Anneke sat sprawled in the co-pilot seat of Padraig's ship, watching as a hologram of Obi Wan Kenobi appeared. She didn't want to deal with her master right now—she didn't want to deal with anything right now. A numbness had crept through her bones, a lethargy that gripped her soul, and she wanted nothing more than to be left alone.
"Anneke," Obi Wan's message began, "my long range transmitter has been knocked out. Retransmit this message to Coruscant."
Padraig reached over and pressed a button on the console that Anneke assumed would do what her master asked. She couldn't bring herself to sit up or ask.
Obi Wan continued, "I have tracked the bounty hunter Jango Fett to the droid foundries on Geonosis. The Trade Federation is to take delivery of a droid army here and it is clear that Viceroy Gunray is behind the assassination attempts on Senator Andelko."
A jolt went through Anneke. She had nearly forgotten about the assassination attempts. She sat forward, listening carefully. Padraig's safety was her main concern now.
"The Commerce Guilds and Corporate Alliance have both pledged their armies to Count Dooku and are forming a... Wait!... Wait!" Two destroyer droids appeared, attacking the hologram of Obi Wan, and the signal ended.
Anneke leapt to her feet. But before she could say or do anything, another hologram appeared: this time of Mace Windu. The Jedi Master leaned forward. "Anneke, we will deal with Count Dooku. The most important thing for you is to stay where you are. Protect the Senator at all costs. That is your first priority."
Anneke clenched her fists at her sides, her whole body tense, poised to fight or flee. "Yes, Master," she managed to say through her tight jaw.
The transmission from the Council ended, and Anneke let out her breath in a growl. She began to pace the tiny space behind the pilot and co-pilot chairs.
"They'll never get there in time to save him." Padraig's voice turned her head around. He was fiddling with something on the instrument panel. "They have to come halfway across the galaxy. Look: Obi Wan's message is originating on Geonosis. That's less than a parsec away from here."
She leaned over his shoulder to see the navigation readout, then frowned. He was starting up the ship's engines. "Padraig? What are you doing?"
"Master Windu gave you orders to protect me, and I'm going to save Obi Wan." He raised an eyebrow in challenge. "I guess you'll have to come along."
She stared at him, her throat tight. "Thank you," she whispered.
Geonosis felt almost familiar to Anneke: like Tatooine, it was dry and barren; though, where her home was painted in shades of brown and yellow, Geonosis was varying tones of red. To Anneke's confusion, they met no guards—or, really, anyone—as they entered a huge building that appeared to be carved from the natural rock formations, and made their way down an empty, echoing corridor lined with red stone pillars. The emptiness had her nerves on edge, but then when they had just passed the halfway point, she felt a threat from above.
She turned, her lightsaber in her hand, activating it as a winged creature attacked. Three more immediately followed, shrieking as they came. Her saber a whirl of blue light, Anneke cut them from the air. Padraig pulled a blaster and shot at their attackers, moving to the end of the hallway, and she followed, walking backward, watching for any further attacks.
They stepped through a doorway and found themselves on a metal bridge that ended inches in front of their feet. Turning to go back, Anneke discovered that the door had closed behind them, and it wouldn't open from this side. They were trapped.
The walkway began to retract into the wall under the door. Just perfect. Anneke caught Padraig's hand. "Jump!"
They landed on a moving conveyer taking them deeper into what looked like a kind of factory. More of the winged creatures darted at them, annoying yet persistent. Anneke had little trouble fighting them off, but now the conveyer was taking them over what appeared to be a bottomless pit under some large machines that were stamping down onto the moving surface, threatening to crush both of them.
Ducking under and leaping over these things while wielding her lightsaber was not easy. Anneke was forced to let go of Padraig's hand and hope that he was nimble enough to avoid the stampers. To her relief, he was—at least, until two winged creatures attacked him while Anneke was busy with several others. Taken by surprise, Padraig lost his pistol over the edge, wrestled with his attackers, then fell into a large empty vat that was instantly grabbed by a huge metal claw and carried away.
"Padraig!" Anneke viciously dispatched her assailants and ran after him. Not paying attention to her footing, she tripped on something and fell headlong, her lightsaber slipping from her grip. "Not again," she groaned, lunging after it. A large blade swung down, and she fell back just in time to avoid being cut in half, but her saber wasn't so lucky. The blade sliced through the hilt, cutting it in two. She sighed. "Obi Wan is really going to kill me now."
Winged creatures surrounded her, and she was relieved to see Padraig when they pushed him into the circle with her. At least he was alive—for now. Then her stomach dropped when a familiar figure in armour with a jetpack on his back dropped down, a blaster held on them. It was the man who had killed the assassin Zam Wesell. To her relief, he simply held the blaster on them and said, "Don't move, Jedi!"
They were taken to a large, echoing room carved from the same red stone that seemed to make up everything on this planet. A white-haired man sat at the table, an aura of power around him that set Anneke's teeth on edge. She had heard of Count Dooku, the former Jedi who now led the Separatists, and this had to be him. There was something odd about his Force signature, though she couldn't put her finger on what it was.
Padraig stepped forward; coming to the same conclusion she had—or perhaps he had met Dooku before—he addressed the Count. "You are holding a Jedi Knight: Obi-Wan Kenobi. I am formally requesting you turn him over to me."
Anneke felt amusement from the Separatist leader, and something else: something… not quite right, yet somehow familiar. She frowned, trying to place where she had felt it before.
"He has been convicted of espionage," Dooku said placidly, "and will be executed. In just a few hours, I believe." He leaned back in his chair and smiled.
Executed! Before she could do or say anything, Padraig said, "You can't do that! He's an officer of the Republic!"
Dooku sighed. "We don't recognize the Republic here, Senator." He tapped his fingers on the table. "But..." he said thoughtfully, "if Naboo were to join our Alliance, I could easily hear your plea for clemency."
Padraig glared at him. "And if I don't join your rebellion, I assume we will also be convicted of espionage?" His voice was stiff with anger and disgust.
Dooku sighed again. "I don't wish to make you to join our cause against your will, Senator, but you are a rational, honest representative of your people and I assume you want to do what's in their best interests." He leaned forward, his eyes intense. "Aren't they fed up with the corruption, the bureaucrats, the hypocrisy of it all? Aren't you? Be honest, Senator."
"The ideals are still alive, even if the institution is failing," Padraig replied through gritted teeth.
Dooku stood, leaning forward, his palms flat on the table. "You believe in the same ideals we believe in!"
Anneke's attention wandered as they argued back and forth about politics and corruption. Padraig lived for this sort of thing, and his voice was passionate as he spoke, but Anneke was more interested in watching him than in what he was saying.
Her attention snapped back to the conversation when Dooku said, "Then you will betray your Jedi friends? Without your cooperation I can do nothing to stop their execution."
Seriously? Was this how he was trying to convince Padraig to join him? Or had he simply given up? She opened her mouth to protest, but could think of nothing to say—or, at least, nothing helpful.
"And what about me?" Padraig demanded. "Am I to be executed also?"
Dooku waved his hand again. "I wouldn't think of such an offense." He leaned back and eyed Padraig through narrowed eyes. "But, there are... individuals who have a strong interest in your demise, Senator. It has nothing to do with politics, I'm afraid; it's purely personal. And they have already paid great sums to have you assassinated. I'm sure they will push hard to have you included in the executions." His voice took on a faux tone of compassion. "I'm sorry but if you are not going to cooperate, I must turn you over to the Geonosians for justice. Without your cooperation, I've done all I can for you."
Justice! The Republic had its faults, but this was what the Separatists were setting up in its place? At least, under Republic rule, everyone was entitled to a trial before sentencing.
Dooku gestured to the armoured man who stood guard at the side of the room. "Take them away, Jango."