A Jedi's Rage

Thanks to The War Wizard for favouriting this story

Night had fallen on Tatooine as Anakin stopped his swoop bike near the edge of a cliff. He dismounted and crept over to the edge. He looked down to see a Tusken Raider camp in the oasis below. One of the huts had two Tuskens standing on guard outside. Realising that this was where his mother was likely being held, he scaled down the face of the cliff and snuck towards the camp on foot, methodically making his way between the huts until he reached the one with the two guards outside. He crept round to the back of the hut and used his lightsabre to cut a hole in the canvas. He then ventured inside and peered through the gloom to see a Human figure hanging from a wooden frame in the centre of the hut. It was Shimi Skywalker; barely conscious and badly beaten. Anakin immediately rushed over to her and released her from her bonds, taking her into his arms and lowering her gently to the ground. "Mom... Mom? Mom?" he murmured, cradling her tenderly.

Shimi's eyes fluttered feebly open. "Ani...?" she managed to gasp out. "Is it you?"

"I'm here, Mom." Anakin reassured her, taking one of her badly calloused hands into his own. "You're safe. Hang on. I'm gonna get you outta here."

"Ani? Ani?" Shmi repeated as her vision managed to clear enough for her to get a good look at her son's face. "Oh, you look so handsome." She reached a hand out to touch Anakin's cheek. "My son. Oh, my grown-up son. I'm so proud of you, Ani."

"I missed you." Anakin said tearfully.

"Now I am complete." Shmi whispered weakly. "I love..."

"Stay with me, Mom." Anakin pleaded. "I'm gonna make you well again. Everything's going to be fine."

But Shmi's injuries were just too great. "I love..." she choked out. "I love..." But she never got to finish her sentence. She made a strangled croaking sound and her head lolled back as she died in her son's arms. Anakin drew her body to his chest, breathing heavily in shock and tears trickling from his eyes. He reached a hand out and closed Shmi's lifeless eyes, before lifting his head, his own eyes now blazing with unfettered fury. Silently and almost mechanically, he got to his feet, unclipped his lightsabre from his belt and strode out through the tent's entrance, then, before the two Tuskens on guard could register his presence, he ignited his lightsabre and struck them down with two swift strokes. The noise attracted the attention of the rest of the camp and other Tuskens came rushing to see what was happening. One rushed at Anakin with it's Gaderffii stick raised, ready to strike, but Anakin simply slashed it in half, determined to make all of these desert vermin pay for what they'd done.

~8~

At the Lars homestead, Livia and Padme were asleep in a guest room the Lars' had prepared for them when Livia suddenly jerked awake, her eyes wide and panting heavily as she felt a great disturbance in the Force. She could feel pain, suffering and death. "Anakin..." she breathed, realising that the pain she was feeling was coming from him.

~8~

On Geonosis, Obi-Wan had returned to his Jedi starfighter to inform the Council of his discovery, but his transmission wasn't getting through. "The transmitter is working, but we're not receiving a return signal. Coruscant's too far." Obi-Wan realised as he examined the communications dish. "R4, can you boost the power?"

R4 shook her dome and beeped a negative answer.

"We'll have to try something else." Obi-Wan decided, and climbed into the cockpit. "Maybe we can contact Anakin and Padawan Bescot on Naboo. It's much closer." He pressed a button on his dashboard. "Anakin? Anakin, do you copy? This is Obi-Wan Kenobi. Anakin? Padawan Bescot?" But he received no answer. "They're not on Naboo, R4. I'm going to try and widen the range. I do hope nothing's happened to them." He pressed a few more buttons and soon got a positive signal. "Those are Anakin and Bescot's tracking signals, alright, but they're coming from Tatooine." Obi-Wan frowned. "What in the blazes are they doing there? I told Anakin to stay on Naboo." Deciding to deal with that matter later, he climbed back out of the cockpit and stood in front of the dish. "We haven't got much time. Anakin? Anakin, do you copy? This is Obi-Wan Kenobi..."

~8~

It was now morning on Tatooine. R2 was aboard the Nubian yacht, picking up Obi-Wan's transmission. He recorded the transmission and saved it, ready to play it to Anakin when he returned.

~8~

Padme was having breakfast with Cliegg and Owen, while Livia meditated nearby. Suddenly, Beru called out, "Come topside, everybody! He's back! He's back!"

Everyone hurried outside to see the swoop bike approaching. Anakin stopped nearby and dismounted, carrying Shmi's body in his arms. Padme let out a horrified gasp as she saw the body, while Livia made to say something to Anakin, but he simply walked straight past her and carried his mother's body over to Cliegg and Owen, where they then conversed privately, coming to some sort of understanding.

~8~

Later, Padme and Livia made their way to the homestead's garage, where they found Anakin at a workbench, working on a part from the swoop bike. "We brought you something." Padme ventured, setting a food tray down beside him. "Are you hungry?"

Anakin glanced at her, but immediately went back to his work. "The shifter broke." he explained, too intently. "Life seems so much simply when you're fixing things. I'm good at fixing things, always was. But I couldn't..." He stopped working and turned to face both women, his eyes shining with tears. "Why'd she have to die?" he asked helplessly. "Why couldn't I save her? I know I could have!"

"Anakin, you tried." Livia tried to console him.

"Sometimes there are things no can fix." Padme added wisely. "You're not all-powerful, Ani."

Anakin stiffened at these words. "Well, I should be!" he growled. "Someday, I will be! I will be the most powerful Jedi ever, I promise you." he said with grim determination. "I will even learn to stop people from dying."

"Anakin, please, calm down..." Livia tried to sooth him.

"This was the Jedi's fault!" Anakin went on furiously, ignoring her. "They wouldn't let me rescue my mother! All they wanted was for me to cut off my past and never come back here! Now she's gone! She's gone forever!" And he hurled his hydrospanner across the garage in a fit of fury. It hit an end wall and clattered to the floor as Anakin looked down at his shaking hands.

The two women could only stare at him, shocked. "What's wrong, Ani?" Padme ventured.

"I just told you!"

"No." Padme pushed. "What's really wrong?"

Anakin's body seemed to shrink as he took a breath. "I... I killed them." he admitted. "I killed them all."

"Who?" Livia asked.

"The Sandpeople. They're dead, every single one of them."

"You did battle." Padme started to reason.

"Not just the men," Anakin went on, "and the men are the only fighters among the Sandpeople. No, not just them, but the women... and the children too."
Livia felt her blood run cold at Anakin's confession. His kiss with Padme on Naboo suddenly seemed insignificant compared to this.
Anakin's face contorted, as if he was teetering between anger and guilt. "They're like animals," he said suddenly, "and I slaughtered them like animals. I hate them!" he spat furiously. A shocked silence fell upon the room. Padme was too stunned to respond to Anakin's rants, while Livia was paralysed with shock and horror. It was then that the ramifications of Anakin's actions hit him and he slid down beside the workbench, sobbing. "Why do I hate them? I didn't... I couldn't... I couldn't control myself. I... I don't want to hate them... but I just can't forgive them."

At last Padme found her voice. "To be angry is to be Human." she said, sitting down beside Anakin and putting an arm around him.

"To control your anger is to be a Jedi." Anakin was quick to reply.

"And with Jedi, there is no anger or hatred." Livia recited.

Padme gave her an 'you're not helping look' and turned back to the sobbing Anakin. "Shhhh... you're Human." she assured him.

"No, I'm a Jedi." Anakin sniffled. "I know I'm better than this!" He looked at her directly, shaking his head. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"You're like everyone else." Padme said softly, and held him close as he continued to sob.

Livia wisely decided to leave them be and left to console the Lars'. Her head was spinning as she processed everything she'd just heard from Anakin. She knew she had a duty to report his actions to the Council, but she knew he would almost certainly be expelled from the Order and thrown in the Citadel for this, and the poor boy had already suffered enough. "Some assignment this has turned out to be." she muttered to herself.

~8~

Later, Anakin, Padme, Livia, Cliegg, Owen and Beru were all stood before Shmi's grave in the sand outside the homestead. "I know wherever you are it's become a better place. You were the most loving partner a man could ever have." Cliegg said softly as he looked down at his second wife's grave. "Goodbye, my darling wife. And thank you."

Anakin then stepped forward and knelt down before his mother's simple headstone. He picked up a handful of sand and let it slid through his fingers. "I wasn't strong enough to save you, Mom." he said softly. "I wasn't strong enough. But I promise I won't fail again." He vowed to himself that from this day he would stop at nothing to consolidate his power and become the strongest Jedi the galaxy had ever seen. "I miss you... so much!" he sighed as he stood again.

There was then a respectful silence, which was broken by a series of familiar beeps and whistles as R2 trundled towards the group. "What is, R2?" Padme asked him.

R2 beeped something to 3PO. "It seems that he is carrying a message from an Obi-Wan Kenobi." 3PO translated. "Master Ani, does that name mean anything to you?"

~8~

Padme and the two Jedi were soon back aboard the Nubian yacht, watching a hologram of Obi-Wan. "Anakin, my long-range transmitter has been knocked out. Retransmit this message to Coruscant." Obi-Wan instructed.

Padme, who was sat nearest the flight console, swivelled in her chair and pressed a button to retransmit Obi-Wan's message.

~8~

On Coruscant, Tey had joined Yoda and Mace Windu in a meeting with Chancellor Palpatine, Mas Amedda and several Senators to report the discovery on Kamino to them when Obi-Wan's message reached them. "I have tracked the bounty hunter Jango Fett to the droid foundries on Geonosis. The Trade Federation is to take delivery of a droid army here.."

"That's outrageous!" Senator Organa burst out. "The treaty forbids the Federation from rebuilding their army."

"Huh, I don't think they care about the treaty, Senator." Tey remarked.

"and it is clear that Viceroy Gunray is behind the assassination attempts on Senator Amidala." Obi-Wan continued.

"Hmm, should've known it would be him." Tey said, more to herself.

"The Techno Union and the Corporate Alliance have both pledged their armies to Count Dooku," Obi-Wan went on, "and are forming a... Wait! Wait!" He suddenly ignited his lightsabre and deflected several blaster bolts before backing out of frame and in his place came a Trade Federation Droideka, before the transmission abruptly ended.

As everyone processed all of this, Yoda turned to Windu. "More happening on Geonosis, I feel, than has been revealed."

"I agree." Windu concurred, and turned to the hologram, which now showed Anakin and Livia. "Skywalker, Bescot, we will deal with Count Dooku. The most important thing is for you two to stay where you are. Protect the Senator at all costs. That is your first priority."

~8~

"Understood, Master." Anakin nodded, and the hologram shut off.

"They'll never get there in time to save him." Padme shook her head. "They have to come halfway across the galaxy. Look." She pressed a button to bring up a navigational chart. "Geonosis is less than a parsec away."

"If he's still alive." Anakin said pessimistically.

"Ani, are you just gonna sit here and let him die?" Padme challenged. "He's your friend, your mentor..."

"He's like my father!" Anakin cut in. "But you heard Master Windu. He gave Liv and I strict orders to stay here!"

"Since when has that ever stopped you before?" Livia folded her arms. "Look, Anakin, I know you've just lost ya mother and you're upset, but..."

"He gave you both strict orders to protect me, and I'm going to help Obi-Wan." Padme said defiantly. "So if you plan to protect me, you'll both just have to come along." She swung her chair round and began the ship' start-up sequence.

"Right with ya, Padme." Livia concurred, sitting down in the navigator's chair.

A small smile played at Anakin's lips as he sat down in the pilot's seat.

Behind them R2 and 3PO entered the cockpit, the Lars having given Anakin the Protocol droid saying that Shmi would have wanted him to have him. R2 beeped something to 3PO. "I'm not worried, R2. It's just I've never flown before." 3PO said as he sat down.

~8~

The Commerce Guilds are preparing for war, there can be no doubt about that." Senator Organa said as he paced around Palpatine's office.

"Count Dooku must have made a treaty with them." Palpatine observed.

"The debate is over. Now we need that Clone army." Senator Ask Aaak stated.

Organa turned to face him and gave him a flat stare. "Unfortunately, the debate is not over. The Senate will never approve the use of Clones before the Separatists attack." he said firmly.

"This is a crisis." Mas Amedda said. "The Senate must vote the Chancellor emergency powers. He can approve the creation of an army."

"But what Senator would have the courage to propose such a radical amendment?" Palpatine asked rhetorically.

"If only Senator Amidala were here." Amedda said not-so-subtly.

At the back of the group, Jar Jar Binks picked up on the hint.

~8~

On Geonosis, Count Dooku walked towards a prison cell with two Geonosians on guard outside. The two Geonosians stood to attention as Dooku walked past them and entered the cell, where Obi-Wan was being held in a forcefield. "Traitor." the Jedi spat.

"Oh no, my friend. This is a mistake, a terrible mistake. They've gone too far, this is madness." Dooku said innocently.

"I thought you were the leader here, Dooku." Obi-Wan sneered.

"This had nothing to do with me, I assure you." Dooku lied. "I will petition immediately to have you set free."

"Well, I hope it doesn't take too long." Obi-Wan said coolly. "I have work to do."

"May I ask why a Jedi Knight is all the way out here on Geonosis?"

"I've been tracking a bounty hunter named Jango Fett. Do you know him?"

"There are no bounty hunters here that I am aware of." Dooku lied again, pacing around the captive Obi-Wan. "The Geonosians don't trust them."

"Well, who can blame them? But he is here, I can assure you."

"It's a great pity that our paths have never crossed before, Obi-Wan." Dooku changed the subject. "Qui-Gon always spoke very highly of you." He gave a heavy sigh. "I wish he were still alive. I could use his help right now."

"Qui-Gon Jinn would never join you!" Obi-Wan glared.

"Don't be so sure, my young Jedi." Dooku retorted. "You forget that he was once my apprentice, just as you were once his. He knew all about the corruption in the Senate, but he would never have gone along with it if he had learnt the truth that I have."

"The truth?" Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes.

"The truth. What if I told you that the Republic was now under the control of the dark lord of the Sith?"

"No, that's not possible! The jedi would be aware of it!" Obi-Wan burst out arrogantly.

"The Dark Side of the Force has clouded their vision, my friend." Dooku replied calmly. "Hundreds of Senators are now under the influence of a Sith Lord called Darth Sidious."

"I don't believe you."

"The Viceroy of the Trade Federation was once in league with this Darth Sidious..." Dooku went on, "but he was betrayed 10 years ago by the dark lord. He came to me for help and told me everything." He took a step forward. "You must join me, Obi-Wan... and together, we will destroy the Sith."

The look in Dooku's eyes as he said that seemed genuine, but Obi-Wan wasn't buying it. "I will never join you, Dooku." he said defiantly.

Dooku looked genuinely hurt at Obi-Wan's rejection, but he quickly pushed it down and made for the door. "It may be difficult to secure your release." he said simply, and left the cell.

~8~

On Coruscant, an emergency meeting of the Senate was in session. Mace Windu joined Yoda at an empty pod to see Jar Jar making an impassioned speech to the Senate. "It's-a clear desa Separatists made a pact wesa desa Federation du Trade. Senators, dellow felagates, in response to this direct threat to the Republic, mesa propose that the Senate give immediately emergency powers to the Supreme Chancellor."

Shouts of approval echoed throughout the rotunda, with some Senators chanting "Palpatine! Palpatine!"

"Order! We shall have order!" Mas Amedda silenced everyone as Palpatine took the podium.

"It is with great reluctance that I have agreed to this calling." the Chancellor began. "I love democracy... I love the Republic. The power you have given me, I will lay down when this crisis has abated. And as my first act with this new authority, I will create a Grand Army of the Republic to counter the increasing threats of the Separatists."

Cheers and applause erupted throughout the rotunda at this news. Yoda and Windu had seen all of this. "It is done, then." Windu said grimly.

"Hmm." Yoda concurred thoughtfully.

Just then, a worried-looking Tey joined them. "We may have another problem." she reported. "I've just been checking Livia and Anakin's tracking signals, and they're on the move. They're heading for Geonosis. Guess either them or Senator Amidala has decided to try and rescue Obi-Wan."

Both Yoda and Windu shared looks as they processed this news. "Master Sacul, we will take what Jedi we have left and go to Geonosis and help them." Windu declared.

"Visit I will the cloners on Kamino, and see this army they have created for the Republic."

"And so it begins." Tey sighed grimly, knowing that there was no turning back now.

Author's notes: And so we're approached the later stages of the film. Dooku was fun to write. He was a great character and it was great that Tales of the Jedi featured him prominently and fleshed him out. We've also got Anakin's massacre of the Tusken Raiders, the first steps in his journey to becoming Darth Vader. I debated whether to have Livia lecture him about it or not, and ultimately decided not, as Anakin's suffered enough. So, hope you like this chapter and next time we're at the droid factory. See you then!