Anakin felt his body jolt forward when the ship exited hyperspace. With no words he silently disembarked the vessel and onto the docking bay.
"The number of the cargo ship is 577. Section 410," said Obi-Wan. With too many people, Anakin didn't respond. It wasn't long until he found the cargo ship. He boarded it and eyed the trainee co-pilot in the cockpit. She glanced at him and gave a subtle nod to signify she knew who he was. She wasn't much older than him, maybe only two or three years older. But no one could tell that just based on looks of course, they he almost seemed to be the same age as her. She had long blonde hair with a brown highlights. Portions of her hair were braided, but all of it was in a tight bun fixed perfectly on top of her head. And her purple uniform made her seem official.
"Be safe," she said so softly it was almost a whisper. "The cargo may be unstable." She winked at him.
Anakin was confused. He didn't understand what she meant or why she winked, but he just shook it off.
He looked around for a place to sit. He pushed down a seating platform when something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. It was a sign. A caution sign. Anakin translated it and comprehended the phrase. 'Warning. Cargo may be unstable. Use caution in the cargo hold.' An arrow below the words pointed towards a door in the back of the ship. Anakin was intrigued. Obi-Wan said something about his disguise being hidden on the ship. Perhaps the woman spy was hinting where to find it?
"Oh! Senator Qal! I didn't expect to see you here," the spy said unusually loud. She shot Anakin a glare which he took as his cue to hide. Fast. After all, Senator Qal of Corellia was a powerful Separatist leader. Luckily, he was successfully out of sight in the cargo hold mere moments before he came on board.
"What are you talking about? I've been commissioned to supervise the transport of the merchandise. Kaminoans always prefer one on one negotiations." He replied with a deep voice.
The sounds were blocked through the thick doors. Anakin observed his surroundings. In a compartment in the wall contained a neatly folded red and black separatist uniform. This must be my disguise, he thought. He felt a rumble come out from under his feet. A sudden shift in acceleration threw him backwards off his feet. Once again, he was in hyperspace. Anakin put on the outfit, and put his usual Jedi robes in the compartment where his disguise/uniform was. He cleverly hid his lightsaber holster under his belt so the actual saber stayed secure in his pocket. He placed the data chip in the other pocket to create a similar unevenness that closely resembled his other pocket.
When the ship finally landed, the spy on board waited until the coast was clear before going to talk to Anakin. She pressed a glowing red button that turned green when she pushed it. She saw Anakin holding tightly onto a railing.
"The coast in clear, Officer. We depart back to Mandalor in four hours. I'm on the same channel." She tapped her ear three times with for index finger, signifying she had the same earpiece Anakin has. "When you are on your way back, tell me. The code term is 'Joen'."
"Got it," he replied.
Anakin got off the ship and saw Senator Qal turn a corner and disappear behind a wall. It was a bright day on the watery planet. From the platform Anakin was standing on, he had two ways to go. Left to a transparent tunnel that went underwater, or right to a smooth white building where Qal along with two Kaminoans went. He went left.
As he came to the bottom of the tunnel, he couldn't believe his eyes. A complete generation room with thousands of large glass-like cylinders with translucent green liquid. Each one containing the same naked, vile looking creature. This was the Clone base all right. The central computer had to be close by. Aha!
Smack in the center of the room. Right below the DNA chamber. Was, to Anakin's dismay, a secondary computer. It didn't have all of the information, but perhaps something within may be useful. Anakin installed the data chip and placed ten seconds in it. Ten seconds passed. He removed the chip and placed it back in his pocket. He exited the regeneration room into the next corridor.
The bright white lights coming from the floor were almost blinding. But most of it was absorbed by the dark water outside of the tunnel. Nonetheless, Anakin kept walking into the next corridor
"Comrade!" came an unforgiving voice from the side of him. Anakin snapped his head to face him. "What the hell are you doing?! We are to report to the central docking bay in five minutes!"
I'm getting sick of these stupid docking bays. Anakin thought.
"Round up your squadron! Now! He will not be as merciful as I am!" The man gave him a menacing stare before turning to another hallway. Anakin could hear the fear in his voice in the middle sentence.
He? Who is He? If this guy is afraid of him, perhaps he knows the leader.
"Ana...zzzzzzzz...don't...zzzzzzzz...you nee-...zzzzzzzz...Anakin!...zzzzzzzz"
"Master, I can't understand you. Master? Obi-Wan!" The loud static buzzing filled his ears. Something was clearly blocking his communication frequency. Anakin didn't think this was unintentional.
With obviously no troopers to rally, Anakin just continued walking down another hallway. He stopped. He felt a sudden shiver slowly crawl down his spinal cord, a massive weight as is someone dropped it on him, and a whisk of freezing cold air across his body. He tightly clenched his fists and released them when the experience was over after a brief moment. He sensed a disturbance in the force. How was Kamino being influenced by the dark side? Why didn't he feel this before?
Anakin used his instincts to local the source of the dark side surge, and in less than three minutes he found himself at yet another docking bay.
Anakin assumed his position in between large, perfectly placed trays of the troopers. Without a second to spare a ramp from the cruiser came landed on the platform and a cloaked figure walked between the perfect arrays of troops, captains, and admirals, with escorts behind the person. Anakin took a good look at one of the escorts. A small object that seemed to be a bolt of some kind was stuck on the shoulder guard of the armor. This accessory wasn't seen on any of the other troopers, and he became suspicious.
"At ease," said the cloaked figure with a shrill, haunting voice. "You all are wondering why you have been summoned here. Six hours ago, our victory over Geonosis also left us with a little souvenir... A tracking beacon on one of the units," He was referring to the clones. The figure raised his voice. "Which means one of you is a bloody spy!" The figure outstretched a red and black hand and caught the clone he dragged towards him with the Force by the neck. "And as soon as I find the traitor among us," He looked at the clone in his eyes straight through his helmet, squeezing his neck tighter and tighter as he spoke. The clone attempting to become free of his grasp and gasping for air until he was no longer moving, breathing, or alive. "They will have a fate worse than death." He dropped the clone's lifeless body on the floor. The armor molded to where the killer's fingers were. "Do I make myself clear?" He snarled at the other officers and clones. They looked into his yellow eyes with fear. Glowing, yellow eyes that were full of rage and mercilessness. No one spoke. Anakin couldn't believe what he had just witnessed. The ruthless leader of the army removed his hood as he faced them. "I will find who is responsible for exposing our base," His evil red and black horned face only frightening them more. "And any accomplices are certain to suffer the same fate," he said through bared teeth before stepping over the soldier he had just murdered.
As the army dispersed, Anakin's eyes crawled back to the trooper that he saw with the 'accessory' he saw before. I may be a spy, but I'm no traitor Anakin thought.
He followed the clone silently. Down several dark corridors and passageways. Finally, they hit a dead end.
"Hey!" Anakin shouted. The clone's attention was caught.
"Yes, Admiral?" the clone replied.
With ease, Anakin removed the tracking beacon from the armor of the clone and crushed it in his hand. He chuckled slightly. "So it wasn't luck that the Republic found this base, it was stupidity." Next thing he knew, the clone hit him in the temple with the butt of his laser carbine, then he bolted. Anakin ran after him. The clone began shooting him, Anakin didn't attempt to grab his lightsaber. He dodged and hurdled every blaster bolt the clone shot at him. However, it didn't stay that way. he was following the sight pattern of the clone's shooting tactics. Unfortunately, the clone caught on. While the clone was looking at his chest, his true goal was to shoot Anakin in the foot. Which is exactly what happened. Anakin fell to the ground unable to walk or break his cover. Now Anakin was groaning and struggling to get up. His foot causing excruciating pain, and his bloody nose wasn't helping either. The trooper grabbed Anakin by the collar and threw him against the wall of the tunnel. Anakin saw him raise his gun and swing his arms. Then black.
Did you catch the references? Who is the leader of the clone army? Review it!