Chapter 9
Two days later Anakin along with Rex, left Bestin, the capital city of Tatooine; after they finishing a job with Jabba the Hutt. Then they began looking for Padme and her ship. Anakin just hope and prayed that he could get to her before something bad happen.
Anakin had arrived near Cato Neimoidia the last known place where Padme was when the communication between him and Padme was cut off.
He was awaken by a beeping sound opening his eyes he saw that it was the radar and there was something on the screen. Leaning forward he hit the button to see the information of the object that was on the radar screen.
" Nabooian class ship." Anakin said to himself. " Now I just hope that she is still alive."
He came up to the ship and saw that it was just floating dead in space, he did a scan of the ship and looking for any kind of life forms but found none.
Once he got close enough to the ship he hit the button that extended the boarding tube to Padme's ship. He got up from the pilot's chair and made his way to the lounge of the ship.
Hit the key pad to open the hatch way door Anakin and Rex entered the boarding tube and made their way to Padme's ship, but waited for them at the end of the tube made Anakin's blood run cold.
Looking closely at the door, he saw that it was blasted open by blasters.
" Keep your eyes open." Anakin motion for Rex to follow him.
" Will do Anakin." Rex said as he took out his blaster rifle and followed Anakin through the hatchway.
The first thing that they both saw was how badly damaged the lounge was, and he saw more damage throughout the ship as he wondered around the ship looking for evidence of what happen to Padme.
" Anakin in here." Rex called out from the cockpit.
Anakin walked into the cockpit and saw Rex sitting in the co-pilot's chair watching a holo-message from the person who attacked the ship.
" This message if for the Queen of Naboo, if you ever want to see your ex-senator then you better pay a Queen's ransom for her and if I don't get it then she will be sold to the Emperor, and I'm sure he will have much fun with her." The message said.
" Great pirates, but these are not your everyday pirates either, they are slavers." Anakin balled his fist into a ball.
" Great, that means they can be anywhere in the galaxy." Rex said as looked out the cracked window.
" True, but I do have a feeling I know where they are heading to, so that means we are going back to Tatooine." Anakin turned and stormed out of the cockpit and made his way back to his ship.
Rex came back on the ship just as Anakin was pulling their ship away from the Nabooian ship.
" Do you think Jabba is involved in this?" Rex came into the cockpit and sat down in the co-pilot's chair.
" No he isn't involve in this but I do have a feeling who is, and there are two areas that these slaves work in." Anakin turned his ship so that way he was facing the other ship, just before he open fire and blew up the other ship.
As Anakin watched the ship exploded into a fire ball, he could only think as why the Emperor was buying slaves, mostly was to help build the newest threat, the Death Star.
And well as for the second reason mostly for female slaves was for his own sexual pleasure.
" Then we better hope that she isn't in the harem." Rex just watched Anakin's hand ball into a fist before he hit consult, thank goodness nothing was destroyed.
" He is going to die sooner than planed if I found out that she is in his harem." Anakin set the coordinates for Tatooine, before getting up from chair and stormed out of the cockpit.
" Oh shit." Was all Rex said.
Anakin went into his quarters and closed the door and locking it. Going over to the bed he sat down and started to meditate and try to find Padme's life force through the Force.
On Tatooine
Padme was woken up when she felt the ship touched down on the ground with a loud thud.
She slowly opening her eyes when as she heard footsteps coming up to the cargo door and the sound of door unlocking.
" Ok you two it's time to get up and meet the boss, and he will let you know where you are going." One of the pirates said coming into the cargo hole, and coming up to the cage that held Padme and Telayah.
" You know you guys are going to be in huge trouble when my ship is found." Padme said as the pirate came up to the door and unlocked the door.
" Really, well I have news for you no one will ever find you, mostly where you are going. Now get up or I will get physical with you." The pirate said as he reached down and pulled Padme up off the cot with force.
Padme stumbled to her feet and slightly fell to the floor, before her captive pulled her up and pushed her towards the cage door.
Padme and Telayah are led out of the ship and across the sands of the desert city until they came into a building that was used as a warehouse.
Once inside the room Padme looked around and saw stacks of crates all around the room and a huge area that was set up as a holding cell for the pirates' prisoners.
" Well, well if it isn't the all mighty Senator Amidala, I was told you were dead." The leader of the pirates said as he walked out of the shadows of the crates.
" Well then I guess you were told wrong, Bane. And when my friend learns that am being held captive by pirates, well let's just say things will not look good for you." Padme looked straight at Cad Bane.
" I hate to say this to you sweetheart but your Republic is long gone, as is your friends that were in the Senate." Bane came over to Padme and reached out and ran his fingers down the side of her right cheek.
" I know, but I do have a very powerful friend in the Empire, and when he learns you have me, lets just say I would really hate to be in your shoes right now." Padme said just glaring at Bane, and just hoping that Anakin would come after her.
" Right and the most powerful person in the Empire is the Emperor himself, put them in the cage and I will call the Emperor to let him know that I have two more play toys for him." Cad turned away from Padme and as he headed into his office he gave an evil laugh the whole way to the far end of the room.
The two pirates pushed Padme and Telayah towards the cage and shoved them into the cage and locked the door.
" Are you really the person that he said you are? But how can that be you are dead, your funeral was all over the holo-net." Telayah looked at Padme in total shock that she was looking at the late Senator from Naboo.
" Yes I am that person, and no am not dead it was all a fake as to make the Emperor think I was dead and buried." Padme said looking at the scared Togruta.
" Oh, I wonder where we are at and are you sure that someone will find us?" Telayah asked as she looked around the room, and saw that by the door was two pirates guarding it, while the other four sitting down at a table drinking and playing a game of cards.
" Yes I do know that someone is looking for me, and these guys are going to be very sorry for kidnapping me. I get a strange feeling that we are on Tatooine, because I recognize the designs of the buildings; and they are same designs I have seen in one of the towns." Padme walked over to the cot and sat down on it.
" I wish I had someone looking for me, I was taken from my village and family about a month ago." The Togruta also going over to the other cot and laying down.
" Wow that is a long time, you mean to tell me that you have been on that ship this whole time?" Padme asked as she laid down and turned so that way she was looking at the poor girl.
" Yes, there were others with me, but they either died or was sold to slavers, I really don't know what happen to them, I was alone for a week until you showed up." Telayah closed her eyes and began to drift off to sleep.
Padme just watched Telayah fall asleep, and now the only thing she can do is close her eyes and get some sleep, and also wonder where she will be going to from here.
Three hours later both Padme and Telayah was woken up by the sound of the door of the warehouse being blown open and the two guards scream before they died. Then the explosion was followed by sounds of blasters going off and more screams of the other pirates as they fell to the ground dead.
When the smoke cleared some Padme looked into the middle of the room and saw the tall shadow figure standing there holding the light blue color light saber, the color of the Jedi Guardians.
" Please don't kill me?" Bane begged the stormtrooper who lead him towards the tall figure.
" I'm not going to kill you yet Bane, but you will tell me who are you working for?" the figure said as he lifted Bane off the floor through the Force.
" You are not going to get away with this because my boss will hunt you down and kill you." Bane grabbed his throat and tried to break away from the Force that was holding him.
" That is where you are so wrong my friend, now tell me who hired you?" the figure said as he moved Bane closer to him.
" It is the Emperor who has hired me, he is paying a lot for slaves, mostly for women." Bane said looking over to the two frighten women in the cage.
The figure turned its head and look towards the cage and he dropped Bane when he saw his Angel locked inside the cage.
" PADME!" Anakin ran over to the cage and with the Force ripped off the door and pulled Padme into his arms.
" Anakin I knew you would find me." Was all she said before Anakin capture her lips in a very powerful kiss.
" Sir what do you want us to do with Bane?" Rex asked as he came up to Anakin and saw the Togruta, huddling against the bars of the cage.
Anakin broke his kiss and turned to Bane and going back to him, he reached down and grabbed the Bounty Hunter by the collar of his shirt and pulled him close to his face so that way he could see the amber color of Anakin's eyes.
" If I was you I would find another job, and if I ever catch you again I will not let you get way with your life, do you understand me Bane." Anakin told him with a growl in his voice.
" Yes I understand and what about the money that is own to me?" Bane swallowed.
" I will give you what is owed to you, now get out of here before I change my mind." Anakin said almost throwing Bane towards the door.
Bane ran and stumbled out the door of the building before getting onto his ship and flew off the planet to some unknown place.
Anakin came back to Padme and removed her shackles and she came into his arms and he wrapped his arms and cloak around her shaking body.
Rex and found a blanket and wrapped it around the frighten Togruta and lead out of the cage.
" Commander please take the Togruta to the transport." Anakin turned and nodded to Rex.
" Roger that General." Rex nodded back and helped Telayah to the door.
" Knew that you would come for me Anakin." Padme just broke down and began crying in his arms.
Anakin just held her for a couple of minutes while she sobbed in his arms.
" Come Padme we need to leave here, before the garrison comes and investigates this place, and they are loyal to the Emperor." Anakin pulled back some and looked down at Padme's tear stained cheek.
" Ok where are we going?" Padme looked up.
" To a place I know you will be safe, and the Togruta will also stay with you." Anakin said as he took off his cloak and wrapped it around Padme's shoulders.
" Really, that's great because she doesn't seem to have anyone. You know what I mean." Padme said as they slowly walked towards the door.
" Well now she has someone, she has us." Anakin said as they came up to the transport.
Anakin helped Padme up the ramp and showed her to his quarters before leaving her and going to the cockpit of the transport.
Thirty minutes later Anakin landed the transport just outside the fenced in area of the homestead.
As the ramp lowered Anakin looked at the gate of the fence and saw two figures standing there holding blaster rifles.
" Where are we?" Telayah asked as she and Padme walked into the lounge area of the ship.
" You will be staying with family." Anakin said coming into the lounge and hitting the key pad of the hatch way door.
" Does she know that you are alive Anakin." Padme asked as she looked out the door and saw the two men hold the rifles as they started heading towards the transporter.
" No she doesn't." was all he said before heading down the ramp.
" Who is this person that you two are talking about?" Telayah asked as she and Padme began walking down the ramp.
" His mother." Was all she said as Shmi came running out of the house and straight for Anakin.
After a couple of moments of both mother and son crying in each other's arms they are shown to the guest room where Padme and Telayah will be staying.
Four hours later after a hardy dinner Telayah went straight to bed, while Anakin and Padme headed outside to watch the suns set over the horizon of the desert.
" You know you never answered my question when we were at the mausoleum." Anakin turned and look at Padme.
" Sorry about that, I was going tell you when Rex came into the building." Padme just keep looking straight at the mountains in the distance and not looking at Anakin.
" Is there anyone buried in the mausoleum?" Anakin looked back at the suns.
" No there isn't anyone buried there, there are two reasons why I go there. The first reason is to make it look like someone like a lover or family comes and mourns me. And the second reason is and I guess the most important reason am mourning is the pass life I once had, and for the death of the Republic due to the rise of the Empire." Padme said as a tear rolled down her face.
There were no words that Anakin could say to make Padme feel better, because he too mourned for the loss of the Republic and the fall of the Jedi.
And it was then that Anakin began to feel guilty for everything he had done to cause the fall of the Republic and the Jedi.