Saga - Legends Clone Wars: A Desperate Manaan (Obi-Wan, Anakin, C-3P0)

Title: Clone Wars: A Desperate Manaan
Timeframe: 4 months post Geonosis
Characters: Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, C-3P0, Governor of Manaan.
Summary: On a mission to secure vital medical supplies for the Republic, Obi-Wan and Anakin run into someone intent on stopping their diplomatic overtures.

***

The fingertips of Anakin Skywalker drummed heavily on the armrest of his chair, the golden metal of his cybernetic mechno-arm dinged against the steel. The young Jedi looked out the window of the cruiser.

"Will you stop that?" Obi-Wan Kenobi's Coruscant-tinged voice had the hint of impatience upon it.

Anakin paused his boredom induced fidgeting and grinned at his teacher. "I'm sorry, Master," he said. His tone was filled with a faint mocking. He flipped the annoying Padawan braid that had crept up to just below his cheek back towards his ear.

Obi-Wan looked out towards the blue waves of hyperspace in front of him, a hand gently rubbing at his brown beard. The young Jedi Master studied the console in front of him. "Honestly, Anakin, how you can get bored in three minutes is beyond me."

"I wouldn't be bored if the Council had decided to send us on a real mission, Master." Anakin fidgeted in his seat. He had been enjoying a nice extended leave following the Muunilist campaign and being called away for a simple diplomatic mission wasn't his idea for the best use of abilities.

"Bringing Manaan fully into the Republic fold is a real mission, Anakin. With Thyferra under Separatist control, the Republic may need the Selkath's kolto if the bacta supply is stopped." Kolto, like bacta, was a healing agent used throughout the galaxy.

Anakin shook his head. "I'm not saying it isn't important. I just think that the mission would have been better suited for another Jedi; Master Rahn or Leem. We should be on the front lines!"

A small laugh escaped from Obi-Wan. "That's your problem, Padawan, you think too much." Anakin was about to protest before his teacher interrupted him. "While we both may think that others may best be suited for this mission, the Council decided to send us."

The beeping of the hyperdrive interrupted any further argument between the two. Anakin disengaged the large diplomatic cruiser from lightspeed; the blue ribbons stripped away into streaks of stars before reverting completely to realspace. Manaan was an aquatic planet, the massive ocean serene in its cerulean form. Spatterings of white clouds dotted the ocean, spots of orange light dotting the world on the far edge of its terminator.

"This is as far as we go." The clone pilot's voice sounded through the communications panel. On the sensors, the two pilots halted their V-19 starfighters. The three-winged fighters still snug in their hyperdrive rings.

Anakin piloted the Consular-class cruiser down to the surface of the planet, the young Jedi staring in fascination at rolling seas underneath him. He had been raised from a young age on a desert planet. Water had been so scarce that farmers were able to earn a living just harvesting meager drops from the dry atmosphere. He suppressed a shudder at the memory that line of thinking lead him: a burning brand of blue light slicing through hooded men and women and a lonely grave next to a small compound.

"Anakin, are you all right?" Obi-Wan's voice was filled with concern.

"It's nothing, Master," Anakin lied. "Just some bad memories from Tatooine." A bit of truth amongst the lies.

"My goodness, the humidity on this planet will rust my circuits for certain!" C-3PO's proper and filtered voice wafted from behind the cockpit as the silver-plated protocol droid walked into the cabin.

"Every planet's going to do something to you, Threepio," Anakin said with a grin. He had constructed droid from various Cybot Galactica parts that he had found in a myriad of junkyards. All of the company's protocol droids were known for their unique personality quirks, but Anakin always suspected that Threepio's general fussiness was a reason why the droid's head had ended up in that junk heap.

Ahto City was a bright spot in the middle of the dark ocean. Shaped roughly like one of the Bengal Shipbuilder's latest models, the large floating city surrounded a large circle that descended downward into the ocean, concentric inlets sliced into the durasteel ring.

"We're getting clearance to land, Master."

***

Fiery yellow eyes watched the diplomatic cruiser disappear beyond the high circular walls of the docking bay, macrobinoculars zooming out with a mechanical whir. The figure replaced the tool back onto his belt, bumping the dark-metal lightsaber hilt hanging from his waist.

Count Dooku's figure appeared as a blue ghost in the man's hand as he removed the comlink. The aged Sith Lord was standing, a dark tunic covered by a light cape. His beard glowed a pale cyan.

"Lord Tyranus," the being spoke. His voice was deep and sprinkled with an accent that mixed several worlds in the Outer Rim together. "They're here."

Darth Tyranus gazed at his acolyte, his cultured Serennian voice tinny from the small comlink. "Excellent, my pupil. My Master demands that they be killed before they can convert the Selkath to the Republic's side." The very name of the fish-descended aliens seemed to leave the count's tongue as if it were poison.

"With the Selkath under Separatist control or neutral, at the very least, we can pressure the companies on Thyferra to restrict trade to the Republic at last."

The hooded figure nodded. "With no bacta or kolto to heal their wounds, the war will be over before Republic Day." A wicked grin spread across the dark acolyte's lips. "Your will be done."

***

Anakin fell into step with his master as Kenobi walked down the cruiser's ramp, C-3PO following both of them as fast as his two legs could carry him. "Oh, dear, please wait for me!" Anakin paused as he heard the droid's whine, prompting Obi-Wan to do the same.

"Try to keep up, Threepio," Anakin said. "You're a vital part of this mission." He flashed the droid a teasing smile. There was truth to Anakin's words, the Selkath's amphibious nature and their nautical origins had led to a vocal cord structure that made speaking Galactic Basic very difficult.

"I am trying, Master Anakin!"

The Selkath governor had already arrived at the docking bay's door by the time that the protocol droid managed to catch up with Anakin and Obi-Wan. The governor stood a third of a meter shorter than Anakin, his aqua skin mottled with pale rings upon his pittenfish shaped face.

"Governor Shaecoh welcomes you to his fair planet," C-3PO translated after the Selkath uttered a guttural series of words that sounded as though they were filtered through mud. "And hopes that you had 'smooth sailing' on your journey here."

"Our trip here was uneventful," Obi-Wan said. Anakin remained silent as he watched the exchange, feeling like a third repulsor as his more diplomatic Master took over the negotiations. "I must thank you for the hospitality."

The four walked down a hallway towards the government house, exchanging pleasantries along the way. The hallway was open to one side, allowing Anakin to view out towards the Western Sea, the sun turning the far edges of the ocean a fiery orange that extended into the sky.

"Isn't that right, Anakin?"

Anakin blushed as he turned to Obi-Wan. The older Jedi was looking at him, joined by the governor, each of them expectantly awaiting his answer.

"I was just speaking with the Governor about our mission to Ithor and the last Great Meet."

It had been several months before the Clone Wars had erupted that he and Obi-Wan had gone aboard one of the hammerheaded aliens' giant herdships above their sacred Mother Jungle.

"O-of course, Master. The meet was very...educational about their customs."

Obi-Wan suppressed a smile, apparently not getting the answer that he was looking for. The governor's facial flaps on the side of his face curled inwards slightly before he spoke in his own language.

"Governor Shaecoh says that it is quite natural for a newcomer to his fair world to be distracted by their glorious oceans, especially on such a lovely evening as this." Threepio stood and looked out at the sunset himself. Anakin had always wondered what exactly those droid photoreceptors saw at moments like this. The young Jedi rubbed his short hair in slight embarrassment.

"I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention to you, Governor."

The governor gave a short grunt that seemed to mean that it was no major slight against him, which Threepio quickly confirmed. The group continued down the hallway before coming to a large door. It opened at the governor's touch to reveal a deep blue conference room with a round table made of cool durasteel in the center.

Anakin paused as he entered the room. Something was amiss somewhere...

***

The acolyte walked through Ahto's mostly deserted streets, the once decadent city had been all but abandoned in the millennia since the surging rise of bacta to the galaxy. Unlike the government district, the majority of the city had fallen into major disrepair, vast sections in badly need of repairs that officials never had the credits for.

He walked over the ancient racing track, hearing the creaking of the metal catwalk with each of his steps. In the area's heyday, thousands had crammed to watch heavily modified swoops or podracers skim over the surface of the sea. Now it was as dead as each of the racers that had earned their fame and credits there.

The well-maintained government district was nearby, a side opening leading to a perfect place to ambush the two Jedi that the corrupt Republic had sent. At that very moment they were likely meeting with the self-styled Governor of the Selkath, in truth a mere representative recently chosen from one of the many disparate clans underneath the planet's surface.

He ignited his lightsaber near the base of the building, sending the sea-colored blade into existence. The meter long weapon plunged into the metal of the city, cutting a circle just large enough for him to climb through. Like all systems, he thought as he entered the government building through his improvised hatch, the Republic only cared for the plight of the Selkath only when it became convenient for them to do so. He and his teacher harbored no such illusions. The Selkath and the kolto they produced were tools to be used and nothing more.

The interior corridor was dark and abandoned. The sound of gentle waves lapping against the outside of the floating city's hull filled the acolyte's ears as he walked through, lightsaber illuminating the way. Three levels above would be his ambush spot. On the top level of the city, it was inside of what used to be a customs building.

Minutes passed and he sat in the old custom's booth, legs crossed and eyes closed in deep meditation. He turned his senses outward, probing at the two Jedi in the meeting room without alerting them in their distracted state. Next to the wretched "governor" they were two powerful stars in the galaxy.

The brightness of the two through the Force nearly blinded him, filling the acolyte with apprehension. That apprehension simmered inside the pit of his stomach before erupting into a pyre of controlled rage. Powerful as they may be, his master and his master's master had their confidences in him and he would not prove them wrong. He would kill these two and then rise in the ranks of Tyranus's forces. The late Sev'rance Tann had been a tactical genius but had still be been bested by the Jedi after one error too many and the Sith's latest toy, Grievous, was nothing more than a glorified battle droid. He would best them all and prove himself worthy of the true knowledge that his master was withholding from him.

***

"The governor has his concerns about how sincere the Republic's promises will be after the war is over." C-3PO dutifully translated the Selkath's speech as the meeting entered it's second hour. Anakin sat at the table, watching both his master and the governor and tried to make sense of it all. When the war ended, the young Jedi knew, he would be sent on missions such as this. It still didn't make it any less boring.

"Bacta and kolto are both very important medical supplies," Obi-Wan stated. "While I can't guarantee precise amounts, the Republic is prepared to offer a five year contract, post-war, for a supply of kolto on every ship in the Republic Navy."

Governor Shaecoh spoke at length again. "The governor is still concerned that bacta will apparently be the standard method of treatment for wounds, and that the initial supply of kolto will not be restocked after the initial purchase." The Selkath continued, pointing a taloned finger around the room. "And that his people will need reassurances of that continued economic boon."

Obi-Wan rubbed his chin in thought. "I sadly can't promise that," he said. "What I am able to offer you is only temporary, but with the chance of more." The Jedi Master stood up and walked around the opulent room. "You tried to hide your real condition from us, using what funds you could spare to dress up this district, but we're not blind. I saw the condition of the rest of the city from orbit. You need the Republic just as much as we need you."

Kenobi walked over to the open window and stared out at the sea, at what Anakin couldn't guess. "Your people have spent the last several millennia selling kolto to small freight companies either too poor to afford bacta or too parsimonious to do so." He walked back over to the table and sat back down. "What the Republic is offering may only be a temporary solution to your poverty problems, true, but when the word gets out that the Selkath--though not an official member of the Republic--came rushing to their aid when the bacta companies sold out to the Separatists?" Obi-Wan smiled at the governor. "Trade guilds across the galaxy will rush to you with patriotic fervor."

Anakin could barely resist grinning himself. As certain as an ambush on the battlefield, his master had put the governor exactly where he wanted him.

"These are discussions for another time," C-3PO translated. "The governor will sell kolto to the Republic for the agreed upon sum."


"I can't believe that you managed to get him to agree so readily." The pair of Jedi and Threepio walked down the hallway towards their ship.

"The Republic and Selkath both had a need: they need credits and we need an alternative to bacta. We have credits and they have kolto." Obi-Wan paused and turned to Anakin. "The outcome was decided the second that the Republic sent us here, it was only the specifics that needed to be talked out."

The group rounded a corner and approached an old customs booth long since abandoned. A figured stood by the open door, an ignited lightsaber in his hand and a surprised look upon his face. The look steeled itself quickly the blade coming up to the hooded man's thin face. "Negotiations went well?"

Anakin was the first to remove the lightsaber from his belt, igniting the cyan blade. His brown eyes stared into the hooded dark sider's, watching as the fire in them burned the sclera.

"For now," Obi-Wan responded. The Jedi Master removed his own blade assumed a defensive posture. "If you were hoping at stopping us, you're a bit late, friend."

"Killing you will remedy that quite quickly!" The figure sprang from his perch, moving so quickly that he left afterimages in Anakin's eyes. He charged forward, blade meeting blade in a flash of light. Obi-Wan moved in, a gentle breeze compared to the sandstorm flurry of Anakin's attack.

Anakin swung his blade in a wide arc aimed at his opponent's head, the aggressive movements of the fifth form hoping to end the battle as quickly as it began. The dark Jedi ducked the attack and sent a quick slash towards Obi-Wan, where it was caught by the older Jedi's defensive stance with hardly a hint of visible movement.

Obi-Wan sent an effortless riposte towards his opponent as Anakin circled around the opponent. A kick from the dark Jedi sent Anakin reeling back. The young Padawan closed the distance just as quickly. Anakin's blade was a single parabola as he brought the lightsaber down towards his opponent with all of his might. His opponent whirled away from Anakin's strike, the long and powerful strikes one of the major weaknesses of the form, and twirled into Obi-Wan's simple attack. Blue blade met blue blade with a spark of energy running along the lengths of both lightsabers. Somewhere from behind them all, Anakin could hear Threepio's cries for mercy.

The dark figure pivoted away from the two Jedi and raised a free hand towards Anakin, the nearest. The young Jedi raised his blade in an instant as the Force screamed out its warning towards him. Blue-white electric sparks raced along the man's fingers and out, arcing towards Anakin but were intercepted onto the lightsaber. Obi-Wan made a dismissive motion and sent a wave of Force energy towards their opponent, throwing him off of his feet and to the ground below.

The man kipped up quickly and charged towards the Jedi Master, blade moving quickly. Anakin moved to intercept, sending his own blade in quick sideways crescent. It bit into the dark Jedi's arm and side deeply, slicing through muscle and ribs before entering the heart. Their foe dropped to his knees before tumbling forward.

"You were a bit close to take his arm," Obi-Wan noted.

Anakin said nothing. The young Jedi had never intended to simply disarm their enemy. He had made that mistake previously with Ventress and he'd do will to never repeat it. "We're both safe, Master, that's all that counts."

"Still, I would have liked to know who exactly sent him and why." Obi-Wan killed the lightsaber in his hands.

"Do you think that the governor had something to do with this?" Anakin remained close to the body.

"If he did, he would have never sat through the entire meeting." Obi-Wan studied the corpse intently. "We'll take the body with us and see what we can find."

"Oh, dear heavens," Threepio exclaimed as he saw the carnage. "I do hope that you're all perfectly safe now! I was worried that all of us would be thrown into the ocean for the sharks! Did you know that the Firaxan sharks have some sort of evolutionary symbioses with the..."

Obi-Wan gave Threepio's metal shoulder a pat. "You told us all about that on the trip here."

"Oh, yes! I forgot! I must say that this war is taxing my processor..."

The three walked away from the customs booth, the two humans carrying their opponent's body while the droid continued to complain, theorizing about the burial rites of the man's culture.

***

Count Dooku sat in his meditative chambers aboard a Separatist ship, deep within the Outer Rim. The spy droid's camera feed died as he dismissed it, the last image shown on its holographic screen was the corpse of his acolyte on the metal ground ofAhtoCity. The Sith lord stood up and approached the main holoemitter in the room.

A familiar figured appeared before him, face clouded under the hood of his cloak. A strong jawline and nose the only features visible. "It is done, Lord Tyranus?"

Dooku took a knee before his master. "It is, Lord Sidious."

The Dark Lord of the Sith gave a simple nod underneath his ever present hood. "Good. Your choice in him as an acolyte was a mistake; one I will not have repeated."

Dooku lowered his head in submission. "They all cannot be Ventress's, my lord. He served what little use he had and then was disposed of."

"What purpose he had was irrelevant to the harm he may have caused to my plans had he lived. I advise you to choose your allies with more care from now on."

Dooku cleared his throat. "And what of the Selkath and their deal with the Republic?"

Sidious's face remained unchanged, a figure carved in Selonian marble. "It matters not. Let the fish folk have their brief victory."

"Yes, Master." Dooku rose from his kneeling position as the holoemitter cut out. He moved to a large map of the galaxy upon the wall, the work of the Separatist commander never over.

 

A great wee piece, you managed to get the personalities of the characters down pretty well and I especially liked some of your Threepio stuff, like Anakin wondering about what he saw in a sunrise - great observation which I had never considered!

Although the prose was a little stilted in places the story had a great flow, I would love to have found out more about the acolyte, was he always a Dark Jedi or did he fall away from the Order?

Nice to see Manaan in a story, I love references to KOTOR.

 

Whiskers, that was terrific. The characterizations were right on target. The situation exactly what would be crucial during the Clone Wars. Tickled at Anakin's instantaneous boredom. Bravo on the Darthy stuff going on in the background.

 

I have to echo gaarastar and Nyota - the characterizations are great. It's got such a Star Wars-y feel, too - Anakin and Obi-Wan on a mission; sinister happenings in the background; and Threepio! Great work.

 

I always figured that Anakin, gearhead that he was, would have those kind of questions in regards to droids. As for characterization, I did my best to get them down as best that I could.

Sorry about that, on the prose. As for the acolyte, there isn't that much to know about him other than what's presented. He's a far too unimportant cog in the wheel that's been sent on what Dooku and Sidious know is a suicide mission.

I was looking over Wookieepedia after I decided that I wanted to write an Obi-Wan and Anakin Clone Wars story when I saw that Thyferra was controlled by the Separatists. That led to this particular plot hook coming into my mind. Not to mention that I'm a big fan of Knights of the Old Republic, too!

Thank you! Anakin's boredom was one of the first scenes that I imagined in the plotting phase, before they even had a mission to go on. Anakin is sitting in his chair, bored and wishing that the mission had a little more action to it. As for Darthy stuff, it's one of those things that happen when one man is controlling both sides!

Oh, Threepio was a must! Not to mention that he was quite fun to write as well! Thanks for reading and reviewing.

 

Excellent story

I love it when Obi-Wan and Anakin triumph over Sidious and his minions.

Its just too bad they didn’t figure out who their true enemy was until it was too late.

Great job

 

You've got to give them their early, feel-good victories considering what happens later!

Agreed.

Thank you, KELIA, for reading and reviewing!

 

Great story linking old and new. Love your characterisations

 

Is it already three weeks since you posted this, and I haven't managed to review yet?

In one small line, the difference between Obi-Wan and Anakin is clear. The latter thinks he knows what is right, the former trusts that he will find out why the Council's decision was right. And of course, Anakin's rashness will hamper the Council's purposes in the end -- although, given the final twist, we can see that the Jedi once more played right into Sidious's hands.

One aspect of this story I really liked is how you depict the Clone Wars as a total war -- one that involves not only victories and defeats on the battlefield but also behind-the-scenes machinations to prevent the other side from fighting. I vaguely remember reading in the past a story where the Republic was trying to block the Separatists' access to manufacturing capacity for their battle droids, was it yours?

The contrast between Manaan's overall state of disrepair and the neat appearance of the government district as an instrument for negotiations was a cool touch. It's interesting to see how the Republic is unable to ensure long-term prosperity for its member worlds, thus creating the grounds for its own downfall -- again, a gap in the official storytelling that needed to be filled.

And lastly, that final twist! I mentioned it already, but I'm going to elaborate a little because it was so artistically done Not only do you show how the Jedi got fooled into doing exactly what Sidious wanted them to do in the first place, you also highlighted the Sith's modus operandi really well. Their stooges are merely expendable tools to them, to be used and discarded when their use runs out.

 

I love the contrast between the two and wanted to show it in more ways than one. While both are warriors, Obi-Wan is far more diplomatic than Anakin. On the battlefield, Anakin is brash and his moves are full of power and he's constantly on the offensive. Obi-Wan is cool headed and defense oriented.

I don't recall writing such a story, save for notes on an RPG campaign that went nowhere.

As to your first comment, the idea for this came from reading about Separatist-aligned planets while searching for inspiration to come for a Clone Wars-era Obi-Wan and Anakin story. I saw that Thyferra was under CIS control and immediately thought: "What would the Republic do if the main source of healing medicine in the galaxy would possibly be denied to them?" Going to another source, like Manaan and the kolto, quickly followed. I didn't want there to be a battle, save for maybe against a dark acolyte of Dooku's or nothing more than maybe a small detachment of battle droids. I went with the former.

As said before, that came from researching Manaan while writing and discovering that it had severely gone to hell in the time before the story and Knights of the Old Republic. As for not being able to secure a long term agreement, that is one of the failings of the Republic, especially in this case. After the war, the Jedi know that the Republic and the Navy/Judicial Fleet will likely return to using bacta, so they can't promise it. Luckily, the Selkath are in such a desperate state that they're willing to go along with it.

The real sad thing is that the acolyte is too far gone to even see that he's been set up, probably a reason why he was sacrificed to begin with.

Once again, thank you for reading and reviewing.