From The Ashes//anidala

17

FROM THE ASHES

Chapter 17

"Obiwan, I don't know what to do but I have to do something. I had another one of my nightmares, a vision, it was so real. It was about Padme and the babies. I could hear them and see them as clearly as I see and hear you right now. They are in danger, I have to find them."

Obiwan wasn't aware that Anakin didn't already know the news, and was only acting on his instinct. "Anakin, you mean you haven't seen the news.."

"What are you talking about?"

Obiwan thought it was best not to tell Anakin now, while he was flying, and after it had taken him so much fortitude to be able to do so again. "Nothing that can't wait until we get home."

"Come on Obiwan, I can sense something holding back in you. Let me know."

"Anakin, I am concerned, you should wait."

"You must tell me. I know it must be bad or you wouldn't be so concerned about my reaction. I already had the dream I need to know."

Obiwan sighed and was prepared to take the controls if Anakin were to lose his composure. "Anakin, your nightmares, they were true."

"I knew that, I could feel it, just not the details. What has happened?"

"You know that case she was working on, about the blind rehab center, and all the beings whose eyes were ruined so they could go there?"

"How could I forget, I nearly lost my own eyes because of it. Padme had it shut down, and those responsible jailed and paying large financial settlements to the victims."

"Were you aware that the man behind it was Gerapaline?"

"You mean that crooked, low down creep who has the crime syndicate in Naboo?"

"Yes, and since this caused him to be exposed, be investigated for all he's done, be jailed and lose his fortune. He blamed Padme."

"He should blame no one but himself."

"But you know how the evil are, like Palpatine, it's always someone else's fault! Anakin, he and a few cohorts have escaped from prison. They killed Padme's father, and have taken her mother and the babies hostage."

Anakin's hands fell from the controls and he went limp in his seat. "Oh, no, Obiwan, I didn't know it was that bad. Where is Padme?"

"I'm afraid he got her, too."

Anakin raised his hands into fists and pounded them on the dash panel. "I should never have left! I must find them!"

Obiwan was relieved that Anakin was taking a commanding position on this instead of wanting to run and hide. As bad as this situation was, perhaps it was what he needed to bring him back to himself, though not at the cost of lives. "Anakin, we have to find them. That is why I came for you. We must return to Coruscant, get a bigger ship, and go rescue them."

"I told you we should have taken the pirate's ship I won gambling!"

"What good would it have done if we had gotten killed, or you got injured again?"

"We could have taken them, me and you, nobody can stop us, not when we fight together!"

Obiwan was glad to see Anakin had his confidence and his arrogance back. "I'm sorry, Anakin, but we'll get another ship, and we'll save them."

Anakin stared out into the vastness of the open space ahead of them. "Oh, Master, how can we find them? It's hopeless." "Don't say that, Anakin. We have to find them, and we will."