Chapter 12 – Landing at Point Rain

Author's Note: In which... Anakin and Theseus track down Vraz's killer... and the Second Battle of Geonosis commences. :)

~ Amina Gila

"You know, this speeder sounds like it's about to give up the ghost," Theseus remarks in a failed attempt to lighten the atmosphere as the speeder he and Anakin are riding on races through the underworld of Coruscant.

"That was the point, you know," Anakin replies, "We're trying not to stick out, so they won't see us coming." He has a point. It's been a week since the murder, and they finally managed to find a lead. Whatever it takes, they're going to find the killer. No matter what. Theseus won't let him escape. Between nearby security recordings – or rather the pathetic excuse thereof – they'd been able to use the Temple records to track down the person.

The speeder weaves its way in between endless buildings, further into the underworld until they finally come to a stop outside a very run-down building.

"We're here. Don't do anything... irrational?" Anakin cautions. "I know this is hard but try to stay calm."

"I will," he promises. He can handle this like a Jedi should. He has to.

They get off the speeder, heading into the building. There's a bunch of people lounging around in the large main room, and it reminds Theseus very much of when he was sneaking around in the pirate's compound on Florum. They look like the exact same kind of people, except they're various species this time. Really, he can understand how people like this can hide in large numbers far away on Florum, but right here on Coruscant? No wonder so many people – Vraz included – see the Republic as falling.

The memory of his friend sends a fresh stab of pain and anger through him. He draws in a deep breath, trying to keep himself under control. They're finally about to arrest the person who did it. He can't afford to do anything stupid.

"Go to the back entrance to block off the escape route," Anakin instructs him in a low voice as he scans over the group. Theseus nods, crossing the room doing his best to remain inconspicuous. No one pays him much attention as he shuffles through the crowd.

As he positions himself by the door, he spots the person who did it, who they were able to identify from footage and Temple records. All he wants to do, in that moment, is run him through with a lightsaber. All sense of reasoning is starting to evaporate, and he should probably be a lot more concerned than he is that he's already thinking like that.

He glances around the room for a moment to make sure there's no other escape routes aside from the entrance, and it's that moment that he's distracted in which all chaos breaks loose. The next thing he knows, blaster bolts are flying everywhere as Anakin deflects them. Apparently, the murderer actually thinks he'll be able to get away and a bunch of people are foolish enough to assist him instead of staying out of Jedi affairs.

He feels the danger in the Force but doesn't have time to react before someone tackles him from behind, knocking his lightsaber from his hands as they fall to the floor. "You're foolish to come here, Jedi," hisses the person as he punches him in the face. Theseus promptly returns the favor before knocking the man off him. The man catches his arm before he can get up, throwing him hard into the wall, racing out the door before Theseus has a chance to stop him – not that he would have tried if the man hadn't attacked him in the first place.

Pushing back the aching in his head, Theseus looks up in time to see Vraz's killer running for the door which he's no longer guarding, and he'll never be able to get up fast enough to block him. Anakin is fighting off multiple people at the moment and will never have time to reach him first.

A sudden, blinding rage grips him. That man dares totry and escape after what he did? He doesn't even deserve to live. Theseus is hardly thinking – no, he's not thinking at all – when he yanks out the custom blaster he brought with him and shoots at the escaping gangster.

The man staggers before collapsing to the floor with a sickening thud, and any momentary dark satisfaction Theseus was feeling promptly seems to evaporate. Instead of feeling satisfied... he feels sick if anything.

It is your destiny to become like me. The words through echo in his head and a shiver runs down his spine.

Force, what has he done? He just – he literally went against everything he's been taught his entire life. He supposes it's in moments like this that he understands why the Jedi teach that attachments are so dangerous. Obi-Wan and his mother are going to be so disappointed in him. And what's going to happen when the Council finds out?

"Come on," murmurs Anakin, suddenly appearing beside him before leading him out the back exit. Theseus follows him shakily, almost numbly. He just... The man may have deserved to die, but Theseus killed him in cold blood completely unnecessarily, and he doesn't even feel bad about it. Upset that he's come so close to the Dark Side, yes, but not regretful of the deed itself. He should have known better. He did, but it didn't stop him.

There are police sirens blaring outside. He stumbles back to the speeder, waiting as Anakin briefly talks to the police droids before heading back over to him. The Knight climbs into the pilot's seat but doesn't immediately take off.

**w**

Anakin watches his padawan-brother in silence. He doesn't know what to say. What could he say at this point? He remembers so clearly going through himself. The horror, the confusion, the 'how could he do something like this?'. And now, he wonders in part, if Obi-Wan didn't suspect it, if that wasn't why he thought Anakin wasn't good enough. But he never had anyone back then, so really, he doesn't know what to do.

After a pause, he decides staying longer will make it worse. For him, back on Tatooine in the Raider camp, he wanted to get out of there as fast as possible. To run. Anakin fires up the engine, and they take off. He isn't going to go back to the Temple, not until he makes sure Theseus is ready. If he'd done something differently, maybe this could've been avoided. "Sorry," he mutters slightly stiffly. "I shouldn't've let that happen."

"... Excuse me?"

"I could've been faster. To stop him before you had to kill him." He should have. He already knew that Theseus wasn't handling it well. And all he did was not pay enough attention, and things went straight downhill.

"I'm the one who did it. Not you. And I knew better." Theseus looks away, staring into the lanes of traffic.

"I should've, too." Anakin wasn't thinking of the Raiders when he said it and realizes he should've chosen his words better only after the fact. But the padawan doesn't seem to think anything of it. "Do you want to go back to the Temple yet?" he asks finally.

"Not... yet," Theseus utters, staring out at the passing traffic. "When we do, are you... going to tell Obi-Wan?"

Right. That. Anakin winces internally. He can imagine how the boy the must be feeling right now, considering how he felt so similarly in that regard after killing the Raiders. "Do you want me to?"

"Does it matter? We have to tell him something," Theseus mumbles.

"Yes, but there was a fight, and he was killed in the fight." It's something for Theseus to talk to Obi-Wan about himself, it he actually wants to. And he clearly doesn't.

Someone needs to help Theseus deal with what happened, and Anakin isn't sure he's the best person for that, but he can't quite bring himself to tell Obi-Wan regardless. He knows what it's like, to have to face his master's disappointment like that, and he can't do that to Theseus.

The boy doesn't respond to what he said, and they continue to fly about in silence for a little longer. "We can probably go back now," he speaks up finally, "We can't take all day, can we?"

"All evening," Anakin corrects with a weak attempt to lighten the mood. He doesn't think it worked.

**w**

"I cannot believe we're back here again," Obi-Wan sighs. Theseus stands next to him at the front of the bridge, staring out at the looming reddish planet of Geonosis in front of him. This... it's the place where the war started in the first place. He never expected to find himself here one day, though it's not exactly surprising.

"It is unfortunate," Jedi Master Ki-Adi Mundi agrees, "The resistance from the native Geonosians was stronger than we anticipated."

"The same can be said for their loyalty to Count Dooku," replies Obi-Wan, "A fact that is often overlooked."

The doors to the bridge slide open and Anakin and Ahsoka hurry in. "You're late."

"Sorry, Master. Ahsoka and I were busy routing the Seppies near Dorin," Anakin informs him cheerfully.

"My squadron alone had 55 kills," Ahsoka boasts.

"Yeah, but mine had 76," Anakin shoots back.

"Showoff," Ahsoka retorts, rolling her eyes dramatically. Theseus chuckles quietly, in spite of himself. He's trying not to think about the whole Vraz incident at all, but it's hard not to when he's usually taking the BD droid everywhere with him on missions. He's not planning on taking the droid on this mission though, since it's mainly going to be a chaotic battle anyway, and there's no way he wants to risk anything happening to it. Not when it's the only thing he has left to remember his friend. It's so easy to throw himself into the war when there's not a constant reminder of his loss.

"Well, I'm glad you two are enjoying yourselves," quips Obi-Wan.

"Hey, it's just a little friendly competition, Master, nothing to worry about," Anakin insists.

"What I worry about is the way this war seems to be drawing out with no end in sight." Way to kill the mood, Master. The main reason they keep count of the number of droids they destroy in the first place is since it's literally the only way to stay sane.

"Which is why it is crucial our invasion of Geonosis meets with success," Mundi cuts in.

"Agreed," Anakin replies, before turning to the padawans, "Ahsoka, Theseus, contact the Outer Rim Command."

Moments later, they're standing in front of a transmission of Palpatine, Windu, Yoda, and Luminara Unduli while studying a map of Geonosis to discuss the plan for the invasion. Apparently, Poggle is likely hiding inside the main droid factory, which is protected by a shield generator.

"Anakin, Ki-Adi, and I shall attempt a three-pronged attack through their defense lines to a staging area just short of the shield," Obi-Wan informs, pointing at the places on the holomap, "Once we've landed, we shall knock out the shield generator. That is our primary target."

"Isn't it risky committing three generals to one area of the attack?" asks Palpatine, "If something went wrong, we could be dealt a serious blow."

"To ensure that rise again, Geonosis does not, capture Poggle we must," Yoda says determinedly.

"Of course. As always, I shall leave the strategy to you, Master Jedi," decides the Chancellor.

"Our thanks, Chancellor," Windu responds, before looking to the Jedi, "May the Force be with you."

"Cody," Obi-Wan calls as soon as the holograms of Palpatine, Yoda, and Windu disappear, "These are the coordinates for the rendezvous."

"Yes, sir," he replies, stepping up to the other side of the holomap, "When we hit the ground, we'll create a perimeter there." They quickly finish up a discussion of the plans and prepare to head out.

"I'd still like to hear the story of the first time you were here," Theseus comments.

"We can talk about it later," decides Obi-Wan.

Theseus glances over at Cody, "Were you one of the troops here during the first battle?"

"No, sir. I wasn't involved in the first assault on Geonosis," the commander answers.

"Well, you didn't miss much," Obi-Wan replies with amusement as they arrive at the gunship and he steps on board, "Last time I was chained to a pole and attacked by several humongous monsters."

"Now I really want to hear about it."

"That sounds... entertaining," Cody remarks.

"It was," quips Obi-Wan, "For the Geonosians."

Theseus watches tensely as the gunships fly out of the star cruiser, heading across the sandy surface of the planet. Any moment now, the battle is about to begin. Almost all at once, a burst of green energy tears through the air straight past the gunship they're riding in, part of it catching the wing. The ship trembles violently form the force of the blast, and the padawan tightens his grip on handle on the top of the ship to avoid falling. The gunship fires back at the Geonosians, and the fight is on.

He winces as one of the gunships nearby goes up in flames and crashes. This is going to be a hard battle, considering that the Geonosians have the advantage of being able to fly. As if he's supposed to be ready to lose so many clone friends now, right after everything that happened. Whatever it takes, he's going to do his best to make sure they win this battle. All the lives that will be lost here will not be in vain.

"General Kenobi!" Cody suddenly calls over Obi-Wan's comm, "Don't land! The zone is hot!"

"But there's nowhere else to go," Obi-Wan objects.

"But we –" Theseus begins, just as a purple blast of energy strikes the back of the gunship. It lurches forwards, before rapidly spiraling out of control as it heads for the ground.

"We're hit. We're going down," the Jedi Master calls back.

The ground is approaching far too rapidly in front of them. "Brace yourselves!" Obi-Wan yells.

The ship slams hard into the ground. Theseus' grip on the handle breaks as he's thrown across the ship. He slams hard into, searing pain tearing through his head as stars dance in front of his eyes before the world goes abruptly dark.

"Theseus!" the next thing he registers is someone faintly calling his name. His head is spinning from the force of the impact, and he can feel blood running down the side of his face. Slowly, he opens his eyes, coughing at the smoke, debris, and sand in the air of the gunship. It's hard to tell much, but he can feel the death in the air. Almost everyone in the shuttle is dead.

"Padawan?" he hears Obi-Wan call again, this time more worried.

"I'm okay, Master," he rasps, grateful to hear that at least he's still conscious, even if he's injured, too. "Is anyone else...?"

"We need to get out of this thing," Theseus insists, trying to stand up but his head promptly starts spinning. He slumps back to the floor next to Trapper, who's sitting in between him and Obi-Wan. He's the only surviving clone, from what Theseus can tell.

"The doors are locked and from this position, we'll never be able to get them open from the inside," Obi-Wan replies.

"So, just going to sit here and wait for someone to come and rescue us?" he demands.

"We don't have much of a choice," the clone reminds. Which is when he realizes that the other two are injured worse than he is. They wouldn't even have the energy to try and force the doors open right now, and there's no way he can do it on his own.

Theseus can hear the sounds of battle all around and finds himself wondering what if they get stuck in here for days before someone comes to find them. Or maybe the Geonosians will blow up the ship before they have a chance to get off. As if in response, the doors suddenly groan loudly as they're forced open, Boil and Waxer appearing in the doorway.

"Waxer, Boil, am I glad to see you!" Obi-Wan greets them, "Trapper, Theseus, and I are the only ones still alive."

"Good to see you, sir," Boil says as he and Waxer help up Trapper and Obi-Wan. Theseus climbs to his feet on his own, his head spinning for a moment until he begins adjusting to the sudden change of position. "Commander Cody has established the square just beyond this position. The bugs are on the move and trying to surround us as we speak, sir."

Ducking the constant shooting on both sides, the five of them make their way over to a pile of crates for cover, where Cody is standing there waiting. "Are you injured, General?" he asks worriedly.

"No, no, nothing too serious," Obi-Wan insists, despite the fact that he can't even stand on his own. A clone medic approaches, injecting him with something.

"What's the situation here?" inquires Obi-Wan.

"We've got no air cover. Two generals on the ground beyond our position and a mess of bugs surrounding us," reports Cody, "The enemy was more than prepared for our attack, sir. They knew our every move."

"Well, I'm sure General Skywalker and General Mundi will make it to our position," Obi-Wan decides finally, "We just have to make sure we're still here when they arrive."

"Well, I'm going to help," declares Theseus, standing up and igniting his lightsaber.

The Geonosians are closing in on them from all sides, and they have the clear advantage, even though the clones are used the gunships for cover.

All other thoughts slipping from mind, Theseus throws himself into the battle, a purple flash ending the lives of any bug that dares venture too close to him. He's not going to let any more of the clones die if he can help it. They've lost enough already. As their commander, he can't really call the clones his friends, but they are, in a way. He's never formed close bonds with any of them, or with many people at all, but he can always count on them to cover for him, and he has to do the same.

Still, even with his help, the clones are rapidly being pushed back instead of advancing. They need backup. There's no way they'll be able to win this on their own. They're pushed back to take shelter behind the few remaining gunships and crates scattered across the area.

The Force suddenly screams of danger, and he tries to dive out of the way, but not fast enough. A green blast from the bug's cannons strikes a pile of crates right next to where he's standing. Pieces of the crates fly everywhere, the force of the explosion throwing him backwards into a nearby gunship.

Stars dance in front of Theseus' eyes for the second time in the past hour or so, but he struggles to force it back, the noise of the battle quickly bringing him back to reality. His head is still spinning violently but he needs to get up and keeping fighting. Although if he didn't have a concussion before, he's pretty sure he's going to have one before the day is out. And he's definitely covered with cuts from the debris thanks to being right next to that explosion, but at least he's still alive. For now, because somewhere deep inside, he knows this is war, and people die in war. It's so glaringly obvious from the bodies lying everywhere around him. Just like Vraz was.

"You okay, sir?" calls Cody.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Well, not really, but there's no time to deal with it right now. He shakily pulls himself to his feet, leaning slightly against the gunship when he nearly faceplants. Now would be a good time to do something, use the Force to pull something over and block off the Geonosians from getting close to them, but he hardly knows how. It's always been difficult, and especially now, he can't get over the increasing paranoia that if he reaches for the Force, all he'll be able to find is the Dark Side.

Just then, explosions shake the ground and Theseus turns to see fighters – Republic fighters – swooping down low over the surface, blowing up the bugs' weapons as they go. "Reinforcements!" he realizes, "The reinforcements have arrived." The other troops cheer.

From over the sand dunes, the clones of the 501st and the 21st run into view. Theseus hurries back over to Obi-Wan as he sinks back down behind the crates. What was he even doing standing up? He hates seeing his master in this condition. This – this is Obi-Wan, the first Jedi to kill a Sith in a thousand years. He seems so undefeatable, and Theseus hates getting reminders of exactly how human all of them are.

"Master Kenobi!" exclaims a familiar voice and he looks up as Ahsoka and Anakin dash up. Mundi is standing a distance behind them. Ahsoka reaches them first, crouching next to the Jedi Master.

"Well, what happened to you?" Anakin asks.

"I might ask you the same question."

"We need to proceed with planning," Mundi decides.

"Of course," Obi-Wan agrees. Moments later, the Jedi and their clone commanders or captains are all gathered around a holographic map of the area again as Obi-Wan explains the likely best way for them to destroy the shield generator.

Theseus waits near his master while the others continue the battle. He hates sitting here. People are dying, but he's injured. He should have been more careful now, as always. It'll be a while before the other Jedi return, so Theseus allows exhaustion to overtake him as he leans against the crates and dozes off.

He awakens to someone gently shaking him. Ahsoka is crouching next to him. "Come on, time to get out of here."

"Wha – oh." He didn't realize he'd fallen asleep. He stands up slowly and looks around to see Anakin helping Obi-Wan over to the waiting gunship. Mundi is already getting on board with some other clones. They must be taken back off-planet to go to the medcenter. Which means he'll be going, of course.

"You look terrible," Ahsoka informs him cheerfully.

"Nice way to boost the morale," he replies dryly.

"You're welcome."

"So, Master, what was your total?" Ahsoka asks as Anakin and Obi-Wan slowly approach the shuttle.

"Not now, Ahsoka," Anakin sighs.

"Come on! Are you afraid you lost this time?" she demands, smirking challengingly.

"Fine. Fifty-five, that's my count," he replies, "And you?"

"Sixty!" she chirps proudly, "Looks like I won."

"Yeah, but I called in the air strike. Tie!"

"You're impossible."

Theseus laughs quietly at the exchange. Being around Ahsoka and Anakin is one of the only things that manages to bring him calm, to distract him from the darkness and reality of war. "I only had thirty or something, but most of the ones attacking me were bugs not droids, so..." he interjects.

"I'll never understand how you can simplify these battles into some kind of game," Obi-Wan sighs as he arrives in the gunship. But really, it's the only thing can help keep Theseus sane sometimes when facing down endless lines of droids that won't stop coming even as all the clones are being shot down around him.

"Well, take care of yourselves," Anakin says, "I expect to see all of you back here by the time I've destroyed the main factory."

"We shall do our best," Obi-Wan quips. Theseus steps on to the gunship next to him, looking back at Anakin and Ahsoka. As much as he wishes he could stay with them and help, he does need to get his injuries taken care of, and rest.

"Sixty-five, Skywalker," Mundi says suddenly. Huh? Sixty-five what?

"I'm sorry?" Anakin queries in confusion.

"My total. Sixty-five," he repeats. Oh. Oh. He's talking about his droid count. Wait a minute... Jedi Masters do that too? "So, what do I win?"

Anakin blinds in surprise. Obi-Wan looks between the two of them with a smirk. "My everlasting respect, Master Mundi," he answers finally.

"... Oh."

"That is a gift Anakin rarely bestows, I assure you," Obi-Wan smirks.

"May the Force be with you," Theseus calls before the doors of the gunship slide closed.

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