Thank you to the 12 people who reviewed the last chapter. You guys are the best. Also, this chapter is going to cover more than just what I said in the last chapter; it will cover Anakin and Padmé's journey through the droid factory.
Chapter 8
Anakin was beside himself with emotion.
He spent the rest of the day leaning against the balcony overlooking the lake in front of him while his thoughts drifted to Obi-Wan. There was something about his master that seemed…different and yet Anakin found that he rather liked the new Obi-Wan. The old Obi-Wan would likely have denounced Anakin's dreams as nothing more than dreams but this new Obi-Wan actually took them into consideration and spoke with the Council about them. It was because of Obi-Wan that his mother was safe.
A single tear slide down his face and he wiped it away as he watched the sun sink below the horizon casting rays of dying light onto the land. The lake sparkled when the light touched it and the island in the distance seemed to be shrouded in the shadows of the approaching dusk.
"Ani?"
Anakin glanced up to find Padmé walking over to join him. The beautiful senator came to her side dressed entirely in white complete with her hair hanging loosely to the side of her face. "Yes Padmé?" he asked.
"Are you all right?"
Anakin let a faint smile cross his facial features as he turned his gaze to the island in the distance. "I've never felt better, Padmé."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm fine, Padmé. I guess I've been thinking a lot." Anakin closed his eyes. "Obi-Wan is the reason why my mother is safe now. I just don't know what to do to thank him for what he did."
Padmé was silent for a long moment. "I don't understand most of the Jedi customs," she said finally, "but I doubt Obi-Wan would want something in return. He probably did what he did because he felt it was right."
"But, because of him, my nightmare never came true. I have to thank him somehow. I know Jedi can't own anything but there still has to be something I can do," Anakin said softly.
"Perhaps," Padmé said, "you should listen to your mother's advice."
Anakin glanced at her with confusion in his eyes.
Padmé simply gazed at him with a deep calmness in her chocolate brown eyes. "Become the greatest Jedi Knight you can possibly be, become a Jedi that your master can be proud of," she said.
Anakin blinked. "I try, Padmé," he said. "But…"
"No 'buts'," Padmé said interrupting him. "Do whatever you can do become the greatest Jedi Knight you can possibly be."
Anakin continued to gaze into the eyes of the woman he loved and he found himself swimming in their depths. The love he had for her was the main reason why he felt it would be hard for him to fulfill his mother's wish for him and thank Obi-Wan for what he did for him. He loved Padmé but he didn't know if he could become the greatest Jedi Knight he could possibly be with the love he felt for the senator.
"I don't know if I can," he said softly.
"Why not?"
"Because I have already broken the Jedi Code…by falling in love."
Padmé swallowed before looking away. "Then forget about…" she began.
"I can't, Padmé," Anakin protested pain in his voice. "I want to be a Jedi Knight with every fiber of my being; I want to make both Obi-Wan and my mother proud of me. But I love you too and I can't just get rid of that love. It fills me to the very core. I…I just wish I could have both."
"It would…" Padmé began.
"…destroy us, I know," Anakin whispered looking down. "But I can't get rid of this feeling and I'm afraid that if I can't get rid of this feeling, or control it, then I will never be a Jedi Knight Obi-Wan and my mother can be proud of."
Padmé continued to gaze at him. "Then we shouldn't…" she began.
"I can't!" Anakin cried in frustration. "I can't get rid of these feelings. I just can't!"
"Shh, calm down, Ani," Padmé said gently before she placed a hand on Anakin's shoulder.
Anakin took a deep breath before stretching out with the Force for the calmness that always seemed to exist around Obi-Wan. It took several minutes but, finally, he managed to calm himself down. "I…I think I'm all right now," he murmured.
A series of urgent beeps and whistles sounded and Anakin and Padmé glanced up to find Artoo Deetoo rolling toward them beeping urgently. Padme frowned. "Artoo, what is it?" she asked.
Artoo beeped and whistled before he started rocking back and forth on his wheels and turned around. Padmé watched him. "I think he wants us to follow him," she said.
Anakin nodded and the two of them jogged after Artoo as he rolled away toward the Nubian ship. The two of them followed Artoo up the boarding ramp and into the cockpit of the ship. Artoo spun around before projecting a holographic image of Obi-Wan in front of them.
"Anakin, my long-range transmitter has been knocked out," the Jedi's hologram said. "Retransmit this message to Coruscant." Artoo paused the message and Anakin glanced at Padmé who was already way ahead of him. She flipped a button then waited for the confirmation that the signal was getting through.
"Go ahead, Artoo."
The astromech droid beeped and Obi-Wan's hologram began to move once more. "I have tracked the bounty hunter Jango Fett to the droid foundries of 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 Amidala."
I should have figured that, Anakin thought as he exchanged a knowing glance with Padmé; he could tell that Padmé wasn't surprised either.
Obi-Wan then paused before glancing over his shoulder as he went on, "The Commerce Guild and Corporate Alliance have both pledged their armies to Count Dooku and are forming an alliance. The InterGalactic Banking Clan have also pledged their support of Count Dooku; however, they have made it clear that it is only in a nonexclusive arrangement. I have also learned that they are planning on combining the Trade Federation's droid army with the droid army on Geonosis in an army that can very well overwhelm the Republic. I believe they are planning on going to war with the Republic. I believe that we should, at the very least, discuss bringing the clone army I discovered on Kamino into this or we may be faced with a war we cannot win." Obi-Wan was breathless when he finished speaking; considering he had been speaking rather rapidly, Anakin was amazed his master didn't pass out from lack of oxygen.
At that instant, Obi-Wan's hologram whirled around. Droidekas appeared in the hologram along with Obi-Wan, grabbing him and restraining him. The hologram flickered and then broke apart.
Anakin swallowed as he gazed at the spot where the hologram hung only moments before fear for his master filling him and he quickly took control of that fear before releasing it into the Force as his master had taught him.
"He is alive," Yoda's hologram announced after viewing the hologram again. "I feel him in the Force."
"But they have taken him," Windu put in. "And the wheels have begun to spin more dangerously."
"Revealed a lot Obi-Wan has, more so than should be expected given how much time passed between the beginning of the message and the arrival of the droidekas," said Yoda.
Anakin narrowed his eyes. "Was he expecting this to happen?" he asked.
"Possible it is. However, revealed not everything was."
"I agree," said Windu. "We must not sit idly by." He looked at Yoda's hologram as did everyone else in the room and Anakin and Padmé onboard the Nubian starship several lightyears away. Yoda's hologram seemed very weary and very pained as he closed his eyes.
"The dark side I feel," he said. "And all is cloudy."
Windu looked grim. "Assemble," he ordered; a command that Anakin knew had not been given to the Jedi Council in many, many years.
Windu then turned his gaze to Anakin. "We will deal with Count Dooku," Windu's hologram said to Anakin. "The most important thing for you, Anakin, is to stay where you are. Protect the Senator at all costs. That is your first priority."
Anakin didn't like the idea of leaving his master to Dooku but he knew he had no choice. "Understood, Master," he replied.
As the hologram switched off, Padmé turned around in her seat and began flicking switches and checking coordinates. "They have to come halfway across the galaxy," she said turning back to look at Anakin. "They'll never get there in time to save him."
"We may be closer, Padmé," Anakin said, "but who's to say we will get there in time?"
"We have to at least try," Padmé protested.
"You heard Master Windu. However much I don't like it, I have been ordered to stay here and protect you," Anakin said.
Padmé sighed. "He's your friend, your brother, like your father. Are you really just going to sit here and let him die?" she demanded.
"What else am I supposed to do when I have been given strict orders?" Anakin protested angrily.
Padmé was silent for a long moment before she turned around and began flicking more switches causing the engines to roar to life. She then turned to look at Anakin. "He gave you strict orders to protect me," she said. "And I'm going to save Obi-Wan. So if you plan to protect me, you'll have to come along."
Anakin could see the fiery determination in her eyes and he smiled; he hadn't even thought of that loophole in Windu's plan and, because of that loophole, he will hopefully be able to save his master. He would not lose his master after everything his master has done for him in recent weeks, especially getting the Jedi Council to send someone to Tatooine to check on his mother.
"Let's go," he said sitting down at the controls and, only a few moments later, the Nubian starship was flying past Naboo's atmosphere and heading toward the distant planet of Geonosis.
Twisting slowly in the Force field, restrained by crackling bolts of blue energy, Obi-Wan found himself wondering how the blazes did he get himself into this situation…again. I knew it was going to happen and yet it ends up happening again, he thought watching as Dooku walked into the room with a look of feigned sympathy before walking up right before the Jedi.
"Traitor," Obi-Wan said calmly.
"Hello my friend," Dooku said.
Obi-Wan snorted.
"This is a mistake. A terrible mistake. They've gone too far. This is madness."
Obi-Wan resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "And yet, here I thought you were the leader here, Dooku," he said steadily recalling he had said something like that last time.
"This had nothing to do with me, I assure you," the former Jedi insisted feigned hurt in his voice. "I promise you that I will petition immediately to have you set free."
Obi-Wan had to, again, resist the urge to roll his eyes at the blatant lie. "Well, I hope it doesn't take long. There are some things I have to take care of," he said noticing a twinge of anger, like last time.
"May I ask why a Jedi Knight is all the way out here on Geonosis?" Dooku asked.
"I figured out the bounty hunter Jango Fett might have come here. Do you know him?" He asked patiently.
"There are no bounty hunters here that I'm aware of. Geonosians don't trust them."
Ah, trust. Such a same Obi-Wan didn't trust anything Sidious's current right hand man had to say.
"Who can really blame them?" he said disarmingly. "But I'm positive he's here."
Dooku was silent before nodding, apparently conceding the point. "It's a great pity that our paths have never crossed before, Obi-Wan," he said warmly and invitingly. "Qui-Gon always spoke very highly of you. I wish he was still alive—I could use his help right now."
"I find it very unlikely that he would ever join you."
"Don't be so sure, my young Jedi," said Dooku calmly but also confidently. "You forget that Qui-Gon was once my apprentice just as you were once his."
"Do you honestly believe that brings loyalty above his loyalty to the Jedi Council and the Republic?" Obi-Wan remembered that he had said pretty much the same thing last time but those words were nearly lost amidst all the other memories in his mind.
"He knew all about the corruption in the Senate," Dooku went on without missing a beat. They all do, of course. Yoda and Mace Windu. But Qui-Gon would never have gone along with the status quo, with that corruption, if he had known the truth as I have."
"The truth?" echoed Obi-Wan even though he already knew what that truth was.
"The truth," said a confident Dooku. "What if I told you that the Republic was now under the control of the Dark Lords of the Sith?"
Tell me something I don't know, Obi-Wan thought. He merely tipped his head to one side examining the ex-Jedi in front of him. "So, what you are trying to tell me is you're not the brains behind this?" he asked casually.
Dooku looked surprised and then angry before he went on, "Hundreds of Senators are now under the influence of a Sith Lord called Darth Sidious."
Obi-Wan examined him again. "So you do have a boss," he said calmly.
Dooku bristled. "What are you implying?" he demanded.
"Nothing," Obi-Wan said calmly.
Dooku's eyes flared with anger and Obi-Wan could sense he was attempting to gain control of his anger. "The viceroy of the Trade Federation was once in league with this Darth Sidious," he said curtly. "But he was betrayed ten years ago by the Dark Lord. He came to me for help. He told me everything."
"Hmm, probably not suspecting you may betray him as well," Obi-Wan murmured under his breath. He knew he was treading dangerous ground by bringing up the fact that Dooku was a Sith Lord; if he wasn't careful then he might reveal he knew more than he was letting on. However, when he mentioned the dark lords of the Sith and Sidious being in control of the Senate, the retort was too tempting to resist.
Obi-Wan firmly told himself that Anakin was rubbing off on him and that was why he said what he said.
Dooku, obviously, didn't hear him as he went on, "The Jedi Council would not believe him. I tried many times to warn them, but they wouldn't listen to me. Once they sense the Dark Lord's presence and realize their error, it will be too late. You must join me, Obi-Wan, and together we will destroy the Sith."
Ever so calmly, Obi-Wan said, "I will never join you, Count Dooku."
Dooku, finally managing to get his anger under control, let out a disappointed sigh. "It may be difficult to secure your release," he retorted as he exited the room.
Anakin used the asteroid belt to hide the Nubian from the Trade Federation fleet that was lurking nearby before guiding the Nubian passed the atmosphere. He brought the ship down low, skimming the surface, weaving through valleys and around towering rock formations, circling mesas. Padmé stood next to him, watching the skyline for some signs.
"See those columns of steam straight ahead?" she asked pointing. "they're exhaust vents of some type."
"That'll do," agreed Anakin and he banked the starship, zooming in at the distant lines of rising white steam. He brought the ship right into one steam cloud and slid her down, gently, through the vent. When they settled on firm ground, he and Padmé prepared to leave the ship.
"Look, whatever happens out there, follow my lead," Padmé told him. "I'm not interested in getting into a war here. As a member of the Senate, maybe I can find a diplomatic solution to this mess."
Anakin smiled. "All right. We'll do it your way," he said. "I've given up trying to argue with you."
Padmé smiled before glancing at Artoo as the droid gave a plaintive wail. "Stay with the ship," she ordered him before the two of them went out into the underground complex, and recognized almost immediately that they had entered a huge droid factory.
The two of them slipped along the vast, pillared corridors of the factory city, their footfalls dulled by the humming and banging noises of the many machines in use in the great halls below them. The place seemed deserted and Anakin felt that it was too quiet, much too quiet.
"Where is everyone?" Padmé asked echoing Anakin's own thoughts.
Anakin suddenly sensed something; something was there, something close. "Wait," he murmured to Padmé as he lifted his head to look at the ceiling as several winged forms seemed to grow right out of the pillars, detaching and dropping down. They were tall and lean, sinewy strong and not skinny, with orange-tined skin.
Anakin's lightsabser flashed while Padmé cried, "Anakin!" He said nothing as he continued to severe part of the wing of one of the creatures acting on pure instinct and reflex. More of the creatures flew rapidly at Anakin and the Padawan had to stab, spin and slash so rapidly he felt he would run out of breath before he got through half of them. Using the Force, he continued to keep the creatures at bay as he shouted, "Run!"
Padmé was already running toward a distant doorway. Anakin ran after her, waving his lightsaber to keep the stubborn creatures at bay. The two of them darted through the doorway and nearly fell over the end of a small walkway that extended out over a deep crevasse.
"Ba…" Padmé started to say but the door slammed shut behind them leaving them trapped on the precarious perch. More of the winged appeared above them and the walkway began to retract.
Padmé leapt out of the shortest fall onto a conveyor belt below without a single second of hesitation.
"Padmé!" Anakin cried before leaping down to land just behind her on the moving conveyor before desperately using his lightsaber to keep the creatures at bay.
Padme flailed and rolled about the belt, scrambling to her feet, then diving back down low. Anakin was too busy keeping the creatures at bay that he barely managed to avoid everything Padmé was avoiding. Artoo was somewhere in the vicinity as well but Anakin couldn't see him; he only knew because he heard the familiar beeping and whistling.
Padmé continued to fight to avoid the stampers while Anakin leapt up and down from stamper to stamper avoiding the winged creatures that flew at them. His lightsaber moved rapidly in an attempt to stop the oncoming creatures while his feet moved to avoid being trampled by the stampers of the conveyor belt.
Anakin ducked beneath another stamper before slicing through another winged Geonosians wings before he spotted Padmé being grabbed by a Geonosian. She wrestled to get out of its grip but it tightened its grip before dropping her into a large empty vat.
"Padmé!" Anakin cried but he found himself attempting to fight off another swarm. He couldn't do anything to help Padmé especially since he was attempting to avoid the stampers, slashing at another group of Geonosians and watching as the vat Padmé was in moved toward a pour of molten metal.
He leapt toward her, leaping from one conveyor belt to another while Force pushing another Geonosian out of the way. Unfortunately, he passed too close to another machine and vise closed over his arm, mechanically moving it into position before a programmed cutting machine.
Anakin kicked out with both feet and both his feet slammed into a winged creature thath ad pursued him in, knowing the Geonosian away. He struggled to pull himself from the unyielding grip of the machine before he turned just enough to avoid the cutting blade. However, the cutting blade still sliced his lightsaber in half.
Anakin, managing to free himself from the machine, stood up before staring at the remnants of the lightsaber. "Not again, Obi-Wan's going to kill me," he exclaimed before he turned his attention to Padmé and prepared to leap to her rescue, hoping he could make it in time even though he was fast running out of time.
However, Artoo arrived at that moment and the next thing Anakin knew, the vat Padmé was in was dropped to the ground and Padmé went rolling out of it. Anakin breathed a sigh of relief but that release was short-lived as an armored rocket-man dropped before him with a blaster leveled his way. "Don't move, Jedi," the man ordered.
A/n what do you think?
Blaze: the next chapter will cover Anakin and Padmé being taken to the arena (yes I am skipping the meeting with Dooku and the Geonosians verdict) and the Battle of Geonosis
Darth: that's cool
Blaze: yup
Obi-Wan: so is the next chapter gonna be short?
Blaze: considering I'm going to be practically quoting the entire scene from the book mixed with Obi-Wan's thoughts, probably
Anakin: is it going to be mostly Obi-Wan's point of view?
Blaze: yes, that's why it's going to be short. Only the first part is going to be Anakin's point of view since I just have to keep that part
Darth: ah okay
Blaze: so please review and I will post chapter 9 as soon as I possibly can but I doubt it'll be anytime soon