Part 19: Darkness upon the Horizon.
Padmé was not a suspicious woman by nature, but she knew what thoughts were passing through her Knight's mind as he walked with her back to the Temple. After Dex had left them to enjoy a free meal, Obi-Wan had moved to sit opposite her, and they indulged in one luxury which she had never expected to have, a date. There they were in the diner, not a Senator and a Jedi forming a political alliance, but Padmé and Obi-Wan, two beings very much in love, building on the foundations of a relationship ten years old, laying the ground work which would secure it for the future.
For once they had forgotten about politics, about the danger her life was in, as was his, just as much if not even more so. Instead they had talked about all the things which the comms between them over the years rarely included; their ideals, hopes, and dreams. Though it was not spoken, both of them knew already how things would stand between them after this mission was over. It was no longer a question of if, just a matter of when.
Nevertheless, she knew when Obi-Wan was plotting to protect her, and as she walked with him towards the Temple, their arms companionably linked with one another, she pinched the material of the brown cloak which hugged his compact toned form. "If you think I will sit idly by in your quarters at the Temple while you travel to Kamino, think again."
He did not even halt in surprise. "The Military Creation Act could be put to the Senate while you are absent," he pointed out calmly.
That caused her to pause, but only for a moment. "You fight, dirty, Master Jedi. However, so can I. This trip to Kamino may provide some insight as to what the Separatists are planning. If perhaps they plan something more than slowly persuading planet after planet to leave the Republic. As a member of the Senate and the Loyalist committee, I have a right to listen and witness those plans."
"Padmé, this trip will most likely bring me into direct contact with the bounty hunter hired to try and kill you," Obi-Wan replied, dropping all formality and political duelling. "I would be failing in my duty as a Jedi and as a man who loves you if I let you come with me."
She did come to a halt now, her grip on his arm pulling him, turning him to face her. "As you know, I am more than capable of defending myself. I am prepared to follow your orders once we arrive there, but I will be using every persuasion possible towards Master Yoda and Master Windu to come with you."
He gazed back her, equally resolute. "And if Yoda refuses, you will be staying here, make no mistake."
"If he refuses, I will," Padmé promised.
Obi-Wan sensed her sincerity in the Force, and raised her hands to his lips, bestowing a devout, discreet kiss before he continued to escort her towards the Temple.
"Where to this time?" she asked him as they entered the vast lobby once more.
"The hall of the Archives," he replied, letting go of her hands to fall into a formal pace beside her, as the mantle of their roles within the Republic became necessary to assume once more. She glanced at the Jedi who passed them, noting no surprise, and admiring them for the strength, the discipline they kept on their focus. If they had been walking down one of the corridors of the Senate, her colleagues would not be able to keep such composure. A part of her could not help feeling slightly disgusted by that revelation.
The negative emotion was entirely done away with by the time they entered the hall of the Archives. She had thought the entrance lobby vast, but this was far larger, with long columns of shelves seemingly stretching towards the heavens, embossed by pedestals on which were dark grey busts. To her surprise, she recognised the one Obi-Wan came to halt before, that of Count Dooku.
"What is he doing here?" she asked him softly.
"There is one for every member of the Lost Twenty," Obi-Wan explained. "A note of respect for the wisdom, for the Jedi, the Order has lost. He was Qui-Gon's master, you know, and Yoda's Padawan. No greater honour is accorded for a Jedi, to be trained through all their apprenticeship by the Grand Master of the Order. When Yoda declares an interest in a pupil, you know they must be special." he paused, considering, thoughtful. "I still wonder why he left. Despite his relationship with Qui-Gon he is something of a mystery to me. From his reputation he was one of the Old, a traditional duellist, yet a profound diplomat and pacifist. His loyalty used to be unquestionable."
"Do you know his reasons for leaving?" Padmé asked, intrigued by his description despite herself, and her suspicions about him being responsible for the threats against her.
"He said to Master Yoda that he disagreed the Jedi's position within the Republic. How deep our loyalty is to the Senate, and whether we could trust that said loyalty went both ways. I know it is a sentiment many have come to share, including myself at times."
Padmé nodded, silently agreeing. "Come on, lets research Kamino," she proposed, anxious now to reach the end of this disagreeable business.
"I think you could spend days in here," Obi-Wan mused, sensing her almost childlike eagerness and awe at the vast amount of information the Jedi archived.
"You know me so well," she replied as he led her to a nearby console table, pulling out the chair for her. She entered the name of the planet on to the screen, and they waited for the mechanical mind to pull up the appropriate information.
They were both surprised however, when the computer announced that according to it's records, Kamino did not exist.
Obi-Wan's next stop, after consulting with the venerable mistress of the archives and receiving the same result as the search on the computer, took Padmé by surprise. Of all the places within the Temple, a classroom full of younglings was not one she had expected to visit. The sight of small children in miniature desert robes caused her to smile, an expression which was almost stolen by the helmets they wore and the small lightsabers they wielded. She had no idea combat training started this young. Even on Naboo, with its emphasis that children were just a capable as adults, the youth apprenticing to a career from an early age, this dedication would seem disturbing.
Yet Obi-Wan was smiling, a genuine smile, full of fond remembrance as they walked towards the Master who presided over this lesson. Padmé felt herself relax as she realised that this must have been how he learned, and he was the humblest, gentlest Jedi she believed the Order had ever produced.
"Don't think... feel," the Master was saying, his distinctive voice easily recognisable. "Be as one with the Force. Help you, it will."
Yoda turned round as Obi-Wan came to a halt before him. "Younglings enough, visitors we have. Master Kenobi and Senator Amidala."
In unison the younglings closed down their lightsabers and raised the visors of their helmets. "Welcome, Master Kenobi. Welcome Senator Amidala."
"Hello, younglings," Obi-Wan returned, his voice warm and deep, causing them all to smile and relax. "I'm sorry to disturb you, Master, but I have need of your assistance."
"What help to you can I be?" Yoda asked.
"I'm looking for a planet described to me by an old friend," Obi-Wan replied. "I trust him and the information he provided, but the system doesn't show up on the archive maps."
"An interesting puzzle," Yoda mused. "Lost a planet, Master Obi-Wan has. How embarrassing, how embarrassing."
The younglings chuckled, as he intended. "Gather younglings, around the map reader. Clear your minds, and find Obi-Wan's wayward planet, we will."
Obi-Wan placed the hologlobe he had been carrying from the Archives on to the small stand of the map reader, and the device activated it, displaying the known universe around the room, the small specks of light which represented systems and stars clustering all around them.
He paused, smiling as the youngsters worked through their excitement at the sight of the display, as Padmé visibly restrained herself from reaching out to touch the speck which represented Naboo. Then he walked further into the display, towards the cluster which symbolised the Rishi Maze.
"This is where it ought to be," he remarked, gesturing at the space twelve parsecs away with his fingers. "Gravity is pulling all the stars in this area inward to this spot. There should be a star there, but there isn't."
"Most interesting," Yoda mused. "Gravity's silhouette remains, but the star and all its planets have disappeared. How can this be? An answer? A thought? Anyone?"
Obi-Wan was not surprised that the venerable old Master had addressed such inquiries towards the younglings. It was an old truism of the Order that you never stopped learning as a Jedi, that youth had as much to teach as age and experience did. Masters learned as much from their apprentices as the Padawans did from them.
A hand went up from one of the youngsters. "Because someone erased it from the archive memory, Master," the boy answered. With his blond cropped hair and wide eyes, the boy almost reminded Obi-Wan of Anakin, as he once encountered him on Tatooine all those years ago.
Yoda grinned. "Truly wonderful the mind of a child is. Uncluttered. The data must have been erased."
With the use of the Force Obi-Wan deactivated the map reader, calling the hologlobe back to his hand. The stars disappeared, leaving the room cloaked in darkness, a suitable atmosphere for the rest of their discussion.
"To the centre of gravity's pull go, and find your planet you will," Yoda decided.
"But, Master Yoda, who could have erase information from the archives?" Obi-Wan asked. "That's impossible, isn't it?"
"Dangerous and disturbing this puzzle is," Yoda replied. "Only a Jedi could have erased those files. But who, and why, harder to answer. Meditate on this, I will. May the Force be with both of you."
Obi-Wan raised his eyes at the slight change to the customary farewell. "You're not going to even try and persuade her to stay here?"
"No try there is, Master Obi-Wan," Yoda reminded him. "Only do or do not. Sense in the Force I do that Senator Amidala you will need. Important, you both are."
"Thank you, Master Yoda," Padmé replied.
Obi-Wan bowed before the grand Jedi, then exited the room.
"I'm having doubts that leaving Jar Jar in charge of my Senate duties was such a good idea," Padmé confessed as they came out of hyperspace.
"I did think you would rely on a decoy," Obi-Wan admitted from his seat in front of her in the cockpit of the Delta Twelve Skysprite.
"After what happened to Cordé I didn't want to risk loosing another," Padmé replied. "They have become my closest friends since I was elected."
He did not know what to say to that which had not already been said, so he settled for changing the subject. "There it is, right where it should be. Our missing planet, Kamino."
Padmé looked at it through the view of the triangular plasteel which covered the cockpit, while between them R2D2 beeped curiously, a translation appearing on their computer screens.
"I have no idea who might have altered the files," Obi-Wan replied to the droid. "Maybe we will find some answers down there. Disengage the hyperspace ring."
R2 complied, and Obi-Wan flew the ship into the atmosphere of Kamino, revealing a planet with no natural landscape. Ocean covered the surface mantle entire, while clouds dominated the skyline. A transmission penetrated their communications, asking for identification, and he activated the signal beacon, sending the appropriate files which were required in rely. Minutes later another transmission was sent to them, directing them to landing coordinates in Tipoca City.
The closer Obi-Wan flew towards the water, the rougher the ride got, unconsciously resulting in a display of his flying skills. His apprentice was a natural pilot, but the Master was by no means incompetent, indeed he was far from it, navigating the stormy planet with ease and confidence of talent combined with training. Performing a flyby of the artificially constructed cityscape the Senator and Jedi surveyed the world which might hold the answer as to who was behind the attempted assassination of her, possibly more, if the implication of such a planet being deleted from the Jedi archives was taken into consideration.
Landing the craft of the designated pad, Obi-Wan powered down the ship before lifting his cloak over his head, noting the rain which continuously fell to the ground outside. Padmé followed suit, a white cowl to match her skin tight combat suit, something which the Jedi Knight employed tremendous restraint not to stare at, or touch ever since he saw her in it when she emerged from his room in the quarters at the Temple after changing for this mission.
Disembarking from the Delta Twelve, they darted across the permacrete towards the plasteel door which slid back to let them inside the building.
"Master Jedi, Senator, so good to see you," said voice from the white light brilliancy of the entrance lobby.
Obi-Wan and Padmé lowered their cowls which turned out to be useless protection from the elements, causing them to wipe the water from their faces before they could properly focus on the extraordinary being who greeted them so kindly.
"I am Taun We," she continued. "The Prime Minister expects you."
Obi-Wan frowned before partly echoing her words in response. "We're expected?"
Taun We inclined her head. "Of course. Lama Su is anxious to see you. After all these years we were beginning to think you weren't coming. Now please, this way."
With one of her long thin arms she gestured toward the corridor ahead of them. Keeping their questions to themselves, Obi-Wan and Padmé followed her, their keen eyes taking in everything which their sense were confronted with.
Reaching a large door, Taun We motioned the barrier to slide back, revealing a large white room, in which the Prime Minister was revealed, rising from a large oval shaped chair that appeared to be attached to the ceiling. "May I present Lama Su, Prime Minister of Kamino. And these are Master Jedi..."
Obi-Wan caught the question before it could be aired and bowed, smoothing away the unintentional offence. Though they were expected, clearly their names were still a mystery, just as this entire planet and its secrets were a mystery to him and Padmé. "Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Senator Padmé Amidala."
"I trust that you are going to enjoy your stay," Lama Su remarked after indicating for them to take a seat, to which they acquiesced. "We are most happy that you have arrived at the best part of the season."
"You make us feel most welcome," Obi-Wan returned, and Padmé held back her smile, having come to know his diplomatic tone well over the years of their acquaintance. She loved the rainstorms on Naboo, she would spend hours out in them at Varykino, savouring the feel of their temperate moisture on her skin, but the storms on Kamino would make everyone seek a dryer climate. She glanced at her protector, noting the way the moisture caused his hair to sleek back over his head, longing to run her fingers through it.
"And now to business," Lama Su added. "You will be delighted to hear that we are on schedule. Two hundred thousand units are ready with another million well on the way."
Deducing what the word unit meant was all too easy, thanks to what information Dex had given them. What troubled Obi-Wan more was the implication that someone had ordered them in their name. "That is good news."
"We thought you would be pleased," Lama Su remarked.
"Of course," Obi-Wan returned.
"Please tell your Master Sifo-Dyas that we have every confidence his order will be met, on time and in full," Lama Su continued. "He is well, I hope."
Master Sifo-Dyas was far from well, in fact he was dead, but Obi-Wan could hardly reveal such information. "He is well, Prime Minister, but busy. Knowing we were in the area, he asked us to visit and check in with you."
"You may tell him that he should be proud of the army of clones we have build for him and the Republic," Lama Su remarked.
This almost brought the both of them to exclaiming 'the Republic!' but discipline and diplomacy restrained them from voicing such incredulity out loud. The implications were astounding. An entire army of clones ordered ten years ago, the first units conveniently finished in time for the debate over the Military Creation Act in the Senate? Whoever placed the order, and Obi-Wan did not believe for a moment that it was Master Sifo-Dyas, must have created a plan insidious and detailed, calculated for everything to unfold precisely. But for what purpose? To lead the Republic into a civil war? He did not understand what rewards such chaos would achieve, not for the Sith, not for anyone.
"You must be anxious to inspect the units," Lama Su remarked.
"That's why we're here," Obi-Wan replied.
Lama Su rose from her chair, causing Obi-Wan and Padmé to follow suit. "Allow me to take you on a tour."
Padmé matched her pace with her protector, choosing the right moment to lean into him and ask the question which had bothered her ever since the name was first mentioned. "What happened to Master Sifo-Dyas?"
With his gaze fixed on their host, Obi-Wan chose the right moment to reply. "He was killed over ten years ago. Who it ever was who ordered this army, it was not a Jedi Council Master, or Yoda would have warned me before we left."
Padmé acknowledged that piece of information with a nod. Inside her mind was screaming. The pockets of frustration at the constant stalemates in the Senate were finally overflowing into anger, pure in the extreme. Self-contained however, for the small part of her which thrived on rationale had no desire to let the emotion consume her entirely, nor did she wish for Obi-Wan to feel it, though with his strength in the Force, he was probably no stranger to it, in fact she suspected that he was experiencing such emotions himself as he gazed at the clones Lama Su was proudly showing them.
All for nothing. Ten years spent keeping the Republic at peace and it was all for nothing. While she and the few remaining uncorrupted Senators fought for peace and unity, someone had been quietly working to send the Republic into civil war. Her efforts were useless, noble at best, but a waste of time. If she had known when she was Queen what she knew now, she might have stood a chance to stop this, but even as her mind contemplated that possibility, her rationale realised it was an idealistic hope, born out of guilt that her actions contributed to the future the Republic was facing now. Too late. Everything was being discovered too late to prevent it from occurring. She was fighting a certain defeat and as she realised that, her actions no longer seemed noble.
"Would it be possible to have access to the schematics of the methods you have used to design these clones?" She asked Lama Su, aware that her voice was quavering from the turmoil within her mind, hoping their guides would not detect it. "I would like to see what behavioural makeup you have given them, among other things."
"I would be happy to provide such information for you," Taun We answered.
"Thank you," She remarked, before falling into silent contemplation, wondering what more disturbing revelations she might learn from studying such information.
Obi-Wan clasped her hand, the simple gesture sending waves of comfort to her from within the Force. Padmé marvelled at his optimism even as she realised he was feeling the same conflict as herself. Ironically that empathy gave her and himself the strength to see this through. The clone army was not the only thing they had come to Kamino to investigate after all; it still remained to be seen if her assassin was hiding on the planet too. If he was connected to this decade old scheme, he or whoever hired him could prove to be the weak link in this intricate chain.
Conversation eventually led to that. After she and Obi-Wan had asked the usual questions expected of their inspection and received disturbingly impressive answers, the Jedi asked about the original.
"A bounty hunter named Jango Fett," Lama Su answered. "We felt a Jedi would be the perfect choice, but Sifo-Dyas hand picked Jango himself."
The notion of an army of Jedi clones floored Obi-Wan so much that Padmé felt the shock pass through his physical connection to her.
"Where is this bounty hunter now?" He asked.
"He lives here," Lama Su replied. "But he's free to come and go as he pleases. Apart from his pay, which is considerable, Fett demanded only one thing, an unaltered clone for himself."
"We would very much like to meet this Jango Fett," Obi-Wan remarked, a thought as well as a request.
"I would be most happy to arrange it for you," Taun We assured them.
By this time they had reached the end of the parade style corridor, which opened into a wide viewing platform. When they reached the edge, they discovered the sight below; row upon row of clones, clad in white armour plating, faceless, anonymous. The perfect army for any mode of attack.
Or invasion. For as Obi-Wan and Padmé forced their gaze upon the disturbing parade, seeing every clone march in perfect step with each other, they were not just seeing these finished units. They were seeing the droid army that invaded Naboo; marching across docking bays and green lush fields. A vision of the future swam before their eyes; the clones parading in the streets of Coruscant, overseen by members of the Senate, approaching their spaceships whilst above the sky slowly surrendered to the darkness.
Senator and Jedi were powerless to prevent it.