Murder the Dawn: Chapter Thirty Six: Narrow Escapes

[ladyofleithian]

In which Anakin escapes from his own troops firing at him (little knowing that his day is about to go downhill from there) and Padme returns to Coruscant to try and stop Sidious.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author's Notes: So it's definitely good to get Padme back in the picture again. Also, I think this is one of the hardest chapters I ever wrote.

It wasn’t what one would have called an easy battle with Grievous, but even so, it was only lucky that Anakin had gotten out alive. Even emerging, grimy but victorious, along with the mount Boga by his side, he turned to look at Cody. “Are you all right?”

“Yep. You?”

“All right.” Anakin grinned, if wearily. “I take it you still left some droids over for me then?”

“Of course. Wouldn’t want to deprive you of your fun, boss.”

Anakin laughed, almost in spite of himself -- even now, he was already feeling better, if slightly. Then he lightly patted Boga’s neck, mounting her -- he couldn’t say that he liked animal mounts that much (something that Obi-Wan liked to tease him about to no end -- even now, he wished Obi-Wan the best of luck. If something happened to him -- but then again, it was Coruscant. What could possibly happen? It didn’t stop that constant, niggling, simple bad feeling about this in the back of his head, though...), but there was something about Boga that was almost...right for him.

“Oh, and by the way...” Cody held out the lightsaber Anakin had dropped while chasing Grievous. Even now, if there was one of many things to be learned from this, it was to hold onto one’s lightsaber at all times -- and that, when all else failed, use a blaster. He hadn’t expected a blaster to come in handy whilst facing Grievous, but he only assumed that he knew now.

“Thanks.” Anakin chuckled. “I’m just glad Obi-Wan isn’t here; I never would have heard the end of it.”

Cody laughed. Then his comlink began to beep. “I’ll be a bit held up, General. See you on the upper level.”

“See you.” And Anakin and Boga headed up towards the upper level to join the rest of the troops.

It was even now, in the middle of the battle with the droids in the upper level that he heard the order. “Fire on him.”

Even now, as Anakin steered Boga to avoid the blaster shots coming her way -- it wasn’t enough.

Anakin could already feel himself falling. And falling. And falling forever. He didn’t know how long it was until he finally hit the water. But once he did, he swam. And swam forever.

He was almost tempted to gasp for breath once he managed to emerge safely away from blaster fire, only to realize that there were still clone troopers up there, murmuring something about “Check the water. See if he’s dead.”

He would have to play dead. At least for now.

He was almost relieved when the sounds of chatter died down, replaced by orders to move the men onto the nearest ship. Even now, though, he shuddered to think of what would happen next. Somehow, he didn’t want to know.

Even now, beside him, Boga’s body was drifting. Quiet, still, unmoving. It was seeing the blaster wounds on her that Anakin realized that she had died to save him. Even now, gently running a hand over her side, Anakin knew he had to move. Had to get back to Coruscant. But he couldn’t leave her like this, could he?

He took Boga’s body and began to swim, at least as best he could. Dodging possibly being seen, for one thing. He could only hope the Force was on his side. Because even now, he wasn’t sure.

***

Across the galaxy, planet to planet, the order was given. Across the galaxy, planet to planet, Jedi fell. Shot down by clone troopers, not out of spite, but out of duty. Across the galaxy, planet to planet, Sidious’ plan began to reach its finale.

And far away, on Tatooine, Padme Naberrie, former Sith apprentice, continued to dispense justice in her small ways. Even now, though, she could hear something. Feel something in the Force, and something in her froze.

Sidious’ plan was reaching completion.

He was going to rule the galaxy -- not through peace, but through violence. Through war. Through slaughtering of innocents. If she could get to Coruscant and find a way to stop him --

It was even now at the hangar that one of the guards stopped her. “Sorry, ma’am,” he said, “But I’m afraid this hangar is restricted. I’ll need to see your identification.”

Putting the weight of the Force into her voice, Padme said, “You don’t need to see my identification.”

“I don’t need to see your identification.”

“You will forget you ever saw me.”

“I will forget I ever saw you.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome, ma’am.” And the guard stepped aside.

Inside, there were plenty of ships. Ships that could get her to Coruscant in time. Padme, in the end, chose the blue freighter. It seemed to be the one that would best get her to Coruscant in time. Even now, she already had the feeling that there would be plenty more problems to come. Nothing she couldn’t deal with, however. She was, after all, a Sith, and no power in the galaxy or otherwise would be able to stop her.

She would need to get to Coruscant by a more discreet route though.

One emergence from hyperspace and subsequent landing on Coruscant later, Padme found that the more discreet route was almost out of the question, what with clone troopers everywhere. If anything, getting to her destination would be far from easy.

“Hold it right there. I’m afraid you can’t go to the Jedi Temple. It’s on lockdown.”

“Indeed?” Padme tried to keep her voice casual. “What happened?”

“Jedi Rebellion. We had to deal with it.”

Something in Padme was suddenly very hollow, but it hardly fazed her. “Is there any chance I could go to the Jedi Temple? Unfinished business, you see.”

“I’m very sorry, ma’am, but our orders from Lord Sidious were clear. No one is to be admitted.”

One fight later, Padme looked regretfully down at the clone trooper. It was a pity that she had to kill him, really. If anything, he seemed to be doing his --

Suddenly, she felt it. Clear as day. Life going out. Screams. A lightsaber, cleaving through everyone there. Blasters.

“No...”

Padme ran. And she ran forever. Cutting down troopers in her path who would try to stop her. She ran towards the Jedi Temple, hoping at the very least to stop all of this before it got any worse.

Because now -- now no power in the galaxy would be able to stop her.