It had taken Anakin and the ship's skipper, whose name was Orlin, two full days to get the ship up and running. In that time, Orlin revealed how he'd been stuck on the lower levels.
"I'm a special goods freighter, rare foods, exotic drinks, art, that kind of stuff. Anyway, I had just finished a run to Alderann picking up rare rajha grass fed nerf steaks for Senator Organa, taste of home I guess. Anyway, I'm on my way to Coruscant but I
have one more stop to make on my way back, small planet called Rann, unfortunately for me Rann had just been overran by the Seps, and the planet was blockaded, no trade the Seps told me. And, stupid me, I argue, so they chase me. Rann has a moon, nasty place it is. Its got an acidic atmosphere that will eat through any metal in a matter of days, electrical storms and hot enough to make Mustafar look like Alderann. The Seps have a bunch of vulture droids after me. So I dip into the lethal soup that Rann's moon calls an atmosphere. Now I'm just skimming the thing but I've got alarms going off as that devil of a moon tries to eat me. Just before I pull out of the deadly stuff, a lightning bolt hits me, shorting out my sensors, so now I blind beyond what my eyes are telling me. Fortunately my nav computer got the coordinates for Coruscant while I flying through hell,"
"Wow, sounds like you've had some close scrapes," Padmé said.
"That ain't the half of it, Mrs. Lars. Once I make the jump to hyperspace I'm feeling pretty good, can't really repair the sensors in hyperspace, but I'm headed for the one place in the Galaxy you can find just about any ship part you need, I'm not worried at this point, but by the Force I should've been,"
"You ran into the attack last week, didn't you?" Anakin asked as he finished connecting the new hyperdrive to the Rim Runner.
"Yeah, I did, since I didn't have any sensors I didn't realize it was a battle until it was way too late," Orlin said as he inspected Anakin's work. "Hey, that isn't too bad of work, when I made this deal I thought I'd be lucky to have you be competent, but, son, you are a genius when it comes to fixing ships. It would have taken me a month to get the old Runner ready to fly again. You folks ready to raise ship? Nothing holding us back now," Orlin said cheerfully.
"Lets go," Anakin said.
Obi-wan first checked Padmé's apartment, thinking she might have an idea where he was, but she was nowhere to be found. Obi-Wan searched out with the Force and picked up Anakin, then it was gone. So he's left the planet, where would he go? Obi-wan thought.
General Grievous waited for the Sith Lord in the bowels of Coruscant's abandoned industrial sector. He was growing impatient and was about to leave when Lord Sidious arrived.
"Welcome, General." Sidious said.
"I've been waiting most of today, Lord Sidious, my time is valuable,"
"Don't forget who your betters are Grievous," Sidious said, less kind than his first words had been.
"Bah, why have you called me here," Grievous said, coughing.
"Impatient, very well, I have called you here to seal a true alliance," Sidious said.
"What do you mean?" Grievous asked.
"First you need to understand that you will leave Coruscant alive only if you agree," Sidious said.
"What kind of 'alliance' is that? How is this going be different from our current relationship?" Grievous asked.
"Simple, you will fill part Count Dooku's true place," Sidious said.
"As your apprentice?" Grievous asked, desire creeping into his voice.
"Perhaps, if you prove yourself worthy of being Sith." Sidious said.
Grievous chuckled at the prospect of adding to the knowledge that Count Dooku began teaching, he had felt that the former Sith Lord had been holding back, here was proof, "I accept your terms, Master," Grievous said and then was taken down by blue bolts of dark power.
"You must earn the right to call me that," Sidious said, anger in his voice.
Grievous was in severe pain and it was a moment before he could speak, and for the first time in his life he feared the Sith. "Yes, my Lord. What would you have me do?"
"First you need information, this will take awhile," Sidious said, "First, Palpatine is under my control, and I wish him to be the first Galactic Emperor, for that to happen, the Jedi must be wiped out. To that effect they must be further dispersed throughout the Galaxy."
"But my Lord, our forces are stretched now, how am I do disperse them more?"
"With reserves. This," Sidious handed Grievous a data chip, "will tell you where to find them, end the Outer Rim sieges and attack the Mid Rim, that will force enough Jedi from the Capital, now go, carry out my instructions," Sidious said.