Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars.
AN: Here's chapter 50! Wow, fifty chapters! Thanks for all the great reviews!
Forever Destined
Chapter 50: Padme's Battle
That morning, Zia arrived at the Temple where Yoda, Mace, Qui-Gon, and Dooku gathered.
"I finally found what we need," Zia said, as she switched the datapad on. All four Jedi Masters looked at the screen in disbelief.
"This is the real verdict," Zia stated.
"Then this proves not only Anakin's innocence, but Tarkin's involvement," Mace said.
"Yes, unfortunately, it looks like Palpatine has kept his hands clean. However, I found something else and I'm not exactly sure of its purpose or relevance," Zia said, as she flipped to the last file. The hologram of the circular, unknown structure appeared.
"It appears to be a design of some sort," Qui-Gon said.
"We need to have an engineer look at it. These formulas are complicated. Anakin could probably decipher some of them, but for now, I will send a copy to an engineer I know on Serenno. He can tell us more about it, I'm sure," Dooku said.
"What do we do about Tarkin?" Mace asked. Qui-Gon and Dooku stood up.
"Let's bring the good General in for a little interrogation party," Dooku said, as he and Qui-Gon set out to intercept Tarkin at his residence before he could leave for the Senate...
Padme clipped a couple barrettes in her now shorter hair and stepped to the window. It had started out sunny, but was now clouding over.
"Well, looks like we won't be going to the beach today, babies," Padme said, as she smoothed her yellow sun dress that had a scoop collar and came down to her knees. Luke and Leia played on the floor with their toys and she sat down beside them, just as Anakin came out of the fresher. He buckled his pants and rubbed the towel through his damp hair. Padme smiled at him and took out a clean tunic for him.
"Thanks angel," he said, as he put the shirt on and tossed the towel into the hamper.
"Ready for breakfast, angels?" Padme asked, as she lifted Luke into her arms.
"Bewies, mama," Luke babbled.
"I'm sure Neela has berries for you both," Padme told him. Anakin picked Leia up and they walked outside their room. But Artoo stopped them with a shrill warning. Anakin looked at the translator on his belt and paled slightly.
"Ani, what is it?" Padme asked.
"Governor Danae and several Clone Troopers are downstairs," Anakin said.
"What are we going to do?" she asked. He handed Leia to her and plucked his light saber from its hidden holster on his leg.
"Go back inside the room," he said
"Be careful," she called to him, as she locked herself and the twins back inside their room with Threepio. Artoo maintained his watch of the door, as Anakin quietly crept down the stairs...
"Can I help you sir?" Neela asked from behind the counter.
"Yes, you can tell me where these two are," he said, as he held up the holo.
"Sorry, I've never seen them before," Neela replied.
"And I think you're lying," Danae said, as six Clone Troopers filed into the small area.
"Tell me where they are!" Senator Danae demanded fiercely.
"What's going on here?" Jac roared, as he came in from the back.
"You both have ten seconds to tell me where they are, before I order my troops to shoot you!" Danae yelled.
"Neela, Jac, get down!" Anakin called, as his light saber blazed to life. Jac and Neela ducked behind the bar, as the Clone Troopers began firing at him. He blocked every blast and made his way toward Governor Danae. But a man he'd seen around the resort blocked his way.
"Thank you Zeel. You'll find a bonus in addition to the price agreed upon," Danae said. Zeel drew a long silver blade that Anakin recognized as Malastarian durasteel, the strongest metal in the galaxy. Anakin's saber clashed with the Bounty Hunter's and the duel began. Anakin found himself surrounded by Clone Troopers and a skilled Bounty Hunter. And it killed him inside that he could not stop Danae from ascending the stairs.
Artoo let out a shrill warning and began stomping, as Danae approached. Artoo's electronic hand came out and he shocked the man with his plasma ray. Danae yelped in pain and shot Artoo with his blaster, which was set to stun. Artoo shrilled loudly, as he was thrown into the far wall and short circuited. Danae drew another blaster from his belt and melted the lock. He holstered his weapons and pried the door open. As he entered, Padme busted a lamp over his head. He growled in pain and Padme screamed, as he grabbed her around the waist and tackled her to the floor.
"Mama! Mama!" the twins screamed and sobbed from their cribs. Padme kicked him with her feet and he backhanded her face hard, causing her to yelp in pain. She shoved her feet into his groin and he cried out, as she pushed him off and scrambled to her feet.
"Oh my, Miss Padme!" Threepio cried.
"Stay with the twins, Threepio!" Padme panted, as she scrambled to her travel case in search of her blaster. Danae drew his own and shot her with the stun ray, before she could reach the blaster. Padme cried out, before she fell to the floor; unconscious.
"Oh my, please don't harm the children!" Threepio cried, as he stood in front of them.
"Stay where you are tin can," Senator Danae yelled, as he threw Padme's unconscious form over his shoulder and stalked out of the room.
Dark storm clouds had rolled in and opened up with a fury on the tiny island, indicating that the storm that had been brewing was here. Thunder roared through the blackened sky and lightning flashed violently. It poured rain in sheets down on Anakin, as he fought the skilled Bounty Hunter with fury, blocking his ferocious, calculating strikes. Anakin lunged at Zeel in a series of furious slashes and strikes. His concentration was shattered when he spotted Senator Danae coming down the steps with his unconscious wife. He tried running after him, as he headed for the docks, but the Clone Troopers blocked his path with blaster fire, in which he blocked with his saber.
"Say goodbye, because you'll never see her again," Zeel taunted. Anakin clenched his teeth.
"That's what you think," Anakin said, as he parried another slash. Anakin knew it was dangerous to travel the seas with weather like this and that bastard had just put his angel on a boast and went straight into the storm. He had to go after her and now, before Danae ended up killing her with his stupidity. Anakin felt that mystical power coursing through his veins just like the day on Corellia. He was no longer leery of it, but rather embraced it until his whole body was tingling with the light side powers.
"What the..." Zeel uttered, as Anakin saber suddenly blazed white, nearly blinding him. Zeel jumped back in astonishment, as Anakin opened his eyes, revealing that his eyes had suddenly changed to a darker, but bright cobalt blue.
"What the hell are you?" Zeel asked.
"No one will take her from me," Anakin stated in a low voice, as he now seemed unaffected by the heavy rain pelting down on them. Zeel yelped in surprised, as his blade was pulled from his hand. He watched in absolute disbelief, as an unseen Force bent the blade into an arc. He could scarcely believe his eyes, as the blade was made of the strongest durasteel in the galaxy, hardened in the very volcanos of Malastare and therefore constructed to withstand the heat of a hundred light sabers. But this one young man was bending it like a brittle twig. It finally snapped and shattered into pieces. He watched in horror, as the blasters were plucked from the Clone Troopers hands and cried out in surprise, as each weapon was crushed and bent until it was completely useless. Zeel turned back to the young man and screamed in terror, as the young Jedi advanced on him. Anakin drove his blade, lit with the white flames of the Force, through the Bounty Hunter's chest. The unfortunate man exploded into nothingness and only ashes remained. Anakin turned to the startled Clone Troopers with a glare.
"You have a choice. You can share his fate or stand down," Anakin said. The Clone Troopers did not move and Anakin extinguished his saber.
"Good choice. You'll remain here until the storm clears and then you will return to Coruscant," Anakin said, as he walked to the counter.
"Neela, the twins are probably terrified. Can you go care for them until I return with Padme?" he asked.
"You don't worry about the little ones. You just concentrate on bringing their mommy back. I'll care for them," she replied.
"Son, I just got word on the comm station about the storm. It's a level four hurricane out there and that damned fool is heading right into it!" Jac exclaimed.
"A storm like that will rip right through that boat. I need to go after them!" Anakin exclaimed.
"You'll never make it in a boat. We'll take the air speeder and then I can lower you onto his boat," Jac said.
"Thanks Jac," Anakin said, as he followed Jac out back.
Padme whimpered, as she slowly opened her eyes and felt pain in her wrists. She soon found that her wrists were bound tightly with twine to a beam above her head. She quickly deduced that she was on a boat, below in the cabin area, as she could hear the engines roaring. The boat shuddered violently, tossing her about and causing the twine to cut into her already bleeding wrists. The ship lurched again and tossed her against the wall, snapping one strand of the twine. Padme looked hopeful and began pulling hard on the bonds, despite the pain and blood.
"Save your energy, my dear. You will not escape me again," Danae said, as he came down the steps. He was soaked and Padme glared at him.
"You're crazy! You're going to get us both killed in this storm!" Padme spat.
"Don't worry yourself about the storm. Soon, we'll be on my ship and away from this mud ball. And...you will be made to learn your place," Senator Danae said, as he lifted her chin with his hand.
"Such exquisite beauty. You are a fitting prize for a man of my stature and power," he said, as he stepped closer in an attempt to press against her. Padme struggled, but he succeeded in pulling her against him.
"I'm not a prize and you will take your hands off me!" Padme screamed. He chuckled evilly.
"Such fire...I will greatly enjoy breaking you," he said, as he began kissing her neck. Padme felt nauseous and she kneed him hard in the groin.
"Get off me!" she screamed, as he cried out in pain.
"Blast you!" he screamed, as he grabbed her around the waist. The ship lurched violently and tipped sharply. It threw Padme's captor into the other wall and the twine around her wrists snapped free. She pulled the twine off and suddenly noticed water at their feet. Realizing it was only a matter of time before the storm destroyed the boat, she scrambled to the stairs. Danae lunged at her, tackling her, as she tried to get up the steps.
"Please! We have to turn around! This storm is going to sink the ship!" Padme cried.
"Then I hope you can swim, my dear," he yelled.
"You're going to get us both killed!" Padme pleaded. She angrily thrust her elbow into his chest, loosening his hold, as it knocked the wind from him. She pulled herself out from under him and then stood up. She kicked the former Governor in the face several times, before scrambling up on deck. The force of the wind and rain nearly knocked her over and she grabbed a post to steady herself. She turned and saw her tormentor pulling himself to his feet. His nose and mouth were bleeding where she'd kicked him and he had a murderous look in his eye. She spotted an ore off to the side and she grabbed it. As the Senator lunged at her, she whipped around and beamed him across the face with it. Blood spilled from his nose and mouth, as he screamed in agony. Padme drew the ore up and brought it down on him as hard as she could and he screamed in immense pain, as she cracked his skull open and broke the ore in half in the process. She ignored his pain filled groans and made her way to the controls in an attempt to turn the boat around. She yelped, as a blaster bolt hit the control panel and sparks flew everywhere. Senator Danae had pulled himself to his knees and had a blaster in his hand. Suddenly, thanks to his blunder, the engine died, leaving them dead in the water and adrift in the violent waters.
"If I'm going to die, then I'm taking you with me, you little bitch!" he screamed, as he pulled himself to his feet. He was bleeding profusely and truly intended to take her down with him. Padme grasped the rope that controlled the sail and swung the horizontal metal bar it was attached to around. She intended to knock him overboard, but when he turned, the metal beam, pushed by the force of the powerful winds, was thrust through his chest. The sounds was sickening, as it plunged through his heart and blood spattered from his mouth and chest. Padme yelped and turned away from the gruesome scene. Suddenly, she heard a faint voice calling her name. She looked up and spotted her husband, hanging from a cable attached to a speeder.
"Ani!" she cried in relief.
"I'm coming, angel," he called, as he began lowering himself, while Jac steadied the speeder. Suddenly, a huge wave hit the small boat. Padme screamed, as she was thrown into the water when the boat capsized.
"NOOOO PADME!!!!" Anakin screamed, as he let go of the cable and dove into the thrashing water. He came up for air and with no sign that Padme had come up, he dove back down. Finally, after several agonizing minutes, Anakin found her and surfaced with her. He cradled her unconscious form against him, as he grabbed the cable.
"Pull us up, Jac!" Anakin called. Jac began cranking the handle and winding the cable onto its spool. Once he wound it up all the way, he reached over the side and pulled Padme into the speeder and then helped Anakin. Jac got back behind the controls and sped back toward Dalica. Anakin laid Padme in the seat and breathed air into her mouth.
"Come on angel...breathe..." he said, as he pumped her chest and breathed air into her mouth again. She coughed and her eyes fluttered open.
"Hey beautiful...I won't let you leave me that easily," he said, with a soft smile, as he cupped her cheek.
"I knew you'd come for me," she said, as she slowly sat up.
"I'd travel through the fires of Sith hell to get to you if I had to," he told her, his eyes smoldering with love for her. Padme wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Did he hurt you?" Anakin asked.
"He was foolish enough to touch me and I beat the living Sith out of him," she smirked. He smirked back.
"I would have loved to see that. The bastard is dead and he got what he deserved. Don't feel guilty for doing what you had to do," he told her.
"I don't and I'm glad he's dead," she replied. He took her hands and examined her bleeding wrists.
"Those cuts need bacta," he mentioned.
"I'm sure Neela has some. She's with the twins, right?" she asked. He smiled.
"She's taking good care of them, mommy," he replied. Padme held his face in her hands and drew his enticing lips to her own in a loving kiss, even as the rain still poured down on them. Anakin tilted his head, slanting his mouth over hers, deepening the kiss. Their lips moved over each other's passionately. They plundered each other's mouths with searing passion and insatiable love. Their minds joined, their hearts beat as one, and their souls melded. It was a bond so powerful that it would remain forever unbreakable...
"This is outrageous! I demand you unhand me at once!" Tarkin yelled, as Dooku and Qui-Gon literally dragged him into the Jedi Temple...in his pajamas no less. They brought him to a room where Mace, Yoda, and Zia waited. Qui-Gon closed the door, while Dooku shoved him into a chair.
"You have no right to drag me out of my residence to bring me here!" Tarkin yelled.
"Oh, I think we do, General," Dooku replied, as he set the datapad down with the real verdict showing.
"What is this?" he asked.
"Oh, I think you know exactly what is, General. This is the real verdict...the one you switched with the false verdict that convicted my grandson of a crime he did not commit!" Dooku screamed.
"How dare you! I have never seen this fabricated piece of information before!" Tarkin screamed.
"You are lying, General. Not a smart thing to do in a room full of Jedi!" Dooku screamed.
"The only way you could have gotten this is if you broke into my office. Such evidence will be thrown out in court," Tarkin said, wearing a smug grin.
"We didn't have to break into your office to get this. We're Jedi...we have our ways," Dooku baited him with the little white lie.
"So, what are you going to do with this little tidbit?" Tarkin asked.
"You're going to tell us the truth," Dooku replied.
"And if I refuse?" he asked. Suddenly, Tarkin screamed in agony, as he held his head in pain.
"Then, I will extract the information myself!" Dooku said fiercely.
"All right...I'll...tell you...everything!" Tarkin screamed. Dooku released his hold and Tarkin panted.
"I'm a dead man if I tell you," Tarkin said.
"You're a dead man if you don't," Dooku threatened.
"Tell us everything...and we can promise you a cell here in the Temple with Jedi protection. Choose not to tell us, then we let Master Dooku extract the information from you anyway and then toss you out of here where you'll probably be dead inside of two minutes," Mace said. Zia stepped to the table and tossed the holos of the stacks of credits in his safe.
"You did break in to my office!" Tarkin yelled.
"I believe that fact is irrelevant at this point," Zia replied.
"She's right. Where does a General get this kind of cold credits?" Qui-Gon asked.
"It is...part of the payment I received to switch the verdict and...make sure none of the jurors remained alive," Tarkin said.
"Tell us who paid you," Dooku demanded.
"If I utter his name, he will kill me in an instant...just like he killed Palo," Tarkin said.
"The Sith Lord paid you...and you know his identity. Tell us now!" Dooku yelled. Tarkin opened his mouth to speak...but suddenly his eyes went wide, as his airway was cut off. He held his throat and screamed out in pain, as his neck was snapped like a twig. Everyone in the room was stunned, as they watched the man die before their eyes.
"Powerful that hold was. Break it, I could not," Yoda said regrettably, for he had tried to sever the Force choke the minute he realized what was happening.
"He's nearby..." Dooku uttered, as he searched the back of Tarkin's neck.
"Ouch..." he pulled his finger away, as the symbol now burned into his skin still singed.
"The sign of the Sith...again," Mace said.
"He was in the Senate building the night Palo died and...he was near the Temple today!" Dooku said.
"He could be anywhere on Coruscant," Mace said.
"Not true, Master Windu. Powerful he is, but to inflict such force on a being, close by he must be," Yoda said. Dooku ran out of the room and announced a Temple wide search.
Chancellor Palpatine pulled the hood of his cloak over his head and sneered down at the two dead Jedi Knights on the roof of the Temple. Quickly, he stepped into his transport and his Clone pilot flew into Coruscant traffic, blending in with all the rest. He knew that his identity would not remain secret much longer, but it would not make a difference much longer. He looked back in the distance, seeing Dooku and Qui-Gon arriving on the roof.
"Fools...your end is near..." Sidious cackled, as he returned to the Senate under his guise of the feeble Chancellor Palpatine...