Thank you to the 9 people who reviewed the last chapter. This chapter will either cover Chapters 40 through 48 of Labyrinth of Evil or it will cover the rest of the book. Though, because of how much I'm going to skip, this will very likely be the last chapter of the Clone Wars part of this story. So I hope that you enjoy this chapter and reviews, as always, are much appreciated.
Chapter 54
In what had served as the archive room for LiMerge Power's plasma facility, droid parts were piling up so fast and so high that Obi-Wan and Anakin could scarcely see Dooku's wavering holoimage any longer.
The business of destroying infantry droids—for that's precisely what the confrontation had come down to—was beginning to take a toll on Obi-wan just as it had the first time around. It was made worse because the droids seemed more focused on him than on his companion and he wondered if that was part of Dooku's plan. Perhaps it wasn't but Obi-Wan wouldn't be surprised if it was part of Sidious's plan. The Dark Lord of the Sith who was behind everything that led to the future Obi-Wan came from would discover that Obi-Wan was meddling with his plans just as Qui-Gon had said. Perhaps the orders given to the droids to focus more on him than on Anakin was Sidious's way of attempting to kill him and avoid any more of his plans falling through. Nevertheless, the slices that halved his spindly opponents and the thrusts that pierced chest plastrons had lost some of their initial accuracy.
It wasn't as if he and Anakin were relying on their lightsabers only. They called upon the Force and hurled whatever could be lifted from the floor or yanked from the walls at the droids. Force-pushing four droids to the floor, hewing half a dozen more with his flashing blade, Anakin leapt from Obi-Wan's side, landed on the head of a perplexed droid, and began to race around the far side of the hall using other heads as stepping-stones.
Unfortunately, almost as soon as he did that, the droids turned their attention to Obi-Wan and more droids began to appear. It seemed with each droid they destroyed five more would appear creating an impenetrable barrier between them and the doorway through which Dooku had gone.
Anakin sliced through another droid but Obi-Wan was relieved to see he wasn't enraged as he had been the first time around. In fact, he seemed calmer than ever and Obi-Wan had to marvel, inwardly, at how much his brother had grown and changed since he came to the past.
When a blaster bolt nearly hit him, Obi-Wan told himself he should probably focus on the battle at hand. Continuing to block blaster bolts and slicing through droids, the Jedi Master/time traveler gritted his teeth as at least twenty battle droids hurried into the room through the door behind him. Knowing that would happen, he whirled around and deflected the first barrage but he found himself surrounded.
Blast it, he thought.
Blocking another series of blaster bolts, he noticed that more droids were entering the room but, that time, they were successfully cutting him off from Anakin. The droids continued to fire at Obi-Wan and, despite how many he managed to deflect, one managed to get past his defenses slamming into his shoulder.
Searing pain shot from his shoulder down his arm and he staggered backwards switching his lightsaber from his right hand to his left but went back to deflecting not letting the pain in his right shoulder. However, he was not as proficient with the lightsaber in his left hand.
"Master!" Anakin shouted leaping onto the droids and beginning to use them as stepping-stones again before he landed on the ground beside Obi-Wan. He whirled around and his lightsaber was a blue blur of light but Obi-Wan could feel his rising anger, the anger he was trying hard to control to no avail.
Just like last time, it was nothing more than a game to him. But if it was a demonstration of Force ability Dooku wanted then, just like last time, Anakin was still more than willing to provide it.
"Dooku!" he howled with such force and wrath that the ceiling of the vast hall began to collapse.
Siri Tachi ran alongside Padmé. She had gone to the Senate to help Padmé the instant she learned about the attack on Coruscant. She only had to hope that Sabé or Dormé had gotten her children out of Padmé's apartment and to safety.
"Hurry, Threepio," Padmé said over her shoulder looking at the protocol droid whom Siri remembered seeing on Tatooine when she went to check on Anakin's mother.
"Unless you want the Senate to be your final resting place," the senator added.
The protocol droid hastened his pace. "I assure you, Mistress, I'm moving as quickly as my limbs permit. Oh, curse my metal body! I'll become entombed here!"
The broad, ornate hallways leading from the Great Rotunda were packed with Senators, their aides, staff members, and droids, many laden with armloads of documents and data disks, and in some cases expensive gifts received from appreciative lobbyists. Blue-robed Senate Guards and helmeted clone troopers were doing their best to verse the evacuation but, what with the warbling sirens and flying rumors, alarm was beginning to yield to panic.
"How could this happen?" a Sullustan was posing to the Gotal next to him. "How?"
Two all sides of her—among Bith, Gran, Wookiees, Rodians—Siri heard the same question being asked.
How could Coruscant be invaded?
I hope you're all right, Obi-Wan, Siri thought before she looked at Padmé who looked worried.
"Anakin will be all right," she whispered too quietly to be overheard by anyone.
Padmé looked at her. "Are you sure?" she whispered.
Siri nodded. She was attempting to reassure herself as well as Padmé because she had felt the sudden pain Obi-Wan had felt just before she reached the Great Rotunda with Padmé. She also knew that her husband was in danger but she released her worry into the Force. It wouldn't do any of them any good if she panicked. Besides, she was a Jedi; she could control her emotions in the midst of panic and alarm.
Padmé hesitated. "But what if…?" she began resting her hand on her abdomen.
"Don't think in the negative, Padmé," Siri said quietly. "He will come back to you. You have to believe that he will."
Padmé nodded slowly and the two of them continued to make their way through the chaos within the Great Rotunda.
Thus far, the Senate Building was unscathed. Nevertheless, Homeworld Security felt it prudent to move everyone to the shelters deep beneath the hemisphere and the enormous plaza that fronted it. With most of the autonavigation lanes congested, it wasn't as if anyone could flee Coruscant. And there was always the likelihood that General Grievous, who was leading the attack, would single out civilian targets, as he had done on countless occasions.
Jostled by the surging crowd, Siri was barely able to stop Padmé from falling when she collided with a Gran delegate who fixed his trio of eyestalks on her.
"And you originally opposed the Military Creation Act," he barked. "What do you say now?"
"Come on, Padmé,' Siri said ignoring the Gran when she spotted Senator Bail Organa and Senator Mon Mothma angling toward where they, and Threepio, were momentarily hampered. With them were Shaak Ti, Stass Allie and Adi Gallia.
"Have you seen the Chancellor?" bail asked when he could.
Padmé shook her head. "He's probably in the holding office."
"We were just there," Shaak Ti said. "The office is empty. Even his guards are gone."
"They must have escorted him to the shelters," Siri suggested.
"What are you doing here, Siri?" Adi, her former master, asked curiously.
"I asked her to come by before the attack began. I wanted to discuss Palpatine's State of the Republic address with someone who might have a different perspective on it and Master Tachi is a good friend," Padmé lied.
Whether her former master detected that Padmé was lying or not, Siri couldn't tell. Adi simply nodded.
Senator Organa glanced over Padmé's shoulder before raising his hand over his head to call attention to himself. "Mas Amedda," he explained for Padmé's benefit. "He'll know where to find the Chancellor."
The tall, horned, gray-complected Chagrian fairly shouldered his way through the crowd.
"The Supreme Chancellor had no meetings scheduled until later today," he said in answer to Organa's question. "I assume he is in his residence."
"Five Hundred Republica," Shaak Ti muttered to herself in seeming frustration. "I was just there."
Amedda gazed down at her in sudden concern. "And the Chancellor wasn't?"
"I wasn't looking for him then," the Togruta Master started to say, then allowed her words to trail off. "Master Allie, Master Gallia and I will check the Senate Office Building and Republica." She glanced at Siri, Padmé, Bail and the others. "Where are you going?"
"Wherever we're directed to go," Organa said.
"The turbolifts to the shelters are overwhelmed," Stass Allie said. "It'll be hours before the Senate is evacuated. My skimmer is at the plaza's northwest landing platform. You can pilot that directly to the shelters."
"Won't you, Adi and Shaak Ti need it?" Padmé asked.
"We'll use the speeder bike I arrived on," Shaak Ti said. "And Adi can take her own speeder bike."
"We appreciate the gesture," Organa said. "But I heard that the front plaza is cordoned off."
"I can escort you there," Siri offered resting her hand on Padmé's arm.
"We will go with you," said Stass Allie taking Organa's arm.
Troopers stationed in the corridor opened a path for the group, and before long they reached the doorways to the main plaza. There, however, a commando blocked their path.
"You can't exit this way," the commando told Organa.
"They're with us," Shaak Ti said.
Waving signals to several of his white-armored comrades, the commando stood aside and allowed the group to pass. The sky above the statue-studded plaza was crowded with gunships and personnel carriers. AT-TEs and other mobile artillery pieces had already been deployed.
The Jedi Masters led Siri, Padmé, Threepio, Organa and Mon Mothma to the open-roofed skimmer. The speeder bike was parked alongside. Shaak Ti swung one leg over the seat and started the engine. Stass Allie settled in behind her while Adi climbed onto her own speeder bike.
"Siri, stay with the Senators and make sure they get to safety," she ordered.
"Yes Master Gallia," Siri replied before watching as the two Jedi Masters raced off in the direction of the Senate Office Building then, with Organa pilot, they boarded the oval-shaped Flash skimmer and dropped down into the wide canyon below the plaza.
Free-travel traffic was thick even there, but Organa's skill got them through the worst of it and on course for the shelter entrances, which were just below the main skydocks of the Senate Medcenter.
Without warning, two beams of scarlet light stabbed at them from somewhere above the dome of the Senate.
"Vulture droids!" Organa said.
Siri gritted her teeth before leaping to her feet and igniting her lightsaber. She angled it to deflect a plasma bolt as Organa veered away from them. The pod-winged droid fighter that had fired was one of several that were strafing vehicles, landing platforms, and buildings in the canyon. Republic gunships were in close pursuit, unleashing with powerful wingtip cannons.
Padmé looked shocked and Siri could share the sentiment but she was too focused on keeping the plasma bolts away from the speeder.
Unfortunately, every other driver were doing what they could to keep clear of the blaster bolts, plasma and flak and collisions quickly became part of the obstacle course.
"Blast it," Siri said as Organa dropped the skimmer lower still and began to head for the nearest shelter entrance. She blocked another plasma bolt before a disturbance flashed through the Force. She leapt toward the starboard turbine nacelle but the plasma bolt reached it before she reached it.
The small craft went into a shallow dive causing Siri to miss the jump.
"Siri!" Padmé cried.
Organa swerved toward a landing platform that abutted a wide skybridge and brought him successfully under Siri. Crashing into the small craft, the Jedi didn't pause as she leapt off the craft and landed on the landing platform. She turned around and used the Force to guide the speeder to a gentle landing on the platform.
She then walked over to the craft and helped Padmé, whose eyes were filled with unshed tears and who was resting her right hand on her abdomen. Siri quickly caught Padmé when she suddenly fainted and she swore.
This isn't good, she thought.
"Where is the Chancellor?" Shaak Ti demanded of the three Red Guards stationed outside the entrance to Palpatine's suit in 500 Republica.
Alongside her hurried Stass Allie and Adi Gallia, both of them with their hands resting on the hilt of their lightsabers. In their adamant wake followed four members of the building's small army of security personnel, who had escorted the Jedi Women from a midlevel skydock to the penthouse level.
Despite having been notified of their arrival, the imposing Red Guards kept their forces pikes raised in defensive postures.
"Where?" Stass Allie said, making it clear that she was going to get past them, one way or another.
Adi raised her hand to part the doors with a Force wave when the guards lowered their pikes and stepped aside. One punched a code into a wall panel and the pair of burnished doors opened.
"This way," the same guard said, gesturing the Jedi inside.
A broad hallway lined with sculptures and holo-art images led into the suite itself, which, like Palpatine's chambers in the Senate Office Building, was predominantly red. There was no telling how large the suit was, but the exterior wall of the vast main room followed the curve of the building's crown and looked down on patchy clouds, typical those that gathered around the building in late afternoon. Distant autonavigation lanes—transverse, and to and from orbit—were motionless with stalled traffic. Between them and 500 Republica hovered two LAAT gunships and a small flock of patrol skimmers.
A distinct disturbance at the rest of the Senate District's defensive umbrella meant that continued bombardment by Separatist forces had rendered the shield permeable. Beyond the superhot edge of the shield, light flashed within banks of gray clouds.
Lightning or plasma, Shaak Ti told herself.
Scarcely acknowledging her presence, Palpatine paced in the room like a caged animal, hands clasped behind his back, Senatorial robes trailing along the richly carpeted floor.
Additional Red Guards and several of Palpatine's advisors stood watching him, some with comlinks plugged into their ears, others with devices Shaak Ti understood to be vital to the continued operation of the Republic military. Should anything befall the Chancellor, authority to initiate battle campaigns and issue war codes would pass temporarily to Speaker of the Senate, mass Amedda, who, Shaak Ti had learned, was already safely ensconced in a hardened bunker deep beneath the Great Rotunda.
She couldn't help noticing that Pestage and Isard—two of Palpatine's closest advisors—looked nervous.
"Why is he still here?" Stass Allie directed at Isard.
Isard made his lips a thin line. "Ask him yourself."
Shaak Ti had to practically plant herself in Palpatine's path to get his attention. "Supreme Chancellor, we need to escort you to shelter."
They were not strangers. Palpatine had personally commended her for her actions at Geonosis, Kamino, Dagu, Brental IV and Centares.
He stopped briefly to regard her, then swung around and paced away from her. "Master Ti, while I appreciate your concern, I've no need of rescue. As I've made abundantly plain to my advisors and protectors, I feel that my place is here, where I can best communicate with our commanders. If I were to go anywhere, it would be to the holding office."
"Chancellor, communications will be clearer from the bunker," Pestage said.
"All those familiarization drills you so despised were conducted for just this scenario, sir," Isard added.
Palpatine sent him a skewered grin. "Practice and reality are different matters. The Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Senate does not hide from enemies of the Republic. Can I be any clearer?"
The fact that Palpatine was flustered, confused, possibly frightened was obvious. But when Shaak Ti attempted to read him through the Force, she found it difficult to get a sense on what he was truly feeling.
Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, otherwise known as Darth Sidious, could sense that Grievous was getting closer. Ever since the Jedi had started getting closer to discovering his true identity, he had set in motion a plan to get them off his trail. And it looked as though everything was going just as he had planned it all down to the Jedi's arrival.
"Chancellor, I'm sorry," Adi Gallia, a Jedi that was supposed to have been killed when Darth Maul returned, said. That was yet another change that Palpatine detested especially since it was Kenobi who had killed Maul and saved Gallia's life; that was not supposed to happen.
"The Jedi are obliged to make this decision for you," Gallia added.
Palpatine swung to her. "I thought you answered to me!" Naturally, he knew that they didn't really but he decided that it was an appropriate thing to say.
Gallia remained unfazed; the irritating Jedi calm surrounded her. "We answer first to the Republic, and safeguarding you is tantamount to safeguarding the Republic."
Palpatine adopted his signature penetrating gaze. "And what will you do should I refuse? Use the Force to drag me from my quarters? Pit your lightsabers against the weapons of my guards, who are also sworn to safeguard me?" They wouldn't; Jedi were too predictable.
Shaak Ti traded looks with one of the guards but she said nothing.
"Supreme Chancellor," Pestage, who knew nothing of who Palpatine really was, said. "You must listen to reason—"
"Reason?" The Sith Lord in disguise snapped. After years of being undercover, so to speak, his ability to act was flawless. He aimed a finger toward the window. "Have you gazed into our once tranquil skies? Is there anything reasonable about what's occurring there?"
"All the more reason to move you to safety as quickly as possible," Isard said; he also knew nothing of the plan. "So that you can conduct Coruscant's defense from a hardened site."
Palpatine adopted a faintly surprised look. "In other words, you agree with the Jedi."
"We do, sir," Isard said.
"And you?" Palpatine asked the captain of his guards.
The guard nodded.
"Then all of you are in error." As per the plan, Palpatine stormed to the window. "Perhaps you need to take a closer look—"
The disturbance occurred right on schedule. Shaak Ti tackled him to the ground while Stass Allie and Adi Gallia ignited their lightsabers. Then the gunships closest to 500 Republica were lanced by plasma bolts. Their door gunners blown into midair, two ships veered and began to fall through the clouds, trailing plumes of fire and thick black smoke.
"Unhand me!" Palpatine said. "How dare you?" He already knew the answer to that; Jedi and their never-ending desire to be helpful. That would be one thing that will lead to their downfall…
If the plans for later on do not fall apart as his other plans have been doing, that is.
Shaak Ti kept him pinned to the floor and called her lightsaber into her hand.
A shrill sound overrode the window's noise cancellation feature, and a Separatist assault craft rose into view from somewhere below the suit. Crowded at the side hatches and ready to deploy stood a band of battle droids. As the craft hovered closer to the window, Palpatine spotted Grievous in the window.
"Down!" Stass Allie shouted a moment before the entire window wall blew inward, filling the air with permaglass pebbles. Through the shatter window, droids leapt into the room, opening up with blaster rifles.
Palpatine winced as a few permaglass pebbles struck his face. That was a little close, Grievous, he thought.
He noticed Stass Allie standing immobile in the rush of wind, noise and blaster bolts. Six Red Guards raced to her side, their activated force pikes humming in concert with Allie's lightsaber. Droids fell armless, legless, headless before they made it two meters into the room. Blaster bolts deflected by Allies flashing blue blade blazed out of the window opening, ripping into the other droids waiting to hurdle the gap between craft and building.
Near Stass Allie, the Chancellor could see Adi Gallia also blocking bolts and destroying droids trying to the edge to, perhaps, throw herself aboard the hovering gunboat. However, there were too many droids standing in the way. Shaak Ti pulled Palpatine into a crouch before guiding him deeper into the room, her upraised lightsaber parrying bolts that ricocheted from the walls and ceiling.
Beaten back, the battle droids broke off their attack. Outside the window, the gunboat was taking heavy fire from a surround of patrol skimmers. As Allie and the Red Guards were felling the final few droids, the Separatist craft dropped back into the clouds, with bolts from the skimmers chasing it.
Releasing Palpatine as two of his guards came to his side Shaak Ti raced to the window and gazed down into the clouds. Pestage hurried to his side while Shaak Ti turned to face Isard.
"Alert Homeworld Security that General Grievous has broken through the perimeter."
"Ready no, sir?" Pestage asked helping him to his feet.
Palpatine adopted a wide-eyed look as he nodded.
"These familiarization drills you've been conducting," Stass Allie started to say.
Isard gestured to one of the side rooms. "The suit is equipped with a secret turbolift that serves as a secure, midlevel skydock. An armored gunship is standing by to transport the Chancellor to a bunker complex in the Sah'c district."
"Negative," Shaak Ti said shaking her head. "Grievous knew enough to come here .We have to assume that the escape route has been compromised as well."
It will make no difference in the end, Jedi, Palpatine thought.
"We can't take him to a public shelter," Isard said.
"No," Shaak Ti agreed. "But there are other ways to reach the bunker complex."
"Why not use Republica's private turbolifts," one of the security guards suggested. "Ride them to the basement levels and you'll have access to any number of landing platforms."
The three Jedi nodded before Adi glanced at Palpatine. "Supreme Chancellor, your guards are going to encircle you. You are not to attempt to leave that circle under any circumstances. Do you understand?"
Palpatine nodded. "I'll do whatever you say."
Gallia waited until the Red Guards had gathered around him. "Now—quickly!"
When everyone had moved into the hallway, Shaak Ti used her comlink to find Mace Windu.
"Mace, Grievous is onworld," she said the moment she heard his voice.
The response was noisy but intelligible. "I just heard."
"The Chancellor's escape route may be in jeopardy," she continued "We're heading for Republica's subbasements. Can you meet us there?"
"Kit and I are nearby.
Pressed into the turbolift with Stass Allie, Adi Gallia, Palpatine's guards and advisors and Republica's security personnel, Shaak Ti watched the display tick off the floors. No one spoke until the car had reached the first sublevel.
"Don't' stop," Shaak Ti told the security man closest to the controls. "The deeper we go, the better."
"All the way to the bottom?" the man asked.
She nodded. "All the way to the bottom."
Again.
When they reached the bottom level of the subbasements, Shaak Ti ordered the Red Guards and Palpatine to wait when they reached the mouth of the tunnel. Allie and Gallia strode to the center of the platform and gazed up at the buildings that loomed on all sides. "Grievous's forces must have destroyed the orbital mirror that feeds this sector."
Shaak Ti looked straight up at the sliver of sky.
"The shield is down. They must have taken out the generator."
Allie blew out her breath. "I'll find an appropriate vehicle to confiscate."
Gallia placed a hand on her upper arm. "That's too risky. We must remain as close to ground as possible."
Allie indicated the stairway that led to the mag-lev platform. "The train won't take us to the bunker complex, but close enough."
Shaak Ti smiled at her and reactivated the comlink. "Mace," she said when he answered. "Another change in plans…"
Padmé's eyes fluttered open and into focus swam the face of Siri. "We have to get you out of here," she said.
Padmé took stock of herself and realized she was lying next to Stass Allie's skimmer in Siri's arms. "How long—?" she began.
"Just for a moment," Mon Mothma said as if from under water as Siri helped her to her feet. "You were fine after Master Tachi guided the skimmer to a land. Then you fainted. Can you move?"
Padmé looked around. She noticed that Siri had guided the speeder to a landing platform just outside the Embassy Mall. She was a little light headed but unhurt. "I can barely hear you," she admitted.
Mon Mothma regarded her in knowing silence.
"Come on, we need to keep moving," Siri said before she guided Padmé away from the skimmer to where Organa and Threepio were hiding near the entrance to the plaza outside the Embassy Mall.
Reality reasserted itself in a rush of deafening noise, flashing light and acrid smells; from the tiered heights above the plaza, distant discharges of artillery. Higher still, plasma bolts raked the sky; fire bloomed, detonations thundered.
Padmé saw a smear of blood on Bail Organa's cheek. "You're hurt—"
"It's nothing," he said. "Besides, we have more to worry about."
She followed his grim gaze and understood immediately why Coruscanti were fleeing the pedestrian skybridge that linked the mall to the midlevel entrances of the Senate Hospital. Five Vulture droids had alit on the far side of the span and reconfigured to patrol mode. Four-legged gargoyles, with heads deployed forward and sensor slits red as arterial blood, they were striding through Hospital Plaza, sowing destruction. Their four laser cannons were aimed downward, but from paired launchers in their semicircular fuselage flew torpedoes aimed at air taxis, craft attempting to dock at the hospital's emergency platforms, the tunnel entrances tot eh Senate shelters.
Republic LAATs had dropped from the Senate Plaza to engage the three and a half meter tall droids but were maintaining a wary distance just now, pilots and gunners clearly worried about adding energy weapons or EMP missiles to the chaos.
"Xi Char monstrosities," Mon Mothma said.
Huddled, frightened, panicked masses of Coruscanti were suddenly getting a taste of what the inhabitants of Jabiim, Brentaal and countless other worlds had faced during the past three years; caught up in a war of ideologies, often by dint of circumstance or location; caught between the forces of a droid army led by a self-styled revolutionary and a cyborg butcher and an army of vat-grown soldiers led by a monastic order of Jedi Knights who had once been the galaxy's peacekeepers.
Caught in the middle, with no allegiance to either side.
It was tragic and senseless, and she might have broken down and cried if her current circumstances had been different .She felt sick at heart and in despair for the future of sentient life.
"Palpatine will never live this down," Mon Mothma was saying. "Committing so many of our ships and troopers to the Outer Rim sieges. As if this war he is so intent on winning could never come to Coruscant."
Bail frowned in sympathy. "Not only will he live it down, hell profit from it. The Senate will be blamed for voting to escalate the sieges, and while we're mired in accusation and counteraccusations of accountability, Palpatine will quietly accrue more and more power. Without realizing it, the Separatists have played right into his hands by launching this attack."
Padmé wanted to argue with him but didn't have the strength.
"They're all mad," Bail continued. "Dooku, Grievous, Palpatine."
Mon Mothma nodded sadly. "The Jedi could have stopped this war," she began.
"We have been trying, Senator Mothma," Siri said reminding them that she was there. "It is difficult to stop a war when the enemy will not let up."
Mon Mothma looked at her. "I know," she said, "but I fear you have become Palpatine's pawns."
Siri sighed. "You aren't the only one within the Jedi Order who feels that way, Senator," she said quietly.
Padmé closed her eyes briefly. She wanted to respond to that, wanted to ask if some members of the Jedi did agree with Mon Mothma's words and yet she found she couldn't. Her husband was one of those Jedi as was Siri's husband.
"They're coming." Bail aimed a finger across the plaza pulling her from her thoughts before they could dwindle into self-pity. "They're coming across the bridge."
Obviously, the Vultures' droid brain had come to a revelation that the pedestrian skyway offered a better vantage for targeting buildings and craft to both sides of the kilometer-deep canyon. More important, the gunships were even less likely to fire on them there, lest they destroy the span and send it plummeting to the busy thorough fares and mag-lev lines two hundred stories below.
Threepio started to say something but, before he could, Siri stood up. "We must keep those droids on the far side of the bridge so they can be taken out. Do any of you have any weapons?"
The three Senators shook their heads.
Siri sighed. "All right, I saw a military craft crash nearby. We might be able to find some weapons there." She pointed toward where the overturned military craft was lying beyond a holosign that had been knocked down close to the entrance to the mall.
The three Senators and one Jedi immediately made their way toward it. Siri stood guard beside the craft when they reached it before they retrieved three blaster rifles.
"Not much power left," Organa said checking one of the blaster rifles. "Yours?"
"Low on blaster gas," Padmé said.
Mon Mothma ejected the powerpack from hers. "Empty."
"We'll have to make do," Bail said nodding glumly.
"All right," Siri said. "You're going to have to run from cover to cover after each round you fire."
"What are you going to do?" Mon Mothma asked.
Siri ignited her lightsaber before looking toward the first of the Vulture droids as it began moving down the skyway. "I'm going to try to help on the skyway."
"But the security grates…" Padmé began. The security grates had been lifted over the entrance to the plaza outside the Embassy Mall leaving many Coruscanti scrambling around on the skyway seeking shelter.
"Just stay safe. I know what I'm doing," Siri said before she dashed toward the skyway. Taking a flying leap, she propelled herself over the security grate and disappeared beyond it amidst the crowd gathered beyond the sealed entrance.
Siri dashed through the crowd along the skyway, her lightsaber causing the pedestrians to give her a wide berth as she raced toward the first of the Vulture droids that was beginning to skitter across the walkway. She deflected a plasma bolt before jumping to the side to avoid another one as the Vulture droid, seeming to understand that she was a threat, began firing at her. Luckily, she had managed to get beyond the gathered pedestrians so they weren't in danger.
She ducked and deflected another plasma bolt before dashing toward one of the legs of the Vulture droid. Her lightsaber sliced through it and she didn't pause as she cut through the leg beyond the first leg. With the Vulture droid listing to one side, and getting hit with blaster fire from the Senators at the edge of the plaza outside the Embassy Hall, Siri was able to slice through its remaining legs without getting hit with plasma or blaster bolts. When the Vulture droid fell flat to the ground, she leapt on its head before stabbing her blade into it effectively destroying it.
Breathless, she turned around and barely leapt out of the way in time to avoid another Vulture droids blaster fire even as the Vulture droid launched a torpedo toward where the blasterfire that kept hitting it was originating. Siri knew Padmé and everyone with her were all right though.
She repeated the process that she did with the first Vulture droid and the missiles from one of the gunships' mass-drive launchers took off the third droid's left legs, then the head, then blew the rest clear across the Hospital Plaza. The remaining two Vulture droids skittered toward Siri and she took a deep breath before lashing out with the Force to keep the droids from stepping onto the skyway.
Unfortunately, that was when Padmé and her companions ran out of ammo to fire at the two remaining Vulture droids. The Vulture droids, though held in place by the Force, were still able to launch a torpedo toward the Embassy Plaza. Siri felt worried but released it into the Force; unfortunately, the brief moment she felt that worry had distracted her enough to where she lost her grip on the Vulture droids.
The droids started forward but suddenly it came to a stop. Retracting its head and stiffening its scissor-like legs into wings, it turned and launched itself over the edge of the plaza into the canyon below.
Siri dashed toward the skyway's railing and peered over at the canyon that lay beneath them. The Senate District mag-lev was racing south toward the skytunnel that would take it through the kilometer-wide Heorem Complex and on into the wealthy Sah'c District. The two Vulture droids were swooping down to join ranks with a Separatist gunboat that was already chasing the train.
"This isn't good," Siri said softly deactivating her lightsaber before hurrying over to join Padmé, Mon Mothma, Bail and Threepio who had also hurried to the railing of the skyway.
Hills charred by the constantly lapping lava covered the landscape along with wide, rivers of lava flowing steadily past. Obi-Wan stood on the crest of one of those charred hills gazing down at the platform floating on the river of lava, gazing down at the young man he loved as a brother.
"Don't try it, Anakin. I have the high ground," he called.
"You underestimate my power," Anakin screamed before he took a flying leap propelled by the Force. Obi-Wan's lightsaber was a blur of blue light as it slashed through the air cutting Anakin's legs and arms off. He fell to the ground and rolled down the hill ending up dangerously close to the lapping waves of lava.
"You were the chosen one," Obi-Wan cried tears in his eyes as he lowered his blade. "It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them. Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness."
Anakin's eyes were yellow flaring with hatred and pain as his body caught on fire. "I hate you!" he screamed.
"You were my brother, Anakin, I loved you," Obi-Wan cried in anguish the tears that had appeared in his eyes slide down his face as he bent down to pick up his friend's lightsaber and walked away.
Obi-Wan groaned as he woke up to complete darkness. Knocked out by the collapsing archive hall, the memory had invaded his mind as vividly as if he was there on the volcanic planet. He drew in a shuddering breath and proceeded to cough.
He was unsure as to why that memory would return to the forefronts of his mind at that moment. He knew he still had time to stop that from happening. Perhaps it was just warning him but why warn him months ahead of time? Obi-Wan did not know.
"Master?" Anakin whispered. "Master, are you all right?"
"I'm fine, Anakin," Obi-Wan said pushing the memory of Mustafar away. He decided to lighten the mood a little since his apprentice's worry drifted off him in tendrils.
"You're getting awfully good at destroying things," he added. "On Vjun, you needed a grenade to do this much damage."
Anakin chuckled before coughing when he accidentally breathed in some dust. "I guess I'm becoming more powerful," he said before his voice grew serious as he added, "Master, I'm sorry."
"Sorry? For what?" Obi-Wan frowned although he had a feeling as to why his brother was apologizing to him.
Anakin hesitated. "When you were shot, I feared I was going to lose you, Obi-Wan," he said.
"What have I told you about your fear, Anakin?"
"To control it so that it doesn't control me or I'll spiral out of control," Anakin said. "And that's why I'm sorry. I let my fear control me and that caused my anger to increase and, well, we can see the results of that all around us."
"It's all right, Anakin," Obi-Wan said quietly. "Come on, let's get out from under all this."
They used the Force, their hands and backs to extricate themselves. Getting to their feet, they stood staring at each other, dusted white head-to-toe from the debris.
"Go ahead," Anakin said with a faint smile. "If you don't say it, I will."
Obi-Wan smiled as well. "If you insist," he said. "Almost make me nostalgic for Naos Three."
"Let's go see if we can catch up with Dooku, master," Anakin suggested.
Obi-Wan nodded and the two of them scampered over the remains of the dome, droid parts, buried pieces of furniture and overturned shelves of holodocuments as they raced for the landing platform. They arrived in time to see Dooku's sloop, one among dozens of Separatist vessels, streaking for space.
Anakin watched the sloop as it disappeared for a moment longer then he looked at Obi-Wan. "We've been tricked, Master," he said. "Tythe was never the target. We were."
Palpatine feigned astonishment as Grievous, a bit too dramatically, entered the bunker with his MagnaGuards just behind him. He was a little impressed that Grievous and his MagnaGuards were able to take out his guards and four Jedi Knights. Dooku trained him well and yet Palpatine was sure he would meet his end at the hands of Kenobi just as he had foreseen it.
That was supposing Kenobi, he was now firmly convinced it was Kenobi who was being lucky enough to disrupt most of his plans, didn't get lucky enough to change that plan as well.
With a gesture from Grievous, the MagnaGuards secured the bunker's hexagonal door. Deactivating his lightsaber, the cyborg turned to Palpatine.
"Now, Chancellor," he announced, "you're coming with us."
Palpatine simply said, "You will be a true loss to the forces you represent." It was meant as praise but he could see that it also took Grievous by surprise.
"Four Jedi Knights, all these soldiers and guards," he went on gesturing broadly. "Why not it until Shaak Ti, Stass Allie and Adi Gallia arrive?" He cocked his head to one side. "I think I hear them coming. They are Masters, after all."
Grievous looked confused and Palpatine was sure he was wondering if he was being tricked. "I might at any other time," he said finally. "But a ship awaits us that will take you from Coruscant—and from your cherished Republic, as well."
Cherished? If Palpatine hadn't been in his Supreme Chancellor mode, he would have scoffed at the notion. He, instead, curled his lip into a sneer. "Do you actually believe this plan will succeed?"
Grievous returned the look. "You're more defiant than I was led to believe, Chancellor. But, yes, the plan will succeed—and to your deficit. I would gladly kill you now but for my orders."
"So you take your orders," Palpatine said moving with deliberate lethargy. "Which if us, then, is the lesser?"
Before Grievous could reply, he added, "My death won't end this war, General."
The sound of rapid footfalls came to them, rousing Grievous from his thoughts and he gestured toward the bunker's rear door. "Move," he said.
The MagnaGuards stepped forward to make certain that Palpatine obeyed.
Grievous hurried on ahead into the bunker's communication console while Palpatine watched him from the doorway. He could see that Grievous was doing exactly as he was supposed to do, exactly as he had ordered Tyranus to instruct him to do.
It would provide him the means of accelerating his plans for ridding himself of his current apprentice so that he may take on a new one.
"That will call many Jedi down on you, General," he said, "some of whom you may regret having summoned." He was thinking primarily of the young Jedi he was determined to make his apprentice despite all the complications of that particular plan; Anakin Skywalker.
Grievous glared at him. "Only if they fail to challenge me."
"We were beginning to wonder if you were going to return," a human crew chief said by way of welcoming Anakin and Obi-Wan back to the assault cruiser's ventral landing bay.
Anakin left the cockpit and leapt to the deck as Obi-Wan asked when the Separatists made the jump to hyperspace.
"Less than an hour, local. Guess they had enough of the pounding we were giving them."
"Unfortunately, that's not it," Anakin admitted walking to his brother's side.
"Do we know where they're headed?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Most of the capital ships jumped Rimward. A few appear to be headed for the Nelvaan system—thirteen parsecs from here," the crew chief said.
"What are our orders?"
"We're still waiting to find out. The fact is, we haven't received any communications from Coruscant since the start of the battle."
Anakin frowned. "That's not good," he said.
"Are we the only battle group who's been having this problem?" Obi-Wan asked.
"No sir, several other battle groups reported that they have been unable to communicate with Coruscant as well."
Anakin was now worried. What could have happened to cause this? He wondered silently. Could it have anything to do with my vision? Of Padmé and so much combat, deceit and destruction?
"We shouldn't have come here," he said quietly. He felt he was being kept away from Coruscant. "This was a feint and we fell for it. We're being kept from Coruscant. I can feel it."
Obi-Wan sighed. "I feel it too," he said quietly. "But what else were we supposed to do? We could have ended this war if we captured Dooku."
"But I think that was the point, Master. We didn't capture Dooku and now we have no communications with Coruscant? You don't see it, do you?"
"I see that we walked into a trap Anakin, a trap that was set up for the purpose of delaying us. Why? I do not know. I wish that I did and I wish that I had answers for you but I don't."
Anakin continued to gaze at his brother. "I don't expect you to have all the answers, Master," he said. "There are too many possible reasons why Dooku wanted to delay us."
Obi-Wan looked like he was going to say something but, before he could, the crew chief interrupted.
"General Skywalker, something has your astromech very flustered."
The two Jedi swung to Anakin's starfighter. "Artoo?" Anakin said in a concerned tone.
The astromech tooted, shrilled, chittered.
"Does he understand droid?" the crew chief asked Obi-Wan as Anakin scaled the cockpit ladder.
"That droid," he heard Obi-Wan say.
"What is it, Artoo? What's wrong?"
The droid whistled and zithered.
Throwing himself into the open cockpit, Anakin toggled switches. Obi-Wan was at the base of the ladder when Palpatine's voice issued through the cockpit annunciators. "Anakin, if you are receiving this message, then I have urgent need of your help…"
The crew chief's comlink toned.
"What is it?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Tight-beam comm from Coruscant," the crew said. He listened for another moment, then added, in obvious disbelief, "Sir, the Separatists have invaded."
Anakin felt another surge of anger go through him. First he nearly loses Obi-Wan and then the Separatists attack the planet on which his friend Palpatine, his wife, his niece and his nephew were living. It took every ounce of Anakin's self-control to grab at his anger, acknowledge that it was anger he was feeling, and releasing it into the Force.
As he did so, he was positive he felt a spark of pride drift through the bond between him and Obi-Wan but he decided not to worry about it.
"Crew chief," Anakin called down to the crew chief. "Please refuel and rearm our starfighters at once."
"Yes sir," the crew chief said saluting while Anakin climbed out of the cockpit and leapt back down to the deck.
From aboard his cruiser, General Grievous addressed a captive audience of trillions of beings. His frightening visage dominating every frequency of the HoloNet, he delivered a message of gloom and doom, forecasting the end of Palpatine's reign, the long-delinquent downfall of the corrupt Republic, a bright new future for all the worlds and all the species that had been enslaved to it…
Crushed in among Nicandra Plaza's suddenly silent multitude, Padmé stood with Threepio arms cradled against her, elbows in the palms of her hands, her face raised to the light-splintered sky. Siri stood beside her comforting her to the best of her ability while thinking about the words that silver protocol droid had told Threepio.
"In essence, he told me to flee while it was still possible. He said that dark times were approaching but could be stopped. That the line that separates good and bad will become blurred but the good might become brighter than the bad. That what seems good now will prove evil. And that what seems evil, will prove good," Threepio had said.
Siri couldn't figure out that those words meant; they were too confusing.
Siri and Padmé lifted their heads as Organa jogged over to join them near the handrails. Padmé turned into his comforting embrace her tears wetting the front of his tunic. Siri kept her arm around her friend's shoulders.
"Padmé, listen to me," Organa said stroking Padmé's hair. "The Separatists have nothing to gain by killing Palpatine. He'll be all right."
"What if you're wrong, Bail?" Padmé protested. "What if they do kill him, and power falls into the hands of Mas Amedda and the rest of that gang? That doesn't worry you? What if Alderaan is next on Grievous's list of worlds to attack?"
"Of course it worries me. I fear for Alderaan. But I have faith that won't happen. This attack will put an end to the Outer Rim sieges. The Jedi will be back where they belong, here in the Core. And as for Mas Amedda, he won't last a week. There are thousands of Senators who think as we do, Padmé. We'll rally them into a force to be reckoned with. We'll put the Republic back on course, even if we have to fight tooth and nail to overcome anyone who opposes us." he put his hand under her chin to lift her face toward his. "We'll get through this, no matter what."
She sniffled; smiled lightly. "If I could keep my concerns focused only on the future of the Republic…"
Siri tightened her grip on her friend. "Padmé," she said softly, "you're my friend and if you ever need any help at all, you know that I will be there to help you. I will protect you and those close to you." She flicked her gaze to Padmé's abdomen where her and Anakin's child was growing.
"As will my wife and I, Padmé," Organa said.
"Thank you, Bail, Siri," Padmé said. "With all my heart, thank you."
The two starfighters sat side by side in the launching bay, only a few meters separating them, engines warming, droids in their sockets, cockpit canopies raised.
Neither pilot wore a helmet so Obi-Wan knew Anakin would hear him when he shouted, "For all the jinks and jukes you've taken me through, there's no one else I'd rather fly with."
Anakin canted his head and smiled. "It's about time you admitted it. Can I take that o mean you'll follow my lead?"
"To the best of my ability," said Obi-Wan. "I may not always be able to remain at your wing, but I won't be far off, and I'll always have your back." He wasn't just talking about the battle they were about to enter; he was talking about so much more.
"When I call for help, you'll come speeding to the rescue."
Obi-Wan smiled a little. "The day you call for help, I'll know that were both in over our heads," he said lightly.
Anakin adopted a serious look. "Obi-Wan, you don't know how many times you've already rescued me."
Obi-Wan gazed steadily at his former apprentice. Yes and I will rescue you before the darkness can take you, my brother. Sidious will not win, he thought. Out loud, he said, "Then whatever lies ahead for us shouldn't be a problem."
Anakin laughed lightly. "Who'll restore peace to the galaxy if we don't?"
Obi-Wan chuckled back. "At least you said we."
They lowered the starfighters' canopies and engaged the repulsors, lifting off, rotating 180 degrees, and easing through the launching bay's transparent containment field.
Flying abreast, all but sharing a wing, they enabled their thrusters and banked away from the massive ship. Accelerating on columns of brilliant blue energy, sluing slightly to port, slightly sinister, they coupled with their hyperdrive rings and disappeared into the long night.
The final act was beginning and Obi-Wan Kenobi knew it.
To Be Concluded in Part 3
A/n what do you think?
Blaze: well, that was the last chapter of part 2
Darth: I liked it especially the ending
Blaze: so did I
Anakin: so when's the next part coming out?
Blaze: I don't know. I'm probably going to take a break from this story before I start part three. I'll need time to find a copy of the book by Matthew Stover plus I've got other stories I want to get working on again like my Harry Potter fanfics
Harry: YES! You're finally going back to those
Blaze: I might start another Star Wars fic instead
Harry: AH MAN! (Slams sledgehammer into Voldy's head)
Voldy: OW! What was that for?
Harry: I just don't like you
Anakin: can I borrow that sledgehammer?
Harry: (hands Anakin sledgehammer)
Palpypie: hi
Anakin: (slams sledgehammer into Palpypie's gut)
Obi-Wan: (pops up out of nowhere and pushes Palpypie into lava pit)
Blaze: (laughs) please review, I really hope you enjoyed the last chapter of part two and the first chapter of part 3 will be posted soon