discontent with the Jedi Order, and we know Dooku joined up with the Sith lord we're still searching for. If the Sith are behind the creation of this army, why have they not seized its power yet?"

"Much of this is still speculation, Obi-Wan," Mace Windu said. "We haven't heard any news of Dooku since your encounter on Serenno."

"Blind we are," Yoda said "Shrouded by the dark side everything is."

"We lack facts, masters," Obi-Wan spoke loudly, struggling to make himself heard over the winds. "But tactically we must prepare for these hypothetical scenarios. What if Dooku formed the CIS merely to instigate a galactic war with the Republic?"

"You might be over-reaching, Obi-Wan," Mace said.

"I don't think it's an unreasonable assumption, master," Obi-Wan argued. "I saw this clone army with my own eyes. Armies exist to do battle. It is entirely possible that the Sith could be plotting galactic war. To what end is still a mystery, but you cannot deny the plausibility. The Sith are cunning and wield deception as efficiently as they wield the dark side of the Force. They caught the Old Republic and the Jedi Order completely off guard during the Sacking of Coruscant. We cannot let something of that nature occur again. We must prepare for the worst, masters.

"Peace isn't the only thing at stake here," Obi-Wan paused. He had a bad feeling and the council needed to understand the gravity of what Obi-Wan felt deep in his core. "The Sith vowed to have their vengeance one day, and if we do nothing with the information we have the entire Order could be at risk."

There was silence on the other side of the comm. For a moment Obi-Wan thought R4 had lost the connection, but then Mace Windu's voice rose above the winds once more.

"The council will discuss what you have revealed to us," he said. "In the meantime, apprehend Jango Fett and bring him before us."

The first few days on Naboo were peaceful. Ferus spent the time alternating between perimeter sweeps and training. Evenings he spent in deep meditation. It was on such a late night meditation session on their fourth evening that Ferus sensed a disturbance in the Force.

Sensing no immediate danger he took his time emerging from his trance. When he finally opened his eyes the moon was at its brightest. It reflected off the lake in a glittering pattern of white and deepest blue. Ferus stood and took a calming breath as he turned towards the tightly wound turmoil he sensed further down the large balcony.

Anakin emerged from his room, and leaned heavily on the stonework of the railing. His shoulders heaved, as though he'd run a marathon, and even at this distance he could clearly see the shine of sweat on the other padawan's face.

Ferus swallowed his apprehension and took a small step in Anakin's direction, followed by another. Then another. Calmly he made his way over to the troubled young man. Something had clearly deeply disturbed him.

He came to a stop approximately three metres from Anakin, and leaned his hip against the railing of the balcony. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, pulling his cloak tight around himself to ward off the late night chill.

"Are you all right?" Ferus asked in a quiet, gentle tone.

Anakin's head snapped up as though he hadn't noticed Ferus' presence at all. That in itself was disturbing. If Anakin had been so upset that he'd dropped his guard, then it spelled trouble if they were to encounter assassins during their protection of the Senator.

"I'm fine," Anakin said once he recovered from his surprise. A sullen look, accented with irritation crossed his face.

Ferus ignored Anakin's bad temper and said, "I sensed a disturbance in the Force, Anakin. Whether dream or vision, I'm here to listen if you need to speak of it."

"I don't need your help, Ferus," Anakin ground out.

"We all need help sometimes," Ferus said quietly.

"Now you sound just like Obi-Wan," Anakin scoffed.

"I should be fortunate to one day be as wise a man as he is," Ferus said. And he meant it. He had nothing but the greatest respect for Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"Just mind your own business," Anakin pushed off the balcony railing with a near violent energy and began stalking back towards his room.

"I know you've never been fond of me, Anakin," Ferus said to the younger padawan's retreating form. "But I do consider you my Jedi brother."

Anakin paused in the doorway, and for a moment Ferus thought that perhaps he'd gotten through to him. But then Anakin moved into the room and shut the door with such force that Ferus feared the glass might crack.

With a small sigh Ferus turned his attention back to the lake and the night sky. It was beautiful, peaceful. With a last look to the stars he wondered if his master had arrived on Kamino yet. Then he turned back to his own room, intent on getting a few hours rest before the sun brought a new dawn.

Mid morning the next day Ferus returned from a perimeter check and overheard the Senator and Anakin conversing. It was not in his nature to eavesdrop, but something told him to keep his peace and listen. He followed his instincts and paused before he turned the corner. Leaning a shoulder against the elegant brick-work, next to the sap green leaves of a drooping willow, he listened.

"This isn't the first time you've had these dreams, is it?" The Senator asked.

"No," Anakin said.

"When did they start?"

"A couple weeks ago," Anakin said. To Ferus' ears he sounded both worried and annoyed.

"Did you mention this to Obi-Wan?"

"I did, but he didn't think it was important," Anakin sounded frustrated. "He just told me the future is always in motion, like Master Yoda says. Then he told me about how Qui-Gon once chased after a vision, and despite his efforts to prevent it, it came true. He said the Force shows us visions to make us aware of our limitations, so we can accept them."

"And what do you think?" The Senator asked, her voice calm, supportive.

"I think he's wrong," Anakin said without hesitation.

Ferus took a deep breath and stayed perfectly still. He wasn't sure what he was hearing, but Anakin was clearly upset.

"Why would I keep having these visions if I wasn't meant to do something?" Anakin said, his tone taking a small step towards hysteria.

"I'm no Jedi," the Senator said. "But maybe Obi-Wan has a point. You shouldn't torment yourself with what the Force is showing you."

"But how can I just accept it?" Anakin questioned. "It's my mother, Padme. If she truly is suffering. . . I have to help her."

"Then go to Tatooine and find her," the Senator said. "Whether dream or vision, it obviously troubles you greatly. Go find her and put your mind and heart at ease."

Ferus thought he understood what was going on. Anakin had been having dreams where his mother was in some sort of peril, and it toppled whatever balance he'd managed to regain since Obi-Wan rescued him from the Sith. This was a problem, and not something that Ferus felt he was equipped to deal with. He wished Master Kenobi was here to help his padawan.

But he's not, Ferus thought.

After steeling himself with a deep breath Ferus rounded the corner with a purposeful stride. Both the Senator and Anakin turned sharply towards him, their expressions mirroring their surprise at his sudden intrusion.

"We have a mandate, Anakin," Ferus said, his expression calm, but compassionate. "You cannot leave."

"Were you spying on us?" Anakin asked, his eyebrows drawn together in an angry frown.

"That was not my intention," Ferus said, refusing to break eye contact. "While I sympathise with your situation, Anakin, you are a Jedi. And Jedi do not abandon their duty to pursue personal matters."

Anakin turned his back to Ferus, but not quickly enough for Ferus not to notice the warring emotions on his face. Anakin was struggling, that much was abundantly clear.

"I am truly sorry, Anakin," Ferus said quietly.

He met the Senator's eyes. They were fire, filled with determination and defiance, and perhaps he should have expected her wilfulness. Perhaps then he wouldn't have been so surprised when she said, "Well. I am going to Tatooine. You both are welcome to tag along if you wish to do your duty."

Ferus was stunned. For a full five seconds he could only stare at the woman, his mouth slightly agape as he processed her words. Anakin seemed to be in a similar state of shock, but he recovered quickly, a hopeful tilt in his eyebrows betrayed the relief he must have felt.

"Senator," Ferus said. "I must advise against it. Tatooine is a Hutt controlled planet."

"I am well aware of that fact, Padawan Olin," she said.

Ferus knew of her history, of course, and of the history she shared with Anakin. She'd been with Qui-Gon Jinn when the master had discovered him on that desert planet.

"Senator," Ferus began, despite understanding the futility of his attempt. "I must insist you reconsider."

"I will not," came her immediate, obstinate reply. "I will take off in exactly one hour. Be on board if you two wish to fulfill your mandate."

Ferus knew he had little choice in the matter.

Obi-Wan stared at R4's optical sensor after the transmission was cut. The dismissal had been quick. He hoped the council had taken his words seriously. Yes, much of it was speculation still. But it was well-informed speculation.

He turned and made his way over to Siri's starfighter. She sat in the cockpit, tapping commands and conversing with her own droid.

"Anything?" Obi-Wan yelled over the wind and rain.

"A ship just started its ignition sequence two levels above us. There," Siri looked up at a platform about eighty meters to their left. They could just make out the silhouette of a ship through the veil of rain.

"The council wants us to bring Fett in for questioning," Obi-Wan said. "We must move quickly."

They sprinted to the maintenance walkway on the side of the building and up the narrow staircase. From there it was a straight shot to the circular platform upon which Fett's ship sat. They arrived just as Fett was heading to the ship's ramp. He noticed them immediately, and did not hesitate. He pulled his two blasters and fired at them.

Obi-Wan had his lightsaber out and ignited before the first bolt of plasma reached them. He deflected it with casual ease and jumped fifteen meters towards Fett, who dodged out of the way with well-honed reflexes.

Siri rounded the platform in a flanking manoeuvre, but Fett noticed her subtle approach and fired off a few rounds in her direction. She deflected them easily.

The momentary split in Fett's focus allowed Obi-Wan to close the gap between them. He sliced the first blaster's barrel from its grip in a clean stroke. Fett turned on him and fired the second blaster at point blank range. Obi-Wan deflected the plasma bolts, but was forced to take a few steps back as he carefully arced his lightsaber to protect himself.

Siri headed for the ship.

Good, Obi-Wan thought. If she can disable the ship it will give us more time to safely apprehend Fett. All I have to do is keep him busy.

Obi-Wan surged forward in a reckless move, deflecting blaster fire, then sidestepped to slice the barrel off the weapon. Fett dropped the useless blaster and caught Obi-Wan's arm by the wrist, using his other arm to strike at his elbow. It was a move meant to break the joint, but Obi-Wan twisted in just the right way to prevent the injury.

Fett was thrown off balance, but held fast to Obi-Wan's wrist and adjusted his momentum to throw himself bodily into the Jedi. Obi-Wan's back hit a supporting strut and he had the wind knocked out of him. The impact knocked his lightsaber from his hand, and it went skidding across the platform.

They engaged in hand to hand combat. Certainly not Obi-Wan's preferred method of fighting. It quickly became clear to Obi-Wan that the Mandalorian had the upper hand when it came to fisticuffs. He took a hit across his left cheek from a particularly nasty right hook when Siri re-emerged from the ship, deflecting blaster fire.

Obi-Wan put two and two together as he caught Fett in an arm lock. The boy must have been in the ship. That somewhat complicated matters.

Fett engaged the thrusters of his jetpack, the sudden acceleration jerking him out of Obi-Wan's hold. The Jedi was sent flying.

Slicing winds and stabbing droplets continued to pelt them. The platform's surface was slick with rain, and as Obi-Wan came down from his unplanned journey through the air his feet slid out from under him and he hit the slick durasteel hard. Winded once more he slowly got to his feet, and noticed that Siri had ducked around the ship's side to avoid the blaster fire from within. She was just about to stab her lightsaber through an engine nozzle when Fett turned his attention to her.

She noticed him a split second too late as he charged at her, but Obi-Wan was quick enough to jerk the Mandalorian back towards him with a powerful Force grip. He crushed the jetpack for good measure, and watched as Fett quickly scrambled to his feet. He tried to catch Obi-Wan with a solid kick to the chest, but Obi-Wan parried it aside and their struggle began anew.

Obi-Wan realised that Fett was growing desperate when he used his helmet to try and bust his nose in. He dodged to the side, taking a glancing blow from the metal. A sharp sting told Obi-Wan that he'd probably have a few cuts to nurse after the battle.

With Force-enhanced strength Obi-Wan pried Fett off himself and tripped the man. He fell to the ground, and Obi-Wan was on top of him in an instant. But the Mandalorian would not go down so easily. As Obi-Wan struggled to restrain the bounty hunter, Fett was attempting the same with him.

Wire cable shot out of a wrist-launcher, nearly impaling Obi-Wan through the shoulder. Had he not had Jedi reflexes he might very well have been strung along the line that went sailing out over the edge of the platform. Ignoring the thought Obi-Wan redoubled his efforts, but he was beginning to tire.

"Siri!" He yelled out, recognizing that he needed her help immediately if they were going to end things quickly.

"I'm a little busy!" She yelled back. From the corner of his eye he noticed that she was still dealing with the kid. He'd stepped out of the ship with a blaster in hand and was firing at her without pause. Obi-Wan knew Siri could have ended that little confrontation quickly. But only if she were willing to hurt the kid. Neither of them were willing to do that.

"Jedi scum!" Fett yelled as he shoved against Obi-Wan with renewed vigor. Obi-Wan was sent sprawling. He found his feet quickly and turned his attention to his lightsaber, calling it to his hand. Fett charged him in the same moment and hit him with a bruising tackle that sent them both skidding across the platform, ever closer to the edge and the steep drop that lay beyond it. The lightsaber fell to the floor and rolled away once more.

"We don't wish to harm you or your son, Fett," Obi-Wan grunted as he continued to wrestle with the strong Mandalorian.

"I don't care about anything you have to say, Jedi!"

Both men found their feet once more. Obi-Wan continued to block and parry Fett's blows while blaster fire and Siri's lightsaber flashed bright colours around them.

"Tell your son to stop firing," Obi-Wan said as he parried another blow. "She could have killed him already if she wanted to."

"If he stops then I'll have two Jedi to contend with, and he knows that," Fett said. "I think I'll let him keep practising his aim!"

Obi-Wan knew he would not win the Mandalorian over with words. His disdain for the Jedi ran too deep. He could feel the man's anger. It was less tainted than what he experienced from the Sith, but no less damning. Fett would not see reason in this matter.

The struggle continued until Fett caught Obi-Wan in a grapple around his midsection. They struggled to overpower each other, both breathing hard. The wet surface of the platform was an obstacle they both fought against with every step, with every shift of momentum. Then, Obi-Wan saw it happen before it did, but he was still powerless to stop it.

The bounty hunter abruptly changed direction and Obi-Wan lost his carefully controlled footing. The armoured man slammed Obi-Wan's head into the support strut, and the strength drained from him in instant. He was a dead weight, ears ringing, as the platform came up to meet him.

He slowly blinked his eyes, aware that something more than the rain was now obscuring his vision. Through bleary eyes he watched the dancing lights.

Red and blue.

What was he doing again?

Obi-Wan rolled onto his stomach and watched the blurred shapes ahead merge into a single shape. The bright light disappeared and he struggled to see what they were doing. His ears still rang as he pushed himself to his knees, taking harsh breaths.

"Obi-Wan!"

That was his name. The familiarity of the voice penetrated the fog, and his vision cleared. The boy was nowhere in sight, but he saw Fett standing near the edge of the platform, next to the ship. He was straining against something gripping his arm.

Where was Siri?

Obi-Wan leaped to his feet, stumbled and fell. Tried again and managed to remain upright. He took a step towards Fett and the Mandalorian noticed his approach almost immediately.

What was he struggling against?

Obi-Wan's unsteady feet carried him close enough to see the line attached to Fett's gauntlet. He realised what must have happened the moment Fett released the line. Obi-Wan leaped forward, hand outstretched, ignoring Fett completely. The bounty hunter ran for his ship's ramp as Obi-Wan called the line into his own hand through use of the Force.

He caught it and held on tight as the weight on the other end began to pull him towards the edge of the platform. His feet caught on the lip and Obi-Wan used it to anchor himself.

Breathing hard again he glanced to the ship once more. The ramp was closing.

"Obi-Wan!"

Fett was getting away.

"I've got you Siri!" Obi-Wan yelled. He could reach into his belt, retrieve a homing beacon, and secure it onto Fett's ship before he took off.

But he would have to let go of Siri.

No, he couldn't do that. She would fall to her death.

With a frustrated yell he started pulling her up, meter by meter.

The ion engines of Fett's ship fired up, and a moment later it left the platform, disappearing into the rain and clouds of Kamino.

Obi-Wan kept pulling, feeling nausea settling in his gut more powerfully with each exertion. He breathed hard, sweat joining his rain-soaked skin. Warmth dripped down his face and into his right eye. He was very, very tired.

At last Siri's hands reached over the lip of the platform, and the weight on Obi-Wan's arms ceased entirely when she leaped back to the safety of the platform. He let himself fall over onto his back, closing his eyes and fighting the nausea still.

"Obi-Wan?" Siri's voice called out to him. "Come on Obi-Wan, open your eyes."

He obeyed and looked up into Siri's concerned gaze. The falling rain framed her face and dripped down her hair.

"Fett got away," Obi-Wan said.

"I know," Siri said, her expression turning grim. Obi-Wan noted how her eyes darted around his face.

"I think I'm concussed," Obi-Wan said.

A corner of Siri's mouth twitched upwards. "I don't doubt it," she said.

The sigh that escaped Obi-Wan as Siri helped him sit up was filled with frustration. He retrieved his lightsaber and stowed it at his side. Together he and Siri slowly made their way back to the starfighters. His arm was slung around her shoulders, his own feet still a little unsteady.

As they carefully navigated the narrow walkway Obi-Wan wondered how it was that he could best Dooku in a duel, but allow a Force-deprived bounty hunter to slip through his fingers.

A/N: We're almost at the turning point. Almost. Next chapter will be posted on the 24th.