Saga Naboo Rain - A/P, O-W, Dooku - (Complete) Clone Wars

Very ominous.... Anakin being drawn towards the darkness [shudders]

Nice description of the environment and action from TPM. It had a bit of Anakin bias since he was the one seeing it- very good.


I have a bad feeling about what's going to happen...

 

?I?m sorry, but am I the only one who finds it odd that Naboo has no planetary defenses, but your power disposal unit is secured against all intruders??



Ooh, creepy about Ankin being drawn towards the pit and Padmé pulling him back. Very symbolic of his ultimate fate.

 

Awesome how you made Anakin feel Darth Maul's presence. Spooky also. Suspenseful. Lets see what else does this post have. Everything. I do have the feeling that something is about to happen, and it may not be good.

 

Darth_Lex ? I have to think Sidious would be pretty angry if Maul's old vibes got Vader-boy killed

Ha. I never thought of that. It?d almost be worth doing just for the awe factor of Sidious trying to find a way to punish Maul in the afterlife.

Ats ? Yup. The old ventilation shaft loophole. There?s always got to be some kind of loophole for the heroes. It is SW, after all.

Thanks to everyone for letting me know you?re still here and enjoying the story! I?m glad the symbolism worked. I?m always a little nervous about stuff like that since there?s such a fine line between subtle symbolism that serves a purpose and smacking your reader in the face with it. I always find the latter a bit annoying. I'm glad no one seems annoyed.

 

Part 14

It was only a matter of minutes before the barrier dropped. The other four followed in rapid succession as the dampening fields powered down. The absence of the loud hum of the transformer was conspicuous as Jedi, Senator and handmaiden remained perfectly still, waiting for some as-yet unspoken signal.

Anakin took the opportunity to remind them of the plan. ?When I give the word I want you both to run. Remember, just far enough to get past this barrier. We?ll only have enough time to clear this one wall. Understood?? He felt more than heard their agreement.

?So, are you ready?? he asked.

Although they responded in the affirmative he stopped to glance at them out of the corner of his eye. They remained motionless, but tension was evident in their stance.

He didn?t delay. ?Go!? he shouted, waiting until he felt them move before following suit. The buzz of the igniting capacitor vibrated through the air as they cleared the first barrier, sliding to a stop several feet short of the next wall just as it materialized in front of them.

They all looked at each other, then the barrier, then at each other again. Padmé was first to speak. ?Let me guess. We get to do it all over again??

?You guessed it.? Anakin nodded, chewing his lower lip thoughtfully. For a moment Padmé could?ve sworn she detected a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. She studied him intently before deciding she must?ve been mistaken.

They waited for the barrier to fall, then jumped, clearing it without a hitch. The last three went just as easily before they found themselves at the end of the corridor facing the exit.

Dormé looked back over her shoulder at the energy fields. ?Hey, that was kind of fun.? Her eyes had lost a little of the lifelessness they had held since her arrival at the lake retreat that morning.

?Yes, I?ve got to hand it to you. You sure know how to show a lady a good time.? Padmé flashed him the wide smile he dearly loved.

He tried not to let the relief he felt show in his face. It seemed the shock was starting to wear off where both women were concerned. A good sign, as he needed them in fighting form and able to focus on what lay ahead.

He grinned back at his beloved. ?Well, I?ve been known to rise to the occasion a time or two.?

The double-entendre wasn?t lost on her as she replied, ?Just once or twice.?

Excellent, Anakin thought. The barrier exercise had served its purpose. He crossed to the control panel by the door, staring intently at it for several seconds. Pulling a small data pad from his beltpouch, he ran a wire from the device to the control panel by using a standard upload socket connector. Once the link was secure he typed in a few short commands. Without warning the panel erupted in a shower of sparks. The hum behind them wound down pathetically as the energy barriers flickered and died.

?There.? Anakin mumbled, disconnecting the datapad. ?You never know when you?ll need a clean get-away route.?

Dormé couldn?t resist adding her own comment. ?What if you?re being followed at that point??

Anakin flashed his mocking grin at her. ?Well, then, we?ll have to hope we can turn the barriers on again from the other end of the hallway.? He traded his teasing look for one that was appropriately abashed as he waited for comprehension to dawn.

It only took a second for Dormé?s brown eyes to widen in understanding. ?You mean you could?ve just ??

?Yup. There are control panels on either end of the hallway. I could?ve disarmed them before we ever crossed the first one.? Perhaps smug confidence was the wrong impression to project.

Dormé advanced on him with what appeared to be murderous intent. Anakin raised his hands defensively. ?Hey! You said it was fun!?

?Not as fun as this is going to be!? The handmaiden reached for his throat as he backed away, ducking out of her reach only to bump into Padmé.

?Give a guy a break, would ya? I really did need to know that you were both with me on this.? They lo

 

Heehee. Sneaky of Anakin, but it was necessary.

It felt like a Star Wars movie.

[hl=#003000]~ats~[/hl]

 

LOL!

I can't believe Anakin did that.
Well, actually I can! ha ha ha!!
At least their working together...




UP!!!

 

Oh, that is such an Anakin thing to do! Well done.

I can understand his intention, of course, but he sure was playing with fire. Padme and Dorme can be quite... spirited when they've been played for fools. He skated by on this one, but I wouldn't recommend trying it again.

And it was so easy to imagine Dorme advancing on Anakin, and the mischievous looks between Padme and Anakin. Great writing!

 

I loved sneaky Anakin, great stuff![face smile] That little bit with Padme and Anakin was hilarious as well.[wink]

 

He grinned back at his beloved. ?Well, I?ve been known to rise to the occasion a time or two.?

The double-entendre wasn?t lost on her as she replied, ?Just once or twice.?

Loved it!

JS

 

"rise to the occasion"

[plays mental image over and over]


It's just like him to joke around in times of crisis... lol... now what's been happening in the palace??!

 

Anakin, you were chancing it there, boy. Do not mess with Padme and Dorme, if you wish to live long

 

Perhaps smug confidence was the wrong impression to project.


Yes that might be the wrong impression to project. We girls have a problem with that in our men sometimes.

Excellent work. I love the underlying tension in this post, with knowing that they only have time to get through one portal and having to make quick stops so that they don't run into the next one. The humor was just perfect in both words and the timing of it.

 

ats: It felt like a Star Wars movie.

Thank you! That?s the highest praise, IMO

Returnofthejeni: At least their working together...

Yeah, I thought they deserved a touch of cameraderie too, before they jump into the frying pan.

Darth_Lex & Sock: Yes, I agree Anakin was playing with fire. I get the impression he kinda likes that though.

JDH3, Jazz & Crystal: Thanks for letting me know you're still here and enjoying the story!

RebelScum77: now what's been happening in the palace??!

You?ll find out very soon...

 

Nicely-written adventure! Anakin was taking a chance there, but when does he ever play it safe? The double-entendres were cute too.

--MissPadme

 

Nice Anakin characterisation there. I like the fact that even though his methods were unconventional, his tactics were expedient and effective. Few fanfiction writers explore or admit to the leadership/tactician aspect of Anakin (pre-Vader)'s personality and coming across one here is a nice surprise.
Disturbing and interesting flashback to Maul's demise. The stone in Anakin's lightsaber was given to him in a vision by Maul... any connection btw them in a story is always cherished.

 

Thanks MissPadme!

leia_naberrie - I've always felt the strategist was such a huge part of Vader's personality that it surely must've been there before he turned. I'm glad you agree with me I didn't know that about the crystal in Anakin's saber. How cool!

 

Part 15

Once through, they found themselves facing a narrow bridge in what must certainly be one of the starship complex?s main generator rooms. It was a vast, cavernous place filled with mazes of criss-crossing catwalks on every level. The clatter of heavy machinery from below echoed noisily as pressure release valves hissed steam every few seconds.

Enormous pillars of energy stretched from generators many stories below all the way up to receptors in the ceiling. These pale blue columns of light created a glow that cut through the misty haze.

Padmé consulted her datapad before sliding it back into her pocket. Shouting to be heard over the din, she pointed to the opposite side of the structure. ?Unless I miss my guess, we want to make it all the way over there.?

On the other side of the room, two levels up and far to the right, was a fairly large platform boasting several possible exits. It did indeed appear to be the most likely way into the hangar bay.

Anakin surveyed the room for the most direct path. The catwalks themselves were lit and easy to see, but it was clear that even those closest together were still several meters apart ? much too far for anyone without Force powers to jump.

?Let?s cross here and then find a way up.? He suggested, taking off in approximately the right direction over the bridge they stood on.

Padmé arched a brow towards her friend. ?At least he didn?t suggest swinging over on a cable.?

Dormé conveyed her gratitude with a small smile. ?Yes. I truly am grateful for the little things.? They chased after Anakin, catching up to him where the bridge ended in front of a magnetically sealed hatchway.

Anakin pointed to the footholds protruding from the wall next to the portal. They led up several meters to a narrow ledge that circled a good portion of this side of the chamber; the ledge itself passed directly under the platform they sought.

?You go first.? He nodded to his wife, who quickly grasped the rungs and started upward. Dormé gamely hitched up her skirt and pursued. Anakin hesitated, giving her space to maneuver her bulky garments, before following them both.

Once they made it up to the ledge it was an easy task to slide around the rim until they were directly under their objective. Another of the built in wall ladders enabled them to easily reach their destination. As they stepped onto the platform they quickly took stock of their surroundings.

The area was bigger than it had seemed from the other side of the chamber. A stairway on the far side led to some unknown location further into the generator complex. Directly in front of them was a large blast door marked for access to the hangar bay. Opening it would announce their arrival in no uncertain terms.

An idea occurred to Anakin and he turned to Padmé. ?Where are the Nubian vessels kept compared to where we are??

She drew out her datapad once more and pulled up a schematic of the hangar. Pointing to the long bottom edge she said, ?We?re here.? Then she drew an imaginary line across the main body of the hangar bay to the far top corner, the one closest to the palace. ?The Queen?s vessels are here. My ship is in a private bay just in front of them, closer to the fighters.?

?So we need to cross the hangar to reach any of them.? It was more a statement than a question.

Padmé nodded. ?My yacht has recently been equipped with a hyperdrive upgrade. It isn?t much, as lightspeed goes, but it will get Dormé out of the area fast.?

?Not to mention that I can actually fly it on my own.? The handmaiden pointed out wryly.

?That?s the one then.? Anakin turned back to the door as Padmé put away her datapad. He tried reaching out with the Force to sense if there could be danger waiting for them immediately on the other side. Nothing came back to him. He reminded himself that droid soldiers didn?t give off any Force signatures. Then he noticed a small lift to one side of the door.

?Where does that go?? He motioned toward the platf

 

Very nice post!

The architectural descriptions were great- just enough detail and believability.

And I just LOVE it when people use foreshadowing in their work. When the Jedi decide to save the clones over the citizens of the Republic? What they don't understand is that if they don't protect the people, there will be no Republic for the clones to fight for. But even this little mention of the difference between what Anakin thinks and the Council thinks is telling. They both are doing what they think is right, even though it's very different. That will play heavily into Episode III. Maybe I just read WAY too much into that, but I like it

?One day I?m going to happily say to hell with the galaxy and do what is best for us.?

Again, foreshadowing! It was my favorite line

 

Thanks RebelScum77. I never can resist the opportunity to play on the fact that we all know what will happen to Anakin.

I'd love to see Anakin tell the rest of the galaxy to take a flying leap while he and Padme go off and live their lives. Ain't gonna happen, but IMO it would be sweet.

 

?At least he didn?t suggest swinging over on a cable.?
Hee hee!

Your descriptions of the Palace and the devastation were very good. It was so easy to picture these scenes from TPM images with the changes you wrought... Very effective.

He slid the grate back into place not a moment too soon.
This is such a Star Wars moment! Half the time it's narrow getaway, half the time it's falling straight into the middle of trouble. So I guess next time....

And I'll admit I'm a bit surprised Dorme got away. So far, anyway.

?You?re protecting soldiers while civilians are dying??
I understand Anakin's point, but you don't win wars with civilians either. AOTC showed clearly that the Jedi alone can't beat the Separatists, so the Army of the Republic must be preserved if the Republic is to win. That's just how it goes...

?I trust your judgment in this matter.? Mace decided.
Did Mace really say that? No, I am sure he has much bigger concerns right now. I just had to take a jab at the Order.

"Yeah, I know. Don?t worry. I?m coming back.?
Inauspicious words for a droid....

Fun post with sad moments too. Well done, and I'm looking forward to more.

 

Very good descriptions of the hangar and generator rooms; I have a hard time writing that type of stuff. You covered it all very clearly.

Well, at least Anakin can take comfort in the fact Master Windu has ordered him to stay with Padmé . But poor Anakin can't understand putting soldiers ahead of citizens and one day he will say to hell with the galaxy.

--MissPadme

 

Hi Reihla,

Oh, more great stuff and I can't believe that I forgot to mention that little bit about Anakin's saber lol! Your descriptions in this chapter were wonderful and really painted a clear picture in which to place A/P and Dorme. The conversation between Mace and Anakin was quite fascinating given Anakin's sad future and very well done. I to wish they had just chucked galactic politics and split to live in peace.[sad smile]

As for the "cable" joke did part of that come from the EP2 DVD commentary? R.M said as Padme's ship prepares to land on Geonosis that there was a scene like that shot but not used in the droid factory. However unlike Luke the first shot doesn't work and Padme makes a rather sarcastic comment as Anakin fires again.

JD.

 

Darth_Lex - you could be right about the next time. They haven't fallen into anything really icky yet. As for poor Dorme, I just couldn't bring myself to kill her off. Padme has already lost so much.

Did Mace really say that?

Yeah, I had trouble writing that line too. However, I figure if Anakin is ever going to become a Jedi Knight someone on the council is gonna have to believe in him.

I fixed the droid quote, BTW. It wasn't clear and you're right, those would have been inauspicious words for such a clueless little machine.

MissPadme - I have trouble writing descriptive surroundings too. I've been working on this "walk thru" technique where I try to become the character and only notice the big, really obvious things. It hasn't given me exactly what I want yet, but I'm glad to know its working to some degree for readers

But poor Anakin can't understand putting soldiers ahead of citizens and one day he will say to hell with the galaxy.

We could but hope.

JDH3 - I to wish they had just chucked galactic politics and split to live in peace

It would've turned out ever so much better for them anyway. I read a great fic once where Anakin did this - chucked it all and went to live on Tatooine with Padme. Surprisingly enough, it didn't solve all their problems.

As for the "cable" joke did part of that come from the EP2 DVD commentary?

Not consciously, but who knows what might have stuck in my brain from the DVD. I did actually write the scene where they used a cable, but it took too long and didn't flow well. I guess this was my tiny version of an Indiana Jones moment where you pull out the gun and shoot the guy with the sword.

Hey guys! Thanks for reading

 

Wonderful post. Love the descriptions.