Chapter Twenty-Six

"I'll be back before you know it," Anakin said as he held his wife close. "Before you even have a chance to miss me."

Padmé smiled. "I doubt that," she replied.

"Let me know how your doctor's appointment goes," he said. "I wish I could be with you for the first one."

"Oh there will be plenty more," she told him, looking up at him. "Just so long as you're there for the main event," she added.

"Wild banthas couldn't keep me from that," he assured her, kissing her on the brow. "Now I'd better go, Kenobi and I are meeting on Kamino in twelve hours."

"Be careful," she told him, taking his face in her hands.

Anakin nodded. "I will," he replied. "I'll see you in a couple of days."

"Okay," she said as he released her. She watched him as he walked down the landing platform towards his small one man fighter. A lump formed in her throat as she watched him climb in and wave to her one last time. She waved back, annoyed with herself for the tears that sprung to her eyes. "Stupid hormones," she muttered as she wiped her eyes as he lifted off and flew away.

Anakin made his way to the Richi Maze, beyond which was the planet Kamino. In his mind, he was forming a plan, one that he hoped he could pull off. Destroying the clone works was not going to be easy, not if he wanted to get out alive. As much as he hated to admit it, he was glad to have the Jedi with him.

It was raining heavily, as it always was, when Anakin set his fighter down in Tipoca City. Rain was something that he had never grown quite accustomed too, particularly when it was coming down in torrents as it was here. Yanking up his hood, Anakin raced for the doorway that lead into the enormous city complex. The doors slid open, allowing him entry, and Anakin was grateful for the warmth of the interior.

"Large weather we're having."

Anakin turned to see Obi-Wan Kenobi standing before him. Judging by the wetness of him, he had only just arrived as well.

"Do they know you're here yet?" Anakin asked as he pushed the wet hair from his eyes.

"I think so," Obi-Wan replied, noticing a tall willowy figure walking towards them "In fact, if I'm not mistaken, here comes the welcoming committee right now."

"Welcome to Kamino," the tall female alien greeted them as she arrived where they stood. "I am Taun We. We were beginning to think you weren't coming after all this time!"

Anakin and Obi-Wan exchanged a quick look.

"Now, gentlemen, right this way," she said and turned to leave. The two men followed her down the brightly lit corridor that was strangely devoid of any other life forms.

"Prime Minister," the alien announced as she lead the men into an office. "May I present Masters….."

"Obi-Wan Kenobi," Kenobi spoke up at last. "And my padawan learner, Anakin."

Anakin gave Obi-Wan a hard look, but said nothing, knowing better than to blow their cover.

"Welcome, gentlemen," the prime minister said as two seats descended from the ceiling. "Please, sit down. I trust you are going to enjoy your stay. We are most happy you have arrived at the best part of the season."

This is the best part? Anakin mused. Obi-Wan turned to him, hearing his unspoken words.

"You make us feel most welcome, Prime Minster," Obi-Wan responded gracefully.

"And now to business. You will be delighted to hear we are on schedule," Lama Su reported. "Two hundred thousand units are ready, with another million well on the way."

"That is... good news," Anakin improvised.

"Please tell your Master Sifo-Dyas that we have every confidence his order will be met on time and in full. He is well, I hope?" the Prime Minister continued.

"I'm sorry Master …" Obi-Wan queried.

"Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas," Lamu Su repeated. "He's stilla leading member of the Jedi Council, is he not?"

"Oh, yes. Sifo-Dyas," Anakin said, nodding his head. "Fine man."

Obi-Wan looked at him sideways.

"You must be anxious to inspect the units for yourself," Lamu Su said, standing up.

"That's why we're here," Anakin replied with a smile. Obi-Wan was beginning to think he'd created a monster.

"Come in, Senator Amidala," Celes Ruana said as Padmé stood up. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

"I wasn't waiting long," Padme replied.

"Good," the obstetrician replied. "Now what can I do for you today?"

"Well, I'm pregnant, and I thought it was about time I came," Padmé replied.

Dr. Ruana nodded. "I see," she replied. "Congratulations. May I ask how you know this?"

"I did a home pregnancy test," Padme replied, not thinking it prudent to mention that her Force sensitive husband knew from the moment of conception that she was pregnant. "And I've missed a period."

"Good indications," the doctor replied with a smile. "Let's do a blood test just to be sure though, okay?"

"Very well," Padmé replied, rolling up her sleeve. If you insist.

Anakin and Obi-Wan followed Lamu Su onto an enormous balcony that overlooked a huge parade ground. Below them thousands of clones were marching and practicing handlings of weapons. The sight was an awesome, even terrifying one.

"Magnificent, aren't they?" Lama Su stated proudly.

"Indeed," Obi-Wan replied.

"We modified their genetic structure to make them less independent than the original host," the Prime Minister went on to explain as they continued their tour of the facility. "As a result they are totally obedient, taking any order without question."

"Who was the original host?" Anakin asked.

"A bounty hunter called Jango Fett," Lamu Su replied. "We felt a Jedi would be the perfect choice, but Sifo-Dyas hand-picked Jango Fett himself. We usually keep him here, but he hasn't been seen in a few weeks. I do hope nothing has befallen him."

Anakin looked at Obi-Wan knowingly. "Yes, that would be a shame," he said.

"Clones are immensely superior to droids," Lama Su commented, still feeling compelled to pitch his product. "They are capable of independent thought and action."

"Very impressive," Obi-Wan commented.

"I'd hoped you would be pleased," Lamu Sum replied with a smile.

Obi-Wan gazed at the nearest embryos. "Tell me, prime minister," he began tentatively. "When my Master Sifo-dyas first contacted you, did he say the order was for... himself... or?"

"Himself? Of course not," Lamu Su replied tersely. "This army is for the Republic!"

"The Republic?" Obi-Wan asked in astonishment, glancing at Anakin.

Lamu Su nodded. "We are also very much against this secessionist movement. We are proud to be of help to the Republic."

Anakin merely nodded in agreement, realizing that this man had been used as much as he had in Palpatine's master plan. Lama Su honestly believed that what he had created was for the good of the Republic.

"You must be tired after your long journey," Lama Su commented. "Taun We will show you to accommodations for the night."

"Thank you, Prime Minister," Obi-Wan replied with a bow. "We are most grateful."

"I've written down a number of suggestions for dietary considerations," Dr. Ruana said, handing Padmé a datapad. "Be sure to go easy on yourself, the first trimester is always the most delicate."

Padmé nodded. "Anything I can do about morning sickness?"

Ruana smiled. "Not a lot," she said. "Just try to eat. I know you won't always feel like it, but having an empty stomach only makes you feel worse."

"I understand," Padmé replied. "Thank you, Doctor."

"We'll see you in two months' time," Ruana said. "Take care of yourself."

"I will," Padmé replied. "Thanks for everything."

"Thank you very much," Obi-Wan said as Taun We showed him and Anakin into a small suite. "We appreciate your kindness."

"My pleasure, Master Kenobi," Taun We replied with a smile before she left them.

Anakin looked around, and then moved swiftly to check the room over. Finally, satisfied, he sat down. "It's clean," he told Kenobi.

"Good," Obi-Wan said, taking out his comlink. "Arfour, relay this, scramble code five, to Coruscant, care of the old folks home."

Anakin sat and watched as Obi-Wan reported back to the Jedi Council of their findings. Both Yoda and Mace Windu were perplexed with what they had discovered.

"I've never heard of a Jedi called Sifo-Dyas, have you, Master?" Obi-Wan asked.

"No," Windu replied. "Whoever placed that order was not a Jedi, I can assure you."

"I think we know who placed the order," Anakin spoke up.

Mace Windu nodded. "Yes, we do indeed. Have you found a way?"
"Not yet," Obi-Wan replied. "But rest assured, Master, we will get it done."

"Senator Organa feels that the vote will be taken soon for the formation of the army," Windu informed them. "Time is of the essence, Obi-Wan."

"The vote will be a waste of time," Anakin said. "The army will be destroyed before they can make the motion."

"We hope so, Anakin," Yoda said. "Act carefully, you must."

"We will," Obi-Wan assured him. "And let you know as soon as we have accomplished our mission."

"Very well," Windu replied. "We will wait for your transmission."

Obi-Wan turned off his comlink and sat down. "Any ideas?" he asked Anakin.

Anakin nodded. "A few, yeah. The key is to locate the primary energy source. An explosion there should have a chain reaction on the entire facility. Plus we can make it look like a malfunction, so they don't suspect us. It's foolproof."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Let us hope so," he replied. He stroked his beard thoughtfully. "I hope we can do this with the minimum of life lost," he said.

"Sometimes lives have to be sacrificed in order to save others," Anakin replied. "If this army were to be unleashed up on the galaxy…"

"Yes, I've thought of that as well," Obi-Wan conceded. "Still, it does seem wrong to kill thousands of beings who have not done anything wrong."

"Yet," Anakin added. "Not yet they haven't. But rest assured, they will. Once Palpatine has them under his control, they will be the scourge of the galaxy. You saw the way they were handling those weapons; they're killing machines."

"I know Anakin," Obi-Wan replied. "Padmé is largely responsible for the delay in their formation. She was worked ceaselessly to oppose this army."

Anakin nodded, not liking the way Kenobi used his wife's first name with such familiarity. "She is a wise woman," he commented.

"She is indeed," Obi-Wan replied. He stood up and yawned. "I'm beat," he said. "We ought to get a good sleep if we are to affect our plan tomorrow."

"I agree," Anakin said. "I'm just going to contact Padmé before I turn in."

"Very well," Obi-Wan replied. "Good night."

"Good night." Anakin activated his comlink, instructing his own Artoo unit to contact Padmé in their home on Coruscant. He waited for a moment or two, and then her sleepy form appeared.

"Hi there beautiful," he said. "Did I wake you up?"

"Uh huh," she yawned. "But that's okay. It's good to see you. How are things going?"

"Pretty much as planned," he replied. "The army is massive, Padmé; in the millions."

At this Padmé became completely alert. "What are you going to do?"

"Destroy them," Anakin told her. "Destroy the facility. It's the only thing we can do. As you said, the fate of the galaxy rides on it."

Padmé sighed. "Yes, I suppose it does. Be careful, Ani," she said. "I hate this."

Anakin smiled grimly. "I know," he said. "I love you, Angel. Go back to sleep now. I'll see you soon."

"I love you too," she replied. "Good night."

Both Anakin and Obi-Wan awoke early the next morning, neither of them able to sleep much. The anxiety they felt about the mission was too much to allow them much in the way of rest.

Anakin had an added concern on his mind; namely, his wife. Being away from Padmé for even a short time made him anxious, for he was unable to trust that Palpatine had not seen through their ruse. Still, the house was well protected, and she was never alone; so why are you so worried?

"Good morning gentlemen," Taun We said as she met them a short time later. "I trust you slept well."

"Yes, thank you," Obi-Wan replied. "I was wondering if we might be permitted so visit the power station controlling the facility," he said, subtly manipulating the alien's mind with the Force. "We are most curious about how such an enormous facility is powered."

Taun We hesitated before responding. "I…of course, Master Kenobi," she said at last. "I'd be most happy to show you our generating center."

"Splendid," Kenobi smiled, looking at Anakin. As much as he hated to admit it, Anakin was impressed with the Jedi's ability to control the woman's mind. Palpatine had always spoken so contemptuously of the Jedi, making Anakin believe their powers to be vastly inferior to the Sith; Anakin had to wonder now if that were true.

The power generation center was massive, and located centrally in the core of the facility. Manned by several fully grown clones, it was a complex, impressive display of engineering and design.

"The central power generator is located here," Taun We said, indicating a large reactor shielded with a force field.

"Nuclear?" Anakin asked.

"Yes," Taun We replied. "This facility generates enough energy to power the entire foundry."

"Impressive," Obi-Wan remarked. "Very impressive."

"So what happens in the event of a failure in the reactor?" Anakin asked.

"Such a thing has never happened," Taun We replied. "But should for some reason an incident occur, the entire core would be shut down to prevent the destruction of the facility."

Anakin nodded, not surprised that they would be taking such precautions. Nuclear power was known to be as volatile as it was efficient. Which may just work to our advantage.

"Thank you, Taun We," Obi-Wan said, always impeccably well mannered. "We won't take up any more of your time. Would it be acceptable if we were to stay and ask these technicians a few more questions?" he asked.
"Of course," she replied, charmed by Kenobi's manners and dazzling smile. "Take as much time as you wish, Master Kenobi."

Kenobi bowed in response and then watched as Taun We sauntered away.

"You sure know how to pour it on thick, don't you?" Anakin remarked as the two men made an inspection of the controls.

Kenobi smiled. "It worked, didn't it?" he replied.

Anakin couldn't help but smile. "I suppose so," he admitted. Much to his utter astonishment, he found that he was actually starting to like Kenobi. He reminded him of Qui-Gon in many ways, in his gentle, calm manner, in his wry sense of humor and his dedication to the precepts of the living Force.

"So now what?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Perhaps the computer program that regulates the core is the solution," Anakin suggested. "If the program overloads, then it may result a meltdown."

"It may?" Obi-Wan remarked. "We have to be sure about this, Anakin. There won't be a second chance."

Anakin smiled. "Trust me," he said. "I know a little something about accidents too."

"I'm sure you do," Obi-Wan replied. "I assume you need a distraction," he added.

"That would be helpful, yes," Anakin replied.

"By all means," Obi-Wan responded with a slight bow. He clasped his hands behind his back as he strolled over to the far side of the control room. Quite deliberately he started touching switches in an attempt to attract the attention of the technicians. It worked.

"So what is this the control for?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Sir, please don't touch that one," one of the clones cautioned. "Here, let me show you how this works."

Anakin moved his way over to the computer terminal that regulated the core. Surreptitiously he examined it, determining the best manner to proceed. He glanced up at Obi-Wan who was effectively distracting the technicians. Using the Force, Anakin altered the power input, increasing it exponentially over the next several hours. The eventual result would be a power surge that would be too rapid to contain.

"I think perhaps we ought to consider leaving now, Master," Anakin said as he left the terminal. "And leave these men to their work."

"Are you sure?" Obi-Wan asked.

Anakin nodded. "Yes, quite sure. Besides, the Council is waiting to hear from us in another two hours or so, aren't they?"

Obi-Wan understood what Anakin was telling him, and nodded in response. "Yes, very true," he replied. "Thank you gentlemen," he said to the clones. "You've been most helpful."

Padmé forced herself to eat the lunch that the kitchen droid had set before her. Her appetite was diminishing the further into her pregnancy she was; yet she had learned from experience that an empty stomach was a bad thing. A very bad thing. And so she did her best to eat even a little whenever she could. She had taken to keeping soda crackers on the night stand beside the bed, and even had a few stashed in her handbag. Sola had assured her that the morning sickness would pass after the first trimester; but still, three months was an awfully long time to feel rotten.

"Milady, there is a message here for you from the Senate," the house protocol droid announced as it entered the dining room.

Padmé looked up as the droid handed her a datapad. She activated it, setting down her fork as she read the contents. "Oh no," she said softly. "The vote…"

It had been Padmé's hope that the issue of the formation of a Republican Army had been laid to rest for the time being; but now a vote had been called first thing the next morning. Padmé had told Anakin that she would not go near the Senate Chambers in his absence; but how could she be absent for this? She had worked over a year to defeat this bill; surely she ought to be there when its fate was decided.

Surely Anakin will be home by the time this vote takes place, she thought to herself; surely he will be able to come with me. Padmé frowned, annoyed with herself for being so paranoid. She had never been afraid of anything in her life, so why now did the thought of being anywhere near Palpatine terrify her now? It's because of the twins, she told herself; it's because of Luke and Leia. Yet, insuring that the army creation act was defeated was for them as well, wasn't it? To insure that they were not born into a galaxy ravaged by war? To protect their future? Finally a thought struck her that set her mind at ease; the Jedi would be there as well. With the Jedi present, she would be well protected.

"Is there anything else I can get for you, Lady Vader?"

Padmé looked up to see the kitchen droid standing beside the table. "Yes," she said. "Another glass of milk, a big one."

"Right away, milady."

Anakin and Obi-Wan lifted off of Kamino within an hour of the sabotage. Monitoring the core from the safety of space, they watched as the time bomb they had created through the power of computer technology.

"It's working perfectly, Anakin," Obi-Wan said over the subspace comm..

"So it seems," Anakin said. "I just hope no one is able to decipher the code I used."

"I have my doubts about that," Obi-Wan responded. "What will you tell Palpatine when you return to Coruscant?"

Anakin frowned, not having considered this. "I will tell him what a fantastic job the cloners have done," he said. "That's the truth."

"I suppose," Obi-Wan said, scanning over his messages quickly. He stopped when he saw one that caught his interest. "Anakin, Palpatine has called for a vote on the Army Creation Act," he said.

Anakin was silent for a moment, the anger swelling within him as rapidly as the power surge on the planet they had just left.

"He planned this," he said at last, "so that I would be away from the Capital when it happened."

Obi-Wan frowned. "Why?" he asked.

"To test Padmé," Anakin replied. "He knows she hates the idea of this army, and he also knows that she will not be able to stay away from a vote on it. Damn him," Anakin growled angrily, clenching his fists tightly. "I never should have left!"
"Anakin, we'll be back before the vote is cast," Obi-Wan assured him. "According to the message the Council sent, the vote is due to be taken at 1000, which isn't for another twelve hours."

Anakin breathed a sigh of relief. "I will go home to ensure that Padmé is okay," he said.

"Good idea," Obi-Wan said. "I will proceed to the Senate, as I'm certain the Council will be waiting the outcome of the vote."

Anakin watched his monitor as on the planet Kamino a nuclear explosion had just occurred, wiping out the entire cloning facility. "There is no army," he said. "Look at your monitor."

"I see it," Obi-Wan replied. "But Palpatine doesn't know this yet, so the vote will still be taken. And your wife will still be in danger."

Anakin frowned. "I know," he said quietly. "But not for long," he said, making the jump to hyperspace. Not for long…