Note 1: Thank you for all the review/alerts/favorites that I have received! It's really encouraging and will ensure that this Verse is continued.

Note 2: This takes place during ROTS, right after Anakin and Obi-Wan return from rescuing Chancellor Palpatine from General Grievous.

Note 3: Star Wars and its affiliates do not belong to me, only the contents of this Verse.

Note 4: Thank you to my betas; Young at Heart21 and TACAitsH. You are awesome and your continued support is why this story gets writtin! You guys are truly, truly aweeeesome! =]

Note 5: The Invisible Hand is the name of General Grievous' ship.

Chosen: Restoration

Chapter 7: The Invisible Hand

By WrittinInStone

Anakin blinked as he began to come to. He groaned as he felt the soreness of his body. For a moment he was disoriented, but then the details of the last few hours flashed through his mind. He remembered sneaking through the forest, entering the compound and then being surrounded and taken prisoner by droids! Then he remembered why they had been captured! He had told Obi-Wan that they needed to go left not right; if only his Master had listened to him!

He tried to shift his body only to discover that he could move only his head. He looked to his right and there lay Obi-Wan next to him and then Padmé directly next to the right of Obi-Wan.

"Padmé," Anakin called out calmly, trying to keep the fear out of his voice. "Padmé, are you alright?"

He heard her groan before she responded, "I'm alive," she said without humor. "That's the best you can expect right now."

"Obi-Wan?" Anakin said, turning his head to look at his Master.

"I'm alright as well, Anakin." Obi-Wan said as he attempted to move his body as well. "How did we get here?"

"We were captured," Padmé said miserably.

Suddenly Obi-Wan turned his head sharply to look at Anakin. "Anakin, what in the seven hells were you doing back there? You're a Jedi not a circus performer! It's no wonder we got caught with fighting like that!"

"What?" Anakin exclaimed heatedly, "If I moved like you, we would have been captured before we even got into the inner area of the compound! Besides," Anakin hissed at his mentor, "This is all your fault! If you had just done what I said then we wouldn't be in this mess!"

"At the time, your 'request' did not seem like a feasible option!" Obi-Wan hissed back. "It looked as though there was an army of battle droids to the left of us!"

"Why can't you trust me, Master? Why do you have to scorn and question everything that I do?"

"Well if you didn't prove to be so reckless, I wouldn't have such reservations about your ideas! Remember what happened on Geonosis?"

"You were captured by the Separatists! I couldn't let you die! Padmé and I tried to rescue you!"

"Yes and we all ended up being the guests of honor at a public execution!"

"Will you guys stop it!" Padmé interrupted crossly. "Now is not the time for your bickering! Especially considering the fact that we're about to be the guests of honor at yet another execution!" It took all of her strength to display calm when on the inside, she was bordering on hysteria.

They all looked up in unison as the doors opened and two droids entered. They carried what looked to be an extremely nasty…invasive looking…device.

"Oh, Force." Padmé moaned as she spotted the device. She tried to maintain her composure, but lately, it was becoming more and more difficult. Now, at the sight of the wicked contraption, it took all of her Senatorial training to keep her cool.

"How in the seven hells do we keep getting in these situations?" Obi-Wan said in consternation as he watched the droids efficiently set up the device. "We're smarter than this, how did this happen to us?"

"I don't know, my Master." Anakin sighed heavily, "but I am heartily tired of being captured and threatened with death, public or otherwise."

Padmé rolled her eyes at their antics. Everything had been flowing so easily! When they had broken into the security compound and found the ship, it had crossed Padmé's mind they had infiltrated the facility far too easily for something that supposedly had the highest security measures. So it really should have been no surprise to any of them that they had been captured minutes after entering the Invisible Hand and were now mere moments away from a painful death. Who ordered their deaths, they did not know. This seemed to be a purely droid run operation. It was likely that the droids were programmed to immediately execute all intruders.

Suddenly, there was an explosion at the door. The droids were thrown into the far wall at the force of it, effectively being knocked out by the blast. Anakin tried to shield himself as particles of the door and wall flew over him. He looked up as he heard beeps and the unmistakable sound of 3PO.

"That was a good plan R2, pretending that we belonged to this terrible center! Why, all we had to do was claim that Master Ani was a madman and they accepted our story! You are a genius!" 3PO beamed at R2.

"3PO, R2!" Anakin tried not to allow his relief to show. He was a Jedi after all. "I promise that I'm going to give you both the best oil baths of your lives! Now come and release us!"

"Right away, Master Ani!" 3PO and R2 moved forward and quickly freed them from their bonds.

"What are we going to do now?" Padmé asked. "They're surely going to hear that explosion. Someone will be here at any minute."

"Well, they took away our lightsabers," Obi-Wan responded quickly checking the room. "We're going to have to be especially careful."

"Actually," Anakin said with a smirk, "They didn't. R2...?" He turned to the droid who immediately produced the lightsabers.

"How?" Obi-Wan said in confusion as he took his lightsaber from R2. "I saw the droids take them."

"Well as you mentioned before, we do have a habit of getting caught. So when it looked as though we were being rounded up, I quickly gave our lightsabers to R2. I then replaced our real ones with dummy lightsabers that I made a while ago. I thought it would be a good plan in the event that we ever got caught again."

Obi-Wan nodded in approval. "Good job, my old Padawan."

Anakin tried not to beam under the praise. It was rarely given and sometimes it angered him that Obi-Wan's praise meant so much to him, yet he could not deny its effects. "Thank you, Master." He responded with a nod.

Padmé smiled as Anakin attempted to appear unaffected by Obi-Wan's admiration. She wondered if Obi-Wan realized how important he was to Anakin, how with a simple word of encouragement, Anakin lit up.

They were turned back to the matter at hand as R2 started beeping once again. Anakin cocked his head as he listened. "He said he knows where to find the command center. According to R2, it's not far from here. Let's go!"

"Right, make sure you keep your lightsaber at the ready, Anakin." Obi-Wan hesitated and then said, "I want you to lead the way."

Anakin paused and turned to Obi-Wan, incredulously. "You want me to what?"

Obi-Wan smiled wryly at his former apprentice. "You were right Anakin, if I had just trusted you before, if I had just listened to you, they never would have detected us. Sometimes I forget, but you are not my Padawan anymore, you are a Jedi Knight and it's time I began treating you like one. I want you to lead us, I trust you, Anakin."

Anakin could only stare at Obi-Wan as his throat closed. He did not know what to say; he was afraid that any words would choke on the emotion pouring through him. He could not tell Obi-Wan how much his words meant to him. Not only was it un-Jedi-like, but it would probably make Obi-Wan uncomfortable. Besides, now was not the time. So he said nothing, he simply nodded and then moved forward. They had little time; they had to reach the command center of the Invisible Hand before the droids reached them.

He took a deep breath and exited the room with Obi-Wan, Padmé, 3PO, and R2 close behind him.

#*#*#*#*#

It took fifteen long minutes to reach the command center. Battle droids had found them not long after they left the room of their confinement. Anakin and Obi-Wan quickly dispatched the droids but had hesitated to actively confront more. Though Padmé was very apt at wielding a blaster, she was not a Jedi; she was more vulnerable to harm than either of them.

"We're here," Anakin breathed as they arrived at the door. "R2, override the codes." It took mere seconds for the skilled droid to do so before they were in the room.

Padmé quickly went to the controls and began strolling through the ship's holos. Anakin leaned over her and helped her work as Obi-Wan stood guard at the door, watching for any battle droids that may stumble upon them.

"Here!" Padmé said excitedly, "This is the holo of your battle."

Anakin and Padmé watched the holovid of the battle. Padmé could not help but be impressed when she saw Anakin's fighting skill. She glanced over at Obi-Wan, making sure he was out of hearing range before leaning in and speaking to Anakin.

"I see you are very skilled with your lightsaber," She murmured quietly, her eyes remaining on the screen. "I wonder if you would like to show me some of your lightsaber skills later on. You know, our own aggressive negotiations…"

Anakin immediately lost focus as suggestive images flew through his mind. "I'd like that." He replied to her, just as quietly, trying to reign in his errant thoughts. "I'd like that a lot."

Padmé smiled, feeling as though butterflies were going crazy in her belly. "I like the way you make it move," She continued, knowing that she should stop, but seemingly unable, "I like the way you…thrust."

Anakin choked as his breath began to come heavily. He felt heat spread through his body as desire flared, hot and heavy. "I promise you," he whispered against her ear, knowing that Obi-Wan could not see him, "You will love the way I thrust tonight."

Padmé bit her lip as she conceded defeat. She wondered how Obi-Wan would react if she suddenly attacked Anakin right now. "We will definitely see if you can back up those words, Master Jedi." She finally answered, "When we get back to the ship, and after I receive my grapefruit."

Anakin smiled against her ear, his eyes still on the holovid, "I think that can be arranged, Senator, after you get your grapefruit, of course."

"Of course," Padmé said, trying to fight her smile. Oh, how she loved this Jedi, how she adored him! He was perfect, absolutely perfect for her.

She sighed in as the holovid ended, "There's nothing here." She said, trying not to allow her disappointment to swallow her whole. "We came all of this way, I risked all of our lives and there's nothing here."

"That's not the end of it, my lov—, Senator," he hastily corrected, cursing himself for his slip. "We were captured twice."

Padmé's eyebrows rose, "Is that so?"

Anakin shrugged, "Obi-Wan and I tend to make a habit of getting caught."

"I see," Padmé murmured, suddenly realizing how close she had come to losing him. She had known that Anakin's status as a Jedi meant that he led a very dangerous, very risky life. But she had never seen an actual feed of his stunts. Seeing him fighting against countless battle droids, seeing him encountering General Grievous and hanging from elevator shafts, it was suddenly all too much.

Sensing her feelings, Anakin squeezed her shoulder. "I survived, my love. I always survive because I know that you're on Coruscant waiting for me. Dying never crosses my mind, because I would never think of leaving you."

Padmé turned to him and smiled, his words soothing her. She sat up at attention as she watched Obi-Wan get knocked out. She almost jumped when she heard Obi-Wan's voice behind her head.

"Wow, is that how I looked when I got knocked out?" Obi-Wan said, leaning over and peering into the screen. "That's quite embarrassing."

Suddenly, Anakin went cold as he remembered the battle. He had killed an unarmed Count Dooku. At Palpatine's order. He could not let Padmé see that, he could not let Obi-Wan see that.

"I think that's enough," he said as he moved to cut off the holovid. "From what I can recall, nothing earth shattering happened during this battle. I think we should leave before we are discovered."

"Wait a moment, Anakin." Obi-Wan frowned at what he saw on the screen. Anakin was fighting skillfully enough, but it was the look on his face. He was obviously angry as he fought Dooku.

Anakin stood silent as a sense of impending doom overtook him. "We should leave," he said. It was his last desperate attempt to prevent them from seeing what he had done.

Padmé inhaled sharply as she watched Anakin literally disarm Count Dooku. She watched as he held the two lightsabers to the Sith's neck. Her eyebrows shot up when she heard the Supreme Chancellor urge Anakin to kill the unarmed Sith Lord. She heard Obi-Wan inhale sharply as well. Both of their attentions were suddenly intensely focused on the holovid in front of them.

"Kill him," Palpatine said, a nasty smile on his face, "Kill him now."

"I shouldn't." Anakin said on the vid, his face was tense; he looked conflicted.

"Do it." Palpatine insisted, his voice was deep, dark.

Then with a terrible display of force, Anakin decapitated Count Dooku.

"You did well, Anakin." Palpatine told Anakin, slowly, coolly. "He was too dangerous to be kept alive."

"Yes," Anakin replied calmly, an array of emotions crossing his face, as with a wave of his hand, the bounds on Palpatine disappeared. "But he was an unarmed prisoner. I shouldn't have done that; it's not the Jedi way."

"It is only natural, he cut off your arm, you wanted revenge. It wasn't the first time, Anakin. Remember what you told me about your mother and the Sand People?" The Chancellor gave Anakin a knowing look.

Anakin looked away from Palpatine; he obviously did not want to be reminded of those memories. They brought back emotions of anger and hatred; emotions he knew that he should not have. There was a loud grinding noise that caused both of them to look up.

"Now, we must leave before more security droids arrive." Palpatine said briskly, moving toward the door. The Chancellor stopped as Anakin ran toward Obi-Wan.

"Anakin, there's no time," Palpatine said quickly, "We must get off the ship before it's too late."

"He seems to be alright," Anakin said, calmly, although he felt relief that his Master was alive.

"Leave him," Palpatine said, swiftly, cajoling Anakin, "Or we'll never make it."

"His fate will be the same as ours." Anakin's voice brooked no argument.

Padmé and Obi-Wan watched as Anakin hoisted Obi-Wan over his shoulders and the three of them quickly left.

Obi-Wan turned to Anakin, his mind reeling. Palpatine had coaxed Anakin into killing an unarmed Count Dooku? Anakin had actually done it? Palpatine had wanted Anakin to leave him on the Invisible Hand? And what the heck was this about Anakin's mother and the Sand People? And how did Palpatine know the details of what had happened on Tatooine when Obi-Wan did not?

Suddenly, it hit Obi-Wan; if Anakin had listened to the Chancellor about him as he had about Count Dooku, Obi-Wan would be dead.

"Ani?" Padmé turned to her husband in horror. "Oh, Anakin."

Anakin's back was to them; he couldn't look at them. He sensed Obi-Wan's horror, Padmé's dismay and it twisted him into knots. He had known it was wrong to kill Count Dooku, but now, looking at what he had done, he wondered if he was completely insane. How could he have listened to Palpatine? How could he have not reacted to Palpatine's suggestion that he leave his mentor on the Invisible Hand to die?

Suddenly, Anakin felt as though he was being awakened from a deep slumber. When had Palpatine's word become law? When had he become a virtual slave to the Chancellor's mere suggestion? Anakin suddenly wondered, if it had been anyone other than Obi-Wan, would he have really left a person on the ship to die? It disturbed and terrified him.

"We don't have time for this." He spoke finally. "We did not find anything here, we must go."

"He's right," Padmé said. "We must leave."

Obi-Wan nodded, unable to speak. Now was not the time to tear into Anakin although he ached to do so. But there would be plenty of time to do so when they boarded Twilight's Rain.

Padmé stood to leave, then paused as another holovid began to play.

"Wait!" She exclaimed, sitting back down, "Look!"

It was General Grievous and he was talking to a hooded figure.

"I have done as you asked, Lord Sidious." Grievous said to the figure, "I have administered the Midi-chlorian blocker to Skywalker. If it is as high as reported, it will affect him and no one else."

"When did you administer the Reductor?" The figure asked.

"When he was captured, milord. It was in the force-field's air when he was trapped with the Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi and the Supreme Chancellor."

"Very well done, General." The cloaked figure responded. "You have the cure?"

"Yes, milord. It has been injected into my bloodstream." General Grievous replied.

There was a long silence before the figure responded icily. "That was not the deal, General."

"Do you think me some type of fool? You are a Sith Lord, you may plan to dispose of me as soon as you are finished with me. Now, I have made sure that, that is not possible until certain…arrangements have been made."

The figure was silent for a moment. "Very well, General. But you have allowed Skywalker and Kenobi to escape. Go underground. They are sure to trace the origins of Skywalker's illness to you and they must not find you until everything is in place."

"It shall be as you say." General Grevious bowed and the figure disappeared.

An assassin droid, General Grievous' second-in-command, approached the reptilian cyborg. "Do you wish to go underground as he stated, Master?"

"No," General Grievous said coughing as he did. "I do not have the cure, it was destroyed in the fight with the Jedi-scum. But I have studied this Reductor and though I know how to make a cure, the means are beyond me. This Reductor was made almost a millennium ago by a very superstitious people who believed strictly in science, but abhorred 'magic'. They had no knowledge of the Force, so they feared it and did everything in their power to destroy those who wielded its power. The name of the civilization was Yangau.

They have not been heard from in many, many years although their technology was stumbled upon by the accursed Republic. They used it to make a cruise ship of all things. By using their technology, the Republic unknowingly connected the ship to the Yangua. We must find the ship before Lord Sidious learns that we no longer have the cure. The ship will lead us to the Yangau, and the Yangau will lead us to the cure. I wonder how much the Jedi would be willing to pay for a cure for their precious 'Chosen One'."

"What happened to the ship, Master?" The assassin droid responded.

"It was decommissioned after it suffered a series of…unfortunate events." General Grievous said as he stalked toward the exit. "The ship was named "Twilight's Rain, we must attain it at all costs!"

"Yes, sir!" The assassin droid beeped and turned to leave.

The recording ended.

Anakin stared at the holovid, his thoughts in turmoil, General Grievous has infected him? In the holo-field? And what did this Darth Sidious mean 'until everything was in place'? He called on Jedi calming techniques as he tried to quell his anger. There had been too much information given, too many things to ponder. Now, they needed to concentrate on getting out.

"We got what we came here for." He said, moving toward the exit. "We must leave."

Padmé and Obi-Wan nodded, overwhelmed with what had been revealed. The quickly exited the compound center. They got into several minor skirmishes and one major one, before they completely escaped into the jungle. No one spoke as they ran through the thick forest toward their ships.

As they ran, Padmé felt the world begin spin. She tried to clear her mind. Much had happened today, almost too much. It was completely understandable to be dizzy. That was her last thought before everything went dark and she fainted.

"Padmé!" Anakin stopped and turned in time to watch his wife fall. He hurried to her side and checked her pulse.

"Anakin, we are almost to the ship, bring her!" Obi-Wan continued on and after picking Padmé up, Anakin followed.

A short time later, they were back on Twilight's Rain and flying far away from the Forest Moon of Endor. The irony of their situation did not escape Anakin. They had travelled thousands of miles into space only to discover that they were riding in the means to his salvation.

The Jedi hurried to the medial center carrying the unconscious Senator. Before long, she was hooked up to several machines with the medical droids hovering over her.

"What's wrong with her?" Anakin demanded. "She's been acting…out of character since she entered that planet. First, she began begging for grapefruit and then she fainted. Can you tell us anything?"

"Yes, Knight Skywalker. We know the cause of Senator Amidala's condition."

"Well," Obi-Wan said calmly. "What is it?"

"Senator Amidala is with child." The medial droid stated clearly, concisely.

Anakin and Obi-Wan blinked.

"Come again?" Obi-Wan said, shaking his head, "What did you say?"

"Congratulations, Master Jedi. Senator Amidala is pregnant."

Anakin and Obi-Wan turned to look at the unconscious woman, their mouths hanging open.

Obi-Wan looked up sharply at his partner as suddenly, without any apparent provocation whatsoever, Anakin Skywalker hit the floor in a dead faint.

End of Chapter 7: If you loved it, review it. I read all reviews over and over! It only takes a moment to make an author ecstatically happy! If you don't, you're a square! =]

8th Chapter: Decision: Obi-Wan makes a decision.

A/N: I know it may not be totally sexy for a Jedi to faint, but we ALL know that Anakin was not quite sure how to react to the news that Padmé was pregnant in Episode III. Then the shock of being told that he was going to be a father on top of his progressing illness was too much for him. So it was less of a faint and more of him passing out if that helps you sleep better at night!

((***If you simply LOVED this, please check out my other story: Soul's Scars.))