Return to Chapter 3 Of Building
of Empires
Artoo bleeped several times causing Amidala to smile at the little
droid. Oddly, she thought, she wasn't nervous at all as they waited
in the small office. A rather officious bronze protocol droid
had instructed them to wait while he processed the necessary documentation.
She had never really considered the number of questions involved
with getting married. She squeezed Anakin's hand and smiled at
him. He reached up and touched her cheek.
Artoo whistled quietly as the door opened. An older woman entered.
"My droid says you wish to be married?" She looked around
the otherwise empty room, then returned her calm blue eyes to
the couple. "No one else is with you?" She almost frowned.
"I understand. You are?"
"Amidala Naberrie. And this is Anakin Skywalker." Amidala
said softly as she blushed.
The older woman made a polite bow. "Coruscant law just requires
that the bride and groom fill out the forms and be of legal age?"
Both Anakin and Amidala nodded. "Then my droid will file
them with Coruscant records."
"That's it?" Anakin said.
"That's it," the woman said with laugh. "Eloping?"
She nodded in understanding. "Here, stand next to each other."
She took Anakin's hand and Amidala's in her own. "Anakin
Skywalker do you promise to love this woman for as long as you
live? To remain true to her?" Anakin nodded. The woman smiled
at Amidala as she placed Amidala's hand in Anakin's. "Amidala
Naberrie do you promise to love this man for as long as you live?
To remain true to him?" Amidala nodded as Anakin pulled her
close to his side. "You are married now. May your children
one day understand who you were and what this day meant to you."
She kissed Amidala's cheek. "Good-luck." Anakin pulled
her into his arms and kissed her, as the old woman laughed. "Young
love."
She wrapped the brown cloak around herself and stared at the silly
alien who was going on and on about power converters. She considered
seeing what would happen if she caused his wings to fall off.
"No," she said instead. "I am not interested in
a power converter or a xylon hyperspace engine. I am interested
in purchasing one of your slaves."
Wattoo's wings beat even faster. "She is not for sale."
The woman pulled a heavy bag off her belt. "This should compensate
very generously." She dumped the contents of the bag on his
counter. Over a thousand titanium coins clanked as they hit the
surface. "The real thing," she said softly. "Worth
more than Republic credits. You should be able to buy another
slave."
"Three..." Wattoo started piling the chips into stacks
of ten. "She's old..." The woman almost laughed at Wattoo's
sudden bout of honesty.
"Age does not matter." Wattoo had made ten stacks and
was still greedily shoveling the coins into piles; while his wings
were beating so fast that she was positive they would fall off
without her assistance.
"Sold. Where's your ship?"
The woman with short blonde hair picked the empty bag off the
counter. "Docking bay 49. Have her there in an hour and I'll
give you the money." Wattoo nearly fell to the ground when
she waved her hand over all the coins, and they vanished. "Remember,
one hour." Darth Murthyr smiled wickedly as she walked out
of the miserable little creature's shop.
#
Wattoo arrived with the slave woman in just less than forty minutes.
The slave's brown hair showed a great many gray ones, but this
did not concern her new owner. Darth Murthyr handed Wattoo the
bag. He didn't stay to count it, but flew out faster than a mynock
fleeing a ganther.
"What do you want of me?" Shmi asked. Darth Murthyr
smiled at the sound of her fear.
"Nothing. We're leaving." The Sith apprentice motioned
for her slave to board the ship. Shmi hesitated but did as she
was told, even if she was unsure of what was happening. Darth
Murthyr fingered her lightsaber as she followed. The first stop
wasn't that far: and there she would wait for the son.
Amidala's dreams were disturbing and full of dark, terrifying
images that she couldn't make sense of. She opened her eyes when
her new husband started to flail his arms. "Annie?"
She grabbed his hands. "Wake-up."
He sat up. "No!" His eyes opened and he stared at her.
"You've had a dream."
He shook his head violently. "She's dead." He rolled
away from her and sat on the edge of the small bed. "This
was not a glimpse of a possible future. She was stabbed. It has
happened as my visions said." Amidala reached for him. He
moved away as he stood. "I'm going to Tatooine." She
stared at him for several seconds, then wrapped a blanket around
herself and followed him.
"Annie, you don't know for sure...At least tell Obi-Wan."
"No." He kissed her cheek. He was already partially
dressed. "Don't you see, I must go."
"No, I don't, but I'm coming with you."
He grabbed his Jedi robe and was running toward the door. "I
must go alone. You can't help me." He swung the door open
and let it slam behind him. She started to follow, then glanced
at the blanket--all she was wearing. She grabbed her clothes and
started to dress, not sure if she should scream or cry.
#
"He's gone to Tatooine," Obi-Wan said. Amidala wondered
why she wasn't surprised that he seemed to know already. "I
see." She then told him about the dream and the strange images
she'd seen.
Obi-Wan looked sad, and, if she'd thought it possible, maybe even
scared. But whatever emotions he felt were quickly concealed.
"We were married last night," she added.
"I suspected something." He glanced back at the Jedi
Temple, then at her. "We shall go to Tatooine." He tapped
Artoo. "But I need your droid to handle a minor task for
me."
She agreed as Artoo chirped a short statement. "Meet me,"
Obi-Wan continued, "At your ship in ten minutes. We'll go
alone." She nodded.
Artoo watched her leave, before whistling. "Yes," Obi-Wan
said. "I need you to remove all records of their marriage."
Artoo's response was a sharp twirp. "I have my reasons..."
He glanced at Amidala's retreating form. "Trust me."
Artoo chirped several times, demanding a better reason. "I'm
trying to save her life."
The Coruscant sunrise was still several hours away.
Wattoo's wings fluttered wildly as he managed to turn bluer. His
glazed eyes closed as he gasped something to his hooded tormentor.
The cloaked figure's hand raised a bit higher. "I don't know
where they went," he tried to say. "She was some kind
of Jedi..." He hissed, then squeaked, before his wings stilled,
and his body crashed to the floor.
Anakin pushed the hood off his head. "You sold my mother..."
He cursed the dead junk-dealer in Huttese. "I shall avenge
her. You are just the first." Anakin glanced around the shop.
It was even more disorganized than it had been ten years earlier.
He stepped over the body and started to leave.
"Master Anakin?" A tinny voice said from behind. He
turned and almost smiled at the sight of the still incomplete
droid.
"See Threepio?"
"Yes, it is me. Your mother's new owner left a message. She
said you would know where to find her." The droid started
to say more, but Anakin was running out the door. "How rude."
#
Darth Murthyr waited by her ship, twirling her lightsaber with
her right hand. She ignored the body behind her as she moved forward.
Her four day wait was over. He was coming.
"I've been waiting for you, Skywalker," she said calmly
as he approached, his white lightsaber drawn and ignited. She
ignited her amethyst saber and took a defensive posture.
"Why?" Anakin said as he lunged at her. The sabers hissed
when they made contact. Each pushed at the others blade.
She leapt back then somersaulted over him and lashed at his legs
upon landing. He back flipped away from her, landing two meters
away. He feinted to his right before bringing his saber down toward
her shoulders.
She parried it with a laugh. "You ask why? To bring you here
of course."
Anakin growled, then thrust his blade straight at her. She ducked
and rolled to her left while slashing at his knees. He leapt back.
"There are better ways to ask." Her smile grew.
"I can feel your anger. Good...Your destiny awaits, Skywalker."
She flipped over him, and screamed as she felt his blade cut into
her back.
Anakin paid the dying woman no attention. He dropped his blade
and ran to his mother's side. "NO!!!!!!"
Obi-Wan closed his eyes. He could feel the fear and despair in
his companion, but knew nothing that could help her. And it was
his fault. He had been responsible for Anakin's training--and
despite his own concerns had done nothing.
He dreaded the outcome of this trip. Anakin was his apprentice,
and if he had slipped to the darkside--as Obi-Wan truly feared...But
Anakin was also his friend. He had to try anything. He opened
his eyes. She was staring at him.
"Obi-Wan, what happened?"
"I'm not sure, but I suspect Darth Sidious is behind this."
"Oh. Is that possible?" He wondered at her tone--there
was no sign of surprise.
He shrugged. The Sith believed in using the power of the Force
for complete control, so it probably was. "Yes." He
took a deep breath. He knew it was true. "If he has gone
over to the darkside, the good man we both knew will be gone.
The darkside will control him."
She didn't answer for several minutes. "This Darth Sidious,
do the Jedi know who is he?" It was a name she'd been thinking
about for many days. She stared at the controls as she spoke,
the ugly suspicion she'd been denying came swiftly to the top
of her thoughts.
"We don't know..." He was looking at her strangely.
"Do you?"
"I cannot accuse a man of being this evil-being, simply because
of a gut feeling." Her stomach was in turmoil as her thoughts
raced to once again piece together all the information she knew
about her suspect. How his power had grown after the battle for
Naboo; how this current crisis was adding to that power...
"Would knowing that he was with us on Y'mala change your
suspicions?"
She shook her head, barely able to breath as the realization of
what had happened and would happen sank in. She didn't even try
to think where Anakin fit in. "We must stop him."
Anakin had no idea how long he'd sat cradling her body; but the
suns had long set by the time he stood. He could see the lights
of Mos Espa not so far away. The last time he'd been at this particular
location, a very different Sith Lord had found them.
He walked slowly into the strange Sith ship. Long ago he'd promised
that he would return and free the slaves. There were many ways
that could be done. But tonight, he could only think of one. He
fired the twin engines and guided the ship to a position of fifty
meters over the surface. The controls were in an unknown language--but
the Force guided him to which ones he now needed.
The ship lurched, then flew swiftly toward his former home. As
he approached, he fired a torpedo into the first row of buildings.
He felt nothing at the sight of them exploding and burning. He
didn't feel the screams of the inhabitants as they ran out their
homes. He just kept firing and firing.
It was almost daylight before he returned to the body of his mother.
He would give her a proper funeral, then continue to free the
slaves.
See Threepio pulled himself out of the rubble onto the boiling
Tatooine sands. He tried to complete a self diagnostic, but outside
of some surface dents, he was unable to determine if any critical
components had been damaged. Well, he could tell his eyes had
been. The buildings were blurry and it appeared the town had been
destroyed. At least he didn't think he recognized anything. He
sighed. "It seems to be my lot in life to suffer."
Darth Sidious smiled as he opened his eyes. "Yes, my young
apprentice, you have done well. I have waited a long time for
this moment, but you are now mine." He looked out over the
Coruscant buildings. At this moment, his satisfaction was supreme:
soon all this, and so much more, would be his.
He turned suddenly with a growl. He pushed the hood off his head
as the door chime rang. Calmly, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine walked
over to answer it.
"Senator Drey'lya, has something happened?" Palpatine
asked sounding concerned, the Bothan senator at the door seemed
very agitated.
"No, yes...I have my preliminary report on Y'mala."
Palpatine took the offered datacard and put it into his datapad.
He read it, not surprised at all by what he saw. "I see.
And your aide has since disappeared?"
"His entire ship. No trace. I haven't shown this to anyone
else--in fact I have made sure no one else knows all of what is
in that document."
Palpatine nodded. "I understand. These are dangerous times
for the Republic."
Drey'lya bowed his head. "Revealing this information would
also bring great shame to the Bothan people..."
"At a time when we need your expertise and help more than
ever." Palpatine shook his head sadly. "We need the
complete trust of every system." He pulled the card from
the datapad and put it into his pocket. "Revealing the contents
of this report would cause a great distrust that could only end
in the defeat and destruction of the Galactic Republic."
"I understand, Chancellor." Drey'lya bit his lip as
Palpatine guided the Bothan to the door. "We will, of course,
continue the investigation. When the present crisis is over, we
will find and prosecute all the culprits." Varynk bowed.
Palpatine closed his hand around the card in his pocket as the
door closed behind the Bothan.
He would add some information, then put the datacard in a very
secure place. With this, he now had complete control over the
Bothan intelligence--or would as soon as General Merlyk was appointed
the new chief of Galactic Republic Intelligence.
Perfect.
It was the wind--only the wind, she had to remind herself as she
and Obi-Wan stared at the ruins of Mos Espa. The ghostlike wails
and moans brought images of the dead and dying here and on Y'mala
to her mind. She wanted to plug her ears and block the sounds
of the outside world and hide.
The sound of stones falling startled her. It was only another
wall collapsing. Someone shouted a warning just as more stones
fell. The first rescue teams had arrived and were searching the
ruins for the living and dead. The expression on Obi-Wan's face
told her there wouldn't be many survivors. She mentally blocked
asking or even answering the one question that plagued her thoughts
since arriving, it wasn't successful. She couldn't help but wonder
if it was possible that Anakin had done this. She shivered, despite
the heat of the two suns.
There was a movement and a bright flash of light as the sunlight
reflecting off something metallic. As Obi-Wan started to run toward
the battered droid, she followed. She stopped about five meters
from it and stared. It couldn't be. "See Threepio?"
She asked quietly.
"Oh my." The droid cocked his head slightly. "I
recognize you..." There was a whirring sound followed by
something grinding. "I'm sorry, but I have sand in my memory
banks."
"That's all right. Do you know where Anakin is?" She
asked anxiously.
The droid's gears ground some more. "He went away...But I
have a message for him. She said he would know where to find her."
"She?" She turned toward Obi-Wan. He nodded.
"I know where Anakin is. You should wait here."
"I can't. You must understand, he is not a bad person,"
Amidala pleaded.
Obi-Wan placed a hand on her shoulder. "No, he's not. But
the darkside has him. Once you start down the darkside, forever
will it dominate your destiny."
"No. I won't believe that. There must be a way. He loves
me..."
"Amidala, you must realize that he is no longer Anakin."
The Jedi knight removed his hand and stared out toward the desert
mountains. He looked dejected and sad.
She shut her eyes to block the tears. "Please, Obi-Wan, we
are his only hope."
There was a second of silence. "Come, we must go." As
they started to jog away from the ruins, he added quietly. "It
will not be pleasant."
Amidala saw her husband first, sitting by the remains of a funeral
pyre. She ran to him. "Annie!" She stopped a meter from
him. He was staring straight at her, many emotions flickering
across his face. The one that stayed terrified her.
"You've betrayed me. Why?" He spoke slowly and in a
low monotone, but the underlying menace caused her to back away.
"I did no such thing." She took a deep breath. Making
him angry was probably not a good idea. "I was worried about
you. Our wedding night was cut short." She blushed as she
spoke.
The anger flickered, and for a moment she saw the hurt and pain.
"She's dead. Her murderer is dead too." He looked past
her and stared at Obi-Wan. "Someday was too late, Master."
The last sentence was loaded with sarcasm.
Obi-Wan stepped closer even as she took another two steps back.
"I'm sorry, Anakin. I truly am." He held out his hand.
Anakin stood and turned away. "The Jedi don't understand
what is happening, they don't listen...they speak in platitudes.
They are a platitude. The Force is the source of true power. With
that power we can save the galaxy from chaos and destruction."
"I can't let you..." Obi-Wan said simply. Amidala jumped
back when Anakin turned, his white lightsaber ignited.
Obi-Wan drew his slowly. "We don't have to fight. Come back
with me and your wife. Together we can save you." His green
saber now ignited, Obi-Wan took a defensive stance.
Anakin took a step forward and swung at Obi-Wan's saber. Amidala
was terrified at the sight. She moved further away as Obi-Wan
parried the stroke and countered. Anakin leapt and kicked at his
instructor. Obi-Wan fell and rolled a meter before leaping back
to his feet.
"I don't want to fight you," Obi-Wan said slowly.
"Then don't." Anakin's thrust was easily deflected.
Obi-Wan countered and used the butt of his saber to hit at Anakin's
right hand.
A voice from behind startled her. "What is happening?"
She didn't answer the droid, but continued to watch the intense
battle in front of her. Anakin stood against the Sith ship defending
himself; his saber blocking each of Obi-Wan's strokes. The expressions
of both men scared her: it would be a fight to the death if something
didn't happen.
Anakin slipped as he lunged at the older Jedi. She shouted when
Obi-Wan slashed her husband's blade out of his hands. "Don't...Please..."
Anakin rolled to his right and leapt onto the ramp of the Sith
ship. "Anakin! Don't go. I love you!" The door closed
before Obi-Wan could follow. She clasped her hands over her ears
to drown the engines, tears coursed down her face as she watched
the ship fly away.
Obi-Wan's saber hissed as he turned it off. He bent down and did
the same to Anakin's. He put both on his belt. "We should
be going." All she did was nod as she watched the tiny speck
disappear into the shimmering air.
Chancellor Palpatine glanced at the note his aide handed him.
He stood slowly. The senate was, for once, silent and expectant.
The numerous holo-vid cameras that were rarely allowed within
the building were a testament to the importance of the day to
the Galactic Republic.
"Fellow citizens of the Galactic Republic, esteemed senators,
honored guests; there is a new threat to the peace we all share
and love. I regret to inform the Galactic Senate that the clone
fleet has attacked Garba. There are heavy casualties, but the
fleet was driven away by the combined efforts of the Chandrilan
and Corellian fleets. We owe much to the Bothan Intelligence for
this victory." He paused. It was done. All was now ready.
His wait was over.
"These clones are a grave threat to the galaxy and only by
uniting and putting our petty differences behind us, can we have
the strength to prevent the total destruction of our homes and
families.
"To this end, the Galactic Senate has agreed to extra-ordinary
measures to last the duration of this emergency..."
Amidala stood silently by the wall, her soul in turmoil. Even
in the quiet of the Jedi Temple, the outside world intruded. See
Threepio stood silently in the middle of the hall, watching the
monitor. He had been cleaned up, repaired, and finished, at Coruscant:
then immediately put to work with her staff as a translator. The
droid was a constant reminder of Anakin and what he was becoming.
She bit her lip as she looked at Obi-Wan, who stood there staring
at his hands. She still expected to wake-up soon and discover
the past days were only a nightmare.
"Now what?" She asked.
Obi-Wan turned. "I don't know..." She understood. Events
were happening so fast, she didn't know what would happen next,
except she would be leaving Coruscant.
"A number of governments have refused to abide by the Galactic
Senate's order to place their military under the Republic's control."
She closed her eyes. "I've been asked by my government to
take command of our troops. Naboo will withdraw from the Galactic
Republic and fight alone if necessary, for we know how easy freedom
can be lost." Alderaan, Chandrila, and Corellia were also
withdrawing in protest, as were many other governments. Some governments
were still indecisive, but the majority had decided to remain.
She stared at the Jedi knight. She was distracted when the little
alien with large ears entered the room. He brought to mind a quick
flash of a happier time: the parade ten years ago on Naboo. An
image that quickly reminded her just what they were losing.
"The darkness has come," Yoda said. Obi-Wan and the
droids also turned to face him.
"Master Yoda," Amidala said before pausing. There was
really nothing she could say.
Yoda looked kindly at her. "Your importance to the future
remembered must be. Through you, can Anakin to the light be brought
back."
Obi-Wan placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'll find him..."
She realized with a shock that finding him was just the beginning--and
after they'd found him?
Truly, a nightmare without end.
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